Galadriel1010's guide to Jack and Ianto, according to Galadriel1010

[galadriel1010]

Jack:
* Is far more affected by Victorian sensibilities than he'd like to admit. He likes to take afternoon tea when he can, likes making grand romantic gestures for those he loves and enjoys a perambulation in the evening, as long as the weather's not too bad - not that that bothers him personally, but perambulating alone is a bit dull.

* Is not as sexually free as he would like to make out. Again with those Victorian sensibilities, but he's quite fond of monogamy, especially when he barely has time to keep one relationship going. He's too old and too lonely to go for a relationship without affection any more.

* Has a love/hate relationship with family. He loves having them, hates losing them, and the losing them tends to happen fairly soon. He lost one child in the nineteenth century to a miscarriage, his wife and their two children to Spanish Flu in 1918 (children were, unusually, not a vulnerable group to this epidemic, but it wasn't unheard of), and then Alice was taken away from him in the nineteen seventies, when Lucia discovered that Jack couldn't give her more children (more on that later). He's gone a long time without a family bond, and needs one.

* He's an hermaphrodite (thanks to teachwriteslash for helping me find the words for this one). By the fifty-first century, the human race has evolved to a point where true hermaphrodites can, sometimes, by genetic fluke, be fertile. He's XXY (which is one in five hundred men today, so not common, but certainly not unheard of) and one of those genetic flukes. Unfortunately, his body is highly succeptible to hormone fluctuations, and the rise in estrogen levels in the water cycle from the 1960s onwards has tricked his body into thinking it's pregnant. This gives him the full works of increased appetite, occasional mood swings, cravings and raised temperature, but permanently. It also renders him completely infertile, because no pregnant person wants to get pregnant again or knock up anyone else until this baby is out of the way.

* He drinks Scotch, and collects cut glass and crystal decanters. People seem to think that they're appropriate gifts, and he agrees. He also likes red wine with a meal or whilst relaxing in an evening, but doesn't see the point in drinking because alcohol doesn't affect him.

* He suffered significant memory loss from being buried alive, and it unearthed things long forgotten. Sex was completely new to him (but Ianto was a very willing teacher), and memories of his childhood came rushing back. Exes, old cases and former adventures are all a bit sketchy, though.

* He grew up in a lakeside commune on a newly colonised world on the borders of the empire. The commune had a hippy, earthy lifestyle, celebrating the seasons and the gifts of the planet, and eventually formed a stable existence free from worry once the imperial forces secured that sector. He hopes to return there one day, to live the dream he lost as a child.

* He likes chocolate cake when it's bought for him, because it means that someone has actually thought about his mood and bought him something that common knowledge says will cheer him up. It's not so much the cake itself as the gesture, although the cake is good too.

* His three least favourite things in the world are dying, John Hart and late night rift alerts after he's gone to bed. All three happen far more often than he'd like. He's also terrified of Daleks.

Ianto:
* Is close to his family, in a 'they're much more tolerable on the far end of and MSN conversation' sort of way. His mum's called Ruth and knits gloves with two thumbs, his sister did what she swore she'd never do and named her son David Davies, his cousin is still in some bizarre rivalry with him and trying to get into his pants, and his aunt and uncle have swords on the wall. He still loves them, though.

* Misses his dad. He was, perhaps, the most normal one of the family (although that's not saying a lot), so of course he died before Ianto could annoy him by getting a degree in English and moving to London.

* He does not speak Welsh. This is embarassing, because Jack does, and Jack teaches their children to speak Welsh. Ianto is unamused.

* He's the king of coffee, but prescribes hot chocolate or tea in different situations.

* He's blunt. "Hi, Mum, I have something to tell you. Thing is, I've met someone. I want you to meet them... thing is, it's a guy." is not his style. He's much more "Hey Mum, work have given me Christmas off for once, so I'm bringing my boyfriend with me to meet you. By the way, I'm coming for Christmas. Yes, you will like him. No, don't knit him gloves"

* Sooner or later, he will acquire a cat called Tybalt. Invariably.

* Unless you're wearing a suit, do not ask him for fashion advice. He'll make comments about stereotypes to hide the fact that he hasn't a clue.

* He does not look right in a dress. One should really not go there.


This list will probably be expanded as I remember more things. I guess it's listfic... Cool!

Comments

[welsh-scotsman.livejournal.com]

very interesting and slightly amusing in places:P you give them a much happier background than i gave ianto:D and you noticed the david davies thing! i read it and was like oh yeah...really quite cute ideas really:P like that jack does speak welsh and ianto doesnt:D usually it's the other way around.

[fiwen1010.livejournal.com]

Thank you :D
Most of that was organic developments from stories. I still need to add in Ianto's PTSD, which is a fairly nasty case