So stay away from me / the beast is ugly (scrooge x magica)

[lifesa_witch]

 The carriage ride was so long that by the time the horses stopped, night had already settled in. It was a full moon, allowing the stone pathway to be illuminated. The rider said nothing, simply taking Scrooge's bags and walking on ahead. With any luck, this wouldn't be a return trip - but luck had died long ago in this place.

In the distance, one could hear the caws of several ravens, far away in the dark forests. It was difficult to see the house in the darkness, but it was certainly large and grand. Definitely belonging to someone of high class and lots of money. After all, it was part of the reason Scrooge was here.

Another servant was at the door, waiting for them.

"Either look her in the eyes," he warned, "or have them stay on the floor. Never anywhere else. Just keep your introduction and qualifications short. it is..." He hesitated, glancing backwards. "Often too easy to stoke her anger. And lastly... never ask questions."

Some of these things had probably been told to Scrooge before - he'd been recommended the job, after all. Granted, the recommendation came with the mysterious woman buying up his shop like it was nothing. Still, it seemed at least the servants wanted this to go well.

Whatever "this" was... it was about to begin, if he was ready to enter.

Comments

[richestduck]

"If it's too much trouble, simple water will do," he assured her. He gave her a warm smile. "Thank you so much, Miss...?"

[lifesa_witch]

She seemed surprised to be asked, blinking before replying. "Clara, sir." But he didn't really need to bother knowing their names - many servants were fired or quit at the drop of a hat.

[richestduck]

"Miss Clara. I'm Scrooge." He bowed slightly to her. "I look forward to working with you and the rest of the staff while dealing with the dragon."

[lifesa_witch]

She snorted, then quickly turned away, trying to hide the fact that she did. "Please be careful, sir... the walls have eyes and ears."

[richestduck]

"And I'm going to assume you mean literally," Scrooge mused. "Thank you, Miss Clara. I appreciate the warning."

[lifesa_witch]

"Good luck, Mister McDuck." With a curtsy, she left him to his meal.

[richestduck]

When he opened up the dome on the tray, he felt his heart sink. Oh, he was sure it was decadent and the finest French cuisine money could buy, but it was more ornamentation than food.

"I wonder if I'm allowed to put in requests for breakfast," he muttered.

He ate it, but even taking his time he was finished within a few bites. His stomach grumbled unhappily. He was used to a proper hearty Scottish breakfast that would keep him going through most of the day, only needing a light snack around lunch before having a light dinner.

There was no time to have a proper bath drawn, so he cleaned his face and arms in the wash basin. He read back over the contract one last time before he carried it to the library a full fifteen minutes ahead of schedule.

[lifesa_witch]

It might take those fifteen minutes just to get there - the library was almost big enough to stuff another house. Pillows were arranged on the floor in one corner, and that is where the mistress of the house sat, another flowing dress on, this time the color of black and red.

She lifted her head as he entered, grateful he wasn't late. "I take it you have that bothersome contract."

[richestduck]

"I do." He walked over to present it to her. "I take it you'll want time to look over it and argue over the details?"

[lifesa_witch]

She said nothing at first, moving about. She lifted one arm, revealing a small knife atop one of the pillows.

"Once I'm done reading, you'll take this and draw my blood."

[richestduck]

He frowned but nodded. Though where he was going to draw her blood from when she wouldn't let him see her arms and hands was a serious question.

[lifesa_witch]

She quietly read the contract three times. As far as she was concerned, there was nothing there to worry over. In order to restore her body, she'd agree to almost anything, even if begrudgingly.

With a sigh, she pulled her head back. "I find it agreeable. As for the blood... cut where you find it easiest. Witches don't die so easily, and any scars left behind can be cured once I have my body back to normal."

[richestduck]

"It'd be easiest to take it from your finger," Scrooge said flatly. "However, I doubt you want me seeing those."

[lifesa_witch]

"If I could show you an easier place, I would have done so!" She snapped - for such a clever man, he really was thick!

"Obviously you have to use my head or neck."

[richestduck]

"Let's see what we can get out of your cheek. The last thing either of us would want is me cutting your jugular by accident."

With that, he moved closer to her, picking up the knife and carefully cupping her head in his free hand.

"On three. One...two..."

And before he could get to three, he drew the blade across her cheek. She wouldn't have time to tense up and make it hurt worse.

[lifesa_witch]

She bit her tongue to keep from making any pathetic sounds. It hurt like the dickens, but often pain was necessary for success. Th blood dripped from her cheek and fell onto the paper - she moved her arm, brushing her sleeve in the mess enough to make a vague S shape.

The letters in the contract glowed an ocean blue, and the same color flashed in her eyes - but it ended within seconds.

"... The contract is sealed."

[richestduck]

Scrooge reached into his pocket to pull out his handkerchief and held it up to her cut cheek. "Here. Keep pressure on it until the blood stops."

[lifesa_witch]

"I can't." She sighed. "My arms are useless. Just let it bleed... we must get to work right away."

Just trying to make that squiggle had been difficult. It'd become more and more clear she was almost helpless - she couldn't touch anything, hold anything.

[richestduck]

Scrooge scooted closer and, without stopping to ask her, took cupped her chin in his hand as he pressed the handkerchief to her cheek. He'd taken no pleasure in harming her, after all.

Perhaps that was another reason he'd never used the full force of his abilities to get ahead in life: He was ruthless...up to a point.

[lifesa_witch]

"H-Hey!" What did he think he was doing?! She couldn't really push him off.

"I said to leave it, we need to get to work!"

[richestduck]

"Hold still," he snapped. "I won't be able to concentrate if you're bleeding all over the place. It'll only take a minute or two for it to stop."

[lifesa_witch]

"I gave you an order!" She kept trying to move away, but his grip and her own deformed body allowed her to do little more than wiggle. She had no choice but to submit, grumbling all the while.

[richestduck]

He waited for a full two minutes before he pulled the handkerchief away. There was blood on it, but at least the cut had stopped oozing blood.

"There."

He pocketed the bloody handkerchief.

"Now, what book did you want me to start with?"

[lifesa_witch]

Anther huff, sitting up straight and turning away from him. She already had plenty of servants to take care of her - she didn't need another pitying face.

"Top shelf on that wall." She indicated with a tilt of her head which direction she went. "And when it's finished, the one after that. Every shelf from left to right, top to bottom."

[richestduck]

Scrooge nodded and limped his way over to the ladder. He had plenty of practice carrying books up and down ladders, but he didn't go as fast as she might have liked by virtue of his bad leg. Him trying to rush, falling, and breaking his neck would do neither of them any good.

The climb down the ladder was slower than going up, and he was very careful to put all his weight on his bad leg for as brief a time as possible, pausing between each step to make sure he was secure before going to the next rung.

Finally, he returned and sat down on a pillow, opening the book up and beginning to read. Even though it was in Latin, he read it as easily as if it had been translated into English, translating on the fly in his head and only taking a few extra minutes when the passage was particularly awkward due to trying to obscure some form of magical truth. As awkward as those passages were, he didn't dare try to do a more fluid translation. After all, there might be something in the phrasing that made no sense to him but would to a witch.