8
Jack was surprised to find food entering their home, the basket covered in a gingham tea towel contained little dinner rolls and the large pot that was hung on the hook over the open fire was full of yummy smelling soup.
The fire was going well, the soup smell was filling the house and Ianto glanced over at Janet "Are you gonna come tonight?"
The cat let her whispers flap back against her face and showed her teeth in a feral way, then strolled over to the fireplace where she flopped down and Ianto shrugged. "OK. She hates travelling, might come tomorrow."
"How do I look!" Alice demanded as she appeared in the little white dress with multiple handkerchief skirts and the ribbon in her hair was rainbow. "Should I be wearing black or something?"
"Not at all. You wear what you like. This is all about embracing yourself and the world around you. You can wear a paper bag or even gumboots over your hands for all I care" Ianto said and she giggled as she thought about it, and then danced over to hug her father.
"Hello boy." A voice boomed.
They all turned to find the man in the doorway in long black robes like he had stepped from a child's book and he seemed to hesitate as he spied Janet, his eyes widening as he shifted from foot to foot "May I come in?"
Myfanwy came from nowhere and slammed the door on the hapless man, making Ianto curse softly and race to open it again "Sorry Mervil. You know the furry ones are unnerved by you."
"Yes. I see. Hello Janet dear"
"Nerrrrp?"
He blinked and then sighed theatrically, letting his shoulders sag "She's still not talking to me then."
"Come now, you know she needs time to get over slights and things. She is a cat after all" Ianto said as he flapped a hand behind him.
"I know but it wasn't my fault. I did warn her. Oh botheration" the man huffed then turned and stropped off as Ianto gently closed the door then he turned to stare at the dog.
'Myf, that was rude. I know you were sticking up for Janet but she can fight her own battles thank you. And as for you Janet, we both know sooner or later you and he must talk about the mishap that landed you in this mess." Ianto scolded "Right?"
"Tosser"
"JANET! I am warning you!" Ianto wagged a finger and she snorted and then rolled to her back to expose her belly. A clear indicator that she had no concerns over the threat of a finger wag at all.
"Wench" Ianto countered then rubbed his face and explained "Janet and Mervil were lovers in their last incarnations. Unfortunately there was a … er… mishap and he came back as a dweeb and she came back as a cat. They were quite the handsome couple apparently"
"Apparently?"
"Janet, I am talking about you, not to you" Ianto said distractedly then continued "So he is trying to make amends but it is no good until she repents for the mistake she made that landed her in a fur coat. Until her apology is contrite and her heart is pure again, she is doomed to be trapped in that body."
"Ah, that explains her unhappy state" Jack nodded "she's upset."
"No. She was always a cow." Ianto said as he moved away and Jack turned to see the cat staring after him with a hooded gaze.
"Thinking of shitting in his slipper?" Jack asked. "you know, if you place a mouse or something you can argue it was an offering."
Janet looked at him and then sniffed "Tried that. He knew the feckin thing was in there. Last time he went too far I shit in his favourite pair of brogues."
"Well that would have got a reaction I guess."
"Yes well… neither of us expected the results after he rubbed my face in it and scolded me" she grumbled "First time I spoke to him after that, tried to hex him. Huh. This stupid useless body."
"Oh I don't' know. I think you look rather sexy" Jack tried to make her feel better.
"Ta but you're not my type. I go for the mean dangerous ones, not the Hollywood heartthrobs that can't even spit worth a damn." She scoffed.
"I can spit" Jack argued.
"What was that?" Alice asked as she passed by, a little basket in her hand to collect something.
"I can spit."
"Oh" she stopped walking and stared up at him with her face screwed up "Well… good for you Daddy. Good for you. Right. OK. You can spit. That was weird."
She wandered off and Jack felt somehow that he was being mocked but he could not quite put his finger on it. He swung back to the cat but she was gone, the red settler sitting there with her tongue lolling out the side of her mouth instead.
"Tell me Myfanwy… you are just a dog right?"
The dog blinked.
"Not like you are a human in disguise too? No?" Jack asked and the dog turned to sniff at her butt, totally bored with this human.
Of course she was not a human in a dog form.
Don't be stupid.
She was gonna grow up to be a dragon.