driftfleet | Kayanni System Mingle

[Cogsworth was ordering, yes, Ordering the Bots along their duties, with the firm air of someone who was quite used to doing things that way.

He jerked a little in surprise at the angry tone of Lumiere, his eyes narrowing as he rolled his eyes briefly and called out.]

I am not hiding. I am doing my duties, thank you very Much.

[Stupid Cogsworth with his stupid robot army.

Lumière heads in his direction, his usually ever-present smile absolutely absent. ]

I had an interesting conversation with Khagdar. [He folds his brass arms, brows furrowed. ] So, were you ever planning on telling me you had given yourself up as a test subject? Or was that just going to be a fun surprise for me?

[His robot army is something close to perfection, sir. He turned with faint irritation, glowering at the candlestick -

A glower that faltered at Lumiere's accusation.]

I. Ah. Uhm. No. I mean. Yes. I. No. No it is not a fun surprise.

[He huffed a breath.]

Clearly I had to be the one to test it.

[This is how they will all be doomed. With Cogsworth's robot army.]

Oh? And why is that, exactly? Please enlighten me on why it clearly has to be you to risk yourself on this?

[He doesn't even make a crappy come-back joke about using the word 'enlighten'. This is serious.]

It could kill you! Or worse, what if it just locks you away in whatever dark place we go to when we sleep? What then? If you become just a clock and your soul is gone? Did you think about that before you opened your mouth and offered?

Edited 2017-08-06 18:08 (UTC)

[One day soon he will rule over all with cleanliness and order, from ship to shining ship.]

Well because clearly I do not want anything to happen to you. I am the Steward, I am the one who is responsible for your well-being here, and I will not allow you to take some magical potion that could ... that could do all the same things to you!

[Huff. HUUUUFF.]

If one of us has to survive, it has to be you anyways!

[That right there is Lumière's idea of hell. ]

Ah, yes. Because I have a long and detailed history of not doing exactly what you do not allow me to do. How silly of me to forget how I hang on your every order.

[OH MY GOD COGSWORTH YOU'RE NOT THE BOSS OF HIM.

...Okay you are literally the boss of him but he's ignored that for decades, he's not gonna start paying attention to that fact now. ]

That is ridiculous logic, and I refuse. There has to be a better way.

[It is coming, Lumiere, and it is coming for Yooooooou.]

Well you should. Because at least my orders are sensible, unlike you and your ridiculous cowlick of a hairstyle.

[HE IS LITERALLY THE BOSS OF YOU for once would you just listen SHEEEESH.]

There is no other way! He has to test it on us and apparently you don't drip enough!

What has my hair got to do with any of this?

[NOPE. He refuses. He shan't]

I am sorry that my hands and head do not melt? That is still a stupid-

[He hates this, he absolutely hates this.]

I am not interested in getting my humanity back if it will cost you your life. I am not that self-centered, Cogsworth.

About the same amount as calling me an over-grown pocket watch, I imagine.

[WELL it's happening anyways buddy so There.]

Yes-s, I am so very angry at you for not being MORE candlestick than human.

[So Much Sarcasm.

... followed by a sigh, and a tiny wooden hand rubbing Cogsworth's temple.]

You deserve to have your life back, Lumiere. Of the two of us, who is going to enjoy it more fully? Who is going to live more, try more, go out and try a hundred different things and sleep with a hundred different people when he is human again? You. Your passion for life - for really living - was one of the most painful things I saw cut from you in those first years and I am ... pleased you got it back again. I want to preserve it, because it should be preserved.

[He folds his arms over his little clock chest, and gives Lumiere a baleful look.]

It is my duty ... and my honor ... to sacrifice myself so your soul can continue to light up others, to shine throughout our world.

It is an accurate description.

[Lumière listens to him, at least. The first years were...not pleasant. He does his best not to think about them. A part of him had truly gone for a while there, brought back only by his bloody-minded stubbornness to not let the damn thing beat him. To not let it beat any of them. It served him well

It's the same bloody-minded stubbornness that's coming into full force now. If he could, he'd be pinching the bridge of his nose. Unable to do so, he has to settle from putting his sconces to his face and letting out a frustrated garble. Cogsworth. ]

Non. That was a touching speech and all, I am very moved here, but non. How much of that passion for life do you think I would have if you stupidly chanced your life for me to have it? How heartless do you think I am?

Well then your hair is a melted mess, and we're even.

[So. There.

If there was one person as stubborn as Lumiere -- it was Cogsworth. In that, they were completely the same. Stubborn as mules, Cogsworth's mother would have said, and Mrs Potts as well. Something that all mothers have probably said, at some time or another.]

I never said you were heartless - or thought it! [Now it is turn to make garbled noises and throw his arms up.] You have the most heart of anyone I have ever known! Beyond the fact that you are blind beyond reason. [So tart. Cherry tart tart.] Of course it has to be me. It could never be you.

Given that it is currently made of wax I cannot disagree there.

[Mrs. Potts said it to him on multiple occasions. Cogsworth is being, in Lumière's estimation, a giant fucking asshat. He knows, oh he knows, under that snobby head of the household shtick he has going on, that Cogsworth is ceaselessly loyal. He would die for any of them without thinking about it. But this is ridiculous. He jabs a candle at Cogsworth's midsection. ]

C’est des conneries. [Jab. Jab. ] I will not allow it! I refuse. I would rather remain a candelabra. I would be cursed, but at least I would not have that on my conscience. And I would still have you around you stuffy bore.

[Another jab. Just for good measure. ]

As well you shouldn't.

[All right he probably lost that round of insults but honestly where does Lumiere get off calling him a pocket-watch sized anything. He is clearly a table clock, thank you VERY MUCH.

...a table clock who is rather sensitive about his pudgy middle.]

Now see here, you libertine table decor, you do not get to allow me to do anything! I am my own clock - man - and I shall do this for you if I want to! And I want to!

[And now he is going to poke right back.] I. [poke] Would do. [Poke. poke.] ANYTHING. [Pooooooke push.] To make you happy! [and one more forceful poke for good measure.] And you cannot stop me!

[HUFF, pull up his tiny wooden belly, and he goes to march off and Do the Experimenting Right Now. Forget the fact he has no idea if Khagdar has actually finished it. He's going to do it ANYWAYS.]

[Goddamnit Cogsworth. Lumière hops after him, easily keeping up, stump leg though he has, he's always had more manoeuvrability than Cogsworth's tiny little leg-waddle. ]

Are you insane? Do you really think this will make me happy? Do I look happy to you?

[He does not look happy. He looks livid with a horrible undercurrent of panic. ]

I do not want this, and I will not take a cure if this is the price of it. You would be throwing your life away for nothing.

[Cogsworth stopped, HUFFED again, before waving his arms in the air in an angry flounder.]

NO you do not look happy, you look miserable! But considering the alternative I would have thought you would have been happier. You would get rid of the 'bore' and you would get to be human again! Honestly, what is the matter with you?

[Why in the world did he look so upset? Lumiere didn't care. Well at least not like how Cogsworth cared, at any rate.]

I would be throwing my life away for you! HOW is that nothing!?

[Lumière skitters to a stop too, his arms dropping to his sides. ]

You think I would be happier if I got rid of you?

[Just for a moment, there's a horrible vulnerability to his tone he generally doesn't let out. A sliver of real hurt. It only lasts a moment, though, before the anger starts to creep back in. That hurt remains, though, a quiet undercurrent. ]

You might be the most snobby, boorish stick in the mud I have ever met, but that does not mean I would be happier if you were not around. I would have considerably less headaches, but I would not be happier. I want this curse to be lifted for all of us. Together. That is the point. We are a family, we are not supposed to put one above the other. And I certainly would not want you to potentially get yourself killed for my sake.

[He shakes his head a little, that horrible undercurrent of hurt bubbling back to the surface again. ]

Mon dieu, why do you ever think I would?

[Cogsworth stops, uncertainty coming over his round face, because he's not ... entirely certain what is happening. He would be fine with Lumiere tackling him to the ground, yelling at him, and the anger is acceptable but what can he do with the hurt?

His mouth works, open, closed, open again, and the uncertainty only grows.]

I. I. I ... [Oh, oh there it is. Family. It brings a flash of guilt and at the same time, frustration and finally the same tired acceptance as always. Yes, of course that. Lumiere doesn't understand because he doesn't feel the same way as Cogsworth does, (despite his best efforts to talk himself out of such a horrific pairing!) and his own hurt flashes before he can stop it.

He rubs his clock face.]

Yes ... of course. Family. I ... right. Yes. I should have thought of the family.

[He doesn't understand the hurt that crosses Cogsworth's face. Lumiere prides himself on being able to read people, he's good at it. But Cogsworth usually escapes him - for reasons he's likely even unwiling to admit to himself. He's great at flatterly and telling people what they want to hear, but actual sincere feelings? Much less so.

Still, that seems to be working, so he'll continue with that thread. He puts his candle hands on what servees as Cogsworth's shoulders.]

Exactly! Think about what Mrs. Potts would say if she heard you talking like this. Or the Master. Do you think he would allow this?

[Ugh, he's talking about following the Master's rules. This is what he's been reduced to, this is the hill he has to die on now. You did this to him, Cogsworth.]

Please don't do this, Cogsworth. Alll of us would be worse off without you.

[Cogsworth exhaled slowly, letting his small wooden shoulders drop a little, before he stated dryly.]

Well Mrs. Potts and the Master would at least know why I was doing it - AND they never would have called me an overgrown pocket watch.

[Grumble, then a quieter, perhaps a more hopeful look in his blue eyes.]

Is that, would you really, Lumiere? Be worse off without me?

They would not agree with it, though. And no, that is why you have me. For insults.

[Because clearly, Cogsworth needs being insulted in his life. Clearly.

This is a little too close to sincerity for Lumière's comfort- but given the bullet he's trying to steer Cogsworth out of the line of, he'll suck it up and deal with it. ]

But of course, you are ma moitié. We are a team, no?

[He'll pat Cogsworth's head- and it probably comes off as condescending. Mostly because it kind of is. You can't expect miracles from him, here. ]

Besides if I did not have you, who would I have to irritate and fluster all day? It would cut my workload in half- I'd be bored.

Having you for insults, yes. Naturally, what else could I possibly look to you for? [Came the every so dry response to that.

The next phrase though -- that struck Cogsworth anew. His eyes widened, his mouth shut, and he looked as if something might pop out afterwords - words, something -

And then ... Lumiere patted him on the head.

Which mean Cogsworth's eyes narrowed along with his mouth, and he resoundly slapped Lumiere's hand away.] Ugh, why do I even - nevermind. Nevermind to all of it. I won't be risking myself anymore, so you've gotten what you wanted. Go away.

[He made an irritated shooing gesture, as he turned back to the bots.]

I have work to do.

You forgot charisma, charm and an ability to wow a crowd!

[Sorry, Cogsworth, he ruins all good things, you should know this by now.

Still, he seems largely not-bothered by Cogsworth's reaction. He got what he wnated after all, and looks considerably happy about that. ]

Merci, mon ami. [And he means that. ] I am glad we could come to this agreement! I will let you go back to ordering your little robot around~

[And there he goes. ]

Kayanni System Mingle

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