Save My Skin (1x1 RP) (~with Hikari_Mamo~)

[chibi_blue_mouse]

The Most Luxurious Fur . . .
. . . was discovered completely by accident when Master Terris Gaeven was punishing one of his neko slaves. He sliced the skin off the neko's arms and, to his surprise, after the skin was removed, the softest fur he'd ever felt had sprouted from the removed skin, the exact same shade as the neko's ears and tail, a lovely midnight black. So started the neko fur business.
Ever since that fateful day nekos are often found with long scars over their arms and legs as their masters not only use them as slaves but as a means of income selling the neko fur that comes off their removed skin. It also changed the selling of nekos in the slave market. Now, clothing designers buy nekos by the dozens to live their lives purely as fur providers to create coats, hats, fur-lined boots, gloves, you name it. The more common colors of nekos don't fetch as high a price as the more oddly colored nekos. Brown, black and white nekos fetch a pretty low price on the market. Calicos and tabbies are a slightly higher price. But the most expensive are the reds, blues, purples, greens, all the unusually colored nekos are the most prized.
There are some protesters to this movement, but up until 347 years after the discovery of neko fur the protests never had much ground. After all, nekos were slaves and most people didn't take the skin unless it was in a punishment. And the nekos were able to survive the painful process. (Though after about 23 years, some kinder masters started numbing the areas unless the skinning was in punishment.) The fur felt so nice, no one really had a problem . . .

Until . . .
Master Eric Thurmack of one of the noble families took the skinning of the nekos one step further. When one of his slaves made him particularly angry, he took the poor woman down to the basement where the punishments were doled out and tied her down before skinning her from neck to feet. Not one inch of the unfortunate neko's body under her neck was spared. She was stripped of her skin, but bled so profusely from the process that she died halfway through the process. That didn't stop Thurmack, he had found that even dead, the neko was producing fur, but it was all ruined from the bloodstains. And that started the most gruesome process in the neko-fur industry.
Not a week later, another unfortunate neko fell onto the wrong side of Thurmack's anger and was taken down to the basement to be skinned alive. This time, however, Thurmack was able to control himself to make such precise cuts that he was able to remove the neko's skin from his body without puncturing any organs or important blood vessels. The neko survived for 10 excruciating minutes without his skin before dying of hypothermia. With such a large amount of fur, Thurmack made a fortune and quickly became both admired and hated. Other people have tried following in Thurmack's footsteps only to find that their nekos die mid-skinning and the skins are ruined in the process. So far, only Thurmack is able to completely skin a neko and he will not reveal his secret to anyone and nekos, young and old, fear his name . . .



Help Me . . .
My name is Heather. I have no last name. Nekos aren't allowed to have last names. I am a purple neko, more of a lavender color, but purple nonetheless. When I was four I was ripped from my mother's arms and taken to the slave market to save my master's family from poverty. I was terrified. I knew the fate of rare colored nekos such as me. The factories would be competing to buy me, richer masters would be competing to buy me. I would wind up hideously scared on my arms and legs like my mother before me.
I was put into the show room in a cage like many young nekos are and tried to hide from the prying eyes, the prodding fingers, but the auctioneers wouldn't have that. They pushed the back of the cage closer to the bars until I barely had room to move. The potential buyers flooded around my cage, touching, pulling my ears, commenting on the loveliness of my color, how my fur would look perfect for the winter and spring collections, tugging my tail, saying how deliciously soft it was. I must have soiled my diaper at least three times.
Finally, the showing was over and I was given a few moments of peace, but all I could do was cry, causing a guard to rattle my cage, annoyed with the sound. I quickly shut up. Then the auction began. I watched as neko after neko was either dragged or wheeled onto the stage depending on whether they were in a cage or not. It wasn't like it mattered. Those in cages were dragged out on stage to be shown in full light. I heard the auctioner yelling out prices. Some sold quite well. There was a dandelion yellow neko who sold for 500,000 dollars. Then, I was loaded onto the cart and wheeled on stage. I was going to be sold.
I could have sworn my heart was going to pump right out of my chest, that the whole audience could hear it. My lot number was said and I was described before they pulled me onto the stage. I was trembling in the guard's grasp. He clutched my upper arm tightly, but he needn't have done so. I was too terrified to move. I saw and heard representatives from factories yell out ridiculously high numbers. My eyes watched them. I knew who they were. I was pricing now at 750,000, more than the yellow neko, I was going to be mutilated . . .
Then came the most terrifying moment of my young life. A deep booming voice called out, "20 million dollars." A man dressed in a midnight black suit trimmed with dark red neko fur had raised his sign from the back. It was an unheard of price. I had no idea who this man was, but I knew he couldn't have been from the factories. The factories didn't have that kind of money. I hoped whoever this man was, he would at least be kind and put on the numbing agent before ripping my skin from me . . .
Unfortunately, my delusion didn't last long, for in the hush that had fallen over the crowd, the auctioneer's voice could be heard clearly saying, "Going for 20 million dollars . . . Going once . . . Twice . . . Sold to Eric Thurmack for 20 million dollars." I only was able to catch a glimse of the evil smile forming on his face before I passed out.
I thought I would die after he took me to his house along with a few other nekos he had bought. But it turned out he had different plans for me. After giving the other nekos to other slaves to see that they were to fit in, he dragged me from my cage and looked me over, that horrible smile fixed on his face all the while. "Yes, you'll do perfectly." he told me, staring at my ears, reaching up to touch them with his horrible hands. "You will not do any work here. You are a special neko. I have only seen three of your kind at the most, but many were already too scarred for what I want." he said and then grabbed my arms and I cried out, terrified of this man. "You will be the first unscarred skin I will have. Once you are full grown, it will be lovely." he all but purred and I knew, even at that young age, what he meant. Once I stopped growing and became an adult . . . I would die. He would skin me alive. I would live without chores and I'd be able to live without fear of physical punishment for the years I had left. When I turned eighteen . . . I was doomed.
Now I am seventeen and it is a week until my eighteenth birthday. Master Thurmack has collected so many nekos that he has gone into the trading business himself. But I'm not for sale. I have a price that's far too high for anyone to afford. And in one week, I will die by skinning. The Master is eager to get his coat, I can tell, he constantly seeks me out to check my skin, make sure I have no bruises or injuries. I am given food and vitamins to make my hair and fur even more luxurious . . . But there's this newcomer in town who's been visiting my master, wanting to buy a neko. Rumour has it he's an inventor who has created something that made him ridiculously rich. Possibly richer than my master. And where my master is in his late thirties (he skinned his first neko at the age of 20), this newcomer is young, brilliant. I just hope he decides he wants me, no matter my price. I don't want to die next week.

Please help me . . .  

[chibi_blue_mouse]

Profiles

PM your profile to me. You will be playing the master who will rescue Heather from Master Thurmack. (Well you better otherwise this rp won't last long.)

[b]Username:[/b]
[b]Name:[/b]
[b]Age:[/b]
[b]Race:[/b] Human
[b]Occupation:[/b] Inventor/Master
[b]Bio:[/b] (Three lines or more of text)
[b]Picture:[/b]

Username: chibi_blue_mouse
Name: Heather
Age: 17
Race: Neko
Color: Purple
Occupation: Slave
Bio: Previously Stated
Picture:

Username: Hikari_Mamo
Name: Jason Green (Friends call me Jace or Greene...the last one if they wish to die)
Age: a week off my 20th birthday.
Race: Human
Occupation: Inventor/Master
Bio: Growing up exceedingly brilliant for his age Jason graduated from the best universities at the ripe age of 15. A secret Neko sympathiser he's been working on a way to synthesize the fur so that no more neko's would be harmed. So far he can only create simple bland colours like black and white. The fur so enticingly close to the real thing none have been able to tell the real from the fake. Making millions from it in the south, he intends to make it big up north and free neko's from any pain. Saving them has become his mission. During his endeavours he encountered a strange neko at an auction, however he was unable to get a bid in time to save it so instead he 'befriended' the buyer in hopes to get in good before giving the man an offer he would be stupid to refuse. He hopes to reach the young neko female in time. Whether he does or not all depends on the traffic and his mother's constant badgering to get a wife.
Picture:  

[Hikari_Mamo]

DIBS!!!  

[chibi_blue_mouse]

((Your picture stretched the page . . . >.>))

Heather woke abruptly and for a few seconds wondered where she was. Then she sat up, wincing as her back protested the movement. She had fallen asleep at the desk again, writing. It was her one haven in this house of horrors under her most terrible master, Eric Thurmack. She stretched, letting out a soft mew as she did so, her hands pawing at the air. Only one week. There was one week left until she was either skinned and left to die or her fate changed and she was rescued from that torturous death. She'd seen it happen before. When she was fourteen.

Heather had been ordered by Thurmack to help with the skinning of one of his slaves. She hadn't cut her fellow neko, no, Thurmack did all the knife work, but she had to hold him still while Thurmack injected the guy with some concoction that would basically paralyze him but keep him alive and awake. She heard the screams . . . saw the creature that was left behind without skin, shivering, dying . . . when his eyes finally closed, it was in relief. That image had haunted her ever since.

A sigh escaped Heather's lips as she moved from the desk to her bed, crawling in under the covers and curling up into a ball. That'll be my fate . . . she thought to herself. Hope that something would happen that would change that had all but been extinguished. She could only wait for the day that her master would drag her down to the basement . . . and kill her.  

[Hikari_Mamo]

((Not on my end it hasn't : S ))

Jason walked slowly down the street. He'd bought out almost every place in the town and sent the neko's off to his estate out near the coast. He made sure the rooms were all nice and the grounds where clean and tidy. However, the residents made sure the place was clean, that was how things worked. They worked to up keep the house they got the roof over their heads three square meals with snacks and water warm blankets and protection from any one who wanted their fur. They could breed if they wanted too as well.

Shaking his head Jason continued with his mission. Freeing all the nekos in that terrible place where his...'business friend' was living. The horrible things going on behind closed doors disgusted him. He was too late to save one but now he had so much money he could save the others before anything happened to him. Knocking rapidly on the door Jason tapped his foot in frustration. He needed to hurry the lavender one was up next week and he would never forgive himself if he was too late for her.  

[chibi_blue_mouse]

Posted.  

[Hikari_Mamo]

chibi_blue_mouse

Posted.

me too!!  

[chibi_blue_mouse]

Heather could hear the rapid knocking on the front door. The sound rather echoed through the house. She knew the elderly brown neko, who had been serving Thurmack since before he discovered his skinning technique, would answer it. She had become the unofficial door-woman of the house.

Indeed, it was the elderly brown neko who opened the door to Jason with a soft smile. She had grown used to his visits, thinking it nice that her rather brutal master had a visitor, and one so young. She only hoped Jason wouldn't fall under the dark sway of Thurmack, but her instincts were very good and told her Jason was a good sort. "Hello Mr. Jason. Nice to see you again. The Master wasn't expecting you until later in the day, but I'm sure he'll be happy to see you. I can take you to him, or you may wait in the living room if you wish." she said, offering both options to be polite, though Thurmack probably would have wanted her to just take him to the living room to wait.

Heather sighed and decided to get out of bed. She'd probably go draw or something, or her 'bodyguards' would find her and make her eat her breakfast which would have those vitamins that would make her better prepared to be skinned. Just the thought sent her stomach and heart plummeting to her feet and the fur on her ears and tail stuck straight up like a spooked cat's. After getting up, she noticed her frazzled state in the mirror and frowned before licking her hand and trying to push the fur back down to normal.  

[Hikari_Mamo]

Jason gave a small smile gently stroking the neko's ears. "I'll wait in the living room. Best not make your master angry now?" He teased heading on his own to the living room and sat on a chair staring at the fire. He would be patient. Keep his tone nice and even otherwise things could go south really fast. He also knew if things went south Thurmack had a few guards that could take him down. He needed to keep his head. Make sure things went smoothly. He hated being nervous, made him long for his cat missy. She could always calm him. His finger tapped nervously/impatiently on the arm of the chair as he waited. Keep calm. You'll save her...Stay calm...  

[chibi_blue_mouse]

The elderly neko smiled and her ears twitched when they were stroked. "Of course, sir." she said and went to go inform her master that Jason was there. While she did that, a pair of wide brown eyes watched Jason with curiosity before focusing on his ever tapping finger. Then . . . a pounce! Jason's hand was captured with the young hands of a brown neko who couldn't have been older than 6. His tail twitched from side to side before he looked under his hands to make sure he really had caught the hand with its twitchy finger. It seemed that Thurmack was making contingency plans for a new doorman once the elderly neko passed on.  

[Hikari_Mamo]

Jason jumped just a little watching the little brown neko and scratched the little ones ears. "Hey there cutie." He praised. "You got my hand what a good boy." He dug into a pocket and gave the boy a treat. He absolutely loved the baby nekos. Made his heart melt and want his own child. Sometimes. He wanted to save all the little ones and the adults in this house. He'd buy the 'pets' out from under him. That would be a wonderful victory. If he had to take down the man through his business then he would.  

[chibi_blue_mouse]

"Ah!" The boy's face lit up when he saw the treat and he quickly snatched it and shoved it into his mouth, purring all the while. That's when a calico bustled into the room, apparently searching for the brown neko.
"Loki!" she called, causing the brown neko to flinch and his purring to come to an abrupt halt. "How many times must I chase you down every day?!" she scolded as caught the boy by the wrist and gave him a swift swat to the behind before noticing Jason. "I'm so sorry sir, I hope he hasn't been bothering you." she said, worried he'd tell the master and then she'd be punished for not being able to take care of the little trouble-maker. She did not want that.

Heather had been walking through the house when she heard the calico shout out the boy's name and she smiled a little to herself. She looked in on the scene and saw the boy looking a little sullen. "Loki." she called softly, smiling a bit more when the boy slipped out of his guardian's grasp and ran over to her, wrapping her legs in a quick hug.
"Heth . . ." the boy murmured softly, grinning up at the purple neko.
The youth was a wonderful presence for Heather. He was the only one who didn't walk on eggshells around her. Every neko in the household knew she would die so they didn't want to get close to her. Only Loki who was bought two days ago was so friendly with her, without reservation. "Causing trouble again?" she asked softly. The boy quickly shook his head, but with one quirk of her brow, he slowly stopped and then nodded. She couldn't help but laugh a little. "Scamp." she said affectionately, tapping his nose. She didn't really acknowledge the visitor. Even if he wanted to buy her, she was undoubtedly out of his price range. Thurmack would make sure of that.  

[Hikari_Mamo]

"No. He wasn't bothering me at all. We were...bonding." He said before he was interrupted. He watched the purple neko with fascination. She seemed to be ignoring his presence. "Loki." He called patting his lap. He liked the little neko child. However he couldn't stop shifting his gaze to the purple neko. With a smile he couldn't help but know what she was thinking. He doubted that Thurmack could refuse the offer he would make to him. None of the other rich men could. No one could. That's the trouble with having so much money to burn. It grew tiresome. He just hoped the man got here soon before Jason did something rash.  

[chibi_blue_mouse]

Loki looked from Jason to Heather before going over to Jason only when Heather gave him a gentle push in the man's direction. Loki practically leaped into Jason's lap before curling up there, purring. The calico merely sighed and sat down on the floor by one of the couches, watching Loki. Her master would not be able to say that she wasn't watching him.

It was that moment when Eric Thurmack made his appearance, coming from the same hallway where Heather currently was. He brushed past her to greet Jason, but he would address her in a moment. "Ah, Jason, my boy. How wonderful to see you." he said and noticed Loki on the young man's lap. "It seems you've found a . . . friend." Thurmack said, unable to find a better word for it. Thurmack didn't see himself as the monster that everyone else did. He just didn't see nekos as people. He felt no remorse in his actions towards them and in fact treated them as pets and livestock. And, like pets, he had his few favorites, the old brown neko being one of them, but others he treated as one would treat a prize pig fed up for the slaughter. Heather being a prime example.
"He's an interesting case, to be sure, but more than likely loyal to those he chooses. I am willing to sell him to you if you want him. I will only go and buy another one. After all, my old maid cannot last forever. I would like her to teach someone before she passes on." he said, speaking as he sat down on one of the couches, right by the calico, reaching down and petting the woman, eliciting an involuntary purr. He loved petting his nekos. He thought of it as no different as petting a cat.
Thurmack then turned his attention to Heather, who stiffened under his gaze. "Heather, there is breakfast waiting for you in the kitchen. I expect you to eat. You need to be in good heath, after all." he said, chuckling a little.

Despite her efforts to keep her fur in place, it stuck up again like it had that morning as she heard his chuckle. "Yes Master." she said with a bow, turning to leave quickly, but she wasn't quick enough.

"Wait." Thurmack ordered, causing Heather to freeze mid-step. "Come here." he said, gesturing her over to him. It was with hesitance that Heather obeyed and she stood before him. Thurmack pulled Heather onto his lap where she sat stiffly as he ran his fingers through her hair and smoothed the fur on her tail. "Lovely." he said before pushing her off his lap. She stumbled, but didn't fall down and regained her footing, standing stiffly in the room. The unasked question was quickly answered by Thurmack waving his hand dismissively, saying, "That is all." Heather wasted no time fleeing the scene.

Heather went to the kitchen as ordered, and as expected, her breakfast consisted of food to make her hair soft and luxurious, her skin supple. She ate it all, but it all tasted like sand in her mouth.  

[Hikari_Mamo]

Jason had to hide his anger. "Yes about that." He said with a sly smile. "I've come across a...extraordinary amount of money. And I was wondering if I could get your advice on how to spend it. I mean. I have absolutely nothing to spend it on. I have my house and my land all maintained by servants. Well...I guess I could spend it on a woman but who has time to find one these days?" He mused trying to butter up Eric as much as he could before she got down to business. "But I so would like an heir. Do you happen to know of any good women I could settle down with?" He pulled Loki into his arms snuggling with the boy a little. He was so cute! And he already knew how to keep the boy entertained.