(no subject)

[rhodus.insanejournal.com]

Who: Psyche & Rhode
What: Collecting the lost little sea maid
When: Monday afternoon
Where: Coffee shop in Chelsea


Rhode had snuck into the coffee shop when the counter staff weren't looking, dashing straight into the bathroom and scrubbing the dried blood from her face. Her eyes were wild, her hair matted to her head, and she couldn't get all the blood out from underneath her fingernails. She didn't even know where all of it had come from, she just knew she wanted it gone.

The staff told her she'd have to leave if she didn't buy anything, so she headed outside to wait for Psyche, legs drawn up, chin on her knees. About 20 minutes later, one of the teenagers who'd been behind the counter slipped outside with a cup of hot tea and a slightly stale turnover. Offering them to Rhode, she said, "You look like you could use them, and they won't miss one." Tears welled up in Rhode's eyes as she thanked the girl profusely, letting the tea warm her from the inside out.

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[mind-freak.insanejournal.com]

Psyche often felt it her job to run to the rescue of others. It came with being goddess of the Soul and also as a nursing assistant by career. When someone needed help she had a difficult time doing nothing. And when it was someone she considered family she tried to volunteer first. This time was no different. I look like a stabbing victim echoed in her mind and made her feel ill.

It took Psyche longer than she liked, but within half an hour she had arrived at the address Rhode had given her. It took only a moment for Psyche to feel her out and she hurried over. Dropping the bag she'd brought, she looked Rhode over to look for any visible wounds. After the weekends ordeal she wanted to be certain Rhode hadn't been stabbed again. "What happened?" she asked, pulling out some rubbing alcohol and a gauze pad to clean up what was left of the blood.

[rhodus.insanejournal.com]

"It's not my blood," Rhode said in hollow voice. "I don't remember hardly anything about this past weekend. The last thing I can recall is...leaving this all-night diner Friday morning. Then it's just...blank. I ran into someone-literally-and then I just wanted to hurt my father. And...and my husband." Her voice trailed off as she said that. "Oh gods. Oh gods, I hope it's not his blood."

Ah yes, Rhode's member *facepalm

[mind-freak.insanejournal.com]

At finding out it wasn't Rhode's blood Psyche looked obviously relieved. "Thank the gods, I was worried you'd been hurt again." But then she quieted and listened intently as she cleaned Rhode up, soaking up the information like a sponge. She hoped there was something in Rhode's memory that could help them figure this out. There was the bit about figuring out whose blood this was and whether Rhode played a role in the injuries they came from. She made a face, "We would all like to hurt your father." It had slipped out with great bitterness and she blushed at her own words. She paused only a fraction of a second and moved to Rhode's arms. "You fear you've harmed Helios?" she asked in a low voice.

LOL

[rhodus.insanejournal.com]

Rhode snorted. "Yes, and I think they'd have to get in line behind his own family. But no, far as I can tell, I'm OK. I mean, I don't remember getting hurt, but that's not saying a whole lot, because there's not much I do remember." She fell silent as Psyche cleaned off the blood, her mind going a thousand miles an hour.

"I was so angry," she whispered. "I was in such a rage, I wanted him to hurt, I wanted him to bleed. Just...I left the diner and there was this woman...I can't help but think she had something to do with it. It just hit me like a sledgehammer. And that's not like me. I mean, I've been angry before, I've been furious before, but never like that. Never at that level of bloodlust. And looking back on it now...the thought of what I might have done terrifies me."

[mind-freak.insanejournal.com]

Psyche smiled at Rhode's response. "If he ever harms Eros ever again I'll send him to Hades myself." And that included breaking into their house. She wouldn't take any chances. She nodded as she continued to clean up Rhode. It took several minutes but she had managed to remove all the visible blood. What was on her clothes would have to be taken care of later. But she pulled out a jacket and offered it to Rhode.

Now she simply knelt in front of Rhode, watching her as she spoke. I left the diner and there was this woman... It just hit me like a sledgehammer Psyche made a small movement with her head, her brows wrinkling in thought. "No, it isn't," she agreed. "Even if you've been upset with them I can't remember you ever doing anything to hurt someone." She thought for a moment. "Tell me more about this woman. She sounds like the last person you saw. She must have something to do with it. Do you remember what she looked like?"

[rhodus.insanejournal.com]

"No one would stop you," Rhode said, smiling a little for the first time. "As annoying as Eros can be sometimes, I like to think that, deep down, he means well. And no one deserves to have my father bearing down on them." She pulled the jacket on over her own thin hoodie and said, "Thank you. I'm burning the clothes I wore this weekend."

"The only person I've ever wanted to hurt in my anger is my father," she agreed. "Even at my angriest at Helios, we'd usually just spar and beat the crap out of each other. Or walk away." She thought about Psyche's question. "I didn't see much," she said at last. "She had dark hair, and she kept...babbling and giggling. I didn't get that great of a look, the dark had fallen over the city and I could barely see. I wish I'd looked a bit closer."

[mind-freak.insanejournal.com]

"He means well. He just gets bored and decides to stick people with arrows. I don't know how many people I've stopped him from falling in love because I knew the outcome would be bad," she said darkly. She nodded, "I'd probably burn mine too."

Psyche watched Rhode closely, mainly to make sure there wasn't anything physically wrong with her. She had to make absolutely certain before she allowed Rhode to stand up. She nodded eventually, "Whoever this woman was, she had to have done something to you. For some all it takes is touching or sending out brainwaves or, I don't know biting to make others act a certain way. There's no telling who it might have been, seeing as there are so many gods who can inflict anger to some degree, it just depends on what kind of anger." She sighed heavily and looked firmly at Rhode, "Are you ready to stand? You can come back to my place or wherever you want to go. I'll make sure you get there okay."

[rhodus.insanejournal.com]

Rhode smiled softly. "It's why I asked him to officiate our wedding," she said. "And we're sort of family, depending on who you ask. Love is grand, don't get me wrong, but it's better when it blooms on its own, I think." She nodded firmly in agreement. "Even if I washed them, I don't think I could look at them without thinking of this weekend."

"Sounds like the stories I've heard about some of the Di Nocti," she said. "It's why I don't really talk to a lot of them. It wouldn't surprise me at all if it was one of them, considering this smacks of their parents." She nodded to the question. "Yeah, I can get up. I don't really care where I go, as long as I can shower."