Nineteen

The next days in the Mink household had been easier after that incident, although it might have only been a little step, a nudge for the Pet so to speak, trivial as it may, that now Riki seemed to be better at snapping himself out of his depression when it starts, thankfully choosing to be more enthusiastic…

Though scheduled for the check-up he had requested, the busy work mounting to repair the rest of a year's worth of damages in the System put the appointments on hold, though the Pet did not seem to mind much, busier himself with monopolizing his way around the House and learning more how to use his newfound graces…

Riki was considerably happier, a divisive little conniver who was never spoilt but run his course around things the way he wanted it again. Thus Iason was not at all surprised when he asked if he could leave for Midas and buy himself an Airbike. The Blondie of course gave his permission, though for some reason, the escapade gets postponed whenever he pulled the Pet aside.

The thought of a new Airbike had been left to dust somewhere after a few days of hot and steamy respite. It had been a week now, Iason taking a short leave of his responsibilities to spend time with his beloved…

In the same span of time, both had managed to develop a silent, two-way process of learning, Iason likewise beginning to understand from his Pet how real relationships went, had become more sensitive now to Riki's emotions, careful not to forget himself.

However, jealousy seemed inescapable. Because he had given the Furniture a taste of Riki, never mind if it had been under ordained blindness, he was now more mindful of their presence and somehow chary, narrowing his eyes whenever Riki spent more of his time asking the triplets favours. Favours the brothers loved to cosset him with, glad the same way maybe that the Pet of the House was feeling better. Unaware that they had played a part. Riki not one to mention it though he honestly recalled the moment with a fine blush from time to time. Just promptly shaken off especially in the presence of his Master.

The Blondie likewise, never spoke of the incident ever again. Yet as it was with Daryl, Iason did not want the Furniture to be so familiar with Riki. Even the natural purpose of the Furniture that was common elsewhere to a certain extent was not to be exercised in any way. Definitely no such furtive affairs to be maintained or thought of to begin with.

He was the one who will fulfill Riki's desires if there were any more; after all, didn't he possess a body very much capable of it now? Of sharing everything with his Pet that is. A body that feels. But he could not really help it…

On one particular instance, when Riki and Katron poured over a playlist of synthesized tunes the former wanted to listen to, having spent several hours in the Furniture's own quarters, Iason actually found a way to drag the living ornament outside and give him a beating, stopping only when he was contented and when Riki begged him to.

Afterwards, he swept his Pet into their shared bedroom, locked him in, and spent what remained of his impulsive outburst on fucking the other senseless, marking his territory with much passion and possessiveness.

Riki found it hard to get up for the whole day the next morning, Iason however apologizing for it, palming the blame over to the stresses of work which was not at all true.

Then there was that instance when Riki himself almost got the beating again, after Iason had chanced upon him while he masturbated, lost in his fantasies on the bed, pants pulled down and off...much like that time years back.

Though there was no virtual image of a bitch anywhere, the Master still eyed his climaxing Pet with suspicion from where he observed him under the dim light, unable to get his head out of the idea that his Exclusive might be thinking of someone else.

Though his doubts were shunned as absurd finally, to his own none admitted embarrassment, when upon the final throes of his release Riki had clearly cried out, "Iason!" arching into his own hand as his heat slowly rose then shot out before gradually dissipating, bringing him down to earth with a satisfied smile on his face.

Not as satisfied as his Master's, who stepped into the room after letting the Pet take his breather, reminding himself of how petty he'd become finally, replacing that hand with his own in an instant, pleased that he had been mistaken. Ironically.

"You should have just waited for me," Iason commented, before lowering himself on top his Exclusive, in his tailcoats and all still, beginning to once more stimulate his Pet. He hasn't even taken off his cape: he was just that impatient, himself shocked that Riki can pull such out of him.

Riki on the other, felt rather abashed, getting caught in the act, but was glad to have the Blondie home. He just flushed red and forgot, wrapping eager arms around his lover's strong shoulders, easing hands to twine through the enchanting mane that was on that head.

"Will you fault me? You were taking your time," the Pet whined his excuse, only for his lover to muffle that with his deeper kisses…

--

Riki had grown a new appetence for flying, discovering one morning that the Palace was even bigger than he imagined, the actual exterior perched on a separation above the lower levels beneath it, surrounded by even grander gardens and other ridiculously massive structures and art pieces.

He's only just seen one side of their home! The cage so it appeared, when their domicile was a small city in fact. He asked Iason about it during dinner.

"I had the Palace enlarged," the Blondie told him. "You were just quite busy brooding to realize it." And he had laughed.

In truth, the Master actually took the levels below their home and had them demolished, then transformed into an outer court worthy of a throne for Neu-Jupiter and his Pet, everything done efficiently by the multitude of working bots and droids which incessantly toiled until its completion, within the next few months immediately after they had moved here.

Since Riki had managed to lock himself within the insulated layers of the Main of their House, refusing even to go anywhere, he wasn't able to see the outcome of the renovations until just recently, when he had ventured further from the inner bowels of their nest and opened himself to the System more and more.

Now by the looks of it, Riki was impressed, though the Pet had scolded himself mentally for not noticing, and for allowing himself to be limited to where his inanity had forced him to stagnate for a while. But more important than that was that he had discovered where the garage was, becoming as a kid in a sweet shoppe, ogling at the numerous Aircars and pods there, just as Katze had described them now he remembered, only disappointed when he couldn't find the one thing he was half-expecting to be there.

"Great. No Airbike?"

He rolled his eyes. Of course, we're talking elites here. Who amongst them rode around in Airbikes? Certainly not his Neu-Jupiter...

But this was no big issue, really, especially when he discovered a new use for the vast space, as a place to test his sable wings, growing more and more confident and defiant with them yet just as loving by the day. Somehow, Iason knew his Pet will come to love flying, will perhaps be seduced by it as something more attractive than racing, although Riki appeared to still crave the rev of engines, requesting for that Airbike -again, with much devotion to the sport after some long hours in the garage and noticing there was none there.

But then the Pet should have known by now, how he can reach even greater speed and height without the aid of any contraption, but just using his own sacred wings…

On the side of work, Iason was pleased to learn that the System had become healthier now upon his Exclusive's path to healing. It actually came to the point that the Blondie had thought that if things stayed like this for eternity, then he would truly be happy forever. But then that was not the case. For while they reveled together, war was impending, the same threat that used to haunt him when he was yet a mere tool of Jupiter, now doubled when he became Jupiter.

He knew their enemies were plotting; somewhere they had their traps set, and it will only be a matter of time before they sprung into action. Even difficult was that he now had Riki to protect, the status of Achilles none-changing despite being elevated to a higher degree.

If another incident like Guy happened, this could spell doom for them all, not only them both but the rest of Tanagura. It was indeed a predicament, especially since he certainly cannot coop the Pet here all his life. It's been a long time since they had ascended and must, sooner or later, face society as the chosen pair.

--

Ever since discovering the larger part of their home, Riki had now become a constant fixture in the exterior, Varja, trapped in a decorated cage but seemingly oblivious, though sometimes he tended to still drift into his thoughts. Just like today. He had sat there for the longest time on one of the smaller overhanging platforms, seemingly vanishing without a trace and prompting the Furniture to disperse, searching for him all over the place.

"Master Riki! Master Riki!"

"Please come out Master Riki!"

"Master Iason will be furious! Master Riki, please do come out!!"

As much as he understood the triplets' predicament, for the moment, he wanted to be alone. But no, he was not moping about. He was just wondering. From where he was he could see straight towards the direction of Ceres this part of the Palace, see the strip of forgotten highway that led to what would have been a utopia devoid of Jupiter's intervention, now a cluttered, deteriorated sector that would fall apart completely if not for the Black Market supplying for it the necessities, even the stout and drugs it craved for.

It was a place he had been part of, now just a memory, alongside his reputation there and his...friends...

At the back of Riki's head, he wanted to know what had become of Bison, especially now that he, and yes, Guy as well maybe, he was unsure, had departed from them.

What had become of the old gang? Are they alive? Did they still occupy Bison's previous haunts and had held unto the 'sleeping dog' reputation for the sake of it or had moved on finally?

Or are they dead?

As they had perhaps conceivably believed he was now long gone, when in truth, he was well and alive, and beloved…he did not know really. His absence had been more than just physical after all.

He was a rare case among mongrels. The one who made it to the very top. On the lap of splendour and the fulfillment of dreams boys could only make up while in Guardian and would rot to nothing more but shambles by the time they were set free in the Ceres colonies. But he made it. A strangeness in the Slums. He proved something in a way, although the road to here, like the highway to Ceres, was as treacherous.

"Master Riki! Please show yourself!"

Riki laughed to himself.

The Furniture were getting agitated, and he had once had this image that if they were troubled enough to a certain degree, their heads would explode. Funny. Mad imaginings, all this. But that was before he found out where these living furnishings actually came from. He was assured however that these were not Guardian-bred; Katze attested to it, and his primeval antics in the end would not harm them as much.

Speaking of whom, the man had not visited in a while had he? What was the redhead doing? More or less he may have been very busy with the Markets still.

The sun had already set, the last colours of dusk fading on the horizon and pretty soon, by dinner time or later, Iason would come home. Riki, believing that he had been gone long enough, stood and stretched his arms, the bare top he wore riding with his muscles.

He felt great today, enough that he could maybe, just maybe, ask Iason to let him visit Ceres? The problem was that he didn't know how to begin…

He smirked, and wondered if even that would be too much for an Exclusive to solicit perchance?

I'll figure something, he told himself with a smile before stepping off the edge and spreading his wings to get down.