foolishmortals | Recuérdame.

[Those of you who wish to see those who passed on? You'll be directed outside by Zeus, where he raises his arms, and marigolds begin to float around him. They float upwards, and form into a bridge.

It's structurally sound, and it seems fitting that you can cross it.

Eventually, you'll see it. Elysium. The Land of The Dead. Gentle music plays as you cross over into the city.

It's...festive. It's always festive. The architecture is colorful and full of spirit, and your group seems to be the only ones...human in appearance. Even your old friends seem to be a bit more skeletal in appearance. You can spend as much time here as you like, but eventually, that bridge will disappear. And you'll have to leave.

But...they'll never truly be gone. Not if you remember them. And someday, you'll join them. But for now, you celebrate. You've earned your happy ending.]

(ooc: This is the last log for the three canon rounds of Foolish Mortals! Thanks for coming along for the ride - we loved having you, and we hope to see ya real soon!)

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I'm not worried. You'll find a hero's welcome in no time.

[They hum a few bars in harmony.]

Thank you. For saving my life. But why did you...

[ There's a long silence. Gaston isn't ignoring Lefou, he's just...thinking.

Dangerous pastime though it may be.

Finally, he speaks. ]

...She was never going to marry me.

[ In the end, Belle had made that perfectly clear. ]

But you...

[ He glances down at Lefou. He still doesn't entirely understand it. But he's starting to. Lefou probably has Ford and Fiddleford's PDA all over Elysium to thank for that. ]

You...found something, didn't you.

[He keeps his silence as Gaston thinks, looking at the long, bony fingers holding the rifle, to his own small, fleshy hands.

He's...actually surprised at the self-awareness, and he looks up at Gaston's face in shock. But then... He smiles. And it's not the cornered animal smile that he forced so often in those last few weeks, but the genuine, boyish smile of the chubby little kid Gaston scooped out of the mud all those years ago. The smile of the boy who first fell in love with him.]

I... I did. I'm...actually a little glad that I was brought into this nightmare. Even more glad that it's over, of course, but... The people I met, the...family, that I made. I'll never forget everything I learned from them.

...Just like I'll never forget you, Gaston.

[ Being in Elysium tends to do that to you. Also, you know, weeks on end of everyone you meet yelling at you that you're being an ass and they're Just Not That Into You.

Something had to sink in eventually.

He smiles, and punches Lefou's arm affectionately. He's...still pretty strong, for a skeleton. Or for anyone, honestly. ]

I know you won't, Lefou.

[ But he hasn't really answered his question yet, has he? He frowns. ]

But when that...tiny, pathetic man was going to shoot you -

[ No offense to tiny, pathetic men or anything. ]

Well. If one of us had to die, I just thought there would be less embarrassing, womanly crying afterwards if it was me.

[ ...no offense to embarrassing, womanly crying or anything. ]

[LeFou takes the punch in the arm with a laugh and nudges him back with his elbow.

But then Gaston answers his question and, well.

LeFou spent a lot of time learning to speak Gaston.

He smiles.]

Well... It was very heroic of you.

I hope you can be happy here. You... you know that's all I wanted for you.

[ He stands a little taller at the word heroic. This is still Gaston, after all. All he's ever really wanted is praise and attention.

He looks down at Lefou, and nods. Happy? Oh, yes. He thinks he can be happy here. ]

Did you know they've already elected me President?

[ Lepo said so it's canon no takebacks ]

[The fondest of eye rolls.]

You see? Town hero in no time.

I’m glad to have something good to remember you by, after everything. This is nice.

[This will be better for Gaston than the ignoble death he was stolen from. In a way, at least LeFou hopes, this whole nightmare has been better for both of them than just...the way things were left.]

Well, of course I am! Did you expect anything else?

[ It is better. For Gaston, for Lefou. For all of them.

Too bad about the entire population of the castle sans the Beast himself, but hey. Can't make an omelette, etc.

He stops walking, turning to Lefou to give him a stern, forbidding look. This is in danger of getting just a little bit too...mushy. ]

As for you, Lefou...

Nothing less.

[He stops, eyes going wide and already shifting his weight to take a step back when Gaston stares him down.

It’s fucking terrifying to be tracked by a skeleton.]

Me?

[ It's fine probably

But he follows when Lefou steps back, not letting him get away. He looks (ha ha) deathly serious. ]

Yes, you. I didn't heroically sacrifice myself for nothing, you know.

This...demigod of yours.

[ He pauses. For a long, long moment, looking distinctly uncomfortable. ]

...Don't let him treat you the way I did. And if he does...

[ He lifts up his rifle in one hand. Lefou knows what to do. ]

[Oh god. LeFou has no idea what's coming, when Gaston keeps advancing. His fight or flight instinct pings like alarm bells at the way he almost snarls the word "demigod," but he keeps his face schooled into that blank fear response smile. But then Gaston just...pauses. Even with no flesh or muscle, his expression shifts.

And what he says next is almost... sweet.

LeFou's smile softens. Turns genuine. He responds to the threat of the rifle in kind.]

Thank you, Gaston.

[ Sweet, for Gaston, is giving a fucked-up "don't you take no shit from your man" version of the shotgun talk to the man he personally abused and oppressed for years. But, hey. You take what you can get, right? ]

Hmph.

[ Point made, he withdraws, lowering the rifle, and nods once, decisively. ]

I taught you to be a hero, Lefou.

Don't disappoint me.

[ "Don't forget that that's what you are. Don't settle for less." ]

[Listen, for Gaston? Getting him to even admit that the way he treated LeFou was Bad is worthy of praise.

LeFou nods, proudly.]

I'll do my best.

[Then he decides to teasingly push his luck.]

Maybe when I come back, for- for good, you can buy me a drink. With all that Town Hero acclaim, I'm sure you'll be drinking for free at any tavern you want in no time.

Give me a year, and I'll be running those taverns!

[ The narcissism...doesn't really stop, does it? But he pauses, searching Lefou's face, and then smiles. ]

Who knows, Lefou? Do well enough, and I may even let you have one all for yourself.

[ gay bar in elysium GAY BAR IN ELYSIUM ]

Recuérdame.

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