Ernest dropped the act, relaxing against the ground and closing his eyes for a moment, taking a few deep breaths. Why - WHY had he ever let someone talk him into this mess. He was willing to bet that this weed wasn’t even his friends, and that he’d just been caught stealing and then smashing the older man’s drugs.
He was certainly going to die.
He stood, wiping at the dirt on his pants and then at his face, inadvertantly smearing it even more into his pale skin, stepping away from the blanket and closer to the other man. He couldn’t give up now, sliding his hands into his pockets, sliding easily back into his usually calm and collected demeanor. He’s just the guy who works the front desk at the hotel.
“To be honest, sir-” The accent was gone, replaced only with the slight undertone of a drawl that was always there. “I think I might need to stop listening to people when they ask me to do them a quick favor.” He was hoping beyond hope that this was an unfortunate misunderstanding. “A buddy of mine - I won’t name names, because the kids still, well. A kid. He got himself wrapped up in… well. Nonsense, as always. When he found out that you were doing an inspection out here, he wanted my help in keeping your spotless record, well… spotless. I really didn’t think I’d bother you like this.” He shrugged, as though he’d only been caught taking a leisurely stroll. The look on the man’s face was making the hair on his arms stand on end.
“If you could only forgive the stupidness of a kid and my loyalty to the youth of this town - I’m sure I could be out of your hair with an IOU?”
Really, even that the older man knew his name was both a compliment and a curse - one that he bore for most of the dubious actors of this town. Usually he wasn’t stupid enough to get involved past that.
Hades took in the younger man's mix of nerves and defeat with a sort of near-giddy amusement. "Young man," he responded, raising the back of his hand to his mouth to disguise a deep chuckle in the clearing of his throat, "I do believe that's the first intelligent thing you've said this afternoon."
Every soul he worked with back at the office had stayed employed because they ain’t made themselves trouble ; every client he maintained with a careful distance and courtesy. Rare was the opportunity Hades had to go toe-to-toe, get the thrill from stretching out the presence he'd dutifully cultivated over the years. If ya got more than straw between your ears, ain't hard at all to manage the darker underbelly of the world and come out with blood singing and inspiration turnin' the mind. Not that Ernest Denouement was much to manage ; Hades had worked land deals in the private rooms of his hotel for years, and it'd be kind to say the young man had a hay stack in his head. But at least, usually, he had a talent for bein' discrete.
Though a run-of-the-mill land inspection hardly required it. He quirked his eyebrow the longer the younger man pontificated and, not gathering, glanced behind him for the crushed pile of greenery he'd been so eager to disguise. Hades sniffed again and, this time, frowned. Second time around the scent was unfortunately familiar ; he'd found the same sickly sweet, heady odor clingin' to his wife's laundry more times than he liked to think about. He looked back to Ernest with a furrowed brow, gesturing vaguely to the pile. "It ain't mine," he rumbled, considering it again with a deeper frown. Wouldn't look good if some dumb kid came stompin' through here once he'd gotten this place sold and found a patch of the stuff.
Mulling his jaw and still considering the pile, he pointed again with his hat out to the man. "I tell you what, Mr. Denouement," he offered, slow to drawl while his mind turned. A sniffer weasel for certain, but a discrete one, and clever enough to avoid any toothy jaws 'til now. "You forget the IOU and you make it a 'quick favor,' I won't call any other hands into this. Do some diggin' for me, find out how this wound up here in the first place - you'll excuse the turn of expression, but it does look like ya've got a talent for it. You dig fast enough and I'll ensure some nice compensation as well."
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