Little Hades; IC Contact

[bechdelpls]

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

Comments

[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)_/¯]

[bechdelpls]

[ It's her turn to give a tiny laugh. ]

I think it's probably pretty easy to do something dumb when it's angels.

[ J O S H. ]

[hardballsy]

Hey!

[SUPER OFFENDED. EXCUSE YOU, SARAH.]

[bechdelpls]

[ Okay now she's genuinely laughing. ] I didn't mean it like that!

[hardballsy]

How else could you possibly have meant it?!

[He still sounds offended, but now it's more offended in a way to get her to keep laughing. Laughter is good.]

[bechdelpls]

I meant, like, cosmic angels!

[hardballsy]

[Sheepishly:] ...oh.

[Whoops.]

[bechdelpls]

[ She's still got the giggles. ]

You feel a little like the way they do. The energy you've got is almost the same, just a lot quieter.

[hardballsy]

[What an odd thing to say.]

Yeah?

[And what an odd response for Josh to have, sounding almost hopeful like that.]

[bechdelpls]

Yeah.

[ Something in his tone makes her feel warm. ]

It's how I guessed what Michael was when I met him. I already felt it from you.

[hardballsy]

[She's not the only one feeling warm. It's in his cheeks, mostly, but in his chest, too.

A little abruptly, he asks:] Can I talk to you about something I haven't really talked to anyone about yet? It's relevant to what we were discussing before. Power, and... all that.

[bechdelpls]

[ She's surprised, but happy too. It's not every day you find an adult who talks like you're an equal. ]

Sure.

[hardballsy]

I want to learn —

[How to do magic, he almost says, but then he realizes that sounds like he's saying he wants to learn how to pull a rabbit out of a hat. That's not it. That's not it at all.]

There's — I found this book in the library a few weeks ago. It had symbols on it. No clue what they meant, but this other guy and I, we put our hands on it and a little toy truck appeared out of nowhere. The silliest thing, but there it was. Poof. Just like that. And I felt... the word you used, energy. People can't do stuff like that in my world — I mean, as far as I know, anyway. But I think something about this place makes it possible. I dunno if it's energy or what it is but I felt it, and there's gotta be some way I can do more with it.

You can feel these things in a way I can't — you have experience. So does that... make any sense, what I just said? Do you think I could learn how to do it even though I'm not — even though I don't have...?

[Josh can't put the right words together to explain what he's thinking because he still can't mold his mind to the idea that yes, this is as real as anything else he's ever experienced.]

[bechdelpls]

[ Her impulse response - You found a useful book in the library, anything is possible - doesn't cut it. She knows that tone because she's used that tone, shown that tentative interest, and she knows how easy it is to discourage. ]

It does make sense. And I think if you did that, there have to be ways for you to learn things that are more.... [Amused:] Practical?

[ Talking to another novice is like coming up for air. Someone who's not calm and confident about what they can do. ]

I'll help if I can. I'm still learning too. There are some exercises, though? In one of the books Michael gave me. Things to help increase your awareness, your ability to sense power. I can copy them down for you. It's at least a place to start.

[hardballsy]

[Practicality is what he's after. A use for this whatever-it-is. Not for the same reasons as Sarah, though. She wants to be stronger; he just wants to protect his people.

He wants something he can hold, something he can give away, something that says: Here's a part of me, and it will keep you safe.]

I'd appreciate that.

[bechdelpls]

[ He's given her something to do, something that matters. She can copy those exercises and then she can look for more. She can help someone, do something that won't remind her in subtle and enervating ways that this is the end, and the end is forever. ]

You can do this.

[ There's life in the words that wasn't there when they started talking. ]

[hardballsy]

[Well, that's something.

Josh makes a sound that's almost a laugh.]

Thanks.

[He means it.]

Good luck, Sarah. Don't do anything dumb, either, okay?

[bechdelpls]

[ I never mean to is probably also not a good answer. ]

I won't. Good luck, Josh.