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Sudi was outside his mistress’ hut, helping with the decorations for the hound event. Dune was with Hazarha (painting heart-shaped gourds from the latest crop especially created for the occasion) but the striped slave had been told to add some last-minute streamers and later return home to help Dune baking some heart-shaped treats.

He was working with slaves he didn’t know under the close vigilance and guidance of a hound he’d only met for the first time today so the quiet slave was even more sullen than usual. He flinched and puffed every time the hound raised his voice but there had been no physical punishments yet so Sudi was somewhat hopeful that he could get through the day without getting too much attention.



Tihrak was rather happy at the moment. He was a master of three (three!) slaves – he’d have more if the stench of Zanzibar’s slave market wasn’t still a terrible memory lingering on his mind – but he was now alone, having told his three girls to take a walk and find all the interesting things the occasion had to offer. Three girls… he really did need a male one, didn’t he? To balance things out, hehe…

The young hound sniffed the air appraisingly looking around at all the pink and red decorations, the crafty vendors, browsing customers… and girls. Hopeful ladies looking for their perfect match, their “one true love” or, he mused, someone with a pouch full of stones. He laughed to himself as he looked around for a place where he could eat something. Cake, perhaps. Yes. He was in the mood for something sweet. Food or not.

Layla was so happy! she had been allowed to walk around by herself , which was extraordinary in itself. She never knew a hound would allow her to do something like that, and it made her very happy indeed. to go where ever she pleased! on such a lovely occasion too. this was a foreign concept to the slave, since she had always been told what to do and how to do it. It was what slaves were supposed to do.

The air was filled with the rich sent of cakes, and the decorations were beautiful to look at. It was a deep contrast to the dismal cage she had been forced to live in, and now that she was out, everything seemed so wonderful! She had also heard of the legend about the fountain of love, and the concept made her giggle like a little kitten. It sounded so romantic, to have someone so smitten with you if you just walked around a fountain seven times!





The very idea of causing another one of the slaves harm by misbehaving was pure horror for Azibo, so he listened to his master very intently. He was one of the newer slaves, so he did not want to put a paw out of place. For his own sake as much as everyone else's. He also had a vague description of the hounds to look out for, so he would keep that in mind as he journey around the area.

There was also the added task of looking around for dropped pebbles or coppers, which he felt a little uneasy in taking something that once belonged to someone else. But it was not the same as stealing, and he was not about to argue, so he kept his nose to the ground as well, keeping an eye out for this lose chains.

It was a strange day indeed when Nappa left the slums of Zanzibar to travel abroad. The ungainly overweight, misogynistic hound never left the confines of the hotel and when he did it was to walk a few feet to the black market, and rarely, when the brute actually did leave the city it was strictly on business. Today?

Today was the actual exception.

Though he had told himself he wouldn't go to another celebration - after the last one he was thrown out for having eaten all the meat pies, he decided to venture forth this time. It was, afterall, the time of love, and Nappa was as lonely as one could get. The brute had taken to abusing his slaves in the most obscene and non consensual way. He was, in fact, probably the foremost worst hound to have owned you, and those who were owned by him had probably committed some cosmic act to warrant such treacherous karma.

In Nappa's eyes, however, he wasn't that bad at all. Just...lonely. Lonely creatures do strange things. Like now for instance. Now he was going to the retched Valentine's celebration in hopes that he could wade around this stupid fountain seven times and meet who was to be his. His mate. It only took seven times, that was certainly worth the effort.

That is...

If it really was seven times?

That was the correct number wasn't it. Maybe it was six....or maybe it was eight. He couldn't remember. Perhaps if he stepped in and and just waded around then on the key number something magical would happen and he didn't have to remember. The only thing now was to find the damn thing.

"Hurry up you," he called to the kitty trailing behind.

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What have I done to deserve this fate?" Lilia asked herself, seemingly every moment of her miserable life.

She did not wallow in her hopelessness like some might in her situation, but the fact remained that at times she couldn't help but voice that same question. Though she knew by now she would never get an answer, she still couldn't help but wander, every so often, if it was something she had done that put at the hands of such a cruel and demented monster. She once had a good life, right here in this city, with a hound that treated her family like pets, at times comrades, but then all of that was ripped from her.

Taken by a monster, sold into a life of hell.

It was bittersweet being in the place she had grown up, and on such a special holiday as well. She remembered the festival when she was but a kitten, and what a celebration it was! She had loved the cakes, such a delicacy her parents allowed to have just 'this once'. She remembered the streamers, the the pink and white cloth being sold by the dozens. What a wonderful time!

Now she was here with...him.

All in the hopes that Nappa would find himself a mate. Well good! She hoped he did. Lilia hoped he would find a mate, then that mate would take all his money and murder him in the process. The dark feline knew she couldn't have thoughts so black, but.....could anyone blame her.

As she heard his commend she instantly hurried up, reprimanding herself inwardly at having been slowed by her thoughts.

No, she didn't think anyone would mind at all.

Haqikah didn't have many stones with her at all, so she dismissed all activities that looked as if they'd cost anything. Her last copper (now that was humiliating even to think about) was tied tightly with a hidden string inside her purse, and the few pebbles she owned were divided in several different pouches that were all secured or even hidden in some manner. A crowded place like this had to have pickpockets around and she was not going to be the sucker with an empty stone bag at the end of the day.

Luckily for Haqikah a spirit of love and generosity seemed to be the theme of the festivities, and she soon found herself with a heart shaped cookie to nibble on. A young hound that was barely more than a pup ran up to her and offered a cookie from his basket. She accepted and was promptly showered in pink confetti too. In any other circumstance she would have been annoyed, but this seemed to fit the occasion so she didn't brush it off immediately. It didn't look all that bad stuck to her fluffy tail.

The movement of the crowd seemed to lead her towards the fountain and she remembered that there was something special with the water. Some legend or story that she'd heard whispered among the girls in school. You were supposed to find your true love in the water somehow.

"Excuse me," she said to a familiar looking hound near her in the crowd, "Do you know more about the legend of the fountain."

Despite Nappa's very distinctive shape and size Haqikah couldn't immediately place him as the hotel owner she had rented a room from in Zanzibar. He was just familiar from somewhere.

Sudi caught the end of the streamer and quickly tied a much safer knot before peering down at the edge again, one big relieved sigh echoing inside his head. It was nice getting a compliment but he wasn’t so sure about what the other cat said next. Help? He actually wanted to help?

“Ah… sure?” the brown cat said slowly, visibly confused. Why the other cat was looking for work when everyone else seemed to be having fun was beyond him but looking at the pile of thin little streamers that he had to hang from the roof to beautify an otherwise shabby-looking hut, he had think his answer carefully. It was unlikely that the hound in charge would mind one more worker to speed up the work though. “Can you climb up here? Don’t fall!”

"Yes, Master Tihrak is very generous." Ife walked alongside her fellow slave, looking at the different booths and attractions as they passed. "I've never been to one of these celebrations before. It seems like there is so much to do!" It would've been a bit overwhelming were she here by herself, thankfully such was not the case. She was like a kitten in a sweets store so to speak; she wanted to run around, to see and do everything she could before the festival was over.

The darker feline paused, looking over at Layla. "So..any idea where a good place to start might be?" She just had to remember to pace herself, lest she burn herself out.

Ok, sure, he wasn't the most festive hound. In fact, his usually uptight demeanor would cause him to scoff at the idea of some "love" celebration, partly because that was just how he was and partly because he had never really allowed himself to openly feel much for others, bar the expected concern needed for patients, especially after he began to apply himself more fervently to his studies.

...

But this was a chance to mingle with others and his slaves, bless them, they really did work so hard. Er, at least as hard as any could in his office, which really wasn't too demanding, physically. But they really did work and there was a gnawing at the cockles of his heart that implied that, perhaps, he and they ought to do something fun. Thus began the trip to Prussia, with his slaves in tow. And his medical bag, of course. He never went anywhere without it just in case. Sure, this was a time for celebration, but accidents could happen in the most unlikely of places, so he preferred to always be prepared. The general cheeriness of the atmosphere was uplifting and he couldn't help it when a light smile played across his thin lips.

"You are all free to wander as you please, so long as you don't stray too terribly far. And behave yourselves, else you'll all be in for it. I haven't had to use a whip yet and I really don't wish to, either. I am placing a great deal of trust in each of you."













Well, wasn't he an odd sight, out and about like that? Butterflies gnawed danced in Bomani's stomach as he shifted along the dusty pathway. How long had it been since he had actually attended one of these petty celebrations? So long ago that he could hardly remember, long before he took up his occupation. Longer, still, since he had that rather unfortunate hunting trip.

Though he did see the celebration as asinine, he found himself drawn to it for some reason. Maybe it had something to do with his more recent "party," which may very well have been fueled by loneliness. Whatever the reason, it didn't really matter, as there he was in the midst of those who were celebrating love, whatever that was. He wanted to know, so badly he wanted to know, but whether or not he was capable of feeling it was largely up for debate to himself and to all those who knew him. But at least he was trying to forge some ties, right?

He brought with him those of his slaves who wished to accompany him. Though the two house servants were blind, he was adamant that they were just as good as any other slave, just as he was good as any other hound, despite being one eye short. Their sightless plight amused him, that was true, and it brought him some twisted sense of comfort knowing that they lacked two eyes, while he was better off, yet he found them endearing, though he never spoke of it.

"Stay close, both of you. It is crowded and I don't want anything to happen to my little helpers. I don't exactly have the funds to go and replace any of you, at the moment." He shrugged his broad, dark shoulders as he plodded along, his single, crimson eye on the fountain that came and went each year. He had made the seven rounds once in his life and nothing had come of it, but that was so very long ago.