Who: Liv and Clara What: Random encounter When: Earlier this evening Where: Art museum Warnings: Low Status: Complete
Work was done for the day, Liv had already eaten her dinner at the morgue. Although she kept some brains at home, it was always convenient to eat at work, fresher too. Now she had the urge to either paint or go look at art. Examining other’s ‘masterpieces’ seemed like a better idea than diving in herself just yet.
Liv walked into the museum looking at the different pieces. Honestly, even with all her new knowledge about art, she still didn’t understand how some of these paintings and sculptures could be considered art. Liv walked up to a piece that looked like just a mess of brush strokes to her. “Do you get what’s so great about this?” she asked the woman next to her.
Clara could be an art connoisseur, really. All things considered, she could be anything. There were no cases with D’Artagnan and Athos that she was needed for. Nothing with the Agency. She was pretty much driftless. While she missed teaching, she also knew that she had made the right choice. There was so much more that she could be doing. Okay so right now it was quiet which meant she was still feeling restless but at least now if something went sideways, she didn’t have to worry about it interfering with her ‘normal’ life.
So that was why she found herself at the art museum. Oh sure, she could have hopped in her TARDIS and travel to any of the art museums in the world, but sometimes one just needed some local culture.
At present, the brunette was staring at something that was supposed to be art though it was hard to say, which was why she was just looking at it, head tilted to the side some. At least until she heard the question addressed to her.
“Hmm?” Looking over, she blinked and noticed that yes, the question was for her. “Oh. I don’t know. Something about…. Impressive use of pigments to create some sort of….” Yeah, she had nothing. “Nope. No idea.”
Liv smiled at her response. At least she wasn’t the only one that thought this looked a mess. She had a feeling it was supposed to be an abstract piece, but even that made little sense to her. “Some sort of…. mess,” Liv finished for her wide smile still on her face.
“You know, I just don’t get some modern art. Picasso, Pollock? Those were some abstract artists.” Not that Liv had ever paid much attention growing up. Her head was always in books studying science and math. Art had never been of much interest to her. And honestly, that was the best thing about being on brains, experiencing things she never would have before. Well okay, second best. The best part was the visions that helped her solve murders.
That was the thing about art, it was all subjective. So while apparently people thought these present pieces were super impressive or had deep meaning, to Clara they really were just swatches of colour. Especially since this was one of those places that didn’t even give you the artist’s inspiration or anything that might give insight on what it was supposed to do.
“I will take your word on it. I’m far more literary based than I am art based. But I do enjoy seeing what people create and see in their minds even if I don’t know what it’s supposed to represent.”
“It’s definitely interesting.” Because yeah, even if some pieces just looked like a mess of brush strokes there was always something to talk about. Like she was doing right now. “Maybe someone here will find some meaning in it,” she added with a small shrug. “And hey, at least I got to meet someone who’s on the same page as me” Which led her to, “I’m Liv.”
“And isn’t that the point of art? If it has meaning for the artist and others feel something, then who am I to judge just because it doesn’t speak to me?” The same could be said for literature. It was one of the things that always frustrated her. Why were some books considered classic or worth teaching and others not? Ah the subjective nature of art. “But exactly.” Grinning, Clara offered her hand for shaking, “Clara.”
That was mostly true, but Liv also believed that if an artist didn’t want to be judged they shouldn’t put their work out there. Hell, some of the best pieces were the most controversial. “I’m sure there’s someone out there that likes this. Other than the artist, that is.” There was no reason to keep going on about it. It was clear they agreed and Liv honestly didn’t want to bash it too much in case the artist was near by. She wasn’t a total bitch. At least not this week. “Nice to meet you, Clara,” Lic said shaking the woman’s hand. “So what do you do?” she asked once the hand drooped. Clara had mentioned she was more literacy based after all, so clearly not a painter or sculptor.
Clara had no doubt that there were people who liked the piece of art, even if it just seemed like a bunch of colors to her, so she nodded in agreement, “Yeah, I’m sure there are as well.” Who knew if the artist was there, not that Clara was really thinking about that at the moment. “You too.”
Then the question on what she did. That was a bit more complicated.
“Well, I used to teach AP English at the high school here but recently left. Now I guess I do some freelance investigation work if needed.” She was helping D’Artagnan and Athos with their PI work, then what she did with the Agency. “How about you?”
“That’s a bit of a jump,” Liv commented. “English teach to investigator.” At least her career change from surgical resident to ME was in the same field. Teaching and investigating seemed so different. “What made you change? Too many Sherlock Holmes novels?” Or Nancy Drew, but Sherlock seemed a bit more adult. And that was about the extent of Liv’s knowledge on PI based literature.
As for her career. Well some people found it a bit morbid. But someone had to do the job, and it came with fresh brains. Liv was not at all shy about it. “I’m a medical examiner. Well an assistant.”
“Maybe a bit, but my friend has a PI firm and offered me a job, so…” It all worked out. At least that was how Clara saw it. As much as she had loved teaching, it had been time. Besides, it hadn’t served as the sort of grounding mechanism she had expected it to and well, change. Change was good. Then Liv mentioned her job and the brunette blinked some. “Well okay then.” But who was she to judge? There was a bit of mortality to that. Something that was out of her own grasp but that thought was quickly brushed aside.
“What sort of things do you investigate?” Liv was a bit of an investigator herself. It sort of came with the job. Autopsies were like investigations especially if murder was involved. Now with her visions she got more into the investigation part. Even making Leon bring her along to crime scenes. “Someone’s got to do it,” she said with a shrug. “Might as well be me. I like to think I help bring justice.”
“Whatever people need help with really. Cheating spouses, missing kids.” Which...sounded generic but hey, you never knew when someone might need something else that was a bit less stereotypical. And easier to explain than also investigating potential alien invasions and stopping those before they started. “But hey, that’s a good way to look at it and I can see how you could help bring justice that way.”
“All that cliche stuff?” Well missing kids weren’t cliche. But cheating spouses, definitely. Whatever paid the bills. And honestly stake outs were pretty thrilling, even if it was to catch a spouse in a compromising permission. “Thanks,” Liv replied with a genuine smile. “It sounds like you help with justice in a way too. Someone’s gotta look out for those missing kids and put cheaters in their place.”
“Pretty much. But Orange County has a way of bringing strange things as well so who knows.” It was hard to know if Liv was a dreamer, she looked familiar from the network but still, one didn’t want to make assumptions. But even the people who weren’t aware of the network were aware of the strange happenings, even if they fell for the cover ups. “I try anyway.”
“I’m not sure strange even begins to cover it.” Like Clara, Liv wasn’t positive if her new acquaintance was a dreamer or not. All they could do was hint at each other, which it did kind of seem like Clara was one. “I’m sure you succeed, no matter what the OC throws at you.” Which could definitely be a lot, but she had a feeling that Clara was more than capable of handling whatever situation was thrown her way.
Yep, that definitely sounded like Liv was of the dreaming variety. It was always an interesting game to see how vague someone could be about the network while trying to determine if someone else also dealt with the dreams. There was a certain air about a person if they understood more of the insanity than the average citizen of Orange County.
“No, it really does not.”
As for if she’d be able to handle whatever strange thing Orange County threw at her? Clara just shrugged. That was debatable. She was living but not, so that should probably count as surviving it even though she no longer had a heartbeat.
“I do try.”
Liv was right there with Clara on the living but not thing. Even if neither of them knew that about the other. “That’s all we can really do,” Liv agreed. “Especially here,” there was a pause as she considered what to say next. “With dreams and everything,” yeah she went for it. She had a strong vibe that Clara knew what she was talking about and if not? Well she didn’t say anything that made her sound too crazy.
The things that people had in common without realizing it. Okay, so living but not was definitely not one of the more common things to be shared between people but it was still the situation the two were in. And then the comment on the dreams. That answered that, not like it shocked Clara. She’d already been pretty sure they were both on the same page there.
“No kidding. They’re good at throwing things at you that you wouldn’t normally expect.”
“Tell me about it.” The zombie thing was annoying as hell. But that wasn’t something she was all that open about. Dream sharer or not. Zombies were scary to most people so she wasn’t going to tell it to someone she just met. “Well, it was nice meeting you, Clara. Maybe I’ll see you around the morgue,” given the whole PI thing. She could end up investigating the same case as one of Liv’s autopsies. “Or the network.”
There were just certain topics of conversations that weren’t so easy to come about. People tended to find out about Clara’s whole...situation… in the most awkward of ways as it was nothing she really talked about just like that. Even so, it was what it was. “Likewise, and it is possible.” After all, if looking for a missing person, looking for Jane Doe’s wasn’t that far of a stretch. “Yes, or the network.” Smiling, Clara nodded in farewell before going to look at another piece.