Kai-Li Yeung (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
handouts) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
thecomplex2014-07-27 10:23 pm
handouts) wrote in thecomplex2014-07-27 10:23 pm
In which a man and his sister move in [HANDOUTS+CHINAGRETEL]
Creaaak- EXHAUST. And with that, a dim diesel rumble. A moving truck sits in front of one of the empty complex rooms, and at the wheel of the little uhaul, Kai slumps.
God, he shouldn't be this tired from driving thirty minutes down the road with just his off hand in front of his sister. She probably already wants to kill him for how useless his injuries are making him. Absolutely no lifting, says the nice doctor. Not that he didn't try anyway, and bend double for breath, holding his ribs.
The blond girl next to him seems to be pointedly ignoring him, texting away on a cell phone paid out to the end of the month.
This hasn't been the best month for Rylie either, naturally, but when a fourteen-year-old girl has to call on a posse of would-be-boyfriends and buddies after the estate sale, and pack up the majority of odds and ends herself you know you're in sad shape.
He'd swear there's transparent evasion in all those friends suddenly being too busy to help her move in. Rylie does NOT approve of their new place, does not approve of having people realize she's suddenly not in such good shape financially. She's not even officially guardian'd up yet, with all the paperwork and shit.
Enormity sits like a weight on Kai's shoulders, but he straightens up and forces an eyebrow waggle--the kind Rylie always hated.
He is so bad at being their dad.
God, how are they going to get this to the second floor?
Fortunately, he's got resting bitchface to hide that.
They didn't even sing stupid songs on the way over.
Does she still do that? The last time they really spent more than a chance weekend in the same space, his sister was twelve. Now she's a bleach-blonde and a cheerleader.
She's a total stranger, and he's not the artsy older brother with bad taste anymore.
What the Hell are they going to do?
"Ready to move in?"
She ignores him, texting away with her thumbs, booted feet scrunched up on the edge of the seat, hunching her in.
Kai reaches out, and taps her knee, "Hey-"
"get off. i got it." Rylie snaps, clicking her gum at him, with a knock of her knee, stowing the phone and wrenching open the door with a twist.
She slams it after her, and Kai can't help but cringe a little on the inside.
He slides out of the cab after her, wondering if maybe he can fudge carrying in their winter coats or some blankets or something, wondering when he's supposed to get used to actually being less useful than a normal human being, and if he'll have enough rent to avoid getting evicted in two months.
Must be nice to still be a teenager...
God, he shouldn't be this tired from driving thirty minutes down the road with just his off hand in front of his sister. She probably already wants to kill him for how useless his injuries are making him. Absolutely no lifting, says the nice doctor. Not that he didn't try anyway, and bend double for breath, holding his ribs.
The blond girl next to him seems to be pointedly ignoring him, texting away on a cell phone paid out to the end of the month.
This hasn't been the best month for Rylie either, naturally, but when a fourteen-year-old girl has to call on a posse of would-be-boyfriends and buddies after the estate sale, and pack up the majority of odds and ends herself you know you're in sad shape.
He'd swear there's transparent evasion in all those friends suddenly being too busy to help her move in. Rylie does NOT approve of their new place, does not approve of having people realize she's suddenly not in such good shape financially. She's not even officially guardian'd up yet, with all the paperwork and shit.
Enormity sits like a weight on Kai's shoulders, but he straightens up and forces an eyebrow waggle--the kind Rylie always hated.
He is so bad at being their dad.
God, how are they going to get this to the second floor?
Fortunately, he's got resting bitchface to hide that.
They didn't even sing stupid songs on the way over.
Does she still do that? The last time they really spent more than a chance weekend in the same space, his sister was twelve. Now she's a bleach-blonde and a cheerleader.
She's a total stranger, and he's not the artsy older brother with bad taste anymore.
What the Hell are they going to do?
"Ready to move in?"
She ignores him, texting away with her thumbs, booted feet scrunched up on the edge of the seat, hunching her in.
Kai reaches out, and taps her knee, "Hey-"
"get off. i got it." Rylie snaps, clicking her gum at him, with a knock of her knee, stowing the phone and wrenching open the door with a twist.
She slams it after her, and Kai can't help but cringe a little on the inside.
He slides out of the cab after her, wondering if maybe he can fudge carrying in their winter coats or some blankets or something, wondering when he's supposed to get used to actually being less useful than a normal human being, and if he'll have enough rent to avoid getting evicted in two months.
Must be nice to still be a teenager...
Whatever, Sky, you're coming with me for a bit...
[She straightens up, and positions, crouching, gesturing him around to the back end of the... kind of spindly looking desk, to be honest. The surface was lacquered once, but now has pits and grooves melting here and there under a fresh coat of sealant immortalizing a sparkling purple and gold nail-polish name: 'rylie Luvs' (name scratched out with sharpie--possibly with s bit of help from an exacto blade, judging by the smooth line-dips under the fresh sealant.)
Underneath there are a number of bathroom-wall-meets-yearbook sentiments in sharpee that don't make much sense at all, in a variety of handwriting styles. Though 'rylie Luvs' with its little heart over the I is definitely the biggest bit of desktop, graffiti-style names seem to get practiced a lot around the edges and outer corners, half-overlapping with inside jokes and vapid encouragements, little pasted magazine glamour models pouting lipstick and fitted caps.
Someone went to a lot of trouble to get this wobbling thing in the front of the uhaul.
Two guesses who.
Rylie snaps her gum and crouches, both hands braced on the legs in front of her.]
On eight, okay?
[You are so not impressive. You'd better not drop her desk. She bounces briefly.]
five, six, seven, eight-
[UP goes her end as she pops back up into a standing position, arms braced.]
Re: Whatever, Sky, you're coming with me for a bit...
But he still braces himself to lift it. He manages that part just fine--at first anyway. It's not exactly an easy feat for someone who typically avoids strenuous activity.
Yeah. This is a stupid idea. But he follows her lead. At least until they reach the bottom of the stairs.]
Shit.
Hang on.
Re: Whatever, Sky, you're coming with me for a bit...
Don't you dare drop my desk.
[She huffs her bangs out of her eyes, and relents a little, eyeing him.
He is kind of straining...]
Is your grip, like, slipping or something?
Wanna put it down and adjust?
[She is kind of genuinely checking on you. Seeing as you're the kind of person who's more a flier than a base. Top of the pyramid type.]
Re: Whatever, Sky, you're coming with me for a bit...
This thing weighs a ton.
[Granted, he might potentially lose it on the stairs even with a readjustment. He's going to start lowering it now though. Eyeing those stairs. It just had to be the second floor, right?]
Re: Whatever, Sky, you're coming with me for a bit...
Whatever.
[Cue bonding sass walk for a few steps before hollering at Grace.]
Hey! Earth to the grown-ups! Quit flirting and help us!
[Headwhip back to Sky, adding in a more normal and less bossy voice, still slightly scowling.]
Hang on, what's your name again?
Re: Whatever, Sky, you're coming with me for a bit...
And good luck getting my aunt to do anything.
We'll probably have to wait for my cousin to get his ass down here.
[He had been planning to bail once Hunter showed up. But that was before he actually got outside and saw who the new neighbor was. He is not yet convinced Kai isn't a potential pervert creeper or something.]