[hr][center][i][h1][color=9966ff]Lihn Phan[/color], & Viên Phan [/h1][/i][/center][hr]

[i][u]Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam[/u][/i]

[i]"You remember your mother, Lihn?"[/i] Viên walked at a slow, and easy pace. He was getting on in years but not to the stage where he had lost the ability to walk. 

 [i]"A bit," [/i]Lihn responded carefully. She had not heard from her mother since she had been a young girl. Not after her and her father had moved to America. For all Lihn knew, and cared, she was dead.

[i]"She was, and still is, a member of the Phan family - even after Dinh left."[/i] Viên's lips curled downwards slightly. It was clear which of his three children he disliked the most. Lihn was thankful her father wasn't here - not that he wanted anything to do with his family. Lihn could see why. [i]"The fault there was with him. She was welcomed as a member of our family - we offered to support her. She... Didn't quite see things our way."[/i]

Lihn nodded silently. She assumed that this was going somewhere. 

[i]"Mai disgraced our family as much as Dinh did. At least he had the dignity to marry first, and to do it on foreign soils."[/i] The look on Viên's face was now one of disgust. 

Lihn could see why her father had chosen to move away. It took a small conversation with her grandfather to remember it. His way of thinking was... Backwards to her. [i]"Where do I come in to this?"[/i]

Viên frowned at her. [i]"Your mother had another child - out of marriage. Thankfully she is no longer using the name Phan. It was not an issue to me."[/i] Outside of his disapproval and disgust, it seemed. [i]"Not until she moved back to Vietnam. And this city."[/i]

With her child, Lihn assumed. The disapproval was sounding all too similar. Lihn did not feel sorry for her mother as she had no fond memories of her. The child, however? She hoped they never had to meet this family. They weren't even a Phan by blood or adoption. 

[i]"I didn't realise this till recently. Mai, and her daughter, are bringing a bad reputation to my name,"[/i] he glared at Lihn with dark eyes, the wrinkles on his face more pronounced with what had turned to annoyance from disapproval. As if, somehow, it was Lihn's fault. [i]"I do not wish to get my hands dirty with this matter. That is where you come in, Lihn. I don't want those two to be a problem to me anymore. Take them back to America,"[/i] the disgust increased, [i]"For all I care."[/i]

Lihn held back a sigh. As if one problematic half-sibling wasn't enough. At least Kei was from her fathers side - he'd turned out all right. Any child of her mother? She wasn't sure what they'd be like. [i]"How do I find them, then?"[/i]

[i]"I will give you the details. Mai is in this city. Her daughter, on the other hand, I believe is not at this moment."[/i]

[i]"Where is she?"[/i]

[i]"Somewhere in Singapore."[/i]

Great. Well, she had wanted to go on a bit of a trip with her family. 

[hr][center][h1][i] [color=PowderBlue]Kei Phan[/color], Thanh Phan, & the Lý Family[/i][/h1][/center][hr]

[i][u]Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam[/u][/i]

Thanh bounced around excitedly, hopping from one cushion on the floor to the next. The prospect of her great grandfather being around for lunch was what made her excited - even though he was unlikely to stay around. 

Kei sighed softly from where he stood. Thanh had been a handful the entire time that she had been in Vietnam. It had only made her grow more confidence and cheerful. It was odd how that had occurred. Then again Lihn and Kei had tried their hardest to keep her away from the disapproval of certain other family members.

[i]"What's with the glum look, Xûng?"[/i]

[i]"Come on, cheer up, cousin."[/i]

Kei frowned at the sudden appearance of Tuyên and Mihn at either side of him. They wore identically devious grins on similar faces. 

[i]"It's Kei, not Xûng,"[/i] he responded dully. He knew that they called him by his birth name just to annoy him. It hadn't been entertaining to begin with - but he had only grown more done with it. 

[i]"But shouldn't you use your Vietnamese name when in Vietnam?"[/i] Tuyên chimed, her grin not disappearing at his response (or lack of it).

[i]"By that logic I should use an American name when there,"[/i] Kei shrugged, trying to not let himself get too annoyed. He wanted to go back to the room he had been given - or Lihn's. This side of the family was exhausting to keep up with. He had been able to deal with Thanh, as bubbly as she was, for long periods of time. But more than one person with a less calm personality than his sister? Nope. 

[i]"Kei sounds more American than Xûng."[/i] It was Minh who spoke now, his sister nodding in agreement.

[i]"Leave Kei alone, and help with putting out the food."[/i] The twins' mother interrupted their conversation with a stern look at the two. They shrugged and went to do as they were asked. Thanh looked over from her excited running, glancing between Kei and the twins before trailing after them. 

If Thanh was a handful when they got back home Kei was sure it would be their fault. 

[i]"I'm sorry about them. They really don't know when to stop."[/i] His aunt apologised with a soft smile.

[i]"It's fine,"[/i] Kei replied awkwardly. He hoped that Lihn got back soon. He disliked dealing with relatives. Phuong just nodded before leaving him alone, something he was glad for.

He couldn't wait to go back home.