Death and The High Priest || Godchild (a little speculation)

[lbl_Flamesi]

*SPOILER*
alert
for those who have not read
Godchild 4 & 5

Alright, so last night I was rereading Godchild #4, and a couple of things really jumped out at me. They'd jumped out at me while reading Godchild #5 too, but I didn't think much of it then, a large space being between me reading the two volumes. Rereading them on the eve of yesterday, I nearly jumped out of my bed and to the computer (stopping only because it was 1 AM) to post this.

To The Point: The interesting relationship between Jizabel Disraeli and Cassandra Gladstone.
It may be just me, but I speculate a little bit of oddness between the two. A relationship that goes a bit farther then Kaori Yuki's usual mxm undertones/hints in Godchild. In blunt, it seemed to me a couple of times Cassandra was coming onto Jizabel.
That isn't the oddity that stood out to me, as much as Jizabel's passive reaction was.

The Speculation:
Cassandra being attracted towards Jizabel? Cassandra Gladstone, High Priest of the Major Arcana. Godchild 4-5 are the only times he appears in the volumes (unless I'm mistaken). On the surface, he has the disguise of working to better the lower class, promoting equality between the classes; the appearance of an upstanding and charitable gentleman. It quickly becomes apparent, however, that under the surface he has the strong convictions that the High Class should rule over the lower, and that those of lower stations are "scum". Through these volumes, it is also apparent that he is a twisted and sadistic individual with a fetish for boys in drag.
((Godchild #4)) At the ritual to initiate Jizabel into the Arcana as Death (Bloody Maria, Scene 1), Cassandra expressed sympathy and empathy to him afterwards. However, he went a step further, stating that the two of them "... would make good allies. After all, I know everything about you [Jizabel]". If you've seen that scene in the manga, you'll notice Cassandra getting almost a bit intimately close to Jizabel. Later, at the end of Blood Maria, Scene 2, Cassandra has a similair confrontation with Jizabel again.
((Godchild #5)) At the beginning of Castrato, Scene 1, Crehador can be quoted as saying to Cain, in a discussion about "Lord Gladstone" a.k.a Cassandra, "I've heard he loves beautiful things... whether it's a piece of an artwork or... whether it's a man...".
This links back to the pevious volume, where Cassandra says to Jizabel, "You look exactly like your mother... I can understand why your father doesn't want your face to become blemished.", and may explain Cassandra's preoccupation (Yes, Jizabel's mother was beautiful). It's also pretty safe to say that Jizabel himself is almost unnaturally pretty.
There's further evidence in the volume. One of the strongest is Cassandra dressing up a boy called Leroy, a friend of Mary Weather's from the streets and whom he kidnaps, and makes him dress in drag for most of the volume, and the presence of another character called Zoe. Though only a minor, minor character in the volume and one who could be overlooked as a lackey of Cassandra's who appears in Castrato, Scene 4, there are some interesting things to note. The largest being that although at first glance Zoe appears to be a girl, is in fact a boy much like Leroy, who is dressed in drag for all of his appearance. This would of been virtually unknown, if not for Kaori Yuki's own note in the volume: "By the way, this minor character, Zoe, is a boy. He must be a boy prostitute that Cassandra was interested in and picked up."
So I also think it's safe to say that Cassandra has at least bisexual tendencies.
The last of the evidence appears first in Castrato, Scene 2. Cain appears to be falling into a trap set by Cassandra, who then proceeds to gloat to Jizabel about it. Then they make a deal: Cassandra states that "If I lose to him [Cain] then you win... I'll give you my entire fortune.... But if he falls into my hands then I will take your freedom." And he then presents Jizabel with custom made restraints (which are historically called "The Scavenger's Daughter", look it up)... and Jizabel agrees. He refers numerous times to this bet as that it will let him "free" Jizabel. When Cassandra appears to win the bet in Castrato, Scene 4, he says to Jizabel, "Cain has fallen into my hands. So as we agreed upon, you belong to me. Now... those restraints will clothe your body like a dress... on which I will gently place a lock. My Jizabel."
It can be noted, however, that Jizabel never appears wearing the restraints and isn't when he makes his next appearance.
I conclude my evidence for this point (xD *fancy*).

Jizabel's reactions are strange? Death in the Major Arcana, Jizabel Disraeli is also referred to as the Doctor, and appeared early on in Cain's adventures (first appearing in one of the volumes of The Cain Saga, prequel to Godchild). Readers of the series know that Jizabel is something of a twisted, psychotic, sadistic, mad doctor type character that feels a cold hatred to all things human and has a fetish for collecting peoples organs. Especially Cain. Official description on the inside of the book describes him as "Cain's half-brother who harbors deep resentment, and wants to add Cain's eyes to his vile collection". He's also very pretty.
((Godchild #4)) In Little Miss Muffet, Scene 3, Jizabel puts to rest a dog that he had stitched together and brought back to life after being murdered. Cassian walks in upon the scene, and Jizabel delivers a short speech how "humans will pay for their sins" and "are responsible for corrupting this world", that "eventually we will get what we deserve" and that "for all the animals that have been sacrificed since anciet times... the day will come when humanity's punishment will result in our destruction". After which, Cassian makes the very correct observation that "...human beings... are the only living creatures this man cannot love...", an observation that throughout the series seems a hundred percent true.
During those meetings I detailed in the last point, which Cassandra seems to be suggesting something between the two of them, Jizabel displays little emotion. He is passive, though his appearance hints that he does not enjoy the close contact or Cassandra, but he does not stop him either time. When they are then interrupted by Cassian during the first meeting, Jizabel replies to Cassian's obvious dislike of Cassandra with the words, "You may not like him but he's still our superior."
One might speculate that it is because of this reason, along with the fact that Cassandra saw into his past during the ritual, that Jizabel permits Cassandra to do what he does. However, then we move onto...
((Godchild #5)) Some time after Cassandra and Jizabel make their deal, as detailed in the above points on Cassandra, Cassian confronts Jizabel again, asking him if it's because of these same two reasons that Jizabel is permitting Cassandra to "lord over" him, pointing out that the two are now of equal stations in the Arcana (Castrato, Scene 3). When Jizabel responds that it's nothing he needs to know about and tells him to leave, Cassian makes this astute point, saying, "I saw the innocent love that you have for animals and... realized you had completely given up on humanity." Cassandra then intrudes, and proceeds to kick/step on Cassian's face. It is to be noted that during both of these, Jizabel makes no reaction, even when Cassian is mistreated.
The oddest observation of all is that when Cassandra proclaims that he has won the bet (as detailed, again, in the evidence on Cassandra) and claims his "prize" of Jizabel's freedom, Jizabel kneels down and kisses Cassandra's hand... with, strangely, a smirk/smile. If you read the manga, you'd have to note there is something definitely odd about it.
Then, in Castrato, Scene 5, when it becomes apparent that Cassandra has really failed, Jizabel reads to Cassandra a proclamation that bluntly states that he has been "stripped from his post and banned from the orginization" and is "to be captured upon discovery or... put to death." Then, Jizabel takes out the restraints and throws them at Cassandra's feet, stating "I'm sorry, but I believe this belongs to you."
Out of rage, Cassandra takes a sword and rushes forward to stab Jizabel, who does not move out of the way, and seems to have a small smile. Cassian then jumps in the way and takes the blow, to the shock of Jizabel, the first time he displays any real reaction.
However, Cassian manages out, "You... were trying to throw your life away again...!". It should be noted that Jizabel has, in similair situations, made no attempt to extricate himself from harm's way.
The arc ends with Jizabel using Cassandra as the donor for an experimental brain transplant, being the perfect match for Cassian's body type. Cassandra is executed, Jizabel saying "I'm sure my dreams will be quite pleasant tonight... knowing that I'll never have to feel your vile touch again." before injecting him with some sort of death-inducing drug, and transplating Cassian's brain into Cassandra's body thus giving Cassian the full-grown and matured body he's always wished for. (: D <3)
I conclude the evidence on Jizabel. (FINALLY.)

Conclusion: I myself have no definite opinion on their relatioship. I hardly believe it was any close to love. My overall impression is, once again, something extremely odd and intriguing.
I may also be an obsessive, psychotic freak for typing all this out xD;. But I wanted to back it up, and not make it seem like some fangirly "OMG THEY HAVE GOT TO HAVE DONE THE GAAAAY" statement.

What I want is your opinions, ladies and gentleman, from the evidence I've garnered and your own personal observations and ideas.
Please discuss.  

[Sai-kun]

As you continue in the series, Kaori Yuki will start revealing more about Jezebel's past and start to characterize him as less the sadistic psychopath, and more of that kind of villain that she likes to portray...the villain with his own motives for doing things, one whose sense of right and wrong are no longer black and white.

The Castrato arc is a big one for establishing Jezebel's background (and one of my favorites).

Cassandra is just a skeevy, seedy perv.
He's a sadist, and I'm sure you know what his kink is.

As Hierophant, his powers let him see Jezebel's memories, which he uses to pick at the normally stone-cold, sardonic doctor.

Jezebel is really very vulnerable, as his messed up childhood pretty much drives everything he is and what he does in his adult life. The moment his cover is blown and someone as manipulative and predatory as Cassandra gets into his head, we see just how weak Jezebel is.

The relationship between them has blatantly ominous, sexual overtones. Cassandra no doubt abuses his victims, mentally and physically, reducing them to a puppet-like state. He's intrigued by Jezebel's fragility which the doctor has managed to hide from just about everybody but the few that can get close to him without getting a scalpel in the eye and sees it as the perfect opportunity to tame Delilah's own Death Card.

Jezebel now, obviously doesn't return any of Cassandra's perv towards him. Jezebel has no reason to like people, let alone this corrupt, sadistic nobleman who is worming his way into carefully guarded personal secrets and trying to use them against him. Jezebel never let Cassandra into his pants. I think Jezebel was pretty much thinking all along "the first chance I get, I'm ripping out his spine and wearing it as a hat."

But also, Jezebel has a curious submissive streak, especially when it comes to Delilah. He does everything Alexis says without question (SPOILER but I'm assuming if you're reading any of this, you know this fact already as it was revealed in the Castrato arc...Alexis is his father and the root of much of Jezebel's neurotic tendencies).
Jezebel turns into a puppy around Alexis. He goes through the invasive induction rite to become a servant of Delilah, even though it means reawakening and revealing really incredibly traumatic and personal memories.
The whole shindig was a submissive exercise before Alexis.

And Cassndra, being one of the few to see this vulnerable side of Jezebel is all "Mwehehehehehe..."
Cassandra has all this dirt on Jezebel to use on the doctor, and it obviously works. It does get under Jezebel's skin although Jezebel covers up his disturbance with destructive rage (as usual).

But Jezebel's submissive reaction, I feel its a conflicted mixture of Jezebel giving up, resigning himself in his weird masochistic way, but doesn't do it because he likes Cassandra at all. He takes a lot of s**t from people...I'm sure a part of it has something to do with his unflagging devotion to Delilah, despite the fact that it screws him over time and time again.
Its really a never ending cycle of punishment, kowtowing and repentance for Jezebel.
That smirk, that cold aloofness...is just good ol' crazy Jezebel no letting any of his emotions show, no doubt imagining all the creative ways he could destroy Cassandra.
Notice at the end of the arc when Cassandra is coming at him with a sword and how Jezebel is just standing there with a smirk on his face. If Cassian hadn't stepped in, Jezebel would have let Cassandra run in him through.

Jezebel is a sad, broken, twisted man.

But Jezebel gets his revenge, true to the good doctor's style. He rescues the mortally wounded Cassian by transplanting Cassian's brain into Cassandra's body, and naturally waits for Cassandra to wake on the table so he can see Jezebel about to sink a scalpel into his face biggrin .

The transplant was a macabre gift of thanks to his loyal servant, although once again Jezebel does it with a clinical coldness and hardly even says good bye to Cassian when he releases him from his servitude.

Such is the way Jezebel loves XD Mmm...passive agressivness.  

[Sai-kun]

Also, it helps to consider the title of the story arc "Castrato."

I don't know how many readers are familiar with what the castrato are, but famously they are male singers, castrated before puberty to retain the more flexible range and quality of their voices since the lack of tetosterone means their bodies and vocal chords do not develop normally. They saw the height of popularity in the early 18th century.

However, castration was practiced in many parts of the world throughout history, like eunuchs (some still exist today).

Castration has come to have a symbolic, cultural and social meaning.
Historically, castration was an act of enslavement or punishment. Eunuchs showed up in history very often as servants and slaves, and sometimes as prostitutes.

Also consider the meaning of the act of castration through The Greek/Roman culture that much of Western society models itself after.
In Greek mythology, castration was the ultimate threat.
It was what destroyed the rule of gods.
Kronos (a titan and father of the Olympian god, Zeus) destroyed his Father Uranus' rule by castrating him.
Castration was the ultimate act of stripping a man of his fertility, his masculinity...and thus his power.
Kronos feared this fate so much that he ate his own children upon birth.

Now in our own society, there is such a cult of masculinity, that any act that compromises that sense of masculinity is considered shameful and weak, because the general belief is a man who cannot be agressive and masterful over women and bear many children with his powerful loins is clearly not a man.
Therefore, things like homosexuality, transgenderism, transexualism, etc are all threatening to the cult of masculinity. We even have an idiom for it in the English langauge that belies this whole fear of demasculinization. When someone is chickening out, being cowardly, we often say that they "dont have the balls for it," once again touching on the ancient fear of castration.

To be castrated, or symbolically castrated as Cassandra hoped to do to Jezebel, is to be dominated, feminized, put into the submissive role.

Also, peripherally, Jezebel also has this running obsession with internal organs, collecting organs, removing organs, destroying organs, losing organs that goes back to what happened to him in his childhood.
So..."castrato" also has another thematic relation to Jezebel XD

Also consider the fact that Jezebel was dressed like a little girl as a child, and that [SPOILER ALERT] he was given his slain sisters' organs to correct his sickliness [ /Spoiler] Haha...just food for thought.

Did any of that make sense?  

[lbl_Flamesi]

Haha, that made perfect sense. To me at least. I'd been puzzling about what the whole thing with 'castrato' meant... I knew what it meant, of course, but didn't really get the full meaning of what it symbolizes in the story until I read your post. Poor Leroy's words to Cain about Cassandra always had me guessing a bit, trying to fit the whole 'castrato' thing into one thought without getting too farfetched.

xD <3 *thanks*

Also, I reread the fifth volume again, and I realized another bit of evidence that makes sense with what you were saying about Jizabel~ when Cassian brings those papers to him before he gets his faced stomped on... later, Jizabel says that he had asked the doctor to check something for him earlier, and it was whether Cassandra's body type matched up to Cassian's.

So it seems Jizabel had a plan all along. xD  

[Sai-kun]

I hope people can get beyond the walls of text in this thread and join in XD

Can you tell I think way too much about this stuff?  

[Cynical Strawberry]

Eh, well, I noticed that the first time I read those books, and yes, 'Castrato' was a HUGE indication of such events. xD I luvs my Jiza-mins, though. 3nodding He's so twisted in this innocent way, if you get my meaning. And Cassandra was ugly. D< He WAS. He looked better after Cassian's brain was in his body. ><

 

[Sai-kun]

I think getting rid of the greasy skeev-tastic chin length hair was the first step towards not looking like he's going to eat your babies for lunch...

And Cassian doesn't make those creepy faces that Cassandra makes...  

[Cynical Strawberry]

Exactly! He looked MUCH better once all that hair was chopped off. ><

 

[Seliece]

What struck me as odd was that Jezebel would let Cassandra talk to him like that o.o Even if he was just acting, it seemed a little out of character for him--to me, at least.

Eh, I don't really think there's any potential of a relationship between Cassandra and Jezebel. For one thing, there's no love involved--it's one of those "I want to have power over you" type of things, as Cassian mentioned with his "lord over you" comment.

>.> Jezebel's definitely better looking than creepy Cassandra.

 

[Sai-kun]

[Spoileriffic]

Doesn't help that Cassandra's dead by the end of the volume, either XD

Death doesn't usually make for a fruitful relationship.

[ /spoilerrific]

I think Jezebel isn't the type to totally flip if you're nasty to him.
If he feels up to it, he'll carve out your spleen when you are least expecting it, but I dont think he'll ever be like "b***h, WHATCHOO SAY?!"

He doesn't like it, but Cassandra is a part of Delilah, and Jezebel is remarkably unable to do anything about Delilah's affairs other than to see Alexis' wishes through...
Cassandra also has all kinds of mindscrewy tricks that unsettle Jezebel a lot.