#memoire 65

[retracexcviii]

English timeee

[existingtm]

SILLAYYYYY

[liesweliveby]

*frothing at the mouth* JOHANN BACKSTORY WHEN

[satokisha06]

What if Dante is Ruthven's son?

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I know this sounds crazy and it couldn't be possible but I couldn't sleep thinking about it. (I apologize if I don't remember the events of the manga very well) I also posted this on Twitter link

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They both have the same facial structure, something that becomes even more obvious when looking Ruthven when he was younger. We can see that his chin is straight and his facial features aren't particularly delicate, giving him a slightly rounder appearance.

Eyebrows and forehead, Both have thick, well-defined eyebrows, which noticeably enhance their facial expressions and accentuate their broad foreheads. Their noses are also shaped similarly.

They both have wavy hair and are very similar in terms of hair color, Also, the color of their eyes is slightly different this could be due to Dante's mother. Their physical appearance is very similar, although Dante looked different when he was younger. But this is understandable, since, as mentioned in the previous chapter, he could only earn income through occasional jobs to support his family. What made me think about this was that when Ruthven saw Dante, his reaction was one of disgust This could be because he is a Dhampir.

But I interpreted it differently, it seemed to me that he was worried, or as if something seemed familiar to him. Ruthven didn't say much, probably because he was analyzing the situation between Machina and Dante.

It's possible that Machina has more influence, or perhaps Ruthven didn't speak up because he assumed he knew what Dante wanted, thus indirectly protecting him.

What also made me think this way was the reason why Dante knowledge and education.

Could it have been the mother's decision? I don't think so, but social pressures could also have been a factor in the abandonment. The father wasn't mentioned, but what if he indirectly influenced Dante's education? Ruthven was a teacher perhaps he used to send him books.

[xyviiblog]

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[c4xcocoa]

one thing I noticed was the differences in how the dhams was dressed during the flashback in the latest chapter. Johann was definitely homeless up until La Ruche was made, which makes sense since he seems to be the oldest and was likely kicked out as soon as he was of age. Dante, we got the story for, he probably got money for clothes through odd jobs he did. The thing is, Riche’s probably the youngest. So, there’s a chance that whichever parent got her ended up keeping her at least until she was old enough to fend for herself.

This would explain why she’s so well dressed compared to the other two. Johann’s got his homeless chic on, while Dante has clothes, sure, but it’s a plain button up, slacks, and suspenders. Nothing too much for time period and probably not warm. However, Riche’s fully equipped with a warm coat, thick scarf, and a dress. All of which seem to be in good shape, though a bit big. They’re probably hand me downs instead of anything fished form the trash. I’m just rambling at this point.

Anyway, I think it’s cool how different the background of the dhams are, especially after the racism theme coming in with this arc with everyone going ‘all dhams are the same’.

I also wonder how their different backgrounds affect their relationships with each other.

[skayafair]

I LOVE the progression of how Dante's bangs was so long when he was still with his mother because she hated his eyes, so he tried to hide them:

But then, when he was left behind and decided he didn't need her anyway (that's a whole other can of worms because I sense this "I don't need her" was more of an attempt to self-soothe and self-convince in order to survive, and those feelings of being abandoned but still wishing he had genuine love are locked somewhere deep inside, sure hope this won't come to bite him later), he started being more bold - the first attempts in trying to see the boundaries of how much was allowed in this new world without his mother's fear and rules. The bangs get a bit shorter - he doesn't exactly hide his eyes anymore (I feel giving the glasses to Riché was another step forward in this direction as much as just trying to help her), but still leaves this option available. He's trying his best to be brave, and by gods he is, but he's still afraid and holds back somewhat.

But look at him now. The bangs is as short as it gets, he isn't hiding who he is anymore. The fear will be there for as long as the dhams are ostracized, for all of them, but he has grounds to stand on now, people to protect and the means to do it, even if just barely, and processes in place to gain them some safety.

I love the way he looks in this picture especially. He looks PROUD. Judging everyone who looks down on dhams simply because of who they are.

From the very first appearances in the manga, Dante looked like a rock, solid and stable. MochiJun's design is very clever. And that's what he's trying to be for his little community. I knew Dante was very cool - I didn't pay much attention to the dhams in the beginning, but they hooked my interest as the events unfolded, and when I read the chapters available back then the 2nd time, they became one of my favorite characters, - but the fact that he BUILT this community from the scratch? YOU GO BOY ❤️‍🔥

And I think, despite the playful tone and "you're just an entertainment" attitude, what Machina did played a big part in this development. She gave them home, some safety, and I think her words about eyes like honey, something sweet (Dante's candies omfg-) and nice instead of damned (hi to the children of misfortune!) has striken a cord in Dante - that one I've been talking about before, regarding his repressed feelings about his mother and her attitude. It might have not even registered, but I think that still had some positive impact, too.

That being said, I'm not trying to imply Machina's assistance was what made the dhams and Dante as we know them now. While it played an important role, they got there on their own. Assistance is helpful, but it's an assistance, not a driving force or doing something in their stead. Mentioning just in case.

Also, can I just say how I adore the way MochiJun clearly has some themes she's sort of fixated on and wants to explore more from different angles? Because Dante's backstory is basically Jack's one from Pandora Hearts, up to the mother hating his eyes part. The only difference is that Jack knew who his father was and was constantly reminded of that (and heavily abused for), while Dante doesn't and he wasn't allowed to ask. And I don't know if Jack had an education - I think he did? I don't remember though and this may be a pretty crucial difference, too 🤔

But my point is, their situations were pretty similar: both are the sons of mothers who hated them and wanted to get rid of them, abandoned by their fathers even before they were born, and by their mothers while still being children. Both ended up in the streets. But somehow Dante found some inner resources in himself to move forward, to live - I guess the will to live is the most important one. While Jack was just waiting for death because he felt like he has already died anyway until Lacie showed up. At some point they both started to claw their way up, in pretty illegal ways, but while Dante's way was helping, Jack's one was just ruining him further. And then the last similarly - both got to the point where due to their efforts they stood in front of the eyes of the very people they were trying to reach in a higher society, and gained what they were aiming for to move forward: for Dante it was a safe house, for Jack - the chance to meet and keep seeing Lacie.

I'm just in awe because of how similar their stories are in their key points, but how vastly different in everything else. I like being able to see different developments of similar situations, and I think there's an important social commentary in there somewhere.

For the record, I'm not judging Jack here. Not for that part of his story, anyway. He wasn't at fault for how his childhood went and how he dealt with it, no victim blaming on this account.

The last note: looks like the door Domi was knocking on meant not only the beginning of some major events but also reaching out to the dhams, trying to step into their world and build some bridges. I'm very excited to see the development of her and Dante's relationship - I love both of them and think there's some very interesting dynamic. Are they going to become friends? Or more like partners in bringing their worlds together, changing the way society works? In any case, looks like there's going to bemore interaction between the teams now and I'm SO here for that! ✨

[raamitsu]

Vanitas No Carte Mémoire 65 will be released in a few hours ⭐️