[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

[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.

[bit_impossible]

Why you, though? [tosses the letter aside and begins to pace] Have you done anything here to earn anyone's attention?

[oliverplus]

[really, Doctor, have you forgotten who you're talking to? he's talked to everyone he could, of course! but Oliver frowns, remembering what the female Doctor said to him about catching the attention of the people running this place] I've been in a couple experiments. I don't know if that means anything.

[bit_impossible]

A couple? Ohh, I'd say that does. You've definitely gotten yourself noticed.

[oliverplus]

But I haven't done anything!

[bit_impossible]

Not that you know of. Maybe you had one too many pints and this is the Plane's way making you pay your tab.

[oliverplus]

[frowns] Doctor, that's not funny.

[bit_impossible]

It's a possibility.

[oliverplus]

[sighs before he weakly jokes:] Well...then I'd better make that tab a bit higher before I pay it off.

[bit_impossible]

Right, you do that. Head to the bar on Gondovan and if I'm not there in five minutes, we'll meet back here.