NationStates Jolt Archive

The janitor in the embassy was working overtime. This embassy had only been open for a short time, and had been relatively quiet. However now, the president of the embassies country was visiting, and the whole place had to be spotless.
He wasn't alone. 50 such janitors were working all over the building, and elsewhere, in River-Rise a major clean-up was underway. Temporary homeless shelters were erected for the city's homeless population. Rubbish was cleaned up, and a 50 Phraxdust on-the-spot fine was put in place for littering.
This was an important visit, and one place noticed it more than others. The River-Rise Banderbear Hotel, which was the cause of the trip, for the couple were here to see the renaming of the Presidential suite.
It was to be named after them, and it had been about time they took a break, so they had timed the two to meet. The trip had been put back due to unforeseen circumstances, but hopefully now, the trip could go ahead as planned.

The janitor stood back and admired his work, the entire hallway was practically sparkling. Just then, an ambassador from the nation walked down the hall, and disappeared into his office, leaving behind a trail of mud. The janitor sighed, and started scrubbing again. In River-Rise the city had closed down for the night, and road-sweepers came out, cleaning the roads. There wouldn't be much traffic this weekend.

OOC: Bump!

President Mike Sarzo leaned along the wall after a cabinet meeting and closed his eyes. It had only been a few hours after he turned general and returned to power. He needed a vacation and he needed it desperately. It seemed that everyone in Sarzonia knew their leader needed time off, but he was working seemingly around the clock.

When a janitor came by the meeting room to clean up afterwards and woke Sarzo up, the janitor shook his head.

"You need a vacation, boss."

"I know," Sarzo said. "I'll wait until Nicole gets back."

When Lewis called him two hours later and told him that she was about to land at Woodstock International Jetport after her flight from Daurmont in Isselmere-Nieland, Sarzo called his parnter Jay Tyler.

"Jay, we're going to Sanctaphrax," he said. "They're getting ready to rename their presidential suite after us and you know I need a good vacation."

"That's great, Mike. I'll start packing."

"You don't need to, Jay. We've got staff who gets paid to do that."

"Oh, that's right," Tyler laughed.

Three hours later, Tyler and Sarzo were riding in a limo on the way to Sarzonia One. This vacation was hard-earned and Sarzo knew his next stop would be with Lewis to Pacitalia. He figured she already knew the country and Senior Vice President for External Affairs Mark Lorber could handle things.

Tower at Sanctaphrax International, near Lake Landing woke up that morning and checked the list of flights that should be incoming. The list was a pretty standard one until.... 4:30 PM, Sarzonia One.
There had been heavy rain the night before, but today the weather forecasts said sun. It was still 5:00 AM so there wasn't any sun yet. 10 minutes before the first flight was due to land, trucks were sent out onto the runways to clear the large puddles that had formed overnight.
A special passage was created for Mr Sarzo and Mr Tyler so that they wouldn't have to go through customs, which was an unnessecary hassle. Sarzonia One was given a special parking far from civilian transport.

TAG

OOC: i hear you've fallen out with Serafima, Sant

OOC: i hear you've fallen out with Serafima, Sant
OOC: I have? Wow, I argue with people without even noticing it!

OOC: I don't wish to hijack... I'll tg in a minute S

I feel like BUMPing this threa

BUMP

(Replied)

Thanks Moley, but there's no need. Its closed between me and Sarz, and we both know how to find it. Thanks anyway.

Three hours into the flight to River Rise, Sarzo and Tyler finally had a chance to relax. Conference calls with members of Parliament and officially clearing three special operations units' deployment to Pacitalia occupied much of Sarzo's time on Sarzonia One.

Sarzo also worked extensively on his laptop during the three hour period. He decided the laptop would stay on Sarzonia One for the duration of his vacation. He also decided that Lewis could handle things more than capably, as she did when he was imprisoned by the RSTF. Finally, he emerged from his small office aboard Sarzonia One and walked back to where Tyler was sitting.

"Now our vacation can really begin," Sarzo said. He smiled and gazed into Tyler's eyes. Tyler also smiled and his eyes twinkled. Sarzo sat down next to Tyler since they knew the executive jet was on its first approach to Sanctaphrax International.

"Control tower, this is Sarzonia One. Request permission to land, over."

"Roger that Sarzonia One. Permission granted, runway 4, over"

*meanwhile*
Cowlquape Pentephraxis was fuming silently in the back of his car. There was a traffic jam, typical. He was counting on getting to Lake-Landing so that he could reach the airport, and now this. Traffic started moving slowly, building up speed as they passed the crash scene. Soon he was back up to full speed, but ten minutes late. He called an airport official to direct Mr Sarzo and Mr Tyler to the executive lounge, where they could sit quietly until he arrived.

Sarzonia One landed and taxied on the runway until it came to a stop. Sarzo and Tyler stood up. An aide picked up their suitcases and Sarzo's briefcase and the two men stood at the door waiting for it to open. When it finally did, Sarzo and Tyler looked at each other and Tyler grabbed Sarzo's left hand with his. The warmth and firmness of Tyler's hand sent waves of serenity through Sarzo and he smiled broadly.

They slowly descended the steps headed down from Sarzonia One as the band from Sanctaphrax played "Destiny Rules," followed by "Freedom." The two Fleetwood Mac songs did for Sarzonia what "Hail to the Chief" and the "Star Spangled Banner" did respectively for the former United States, and the Sanctaphrax organizers made sure they were aware of it.

An aide walked up to Sarzo and Tyler and apologized for the Prime Minister's delay.

"Traffic jam," he said.

"Sounds like Nicksia traffic," Tyler said. Sarzo chuckled slightly.

"We're delighted to be here and we eagerly look forward to seeing the Prime Minister when he arrives."

"Right this way, Mr. President, Mr. Tyler."

Sarzo and Tyler were led to a luxurious airport lounge where they sat and waited for Pentephraxis to arrive.

Cowlquape came in half an hour late, and rushed through. He hurried through to the lounge, took a deep breath, put his pass up against the scanner, and walked through as the door clicked open.
"Hello Mr Sarzo, and Mr Tyler, nice to meet you both. I'm Cowlquape Pentephraxis, PM of Sanctaphrax. I'm very glad you both chose to vacation here in Sanctaphrax. From here we're taking a small jet to River-Rise airfield, more convinient than Sanctaphrax traffic, of which I am by now painfully aware." He grinned wryly then extended his hand to both Mr Tyler and Mr Sarzo.

Sarzo and Tyler both eagrly shook Pentephraxis's hand.

"It's a pleasure to see you again," Sarzo said.

"Nice to meet you," Tyler said. He looked around with a twinkle of awe in his eyes. As a secret service agent, he couldn't really appreciate the settings that Sarzo occasionally found himself in since he was on the job. But now that he was the First Partner, he could enjoy the sights and sounds of places.

Sarzo looked around the room to make sure that no one who wasn't authorized to could hear, then whispered, "General Santius is doing very well. We're almost finished with construction on our new military command centre in Saugerties and he will be located there. He has dramatically improved our military training and our army has much more equipment than it did before."

Sarzo stepped back, smiled widely, and said, "would you mind giving us a tour of the place? There's much to see."

*bump*

Cowlquape smiled widely at the latest reports about the General.
"You know Mr Sarzo, I myself didn't want him exiled. So he messed around with some woman on the job, so what? Unfortunately the law is the law, and the high court ruled that it was illegal, and who am I to argue with the high court?" he asked with a twinkle in his eye,
"Anyway, a tour. The renaming is tommorow, so I would recommend flying to River-Rise today, seeing the sights there. After that, I will be your tour guide for as long as you want. I assume you will want to see your embassy, also in River-Rise, as well as some of the more well known sites?"

*Bump*

Cowlquape smiled widely at the latest reports about the General.
"You know Mr Sarzo, I myself didn't want him exiled. So he messed around with some woman on the job, so what? Unfortunately the law is the law, and the high court ruled that it was illegal, and who am I to argue with the high court?" he asked with a twinkle in his eye,
"Anyway, a tour. The renaming is tommorow, so I would recommend flying to River-Rise today, seeing the sights there. After that, I will be your tour guide for as long as you want. I assume you will want to see your embassy, also in River-Rise, as well as some of the more well known sites?"

"Well, it seems we have benefitted from your misfortune," Sarzo whispered while on the topic of General Santius. "Army Chief Hal Luxton is set to announce his retirement from the armed forces and I was considering appointing the General to the post. I don't anticipate much of a struggle from Parliament, thank goodness.

"Oh, also, we're getting ready to host a conference in Woodstock regarding the forming of a Woodstock Pact. If you'd like, you can send a representative from your government to the conference.

"Onto less formal matters, I definitely like your idea of flying to River Rise and seeing the attractions and the embassy. I also am looking forward to the ceremony and I'm sure Jay is too."

"You've got that right," Tyler answered, smiling.

"So let's begin," Sarzo said, adding his own smile to Tyler's.

[OOC: Above post edited with information about the Pact.]

"Ok, this way please." He motioned them ahead of him, and they walked out, where a luxury minivan was waiting to take them to a small plane. Small, yet stable and comfortable.
"The idea sounds very interesting, however, you are on vacation, this is no time to talk politics. I must inform you that for the first day, the Sarzo suite is out of bounds while they prepare it. You will be sleeping in another room. It is still equipped to the highest standards. I assume that after that your stay in River-Rise you will be sleeping at the Sarzo Suite? It is the most expensive and luxurious room in the resort, yet for you, it will come free, as will all your expenses on this trip."
They climbed into the small plane, yet from the inside, it was as luxurious as the official goverment 7E7 Dreamliners. Leather, wood panelling, minibar/fridge and flight attendants. They were soon racing down the runway, and lifting off into the evening sun.
"I have to admit Mr Sarzo, this is a rare pleasure for me. Generally, if I go anywhere I need to do so quickly, and I use a specially modified Yas'ur 2000 Chopper. Uncomfortable and loud, yet it gets me there quickly. And I gather you know well enough about the politicians lifestyle, time is of the essence. Elections coming up soon, and I have to be everywhere at once. The quickest way is the best way."
Meanwhile, the plane continued on its journey to River-Rise, heading for a small airfield just outside the city. There, a driver was waiting to take Mr Sarzo, Tyler and Pentephraxis to the Banderbear resort.

"This is a rare delight for me as well," Sarzo said. "It's not often that I get to go on vacation with the special someone in my life." He looked at Tyler and smiled.

As the three men sat down in the car, Sarzo pondered whether or not to hold Tyler's hand while in the car. Both he and Tyler decided not to, electing to wait until they were in the privacy of the executive suite they would soon occupy.

As the car sped through the streets of River-Rise, Sarzo and Tyler both looked at the sights whiz by on the way to Banderbear. They both decided that this trip would not be about discussing shop or about the sorts of things world leaders talk about when they're holding summits or hosting conferences. This would be about having a good time and both men were going to make sure they could do that.

"I want to take this opportunity to thank you for inviting me and Jay to come for our holiday," Sarzo said. "It means the world to me."

"And me," Tyler interjected. "Thanks so much."

"You are more than welcome. We are more than glad that you chose to vacation here in Sanctaphrax. I hear you got nominated for an award of some kind in Pacitalia Mr Sarzo? You and Ms Lewis? If so, congratulations, if not, i'll fire the man in charge of giving me daily briefings."
The car rolled up to a stop in front of a small hotel, budget, yet quite nice for that.
"Its a bit of a walk from here" Cowlquape explained, "The Banderbear chain generally have two hotels in one place. A small cheap budget hotel, and a fancy resort. The two are on one plot, yet kept completely seperate."
The porter of the resort was there to greet them, he took the bags, and carried them straight up to Sarzo and Tyler's room. Meanwhile, Cowlquape took Mr Sarzo and Mr Tyler to the room, going through the building.
It was a bit longer, but it gave them a chance to appreciate the resort. The entrance had marble pillars outside, a red carpet had been rolled out specially for the occasion and a small parking was visible around the back, next to which was a tennis court. They walked through, Cowlquape having checked in in advance. As they walked, Cowlquape explained.
"This is the main entrance to the resort. We managed to bluff the media into believing you were landing tomorrow. This way, you get today and tomorrow off, you get to appreciate the resort, and the journalists get to spend a long cold day waiting for you at the airport. Thats the reason we took the main entrance. This is the entrance hall, carpets everywhere, sofas, a bar just over there" He pointed to their left, "those stairs ahead of you lead downstairs, but there's also a lift"
As they waited for the lift Cowlquape explained to them a bit more about the place.

"Ah, the Capostication," Sarzo said with a smile. "Yes, Nicole and I are up for that. My sources tell me it's the highest civilian honour in Pacitalia and some people think it's the highest honour in the world. Makes our Medal of Valour pale by comparison."

Sarzo smiled as he saw Tyler look around with his eyes bulging wide open, staring agape at the magnificence laid out for him and his partner.

"Wow," Tyler half-whispered. Getting a chance to see such splendor and actually appreciate it for a change was a thrill of a lifetime for the young former secret service agent. The figurative blinders that a secret service agent must wear often prevent them from taking in the spectacular sights a President can because they are always scanning for any possible threats.

Tyler was glad to be past that life and starting a new chapter in his life. For his part, the workaholic President was also glad to take the chance for a rare vacation and a chance to leave the matters of state to his able lieutenants. Besides that, he was finally getting a chance to have some quality time with the man who changed everything for him.

"Nice trick," Sarzo quipped when he heard Pentephraxis comment about his eluding the media. "I bet the editors at the River Rise Daily are crapping their pants right now," he added with a conspiratory chuckle.

"Impressive no Mr Tyler? This is only the beginning."
The lift arrived and they went downstairs, as they stopped off Cowlquape resumed his position of tour guide.
"Over there" he said, pointing to his left "are squash courts, a gym, hot tub, a spa. Also, just here is the start of the swimming pool. In Winter these massive doors are closed, and the inside pool can be heated. In Summer the doors are open, and it fits with the rest of the pool, nearly 100 feet long, this pool."
They walked next to the entrance to the main dining hall, and Cowlquape pointed it out to them. They walked out by the swimming pool, the light reflecting off its still surface. At the far end kids were splashing in it. A wooden bridge extended over the pool at the narrowest point. They walked past that, and down onto a path which had the houses next to it. Each house had 8 rooms, except for one which had 4 due to their size. Three of these rooms were Executive Suites, and one of them was the exclusive Presidential suite, at the top and at the far end, yet currently blocked off while preparations were made. Cowlquape unlocked the door to the next door room with the card key. He pressed it against the pad and the door opened.
"Here you go, your room. I hope you like it. Here's your key, if you need anything, here's my phone number. I'll be staying nearby."
Cowlquape turned and walked out, leaving them alone.

[OOC: Alone. Possibilities... naah. I'll keep it clean. Sort of. ;)]

Sarzo and Tyler sat down in the room as the porter brought their bags to the room and placed them near the desk.

"Would you like me to unpack and put these away for you, sirs?"

"Sure, why not," Sarzo replied. He looked at Tyler, knowing that he would have unpacked both bags and filed everything away. "You need the vacation too, you know."

Tyler laughed. "Not as much as you do."

"We both needed this. Time alone, together." Sarzo gazed into Tyler's eyes and smiled a long, meaningful smile. Tyler returned the gaze and his eyes shined like a full moon overlooking a quiet lakefront beach.

Within a half hour, the porter finished unpacking both suitcases and wrote a note detailing where everything was. He called out from the main room.

"All set, sirs. I've coordinated both sets of clothes and toiletries and I've left a key with everything outlined."

"Thanks," Tyler called. "Come here for a sec."

The porter walked into the room. Sarzo fished out his wallet and pulled out a $1,000 bill. Tyler waved off Sarzo's attempt to provide the tip and pulled out the equivalent amount in Sanctaphrax's national currency.

"Thank you so much," Tyler said. Sarzo smiled brightly when he realized why Tyler paid him: Sarzo had forgotten to convert his currency from Sarzonian dollars to phraxdust. Tyler remembered that detail.

The porter's eyes widened. "Sirs, you don't have to do that."

"Oh, it's no problem," Tyler said.

"Consider it a small token of our gratitude. And our nation's."

"Thank you sirs. Thank you so much." The porter left the room with a brisk pace that some might have thought was his way of leaving the room before the men had a chance to change their minds. Not that there was a chance of that happening.

When the door closed to the larger room, Sarzo and Tyler both walked toward the windows. They decided to draw the blinds. Now that they were far away from the media scrutiny that awaited them and they were seemingly a world away from the prying eyes and gossiping mouth of Louella Soames, the two men finally had a chance to take full advantage of their time to relax. And with a gleam of love in their eyes and with the privacy of drawn blinds ensured, they did just that.

Cowlquape lay on his back on the sunbed and relaxed. He too had a holiday, and he made the most of it.

*The following morning*



OOC: Just RP them waking up and whatnot. He'll be in the breakfast hall.

Sarzo finally walked over to Tyler, who was just getting up.

"Hey."

Tyler looked at an exhausted Sarzo.

"Mike, what's going on?"

"We're now at war."

"Roach-Busters, right?"

"And Generic Empire."

"Shit! What are we going to do?"

"Go to the breakfast hall for one thing. The military folks are going to have at it, I guess."

Tyler shook his head and grimaced. This vacation was supposed to be a chance for Sarzo to get rest and he looked even more haggard than usual. Anyway, the two men got dressed and walked toward the breakfast hall where Pentephraxis was waiting for them. With Tyler the more rested of the two, he strode ahead of Sarzo while Sarzo deliberately walked behind.

Cowlquape was sitting, having breakfast in the dining hall when he saw Mr Tyler approaching, with Mr Sarzo some way behind him. He stood up and shook Mr Tylers hand.
"Good morning Mr Tyler, I trust you slept well? Even though by the look on Mr Sarzo's face, I don't think he slept at all. Probably worrying about the R-B conflict?" Cowlquape waited until Sarzo caught up and shook his hand. "Are you sure you're up for this embassy visit and renaming Mr Sarzo? You look absolutely knackered."

BUMP for Sarzonia.

One last *bump* to keep this thread alive.

Sarzo stifled a yawn. Pentephraxis was right, of course.

"I'm sorry. I haven't had a chance to get a whole lot of rest. Maybe I should leave my cell phone turned off," he said.

"I'm hoping I can get a power nap and maybe I'll feel a little better. Hopefully this conflict won't amount to too much." [OOC: I'm RPing this as being before everything escalated.]

Tyler's gaze bore through Sarzo's dazed look in his eyes. He could see how tired Sarzo was. Even though he didn't know Sarzo that long, he could see that exhaustion was more than just a lack of a night's sleep. It was much deeper than that.

The weight of losing a close friend, possibly forever, due to the stark differences between their countries bore down on Sarzo like a Humvee balanced on his shoulders. The authorization of force that would likely lead to a declaration of full-scale war, a war that could very well see the founder of a country impeached or even removed from office also played on Sarzo's mind and Tyler seemingly could see all of that.

"I think you need to get some rest," Tyler said. "Maybe we can meet for lunch. Hopefully he'll be somewhat refreshed."

Tyler looked at Pentephraxis expectantly while Sarzo fought the urge to doze off while standing there.

*bump* for Sanctaphrax

OOC: Reserved for a post which I can't be bothered to make right now. Sorry Sarz, but could we put this off for a few weeks, I just can't bring myself together to post right now. Sorry.

[OOC: Yeah that's fine. It will let me focus on that war RP.]

"I think you need to get some rest," Tyler said. "Maybe we can meet for lunch. Hopefully he'll be somewhat refreshed."

Tyler looked at Pentephraxis expectantly while Sarzo fought the urge to doze off while standing there.
"I agree with Jay, you probably do need some rest. There's no hurry, the renaming is at 5, and we could always go to the embassy after that or even tomorrow."
He watched as Jay escorted Mike back to their room and smiled. He sat down and finished his breakfast leisurely, then stood up with a sigh and stretched. It wasn't often he got a holiday, and he planned to make the most of it. He walked off, down towards the beach, where he spent a few hours swimming, the blue water sparkling, even the waves weren't in a hurry, crashing over onto the beach, which was quiet and empty, barring a few people, who weren't paying much attention to their surroundings, not enough to notice the PM less than ten metres away anyway. He continued his swim up and down, taking the time to think.

When Jay and Mike reached their hotel room, Sarzo looked and was surprised that there were no voice mail messages. He handed the phone to Jay and watched as his partner shut the phone off. With the room telephone also unplugged, there was no way to prevent Mike from getting the sleep he needed unless hotel staff came in to clean.

Jay put a Do Not Disturb sign on the door of the room to prevent even that from happening. He didn't want to take any chances that Sarzo would look like a zombie for the renaming ceremony. After taking off his suit and putting on a pair of pajamas, Mike slowly lowered himself into the bed as Jay tucked him in. He then got in as well, figuring he could use a little bit of extra rest.

The war was going on; it was real, but it was also something that Sarzo would have to deal with later, when he had time to think about things. Right now, he needed this holiday badly and he was determined to get as much rest as he could given the circumstances.

At about 1:30, Mike finally awoke, feeling much more refreshed. He awoke to Jay already getting ready for the ceremony. Mike looked at the clock in the room.

"Aren't you jumping the gun a little bit?"

Jay looked back, embarrassed. Before he could say anything, Mike laughed.

"You'll get the hang of these things later. It's all good." Or as good as it can be when we're at war, Sarzo thought as his smile turned just a little bit sad.

"Excuse me Gentlemen, I have to leave now, I have visitors here, I need to take them to a ceremony at five, and as you can see I'm already a little late, I hope we can get this matter resolved ASAP, and I'll keep in touch."

Cowlquape stood and shook hands with the people in the meeting, then stepped outside, squinting in the harsh sunlight. He moved towards Sarzo and Tyler's room, stopping to shake some dignitary or others hand. He didn't even recall the guys name, not that it mattered.

He headed towards the far end of the resort, where two rooms stood independently. The Pentephraxis Suite and the currently nameless, but soon to be Sarzo Suite. The area was sealed off to the public, but it took no convincing for them to allow Cowlquape in.

The room had been done up completely, as per his instructions. Mahogany and Oak were visible throughout, with a marble bathtub, a private hot tub, a rooftop garden with a view over the lake, everything that any rich person would want or need. This room was to be the ultimate in luxury, a new standard in hotel rooms. There was one bedroom and a living room area, complete with dining table and mini-kitchen.

Cowlquape nodded, satisfied, then headed back out towards the Sarzonian leaders room, but at the last moment decided on an alternative plan. He went to the phone, and called their room. He left them a message, telling them how to get there and where to stand etc.... probably unnecessary as there were arrows leading towards the suite, but just a precaution. He smiled, satisfied, and headed to his own room to get changed into formal attire.

One last look in the mirror, Sarzo thought as he glanced at the mirror in the bathroom. He looked refreshed after his nap and he was peering to make sure that everything was just right. He heard Tyler on the phone talking and did a last once-over to make sure he didn't miss anything. He then walked briskly out of the bathroom and grabbed his jacket from the door.

"I'm coming," Tyler said after hanging up the phone. The youthful partner then put his own sport jacket on and grabbed a small stack of papers.

"You'd forget your head if it weren't attached," Tyler said. Sarzo laughed. It was his mother's lame joke, but hearing it from Tyler made it sound a lot funnier. The two men then walked toward the site of the ceremony with Sarzo following the arrows and Tyler glancing at the directions.

"There it is," Tyler said. "We're supposed to stand over there," he said, pointing toward the part of the stage that was set up for the two Sarzonians.

"Looks like we're almost on time," Sarzo joked. The two men, mindful of speed but even more mindful of stealth, walked deliberately toward their spots on the stage and gazed out intently at the crowd. They heard footsteps and out of the corner of Tyler's eye, he could make out Pentephraxis as he made his way to the stage.

Cowlquape weaved through the crowds, ever aware of the bodyguards that were stationed everywhere. They were even more in full view today, you couldn't get near the ceremony site without a full background check. Police and security personnel littered the area, along with a scattering of celebrities, diplomats, and other important people.

He climbed the three steps to the stage, stood there for a moment, waved to the crowd then walked over to join Sarzo and Tyler.

"I hope you slept well. There'll be some speeches first, then the local schools have banded together and are putting on a show. Gymnasts, singers, musicians, the lot. Should be highly entertaining. After that you'll be allowed in to see the suite, which has been fully done up. There'll be a small champagne reception inside, after that, even I'm not sure!"

Cowlquape nudged Sarzo and pointed to the stage, where the Sarzonian Ambassador to Sanctaphrax had just appeared to give his speech. The crowd fell silent as he cleared his throat and began his speech.

OOC: This is your post, the ambassador is a Sarzonian, so the speech is yours.

"My friends, citizens of Sanctaphrax, Mr. President, Mr. Tyler. It is a great honour to stand here before you today at this ceremony to rename this great suite after our President, Mr. Michael A. Sarzo, and the First Partner, Mr. Jay Tyler.

"We Sarzonians cherish the bonds of friendship between our two nations and we believe those bonds have never been more evident than at this moment, when the people of Sanctaphrax bestow this glory upon our own.

"I could go on much longer, but the food's getting cold, so I'll just say thank you on behalf of the people of the Incorporated States of Sarzonia, whom I have the distinct pleasure of representing to the great country of Sanctaphrax. Mr. Prime Minister?"

Etan Silverberg sat down, shaking with nerves after giving a speech, which he rarely ever did. As his nerves slowly ebbed, he watched Pentephraxis return to the podium.

Cowlquape nodded towards the ambassador then smiled at the crowd.
"Thank you very much Mr Silverberg. Its good to have here Mr's Sarzo and Tyler, who took time off from their busy schedule to commemorate with us the opening of this suite, one of a kind in Sanctaphrax, with no expense spared as you can tell.
We felt this was the least we could do for a nation which has stood by our side whenever we requested it, admittedly not one of our oldest allies, but one of our staunchest. Sarzonia stands for much the same things that Sanctaphrax does, peace, freedom, human rights, democracy, all things which we believe are of the utmost importance. This is why we believe and hope that Sarzonia will remain our strong allies, and will be there for us whenever we need help, as we will be there for them. We are indeed lucky to have such strong allies. Thank you to everyone for coming and participating here. I now give over the stage to the Lake Landing High School and Lakeside High, who have prepared a show I'm sure we'll all enjoy."

Cowlquape stepped down and took a seat at the side, next to the two Sarzonians, as a group of ten fifteen and sixteen year old girls pulled mattresses onto the stage and lined up for their act.


ooc: We can skip this bit if you want, just have them applauding the show or something as it ends.

As the show came to an end, Tyler and Sarzo applauded. Tyler said something about the choreography which went over Sarzo's head.

"Guess that's a good thing," Sarzo muttered.

Tyler took a look at Sarzo and realised he was going into a technical explanation of the choreography and said, "sorry. It was really good."

Sarzo flashed him a smile.

"I'll try to catch up best I can," Sarzo said.

"Very nice programme," Sarzo said. "Jay and I both enjoyed it."

He looked at Pentephraxis with a grateful smile.

"To tell the truth, this was the only time I've seen it as well, no preview for me."

He smiled then looked at his watch, shrugging slightly. His weathered face took on a wry grin, and his eyes twinkled.

"I guess I was slightly optimistic to hope to fit in the Embassy visit today. You haven't seen it yet, am I right? We will fit that in at some point tomorrow if that is the case. After all, you cannot leave our country without having seen your own embassy."

As he talked, he led them into the suite, letting them fully take in the efforts made to make it look good. The oak paneling had been cleaned, you could see your face in the marble floors, and soothing music played from hidden speakers.

Sarzo and Tyler both smiled with great appreciation at the suite.

"Beautiful," was all Sarzo could say. Tyler just kept smiling, looking around to take in the atmosphere.

"Seeing the embassy tomorrow sounds like a great idea," Sarzo said. "We of course would be more than glad to visit our own country's embassy. It'd save Lorbie the trouble."

"Uh, Mike. Grant's now the deputy. He'd be the one visiting Sanctaphrax."

"You saw the HR file?"

"It was in that folder you gave me."

"Oh, right."

"Well, it'd save Haffner the trouble then."

"I'll leave you two alone," Pentephraxis said with a subtle nod to Sarzo and Tyler as if he knew what their plans were for the night and he wanted them to get to their celebration of that time off.

"Perhaps you can join us for drinks sometime later tonight," Tyler suggested.

"How much later's the question," Sarzo joked.

"Give me a ring when you're ready," Pentephraxis smiled.

"Will do," Sarzo said. "Good night."

"Good night to you both," Pentephraxis said as he left the room, shutting the door behind him. Sarzo and Tyler looked around the room, noting that the windows were closed to allow for full privacy. They smiled widely when they saw that.

"Now let's get down to business," Sarzo said with a flash of his eyes.

"I thought you'd never ask," Tyler said. The two men moved closer together and embraced. Within a matter of minutes, they would be doing so much more.

Cowlquape headed off to his own room and toasted the success of the renaming of the suite with a glass of martini. He didn't pin much hope on Sarzo and Tyler inviting anyone in for the rest of the day, so after finishing the martini, he went into his own bed and drifted slowly off to sleep.....

His peaceful sleep was once again disturbed, visions plagued him, not for the first time. People.... places... they flashed in front of him, only to be replaced by other images. His wife.... his kids.... his political friends, enemies.... everyone he'd ever known..... and some he yet didn't know....

He woke up with a start, seeing sunlight streaming through the windows, heralding the start of a new day. He rubbed his eyes and got up to the mirror. He looked a mess, and felt it. What did that dream mean? He'd have to go to a psychologist one day, but he could only imagine what a field day the press would have with that.

Sarzo woke up the next morning with Tyler's arm draped on top of him. The sun shined brightly between the blinds and he looked at the clock.

Hmm, he thought. Usually my cell phone's ringing off the hook by now. He decided he wasn't going to take any chances with tempting fate so he just decided to lie there in peace with the man he loved most in the world lying next to him.

Soon, Tyler began to stir and he awakened.

"Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah," Sarzo said. "Better than I have in months," he said with a smile.

"Me, too."

The two men got out of bed and walked to the shower, where they both got in and enjoyed the closeness they felt. The two men spent a long time in the shower, much longer than either man would have alone and when they got out, they were both steadying themselves against the wall, but doing so with wide smiles on their faces.

"Think it's time to call Cowlquape," Tyler asked.

"We won't be getting drinks now, I don't think," Sarzo quipped. Both men laughed. It was too early in the morning for alcohol consumption and they had an embassy to visit. Sarzo went to shave and dress in his suit, while Tyler opened the door and found the breakfast left for them by the staff. Sarzo grinned widely when he saw the fare: French toast, three slices of bacon per man, orange juice. Never mind the bacon was made to be kosher, it was just damn delicious.

The two men ate eagerly and Tyler got dressed, then the two men called Cowlquape.

"We're ready when you are."