["be the person you needed when you were younger"]

[kestreldawn]

WHO: Jyn Erso & Opal
WHERE: De Chima Ice Cream Shop
WHEN: May 8
WHAT: Jyn tries her hardest not to come off as a child predator and offers to take Opal out for ice cream
WARNINGS: N/A (Will update as needed)

[Jyn has a pang of concern as she waits near the Porter. She'd sent a photo of herself over to Opal via her communicator - a rather non-descript sort of shot. She hadn't been overtly smiling, but she hadn't looked sullen either; sort of just a neutral face, more for informational purposes than anything else.

She'd told Opal she would wait for her by the Porter so they could walk downtown together, but as she paces in a tiny circle with her hands on her waist, she wonders - doesn't this look bad? Isn't it strange to offer to bring a random child, one she doesn't know, out to get something called 'ice cream' so shortly after talking to her?

Jyn knows she's projecting a little bit lot in this situation, wanting to do something nice for a kid who sounds like she knows far too much for her age. She knows she recognizes something of herself in the way Opal talks, the way she skirts around certain issues, the fact that she already has developed opinions of war and death. She knows that, when she'd been her estimation of Opal's age, she would've wanted someone - anyone, really - to show her a kindness and take her out for a sweet treat. She guesses that Opal is somewhere around 7 or 8, and Jyn can't help but remember that she'd been about that age when Krennic had found them on Lah'mu, when her mother's body fell to the ground with a sickening thud, when her father had been taken, when ..

When everything changed.

So even though her intentions are good and altruistic, Jyn can't help but wonder - doesn't Opal have someone looking out for her? Someone who'd be concerned about her travelling somewhere on her own with a stranger with the promise of goodies? Or are they more alike than Jyn cares to admit?

She's a bit caught up in her internal conflict, eyes stuck to the ground as she continues to pace in her small elliptical orbit.]

Comments

[orphangirl]

[ Opal has always been a bit independent. For a long time she only lived in a dream realm that belonged to a young boy, who's grown into an older boy now. He doesn't remember her the way she remembers him, though, still calling her 'Orphan Girl' instead of the name that she'd finally been given after she was brought into the real world. He wasn't really someone who particularly thought to look out for her. Even in his dreams and nightmares she'd had to beg and then finally, eventually he'd saved her.

But he'd never really taken care of her. She's in a pale green dress today, her typical green rainboots on covering her hooves but making her walk awkwardly and not quite hiding the fur on her legs. She has a white skull cap over her chin length blond hair as she makes her way to the Porter.

She doesn't have any reason to be concerned about Jyn. Opal is suspicious and skittish by nature but there had been a genuine quality to the woman's voice. Opal knew what a bad person would have sounded like, at least she thinks that she does. It's possible that there would be a sort that could fool her.

When she comes up to where they're meeting it's not hard to recognize Jyn and she doesn't say anything in greeting -- she's not good at that. She just stares at her with her eyes that were a little too big and a little too dark to look quite natural. ]

[kestreldawn]

[Jyn knows that feeling; the one where the hairs on her arm and at the back of her neck seem to all stand at attention all at once, because there's someone, somewhere watching. She assumes most people - humanoids and otherwise - have an innate ability to know when they're being watched, but Jyn's training and life have brought the skill almost to the point of hyper-vigilance.

But she doesn't let onto the fact that she's sensed the other person, not right away. She continues her small orbit for a few more paces, utilizing peripheral vision to assess how dangerous the other presence might be.

When she catches sight of something small in stature, she knows it's Opal. She slows down and comes to a halt, turning her head with a pleasant expression. There's nothing threatening or shadowed in her face or the way it seems relaxed and more in-line with the youthful 22-or-so-years she has under her belt.

But, just to be sure of her identity ..] Opal?

sorry this is late

[orphangirl]

[ Opal waits for Jyn to notice her directly, let's her be the one to do the greeting. That's generally how it works out best Opal has found. She gives a faint semblance of a smile (she's been working on that). ]

Yes. [ Opal confirms and she's still studying Jyn, finding there is something interesting about the woman that she can't quite put her finger on now that she's meeting her in person. ]

Hi. [ A normal greeting, right? ]

no worries whatsoever! <3

[kestreldawn]

[Jyn thinks to crouch down to be more on Opal's eye level, but then wonders if such a thing is condescending. She decides not to and instead looks at the girl from standing position. Not that Jyn's all that tall in the first place, only coming to 5'2".

She offers a smile - warm and genuine.]

Hi. Glad you weren't too busy to come.

[orphangirl]

[ Jyn's a lot shorter than the boys that Opal had been around. After all, Ronan is over 6' tall and well Opal is clearly quite small. It doesn't bother her much, though, heights and what not. ]

I don't have much to do at all. [ She is supposed to be a student but she's constantly trying to find ways out of actually attending. ]

[kestreldawn]

No? I'd imagine someone your age would be in school or something. .. Though, I was being taught at home by my mother when I was about your age, I think. [And that's about as far as she got in terms of a "formal" education; the rest had been as a means of survival, necessity. A student of guerrilla warfare, hand-to-hand combat, and marksmanship.] All right; I think I know where I'm going. Shall we?

[orphangirl]

They want me to go to school. I try sometimes but it's really boring and the kids are stupid. [ She doesn't like to be inside all that much and she's restless and half the time she's just too far ahead of the other kids but then there are some things that she doesn't really get.

It makes school difficult and inconvenient on top of being boring. ]

Yes.

[kestreldawn]

[Jyn can't help but laugh at that.] Are they? I'd never really grown up around any others, so I can't say I can understand all that well. It could be that you're just exceptionally intelligent and the others are average, you know.

[She nods, beginning to take short but purposeful steps towards the ice cream parlour.] When you say 'they,' who is it that you mean?