@seafoamseashells requested GASTON [of all people]
Ever since the fall-- he had dedicated himself to hunting creatures beyond human understanding. The wicked beasts that tormented humans and stole from them their sanity, their loyalty, their strength.
Just like what had happened to Belle.
He failed in saving her-- but there were others who could benefit from his bravado. Gaston had left all he knew behind-- LeFou, the boys, his legacy-- in lieu of a nameless life tracking down beasts across the world.
Which was how he found himself on a boat, bound for a new land. What he hadn't counted on was the vessel capsizing. Gaston had been infantry-- not navy. His knowlege of swimming was limited to lakes, rivers, and the occasional pond. Not the tumultuous turns of the sea.
As he slipped beneath the waves he wondered had he wasted his life. Going from childhood, to war hero, to village idiot. He fell into the abyss as he had fallen from the heights of the castle tower. Perhaps it was best to simply let go.
He was already dead anyway.