I don't know what it is, but seeing a man (or beast) with his sleeves rolled up always gets my heart a-thumpin'. I love his robe shirt combo as well, comparing it to his earlier very dark ensemble he looks much more approachable here.
They're rolled up for function here (and he's rolling them down now that Beauty's here!) but man, do I know what you mean. When I see The Lad in a button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up... Phew!
Awe, being all gentlemanly and rolling down his sleeves... also I don't know why but I love his position in the second panel, it's very well done and it looks really natural for the character great and all around wonderfully done :D
I love Beast's expression in the second to last panel. Not sure what it is, but I just love watching the emotions play on his face. Is the slight meloncholy that's usually about his eyes intentional or is that a product of the canine design of his face?
I love his artwork--his afore-praised rolled sleeves, the way he pushes on the fountain to stand up, his apron thing, his face in the fourth panel.
I also love Beauty's jawline.
Looking forward to more of their interactions!
"Oh god she's talking to me. Willing. And caught me working with /flowers/. She might not think this is very manly. Oh dear." Ahem. I love how expressive you've managed to make his face! And...hmmm, interesting. So the castle must have power over more man-made things, I would think, with the natural world being a little outside of its domain. But since the Beast is a mix between a man and a beast, he would kind of have some sway over both parts of this realm, potentially? That or he's just had a lot of practice working with both.
Anyway, I enjoy how he starts rolling down his sleeves - dang, he has nice arms - and Beauty's delight that he works with the flowers. Gosh, I wonder if he started picking them and arranging them obsessively when he found out she was going to come here. "I have to be careful to pick ones with friendly meanings, just in case she knows the language of flowers. Oh god, what if she's allergic? The castle can be so intimidating - it needs flowers! Oh well, I'll hope for the best. She wanted a rose after all, so maybe these other flowers won't have negative effects on her. Not like that rose...." (I swear I'll stop someday, XD.) But yes, the Beast having a green thumb and his love of flowers is just so cute.
Well, if you like my in-character rambles, I will probably continue them on my next reviewing spree. Oh my, where did I leave off...? Expect this to be a trend, since I so easily lose track of time.
I just love his face in the second to last panel--the wry, kind look he has in his eyes. . . He's certainly proud of his gardens, and (I think) extra proud that Beauty has noticed. :3
The more I re-read, the more I notice. The more I notice, the more I love. Brilliant work!