His fingers still for a moment, then he begins to stroke the top of Shinjirou's head rather than scratching him, smoothing down his hair. Irvin continues to fidget. He's far too large to fit himself on Shinjirou's lap, but that doesn't deter him from trying. If Jade is more inclined towards anthropomorphising animals, he would have thought that Irvin is behaving in a way that is almost possessive, resting his forepaws on Shinjirou's legs and pressing down as he tries to haul himself more fully onto Shinjirou's lap.

"I would guess that Irvin is trying to show affection," Jade observes dryly. But he doesn't mention what he himself is up to, waiting to see if Shinjirou will ask.