Who: Zeus & Apollo What: Quality father & son time. Where: A cafe. When: Nov. 28, 2008 Warnings: Nada.
Odin was right, to an extent. Zeus had lost control over his family. Where the Norse had rejoined each other years before, now had an empire together, all under Odin's leadership, the Greeks had... what?
Was that how they were so easily targeted?
That was on Zeus' mind, among other things, as he approached one of his sons' house. Hopefully, Apollo would be easy to seek. He was still paying for a college tuition. He wanted to see where his money was going. Stepping up to the door, he gave it a solid knock. And waited.
Apollo had spent the better part of the previous evening seething. He supposed, in a round-about way, that what made the whole thing worse was the fact that no one else would believe he had a reason to be angry. After all, they'd say, what did he expect from Dionysus?
He hated having to explain his reasonings to everyone. Hmph.
At least he'd moved past being angry and now was just...well, moping. It was rather obvious, especially when he answered the door in only a pair of battered sweat pants. "Whatever it is...don't want any..." Mrr.
"Oh really, now?" called Zeus through the door. "Well, I"ll just take my college money right back then, won't I?"
He pulled the door open, and peered out from behind the door and his mussed hair at Zeus. "Leave a check in the mailbox..."
Zeus pulled the door open further and got a good look at him. ... Ew. "That would require me knowing what it's going to, first. Good Gaia, boy, you look like you're coming out of detox. What happened to you?"
"I've been angry. What about you? Have another heart attack or something..." Mrr. He hoped not. Now where had he put those cigarettes...
He wandered away from the door, but left it open; the old man was probably going to want to come inside anyway.
"Nope. Just checking in on you and your college career," said the elder god. But he didn't step inside. Instead, he said, "Put your jacket on. You clearly need to go eat. Or drink, something."
Apollo turned to blink at him, and just barely missed lighting his cigarette. "Huh?"
Sentence...does not compute?
"You're going out to lunch with me."
"I am? When did I agree to that?" He frowned thoughtfully, trying to come up with when he might have agreed to something like that, but came up blank. Huh.
Zeus shrugged. "Either go, get out of this house and feel some sunshine and fresh air for a few hours, or continue to stay here where you are clearly miserable. I'll be paying for it, so what do you have to lose?"
He shrugged, and turned to trudge up the stairs to get dressed, pausing halfway to call back down over his shoulder.
"Go get the dog from out back and bring him inside~"
Zeus arched an eyebrow. Right. But only out of concern for a dog that might get loose, he walked outside the located said canine, bringing him safely inside.
When Apollo came back downstairs, he was dressed only slightly better than before, and lighting a fresh smoke. He took a moment to pat Elvis, and then sent the dog off to lie down.
"So where we going?"
"I think there's a cafe near here. You probably know it. You can sit up on the rooftop, out in the open. Sound good?"
"Yeah, I guess so." He grabbed his keys off the small table by the door, and stepped outside. Come on~
"Your car or mine," asked Zeus as he headed back out.
He locked the door, and then shoved the keys and his hands into his pockets. "Your's. That way when we're done you can just push me out onto the sidewalk and drive away..."
"Good point, if a ridiculous one." The father rolled his eyes and strode over to his convertible. "Get in, then."
Apollo hopped over the passenger door and into the seat. Yes, being obnoxious on purpose; it was a great distraction from being upset. "My points are always good."
Sigh. Children. Zeus ignored the statement and continued to drive, heading out towards the cafe he'd been pointed towards.
The place was, actually, one of the places that Apollo frequented; either because the food was good or it was close to his house, no one was sure.
The wait staff waved at him, and probably ignored the way he hastily flicked the last of his ashes into a potted plant near the door before they were lead up onto roof.
"Hmmm..." Zeus smiled and took a moment to enjoy the air and hot sun before taking a seat on the balcony. Lovely. "Been here before, I take it?"
He shrugged as he slid into his seat. "A few times, I guess. It's not so bad..." At least they'd get decent service? Hee.
"Hm." Zeus waited on the conversation until a young lady had come up and asked for his order. Giving her a lovely and yet clearly flirtatious grin, he asked for coffee, black. With just a bit of cream. She giggled and looked to Apollo for his own order.
Apollo did not even bother to hide his eye roll. Honestly. Couldn't take the guy anywhere. He rested his chin in his hand and sighed.
"Same as always, sweetheart~" Now shoo~
Apollo did not even bother to hide his eye roll. Honestly. Couldn't take the guy anywhere. He rested his chin in his hand and sighed.
"Same as always, sweetheart~" Now shoo~
Once she was gone, Zeus replied with, "So. How's school?" Presuming he was even going.
He wrinkled his nose. "Haven't started yet; red tape and paperwork." Sulk.
Zeus arched an eyebrow. "Major?"
"Up for debate. Though maybe I should go in for oncology; most of those mortals are already dying. Might not be so bad to break the news..." He sat back. "Decisions..."
Wasn't he cheerful. "You seem sulkier than usual."
Yes, he was. SULK.
"D's a fucking jackass." His lip quivered slightly, and it bit it in an attempt to make it stop. No sniveling in front of the Old Man.
The frown on Zeus' face said it all; he apparently agreed. "Ah. You saw that, too, then." He really had to call Alana... It was just a feeling... but something about this seemed off. Especially when the god of madness and indulging was involved.
"Yes, I saw it, and I probably know more of the details than you do." He pouted, looking away. "I'm too tired to be angry anymore...but give me some time..."
Zeus shook his head. "There's some times when we can excuse your brother as just being himself. Other times..." He growled a little, and a spark appeared between his fingers before he squished it. No, no. It was not his business. Not yet, anyway. "Forgive me. I'm prying."
He crossed his arms over his chest. "I can excuse all the sleeping around; it doesn't bother me. But he took the bitch overseas just to get into her pants. He couldn't do that here? He had to take her someplace else? And now that he's won, what could he possible need me for? I was just a way to kill time while he tried to get his fingers under her belt."
Yeah, this might get D in trouble, but he couldn't bring himself to care at the moment. Twitch.
"But I shouldn't be mad. OH NO! I should be completely fine with the fact that he'd rather take people like that all over the place. Fuck, it's probably such a trial for him to spend time with me...I can't believe he had the nerve to whine at me about going to college; he must think I'm an idiot."
Zeus' eyelid twitched. "That 'bitch' is an employee of mine, and a good friend, mortal or not. If you're going to badmouth her, do it on your own time. But I do not feel you should be fine with it." He leaned back, looking up at the sun without blinking. "We are generally open, our family. But still, when you know your partner doesn't want you to... The fault is on him, I believe."
He rolled his eyes again. What the hell was so special about that woman that everyone else seemed to like her so much?
"Yeah, well apparently it doesn't matter. Which is, as far as I can tell, something I'm supposed to have realized by now."
The god sighed and shook his head. "It only doesn't matter if you allow it not to."
"He best not start bringing her home with him..." Because that? That would not end well. For anyone involved.
Sparks cracked again. "He'd best not," grumbled Zeus, low as thunder. Shaking his head, he attempted to derail the conversation. Something more pleasant before he was tempted to go knock sense into his other son. "How're your sisters?"
Sniff. He sipped at his drink as he looked over the rail to watch the traffic pass.
"Polyhymnia and Melpomene are fine. Erato..." Shrug. "We haven't spoken for awhile. I heard they were having trouble getting ahold of her or something..."
"She's fine. They found her. I'm sure Herakles is watching over her like a hawk for a while."
"Why wouldn't she have been fine?" No one had really...enlightened him as to the apparent severity of the situation with Val. Oops.
He shook his head. "I don't *like* him."
"And who's 'him'?"
"Who do you think?" He raised an eyebrow. "Oh, I'm sorry; I'm badmouthing one of your favorites again. My bad~"
Ugh.
Zeus arched an eyebrow. Ah, Herakles. He bit his tongue on the comment 'only my favorite because he acts like an adult most of the time'.
Yes, well, that was probably the cue to leave that alone. Not that it was something Apollo ever would have considered before. It was just...such an effort to be disagreeable right now.
Sigh.
The look of Apollo's face falling a bit made Zeus' heart ache a bit. "Just because he and I have a special bond does not mean I love you any less," he murmured. "I know I've said it before, but you might as well hear it again."
It was stupid, really, what he wanted to say, so he decided not to, and tried to cover up the uncomfortable feeling instead.
"Keep saying things like that in public and people might start getting the wrong idea, Old Man..." Coff.
Zeus rolled his eyes. "Whatever you say." Silly boy. "Anything going on with your music? Writing?"
He shook his head. "I've got nothing. I pretty much gave up on it when I decided to go through with the college thing. Most of my time is spent trying to figure out what to major in..." Lame.
"What are your options?"
He shrugged. "Just about everything?" Maybe it would have helped if he'd been able to narrow it down, but...
"Well, have you narrowed it down any." Hello, common sense. "Either any working towards your talents or to your preferences?"
"Someone said I ought to be an OB/GYN, but...frankly I think that'd get really old really fast. I'd rather stay away from surgery and I don't wanna go near kids on a regular basis..." Hm.
Zeus chuckled. "Well, technically, you'd only deal with them in womb and in birth. And what better profession than that of life?"
"I'm not very pleased with life at the moment, I thought we'd covered that..." He tried to smirk, but it failed halfway through.
Zeus smiled at it, though. At least he was trying. "Perhaps you need to see it from another light."
"Oh? And what sort of light would that be? Ultraviolet?" Black light?
Insert eye roll. Zeus' eyes were growing weary. "To see new life, knowing you've helped preserve it and help it grow. You used to love that once, you know. You could be that way again."
He shook his head. "That was when people actually gave a damn about me. Things are different now; no one cares, no one needs me for anything. Why should I enjoy those things when they just run off to some other lousy deity?" That was some gratitude...
"Because that's who we are. We have our roles, and find only misery without them," said Zeus, tone low as he thought about his own roles unfilled.
"Fulfilling them does no good if no one is around to acknowledge it." What was the point of going through the motions? Pointless.
"Are you satisfied right now?" pointed out Zeus.
"No, but I don't see how that disproves my point." So there!
"We're gods. We live, we're born, to fulfill our roles for ourselves and our followers. Whether that brings us harm or not, but it's what we are. When we don't... we're gone." He shrugged. "You're not doing much of anything. Are you any happier than when you were singing and helping the ill?"
"It wouldn't make a difference if I was. The only reason I was any happier then is because people appreciated what I was doing. They needed me to do it. They needed...me." He shook his head. "They don't anymore. So no matter what I do, things aren't going to improve. Sure, I'll be busy and distracted, but it will still be just as pointless."
"Last time I checked," Zeus pointed out, "people do still need doctors. They need art to feel human. Music to express their emotions."
"And they have hundreds of their own kind that do those things and get little recognition. As if I'd do any better." Hmph.
Zeus sighed, struggling with frustration. Such a selfish god... "Well, then you'll just have to do what you think is best for you."
Hey, he was very gracious when he was getting his fair share too!
"Yeah, that's real comforting when you look like you want to punch me as you say it."
"You are the frustrating one," Zeus admitted because, well, it was the truth.
"At least I'm keeping out of trouble while I'm doing it." He could be frustrating from the comfort of his own bed!
Zeus paused, then nodded. "I'll give you that one."
Tiny bow~
"At least there's that, right?" Small consolation. Very small. And, of course, the sun felt nice, but...yeah.
True, true. "Anywhere else you want to go before you go back to hiding in your house again?" asked Zeus with a daring smirk.
"It was less hiding and more of a lack of motivation to leave..." If that changed anything. Probably not.
Stretch. "Anywhere *you* wanted to go before you kick me to the curb~?" Zeus shrugged. "Today's a rare day off. I'm game for anything, actually."
"Amazing. Of all the things you could do on your day off and you choose to come and see the most frustrating person you know. I'm touched~" At least he didn't sound as serious as he actually was about that.
The god chuckled and, before Apollo could stop him, reached over to ruffle his hair. "Aren't you special."
He swatted Zeus's hand away, even though it didn't make much of a difference; his hair had been pretty haphazard anyway.
"Aren't I just." Hee. "So I was thinking about maybe switching all the booze in the house to something non-alcoholic while he's not around; wanna help?"
Zeus pondered that. "I will not directly help in your chaos that way." Pause. "However, I will not dissuade you. Need funds for the non-alcohol?"
"Aw come on. I won't tell anyone you helped." He leaned forward a little. "You're no fun. But you can at least come with me to buy the stuff~" Smilie?
"I will do that," Zeus consented.
"Goodie. Can I ride in the cart, dad?" SNERK!
"No." Point blank. No. Standing, Zeus handed over his tip to the lovely girl, putting a lid on his coffee and giving her a wink. She blushed, and slipped him a little piece of paper before Zeus headed to go pay for the drinks. Muhar, muhar.
"That's sick, you know that?" What? It was a natural reaction to a child seeing their parents hitting on people. Besides, Zeus had that thing about...doing it as an animal, which was just...No.
Shudder.
"At least I don't spit in their eyes or turn them into trees," teased the thunder god with a grin. Touche.
"That's way better than springing animal sex on them at the last minute..." He finished off his drink. "Besides, there's no one on this planet that isn't grossed out by the idea of their parents having sex, animals aside."
Zeus chuckled. "You forget your family, [sun boy]. Come on. Let's go trick your boyfriend." Because even the king could use some fun.
Summary: Zeus goes to check up on one of his wayward sons. After a very brief stand-off, they head out to a cafe for more frustrating conversation, and then set out to get their prank on.