candor1 | Open RP Post

Well, they had gotten comfortable enough to ignore all sense of personal space when it came to sleeping all wrapped up together - quite literally speaking. So she did know a little something about the heat he exuded in those moments.

"Not a clue. Do we want a kitten or an older cat? One with high energy? Do you see any that you like the looks of?"

"Kittens get adopted more," Cassian said, "so maybe we should go for an older one. But not so old we can't take it traveling." Some of the cats that had swarmed him had lost interest and moved away. He kept petting the one that had fallen asleep on him.

Jyn considered the points made. "That's true. I want whichever one we choose to be able to have a nice, long life with us." She scratched underneath her cat's chin and was rewarded with a satisfied purr. She yelped in surprise when she felt a sudden weight upon her back, but relaxed as another curious cat nuzzled against her ear.

Cassian laughed, watching that.

(And several of his Alliance colleagues fainted somewhere.)

"We could leave the room and see if any follow us," he suggested. It would be wonderful if they could feel the cat had chosen them.

Jyn easily laughed in return, continuing to tickle-scratch the cat who had taken up residence in her lap, the one perching on her back eager to nuzzle against her ear, purring all the way.

"We could", she agreed, careful not to nod too forcefully, lest she dislodge the little visitor on her back. "But you're going to have to extricate me from my little nest first."

"I couldn't do that." Still smiling. "We can just enjoy it for a while." The one on her back is definitely earning points with him for adventurousness and affection, not to mention the choosing them element.

As if Jyn had any real reason to complain. She was more than happy to sit and visit with the cats longer - just as happy to sit and watch her husband interact with them, as well. For once, she wasn't thinking about her work or any of the doubts she'd been having about what it all meant. For once, she could just enjoy herself and feel very much her age. It was quite the gift.

"Hey - ", she said, admonishing the cat, who was nibbling at loose strands of her hair. "Do you mind?"

It made a nonchalant noise in return, and went back to it's exploration.

"Can you believe the nerve of this one?"

He was outright grinning. He made a clicking sound and moved his fingers in the cat's field of vision, to see if it would come to him.

After a moment - and a deliberate swipe of tongue against Jyn's ear, setting her off into laughter, the cat did jump from her shoulder to trot to where he sat. It didn't circle him warily, didn't sniff at him to decide whether or not he was a friend. It only took a fraction of a second before Joreth had a happy cat flopping at his feet.

Cassian scritched its cheeks and chin and glanced up at Jyn. "I'm kinda won over by this one."

Jyn looked on fondly, nodding her agreement as she gently rubbed the ears of the cat still sleeping in her lap. "Yeah, I like him, too. I don't know, but he seems to like us, so ... "

He nodded. "When we're ready, we can try the see-if-he-follows thing. And if so… we should get him home and start thinking of names."

"I don't think we'll have any problem with that - ", she teased, gesturing to the cat, who was now nuzzling happily against Joreth's knee. "Seems like he's already perfectly at home to me. But ... I do think we should probably start figuring out a proper name for him."

"Okay." He leaned forward and started using his hand as a lure for the cat, to see if he knew how to play without causing injury. It went better than expected: the cat batting at Cassian's hand without deploying teeth or claws. Cassian would have accepted a little of both. He flashed his grin again at Jyn. "If I recall, our list of possibles so far is just Tookie and Wookiee."

Jyn looked on, amused, as another cat flopped at her feet and nibbled curiously at the toe of her boot. He seemed good-natured and playful, their potential new pet, and she didn't know what exactly caused her heart to tug in her chest, but she was grateful that it only (hopefully) manifested in a fond, soft smile lifting her lips.

"Mm, and neither of those really fit, do they?", she asked, humming softly as she thought of alternate monikers for the little white-and-gray cat, still seemingly perfectly content exactly where he was. "What do you think about Ilargi?"

"Ilargi?" he repeated, getting his mouth around it. The cat looked up and mrrred. "It seems to work. What does it mean?"

The cat glanced up and blinked, and Jyn couldn't help her pleased little chuckle. "I read it somewhere in my astronomy studies and I've always remembered the word. It means 'moon'. I don't know, I just thought with his coloring, it might fit."

"Good nickname possibilities, too." Cassian tickled the cat's chin again and smiled when he purred. "Well, then, Argi, want to go see your new home?"

Jyn needed a moment to catch her breath as she watched Joreth interact with the cat - Ilargi - and the first thought that popped into her mind was 'this is my family', which caught her completely off-guard. It hadn't yet even been a week, and yet -

She exhaled shakily and glanced back down to the dozing cat in her lap. "Sorry, handsome boy. Maybe we'll come back to visit if Argi decides he needs a sibling."

Cassian chest tightened a bit looking at the other cat(s) they were leaving behind— (trying very hard not to suddenly think of that as ominous re: his eventual departure). But he smiled again at Jyn as they went to start the process of adopting their one.

It was hard to think about leaving when there were so many cats that deserved a little attention and affection as well. But Ilargi had chosen them, and it was probably best to get the adoption handled so they could go home.

"I hope he'll be very happy with us", she murmured, glancing at Joreth, a small smile lifting her lips at the edges.

He smiled back. "Chances seem good."

As well as the adoption papers and a carrying case, Cassian snagged a few toys and cans of food from the front shop. Then hailed them speeder; the prospect of walking home was less attractive with their new load.

Jyn thought so, too.

Even when Ilargi made pitiful noises once he was safely tucked away in the carrier for the trip home. But once there, they would let him out in order to explore and begin acclimation to his new home.

"Yes, yes I know", she murmured, soft and soothing, "We'll be home soon."

Which did Cassian find more endearing: Argi talking to them, or Jyn talking to Argi? Hard to say. He found himself doing things like smiling, spontaneously, at nobody. And had to firmly frame his mind with enjoy the current moment, in of itself, don't link enjoyment to expectation or duration, only now no farther… in order to simultaneously not shy from nor get addicted to (…too late…?) this feeling. He found himself running conversations with Kaytoo through his mind as he opened the door to their quarters and held it for Jyn with Ilargi to go through. (Maybe because Kaytoo was his bastion against such sentimentality? Maybe because Kay was the sense of family that could persist?)

Jyn had never owned a pet of her own before, so perhaps her enthusiasm was understandable. She didn't even stop to consider that talking to Argi might have been a little odd.

But no strange looks came her way, just a smile that hadn't been directed toward her, not exactly, but made the warmth in the pit of her belly grow just a little warmer.

Once inside, the door shut for my behind them, Jyn set the carrier down and opened the door, allowing Argi opportunity to leave it and to explore his new home.

She stood up and brushed the knees of her trousers off, and looked to Joreth, certain that of all the things she had expected to feel for her husband and the marriage that she had never wanted in the first place, contentment hadn't even been in the forefront of her mind.

But she was content. She looked forward to their evening routines and didn't relish the thought of getting up and leaving the comfort of his arms.

Now, there was their honeymoon to plan for, as well, and it all just seemed...

Too good to be true.

Maybe she was just being pessimistic, but despite her surprising happiness, she still worried about what might go wrong, how she would inevitably end up ruining everything.

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