Ficlet: Wrong Way
Title: Wrong Way
Author: badly_knitted
Characters: Jack, Ianto, OC.
Rating: PG
Spoilers: Nada.
Summary: On an alien planet, Jack and Ianto get lost on the way back to the spaceport.
Word Count: 500
Written For: Prompt 478: Landmark, at slashthedrabble.
Disclaimer: I don’t own Torchwood, or the characters. They belong to the BBC.
Jack stopped again, looking around, a puzzled expression on his face.
Ianto stopped too, regarding his husband with mild amusement, one eyebrow gracefully arched. “We’re lost, aren’t we?”
“What?” Startled, Jack jerked around to face Ianto. “No, of course not. Whatever makes you think that? I know exactly where we are.”
“Do tell.”
“We’re on the southernmost continent of Devalia Prime, in the city of Zooshnia.” Jack smiled smugly. “Erkovek Lane, according to that sign.”
Ianto didn’t bother to look at the street sign; he knew what it said. “Yes, Jack, I know that; I can read the signs as well as you can.” He set down the heavy bags he was carrying, filled with local delicacies to supplement their shipboard staples. “You told me you knew a shortcut. ‘We don’t need to use the public transport,’ you said. ‘If we take the side streets we can be back at the spaceport in half the time it would take us by streetcar and the walk will do us good.’ Well, I don’t see any sign of the spaceport. Do you?”
Jack huffed, sounding half annoyed and half guilty. “No. But it’s not my fault!”
“Really?”
“It’s been fifteen years; things have changed since I was last here. A lot of the landmarks I used for navigation back then are missing. That,” he pointed at the large building blocking their path, “wasn’t there before.”
“Maybe we took a wrong turn at the last junction.”
“No.” Jack shook his head adamantly. “I always turned left at that statue.” He scowled at the four storey buildings surrounding them. “All of this is wrong!”
Rolling his eyes, Ianto hailed a Devalian who was just coming out of one of the buildings across the way. “Excuse me, goodperson, could you perhaps provide direction to the spaceport?” He bowed low.
“Why certainly, goodperson.” The Devalian bowed low too. “It is my honour to assist. The spaceport is that way.” A blue, four-fingered hand pointed back the way they’d come. “Turn right when you get to the statue of Murfvan and follow Prinkovek Lane. It winds a bit but will take you right to the spaceport.”
“But I always turned left at Murfvan’s statue before!” Jack declared indignantly.
“Ah, I see your problem. The statue was moved to the opposite corner three turns ago because when another storey was added to the building it stood in front of, it was no longer receiving light from the sun on Murfvan’s Holy Day. That was obviously discourteous; therefore it was necessary to relocate the statue in order to rectify the issue.” The Devalian bowed low once more. “Good day, goodpersons.”
“Good day and our gratitude to you.” Ianto bowed again.
Jack pouted. “How is anyone supposed to get anywhere when the locals keep moving the landmarks?”
Ianto laughed. “Come on, at least we know which way to go now. And look on the bright side; you’d have been spot-on if the statue hadn’t been moved.”
Jack brightened. “That’s true.”
The End
Author: badly_knitted
Characters: Jack, Ianto, OC.
Rating: PG
Spoilers: Nada.
Summary: On an alien planet, Jack and Ianto get lost on the way back to the spaceport.
Word Count: 500
Written For: Prompt 478: Landmark, at slashthedrabble.
Disclaimer: I don’t own Torchwood, or the characters. They belong to the BBC.
Jack stopped again, looking around, a puzzled expression on his face.
Ianto stopped too, regarding his husband with mild amusement, one eyebrow gracefully arched. “We’re lost, aren’t we?”
“What?” Startled, Jack jerked around to face Ianto. “No, of course not. Whatever makes you think that? I know exactly where we are.”
“Do tell.”
“We’re on the southernmost continent of Devalia Prime, in the city of Zooshnia.” Jack smiled smugly. “Erkovek Lane, according to that sign.”
Ianto didn’t bother to look at the street sign; he knew what it said. “Yes, Jack, I know that; I can read the signs as well as you can.” He set down the heavy bags he was carrying, filled with local delicacies to supplement their shipboard staples. “You told me you knew a shortcut. ‘We don’t need to use the public transport,’ you said. ‘If we take the side streets we can be back at the spaceport in half the time it would take us by streetcar and the walk will do us good.’ Well, I don’t see any sign of the spaceport. Do you?”
Jack huffed, sounding half annoyed and half guilty. “No. But it’s not my fault!”
“Really?”
“It’s been fifteen years; things have changed since I was last here. A lot of the landmarks I used for navigation back then are missing. That,” he pointed at the large building blocking their path, “wasn’t there before.”
“Maybe we took a wrong turn at the last junction.”
“No.” Jack shook his head adamantly. “I always turned left at that statue.” He scowled at the four storey buildings surrounding them. “All of this is wrong!”
Rolling his eyes, Ianto hailed a Devalian who was just coming out of one of the buildings across the way. “Excuse me, goodperson, could you perhaps provide direction to the spaceport?” He bowed low.
“Why certainly, goodperson.” The Devalian bowed low too. “It is my honour to assist. The spaceport is that way.” A blue, four-fingered hand pointed back the way they’d come. “Turn right when you get to the statue of Murfvan and follow Prinkovek Lane. It winds a bit but will take you right to the spaceport.”
“But I always turned left at Murfvan’s statue before!” Jack declared indignantly.
“Ah, I see your problem. The statue was moved to the opposite corner three turns ago because when another storey was added to the building it stood in front of, it was no longer receiving light from the sun on Murfvan’s Holy Day. That was obviously discourteous; therefore it was necessary to relocate the statue in order to rectify the issue.” The Devalian bowed low once more. “Good day, goodpersons.”
“Good day and our gratitude to you.” Ianto bowed again.
Jack pouted. “How is anyone supposed to get anywhere when the locals keep moving the landmarks?”
Ianto laughed. “Come on, at least we know which way to go now. And look on the bright side; you’d have been spot-on if the statue hadn’t been moved.”
Jack brightened. “That’s true.”
The End