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 Posted: Fri Dec 03, 2010 2:26 pm
 Well, at least the morning was pleasant enough.
It was early yet and it wasn't time for him to start his cooking, so he took the opportunity to do something he loved, taking a stroll. This was, of course, with his master's permission. He'd lived in Prussia for several months, now, and had come to love it thus far. When he wasn't busy cooking and cleaning for Ari, he would take long, dawdling walks around the farmlands, acquainting himself with the other slaves and their tasks. There wasn't much danger in him taking off, as he knew the risks and the inevitable, painful punishment he would receive if he did.
Oh yes, he definitely paid attention in slave school.
He strolled leisurely along the path, enjoying the crisp morning and the warmth of the sun's early rays. The birdsong was like music to his ears and he inhaled deeply, enjoying the fresh, farmland scents. He definitely liked it here far better than he did his past two homes. It was much nicer. And he continued on in this fashion for some time, as he did each day, always moving farther and farther from the Bistro.
What was kind of farm was this one? He hadn't been out this far before and silently slipped over the wooden gate, taking a look over the leaves of some of the bordering crops. He'd have to see if he could hail one of the slaves working this land, as his curiosity was peaked. He was always on the look out for new, tasty ingredients, as he had to work hard to please Ari and the patrons of the little bistro.
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Posted: Fri Dec 03, 2010 7:19 pm
 Sudi still didn’t quite believe how life could change so radically in such a short period of time. It had been only a few weeks since Hazahra had taken Sudi and Dune from the nasty hyena in Zanzibar but to the striped slave it still felt like yesterday that he’d slept on the filthy ground of a tiny cage, barely eating or reacting at all, surrounded by hurt and pain and the most awful scents imaginable. At the same time he was slowly but surely beginning to forget – or perhaps remember less frequently than before – all the horrible events he’d experienced while serving his former masters.
Hazahra was wasn’t a particularly warm hound but she was fair and slowly earning the suspicious slave’s trust. Sudi had filled up, his coat recovered some of its former gleam and his hard work had developed his muscles. Without even realizing it, the striped cat had grown rather protective of his mistress – and her home by association. That is why he was not pleased, not pleased at all, to see a strange cat at the edge of Hazahra’s plantation looking at her fields.
The slave’s head dropped instantly and without thinking, Sudi trotted hastily towards the (almost) intruder, a low growl rumbling in his throat. He had never been this aggressive - or assertive for that matter - in his entire life.
“Whatcha looking at?” he hissed angrily speaking louder the he’d ever had for months but he was deflating even before the other cat replied. “You can’t touch anything...”
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Posted: Sat Dec 04, 2010 9:31 am
He heard the other slave before he saw him, this being because he was crouched, inspecting the plant, and generally unconcerned with who saw him. What was wrong with just looking? He was a well behaved slave and had nothing to hide, so why skulk about, anyways? He flicked an ear with mild annoyance and dropped to all fours as he turned to face the cat that was approaching. He sounded angry, but he quickly picked up on the drop in his tone. That fluctuation could mean he might actually not have a fight on his paws, which would be a good thing. It wouldn't be good for business to have a scarred over cat serving the food and waiting tables. He didn't want to go back to that market! Not for a third time.
"Who says what I can and can't touch, other than my master? Wasn't like I hurt anything, I was just looking at the plant's leaves, anyway. Not like it was that important."
He sounded almost indignant and had to fight to keep from responding to the growl with a growl, but that didn't stop his tail from lashing as he looked the other over. He hadn't seen him before around the area. Then again, he hadn't gone this far out before, but he considered himself on the up and up as far as most Prussians near the Bistro went. Maybe he was new? That didn't excuse poor manners (and he also blatantly ignored the fact that he was trespassing.)
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Posted: Sat Dec 04, 2010 11:11 am
Sudi was far more accustomed to thinking to himself or not thinking at all to come up with a quick reply to the words of the funny looking cat in front of him. This was a stranger, right? He wasn’t supposed to be so close to the plants, right? It was okay to tell him to stay away from the mistress’ gourds, right? Looking was not bad but looking too close was not polite… right? Had they been part of a story book, Sudi’s thoughts would appear as a million thought bubbles that popped out one after the other over his head but it took a very long for the striped slave actually speak – and it was not before Sudi lunged at the other cat not really aiming to attack but to land between the spotted slave and Hazahra’s plants.
“Leaves, seeds, gourds. All belong to my mistress. I protect the mistress’ crops.” He said simply, trimming away at the useless thoughts that filled his mind and focusing on the point he was trying to make: back away!
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Posted: Sun Dec 12, 2010 10:19 am
He stumbled back as the other cat surged forward, placing himself between he and the crops that he had been interested in. Well, this certainly wasn't that nice of a welcome, was it? He'd only been looking, after all. It wasn't like he was tromping through, breaking leaves and stealing fruit. He felt, well, rather indignant and his bristling fur and lashing tail expressed this without words. After all, he wasn't doing any harm, right? The last thing he wanted to do was to make trouble for any hounds, because that just made life ten times harder than it already was.
"Ah, gourds, I see. Well, shouldn't you be focusing on protecting the crops from what really needs watching, like birds and vermin? Who is your Mistress, anyways?" He did his best to crack a smile, but that really didn't improve anything. He was sure, however, to keep his claws sheathed. No sense in inviting trouble, even if his temper had flared a little bit.
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Posted: Sun Dec 12, 2010 3:20 pm
Oh boy, what had he done?! A little closer and he might’ve even hurt the other slave when, if he were to think carefully about it, the other hadn’t really done much of an offense. And yet, the spotted fellow didn’t even look angry – Sudi had expected him to lash out defensively. Instead, the cat’s smile felt like a stinging blow after Sudi had been so hostile. And Sudi wasn’t hostile, he wasn’t violent! You could say that out of the two cats, Sudi was the own most surprised by his own behavior.
“I’m sorry.” He started slowly and his voice went steadily down until it was a mere whisper. “I like it here.” He supposed he should’ve explained better but Sudi was never one to say too much and he hoped the other cat would understand him. After all, any cat who had gone through terrible experiences – and there were many – could understand just how protective a slave was of a good master and all his possessions.
“Mistress Hazahra.” The striped cat took one painfully slow step and then sat down with a slight crouch, his tail immediately moving to embrace the slave’s legs rather tightly. “I’m Sudi” he added the last bit tentatively, almost as a second apology.
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Posted: Mon Dec 27, 2010 2:38 pm
Abasi felt his bristled fur relaxing as the other apologized. He even seemed almost ashamed as he whispered the last bit. Though he didn't elaborate, he didn't need to. Abasi understood, as he assumed most any feline would. It was often difficult to find a hound under which one could truly be comfortable. Never really happy, but at least comfortable. So many were beaten and starved needlessly, which befuddled him. It also dictated his own behavior, because he was certain that if he did his best, he might be treated a bit better than your run-of-the-mill slave.
Hopefully.
So far, he had done well under Ari and was in no rush to displease him, lest he be sold off or traded into a worse situation. That was why the prospect of an actual, physical fight worried him. What if he was maimed? Or his features shredded to the point that he couldn't serve as a cook in his master's bistro.
"Sudi... I'm Abasi, I belong to Master Ari, who is none too far from here. S'nice to meet you." He cocked his head as he observed the other crouch. His shifts in mood confused the cook, but he tried to brush it off.
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Posted: Mon Dec 27, 2010 9:44 pm
"You, too." Sudi whispered when being quiet became just a little too uncomfortable. He couldn’t deny feeling relieved that the mood had lightened but he was still rather nervous around strangers… even if they were slaves like himself.
“Abasi…” he said quietly and it was impossible to know if he was repeating the name to make sure he’d remember it later or simply getting ready to say something else. Either way, the striped cat flinched for an instant as he wondered if was too soon to say the other slave’s name so casually. “Why… why were you looking at the gourds…?”
His last words came out a little quicker – though not necessarily louder - as he felt the need to once again break the silence between the two cats. Sudi did try to sit up a little straighter though fearing Abasi or any other cat with less-than-honest intentions that might see him would think him weak and be tempted to pay a little “night visit” to the gourd patch. Sudi wasn’t really that strong but he was determined to protect his mistress’ plantation.
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Posted: Tue Dec 28, 2010 4:39 pm
"Oh-uh, I was just looking."
He tilted his slightly and flicked an ear. This cat seemed so timid, he couldn't imagine he'd been far from the market for long. Or maybe something worse. Either way, it made him unsure of just how to act around the other. He seemed, well, almost the sort that could be bullied. If that was true or not, he had no idea, but it was the impression he got on their first meeting. It was a good thing he really meant no harm, right?
"I like to wander 'round the farmlands in these parts, not used to Prussia myself. Anyways, Master Ari owns his own business and I'm a cook there. I always like to get to know new ingredients to try and cook with, though we could have more fish. It's more of a hound establishment, anyways, you know? Anyways, I've never used gourds before. Kind of interesting looking, if you ask me. Do they taste good?"
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Posted: Tue Dec 28, 2010 6:15 pm
Sudi’s eyes narrowed accusingly when Abasi stated he was "just looking". Suspicious, very suspicious. But it all made sense when he kept talking and the striped slave’s ears pushed forward as he eyed the other cat curiously.
"A cook? Oh." A cook sounded pretty harmless and Sudi’s hairs started to slowly fall into place. He wrinkled his nose suddenly, a silent but very firm "No!" answering the question. But that wasn’t exactly what he said. "I only tried it once. I don’t know if that one wasn’t good or... To be honest, the mistress hasn’t talked to me much. She’s not cruel but she keeps her distance. I just do what I’m told and I haven’t been here that long… Dune spends more time with the mistress."
Sudi looked around nervously, wondering if his mistress had spotted him talking to the slave and assume he was slacking off. His ears were instantly pulled back at the mere thought of a possible reprimand or punishment. He didn’t want to seem ignorant of his mistress’ occupation so he continued talking, if the rapid succession of whispers and mumbles could be considered "talking".
"Jams. I think you can use the inside to make jams. The leaves to make a sort of tea. And the shells make good… uhm… containers. Like jars and water pitchers and… stuff like that. Some are really pretty, I think they’re used to make the homes… uhm… prettier."
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Posted: Thu Dec 30, 2010 10:14 am
As Sudi's expression changed, he began feeling a wee bit apprehensive. That also changed, however, when he spoke of his positon. That was good, because he really had no want for any further bickering, however small. As the other cat spoke, Abasi returned to what he had been doing before he had been interrupted, studying the leaves of the plant.
"Maybe she's just been too busy to talk to slaves as of late? My Master has been much the same, but hounds have so many things to deal with." He suggested, almost hopefully, before addressing the reason he had originally come.
"Jams and tea sound good. We could possibly sell the shells, too, as a raw product." Or I could learn to clean them up myself. "I've never eaten one, so maybe it was bad. Or maybe just hounds like them, since they grow them after all. Maybe I could learn some interesting dishes with them, Master Ari would like that, I think. Plus would bring a bit more business to your mistress, if he came and bought some. I wonder if he likes them..."
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Posted: Thu Dec 30, 2010 2:03 pm
Sudi smiled – just a little – when he felt like the other cat was trying to comfort him somehow by offering reasons for the mistress’ actions, something the striped cat really hadn't expected. Was he giving the impression that his mistress was neglecting him…? Well, that wouldn’t do. Hazahra might not be particularly gentle or even friendly but so far she had shown no cruelty to her two slaves.
“She doesn’t… the mistress is not one to chat much with slaves. She’s tough but not unfair. And definitely not cruel.” At least not yet anyway. And Sudi was starting to believe he could tell a cruel master when he saw one.
“I like it like this…I like… the distance.” he admitted a little more quietly turning his head to look at his home. He’d had enough of Hounds to last him a lifetime. Right now, he was far happier on his own, doing his job outdoors and being fed for it every day. The business proposal sounded interesting though. “I’ll give the mistress your master’s name then – Ari? – and tell her his cook was wondering if we had any good ingredients here. I’m sure she’ll be able to find him.”
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Posted: Mon Feb 07, 2011 6:26 pm
"So it is, sometimes. It's good that she's not to rough with you. Masters always have a reason," he was doubtful of his words, as he spoke, but it had long been drilled into his head that hounds did not act needlessly, "I mean, a reason for why they do what they do." It was the truth, right? At least it was what he had been told repeatedly when he was attending school as a kitten. It was wrong to question the master. Do what the master tells you to do. He was glad that he had not been asked, thus far, to do anything too unreasonable.
"Distance? Yeah, that's good, I suppose." And maybe it was. He really wasn't too sure. He had few complaints and he actually enjoyed the fast paced lifestyle of working in the kitchen, but anything would beat the pants off of Zanzibar in the first place.
"Yes, his name is Ari. I'm sure he'd appreciate it! New dishes are always interesting and if it can attract more customers, he'd probably purchase regularly." Had he any stones of his own, he'd probably buy one then and there, but he never made any earnings. The thought of carving out the gourd and experimenting with it intrigued him.
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Posted: Mon Feb 07, 2011 8:51 pm
“I will tell the mistress.” To be honest, Sudi was started to feel a little tired of the conversation. It wasn’t something he usually did and there was still work to be done until the end of the day. He didn’t want Hazahra to suspect him of slacking off, after all, even this little interaction might reward the Hound with a new customer. It also seemed a bit rude to just send the other cat away with an unfriendly “Goodbye Aba-ba… Babasi…” What was his name again? “I have to go work.”
He turned his back on the spotted cat and walked a few steps between the gourd crops before suddenly looking back at Abasi as if he’d forgotten something.
“Bye.” Sudi said quietly in one long breath, stretching the word more than it would be normally expected. There was a hint of a smile in his muzzle, of something long forgotten to the poor striped cat but the unused signs and expressions of an emotion that had become so rare and foreign to the slave were still part of his repertoire whether he noticed it or not. How much feeling existed behind them, one could only guess.
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Posted: Mon Feb 07, 2011 9:10 pm
"Alright, then!" He bobbed his striped head in response to Sudi's blunt statement. He'd tell his mistress, which was good news for him. Surely Ari would praise him for getting this sort of thing done, right? He hoped so, anyways. While Sudi didn't say it, Abasi felt slightly uncomfortable, but not because of the company. The conversation felt forced and though he was beginning to like the other feline, he felt as though he were being rude or unkind for pressing the matter, given the shortness of the responses of the brown-hued cat.
"See you later, then. Hope you have a good one." He offered a small grin in response. The smile looked odd on Sudi's maw, as though it didn't belong, which was, well, almost troubling. He needed a kind voice and a steady paw to guide him and hopefully his new mistress would do just that. Hounds were good, after all. Hounds were good. He reminded himself of this as he moved away from Sudi and the gourds, heading back towards the path to deliver the interesting news to his master.
Maybe, next time he earned a treat or two, he'd come back and share it with his new friend.
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