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Hearing the door open and close, Kamaji noticed his grandson coming in. "Ah, there you are Jack. The workers have been looking for you. The east elevator to the main floor is broken."
His grandson rolled his eyes like the rebellious young spider that he was. "Yeah well, hard to keep a bathhouse running with no bath water, so they'll just have to suck it. The northern pipes are all fixed, the seventh main one's gonna need replacing soon. And we are seriously running low on water old man." Jack patted down his uniform he snagged off one of the workers upstairs.
Kamaji grunted. "Tell me about it." He said before taking a few gulps from his kettle. Jack made a face muttering, 'That's still nasty.'
Jack pulled out his third and fourth arms to extend himself up and walk over the 'sootball pit' as he liked to call it, retracting them once done. "Don't you think you're, I don't know, too hard on the little guys?"
The boiler man reached past Jack to grab herbs from the drawers. "I keep telling you to stop spoiling those rats, Jack. You'll give them a complex." He replied crushing the dried plants.
"Come on Gramps! How can you not spoil these little cuties?" Jack whined gesturing to the hard at work sootballs.
"Because I'm not a spiderling like you anymore, Jack. I don't find things like enchanted pieces of soot cute."
Jack bristled and stomped his feet. "I am not a spiderling!"
Humming, Kamaji added the herbs to the water and rang the bath token. "Yes, keep telling yourself that and maybe one day your third pair of arms will grow in." And just to spite his young grandson Kamaji used his own third pair of arms to stretch out and pinch Jack by the cheeks.
"Hey! My third arms are gonna grow in, they're just... Taking their time." Jack swatted his grandfather's hands away feeling himself blush.
"Bah. When I was your age I could arm wrestle six men at once. The strongest man in the village!" Kamaji barked a laugh, flexing two arms while the other four continued working.
Here we go again, Jack stared at his grandfather thinking his grandfather must really love telling this story. "Gramps, that was one time and you were drunk. When you were my age you worked in a fishing village making fishing nets for a living."
Kamaji waved it off. "Details. Now you better get going before they get really angry."
Oh right, the elevator. Jack waved to his grandfather and slipped through the door to the rest of the bathhouse basement. He navigated his way through the hollow basement until he found the right elevator pulley system.
He cut the connection between the motor and elevator in case some idiot upstairs killed him by accident.
"Now, let's see..." Jack searched through the ropes and gears quickly finding the problem. One of the ropes had gotten tangled in the gears again and had pushed a few of the gears out of track.
Aligning the gears would only take seconds; untangling the rope, on the other hand, was going to be a pain. Jack used his four arms to untangle the rope and pull the gears out of his way.
It was at times like these he wished his third pair of arms would just grow in already. Four hands really weren't enough. These things come with time, he was just a late bloomer. Yeah, keep telling yourself that Jack.
At least he had four fingers on his hands instead of three like Kamaji. And no humped back, thank all kinds of heavens for that. Those things better not run in the family or he wanted his money back, just looking at his grandfather's hunched back made him cringe.
But he did have strange tattoos on his eyes, and oddly red hair. He never really understood that. Neither could his mother who was over the moon at having such a 'beautiful baby boy!' and was convinced his markings were a sign of good luck.
Well, look where he was now mother. Working in the cruddy basement. Couldn't get much luckier than that.
Jack tightened everything back in their original spot and connected the elevator back to the motor. Those people upstairs better by happy.
He heard that this was one of the busiest nights the bathhouse had ever seen. Word has it they were going to have to refuse incoming guests because they were so packed.
He should probably stay down here in case anything else breaks. Or he could give them the metaphorical middle finger and get dinner in town. He really liked his second option.
Dinner it is.
Jack took the elevator to the main floor and was impressed at the sheer number of people there.
"Quick! It's not spicy enough!-"
"These go to the big tub-"
"Right this way sir, please enjoy your stay-"
"Honk!-"
"Sir, please stop eating the workers!-"
"Out of the way! Boiling oil comin' through!"
A hand tentatively pulled at the back of his uniform. Looking back, Jack saw the newest employee, Sen, glancing up at him worriedly.
"What?"
"Have-Have you seen Haku? I can't find him anywhere!"
Jack thought for a moment. He could have sworn he saw the dragon kid earlier. "I'm pretty sure I saw him head'n to town earlier. Not sure if he's still there, sorry kid."
"Oh no that's fine thank you!" Sen quickly thanked him and ran off. Why was that little human so concerned about dragon boy? Jack shrugged and moved on.
There was a commotion at the front entrance and Jack squeezed is way through the crowd to see what was happening.
Yubaba breathed fire in the manager's face looking like the world was about to end. "Get someone down here now! I don't even care if it's one of the trainees!"
"I'm sorry Ms. Yubaba, there are no more workers left! Everyone has their hands full." The manager looked just as panicked as Yubaba.
"You don't get it! This is Chase Young we're talking about here and we're not ready! Do you know what will happen when he finds out! He'll shut us down for good!" Yubaba yelled, her hair coming out of her bun.
The crowd gasped at hearing the name. Even Jack couldn't help his double take. Almost everyone had heard of the elusive dragon lord. It's said that the dragon was so powerful that even Zeniba bowed down to him.
No one knows what his position was, but they knew that if one of the workers messed up around him, they were fired instantly the next day.
"Ms. Yubaba we do not have any more workers to spare!" The manager said frantically checking through the list of workers.
Yubaba grumbled to herself thinking. "Alright here's what we do. Pull as many workers as we can. Tell them to drop what they're doing. Have some workers greet Mr. Young while the others are sent ahead to ready our private bath. I want that man in and out of here as soon as possible. We're too busy as it is without his pampered behind here."
"Right away ma'am!"
All eyes turned to the double doors as they felt a powerful presence getting closer and closer.
"Oh no, that's him! What are you all doing standing around! Get back to work!" Yubaba screeched hurriedly fixing her hair.
Guests and workers quickly went back to their business chatting excitedly and Jack decided he should skedaddle too. The workers the toad called lined the walls ready to welcome their guest.
"Jack!"
Jack could have kicked himself. He was so close to getting away too. "Yes, Yubaba?"
Faster than Jack could blink, Yubaba was so close Jack couldn't see past her large head. "Listen here Jack and listen well. You're going to go straight to the private bath and fill the tub with this water." Yubaba handed Jack a solid gold bath token. "I want you in and out of there before our newest guest gets there. Do I make myself clear."
Jack gulped at the crazed look in Yubaba's eyes. "Yes ma'am."
"GET GOING!"
The private section of the bathhouse was completely deserted of spirits. Eerily quiet and empty compared to the rest of the bathhouse.
Jack opened the room to the room and stopped. The room was enclosed for complete privacy and bigger than the boiler room. The tub itself looked like it was made of pure marble fit for a king.
The spider spirit opened the panel for the bath tokens and sent the golden token off to his grandfather. Jack waited for the water but it was taking longer than usual. What was in that bath water? He'd never seen a golden bath token before.
Finally the water funnel lowered and Jack activated the water. The water had a faint smell of something that Jack couldn't put his finger on. Like some kind of flower he'd find in town.
The door slammed open making Jack jump, nearly falling in the tub. Workers hurriedly entered carrying the bath supplies and bowls of fruit.
One of the workers squinted at Jack on his way out. "Hurry up with that water, boy, Lord Young is almost here."
"It's a big tub dude, what do you expect," Jack snarked back. The worker glared at him and left.
The room was silent again and Jack calmly finished filling the tub. Putting away the water funnel, Jack heard rustling behind him and assumed it was the worker from earlier. The teen spirit told the worker he was finished, expecting the worker to huff or lecture him.
"Good."
Who the hell was that?
Looking back, Jack gaped at the man standing in all of his glory.
That was Chase Young. THE Chase Young. In a towel! Wow! There was no way he was going to make it out of this with all of his pride intact.
Chase raised an eyebrow at the worker gawking at him. "I believe it is disrespectful to stare at a client half naked."
The teen spirit blushed red and turned away hiding his face. Chase brushed past the young spirit smirking. Obviously a new worker. He didn't mind breaking in such a unique looking spirit.
Jack glanced up just as Chase dropped his towel, his poor spider head nearly exploding. Chase slid into the steaming water lounging against the tub's edge. Seeing his job done, Jack made his way to the exit.
"And where do you think you're going?" Chase demanded.
Jack really should learn how to abscond faster. "Is there anything you need sir?" He asked secretly hoping the answer was to jump that sexy piece of dragon.
The dragon lord assessed Jack out of the corner of his eye before closing his eyes. "Let's see how competent you are. Start with the hair until I say otherwise."
"Wait-sir, I'm not actually-"
"You dare question me." Chase shot Jack a look. This worm better watch what he says next.
The teen spirit gulped. "No sir?"
At the lord's answering silence Jack took the hint to get started. There was only one problem; Jack had no idea how to wait on a customer. He'd seen plenty of other workers do it, it couldn't be that hard, right?
Jack looked around for the basket of soups and stretched his arm to grab it. Gathering the lord's hair to the side, Jack couldn't help but admire how beautifully smooth it was. Chase's hair wasn't soft, but the way the pitch black hair shined green made up for it.
The teen continued glancing at Chase making sure he wasn't screwing anything up. By the way he was still in one piece and not getting yelled at he guessed he wasn't a complete failure.
Jack got into the rhythm of lathering Chase's hair concentrating on massaging the lord's scalp. Jack hoped he was enjoying this. Because if Chase wasn't, Yubaba was going to have his head.
"It seems you at least know how to not drown your masters. Start washing my body and bring me some food. I'm sure that can't be too much of a challenge." Chase ordered. Behind Chase, Jack turned red in embarrassment at the dragon lords taunting.
Just who did this guy think he was! If Jack didn't have to shut up and obey this man's every command he would have... done...something...He would have done something alright! Jack glared at the back of Chase's head as he sulked.
"Glaring at a lord is punishable by death, I'm sure you know." Chase commented. Jack jumped slightly before continuing what he was doing. How did he do that!
Chase smirked at the spirit's reaction.
With two arms he dried Chase's gleaming hair, another offering food to the dragon lord, and the last scrubbing admittedly strong and well-sculpted chest.
Okay, so maybe he was feeling the dragon lord up a little bit. Chase had one hell of a body. Jack glimpsed at the warm water rolling off of Chase's neck. He wanted to lick that water off of Chase's body. But that would get him killed. Via dismemberment. And probably a thousand-year curse on his descendants.
Jack squirmed in his spot whenever Chase's lips touched his fingers as he fed him his food. There was no way the dragon lord was doing that on accident. This man was just trying to get him into trouble. Or trying to fire up his libido. Either way, it was working.
Chase purred at the obvious attraction the worker was having toward him. He might have a talk with Yubaba later about giving him this worker for his personal use.
Chase opened an eye at the abnormal amount of arms catering to him. Interesting. A spider spirit. And a pretty young one at that.
"What is a spider spirit such as yourself doing working for Yubaba?"
Jack looked up at the question. "My grandfather works as the boiler man and I got a job through him."
Finishing drying Chase's hair Jack searched through the basket for a comb and began combing Chase's hair out. A knock at the door caught both of their attention, Chase scowling at someone interrupting his time. "Enter!"
The door open and Wuya stood leaned against the door smirking with her uniform more open than Jack was sure was appropriate. Wuya took one look at Jack with his arms going everywhere and made a face.
"What!" Chase snapped at the woman wasting his time.
Wuya forced a smile. "Excuse me sir but I need to have a word with Jack for a moment. Jack if I could speak with you, now."
Jack steeled himself thinking the worst. "Yes ma'am!" Jack quickly pulled back his arms bowing to Chase and scrambled over to Wuya. Wuya bowed to Chase too before slamming the door shut and rounding on Jack.
"What the hell do you think you are doing." Wuya whisper harshly glaring at Jack furiously.
"I don't know! I couldn't leave! He kept telling me to do things!" Jack hissed back matching Wuya's glare.
"Well, get out! You've caused enough damage for one day! Getting fired will be the least of your worries." She seethed before entering the room and slamming the door in Jack's face.
Jack stared at the closed door silently before slowly leaving. Who shoved a stick up her ass?
Jack quickly made his way through the bathhouse keeping his head low. He had enough with unnecessary attention for one day. Jack quickly crossed the bridge into town untying the string holding his sleeves back.
Chase glared at the red haired woman entering the room. Could this woman not see he was busy.
The woman kneeled down behind him and smiled crookedly. "I'm sorry for that minor inconvenience. I do hope that that boy didn't trouble you too much." Wuya rubbed herself against the dragon lords back. "But I do know of a way to make it up to you."
Chase sneered at the wrench. This woman had nothing he hadn't seen before. He had his sights set on something else. "Where did you send the other worker."
"What worker?"
"The worker you just talked with. This Jack."
The witch dismissed this and went to work. "Oh, you mean the boy. He's not an actual worker here. He just works as a repairman in the basement. Why Yubaba told him to even come here I'll never know. Useless boy, he is really. He should stay in that dump of a basement where he belongs."
"Bring him to me."
"Excuse me?" Wuya was caught by the throat and strangled in a heart beat. The witch choked and clawed at the dragon's hand.
Chase glared at Wuya dangerously. "I want the red and white one. Have I not made myself clear? Now bring me the boy!"
Chase blasted Wuya out the door with dragon fire sending her running. The dragon lord tried to relax again in his bath but found his mood ruined. Damned woman for interrupting him. He would have had that Jack naked under him by now if it wasn't for her.
The dragon lord angrily climbed out of his bath and found his clothes. He'd just have to hunt for his prey himself. He'd deal with Yubaba and that woman later.
Jack made his way through the town, reeling with what just happened.
Now that he was far away from the dragon lord's grasp, he could appreciate the hot, steamy situation he was in and fantasize about the outcome.
Just as his mind got into the really spicy details, he felt a weight on his shoulder. Jack snapped out of his R-rated fantasy and saw his friend Le Mime smiling curiously at him. Jack smiled back at his friend and Le Mime stepped back tipping his hat with a wink.
The two talked idly with each other as they made their way through the town.
Le Mime mimicked a laugh at a joke Jack made before tugging on Jack's sleeve and pointing to one of the stalls. They dug in happily into their meals, Jack sometimes commenting on something and Le Mime nodding along.
For some reason as the night went on the spirits of the town got more and more excited.
"Hey Mime, what do you think's going on?" Jack asked.
Le Mime shrugged his shoulders looking around too.
They listened carefully and managed to catch part of a conversation. "Did you see Lord Chase? He looks so handsome doesn't he! But so scary too!"
"I know! Have you heard he's actually here looking for someone. I've heard it's a white and black spirit."
"Really? I heard he was looking for a white and pink spirit."
Jack pulled a face as he internally panicked. Surely he wasn't after Jack anyway, right? Jack went over their interaction in his head and couldn't think of any reason why the dragon lord would come after him. After all there were plenty of multi-colored spirits roaming around the place. Right? Right?
...He was so dead.
Jack jumped out of his chair leaving his food unfinished. "Listen Le Mime, I - uh- really gotta go. I-I left the stove on! Yeah! In the boiler...room...Listen I just gotta go okay." The spirit apologized quickly trying to evacuate the area as soon as possible.
Le Mime grabbed Jack's hand looking at Jack worried about what's going on. "It's nothing really, I should just really be-"
"There you are."
Jack froze at the voice behind him. Jack slowly turned around recognizing the voice he was just fantasizing about a few seconds ago.
Chase stared down the young spirit impatiently.
Jack gulped at the stare. "Mr. Young?"
Jack jumped when the next second Chase had him by the face, noses inches apart. "You kept me waiting, boy. You're not going to get off easy from that."
Jack gave a mini scream. "Look okay so none of this way my fault yeah? It was all Yubaba's, she told me to go to your room even though that is not in my job description and - oh boy."
While Jack was looking at everything but Chase, he caught sight of Le Mime. He recognized that frozen posture and intense look on Le Mime's face, the mute spirit only got like that when he found a voice he wanted to steal. And he was staring right at Chase.
Thinking fast Jack grabbed the hand Chase had his face by and tried to tug him away. "Say let's go talk about this somewhere else."
"What do you think you're doing worm." Chase demanded. At hearing Chase's voice again, Le Mime snapped and pounced at Chase.
The force of Le Mime's attack pushed Chase off of Jack and straight through the stall across the street.
"Le Mime!" Jack called after his friend hoping to snap him out of it.
There wasn't a response except for Chase one handedly swatting Le Mime away, sending the spirit flying through the air like a bug.
Undeterred, Le Mime used his own spirit magic to pull himself back to Chase with an invisible rope and tackle him making Chase use his own dragon magic to nearly slice Le Mime into a million pieces.
Jack watch the two brawl in the middle of town for a few minutes before deciding he's had enough with today and slunk back to the bath house.
The next day Jack was instantly plowed down by Yubaba. "JAAAAAACK! WHAT DID YOU DO JACK! I TOLD YOU TO DO ONE SIMPLE THING, HOW COULD YOU POSSIBLE MESS THAT UP! The town owner is in my office right now demanding to see you. Now you better go up there and kiss up to him and don't you dare make the bathhouse look bad!"
Jack gulped at the news. This was it. Chase had complained about him and now he was going to be killed. He was too young to die.
Jack forced himself to enter the elevator heading to Yubaba's office. The town owner was so secretive and so powerful that people believed he had no physical form. He owned the whole spirit town, bathhouse, food stalls, and all.
Stepping out of the elevator, Jack entered Yubaba's office and headed for the portal that was supposedly there for him.
Stepping through, Jack screeched jumping out of his skin. The entire floor was littered with giant big cats that looked like they could tear him limb from limb without even lifting a paw.
Jack shivered at the dozens of shining yellow eyes staring directly at him.
The teen slowly crept his way back to the portal only to find it gone. The lioness next to Jack looked up at him with a raised eyebrow and Jack glared back at her. "What? Don't look at me like that."
The lioness jerked her head to a hallway. Jack shook his head. "Oh you have got to be kidding me. Look I don't even know what I did to the guy so-hey- oh, oh that's nice, even the animals are against me!"
The lioness got tired of listening to Jack's rambling and picked him up by the back of his shirt and carried him off. Jack struggled in the cat's grasp before going limp, crossing his arms and pouting.
After a while the lioness dumped Jack face first on hard flooring and strode away.
"Ow ow ow. Hey that hurt you…" Jack looked up from his place on the ground at Chase glaring down at him. Where was the town owner?...Chase was the town owner wasn't he. And he was in nothing but a silk robe.
And was this a bedroom? Why was he in a very luxurious and expensive looking bedroom?
Chase's eyes narrowed. "Spicer. Finally decided to join us I see."
Jack gulped and slowly pushed himself off the floor. "H-Heeeey Chase! Er, long time no see?"
Chase took a step closer making Jack take a step back from Chase. Jack continued to ramble on about something he wasn't too sure about until Chase had backed Jack against the edge of the king sized bed.
Chase pushed Jack onto the bed and planted his hands on either side of Jack. Chase leaned over Jack giving the teen no way out. "I told you, you weren't getting off that easily."
Chase captured Jack's lips harshly tugging away at his uniform. Jack froze at first before enthusiastically going along with it. He wasn't going to turn down a chance to make his fantasy a reality.