I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts

[sandoval]

Who: Sandoval and YOU!
What: Sandoval is exploring the castle and trying to find who owns the place.
When: Right after he finishes his journal post.
Where: All around the castle; just write in the subject where you'd like to meet him!
Rating: I'm going to go with PG13 here because Sandoval is pretty awful. If your character is not comfortable with sexual material, please post HERE for my reference. Thanks!


Sandoval wasn't sure about this place, not one bit.

For one thing, he'd hardly run into anything that looked vaguely familiar, apart from a few decorations in the hallway - he'd found something that look remotely like a kitchen, but he'd found nothing but metal boxes - one of which that, when opened up, seemed to emit light and was very, very cold on the inside. He hadn't enjoyed that one bit, or the next room over, where large metal boxes also seemed to be whirring loudly, and making wet fabrics fly around on the inside. So, he'd quickly moved on from those rooms to wandering the halls and stairwells, peeking occasionally into rooms to see their contents, and looking very, very lost.

Oh, what he wouldn't give for a guard to come by! But that was too much to ask for, it seemed, since this place was rather large on the inside. He just hoped he'd come across someone soon.

Comments

[samson]

Brock hadn't been back in the castle in a few days. He'd luckily been in town when a bunch of weird stuff had happened over the weekend, and if he could, he'd be glad to stay away from the castle forever -- but the convenience of a laundry room couldn't be denied.

He's carrying a load of clothes in a basket when he notices this elf-looking guy peering around. "Hey. New guy? You look lost."

[sandoval]

Sandoval seemed a bit surprised when he heard a voice. He hadn't really run into anyone yet, and now... well, here someone was. He looked the man over quickly - must have been another resident of the castle, as he'd been told earlier, since he was carrying what appeared to be dirty clothes. Well, even if he wasn't, it was still a nice idea to get his bearings.

"I suppose you could say that... since I'm not sure what land I'm in, let alone where I am in this castle. Do you think you could help me?

Ah, I'm Sandoval, by the way - Ambassador Sandoval of Xoan. You wouldn't perchance happen to know an Agent Cupcake, would you?"

[samson]

"Brock. Hey," he said, shifting the basket of clothes to his hip and offering his hand for a handshake.

"Agent ... no, I don't, uh ... no. I never heard of that. Is that someone from wherever you're from? Xoan?"

[sandoval]

"Brock Hey? Interesting name. Still, it's a pleasure." He reached out and shook his hand, a grin on his face.

"No, no, nothing like that! I just had a lovely talk - well, write - with an Agent... someone, they never gave me the specifics; they just told me their title was Agent. So I thought 'Cupcake' would be a nice name!"

[samson]

"No, I mean -- it's just Brock," he said, starting to get the idea that this guy was a little ... off ... "Brock Samson."

Shifting the laundry basket to hold it with both hands again, he shook his head. "Yeah, that's ... a real good, uh. Name. Agent Cupcake. I guess that was through the journal?"

[sandoval]

Just a little off? Oh, you have no idea, Brock. "Ah, I see, well. It's nice to meet you still! I take it you're also of those 'displaced persons' Mister Washington spoke of...?"

Sandoval suddenly tapped his chin, thinking. "Well, I suppose they added the Agent part, not me. I'm not even sure what an Agent is! But I didn't just want to just call them Agent... it sounds so... boring!" It was then that he nodded at the mention of the journal. "I take it you mean the black book I was writing in? I'm told everyone has one."

[samson]

"Yeah. We kind of all are, except most of the folks who live in town," he said.

Brock kind of ignored the part about giving agents extra names. Maybe if he ignored it, this guy would stop. Seems like a solid plan. "Right. It's kind of like a walkie-talkie," he started to say, then realized that maybe this guy wouldn't know what a walkie-talkie even was, if his experience with elves taught him anything. "Well, it's a communication device, anyway. You can talk to people through it, write notes ... whatever."

[sandoval]

"Oh, there's a town nearby?" He perked up a bit at this information, as if this was the first he'd ever heard of it. And that was because, well, it was the first he'd ever heard of anything outside the castle. "Have you been there? What is it like?"

Sandoval nodded along a bit as Brock spoke, listening intently to everything he had to say on the subject of the journals. "Yes, I did write in it to a few people, and accidentally 'dicated' at others. Though I'm not sure what dictators have to do with the journals, but, that's what I was told I did. They must have some very strong enchantments on them, if they all work this way! These journals do seem handy at times, if a little... dodgy. And I'm told there are 'filters' too, that can let you talk to certain people and not others?"

[samson]

"Yeah, City Royale," he said, gesturing vaguely in the direction of the castle's front doors. You know, over there somewhere. "It's south of the castle. Just follow the road. It's pretty big, and there's a lot of stuff to do. Uh, the townspeople don't really like us, though. The people who live in the castle, I mean."

He squinted at this elf when he started talking about dictators, and then realized he didn't get his name. "Right, they're magic. So, filters and everything, yeah -- what did you say your name was?"

[sandoval]

"City Royale..." He nodded, to keep that in mind. "I really must visit there some time, see what it's like!"

Thankfully, Sandoval was quite eager to continue onto another topic this time, once his curiosity had been satisfied. Brock had him in the right frame of mind to start following along with questions now, rather than derail the conversation at any opportune moment. "Oh, yes, how terribly rude of me! Hardly fitting of an ambassador, is it? My name is Sandoval. Just Sandoval! Ambassador, as I mentioned, to the nation of Xoan, but that's not terribly important."

[samson]

"Xoan," he repeated with another squint, though one of curiosity this time instead of confusion. That didn't sound like anyplace the Windrunner sisters had ever mentioned, so he probably wasn't an elf from their world. Which made sense; his eyebrows weren't totally out of control, either.

"Well, I guess being an ambassador, you're pretty used to learning about foreign customs and stuff. A lot of people here are from different worlds, so there's a pretty huge range of cultures."

[sandoval]

"Yes, Xoan! Magnificent gem of a nation, you really should visit sometime. I'll make sure you get the royal treatment!" Not that it was ever going to be possible, but, Sandoval was always interested in making new allies, both for himself and Xoan.

"Oh, yes, yes, foreign customs can be interesting, and fun at times! I suppose that also means there's a great deal of interesting people to meet in this castle, as well? I have talked to quite a few people already, and they were all very fascinating! You as well, of course, don't think I'd leave you out, Brock."

[wagers]

After said elf would find his way to one of the metal boxes in the kitchen, this particular troll would walk right up behind him after he looks inside of its chilly interiors, intent on doing the same herself! It would take her a minute or so, hand rummaging through the items, sighing, locating a jar and pulling it out.

Leaving the door to close on its own, Vriska would pay no real attention to the other, fully intent on taking a seat next to him. What a weird guy, though. What's his deal?

Well, whatever. She's pulling out a pickle from the jar and biting into it noisily. And chewing noisily. Oh god.

[sandoval]

Giving this strange box a displeased look, he steps away from it, only to have a young girl nudge in front of him. She looks like nothing Sandoval has ever seen before, mostly because of the bright orange horns on her head. The silver skin and yellow eyes he could easily dismiss, but the horns... well, only demons and things really had horns, from what he knew.

He watches her movements as she digs around in the cold interior, until she finds a jar and pulls it out. He recognizes it as something pickled, to be sure, especially when she begins to eat it. Instantly, he opens the door again, and starts looking through... only to give up with a bit of a sigh, and sitting down next to her, also pulling out a pickle to munch on. Well, why not, she hadn't said they were hers or anything. And he was feeling a bit peckish.

[themistress]

For the past two weeks, Mistress had been doing a lot of... remembering. Huge amounts of it, really. And while it was wonderful to give up having to work, she was a little annoyed that her room had been relocated to the castle, and completely emptied of all the changes she'd made. What a waste of time! This time, she'd decided, she would just choose to expand and decorate a few rooms, rather than reconstruct her entire castle within this one.

Of course, that spared up a lot of time to go nick things from other parts of the castle. Like the music room! Mistress doesn't have any particular affinity or even interest in music or musical instruments, but that didn't mean she couldn't figure out some interesting things to do with such lovely, shiny objects.

And just as she began fingering (rather obscenely) a beautiful violin, someone familiar -- though still sort of fuzzy in her mind -- caught her eye.

"Ambassador?"

[sandoval]

The Ambassador was starting to think it was going to be impossible to find anything worth snooping around in this place. He'd already run into strange metal crates of various shapes and sizes, strange light orbs, and he'd managed to pop into a few bedrooms on accident. (Thankfully he hadn't been hit with anything.) But now his exploring was starting to get - dare he say it - boring. And he didn't want that, not in a million years!

As he was passing by another room, he happened to peek in just long enough to make his face visible. So when he turned to make his way out, he heard a voice very familiar to him. He paused and turned again, eyes widening as he recognized the speaker very quickly.

"Mistress! You're here too?"

Well, this did answer some things. But it did create a few more problematic questions.

[themistress]

Dropping what was very surely a priceless antique violin to the floor, where of course it cracked and broke, Mistress strode over to the Ambassador, holding her hands out to maintain her air of control.

"Yes, I am here too," she said easily, perhaps a little haughtily. "I notice this is your first time here, though, which raises the question of where you were before, when you left me alone and didn't even have the common decency to follow me into a whole different world."

[sandoval]

Sandoval, however, didn't seem to mind at all that she was a little irritated with him. He just kept smiling, approaching her a bit too as she strode over. And, of course, to appease her, he did give her a bow of his head in deference.

"Oh, it's so good to see you, Mistress," He admitted, before laying on even more charm. He'd always been good at that. "I know, terribly rude of me, wasn't it? I do sincerely apologize, my dear dictatress. I didn't know quite what I was thinking! But I'm here now, and that's what counts, yes?"

Though after a moment, the Ambassador thought about it a little longer, furrowing his brow just a little as he did. "Though I can't quite remember when you left. Surely you would have told me. And I can't even remember how I got here myself, except for when I woke up of course... my, my, it seems my mind really is slipping. Just before, Agent Cupcake was asking me about Xoan, and I couldn't tell them a thing about it!"

[themistress]

Well he shouldn't mind, really -- in fact, Mistress would be more than a little concerned if he wasn't already used to her continuous mood swings and childish impetuousness. She was appeased with his charm, though, and just hopped onto the baby grand piano, taking a seat and crossing her legs at the knees.

"I was kidnapped," she sniffed, examining her nails, "and you didn't even come looking. I was most disappointed, Ambassador. And now you've been kidnapped as well, and it took you long enough, like I said. Anyway, perhaps you're drunk. Are you drunk?"

[sandoval]

Sandoval was quick to fill in the gap between them, standing a bit to the side of the baby grand for the moment. "Oh, you poor thing. It sounded absolutely dreadful. I'm certain I would have come looking if I had known you were gone! I'm terribly sorry, Mistress, it was terribly cruel of me, to leave you all alone. I do hope you can find it in your black heart to forgive me. "

He then took the opportunity to sit on the piano bench, leaning back a bit on his arms. "I don't feel drunk. I suppose I could be, but frankly I feel a bit too coordinated. And I haven't put anyone under serious bodily harm yet!"

(( ooc: Is it cool if I have Sandoval move in with Mistress? If it is then I'll go ahead and figure out where I need to post that info. ))

[themistress]

She was thoughtful when he begged forgiveness, as if she had to think about it. She didn't, really, but it was still always worth the show. "I suppose you can be forgiven," she told him regally, with an air of greatly condescending kindness. "But only this once. The next time I'm kidnapped and you don't follow, you'll have to meet the same fate as the previous Xoan Ambassador."

It was with more thought that Mistress tried to come to a new conclusion. It was true that Sandoval tended to injure people when he was drunk, and he'd have to be terribly intoxicated to forget things about his homeland, now wouldn't he? It was his job, after all. "Well, it could be your loss," she said casually, resting on the only other logical assumption she had. "These things happen."

[ ooc: of course, and here, just make a note. ]

[sandoval]

Yes, the show was most important, which was why Sandoval, even though he knew she was going to forgive him regardless, was eager to continue it. "Oh, darling diva, quintessential queen, magnificent Mistress!" His sat up as his hand reached out to hers, taking it, and leaving a few delicate kisses on the back. "You're most gracious!"

Leaving one more kiss for good measure, he let go and leaned back again, this time on his elbows. He made a mental note to get her a lovely present, in order to keep himself as far away from the chopping block as possible. At the mention of the former Ambassador, Sandoval nodded, letting out a soft sigh. "A shame, really, what happened to him. He was a good lay."

But it was with some confusion that he took the next bit of information, never having heard about Losses before. He glanced up at the Mistress as he spoke. "My loss? What do you mean?"

[themistress]

"Everyone loses something when they come here," she explained, happy to be the authority on yet something else. "Memories or what have you. I can't make my mark, you know. So it's good you're here, because I'll need you to put it on a whole bunch of stuff that I've been unable to brand as mine."

Mistress reached over to idly toy with a strand of Sandoval's hair as she kept speaking. "Perhaps the castle took all of your memories of Xoan. And who cares? It's not nearly so good as my kingdom, right?"

[sandoval]

"Is it the castle that's doing this, then?" He mused, thinking about this for a moment. It was true that he didn't seem to remember much about Xoan - but all the times he spent there as a boy and throughout his life were as fresh in his mind as they were before. Clearly, something was afoot, and if Mistress was right, then this had to be his loss. He didn't much like the thought, but Mistress was eager to change the subject - and he was eager to follow her. Giving another smile, Sandoval allowed the touch, mentioning Mistress' loss first. "I would be honored, Mistress! What sorts of 'stuff' are we thinking? Slaves? Pretty baubles? A bit of both, perhaps?"

And then, as she mentioned his, he thought about it a little longer, choosing his words quite carefully. "While I do enjoy your kingdom, sweetness, it's still my home. You know, nostalgia, national identity, and all that. But your kingdom is still the most fun!"

[themistress]

"Yes," she cooed, wrapping his hair around her fingers, "the castle is a fickle little beast, taking things and giving them back and changing the world at random. It's always an adventure. Anyway, I'll need you to put my mark on everything, absolutely everything. I intend to rule this kingdom too, you know! Besides, you needn't worry about not remembering Xoan. I intend to conquer it someday, so that you can't ever be called back to it."