Reflections of the Heart?

Zora raised an eyebrow at the Rory comment. She looked at Jude then, thought about Rory, and nodded. She could easily see them together. They sort of complemented each other.

"Yes, maturity is an important thing. But so is attraction as well as shared experiences, interests, a willingness or need to learn from one another... things like that are important too. Though I must admit a 16-year-old with a 100 year doesn't really make much sense. " Zora remarked thoughtfully.

"And no, a 14-year-old is probably a little too young for you. They'd have little life experience probably or you'd just not have a lot in common, is my guess" Zora remarked casually as she took a drink of her white wine.

"I can definitely understand why you like him, Broen is very smart..." Zora agreed, she had found out that about him along the way, and it had surprised her too, but in a very good way. "it's the shared experiences common background, probably age too that helps. I know it's not his shiny personality that got you..." Zora laughed as she winked at Jude playfully.

"If I were honest, and this is just speculation as to why I may have seen his face in the scrying pool..." Zora started, still not ready to actually admit to herself her feelings for him, "And if I had feelings for him that is..." she added for good measure.

"The reasons may have been, beyond the physicality of it - which is also amazing, "Zora stated as she looked at her glass, "Is that he accepts me for who I am, he doesn't judge me and just gets who I am. I also admire his drive and confidence, and need to see things through wherever they may take him," she said as she thought about her bodyguard.

"It's not even his looks that attract me to him... it's himself, what makes him who he is, the person behind all that brash, often rude, outspoken and certainly in your face behavior," she said with the faintest of smiles.

@Romi

"The school?" Zora said and then shook her head, "No, it was never mentioned to me. I can't say I have much to do with that. Maybe the odd donation here and there to some school event, but aside from that, I don't follow school happening..." she admitted as she looked at Jude wondering what was bothering him - he seemed rather uncomfortable.

@Romi

Zora listened quietly to Jude talk, trying to process all that he told her. The school, the chipping away at empathy, everything, and then she thought about Broen. It seemed plausible what Jude was telling her - it would explain a lot about him... except for a few things, things most might not notice. And a few of those things were - Zora had seen and felt Broen's anger, irritation, seen the exasperation and frustration written on his face for things she had done or said.

In fact, they had spent enough time together that she knew what Jude meant by not caring - but she also knew about empathy. She was not empathic herself, but others in her family had been - her own mother for one. And if it were a total lack of empathy - he'd be totally indifferent to everything, there would be no anger, no reaction to those around him, nothing. And this fact, only made things a tad more confusing, but it was also something she chose to not comment on and keep to herself for some reason.

"So you are saying he lacks empathy, understanding of those around him, no?" Zora asked gently.

Jude's words only confirmed what Zora was now beginning to suspect. The explanation told her a lot, explained even more about Broen, but not everything. If anything, Jude had piqued her interest greatly with his revelation, though she hid that from him behind a look of impassivity.

"Would you say that Broen is emotionless then?" Zora asked evenly as she took a sip of her almost empty wine glass.