Logs:More Involved

More Involved
Dramatis Personae Jax, Kieow, Lily	2020-10-21 "So. Are you? Family?"
Location <NYC> Chimaera Arts - Dumbo
This is just one of the many abandoned warehouses in DUMBO, and like many of them it has recently changed hands. /Unlike/ most of those, however, it does not have some corporate developer's sign out front promising a transformation into luxury condominiums or a boutique shopping center or the latest concept restaurant. Instead it's marked by a piece of weathered but wildly colorful plywood propped up on a stack of broken pallets, which reads "Chimaera Art Space!" above "chimaera.org" in smaller letters. The warehouse is moderately large and decorated with graffiti art in various styles--some of it recognizable as the work of renowned local street artists. A pair of monstrous scrap metal sculptures, perhaps still works in progress, flank the entrance. The building itself has undergone significant renovation recently, complete with wiring, plumbing, and a modular partitioning system. The grounds, too, have been cleaned up, ramshackle fences torn down and rusting detritus removed in favor of reclaimed (and brilliantly repainted) outdoor furniture ringing an impressively engineered firepit. Technically, there are still classes going on at Chimaera, its regular working schedule only slightly disrupted with the latest chaos -- this place is well *used* to being a central hub for protest activity and has learned by now some ways of keeping things rolling more or less smoothly in the middle of tumult. At a first glance it's hard to *tell* that things are Business As Usual in the side classrooms; out in the biggest open central space it's all a bustle. There's an art build underway, many supplies out for people to make protest signs, banners, shirts, a crew working on building reinforced (and well-decorated) protest shields. Seeds of Peace has taken over the kitchen to churn out two cooked meals a day for those working in and out of the streets. There *has* been a tiny Protest Health & Safety training happening out in the yard, just a quick crash course on how to stay safe and look after each other for those new to All Of This. It has just recently dispersed, freeing up the two medics who were running it. One of those two, brightly colored and easily recognizable just from the past week alone, is wasting very little time transitioning from one task to the next, drifting by the art build to check on the status of their supplies (more wood needed for picket signs.) Jax's hair is its most common peacock-hued layers; in black overalls swirled with abstract rainbow, purple Doc Martens, a soft blue-green flannel, eyepatch emblazoned with a metallic blue dragonfly; the pack slung across his shoulders has a black and red patch on it featuring a star of life with a large rat wrapped around a raised fist in place of the rod; around the top it reads 'New York City Action Medical', the bottom ring of text says 'Do no harm! * Take no shit!' "D'you need food," he's asking Kieow with only a *measured* amount of Fret in his voice. "There's probably -- plenty around." Kieow looks up from the stack of paper she received during the class, her gaze focusing on Jax's face. "Oh. Food. Yeah, I guess it's time for that." She sniffs as she adjusts a vine of pothos that threatens to fall in her face, twisting it into the larger group. "It's gray today... otherwise I wouldn't notice." She gets to her feet - colorful socks stuffed into a pair of coral canvas shoes - and adjusts the waist band on her black and green track pants. She's wearing a long sleeved shirt made out of a heavy woven material, soft to the touch, with a multitude of horizontal stripes, paisley, and geometric shapes in all of the colors of the rainbow. "Is it time for you to eat, too, Mr. Holland?" At the back of the group, Lily is adjusting her own stack of paper, scrawled notes in the margins and in her notebook smeared on the side of her left hand. By the time she's packed up almost everyone else has dispersed. Today's outfit is more haggard - paint-stained brown long sleeved shirt, darks jeans, worn out Blundstone boots, though on the back of her chair is a nicer faux-fur-lined jacket. She gathers the coat up in her arms and bee-lines for Jax. "Hi," she starts, before realizing she's interrupting. "Sorry. I can come back later if this is a bad time - I just wanted to ask about getting more involved - I'm Lily." She's flustered already. To Kieow, she gives a little wave. "I like your shirt." "Naw, I'm good. I had some..." Jax is starting to reply to Kieow, his answer a little vague as he sets his pack *down* by the art supplies, takes a quick stock of what projects are in process. He looks up with a quick smile when he's addressed, stopping in place for -- a brief moment, anyway, though he's already starting to usher the others along in his wake towards the woodshop. "Hm? Nope, you're good. Might could give us a hand real quick though, I'm just grabbing some..." This trails off, too, as he studies Lily's face. *Actually* comes to a proper halt, this time, a slight flush in his pale cheeks. "Oh -- oh, hi. Lily, gosh. Have you met Kieow yet? Hive's sister. Kieow, this is -- Lily." "Had some what, Mr. Holland? If you can't remember, you should eat again." Kieow is very insistent, following Jax around much like his shadow. She's so close that when he finally stops, she shuffles right into his side. She grabs his shirt to brace herself upright and then tucks a little behind him when he starts really focusing on Lily. She nods, smiles and offers, "thanks," before picking up on the introduction. She looks up at Lily with new attention, studying her face. "Oh, Lily, Sister. Have you eaten recently?" Jax's expression changes and so does Lily's - one eyebrow raises, smile faltering for a brief moment. When it returns there is a sadness in her eyes that wasn't as present before. "Hi," she says back, softer but more controlled than her panicked entrance to the conversation. "I haven't - it's nice to meet you, Kieow." There is a little extra emphasis on Kieow's name as she peers around Jax at the girl. Her eyes go a little wider at the word 'sister', but she just nods. "I haven't eaten in a little bit," she admits. "Are you hungry?" "Was near 'bout ready to grab Kieow some food, just gotta shifts some supplies for this first." Jax is gesturing towards the art build beside them. "Seeds of Peace are a little better than some of the Food not Bombs kids at actually putting, uh, flavors in their foods, but if a crowd-sized pot of curry tofu ain't doing it for you there's plenty of quick places nearby." His teeth click down against one of his several lip rings, weight shifting awkwardly from one foot to the other before he starts moving again. "Sorry, what did you say you -- wanted to get involved with? There's been -- a lot." "Hunger has very little to do with it these days. We've got a belly full of sorrow instead. Food won't displace it, but it does help balance things a bit." Kieow moves to pick up Jax's pack, wrapping her arms around it instead of using the straps for anything. "So we should all eat. That means you too, Mr. Holland." The teenager's face displays traces of the mild frustration she's feeling. Lily's eyes go wider still. "Very wise words, Kieow," she says after a beat, looking slightly unsettled. "I don't mind the tofu, but I also would love to get into the neighborhood a bit more." She follows Jax's lead, gathering up some of the art supplies in her one unoccupied arm. "Oh, I was - I wanted to help out in medical?" Her face flushes slightly. "I understand Dawson was a doctor - I'm not quite finished with medical school myself, but I know I could be helpful." "Kieow, please leave it." Jax's voice is very mild as Kieow picks his pack up, only a small tightness in his jaw that fades soon. "S'some good tacos or Chinese or Indian the closest, if any of those strike either of your fancy." He's leading the way to the woodshop -- there's the faintest curl of greying shadow that wisps in small curls around his arms as he crosses into it, soon to fade. It's a bit of a jumble in *there*, too, half-finished projects pushed aside to leave more working room. His fingers trail lightly over one intricately mosaic'd tabletop, unpolished, no legs, before he stops by a pile of freshly cut planks. "Jus' gotta grab some of these for the signmakers." He's grabbing an armful himself. "Oh! Yeah, Dawson was -- he did a lot of --" His voice falters and instead he continues on to, "So you got some prior training? We been running stopgap trainings every other day or so for folks who *got* medical knowledge and want to learn to use it in the streets -- or there's a full-on medic training for folks without experience coming up but it won't be for a little bit. Those take a couple days to sit through." "Eh. I don't know if they are wise, but they are important. And I have to keep repeating them." Kieow sighs dejectedly as she sets down the pack and wraps her arms around her torso instead -- at least until she's in the wood shop. "Eventually they listen. Kind of." She makes a full stop at the table Jax touches and stares at it. "Tacos." She looks over at Lily. "You're going to be a doctor too? Huh." "Tacos," Lily repeats firmly, giving the young girl another light smile. In the wood shop, Lily takes a moment to pull on her coat, freeing up her arms to fill with planks. "Yeah, I am," she says to Kieow, then back at Jax: "Two years of medical school, and wilderness first aid. That first training sounds perfect." Her eyes are taking in everything in the room - hugging the planks to her torso, she reaches out her fingertips to the unfinished table. "Is this - " Her hand recoils, shaking her head. "Sorry. Just seems familiar." "Flick... Dawson was one of our first members here. He basically ran this section. Taught a lot of people how to --" Jax nods towards the unfinished table. His head has bowed after Kieow's sigh, brief, his expression unchanged but his arm tightening around the stack of wood planks. "I'm -- so sorry," he says then, soft and apologetic, setting the wood back down on a small dolly. "Do y'all mind taking these and' just -- running these back over to them signmakers, I need -- just one minute and then I'll be right back with you." Regardless of the others' answers, he's retreating towards the classroom door at the back. "Yeah, sure. We can do that." Kieow grabs whatever is remaining of the wood to go and places it on the dolly. She looks to Lily to see if she is going to put her planks down then pushes the small truck over to the sign makers. "I'm sorry that I'm... not the most social. S'been hard. I'm guessing it's been hard for you too, but I .. don't actually know. Bua's mentioned... but I don't know you much yet." It takes Lily a minute to come back, her hand hovering just a hair away from the surface of the table. "Oh, yes. Take your time," she says to Jax's retreating back. Another moment and she adds her planks to the pile, falling in step besides Kieow. "Oh, honey, that's okay. This isn't the best time to be meeting long-lost," her breath catches in her throat, briefly, "sisters. Siblings. Bua is - Hive, yes?" Lily glances at Kieow, waiting for confirmation. "Did Dawson have a nickname like that?" "Bua, yes. Hive." Kieow pushes the dolly sluggishly. All in all, it's not a long walk and soon they are at the destination. She skirts the hand truck and starts pulling off the planks and putting them with the sign maker's dwindling supply. "Dawson is Fon. It means rain. And family is always welcome, if that family is supportive and loving. In fact, I'd say being supportive and loving is more important that genetic relations. So. Are you? Family?" "Fon, rain," Lily repeats, moving planks herself, not making eye contact with Kieow. "That is a - once again, very wise." Gazing at the pile of wood, Lily slumps a little. "I don't know." She lets the silence hang, a little bit. "I think I would like to be. But - people here - I think you're the first one to look at me like they haven't seen a ghost." She shrugs, still adamantly avoiding eye contact. "I'm not sure how welcome a ghost is." "I'm... accustomed to a certain amount of distance between myself and Fon. Yes, he visited a couple times a year and he gave the best hugs," Kieow's eyes mist up, so she starts blinking rapidly to keep them from spilling over, "but he still lived here and I lived in Thailand. While I was excited to live closer to him now, some part of me doesn't miss him physically and has no hunger for that. I don't miss his voice... because it's in my head. Everything in English sounds like him to me. So..." She sets down the last of the wood and slumps into a sitting position on a nearby stool. "You're not a ghost to me. Anyway, you still haven't answered my question. Are you going to be loving and supportive? Are you going to be good for Bua? Because he's going to see his ghosts whether you're here or not. But one who helps him - loves him like Fon? That's a good thing." Lily lets out a tight, shuddery breath as Kieow speaks. “He really did have the best hugs, huh? Even as a kid.” A moment passes, and Lily puts one hand gently on Kieow’s arm. “I am going to do my darndest to be loving and supportive of everyone who loved my brother. I will be as good as I can for your brother.” She hesitates. “I’m not Dawson, but I can love Bua my own way. If he’ll let me.” Lily’s eyes are wet again, like they’ve been on and off all week. “So, yes. I would like to be family.” "I will tell you a secret. Bua is always cranky. Don't let it get to you. And don't wait for him to 'let you.' He's very able to tell people to go away when he doesn't want to be around them." Kieow places a hand on Lily's for a brief moment, then pulls away only so she can stand up again. "Now that we're sisters, we're going to have to figure out sisterly things to do. I... didn't go out much when I was back home, so everything was done at home - baby sitting and board games, mostly. What do you like?" Lily smiles now, her lips pressed together into a tight but genuine smile."Noted. I will remember that." She gives Kieow's arm a little squeeze before dropping her own down by her side. "Well, hm. I like hiking, but I also like board games. Does touristy stuff count as a sisterly activity?" Her expression is lighter. "I've never been to New York before. It could be fun to explore, when things are calmer." She glances over her shoulder. "Should we check on..." she trails off. "Oh, shoot, I forgot his first name already. Mr Holland?" "Jax," Kieow replies, then offers, "Jackson Holland. I only call him Mr. Holland because he's a teacher at my school. It's important to be respectful even when not there. Or else I'll forget when I am there and that would be bad." She glances toward the door that Jax left from and bites her lip. "Uh. I don't know. I really don't know what to do about all of the sad. Maybe he needs a while to not be stared at? I mean, I guess we can see if he's actually taking a moment or if he's just started doing something else and forgot about us." Lily nods once. "He is a very cool teacher," she says, her brow furrowing as she looks back at the door. "I'm - I'm going to check on him." It's less of an informative statement than a persuasive one, like she's talking herself into it. It's a short walk, faster now that she is moving with purpose. A light rap on the door. "Jax?" There's only a brief pause before the door opens. Jax looks less pale than a few minutes earlier, the shadows under his eyes drastically improved despite a distinct lack of makeup. "Sorry," he offers reflexively again, head dipping with this quiet apology as he slips back out. "So the consensus was tacos an' -- info on medic training?" "Tacos for sure. You two can talk medic training over spicy crunchy goodness." Kieow crosses over to Lily to grab a free arm, if she lets her and starts tugging her toward the door.