[at her question on Ardyn, Grell only smiles, before she nods to the second set of statements.]
Absolutely. And not only is that a definite starting point, it's worth mentioning that Retrospec has a way to distribute the process to other people, even if they didn't possess it before. In August, I found myself capable of a power I know my previous self didn't have, and it was removed once the unreality was cleared up. As well as how I ended up in the possession of a friend's ability the month before. This suggests they aren't so much tied to our souls as pieces put into place, in my eyes.
[Pieces put into place. In a way, it's exactly what she'd been hoping to hear, and in a way it's exactly what she'd hoped she wouldn't. Powers being given and taken away, powers being traded around, pieces put into place and moved...]
So you've seen it happen firsthand. The transfer of an ability from a person possessing it to someone who had no capacity for it, prior to the transferral.
[All of a sudden her hands are less folded and more verging on gripping each other — the one minor flaw in her otherwise continued composure.]
Let's play that notion out to its logical conclusion, then.
[Which doesn't actually answer Grell's implicit question, which is arguably kind of an answer in itself.]
A power can be removed and transferred between one person and another. Does that suggest something like a talent can be, as well? That a person with no prior musical training might wake up one day knowing how to play the violin, while elsewhere a virtuoso has just utterly forgotten how? Could someone's senses? Motor functions? If one is possible, aren't all of the rest theoretically on the table?
Of course they are. When one deals with things that are essentially magic, then the rest become fair game. The blind might see, the voiceless speak. Mastery at a price.
But what makes you think that because someone has, another must lack? If one follows Ms. Wiseman's assertions, the violin player already knew, already had the potential, it was simply brought forth to the surface and left the virtuoso unscathed. No one is losing, save the concept of the self one knew until now. It becomes which is truth - past or present?
I'm thinking of a scenario similar to the way that all squares are rectangles, but not all rectangles are squares. It may be that not all transfers necessitate that one person lose and another gain. But if something is stolen...that implies a loss, by definition.
[Gosh, Carmen, whyever could your thoughts be going in that direction. What an enigma.]
In your professional opinion, something like that could still be possible?
Given everything I've personally seen and encountered so far with Retrospec, that's possible. Are you worried someone's going to steal something from you?
[No. Of course not. But the last thing she wants to do right now is to confess to the opposite; she's barely willing to consider admitting it to herself as it is, much less anyone else.]
I think it's a concern worth considering, given what we know and what we've seen. Don't you?
Somewhat. Though if someone were to steal something from me, I'd have to ask to what purpose? Call it selfish thinking, but if I can't yet discern the use of what I've been given, and I'm the one with the memories, what use would it be to a stranger?
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Absolutely. And not only is that a definite starting point, it's worth mentioning that Retrospec has a way to distribute the process to other people, even if they didn't possess it before. In August, I found myself capable of a power I know my previous self didn't have, and it was removed once the unreality was cleared up. As well as how I ended up in the possession of a friend's ability the month before. This suggests they aren't so much tied to our souls as pieces put into place, in my eyes.
no subject
So you've seen it happen firsthand. The transfer of an ability from a person possessing it to someone who had no capacity for it, prior to the transferral.
[All of a sudden her hands are less folded and more verging on gripping each other — the one minor flaw in her otherwise continued composure.]
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[it doesn't take a genius to decipher that much.]
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[Which doesn't actually answer Grell's implicit question, which is arguably kind of an answer in itself.]
A power can be removed and transferred between one person and another. Does that suggest something like a talent can be, as well? That a person with no prior musical training might wake up one day knowing how to play the violin, while elsewhere a virtuoso has just utterly forgotten how? Could someone's senses? Motor functions? If one is possible, aren't all of the rest theoretically on the table?
no subject
But what makes you think that because someone has, another must lack? If one follows Ms. Wiseman's assertions, the violin player already knew, already had the potential, it was simply brought forth to the surface and left the virtuoso unscathed. No one is losing, save the concept of the self one knew until now. It becomes which is truth - past or present?
no subject
[Gosh, Carmen, whyever could your thoughts be going in that direction. What an enigma.]
In your professional opinion, something like that could still be possible?
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[which is a valid concern, in Grell's view.]
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[No. Of course not. But the last thing she wants to do right now is to confess to the opposite; she's barely willing to consider admitting it to herself as it is, much less anyone else.]
I think it's a concern worth considering, given what we know and what we've seen. Don't you?
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[Still, though, she looks vaguely discomforted.]
Regardless, it's only a hypothetical.