I'm back!
Dizzy Tremaine was always a dreamer, she was always pondering and wistfully thinking. Unlike the rest of the Isle kids, whose eyes were always down and they all kept moving forward, ready to strike like a shark. The only other person she'd known who dreamed like her was Evie, even if she was a bit older both girls always felt a deep connection with each other. They both looked towards the stars and let them twinkle in their eyes.
Ever since Evie became queen, Dizzy noticed things about her. Really, ever since she was Mal's adviser she'd been different. Dizzy often looked back on a time when her and Evie would draw pretty pictures of dresses and castles together and it felt like a dream. The past felt so much different than the present. Evie was more concerned with gaining the Isle's trust or taking out Mal than she ever was concerned with finding true love or living in a castle. Childhood is the shortest amount of time in someone's life, and some are shorter than others, but you never really appreciate it until it's over.
Dizzy found herself in the Queen's quarters once again only this time her room was filled with an eerie stillness. A quiet that was deafeningly loud, Dizzy could almost hear the distant screams of guests as Mal's fist cracked against Carlos' face.
"Dizzy, are you doing alright?" She jolted her head up to see Evie standing above her with a concerned look on her face.
"Yeah, yeah I'm fine!" Dizzy assured.
"You were just staring for a little bit there." She sat back down on her bed.
"Sorry, I guess I'm just tired," Dizzy explained halfheartedly, "the shop has been needing more sweeping lately."
"Well I haven't been getting much sleep either," Evie went back to her fabric cutting.
The two had met up to talk design and make pretty dresses, just like the old days. Evie missed the simple things that made her happy, fashion was something that had become second priority in her life for a while now.
"I so wish my suit I made for Carlos wasn't completely ruined." Evie let out an exasperated sigh.
"He looked so good in it, I didn't know you made fur coats." Dizzy commented.
"I didn't make that, something Jay stole for him."
"I didn't think Jay stole for other people."
"I was surprised too, though they have been unusually close lately." Evie paused for a second and thought, putting her rusty scissors to her chin.
"Evie, I've been thinking a lot about the ball lately." Dizzy piped up, and started to fidget nervously.
"I know, it was a mess, I'm working it all out—"
"No! Not that, it's about something else. About... someone I met."
"Wait... you really met someone?"
"Well not someone like I thought I would meet but yes someone."
"Who is it? Oh no, don't tell me they're from Uma's crew."
"No, he was a servant at the party. I accidentally bumped into him."
"A servant? What's his name?"
Dizzy had a pained look on her face, "that's the thing, I don't know. It was a brief moment."
Evie's grin grew wide and her eyes fluttered, "how romantic! You don't even know his name yet you feel connected."
"You don't think it's weird that I don't know his name?"
"Love can happen in many different ways, it can turn out to be... something you never thought could happen," Evie trailed off in her words and stared absently, "something that makes no sense at all, but you can't help it either way."
"Are you okay, Evie?"
"What? Yeah, I'm fine." Evie chuckled a bit, "this is wonderful, you're in love!"
"D'you think you could help me find him? I want to give him something." Dizzy said nervously.
"Of course! I'll ask my servants to find him. At least you were lucky enough to have him work here."
"Thank you, Evie! I know you're busy and all."
"This is way more important than uniting the Isle and everything." She said sarcastically.
"It means a lot to me."
"I know, and I'll do my best to find this boy for you."
Dizzy giggled with giddiness, she couldn't contain her excitement.
"Gil! Where the hell is he!? Gil!"
The lazy afternoon hours of the day always had a habit of ticking off the daughter of Ursula. For most, it was a time to relax and settle in for the rest of the day but to her it was when she had to clean the most dishes, scrub the most floors, and drink the most liquor. Her damned crew didn't know a thing about her problems, only sat about complaining about boredom or whatever plagued them that day.
"Someone better bring me Gil right now!"
The daughter of Ursula was storming around her shop, causing the rest of her crew to cower in fear away from her.
"We don't know where 'e's at, Captain." One brave crew mate spoke up.
"Well then fucking find him!" Uma roared, most of her crew scrambled to their feet and scattered out into the rest of the Isle in search for the son of Gaston.
"Uma, what's goin' on 'ere?" Harry Hook spoke gently with a wicked smile as he pushed his way through a crowd of his own crew that were scurrying away.
"Do you know where Gil went?" Her eyes were locked on him and burned with fury.
Harry pretended to think for a moment, "Nope, 'aven't seen 'im today."
"That French idiot better hope I never find him," Uma snarled, "I'll skin him alive!"
"I see, I see, an' what exactly did 'e do?"
Harry heard the ruffling of paper from inside her jacket as she yanked out what looked like a note. He couldn't really read the words, since he's never been the best reader and Uma was so angry she couldn't hold the paper still.
"What's that?" Harry cocked an eyebrow up.
Uma flipped the note around and cleared her throat before she began to read it, "To my one true, true love, I hope I don't mess this up. My beloved Captain is going to set you up with someone and I don't like that. I want you to marry me instead. I bet I would look a lot better in that castle anyway. I have a plan, don't worry you'll be safe. My captain doesn't suspect a thing."
Harry could almost feel the rage fuming from Uma.
"Alright, Captain, let's remain calm 'ere." He spoke cautiously.
"Calm!? Dumb ass, do you know what this means!? We have a traitor in our midst and I am not to be taken as a fool!" Uma's booming voice echoed throughout the shop, "I can't believe that idiot would go and fall in love with that princess! The fucking nerve!"
"Uma, wait—"
"Since when are you the fucking voice of reason!? Why aren't you up in arms about this you hate traitors just as much as I do!"
"True, but I don't think Gil is that dumb."
"It's right there in ink, Harry! He's in love with the Queen of the Isle!"
They heard some rustling outside and suddenly two of Uma's crew burst in, dragging Gil with them.
"Hey, guys c'mon what's the big deal?" Gil whined as he brushed dirt off his jacket.
"Well, well, well speak of the devil." Uma sneered as she glared at Gil.
"Captain! You're looking fine today, I saw some great finds in Jafar's shop and I know he's gone crazy and all but—"
"Explain to me this, Gil." Uma throws his note on the floor in front of him.
He goes silent and his eyes widen before it even hit the ground.
"Oh... where'd you find that?"
"Explain!" Uma barked and he winced.
Gil bit his lip nervously as he assessed his situation, "I-I can't, I won't." He said without making eye contact.
"I see," Uma ran her tongue across her teeth as she put her hand on her hip, "well I've got ways of making you tell. Harry, get the bucket."
"As you wish, Captain."
"Wait, wait, Captain, don't do this." Gil begged nervously as he was brought to his knees by Uma's two crew members.
"I'm sure you know what's coming next." Uma smirked as Harry brought out a bucket full of water with his hook.
"Captain, it's not what you're thinking." Gil pleaded.
"Really? Then enlighten me."
Gil glanced down at the bucket directly in front of him and saw his reflection in the water.
"I can't." He says painfully.
"Fine then, have it your way." Uma took a hold of Gil's head and plunged him into the water, bubbles escape to the top and before long Gil is shaking to be let up.
One of the crew members looked up, "Captain, he's been under there for a while."
"Shut up," She snapped, "he'll get what he deserves."
Harry paced from the outskirts of the shop, watching from a distance and making sure any strangers weren't looking to wander in. He scratched his chin with his hook as he watched his dear friend struggle for life.
Soon, Gil tapped rapidly on Uma's wrist, wanting to be let up.
"Look who's had enough," she casually forced him out of the water.
"Ready to tell me about your little affair?" Uma did not waste any time.
Gil gulped, water running down his face, "I-I can't tell you."
Before he could take another breath Uma slammed his head back under the water. She smiled watching his squirming body as it twitched under the cold, salty water. His face was turning purple and his lips were chapping, he began to sweat and knowing it was sea water, Uma could guess after the next few minutes of interrogation he was about to puke.
"I can't tell you!"
"You lying, sniveling coward," Uma growled after pulling him up for the sixth time, "betraying me will be your final regret. I won't hesitate to kill you right here and now in this shop."
Harry felt his blood stop cold as he heard his captain speak. Uma had certainly killed before but not someone that close to her, and yet Harry didn't doubt she wouldn't even blink at Gil's dead body after what he's done.
"Captain, I'm sorry," Gil was out of breath, tears were streaming down his face, and his vision was going blurry, "please forgive me it won't happen again."
"Tell me what you're planning with Queen Evie." Uma snarled, her hot breath penetrated his icy, cold skin.
"Please... please, Captain." Gil mumbled through his sobs.
By that point, Harry stepped in, "Captain, maybe 'e's had enough."
Uma didn't even acknowledge him, her eyes were set on Gil, "what are you planning!?"
"Captain, I don't... I don't..."
She mercilessly forced him under the water again. With every plunge, the faster the bubbles came up, and when he broke the surface again he coughed and sputtered before getting a single chance at a breath, then Uma would push him back under. It was a vicious cycle that slowly chipped away at his life. Fifteen minutes in and the bucket was nearly out of water for him to dive into.
Uma held him up close by his collar, her rage fuming, "We could do this forever, Gil, I've got all the time in the world."
At this point, Gil was barely conscious. His eyes continued to lull back in his head and his words became sparse.
"Captain... please..." His head fell forward and back with each word.
"Queen Evie; tell me what you're planning."
"She... wasn't gonna get with... Harry," he hiccuped, "I can't... can't let her."
He began coughing violently again.
"How long have you been planning on betraying me?"
"Please, Captain... let me go..."
"Tell me!"
"After... after the ball. After the ball."
Uma, satisfied, threw him onto the soaked wooden floor. He coughed and clenched his stomach as water continued to seep out of his mouth and nose.
"Think of this next time you're planning on betraying me," Uma said heartlessly, "I'm not like the Dragon Queen, little Gil, I'm not stupid. Like I said I won't hesitate to gut you like a fish."
Gil couldn't even respond, he was falling into unconsciousness rapidly.
Uma looked up at the two poor crew mates still there in the shop, "get him away from here. I don't care where he sleeps just make sure it's away from me."
The both nod, terrified out of their minds, and carry Gil out of the shop. With that, the shop fell into a silence like no other. Only Harry and Uma remained there. Neither looked at each other nor spoke, they only stood there in each other's presence. They could hear the outside world, still conversing and running about. They heard the floorboards creak with every shift in weight they made, the wind would blow wildly against the side of the shop, and people would create shadows in the windows.
"Uma, I—"
"Get out of my sight." She snapped coldly, refusing to look at him out of spite.
"You won't even let me stay for tonight?" He said hopelessly.
"Leave," she looked up at him with the eyes of a killer, "now."
Harry sighed and picked up his hat as he walked. He gave her one last glance before he ducked out of sight. Uma couldn't move for a moment, only stood there with her arms crossed tightly into herself.
"I need a drink." She sighed and made a beeline for the bar.