"I'm such an idiot." He whispered, burying his face into his couch as a low, frustrated whine escaped him. If Spell didn't think so, Kobato certainly did. He couldn't stall on this all day, though. He had homework to do, a room to prepare, and... mail to attend to.
Mail he probably needed to look at now.
Sighing softly, the hybrid stood up, approaching the mail with a heavy heart. At the top laid the thing he had been afraid would be there; a letter from his parents. Computers were not something they were familiar with, and so they relied on old fashioned letters, which meant Kobato was always perpetually afraid of his mailbox. At least with a computer he could mark the email as spam. When it was physical? He couldn't ignore it. His body had to open it.
And open it he did. His heart hammered, breath shaky as he pulled out the paper, unfolding it. In fancy, cursive writing, laid his parents recent message.
- 'Dear Kobato,
It is to our great disappointment that we have finally received your letter. Over the span of two years, we had thought that none of your letters could trump the one where you abandoned the path of becoming a doctor, as we had planned, and instead focused on art. However, this recent letter has broken our hearts. We must ask that you reconsider, or else you would mar our family name and disappoint those who put their faith within your hands.
Having a child outside of marriage is simply not our way. While many of our respective races choose another life, our family has remained this way for many, many years. You have grown up under this belief, and have been appropriately raised to understand that a child with someone who you are not wed to is the embodiment of sin.
As a result, we cannot condone this action, and if you should choose to go forth with it, we cannot condone you. Surely you understand what would need to be done for us to remain respectable within our community? We would need to abandon you as our child, and your own flesh and blood would not be recognized within our family. You wouldn't do that to us, right?
We know you'll choose what is right for the family, and we hope to hear from you soon.
Love,
Mom and Pop.'
Kobato's heart sank, hand shaking as he tossed the letter onto the counter. What had he expected, really? For them to change? To turn their back on the religion they had stuck to since before he was born? The church where they met? No, he had expected them to love him, and to understand his choice. He had wanted a baby for so long, and yet a partner? He wasn't ready for that. Spell... Spell was nice. Amazingly so. But Kobato... he wasn't ready to settle down right this second. Over time? Yes! Right now? Right now he was ready for something else; a child.
A child his parents would reject.
Kobato stared at the letter, hands pressing against his legs. He knew this would happen. They had never supported anything he had done in his life. He was the mistake. The child who betrayed them the moment he opened his eyes. The child who abandoned their decision for him and sought his own. He had always been a failure, and now they had reason to finally do what they always wanted to.
Yet, did he care? A part of him, yes, but he had always known they'd never approve of what HE wanted. It was their way, or none. Kobato couldn't live that way. If he backed out now, he'd just be who they wanted from him, and not the person he had fought so hard for.
He couldn't give up now.
Grabbing a pen and ripping a piece of notebook paper free from his pad, Kobato swallowed thickly, beginning to write.
- Dear Parents,
If you want to turn away the son you raised and his future child, then so be it.
Love,
Kobato.'
For once, he was standing up for himself. He was going to do what he wanted. Not what they told him to do. He didn't need their approval. Not when they had always dismissed and degraded every choice he had made. No. He didn't need anything from them.
He didn't even need them.
