My, what a guy, that Gaston!

Gaston’s hand slipped between them almost unconsciously, pressing up against the soft, voluptuous curve of her breast. “Why does Belle keep rejecting me?”

Claudette paused, then huffed an amused little laugh against his collarbone. “Clearly she’s mad.”

“But--” His other hand raised to cup her other breast, pushing them together and burying his face in them until his voice came out muffled. “What’s wrong with her?”

She raked her fingers through his hair, softly over the nape of his neck and into the back of his shirt, rubbing small soothing circles into his muscles until he moaned appreciatively into her cleavage.

“She’s just playing hard to get,” Claudette said consolingly, less because she believed it and more because this was a conversation better had after they were both spent and naked and in a much better temperament.

          scarlett is the type of girl who thinks she’s amazing and cannot comprehend when someone (cough gaston cough) doesn’t find her desirable.  (not that he doesn’t, but he’s mostly too busy fucking claudette and harassing belle to pay her much attention.)  scarlett considers herself better than belle and claudette, even though she likes them both, and is pretty insulted when gaston doesn’t try to sleep with her the way he tries to sleep with belle.

          not that she wants to sleep with him.  or, rather, she does, but far more than that, she wants to reject him, to tease him and turn him down and have him come back again and again trying new and clever ways to get into her pants.  to her, because of the girls she grew up around, the best thing a girl can be is a tease, constantly pined after but never touched (which can result in some pretty messed-up fantasies), and because gaston is the strongest and best-looking guy in town, she immediately bases her self-worth on how badly he wants her sexually.  she makes friends with him and claudette and belle almost instantly, because they are all decently attractive and the closest to her age, but she views girls as competition, so the friendships never develop past shallow conversations and catty behaviour.  gaston, of course, is the person they’re all competing for, and it’s a huge blow to her pride any time she feels herself coming in second to either of them.

          she holds some resentment against belle for this, but to her any girl friend is a frienemy, so she mostly takes it in stride and lets out her frustration in subtle, manipulative ways (including the very classic compliment-that’s-actually-an-insult).  she does view belle as a friend, and someone worthy of rescuing, and that is one of the reasons she went with gaston into the woods to the castle, despite her past traumatic and very triggering experiences, but she also went because she wanted to impress gaston and didn’t like the idea of being left behind or, again, being put second to belle.

The creature smiled, malice in its teeth, the shadows around it shifting hungrily.

“Scarlett.  I’m so glad you decided to come after all.  You’ve ignored me for such a long time.”

She was trying not to tremble, but her whole body was seized with uncontrollable terror, all her breath and bravery stolen away by one easy tilt of his head.

“You didn’t think that bite was all I left for you?  So many people I had to kill to get to you, so many you abandoned.  How does it feel, all that blood on your hands?”

Belle was still straining against her bonds, attempting to spit curses past the gag in her mouth.  Gaston tilted her a cocky smile, waving her away dismissively with a look that clearly said, don’t worry; I’ll rescue you soon.  She let out a muffled cry of fury in reply.

The beast ignored them, leaning forward as his shadows writhed, yet still unwilling to step down from his dais.  “Unfortunately, you are useless to me now, as I require a virgin for this particular sacrifice.”  Finally his eyes settled on Gaston, mouth twisting with distaste.

Belle ceased her struggling long enough to let out a noise of shocked disgust, staring at Scarlett with a look of revulsion edging on betrayal.

This, at least, snapped Scarlett out of her stupor, though she was still shrinking back toward the room’s exit.  “It’s not like that!” she snapped, turning a deep shade of pink.  “He saved my life!  He's protected me the whole time we've been here and --- and ---”  She let out a small noise of frustration, of fear, all her emotions coming to a head and causing her hands to shake at her bodice.  “You just don't know him like I do!”