[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

That's just cruel!

[oliverplus]

Well, like I said, it's over now, so it's okay.

IT IS. Apparently AIM does not approve of their adorableness. (I am used to whining about Comcast.)

[bodilesswarrior.livejournal.com]

[pointed look] Is it really?

XD

[oliverplus]

[avoids her gaze] Y-yeah. [his voice totally did not just catch there; it's your imagination]

[bodilesswarrior.livejournal.com]

[gently] You can talk to me, Oliver. I'll...probably understand, at least a bit.

[oliverplus]

[cringes] It's not that. It's just...it's not something that can be changed, so... [trails off, frowning]

[bodilesswarrior.livejournal.com]

[firmly] But it's something that can be dealt with.

[oliverplus]

I'm not sure. [pauses, looking at her uncertainly. then he sighs and, reluctantly, pulls the crumpled note from his pocket and hands it over to her. 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]

[bodilesswarrior.livejournal.com]

[Barbara's eyes widen as she reads, before her expression hardens with determination] There has to be a way to prevent this.

((Speaking of the Coliseum! Is it okay if Barbara throws exploding batarangs at it? > >))

[oliverplus]

Or at least to stop it. [reaches to take the letter back]

[ooc: I don't see why not? As long as the mods don't mind!]

[bodilesswarrior.livejournal.com]

[she lets him, hand dropping to her lap as she considers] They've probably found a way to circumvent you just refusing to fight each other.

((It won't actually...do anything, obvs, but she's going to try, sob.))

[oliverplus]

[frowns at the letter, remembering some of its less-pleasant contents] That's what the bit about teleporting you in if you don't go on your own is for. And the time limit. [sighs] Somebody dies during the fight, or you both die. They don't want you to have any choice.

[bodilesswarrior.livejournal.com]

[dark scowl] No. This isn't about testing the residents, it's about culling them. If we could figure out why...

[oliverplus]

[reluctantly] I...I think I might know why, actually. Did you talk to Shay when he was here?

[bodilesswarrior.livejournal.com]

[her brow furrows...and then] Ah.

The blood.

[oliverplus]

[blinks] Blood? What do you mean?

[bodilesswarrior.livejournal.com]

When people die here...when they're resurrected, their blood changes. [slight grimace] Like that massacre in the onsen.

[oliverplus]

[you're actually the first person to mention this] Wait, what!? Their blood turns...turns black?

[bodilesswarrior.livejournal.com]

[...she should get a prize] Apparently. [wryly] The Doctor gave me a demonstration.

[oliverplus]

He did? The one with the ears, or...?

[bodilesswarrior.livejournal.com]

Yes. Would have given them a good clip, if I could reach... [and now I imagine Barbara miraculously rising just to whap the Doctor over the head]

[oliverplus]

[that would be the best reason ever to do so!]

I wouldn't blame you!

[frowns, thinking this through] Shay told me that death makes the black hole grow, but he didn't say anything about blood. What'd he tell you, exactly?

[bodilesswarrior.livejournal.com]

That's what fuels it, the altered blood. According to him, anyway - I'd take any information gained here with a bit of salt.

[oliverplus]

[frowns] Yeah...if that's the case, what help is it to kill people who don't have that blood? And if it's something the Twins are making, why do they need us at all?

[bodilesswarrior.livejournal.com]

That's the only way people will get it - in theory, anyway. I don't know how much control the Twins have over the resurrection process. Over any of it, really. [frustration creases her features] I usually have so much more intel by now.

[oliverplus]

Well...what can we do to get more intel, then?