milliways_bar | (no subject)

Kyber comes over to say hello, trailed by Bodhi. The sneeze gives him pause. "Teja?"

Teja looks up.

"Greetings, Bodhi, and good health to you," he says, and sneezes again, spreading a small cloud of glitter in a lovely coppery green hue.

Nahts jumps at it.

Bodhi looks- gobsmacked. "I'd- um, wish you the same but... it looks like it might be too later for that. What- what just happened?"

"There is a sickness going round here," Teja says, "that produces glitter of all sorts when one sneezes."

He scoops Kyber up, trying to keep the kitten from getting covered in it. "That sounds-
worrying. Are you- is there anything I can do to help?"

"No," Teja says. "In all other ways, this is a common would we would not notice. The glitter, however, will haunt us for months."

"How so?" He keeps hold of the struggling kitten who wants to be playing with Nahts and the pretty colours.

"It will stick to corners and nooks, and cling to clothes even after washing," Teja says. "Glitter does that. To cat fur, also. Nahts might as well be renamed Bifrost, for the rainbow bridge in the myths of my people."

Bodhi tucks the struggling Kyber inside his shirt and reaches for Nahts. "I could try brushing her off?"

Nahts seems more interested in getting into Bodhi's shirt to play with Kyber.

"She would just get into the next batch," Teja says. "Such are cats. When the sickness is past, I will have to wash all things, and brush all cats. It is just good luck that Pyrrha and Egil are in her world, at the moment."

More or less.

Bodhi loses the fight, along with the two kittens. Nahts and Kyber go romping in the glitter, spreading it even further.

"Egil's okay?"

"Indeed, he is," Teja says, "and far from any glitter that is not bought especially."

Bodhi can't help but think about Jyn. About the sort of father Galen must have been. About the childhood they were both robbed of because of the Empire. "He's lucky to have you. To be loved the way he is."

"I try to do my very best by him," Teja nods, "and when in doubt, let love decide."

"Let love decide." Bodhi echoes softly. "Yes." He can't keep the sadness from his voice.

"I hope I did not remind you of dark things by that?" Teja says, quietly.

"I was thinking of Galen. And the life he never had with his daughter." He shrugs.

He reaches down to scratch Kyber, now glittery and frolicking.

"Jyn, who died a hero when you did?" Teja says. "How old was she when she was parted from her father?"

Bodhi nods. "She was eight when her mother was killed and Galen was taken. Just a child."

"That is bad," Teja nods. "I hope she did at least get to know how proud he was of her."

That is what drives mankind through the ages: - for ones parents to be proud, and for one's children to have a better life!

"So do I. We- we never really got a chance to talk
Not properly. There's a lot I wish I could have told her about Galen."

"There was no time or need to tell her about the two of you," Teja nods. "I understand that. When one fights, many things become unimportant."

It was that way for him, also.

"I keep wondering what will happen if she comes here. How she'd react to- to us. After all, we're pretty much the same age. Galen was old enough to be my father. But between consenting adults-" He cuts himself off, aware he's babbling.

"You both love her, and would see none rather than her, but you worry she would hate what truly connects you -- love?" Teja says.

"I worry she would be angry at Galen, for loving someone other than her mother."