mercy, mercy, show me mercy; open to multiple

[i_jones]

This is it. Ianto has reached the end of his proverbial rope, the metaphorical straw that broke the camel's back. He can't take it anymore. He has had it up to here [not indicated, but probably a spot well above his head].

Aliens. He's going to go mad if he has to spend another day living with aliens inside of another alien. There was a nice period after Callie settled in where everything was a bit domestic and relatively quiet and nothing went unmanageably wrong. He wonders now if he wasn't just resolutely ignoring all the little things that were driving him so slowly up the wall that he hasn't noticed 'til now that he's at the ceiling. He can't even recover with a stiff drink because his house, which is actually an alien, won't let him near any alcohol, ostensibly for his health, which the house (the HOUSE WHICH IS AN ALIEN) claims he has been neglecting. So he's gone on a long walk (for his health) to the riftie Pub for a drink (for his mental health). It's refreshing and slightly bizarre to walk the relatively normal streets of Manhattan. The strangest people he walks past are a welcome change, just for being people. Even the unsettling man in the alley before the door to Wilmot's is some kind of a relief.

He orders a pint of cider at the bar and sits at one of the little tables, trying to soak in the warm and extremely human surroundings, and maybe work his stomach up for some definitely human food.

Comments

[wildmage_daine]

"Sure," Daine says with a smile, clambering up onto the chair opposite. "A cider would be nice. This is Ruckus," she adds, tilting her head towards the dog. "She was too much of a handful for the folk who were keeping her before." They'd put out an ad - Daine's come to realize those are good things to keep an eye out for, so she can pick up animals before they get booted out onto the street. "She was just bored, is all."

To the dog, she adds, "This is Ianto. He's nice. You can say hello, if you like."

Ruckus glances up at Daine, then moseys to Ianto's chair and rears up onto her hinders, forepaws braced against the spindle.

[i_jones]

"Hullo, Ruckus," he greets, leaning over to give Ruckus some enthusiastic scratches behind the ears, accentuating each question. "Are you being a good girl? Are you a big handful? Are you a very pretty girl? Yes, you are," he coos fondly. Can he have this dog, though? On second thought, a pet in the TARDIS is sure to end poorly. He leans up to signal to the bartender for another cider and continues petting Ruckus on the head. "You're not turning into one of those animal hoarders, are you?"

[wildmage_daine]

The dog wags her entire hindquarters in lieu of a tail and noses at Ianto's hand. I like him, she confides to Daine. He knows how to pet someone properly.

Daine accepts her cider with a quiet, "thanks," then wrinkles her nose at Ianto. "Of course not." It's true that she tends to have more animals in her little apartment than most folk would think sensible, but almost all of them are in and out as it pleases them. Only the two dogs (well, three for the moment) and cat are full-time residents. And it's not as if she doesn't clean up after them.

"I'll be finding her something useful to do," she says, taking a thoughtful sip of her cider. "She wants a proper job." With a wry smile, she adds, "Maybe I could teach her how to herd the Doctor. She could round him up for you when he's wandered off."

[i_jones]

Okay, but, being a clean hoarder doesn't make you any less of a hoarder. Ianto's seen the shows. It's serious problem here in America. He's ready for an intervention, he's got one in his back pocket, just in case.

"That's a big job. Reckon you'd need a pack." He ruffles Ruckus' fur. "I wouldn't mind a day off of that. I feel like a childminder. Keeping him away from small appliances and sugar. Not to mention Callie."

[wildmage_daine]

She just holds a lot of parties with non-human attendees, is all. She's not keeping them, they're guests.

"The TARDIS might already have a pack in there, somewhere," Daine points out. "All I'd have to do is have a chat with them." She tries to imagine the Long Lake Pack taking up Doctor herding. Honestly, she can't decide if she'd feel more sorry for the Doctor or the wolves.

For a moment, Daine just watches Ruckus list into Ianto's lap, a soft smile on her face. Then, she lifts her gaze back to Ianto. "So that explains why you're out and about." After a brief, considering pause, she adds, "Callie's fair sweet; I can't imagine minding her would be much trouble." The Doctor's a different story. He's such a grump this time around.