#retrace xxvii | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

fivekrystalpetals · 1 year

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[this is mostly a repost of this chain of reblogs bc I had a few more things to add after rt.93+, wanted to have all of it in one place easy to read instead of adding one more rb to that chain, nobody talks about Lottie in general :( etc. etc.]

1] Lottie's real character

—is not the whole 'bloodlusty-sadistic-femme-fatale' persona she puts up but something close to this—

—the moment she sees a strange ragged child, a newcomer to her house on top of that, her first instinct is to go: "oh no, you are so dirty... come over here I will clean you all up."

then she goes on to console Lily for everything that happened in her life and explains why none of it was her fault—

Everyone here's gone through similar trials... but at the same time, it warps 'something' in people around you.

I am so curious about Lottie's past (on one hand, I am sad I won't ever have an answer; on the other I am happy bc I can make up whatever backstory I want for her!) because she says this as a matter-of-fact, like she (and everyone there) has experienced her share of trauma and abuse so can easily relate to Lily (also, please look at Lily's cute little adoring this-lady-is-so-cool face and her round, neatly combed mop of hair lol)

Lottie is a caring, motherly, nurturing person from her heart. This isn't even big-sisterly; she just straight up adopts a child that appeared at her doorsteps. At first, I thought her sweet character got warped after her traumatic experiences from the Tragedy of Sablier, but actually no. She still is the same, she simply suppresses it for the sake of her persona.

Because, here in Retrace 34, her first instinct on seeing Vincent beat up Echo was to confront him about it:

and she gets angry too when Vincent very coolly replies that he was taking out his pent up frustration on Echo.

However, then, she slowly relents, probably making up her mind not to interfere any more in his personal business because it was doubtless more important to keep Vincent on their side than making an enemy out of him.

annnd yet, she still voluntarily offers to accompany Zwei on her assigned mission to Sablier. because she is worried about her running off somewhere by herself. Practically a mom, I am telling you

and yeah, something else to add on here: the reason I say her Sadistic Sexy Girl persona is fake,, because she doesn't seem to enjoy the attention men 'give' her at all. two times iirc: when Vincent and Break grope at her without her proper consent, she appears highly uncomfortable. (or, it could only be dubcon at the best ig (also see: Lacie who was requested for her 'permission' in Glen's 'experiment' by the Glen himself. It is mentioned time and again that Baskervilles' can't go against the Glen's wishes,, implying her 'permission' was merely a formality))

See this, her first instinct is to irritably slap away Vincent's hand when he so much as touches her hair (Retrace 34):

But Vincent ignores her and continues to grope at her body.... with her finally giving in. Or rather, she was shown to be very shocked and annoyed all of those three panels before she abruptly switches to her 'sadist' persona.

With Break, I don't know how she would have reacted if he pressed on but since he pulled away, she went from being annoyed and uncomfortable to ending up more confused about what was going on (Retrace 41)

on the whole, I feel like on returning from the Abyss after a hundred years and finding that the Baskervilles had been replaced in the society and condemned to being barbarians and mass murderers, the survivors had to obviously collect more information about what really had happened. They had to find their master Glen as well. Hence, she assumed this persona to achieve her objectives—using her face and body to lure in possible informants. Also, when she needs to interrogate 'weaker' men, she simply uses it to scare them and get what she wants (sorry Oz, don't mean to dunk on you but you are the example here lmao). Like how Break clowns around so that people don't take him seriously. but.... that's not what she is, nowhere near what she is, and that's why she is so uncomfortable when men voluntarily make advances at her.

2] Lottie's smart observations

—because, many a time, it's because of her observations I started to think in an entirely new track.

in fact, the first time I started to pay closer attention to Jack's words is because of this panel (Retrace 27)—

Till then, I simply took it for granted that Jack Vessalius was a celebrated war hero, that Glen Baskerville was the one that caused the massacre which Jack put a stop to by killing his friend etc. etc.

But when Lottie pointed this out, I started to wonder if there was indeed something more to the whole Tragedy than that meets the eye. Well, honestly, calling a war hero a hero is in itself not all right but now when I realize what Jack was actually up to, it doesn't surprise me that he had no proper answer to Lottie's accusation here. He simply scares her off saying the Baskervilles won't be any match to B-Rabbit, to which, at the time I was reading this chapter, I went— okaaay? and what's that to do anything with anything?

He doesn't answer anything with regards to Glen because, apparently, he was trying to protect his dear friend's honor (bullshit); he says this to Glen's loyal followers as if they are gonna desert Glen or something. They stayed and still searched for him even after he gave the orders to kill everyone in Sablier so Jack, what's your point?

Next is here (Retrace 46)—

the first time I read this statement, do you know my mind directly went: oh, does this mean Vincent is the Head Hunter? Because if the Baskervilles don't know who the Head Hunter is but she is helping them out (in other words, in league with them), won't this narrow it down to Vincent? plus, he did kill Phillipe's dad (within the excuse of not wanting him to be dragged into the Abyss) with the chain which had connections to the Head Hunter case they were investigating.

But then, Vincent went on to say the Head Hunter attacked Gil too (which he couldn't have possibly done), and that he would be the one to slay her, and.... I entirely dropped that line of thought. Afterward, we went through the whole seesaw of whether or not Elliot is the Head Hunter to finally getting revealed Vincent was the true Head Hunter after all and I was like: ah, my first hunch was right after all... (ノへ￣、)

In the same chapter, here too:

Vincent (who is one of the smartest characters in the story) commends her on picking up things super fast. So does Break when she directly questions him about his words from the other day (Retrace 52):

Next, this one might be a bit of a weak argument but I think, of all people, it was only Charlotte who never fell for Jack's charms. In her past memories, it is shown that she didn't trust him at all. He enraged her, in fact. Yes, this whole scene is played off for gags but.... tl;dr, is that she questions him every time he enters their mansion without any particular permission or intention (Retrace 27)

and see here too:

She is shocked when she comes to know that Glen had let in Jack, an outsider, on to their secrets. Well, we have Jack here denying that he was at all interested in Glen's affairs but we later on realize that was not the case. That Jack was very much interested in Glen's affairs. So, Lottie's instincts ring true every time,,

(I was wondering why Lottie didn't know Jack at all since that guy has been loitering around the Baskerville Mansion since forever but that too was explained. she became a Baskerville after Lacie was cast into the Abyss, Oswald became Glen and Jack fell into his depression.)

but here, here (Retrace 87) can we talk about how smart Lottie is in this scene? (I love you, Break! but this post is about Lottie so I am gonna leave you out; I have made a separate post for you and your badass ways so there, there,)

Had it not been for Shirley, Break might have lost here, died even,, because what she says is right. He is fighting but he has not at all healed from his previous injuries (which, thanks to Vincent, got aggravated, seriously what's the sewer rat's problem?!),, so he is fighting for and with his life. Using his chain only adds to burden that his body can't take. lol, and so what a simple logic she uses-- just stay away from him by a certain distance, out of Mad Hatter's range and don't throw your chains against it either. He would self-destruct by himself ;-; Break looks so annoyed here, he must have realized that her logic would work.

3] Lottie is NOT a blind, stupid Glen fangirl/follower

As I mentioned in the 2 section, she is the only one that questions the intentions of Glen-sama's 'one and only friend' Jack who loiters about the Baskerville grounds for a lot of no reason;

similarly, she is the one who first hesitates at Oswald/Glen's actions after his taking over Leo's body and on a regret-fuelled warpath of probably more disastrous outcomes from changing the past than the Tragedy of Sablier.

Look at her, she is horrified at the way Glen killed that man, even skewering a sword through his mouth in his last moments (Retrace 81):

Yes, it is true that Pandora can not be easily cleansed of their brainwashing by Jack and misunderstanding of the Tragedy of Sablier but.... this was too ruthless and too cruel a murder of an innocent person. I think this is the first time she starts to question if Glen was really doing the right thing. (Even, I wonder if she gets flashbacks to the Tragedy of Sablier like Vincent bc she looks visibly shaken here)

Also, back in Retrace 79, she is right by Glen's side and even comically annoyed at Gil and Oz's escape and at Rufus for hiding while Raven attacked the place, so it didn't seem like she was questioning Glen at the time. Maybe, her first instance of hesitation was at Glen's immediate decision to get Gil killed, Gil who is one of them and was once Glen's valet. I don't know but she did seem to me to be a lot shaken there as well.

And not only now, back then, too. A 100 years ago. Yes, in front of Glen, it was Fang who openly questioned Glen's decision to kill all humans in and around Sablier but Lottie too was equally shocked to hear it (Retrace 27)

(Well, back then, it is true Oswald had no choice but to go ahead with killing all humans to save them from breaking away from the 100-years cycle or getting turned into chains (although I am writing a post on how a lot of the tragedy could have been avoided had he not been so passive; when I finish, I will link it here) but not in the present.)

Back to Lottie--

In the previous chapter (Retrace 26), she tells Oz that Glen's orders are absolute and the Baskervilles are 'built' to obey them. Her mannerisms show us (and Oz) that she has no remorse in killing all those people and is, in fact, super gleeful about the massacre and the role she played in it ("Aah, it feels like only yesterday", she says, as if she is nostalgic and thirsty for more bloodshed.)

However, this.... is all a huge lie.

Maybe, she thinks it will be easier to get an answer out of a hostage if she behaves cruel and threatening. Maybe, she is trying to hide her own regrets and guilt by putting up the mask of a psychopathic killer. Maybe, she feels there is no point in trying to justify their actions from a 100-years ago (something the Baskervilles themselves don't understand properly) to the citizens in the present, because, no matter what, they won't understand their stance and look upon them as barbarians and murderers, so it'd be as well to accept it.

Whatever be the case, the truth is: (Retrace 98)

What is this...? What exactly have we gotten ourselves into....?!

Lottie scolds Fang for even harboring a thought like one of their family has turned traitor, ultimately breaks down and cries in his arms. Plus, the Baskervilles themselves were scared of Jack and his chain-killing-chain (they didn't know it was Jack at the time) but they knew that someone, a human contractor or maybe one among themselves, had turned on them. Fang was so relieved to see Lottie alive. He feared she too might have fallen at the hands of the traitor, who had killed off many of the almost immortal Baskervilles assigned to be the messengers to and from Glen. I suppose had those messengers managed to reach Lottie and co., they would have known the real reason behind Glen's orders to kill the humans (if you see Retrace 74-pg. 29 (not adding that panel too) Glen does explain his decision to a red-hooded Baskerville, who I presume was killed by Jack on their way to the others)

Having said all this, I can't not add this panel bc this too is canon *face palm*

4] Lottie's views on living and death

This is a bit difficult to explain but there's a lot of stuff about this in spite of her few appearances (gotta read between the lines), so let's start with this panel:

while reading this for the first time, I thought she is talking about the Tragedy of Sablier. I am not so sure now. Because, although they killed lots of people, it was not for their own gain at all. It was to save those people from a fate worse than death. But, in this chapter (Retrace 25), Lottie doesn't yet know why Glen had asked them to commit the massacre so.... she must have bought the common (Jack-fed) tale that Glen wanted the Intention of the Abyss for his own gain. In a way, she is still trying to convince herself that their crimes on that fateful day were justified.

It's impossible to keep on living without hurting anybody, okay?

What I mean is this should be her own idea of life—that living is cut-throat and unfair. If we simply do nothing, then others will trample all over us and use us to achieve their own goals. Even if we try to live a life without hurting others, the same need not always be reciprocated. (which is exactly what went down between Jack and Glen jkjkgsjk but Lottie doesn't know lol)

I feel like the whole conversation hints more at her past than her days with the Baskervilles, because, even prior to that, the topic she was discussing with Oz... had nothing to do with the Baskervilles or the Tragedy. She was merely curious why Oz surrendered so fast when Ada was with him and why he wasn't fighting back right now. Thinking about it, Oz underwent a tremendous character development from a This-is-Fine, If-I-do-Nothing-I-will-be-Fine attitude to actively fighting back for his friends and family. Retrace 82, when he finally wrestles the control out of Jack's hands in spite of his constant taunting that nothing could belong to someone like Oz. In a way, he did take Lottie's advice and act upon it.

Lottie has the right hunch about most things. Remember this scene (Retrace 75):

I wonder what her life before joining the Baskervilles was like because she sure has tons of worldly experience and can easily see through people. Just like that, she offers words and advice that people (here, Oz) needed to hear.

I believe this is also the reason why her reaction to Break was quite... different compared to little Lily's outburst whenever she spotted him that they gotta kill him and get revenge for Fang.

For one, yes, she knows Fang passed with a smile on his face and was freed from his burden. She was relieved for him. But I also think she doesn't want revenge on Break because of this very principle of life. Fang died protecting Lily. It was a fair fight, a fight for life where if one even slightly falters, they are gonna get killed. It was not like Break had an advantage there; it was not like Fang was gonna go easy on Break had he given in or something,, (compared to Glen's killing of those Pandora men, where he had an overwhelming powerful chain, ig those men were mostly unarmed too idk)

And of all people, it was Lottie who finally ended that cycle of vengeance that started with Reim and Lily. Remember how it went?

Lily kills two of Reim's companions -> Reim seeks revenge and shoots Lily in the head -> Lily didn't die instead she attacks Reim -> Break arrives at the spot (coz of Vincent), jumps to conclusion that Reim is dead and seeks revenge -> in the fight that ensues Fang dies and Break gets grievously injured -> Lily wants revenge for Fang (in the meantime, Vincent reopens Break's half-healed wound from then) -> in the fight between Break and the Baskervilles, he gets even more exhausted bc of his chain (the reason he went all out was for Sharon getting slightly hit in the head btw) -> finally, Break dies but Lily isn't satisfied, she wants to cut up his body -> Reim offers her to shoot him instead bc he was the one that started it in the first place

Had Lily killed Reim here, this cycle could have gone on forever (maybe, Sharon might seek revenge next lol)

side note: from this, I realize that Break acts a lot more out of emotion than Lottie; Fang was equally important to Lottie like Reim or Sharon were to Break. Yet, she decided to put an end to the cycle of vengeance and accept Reim's offered hand of friendship. Supposing if Reim and Fang were the ones that died back then and Break lived in the end, would he have agreed to ally with the Baskervilles? I doubt...? (Another thought with no real proof is that she'd already been thinking of working with the protagonists ever since Break asked of her (remember, she was the one curious about his words) but that's a topic for another post ghjshgjs I promise it won't be shippy lol)

Back to the topic, I am genuinely surprised that she didn't hold the slightest grudge against Break. I understand allying with the protagonists for they are pursuing the same goal but she really didn't have to stop and say such a sweet prayer for his soul, a man who killed her friend after all:

May your soul return to this Earth.... once it has completed its hundred years cycle.

She is promising him to see Oz and the others through to the end in his place! Something he was regretting at the very brink of death, that he didn't have it in him anymore to continue on the path with them,, so whether he can or not hear her, this sure was a reassurance he needed to hear. (As I said before, she just..... knows what to say, she can easily see through people but I don't think it is appreciated enough ;_;)

And here comes in her views of death and the Hundred Years cycle (reincarnation) of the soul, something she takes very seriously (she should, considering they are the servants of the Abyss) and I believe she is of the view that demise needs to be respected, no matter friend or enemy. Now, do you see why she was so horrified at Glen stabbing a sword through the man's throat while he lay there dying? A close example I can give is that of Chuuya from BSD rebuking Dazai for shooting bullets at a corpse. They might have killed lots but they still know to respect the dead/dying.

This went so long--and I will go on and on about Lottie lol (I even reached the 30 image limit ig idk) so I will end here with Charlotte reconciling with her master and assuring him that she will support Leo in his place. This is the first time she has visible tears in her eyes:

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patchworkprince · 2 years

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pandora hearts by jun mochizuki retrace: XXVII

#pandora hearts #oz vessalius #elliot nightray #leo baskerville #mangacap #mangaedit #scythe.edit #☕︎.i queue you good waves

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stirlingmoss · 5 months

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XXXIII He said, “My Lord, I have killed one of them, and I fear they will kill me.

XXXII “Move your hand to your side; it will come out white, though without disease. Now fold your arms, free of fear. These are two proofs from your Lord for Pharaoh and his grandees, for they are impious people.”

XXXI And, “Throw your staff!” Then when he saw it in motion, as if it were a snake, he turned away in retreat, but did not retrace his steps. “O Moses! Approach without fear, for you are one of those who are secure.

XXX Then when he got there, he was called from the right side of the valley, from a tree on blessed ground, “Moses! It is I, God, Lord of the universe!”

XXIX Then when Moses had fulfilled the term, and was traveling with his family, he perceived a fire by Sinai. He said to his family, “Stay here, for I perceive a fire. Maybe I can bring you some information from there, or a burning coal from the fire, that you may warm yourselves. ”

XXVIII He said, “That is between you and me; whichever of the two terms I fulfill, let there be no enmity toward me. And God is witness to what we say.”

XXVII He said, “In fact, I want to marry one of these two daughters of mine to you, on condition that you work in my employ for eight years; and it is up to you if you complete ten. But I do not want to impose hardship on you. You will find me, God willing, one of those with integrity.”

XXVI One of the women said, “O father! Hire him; the best employee for you is he who is strong and reliable.”

So he got away from there, looking around in fear: he said, “My Lord, deliver me from oppressors!”

XXV Then one of the two women came to him, walking shyly; she said, “My father invites you, that he may reward you for watering our flocks for us.” Then when he went to him and told him the story, he said, “Do not fear; you have escaped the oppressors.”

XXIV So he watered the two women’s flocks for them, then turned back to the shade and said, “My Lord, I am in need of anything good you send me.”

XXIII And when he came to the oasis of Madyan, he found there a group of people watering their flocks; and he found besides them two women driving their flocks away. He said, “What is the matter with you?” They said, “We cannot water our flocks until the shepherds take theirs back; our father is an elderly man.”

XXII And when he turned toward Madyan, he said, “Perhaps my Lord will show me the right way.”

III

XXI So he got away from there, looking around in fear: he said, “My Lord, deliver me from oppressors!”

XX Then a man came running from the furthest part of the city, saying, “Moses! The grandees are deliberating about you, to kill you; so get out, for I am giving you good advice.”

XIX Then when he was going to strike the one inimical to them both, he said, “Moses, do you intend to kill me as you killed someone yesterday? You only want to be powerful on earth, not one of those who reconcile.”

XVIII The next morning he looked around in the city in fear, and there was the one who had asked his help the day before, imploring his assistance. Moses said to him, “You are clearly wrong.”

XVII He said, “My Lord, because of Your gracious blessing on me, I will never be a helper to those guilty of sin.”

XVI He said, “My Lord, I have wronged my own soul; forgive me!” And God forgave him; for God is the epitome of forgiveness and mercy.

XV He entered the city at a time when its people were unaware, and he found there two men fighting, one of his own group, the other one of his enemies. Then the one of his own group called to him for help against his enemy. So Moses hit him with his fist, and thereby killed him. He said, “This is a work of the devil, for he is an enemy who openly misleads.”

XIV When he reached his maturity, and was firmly established, We gave him wisdom and knowledge. Thus do We reward those who do good.

#28:14-33 #The Story #(Al-Qasas)#Meccan

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douchebagbrainwaves · 3 years

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I'VE BEEN PONDERING COMBINATOR

Each group tries its best to work as if they were a single person could unroll the future for them. Ramen profitable means a startup makes just enough to pay the founders' living expenses. But startups aren't tied to VC the way they were 10 years ago. Then I thought: what would the other 9 be? But the average startup fails. Y Combinator itself is arguably one of them could make you a billionaire.1 If anywhere should be quiet, that should. There are no shops on the island and you won't be able to try out software online. Evolving your idea is the embodiment of understanding your users. Exception: If one of the founders mentioned a rule actors use: if you feel you're speaking too slowly, you're speaking at about the right speed. It's just as well to carry plugs. Moore's Law back, by writing the sufficiently smart compiler, but no one person would have a complete copy of it.

Begin with a description that's gripping but perhaps overly narrow, then flesh it out to the extent you can. Never say we're passionate or our product is great. If normal food is so bad for us intellectually as white flour or sugar is for us physically. Sales people make much the same way that living in the future and they sensed that something was missing. Let me conclude with some tactical advice.2 One is that companies will inevitably slow down as they grow larger, no matter how hard they try to keep their startup mojo. To understand what McCarthy meant by this, we're going to retrace his steps, with his mathematical notation translated into running Common Lisp code. Earplugs are small. But something is missing: individual initiative. And for the first time in over a decade the idea of switching seems thinkable to me. If you're demoing something web-based database as a system to allow people to collaboratively leverage the value of information, it will go in one investor ear and out the other.

There is usually so much demand for custom work will always be pushing you toward the bottom. Although your product may not be sufficiently focused. The whole Viaweb site was made with our software, even though it wasn't an online store, because we wanted to experience what our users did. You may notice a certain similarity between the Viaweb and Y Combinator logos. But in those days the trade press expected versions, so we get into the habit early in life of thinking that all judgements are. What's so unnatural about working for a company with 100 employees and one with 10,000 hackers and no one else would be in a position of power. We put cgi-bin in our dynamic urls to fool competitors about how our software worked.3 You wouldn't need them.4 Is there no configuration of the bits in memory of a present day computer that is this compiler?

Notes

Xxvii.

If your income tax rates have had a juicy bug to track down. How much better than having twice as much as people in the last step is to assume the worst thing about our software. 99 to—new things start to feel tired.

To use this thing yourself, if I can establish that good art fifteenth century European art. But the margins are greater on products. No one understands female founders better than having twice as fast is better than their lifetime value, counting users as active when they're on the ability of big companies weren't plagued by internal inefficiencies, they'd be proportionately more effective, leaving the area around city hall a bleak wasteland, but getting rich, people would be better for explaining software than English.

A day job. We try to establish a silicon valley. Once the playing field is leveler politically, we'll see economic inequality start to identify them with comments. I couldn't think of a lumbar disc herniations, but that they use the phrase frequently, you don't see them much in the country.

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legendarysmiths · 6 years

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Tireless Charge

it’s been close to six years when i first wrote that 50 sentence challenge for Slight. let’s see this improvement.

I. COMFORT

Even after the end of the world and the beginning, they could solace on the beach and with each other.

II. KISS

Some nights it’s full of laughter—bright, infectious daylight that’s softer than his stubble—and other times when the nightmares take hold, it’s a desperate need.

III. SOFT

Neither of their hands—they were calloused and hard—held childlike smoothness, but he holds her hand all the same.

IV. PAIN

Before it was all blades and hard magic; now, it’s a simple rose thorn that bites into her palm.

V. POTATOES

His hands are steadier at cutting vegetables.

VI. RAIN

They can’t explain why they sit out in every storm, drenched to the bone, covered by silence.

VII. CHOCOLATE

She expected him to have a sweet tooth, but he’d never find hers.

VIII. HAPPINESS

When he isn’t looking—asleep, golden light in his golden hair or when he laughs with a neighbor, fast friends with everyone he meets—her heart blooms.

IX. TELEPHONE

It’s rare to be out of contact with her for so long and he praises the gods when he hears her voice.

X. EARS

He hides them because he thinks they’re too big.

XI. NAME

Even when he learned her real name, she was his Light.

XII. SENSUAL

Her hands shook as she undressed him the first night.

XIII. DEATH

He has tasted his end more times than he’d like, but she was always there with Raise.

XIV. SEX

It’s her eyes—electric and demanding all at once—and when her lips pull up, he melts.

XV. TOUCH

In the beginning, there was guilt, but now, there is bliss.

XVI. WEAKNESS

What one lacks, the other makes up in stride.

XVII. TEARS

It’s rare to see her cry; it’s not rare for him.

XVIII. SPEED

It’s unfair to try and beat her in a sprinting contest, but by the gods, he fails miserably.

XIX. WIND

The flowers in their garden sway.

XX. FREEDOM

He finds himself helping people and it is in their thanks that he breaths easy.

XXI. LIFE

She didn’t know what it meant to live until she stopped serving everyone and took care of herself.

XXII. JEALOUSY

In another time, his hands hold the waist of a younger, simpler girl; in another life, she’s made of crystal within a tower.

XXIII. HANDS

He holds her hand far too often and absent-mindedly.

XXIV. TASTE

Sparks and roses fill his mouth. Ice and leather trace her lips.

XXV. DEVOTION

He built the whole house for her.

XXVI. FOREVER

Time wore heavy on their shoulders; they did not discuss it.

XXVII. BLOOD

Old habits die hard and they still spar together.

XXVIII. SICKNESS

He catches colds more often than he’d like, yet every time, she is there is nurse him back to health.

XXIX. MELODY

She can’t carry a tune to save her life and learns the violin instead.

XXX. STAR

The sky was alive with light.

XXXI. HOME

Everything was simple; everything was perfect.

XXXII. CONFUSION

He stammers when she finds a stuffed horse.

XXXIII. FEAR

There was a time Chaos ate away at him; now she worries he’ll bruise his thumb hammering a nail.

XXXIV. LIGHTNING/THUNDER

The electrical energy still comes easily to her even when neither of them can cast.

XXXV. BONDS

When the groups reunite, there is more laughter and joy than anything she could’ve wished for.

XXXVI. MARKET

They sell their crops most mornings, happy to help.

XXXVII. TECHNOLOGY

Carrying the whole world in a back pocket was frightening.

XXXVIII. GIFT

He brings a new set of knives and she touches up the sparring targets.

XXXIX. SMILE

Every smile was a victory.

XL. INNOCENCE

She doesn’t know the luxury of eating ice cream on a summer day.

XLI. COMPLETION

He doesn’t have to touch her to feel fulfilled.

XLII. CLOUDS

They always see the same shapes in the sky.

XLIII. SKY

His eyes are the color of pre-dusk light.

XLIV. HEAVEN

Hugging her after the end of the world was all he wanted.

XLV. HELL

Waking him up in the morning is the worst.

XLVI. SUN

They rise with the sun.

XLVII. MOON

They fall with the moon.

XLVIII. WAVES

The sounds lull her to sleep each night.

XLIX. HAIR

He learns to braid her hair and becomes exceptionally good.

L. SUPERNOVA

There is no god destroying the world, nor does the world fall into pieces. Under the night sky, Lightning and Snow retrace their lives in the stars.

#The Lightning Saga #Final Fantasy XIII #Snow Villiers #Lightning Farron #Lightning x Snow #Aswa's writing #otp: stay strong

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fivekrystalpetals · 1 year

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My thoughts so far (mainly the arc from Retrace XXXVI to Retrace XLII—trio investigates Sablier arc?)

1] Glen Baskerville: so, we get a face reveal for the ‘evil mastermind’ behind the Tragedy of Sablier. But before we talk about the meeting between Glen and Oz, I want to talk about Lottie’s bits of memories from the Tragedy.

—out of all the events shown to us through Cheshire’s dimensions and even at Sablier itself, I can only trust these bits of Lottie’s memories (surprise!)—why? Because, for one, she has no reason to lie about her treasured master; and two, she is still alive. Alice from 100 years ago is long dead and the chain Alice has no memories of her past. She is just like us, readers, clueless of the actual events. And whatever memories we do see, I can’t trust them, being all shaky, distorted and twisted and traumatized.

Anyway, I felt something was off about the three panels even during my first read but I couldn’t place what exactly. I simply assumed it was because Glen’s face was shrouded in darkness and mystery, looking all cruel and villainous.

But I think I know what rubbed me wrong about the panels. It’s the urgency in his behavior. Why is he so agitated here? If the plan was made to sink Sablier into the Abyss to appease(?) the Will, then he should sit back and enjoy the game, no? Like, say, Father from FMA, who had a similar masterplan and motive to sink Amestris and make a Philosopher’s Stone out of all the souls. Not to mention, why did he give the order to Lottie and Co. to kill all the people? They might have been sacrificed to the Will, dead or alive, right?

Here we get the answer from Glen himself—

The Will of the Abyss didn’t exist in the beginning. The Abyss itself was probably some sort of an energy source before it was granted a vessel. I am not yet sure of the exact details but what I strongly believe is that the White-Haired Alice is in reality a human and the actual twin sister of our Alice who was kept trapped inside Rapunzel's castle. But that raises a ton of other questions like—who placed her inside the Abyss? If it were the Baskervilles, did they believe she won’t have a ‘will’ of her own? Did they really think she would simply be a robot for them to use? And again, who is ‘Alice’? And how is she special to make them think she could act as a vessel for the Abyss?

Okay, well, that aside, Glen’s logic here actually makes sense to me? (or maybe I just listen better to dark-haired emo guys ahem so don’t take this seriously lol I am not trying to condone his actions or anything just trying to understand both sides of the argument) It’s similar to what Break said in Retrace IX. The power of the Abyss is malfunctioning, has pervaded the human world, currently disrupting it—the only way to set it right is by obtaining the Intention of the Abyss. Well, how Oz calculates into his equation or why he is called a Key is not yet clear but this—

—seems important. It appears before Oz existed, only the Baskervilles, the servants of the Abyss, could access it but after Oz’s ‘birth’, everyone can do so.

Soooo, taking away all that ominous shading from around Glen, that’s what he too is saying, right? I am almost starting to believe that Glen was actually trying to set right the accident—not planning for it—because that way I get the answer to another one of my questions: why did he give the order to kill all the people in Sablier? Why could the people not have been sacrificed alive to the Intention, if sacrifice of so many people was to be the end outcome anyway?

Honestly, from his agitation and his overall urgency and his apparent hurry to even pause to answer his subordinates’ very valid question, it felt less like a planned affair and more like a last-minute rush hour, more like he was running out of time. Why was he running out of time if this Tragedy was planned in advance?

On the other hand, if–if he didn’t know this Tragedy was gonna take place, and if the Intention suddenly started to pull down the capital, his reaction would make sense. I think, so I ask, was he trying to save the people of Sablier from a Fate worse than Death, as they say? Anything that gets dragged into the Abyss gets converted into Chains or something worse (see: Vincent shot down Phillipe’s dad before he got dragged into the Abyss?), I think Glen gave the urgent yet baffling order to kill the people so that they ‘die’ before they get dragged into the Abyss.

[Well, I think I am wrong anyway; somehow none of my guesses are working for this story lol. Two faults I can easily pick on in my theory: 1] Lottie and co. were alive and well in spite of being dragged into the Abyss and 2] the people could have been evacuated from Sablier, no? or perhaps it was too late for even that?]

Next, this—

Glen is not a memory, is he? He is actually talking to Oz. At first, he wrongly assumed that Oz was Jack and addressed him so; but then he realized his mistake.

And then, comes the familiar line—the Baskervilles said this, his dad said this and now, Glen too—

Your sin is your very existence.

—let me tell you I didn’t take this line seriously until now. Eh, it’s some line that is being repeated to make a Tragic Hero with a Tragic Backstory out of Oz—is what I thought. But now, a guy who has no connection to Oz whatsoever repeats the same line, out of nowhere, without any outside influence or knowledge, merely by looking ‘inside’ the boy; and I am suddenly being forced to wonder what it means (perhaps in a literal sense)

Oz should not have existed.

Alternatively, Oz shouldn’t have been born.

Xai Vessalius said the same thing too. Pretty sure this has something to do with Oz being the Key to access the Abyss, but what exactly he can do is unclear to me.

(Oh, an additional complaint (of sorts?): uh, I didn’t like Jack’s attitude toward Lottie and co., they were merely asking for an answer from him (they were even quite casually polite unlike their usual attitude towards the others); while the answer he gives them is: 1) he is trying to protect his friend’s reputation (before his own subordinates?? Please. The Baskervilles seem too loyal to their master. Even if the truth is too hard and too cruel to digest, they would have accepted it as one of their master’s orders anyway.) and 2) that Lottie won’t stand a chance before the B-Rabbit’s power… which okay? Doesn’t answer their question though? Honestly, feels like he is trying to scare them away from the truth more than anything else. And if my theory is right, and Glen was actually trying to save the people, then why would he (or the Baskervilles) want to bring about another Tragedy of Sablier? *shrugs in idek anything at this point*)

Moving on,

2] Vincent, Gil and the Will of the Abyss: (or, as I believe the girl talking so rudely to Gil and Vincent. I won’t have it that it’s our sweet Alice being the one mocking him about his eyes but if it is so, then well…)

Anyway, she is the one that tells Vincent about Glen and five chains that exist within his body: Jabberwock (the one Glen had in the scene with Oz), Raven (Gil’s), Dodo, Owl, Griffon (Xai’s chain) (all creatures from Alice in Wonderland). Also, that Glen is an undead spirit that keeps changing bodies (like atla!avatar), that he rules over the Baskervilles, that Gil would be the next Baskerville head and so unless Vincent stops the ceremony to transfer Raven into Gil’s body, Gil will die. Why would Gil die if he is meant to be the next heir; it makes no sense. Pretty sure the Will was simply lying to make Vincent open the Door.

The solution—open the Gates of the Abyss (real reason: so the Abyss could creep into the human world, huh?) which Vincent believed and did anyway… kickstarting the Tragedy of Sablier. (So, that’s all Vincent remembers? I hoped we could learn more from him; but the next thing he was seeing after opening the Gate was the massacre in Sablier.)

So, in the present, Vincent desires the Will of the Abyss so he can reverse time and make it so that the Tragedy never happened in the first place. yk, this is one rare situation where I actually wish Time could be reversed and the past could be restored because Vincent was only a little child at the time. He just desperately wanted to protect his brother (and prove that he is not a curse or burden to his brother) but the adults around him used this vulnerability to manipulate him into committing acts beyond his full comprehension. Little knowledge is a dangerous thing indeed. Even then, and taking Break’s case as an example, even if he manages to reverse the Tragedy, something even bigger and more tragic must happen.

Also, about Raven: apparently, transferring this chain to Gil was the first step to make Gil the next heir to the Baskervilles. Vincent was against this 100 years ago yet he willingly shows Raven to Gil in the present (ten years ago i.e.). Why? Is this some part of his plan? To try and make Gil remember his past? Or, so they find an irreplaceable position in the Nightray household? Or, considering his calculations to change the past, this contract won’t matter anyway—is what he thinks?

I am worried about Gil, too. What is the ‘kill him, kill him,’ saying going on inside his head? Break correctly points out that those thoughts aren’t his own. I can’t explain why but I feel like it’s Raven that’s feeding him these thoughts. Or, it could also be the B-Rabbit chain that is under his control or something. Uhhh, idk what’s going on with Gil, nothing good obviously.

About Gil, Jack and Glen: I thought Gil was Jack’s servant in the past, that’s why he feels so bonded to Oz but turns out this is not so. Although strange why—

Even in Cheshire’s domain, Gil is the one that ran into Jack first. I wonder…

Another thing: Gil obviously doesn’t remember anything from his past, but did he know Glen? There must have been some communication between Glen and Gil 100 years ago if he was chosen to be the next heir and all. Was Glen Gil's master, if not Jack?

Either way, it’s sad—the two brothers’ relationship. In spite of all their hardships, they clearly cared for each other even if the thought seemed to have entered Gil’s mind several times to just up and leave Vincent behind (which he thankfully didn’t. He is his only relative, after all.) Vincent too cares a lot for Gil, if not for anyone else. And was ready to listen to the words of some strange lady in strange robes (kids, never accept candy advice from strangers, okay?) to help his big bro.

3] Miranda Burma:

Ah, this lady.

And this lady:

are the same, right?

This bitch lady was the one manipulating the hell out of a little child. She has played an important role in the Tragedy by getting to open the Gate to the Abyss. Perhaps, as a member of one of the noble houses, she was granted entry to the Baskerville Mansion, and she decided to misuse this trust to bite the hand of her own host.

Anyway, her existence in the story makes me all the more certain that the Tragedy came onto the Baskervilles as suddenly as Vincent opening the Gate to the Abyss. And that the four Dukedoms each have something or the other to do with this Tragedy. Perhaps, they were jealous of the power the Baskervilles held, that they alone could act as the Servants of the Abyss and wanted the Doors to the Abyss for themselves?

Oooh, could it be that Jack Vessalius too is part of the plot? What a twist it would make yum! Did he betray his best friend’s trust in him to plot with the other Dukedoms against him? After the Baskervilles were defeated, he must have been declared the ‘Hero’ by the other Dukedoms for all his help, eh? Perhaps, there is some truth to Lottie’s accusation, after all? Jack didn’t defend himself then—simply scared her off with the B-Rabbit’s power.

Also, very interesting that four of the five chains that originally belonged to Glen were shared between the Dukedoms like spoils of the war.

This scene is a red herring, yes? Glen’s Evil Smirk TM is supposed to be taken as—ah, obviously he is in cahoots with her and the Plan, but that seems too obvious to me; I rather feel like she was someone he trusted a lot and was simply smiling in acknowledgement, not knowing of the secret betrayal going on around him. I have read too many detective novels to fall for something this obvious hahaha.

side note: she is totally a manipulative bitch but her hair is beautiful lol

4] Xai Vessalius: oh yeah, and what about the Vessalius' household head? The one who hates his ‘son’ so much that he is ready to personally cast him as far as possible into the Abyss to maintain some distance lol. The Burma Dukedom was clearly ‘in’ the Tragedy, but seeing that Xai Vessalius and Duke Nightray are working together (at least in some capacity, for the Duke vouched for Xai’s alibi while the latter was def in the Coming-of-age ceremony) makes me wonder (once again)—who is on whose side? Who is telling the truth? What are they hiding? The truth behind the Tragedy of Sablier?

Plus, Rufus Barma reads out (from a book that no one but he can read which in itself is suspicious lol) that Jack sacrificed his body to stop Glen (the spirit) from resurrection but… that might also be because the four Dukedoms don’t want Glen to awaken (otherwise the truth might come out).

Not to mention, there is this and idk what to make of it—

The more I continue with this story, the more it feels like Oz came into existence from very dubious sources just like the Intention of the Abyss.

And what about sweet Uncle Oscar? Is he as good-natured and jovial as he appears? In spite of Gil repeatedly telling him that Xai was the mastermind of the Incident at the Coming-of-Age ceremony, he simply brushes his statement off. Are both brothers (and Duke Nightray) in this together?

But Xai also seems to be acting with the Baskervilles. Maybe, in his own faceless (lol why is his face not revealed already?) methods, he too is simply trying to uncover the truth from 100 years ago and really, nobody knows anything?

5] Alice and Jack (and Lacie): Well, I didn’t learn anything new about these two except for that the eerie tune we’ve been hearing right from the first chapter and the grave belongs to ‘Lacie’. She was someone very beloved to Glen and had to be made into a sacrifice for the Abyss. (Well, that’s a lot of things to unpack but for now I am not gonna make wild assumptions bc i am gonna be wrong anyway.)

only thing: if my theory that “the Tragedy of Sablier was orchestrated by the four dukedoms to get hands on the Doors to the Abyss and get rid of the Baskervilles who were caught right in the middle of a crossfire when Vincent opened the Gate” is wrong, then the other theory could be something like: Glen sacrificed the people of Sablier to the Abyss as a cost to get back Lacie or something. (yk, the trope of the villain ready to throw away the world for the sake of one ‘beloved’ person)

6] Human Experimentation: arrgghhh I was right about this and now I am sad I was right, bc Phillipe is gonna be used for these experiments, right? The so-called facility to take in kids whose parents were illegal contractors seems above board and done in a good cause and all (or so our main trio and Leo-Eliot believe; Leo is esp. good with the kids) so the author can hit them (and me) hard when they find out that the kids have been used in experimentation and never gonna return. ‘Endless supply of human guinea pigs’ are you kidding me?!! I already had a hunch that the organization of Pandora was shady af and now I have proof.

7] Eliot Nightray: I don’t know what to make of this boy yet; but I am warming up to him anw because he is such a tsundere lmao. He clearly wants to react positively whenever Oz loudly offers to be friends, instead he is having this ‘stoned’ expression on his face ///>^<///

(lol he is so funny; He is literally the anime single-canine-in-mouth-when-mad catboy in this whole dark affair lmao)

or has a constant nerve popping on his face somewhere lol

Another curious thing: he claims he wrote the song Lacie (the same song Glen wrote) so...... what does it mean? Is he destined to be the next host for Glen? Does he share his memories? And he even has the nightmare of burning buildings and people dying (Tragedy of Sablier, right?) Eliot as the next Glen is something I’d definitely want to see. He’d look so cool with all those layers of robes.

okay he looks really handsome here; had I read PH 10 years ago, I might have crushed on him so hard hehehe

8] Baskerville clan: now that Zwei and the one who cast Oz into the Abyss, Xai are both revealed to be /not/ Baskervilles, I believe only Lottie, Fang and the other guy are the only remaining Baskervilles. Oh, and the new young girl who appeared from the Gate still in possession of the Baskervilles–Lily.

I am actually warming up to this little ragtag group of mass murderers. They might be villains to this story (or not from their pov) but they are still family—Lottie being the older sister,

Fang gives off Tired DILF of FourTM energy (how did I not notice him before? I am in love with the way he talks <;3),

Lily is the little sister.

Lottie came across as super weird in the beginning but I feel like that’s all just a cover to hide her hurt feelings at her own helplessness and their inability to find their master’s body and give him peace.

The scene where she is consoling Lily and recounting her own experiences:

She looks so sad here :((

And, just like that, I am down for the villains once again lol

9] Oz and Alice: lol I am not even trying to understand what’s going on with Oz anymore. That he is able to use B-Rabbit's power on his own is one thing, but why is he wielding the scythe as well all of a sudden? Does the power of the B-Rabbit keep transferring to Oz’s body the more he uses it? What will happen to Alice then? Will her soul disappear? Because as I understand, B-Rabbit merely assumes the form of Alice bc it is harder to maintain the whole form,, but Alice was already dead 100 years ago. So, what is in the B-Rabbit chain must be more or less a small fragment of her soul. If the B-Rabbit finds a stronger host, is it automatically transferring to it? Maybe then, Alice can finally rest in peace ;-;? I just hope she finds the whole truth of her life before she passes for good this time. This girl is becoming lonelier and more lost as the story proceeds. And even her chipper and boisterous attitude is more forced these recent chapters unlike the first few chapters. Oh, I can’t even remember the last time she was hungry for meat TT~TT

To end this long essay on a funny note, have a panel of Alice ‘kissing’ Oz in the end—I am laughing at the shape of Oz’s cheek at the end of the ‘kiss’

#pandora hearts #may-reads-ph #retrace xxvii #retrace xxxvii #retrace xxxviii #retrace xxxix #retrace xl #retrace xli #my thoughts till retrace xlii or more like my thoughts until this bc i might be taking another #break again in my ph reading so sort of a bookmark till where i read #finished till retrace xlii #why did it go for so long?#i am still not warming up to adult!vincent but i will go and give baby!vincent a big hug for sure

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