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...
"I can feed myself? And I'm house trained."
Ken's all perfect and plastic.
Izumi's an angry derp who likes to scream a lot.
But he's sort of a nerd, yeah.
A cute one.
I'll introduce you sometime, when he isn't throwing text books across the room.
[Wait. Now he knows who Kai's talking about.]
Ah right.
The woman who passes out condoms to all the teenagers on Halloween.
And who sometimes chucks interestingly shaped goodies through windows.
She's pretty cool.
"It's the de-worming and de-clawing expenses that have me worried."
[Like that completely fine Haitian guy that one time. Until they turn out straight. Yyyyck.
He does brighten thoughtfully after, though.
Yeah?
That's encouragingly suggestive of being down for it.
"I'm a dog. No de-clawing necessary."
Wouldn't know.
Never asked.
It probably can't hurt to hit on her and find out.
Godspeed, my friend..
[Neil isn't going to question an interest in someone probably old enough to have kids roughly their age. He'll just root him on from the sidelines. Also he's finally backing out of that long-held hug.]
So how long is the uhaul drive going to be?
Maybe I'll come with.
Ease your loneliness as you pretend to be a trucker.
I can be the hitchhiker.
Or we can switch.
If that's more your thing.
"Claims the man who has never owned a wooden floor. As the aspca frowns on animal bondage."
Preferences are fine and all, but I have trouble bringing myself to hit a woman. Even when asked.
[If she wants to hit him on the other hand...
She looks like the kind of lady who might not balk at that.
Or who might have some other ideas.
A little further down the road, maybe. It'd be rude to ask the day he's met her after all. And no hard feelings if she isn't interested. It happens.]
Ah- Don't think less of me. She seems cool.
I like to keep the process of lending sugar to neighbors uncomplicated and pleasant for the long term.
Or, at the least, I might wait until I heal up and can start accessorizing this.
[Stump raise.
He eyes the uhaul.]
...If you've got an hour to kill, I think I'd like that.
S'cool if you don't. Or if you want to take that back after uncomfortable conversation about fine neighbors.
"All of my floors are wooden. Carpet would never survive."
Once you've met a bunch of them you'll see.
Eye candy everywhere.
I would be more surprised if you didn't notice.
[Granted, Neil thinks most people are attractive in one way or another. It probably comes from having an artist mom who sees the beauty in everything, even when no one else does. Even in dark, seemingly twisted and ugly things.
He didn't quite see what she saw. But he's always made sure to look closer, like she told him.
Finding someone attractive and being attracted were two different things, of course. But Neil likes to look. No harm in that.]
Anyway, I do have about an hour.
Let's kill it together.
And then we'll find a creative way to dispose of it.
[1/2] "...And with that, you may have convinced me you're an outdoor pet."
There'll be pictures to hang up in the house--another impossibility without two hands right there. Hammering nails isn't going to happen any time soon, and Rylie will make her own room up without worrying for a moment about his, or what his eyes need.]
The cravings of my eyes are the least of my concerns right now.
[Hospitals and doctors notes are killing his style right now. He can't remember the last time he went this long past the age of twelve, when he was still a short-haired, snub-nosed little nerd who was trying to take out his frustrations in drawing the tendons in the arms of the young couple sneaking hand-holding when they should have been working on the still life project.
His nostrils flare and he grips at Neil's wrist suddenly, waggling his eyebrows.]
Hey kid, I've got candy in my shady moving van-
[2/?] SURPRISE RYLIE ROUND
She can't catch much. Kai's soft-spoken at the best of times, and even then, he's under the stairwell, so he's more of a black oval of hair. It's Neil she can see a little better if she squints. But she can clearly see the wrist grab. It's at this point that a certain sister glaring and leaning out the window hoists the can and lets it fly, catching Kai in a good eight gallon downpour of cold water.
And maybe a little of it douses the blonde guy in front of him, but whatever.
There's something deeply satisfying in the chocked gasp of shock she hears her brother make before she rains screaming insults down on him.]
You fucking perverted piece of pervy cock-sucking shitass!
[3/?]
xiaotizaizi under his breath, and then gasping, huffing and staring wide-eyed at Neil with his best Not As Planned face.
He very slowly pulls the wet hair out of his face and looks up.
Yep. It really is his sister screaming at him from the second story.
And that is definitely his trash can lying all over the sidewalk in a big puddle of icy water.
He glares at the bin for a second, then breathes in very carefully through his nose, calling his sister a son of a rabbit under his breath in chinese again.
Times like this, he wishes his parents had actually bothered to teach them more Chinese and hadn't just used it as adult language to speak amongst themselves and with their aunt.
He looks up at his sister yelling and shrieking and throwing a fit from the second floor.]
Mei-Meiiiiii. Don't waste water. That comes out of our utilities bill.
[Don't get mad, Kai. Don't get mad...
Where does she get off, though?
She's kind of touched a nerve, though.]
[4/6?] In which Rylie is clearly the kind of neighbor you want...
WHAT did you call me?!
Mom and Dad call me that!
You don't get to call me that!
YOU GET YOUR SKANKY FAG ASS OUT OF THE STAIRS AND STOP FLIRTING WITH THE FUCKING NEIGHBORS!
I'm not living in a stupid perverted commune full of your gross fuckbuddies!
[no wait, 5/7]
Nope. So done.]
Neil, this is my sister.
General Shang.
[6/7] SKREEEEEEEEE!
WHAT DID YOU JUST CALL ME?!
[7/7--DONE]
He doesn't even raise his voice. You can yell. This is for Neil.]
The kind of princess who screams none of the boys are man enough.
Come on, let's hear it.
Lets- get down to buis-ness~
Neil, Kai & Rylie | Apparently learning how to be men
So this is the little sister...
He wonders vaguely if he and Pearl could have been like this if they'd grown up together. Probably not. There was a pretty decent age gap there...
He loves siblings.]
General Shang, huh?
He's become much prettier hasn't he?
Ping must be helping him get in touch with his feminine side.
[Probably not how he should introduce himself. Let's try this again.]
Neil Mikk-Dahl.
Or Princess Jasmine, if you prefer.
Should I bring an umbrella whenever I visit or is your brother the only one who gets the bucket of ice water treatment?
Neil, Kai & Rylie | Apparently learning how to be men
Before she remembers you're probably screwing her brother, and all desire to impress you and/or accept complements about being pretty go out the window.
Wait.]
Wait, what? Did you just call me a crossdresser? OH MY GOD.
[So offended! More so from another person who's an out of the bottle blonde.]
Neil, Kai & Rylie | Apparently learning how to be men
You're on your own, Jasmine,
Excuse him while he steps a bit more clear of range of dropped or thrown objects.]
Re: Neil, Kai & Rylie | Apparently learning how to be men
I'm pretty sure I called you cute.
Not that calling you a crossdresser would have been an insult.
I know some really gorgeous crossdressers.
[Kind of bemused overall. Shouting people are cute. Neil totally loves shouting people.]
Re: Neil, Kai & Rylie | Apparently learning how to be men
What, so I look like some drag queen and that's supposed to be something that's, like, okay now?!
[SHE CAN'T BELIEVE THIS.]
Re: Neil, Kai & Rylie | Apparently learning how to be men
Pretty much.
[Casual shrug.]
I don't see the problem.
Unless somehow you don't like compliments?
In that case, my bad.
Re: Neil, Kai & Rylie | Apparently learning how to be men
[She's no longer sure if she's going to cry or run downstairs and start punching.
So here comes a big, screaming, emotional exposition, half-incoherent and raving on how she spent hours on getting her hair right, and finding the right mascara so she could ditch the false eyelashes. Hours of exfoliation and waxing, and plucking, and living through awful late elementary days as a chunky Asian girl with braces and glasses, who wasn't good at math or science, or anything she was supposed to be, saving money from babysitting small children and pets so she could go to cheerleading camp in the summer. Getting up at five in the morning so she could run and wash up for school after.
More exposition on how you don't understand.
This is supposed to be the payoff: high school. Making it.
And she was there, this year, at JV tryouts, pumping weights in the school gum, and running cross country after school. She was there, qualifying for female shootout, and even bringing their school a shot at making regionals.
All this great outpouring of sound and anger and hard work-]
-And now mom, dad, and Auntie Soo are all dead, and Kai's all hurt, and I have to change schools, and live in this shithole full of creeps, and it just isn't fair!
And I'm NOT A DAMN CROSSDRESSER, okay?!
[She's completely bawling by the end of that, streaking big black mascara tears]
I'm noooooooooooot!
[Wailing into her hands now.]
Re: Neil, Kai & Rylie | Apparently learning how to be men
Oh, Mei-Mei, no, he didn't-
[Nope. Bawwwwww is happening up there. And the whole residence probably heard that story about how being a kid is hard and nobody understands.
He taps Neil's shoulder murmuring to him,]
We should go up.
Re: Neil, Kai & Rylie | Apparently learning how to be men
Come to think of it, maybe there was a sign somewhere that he missed. Something that should have clued him in. He turns his head to give Kai a look--apologetic. He didn't mean to make your sister cry, man.]
Lead the way.
[1/3] Neil, Kai & Rylie | Apparently learning how to be men
There are just too many landmines to be avoided sometimes.
Blame it on the age if you like.
Also, unlocking your house door is a bit more complicated with one hand. He puts the key in his teeth so he can turn the handle.]
Mei-Mei?
[DOORSLAM.
Kai sighs and looks at you Neil with this kind of long-suffering 'WOMEN, AMIRITE' face.
'scuse the clutter. Just kind of... pick your way around the boxes and the bubble-wrapped and newspaper-tied bits of furniture. Kindly step over this crate full of pans, and follow him.
Door knocking.]
Mei-Mei, come on. I'm going to unwrap the TV and find a stupid movie and you can meet Neil without yelling or throwing things.
Or maybe...just... throwing them at me?
[Winces at Neil, mouthing, I don't know. What?]
[2/3] Neil, Kai & Rylie | Apparently learning how to be men
[Oh God, she's so mad and can't stop crying at the same time.
Gross juicy shnnnnnck over the back of her hand.]
Go away!
I don't want to meet any more of the gross people you've probably fucked!
[3/3] Neil, Kai & Rylie | Apparently learning how to be men
Well there you are. His sister thinks he's the village bicycle. That does kind of irritate him, but he shows it by breathing quietly through his nose for a second, then tapping the closed door with an apparently resigned sigh,]
In that case, if you don't come out, I'm going to have completely debauched and kinky sex with this random neighbor in the middle of the living room.
[Mouthes a ' sorry' at you before adding to the door,]
It's going to be mind-blowingly pornographic.
You don't want to know how incredibly kinky it's going to be.
[Another apologetic wince at Neil, waving his hand to indicate they should start going down the hall now, adding a little more loudly at Rylie's door,]
You left your dresser out here, right?
I always wanted to try something with those knobs...
I wonder which box my bullwhip's in.
[Oh please go along with this, Neil. He's got the most knotted eyebrows in an otherwise blank face right now. Chances are you won't actually think he has a bullwhip. This probably isn't an outing that he likes borderline illegal things. Probably.
Maybe?
All on your shoulders now, Neil.]
Maybe some towels.
[Almost a grumble. Almost.
No, really. He's not mad. ...yeahhhhhhh.
Not...mad...
And this totally isn't him grumbling under his breath again..]
Gai so fei hua... Guanwopishi.***
[Louder again,]
Loads of sex. Using your toothbrush.
'Kay thanks bye.
*** "Damned Nonsense. I don't give a damn."
Neil, Kai & Rylie | Apparently learning how to be men
This was not how he expected Kai to tackle this situation.
Neil doesn't know how to handle crying people. He's used to weird looks. He's used to shouting. He's even used to getting punched. Mainly when he's antagonizing Lucas. Or when he managed to tick off Alyssa.
Tears are more complicated.
He's going to trust you to know what you're doing, Kai.]
We even have the perfect setup for a porno scene here.
I've always wanted to play out one of those scenarios.
I call being the helpful moving guy.
What's that?
You've misplaced your wallet?
Don't worry.
I can think of a few things you can do to thank me for all my hard work.