Ai No Kusabi Alternative Ending

Chapter 21

Alright, so I recently pushed out Chapter 20 like a day ago, after a long hiatus. Not too busy right now, so I'll push out continuous updates as long as people are reading, voting if they like it, and commenting. I mean, if basically no one likes it, there is no real point in continuing the updates, right? 

"Hey, are you awake?" A dark-haired man whispered from his side of the bed.

"No." Iason grumbled. Perhaps he didn't thoroughly ravish his pet enough after the party's end. Well, to be more exact, after they departed halfway through. Riki was half struggling to not fidget after Iason's expert fiddling with the vibrator's control, and Iason was definitely struggling to not jump on his pet when the pairings started. So, to let bygones and fights be bygones, they said quick goodbyes and returned to the penthouse bedroom to take out their frustration on each other. 

"Well, it sure looks like you're awake." Riki turned toward his lover and pulled at a few strands of his hair. Iason's hair was always silky smooth, no matter the weather or the location. 

"What is it now?" Iason turned to face his pet and Riki could nearly feel something within him stir to life again, despite earlier exhaustion. 

"I don't know. I just- I'm sorry... for fighting again." Riki tried to say but fumbled with the words until Iason shushed him. 

"No, you were right. I was the one who pushed you too far." Iason admitted, much to Riki's surprise. 

"Really?" 

"Why are you so surprised? Is it that strange that I would apologize?" Iason looked amused and perhaps just a slight bit hurt. 

"Maybe? I don't know. I mean, you never done it before. You got all mushy now." Riki muttered in a sort of unexplained half-explanation. It wasn't as if they needed one. They've both changed after the dana bahn incident; it simply comes up in strange ways. Iason huffed and pulled his pet closer to him before sinking the both of them into a deep comforting sleep.

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Riki, despite being a gang leader at a young age, did not exactly enjoy beating on the weak. Ceres' natural births were mostly male, so he had never dealt with any female gangsters in a fight. It wasn't until yesterday that he had actually struck a woman, despite her being a pet. He still felt bad about it, considering she could not have defended herself if he really did try to hurt her. Thus, after Iason left for work the next day, Riki was feeling generous and slightly guilty.

After smoking enough to scar his lungs for life, Riki contemplated what to do, and made his way down the elevators to floor 30 of the pet salon again. He decided that perhaps attempting to socialize with them for real would be enough to solve his guilt over hitting a woman for just wanting to talk to him. 

Of course, who else would be sitting at the same table he sat at last time besides Gabe, who nearly jumped out of his seat to greet one of his only friends, "Riki! Um, hi! I didn't see you here yesterday!" Which Riki, of course, found strange. It wasn't as if people hung out here every single day with other people they don't know, right?

In fact, all pets liked to socialize at the salon when their masters were not around. As they generally were not bred with higher intelligence, they enjoyed attention and social status more than anything else. It was a contest of popularity and riches. Whoever had the richest or most satisfied master would be adorned in the prettiest of jewels. Usually, pets of higher quality breeds had richer and higher ranking masters that could afford them. 

Gabe was not an exception. He had a pair of silver bracelets on, each adorned with a ruby in the center. As usual, he was dressed in revealing black clothing, similar to how Riki was dressed in the past. Riki however, was actually dressed in leggings and a tank top. He wore no jewelry of any kind, not even any hidden under his clothing this time, and simply used the eye scanners for identification. 

"No, I was busy." Riki sat down and waved a server over, "Just beer." 

"Oh... well it's good to see you again! Say um... Riki, did you hear about the huge party?"

"What?" It never seems like Riki is in the loop to gossip about anything, not even if the topic was himself.

"Well, there was this huuuuge elite pet party in Parthia just the other day, you must of heard of it! They say Lord Rosen put it together! You've heard of Lord Rosen right? Aisha Rosen? He's one of the top blondies that runs Tanagura. I heard that some of the other Blondies were there, and Lord Mink too!" Gabe could not speak with any more speed and excitement than he already has, but Riki just sat there, listening uninterestedly, until some other pets nearby came to gossip with Gabe. 

"Did you hear that there was a fight?"

"Yeah, apparently someone punched Rea!"

"Even his excellency Lord Mink was there! And he broke up the fight!"

"Rea's master was a Platinum, she said he was super high ranking..."

"Platinum is high ranking! But I heard that she got in a fight with his excellency's pet..."

"I heard that his excellency's pet is one of the newer breeds." One of the newcomers that arrived to gossip about the latest party turned to Riki. "You're Riki right?"

Riki was slightly startled, but decided he would be nice and reply. "Yeah..."

"I heard a rumor that your master is Lord Mink. Is that true?" Riki winced as there was suddenly a barrage of screams and questions about his origin. He figured that the blue-haired girl would be gossiping about him anyway, so it was not as if he could hide it really. It was a bit difficult to look Gabe in the eyes though, as Riki was not used to so much attention, especially not from such a fanboy. 

"Yeah, I guess." Riki let on, and Gabe squealed. 

"Why didn't you tell me, Riki? You're so lucky! You even went to the party and I didn't! Oh, and your master probably buys you anything you want!" Gabe's eyes shone with jealousy. 

Riki was a bit peeved that such things could be considered luxurious. It wasn't as if he wanted to be in this forsaken tower, he only came back for Iason. Having anything he wanted isn't a luxury if he never wants much. But, he supposed, having the chance to live again was more than enough. Riki was, however, interested by the lack of conversation about the blue-haired girl that they called Rea. The pets here that frequented the salon would gossip with her and about her consistently, yet when she is gone it seems as if they never even knew of her. Perhaps it was merely a coincidence, yet Riki could not shake the small suspicious feeling in his chest. 

"You should have asked... uh... Rea. She was there." Riki commented to see if any of the pets knew anything. Yet, most of the pets just shifted around on their feet, or they crossed and uncrossed their legs while sitting. 

"Well I heard that Rea's getting sold to someone else."

"What did you expect? It's what she gets for embarrassing her master like that." 

"It doesn't matter anymore. Her master doesn't even like her, so we won't see her again." 

Riki nodded and sipped at his beer, which was apparently a luxury for pets, as most masters don't allow their pets much freedom. He knows from working with Katze that in the end, all of the best pets end up in brothels. Katze had called him lucky, because despite all his problems, Riki would never be sold, disposed, liquidated, or thrown away, because Iason was far beyond simply attached to him. 

The pets did not really give much information besides the fact that Rea would be sold, but Riki knew that after the public embarrassment, her master would be unable to find a decent buyer. In fact, Rea is probably not in Eos anymore, likely already settling in at some Midas whorehouse for retired pets. It still surprises him sometimes, the speed at which things move and fall out of use in the immortal android's world. What surprises him more is the blatant ignorance that the rest of the pets lived in, drowning out the foreboding worry that they too will cease to exist after a few years with endless sex, gossip, and bullying. 

Yet what surprises Riki the most is the feeling of anger and pity he still holds for the pets that do not seem to understand their fate and standing. All of the elites would say otherwise, but Riki still thinks that the pets are human, that none of them deserve to be sold over something so insignificant. After all, he comes from the independent, albeit slum, Ceres. He was...is a pet, yet he is human.