Blood and Thunder- Fig.
A speech or performance that is loud and full of emotion, especially anger

ooOoo

For weeks after Thalia introduced Zeus to cookies, his visits were becoming steadily more frequent until the point where he would drift in and out of the house on an hourly basis. He couldn't stay away, and honestly, it was sort of his way of avoiding what he knew was coming. He supposed, perhaps, that he could ease out of the relationship, you know, soften the blow, but Ms. Grace was relentless. She didn't want him out of her life, and she wouldn't take, 'Sorry, can't help ya, Lady' for an answer.

This extra visiting business would only make her desperate dependency more intense, and he never even had an inkling of this until that faithful night.

How that night began, well, it was innocent enough, wasn't it? Zeus had most of his conscience on Olympus, but meanwhile, a portion of it sauntered about below in the Graces' house. That portion sure had it's hands full, but, a tale is told in a certain order, and the beginning is more dominantly exactly that than anything else, right?

So it was that Hera lured Zeus away from the Throne Room to their lush chamber. Zeus would find she had a few choice words for him, but he already knew that. He was in trouble, deep, maybe abysmal trouble. Oh, he'd been a naughty little thing, hadn't he?

Vaguely, he could recall something- yes, something he'd been forced into by his daughter of all people. She'd snared him into listening to her Nursery Rhyme cassette with her, and one of those teeth-clenchingly horrid tunes came to his mind. Curse Apollo for it, but Bunny Foo Foo was stuck in his head, and now, Zeus felt like Bunny Foo Foo. After having the time of his life boppin' 'em field mice on the head, it was time to get his come-uppings. The Good Fairy only gave so many chances and he'd used them up without thought. He could tell he was about to get a real smart boppin'.

Hera ushered him in: "Oh, come, my Lord, come. Sit, sit, anywhere is fine."

"Why are we in private, my Queen?" Zeus tried to keep the nervous edge from his voice as he sat in a chair he thought befitting of his royal behind.

"You have seemed so stressed of late, Lord, I am overcome with worry."

Zeus nodded, "Well, I see how you may think this, but I can quite earnestly assure you of my content and peace of mind."

"Is that so?" Hera began firmly squeezing his broad shoulders in a 'massage'. "Then, why do you appear stressed, my Lord?"

Zeus shrugged, "Oh ... I suppose my mind is elsewhere. 'Tis all."

"And where is this elsewhere you are so keen on?"

"Ah, somewhere boring you wouldn't like ..."

Hera's grip tensed, constricting on Zeus' shoulders until she interrupted his ichor-flow. "Well, I can certainly believe at least half of that statement."

Zeus cringed, "Dearest, would you kindly rub, not claw ... a smidge lower, oh, and to the left, if you will."

"Yes, my King, whatever King wants."

"What was that?"

"Nothing." Hera begun actually massaging, digging into deep tissues in his back, and before long Zeus had succomb to a sweet spot Hera found on his lower back. With his eyes closed, in a state of relaxation, Hera had complete control over him. "Say, Husband? Have you come in contact with that daughter of yours, Thalia?"

Zeus' eyes flew open, and he slowly uttered, "... Of course, you mean the Charity. No, I don't believe I have heard from her or even of her in the last few decades. Why would you ask?"

"I just know how important your daughters are to you ... so important ... you would give anything for them, would you not? Such is your generosity's bounds- you give and give, but eventually my King, I fear I must warn that'll you'll be forced to give something I have fretted you would for so long."

Zeus was held on edge, "Oh? What would this price be?"

"Everything," Hera whispered to his ear, inching her way back towards his sweet spot. Oh yes, she knew his buttons, and chose which and when so selectively, so expertly. Zeus soon succomb to her enticing allure, his eyes unwillingly fluttering back closed as Hera spoke so softly and sweetly, "Everything I have worked so hard for. Everything you and I have made together. Everything your little seductress could never have that we do. She'll take and take, and you'll give and give, and who's really the winner when her mind starts betraying her?

"That Thalia will want much of the same, Zeus, all mortals want the same thing. They want everything we have, and when you give in, when give them just a little taste ... more is all they will crave for the rest of their days. No satisfaction in their minds, just more, and that is simply how it always is, is it not?

"But, you know this, don't you? Of course you do, you have done this all before," her voice began rising in animosity, "Time and time again, and you continue, so you'll keep doing it time and time again, until, oops, there's no time left at all."

"Hera, my Queen, I-"

"Excuses, excuses!" Hera dug her fingernails deep into his back mussels. "'Tis always something with you! 'Oh, my Queen, I love you, but Dearest, I couldn't HELP myself'. What do you think of me, Zeus? Am I your slave, your back-up, am I just to sit by while you frolic about with your busy hands up every other mortal woman's frock?"

Zeus stood, outraged, "Blasphemy! How dare you disrespect me? Speak in turn, Hera, or-"

"Or what exactly?"

"Or ... ergh, that is not the point!"

"Then, what is? I fail to see why you always persist with these filthy lies, why you continue tarnishing the holy sanctity of our marriage!" Zeus ripped away from her gaze in disgust. He disgusted himself. His stare fixed on the tiling as Hera stepped toward him, "Have you any consideration for my feelings, Zeus? Have you ever any? All I intended to do was warn you; this harlot will do nothing but take and take. I have too much experience with someone who only takes."

An old anger ignited, the one Zeus could use to stick up for his side without loathing himself, "I give you everything."

"Everything but a loyal husband!"

"You live in a fantasy, Hera, you know you do," Zeus roared. "You try to make reality match it, and when even the slightest detail is off, you just can not handle it!"

"FAITHFULNESS SHOULD NOT BE FANTASY!" the palace shook with the emotion Hera's words contained. The Good Fairy wasn't happy with Bunny Foo Foo. How dare he disobey? He must be punished, turn him into a goon, bop him the head!

For the first time in centuries, Zeus found how childish Hera could be; but he knew better than anyone, the trouble with being a patron goddess, well, the ideals of what you preside over are everything. Ideally, marriage is the strongest bond that can be made, the most scared of all vows. To be the goddess of marriage and have your own husband disgrace everything you believe in ... well, she was crazy, but I guess she had her reasons.

In that moment, he held so much loathing and revulsion towards himself. In the end- selfish - it'll always be his fault-

Decidedly, Zeus turned on his heel, and walked out the door.

Hera stood, for a silent moment absolutely stunned, then sped after him, "Where are going? Cease your treading ... I said cease!"

"I heard what you said, I just do not wish to talk to you."

Hera hit a splintering point; she was ready to just snap any second, "Well, you can not just- just walk away!"

"I am already, 'tis possible." Screw the Good Fairy, Zeus thought bitterly. Bunny Foo Foo's gotta get his kicks, too.

Hera stopped chasing after him. Trembling with unparalleled rage, she shrieked to the heavens, "ABIDE BY YOUR VOWS!"

With the snapping of his fingers over his shoulder, Zeus was gone from Olympus.

ooOoo

Thick, shattered glass swam in a puddle of splattered crimson. Set and drying, Zeus was surprised to find how closely red wine resembled mortal blood.

"Thalia ... it's bedtime," Zeus distantly heard a disappointed whine. He store into the pool, "Now."

Zeus would be in awe if he wasn't so dismayed. Yeah, of course, he knew what was going to happen, he knew all along ... he just didn't know how fast. His poor sweet love ... his poor, sweet Thalia, too, there was always her to think about, wasn't there?

Then, for instance. He had to snap away from his reverie to lift her over the shards of glass so she could scamper off down the hall. Scampering off sounded good about now. Oh, scared Olympus how it sounded good.

But where to? This was where he always scampered off to.

Zeus heaved a pained sigh, and covered his mouth, unsure of what to say. He studied the mess before him as it reminded him of the mess to come (why was he always made the janitor? He was Zeus! He didn't-).

"You're late."

She stood in his peripheral, arms crossed, and expression dangerously close to furious. She had a sort of drunken rhythm to her as she swayed slightly, which she would've denied if he'd questioned, even with the shards swimming there as clear as day.

He closed his eyes, "I know."

"I don't care if 'you know'," her nose wrinkled, but she soon dropped back into her angry expression. "you're late. I knew you'd come crawling back, you always do, but did you have to take so long?"

"Hera." Like that explained everything. It did, in a way, but Ms. Grace didn't have to be happy about it.

Anger sparked, "Tell me something- why is it always her over me? Huh? Why can't you dump the witch and be done with it?"

Zeus groaned, knowing where this was going. Again. "Darling-"

"No, you can't 'darling' your way out of it this time, I want answers. You don't even love 'er anymore, just dump her! You come here because you need a break, I know it as much as you, Buster; why not hit Splitsville and-"

"Please, just stop-"

"You need your breaks so bad, why not just-"

"Maybe she's not the only one I need a break from!"

She advanced on him and began poking his chest with each word: "You need me."

"I need time away from Hera." he corrected. "I can spend time anywhere, you know"

"You're so hot for me you can't take it, 'member you said that?" she had her arms around his neck.

"I say a lot of things, you said that."

"I said you make a lot of promises, promises you like to break. Now, let me get your mind off that old-"

"'Tis a rotten lie, I could never take pleasure in breaking them. I do not like hurting-"

Ms. Grace's foot stomped down, "Shut up and love me!"

Zeus studied her for a silent, awestruck moment. Then, before he could realize what he was saying, the words tumbled out simply, and accordingly: "No, thank you."

Ms. Grace pulled away a bit, just enough to look Zeus straight in the eye, "You don't have a choice anymore. You're addicted. You need me, I'm your fix. You might say you're gonna quit, and you might even try some, too, but in the end, Babe, you'll crawl back. You always come crawling back- and I'll do you up good, and you'll give in for a while, then- well, then we'll be back here again.

"Don't you see how stupid you are about it? Doesn't it make so much more sense-"

"I do not need you, I am leaving you," Zeus bellowed. He shook off her touch bitterly, stepping backwards into the liquid wreckage, "and when I use that door this night, it will be the last time I use it."

"No, it won't, 'cause you need me! You need me so much it hurts, you just can't take it when you're away, so go on and leave, but you'll be back, you'll come crawling back! On hands and knees, whimpering like the sorry excuse you are! YOU ALWAYS COME BACK!" (Back and back again and back some more! Why? Why? It's obvious, isn't it? Selfish!). "YOU NEED ME LIKE HELL!"

"Like Hell I need you ..." Zeus muttered sharply as he left to find the door in the dimming dusk.

Then, savagely, and oh so desperately, Ms. Grace staggered after him. Her grip latched on to his shoulder tore him away from his escape. She kissed him passionately, with every fibre of passion she could ever muster, and strangely, or not depending on your view, he didn't fight her off. Maybe that was why he hadn't just snapped his fingers and went off, like he would with Hera. Maybe that was why his stride was lingering, and his thoughts were still lustful. Maybe he did need her.

At least, he was convinced her needed her then. Every part of her. So, yeah, maybe she was his drug, and maybe addiction wasn't as ugly a word as he'd thought. Like affair.

Whatever the case, whether or not he truly believed any of that, didn't matter to him then. He just needed his fix.

So, no, Zeus never held true to his word that he'd only use that door that night. Evidently though, the next mourning was the perfect opportunity to follow through on his threat. To finally scamper off.

ooOoo

Little Bunny Foo Foo hopping through the forest, scooping up the field mice, and bopping 'em on the head.

Down came the Good Fairy and she said: "Little Bunny Foo Foo, I don't wanna see you, scooping up the field mice and bopping 'em on the head. I'll give you three chances, and if you disobey, I'll turn you into a goon!"

Repeat a whole three times.

ooOoo

A/N: Alright, alright, I know the whole Bunny Foo Foo thing might seem weird, but there was a point to it. Sorry if I, you know, deeply and horribly disturbed anyone.

Also, I can guarantee it'll be a while for the next update. I apologize in advance, but I want to see if I can finish this other fic I'm working on in a week. I just want to be done with it so I can focus on this one :)

So, other than that, thanks for all the support, and see ya l8er ;)