11
Ianto was in a weird mood again, this time he was hunting through other teams their purchases, coming back with a look of doom.
"Carl is using my light fittings."
"Huh?"
"I went to the lighting company and chose a brand new, never seen before lighting array for the staircase. Fuckface has it… only in beak." Ianto huffed angrily as he slumped in his chair.
"Wait… why? I thought they would not give another constant something already purchased by a team" Jack was angry now and got his phone out to complain. The cameras caught Jack's anger and Ianto's sorrow as he sighed and lamented that fact he would have to change his own thing now. Carl did not cheat… he simply got a different colour to get around the rule.
"Bullshit… he got a black one… ours is white right?" Jack asked. "I say too similar still!"
Ianto sat and considered "well… there WAS a gold version but I thought it too decadent."
"The staircase… what if …. OK I remember this from a movie your mother was in actually … Stars to Heaven …. what if we can get a little god thread along the edge of the banister … the wood is a deep redwood stain… a thin gold edge along the banister handrail… gold fitting and white walls?" Jack asked.
"Oh Cariad… Da's set design! Oh… we could add the gold as a kick edge on the steps too" Ianto grinned "clever. Yes… we wanna try this one?"
"Yeah, if he's upset you like this… let's beat his arse again. Seems he never learns." Jack agreed with a nod of his head.
Ianto slid away to make some calls and it was not until later that Jack wondered if he had released the Beast.
.
.
"Oh Helen… that sounds grand" Ianto said as he sat chewing on a sandwich. She seed on edge and he knew it was about the light fitting. Calr must have crowed to her and she was guilty.
"Well… gold accents sound nice too" she replied and Ianto stopped chewing to stare at her, and then narrow his eyes.
"How did you know that? We just changed that last minute" Ianto said softly like he was not pissed as hell.
"Oh…Carl knows one of your builders. They went to school together and sometimes after a few beers they have a laugh" she waved a hand and Ianto slowly started chewing again.
Ianto tried not to let his face change as he felt the anger flare. After their drink he headed to the production truck and entered to look around with something akin to a dragon about to flame the world. Someone noticed and glanced at him nervously "Can I help you?"
"Sabotage… is a nasty business. Best hope you are good at it" Ianto finally said angrily "You all knew. You must have picked up conversations.. moments between my builder and Carl… and you NEVER told me!"
"Douglas said not to, that it would add to the drama when you twigged?" he was told.
"Oh…oh… I've fucking twigged alright" Ianto snarled back with open nostril flaring and he knew that Douglas would rue the day he forgot the golden rule. Don't fuck with Ianto Jones… ah… Harkness-Jones.
.
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Ianto stewed for most of the night, a small ball of anger on the side of the bed as Jack slept unaware of the storm brewing and by sunrise Ianto was himself again. Calm, breezy and totally focused.
On winning.
Dougie wanted to change the rules? OK. So could he … From now on.. Team Harkness-Jones was gonna crush then on every angle and win… the fact this was not part of the agreement would stump Douglas and the money for charity would be lovely. Of course… no one knew it was for charity… part of the deception. Time for Ianto to play a new game.
Douglas… was in deep doo-doo now!
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"Is something wrong?" Ianto asked Helen.
"Carl has changed the colour of the staircase AGAIN" she huffed back "I am getting whiplash here. Silver… why silver."
Ianto did not answer, knowing the gold accents would be replicated in silver and he felt even ore rancid. OK. New rule.
.
.
"RULE CHANGE" Jack roared across the lot, those assembled for the 'corporate meeting' wincing with the volume assault "OK…. Right. According to this…. No entrant may copy the already started work of another. Of one contestant has purchased something, it cannot be replicated in the home of another. Ooooooo… this is a god one. OK. So…. If I buy a rug I like… you can't buy the same one… even another colour would be a rule violation as it is still the same design. Right?"
Helen swung to look at her husband with horror as he stepped forward "What if it is coincidence?"
"Then it will come down to timing. Who purchased first? Not like we don't all see one another… our builders talk.. we talk … the businesses we are authorized to use have also been informed of this new rule so… from now on if one of us even tries to get something… even by accident… that someone already ear tagged… touch titty! A blatant design copy is a violation too!"
Jack looked pleased with himself as Fuckwit rushed off to tell his men to stop with the step kickers and Ianto wraithed in the shadows to scheme some more.
This was not over yet Carl… oh no… wrath cometh.
Annd he had the perfect idea for the unveiling room reveal.
Heh….. heh…. hmmmmmmm.
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The judges left the second the last house talking amongst themselves, walking across the cardboard between houses to enter Ianto and Jack's, the final hose as per usual. They stopped in the hallway to admire the staircase and one of them breathed "Magnificent."
"Why thank you" came a breathy reply and three stood mesmerized as Ianto's mother appeared at the top in the same dress she wore in the movie… the famous poster a teen favorite still. She started to waft down towards the gobsmacked judges "Been ten years and still fits like a glove. Amazing isn't it?"
"Wow" a judge managed to squeak before rushing forward to kiss the offered hand encrusted in diamonds.
Jack turned to Ianto "Is that your mum?"
"She wanted to come peek and I thought… well… Da's original design updated by me… I was part of it ya know… I was on the design team so it's not copying when my name is in the movie credits … why not have the original scene that inspired me" Ianto shrugged nonchalantly as Carl made a small noise in the throat, watching the ethereal creature waft around the judges with ease.
Ianto turned his head slowly and made eye contract.
Carl gaped back and said "Is that… is that … Jennifer Lloyd?"
"Oh… that's just me Mum" Ianto grinned back like a predator.
Oh… that felt good.
Finally... her narcissistic need to shine was helpful here.
