Richard
The violent and unconsolable creature known as Geraldine has broken into the Pleasure Emporium, and Hedone seeks out her mother, Psyche, for assisting in removing the threat before it is too late.
Joe
There are costs to every action, remnants of treachery that afflict others in the wake of their ghastly deeds. The woman known as Geraldine had become a thorn in the side of residents living in Olympian as of late, a flailing blonde weasel who seemingly appeared everywhere at once but always when you least expected it. It was clear she shared a hatred for gods alike, a possible repercussion for an event that shaped her within her own origins that were not clear. Hedone had encountered Geraldine only once when she bulldozed through her emporium like a wild boar, smashing vases and screaming obscenities at her maidens because 'happy endings' were not a procedure that was offered. Geraldine had attempted to shatter the aura of elegance surrounding Hedone and her desire to illicit pleasure to those who willed and accepted it, and luckily, she had failed. The pieces of vase were swept away, her maidens were given a wealthy bonus for having to endure such a violent client and their operation returned to normal. That was until Geraldine returned.

In the early morning hours of what was expected to be a beautiful day, Geraldine broke into the emporium where her maidens were preparing for their sessions, startling them with wicked language and a bedazzled pink knife that she said had killed 'many' gods in its time. Her maidens fled to Hedone's condo where they informed her of what had taken placed and she knew there was only one person capable of dismantling Geraldine before she wreaked havoc on a avenue that was dear to her; her mother. Hedone hurried to her mother's abode, barging through the doorway in a golden sheer dress with a frazzled look etched on her face. **"Mother, we must make haste. Geraldine broke into the emporium and threatened my maidens. They say she is still inside!"** Hedone spun on her heel and made her way back to the emporium with her mother in tow, ready to confront Geraldine once and for all.

The Pleasure Emporium was in a state of distress as they arrived, fragments of glass and debris littered the front entryway and the sound of rustling and banging permeated the morning air. Hedone could hear that Geraldine was still inside, if not for the shroud of catastrophic perfume that created a choking hazard inside. Violence was not an action that Hedone typically employed, but she was confident in her own stature to defend herself and what is treasured by her. If that meant that Hedone's hands would be tainted by dirt and blood, that would only be a consequence of safeguarding her future and her desires.

**"By the gods, do you smell that? If we were not sure it was her, we certainly do now. What should we do, mother? I have a shovel that I keep under the front desk if case of emergencies but I do not believe it would leave even a dent in that hulk of a woman."**
Milissa
As ridiculous as it sounded, mortals had always been prone to madness - perhaps even more so than the gods themselves. In recent weeks, the enigma that was Geraldine had emerged as an unsuspecting human woman whose propensity for disruptive behaviour, while earning her ill repute, was otherwise irrelevant. But in time since, her vendetta against the Elysium Retreat staff had become a growing problem that derailed the unprecedented problem of genuine mortal sabotage. 

When Hedone broke the news, Psyche had been on the precipice of a breakthrough with the woman, whose enrolment in the new anti-violence programme at the Elysium Retreat had so far been a success even if problematic. Geraldine's behaviour aside, the other women had taken to the goddess' advice and assimilated well to the challenges that the therapy provided; while certainly experimental, it was also officially accredited as a legitimate avenue of rehabilitation and mitigation. Despite that, the mortal woman had caused enough waves, and so if they were to *Truly* Withstand what was coming in the tedious war of brothers, it was imperative that the latest distraction was addressed. And quickly.

When her mother arrived at the emporium, Hedone's chagrin was already well and truly palpable. Inside, Geraldine had left a trail of destruction of property in her wake - at least thousands of dollars worth of it. Expensive and rare pieces of antique crockery, as well as artwork had been damaged if not completely destroyed, and upholstered furniture crafted by expert hands was vandalised, left in a state of disuse and non-repair. Psyche, for all her patience, pinched the bridge of her nose and let out a little sigh as she surveyed the scene of chaos like a crime scene, then turned to her daughter with a look of calm. It would be remedied, but their first priority was to secure the emporium and clean up. 

**"Incredulous,"** The blonde said quietly as she waved a hand at what appeared to be a destroyed vase, its fragments scattered haphazardly across the tiled floor. **"I always thought she was harmless. She's made so much progress at the spa, so admittedly I thought silliness like this was simply unthinkable."** The hundreds of shards suddenly floated into the air with a warble sound that gave way to an ethereal shriek as the goddess used her power over material matter to fuse them back together. **"Keep your calm, sweetheart. We'll clean up here and be sure to locate her. When we do, the first order of business will be to review the finer details of her therapy commitments, and hopefully alleviate some of her more... Destructive habits altogether."**

Vases, bowls, sculptures, and torn canvases suddenly lifted from the cold tiles and levitated quietly back to where they had been ripped and thrown from. Debris, fragments, and pieces of china and porcelain danced in mid-air all around them like fireflies in twilight, glimmering as they reflected the light of the golden chandeliers that cascaded down from high ceilings like supernovas. Once an environment of hedonism and pleasure, her daughter's abode had been transformed into a church of dread, leaving staff and clientele without answers as to what had gone so horribly wrong. 

**"She's only human,"** Psyche reminded her child as she gave her a warm smile, placing a gentle kiss against the top of her head. **"The** ***Real*** **Concern I have goes far beyond this. The war is getting worse, and the gods stir in anticipation of more retaliation from all sides. Your father does his best, of course,"** She sighed. **"But we may not be safe for much longer."**

||