The first time

Thank you all for reading! Barrie18, don\'t hold back, dear, your words are inspirational. I just hope I can take you by surprise!



The puzzle is revealed, when Riki finds out about a missing piece of information.





It was actually Raoul, not Iason, that visited first the other. The negotiations for including Alpha 8 into the federal trade agreement seemed to be getting to a halt, and Raoul and Iason had to bring more work home. Iason invited Raoul over so they could both discuss the direction where things were going, and how could they break the resistance their counterparts dared showing when taxes were concerned. Iason knew he needed Raoul’s keen observation skills to go through with this, and they could hardly exchange information while at the table with the others. While trade negotiations dragged on, Iason was becoming more and more frustrated, which left him little time to play with his pet. The discontented look on Iason’s face did not escape Raoul.

- What’s wrong, Iason? I rarely see you so concerned. Do you think they have some ace up their sleeve? Could they possible negotiate with someone else behind our backs?

- It’s not that. If so, we will crush them.

Raoul smiled:

- Then it’s this about your mongrel?

Iason raised his eyebrows and smiled, too:

- Yes, I can hardly see him these days.

- It is not like you, Iason, to get so attached. It is not like he is going to leave from your house, so what’s the bother? You’ll have him soon.

Iason frowned a bit:

- Do I gather that you do not miss yours? Having him panting in your arms? Begging to be taken?

- Oh, sex is great, but I can do without it for several days. You ‘miss’ your pet? Isn’t this a human behaviour? I can hardly believe that the head of Tanagura Syndicate is subject to such earthly emotions.

- I should not feel this, shouldn’t I, Raoul?

One could tell that Iason was a little disturbed by the words uttered by Raoul. The annoyance that got too him had started as an itch, but it now threatened to become an ugly rash.

- Maybe I should put it aside.

- Or, maybe, said Raoul, we should talk about it for a while.



Meantime, Riki was pacing his room, where he was spending his days while Iason was barely present in the penthouse, and, while there, engulfed in work. Riki tried to sneak outside the room, but, while he roamed the apartment, furniture Daryl was always at his heels, asking what to bring him. This got on Riki’s nerves more than once, and it prevented him from finding ways to get out of the apartment or precious info. Riki knew that the penthouse had a terminal or more somewhere, and he wanted to get there. Iason’s work station was clearly off limits, as he had seen Iason using the retinal scan to get in. Yet, the furniture had to had its own, and Riki was thinking of ways to get his hands on that.

Daryl entered his room and asked, as always:

- How can I be of service?

While Riki’s usual answer would have been “You can be of service by getting the hell out”, this time the mongrel thought of something else.

- I like to eat something exquisite tonight. Like those little thingies you gave me two weeks ago.

He heard Iason praising Daryl for spending so much time in the kitchen for those, which could make Daryl occupied for the evening, and Riki free to explore more the area.

- But…

- No ‘buts’ Daryl, or I will tell Iason you are a bad furniture.

‘Spoilt brat’, Daryl thought, but he could not allow himself to take threats lightly, especially since he had never seen a pet to be treated special by his master, like the one here. He bowed and left.

Riki waited until Daryl’s footsteps could no longer be heard and he sauntered out of the room. He was completely naked, as Iason did not allow him to wear anything, and he had yet to accommodate himself. But the desire of doing something was too great, so he ignored the uneasiness from the lack of clothes, and passed through the hallway.

When he got near Iason’s living room, he heard voices, so he stopped to listen. The door was a little open, and he managed to pick inside, while remaining secluded in the shadows. Iason and Raoul were having a conversation, and curiosity glued Riki to the door.



- So, Raoul asked, what is it about this mongrel that gets you so worked up?

- I really don’t know, Raoul, but it is like having raised from the table without being satiated, every time I get up from his arms. Any free time I get, I want to spend in the bedroom with him.

- You were always lustful, Iason, that is just how it is with you. You will get bored eventually.

- I tend to disagree with you, Raoul.

- Why? Give me an argument.

- I do not get what I want from him.

- And what is it that you want from him?

Iason’s beautiful face got harsher:

- Complete surrender.

Behind the door, Riki trembled slightly.

- What do you mean by that? Raoul pressed.

- I wanted that from the first time with him. That is why I ordered Guy to be poisoned, so he would run to me, no strings attached. I hoped for him to give himself completely, yet I wanted him to fight me.

Riki felt all the blood in his heart running to his feet. ‘No’ his mind screamed. What a cruel joke. He let his body crumple to the floor, while his mouth opened in a silent cry. He lay there, almost unconscious from the pain in his heart, until something else flooded him. Anger tensioned his muscles. All his street skills ordered him to attack, but he knew that he needed more leverage for that. He dragged his feet towards the bathroom, no more interested in hearing the rest of the conversation. The puzzle was complete, for him. On the other part of the door, Raoul and Iason continued.

- I have to admit that you took me by surprise with such a foolish act.

- I had to have him come to me.

- Why didn’t you just propose him to become your pet? Lure him with money? Or why didn’t you just take him? He could hardly oppose.

- No, not like this. I wanted him to give himself, no regrets or self doubts.

- You tricked him, Iason, so I do not believe that you succeeded.

- Indeed, Raoul, so I’m not satisfied. I want this wild thing to be mine, body and soul. I want him to miss me when I’m not around. I want him to show concern when I’m troubled. I want him to whisper sweet words to me when I take him. I want to see him worrying over everything about me.

- Iason, I think… you want him to love you.

- ‘Love’? Raoul, this is a word I did not expect to hear from you. Does not Jupiter teach us that such emotions are not real?

- I know, but this is how mongrels call this. I had a conversation with Guy, and it seems they value greatly this ‘love’.

- It is just codependence.

- That is what I told him, yet he pretends it is something different. And now, I hear all this from you.

- It is different, all I want from Riki is to depend on me, to acknowledge me as his master, the only reason for him to live.

- I think you took the wrong pet, Iason. I think that that person for him – except the master part – is Guy, and viceversa.

Iason’s face was like set in stone. He whispered:

- Maybe I should have killed Guy when I had the chance.

- No longer an option, Raoul warned.

- I have to take Guy out of his mind somehow.

- You got yourself into a messy situation, Iason. You should begin acting like a Blondie and solve this.

- And what is that supposed to mean? Iason asked bitterly.

- Dispose of him. Sell him, or set him free – although I fear the consequences.

- I will not do that. Are you ready to get rid of your mongrel, I gather?

Raoul stopped and considered the question for a while. His own answer somehow surprised him:

- No, not yet.

Iason smirked:

- Not quite Blondie like, isn’t it, Raoul?

Both friends fell silent, pondering about the recent changes in their lives.

- I want to see Guy, Iason stated, matter of factly.

Raoul just nodded.



Meantime, in the bathroom, Riki was considering a proper weapon. He grabbed one glass bottle from the shelf, put it in a towel, and then, with one fast movement of his fist, he craked it without making a sound. He took a long shard and concealed it in his hand. Then he opened the very small bathroom window and threw the rest, along with the towel.

He got into his room and hid the shard under the bed. “He will come, eventually”, he thought and then he let his mind play with revenge scenarios.



All the conversation with Raoul had tired Iason to a point that he asked his friend to continue another time. He wanted to rest a little, but, while he headed for his bedroom, he stopped next to his pet’s door. ‘Just to see him a little’, he thought.

Riki heard the door opening and his heart began to pound. He let one arm over the bed and sought after the shard. He grabbed it and held it, waiting.

Iason turned on the bedlight. He towered over Riki and let his head descend over his pet for a kiss. He regretted that Riki was asleep and he could not see his eyes. His lips brushed over Riki’s without pushing further.

Suddenly, Riki’s eyes flew open, startling Iason, which was taken aback by the hatred in the dark eyes. Iason felt a sharp sting in his neck and when he brought his hand up he felt liquid flowing through his fingers.

Like in a still movie, he grabbed Riki’s hand and pulled, and saw the shard full of blood… his blood. Anger swallowed him and he dragged Riki’s arm over the headboard, pressing it hard, until Riki cried in pain, and released the weapon.

- Daryl! Iason called.

The furniture appeared and gasped in horror, seeing the blood staining Iason’s garment.

- Call the doctor, Iason demanded in a chill tone. And bring shackles and chains for Riki.

Daryl disappeared in a hurry, without a word.

- You will be punished, Iason threatened, while keeping Riki under him, letting drops of blood fall on the young body.

Riki sobbed from the pain in his wrists, which were pinned over his head in a tight grip. This was no sensual touch, he could feel all Iason’t strength and anger. He still had his eyes open, trying to defy the Blondie.

- Why? Iason asked, almost hurt, or it was just Riki’s imagination.

- You tried to kill Guy, Riki accused, and something dawned on Iason’s mind.