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<3 I am the slow
#440
Dawali studied the male as he stuttered his replies out, and his heart was uneasy. He wanted badly to reach out tothe male, but it was difficult. He was right when he said he knew nobody. Dawali had seen him sometimes at pack meetings, but since the rest of the Astons disappeared it had happened less often. There was element of truth to what Claudius was saying, as well; everyone had a responsibility to engage themselves in pack life. A stricter leader might have thrown Claudius ou for his lack of participation, but Dawali could never do such a thing. At least, not to this one. Yet for all of Claudius' lack of presence, he was not a burden on the tribe. And Dawali could not see it as weakness. Perhaps such realisations came to him easier because he was old. Claudius deserved good things, even if he would not see it.
His heart warmed as the male described him as a father - this was one of his own feelings the russet male had kept to himself. He had not wished to impose on the Astons a father figure, and it had never come up in conversation, even if he'd visited them a lot. Dawali gave a weak smile as Claudius spoke. His gaze dropped at the mention of Haku's name; somehow Dawali had hoped that the pale male did not know. Haku Soul was not a good father, he was not a real father. He never had been anything other than a monster. Dawali nodded. "Haku never deserved to be named your father. He was only a murderer," he said darkly. He had never asked Tayui if it had been rape, nor was he sure if he wanted to know. Somehow, if it had not been, it added a dimension to the monster which Dawali could not accept. Who would sleep with such a being voluntarily? "I have always thought of you four as my family, and with everything that happened I was not sure if you would accept me. I should have protected Noir." The guilt was never going to disappear, and there was another guilt that followed him on the subject of Claudius Aston. "I came here hoping to get to know you better.".