Jude
dagger to chest, I'll cut out my ego
I will not speak to you as an equal
I will not speak to you as an equal
His first thought upon Sohalia's arrival is that she looks beautiful today - followed swiftly by the pang of hurt that always accompanies thoughts like that. His eyes try to find anything else to land on and find a new companion curled around her neck. Jude's heart pangs in a different way then, empathy that has nothing to do with romance; now that he has Joan, he can't imagine the pain of losing her the way Sohalia had lost Tarak.
Joan, meanwhile, tenses in Jude's lap as the ugly tangle of emotions from him immediately becomes a shared burden. Her silver-blue eyes turn to slits as her side of the bond becomes sharp and discordant with emotion. Jude lays his hand on the spines of her back to settle her.
He is dressed far simpler, linen shorts and a loose tanktop. Never the person to think there's anything to show off, and certain in his belief that he can't affect her the way she does to him so often. But Jude has changed all the same; a bit more tan, a bit less boyish softness to his jaw, a little more muscle. He's not meant to be impressive in those ways, but the change is nevertheless present.
Still, he offers a polite smile as she sits. "Hey. You look nice." The hurt shouldn't make him any less considerate - or maybe he just doesn't know how not to flay himself open. "I'm doing alright. Safrin gave me Joan a few seasons ago, and we've been traveling. Nothing exciting really." Jude's eyes briefly flick toward Sohalia, only able to hold contact for so long but wanting the next part to be sincere. "I'm sorry about Stormbreak. But I'm glad you're okay."
Joan, meanwhile, tenses in Jude's lap as the ugly tangle of emotions from him immediately becomes a shared burden. Her silver-blue eyes turn to slits as her side of the bond becomes sharp and discordant with emotion. Jude lays his hand on the spines of her back to settle her.
He is dressed far simpler, linen shorts and a loose tanktop. Never the person to think there's anything to show off, and certain in his belief that he can't affect her the way she does to him so often. But Jude has changed all the same; a bit more tan, a bit less boyish softness to his jaw, a little more muscle. He's not meant to be impressive in those ways, but the change is nevertheless present.
Still, he offers a polite smile as she sits. "Hey. You look nice." The hurt shouldn't make him any less considerate - or maybe he just doesn't know how not to flay himself open. "I'm doing alright. Safrin gave me Joan a few seasons ago, and we've been traveling. Nothing exciting really." Jude's eyes briefly flick toward Sohalia, only able to hold contact for so long but wanting the next part to be sincere. "I'm sorry about Stormbreak. But I'm glad you're okay."
Label my pride and I'll cast it away
If power corrupts, then just let me be weak
If power corrupts, then just let me be weak
