I apologize in advance if this is a touch too silly, and gleefully blame it on the late night. :D This was a great prompt, btw. Feel free to add more!
Daniel paused mid-step as he entered the cafeteria. Jack O’Neill was sitting at his usual table, eating what looked like a bowl of fruit-loops while casually flipping through the day’s newspaper.
And he was alone.
“Uh Jack,” Daniel said in an undertone as he slid into the seat opposite from the other man. “Isn’t it your turn to watch Zuko and Toph?”
SG-1 had been ordered to stay Earth-side while Major Cater tried to figure out how to establish a gate back to PX-2934417. In exchange, Hammond had ordered the rest of the team to keep a close eye on their temporary charges so that they didn’t destroy anything in the base. Well… anything else.
But Jack merely shrugged and flipped his newspaper over to the sports section – eyeing the hockey scores with a critical eye. “I ordered one of the new recruits to do it.”
“Jaaack,” Daniel gave a disgusted sigh. “That’s not fair.” Most sane men didn’t want anything to do with a living flame-thrower and an ultra-destructive blind girl. Two levels of Stargate Command would be in construction for months as it was. “Who did you get?”
“Private Shepherd, from the security detail.”
There was something… fiendish glinting in Jack’s blue eyes, and Daniel was tempted to call him on it, but in the next moment Jack had shoved an untouched plateful of toast across the table. “Breakfast?”
******
Zuko stared at the… creature sitting across the room. The creature opened its mouth, a long tongue lolling out the side, and stared back.
“Well?” Toph asked, “What is it?”
He didn’t answer at first, taking in a careful stock the strange creature; it’s sharply pointed muzzle, the standup ears and tan and black coat. Jack O’Neill had simply shoved the animal into the room with exaggerated gestures and words that meant nothing at to the pair of them. Then the colonel had left, leaving… the thing behind. “It looks almost like a wolf-lion puppy,” he mused. “My sister had one, once.”
Something in his voice must have tipped Toph off. “Oh yeah? How long did it last?”
A memory Zuko had tried very hard to forget flickered across his mind – high pitched, desperate yelping and the scent of scorched fur. He shuddered. “About three weeks.”
Toph gave a pause. She couldn’t have seen his reaction, of course, but she must have felt it, somehow, using her earthbending. “So, she was always like that, huh?”
“Pretty much.”
The beast, whatever it was, gave a loud yawn and settled down by the door, laying its head on its paws. It seemed to be fairly well trained, not flinching or moving away when Toph walked over and set about running her hands all over its coat. She paused at its large, standup ears.
“Oh,” she said. “It’s a giant wolf-bat.”
“Don’t wolf-bat’s have wings?”
She gave a shrug. “I told you this place was weird.”
It took only a small measure of earthbending to reach down to the floor and dig out a handful of softened concrete. (Honestly, no one in their right mind but these strange people would build a whole underground complex out of something so delightfully malleable to an earthbender). In a few seconds of concentration and twisting the stone in her hands to create a ball.
Instantly, the wolf-bat’s head rose and his ears pricked forward. Toph grinned, waving the ball in front of him. “You want this, fella?”
********
Daniel had just finished his second piece of toast when a sharp cracking sound followed by high pitched barking filled the room. He turned just in time to see Toph, riding what looked like a German Shepherd fly across the open doorway, laughing gleefully. Zuko followed a few seconds later, running flat out and yelling something in their language. Daniel didn’t need a translator.
“Toph! Get back here!!!!”
Daniel whirled back around, glaring at his Colonel. “Private Shepherd?” he repeated.
Jack only shrugged. “Oh come on, Daniel. They’re kids. It’s just not right for them not to have a dog.”
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Daniel paused mid-step as he entered the cafeteria. Jack O’Neill was sitting at his usual table, eating what looked like a bowl of fruit-loops while casually flipping through the day’s newspaper.
And he was alone.
“Uh Jack,” Daniel said in an undertone as he slid into the seat opposite from the other man. “Isn’t it your turn to watch Zuko and Toph?”
SG-1 had been ordered to stay Earth-side while Major Cater tried to figure out how to establish a gate back to PX-2934417. In exchange, Hammond had ordered the rest of the team to keep a close eye on their temporary charges so that they didn’t destroy anything in the base. Well… anything else.
But Jack merely shrugged and flipped his newspaper over to the sports section – eyeing the hockey scores with a critical eye. “I ordered one of the new recruits to do it.”
“Jaaack,” Daniel gave a disgusted sigh. “That’s not fair.” Most sane men didn’t want anything to do with a living flame-thrower and an ultra-destructive blind girl. Two levels of Stargate Command would be in construction for months as it was. “Who did you get?”
“Private Shepherd, from the security detail.”
There was something… fiendish glinting in Jack’s blue eyes, and Daniel was tempted to call him on it, but in the next moment Jack had shoved an untouched plateful of toast across the table. “Breakfast?”
******
Zuko stared at the… creature sitting across the room. The creature opened its mouth, a long tongue lolling out the side, and stared back.
“Well?” Toph asked, “What is it?”
He didn’t answer at first, taking in a careful stock the strange creature; it’s sharply pointed muzzle, the standup ears and tan and black coat. Jack O’Neill had simply shoved the animal into the room with exaggerated gestures and words that meant nothing at to the pair of them. Then the colonel had left, leaving… the thing behind. “It looks almost like a wolf-lion puppy,” he mused. “My sister had one, once.”
Something in his voice must have tipped Toph off. “Oh yeah? How long did it last?”
A memory Zuko had tried very hard to forget flickered across his mind – high pitched, desperate yelping and the scent of scorched fur. He shuddered. “About three weeks.”
Toph gave a pause. She couldn’t have seen his reaction, of course, but she must have felt it, somehow, using her earthbending. “So, she was always like that, huh?”
“Pretty much.”
The beast, whatever it was, gave a loud yawn and settled down by the door, laying its head on its paws. It seemed to be fairly well trained, not flinching or moving away when Toph walked over and set about running her hands all over its coat. She paused at its large, standup ears.
“Oh,” she said. “It’s a giant wolf-bat.”
“Don’t wolf-bat’s have wings?”
She gave a shrug. “I told you this place was weird.”
It took only a small measure of earthbending to reach down to the floor and dig out a handful of softened concrete. (Honestly, no one in their right mind but these strange people would build a whole underground complex out of something so delightfully malleable to an earthbender). In a few seconds of concentration and twisting the stone in her hands to create a ball.
Instantly, the wolf-bat’s head rose and his ears pricked forward. Toph grinned, waving the ball in front of him. “You want this, fella?”
********
Daniel had just finished his second piece of toast when a sharp cracking sound followed by high pitched barking filled the room. He turned just in time to see Toph, riding what looked like a German Shepherd fly across the open doorway, laughing gleefully. Zuko followed a few seconds later, running flat out and yelling something in their language. Daniel didn’t need a translator.
“Toph! Get back here!!!!”
Daniel whirled back around, glaring at his Colonel. “Private Shepherd?” he repeated.
Jack only shrugged. “Oh come on, Daniel. They’re kids. It’s just not right for them not to have a dog.”