A new life on a new planet

[no_applause]

WHO: Padme and YOU
WHERE: The new temple and elsewhere
WHAT: (belated) April catch-all
WHEN: April
WARNINGS: none yet.


Jedi Temple 2.0

Padme has done her best to create a nice space for herself and the twins. Obi-Wan had found a good solid building for them to live and she'd spent her free time cleaning it up and making it a home.

Finally, she feels ready for guests. So she's let everyone she's made friends with this far know where she's living and invited them to visit. Advance warning or no, she's prepared to entertain.

Taking a walk

She can't stay inside all day every day. So, once a day when the children are napping, she leaves them under the watchful eye of the nanny bot (or a friend) and takes a walk. Later in the month she might even be spotted jogging (she has to get back in shape, after all).

If she sees someone, she slows down and greets them with a friendly smile. "Hello!"

All work and no play.

Never one to sit idle for very long, Padme takes time a few days a week to explore areas of the city. She's particularly interested in areas that need work. She can be found nearly anywhere, often with the twins in their pram, taking notes. She's going to learn about this new planet and how to help them, no matter what. If she didn't have the twins, she'd be more likely to try to investigate some of the closed off areas... But that will have to come later.

Wildcard
Any other thoughts? Hit me up!

Comments

[no_applause]

Padme leans over the pram, gently picking up Luke. "Awww, you're okay. Come here."

Smiling at Kaz, "If he's anything like his father, he'll be exploring as soon as he can walk."

[demjiin]

The crying is getting more insistent despite Padme's shushing.

"You should invest in one of those toddler leashes then."

Leia was starting to fuss some too. Ah, the joys of twin syncopation. Kaz didn't have the patience that Padme did, though.

"Has he been doing that all day?"

[no_applause]

"Toddler... leashes?"

No really, what? Though her confusion is disrupted by the twins. She sighs, rocking the pram a little to try to sooth Leia.

"Ah, yes." She confesses, "He hasn't been sleeping well, either. It may be time for me to bring them home so they can eat and try to get them to take a proper nap." From the looks of it, she could use one of those, too.

[demjiin]

Kaz just raised an eyebrow as he walked to the back of the pram.

"Yeah. The kid wears a halter like a backpack and there's a leash attached to that. The kid can only go as far as the leash lets them."

He'd seen plenty of nannies with them in the park. At the moment he takes off his suit jacket leaving him only in his shirtsleeves. Both jacket and cane get hooked on the back of the pram and Kaz throws a spit cloth over his shoulder.

"Here, let me take him for a minute."

Whatever trepidation Padme might have over her infant son in Kaz's hands, he's as careful with Luke as with a bird's egg. A couple of feet away from the pram he kneeled to sit on his knees. He grimaced in pain as he did so.

"I can't sit like this for very long."

With the hand not holding Luke against his shoulder, he shimmied the spit rag over his other hand. Then carefully, so very carefully he lowered Luke to lay on his tummy over Kaz's knees with the spit rag covering Kaz's glove while it was cradled under Luke's chin.

And just like that, the crying stopped.

"He's got air on the belly from colic. His sister will probably have the same thing eventually."

[no_applause]

Any thoughts Padme had about the barbaric idea of leashing children were shooed away when he took off his jacket. She was hesitant about letting someone she didn't know handle her infant son... but he seemed to know what he was doing.

She watched curiously as he moved, still gently rocking the pram with one hand. When the crying stopped, her eyebrows shot up in amazement. "That's incredible! How did you know that?"

[demjiin]

Kaz's expression was still pinched with pain but he was trying to give the poor kid at least 5 minutes of relief.

"It's pretty common for a lot of babies. Help them sit upright for feeding so they get less air in. Or just use one of those slings and hold them a lot."

Usually, it wasn't exactly convenient to have a baby in a sling on your body but relaxing a baby's tension is the goal. While Kaz will deny it with his last dying breath, he was actually quite good with young children.

[no_applause]

She smiles, "Thank you. I'll be sure to remember all of this."

Letting her mask slip a little, she let some of the fatigue show through. "As I'm sure you've figured out, I'm still very new to this. Your advice is very much appreciated."

[demjiin]

Kaz's tone is dry as dust.

"The fact you were so pregnant you popped right after I met you was my first clue."

When dealing with adults, Kaz was as unpleasant and ruthless as always. Luke wiggled a bit, as babies are wont to do, so Kaz looked back down at him again and just as carefully changed how Luke was laying a little bit.

"I'm sort of surprised others haven't told you a lot more about what kids are like when they're small."

Other nicer people that is.

[no_applause]

She chuckles, looking down. "That's fair. Though I must say I'm grateful I was able to give birth on Coruscant."

When Luke moved, it drew her attention. She watches as he shifts him, impressed by how gentle he's being.

"Some have. Although I haven't met many other parents here, so that rather limits those I can turn to."

[demjiin]

"Well, I'm not a parent either but I did have a younger sister once."

Kaz had never spoken about her. Not with anyone. But what he had learned about babies only applied to infants that were under a year old. When you're born to a poor farming family the infant mortality rate was high.

"Changing position across your knees will help most."

[no_applause]

Her smile widens, "I have a sister, as well. She has children. I know some from helping her with them, but I admit my work and the war prevented me from seeing them as often as any of us would like."

She nods, taking mental notes of everything he's done. "Thank you. This is all very helpful."

[demjiin]

Kaz glanced once at Padme but didn't elaborate that he was the last one living out of 3 children. Instead, his expression said that the pain in his leg was worse.

"Sorry about this, but I don't think I can safely stand back up and hold a baby. Could you hold him for a moment?"

His jacket was still folded over the pram, leaving him in just a waistcoat and shirtsleeves. That decision was just to keep any spit-up stains from showing. It also meant his cane was in easy reach, though he wouldn't try to use it while he was holding Luke.

[no_applause]

"Oh!" Of course he'd need help. She rushed over to take Luke, holding him closely and gently rubbing his back. "I'm sorry, I was so taken by our conversation that I didn't think of that. Can I help you up?"

She wouldn't presume to force her help on him if he didn't need it, but it would be rude not to at least offer.

[demjiin]

Kaz didn't often discuss his limp which had the nice side effect of no one ever suspecting his cane to be a weapon.

"No, I just didn't want to put a baby at risk."

He leaned forward to balance himself with both hands and used his strong leg to get upright. He limped once to retrieve his suit coat and his cane.

"You might be able to avoid colic altogether with his sister. Make sure she is upright like I said and don't wait until she's really hungry to feed her. Usually, if she's sucking on her fingers and crying, she's pretty hungry."

[no_applause]

She stepped out of his way as he moved, not wanting to become a hazard. He knew his limitations, and she wouldn't force help upon him. That would just be rude.

"Thank you again for all of your help. I'll remember that. I've gotten pretty good at interpreting their various cues."