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[the-collector-blog]

Hugo is really quite a case regarding his relationship with Lycaon.

He craves Lycaon's company and attention, but his self-loathing keeps getting in the way, stopping him from being fully honest about wanting to be friends again. Lycaon too is a curious case because, rather than falling for the taunting whenever they meet, he's serious, can even joke around, and displays actual concern for Hugo, even when Hugo dismisses him (at times gently, other times rudely)

But I feel the key to their current relationship is in one trust event that has them talking about their past. In here, Hugo can't help feel guilty about Lycaon's legs, only to have Lycaon say this:

That's when it hit me. Lycaon is waiting to have Hugo back, but this can only happen when Hugo heals and attains the peace he wanted after forgiving himself. At least we know he's already on that difficult path, but he's doing it on his own.

What makes this duo so special is that Lycaon knows this and has seen through all of Hugo's barriers, and is more than ready to being his friend again, but he's patiently waiting for Hugo to feel like someone capable to mend their relationship.

Like, ofc is hilarious to see them bickering, but Hugo's trust events are illuminating as we see the classic "Friends to enemies" trope not be reduced to them arguing whenever they see each other, but actually be awkward in the other's presence, or even being able to lovingly reminisce about their youth together, then deeply regret how bad decisions and miscommunication stopped them from helping each other, and the guilt they both feel regarding how things ended.

Hugo's the only one that participates in the intense teasing, and that's because constant taunting is his self-defense mechanism, since he refuses to be vulnerable to the only person that could see the worst of him; the memories of their separation play a part in his refusal to accepting Lycaon's help. However, he ignores that this time around, Lycaon wouldn't abandon him.

If anything, Lycaon is waiting for the instant Hugo's defenses break down to immediately catch him and be together again. And Hugo is.... Open to this, since another trust event has him saying that, depending on the future, Lycaon could be either friend or foe ( though we know he's betting on being together once again)

For Lycaon and Hugo, the resolution of their complex relationship is simply a matter of time now that they're in each other's lives once more, and destiny keeps making them cross paths constantly for a reason.

[the-collector-blog]

took screenshots of stuff in the ballet twins building yesterday, then rewatched hugo's character demo. he reaches out to touch this horse figurine, and puts his hat on this painting on a stand, pushing it down. (the painting seems to be a person, whose transformation into an ethereal— after the ballet twins were engulfed in a hollow— was reflected in the painting. after all, hollows alter reality. the same is true for a painting with the twin marionettes.)

what the hell happened that night? (theory)

ok so. i think i'm piecing together what happened with hugo's dad, his siblings, the innocent lives that were lost due to his father, and his uncle's scheme to become the head of the ravenlock family. i think it was all on the same night.

it was at the building that would become known as the ballet twins. (was it a theatre?) a hollow disaster occurred that night, and all of the major ravenlocks (hartman, hugo's dad, and hugo's 5 remaining siblings) were gathered there. perhaps hartman had planned to have them all in one place...? he may have dosed or poisoned hugo's father's drink, btw.

i think hugo had gone after hearing that the ringleader of the group who plotted to end serena and frame him was going to be there. perhaps it was a chance to get revenge somehow (or simply get answers), just not from his father, as lycaon thought. and it turns out that the group was his siblings, and the ringleader one of them.

at some point, hugo encountered his father and beat him up, but hesitated in finishing the job, remembering their oath... then the disaster occurred.

aside from serena and hugo were 5 siblings, seemingly. they were all there, and died by various means in the midst of the disaster. some (2-5) of them tried to escape through an elevator, but 2 unknown people— perhaps the sisters who were performing that night, the Twin Marionettes?— were pushed out of it. this backfired, and the ravenlock siblings got themselves stuck. they couldn't get through the central control room to escape. even with the supplies in the storeroom nearby, there was no way they were going to make it out. they wondered if this was their punishment, for pushing the two people out of the elevator before...

his father managed to escape and locked people in the hall— innocents who perhaps witnessed wrongdoings. wrongdoings that would ruin the ravenlock family's reputation, if word got out... the 5 siblings, as well as innocents, died because of this.

sibling 1 slipped away from the others, but lost their way back.

sibling 2 was somehow distracted by greed, perhaps the chance to steal dennies and/or expensive items.

sibling 3 hid in some room or area, thinking it would be safe and secure there... but they must've become trapped, and ended up dying there.

siblings 4 and 5 died of unknown reasons.

anyway, hugo escaped and found his father again after some time. now, his father was either dead and/or passed out from a dosed drink. in shock and horror, hugo sits on the steps next to his father's body... then lycaon appears.

[hartman was still at large, and hugo knew he was probably going to be targeted. so, he faked his death after lycaon left.] (unsure of previous part.) then, lycaon went to try and save people, losing an eye and both of his legs in the process.

hartman thought his brother, nieces, and nephews were dead. he may have finished off hugo's father later; either way, his intent was for his brother to die and this came to fruition. maybe hartman even caused the hollow disaster somehow...? or it was just an insane coincidence.

---------------------------------------------------

now, you may be wondering how in the fuck i conjured up all these specific details. trust me— everything is based around specific things in the game, i'm just trying to piece them together. i could lay out my evidence, but it's a lot to read and go over, and this post is already far too long. i can try to sum up the sources. ... and could elaborate upon request.

items found in the ballet twins hollow that show dialogue/text when clicked, hugo's conversations with his inner demon, his EP, hartman's dialogue, the art in cutscenes. and a million other tiny details scattered throughout the game. (lycaon's agent story quest, bury your tears with the past parts A and B, and mewmew side quests at the ballet twins road.)

[the-collector-blog]

Ganon, I need help. How do you deal with gender dysphoria and still bring closeted? I've been having an hard time recently, any advices, go!! Thanks!!

[the-collector-blog]

listen man there's just waaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyyy too much to say regarding vivian/serena. i just compiled a fraction of the things i've said elsewhere. (i've yapped endlessly about this theory... there is so much there........) it was the best i could do rn. hopefully people who read it are already familiar with vivian's character, and her symbolism/themes like "flowers, butterflies, ravens, flowers that bloom in the abyss, withered flowers/new growth, etc"

[the-collector-blog]

How could Serena have become Vivian? (theory)

more of a ramble, + extension of my previous posts about this. quoted text is from various wikis, reddit threads, etc (slightly edited for readability) & an hi3 tweet.

"Misteln was born from Ceclila's act of splitting her body and stigma, with the Schariac Stigmata Space, and with the Abyss Flower to cut into the Imaginary Space."

Cecilia Shariac had something called "Holy Blood", and only her and her descendants could wield the abyss flower. the holy blood is a result of Otto Apocalypse attempting to make "the secret weapon Spear of Destiny, which was the HSN-b46 serum that neutralizes honkai, also considered as the completed holy blood." very similar to the Exaltist's aim to create the Sacrifice Serum, meant to allow humans to exist in and outside the hollows.

"Cecilia had used one half of her power to repel Honkai away in a massive radius. Her holy blood, which Otto warned her not to use, was used. Sadly, it was used to the extremity to stop the Core. Since the core would be foreign to the Imaginary Space, she would succeed, and then die. [Basically, she sacrificed herself.] After some time, Misteln, without a name, appearing with what was now a human form, was now living stigma, one that manifested in the world after the Second Eruption... At that time, she would constantly slip out of reality itself, since she is a being from the Imaginary Space, and couldn't exist in reality."

The Abyss Flower, which holds the power of the Herrscher of Death, the Key of Creation.... "Can split into two separate weapons, with each taking either recreation or destruction (White Flower and Black Abyss respectively)"

from Vivian's trust event: "[Without much hesitation, Vivian picks out a small pot of purple flowers.] ... This is a purple-leaf violet, one of my favorites. ... These clusters of purple-leaf violets look like butterflies, ready to take flight. ... I can't help but think... when the blossoming season ends, even though their petals seem to wither... But in truth, they deceived everyone, shedding their old form and soaring into the vast sky."

Castorice/Thanatos:

— This sea of flowers blooms on dead land because we sowed it with our tears of loneliness... Yes, the only thing "Death" is allowed to create are flowers that bloom from blood and tears.

— "You shall wither, and through that, the dead will sprout again from the remains, and be reborn again with the dead flame..."

— You've been tempered by life and death. I know you'll be able to give this wasteland its first breath of life... Like a raven butterfly flying switfly into the nether realm, perching on the twig of death.

The Reaper ("Death was originally a pair of hands.")

— [Thanatos]: If the Reaper raises their left hand, the soul is granted death and allowed to enter the nether realm to await reincarnation. If they raise their right hand, the soul is rejected by the nether realm and returned to the mortal realm to continue walking the earth.

Hugo:

— Heads represents lies, and tails, death. Yet the result has long been decided.

— "When the musician's third string breaks, the Gatekeeper whispers to me: In which hand hides the coin for the underworld ferryman?" // "The left hand holds death, the right hand holds deception — but the raven has already flown away with the answer."

— Heads for the flowers that bloom in the abyss. Tails for the dawn that sets the world alight.

— A coin for the ferryman of the dead. Guess; is it heads or tails?

— You know, the world is full of contradictions yet remains unified. A cat can be both alive and dead, I can exist in both light and shadow...

Plus. there's a trust event thing with hugo where he asks you to pick which hand he's hiding a coin in, and you can choose "right, left, or neither". i've done all options and basically both hands are holding a coin. whatever you answer, he gives you a prize in return- he sneaks something into your pocket, a flower. specifically, a flower made of folded dennies. (dennies are money, usually coins)

[the-collector-blog]

lalalala for a friend

[the-collector-blog]

for the record, i think that the key to beginning to unravel the "vivian = serena" theory lies with Misteln Shariac. i fully think vivian is something like a memetic form of serena, manifested back into reality, like a film reel rewinding and playing back.

it all lies with the Abyss Flower, the white & black flowers, that lance- which her parasol is very similar to, the sea of flowers, a "raven butterfly" (quote from castorice), a withered flower that has found new life; a butterfly that has shed its old form and soared into the sky anew. a cocoon, the cocoon of finality... vivian comparing the sacrifices to dormant cocoons...

she even sacrificed herself by injecting herself with the Serum, emitting a burst of energy and defeating ethereal-dina in order to save the proxy. VERYYYYYYY similar to how cecilia shariac sacrificed herself by using her completed holy blood to neutralize the honkai and subdue sirin. cecilia, whose stigma remained in the Imaginary Space, and was able to later manifest back into the world as Misteln, living stigmata, due to the Abyss Flower...

the cocoon of a dormant, dead sacrifice, from which a raven butterfly emerges and soars. the withered flower of the abyss, which blossoms anew.

i'm now starting to think that the Ravenlock family have ties to or were inspired by Otto Apocalypse... i have a feeling that there is also more to hugo's father than we know. and i do think there's a good possibility that tha ravenlock bloodline is special, with properties related to ether, but the entire point is that you aren't governed by your destiny, reality... you can make your own. that's the point of hugo's entire story.

[the-collector-blog]

i'm now starting to think that the Ravenlock family have ties to or were inspired by Otto Apocalypse... i have a feeling that there is also more to hugo's father than we know. and i do think there's a good possibility that the ravenlock bloodline is special, with properties related to ether, but the entire point is that you aren't governed by your destiny, reality... you can make your own. that's the point of hugo's entire story.

edit: by which i mean: having ether-related properties means that you can manipulate it. ether makes up and distorts reality, so being able to manipulate it means you are able to literally change reality. (e. g. hugo can make his own.) yixuan and the proxies can do it, but this isn't because the powers within them are that of malice and evil.

[the-collector-blog]

(context: i fully believe that vivian is serena, hugo's late half-sister, brought back somehow.) i think that vivian was first revived to foretell disaster, to warn others... but this was against her will. she had a second metaphorical revival, however, when phaethon inspired her to be the light and keep moving forward. to be more than what she was brought back to be.

like hugo, she was never just cursed and fated to "bring" others misfortune. despite their identities (as a ravenlock and banshee respectively), they chose to break free of their shackles and soar.

[the-collector-blog]

i actually feel for hugo's other siblings rn because what the hell man imagine growing up in a house like that...

[the-collector-blog]

hugo, when by himself and in his POV in the story, refers to lycaon as his partner in crime. lycaon says that they were "best partners, and that won't change." & ofc we go from "dear traitor" to, currently, "dearest partner".

and! when talking about the canon hugo x lycaon fanfic vivian/lilac were reading, your only option is to deny that it was actually about them, to which hugo says "it's impossible for the public to know..."

AAAAA ALSO in what seems to be promotional material (link is a timestamped youtube video) officially commissioned by hoyo, hugo says "And don't worry about me and him— I believe we'll get along just fine." then winks at lycaon, who softly chuckles and smiles.

(it's from the anniversary celebration video originally posted to bilibili. features several artists & amazing work, and was reposted by the official ZZZ bilibili account.)

my analysis of hugo & lycaon's current relationship 🏳️‍🌈

i am fully and completely convinced honestly that hugo and lycaon have reconciled and are basically together now. and that, specifically, they are keeping it under wraps.

they also have every reason to keep it secret. like it actually makes so much sense. it'd complicate victoria housekeeping's reputation, put hugo and mockingbird more into the public eye than they already are...

vivian and lilac are in similar positions when it comes to hugo and lycaon. and both like and read fanfiction about the pair, seemingly without knowing that they're together (if they are).

then as far as the proxy, i mean... ig there's no need to tell them? it wouldn't improve anything necessarily. both hugo and lycaon trust the proxy implicitly and have their own dynamic with them. there's no real reason to add more to that? and also, the game would never confirm outright to the player that the two are dating.

they have both made a living for themselves and can't fully partner up like before. their factions are becoming familiar with each other, and know that they: spend time together, care about each other, and are regularly collaborating behind the scenes.

i think they're right where they need to be right now, settling into a dynamic/situation that works for them. actually, perhaps they are simply in a situationship. and romantically involved, in secret.

[the-collector-blog]

my analysis of hugo & lycaon's current relationship 🏳️‍🌈

i am fully and completely convinced honestly that hugo and lycaon have reconciled and are basically together now. and that, specifically, they are keeping it under wraps.

they also have every reason to keep it secret. like it actually makes so much sense. it'd complicate victoria housekeeping's reputation, put hugo and mockingbird more into the public eye than they already are...

vivian and lilac are in similar positions when it comes to hugo and lycaon. and both like and read fanfiction about the pair, seemingly without knowing that they're together (if they are).

then as far as the proxy, i mean... ig there's no need to tell them? it wouldn't improve anything necessarily. both hugo and lycaon trust the proxy implicitly and have their own dynamic with them. there's no real reason to add more to that? and also, the game would never confirm outright to the player that the two are dating.

they have both made a living for themselves and can't fully partner up like before. their factions are becoming familiar with each other, and know that they: spend time together, care about each other, and are regularly collaborating behind the scenes.

i think they're right where they need to be right now, settling into a dynamic/situation that works for them. actually, perhaps they are simply in a situationship. and romantically involved, in secret.

[the-collector-blog]

reblogging bc i updated this post

i play zzz without music, and dislike how other people's clips have it playing. so, i intend to record and post a few cutscenes without it. i like the immersion it gives.

edit: i've posted 3. here is a playlist of them.

[the-collector-blog]

... i dont know how many ppl are on the same page as me regarding the vivian = serena theory. i'm only finding more supporting evidence everyday. but anyway, something particularly of note...

in the background is a castle... a manor. and hugo is leaning on what i'm now thinking is a cross-shaped tombstone. it makes sense that serena would be laid to rest somewhere near the ravenlock manor. ..........

[the-collector-blog]

i play zzz without music, and dislike how other people's clips have it playing. so, i intend to record and post a few cutscenes without it. i like the immersion it gives.

edit: i've posted 3. here is a playlist of them.

[the-collector-blog]

i just posted a bunch of zzz clips i'd taken recently. they're all about hugo (and most are also about lycaon). i . am embarrassed to post so much of this specific stuff-

but also- maybe someone out there will appreciate it-

and it's my channel, my blog... it's not around a specific franchise or topic or whatnot, because it's just what i want to post. i would upload the clips and set them as unlisted to send stuff to ppl anyway... so i figured i'd try to fix them up enough and actually post some of them

(channel link)

[the-collector-blog]

sometimes i think Danheng has a subconscious habit of overcompensating or taking up more work in the AE just to pacify the negative voice in him that tells him he is a nobody that doesn’t belong

it’s mainly the way he insists on being the AE guard as a reciprocative reason to continue staying with them and how he jumps into action while asserting himself as a Nameless

i think he constantly carries a sentiment of having to “earn” acceptance by proving his value, and if he doesn’t live up to his value, he may be discarded or seen as a burden. which increases his obligation to repay others’ kindness

except there is no such cost-benefit exchange in the AE bc AE fam sees him as one of their own. objectively Danheng seems to be doing better in recent developments but i just wonder how much his mind bothers him anyway, especially after missing out Penacony bc he was resting up after the Xianzhou drama (“i took medical leave. oh no i am going to miss work and they’re going to see me as a burden” kinda thoughts)

(sorry if i mischaracterised anywhere aaa)

I think a lot about how Himeko told him they needed a guard and archivist because she knew he wouldn’t stay unless he felt useful. She could tell even when she’s only just met him. It’s almost certainly an instinct from his past where he wasn’t supposed to want or have anything for himself; his entire existence was dedicated to protecting and serving others.

there is definitely also an aspect of needing to feel worthy in addition to that instinct though. Even if Dan Heng does feel well and truly accepted by the Express Crew (though I doubt he does even now, it will probably take a little longer) I think he’ll continue to do as much as he can for them simply to prove that he cares.