♥ feast your eyes on my display

[newworldlover.livejournal.com]

[There's a strangely attractive woman taking over your library today, Plane. Sirkka is indulging herself. On the long study table beside her, there's a setting of Earl Grey for four and some delicious chocolate-dipped cookie treats— all things she took from the community kitchen, of course. Sirkka has her long legs crossed over another chair while she sips her tea. She's enjoying her book too much to care about manners, even laughing every once in a while. Must be a comedy right?

Nah, just Twilight.]

This really is like secondary school.

[If one is as empathic as she is, they might detect a sort of dark, lingering thought beneath all of this that she's trying to distract herself from.]

Comments

[boxtheotaku.livejournal.com]

[This is Box, not being empathic at all, unfortunately, he just came to maybe try to clean the library. Maybe. He is very reluctant about it, but his faint OCD can't let it be dusty.]

[He freezes when he spots Sirkka. ASDFdfg a woman!]

[...]

[AND SHE IS READING TWILIGHT, THOSE ARE THE WORSTS. Box's utter panic purely shows on his face.]

[newworldlover.livejournal.com]

[Sirkka glances at him over the edge of the book.]

Don't look at me like that! I'm not going to bite you.

[a pause for effect as she sips her tea-- and licks the bergamot flavor off her lips afterward]

... Unless you want me to.

[boxtheotaku.livejournal.com]

[Box tenses up and pales. One step back, just in case.]

Don't say... You are one of those who thinks they a-are a vampires?

[newworldlover.livejournal.com]

[She's pale as hell, with purple eyes and hair. It's not an uncommon assumption. Actually, she's been called worse.]

Come on now, you don't have to pretend to be something odd to have a little fun. Although, I can see the draw.

[Her smile turns less coy and more gentle.]

I won't be kidnapping you and stealing you away to my dungeon anytime soon. Don't worry.

[boxtheotaku.livejournal.com]

[Box almost sure then that she is a freak, what is not a problem. Not at all, Box living in a freakshow, so it's completely common to him. But the freaks who are hurting other freaks, now those are problematic.]

Then uh, tell that to those people. [Still eying her a bit suspicious. Dungeons are dirty, and wet and dark, and you can get a lot of germs there. Not a good place, no no no.]

I-I really have no problem with sparkly vampire lovers, though... [Trying to save the situation.]

[newworldlover.livejournal.com]

[He's so adorable. Can she shove him in her pocket and take him home?]

Oh. You don't think I'm reading this seriously, do you? [She laughs, holding up Twilight.] It's the most hilarious thing I've ever read. I mean, I might have written things in primary school that were better.

Do you want some tea? It's Earl Grey. If I remember, green tea is more of a Japanese thing, but Earl Grey's very nice. You should try some.

[boxtheotaku.livejournal.com]

[If it's 100% Box approved clean there might be no problem with that at all. :|b]

Oh... Ooohhh... [This is a relieved sigh.] Oh, that's good, good! I mean I really shouldn't judge others, but people are scary lately, and all thanks to that book.

[Box doesn't even question why she knows he is Japanese, he is guessing it must be his dashing, typical Japanese looks.] That... won't work. I'm sure you are a nice lady, but I don't drink tea I didn't see made, and uh, you are a woman.

[newworldlover.livejournal.com]

[She gives him a sympathetic frown, which... slowly turns into a real one when he digs himself a pretty deep hole.]

You might want to phrase that better. What's this about me being a woman that's so terrible?

[She can already guess at the answer, but...]

[boxtheotaku.livejournal.com]

[Returns that frown, and shifts a little. He should just give his standard answer.]

It's a sickness, I can't help it. I mean not exactly a sickness, you can't cure it in the hospitals, but it's some mental thing, and no, I'm not insane, no! So it's not personal, don't worry.

[newworldlover.livejournal.com]

I thought it might be something like that. [She looks a bit sad.] Thank you for talking to me anyway. You're very brave.

[boxtheotaku.livejournal.com]

It's, uh nothing, It's just-- Brave? [Blinks. Stares. Blinks more.] Me...?

[newworldlover.livejournal.com]

[She nods.] You could have turned tail and fled a long time ago, but you decided to stay, even though it's hard for you. Right?

[boxtheotaku.livejournal.com]

Ooh. [Frowns, and bits in his lips, feeling really pathetic that a simple word like that could make his day.]

That... really sounds brave if you put it that way. But it's uh, really more like survival, I mean, there are lot of shop assistants being girls and you have to talk to them somehow about the stuff you want to buy.

But um, thanks I guess. [Box just can't really believe it still. So he stares at Sirkka.] I'm... Box by the way.

[newworldlover.livejournal.com]

[But she's being so nice. Box obviously needs more positive people in his life.] Either way you look at it, you still spoke to me.

[That mysterious smile remains.] I'm Sirkka. Very pleased to meet you. What is it that you do? Are you a student, or...?

[Even as she asks the question, she's skimming emotions that bubble to the surface of his thoughts, flashes of memory, that sort of thing. It's an unconscious process by now.]

[boxtheotaku.livejournal.com]

[He has... someone like that. She is enough, though more would be really nice.]

Hello, uh, Sirkka. [Fidgets with his gloves. His first feelings about asking if he is a student is bittersweet actually. He was happy back then, well, fairly happy and less scared. Behaved almost like a 'normal' person.] No, no... not a student. I'm a freeter. Doing this and that, mostly designing, it's not much money, but I can get by.

And um, you? Some kind of idol, or performer? I'm just asking because you are very striking.

[newworldlover.livejournal.com]

I know how that is. Scraping by. I did that for a long time.

[She shakes her head at the question.] Oh, that's flattering! No, I'm nothing of the sort. I'm a counselor.

[boxtheotaku.livejournal.com]

Really? But why? Couldn't get a job? I can't believe you didn't get scouted for example, someone like you definitely would get a lot of fans... [Takes a step toward her.]

[Gasp.] Eeeh! ...Wow! 'Counselor Sirkka'. That sounds neat. So you are smart even. Though what does counselor cover...?

[newworldlover.livejournal.com]

[Awwww.] Well. I had to move around a lot before I finished school, and anyway, in a rather rural part of England I was considered to be a bit of a freak for the way I looked. Purple eyes and all. [That's not even half of the story, but she'll spare him details.]

My main focus is on the recovery of people who lost everything they had and the lasting effects of a disaster. Post-traumatic stress disorder. I don't know if you're familiar with the term, but sometimes people are paralyzed by their fear-- by their memories, and need help dealing with it.

[She smiles and goes on.]

I'm also working on redefining the human definition of love and exploring the different kinds of relationships people form with each other, and how that can change, as well as the boundaries of personal trust. That is voluntary therapy and it's very intense, but those people stay in my communal house of healing for free.

[boxtheotaku.livejournal.com]

It's your natural eye color? [Blinks.] Neat-! I mean not that uh, you were an outcast because of it or anything, it's just I've never seen natural purple eyes. People really shouldn't outcast others just because they are a 'little' different, pff.

[Listens curiously. His lips slightly part at the realization.] I... I know what post-traumatic stress means. [Takes a few minutes to just... stare. He is thinking about Yui and how he gets similar vibes from Sirkka. Yui wants to save and help people too. She was the only person who helped him though maybe because she doesn't know all the things he had done. Anyhow, Sirkka gets all of Box's respects.]

Wow... Sorry for thinking of you as some, you know, rabid vampire-lover before, Sirkka. Waaah I really shouldn't judge by appearance anymore. [Chuckles.] You're helping people? Then they must love you very much.

[newworldlover.livejournal.com]

[Sirkka just smiles. He's really nice. Naive, but nice. She'll preserve that for now.] I can't profess to knowing a lot about Japanese culture, but I do know that in the West things tend to be hard if you don't fit in. It's all right. I've found my place now.

[She watches him, casually touching upon those thoughts, curious, without letting it be felt. She folds her hands across her lap.] It's okay, Box. It sounds like you must deal with strange people on a regular basis. What you know and are familiar with affects just how you perceive the world.

I love them, too. [She means it!] They're my darlings, even the ones I only see once or twice a week.

[boxtheotaku.livejournal.com]

We are the same if not worse about outcasts. [Mutters, thinking about all the bullying he hears about while walking around in Akiba. Not to mention he just got beaten not long ago because he is an otaku. Oh, beautiful world.] So I think I can understand it. But finding a place is good. Handy!

Uuh, I guess. But you too, no, Sirkka? With your job... You must see a lot of different kind of people.

[Blinks. 'Love' might be a bit too strong word, but eh, Western people always like to exagerate.] Darlings? You call them that? [Box calls his figures like that, and his DS.] That's... That's cute.

[newworldlover.livejournal.com]

[D'awww. She'd hug him but he'd pass out.]

I do. You're very open-minded, despite that. The world needs more people like you.

[It's not exaggerating. But then again, he doesn't know the specifics of her therapy.] I do! They're very helpful. In a way, they're like my children. [In a hushed voice:] Even though I'm only twenty-three!

[boxtheotaku.livejournal.com]

[Unfortunately yes.]

Of course people would really love to have more useless guys around. [Laughs, haha not a big deal, haha not at all, no. Except not, Box trying to think about his latest ero game now instead of the night he ran away.]

[Asfdfg she is so much like Yui.] That's really a kind way to put it. They are... lucky they can meet you, Sirkka. You remind me of a person I know, even if she is someone we never see, just talk to.

[newworldlover.livejournal.com]

You're not useless at all. Don't think about yourself like that. I'm sure you help lots of people in your own way, all right? [... Oh, Box. And that /face/. ;___;]

Oh my. I hope you mean in a good way. [She's lightly teasing.]

[boxtheotaku.livejournal.com]

Well... I just helped to catch some bad guys around. Who were beating otakus. [Yeah, Box is kind of proud at that, even if everyone thinks it was Akira all alone.]

Wha- of course, absolutely in a good way! Yes! [Gah, not used to talking to women anymore, except Akira, but she feels more like Terminator than a girl. And she is never teasing.] There is no other way---!