Fic: Ixxamorinia After Dark
Jul. 25th, 2024 06:32 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
badly_knittedTitle: Ixxamorinia After Dark
Author:
badly_knittedCharacters: Ianto, Jack.
Rating: PG
Word Count: 2493
Spoilers: Nada.
Summary: Jack takes Ianto to a planet that’s even more amazing after dark than it is during the day.
Written For: Weekend Challenge Sandals Season at
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
1_million_words, using After Dark, Queen of Hearts, and Twinkle.Disclaimer: I don’t own Torchwood, or the characters.
A/N: Set in my Ghost of a Chance ‘Verse.
This wasn’t like Cardiff, which was fair enough. Cardiff was over two hundred light years away, and Ianto wouldn’t be going back there anytime soon since everyone he knew thought he was dead. That was fair too, since technically he HAD been dead, but the Jack had intervened, searching the universe until he found a way to bring him back, something Ianto was understandably grateful for. He hadn’t wanted to die in the first place, but the virus the 456 had released hadn’t given him a choice.
Still, this city was the most earth-like one he and Jack had visited in the last fifteen months, and it had some similarities to Ianto’s former home, since it was on the coast, occupying one bank of a wide channel which was the mouth of a major river. Even the climate was more or less what he’d known back home, with more rain than was strictly necessary, inevitably leading to a lot of greenery, just like Wales. Overall, though, the similarities were superficial.
Ixxamorinia was much more spread out than Cardiff, covering an area comparable to L.A., and many of the buildings were taller, elegant towers that fitted, like the rest of the city, into the landscape of rolling hills and shallow valleys. It was, perhaps, like Cardiff might become a few hundred years into the future, a solar-powered metropolis, free from pollution, existing in harmony with its surroundings. It made Ianto a little homesick, not for the Cardiff he’d left behind, but for somewhere that didn’t exist yet but which he thought would feel like home.
The city was beautiful by daylight, watery sunshine filtering down through light cloud and making everywhere twinkle now that the persistent drizzle had finally stopped. It was as if tiny gemstones in every colour imaginable had been scattered over every surface. The air smelled fresh and clean, with a hint of ozone on the warm breeze wafting in from the sea.
Tiny, jewel-bright birds flitted from branch to branch of the tall, graceful trees that seemed to grow everywhere among the buildings, and even the people were colourfully dressed. Ianto felt a bit out of place in the drab coveralls he and Jack tended to wear for convenience aboard their ship, but that was one of the reasons they were here, to do a spot of shopping and get some more suitable attire to wear while they sampled what Jack assured him were Ixxamorinia’s many delights.
They strolled along a wide boulevard in the shopping district, drifting in and out of shops, and before long they were laden with shopping bags, one of which now contained their coveralls since they’d decided to wear some of their purchases. Dressed more like the locals, they drew less attention to themselves, and while the local style wasn’t something Ianto would have chosen to wear on earth, he had to admit the clothes were surprisingly comfortable.
There were loose trousers of a soft, silky fabric, the legs of which were so wide it made both men look a little like they were wearing long skirts. Jack’s trousers were cobalt blue while Ianto’s were a rich plum shade. Their shirts were of a similar fabric, although in lighter shades, wide-sleeved tunics that reached to mid-thigh, and were fastened at the waist with broad belts in contrasting colours. Then over the top they wore knee-length capes, with hoods for use when it rained. Their feet were encased in short, pearl-grey waterproof boots with cushioned soles, so lightweight it was almost like being barefoot.
“Have we bought enough yet?” Ianto teased his lover. The shopping trip had been Jack’s idea, he’d insisted they needed some new outfits even though they both had plenty of clothes already, back on their ship. Jack had packed up most of Ianto’s belongings and put everything in storage after his death, then loaded it all on his spaceship after he’d succeeded in restoring his Welshman to life.
“I suppose so. Enough clothes anyway, but we could always pick up a few souvenirs. That’ll wait until after lunch though.”
“You haven’t even told me what we’re doing here, aside from shopping. What’s so special about this place?” Ianto was perfectly happy to indulge his Captain in whatever Jack wanted to do, since Jack was the authority on life out here in the depths of space. Ianto didn’t know his way around yet, he still had a lot to learn about the customs of the various races they encountered, but they hadn’t even had a cargo to deliver here on Verrixx, so the reason behind Jack’s impulsive decision to land here remained a mystery.
Jack was still being cagey though. “Can’t stay cooped up on the Wanderer all the time. I thought you’d appreciate a chance to stretch your legs, do a spot of sightseeing somewhere that’s not too alien. Besides, I don’t know about you, but sometimes I miss seeing green and growing things. There isn’t much of that on your average space station.”
Ianto smiled. “I try not to think about earth too much, but I suppose I miss that too. Some of this does remind me a little of Cardiff and its surroundings. Hills and valleys, clouds, rain, the bay…” He trailed off as they turned a corner and found themselves faced with a stunning view out across the water, the far shore hardly more than a darker smudge on the horizon. “Wow.”
“I was thinking the same thing,” Jack agreed. “Look, there’s an eatery with an outside terrace. Why don’t we have lunch there? We can sit and enjoy the view.”
“Vistra Cerrata Vildonar.” Ianto read the sign over the door. “What does that mean?” Unlike Jack, although he could just about make out the words, he wasn’t familiar enough with the native language to understand what they meant.
“There’s no exact translation into English,” Jack explained, “but it’s something like ‘Restaurant of she who rules the most tender of emotions’.”
“Ah.” Ianto couldn’t restrain a smirk. “Queen of hearts?”
Jack almost tripped going up the steps, stumbling to a halt and turning to look at Ianto. “Uh, yes, I guess that would fit.”
“Seems a pleasant enough spot to take a break from this mad shopping spree. I could certainly do with something to eat after all the walking.” Ianto nudged his lover forward, following Jack up the steps to the eatery’s terrace, where an attendant ushered them to a table with a panoramic view of the bay. They stowed their shopping bags inside their seats, which were designed with that purpose in mind, and let their table order for them, its sensors selecting a variety of dishes compatible with their biology and nutritional requirements.
The food, when it was delivered to their table by an attendant, looked almost too beautiful to eat, and it smelled delicious, an artistically arranged selection of vegetables, meats, and some things Ianto couldn’t begin to identify, along with several small pots of sauce to dip them in. There were also tall glasses of fragrant fruit juice, decorated with slices of fresh fruit and edible flowers.
They ate slowly, savouring each morsel, delighting in the variety of flavours and textures. Ianto couldn’t remember ever enjoying a meal more.
“It was worth stopping here just for the food,” he said, finishing the last morsel on his plate and finding himself comfortably sated. “We should definitely come here again.”
Jack leaned back in his seat, sipping his juice. “Even better than I remember,” he agreed. “The Verrixxians are true artists when it comes to food, and they serve diners with exactly the right amount, every time. The table technology never makes a mistake.”
Ianto finished his drink, nibbling on the last few flowers, which tasted like spiced honey. “I wish we could get some of these to take with us. I never knew flowers could be so tasty.”
“We can visit the produce markets tomorrow, pick up a few delicacies for our own enjoyment. Maybe even some Verrixxian candies. They’re made mainly from flowers and fruit. I think you’ll like them.”
“I’ll look forward to sampling them.”
After paying for lunch, the two men spent the afternoon shopping for trinkets, souvenirs, a few items to add to their selection of trade goods, before returning to their ship with their purchases. Freshening up in an actual hot water shower, a luxury they only got to indulge in when on a planet, where they could refill the Wanderer’s water tanks, they dressed in fresh clothes and headed back into Ixxamorinia for dinner. They enjoyed another perfect meal, this time at an outdoor eatery on the edge of a vast, open expanse of parkland in the centre of the city, where there were flowerbeds and a scattering of smaller trees, no more than three metres tall, similar in shape to weeping willows, but with coloured leaves more reminiscent of Japanese maples. Ianto couldn’t help thinking that Tosh would have loved them. He still missed his friend.
The sun was just setting as they finished eating, and like all the diners around them, they remained in their seats, lingering over their after-dinner drinks, a mildly alcoholic beverage, served hot so that fragrant steam rose from the tall, insulated glasses. The air was growing cooler, although it was by no means cold. Not that it would have mattered if it was, since the local clothing kept the wearer cool in hot weather, and comfortably warm when temperatures dropped. Technologically speaking, the Verrixxian people were clearly millennia in advance of earth.
As the sun dropped below the horizon, and dusk settled over the city, Ianto became aware of a faint glow slowly spreading across the parkland. Large, pale flowers were beginning to open in the flowerbeds, releasing a heady fragrance that filled the air around them. Vines on trellises around the eatery’s wide veranda were also starting to bloom, adding their own more subtle fragrance to the air. And then the trees started to come alight.
At first Ianto thought there must be something like fairy lights strung among their branches, but then he looked at the closest tree and realised it was actually the leaves that were lighting up, in all their myriad colours, glowing from within. A soft breeze stirred the branches, making the leaves flutter and twinkle, and overhead, as the sky darkened, ribbons of light became visible, flickering and dancing like liquid rainbows, the colours constantly combining and separating, painting ever-changing patterns on the canvas of night. It was breathtaking.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Ianto murmured, his awed voice barely above a whisper.
“I wanted to surprise you, and anyway, some sights defy description. They’re better experienced with no preconceptions.”
“The trees…” Ianto trailed off, not quite knowing what he was trying to ask.
“They absorb light during the day, then emit it at night. I don’t know if it’s natural, or if they’ve been genetically engineered to do that, but it hardly matters. People come here from all over the galaxy to enjoy the delights of Ixxamorinia after dark, when it’s at its most spectacular.”
Looking upwards again, Ianto could see the shimmering aurora reflecting in every window of the tall towers, turning the skyline into a twinkling, sparkling, multi-faceted jewel. He hardly knew which way to look; there was too much to see, and he only had one pair of eyes.
“Does it twinkle like this all night?”
“No, just until an hour or two past midnight, then the aurora fades away. The trees keep shining most of the night though, although it does depend on how much light they absorbed during the day. Overcast days mean they don’t shine as brightly as they are tonight. We picked a good time to visit.”
Large, lacy-winged mothlike creatures were visible now, fluttering from flower to flower, and tree to tree, hovering like hummingbirds to sip nectar, the air filled with the soft rustling of their wings. One landed on their table, fanning its pale, iridescent wings slowly as it studied them with large, compound eyes that whirled like kaleidoscopes. Its wingspan must have been at least eight inches, and it stood on eight flexible tentacles positioned halfway along its lightly furred, torpedo-shaped body.
Jack was grinning widely as he watched the creature. “Well, would you look at that! It’s considered lucky to have one land near you. They’re usually quite shy. You’re a very lucky man, mister Jones.”
“I already knew that.”
“I think it likes you.”
The moth uncoiled its long proboscis and brushed the tip lightly across Ianto’s hand. It tickled, but Ianto forced himself not to move, not wanting to scare it away.
“The feeling’s mutual. It’s beautiful.” The laciness of the wings was actually an illusion, the supporting framework being opaque, covered in a thin but presumably tough film that shimmered with different colours like the surface of a bubble, although whether that was its natural coloration or merely a reflection of the overhead aurora, Ianto couldn’t tell, even from this close. After a couple more minutes, the giant moth fluttered into the air again to feed from the flowers dangling from a nearby archway. Ianto watched it for a while, but eventually lost it amongst all the other moths. He sipped his drink, deep in thought.
“Penny for them?” Jack asked at last, breaking the comfortable silence between them.
“I was just thinking, of all the places I’ve seen since we left earth, this is somehow the most earth-like and at the same time the most unearthly, not to mention the most beautiful.”
“And you really haven’t seen anything yet. You just wait, I’ll show you sights that’ll put this in the shade.”
“I find that hard to believe. I don’t think I’d ever get tired of Ixxamorinia, even if I lived here.”
“Well, we’re here until the day after tomorrow, can’t stay longer than that because we still have cargo to deliver, but perhaps we should come back for a longer visit next time.”
“Yes, please.” Ianto smiled at his lover. “Do we have to go back to the ship tonight?”
Jack shook his head. “I’ve booked us a room for the night at a nearby hotel. It’s top floor, with a balcony and a clear ceiling, so we can watch the aurora from the bed. Next time we visit, I’ll book a room for our entire stay.”
“Good idea.” Ianto leaned back in his seat, dividing his attention between the aurora, the moths, and the twinkling tress. “Can we just sit here a little longer though?”
“As long as you want. The days and nights are longer than on earth, the aurora won’t fade for another seven or eight hours yet.”
“Good, because I want to make sure I’ll never forget how amazing this is. Thank you for bringing me here.”
“It’s my pleasure.” Seeing Ianto alive and so happy was all that Jack could ever wish for.
The End
Still, this city was the most earth-like one he and Jack had visited in the last fifteen months, and it had some similarities to Ianto’s former home, since it was on the coast, occupying one bank of a wide channel which was the mouth of a major river. Even the climate was more or less what he’d known back home, with more rain than was strictly necessary, inevitably leading to a lot of greenery, just like Wales. Overall, though, the similarities were superficial.
Ixxamorinia was much more spread out than Cardiff, covering an area comparable to L.A., and many of the buildings were taller, elegant towers that fitted, like the rest of the city, into the landscape of rolling hills and shallow valleys. It was, perhaps, like Cardiff might become a few hundred years into the future, a solar-powered metropolis, free from pollution, existing in harmony with its surroundings. It made Ianto a little homesick, not for the Cardiff he’d left behind, but for somewhere that didn’t exist yet but which he thought would feel like home.
The city was beautiful by daylight, watery sunshine filtering down through light cloud and making everywhere twinkle now that the persistent drizzle had finally stopped. It was as if tiny gemstones in every colour imaginable had been scattered over every surface. The air smelled fresh and clean, with a hint of ozone on the warm breeze wafting in from the sea.
Tiny, jewel-bright birds flitted from branch to branch of the tall, graceful trees that seemed to grow everywhere among the buildings, and even the people were colourfully dressed. Ianto felt a bit out of place in the drab coveralls he and Jack tended to wear for convenience aboard their ship, but that was one of the reasons they were here, to do a spot of shopping and get some more suitable attire to wear while they sampled what Jack assured him were Ixxamorinia’s many delights.
They strolled along a wide boulevard in the shopping district, drifting in and out of shops, and before long they were laden with shopping bags, one of which now contained their coveralls since they’d decided to wear some of their purchases. Dressed more like the locals, they drew less attention to themselves, and while the local style wasn’t something Ianto would have chosen to wear on earth, he had to admit the clothes were surprisingly comfortable.
There were loose trousers of a soft, silky fabric, the legs of which were so wide it made both men look a little like they were wearing long skirts. Jack’s trousers were cobalt blue while Ianto’s were a rich plum shade. Their shirts were of a similar fabric, although in lighter shades, wide-sleeved tunics that reached to mid-thigh, and were fastened at the waist with broad belts in contrasting colours. Then over the top they wore knee-length capes, with hoods for use when it rained. Their feet were encased in short, pearl-grey waterproof boots with cushioned soles, so lightweight it was almost like being barefoot.
“Have we bought enough yet?” Ianto teased his lover. The shopping trip had been Jack’s idea, he’d insisted they needed some new outfits even though they both had plenty of clothes already, back on their ship. Jack had packed up most of Ianto’s belongings and put everything in storage after his death, then loaded it all on his spaceship after he’d succeeded in restoring his Welshman to life.
“I suppose so. Enough clothes anyway, but we could always pick up a few souvenirs. That’ll wait until after lunch though.”
“You haven’t even told me what we’re doing here, aside from shopping. What’s so special about this place?” Ianto was perfectly happy to indulge his Captain in whatever Jack wanted to do, since Jack was the authority on life out here in the depths of space. Ianto didn’t know his way around yet, he still had a lot to learn about the customs of the various races they encountered, but they hadn’t even had a cargo to deliver here on Verrixx, so the reason behind Jack’s impulsive decision to land here remained a mystery.
Jack was still being cagey though. “Can’t stay cooped up on the Wanderer all the time. I thought you’d appreciate a chance to stretch your legs, do a spot of sightseeing somewhere that’s not too alien. Besides, I don’t know about you, but sometimes I miss seeing green and growing things. There isn’t much of that on your average space station.”
Ianto smiled. “I try not to think about earth too much, but I suppose I miss that too. Some of this does remind me a little of Cardiff and its surroundings. Hills and valleys, clouds, rain, the bay…” He trailed off as they turned a corner and found themselves faced with a stunning view out across the water, the far shore hardly more than a darker smudge on the horizon. “Wow.”
“I was thinking the same thing,” Jack agreed. “Look, there’s an eatery with an outside terrace. Why don’t we have lunch there? We can sit and enjoy the view.”
“Vistra Cerrata Vildonar.” Ianto read the sign over the door. “What does that mean?” Unlike Jack, although he could just about make out the words, he wasn’t familiar enough with the native language to understand what they meant.
“There’s no exact translation into English,” Jack explained, “but it’s something like ‘Restaurant of she who rules the most tender of emotions’.”
“Ah.” Ianto couldn’t restrain a smirk. “Queen of hearts?”
Jack almost tripped going up the steps, stumbling to a halt and turning to look at Ianto. “Uh, yes, I guess that would fit.”
“Seems a pleasant enough spot to take a break from this mad shopping spree. I could certainly do with something to eat after all the walking.” Ianto nudged his lover forward, following Jack up the steps to the eatery’s terrace, where an attendant ushered them to a table with a panoramic view of the bay. They stowed their shopping bags inside their seats, which were designed with that purpose in mind, and let their table order for them, its sensors selecting a variety of dishes compatible with their biology and nutritional requirements.
The food, when it was delivered to their table by an attendant, looked almost too beautiful to eat, and it smelled delicious, an artistically arranged selection of vegetables, meats, and some things Ianto couldn’t begin to identify, along with several small pots of sauce to dip them in. There were also tall glasses of fragrant fruit juice, decorated with slices of fresh fruit and edible flowers.
They ate slowly, savouring each morsel, delighting in the variety of flavours and textures. Ianto couldn’t remember ever enjoying a meal more.
“It was worth stopping here just for the food,” he said, finishing the last morsel on his plate and finding himself comfortably sated. “We should definitely come here again.”
Jack leaned back in his seat, sipping his juice. “Even better than I remember,” he agreed. “The Verrixxians are true artists when it comes to food, and they serve diners with exactly the right amount, every time. The table technology never makes a mistake.”
Ianto finished his drink, nibbling on the last few flowers, which tasted like spiced honey. “I wish we could get some of these to take with us. I never knew flowers could be so tasty.”
“We can visit the produce markets tomorrow, pick up a few delicacies for our own enjoyment. Maybe even some Verrixxian candies. They’re made mainly from flowers and fruit. I think you’ll like them.”
“I’ll look forward to sampling them.”
After paying for lunch, the two men spent the afternoon shopping for trinkets, souvenirs, a few items to add to their selection of trade goods, before returning to their ship with their purchases. Freshening up in an actual hot water shower, a luxury they only got to indulge in when on a planet, where they could refill the Wanderer’s water tanks, they dressed in fresh clothes and headed back into Ixxamorinia for dinner. They enjoyed another perfect meal, this time at an outdoor eatery on the edge of a vast, open expanse of parkland in the centre of the city, where there were flowerbeds and a scattering of smaller trees, no more than three metres tall, similar in shape to weeping willows, but with coloured leaves more reminiscent of Japanese maples. Ianto couldn’t help thinking that Tosh would have loved them. He still missed his friend.
The sun was just setting as they finished eating, and like all the diners around them, they remained in their seats, lingering over their after-dinner drinks, a mildly alcoholic beverage, served hot so that fragrant steam rose from the tall, insulated glasses. The air was growing cooler, although it was by no means cold. Not that it would have mattered if it was, since the local clothing kept the wearer cool in hot weather, and comfortably warm when temperatures dropped. Technologically speaking, the Verrixxian people were clearly millennia in advance of earth.
As the sun dropped below the horizon, and dusk settled over the city, Ianto became aware of a faint glow slowly spreading across the parkland. Large, pale flowers were beginning to open in the flowerbeds, releasing a heady fragrance that filled the air around them. Vines on trellises around the eatery’s wide veranda were also starting to bloom, adding their own more subtle fragrance to the air. And then the trees started to come alight.
At first Ianto thought there must be something like fairy lights strung among their branches, but then he looked at the closest tree and realised it was actually the leaves that were lighting up, in all their myriad colours, glowing from within. A soft breeze stirred the branches, making the leaves flutter and twinkle, and overhead, as the sky darkened, ribbons of light became visible, flickering and dancing like liquid rainbows, the colours constantly combining and separating, painting ever-changing patterns on the canvas of night. It was breathtaking.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Ianto murmured, his awed voice barely above a whisper.
“I wanted to surprise you, and anyway, some sights defy description. They’re better experienced with no preconceptions.”
“The trees…” Ianto trailed off, not quite knowing what he was trying to ask.
“They absorb light during the day, then emit it at night. I don’t know if it’s natural, or if they’ve been genetically engineered to do that, but it hardly matters. People come here from all over the galaxy to enjoy the delights of Ixxamorinia after dark, when it’s at its most spectacular.”
Looking upwards again, Ianto could see the shimmering aurora reflecting in every window of the tall towers, turning the skyline into a twinkling, sparkling, multi-faceted jewel. He hardly knew which way to look; there was too much to see, and he only had one pair of eyes.
“Does it twinkle like this all night?”
“No, just until an hour or two past midnight, then the aurora fades away. The trees keep shining most of the night though, although it does depend on how much light they absorbed during the day. Overcast days mean they don’t shine as brightly as they are tonight. We picked a good time to visit.”
Large, lacy-winged mothlike creatures were visible now, fluttering from flower to flower, and tree to tree, hovering like hummingbirds to sip nectar, the air filled with the soft rustling of their wings. One landed on their table, fanning its pale, iridescent wings slowly as it studied them with large, compound eyes that whirled like kaleidoscopes. Its wingspan must have been at least eight inches, and it stood on eight flexible tentacles positioned halfway along its lightly furred, torpedo-shaped body.
Jack was grinning widely as he watched the creature. “Well, would you look at that! It’s considered lucky to have one land near you. They’re usually quite shy. You’re a very lucky man, mister Jones.”
“I already knew that.”
“I think it likes you.”
The moth uncoiled its long proboscis and brushed the tip lightly across Ianto’s hand. It tickled, but Ianto forced himself not to move, not wanting to scare it away.
“The feeling’s mutual. It’s beautiful.” The laciness of the wings was actually an illusion, the supporting framework being opaque, covered in a thin but presumably tough film that shimmered with different colours like the surface of a bubble, although whether that was its natural coloration or merely a reflection of the overhead aurora, Ianto couldn’t tell, even from this close. After a couple more minutes, the giant moth fluttered into the air again to feed from the flowers dangling from a nearby archway. Ianto watched it for a while, but eventually lost it amongst all the other moths. He sipped his drink, deep in thought.
“Penny for them?” Jack asked at last, breaking the comfortable silence between them.
“I was just thinking, of all the places I’ve seen since we left earth, this is somehow the most earth-like and at the same time the most unearthly, not to mention the most beautiful.”
“And you really haven’t seen anything yet. You just wait, I’ll show you sights that’ll put this in the shade.”
“I find that hard to believe. I don’t think I’d ever get tired of Ixxamorinia, even if I lived here.”
“Well, we’re here until the day after tomorrow, can’t stay longer than that because we still have cargo to deliver, but perhaps we should come back for a longer visit next time.”
“Yes, please.” Ianto smiled at his lover. “Do we have to go back to the ship tonight?”
Jack shook his head. “I’ve booked us a room for the night at a nearby hotel. It’s top floor, with a balcony and a clear ceiling, so we can watch the aurora from the bed. Next time we visit, I’ll book a room for our entire stay.”
“Good idea.” Ianto leaned back in his seat, dividing his attention between the aurora, the moths, and the twinkling tress. “Can we just sit here a little longer though?”
“As long as you want. The days and nights are longer than on earth, the aurora won’t fade for another seven or eight hours yet.”
“Good, because I want to make sure I’ll never forget how amazing this is. Thank you for bringing me here.”
“It’s my pleasure.” Seeing Ianto alive and so happy was all that Jack could ever wish for.
The End
