"They're not dolls," Kel explained patiently.
"Of course not," Neal agreed. "Dolls are soft and silly looking while these are hard and silly looking."
Sighing, Kel reached over and physically turned Neal's chin so that he had no choice but to focus on the show. She was doing him a favor, if Yuki's displeased words, whenever Neal misinterpreted yet another tradition of the Yamani Islands, were any indication.
Because she had a grip on his face, she felt the instant Neal jerked, staring with fascination at the shadows shifting across the screen. The silhouettes committed depraved crimes just out of reach of shade and color.
"Children watch these?" he marveled.
"There's a notable absence of blood," Kel said.
After a moment of silent staring, Neal said, "You're right. There's something about the jerky yet dangerous movements... It IS hard to look away."
"Good." Kel frowned. "Wait. Why?" It seemed an abrupt turn-around from avoidant to appreciative. "Do you find them interesting?"
"No," Neal said, voice strained. "I'm going to have nightmares that they're sneaking up behind my back. Kabuki puppets are TERRIFYING."
