Raiden was looking at the game board before him, thinking of his next move, occasionally glancing up at his sister. Abolith had left her children in the care of Ayami, Shay, and Rexie while she went back home to be with their father and fight for their homeland. Stella was looking out the window after Raiden finally made his move.
"Stella, it's your turn now." Raiden said snapping his fingers towards his sister.
"Huh? Oh, sorry I was just...I was just thinking about our cousins." Stella said as she looked at the shogi board before them. It was a game their father and grandparents had taught them to play for enjoyment so they wouldn't feel bored sometimes when their father would speak to their grandparents for long periods of time.
"Yeah, I saw them too from a distance. I didn't see Aaron with them, but I did see Kari and Haley there. They were probably going to go speak with grandmother and grandfather about what's going on over there." Raiden assumed as he moved his game piece.
When it came to matters dealing with battles or war, the two would usually be left out of the matters, they understood that their parents were doing it for their own protection.
"I also saw Mason there too. He looked to be carrying a sword of some kind. I wish I could ask him about it, but that may not happen. You know how mother and father are." Stella said as she moved her shogi piece now after Raiden made his own move.
"I know what you mean, I haven't told mother and father this, but I've wanted to speak with Aaron for a long time now. I enjoy all the time I've spent with Sachiko, but I wish I could speak with another boy my own age." Raiden said looking at the board carefully.
"You could always talk with Kenji and Sota." Stella said with a smirk as she moved her shogi piece now.
"After they gave me that haircut? No thank you. It took me weeks to grow my hair back to how it looked." Raiden said shaking his head.
"Well, Kenji and Sota are both fun, but I have wanted to meet Mason since I was little. I once overheard mother and father speaking about him and how he's....normal compared to our other cousins. Still, it would be nice to meet him and know more about him." Stella nodded as she moved her shogi piece making Raiden's eyes widen at his sister's winning move.
"Tsumi." Stella nodded crossing her arms with a smile.
"Father taught you this game too well." Raiden grumbled crossing his arms.
Ayami and Shay now came into the room with Ayami bringing some iced tea in cups for the four of them while Shay brought in brought in a few melon pans for them. Raiden shook took one of the melon pans and began to eating it while Stella didn't eat one immediately.
"Ayami, Shay, can we ask you a question?" Stella asked the two of them.
"Of course, go ahead and ask us anything." Ayami nodded.
"Is it normal that we haven't met our cousins? You know Aaron, Kari, Haley, and Mason. Father has met them plenty of times, but he says it's only to check on their well being." Raiden asked them as he continued to chew his melon pan.
Raiden and Stella noticed the two of them taking their time to answer the siblings.
"Well, your parents have met some very....cruel people in their lives. It can happen to anyone, I know I've met some pretty wild people when I go out to a club and see a few guys who....sorry, I got a little off topic. My point is there are some good people out there and some very bad people out there." Shay explained.
"But the four of them, aren't bad, and they aren't strangers, they're family. Shouldn't we have met them by now? I don't always like having to be babysitter to Kenji and Sota. Mason and I are close in age, couldn't we be friends?" Stella asked.
"Well, sometimes," Ayami paused trying to think of how to explain this gently to them of their parents decision. "sometimes different family members don't always interact with each other. Your parents have been very protective of you all of your lives and it has been for a good reason. They've just been very....cautious about you meeting them." Ayami explained to them to her best ability.
"I suppose, my mother tried to explain it once to me when I asked about meeting them, but her answer was....vague at the time. Once we get back, I would very much like to meet them." Stella nodded with a smile.
"I'm sure they would very much like that." Ayami said as they all now heard a commotion as they saw Sachiko pulling her brothers in by their ears.
"We didn't do anything wrong." Kenji said to his sister.
"Yeah, it was just for fun was all." Sota proclaimed to his sister.
"I doubt Raiden will find it funny." Sachiko glared at her little brothers.
"What did they do?" Raiden asked as he was still chewing down on his melon pan.
"Uh...have you been the only one to eat a melon pan?" Sachiko asked as Raiden shook his head and looked at the tray to see that no one else had actually eaten another melon pan.
Raiden looked at his melon pan he had been eating then at the twins.
"What did you put in here?" Raiden asked looking a little worried.
"We helped Shay make them...and put something in it when she wasn't looking called....laxative." Kenji answered as Raiden's eyes went wide.
"Oh boy, that's certainly a surprise." Shay just said as Stella smirked a little at this. Raiden now felt a bad gurgle in the bottom of his stomach.
"This is why I need to hang out with cousins my age!" Raiden shouted as he rushed to the bathroom.
"I'll fix up another batch without laxatives." Ayami said shaking her head.
"So, what do you think is the first thing you'd say if you got to meet your cousins?" Shay asked looking at Stella.
"I think....I think I'd first say hello, then whatever comes next to my mind. Even though I haven't formally met them yet. I think I love them all just as much as I love my parents." Stella nodded with a smile.