Fic: Important Research - Follows ‘Shopping Spree’
Title: Important Research - Follows ‘ Shopping Spree’
Author: badly_knitted
Characters: Ianto, Jack, Herman.
Rating: G
Word Count: 848
Spoilers: Nada.
Summary: Jack should be getting on with important paperwork, but instead he’s focused on something else entirely.
Written For: Challenge 407: Train at fan_flashworks.
Disclaimer: I don’t own Torchwood, or the characters.
“Jack?” Ianto strode into the Captain’s office. “Have you finished the monthly report for Her Majesty?”
The man in question looked up, plastering on his most professional smile. “Ah, no, not yet. Something more pressing came up.”
“More pressing than the report to our Commander in Chief that needs to go out by courier this afternoon?” Ianto glared disapprovingly at his lover.
Jack brushed off Ianto’s concerns as if they were of no consequence. “Lizzie won’t mind if it’s a few days late. She knows how busy we get.”
That statement drew a raised eyebrow from Ianto. “A few days? Have you even started your report?”
“Um… maybe?”
Shaking his head, Ianto gave an exasperated sigh. “Every month I remind you to get it done on time; I even write it in your diary and on your desk calendar so you won’t forget, not that you ever bother to check either, and yet every month, without fail, you still manage to leave it until the last minute. Sometimes I wonder why I bother saying anything; it’s not as if you ever listen.” He made his way around Jack’s desk. “What’s so important that it couldn’t wait?”
“Vital research,” Jack said firmly. “Top priority.”
“Really.” Ianto stopped dead, immediately recognising the image frozen on Jack’s computer screen. “Jack Harkness, are you watching an animated movie during work hours?”
“No!” Jack sounded horrified at the very thought. “I told you, it’s research, absolutely essential.”
“It’s a movie, Jack. I should know; I’ve watched it with David and Mica often enough.”
“But it’s about dragons!” Jack said, as if that made all the difference. “You’re always telling me I should be more involved in caring for Herman, so I’m trying to learn as much as I can. Dragons don’t come with an owner’s manual you know. I thought one of us should do some research, and you’re always so busy. Turns out there’s not much about practical dragon care and training available online, though. Do you have any idea how long I had to search to find even this much?”
“Heaven help us all,” Ianto groaned. “You can’t find much because dragons are mythological creatures!”
“Mythological? Says who? Herman isn’t a myth,” Jack pointed out. “He’s very definitely a real, flesh and blood dragon.”
Glancing out into the main Hub, Ianto’s gaze settled on Herman, dozing contentedly in his nest; he’d been much more settled since they’d taken steps to help him acquire a suitable hoard of ‘treasure’.
“Okay, yes, Herman is a real dragon, but he’s not a native species. The Rift must have snatched him from another planet where dragons evolved naturally, but here on earth, as far as most people know, they’re a myth. Anything you find about them online is fiction with no real basis in fact, and therefore useless.”
“Ha, that’s what you think! I’m already getting some good tips on training him. See? I’ve been taking notes.” Jack held up a notebook, several pages already filled with his flowing script. “All this, and I’m only a quarter of a way through the movie! There’s a lot of good stuff in it; I’m sure it’ll be useful. I know we might need to adapt a few things, because Herman doesn’t seem interested in flying; maybe he’s too young, or his wings are underdeveloped. He might just be the runt of the litter. Doesn’t matter, we love him just the way he is, but we owe it to him to try our best to teach him proper dragon behaviour. If more of his kind ever show up, we don’t want them to shun him just because he doesn’t know how to act like a dragon.”
Jack was so sincere that Ianto could feel his resolve crumbling.
“Alright, perhaps you might have a point. I’m even willing to entertain the idea that you might, possibly, get something moderately helpful from the movie, but that doesn’t mean you should be doing extensive research right now, not when you have more pressing matters to attend to. You’re the one who made the rule that barring emergencies, any special projects should be set aside until our other work has been completed. Now, turn your movie off and get that monthly report written. I expect it to be finished by the time I bring you your mid-afternoon coffee, and if it isn’t, you’ll be getting decaf. Are we clear?”
“Yes, Ianto.” Reluctantly, Jack turned the movie off and opened a blank document, pulling a stack of file folders and last month’s Rift activity log towards him so he’d have all the information he needed at his fingertips.
“Good. You can go back to your… research once the report is finished, not before.”
Ianto waited until he was sure Jack was getting on with his assigned task, then left the office, glancing at Herman as he passed. How to Train Your Dragon… He shook his head, chuckling. He bet the people who made the movie would have never imagined it being used as a guide to the training of a real, live dragon.
The End
Author: badly_knitted
Characters: Ianto, Jack, Herman.
Rating: G
Word Count: 848
Spoilers: Nada.
Summary: Jack should be getting on with important paperwork, but instead he’s focused on something else entirely.
Written For: Challenge 407: Train at fan_flashworks.
Disclaimer: I don’t own Torchwood, or the characters.
“Jack?” Ianto strode into the Captain’s office. “Have you finished the monthly report for Her Majesty?”
The man in question looked up, plastering on his most professional smile. “Ah, no, not yet. Something more pressing came up.”
“More pressing than the report to our Commander in Chief that needs to go out by courier this afternoon?” Ianto glared disapprovingly at his lover.
Jack brushed off Ianto’s concerns as if they were of no consequence. “Lizzie won’t mind if it’s a few days late. She knows how busy we get.”
That statement drew a raised eyebrow from Ianto. “A few days? Have you even started your report?”
“Um… maybe?”
Shaking his head, Ianto gave an exasperated sigh. “Every month I remind you to get it done on time; I even write it in your diary and on your desk calendar so you won’t forget, not that you ever bother to check either, and yet every month, without fail, you still manage to leave it until the last minute. Sometimes I wonder why I bother saying anything; it’s not as if you ever listen.” He made his way around Jack’s desk. “What’s so important that it couldn’t wait?”
“Vital research,” Jack said firmly. “Top priority.”
“Really.” Ianto stopped dead, immediately recognising the image frozen on Jack’s computer screen. “Jack Harkness, are you watching an animated movie during work hours?”
“No!” Jack sounded horrified at the very thought. “I told you, it’s research, absolutely essential.”
“It’s a movie, Jack. I should know; I’ve watched it with David and Mica often enough.”
“But it’s about dragons!” Jack said, as if that made all the difference. “You’re always telling me I should be more involved in caring for Herman, so I’m trying to learn as much as I can. Dragons don’t come with an owner’s manual you know. I thought one of us should do some research, and you’re always so busy. Turns out there’s not much about practical dragon care and training available online, though. Do you have any idea how long I had to search to find even this much?”
“Heaven help us all,” Ianto groaned. “You can’t find much because dragons are mythological creatures!”
“Mythological? Says who? Herman isn’t a myth,” Jack pointed out. “He’s very definitely a real, flesh and blood dragon.”
Glancing out into the main Hub, Ianto’s gaze settled on Herman, dozing contentedly in his nest; he’d been much more settled since they’d taken steps to help him acquire a suitable hoard of ‘treasure’.
“Okay, yes, Herman is a real dragon, but he’s not a native species. The Rift must have snatched him from another planet where dragons evolved naturally, but here on earth, as far as most people know, they’re a myth. Anything you find about them online is fiction with no real basis in fact, and therefore useless.”
“Ha, that’s what you think! I’m already getting some good tips on training him. See? I’ve been taking notes.” Jack held up a notebook, several pages already filled with his flowing script. “All this, and I’m only a quarter of a way through the movie! There’s a lot of good stuff in it; I’m sure it’ll be useful. I know we might need to adapt a few things, because Herman doesn’t seem interested in flying; maybe he’s too young, or his wings are underdeveloped. He might just be the runt of the litter. Doesn’t matter, we love him just the way he is, but we owe it to him to try our best to teach him proper dragon behaviour. If more of his kind ever show up, we don’t want them to shun him just because he doesn’t know how to act like a dragon.”
Jack was so sincere that Ianto could feel his resolve crumbling.
“Alright, perhaps you might have a point. I’m even willing to entertain the idea that you might, possibly, get something moderately helpful from the movie, but that doesn’t mean you should be doing extensive research right now, not when you have more pressing matters to attend to. You’re the one who made the rule that barring emergencies, any special projects should be set aside until our other work has been completed. Now, turn your movie off and get that monthly report written. I expect it to be finished by the time I bring you your mid-afternoon coffee, and if it isn’t, you’ll be getting decaf. Are we clear?”
“Yes, Ianto.” Reluctantly, Jack turned the movie off and opened a blank document, pulling a stack of file folders and last month’s Rift activity log towards him so he’d have all the information he needed at his fingertips.
“Good. You can go back to your… research once the report is finished, not before.”
Ianto waited until he was sure Jack was getting on with his assigned task, then left the office, glancing at Herman as he passed. How to Train Your Dragon… He shook his head, chuckling. He bet the people who made the movie would have never imagined it being used as a guide to the training of a real, live dragon.
The End