Written for the kinkmeme, just a moment between Thalia & Zeus, since he never got a chance to talk to Thalia himself and I always wondered what he thought about her joining the Hunt.
Lord Zeus, King of the Olympians, God of Thunder and Ruler of the Skies... seemed to have a fondness for the bird exhibits. Of course, the novelty of having eagles salute you on command would make anyone like birds a little more than usual.
Not that she wasn't grateful, but Thalia was under the impression (the way only eternally teenage girls can be) that she was too old for the zoo, even if it was with her very aloof dad.
Actually, no. Especially because it was with her very aloof dad. "... Father?" It was always 'Father' or 'Lord Zeus'. He never seemed a 'daddy' before and certainly didn't now.
Dismissing the bald eagle who was paying him homage, Zeus turned to his daughter, adjusting his finely (maybe even divinely) tailored pin-striped suit. "Yes Thalia dear?"
"Why did you call me away?" It was sudden, and very unexpected, and the rest of the Hunt despised having to kowtow to any male figure, but when Zeus descended with lightening from the sky, even Artemis showed respect. When Zeus asked for a day to spend his time with her, Thalia was extremely taken aback, but realized she didn't have much a choice. Neither did Artemis, though she looked very cross when she gave Zeus permission.
"I thought there was a need for some time with you." A flick of fingers and Thalia found herself with a new ice-cream cone. "I know it isn't nearly enough to make up for years of neglect, but a girl deserves some boon from her father. Especially one who has done as well as you have. You have made me proud Thalia."
Like you weren't already? was what Thalia wanted to say, but she realized that would get her grounded, probably as a newt or a new type of foliage. "... thanks."
They continued, always at arm's distance from one another, trying to enjoy the zoo. Thalia does find it interesting how the animals always react to Zeus differently. The wolves tuck their tails between their legs and roll on their backs in clear surrender. The lions bow like something out of Disney. At the Reptile House, the snakes just stare, though they slither closer to the glass.
"Guess snakes can't really bow or salute." Thalia jokes, trying to fill the awkward silence.
That got a small chuckle out of Zeus that probably caused rainfall in the Midwest. "No, but they are certainly useful spies. Hera makes good use of them."
"oh," Not certain how to respond to that, Thalia just shrugs. "That's weird."
"Is it?" Zeus asks, sounding genuinely curious. "With my reputation, some paranoia is reasonable."
Uncomfortable as the implication is, Thalia has to ask, "Is that why Artemis didn't want me to go with you?"
"Actually yes," Tapping the glass in a clear violation of the sign hanging on the wall by the cages, Zeus conjures a small thundercloud above a particularly smug looking python. "It is true, I have been known to steer her Hunters away from their calling. She is afraid I'll do the same to you."
Thalia can only remember stories about Callisto and panics. "What?"
To his credit, Zeus doesn't pretend that the reaction isn't justified. "Thalia, please. Don't be disgusting."
"Oh..." Thalia feels relief and confusion in equal parts, even managing to take a step closer to her father, joining him in watching the reptiles scared off by tiny thunderclouds. "You do this a lot?"
"Hmm? Oh no," Zeus quickly assures. "Artemis made me promise to respect the wishes of the maidens who flock to her-"
"Dad?" oh crap she actually called him dad!
This takes him so off-guard that Zeus is speechless, a first since Thalia met him.
"umm... I meant with the..." She gestures to the glass cages.
"Oh yes, all the time." Zeus tries to keep the all-too childish grin off his face. "You have to enjoy the little things sometimes."
"That's kinda awesome." Thalia has to admit with a grin of her own. And, while they were in the moment, she screwed up her courage. "Dad?"
"Yes Thalia?"
"Do I make you proud?" She remembered him saying it at Olympus, three years ago, and he hasn't stopped saying it since they came here.
His reaction makes her stiffen. He doesn't give an automatic 'of course you do' or even think for a moment and give her all the reasons she could be making him proud. He just stares, contemplating. "As much as you could."
"... what?" That wasn't expected at all, and Thalia thought she must have gone too far with calling him 'dad'.
"Thalia," Now Zeus was looking around, like he expected Artemis or Hera to come bursting in. "Did you really consider everything that joining the Hunt entailed?"
"What'd you mean?"
Now it was Zeus who was struggling for words. "I mean... did you really consider what your life would consist of for as long as you'd serve with Artemis? Did you really think about the future, and the... pressure that would place on you?"
Camp Halfblood growing and faces changing in blinks of an eye and she no longer would keep track of faces or the names because she'd only remember how old friends like Percy and Grover and especially Annabeth would get-
She's sure she sniffed, or hiccuped, or something like that, because why else would Zeus be patting her on the back in a manner that was probably supposed to be comforting. Otherwise she'd deny it.
"Dad, please," she wipes her nose with the back of her sleeve. "Can we not talk about it?"
"Alright." He goes back to a staring contest with a gecko. It doesn't stand a chance.
"... I just can't leave the Hunt."
"Of course not." Zeus agrees.
"And I can't just turn my back on Artemis, she's been like a mother to me-"
"Thalia Grace, you know full well Artemis is not your mother," Zeus chides gently. "You had a much worse mother, who was afraid, distant and too wrapped up with her own hurt to pay mind to those she loved."
"I don't want to remember her." I don't answer to 'Grace' that's my mother's name. Sometimes the hate is palpable, so much that she's almost afraid she'll choke on it. "I don't want to be like her."
"Or like me?" He asks the question so quietly, so tentatively, that Thalia is amazed she heard it at all.
And she's not sure how to answer that either. Her father was Zeus, King of the Olympians, God of Thunder and Ruler of the Skies... and he took his daughter, trapped in a fifteen year old body despite chronologically being twenty-one, to the zoo to ask if she was proud of him. As bizarre as it was, it was kinda flattering.
"You've got your moments." She conceded, deciding to show him some mercy. "But why ask me why I joined the Hunt now?"
"I'm curious," He answered evasively, watching the gecko lick its eyes in defeat. "And concerned."
Sighing, Thalia tried her hand at staring down a large tree-frog. "I don't know dad. I mean, I still have feelings for boys, that doesn't just go away, and I do worry about what it'll be like when everyone gets older and I'm still the same. But what else could I have done?"
"Accepted the Prophecy?" Innocent as the question is, it costs Thalia her chance to win the staring contest with the frog, turning to face her father suspiciously.
"I don't think I would have done very well."
Zeus smiles enigmatically. "Well, there is where we will have to agree to disagree."
"... thanks."
"So why did you really join the Hunt?"
That doesn't take her by surprise, mostly because she's asked that question too many times herself. "Because I didn't want to fight Luke again. And because Zoe was right about him. Luke did disappoint me."
"And all men are like Luke?"
"No one is like Luke," She dared correct. "Maybe that's the problem."
"Maybe it is." Zeus conceded.
"Why do you even care?"
Again Zeus was silent, putting his hands in the pockets of his pin-striped jacket, deep in thought. "Selfish reasons, ultimately."
"... like?"
"Because I'm your father and I want you to be happy. I wanted to see you laugh again and I wanted to see you grow. I suppose that means I wanted... I always wanted to see you grow-up. You'd be a fine woman." He tapped a finger against the diadem she wore, that marked her as Artemis' Lieutenant. "After all, you already wear that like a princess, you'd only grow to be a queen."
Stunned silence that only has so much to do with the static shock him touching the celestial metal gave her, ensued as she considered what he meant, and the images of a possible future, long since put out of her mind, started to come again.
"... I can't just leave the Hunt..." She repeats.
"No, I suppose you can't." Zeus replies with a sly smile, touching her forehead again. The static shock he gave off was considerably more powerful, and sends Thalia reeling backwards.
To bystanders, the younger girl is just apologizing profusely to the young man whose foot she stepped on. He has brown hair, wears a shirt that advertises love for the Chicago Bears, and a pale, slightly freckled face which is now a mask of grateful confusion. She still manages to look beautiful, even with her hair sticking up like she stuck her finger in an electrical socket, and wide blue eyes that scan the room for... someone as she apologizes.
Zeus watches from Olympus through the eyes of one of the bullied serpents. His daughter long since joining the Hunt stopped keeping track, but that didn't stop him. He was allowed some sentimentality.
"Happy Birthday Thalia."
Fin. Hope you enjoyed it!