[open] we are forming a sight to behold

[daredtobelieve]

Helen Magnus has been getting back in the swing of things. She's found herself a lovely job and gotten back in touch with some wonderful people. Things are starting to seem nearly normal, which should have been her first clue that something is about to go wrong. Chicago does strange things to its residents, but Helen has yet to realize just how

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For caring!Helen, since I said would do this...

[darkgathersin]

He shouldn't be here.

He shouldn't be out on the street, he shouldn't in in Chicago, he shouldn't be anywhere. Ge should be far away, in something flying, in the middle of the universe, he shouldshouldshould.

But he's here instead, stumbling down the street looking a l9ittle sick, a little dizzy. He slumps against a wall and tilts his face towards the sun, staring up at it until he sees spots.

Something tells him it's bad to do that but he doesn't care.

He's lost, he doesn't know how to say it but he's lost. He has words, he could say them if he had something to write with but he doesn't.

He starts signing with his hands instead. A few different languages at first u7until he stumbles on the right one. English, that's what they speak here, that's the noise coming through to his ears, Engli8sh.

Please help. I don't know where I am. I'm lost

He should not have been out today, nothing works right, not hid mind, not his body, nothing.

eeee :D

[daredtobelieve]

There's a flailing, stumbling man who looks as though he may lose his lunch at any moment and Helen's heart nearly bursts at the thought of what he may be going through. She makes sure that the woman she was helping hail a cab is all set before hurrying across the street to the man.

"Are you alright?" She asks, genuine concern dripping in her tone. She places a gentle hand on his arm. She glances down to his hands, catching the sign language. She removes her hand from his arm and signs back, Come with me. It'll be okay. I promise. She can only assume he's a new arrival, lost from his own world. Helen guides him towards the nearest bus stop bench and gestures for him to sit beside her.

You're in a city. Chicago. And I'm afraid many of us are lost.

[darkgathersin]

He looks at her, unsure of what to do, unsure of going with her or staying and being lost or what.

She seems so nice though, so warm and good and kind....

He nods, reading out a hand and taking hers as she leads him to the bus stop, he stays like that for a few minutes, feeling her pulse in her fingertips and taking a moment to calm down. It's easier to do that when he can concentrate on something that's not inside him and not the buysbuysbuys streets.

"I--" he starts but the words get caught in my throat. "I don't- I'm not--" He looks at her with an apologetic expression. He signs again.

I need to get home. I live in the place. The place for people who show up. The Tower. I can't remember the name. I can't remember names. I can't remember.

His mouth moves to qui8etly repeat the last words three times over, almost completely inaudibly

[daredtobelieve]

Helen's a bit taken aback when he manages to get a few words out. So he can speak- but not at the moment. It's no matter. Helen has learned a few languages in her day and knows enough sign language to get by. He also doesn't seem to be new, but rather has forgotten. Perhaps he had left like she did, only to return and find himself altered. Oh, the poor dear. Since it seems that he can speak and therefore likely hear her, she drops her hands.

"The Kashtta?" It was the only tower she could imagine. "I know the way. Would you like me to take you?"

Caring!Helen :3

[starryeyed_cass]

Cassie is heading back home to Kashtta, she's just finished another day at school. She's in a good mood, she has a pile of papers from her senior classes to mark - something she's always excited about. She's heading down a street, the papers cradled in her arm against her chest and a steaming hot tea in her hand.

That is until someone bumps into her, how rude! They walk on, but Cassie ends up spilling her tea on her and dropping all her papers - leaving them to scatter on the sidewalk.

She yelps in pain and then whines at her papers now all dropped. "Oh no! ... ow, bloody hell. Oh, god,"

[daredtobelieve]

Don't worry, Cassie! Super helpful Helen is coming to the rescue.

"Oh, you poor dear. Here." She drops down and starts to gather up the papers as quickly as she can. "Did you burn yourself?" She asks, looking up at the girl and dividing her attention between the two possible good deeds. The wind begins to pick up, though and a few start to flutter up into the air. "Oh, no you don't." Helen mutters while pushing herself back to standing. She catches the few stray papers and piles them neatly with the rest.

[starryeyed_cass]

She appreciates that very much, Helen! Because losing her papers is making her very flaily at the moment. Oh dear.

Cassie shakes her arm, making a face. Ow, that actually hurts. It's not the first time she's spilled hot tea on herself though, and it certainly won't be the last. "A little, it's okay," she assures.

She then begins to stoop and pick up her papers with Helen's help. Because she would never forgive herself if she lost them. "Oh, thank you!" she says as she manages to pick up the last one near her. "These are really important, really, thank you,"

[daredtobelieve]

Somehow, between the two of them, it doesn't seem that any of the papers has caught a strong wind and blown away. She slowly stands and hands over what she was able to catch.

"No trouble at all." She says with a bright smile. "I'm just glad I was here to help. Are you sure you're alright?" She just can't stop herself from being concerned. "Burns are a serious matter, you know. I could take a look at it, if you'd like."

Caring!Helen

[caughtwithin]

Seth has been all about trying to deal with his complicated, unrequited feelings for his best friend who is dating his other best friend. He could avoid them both, but then he loses two best friends. What do. Plus, there's the whole being a demon when he does not want to be at all. Even a little. This is why Seth is sitting on a bench.

He's leaning against his knees, staring at the pavement.

And there is a Rift created rain storm above his head, because it wasn't already obvious that he was feeling these emotions.

"Seriously," Seth says to the rain cloud. "I mean, seriously? Of all the places you could rain over, you have to choose me. This doesn't make me feel better, you know. It just-- it makes the angry, sad feelings continue more so thank you for that rain cloud of emotion. I really appreciate the whole hovering over my head deal. No, seriously. Keep raining on me. I'll talk through your... stupid raindrops and lightning and-- and if you strike me, I swear I will... do something. Something not good, rain cloud."

[daredtobelieve]

And without so much as an introduction, Helen swoops in like a ray of sunshine on this less than metaphorically rainy day. She had spotted Seth a few moments earlier and had rushed to the nearest shop to purchase a simple black umbrella. Unfortunately, the shop was fresh out of black and so she bought a lovely green one with white polka dots. Helen slides herself next to the young man on the bench and holds the open umbrella between them.

"Lovely weather we're having, wouldn't you say?" She laughs lightly and holds out her free hand. "Helen Magnus. Couldn't help but notice your bad luck with the cloud. I thought you might like a break from it."

[caughtwithin]

Seth sits upon the bench, and he is so unaware of the rest of the world at the moment, so lost in his own thoughts that he doesn't notice her until the rain stops pouring down on top of him. He looks up, wondering if his luck has changed only to see that... there's a green umbrella above his head. He smiles a little when he realizes someone was nice enough to stop and help him out.

"Yeah, I... I guess you could call it that," he says a little awkwardly before he reaches for her hand in turn, taking it and shaking it. "Hi. I'm Seth. Thank you for the umbrella. I do... uh, appreciate the break. So thank you, thank you very much for the umbrella. It's colorful, green. Like the polka dots, I heard somewhere they were... in this year."

He didn't really hear that. Sometimes Seth babbles a bit because he's a spazz.

[daredtobelieve]

"Pleasure to meet you, Seth." She pulls her hand back and looks up at the umbrella's bright pattern. "Are they? Well, I'm partial to something a bit more classic, myself. But at least no one can say we don't look stylish." She's teasing, of course, but not with any mean-spirited tones. Helen's gentle ribbing is aimed more to make the young man smile, rather than to make fun of him.

"Any reason that you've been subjected to such a gloomy day?"

For the business, cause you so need more Sonny

[arrowinmyheel]

Sonny is sitting outside of a building, arms folded, leaning back against the wall of the building on the outside. He had just finished a meeting with one of his many contacts when he notices Helen walking down the sidewalk. There's confusion for a moment and then he steps forward.

He catches her as she's walking down the sidewalk, falling in step beside her. It's been a rough couple of weeks, and it's nice to see her walking down the sidewalk.

"You look like a woman on a mission."

always need more Sonny!

[daredtobelieve]

Helen doesn't slow down even for a moment, but she does acknowledge Sonny's presence with a quick glance and a nod.

"Quite observant of you." Feel that breeze? That may be the cast off of her cold shoulder. She makes a left turn at the next corner and continues her brisk walk. There's a building at the end of the block that Sonny may recall being vacant for some time. It's several stories tall and in dire need of some work, but as it draws closer, Helen's steps slow.

"If you'll excuse me, I still have a great deal of work to do. I suggest you either fall in line to help or be on your way."

YAY

[arrowinmyheel]

Sonny is fine with this. He is perfectly capable keeping up with her step for step. It's something one learns to do, walk with purpose. Though she does seem slightly different than what he's used to.

"I try my best," he says almost offhandedly as he watches her toward the empty building at the end of the corner. Does this have anything to do with what she's after? He notices that her steps are slowing and he doesn't have to move too quickly to keep up with her.

He smirks. "What is it you need help with? A 'great deal of work' is a little on the vague side."

[daredtobelieve]

You asked for it, Sonny.

Helen hands over a list, typed and ordered in terms of most to least important items. The first several items have been checked off, but at least 20 items remain. And that's just for today.

"The contractors will be here to begin preliminary work in twenty minutes. I've paid them extra to get the work done in half the time. The first five items need to be completed before they arrive." She pushes open the large door to her newly acquired building and gives him a look before entering. It's nothing like what's she's used to. The architecture is not entirely remarkable. It's dark and dusty, but it's also large- which is what sold Helen on it in the end.

srsbsns helen please

[moveuranus]

Veronica's walking down the street, continuing to catalogue Chicago in her mind. There's no differences from last week, nor the week before. For a Rift that brings people into an alternate universe, she expected things to be more unstable. At least, that's what she got from the sci-fi movies she watched.

And so, with this in mind, Veronica's walking slowly, head in the details of the buildings, and happens to walk into Helen.

"I'm sorry." Veronica had been hoping to keep a low profile. She didn't want the bad guys of Chicago sniffing her out as a Wanderer.

[daredtobelieve]

Colliding with someone on the sidewalk is not in Helen's timeline for the day. As such, it puts her out and causes her to scowl at Veronica as she rights herself.

"Quite right. You'd do well to watch where you're going next time." There's no compassion in her tone, only the truth of it. And with a condescending raise of her eyebrows, Helen pushes forward, continuing back to her newly rented building.

What she fails to realize is that she's dropped part of her lease agreement on the sidewalk near Veronica's feet. It lists the address, Helen's name, and the beginning's of the rental agreement. A breeze catches the paper and floats it up against Veronica's leg.