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 Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2011 8:04 am
 With his cousin bought almost as soon as she had been placed in the Black Market Neser was feeling a bit glum. They came from the same slave breeder and he hoped his rare pelt colour would help him get out of here quickly too. Hyde mentioned his interesting pattern if any hounds asked about him, and he was starting to fear that his pelt was the only positive thing about him. His new cage neighbour was grey with black stripes, but not as pretty or interesting as his cousin Nefer. Still, he started to wonder if the hyena had some kind of system in placing the slaves. Pretty but useless ones here, hard workers there, stripy ones in that cluster of cages... Perhaps Nefer's cage had been a gray-white-black ones cage. No, that would be silly.
He couldn't help disliking the striped cat a little bit for replacing Tadinanefer, even if he knew it wasn't the other slaves fault. It was getting lonely so he decided to stop sulking without much reason and talk to his neighbour instead. It might kill some time, or even be interesting. Oh, he wondered how his cousin was doing, and he hoped she wouldn't knock over any tables at her new house. He had heard stories about slaves getting killed or put back on the Black Market for making mistakes. Both sounded equally scary.
"You been here long," he asked, in a voice that wasn't particularly friendly, but not unfriendly either. "I wonder when we'll be bought..."((OOC: Feel free to toss in your other slave too if you want to))
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Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2011 9:47 pm
 The stripped cat Nesser was referring to, Azibo, glanced at his surroundings with a touch of fear. This was the first time he had ever been in a place such as this, his life before was quite comfortable..well, as comfortable as a slave could be. But now he was alone, alone in the slave market, awaiting his fate... He could be sold to anyone. His greatest fear was to be sold to someone who was harsh and would mistreat him. He was powerless to change to change his fate. His thoughts were interrupted by the kitten next door, who he wasn't sure enjoyed his presence. When he saw the other he seemed...upset in a way. Perhaps this cage belonged to someone he knew? "n...no..." Azibo responded, "I...just got here..." As for his next question, he could not answer. He didn't want to be bought, but then, to stay here any longer would be just as bad...
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Posted: Mon Jan 17, 2011 2:12 am
Well, it might just be a case of putting the new slave in the first free cage, but Neser liked his little theory. The other cat seemed nervous and uncomfortable, but who wouldn't be in these conditions? Neser really wanted out of here, but at least he could feel a bit superior now when he had a cage neighbour that was completely new and not just... almost completely new to this.
"Oh," he said, trying to sound as if he knew what he was talking about, "I was thinking maybe the hyena moved cats around or grouped them for better sales. Like... Good looking ones here."
He hoped this was the good looking corner at least. It would be really bad if they were sitting in the 'useless' corner. The striped cat wasn't as unusual in pattern as he was, but coming from a hound house where everyone talked breeding all day he had got the impression that stripes were a good thing. The other cat had some white on him, and that was good too as long as the slave was groomed enough not to look dirty. Neser considered sharing this, but he decided it might make him sound really vain and conceited. It was a good thing the other cat couldn't hear his thoughts...
"I'm Neser, by the way," he said, only now remembering that it might be a good thing to introduce yourself. "But acquaintances don't seem to last long here."
A small glum part of him wondered if it was any use to try to get to know other cats in here at all. They might get sold, he might get sold, and then they would probably never see each other again. Heck, the hyena might eat someone for all he knew. Hyde looked hungry today...
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Posted: Mon Jan 17, 2011 2:56 am
Ears perking at the mention of 'good looking ones' Azibo moved nearer to the bars so he could get a better look at his 'neighbor'. "R...really? I..didn't realize the slaves were sorted that way,.." It did make alot of sense though. The hyena looked like he was out for profit, so he would put the better looking ones in better view so they would get sold
But..him, good looking? He never thought much about his looks. Some say his coat looked exotic, but it didn't matter to him what coat someone had, it was their personality that mattered more. Though, he thought to himself sourly, It would look better on any hound to have a good looking slave, better status and whatever dribble. The thought of not being sold because his pelt could be considered 'not pretty' left him feeling pretty ill.
"I'm Azibo..." He replied, then heard Nesser's next piece of information. It didn't sound reassuring, and his ears dropped at the prospect of meeting other felines then never seeing them again as they were sold off.
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Posted: Mon Jan 17, 2011 4:52 am
Neser had the decency to feel a bit guilty, since the other cat seemed to deflate at his words. It was true that this wasn't exactly the place to meet life long buddies, but then nowhere was for a slave. The week or so he had spent in the Black Market had already managed to bring forth every ounce of pessimism in him. What was the use of getting to know other cats at all? He was nothing without a hound, with or without cat friends. But something made him continue the conversation, even if Azibo seemed to be a quiet sort. Talking made the time pass easier somehow.
"Azibo," he repeated, to have a greater chance remembering the name, "You know, I have heard of felines being bought together, but I think it's rare. I don't know if it's like a two-fer-one sale or something."
The amount of rumours passing from cage to cage was massive, but then gossiping was one of the few entertaining things a caged slave could do. Neser had started to realise that not everything might be true, and that information tended to get lost or warped on the way but he hoped the other cat might start to look less forlorn if he told him about this particular rumour.
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Posted: Mon Jan 17, 2011 5:31 am
He didn't seem as eager as before, but he did seem to perk up a little at Nessers next words. Being sold off in a pair, may be something he could hope for. At least he would have a comrade in arms, so to speak, when it came to meeting a new master. It wasn't much, but he would take any hope that he could get. To lose hope in this place...what would there be if there was no hope?
"It would be great if that could happen..." Azibo said out loud in a almost whistful manner, then seemed to stay quit for a little while. Before a question rose in his thoughts. "...Who was the cat that was in this cage before me?" he asked.
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Posted: Mon Jan 17, 2011 6:01 am
"Some girl," he said nonchalantly, not ready to admit that he had met and lost a cousin in a single day here. Well not lost as in died, but he had no clue if she was even in the same city anymore. Hopefully not, come to think about it, since he had heard that Zanzibar was a rough city for slaves. He had no clue which city was the best one to be in, or even where the cities were located in relation to each other, because geography had never been a priority for the slave students... But it must be better to end up somewhere posh where you wouldn't have to break your back or fight for your life to please your master. Not that he had any say in the matter, and the hound that eventually bought him would know better what Neser needed. Hounds knew best, and slaves would be lost without them.
"Do you know what city you were born in," Neser asked. He knew not every slave did. It was a logical question to him, but to Azibo it might seem as if he was changing the subject.
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Posted: Mon Jan 17, 2011 6:15 am
"Hmm..." Azibo frowned in thought, trying to remember what the name of the city he was from was called. Since he didn't know how to read...the signs that said where he was were useless to him. "I can't remember the name...but I know there was many palm trees about, as well as many hounds. They seem to trade lots of items to one another..." To him, it may of seemed crowded, but it was also peaceful in a way. The palm trees provided a great place to climb up to get a look around at the surrounded area, and were also a nice hiding spot for times when he needed somewhere to think and be a peace.
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Posted: Mon Jan 17, 2011 6:44 am
Neser nodded, but he didn't have a clue where Azibo could be from. This was Zanzibar, and the dreaded Black Market, there was some place far away where the cats fished, and errr... Cairo? That just about concluded his local knowledge. Slaves weren't supposed to worry too much about thinking. His hound master would keep track of things like this if he ever got one.
"Palm trees," he said longingly, "We were kept mostly inside before we were sent to slave school. The hounds didn't want the stock to get hurt or dirty. But the hound teachers didn't care much about that in school, right?"
Not that the young slaves had been abused... much. But cleanliness hadn't been far up on the agenda, even if Neser did try to stay clean and healthy more out of habit than because he was told to.
"So do you have any skills," he asked, deciding not to tell Azibo about the snake incident.
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Posted: Mon Jan 17, 2011 3:51 pm
Azibo listened to Nessers explanation about where he came from, his curiosity peaked at the mention of a slave school. "You went to school?" he asked,eyes twinkling at the thought of a place were they taught you things, "What did you learn there?" Perhaps he even learned how to read, or even write?
The thought of being able to do such things sent shivers down the slaves spine, but his happy thoughts were interrupted when nesser asked if he had any skills. "I...do not possess any..." he said sadly. "But...one day, I hope to learn how to read and write..."
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Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2011 1:33 am
"Oh, no," Neser said and laughed, a short dry laugh that sounded like a cough, "Not like hound school where they learn to read and write... Just regular slave school, taking care of the young hounds. And learning to be obedient and all that, you know what I mean, right?"
Every young slave and hound was shipped off to boarding school at a certain age after all. He did agree with Azibo however, calling it "school" for slaves was a bit of a stretch. Mostly cleaning really, and a young hound he had never actually met came to mind. He had just changed the poor little fellows soaked blankets morning after morning. Neser had been done with school before that hound so he didn't know if the bed-wetting had stopped or if some other unfortunate young slave had to clean smelly blankets now.
"One of the hounds I had to clean up after wet his bed almost every night," he whispered to the gray cat, "I know we're not supposed to say bad things about the masters, but I don't even know his name so I hope it's not a bad thing to say this."
Reading and writing was nothing Neser could ever hope to learn. He had been told all his life that he wasn't very smart, especially when his paws couldn't seem to figure out how to perform a certain task. In reality Nesers biggest problem was that he was clumsy and... not good at anything. He fully believed that he was stupid too, because so many masters and adult cats had said so.
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Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2011 3:18 am
'Oh...right, yeah..." Azibo hadn't even considered that place to be a 'school'. Sure they taught him stuff, but it was mostly how o take care of hounds, nothing elaborate like the things the hounds were taught. It personally made him jealous that they could learn so much, but he was left to sit here and yearn for knowledge.
Then he began so smile, a slight snicker escaping his maw before he looked around to see if anyone else was watching. "Somehow...I doubt anyone here would mind insulting the masters..." It wasn't like they were going to be ratted on. He lowered his voice to a whisper though, so only Nesser could hear. "I had a small hound master as well, but this one was so scared, I only had to ask him something, and he would jump out of his fur in fright!" He snickered again. "But he was a kind one, so I didn't mind. There were some at the school who could be mean..so I tried my best to keep out of their way"
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Posted: Fri Jan 21, 2011 2:22 am
A slave with too much knowledge was a dangerous one, Neser had heard that time and time again. A little bit of knowledge can be more dangerous than no knowledge at all, was a favourite quote from one of his "teachers". It was something the hound said if a kitten started to ask questions, and he usually followed it up with a whipping. Neser had learned that slaves were better off if they left the thinking to hounds. Hounds knew what to do. Hounds had to know what to do, because who would tell the slaves what to do and think otherwise?
"Really?" Neser whispered, genuinely surprised by Azibo's whispered answer, "I mean, the hounds are good for us, right? And insulting them is... bad?"
There were mean little masters just like Azibo said, and Neser didn't much like them. But he had never considered the fact that other slaves might be displeased enough to insult their masters on purpose. This was new to him, and he wasn't sure what to think.
"I hope the scared master learns not to be afraid," he said in a low voice, "Masters can't be afraid of slaves..."
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Posted: Fri Jan 21, 2011 2:54 am
"I wouldn't worry. I think the master I had was just young, and was most likely sheltered, so being introduced to a small kitten made him a little nervous." Azibo seemed surprised though when Nesser seemed disinclined to say anything bad about the masters. He shook his head in answer. "I don't think insulting them is bad...at least not in front of them" He knew better then to mouth off at a slave master, least he get whipped or beaten. In truth the hounds who were much bigger then him could be quite scary, and it would take alot for him to not cower in front of one. But, there was none in sight, so why shouldn't he be able to say what he wanted?
"I don't think being enslaved can be a good thing..." He said to nesser. "I mean, look at were we are now! We're stuck in a cage, and theres nothing we can do about it. How can this be a good thing? " He looked to the other side of the cage, out at the other slaves. "I don't think it hurts to be able to think for yourself, instead of being told what to do all the time..."
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Posted: Fri Jan 21, 2011 3:12 am
The other slaves talk made Neser nervous. He had dutifully swallowed what he had been taught, and fully believed that he could not survive without a master. In fact, that was the thing he hated most about the Black Market. The hyena, Hyde, he was not a master. Everything bad, bad, bad here was because there were no master that took care of him. And for all the stories he had heard, Neser had never been badly mistreated. The breeder he came from rarely whipped their slaves since that kind of abuse could leave marks. The hounds and slaves in charge of dishing out punishment knew just how and where to hit in order to cause pain but not irreversible damage.
"It's bad here because there are no masters," he said, but he phrased it as a question, as if he wanted Azibo to confirm his statement, "Slaves need masters."
Neser was not ready to dismiss everything he had ever believed just because another slave said so. It made a bit of sense that it was okay to say some bad things when masters didn't listen, but he did not agree that being a slave was bad. Well it was, but it was their fault, right? Slaves were less intelligent than hounds and could be dangerous to themselves and others. The masters tried to teach them not to be bad, and they chained them up for their own good.
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