Must've been a pretty phenomenally huge jerk, to get that kind of reaction. Claude lets it rest, though, not wanting to try to dig too deep before he's even introduced himself. His easy smile returns, and he nods.

"Archery's been sort of my thing as long as I can remember," he says. "It's a bit of a rite of passage on both sides of my family, so my parents were pretty invested in me doing well at it. Thankfully I took to it quickly, though I can't take all the credit. I did have an excellent teacher."

And he thinks of Nader, who he thankfully managed not to get killed in his stupid quest to try to preserve the Alliance. He should be well on his way home, by now, defeated for the first time since Claude could remember. A twinge of melancholy crosses his face as he realizes that Nader will probably have to be the one to deliver the news to his parents, but he gets his smile fixed back in place and hopes that this boy either doesn't notice or doesn't ask.

"Anyway, I should introduce myself. I'm Claude. It's nice to meet you."