"Oh, no," Jyn said, preemptively amused as she braced herself for a truly horrible punchline. Those were the best sort, though, she decided. They wouldn't be half as funny if they were actually funny. Or maybe she was letting herself enjoy this a little too much. "What?"
"Oh no," Jyn said again, laughing this time. Her smile pulled a little wider, enough that it made her bruised cheek ache, though she was only half aware of it. The injury was far from the worst she'd had, after all, ultimately inconsequential.
"Absolutely terrible. My compliments to your droid friend."
Cassian forced his own smile to falter. "I'll let him know, if I get the chance."
It was the right play, but it would be so nice to just be himself with this one. Damn, when was the last time he'd thought that? He usually hated playing himself. He had to back up. …Well, he was supposed to be inept, so—"Don't tell anyone, but I'm really hoping he has a plan."
Jyn felt her own smile dim a little at that — not upset, just thoughtful. It must have been nice to have someone to turn to, who even might have a plan. That she operated entirely on her own these days was largely by choice, the safer option in so many ways. Still, there were times it might well have been useful. Times like this, when her alternative was winging it and figuring out her own way out of Imperial custody. She could do it, had done it, but she'd have been lying if she claimed that there wasn't some small part of her, the ghost of an abandoned teenage girl waiting in a bunker, who longed to call for her foster father and general to help her.
"Your secret's safe with me," she promised, her voice light enough not to betray the direction of her train of thought. Gesturing around the small cell, she added, "Besides, who am I going to tell?"
Maybe she could use this, if the droid did come through. Hitch a ride, figure out some way to repay him after. "Must be a good friend, then, this droid."
He hadn't lost their rapport. He was disproportionately glad. The dimming of her smile at this line of thought, though, made him feel lousy. For both their sakes, Cassian lightened his own tone, gave a conspiratorial smile. "He wouldn't like me saying so, he tries to be more intimidating, but he's the best. If you can get past how he says whatever comes into his circuits, literally."
"Hey, at least you know that'll always make him trustworthy," Jyn said, finding the prospect strangely amusing. More than that, it was sweet, the way he talked about his friend. Force, but there had to be something wrong with her. Maybe the blow to her face earlier had been harder than she'd thought. "That'd be a lucky break for you, if he had a plan worked out."
"Yes," said Cassian, allowing the depth of feeling for that agreement. In a life of lies, Kay was one being with whom Cassian only exchanged the truth.
"Very lucky." Cassian again had his smile fall. "As long as he got away." He shook his head. "But I probably shouldn't talk about that in here. How about you?"
If luck really was a factor here, it wasn't something Jyn ever had much of.
She was used to that, though, and whatever brief, aching longing she might
have allowed herself, she wasn't prone to bouts of self-pity. There wasn't
time or space for that. Life for her was what it was, and she would survive
until she didn't.
"I'll improvise," she said, the tidiest way of implying that, no, there
were no friends potentially planning rescue missions. There wasn't even
anyone who would notice she was gone. "Don't have any favors to call in
that'd be big enough for something like this. I wouldn't ask it anyway."
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2025-05-04 06:07 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-05-04 06:14 pm (UTC)Right?
"Alloys."
no subject
Date: 2025-05-04 06:37 pm (UTC)"Absolutely terrible. My compliments to your droid friend."
no subject
Date: 2025-05-04 06:57 pm (UTC)It was the right play, but it would be so nice to just be himself with this one. Damn, when was the last time he'd thought that? He usually hated playing himself. He had to back up. …Well, he was supposed to be inept, so—"Don't tell anyone, but I'm really hoping he has a plan."
no subject
Date: 2025-05-04 07:35 pm (UTC)"Your secret's safe with me," she promised, her voice light enough not to betray the direction of her train of thought. Gesturing around the small cell, she added, "Besides, who am I going to tell?"
Maybe she could use this, if the droid did come through. Hitch a ride, figure out some way to repay him after. "Must be a good friend, then, this droid."
no subject
Date: 2025-05-04 07:43 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-05-04 08:11 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-05-04 09:21 pm (UTC)"Very lucky." Cassian again had his smile fall. "As long as he got away." He shook his head. "But I probably shouldn't talk about that in here. How about you?"
no subject
Date: 2025-05-04 10:23 pm (UTC)If luck really was a factor here, it wasn't something Jyn ever had much of. She was used to that, though, and whatever brief, aching longing she might have allowed herself, she wasn't prone to bouts of self-pity. There wasn't time or space for that. Life for her was what it was, and she would survive until she didn't.
"I'll improvise," she said, the tidiest way of implying that, no, there were no friends potentially planning rescue missions. There wasn't even anyone who would notice she was gone. "Don't have any favors to call in that'd be big enough for something like this. I wouldn't ask it anyway."