x- the ladies at the bar -x- a log -x

[catherine dtardis]

since her and the doctor's little girl was born, catherine and family had spent the majority of their time at her gran's, or in the tardis.  it was the rest and comfort she needed, especially in the colder months, but catherine was an athlete and it was getting to the point where she was cooped up and restless.  it was evening, and she was currently in the bar.  from the protesting, thready crying that was also coming from that area, it would be clear to anyone within earshot that a baby was nearby.  catherine had a blanket spread out in an open area, large enough for she and the baby to sit.  the one-month-old had her little fists balled up and was red as a beet as she let her mother know just how she felt about things. "my goodness, little girl, you need to be patient!  young ladies your age just can't roll over yet, it's not your fault."  it baffled catherine, in fact, that the baby was even trying.  in addition to the two lovely ladies on the blanket, there was also a light snack.  simple and healthy a bowl of shrimp, a bowl of grapes, and a tall glass of juice.  catherine was dressed in a deep green activewear - pants and a hoodie - with a white t-shirt underneath.  her hair was braided, and looped in two buns on either side of her head, with a strand of pears, emeralds, rubies and sapphires looped around the buns in a figure-eight and fixed there with clips.

Gwen, dressed today in a pair of black slacks, and a purple and black stripped shirt, her shoulders were exposed with black straps showing.  Not thin straps like a bra but like a wife beater strap.  Her hair was down, slightly wavy.  Black tennis shoes were worn.  She had been practicing her flying lately and she needed a refreshment.  Needing to get something else to drink, or perhaps even a snack.  She had nothing left in her room, and so she decided to go down to the bar.  Making her way slowly.  She almost turned around when she heard a baby.  Steps picked up, she liked babies too.  And into the area she came.  Peeking in.  "Hi Catherine." It took her a moment and then she moved towards them.  Though stopping at a safe distance.  "How are you tonight?"  She smiled down at the little girl.  "Hello lil girl!" She did not expect the girl to reply!

when the baby heard the new voice, she grew very quiet, eyes wide and attentive even though she still couldn't see very well.  she stayed quiet for a moment afterward, and then flexed her little arms and legs and make a sound of great fussing, the sort of sound babies made when they were letting you know they were thinking about doing some more crying.  "yes, peia, gwendolyn sympathizes with your frustration, you're absolutely right..." catherine reached down, rubbing the little one's stomach with a soft, soothing motion.  as she rubbed, she looked up at gwendolyn with a faintly sheepish smile.  "she's having a bit of a fussy day...i swear sometimes i want to tell killian to just sit still when he's near her, the more she notices him doing the more she's frustrated that she can't...her name is cassiopeia.  killian named her after one of his favorite constellations.  how are you, gwendolyn?  would you like some grapes? they're very good, for winter grapes..."

She was always mesmerized by babies.  So little, she thought they were just plain adorable.  She smiled and nodded, "Exactly!  I totally sympathize with you."  She did.  She didn't like when she couldn't do something either, though she had other ways to voice it, unlike the lil one.  "Awe her name is lovely!  A mouthful but lovely." She grinned her own name could be considered that as well.  "How old is she now?  And telling that sweet young man to sit still...I think you have better luck at getting the sun not to rise."  She nodded her head, having met the charming young boy.  "Ooo winter grapes?  I haven't heard of them.  Thank you for letting me try them."  She smiled as she knelt down by the edge of the blanket, taking that as a offer of her being able to stay near the two.

the gentle touches of catherine were soothing to the little girl, but she seemed determined to fight against the peaceful quiet that wanted to creep over her - every few seconds the baby let out a sound that let them both know she was still most upset.  flexing her legs just about as much as she could flex them and getting herself worked up enough that she got the hiccups.  "alright, peia, that's enough.  you're going to make yourself spit up at this rate..."  catherine slipped her hands around the baby's side and slowly rolled her over onto her stomach.  giving her backside a pat-pat once the baby was settled in this new position.  "it is a mouthful, isn't it?  enough that i hesitated when killian picked it, but i knew if we said no he'd be just crestfallen and then of course the doctor went off about how there's one planet where not a single being has anything less than a ten syllable name, and then there was Grand Lord so-and-so from some planet who's name couldn't even be spoken it was so long and complex...so i was out voted, as usual."  but catherine was smiling.  she didn't mind being outvoted, at least in that particular instance.  "she's a month old, and i don't think she's very happy about that most of the time...it reminds me of myself, a little bit.  i learned to swim before i could walk because i wanted to keep up with my brother...i'm glad you think killian's a charming boy, sometimes i worry that he's a bit too much he gets very excited about things and he's smart for his age, because of his father's race..."  as for the grapes, they were a very dark purple and smaller than summer grapes.  so their taste was slightly bitter, but juicy.

Gwen watched Catherine with Peia.  She liked watching people with babies.  Perhaps its one of those odd things?  "Being outvoted happens alot?   But now your going to have a second female voice!"  She nodded figuring that was how she got it.  She smiled, "A month!  Oh!  That would explain why we haven't seen you around."  We yes she did have a mouse in her pocket, and she smiled.  "Do you think she is going to be the same?  The swimming before walking?"  She thought it was interesting but she still hadn't put one and one together.  "Oh yes!  I think most young children get excited about things easily."  She did too!  Probably why she enjoyed children so much!  She would take one of the grapes and taste it, "Mmm.  I think I like winter grapes."  She grinned over to Catherine, "Hes smart for his age because of his father?"  Thats what she took from that whole bit and had to ask.

the little one seemed rather appeased now that she was on her stomach.  especially because catherine nudged a soft plush fish towards the girl's hand, and peia took advantage of that, practicing closing her fingers and letting go as she gurgled at the fish.  catherine sighed, and looked a bit relieved to see the girl calm down.  "i knew she'd be excitable, when i was carrying her the last few months i swore she was going to kick my kidney straight out my nose..."  that catherine murmured softly to gwendolyn in a low voice, words she didn't want the baby paying attention to.  and then, a flushed smile.  "yes, we were staying with my gran, she's a midwife and she helped quite a bit, especially when the doctor had to go off and answer distress calls.  it's a bit warmer where i'm from than it is here, at least a bit more mild."  catherine paused, thinking as she rubbed the baby's backside. probably trying to coax her to sleep.  "when i was little the merfolk in me was dormant, with my brother too, so i had legs still when i was in the water.  killian changed the first time we put him in the water, that was about when he was six months old, and he had to develop his tail muscles just like a baby would have to build up strength in their legs.  he walked first before he was able to really swim on his own without help.  and the doctor's from a planet called gallifray, and there people's minds are...well incredible really.  even before killian could string a sentence together i could say a constellation and he would find it for me in his book that his father gave him...now he tries to help lumie with his math homework, which makes lumie very upset."  since lumie was fifteen and in high school.

Hands lifted to tug her shirt upwards.  Around the neck.  She needed the loose clothing just in case, yet it was strange to her at times.  A giggle, "That might of been interesting."  She smiled, "I am glad that you had someone to help you.  I know at the farm down from where I stayed, the ladies all helped each other, though I don't know iffen they knew what they were doing.  But they got along pretty good."  She nodded her head.  Now this was a lot of things for Gwen to take in.  And if one was paying attention they would see the light bulb go off.  "Thats why the water, with the green haired elf got you so upset!"  She hadn't known about Catherine being a mermaid, she knew she liked the water.  A lot.  But that explained so many things.  "Is that how the Doctor had the clicky light?"  She had left it in her room.  Normally she didn't go to far without it at night, just in case.  But seeing it was morning she thought it would be safe.  "I wish I could learn the book smarts that easily.  I always get my facts mixed up. " She smiled to Catherine.  "And I understand about developing muscles that not everyone has."  She spoke the words, she didn't know what Catherine did and didn't know, and she was doing better.  She thought at least.

the baby had managed to inch the fish closer, and it was the perfect time to do the new thing she'd learned just the other day - picking up her head.  she could only do it for a few seconds, but when she put her head back down she accomplished just what she was hoping for.  smushing her cheek agains the soft plush fish.  she made a sound that was pleased, lips tugging up in a smile.  "is that your nice blue fish, peia?  he's soft."  catherine ceased rubbing the baby's backside, stroking her fingers down the very thin hair the little girl had.  she spoke to the baby casually, though catherine's cheeks were a very bright red.  that always happened when the fact that she was a mermaid was the topic of conversation, even when she was the one to bring it up.  "he was using water very recklessly, wasn't he.  he was out of control."  that's all catherine would say about that very frustrating day in the kitchen.  it made her remember that she had told the unconscious elf that she'd repeat what she had to say to him at a later date when he could hear her, and she wondered if she should.  "tick has all sorts of things in his pockets.  including a banana, he always has a banana, won't go anywhere without at least - you understand?"  catherine had just caught up with the last thing gwendolyn said.  she nearly missed that comment completely!  the time with a timelord was rubbing off on her, because now catherine was thinking back to the other time she'd been around gwendolyn and what she may and may not mean about muscles not everyone had.

Gwen let out a small clap watching Peia.  The baby seemed rather pleased so Gwen was all about positive ness.  The clapping wasn't very loud she did not want to startled the lil girl.  And then Gwen's head was nodding, "He was.  He wasn't in control of what he was doing I don't think.  I think it was good that you stopped him."  She thought it better to have one person stopped then having bad things happen to many people.  In a way it was bad of the elf to abuse such things, and he should know better, weren't elves about nature?  She giggled, "A banana?  Always?"  That sounded like the man was scared he might have to go without food at some point.  "I think I need to learn to swim better.  I wasn't around water often when I was little, and well, the last time I was in any amount of water, was with you and the Doctor had to save Peter Pip and I."  She peeked over at the lil girl, once more then back to Catherine.  "Your muscles get used to being used though right?  Like everything else?"

cassiopeia d'tardis: