Lazar walked into the room and immediately opened the door, kicking the bars for good measure. "Out you come, my boy. I've got some questions to ask you."
Which, yes, meant that he'd have to cut the thread to free his mouth. Some days allowing Raphael to actually talk was important, made it well worth the effort. "I'm not in the mood for patience today. This time, I'm afraid, you really have been naughty. Haven't you?"
Raphael stared at Lazar and shook his head adamantly, whining behind the stitches, eyes wide with terror. What did he do? He got him all the grace he needed, he hadn't done anything bad and he stayed in his cell. Even when Lazar left the door wide open, he stayed. He hadn't tried to escape in a long, long time.
Not since it cost him so dearly last time.
He half crawled, half stumbled out of his cell, landing on his knees as he looked up at his master. What did he do? He didn't want to be punished.
Lazar crouched down, lifting the archangel blade to slowly cut through the threads. One hand in Raphael's hair, he kept him still. His eyes were on the archangel's grotesque looking lips as he opened them up, speaking as he did so. "Naughty, naughty, naughty. And we know what happens to naughty boys around here, don't we?"
He patted the side of Raphael's face with the blade once the threads were all cut and then he let go of him, raising his eyebrows. "Are you going to play innocent? You're no cherub, despite the curls. I won't buy it."
He was shaking already, his heart racing as he fought against the urge to curl into a protective ball. He hadn't done anything, he looked as baffled as he honestly was. Shaking his head, he lowered his head and keened lightly. "I-I didn't do anything."
He gulped and crawled forward, touching Lazar's shoes and holding onto them pathetically. He would humiliate himself if he had to, he didn't care. He would beg and grovel if it meant not getting punished. "I was good for you."
"Were you?" He put a hand on the back of Raphael's neck to push him further down and almost have his face against the floor, just because he could. It felt good, lording himself over him. Also a good idea to not let him get any notions that he could ever change his position again. Clearly he needed a reminder of that.
"You know the Tenaz brothers. You've tangled with them." Obviously, that was a known fact. "Me, I've only encountered those annoying pests recently. But you, my boy, you must have been awfully fond of them once, hm?"
Raphael wasn't sure how to answer it so he just shook his head. They got him killed and constantly ignored anything he said so yeah, it wasn't an entire lie. Though truth was, he liked Sammy. Sammy was kind of fun. He thought back to the dream and then his insides turned cold. He dreamt of Sam... did Lazar know? Was he in his head?
He whimpered pathetically and pushed his face further into the floor. "It was just a dream..."
"A dream? Since when do angels dream, I wonder? Since when does my angel dream?" He certainly didn't recall giving him permission. With a scoff, he reached for Raphael's hair again, using the grip to make him sit up. He wanted to watch his face for this. "What is a dream other than a way to escape reality, huh? You're trying to escape again."
That much was obvious. "Reaching out for the damn Tenaz brothers. They work with my enemies. What is this if not insubordination? Disrespect."
"No, I wasn't! Please! I passed out. It was the grace... you took too much." He didn't mean to sleep, he didn't want to sleep but he had. His eyes closed and he had no control. And now he was here, paying for a mistake that wasn't his own. Now he had done it, now he was going to suffer and he had no idea what he could even do to make it right. "I didn't reach out. I swear!"
He trembled in Lazar's hold, eyes wide and wet with tears, utter misery etched across his face. "I'm a good boy. I wouldn't go if I had a choice! I'm yours. I never leave. I stay. You know I do."
"And you'd never want to leave me either, would you? My boy." Not his good boy though, not today. Lazar sighed, getting up and lightly kicking the side of Raphael's face with his foot. "He started looking for you. The younger brother. The tall one." He was blanking on the name. Aleister always just used nicknames for them, it got confusing.
"He's started thinking that you're alive. That you might need rescuing, even. What do you think of that?"
Sam was looking for him? So that really was Sam in his dream. How? God, he prayed and hoped he stopped looking. It wasn't wise, it wasn't a good move and once one entered here, there was no escape. He knew that first hand. He had tried and tried for years. At a certain point, the truth was made clear. He would never leave. And anyone who tried to follow him would die down here,
With a pain hissed, he stayed in his prone position and closed his eyes. "I think I don't need rescuing. I'm where I belong. I won't leave. I'm your good boy."
"So you claim. Siccing hunters on me because you stepped out in a dream, that doesn't seem good to me." Definitely not. "I'm afraid I'll have to punish you severely. It's sad. I thought you and I would be past this by now."
Shaking his head, Lazar turned away, to look at the door. He supposed it was time to reveal what was behind door number two, so to say. "You are my pet, aren't you? I reckon you need to be given a toy. So I can play with you more."
"Please don't punish me." Raphael begged as he sat back on his knees, staring at Lazar with such misery. He wondered what it was. The whip. Fire. His wings again. He couldn't take the pain of his wings, they never recovered but they could always be hurt more and more.
At the mention of a toy, he shook his head, not sure what it was but he assumed it would be painful and would hurt a lot.
"Just a chew toy, my little puppy. I'm afraid I've already had a bit of a go at it, but you'll understand. I was quite angry." Understandably so, Lazar felt. He clapped his hands twice in rapid succession and one of the guards dragged him inside.
The younger brother. The one with demon blood. Lucifer's vessel. Samuel Tenaz, currently unconscious. Probably because of the head wound that had matted some of his thick hair to the side of his head with blood. He had obviously received quite the beating, which wasn't surprising. Lazar had a temper.
"Leave him," he told the guard, who dropped the human rather unceremoniously and then left again.
Raphael didn't move. It wasn't wise to move. He just stayed put. He looked at Sam briefly but he knew what he had to do. He wasn't loyal to Sam, Sam wasn't going to help him, Sam was going to die here. Lazar was the only one who had any say or control. He had to be smart. He had to reduce his punishment.
So he didn't say anything, he didn't react, he just looked at Lazar with wide, bright eyes. Waiting for his orders. Waiting to be told what to do or what to feel.
He knew how to submit in all possible ways, even in situations are dicey as this. "Sir?"
"It's your toy. You picked it out. You brought it here." Indirectly, but still. "Play with it, break it, I don't care. Up to you. And I'll ponder your punishment." He had to ponder that reaction, first of all. Raphael was a good boy still, now he had no real doubt about that. Yet here he was, with a Tenaz brother under his roof. He had to consider his moves here.
"Be good." With that last ominous order, Lazar turned to walk out of the room, letting the door fall shut behind him.
Be good. That was all he was told to do so he did what he felt was the safest. He found the nearest corner, wrapped his arms around his legs and hid his head. This position was safe for everyone. For himself and for Sam. This was a game. A trick. An illusion maybe. Lazar would be watching.
And he had already done bad. Done bad and Lazar knew. He had to be nothing but perfect now if he wanted to keep his wings out of harms reach.
Waking up from unconsciousness was never a pleasant experience and hardly ever led to anywhere good. Sure, sometimes he might wake up and the battle was over and they'd won the day. Usually though, things were somehow even worse than before. In this case, Sam had to remember what before even was.
He'd been trying to summon Raphael, which felt foolish. Hoping for something that was not going to be true. He had felt so stupid to even try, he hadn't told anyone what he was trying. That way he would not have to face their looks if he was inevitably wrong.
Of course, instead he was worse than wrong. Some demon beating him. His head was throbbing now. He reached up and felt blood in his hair, still not entirely dry. At least he must not have been out for long. Sam opened his eyes finally, his vision blurry. He braced himself with a hand on the ground and sat up. Looking around, he spotted nothing much at first. Cage in the corner, no windows. A locked door.
He turned his head again and then he spotted something. Someone. "Hey." Another prisoner? "Hey, you all right?" He couldn't make out much, with the way the person was huddled in the corner.
It was a test or a trick, he wasn't sure which but he didn't do anything but tighten his grip around himself. He licked the blood from his split lip and wondered why nothing was healing any more. Every hit that got dished out lately left marks and bruises. Every part of him ached and he really wanted to go back to sleep. Not that he would. Or could.
It seemed more trouble than it was worth. He just tried his best to turn his mind off. He couldn't think. If he thoughts, if he wanted, if he wished - he was a dead man.
His body ached, but Sam was used to it. Beatings were hardly an uncommon occurrence in his life, constantly going up against creatures that were far stronger than him. He moved gingerly, but he did move, getting closer to what might be a fellow prisoner. He was wary enough, he had his guard up.
At least until the moment when he was finally certain what he was seeing. There, in dirty, torn cloth and with hair that had no bounce, huddled and trembling, sat the Archangel Raphael.
"Fuck." Right, maybe not the best word to use here. "Raphael?" He reached out and tried to touch the angel's shoulder. "You're alive..."
Raphael flinched and recoiled from Sam, pressing himself deeper into the corner. He looked up at him briefly, eyes wide and full of mistrust, before he wrapped his arms even tighter around himself and hid his head again. What did Lazar want? Toy? How was Sam a toy? What was he expecting from Raphael now?
How did he handle this? Was Lazar watching? There were too many questions in his head and not enough answers. He just wanted to be a good boy.
"All right. All right, don't worry. I won't try to touch you again." Sam said it in a gentle voice, which was definitely not a voice he had ever used to address Raphael. Usually he had yelled at him to cut the bullshit, been exasperated or at the very least annoyed and, admittedly, sometimes entertained. But this wasn't the boisterous trickster that pretended to be Loki, this wasn't even the clearly scared angel he had watched stand up to Lucifer.
This was someone who had been reduced. Looking at him, feeling him... Almost human. "What happened to you, man?"
Raphael didn't leave his position. He stayed locked against the wall, still and quiet, almost in a trance. He had learned to do it while here, to block out as much as he could and just be empty. It was the only safe space he had. And he tried his best to be silent as he heard Sam move around and inspect the place, likely get frustrated over the lack of exit and that one uneven part of the floor.
All the guards tripped. It used to be funny. It didn't get a laugh from him any more. Not after one of the guards beat him over it and Lazar just watched.
Shivering, Raphael sniffed lightly and raised his head, eyeing up the door to the outside. What was Lazar planning? Why was Sam with him?
Some vague ideas for escape plans were forming, but right now the state of Raphael was difficult to keep at the back of his mind. Sam kept glancing over to him, wondering whether he could talk. His mouth had all those strange wounds. Wondering whether he would even want to talk to him. Maybe not. Maybe he was too scared.
So here he was, poor, mortal Sam Tenaz, trapped by a demon who had somehow reduced an archangel to this. Seemed as if it would be a tough time. "It was you in that dream, wasn't it? It was really you. I knew something was off. It feels different. Reminded me of Lucifer."
Raphael nodded his head slowly. Yes, the dream was real and the source of all of his pathetic misfortune. He had a few ideas why and what may have happened but he couldn't voice them here. Lazar would know and he'd hurt him. He'd cut his head open and scramble his brain if he had to, whatever it took to keep him here.
He raised his hand and touched his mouth, threads still hanging from his lips. He scratched at them in frustration. They hurt but he was afraid to take them properly out. Lazar didn't say he was allowed.
"Can I help you?" Sam moved closer again, finally sitting down in front of Raphael. Within touching distance but not touching him yet. He gestured to Raphael's mouth. "I could clean it up a bit. Maybe you could heal."
Angels were supposed to heal fast, to not even get hurt. He supposed with Raphael being this weakened, that must have changed. "Don't worry. It'll be fine."
They weren't going to be stuck here forever. Sam would find them a way out. Or Matty was going to get him out. He knew that with certainty.
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waywarddone2024-09-20 07:08 pm
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Which, yes, meant that he'd have to cut the thread to free his mouth. Some days allowing Raphael to actually talk was important, made it well worth the effort. "I'm not in the mood for patience today. This time, I'm afraid, you really have been naughty. Haven't you?"
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Not since it cost him so dearly last time.
He half crawled, half stumbled out of his cell, landing on his knees as he looked up at his master. What did he do? He didn't want to be punished.
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He patted the side of Raphael's face with the blade once the threads were all cut and then he let go of him, raising his eyebrows. "Are you going to play innocent? You're no cherub, despite the curls. I won't buy it."
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He gulped and crawled forward, touching Lazar's shoes and holding onto them pathetically. He would humiliate himself if he had to, he didn't care. He would beg and grovel if it meant not getting punished. "I was good for you."
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"You know the Tenaz brothers. You've tangled with them." Obviously, that was a known fact. "Me, I've only encountered those annoying pests recently. But you, my boy, you must have been awfully fond of them once, hm?"
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He whimpered pathetically and pushed his face further into the floor. "It was just a dream..."
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That much was obvious. "Reaching out for the damn Tenaz brothers. They work with my enemies. What is this if not insubordination? Disrespect."
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He trembled in Lazar's hold, eyes wide and wet with tears, utter misery etched across his face. "I'm a good boy. I wouldn't go if I had a choice! I'm yours. I never leave. I stay. You know I do."
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"He's started thinking that you're alive. That you might need rescuing, even. What do you think of that?"
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With a pain hissed, he stayed in his prone position and closed his eyes. "I think I don't need rescuing. I'm where I belong. I won't leave. I'm your good boy."
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Shaking his head, Lazar turned away, to look at the door. He supposed it was time to reveal what was behind door number two, so to say. "You are my pet, aren't you? I reckon you need to be given a toy. So I can play with you more."
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At the mention of a toy, he shook his head, not sure what it was but he assumed it would be painful and would hurt a lot.
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The younger brother. The one with demon blood. Lucifer's vessel. Samuel Tenaz, currently unconscious. Probably because of the head wound that had matted some of his thick hair to the side of his head with blood. He had obviously received quite the beating, which wasn't surprising. Lazar had a temper.
"Leave him," he told the guard, who dropped the human rather unceremoniously and then left again.
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So he didn't say anything, he didn't react, he just looked at Lazar with wide, bright eyes. Waiting for his orders. Waiting to be told what to do or what to feel.
He knew how to submit in all possible ways, even in situations are dicey as this. "Sir?"
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"Be good." With that last ominous order, Lazar turned to walk out of the room, letting the door fall shut behind him.
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And he had already done bad. Done bad and Lazar knew. He had to be nothing but perfect now if he wanted to keep his wings out of harms reach.
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He'd been trying to summon Raphael, which felt foolish. Hoping for something that was not going to be true. He had felt so stupid to even try, he hadn't told anyone what he was trying. That way he would not have to face their looks if he was inevitably wrong.
Of course, instead he was worse than wrong. Some demon beating him. His head was throbbing now. He reached up and felt blood in his hair, still not entirely dry. At least he must not have been out for long. Sam opened his eyes finally, his vision blurry. He braced himself with a hand on the ground and sat up. Looking around, he spotted nothing much at first. Cage in the corner, no windows. A locked door.
He turned his head again and then he spotted something. Someone. "Hey." Another prisoner? "Hey, you all right?" He couldn't make out much, with the way the person was huddled in the corner.
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It seemed more trouble than it was worth. He just tried his best to turn his mind off. He couldn't think. If he thoughts, if he wanted, if he wished - he was a dead man.
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At least until the moment when he was finally certain what he was seeing. There, in dirty, torn cloth and with hair that had no bounce, huddled and trembling, sat the Archangel Raphael.
"Fuck." Right, maybe not the best word to use here. "Raphael?" He reached out and tried to touch the angel's shoulder. "You're alive..."
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How did he handle this? Was Lazar watching? There were too many questions in his head and not enough answers. He just wanted to be a good boy.
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This was someone who had been reduced. Looking at him, feeling him... Almost human. "What happened to you, man?"
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All the guards tripped. It used to be funny. It didn't get a laugh from him any more. Not after one of the guards beat him over it and Lazar just watched.
Shivering, Raphael sniffed lightly and raised his head, eyeing up the door to the outside. What was Lazar planning? Why was Sam with him?
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So here he was, poor, mortal Sam Tenaz, trapped by a demon who had somehow reduced an archangel to this. Seemed as if it would be a tough time. "It was you in that dream, wasn't it? It was really you. I knew something was off. It feels different. Reminded me of Lucifer."
Always a great thing to happen.
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He raised his hand and touched his mouth, threads still hanging from his lips. He scratched at them in frustration. They hurt but he was afraid to take them properly out. Lazar didn't say he was allowed.
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Angels were supposed to heal fast, to not even get hurt. He supposed with Raphael being this weakened, that must have changed. "Don't worry. It'll be fine."
They weren't going to be stuck here forever. Sam would find them a way out. Or Matty was going to get him out. He knew that with certainty.
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