} open

[livemoore]

Who: Liv Moore + You
Where: Inside the mansion
When: 10-1
Rating: PG-13, talk of people dying.
Summary: Liv is on the chopping block.
The Story:

[ When Liv re-arrives in Wonderland, the timing is incredible. Not because she overly loves being stuck in this place where she can't control the things that happen to her (but when could she these days, anyway?) but because she is literally up for execution. Turning people into zombies when there's a brain shortage is a capital offense these days, but letting people die of incurable diseases? That was worse to her than any punishment and well worth the risk.

Hands and legs handcuffed and mouth taped shut, her eyes widen as she lands in the foyer. Of course it couldn't be her room. She has to sort of hop until she finds someone, hope they recognize her, and decide to help her. It's as she's trying to scoot along that she remembers: she had unfinished business here, and now, in her urgency she falls over, groaning as she hits the floor.

Turtle-ing would be far more embarrassing, so she just sort of rolls to her side, trying to somehow get herself free. ]

Comments

[livemoore]

[ Liv's never been so grateful to see a pony in her entire life. As soon as the tape is gone, appreciation is for sure the first thing on her mind. ]

Thank you. Thank you, I just...home. I went home. And home doesn't like me very much right now. At least parts of it.

[livemoore]

No, it's okay. It's okay, I'm just a uh...fugitive of the law. Sort of.

[ Liv looks down, rubbing at her wrists and then looking back at Jessica. ]

I've been turning people who'd otherwise die because they have cancer or some other disease. Which is illegal. And my boyfriend and I got caught.

[livemoore]

[ Liv manages a smile that doesn't quite reach her eyes before she looks down, pressing her thumb into her palm. ]

My boyfriend and I were caught together. I...

[ She pauses, pressing her lips together and swallowing heavily. ]

I had to watch them execute him.

[outstandingbalance]

Maybe not, but it raises more questions than answers. [At least, Natasha has questions. If Liv knows the answers remains to be seen. Even so, Natasha might want to get them first hand.] There are a lot of ways to take out two people fast and quiet if neither of them see you coming.

You know for sure the patient could see the whole room?

[livemoore]

I can show you. We can go to the clinic and you can decide whether or not you think it's too far fetched or not.

[ Liv doesn't think it is, but right now she has the advantage of working in those rooms every day. ]

[outstandingbalance]

Wouldn't mind having a look. [Might as well someone who knows about murder have a look.

But that's only one point among a constellation of question.] Have you talked to the patient?

[livemoore]

I stayed with Claire.

[ Even if she hadn't thought he did it at the time, she wasn't leaving her alone. ]

I was late that day. We usually open together. She was alone, because of me.

[ And so, she wasn't leaving Claire alone again. ]

Fitz was the patient and I know Jessica talked to him right after. If he's said anything since then or if he hasn't, I don't know. I was trying to decide who to even go to with all of this when I went home.

[outstandingbalance]

Sorry to hear that. [Both that Liv wasn't able to be there for her friend and that she was dragged away so soon after. Natasha isn't an effusive person, tending to keep her emotions close to the vest, and her empathy feels a bit professional. Like a doctor might apologize for giving a difficult diagnosis.

Still professional, she keeps her recognition and her suspicion off her face when Liv mentions Fitz, but she listens closer.]

Do you know what Fitz was in for?

[livemoore]

I'm not sure. And even if I did, Claire has a thing about protecting patient's right to privacy.

[ Even if there are no laws about it. If he did turn out to be her murderer, well, maybe it'd be a different story but Liv truly doesn't know. As they make their way to the clinic, Liv just shakes her head. ]

Whatever happened, however it happened, it can't happen to anyone else.

[outstandingbalance]

I think we're a little outside of HIPAA's jurisdiction, but I respect the ethic behind it.

[She respects the impulse behind it a great deal more than she does Fitz's privacy, in fact.]

Claire doesn't think he did it?

[geekorthodox]

[ Patterson doesn't hesitate then, reaching out to wrap her friend up in a tight hug. She kind of doesn't want to let her go, now. ]

I'm so, so sorry.

[ It's not the same at all as having to actually see your boyfriend be executed, but Patterson can understand the pain of losing a boyfriend. It's not something she wants to mention right now, though because this is about Liv. ]

I'm here. I know you know that, but I'm here.

[livemoore]

She does.

[ Liv opens the door to the clinic, not surprised that Claire isn't there, and leads Natasha to an exam room. ]

She didn't feel right going public because of the same reason we're here now: she has no proof. You can see it, and know where it happened and know how she and I think it happened. But it's circumstantial.

[livemoore]

[ Liv lets herself fall into Patterson's arms, clinging to her tightly. ]

I got him killed. It was my fault, Patterson. First Claire, then I go home...

[ This is all she does. It's all she's ever done. ]

Why am I like this?

[outstandingbalance]

Circumstantial isn't such a bad thing. At least, it's a start. You get enough circumstantial evidence, you can put together a narrative.

[Arms crossed, Natasha glances around the room, taking in the layout.]

So your suspect was on the exam table?

[geekorthodox]

[ She keeps her arms around her friend, just holding onto her solidly. ]

I don't know everything you're feeling or everything you're going through. But I know that place you're in when you think that maybe all you do is hurt people, maybe you're just doomed to have terrible things happen to you and around you.

[ Specifics about how and why she knows that aren't super important, or at the very least, they can come later. ]

So I don't have any wise words about how to stop feeling that way completely because what helped me was saying goodbye to my dead boyfriend and murdered coworker while I was in a coma. I don't think we need to go that extreme here. [ Pulling back a little, she smiles just slightly, rubbing Liv's shoulders for a moment. ] You're one of my best friends. So whatever you think right now, there's way more evidence on the other side of this proving that you're pretty awesome.

[alsoagirl]

[ She would very much like to get off Ms. Moore's wild ride. Because this is a fucking roller coaster of crazy.

For a good minute, all Jessica does is open her mouth to say something then immediately close it. It's hard to settle on anything.

Eventually, she smiles sheepishly and shrugs a shoulder. ]

Sounds...pretty badass, honestly.

[livemoore]

No, he was in the chair. Claire was at the counter.

[ Liv has her arms wrapped around herself now. ]

She was hit in the back of the head first, she fell, and then her neck was broken. I found her on the ground, and Fitz was laying on top of her.

[livemoore]

[ Liv hears everything Patterson says; she knew the last time she went home she got hurt, but she's really downplayed how badly. Still, she tries to take in what her friend is saying and hold onto it. ]

Thank you. I mean, it's fresh, so I still feel like garbage, but at least when things start to clear up in my head, I'll have you, and everything you just said.

[ She leans against Patterson, closing her eyes. Liv's tired in a way that isn't really physical because she doesn't need sleep. It's emotional, and she needs this right now. ]

[outstandingbalance]

[That would make it easier—as a third party, Natasha would have gone for the target in the chair first, but that wasn't conclusive.

And Fitz...

She shakes her head.]

What kind of condition was he in when you found them?

[truefriendship]

[The chains break off and Starlight sets Liv down.]

I could put a hex on you that'll go off if anyone tries to do this to you again. With Sunburst's help we could probably even make it permanent.

[livemoore]

Honestly? It was. I was helping people and it felt good. It felt right.

[ But she looks down wetting her lips. ]

Until they killed my boyfriend, right in front of me. And I'm here now which is really good because I'm about to be executed for my crimes. That's the punishment for the law I broke.

[livemoore]

Um...some head trauma, I think. Abrasions on his face, a cut to his head. He told me he was attacked, but he never said by who or gave a description or said where they went.

[livemoore]

[ Rubbing her wrists, Liv closes her eyes and she's so grateful for the help that she just nods. Never mind the fact that it happened at home, she'll still take it.

Swallowing heavily, she wets her lips and forces herself to stand up. ]

What would happen? With the hex, I mean, if someone did try to hurt me?

[outstandingbalance]

Any other notable injuries?

[That doesn't make a whole lot of sense. If Claire was the target, it would make more sense to incapacitate the potential witness first.]

[geekorthodox]

[ It's sort of her MO, sorry Liv. She's often trying to downplay things like that. ]

Hey, you know what, sometimes we all just need to feel like garbage and be allowed to live in it for a little while. I get it. But you're really cute garbage, for the record.

[ She smiles just slightly, but just keeps a hold of her friend. There's nowhere she needs to go right now, so Liv gets held as long as she needs it. ]