10

Rhiannon sat fingering the gunmetal grey tunic her brother had brought to her along with the button tin.

Ianto was sorting the buttons on an old wooden tray that had been painted white at some stage, his fingers working to separate eight then another eight.

"These on the left, these on the right. Two rows travelling down the double breast" Ianto said as he calmly placed the buttons down, "Let's start as we mean to go on. I want those black buttons gone."

Rhiannon looked at the buttons and then at him, "Are you sure we are allowed to alter our official dress tunics? I thought it was only in our own homes…I mean …..this is openly subversive ….. I mean … can he protect you if there is backlash?"

"We are exiting the borders, by the time you are done we will be in Galactic Space and I will wear that tunic to the evening meal" Ianto said firmly, leaving no doubt of his mind and she nodded, taking a deep breath as she cut the first black button to ping across the floor.

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Jack was talking with a Delegate who had requested a tour with them for their first flight with colour. (yes her) Jack had suspected a subversive streak in this woman and was not let down as she appeared for the evening meal with a green pin on her outfit that had three little red rubies, like cherries hanging from it. She was explaining that it had been her great-grandmother's and as an heirloom was allowed to remain after the cleansing if kept away. The hush that fell over the room alerted Jack to Ianto long before he turned to see his PA walking confidently towards him with Mica in tow.

Mica had large red ribbons on her pigtails, so she matched her Taddy who had the buttons shining in the light. A row of cherry red ran down one side, the green running a parallel bright apple. Jack had a moment of imagining undoing those with his mouth before blinking back to action.

"There you are" he smiled broadly, "and Mimi, you not edible are you? You look so sweet!"

She blossomed as she held up her little arms and he lifted her up, the white dress flaring up to show pale green undershirts and the red shoes Ianto had also decadently allowed her to wear.

The entire room were transfixed as Jack leaned in and kissed Ianto on the lips before drawing back to look at the two males that had followed, BJ and David in matching tunics of soft pale grey with matching green collars and a red button at their throats.

"Rhiannon!" Jack gasped, "You look gorgeous!"

Rhiannon stood nervously in her white dress, the bright green sash around her middle clasped with a red flower at the buckle, three more smaller flowers in her hair as it swept to a side plait. Her face one of fear even as she curtsied politely at the compliment.

"Ianto, look at this family. Lovely" Jack said soothingly, "Look, the good Lady Davron has a broach as well."

Ianto stepped forward and looked at it, "Cherries. Lovely, my mother had a broach like that, rubies. I think it might still be in my secure locker. The red stones are rubies, from our own planet. The Green are from Gerfit 3, they do shine don't they."

Lady Devron reached up to touch her broach, "I did not know the red was of our own Sol3."

"Yes madam, these were a gift of affection … I think it was called a Love Token. Cherries to represent the cycle of life. Death and rebirth. Fitting madam. For we are birthing a new age are we not? This introduction of colour, this test to see if we have evolved enough to be more than mere representations?"

"You are a clever man" she said softly, "You are also vey subversive."

"Madam" Ianto whispered as he leaned in close, "The Gods are, they are too naughty for their own good sometimes. Loki seems intent on poking at me."

She roared with mirth as she leaned back and the room erupted back into conversation as Ianto was accepted, BJ settling at the table with quiet shock. He had never seen Ianto work someone, had never known Ianto was capable of manipulating people and now he sat and watched Rhys approaching with a vase of flowers for the Captain's Table.

"My offering" Jack said as he held the chair for the Lady, "Tokens of affection, I like that. At our bonding ceremony I hope we have a lot of colour then."

"By then I may have weaselled another one or two into the colour wheel" Ianto quipped as he smelt the red carnations and those around them laughed.

BJ looked at his plate as the green peas winked back at him.

Ianto had not been joking.

BJ really hoped for orange somewhere.

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So ends this part.

The next will be called 'The Blues'