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Title: At Cathy's Place

Setting: Well, duh.

Log Cast:
Trace
Catherine

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A hesitant knock on the door. Trace stands shyly, nervousness stiffening his frame slightly, intimidated by the notion of having walked all this way only to be shooed off by an annoyed father-type, or perhaps upsetting the houselady Catherine has spoken of, nice as this woman has seemed to be from the descriptions he's heard of her. His hands are all dusty from chalk, a little green smudged onto one cheek from where he must have itched it or brused a frazzly rope of hair away from his face while he drew.

Reclining comfortably on the couch, Cathy is reading a book, when she hears the knock on the door, and she sits up, at first a little puzzled who it might be this Friday afternoon, but then she seems to remember and quickly gets up, closing her book after memorizing the page she was at. She heads over to the door, peeks through the little spyhole just to be sure, and then opens up the door with a bright smile. "Hi Trace", she greets you, and then steps aside and holds the door open to let you in. "I'm home alone right now..", she adds, might that be a concern of you.

Trace blooms a smile as the door opens to reveal you, and your words do indeed seem to melt away the nervousness he'd been carrying in his posture and making his eyes dart about. A moment of self-consciousness makes him wipe his dusty hands on the sides of his jeans, trying to clean them a bit, before he steps forward and wraps you up in a gentle hug. "Hi," he murmurs into your hair, and then pulls away enough to smile at you. "Missed ya."

Catherine giggles as you look around quickly, but then you do surprise her when you hug her. It's only for a moment, then her arms reach out and she holds onto you, returning the hug with warmth, though it's still perhaps a little careful. As you look back at her, she smiles and whispers in return, "I missed you too.. a lot.. "

Trace pulls in a breath that's let out a happy sigh at your words. He gives you a brief nuzzle and then releases you, gesturing towards the door. "Ya wanna go in? Or stay out, or do what?" A glance is cast out over his shoulder, but he really has no idea what one might do for fun in this neighborhood. Then he peeks in past the door towards inside the house. Hmm. "Ya had school today? Ain't the weekend yet, is it?" School and schedules help kids keep informed on matters like days of the week, but with an irresponsible life like Trace's, it's so easy to lose track. Very little difference between a Friday and a Saturday.

Catherine is slow to step back even as you release her, but then she does, and makes a little more room, when she says softly, "Uhmm.. please, come in.." She gestures towards the rest of the room, the couch closest really, then closes the door behind you. She nods at your question, heading over towards the couch, and she settles down on it, then pats the cushion next to her, as she says, "Yeah, but now it's weekend for me. Just a pity they always end with PE each Friday afternoon so I usually end up all tired when the weekend starts."

Trace gives a little grimace as you mention your final class for the day, following after you with an easy stride. "I never did like Phys Ed. I wasn't never too good at sports, an' I really hated changin in fronta people. That's one class I totally don't miss from school. It was only bearable coz sometimes it got ya outside for a bit, out in the sunshine... But that were jest sometimes." He sits down in the indicated spot beside you, relaxing a little. "What torture was they makin' ya do today?"

Catherine smiles at you as you tell her your feelings about PE, but then shakes her head slowly, "Well, it's not really that bad.. I mean, okay, they make you all tired and all, but I do like to do sports from time to time. Don't laugh, but I used to do gymnastics back in Ireland, years ago, and I still do some of those excercises each morning, just to sort of wake up and stay in shape." She leans comfortably back on the couch, so she can see you, and says softly, "We did some baseball today. That was pretty okay, though I'm not that great with hitting things with a bat."

Trace grins. "Gymnastics and excercisin's cool, I wouldn't laugh. I mean.. I dunno, some sports though, with the silly uniforms ya sometimes gotta wear and the fuss people make.. Plus like I suck at most of em. Like ya said, baseball. The bat part was always my favorite, even if I sucked at it too. Tryin ta smack somethin with a big stick, that ain't so bad. But when it came ta runnin, and like catchin stuff? Man. I got no, um, whassitcalled. Hand-eye-coordination. Not when it comes ta baseballs flyin at my face anyway."

Catherine giggles softly, "We would make an excellent team then.. I mean, I can't hit for the life of me, but I do manage to catch the balls and I'm pretty good at running. I guess gymnastics does teach hand-eye coordination. But the closest to doing sports right now is horseback riding." She smiles at you, as she looks you over, then says softly, "And it's okay if you don't do any sport, just as long as you do enough running and stuff to stay fit.. And I think you do just that.."

"Well, I'm not gonna *jog*," Trace points out with a giggle. "Batiste useta always jog and I never would jog with him coz it was pointless. I mean, I got no car or bike or nothing so I gotta walk everywhere I go mostly. Think that's plenty exercise. And uh." He pokes once at his bony ribs. "Don't think I'm gettin chubby, do you?" He giggles a little. The thought's rather absurd to him. He's never been anything but a scrawny thing, all skin and bones. He tips his head to one side as something you said occurs to him. "Ya got horses?"

Catherine laughs, and says softly, "Well, jogging isn't bad for you, you know.. But I'd go to a park to do that, or a forest. But there's a definate lack of those around here.. But walking will keep you in shape as well." She laughs as she reaches over, and pokes you lightly in the chest, then grins, "Well, if Jenny were here to see you, she'd probably start forcefeeding you.. Uhmm..",that bringing her thoughts to food, "You'd like something to eat or drink?" She nods at your last question, and smiles a little, when she says, "It's a weird story.. but.. yeah, I kind of have my own horse.. She's named Altara.."

"Naw, it's all good, I ain't hungry or thirsty," Trace declines, smiling and shaking his head a little. "But that's really awesome that ya got yer own horse. Back home I knew a kid who had a donkey, but that ain't the same thing. Altara's a really great name, too. How'd ya come up with it?" He pauses a moment, in thought, before wondering, "Is it from one'a them fantasy books? Sounds kinda like one'a them sorta names. An' how'd you get yer horse? Ya dad get it for ya?"

Catherine settles back down again, almost having gotten up to try to get you something, but then she just looks at you, and once more she is smiling warmly, just really happy to have you so close to her. She nods about the fantasy books, "It's one of the heroines from the book Michael O'Shea wrote.. He's a really great writer, and he actually lived in New Orleans for a while, and I got to know him.. He gave me that horse, sort of when he got married, and I was maid of honour at their wedding.. But he and Dana broke up, and now I heard he moved away..

"Yeah?" Trace grins, pleased that he was right about Altara's name being from a fantasy book. "Too bad about yer friend gettin' divorced and movin away though. He sounds neat... Writin books and givin you a horse? I mean, that's pretty amazin'. Ya gotta show me yer horse sometime. I never rode one though. Dunno how. Maybe ya can show me." He reaches out to take your hand, chalk-smudged fingertips caressing your slender pale fingers and tracing knuckles with idle affection. "Only pet I got is a kitten, back at Caddy's place. Her name's Dove. She's white all over." He grins a little. "She's fiesty. Always pouncin at stuff, an squirmin when ya try and hold her. Not gentle like her name. But she was named after the chocolate, not the bird, so I guess it still fits."

Catherine looks a little sad as she says, "Well, it was a pretty weird situation really.. You see, I was sort of friends with Dana, she was nice and all that, and I used to see her at the Raven, and then I got to meet Michael, and at some point they met eachother. But even though they seemed to be hitting it off really well.. Well, after they got married, they didn't show up for the longest time and I didn't know if I should just go over there, but in the end I waited, until one day Dana was at the Raven again, and told me they had divorced. She still has the house, which is really huge, and he just left. I never even really said goodbye." As you take her hand, she gives yours a soft squeeze, and looks back into your eyes, giggling at your grin, "Well, yeah, I'll show you sometime, she's over at the stables near the university.. Ohh, and I think I got to meet Dove before, but it was like.. really long ago.."

"Man, it's hard when people split up," Trace sighs softly, slipping an arm around you to tug you a bit closer. Needs the contact when talking about things like this. "M'sure it's hard when yer one of the two, that goes without saying. But like people don't realize how hard it is fer *other* people, who mighta cared fer both of em. Like you, ya didn't even get ta say g'bye to this great guy who was yer friend and bought you a horse! And this stuff with Batiste and Jason... I care so much about both'a them. But now it's like... Visitation rights or somethin. We can't all hang out together. I can't talk about stuff I do with one'a them, to the other... S'jest really hard, ya know? Like ya don't wanna have these tensions, but they're there and prolly for good." His lips purse.

Catherine shifts a little closer on the couch as you put your arm around her, letting herself very easily be tugged closer, till her shoulder is resting against yours. She nods slowly, looking serious still, but a smile breaks through as she is so close. She says softly, "I know what you mean.. It's like.. one moment it's all around you and the next it's all gone. I'm really sorry to hear what happened between Batiste and Jason, and.." She sighs, then genuinely smiles, as she lifts her head a little, and presses a soft kiss to your cheek. "You're here, and that makes everything alright again."

Well, that smooths away the pensive pursed lips immediately, as your lips brush his cheek. Trace smiles and murmurs, "Yeah... It's so nice ta get to come visit ya." His face is kept very close to yours, and a hand lifts to brush your skin. Fingertips explore delicate features, brushing against your cheeks, briefly trac ing across one of your brows down to the jaw, then to the chin. You're released from the touch then, but his eyes continue the exploration, fond and wondering. It takes him a moment later for the self-consciousness to hit, whereupon he mumb les shyly, still not looking away, "Kin get lost in ya too easy.." A grin blooms onto his lips, still bashful

Catherine has pulled back after the kiss just enough to look at you, see all of your face, your cheek that still holds the green chalk spot, but some of the green has been cleared away, leaving the impression of her lips. Of course, her lips now show faint green spots where they touched you. She is very silent, just her breathing sounding softly when your fingers trail around her face, her eyes remaining fixed on yours, somewhat lost in the depth. As you suddenly stop, she blinks as she needs to clear her thoughts a little, and then smiles warmly as well, saying softly, "Uhmm.. I.. was thinking that.. Well, not really an introduction to my dad or anything.. But.. well, you'd have to meet Jenny sometime and.. well, you think you'd want to come over sometime so she can meet you, and then she'll know you're here more often?"

Wow. Get introduced to your folks? Okay, that's not what you said, this is just the housekeeper, but it's a pretty close equivlant. She's basically the one who looks after you. Trace swallows once, but he nods, and then smiles with only a touch of uncertainty. "Yeah, okay. I'll... scrounge up some nice clothes." A glance down. Hrm. This shirt *definitely* won't do. While still an anti-drug message, it does have that implication that perhaps he once WAS involved in that stuff. And however true that might be, and however grand his conquoring it, it's just not the kinda thing a boy wants to go in depth about with Jenny. "And I'll be on my best behavior." That part, at least, won't be hard. Being polite comes rather naturally to the boy unless he's around young friends he's comfortable with. His eyes find yours again, marvelling a little. Wow. Meeting the folks. Some people consider that a serious step. "Wh-what if she doan like me..?" he asks tentatively. "What then?"

Catherine immediately notices the nervousness, and perhaps it wasn't all that unexpected. She reaches over to take your hand, giving it a soft squeeze, before she tells you gently, "You'll be alright, I promise you that.. It's not like you'd be the first person of the street that would come by to visit.." She suddenly smiles brightly, "Ohh, you've got to meet my sis sometimes.. She's not really my sister, but she's as close as anyone can get, I guess.. Stef used to actually live here, and before she lived on the streets, but now she got married, and her life has really picked up.." She's so enthousiastic she'd almost forget this was about meeting Jenny, and she backtracks to your question with a firm shake of her head, "No, I'm sure she'll like you.. She'll probably try to stuff you full with food, but she's definately going to like you.. Trust me on that one.."

"If you say so, I won't be so nervous about it then," Trace promises quietly, glancing down. He's smiling again when he looks back up, however. "It'd be nice ta meet yer sister... R'yer sister by heart, anyway. I know how that kinda thing is." Smile brightens to a grin at that. "Anyway... I gotta be brave, coz I can't always be so lucky and catch ya home alone, and I doan wanna hafta sneak in like some criminal anyway. I mean.. I wanna be yer boy, not yer secret, ya know?" He catches up your hands and clasps them. "But gimme a few days ta get new clothes, still. And f'tomorrow, we could jest meet at the park, or maybe draw t'gether in Jackson Square... Been too long since we drew together."

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