#my thoughts till retrace xlii or more like my thoughts until this bc i might be taking another

[fivekrystalpetals]

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 &lt;;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’