Chapter 9 pg.35
Sep25
IIt was fascinating to me, when I sat back and looked at this page, how much Beast has changed since Sebastian first arrived. When Sebastian went out to build that snowman, chapters and chapters ago, Beast was right there, snide and suspicious. Now, Sebastian is going out on horseback, after a sort-of fight, and Beast is willing to trust.
That’s a pretty big shift for Beast, especially after his uncle’s betrayal all those years ago, and it’s a change that happened slowly but naturally.
I am kind of happy with myself right now. XD
That is a more encouraging reaction than the “somehow dying by anger and perceived betrayal” I was expecting. But Sebastian is still an idiot for not talking to him.
Hmm, yes and no. Sebastian has figured out that Beast doesn’t listen when he’s in a rage, and coming out of the chapel, that’s certainly where Beast’s head seemed to be. Which doesn’t mean that taking off like a bat out of hell is a smart thing to do, on Sebastian’s part, but everyone has their breaking point.
Sebastian is actually terrific at handling stress – Beast keeps throwing him curveballs and Sebastian adapts and adapts and adapts (first trapping Sebastian there, then attacking him in the kitchen, then killing the father and son duo who stayed the night, etc.). Sebastian does genuinely like Beast, but a large part of why he stays through everything is that he swore he would, in exchange for Beast sparing Dirk and Branwyn. Sebastian didn’t expect this to be a fun ride, going into in, and the fact that Beast actually is a good person, somewhere under all the anger and suspicion, was a pleasant surprise (and is another reason he stays and tries as hard as he does).
Sebastian leaving also took the wind out of Beast’s sails a bit. He was suddenly faced with his captive taking off into the woods, and there was that split second where he could either have flown into a rage and gone ‘aha! I knew it!’, or he could wait and see if Sebastian would keep his word and come back on his own. Now, Beast has endured betrayal. He trusted his uncle implicitly, and was betrayed in the worst way possible. Yet here he is again, wanting to trust someone and being both afraid to do so, and angry at himself for wanting to trust at all. But Sebastian has proven again and again that he IS true to his word, that Beast CAN trust him. And so, when Sebastian rides off, Beast balances on that knife-edge between fury and trust…. and comes down on the side of trust. He’s worried, he’s unhappy, but he decides to wait.
Sebastian, meanwhile, is facing the prospect that he’s just going to have to live with this angry, unchanging person for the rest of his life, that nothing he’s tried or done has made any difference or helped Beast or himself in any way, AND that Dirk and Branwyn’s ruse could be discovered. His friend and former fiancee might even be accused of killing Sebastian, and there’s nothing Sebastian can do about it from the castle.
(wow I didn’t know I had that much to say about this page XD )
Ooooh, Beast Beast Beast Beast. Tentative trust, YES! \o/
haha yeah, it’s been so long since I drew Beast, it’s kinda awesome getting back to him. XD
Fascinating to see how Beast has changed and become more willing to withhold judgement until he sees which way Sebastian is going to jump. I really hope that nothing happens to make Beast regret being willing to trust this far. *bites lip*
Beast really hopes so, too. <3