Room 327- Thursday morning

[notconflicted]

Just like any other day, you could find Sia sitting on her bed, checking her messages and trying not to be really irritated that she still hadn't heard anything back from home.

Unlike every other day, there was a puppy who really, really wanted to show his appreciation for her releasing him from that ball, by the way he kept jumping into her lap and trying to get high enough to lick her face. It'd be really annoying except that the tiny little yips and all the tail-wagging was pretty cute.

Okay, fine, the messages might have to wait just because the puppy wouldn't let it be any other way.


[Door and post open, some SP for work!]

Comments

[suitably_heroic]

Atton rolled his eyes. "You open it," he said, tossing her the damned thing.

[notconflicted]

"It's still yours," she warned, catching the ball and shooing the puppy out of her way in order to open it so Atton could see what his present was.

[suitably_heroic]

What popped out was a mangy-looking Siamese-mixed-with-about-five-other-breeds-of-cat mutt that gave Sia a pointed stare as she popped out of the ball.

"It's an animal, it belongs to itself," Atton judged.

[notconflicted]

"Then he or she still gets to follow you around if he or she wishes," she amended.

[suitably_heroic]

"Hey," Atton said, eyeing the kitten. "Maybe he or she likes you better. You seem like a cat person."

[notconflicted]

"Just because I turned into one does not make me a cat person," she said. "Besides, I don't even know that I can keep this dog, so he or she is better off with you anyway."

[suitably_heroic]

Atton blinked. "Wait," he said, "You want to keep the dog?"

Yes. That was what he'd gotten from that.

[notconflicted]

"I haven't decided," she shrugged as the puppy decided the most important thing in the world was to lick her hand a lot. "But as long as I don't think I could properly take care of him, there's not much sense in considering it further."

[suitably_heroic]

Atton shrugged, pulled up a seat, and sank down on it.

The kitten didn't seem to pay him much attention - she got to work grooming herself.

"Why not?"

[notconflicted]

"I can't take him home with me, for one," she said. And considering she was worried she'd have to leave at a moment's notice...

[suitably_heroic]

Atton shrugged. "Could always dump him on your roommate," he said.

[notconflicted]

"I'd have to check with her first," she said. "If she doesn't agree, I wouldn't want to leave him with someone who wouldn't take care of him."

[suitably_heroic]

Atton eyed her.

He let go of a long-suffering sigh. "Fine," he said, "if you suddenly have to run off to get killed by Sith or whatever it is you not-Jedi do, I'll keep an eye on the dog. I'm not planning on going anywhere."

He'd probably have to dump it on somebody else. Though on the other hand, still: not a droid.

[notconflicted]

She hadn't been trying for that reaction at all, and was completely surprised to get it. "You don't even want your cat," she pointed out. "Are you sure?"

[suitably_heroic]

"Yeah, sure," Atton said. "You don't usually do things like pets. I figure encouraging you to do anything but bury your face in reports and glare at people can't hurt."

Beat.

"Well, it could hurt, but I'm trying to do something altruistic for once."

[notconflicted]

"Thank you," she said, still sounding the slightest bit cautious. And then left the caution behind to tease, "I don't suppose you'd walk and bathe him even when I'm here, too?"

[suitably_heroic]

"What, and miss out on you wrestling a dog while covered in soap?"

[notconflicted]

"Because that would also be just adorable or because you like seeing me taken down a few pegs?"

[suitably_heroic]

"Can't it be both?" Atton asked, draping himself over the back of his seat.

The cat mewed at him.

[notconflicted]

"I think he or she agrees with you," Sia said, as the puppy curled up in her lap. On top of her arm, like that was somehow comfortable.

[suitably_heroic]

"He or she is a good judge of character," Atton drawled.