The Baron leaves the sorting room (Open RP)

[i-am-harkonnen.livejournal.com]

The Baron was exceptionally relieved to leave the sorting room, which had been getting rather cramped.  Although it had been a somewhat enlightening experience, he now found himself filled with a great deal of questions, such as where to find decent rooms, where that library was, and, how to find the Muggle Studies Department. The hat had left him with a burning need to watch something called "The Maury Povich Show". Not understanding things was troubling, and this needed to be remedied.

He recalled that A did say he'd show him around, and, didn't say when, so, he decided now was as good a time for any, and looked around for one of those weird little house elves. Unsure of just what to do, he barked out, "House elf! Come here, now!", feeling rather silly about this. He made sure to not act surprised when one did actually show up. "Go and tell A that I need to know where things are." It ran off, presumably to do so. They sure are ugly little things, he thought, but, at least they do take orders. And looked easy to kick if they did happen to disobey.

Adjusting his suspensors slightly, he straightened out his robes, and took up a good portion of the hallway while attempting to wait patiently. This wasn't one of his strong points, unless it involved being patient with long and convoluted plans within plans.

Comments

[i-am-an-hero.livejournal.com]

A gave him a rather startled blink; he knew little to nothing about selling things, and the only clothing he'd ever bought had been in the mall, with L's help, and had been simple garments in primary colors.

"I, I'm not, I, I don't think I could do that," he said regretfully. "I wouldn't know how. Mello would know, or Ryuzaki, or Kurama, or Matt... I don't know how to sell things, or to find a tailor."

It wasn't hard for him to admit to ignorance, even if he didn't want to disappoint his new acquaintance.

[i-am-harkonnen.livejournal.com]

The Baron was mildly annoyed, but, figured it was best A admitted what appeared to be genuine ignorance, and couldn't fault him too badly for it. "Well, at least you admit you don't know how. I'd expect you know where people have to go to do these things? Are we in a city?" He never liked actually having to do what seemed menial activities himself. Perhaps it would be possible to drag a house elf along. The inability to get killed meant that his lack of guards probably wasn't as dire as it felt. Although it was easier to bargain when threats would be taken seriously. The "no killing" issue was going to become a serious challenge.

[i-am-an-hero.livejournal.com]

"No, not in a city, but there is a village within walking distance, and it is easy to use the floo network to get to either the wizarding or muggle places to shop."

A felt sure that the Baron would fit in better in a wizarding environment than a muggle one, but it was his choice.

[i-am-harkonnen.livejournal.com]

Not surrounded by hordes of the common masses at least, he thought. He wasn't much into walking distance, however. "A floo network? Is that some sort of transit technology? Or is it magic? And, which places are better to shop in- the wizarding ones I presume?" Given that "muggle" was a silly sounding term, he figured that wizarding had to be more prestigious.

[i-am-an-hero.livejournal.com]

"It's a magical form of transportation. You throw a special powder into a fireplace, state your destination, and just step through. It's a little disorienting, but not too bad."

Not that A liked it, but it got you where you needed to go.

"I think you would like wizarding shops better. All the muggle stores I was in sold premade things, and I don't think that is what you want. And wizarding fashions are closer to what you already wear."

[i-am-harkonnen.livejournal.com]

The Baron nodded his understanding, and smiled thankfully at A's explanation. "Wizarding shops it is then. Premade wouldn't work well, for obvious reasons." The smile turned into a rather dry smirk, which quickly fell into baffled confusion as he considered A's words more thoroughly. "Wait. . . you step through a fireplace? Is it on fire?"

[i-am-an-hero.livejournal.com]

"Yes, fire." He couldn't help grinning just a little, though more in sympathy than anything else. He'd found it overwhelming at first and still wasn't very fond of it. "The powder makes it into a means of transportation so it doesn't burn. You can tell because they flames turn green."

[i-am-harkonnen.livejournal.com]

"They turn green, do they?" He laughed loudly, his bulk bouncing in the suspensors. It was all too evident that A was being entirely honest- it was the fact that he was listening to what he'd have called madness the day before and conjecturing that it seemed feasible enough that was amusing. "Well, this will be an interesting experience. But certainly not one for today. I'm not attempting to walk through any fireplaces without a proper night's sleep. Or two." He smiled bemusedly at A, and told him, "I'll send one of those house elves to let you know when it would be a good time. Perhaps you could find someone who does know the best places to go?" A had already proven quite helpful, so, it was only natural for Vladimir to begin delegating minor tasks. Someone had to do them.

[i-am-an-hero.livejournal.com]

"I could ask Mello," A volunteered. "He went to Diagon Alley with me once, and helped me bargain with a shopkeeper. He's much better at, at dealing with people than I am."

[i-am-harkonnen.livejournal.com]

He nodded and smiled approvingly. "That sounds like an excellent plan. We can attempt to make some sort of entertaining trip of it, and I'm sure it'll prove educational." He remembered a point that seemed important to be prepared for. "Mello isn't a talking dragon or anything, is he?" Not that a talking dragon wouldn't prove helpful in bargaining, it was seemed best to be forewarned about anything too strange.

[i-am-an-hero.livejournal.com]

"Mello is a friend of mine," A said, blinking at him. "He's about this tall" he gestured, "with blond hair, and he usually wears black leather. He has a scarred face and likes chocolate."

[i-am-harkonnen.livejournal.com]

"He sounds very nice, I'll look forward to meeting him." He smiled at A, bemused by his innocence. The combination of blond hair, black leather, and chocolate sounded like it could be quite enjoyable to meet. He wasn't sure about scars, he'd have to see. "Your friend Mello is in Slytherin as well, if I recall right?" He was sure that A had mentioned his name previously.

[i-am-an-hero.livejournal.com]

A wasn't sure if 'nice' was quite the right word for Mello, but the Baron would find that out for himself.

"He was sorted into Slytherin, yes, but he lives in Ravenclaw with Near. I don't know Near very well, though."

[i-am-harkonnen.livejournal.com]

People had such strange names here, but, his probably sounded no stranger. "Which house were you put again, again? I think you've mentioned where many of your friends are, but, either I've blanked on the subject, or, you just didn't mention it."

[i-am-an-hero.livejournal.com]

"I was sorted into Hufflepuff," A told him. "But I live in Ravenclaw. Most of my friends are there."

[i-am-harkonnen.livejournal.com]

The Baron was beginning to understand this house concept a bit better- it was just some sort of organizational, and possibly labeling technique. "It does seem that those of you from Hufflepuff are generally helpful sorts." He smiled appreciatively, quietly thinking that Hufflepuff was one of the more ridiculous words he'd ever had to say. "I get the idea that the hat may have put me into the potentially troublesome one." He chuckled, unable to deny that it was an accurate choice, if so. "It did appear to know some of the same people as myself, but, spoke in strange, insane-sounding riddles or something. I need to watch some sort of informational show, as it suggested it would cast some light on matters."

[i-am-an-hero.livejournal.com]

"I don't mind that I was sorted into Hufflepuff. But I feel safer staying where my friends are." A shivered, remembering B. "It's not so strange, I think, if the Hat has known people you know. Lots of people come here, and sometimes they turn to popcorn. People come back from that sometimes too, but they don't always remember having been here." A shrugged. He'd be devastated if any of the people close to him were popcorned, but it was a fact of life here.

"What sort of show?"

[i-am-harkonnen.livejournal.com]

Turned into. . .some sort of food? Wasn't that what popcorn was? "Please do tell me that this fate is an avoidable one? I've always pictured a somewhat more traditional death." He smirked, given that a "traditional death" by Harkonnen standards was often a knife in the back. "I'm not sure what sort of show it is, something called 'The Maury Povich Show'. The hat said I'd find this in the Muggle Studies Department, on filmbooks or something like that." He considered, and decided to just ask the question that kept lingering in the back of his mind. "Did you ever meet a Paul Atreides here? Or Irulan Corrino? The hat said they were here. . .but, I have excellent reasons to believe that Paul Atreides was at home when I left. And definitely never heard of him disappearing for any length of time."

[i-am-an-hero.livejournal.com]

"I don't think anyone knows what makes someone turn to popcorn," A told him. "It happens to all sorts of people. They vanish, and their name goes on a plaque outside the Popcorn Room. If they return, they are covered in butter and salt, and usually disoriented. That is probably what happened to the people you know, although you could confirm it by looking at the plaque."

He shrugged. "I don't know what the Maury Povich Show is, but I haven't seen very much television. If the Hat recommended it, there is probably a reason, but it is likely to be a strange one."

[i-am-harkonnen.livejournal.com]

"So, we can't be killed, but, we all might turn into popcorn at any moment?" The Baron hated that A appeared to be so damn honest at this particular moment, as, knives in the back were definitely the more comfortable sounding fate. Thorough, final, and, much less disconcerting. "I'm not sure that I want to know what's on the plaque, as, it sounds like one of those things best not thought about." He sighed, thinking he might have to look eventually, but, there were enough confusing things going on already.

"The hat seemed to think that the show would have some sort of connection with Fremen, although I can't see just how. Maybe it was Fremen- I'm not sure what it was talking about, as I've never spoken with a hat before."

[i-am-an-hero.livejournal.com]

"Three people I know have turned into popcorn since I have been here," A said. "I was glad, very glad, of B and That Yagami turning to popcorn. I was upset about Matt," even if that had been largely on L's behalf, "but he returned quite soon."

He looked thoughtfully at the Baron. "I don't know who 'Fremen' is. But maybe you should see this show, if only so you can try to understand what it meant."

[i-am-harkonnen.livejournal.com]

"It sounds like it happens a bit more often than is comfortable, and I do hope there's a way to avoid it. But at least your friend returned. I'm really far too old to be having such experiences, this one's already strange enough the way it is. And I agree, I should see this, as, almost everything's proving useful information somehow." And it would hopefully keep his mind off contemplating some of the weirder aspects of Hogwarts, like Popcorn Rooms.

[i-am-an-hero.livejournal.com]

"If it's a television show..." A pondered the idea. "The only place I can think of where you'd find it would be the Muggle Studies office. I don't know if we even have a Muggle Studies professor. I know there hasn't been a class in the whole time I've been here. I'm not sure where the office is, though. A house elf could probably help you find it."

[i-am-harkonnen.livejournal.com]

"The hat said something about a Muggle Studies department, although I'm still rather clear on exactly what a 'muggle' is." It was definitely a silly word, and he felt a bit odd just saying it. "I suppose that's what I'll have to find this place tomorrow, along with attempting to learn the layout. It seems a confusing place." He looked around the corridor with a slight frown, noting the lack of windows and general downward direction they'd been taking. "And this isn't exactly, ah, airy." The way he said 'airy' held entirely negative connotations, and a rather lot of them. "And what's a television show?"

[i-am-an-hero.livejournal.com]

"Muggle means people without magic. It's a separate culture, and the muggle world doesn't know about the wizarding world. A television show is recorded video for entertainment or information, broadcast to many people. There are many kinds."