Lose some, Gain some

[Claudius Aston]

Omnomnom I love short posts so it is ok. (310)
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[/html]Claudius shook his head when the girl began to apologize. It was not her fault in the least and he was just sorry to have to be the one to break it to her. Worse, he felt bad that she hadn’t found out sooner. It always hurt more somehow when you found out that someone you loved had been dead for months or years and the entire time, you had been happily living without them. It always felt like it was wrong or an affront to their memory. Claudius would have rather known and suffered than remain oblivious. He wanted the bitter taste of sorrow thick upon his tongue.

“Yuh, yes, they wuh-would be,” he replied automatically. Then suddenly realizing that if the girl gave him the horses, he would have to take the horses. Oh god. That was absolutely terrifying. And really, if he was thinking rationally, it would be in the best interest of AniWaya to take the horses. That would mean he would have an excuse to talk to Luna, but it also meant, well, having more horses. At the same time, he thought that these horses might mean more to this girl than AniWaya. He would rather give them to her in a gesture of friendship in the memory of Liliana, as a gift from AniWaya to Cercatori d’Arte, since that seemed right. This girl was their family now. Besides, he couldn’t take them and claim them to be the property of the tribe—not after what had happened to Liliana. It would be like spitting upon her pyre. He couldn’t disrespect her like that.

“Buh-but puh-please, kee-ee-eep them. In huh-her memory, ta-a-ake ca-a-are of them… as a guh-gesture… of goodwill… between-een… fuh-friends of Luh-lili-i-ia-a-a-an…na… and buh-between… Ani-Wuh-w-a-aya… and Cercat-tori… d’Arte.” He struggled to say her name, and now, even in his thoughts, he was stuttering. [html]

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