Down in space it's always 1982

[caycep]

((The return of Cayce and Quixote! Wide open RP. If you haven't already, catch up with the adventures of Quixote, Setsuna, Cayce, and Adam here.))

At some point after Pirate Day, an announcement came on over the park PA system.

"Hi everyone. This is Cayce Pollard. I'd like everyone to come to a meeting tonight to discuss a new discovery that's been made about the park. The meeting's in the Honey I Shrunk the Audience auditorium, at sundown. This is pretty important, so please be there if you can."

That evening ...

When Cayce felt a critical mass of audience had been achieved, she stood up, cleared her throat, and began.

"Hi everyone, and thanks for coming. For those of you who don't know him, this is Don Quixote de la Mancha, a ... a true knight and the person we have to thank for this latest discovery. In a moment, I'll let the Don tell his tale in his own words if he wishes, but for now I'll get straight to the point, since I'm sure that's what you're all dying to hear.

"Point is this: Don Quixote and Setsuna Mudou have discovered a complex of passages beneath the park, leading to a door. The door's heavily barred and all our attempts to open it—including asking politely—have met with absolutely no success whatsoever. Any contact with the door—knocking, hitting it, trying to pry off a bar, leaning on it—gets met with the 'please keep your arms and hands inside the ride' announcement that some of you may be familiar with from when people try to walk out the gates, or when ... things happen."

Cayce waited for the reactions to settle down a bit before continuing. "I've called everyone here first to tell about the discovery, and second to find volunteers to look at the door. We really need scientists and magicians." Yep, it still felt weird, saying that. "Whatever's got that door barred probably won't open to anything but sufficiently advanced science. Or magic. Insofar as there's a difference, anyway." Anyone get the Clarke's Law reference?

"So, um, there you have it. Floor's open for questions or discussion. Oh! Before that—Don Quixote, is there anything else that you would like to add?"

***

After the various discussions had settled out somewhat, Cayce finally cleared her throat.

"Okay, so here's the plan. Tomorrow at midday, anyone who wants to join the underground expedition should meet at the statue. It sounds like the time dilation or whatever it is makes time pass more slowly belowground than up here, so I think Adam and Setsuna will be fine. We should take the time to get ready with whatever we'll need to bring with us." Plus, of course, it was Adam. Of course they'd be fine. "Then, once we're at the door and ready to proceed, the—the Master will send a signal to the Doctor, who'll lead the distruption. Anyone has any other questions, find me. Thanks, everybody."

((And there will be a fresh post for the expedition when my life is a little more normal.))

Comments

[caycep]

Cayce blinked, surprised. Then a surprisingly shy smile spread across her face, and she blushed a little. "Um. Thanks."

[a-lonely-god.livejournal.com]

"Good to know this group's got a good head on it's shoulders," he continued with a bit of a shrug. "Oh, and I've been meaning to ask; what's with you and the Master?"

[caycep]

Cayce's flush deepened, but not from pleasure this time. "I don't like people who try to jerk my chain," she said. Then added, a little reluctantly, "I was warned about him. So I was spooked the first time he talked to me, and I guess he thought it was funny."

[a-lonely-god.livejournal.com]

"Understandable," the Doctor said, as something unidentifiable flicked across his expression at Cayce's mention of being warned. "He only yanks your chain because you respond so beautifully," he added carefully. "He knows you get annoyed and anxious when he calls in to the radio shows; it's like a game. The fact that he respects you makes it that much more fun if he can get your goat."

He tilted his head, considering. "Where does that come from, anyway? Get your goat? What's so special about goats, anyway?"

[caycep]

Cayce couldn't help laughing a bit. "I dunno. They're good for milk and meat both and they can thrive anywhere? You're right, it's a funny expression." She looked at him curiously. "...Respects?"

She was relieved that he hadn't asked her to elaborate on the "being warned" bit.

[a-lonely-god.livejournal.com]

"I mean, not that I wouldn't be annoyed if someone took my goat. I'd call him Lord Byron, and give him a bell; you know, so I could find him. And then when someone got my goat, they could leave the bell with a ransom note and a bit of hair to prove they mean business. It would be very tragic."

He shrugged.

"Sure."

[caycep]

Cayce listened with a tiny, bemused smile on her face.

"Okay." Then: "Seriously, is there something else on your mind besides the Master's ability to ruffle my feathers? I can literalize idioms with the best of them, but, y'know. Just wondering."

[a-lonely-god.livejournal.com]

The Doctor -is sometimes reminded of his professors at the academy when she gives him that 'stop jerking me around' look. he's not trying to annoy her; he's only commenting on it (for the same reason that he always calls in to her radio shows when the Master does, he'd thought he'd reassure) because he doesn't think the Master should get away with it so easily- pointed a finger at her.

"See that right there? That 'yes yes, you silly man, but do you have something to say that is actually worth my time' thing that you always do to me? You should try that attitude with him. I bet he'd not be quite so entertained by that reaction."

He's not entirely sure why she seems constantly annoyed by him. Maybe it's just the Master, or maybe it's because of his and Crowley's tiff. Or maybe it's simply that -if Rose were here she'd tell him he was being rude, and Una would be bemused and ask a million clarifying questions, and John would just think the goat was funny- he doesn't actually make any sense most of the time.

But Cayce confuses him.

[caycep]

"Probably not," she said, just a little abruptly. But the Doctor was probably right to call her out, and she relented. "Sorry. I honestly don't mean to be rude, I just ... I'm sort of tired right now. And frayed. What with—" She waved her hands around in a chaotic gesture that was supposed to communicate the concept of "everything". "I'm so frayed, in fact, that I forgot to thank you for what you said earlier. It ... it was good to hear."

[a-lonely-god.livejournal.com]

"It's really alright," the Doctor promised, dragging a hand through his hair. "I'm not... I'm not trying to upbraid you. I'm just trying to explain- you see he's just being an arse for the sake of being an arse. It's not worth you being bothered, and it just feeds his ego."

His hand made a second pass through his hair, leaving it sticking out at rather comically odd angles.

"And I did mean that. Y'know, we've half a dozen geniuses and more than a few handfuls of supernaturals here, but really only one Cayce Pollard. This place needs you."

[caycep]

"I—" She flushed bright pink and looked down at the ground. "My father always said you should never make yourself indispensible," she said with a weak laugh. "But I always had a spotty track record of following Win Pollard's advice. Thank you. Really. For that, and for speaking up back there and telling us all to pull up our socks and do something. 'Cause we would've, you know, just sat and kept blathering. And for all that I'm a total organization fetishist, I'm one of the worst blatherers." She gave him a lopsided smile. "And I'll try to stop giving the Master the satisfaction of getting up my nose."

[a-lonely-god.livejournal.com]

"Nah." He shook his head, looking serious. "Always make yourself indispensible. If not to everyone, then at least to someone."

"'Atta girl," he added more cheerfully, to her promise. "You do that. Me, I'm going to go over there." He pointed and then headed off in the direction of where John and Daniel were sitting and talking.