Who: Hades and Herakles. What: Starting over. Where: Alana's apartment When: Saturday, May 23rd Warnings: None
Was it rude nowadays to explore someone's house? Herk couldn't quite remember. But Alana was at work. And he was bored. So after exhausting all the TV and movie possibilities, he began to wander around the apartment, just looking at all the little nuances of his current roommate's life. Of course he avoided the bedroom. That just seemed a little too personal.
Picking up a picture of what he guessed was a friend of hers he'd yet to meet, he smiled at the Alana he could see trying to avoid the camera in the background. She was... lovely. Especially when she smiled...
The hero shook his head at that thought and put the frame back down. Whoa, man.
Was it rude nowadays to use your lunch hour to break into a woman's house? Hades was positive it was. Positive. He simply didn't care. There was no reason to care. His children were being cared for. Persephone was cared for by watching those children. Zale was at school and Hestia at work. His scathing review of everything the US networks had done wrong could wait.
Carefully, he moved through the house invisible, and stood behind Herakles... or whom he assumed was Herakles for a long time, watching him. Was he looking so intently at a picture with Alana in the background? “Careful. Women are the noose man hangs himself with.”
Tensing, Herk reached for the nearest weapon he could find his hand around -- a lamp -- and raised it up as he reached out towards the voice and feeling his free hand grasp a shirt and yank it close. All within a matter of seconds on behalf an ancient, warrior-trained brain.
But luckily for Hades, he also remembered stuff pretty well. Stuff like his uncle, who liked being invisible, offering to help him. With a sigh, he relaxed and put the lamp back down, releasing his kin. "Over a millennium and I'm still not used to you doing that. Sorry, [uncle]."
“[To be fair, I only really started doing it to you very recently.]” Not that anyone ever became incredibly comfortable with it. Even Persephone still eeped before relaxing. If Hades was still not in a habit of trying not to think about anything, he would wonder why he enjoyed something that made people uncomfortable. Regardless, he smoothed his shirt back. “[I should have spoken to you a bit farther away.]”
"[You're lucky I didn't deck you, really...] The hero god chuckled and waved a hand to a pot of coffee. "[Want something to drink? It's a bit cold, made it before she left...]"
You wouldn't have felt it if he had decked you, would you? Just took that oxy pill. You know, needing even low dosages of drugs you don't need to feel normal isn't good, right? Hades shook his head, pleased Herakles couldn't see the action. “[You know, you could have just put ice in it and made worth twice as much as it was warm.]” Somehow. He still didn't get the ice coffee craze, not that it stopped him from drinking the trendy drink constantly, “[I brought your stuff.]”
Oh, he would have felt it.
They always did.
Herakles shrugged and poured them both a cup, putting out Hades on the counter for him to take. "[Yeah? Wasn't too much trouble was it?]"
“[No. You didn't even lock your deadbolt.]” Not that Hades had gotten into the house through the front door, but he could have jimmied that lock. Somewhere, Hermes was proud and amused by his sometimes lord. “[Your police brothers, I assume, put up a little shrine outside your house. Those little candles and the like.]”
At that, the former cop's face fell and he looked away to the ground, looking wounded. He'd admittedly forgotten for a while about them in the slight excitement that a new life promised. Damn. "[And there's the shitty part... Every time I leave, I feel like a jerk.]" He sighed and shook his head free of that thought too. Bad enough he was on some sort of poor one-sided romance. No need to throw angst in there as well. "[Where's the stuff?]"
“[Don't feel too bad. People need heroes. Now you're something for them to look up to and reach for.]” Hades shrugged. He hadn't meant to upset the younger god, but then again, he didn't expect to catch him off guard with it. Police always mourn their fallen. Quietly, he pulled the large duffel bag off his back and then put it on the floor. As soon as he released it, it appeared for Herakles to see. “[At your feet.]”
Smiling a bit again, he knelt and inspected it, pulling out the items stashed into the old suitcase. A few photo albums ranging from recent and dating back to the first year cameras were invented. A couple of little trinkets; necklaces, rings, a child's toy. And of course... Herakles' coup de grace. Despite its age, the fur was clean and smooth, the mane still as wild and curled as it had been on the day of its death, exhibiting nothing but power and demanding respect. Herakles smiled down onto it like "[Glad to see nobody went rooting through anything. I don't quite know how they'd explain this one.]"
“[It's not like its a human head.]” Hades leaned back against the wall as he watched Herakles rummage through his belongings, “[They might have figured you bought it. Maybe liberated it and took it for yourself while at war.]”
"[Maybe. I guess I'm getting too paranoid in my old age.]" The god snorted. "[My old age. Try my ancient age, sheesh... Ah-ha!]" And there was the box with his money. He opened it up, going through a few stacks of American bills. "[One hundred, two hundred... six hundred... eight hundred. That's all of it.]"
Eight hundred dollars? That was his emergency money? Hades shook his head. He was pretty sure he had eight hundred dollars on him right now. In fact, he took out his wallet and thumbed through it as he continued to speak, “[Do you need any more than that to hold you over until I can get your affairs in order?]”
Herk looked up and shrugged. "[Shouldn't think so... I mean, if I can get the majority of my stuff back, right?]"
Damn. He only had $790 in his wallet. That pomegranate ice tea was still worth it. Hades put his wallet away and shook his head amused. Herakles had looked up at him at the question while he was invisible. If only someone was watching this conversation go on. “[The majority. Have you picked a new name and a new life story to go with the new face yet?]”
One couldn't exactly be surprised at the possibility of Herakles being insane. It was simply part of his life. "Gregory Lyon," he said. "[Long time resident of Miami, but I've been out of the country to find myself or something. Old friend of Teddy's.]
“Hmm, [that will make things easier to transfer over.]” Hades pushed off the wall, “[Will you be staying here until I finish your paperwork?]”
The hero nodded. "[Until Alana gets sick of me. Which would be unfortunate.]"
Hades was suddenly reminded of the scene he had snuck up on. Herakles intently looking that photo. “[Like I said, careful, nephew.]”
A slight flush appeared in the former mortal's cheeks and he grumbled, "[It's nothing serious.]" And by that, he mean it wasn't anything.
Flush? Grumbling? It was nothing serious? Even with his mind probably semi-clouded by pain medication he didn't need, Hades knew what all those things added up to, but decided to leave the former mortal his pride. “[I never said it was serious, I just suggested caution. Women are tricky in general and you've moved in with one, even temporarily.]”
Herk shrugged and stood back up, tucking the items back into the bag. "[Yeah...] Small sigh. But he quickly straightened himself again, not as tall as he'd been as Teddy but still tall enough to be intimidating, he offered his uncle a smile. "[Thanks, again.]"
Hades had trained himself to not be intimidated by those taller than him, especially those smiling at him... at least until he was alone and behind closed doors. However, there was little reason to be intimidated anyway. Herakles was friendly, not a Titan swinging his broken bonds over his head as a weapon. “[Like I said, I actually find it mildly relaxing and I could use that. So, don't worry about it.]”
Herk chuckled, shaking his head. "[Now there's something I can't understand... Oh well, to each their own, I guess. But I'll be here if you need anything, related to this or not.]"
“[I'll keep that in mind.]” Hades looked to his watch and sighed lightly; his lunch hour was ending. And he hadn't even eaten. Not that he couldn't and wouldn't just order food in. He let his footfalls be heavy as he began to leave back toward an exit, “[I just hope you won't be here that long. Otherwise, you best pitch in for the food or you'll eat her out of house and home.]”
Smiling at him, Herk turned to where he guessed the god was, and gave him a bow proper for the underworld king. "[I'll keep that in mind. Have a good day, Lord Hades.]"
If Hades saw it, he made no reply. Such was the nature of the Unseen One with his invisibility. Inscrutable.
Summary: Hades helps out his nephew and chat a bit. Herakles begins his new life. Everyone, say hello to Gregory Lyon!