[open] open up this moment and bury me inside.

[starryeyed_cass]

Quite alone, or so she believes, Cassie Riddle can be found up on the roof of the Kashtta Tower today. She hasn't left her room in over a week and it's been driving her crazy. She needed to get out and some air without walking the streets - so the roof seemed the best place for her to be. Even though it's pouring it down - she's stood, leaning

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[thelightofgrace]

Charlie is not someone Dylan knows.

He hasn't had that pleasure, but when he sees a small child wandering the streets, he can't help but try and at least help. He stops halfway down the street and crouches down in front of her, looking concerned.

"You alright there, little darlin'? Seem like you're a little lost."

[fellfrommyheart]

Dylan freezes up at the stranger who's stopped in front of her. She's not supposed to talk to strangers. She cowers a little, her hands reaching up to pull at her hair in her distress. Her lower lip wobbles and her wings flutter in worry.

"I w-want my Momma," she says in a breaking voice. "I.. I can't find her,"

Her six year old self still believes that she's alive, that she's just lost her. She doesn't realise that she's really meant to be thirty seven years old, even though there's some strange feeling that she's meant to be deep down.

[thelightofgrace]

Charlie has no inkling that she's supposed to be thirty-seven either, but he does know how to help a child in need. He takes a breath and nods for a minute, glancing around the street to see if there is a mother looking for her daughter.

"Do you know where you last saw her?"

[fellfrommyheart]

Dylan watches him anxiously as he looks around. She guesses he must be a nice man - even if he is a stranger. But as much as she wants her Mother - she doesn't know where she is at all.

"I don't remember," she says sadly, sniffling back tears, "I just woke up. And all I know is I want my Momma,"

She's really not any help at all. Sorry, Charlie.

[thelightofgrace]

Charlie's eyes soften a bit at that. She's not a Wanderer, he could tell that much, but there's no saying that the girl's mother wasn't picked up by a rift somewhere and taken away. He certainly isn't going to tell a six year-old girl that -- it'd break her heart -- but he also isn't sure what he should do now.

"My name is Charlie," he says slowly. "What's your name?"

[fellfrommyheart]

Dylan pouts and begins to play with the many necklaces she's got on. Something's not quite right and she's not sure what. She knows that her Mother and Father aren't around, and that's bad enough - but something else is wrong here.

"Hello, Mr. Charlie," she says and then after a short pause, "I'm Evie,"

Congratulations Charlie, you're the first person to know Dylan's real name.

"My clothes are too big," she says, "I don't think my Momma would dress me like this,"

[thelightofgrace]

He will treasure it always. He takes a breath for a minute. "Really? I think it looks very fashionable. Most girls I know would kill for an outfit like that."

He's trying to butter her up. He has no idea if it's working.

[fellfrommyheart]

Dylan grins shyly, swaying from side to side. "Reeeeally?" she laughs, feeling much better already. She can't help but make a face though, scrunching her nose up, "Yeeeah, but these are big people's clothes!" She throws herself to sit on the pavement with a soft thump and pulls at her dress to find her shoes.

"Look, my feet are too little!" she points out to the massive sandal on her tiny, tiny foot, "Oh! I know! Did my clothes get big in the wash? Like how they get really little in the dryer? Momma did that to some of Daddy's socks once. But this time they got too big?"

Even in her youth, Dylan was prone to rambling.

[thelightofgrace]

"I think that's exactly what happened," he says with a grin. "Rift does funny things to people around here. No sayin' it can't do the same to somebody's dryer, now is there."

[fellfrommyheart]

Dylan looks up at Charlie with wide eyes as soon as he mentions the Rift. That's it! She knows something is wrong and she has a feeling that it has something to do with the Rift.

She gets up suddenly and starts flailing and jumping on the spot - making strange squeaking noises, unable to get the words out at first.

"The Rift!" she finally manages to squeal, "The Rift! The Rift! The Rift! The Rift! Mr. Charliiiiiiie, the Riiiiiiiiiiift!!"

She throws out her arms and shouts, "IT DID SOMETHING!"

[thelightofgrace]

His eyes widen a bit at the exclamation, but it's not the look of someone uncomfortable. In fact, it's more the wide eyes of someone who is just playing along.

"It did now? That's a mighty large accusation, Ms. Evie."

[fellfrommyheart]

And Dylan is going to keep on flailing on the spot, her child-sized brain working a mile a minute. She knows, she knows!! The Rift's done something to her, she's not meant to be like this.

"Yeah!" she shouts, waving her arms furiously. "The Rift did it, it was wroooong,"

She finally stops flailing and stands almost proudly as she declares, "I am meant to be a big person!"

[thelightofgrace]

He smirks a bit at that, before nodding slowly. "Well. What do you think we should do about this while we wait for the rift to make you right again?"

She really is an adorable kid. He has to admit he's a bit curious as to what she's like as an adult.

[fellfrommyheart]

Dylan stares at him for a few moments, grinning. Her child's mind has only one thing on it. "ICE CREAM!" she shouts so loudly that several people passing them on the sidewalk actually jump and and stare at her.

"Um.. please?" she asks sheepishly, "Ice cream makes everything in the world better, you know," She pretends to be holding an ice cream cone and moves her fingers as if they're spinkling something, "Especially when it has sprinkles, lots of them. Rainbow ones,"

Oh, Charlie. You probably shouldn't be. Dylan's... not very nice right now. She's much nicer as a kid before all the bad things happened.

[thelightofgrace]

He laughs, before nodding, reaching for her hand. "I think that's more than an adequate way to spend the time. In fact, I think I know just the place."