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xandra_ptv August 24 2008, 14:30:22 UTC
Thanks. And now comes the edited version of my reply to your comment about Jack and Ianto. Sorry lol.

They make sense to me as I spent time analyzing, over analyzing and then stepping back and look at just the facts without my fangirl brain and then just forgot about Gwen and went from there. Really think about Jack/Ianto like Jack/Doctor. Not literally but the parallels as Jack attempts to become his own version of the Doctor but still has faults. Jack hires Ianto cause he's attractive and an enigma, just his type. Jack brings him in, trust him, ignores him on a personal level cause he doesn't want to get attached waiting for the Doctor and then Lisa happens. Just by the acting and the way uses the word "US" Ianto's betrayal seems a lot more personal, then say Suzie's. (Granted he's scared but still by then time he's telling Ianto to go down there and kill her, he's gotta be thinking she's no longer a immediate threat.) Mostly its because Ianto conned a Con-Artiest. That why Jack forgives him, wants to forgive him because of the Doctor. After Cyberwoman, basically he want save Ianto like the Doctor saved him, give him something to believe in. Jack plays WWTDD (what would the Doctor do). Except Jack isn't that Doctor and his failing is he's attracted to Ianto and Jack's only human. Ianto having a darkerside, like his own, makes him interested as well.

So now Ianto has become "post-meeting the Doctor Jack" version 2. Its not an easy step (the Countrycide, last snog glare and Jack not answering the question give me fangirl ideas) but Ianto starts picking up qualities of Jack, the things he likes. And like Jack with the Doctor Ianto develops a crush, Jack becomes a reason to get better and Jack is the one he interacts with mostly. Jack my talk to Gwen, but goes to Ianto for understanding because Ianto understands death and loss, which is what the final scene in TKKS is about. "One day were going to run out of spaces" saying that to Gwen she'd try to cheer him up with platitudes, Ianto learning from Jack tries to distract him with the fun things in life with a suggestive comment that even the first time i heard it thought they were going to preform timetravel experiments. Ianto is attempting, slightly failing, to follow WWJD (what would Jack do).

And after that it is clear Ianto is in training and coming up in the world as his confidant. In Combat he takes Ianto with him instead of Gwen, probably around this time also he learns about flathome as well. By the time we get to "Capt Jack Harkness" Ianto doesn't seem shy at all ordering around Owen and Gwen, in Jack's absence (just Owen decides to fight back). Shooting Owen he once again is following the rule WWJD.

So now at the start of "End of Days" Ianto is the loyal soldier but now is also standing up to Jack and really him saying No to him causes the others to follow. Also Ianto seems to be the one who knows what "Protocol One" is. And during the mutiny scene Jack treats him differently, he's the only one who Jack tries to bring back to his side. So skipping ahead to Jack in freezer, Ianto gets his own mourning scene but unlike Gwen who dwells with the body and is completely unhelpful (sorry bashing), Ianto is rebuilding. The correction of the handshake to the Hug to the Kiss don't really matter in the evolution of their relationship without the kiss its still the same effect, Ianto is forgiven and he wasn't sure if he was going to be this time.

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xandra_ptv August 24 2008, 14:31:19 UTC
Then Jack leaves and comes back... and the transition from TW to DW back to Torchwood has so many holes i can see straight. I just assume that the Doctor went back in time to fuel up in Cardiff, from when he first meets Martha. Making it five days for her and long for Jack. But anyway, back to the boys. Jack has now been broken by the man he romanticized for so long. He watched the Doctor cry over the Master but treat him like garbage, only to go home to realize he's done to them what the Doctor did to him. But he learns from the mistake. Ianto asks the first question that Jack actually need to answer, the other want the person stuff, Ianto wants to know if he's sticking around or coming back for his shirts. He not bought over like Gwen with a quick joke. Ianto is obviously more hurt then the others on personal level, did he disappear but snogging him in front of them right before.

Jack and Ianto aren't madly in love, that don't know what they are, they have something, good, bad and not at all straight forward. Now that he's not leaving, he's willing to put down some kind of life again. Because of their issues starting something up with Ianto would be complicated. (another time I'll go into how it ties into that weird scene with Gwen if you want, its edited out as this is my Jack/Ianto, meta). Basics is he has feelings for Ianto and Gwen (and with Gwen there is much less baggage between them), but Gwen's engaged (he respects that) so he's going in for the messy complicated Ianto. And he doesn't know if Ianto wants him back which is why he so nervous asking him out. But Ianto though flustered and surprise clearly is not going to make it that easy for him and that becomes even clearer in "Sleeper".

The Jack/Ianto dynamic in "Sleeper" to me is Ianto letting Jack know, and the other know he's not a pushover, he's going to be a challenge. Frankly if he wasn't it would be as fun. I'm assuming he's still waiting for that date, Ianto's making Jack work for it. Then comes "To the Last Man" originally I thought the "conversation/kiss" came out of nowhere. I'm assuming that that was the first one since Jack has come back, cause Jack seems genuinely surprised by it. So anyway at first I thought it came out of nowhere but it didn't, it came out of looking at the pictures of the past Torchwood team and commenting on how they all died so young. Ianto thinking about his own mortality. When Ianto comes in, Jack is prepared for another hard "i'm not sure if i can trust you yet conversation" when he asks teasingly "would you miss me?". When Ianto gives him a straight forward honest answer of "Yep" the mood completely changes. I think the kiss is Ianto saying alright, i forgive lets move on and figure out what we are.

I have no idea what is happening in Meat. Well I do but that would be in my Gwen/Jack/Ianto meta I omitted above lol. Adam was straight forward and though they can't remember it at this point Jack knows Ianto well enough to believe despite the lie detector. Whatever issues they have they still have a connection and from Ianto mental reasoning Jack is a big part of who he is now.

Reset through A Day in the Death. Jack has no problem implying to Martha his friend that there is something with Ianto, Jack seems sure enough of their relationship. Ianto however is not sure what Martha to Jack, when he answers "Dabbling" only when she actually seems happy and not jealous does he seem to relax. And though it seems like "innovative and avante guard" were jokes to start with, the dazed expression told her more. Later with Owen when he tells him "Its not like that me and Jack." Owen isn't an outsider, he knows were he stands with him and he's always had to defend himself with Owen. So in short, if it’s dabbling to Martha and "no like that" to Owen "shagging". Not like that has to mean more then dabbling, but I'm still sure Ianto has no clue how to bring personal and work.

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xandra_ptv August 24 2008, 14:32:27 UTC
The Wedding sticking strictly to Jack and Ianto has four segments. The pre-wedding flirt, Ianto showing he's not just Jack's Boy by backing up Owen, the telling "shut up Gwen getting married" car fight and the dance. First two are straight forward. The fight in the car is about Jack unresolved feelings for Gwen and Ianto being sick of it, but its time to work and that topic is on hold you know until the Dance. Unlike others i assume Jack doesn't have time to go out and have random hookups, not when there really isnt a need to so the only threat to Ianto's relationship with Jack is Gwen (Jack's list of things to do while she's gone goes in the Gwen Meta also). Cutting into the dance and snubbing Gwen has two purposed one to save them from themselves and the other is to publicly claim Jack and remind both of them she's married now. Also probably spite, I'd be pissed. There is also a third idea, that this isn't work this is personal.

Most of Adrift is the Gwen Meta to come later, if only posted for Astarte's sake. Its also about how Ianto has grown in the group that Ianto is the one that Jack will listen to no longer Gwen. Its a Gwen issue not them. Though we get the pretty scene interrupted by Gwen and Ianto going against Jack, its not about them personally, it about them professionally.

In Fragments (the present) and Exit Wounds Ianto looks like the one that keeps them professional while at work and Jack is the one that breaks it, the small hand over heart thing just after Gwen leaves and then pulling him into the hug after getting him out of the cell its the smaller things.

And, ah, Doctor Who actually once again gave us insight into them, more then I suspected they would. "The Solider in the bar" Ianto called him on it but didn't actually seem worried and dropped it in light of "Fuck the Earth has been stolen" more important matters. Later with the Doctor and Jack's double take, that was actually jealousy on Ianto's part and Jack knows it. So to correct above the Gwen's wasn't the only threat to Ianto, the Doctor is, but since they keep saying the Doctor wont be in Torchwood its not really an issue there lol. I can't tell if Jack's just surprised or upset by the idea. I'm just assuming it was bad editing and music that lead to Jack seemingly obvious to abandon them only for them to die. I just assume Ianto and Gwen were hiding it from him, so he didn't have to watch them die and Ianto's smile kinda gives it away.

But that ends the meta and where they are we don't know. And though i love have to put all this effort into my meta... I just want to know if I'm right damn it! Also I'm blaming Astarte for the length of this edited response. She encouraged it, even though she'll deny it. and sorry. I think this rant/meta was dying to come out and it might as well be here. lol.

glad you liked the vid and it helped you understand them better *runs away and hides*

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charmax August 24 2008, 15:37:36 UTC
Xandra, I don't want to clog up your vid post so I'll email you when I've had a change to digest this.

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xandra_ptv August 24 2008, 18:07:16 UTC
sure. I may end up cleaning this up and posting it again anyway. But staying up all night gets me going and rambling... sorry. I think it was to many story analysis classes in college.

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