Then Conor can go homeeee! (WC: 445)[html]
[/html]Claudius faced disappointment on two fronts. On the one hand, he was disappointed in himself for being so stupid and did not want Conor to know. But on the other hand, he wanted Conor to chase after him and tell him it was all alright. But that was precisely why Conor had rejected his idea. He was too naiive and he'd never be able to exist in the same world as Conor. The other boy was too strong and too smart, and Claudius was still too young in his mindset to be of any use. Claudius knew this all too well now; he just didn't want Conor to notice. Maybe one day when he was older or smarter or stronger, they could be friends. But now, the pale boy just wasn't good enough, and he would carry that regret heavy in his heart.
He approached his mother, who gave him a warm smile. He leaned down and licked the top his head, adding in a quick, “you did well, sweetie,” before turning to greet Conor. Claudius stared off at his mother, wondering why she'd left him. He needed her, and now she was abandoning him! He plunked himself down and stared off at the two wolves forlornly. He wanted his mother now, not talking to the other boy! Conor said he didn't want to have Tayui as an almost-mom, so he couldn't have him! Claudius felt the familiar sting of jealousy welling up in his chest as he watched the two talking. He didn't want this anymore (it hurt too much).
Tayui approached the Conor with a friendly smile, trying to figure out why Claudius had returned on the verge of tears. Throughout the conversation, he had looked like he was enjoying talking to the other boy, but what went wrong? Regardless, she had wanted to greet the boy anyways.
“Hello,” she greeted the boy. She tilted her head to one side, regarding the boy with the lingering shadow of a smile. “I am Tayui Aston, Claudius's mother. Is there anything you needed? I hope everything went well with Claudius. He means well,” she added, not knowing if any of this would be applicable. She hoped that Claudius could start finding himself some friends soon, and if this required a push in the right direction from Tayui, she would certainly do it. Although she had wanted all of her children to grow and discover themselves, it seemed as though for Claudius, all of the freedom she had afforded him only left him cooped up in their den reading books. He was a quiet, but nonetheless well-meaning boy. She only hoped for the best for him.