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rakashavia https://ift.tt/31nUZbK
thestuffedalligator:
(God I wasn’t going to write anything else for the Iphigenia story but thenkatthedarkness made a comment on it and it was really sweet and my mind went places so here we are)
It had been an unusual case when it was first brought up to her. But she’d been a counselor for a good decade now, and people said she worked wonders with teenagers.
And all things considered, the last few sessions had actually been going very well. Over the last couple meetings, Iphigenia had even managed to break down her problems into smaller terms than the sheer cosmic horror of divinity.
“When people say, ‘God, please help me,’ I’m the one who responds,” Iphigenia said. The huge vulture wings readjusted themselves. “And - and I can’t do anything about it. I make the pain go away, but that’s all I can do. That’s not what they want. That’s never what they want.
“I’ve seen t-terrible things. And I want to be the goddess who can stop those things.” She looked down at her hands where they clenched at the end of her chiton. “But there’s just too much. I can’t - I can’t be the one who does it. I’m - I can’t - I’m not-”
Iphigenia sobbed, flung herself forward, and wrapped her arms around her therapist.
The mortal held her close as the goddess cried. She closed her eyes. Every act of cruelty since the fall of Troy… It was too terrible to imagine. Did she know about her father? Her mother?
She shook her head. It was still too early to go down that road.
“Let me ask you this,” she said. “Do you think it would be better if you weren’t there to take the pain away?”
Iphigenia sniffled into her sweater. Then in a very soft voice she said, “No.”
“Do you make the pain go away when you’re summoned?”
Another pause. “Every time,” she whispered.
She nodded. “Iphigenia - what happened to you was awful.”
The goddess choked and howled with sorrow. She wondered if this had been the first time she’d been told that. “I know. I know,” she said, even though she knew she couldn’t. “I’m so sorry.”
She rubbed circles with her palm on the bit of back between the goddess’s wings. “But the fact you’re there,” she said, “the fact you’re always there - the fact that you always help, in whatever way you can - god, I can’t even imagine how you do it. You’re so strong in ways you don’t understand, Iphigenia. I’m so proud of you.”
They held each other for a while as the goddess shook with tears.
They parted. Iphigenia’s breath shook with every inhale, each one a sob desperately contained. “Th-th-thank you,” she said.
The therapist realized there were tears running down her cheeks as well. She smiled in spite of them. “Any time, dear.” She glanced up at the clock. “Is there anything else you can think of tonight?”
The goddess shook her head and pulled a couple tissues from the box on the table. “No. Thank you, I needed this.”
“Of course.” She snagged a couple tissues for herself and blew her nose. “Our time’s up, but I do have some homework for you. While you’re out this week and you’re summoned, learn about the person who summoned you, if you can. Next week, just tell me about them. Their name, where they’re from, anything at all. I’ll have an exercise ready for you then.”
Iphigenia nodded, stood up, and bowed. “I will. Thank you again.” The huge wings opened, there was a sound like thunder, and the therapist was alone in her office again.
She pulled off her glasses and rubbed at her eyes. When she put her glasses back on again, her gaze fell on the Book of Summoning left on the table.
She stared at it. It had been left open at Iphigenia’s entry. She reached over, flipped a few chapters back, and looked at the entry for Zeus.
Maybe it was time to have a very serious chat with the boss.
(Your picture was not posted)
thestuffedalligator:
(God I wasn’t going to write anything else for the Iphigenia story but then
katthedarkness made a comment on it and it was really sweet and my mind went places so here we are)It had been an unusual case when it was first brought up to her. But she’d been a counselor for a good decade now, and people said she worked wonders with teenagers.
And all things considered, the last few sessions had actually been going very well. Over the last couple meetings, Iphigenia had even managed to break down her problems into smaller terms than the sheer cosmic horror of divinity.
“When people say, ‘God, please help me,’ I’m the one who responds,” Iphigenia said. The huge vulture wings readjusted themselves. “And - and I can’t do anything about it. I make the pain go away, but that’s all I can do. That’s not what they want. That’s never what they want.
“I’ve seen t-terrible things. And I want to be the goddess who can stop those things.” She looked down at her hands where they clenched at the end of her chiton. “But there’s just too much. I can’t - I can’t be the one who does it. I’m - I can’t - I’m not-”
Iphigenia sobbed, flung herself forward, and wrapped her arms around her therapist.
The mortal held her close as the goddess cried. She closed her eyes. Every act of cruelty since the fall of Troy… It was too terrible to imagine. Did she know about her father? Her mother?
She shook her head. It was still too early to go down that road.
“Let me ask you this,” she said. “Do you think it would be better if you weren’t there to take the pain away?”
Iphigenia sniffled into her sweater. Then in a very soft voice she said, “No.”
“Do you make the pain go away when you’re summoned?”
Another pause. “Every time,” she whispered.
She nodded. “Iphigenia - what happened to you was awful.”
The goddess choked and howled with sorrow. She wondered if this had been the first time she’d been told that. “I know. I know,” she said, even though she knew she couldn’t. “I’m so sorry.”
She rubbed circles with her palm on the bit of back between the goddess’s wings. “But the fact you’re there,” she said, “the fact you’re always there - the fact that you always help, in whatever way you can - god, I can’t even imagine how you do it. You’re so strong in ways you don’t understand, Iphigenia. I’m so proud of you.”
They held each other for a while as the goddess shook with tears.
They parted. Iphigenia’s breath shook with every inhale, each one a sob desperately contained. “Th-th-thank you,” she said.
The therapist realized there were tears running down her cheeks as well. She smiled in spite of them. “Any time, dear.” She glanced up at the clock. “Is there anything else you can think of tonight?”
The goddess shook her head and pulled a couple tissues from the box on the table. “No. Thank you, I needed this.”
“Of course.” She snagged a couple tissues for herself and blew her nose. “Our time’s up, but I do have some homework for you. While you’re out this week and you’re summoned, learn about the person who summoned you, if you can. Next week, just tell me about them. Their name, where they’re from, anything at all. I’ll have an exercise ready for you then.”
Iphigenia nodded, stood up, and bowed. “I will. Thank you again.” The huge wings opened, there was a sound like thunder, and the therapist was alone in her office again.
She pulled off her glasses and rubbed at her eyes. When she put her glasses back on again, her gaze fell on the Book of Summoning left on the table.
She stared at it. It had been left open at Iphigenia’s entry. She reached over, flipped a few chapters back, and looked at the entry for Zeus.
Maybe it was time to have a very serious chat with the boss.
(Your picture was not posted)
