Outside the Gryffindor Common Room

[late_born_myth]

Psyche went first to the room she shared with Eros, but only long enough to scribble a brief note, and wrap a blanket around her shoulders. She was still shivering pretty continually, and she wondered in a vague way if there was something else she should do for that. As she stepped back out into the halls outside the Gryffindor common room, she

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[shi_no_duo]

((*wibbles, sad for Psyche*))

[shi_no_duo]

*Duo sees Psyche standing in the hall with a blanket around her, he sences the sadness around her like it's a visable thing; he walks up to her* *in a soft voice* Do... do you want to talk about this over some hot chocolate? *is curious as to why she's so sad*

[late_born_myth]

"Talk?" she says, and tries to smile. "I'm not very sure how coherent I can be...there was an accident, you see, and I'm not myself. But hot chocolate might be good. I seem to be," frowns down, looking slightly puzzled, "cold, somehow."

[shi_no_duo]

Shall we go inside the common room then? I can get the fireplace started and send the house elves for some hot chocolate and food if you're hungry.

[late_born_myth]

I'm waiting for an owl. Or I suppose not an owl, exactly...a message. Oh...I wonder if the hat will be able to send a message back, since I didn't use an owl. *a flicker of concentration passes over her face for a moment* There, that should do it.

*slightly more adept attempt at a smile this time, though it's really just a movement of her mouth, unreflected in her eyes* Oh, I'm babbling, aren't I? I'm sorry, I told you I wasn't too coherent. And of course talking about owls and sentient hats and things makes it sound even more like Edward Lear-type nonsense, doesn't it?

*Psyche's not feeling too enthusiastic about going back into the Gryffindor common room, as she's spent time there with Eros. She's too polite to say so, though, and anyway it would involve explaining everything else*

[ugly_old_hat]

Hello, Psyche. I received your message. What's this about needing to stay somewhere other than your chambers? Are you wishing to move out of Gryffindor entirely, or just into another room? Is this a temporary situation?

[late_born_myth]

I don't know how temporary it is. I just...

I was accidentally scratched by one of the lead arrows that cause indifference. I'm not...I'm trying to hold together. I'm sure I'll be fine. In whatever way I have to be.

Eros has gone off to Olympus to get more gold arrows; he'll be back in a few hours, I suppose, and he'll want to "fix" me. I'm not sure how I feel about that. I know I'm not my normal self. But I'd really rather not be around him more than I have to, and I can't stand the thought of sharing space or sleeping with him right now.

I'm not sure if or when the arrow will wear off. Logic says it should, since this isn't my natural state. I don't think. But I don't know if that arrow had a time-expiration attached to it, like the ones he used on Valentine's, or if it was meant to be permanent. And I don't know how it will interact with my own powers.

I don't particularly want to move out of Gryffindor, but I'll go wherever I need to. Though, please, not to that room where we were hiding. I certainly don't want to

[shi_no_duo]

If I may interject here, Mr. Hat...

If Psyche is willing, i'd be happy to room with her. I am concerned for her well being and would like to be her friend if she would let me.

[late_born_myth]

*softly* I'm very touched by your concern. Of course I'd be glad to have your friendship.

...but are you sure you want to room with me? My husband is not going to be...happy about the situation, to begin with. Logically he must know that I can't involve myself with someone else without his knowing and, in fact, allowing me to do so, but...logic has never been one of his distinguishing characteristics. I wouldn't want your generosity to be rewarded by his anger.

Oh, and now I'm countering my own request, aren't I? I always seem to be contradicting myself. I just don't want...well, anyway. Are you sure about that offer, Duo?

[green_n_buttery]

Bridge was still trying to come up with the best way to distribute his anonymous valentines, shuffling the stack on them as he wandered around the Gryffindor dorms. He didn't want to particularly interrupt Psyche's discussion with Duo or the hat, but he inched over towards her, looking like he was trying to be sneaky, and failing miserably. He pulled a valentine at random from his stack, and nodded thoughtfully to himself. It had a big pink butterfly, wings marked with red hearts, printed on it. The back read "A valentine for the prettiest butterfly I know."

[late_born_myth]

*Psyche turned and blinked at him, looking a little bemused* Hello, Bridge. Oh, I'm sorry, we haven't introduced ourselves, have we, so I shouldn't know your name yet. Well, mine's Psyche.

((Has he actually given her the valentine yet?))

[green_n_buttery]

Bridge grinned sheepishly, reaching up to rub the back of his neck sheepishly-- and nearly accidentally dropping all the cards. He fumbled them back into some semblance of order and grinned brightly at her. "Hi. I sort of know you-- you've been around, and I know your husband by reputation mostly. Nice to meet you! I'm Bridge Carson." He extended one gloved hand, and shoved the stack of valentines in his pocket, keeping out only the one for Pysche.

((Not yet. He will in a moment.))

[late_born_myth]

"Nice to meet you, too," she said automatically, and shook his hand. She could do this, she could interact with people. It was just as easy as it had ever been; she knew what to say as long as she didn't have to think about...things. But they kept bringing him up. Well, of course they would; he was her husband, and he was a major part of the human condition, and he was a highly visible school troublemaker, all at once. They could hardly help bringing him up.

And now that she had started thinking about that she had lost her comfort with the conversation. She forced herself to think of something to say, something about him and not her own problems. "What are you doing wandering around with all those...what are those?"

((I'm just about to collapse into bed. We can pick this up in the morning, if you like...))

[teatimeassassin]

Being caretaker meant that Teatime had good reason to sneak about prowl explore, and right now he was walking about examining some of the paintings. They moved, and some of them even talked. This was such an interesting place, really.

Then he looked up.

Mister Teatime did not make a habit out of noticing beauty, which was somewhat shallow and really didn't suit his purpose, but it was shoved into his eyes like a rusty---all right, bad comparison. All the same, his interest was piqued. She looked rather miserable, or at least lonely. Isn't she Eros' wife? What could be wrong with her? He walked over.

"Hi!" he said, as means of introduction, or just notification of his prescence. "What's wrong?"

[late_born_myth]

"Oh, hello, Mr. Teh-ah-tim-eh," said Psyche, with her best attempt at a smile. It seems to be getting easier, this talking to people thing. It helps, she thinks, that Teatime is so straightforward in his approach. "I've...there's been an accident with one of my husband's arrows and I'm feeling...very much not the way I usually do." She looked down ruefully at the long scratch on her arm, faded already to a thin white scar. "I suppose you can probably guess a little about what that's like...only in reverse, really." She pauses, then meets his eyes steadily. "I didn't know what was going to happen with you and Susan, not until he'd already done it. I can't say if I would have tried to stop him if I had known. But it wasn't my idea. If that counts for anything."

[teatimeassassin]

It didn't. However, Teatime felt no need to say anything about that. Not in these circumstances.

"Oh?" he asked pleasantly. "I'm sure anyone else would have done the same. Your situation, though, must be awful, mustn't it, Miss Psyche?" His eye widened ever so slightly, as his corkscrew mind whirred (it was only just barely inaudible). "But why was he toying with his arrows around you, madam?"

[late_born_myth]

"Done the same and done nothing?" inquired Psyche. "Possibly. I don't know, I've never been anybody else before. It's a new experience for me."

She shrugged. "He always does play with them," she said, irritation clear in her voice. "Like a little boy with his first wooden sword. You'd think he would have learned...I suppose he likes to be reminded of his powers. Hephaestus makes them for him, you know, but they're really a physical manifestation of Eros's power. That's why they don't physically hurt mortals. It's usually the gold ones he plays with, of course, and it doesn't matter when he nicks himself with those. But he ran out on Valentine's Day shooting everyone else in the entire damn school which meant when the lead-tipped scratched me..." she broke off, and squeezed her eyes closed.