We Wear The Mask

Long awaited news

Another week goes by...

Uma sighs as she scrubs the counter. Her crew on staff left before the last damned customer had been flung out. Serving food to grumpy has-been sailors and pirates was one thing. But now she had to clean.

"I expect this filth to be gone when I come back." Ursula shouts from the kitchen before Uma hears the door slam.

Not like she had a choice. If her mother wasn't happy, she took it out on the ship. At this point she was living here just to get everything done. She was so close to getting the Lost Revenge seaworthy, so close to being able to set sail. Not that it would actually help her escape her mother. There was a barrier keeping her confined to this damn isle, and the waters were easy to navigate when you were part fish.

Which sucked because all she wanted to do was get away and fucking wallow in peace.

She slams her fist down on the rough countertop. She was stuck being her mother's slave, at this point she couldn't see an end in sight.

Even with her lovely boys helping out, which she let happen once the coast was clear, this was going to take all night. She glares up at the grits dripping from the ceiling, side kicks were fucking pigs.

"You're good boys." She calls out before she turns back to her cleaning.

Harry and Gil peek their heads in through the saloon doors before they barge in.

"Where ya want me to start Uma?" Gil asks as he looks around the shop looking overwhelmed by the state of it.

"You two get rags and the scrappers," Uma eyes the ceiling again, "Think you can take Harry on your shoulders to tackle that again?" She points at the disgusting mess dripping to the floor.

"O'course Uma." Gil nods, "I can do that." He sighs in relief.

"On it Uma." Harry claps Gil on the back, "I be ah grabing what we be needin' lad, ya need ta be stretching or ya be getting ah cramp again."

Gil nods in understanding, before doing as instructed.

Uma smiles as she watches Gil from the corner of her eye. She fights a yawn as she continues to scrape the food scraps to the floor. It was so much easier to dump the scraps down the hole in the kitchen. On the upside, her laziness seemed to attract more sea life, making it easier for her to catch her quota.

Serve. Scrape. Wash. Fish. Repeat.

It had become her entire life. She was fucking exhausted.

She yawns again. Sometimes she slept. Two hours was sleeping, she'd survived worse. But it killed her to know her boys were suffering with her.

Harry softly caresses her cheek as he walks past, the small action making her smile. That's why she loved them so much. They didn't need to be here. She hadn't ordered them to help- In fact had even yelled at them for at first. However now she just appreciated it.

"Ya be ah ready lad?" Harry asks as he slaps a handful of rags over his shoulders and grips the broken handle of the scraper.

"Yeah." Gil grins, though it doesn't reach his eyes.

"Lad," Harry smiles as he pats Gil's shoulder again, "ya know I'd be ah doin' it for ya instead, but ya be packin' muscle on ya and now ya be ah wee bit denser than me."

Gil lets out a chuckle. "Like you could've picked me up before." He crouches by a table so Harry can position himself on his shoulders. "Come on. Let's do this. Cap'n needs ta get some sleep."