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Why was Nicholai so clearly irritated? What had he said wrong now? They seemed to be taking in turns to rile each other up. But it was just the first day. Things would better, right? When he asked Nicholai to hold him a while, they guy blushed heavily and looked away. He looked almost coy which surprised Ren. He gave a small smile. "You're actually very cute" he told him. He got back up and held his hand out to him. "Let's just leave everything until tomorrow. Jay will be here first thing, he can clean up, that's what he's for after all." he said to him, wondering if he would take his hand or not.

Ren stared at Nicholai, blinking, then looked away. "It's not only lovers who hold hands" he said very quietly. "I didn't buy a lover. I can't take a pet as a lover, that would lose me any hope of a position on the council in an instant. Even letting you share a meal at my table...if Si or Bryll saw such a thing... Forget it. Go to your room, or use the living room, do whatever. Just don't try to leave because the alarm will go off and I've too much of a headache to cope with it." He turned and walked slowly back to his room. He closed the door before slowly undressing and curling up under the covers.

Ren lay awake for quite a while, staring up at the ceiling. What was going on with him lately? Why was he feeling like this? So...restless, frustrated, unsatisfied with everything. Nothing seemed to fill the vacant space that seemed to be growing bigger and bigger. He had thought buying a fancy new pet would entertain him, distract him, give him pleasure. But that didn't seem to be the case so far. If anything, he was just feeling worse. No wonder, though - pet did not behave like a pet at all; he'd been insulted, accused of being a palace brat and a pervert, had his kindnesses dismissed. Because he had been kind, in his own way. Other pets in the past, they'd been dragged on a collar and heavy chain straight to a pet room with dog bed and water bowl, whipped if they spoke out of turn, forced to perform and pleasure... Yet this pet he put in the guest room - did he even realise it was his guest room? Probably not, especially as he'd told him about the security viewing. He'd let him eat with him at the table. He'd left him unrestrained. He'd told him he could do as he pleased in the apartment. And what thanks had he got? Insults and rejection. He wouldn't even just take his hand or hold him. Why wouldn't anyone ever do that? He rolled out of bed, went to the window, though there was nothing to see but darkness. He wanted to see the blackness pricked by the brilliance of a million stars... He knew why things were how they were. Control. It was that simple. Control, conformity, to eliminate or prevent any free action or individuality. If they controlled even the length of the days, the time cycle, they ensure everyone got up at the same time, went to work at the same time, went to bed at the same time... Why though? Someone destined to chair the High Council shouldn't be having all these thoughts, all these...doubts. And this Nicholai... He had got out of the city once, as a child, and he had got back in too. So there was a way in and out without being caught. And it was a beautiful world with blue skies and rain and flowers outside not the barren desolate poisoned wilderness they were taught about. Was the pet...was Nicholai sleeping now? He could just press a switch and see for himself but he didn't, he just lay back on the bed and wondered. He fell into a deep troubled sleep.

Ren swore under his breath when the main lights came on suddenly, creating an unwanted brilliance. He was still tired, he wanted to sleep still, but that wasn't happening. He sighed, rolled out of bed, put on a robe, and went to see if his daily water ration had been delivered yet and if so it they'd given him in increase as a pet allowance. He was pleased to see the dispenser almost full. He was just wondering if Nicholai was awake yet when he heard movement and an exclamation from the man's room. Good. They had to talk and they had to talk before Jay arrived, too - he didn't want his Kurai servant to overhear their conversation. He filled two glasses with water and went to the door of Nicholai's room. "Good morning" he said sleepily. "Here." He handed him the glass of water.

Ren went and sat on the cot beside Nicholai. He took a sip of his water. "I am used to pets who were raised as such, I've never trained one and I suppose I didn't know what to expect. And here...no one ever speaks very freely to me really, not even my so called friends, so I am not use to conversation. Not real conversation. I have never been spoken to the way you spoke to me yesterday. Pets...they don't speak unless they're spoken to. They're polite and compliant and...and...that's what I'm used to. I'm not necessarily saying it's what I want, I'm saying it's what I'm used to. You can't be born an ant and raised in an ant hill, doing as all the other ants do, and then not be shocked or hurt when you are criticised for being an ant." Are there still ants. he wondered briefly. He recalled from natural history class learning that ants and spiders had been great survivalists, always the first creatures to re-inhabit a plot of land after flood or fire in the old times. He rubbed his eyes. "My servant, Jay, will be here very soon and there are some things I must go through with you before he gets here."

Ren stood up. "Follow me" he said, and he walked out of the guest room, through the living room, to a door next to his bedroom. "This is where a pet is usually kept" he told him. "This is where Jay and everyone else will assume you are kept." He opened the door and showed him the room. It was bare of furniture apart from just one bed in the centre of the room. The bed had a faux leather mattress and restraints top and bottom. There was a large mirror on one wall, the wall between this room and Ren's bedroom. It was a two way mirror so that Ren could watch the room from the comfort of his own bed if he so wished. On one wall there were hung various collars, chains, cuffs, whips, crops. Ren looked at Nicholai to see his response.

Ren just stood there in silence for a moment. What was he supposed to do? How was he supposed to deal with this? He couldn't whip him - he'd likely summon up fire to protect himself. He was taller and stronger anyway even without the threat of magical powers. Didn't the stupid idiot realise that he was protecting him as much as himself. He sighed. "It matters, you moron, because the council, and particularly my father, has the power to take you away from me if they think I'm treating you above your status. There are very strict laws regarding status. The clothes you can wear, the food you can eat, the jobs you can have... You can be arrested for wearing the wrong colour clothing, walking in the wrong district, not bowing when a higher status passes you... I could be fined for letting you sleep in my guest room. I could be fined for letting you eat at my table. I could be imprisoned for letting you sleep in my bed. So don't call me a disgusting pig for trying to save us both from the Enforcers if Jay or anyone else sees something they shouldn't and speaks of it to the wrong person." He was still holding his glass of water through all this but now he threw it to the floor, smashing it. It walked away, shutting himself in his room.

Ren reluctantly came out of his room. "That's what I was trying to come to, an agreement. You never gave me a chance" he replied. "And if you don't need my protection, fine, but you know what? I would rather not be fined or jailed and lose all my friends and any half decent future because I offered you some decency and kindness. Maybe I should just treat you like all the other pets instead. You seem determined to make me out to be some evil monster so perhaps I should just do what will protect me and not give your welfare a thought, huh?" He glared at him then half turned away from him and leaned against the wall. "Maybe that's what you want. Maybe you hate me that much you want me thrown in to jail and you to be auctioned off again to someone else."