DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything affiliated with Disney's Beauty and the Beast. Only my OC and my own written songs, and lyrics added to songs throughout!
A/N: Ok, Stanley is cute (Tom, Dick and Stanley?) I don't care if I sound crazy, he caught my eye from the beginning of the 2017 live-action movie, and after seeing it I've been inspired to write another Disney fanfiction. Let's see how this goes. Instead of LeFou spinning into Stanley's arms as in the film, why not Gaston's sister? Please enjoy!
Chapter 1: Odette Returns
"Look at her, Odette—my future wife," Gaston takes out his small cylindrical telescope and looks through it, snooping at the new young woman in town who is all he ever talked about since he returned from the war, and on our recent hunting trip.
"You said that before," I mumble under my breath, taking the telescope my brother hands over, blinking at the glare that bounces off of it from the morning sun. Finally I get a good look at 'Belle', and she is rather pretty. She's a small thing and far too simple looking for my amazing, sturdy brother, though. What could he see in her? She reads a lot—that much I know of from what he tells me, and she is and acts 'odd' with our fellow town citizens from overhearing tête-à-têtes at the tavern. But she looks like every other simple young maiden in this town dressed in rags and other scrap fabrics. Again, what does my brother see in her to fulfill his ever changing affections?
"Belle is the most beautiful girl in the village that makes her the best!" He proclaims aloud with that familiar mischievous twinkle in his dark eyes. "Well, you are the most beautiful my dear sister by a long shot. Belle comes in tied with you now I'm afraid."
I scoff, before I can remark on his admission, "Gee, thanks. So I have competition now?"
"Not if I win her affections soon. Isn't she the finest woman in town?"
"But she's so… well-read!" I exclaim trying to compare and contrast them, handing the small telescope back to him. "And you're so… athletically inclined…"
He nods his head, pursing his lips in consideration, "Yes… But ever since the war I've felt like I've been missing something. And she's the only girl that gives me that sense of—" He moves his hand close to himself, thinking of the right word.
"Mmm… je ne sais quoi?" I suggest, puckering my lips, giving a silent kiss to the open air, speaking the beautiful French language. I pretty much summed up love, it is indescribable from what love stories I know. I never felt it yet though… thought I did but I was only twelve then.
"I don't know what that means," My brother shakes his head no, ushering his horse forward.
I frown at his unfamiliarity with French, patting my horse's yellow mane with my left hand as I kick it lightly to move forward, "I do not know what."
"Ah, no wonder."
I look all around me, savoring my last look for some time at the gorgeous, luscious green countryside and fresh air before we enter the village because I won't be hunting again with my brother for some time for many reasons.
Entering the dirty, but lively town filled with hustling hardworking men and women, half of them smiling half not. But that other half near us glanced our way hearing the sound of horse hooves, and they began to beam.
What a pleasure and honor it is to be considered one of the greatest people in town, and greatest woman separately, but having to look my way and drop everything they do to just smile at me and my brother? Perhaps too much respect, but I'm not complaining neither is he. We've earned our place and will maintain it by no matter what means. Or else ruin the family name.
"Oh… There is Odette!" A middle aged man nudges the tall, thin, weathered woman, Clothilde, with an odd pouf of hair protruding out of her bonnet.
"Odette!" the other men chorus.
"She can whip Belle into shape if she dares!" Clothilde slaps a mule's behind to move.
"And me! We—I feel wet," a young man utters after his friend splashed a bucket of water in his face after staring too long.
"Tell it to her frère!"
Gaston looks their way with a glare as we ride further into town. The men, some winking, mostly for me… And the women fawn over my brother from a distance.
I glare too at the men before turning away from them, holding my chin up higher than normal not wanting to appear vulnerable after my tiring journey back. One of the men had a wife buying flowers right behind him, and the other three were just cutting up with him.
"Right from the moment when I met her, saw her. I said she's gorgeous and I fell," Gaston recalls.
"Into a puddle, and wiped your hands on my ivory underskirt," I giggle at the messy memory.
He smirks at me as he continued, "Here in town there's only she, who is beautiful as me and you, so I'm making plans to woo and marry Belle…"
I tug at the reins, stopping my horse watching my brother ride up a couple more feet.
"I'm not too sure she is for you… Mon chou!" My eyes widen at the baker exiting the bakery bringing out the fresh, hot, cream filled pastries.
"Beg your pardon, sis?" Gaston looks back at me confused, already off his horse and patting it.
"Not you. I meant those sweet buns," I tilt my head in the direction of the bakery next door to the 'women's fittings' shop. Then I gather my grey riding dress, and raise my right leg over the other side of the horse to hop off. My ankle length, white pantalettes underneath my dress saved my smooth legs from being brushed roughly by the stirrup, "Yours are sweet too, though, darling brother."
He hums with a pleased smile.
"Look there, he goes, isn't he dreamy?" The three raven haired Bimbette sisters swoon. "Monsieur, Gaston! Oh he's so cute! Be still, my heart, I'm hardly breathing. He's such a tall, dark, strong and handsome brute!"
"Thank you monsieur!" I drop a couple coins in payment on the baker's wheeling cart and take the few pastries wrapped in tissue and tuck them in the side pocket of my dress.
Looking over at where Gaston's horse is and where he once stood, I look around for him as I adjust my lavender coloured cloak. Walking to where his horse is being tended to by the stableman, I hold back a laugh at the sight I never thought I'd see: the Bimbettes all dressed in matching pink gowns, caked in mud!
"Odette! Look what your brother did!"
Forcing a smile at their frowzy behavior and controlling myself from not sounding too defensive of my brother, I say, "My brother has no such discourteous actions, Paulette, Laurette, Claudette. After all, it's just mud. It'll come out after a good wash and scrub. The pink looks lovely! It's a colour sure to catch his eye!"
"Thank you Odette!" All three sisters grin at my compliment, waving me off.
"Now where has my brother run off to?" I hum to myself, walking towards the center of town, weaving through the townspeople.
A familiar man from the tavern, Tom, walking with his two friends Dick and Stanley behind him, shrugs looking with me for but a second, "I'm sure I saw him just over there."
"He's the only one in red. A brazen and dashing man as he. How hard to spot him can it be? Why can't you all stop ogling me?!" I fuss at the young men (David and Leon) looking down my chest from their place atop the cart. With Tom, Dick, and Stanley behind me we stare them down from below, but having bothered me the most obviously, they bow their heads in apology.
"Paint a picture of me it'll last longer," I comment lastly walking away from the scene, my arms swinging only a bit. "See you three later!"
"Oui!" Tom, Dick, and Stanley chorused.
Now at the large stand of flowers, so many scents hitting my nose at once I hold back a gag because they are beautiful colorful flowers, and the women displaying them and making bouquets are eyeing my up to buy some, so I hurry away from them and see my brother leaving the covered, shady area.
"Gaston!" I shout his name.
"For the tavern?" A woman standing away from the stand holds up a bouquet with two out of three of my favorite flowers in them: white lilies and baby's breath.
"No thank you," I respond kindly, but she stops me.
"No charge."
"Really?"
"I insist!" she smiles.
"Oh, well thank you," I nod my head to her, now picking up my pace following my brother.
"Just watch, I'm going to make Belle my wife!"
Oh, he's following Belle, and he's holding flowers! Sighing, I know its best to keep my distance from him. So after weaving through the familiar faced crowd once more and saying no to a man selling fish, I stand near the fabrics stand watching my brother fight through to get to Belle.
"Look there she goes that girl is strange but special. A most peculiar mademoiselle! It's a pity and a sin, she doesn't quite fit in, 'cause she really is a funny girl—A beauty but a funny girl—She really is a funny girl, that Belle!"
"Bonjour, Odette!" LeFou comes up to me, drawling out my name more than necessary. "How was hunting?"
"Quite the adventure and sight. There were so many things to look at!" I exclaim excitedly.
"Oh I bet," He raises his eyebrows, grinning as a glaze goes over his eyes as if daydreaming. "Did he let you shoot this time?"
"Only with his bow. Squirrels and one deer," I exhale, glancing past LeFou's husky form at Belle refusing his flowers, but they are still speaking.
"Those poor creatures up against you and Gaston. They never stood a chance," he adds in a humorous whisper.
"Where is he anyway?"
"He is 'wooing' Belle. I don't know what he sees in her," I exclaim annoyed, pointing to where he is. Gaston and I will be talking tonight before he makes any rash decisions.
"The entire town just said she's a funny girl. I make funny jokes all the time but he never laughs at them. Maybe they're not his type," LeFou speaks more to himself than me, looking at my brother thoughtfully.
"Uh-huh…" I drone not sure what to say to my brother's right hand man and closest friend.
"Let's go see him!" He suddenly bursts. "She refused his thoughtful gesture much like you do to many men. After you, flower queen.."
"No, I'm going to head back to the tavern. I don't need to follow him around all morning. Tell him I'll meet him there. These need to be put in water and I need to get these pastries out my pocket before they melt," I respond, waving bye for now and changing direction to the tavern, my home. The upstairs part, but downstairs too even though that's where all the men and my brother drink, eat, talk, fight, play music, dance, and sing bar shanty's.
Thankfully, no one encountered me all the way to the tavern and there I'll be inside the rest of the day, having no need to be out in the town and turning down men like Belle.
A/N: It's a start, and short but chapters will get better! It was the best place to start for now til I recover every bit of knowledge from the movie I can remember, and incorporate my OC and her story in. It's the first musical story I've done, hopefully this reads well to you all. Til then!
