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fandomweekly2025-07-12 01:09 pm
badly_knitted) wrote in fandomweekly2025-07-12 01:09 pm
Entry tags:
[#266] Lending A Beak (Torchwood)
Theme Prompt: #266 – A Walk In The Park
Title: Lending A Beak
Fandom: Torchwood
Rating/Warnings: PG
Bonus: Yes
Word Count: 1000
Summary: It’s a beautiful day for visiting the park; both Ianto Crow and Jack are enjoying themselves! That they can assist a lady in distress is an unexpected bonus.
Some days were just made for taking a relaxing stroll through the park. The sun was shining brightly, the weather pleasantly warm without being too hot, and small, fleecy white clouds were drifting lazily on a gentle breeze across the summer blue of the sky like a flock of grazing, airborne sheep. Indeed, it was so warm that Jack was in his shirtsleeves, having left his coat in the SUV, and Ianto had left all his clothes there in favour of taking to the air in his crow form.
Days when the chance of Rift activity was in the single digits were few and far between, and therefore needed to be fully embraced on those rare occasions when nothing else was happening that required Torchwood’s attention. No Weevil activity, no proximity alarms announcing a spacecraft getting too close to the planet, no mysterious signals to investigate… Paperwork could wait another day, even Ianto had admitted there was nothing of earth-shattering importance needing to be dealt with, so Jack had sent the team home to do whatever it was they felt like doing, and had suggested this pleasure jaunt, which Ianto had readily agreed to.
Why wouldn’t he? Soaring through the sky on his wide, black wings was one of the chief delights of being a were-crow, and opportunities to do so that didn’t involve his Torchwood duties didn’t come around as often as he would like. Usually when he was flying, it was to pinpoint an object delivered by the Rift, thereby saving the team time and effort, or to track a living creature, whether sentient or not. All work and no play, though… even a were-crow needed to have some fun on occasion.
He spiralled higher on a convenient updraft, watching Jack ambling along the path, hands in his pockets, looking as relaxed and carefree as Ianto felt. This was the life! No work intruding on the joys of flight, just the breeze ruffling his feathers, the heat of the sun on his back and wings, the delight of true freedom! It was a shame Jack couldn’t soar up here with him, but later, Ianto would change back, put his clothes on, and then he and Jack could get ice cream, find a bench to sit on, and do some peoplewatching. Just not right now.
Changing the angle of one wing, he dipped sideways, losing altitude fast, only to catch another thermal and soar higher again. It was even better than riding a roller-coaster, because he could go from soaring so high that people looked tiny, to swooping so low his wingtips almost touched the ground on each downstroke. Fairground rides had nothing on this, and as a crow, he had no reason to fear heights; they were his natural element.
Jack shielded his eyes as he stared up at the sky, watching Ianto sporting on the breeze, and felt a pang of envy. What must it be like to fly on his own wings, no man-made machinery required? The closest Jack had ever come was hang-gliding, but even that must surely fall short of flying like a bird. He turned his attention back to his surroundings, not wanting to trip, or walk into someone, and his attention was soon caught by a woman pacing back and forth, staring anxiously at the ground. That was odd behaviour, and worth investigating. He stopped a sensible distance away.
“Miss? Are you alright? Have you lost something?”
Her head jerked up and she turned towards him, tears sparkling in her eyes. “I was out here early this morning, and when I got home, I realised I’d lost the bracelet my dad gave me. It’s stupid, it’s not even very valuable, just silver-plated, but he passed away last year, and it’s the last thing he gave me. I wear it all the time, but the clasp must have broken. I was hoping I might be able to find it, but…” She shook her head. “I should know better than to wear it when I’m jogging. It could be anywhere!”
“Maybe I can help, or maybe a friend of mine can.” Jack looked up at the sky, spotted Ianto, and waved both arms.
Seeing Jack waving to him, Ianto swooped down, landing lightly on Jack’s outstretched arm. “Caw! What’s up, Jack?”
The young woman a few feet away gasped at the sight of the huge, black bird, but Ianto ignored her for the moment, focusing on his lover.
“This young lady’s lost her bracelet. It’s silver. Think you could take a look for it? She was jogging in this area, and down towards the botanical gardens.”
“Say no more! Caw!” Ianto spread his wings and Jack boosted him skywards, grinning as Ianto took to the air, circling around him, slowly getting further and further away, flying comparatively low as his keen crow vision searched for anything shiny silver.
“You have a talking crow?” the young woman asked, eyes wide with astonishment.
“All crows could talk if they wanted to. They’re very intelligent birds,” Jack said easily. “And Ianto happens to be highly intelligent even by crow standards. Crows are also drawn to shiny things the same way magpies are. If your bracelet hasn’t been picked up already, there’s a good chance he’ll find it, now he knows to look for it.”
“You named him Ianto?”
“It’s sort of a joke,” Jack explained. “I named him after my boyfriend. I’m Jack, by the way.”
“Melanie.” She shook Jack’s hand. “Doesn’t your boyfriend mind you naming your crow after him?”
“No. He finds it highly amusing. He’s got great sense of humour.”
Hardly more than ten minutes later, Ianto swooped down to land on the back of the bench Jack and Melanie were sitting on. He had a bunch of keys gripped in one claw, and Melanie’s silver bracelet held gently in his powerful beak. He dropped it into her lap and held the keys out to Jack.
“My bracelet! Thank you!”
“Caw! Happy to help!”
The End
Days when the chance of Rift activity was in the single digits were few and far between, and therefore needed to be fully embraced on those rare occasions when nothing else was happening that required Torchwood’s attention. No Weevil activity, no proximity alarms announcing a spacecraft getting too close to the planet, no mysterious signals to investigate… Paperwork could wait another day, even Ianto had admitted there was nothing of earth-shattering importance needing to be dealt with, so Jack had sent the team home to do whatever it was they felt like doing, and had suggested this pleasure jaunt, which Ianto had readily agreed to.
Why wouldn’t he? Soaring through the sky on his wide, black wings was one of the chief delights of being a were-crow, and opportunities to do so that didn’t involve his Torchwood duties didn’t come around as often as he would like. Usually when he was flying, it was to pinpoint an object delivered by the Rift, thereby saving the team time and effort, or to track a living creature, whether sentient or not. All work and no play, though… even a were-crow needed to have some fun on occasion.
He spiralled higher on a convenient updraft, watching Jack ambling along the path, hands in his pockets, looking as relaxed and carefree as Ianto felt. This was the life! No work intruding on the joys of flight, just the breeze ruffling his feathers, the heat of the sun on his back and wings, the delight of true freedom! It was a shame Jack couldn’t soar up here with him, but later, Ianto would change back, put his clothes on, and then he and Jack could get ice cream, find a bench to sit on, and do some peoplewatching. Just not right now.
Changing the angle of one wing, he dipped sideways, losing altitude fast, only to catch another thermal and soar higher again. It was even better than riding a roller-coaster, because he could go from soaring so high that people looked tiny, to swooping so low his wingtips almost touched the ground on each downstroke. Fairground rides had nothing on this, and as a crow, he had no reason to fear heights; they were his natural element.
Jack shielded his eyes as he stared up at the sky, watching Ianto sporting on the breeze, and felt a pang of envy. What must it be like to fly on his own wings, no man-made machinery required? The closest Jack had ever come was hang-gliding, but even that must surely fall short of flying like a bird. He turned his attention back to his surroundings, not wanting to trip, or walk into someone, and his attention was soon caught by a woman pacing back and forth, staring anxiously at the ground. That was odd behaviour, and worth investigating. He stopped a sensible distance away.
“Miss? Are you alright? Have you lost something?”
Her head jerked up and she turned towards him, tears sparkling in her eyes. “I was out here early this morning, and when I got home, I realised I’d lost the bracelet my dad gave me. It’s stupid, it’s not even very valuable, just silver-plated, but he passed away last year, and it’s the last thing he gave me. I wear it all the time, but the clasp must have broken. I was hoping I might be able to find it, but…” She shook her head. “I should know better than to wear it when I’m jogging. It could be anywhere!”
“Maybe I can help, or maybe a friend of mine can.” Jack looked up at the sky, spotted Ianto, and waved both arms.
Seeing Jack waving to him, Ianto swooped down, landing lightly on Jack’s outstretched arm. “Caw! What’s up, Jack?”
The young woman a few feet away gasped at the sight of the huge, black bird, but Ianto ignored her for the moment, focusing on his lover.
“This young lady’s lost her bracelet. It’s silver. Think you could take a look for it? She was jogging in this area, and down towards the botanical gardens.”
“Say no more! Caw!” Ianto spread his wings and Jack boosted him skywards, grinning as Ianto took to the air, circling around him, slowly getting further and further away, flying comparatively low as his keen crow vision searched for anything shiny silver.
“You have a talking crow?” the young woman asked, eyes wide with astonishment.
“All crows could talk if they wanted to. They’re very intelligent birds,” Jack said easily. “And Ianto happens to be highly intelligent even by crow standards. Crows are also drawn to shiny things the same way magpies are. If your bracelet hasn’t been picked up already, there’s a good chance he’ll find it, now he knows to look for it.”
“You named him Ianto?”
“It’s sort of a joke,” Jack explained. “I named him after my boyfriend. I’m Jack, by the way.”
“Melanie.” She shook Jack’s hand. “Doesn’t your boyfriend mind you naming your crow after him?”
“No. He finds it highly amusing. He’s got great sense of humour.”
Hardly more than ten minutes later, Ianto swooped down to land on the back of the bench Jack and Melanie were sitting on. He had a bunch of keys gripped in one claw, and Melanie’s silver bracelet held gently in his powerful beak. He dropped it into her lap and held the keys out to Jack.
“My bracelet! Thank you!”
“Caw! Happy to help!”
The End