Little Hades; IC Contact

[bechdelpls]

"Hey! It's Sarah. Leave a message and I'll call you as soon as I can."

Comments

[hardballsy]

You're learning how to fight?

[bechdelpls]

[ A startled pause. ]

Yeah.

[hardballsy]

Why?

[A stupid pause.]

I mean, I can guess, but — has someone been giving you a hard time?

[bechdelpls]

No. Actually people have been really nice to me.

[hardballsy]

So you want to learn to fight because...? If you're scared, I get it. I — [Josh fumbles a little, recovers.] I get it. But you don't have to...

[Or doesn't recover, so much.]

You could get hurt. If, y'know, you're not careful.

[bechdelpls]

I'm not scared. [ That's an odd thing to realize. She really isn't. She's already seen people come into the hospital in pieces from the Pit - hasn't worked on them herself, but she's seen them. And they walk out. Some sooner than others, but they do. It's hard to be afraid of getting hurt after seeing that. ]

And I know I could get hurt. I probably will get hurt. [ Michael seems like a capable teacher, but she doubts he's going to be gentle. ]

[ She struggles to find the words. ] I'm tired of....

[ Not quite. ] When I was alive--

[ No. ] I won't be weak any more.

[hardballsy]

[Josh gets that, too, and he both respects and appreciates the sentiment, but:] Strength isn't just a physical thing.

[bechdelpls]

I'm working on the other stuff I can do. Practicing with controlling my dreams.

[ She's discovering, too, that working on her dreams at night means getting very little actual rest. It hasn't stopped her yet. ]

[hardballsy]

It's not just a power thing, either. I know you know what I mean.

[He's just saying.]

I'm just saying.

[bechdelpls]

[ She's quiet for a little while. ]

Being strong in other ways hasn't helped me much.

[hardballsy]

It doesn't always.

[Maybe she can hear the way he shrugs.]

But in my experience, it does every now and then. I wouldn't neglect or sacrifice those strengths for the sake of power. That's all.

[bechdelpls]

[ She's been crying too much lately. First it was on Gabriel, then it was (it's been) in her room whenever her roommate isn't there. And now she can feel it as an infuriating itch at the corners of her eyes, a squeezing in her throat.

She blinks and swallows until she's at least a little calmer, not trusting herself to speak until then.]

You don't get it. [ He's an adult; of course he doesn't get it. But it's not just that. ] Before, when I was alive, I knew this guy and I liked him a lot. We were dating. But this other guy-- [ She punches her mattress and draws in a deep breath, forcing herself not to lose either to tears or temper. ] He hated my boyfriend. So he came after me. I didn't even matter. I was just someone he could use to get at somebody else.

[ Her skull twinges painfully. It's been hurting non-stop the past few days, not coming in waves, but the constant headache is somehow more bearable for now. ] And it's happening here, it's going to happen again, and I won't let it.

[hardballsy]

[Oh.

Oh.

That pings him hard, square in the chest, for reasons only half-related. But it's a hard enough ping that he's quiet for a moment, too. It's a quick moment, though; he only needs a few seconds to move on, to regroup.

When he speaks again, his voice has gone a little low with concern.]

Sarah, what's going on?

[bechdelpls]

[ She's not going to cry. ]

I don't know if I should tell you. I don't want you to get hurt.

[hardballsy]

And I don't want you to get hurt, so either one of us budges or we stay at this impasse for a while.

[Spoilers: Josh Lyman never budges.]

[bechdelpls]

[ There's a defeated sigh from her end of the line, but she doesn't start talking immediately. ]

I... met the archangel Michael. We're friends. I like him. [ She plucks at a loose thread on the bedspread. There are plenty of them. ] Apparently he doesn't like humans, which makes.... [ There's a heavy bitterness in her voice when she says: ] It makes me interesting. And Lucifer has been visiting my dreams.

[hardballsy]

[Okay, there's a lot happening in what she just said.

But he fixates on one thing for the moment, because that one thing in particular launches his heart up into his throat. Lucifer has been visiting my dreams.

Josh sounds a little pissed when he says:] Has he?

[Like he didn't just hear her clear as a bell.]

Is this why you want to learn how to fight? Because of him?

[bechdelpls]

He hasn't done anything yet. [ She is, as Michael noticed, painfully honest. ] He's actually - he's showed me some ways to work on my dreams. It's not like I trust him or anything, but he hasn't done anything wrong.

[ That she knows of. Which is an uncomfortable thought. ]

I don't think I can do anything against an archangel, even if I know how to fight, but at least I won't feel like I let it happen.

[hardballsy]

[Well, that's nice and all, he guesses, but he's still pissed. And he's going to stay that way.

Like, for an hour at least.]

These are Gabriel's brothers you're talking about?

[bechdelpls]

Yeah. Michael's the one who's going to teach me. He offered when he found out I work at the hospital.

[hardballsy]

[Hesitantly, but eventually:] Okay.

[It sounds like a whole... them thing. He hasn't met Michael yet, but he knows Gabriel well, and he knows their dad, who happens to be God. So he figures if something goes majorly awry and Sarah decides to tell Josh about it, there's always that. Him. God.

...God.

Josh rubs his brow.]

Please be careful.

[bechdelpls]

[ She's just. Not going to mention bargaining with Lucifer. ]

I will.

[hardballsy]

[That is a super wise decision!

The not-mentioning of it.

The bargaining itself, not so much.]

And you'll let me know if you need anything?

[bechdelpls]

I will.

[ There's something weirdly reassuring in an adult wanting to make sure she's all right. Just a regular adult. Not an angel, or a queen, or someone who can use magic. ]

Don't do anything dumb, okay?

[hardballsy]

[Oops. She made him laugh.]

Thanks for the vote of confidence.

[It's funny because he's already doing something dumb. Is well into the process, even, but it has nothing to do with what she just told him.

This is all Josh, being stupid entirely on his own.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯]