[020]

[oliverplus]

[there is a new building on the Plane! or, rather, a room--from the TARDIS, to be exact. Oliver has propped its door open with an oddly-shaped metal canister, allowing the Plane's residents to see that the room basically consists of an outside ledge around a giant ball pit. yes, a ball pit--filled to the brim with shiny, multicolored, hollow plastic balls]

[Oliver is standing in the doorway of the room, looking nervous but hopeful, and holding a gun] I figured we could use a break after, you know, everything. And I... [his expression slips slightly, but only for an instant] Well. I want everybody to have a chance for some fun. I wasn't sure I'd be able to get it all here, but it worked!

And this might make things even more interesting. Watch! [grinning, he turns to face into the room. first, he fires the gun at the ceiling, creating an oval outlined in blue. then he fires again, into the corner of the pit this time. anyone watching can now just see the edges of an orange oval in the pit. there are now two ovals rather like these. the balls around the orange one are pouring into it--only to reappear falling out of the blue hole in the ceiling. this is creating a sort of ball waterfall, which due to momentum is causing lots of flying balls as well. a few even go rolling out the doorway]

What do you think? Jump in!

Comments

[oliverplus]

[blinks, surprised by the question] Uh. Well. [it's a very hard question. there are people he wishes so badly that he could see again, but...he couldn't wish this place on them] I've already got the Doctor. And I don't think I'd really want to put anybody through, you know, the things that happen here. So...nobody, I guess.

[onehundredbeers]

Come ooooooooooooon. There has to be somebody. I refuse to believe you're really that like, self-sacrificial and virtuous. Come on. You can tell your good pal, here.

[oliverplus]

[quickly, defensively] No, really! I couldn't wish that on her!

[not that he has anyone SPECIFIC in mind or anything]

[onehundredbeers]

[Oh snap!]

Ooooooooh, her, huh? Lemme guess, your girlfriend? That's cute, Oliver. Awwwww.

[Best part is, his tone really isn't mocking at all. Not in the least. He has just stated that Oliver having a girlfriend is cute. And this is one of the reasons Brendon says the boys are feminine enough to count as girls.]

[oliverplus]

[Oliver reddens, looking down in embarrassment] But I mean it!

[onehundredbeers]

[Nathan wins. He casually slings an arm over Oliver's shoulder like a good pal.]

So, what's her name?

[oliverplus]

[looks back at him, smiling now at the thought of Chloe, though there's sadness hidden in the expression] Chloe. Chloe Elliot. She's the most amazing girl on Earth, Nathan.

[onehundredbeers]

Pretty name.

[Yay it's talk about girlfriends hour! Nathan loves this hour.]

Bet she's some kind of activist. You seem like you'd go for a girl that wants to change the world for the better, in her own way. Or a down to earth sweetheart type. Girl next door, maybe.

[oliverplus]

[smiles proudly] Yeah.

[laughs] Have I told you about her before and I just don't remember?

[onehundredbeers]

Nope! First I've heard about it, man. In fact. [He puts on a bit of a grin, goofing around.] I am totally offended you didn't mention it! Man, shit like this is important.

[oliverplus]

[that sadness grows a bit more prominent] Well, it's been a long time since I've seen her...

[quickly] So, Chloe's a student at uni--history and international studies. She's either gonna work in a children's museum or do charity work in Africa. She hasn't decided yet. Either way, I know she's gonna change the world!

[onehundredbeers]

Called it.

[And he picks up on that sadness because at this moment he's not being entirely oblivious.]

You gonna see her soon? Now that you aren't on, uh, whatever the fuck planet you were on?

[oliverplus]

[amused] You did! [it's because he said she was amazing, clearly]

Oh...uh... [uncomfortably] I dunno. Could do.

[onehundredbeers]

"Dunno"? "Could"? [He gives you a bit of a look, Oliver. It's almost a sort of curious disbelief.] You sound fucking head over heels and all you can manage is 'oh maybe if I feel like it'?

[oliverplus]

[defensively] It's not that!

It's...complicated.

[onehundredbeers]

Uh-huh. Tell me about it. Maybe I can use my awesome powers of being really fucking blunt and straight forward to uncomplicate the shit out of that.

[oliverplus]

[shifts uncomfortably. he has a sinking feeling he knows what Nathan is going to say] It's just...a lot of things've happened. And I'm not sure I can go home yet. It...might not be safe. For her. If I did.

[onehundredbeers]

[He gives Oliver this deadpan look.]

Oliver. What the fuck. You're safer than a fucking pool full of pillows. What, are you suddenly being tailed by space bounty hunters for no reason other than you're 'too nice of a guy'?

[oliverplus]

[Oliver looks incredulously back at Nathan] You saw the--the watch! It's...not the first time something like that's happened.

[onehundredbeers]

Oh, big deal. A watch made you an asshole for a couple of days. Key word there: a watch.

Then, you know, made you. It's not like you're me and deciding on a whim that gross negligence is badass and cool. So you have shit luck with things turning you into a dick. Happens to everybody. [Nathan pauses.] Fuck, I mean, happened to me. I tried to kill Sirkka and just barely kept myself from trying to kill Irving.

[oliverplus]

[surprised] What? Really?

[pained] But...it's not that simple, Nathan. This place... Anything could happen. At any time. I can't bring that to her.

[onehundredbeers]

So you'd rather leave her wondering where you are, presumably with like, no means of telling her you're ever going to be back. Yeah. That's a really good solution, totally.

[He removes his arm from Oliver's shoulders.]

Bad things are always going to fucking happen, you know? If you constantly hold yourself back because what might happen, you're gonna be fucking miserable and unhappy. Believe me. I know miserable and unhappy.

[oliverplus]

[way to bring up the worst flaws in his plan]

I--I can go back just after I left! The Doctor'll make sure I get there then!

I'm...just not ready yet.

[onehundredbeers]

Hold on a second.

[He drops from the plane and brings back his couch.]

Sit down. [He does so himself.] Mind if, uh, I tell a story here for a minute?

[oliverplus]

[watches Nathan uncertainly, but he has a seat on the sofa] Uh...okay...