for at least 5 hours ive been trying to piece everything together through what i can learn patreon and tumblr. maybe i need to do more studying 😭 some of what i say might be contradictory but i Have made many revelations during the process of writing this. sometimes i cant tell if im looking too deeply or not deep at all. whether i end up wrong or right, i had a spectacular time trying to analyze everything i can get my hands on
im very firm in my belief that T is rabbit, but i noticed an ask from a while ago and i couldnt tell if i misunderstood the answer and a masked character was used as an example or if it was a freudian slip (former is more likely). initially, it led me to believe that E is butterfly, combined with the ro red flags. but as far as im concerned, both of these cant be true at the same time. im more inclined to believe T as rabbit; a lot of their answers line up freakishly well, and i know everyone’s caught on to how their routes are mutually exclusive LOL it makes sense (at least to me) that T could utilize rabbit as a separate persona because the prospect of being with MC as they are seems unachievable. it would allow them to indulge in their feelings without it bleeding into their relationship with MC as T. i dont really know how they would get an invitation to the bacchanal but y’know we can figure that out later. T might be easily identifiable as rabbit (if im right) but we’ll still get to see a different part of them that they suppress as the MC’s childhood friend because that’s all they think they’ll ever be. someone pointed out earlier that E was designed to be the “main antagonist”, and because of that, they have a very compelling dynamic with the MC all on their own. they stand as a significant plot point and its enough that i think their character can be drawn out without needing to be under a mask at all.
fox and rabbit are the masked ros who identified MC. it would be fair to assume that if L knows, then so does H (and vice versa), even though i dont really know their motives (this is a bad point to make im just trying to emphasize how close they are). i just dont know who goes where 😭 ive seen a lot theorizing that H is rabbit, and while i get that the whole concept of the masked ros is showing another side of the characters, i think rabbit is too much of a contrast to what we know of H. H is seen in society as a rake but stern in demeanor and outwardly rejects the marriage mart. in comparison, rabbit is too soft of a character, too wistful, and desires love too much. i understand that H is likely not as closed off to love as we think they are and rejects the marriage mart because they’re wanted for their status, but i think an anonymous gathering is not a very smart way to look for love LOL. this is rabbit’s first time at the bacchanal anyways (why would H not go to the event they host) and rabbit is known to be chaste. there is a difference between showing another side of a character and showing two completely different characters.
there isnt much to go off of (which is what makes all this fun) and on the surface, it makes sense for H to be butterfly and L to be fox, but instead of showing us another half of their character, it would reaffirm what we already know. we know that H is a lover of pleasure, and so is butterfly; its such an obvious connection that i dont buy it. why would H be a detached, notorious rake under the mask when we already know them as one in society? fox is mentioned to have the most secrets, and i think for as enigmatic as H is, it makes sense that the host of the bacchanal would be the most secretive. aloof to society, closed to the marriage mart but not so much to the prospect of love. people argue rabbit could be the softer, more romantic version of H; i argue the same for fox, except they have a level of refinement and an air of secrecy i could still apply to H (sorry that sounds bad idk how else to word it). butterfly has a level of whimsy and charm that i can only see in L, even if i know the least of them. its very plausible that butterfly is simply a more emboldened and/or less inhibited version of L. they retain their charm and charisma, but there is no need to uphold the pleasantries they’re so well regarded for. as easy as it is to link L to fox and H to butterfly, it only works on the surface level. the deeper you look into these characters, the more the alternative aligns with what we know or are able to guess, but maybe its easy for me to say that bc i have patron insight (sub to patreon btw). maybe im looking too deep into it and it actually is as obvious as it seems LMAO but no matter how many doubts linger in my head, i wholeheartedly believe it would be more interesting to see masked L and H behave as mirrors of each other’s public image. something something kindred spirits
tldr: i think E is unmasked, H is fox, T is rabbit, and L is butterfly. tug is tug. wahoo!
It's been so long since I've heard so much emphasis on H and L in the theories, it makes me so happy to hear just how much you're including them in the thought process! And I love seeing the twists and turns it all takes here, as well as all of the reasoning.
Aside from correcting or clearing things up I try not to comment on the specifics of theories, but I will say: H being Fox would make for a fantastic character.... if you are to believe that H has 0 experience in bed, which is something you seem to be waffling on😉
You are correct that E is excluded from being Rabbit and Fox, as E is a red flag and they are not. Fox, Rabbit, and Butterfly know who the MC is, but only Fox and Butterfly know MC is at the Bacchanal. Rabbit doesn't know the MC is there, and The Uninvited Guest doesn't know who the MC is to begin with. This is starting to feel like one of those logic puzzles, lol!
Thoughts, anybody? Rebuttals?
