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Teagan dreaded this time of the week. Payday. Unfortunately, he wasn’t the one getting paid. The nervous wood elf watched his enslaver counting the gold pieces he managed to provide for him from today’s earnings. The tall half-orc in front of him was murmuring numbers as each coin was taken out of the leather bag and onto his wooden desk, and so far Teagan had high hopes that he had made his quota for today. Sadly, those high hopes soon diminished. Teagan tensed up when he saw the displeasure on his enslaver’s face after he finished counting, and all the young elf could do was prepare himself for the possibility of punishment. Azadon didn’t mess around when it came to his money.
“You’re short, Teagan… about three-hundred gold short to be exact.” Azadon sighed and began tapping his fingers against his desk impatiently while glaring at the nervous elf. “Care to explain?”
Teagan held back a sigh at the question and would have kicked himself if he could. He had hoped that he made enough to satisfy his enslaver for tonight, but unfortunately, he wasn’t keeping track. “I’m sorry, Master. It’s been a slow night and no one’s been buying. I promise I really did try for you, Master.” He lied with a fake sweetness in his voice. There were plenty of customers to go around in the Brothel today, but how was he supposed to explain to the man he feared most that he didn't pay what was owed because he spent half the day struggling to get out of bed and sulking and sobbing about how shitty his life was? But Teagan wanted to see how far he could possibly go with this lie and see if he could get away with it. He’s managed to charm and sweet-talk his way out of Azadon’s questioning before, but given the familiar aggravated look in his eyes, Teagan could tell that the half-orc wasn’t buying it this time.
“No one’s buying? Really?” Azadon cocked an eyebrow and briefly scanned over a few documents located inside a large brown leather book on his desk. “That’s odd…because last I checked business has been booming this week, and I’ve been getting a lot of new customers specifically requesting you for your time and services.” He slammed the book closed, causing the young elf to flinch at the sound. The half-orcs glare returning to Teagan. “So, I’ll ask one more time, darling. Why don’t you have the rest of my money? Let me find out you’re stealing from me. You might be stupid, but hopefully not stupid enough to do that.”
Teagan quickly shook his head at the notion. “N-no, Master! I wouldn’t steal from you! I swear it’s just been a slow night. Ask the others, they’ll tell you the same.” He pleaded once more, but his enslaver could easily see through his lies.
Azadon sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “You know… some days I regret buying you.” I wish you hadn't , Teagan thought but hadn’t the bravery to say. But chills went up the young elf’s back when he saw Azadon get up from behind his desk and began stalking towards him as if the half-orc had heard his thoughts. “Do you think I’m stupid or something? You think I’m nothing to be worried about?”
“N-no…no, Master.” Teagan stammered and instinctively began backing away from his feared enslaver as he kept coming closer and closer.
“You think after five years of working in my establishment that I don’t know when you’re lying to me? That I don’t know when you’re avoiding answering me?!” Azadon shouted. The young elf he towered over began to tremble.
“No…I-I d-didn’t mean-” Teagan was so focused on what Azadon’s next move would be that he hadn’t realized he had backed into the wall, and his enslaver only continued stalking towards him with a vicious sneer on his face. Teagan wanted to run, to hide, to do anything to get away from him, but he knew the beatings would only be worse if he did so.
“I don't ask for much, Teagan.” Azadon started off calm, his voice seemed filled with fake concern and hurt. “All I want from you is to do exactly what I say and to never lie to me, and in return, your life here will be so much easier. You do what I say, and I’ll take care of you. Simple… but your useless ass can't even do that right!" He yelled. Teagan flinched again and tried his best to stop his tears from falling as he fearfully looked up at his enslaver. "Now, I am only a hand's width away, just so you know, and I swear that I will hit you till there's no skin left on that pretty little face of yours if you lie to me one more time. So are you going to tell me the truth now? Am I going to have to make you tell me? Or am I going to have to get Jasper in here?” Mentioning his top Overseer's name knew that would get a terrified reaction out of the disobedient elf. The Tiefling had a reputation of using the cruelest and brutal tactics to get information out of someone, and everyone in the Brothel feared him.
“N-no, Master! I’m sorry!” Teagan apologized and hastily tried to gather his thoughts to look for some kind of excuse to get him out of this, but he was too scared to think of anything. He just wanted to be left alone! “I’ve b-been on my feet all day, a-and I really tried to get your money! I just…I just..” Teagan was reaching his boiling point. He was tired, stressed, and afraid, and the last person he wanted to bring his mood down even further was the two-faced bastard in front of him right now. “I didn’t want to deal with anyone today!” He finally confessed. "I'm so sick of being touched when I don't want it! I work my ass off more than anyone here and you don’t even give a shit! I deserved a fucking break!" He snapped. He didn't mean to, but he was so frustrated and over Azadon's bullshit that he couldn't keep in his emotions anymore.
Eventually, he came back to reality and Teagan soon realized his mistake by the murderous glare Azadon was giving him after hearing his confession. Before Teagan could open his mouth to quickly apologize for his outburst, an open hand harshly connected with the side of his face, and the young elf found himself on the ground and in a daze. Stars exploded behind his vision and his cheek stung something awful. But not as awful as the pain that came with Azadon tightly gripping a handful of his hair and forcing him to look into his eyes.
"Let me explain something to you, darling. Because clearly, you've forgotten who owns you and what your place is here." Azadon spat, not caring about his slave’s whimpering at the tight grip on his scalp. "It doesn't matter whether you want to or not, or whether you like it or not, when I tell you to go out there, please my guests, and get my money… I expect you to do so without question or attitude. Understand, Teagan?"
"Y-yes...Master." Teagan couldn’t stop himself from crying this time. He let his tears fall, and what was worse was that he knew Azadon got some sick twisted pleasure out of seeing him broken down and in pain like this.
"Good.” The half-orc smirked at the compliance and let go of Teagan’s hair much to the elf’s relief. “Now, let's discuss your punishment for your disobedience, shall we?" Teagan didn't answer as he gently rubbed his scalp, but Azadon could care less as he continued anyway. "Not only are you going back out there to earn the rest of my money, but I'm doubling your quota today. So you've got a long night ahead of you." He grinned at the look of dread on Teagan’s face. The thought of having to go back out there and deal with those perverted assholes all over again was the last thing he wanted to do, but Azadon wasn’t finished listing off his punishments yet.
Azadon grabbed Teagan by his neck, though not hard enough to cause pain, just firm enough to be able to guide the smaller slave closer to him. He wanted to see the fear in his slave’s eyes when he broke the news. "Hmm…maybe a few weeks off Bliss will teach you not to mouth off to me again.” As he predicted, the elf perked up at the mention of his favorite drug, and the sad and desperate look on his face at the mention of it being taken away from him made this all the more enjoyable for Azadon. “Withdrawals are a bitch to deal with. And while you're going through that pain, that constant need and craving for a fix, I want you to get it through your thick skull that I'm the only one who can take that feeling away. You need me and you know it!" He snarled while looking down at the helpless elf who only averted his eyes and said nothing in return. This act of defiance only made Azadon squeeze his hand around Teagan’s throat harder. “Understand?!”
“Y-yes!” Teagan managed to choke out.
“Yes, what?”
“Yes, Master!”
Azadon scoffed and pushed Teagan to the side before making his way back to his desk to continue his financial work. He ignored the coughing of the young elf struggling to catch his breath in-between sobs. "Get the fuck out of my office. Clean yourself up before you get back out there. I don’t want my customers seeing damaged merchandise.” He made it a point to put emphasis on the word ‘merchandise’ to make Teagan understand that that was all he’d ever be to him. Nothing more.
“Yes, Master.” Teagan softly murmured and quickly dragged himself out of his enslaver’s office and back to his room to put makeup over the forming bruise on his face.
Once he was finally alone in his room, he took one of his pillows, covered his mouth with it, and let it all out. The sobbing continued, only muffled this time. He hated it here. He didn’t know how much longer he could take this. Out of all the slave owners he’s endured throughout his life, Azadon was the worst of them all. He wanted to fight back, to escape, to get this damned collar off of his neck…but he couldn’t. Azadon had eyes and ears everywhere, and if word got back to him of an escape attempt by his prized cash cow…Teagan didn’t even want to think of what kind of punishment he’d get. Knowing how cruel Azadon could be he’d probably go after Jesse, the only friend he had in this hellhole.
Eventually, Teagan removed the pillow from his face but knew he couldn’t stay in his room for long. He dragged himself to the restroom nearby, went through the cabinets to find what he needed, and started applying concealer on his stinging cheek, and while doing so he couldn’t help but think of what his life could have been like if he wasn’t kidnapped all those years ago.
Even if he did escape…where could he go? He can barely remember where his homeland was. He knew he had parents, but could barely remember their faces or what they were like. If his parents had truly cared about him they would have found him by now and saved him from all this. Right? How long has it been? Seventy, Eighty years? Teagan had lost count after a while and gave up hope of ever reuniting with his family again. They were probably dead for all he knew. Or maybe they had just forgotten about him over the years. Maybe Azadon was right. Maybe this was his fate. Maybe this was all he’d ever be good for.
Maybe... maybe Merchandise was all he'll ever be to anyone.