Ai No Kusabi Alternative Ending

Chapter 18

A/N: Apologies for the wait. This chapter is a fairly long one in compensation. 

Raoul returns to his seat, after a long while of fruitless chit chat. He met with dignitaries from off-world, Platina from all different administration sectors, Rubies, Sapphires, Jades, and even a few Onyx higher up in management. However, not one person he met matched what he really needed. A fitting lab assistant would be someone with sharp eyes and a watchful gaze, and someone who could analyze for themselves and bring to the table discussions and results even Raoul may not guess. It would need to be a person that did not dress to receive extra attention, and someone who enjoyed intellectual pursuits more than physical ones. Raoul's spirit quickly dampened. Perhaps he was looking for too much. However, in order to continue leading Tanagura's research on new pet breeds as Amoi's best biotechnology specialist, he would settle for nothing less than absolute perfection as his lab assistant. If he could not find someone fitting at this gathering, he would simply have to look elsewhere until he found someone satisfactory. Still somewhat disheartened by his failure, Raoul sits with his chin in one hand, staring off into blank space.

"Are they that entertaining?" Iason's comment broke Raoul out of his trance.

"Perhaps he finds your mongrel attractive after all." Gideon pipes up.

Unknowingly, Raoul had been staring in the direction of the pets. Iason had been giving him an odd look for a few seconds, of which he had not noticed until now. His face quickly heated, and he immediately tried to explain that he was not staring at Riki. Iason, however, broke into laughter. As it turns out, Iason had guessed from the people Raoul interacted with that he was looking for an assistant.

"Don't worry. If it's someone to help with your research that you are looking for, I have someone fitting in mind." Iason smooths over his laughter with reassurance, but it only takes his friend by surprise.

"You must be joking. You already had someone you want to recommend to me, yet you sat here and watched me embarrass myself in the crowd!" Raoul huffs.

"Actually, it would more correct to say that someone came to mind as I was watching you embarrass yourself. It was fairly entertaining, so I did not think to stop your adventures early. Well, there is no harm done with a bit of socializing." Iason rebukes, earning him a glare from his friend.

"Well, who is it?"

"I cannot tell you just yet. I'll consult with him and send him over your way whenever he is next free." Upon hearing this, Raoul quieted. The person Iason spoke of must be of fairly high standing in the social hierarchy, and very high standing in power or reputation if even Iason cannot order him around. He may also be very skilled in Raoul's science, and could be just the person he is looking for. After all, Iason recommends him, and Iason never recommends lightly. Raoul nods in acceptance of this proposal, and then decides to turn the attention away from himself.

"Now that I have provided everyone with a good round of laughs, shouldn't Iason also provide us with entertainment?" Raoul suggests, earning him a few smirk from his brethren and a sigh from Iason.

"I'll have you know you all are asking for trouble." Iason warns.

"What else would we ever ask for?"

"Anything goes without repercussions at a pet soiree, Iason, especially for our guest of honor."

Iason contemplated playing with the pet ring, but realized that Riki was no longer wearing it. Instead, the remote to his newest contraption lay in Iason's pocket. Iason turns it on to the lowest frequency setting, and, grabbing his glass of wine, sits back in his seat.

Riki, on the other hand, has been experiencing everything but mild amusement. The female pet named Rea that he ran into earlier would not stop looking his way every two seconds. He's completed finished picking his nails clean, and has absolutely nothing else to do. But then, suddenly, he feels this strange creeping feeling that slithers up his spine. Tiny vibrations were coming from between his legs. His head whipped toward the VIP area, and almost immediately, he made eye contact with Iason, who was watching him with mild amusement. Riki seethed. That bastard was doing this on purpose! He turned away and glared holes into the table. There was no way he would throw an angry fit and give Iason something to hold over his head for the rest of the night. Riki continues sitting in a slouched manner with his arms on the table. As long as he acts relaxed, hopefully nothing will happen. Maybe Iason will grow bored of being an asshole to him and turn off his remote controller.