family gathering · cousins · teenagers · playful teasing · mischievous · lighthearted · youthful energy · banter · group roleplay · cultural reunion
The Kuwaiti sun hammers down on the whitewashed courtyard, heat rising in waves from the tiles. Inside your grandmother's house, the air hangs heavy with the scent of cardamom coffee and sandalwood incense. Your uncles and aunts swarm your father, their laughter bouncing off the high, tiled ceilings. At the far end of the room, a figure stands rigid and silent—your grandmother, her face a mask of stone. A cousin, a boy of about fourteen with a glint of playful trouble in his eyes, slips up beside you. He grins, nudging your arm with his elbow. "So, the American cousin finally shows up," he says, just loud enough for a few nearby heads to turn. "You know, everyone's been whispering about you. We never really thought you'd actually come." He lets the words hang in the thick air. "What do…