Hototo was her brother. How had he never met Ranjiri before when they knew so many of the same faces? She was well acquainted with the other demigods, he wondered if Aithniel was her cousin or aunt or something. Or perhaps Israfel had been. “Oh.” Mesec couldn’t say that there was any direct resemblance, at least externally, that could have hinted at Ranjiri’s confession about how she was related to Hototo. But, then, he had met another of Hototo’s sisters before, on the paternal side, and there hadn’t been much resemblance there either. Nor did Mesec think that he looked much like his siblings… was it always that way with families?

Recognizing the signs of distress in his bonded, Lucius circled lower in the sky - keeping a closer watch on the conversation. If Mesec started to get too upset... he did not want this mare causing trouble like her gender usually did.

His voice was a whisper, pained and cracking. “My sister, Aviya, she… she didn’t survive the Labyrinth.” He did not know why he was saying it - some twisted sense of comradery? Letting her know that she wasn’t alone? “I’m so sorry.” Mesec had guilt over Hototo’s death, yes, some of it with more ground than anyone probably realized, but he was also sorry that she had to experience the pain that she was. He hadn’t been close with Aviya - she had hated him, a fight with her had driven her from the Basin and their reunion, while on better terms, had been very brief. He could not imagine what it must feel like to have a deeper connection to a sibling, only to lose them. He had fond memories of the fallen earth child and was still saddened by the thought that he was not around.

Mesec was always sorry for something. And now he understood why Ranjiri’s mother was attacking his.

He eagerly latched onto the next topic, a previously shared home. “Yeah, Ophelia brought me there a little before Ros was born and I was there mostly until they weren’t the Foothills anymore.” Until darkness drove them underground, until he left to spend time with his mother. “You grew up there too? Strange how we didn’t run into each other if we were both living there. Must’ve kept just missing each other - it’s too bad. And now we’ve both ended up in the Throat!”