say it ain't so (video)

[livemoore]

[ When Liv appears on the screen, she's in a nice off-white sweater with a hint of gold sparkle to it, full face of makeup and nervously smiling. She gives a wave, then lets out a breath she's been holding. ]

I have a confession. And some of you know. Some of you who know me don't know, and everyone else...

[ She pauses, looking down a little. Is this the right thing? Hell if she knows. It's not like she's in a place the size of Seattle. Maybe now's the time to just come clean. ]

The rest of you don't need to know but uh...at this point if someone found out by word of mouth I feel like it'd suck more, so.

My name is Liv. I've been living here since the summer. And...I'm a zombie.

[ She pauses for a beat. ]

Obviously from a different zombie world than the rest of you. I'll answer your questions now: Yes, I eat what you think I eat but the closet provides it for me. I only act like the maniac you'd expect when I'm hurt unexpectedly and then I'm super strong and just kind of...grunty. But I can help, I do help. I've saved people. I've died here. Yes, I'm technically dead right now, but I still look great?

I guess those are the hard-hitting questions. If you have any others I'll be here to answer them.

Please don't try to kill me. I'll just come back.

So I guess that's it. Now you all know, and I can breathe easier. Ish. Well, not breathe. Whatever, you know what I mean.

Comments

[madehervows]

[She has pretty stiff competition, too.

Regina barely manages to contain her groan.]

I can count the number of things Disney got right on one hand. [Considering he was a former Author, you'd think he'd have been more accurate but nooo.] She ruined my life, so I ruined hers.

[A beat.]

We're good now.

[livemoore]

Oh. Well. Congratulations on getting past your drama. A lot of people never do. Or they don't want to.

[ We don't have to talk about how Regina dragged this out for SO LONG when she had a lot of chances to just kill Snow, but w/e. ]

[madehervows]

[KILLING HER WAS TOO EASY >:/]

It took almost thirty years.

[But you know what, they don't need to rehash this right now.]

What about you? This can't have been easy.

[livemoore]

It wasn't. And someone's already offered to up their weapons cache because of me. You know. 'Just in case.' So that's comforting. But I still think it was better to do this now rather than...I dunno. A mirror manipulating someone or a memory leaking with no context and scaring everyone into the worst reaction.

[madehervows]

[Her face scrunches up.]

Lovely. [There's something to be said about being prepared, sure, but that's a little much.] You make a good point. Knowing Wonderland, it was about a week from revealing it to everyone.

[livemoore]

Probably.

[ It suddenly occurs to her that she's talking to Henry's mom. ]

Hey, how are things with your now adult kid? I ran into him at one of the bars. That was shocking.

[madehervows]

Better than they were when he showed up like that.

[Regina sighs, just a tad.]

He remembers Wonderland now, but his memories of home are still locked behind the curse.

[livemoore]

Honestly, your world is so weird. I mean, better than mine? But so weird. You're practically the same age as your son.

[ Which she knows is pointing out the obvious, but still.]

The one thing we have a lot of in this place is time. Maybe you can figure out some way to help him remember.

[madehervows]

He's the same age as his grandparents now, too.

[Roughly, anyway. It's messed up, man.]

We'll break the curse eventually. But without knowing who cursed him and why...

[livemoore]

It's pretty hard to know exactly what it'll take to break it.

[ She's guessing. She's no Tinkerbell. ]

Is there a way to break the curse here?

[madehervows]

True love's kiss.

[matter of factly, because of course.]

Normally it would be broken by now, but something is interfering.

[livemoore]

Huh.

[ Well, too bad she's not actually Tinkerbell to try and pixie dust this situation or whatever. ]

So there's some magic going on with him that's actually stronger than Wonderland's magic? That seems...wrong.

[madehervows]

[It's cool, Liv. You can be Tinkerbell 2.0. Smarter. Better. Faster. Stronger.]

The Dark Curse is one of the most powerful spells in my realm. I've always wondered what would happen if it was cast in Wonderland, but the cost is far too high.

[livemoore]

Are you one of the people trying to magically find a way out of this place for us? I've heard there are a few, but I've never actually seen it being discussed. Or has everyone pretty much given up on that idea?

[madehervows]

I try, but between Wonderland's obsession with killing us and someone in my family being cursed every other week, it hasn't gotten very far.

[livemoore]

Wait, your family still gets cursed even here? Or do you mean they just keep showing up that way?

[madehervows]

The latter. We've been cursed so much I'm surprised we have any memories left.

[livemoore]

I can't imagine how frustrating it has to be. You just want your family in the same place at the same time, and for everyone to remember one another.

[ She pauses for a second before continuing. ]

It doesn't seem like that happens too often for you all.

[madehervows]

Things are looking up at home, but Wonderland likes to makes things difficult.

[But she has her son, and now Snow and Emma are back so things are good.]

But what about you? Do you have anybody from home here?

[livemoore]

No. That'd be too easy, to have someone who gets it without me having to explain why I look like I tan by moonlight.

[ Liv huffs out a breath that's supposed to be something along the lines of 'no big deal' but it is a big deal. She misses her friends. ]

I spent a long time without them, avoiding everyone because of what I am. I was afraid to tell them. And now it just feels like I'm losing more time.

[madehervows]

No matter how the people in Wonderland react, it's not quite the same as having someone from home, is it?

[Only those who have been cursed can understand a curse and only those who live with zombies can truly understand Liv, after all.]

But are you the kind of person who wants them here with you, or are they better off at home?

[livemoore]

I'd never want my friends to be in danger. But they're pretty capable and we've survived a lot together.

[ She lets out a breath and shrugs a little. ]

And right now, everything's about to get worse at home.

[madehervows]

Wonderland does have its quiet moments, too.

[Well that's interesting.]

Something you'd like to talk about, or?

[Just to give her her out.]

[livemoore]

[ Liv lets out a breath, thinking about it for a second and shaking her head slowly. Not to say she doesn't want to talk about it, just gathering her thoughts. ]

Without the benefit of this place and people pretty used to seeing weird things, I'm going to become the face of zombie-dom back home. A reporter caught me, mid-fight, saving someone's life but fight mode for me changes my appearance. Anyway, there are pictures. And they hit the newsstand right before I showed up here. So that...sucks.

[ It sucks so hard. Maybe telling Wonderland everything was a precursor to knowing she'll be facing what might, quite literally, be an angry mob. ]

[madehervows]

[Well that's... something. Regina feels for her -- They've run the risk of magic being exposed, but admittedly, it's not the same as zombies. Or becoming the representative when it's the last thing you want.]

So this might as well be the calm before the storm.

[A pause.]

Sounds like you need a drink more than anything. [Wait.] Can you drink?