Work Text:
Glowing golden sparks of metal hit your neck like drops of rain. Your screaming sobs are drowned out by the hum of your owner’s blowtorch. Behind you, the locking mechanisms within your collar melt into a solid chunk of metal. When you finally hear the torch flick off, you’re left with a ring of steel forever soldered around your throat. You take a moment to catch your breath and work out your sobbing fit.
“Don’t be such a baby, it wasn’t that bad.” Your owner forcefully pets you, smearing your tears across your cheeks. Your fingers hesitantly reach up to feel your newly permanent collar, the metal slowly cooling down from a glowing orange back to its original silver color. It was loose enough to be comfortable and not restrict breathing, but just tight enough that you’d always feel it, never letting you forget it’s there.
Your thoughts are cut off when you feel your owner's foot on the back of your head. It forces you down from your knees onto your stomach, and guides you right to their other leg, where their leather boot was waiting for you. Despite your trembles, you know what you have to do. You run your tongue over the leather and memorize the taste, and you swallow it along with your pride, cleaning their boot till it shined. When they’re satisfied, they grab your chin and force your head up to look at them. “Who owns you, slave?”
You choke, throat still raspy from crying. Your own words cut deeper than theirs ever could. “You do, Master.” You crane your neck, and you can feel their ownership tight around your throat. You’d be feeling it for the rest of your life. You know they’ll never, ever get tired of reminding you of their greatest victory, and your most bitter defeat.