[005]

[oliverplus]

[Oliver is sitting by his favourite tree in the forest, staring down at a letter that his grip is spectacularly creasing. he looks very upset, which is strange, as Oliver's experiment had kept him from independent emotion for more than a week. luckily for him, the experiment is finally over. which should, of course, be a very happy thing indeed!]

[unfortunately, while he's super-excited to be able to see colour again, that excitement has been rather demolished by the emotional impact of just what he's been up to recently--especially in terms of what he's shared with people. not to mention things he agreed to without thinking. he's not sure what to say to some people after all that. and then to compound it all, he had to receive this letter...]

[Oliver sighs, lost in thought. too lost in thought to notice anyone approaching him, in fact. clearly, this means that's exactly what someone should do]

Comments

[oliverplus]

[about jumps out of his skin at that. really, Doctor, you need to work on your timing!]

Doctor! [forces a smile as he quickly folds the letter, clumsily stuffing it in a pocket. because that's not obvious at all] Sorry, I didn't see you there. How are you?

[bit_impossible]

Better than you by the look of your long face. [of course, he's not really going to say that he's furious as hell at the prospect of people being pulled in to kill each other. Oliver's very lucky he didn't catch the contents of that letter.]

You all right?

[oliverplus]

[winces. caught red-handed, as it were] Y-yeah, I'm fine. The experiment's over, anyway. [gives a real smile at that]

[bit_impossible]

Well good! I was getting sick of you getting all emotional the moment I mentioned Earth.

[but he can tell something else is up now, but he'll ask about that in a moment.] Speaking of...did you mean what you said to me?

[oliverplus]

[cringes] Sorry. I didn't mean to be like that.

I shouldn't've said all that. But... [glances at him, nervous] I do want to travel with you again, yeah.

[bit_impossible]

Yes, well, that was one of those experiment things, I take it, so I suppose I can forgive you. [smiles]

[and that smile might have grown a little wider] Really? Just like that? Even after you said you shouldn't have said all that?

[oliverplus]

[smiles back, relieved] Thanks.

Well, yeah. [sheepish] I mean, Gondovan isn't so bad as I said, but...I'd rather not be there forever.

[bit_impossible]

I can come get you now if you wanted. Just hop in the ol' TARDIS--she's a bit different from the last time you'd seen her, by the way--and I'll be there. What year is it there again?

[oliverplus]

[stares at him, not quite believing it] Really? Just like that?

[bit_impossible]

What, do you want to fill out an application and I'll take two to three weeks to process it?

[oliverplus]

[can't help laughing at that] No, I'll skip the application, if it's all the same to you.

Will Harriet mind?

[bit_impossible]

Well good because I didn't want to read it. Rubbish things and such a waste of paper!

No, why would she? You're an old friend! A mate! She'd understand. She's not the jealous type, or anything.

[oliverplus]

Well, then that's...that's perfect. [still can't quite get his head wrapped around this] And you're sure you're in the right universe?

[bit_impossible]

[hear that? that's his enthusiasm train grinding to a squealing halt] ...Ah. Hadn't thought of that. Well, there's only one way to be certain. If you recognise me in this body, then we'll know, won't we?

[oliverplus]

Well, yeah, but...you don't mean you're going right now, do you?

[bit_impossible]

Why wait? [practically jumps to his feet] I've waited...[trails off, blowing out a puff of air]...ohh, a very long time.

[oliverplus]

[can't help looking rather startled. as much as he wants to travel with the Doctor again, he doubts it would be a good idea to meet up with him and then, only days later, go out and get himself killed in a deathmatch. he doesn't want to do that to the Doctor] But...but... [struggles for a reason to delay] You heard what that bloke said, didn't you? Don't we have to do something about what's happening here first?

[bit_impossible]

[and there goes his smile and sunny disposition]

I did. And that's exactly what I'm doing. If I know you, Oliver Day, and I like to think I do even after all this time, you'll have managed to get yourself involved in all this somehow. Call it a gut feeling. [and he watches Oliver just to gauge the sort of reaction his words will earn him]

[oliverplus]

[that gets a deer-in-headlights expression that the Doctor probably remembers well] I don't get in trouble that easily! [you know, if you ignore all the times that he has. even the female Doctor has noticed that the people running this place seem to have taken an interest in him, and she hasn't known him long at all. but Oliver swallows hard, trying not to look as nervous as he feels] You know I wouldn't get myself involved in anything like that, Doctor. I'm not a fighter.

[bit_impossible]

[ah yes, the look of the oliverdayus isintroublis. he remembers it well indeed]

Oliver... [gives him a look]

[oliverplus]

[can't meet his gaze] Just...we should focus on what we can do to stop it.

[bit_impossible]

[a little more gently this time] Oliver...

[oliverplus]

[is quiet for a moment. then he takes a deep breath and, wordlessly, retrieves the crumpled letter from his pocket. hands it to the Doctor. it states that he and Robespierre will be fighting to the death in the Coliseum on the day after tomorrow and is signed C. Weber]

[bit_impossible]

[he doesn't let most of what he's thinking or feeling show, only the clenching of the letter in his hands, the subtle tightening of his jaw, and his evenly measured voice that he's fighting to keep calm]

How did you get this? Did you receive it when you spoke with him?

[oliverplus]

[shakes his head] No, I got it before that. I just...found it. In my pocket.