Bedding Down

Who: Rin and Drew
Where: The House under the lake, Captain's Cabin
When: A while after they all wake up
What: Drew finds Rin a bed

Drew had thought about the room situation. Which reminded him far too uncomfortably of the barracks he'd been involved in when he'd been an intern. Yeah. Like, way too much. Fucked up bastards, he was willing to bet they'd done that on purpose. He'd also kind of sat Rin down for a few in the living area, and given her a book to read so he could explore around a little, though he made it fast. Mostly, he'd been looking for rooms that had no 'windows'. Which he didn't find. So, that was awesome. No moving a bed somewhere for her to sleep in a room that wasn't going to freak her the fuck out. So, he started on the next best thing, which was to move her trunk into the captains quarters, so she could at the very least have one of the better beds. He picked it up and moved it for her, then returned.

Crouching down, he looked at her to assess how she was doing. "Hey, picked out a bed for you there...want to go see it? Or the rest of the place? Are you hungry?"

Rin would have helped him, if he'd asked, but she didn't really know what he was doing, and being told to do something, even if it was just read, was better than trying not to stare at the windows.

She wasn't really following the book, re-reading the same passages over and over. It was something about a duke and an heiress, and normally she might have liked it, since she could design the characters big fancy dresses in her head if nothing else. The girl on the cover could have used one, since hers was falling down her chest. Which meant there was probably lots of flowery sex inside, which Rin used to like to sign the dirty parts to her brother to make him yell, when they were younger and their mother read romance novels sometimes.

But she couldn't really focus, and she didn't think it was really all the cold in the house, but it felt cold, anyway.

She looked up, calm - relatively - but distinctly relieved when Drew returned. She reached for the pad and pen she'd found before he sat her down, and jotted quickly. We can go see. Thank you. Maybe the windows would be different, and there would be light and not water. But Rin doubted it, from Drew's expression. She set the book aside and stood up to follow him.

Drew vaguely wondered why she was back to writing him notes, when she'd been doing so much signing, then figured it was because she actually could again. Duh. He was brilliant sometimes. Standing up, he led her to the room, and didn't really bother showing her that the other two were worse. All cramped and four people to a room, and all that crap. As far as he was concerned...well. She just didn't need to know. Or she'd figure it out later. When they were inside, he kinda surreptitiously moved her pillow from the head of the bed to the foot, so she wouldn't have to have a window by her head when she slept.

It was faster sometimes too, than trying to think of signs Drew knew. He was a really faster learner, Rin knew, since he was smart, but there were some a lot of things she had to spell out.

The room wasn't that bad, really. The room at the mansion had been much nicer, but Rin was used to not a lot of room, before that. She didn't mind this one that much. If it wasn't quite so drab.

And if it wasn't underwater.

Despite his efforts, her eyes went right to the window and she shuddered a little, disappointment flickering across her expression. It wasn't his fault there was water - pretend water - everywhere, and she gave him a tremulous smile, signing quickly, since he did know this one. Thank you. She paused, glancing around the little barren room, eyes falling on the other bed before looking back at him and nodding toward the bed and signing more slowly. "Is that one yours?"

He looked back at it for a second, though why he did he didn't know. It wasn't like he didn't know what she was asking. This just happened to be the part he wasn't sure on yet. He didn't think she was too happy to stay away from him, since she seemed to feel better when he was around to latch onto, and he didn't especially care if she wanted to. It was fine for him--it gave him something to think about. But at the same time, he wasn't sure about the two of them sharing a room. Of course, he wasn't sure about sharing a room with three other people either, but--his head was a big whirlwind of 'dunno' at the prospect. "I dunno..." he said, looking back at her again, kind of wondering if she'd express an opinion on it.

Rin had a more-than-emphatic opinion on that issue, actually. She bit her lip, looking at him and then lifted her notepad again, jotting quickly. If you want to stay in here, I'll clean up the room and make your bed and everything every day! she offered. She didn't want to be alone in here, and she didn't want to be in here with someone she didn't know, either. She didn't really KNOW any of the others. And Drew made her feel safer. You don't have to. If you really want another room. But if you don't mind, then can you stay?

Drew read the note, and thought about it. "...um. First of all, you don't have to be my maid. That's...erm...just no, don't worry about that." he said. Because holy hell did that make him feel uncomfortable. In new and inventive ways, even. Eesh. "You wouldn't feel better if maybe one of the girls stayed in here with you?" he asked, looking over at her again, more to gauge her reaction than anything else.

Rin hadn't really thought about it like that. She cleaned up after her brother all the time. He'd worked harder than she did, and was messy, so she did most things around the house. She cocked her head a little and smiled faintly, eyes firmly NOT on the window or the area near the window. I don't mind. she signed with a little shrug.

She shook her head instantly at the question and then she was scratching out another quick note. I don't know them. I feel better with you. Unless you want to sleep with the boys.

Could have worded that better, Rin. Drew thought. But then again, he didn't figure that crossed her mind. There was an idle, backwards thought drifting in the back of his brain, wondering if Rin ever thought about anything sexual ever. In her entire life. Then he was of course immediately creeped out by the thought, and shoved it out of his brain. "I can probably stay in here with you." he said. He would move if people threw a huge fit or something, but well, it was better than say, getting stuck in a room with Matt. Matt, the guy who made his fucking skin crawl, on principal. Or some of the others in there, whom he knew were fucked. Or god...Hannah. "I'll just...go get my trunk then." he decided, sort of absently thinking about blocking her window somehow. Maybe painting over it or somesuch.

Rin thought about it. She wasn't a completely naive, but between her scarred throat and her petite, childlike appearance, it wasn't something anyone wanted to ever discuss with her, so she mostly thought about it in terms of something foreign that she wondered how it really quite worked. That viewpoint had let to awkward written questions when she was younger. She hadn't noticed the wording though, and probably wouldn't have unless it was pointed out.

She gave him a much more genuine smile, still a little too pale and worried to manage to beam, but she looked grateful nonetheless and signed. Thank you! again, then added more slowly. Do you want help?

"With the trunk? Naw, I can get it. Yours is right there." he added, nodding to it to point it out for her. "I haven't gone through mine yet. What's in yours, even?" When he'd glanced quickly earlier, he hadn't taken much note. He'd go get his trunk in a second, for now he sat down on the bed that was supposedly going to be his. Though, he didn't actually doubt that someone would happily move his trunk out and drop their own there if they got the urge to.

Rin hadn't actually looked, and for a moment that distracted her, and she padded over, crouching down in front of it and flipping it open, going through it carefully. The clothes all looked like they'd fit, and comfortable . .. but they were all the same thing. And grey. She wrinkled her nose, obvious distaste on her face. Ugly clothes, she signed to Drew.

He laughed a little at that. "Well, if you wanted to dress them up, there was like...paint and shhhugar in the other room." he said. That much he had caught. It wouldn't be as good as dye, but he could see her taking paints and markers to her clothes. "He leaned back a little, until his back hit the wall, and he looked around the rest of the room. "You going to hold up okay? Is there anything I can do to make it easier that you can think of?"

It would come off in washing, but if they had to wear this stuff all the time she might end up doing that. Rin liked colors. And she thought people were sadder when there weren't any. Just like they were sadder when there wasn't any sunlight, which meant this place was probably already bad enough. What with the pretend water blocking the light.

She stood again, holding up a sweatshirt to herself before pulling it on. The question brought her eyes back to him and then they flickered toward the window again. She shook her head slowly before pushing the slightly too-long sleeves up and writing. I'm okay. Not really. But I am. And you're staying. That helps. Thank you.

"You're welcome." he said. He also noted her looking at the window, and figured yeah, he'd be covering that up for her. He wasn't sure how, but he would figure something out. "I'm going to go get my trunk...want to think about food? Oh and...don't go up to the top floor." Because that huge window was going to freak her out bad, and if it could be avoided, Drew wanted to do that.

Oh. Well. That meant the top one wasn't above the (pretend) water either. Damn. she signed, a little dejectedly, and then realized and gave him an apologetic look. I can cook us something! Is there food in the kitchen to cook with?" If there was a kitchen at all. Cooking was normal. Keeping busy. The sort of things people did in a normal house that wasn't under (pretend) water. Rin could do that.

Drew gave a little half smile. "Yeah, there's a kitchen upstairs. So you can go wild. There's a greenhouse room too, you might like. Not sure. I think it had things to eat in there as well, but don't quote me on that. I just looked through really fast."

Rin looked a little curious. The sun doesn't shine though. How is there a greenhouse?" Wasn't that what greenhouses used? All the ones she knew of were in the sun. That's why things grew. Maybe they grew things that drew in the dark. Like. .. mold. . . actually she hoped not.

"I dunno. Light lamps?" Drew suggested. "UV ones or something...it's there, though. Everything looked healthy. You can see for yourself. I'm going to move my trunk in...I'll meet you up there?" He wasn't sure if she was too scared to walk around without him at all yet, or if she'd be okay. One way to find out.

Rin hesitated a moment, glancing at the window again, not entirely sure of that herself. But after a moment she nodded, signing a quick Okay she agreed. Maybe there were things to make salads up there. Or something like that. She wondered if there even WAS meat anywhere. Drew wouldn't miss it, but she bet everyone else would, if not.

She shut the trunk again and peeked out the doorway, then pointed upward, looking at him for confirmation before taking a deep breath, squaring small shoulders and heading for the ladders up.

"Yep, up there. I'll see you in a minute." Drew said, walking out to grab his trunk and drag it into the room, placing it where it was supposed to go by the other bed. Then he drew in a deep breath, letting it out slowly. This? Was going to be a long, long few days, or however long they were stuck there. Fucking scientists.