Later that night...
T grins at the new challenge he was currently facing. He happily bounces from task to task, enjoying the natural order of events. He was pretty sure it had something to do with his other half, but he didn't question it. It was kind of fun. He hadn't even known how much he genuinely enjoyed cleaning until he helped Carlos. It was like a soothing activity or something.
He'd even gone so far as to jump to whatever ridiculous order Ursula shouted out. So far it didn't even seem like the woman had noticed that her daughter had dipped out. He smirks. Which suited him just fine. If this worked as well as he believed it was, this could be how he sent them off again in the future.
He pours more ale into an empty glass and looks around the room to make sure everyone had drinks. When the bell chimes again he rushes to grab the order as the ale sloshed in the carafe.
Fun but hard. How the fuck did Uma keep this shit up every day? With no breaks. It was fucking impressive. He drops off the plate at the table. "Anything else?"
"You gettin' out of my face." The old man grunts.
"Heard." T nods before he walks away. These were his people. All of them seemed so… Anti people in their space. He loved it.
As long as it was the proper damn people acting like him. He frowns. The sea three had better fix that. He'd gone to a lot of trouble to set up their meeting, giving them privacy under the cover of darkness. It's what had taken him so fucking long to get the four of them back together. This was something that could only happen once a month. His lips twitch into a smirk. He could handle the challenge.
"Ya want ta take my damn order or are ya just gonna keep starin' like an idiot."
"Right." T blinks before he turns. "What the fuck do you want old man?"
"Fried clam basket boy. Extra fires. Extra salt."
T quickly writes it down. "Ale, right?"
"Aye, what else?"
T nods before he races to put the ticket up and hits the bell. He grabs two fists fulls of tankards and rushes back to set one in front of extra salt before he drops the second off to yet another curmudgeonly old man. The third he sets in front of someone he hopped was a man dressed as a woman, if he wasn't he felt bad for her.
He looks at the dented clock on the wall, ignoring the dried food sticking to it for the moment. He only had an hour before Ursula would close the kitchen and ten more minutes before she kicked everyone out.
He could totally pull this off once a month. He runs as the bell chimes again and rushes to get the man's food to him.
He looks around the room one more time before he nods in approval and gets to work breaking down the front. If anyone needed him, fuck knew they wouldn't be shy about asking.
When the gate swings open a minute before close, his heart drops in his stomach. He immediately turns away from the door. What the fuck was Senior doing here? And why? Fuck. He continues cleaning the table he was working on. Aware of every step senior took as he walked to the back where Ursula was busy cooking.
T takes a deep breath before he slowly makes his way to the window to clean the counter. What the fuck was this about? What were those two up to now? He purses his lips as he watches them from the corner of the window, hopefully out of their sight.
"Ursula. Babe. Yer lookin' well. Fried food really works with that whole complexion thing you got goin' on there, anyway," He laughs, "Sorry, doll, couldn't help but notice that your brat is missing tonight."
"Oh, Uncle you are going blind in your old age." Ursula chuckles as she works the last fryer, "Uma is out there running food for me right now. We've been having a pretty smooth and uneventful night. I haven't heard her bitch once."
"Well dollface, that's because she ain't here."
T grimaces, as his heart skips a beat.
"Then who's working for me," Ursula chuckles, "and can I get a few more of them?"
Hades runs a hand down his face in frustration, "So, I'm glad yer business is all bada bing bada booming and shit like that, but sweetcheeks," He steeples his fingers in front of his face, "I don't care… It ain't my little pumpkin's," He laces his fingers together in front of him, widening his eye as his voice becomes pitchy, "bestest fwiend in the whole wides isles out there, which means she's somewhere else, possibly making my kid content again."
"Lazy girl is probably sleeping." Ursula rolls her eyes. "She doesn't have the energy to be running anywhere honey," she flicks her wrist dismissively. "I'm still holding my end of the deal."
Hades frowns as he runs a hand over his flameless head, "Boy do I miss my fire…" He chuckles, "You really don't know what you've got until it disappears the moment bindings are slapped on your wrists." He gestures wildly to his wrists, "Not that you understand that!"
Ursula grimaces. "I know the feeling Uncle."
"Oh really? Really babe…" A dark chuckle leaves his throat, " I mean who are you trying to kid here. I am a God." He starts stalking back and forth in front of the door to the kitchen, "Cursed, it's true, to rule the disgusting dead in the underworld." He flicks his wrist back and forth as if shooing away smoke, "You managed to get a hold of one of Posiodens cast-off weapons, that wasn't fucking good enough for him, for what, an hour?" He roughly pulls his hands down his face again before he gestures back and forth between himself and Ursula, "Do you see the imbalance here?"
Ursula bristles, "I suppose I do." She admits, sounding bitter about it. "But that still doesn't explain why you're here, uncle."
"Because my darling little princess was getting better again after being separated from the little rats that run with your spawn, so I came to celebrate, but now I see all my hard work might be going down the isle's gutter."
Ursula rolls her eyes, as she whips a tentacle out the door. T flinches as something wraps around his leg before he's pulled off his feet and finds himself dragged to the kitchen.
T blinks as he finds himself hanging upside down in front of Senior and Ursula. "Um… Sup?"
"Seeeee!" Hades points to him, "To be frank, I ain't sure what the hell it is, but it ain't yer damn squidling."
"And I'm telling you she's on the ship sleeping." Ursula snaps back. "Girl don't have the energy to play with anyone anymore, let alone find your daughter to reconnect with."
T's eye twitches as he crosses his arms. He should be grateful. He really should. They were ignoring him. On the other hand, he was being held over a giant hole in the floorboards. Where the ocean was roiling beneath him. That was just wonderful. He had become a stronger swimmer since his first lesson. But if Ursula turned him into her new play toy he was fucking done. So as much as he hated it, it was better to not draw attention.
"What, am I just supposed to believe you? I don't have time to be following my connection all over the damn isle to find my little princess and prove you wrong right now, but immortal to mortal odds, I'm telling you they're together. I can feel it." Hades rubs his hands over his slight beer belly, "In my gut."
T narrows his eyes at that. Senior could track Deez? That was a good piece of information to store away if he didn't die tonight anyway.
Ursula rolls her eyes before she shakes the tentacle holding her captive, "You, boy, were is Uma?" She purrs as she pokes and runs her free tentacles over T's face and arms, "And why are you here instead of her?"
T can't help the shudder as the slimy tentacle caresses his face. His face twists into a grimace. "I'm just covering." He shrugs awkwardly. "She's on the ship dealin' with a crew issue." He lies through his teeth. His tone as even as usual, even though his heart had somehow ended up in his throat.
"Hear that Uncle…" Ursula smiles happily, "My daughter is dealing with her crew. And last I checked your little ticket out of here begged to join the spawn of the dragon instead of my worthless daughter."
T's mouth opens in objection before he thinks better of it and shuts it.
"And the pull isn't towards the damn ship, if I didn't know any better I'd say it was pulling me somewhere on the other damn side of the isle." Hades growls as he folds his arms over his chest, "That girl loves looking for new hiding places to get away from everyone to work on her powers" He rolls his eyes, "If it wasn't so damned inconvenient, I'd almost be proud."
"Where's the fun in that?" T blurts out before he can stop himself.
"Yeesh," Hades dramatically puts a hand over his heart, "it speaks without being spoken to. Ursula…" He claps his hands together, "fix it."
"Of course." Ursula chuckles as her tentacle releases T.
His eyes widen as he suddenly feels himself plummet down into the water.
"It's too bad really, he was excellent help… And that is so hard to come by these days." Ursula pouts before she reaches back into the water with the same tentacle and fishes the boy back out.
T gasps for air as he viciously ripped back out of the water before he's immediately shoved back under. His scream of surprise is swallowed by water. He blinks in the greyish depths. Was this seriously going to be how he died? The way Hyades had? And for the same two fuckers entertainment? His lungs start to burn and vision goes in and out as he finally begins to actually fight the stupid tentacle in desperation. He was so not going out like this. Before the tentacle tightens around him again and yanks him up with a force that made him dizzy.
"Now now, no more speakin' unless spoken to." Ursula tuts as she pulls the boy back up, holding him suspended above the hole as water drains off him.
"Fine… Finefinefinefine," Hades runs his hands over his head, "You keep that inspiring brat of yours busy," He gestures with both hands from her to him, "And I'll keep the pressure on mine. I'm aiming for two years or less here."
"Huh…" Ursula shakes T in warning. "Boy, do you spend time with Hyades."
"Uh…" T blinks, this felt dangerous.
"Answer me," Ursula demands with a violent shake, "or I'm holding you under for an additional minute next time."
T swallows, he'd barely survived the first time. "Kinda."
"Drown him." Hades states as he looks at his nails.
"But Uncle, I think he's the best help I've ever had."
T can't help the twisted laugh that leaves his lips. Was that the only thing standing between his life and death. Was she fucking serious?
"I've smelled him before, this boy does hang out with my little princess." Hades growls, "And, ya know…" He flashes jazz hands, "Surprise surprise a boy shows up and she starts going through a rebellious phase."
Fuck. T groans as he feels himself drop again. The tentacle holds him under until he's clawing at it desperately, then weakly, before long he begins to see more black than gray.
Just as he was getting ready to embrace death and breath in, he finds himself hoisted out of the water again, "Oh please don't be dead. I thought the old windbag would never leave."
T groans as something heavy presses into his chest, with a pumping motion. Before he knows it he rolls over and starts coughing up seawater he hadn't realized he'd breathed in.
"Oh wonderful, you're alive." Ursula purrs again, "Now, get back out there and clean." She tosses his limp body toward the dining area.
He doesn't have the energy to complain, as he pulls himself back to his feet slowly. Had… Had Ursula just saved his fucking life? He shakes his head. No. She'd saved a slave. He shrugs, he'd take what he could get. He looks around the empty restaurant with a frown before he gets to work, cleaning.
