In my friend Jamie's mii game, Gaston and Jasmine had a baby and Jamie named the baby Gas Station and if that isn't life goals then I don't know what is.
CoMmEnTeRsSsS-
Allegra_Bisscotti ; mikaxoxo02 ; motorola2727 ; rewrite ; THGdivergentElsa7402 ; Glittergirl66 ; Luckybelle0203 ; darkparadise_4 ; bellabae14 ; PopularlyUnpopular ; squishyfishies (the actual queen) ; MidnightXplosion ; angelarose_612 ; veronicatur ; TommoV ; 31cora ; _heyorhi ; CamilaVanilla26 ; Mikayla_Turner ; wifi_hogger (bABE)
Without further ado, here's the chapter!
~~~~~~~~~~
"Open your eyes, you disobedient fool."
An insult. Steadily gripping on consciousness, the first thing that Gaston heard was an insult.
How far he had fallen from the admired village heartthrob that he once was.
He blinked the moonlight out of his eyes, colors coming into view, held in shape by fuzzy lines. Green. An angular mess of olive green, towering above him- and black. There was black everywhere, pooling onto the floor in a lifeless heap.
"Gaston- Gaston, I'm well aware of the fact that you can hear me." Details sharpened to life, lines became more rigid- the mistress. He was laying on icy tiles, and the mistress was standing over him, her staff prodding at his stomach impatiently.
She did not look happy.
"Your excellency," he mumbled, hoisting himself up. "Your excellency, may I just take a moment to compliment your stunning appearance? You look particularly beautiful tonight-"
"Oh, silence yourself, will you, Gaston? Extra butter isn't going to get you very far. I honestly do not understand- why do male villains always insist on wasting their time with sap, especially those under my leadership? It isn't going to do anything for them-"
"Forgive my interruption, your excellency," he slurred, words of all colors mixing with the saliva sitting in his cheeks. "We've all seen Caleb shower you with compliments, and it definitely gets him somewhere-"
"His case is different."
"And how so?"
"Caleb is a handsome and charming man. However, you are, in a word..." An emerald nostril tugged back in disgust. "Well, not."
The moisture drained from his tongue, as did his words. Gaston took great pride in his appearance- he garnered most of his confidence from the jealous stares and red-cheeked sighs of local admirers. He wasn't going to sit there submissively while someone made tears in his pride, no matter how highly ranked they were!
"I beg your pardon, oh evil one," he spat, words oozing between clenched teeth, "but just who do you think you are, saying that I'm not handsome? Good luck trying to find a man half as dashing-!"
"Oh? Oh, you haven't seen it yet, have you?"
His eyes narrowed. "Haven't seen what?"
The mistress made a spiraling motion with her finger, and a hand-held mirror materialized out of thin air. "This, Gaston."
She held the mirror to his face.
He made an inhuman noise- a sharp intake of musty air, braided with a feeble scream- very fitting, considering that the face that stared back at him was just as inhuman.
It was a face that one would see in a nightmare, reflected in cracked mirrors and cradled in smoke. His flesh had been swallowed up by burns, painting him in repulsive reds and ashen purples. Some patches of skin were swollen and glowed red, others ground to bone. Everything was peeled and crinkled and hanging by a thread.
He turned away. The corners of his eyes stung, the first whispers of tears beginning to arise. No. No, he refused to cry. Not in front of the mistress. Not in front of himself.
"My daughter did quite the number on your face, didn't she? Two weeks into her training, and she's already ruined her first life. Proud is an understatement."
Rage stirred in his blood- Ivory. Yes, he remembered now, how the girl had unleashed her magic on him in defense. In one swift motion, she had turned a man into a monster. She had torn his pride to shreds.
She had ruined his life.
"You... You can fix it, can't you?"
Maleficent dipped her head back and laughed- a single, forced laugh which sawed his eardrums apart. "Oh, Gaston, you poor fool, of course not! Do you not recall holding a pistol to my daughter's head? Violating countless orders? Why, I made plans to punish you myself- however, it appears as though Ivory has done the dirty work for me. From now on, this face shall serve as a reminder of your betrayal."
"I'll just get another sorcerer to-"
"Oh, I don't think so. I still hold complete control over your life, elucidated in the contract that you signed after your resurrection." She adorned her words with a grimy scowl. "And what a waste of a resurrection it was. You, Gaston, are staying in my palace until I can think of a use for you."
He raised his head. In Maleficent's eyes of vibrant yellow, reminiscent of twin moons, he found a dark horde of energy which extinguished all hope that he had left.
A man can lose everything that he has- his possessions, his pride, his physical appeal- but hope is something that can't be taken away by anyone.
No one, that is, except for Maleficent.
"I wish," he hissed, "that you'd never recruited me."
"If I hadn't recruited you, Gaston, you'd be dead."
"I would rather be dead."
The mistress grinned, baring teeth sharp enough to slice a soul in two. "That's just what I wanted to hear."
Her gaze settled upon her hand- coiled around her thumb was a silver band, ornamented with a single diamond. Gaston recognized it instantly- Aurora's wedding ring, enchanted by The Blue Fairy herself.
"Now," Maleficent spoke, "if you don't mind, I have a portal to unlock- and a friend on the other side to summon. You're free to go anywhere you'd like, Gaston, as long as you don't leave the palace grounds... Today is the first day of the end of your life."
Promptly, she spun on her heel, glossy black fabric billowing behind her, and she left him in the darkness with a single thought.
Ivory will pay.
~~~~~~~~~~
"Agrabah..."
Shang wasn't the softest guy in the world. Muscles stamped into his abdomen, countenance reminiscent of stone... He teetered between a drill sergeant and a displeased father.
However, once he snatched Jafar's note from my hands and stared at his wife's name, that image shattered into millions of pieces and fell to the ground like rain. Shang was no longer the intimidating man who had kidnapped me. Tonight, Shang was a devoted husband with a heart that screamed for Mulan.
Odelia faced me. "And you found this note in your... brassiere?"
That's a word for it. "Yeah. The sick bastard probably slipped it in there while I was getting beat up."
"Or he could have transferred it into your clothes using magic."
"Oh."
"Well, that doesn't matter now," the fairy spoke somberly. "What matters is that we know where Mulan is. Agrabah-"
"I'll prepare my troops immediately," Shang proclaimed. "I'll have a message delivered to the Sultan of Agrabah- he can rally his guards- isn't Prince Aladdin acquainted with a genie? All we have to-"
"General," Odelia snapped. "General, I understand that you're in excruciating pain right now, however-"
"However what?" Shang snarled- the drill sergeant image returned, seizing him by the throat. "Forgive my interruption, your greatness, but the love of my life has fallen into the hands of a notorious villain, and we cannot waste any-"
"And you want to rally the Chinese army without analyzing the situation first?"
"What is there to analyze, your highness? My wife was kidnapped, and we were given enough information to-"
"Yes, General, exactly- we were given the information. Mulan's whereabouts were simply dropped into our laps- that doesn't sound the least bit suspicious to you?"
"With all due respect-"
"It may very well be a trap! General Shang, you are one of the most courageous men whom I've ever had the pleasure of meeting- the Disneyverse cannot risk losing a man of your caliber!"
The general rose from his seat. "You may as well save your compliments for another soldier, your highness. I'm far more loyal to my wife than I am to anybody else- and that includes you!" He lifted his head, a grimace branded into his face. "You don't know what it's like to lose someone who you love more than yourself. Don't you dare try to take charge of this situation."
Silence dug into the conversation, ripping the air in two. Shock smoothed Odelia's facial features out, and, after a moment's passing, sorrow pinned them inward.
"If you're able to jump to a conclusion such as that so quickly, General, then you obviously don't know who I am."
It was a tone that could crumple hearts and melt rock.
I forgot about the wings. I forgot about the azure dust. I forgot about the wand.
She was upset. She was in pain.
She was human.
Shang swallowed, awkwardness melting his stone-hard expression. "Fo- Forgive me, your-"
"Ivy," Odelia addressed me. "Ivy, why don't you return to the dining hall? It would be a shame if you missed breakfast because of foolish bantering."
I was out of my seat before she finished speaking. "Of course, your excellency."
What could have possibly happened to Odelia that had given her the power to speak with such a heartbreaking voice?
The rest of the day, Shang was nowhere to be found.
~~~~~~~~~~
That afternoon...
"Well... You've arrived much earlier than expected, Captain Hawkins."
Out of all of the faces that I'd expected to see strolling down the hall alongside Odelia, Jim Hawkins' face was not one of them. And, yet, there he was, sporting a cream uniform ornamented with gold pins, not a bruise or beer stain in sight. Still, that didn't puncture the casual and laid-back aura that he carried on his shoulders.
"Heh. Guess I did," he replied. "I would've arrived last night, but I had a little run-in with a group of thugs." Shrugging the subject off, he bent down, kissing the back of her delicate hand. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, your excellency."
"Oh, please, Captain Hawkins," the fairy gushed, "the pleasure is all mine."
Captain?
"You know," Odelia continued, "I was quite surprised when General Li Shang told me about your merits. A troubled boy turned renowned explorer- the league could use a daring hero such as yourself." Tilting her head, she caught sight of me standing in my doorway. "Ivory! Ivory, I'd like to introduce you to someone."
I stepped into the hall, making my way to her side. "Jim."
He smiled playfully. "Hey, Twisted Chain."
Bewilderment stamped into Odelia's china-doll-like countenance. "Oh? You two are already acquainted with each other?"
"You could say that," I responded. "We met last night."
"How could you have-?"
"I may or may not have snuck out of-"
"Oh." Her eyes narrowed. "Yes. Yes, that. A little birdie told me that you lost Princess Aurora's-"
"So," I said, worming my way out of a scolding, "Jim, what are you doing here?"
"Remember when I told you that I was in France taking care of business?"
"Yeah."
His lips yanked into a smile. "Well, it seems as though we're business partners."
"Captain Hawkins has agreed to become a member of the League of Heroes," The Blue Fairy explained, wings fluttering with enthusiasm. "You two are going to be fighting alongside each other."
"Fighting what?"
"The forces of evil, of course!"
"I still never agreed to that, Odelia-"
"I understand, Ivory," the fairy pressed, "but if you do-"
"And what if I don't?"
There would have been silence, had Jim not cut in. "Your excellency, you told me that she was already on board with-"
"Yes, well, I may have stretched the truth a little bit."
"A little?" I scoffed.
Odelia's razor-sharp glare yanked the sneer from my face. "Yes. A little."
Picturesque and exquisite to fuming with annoyance in seconds- it fascinated me. However, I wasn't ready to stand down just yet. "Answer my question, please."
The fairy sighed. "If you don't agree to fight alongside us, then the League of Heroes will slay Maleficent in your place. I'd rather not go into details until you make your final decision."
Details. The word sounded like a stained swatch of lace- a botched attempt at delicacy. I turned to Jim. "Well, Captain Hawkins- I look forward to getting to know you."
He offered an easygoing grin. "And I as well, Twisted Chain."
It was a smile that I could use as a pain reliever. It was a smile that took me back home.
~~~~~~~~~~
"I have to ask, Jim... Captain of what?"
"A ship."
"No, really?"
"Yes, really."
"I would make a 'Captain Obvious' pun if it weren't so-"
"Cheesy?" He cocked a brow.
"Yeah. Cheesy."
"My, you two are certainly hitting it off well." I couldn't Elsa's face, but I could tell that she was smirking. "Hopefully you'll be able to fight well together, too."
"Well, I can't burn people's faces off just by flexing my fingers," Jim said, "but I'll do what I can, your majesty."
"I did not burn his face off," I moaned. "I probably just singed his eyebrows a little."
"Actually, Ivory," Elsa cut in, "you very well may have caused some critical damage. Untrained magic is extremely dangerous when used while adrenaline levels are high. So, yes- you most likely did burn his face off."
Well, shit. "Oh. Okay."
"Eh, he kind of deserved it," Jim said. "I mean, he was about to shoot you in the head. It was either his face or your life."
"True. Plus, he was kind of an ass. It would have happened eventually."
He scoffed. "Kind of?"
"No, you're right. Gaston is the definition of ass."
Elsa led Jim and I through the wooded area surrounding the palace. Deeper and deeper we plunged, chilled air staining my cheeks red, the sun peeking from above a yellow and orange canopy- winter was approaching like a spoiled queen, demanding that everyone recognize its presence.
We came across a clearing- a fairly large ring of mud, untouched by nature. "This will do," Elsa mumbled.
"So, Els," I said, slipping out of my shoes, "why did you bring us out here, exactly?"
"Well, I figured that Captain Hawkins should train alongside you today. You are going to be fighting together, assuming that you decide to stay in the Disneyverse."
"Great," Jim said, rubbing his hands together. "Let's get started- I haven't done any hand-to-hand combat in months."
Elsa's lips fastened into a smirk as she flicked her wrist. Tiny flecks of crystal materialized out of thin air- thousands of them, swirling like a silver cyclone and proceeding to latch together. A human-like creature began to take shape- legs suggestive of snow-capped glaciers, a midsection forged of blue-tinted ice, bulky arms like that of a giant.
"Fuck," I breathed.
We were standing in front of a nightmare-ific rendition of the abominable snowman.
I turned to Elsa, developing an expression which screamed, 'what the fuck, man?'
She laughed, a noise tinged with something playful. "I'll tell him to go easy on you."
"Easy on-?" I froze. "No! Nuh-uh! Fuck that! You're setting me up for murder! You're insane!"
"Didn't expect the Twisted Chain to be this much of a wimp," Jim chuckled, scanning the creature's colossal figure.
"News flash, captain, there's a difference between being a wimp and trying not to die!"
"Moan all you want," Elsa piped up, "but I'm not letting you out of this. One way or another, you're going to have to practice battling someone... Or, something."
"Yeah, but-"
"Watch out!"
Jim yanked me backward as the creature swung a fist into the dirt, missing me by half an inch. The snowman roared, a sound evocative of an icy gust of wind.
I intersected gazes with Jim. Unlike me, he seemed calm, collected... Entertained, even.
"You want to get out of here unharmed, wimp? We have to work together."
I looked up, studying the beast.
"Alright," I replied. "You lead, captain."
~~~~~~~~~~
Jim surprised me. Ever since I'd met him, he had done nothing but surprise me, and I didn't know if I liked that or not.
He didn't act on instinct, diverging from my style of battling (if you could call it a style, that was). He wasn't kicked into motion by sporadic waves of adrenaline- each step was calculated and precise. He fought like a computer, as though his brain was a hot mass of wire and metal.
After I'd attempted to use my powers of flame on the beast, Jim had calculated a plan. I was to aim for the snowman's belly- that was where all the limbs were connected, he said.
Easy as it sounded, the plan had been difficult to execute- no, difficult was an understatement. Getting the creature to look in the direction that we wanted it to only added to the challenge, as did trying to avoid getting punched during random fits of thrashing.
It paid off, though, when Jim and I were standing in the biggest puddle I'd ever seen.
I glared at the monster's creator. "Well? Was that good enough for you, almighty queen of ice and snow?"
Elsa's grin, something that I'd so often seen proud mothers sporting, offered the only answer that I needed.
Her words, however, told a different story.
"Mmh... I've seen better."
She flicked her wrist, as though conducting an orchestra, and the water obeyed her command, pulling in towards the center of the mud pit and forming a crystal-clear pillar.
"Do it again."
~~~~~~~~~~
Later that evening...
"Your punishment has been arranged," Leah had told me over lunch. "I've spoken with the Archdeacon of Notre Dame, who happens to be an old friend of mine- he needs some extra work done around the cathedral. Cleaning cloisters, polishing statues, tasks of that nature. Seeing that you lack ethics, I thought that spending some time in a holy place might do you some good."
I would have picked up a knife and stabbed her, if not for the honey-glazed glare that Aurora sent in my direction. Oh. Oh, right. Depression. Frustration. The thing.
"Of course, your majesty. I will do as you say. Mindlessly. Without question." I swallowed. "Because you are above me in social status."
The aging queen narrowed her eyes. "Yes. Far above you."
Does she want to start something? Does she want to go? I would have leapt out of my chair and lunged at her, had the door not flung open.
"Your majesties." An overweight man with a pointed beard, suggestive of two hands on a clock, bowed before the royals. "The mail."
Silently, the man strode from seat to seat, dropping envelopes sealed with wax crests into jittery hands. Anna, upon receiving a letter, squealed and ripped open the envelope as fast as her dainty fingers could tear.
"Princess Ivory."
Icy wires tangled around my stomach. I turned, watching as the man offered me a letter. "For you."
"For me?" Cautiously, I took the envelope- it was an eggshell blue color, stamped with a semicircle of gray wax. Curiosity nibbled at my fingers, and I opened the packaging.
Miss Ivy,
I have to admit, the moment I heard that you'd been brought to the Disneyverse, a single tear fell from my eye- I stress the fact that it was only one tear. I try to save such delicate things for instances that really matter- and you, Ivory, mean a great deal to me. It's strange, really, how one person can signify so much in a life that they've never intersected with.
I do hope that our lives will intersect in the near future. You see, miss, I am a renowned sorcerer- a magical being that is neither good nor evil, trapped in the gray space in between. You are trapped there, as well- your mother represents all that is dark, and your father, though a sorcerer himself, has become a symbol for all that is pure. Powerful people, your parents are, and I can only assume that that power has been passed onto you. Yes, magic is, undoubtedly, sleeping in your veins, and it will take a skilled teacher to awaken it.
And what a coincidence! I happen to be a teacher myself, having trained many esteemed heroes over the decades. And, considering that The Blue Fairy only takes on students who are entirely pure of heart, I thought that the opportunity to work with me would be very beneficial to you. I've already arranged to travel to France's palace to meet with The Blue Fairy tomorrow evening- I would love to meet with you, as well.
I will provide details tomorrow. I'm very much looking forward to getting to know you, Ivory.
I held the note closer to my face, squinting as I tried to read the signature. "Quick question- anybody know who Yen Sid is?"
~~~~~~~~~~
"Wrinkly old woman..." Scrub. "Needs a high five in the face with a chair..." Scrub. "A hug around the neck with a rope..." Scrub. "A flesh-eating leech shoved up her nostril..." Scrub. "Nah- she is the leech that gets shoved up people's nostrils." Scrub.
Quasimodo had a beefy hand pressed over his mouth, a failed attempt at disguising his giggles. I turned. "May I help you?"
"S-Sorry- I just... May I ask who you're talking about?"
I sighed. "Leah. She's the Queen of Elia- she's been staying in the palace with us. She doesn't particularly like me."
"I could tell."
"Yeah. She seems to take pleasure in making my life a living hell." Unable to catch the word before it was spoken, I flung a hand to my lips. "Crap- am I allowed to say that in a church?"
"If- If you're referring to the place, yes. Otherwise, you'd be better off staying silent."
"In that case, I think I'm alright." I rose to my feet, dropping the now-grimy rag into a bucket of suds. I'd told Quasimodo over and over that he didn't have to help me with the chores that the Archdeacon had assigned me. However, he'd insisted, claiming that he normally did these tasks on his own and that I was the one helping him.
"Speaking of the church," I said, "does it really have to be this big? They couldn't have made it just a little bit smaller?" The amount of cloisters and stain-glass windows was never-ending, stretching the minutes out like taffy.
"W-Well, the masses normally have very big crowds," Quasimodo responded. "People come here from all over the world, you know."
"So... Anyone's allowed here?"
"Oh, yes. Anybody. Thieves, sinners, outcasts... Anyone."
Witches? Magic-bearers? I wanted to ask, but kept the question away from my tongue, remembering how uncomfortable the subject had made him.
I glanced towards the half-parted doors. An inviting burst of warm light was nuzzled against the stones.
"Hey- you want to get out of here?"
"And go where?"
"Anywhere. Anywhere but here. You know the city better than I do- got any places in mind?"
His smile served as a reflection of mine, though significantly more innocent. "I know just the place. Follow me."
He wrapped his hand around my wrist, tugging me towards the door. He pulled away almost instantly, blood pooling in his cheeks. "Oh, I- I... I- I'm sorry, I-"
"Would you stop apologizing?" I chuckled.
"S-Sorry."
I rolled my eyes. "Just take my hand."
"Wha-?"
"Here." I reached out and pressed my palm to his, curling my fingers and nestling them between his stubby ones. I hadn't noticed how rough his palms were, laden with callouses and dead patches of skin. It was a feather-light touch reminiscent of sandpaper.
"You're adorable. Lead the way."
Quasimodo, though easy on the eye, was the ugliest man who I'd ever come to know- that fact probably wouldn't change. But he was also kind of adorable. Like, the shy and bumblingly awkward type of adorable that's nearly impossible to find.
The fact that I could call myself his friend was somewhat of an honor.
~~~~~~~~~~
"Wow."
Quasimodo lifted a bulky finger, pointing. "That's the-"
"The Siene."
It was a river, but it was so much more. A wide crevice carved out beside shops and townhouses, like a small opening between the world's lips, filled with melted sapphires. A body of water reflectant of Odelia's dazzling gown, covered with a sheer layer of warm sunlight.
Quasimodo's brows crinkled. "How do you-?"
"I took a class on European history last year. I had to memorize the names and locations of a bunch of major rivers. The Siene is one of the only ones that I can remember. I just didn't know that it was so pretty."
"It's at its most beautiful during sunsets," Quasimodo explained, voice acquiring a smooth edge. "I've- I've watched the Siene from my tower for years, and I've always thought of it as pretty. B-But when I saw it up close for the first time... Oh, it was one of the most wonderful moments of my life." I turned, looking at him- his eyes were powdered with giddiness, and he was just as alight and alive as the river was. "On that day, Ivy, I decided that this river was the most beautiful thing that I had ever seen."
My heart curled in on itself. I actually caught him while he was happy. Took me long enough.
The moment that he met eyes with me, however, his happiness drained into the ground. He ducked behind a mass of fiery strings. "Erm- I'm r-r-rambling, aren't I?"
"It's alright," I consoled, something that I wasn't the best at. "Screw small talk- I love it when people ramble on and on about things that matter to them."
He relaxed, sheepishly lifting his head. "Oh, I- I do, too. W-Would you like to sit down? Relax for a little while?"
I shrugged. "Sure."
"Follow me. I know just the place."
He lead the way, and we trekked beside the river, sunlight forcing my cheekbones into my eyes. We came across a stone bridge, connecting one side of Paris to another. Much to my surprise, Quasimodo didn't climb over the bridge- rather, he ducked under it, sitting in the shade.
"Under a bridge?" I questioned, masking my amusement- an ugly man lounging under a bridge. Where had I heard that folktale before?
"It- It doesn't have the best view," he admitted, fingers worming between each other, "but at least it provides some seclusion."
I shrugged, sitting down beside him. I was instantly cloaked in the shade, chills draping over my arms. A few feet from my toes, the Siene groaned, the melodic sound of rushing water curling up against my eardrums.
"So," I said, "the most beautiful thing that you've ever seen, huh? It's gonna be hard to top this, then."
"Oh, definitely. I- I don't think that I'll ever be able to find something more beautiful."
"That's so like you."
"Hmm?"
"Nothing, nothing. I just think that it's so like you to find beauty in something as simple as a river, or a bell, or a sunset. I come from a world of high standards- I was beginning to think that people like you didn't exist." I grinned, laying down on my back. "I could learn a lot from you, Quasi."
By then, he was beaming- it was expressions such as those that made me forget that he was supposed to be ugly.
Maybe he was never supposed to be ugly. Maybe the judgmental filters over my eyes needed to be worn down before I could see him for what he really was.
Okay, Shakespeare, I've gotta ask you something- what the hell is up with this dramatic side?
We're having a moment. Go away.
How sweet. I'm touched.
Are you going to be doing this shit for the rest of my life?
Yes. Only when it's unnecessary, though.
I hate you.
Love you too, boo.
"So," I said, "what do you do here?"
"Oh, um... Think, mostly," the hunchback responded. "I've had quite the stressful life. Coming here allows me to clear my head and sort out my problems."
"Oh! Oh, so this is your place."
"My- My place?"
I nodded. "Everyone I know has that one place that they go to whenever they're upset. For my mom, it's the spa. For my friend, Ashley, it's her dad's garage. For you, it's here."
"Oh- oh, I know what you mean!" he responded. "For Esmeralda, it's the Court of Miracles- a secret hideout, where the Romani live. For Phoebus, it's the tavern- though, now that I think about it, that might not be the best place to go to."
I hissed, sifting through last night's memories. "Liquor and dirty barmaids- yeah, not the greatest. Especially since he's married. Mmh."
Curiosity pooled into Quasimodo's face. "And- And may I ask what your place is?"
I didn't think. "You."
Paris held its breath. The river silenced. And he went pale, shielding himself behind his hair.
Nice going, dumbass.
Die, please.
"Oh, God, I did not just say that!" I groaned, trapping my lips behind a cage of fingers. "That wasn't supposed to- shit. I just made you really really uncomfortable, didn't I?"
"W-Why..." He swallowed. "Why am I your place?"
"You... You just are." I sighed. This kid deserves an explanation. He deserves to know why I've been seeing dark ink everywhere.
"Let me put this into actual words- everyone who I've ever met can be put into two different, um... spectrums. There's the Earth spectrum, and there's the Disneyverse spectrum. And then there are the very few people who don't fit into either. For example, I met someone last night. Jim Hawkins- he's a member of the League of Heroes. And he has this voice..." I chomped on my lip, not knowing how Jim had worked his way into this explanation. "It isn't elegant or uptight or princely. He reminds me of the young men on Earth, so he's in that spectrum. And The Blue Fairy, she's as Disneyverse-ey as you can get. And then there's you. And you don't fit into either."
"An... An outcast. Even in your mind, I'm still an outcast." He chuckled, hoarse and heart-wrenching. "I c-can never truly escape that title, can I?"
"Hey- I wouldn't call you an outcast. You're just in your own personal spectrum." I swallowed. "Quasimodo, you don't remind me of diamonds or heavy tiaras or balconies overlooking rose gardens, but you also don't remind me of loud music or humid classrooms or skimpy clothes. If it makes any sense, you remind me of you. And everything that comes with you. Bells and the smell of paint and that little replica of the city that you have."
The hunchback raised his head, eyes laden with bewilderment- still, they refused to meet mine. Guilt stirred in my stomach, roaring and harmonizing with the Siene, and I ran my palms down my face. "Everything in my life is a big fucking mess right now, on Earth and in the Disneyverse. I couldn't even handle one world of stress, and now I have to deal with two. And I'm a couple days away from a mental breakdown. I need a friend who doesn't remind me of any of that. I need a friend who isn't Earth or the Disneyverse. You are that friend. And now I'm being sappy as hell. And I'm rambling. And I made you even more uncomfortable than you already were."
He was silent for a little while. I kept my face covered.
"I... W-Wow," he stuttered. I set my hands down- he was looking at me, finally. "I... I've never been needed before."
"Really? Never?"
"Never. And you..." Suddenly, something eased into his face that I'd never seen him wear before. Dark brows pinned inward, a gentle spark breathing life into his eyes- it was an expression similar to anger, but not quite. A lighter shade of anger. "I'll do it."
"Do what?"
"I'll join the League of Heroes."
"Wait- seriously?" My eyes doubled in size. "No- no, you're sweet and gentle and awkward! People like you don't-!"
"You said that you need me, Ivy," he said, voice bold as the ink that he'd compared me to. "And if all of this is true- if you are going to be fighting the forces of evil- you're going to be putting yourself in danger. I have to join. I have to protect you. I can't lose the first person who's ever needed me."
The Siene rumbled in agreement. I blinked, heat lashing against the walls of my throat.
Wait a second- who said anything about losing me?
I would have fought against my conscience- if it weren't bringing up a great point.
"Wow. W-Wow, I..." I shook my head, forcing the sappy tones out of my voice. "How come we always get so dramatic when we're together? Like, this isn't me. I'm not usually so sentimental."
"Well, n-now that we're both in this league, we could get to know each other better." The surge of bravery faded, and in its place stood the shy expression that I'd come to know.
The thing was, I wasn't officially in the league. I considered saying so, but decided against it.
Instead, I just smiled. A simple curl of the lips- however, then, it felt like so much more.
"I'd like that."
~~~~~~~~~~
Brief overview- Gaston is ugly (hA BITCH), Maleficent summoned a "friend on the other side" using Odelia's magic, Shang has a lot of emotions, Jim is a member of the league, Yen Sid wants to train Ivy, and Ivy and Quasi are sentimental piles of mush.
Question of the Chapter- If you could control one element, what would it be?
My Answer- Fire. I could literally roast people.
Every single one of you guys are amazing. I love you so much- never stop believing.
~Leslay's Chips :D