tearitup | [ forestcovered information ] came to make a connection

Elizabeth | "Nightingale"

AGE: 20
HOMETOWN: COLUMBIA
SPECIES: HUMAN
FAMILY: ???
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH
OCCUPATION: LIBRARIAN
HEIGHT: 5'6"
BIRTHDAY: JULY 17, 1893
MISC.: CR CHART | PLAYLIST

DEBT

Elizabeth would like to be free of Songbird and her tower--for once and for all.

INVENTORY

OUTFIT
White blouse, blue skirt, and boots. [ ✖ ]

CHOKER (ORIGINAL)
A choker with the symbol for infinity and a bird cameo. [ ✖ ]

THIMBLE
A thimble to hide her cut-off pinkie finger. [ ✖ ]

CHOKER (NEW)
A choker with a cameo of a songbird. Rose bought it for her on her first day. [ ✖ ]

Elizabeth is a pretty spirited young woman. Even in her tower, as Booker observes her, she dances around, basking in the moment. Because no one's around, Elizabeth is free to act as she wishes--which includes experimenting with her power, the ability to open Tears. Later on, after the tense escape from Monument Island and her tower, Elizabeth is more than willing to leave Booker to, ah, recover while she checks out the sights--follow her around after pulling her away from her dancing, and you'll see her checking out everything from medicine balls to boardwalk attractions. She even expresses joy at trying cotton candy for the first time ever. While Elizabeth is spirited, she's also fairly reckless--during the scene Tears are first shown, she very nearly ends up bringing a fire truck... into the tiny room of her tower.

This recklessness isn't entirely Elizabeth's fault, of course. Because she has been locked in the tower her whole life, Elizabeth is in short supply of actual life experiences. All she knows, she's gleaned from the books she's read. This allows Elizabeth to be very intelligent and talented. She can break codes, if she has the appropriate code books, and pick locks, if she has enough supplies. This means any lock--something that comes in extremely handy during her and Booker's journey. Unfortunately, because she's lacking in life experiences... she has a curiously black-and-white view of the world.

Which goes back to the "reckless" aspect of her personality. Elizabeth is visibly terrified when she witnesses Booker murder the men attempting to capture her and take her back to her tower. And so she runs off, which... is definitely not a good thing, since she has zero combat experience, too, other than kicking and hitting. When they meet up once more, Elizabeth lashes out at Booker, calling him a "monster" for killing people. She doesn't understand that it's necessary; that they'll stop at literally nothing to take her back, not until Booker explains that to her. Booker kills someone and it happens close to her, she gasps, cries out, or otherwise communicates her distaste for violence.

Elizabeth does love her freedom, however, and despite how she feels about Booker's killing, the last thing she wants is to go back. It would mean certain death for her, and Elizabeth knows this: because she's escaped once, and if they get her back in her tower, they'll heighten security--and she'll never leave. It's this love of freedom that makes Elizabeth fascinated with life and the outside world--and all she can do in the outside world. After crashing into Battleship Bay after her escape, Elizabeth is nearly breathless with joy and excitement. She does not hesitate to leave Booker to recover on his own; she wants to see all the world can offer. While books are wonderful, it's nothing compared to actually experiencing it. When Booker finds her, Elizabeth is dancing, and she's so engrossed in it that she doesn't realize he's there until he says her name fairly loudly.

And when Booker suggests they go to Paris, Elizabeth can't refuse. She remains fixated on the idea of Paris, refusing to give up on the idea. Paris, for Elizabeth, is the ultimate goal. There, she would be safe; she wouldn't have to look over her shoulder, and she'd be happy. More than anything, Elizabeth wants to be happy and free. Unfortunately, because she is so fixated on the idea, it makes her pretty stubborn. She doesn't let Booker forget about Paris. Nor will she allow anyone to take her back to her tower. This determination pairs nicely with her resilience and adaptation. Despite having zero combat experience, Elizabeth can hold her own while Booker fights. She also has a mean kick and punch; she's able to fend off attackers fairly well, to the point where a message in the game flashes to alert the player that they don't have to worry about Elizabeth--she can take care of herself. Her resilience shows itself when, after Booker meets up with her and explains the situation, she bounces back enough to tend to his wounds. However, while Elizabeth can recover after stressful situations (like getting nearly kidnapped), they have their effect on her--though she tends to hide these effects fairly well.

Additionally, because Elizabeth is in wonder of her newfound freedom, she's very curious! She likes asking questions, and nothing seems to be off-limits. Not even when it comes to Booker's dead wife. Because of her curious nature, then, Elizabeth sometimes... lacks tact. This isn't without remorse, though; she knows she's hit a sore subject, and though she asks more questions ("You have a daughter?") it's slightly more awkward. Elizabeth isn't shy about approaching most subjects, though. Elizabeth, because she does disapprove of things like alcohol and smoking, will call Booker out if he consumes any of it. Mostly, this is in the form of her questioning his ability to shoot straight. Despite Elizabeth's lack of life experiences, then, she's got a sense of humor--sometimes at Booker's expense. And despite of her occasional tactlessness, Elizabeth's pretty polite--she listens to people when they talk, and she refers to Booker as "Mr. DeWitt" more often than not.

Finally, Elizabeth is, in her heart of hearts, a kind young woman. Her kindness and sensitivity bordering on naïveté allow her to display a humanity that seems absent due to Booker's cynicism. She acts as a sort of foil for Booker. And despite her being terrified of killing, she... understands why Booker does it. Elizabeth isn't a fool; she's just never experienced a whole lot of things. She's willing to listen, too, to learn, to understand. Even after calling Booker a monster and shoving him away, once he explains things, she tends to his wound. She makes sure he's okay, and then she offers to give him medical attention when he needs it--she vows to "keep him on this side of the abyss." Elizabeth's compassion in a cruel, bigoted Columbia is a sort of breath of fresh air. She doesn't understand why there are separate bathrooms--one for whites, one for "colored folk." As she says,

Elizabeth: Why is one bathroom for colors and the other for whites?
Booker: It just is.
Elizabeth: Seems like an unnecessary complication.

Because, at her core, Elizabeth cares about people. She's inquisitive and curious, more than just a little reckless, and above all else, kind.

STRENGTHS

INTELLIGENCE: Elizabeth has read a lot of books during her time in the tower. Because of this, she has a wide range of skills and knowledge that aids Booker.
RESILIENCE: Elizabeth is shockingly sturdy. She can handle herself in battle, and she can pick herself up from fairly stressful situations--like when she and Booker end up in Battleship Bay after literally falling out of the sky.
CARING: Elizabeth's kindness and caring allow her to empathize at least somewhat with Booker; she also brings him back from near-death several occasions.
STRENGTH: Elizabeth is startlingly strong! She manages to throw incredibly heavy books at Booker when he literally drops in on her; she's got a mean kick and isn't afraid to use it when someone's trying to grab her; she can push Booker, a hulking guy, away from her when she's really mad.

NEUTRAL CHARACTERISTICS

CURIOSITY: Not necessarily a bad thing, except when it ends up with her nearly getting captured. She also sometimes... unintentionally lacks tact because of her inquisitiveness; specifically, when she asks about a special lady in Booker's life. A lady who's dead.
PACIFISM: Again, not a bad thing! Elizabeth's fairly sensitive to violence, but... her fear results in her running away from Booker and nearly getting captured.

WEAKNESSES

LACK OF LIFE EXPERIENCES: Elizabeth has had essentially zero social contact, unless you count Songbird (who's more of a jailer than anything). This lack of life experience results in her making... questionable decisions.
RECKLESSNESS: Like being really reckless! Elizabeth, initially, does not... see the results of her plans until they've happened. Like when she opens a tear later on, and nearly ends up getting Booker murdered by Songbird. Similarly, she's stubborn about her ideals until someone gives her a reason to question them--like her black-and-white view of the world.
NAÏVETÉ: Elizabeth doesn't understand, initially, why Booker kills. Elizabeth has a vaguely black-and-white worldview at the start; she calls Booker a monster and pushes him away for killing people who are trying to take her back to her tower.

ABILITIES

TEARS: Elizabeth has the power to open tears--windows, basically--into other dimensions. Courtesy of the wiki:
When tapping into these Tears, she is able to transport objects from the other side to the current world. However, she does so with the possibility of losing her concentration and causing the Tear to widen, producing unpredictable results.
LOCK PICKING: Can pick any lock, granted she has the supplies to.
FIRST AID: Can administer excellent first-aid--so excellent she can bring Booker back from the brink of death.
CODE BREAKING: Can break any code, granted she has the correct code books.
PERCEPTION: During fights, she can supply Booker with medicine kits, ammo, and items to replenish his salts. Outside of battles, she can find money where Booker can't.
COORDINATE READING: Capable of reading coordinates she's comfortable with.
MISC.: Can take care of herself in battle; she's excellent at sneaking around as well, and she's fairly agile.

( codes by whambam )