MAJOR TRIGGER WARNING, PLEASE READ!
This fic involves depression, self-harm and self-mutilation. I must ask those who are extremely sensitive to back off from reading this.
The story takes place after the Riki/Mimea incident and the aftermath that came with it.
Please note that this is a Fem!Riki AU.
Riki slept for hours in her bed after suffering at Iason's hands for hours on end. When she opened her eyes, she was alone, and instantly, the memories of last night came flooding back. Her body ached and her soul was crushed as she wept from the fear and mortification of it all. But the worst part of it all was Mimea. Her friend whom she confided in when she first debuted as Iason's Pet. She was her only source of comfort in this prison. Yet she crossed the line when they touched each other in a very intimate manner. She had a few female partners before she met Guy, and she found them enjoyable, not to mention limber.
She liked Mimea, not as a romantic partner, she's bisexual, but not looking for love. Mimea was willing to offer Riki a temporary escape from her imprisonment. Sleeping with her felt nice, relaxing even. But when Mimea's Master, Raoul, and Iason caught wind of their sexual transgression, they were both punished because Mimea already had a partner picked out for her.
She remembered seeing Mimea via hologram, and guilt shot through her when she saw Mimea crying, shackled and her hair chopped off as Raoul pulled her leash harshly. Riki apologized and begged them not to hurt her friend. When Mimea's image disappeared, true despair encompassed her as Iason placed his hands on her body. The aphrodisiac drugs coursing through her system made the torture a thousand times worse. That monster forced her to cum too many times for her to even count. But the memory of Iason's ice blue eyes filled with anger and jealousy truly terrified her beyond anything. She's never seen him like that, not even when she was defiant towards him during her forced training the first month.
Riki pulled herself into a fetal position, her arms crossed over her chest and sobbed as she thought of Mimea. Her kindhearted friend should not be punished because of her, and now, she won't have any comfort in this horrible, gilded cage. The only ones she has ever interacted with were her captor Iason, and his Furniture Daryl. Though Daryl takes care of her needs, food, clothing, baths etc., he wasn't really her friend, and obeys Iason's orders, including 'training' her. To her, he was just another one of her wardens in this prison.
The sound of the teleporter chiming made her sit up to see Daryl appearing with a tray of food. "Lady Riki, I'm glad to see you're awake." Daryl greeted like the servant he is.
Riki looked away, not bothering to cover herself as she returned to her fetal position. "I'm not hungry." She told him, too tired and in emotional pain to sound angry.
Daryl informed her, "Master Iason insisted that you have nourishment upon your awakening."
Riki gave him the silent treatment.
Daryl nodded in understanding before he set the tray on the table beside her bed. "In case you change your mind. Is there anything else you need?"
She was about to tell him to 'fuck off,' but decided against it since it would require anger and spite, something she was normally good at but unable to at the moment. "I'd actually like a hot bath in a few minutes if possible."
Daryl bowed, "As you wish." Then he left the room to prepare her bath after setting her black satin bathrobe on the table beside her food.
Riki pushed herself up with more effort, her muscles cried in protest, but she had to tolerate it in order to figure out what to do next. Her eyes turned to the food, her stomach growled immediately. It really does smell good, and she is hungry. She sighed, knowing Iason would be displeased with her if she refuses sustenance. She got up and walked over to the table, pulling on the robe to cover her nakedness before she sat down and ate everything that was on her plate.
As she chewed on her toast, she tried to figure out what to do when she sees Iason again. Fighting him was futile, he was just too strong for her to handle. Running away is impossible with the security in place. She detests her fate in this forsaken place. Bending to the whims of a Blondie was disgusting, and she hates herself for not being strong enough to resist.
She wants to escape this place, but Iason won't let her go, that much was obvious after all the effort he put into having her here. The other Elites and their Pets look at her with pure disgust due to her being from the Slums, trash beneath their feet. Trapped by a Blondie who refuses to let her leave and trapped with a bunch of Pets who despise her and want her gone. Her hands clenched into fists. She fought her way through Guardian, the Slums, even Midas, all for the sake of survival. She can handle a few punches from would-be rapists and street thugs, those bruises are nothing. But here, it is impossible for her to fight back without getting tormented by only a tap of Iason's ring.
Riki sighed as she resumed eating, cutting up the sausages and eggs with the fork and knife, watching as the blade cut cleanly...through...anything. Riki's eyes widened as she held up the blade. "That's it." She whispered as the idea for her one-way ticket out of Iason's grasp gleamed back at her.
Iason sat in his chair as he processed cases over a lengthy period of time, trying to distract himself. Yet, amidst the constant beeping and echos, all he could hear were the screams of his Pet as he punished her for letting Mimea touch her. He forced her to orgasm constantly to let her know who she belongs to, how her actions have consequences. Hearing her screams in the throes of pleasure and despair filled him with pride and power. Even as she begged him to stop, he didn't release her until she passed out. He sat beside her after releasing her from her chains and just watched her skin coated with sweat as she slept. But when he heard her crying in her sleep, whispering 'stop', he felt something spike unpleasantly in his body. He listened to her nightmares of him before he left her alone to sort out that ill feeling inside him.
Iason released a long sigh as he rubbed his face. He shouldn't be feeling this way. This painful sense of guilt. He didn't want to punish her like that, he thought he had broken her enough to keep her from fighting against him. To trust her not to stray. However, he failed to make it clear that she was never to associate herself with anyone else on a sexual manner. He knew she slept with men and women in the past, but he had hoped that she would never touch Raoul's Pet. Upon hearing what Riki had done, Iason felt his body burn in a jealous rage. He wanted to punish Mimea for touching Riki, but that was Raoul's job. But more importantly, he wanted to erase the touches Mimea placed on Riki. By making her cum by his hands alone, he removed all impurities from anyone who dared touch her. From Mimea, Guy, and all who felt her flesh. No one will ever touch his Riki. No one but him.
He sat up, his head bowed as he waved his hand, making his work disappear and leaving him in silence. He processed 645 cases in fifteen minutes. Not his best, but not his worst either. It was already mid-day, so Riki should have woken up by now. He got up and left the chamber. He wants to see her, make things clear to her, and let her know she's been forgiven. But more than that, he wants to make sure she was okay and apologize for the excessive treatment. He didn't want her to flinch at his touch. No, he wants her to want him, physically and emotionally. Though it may take a while after this mishap with Mimea.
Riki stood in the bathroom after quietly dismissing Daryl, letting him know she'll call him if she needs anything. She kept her robe on as she kept the knife hidden in its sleeve. She wanted to soak first before she went through with her decision, her muscles still hurt from last night. She was submerged in the warm water, groaning as it eased the soreness out of her body.
She took a deep breath as she lifted the sharp blade out of the water. She traced the metal surface, wiping off the steam that built up and saw her reflection staring back at her. Ever since she was a child, everyone commented on her beauty, how irresistible she was. She didn't mind when they told her that, she liked how it made her feel special despite where she grew up. Yet, it also got her in a lot of trouble, mainly from guys who've never seen a woman like her before. Like ever. Remembering the Pets, she noted just how flawless and unique each of them looked. No blemish, no scars. Built to be beautiful to show off their Masters' status and prestige.
Scars mean imperfection, and imperfection is not allowed among the Elites, especially in their Pets. Scars also mean her freedom. Riki smirked, the answer to her problem was right there the whole time. She should have thought of this years ago, save herself the trouble.
Slowly, she brought the tip of the knife to her forehead, close to her temple. One hand shielded her eye to avoid being blinded by accident. With a deep inhale, she braced herself for pain as she pressed the blade to her skin and drew a line down her temple all the way down to her jawline. She hissed and gritted her teeth as her skin tore open and blood trickled out and dropped into the water. Looking down at her reflection in the water, she saw how deeply the cut looked, how ugly it made her. But it wasn't enough. More cuts mean more scars. More scars mean more imperfections. She held her left cheek taut and drew another line on her skin, suppressing her screams until she was finished with that part of her face. The familiar nauseating smell of blood was all too familiar to her as she gave herself two more cuts on her chin. The more exposed the scars were, the less desirable she'll be, the better her freedom will become.
Half of her face was covered in blood, making her look like a monster in the water's reflection. The steam that built up was making her dizzy and sleepy, but she cannot stop now. Just a couple more. She grinned, wincing when the movement aggravated her wounded cheek. But she was far from done. She won't stop until she's certain Iason will never want to touch her again. The very thought thrilled and scared her.
"Riki!" A hand snatched the knife out of her fingers just as she was about to make more marks on the other side of her face. She looked up in surprise when she saw Iason towering over her, tossing the knife away before he picked her up from the water, soaking his pristine white clothes with water and staining it with her blood. He quickly found her robe and wrapped it around her quicker than she could blink.
Riki hissed when she felt a towel press against the cuts on her face.
"What are you trying to do to yourself?" Iason demanded, fear and anger displayed on his normally calm face.
Riki surprised him by grinning spitefully at him. "Now you'll never want me as a Pet. Not with these ugly scars." She laughed, almost insanely as hope for freedom came closer now that this bastard of a Blondie saw what can no longer be considered beautiful.
Seeing Iason's eyes widen with shock gave her a thrill as her heart hammered with adrenaline at this victory. But her erratic heartbeat increased her dizziness combined with losing blood and the shock of seeing Iason so soon. But that didn't matter to her anymore. Once she wakes up, Iason won't be her problem anymore. He'll find a new Pet like they always do. Her eyes fluttered closed, but her smile didn't leave as she fell into oblivion with Iason holding her limp form, yelling her name.
Iason stood at Riki's side as Raoul fixed her up. She was dressed in a hospital gown and was cleaned of blood. He brought her to Raoul's lab the moment she passed out in his arms. Daryl was beside him, looking guilt stricken over what had befallen his Master's Pet. He should've known, should've noticed the missing knife when he went to retrieve her plate. "I am sorry Master Iason. This is my fault. I should've been more aware. I should not have left her side."
"No, Riki knows your habits by now." Iason stated as his friend continued his work. "It was an impulsive move, but she was careful to avoid you."
Daryl didn't say anything, merely looked down in shame.
"She actually cut her own face." Raoul stated unhappily as he used state of the art medical equipment of his own making to close and seal the wounds.
"Riki did this believing her scars won't make me want her as a Pet anymore." Iason explained, his crossed arms gripped the bloodied material of his shirt as he remembered how smug and spiteful she looked, covered in cuts and blood. Seeing her bleed and pass out like that caused him to panic before he ran towards the one person he trusts to help her.
Raoul sighed, "Clever but foolish way of thinking." Raoul stated as the fresh bewildering memory of a panicked Iason burst into his lab and demanded he help his Pet. As much as he detested Riki for ruining his plans for Mimea, he had to admit that she looked pitiful as she bled though the towel Iason had wrapped around her.
"You're lucky you got her here sooner while the cuts were fresh." Raoul said as he closed up the last cut with an artist's precision and stepped back for Iason to see his work.
There was not a cut, scar, line, nor blemish on her face. It was exactly the way it was before the knife touched her. Beautiful and fierce as ever.
Iason touched her soft skin in marvel and relief. "Thank you, Raoul." Iason said to his friend who started to put his tools away.
"I told you having a Mongrel for a Pet will cause you nothing but trouble. I was right, twice, in fact." Raoul sighed and turned to Iason who held his Pet closer to him, making her lean against his shoulder. Her fringes covered her eyes as he cupped her head tenderly.
Iason nodded as he held her tightly. "The people from the Slums are unpredictable. More so when they're in an environment that is completely foreign. Survival is what their' well known for." He admitted as he looked down at her sleeping unblemished face. She should be proud of her beauty like every Pet. But then again, she doesn't like showing off her looks.
"They're also not mentally prepared for this kind of life." Raoul stated, giving his friend a hard look, "Iason, I'm serious. You should release her back to her own kind before she drags you down further." He warned, not wanting his friend and brother to lose his standing and reputation of a Mongrel Pet.
Iason returned his look with an icy glare. "What I do with my Pet is none of your concern." He held her tightly, "I'm not letting her go. No matter how many scars she tries to give herself." He said, mostly to himself as he stood up. Daryl came and wrapped a blanket around Riki.
"Thank you for your help Raoul." Iason said as he carried Riki out of the lab with Daryl following a few steps behind him.
Raoul sighed again as he watched his friend leave with his Pet. He knew having a Mongrel in Eos would cause strife, but Iason is too wrapped up in his desire to subjugate the girl to care.
Riki's eyes fluttered open and found herself in her room. She was wrapped in a thin blanket, which offered her minimal comfort. She groaned as she brought a hand up to rub her face. She gasped sharply upon feeling her skin. Where were the cuts?
She sat up, still feeling her face before she ran into the bathroom and saw her reflection. She was dressed in a semi-transparent night gown. Her face, once covered in blood and cuts, was completely healed. No scars present.
She shook her head in denial as she looked around for the knife. She just has to make deeper cuts for deeper scars.
"Looking for something?"
Riki froze as a chill shot down her spine as she whirled around to see Iason in the doorframe with his arms crossed, looking at her with a frown.
Shit, she knew she fucked up. But as scared as she is, she refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing her fear. "What did you do to me?" She angrily asked, she was so close to getting her freedom back.
"I had my friend heal you and that is the thanks I get?" Iason said, eyes narrowed at his Pet. He was glad she was back to her normal self, but he had hoped she would snap out of whatever madness that wanted her to harm herself.
"I never wanted nor asked you to heal me." Riki glared at him for foiling her plan.
Iason's frown deepened, making Riki tense up.
Iason stomped towards her, his arm shot out and wrapped around her, pressing her against his chest.
"Iason." Riki gasped as she tried to push against his front, but it was like fighting a statue.
"Did you really think I'd let you hurt yourself like that?" Iason whispered, holding her tightly. "Scars will never free you from me. They'll never stop me from having you."
Riki's eyes widened at what he just said. He literally told her he doesn't care if she has scars as long as he can have her. "Maybe you won't care, but it will definitely bring shame to your Elite status." She successfully created some distance, but Iason refused to release her. "One ugly scar is all it will take." She defiantly said to him, refusing to back down.
"So you'll continue to hurt yourself until you get your way." Iason stated, his cold eyes glared at her.
"If that's what it takes to get out of here, then yes." Riki glared back at Iason.
"Is this because of what happened yesterday?" Iason's question made her flinch, "Because I punished you?"
Riki looked away. "The hell do you think?"
Riki made a surprised sound as she was suddenly picked up and held off the ground with Iason holding her flushed against his chest with their noses literally touching.
"Tell me." Iason ordered, glaring straight into her soul as horrific memories of his Pet all bloodied by her own hands in an attempt at self-mutilation flashed through his mind. He can't let her do that again. Even if it means taking her with him everywhere he goes just to make sure she never hurts herself.
Riki swallowed her saliva as her eyes stung with tears, but she didn't want to cry. She refused to award him with anymore tears. "Yes. You put me through hell last night. You nearly killed me!" Riki yelled as she kicked her legs and pushed against him once more.
Iason sighed before he set her down on her feet, much to her relief. However, he still had a large hand pressed against her lower back to keep her from moving away. "I admit I went too far with that. I needed to make sure you understood that what you did with Mimea will not repeat with her or another Pet."
"That's the problem! No other Pet wanted to come near me in the first place!" Riki exclaimed angrily as more tears swam in her eyes, "I wanted someone to talk to, to actually talk with! Mimea's the only one who was kind to me. The only one who ever tried to get to know me and never treated me like fucking garbage!" She couldn't stop the tears from leaving her as glared angrily up at Iason. "I just wanted a friend. Was that too much to ask?" She sobbed, "You've already taken everything from me and now you're taking away the only friend I have in this hellhole! I'm alone here Iason! Maybe that means little to you, but now I don't have anything left here keeping me from going mad in this hateful place! I. Have. Nothing." She whispered tearfully, unable to hold in her pain and turmoil anymore.
That sick feeling came back as Iason watched her cry in his arms. This wasn't what he wanted. He wanted Riki to enjoy her life here with him, to never go a day without him. If she was feeling lonely, he'd have gladly taken her with him everywhere or stay home with her if it meant taking away her loneliness, letting her know she's special to him.
He gently pulled her close and hugged her tenderly while stroking her hair as she cried into his chest. "Don't say you have nothing. I can get you anything you want, you can just ask for it." He whispered against the top of her hair.
"You know what I want, but you refuse to give it to me." Riki stated sadly as she broke down, "I want to go home. Please, Iason, let me go home." She hiccupped and sniffled as she tried to form a coherent sentence.
Iason does have the power to grant that one wish, but the Blondie can't let her go. She belongs with him. He'll be damned if he lets her go back to the Slums to rot, that should not be her life. He refuses to ever let that be her life.
"I'm sorry Riki." Iason said as he held her close before guiding her back to her bed. He continued to hold her as she cried herself into exhaustion.
The sound of the teleportation rang through the air as Iason stroked her hair. Iason looked up as Daryl brought the plate of freshly cooked food to the table. Everything was cut up already and there were no knives present.
"You should eat Riki, you've been asleep for quite a while." Iason said as he guided Riki, who was now in a zombie-like state, to the chair.
"I made your favorite; you don't have to worry about cutting them up this time." Daryl informed her gently, but Riki hardly moved to acknowledge the Furniture, too caught up in her sorrow. Her eyes were red and completely dazed as she stared at nothing, wanting to disappear into nothingness.
Iason sighed quietly then turned to Daryl, "Do not leave her side until she's done eating."
"Yes, Master." Daryl bowed like the obedient servant he is.
Iason left the room, leaving the Pet and Furniture alone.
Riki slowly ate her food, she hardly had an appetite after her break down, but knew it would be useless to refuse Iason's orders. Her eyes were dead, and she no longer had the energy to insult Daryl.
When she finally cleaned off her plate, Daryl took the tray and quietly excused himself. Riki left for the balcony to enjoy some open space as she looked over at the vast city below. The wind blew through her hair as she watched the people go about their business, stoned and high in this disgusting sinful world Jupiter created. Ceres is where you hit rock bottom as you rot and die, Midas being the giant brothel filled with castoff Pets being used until they die, and Tanagura being the Elites' and their Pets inside their sparkling cage, completely unaware of the real dangers in the world.
Riki sighed, "This whole planet fucking sucks."
Daryl watched from behind the glass as ordered by Iason. The Blondie and the Furniture don't know what lengths Riki would go to achieve her freedom, but if mutilation was the first step towards madness, they needed to quick and careful in case Riki had other ideas, and that includes suicide.
The Furniture received a call from Iason, telling him to bring Riki into the common room.
Riki didn't know what Iason wanted, but she didn't care to provoke him anymore. She was too emotionally drained to care about anything right now. She followed behind Daryl who guided her to where Iason wants to meet her.
They appeared in the common room where Iason sat on one of the sofas while his friend Raoul was in the other across the coffee table. "You called?" Riki asked instead of greeting. As usual, Raoul looked displeased with her, but Riki hardly gave a shit. There was someone sitting beside Raoul, but the Blondie was too big for Riki to see who it is. Raoul turned to the person beside him and whispered something before they stood up.
Riki's eyes widened, "Mimea?"
Mimea's hair was cut uneven and unattractive, and she wore a red sweater and shorts with boots. "Riki, are you okay?" She asked when she saw how different Riki looked and acted compared to before. It was like the life drained from her eyes, and she just lost the will to fight.
Riki nodded mutely, still surprised to see her friend after what happened. A sad hate-filled smile crawled onto her face as she turned to Iason, "Are you giving me one last chance to say goodbye to her?" She tried to keep her voice from cracking, but it was useless.
"No, that's not why they're here." Iason answered with a sigh. "Given recent actions and the consequences. It came to my attention that my response was counterproductive, and the consequences were far more severe as a result. Raoul and I have come to an agreement, and we're willing to forgive your mistakes and allow you two to keep seeing talking on the promise that neither of you repeat that with each other again." His words brought inexplicable joy to the two girls, Riki especially.
"I can still have my friend?" Riki asked, fearful that he would take it back.
"Yes, I realized she keeps you balanced. Interacting with her should keep you from cutting your face again." Iason stated since this is the best solution he can come up with to prevent another incident like earlier. "I believe you two have learned your lessons. This is the first and only warning we give you two. Never do that again. Understood?"
"Yes sir?" Riki and Mimea said, glad that they can still talk and continue their friendship.
Iason sighed, "You two can go talk in the other room while I discuss matters with Raoul."
Riki gave him a grateful smile, one he rarely sees on her. "Thank you."
Riki looped her arm with Mimea's and guided her out of the room. "Have you ever played solitaire?"
"No, what is that?" Mimea asked, curious about the foreign game.
"It's actually quite easy." Riki's voice faded the further she and Mimea got from the Blondies.
Iason sighed in relief and leaned back in his seat, "Glad that's taken care of." Now he won't have to worry about Riki hurting herself. At least for now.
Raoul narrowed his eyes at his friend. "I still don't like this. We care for our Pets, but we cannot cater to poor behavior."
"Riki did what she did because she thought she would never see her friend anymore. If Mimea's presence can stop Riki from hurting herself like that, then I can tolerate their friendship for Riki's sake." Iason stated as his Pet's smile flashed before his eyes. She now had more life in her compared to this afternoon.
Raoul sighed, "You really shouldn't spoil her like that?"
An hour later, it was time for Mimea and Raoul to go home. Riki gave Mimea a hug before she went to her Master's side and left the condo.
Riki watched her friend leave as Iason watched her, she was livelier as she explained the games to Mimea laughing as she instructed her how to play while telling her about the first time she played card games and the hilarious failures that came with learning. Iason couldn't deny how envious he was at their friendship, at how Mimea can get Riki to let her guard down and just relax. Riki was naturally afraid of him, always ready to put up a fight whenever he came close to her.
Riki turned to Iason and felt an awkward silence fall between them. She looked down, not angry, but didn't want to lose her pride. "Thank you."
Iason's hand gently cupped her cheek and made her look up at his towering height. There wasn't coldness in his eyes, but his frown was still in place. "This is my gift to you, as well as a compromise. I'm trusting you and Mimea not to do anything foolish." He firmly and gently said while stroking her cheekbone.
Riki nodded, "I know. It won't happen again." She didn't want a repeat of that hellish experience.
"I should hope so." Iason lowered his face to hers, "This also pacifies any urges to use that knife."
"Hardly a point since you have advanced tools to prevent scarring." Riki stated since this would be a waste of her time and energy.
Iason gave a satisfied smile at her words. "Good." His fingers combed through her black hair, making Riki shiver at the sensation. He brought her into is embrace and held her close, as though she'll disappear. "I'll never let you destroy yourself like that." He vowed as ran his fingers through her hair.
Riki knew she should not relax like this, but the way he held her and the feeling of his fingers brushing through her scalp eased the tension in her body. This whole day was a complete rollercoaster, and she's just exhausted. She didn't complain when Iason picked her up bridal-style and carried her through the condo to his bedroom.
