a little dark, a little gloomy.

and as always, full of dead people.

[rearrangethecosmos]

get to know hades niketas :

Idk a lot of mythology - we going mostly based off the basics I know and the movie, okay. Okay. 

Younger brother of Zeus, he was placed in charge of the underworld eons ago. At first he didn’t mind it - there was plenty to do and he had his entire domain to rule. But then it became clear he wasn’t going to ever be able to leave, and for a few millenia he didn’t. He stayed in the underworld and never left. Because he had assumed that all of the other gods were doing that - focusing on their own dedicated jobs. It wasn’t until he was invited to Zeus’s son’s arrival party that Hades learned that wasn’t the truth - that none of the other gods were stuck in one location with nothing else to do. They were all running around, messing around with mortals, and living their best lives on Mount Olympus. 

It was that day when he decided to get his revenge on the gods, Zeus in particular. He knew they deserved to see the downfall and hell that he’d been living all this time. He created a plan and with the help of the fates, he knew what he needed to do. He had to kill Hercules.

Sending his two little henchmen onto the job, he had believed it all to be fine. He gained a few new toys and souls sold to do his bidding - his favorite of which being Megara Eurydice. 

It was because of Meg that Hades learned his little nephew wasn’t dead after all. That for thirty something years he’s been living on Echo Isle right under his nose and Hades had no clue of it. And since then he’s been on a mission to take him out once and for all. He’s thrown all his best at him, or at least that’s how it feels, and Herc just keeps surviving time after time.

Gets overheated and his hands can catch on fire when he gets too angry. He’s been working on controlling it since living amongst mortals - but lately with his plan looking like it might fail, it’s gotten harder. 

Is posing as the owner of The Underworld - a nightclub that he makes all his minions work for as well as some just regular employees. He’s known for making deals for the impossible but at a mighty high cost - though very few people understand what that really means. 

Girl idk he’s hades.

[punzieeeee]

He had sought her out, as suspected. Maybe someone had been hurt, or he simply wanted to come and remind her of his existence, and that he knew of hers, too. She was going to have to start publishing her art under a pseudonym if Rapunzel ever wanted to guarantee that neither this man nor Gothel ever found her through her work again--just another freedom that was going to be stripped by her former guardian.

Rapunzel had gotten the impression that the man did not like to dally: he was someone quick to get to the point, from her limited experience. Otherwise, perhaps she wouldn't have brought up Gothel so soon, and tried to find the real reason behind his presence. But, if she was going to want his help, the blonde had to play by his rules. "The woman who raised me, she's ... out of jail," she explained briefly, her voice low as she kept the taboo topic between themselves, away from anyone she cared about overhearing. Rapunzel sucked in a breath, eyes hardly meeting his as she felt the pressure of making a deal with the closest person she'd ever met to the devil. "I was just, um, wondering what it would take from me, if you ... if there was a way to ensure she wouldn't come for me again."

[rearrangethecosmos]

Of course this tidbit of information wasn’t news to Hades, not in the slightest, considering he had been the one that orchestrated the entire release of the woman in question - but he kept his poker face on, not letting a single quirk or tell show. It was better to have no reaction than to give the wrong one. Not this early in the game, at least. So instead he simply nods his head once, to show he was listening and lets out a low whistle. “Ya know, the criminal justice system’s really gone soft over these centuries. Back in my day, kidnapping a baby like that would have had ya stoned - not just sitting in a cell for a year or so,” he comments with a shake of his head, as if he truly was embarrassed by the way the entire situation had been handled.

It was brave of the blonde, so outwardly and openly asking for his help - it almost made him like her a bit more, in truth. Not enough that he’d actually feel bad for using her as a pawn in this game of his, but well it almost made him hesitate for a second before offering up the exact deal she was looking for. Almost. “I can do that,” he agrees, eyebrows raising as he looks down at the girl. “And all I’ll ask in return is a promise that when I need your help, you’ll be there to do as I say.” It was a cryptic request, one that Hades knew the girl would think meant something entirely different than it did. Rapunzel likely thought all he needed her for was her hair and the magic it held - which was partially true, yes, but not at all in the way that she assumed. Her little healing trick meant nothing to him - it was the larger picture power the sundrop held that kept his interest instead. “Think you can do that? We could make a deal right now. No more mother dearest knocking on your door, all in exchange for a simple favor down the line…. And of course, you know, your soul being mine to take if you break this promise - but don’t worry about that, kid. You’re smart, you’ll do the right thing.” And even if she didn’t right now, too afraid of just what all this deal meant - Hades knew she’d be back eventually to shake his hand. A little push to keep Gothel on her tail was all it would take to have the sundrop exactly where he wanted.

[punzieeeee]

“Well, thank you,” she accepted the praise quietly, still unsettled by his presence. Perhaps she ought to start publishing her art under a pseudonym: she was shocked Gothel herself hadn’t shown up looking to wreak havoc on her gallery, despite the steps she’d been taking toward making sure she would never get near her again. Rapunzel would’ve done the same for this man, though she still didn’t know his name, and she was afraid she’d never find out. For someone who seemed so much larger than life, he kept such a strict anonymity about him that not even Cassandra could crack. 

For as much as she began to relax at the promise that he wasn’t going to do anything to her here, Rapunzel felt her blood turn cold at the subtle mention of Flynn. Of course he knew about him: he probably knew who Cass was, too, and where her parents lived, by now. No one around her was safe, and it was all her fault. “Okay.” She wasn’t sure if she should thank him, or if there was someone else she was supposed to be worried about in Flynn’s place. “Is there, um, a reason you’re here, beyond the art?” Rapunzel asked gently, particularly careful not to offend someone who could have her whole life ruined with the snap of his fingers. “There was actually something I wanted to ask you about.” Though she didn’t consider herself a businesswoman by any means, Rapunzel knew what his presence meant: there was probably someone who needed to be healed, now that he knew what she could do. But, for as powerful as she was, so too was this man, who could perhaps be the key to keeping Gothel as far away from her as possible.

[rearrangethecosmos]

Taking a few steps closer towards the piece hanging on the wall in front of them, his head tilted to the side as if he were giving it further inspection. In reality he had simply moved to give the girl a bit of space, curious to see what she would do once she believed herself to be out of his view. He couldn’t help wanting to know if she’d take the risk of flagging down the boy she’d spent the entire evening next to or even attempting to get security. Both of which would be ridiculously stupid moves to make, and he wondered if she were smart enough to realize that yet or not. “The artist behind the work as well,” he admits, though leaves it at just that giving no further explanation beyond the cryptic promise that he was indeed here for her. Why that was, Hades would leave up to the blonde to decide.

It hadn’t taken her long, to slowly inch into asking for a favor herself it seemed, which was exactly what he had hoped would happen during his appearance here tonight. Though he had expected it to take a bit more time for her to work up the nerve to bring up her newly released kidnapper, he wasn’t about to complain that things were moving this quickly. It was, after all, all in his plan - part of the entire reason he had orchestrated Gothel’s release in the first place. Not that he really needed the girl to be in debt to him, when he could easily force her into doing anything he wanted regardless, but it was always a bit more fun getting to pull a few extra strings and manipulate a mortal or two. “Ask away. I’m all ears,” he allowed, turning back to her briefly with his crooked smile, knowing it would likely stir up more fear than reassurance.

[lifeinspring]

The idle stance Persephone kept waiting outside his office door hadn't been in place for too long, Hades was very eager to greet her. The fervency in him was always such a thing to behold, it was one of the many things that kept her heart aflame. "I hope I'm still welcome," She manages to say through the rush of his spin and a few giggles coming from the mere position of being back in Hades' arms. A sigh let out as her feet touched the ground, "Of course, and it worked, unfortunately." The extra time away wasn't fair, especially when since it only cut into her husband's time. Staying even a second later than she's meant to would have her mother up in arms all over again, although, it sure was tempting to counter these late returns with one of her own. "But I refuse to give her any more of my time while I'm here," she said with a shake of her head to throw away all unpleasant thoughts. It wasn't hard for positive ideas to spring in her mind, especially around Hades. "Besides, I could list off a couple of things I'd rather think about." She knew her gaze on his lips was evident, and it was extremely tempting to close the distance between his with her own but the game of patience was one she liked to play. So, while her face only inched closer to his, she knew her will wasn't going to be the one to break. "Things like what has kept my dearest busy all these months I've been away."

[rearrangethecosmos]

“There will never be a time when you are not welcome with me. The underworld would freeze over before that were to ever happen,” he promises, genuinely meaning each and every word. For as dedicated as Hades was to his realm and his responsibilities as a God - he would give it all away, let it go to absolute shit before he let a single day go by not cherishing the woman in his arms. There was nothing else in his life he cared about more - not even the plans he had been working on for years now to take over Olympus. Which was exactly why he had yet to tell Persephone anything about that goal, knowing if she disapproved and asked him to give it up he would. In a heartbeat, he’d do it for her. And maybe that should have been a sign that he didn’t need to go through with any of this in the first place - but he refused to even consider giving up of his own accord. All of this though was a discussion or thought for another day, another time when he was not being reunited with his wife after months of separation. When she was not so clearly glancing down at his lips and playing a dangerous game of making him wait. He leaned in closer until their lips were mere millimeters apart, so close he could feel the ghost of them against his own. But before he actually allows them to touch, he turns his head away and drops down to rest his forehead on her shoulder, a smirk growing on his hidden face. “Thoughts of you, of course. What else could occupy my time so well?” His dwellings in the mortal realm of course, but that wasn’t quite as fun of an answer.

[wonderherc]

It would be sad, when his aunt and uncle would have to return to their home in the Underworld and leave Hercules alone for the colder months, but he didn't think their home was a place that was meant for mortals, or one they could even be allowed to visit. "Oh, yeah? That's exciting. Where does she stay the rest of the year, when she's not with you?" Hercules assumed up on Olympus, but it seemed strange to be so far from her husband and with the rest of their family for such a long period of time. It must've worked for them, though, with how long they'd been together: centuries, probably, their arrangement had survived. "Are you allowed to see her at all when it's not the fall or winter?"

Hades was vague, leaving him with more questions than any answers. It seemed there was more he wanted Hercules to ask, to hit the target of the exact question he wanted to answer that would allow him more details. It was difficult, though, not knowing what more complicated meant, leading Herc to believe she did some things he didn't want to know about beyond her day job. "What, uh, exactly do you mean, more complicated?" he asked cautiously, shifting to sit straighter in his chair as the godly wine began to hit. "Is it ... something I should know about?"

img src="https://64.media.tumblr.com/cf52efbf924f63422c37144d61761ff7/135c96a7760e6885-1d/s540x810/57c16bd54e6415b695735d44b42ec91acbd764dc.gif">

[rearrangethecosmos]

“She’s not one to stay still very often when she’s mortal sided. She travels, is always learning and collecting new things to bring back and show me. Some of her time is spent on Olympus, obviously, otherwise her mother would throw another fit and freeze the whole world. But you’ll have to ask her for more of the fine details of it all,” he answers with a shrug, as if it’s no big deal to him at all how much his wife can accomplish in just a handful of months that they’re apart every year. To a mortal, it would be amazing, but Hades was a god and to him it was all just a normal part of life. At the question of whether he’s allowed to see his wife during their forced separation, he simply smirks and takes another drink from his cup. “Am I allowed? No. Probably not.” But that’s never stopped him from doing it before and he’s certain Hercules can pick up on that fact without him needing to outright say it.

Holding his glass in his hand, his fingers tapped against it a few times in faux concentration as if he were really thinking over just how much he should tell the boy. In truth, Hades knew exactly what he wanted to say - the first little seed of doubt he could plant into his nephew’s head regarding the woman he so clearly was in love with. But he needed it to seem like he was looking out for Hercules, like he had no ulterior motives or reasons for finally admitting such major information. “Yeah, you probably should know it, kid,” he agrees with a sigh, a frown forming as he looks down into his wine. “But it really shoulda come from her, not me. I mean, I’ll tell ya - but I just… I really thought she would have let you know already. It’s kind of a big deal for her.” Of course, Hades knew exactly why she had never said a word of any of this, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to take her dishonesty and use it to his own advantage.

[peloponnesianminute]

༝༝༝ ϟ ༝༝༝

Maybe it was better to get her away from him, that way she couldn't continue to damage a life she had no good being in. It also meant that she wouldn't be able to protect him in the way she wanted when kept at a distance. Meg knew it was coming, the inevitable end to something that was too good to be true after having been started on a lie. She deserved her punishment but from the boy she betrayed and not the god who held her future in his palm. The muscles in her jaw tightened while listening to his instructions for the upcoming party. Hades had put the nail in her coffin, making sure that if she wanted to keep Wonderboy safe she would never see him again. "He won't get hurt?" It was bold to ask, but Meg had already been caught red-handed in her feelings. If she could do something to protect him then maybe it would all be worth it or at least she hoped so when the end of the tunnel seemed so dark right now. "I'll end it, okay?" Wonderboy had deserved someone a lot better than her anyway but it wouldn't keep it from hurting, the guillotine finally dropping after months of her staring it down. "But at least consider the fact all your nephew wants is a family, a connection to someone, to you. One you and I both know he's never going to get from Zeus." While she wished Hercules could reunite so easily with his family, she'd come to learn that wasn't how gods worked and nothing about his father was simple. "He's more than just a means for revenge, a lot more."

[rearrangethecosmos]

The question goes unanswered, both of them already fully aware that keeping the kid out of harm's way wasn’t something that he could promise. Because if it came down to it and hurting, or even outright killing Hercules was the only way his plan could work - well, then that was just how the cookie was going to crumble. But as Meg finally agreed to the demand of ending things between herself and the boy, Hades’s grip on her neck tightened even so slightly and he whispered a short spell in Latin, bounding her to that agreement and throwing in a bit of extra protection for himself. “You have till midnight Halloween. If you haven’t said the words ‘we’re done, Hercules’ then it’s game over for you.” The severity of the situation didn’t need to be explained, he knew that Meg would understand exactly what he meant. She’d see how clearly her own life was on the line with this, even more so than ever before. Letting go of her face, he steps back and moves to return to his desk chair as if nothing had happened. When a moment passes and she’s still standing in the same spot, he snaps his finger to open his previously locked door. “You’re dismissed. I’ll contact ya if you’re needed again.”

[vulcansalute]

OLIVER JACKSON-COHEN as Will Taylor in WILDERNESS (2023)

[rearrangethecosmos]

closed starter for @lifeinspring location: hade's office for the underworld

The act of going over all the books for his nightclub was a responsibility that certainly didn’t actually have to be handled by Hades himself, but when you’re a god that doesn’t need to ever sleep there comes a time when you’ll do just about anything to keep yourself somewhat busy. And that’s exactly what balancing all of the spendings and earnings for the mortal realm’s Underworld was for him - a simple task to keep his mind busy during the darkest of nights, when he had planned as much as he could and was simply in a waiting phase of it all and there was little else to do. It was the time of night that no one was around, not even his most loyal of henchmen, so hearing something moving in the other room was enough to put a stop to his work. Not that he was afraid or worried for his safety or even any of his things, but he was simply curious as to which idiot it was trying to break into his office.

It’s not until he’s stood up from his chair, silently setting the laptop down onto his desk and rounding his way to the front of the room that he was hit with a scent that he would recognize anywhere. A mixture of florals and the sweetest of berries that could indicate only one person. Suddenly it was as if a fire had lit inside of him as he rushed from his spot to yank open his door, bright grin and eyes blazing with joy at the sight of his wife standing on the other side, waiting for him to come meet her. “You’re late,” he comments, though there’s not an ounce of heat in the words as he reaches out and wraps his arms around her waist. Lifting her off the ground and giving a quick spin, Hades simply revels in the feeling of finally, finally, having her back in his arms. “Let me guess, Demeter was stalling once again?” It was an occurrence that happened every few years, his mother in law thinking he could somehow trick the two of them or find some kind of loophole around the deal that had been made millenia ago. Never did it work for longer than a month at most, but even that short amount of a delay felt like eons every time as he counted down the days.

[peloponnesianminute]

༝༝༝ ϟ ༝༝༝

It wasn't that Meg doubted Hades' intelligence but she had to at least try to go over his head. Denial was one thing she never feared swimming in, spending more time there than her employer would've preferred. He was cornering her for the truth now but the brunette bit her tongue as the words continued to roll out. She could feel it building inside of her, a brick for every step he took towards saying what had consumed the hole in her chest. Any sort of expression would be giving him what he wanted, the confirmation that he'd seen through her and into the soul he already held in his hand. Meg went to strike back but he beat her to it. The words knocked the wind out of her but never lost her composure while his eyes bore into her. His grip on her only caused her jaw to tighten and try to recoil from his touch. "He's not Zeus and you're going to make him pay for the sins of his absent father," she fought back knowing the point was mute but having to try. "All he wants is a family. Fuck, he's even happy about being related to you and you have the knife to his throat." Megara's eyes didn't falter from the man whose plaything she'd become. Now he was watching her beg for the life of another man, knowing now that this was the only one worth fighting for. "Do whatever you want to me but I'm done helping you hurt him."

[rearrangethecosmos]

For once it seemed like Meg was actually right about something, like maybe she could see into his own doubts as easily as he did into hers. Because the kid wasn’t Zeus, he had nothing to do with anything that happened back up on Olympus, and he was far too good to be getting mixed up in all of this. But Hades had come way too far to give up on his plans now all because he was getting a bit of a soft spot for the one little fucker that could ruin it all. While before he had wanted Hercules dead without any hesitation, the tides had shifted and though he had never told her so had his plans. There were plenty of other ways to keep the boy from joining in the fight when the time comes other than outright killing him. Not that his death was completely off the table as an option, a backup always being needed no matter how much Hades may not like the idea. “Oh you’re done with him completely,” he shoots back, a smirk growing on his lips as he keeps hold of her chin and stares right down as he gives his next order. “You’re going to end things with him. You can see him one last time, let’s make it a whole party, actually. Halloween. Go as his date, wear a slutty little costume, and end it. Break his heart and leave him forever. And if you don’t, if you even think about sneaking around to find him again, well that’ll be the last thing you or he will ever do.” In truth he had no plans to kill his nephew over this, but he would have no hesitation in putting an end to Meg’s life if she disobeyed him once more.

[punzieeeee]

The entire night had been spent on edge, the fear of Gothel breaking into the gallery to find her one that could have very well come true. She'd given her photo to any and all people working around the perimeter of the building, doing as much as she possibly could in her own control to keep her out of the gallery. Though Rapunzel had subsequently spent the evening on high alert, her proactive planning had apparently worked well enough to keep Gothel out of the building, or, at the very least, out of her sight, which she assumed was good enough. As the people began to dwindle around her, she finally felt her body release its tension of stress, knowing that she was probably safe from any unwanted encounter now.

For a moment, Rapunzel had simply let herself bask in her favorite piece on the gallery wall, not even noticing the new company who had come to her side. She felt her blood run cold once more as she recognized his voice before his face, knowing exactly who stood by her side. The man was gentler now, even kind as he complimented her work, but Rapunzel knew better than to think that he was simply here to see her art. The likelihood of him hurting her in public was small, but the odds of her getting away with alerting Flynn who it was beside her without getting herself in deeper trouble were even slimmer. "Oh, well, thank you," she accepted the praise. "I didn't really expect to see you here, I have to admit, but I'm glad you like the art, at least." Rapunzel paused, gauging the distance between the two and the nearest guest. "You're not going to, um ... do you mind if we stay here, if you wanted to talk?"

[rearrangethecosmos]

A soft hum leaves his lips as he nods his head in agreement, it was a bit of a surprise for him to be here in fact. For all he had an appreciation for art, rarely did that lead to his involvement with the local scene. No, Hades never often found himself getting involved with any human affairs that didn’t directly benefit him. That’s why he was only here today, after all, though he’d pretend it just happened to be coincidence that the two ran into each other, rather than his directly attending in order to corner the blonde. Which he supposed he truly did, given the way she was looking around as if trying to find the nearest witness for anything that may go down between them.

“Fine enough by me,” he agrees, sliding his hands into his pockets and continuing to look around at all of the art as if he gave a single fuck about any of the pieces. “You can relax, you know. I’m not going to do anything right here. That’s not my style.” That much was true at least, he much preferred privacy for his questioning and torture sessions. Despite the fact that he knew he could easily get away with simply taking the girl and disappearing right this instance or doing whatever he damn well pleased in the middle of this partially full gallery, Hades liked the challenge of getting things done without his powers sometimes. Plus, he wasn’t trying to completely traumatize the girl, not yet anyway. “And don’t worry about that little boy toy of yours, I’m not gonna do a thing to him.” Which she might not have even been considering to be an option, but he would happily put the thought into her head just to let her know it was a potential possibility. No one was fully out of his reach, not Rapunzel herself nor anyone that she kept around in her life.

[rearrangethecosmos]

closed starter for @punzieeeee location: punz's winter art showing

Despite the fact that he hadn’t given Maeve Gothel any demands or instructions in exchange for her freedom other than to find the moonstone for him, the woman had practically immediately operated exactly how he had predicted she would. Ever since he’d found out that the young blonde running around the island held the power of the sundrop in her hair, Hades had had her monitored at all times by a few of his lesser known henchmen. Which was how he knew that less than forty-eight hours after being released from prison, Gothel had cornered the girl - just as he had known she would. The ball had been set and now it was his turn to swoop in and make the strike.

Deciding how to approach Rapunzel had actually been the hardest part of this entire plan. There were so many options he could take - showing up as an understanding and helping hand with an offer to get Gothel out of her hair or act as if he had no idea, not a single clue that the woman had even been released. In the end, he had gone with the latter of his choices, not wanting to put the girl at any more unease than she very likely would already be at. It hadn’t been difficult, finding a place where she would be and one so open and public was just an additional perk. With the majority of the patrons heading home now and the boy that had remained glued to her side finally stepped aside to speak with someone else, Hades saw his opening and took it. Bourbon glass in hand, he stepped to her side and offered a small smile. “Your work is amazing, you know. I’m sure you’ve received plenty of compliments tonight, but it needs to be said,” he starts, taking a sip from his drink before continuing. “I’ve been around long enough to see the goods and the greats, and the less than stellar artists of this world - and you’ve got something real, kid.”

[wonderherc]

"I don't know, I guess ... someone who seems excited about domestication, which doesn't seem like your kind of vibe," he said with a shrug, leaning into the stereotype of what his adopted parents had been like. "Then again, I'm learning a lot about the way Gods don't fit into any of the things I'd imagined, so, I guess you can just add this to the list." Hercules felt himself smile as he spoke about his wife, the most personal thing he'd learned about his uncle since they first met. At least one of the legends he'd read were true: Hades and Persephone's relationship was about the same as the preconceived notions he'd had of his aunt and uncle. "I'd love to meet her, one day. What's she like?"

All Hercules had known was that Meg worked at the Snuggly Duckling: this second, secret profession had come as a shock. The warning she'd given him to stay away from Hades rang in his ears: that was how she'd known him so well. But, just because his uncle was a bad boss didn't mean that Herc had a reason to stay away from him. "Does she?" he parroted, remaining as nonchalant as he could while the wine began to hit. Playing dumb was one of Hercules' specialties. And, pretending like he didn't know anything about Meg and Hades' relationship kept him from digging a pit of lies to fall into. "No, I had no idea. What exactly does she do for you? More bartending shifts?"

[rearrangethecosmos]

A snort escapes him at the assumption that a married man had to be so obviously tied down and domesticated. Truth be told, to those who truly knew Hades and his relationship with his wife, he kind of was like that. But it wasn’t the way he wanted to be perceived by the rest of the world. He’d long been written off as the trouble kid, the God that fucked things up and needed to be shunned down to his underworld - and he’d adopted that persona easily over time. “Nah, you can be happily married and not look like a complete dumbass,” he advises, raising a shoulder in a half shrug before his smile softens at the question of his wife. “She’s the best. She should be coming ‘round any time now, actually. Normally we hole up down home for most of autumn and winter - but I’ve found a few reasons I think I need to stick around mortal-side for a bit longer.” It went without saying that the boy across from him was strangely one of said excuses.

Eyes staring straight at his nephew, trying to decipher how much of this was an act compared to genuine shock. It was clear that at least some of it had come as a surprise, but Hercules was surprisingly good at keeping a straight face for someone who had never played in the big league God games. “Well, yeah. But it’s also a bit more complicated than that,” he half-explains, knowing that he’s only leaving more questions in the kid’s head than actual answers. But that was exactly what he wanted to do right now. Sure, he had no qualms admitting that he owned her soul, but he needed to not look like a villain in this situation. It was a part of his business, his duties as a God, and he wanted it to seem like nothing more. He couldn’t appear like he took any joy in it at all, despite the fact that bossing around and annoying the shit out of Meg was one of his favorite pastimes.

[peloponnesianminute]

༝༝༝ ϟ ༝༝༝

She was playing with fire to put it lightly. The man who held her soul in his hand was tightening his grip which meant she had no choice but to comply. While her feelings for his nephew had blossomed, Hades' hand on her wasn't something she had control of, and when he said jump she was forced to ask how high. Meg had fought as much of his involvement as she could once realizing how she wanted to protect the very person she was tasked to destroy. "Isn't that what you wanted? He's letting me in, he's trusting me, all part of the plan, right?" There might've been more beneath the surface but the brunette prayed it would continue to fly under the radar. Her eyes rolled at his assumption, wondering if she was doing the job he wanted and how else he expected it to get done. "Yeah and? He's a guy, isn't the best way to get to know him through his pants?" While they hadn't actually gotten that far she didn't want to share the intimate details with her employer. "What would you suggest? It's not like he's taking me out to nice dinners and texting me good morning or anything." The girl's jaw tightened as she observed the man who held her eternity and there was no sight of an end if she didn't do her job how he wanted. "He doesn't have any weaknesses that I've found yet. I don't even know if he realizes he has one yet."

[rearrangethecosmos]

“Do you think I’m stupid?” he asks, though there’s not yet any real heat in the words. Shaking his head, he takes a few steps closer to the girl and stares her down as he repeats the question. “No, really, tell me sweet Meg. Do you think I’m fucking stupid?” Before she has a chance to actually answer that, he’s already walking away and speaking again. It was what Hades did best, really, amping up the dramatics of it all just for the sake of it. “The kid’s in love with you. Don’t act like you aren’t fully fucking aware of that fact. And you know what? I bet I know exactly why you haven’t told me any of this. Not because you assume I’d already have figured out you’d try sleeping with him - but because something far more dangerous has happened now, hasn’t it?”

Turning back to face the girl, there was a flare in his eyes as he dared her to try to deny it. When she doesn’t open her mouth fast enough, he’s quick to practically appear right in front of her again, taking her chin in his hand and applying the smallest amount of heat just to remind her exactly who she was dealing with, since it seems like she’s forgotten. “You’ve fallen in love with him too,” he states simply, as if there’s no debating the fact. He hadn’t been certain of it before this encounter, but after every twist and turn she tried to make to get out of this corner she’d backed herself into it was clear as day that’s exactly what had happened. Or at least, Hades had decided it was - and once he made up his mind of something, there was no changing it, not even if he was wrong and she really was just trying to do her job. A smirk grows on his face and his grip tightens ever so slightly, heat increasing, as he lets out a cackle. “Oh, my silly little flower… I think I’ve found his weakness right here.”

[wonderherc]

"Oh, my god, yeah, you're married. No offense, you don't come off as the married type, but happy for you, dude. You'll have to give all the secrets to keeping a centuries-long relationship going. Persephone, right? Is the whole legend true, about the spring and the fall?" Of course, everyone had read the stories of Hades and his wife, but it hadn't even clicked with him that it could all be true when sitting across from his uncle. "Is it ... far, to get back? Do you have some sort of teleportation thing you do to get back?" Hercules had always just assumed the Underworld was located in the center of the Earth, or somewhere his mind couldn't quite comprehend, just like Olympus. But, to go back and forth, every day, seemed like a lot, even for a god.

It was a relief, to know that he hadn't annoyed his uncle too badly by asking too many unwanted questions. There were about a hundred more he could think of, just off the top of his head, but Hercules planned on somehow peppering those in over time, to eventually get the answers if they were still relevant. For now, it was nice to share part of his life with Hades, arguably the most exciting one so far. "Her name's Meg, she's amazing. I mean, she isn't officially my girlfriend, hence the almost, but we met at the bar she works at." Knowing the two might've had a past, Herc kept it vague, hoping his uncle's reaction would raise a flag on how to proceed.

[rearrangethecosmos]

A laugh escapes him at the comment of not coming off as the married type. It was hardly what Hades thought the kid was going to say regarding the reminder that he had a wife, but he supposed it potentially made sense. “And what does the married type seem like, exactly?” he inquires, taking another sip of his wine as he leans backwards and gives a nod in confirmation of his wife’s name. “That’s her. My Perseophone. And more or less, it’s true, yeah. She has to stay in the mortal realm or Olympus during spring and summer and can only come home during the fall and winter. But it’s not like we don’t see each other when she’s away - so long as she’s not hanging around her mother, I can visit whenever I please.” Not that he was technically supposed, but after the first milenia of being together, he had learned that no one was actually going to stop him. Other than Demeter, who would throw a hissy fit if she ever found out, but Hades kept that from happening. “Nah. It’s hard to explain, the way moving around as a God works. We can go the mortal way anywhere we want, of course, but we can also sort of just… appear where we wish to be.”

All the talk of his own long lived godhood life seemed so irrelevant the moment the name Meg left Hercules’s lips. Suddenly any and all conversation beforehand meant not a goddamn thing anymore. Because this, this right here, was the missing puzzle piece he had been searching for for so long. He had known Meg had been keeping something from, that she hadn’t been properly doing her job the way he needed her to be, but he had yet to figure out just why that was. And now he saw it. She was in love with the fucking kid. “Meg, huh?” he asks, humming as he nods his head and sips again at his wine. “I didn’t know you two knew each other. She actually works for me, as well, surprisingly enough. But I’m sure she would have already told you that, right?”

[wonderherc]

Hercules let out a laugh at his uncle's answer, knowing he was probably getting ahead of himself, but how could he help it? The wine brought a buzz to his veins he'd never felt before, maybe simply because it had been crafted by his ancestors--it was the same tingling he'd had when Hades had entered Phil's gym. "Alright, alright," he surrendered, setting down his glass to hold up his hands innocently. The last thing he wanted was for his uncle to get annoyed with him, or to make a fool of himself by tapping out after one glass. It was sweet, and for someone who preferred his wine more dry, it was at least easy to sip slowly while he continued to ask the handful of questions he'd thought of after the last time they'd met up.

"So, does that mean you're fucking around with mortals, too?" he pressed, curious how Hades would answer. He hadn't meant to come off accusatory, or like he was catching him in something he wasn't supposed to be doing--Hercules simply wanted to know as much about the man as he could. "I mean, if you are, your shenanigans are safe with me." For what his job as a God entailed, Hades had spent quite a lot of time with the living, Hercules had observed. "Do you have people looking after everything down there while you're up here?" He was a God after all--he probably had better things to do than to watch over the dead at all times. They were deceased, after all: he assumed not much trouble could happen down there on the daily. "Sorry that I'm asking so many questions again, by the way. I don't mean to--and if it's annoying, you can just say so. I mean, I would tell you about myself, but I really have nothing going on, besides working at a gym, and a maybe girlfriend, so, it's definitely not as exciting as being the ruler of all the dead."

[rearrangethecosmos]

Eyebrows shooting up at the question and the way Hercules hadn’t even hesitated in asking it, a smirk grows on his lips as he shakes his head. It was amusing, thinking that Hades had any care for mortals at all when his plans were so much bigger than that. “Not typically,” he answers honestly. “I’m a married man and unlike most others up on Olympus - I stay true to my vows. Up until a few decades ago, I rarely left the Underworld. Even now, I return daily. It’s not as much work as it sounds like it’d be, and I’ve got a good team down there when I’m away, yeah.” He raises his shoulder as if his job was really no big deal because in a lot of ways it wasn’t. In fact, he didn’t even hate running and ruling the land of the dead, though many of the other Gods seemed to think that was always his issue. In truth, he simply hated the rest of the family and the pompous way in which they all acted, treating him like he was less than simply because he didn’t partake in the same type of amusement as them.

“You’re fine, kid. You’ve been ignored and left in the dark of it all for thirty fuckin’ years, only makes sense you’d have questions,” he reassures, truly not bothered by any of it. Hades was a talker, that much anyone who knew him well enough could tell you. He was just simply rarely given the chance to do much talking most of the time, back in his realm. Just as he’s getting ready to brush off the thought that his job was as exciting as Hercules was making it out to be, his brain catches up to everything the boy was saying. “Almost girlfriend?” he echoes back, interest certainly peaked. He’d heard nothing of any type of relationship, which automatically raises a red flag in his head about just what else his little darling spy had been keeping from him. “Now that sounds interesting. Tell me all about this almost girlfriend.”

[punzieeeee]

Back in the day was a phrase that raised a flag to Rapunzel, as she wondered just how old the man in front of her truly was. He looked like he could be no older than forty, but she knew from experience that looks could be deceiving. He also knew that the incantation had not originated in English, which meant he'd known the power the sundrop held far better than most people she'd ever met--actually, better than anyone, save for one person in particular. In fact, Rapunzel was a bit shocked that it hadn't sounded like he'd been searching for her all along: it sounded like this happened to have been an accident, stumbled upon solely because it had been Meg, of all people, who she'd healed.

With a nod of her head, Rapunzel answered his next line of questioning. "My--the woman, who I'd told you about, she taught me." How Gothel had figured out how to activate the power, she had no idea, but she'd assumed it had come with the territory of using the flower for so long. "I don't know how she knew: I just remember her singing it to me, as soon as I could talk, and telling me to repeat after her." Back then, Rapunzel had simply thought it was something to bond the two, to sing the incantation together. It had been another tainting realization of her childhood she'd come upon a few years ago. "No others, though, no: just this one. I guess this was all she needed to look the way she wanted to."

[rearrangethecosmos]

A hum of acknowledgement and a nod of his head were the only response he gave at first, mind racing as he started to piece it all together. For all the girl in front of her held the magic of the sundrop, she was almost completely unaware of the vast amount of power she wielded within her hair or the potential that she truly had. He wanted to ask what she knew of the moonstone, but knew better than to show that card quite yet. Besides, from what she’d already admitted to it seemed like she knew very little about any of the powers at play here. No, for all Rapunzel would be a valuable piece of this puzzle, she wasn’t the one Hades needed just quite yet.

“This woman, the one who raised you and taught you all of this - where is she now?” he asks, even though he easily could have worked to find the information himself. It was simply easier to get it directly from the source right in front of him now. Plus the way she may react would be very telling of just how things had ended between the two women. Not that Hades imagines it could have possibly gone well, but still it was best to know for certain. As she admits to knowing no other incantation, he’s almost tempted to have her perform the decaying incantation, just to see how it would work in this new form - but once again, he knows better than to hand out that type of information too early.

[peloponnesianminute]

༝༝༝ ϟ ༝༝༝

She knew whatever that he wanted couldn't be good. Since the attack Meg had been waiting for the other shoe to drop, flying far too close to the sun that day to not get burned. It was only a matter of time before her web of lies caught the spider itself and her day of reckoning had come. When she showed up to his office Meg didn't even have time to knock before he'd already opened the door for her unflinching the brunette entered with her frown already in its place. "Hey boss," the female mutters as she makes her way into his office, plopping heavily into one of his chairs and tossing her jacket onto the seat beside her. Meg tried to keep any of her concerns to herself, play off this meeting as if it was like any other and she hadn't a care in the world. The less he more what she had to hide, the better off it would be for her later. When he popped the question Meg felt some sense of relief that it hadn't been about Rapunzel but expecting it wouldn't be far behind this conversation. "He seems to think pretty highly of you," she started to signal that she'd been informed of their meeting. "And he seems to like me so at least we know he has bad taste." The girl presented her own sickly sweet smile but it fell quickly as she got back to the case at hand. "No weaknesses yet, seems like he's built just as strong inside as he is on the outside. I'm getting closer though, he trusts me now, but it would've been nice to know that you were getting your own hands dirty with this one." Meg tried to turn it back onto the man but knew it wouldn't stick, if she wanted to get herself out of this one she'd need to be more clever than that. "What do you need me getting close to him for when you could just date him yourself now?"

[rearrangethecosmos]

Normally he’d be more offended at the implication that anyone liking him was in bad taste, despite the fact that even Hades could admit that was likely true, but right now he hardly cares at all about her little quips. No, what he was focused on was getting his fucking answers finally. Because it was clear as day now that Meg had been holding back something, and while he had a fairly good guess at what that may be, he was ready to dig until that suspicion was confirmed. “I don’t have to tell you shit. I’m the one in charge here, not you, and it’d be smart for you to remember that,” he reminded her sharply, moving to stand over by the window again, leaning against the wall with his eyes still glued to the girl like a hawk. “Oh you’ve been getting close alright, I heard all about how close he feels to you.” Though she offhandedly admits to dating the boy now, it’s too late, and he feels she likely knows that. Her question of what she’s needed for anymore is one he plans to address in a minute or so, but for now he still has a few more buttons to push, just to ensure he gets the entire truth out of his little nut. “When were you planning to tell me that you started fucking the kid? I told you to get to know him, find his weakness, not turn him into your new boyfriend.” He already knows what’s going to come next. She’ll deny it meaning anything, claim that dating him was all an act to do her job like he’d asked, and Hades would be ready for his own move right after hers.