This is Lotus
This is Saiki
~Thoughts of others~
Tis' the Season - To Meeting New People
Lotus and Violet stood in the kitchen chatting as Lotus started preparing for dinner.
"Saiki and I are going out," Lotus said
"Oooh, is this a Christmas date?" Violet said, covering her mouth to hide her cheeky smile.
"M-Maybe," Lotus stuttered, turning to hide her flushed cheeks.
"Ah, I remember when Ethan and I first started dating. What wonderful times," Violet reminisced
"Didn't you put Ethan in a headlock when you first met?" Lotus said
"Well, he shouldn't have been acting so weird. I thought he was a stalker," Violet said
"Well can't blame her for defending herself from a would-be assailant."
"My little Lotus is going out with her boyfriend. It seems just like yesterday you were just a little kid, now you're a budding young woman about to enter the throes of passion," Violet said
"Whoa! How fast are you moving!? Besides Saiki and I haven't even made anything official! Calling him my boyfriend might be jumping the gun here," Lotus said
"No, no, you're definitely his girlfriend. He might not have said it but you are," Violet said
"Violet!" Lotus said
Violet just laughed as her sister's face got redder.
"Ahhhhh!"
Lotus and Violet jumped as they heard the screams of Ethan.
"Ethan!"
The poor guy continues to cry out, sounding like he was being attacked.
"I'm coming my love!" Violet shouted
She booked it out of the room running to the front of the house. Lotus followed after her sister, hot on her tail.
"Mercy! Mercy!" Ethan cried
"Ethan! What's-?!"
Violet paused in the doorway causing Lotus to run into her back.
Ethan was sprawled out on the floor of the entryway, two tall women atop of him. They both had bright red hair and green eyes. The women look identical except for their hair length and the fact that one woman was, for a lack of better words, ripped.
The muscular one out of the two women had Ethan in a headlock, while the other woman was relentlessly tickling the man.
"Niamh! Roisin!" Violet said
The two women stopped their "assault" to turn their attention to Violet and Lotus.
"Well if it ain't our two favorite ladies!"
Ethan was finally let go, the young man staying on the ground gasping for air. The two women got up walking over to Violet and Lotus, drawing the sisters in for hugs.
Niamh was the larger woman, her body sculpted with well-earned muscles. Her hair was cut short in a messy pixie cut. Roisin had a slender build, her hair kept longer just past her shoulders.
Niamh hugged Lotus first, her muscles making the hug quite tight. "Lotus, look at you. So pretty, I bet you have to beat the fellas off with a stick huh?"
"That's what I'm here for!" Violet half-joked
Roisin smiled pulling Violet into a side hug. "That's the right attitude, my girl. You know if my brother hadn't scooped you up, I might have done it!"
All the women laughed as Ethan finally recovered. He was glowering staring at the two newcomers of the home.
"Why are you two here?" Ethan asked through gritted teeth.
"Why we're here on business," Niamh said
"But we thought it'd be rude to not drop in and say hi," Roisin added
"It would've been polite to call first!" Ethan exclaimed
"And miss out on the look on your face when we surprised you! Never!" Niamh laughed
"Oh! I was just about to start dinner. Do you guys wanna join?" Lotus asked
"We'd be delighted!" Niamh said
"Nothing like a home-cooked meal to rest these weary bones!" Roisin said
"Hey, Violet, guess what we brought?" Niamh said
"What?" Violet asked
"Photo albums!" Niamh said
"Noooo! Not the albums!" Ethan cried out
"Let's go sit down. We can look through the pictures while we wait for dinner," Roisin said
"Noooo!" Ethan shouted as the women went to the living room.
He fell to his knees, and you could just see the rain cloud forming above his head.
Lotus crouched down a bit petting Ethan's back.
"There, there, there, Ethan…"
The dining table of the Yamaguchi home was rather loud as Ethan's sisters joked about as they enjoyed their meal.
"Well Lotus I have to say this meal is by far one of the most delicious things I've eaten in a while," Niamh said
"Yeah! You're becoming quite the little homemaker," Roisin said
"When you gonna snag yourself a man huh?" Niamh asked
Violet chuckled, "It's funny you should mention that-"
The doorbell rang interrupting Violet.
"That's Saiki," Lotus said standing up.
"Saiki eh?" Roisin said mriking
Lotus got up from the table and answered the front door, indeed there was Saiki, dressed in his winter clothing.
"Hey, Saiki let me just grab my coat," Lotus said
Niamh and Roisin appeared, the two women smirking as they gazed at Saiki.
"Well, well, well, who's this little bugger?" Roisin asked
"Real cutie you got here, Lotus, "Niamh said
"Who are these women?"
"Ah, Saiki, these are some of Ethan's siblings. They just stopped by for a quick visit. Guys this is Saiki," Lotus said
"Nice to meet you, Saiki!" The twins said
Lotus slipped on her coat and walked over to the door stepping outside.
"I'm heading out!"
"Have fun!"
Lotus hooked her arm with Saiki's and the two left.
"Those were Ethan's sisters?"
"Two of many siblings," Lotus said
"Two of many?"
"Let's find a place to sit, cause this explanation may take some time," Lotus said
Lotus and Saiki found themselves at a park, Saiki sitting at a bench while Lotus stood before him.
"I believe I told you Ethan comes from a big family, but I didn't really go into detail. Ethan is one of 12 children," Lotus said
"12? Their poor mother."
"So, let me just give you a quick rundown of the family," Lotus said
She whipped out a metal pointer and gestured to a whiteboard with a family tree drawn on it.
"Where did those come from?"
"Alright! First, we have the eldest children, the twins! Also, the only girls. They're the ones you just met. They are Niamh and Roisin. They are currently in the process of overtaking the family business. Niamh does the heavy lifting and is the muscle, while Roisin is the cutthroat business advisor."
"What kind of family business do they run?"
"Next we have Ethan, the oldest male son of the family. Following after him is Liam, he manages the family's business finances. Coming after them is the triplets. Cullen, Aiden, and Sean. Cullen is in his second year of medical school, he wants to become a vet. Aiden opened his own bakery and it's currently in its second successful year. Sean currently operates the family's multimedia sector. Now onto the second set of twins."
"There's more than one set?"
"Those two are Fitzgerald and Killian. They're both in their junior year of university. Next up comes Conor. He's a sophomore in university. Now last but not least the last set of triplets."
"More triplets? Why does this family have kids in litters?"
"Angus, Donovan, and Duncan. They're seniors in high school and are preparing for university."
Lotus smiled collapsing her pointer.
"Any questions?"
It was New Year's Eve and Saiki was hoping to have a different one from last year. Lotus promised him the first taste of her New Year's dessert, so that's why he was standing at her front door ringing the doorbell. When the door was answered Saiki was greeted with a woman he had never seen before. She looked exhausted and her hair was disheveled as if she had just rolled out of bed.
"Eh? Who the heck are you?" The tired eyed woman asked
"I was gonna say the same to you."
The woman's face seems oddly familiar the more Saiki looked at it.
"Hmm…" The woman hummed examining Saiki.
"~Pink hair….green glasses...ah I got it!~"
"Your Saiki!" The woman exclaimed, snapping her fingers.
"Yeah, but who are you?"
"Nice to meet you, my boy! Names Camellia. My daughter can't stop talking about you. I don't think there's been a single letter she's sent me that hasn't had you mentioned in it."
"Daughter?"
"Mom, who's at the door?"
Saiki looked beyond the woman to see Lotus. The woman looked back smiling.
"Lotus, look who it is. It's that Saiki fellow you like the gush about."
"M-Mom!" Lotus shouted
"So this is her mom? That explains why her face is so familiar."
"Well Saiki, you are just in time for a late breakfast. Have you eaten yet? Well, it doesn't matter cause you're coming in any way!"
Camellia grabbed Saiki's coat and with surprising strength dragged him into the home.
"Mom! I told you to stop dragging people around like that!" Lotus said
"You've had to tell her this before?"
"Well, how else am I supposed to get him in here. His feet were not moving, so I moved them for him," Camellia said
"I'm sorry Saiki, this is my mother," Lotus said
Well, now Saiki knew who Violet took after personality-wise.
"My parents flew in just last night, we didn't think they were going to make it. They might have missed Christmas but at least they'll be here for New Years," Lotus explained
"Yo, Takumi! Get in here! Lotus's boyfriend is here!" Camellia shouted
Heavy footsteps thudded towards the room and a man stepped in. If Saiki was the kind of guy who openly expressed his emotions he would've been gaping at the man before him.
"Is he part bear?"
Takumi was tall, like super tall, and was muscular. He towered over Saiki. He was also hairy, his face obscured by the large lavender bushy beard and long disheveled lavender hair that reached his hips.
"Dad this is Saiki," Lotus introduced
"Oh."
The man's voice was deep, but he spoke in such a soft tone.
"It's nice to meet you. I am Takumi Yamaguchi. Thank you for watching over my daughter."
"That wasn't the kind of reaction I was expecting."
"My father is what'd you call a gentle giant."
"What with all the excitement so early?"
Violet came into the room, Ethan trailing behind her.
"Saiki's here," Lotus said
"Hello, Saiki. Here to see Lotus I presume?" Violet said
"What other reason would I be here?"
"I see you met our parents. Ain't they the best?" Violet beamed
"They're something all right."
"You know your mother invited us over for a little New Years get together," Violet said
"She did what?"
"Since our parents are here. We can bring them over. In fact, I'll call your Mom right now to make sure it's okay," Violet said
The little teasing smirk on her face made Saiki feel like she was doing this on purpose just to mess with him.
"Good grief."
Kurumi was more than excited to have the entire Yamaguchi clan, plus Ethan, join for dinner. The woman had been cooking up a storm preparing for the visitors. Lotus had actually came over much earlier to help out with the preparation too. Kurumi was elated to the point of tears having Lotus's help, crying out random things like how "Kusuo was going to be in good hands in the future".
Soon the sun started to set and the rest of the Yamaguchi family made their way to the Saiki home. The doorbell rang and Kuniharu practically skipped to the door answering it. Standing at the door, smiling widely, with her hands on her hips was Camellia.
"Nice to meetcha! Names Camellia Yamaguchi!"
The woman greeted the Saiki couple boisterously with a large toothy grin.
"Welcome! It's lovely to meet you." Kurumi greeted with his own beaming smile. "I'm Kurumi and this is my husband, Kuniharu."
"Nice to meet you," Kuniharu greeted
Camellia stepped into the door making sure to take off her shoes. "Thanks for having us!" She looked back out the door and called out. "Yo honey get your keister in here! Sorry bout my husband, he's a bit on the shy side."
"That giant man, shy?"
Takumi tentatively stepped into the door, his head only mere inches from hitting the door frame.
"Hello. Ojama shimasu. Thank you for having us."
"Who the heck are you?"
Takumi had gotten rid of the large bush that was growing on his face revealing the man beneath. He wasn't anything that Saiki was expecting, the man's looks aren't rugged in the slightest, in fact, he had the face of a pretty boy. A soft round face with crystal-like eyes framed by thick lavender lashes. His hair was neatly groomed and pulled back in a low ponytail. It was a stark contrast to what Saiki had seen earlier, and frankly, that face did not match the brawny body it was attached to. Now though, it was strikingly clear that Violet took after her father and Lotus took after her mother, but both girls seem to get some of the man's height.
"My name is Takumi." He held out a small wrapped box to Kurumi and Kuniharu. "Tsumaranai mono desu ga."
"Aw babe, always the polite one you are. Hope you like it, just a little something we picked up on our travels," Camellia said
"Oh why thank you! How nice!" Kurumi said
Kuniharu said nothing, the man too busy gaping at the height of the man before him.
"Close your mouth."
Camellia let out a satisfied "Aww" as she emptied her glass.
"Man, that is some good sake. I missed this stuff!"
"Oh, I'm glad you like it. Would you like some more?" Kurumi asked with a smile.
Camellia held out her glass. "You bet!"
Kuniharu gaped as he watched the small woman chug down her fifth cup but other than the fact that her face was a bit flushed she was fine.
"Stop staring."
The two families were gathered around the dining room table, partaking in the delicious food that had been prepared by Kurumi and Lotus.
"I have to say, this is one splendid family. You invited us into your lovely home to ring in the New Year and you've been watching over my precious little ones. Thank you so much!" Camellia said
"Your families a delight, I can't imagine having any other neighbors as great as them," Kurumi said
"You know when I imagined Lotus getting her first boyfriend well...actually I never really pictured a guy, but I sure as heck didn't imagine someone like him," Camellia spoke gesturing to Saiki.
"And that means?"
"But I have to say I like this kid. The strong and silent type, plus that impassive look on his face, it speaks to me," Camellia said
"Your daughter is an absolute delight to have around. I can't imagine a daughter-in-law better suited for my Ku," Kurumi said
Camellia burst out laughing. "Daughter in law huh? Well, I wouldn't mind giving my daughter over to this family. Y'all are a good bunch."
The two women laughed as everyone stared at them.
"At least they get along."
"Too well. I can see them planning a spring wedding."
"Your…not serious are you?"
Saiki felt a hand on his shoulder, and he turned to look at Takumi.
"Please take care of my daughter," He said, giving a small head bow.
"Hey everyone the countdown is starting!" Violet said, holding up her watch.
"Get ready! Does everyone have a glass?" Kuniharu asked
"Here we go-"
"10….9….8…..7…..6….5...4….3...2….1! Happy New Year!"
The group cheered as the clock struck midnight signaling the beginning of the new year. Camellia grabbed Takumi's shoulders pulling the man down planting a large kiss on his lips. Kurumi giggled as she tilted her head to give a gentle kiss to her husband. Violet laughed as Ethan dipped her bringing her in a heated kiss.
Lotus and Saiki sat watching awkwardly as the couples expressed their love.
"Thanks for having us! It was fun!" Camellia said
The woman stared at Kuniharu and Kurumi from an odd angle, as she was draped over Takumi's shoulder like a sack of potatoes.
"We should do this again sometime," Kurumi giggled
"Yeah, next time we're in the country we'll stop by!" Camellia said
Takumi turned to face the Saiki couple.
"Thank you for your hospitality."
"Bye! Bye!" Camellia waved as she was carried out of the home.
"Thank you again. A truly grand New Years," Violet said
She and Ethan bid their farewells leaving the home. Saiki and Lotus were still in the dining room, helping to clear the table. Every so often Lotus would glance Saiki's way, her cheeks tinted pink.
"What?" Saiki finally asked
"Uhm...well...I know it's not midnight anymore but-"
Lotus leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on Saiki's lips. The psychic stood there still, but he felt his heart go haywire, a feeling typically reserved for when he was consuming a dessert.
Lotus pulled away and her face flushed a small smile on her face.
"I hope that was okay?"
Saiki said not a word as he adjusted his glasses. At first, Lotus was disheartened as Saiki turned away from her, going back to his cleaning task.
"It's normal for a girlfriend to kiss their boyfriend right?"
Lotus's eyes widened, then she smiled softly.
"Happy New Year!" Kurumi beamed as she handed a decorative envelope over to her son. "Here's your gift money. Be good and healthy this year. I put a little extra in there so you and Lotus can go out on a nice date."
Saiki wore a small smile as he took the envelope.
Kuniharu held out his own envelope to his son.
"Here is my present for you too! Spend it wisely okay."
Saiki glanced down at his father's gift before he held up his hand rubbing his thumb and index finger together.
"What? Ooh, come on now! I'm sure I gave you as much as your mom did!" Kuniharu said
"Santa."
"What?" Kuniharu questioned
"Late to work."
"Okay yeah but that was-"
"Spilled coffee on a manuscript."
"Alright Ku let's talk this out!" Kuniharu said
After their little "talk" Kuniharu was left in tears while Saiki held several bills in his hand.
"Well, this is probably enough. I'll be going now."