Jude
come on, come dance with me
It certainly saddens him to see her go from blushing and flustered to so torn apart and saddened, and it makes him wonder if it's his own fault for pushing. But he recalls all the times Harper did the same, gently insisting until Jude broke, and how much better he felt after crying it out in his father's arms - and it keeps him firm to his resolve.
"Yeah but also...if healers couldn't figure it out, how could you?" They're just kids after all. Teenagers, sure, but still kids. Jude wouldn't know the first thing about advanced medicine or any magical illnesses, only the basics of botany and common tinctures. He knows how haunting those questions can be. Her own comfort had been unexpected and made him reconsider his own fear over having a hand in Maeve's disappearance, so maybe he can supply the same.
The tears startle him, but he doesn't pull away, the warmth of her hand like a tether. And, with no other experience to lean on, Jude tries to mimic his parents by gently pulling on her hand to get her to come closer, wrapping her up in his long arms to hold her close. "It's okay. We'll cry together," he whispers into her blonde hair, and feels his own eyes sting a little. He doesn't know if it's his mother's absence or just the pain of seeing Sohalia cry, but maybe it will help them both feel a little less alone or judged for their grief.
"Yeah but also...if healers couldn't figure it out, how could you?" They're just kids after all. Teenagers, sure, but still kids. Jude wouldn't know the first thing about advanced medicine or any magical illnesses, only the basics of botany and common tinctures. He knows how haunting those questions can be. Her own comfort had been unexpected and made him reconsider his own fear over having a hand in Maeve's disappearance, so maybe he can supply the same.
The tears startle him, but he doesn't pull away, the warmth of her hand like a tether. And, with no other experience to lean on, Jude tries to mimic his parents by gently pulling on her hand to get her to come closer, wrapping her up in his long arms to hold her close. "It's okay. We'll cry together," he whispers into her blonde hair, and feels his own eyes sting a little. He doesn't know if it's his mother's absence or just the pain of seeing Sohalia cry, but maybe it will help them both feel a little less alone or judged for their grief.
the earth is spinning, we can't just stand
