permission to take the out

Who: Kaori and Lina
Where: Kaori's house (their house?)
When: Early afternoon

Lina hated being snowed in. Indoor things really weren't holding her attention, and she wasn't in the mood to attempt to fight through the snow and get frostbite, either. She'd taken to reading, and sprawling out on one of the sofas, but she wasn't happy with the situation. Some days she felt like she'd actually been a lot happier living outside.

Kaori entered the living room, or more the raised den. It was an odd layout for a house though she enjoyed that room. It was pleasant. Sitting down on the loveseat opposite of Lina, she smiled politely. "You look stunningly uninspired." she noted good naturedly. "Reading anything good?" she asked.

Lina gave Kaori a small, humorless grin. "Well," she said, turning the book to look at the cover. She'd forgotten what the fuck she was trying to read. "Does that answer your question?" she smirked. It wasn't that it was bad, it just wasn't holding her attention. "How are you doing?"

"That answers my question." Kaori confirmed, nodding. "I'm alright. Concerned about our twitchy friend upstairs, but there's little I can do but keep working at things. She doesn't want to see Dave, though. Or Everett. I think she's got trouble with any authority figures in general...and possibly the entire rest of the human race."

Just going on first impressions, Lina probably would have bet on the second option, but she kept that thought to herself. "What do you make of her?" she asked. She'd been wanting to get Kaori's opinion - she was the professional, after all. "She say anything yet?"

"No." Kaori said, shaking her head. "She's written notes--and thrown them at my head. But she's said nothing." she explained. "As for what I make of her...I think she's been very traumatized. Which I know is a relative statement, considering. I believe she's stuck in a set pattern of behaviors. She's guarding against events that are no longer relevant, and hasn't learned to move forward from that yet. Basically, she hasn't caught on that she needs to adapt to a new situation. I believe that'll be fairly common in people around here, though. Guarding against things they know the scientists have done in the past--I know that we'd all consider it ill advised not to. Her methods are just more extreme, and less productive than others'. I think eventually it'll actively work against her, and she doesn't see that yet."

That made a lot of sense, and Lina nodded in agreement. She closed her book and set it down, before propping an arm behind her head. "Think she's dangerous?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "Not just to us, I mean, but herself?" She wasn't betting she was suicidal - if she was, she probably would have done it by now, and she seemed to be in self-preservation mode. "Any of the notes in English?"

"The notes were in English. So she very much understands. I believe she just wanted us to think otherwise in the hopes that we would then leave her be." Kaori said. "Is she dangerous? Oh, yes." she said, nodding. "Very. I consider her volitile, and possibly mildly delusional on some levels. I think she thinks everyone around her could be a potential enemy, she trusts absolutely no one. And...if I had to guage her mental state by her behavior, I would put her at about thirteen, developmentally speaking. So...on edge, prone to swings of extremes, and she's fighting to survive, that much is clear. She just has no real accurate guage to read her surroundings or others with. She's viewing the world through a cloudy, severely cracked lens at current, so it's distorting everything. Such as I'm positive she doesn't trust me at all, and thinks me stupid. I'm sure she thinks I bought her placation act once her sullen temper tantrum tactics didn't work." That played into her assessment of emotional maturity at the moment. Kids believed if you switched back and forth just so, people just bought into whatever you were presenting, not realizing that people had a longer memory than a goldfish.

Lina sighed and looked up at the ceiling for a moment. "Awesome." she commented, feeling that about summed it up. "I figured earlier that she understood us, at least, since it was 'doctor' that freaked her out." she said, looking back at Kaori. If she had to get grouped with the pyscho, at least she was grouped with the shrink, too. It could have been a lot worse, though Lina felt like that was far too optimistic a thought to come out of her own head. "So what's to be done?" She sure as hell didn't know, and had no qualms with admitting that to Kaori.

"Making attempts at small steps that she can reach. But really what it comes down to is if she's willing to do anything at all. I'm hoping that I can basically prove to her that her method of doing things currently will not help her cause. I think that's the only real level that will get through to her. I don't think that she's anywhere near truly integrateable to society. She'd need extensive therapy for years to even approach that. I believe the best that can be hoped for is she gets the idea in her mind that being a part of the group as opposed to apart from it is going to work better for her continued survival. That also sounds easier than I feel it will be. She's...very stuck into that mindset." Kaori said with a sigh.

Lina couldn't really imagine what this would be like for Kaori, living so closely with someone who very obviously needed her help. What a lovely living situation this was turning out to be. "How do you recommend I act around her? Other than slowly with no sudden movements or loud noises." Just a guess, there.

"Speak in even tones. Try not to react when she acts out. It'll only encourage her, or make her think she's 'won'. If you want to try talking to her, go for it, just know that she probably won't answer you. Though if you provide her with a notebook and pen, she might. Understand that she isn't going to be pleasant to deal with. Keep on your toes--just in case." Kaori suggested. "Other than that, try to be as normal with her as you might otherwise be. Don't let her presence interrupt your day, we're not here to cater to her."

Lina smirked faintly. "Do you really see me catering to anyone?" She nodded in acknowledgment though. "Thanks." she added. "Carry on like this is nothing new then. I suppose in the grand scheme of things, it's not."

Kaori thought it was at least a bit. The quarters were much smaller and they didn't really have any means to deal with the girl, but she didn't point those things out. She gave Lina a faint smile in return. "Just try not to give her an excuse. She doesn't have a lot of physical strength, or it doesn't appear she does, but a well placed knife doesn't need that."

Lina nodded again, her expression turning slightly grim. "I'll be careful." she said, before sighing faintly. "Let me know if there's anything I can do. And not just with our room-mate. I'd like to try and keep useful somehow."

"I will, though you've been in town longer than I have. Do you have anything that you think I should know?" Kaori asked, figuring that Lina's perspective on town having lived there somewhat longer would be invalueable.

"Everything's closed up right now." Lina said. "Abandoned. Food was becoming a problem, though they've restocked us since they moved us into houses with each other. It's kind of fucked up, no one really knows what to do with themselves. And a lot of people want to do shit, but everyone's lacking direction. Myself included."

Kaori nodded, taking that in. "Well, when things get a little more settled, and we can get out and such...I planned on trying to help with organization. I know Everett contacted me about things. I guess, looking back on the journals, that he and Janie are doing things?" she asked, looking very slightly amused. "Are you burned out on that sort of thing, Lina?" she asked, figuring that was the case.

Lina didn't even know how to describe how she felt about 'that sort of thing', and wasn't at all prepared to try and reason it all out aloud. "You could say that." she gave, returning Kaori's expression. "You know when that fuckin' house burned down, I was glad? Living in the wilderness was so much easier. I want to help, you and Everett and... everybody. I just think things are better when I'm not in charge."

"Then don't put the pressure on yourself. Things will get worked out in one manner or another." Kaori assured Lina, basically handing the woman a free out of all of it, even if it was just for her own mental wellbeing, and no one was asking her to join up to be in charge to begin with.

Bitch of it was that Lina still felt an inner nagging that she wasn't doing enough. Maybe she could work on getting that to shut the fuck up once the weather started cooperating. She shrugged. "Whatever gets worked out, I'll be down to do my part."

"Thank you, I'll keep that in mind." Kaori said. "I was thinking of making lunch for everyone, any requests?" she asked, smiling and changing the subject, since she knew that it was kind of a touchy one, and she didn't think Lina would appreciate the shrink poking at things.

"I eat anything." Lina replied, shrugging and sitting up. "I can help out if you want." No, she wasn't desperate for something to do, not at all. She got the feeling this was going to be a long couple of days.

Standing, Kaori smiled wider at Lina. "That bored, hmm?" she asked. "Well come on then, we'll make something more elaborate. I think there were cook books. Might as well try our hands at it." she suggested. "It'll be an experiment. We'll see if anything turns out edible."

"And if anything blows up, I'm sure Dave will be happy to have something to do." Lina replied, getting up and putting her book aside. This felt kind of... girly. Shit, she really was desperate.

Kaori laughed softly. "Yes, I'm sure he'll be happy for something to do. I think he's actually clearing the walk and everything. He's bored. He needs projects when he's bored." Or, he had. Maybe that had changed but she sincerely doubted it. "I would prefer we not blow anything up though. This house is actually fairly nice..." she trailed off, leading them off to the kitchen for their experiment. She was glad for the time spent with Lina, even if it was just doing something fairly normal. It was just nice to spend time with people again, and ones she hadn't seen in a long time as well. As far as things went, she didn't mind this situation at all.