Come here First.

[Hikari_Mamo]

This is the underground. Bad things happen here. Things people don't want to see. Slave markets. . . Black market item trades, Gangs and drug trafficking are common here. Do you have what it takes to survive the world of the underground? Or will you try to liberate the poor Neko and Kitsune population from slavery? Only you know. . .


Normal rules apply. smile Follow the instructions of the person who makes the rp topic kay?  

[The Madame Red]

Being a freed slave wasn't enough. Getting paid was even harder even as a freed slave. Who would buy from her mystical goods? Naomi sat in her s**t-hole of a home as she pondered her next moves. Opening her stall would be useless. There was no one who would buy from her. She sighed as she conjured up her new assistant, a crow she had transformed into a human. When he stumbled across her ground-padded floor, Naomi commented dryly, "Make even more of a mess and i'll cook you for dinner."

Crow coughed a few times before standing up hesitantly on his feet, "You ought to warn me next time you keep changing me! I don't care being this fleshy human, but at least let me know!"

"Then what would be your use?" Naomi snided as she stood up, "Go get me some coin while I find the motivation to open my store. Hell, bring back a pretty little kitten. That way I can sell her to the highest bidder."

"You're heartless," Crow grumbled as he went off, whether or not he agreed to Naomi's motives he would obey her words since she did save him at the point of their meeting.

Naomi opened her potions stall as she watched human men and women walk by. Since she, herself, wasn't for sale anymore, no one would buy from her. But, as she sat behind her stall, she knew if she had a pretty little kitty to sell then the coins would be coming in. She'd even train the kitty to do simple tricks that would attract even higher bidders.

Crow went in search of the most beautiful neko. He wouldn't come back with just a simple-looking girl, he'd want to find the gem of the bunch. Each neko or other kitsune he looked at seemed a bigger disappointment than the last. Perhaps there weren't much pickings that day. Crow went to the last store where he asked for the latest nekos only to find one stray. This was pointless, he didn't want to go back to Naomi in fear she wouldn't feed him again. Desperate, he'd have to find something to return with.  

[Hikari_Mamo]

Yuuki sat in her cage pulling at her collar. Snatchers had stolen her from her work at the docks. She was making a good honest living too! Not fair! She looked around and frowned helplessly. Other's looked hopeless in their cages, meowing or whining their woeful song wanting freedom. Children cried for the mother's they'd been ripped from and found her heart breaking. She'd fought years to be freed from here and now she was back! She hated this! She hated being a slave! She hoped no one would buy her. She hoped that she would be able to escape.

The man in charge of the place dragged a male Kitsune from the back and shoved him into a cage before adjusting his pants again. Yuuki's eyes widened. Oh god. . . This was horrid! The man grabbed a female next and dragged her out back. She ground her ears into her skull to drown out the sounds she didn't want to hear.  

[The Madame Red]

Crow had nearly given up on his search when he came across the sounds of typical rape. It was a disgusting, but familiar sound to hear each day. Nekos and kitsune of any gender were susceptible to being in such a vulnerable position. Perhaps he couldn't save that particular person, he could save the next. Crow went to the front of what looked to be a storage that shipped out slaves to stores or other places. There were so many who cried out to be freed, and the sad/sick part was he could only take one.

Grabbing the first cage he could haul, a young neko female, he took off from the place in a mad-dash. Once he was further away from those awful sounds, Crow placed the cage down on the ground as he took a breath. The neko had enchanting red eyes, and looked like she hadn't eaten in days, "It's your lucky day. You've been sold."

Naomi may have her own personal plans, but at least she wouldn't be raped. Crow kept the neko in her cage as he carried her back to Naomi's store through the back. The kitsune's ears snapped up in delight as her tails twitched as she locked the front door to see her prize, "Oh, Crow, what a lovely girl you've brought. She'll sell for a very pretty penny. Even if we can get the Captain of the Guard to pay, we'd still be rich enough to move out of this forsaken village."

"Why don't you ask for her name first, Nae," Crow stated as he pulled his hood down to reveal his striking blonde hair, "You were in her position, too once."

Naomi sat on her knees in front of the neko, her golden eyes roaming over the beautiful neko. This one looked like she had seen a great deal of horrors in her lifetime. There was very little innocence left in her. Naomi placed her hands on her lap, "Being carted off to different places isn't new to you, or seeing new faces. I am Naomi, freed slave and store owner of potions and enchantments. This is my assistant, Crow. I am in a great deal of debt to my vendor and I need more money than this store is making."

"We're going to hold an auction for you," Crow further explained, "By your looks, you won't go for a low price."

"That will be in due time," Naomi stood up, "For now, take her out of her cage and keep her chained to you. I want her fed and properly bathed. I won't be selling a street cat, she needs to look like a well-fed house cat."  

[Hikari_Mamo]

Yuuki didn't respond. All she did was contort her face into an ugly expression and hissed. She narrowed her eyes at them both. Lies. . . she thought she'd have her freedom back but no. No she was to be sold again. She learned many things when she was a slave. She'd do the same to get her freedom again. Innocence? She had none. She didn't believe in love. Didn't believe in anything. Except her freedom but now. . . now these scum took that from her. "I'm no one's house cat! I'm a free neko! Let me go!" She hissed again. At least. . . at least she didn't have to hear those sounds any more.  

[The Madame Red]

"Ah, a little fighter, eh?" Naomi smirked as she leaned down closer to the cage, "I'm sure you will get me more money that way. But first, those claws will be removed. Crow. Do what you have to go get rid of them."

Without hesitation, Crow took the cage to a corner before sleeping into a cabinet full of tools. He pulled a few before sitting in front of the cage, "You're making this really hard for yourself. And you're really not in the position to be hissing."

He had seen it before when he first met Naomi. She had been badly beaten when she changed him from a simple crow to a human where he tore apart the men who beat and raped her. A kitsune's mysterious magic was fierce when they knew anger. And Naomi was no exception. But Naomi had remained free since he came to be her assistant.

"If you want, I can talk to her and you can be free again too. Maybe if you help around here she won't try to sell you," Crow tried to sound positive, he really didn't want to de-claw her.  

[Hikari_Mamo]

"Too late." She hissed showed them her deformed fingertips. "I don't need my claws to deal damage." She stilled hissed at the woman. But then the man grabbed her and took her somewhere. She too had someone who saved her. Her last master. When she died, Yuuki fled to the docks so she wouldn't get resold. That freedom lasted nine years. . . until Yesterday. Now she had the threat of being sold again. "Why? She's threatening to take my hard earned freedom. For what? Passage out of here?" She growled a little. "And yet. . . all she had to do was ask me nicely." She narrowed her eyes. "She wants out? All she needs is to say please." She smirked. There was a reason her last master loved her so much. . . And they'd find out. . . if they asked her nicely.  

[The Madame Red]

"You don't get it, do you?" Crow sighed as he stood up, "You're in no position to talk compromise. Naomi isn't someone that does the begging around her. Hissing and acting like some feral isn't going to make anyone fear you, they'll just leave you in the cage until you starve to death."

"Crow," Naomi stepped into the back room, "Take care of the shop. If this is going to be our ticket home, I might as well primp her up myself."

Crow gave one last look to the neko before obeying Naomi. The kitsune waited as her tails glided to the ground before turning her attention to the woman, "I could have you sent back if you're just going to cause trouble for us."  

[Hikari_Mamo]

Yuuki frowned. "Then who will show you the tunnels that lead out of this village and to the sea three hours walk from here?" She asked smiling a little bit too kindly. "You want what I want, freedom. I can help you with your problem, you can help me with mine without selling me down the river." Her smile grew softer, more gentle. "Besides I need to put up a fight, don't know who's watching. . . my real master could arrive any minute. . . oh we all have real masters, we're in the underground deary. It may have been nine years since I worked for him but he still needs people for the trade. I'd be useless to him if you sold me to a guard or someone like that. He'd have to. . ." She gasped just thinking about it. "End everyone I've been in contact with. . . dear me good bye fishing village. Well. . . Information comes at a price and I'm sure he's quaking thinking of all the things I could tell you." She smirked. "However. . . Sell me on. Go for your life. . . while it lasts. Or, we can come to an arrangement where, well. . . everyone doesn't die. . . However, it would involve me being attached to your hips for a while if you can stand it." She smirked softly. "If you don't believe me about my true master. . . take a look at the small of my back, he marks us all when he first gets us. . . you've probably come across a few with the mark while you were a slave." She turned and lifted her shirt showing a treble clef with wings.  

[The Madame Red]

"You know, I came across a few nekos like yourself," Naomi smiled as she crossed her arms, "They spoke with pretty words like yourself, but they were primarily kept for one reason and i'm sure you know that reason."

Small blue flames hovered over the tips of her tails as her eyes glowed slightly, "A foxes strength comes from their cunning. The unfortunate kitsune who can't yield their true abilities remain a slave. Tell me, do you know how a fox finds their ability?"

She waited a few moments to let the silence kick in before saying, "By having nothing left to lose. Look, little kitten, you have no idea the master I came from and what i've endured when I was there. There are some horrors you never bring up in fear they might return."

Naomi snapped her fingers and the cage door opened before the chains on the neko dissolved to water. The kitsune woman kept her arms crossed, "Leave if you wish, I can have you replaced by some other neko. Or, if you want your freedom, remain here and work. I couldn't care less about your tunnels. I am not a wild animal that looks for a secret way out, I will simply walk out with dignity."

Then, Naomi's ears turned to the sound of the front door being roughly opened and the sound of Crow squawking for them to leave. Naomi walked casually to the front where she recognized two men. They were the bodyguards to her former owner.

"Well looky here," one of the toothless men grinned a gummy smile, "The favorite managed to open a pretty store."

"The master has been looking high and low for you," the other one approached Naomi.

Both had raped her when she had been weaker and couldn't fight them off. Now, she had an ace up her sleeve. Naomi shrugged before turning her head to Crow, "Why don't you show our guests a few of my potions?"

Crow smiled wide before opening two bottles of a blue liquid and tossed them at the men who were doused in the liquid. Within seconds, the men turned into mice and scurried on the floor. Naomi smiled before squishing one with her shoe, "You can have the other one, Crow."

"I'm not a mouse-eater...they taste like garbage," Crow made a face before taking the other mouse, "Maybe the cat will eat it?"

Naomi glanced to the backroom to the neko, "I doubt it, but you can try."  

[Hikari_Mamo]

The snatchers! Yuuki hissed to herself. She knew them. . . She followed slowly and frowned.

The neko trapped the other mouse in her hand. She picked it up and smirked. "Can you walk?" She asked it remembering the little boy they'd snatched. "Are you injured?" She saw a tiny bit of recognition on the mouse's eye. "That's right, Karma's a b***h ain't it honey~" She smiled at the Kitsune. "When Nekos have nothing to lose." She purred. "They turn to The Master." Then she chomped down on the mouse back end first letting them hear it squeak as it died. She swallowed it then and brushed her hands a little. "People think Neko's are only good for one thing. But The Master proved us otherwise. You may have powers. . . but I can get you anywhere in and out of any place undetected. I can find you maps, get you ships, you can walk out of here with dignity. Anything you want." She smiled softly. "I wasn't lying before. I know more about this place than any other Neko. It's why I'm his favourite. It's why he sends me out. I hate it. I get close calls but every slave I free in the process. . . It's worth it. I am the Guardian of the Underground deary." Her demenour had changed from before. She wasn't scared, or angry, she was trying to be helpful. "If you need me, you'll know how to find me." She smiled and blended in with the shadows of her shop before slipping away.

The Master smirked and drew a deep drag of his pipe. "Has she secured the Kitsune?" He asked one of his little pets.
"No my Lord." It replied. "It appears though, she may have perked their interest. . . should we have asked her to try and sleep with one?"

"Oh you silly little Inu~" He teased taking another drag from his pipe. "Let her roam. Keep the snatchers off her trail. We'll see if they bite. . ."


Yuuki didn't return to her job at the docks. No. A Neko with her "Master" in the marketplace slipped her a note telling her to hang about. To. . . sell meat with a Kitsune. "Rodger. . . He's fun." She purred joining the Earth Kitsune at his butcher shop.  

[The Madame Red]

Guardian of the Underground, eh? Naomi smirked as she chuckled before leaning against her counter, "She had no idea who she was speaking to, Crow."

Crow gave a have shrug, he hoped to see the neko again actually. She seemed interesting. When he hadn't given a verbal reply, he turned his gaze to Naomi, "She may have the underground, but no one knows business and the surface like you."

"I'll give her time," Naomi sighed, "In the mean time, fetch me another one. This one better be a bit more docile."

It didn't take him long to head out the door this time. Crow put his hands in his back pockets as he meandered through the crowd. He noticed many familiar bottles that held certain liquids. Naomi may be in debt, but most of the popular slave traders came to her for potions that would knock out the slaves so they could go to the auctions quietly. Of course they wouldn't dare pay her in her store or out in the open, it was all discrete.

Soon enough, he found another neko to take back to Naomi. He wouldn't think of bringing back a kitsune in fear of Naomi's wrath. She'd boil him up into a potion himself to give the gift of flight.


Meanwhile, Naomi remained in her shop as she sat on her stool. A few people came in to buy a few things, but nothing substantial. She had no need of underground systems unless they led to treasure. Her thoughts went back to her slave life, living in a palace while cleaning the place with the nekos. When she grew her second tail, the master had better use for her as his children's pet and plaything. That is until the children cut off three of her tails at that point.

All 7 of her remaining tails twitched in anticipation at the memory. She grew older and her beauty gave her the new title as a bed slave to her master. Though it was a disgusting job, she knew it was better than most of the other slaves. It was when he brought his nephew over...the man who raped her mercilessly... She found her ability. She had changed him from a man to a bird and changed him back before her master knew. Her ability had come with a price, he made her perform tricks and cunning acts for entertainment until her last tail grew.

"Excuse me," a child approached Naomi, "How much is this?"

"More than your allowance, beat it," Naomi took the potion from the child as it ran off in tears.

The potion the child held was one specifically for slaves so they could sleep through their misery. A child shouldn't have a slave. Naomi sighed as she placed it back on it's shelf.  

[Hikari_Mamo]

"What's your latest job girly?" Rodger asked her smiling as he held out the package to a customer.

"You know I can't tell you." She hissed. "If I did the Master would get upset."

Rodgers grabbed her, leaving another Kitsune in charge. "Your father entrusted your safety to me and the Master." He hissed. "You need to tell me what's going on."

"I've been trying to rally Kitsune who've unleashed their powers to rise up against their masters." She hissed in his native tongue, one none in the marketplace could understand. "The Masters have had their fun now it's time to remove them and free the others."

"Does He know your plan?" Rodger asked.

"Of course he does!" She snapped. "The Neko's are ready. The Inu are Ready we just need the Kitsune and we're home free." She whispered.  

[The Madame Red]

Crow returned with another caged neko on his back into the back of the store. Instead of greeting their prize-winning slave, Naomi just waved Crow to clean the kitten up and prep it for auction. As much as he had respected Naomi, he could see the obvious hypocrisy in her actions towards other slaves. Since she too was once a slave, why would she auction off people? However, he did not question her motives and obeyed her.

Naomi slipped the neko the sleeping potion to keep her quiet before tending to her store once again. Then, she saw a few more familiar faces. This time they brought back up. Her former master had been humiliated at his 'favorite' paying off her debt to him and leaving him through the front door. Killing two of his cronies was one thing, but taking on his entire fleet of guards wasn't exactly the best option. Naomi shut and locked her store door before grabbing Crow to descend down into the basement.

That neko earlier wasn't the only one who knew escape routes. Naomi fumbled with the keys as Crow locked the basement door before rushing to the kitsune. Then, the secret passage way beneath her rug opened with a loud creak as she leaped down into the pitch black tunnels and Crow fixed the rug. Before Naomi lost sight of Crow, she snapped her fingers and he transformed into a crow. Then, she stood in complete darkness. The blue flames appeared above her tails to light the way as she meandered through the darkness to her normal exit area.

Crow flapped his wings when the men stormed through the basement looking for Naomi. Her services would fetch a pretty penny to her old master if he was able to auction her off at this point. He laughed inside his mind as he flew from the basement to the outside by way of the opened doors and went in search of a familiar face.  

[Hikari_Mamo]

Yuuki herded the freed Neko children into a safe house. The humans that lived there were against slavery, and their mansion was huge, so they could house every liberated slave Yuuki could get her hands on. They were still tagged though. Secretly free but pretending to be slaves for the humans here. Rodger had slipped the Kitsune he's saved around back. They weren't allowed out. And they didn't want to leave the house once they were in it. It was safer for them.

"Aura." A Kitsune whispered to her. "A crow's followin' ye." He whispered in the Kitsune tongue.

Yuuki looked up at the sky. Damn he was. "Get the rest of them to safety. If you have to kill people to get it done do it. But don't harm the children." Then she jumped up onto a roof top and lifted her arm, waiting for him to land.