I'm re-watching TW from the beginning for the first time (I first watched it back at the beginning of the year and have only just got around to revisiting it). How much of a coincidence was it that I just got up from the TV just after having finished watching Countrycide and come online to find this?
I'd say it was fate, but that might be overstretchign it a bit, huh? How about "lucky coincidence"?
Considering that this was an idea I got straight after re-watching Countrycide on TV, it probably works best if you've recently seen the ep.
I enjoyed this, I liked the insights into Ianto especially and I liked Jack realising that he'd been so busy with the others he'd neglected Ianto.
I really enjoyed exploring Jack's relationships with each of the others. It occured to me that we see a lot of Jack taking the time to talk to Gwen and Tosh -- there are specific scenes of him doing the good leader thing with each of them -- and he does do the 'visit the bedside' thing with Owen (even though he's not so touchy-feely with Owen, but then again who could be, given Owen's personality?), but less so with Ianto. Off the top of my head, the only two scenes I can think of is the start of Small Worlds, where the comfort is very understated and quite non-verbal, and at the end of They Keep Killing Suzie. In the first, I don't get the impression of Jack seeking Ianto out, just trying to soothe since he's there; the second, it's clearly Ianto making the steps to comfort Jack.
I think that Ianto provides an interesting combination to Jack. He's efficient, he's *smart*, he's a survivor in the basic ways that make Jack comfortable, that allow Jack to relax around Ianto more than the others. But at the same time, because he relaxes more, because his interest in Ianto is more personal, more subjective than just being a team leader, Jack doesn't take the same care, the same concern of Ianto.
It's not that Jack cares any less for Ianto than the others, just that it's a different level of interest and shows in a different way. Not better, not worse, just different.
I also liked how Ianto is proactive and forceful in this (much like he was in Countrycide), it would have been very tempting to make this fic into a little h/c fest.
I adore Ianto in Countrycide. I really do. I love the combination of being utterly terrified -- which he clearly is -- and also that he quickly makes the decision to act and boldly does so. (And that little smirk, right before the headbutt? It's made of win.)
I actually hadn't planned on any kissing when I thought of this story. But Jack being Jack, his POV sort of led the story there. But then I realised that it needed Ianto's actions to work because Ianto only *appears* to be passive, quiet and easy-to-understand. In my head, that's what intrigues Jack so much: that Ianto, in his own way, is a fantastic con-man. He's good enough to convince *Jack*, good enough that Jack has to fight against accepting the surface impression, has to work towards actually knowing Ianto, and for a guy who's been around for over 100 years and clearly slept with a range of people, the challenge of that would intrigue and occupy him, in the best of ways.
And, um, yeah. I got a little distracted rambling there. But thank you for your lovely comment. it's wonderful to know that it works well with the episode, and that you got something out of it.
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zvi and
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Date: 2007-09-06 06:02 am (UTC)I'd say it was fate, but that might be overstretchign it a bit, huh? How about "lucky coincidence"?
Considering that this was an idea I got straight after re-watching Countrycide on TV, it probably works best if you've recently seen the ep.
I enjoyed this, I liked the insights into Ianto especially and I liked Jack realising that he'd been so busy with the others he'd neglected Ianto.
I really enjoyed exploring Jack's relationships with each of the others. It occured to me that we see a lot of Jack taking the time to talk to Gwen and Tosh -- there are specific scenes of him doing the good leader thing with each of them -- and he does do the 'visit the bedside' thing with Owen (even though he's not so touchy-feely with Owen, but then again who could be, given Owen's personality?), but less so with Ianto. Off the top of my head, the only two scenes I can think of is the start of Small Worlds, where the comfort is very understated and quite non-verbal, and at the end of They Keep Killing Suzie. In the first, I don't get the impression of Jack seeking Ianto out, just trying to soothe since he's there; the second, it's clearly Ianto making the steps to comfort Jack.
I think that Ianto provides an interesting combination to Jack. He's efficient, he's *smart*, he's a survivor in the basic ways that make Jack comfortable, that allow Jack to relax around Ianto more than the others. But at the same time, because he relaxes more, because his interest in Ianto is more personal, more subjective than just being a team leader, Jack doesn't take the same care, the same concern of Ianto.
It's not that Jack cares any less for Ianto than the others, just that it's a different level of interest and shows in a different way. Not better, not worse, just different.
I also liked how Ianto is proactive and forceful in this (much like he was in Countrycide), it would have been very tempting to make this fic into a little h/c fest.
I adore Ianto in Countrycide. I really do. I love the combination of being utterly terrified -- which he clearly is -- and also that he quickly makes the decision to act and boldly does so. (And that little smirk, right before the headbutt? It's made of win.)
I actually hadn't planned on any kissing when I thought of this story. But Jack being Jack, his POV sort of led the story there. But then I realised that it needed Ianto's actions to work because Ianto only *appears* to be passive, quiet and easy-to-understand. In my head, that's what intrigues Jack so much: that Ianto, in his own way, is a fantastic con-man. He's good enough to convince *Jack*, good enough that Jack has to fight against accepting the surface impression, has to work towards actually knowing Ianto, and for a guy who's been around for over 100 years and clearly slept with a range of people, the challenge of that would intrigue and occupy him, in the best of ways.
And, um, yeah. I got a little distracted rambling there. But thank you for your lovely comment. it's wonderful to know that it works well with the episode, and that you got something out of it.