Who: Liz and Isobel What: Isobel see’s Liz When: July 3 Where: The Park Rating: Low
Liz wasn’t feeling terrible today. Whatever had hit her while talking to Michael the other day seemed to be gone today. At least that’s what she was hoping for. Today she decided to distract herself by taking a walk in the park. The walk ended up with her on a chair with one of her books she had taken out of the library to read about molecular biology. Maybe there was something in the book to help her, though there wasn’t exactly a section that read ‘so you were healed by an alien’.
She was getting nowhere and the frustration was building up inside of her. Suddenly she felt a wave of nausea and the next moment the book on her lap was on fire. Her eyes opened in surprise as she pushed the book down to the ground and stomped on it to get it out, but the damage was already done. The poor library book.
--
Isobel was worried about Max. His things were still there, but he wasn’t back yet. Why wasn’t he back yet? What was going on back home? Was he okay? Isobel could only hope that he was because she wasn’t there to help him. Or was she? A version of her? It was confusing to think about that though. Hopefully she was. Hopefully, it was enough for her to protect Max. She’d decided to go for a walk to clear her head through the park and that was when she spotted Liz sitting and reading.
Then the book burst into flames. Though this was not her “Liz” , Isobel still felt some responsibility for her and immediately rushed over to help. Liz already reacted, dumping the book on the ground and stamping on it.
“Liz, are you alright?”
***
She tensed when she heard her name. Had Isobel seen? She looked up with a bit of panic and didn’t notice that her hand was starting to pulse with green lines of almost what looked like electricity. Not until the feeling started to hurt like it normally did and she looked down. Eyes widening, she tucked her hand under her armpit and looked around before back to Isobel. “I’m -” Her first instinct was to lie, to protect, but Isobel was one of the people she’d lie for. “I don’t know.”
-- Isobel had noticed the green lines pulsing with electricity. She saw Liz’s eyes widen before she tucked the hand under her armpit in an attempt to hide it. It was clear from the start of her response that Liz was about to lie to Isobel about what had just happened. Isobel couldn’t blame her; she was not ths Isobel from her world, so why would she trust her? However, at the last moment, something shifted and she merely replied she didn’t know.
Isobel was not always the kindest person; she had a knack for being a “mean girl” and had hated Liz once upon a time for what she’d put Max through. Things had changed though and Isobel didn’t hate Liz anymore. She certainly couldn’t hate this Liz being she didn’t know her at all. It was clear she was dealing with abilities or something and Isobel happened to know a lot about abilities and being frightened of them.
“What’s going on, Liz? And I would suggest you just tell me because we both know I could probably pull it out of your head if I really wanted to.”
--
“I don’t know.” She meant it, though she looked at Isobel apologetically and bent down to get her charred book. Holding it up to her chest, she frowned. “It started happening yesterday when I went to visit Michael and I learned that Max was gone.” She knew it was stupid to be so hurt by the fact considering the Max here was older and not like her Max in a few ways, but it still hurt. “Since then I haven’t really been able to control it? It’s like I feel sick and then something just… happens.”
-- Their Max was obviously not her Max, but Isobel knew he had been kind to her since arriving. That was her brother though, even if he wasn’t her Max, she was still a “Liz” and he couldn’t just walk away from her or pretend she didn’t exist. He had to care. Isobel was still coming to terms with the fact that the gods had allowed two Lizs to exist. Thank God there only seemed to be one Maria at the moment. She couldn’t handle two of them.
“You’re upset over Max,” Isobel replied. “You care about him even if he isn’t the Max you know. Losing him probably frightened you and I guess your abilities reacted to it? I’m not sure.” Max wished her Liz was here or even Dr. Abs Kyle Valenti to help figure out what was wrong with Liz. Isobel could only guess and maybe take a peek inside her head.
“I’m not a scientist or a doctor, Liz,” Isobel said bluntly. “I could try and take a look inside your head to see what is going on though. If you’ll let me.”
---
She was upset over Max and she nodded, even if she felt a little guilty for admitting it. The idea of letting Isobel in her head, though, made her tense. It wasn’t Isobel herself, but more the memory of what Tess did to Alex and then to Kyle.
Liz swallowed a little and then nodded. Isobel was older. She probably had better control over everything, right? “...Alright. Sure.” She had no idea how this worked or what Isobel would see, what she was willing to try.
-- Isobel noticed the younger woman tensing up and she couldn’t blame her. Isobel wasn’t too keen on using her own abilities ever since Noah mind-controlled her. She knew the power she wielded if she ever had that kind of strength. Isobel would never use if for that though, not unless it was needed to save the people she cared about.
Taking Liz’s hand, she sat down on the bench and tugged Liz down next her gently,. “If you’re not sure or scared, I don’t have to. But it might help you. Especially if it’s more than just losing Max that is triggering your abilities. Sometimes memories can do that too.” She released Liz’s hand and then held out hers once more. “If you want me to, I can see inside your head, but it is your choice.”
---
“Sorry.” Liz looked a little sheepish. “It’s not you. I, um. I’ve done this before, sort of, with my Isabel. She helped me mindwalk into Max’s head to save his life. It’s just… another alien. She.. well she’s the one who killed Alex by mindwarping him and - never mind.” She shook her head. It didn’t apply here, right? Plus, she was putting people in danger if she couldn’t control whatever this was. Not just random people, but Isobel and Michael because it could put a spotlight on them. She couldn’t have that.
She took Isobel’s hand with determination. “Just tell me what to do.”
--
Isobel understood. She had been mind controlled by Noah for many years of her life. She knew how devastating it could be. How much of a nightmare it could be. “I get it. I mean, I understand,” Isobel replied softly. “Someone, another alien, mind controlled me. Made me do horrible things.” Isobel gently squeezed Liz’s hand. She knew it was taking a lot for Liz to trust her, to let her into her head.
She invoked her abilities and Liz gave her the access she needed to see how Liz obtained these abilities. Her “Max” had healed her like their Max had healed Liz, however, his print had given Liz...abilities. Abilities that were invoked when she was around Max or thought of Max even. Isobel withdrew, taking a deep breath as she did so. “Wow.”
---
Liz blinked. When the here and now came back to her, she managed to catch the ‘wow’ and it concerned her. She looked at Isobel with an apologetic, but worried expression. “...Did you see anything?” Is it all my fault? Because it felt like it was, somehow. She didn’t ask for this, and yet here it was, and she couldn’t seem to get a grasp on it which was one of the more frustrating parts. She couldn’t just go around setting things on fire and blowing things up.
--
Isobel felt bad for Liz. It was clear the other woman believed having these abilities was all her fault, but it wasn’t at all. Isobel shook her head. “Liz I know you think this is your fault, but it’s not, okay?” Isobel couldn’t take away Liz’s “gifts,” but maybe her and her brothers could help Liz learn some kind of control.
She touched Liz’s shoulder gently and gave her a gentle smile. “When Max healed you, he somehow gave you abilities. It seems when he is around or you just think about him, they get triggered. I know our Max is not your Max, but it seems to have the same effect on you to a certain degree.”
---
She nodded and then nodded again. The third nod was essentially to help convince herself that things would be fine. “So I’ve changed, then…” Maybe it was the nerdy thing to do, but she automatically started to think about tests she could run to figure out what was going on. Could she get rid of them? She couldn’t deny that it hurt whenever the powers manifested.
Liz looked down at her hands in her lap. “You must think it’s stupid. Me having any sort of… feelings or whatever to your brother and everyone else.” Her thumbs pressed against the pads of her index fingers to release some of her anxiety. “I know none of you - none of you know me. Not really. And I don’t know you either. I’m just a kid and you’re all… not.” But that didn’t stop the feelings she had - the love and protectiveness and the loyalty.
She paused and then looked over at Isobel. “... Do you think me being here is preventing the other Liz from showing up? Do you think - do you think Max and Maria. Do they resent that?”
-- “Yes, you have.” And knowing Liz she would probably already be thinking up every test possible she could run on herself to figure out how to reverse it or control it. “It looks like Max is a trigger and it hurts whenever they manifest.” Which meant Isobel was all in favor of removing them from Liz. Isobel frowned at the words. “It’s not stupid,” Isobel replied. “It’s natural to gravitate towards what you know even if what you know is not exactly the same. We are in a sense like your friends from home. We are not teenagers and we don’t look like them, but we are still Isobel, Max, Michael, Maria, and Alex. You can’t help wanting to be around us or associate those feelings you have for them with us.”
Oh God. It would be a cold day in Hell when Isobel actually gave a crap what bothered DeLuca. As for Max, it was a good possibility that it did. Right now, she wasn’t sure she would ever get the chance to find out. “It’s not your fault, Liz. You can’t control this place anymore than the rest of us. If I could, I’d have my brother back.”
--
“Yeah.” She nodded slowly. She didn’t feel good about it, but she knew she wasn’t in control of anything here in Madison Valley. It didn’t mean she didn’t feel bad about it. Liz sighed and sat back against the bench. “I think for now I’m going to go home and get the money to buy the book so I don’t have to explain to the library why their book was set on fire.” Destroying a book really didn’t sit well with her either. “And then maybe try and figure out what to do with… this.” She lifted her hands in gesture and offered an awkward, sheepish smile.
-- “Why don’t I come with you?” Isobel didn’t know why she offered. This Liz was not her Liz and she knew practically nothing about the girl aside from the fact that she was as in love with her brother as the other Liz was. Still, Isobel felt a need to help her for some reason. Maybe it was because, while she was not the Liz Isobel knew, she was a “Liz” and that was enough.
“I can help smooth things over with the library, okay? You won’t even have to buy another book.”
---
“Really?” She looked a little surprised at the offer, but appreciative, and she nodded as she stood up. “That would - that would be really nice. Thank you.” She even smiled more genuinely at that.