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Characters: Oliver Day (

oliverplus) and OPEN
Location: Your reality!
Time: After Oliver's fairytale has ended, and during or after yours, as you prefer
Summary: Oliver goes on an involuntary reality-hopping tour of the multiverse~
Warnings: Oliver is a geek, and depending on your reality, he might just show it. Possibly a lot.

Tag in if you'd like Oliver to visit you! Prose-style or action tags are fine; just tag in the way you feel like playing.

"Samwise! Don't go under there!"

Oliver had learned a long time ago that "getting lost" and "going somewhere in the TARDIS" were basically synonymous, so he'd long since given up on getting annoyed when it happened. Instead, he usually just looked at it as another adventure to conquer--plus, you never knew what sort of cool things you might find in the meantime. And that was all well and good when he was alone, but this time he'd made the mistake of bringing one of his pets along. Watching a dwarf rabbit run off to be lost in the TARDIS was not the sort of adventure he'd had in mind for today.

He crouched down by the random large machine that was sitting by one of the walls of a room that otherwise appeared to be some sort of study. Aside from the hulking metal contraption, the room was lined with comfortable sofas and armchairs, the lighting coming from lamps on sidetables. Fancy rugs were scattered about on the polished wooden floor, although the area around the machine was bare aside from some telltale scuff marks. And while the space underneath the machine was large enough for a rabbit to fit, Oliver doubted he could even get one of his hands in there. "Come on, come out! I'll get you some nice greens?"

As he leaned down to look under the machine, he just caught sight of a furry ball shooting out and across the room. "Samwise!" He jumped to his feet, realising now that he'd been so intent on the rabbit that he hadn't even thought to close the door to the study when he came in. And, of course, he pet was making straight for it. Oliver ran after him, hoping to grab the door and shut it before Samwise could reach it and disappear into the corridor. It was going to be a close thing. He grabbed at the side of the door--

--and missed. Oliver skidded to a stop, almost falling over in his surprise. Because it was immediately apparent that he hadn't simply missed in his grab--the door wasn't there anymore. The study wasn't either, nor was the familiar hum of the TARDIS.

"What...?" Oliver breathed, looking around him in confusion. "Where am I?"

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Her tone of voice told him just as much about her feelings as his empathy likely would have, had she been looking his way. He frowned, wondering if, in a world where Arthur and Morgana were already together... But he tore his mind from that sort of speculation. It didn't do anyone any good. These were real people, after all--not legends. Life was so much less straightforward. There was no telling what would happen now that Lancelot had left, or even as politics in Camelot continued on--particularly if the king did decide to challenge traditions.

But whatever was coming, it still hurt to hear Gwen's sadness at Lancelot's departure. That was a feeling Oliver knew all too well. "I'm sorry, Gwen," he said, sympathetically. He hesitated, then added, softly, "You think he'll come back?"

Watching the knights as they continued their training, he wondered how anyone could possibly stay away. Even knowing what he knew now about classes couldn't entirely extinguish his sense of awe and wonder at seeing them in action. And Lancelot had to come back, didn't he? Could the legends be that far off?

"I hope so," she confessed shyly, "He's got a lot of reasons to come back to Camelot."

She was watching the knights as well, but her mind was far away. She was lost in thoughts of Lancelot. It was strange to think that they'd hadn't known each for long. She couldn't put a name to the connection between them, but it had been instantaneous.

"Not just me," she added, quickly, flushing, "He's good friends with Merlin. And Arthur, of course. We'd all be glad to see him back in Camelot."

Oliver smiled back, amused at her need to qualify that statement. After all, why would he even have assumed Gwen was the only one Lancelot had to come back to? "Then I hope he comes back soon," he said, warmly. He meant it for Gwen and all her friends.

He turned back to the knights then--only to discover that he was now seeing both the knights, training in the field, and an image overlaying them. He frowned, feeling a twinge of regret. There was still so much to see in Camelot... But at least he'd been able to spend this time with Gwen.

"Gwen? I...think I'm about to go to a different world." He squinted, focusing on the image visible through the knights, but it was hard to make out any details--just an impression of walls. It had to be dark wherever he was going because Camelot's sun suddenly seemed to be dimming. "Maybe we should go somewhere less open," he added, urgently. The last thing he wanted was to get her accused of witchcraft after she'd taken him around so kindly.

She had felt the need to justify herself because part of her - and not a particularly small part - wanted to be the reason that he came back to Camelot. Which was utterly foolish. She was practical to the core, but something about Lancelot encouraged her mind to drift into fantasy. Perhaps it was because he'd been the first person to treat her like a lady.

"Oh! But there's so much left to show you!" And then she realised the implications of what was happening. "Oh!"

She grabbed his arm, pulling him away from the field.

"Quickly, this way!"

One day, Oliver would have to ask her more about Lancelot. But for now, he nodded, hurrying with Gwen to wherever she was taking him. "Maybe I can come back sometime?" he asked hopefully, still wishing he didn't have to leave. "And you could come to the TARDIS!"

As they went, he was growing increasingly glad that Gwen was leading him because the world was steadily darkening around him. He just hoped she didn't bring him too close to something he might crash into, as it was getting more difficult by the moment to distinguish Camelot from the walls that slowly seemed to be coming into existence.

At the same time, Gwen might notice that, while Oliver still felt solid, he was visibly beginning to fade beside her. He wouldn't be in Camelot for much longer at all.

"I'd like that," she said, sincerely, referring to both a trip to the TARDIS and a return visit to Camelot. His genuine enthusiasm and delight had been wonderful to see.

She led him into an alcove behind the armoury, out of sight of the many prying eyes of Camelot. His arm still felt solid, but when she looked at him he looked strangely insubstantial. It was one of the most unusual sights that she'd ever seen.

"Are you all right?"

Did it hurt, fading like that?

"Me too," he said, smiling gratefully. He'd enjoyed spending this time with Gwen at least as much as she seemed to have done--probably more.

He was quick to follow her into the alcove, narrowly managing to avoid bumping into several objects that he never quite spotted. "Huh?" he asked, squinting a little as he tried to see her clearly through the haze of the double-image combined with the darkness of his next destination. "Yeah, 'course." He gave her a reassuring smile. And, thinking that she had noticed his apparent reduction in vision, he explained, "I can see where I'm about to go, a little. Somewhere dark... But somebody from the Plane 'll be there, so it'll be okay."

He tugged his arm gently from her grasp, keeping that smile on his face. It was tinged with sadness--he really didn't want to go--but he was sure there was nothing to be afraid of, at least.

"See you on the Plane, Gwen!"

And, with that, Oliver faded from Camelot completely.