Fic: Weird Creatures - Part 5-5
Title: Weird Creatures - Part 5-5
Author: badly_knitted
Characters: Ianto, Jack, Tosh, Owen, Gwen, and Whooping Snakes.
Rating: PG
Spoilers: Nada.
Summary: The new residents are settling in surprisingly well.
Word Count: 2186
Disclaimer: I don’t own Torchwood, or the characters. I don’t own Whooping Snakes either, sadly.
Previous Part
By the time Ianto left Anne’s shop, in addition to the dog bed he had a long but relatively shallow twenty-gallon glass tank, complete with a lid, and a couple of heat mats so he could put one underneath each of the snakes’ potential temporary residences. With any luck that should take care of their comfort until he could create a nicer and much larger heated habitat for them, perhaps with plants, places to hide, and things to climb. Could Whooping Snakes climb? He supposed he’d find out sooner or later.
Loading the dog bed in the boot and the tank in the back seat, which meant moving the drycleaning to the front passenger seat to keep it from getting crumpled, Ianto headed for the Asian market. He knew the place well by now as he and Tosh liked to shop there when they got the chance, picking up unusual herbs and spices to use in their cooking.
As well as the soy milk, and Chrysanthemum tea, he put some of Tosh’s favourite green tea and some candies in his basket as a small thank you for watching the snakes. He was on his way to the checkout when he stopped and turned back to a display he’d just passed, grabbing a dozen packets of instant noodles he thought could serve as supplementary Whooping Snake rations. It seemed wise to keep something on hand that would be quick and easy to prepare in an emergency; he didn’t want to risk them going hungry if he ran out of pork dumplings for whatever reason, or the Hub unexpectedly went into lockdownub . Paying for his purchases, he loaded his bags into the boot and hurried back to the Hub, hoping Torchwood’s new pets hadn’t given Tosh any trouble.
Thankfully, when he carried the drycleaning in he found everywhere as quiet and peaceful as when he’d left. He’d half expected to be confronted by complete and utter chaos, snakes whooping everywhere, but it seemed he’d been worrying over nothing.
He carried the dry cleaning up to Jack’s office, leaving it there to put away later, then asked his lover to lend a hand unloading the car. Jack willingly abandoned his paperwork, as Ianto had been sure he would, and between them they lugged the heavy glass tank into the kitchen area. The three snakes whooped a sleepy greeting from their containment box before settling again.
“Any problems?” Ianto asked Tosh when she came over to join them.
“They were no trouble at all,” she assured him. “Probably still digesting their big lunch.”
“They certainly ate enough. If they eat like that several times a day…” Ianto trailed off, shaking his head. “I don’t even want to think about how much takeaway I’d have to order.”
“At least they don’t need to be fed something exotic or hard to get,” Jack said.
“That’s true; I suppose I should be grateful they don’t eat live food. Imagine having live mice or crickets loose in the Hub.”
Tosh shuddered. “I’d rather not, thanks. Who knows what damage things like that might cause to the wiring.” Naturally, her beloved computers were her chief concern.
Between them, and with Tosh supervising, Ianto and Jack reorganised the corner of the kitchen area around the radiator, setting up the dog bed and the tank on their heat mats. Ianto spread a layer of fine, dry sand in the tank to make it look more inviting, but he left the snakes where they were. Best to let them sleep for now. They could explore when they woke up; everything should have warmed to a more pleasing temperature by then.
Around mid-afternoon, when Jack and Owen started loudly demanding coffee, Ianto left off researching snake habitats, having already finished going over what little information they had on alien snakes in the Torchwood database, and headed for the kitchen. There he found all three snakes now comfortably ensconced on the cosy fleece liner in the dog bed. They looked snug and rather smug.
“I take it you approve of your new bed,” Ianto observed as he moved the heat lamp to a more suitable position for the snakes and removed the containment box, which would need to go back in the SUV’s boot once he’d cleaned it.
‘WHOOPWHOOPWHOOPWHOOPWHOOPWHOOP!’ the snakes responded with enthusiasm.
“Right, excellent. Nice to know my efforts are appreciated.”
He started the coffee brewing and made a dish of Chrysanthemum tea for the snakes, setting it down outside their bed as a precaution against accidental spillages; it wouldn’t do to get their bedding wet. Besides, they were snakes; they should easily be able to reach their drink without leaving the comfort of their new residence. From the quiet slurping noises behind him as he poured coffee for the team, it seemed his assumption was correct; when he turned around again, the dish was empty, and the snakes were coiled just as tidily as before.
“Enjoy that, did you?”
‘WhooooopWhooop!’
“That’s good. You’re a lot easier to please than some people I know.” Picking up his tray, he went to serve the team their afternoon refreshments, taking the last mug up the back stairs to Gwen in the tourist office, where she was still hiding from the snakes.
OoOoOoO
It was easy for Ianto to almost forget about the Whooping Snakes for the rest of the day. Unlike certain team members, they were mostly quiet and undemanding, remaining out of the way in their cosy bed while he got on with his regular tasks.
In between, whenever he had a spare moment, he continued his research, and started drawing up plans for a spacious vivarium. Snakes, he decided, were by far the most accommodating creatures he’d ever had to care for, even if creating a purpose-built habitat for them would undoubtedly require a fair amount of work. Not that he minded; the snakes hadn’t asked to be dumped in Cardiff so it was only fair that Torchwood should make whatever provisions were necessary for their health and wellbeing, and anyway, he rather liked them even if most of his colleagues didn’t seem quite so keen.
Evening came, and Gwen popped down to the Hub just long enough to fetch her bag and coat, cautiously checking them for unwelcome intruders, before hurrying out again, heading home to her husband. Owen tossed his own research into snakes on Ianto’s desk and pulled his jacket on, announcing to no one in particular that he was going to the pub if anyone cared to join him.
Shutting down her computers, Tosh checked on the snakes before leaving, watching them for a few minutes, but being careful not to disturb them. “They look so cute in their basket.”
“Mm,” Ianto agreed, coming to stand beside her. “I can see I’ll have to incorporate the dog bed into their new home; I doubt they’ll be willing to give it up now they’ve discovered how comfy it is.”
“Can you blame them? The poor things must have been so cold and scared, snatched away from everything that was familiar and dumped in the cemetery. It’s quite chilly out; they’re lucky you got to them so quickly or they might not have survived.”
“They like warmth, obviously, but getting a bit chilly doesn’t seem to bother them as much as it would an earth snake; they were still quite lively when we found them. Maybe they’ve evolved to withstand cooler temperatures on whatever planet they’re from.”
“It’s a big universe, anything’s possible, but I suppose we’ll never know for sure.” Tosh fastened her coat and slung her bag over her shoulder. “Well, I should get going. I think I might stop at the pub and have a drink with Owen before I head home. See you in the morning! I hope the snakes behave themselves overnight.”
Ianto smiled. “So do I. If it turns out they’re nocturnal by nature, we might have problems. They could get up to all kinds of mischief while Jack and I are asleep; I might have to set up a Whooping Snake monitor so I can keep an eye on them.”
“Well, you know where to find me if you need help with that.” Laughing, Tosh headed for the cog door, exiting in a blare of alarms, leaving Ianto alone except for Jack, who was in his office, the snakes in their bed, Myfanwy up in her eyrie, and the residents down in the vaults. Stirring himself, he went to carry out his regular evening chores of cleaning up after the team and feeding the inmates.
OoOoOoO
Jack ordered takeaway curry for their dinner, having it delivered while Ianto was busy down in the cells, so it was there and waiting for him when he returned to the main Hub, delicious aromas wafting around him as he emerged from the stairwell.
Like they had at lunchtime, the two men ate sitting on the old sofa that constituted the team’s break area, and the Whooping Snakes surprised them both by not demanding to be fed again, leading Ianto to hope that one meal every day or two would satisfy the newest additions to Torchwood’s menagerie. In fact, the snakes didn’t budge from their basket except to make use of the litter tray Ianto had provided, apparently being smart enough to figure out what it was for.
Before heading for bed, Ianto gave them a dish of warm soy milk, and draped an old towel at one end of the basket, so they’d have something to snuggle under if they wanted. Wishing them a good night, he made his way up to Jack’s office, and from there down the manhole to what had once been a cramped bunker but was now a much more spacious bedroom, complete with double bed and ensuite bathroom.
As he and Jack showered together following a very energetic round of sex, Ianto wondered whether he should offer the snakes something to bathe in. Between his own and Owen’s research into earth snakes, he’d learned that some species needed to soak themselves in water to remain hydrated and to keep their scales in good condition, while others enjoyed swimming. The Whooping Snakes wouldn’t need to bathe for hydration purposes, they were getting plenty to drink, but they still might enjoy it for other reasons, so it was probably worth looking into. That would have to wait until tomorrow though; it had been a long day, and he was tired. He fell into bed beside Jack, pulling the covers up over them both against the chill of the night-time Hub, and soon feel asleep, lulled by the warmth, and the weight of Jack’s arm draped possessively over him.
Sometime in the night, when the two men shifted in their sleep, a whoop of protest came from somewhere near the end of their bed, waking them.
“Ianto?” Jack mumbled into his pillow. “Is there a Whooping Snake in our bed?”
“Seems to be,” Ianto replied sleepily, turning over and tugging the covers higher.
“Why?”
“How should I know? You’d have to ask the snake; I didn’t put it there. Probably just curious, wanted to know where we’d gone.” As far as Ianto was concerned, that settled the matter, but Jack obviously thought otherwise because he sat up, dislodging the covers and exposing the upper half of Ianto’s body to the cold, making him shiver. Before he could do more than open his mouth to complain about the unfairness, Jack started speaking, addressing the snake.
“If you want to stay there, go to sleep, otherwise I’m dragging you back to your own bed. Got it?”
A small, apologetic whoop came from somewhere in the vicinity of their feet.
“Good. And no more whooping after lights out.” Flopping back against the pillows, Jack fumbled for the covers, draping them haphazardly back over himself and Ianto, and snuggling close to his lover. “Now we have to share our bed with snakes,” he grumbled. “Why does everything have to like you so much?”
“I’m irresistible,” Ianto murmured, smirking slightly.
“You are, but you’re mine, and I’m not sharing you.”
Ianto huffed a laugh against Jack’s shoulder. “I can’t believe you’re jealous of a snake.”
“It’s not jealousy, I don’t get jealous, I just don’t want something else taking your attention away from me.”
It was too dark to see Jack’s pout, but Ianto could hear it in his lover’s voice.
“Poor Jack, feeling all neglected,” he teased. “You’re just annoyed because Rover likes me more than you.”
Jack shifted away from Ianto, peering into his face from a few inches away. “You named one of the snakes?”
“No, I named all of the snakes. There’s Winky, Blinky, and Rover. Because of his adventurous nature,” Ianto added, as if an explanation were needed.
“Only you.” Jack brushed a light kiss to Ianto’s forehead. “Go to sleep. The snake can stay here tonight if it must, but once the new Whooping Snake habitat’s built, its wandering days are over.”
Closing his eyes, Ianto smiled to himself; he had a feeling Rover would have something to say about that.
The End
Author: badly_knitted
Characters: Ianto, Jack, Tosh, Owen, Gwen, and Whooping Snakes.
Rating: PG
Spoilers: Nada.
Summary: The new residents are settling in surprisingly well.
Word Count: 2186
Disclaimer: I don’t own Torchwood, or the characters. I don’t own Whooping Snakes either, sadly.
Previous Part
By the time Ianto left Anne’s shop, in addition to the dog bed he had a long but relatively shallow twenty-gallon glass tank, complete with a lid, and a couple of heat mats so he could put one underneath each of the snakes’ potential temporary residences. With any luck that should take care of their comfort until he could create a nicer and much larger heated habitat for them, perhaps with plants, places to hide, and things to climb. Could Whooping Snakes climb? He supposed he’d find out sooner or later.
Loading the dog bed in the boot and the tank in the back seat, which meant moving the drycleaning to the front passenger seat to keep it from getting crumpled, Ianto headed for the Asian market. He knew the place well by now as he and Tosh liked to shop there when they got the chance, picking up unusual herbs and spices to use in their cooking.
As well as the soy milk, and Chrysanthemum tea, he put some of Tosh’s favourite green tea and some candies in his basket as a small thank you for watching the snakes. He was on his way to the checkout when he stopped and turned back to a display he’d just passed, grabbing a dozen packets of instant noodles he thought could serve as supplementary Whooping Snake rations. It seemed wise to keep something on hand that would be quick and easy to prepare in an emergency; he didn’t want to risk them going hungry if he ran out of pork dumplings for whatever reason, or the Hub unexpectedly went into lockdownub . Paying for his purchases, he loaded his bags into the boot and hurried back to the Hub, hoping Torchwood’s new pets hadn’t given Tosh any trouble.
Thankfully, when he carried the drycleaning in he found everywhere as quiet and peaceful as when he’d left. He’d half expected to be confronted by complete and utter chaos, snakes whooping everywhere, but it seemed he’d been worrying over nothing.
He carried the dry cleaning up to Jack’s office, leaving it there to put away later, then asked his lover to lend a hand unloading the car. Jack willingly abandoned his paperwork, as Ianto had been sure he would, and between them they lugged the heavy glass tank into the kitchen area. The three snakes whooped a sleepy greeting from their containment box before settling again.
“Any problems?” Ianto asked Tosh when she came over to join them.
“They were no trouble at all,” she assured him. “Probably still digesting their big lunch.”
“They certainly ate enough. If they eat like that several times a day…” Ianto trailed off, shaking his head. “I don’t even want to think about how much takeaway I’d have to order.”
“At least they don’t need to be fed something exotic or hard to get,” Jack said.
“That’s true; I suppose I should be grateful they don’t eat live food. Imagine having live mice or crickets loose in the Hub.”
Tosh shuddered. “I’d rather not, thanks. Who knows what damage things like that might cause to the wiring.” Naturally, her beloved computers were her chief concern.
Between them, and with Tosh supervising, Ianto and Jack reorganised the corner of the kitchen area around the radiator, setting up the dog bed and the tank on their heat mats. Ianto spread a layer of fine, dry sand in the tank to make it look more inviting, but he left the snakes where they were. Best to let them sleep for now. They could explore when they woke up; everything should have warmed to a more pleasing temperature by then.
Around mid-afternoon, when Jack and Owen started loudly demanding coffee, Ianto left off researching snake habitats, having already finished going over what little information they had on alien snakes in the Torchwood database, and headed for the kitchen. There he found all three snakes now comfortably ensconced on the cosy fleece liner in the dog bed. They looked snug and rather smug.
“I take it you approve of your new bed,” Ianto observed as he moved the heat lamp to a more suitable position for the snakes and removed the containment box, which would need to go back in the SUV’s boot once he’d cleaned it.
‘WHOOPWHOOPWHOOPWHOOPWHOOPWHOOP!’ the snakes responded with enthusiasm.
“Right, excellent. Nice to know my efforts are appreciated.”
He started the coffee brewing and made a dish of Chrysanthemum tea for the snakes, setting it down outside their bed as a precaution against accidental spillages; it wouldn’t do to get their bedding wet. Besides, they were snakes; they should easily be able to reach their drink without leaving the comfort of their new residence. From the quiet slurping noises behind him as he poured coffee for the team, it seemed his assumption was correct; when he turned around again, the dish was empty, and the snakes were coiled just as tidily as before.
“Enjoy that, did you?”
‘WhooooopWhooop!’
“That’s good. You’re a lot easier to please than some people I know.” Picking up his tray, he went to serve the team their afternoon refreshments, taking the last mug up the back stairs to Gwen in the tourist office, where she was still hiding from the snakes.
OoOoOoO
It was easy for Ianto to almost forget about the Whooping Snakes for the rest of the day. Unlike certain team members, they were mostly quiet and undemanding, remaining out of the way in their cosy bed while he got on with his regular tasks.
In between, whenever he had a spare moment, he continued his research, and started drawing up plans for a spacious vivarium. Snakes, he decided, were by far the most accommodating creatures he’d ever had to care for, even if creating a purpose-built habitat for them would undoubtedly require a fair amount of work. Not that he minded; the snakes hadn’t asked to be dumped in Cardiff so it was only fair that Torchwood should make whatever provisions were necessary for their health and wellbeing, and anyway, he rather liked them even if most of his colleagues didn’t seem quite so keen.
Evening came, and Gwen popped down to the Hub just long enough to fetch her bag and coat, cautiously checking them for unwelcome intruders, before hurrying out again, heading home to her husband. Owen tossed his own research into snakes on Ianto’s desk and pulled his jacket on, announcing to no one in particular that he was going to the pub if anyone cared to join him.
Shutting down her computers, Tosh checked on the snakes before leaving, watching them for a few minutes, but being careful not to disturb them. “They look so cute in their basket.”
“Mm,” Ianto agreed, coming to stand beside her. “I can see I’ll have to incorporate the dog bed into their new home; I doubt they’ll be willing to give it up now they’ve discovered how comfy it is.”
“Can you blame them? The poor things must have been so cold and scared, snatched away from everything that was familiar and dumped in the cemetery. It’s quite chilly out; they’re lucky you got to them so quickly or they might not have survived.”
“They like warmth, obviously, but getting a bit chilly doesn’t seem to bother them as much as it would an earth snake; they were still quite lively when we found them. Maybe they’ve evolved to withstand cooler temperatures on whatever planet they’re from.”
“It’s a big universe, anything’s possible, but I suppose we’ll never know for sure.” Tosh fastened her coat and slung her bag over her shoulder. “Well, I should get going. I think I might stop at the pub and have a drink with Owen before I head home. See you in the morning! I hope the snakes behave themselves overnight.”
Ianto smiled. “So do I. If it turns out they’re nocturnal by nature, we might have problems. They could get up to all kinds of mischief while Jack and I are asleep; I might have to set up a Whooping Snake monitor so I can keep an eye on them.”
“Well, you know where to find me if you need help with that.” Laughing, Tosh headed for the cog door, exiting in a blare of alarms, leaving Ianto alone except for Jack, who was in his office, the snakes in their bed, Myfanwy up in her eyrie, and the residents down in the vaults. Stirring himself, he went to carry out his regular evening chores of cleaning up after the team and feeding the inmates.
OoOoOoO
Jack ordered takeaway curry for their dinner, having it delivered while Ianto was busy down in the cells, so it was there and waiting for him when he returned to the main Hub, delicious aromas wafting around him as he emerged from the stairwell.
Like they had at lunchtime, the two men ate sitting on the old sofa that constituted the team’s break area, and the Whooping Snakes surprised them both by not demanding to be fed again, leading Ianto to hope that one meal every day or two would satisfy the newest additions to Torchwood’s menagerie. In fact, the snakes didn’t budge from their basket except to make use of the litter tray Ianto had provided, apparently being smart enough to figure out what it was for.
Before heading for bed, Ianto gave them a dish of warm soy milk, and draped an old towel at one end of the basket, so they’d have something to snuggle under if they wanted. Wishing them a good night, he made his way up to Jack’s office, and from there down the manhole to what had once been a cramped bunker but was now a much more spacious bedroom, complete with double bed and ensuite bathroom.
As he and Jack showered together following a very energetic round of sex, Ianto wondered whether he should offer the snakes something to bathe in. Between his own and Owen’s research into earth snakes, he’d learned that some species needed to soak themselves in water to remain hydrated and to keep their scales in good condition, while others enjoyed swimming. The Whooping Snakes wouldn’t need to bathe for hydration purposes, they were getting plenty to drink, but they still might enjoy it for other reasons, so it was probably worth looking into. That would have to wait until tomorrow though; it had been a long day, and he was tired. He fell into bed beside Jack, pulling the covers up over them both against the chill of the night-time Hub, and soon feel asleep, lulled by the warmth, and the weight of Jack’s arm draped possessively over him.
Sometime in the night, when the two men shifted in their sleep, a whoop of protest came from somewhere near the end of their bed, waking them.
“Ianto?” Jack mumbled into his pillow. “Is there a Whooping Snake in our bed?”
“Seems to be,” Ianto replied sleepily, turning over and tugging the covers higher.
“Why?”
“How should I know? You’d have to ask the snake; I didn’t put it there. Probably just curious, wanted to know where we’d gone.” As far as Ianto was concerned, that settled the matter, but Jack obviously thought otherwise because he sat up, dislodging the covers and exposing the upper half of Ianto’s body to the cold, making him shiver. Before he could do more than open his mouth to complain about the unfairness, Jack started speaking, addressing the snake.
“If you want to stay there, go to sleep, otherwise I’m dragging you back to your own bed. Got it?”
A small, apologetic whoop came from somewhere in the vicinity of their feet.
“Good. And no more whooping after lights out.” Flopping back against the pillows, Jack fumbled for the covers, draping them haphazardly back over himself and Ianto, and snuggling close to his lover. “Now we have to share our bed with snakes,” he grumbled. “Why does everything have to like you so much?”
“I’m irresistible,” Ianto murmured, smirking slightly.
“You are, but you’re mine, and I’m not sharing you.”
Ianto huffed a laugh against Jack’s shoulder. “I can’t believe you’re jealous of a snake.”
“It’s not jealousy, I don’t get jealous, I just don’t want something else taking your attention away from me.”
It was too dark to see Jack’s pout, but Ianto could hear it in his lover’s voice.
“Poor Jack, feeling all neglected,” he teased. “You’re just annoyed because Rover likes me more than you.”
Jack shifted away from Ianto, peering into his face from a few inches away. “You named one of the snakes?”
“No, I named all of the snakes. There’s Winky, Blinky, and Rover. Because of his adventurous nature,” Ianto added, as if an explanation were needed.
“Only you.” Jack brushed a light kiss to Ianto’s forehead. “Go to sleep. The snake can stay here tonight if it must, but once the new Whooping Snake habitat’s built, its wandering days are over.”
Closing his eyes, Ianto smiled to himself; he had a feeling Rover would have something to say about that.
The End