Work Text:
-*-
Executive in charge of Almost Everything
Muse of Fanfic IV
by Scorpio
-*-
Zeus looked over at the clock again and figured that the board meeting over at Sun Chariot Inc would be over. Granted, Apollo was always terribly busy with all his various duties. His son Asclepius generally ran the Olympus Medical Clinic for him and the Muses usually only needed to be seen once a month for a general review of their work...at least until this latest crisis. His other sons, Orpheus and Linus ran Apollo's radio station, W.S.U.N., for him so that was handled well. It was the Philosophers and the Weather that Apollo dealt with personally.
And that was a huge misconception right there. Most mortals thought of Apollo as merely a "sun god" and figured that he drove the big fiery chariot. Apollo was far too busy to spend all day in a chariot...or even their newly style and designed for comfort space craft. No, Helios handled the piloting just as Selene piloted the Moon, but Apollo dictated all of the things that went into making both day and night. The atmosphere...so to speak. Simply put, the weather.
Still, all that planning must come to an end sometime, if for no other reason than to simply put current plans into action. With a nod to himself in response to his own reasoning, Zeus flipped his golf club up onto his shoulder and disappeared in a shower of gold and silver sparkles.
He reappeared moments later standing next to his son...and found that he was in the board room of Sun Chariot Inc and that the board members were all eyeing up his mint green, magenta and lemon yellow golf outfit with barely suppressed glee.
BOREAS: Hey big guy!
Zeus smiled fondly at the giant winged god and found it mildly ironic that Boreas called *anyone* "big guy".
BOREAS: Did you stop in to order a huge storm? With fierce winds and rain? Wanna throw around some lightening bolts?
Zeus chuckled and walked over to pat the blonde bearded and winged giant. While he was technically not a member of the board, they often invited him to come play with his lightening bolts and his thunder booms when they were stirring up a huge storm. After all, what fun was a fierce storm without sound effects and a light show? Then, they would all head to Apollo's place and celebrate.
ZEUS: No, no. Sorry to disappoint you, old friend. No storm on the horizon. I was just stopping by to see Apollo. I didn't realize that your meeting was running late.
Boreas pouted slightly, but his brother patted him on the back in sympathy.
NOTUS: Aww, stop scowling you old wind bag. We'll schedule a big storm next month and you and the big guy can have a blast catching up on old times and blowing trees out of the ground.
Boreas turned to Notus and growled at him in an uncanny imitation of Ares.
BOREAS: You are *you* calling an old wind bag? You old wind bag!
Notus scowled and smacked his brother. Who smacked him right back. Helios, Aether, Eurus and Zephyrus instantly began betting on a winner. Hemera, Eos, Urania, Selene and Nyx all rolled their eyes and shared glances of long suffering.
NYX: Men! They're all such babies!
Apollo cleared his throat pointedly and sent two brief bursts of golden energy at the two brothers. Boreas and Notus both settled down and looked about sheepishly. Aether pouted because he'd just lost a bet to a smugly smirking Helios.
APOLLO: Actually, Zeus. I think that we're done for the day.
The Sun God turned to glance over at Aether and pinned him with a look.
APOLLO: I'll expect that report on the Ozone situation to be on my desk by the end of the week.
Aether gulped loudly and nodded. He did good work...if you reminded him a billion times to actually get it done. God of the Air...or God of Airheads. It was often debated in private.
One by one the Gods and Goddesses began to pop out of the meeting room. Zeus walked over to Urania and put a gentle hand on her shoulder.
ZEUS: Stay a moment, my dear.
With a slightly serious expression on her normally dreamy looking face, Urania stayed in her chair and gazed up at her father. Smiling gently, Zeus waited until everyone but himself, Apollo and Urania was gone.
ZEUS: I don't know if Apollo told you or not, but the Twelve met to discuss you and your sister's situation. They voted to create a new Godhood; the Muse of Fanfic. Please tell your sisters that it shouldn't be too much longer until there is another Muse in place to relieve some of your burdens.
URANIA: Wow....
Her expression was a bit dazed, but obviously very happy.
URANIA: That's great! They'll be thrilled to hear that. It'll take a bit to train a new Goddess, but it'll be worth it in the long run.
Zeus nodded and smiled benignly.
ZEUS: Yes, my dear. I agree. And that's why I'm here. I need to talk to Apollo about the details of this venture. So, why don't you run along and tell your sisters the good news?
With a beaming smile, Urania bounced up out of her chair and leaned over to kiss Zeus on the cheek.
URANIA: Okay, Daddy.
With a little wave and a girlish giggle, the Muse of Astronomy popped out in a shower of sparkling silver glitter that twinkled like the stars she loved so much. Zeus chuckled and turned a grin on Apollo. He could always tell when he was doing something right...his children called him "Daddy" at those times.
ZEUS: I haven't seen her that excited since the development of electronic telescopes.
Apollo flashed him a megawatt smile and leaned back in his large leather chair. With a wave of his hand, he materialized two martinis with olives in them and gestured for Zeus to take a seat.
APOLLO: Yeah, she was almost acting girlie there for a moment.
Taking a sip of his chilled gin, Apollo's face turned serious.
APOLLO: So...did you get a chance to talk to Mnemosyne?
Zeus scowled, a dark look crossing over his face for a moment before he sighed and took a long drink of his booze. Then he scrunched up his nose at the burn and exhaled.
ZEUS: Yes. She's...not receptive to the idea of another child. I don't blame her. She's swamped with duties and it's been so long since she's had a little one running around that I can see why the notion would be...uncomfortable.
With a sigh, Zeus put down his drink and rubbed at his eyes with weariness.
ZEUS: I'd rather not force the issue...so to speak. If you can think of any other options, I'd be glad to entertain them.
Zeus looked up at his son and willed the man to understand his reluctance to force a child on 'Nemy against her will.
For a long moment it was silent as Apollo gazed down into his drink, a slight frown turning down his normally smiling lips. Finally, he looked up, a shrewd expression on his face that showed the brilliance that allowed him to go toe to toe with Athena over points of philosophy and the determination that allowed him to go toe to toe with Thanatos over some ill patient on the verge of dying.
APOLLO: Okay...so you have the Twelve's vote to create a new Godhood.
Zeus nodded as Apollo ticked off that point on a finger.
APOLLO: And Mnemosyne doesn't want to get knocked up again in order to give birth to a Muse.
Zeus nodded as another finger was ticked. A slightly curious look crossed the Sun God's face.
APOLLO: Does this new Muse have to be born? Or can we...perhaps promote someone to godhood? An Elemental or a Naiad, perhaps? Or...or could we find a dead god and bring them back and give them a new job? I mean...there's got to be plenty we can do?
Zeus frowned as he considered what Apollo had just said.
ZEUS: Not a Naiad. Not for this position. An Air Elemental...maybe. The best thing would be to bring back a dead god, but most of them are employed by Asphodel Industries. I'm not sure that Hades will be all that willing to just...give one of his people up.
APOLLO: So...offer him something in return. I don't know, maybe Hermes could get the Underworld hooked up online for a discount?
Zeus scowled and rolled his eyes even as he finished his martini. Apollo created him a fresh one.
ZEUS: That stubborn old ghoul. What *is* it with him and his people and their bizarre dislike of computers? Hermes *still* has to hand deliver all messages in written form to the Underworld because that kook refuses to upgrade his filing system.
Apollo grunted and shook his head in genuine confusion.
APOLLO: I have no idea. Some superstition about change, most likely. Anyway, I'm sure that you'll think of something.
Then Apollo frowned as another thought bounced around his head.
APOLLO: So...who are you thinking of asking for?
Zeus smirked and then finished off his second martini. Standing up, he swung his golf club up over his shoulder again, narrowly missing an ancient clay vase on a marble pedestal.
ZEUS: Oh, I'm going to ask him to return Strife. That'll make Eris and Ares happy, fulfill my duties of appointing a new Muse and it'll serve as punishment to the girls for threatening to Strike. Sorta kills three birds with one golf ball.
Then, chuckling evilly at Apollo's horrified expression, Zeus popped out of the Sun God's board room in a shower of silver and gold sparkles and a flurry of little mini golf balls that dissolved whenever they hit something solid.
SCORPIO
[scorpiofic@aol.com]
http://members.tripod.com/sentinel-cat/Scorpio