come buy, come buy

[enthymeme]

The Market

Ah, a new customer! Welcome, welcome to the Market!

Not much of a name? Why, what do you mean? It's quite concise and descriptive, I assure you, for this is a place for buying-- and buying the finest specimens of, hm, indentured servitude, I assure you, that you might find anywhere in the multiverse. Yes, yes, I've heard the nicknames before, but I assure you, this is the Market and so it shall remain for as long as those of discerning tastes and, ahem, if I dare say, deep pocketbooks, require what we have to offer.

For here we can offer you whatever it is that you wish, whatever you can dream of, anything. For a price, of course, but you wouldn't be here if you weren't able to pay....

Ah, yes, I beg your pardon for today's delay. Some bleeding-heart so-called "rights group" caused a fuss, tried to release an entire pen full of stock, but not to worry, they've been, ah. Dealt with. Allowed inside, you might say, hah?

Well, then, as I was saying. The Market contains all manner of slaves for purchase, whatever your individual needs might be. Let's see what might interest you, shall we?

We'll begin with our most popular selection, the animal types. There's all manner of variety here, though, don't mistake me-- anything from intelligent beasts (with or without full awareness, that's up to you, no additional charge) to the mostly-humanoid with some altered features. See, here, these dogs make excellent guards, quick and clever as any human. Or these over here, with just that feline cast to their features, plus the ears? Quite popular and decorative.

Is that not interesting enough for you? We do have all manner of exotic types, I assure, not simply the standard breeds. Should your fancy turn to dragons or unicorns or griffins, we can certainly accommodate that. Perhaps a centaur? Quite useful, though they can be so difficult to feed...

Ah! Yes, you've noticed our more mechanical selection! Again, there's a range here, depending on your needs-- some have been fitted with cybernetic augmentation, additional strength or enhanced senses, and so forth. Or if you prefer, we have these full-cyborg models, quite useful for labor, they keep going until they run out of fuel. Oh, yes, they have full human intelligence, soul transfered over, not my specialty but I'm sure the handlers could explain to your satisfaction.

These? Oh, yes, the sculpted group is the most varied, and popular with collectors. You see, we add alterations without losing that base humanoid appearance. Improved, certainly, but usually not too exotic (unless that's to your taste, of course, of course!). They could be taller, smaller, thinner, plumper-- or we could add features, perhaps? Devil horns, maybe, or additional eyes or limbs? This lovely model was based on the standard "fairy" type (the wings, I'm afraid, do incur an additional surcharge) while over here, this one was given increased musculature and a bit of facial sculpting for attractiveness. Bound for the gladiator arena I'm certain, that one.

If your taste runs to the more decorative, however, this section is the banks of what we call "statuary", slaves molded into certain pleasing shapes. And textures, yes, see this one still feels like flesh (go on, touch!) but here we have glass, or marble. Oh, of course we provide you with keywords to allow movement when you wish, to reshape them or, well, whatever strikes your fancy.

And here we have the blanks, ready and waiting to be sculpted to your exact specifications while you watch! Anything, anything you'd like, no request too strange, and oh, well...

A bit closer, closer, a word in your ear-- should you like a bit of sculpting yourself while you're here? Some changes, improvements, we can certainly--

What? Certainly not, why would we then try to sell you? What an utterly ridiculous idea, ridiculous, I say! We'd never treat a paying customer in such a manner!

Ah, but it seems the auction is about to begin. You wouldn't want to be late! Simply let me know if you need any further assistance, and we thank you for patronizing the Market....

HOW IT WORKS:
♦ As the name implies, it's a slave market...but with a twist, in that you really can buy exactly what suits your needs. Your character could be shopping at the market, picking up a slave that had been placed on order, bringing in an unaltered slave to be modified, and/or looking for some modifications on him/herself. Or they could be a slave (choose from one of the bolded types or pick your own!) waiting in the pens, on the auction block, just purchased, etc. Body horror? Power games? Whatever strikes your fancy.
♦ Leave a comment with your character's name and fandom in the subject, and please fill out this form to help others tagging in know what you're interested in playing:
<b>Character:</b> [insert name here] <b>Age:</b> [insert age here] <b>Description:</b> [one-sentence description] <b>Role:</b> [do you want to be slave, buyer, or no preference?] <b>Want:</b> [scenes/options you would particularly like] <b>Do Not Want:</b> [scenes/options you do not want to play out]
This meme is open to smut and non-smut options, as well as other potentially triggering material, so please be sure to state what you want!
♦ Have fun, and be sure to respect others' comfort zones!

Comments

[coldhardfacts]

That's exactly the point. Tearing himself apart inside until there's so little left of him, anything can be done with the remains..... That's what they're in the business of, here, with the less cooperative slaves. Those who give up easily, those who are willing to submit..... They find themselves with easier lives, even relatively comfortable ones. Some people, after all, simply wish for things like dedicated bodyguards, or guaranteed servants. Some of them will be poised and appropriate for exactly such missions, and go on to lead actually decent lives with kind, thoughtful masters who may even grow to care about them as people in their own right.

Kanji, however, will never be one of those fortunate few. He's too late to understand the use of bending, rather than breaking, or graciously accepting and improving his lot in more subtle ways.

Vexen works on dressing Kanji the rest of the way, now, manipulating his limbs methodically to slot them into the dress, even lifting him at one point, effortlessly, to get him into it fully. The whole process has been undeniably gentle, but it's obvious he's strong, if he can lift him so easily--strong enough to break such a fragile form without a second thought, if he so chooses. Sliding arms into puffy sleeves, arranging the heavy skirts, lacing up the back, slipping the high heels onto stocking-clad feet..... At least he doesn't bother with jewelry. The outfit is more than enough.

No, now that the work is finished, Vexen goes to fetch a mirror instead, wheeling it over to stand before Kanji's chair. He solicitously lifts Kanji up so he can see everything fully--and so Kanji might be able to stand, if he can figure out how to get his feet under him and support his own weight. "There you are. All cleaned up, and ready to be put back on show, just as promised."

[realmenknitplushies]

Perhaps he's damned himself. But at the same time - he couldn't have gone on without trying. That's one thing he can be proud of, even after all this. Perhaps he's cut off one avenue of comfort in life, but he's kept that much, he thinks...
Throughout the process, he's been growing more and more used to the sensations of his body, learning how it flexes as Vexen moves the joints to slip the clothing over his body. By the time it's done, he's hardly in any fine control, but he's determined to stand up to face the truth of what's happened to him.

The combination of the unfamiliar feeling of his body and the high heels are enough to make it hard for him to get anything like balance - but damn it. He's going to try. It's something he can do, at least - work through it, not just be pushed around any longer - but the sight of his own reflection's enough to almost knock him off his feet again.

For a moment, he's sure that it must be a trick. Not the most classically pretty, perhaps: but striking, elegant, caught on the edge between masculinity and femininity by the careful colouring and layering of clothing and hair. An unconventional beauty, but this time the description's accurate rather than sarcastic. Hell, if the school festival could've done anything like this, Teddie wouldn't have stood a chance - but at the same time, that was transient, a one off challenge. This? This is for good.
And it's a chill inside to realise. This is where his actions have brought him. One hesitant, finely-jointed hand raises as he watches his reflection...

While his speech is still a whisper - perhaps that's all it'll ever be, now - it's clear by now, as he responds to Vexen's comment.
"...that's it, then. ...Damn."

[coldhardfacts]

Vexen loosens his hold, hands simply resting on Kanji now, rather than supporting his weight. He's ready to catch the boy again, should he be unable to keep his balance, but he'll at least allow Kanji the dignity of trying--and the humiliation of failing, if it should come to that. He remains quiet, to allow the realization to sink in, fully and uninterrupted. A striking and unconventional beauty, yes..... Just the look they were aiming for. Some discerning collector should no doubt very quickly snap Kanji up for how unusual he was.

He nods in confirmation to Kanji's whisper, and while he's still satisfied, he doesn't seem so smug as before. In fact, he's almost solicitous, at this point, considerate as he gives Kanji both options and a chance to do things himself again. After all, now that the transformation is complete, the repercussions are over--now, it's back to the display with him, and he can figure things out himself from there. "That's it. Do you think you can walk, or shall I carry you?"

[realmenknitplushies]

For a moment, Kanji closes his eyes, light still shining through the thin material of the lids but not enough to carry an image.

There's no battle left to fight. This is the way things are.
He's lost.
Lost everything he was, kept his body but lost his image, lost his battle for freedom. This is his life.

Inside, something crumbles - and while his body doesn't have the flexibility to droop or fold in the same way as it had as a human, there's still something in the way he moves as his eyes open half-lidded that suggests the same thing.

You win. You've got me.

He can't fight off what seems to be a legitimate offer of help, now. While he dislikes the thought of having to be carried, it's with a stiff nod that he replies - not pushing Vexen away, just a polite acknowledgement, by his standards. The very last hint of pride left. "...I've gotta learn. But could ya make sure I don't fall over? I don't want to... t'..."

He can't say the word.

To break.

[coldhardfacts]

Oh, does he recognize that look. Even without proper human flexibility to his body language, Vexen recognizes that look easily. He's seen it in too many eyes before, far too many. He knows the silent and secret language of defeat, of despair. He knows what it's like to see someone break, utterly and irrevocably, without so much as a scratch on them. It's such a bittersweet moment, isn't it?

A Pyrrhic victory, at best. He has his pride, yes, or at least what remains of it. But at what cost? Will he be able to keep it?

"Of course. Carefully, now, heel-toe. Hold up the skirts, if you need to. Lift at the joints." He doesn't need to hear the last word to know what it is, and he doesn't need to make Kanji say it to understand. He simply takes Kanji's arm instead, grasping his bicep to help steady him. Ordinarily, it would be better to let him hold on, to get his balance himself--but unused to his body as he is? He's not going to have a strong enough grip, or fast enough reaction times to save himself if something does happen.

If nothing else, the calm instructions suggest Vexen has done this before, helping others figure out how to cope with their new form. Perhaps he's even crossdressed himself a few times, if he can offer tips on walking in skirts and heels.

[realmenknitplushies]

Right now, the exact nature of Vexen's expertise isn't something that Kanji's going to enquire about. He's just glad of the advice. Alright, he can do this, he's got to do this - this is his body, now, if he can't even walk in it... One, two. One, two. It's a good job that Vexen's so similar in height to him, really! But damn. Even doing this under his own power, even unseen by any who might judge, it's an embarrassment - his eyes stay downcast, looking at the ground and the flowing skirts rather than anything else.

Still, there could be worse things that could have happened to him, he supposes, given the scale of what happens here. He's kept a mostly-human form. Kept a lot of his appearance, even dressed up like this. And even he could acknowledge that his new appearance isn't unattractive... as these things go. Just strange, different, not the old him.

When will it stop being that? Can it?

[coldhardfacts]

It's slow going for them both, and a bit of a rocky start. But still, no matter how humiliating and difficult it is, Vexen is there to make sure he won't fall. He'll give Kanji that much, at least, patiently holding and guiding him as he adjusts to his new body. Step by step, the pair emerge from the laboratories, and make the journey back to Kanji's cage. Vexen leads him inside, to one of the barred walls, so that Kanji will have something to hold onto once he locks the door behind him and leaves Kanji to his fate.

They garner a few odd looks, as they go--it's not often that Vexen emerges from the labs while still on the clock, after all. He generally doesn't bother with such frivolous things as helping someone walk back to where they belong--if anything, he either carries them, or leaves it to one of the guards or handlers. Maybe Kanji should feel lucky, given the circumstances? After all, he's exactly right. He does have it better than a great many people here. Some have been turned into animals--beasts who can't even talk, who aren't recognizable as human any longer.

He may not be one of the most fortunate, given everything that's happened..... but he's not nearly the most damned of the market, either. And he'll have plenty of time to get used to his new form. Maybe someday, he'll find that even this can become him, too.

[realmenknitplushies]

This is strange. Such a cold, heartless type, who'd taken away everything from him, actually bothering to be careful about him here? What's the point? The looks are making him uncomfortable, and there's the occasional faint "...what're you starin' at? Never seen someone in a dress before?" comment that would be far snappier had he the volume to deliver it.

Perhaps even that's a strange acknowledgement of his fate, of accepting his new form and appearance for what it is. If he's stuck with this... well, he's stuck. He'll learn to take care of himself. Learn his limits - hopefully before doing too much damage.

While he can't bring himself to thank the person who reduced him to this state, he can give a nod to the one who escorted him on unsteady feet, and watch him go as he prepares for the next step.

The beautiful, androgynous, strange doll who had once gone by the name Kanji Tatsumi lowers himself gingerly to the ground and closes his eyes to think.