tearmeanewone | un + action/voice

[Action]

“Booker? Booker?!”

Elizabeth could almost still smell the sulfur and fire, and feel the heat coming from Monument Island. It had felt, for a moment, like the world was being pressed and burned into her bones, swelling up against her ribcage and expelling itself in the form of a brilliant, blinding light that enveloped her, Booker, and Songbird. That was what she'd seen, she was almost certain of it.

But instead of her jailer and her strange fellow convict, Elizabeth was brought out of the sky and out of the clouds and light and into cool water. Not that she'd never ended up in water before, but it was very disorienting. She thrashed and doggy-paddled to the edge of the lake, realizing that if Booker had been anywhere nearby, he would have answered her.

The silence was lonely, and familiar. She didn't like it at all. Even the sounds of gunfire would have been welcome as opposed to the sound of her struggling to slosh out of the lake and onto the shore. Everything seemed to echo, even the drips coming off of the plain dress she had somehow ended up in. New place, new clothes, wings on her back... Elizabeth reached out awkwardly and touched them, drawing a hand back in dismay and shock when she realized she could feel her hand on her wing. Wings. She had wings now, when did that happen?

“It's okay, Elizabeth,” she said aloud, crossing her arms over her chest, trying to calm down and warm herself a little. “It's... probably not this wet in heaven.” She sniffled from the chill of being soaked head to foot, and took in her surroundings while trying not to wonder if she had in fact killed herself and Booker by opening that tear. It had led somewhere significant, somewhere foreign and different where madness was king. She had thought she'd seen a sea, but perhaps it was this lake. Perhaps she was in a different place where madness was king...

“Booker!” she called again, almost desperate. Biting back tears and a lump in her throat, she looked around the lake once more. She had lived alone for years. And in the first scrap of quiet she'd heard in a long time, she couldn't find comfort standing by herself.

Shivering, Elizabeth looked around for any movement and saw a patch of royal blue on the ground. Her dress, folded neatly with a thin book. Who did that...?

[Audio]

[The audio starts up, unexpectedly, but Elizabeth seems to know how this is supposed to work. It's like a Voxophone, right? Only it's somehow transmitted everywhere.]

Can anyone hear this? I don't know what day it is, or where I'm supposed to be. Booker? There's a, uh, lake here, and some trees. [She sighs, her voice wavering.] I'm freezing out here, and if you're running around sticking your head in trashcans I'm going to be really mad!

((Catch her walking through the forest or into the village! She has her journal open too, and will be 'Voxophoning' actively.))

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Why not? A lot of people don't have that kind of self-discipline. They just kind of do whatever they feel like doing if nobody's watching. I'm kind of surprised the whole place isn't on fire yet, with no police force. [Though really, Booker alone proved that even a well-trained police force wasn't much against a very determined person...]

[But more importantly--] Japan?! Oh my God, I've seen it on maps but never read about it! That's incredible! So, in Japan, 'Elizabeth-san' is like 'Miss Elizabeth', I see now!

...That would be most undesirable for Luceti to be on fire... [Think of all the property damage. The clean-up would be murder.] And it is not such a difficulty because my laws govern who I am. It is nearly impossible for a Nation to disobey them.

[He's completely blushing through all of that because wow, someone who is so enthusiastic about his country despite not-- wait, how could she not know his country???]

--You've never read about Japan?

[Yeah, one thing at a time, Japan.]

No! I mean, I got all sorts of books about Europe and America, but I have a feeling it was a pretty biased account. [Given what she saw at the Hall of Heroes? Very biased most likely.] I mean, I know the capital is Kyoto, and there are four main islands, and the general latitudes and longitudes. But nothing about the people or the language or the culture. ...to be honest I don't know much about any country that isn't the United States or in Europe.

...The capital was Kyoto, yes, but not since the Meiji Restoration wherein it moved to Edo, now Tokyo. The rest, however, yes, you are correct.

Is there another country you are interested in, Elizabeth-san? I know most of them.

Oh, the whole capital moved? [How old were the atlases Songbird brought Elizabeth? Old, apparently. This conversation is starting to progress very quickly from excited curiosity to embarrassment. There are giant, gaping holes in what she should know. Why? Something tells her it was deliberate...]

...China, I suppose. And the entire African continent. And South America...

Wait, there's a library here, isn't there?

The city itself remains, but the political centre moved to Tokyo, yes. It was a tumultuous time in my history.

[...................................WHY DOES EVERYONE CHOOSE CHINA]

Y-yes, there is a library. It is quite extensive in regards to history, culture, politics and the socio-economic structures of all countries. It does not list their personalities, however.

[BECAUSE OF REEEEEEASONS.]

Their personalities? [Elizabeth's exited to hear that the library's collection can be considered 'complete' when it comes to culture and so on, but...] What do you mean by 'personalities'? I mean, wouldn't studying the culture give someone a good idea of the 'personality' of a place?

It would give you an idea of their culture, yes, but Nations have their own personalities. They are simply...influenced by our cultures and our people at any given time.

For example, I am very polite because my people are polite. But, I also isolated myself for 250 years because I thought going outside would make me burst into flame. ....This was not a commonly held belief in my country at the time.

[...yeah, going outside could result in bursting into flame. Just not, you know, normally. And--]

[Woah wait.]

...Two hundred and fifty years? How are you still alive?! [She's starting to piece it together, though the concept of anthropomorphic countries hasn't crossed her mind as a possibility. She's had a rough day already, cut her some slack.]

....? Two hundred and fifty years is relatively short in my lifespan. Nations generally live as long as their land and people are alive and well.

....

[Oh wait. Oh. Uh...she wouldn't know about Nations, would she. ...oops.]

.............................Oh, I seem to have made a mistake.

[NO, REALLY?]

...You've lived for over 250 years, and you're still young. Were you not supposed to tell me that? Is that the mistake?

...I'm really not that young, but thank you for your kindness.

I have gotten too relaxed here. Sometimes I forget myself. I apologise.

...yeah, I wouldn't call two hundred and fifty 'that young' either, I'd call it 'probably dead of old age'. You don't sound two hundred and fifty, you sound middle-aged.

What are you even talking about?

It is relatively young where I am from. Time does not concern...people like me as much as it does people like you.

Please, do not worry much about my condition. I apologise for confusing you further when your arrival here can be confusing already. Is there anything I can do to be of better assistance?

...Yes, you can explain what you're talking about. What 'condition'? What do you mean 'people like you'? I've just shown up in this strange place with a written guide to it that I'm not so sure I should trust if you're not willing to tell me why two-hundred and fifty isn't that old for people like you.

[All Elizabeth can think is that something is going to be done to her and after that two-hundred and fifty won't seem that old to her either.]

...

[Japan lets out a soft sigh.]

You know of the country of Japan, yes?

I know it exists, yes. [If Elizabeth wasn't holding her journal, she'd have her arms crossed now.]

I am the country of Japan.

[He follows that with a bow, even if Elizabeth cannot see it.]

It is an honour to make your acquaintance, Elizabeth-san.

The... country. Of Japan.

[That... sort of explains some of the things he's said but.]

How?

...W-what do you mean how?

[Because that is like asking someone how they are alive. He just is, and he has no idea what she could be looking for as an answer.]

I mean that countries are comprised of hundreds, thousands, of people. How can you be all of them?

Oh. That.

....

Is far more difficult to explain, yes.

I am afraid I cannot fully explain it in a way that satisfies humans. Nations simply are. We represent and embody everything that a country is - its people, culture, and land.

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