[ this, Lupin listens to attentively - whenever he meets anyone here who has even passing familiarity with the idea of crossing into a separate world outside of fantasy novels, he always wants to hear what they have to say. He lets his hot-water-with-some-leaves "steep" for a while longer, setting it on the table and leaning over it as she speaks. ]
You can just... open them? How is that possible?
[ a beat. Can she still do that here? If so, couldn't she just send everyone home with her powers? It sounds pretty phenomenal - but he assumes there must be some catch, or she would have done that already. Elizabeth might be happy to get away from her tower, but not enough to let everyone else suffer here. ]
That's what I'd like to know. I don't know why I can, but I've always been able to open up the Tears. I used to be able to make them, but... I don't know. One day, I just couldn't.
[ Elizabeth turns the thimble around her pinky idly, and at this point, it's probably clear enough that this idle gesture is one she goes to when she's deep in thought. ]
I'll be trying again soon, though. I met a boy—Damian—and he's much smarter than you'd think, considering how young he is. But he wants to see if I can make them. I did stop trying after a few years, so... Who knows? If I can, I might be able to use the Tears to help people.
This might be a silly question, but... Is there a difference between making then and opening them?
[ it sounds like she used to be able to do both, but then lost one, somehow, for reasons even she doesn't know. But the terminology is unfamiliar enough that Lupin can't parse exactly what she's saying. ]
It's not silly. It's... a lot, I know. Honestly, the people I've explained it to here take it better than Mr. Dewitt.
[ who is a dumb garbage eating moron ]
It's different, yes. I always thought it might be because of me, since in Columbia, Tears would just sort of... appear. Apparently not, since I haven't seen any here, but that's probably better. You could look through them and catch a glimpse of a world on the other side, but you could interact with them unless they're opened. So something else was making them, and I could just pull it open to really see what was there.
[ She shrugs ]
But when I was a girl, I could just... I don't know. I could just make them appear wherever I wanted.
[ obviously, Lupin doesn't know anything about this - not about quantum physics, alternate universes, or anything in between. He can't say why she might have lost a power like that. But Elizabeth's explanation is straightforward enough; he nods. ]
And I'm guessing you haven't found any Tears here, even in the well.
I haven't. It's probably better that they're not here, but it's still strange to not see them at all. They've always been around as long as I can remember.
[ Elizabeth makes a thoughtful noise, but then shrugs ]
...But I think at least here, I can learn more about what they are. Maybe. With so many people that can do so many things, surely at least one person might know a little about it. If I can make the Tears again and control them, then I might be able to help anyone that wants to go home.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
You can just... open them? How is that possible?
[ a beat. Can she still do that here? If so, couldn't she just send everyone home with her powers? It sounds pretty phenomenal - but he assumes there must be some catch, or she would have done that already. Elizabeth might be happy to get away from her tower, but not enough to let everyone else suffer here. ]
no subject
That's what I'd like to know. I don't know why I can, but I've always been able to open up the Tears. I used to be able to make them, but... I don't know. One day, I just couldn't.
[ Elizabeth turns the thimble around her pinky idly, and at this point, it's probably clear enough that this idle gesture is one she goes to when she's deep in thought. ]
I'll be trying again soon, though. I met a boy—Damian—and he's much smarter than you'd think, considering how young he is. But he wants to see if I can make them. I did stop trying after a few years, so... Who knows? If I can, I might be able to use the Tears to help people.
no subject
[ it sounds like she used to be able to do both, but then lost one, somehow, for reasons even she doesn't know. But the terminology is unfamiliar enough that Lupin can't parse exactly what she's saying. ]
no subject
It's not silly. It's... a lot, I know. Honestly, the people I've explained it to here take it better than Mr. Dewitt.
[ who is a dumb garbage eating moron ]
It's different, yes. I always thought it might be because of me, since in Columbia, Tears would just sort of... appear. Apparently not, since I haven't seen any here, but that's probably better. You could look through them and catch a glimpse of a world on the other side, but you could interact with them unless they're opened. So something else was making them, and I could just pull it open to really see what was there.
[ She shrugs ]
But when I was a girl, I could just... I don't know. I could just make them appear wherever I wanted.
no subject
Huh...
[ obviously, Lupin doesn't know anything about this - not about quantum physics, alternate universes, or anything in between. He can't say why she might have lost a power like that. But Elizabeth's explanation is straightforward enough; he nods. ]
And I'm guessing you haven't found any Tears here, even in the well.
no subject
I haven't. It's probably better that they're not here, but it's still strange to not see them at all. They've always been around as long as I can remember.
[ Elizabeth makes a thoughtful noise, but then shrugs ]
...But I think at least here, I can learn more about what they are. Maybe. With so many people that can do so many things, surely at least one person might know a little about it. If I can make the Tears again and control them, then I might be able to help anyone that wants to go home.