#clayman factory

[mirky-tea]

The princess of Osohe Castle 

[abybweisse]

Mother3: Lizzie’s parents, Lizzie’s “heart” (ch117)

After the events at Club Titiboo (the music hall), Lucas (means “bright, shining, light-bringer, star” BTW) and Boney (the loyal dog) get split up from their pals: Duster and Violet/Kumatora. Lucas and Boney wake up from a sort of dream-like state to find they have fallen onto a haystack erected by Wess (Duster’s strict/cruel father) and Alec (the father of Hinawa, who is Lucas and Claus’ mother).

The parallels are not exact, as far as family relations go, but it translates to this, essentially, for Black Butler:

the earl –> Lucas (the younger twin in the game)

the real Ciel –> Claus (older twin who is dead but reanimated)

Sebastian (under contract) –> Boney (the loyal family dog)

Lizzie –> Duster (who apparently lives at a music hall, loses his identityand has to search for the Egg of Light to regain it, whose strongest weapons are shoes, and who fights a music composer/conductor to get a shoe upgrade)

Gregory Violet and Nina Hopkins –taking turns as–> Violet/Kumatora (gets Lucas and Boney into the music hall and backstage to find Duster)

Frances, Lizzie’s mother –> Wess, Duster’s father (who is strict and seems cruel. Actually, Wess is cruel. Frances doesn’t mean to be, though.)

Alexis, Lizzie’s father –> Alec, Hinawa’s father (a much kinder father figure)

Once Lucas and Boney wake up on the haystack, they find themselves just outside a nursing home, where Wess now lives (arrested and sent there after release from jail for protesting against Fassad and King Porky). Alec is visiting Wess, and they had erected the haystack right there because of a dream Alec had… in which the ghost of Hinawa told him to do this. Then, Wess and Alec give Lucas some important information to help with the quest.

So… I think it is mostly a plot device for having the Midford parents not do much about Lizzie – yet! I expect them to finally mobilize soon. Frances might even put up some public protest and get arrested (as a “public nuisance” or for “disturbing the peace”), but this does not need to happen. It could be that she has already tried something and has given up… and isn’t talking about it yet. It could even be an argument with Lizzie, and Frances gave up (but is silently fuming). Most-importantly, Frances and Alexis will give the earl some much-needed information. It could be about the Phantomhive lineage, about the hair lockets… something useful for his quest.

And yeah, I worry about just what Bravat (or Undertaker) might have told Lizzie. Like Mother3’s Duster, Lizzie has lost her way and is losing her identity… and finding a new one (or being given a new one). She sees it as finding her way, finding her “brilliance” or “radiance”. However, it’s a false “radiance”, even if what she’s been told about the situation is true….

Update 6/22/16:

Since reading ch117, I have continued to see a parallel between Lizzie and Duster. When Duster, Lucas, Boney, and Violet/Kumatora first find the Clay Golem/Clayman which contains the Egg of Light (which holds Duster’s memories), that Clay Golem/Clayman is not functioning, but then a bolt of electricity makes it bolt up and run away. It has no idea why it is running away, it just runs....

I was reminded of this little detail when I read the conversation Lizzie and Sebastian have while fighting. Sebastian asks her why she remains at the music hall and refuses to go home.

Previously, I was at odds whether Lizzie had lost herself or had finally found herself (something to fight for), but in light of ch117, I think she, like Duster, really is confused. I now stand by my previous idea that she has sort of lost her way and needs to be guided back....

I was reminded of the running Clayman even more when I saw that Lizzie has escaped from the Phantomhive residence (the townhouse, apparently).

Just like the Egg of Light-containing Clayman that runs away without explanation, Lizzie is fighting without knowing why and running away without explanation...

Lucas, Boney, Duster, and Violet/Kumatora end up having to chase it down (they catch up with it again at a dump site for broken Claymen). I expect the earl and Sebastian to locate Lizzie again. Hopefully it’s not too late for her....