(no subject)

[estirose]

Kotarou didn't know what to do about the woman sitting before him, other than she'd started interrogating him about his family. He'd grown to expect it in this place, where his grandmother's ex-husband lurked in various versions and in great quantities. "Yes, but you're not feeding."

"I don't feed." That was one thing he was sure of. He hadn't been part of his grandmother's kind before this all happened, and he wasn't going to be part of it now.

She looked at him like he'd said something stupid. "You're Mio's grandson."

"That doesn't change anything." They were all after him to feed, despite the fact he didn't need to. The less-human members of his family might, but he didn't. "I'm not your great-nephew."

"You're MIo's family. Wataru considers you his own. That makes you family." Her gloved hand flexed. "We take care of family, Kotarou." She looked at him. "You're bonded to an Imagin."

"Yes." He didn't get why they were so bugged by that fact.

"That makes you need feeding even more. You shouldn't have been left alone. If your great-uncle had only known earlier...."

"He killed my father!"

"A traitor to his blood." Her gaze was steady. "He broke the rules. Your me only did what had to be done to spare his Queen from the agony of executing her own son. You'll understand someday, Kotarou."

He didn't want to understand. He wanted nothing better than his world to be back to normal, his father to be alive, and his only cares making sure the Imagin didn't destroy the world. But as he looked at her, he knew that things wouldn't be so simple.