Francois had voiced out his concerns as the hours dragged on, when, upon serving their finest to the Pet, Riki on the chair he was chained to had all but refused to take anything, not even paying attention to the edibles and dishes and the bottles upon bottles of gourmet wine and select vintage sent his way.
Gideon was the first to hear of the concern and, after a brief pause to assure the Sapphire that everything was fine, went over to the Exclusive, the towering form of the Blondie instantly making Riki glare. Gideon raised a hand to his ear and tapped, actually asking the Pet to remove one of his earpieces so that he may talk to him.
"What is it this time?" Riki continued to scowl. "What do you want?"
"You haven't taken anything…" and Gideon gestured at what was already a magnificent spread just to the side of them, complete with centerpieces and decorative flowers cascading in generous threads and vines to the floor.
Riki didn't feel up to responding in kind, though he did notice a tinge of something in the other's expression which was never there before. Was that actually a bit of concern that this Blondie had on his face? He often thought them incapable of any such genuine emotion; guess they were not as apathetic as he thought they were...
Gideon visibly sighed, a hand resting on his hip as he figured what perhaps was obvious as to why Riki had not touched any food or drink.
"Worried that it might be spiked?" Gideon continued and the slight shift in Riki's expressions told him he had hit the right mark.
But there was still no response from the other. Was he really that determined to treat the other like he did not exist at all? Well he can't have that...On the one hand however, what use was there arguing with a hardheaded Pet, especially one that didn't like you to begin with apparently enough?
Gideon switched tactics, taking a very thin and quite fragile glass flute, filling it with wine from one of the branded bottles and filling another with the same. The Blondie, to Riki's surprise, drank from the crystal, then handed the other to the Exclusive, as if to assure him 'twas perfectly safe. Alcoholic, aye, but safe and without the pestering drugs Riki loathed so much.
"Don't worry. Hugo has been briefed regarding the guidelines of your Exclusivity. He won't serve you anything that would violate your covenant," and he smiled at him, though despite that he was still met by Riki's obvious distrust.
With a shrug and another sigh, Gideon decided to sit down opposite of the Pet, settling comfortably near the edge of the lengthy chair, pouring himself another drink and, even before Riki could protest, took the earpiece that had been idling in the latter's hand.
"I heard Iason trained you on Muir some time before?" and with the statement left hanging, Gideon slipped the metallic bud into his ear, wanting to hear whatever it was that the Pet was listening to, only to realize that the song playing now was actually that one they'd all heard at the Pet Auction ball, requested by the superior Blondie.
"Ah, isn't this the song you waltzed to with Iason? 214 was it? Rather lovely…"
He hummed after it as Riki grimaced at this most uncharacteristic behaviour; Gideon meanwhile imagined that night, the way the two swayed and circled in the very centre of the ballroom, a well-decorated couple, beautiful to behold and in love, the very definition of it maybe, a thought to which Gideon felt a certain taint of something strange inside his chest. What was this feeling? And why was it so like a heavy poison?
"What are you doing?" Riki just had to ask.
"Joining you," Gideon smiled again, countering, remedying the sudden drift in his thoughts before it was any noticeable. "Don't tell me you don't drink now? Didn't you have these habits?"
Riki grimaced further at that. Gideon? Seriously, to keep him company and now having a conversation with him? He looked at the flute in his hand. It was one of those expensive crystals rimmed and based with gold.
"Used to," the Pet replied hesitatingly especially towards the other's seeming friendliness.
"Jupiter purged them out of you?"
"I don't know. Perhaps," Riki spoke but flinched somewhat as he found the bittersweet flavour of wine repulsive, his tongue no longer familiar with the taste.
Like when he tried to smoke once after he woke up from his year-long slumber, he never remembered drinking to be this spiteful and unfulfilling, the smell as nauseating as the smoke that had once been his comforts, drowning in stout back in the slums. It was something he certainly could live without at present. He simply did not want it anymore.
"What's the matter?" Gideon, asking.
Riki handed him the flute. "I don't drink."
The Blondie laughed. So the theory is proven true. The Pet was not only perfected, he was in the same way cleansed by the old god, purged of vice save for sex maybe. For Iason.
Ah, Jupiter was truly a biased parent.
"You know, Iason gave me a good scolding last time for what I've told you during the Pet Auction."
Gideon wanted to take this as a chance while it lasted, to start a normal dialogue with the Pet.
Riki turned to him wondering, "I didn't tell him anything."
The Blondie laughed again, placing Riki's glass down the tray as a server came to his summons. He asked the boy to fetch something less alcoholic for the Exclusive. His throat must be parched so the fuss was necessary. He'll try and convince him to eat next.
"I know," Gideon agreed to what the Pet had said. "But your dear Master has eyes and ears everywhere and all he needed to do was review the surveillance to figure what mischief I've stirred."
He looked at Riki who must now be thinking this to be quite unlikely, for a Blondie to admit to his crimes and do what he was about to do next.
"Forgive me," the apology came as unexpected enough that Riki was perplexed and caught off-guard by it.
"What?"
Gideon continued, "Obviously, I was way beyond myself that day, but now I think I know where I had been definitely mistaken…"
His eyes delved into those of the Pet's, a clarity in them that had always been clouded before.
"Iason was right," the Blondie added with a seriousness about his stunning features, enough that the other pets halted when they noticed how seemingly lover-like the expression was, and coming from a gorgeous one like Gideon nonetheless. "You're more than just a Pet..."
Aisha glared.
To the others present this might appear as merely some doting fondness everyone believed to exist, as they had all now believed that Blondies took particular interest in their brother's Exclusive as they should, because they were protecting him for the System's sake after all. But there was something happening here, something no less than an anomaly and an abnormality in the general order of things, particularly in their ruling class.
'It' might be acceptable behavior from Iason, hell, expected, and a bit of mischief never hurted when it came to this Pet, but not this sort of attention from another of them, especially as it may somehow alter their state of thought, cause them to change and not necessarily for the best.
The dividing gulf between them and Riki was the one thing keeping the rest of the class intact. If they'd be influenced further as Gideon was already beginning to exhibit the signs of, it would be a catastrophe! The other Blondie bit his lip in frustration.
He better not be thinking about befriending him, Aisha feared. Gideon, you're becoming an idiot!
He could almost foresee trouble; the perfect disaster already in the offing. Gideon was as oblivious as Iason had been in the beginning, and that was another terrible miscalculation, to say he could handle Riki so easily even in the pretense of friendship or any similar form of acquaintanceship. He was already starting to build his own variation of attachment for the Pet.
The other Blondie couldn't see it, but it was obvious enough for Aisha, and so will the others notice sooner enough...How will they react to it?
Riki was clueless as he looked at the Blondie who in turn smiled at him. What brought about this sudden change of heart? The Pet wondered. Or was it something the latter wanted to trick him with?
Damn. Which is it you bastard!?
"You're more than just a Pet." The Hell?
Yet he ended up uttering something else, "Thanks…I guess…"
Yuri: I seem to be building this conflict quite much, but I feel it deserves more justice than it should, after all, it will be a grand conflict in Cinco. *spoiler* I know! Hehehe...
And in light with that the demoness asks this question: would you like to see Iason lose control? Ah, I know I want to. the temptation...
By the way, to the person who called me a demon, hehehe...I'm a demonESS, hence, the name okay? Please? ^_^