[Open] Because I am made out of shipwrecks, every twisted beam.

[starryeyed_cass]

Not much time has passed for Cassie Riddle in the time she’s been away from Chicago, only two days - to be exact. She found herself stuck in some bizzare mini-world that was almost the exact double of a gameshow she used to watch as a child called ‘Fun House’. Except this one doesn’t have nice prizes or fun games and is a lot harder than she ever

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[faraday_effect]

It's not every day Dani sees someone fall from the sky.

But this is Chicago, isn't it?

She stuffs the book she was reading into her bag and hurries over to the woman nearby, nearly tripping over her own feet when she realizes who she's looking at.

No wonder Cassie didn't answer her note.

Dani drops to her knees and places a hand on Cassie's shoulder, giving her a quick once-over for injuries before gently nudging her. "Cas-" The name sticks in her throat like glue, and Dani has to cough to make it pass. "Um. Miss? Hey, are you alright?"

[starryeyed_cass]

Cassie opens her eyes, disorientated and coughs - feeling a little winded from the landing. She lets out a low moan of pain, everything hurts. Nothing's broken, she's just bruised and achy.

And then, she can feel the grass under her hands, between her fingers and she's not sure what's going on. Everything is just bright lights and noise and.. someone's speaking to her.

".. I... Where am I?" she asks weakly, "I.. did I fall through another Rift,"

She's not really thinking that it could be absolute crazy talk she's speaking - just on the chance she's not in Chicago. But anyone could clearly pass it off with her confusion.

[faraday_effect]

"You might have," Dani says, leaning back on her heels to give Cassie some space while she comes to. "I just... I saw you fall. From the sky."

It kind of screams 'rift', doesn't it?

"You're in Chicago. It's July, 2011."

[starryeyed_cass]

"Oh.." She's not quite sure what to make of that. She's done a lot of falling lately. Usually there were ball pits and massive vats of gunge involved.

Cassie's slow to move, pushing herself up with her arms to sit. She looks at Dani, she doesn't know who she is. But hearing the word 'Chicago' is definitely a good thing.

But then.

"July?!" There is panic and worry in her voice. As much as she is tired and achy, she is going to throw that all out the window. Because if she's lost that much time, people are going to be looking for her and freaking that maybe the CLF got her.

"But.. I.. I was only gone two days," she explains. "It should only be June the seventeeth, not July,"

And now her headache just got ten times worse.

[faraday_effect]

Oh.

Dani's heart sinks.

"Hey, calm down. It's okay. This kind of thing... happens, sometimes. I-" She presses her lips together, frowns. "I had a friend, and the same thing happened to him. But you're back now, yeah? So it's okay. You're okay."

[starryeyed_cass]

Cassie grimaces, putting a hand to her forehead. This is seriously bad. Oh god, who knows just what's happened in the time she's been away. She feels like crying, but she won't - she can't let herself get worked up.

And the girl is right, she is okay.

"I really, really hate the Rift. I was gone two days... not.. nearly a month," she utters shaking her head, ".. It messed around with him too?"

She takes a breath and rubs at her forehead.

"I.. I need to find my journal... as soon as possible," she says, "I've got to let them know.. I'm okay, I'm back.."

[faraday_effect]

"First," Dani says firmly, "You need to relax. You might be hurt, and we can't try to move you until we know if you are. Just take a few minutes, get your bearings, breathe... then I'll help you get wherever you need to go. Deal?"

This isn't the first time she's dealt with something like this, though helping people on the island wasn't quite the same as this.

It was eerily similar, though.

[starryeyed_cass]

Cassie pulls in a breath and falls quiet for a few moments. She wrecked with worry, but trying to make herself feel better that she'll soon be back at Kashtta and she'll be able to let people know she's okay. And maybe, just maybe - Chicago didn't do awful things while she was away.

But first, she needs to do that thing she forgets to do sometimes. Look after herself.

She nods, "Deal,"

"I.. I don't think I'm hurt," she says finally with a shake of her head, "Apart from... what happened in the place I was - I.. I got knocked out,"

[faraday_effect]

Dani's relieved up until Cassie's mention of being knocked out. She frowns, brows creasing with worry.

"Does your head feel funny at all? Can you think clearly?"

[starryeyed_cass]

Cassie shakes her head, "I don't think it feels funny, no.." she says, reaching up to feel the back of her head. There's a small bump - but she's not bleeding or anything.

"It just hurts," she says after a short pause.

As for thinking clearly, she pauses for a moment to assess that. "I think I'm alright on that front. Just feels like a really bad headache - you know?"

[faraday_effect]

"Heh, yeah."

Unfortunately, Dani is all too familiar with really bad headaches. She gets them more often than she'd like, as a consequence of her work back at Oxford.

But she deals with them well enough.

"Alright, then. Want to try standing?"

[starryeyed_cass]

Cassie is not really used to headaches, especially not the ones that happen after being knocked out. She wants a dark room and a bed right now.

She nods and slowly... very, veeery slowly pulls herself to her feet. She makes a face, her body does not want to be standing up. "Well, that was the hardest part I think," she says, wobbling a little. "Walking should be okay... I think,"

Why didn't the Rift drop her off right outside Kashtta. Why?

"I'm Cassie," she says as soon as she steadies herself.

[faraday_effect]

Dani supports her all the way up, arm around Cassie's shoulders. Should the other girl take a tumble, Dani's not sure she'll be able to do much, but she could be a... bony cushion, maybe.

"Alright. Just let me know if you feel dizzy at any point. And-"

She wants to tell Cassie what she knows. That everything's okay.

But now's a very, very bad time.

"I'm Danielle. You can call me Dani."