[023]

[oliverplus]

[Oliver arrives on the Plane in the middle of the night, floating slightly in the air. it seems he didn't want to bring whatever he was sitting on with him--possibly for good reason. there is, for an instant, the vestige of a golden glint in his eyes. perhaps it's the reflection of the sudden fire in his room that caused him to flee here, or perhaps it's something else entirely]

[still in a sitting position, Oliver sustains a short, but jarring, drop to the starry ground. his eyes are wide, his expression a mixture of startled, confused, and frightened. he's dressed in only plaid boxer shorts, for the first time revealing openly to the Plane the scars on his chest and back. and, from head to toe, he is completely and utterly drenched with water. it's running all over the floor of the Plane]

What...what just... [Oliver blinks around him in bleary-eyed confusion, too stunned to even wipe wet strands of hair out of his face]

Comments

[oliverplus]

[stares at her. he's quiet for a moment, but finally he says gently:] I'm...really sorry, Matti. I wasn't saying it's your fault. Of course not! Just...that's awful.

[he thinks about asking her what she could possibly mean by "I'm Canada," but he isn't sure how to approach that at all]

[notameliajones.livejournal.com]

I-I don't really stand out... th-that's the problem, I think... a-and people notice me on the Plane, so... s-sorry if I made you w-worry...

[She doesn't seem to think anything of blurting that bit out. Feel free to ask.]

[oliverplus]

[firmly] 'Course we do! And I'm sure people must at home, too.

[reassuringly] Hey, stop apologising. It's okay. But uh...so you're from Canada? [at least the maple bit is starting to make sense now]

[notameliajones.livejournal.com]

A-ah, s-sorry... e-er...

[There's a loooooooong pause after that question where she just thinks.] K-kind of...? E-er... i-it doesn't really make sense... u-unless you see my reality... b-but... I-I guess you could say... I-I'm Canadian...

[oliverplus]

[blinks. that just made him even more confused] Uh...okay.

[notameliajones.livejournal.com]

A-ah, s-sorry... I-I mean... [Wait, he said not to apologize, how do you apologize without apologizing?] W-well... I-I didn't mean to confuse you... th-this is normal back home... I-I'm not sure how to explain it...

[Maple it.] B-back home... c-countries are people... s-so... I-I'm Canada... a-and my sister is A-America... y-you're British, right...? E-England is really nice... s-she can't really cook, though... e-er...

[oliverplus]

[stares at her] Oh. [that makes absolutely no sense] I'm a Brummie, actually. [it's an important distinction to him] But yeah, British.

So...are there people on your world? Or just countries? [quickly] I mean, like, regular people! You know. Not countries. Not that you're not a person, just. [waves vaguely] Yeah...

[he has a feeling he should stop there before he puts his foot in his mouth any farther]

[notameliajones.livejournal.com]

[She nods and smiles.] I-if it was just nations... h-hockey games would be pretty boring... Th-there are lots of humans... a-and they know when they see nations... s-so it's confusing to have to explain... i-if it was just nations... I-I'd end up crawling back to France just for recognition... ehehehehe...

[oliverplus]

[laughs. this all sounds absurd, but he knows she's serious] Yeah, I guess it would be.

So you live with all the people in your country? But...they don't notice you either?

[notameliajones.livejournal.com]

C-Canadians recognize me... a-a-and the French... s-some Americans, too... b-but... I-I talk to other nations more often... s-so it's depressing not to be paid attention to... n-not to mention I'm the second largest country, and if Russia keeps shrinking.... [She waves her hands quickly to erase the thought.] I-it's okay anyway...! M-most people notice Kumabelle, s-so... w-w-wait, I said her name wrong... i-it was... e-er.... K-Kumako... o-or... u-um.... m-maple...

[oliverplus]

Notice...who?

[notameliajones.livejournal.com]

A-ah... s-she's a polar bear... u-um... I-I don't really... r-remember her name... u-um... b-b-but I've owned her since I was a colony... s-she still doesn't remember my name...

[oliverplus]

[this is just getting weirder by the minute] You mean you don't remember each other's?

[notameliajones.livejournal.com]

Y-yeah... I-it's sort of wierd... s-since we're only apart while I'm on the Plane... b-but neither of us... r-really remember each other... s-she forgets that I exist a lot... b-but... m-maybe some day she'll remember...

[oliverplus]

[he has a feeling there might be a flipside to that] What do you remember about her?

[notameliajones.livejournal.com]

[He is correct.]

U-uh.... h-her name starts with "Kuma"... a-and... u-uh... sh-she's.... w-well... e-either a Kermode bear or a polar bear... a-and um... th-that's it... ehehehe.... m-maple..

[oliverplus]

Yeah, okay... [you are a strange person, Matti, but you're nice, so he doesn't say anything else]

[notameliajones.livejournal.com]

S-sorry... I-I guess it is a vicious circle... a-and I wish I could remember more about her... b-but she's not really all that memorable...

[oliverplus]

[puts his hands up in a placating gesture] Hey, no need to apologise to me! Just don't go forgetting me, all right? [smiles wryly, hoping to put her at ease]

[notameliajones.livejournal.com]

I-I won't... [She looks a little nervous after admitting that whole thing with Kuma... um... that thing.] I-I usually don't forget people... h-honest..

[oliverplus]

[laughs] I was joking! Don't worry. All right, Matti?

[notameliajones.livejournal.com]

[Pauses for a second before covering her face with the notebook.] W-whoops... ehehe...

[oliverplus]

[chuckles] There, that's better.

[notameliajones.livejournal.com]

[She laughs VERY nervously and quietly and continues to hide her face. Matti has proven that people can be happy and utterly embarrassed at the same time.]