Beauty and the Beast
Belle: Mattie (Canada)
Beast: Ivan (Russia)
Angel: Natalia (Belarus)
Wardrobe: Katyusha (Ukraine)
Mrs. Pots: Elizabeta (Hungary)
Chip: Raivis (Latvia)
Lumiere: Francis (France)
Clogsworth: Arthur (England)
Gaston: Alfred (America)
Maurice: Feliciano (Italy)
Lefou: Toris (Lithuania)
NOTE: I know Italy is... Well Italy, and you would expect Francis to be the father, BUT Francis is Lumiere, so I had to pick an alternative parent figure for Belle (aka Matthew) and I really wanted to keep this original, without any AU's, like genderbending, otherwise I would have used fem France instead. But anyway, sorry, I picked Italy because he's a cutie and I like Italy.
Once upon a time, in a faraway land, a young Prince lived in a shining castle. Although he had everything his heart desired, the Prince was spoiled, selfish, and unkind. But then, one winter's night, an old beggar woman came to the castle and offered him a single rose in return for shelter from the bitter cold. Repulsed by her haggard appearance, the Prince sneered at the gift and turned the old woman away, but she warned him not to be deceived by appearences, for beauty is found within. And when he dismissed her again, the old woman's ugliness melted away to reveal a beautiful enchantress. The Prince tried to apologize, but it was too late, for she had seen that there was no love in his heart, and as punishment, she transformed him into a hideous beast and placed a powerful spell on the castle and all who lived there. Ashamed of his monstrous form, the beast concealed himself inside his castle, with a magic mirror as his only window too the outside world. The rose she had offered was truly an enchanted rose, which would bloom until his twenty-first year. If he could learn to love another, and earn her love in return by the time the last petal fell, then the spell would be broken. If not, he would be doomed to remain a beast for all time. As years passed, he fell into despair, and lost all hope, for who could ever learn to love a beast?
A fair distance from the castle stood a little town. One house in particular housed a young man by the name of Matthew, where he lived with his father, Feliciano. This particular day, Matthew was stepping out of the house with a basket in hand, walking into town. Around him, people were shouting greetings of 'Bonjour!', to him and others.
"Little town, it's a quiet village. Every day, like the one before. Little town, full of little people, waking up to say..." he thought in his head, right on cue as townsfolk began to greet one another.
"Bonjour!"
Matthew made little notes in his head of who every one was and where they were going. "There goes the baker with his tray, like always. The same old bread and rolls to sell."
"Good morning, Matthew!" the friendly baker called out to him as Matthew approached him. "Where are you off too so early this morning?"
"Oh! I'm off to the bookshop, I had just finished the most wonderful story! It was about a beanstalk, an ogre, and..." he was going to explain the story to the friendly baker, but the baker had lost interest, interrupting him.
"That's nice, MARIE! The baguettes! Come on! Hurry up!" the baker headed inside, leaving Matthew outside, looking downhearted.
Continuing his walk to the bookstore, he could hear others mumbling about him, as they usually did. It irritated him, but he just choose to ignore it all.
"Look! There he goes. He's so strange without a doubt, no questions asked. Dazed and distracted, can't you tell?" one would mumble.
"Never part of any crowd or doing any work except for his father." another would reply.
"It's all because his head is up in the clouds, day dreaming about fantasy things, when it should be on work, earning a living." the barber would add in.
It was the same thing every day for Matthew, the constant muttering.
"There is no denying he is a funny one, that Matthew."
Matthew continued on his way, passing a store owner and a woman arguing about eggs and their prices. A head of him, the bookshop drew closer and closer before the door was in reach. The ring of the bell was music to Matthew's ears as he entered, greeted by the friendly bookstore owner.
"Ah! Hello Matthew! Back already?"
"Yes, good morning, I'm returning the book I borrowed. I couldn't put it down." he grinned in delight. "Got anything new?"
"Not since yesterday." he laughed in amusement, glad he was enjoying himself within the books he had to offer.
"Hm, well, that's alright. I'll borrow this one then!" he grabbed a book from off the shelf.
"That one? But you have read it twice already! Aren't you bored of it at all?" he blinked in surprise, taking note of what he had grabbed.
"Oh no! Never! I could never get bored of this book! It's my favorite! Far off places, daring swordfights, magic spells, a prince in disguise!" he beamed with joy, holding the book close to him.
The bookseller only chuckled at Matthew's happiness. "Well then, if you like it so much, take it. It's yours."
Matthew was taken back by this, becoming flustered. "Oh no, I couldn't!"
"Go ahead, I insist! You enjoy it so much, I couldn't possibly make you return it. Keep it."
Matthew became bright with delight. "Oh thank you! Thank you so much!" he was thanking him as he left the bookstore.
There were people by the window of the bookstore, watching him, mumbling amongst themselves.
"There he goes!"
"He's so peculiar!"
"I wonder if he's feeling well?"
"He always has a dreamy far-off look and his nose is always stuck in a book!"
"He's such a puzzle."
Matthew didn't cast them a second glace as he walked by, towards the fountain, where he sat down, reveling in the contents of the book. "Oh! Here is where she meets Prince Charming, but she wont discover that it's him until chapter three!"
"He has such a fair face, but behind that fair facade, he's rather odd. Very different from the rest of us. He wont ever get a bride at this rate."
"He's nothing like the rest of us."
Meanwhile...
Birds flew overhead and a gunshot is heard, a single bird plummeting to the ground, meeting it's fate and doom. Toris hurried over and grabbed Alfred's new prize, returning to him.
"Wow, Alfred, you didn't miss! You are an excellent hunter! Best in town!" he praised him in hopes of being, or rather STAYING, on Alfred's good side.
"I know." Alfred boasted about his kill.
"No beast alive could ever stand a chance against you, or any woman for that matter." he held open the bag for Alfred to put the bird in.
"It's true, Toris. Very true. But I have my sights set on HIM." he indicated towards Matthew.
"The pasta makers son?"
"He's the one! The lucky man I'm going to marry!"
"But he's-"
"The most fairest person in town, apart from myself."
"I know-"
"And that makes him the best! And don't I deserve the best?"
"Well of course, I mean you do, but he's... I mean..."
"Right from the moment when I saw him... Met him.. I saw stars, I said he was gorgeous, and I fell! Here in town, he's the only one who is beautiful to me, the only one good enough for me. I plan to woo him and marry him. If it's the last thing I do."
Matthew had begun to walk off, Alfred following right after him, going easily through the crowd while Alfred struggled to keep up with him. Matthew became frustrated with all the mumbling around him, once he was out of the crowd. "There has to be more then this provincial life!"
Alfred was still struggling through, hearing the muttering about Matthew.
"He's strange, but special. Peculiar. It's a pity and a sin that he doesn't fit in."
"He's a really funny man. A beauty, but funny."
Alfred pushed his way out and approached Matthew.
"Hello, Matthew!"
"Oh... Bonjour Alfred." Matthew hissed in annoyance, but mainly alarmed when Alfred took the book from him. "Alfred, please, give me back my book."
"How can you read this? There are no pictures!" he stated.
"Well, some people use their imaginations, unlike you." he was becoming annoyed.
"Matthew, it's about time you got your head out of the clouds and paid more attention to more important things. Like me." he tossed the book into the mud. "It's not right for you to read, getting ideas and... Thinking."
Matthew gave a glare and picked up the book, cleaning it off, seething about how everyone treated him like he was a woman just because he had long blond hair and a pretty face. "Alfred, you are truly positively primeval."
Alfred only wrapped an arm around his shoulder. "Thank you, Matthew. How about we go over to the tavern and look at my hunting trophies? Really impressive if I do say so myself."
"No thanks, maybe some other time. Alfred. I have to get home and help my father."
"Ha! That lazy loonatic? Yeah, help him, he'll need all the help he can get!"
Alfred breaks into idiotic laughter, Toris nervously laughing with him.
"Don't talk about my father that way! He's not crazy! He's a wonderful man!"
Matthew stomped on his foot and hurried off home, towards the basement. "Papa?"
"Oh my, how did that happen. Dog gonnit." there was a laugh, more joking then angry.
Feliciano was inside, cleaning up pasta sauce. Matthew walked over and began to help him clean it up. "I bet it will taste wonderful regardless of this little mess."
"You believe that?" he grinned at him.
"I always have, papa." he grinned right back. "I got a new book. Papa, do you think I'm odd?"
"My son? Odd? Never. Where would you get an idea like that?" he looked alarmed and hugged Matthew.
""Oh I don't know, Papa. It's just I'm not sure if I fit in here. There's no one I can really talk to."
"What about Alfred? He's a social fellow?"
"Oh he's social alright, and rude and conceited. He's just not for me!"
"Well, don't you worry, we'll get through this, Matthew." he picked up the pot. "Well, I'm off to the fair."
Matthew and Feliciano exited the basement and put the pan in the cart. "Be careful, papa."
Feliciano climbed into the cart, flicking the reigns. "Bye Matthew! Please take care of things while I am gone!"
He waved as the cart began to leave out of sight and sighed, heading inside the house he shared with Feliciano.