The Invisible City of Kitezh II. Wedding Procession

[collector]

[Braxiatel has picked out a nice, comfortable room for the broadcast. (Also, he has tea, but does that even need to be mentioned?) The initial smile he offers is somewhat less pleasant than it could be.]

First, allow me to congratulate the happy couple on their engagement. Do enjoy yourselves picking out the drapery for your new home. And if I may applaud the Doctor in particular for finding a new place to trap us all.

[That done, Brax is back to being cool, calm, and calculating]

Now, on to business. Some of you may have already explored the area and found five locked doors. One, to the north, is essentially inaccessible, but I'm sure no one will be too upset if we keep trying. There also are four other doors, each of which asks a security question when one gives it access to one's CAT. Each door's question is asked by one of the residents of the town.

In case anyone wanted to have a go at the questions, I've made a text post with the door's location, the question's speaker, and the question given. My suggestion is that the doors be taken in teams. We haven't any idea what's behind them, after all.

[with a sip of his tea] And if I could borrow the future wife of Doctor Hatter, I think I'd like to try the northwest door with her first.

[TEXT]

Northeast: Osculia
What treat is the best reward?

Northwest: Verita
I don't just stand for the news; I, Verita, also stand for...

Southeast: Audrey Ardes
I'm as boisterous and cheerful as they come, but mentioning this can kill my good mood. What is it?

Southwest: Dante Iussus
I'm a man with an awful... And before I believe anything, I need...

Comments

[fortune_sought]

[gives a long-suffering sigh] Mr Braxiatel, really, must you?

[collector]

[calmly]

I think your first-born should be 'Koschei' if it's a boy and 'Ushas' if it's a girl.

[fortune_sought]

[eyes him] I do hope you're not being serious.

[collector]

You don't agree with the names?

[fortune_sought]

[gives him a look that tells him exactly what she thinks] Perhaps I'll try a different door.

[bit_impossible]

[not too long after the broadcast has ended, the slam of a door marks the Doctor's entrance into the room Brax has chosen to hang out in. he doesn't move from the door, but gives him a look before speaking]

That! That was uncalled for. I mean, do you really see me picking out drapes?! [he scowls, folding his arms over his chest] I don't suppose it's too late to ask you to be my best man?

[collector]

[sipping that tea] Don't slam doors, Thete. It's so needlessly dramatic.

[bit_impossible]

[stares]

You haven't answered my question--and I mean the second one. The first was rhetorical. [because he'd sooner face an army of Cybermen than be forced to go fabric shopping for drapes.]

[collector]

[There's a long pause.]

And the second wasn't.

[bit_impossible]

[opens his mouth, then closes it]

Well. Yes. But I'm curious.

[desertdaggers]

Didn't think people meant to trap themselves, usually. [looking fairly put out by this development. At least they're not facing another giant fireplace that's really a monster of some description.] What have you tried on the north door?

[collector]

The doorknob, to start with, but that wasn't turning. I tried kicking it down, but that didn't do anything either. Any suggestions?

[desertdaggers]

If there's a lock, I could try picking it. …But I suppose that might be too easy for this place. [it's not as though he's been making any progress with the front door. Regardless, he's going to come and look at the doors himself.]

[collector]

Yes, I imagine so. Tell me if you find anything.

[desertdaggers]

Of course. I suppose we'll all have something to share once we manage these doors.

[video]

[irreversibly.livejournal.com]

... Ice cream.

[video]

[collector]

[one eyebrow goes up]

If you're offering.

[video]

[irreversibly.livejournal.com]

Ah -- I mean... Miss Osculia's question... Maybe the answer's ice cream.

[video]

[collector]

Have you eaten ice cream with her?

[Forgive Irving, he's really bad at understanding humans sometimes.]

[video]

[irreversibly.livejournal.com]

I... no, but...

Ice cream is both a treat and a reward. It's the icing on the cake after a day of hard work. [She may be blushing.]

[grimmjerk.livejournal.com]

Those questions gonna be the same for everybody? Or are we gonna get a bunch of different ones again?

[collector]

I can't be certain, but I didn't get felt hair from not answering, and it gave me the same question every time I tried it. That doesn't fit with the previous pattern.

[grimmjerk.livejournal.com]

Hmph. All that means is that if you don't know the answer then you're not good for much.

[there's frustration slipping through. yeah, he already tried to bust 'em, with little success.

it kind of sucks ass when you don't know enough to even try a guess]

[collector]

Not necessarily. There's the possibility of danger behind the doors. Someone who may know the answer may not be able to defend him- or herself.

[grimmjerk.livejournal.com]

[...heh.

flattery. of a sort] So long as I don't get complaints for killing anything that jumps at us, I could swing that much.