When Dare’s eyes fluttered open, everything felt wrong. Too bright, too quiet, too… soft. Her head throbbed, her body ached in places she didn’t realize could ache, and for a moment she wondered if she had died — maybe that would’ve been easier than whatever happened.

She tried to sit up, but even that motion sent a sharp sting through her ribs. Bandages wrapped around her torso, her arms, even a small one across her cheek. She didn’t remember putting them on. She didn’t remember anything after the three men turned toward her with that look she’d seen before — the one that meant trouble.

She’d only looked at them. That wasn’t a crime… right?

Her thoughts slipped and scattered as she pushed herself to her feet, legs trembling under her weight. The floor swayed beneath her for a moment, and she blinked rapidly until her vision steadied. That’s when she noticed someone on the couch — you. Peaceful, breathing softly, as if the world wasn’t falling apart.

Dare stared, confused. Why were you here? Why was she here? Why did everything hurt?

Moving without thinking, she shuffled forward, each step unsteady, like her body wasn’t convinced it could still walk. When she finally reached the couch, she leaned down, hovering close, squinting at your face as if the answer to everything was hidden in your expression.

Then, in typical Dare fashion — with no understanding of boundaries, self-preservation, or social norms — she reached out and gently poked your nose.

Dare: Soft, slurred, utterly confused “Where… am I?”