Marsden Park

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A common dog park with benches for visitors and a fountain in the middle and surrounded by a metal fence with an opening towards the street. It is a grassy, open area with trees that is well kept and gardened. Many dogs are taken here daily on their walks. During the night, the streetlights come on and lighten up the area. Named after David Marsden, an old mayor of Hartford, Marsden Park is on the better part of town near the nicer houses. It's pretty much in the center of Hartford.

Duke smiled and had to think about it, "36 moon cycles, also known as three years. I;m not as old as i may seem." He laughed and slipped down into the grass into a lying down position, he looked up at the brilliant red female, "So if you ever do go off alone, would you stay in town, or leave this place?"

She shrugged "im not quite sure, id be lost without mistress and pops so id probbaly hang around Hartford as its the only place i have ever really known". she sighed a little blinking up at the pretty blue sky. staring down at her paws she lay down resting her head on a paw. watching the male sadly.

Duke tilted his head and gave her a small smile, "Don't worry, they may be old jalopies but they ain't whacked yet, my friend." He lied his head upon his white paws and watched her with comically large eyesand a goofy grin. A smile, that was it.

She smiled in reply saying "yeah, i doubt that they will be whacked for a while they dont eat much after all" she giggled a little and lifted her head asking "so how long are you going to be hanging around hartford? i apoligise for my constant question asking" she said, the mistress had brought her up proper. she wagged her tail politely.

Duke gave a smug shrug as she asked how long he'd stay. Well he'd tell her the whole truth, "Well missy... I don't stay long in one place for long. But this place is different... and i got to teach a spotty rat some manners and a lesson from Old Duke. I don't need any peckerwoods telling me what I am and what i'm not." He looked away, down the park as if ready to see the spotted pelt anywhere. "No worries with the questions... they're fine."

She smiled cutely "stay as long as you like Duke, and if you need anything come round to my territory at 34 Ceicil boulevard" she stood stretching her limber limbs and said "are you up for a game?" her voice was light and happy. red pelt shining in the warm comfortable sunlight.

Duke winked, "Well that is highly appreciated, I think i can fare well though." His warm gaze followed her fluid movements as she stood up and asked about a game. Duke's ear twitched curiously, "A game? As in playing?" The idea was far and distant to him. A game?

She nodded her tail swung wide in a wag. she replied "yeah, the mistress can throw a ball or even just a game of tag!" her ears perked forward in a adorable way. her long fur silky and slightly curly as it hung off her well fed frame. she wasnt fat just the perfect weight. her collar jangled as she moved.

Duke's expression was as puzzled as it could get. Balls, tag, games? Sure he knew what playing was, he once played, or so he thought. "Ball? Tag? A game? Last time I played a game, I... I don't quite remember games..." His paws shuffled before him, rather awkwardly. The thought of him and a game, didn't look pretty. He was more of the silent type, not one to be happy with games but rather with words and an equal treatment.

She tilted her head and said "its easy.." she paused noticing how awkward he looked and sat down with a thump "or um we could do something else, what do you like to do" she asked curiously. her ears perked forward a little with curiosity.

Duke wandered up to the old lady, as he listened to Cry speak. "Balls and games... are just so strange sounding." He paused and sat down a few feet away from the bench she sat upon, "Me? I like fighting, running, being chased and chasing things is strangely exhilirating..." He paused and gave a mischief ful smile.

She nodded trotting up to her mistress and shovign her head under the old ladys hand. the lady smiled and began petting the red setter gently. Cry barked "mistress sometimes throws a ball for me to chase, we could do that if you want" her face relaxed and her tongue came out as she panted happily. enjoying the kind strokes of her mistress.

Duke raised a brow, "Won't she break?" He watched the dog and her mistress with a curious glint in his eyes. He found the touch of a human strange and not pleasurable. He had never truly gotten petted, didin't like it and his masters believed more in having control than cuddling and having fun. "She just looks so... delicate."

The old woman held out another hand saying "come on handsome, you look like you need a bit of tender loving care". her voice though old was strong and kind, Cry replied to duke "shes stronger than she looks, she has muscles from being a baker in her younger days" she licked her mistresses hand and wagged her plumed tail happily.

Duke sniffed the ladies hand, his ears flattened. He still wasn't going to let her pet him, it was against everything he thought of humans. Duke sniffed her hand, and pulled away. "Well I guess... why don't you show me..."

She barked at her mistress who stopped petting her and took out a blue ball from her purse. with suprising strength she lobbed it toward the other end of the park. Cry waited until her mistress said something an dthen she was off dodging around other humans in a blast of red speed. picking up the ball between her jaws she turned racing back to her mistress and putting it at her feet before sitting.

Duke watched the older woman as she threw the ball with an incredible amount of strength making him lift his haunches slightly. A red streak rushed by and it took him a few seconds before he recoginzed it as Cry. He raised a brow, why would anyone want to chase something they couldn't eat or attack? Duke shrugged and watched her come back, "That's fun?"

She smiled "its chasing something an-' She cut herself of as her mistress produced a healthy treat. she rose up on her back paws. her behind still on the ground. in this begging position the mistress placed the treat on hernose and waited before clickign her fingers leting cry eat it.

Duke leaned forward in attention before Cry cut herself off and sat up in the strangest position for a treat that was placed upon her nose. Duke remembered once he had seen a dog on the farm try the same thing... the results were the exact opposite. Instead of food the dog got scolded for begging so Duke saw this as strange as humans on all fours. To make things stranger she waited to eat it. Duke shuddered, "Shoooooooooooooooooof how do you stand that?"

"practise makes perfect" She flashed him a smile saying "you dont have to beg for a treat if you want one, mistress will give you one, she likes you" she wagged her tail and sat down. the old woman picked out another treat and tossed it so it landed at dukes paws. cry perked her ears as she got petted again.

Sophie stopped. Her foot stuck in mid-air. She noticed Duke's and another dog's scent. She gritted her teeth. She shut her eyes and bit her younger. I can't run into him again.

Duke had actually meant how she could stand begging for food when it was right upon her nose, but he allowed her to believe as she so wished. He perked his ears, though he had to admit, the treat... did not sound tempting to him in the least yet it was thrown at his paws. A bit nervously he leaned down and sniffed at the hard piece of food, the pet dogs enjoyed so much. When Duke was younger, he'd get scraps but begging wouldn't help and he rarely got something that smelled so... strange. He'd wait and eat the scraps which was why he did enjoy the trash. He gave it a small ginger lick and looked up at the lady, not wanting to eat it. Yet both Cry and the older woman seemed so kind and sweet he couldn't refuse it. He slipped his tongue beneath it and pulled it into his mouth. What he found was the most unusual thing ever, a strange delicious taste burst in his mouth. Duke's eyes widened as he chewed on it, his dark tail wagging. "That is actually *chews* really *chews* really *chews* good. I have never *chews* tasted or imagined *chews & swallows* something so delicious." Duke smiled and laughed at himself, "I never thought I would like that."

(sorry i should have explained it, its steak thats crumbed then lightly cooked so its rare)

(Oh haha, I knew that. Okay anyway lol, I changed the end a bit o his reaction is different.)

She grinned a little "See being a pet isnt so hard, if you have house folk that love you" she grinned "the mistress makes them especially for me, we get the meat easily cause pops is a butcher" she smiled and said "i could hook you up with good scraps if you need some" she grinned a little sprawling out over the old womans feet. her plumed tail wagging comfortably.