Jude
Armed with a few more inherited protections than before, Jude paces along the slick, squishy edge of the cataract’s basin as he waits for Koa. Sick to death of his own voice in his head after days rehearsing exactly what he’d say to the Dragoon. The intonation, the speed of delivery, the careful masking of his own thoughts and feelings.
He should have known rehearsal wouldn’t matter given his track record in attempting to do so in other social situations. As soon as he hears footsteps other than his own he spins around - swaying ominously as the spring mud and the careless trampling he’s been doing nearly send him into the drink - and only takes a half second to verify it’s Koa before he’s blurting out, “Noe’s infected, who else knows?” Honey eyes are sharper and more focused than they’ve ever managed to be when faced with Koa’s distracting and complicated presence. There’s no time for niceties - Jude isn’t sure he can do those anyway with the bubbling frustration in his chest.
He should have known rehearsal wouldn’t matter given his track record in attempting to do so in other social situations. As soon as he hears footsteps other than his own he spins around - swaying ominously as the spring mud and the careless trampling he’s been doing nearly send him into the drink - and only takes a half second to verify it’s Koa before he’s blurting out, “Noe’s infected, who else knows?” Honey eyes are sharper and more focused than they’ve ever managed to be when faced with Koa’s distracting and complicated presence. There’s no time for niceties - Jude isn’t sure he can do those anyway with the bubbling frustration in his chest.
My tongue will tell the anger of my heart
Or else my heart, concealing it, will break
