untilyousubmit: (Default)
[personal profile] untilyousubmit posting in [community profile] spiderparlour
The Spire pulsed. Not audibly, though he perceived it as something like sound. A humming that rose and fell, unchanging and unending. It was as familiar to him as his own heartbeat. It pulsed, and the shards embedded within him pulsed in time with its power.

Not today. Lucien's searing anger had knocked him out of time--no, revealed how imperfect he had been. The pulsing in his head was fitful now, still sparking with pain. He had begged for mercy, but they both knew how meaningless those words were. His contrition was total, as was expected of him. There could be no other way. He would do everything that was necessary to correct his mistake.

And he would not show how much he hurt, as he made his way to the cell. Prisoner #836 was kept isolated from the prison proper. In the other cells, there were many others, restrained for many reasons. Dangerous but valuable individuals, who posed a threat to the Spire but could not yet be killed. Disobedient guards, left to wonder when they would next be dragged to the torture chamber by the more compliant ones. For some, he did not know the reason why they languished there, only that Lucien wished it.

And then there was Prisoner #836. 836 should have been so simple--he had captured many others like him. He knew something, and retrieving the information should have been simple. All the others had broken without the collar ever activating once.

But 836 was stubborn. At first, it simply seemed like insolence. So many claimed to not remember. He had left the matter to the torturers. He had so much else to attend to.

That had been a mistake. A careless one. Whatever slow progress had been made in retrieving 836's memories had been obliterated in an instant, when the man had been found outside his cell. 836 had been dragged to a new, isolated ward, but the damage was done. A failure he now suffered for.

The ward guards straightened up as he approached. "The new prisoner. Where is he?" If they heard how raw his voice was beneath the deep distortion, they showed no sign of it.

"This way, sir." Guard 427 led him through the twisting passages in silence toward... an open cell door.

He grabbed the 427 by the collar, blank white eyes staring into terrified blue. "Sound the alarm. Find him. And when you have done so--lock yourselves in empty cells. I will deal with you later." He gave the collar one last yank as he let go, sending the man tumbling to his knees. He was already striding away, the sharp sting of his failure burning deeper into him. He had to find 836. In this moment, nothing else mattered.

Date: 2020-04-24 11:20 pm (UTC)
circuitcontrol: (Default)
From: [personal profile] circuitcontrol
"I'll thank him for being a failure!"

He squirmed harder, a note of desperation in his voice. They may have already fixed what made the previous collar malfunction, and he probably wouldn't be able to tamper with this new one. He didn't want it on, he didn't. He wanted to work. "That thing won't help you! I won't submit!"

Date: 2020-04-25 12:15 am (UTC)
circuitcontrol: (Default)
From: [personal profile] circuitcontrol
Luca yelped as pain shot through the pressure point, and it was enough to make him stop struggling, at least for the moment. The collar closed around his neck, and he knew he'd lost this particular fight. He reached up cautiously to feel it.

"He's not." He waited for the pain of talking back, for the punishment the collar always gave him. He waited for the loss of focus, of memories. Three, four, five... It didn't come. "He's not."

Date: 2020-04-25 12:32 am (UTC)
circuitcontrol: (Default)
From: [personal profile] circuitcontrol
The sound of the leash snapping in place made him flinch. He wanted to rip it off, but he knew he wouldn't be able to, not without tools. So the old collar was gone, and the Commandant was trying something new instead. He was still in trouble. At least he'd keep what was left of his memories.

He pulled his hands away, exhaustion starting to wear at his will to fight. He had to be smart about it, anyway, wait for the right moment again.

"I'll never give you that satisfaction."

Date: 2020-04-25 12:49 am (UTC)
circuitcontrol: (Default)
From: [personal profile] circuitcontrol
Any reply he'd wanted to give was cut off. He pushed against the floor to give himself room to breathe, trying to fill his lungs, but his strength was no match for the Commandant at all. Now he was really starting to get scared. He could still breathe, this wouldn't kill him, but it was enough to leave him a little dizzy.

Date: 2020-04-25 01:13 am (UTC)
circuitcontrol: (Default)
From: [personal profile] circuitcontrol
Luca gasped for air. His adrenaline was high now, but his lungs were screaming, and he felt so dizzy it was nauseating. For a few moments he didn't even try to get up. He just curled in on himself, and tried to breathe. He was barely aware he was whimpering.

He had to get up. He had a feeling he'd be dragged if he didn't. He pushed onto his knees, pausing there for a second as another wave of dizziness passed through him. He got onto one knee. Two feet. He glared at the wall as he finally got up, but didn't say anything, and he didn't reach up to try to remove to leash, even though he wanted to.

Date: 2020-04-25 11:14 pm (UTC)
circuitcontrol: (Default)
From: [personal profile] circuitcontrol
Luca stumbled and nearly fell, hurrying forward to avoid being dragged along. It wasn't helping with that lightheaded feeling, even though his lungs were full of air now. He was breathing hard.

"Slow down! I'm coming." He hated this guy so much. He was glaring daggers at his back as he half-ran after him, trying to ignore how humiliating this was. He should plan his revenge instead. He'd get back at him, sooner or later. He was the smart one after all.

Date: 2020-04-26 12:53 am (UTC)
circuitcontrol: (Default)
From: [personal profile] circuitcontrol
Luca did his best to keep up, but his own strides weren’t long enough, and he fell to his knees twice, having to scramble to get back on his feet before he was really dragged along. His legs hurt. He wanted to stop, to sit. He almost wanted back in his cell, just for a short break.

Except he quickly changed his mind about that when he saw the cell he was being brought to. He spotted the rack, and immediately tried to step backwards again. He grabbed onto the door of the cell with both hands. “Look, just bring me back to my other cell.”
Edited Date: 2020-04-26 01:00 am (UTC)

Date: 2020-04-26 10:01 am (UTC)
circuitcontrol: (Default)
From: [personal profile] circuitcontrol
Luca yelped as he let go of the door, reaching for the leash to protect his neck. It felt like it would snap, or he'd choke, and instinct kicked in, causing him to stumble and this time fall straight on his ass. He winced, but didn't let go of the leash. "Anyone would."

Date: 2020-04-26 11:45 am (UTC)
circuitcontrol: (Default)
From: [personal profile] circuitcontrol
"Well, I'm not that weak!" Luca struggled. He squirmed, pushed against the rack, tried to kick the Commandant, but while he might have strong willpower, his physical strength was not that impressive. He was panicking now, his breath coming fast as he fought back. Once he was strapped in, who knew what this guy would do to him.

Date: 2020-04-26 12:13 pm (UTC)
circuitcontrol: (002)
From: [personal profile] circuitcontrol
The punch left him gasping, eyes watering a little. It hurt. He tried to wrap his arms around his midriff to protect it, but that left other parts of him exposed, and it didn't matter when he was already being restrained. He couched, and tried to squirm again. He wanted to reach for the strap and try to undo it, but he knew that would just get him hit again.

"No one would enjoy this. This won't make me tell you anything."

Date: 2020-04-26 12:41 pm (UTC)
circuitcontrol: (002)
From: [personal profile] circuitcontrol
"You can't say that when you made me forget most of my life." He wanted to keep struggling. He wanted to hurt him. And if he didn't, it wasn't that he was learning, he was just smart enough to bide his time. He was resigning himself to what would happen, hoping to just get through it so he could find a chance to escape and get back at the Commandant later.

Date: 2020-04-26 01:39 pm (UTC)
circuitcontrol: (002)
From: [personal profile] circuitcontrol
"Except you're not letting me work." If he couldn't fight back physically, he'd have to argue twice as much to make up for it. And he was trying to take his mind off what was happening. It was a claustrophobic feeling, being restrained like this, his stomach sinking with each strap closing shut. "You want my brain, and you can't have that."

Date: 2020-04-26 02:42 pm (UTC)
circuitcontrol: (Default)
From: [personal profile] circuitcontrol
“I’d build it.” But not for him. If he could earn some trust though, it might be worth behaving for a while, just so he’d be more likely to find a way to escape later. He’d have to consider playing docile. Although even letting this guy think he was getting his way wouldn’t sit right with him.

He tilted his head to watch the last restraints snap shut around his wrists. He couldn’t help the way his hand jerked slightly at the sensation of claws against sensitive skin, but he wasn’t fighting it.

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