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Post by Snow White on Apr 3, 2009 21:17:37 GMT -8
Two years had passed since Snow White had been rescued by Ferdinand. The princess who previously had to make due with all the simple things in life was not exactly used to the luxuries available to royalty. Eventually the prince’s staff would have to live with the fact that their mistress was going to pitch in with chores, or lend a hand in the kitchen. It began as a bit of a culture shock for them, but they got used to the idea in the end. Currently, the ebony haired beauty was out in the grounds gathering a lovely bouquet of flowers from the garden. A sweet melody was carried from her lips to two blue birds resting comfortably on a tree branch nearby. One of them flew down towards her, chirping along merrily. The princess offered her finger as a perch and the two continued in perfect harmony.
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Post by ferdinand on Apr 3, 2009 22:04:51 GMT -8
Ferdinand was just returning home from a day out in the forest. He often took rides there with his faithful steed, Kaiser. The guards saluted their prince as he rode through the castle gate and into the courtyard. Once dismounted, he handed Kaiser's reigns to the stable boy, then proceeded to find his wife. He'd brought for her a lovely bouquet of flowers he'd picked in the meadows on the way home.
As he wandered about looking for her, he heard a sweet and beautiful song carrying from the gardens. It was not one voice, but two. The Prince knew it was Snow White's voice, for there was no lovelier sound in nature than it. Enchanted, Ferdinand made his way to the gardens and when he arrived, he stood in the entrance and leaned against it, hiding the flowers behind his back. He spoke not a word as he closed his eyes and listened to his wife and the bird sing.
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Post by Snow White on Apr 5, 2009 20:48:10 GMT -8
The song slowly lulled to completion and the princess laughed lightly as the bird flew back to its mother who looked as if it were beaming proudly at her offspring. Snow White’s attention did not return to the garden after her song, for the overwhelming feeling that a pair of eyes was resting on her back had taken over, and she glanced back to find her prince entranced.
“Oh, Ferdinand!” she exclaimed joyously. “I did not hear you!” Her voice sounded like a tiny chorus of chimes. The girl rose to her feet, leaving her uncompleted bouquet and hurried toward him, a spring in her step.
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Post by ferdinand on Apr 9, 2009 22:48:25 GMT -8
Ferdinand was leaned against the entrance to the doorway, listening to his wife's beautiful singing. He'd heard no sweeter sound in nature, and was as much enchanted by Snow White's voice as he'd been the day they met at the wishing well. When the song ended, the Prince sighed with content.
His sigh gave away his presence, for Snow White turned around and saw him. She was as glad to see him as he was to see her, and she ran to him. He received her in his arms and kissed her. Snow White's rose-red lips were sweet and tender. After the kiss, Ferdinand let go of his wife and smiled at her. "Oh! My darling, how glad I am to see you! I've brought you a gift."
From around his back, he produced the bouquet of wildflowers. They were of many colors and varieties, making it quite exquisite. The Prince did hope she liked them; then again, he knew in his heart she would.
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Post by tiktok on Apr 15, 2009 21:41:16 GMT -8
Meanwhile, outside of the castle, the patented clockwork mechanical soldier, Tik-Tok of Oz, waddled down the path with his companion, Jack Pumpkinhead. The Royal Army of Oz hiked up a small hill, and in the horizon was a most beautiful, sight: a castle, which upon initial glance appeared to be established in the heavens! But it was most likely was just planted on a high hill, which gave the impression that the castle was in the sky. It was a majestic sight; it even rivaled the Emerald City's castle in terms of beauty.
The shiny Tik-Tok stopped when his emerald eyes registered the castle. It was a walkable distance to the palace. "Look, Jack," said Tik-Tok. "There is a castle over there." He extended his right hand and pointed to the castle, though Jack certainly could have seen it in plain sight, himself. "I wonder if someone there could help... us?" The mechanical man blinked, his eyelids scraping loudly as he did.
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Post by jackpumpkinhead on Apr 15, 2009 22:09:22 GMT -8
The animated scarecrow with a jack-o-lantern head tried to keep close behind his companion but fell behind a couple of times while surveying his surroundings. Everything around them was serene and beautiful which helped to alleviate some of his concerns over encountering possibly violent natives.
"It's very beautiful. I wish Mom could be here to see this." Jack commented before looking in the direction Tik-Tok was pointing with his hollow, circular-cut eye sockets. "Oh my, another castle? This place really is amazing, isn't it?" He beamed.
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Post by Snow White on Apr 15, 2009 22:12:44 GMT -8
The princess happily received her husband’s kiss, wrapping her ivory arms around his neck, holding him tight. When he released her, her palms slid down to his shoulders, but they flew to her ruby lips when Ferdinand produced the flowers.
“Oh, my!” she exclaimed. “How thoughtful!” She gathered the wildflowers in her hands, bringing them up close to her face so that she could smell them. “Come with me!” she told him. “We can add the ones I picked to the bouquet.” She held his bouquet in one hand and then took his in her other, tugging him along to where her flowers lay.
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Post by ferdinand on Apr 15, 2009 23:30:03 GMT -8
The Prince held tightly to his wife as he kissed her tenderly. Her skin was so soft and warm against his neck; it sent tingles down his spine. Ferdinand wished this moment would never end, but he knew it would have to. It was shortly after he broke the kiss that for a brief moment, Snow White's hands were placed on his shoulders. He then produced the bouquet of wildflowers from behind his back.
He beamed when she brought her hands to her lips and spoke, surprised at the gesture. "How glad I am that you like them! I picked them from a meadow in the mountains on my home today." Ferdinand explained. The Princess gently took them from her Prince's hands and brought them to her nose, inhaling their scent deeply. She then asked Ferdinand to come with her so they might add more to the bouquet.
"Of course!" the Prince said with a chuckle as Snow White took his hand and led him to where the flowers she'd picked lay. He glanced down at them, then back at his wife. "My darling, what beautiful flowers you've picked! They should surely be added to your gift." Ferdinand bent down on one knee and began to gather them in his hands.
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Post by tiktok on Apr 15, 2009 23:34:46 GMT -8
"Indeed, Jack," Tik-Tok replied. He turned his torso away from Jack to face in the forward direction again, and he continued his heavy waddle. "Let us go to the castle, and ask for assistance." The problem with Tik-Tok and Jack as a pairing is that Tik-Tok seemed to make all of the big decisions, without asking for the Pumpkinhead's input. His waddle was the same pace as before, and as he continued he once again noticed the lush landscape.
"If I could feel emotions," said Tik-Tok to Jack, "I would certainly appreciate the scenery." His eyes blinked again, and again with the loud scraping.
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Post by jackpumpkinhead on Apr 16, 2009 2:57:17 GMT -8
"Oh, not to worry." Jack replied reassuringly. "I can appreciate it enough for the both of us." As they continued to walk Jack could make out a pair of figures ahead of them. Though they were not yet close enough for him to make out intricate details he could at least tell that they were humans. "Look, there!" Jack alerted his comrade, pointing a wooden branch of a finger toward the distance where the pair were.
"What a relief, right, Tik-Tok? It felt as though he had been wandering aimlessly for months." He said, though this was obviously a gross exaggeration. "Perhaps they'll be able to assist us in our mission." Jack was inwardly relieved that they had discovered a couple of seemingly harmless people instead of something less hospitable. Perhaps it was the gorgeous scenery which helped to ease his mind, but Jack was confident that they would turn out to be friendly.
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Post by tiktok on Apr 16, 2009 17:48:14 GMT -8
"Yes," Tik-Tok answered, continuing to waddle. "Then we shouldn't waste time. We will go there."
Tik-Tok and Jack would have reached their destination sooner, but Tik-Tok's waddle was definitely slower than the average man. Nevertheless, the closer Tik-Tok and Jack were at the castle, the more Tik-Tok was sure that whoever lived here would have been helpful, just as Jack said. This castle was definitely more beautiful than what the Emerald City's castle looked like when Princess Mombi temporarily took over.
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Post by Snow White on Apr 20, 2009 21:18:08 GMT -8
Snow White was never one to avoid working and so she knelt beside her prince to help him arrange the remaining flowers into a more elaborate bouquet. Occasionally a giggle would escape her smiling lips when their fingers brushed as they worked at adding the flowers with the others. Snow White was enjoying the activity so much that it took a much longer for that sixth sense to catch in, but eventually she felt that something was out of order and when she glanced over her shoulder, a startled gasp reflected her emotions.
“Oh, who is that?” she asked, staring at the visitors coming her way. Snow White abandoned the nearly completed bouquet (only a pair of daisies remained) and rose to her feet. She raised a hand to her forehead to see if she could make out the strangers any better, for the sun was shining in her eyes.
“Oh, my, they look like knights! Perhaps they’re hurt!”
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Post by ferdinand on Apr 20, 2009 21:52:35 GMT -8
Ferdinand was enjoying gathering the flowers as much as his wife was. They worked diligently, and as she giggled, he blushed when his fingers brushed against hers. The Prince loved to feel her soft and porcelain skin against his own, and it sent tingles throughout his body. As the couple continued to gather flowers to expand the bouquet, Ferdinand began to hum his serenade, the one he'd used to win Snow White's heart.
It wasn't too long afterward that the Prince heard a gasp escape Snow White's lips. He looked up at her. "Is something wrong, my darling?" he asked, worried. Her question caused Ferdinand to turn his glance out on the horizon. In the distance, he saw two figures approaching the castle. Like Snow White, he set his part of the bouquet on the ground and went to her side. Snow White was afraid they were knights - injured ones at that.
Ferdinand squinted because of the sunlight, but was able to somewhat make out the figures. "I do believe it's a knight and his servant. The tall one wears the clothes of a poor man, yet the smaller is clad in armor." the Prince remarked. "If they're hurt, then we must let them in and take rest here." The garden wasn't far from the front of the castle, so Ferdinand was able to get the attention of the guards with fair ease.
"Lower the drawbridge! We've guests!" he shouted. The guards saluted and began to let down the drawbridge for the two travelers.
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Post by tiktok on Apr 21, 2009 23:02:36 GMT -8
The patented clockwork mechanical man continued his steadfast march to the castle with Jack, but he stopped when his eyes registered the moving drawbridge.
"Look, Jack," said Tik-Tok. He raised an arm and pointed to the castle, which was much nearer and more visible than when they last stopped. "The drawbridge is lowering. Maybe they want us to go inside." His torso turned and he reeled back to look up to his companion. He rocked back and forth to 'nod' with confidence, blinking once.
Tik-Tok then returned his normal stance, and continued to waddle with more confidence than before. He led Jack straight to the garden at the castle's front, and the closer they got to said garden, the more Tik-Tok was convinced that they were not endangered.
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Post by jackpumpkinhead on Apr 22, 2009 22:56:03 GMT -8
Jack looked up only to visually confirm that which his partner had already informed him of; the drawbridge was, in fact, lowering as they approached. "And they're lowering the drawbridge just for us? That's just swell." He commented while they waited for the bridge to come to a safe stopped so that they could cross. He looked toward his traveling companion. "You do remember what to say, right? I'm afraid I might mess up if I try to explain things."
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Post by tiktok on Apr 23, 2009 15:59:13 GMT -8
Tik-Tok reassured his partner by saying, "I remember it better than you do." Perhaps the mechanical man's flattery needed some work, but all the same he was confident and stoic. As long as his thinkworks were wound up, he remembered what King Scarecrow wanted him to say ad verbatim.
Finally, Tik-Tok and Jack arrived at the presence of Prince Ferdinand and Princess Snow White, but of course the guests from Oz had yet to learn their names. Tik-Tok's emerald eyes scanned the happy couple. Although he could not feel, the mechanical man recognized that these were humans to be deemed 'fair.' They seemed to be young, spry and full of life, and they probably formed a romantic pairing.
When Tik-Tok and Jack were close enough to Ferdinand and Snow White, it was all to evident that these two new faces were not human. Jack was a scarecrow-like being with a pumpkin for a head and humble clothing, while Tik-Tok was more or less a robot with bright, green eyes that were reflective. Now in the royal couple's direct presence, Tik-Tok halted to a stop. "Good afternoon," he said to them. "Whose castle is this?"
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Post by Snow White on Apr 24, 2009 14:06:28 GMT -8
Snow White folded her hands in front of her, her posture perfectly straight as she waited for the knight and his servant to approach them. As they neared her eyes widened when she realized they were not a typical knight and servant at all, for their appearance was very, very off. The knight’s armour covered him completely from head to toe and the princess found it quite funny that he had armour for his moustache too. The servant was the oddest of them all, with a unique hat shaped like a pumpkin over his head and he was as skinny as a rail! She would be sure to have the cooks prepare a hearty meal for him, seeing that he could probably use one, and make sure they were well taken care of. The princess studied the servant curiously, for he looked very peculiar indeed and interested her the most.
When the golden knight spoke, Snow White answered him with a soft smile.
“Hello, good Sir! This castle belongs to Prince Ferdinand and me. My name is Snow White.”
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Post by ferdinand on Apr 26, 2009 3:15:12 GMT -8
The Prince was quite concerned for the knight and its servant that came towards the castle. He hoped his wife's assumptions were incorrect, that perhaps they were merely weary travelers. He hated seeing others hurt, whether it by emotionally or physically. It would tear at his heart, and he could have no peace until they were well again.
Ferdinand watched the drawbridge lower for the two guests, and when it hit the ground, they were able to cross and enter the courtyard. What Ferdinand was met with, however, surprised him just as much as Snow White was. The taller man (whom he assumed to be the servant) was tall and unnaturally thin; his clothes were indeed those of a poor man, but he wore a jack-o'-lantern on his head. How very strange! The shorter of the two, however, wore the oddest armor the Prince had ever seen. Even so, the two were welcome guests.
The knight greeted the royal couple and asked them who owned the castle. Snow White greeted them back and told them the castle belonged to herself and Ferdinand. Ferdinand removed his hat and too greeted the guests. "Indeed, we welcome you to our castle. Pray, where do you come from, friends? It must surely have been a long way." the Prince said.
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Post by tiktok on Apr 28, 2009 22:45:21 GMT -8
The plated soldier's head turned to look at both Snow White and Ferdinand, exchanging glances to them as they spoke. He addressed Snow White first. "Hello, Snow White." Every time Tik-Tok spoke his moustache twitched, as if it served as his 'mouth.' Also, his voice was rather monotonic and halting, as if he was devoid of natural humanity.
He turned his head to face Ferdinand. "And to you, Ferdinand. We do come from a long way." Tik-Tok thought that then was a good time to introduce himself and his companion. "Pleased to meet you two," Tik-Tok continued. "We come from the Land of Oz." Tik-Tok blinked once, and his eyelids created a scraping noise. His arms moved a few times, but they were mostly idle. "I am Tik-Tok." His torso turned so he could face Jack, to whom he pointed with his right hand. "This is Jack Pumpkinhead. He is my companion."
He turned his upper body to politely address the royal couple. Every time his head or torso turned the sound of grinding copper was audible. "Are you two royals?" Tik-Tok asked. He figured they were, considering they owned a decidedly gorgeous castle.
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Post by jackpumpkinhead on May 3, 2009 4:45:10 GMT -8
When he and Tik-Tok had crossed the drawbridge Jack Pumpkinhead had been filled with a final, confirmed relief once he had caught full sight of the man and the woman. They were both very friendly-looking, so far as Jack was concerned. Though his concept of human anatomy was not perfect, he also guessed that the two of them could be deemed attractive by human standards.
He remained silent as Tik-Tok spoke, interlacing the branches which acted as his fingers as he glanced between those who had introduced themselves as Snow White and Ferdinand. He noted that Snow White had inspected him for a few moments, and he glanced at his clothes instinctively to ensure they were neatly buttoned and wrinkle-free. Considering he hailed from Oz, where beings such as himself could be deemed normal, the thought hadn't crossed his mind that she may consider him a novelty.
"Pleased to meet you, Snow White and Prince Ferdinand." Jack greeted the two after his companion had introduced him. He then remained silent while Tik-Tok and the two noble humans spoke. Tik-Tok was far better at these sorts of things than he was. So long as he remained fully wound, that was. Which caused Jack to wonder when the last time he had wound him up was.
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Post by Snow White on May 5, 2009 9:01:23 GMT -8
The gold-man was awfully stiff when he moved about; the constant scraping was highly irritating and the princess decided that a good cleaning of his armour should be added to the list of things she wanted to do for these men. At the mention of Oz, Snow White’s chocolate eyes shifted to Ferdinand. She had never heard of Oz before and maybe he had, having travelled to far more places than she had ever been. When Tik-Tok questioned if they were royals Snow White giggled and covered her mouth with a porcelain hand. He must not be a knight if he did not know the definition of “Prince.”
“Yes, Tik-Tok,” she replied and again, a small giggle left her. “We’re royals.” A pearl white smile beamed on her face and she said to Jack, “A pleasure to meet you, Jack. How do you do?” She held out a dainty hand, expecting him to take it and shake.
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Post by tiktok on May 5, 2009 13:43:28 GMT -8
The truth is Tik-Tok did know what a royal prince was, but he was secretly losing sanity. From that moment on, Tik-Tok's strange behavior climaxed. He erratically twisted his torso, his eyelids blinked without synchronization, and he flailed his arms about. His moustache twitched wildly, even when he didn't say anything.
"Jack," commanded the mechanical man, "Snow royal Ferdinand in Oz's prince!"
Spouting out non sequiturs and gibberish, the mechanical man began to waddle around aimlessly. Something was obviously very wrong with him. His malfunctioning would most likely startle Snow White and Ferdinand, but Jack would definitely know what was wrong. Unfortunately for Pumpkinhead, Tik-Tok inadvertently bumped into Jack with a sudden, startling blow.
"Pleasure, do. Do-do, meet, how? Way welcome, where castle indeed, from! Surely it we friends?"
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Post by ferdinand on May 5, 2009 20:24:03 GMT -8
Ferdinand found the way the knight's head turned quite odd. It was almost...mechanical like. He couldn't help but wonder if the poor man was ill. If that was the case, then he should send for medical attention right away. Why, the way the knight spoke to Snow White seemed to deem the man sick! Even so, he spoke with kindness and respect towards the beautiful princess before speaking to Ferdinand in the same regard.
The servant too greeted the royal couple. Both were obviously quite refined in grace and manner. The knight told the Prince that he and his companion were indeed from a long way, from a land called Oz. The name didn't register with Ferdinand, and when he saw his wife's eyes meet his, he knew she was probably wondering if he knew of the place where the knight came from. The obvious confusion in regards to the subject was plated on the Prince's face.
The knight introduced himself as "Tik-Tok," and the servant as "Jack Pumpkinhead." "It's a pleasure, Sir Tik-Tok. And to you as well, faithful Jack." Ferdinand said. "I hope I don't seem silly by asking such, but where is your homeland? It's only that I've never heard of it before." the Prince asked with curiosity. Before he got an answer, Tik-Tok asked Snow White and he if they were royals. Snow White told him they were, but then the man went wild!
Ferdinand was startled by the knight's flailing around and utter gibberish. "My goodness! He must surely be ill! I'll send for the royal physician at once!" the Prince declared, frightened for Tik-Tok's welfare, as well as the safety of his wife and Jack. He caught the attention of a servant boy. "Be quick and fetch the physician! Hurry!" The smaller boy nodded to his majesty and hurried off to do as he was bid. In the meanwhile, Ferdinand stepped in front of Snow White, attempting to protect her.
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Post by jackpumpkinhead on May 5, 2009 21:56:51 GMT -8
"O-oh dear!" Jack said nervously when Tik-Tok began acting sporadically. The royals were also clearly distressed by his sudden change in behavior, particularly Prince Ferdinand as he began shouting out orders to seek a physician. Jack wondered how a physician could be of any help, but he hadn't the time to ponder on the fact that these two humans may not realize that they were animate constructs.
"Oh, it's quite alright! It's just that his thinking has wound down. I apologize if we startled you. Here, I need only wind him u--" Jack tried to reassure them, but as he leaned in to try and wind his companion's gears back up, in his flailing, Tik-Tok mistakingly knocked Jack's block off - quite literally, as Jack's pumpkin head was sent soaring from the wooden stake which acted as his neck. The head rolled to a stop at Snow White's feet, scattering pumpkin seeds across the lush grass as it went.
"Oh no!" Jack's disembodied head said sheepishly. His body, meanwhile, was staggering around blindly with arms outstretched, fruitlessly searching for its missing head. "I am terribly sorry, I'm afraid I can't assist my friend until my head is re-attached to my body." Jack informed them.
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Post by Snow White on May 12, 2009 12:35:43 GMT -8
Tik-Tok’s meltdown frightened the young princess considerably. Her heart leaped while her eyes widened to the size of saucers and she staggered back a couple of steps. It finally dawned on her that this might not be a man clad in human armour, but some sort of armoured monster instead. Fearing for Ferdinand as well as herself, she quickly looked to Jack who then quite suddenly had his chopped off.
“Oh!” Snow White exclaimed from behind Ferdinand. She instinctively reached out and clutched his arm. “What’s happening to them, Ferdinand?” Her prince was wise and travelled far; he had much more experience with the oddities of the world than she.
By now several guards had left their posts to come to the royals’ aid. They unfortunately were as startled as the pair they loyally served and were not sure how to approach the situation.
”S-sire?” was all the one managed to say.
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Post by tiktok on May 15, 2009 0:38:03 GMT -8
Tik-Tok continued to wander aimlessly and frantically. As he lumbered about he continued to utter complete non-sequitors.
"Not is which, right, left, down front!" he exclaimed. "Tickle, tickle, tickle me! Am I Pumpkinillna. Right is Jack, whom concerned feel. Larcenous, larcenous, larceny nails?"
It was evident that the stout, plated man was not going to calm down soon. Yet, at some point it was clear to the humans that there were three keys attached to Tik-Tok. There was one under his left arm, one on his back, and one under his right arm. It was tricky to see since Tik-Tok was lumbering about, but the key under his left arm was not moving.
"Jack!" Tik-Tok exclaimed. At that point he stopped in his tracks and began to spin his head 360 degrees. "Pick me up!"
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