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

[luministimods]

[is clearly thinking along the same lines as Brax] Oh, but--[pauses, catching herself]--but they'll be very careful, definitely. They haven't been caught yet, so they must be, right?

I don't know... [thoughtfully] It's probably just for another one of Daddy's tests. He likes doing two things at once.

[collector]

Does he? Well if he's testing us, then there may be a way for Sophie and I to get out of here. [He's frowning, though.] I can't say that there's necessarily some way for you to leave with us. If he can let some people out of the town but not all of them, then he can let us out of the room without letting you go.

[A frown overcomes him as he looks around again.] Why does your room look like this? Are you very attached to the town square?

[fortune_sought]

[sourly] Unless the test was simply whether or not we could get in... [she wouldn't put it past this town]

[but she waits curiously for Verita's answer to that]

[luministimods]

[sighs] He probably has some way to make sure I don't leave with you. Did you both try to open the door?

Oh, not reeeally, but it's my place, you know? I'm the town crier, so I belong in the Town Square. See? [stands, spreading out her arms to indicate how she's both at the center of the room and the center of the false square]

[collector]

[Brax looks slightly embarrassed] I'm rather used to doors that mysteriously shut behind me being locked. I didn't think to try.

It's a little theatrical though, isn't it?

[fortune_sought]

[is eyeing the door suspiciously] It doesn't have a knob...

[glances at Brax] And what in this town hasn't been theatrical?

[luministimods]

Maybe you could push it?

Sophie's right. I'm the news, after all! That's supposed to be a show.

[collector]

I want to try something before we attempt our great escape, Sophie. So, one moment?

[Braxiatel detaches one of his cufflinks, looking rather sadly at it for a moment. The diamonds are really nice, and it'll be heartsbreaking if he loses them. He turns it over in his fingers, then looks at Verita.]

How much do you know about your father's project, Verita?

[fortune_sought]

[glances at him curiously] Yes, of course.

[luministimods]

[also looks curious] I know some things... What do you want to know?

[collector]

Everything, really, but I'll settle for something. [He detaches the other cufflink.]

Now, if I had a device - entirely painless, I assure you - that allowed me to take that information from you, then no one could hold you responsible for that, could they? It wouldn't be your choice. It would all be me - and, of course, my charmingly advanced technology. It's amazing what you can come across when you're a collector.

[fortune_sought]

[gapes at him] You can't be serious!

[luministimods]

[steps back, nervous] What happens to me?

[collector]

I'm very serious. Nothing happens to you, except that I'll know what you know. It's as relaxing as having a nice cup of tea. Well, a little less. You're awake the whole time and you can see - though not control - exactly what I can look at.

[He tries to think of a way to say 'I won't do it without your permission' without actually saying that he wants her permission, given that the whole point is that she isn't to get a choice.]

If it weren't perfectly safe, Sophie would stop me. Wouldn't you, Sophie? She is a much better person than I am. One of the kindest people I've known in my long life.

[fortune_sought]

I... [trails off. she's a bit speechless from that, let alone what he's just said he's going to do. few things she's heard of in the past have sounded more like black magic than that just did. but she wants to know more about why they're here as much as Brax does. and if he says it won't harm her...] Yes, of course I will.

[luministimods]

[glances from one to the other, still clearly reluctant] If you're sure it's safe...

And you think it'll help--with everything that's been happening?

[collector]

I wouldn't try it if I didn't.

[fortune_sought]

He'll be extremely careful--won't you, Mr Braxiatel? [because he has to know as well as she does what it could mean for all of them if something did happen to Verita]

[luministimods]

[worriedly] If you're sure...

What do you have to do?

[collector]

Extremely careful.

It's very easy. I just put one of these to each of your temples [he holds up the cufflinks] and I'll be inside your head. Thoughts are faster than words, so the process is quick. Everything should come through in a few seconds.

[fortune_sought]

And what should I do, should anything go wrong? [not that she's worried about this or anything]

[luministimods]

Okay... [looks at those cufflinks a bit worriedly, but she sits back down in the chair] But you made me do this, okay? Tell Daddy you made me!

[collector]

Should you feel this needs to stop, just knock these devices out of my hand. It will break the connection instantly.

Of course. [And Brax theorizes that the Mayor knows his background well enough to know that Brax really could just take this information whether or not Verita wanted him to. So he crouches down to be at eye-level to Verita, puts the cufflinks to her temples - and, in doing so, also puts his fingertips there. There's something to be said for slight of hand.

And then he goes looking for what he needs.]

[fortune_sought]

[watches with a mixture of curiosity and apprehension, throwing a few nervous glances at the door. she has a horrible feeling that someone in this town might see fit to stop this at any moment]

[luministimods]

[assuming that Brax is looking for Verita's memories about her father's project, her first surface thoughts bring forth images of flames and smoke. the memories are scattered--disjointed. there's yelling and tears. then bits of a funeral and repeated thoughts about Grandpa. after that, Verita's thoughts turn to a facility and her visits there. Brax may recognise the same locations shown in the photographs around the house. her memories of these places are full of people in white suits, working hard at various scientific tasks that hold no meaning for Verita. her memories are more tinged by loneliness. Daddy is always working, and she almost never sees him unless she goes there to find him]

[she remembers her frequent visits well, full of her attempts to get him to tell her more and her insistence that she wants to be part of his work, too. she remembers the exciting day that he told her he might just have a role for her. through her excitement, his explanation is only remembered in disjointed bits. he explains that people from other worlds--other universes--would come to the town he has created, and she would get to meet them and even live in the incredible town herself. she begins to watch news broadcasts almost obsessively, practices in front of mirrors--does everything she can to prepare herself for her big role. her excitement is flowing through it all because Daddy is bringing people from other worlds here, and they're going to be in the town that he built, and their visit is going to help with Grandpa's death. she's going to meet all these people and even help him make his dream come true. even more than that, she meets Audrey and Andre, who are the most fun to be around, and she spends hours in the White Rabbit talking and laughing with them and playing arcade games with Andre. she teases Officer Iussus, and even Miss Osculia gives her sweets sometimes. she could hardly be happier than when she first greets the residents and opens their time in town with the game Audrey suggested]

[all these thoughts and memories come pouring forth as related to her father's project]