Stately and synthetic.

A digitized megapolis of perfect, mechanistic order, where the march of time is flawless, implacable: Tanagura, the "metallic city." In the midst of it all exists a singular heresy; the presence of a human organism within the Palace Tower of Eos.

After about a year and a half of absence, Riki returned to Eos... although, for him, with no free will to choose, it was no different from a "forced repatriation." As punishment, Riki was leashed to be paraded outside two hours a day for a month in the company of his assigned furniture Cal, on the pretext of "walking the grounds," doing so with an impudence that made it hard to believe he was a newcomer at all.

A walk of shame, so to speak.

Considering the average age of an Eos pet was thirteen, the return and age of Riki, a fully mature male, as much as his improbable personal history was nothing else than a huge scandal. In addition, Iason's unprecedented performance, which seemed not entirely for the sake of revenge in response to Riki's forced participation in a second "coming-out party," had also been too different to be an exception, and had stunned pets and elites alike.

The epitome of bad taste perhaps?

Or one of these typical penchants of his?

Or maybe—some harsh criticism towards the system? 

The ways these actions were received might have been different, but no one could possibly understand the mind of Iason.

At the party, Riki was subjected to the grip of the D- type pet ring in the middle of the shocked spectators. Brought to a state of physical and mental exhaustion, Riki ceased to care about his actions or surroundings. The looks of hatred and envy from the pets directed at him now spoke volumes.

Once the carnality of the relationship between Iason and Riki was revealed, the impact went far beyond what it was before.

Even though he's a slum mongrel. Even though he's the lowest of low. Why?

How?

Granted privileges we are not. Hateful.

This can't be.

This is unforgivable!

There is no way this is acceptable!

Of course, even now, Riki's nerves were not so delicate or weak that he should be worried or nervous if he was gossiped about. Still—it was annoying. No matter where he went in the tower, the pricking of the piercing gazes did not go away, even if he refused to acknowledge them. Like a pulse you can sense even if you can't see it. Both irritating and tiring.

The rancor against the slum mongrel in Riki's first three years in Eos was open, vocal, and ruthless. This silent, pervasive hate after his return was far more raw and visceral.

But this was not the reason why, for the last five days, Riki had not set foot in the salon.

That evening.

Per his usual routine, Riki had finished dining and was in his private room reading on his dataslate. Suddenly, the door slid open. Even though it was a private room, the fact that there was no real privacy had not changed at all. The keylock could only be enabled from the outside, not inside.

With languid steps, Iason approached the bedside.

It was customary for Eos-kept pets to set aside whatever they were doing and make it their highest priority to run up to their master coming back home to demonstrate their obedience and flaunt their charms to the best of their ability, but everything here was different.

"Welcome home, master," said the furniture Cal as he bowed perfectly. Even in the wake of such a courteous greeting, Riki—the pet—never showed up to do so. His owner Iason paid it no mind, but walked to Riki's bed directly.

At first completely taken aback by such blatant disregard for the norms of Eos, Cal had learned to understand that there was a special relationship between this master and pet. Cal understood that nothing he knew as truth applied here; no manual imprinted into his mind could ever give a clear explanation of these implicit rules.

"Once again, you have not set foot outside these quarters at all today."

Just returned from a diplomatic mission with Aisha— as representatives of Tanagura—to the planet Jibril, Iason spoke in measured tones as he removed his silk gloves.

Without fail, every aspect of Riki's life was reported to Iason by Cal. Doubtless no master in Eos understood his pet better than Iason.

Powering off the dataslate, Riki glared up at Iason. "Where the hell am I supposed to go? Go babysit those kids in the salon?" The resentment in his voice was reflexive. Riki caught himself.

I know better.

The realization gnawed at him.

"A pet who's over twenty, and from the slums, I'm a living fossil in Eos. I'm fed up with walking around being stared at like some freak show."

The words came out with spite. There was no denying the hard reality of Eos.

"Our infamous troublemaker shows signs of progress at last," Iason remarked with a faint trace of irony. "Not that I care."

With a gesture like a caress, Iason took Riki's chin in his hand. "As long as you understand you are my pet."

Immediately, Riki's eyes clouded over.

"Fuck that, after what you did to me at the coming-out party. I don't want to understand shit."

Riki struggled against the memory.

At his first coming-out party, the drinks mixed with a powerful aphrodisiac rendered him incapable of remembering most of what had happened. The depraved, lecherous acts he did... he had heard about from the other pets in malicious, envious tones long after that.

Not that Riki cared; he couldn't be held responsible for what happened under influence, just as the words one could say while sleeping.

But what had happened at the second party... Riki remembered everything; and if he could, he'd preferably erase that memory at least. As if reading his thoughts, Iason said: "That's right—do not forget."

With those words, Iason placed his other hand on Riki's crotch. Riki had already showered and dressed for bed. His nightclothes offered no resistance to Iason's touch.

Riki bit back his voice and struggled to sit up.

"As long as the pet ring bites down on you—you are mine. No matter what anyone says or who you think of."

There was nowhere left to run.

More than that, there was no more doing as he pleased.

It was a fact, Riki's fate was encircled by one single ring. Once again, he felt condemned to it, and glared.

But before he could open his lips in an attempt to swear, Iason sealed them with a kiss.

Riki was taken aback—it was not the usual kiss that devoured the lips to the point of breathlessness. It was a kiss that enfolded the mouth delicately.

W-What?

The kiss gradually grew deeper. Soft, meltingly sweet, and—tender.

What is this?

Riki's fingers trembled in confusion at the unusual,gentle mellowness. Not knowing what to do, Riki involuntarily grasped thebedsheets and squeezed them tightly.