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Bonds of Misery	By : ColdSilence Category: Kingdom Hearts > Crossovers Views: 787 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
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Chapter List
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Bonds of Misery - Chapter Five; Property
Author: Cold Silence
E-Mail: writer.coldsilence@gmail.com
Fandom: Kingdom Hearts, Ai no Kusabi
Pairings: Multiple pairings all involving Sora. Given which fandoms are being crossed over, you might be able to guess why!
Warnings: Post DLC scenario. Non-Consensual / Rape situations, Underage Characters, child abuse. Very dark content, read at your own risk.
Special Note: I'm so excited to write this story. This will be my first foray into sci-fi content, as well as doing a canon-compliant crossover fic. Hopefully it doesn't take me ten years to finish it!

Bonds of Misery
-Chapter Five; Property-

The world was a ivory haze that was feathered by shadows. Sora was staring blankly into that void, completely numbed. It took his mind some time to interpret the view properly, and when it finally did, he woke up with a jolt. The whiteness was a wall, the darkness was his thick lashes obscuring his vision from half closed eyes, and everything, everything hurt.
A loud groan pushed through his lips as he took stock of what was going on. The lights were too bright, and there was a lot of pressure on the right side of his face and body. He realized that he was laying on his side, and he very nearly fell off the metal cot that he had been left on when he tried to sit up. His hands were twisted uncomfortably behind his back and held together by some kind of device that clamped his forearms together, palm side up.
Once he managed to get seated, it was all he could do to hang his head and wait for his nausea to pass. He felt really ill. If he could just summon his keyblade, he might be able to cast cure to get out of this mess, but the odd position of his hands and his pain were a barrier.
A soft sound came from somewhere in front of him, like a sliding door being pushed across its metal plate, followed by footsteps. Sora felt too weak to so much as lift his head up to see who was coming. Whoever it was grabbed his hair from the base of his skull and forced his neck back. He yelped and clenched his teeth, and tried to glare at the fuzzy outline of the person torturing him.
All he saw was a halo of blonde around a pale center. He blinked to try to clear up his vision, to no avail. “…Raoul?” he asked with trepidation. Sora’s memories of the last few hours were difficult to collect, but he knew that the blondie had been there. After what had been done to him, his feelings towards the man that had been so nice to him was a confusing mix.
The person holding his head up answered in a low, commanding voice, “It will please him that his name was the first thing you said upon waking up. You are experiencing the after effects of the truth serum. You will find it very unpleasant for the next few hours. Since you proved immune to the usual methods of extracting information, we will be proceeding with your interview in a less elegant manner.”
Sora’s head was released, and it immediately flopped back down. The stranger continued, “The rules are simple. I will ask a question, and you will answer. If you lie or otherwise try to obscure the truth, you will be punished immediately. We begin now.”
“Wait,” began Sora in a slurred voice. “How will you know if I’m lying or not?”
A cold smile curled the blondie’s lips. Sora realized in that moment that truth or lies probably weren’t the point of this exercise. He didn’t know what this guy wanted from him, but he knew that if he wasn’t able to provide whatever it was, then things were about to get worse.
“Let’s start simple,” said the blondie. “How old are you.”
“Sixteen,” answered Sora readily. To his utter shock, he was rewarded by a hard slap across the face that made his ears ring. A rush of adrenaline cleared up his brain fog almost immediately. “OW!!” he yelled loudly. “What was that for!”
“You are lying,” answered the blondie. He adjusted his impeccably white gloves as if they had somehow been disturbed by the violent maneuver. “Your body has been analyzed down to its last atom. Your telomere length indicates that you are closer to 14 years old.”
Sora gaped. He had a similar conversation with Vexen in the past concerning how old he should be considered. Chronologically and visually, he was definitely 16, but since he spent so much time in stasis in various times of his life, he could biologically be considered to be much younger. It was a source of great annoyance to him because he certainly didn’t want to be treated like he was still fourteen.
“Fine, fine, I’m 14, whatever,” he recanted with annoyance lacing his voice. “If that’s what you want to believe, then go for it. Just stop hitting me.”
“I can see why you insist on being older,” said the blondie. “You have clearly gone through puberty. How is a mystery. It is not part of your genome to begin the process at an earlier time, and we couldn’t detect any tampering at a cellular level. Whoever was responsible did exquisite work. Your body is flawless.”
“You looked –” With a start, Sora realized that he was not wearing his clothes. He glanced down at himself and saw that he was dressed in what appeared to be a hospital gown that only came up to his mid thigh. The draft that he felt at his back indicated just how flimsy the outfit was. “–You took my clothes!” he said in a scandalized tone.
“Pay attention.”
Sheer indignation gave Sora the strength to hold his head up, and to his relief, his eyes finally began to focus. When his vision cleared, he recognized the man standing in front of him as the guy he saw at Mistral Park; the one that caused Riki to have a small breakdown. “You’re–”
“Iason Mink. Just a blondie,” he interrupted regally. “And you are Sora. Surname unknown.”
Iason was holding a tablet in his hands. It was turned horizontally, and it projected a three dimensional image of a cargo ship above it. Sora recognized it immediately - it was the one that housed the Lanaya Hugo children.
“You interfered with the transport of this cargo ship and diverted it to the Commonwealth authorities, much to the outrage of the client who was expecting this delivery. Afterwards, you gained entry to a spaceport in our sector with a fake PAM and illegally entered Amoi via a passenger shuttle. Shortly after your arrival you went straight to Ceres, where you became entangled with a local group of mongrels known as Bison,” stated the blondie matter of fact.
Sora’s heart pounded as Iason rattled off all this information as if it was common knowledge. He had tried his best to blend in and not draw attention to himself, but clearly he had been watched and monitored all this time. “I had to do something,” he said plaintively. “That ship was messed up in an attack and those kids were all alone. Someone had to take care of them.”
“It was not your place,” said Iason evenly.
“When it comes to children its everyone’s responsibility to look after them,” said Sora obstinately.
“Were they unhappy?” questioned Iason. “Harmed or disturbed in any way?”
His inquiry stunned Sora. “No, they were just fine. But they weren’t themselves. It was like they were brainwashed.”
“They are dolls. Born to serve at the pleasure of their master,” said Iason.
“No way. Nobody is born to serve anybody else. That’s crazy!” argued Sora.
“Off-worlders are always challenging the established practices of Amoi,” said Iason. “You are not the first sinker who came here illegally and tried to uproot the ways of Tanagura from within. You champion the word freedom, but only as it applies to your own morals and religious propaganda. Your time has been wasted by coming here. Jupiter’s will bends to no one.”
“That’s not why I’m here,” said Sora quickly. “I came because you have a… a monster problem. And if you don’t let me go, then it’s just going to get worse. Your whole world can get swallowed up.”
“This world takes care of its own business, and you should have minded yours,” answered Iason coolly. “The only thing left to decide is the price you will pay for the embarrassment you have caused. Normally, a swift execution suffices, but you have something of interest. A weapon.”
“You can’t have it,” said Sora with a scowl. “You’re not worthy.”
This time, when Sora got hit again, he saw stars as he was toppled back onto his side. His jaw felt like it was unhinged, and he worked his mouth in hopes that it was actually still attached. He couldn’t believe how incredibly strong the blondie was.
“I’m… I’m not lying,” he said with a soft gasp. “It doesn’t work the way that you think.”
Iason leaned over the fallen boy. His hair draped over his shoulder and obscured Sora’s vision in a curtain of gold. A firm whisper marked his next words: “I will be the one to decide what can and can not be done. You came uninvited to Amoi, and now you will abide by its rules. You have no rights. You have no autonomy or legal recourse. It is within my purview to break you until your secrets spill out. This interview is just a courtesy for a friend who prefers you undamaged.”
Could that be Raoul? came Sora’s desperate thought. He swallowed thickly, and then spoke in a softer voice. “My weapon can’t be given away. It’s a part of me. No matter how much you hurt me, that won’t change.”
There was a stretch of silence, and then Iason lifted his hand again. Sora flinched and closed his eyes with a shudder. He expected another strike, but instead, the blondie lightly stroked the reddened skin of his cheek. It made his face sting.
“Did you touch my Riki?” asked Iason in a soft, steely whisper.
The question took Sora completely by surprise. “Y-you know Riki?”
“Answer me.” To emphasize his displeasure, the blondie applied pressure to Sora’s sore skin.
“I don’t know what you’re asking!” Sora bit out as he tried to squirm away from the painful touch. “We’re just friends!”
For a few tense moments, it seemed that Iason was displeased with what he heard and might further his punishment. Instead, he took his hand away and straightened to his full posture, which was an imposing six feet and five inches. Sora looked diminutive next to him. “One more thing,” he added in a normal tone. “There was cargo that was to be disposed of on that ship.”
“Sorry, I wrecked that too,” answered Sora with an impudent tone.
“Then I take it that he survived,” surmised Iason. He gave a long, dispassionate look at his captive while this information was digested. There was no need to contest the truthfulness of that statement; Sora’s face was an open mix of defiance and complacence. This satisfied the blondie, so he left the room in the same manner that he entered. The automatic door sealed behind him with a soft hiss.
Sora let out a breath that he had been holding. The full weight of how much trouble he was in sent him into a panic. He trashed against his bindings with no effect. Then he tried to summon his keyblade, but he kept dropping it due to the odd positioning of his hands.
Little did he know, there was a sophisticated camera above his cell that watched his every move. It had a round lens that viewed the room from a 360 degree angle and pulsed quietly with energy. Raoul was watching the goings on from an observation room that had a direct feed from the detention cell. It wasn’t long before he was joined by Iason.
“Fascinating,” said Raoul as he watched Sora struggle. “The weapon appears to transition in and out of subspace. A feat that is beyond the reach of our current technology. I don’t know how he is doing it. I have done multiple body scans and have not encountered any sort of device. His clothing is also unremarkable.”
“It’s dangerous,” said Iason. “Others with the same technology may breach Amoi when they come looking for him.”
“Then it’s a good thing that he wasn’t mind wiped or executed,” said Raoul. “It would cause an intergalactic incident.”
“Either way, he requires control,” said Iason. “Put him on the pet registry under your ID and give him a D-ring.”
“What manner of sordid humor is this?” Raoul turned around in his seat to stare at Iason. “I already have the most outstanding pedigrees in the entire galaxy. I asked you to fetch him for dissection, not to give me more problems.”
“Do with him as you please, but keep him alive and cowed,” said Iason. “If we can not separate him from his weapon, then we will make the wielder subservient to us.”
“Then you own him,” argued Raoul. “Surely you are more suited to training an unrefined Pet. You wasted three years breaking the last one.”
“It is precisely because of that history that it has to be you,” answered Iason crisply.
That seemed to squash the argument. Raoul said bitterly, “All because of that mongrel. He will forever be a shadow on your otherwise impeccable reputation. Very well. To save you from the reproachful eyes of Jupiter, I will register Sora as my property. I will only do it for you, despite my opinion that this is going too far for an off-worlder.”
“We may need him as a bargaining chip,” explained Iason. “If comrades with similar technology come to Amoi, then we can easily pose that he got tangled in the affairs of Tanagura when he came to Midas and got dragged into the depths of depravity.”
Raoul nodded slowly. “Overtaken by his own perversion, as so many are when they sample the Black Market. It’s brilliant. But will the rest of the council agree?”
“I will make arrangements to discuss this with them. I will leave the rest to you,” said Iason. Then he turned to leave the room.
However, before he got too far, Raoul said, “This is a wonderful distraction is it not? The council will be so focused on this issue that they will overlook your other hobbies.”
Iason simply closed his eyes and continued walking.
Raoul gave a long sigh, and then returned his attention to the viewscreen. “Now for you,” he said to the image of the struggling boy. “Breaking in strays is more Iason’s talent, but I suppose I could take an interest in someone who is resistant to mind tampering. Let us see just how strong your constitution is. We will begin by gassing.”
The scientist pressed a holographic button on the heads up display, and immediately several vents opened up in the room that Sora was in. A white gas filled up its interior, causing the boy to cough violently. He gagged and struggled for a good five minutes before he slid off his cot and slumped to the floor.
“How fun,” said Raoul with a smile.

{{———————————————–}}

It was a nightmare that had no ending. Sora didn’t know where he was or what was going on. Things were poking at him and touching him, but his arms and legs were completely paralyzed. His eyes were partially opened, and all he could see was blurs of light and occasional flashes of color. There was a pain in the base of skull and there was nothing he could do about it. His sense of time was disturbed and he felt panicked and afraid. The perceived world made no sense and his thoughts spiraled into fractured memories.
  No!! Why her!!!
  Alone, I’m worthless. We’ve lost… It’s over.
  What’s…gonna happen…
  Riku…
There was no telling how long this lasted. He was endlessly drowning in the ocean of his subconscious, but then a light appeared. Sora desperately clawed his way towards it, and suddenly his vision was flooded with a beautiful blue sky with drifting clouds. With a sharp gasp, he was wrenched out of his twilight sleep and breathing heavily. At first, he thought he was back in the Final World, but the heavenly expanse that was above him felt wrong. There was also wordless music playing; something that was tonal and ambient.
Somehow, he was cramped. He stretched his legs and felt the swish of soft silk rustling beneath him. It was slippery as he struggled to sit up, and the scenery around him glitched like a TV on the fritz. He heard metal clinking, but it was too heavy to be his zippers or keychains. His body was bathed in a blue light, and he realized that the sky above him was a fake projection that was reflecting upon him.
“What is this?” he said in complete shock. Sora looked down at himself and saw that he was naked and laying in a pool of soft material. A choked sound lodged in his throat when he realized that someone had shaved him everywhere. His leg hair, his pubic hair; even the light dusting of a treasure trail that he once had were completely gone. He lightly touched his legs to make sure that he wasn’t dreaming this, and realized that his hands were different too. All of his callouses were gone, which allowed him to feel how perfectly conditioned his skin was with utmost sensitivity.
“Is this some kind of joke?” he demanded angrily. It was as if a really bad prank had just been played on him, and he was scandalized at how far the perpetrator was willing to go. Sora moved to stand up, but practically choked himself when he was throttled by a heavy chain that was attached to a silver collar around his neck. The links stretched far enough to allow him to kneel before he ran out of leeway. He reflexively grabbed at the metal to slacken it while he struggled to move into a more functional position.
That was when he noticed that he was wearing an odd piece of jewelry. There was an ornate silver bracelet on his right wrist that had a black jewel as its centerpiece. He noted it, but didn’t pay further attention to it than a glance - it was more important that he get out of his predicament as soon as possible.
Suddenly, the sky simply collapsed out of existence and was replaced by an enormous dome of glass and steel framework. The real world that was beyond it was gray and overcast. Wherever he was, it was several stories up with a view of an expansive and advanced city that sprawled as far as the eye could see. He let out a breath of disbelief - he was definitely not in Ceres anymore. The realization was enough to make him stop struggling for a moment just to take it all in.
“I see that you like your new accommodations,” said a regal and familiar voice.
Sora tore his gaze away from the windows to behold that Raoul was in the room. The blondie had been standing outside of the projection, where he got a full show of his ward’s struggle with the leash. He was dressed as ornately as ever in a gold trimmed, lavender suit with lighter chest panels that flared up into a tall collar. A skintight black turtleneck was covering his throat. As strange as the man looked, the keyblade wielder wished he had even a fraction of his clothing right now.
“Raoul, this isn’t funny,” said Sora with a scowl. “Get this thing off me right now!”
Raoul sighed dramatically as if Sora was a child having a small temper tantrum. “This is already more tedious than I thought it would be,” he said with a dry and annoyed expression. “I am going to explain this to you briefly, and it is in your best interest to listen quietly. Your freedom has been revoked, and at the insistence of a dear comrade of mine, you are now my property.”
“Excuse me?” said Sora incredulously.
“You are now part of the Pet Registry as Z-208W,” continued Raoul smoothly. “You exist solely for my purposes now.”
“Nice story,” said Sora with flat indignation. “But I’m ending it right there.”
He extended his hand to summon his keyblade, but no sooner did his Kingdom Key manifest that he was stunned with an intense, excruciating pain that attacked him from head to toes. It was like being hit by one of Xehanort’s death rays, except it never stopped. A scream tore from his throat as he went down on his hands and knees, and his keyblade disappeared.
As Sora writhed in suffering, Raoul continued matter of fact. “I have personally ensured that you will not be able to use that weapon any longer. You will find that a swift punishment awaits you with each attempt. The D-ring on your wrist will modulate your pain response so that you do not grow accustomed to any negative stimulus that you experience. The intensity will never decrease and your nervous system will never accommodate to it.”
“S-Stop it!” Sora managed to stammer as he writhed in agony.
“Manners first,” said Raoul without a hint of pity.
It was hard to breath. There was glass in his lungs and acid was running through his veins. Taking in air cut him up from the inside and made him gasp. Sora imagined that his body was bleeding from every pore as his organs were twisted and chopped from the inside. The pain never got better; only worse with every passing second until he thought he was going to go completely out of his mind. “P-Please!!!!” he found himself begging.
“Will you be a good boy, Sora?” asked Raoul.
“YES! I’LL DO ANYTHING!”
Raoul brushed a bejeweled silver ring that was on his left middle finger. It had a gemstone that was glowing a deep amber, and upon touching it faded to black. There was a matching set on Sora’s bracelet that had come alive with the same deep red tones, and likewise returned to its inert state. Instantly, he collasped onto the silk sheets with a relieved sob.
The blondie walked over to the egg-shaped bed and reached in to brush the choppy layers of Sora’s brown hair, as if he was calming a stallion that recently went on a rampage. “You are not an academy trained pet, but your IQ is higher than the average graduate, so I expect that you will learn quickly. You only need to follow one rule. Do as I say, and you will not feel any pain.”
“…Why are you doing this?” asked Sora weakly. His muscles felt like they had been pureed. A cold sweat had broken out on his brow, and despite how much he wanted to swat Raoul’s hand away, he didn’t dare move in case it brought punishment.
“Data collection,” answered Raoul with a grin. “There is nothing in the universe that is a mystery. With scientific research, everything can be summarily explained. I will unlock your mysteries and use it to advance my work.”
“And if you can’t?” asked Sora. He purposely kept his voice soft and meek in hopes of avoiding retribution.
His question caused Raoul to chuckle. “There is no can’t. It is only a matter of time. I am sure that you will try to think of ways to escape, so I have taken the liberty of embedding an explosive at the base of your skull. If you leave the premises without clearance, you will be automatically decapitated.” As if to accent this fact, he softly traced a line just beneath Sora’s metal collar.
“Y-you’re serious,” said Sora incredulously. What he was being told sounded so absurd that it felt like a practical joke. “This is crazy!”
“Manners,” reminded Raoul. He reached for his ring again, and this time Sora felt pain searing down his spinal cord, all the way to his groin. He groaned as he curled in on himself against the onslaught.
“There is much to learn, but I do not have the time to train you myself. My furniture will see to it personally,” explained Raoul. “Ray will meet your needs and prepare you for your first debut. I will leave your discipline to his discretion. By obeying him, you obey me. As long as you follow Pet Law and don’t embarrass me, you will be free of pain.”
There was a stretch of silence, and through the haze of hurt, Sora realized that the blondie was waiting for an answer. He nodded his head quickly to indicate that he had listened, and then he was freed from his torture. A relieved sigh escaped his lips.
“Good. I expect an excellent report from Ray when I return. Make me proud, Sora.” With one final pat to his Sora’s head, Raoul stood up and went to an oval shaped doorway. Green lights illuminated upon sensing his approach, and it bifurcated sideways to grant him exit.
Once he was gone, Sora slowly sat up. He was still stunned by all the information he had just been given and what he had just experienced. Although he was no stranger to pain, what the D-ring did to him was utterly mind blowing. He looked at the jewelry on his wrist and tried to pry it off, only to find that it was somehow fused to his skin. Hesitantly, he touched the back of his neck and head, and after some feeling around, he found a lump hidden under his hair that wasn’t there before.
The thought of his head getting blown off made him shiver. I’m stuck here he thought with cold realization. Sora looked in the direction of the windows to behold the metal metropolis that spread outwards from his tower. I won’t be able to fight the heartless.
Then he looked at his hands, which were now soft with perfectly cleaned and trimmed fingernails. If I can’t fight my way out, maybe I can convince them somehow. That seemed to be his only option. Daryl was once furniture, and he was able to defy his master. Whoever Ray was, maybe he could be moved in the same way. As long as he had allies, there was a chance. After all, friends were his power.
After Raoul left, he found himself waiting indefinitely in that weird bed. He spent some time trying to figure out if there were any weaknesses that would allow him to escape, but he couldn’t find any. Eventually he became so bored that he started using the chain links of his leash to play out a small tune like a misshapen tambourine. When he finally heard the door open, he sat up eagerly to see who it was. Anything that broke the ennui was welcome at that point.
Standing at the doorway was a boy that looked to be about his age. He was Sora’s height, slender and handsome with hazel eyes and auburn hair. His body was encased in a sleeveless jumpsuit that was white and velcroed down at the seams. It made Sora glad to see someone in his peer group because that increased their chances of getting along.
“I am Ray,” introduced the furniture with an elegant bow. There was a terseness to his voice, as if he wasn’t used to nonsense or having things out of order. “My master has requested that I teach you the ways of Pet Law.”
“Great,” said Sora blandly. “I was never good at school.”
As soon as he said this, Ray squeezed a small remote that was in his hands. Instantly, Sora felt a pounding migraine that made him grab his head.
“The first thing you will learn is that you should never speak out of turn,” said Ray briskly. “You must be granted permission first.”
“Okay okay! I didn’t know,” complained Sora.
Ray pressed the button again, and Sora was relieved of the discomfort. “You are not from the Academy, and you have a short time to prepare for your debut,” he said smoothly. “We have much to go over today.”
“Can I ask something? Er, may I ask something?” Sora couldn’t help but shrink a little in case he was punished again, but instead, Ray gave him a nod, so he continued. “Can I have clothes?”
“You must shed yourself of all reservations. You will be nude until you demonstrate an appropriate level of comfort with it,” answered the furniture.
Sora sighed. He couldn’t imagine ever being comfortably naked in front of a stranger. “Why? It’s not like I’m all that great to look at.”
Ray looked as if he was going to buzz Sora again, but he changed his mind at the last moment. “You’re satisfying enough for Master Raoul. That’s all that matters. Now pay attention.”

{{———————————————–}}

Sora learned to hate the device that Ray carried with him. It was swiftly used to correct any mistakes that he made during his pet training, and in the beginning there were many. There were times when he wanted to overpower the furniture and take his freedom through brute force with his keyblade, but despite how easy it would have been, there was still the issue of having an explosive in his body. Knowing that his life could be ended at any moment caused him a great amount of anxiety and sleepless nights.
Although he wasn’t afraid of dying - his time in the Final World had comforted him in that way - he worried about leaving his friends behind. He knew that the pain it would cause them would be horrific, especially once they learned the manner that he had passed. There was no way that he was going to do that to them if he could help it. Besides, even if he couldn’t escape, he had faith that someone was going to come for him. All he had to do was wait.
However, the days were passing by. Sora learned how to kneel and sit properly. He silenced his voice and waited for permission to ask for things. The better that he got, the less pain he would feel, but he still had a lot of problems with the exposure of his body. It went beyond just walking around naked; he was literally not allowed to do anything for himself. Ray personally bathed and groomed him everyday. Even his bathroom times were not private; the furniture was always there to see to his hygiene needs, even though he was perfectly capable of doing it himself.
In the beginning, he argued and complained about the ridiculousness of it all, only to be punished until he was nothing more than a withering mess on the floor. Ray would then take the opportunity to attend to him while he was incapacitated, leaving him humiliated beyond what words could express. After days of this, he eventually sat stoic and red-faced during those ordeals.
Then the day came when Ray led him into the bathroom, and he didn’t blush or complain during the entire procedure. Instead, he simply said, “I hope this makes you happy,” in a condescending way.
To his surprise, he wasn’t severely punished for his backtalk. Instead, Ray seemed perfectly satisfied as he answered, “Master Raoul will be proud of you.”
Everything always came back to how his actions would impact Raoul Am. The blondie was an ever present authority in everything he said and did, but he was never around. When Sora wasn’t training, he would spend hours bored out of his mind just waiting for something to happen. He was not allowed to leave the apartment that he stayed in, and Ray wasn’t much of a conversationalist. Even mealtimes were bland affairs consisting of a tall, tasteless and pale drink called an Amurita. It sated Sora’s hunger but left him missing the sights and smells of Le Grand Bistrot in Twilight Town.
It got to the point that he purposely spoke out of turn just to keep himself from going completely numb. Although it earned him punishments, it was better than sitting around and letting his frustrations slowly overtake him. With every passing day, he wondered what was taking Riku so long to come get him. Then he realized that maybe he didn’t know that something had gone wrong in his mission. That thought caused a fluttering type of panic to build up in his chest. It was already difficult to sleep, but the belief that no one was coming ratcheted his anxiety to untold levels.
Ray took note of this, and began to bring a small white bowl filled with flowery leaves and oil to Sora’s bedside. Every night, he would light a small wick and a calming smell would fill the room. Instantly, Sora would drift off as he inhaled the fumes. Although the keyblade wielder knew that he was being drugged, it was a welcome reprieve to the storm that his thoughts had become. He saw it as a small act of mercy from the furniture, even though it was likely just another one of his many duties.
One morning, when he woke up from another twilight sleep, he would find Ray dutifully packing up the source of anesthetic vapors that had been left out overnight. Although it was nothing out of the ordinary, Sora could tell by the way he was moving that something was different. There was a stiffness to him that indicated agitation. In all the time that they spent together, Sora believed that there wasn’t a single physical part of him that Ray didn’t know because of the nature of his care, but it also meant that he learned to observe the furniture for any and all cues that indicated that he had done something wrong.
“Master Raoul is satisfied with your training thus far,” said Ray without preamble. There were never any greetings or good mornings between them, just brisk orders and quick snippets of information. “He wishes for you to begin interacting with other pets. He is allowing his current one, Elisha, to meet with you. Remember all that you’ve learned.”
Sora’s heart pounded with this news. Whenever he thought of other pets, he imagined that they were like the Lanaya Hugos that he helped to rescue. The thought of meeting one now awakened every protective instinct inside of him. It was also with great shame that he realized that he was happy to have someone around who was sharing a similar experience, even if that meant misfortune for the other party. He missed having friendship.
As if sensing Sora’s thoughts, Ray added matter of factly, “You will be allowed to speak to each other freely. Master Raoul thinks it is good that you have a companion at this stage in your training.” He glanced up at Sora and paused. It had been nearly two weeks since he started training him, and yet this was the first time that he saw how bright the pet’s eyes could be. After a moment, he added, “She will be here shortly. You have free reign until then.”
The rest of the morning passed as per their usual routine. Sora was unchained from the egg-shaped bed and had a brief breakfast with another tall drink of Amurita. Then he had his shower, grooming and toileting session. When he was done being treated like a pampered poodle, he remained in the apartment while Ray went to fetch Elisha. Thankfully he was left untethered, so he was free to walk around and stretch his muscles. He spent the time doing a few cartwheels and handstands just to rid himself of the nervous energy.
“Swim this way, we’ll dance and we’ll play now,” he sang to himself. In the few moments of privacy that he had, he could finally feel a little relaxed. Sora couldn’t help but wonder how bizarre his life had gotten lately. Out of all his adventures, being forced to be trapped in a room and naked really took the cake. What would Riku and Kairi say when he told them this tall tale? He rolled his hips and made his member swing around like a jump rope. After being in the nude for so long, he was getting used to it.
Then, he heard the door open. It separated horizontally and folded down like the petals of a flower, revealing Ray and the pet he was bringing in by leash. Connected to the end of the short chain was girl with a voluptuous body, short orange hair that curled at her neck and cheeks, and a large, red lipped smile. She appeared to be about Sora’s age and was only an inch shorter. Unlike him, she was clothed in a red spandex top that hugged her breasts tightly and revealed her flat midriff. Her bottom half was barely covered in bikini style shorts that hid her front but did nothing for the back.
“Oh there he is!” she said excitedly. As soon as Ray released her, she bounded over to Sora with a smile. “I’ve heard so much about you! You are even cuter in person! Your eyes! That hair! Good muscles! You look a little small down there right now but no way Master Raoul would pick someone who’s not hung!”
Sora made a strangled sound as he covered himself and flushed a deep red. Suddenly, he remembered why being naked was a bad thing. “W-why do you get to wear clothes?” he stammered.
“Because I’m not a silly virgin like you,” she said airily. “I can’t wait until we start going to soirees! We are going to have so much fun!”
Elisha reached down to pat Sora’s crotch, but he jumped away at the last moment, which caused her to giggle like it was all a game. Confusion wrinkled his face as he tried to understand why this girl was so happy. She was a pet; he could see that she was wearing a jeweled anklet that was similar to the one that he had on his wrist. Instead of black, hers was a jade color that sparkled with a princess cut.
She pranced around the apartment in her bare feet, which made the ridiculous dimensions of her body jiggle with every move. Sora averted his eyes. I’m not a virgin he muttered mentally. Somehow, he knew that saying so out loud would not lead to anything good.
He hoped that having another pet in the apartment would gain him an ally or at the very least, earn him a friend, but Elisha was weird. She was constantly invading his space and touching him inappropriately. Sometimes she would flash him a breast or bend over in his face with a naughty smile. He didn’t know what to make of it; no girl had ever behaved that way towards him in his whole life.
It seemed that he wasn’t the only one made to suffer. Ray was also subjected to this behavior, and he endured it with the same dignity that he did everything else. One time, she grabbed him from behind and rubbed her breasts against his back, and Sora couldn’t help but come to the furniture’s defense. “Will you stop that already?” he practically barked. “He doesn’t like it.”
To his surprise, he was swiftly punished with a click of a button. It hadn’t been used for so long that it was extra shocking to suddenly feel pain spreading from his low back. Sora went down to his knees with a heavy flinch. “W..why!” he demanded to know.
“Elisha isn’t doing anything wrong,” answered Ray. “She is behaving perfectly as per the master’s wishes. I can’t allow you to interfere with that.”
While this was going on, Elisa continued to rub herself on Ray, although she paused momentarily to give Sora a strange look. “His is a D-ring? Why would Master Raoul take a pet that’s not trained right?”
“Experiment,” answered Ray. “Don’t let it bother you. He probably won’t be here too long.”
“That makes sense!” said Elisha with renewed joy. “Master Raoul loves his experiments!”
Sora groaned until Ray saw fit to relieve him of his punishment. He shakily pushed himself up from the ground. What is wrong with this place!! he mentally screamed for the thousandth time. Every time he thought he understood it, things would get worse.
At the very least, Elisha alleviated some of the boredom he felt in the apartment, but not in the way that he hoped. He became even more hypervigilant in order to prevent becoming victim to her advances. It was especially concerning at night, because he was leashed to a bed and drugged to sleep whereas the other pet was allowed to roam free. Sometime he woke up to her hovering over him, and it was anyone’s guess if she had been touching him while he was resting.
It was during one of those encounters that he tried to talk to her. It was hard to have any privacy with Ray constantly watching them, but while she was leaning into his bed, he was able to whisper, “Are you really okay with this?”
Elisha blinked in confusion as she asked, “Okay with what?”
“Being a pet,” clarified Sora. “Having to do what everyone else says all the time.”
“Don’t be silly,” said Elisha with a smile. “I only have to do what Master Raoul says, not anyone else!”
“So you’re saying that you’re alright with that?” pressed Sora. “It doesn’t bother you at all?”
“Why would it? I’m a good pet. If you were a good pet, you’d like it too,” she said reproachfully.
“That’s enough talking,” said Ray when he noticed them whispering. “Sora, it’s time for your bath.”
Sora let out a long sigh. He didn’t know how much more of this he could take.
“Don’t make that sound,” said Ray sternly. “Today is an important day. You are debuting tonight.”
That announcement made Elisha gasp and clap happily. Sora straightened up, because debuting meant that he was going to have to leave the apartment. Even if he didn’t understand what it was for and couldn’t escape, at the very least someone could see him out there. Maybe his friends were looking for him and they didn’t know where he was. This was his chance to let them know.
The routine went a little different that day. His bath was extra fragrant and left a subtle but attractive smell on his body. Ray paid extra special attention to his grooming and made sure that not even a stud of a hair was left on his skin in any area of his body. It was agony just lying there while the furniture went over him with a fine tooth comb, both literally and figuratively. Then he was helped into a high collared spandex top and bikini cut shorts that were similar to what Elisha was wearing, except his were colored a dark blue. A black leather collar was affixed to his neck, where it sat so snugly that he could feel it move every time that he swallowed. In a way, he was more embarrassed to be wearing that getup than to walk out of the apartment naked.
However, the real surprise of the day was when the doors to the apartment opened and Raoul stepped inside. He was greeted by a deep bow from Ray, and Elisha immediately laid herself prostrate on the ground and quieted down. Sora missed his cue by half a beat, but he likewise put himself on the floor before he was punished for not getting on his knees. The blondie’s sudden appearance filled him with emotions of anger at the situation he was placed in and desperation to gain his freedom back, however he had to choke it all down or get buzzed into submission again.
“This is quite the greeting,” said Raoul in a pleased tone of voice. “Elisha.”
Upon being called, Elisha raised her head up with a bright smile. “I missed you so much, Master Raoul!”
The blondie rewarded her by affectionally patting her head. She leaned into his palm and practically purred like a kitten while she was showered with attention.
Once he was finished with her, Raoul walked towards Sora. Ray’s lips thinned to a straight line as he watched his master approach the boy. If their new pet behaved badly, then it would reflect poorly upon him.
“Sora.”
Upon hearing his name, Sora raised his head as he was trained to do. Ray had told him that when their master walked through the door, he was supposed to be greeted with enthusiasm. However, it was all he could do to keep his mouth closed so he didn’t start yelling his frustrations at the top of his lungs. Instead of petting him, Raoul took hold of his chin and firmly made him tilt his head back. Sora kept his eyes lowered and barely keep his mouth from quivering with the effort of behaving. He kept saying over and over in his head, Not going to get punished, not going to get punished, not going to get punished–.
“Ray, you have done wonderful work,” complimented the blondie. “He took to your training quite well.”
Ray’s entire body relaxed at his master’s praise. He bowed deeply again, “I am glad that it pleases you.”
“His eyes are beautiful,” said Raoul as he continued to inspect his pet. “Such a shame that you didn’t come from an academy.”
That information made Elisha gasp. She suddenly looked at Sora as if he were a hideous thing that had been placed into the room.
“Frankly I don’t want to debut you,” continued Raoul. “But I have no choice because of Pet Law. You are too old to be kept in the shadows, and I can only take one scandal at a time. Bad enough that I will be judged for having an outsider as a pet. But I suppose it is worth it if Iason is indebted to me because of it.”
Sora’s face was released, much to his relief. The longer that he was at the center of Raoul’s attention, the more chances that he had to mess up. His mind was going a mile a minute as he weighed his options. A debut sounded like something really important; so as long as he stood out, someone was bound to see him.
“I apologize Elisha. You won’t be coming to the party tonight. Today is all about Sora,” Raoul informed his pet. This earned him an unhappy pout from the girl, which made him chuckle. “It is just one party. You are booked solid for several weeks. Just bide your time. Ray - we will now depart.”
Ray seemed to come to life from the place where he was frozen in waiting. He walked over to Sora and gestured for the boy to stand up. As soon as the pet obeyed, he diligently fixed a lead to the collar around his neck. Together, they left the apartment in a formal procession with Raoul at the head, Ray next, and Sora trailing behind his chain.
As soon as they stepped out into the hallway, Sora’s heart started to pound. He couldn’t guess how long it had been since he was confined to Raoul’s personal quarters. The tower that he was forced to stay in was transparent in most places and gave dizzying views of the city as seen from several stories up. Their walking was aided by automated floors that rolled them forwards with little effort.
From what Sora could see, the best way to escape was to take a flying leap over the edge of the lattice-styled, crystal banisters that separated the walkways from a long fall to the ground level. If he were under different circumstances, he would have not hesitated to make the jump. He could almost feel the wind rushing past in that freefall and see the faces of his captors twisted in astonishment when they realized that they couldn’t keep him.
His fantasy of escape was interrupted when he felt a gentle pull on his lead. There was a fork in the hallway, and Raoul took the left side while Ray led Sora the right. Surprised, he couldn’t help but ask, “How come he’s going that way?”
“You did not foolishly think that you would be sharing an elevator with a blondie did you?” answered Ray. He brought Sora to an entirely separate elevator that had a decal of a person with a leash around its neck. Ray pointed at the picture as he said, “That sign designates the areas that you are allowed to be in. Please remember it.”
“Only a dummy would forget that,” said Sora blandly.
“It took Elisha two weeks to remember what that sign meant,” said Ray. “Now look into the retinal scanner.”
Sora took a few blinking moments as he tried to comprehend how Elisha was unable to understand such an obvious and simple sign. Then, at Ray’s urging, he leaned forwards and looked into an oval lens. He stared into a blue light that swept over his iris, and a gentle, computerized voice stated, “Pet ID Z-208W confirmed.”
The elevator doors opened. Ray brought Sora inside. Despite the tower having several floors, the buttons were very limited. There were only three choices to be had: One had the decal of a house, another appeared as flowers, and the final had an “x”. Ray pushed the flower symbol, and their cart moved down on whisper soft hydraulics.
“When Lord Raoul grants you more freedom in Eos, you will use this elevator to visit the pet salon,” explained Ray. “Today, you will wait in the salon until you are transported to Midas to be debuted. And Sora - do not try to step out of line. Your every move is being watched.” He pointed one finger upwards. Above their heads was an oval shaped lens that was quietly pulsing with floating rings.
  A camera? wondered Sora as he looked upward. Then he shifted his gaze back to Ray. “This is my first time out in forever. What makes you think that I would do something to mess that up?”
“Your eyes,” said Ray evenly. “One would have to be blind to not see how badly you want to be free of this leash. But you may as well accept that there is nothing you can do.”
Sora looked directly at Ray. He didn’t believe that there was nothing that he could do. After all, he would always have a keyblade no matter what they did to him. As soon as he had even a sliver of an opening, he was going to get away. All of that and more was conveyed in his stare.
“Are you sure that you’re not talking about yourself?” he countered.
Occasional shadows passed over their bodies as the cart plunged down its tube. Ray answered simply, “It’s your head.”
After that chilling warning, they arrived at their destination. The door opened, and they stepped out into an environment that was lush with greenery, statues of abstract art and flowing pools of water. Several pets were already there, and they were all milling about the walkways in their sparse clothing in relative tranquility.
Sora’s mouth hung open as he took it all in. After being in the boring flat for so long, seeing other people moving freely and being in an organic environment was like a breath of fresh air. He barely registered when Ray took the lead off his collar.
“You have a half hour before we officially leave,” said Ray. “I will come for you then. This is an opportunity to get to know the other debutants. Please make the most of your time.”
It was hard to resist the urge to hug Ray for giving him a chance to stretch his wings. Instead, Sora gave him a practiced bow as he was taught, and wasted no time in taking a quick stroll that was short of a full out run. Like a horse let out into the wild, his first instinct was to gallop, but he was limited by the size of the space and people in his way.
Mapping out an exit was the first thing on his mind, but after looping the conservatory once, it became obvious that the elevator was the only way in or out. From the transparent walls, he could see that they were much closer to ground level, perhaps only 2 stories up. He considered the thickness of the glass and whether it would easily smash.
  It’s your head.
The memory of Ray’s words made Sora shudder. He reminded himself that he had to stick to his original plan and get seen. At least that part would be easy, considering how anyone could easily look past the walls.
“Don’t pee on it!” said a female voice.
He looked back to see a petite girl with deep blue hair and matching eyes peering at him. She was dressed as a pet in skin tight latex that was a pale blue, and had a sapphire jewel in the collar around her neck. Upon getting Sora’s attention, she giggled.
“Why would I pee on it?” asked Sora with a weirded expression.
“Why not?” she countered, as if he was the dumb one for questioning the logic. “The bathroom is this way!”
The girl took Sora’s wrist and started tugging him to follow. Dumbly, he stumbled after her until they reached an area of the salon that had a cushioned bench and two doors. One had a decal of what was clearly a phallus dropping liquid, and the other was a female version doing the same. Once again, Sora was struck by the strangeness of the pictures that were hung around as signs.
“Taadaa!” said the girl in a cute way once they arrived. “That one is for you.” She pointed to the male bathroom sign with the sort of smile that said that she was delighted at her own intelligence.
“Thanks, I’ll be sure to use it,” said Sora in a friendly way. He found her demeanor to be amusing. She was certainly a far cry from Elisha who constantly hassled him.
“You found the other debutant!” A male approached them - another pet whose color scheme appeared to be green, down to his hair. His collar had a emerald jewel. The guy was well built with a friendly face. “Did he find the bathroom already?”
“Yup, I showed him!” answered the blue haired girl.
Sora didn’t know if there was some kind of inside joke involving the bathroom, but he found himself laughing lightly despite himself. It was nice to find himself among people who were friendly, despite the situation. “So we’re all debuting together?”
“Yes, I can’t wait!” exclaimed the girl happily. “We get to eat and have juice!”
It was hard not to be infected by their excitement. They made it seem like debuting was the most amazing experience in their lives. He couldn’t help his curiosity over it. Ray had explained that debuting meant that owners got the opportunity to show off their pets. Who knew what that entailed.
There were many questions that he wanted to ask, but before he could, the two pets suddenly shrinked away and started whispering to each other. They were looking behind Sora with pointed glares.
“What’s wrong?” asked Sora. He looked over his shoulder and immediately froze. Passing by the bathroom area was a pet who was clad all in black. Unlike the others who were lounging about, he was much older and well built. Among all the rainbows of colored hair that surrounded him, his was midnight and wild.
Sora couldn’t believe what he saw. When the guy disappeared around the bend of the corner, he ran to catch up to him. He stretched a hand out to catch that person’s shoulder and make him turn around to face him.
“Touch me and I’ll rip it off,” snarled the pet as he whirled around - and then froze in his tracks.
“……Riki?!” said Sora incredulously.
Riki’s face crumbled from angry, to aggrieved, to realization. “Why are you here?” he demanded tensely.
“Kirie took me to Neal Darts,” answered Sora. “I got caught by the Darkmen while I was there. Next thing I know, I’m wearing these stupid clothes and living with a blondie.”
“A blondie wanted you?” Riki practically spat. “Are they all going nuts one by one?”
“What about you?” asked Sora. “Why are you here?”
That question caused a dark look to cross Riki’s face. “Kirie betrayed Bison. The gang was crushed by Darkmen. It happened not long after you disappeared. You realize he probably sold you out.”
Sora was stunned by this news. He could hardly believe it. Was Kirie capable of doing something like that to his own friends? To him? “Why would he do that?” he said in disbelief.
Riki laughed bitterly. “You have to do what you can to get ahead in this world, or get trampled. He was probably given an opportunity that he couldn’t refuse. I hope it was fucking worth it.”
The thought of being betrayed by Kirie left a bad taste in Sora’s mouth. He couldn’t think of anything that was worth treating his friends like that. Not for all the aerocars and clothes and girls in the world. “So where are the rest of the guys? I’ll go say hi to them,” offered Sora. At the very least, he wanted to give the rest of the members of Bison his support.
“They’re not here,” said Riki. “They got beat within an inch of their lives and got tossed out with the garbage. They are the lucky ones.”
“Then it’s just us,” murmured Sora. He could see Riki’s logic regarding why their friends were considered fortunate. If Sora had to choose between being beat up and set free versus the slow torture he endured every day, he would have preferred the former. “Why?”
Riki placed a hand over his face. “Been asking that for years.”
  Years? But Riki was just in Ceres. How could he be a pet for years? Things began to dawn on Sora when he remembered Kirie’s gripes about Riki being missing for a long time, and then suddenly returning. Could it be that during that time, he was being kept as a pet?
He had so many questions, but he wasn’t the only one. Riki suddenly looked at him with a fierce expression. “Why haven’t you used that thing that you have to get out of here?”
“My keyblade?” asked Sora. “Normally I would, but they put something in my neck. They said it would blow up if don’t do what they say.”
“Let me see.” Riki reached for the back of Sora’s head and pulled him closer so he could inspect it. He ran his finger over the lump that he saw there, confirming the implantation of what was thought to be an explosive device. “Those dirty bastards.”
As Riki muttered over the unfairness of it all, Sora couldn’t help but feel a sense of relief. He didn’t say it out loud, but he was glad to find a familiar face in the midst of his predicament. So much so that the man-handling of his neck felt like a hug.
They heard a soft beep that thrilled through the salon, and a message blared over the PA system: “All debutants please report to the elevator. All debutants please report to the elevator. All–”
The message was repeated over and over again. Sora sighed. “That’s me, I have to go.”
“You’re debuting?” said Riki in surprise. He grasped Sora by the shoulders and gave him a frantic stare. It looked like he had something to say, but the words were struggling to come forth.
Even so, Sora understood. They had a kinship over the shared experience of being trapped as pets. Moreover, he finally knew what it was that Darryl was requesting of him.
  I get it now.
Sora placed his hand over Riki’s to gently brush it off his shoulder. “We’ll see each other again,” he promised.
Riki’s expression was a storm of emotions. He wanted to believe him, but he knew better than to get his hopes up. “At the debut – don’t eat or drink anything if you can help it,” he warned.
That caused Sora to pause. However, any further conversation was interrupted by Ray, who was marching his way with leash in hand. “They have been calling for you,” he admonished Sora. He quickly latched the end of his lead to his pet’s collar and gave it a tug. “Come.”
Ray gave Riki a disapproving scowl, and then briskly walked back to the elevators. “Don’t associate with that pet,” he warned Sora.
“Why?” asked Sora as he kept pace behind the furniture.
“He is a mongrel. He is unsuited for you,” explained Ray. Once they were past the elevator doors, he hit the decal marked “x”. Their cart sped downwards to the ground floor.
“If having a mongrel is so bad, then why bother making him a pet?” asked Sora.
“We are not going to have this conversation,” said Ray with a frown. “It is not our place to pass judgement on another owner. Continue to speak ill and you will pay the price.”
That was enough to make Sora shut his mouth. After lasting this long without being punished, he was more than happy to continue following the status quo to avoid pain. Even so, he couldn’t help but feel defiant over everyone’s opinion of Riki. If they knew just how much people in Ceres looked up to leader of Bison, then they wouldn’t be so quick to call him ‘unsuited.’
Sora was taken to a private aerocar which took off in the direction of Midas. The clean lines of Tanagura were soon replaced by neon lights and bustling crowds. They traveled to a building that was illuminated with gold lights and tall doors that looked like they belonged to a castle. A red carpet leading to its entrance was flanked with liveried servants. They bowed to men and women dressed in glittering gowns and expensive suits, like lords and ladies arriving to attend a ball.
There was an air of excitement that was infectious. Did all those people come to see him? Was he really that special? Better yet, could Riku be in that crowd?
Instead of being in led in through the front doors, the aerocar landed at a side entrance that was away from the crowd. Sora was taken to a room that was filled with other pets and their furniture. He recognized the boy and girl that he met earlier, and the two of them waved to him enthusiastically. A smile was given to them in return.
“Hold still,” commanded Ray. He took a moment while Sora wasn’t moving to place a receiver into his ear. “That will connect you directly to Raoul,” he explained. “You must obey what he says.”
Sora lightly touched the earpiece that sat directly in his canal. “I know. I did listen to everything you’ve ever told me.”
Ray seemed surprised when Sora said this, but he quickly hid his expression. “Good luck,” he said, and then he unleashed and left the pet.
The venue where the debut was occurring was structured like a restaurant theatre. There were several levels of private tables that faced a fenced stage. Food and drinks were served to the people that gathered to observe the spectacle that was to occur.
Raoul was in a private booth located at the highest level. He was sitting on a chair with his legs crossed in a relaxed stance. Next to him was Iason, and together, they made an imposing air in their corner of the building.
After dropping off Sora, Ray joined the blondies, but he did not sit at the table. Instead, he stood off to the side, bowed deeply, and then waited with his hands folded in front of him.
“Did Sora play well with the other pets?” inquired Raoul.
“Yes,” answered Ray. “He is very well liked. I expect that he will be popular. However, I must report that he was seen in the company of Riki.”
“I want a full transcript of everything that was said between them,” said Iason without so much as a glance at the furniture.
“As you wish,” said Ray with a bow.
“Once again, you have left your mongrel home instead of bringing him with you,” said Raoul in a reproachful tone. “Not that I blame you. I would be embarrassed to parade an old broken down horse to this crowd.”
“If Riki were here, then he would draw every eye,” said Iason matter of factly. “I receive requests for him constantly.”
“I’m certain he did - three years ago,” said Raoul with a frown. “What was the point in freeing him if you were just going to collar him again? If you enjoy his appearance so much then give him breeding rights and have him stud a whole brood just like him.”
“Not even your lab would be adequate enough to make an exact replica of my Riki,” said Iason coolly. “Nor will it ever be able to capture the so-called essence of your Sora.”
“You must be in a foul mood if you’re willing to say these hurtful things,” said Raoul. “I can perfect Riki. I will craft you a pet so beautiful that your brain will buzz in delight.”
“You are making the assumption that there is beauty in perfection,” answered Iason neutrally, as if it was natural to have these sorts of discussions with the scientist. “I propose that there is something greater in imperfection.”
“Do you know how absurd it is to hear this from the blondie who is arguably the closest to perfection by Jupiter’s standards?” said Raoul. “If you continue this line of thinking, I’ll be asked to tamper with your mind.”
“I assure you that I continue to function at peak performance,” said Iason. “As long as my work remains flawless, what I do with my pets is my personal business. Let us not discuss these things anymore. We are here with a different purpose in mind.”
“Of course,” begrudged Raoul. His expression was worried, but Iason was right. They were here for the debut. Their attention then turned to the arena, which became lit with overhead spotlights.
The stage was separated into three tiers. At the bottom two levels, pets were standing in proud poses to show the frame of their bodies. They were separated by quality; with academy bred pets occupying the middle level and private companies supplying the ones on the floor. Sora found himself at the topmost tier along with the male and female that he had met earlier.
Their floor was different than the others. There was a table filled to the brim with all sorts of delicious food. After surviving on only Amuritas all the time, the sight of a real banquet made Sora’s stomach twist in knots. The other two that came with him wasted no time in taking a seat and eating with abandon. As much as Sora wanted to do the same, he remembered Riki’s warning.
  Don’t eat or drink anything if you can help it.
Then a voice came through his receiver:
“Sit and eat. This banquet was prepared especially for you.”
A shiver went down his spine when he heard Raoul’s voice. He walked to the table and reluctantly sat down. Sora tried to stall, but then he started feeling a dull pain in his head.
“Eat,” insisted Raoul.
The pain was slowly growing worse. Sora reached for something that looked like a cupcake, and immediately the pain started to reside.
  Sorry Riki. Looks like I can’t help it.
He took a bite of the food, and a rich, delicious flavor exploded in his mouth. Sora couldn’t help but murmur a soft note of appreciation of how good it was. Normally he would have tore into the food like a ravenous beast like his fellow pets, but Riki’s warning gave him trepidation.
“Look down. See how everyone is enjoying themselves because of you.”
At Raoul’s urging, Sora leaned up from his seat to peer over the edge of his platform, and what he saw made him choke. All the pets that had gathered to the debut were now kissing each other, touching, copulating. They had become a mess of twisting limbs and tongues and legs like the living version of Dante’s second level of hell.
“What….” he whispered in complete disbelief, and in the next moment, he started to giggle. There was a ticklish feeling bubbling up in his chest, one that was spreading outwards and infecting all of his limbs with a buzz that seemed to extend down to every hair follicle.
He had seen and done amazing things in his life. Sora had traveled the worlds and mingled with emperors and queens, gods and heroes, and got to see and experience places that only existed in people’s dreams. He had been to deserts, cold tundras, lush forests, urban jungles, actual jungles; worlds so senseless that they painted the roses red and worlds so regimented that they ran on computer code.
Sora had literally seen the path to hell and put out Hades’s hair on the trip there, and had made it to Final World and back. So to think that there existed a world where people enslaved others, sat down to dinner and watched them fornicate, and considered that the height of their entertainment, was the most ludicrous thing that he had ever experienced in his life.
This was what had people so excited? This was what Ray had been so meticulously training him for? Raoul’s whole reputation relied on this? Explosive laughter burst from Sora’s lips. His mirth was so intense that his body was shaking and there were tears in his eyes.
“Good. I see that you are feeling it now,” came Raoul’s voice from his earpiece.
“This is so duuuuuumb!” drawled Sora between waves of laughter. “I want to clobber you all so bad for living in such a stupid way, hahahaha!”
The tickling in his body was turning into a slow burn. He could feel his temperature spiking from his core. His pupils dilated until the spotlights shining on him turned his field of vision completely white. The murmuring of the crowd seemed to coalesce into one giant noise, like an unrelenting wave of the ocean.
And suddenly he was there. Sora was perched on the bent paopu tree, and he found himself staring off into the beautiful horizon of Destiny Islands. He dangled his bare feet over the sand and smiled happily.
“Guys, guys,” he said insistently to his friends. Riku and Kairi were on the same tree as him, and they looked over with grins on their faces. “I have to tell you about this crazy world I visited. You would never believe it.”
“Tell me more about it,” said Kairi as she slid off the branch. She walked over to where Sora was dangling his legs and hugged his calf in an affectionate way. Riku followed suit, and he placed his chin on Sora’s knee as he gazed up at him.
“In this world, people only care about doing it,” explained Sora. “I haven’t figured out the reason yet.”
“That doesn’t sound so bad,” said Riku. He reached for the seat of Sora’s pants and groped him through his clothing. Sora’s legs twitched as he felt electricity move up his seat and into his spine. His member swelled up and made an obvious bulge that his friend caressed with his hands.
“You would say that,” said Sora as his breath deepened. He started to undulate his hips beneath the other’s practiced touch. “There was something wrong though….”
“It’s because you’re doing it without me,” complained Kairi. She slide her hand under the cuff of Sora’s shorts and followed his leg up past his thighs with a soft, searching touch. She found what she was looking for past his seam and grasped his cock and balls. With a little push, she made him spill out of the top of his clothes.
Sora couldn’t remember the last time that he saw himself hard. His tryst with Riku had happened so fast that he didn’t get a good look at himself. Now that he was leisurely sitting with his best friends between his legs, he could see how thick he was and how pink his tip could get.
“Wow,” he said in amazement. “I didn’t realize that I got this big.”
“I’ve seen bigger,” teased Riku. He took Sora’s girth in hand and gave his shaft a long, unabashed lick.
“When??” Sora demanded to know, however his next thoughts turned to mush when Riku tasted him. A wave of pleasure shook his body and nearly made him fall off the tree. “Nngh!!”
“Let me try it,” insisted Kairi. Riku tilted Sora’s shaft over, and she leaned in to lick the head and flutter her tongue against it. “Mmmm, that is good.”
Riku rolled Sora’s dick back to himself and placed the entire thing in his mouth. He bobbed his head a few times and Sora responded with a loud moan. It was then passed to Kairi, who wasted no time putting her lips on it and doing the same. Sora was eagerly shared between them, and they created a wet, sticky mess with their saliva.
It looked dirty, but Sora couldn’t take his eyes off it. His cock was gushing transparent fluid that stuck to their lips and cheeks. “You guys don’t have to do this,” he said out of courtesy, all while hoping that they would never ever stop.
In answer, they changed Sora’s position. Riku placed one of his legs over his shoulder, and Kairi spread the other to the side using her hip. They opened him up like a book and exposed his genitals to the watching ocean. The sounds they were making - all the slurping and wet smacks of their lips - mingled with the cresendo of Sora’s voice as he was taken higher and higher to ecstacy.
“I love you both so much!” he exclaimed emphatically.
“You’re so cute!” said Kairi with a giggle. “I can’t wait until I put your dick inside me.”
“I’m going to fuck his virgin hole so hard that he won’t be able to stand up,” added Riku with a grin.
“…Hey.” Sora frowned. The buzz that he was feeling was suddenly waning. “Why are you talking to me that way?”
His friends would never say things like that. Sora tilted his gaze down to look Riku and Kairi in the eyes for an explanation, and he found himself staring at two complete strangers.
The girl and the boy who had been eating at the table with him were sitting in front of his chair. It was obvious by their swollen lips and wetness what they had been doing to him. Instead of a beach, he was back in that theatre where nameless faces had watched him humiliate himself. The cold reality hit him like an iron curtain.
“Get off me!” he yelled and pushed the two pets off his crotch. Sora stuffed his erection back into his pants as fast as he could. His entire body still felt hot, but the hallucination was over. He could feel his cheeks, back and chest burning as if they were on fire.
His fierce rejection wasn’t taken well by the pets. They cowered away from him and hugged each other out of fear. In that moment, he suddenly became very aware of their age. They were just kids.
Then he understood the horror of a world that was bathed in darkness for too long.
“I’m sorry,” he said to the other pets. “I got scared.”
“Continue,” said Raoul’s voice in his ear.
“No,” answered Sora bluntly.
“You did not eat enough food so you were not properly dosed,” Raoul explained. “Eat more and all your reservations will be stripped away.”
“I said no!!!” Sora yelled. “I don’t want this!!!”
Suddenly, Sora was struck by searing pain that flayed him from head to toes. He fell to his knees and hugged his stomach. The bracelet on his wrist was glowing red.
“Do as I say, Sora,” warned Raoul.
“They’re just kids! I’d rather..”
The pain became so great that he thought that he was disappearing. He imagined that he could see the pieces of himself floating away into the abyss. His life flashed before his eyes, and he hung on to the images of his friends and family as darkness wrapped its icy hands around him.
  See you in the Final World, he thought as he slipped away. I’ll wait…
Sora fell to the ground with a heavy thud.
Raoul sat stiffly at his table. He had his fingers over his ring, and above his hand was Iason’s. If it weren’t for his friend’s intervention, he would have never allowed the glowing jewel to revert to its inert state.
“He must be kept alive,” warned Iason, “or have you forgotten our plan?”
Raoul clicked his tongue. “He must sink lower into the depths if we’re going to sell the story that he fell into depravity. It’s confounding that the phenotype that I want from him is likely the same trait that protects him from our usual methods of mind tampering and dosing.”
“Then you will have to develop a different method,” said Iason. “One that is less heavy handed and appeals to his taste.”
“The data points are extraordinary,” said Raoul. He tapped his datapad to project a hologram of Sora, and spots of light that seemed to create a small universe. “These points represent the PAMs that are currently in the room. I set the parameters to monitor for hormone levels and stress response. Predictably, they were excited at the beginning of the debut, and disappointed at how it ended. But here, there was a burst of oxytocin.”
“What was occurring in that moment?” asked Iason.
Raoul slid his fingers sideways through the holographic projection to bring up a video of the debut. It was rewound until it aligned with the moment that he registered the change in hormones. He allowed it play, and Sora’s sincere voice could be heard speaking.
  I’m sorry. I got scared.
Unlike the pets that cowered with anxiety and fear of their failures, his admission was full of brave vulnerability that was virtually non-existent in their world.
“Facinating,” said Raoul. “The majority of the other guests are also replaying this moment as we speak.”
Indeed, the other people were using the datapads on their table to replay the debut, as well as the moment when Sora declared his love. They were sighing, laughing and judging him for every move that he made on that stage. There was a lot of discussion about what to do with pets that failed to perform.
“If only he were academy born,” lamented Raoul. “His passionate voice was like an F minor in E flat.”
Iason carefully watched Raoul obsess over his datapad. He knew what the other blondie was feeling: A sensation of something new and mysterious. A brain tickling that was near impossible to replicate. His gaze then shifted to the furniture, and he could see that Ray was staring off at the stage as if transfixed. It strongly reminded him of Darryl.
“It is time to clean up,” Iason reminded Raoul.
“Yes of course,” said Raoul distractedly. “Ray, return Sora to the apartment and take care of things.”
Ray seemed to be startled out of a reverie, and he quickly bowed. “Yes Lord Raoul.” He quickly left his post to go collect Sora from the place where he collapsed.
Iason understood that he was considered as close to perfection as most blondies go. He had an intellect and insight that was considered the crowning achievement of Jupiter. Therefore, he could surmise how things would pan out. The qualities that attracted people to Sora would soon be crushed by Raoul’s pursuit of it. Like a flower being stripped of their petals, they would be ripped one by one until there was nothing left.
It was a situation that he knew all too well.
“A pity,” he murmured as he took a sip of his wine.

To be continued.
- 4
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- 6
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Bonds of Misery

Bonds of Misery - Chapter Five; Property