Hobbleit

PJ Brennan Colour Tut

hobbleit — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 19:57:41 GMT

Well it's been a while since I did any tutorials so here's a new one (Tutorial and .psd)

Go from

image credit

to

First of all sharpen the image. I always use smart sharpen 35%.

duplicate the image twice- set first to screen 50% and the second to soft light 100%

Add a colour fill layer #eafdfb set to colour burn

Increase contrast to 25

Colour balance
-midtones- 25, 6, 30
-shadows- -15, 10, 15
-Highlights- 10, 0, 25

Selective colour
-reds- -100, -15, 10, 0
-whites- 100, -50, -25, 0
-neutrals- 50, 15, 10, 0

Because he has absolutely beautiful blue eyes I wanted to enhance them more...

Eyes

Use the lasso tool with a feather of 2px to pick out the eyes (You may need to keep using ctrl+shift+D to reselect when adding each layer)

Levels- RGB Input- 10, 1.00, 240

Colour Fill Layer #244758 colour 50%

Colour balance
-midtones- -25, 0, 67
-shadows- -47, 0, 26
-Highlights- 41, 0, 45

Colour Fill Layer #ffffff soft light 40%

Merge layers together and use sharpen tool on eyes to add extra definition

C'est fini.

.psd here

Out with the old, in with the new

hobbleit — Sun, 13 May 2012 19:47:36 GMT

Hello,

Long time, no post. I got a bit bored with my old layout (I've been using it since last July) so I decided on something new. The black is gone and now it's all pink and pretty and summery. Made a new header to complete the look (the gorgeous Kit Harington from Game of Thrones).

I've also made my very first set of video .gifs. Took me a bit of time to figure it out in Photoshop but I'm rather happy with the results. Even managed to play with the colouring a bit.

So here they are, from my latest ship- Ste and Doug from Hollyoaks (damn them for getting me to watch this awful programme again).

Writer's Block: Kiss me, I’m Irish!

hobbleit — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 16:02:33 GMT

I spent the morning at work, now I'm going to spend the evening doing some dissertation work and then I'll watch Casualty.

Not the most interesting way to celebrate but what the hell?

Writer's Block: Bookmarks

hobbleit — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 17:27:29 GMT

A Feast For Crows by George RR Martin

Stop It

hobbleit — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 17:18:20 GMT

I would very much appreciate it if people would stop sending me spammy messages telling me to vote in some such poll or other.

It's getting very irritating.

Sig Tutorial

hobbleit — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:13:35 GMT

Hello there,

I have made a new signature tutorial for this sig

Programme: Photoshop CS3
Difficulty: Moderate
Translatable: the blending yes but some of the colouring no as uses Selective colouring

images used

main:

stocks:

all from: http://z10.invisionfree.com/Shadowplay/index.php?showtopic=12133

Gradients are from http://blacklagoon.left-unspoken.net/home.php

Open a 500x200 canvas and paste the first two stocks on. Both of the stocks are reduced to an opacity of 25%. Layer mask out part of the second stock (mostly around the bottom).
http://i41.tinypic.com/jqkjdh.jpg

Next, resize the main image slightly to 200px so it fits the size of the sig. Paste it on and mask out the edges so it blends in with the background. Next, paste on the final three stocks.

Stock 3 is set to soft light 50%, stock 4 is set to normal 35% and stock 5 is set to soft light 100%. I positioned stocks 4 and 5 around the main image on either side, it just gave it a little bit of symmetry. Erase any parts that over the main image.

http://i42.tinypic.com/20qjjtj.jpg

I then added the text. The font used is Orator std in colour #2c3037 and is set to linear dodge with a drop shadow filter added.

Fill a new layer with #fdffc0 and set to multiply and then alter the Input levels to: 10, 1.00, 245.

Next add the first two gradient maps:
Gradient 1 set 14 Blacklagoon, this is set to colour 50%

http://i41.tinypic.com/o5na6b.jpg

Gradient 2 set 14 Blacklagoon. For this one I clicked the reverse button (see image) to bring out the blue a bit more and set it to soft light 50%

http://i43.tinypic.com/vet151.jpg

Next, I increased the saturation to +10 and added a selective colouring layer
Red: -100, +25, 25,
Neutrals: +10, 0, +5, +5

I then added the final gradient map: Gradient 2 set 11 Blacklagoon and set that to soft light 50%

http://i42.tinypic.com/357ht7t.jpg

As a final touch, I added some filters (my usual ones, diffuse, paint daubs, high pass) but they’re optional and I added a black border.

Writer's Block: School Ties

hobbleit — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 21:43:22 GMT

My degree was in history and no I do't use it in my job at the moment. There isn't much room for it working in a shop -_-

Nerd Test

hobbleit — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 21:38:58 GMT

I wear my badge with pride

Sherlock

hobbleit — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 23:03:18 GMT

Holy mother of God that was an amazing episode of Sherlock. In fact, Sherlock is one of the best series on TV, it is just that good.

I am absolutely gobsmacked by the complete and total epicness of the episode I have just watched.

I loved the scene between Sherlock and John Watson, it was so amazingly acted. Martin Freeman was soooo brilliant.

I'll stop the fannish squeeing now :D

Writer's Block: Bah Humbug Day!

hobbleit — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 15:44:31 GMT

Why are introductions so hard to write? I can write the bulk of an essay no problem but the introduction is so difficult. I just end up staring at the computer screen for ages not knowing what the hell to write. ARGH!!!!!!!!

Game of Thrones wallapers

hobbleit — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 00:26:19 GMT

Howdy

Got some new wallpapers from my latest obsession, Game of Thrones

The Pointy End

I love this scene between Jon and Arya, it is very sweet and poignant

Marksman

Another sweet scene. I love the lightness of it

Condemned Man

Ned's death *sob*

Jon Snow wallpapers

Just being a bit shallow with these. And Jon is my second favourite character.

Daenerys

Writer's Block: Background players

hobbleit — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 21:39:01 GMT

This one is mine :D

Never Forget

hobbleit — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 14:20:54 GMT

But the past is just the same and war's a bloody game. Have you forgotten yet? Look down, and swear by the slain of the war that you'll never forget.
-Aftermath, Siegfried Sassoon 1918

Today, I posted the above lines on Facebook and I just wanted to say a little but more about it.

The first reason I did so was simply because everyone was posting "For the Fallen" and I wanted to be different but the main reason I chose those particular lines was because they resonated with something I have been thinking about a lot recently.

About a week ago I read a letter in a newspaper saying how we should not observe (I won't say celebrate because it is not a celebration) Armistice Day because it glorified war. I think by saying this, the particular person who wrote the letter was completely missing the point. Armistice Day does not glorify war, rather it simply remembers the people who have sacrificed their lives to give us the freedoms we know today. We might not like the fact we are currently in a war with dubious beginnings but that does not mean we should not remember the brave men (and women) who have given up their lives so that we can live ours.

We should never forget because that breeds complacency and that will allow the same thing to happen time and time again. It doesn't matter that everyone who fought in World War I is dead now and that most people from World War II is, the fact of the matter is there are still soldiers dying today and they should be remembered just like those who fell before them.

Also, I want to say to everyone who seems to think that the Poppy is a political statement and that certain groups (not saying which) should not wear it because of certain things, IT IS NOT. The poppy is about remembrance and to make it a political statement dishonours those who died.

Just to end, I thought I would post For the Fallen in its entirety. Everyone posts the most famous verse but it should be read fully in my opinion because it is a wonderful poem.

With proud thanksgiving, a mother for her children,
England mourns for her dead across the sea.
Flesh of her flesh they were, spirit of her spirit,
Fallen in the cause of the free.

Solemn the drums thrill; Death august and royal
Sings sorrow up into immortal spheres,
There is music in the midst of desolation
And a glory that shines upon our tears.

They went with songs to the battle, they were young,
Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow.
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted;
They fell with their faces to the foe.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

They mingle not with their laughing comrades again;
They sit no more at familiar tables of home;
They have no lot in our labour of the day-time;
They sleep beyond England's foam.

But where our desires are and our hopes profound,
Felt as a well-spring that is hidden from sight,
To the innermost heart of their own land they are known
As the stars are known to the Night;

As the stars that shall be bright when we are dust,
Moving in marches upon the heavenly plain;
As the stars that are starry in the time of our darkness,
To the end, to the end, they remain.

Remember

hobbleit — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 00:30:53 GMT

Had Enough

hobbleit — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 18:05:31 GMT

I'm not usually the person who takes a strop and storms off, I just don't see the point of it most of the time because it accomplishes nothing but sometimes things just rile me up to the point where I can't take anymore.

I've been involved in one fandom or another since I was 13 and I love being a part of them. It's nice to talk to people who have the same interest, squee over pictures and discuss storylines. But at the same time there has always been a part of the whole fandom culture that has never sat right with me and I have complained on Livejournal before about it.

For the last two years I have been following the Christian/Syed storyline on EastEnders. I'll admit, I mostly started watching because I thought Syed was gorgeous but I did get completely invested in the story so I joined a forum so I could discuss it with people who also enjoyed it. Most of the time it was great, some of the best conversations I've had on the thread but at the moment it has just become unbearable.

I can take negativity for the most part, even though I'm more of a wait and see kind of person and I tend not to get myself down when I read spoilers (although on occasions the spoilers have got to me) and just take things as they come. However, some of the things that have been said on the thread over the last couple of days have shocked and appalled me to the point where I feel I have to take a step back from the thread.

It is one thing to criticise the characters, I've even done that myself when I'm not happy with the direction the writer's seem to be taking them but it is another thing entirely to criticise the actor playing the character just because they say something you're not happy about in an interview. Characters are not real, they don't have actual feelings so it is not the same as criticising the actor who plays the character. Back in July I wasn't happy with how Christian was acting and I did voice that opinion but I never once said anything against John Partridge or how he was playing him because at the end of the day, he's paid to play the character and that is what he does. But to read posts where the member has openly criticised (I'm saying criticised, what I want to say is attacked but that might sound too harsh) Marc Elliott for something he said in an interview has left me ashamed to call myself a member of the thread. Slag off Syed all you want, he is doing some questionable things over the next few weeks but don't slag off Marc because he is, after all, a real person who has real feelings and I would hate to think that he would have a look at what was being said about him.

So that it why I'm taking a break from the thread until at least the end of the Amira storyline. I can't take all the bashing at the moment and I don't want it to ruin my enjoyment of the story. I'll see what happens after that whether or not I come back.

And that's about it. Agree/disagree/call me a bitch, whatever, I can't change how I feel.

Syed Colourisation

hobbleit — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 09:14:17 GMT

Hi there,

I made a colourisation tutorial for something I made recently. It's in a pack with the .psd and the tutorial

The tutorial was made in Photoshop but there are no parts that cannot be translated to other programmes. They may need to be adjusted a little though.

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=3LLEWTUP

The Places You Go When You Dream

hobbleit — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 20:42:44 GMT

Title: The Places You Go When You Dream
Rating: PG-13
Word Count:
Summary: Ianto is trapped
Warnings: None Really
Notes: Title is from Pulled Under at 2000 metres a second by Anathema. Written for the redisourcolour challenge 22. I used the words Sprain, Violet and Skedaddle along with the sentence "Fear kept him running despite the agonising pain."
Also, apologies if this is complete rubbish, still trying to get the hang of writing the characters.
Disclaimer: I don't own Torchwood nor am I affiliated in any way, I just like making stories.

The Places You Go When You Dream

“Now might be the time to skedaddle,” the cold, harsh voice called out, sending chills down Ianto’s spine. It was toying with him, playing with him. It wanted to see him scared and he was feeling very afraid. “If you can,” it added ominously.

He started to run but he didn’t seem to move anywhere. He felt as though he was stuck on a treadmill and no matter how fast he tried to run he was still stuck in the same room, the large light fixture hanging from the centre of the ceiling giving it a deceptively warm glow. This wasn’t a good place to be and Ianto was terrified.

“Where do you think you’re going?” The voice called out. “You can try to run but you can’t escape me.”

“What do you want?” Ianto cried out, unable to keep the fear from his voice.

“You,” came the one word reply.

Ianto felt as though a rug was being pulled out from under him and he felt his legs give way underneath him. A jolt of pain rushed through his ankle as he collided heavily with the floor. He groaned in agony and clutched at his ankle, pulling the trouser leg up to observe the damage. His skin had turned a wonderful shade of violet. It was a sprain, a bad one.

“Damn,” he moaned as he attempted to stand up. Pain coursed through his leg as he put the slightest amount of pressure on it. He screamed out in pain but that only served to make the voice even happier.

“Run, run as fast as you can,” it taunted. “I’ll even give you a head start.”

Ianto knew that if he didn’t move then he would be dead so he attempted to run. Fear kept him running despite the agonising pain but no matter how hard he tried to escape he always ended up back in the same room with the high ceiling and the deceptively warm glow.

“Please,” he called out, begging. “What do you want with me?”

“You might want to stay out of the shadows, Ianto,” the voice laughed. “You never know what might be lurking.”

Ianto yelled as he saw the shadows descend upon him. There was no chance of escape. It was coming for him. He was going to die, he just knew it. He couldn’t do anything as he felt the darkness engulf of him and everything went black.

XXX

He thought death would have been a lot less anti-climatic. At the very least he expected moments from his life to flash before his eyes or to see a bright light at the end of a very dark tunnel. He got neither.

“You’re not dead,” the voice said to him, almost as if it was reading his mind. “Not yet anyway.”

“Please, don’t,” Ianto begged. He tried to move but he found himself tied down. “Let me go,” he said as he struggled uselessly against his bonds.

“Why, we’re having so much fun aren’t we? I’m certainly enjoying it. I am going to make you hurt so much you will wish for death.”

Ianto couldn’t find his voice to retort. He was so scared now, he knew he was going to die in this room with the hanging light and the deceptively warm glow, tied to a chair with a disembodied voice taunting him. Then he laughed. He laughed at the ridiculousness of the situation he was in.

“What’s so funny?” The voice asked.

“This,” Ianto laughed. “I am going to die and I’m being killed by something that isn’t even there. How daft is that?” He really didn’t know why he found this so funny, it certainly wasn’t an appropriate time to be bursting out in laughter but, hell, if you couldn’t laugh hysterically when you were about to die when could you? “I mean, I was running but not actually going anywhere, it was like a damned cartoon. I was half expecting Roadrunner to turn up and for me to get blown up by some Acme dynamite, that’s how ridiculous this is.”

Ianto’s bout of hysterics was cut short by a sharp pain in his gut. He gasped and looked down to see his white shirt being stained blood red and his mind was flooded with fear once more. It suddenly felt very real, his death was imminent and it hurt. A lot.

“Ianto,” he heard a voice calling him. It sounded familiar. “Ianto,” it called again.

“Jack?” Ianto cried out in reply. “Are you there?”

“Ianto, you have to open your eyes, it’s very important that you open your eyes,” The voice commanded.

“My eyes are open, Jack. Help me.”

“Open your eyes, Ianto. It can’t hurt you if you open your eyes.”

“What can’t hurt me? Jack, please help,” Ianto begged. “I don’t want to die. Please help me!”

“Jack, we’re losing him,” he heard another voice.

“No, don’t leave me. Help me!”

Ianto screamed in agony and slammed his eyelids shut as he tried to block out the pain. He felt the world spinning and a wave of nausea hit him. He desperately tried to grasp onto life, he so desperately wanted to find Jack so he would be safe again. Everything would be okay if only he had Jack.

XXX

Ianto’s eyes flew open and he screamed in pain but something was different. He was no longer in that damned room, tied to that chair. He was lying on the autopsy table in the Hub.

“Thank Christ you woke up,” he heard Owen say. “We thought you were dead for a moment there.”

“What happened?” Ianto asked, his mouth feeling dry as a bone.

“Do you want the long or short answer to that?” He heard Jack ask.

“The shortest one possible.”

“An alien.”

“Why am I not surprised?” He groaned.

“It trapped you in your own nightmare…”

“And unfortunately for you,” Owen continued Jack’s sentence, “Whatever happened in said nightmare happened to you in real life. So you now have a very attractive knife wound in your gut and your ankle is a delightful shade of violet.”

“Wonderful,” Ianto replied dryly. “Can I at least recover somewhere slightly more comfortable than this table?”

“Come on,” Jack said. “I’ll help you move to the sofa,” he gently helped Ianto to his feet and half carried him to the sofa before lying him down. He leaned down next to him and placed a gentle kiss on Ianto’s lips. “Don’t scare me like that again,” he whispered hoarsely so only Ianto could hear him.

“I’m sorry.”

“I honestly thought you weren’t going to come back from this,” Jack told him in a rare moment of openness between the two.

“I didn’t think I would either. Lucky I had you to bring me back,” Ianto smiled weakly.

He didn’t want to think of the alternative but he couldn’t help but allow it to invade his mind. He could have died, one day probably would whereas Jack would live on for eternity. It made his stomach hurt to think about it.

“I’m glad you were here to bring me back,” Ianto repeated and sighed, closing his eyes and allowed the blissful pull of sleep to envelop him. It might not be forever but now would have to do.

London

hobbleit — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 16:51:37 GMT

Howdy all x

I was in London this week. There was an exhibition on at the British Museum that I really wanted to see about Mediaeval relics so I headed down to see my friend since I had 3 days off work/uni.

The exhibition was fab, they had the original Frank's Casket which I went all history nerdy over. I also wandered around the rest of the British museum, especially the Ancient Egypt and Greece parts. I love history.

Also went to see Les Miserables. I had no idea what it was about until I saw it but it was really good, the cast were excellent.

I spent a lot of time walking. Apparently I thought walking from Westminster to The British Museum in brand new boots was a good idea. It did at the time but I'm not sure my feet will ever forgive me for that. Also walked around with my friend, ended up walking to Leicester Square, Piccadilly Square, China town and Soho. Soho is completely and totally fab, one day I will go to London for a weekend just so I can go out in Soho.

Random Things about London

There is a department store dedicated solely to selling M&Ms merchandise. There's, like, four stories of everything you could never actually want. The only thing they don't sell is regular packets of M&Ms.

London smells rank, far worse than the country. How can people stand smelling drains everyday of their lives? At least in the country it's only the summer that reeks.

Canary Wharf is quite spectacular. It was nice to sit outside in the sun and watch all the business people rush about.

On a really unbearably hot day like it has been this week, one of the best places to be is in a tube station. The wonders of air con :D

I wish I could have stayed in London a bit longer though, Anathema were playing a gig there last night and it would have been nice to see them again.

Final Thoughts on Torchwood: Miracle Day

hobbleit — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 11:56:42 GMT

Howdy folks,

Torchwood: Miracle Day was a bit hit and miss tbh. There was no way it should have been 10 episodes long as at times it felt very drawn out and full of filler. On the other hand, the last four episodes were very good but on the whole it was a little disappointing.

The last episode was very good though and it does set up another series, although I'm not sure I want another series. I did cry- 3 times. Mostly due to Kai Owen and his bloody magnificence. The scenes around Gwen's dad were heartbreaking.

I was right in my assertion that I didn't love the new characters enough to mourn them like with Tosh, Owen and Ianto. I did cry at Esther's funeral scene but not because she was dead but because the hymn sung was "The day thou gavest Lord hath ended", which was the hymn sung at my Grandma's funeral (she was also called Esther) and it always makes me cry to hear it.

But I did love every scene including Jack and Gwen, they are such great characters but my biggest complaint is that there was not enough Jack until near the end. He shouldn't be a secondary character in his own show. It is nice to see him safe and immortal again though.

Did geek out at the mention of the Doctor, Silurian's and the Racnoss. Nice to see a bit of Who in Torchwood :D.

Oh, and John Barrowman really needs to be included in the Doctor Who 50th Anniversary in 2013. I'll be very cross if he isn't.

A testament to how my mind works

hobbleit — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 11:58:19 GMT

Sometimes I think I think too much.

I was watching Torchwood this morning and when Q from Star Trek mentioned Snoopy I immediately spent several minutes amusing myself thinking about Snoopy.

Then I started thinking about the Snoopy cuddly toy I bought last week (so awesome) which led me to thinking about the Uncle Bulgaria cuddly toy my friend bought at the same time.

This led me to start singing the Wombles theme tune which led me to start thinking about Doctor Who because Bernard Cribbins narrated the Wombles. This brought me back round to Torchwood.

Now my head hurts, lol

Writer's Block: Get in my belly

hobbleit — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 19:22:22 GMT

Broth and dumplings. She only makes it once or twice a year but it tastes sooooo good.

Torchwood season 4 episodes 3,4,5

hobbleit — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 22:47:46 GMT

Wow, my prediction of not writing reviews after episode 2 seems to have come true. This isn't really a review, just some random musings.

On the whole I am quite enjoying the new series but it is a bit slow. I think 10 episodes are too many to carry the whole plot for the series. Children of Earth worked because it was only 5 episodes but this seems to be dragging on and on and on. Maybe 5 episodes would have been better for Miracle Day if they just wanted to have a single plot thread.

I'm starting to change my mind about dear old Etty. She's kind of cute and her naivete is rather endearing. She's very cute too :D. I like her interaction with Jack.

Speaking of which, there just isn't enough Jack. He's supposed to be the main character of Torchwood yet it feels like he's barely in an episode. Come on, he's the main reason to watch so include him more.

Then there's Oswald Danes, aka the world's most boring paedophile. I can't even be bothered to hate the character (even though you should because he's a murdering paedophile) but he's just so dull that I tune out until he's not on the screen any more. Not even Jack can make him slightly interesting. I hope he dies when the miracle is over.

Mind you, the end of episode was rather shocking. Burning the Category One patients alive is a very sick twist. However, I did laugh when Rex was shouting "Vera". I just kept thinking of the Pink Floyd song.

Hopefully episode 6 will pick up the pace a little and I want to know who's behind this now.

Anniversary

hobbleit — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 19:48:16 GMT

Title: Anniversary
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Jack/Ianto (implied not explicit)
Genre: Angst/Comfort
Warnings: mild swearing.
Word Count: 1,124
Summary: It's been a year

Hello, there. This is my first ever Torchwood fic so please be gentle. This sort of thing has probably been done a million times but the story just wouldn't leave me.

Disclaimer: Torchwood does not belong to me, I just like playing around. No copyright infringement intended.

“You can take your coffee and stick it up your arse,” Jack groaned as he heard Ianto’s voice across the Hub followed by the crashing sound of a mug hitting the wall. He knew today would be a bad day and wondered what Owen had said. He left his office just in time to see Ianto storm out of the Hub leaving an angry looking Owen and a confused looking Gwen.

“What’s going on?” Jack called out.

Gwen replied, “I have no idea. Owen was being a bit of an arse though.”

“What did I do?” Owen protested. “I didn’t do anything, he just took a strop because he’s a mardy git.”

“You were being your usual self, a bit of an arse.”

“Okay, stop bickering. What did you say to him, Owen?” Jack rubbed his forehead, willing the impending headache to go away.

“I didn’t say anything different from usual, he just seriously over-reacted at it and stormed off.”

“Owen, do you know what day it is?”

“Of course I know what day it is, it’s… oh,” he stopped himself as the realisation hit him. “I’m an idiot,” he groaned.

“Yeah,” Jack agreed.

“Sorry,” Gwen interrupted, “but what is today?”

XXX

Tosh wasn’t surprised to see Ianto sitting in the Tourist Office. He was staring into space, a blank look on his face but his eyes betrayed his sadness.

“Morning,” she greeted.

“Tosh,” Ianto replied, slightly surprised to be drawn out of his reverie. “You’re late this morning,” he said trying to start a normal conversation.

“I was at the dentist.”

“You have my sympathies,” Ianto dryly said as he opened the door leading to the Hub for her.

Tosh smiled gently and rested her hand on his shoulder. She understood. She didn’t even need to say a word. Ianto nodded in thanks before she headed down to the Hub.

Ianto couldn’t believe it had been a year since his life had changed so drastically. It had started off as such an ordinary day, even the ghosts had become part of everyday life. He hadn’t expected what had happened to happen that day.

He remembered the buzz that had rippled through the building when the Doctor had appeared. He was the entire reason Torchwood had been brought into existence. People wanted to leave their respective offices to try and catch a glimpse of the elusive man. The excitement had quickly turned to terror as the day descended into death and violence. Cybermen had appeared and started to convert the staff of Torchwood One. Then Daleks appeared and the annihilation really began.

Ianto still had no idea how he managed to survive when so many others had died. Only 27 people had survived the attack. Jack always called it The Battle of canary Wharf but Ianto didn’t agree. Battle implied fighting when in reality it had been a massacre. They couldn’t fight back, the Cybermen and Dalek’s had been too powerful and strong against them all. It was either hide or die. Ianto had chosen the former.

The aftermath had turned into a haze for Ianto. All he could focus on was helping Lisa and, although there had been a constant reminder of what had happened at Canary Wharf, it all faded into the background in his desperation to save her from her half converted state.

“You okay?” He heard a voice and he nearly jumped in the air. He’d been so lost in his own thoughts he hadn’t noticed Jack emerge.

“I’m fine,” Ianto replied.

“It wouldn’t be a bed thing if you weren’t. Especially today of all days.”

Ianto didn’t know how to respond. He wanted to tell Jack that everything was okay, that he wasn’t on the verge of falling apart but the words couldn’t reach his mouth. Jack spotted the distress on Ianto’s face and pulled him into a hug. Ianto melted into Jack’s arms and began to sob. Jack tightened his grip on the younger man and rubbed gentle circles into his back until he began to calm down.

“You can talk to me if you want,” Jack offered but Ianto shook his head.

“I’ll be fine.”

“Do you want to go home?”

“Funnily enough, I don’t really want to be on my own.”

“You want some company, then?”

“Wouldn’t say no.”

Ianto became silent after that, lost in his thoughts. After a while he spoke quietly, so quiet Jack almost didn’t hear what he said.

“Everyone I knew died,” he whispered.

“I know.”

“I looked at the list of the dead after…” His voice faltered. “After and everyone I worked with was on there,” fresh tears began to fall. “But at the time it didn’t really register because all I could think of was helping Lisa. It was only after that everything hit me.” Jack didn’t speak, he just stood there silently and allowed Ianto to talk out all of his feelings. “And now it’s been a year, a whole year. Why did I live and so many other people die?”

“I don’t know. I can’t give you any answers for that,” Jack answered, his voice hoarse.

“There were times when I wish I had died,” Ianto admitted. “When I didn’t want to go on… especially after Lisa died. I thought it would have been so much easier because everything hurt so much.”

“And now?”

“It’s mostly easier now. It’s just on days like today that it really gets to me.”

Jack wrapped his arm around Ianto’s shoulder and pulled him close once more, kissing his temple softly. “You can always talk to me, you know that?”

“I know,” Ianto replied. “Thank you, sir.”

“Is there anything I can do?”

“I’d just like to get back to work, it’s helping to keep my mind off things.”

“Okay,” Jack smiled. “I gave Owen hell by the way. He shouldn’t have said what he did.”

“I know,” Ianto said as he followed jack back down to the Hub. “He just acts like an insensitive prick on occasions.”

XXX

Gwen smiled sympathetically at Ianto on his return and he knew that the others had told her everything. She walked up to him and gave him a gentle hug. “If there’s anything I can do just ask.”

“Thank you,” Ianto replied, “but I’m okay.”

“Listen, uh, I’m sorry mate,” Owen said by way of an apology. “I wasn’t thinking,” Ianto simply nodded his head in acceptance.

“Right then, now we’ve got apologies out of the way, how about we get on with some work,” Jack announced.

“Would you like some coffee, sir?”

“That’d be great,” Jack replied and rested his hand on Ianto’s shoulder for a moment. “Remember, any time you need to talk.”

“Thank you, sir, I know,” Ianto smiled gently.

Torchwood season 4 episode 2

hobbleit — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 11:18:02 GMT

This episode was a vast improvement on the first one. Didn't feel completely like Torchwood but it was so much better.

This episode cheered me up and grossed me out in equal measures. The bit where Katya from Neighbours was walking around with her neck the wrong way round was so gross I couldn't watch.

I love Jack, I can't not. He's just an awesome character. He wasn't in enough though, he needs to be in more.

Gwen didn't annoy me. She annoyed me in the first two series' but I started to like her in CoE and now she seems like a decent character... or not and I'm just clinging onto her because she's the one of the only main characters left and British. Anyway, I'm liking her now.

Rex is fab. He made me laugh with his Bullshit line. I like him.

Blondie is starting to become a character but she's still a little too generic for my liking. Make her interesting please.

One part I'm not impressed with is the Bill Pullman thread. I don't know why but it is so damned boring. Maybe it'll pick up when it becomes clearer but at the moment I can't even be bothered to watch the scenes

Oh, and I loved the "big gay steward" line, had me laughing so much. That was very Torchwood :D

And whilst ep 1 was airing in the UK someone's FB status made me laugh. It said 'Torchwood Miracle Day. No one can die. I bet Rory Could.' I laughed for about half an hour after that

Torchwood Wallpapers

hobbleit — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 17:20:21 GMT

It's been a while since I made any wallpapers, but I'm back and am obsessed with Torchwood again :D

Preview

xxx

Moment in Time (Jack/Ianto)

The song is Shroud of False by Anathema. I felt it epitomised the relationship rather well

Children of Earth Promo wall

Just a simple wallpaper

Really Loved It

A Gwen/Suzie wallpaper from Everything Changes. Text quoted from the episode

Empty

Ianto-centric wallpaper from the episode Cyberwoman. Lyrics are Empty by Anathema

Interested?

Jack/Ianto pairing from the episode Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang. Text quoted from the episode

Your Time Has Come

Jack and Tosh wallpaper from the episode Fragments. Lyrics are from Reconnect by Anathema

End

Jack, Gwen and Ianto from the episode Exit Wounds. Text quoted from the episode