Do you think Elsie can exist away from Mori? Or do you think that Mori has a certain "range" and Elsie can only be so far away before she "disappears." Also do you think Mori has to put conscious effort into creating Elise and can only do so while awake or is she capable of existing while he sleeps?
Oh my gosh, this has been sitting for far too long, I’m so sorry for that! Anyway, we’re not really given a lot of information about Elise, so I can only offer theories/opinions:
1. Do you think Elise can exist away from Mori? Or do you think that Mori has a certain “range” and Elsie can only be so far away before she “disappears.”–I believe she is the evolved version of the “Demon” ability both Kouyou and Kyouka possesses. Unlike Demon Snow and Golden Demon, she does not need to be at a certain distance from Mori and can exist without being summoned. Perhaps it would be a problem if she’s a city away from him or something like that, but as his ability, I don’t think she’s ever been gone far from his side for a long period of time.
2. Also do you think Mori has to put conscious effort into creating Elise and can only do so while awake or is she capable of existing while he sleeps? – As I said, she is the advanced version of the “Demon” abilities, abilities which are both sentient and capable of independent action. Twain’s Huck and Tom fall under this to an extent. Going in LN4 spoiler territory here, but Gab, an ability that took control of its user and began to function as a human, can be also be compared.
But back to Elise, if I have to be crude about it, she is most similar to an automaton, designed to automatically follow a predetermined set of instructions. She makes it clear here in this page from chapter 46:
While it is debatable whether her personality and appearance were configured by Mori and could be changed at a snap of a finger, we can safely infer that Elise’s ‘instinct’ will always be to protect Mori. In fact, while she plays the role of an elementary school girl perfectly, she may not need to sleep, drink, or eat at all. As Mori’s protector, it may even be in her ‘program’ to watch over Mori while he sleeps. That way, no enemy will ever get to him even at his most vulnerable.
Other headcanons I may have talked about elsewhere but I’d share again because it’s relevant to the topic:
–Elise was modeled after an old lover/someone Mori was close to. This was a headcanon I formed after reading Mori Ougai’s “The Dancing Girl”. In the story, Elise became insane shortly after the narrator abandoned her and their unborn child to go back to Japan. In the Vol 12 omake, Mori claimed Elise as his wife.
–“Sorry Rintatou, I’ll wait for you on the other side” were Elise’s last words to Mori before she vanished in Chapter 50. If you’ve been following the manga, then you’d know that Elise is actually fine (makes sense since Mori’s back in tip-top shape) so it’s a headscratcher why Elise had to say such a dramatic line when she could materialize back. Related to my HC above, that line may have been the real parting words of the real Elise. As she’s disappearing and Mori can’t maintain control of her thanks to a combination of the damage she’s received and his own weakening focus, the ability Elise somehow says those meaningful words again, probably as a form of comfort.
–Mori repeatedly says that he is only attracted to those aged 12 and under. This might explain why Elise looks the way she is, but another reason is because Mori wants to remember the original Elise, whoever they are, at their “most innocent time”. I’m thinking Mori does not feel any need to make sexual advancements towards any prepubescents anyway, but says he is attracted to them because his Elise fits the bill. But we’ll stop there, as I feel like this is an avenue that I shouldn’t continue, for my sake and yours…
–As we’ve seen throughout the series, Elise is sharp-tongued and perfectly content to express her disgust at this greasy middle-aged man fawning all over her. She’s sentient, but there’s still a boundary between her and human beings. The latter are flexible and capable of change, but it is gradual and through their own efforts. Though I did say mileage may vary on whether Elise’s personality had been the same from the start, I think if Mori willed her to become more obedient, she’ll automatically comply to become less feisty than the Elise we’re used to. Thankfully, it seems Mori actually prefers the savage Elise that won’t hesitate to roast his ass all the way to Okinawa and back.
Anyway, I plan on making a post about abilities which might touch more on this, but who knows when I’ll actually be motivated to do so.
(scanlation credit: @dazaiscans & EGScans)
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