zero to hero.

“Okay, okay.” Hercules raised his palms as he entered his friend’s home. “I’ll have one drink. I can’t have any more than that though, Phil will kill me if I show up hangover tomorrow.” He wasn’t really one to drink that much anyway. “What do you have to drink?” @15cent

“Oh, yeah, of course.” Hercules nodded as he approached her, his arms folded across his chest. “I mean, why else would you be here? Surely not to see me.” He teased, looking over the spread on the table. “What looks good?” @dragcndani

Hercules was suddenly starting to rethink his decision to get something for her, was it weird to get something for your ex? It was, right? “I know I didn’t. I wanted to.” He assured her, pushing the box into her hands gently. “Think of it as a thank you for... looking after my folks all these years, I know they’ve love their dinners with you. Sometimes, I almost think they prefer you over me.” He teased. @ladylaylas

"Okay, grinch.” Hercules teased her, nudging her as he walked past her to get to the stereo. He had a tendency to go all out every year for the holidays, at least since he returned home. It was to make up for all the years that he was away from his family. “Why do you hate holiday cheer so much?” @noturnutmeg

It was a little corny but Hercules didn’t mind it. “As sweet as that is, Paula.” He turned to her, moving his arm that was around her shoulders. “I still want to know what you want. It can be anything, absolutely anything.” @xx-paulala

The polite smile on her lips softens a bit, though Layla isn’t fully surprised that he would know she was a lawyer now. She may not yet be a partner within the firm, but she was certainly one of their top attorneys. Not that she goes around bragging about that - but between the way she handles herself in court for their higher client cases and how many pro-bono ones she takes on herself, Layla had certainly created a reputation for herself on the island. One that she was more than aware Hercules’s parents knew of, considering she still saw them at least one a month. Which may be weird and was probably something she should bring up right now, but how do you go about dropping something like that? Especially during their first reunion… So instead she simply pushes the thought aside and focuses on the conversation at hand. “Yes, I’m a lawyer. Have been for about six years now,” she answers proudly. “And you’re working with the Olympics, correct?” It’s a question she also already knows the answer to, but feels impolite not asking. At the mention of her sister’s age, Layla nods. “Yeah, she’s ten. Turning eleven soon.” There’s a moment’s pause as she considers her next words, contemplating whether she should even say them or not. It may make things weird between them if she does - but weren’t they already a bit on edge? Surely it wouldn’t hurt too much. “If you ever want to meet her, I’m sure she’d love to see you. She’s not that huge into sports but I think she’d consider you close enough to a celebrity that she’d kill me for not offering to introduce you to her.”

Hercules nodded as she spoke. “That’s great, I’m-” He almost wanted to say he was proud of her but that would be weird, right? Or maybe he was just overthinking it. “I’m not surprised.” He finally decided on. “You were always super smart. Way smarter than me.” He chuckled. His smile grew at the mention of the Olympics, straightening his posture. “Yeah! I still can’t believe I managed to get us in.” And he had Phil to thank for that, he never would have thought that it was something he was capable of. Actually doing something substantial. “There are so many talented people on this island. I’m excited.” He was a little taken aback at the offer for him to meet her sister, even though he was the one who brought her up in the first place. He wasn’t opposed to it, quite the opposite, it just wasn’t something he was expecting. “Really? I mean, I’d love that.” He chuckled. “I can’t imagine she knows who I am though...”

They’re the questions she expected to be asked, knowing Hercules well enough to be prepared for polite small talk to be made, but yet Layla still finds herself stumped for just one brief second on how to respond. Her brain’s still so caught up in just the fact that he was back and here on the island again, despite having known this for three years. It’s not until right at this moment that it fully clicks for her. Seeing him standing beside her, giving her an oh so familiar smile, that’s what made it feel real - just the rumors and talks of what he’d been doing around the island hadn’t been enough. In hopes of breaking the awkwardness that hung between them, Layla pushes all thoughts of how nice it is to see him again, even for a brief moment, aside to deal with later - preferably with a glass of wine and a Facetime session with Mel. “I’ve been good. Busy,” she answers, unsure how much she should tell him - whether he truly cared or was simply asking to be polite. “They’re doing great. As is Eleanor - she’s in those lovely preteen years. What about your parents? I’m sure they’ve been thrilled having you back around.”

Notorious for marching to the beat of his own drum, it’s no wonder that Billy looses track of time completely, showing up far later than he was supposed to. It’s a wonder that he even manages to show up to work on time, and only manages that by setting a handful of warning alarms. Punctuality is certainly not his forte. Beaming at his encouragement, he’s more than ready to get started, though at them mention of questions he does realize that he has a few. “Um yeah, just a couple,” Billy nods, following Hercules towards the equipment and taking a quick second to inspect all of it. Truthfully his list of questions is a mile long, curious about every single aspect of the sport, but it feels like it’s best to start with the most basic ones. “How do you hold one of these?” Holding up one of the bows he peers at it curiously, such a rookie that he’s not even sure how to do the basics.

elsa’s feet bring her to the doorway a little too late, she’s made aware of that the moment the man reaches for her bag. disappointment fills her up in a way that’s far too strong for her own comfort, but she can’t wallow in it for too long. she’ll just have to make an effort to leave earlier next time, calculate more time for travel with her sluggish movements. she’s about to turn away, accepting her small defeat, when he offers to stay. “yes!” she answers, tone eager even if it takes a few seconds for her brain to find the word. “but, if you’re leaving i wouldn’t want to hold you up.” she assures him, lips slowly twisting up into a small understanding smile. “quick? i can do quick.” elsa nods, even if history proves that the frankenteens could indeed not do quick. but, she had always done fairly well in sports at miss grimwood’s, where her friends could match her strength, so hopefully this could work as well.

“great!” hercules clapped his hands together, a grin forming on his face. “i’m hercules by the way.” he starts to introduce himself as he leads her over to the equipment, although he was sure she already knew who he was. “before you ask, you can just call me hercules. no.. mister hercules or mister othonos or.. whatever. nothing like that. just hercules.” he picked up an arm guard first, holding it out to her. “this will go on the arm you’ll be using to hold the bow. uh, most people use their non dominant hand but it’s all about what you’re comfortable with and what’s easier for you. any questions?”

A little squeal escapes their lips at the question before Riley can stop it. A hand lifts up to slap over their mouth as they nod and take a deep breath to gather themselves. “You know me?” they ask, the words coming out without thought. “But yeah, yeah! I’m on the hockey team. And the roller derby team.” They know being a roller derby person doesn’t mean as much as being a hockey player, but it’s still something Riley’s proud of so they mention it anyway. “I’m Riley! Riley Anderson. And you’re Hercules Othonos. The man that finally brought Corona into the Olympics.”

Hercules held the arm guard out to them as they spoke, nodding to make it clear that he was listening. “This will go on whatever arm you’re going to hold the bow with.” He put the bow on his back, carrying the quiver of arrows with one hand as he moved to the center of the room to a spot marked with tape. “Hockey and roller derby? Those can both be pretty aggressive.” He commented, clearly a little impressed. He let out a chuckle as they continued, holding the quiver out to them. “Yep, that’s uh... that’s me. It’s nice to meet you, Riley.”

“It goes on the arm that holds the bow, got it.” Studying the arm guard curiously, she ends up sliding it down her left arm to tighten it just enough to allow movement. Feeling a bit more confident, Coraline turned to Hercules with excitement in her eyes, smiling slightly. “Yeah, one question. When the bowstring is grasped with the arrow attached. Should I let the fingers fall back until the arrow shoots out, or should I release the grip when I see fit?” Sure it was a common question, but she wanted to learn as much as possible and know how to proceed. Realizing that there had been no introduction, the woman turned to the instructor. “Excuse me for not saying my name, I’m Coraline. Should I refer to you as Mister or Hercules?

Hercules furrowed his brows, nodding as she asked her question. “Uh, Just as you see fit, I think? If I understand what you’re asking anyway.” He paused, thinking over her question more. “I mean, don’t drop your fingers one at a time. They all have to fall back at the same time.” He spoke slowly, choosing his words carefully. “Just Hercules!” He answered her next question quickly, a little too quickly maybe. “It’s nice to meet you, Coraline. You can just call me Hercules.” He repeated himself. “No one calls me mister.” Or at least, he didn’t let anyone call him mister. 

Adora sort of felt like she had been training her entire life for something like this. She was a very big believer in destiny and she had all of this prep and training for what? She knew she had been seeking out a purpose and was maybe projecting a little too strongly but no one  was stopping her yet so she didn’t see the big deal with it. “I am so sorry I am late!” Adora said, a blush on her cheeks. “I won’t be late again. I promise.” She set her duffel down and took a deep breath. “The lesson was archery, right? That has never really been my strong-suit….but I want to be better! I want to be better at everything you’re willing to teach me.”

“Mhm.” Hercules confirmed the subject as he moved to where the equipment was stored, gesturing for her to follow him. “I only really teach archery but...” He could already hear Phil’s voice in his head yelling at him as he spoke, aware that he didn’t really have the time to just be offering extra lessons to someone. “If there’s anything else you need a lesson in, I’d be happy to help. Or at least, point you in the right direction.” He was familiar with most of the coaches and instructors on the island after all.