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"You ate your first wife and kept her trapped in you head for thousands of years. You literally threw Hephaestus off a mountain so hard that his leg got crushed and you played away from home so often that the Goddess of Marriage divorced you, the rest of your family says 'Hm, Zeus'. Doctor Sandsmark, I apologise for this inconvenience."
Killing Zeus would have all sorts of unpredictable effects on the everything. If Paul wanted to be vindictive he would imprisoned Zeus somewhere say with a eagle to eat his liver.And that's the short list of shitty things he's done. OL proves himself a better man than me, because if Zeus talked shit to my face right after that entire last arc, on top of saying in no uncertain terms he has no plans to make himself useful, I'd've had the Ophidian just eat the bastard. I'm sure Heph would understand, and it's not like you couldn't just make a new weather god if you put your mind to it.
Killing Zeus would have all sorts of unpredictable effects on the everything. If Paul wanted to be vindictive he would imprisoned Zeus somewhere say with a eagle to eat his liver.
Huh… Hades and Persephone were probably the most stable, healthy marriage in Greek mythology. Definitely among the Olympians. The whole kidnapping thing is pretty vague due to linguistic reasons, with it being reasonably argued that she was only kidnapped from Demeter's perspective, the page describing the pomegranate thing was ripped (possibly shattered?) before getting to the actual details of what, specifically, it did and Persephone's degree of knowledge and agency in the process. She got homesick but they figured out a commuting schedule, she likes his dog and every myth they appear in together has them very friendly to and protective of each other. Even in the marriage myth, Hades is never narratively portrayed as the bad guy, Zeus is, and mostly for not telling Demeter and immediately deflecting responsibility."My mother is leaving her grove. She very seldom does-. I should go and see what she wants."
Between Hera and Aphrodite…
"I think I can guess."
Replying to Vaermina.Still not explaining how Hephaestus just randomly gained the ability to de-power Zeus.
Pffft, do they though?"You mean you might have to lie on a reference?" He looks at her incredulously. "Do people actually tell the truth on those things?"
"Yes!"
Ah, I see. Zeus went running to the last woman he 'knew' (in the biblical sense, if you know what I mean) in hopes of finding succour. No doubt hoping to leech off her bank account and hoping his attentions dazzle her enough to not care?28th October 2012
07:22 GMT -7
"-daughter's getting up in a few minutes-."
Helena Sandsmark cuts herself off as she spots me flying in. Zeus appears to have acquired jeans and a shirt from somewhere, and his wounds are less obvious than they were a few hours ago. She's currently standing outside of her house and very clearly not happy that he's here.
Ah, yes, I'd rather forgotten about that. Wonder if Ploutos sets up identities for visiting Olympian avatars, or of they have another agent to do it?Why is he here? He's clearly spent time on Earth in the modern era; one of the products of that time is currently sleeping in her room upstairs. So it's not as if he needs someone to explain now money works or anything like that. Similarly, he must have somewhere to live.
I land a short distance away from Cassandra's parents.
Oh, no payment necessary, Sparky. Just seeing your frustrated face is payment enough."Doctor Sandsmark. Zeus."
"Hephaestus's bard." Zeus stares at me with a look of contempt. "Here to narrative my life in verse? Let me pay you your worth."
...Maybe he does need a refresher on modern money.He reaches into my pocket, and tosses me… Half a copper coin. An old British halfpenny, if I'm any judge.
"Half a coin to match your wits. Too kind."
And I don't expect him to be experiencing any parental feelings towards Cassie. Maybe hoping to step in as the 'wise old mentor' and set her on the path to being a proper hero (and maybe facing down the 'wicked' Hephaestaean one day.) Seems the sort of short-sighted plan he'd make without Metis."Paul, why is he here?"
"I don't know. He's not on Olympus because he got overthrown by Hephaestaean, but I don't know why he's here."
Oh, for... Looking for the easy path back to Olympus, eh?"I'm here because I need a reference. I need to get into a college of some sort in order to get back to Olympus, and a published Doctor of Archaeology would seem to be my best bet. A better question is: what are you doing here?"
"Captain Marvel can't transform."
I'd laugh if he was happy to be out of that little long-term pact. I mean, signing a deal like that, he might well have expected it to only last a century, maybe two, only to find out the Wizard was immortal."Who?"
"The current champion of the wizard Jebediah of Canaan. Shazam."
Hmm... Maybe Phaeste can rewrite the access privileges, bypass Zeus' authorisation and let the Wizard draw on just enough to trigger the transformation spell."Oh. Him. Yes, it wouldn't, would it? I don't have access to my lightning, because Hephaestus has never been a fool. No one else has it, so even automatic things like my gift to Jebediah aren't working."
"How do I start it working?"
Well, if you're going to be that way about it..."Ah, to do that you must perform an epic quest worthy of the Elysian Fields. First, enter the gateway into the Dream in Erebos, and pass into that eldritch place to retrieve a single petal from each of the strange flowers that bloom in Morpheus's own garden. Next, to Tartarus, and steal a single tear from each of the being bound there. These you will need to quench the fires which burn beneath Mount Othrys, that you may take the remaining fragments of the bones of Uranus from their vaults. Then you must travel to unto the hallowed halls of Harvard University, whereupon you may suck my cock."
Figures. Still, at least he stuck with it, instead of trying to cheat his way out of the deal."You realise that Captain Marvel is the one useful thing you've done with yourself in living memory, don't you? The one thing people actually credit you for?"
"Jeb got me to sign up to that while I was merry with drink. Don't expect me to have any real attachment to the man."
Tone down the sarcasm a little, Sparky. Not exactly making the lady more interested in helping you."I doubt that anyone here expects you to have any real attachment to anyone. What exactly do you want on this reference? I can hardly give you a character reference; we barely know each other."
"You mean you might have to lie on a reference?" He looks at her incredulously. "Do people actually tell the truth on those things?"
Besides a tanker's worth of wine, a busload of comely wenches and the throne of Olympus back under your arse?
Like he cares. I get the feeling even if he does return to Olympus, he'll find himself unemployed in short order given Hephaestaean's plans.Zeus turns his head my way. "What?"
"What do you want in order to be helpful? You don't like me and I don't like you, but Captain Marvel respects you and does good work in your name."
Since some of the things he wants probably involves grievous bodily harm on you."Ah, no, no, I think I've been discharged of all responsibilities. Captain Marvel will just have to make do."
I take a quick look at his desire network. Nothing unbearable, but… He's not going to help.
...Hmm. Just how powerful is Zeus without the lightning? Just a strong human man? Perhaps a phone call to the police is in order."Right, fine. Your lack of cooperation has been noted. Good da-."
"Hey!" Dr. Sandsmark glares at me. "Where are you going?"
At least he takes his duty seriously, you wastrel."Erebos. Hades has been nothing but helpful for as long as I've known him."
"Hm." Zeus grimaces. "Family."
Hopefully with index and middle finger split, facing Zeus, for added insult."You ate your first wife and kept her trapped in you head for thousands of years. You literally threw Hephaestus off a mountain so hard that his leg got crushed and you played away from home so often that the Goddess of Marriage divorced you, the rest of your family says 'Hm, Zeus'. Doctor Sandsmark, I apologise for this inconvenience."
I raise my right hand to my forehead
Again? This is starting to become a habit, OL.and
28th October 2012
17:25 GMT +3
appear in Erebos, face to face with Zagreus's arrow.
Because he didn't do his job properly. Hades has no fear in that department."Feeling jumpy?"
"Everyone's feeling jumpy. You just overthrew Zeus."
Hmm... Would that be as the thrill of battle? Would war turn into an action movie under his reign? I doubt Zagreus would suit Savagery."Hephaestaean overthrew Zeus."
"Hephaestaean exists because of you. He asked me if I'd like to try out for the position of War God."
Finding himself considering the upside of accepting the position?"From the way you appear to like pointing arrows at people, I'd say that you were a natural fit."
"Not really." He lowers the arrow and reduced the tension on the string. "Hm."
As it should be. Eris is a troll, a jackanape. OL is Chaos with purpose."What?"
"I just realised that your carefully planned chaos is far scarier than Eris's habit of pulling loose threads."
All those responsibilities too much for you?"But I'm happy with my current job. Why aren't you taking it?"
"I don't particularly want to be a god."
Ah, it's just a wariness of change. How Human of him."You were rather born the wrong person, then."
"No, I mean that I don't have any desire to be part of the kind of active pantheon that Hephaestaean wants us to become. I understand the logic of it; I'm out in the world enough to know what 'competition' is. But I like being a tour guide and hunter. Even thought hunting isn't a part of the lives of most humans any longer, there's a job that an Olympian could do… I don't want to. If anyone needs to do it, Artemis can have the job."
No, the Ares thing was a more personal matter."Were you working the role under Zeus?"
"No, but he didn't care. Hephaestaean does, and I'm concerned that he might take it badly. I heard about Ares."
Well, good to see his father's opinion is that important to him. Filial propriety and all that."I don't think he'll geld you for wanting to come off the civil list. Given the backlogs I'm seeing around here, I'd be more worried about what your father will say."
"I am."
So, he's rich, bored and at leisure. Maybe he needs to find a new passion. Justice, perhaps? God of Vigilantes!"What do you actually get out of it, anyway?"
"Nothing. The power I get from Erebos comes from my being born here rather than being a gift from my father. The spells bound to my equipment have already been paid for and everything else is my innate power."
And they're all sweating about having to actually do their jobs, now there's a new manager in the office. Handlewithcare's Workplace analogy seems especially apt indeed."Can I assume that other Olympians are similarly concerned?"
"Zeus's laziness let people just drift away and do their own thing. If Hephaestaean makes an issue of things, then he…"
And is it something that should concern everyone? Another Oceanus incident, or...Zagreus jerks his head towards the west, staring with no small amount of concern.
"Something wrong?"
Oh, dear Goddesses: Girl Talk."My mother is leaving her grove. She very seldom does-. I should go and see what she wants."
Between Hera and Aphrodite…
"I think I can guess."
Ummm all i want to say is in this quote here
Best research i can find isHuh… Hades and Persephone were probably the most stable, healthy marriage in Greek mythology. Definitely among the Olympians. The whole kidnapping thing is pretty vague due to linguistic reasons, with it being reasonably argued that she was only kidnapped from Demeter's perspective, the page describing the pomegranate thing was ripped (possibly shattered?) before getting to the actual details of what, specifically, it did and Persephone's degree of knowledge and agency in the process. She got homesick but they figured out a commuting schedule, she likes his dog and every myth they appear in together has them very friendly to and protective of each other. Even in the marriage myth, Hades is never narratively portrayed as the bad guy, Zeus is, and mostly for not telling Demeter and immediately deflecting responsibility.
And, perhaps more relevantly, the feeling seems to be mutual. It's kind of glossed over in that video but Persephone has had her own moments of "don't mess with my spouse".Hades loves his wife and as far as the Myths go has never cheated on her,
His lightning is because he's the god of the sky and weather, which position he currently does not hold pending his master's degree.Still not explaining how Hephaestus just randomly gained the ability to de-power Zeus.
Huh… Hades and Persephone were probably the most stable, healthy marriage in Greek mythology. Definitely among the Olympians. The whole kidnapping thing is pretty vague due to linguistic reasons, with it being reasonably argued that she was only kidnapped from Demeter's perspective, the page describing the pomegranate thing was ripped (possibly shattered?) before getting to the actual details of what, specifically, it did and Persephone's degree of knowledge and agency in the process. She got homesick but they figured out a commuting schedule, she likes his dog and every myth they appear in together has them very friendly to and protective of each other. Even in the marriage myth, Hades is never narratively portrayed as the bad guy, Zeus is, and mostly for not telling Demeter and immediately deflecting responsibility.
Ah, I see. Zeus went running to the last woman he 'knew' (in the biblical sense, if you know what I mean) in hopes of finding succour
Ah, yes, I'd rather forgotten about that. Wonder if Ploutos sets up identities for visiting Olympian avatars, or of they have another agent to do it?
And I don't expect him to be experiencing any parental feelings towards Cassie. Maybe hoping to step in as the 'wise old mentor' and set her on the path to being a proper hero (and maybe facing down the 'wicked' Hephaestaean one day.) Seems the sort of short-sighted plan he'd make without Metis
I'd laugh if he was happy to be out of that little long-term pact. I mean, signing a deal like that, he might well have expected it to only last a century, maybe two, only to find out the Wizard was immortal
Besides a tanker's worth of wine, a busload of comely wenches and the throne of Olympus back under your arse?
Like he cares. I get the feeling even if he does return to Olympus, he'll find himself unemployed in short order given Hephaestaean's plans.
So, he's rich, bored and at leisure. Maybe he needs to find a new passion. Justice, perhaps? God of Vigilantes!
Thank you, corrected.'explain how'
'narrate'
'beings'
Remove 'unto'.
'reduces'
'though'
Mr Zoat, just in case you missed it, this link doesn't work anymore."He was not always the old man you have met. Once, long even before he met me, he was a vigorous and powerful warrior. Hm, and clearly one not untroubled by mankind's baser nature."
It's soft magic. How can Zeus eat people whole? How.. How any of the bullshit Greek gods do? Hephaestean overpowered Zeus, and thus got to do a random nonsense thing, very much like a Marvel Thor scenario.Still not explaining how Hephaestus just randomly gained the ability to de-power Zeus.
Huh… Hades and Persephone were probably the most stable, healthy marriage in Greek mythology. Definitely among the Olympians. The whole kidnapping thing is pretty vague due to linguistic reasons, with it being reasonably argued that she was only kidnapped from Demeter's perspective, the page describing the pomegranate thing was ripped (possibly shattered?) before getting to the actual details of what, specifically, it did and Persephone's degree of knowledge and agency in the process. She got homesick but they figured out a commuting schedule, she likes his dog and every myth they appear in together has them very friendly to and protective of each other. Even in the marriage myth, Hades is never narratively portrayed as the bad guy, Zeus is, and mostly for not telling Demeter and immediately deflecting responsibility.
And, perhaps more relevantly, the feeling seems to be mutual. It's kind of glossed over in that video but Persephone has had her own moments of "don't mess with my spouse".
To be fair, his main goal was getting Diana out of Tartarus as soon as possible. As such, there wasn't much time to form a cohesive plan for overthrowing Zeus or the aftermath of doing so. Also, Mr Zoat, how many Greek and Roman gods are now wary of interacting with OL after he helped in Zeus being overthrown?It's a little sad to see OL make one of the classic mistakes. Specifically the one where most revolutions fail because nobody had a coherent plan for what to do if they win.
"Hey!" Dr. Sandsmark glares at me. "Where are you going?"
"Erebos. Hades has been nothing but helpful for as long as I've known him."
should be "his"
Hades, Hepthaetean...please tell me that Captain Marvel will be stuck yelling 'ShaHam' from now on
Thank you, corrected.Unless Zeus is doing something weird with spatial dimensions (especially unlikely given his current circumstances) I believe this:
should be "his"
The Amazons also hate Ares so Paul helping Hephestean humiliate and geld him will probably put them in his favor.Intensely curious to see how the Amazons are about all this. Engaging Zeus and actually replacing him is a major faux pas, but Paul did it for Diana and Heph replacing Zeus as King is on balance better as Heph is far more friendly and approachable.
Wondering how jazzed Io is about the change in management.