Besides, what's a Disney movie without a song?
Enjoy!
Chapter 3.
Through the snowy blizzard, the small town is engulfed in pure white, and as the townsfolk fall asleep, their tavern celebrates a night with glasses of beer and cheery laughs.
All but Reiner.
By the fire, he sat fuming, and his beer was untouched and already going warm on the round, wooden table. Its surface meets Reiner's angry fists as he scowled at the drunken crowd before him, dancing and cheering like there was no tomorrow.
He was angry, that much was obvious, and his trusty companion, Bertolt, couldn't figure out why Reiner was so down. But the minute the buffed blond speaks, Bert pieces everything together.
"Who does he think he is?" Reiner sulked, "Levi has tangled with the wrong man! No one says 'no' to Reiner!"
"Damn right!" Bert agreed, squirming on the chair he sat on that was just too small for him.
But Reiner's little fit didn't stop there. "Dismissed, rejected. Publicly humiliated! Why, it's more than I can bear!" and like a stubborn child, he turns his chair away from his friend, looking at the angry flames of the fireplace a little further away.
Bert sighed, "Come on, Reiner. Don't be like that. Would you like some beer?"
"What for? Nothing helps! I'm disgraced.."
Bert laughs, "Who, you? Never! Reiner, you have to pull yourself together!" he said, standing up to walk in front of Reiner. He knelt down and playfully ruffled his hair, though Reiner wanted none of that and brushed his hands away.
"Gosh, I can't see you like this," Bert smiled, meeting his friend's gaze, "It makes me sad. Cheer up, okay?"
"Why should I!" Reiner groaned, "Levi should know what's best for him, and that's me!"
Bert laughed again, "Of course! You are the best, but he just doesn't see it yet! Patience, Reiner! Levi will eventually understand and fall for you."
And as he stood up once more, Bert turned toward the drunken crowd and lifted his own glass of beer in the air.
"Aren't I right, guys?" he yelled for all to hear, and the people in the tavern crane their necks to look at the tall man.
"Reiner's the best! No one's better than him, no one hunts like him!" Bert started, and the crowd cheers.
"No one's as strong as him!" one crony sing sang.
"No one's as handsome as him!" another one yells along, and all this causes Reiner to smile as these words stroke his ego finely. And with his depression finally forgotten, he stands up from his chair and grabs on his glass of beer, uncaring if it wasn't as cold as from when he first got it.
"Thank you, thank you! Your words are kind!" he grinned, taking a good long gulp of his drink.
But when the crowd cheers once more, the creaky doors of the tavern swings open violently, revealing a cold, shaking Hanji.
"Oh? The crazy inventor?" Reiner idly asked, resting his half empty glass back down on the table. He was about to welcome the woman with a sarcastic smirk, but she flails her arms in the air and cries for help.
"Help! Someone, please help me!" she pleaded, shaking people's shoulders as she scrambled from one man to another. Reiner blinked at the sight.
"He's got him! He's got him locked in a filthy dungeon, you've got to help me!" she cried, eyes red and teary.
"Who?" Bert asked curiously.
"Levi!" she finally yelled, grabbing Reiner's attention, "We must hurry! Not a minute to lose!"
And Reiner laughed at her insanity, stomping across the tavern and swinging a loose arm around her shoulders to keep her from shaking like a leaf.
"Woah, woah! Slow down, Hanji. Who's got Levi locked in a dungeon?" he could hardly believe anyone would do such a thing to Levi, and he just knew Hanji was out of it.
"A beast, I tell you! A horrible, monstrous beast!" she described, pleading one man after another of her case, but the old cronies laugh and mock her stupidly at her crying face.
"Ha! Is it a big beast, with a long and ugly snout?" a drunk asked with a grin.
"Huge! And hideously ugly!" she nodded, eyes sparkling when they finally acknowledged her.
"What about sharp, cruel fangs?" another one mocked.
"Yes, yes! All those things! Please, will you help me?" she smiled hopefully, but the men crowding over her still laughed and pitied whatever sanity was left inside of her head.
"Sure, sure. We'll help you out, Miss Inventor." A fat man with yellow teeth smirked, and he grabbed her arm.
"Will you? Thank you, thank you!" Hanji said, but a second later, the fat man throws her out of the tavern with a push of his meaty hands, right before warning her to never come again. Reiner laughed at the scene, inertly calling Hanji a pathetic young woman, and Bert went along with it.
But he stopped laughing abruptly, and his eyes widens when a little something struck his mind. He smirked evilly, turning to Bert and pulling him close by the collar of his green shirt.
"Bert! I'm afraid I've been thinking," he started, and Bert's eyes sparked enthusiastically.
"That wacky woman is Levi's friend, you see? But her sanity's so-so." He explained, "See, I've promised myself I'd marry Levi, and now I came up with a plan!"
"Oh, boy! Tell me!" Bert snickered, innocent smile playing across his face.
And so, Reiner's schemes are revealed, and as Bertolt laughs approvingly, they both dance the night away, with beer in hand and an evil plan.
X
Back in the castle, Levi was surprised that the Beast didn't keep him in the dirty tower. Instead, he guided him toward a wide, fancy room with a big bed at the center of it, and other furniture that were still too little to fill up the entire room. Only then did he realize that the whole castle was enchanted when a teacart unlocked his doors and rolled straight toward him.
"What the fuck." Was Levi's comment when a small teapot asked him if he wanted tea. The teapot wasn't amused.
"Sir, I appreciate it if you wouldn't use such language." She said with puffed cheeks, but poured tea for him anyways. Sitting on the bed, Levi scoffed at the teapot, not accepting the warm beverage.
"I'm not drinking tea out of a live cup that shakes so much. He might spill on my damn clothes." He says, pointing at the squirming cup that just wouldn't stand still.
"I'm sorry, Sir." The little cup smiled, "It's just that it's been so long since I've seen a man!"
"Oh, Connie, shh!" the teapot scolded, hopping around the teacart.
"You guys actually have names?" Levi's eyebrow quirked upwards, leaning forward to take a better look at the objects.
The teapot was about to speak, but a creak of the door grabs their attention as a candelabra enters the scene with an odd looking clock. Levi was, no doubt, amused.
"Of course we have names!" the candelabra spoke, voice cheery. Obviously, he overheard their conversation, "We were once humans after all." He sounded sad, even through his smile. But for the sake of serving, he cheers up once more and introduces everyone.
"This is Mikasa, and the clock over here is Jean! I am Armin, one of the many butlers of this castle. I see you've already met little Connie though." He chuckled, "May we ask, what is your name, Sir?"
"Levi," he nodded, "I must say, it's weird talking to objects."
"It takes a little getting used to," Armin agreed, "But I know you'll adapt, Sir Levi!"
Levi rolled his eyes, "Please, just Levi is okay." But he smiled nonetheless. The objects seemed friendlier than the Master. In fact, he actually accepted to drink tea from Connie, even if it was just once.
But right after that, there was a rude knock on the door—or more like heavy fists pounding against the poor surface. It was the Beast.
"You.. Will join me for dinner tonight!" it was a strained roar, hesitant even. Levi looked up at the closed door with narrowed eyes. "That's not a request!" another bark.
"Fuck off," was all Levi said, angrily crossing his arms above his chest. There was another roar, angrier than the last, and heavy padding when the Beast walks away, sounding dejected.
"If you won't eat with me, you don't eat at all!" was the last thing Eren said before leaving.
"S-sir! You must join him for dinner!" Armin said with a shake, hopping toward him and flailing his little candlesticks at him.
"Why should I? He's acting like a damn child." Levi countered, eye twitching in annoyance.
"That's because he is." Mikasa corrected with a delicate roll of her eyes, and her red ribbon swung idly around her handle. "Even after all these years, he never changes; Always angry."
"What a fucking brat."
Armin laughed nervously. "Yes, and this is why you should join him for dinner. It would calm him down a little, no?"
"I don't fucking want to." It was his final answer, and all objects hang their heads low in defeat.
X
Convincing Levi was a little too hard, Armin could admit this much. He was very strict, mostly with a foul mouth and intimidating gaze, but was a very kind man when he wants to be. Armin knew, Levi was perfect for their Master. They both just need to see that.
When he and Jean left their prisoner's room, he hopped towards his Master's quarters for a little talk, though the Beast was acting more stubborn than usual. How could he not? A lot has happened the past couple of days for him to process.
He watched his Master fume, stomping around his messy room and destroying his already broken furniture. Torn up portraits of himself when he was a human, broken tables and other dirty things. Armin would've ordered his trusty brooms to clean the place up, but the Master would just destroy everything again.
"Master Eren, please stop doing that." Armin tried, but Eren growled angrily, throwing a piece of wood right beside Armin, letting it violently hit the wall behind the candle.
"That man is so difficult!" the Master confessed with a flail of his arms.
"Yes, I know. But have you stopped once and thought that maybe he could be the one who could, perhaps, break the spell?"
Another flail, "Of course I have! I am not a fool! But he gets on my damn nerves!"
"Oh, great! You can fall for him, he can do the same and we can be human again by tomorrow!" Armin hoped, but as he did, Mikasa hops inside the room and with a sigh, she responded for him.
"I'm afraid that isn't so simple," she said with a shake of her head, and Jean agreed with a small nod. "These things take time."
"B-but! The rose has begun to wilt!" Armin shuddered, eyes widening at the thought of the very last petal of the enchanted rose falling onto the ground.
The Beast sighed heavily at Armin's words, and he looks away from his servants and out of his balcony's door, where the stars shined above them and a light wind carries itself inside.
"It's no use," he mumbled through sharp teeth, "He is so.. Handsome, and I'm so.. Well, look at me!" and his servants had never seen him so devastated before.
"Oh, but you must make him see past all that, Master." Mikasa smiled.
"But how? There is nothing good about me."
Armin grinned, "We can show you how!" and with that, he nears the Master and stands straight. Mikasa and Jean follow next to him.
"First, you can start by making yourself look more presentable! Straighten up, try acting like a gentleman for once!" Mikasa started, and Armin followed.
"Ah yes, and never forget to smile! Go on, show us a lovely smile!"
But the Beast was all sharp teeth when he tried, and Jean almost cringed at the view. At least Eren tried, though.
"Try not to frighten the poor man, though, and impress him with your rapier wit!" Jean continued.
"But be gentle, and shower him with compliments!" Armin said.
"Of course, be sincere," smiled Mikasa, "And above all; Control your temper!"
"Enough!" Master Eren growled, annoyed by the so many things he had to do just to impress a person. "You think I can master all this shit in a day? Enough already!" and with a flail of his arm, he accidentally knocks a table away. Splinters scatter the ground, and the table lays destroyed.
His servants sighed in defeat, apologizing in mumbles.
"Leave me alone for the night. I want to rest." Eren ordered, and without another sound, his servants nodded his way and left him alone in his own messy room.
Eren was hot headed and stubborn, he knew that. How can he ever make someone fall for him, with his beastly looks and ugly behavior? It's impossible.
He groaned sadly, and with tired steps, Eren dragged himself toward the balcony, where his enchanted rose hovered inside a glass cover atop a pedestal. He trailed his fingers over the glass, sharp nails scratching the surface as, inside, a single petal falls and withers.
X
Inside the kitchen, Mikasa orders the rest of the servants to bed while Armin helped with the cleaning. Jean was complaining to Connie about their new little prisoner as Sasha, their stove and professional chef cook, was boiling potatoes for herself right at the center of the dark kitchen. She always seemed to want to eat snacks during the night, and although it was weird, no one dared ask about her weird habits.
"I can't believe I cooked a whole meal for two, and they end up untouched!" Sasha complained with a huff, adjusting the boiling water on her stove. "My cooking should be praised!"
"Oh hush, you." Mikasa scolded, "It's been a long day, we're all tired."
"Well, if you ask me, they were both acting rather stubborn!" Jean added, tiny wooden arms folded above his glass chest, pendulum ticking inside. Armin laughed, and he rolled his eyes once he was done with cleaning. He hopped onto the counter next to Sasha.
"But, if the Master doesn't learn to control that temper of his, he'll never be able to bre—" Mikasa was interrupted when the kitchen door creaks open, and a daring Levi walks in.
"Oh, no! How'd you escape from your room, Sir?" Armin asked, though he didn't sound too worried, just a little surprised.
"It's useless if you won't lock my door once you're out of my room, you know." Levi smirked, "Anyway, I followed the smell," he was referring to Sasha's potatoes, "and I ended up here."
"Oh, my. Are you hungry, Sir Levi?" Mikasa smiled, approaching Levi.
"Yes. A lot."
Mikasa grins, "People, do you hear that? He's hungry!" she giggled, "Stoke the fire, break out the silver! Wake the china!" and as she says this, a set of servants appear out of thin air. Spoons, plates and forks, all types of silverware wake from their slumber and follow Mikasa from behind.
Sasha's stove roars to life, leaving her potatoes to the side for later. There was a guest to feed now.
But Jean sounds wary when he approaches Mikasa, "Remember what Master Eren said! We can't do this."
Mikasa hushed him, "Oh, pish tosh! I'm not going to let the poor man starve!"
"Fine!" Jean hissed, "Just a glass of water, a crust of bread and—!" but he was disrupted by a jab at his side from Armin's candlestick.
"Dear, Jean! I am surprised at you. He's not our prisoner, he's our guest! We must make him feel welcome here!" and to prove his point, he guides Levi out of the kitchen and into the next room where a wide dining room is, with a long rectangle table for him to sit. "Right this way, Sir!"
Jean could almost sweat at this bad idea, but he goes along warily, "All right, fine! But keep it down! We can't wake the Master, or it'll be our necks!"
Armin chuckles, waving a dismissive candlestick at his friend, "Of course, Jean, we'll be quiet. But, what is dinner without a little.. Music?"
It takes a second for that sentence to sink in, but by the time Jean realizes it, Armin has already led Levi away and a bunch of other silverware made their way into the dining room, clattering on the ground as they hop around. Jean's jaw drops.
In the dining room, Levi is seated on a chair by the table where Armin grabs a spoon and twirls it around with fingerless candlesticks. Levi's gaze softens at the candle, and he smiles when Armin approaches with a hop, and a mysterious light from above sheds over his golden figure.
Ma chere, Sir! It is with deepest pride, and greatest pleasure that we welcome you tonight!
A single coat hanger rushes in with a violin in hand as it started playing right beside Levi, who was rather amused with the little show.
And now, we invite you to relax, let us put up a chair as the dining room proudly presents; Your dinner.
Armin grins as a tiny top hat randomly falls on his little candle head. Clattering sounds filled the backround when little spoons and forks make their way around Levi.
Be our guest! Be our guest! Put our service to the test!
Tie your napkin 'round your neck, Cherie, and we'll provide the rest!
A napkin flies over to Levi, tying itself around his neck, and Levi almost yelps at the sudden action, but stays still for the objects to continue to entertain him. He decided to undo the napkin around his neck and instead places it on his lap where he pats it lightly.
Soup du jour, hot hors d'oeuvres, why we only live to serve!
Try the grey stuff, it's delicious. Don't believe me? Ask the dishes!
And as Armin sang, a set of different dishes pass by on the table; soup, sweets and small pastries for Levi to try if so he wished, and with a spoon that was given to him, he tried some of that grey cream that Armin suggested. He smiled at the sweetness tingling his tongue.
They can sing, they can dance!
After all, Sir, this is France!
And a dinner here is never second best! Go on, unfold your menu, take a glance and then you'll be our guest, oui our guest. Be our guest!
A cabinet by the end of the room opens excitedly, revealing a large China collection that rolled out across the wide table and begun to perform along with Armin's song. Levi should've felt weird by all this, but he smiled at the rhythm of the melody that strangely echoes around the dining room.
Beef ragout! Cheese soufflé!
Pie and pudding 'en flambé!'
We'll prepare, and serve with flair! A culinary cabaret!
Plates danced around Levi, and other silverware follow suit as Jean randomly appeared on the table, awkwardly dancing with a forced smile. Levi couldn't help but laugh, a grin forming its way across his usually scowling lips.
You're alone, and you're scared!
But the banquet's all prepared!
No one's gloomy, or complaining while the flatware's entertaining!
We tell jokes, I do tricks with my fellow candlesticks.
And it's all in perfect taste that you can bet!
The flatware enters in a humorous way, and spoons clank against wine glasses and plates that mixes with the song. Armin hopped from one place to another, dancing along with the tilted top hat on his head. More dishes step in and on the table for Levi, warm and delicious.
Come on and lift your glass, you won your own free pass to be our guest!
If you're stressed, it's fine dining we suggest!
Be our guest!
Be our guest!
Be ou—
"Shut the Fuck up!" a sudden roar echoes through the halls, a beastly growl that frightened most of the servants away from the dining room in a heartbeat. Jean's breath hitches, and he almost gets a heart attack when he realized the Master was awake and heard their little song.
"Everyone, go the Fuck to sleep!" was Master Eren's order, even though he didn't bother entering the room. Everyone knew he was just around the corner, already tired of their shit. Levi appeared shocked at the sudden yell.
The servants follow their Master's orders and scramble away from the dining room, leaving Armin, Jean and Levi behind. The clattering slows to a stop, the spoons and forks, plates and glasses disappear from Levi's view and the room grows dark, and he wouldn't be able to see properly without Armin's candles.
Jean was a shaking mess, and he hit Armin at his side after he made sure that their Master had eventually stomped away from the dining room's door and back to his own quarters.
"Fuck, Armin, I told you this was a shitty idea!"
Armin laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his waxy head with a candlestick. In the end, they couldn't make Levi feel welcome in the castle, nor could they entertain him, or at least feed him. It was kind of a failed try, and so he mumbled a small apology.
"Heh, I apologize, Sir Levi. I guess we couldn't feed you after all." Armin sounded a little rejected, and sad for not being able to do what a servant should do; Serve.
But he was surprised when he heard a snort, and when both Armin and Jean looked up, they watched as Levi's hands curled around himself as the young man tried to contain his childish laughter.
He was laughing, and he sounded so genuine, so happy. It was an odd sight, coming from a usually serious man like Levi. Armin blinked at him, but hopped closer when the man's laughter slowly died down.
"It's alright," Levi chuckled, catching a single tear with his finger. The objects looked at one another in confusion, but when Levi explained his situation, both of them smiled, relieved.
"It's alright. I'm not hungry anymore."
Damn it, Eren! Haha!
But, anyway. I know, I took too long to update. But I'm still here, see? I hope you're enjoying this so far! Be our guest was always my favorite song in the movie, I just had to put it in, at least a few of the lyrics! I should've let them sing 'til the very end, but I thought that it would've been more accurate for Eren to interrupt halfway.
Reviews are appreciated!