[Dusty779]

The guard grinned seeing the startled look on his face "if you had behaved, we would have introduced you two earlier" he said "go chat, they open the meal like in fofteen minutes, we have orders for you to go first"

[star478]

"Yeah. Sure. Whatever," Leo replied with a roll of his eyes before making his way over to the other near feral. He also looked around the entire social area, having never been here before, in an attempt to search for possible escape routes. Unfortunately, the only escape route looked to be through the area where he assumed they'd be going to get food.

With a sigh, he reached the snow leopard near feral and stood a decent distance away. He didn't want to incite a panic in the other male after all.

"Um...hey," Leo began, rather unsure of how to start a conversation with the snow leopard.

[Dusty779]

Xant nearly jumped but managed to stop himself. He gave a warm smile and shifted a little to make room "hi... come lay down, you look rather... gravid"

[star478]

Leo nearly chuckled with the snow leopard being startled. Was he really that frightening to look at? Or was it that sudden? Whatever. Doesn't really matter.

"Thanks," he said and gingerly laid down near the snow leopard. "My name's Leonardo but everyone calls me Leo for short. What's your's?"

[Dusty779]

"My names Xant" he says purring and gives a smile his tail wagging a little "i didnt know there were other near ferals here... where have you been hiding?" He looked the other over, not having been surprised by his appearance but just by greeting him.

[star478]

"I've been...couped up because I haven't behaved according to the scientists here," Leo replied, running his eyes over Xant's body in observance. "I would rather not get into the reason why."

He then sighed.

"Didn't you have an owner before coming here?"

[Dusty779]

He nodded and then gave a sigh "i did, he sold me for a younger, more anthro model" he says with a shrug "i was even sold cheep, can you believe that? Aparently i was a bad slave so it lowered my price massively"

[star478]

Leo snorted but could sympathize with Xant.

"Mine sold me because apparently I don't have something that hatchlings do," he replied. "At least, so the scientists here, who seem to be our new owners now, say. As for how much my previous owner sold me for, I have no idea. And honestly? I don't care because I don't believe what they said about my 'former' owner."

[Dusty779]

"Really?" He asked a little surprised "from what ive heard most of the slaves here were sold because they screwed up or werent wanted or were just too old" he says softly "take 'shade' for instanxe, hes in that room over there" he nods in the direction of one of the rooms "a dragon Anthro, his master used him as a messenger, he was well treated and loved. However as soon as he came home one day, both wings tattered and damaged from a mugging, he was sold here as he couldnt fulfill his purpose anymore... it was that day too, when he first turned up he was even still bleeding from cuts and scraps." He sighed and looked to his new companion

"Dont get me wrong, as much as you may think your master loved you, to him you were still only a possession, as soon as you were useless to him he sold you" he reached out and gently laid a forepaw on the others belly "in here... we have only eachother to count on... as much as you think your getting a bad deal, heres something to think about; here, they wont physically harm us, they wont whip us, beat us, sell us, or cut us... unless necessary on that last one. We dont have many chores to do, they are easy, we are well fed and medically taken care of, we can make friends to socialize with, we get comfortable living arrangements, hell Shade has a spa bath in his room, and even... if we want get a mate from one of the other slaves... all just for giving them some pups or eggs and following the rules, hell they even said that the fist litter we have with our Mate wont be taken from us... it sounds like a good deal to me doesnt it?"

[star478]

"I-I guess...," Leo replied a bit uncertain, staring at the foresaw on his belly. "I just....I just thought my Master was different from the others, you know? I really do believe he loved me and care about me as if I was a part of his family and not just a slave."

He looked at Xant, the hurt painfully obvious in his eyes.

"I just want to find out for myself why he sold me. I don't want someone who never knew him to tell me why he sold me. Okay?"

[Dusty779]

"Well... if hes coming for some of your eggs you can adk him then?" He offered with a slight smile "till then just relax a bit, rest, let you body do its thing down here" he pat his belly "and in the mean time live like a royal slave does"

[star478]

"You could be right," Leo replied, lying his head on the rug. "I just...don't know how a slave--even a royal slave--lives. Like I said, my former Master never treated me as if I was a slave. To him, and his family, I was like a son to them."

Leo sighed again and closed his eyes, holding back tears.

"I just want to go home. I never asked to be here. I never asked to be a parent."

[Dusty779]

He frowned a little and shifted to be curled up with the scaled being "its ok" he says softly and gives a gently nuzzle against his neck "let it all out, i wont mock you, or pick on you... ill be here for you to lean on" he smiled softly "as someone you need to lean on... someone i didnt get"

[star478]

Leo sniffed but didn't let any tears escape.

"It's fine," Leo replied, sitting up. "I'm fine. Stupid hormones is all that was."

He then sighed and gave Xant a small smile.

"Thanks though. I...really need the support if I'm going to be unable to get out of here like I want."

[Dusty779]

He gave a soft chuckle and gently pat his belly "you wont be able to escape in your condition, and even if you did, ans you got the proof that you seek aboutbyour former master what then? Its either be captured or live jn the wilds" he said frowning softly "and sofar... noone has been able to have their young without assistance, if the process didnt kill you, it would kill your eggs" he looked sadly at the dragons belly.

"For them, just wait, you never know, you may get the proof you need without leaving"

[star478]

"You sound like you're lonely and you're saying these things in order to get me to stay here," Leo replied, emotionless, before sighing. "But I guess you're right. I'll go ahead and take a chance in getting my Master's reasoning for selling me when he comes.

"But once I give birth to these four, I don't care what happens. I'm getting out of here. I'll even live in the wilds if I have to."

[Dusty779]

He nods and gives a sigh "i guess i am a bit lonely, the others tend to avoid me because, till now, i was the only near feral" he says "i understand... i guess i wont change your mind on that... but what will you do when they find you?"

[star478]

"I've been forced to be by myself because I've been 'misbehaving' and am 'too out of control' or some shit according to the scientists here," Leo replied. "So, as far as I was aware, I was the only near-feral. Probably the only dragon near-feral though.

"As for what I'll do when they find me, I'll do whatever I can do in order to prevent them from re-capturing me."

[Dusty779]

He nods and chuckles " hat did you do? Bute someone?" He asks but a passing guard spoke up before he could answer
"That, and his continued escape attemps got really annoying " he said before continuing on his way.

[star478]

"More what he said," Leo replied, gesturing to the guard who had already disappeared by now. "They ended up getting annoyed at my failed attempts to escape despite impregnating me with another egg each time that they felt it would be best for my safety if I'd be put into isolation after the fourth egg."

Leo grinned.

"It may end up backfiring on them though if I have my way soon enough."