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Sept 21, 2015 4:13:53 GMT -8
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Post by Kyle Kirkland on Jan 20, 2014 3:50:03 GMT -8
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Sept 21, 2015 4:13:53 GMT -8
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Post by Kyle Kirkland on Jan 20, 2014 3:44:43 GMT -8
Kyle considered the telly options. In truth he didn’t watch a great deal of TV except for some nature programs and the sport, neither were likely to be on until Boxing Day. Then he remembered that on the other side of the world it was already the 26th which would mean the start of the world famous yacht race. “If we could catch the start of the Sydney to Hobart later I’ll be happy.” He liked the countdown they did before the race began. Firing the cannon was always a sight. But he could always watch it online later so he wouldn’t be too fussed if they missed it.
Once his plate was filled he took a deep breath and set about the serious business of eating all that he could whilst still leaving room for pudding. It helped that the food was good, if he said so himself. His mother had ensured that he had all the herbs and spice mixes from home that they normally used so everything tasted familiar and comforting. And with the taste came the memories of previous Christmas dinners. The look on Wes’s face when he pulled his first firecracker, the matching sunburns they’d received at the beach one year, the time Wes threw up on him… good times, good times.
If felt to be able to open presents and eat too much with his cousin once again. It blanketed out strangeness of the unfamiliar traditions in a strange country. It brought a ray of sunlight to an otherwise chilly season (literally not figuratively). And meant that he was not sitting alone tonight, watching HRH’s Xmas message and eating a lonely Pavlova made for one. After all, what was a Pav if not the source of an ongoing argument for two?
‘You know...we haven't found all of the presents in the hoard yet. I placed them under the tree but I think Matilda went and hid them all."
“Matilda did what? Aw jeez…” Pavlova origins would have to wait till later, right now they had an impromptu treasure hunt. “She probably placed them up high somewhere, like that time my sunglasses were on the ceiling fan” (And he still hadn’t worked out how she got them there) “How good are you with shoulder rides?”
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Sept 21, 2015 4:13:53 GMT -8
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Post by Kyle Kirkland on Dec 25, 2013 22:09:18 GMT -8
Kyle sensed rather than saw Wes following him back outside and turned around to be greeted by a sight of festive cuteness. His baby girl Matilda was rocking a doll sized Santa suit that just looked plain adorable and Wes…
Wes would never ever be a perfect picture of health, not with the health issues he’d had as a child. But for several months now he’d been coming round and helping himself to extra food. Kyle himself had gone to considerable effort behind the scenes to make sure his larder had lots of proteins and meats so that the kiwi was getting some iron into his diet. And looking at his cousin now, with his brightened eyes and frost nipped cheeks, it was hard to believe that he was the same washed out youth he’d spotted in the zoo all those months ago. If his mother could see him now she would have little cause for worry, and that though alone made Kyle swell a bit with pride.
"We are certainly not skimping on lunch, following the tradition for a lazy afternoon eh?" Wes brought his thoughts back to this side of the globe where their lunch was currently being barbequed, they did have quite a lot of it but what is Christmas if not a time of indulgence?
“Pretty much. The natives usually veg out in front of the telly to watch the Queen talk about the weather or something British. But we’re not culturally obliged to so we can just veg, maybe Skype mum and Auntie just as they’re getting revved up to watch the Boxing Day Test.” Skyping their respective mothers had been Kiwi’s idea but it had taken a while to put it in action as neither of them where what you’d call “technologically savvy”. It is a sad thing for a son to admit that his mother knows more about computers than he does but that was the way things were for Kyle. With luck though their test run this evening would work and he’d get to see his mum and Aunt’s face for the first time ever on a computer screen.
Thinking these thoughts he turned a turkey breast over and decided that it was ready. “We can start serving now I think. Put Matilda in her highchair first.” Once the plates were loaded up Kyle switched the barbeque off and gave it a quick scrape down, he’d clean it properly once it had cooled. Walking back inside the temperature was much warmer and the back of his neck itched a little where the woollen scarf rubbed against his skin.
He’d certainly been amused when the parcel from his aunt had arrived containing two hand knitted green scarfs, apparently she’d thought it was cute to make them matching. But amusement had quickly turned to alarm when his own mother had gotten in on the game and had sent them identical hand knitted red woolly jumpers. Admittedly they were really warm, just right for the chilly London winter. But the whole matching-ness of it.
“It’s like our mums never got over their whole dressing-us-up-in-identical-outfits phase” He mused aloud as he gave his jumper an awkward tug.
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Sept 21, 2015 4:13:53 GMT -8
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Post by Kyle Kirkland on Dec 24, 2013 21:46:56 GMT -8
“Wes… I think you might have gone a little over the top with the decorations” Kyle called out from the kitchen. ‘A little over the top’ was a huge understatement. The place was literally swamped in glitter and streamers and those tacky Christmas lights that never last a year. Kyle didn’t dare step out into the living room least he knock a Santa over, or bang his head on a cherub or get his entire body caught in a net of tinsel. By ‘a little over the top’ he actually really meant ‘where the bloody hell are we supposed to sit you hyperactive little woolball?’
What made things extremely bizarre was how the decorations were a mixture of European and Antipodean in style. Aussie Jingle Bells was blasting on the stereo, a giant Pohutukawa tree flared it’s branches in the corner, Santa whooshed across the wall pulled along on his surfboard by eight kangaroos, and an inflatable reindeer stood in the yard amongst fake snow. It gave the place a very… distinctive look.
Kyle turned his back on the yuletide fiasco that was happening in his living room and headed out back door. He was of equal blame for the diversity of their festivities as far as the food went. He’d gotten the barbeque to work and was currently grilling a ham, prawns and part of a turkey for their lunch. Back in the kitchen a monster sized Pavlova dwarfed the mini-mince pies and gingerbread that had been given to him by the families of some of his patients. Kiwi’s contribution to the spread had been a large cranberry salad and some hot chestnuts given to him by a classmate. Neither of the cousins were entirely sure of what to make of the nuts and they had eventually been given to Matilda to crunch on.
Kyle removed the prawns from the barbie and garnished them with a little lemon sauce and some chives. He wasn’t an expert cook by any means, but he sure knew how run a barbeque and was quite proud of the way things were turning out. “Hey Wes! Catch” He flung a prawn into the middle of the living room and waited for the sheep to leap out and grab it in his mouth, a feat that continued to amaze Kyle even after all this time. As well as pre-dining entertainment the prawn was also serving as a kiwi-locator. It was quite impossible for him to see his cousin in the midst of all the decorations.
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Sept 21, 2015 4:13:53 GMT -8
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Post by Kyle Kirkland on Dec 23, 2013 16:00:15 GMT -8
“My name is Ada”
“Ada” Kyle repeated the name. It was mercifully short which meant that the pronunciation wasn’t difficult. “Nice to meet you Ada, I’m called Kyle myself” they shook hands and the Australian started to relax a bit. It was silly but he had always felt that a handshake was a good sign.
The woman pointed to a few other items of food that were just out of her reach and Kyle grabbed them easily, taking an additional packet of sweet biscuits for his own trolley as he did so. He wasn’t much of a sugar fan himself, being a savoury kind of guy, but his cousin would probably like them.
“Ah, you’re welcome” he replied when he was thanked “Glad I could help.” Just then Ada noticed Matilda, still sitting quietly in the child’s seat. He had forgotten she was there.
"Are you shopping with your kid? That's a really cute hoodie."
Err… How was he going to explain this?
“Well she isn’t exactly my kid, though I do look after her. She’s a koala. Say hi Matilda.” Kyle picked Matilda up and removed the pink sunglasses from her face so Ada could see her dense brown eyes. “She has some trouble gripping things with her claws which made it hard for her to live in the wild. And a stint in the zoo didn’t work out so she lives with me now.” That was the shortened version of her story that he most often told people, the real tale was much more dramatic but very long.
“Would you like to hold her? She’s fine with being cuddled.” He offered the koala to Ada so she could take her in the same way you might pass over a baby. Matilda blinked but as usual said nothing. At the moment she looked as cute as a button, though that was because her sass only really showed when it was just the two of them.
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Sept 21, 2015 4:13:53 GMT -8
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Post by Kyle Kirkland on Dec 21, 2013 19:07:58 GMT -8
FUN-FACT #1 Kyle is convinced that the entire British branch of his family suffers from vitamin D deficiency. Why else would they all be so pale? FUN-FACT #2 Kyle frequently makes bets with Matilda over silly things like tomorrow's weather or the number of sock pairs he has.
He always looses. FUN-FACT #3 Like most people in his country, Kyle has a bad case of tall poppy syndrome. This is why he's embarrassed to admit he's related a politician.
It's nothing personal, it just is. FUN-FACT#4 Kyle can never find his phone. He can only randomly stumble across it from time to time. CODED BY ELECTRIC |
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Sept 21, 2015 4:13:53 GMT -8
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Post by Kyle Kirkland on Dec 21, 2013 18:29:04 GMT -8
Xmas in my country is a little bit unique, mostly because it's summertime for us and very hot. Most families will have a barbecue on Christmas Day. And if we can we'll go to the beach and spend the day there swimming and playing beach cricket.
Oh and Santa's sleigh isn't pulled by reindeer, it's pulled by the six white boomers don't cha know?
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Sept 21, 2015 4:13:53 GMT -8
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Post by Kyle Kirkland on Dec 20, 2013 23:28:33 GMT -8
Hello everybody! I've returned!
I had an amazingly cool time in South America doing stuff I've never even dreamed of and all in all having a great time. But I have now returned with a deep appreciation for Spanish, a ruined pair of hiking boots and a maté addiction.
I hope to be up and RP-ing again soon, I just need a few days to recuperate and readjust to my current time zone. I am very jet-lagged.
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Sept 21, 2015 4:13:53 GMT -8
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Post by Kyle Kirkland on Oct 3, 2013 12:04:32 GMT -8
So here's what is happening.
I am currently on a gap year. For those non Europeans out there a gap year is a registered year off between high school and university. Most gappers will go travelling at some point and I am no exception. In a few days time I will be heading off to South America for ten weeks. Don't worry, I'll be back in time for Christmas.
In the meantime I am almost certainly not going to be able to jump into the cbox and will definitely not be able to post, we're not allowed to bring electronic devices...
...
...
I am so going to go through withdrawal.
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Sept 21, 2015 4:13:53 GMT -8
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Post by Kyle Kirkland on Oct 3, 2013 11:54:19 GMT -8
“A cheese sandwich... What about a ham and cheese toasted sandwich? And don’t pretend to refuse, I know you too well.” How true that was. He wasn’t too sure if his cousin remembered their first meeting (he had been very small at the time) but Kyle did, and so did his shins. He had been a cool young adolescent with a bad haircut at the time, and would never have guessed that the overgrown toddler would become one of his closest mates. The two of them had only ever seen each other when their mums were able to get time off to jump the ditch, but what moments they’d been. Water bomb fights in the backyard, sleepy breakfasts at sunrise, evenings spent of the roof with chips and cassette tapes. Despite the height difference the two of them had been joined at the hip.
Kyle considered Wes’s offer, well pretended to consider in order to save face. It had been ages since he’d had a family nap, mostly because the family he’d been around recently didn’t seem like the family napping kind (did Iain even sleep?). Forty winks would indeed be very welcome provided that Westley could be spared; after all he still had his newfound father to report to. “If you call your dad now and sort it out. I’ll make lunch and take care of some other things. I still need to call the kittens’ parents...” He ambled out of the room to let his cousin call his dad and headed downstairs.
The ham and cheese toastie was prepared and the phone call was made. Well it was attempted. All he got was the answering machine. He also grabbed some painkillers from him his medicine cabinet to help the chest pains Wes had (no he wasn’t psychic, he just knew his cousin well). When all had been assembled he walked back upstairs and set the meal down on Westley’s lap. “Food, tea and drugs, I am a good cousin. Now slide over.”
He bundled himself up under the covers and breathed a deep sigh. The strangeness of the city and the unfamiliarity of his surrounding melted away as he relaxed into the covers. “Do you remember that time when we had that billy-cart and we took it racing down the hill near your mum’s house? That crappy contraction, held together by rust and bubblegum, felt like we we’re breaking the sound barrier... And then we hit the rock... never seen... sheep...fly."
Kyle dozed off, made comfortable for the first time in a long while by the presence of his family.
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Sept 21, 2015 4:13:53 GMT -8
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Post by Kyle Kirkland on Sept 27, 2013 8:44:44 GMT -8
"There is only one thing we can do here" Kyle spoke to Matilda in a mock serious tone "We must make a compromise" three packets of chips went into the trolley "And that should do it". Matilda said nothing, she did not eat chips, only hot chips on occasion.
As he turned around to head to the checkout he noticed another person had joined him in the aisle, a young woman with her arms wrapped around her basket like it was a crate. When she came a little closer Kyle saw that the basket contained bottles and cartons of various drinks, it must have been heavy, but the funny way she was carrying them probably made things a bit easier.
She stopped almost exactly in the spot that he had been standing before, right before the chips. Kyle watched as she made a grab for a large packet on the top row. He knew the brand well enough, although he wasn't really mad on them himself, and he knew that they did not get discounted all that often. But here they were, 50% off and placed on the highest shelf as if they shopkeepers were embarrassed about it.
The girl, who looked distinctly Polynesian, made a jump for them and (not surprisingly) her reach fell woefully short. Perhaps he should? Kyle made a step forward then paused. What if... Oh really what could go wrong? He swallowed his nervousness down and approached the girl. "Need a hand?" He asked.
Without waiting for a reply he reached up and grabbed the chips casually flexing his biceps as he did so and dropped them into her basket. "It's silly how they make these shelves so high that half the people can't reach them. I'm sure it's a marketing ploy of some sort but still. I'm Kyle by the way." He held out his hand and smiled "Can I get anything else for you while I'm here. I'm pretty good at reaching for things."
'I'm pretty good at reaching for things? Smooth Kyle, real smooth.'
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Sept 21, 2015 4:13:53 GMT -8
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Post by Kyle Kirkland on Sept 21, 2013 12:52:19 GMT -8
"I am not scared of people! And that bunyip incident meant nothing, a bunyip isn't even a ghost!" Kyle was not fond of that memory, it had been one of his less than glamorous moments. It was all very well for the Kiwi, he hadn't had to dive into the pool where the infamous bunyip was said to lurk just beneath the waters. That had been how many years ago? Kyle tried to count as he placed the kittens in the laundry but it was impossible to remember properly. All he could recall was that Wes had been considerably smaller, a half-pint, though no less obnoxious than he was now.
Despite the age gap the two of them had really clicked, their thoughts and ideas had bounced off each other like swinging pendulum. If Kyle was telling an impossibly tall tale Wes could pick it right up and run along with it, giving their yarn a great deal more credibility. Who wouldn't believe the fluffy little lamb could ever lie? Why else would the charming youth agree with everything the tot said? Ah yes, they had been a devious little pair.
Kyle smirked wryly as he dug out his kettle and prepared the tea. The kiwi-kid, cleaning? He would believe it when he saw it, not before. Even so, it was nice that he had apologised for causing the mark. It wasn't that bad really, it meant that his house was starting to be lived in. He fed the tortoise and decided that he would try and unpack a few more of his boxes this evening, at the moment the place was still very empty of everything but the bare essentials. Now what was next? Ah yes, honey. Kyle was about to put a nice spoonful into the mug when he thought better of it and brought along the entire jar.
"There you go kiddo" he placed the beverage and sweetener next to Wes, who had already laid claim to his bed. Matilda, upon seeing a person lying down decided that is was nap time and joined Wes underneath the blanket "The marsupial is complimentary. Do you want some lunch?" rhetorical question...
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Sept 21, 2015 4:13:53 GMT -8
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Post by Kyle Kirkland on Sept 13, 2013 12:36:25 GMT -8
It was coming to the end of their journey and the only thing Kyle could think up to distract the Kiwi for the few vital moments it would take to relocate the kittens was to get him to wash his shoes. He tried to make it convincing "I have several critters that need to be kept isolated from containments" which was half true. The kittens in question were going through their first round of immunisations which meant that for the time being they should be kept away from the outside world. But as soon as the words were out of his mouth he knew it would not be enough to convince Wes.
And sure enough the little sheep started bleating in protest and threw his shoes at the wall which made Kyle cringe inwardly. It was not a new house by any means but it was a new to him house, his first ever. Up till now he had only ever lived in apartments. Before he could tell him off for this however, Wes had marched himself straight into the living room, and came face to face with Cuddlepie and her brother Snugglepot, the two kitties that he had been trying to prevent kiwi from meeting in the first place.
"Mew?" asked Snugglepot as he padded forward to sniff out the newcomer. Westley's reaction was immediate. His already overworked lungs started pumping even more rapidly as the adrenalin kicked in and not half a second layer he had bolted right back outside. The door was slammed hard enough to rattle the frame and Kyle was pretty certain he would have locked it as well if he had been in possession of the keys. As it was he called out in a small, very frightened voice, for him to move the two furballs. Kyle could not have held back his chuckles if he had tried. Really Wes, bold as anything, was scared off by a couple of kittens. Some things just could not be understood.
""You know the first step to solving a problem is admitting you have one!" He called out teasingly as he scooped up Snugglepot and chased after Cuddlepie. ""Most phobias are pretty curable. I could always get you a kitty plush, you know, for therapy." His snickers betrayed any attempt at seriousness, not that he had been trying in the first place.
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Sept 21, 2015 4:13:53 GMT -8
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Post by Kyle Kirkland on Sept 12, 2013 2:01:31 GMT -8
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Post by Kyle Kirkland on Sept 12, 2013 0:45:13 GMT -8
It may have been the relatively young age demographic, it may have been the abundance of posters on the streetlamps protesting against everything from organ harvesting to late night curfews, or it may have been the group of kids dashing past in Pikachu onesies. Whatever it may be it was pretty damn obvious that this was a community of students. Kyle was thankful that that he had decided to pay his call in jeans and a t-shirt rather than in anything professional looking, as it meant that he didn't stand out too much.
The samples for the medical school had been dropped off with only a moderate amount of trouble (getting lost on his way out and having to escape the building through an inconspicuous window) and now that his arms were free Kyle had decided now would be a good time to pick up a few groceries. Well, more than a few, he basically needed to restock the pantry after Wes had come round to visit (Did that kid’s stomach even have bottom or was it just an endless vacuum built to consume his entire larder?) So he pulled a trolley out, popped Matilda into the child’s seat, and set off down the aisle.
Bread, baked beans, some sausages, it all found its way into his trolley. In one aisle he found a pair of little pink sunglasses in the shape of stars and he put them on Matilda, just for a laugh. The Koala glared back at him (looking every inch the furry diva that she was) but she did not remove them. At last he came to the most important part of the shop, the snack section. Kyle was a fan of snacks. As he spent most of his waking hours on the go they provided him with most of his fuel, sitting down meals was an idealistic notion as far as he was concerned. Muesli bars (with yogurt on them) dried fruits and pretzels were a given. Oh and here were the chips! Kyle picked up a packet of pringels and then hesitated. Should he get barbeque flavour, onion flavour, Or should he just go for plain? He stood in the isle for a few moments, pondering this thought.
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