Happy Thanksgiving Octavian. What HAVE you got to be thankful for?
Six year old Octavian was drawing again. He liked to do it in his free time between training and figuring out how to be an Augur. All the other six year old legacies were going to kindergarten, and they had been drawing things they were thankful for, and their family. And even though Octavian wasn't in kindergarten with the others he wanted to fit in and be like them so he'd taken his crayons and was drawing a picture of his family.
Except, it was hard. He had too much family! Everyone at camp was family. He struggled to fit it all on one sheet. An older kid came over and looked at his picture.
"You're supposed to draw your real family Octavian. You know, your mom and your dad?" The older kid said, studying the picture. Octavian looked sad. But this was his real family! He sort of remembered his parents, but not well enough to draw them. He frowned and hugged the stuffed raccoon he always carried around everywhere close to him.
"This is my family." He said. The big kid frowned and shrugged.
"Whatever you want to think." He walked away, muttering,
"weirdo."
Octavian went back to drawing but he was sad. He crumpled up his picture.
"i don't have a family." He muttered sadly as he threw away the picture.
Another, nicer bigger kid took his hand.
"Come on Octavian, the Thanksgiving feast is about to start. What are you thankful for?" She was smiling at him. He frowned and tried not to start cryng.
"nothing." He said grouchily, dragging his feet as they went to New Rome's annual feast. He'd just bee told he didn't have a family, what did he have to be thankful for?
:D Poor Octavian.