Chapter IV. Greetings & Farewells
Frollo set the table with slices of bread served with golden cheddar cheese and roasted lamb drizzled with a scarlet gravy. The sharp aroma of the herbs and the savoury smells of the gravy filled the room. But the only thing occupying Jafar's mind was his disastrous stream today.
Jafar cut his share of lamb into slices and set them on a platter, then he took his dinner into his studio to eat. He grabbed slices of the roasted lamb, one by one, and gorged them into his mouth before he could even think about the taste while he uploaded apology messages onto every social media account he had.
It was the only thing he felt like doing right now, as his mind was still racing from what'd happened. He knew he had to address it with his fan base and make amends for the disruption caused by Frollo's unexpected intrusion. It was a responsibility, and he had to.
With a sigh, Jafar set his plate aside and reached for his mouse. He navigated to his social platform, prepared to offer an apology and explain the situation to his followers.
Jafar began drafting his apology post. He addressed the incident honestly, acknowledging the mistake that had occurred to his fan base. It was not just about his income, but about addressing the issue of gun violence in HIS stream.
When Jafar hit the "post" button, he felt anxious to see the response from his fans. He was grateful that most of his fans showed understanding of this incident, as it seemed to have no significant negative effect on his career as Youtuber.
However, as he scrolled through his Discord server, a surprising sight caught his eye.
Memes. Memes everywhere.
In the "Show-Me-Da-Memes" channel on his server, endless memes featuring Frollo holding a gun composed a magnificent wall of chaotic scenery, capturing the absurdity and unexpectedness of the situation. There was a meme with a line of text "YOU HAVE BEEN DEMONETIZED!" below Frollo's abrupt entrance, a meme that made Frollo into the newest action movie's poster, and the one which just replaced Frollo's real gun with an over-the-top Nerf gun.
"Pffff-"
Jafar had to admit, the Nerf gun one was his favourite. He even asked the original maker of that meme, as he wanted the high resolution of the meme for making it into his Twitch and Discord emote.
Frollo came out from the kitchen, he heard Jafar's burst of laughter, so he just wanted to check out whether Jafar was doing fine. He stared silently from the doorway, but the juxtaposition of Frollo's "confession booth" demeanour in real life and Frollo holding a Nerf gun on his screen, made Jafar hard not to crack up once again.
-Damn, my camera did capture a high-solution montage of Frollo pointing a gun, didn't it?
"I'm fine, just chatting with my fans." Jafar dismissed Frollo, and then Frollo left without a word, leaving Jafar howling with laughter.
Jafar just couldn't believe fate had offered him the ultimate chance to capitalize on Frollo.
The next morning, the sun cast its bright glow over the tranquil park as Frollo strolled along the winding path. The vibrant hues of nature surrounded him, filling the air with the sweet scent of blooming flowers and the gentle rustle of leaves. It was a peaceful morning, a moment of respite from the whirlwind of emotions that had consumed him.
He didn't mean to ruin Jafar's stream, he thought to himself. He spent his youth in those foreign countries that his motherland sent him into. That he had become a foreigner himself to people around him once he retired. The blood he had shed, and the crime he craved to atone now stained every fibre of his consciousness.
He just wanted to start anew, to grip on the only human connection he had now-if he let go, he would fall into the endless pit within. All he ever wanted was to offer a helping hand to his dormmate Jafar-even if he knew that he did it for his crippling guilt.
Lost in his thoughts, Frollo hardly noticed the figure that approached him, their towered blue hair catching the sunlight and shimmering with an otherworldly glow.
"Hey, hello there sire, you're taking a walk on this sunny day?" the stranger was quite a fast-talker, and Frollo had to take a moment to process his words, which had come at him with an almost machine gun-like speed.
"Yes. Anything else?" Frollo nodded and asked.
"Hey...no need to be so threatening, hehehe... ain't I right Mr. Nerf Gun?" the stranger reached to shake Frollo's hand, a gesture of good faith, "Seriously though, that little bozo couldn't cook a proper meal for himself. If I were you, I might have prepared some firearms to protect that man."
"I assure you that was an honest mistake." Frollo just held the stranger's hand, not even bothering to shake it. Realizing the man was referring to the incident, Frollo felt a bit remorseful, as he might have really ruined Jafar's hard work.
"Ohhhhh~you know you're sort of celebrity now? Like, for example, ME? Ahahaha, just kidding, just kidding! Relax~" the smooth-talking stranger patted Frollo's shoulder, as Frollo remained unfazed.
"...What do you mean that I am a celebrity now?" Frollo frowned, his heartbeat sank as his past crime might be at the risk of being discovered.
"Well, you know, just that your friend's fans are talking about you right now." the stranger punctuated the incident of yesterday with flamboyant gestures, waving his hands like little puppets to create a dramatic act like he was performing in a theatre, "local 'pro' Minecrafter Jafar forgot to put on his elytra, jumping from a cliff, blah blah blah...and he performed an 'MLG', he lived, but then a man came out of nowhere POINTING HIM WITH A GUN-"
"He screamed, and I tried to help." an annoyed Frollo interrupted, "Is it a crime? Am I under arrest, sire?"
The stranger's vivid and colourful expression froze.
"You're really unfun, aren't you?" the stranger's eye narrowed, his lowering voice radiating a dangerous aura, but he tried to retain his smile, "Take my advice-life is short, so why so serious? You could even extend your expected lifespan by smiling more! Hey, that could work well with you!"
"I think I've lived long enough."
"Liar. No one would ever say so if they have come to their senses," the stranger reeled at Frollo's response. He hadn't expected the coldness and sharpness in Frollo's voice, and it threw him off balance as he did not appreciate Frollo's comeback-he couldn't tell if Frollo was joking or not, either one was equally bad.
"Oh...could you tell me the merits of living longer than one should?" Frollo sneered. He raised his eyebrows a bit and slowly tilted his head to the side.
"To enjoy life! Look!" the stranger swept his arms out to gesture toward their surroundings, "the flowers, the leaves, the grasses...what not to enjoy? I thought a jogger like you would appreciate the beauty of life..."
"So to enjoy life is why you retired and left Jafar without a word?" Frollo asked calmly, his baritone whisper pierced like a blade, "Mr. Hades?"
The stranger-Hades blinked with confusion.
"EXCUSE ME?" Hades craned his neck toward Frollo, "How... how did you know who I am?"
"Jafar had told me everything about you... what you look like, what meals you cook, how you talk to others...You even referred to yourself as a 'celebrity,' I guess old habits die hard, am I right, Mr. YouTuber?" Frollo spoke to him in a cold, emotionless voice that dripped with icy detachment. In his tone, each word was like a piercing drop falling on the stone floor in a cave, "just be mindful, old habits die hard, and I AM the man who retired from the military...If I were you, I would've treaded it lightly."
Hades averted his gaze, a mixture of shame and fear etched upon his features.
"...and what did Jafar say about me?" Hades' voice cracked a little as he spoke first, but his tone immediately grew louder as his tangling emotions spill over. He tried to play off his hurt as anger instead. "Well, what did he say, huh? Tell me, Mr. Nerf Gun?"
"He said he missed you," Frollo replied in a monotone but with a hint of warmth.
There was a long quiet moment where Hades and Frollo just stared at each other, the tense silence hanging heavily in the air around them, but they could see remorse and regret in the other man's eyes.
"Then tell him 'I wish you all well'."
Hades whispered and turned his back. The golden sunlight danced across the scarlet flowers as Hades left. Frollo stood alone in the park, watching Hades disappear from his view.