#The Tragedy of Sablier

[existingtm]

I just KNOW when we get the backstory for Luna, Faustina, The Shapeless One, and anyone else involved, it's gonna hit HARD.

I can taste it—this is the same author who gave us Sablier and everything leading up to it.

[lightcreators]

@gloomy-glen

Feelings were a domain in which sadly for everyone he had no measure --- for little experience of something called an emotion could be experienced within his persona. For sure, inside another time period, back when he was envious of all the noblesse realm could brought upon people meanwhile he was an outcast, when he was searching hopelessly acceptance somewhere and blamed circumstances concerning his birth who locked an entire world to his doorsteps, he had partial remembrances to have experienced that same state. Though, memories stayed very away, within that distance when he couldn’t catch them, in which even smaller recollections left him emotionless at best. Maybe, during that time, fragments of his heart could have been saved --- or maybe always had been damned to becoming a silent executioner of the world who found no real interest into it for deciding, all by himself, to deciding how the clock should turn, regardless if it was against all laws. Did it was matter by the end of the day? Did his actions will troubling whatever sleep he might have? Did he would express apologies within his bored consideration of the world he was living? No. Question wasn’t directly asked, but did he was troubled concerning Lacie? Did he had these deranging emotions of guilt about what he repeatedly exposed to him, meanwhile he refused to believe someday he would lose her to some Abyss and was fated of disappearance? He didn’t have to listen to the Will of the Abyss. Actually, he didn’t cared about the Abyss’s needs, whatever how off world dimension it remained screaming of loneliness, when determination remained to giving that dimension all wrong in one manner of another. Taking revenge in same manner eventually he managed to achieve it in middle of noblesse spheres.

Though, within sympathetic smile he was expressing, inside manipulative move to bring reassurance, casual brightness resonated an couple of seconds … before somewhere boredom of the mask seemed to briefly expose, when green eyes illuminated with seriousness. Internally, a mocking condescending sigh was swallowed back as easily it was come. ❝ You have people who care about your well-being you know. How sad your expression must be, fulfilled inside your thoughts, and must of course to be perceived by people around you. ❞  Meanwhile he was talking, he was remembering himself all always serious his father’s look had been towards him, how heaviness between them each other was echoing each instant. How he had been embraced by the nice sentiment of hatred in middle of balls, and various noble reunions, when every time his smile sparked with more illumination, when every time he was swallowing back negative emotions wrapped his own being. How impression of victory he gained concerning his own life had been robbed by the light of his existence. Oh, so many people within nobles were worried each time his expression diverged of usual brightness, or even remained uncomfortable by his somewhere lack of consideration by remaining smiling even in serious conversations … It was so pleasant. It was nice flattery. All these women thinking he could be a private prince charming … All the nobles anchoring themselves towards how illuminated he sensed to be. They were boring. ❝ I have experienced what you’re currently experiencing right now, and I can be your shoulders in the darkness if you want~❞  It was the closeness of the truth he will allow himself to say. ❝ People will notice how different you are, hence you need a valuable fire’s candle for avoid anything tarnish your family name. ❞ 

[mayoiayasep]

DID BREAK KILL ALICE ????? ? ?

no<3

[lightcreators]

Modalities  of  the  noblesse  higher  spheres  didn't  have  anymore  any  kind  of  interest  for  him.  Of  course,  coming  from  the  Vessalius  representant  he  was,  with  all  the  struggles  he  overcomed  to  get  to  that  position  and  be  recognized  as  such,  it  wasn't  something  one  of  these  other  families  nobles  would  have  to  know  …  Every  time  he  was  crossing  the  noblesse  sphere  in  one  way  or  another,  no  matter  if  he  wasn't  really  watching,  wasn't  really  paying  attention,  he  could  always  perceiving  spark  of  interest  of  women.  Gratefully,  he  always  managed  to  avoid  meetings  in  middle  of  his  manor  or  whatever  place  called  house,  able  to  recollecting  his  eternal  boredom  and  emptiness  of  the  world  and  the  existence  …  when  duties  as  Vessalius  distracting  him.

  Lacie  Baskerville  rarely  if  ever  showing  up  in  middle  of  high  society.

  Wasn't  too  pretentious  of  his  part  to  desiring  fix  that  casual  annoyance  ?  Whispering  danger  concerning  an  attachment  that  might  hurt  him  in  the  end,  inside  murmurs  of  an  tragic  affection  in  which  no  possible  exit  could  be  found,  intented  to  be  ignored  every  second.  It  seemed,  every  time  he  was  looking  for  Lacie,  he  had  to  touch  another  world  ---  meanwhile  they  were  coming  from  the  same  universe,  coming  from  the  same  sphere,  coming  from  the  same  mansion  in  which  simply  another  room  needed  to  be  crossed  …  Not  miles  away.  Not  wishing  always  in  middle  of  his  boredom  to  get  an  spark  of  feelings  and  excitation  to  perceicing  pleasant  an  black-haired  woman  with  beautiful  ruby  eyes  enchanted  his  day.  ❝  It's  the  lack  of  habit.  ❞  He  finally  expressed  towards  the  twisted  expression  showing  up  inside  Lacie's  face,  in  which  he  couldn't  help  to  elegantly  watching  over  detail.  Nevertheless,  won't  be  too  much  heartless  not  listening  to  her  troubles  ?  ❝  We  can  move  over  another  room.  ❞  She  was  quite  the  topic,  he  wanted  to  bring  as  casual  fact  ---  however,  wasn't  something  she  did  to  herself  ?  An  noble  needed  to  represent  himself.  Surely,  he  was  doing  it  by  obliglation,  because  there  was  always  something  interesting  the  could  grab  over  conversations  …  but  these  parties  had  never  warmed  his  heart  in  the  years  he  had  been  around  them.  ❝  Are  you  scared  about  what  other  nobles  can  do  ?  They  won't  dare  opposing  an  Vessalius.  ❞  He  reassured  slowly,  using  with  little  contentement  his  family  name  power  as  reminder.  He  wanted  to  tease  her  more  intensely.  After  all,  it  was  only  in  her  presence  that  he  had  the  sensation  of  feeling  something.  Coldness  of  the  environment  in  the  general  excitement,  in  his  continuous  voices,  left  him  completely  frozen,  in  a  disinterest  hidden  by  a  smile.

@lightcreators

She sensed them looking at her, observing her from a safe distance. The mansion was filled with people, exchanging the last gossip or small talks about business, funds - it was all about money for the rich people and these parties were a failed disguise to obtain each other's favour or plot another plan to destroy the reputation of the one they hated the most.

Lacie with her raven hair, crimson red eyes and her piercing expression was the main subject of today's impressions. It may not seem so but at the heart of the room, she was feeling the attention, both verbally and physically, and she wanted to get out of here, get away from the toxic air and embrace the solitude in her room.

"I want to leave." She whispered to her companion next to her. "I can't stand being around them, Jack."

[chernychnyi]

thinking about gil and alice growing up in no tragedy sablier (they're only putting up to please oswald)

[fivekrystalpetals]

Core of the Abyss and 'her' Children of "Misfortune"

(aka I can't stop thinking how the Core always welcomed and reached out to the Children of "Ill-Omen"— just some observations)

So, once again quoting Lacie's words from Retrace 101:

Yes, always alone and lonely...without even knowing what loneliness is. Still, 'she' kept yearning.. for someone to push through the cold darkness and reach her. —'She' longed for 'someone' who could do that.

[Anyway I am ignoring everything the Glen(s) and the Jury ever said about the Core of the Abyss or the Children of Misfortune (because I don't trust them at all) —and taking only Lacie's theory here to be the truth,]

so, a few theories:

1] Break would have been drawn into the Core of the Abyss whether or not the Intention wanted his eyes

When his illegal seal finished a full turn, Break reached the Core of the Abyss unlike other illegal contractors who fall into the Abyss.

I had assumed this was possible only because the Intention of the Abyss herself summoned Break there so she could pluck out his red eyes for her blind Cheshire before he turns into a chain.

Even the other dolls mention this situation as unusual. The Intention never lets a human/illegal contractor into her room.

You don't usually bring humans here when they drop into the Abyss.

Meaning, the other illegal contractors on completing their contracts get dropped into the abyss and turn into chains without ever meeting the Intention for whatever they wished of her. So much for going through all this trouble lol

So, I imagined that only those whom the Intention permits could enter the Core of the Abyss (that is, her lovely toy room);

But.

Vincent does "waltz" into her "room" without any problem???

Now, I don't think Vince entered her room to purposely antagonize her as he usually did, because he was pretty shaken by all the bloodshed and massacre he just witnessed at Sablier. It was a coincidence and even he seemed shocked he was meeting White Alice in her "other" room when he was sure "Alice" had died in the real world. In fact, he wonders if there being another Alice and all the madness going on in the toy room was his fault as well...

Secondly, this is a feat none of the other older and more experienced Baskervilles could achieve, right?

All the surviving Baskervilles got swept into the Abyss during the Tragedy of Sablier. Yet not one of them came in contact with the Intention. They were only able to traverse the Abyss and come out at various points of time. They did not know what the Intention looked like; neither do any of them talk about actually having met her. They merely repeat what Xai or Glen told them that it was the sudden appearance of the Intention that changed the very configuration of the Abyss as they knew it before.

That's why I think the Intention's words are only partially true (but I don't think she realized this either).

That is, she does have complete control over who enters the Core of the Abyss/her room—

Except for the Children of Ill-Omen.

Because the Children of Ill-Omen are specifically birthed by the Core and are very precious to 'her', the Core wants them to reach out to 'her' at the very depth. So that whenever a Child of Ill-Omen falls into the Abyss willingly*, they are directly led to the Core that used to be a dark shapeless form during Lacie's time, but took on the form of a toy room after the Intention became its vessel.

Lacie insisted that she could see "someone" at the depth of the Abyss and that the "someone" couldn't answer her—

but of course, the Glens and Jury only regard the Core as something not to be touched or approached unless "a serious crisis occurs"

and every time the Core produces another Child of Ill-Omen, hoping, waiting, over and over again that they will reach out to 'her' at the very abyssal depth... instead, they are meted out the punishment of being dragged down by Black Chains and left to die in the very Abyss that wanted to cherish their company. They are being "returned" to the Core because of the misinformation/falsehood that the presence of a Red-Eyed child is an accidental distortion created by the Core and pose danger to the integrity of the world

whereas the actual reason is that Core just wants someone to help her not be lonely anymore.

See:

How sweet is it that the Core loved her toy so much that 'she' gave it a tiny spark of life and trembled in grief when 'she' hears that Lacie will never visit her again? ;_;

The Core never asked for the "ill-omened" children to be punished for being born; on the contrary, they are the ones most precious to her.

That's why I think they inevitably end up in the Core to keep 'her' company, whatever be the reason they fell into the Abyss in the first place, whether the completion of an illegal contract or being swept into the Abyss.

(willingly*: I mean, when the Child of Ill-Omen falls into the Abyss by any other means than being held down by the Black Winged Chains. Because Lacie could descend into the Core by herself but held down by the Black Chains, she could only wait out her permanent death.)

(Since Gil was with Vince, he too winded up in the Core, but he was not cognizant of his surroundings so that's a moot point anyway.)

2] That Break listens and commits himself to the one and only request of the Intention of the Abyss

This is in continuation to the first point; hence, kind of a paradoxical situation—

Because only a Child of Ill-Omen could have ever reached to the depth of the Abyss; and so, only a Child of Ill-Omen could have ever got to listen to her request at all.

But by the end of the story, (thanks to Lady Shelly, by the way, because if not for her, would Break have lived on to pass the Intention's desire to the kids? I don't think so), everyone came to know what the Intention really wanted and worked towards the goal.

So that, knowingly or otherwise, Break did fulfill his role as the bridge between the living world and the Core of the Abyss before his death.

As Leo asked of Vince in Retrace 104:

[hakusins]

puking shitting throwing up coughing out blood, wdym vincent was one of the catalysts that lead to the tragedy of sablier, stemming from his desire as a young traumatized boy to protect his one and only brother that had never abandoned him and he's done countless of horrific crimes just to keep the past hidden???????

vincent nightray you're guilty of many crimes but loving your brother is not one of them.

[sylver-drawer]

The Writing of Pandora Hearts and its Depiction of Human Ego or an essay I wrote for class because I love PH so much (mainly spoiler free except for a small tangent on Lottie’s character)

When you think about aspects of the Shonen Demographic, what tends to come to mind? Usually it’s something along the lines of fluid yet repetitive action, a lovable cast of characters who get down but quickly move on, and a protagonist who can handle anything. But when you ask a fan of renowned and well-liked shonen such as Hajime Isayama’s Attack on Titan or Hiromu Arakawa’s Full-Metal Alchemist, what’s most reminiscent is how the characters are written and their depth. That’s why when anyone asks me what shonen I’d recommend, I always immediately recommend Jun Mochizuki’s Pandora Hearts. Jun Mochizuki is a master at her craft, be it with her beautiful watercolor illustrations, the fantastical and fairytale-like world building, or what I associate with her most—how bitterly human she writes her characters and how it hits the reader. The way Pandora Hearts’ ornate writing twists from this alice-in-wonderland inspired gothic adventure, to a story about the beautiful yet ugly depths of human will and ego, genuinely makes me believe that it deserves one of the top places in the Shonen Demographic.

It’s a relatively standard set up. Pandora Hearts follows a young boy by the name of Oz Vesalius on the brink of his fifteenth birthday. During his coming of age ceremony a sinister group called the Baskervilles condemns him for his sin of living, and casts him into the Abyss—a hellish nightmare dimension resembling a broken toy box filled with grotesque monsters called ‘Chains’. With the help via contract of an amnesiac girl who calls herself Alice, her identity being the chain “Bloody-Rabbit” that strangely takes an alternative human form, he escapes the Abyss only to find himself ten years in the future. The first few chapters set up our boyish protagonist’s temperament and desire, as well as the dangers he will encounter with sprinkles of what the world of Pandora Hearts is like. I relate this to the beginning of Attack on Titan, introducing Eren and his friends’ personalities and values before getting thrust into the harsh reality of their apocalyptic world.

The story begins in a cliche, yet familiar way. It starts off relatively light and almost whimsical as it makes you think it’ll follow the monster(chains)-of-the-week format; Oz seeking out the Baskervilles for the reason of his ‘sin’, and Alice seeking out her fragmented memories. Preceding the Shonen Demographic, kids grow up with something like Pokémon or Digimon where there’s a new ‘monster’ to ‘defeat’ quickly each week. It’s a way to progress the story for the very young child viewer in a fun and easy way, even if they miss an episode or two. The main purpose of presenting the idea of this familiarity, is to rope the reader into a false sense of security.

This format is abandoned just as quickly as it was proposed as the story gets more convoluted, pulling the reader in. All the characters seem to be hiding something, the enemies are closer than you think, and at some point you genuinely question yourself if they’re truly the enemies here. You begin to realize that despite all the secrets everyone has—no one actually knows anything. The protagonists, their comrades, and even their enemies; everyone is in the dark in regards to the truth of the catalyst event a hundred years prior, The Tragedy of Sablier, except for the main villain of the story. The fact that the reader is on the same level of knowledge the vast majority of characters are on allows the reader to empathize with them almost as actual comrades, instead of seeing them as simply characters in a story.

Usually in shonen, the reader is given scenes of the antagonist’s side so that the reader has information the protagonists do not, such as displayed in Full-Metal Alchemist where the reader is exposed to multiple scenes of the Homunculi and their plans before Ed and Al are. Shonen villains tend to be bastards after all, pure and irredeemable evil in support of an evil system. This is meant to build a sense of foreboding for the reader, as well as anticipation for how the main characters deal with this danger. It’s because of this storytelling method that separates the readers from the characters, driving almost a wedge between them. Readers' thoughts go from, “I wonder why this happened” (solving a ‘mystery’ in the moment alongside the characters), to “I wonder how the characters will deal with this” (an event the reader already knows will happen soon).

Particularly what sets Pandora Hearts apart from this, is that Jun Mochizuki allows us to empathize with the villains due to their similar level of ignorance as the heroes. We are shown scenes of the villains, but not so much that we gain any major insider plot knowledge. Rather, the most important insider information the reader receives are the bonds between the villains almost paralleling the bonds between the hero cast we’ve already fallen for. Charlotte, who is somewhat one of the Baskervilles’ ringleaders, presents herself uniquely. She is very devote to the Baskervilles’ cause of obeying their leader, and kills and torments without a second thought. Yet, Lottie is as desperate for answers as Oz’s crew. You can see it on her face, where she contemplates as she stands beside her fellow Baskervilles whom she loves like family, “Is what we’re doing truly right?”. It is a very subtle writing strategy, one that acclimates the reader to feel for and humanize the ‘inhuman’ enemy, gradually building up to Pandora Hearts’ crescendo.

This intricately planned writing Jun Mochizuki has drip fed the reader pays off during the story’s climax. By the time the truth is revealed to all, the reader is left in an array of chaos alongside the cast, questioning everything. One of these, being the protagonist himself. Everything we associate with our dear hero, Oz; his classic young yet burdened hero demeanor with a high moral compass, his complicated emotionally charged relationship with his estranged family, his immortalized friendships with Alice and his childhood friend Gilbert that feel as if they could stick through everything—at some point, all of those threads that make up ‘Oz Vessalius’ fall apart. His connection to the antagonist and how it affects the story and narrative still shakes me to the core to this very day, and you’re left wondering what exactly is left and where we can go from here. Everything Oz knows, everything we the reader knows about him and the cast we’ve come to love, suddenly becomes false. You can’t help but feel played, yet when you read back desperately to validate your feelings, there’s the cruel realization that you were never lied to. All the signs were there in your face and it was you, the reader’s, choice to misinterpret them. It’s difficult to manipulate the reader using the reader’s own assumptions and prejudice, and yet Jun Mochizuki has done it in Pandora Hearts.

How Pandora Hearts takes everything the reader knows and destroys it is such a transformative experience that transcends the expectation of a normal shonen. The layers in which Jun Mochizuki had written are so deep, that the characters' roles we tend to reduce to tropes and generalizations have so much meaning to them. Oz, our heroic protagonist, maybe isn’t the strong willed boy he’s supposed to be; and maybe the Baskervilles, despite the atrocities they’ve committed, maybe aren’t wishing for world destruction. Our lovable cast of characters are hypocrites, sometimes betraying themselves or people they’ve sworn to, and reasons we expect to be grandiose turn out to be simple selfish, raw human desires. Those that selflessly fight for ‘love’ are simply fighting for self preservation, and those that do everything for their ‘ego’ crumble so easily in face of their love. Pandora Hearts is just like other shonen, but also not. There’s action, characters who get down but sometimes need time to move on, and a protagonist who tries his best to handle anything. Most of all, they’re all so painfully human, and I think that’s what is at the heart of shonen. Jun Mochizuki’s Pandora Hearts’ intricately written story, with its raw portrayals of the human will as well as the world crashing twists and cast you can’t help but love, is exactly what the shonen demographic deserves.

[mushroompollution]

Chapter 37: the Sablier Arc part 3

Chapters: 35 || 36

read the manga: imgur || mangaread (ad warning)

Trapped in a scene from his ancestor Jack Vessalius's memories, Oz finds himself face to face with Glen Baskerville, head of the Baskerville cult, Jack's best friend, and the fabled mastermind of the Tragedy of Sablier. as Jack speaks to Oz from inside their soul, saying that he hopes Oz can stop him, Glen turns to face him.

Glen speaks to Jack in the memory, saying that the Will of the Abyss is disturbing the order of the world and Abyss and causing Chains to act irregularly. The Core of the Abyss doesn't regonize the Will, and it shouldn't exist. Which is why, he says, the Baskervilles must own the Will of the Abyss and its power.

He approaches Oz, towering over him, and asks if Jack will betray him.

Meanwhile, back the edge of the crater....

Elliot and Leo are ambushed by the Baskervilles. But they aren't the only threat, as Elliot realizes they're also surrounded by mutated, zombified citizens of the city.

The Baskervilles tell them they can't allow them to go any further, or they'll interrupt the others up ahead, who've all been drawn to their individual memory fragments.

Inside her own memory world, Alice wanders through the grounds of a mansion, vaguely familiar to her. She finally spots the girl who looks like her, walking beside Jack Vessalius. The pair approach a grave, and Jack takes out the pocket watch that Oz carries now, and the familar tune plays.

Jack states that the song is called Lacie, and it matches the name on the tombstone.

In Oz's own memory world, Glen stands over him. He touches Oz's face, and announces his realization that this isn't Jack... As Oz trembles, too scared to move, Glen not only calls Oz by name, he speaks the exact words that the man who had cast him into Abyss 10 years before said to Oz:

Oz's echoing shout is the perfect distraction for Xerxes Break to make his appearance, saving Elliot and Leo. they leave the situation to Pandora's legendary swordsman and take off, which Break lauds as the correct move. he tells the Baskervilles he has a lot of questions for them...

Elliot and Leo race through the crater in search of Oz, only to find him in the center of a gruesome scene.

[prapo237]

I was rereading Pandora Hearts and this interaction with present Ada and Vincent from the past reminded me of the first appearance of Lady Archiviste in Vanitas.

Ada is here basically just watching the tragedy of Sablier but shouldn’t be able to interact with anything. Yet, Vincent can see her because he’s a child of ill omen.

And it’s similar to the scene in chapter 57 in vnc, where Lady Archivste is just watching too and looks almost surprised that Noé can see her.

Which just means that she isn’t a part of this story but just a bystander and watcher. I mean, she tells excactly that a chapter later. But I still wanted to mention it because something similar had happened in PH.

[filzmonster]

If you’re doing the ask game: Gilbert Nightray?

any excuse to talk about Gilbert Nightray tbh

First impression: I saw him being angsty in the rain during the intro for 0.2 seconds and I just knew he was going to be my fave.

Impression now: Honestly, it's been over ten years and I still can't really put into words how much this fictional character means to me.

To me, he has one of the most interesting, most well crafted character journeys I've ever seen. The way his entire loyalty complex is depicted, established and developed is something that still touches me very deeply. How he struggles with but ultimately pushes through his issues is just ,,,,,,,,, hhhhhhhhhhhhhhh ,,,,,,,,, dare I say inspiring? Also, he got a lot of cool moments throughout the series and I'm very thankful for that <3

Favourite moment: This was a tough one because there are so manyyyyyyyy. But I'm gonna go with the one that impressed me the most from a 'the way this story is written' pov and that's the one where he shows up and saves Break from Fang and Lilly. I don't even know. Just thinking about this scene and the way it was set up - with Gilbert running towards Oz, Vincent manipulating him into thinking Break can take care of himself, his flashbacks to when Break told him to get his priorities straight, with him realizing that Break is blind, with him still chosing to run towards Oz and Vincent's sinister 'good riddance Hatter' smile, and then Gilbert laughing in all of their faces by saying 'screw my priorities, I can chose both' - still gives me chills. I so very clearly remember sitting in my bed at like 3am, reading it for the first time and just losing my mind over Gilbert showing up and kicking him in the back when no one, least of all Break, expected him to do that.

Idea for a story: One day I will write down the 'The Tragedy of Sablier never happend and Gilbert and Vincent and Alice grow up as Baskervilles with Oswald and Jack as their gay parents' story set to Bastille songs I have been dreaming about for 5 years. Y'all just wait.

Unpopular opinion: There should have been a last meaningful conversation between Break and Gilbert before Break dies.

I know a lot of people absolutely love that Break got to spend his last impactful scenes with Oz and Vincent, guiding these two through their last character development steps, but ,,,,,,, but.

It just makes me so mad that up until the very climax of Gilbert's character development (him burning off his left arm and then showing up to stand in front of Glen and declare his loyalty to Oz no matter what) there were so many conversations between these two from the very beginning, the parallels between both of them serving Masters, Break being aware that he is the cautionary tale for Gilbert and trying to guide him, Gilbert showing up and saving him, Break even going all I don't have to worry about him anymore while being chained to a wall, so sure that Gilbert is going to help Oz because even though he saw him shoot Oz he also saw through the compulsion and realized that Gilbert picked his side, Oz' side, and that he would ultimately pull through.

And yet. AND YET. Their last real interaction is Gilbert being furious at Break and blaming him for Oscar's death and then just kind of ignoring him and not even really acknowledging him/his impending death when they part ways in the ruins of Sablier and Break stays behind to die alone in the arms of Reim and Sharon.

Instead the focus is on Vincent and Oz, as if the last 20something volumes of their friendship and connection suddenly didn't matter anymore. I'm still disappointed about this 10 years later apparently, because just like Gilbert I simply cannot let things go.

Favourite relationship: Breakbert Oz. Whatever the hell he has going on with Oz in every shape, form and colour throughout the entire manga. I live and breathe for that shit. The angst, the loyalty, the doubt, the jealousness, the dismissiveness, the fucked-up-ness at times. The way they both trigger their respective issues at the start but then become each other's guiding light to becoming better versions of themselves and then ending up with this beautiful, trusting friendship where they both understand the other better and see them for who the other really is and still chose each other, despite everything. Fuck.

Favourite headcanon: Uff. I fear I am so out of touch with the source material these days that I don't really remember what was actually hinted at in the manga and what was just my interpretation of certain things?

I distantly remember him angsting about doing dirty work for the Nightrays at some point, so I have this headcanon that he worked as some sort of assassin/spy for them for a while? No idea if that's a true headcanon or just my imagination running wild with a throwaway line, but I like the idea of him being actually way more ruthless than he seems and very willing to go to drastical measures for the people he cares about without hesitation.

[schleckermaul]

@nicawlette asked: 👤+ nicolette 💓💖❤️💕 taken from this prompt list.

   ' nicolette is a part of me. '

   it's not a question. the acknowledgement comes easy to him, like a tablecloth as it flutters when you put it over a dining table, perfectly fitted to its surface. sitting cross-legged, his hands find his knees, and he keeps his hold there as he sways back and forth a few times.

   a storyteller, ready to weave a tale.

   ' when the tragedy of sablier happened, ' is what he starts with. it's what everything started with, after all. ' the storyline shattered with it. i remember the city as it as before, and as it was after. as it once was, for each generation of the baskervilles, they had one glen, ' counting on his fingers, poking out his index finger, then his middle, ' and one child of ill omen, matched to each other. '

   one with purple eyes. one with red.

   ' their fate was always the same. glen would have to cast his counterpart into the abyss, to be able to rise as head of the household. though they often grew up together, they'd have to part eventually, at each other's hands. '

   he thinks back on his own journey, then. a child of ill omen, in the household of the sinclairs, only allowed to partake because of his family's longstanding tradition of knighthood. at the side of their youngest daughter. ' and after the tragedy ... things got a bit messy. '

   and though the memory pains as it always does, in the spot over his heart where the incuse lies, the grin that follows is almost cheesy.

   ' like nicolette, no? she's fierce and sweet, angry and sad, distant and close. i think she'd gotten too used to being alone. where i was often surrounded by others, trying to pull me out of my pit of darkness ... she sat at the bottom of it. '

   his hand stretches out across the sheet beneath him. as though feeling for the bottom of the pit. his blind eye follows the movement even when he can't see it. ' she's funny. she makes me laugh. '

   ' but, ' said as he catches himself trailing off, ' my point being. the next glen had no child of ill omen. i had no glen. the tragedy destroyed the long line of people belonging to each other. when i met the latest glen, in that child's body ... he told me i was no baskerville. '

   his eye twinkles a bit with mischief.

   ' but nicolette isn't either. i think she's part of me, as i am part of her. and with no abyss to cast me into ... '

   ' my task is to make her laugh, too. '

[lightcreators]

@vessalis continue from here

" oh ? " glancing down from his seat- Jack would keep the pleasant smile on his face, " maybe ~! are you curious ~? " Jack would ponder before a moment of thinking ( and barely waiting for the boy to answer ), after just a moment he would place down his turnscrew before arms tucked underneath the boy's arms and lifted him high into the air ~! just before settling him on his lap, " well if you are so curious, how about I just show you, hm ~? "

Admiration  was  main  emotion  who  capturing  him  every  time  he  was  seeing  Jack  Vessalius.  The  man  who  accepted  the  cursed  boy  he  had  been,  in  which  his  presence  had  been  an  bother  for  his  brother  since  the  beginning  ---  because  of  that  red  eye  …  usually  people  didn’t  wanted  to  be  around  them,  where  lack  of  compassion  and  understanding  resonated  within  his  memories  …  because  of  that  red  eye  his  brother  didn’t  have  the  life  he  should  have  merited.  Every  day,  as  following  time  going  by,  of  course,  he  could  perceiving  his  Gilbert  doing  his  best  for  him,  for  themselves,  for  hoping  inside  some  bright  future  someday,  in  which  he  was  feeling  indirectly  responsible.  However,  with Jack,  none  of  that  truly  mattered.  He  wasn’t  anymore  some  poor  and  miserable  boy.  He  wasn’t  some  cursed  boy!  He  wanted  to  be  as  Jack  ---  as  luminous,  as  elegant,  as  higher  inside  social  as  he  was  …  Immediate  childish  brightness  emerged  inside  his  expression,  where  he  wasn’t  that  time  around  walking  with  scissors.  Be  pleased  was  castle  of  the  princess  of  that  mansion,  her  presence  somewhere  always  managed  to  displeasing  him  every  time  mutual  gaze  was  crossed!  Pretending  harmless  innocence  within  his  features,  a  smile  born  in  return,  though  there  was  a  dissimulated  pleasure.  ❝  I’m  ~  very  ~  curious  ~  ❞  Infantile  tone  answering  at  once.  Happiness  quickly  emerged  in  front  of  affection,  where  some  pleasure  increased  inside  his  expression,  with  an  nod.  ❝  Yes,  yes,  yes,  yes  !  ❞  He  shouted  enthusiastically,  moving  his  hands  in  the  sky.  ❝  Please,  show  me,  Jack  !  ❞

[mayoiayasep]

the thing with vincent is that i very much did hate him in the beginning and then the more the truth of the tragedy of sablier spills out and the more it shows up the more his put-together manipulator facade cracks and falls away and then by the later chapters you're left with this guy who desperately wants to kill himself because he believes thats the only way to help his older brother. who is the reason hes been doing all these atrocities. good god

[lightcreators]

On her absence, taste of life decrepitate too easily … inscreasing further how, without her presence at his side, without these dense contradicting feelings when he could perceiving her gaze …. meaning of his entire existence was removed of any kind of particular pleasure he could harvesting. It had been an opportunity offered in middle of circumstances to bring brilliance over the Vessalius name. Of course, he will. Of course, for that uninteresting and grey world, if there was an occassion to shine in middle of noblesse society he would take it --- where gaze of so many women had been impressed by recent talents and pleasants moments inside an meeting and games he had been offering, where, remaining attached with an playful smile, he had hidden how much he didn’t care. How much everyone in the room were fool who showing off in front of someone who using them at leisure. After all --- it had been how he managed to becoming noble again, how he gained justice … Who endlessly recalled to that moment when life had been imposed on him as an option that should be take, who another woman had removed every other color of the world for becoming his color ! Even inside the world of appareance, he pretended an neutral care concerning marriage and women --- He needed Lacie Baskerville at his side. He only needed that red-eyed woman fullfilled of mysteries. Compromising such proposition with her brother, as much it would have been something possible if she wasn’t supposed to be removed someday of existence by some obscure high entity, wasn’t something he could count for. For Oswald, he remained totally delusioned about his sister. Ignoring what going to happens, ignoring circumstances who wasn’t going into what he desired, and inclined to judging how he inviting himself within their existence, using his charming smile or his Vessalius name as an opening door in middle of the noblesse … which was funny to admire expression of his friend inside an conversation.

If the world didn’t go this way, he would force an way out of it. If the world didn’t wanted to give what he wanted, he would tear up it for gain his desired result. It had been something he learned from Lacie herself --- his price for carry on to life, consequence to had survived misery, repercussion to had win when once upon a time everything was lost … Nobody would ever remembering these distants remembrances when he had been at the bottom of darkness, as she was remnant of that obscurity that will never mentally let him go. Day after day, he would remaining an sudden cat appareance in front of her apartement, where he would appreciating the sensation to be alive. Besides, didn’t we deserved each other an happy ending ? Whatever if she was cursed. Whatever if her existence was supposed to be an crime or an gift to some entity. He would break the Abyss for her. He would destroy the world for her without any second thoughts, her who valued so much this world, where he found nothing to hold if she wasn’t around, if she wasn’t inside that world for feeling alive inside of it ---

❝  I’m not leaving. ❞ He repeated this time in an controlled betrayal cold voice. If he was a good and kind person, he would have ignored brutality in which he had been pushed away as he had been offering his usual charming brightful smile, and actually respected her voice --- but no, he wasn’t blind. It had been something he had been noticing before, inside the lights of her eyes. How he was perceived as another mystery as he endlessly exposed her with lightness and greatness at every one of their meetings. Whatever if she wasn’t looking at him, he could guess how sad her gaze might be. She was lucky. She was the single person in the world he won’t hurt directly, no, it was no point to express reality behind the mask of his appareance and an hard-worked look for always acting as perfect. ❝  My business always had been you~ How can you forget about that ? ❞ He answered playfully, as desnity of his hatred, immensity of his anger were carefully swallowed back away. If Oswald was responsible in any mean, he wasn’t ready for the revenge he will offer him … If Oswald deciced to be in in the way, he would regret it … Though, thankfully, it seemed it was her personal decision. Did she wanted experencing miseries in same way he was live it every time she was away ? Did she wanted he expose how miserable they feel without each other, eaten by darkness, by greyness of the world removed of every color ? ❝ Business can have many meaning. Think of the reputation of your family~ Oh come on, Lacie, don't do something you will regret~ ❞ Annoyance was embraced with an powerful playfulness towards circumstances, using other levers. He wasn’t going to leave. She could ignore him as much as she wanted, he would brought her attaction back ---

@lightcreators

SHE HAD TO STOP it but she chose to have him stay, instead of enforcing a separation between the two of them. On numerous ocassion she could have prevented them from escalating to this... hollowed connection.

Shivers ran across her spine - she almost dared to add warmth to it. Lacie kept her emotions intact. She wasn't going to cross that damn line ever again. She wasn't going to be in that miserable position of her being depended on Jack.

Lacie surpressed this longing to see him. But every day her desire to see him was growing and she stubborn ignored her. Distractions were a must to keep her occupied mind away from Jack Vessalius. She stayed in denial despite how much it hurt a side of her. For his own good she pushed him away. When Jack's voice annoyingly yelled out to her, she'd figure out a reason not to see him. She'd rather scucumb to self-loathing than to admit she was exposed to weak feelings.

"I said to go away. You have no business being here, Jack."

[ecargmura]

Pandora Hearts Volume 5 Review

The fun of rereading a story is that you already know what happens in future events yet looking back at all the clues that lead to the big twist makes you look at the story from another light. That’s why I don’t really care much for wanting to read stories again at a blank state. I like it when I know so that I can look at things differently.

With that said, I’d like to say that this volume, in particular, is “Foreshadowing: The Volume”. Seriously, I am not joking. Once you find out about the big twist, you will be scrambling back to previous volumes to look for clues—most of them are in the fifth volume. I legit annotated a lot of the impending clues to the big twist—this is the only volume where I did this so far. Why did I annotate when I normally don’t do so? It’s because I want to look back.

Anyways, this volume is the end of the Cheshire arc where Oz learns about two very important things as he sees a memory of the Tragedy of Sablier from 100 years ago as it was engulfed in flames and agony. The first thing he learns is that Vincent had been there 100 years ago as a little boy. He figures out that perhaps, both Vincent and Gilbert are like him and that they jumped ahead 100 years in the future using the Abyss. He did recall that Gilbert had been found 15 years ago and that he doesn’t recall his past. The second thing he learns is that Alice was once human and perished in the Tragedy as well.

The scene with Alice’s death actually opened up a myriad of possible theories of “Who killed Alice?” I remember theorizing a lot back then too. The answer will be revealed in a future volume, but you’ll be surprised. Alice also recalls a few things from her memories like once having a cat that could be Cheshire. She also recalls a shadowed figure in her memories, which could be Jack, which she actually does confirm. However, there are some clues to Alice’s identity in the form of Cheshire. He says that he’s protecting Alice, but is antagonizing her. Think about that how you will.

Honestly, as a reader, I felt like Cheshire was a cool character but he was taken out way too long because he’s not dead—he returns but like way later to the point that you forgot he existed.

Jack does get more screen time in this volume as he meets Gilbert who doesn’t remember him and also possesses Oz’s body for a while in order to get the Four Dukedoms to calm down—this is also where we meet the some members of the dukedoms. Jack tells about how Glen is still alive and that he’s working with the Baskervilles in order to obtain the Intention of the Abyss. He even declares that he will stop them again. I think the best thing about rereading Pandora Hearts and knowing what’s going on is the fact that I can comment on Jack and curse him (affectionately). Haha, good luck with that, Jack. Seriously, I annotated a lot because one day, Pandora Hearts will get a reboot anime and that will be my day to shine.

Break’s also looking for memories of the Tragedy of Sablier for his own reasons. Fortunately, Oz was able to give him the important details once they got out of the cat’s dimension. Break actually apologized to Oz and his response was asking if Break was going through menopause. I don’t remember that piece of dialogue, but I’m glad I discovered it because that was super hilarious.

Break does tell Oz one important thing: Vincent Nightray is not to be trusted. Never trust the yandere brocons at all. Vincent is seriously the most suspicious character in the story because he’s unpredictable and what he wants is so ambiguous until it’s actually revealed. 

If you have read this volume, what are your thoughts on the Cheshire arc and the events that come after it? I think this is where Pandora Hearts starts getting good because of all these mysteries. Also, I can’t wait to start Volume 6 soon because my favorite characters will finally make their debut! I will apologize in advance for all the rambling I do when my absolute favorite character graces my field of vision. You won’t understand how much I love this character. Anyways, what are your thoughts on this volume as a whole?