Constellation 02

[scienceandgod.livejournal.com]

[Arthur is on the Plane, sitting at his desk. There are papers strewn all over it's surface, most filled to the brim with scribbles of equations and notes. His pocket watch sits on one side of the desk, opened and facing upwards so that he can glance at the time more conveniently. On the other end, at the far right corner, is a cup of tea. It sits intact, and has long gone cold.

He looks a little worse-for-wear, a bit more disheveled than usual; clothes rumbled, his hair uncombed, and eyes with a touch of weariness to them. Arthur stifles a yawn, then sets back to work]

Comments

[madamemoiselle]

{Sitting on the corner of his desk, she takes the pocket watch curiously}

This is pretty~ What a nice watch.

[brokenamethysts.livejournal.com]

That looks almost as bad as my desk.

[lamb_of_gold]

[Lurkity Lurk von Lurkenheimer]

[savagestime.livejournal.com]

[snatches up the watch and tosses it between his hands]

Morning, Arthur!

[scienceandgod.livejournal.com]

[Looks, up, looking worried as he spots the watch in her hand, already reaching for it] Please return that.

[scienceandgod.livejournal.com]

[looks up, smiling] It's not usually this bad.

[madamemoiselle]

I'm not going to take it! I'm only looking.

[scienceandgod.livejournal.com]

[Absorbed in his work, so unfortunately amazing lurking powers go unnoticed]

[salvagestime.livejournal.com]

[The Doctor looks over everything.] Have you solved what you're working on yet?

[scienceandgod.livejournal.com]

[immediately drops his pen and tries to reach for it] Please don't-

[scienceandgod.livejournal.com]

I don't suspect you will, but..... [He sighs, letting his hand drop] Please be careful with it.

[scienceandgod.livejournal.com]

[He recognizes the voice and doesn't look up, only shakes his head] If I had, I would be in bed by now.

[savagestime.livejournal.com]

I'm not going to break it, Arthur. Time Lord reflexes, you know. I'll catch it before you know it's falling.

[madamemoiselle]

{She smiles back at him} I will, I promise. It must be important to you.

[scienceandgod.livejournal.com]

I would still rather if you wouldn't toss it around.

[salvagestime.livejournal.com]

[He leans against the desk, glancing over papers.] You look exhausted. How long have you been at it?

[scienceandgod.livejournal.com]

Very important.

[scienceandgod.livejournal.com]

[glances at the watch] Only a little over ten hours, I think.

[madamemoiselle]

Why?

[salvagestime.livejournal.com]

That's a rather long time for someone to work nonstop.

[scienceandgod.livejournal.com]

It was given to me by a friend. He died five years ago fighting in the war.

[scienceandgod.livejournal.com]

Not quite nonstop. I got up to make tea a few hours ago- [gestures at the cup on his desk] And I might have fallen asleep for a few minutes a while back.

[madamemoiselle]

A friend, really? {She looks at it thoughtfully}

What war?

[scienceandgod.livejournal.com]

First World War, during the Second Battle of Ypres.

[madamemoiselle]

{She runs her fingers over it, staring at it instead}

Belgium. That battle lasted almost a whole month.

...I was there, but not the whole time.