Themed Rec List: (Non)Torchwood AUs
aka: No Aliens Allowed
A listing of my favorite AU fics based on the characters from the series Torchwood but not actually set at Torchwood or containing aliens, rifts, or immortal time-travelers. Unless otherwise noted these tend to be Ianto/Jack.
Me and Mr. Jones, by lady_sb
ouvretesyeux, by maverick0324 and a thousanderrors ( Master List)
Can you say boarding school fic? And wartime boarding school fic at that- the early parts have A Separate Peace feel for me, which is lovely (though this is set WWII). There's a play, and necessary discretion, and Jack's family- particularly his uncles, Scott and Richard, are wonderful OCs. Jack and Ianto are young in this story and so they're a bit different from what we're used to on the show, but I feel like their characterization is very well thought-out- Jack and Ianto are different because they were brought up in a different time, and have different responsibilities, and because they have to hide their relationship.
The story ends in an excruciating place, and hasn't been updated in almost a year, but it's easy enough to see the series as separate stories- the school years, the war years, and the reunion, and disregard the unfinished post-reunion bits. Ouvrestesyeux is a lovely, long fic with back story and build-up and some pretty hot smut.
Partners and Parents, by ceefax the sane
Ceefax's own summary is really all I needed to read this straight away, "Basically: AU. Jack's the father, Ianto's the uncertain young step-parent, and the others are the kids." Ianto's frustrations and difficulties with trying to figure out his place in the family are very well written, as is his later determination to bring Suzie (who in this is the rebellious daughter who left home) back into the family. Gwen, Owen, and Tosh as children are all in character, as well as engaging, and in Tosh's case, absolutely adorable. I keep hoping for a sequel to this, but it stands really well on its own, and hope springs eternal.
This Mess We're In, by perfectlyflawedx
Currently this is a WIP, but it's updated regularly (so far). The basic premise is the team working at an ad agency in Cardiff, Jack is the boss, Ianto is an assistant, and the rest of the team fill various roles at the agency. It's a bit of fun- Jack is very much in pursuit of Ianto, whose reasons for resisting we are just beginning to understand. Ianto's backstory seems promising, and the plot is progressing at a nice pace. I often feel like the characters in Torchwood are very much defined by what they do and their lives of near constant action and danger, so it's interesting to see how a writer has these characters act in a less action-filled environment.
A listing of my favorite AU fics based on the characters from the series Torchwood but not actually set at Torchwood or containing aliens, rifts, or immortal time-travelers. Unless otherwise noted these tend to be Ianto/Jack.
Me and Mr. Jones, by lady_sb
ouvretesyeux, by maverick0324 and a thousanderrors ( Master List)
Can you say boarding school fic? And wartime boarding school fic at that- the early parts have A Separate Peace feel for me, which is lovely (though this is set WWII). There's a play, and necessary discretion, and Jack's family- particularly his uncles, Scott and Richard, are wonderful OCs. Jack and Ianto are young in this story and so they're a bit different from what we're used to on the show, but I feel like their characterization is very well thought-out- Jack and Ianto are different because they were brought up in a different time, and have different responsibilities, and because they have to hide their relationship.
The story ends in an excruciating place, and hasn't been updated in almost a year, but it's easy enough to see the series as separate stories- the school years, the war years, and the reunion, and disregard the unfinished post-reunion bits. Ouvrestesyeux is a lovely, long fic with back story and build-up and some pretty hot smut.
Partners and Parents, by ceefax the sane
Ceefax's own summary is really all I needed to read this straight away, "Basically: AU. Jack's the father, Ianto's the uncertain young step-parent, and the others are the kids." Ianto's frustrations and difficulties with trying to figure out his place in the family are very well written, as is his later determination to bring Suzie (who in this is the rebellious daughter who left home) back into the family. Gwen, Owen, and Tosh as children are all in character, as well as engaging, and in Tosh's case, absolutely adorable. I keep hoping for a sequel to this, but it stands really well on its own, and hope springs eternal.
This Mess We're In, by perfectlyflawedx
Currently this is a WIP, but it's updated regularly (so far). The basic premise is the team working at an ad agency in Cardiff, Jack is the boss, Ianto is an assistant, and the rest of the team fill various roles at the agency. It's a bit of fun- Jack is very much in pursuit of Ianto, whose reasons for resisting we are just beginning to understand. Ianto's backstory seems promising, and the plot is progressing at a nice pace. I often feel like the characters in Torchwood are very much defined by what they do and their lives of near constant action and danger, so it's interesting to see how a writer has these characters act in a less action-filled environment.