Application for The Wake

[buttleslikearockstar]

Personal Information
Name: Beth
Age: 43
Personal Journal: N/a
Email / AIM / MSN / Plurk: bookenthusiast
Current Character(s): N/A

Character Information
Character Name: Ianto Jones
Fandom: Torchwood

Character History: Ianto Jones
Ianto Jones was born in Cardiff, Wales to a working-class family. He has one sister, Rhiannon, but his mother is never mentioned, so perhaps she died or left when Ianto was but a boy. Ianto had a complicated relationship with his father, who raised both him and his sister. Ianto loved him and sought his approval on the one hand, but he was also ashamed of his father’s job as a department store clerk and resented his father’s constant criticism and pushed for him to do better, to achieve more. Ianto would be considered an underachiever by today’s standards, despite his love for knowledge and wide-range of expertise he shows later in life; his simultaneous need for approval and his resentment of being put under a microscope to do well enough to gain the approval he craved may have led Ianto to deliberately underachieve in school as a form of rebellion. He also went through his troubled teen years which resulted in a shoplifting conviction. His sister ended up marrying young and having children and a friendly good-old-boy husband, who rubs Ianto the wrong way.

Ianto’s father died when he was roughly twenty. He refused to call or visit in the three weeks that his father spent in the hospital before his death. Ianto claims that he didn’t know what to say after all these years; after the funeral, he left Cardiff for London, severing all ties with his family. He worked several jobs before finally securing a position with the Torchwood Institute as a junior research assistant. He met and began dating Lisa Hallet, who also worked for Torchwood One. Ianto said at one point that loving her had given meaning to his life for the first time. His career and his relationship are interrupted by the Battle of Canary Wharf, an invasion of Cybermen and Daleks on earth. Ianto was one of the few survivors of the battle. Lisa was taken late in the battle and was only partially converted before Ianto was able to drag her to safety, but her body was dying, unable to cope with the conversion.

Ianto was positive that Lisa could be saved, so he pulled her and a conversion unit out of the rubble of Torchwood One. He moved her to Cardiff where he secured a job with Torchwood Three, with Captain Jack Harkness. He flirted, cajoled and schmoozed until he is able to secure a position assisting Jack in any way that he could. Ianto had much guilt for lying to Jack about Lisa because he was genuinely attracted to the man, but that attraction still didn’t make him tell Jack about Lisa. Instead, he snuck her into Torchwood Three’s basement, where he continued to maintain Torchwood Three while continuing to care for Lisa.

Ianto finally managed to secure the help of a cybernetics expert, Dr. Tanazaki and brought him into the hub while the rest of the team were on a rift call. The good Doctor succeeded in removing Lisa from the conversion unit, but unfortunately the technology seized its opportunity and took over “Lisa,” who was now a true Cyberman, despite the incomplete conversion, killed Dr. Tanazaki as a thank you and then she attacked the team, who up until that point were clueless to her presence. Ianto, gentle, loving, Ianto still thought that she could be saved. He desperately tried to appeal to any part of Lisa that was still alive that she had to stop. He defied Jack and thought that Lisa could still be saved. It took Lisa killing him, Jack bringing him back to life with a kiss, and Lisa killing a pizza delivery girl for Ianto to realize that Lisa was gone and could not be saved. The team shot and killed what was left of Lisa, and a distraught Ianto was placed on suspension.

It took time, but Ianto grieved and eventually began emerging from his shell, bonding with the team (Gwen, Owen, and Toshiko) and truly becoming a member in his right, no longer just a shadow. He forgave Jack, Jack forgave him, and after a while their newfound trust turned to a friendship that quickly became physical, their mutual attraction has never faded. It was a complicated relationship, difficult to define, that went through its share of trials and tribulations.



The whole Lisa Cyberman situation defined a good portion of Ianto’s life. It took time, but eventually, he put the pain in its place and began emerging from his shell, befriending Gwen, Owen, and Toshiko, finally truly becoming a member of Torchwood Three. He and Jack eventually forgave each other and resumed their friendship which blossomed into something more physical., their mutual attraction never really fading. It was a complicated relationship, often difficult to define, but they somehow managed to make it work despite the trials and tribulations they both went through.

Rule number one of working for Torchwood is that rift is not to be touched… EVER. The whole team, however, was tricked into opening the rift by a man named Billis Manger, a man that Jack and Tosh had seen when they were trapped in 1940. There was no love loss between Owen and Ianto, and this is proven when Owen tried to open the rift to get Jack and Tosh back; Ianto, to protect Jack and his wishes, he shoots Owen, but not before the rift opened.

At one point, the whole team was tricked by visions of their loved ones (in Ianto's case, Lisa) into thinking that they needed to reopen the temporal rift running through Cardiff. These images, caused by a man named Billis Manger, led the team to commit mutiny against Jack, who knew the horrible consequences that could come from opening the rift. Ianto betrayed Jack, though it pained him, and helped open the rift. Owen shot Jack to prevent him stopping them, leaving Ianto in shock...until Jack gasped back to life. He revealed he was unable to die, but they had little time to discuss it further as the opened rift caused an earthquake, forcing them to flee the base. It turned out the earthquake resulted from the rise of Abbadon, a former prisoner of the rift, set loose by Torchwood's actions. It was the fruition of Billis Manger's plan. Abbadon fed on life force, killing the citizens of Cardiff who passed into his shadow. Jack knew he could kill Abbadon with his overabundance of life, and he did so at the cost of his own.

For three days Jack lay dead, and Ianto mourned, unable to believe he would come back this time. But he did, and a stunned and guilty Ianto could only awkwardly attempt to offer a handshake, unable to think Jack would forgive him. Jack instead rolled his eyes, pulled him into his arms, and then kissed him in front of the rest of the team, offering complete forgiveness without saying a thing.

Jack is never one to turn down adventure, especially one with the Doctor. When the TARDIS showed up moments after Torchwood’s victory, he left Torchwood and Ianto behind to pick up the pieces. This was an emotional time for Ianto. When Jack returned three months later, not a moment later, Ianto had taken up the slack left by Jack, and now was a full-time field agent. He came into his own as an operative, but Jack’s disappearance had left Ianto hurt and wary of Jack’s intentions. The arrival of John Hart, an ex of Jack’s, did not help, but after Jack awkwardly asked Ianto on a date, moving their relationship from casual sex to more of a proper relationship, a stunned Ianto said yes. From there, their love and commitment to one another deepened.

After an undetermined length of time, Jack's ex, John Hart, returned with Jack's long lost brother, Gray, in tow. But Gray had gone mad from his long experience in captivity, and he blamed Jack for allowing him to be captured in the first place when they were children. He sought to destroy everything Jack loved and buried Jack underneath Cardiff to suffer for thousands of years, suffocating but unable to die. Ianto worked tirelessly to save both the city and Jack, threatening John Hart's life if Jack didn't return to them. Gray was ultimately defeated, but not before he put Jack through the ringer, and killed both Toshiko and Owen. Ianto, Jack, and Gwen were left to grieve and move on together, their numbers depleted. But Ianto and Jack grew ever closer, showing more outward signs of being in a steady and loving relationship by the time we see them again.

In season three, the Earth found itself under threat by a species known only as the 456. They were able to take control of the world's children, using them to announce their approach, and eventually demanded millions of human children or else they would release a virus and kill the whole population of Earth. The government had previously had dealings with the 456 in 1965, of which Jack had been a part of. In exchange for a vaccine, they had given the 456 twelve children. Wanting to stop any operatives involved in that deal from exposing them, factions in the government ordered the destruction of Torchwood Three and the death or containment of Jack Harkness. While Ianto and Gwen were able to escape, Jack was blown up and taken into custody in pieces.

Naturally, Ianto and Gwen schemed to get Jack back and eventually succeeded, but they'd left without a base of operations and few options on how to fight the 456. It was only through the use of some scavenged technology and a spy within Home Office that they were able to discover that the government planned to hand over the many millions of children requested. Unwilling to go down without a fight, Jack and Ianto blackmailed the government into allowing them access to Thames House, where they spoke face to face to the 456 and announced there would be no deal. In response, the 456 released a deadly virus. Ianto died in Jack's arms, having just enough time to say goodbye.

Ianto's death was the catalyst that made it possible for Jack to do the unthinkable and, in his grief, kill his grandson to use the 456's frequency against them, killing them and saving the world.




Character Personality: Ianto is from Wales. Many would say that mentioning his heritage is more suited to the history section, but that is not the case with the Ianto. He is strangely proud of where he comes from and according to him how it shaped him. Being Welsh is a source of pride for him, one that he embraces fully. Speaking of proud, he is proud and then some! Everything that the Welchman touches must be done to the fullest. Be at something as simple as making coffee or something extremely complicated; it is done with the pursuit of perfection.

Perfectionist is a word that describes Ianto. As is stubborn and controlling, these traits often go hand-in-hand. We see in early Ianto the meticulous, almost obsessive care he takes, and every facet of his life, from perfectly tailored color coordinated suits, that are pressed daily to the Torchwood archives are kept up with precision and attention to detail. Ianto has a particular way that he views himself, and he painstakingly cultivates that image to others. Privately, however, Ianto told lies to his colleagues about what his father does for a living as if being a tailor was somehow a poor choice. Most notably, he lies about the existence of Lisa in the Torchwood Three crypt. These white lies and half truths are a necessary evil to protecting The image he conveys.

By the same token, Ianto will have no problems doing whatever it takes to achieve his goals. The incident with Lisa, shooting Owen, the partial destruction of a military base to save Jack, are prime examples of the lengths Ianto will go to to get the job done. When it matters most, Ianto doesn’t hesitate.

Ianto ignores rules, regulations, social conventions and his fears when it matters most. Granted, this often with him to make bad decisions but the same is said for most of the Torchwood employees. Without a doubt by the end of the second series, Ianto is extremely dedicated to Jack and his Torchwood Three.

In spite of all Ianto’s been through, he's obviously not a cold, hardened man, that is teeming with confidence. He has his insecurities, doesn't everyone? Most of the insecurities are what drives him to get his life sorted into little metaphorical boxes. The battle of Canary Wharf left him scarred. Not only that monstrosities he witnessed but also in the loss of his beloved Lisa. Ianto wants desperately to matter. He is more than just a Teaboy and certainly more than a part-time shag. He has to believe those things otherwise why does he go on? Once he lost Lisa, he had to find something to give his life meaning.

As the series progresses, he does reach out more to his colleagues. He manages to laugh genuinely with them and strike up a loose set of relations with Jack. Over time, he developed a solid friendship with Glenn, strengthened after the loss of Owen and Toshiko. In his final days, he can open up to his sister and strike down some of the walls he built from his Cardiff days. Similarly, it is fitting that he spends his final moments with Jack, finally able to confess his love for Jack and to ask him not to forget him.
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Torchwood requires a certain amount of acceptance of strange and unusual things. Working for Torchwood requires an ability to think outside the norms which Ianto has in spades. He can as being able to find a solution to any situation. Not every man would drive a bull dozer onto a military base to rescue someone, but that is what Ianto did. Similarly, he injects his dry, witty sense of humor into most situations. The team looks to him to bring levity into horrible circumstances.

In light of all the things he things he’s seen and done, it is amazing that Ianto has gotten to the point where he's not only functional but stable. By the end of his time with Torchwood, Cardiff, he's gone through a unique set of changes. The internal strength he has, what we see glimpses of more and more as the series progresses is potentially the most unsung part of his personality. Jack chose the team he did for the various talents, but he also chose them because of that unique and inherent something each one of them had it, and no one else did.
Powers and Abilities: I don’t know if this would be a power, but he makes the best coffee ever. He is also empathetic and great with various firearms.

Samples
TDM posts (unless it's for Network), links, and examples for posts from other communities are not accepted.

Network: [Ianto’s hand reflexively moves to his throat, to straighten a tie that wasn’t there] Yes, well…. Reports of my death have been exaggerated. I should be more disturbed at how unperturbed I am about that. Oh well, what can you do right? Such is the life in Torchwood. [Please note the sarcasm and hint of a smile albeit barely there]

Maybe I should have just stayed a Teaboy, but I would not trade the last two years for anything in the world. [his voice grows softer, and his eyes get suspiciously bright.] Yes, well maybe the whole dying bit I could’ve done without, but maybe I can write a jingle or something. I’ve forgotten the whole introduction bit, haven’t I? My name is Ianto Jones, former tea boy, former archivist and all around bad ass. I kid about that last one. [He’s not kidding]

I suppose there isn’t a need for an Archivist here, but I wasn’t kidding about the Teaboy. With all honesty and humility, I make the best cup of coffee this side of the galaxy. The strongest men have fallen to their knees for my coffee.< small>[His eyebrow raises in challenge. He dares you to challenge his coffee making skills.] So I purpose a barter of sorts. I will make coffee in exchange for a change of clothes- Oh suits only please and thank you- and some decent chips with extra vinegar. I am a man of humble needs. I hope we can come to an arrangement.

Thank you and have a pleasant day.


Third Person: Air…. He needed to breathe. Just one clean breath and everything would be fine. “Don’t forget me….” Were the last words that Ianto spoke, the last words he thought that he would ever speak again. He was eternally grateful that they were to Jack. If he had to die, he was glad that he was with Jack, in Jack’s arms. He was glad that he was able to tell Jack how he felt, not that he thought Jack would return his feelings, he hadn’t lived long enough for that. He had no delusions that Jack Harkness belonged to him, that was the farthest thing from the truth. Jack was his own man and that was what Ianto admired most about him. One of the things that he was most grateful for was that Jack managed to carve a small piece of his life out for Ianto and the former Archivist had cherished it.

Ianto Jones has gotten used to expecting the unexpected, what with working for Torchwood and all. He well and truly had not expected to live as long as he had. After Lisa was converted he had a purpose, get a job in Cardiff, move Lisa to Cardiff, take care of Lisa, heal Lisa. It hadn't quite worked out the way he hoped, but when do things in his life work out? He lost his focus when Lisa was destroyed but somehow found it again in Jack. It was true what he told Rhi, the only man he was interested in was Jack. He had bolloxed that up too hadn't he?

Leave it to Jack to blame himself and not take Ianto's free will in going into Thames House into account. He just wished that he had more time

Ianto took a deep breath in, sitting up straight. He looked around blearily, everything out of focus, his memory a bit fuzzy for a moment, before he remembered. He died or at least he thought he had. He realized suddenly that he was not dead at all, but he could finally breathe. “Jack,” He called out softly, his voice rough from disuse. “Fuck,” He muttered. There wasn’t much that could rattle Ianto, but waking up in a strange place, that would do it.
He loved order; he craved it. As he made his way in this new world, he would once again have to create order among chaos. He had done it before; he would do so again.

A short while later, a Welsh man is seen wandering around, looking a bit worse for wear. His shirt and waistcoat are torn and dirty. "I could use a cup of coffee," He muttered to no one in particular.
Ianto smiled to himself after having his second cup of coffee and smoothing out an invisible wrinkle in his waistcoat. Yes. Ianto Jones was a man who needed routines.