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The first thing that immediately caught my attention was how Lycaon described his interest in the movie. He quotes someone, who said that “The tragedy lies not in the destruction of the body, but in how thoroughly our supposed ‘meaning’ is devoured by nothingness.” He doesn’t say who he heard this from, just that he heard it “in passing,” but the type of language and philosophizing sounds like something Hugo could have said. It made me think back to that one quote about the moon, the one that Lycaon says when you meet him at midnight at the Lumina Square playground — "The moon is dead. What we see is its corpse." I also think it’s heavily implied that Hugo said this, as Lycaon mentioned “Someone I used to know told me that once,” and this was back in 1.0 when he and Hugo were still separated. Anyhow, my point is that Hugo is the type to say these sorts of “edgy” and deep things. So, I think Hugo was how Lycaon came to learn about this film.
Then we begin to watch the actual movie. When we choose to discuss the movie’s background with Lycaon, he says “Disaster movies often dig into how fragile order is and put human nature to the test.” This is something of interest to him, for two main reasons.
One: maintaining order is part of his job, as an attendant working for the mayor. So, seeing how people react to a disaster in a film is an interesting thought exercise for him.
Two: Lycaon is very principled and has almost always clung to what he believes in. So, exploring human nature and the ways it can bend and break is also a topic of interest. He, for the most part, has always stuck to his ways. It can be thought-provoking to see what situations force other people to test their beliefs, and observe whether they stick by them or choose a different path.
Another thing Lycaon mentions is “rationally dissect[ing] the root causes of the tragedy,” which is another thought exercise he is interested in while watching the movie. So, he not only wants to explore how people react to a disaster, but also how the disaster itself came to be, and whether or not it could have been prevented. Pragmatically, this also aligns perfectly with his line of work and duties.
We’re then told more of the movie’s premise, which involves our protagonist being ridiculed by elites at an academic conference, saying “her ‘wild fantasy’ quickly cost her all credibility. She returns to her empty home, greeted only by the mechanical assistant her late mother left behind.”
Lycaon says that “One with insights ahead of their era often meets not understanding first, but solitude.” Obviously, the phrase “insights ahead of their era” is referring to the protagonists’ academic theory, but outside of the context of the movie I want to apply this to Mockingbird as well. Their beliefs in social equality and fair distribution of wealth can also seem like ideals that are “ahead of their era,” as egalitarian politics sometimes are regarded as such. I remember being taught in school that “capitalism isn’t perfect, but it’s the best system we have,” and that “socialism is too idealistic, it wouldn’t work in the long term.” That sort of thing. We could also draw parallels to the academic elites in the film, who ridicule the protagonist’s theory, like how wealthy elites might ridicule those who stand for social change.
In the wake of the protagonist’s poor treatment from her peers and superiors, she returns home to her mechanical attendant. This is the one person who offers her comfort in this difficult time. Lycaon has a strong reaction to this, stating that “once you’ve chosen someone, you follow them without reservation.” This made me recall how, even when he and Hugo had been on less than amicable terms, Lycaon still followed Hugo in a similar way — “without reservation” — when Hugo staged his death. Lycaon then acknowledges that “Such loyalty itself may be enough to challenge the nihility.” Indeed, his loyalty to Hugo (and Vivian and Robin’s loyalty as well) is what sets Hugo apart from the Ravenlocks, and what allowed Hugo to challenge the notion that he is nothing without his family’s name. From the 1.7 story:
[Hugo: I have friends who'd catch me if I fall, partners who'd shed tears for me, and allies who always have my back.
Hugo: I am Hugo Vlad.
Hugo: You're the one who needs the Ravenlock name. I never did.]
So, loyalty is what allows Mockingbird to challenge the oppression of the wealthy elites, and it’s what allowed Hugo to reject the “fate” that his family name carried for him. The game’s narration even acknowledges the possible connections that the film’s themes have to Lycaon, as it says “As if he is also examining, through the movie, the same principles he holds dear.”
In the climax of the movie, the mechanical girl sacrifices herself in an attempt to thwart the nihility that has swallowed the city. Lycaon is very moved by this scene, to the point where his jawline tenses up, and it’s made clear to us that he’s holding something back. He very likely could have been moved to tears, had he not tried to restrain himself. Despite the mechanical girl’s sacrifice, the world is still annihilated, leaving the movie on a very tragic note. He remarks how “even the noblest resolve of one individual couldn’t reverse the torrent as collective consciousness came crashing down.” Linking this back to Mockingbird, I ironically see Lycaon’s betrayal as something like what the mechanical girl had done when she sacrificed herself. Lycaon’s original instructions from Jack were to subdue (likely to kill) Hugo if that “seed of evil” had taken root in him:
[Jack: So then, Lycaon — promise me, now.
Jack: You must hold his chain tight, to restrain him, to stop him.
Jack: And, when necessary... to choke him.]
Yet even when Lycaon thought the worst of Hugo, he still couldn’t lay a finger on him, and instead removed himself from Mockingbird in order to allow Hugo to live. Then, Hugo was left to face his own tragedy alone, being blamed for the murder of innocent people, as a result of that “collective consciousness” which believed him to be evil like the rest of his family. Even when faced with that reality, and being forced to confront it alone, Hugo still didn’t lose hope. He even allowed himself to count on Lycaon once again, and trust him with the plan to fake his death and bring down the name of his family. Also, as a side note, the movie highlighted how the mechanical girl’s arm disintegrated — the loss of a limb, like what Lycaon had experienced back after Mockingbird split up. I guess, in a way, Lycaon is also sort of like a “mechanical companion”? Obviously not on the same level as an intelligent construct, but the parallels are still vaguely there.
Another good quote from Lycaon is “It is not about ‘whether success is possible,’ but ‘whether it is worthwhile.’” So, following one’s principles is not about seeking success through them, but about whether pursuing those very principles is worth it in the first place. This very notion was questioned a bit in 1.6 and 1.7, regarding Mockingbird:
[Hugo: Without power, resources, or strength, we can't do anything. Mockingbird is the perfect example.
Hugo: All the talk about using our power to tip the scales of justice and hover over them like the Sword of Damocles? It's just a delusion. In their eyes, we're nothing but annoying gnats.
Hugo: Mockingbird has never really changed anything or saved anyone — never in the past, not now, and never will in the future.
Hugo: None of it matters.]
Of course, at that moment Hugo was only saying these things to sell that idea that he was betraying the cause. What’s notable is that Lycaon had a very strong reaction to these words:
[Lycaon: Everything you just said... Is that what you truly believe?
Hugo: Of course. Are you surprised?
Lycaon: I have never once thought that Mockingbird was a failure.
Lycaon: Our actions, no matter how childish or flawed, must have made their mark on the world.
Lycaon: They might have been trivial, or foolish, but as long as they had an impact, the things we did are far from meaningless.]
Lycaon then later confronts Hugo about this again, which even surprises Hugo himself:
[Lycaon: I wanted to ask... what you said about Mockingbird before, when you faked your death, was that part of the act?
Hugo: Oh, you mean the part about how "Mockingbird has never really changed anything or saved anyone"?
Hugo: I didn't expect you to still be so hung up on this. Interesting. After all, it was you who chose to betray Mockingbird, to betray me.
Lycaon: Just as I said before. I never considered Mockingbird a failure.
Lycaon: Perhaps Mockingbird deviated from its origins... but it has its value.
Lycaon: You shouldn't reject the things you've done... or Mockingbird.
Hugo: I have contemplated this before. Yes, Mockingbird has helped some people and has genuinely managed to cause trouble for those who abuse their positions of power for evil.
Hugo: Yet those in high positions still possess immense resources and the people we helped remain destitute and suffering, willing to become slaves to those in power for scraps.
Lycaon: ...
Hugo: But just as you said, even if what we did was childishly idealistic and flawed, as little as we actually achieved... even the slightest change is by no means meaningless.
Hugo: Nothing holds more value to me than Mockingbird.]
And so, we see here that Mockingbird demonstrates a persistence in the face of adversity and futility that aligns with what the protagonist of Nihility experienced as well. As Lycaon puts it, “It’s about order, about loyalty, about… the meaning of persistence in a battle that’s doomed to fail.”
Of course, the ending of the movie is more grim and tragic than what came to be of Mockingbird, but both these stories share the themes of order, loyalty, and persistence. Lycaon even links the plot of the movie to contexts outside of it, saying “it also compels the viewer to contemplate the meaning of any effort in the face of absolute nihility.” To Lycaon, the most striking thing about the film wasn’t the tragedy itself, but how the protagonist “chose to bear the weight of the world alone [...] And the loyalty displayed by her mechanical companion.” So, he was most moved by the steadfast protagonist, and the loyal partner who stuck by them against all odds. Though he and Hugo had a much more rocky history, Lycaon’s loyalty to Hugo still manifested in the mercy he displayed towards him, and his choice to ultimately leave. Then, he re-affirmed his loyalty by following Hugo's plan, which later allowed them to reconcile.
Lycaon particularly sang many praises about the protagonist after watching the film, “But those who remained steadfast in their duty and loyalty until the very end — their stance itself was the strongest response to ‘nihility.’” And even in his review of the movie after we’ve completed it: “One person standing firm in total chaos, that alone rejects the void. A work born from despair that still lights the way to hope.” I think, from his perspective — someone who is a loyal companion to others as well as an individual who places high importance on his own ideals — Lycaon sees the protagonist both as a principled individual and also as someone worth following and being loyal to. He says “To walk a path you know leads nowhere, and to see it through to the very end — that resolve alone is far beyond any measure of victory or defeat.” This imagery of walking a path that leads nowhere, it reminded me of a few things linking back to Hugo. Firstly was the way Hugo himself once said “I will walk the path I believe is right. Even if I must tread over thorns and through the mud.” This very well could have been a line that the protagonist of Nihility said. And again, in the description of his Mindscape 6 art:
[“He walked willingly toward the endless abyss, letting the thorns on the ground tear at his wounds.
Where the blood spread, broken dignity and stubbornness began to sprout from the wounds.
He picked up the blood-soaked thorns to crown himself.
"There's only ever been one person who can kill me or save me... And that is me."”]
We see another instance of imagery where Hugo is walking on a path that appears hopeless, “toward the endless abyss,” yet he remains firm in his conviction.
We can even go further than Mockingbird when talking about Hugo persisting down the beaten path, as he was also ridiculed and faced hardship when growing up in the Ravenlock family. During that time, we could say that Hugo tried to stick to his ideals of kindness and care, which were exhibited to him by Serena. But following Serena’s death, those ideals became more and more difficult to uphold within the oppressive system of the Ravenlock household. And so, refusing to conform to the cruel ways of his family, Hugo ran away to pursue the path he believed to be just. The “fate” to someday become like his father, this was another type of “nihility” that Hugo had to fight against, in addition to fighting against the oppression of the elite class which his family was a part of.
In short, Hugo is very much like the steadfast protagonist, and Lycaon is like the loyal self-sacrificial companion. Or, you could even flip the roles, since Hugo himself displayed self-sacrificial behaviors as well in 1.7. But I think for the most part, Lycaon most closely fits the role of a loyal companion, while Hugo is the underdog that is shunned by society. And together, the both of them fight to resist the nihility of injustice.