Thirty Flavours of Torchwood

[laligin]

Right, because I'm far too tempted, this is opening up much quicker than I'd planned. :D Thanks go to those who gave me prompts (and if you want to add some, do feel free - it's never too late).

Right. Here's how this works.

Here are Thirty Flavours of Torchwood.

You pick a prompt. Then, for that prompt, you pick any member of the Torchwood Team (past or present) or any such combination you please, add an extra condition or two if you want, and I write it for you in the comments.

The idea is that I write a drabble-size piece, but they may start at 100 words and head off into the sunset... And I will put the whole set in one post when they're done, for neatness' sake. :)

Crossovers are allowed, I suppose, but I'm not too well aware of many other fandoms (not even Buffy) so be cautious...

Eek. I hope this works. ^_^'


DONE 1. Bloodied
DONE 2. Claustrophobic
DONE 3. Cold
DONE 4. Confused
DONE 5. Cuddly
DONE 6. Dancing
DONE 7. Daydreaming
DONE 8. Divided
DONE 9. Domestic
DONE 10. Ecstatic
DONE 11. Efficient
DONE 12. High
Claimed 13. Hunted
DONE 14. In-denial
DONE 15. Lost
DONE 16. On-a-roll
DONE 17. Point-of-no-return
DONE 18. Proud
DONE 19. Reading
DONE 20. Researching
DONE 21. Secretive
DONE 22. Silent
DONE 1 Claimed 1 23. Silver-tongued
Claimed 24. Singing-in-the-rain
DONE 25. Sleepy
Claimed 26. Snarky
DONE 27. Sorrowful
DONE 28. Suspicious
DONE 29. Victorious
DONE 30. Warm


All prompts now claimed! Working on them. ^_^

Oh, and if you don't like the drabble (or... er... short fic) tell me and I'll do another. XD

Comments

[iyreia.livejournal.com]

<3!!

[laligin.livejournal.com]

^_^ Hee. Thanke very kindly. ;)

[adafrog.livejournal.com]

Lovely, thanks.

[laligin.livejournal.com]

^_^ You're very welcome. Glad you enjoyed it!

[laligin.livejournal.com]

Well hi there! It's only 18 months late, so sorry... 260 words. Feel free to have me taken out and shot for making you wait so long. ^_^' I fail. And it's probably not quite what you were after...

Panic is a Waste of Breath

Ianto yawned again, not even bothering to cover his mouth this time. Jack shot him a worried glance, and saw how his eyelids were drooping.

“Hey, stay with me now,” he said quietly, and Ianto blinked, then raised his head and pressed a finger to his lips. He slumped back against the wall as if the effort of hushing Jack had drained him completely.

Jack gritted his teeth against a yawn of his own, and shuffled closer to Ianto, tucking an arm around his shoulders and pulling him into an embrace. Ianto let him, leaning heavily against him, almost falling into his lap. His eyes closed.

Jack pulled him closer and – as gently as he could – slapped his cheek. To his relief, Ianto blinked and opened his eyes wearily.

Again, fruitlessly, Jack looked around at their tiny, airtight prison, and cursed himself for walking straight into a trap. His only comfort was that Gwen had escaped. There was still cavalry to come to the rescue.

Ianto yawned again.

And that was fine with Jack. At least if he was yawning he was still alive.

“They’ll come and get us, I promise,” he whispered, and Ianto shushed him again. He nodded, sighed, and closed his eyes for a moment.

A sudden rush of cold air woke him, and he struggled to sit up straight, clutching at Ianto desperately. Gwen was asking him if they were both alright, but he couldn’t answer, shaking Ianto, patting his face, begging him silently –

Ianto opened bleary eyes, and, to Jack’s eternal relief, yawned.

[laligin.livejournal.com]

Ai. I know the journal of the requester has been deleted and purged, but I did promise. So here, at long long last, if anyone still cares, is the flavour Warm. 260 words.

Accept the Inevitable

He left his coat with Tosh on the way out. It was partly a reminder to the crowd that she was under his protection, but also partly an excuse to shuck his armour and walk out into a world where he’d always felt at home, let the wind bite through to his skin and make feel alive and present.

He stood out in the street, where he’d parked the SUV an hour earlier and over sixty years in the future, and breathed deep. The cold air stung his lungs as he stared up at the sky.

“Bit of peace and quiet?”

He closed his eyes with a sigh, something not quite a smile twisting his lips for a second. Then he looked around as the Captain stepped up to join him, breath misting in the air.

“I wanted to see the stars,” he said quietly, looking back up. “They look different here.”

“That’s the thing about pilots,” the Captain said beside him, “just can’t keep them away from the sky.”

He looked down and met the Captain’s eyes. For a few moments neither of them said anything, then he took a breath and reached out.

“I have to leave at dawn,” he said, as the Captain’s fingers laced with his again. “Tosh has made her predictions and we have a five minute window, and I know that doesn’t make any sense to you, but that’s how it is. I have – we have tonight. That’s all.”

The Captain nodded, with the slightest of smiles.

And suddenly it didn’t feel cold anymore.

[laligin.livejournal.com]

Rightyho. Confused. After 18 months of blood, sweat and tears (*coughcoughprocrastinationcough*) I have a 480 word fic for you. Forgive the delay, I beg you...

The Morning After

“This,” Tosh said flatly, “is not right.”

Jack looked up from Gwen’s workstation, and shot a decidedly anxious look at Ianto, who was leaning in Jack’s doorway with his arms folded. Owen put down the mugs he was collecting from the coffee table.

“This was nothing to do with me,” he said quietly. “Would you like to explain?”

Ianto shifted uncomfortably, and leaned his head against the doorframe, saying, “Well... You see –”

“Basically,” Gwen said loudly, stamping up from the autopsy room and yanking off her latex gloves, “since you had plans last night, our complete tosser of a Captain decided not to call you in when the rest of us had to go out on tech retrieval. I can handle it, he says. I know how to disarm it, he says. And look where that got us.”

Tosh stared at her, while Ianto glowered from Jack’s doorway, and growled, “If you hadn’t rushed me –”

“Stop it,” Jack said sharply, getting to his feet and walking over to Toshiko’s workstation. “You’ve argued all night and got nowhere, so stop getting at each other for ten minutes and let me explain.”

He turned to face Tosh, who was gazing at the four of them in horrified fascination.

“Tosh, sweetheart, we’re in a bit of a fix. This is me, Gwen. That’s Ianto, Owen and Jack there –” He (she?) nodded to Owen, Gwen and Ianto in turn. “– and the device is on your desk. I wouldn’t touch it if I was you. It swapped us when Jack pushed the wrong button –”

“It wasn’t the wrong button,” Ianto – no, Jack – interrupted. “It was the right button. I just should have pushed two others before it.”

“Jack pushed the wrong button,” continued Jack. Gwen. Tosh was having trouble working out quite how to think of them all. “And next thing we knew we were all... Well. Like this. We had to stay here –”

“I wouldn’t go home to your fiance if you paid me,” Gwen – Owen – said sharply. “And if you think I’m letting him –” He (Tosh decided helplessly) jerked a thumb at... at... IantoasOwen. That would have to do. “– out of my sight with my body, you can think again. ‘Specially in the same building as Captain Jack “If it moves I’ll shag it” Harkness.”

When Tosh dared to look at JackasIanto, he was grinning.

IantoasOwen cleared his throat, and gestured to the device on her desk.

“Please. Can you work something out? I want to have a shower, and there are some things I really don’t need to see.”

“Speak for yourself,” OwenasGwen and JackasIanto muttered in unison, and GwenasJack gave a strangled cry.

“Don’t you dare, Owen Harper! You keep your hands to yourself!”

“Never thought I’d hear Jack say that,” Tosh murmured, putting on her glasses to peer at the device. Ignoring the argument behind her, she went to work.

[sunnyrea.livejournal.com]

*GIGGLESNORT*

Wow, did not remember about this prompt list of yours at all but what a fabulous surprise!

I love it! The IantoasOwen vision is just too amsuing, very Adam and OwenasGwen yelling in like Owen in Gwen's body is just great!

[sunnyrea.livejournal.com]

(I care since I'm at work and reading all of these!)

That was just the right amount of sweet, like a cupcake. Nice

[laligin.livejournal.com]

(Yay, caring! Always nice. (: )

And thanke very kindly, I'm very glad you liked it, particularly since the original requester may never see it. (*covers eyes in shame*) Ahem. Thanks.

[laligin.livejournal.com]

^_^ *grins* I'm so glad it was a nice surprise! Thanke very kindly. ;)

[laligin.livejournal.com]

Hello there! I know it's been a long, long time, but I have a drabble for you (100 words precisely) at last. If it's not to your liking, just shout and I shall write an epic (well, couple of thousand words, I reckon) plotty fic for you instead, if that's better. (:

Daydreams

When she was little, Tosh had always dreamed of saving the world. She’d fought evil villains and terrible monsters, always alone and unarmed except for her wits, courage, and ingenuity.

When she got older, and she tried to turn those dreams into reality, she fell flat on her face. For a while she didn’t even think the world was worth saving, let alone that she was the one to do it.

Torchwood showed her otherwise. And she fought evil villains and terrible monsters, armed with her wits, courage, and ingenuity – and, better yet, with her friends.

Dreams can come true.

[crystalshard.livejournal.com]

Good heavens, I'd forgotten all about this. I love it, it fits Tosh so well.

However, if you have plotty fic, I have a nice bunch of carrots for your plotbunny. Here, little plotbunny . . .

[laligin.livejournal.com]

(: I'm so glad you like it, even after such a long wait! ^_^'

Aii! I need warning signs. Please do not feed the plotbunnies! :P I think that one might get written anyway, though. ;) Must finish this lot first!

[crystalshard.livejournal.com]

*rubs hands together* Eeeeeexcellent. *tempts with lettuce*

[laligin.livejournal.com]

*headdesk, headdesk, headdesk*

*plotbunny nibbles lettuce and tries to look cute and cuddly*

[laligin.livejournal.com]

Yo! You ended up with On-a-roll, and at long last here it do be. (: 300 words exactly. Hope it's okay! (And er... sorry for the 18 month delay...)

Practice Makes Perfect

Suzie yanked out the knife, gasping, and looked around again to make sure nobody had chanced upon the two of them. Gingerly, she grabbed the boy’s shoulder and rolled him onto his back, peering at his face. He’d gone pale with shock as soon as she’d stabbed him, and he was only getting paler as the blood pooled underneath him. Hurriedly, she stood up and stepped back, checking that she hadn’t got blood all over the underside of her shoes, or any splatters on her coat. Satisfied she was clean, she dug out a plastic bag from her handbag, and wrapped up the knife before tucking it away. She peeled off her gloves and put them in another plastic bag, then walked quickly away from the alley.

It started to rain.

It was still raining over half an hour later, when she knelt down behind the boy’s head and slid her hand into the cool, welcoming metal of the glove. She was too eager for the kick of the connection to really notice, and then the rain stopped and John Tucker gasped and jerked back to life in front of her, and she was distracted by the tug of her own life flowing through her palm. This, she decided distantly, must be what victims of vampirism felt. She could feel her life being drawn from her, but it didn’t hurt. In fact it verged on being pleasurable. Euphoric, even.

Just not quite enough for her to let go completely.

Her two minutes came to an end and she laid the dead boy’s head back down, the rain tumbling in a sudden deluge. She was already half planning her next resurrection. This felt far too good to give up. The killing was unfortunate, but necessary.

And it got easier every time.

[phantomreviewer.livejournal.com]

18 months. Whatever.

It was really good. In a sort of creepy way. Oh go evil Suzie!

[laligin.livejournal.com]

(: Yays! I'm glad you like it. It all makes perfect sense to Suzie, you know... ^_^

[phantomreviewer.livejournal.com]

Of course it does. :-)

[laligin.livejournal.com]

Ahoy! So sorry this took so very long, and I hope this is okay. 830 words, partly post-Cyberwoman, and as such just skating around the angst... If you'd like something fluffier (particularly considering the 18 month delay, ahem ahem let's not mention that ahem) instead, do tell me. ^_^' In two parts, because it won't fit in a comment:

Ulterior

“Well, I’m too busy, get Lily to take a look at them,” Dave suggested, his back to the door as Ianto entered with the coffees on a tray. The others promptly turned away from him and pretended to be busy, and Ianto held in a sigh, rolling his eyes instead. The ‘Valleys Boy’ jokes had been bearable (and just what he’d expected, if he was honest with himself) for his first couple of weeks, but after a month at Torchwood he’d hoped they would die down. Though it was just Dave left making them, and now everyone else had stopped laughing he was optimistic it wouldn’t last much longer.

In any case he still did his best to moderate his accent when he asked, “What do you want me to do?”

“New commercial project,” Steven told him, not quite meeting his eyes as Ianto handed out the mugs. He smiled briefly when he took his coffee, though. “All about these beauties.”

Ianto put down the tray and took the device he held out. It was slim, straight edged, with a silver trim and pattern over a black base.

“What does it do?”

“Think MP3 players,” said Steven, “but for the written word. We’ve got a dozen of the things in the archives. So far we’ve worked out you can upload any kind of text and still images to it, but that’s about it. In theory, you upload your books, then read them anytime, anyplace, and they only weigh as much as that thing and take up no more space. You’ve got no chance of damaging them, nobody reading over your shoulder, you’re not going to run out of stuff to look at…”

“But?” asked Ianto.

Steven shrugged. “We can’t access them. Uploaded all sorts, if we’re reading the signals right, but we can’t get them back out. It doesn’t do holograms, and if you need a visual implant, or glasses, or a special headset or something, we haven’t got it. We’re missing the headphones, if you’ll forgive me keeping up the metaphor.”

“And even if we find them the chances of them working for humans are minimal,” chipped in one of the others.

Ianto turned the device over in his hands, and asked again, “So what do you want me to do?”

“See if you can find the limits of the capacity in different models,” Steven suggested. “Try and figure out how to view the data. And take a look at the secondary programming we discovered in two of the devices. So far we haven’t a clue what it’s for. Just… research it. They’re harmless, so they’ve been cleared for outside testing as long as you sign them in and out. See what you make of them.”

Ianto blinked, and was on the verge of asking who was going to be overseeing him when it occurred to him that this was his first individual assignment. He held his tongue, smiled and nodded, and went to collect the other dozen devices from the archives.

[laligin.livejournal.com]

With the entire contents of the British Library on one of the devices locked in their secure little box, and another attached to his laptop screen, paused halfway through Murder on the Orient Express, Ianto sat back on his couch and toyed with the last two. He’d been trying to work out the secondary function for almost two weeks now, and, as yet, got nowhere. The others were more than happy with his success in unlocking the link between the basic devices and any available computer, and were busy developing things for Torchwood’s use in advance of commercial exploitation, but this still nagged at him.

He sighed, and put one of the devices down on top of the box, still turning the other over and over in his hand while he went to fix a fresh cup of coffee.

There was a beep behind him, and when he went back he found the box had unlocked itself.

He looked down at the device in his hand, and smiled.

~*~

“I never got round to thanking you.”

“I wasn’t aware I’d done anything to earn it,” Ianto said quietly, tying the bin bag closed and checking he hadn’t missed any rubbish. Still clearing up the mess, even after everything he’d said and done. But there wasn’t anything else left for him now.

Jack took another step towards him, and held out the lock pick.

“I brought more useful things from London than that.” Ianto turned away, and picked up the bag. “Among other things.”

He heard Jack take a breath, then, “You could have kept this from me. There was always the risk I’d use it on the wrong door. But you didn’t. And it saved our lives, Ianto.”

Ianto just nodded, but he was startled when a warm hand patted his shoulder briefly.

“Always have a backup plan,” Jack said quietly. “So… thank you. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Ianto didn’t leave until he heard Jack’s door click shut.

SQUEE!

[spacedye-vest.livejournal.com]

Pre/post Cyberwoman fic is my drug of choice :)

This is perfect! That was a really good idea.

Ianto just nodded, but he was startled when a warm hand patted his shoulder briefly.

I'm a sucker for those little gestures.

Re: SQUEE!

[laligin.livejournal.com]

Happy customer = yay!

Aheh. I am very very glad you like it, thanke. And yeah, I have a fondness for the little gestures too. ;)

Re: SQUEE!

[spacedye-vest.livejournal.com]

Little gestures, Ianto's back-story, what's not to love? The only thing I don't like is that I wish there would be more of this *grins*