If your heart is in your dream, no request is too extreme...

[pinkflip]

[ Another week, another horrible sight to see. Another child dead.

Last week, Kim had spent the majority of her time crying in her room. This week, she- ...okay, she definitely cries, but she refuses to do so alone. An hour or so after the trial, notes are slipped under everyone's doors, written in her neat, curvy handwriting. ]

If you don't want to be alone right now, come to the dining room. We will have food. Don't shoulder this on your own.
- Kimberly, Lekmet, Marco, Rocket

[ There's an extra note on Beast's: ]

Please bring the mirror. I think everyone would benefit from talking to those we've lost again.

[ This is becoming painfully routine. Around the dining room, there are signs set up - courtesy of Rocket - that say NO DUCKS ALLOWED. In the dining room itself, there's a variety of foods set up. Various soups, vegetables, chicken nuggets- basically just things so people have something to eat, if they need it. Some simple sandwiches. Thank Lekmet. Marco's provided a rainbow cake. ...And also courtesy of Rocket, there's...booze.

Sorry, Mr. Arrow. ]

Comments

[athleticallyinclined]

[ Understanding suddenly breaks out on his face, as he remembers Lefou crashing to the ground underneath a harpsichord. ]

Of course!

Lefou would have died for me!

[sorrydoods]

[...oh, he's going to regret this, isn't he?]

Would have? Would he not anymore?

[athleticallyinclined]

Well -

[ That's. A question he hasn't really thought about. And doesn't want to. ]

Of course he would if he were here!

[ He absolutely would not. ]

I meant he would have, if he'd needed to back at the castle!

[sorrydoods]

Well, that's...good.

[Soos honestly would've thought that Gaston would've had no friends at all, but I guess even the worst people can have someone.

But now another thought enters his mind.]

Would you do the same for him?

[athleticallyinclined]

[ Gaston just looks at Soos like he's insane. ]

Of course not!

[sorrydoods]

[...]

So, he's perfectly willing to die to keep you alive, but you wouldn't do the same for him?

You...you see how that's messed up, right?

[athleticallyinclined]

[ He honestly does not. ]

It's exactly as it should be!

[ How can he make this simple-minded man understand. ]

You see, I'm more important than Lefou. So naturally he should sacrifice himself for me. But he'd never want me to die for him!

[ The very thought makes him shudder. ]

It would break his heart!

[sorrydoods]

But, dude, that's not how it should be. If he's your best friend, someone willing to die for you, you should be willing to do the same to him, even if you are more important than him.

[athleticallyinclined]

[ He's shaking his head even before Soos finishes speaking. ]

But how can I be a hero if I've already died saving someone like Lefou?

No one would remember that!

[sorrydoods]

Well, he would remember. So would anyone else that really cared about him. Anyone that cared about you, too.

They'd know that you were a guy that was nice enough to die in the place of his best friend.

[athleticallyinclined]

Being a hero isn't about being nice.

It's about being heroic!

[ duh ]

[sorrydoods]

Well, how can you be heroic without being nice? That's like, one of the key components of being heroic.

[athleticallyinclined]

Heroes don't have to be nice. It's one of the benefits.

[sorrydoods]

Well, yeah, I guess, but people are going to like a hero more if they're nice. If they aren't nice, it's more like...a jerk justifying their existence by saving the world.

[athleticallyinclined]

What better justification is there?

[sorrydoods]

...okay, bad example. More like...a jerk justifying their existence by killing a wolf or mountain lion or something.

[...Soos, that example is worse to him...]

[athleticallyinclined]

[ It sure is. ]

A great hunter is always to be admired!

[sorrydoods]

[...okay, he's just getting tired of this]

Dude, what I'm trying to say here is that you should at least think about being nicer from time to time. People like you more when you're nice. So...maybe just...baby steps for now, like...saying please and thank you when people help you even when they didn't need to.

[Please tell him this is working, otherwise he's just leaving this conversation.]

[athleticallyinclined]

[ He's...trying to understand? Or at least, he's squinting very hard at Soos in a manner that suggests he is. ]

People would like me...even more than they already do?

[ Is that even possible?? ]

[sorrydoods]

[Is...is this progress? I think this is progress!]

Yeah, dude! If you're nice to people, they'll like you a lot more than they already do. After all, while people appreciate a hero, they'll like a nice hero even more!

[athleticallyinclined]

[ I mean, relative progress. ]

Hmm...

They wouldn't think...that gave them leave to touch me, would they?

[ Whoops time to clarify. He wouldn't want Soos to misunderstand exactly what he's asking. ]

The peasants, I mean. The dirty ones.

[sorrydoods]

[Look. it's something resembling progress, okay?

Which is why he's just gonna try rolling with this and pretending it's understandable.]

Then you can just say to them that you don't wanna be touched. Say something like...you hate dirt and stuff and you'd prefer if they don't touch you.

And a really good part about being nice? They'll probably listen and do what you say.

[athleticallyinclined]

[ To be fair, yelling at dirty peasants to keep their filthy selves away from him and his nice clean uniform is already a pretty set part of Gaston's routine. He nods in something that may be a deranged form of understanding. ]

A nice hero.

I'll try it.