"Gardens are a form of autobiography." - Sydney Eddison [OTA]

[peri_patetic]

"C'mon, Doctor. Can't you pick up your pace a little?" An enthusiastic Peri was darting around the staid Time Lord, grabbing at his arm in an attempt to make him move faster down the corridor.

"This is my normal pace," he countered, sounding fairly miffed at Peri's urging, his eyes settled on her hand on him in prim resignation

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[beta_five]

There was nothing that cats liked quite more than laying around in (and occasionally chewing on) plants. Isis was no different, and she came padding in much without her owner's permission. She trotted merrily into one of the displays and laid down, just out of anyone's reach. Her tail flicked, a look of feline contentment on her countenance.

"Isis!"

Mr. Seven edged over to the display, looking around to see if anyone was nearby. Then he stretched, as hard as he could.

Isis purred, and browled softly. Her whiskers twitched, and she made no effort to rise.

Mr. Seven lowered to his hands and knees, pressing his arm up against a barrier to brace himself and stretched again, teetering to near the point of falling in.

Isis squirmed onto her back, ears flattened against the soft soil, paws tucked up and belly bared. Life was good for a mischievous cat.

[peri_patetic]

And like most young women her age, Peri was completely enamored of cats. She'd wandered around the gardens, noting that the plants were grouped loosely by type of environment they grew in. And then she noticed the black ball of fur set against the green of everything else.

"Ooh, you're adorable!" she cooed, immediately heading over the barrier (cuz what use is actually owning the place if you couldn't break the rules once in awhile?), and reaching for that bare belly to give it a scritch, her fingers massaging gently. And then she noticed the man trying to get at the cat.

"Um, sorry. Is the cat yours?"

[beta_five]

Isis was immediately delighted by the attention, squeaking in a meow worthy of the Doctor's most flustered moments and stretching out her back legs so hard that her toes spread with effort. And purred. Her motor loud and her chest vibrating against scritching fingers.

Not the most dignified introduction, certainly, half hanging over the barrier and for the moment slack-jawed at being caught. But he clamped his mouth shut.

"Yes. Her name is Isis. She likes to get into places where she's not supposed to be. I should keep a closer eye on her." That knack for getting into those places could be an irritant as well as a benefit. He stood up, doing his best to collect himself in front of the girl.

[peri_patetic]

Peri laughed at the man's reaction, which sort of reminded her of the Doctor whenever he got caught in something he figured no one else saw. She reached over to scoop the cat into her arms. "C'mon, kitty. Let's get you back to your friend, okay?" Her arms were open and beckoning, waiting for Isis to get close to her.

The Doctor hadn't allowed her or Erimem to get another cat after they had to leave Anternak behind, and she wouldn't deny that she missed having one aboard the TARDIS. She couldn't really understand why the Time Lord was wary of cats. Okay, considering Anternak had that evil alien presence in his head, maybe he wasn't the best companion to have on the ship...

But still, cat!

"Isis, like the Egyptian goddess, right?"

[beta_five]

"That's it precisely." He found himself smiling, even with his irritation at Isis who opted to have the strange girl cuddle her than play hard to get any longer. Still rumbling, she climbed up into Peri's arms and burrowed against her bosom, pressing her cheek against her collarbone and curling languidly with drowsy eyes.

Mr. Seven didn't reach to take her back, though. A silent reprimand (and obvious block and ignorance) passed between them. "She lives in cities and on starships, mostly. We travel a lot, so she doesn't have many chances to roll around in the greenery."

[peri_patetic]

"I knew someone from Egypt, once." She didn't have to mention that the someone was from ancient Egypt, of course. "Gosh, she's making more noise than an outboard motor!" Which meant that Isis liked her, or at least tolerated her.

And that was okay because Peri didn't really want to give her back at the moment. She gave Isis a gentle neckrub, cooing her contentment with the warm little ball of fur in her arms. "She's welcome to the place anytime. I'm Peri Brown, and I guess I own this place, according to the computer for the station..."

[beta_five]

"I'm Gary Seven. I have no idea what this place has in store for me, yet." He reached over and scratched Isis behind the ear, obliging her with affection because he knew no amount of reprimand could actually dare alter the animal's behavior.

Isis tipped her cold nose up under Peri's chin, rubbed her cheek along her jaw, and then settled again contently, enjoying all the attention. There was a Time Lord around, somewhere. She could smell him, and smell him on the girl. She chirped, passing along the message of her discovery.

Mr. Seven's brow knit. "Have you seen the Doctor around? I need to ask him something."

[peri_patetic]

"Well, you never know but it looks like there's a chance at getting a job at something you're good at." And then there was the Doctor, whom Peri couldn't really imagine holding down any kind of gainful employment. Virtual arena manager was probably the last thing she expected him to be. That, or maybe professional musician.

"Y-you know the Doctor?" That was what was bothering her! That the man had a similar way of carrying himself as the Doctor did. Except for the cat. "He's in the gardens somewhere. I sorta...left him behind trying to explore the place. It's okay, just look for the flash of beige in the green. Isn't that right, Isis?" It didn't really matter whether Isis knew the Doctor's whereabouts or not. She just knew it was fun to talk to cats as if they truly understood.

[beta_five]

Isis mewled, and Mr. Seven nodded. "That's a special type of cat, Miss Brown. If you talk to her enough, you eventually start to understand what she says back. And she's telling me he's this way," he said, and pointed off in the direction Isis's noises had indicated.

As he walked off that way, Isis rolled herself in Peri's arms to be held like a baby, her paws folded up neatly over her chest and her tail draped elegantly over the young woman's elbow.

[celeryboy]

Peri wasn't quite sure if the guy was telling the truth, but it probably had something to do with the Doctor's really firm belief that most cats were really of alien descent. It was kind of a ridiculous idea, but Peri went with it. "Is he for real?" she asked Isis, not quite expecting to understand the answer.

Meanwhile in another part of the gardens, a beige-coated figure had also crossed the barrier separating walking path from plants. The environment in this section was humid yet cool, mimicking the mist-shrouded mountains of Earth's tropical regions. The Doctor was crouched in front of a delicate lavender-colored orchid, trying to note down each detail of the flower on his sketch pad.

[beta_five]

She browled again, squeakily, and shut her eyes in a way that made her look almost like one of those happy cats that one could purchase on charms in Asia. If it was the truth, she hadn't talked to her enough that it was much of a word, but there was an obvious positive implication in those features.

Or she was just a happy kitty.

A shadow fell over the Doctor as he was sketching, the figure of Gary Seven getting into his light. "Doctor?" his tone ever formal, even inquiries had an element of statement to them. He didn't realize the man wouldn't know him, wouldn't recall him even as an acquaintance. He had barely ever edged to near friend with any incarnation of him; he was too guarded to reveal much that would provide any real connection. But he considered himself close enough that he could stoop beside of him and see what he was sketching, daring cross that barrier and navigate through fragile plants to have done so.

[celeryboy]

At first that shadow earned a frown from the Time Lord, as he'd lost a fair amount of light, which he believed was required while drawing. His head lifted, eyes settling on the stranger and his mouth tugging into a weak grin. Friendly enough, but the vagueness of his smile made it clear that he didn't recognize Gary Seven at all.

"Yes?" he asked, brow creased in curiosity and a good deal of confusion as he stretched to his full height, tucking the pad in the crook of his elbow and setting his pencil behind his ear. "I'm the Doctor. And you are...?" His eyes widened a little, eager to take in that new piece of information, eager to make a new acquaintance.

[beta_five]

There was a twitch of... well... almost disappointment at not being recognized. He'd had to wipe memories before. He didn't do it frequently. But it left him sometimes with that same sense of loss, if he'd liked the person. Sometimes not knowing was better

[celeryboy]

That brief moment of hesitation spoke volumes. The man was expecting something he hadn't received, and now had chosen to remain guarded because of it. "A rather curious name. It isn't an alias of some sort, is it?" And luckily, the Doctor did suspect that the other man's familiarity with him was the result of his reputation across the cosmos. The Doctor and his magical blue box...

"This planet had been obliterated from your universe and suddenly shown up in this one? That is unusual...And you'd like to confirm your suspicions with a peek at the star charts TARDIS databanks, hmmm? Why not? I suppose it'll be a welcome distraction from having to sketch orchids all morning. Peri will simply have to wait for a full catalog of specimens available in the gardens. Do you have access to your scanning computer currently? We could start straight away, if you'd like?"

[beta_five]

He didn't answer the first question. He simply pulled out a green cube from his jacket and held it out on the palm of his hand. "Beta Five. Are all signal receptors functioning."

"Signal receptors are functioning at 98% capacity. Receiving moderate interference from station systems, though margin of error is minimal." The computer's voice was mechanical, but somehow still feminine. And the cube glowed green when she spoke.

"Better than nothing. The station's been interfering with the teleport." He stood to his full height, holding the cube out still on the flat of his hand.

[celeryboy]

"A portable computer. That's quite convenient, isn't it?" Tucking away his pencil and pad into the pocket of his coat's inner lining, he gripped at the rail of the waist-high barrier with both hands and easily vaulted over it. Both feet landed on the carefully paved paths meant to lead visitors through the various sections of the gardens.

"Perhaps the station merely doesn't see the need for your to have that ability to teleport. It's done something similar with the TARDIS's navigational controls. I haven't been able to send her between levels, though I don't understand the reasons why. You haven't arrived here via ship, have you?" For he'd want to compare experiences, if Mr. Seven did.