Chapter 2 [a Tale As Old As Time]

chapter 2 [a tale as old as time]

chapter 2: the beast has a heart?

“don’t you see? she’s the one. the girl we have been waiting for. she has come to break the spell.” -lumiere

series masterlist

you laid uncomfortably in a curled position, desperately trying to force yourself into any form of slumber. it proved useless, as no amount of tossing and turning could offer you any comfort against the concrete flooring of the tower you found yourself trapped in.

sighing, you lifted yourself to sit, resting your head against the stone bricks and glancing out the small window. you weren’t sure how long you’d been locked away, but you’d been watching the small stream of moonlight slowly cross the floor- you’d guess it had likely been a few hours at most.

if this was some sick, twisted joke from the universe about your desire to become more than a side character, you certainly weren’t laughing. of all the stories you’ve read, the last thing you wanted to be was the hopeless character waiting for a prince charming to come save them. of course, that’s exactly where you landed.

so much for being a hero.

the prospect of being saved seemed ridiculous, because really, who would even come for you? quackity? you would rather stay with the beast than be saved by him.

knowing how he was, you’d likely be guilted into a marriage with the ghastly man. you shivered at the sheer absurdity of being betrothed to anyone, let alone quackity.

allowing your thoughts to drift elsewhere, you refocused your attention outside of the window. you suddenly noticed the lack of stars visible from the castle, and that the moon itself was barely peeking through the thick blanket of clouds coating the sky, only enough to provide the dim lighting in your cell.

you immediately missed the comfort of the twinkling lights that typically littered the night sky. each served as a beacon of hope, as foretold by the many stories you’ve read. perhaps the fact that none were in sight served as a sign that there was no hope for you.

you tried to brush off that thought. there was the small chance that it had simply happened to be a stormy night and that tomorrow the sky would be clear and luminescent once more.

a sense of sorrow flooded you. something told you it wasn’t so. you couldn’t imagine never seeing the stars again.

technoblade, or rather, the beast, was trapped in this frozen kingdom, alone, with nothing but grey clouds and cold weather. had you been condemned to a life like this, you were sure you’d be angry all the time as well.

the curious part of you wondered what he possibly could have done to entail this solemn fate. the other part warned you that you didn’t.

you were pulled from your thoughts by a strange clanging sound. the noise was almost as though someone had dropped a piece of metal down the stairs, and it was hitting every single step in a steady rhythm. only rather than getting quieter as it fell further down, the subtle thumping sound grew louder.

you stiffened, mentally preparing for the worst. the unfamiliar sound amplified your stress, for it could be anything approaching you.

maybe the beast was coming to finish you off right there. you hoped this once, everyone from the village was right about your overly imaginative nature and that it was a ridiculously far fetched idea.

when the clanging finally stopped, a strong french accent rang out among the silence. “hello?” he called, and you swallowed nervously, leaning forward to peek at your visitor.

imagine your surprise when the only thing by your door was an old-fashioned looking candelabra.

you searched as far as you could see from the restraints of your cage, looking for any indication of where the voice could have come from.

“excusez-moi! hello! down here!” the voice called out again, and you frowned, glancing down to the tiny golden statue in front of you.

“what kind of joke is this?” you muttered, tapping the candelabra lightly with the tip of your shoe. the last thing you expected was for it to jump away from you, an expression of pure offense suddenly carved into its’ features. naturally, you screamed.

“woah, woah! you kicked me - why are you the one screaming?” it asked, cocking its head to the side in wonder. “was it something i said?”

you faltered, shuffling as far away from the door as possible. which, realistically, wasn’t that far. “you talk. you’re a talking candlestick.” you stuttered, in a feeble attempt at trying to explain to yourself what you were witnessing.

“oui! i talk. and i am no candlestick! i,” he paused for dramatic effect, “am a candelabra. we are much different than mere candlesticks, you see.” he dropped into an eccentric bow, and you simply blinked, awestruck.

you shook your head, laughing humorlessly. “i must’ve fallen asleep!” you mumbled, nodding to yourself in approval. “that’s right. i’m asleep! everything makes sense now, i just need to wake up and everything will be normal!”

“wait, you’re not-” it tried, but you chose to ignore the metallic object, attempting to brush off the delusion. you instantly pinched your wrist, letting out a small sound of pain. you repeated the action once more, tears pricking at your eyes.

“wake up, y/n. wake up!” your voice barely came out as a breathy whisper as you paced the small distance across the cell, panic settling in. “why won’t i wake up?” you sighed frustratedly, and the candelabra sighed, shooting you a small look of pity.

“i’m sorry to break it to you, but you are not dreaming. i am lumiere, and my beautiful girlfriend, plumette, is on her way with the keys to your cell. we shall escort you to somewhere much more comfortable.” he exclaimed, and you forced a laugh.

“your girlfriend? what is she, a lighter?” you asked sarcastically, and the candelabra frowned in confusion.

“non? she is a, er, what do you call it? a feather duster, i believe?” he replied, smiling brightly at the mention of his lover. you tried to smile politely, but you couldn’t bring yourself to do so with your mind running a mile a minute.

you were talking to a fancy-looking candlestick with a feather duster for a girlfriend, while simultaneously being trapped in a tower with a pig-like beast.

if you weren’t asleep, you were truly losing it.

“ah, there she is now!” he announced, and you could suddenly make out the distinct sound of clattering metal.

you glanced in the direction of the stairs, and an elegant dove-shaped feather duster flew in ever-so-gracefully. “hello, my love!” she greeted, shooting him a wink, before her attention turned to you. you noted how his flames grew slightly in response to her actions.

she flew up and around, analyzing your features from all angles. “oh, look at you! so young, so attractive!” she swooned, and you flushed slightly, thanking her quietly, albeit being a bit confused as well.

“ahem, my dear, perhaps we should let them out of their confined cell?” lumiere posed, and plumette eyes widened slightly, apologizing swiftly before swooping down and dropping the key into your open palm.

you sighed in relief as you made quick work of the key and stepped out, mindful not to step on lumiere. “thank you so much.” you muttered, pausing and shaking your head in disbelief. “i just thanked a candlestick and a feather duster.” you scoffed quietly.

“like i said before, i am no candlestick. i am a candelabra.” he argued, and you muttered a small half-hearted apology, letting out a yawn shortly after.

“oh, my dear. you must be so tired. please, allow me to escort you to your room.” plumette offered, and you blinked, confused.

“a room? but i thought i was a prisoner. did beast tell you to do this?” you asked, curiously. the two in front of you shared a glance, before turning back to you and shaking their heads. “does he.. does he know you’re doing this?” you questioned, hesitantly. they shook their heads once more.

you smiled gratefully then, simply brushing off the remaining questions and motioning you were ready to follow plumette. the least you could do in thanks for their actions was to not bombard them with everything all at once.

“uh.. would you mind? i am not exactly built for stairs.” lumiere asked, gesturing to himself. you smiled, picking him up and following plumette down the winding staircase.

“lumiere! there you are!” another male voice rang out, and for a moment, you feared it was the beast coming to punish them for letting you out. you were pleasantly surprised to see a small clock wobbling out from behind a wall.

“a talking clock. of course. why wouldn’t there be a talking clock?” you mumbled, gently placing lumiere on the floor and allowing him to rejoin his friend.

“who is this?” the clock asked, eyes blown wide in an instant. “you let out the prisoner? he’s going to be furious!” he whispered angrily, but you cleared your throat.

“i have a name, you know. it’s y/n.” you argued, frowning. “and i didn’t ask to be let out.”

“i am not blaming you.” he assured, his tone soft. “i’m blaming lumiere - he knows better. and you too plumette? are you two mad?” he questioned angrily, and plumette ignored him, flying up next to your ear.

“that’s cogsworth. he’s a bit uptight, his gears haven’t been oiled in years.” she whispered, and you laughed lightly, hardly listening as the clock continuously berated lumiere. as the men (were they even men?) continued to argue, plumette gestured for you to follow her.

you were led up a series of stairwells, and through a long hallway filled with paintings. how you wished you could’ve admired the art, but each portrait had the gash of claw marks through the middle. you shivered at the sight.

she stopped in front of a large door, a small collection of dust layered on the handle, as though no one had stepped foot here for ages. you pushed open the door, gasping slightly as you gazed around the beautifully furnished room.

you stepped towards the wardrobe, reaching out a hand before the doors flung open, and she greeted you with a loud “hello!”. you squealed in surprise, throwing a hand over your racing heart.

“is there anything in this damn castle that isn’t alive?” you huffed, breathing heavily. plumette laughed, shaking her head and bidding you goodnight.

you stumbled over to the bed, looking at it distastefully. “you’re not going to throw me off, are you?” you asked, tiredly. the wardrobe lady laughed, catching your attention.

“my dear, why are you talking to a bed? it is simply a bed.” she chastised, and you groaned, flopping down on the mattress.

“of course it’s just a bed.” you mumbled, tiredly. finally, the weight of your day became too much for your body to handle, and you allowed yourself to sink further into the mattress, drifting into a dreamless sleep.

-

technoblade stood at the entrance to the room he long since sealed off, far into the west wing. he actively avoided this room, but another sleepless night and wandering thoughts led him here. he sucked in a breath, stepping into the chamber and taking a few tentative steps towards the floating object that signified his demise.

yet another petal hung on by mere threads, only minutes left before he was one step closer to sealing the fate of him and everyone he’s ever cared about.

he reached up, tugging off the bone mask he wore to hide his hideous pig-like features, gently placing it on the table as he leaned forward, watching intently as the weight of the petal became too much and it tumbled slowly to the floor.

he swallowed, a sinking feeling settling in his chest.

technoblade wasn’t stupid. he heard the whispers of his staff echoing off the castle walls, the hope in their voices only fueling the anguish in his heart.

they truly believed the prisoner could be their saviour. the one who could finally break the curse.

it wasn’t that techno didn’t want to be saved - who would want to be doomed to a life like his, forever encased in the body of a beast? he certainly wasn’t against the idea of returning to his once handsome and human self, but it was the condition that had his doubts set aflame.

the condition that required someone teaching him how to love, and love him all the same.

he wasn’t sure how his staff believed you could fall in love with him. him, the ugly, monstrous pig-like beast who’d locked you in a tower and left you helplessly. not to mention you were full of life and most of all, innocent. he couldn’t burden you with such a thing.

his gaze rose to the floating flower, on the verge of its last petals. he sighed, making his way towards the balcony. he stepped out, allowing the fresh air to clear his mind as he gripped the safety rail as though his life depended on it, a motion to help ground him from his overwhelming emotions.

out of the corner of his eye, he could see the tower where he’d last left you, and as a cool breeze came in through the window, he realized you must’ve been freezing. you certainly weren’t dressed for the weather occupying his castle.

the last bit of humanity he had left tugged at his heart, and after his previous neglect of compassion with your father, the urge to help you was strong. he groaned at himself, searching for the nearest blanket. he had to shake it to clear off the dirt and cobwebs, but it would do.

he trudged silently through the castle, careful not to let any of his attendants catch him in the act. the last thing they needed to see was him being kind to his prisoner and give them any ideas.

since the incident, technoblade had shown nothing but hostility towards his companions. he and they both know it was a coping mechanism, a way for him to deal with the weight of the guilt he suppressed. it was never mentioned, but a silent understanding.

he refused to show weakness in front of them, for a multitude of reasons. more than anything, he didn’t want them to realize just how much he suffered.

every one of his staff members were great people. he’d never deserved them, and the kindness they always showed him after his issues. no matter how many mistakes he made, how many insults he threw their way. they stood next to him through it all.

and in return, he had them all turned into inanimate objects with faces. for him, they lost everything. some, like chip, had their whole lives ahead of them still. lives they would likely never experience.

the least he could do was stay strong in front of them, showing them he wasn’t giving up on them or the curse, despite his interior beliefs.

hope was all they had left, he couldn’t take that away.

but while hope can be good, it can be just as dangerous.

he saw the way they looked at you with stars in their eyes. all of that responsibility fell on you, and you didn’t even know it.

as much as he wanted to be free from his burden, he hardly knew anything of you. how could he put that pressure on you like that? how would one even bring it up? ‘hey, i know i’ve locked you in a tower and left you to freeze, but i’m actually a cursed prince and the talking objects scattered around the castle are my staff. could you fall in love with me so we can break the curse before the last petal of a magic rose i locked away in a far tower falls and traps us in these bodies forever?’

techno almost laughed at his own thoughts for the sheer absurdity.

he ventured across the castle, finally reaching your tower. he hoped you were asleep by now, so he could simply leave the blanket without another word and avoid an undoubtedly awkward conversation. he turned the final corner, only to see an open cell door and a drop of candle wax on the floor.

rage settled in the pit of his stomach, heat creeping up his cheeks as he shook. “lumiere..” he muttered, shaking his head.

techno was quick to saunter back down the stairs, headed for the table cogsworth and lumiere typically situated themselves on. “lumiere!” he yelled, eyes searching the room before they landed on his two former staff members. they froze, looking at their prince with feared eyes. “where is the prisoner?” he demanded, and cogsworth shoved his guilty-looking friend forward.

“i escorted them to a room, sir.” lumiere explained, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head with one of his fiery arms.

“you gave my prisoner a bedroom?” he growled, and lumiere only shrugged, nervously. “and you did so without my permission.” he clarified, and lumiere nodded. he opened his mouth to berate him once more, but he was quickly cut off.

“is that a blanket in your arms?” cogsworth asked, curiously. techno flushed, tucking the blanket behind his back and straightening up.

“no.” he replied, gruffly. lumiere and cogsworth exchanged smiles, clearly amused.

“you were going to bring the prisoner a blanket.” lumiere announced, his smile growing.

techno growled lowly, meaning for it to be a warning to his attendings. they knew, however, he was simply embarrassed at being caught.

he stormed off, and the candelabra elbowed his partner gently. “he just showed he cares. perhaps they could be the one after all.” he whispered, and cogsworth nodded thoughtfully.

“i sure hope so.” he frowned, and lumiere frowned as well, both falling into a deep silence. all of the staff could feel it. each time a petal fell, it became harder and harder to move. they were becoming closer and closer to the real objects they were transfigured into.

nothing was more terrifying, but they had faith - particularly, faith in you.

they could only hope you should fall for the man underneath the bone mask.

for if you didn’t, they were out of time.

taglist: @dreamslittlebitch @victory-is-here @olivekenny @freakshow420 @thegeekisheere @yikes-buddy @idkwhatusernametohave @deadmansdoctor @p1gst3p @fromzeepewithlove @aikochan4859 @the-sky-writes @mxxnbees @morgan8or

luv's 1k follower celebration!

first and foremost, i want to thank you all for 1000 followers! i've had this blog for nearly 3 years now and it still blows my mind that people willingly read the things i write. so thank you.

now, onto the good stuff!

i'll be hosting a writing event in celebration of this milestone! below you can find a set of 15 different prompts to choose from. though they're categorized as platonic/romantic or fluff/angst, you can do whatever you want with the prompts!

to claim a prompt (i'm sure you all know the drill) but just in case you don't:

send me an ask with the genre, prompt number and the mcyt character or cc you want to write for it!

i'll keep this post up-to-date with what's been taken! prompts will max at 3 participants each, first come first serve!

claiming prompts closes on june 13th! writing will not have a deadline though so take as much time as you need!

anyone is welcome to join in, just please make sure you tag me once you post!

fluff

1. “hold my hand?”

⇾ cc!george - @heyskeppy

↳ click here to read!

2. “i can’t stop thinking about you.”

3. “wow, you look amazing”

4. “why haven’t you kissed me yet?”

5. “i bet i can make you blush.”

⇾ c!karlnapity - @blanknamed

6. "has anyone ever told you how cute you are?"

⇾ cc!wilbur - @basilly

↳ click here to read!

7. "my mom thinks we're dating."

⇾ cc!dream - @mcytmushroom

↳ click here to read!

8. "dance with me!"

⇾ cc!karl - @cherios

9. "i saw this and thought of you."

⇾ cc!quackity - @scare-crowed

↳ click here to read!

⇾ c!techno - @inniterhq

↳ click here to read!

10. "make a wish!"

angst

1. “i don’t want to make a promise i can’t keep”

2. “because i love you!”

3. “please don’t leave me”

⇾ cc!karl - @ttakinou

4. "i've missed you."

⇾ cc!dream - @bozowrites

5. “it’s okay, i’ve got you”

6. "i didn't mean for any of this to happen"

7. "i wish i never met you"

⇾ c!dream - @tuvblog

8. "i'm sorry i let you down"

9. "i wish i could take it back"

10. "you're too good for me."

platonic

1. “what are friends for?”

2. “how the hell did you manage that?”

⇾ c!tommy - @voidgonemissing

3. “please don’t burn my house down.”

⇾ cc!ranboo - @szckolii

↳ click here to read!

4. “i wasn’t being reckless, i was thinking quickly!”

⇾ cc!tommy - @stxrwrites

5. “i'm coming to get you, be ready in 5."

tagging some of my favourite writing blogs!

sorry for the tag, of course there's absolutely no pressure to join in! <3

tags: @blanknamed @basilly @esylwen @etherealexsistence @dreamcatcherrs @bozowrites @b3l0v3ds @cr0wswriting @scare-crowed @sleepyteddies @cherios @im-quite-a-mess @ilecil @korinawastaken @ttakinou @mcytmushroom @inniterhq @a-simp-for-block-people

hello! could i request a bad boy halo fic? maybe bbh just finished streaming late at night and his partner (they/them) drags him to the kitchen to slow dance? take it any way you want and have a nice day/night! <3

drabble time :D

it was around one a.m., and you were wide awake. you weren't rushing to sleep, since you'd had tomorrow off and you wanted to spend some time with bad, who at the moment, was streaming with puffy and skeppy.

you checked the clock, pondering. it had been hours since bad had eaten anything, so you figured you'd go fix him a quick snack while he worked.

you smiled, heading down to the kitchen and pulling out your bluetooth headphones, playing some soft tunes in your ears as you reached up to grab a plate.

you moved swiftly, motions slowing and turning into a subtle dance as you worked. humming along to the song of choice, you spun around less than gracefully, laughing quietly to yourself as you lost yourself in your own world of fun.

bad had just wrapped up his stream, bidding goodbye to everyone before hitting the end button and leaving to search for his partner. peaking in the bedroom, he frowned upon their missing presence. he wandered around, finally finding them playfully maneuvering around the kitchen. a smile tugged at his lips.

he approached you slowly, trying not to startle you. you hardly noticed his presence, and as you spun around once more you gasped in surprise as you were caught by two hands placed firmly on your waist, halting you mid-spin.

you pulled your headphones off, frowning playfully. "bad! you scared me." you pouted.

"i tried not to, promise!" he defended, guiltily. you smiled at his genuine tone, placing a small kiss on his cheek in reassurance. he smiled at this, a red hue tinting the area where your lips had just touched.

you stood there for a moment, bad's hands never leaving your waist. you simply smiled at each other, before an idea popped in your head. you quickly slipped out of his embrace, running out of the room to search for something.

"where- where are you going?" your boyfriend called, but you pressed on, desperately searching your room for the small box. you found it, grabbing the small speaker and rushing back down to the kitchen. you quickly connected it to your phone, playing a slow song and turning up the volume.

you turned to bad, stepping forward and grabbing his hands, placing them back on your waist. you lifted your own to his shoulders, smiling brightly at his confused expression. "dance with me." you whispered, and bad flushed darker, but nodded.

as the song progressed and his confidence swelled, he gently took one of your hands into his own and twirled you around, pulling you back into his embrace.

you laid your head on his chest, closing your eyes and allowing him to sway you back and forth in a soft rhythm, feeling completely at peace.

PUNZ AND HUFFLEPUFF READER?? ARIELLE I’LL LOSE MY MIND

i just realized i'm missing people for the hogwarts au so here's an updated and fixed list:

ravenclaw!george x ravenclaw!reader

curse breaker!wilbur x symbologist!reader

slytherin!punz x hufflepuff!reader

ravenclaw!eret x slytherin!reader

gryffindor!quackity x hufflepuff!reader

hufflepuff!karl x ravenclaw!reader

hufflepuff!foolish x gryffindor!reader

These are subject to shift and change in order except maybe the first three since I either have a draft or outline ready for them :)

https://mcytmushroom.tumblr.com/post/652213629326884864/hi-can-i-please-be-anon-ive-been-scrolling

here is the blurb I posted last night. it's nsfw btw so if you don't like that kinda stuff I can send you one of my more fluffy fics. also HELLO TO EDGY ANON! welcome to the anon fam<3

-🍄

nsfw in link warning!!

i don't personally mind nsfw! send me the fluff tho so i can rb, i would prefer to keep the stuff on this blog sfw cause ik there are minors who follow me!

so cute!

Happy Birthday Bubs

IRL Sapnap x GN!Reader

A/N: Here’s a little Sapnap birthday fic for all the simps in chat. Enjoy!

Keep reading