Babes And The Beast

Chapter 4: Working

The children stirred slightly when a tray was wheeled into their room with food, but they didn't get up. Around nine o'clock they awoke to the sound of distant doors slamming and the sound of something being dragged along the floor. At one point there was a thud and a groan and a voice going "Son of a~" They covered their ears to keep from hearing the rest. And they shivered themselves back to sleep.
Around twelve their hunger was too much to ignore, so they fumbled around in the dark room until they found some chairs. Then they sat at the tray and lifted the covered lid to reveal a tureen of soup. The soup was cold, but still tasty. They ate in silence by the dim light coming through the window.
In the morning, a soft knocking came from the door. Dipper got up first, rubbing his eyes. In the daylight he could see how fancy their room really was. Against one wall was a sofa, a vanity with a big ornate mirror, and a massive wardrobe. The floor was covered by a thick Persian rug. A crystal lamp hung from the ceiling. And the room was huge. It was like the room of a queen.
"Come in." he said as Mabel slowly roused herself. The door handle shook and in came Soos, Wendy, and the feather duster from last night. (In the light, he could see that some of her feathers were bright purple.) "Morning Dudes! Good to see you!" Soos called out, hopping down from the handle he'd opened with his head.
"Uh, good morning." Said Dipper, still adjusting to talking tools. "What's up?" Wendy came up to him. "We're here to give you a wake-up call, and invite you to the kitchen for breakfast." She said.

"Can we really come down?" asked Mabel, getting to her feet.
"Oh sure," said Soos pulling on the hem of her dress with his prongs. "Be our guest." They were about to step out when a voice called out "Hang on!" They turned to the vanity in which their reflections were replaced by the image of a blond girl in a fancy purple dress. She glared at hem with her arms crossed.
"You can't go out dressed like that." She said matter-of-factly. "Those are the same clothes you wore yesterday." She turned to the wardrobe. "Grenda wake up! We have people to dress!" The wardrobe made a snorting sound and two eyes opened up on top. "OH! Hi friends!" she said in a surprisingly deep voice. Dipper took a step back while Mabel grinned ear to ear. "Hi!" she said. Grenda looked her up and down. "Oh, we can work with this." She opened herself up, revealing several dresses. "Hey Candy, get over here!" From the opposite corner, A black coatrack walked towards them. She had a feminine face with wire glasses, hair woven into a bun, and her four arms each ended in tiny doll-like hands. "Pleasure to meet you." She said, giving them an Asian-style bow. "My name is Candy, and you have met Grenda and Pacifica. We will help you get dressed for the day."
"Pacifica?" They turned to the vanity. The girl in the mirror gave her hair a becoming toss. "As if you're one to comment on names."

Mabel was excited for this. Dipper not so much.
"It doesn't look like you have anything for me." He said, backing away. "So I'll just~"
"Wait." Said Pacifica and turned to her comrade. "Candy, go to that... one room and bring back as many clothes as you can carry." Candy nodded. "I'm on it." As Mabel was shuffled behind a room divider, Dipper sat back on the mattress. "What's up with them?" he asked Wendy. "We're not sure." The axe replied and Dipper found himself smiling.
"So," said Pacifica, looking Dipper up and down. "I take it long hair has come back into fashion for boys?"
"No. I don't know. My hair doesn't grow very fast."
"Hmm." She raised an eye brow

A few minutes later, Candy came back with her four arms full of boy's cloths. They were all very fancy, and old-fashioned, like something he'd see in a painting. He decided on a pair of breeches and a salmon colored shirt, which he put his special vest on top of. Mabel after much deliberation, came out from the divider wearing a long skirt and a turquoise riding jacket.
"Very nice." Pacifica said in approval. "Much better."
"Okay. Let's go eat."

Soos lead them down to the kitchen, where a medley of pots and bowls hooped this way and that. Against the wall stood a giant cast-iron stove with the etching of a pretty girl on the piping. Soos introduced her as Melody. The one in charge of all this was a coffee pot who told them "Sit down" in a cheery old woman's voice. At first, they thought she only had one eye because her left eyelid kept drooping.
"Hi kids!" she said brightly, "I'm Susan Wentworth. But you can call me Lazy Sue. What can I get you cuties? I'll cook you anything."
"Anything?" the twins asked in unison. They looked at each other and smiled. "Pancakes!"