Thirty-Two

Jupiter's Tower, two weeks after the Pet Auction and the failed assassination.

The Master and his Exclusive were again in the Tanaguran Seat of Power, Official Home to Jupiter during his reign and now serving as a secondary Nest to the couple. It was to be a short visit before heading off to rendezvous with Raoul, the Pet counting that this would be perhaps only the third or forth time he had been here, impressed to see though that many things had changed since he last strayed here…

Dressed in red cotton and black leather, Riki was noting how the barren, metallic walls now housed what appeared to be a library of sorts, composed mainly of dataslates and virtual screens thinner than his fingers, compressed vertically to resemble so many books of various sizes that puzzled to create the solid sections.

"When did you get this place renovated?" the Pet had to ask.

He stared up at what was now a large, iridescent Positronic Brain hung from the very centre of the room like a chandelier, the improved Eye of the System, with two pod beds beneath it the Pet guessed would be for him and Iason, both of the same metallic gold colour, cushioned with soft white leather, aligned so that whoever occupied them could chose to face each other, or lie beside each other, and could still see directly to the Brain once looking up.

Though Riki of course thought he could just fit in one with his Master...for the purpose of snuggling...among other activities they can do on it. The Pet smiled to himself.

Iason had already taken seat on one of these interfaces, comfortably allowing his body to make the shape of the generous equipment, watching as Riki spread his wings to get to the slates and screens, hand out to take one of them off the curving shelves.

The Pet looked through it as he flew down where Iason was, scanning the contents, sitting himself comfortably by his lover's side and snuggling with folded wings. Ah he was right. They fit one pod fine.

"This isn't just one of those regular memory banks is it?" Riki leaned in as Iason reached to lovingly stroke his hair.

"It's for you to study," said the Blondie, blue eyes warm with affection. "That way you become better at interfacing."

"But I don't like interfacing…" Riki admitted.

At its current phase, the mongrel respected what was dubbed their interfacing as a scary feat, due to how when he now tranced during sex, it had become doubly horrific. He'd find himself in places of the System he had never encountered before, struggling within some unidentified virtual grips that was always keen to sucking him into the torrents of its territories.

He would be easily lost in the receptacles and repositories of all its information, if not for Iason able to call him back.

"The education of pets is a bit unorthodox don't you think?" he quizzed his Blondie.

Iason kissed him on the lips, but gently, just a faint touch. "You've been having lessons in history, the arts and nuclear physics with Katron all this time and now you're conscientious? Really?"

Riki just smiled at that, placing the screen down beside him. That was rather true. He did like those little lectures at home, his nurse more than just capable for a teacher, but then he fell asleep during the arithmetic parts. And Ancient Economics. He absolutely hated Ancient Economics, though lately he wouldn't mind having these sessions again. Class had been suspended for now; sadly, Katron still hasn't come back…

Iason kissed him again, the slightest of connections which made Riki frown once more. Was he trying to tease him?

Why the..."Hey Blondie…" and he pulled his lover closer with a bit of an annoyed scowl, touching their noses together, meeting their eyes. "That's not the proper way to kiss me."

Iason gave a short chuckle, before flipping them over unexpectedly, Riki going under him in three seconds flat. The Pet's black hair fanned around his head rather artfully, a bit lengthy now, and the Blondie couldn't help but stare. The lights emanating from the Positronic Brain gleamed in his obsidian eyes, the eyes of his Pet, his love…

"You're one to always complain nowadays. Never satisfied are we?"

"Maybe," Riki laughed...before Iason descended to claim what was rightfully his in the more pressing way the Pet wanted.

--

Raoul's personal lab beneath Eos One.

On a similar interfacing pod as that in Jupiter Tower, Iason held an unconscious Riki in his arms, nestled to his side, the Pet connected in sleep as he opened the second layer of the System for the two Blondies, the ribbons of data swirling around them as Neu-Jupiter picked through the information tucked within the Will of the old god, casting the selected portions to a nearby screen, the ribbons fading as they collided with the slate.

Every now and then he ran his palm down Riki's back, making the Pet inhale then exhale deliciously, the latter's body just so used to his touch that even in sleep it responded...

It didn't take long until all the requisites were compiled for Raoul, Iason then handing the transparent screen to his friend, the contents of which the exact equivalent of five megabanks of data. Meager by comparison but should be enough to begin work.

"This should be all of it. Take all the time you need before you tell me what you think," said the superior Blondie.

He need not say that everything here would be kept confidential. To lose the information contained in this single slate alone would be tantamount to disaster.

Raoul simply nodded, staring down as if in disbelief at what he was now being entrusted with. A portion of Jupiter's Will! He still had his doubts whether this had been true or not, but was amazed nonetheless that he was able to witness the actual interfacing, finding out that it was truly infinite times more faster than the processing they could accomplish with Tanagura's current state of technology, even while using a state-of-the-art neural link or brain gear.

Everything came up too rapidly, Riki, once held down by Iason's sway becoming a key that unlocked even the most intimate of System secrets. Astounding. He must ask his friend for permission to study further this function of the Exclusive. Raoul wanted to know how far Riki's reach was, or how fast…

"Time to wake up Pet. Open your eyes."

For now however, this was enough, Iason stroking Riki's cheek with a bare palm, the Master Ring there gleaming under the mellow lights, the gesture urging his lover out of his unconsciousness.

In sync to his will, the Exclusive responded immediately to Neu-Jupiter's call, eyes slowly opening, Riki glad that the first face he saw was that of his beloved.

"Iason…"

The Pet had always told the Blondie that he was scared to fall into this state of unconsciousness without him, that he always found interfacing with the System alone to be overwhelming, draining. It was like sleep which one could not simply wake up from. It was frightening. It always reminded him of waking up months ago without Iason there.

"Are you all right?"

Riki could say he is but then he truly isn't especially after connecting that long. Iason understood this, and, to quell the other's worries, gently tipped his Pet's chin up so he may bestow upon his prince a welcoming kiss.

--

The elites of Tanagura somehow found the idea of an unleashed Pet roaming Eos' scientific headquarters uncomfortable, so to settle some further note of concern, he took Orphe's request and had asked Riki to wear his collar, at least, while within the walls of the centre, the hooded cape likewise present, covering the otherwise sexy black-red ensemble the Furniture had put together for the Pet of the House.

As the Blondie led him through around Eos however, the hand by which he held the end of the chain binding his Pet also held the Pet's hand, their fingers twined lovingly.

Iason could hardly wait to get outside, that way he may get rid of this superficial collet, no matter if Riki wasn't complaining.

"Dinner at Midas perhaps?" Iason had been inviting his Exclusive when he received an unexpected call and was surprised to see it was Orphe.

Reluctantly, he took it, but without letting go of his Pet's hand.

"What is it?" the Blondie had quirked his brow as if insulted that they had been intruded upon. Then Riki watched Iason's face turn sour. "What?" before he heard that sigh of resignation. It must be something downright important to get the Blondie to acquiesce instantly, though halfheartedly. "All right. Let me see."

"What was that?"

Iason folded his phone into a palm-sized, transparent square before he pocketed it. "Some business," apologetically looking at Riki. "I'll need to go back to the office to check on it."

"Shall I go back with you?"

The Blondie considered the long way up and sighed, shaking his head with a smile.

"No need," and he bent to pull the Pet to him, hands running possessively over, causing Riki to shudder. "Wait for me at the lobby. I won't be long…"