#and sophie's story has heavily emphasized (at least in the beginning) that she belongs in the lost cities

[bookwyrminspiration]

Keefe definitely sees the Elven world differently now that he has lived in the human world. The Elven world always irritated me in a way because the adults seem so young. Most elves have hardly dealt with anything complicated or difficult, so they seem to be very young emotionally. They are always happy or excited, which is particularly irritating to see. The human world is a lot more complex than the Elven world, as humans have to deal with disease, assault, and death a lot more often than elves do. Their feelings are also a lot more complex, as the elves only seem to feel happy, sad and jealousy. I think Keefe will go back to the Lost Cities, then realize that he has outgrown the Lost Cities. He wants to go back to the complexity of human emotions, and their complex societal systems. I think he should talk to Sophie about this, as she would most certainly understand where he is coming from. Perhaps she could bond with him over this.

I agree, I doubt everything that happened in that period of his life can be passed off, the matter is just what changed about him and to what extent. We don't know what he experienced, so knowing what he's learned and how it impacted him is difficult.

One question I have is whether Keefe could be said to ever belong to the Lost Cities, and if he can truly outgrow them if they were never his. The Lost Cities, while his only home, aren't a place he fits. It hasn't been kind to him, nor him to it (although in different ways than other characters, like Dex and the twins). He has no particular attachment to it that I can see (he's not close with many people) and little problem leaving it behind.

Another is whether Keefe would prefer complexity or ease in emotion. While human emotions may be more complex, they're sensed through the air. Is that, even if he wants it, a sustainable option to pick? He's already gone partially numb, and Sophie spent seven years of her life in misery from the constant barrage of thoughts; emotions can't be much better. Even if elves can be said to be inferior emotionally, is the peace of mind more valuable than risking himself?

I do think it's a valuable bonding opportunity with plenty of potential. Even the few weeks he had is more than all her other friends (Fitz just visited from the sidelines), and it's a common ground she only shared with Forkle, who never says anything on it. Some of the things he now knows may give him insight on what it's like to be Sophie, who has a completely different set of knowledge and background than everyone around her. She may also be able to further explain some of his experiences and provide context/guidance for them.

I hope we get to learn more about his experiences in the Lost Cities, because while I understand that he needed to leave to process and separate himself from everyone, at the same time everything happening with him was made very important to the plot, so having this huge gap is a tad annoying. I mean, he left afraid to speak a word and comes back numb with full sentences. I'd like to see the bridge between those two.