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๐ ๐ฌ๐ง๐๐ข๐๐ข๐๐ฌ ๐ ๐ฌ๐ง๐๐ข๐๐ข๐๐ฌ Rich Schaeffer leans back, looking at the sky outside. Clouds bubble at the horizon and lightning flits and dances like two manic lovers. He turns his attention back to you, bringing a glass to his lips with a pale, amber liquor in it. His pale blue eyes narrow underneath dark, blond brows. "Have you ever heard of the King of the Gods, Zeus?" He doesn't allow you enough time to answer. "Lighting, thunder, and all that." He laughs. "But the story is a bit deeper...
"Son of Cronus and Rhea, fated to be devoured like his siblingsโas we all are, in the shadows of our patriarchs. Yet, Rhea was tired of watching her children be consumed in a fury of jealousy and fear. You see, Cronus had learned that his son would be the end of him. It makes you wonder, though. Are we a product of fate pre-destined or one we craft for ourselves? Had Cronus not sought to eat his children, would they not have sought retribution? But I'm getting ahead of myself.
"Rhea swapped Zeus out with a rock. Must have been a well-chiseled one for a damn titan to confuse his own son with a stone." Rich laughs, taking another sip. The storm grows closer. "But I digress... Zeus was raised by nymphs under Rhea's protection. Maybe, that had to do with his proclivities. Anyway, when he came of age, he tricked his father into drinking poisoned wine to disgorge his brothers. Which made Zeus now the eldest of his siblings. I don't make the rules, that's just how things worked. Together, with the help of the Cyclopes, they were able to overthrow their father and the other titans. And so, Zeus and his two brothers came into power.
"They drew lots. Zeus got the sky. Poseidon the sea. And Hades the Underworld. But if you ask me, one knew that they looked good in that just wet look, and the other had a nose that needed the shadows to tone it down." Thunder rumbles in the distance, playing with his laugh. "Zeus married Hera, his seventh wife technically, and from there rule over Olympus began. But, as you can imagineโall that time spent in hiding, fearing for his life, and then leading his brothers to freedom didn't allow for Zeus to see the world. So, much against his wife's wishes, he did." Rich finishes his drink and flags down the waiter with a bright smile on his perfect teeth. They share a curt nod before he continues. "Then without these dalliances you wouldn't have such wonderful stories about Hercules, Perseus, and the lot...
"I'm not excusing his actions, but sometimes in the hopes of getting out from under the shadow of our father, we make ourselves outrageous promises to make every day liveable. But there were consequences..." The waiter brings the drink to the table and looks up. The storm is basically upon you, and yet the rain has yet to begin. "Hera did manage to enact her revenge for all his philandering. Tied him up in a rope with a hundred knots. But as you can imagine, he had loyalty both familial and transactional. Calling upon old friends, he was able to get free, and he set about punishing his wife and those that she consorted with to get revenge. No one on Olympus tried that shit again.
"That is far from the end of Zeus's tale, but to get any more particular... you'd be here all night. And I lost the thread of why I started that conversation to begin with. Oh right..." Rich took a long drought and leaned in. "Much like Zeus, I have carved my empire against the nature of my birth, taken care of those that have tried to stop me, and helped any that asked. Yet... unlike Zeus, no one holds me accountable for my fidelity..." The rain begins about the time his fingers find your hand.
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๐๐๐ข๐๐ฅ๐๐ฃ๐๐ฌ ๐๐๐ข๐๐ฅ๐๐ฃ๐๐ฌ Gone... gone... gone... was the war between the gods. The doomsday that descended upon them with the roar of a dragon had petered out with a whimper. Zeus had only ever known how to defeat his enemies and overcome his powers with cunning and war. Now he was set upon by an entirely different hurdle to vault over. No need for thunderbolts, not that he could conjure the storms to his hands anymore, it was easier to subjugate with knowledge and understanding than power. They stood amidst a battle that was not there's, with weapons they did not hold. So, Zeus would use his words. He was farm from a trickster god, but he had been known for his mercurial nature.
Zeus went forward with what he did best, he gathered his family and made plans. Of course, much like on Olympus, not all were happy to listen to him. So, they ventured off to their own horizons. He spent the two years in Italy consuming whatever he could in terms of knowledge. Old habits pushed him into speaking to humans and convincing them of his usefulness. When they moved to Britain, he was more than prepared to let his plans come to fruition.
In those days, it was the radio that appealed to the masses. So, he started there. His voice was thick as honey and his words were cloying in a time where the world was trying to gain its footing from WW2. Yet, one might have noted that some of his interviews leaned towards collectors and scholars from the British Museum. His radio personality seemed to be equally interested in the state of the world and the Colussus that was at the museum. "An interesting piece of art," he'd say before moving on. Placing those seeds of thoughts in people's minds was what he was hoping to do. Zeus was always about getting out of rough situations no matter what, and that's where he thrived. But, he did miss the comfort of his palace on top of the world.
When they were moved to DC, Zeus had had many lovers and media careers from the ends of where he could venture. America in the early 00s was more than a bit of a culture shock. Yet, there he was in the heart of American politics, Washington DC. Zeus didn't know how long this would last, so he gathered as much influence and patronage as he could. It was easy to stuff politicians, scientists, and journalists in his pockets when one had his charm and looks. Didn't hurt that his knowledge of foreign policies was surprisingly accurate.
When they ended up in Seattle, Zeus was more than tired of performing the same old song and dance. The new medium in which he could exert his influence made itself quickly known. No, not the internet even if it was the prominent solution. For a man of his age and clout, he'd have much more luck on television. At the suggestion of a colleague from DC, he spoke with the producers of a local broadcasting company. He started at the bottom, but in the five short years in Seattle, he went from a surprisingly handsome anchor to a full-blown television personality.
Seattle Late Night with Rich Schaeffer became a success. His face was on billboards, sides of buses, and televisions. All the while, he kept up with the family that would have anything to do with him. More importantly, he kept his fingers in the pies surrounding the Colossus. If he could solve the reason that they were here, trapped in these forms with their limitations, then the other gods would look at him as a hero once again. No longer pulling his brothers from the belly of their father, but pulling the gods from the useless land of the humans.
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