beauty-and-passion

[beauty-and-passion]

A wrap up of 2024 - and a look at 2025

I know, this post should've come earlier.

But this is the third year in a row I have gotten sick right in time for Christmas. First year it was the flu, then Covid, now it was the flu again.

And so, once again I didn't feel well for a couple days before Christmas and spent the remaining ones from Christmas to New Year trying to speedrun my recovery, because even if I didn't plan to travel anywhere, I still had small plans and didn't want them to get ruined.

In the end, I managed to recover just in time to celebrate New Year in a nice restaurant with some friends, while on January 1st I celebrated my birthday with a full day in a spa with my mother.

And yes, it was amazing. The place was extremely relaxing, filled with soft lights, sweet perfumes and a nice ambiance music. We had lunch and it was very tasty, despite not being filled with a ton of dishes. Also, we had unlimited water and a delicious herbal tea with ingredients like licorice, chamomile and fennel.

And the saunas? Oh, they were amazing! There was a bio-sauna and a steambath with a temperature around 50°C and a Finnish sauna (70° C).

Speaking of the Finnish sauna, the spa also offered a specific ritual in which the temperature slowly rises in the span of 15 minutes until it reaches 105° C.

Of course I had to try it. And it went as follows:

5 minutes: the temperature rises from 70 to 80° C. I feel sweat run down like water, it's pleasantly hot, the rose essence is pleasant and I feel great.

10 minutes: the temperature rises from 80 to 90° C. Heat presses on me, but not in a bad way: it's like hot, gentle hands. The essence is now mint and I feel even better.

15 minutes: The temperature rises from 90° C. The heat is so strong that I can feel the first layer of my skin burn. I had to leave, and so I did.

Long story short: I managed to resist for 11 minutes in total, before leaving the sauna and moving to the frigidarium. And even though the temperature inside was -2° C, I barely felt any cold for a solid minute.

However, once I was out of the frigidarium and back into the pool, my head and body were as light as a feather. Best experience ever.

And this is why yesterday I went to the spa again, this time with my brother.

We did every sauna at least two times, we did the ritual two times (the first time, I tried to resist a bit more and almost fainted from low blood sugar - so the second time, I stayed inside for 7 minutes only), we spent all the time in the swimming pool and took a nap in the relaxation rooms after lunch. And we also did a relaxing massage.

So at the end of the day, we were both very relaxed, smooth, satisfied and extremely tired. But at least, we closed the holiday season by feeling new people - and we're ready to tackle 2025 at full strength.

____________________

A look at 2024

2024 has been a busy year for this blog. I said I would've moved from being Sanders-Sides-themed only and so I did, by talking about a ton of different projects and works.

So let's take a look at each of them, shall we?

*

Lore Olympus: it has been very refreshing to finally take out all I had bottled up inside about this webcomic. And it has been even better, to see its end and talk about it for the last time.

Do I miss it? Absolutely not. It was stupid and its stupidity was fun to read. But there were also too many pointless things, that diluted the story too much and made me waste a ton of time.

So, I would still not recommend it to anyone. Sorry people, you will miss the cartoonish supervillains, the Avenger Assemble part and Gaia-Ex-Machina, but I can assure you, you can live without knowing them.

*

CCCC: oh, now we're talking! This album was amazing, the themes were super interesting and it has been wonderful to see an artist like Chonny put so much care and attention to detail to a project that was clearly extremely personal for him.

Listening and talking about CCCC has been a beautiful experience for me and I am still very grateful to the anons who made me discover this little gem. I had a lot of fun writing about it - and I'm happy others enjoyed it too!

And if you know nothing about this album, please try listening to it. It's clever, it's mature, it's definitely worth your time.

*

Epic the musical: this also deserves a place among all the beautiful experiences. I found out about this project by accident and I imagined it would've taken a very long time before seeing it complete. Instead, Jorge Rivera-Herrans finished it in record time. And he did it, while keeping quality, care and attention to detail to the max.

It has been fun to see every step of this project, to be jumpscared by a sudden data release for a new saga. And I'm happy to say that, despite the small imperfections, this album is still great, Epic is still a wonderful retelling and it doesn't ruin the spirit of the original work at all - on the contrary, it makes me want to re-read the Odyssey!

I've been very happy to listen to these songs and write my thoughts regarding each Saga. And I will gladly write more about Epic in the future, once we will see more of the upcoming projects.

*

Sanders Sides: and if we see a project wrap up beautifully, we also see a series that will never have a good ending - or an ending of sorts for that matter.

Some people still want to believe the finale will come one day and I'm glad for them: hope is a wonderful thing and if they're happy, good for them. But my hope for a satisfying conclusion for this series died long ago (hence why I wrote my own ending and moved somewhere else).

All I do now is check the only place with real updates (the criticism tag) and wait for the day Mr. Sanders decides to make a new SaSi video. And, once that day comes, I will write a post about it.

*

Gravity Falls: all-absorbing, all-encompassing and all-consuming, just like it was the first time and I wouldn't want it any other way. This series will forever have a special place in my heart, writing nine analysis posts was just my way to reconfirm that yes, I still love it.

Aaaand yes, I still have a fanfiction draft. It's still in my drive. But I don't feel very inspired at the moment. Maybe because I don't have enough time to do it, considering that real life is taking most of my attention at the moment.

However, I won't rule out a possible resurgence of Gravity Falls again. And not just on my blog.

*

TMA: I started this series with low expectations, just because I wanted to see what was the fuss about it - and have some fun in the meantime.

But then my expectations rose, my attention grew and now I'm involved, curious and with way higher expectations than before.

I still have to finish it, but for now, TMA looks like a very promising, interesting series. There is a big attention to detail and, despite the imperfections, there is a ton of love and care behind every new chapter.

So if you enjoyed my "reaction posts" in 2024, get ready because they will come back in 2025. The story is not over and I need to see how it goes.

______________

A look into 2025

TMA posts will come back very soon: I am already checking the first chapters of season 3 and writing down my thoughts. Hopefully, they will start to come out before the end of January.

I also plan to finish TMA as a series, wrap my thoughts about it and maybe write more posts about it - like a list of my favorite MAGs? Still don't know, I'll see when I'll cross that bridge.

And yes, I want to start The Magnus Protocol too. But TMA comes first, so I want to focus on that for now.

Then... who knows? I don't have real plans for now aside TMA, just random ideas. And that's great, because I have a lot of free room: I can discover more stuff, talk about more random things and check what you will suggest.

We have a ton of time to find out more and have fun.

______________

Once again, thank you

I would like to take this moment to thank you, you wonderful people who interact with me and my posts: without your comments, hearts and asks, I would be just an idiot shouting into the void. If I'm not, it's only thanks to you <3

And I would like to thank even more all the incredible people who follow me: you gave me your trust and I will always do my best to make my posts enjoyable, interesting and as fun as possible.

And long. Yep, they will keep being long, sorry not sorry, I just love to babble <3

I hope 2024 has been a good year for you and I wish you all a wonderful 2025.

Stay tuned and we'll see each other (hopefully!) soon.

[beauty-and-passion]

And finally... the Ithaca Saga

We did it. We reached the end.

And we did it this year, in 2024! I suppose the moral of the story is: if you're truly passionate about something (and have big plans), you can do anything.

And by "anything", I don't mean just "finishing the concept album": I mean fighting against weather, bad luck and probably the gods themselves, to do what you planned.

I imagined everything, except that Mr. Jorge's plan for the final stream of his entire album, was to go to the goddamn island of Ithaca and stream there.

But, you know, it was right. It felt right. It was a very poetic choice, to bring a modern version of the Odyssey back home. To let the musical reach its artistic birthplace. And it's even more impactful that it wasn't just Odysseus' voice to (figuratively) return home: it was the entire story, through the voices of all artists involved.

However, since it's the Odyssey we're talking about, the trip to Ithaca couldn't have been simple either: what kind of boring story would it be, if everything went smoothly from start to end?

Greece's weather is overall warm, even in winter. However, there are the occasional storms/typhoons/rainfalls that last for a couple days and drown or destroy parts of the cities. And Jorge faced them not at the end of his trip, not in the middle: at the beginning, just in time to stop him from reaching Ithaca too easily.

And I believe this is all Ithaca's influence, because something similar happened to my father and brother. Last summer, they were supposed to visit Ithaca as well, but first found no available ferries, then the rain started to pour down, their car died on the nearby island, there was no available mechanic and when they finally found one, their car got fixed just in time for my brother to go to Athens and get his flight back home.

Sooo... it looks like Ithaca doesn't want visitors at all, no matter if it's summer or winter, and it does everything to keep people away - or at least, to make them have a small personal Odyssey before reaching it. Also because, according to the last shorts from Jorge, it looks like the weather changed into the usual warm, greek temperatures now. And he seems to enjoy his stay too, so I suppose the true obstacle is just reaching the island.

But enough about Ithaca, let's talk about Ithaca: there were huge expectations for this Saga. This is the final one, this is supposed to wrap up Odysseus' story and the last loose threads.

And it does. It takes its time to wrap up the last characters and it does it organically and coherently. There are no OOC moments - and this is a huge point for me, because my main complaint in the last Saga was that Odysseus moved too quickly from "let's try to discuss" to "stabbing time": here you can see and understand why he gets so angry and he even takes a few lines to further clarify his emotions.

The pace of this Saga is good too: there are no dead moments and the songs move smoothly from one event to the next. It surely helps that they cover a period of 24 hours more or less, but still.

__________________

The Challenge: this is the first time we actually hear Penelope. Not the one from Odysseus' memories, not a siren, not a vision, but the real one.

And the real one is truly the perfect woman for a clever man like Odysseus: she's intelligent, she's resourceful, she reads the signs and does the right things to buy more time. That's what she did in the Odyssey too, so it's nice to see this trait of her character here as well.

And even though the events here happen for slightly different reasons (in the Odyssey, the bow challenge was just another attempt to buy more time, while here it's something Penelope proposes right after the storm, as if she feels things are going to change very soon and her husband is coming back), it still doesn't sound forced or unnatural. It fits Epic's narrative, without damaging or going against the spirit of the original work. That's how you do a good rewrite.

One last thing about Penelope: I love how, with one single song, we can see her pride, her strength, her cleverness... and her love too. She herself says she didn't expect to end up like this, but for love, she's ready to do anything. Even waiting 20 years for a husband she doesn't even know if he's still alive, buying him time in every possible way and keeping on hold 108 dangerous, younger men who need just an excuse to rise against her and her family.

__________________

Hold Them Down: what did I say about that excuse?

Jokes aside, this is some powerful villain song and I ADORE it. The rhythm? Great, majestic, terrifying. The drums and the chorus are chilling.

But even more than them, it's the entire song, to be terrifying. And not because of its themes: it's because of the details.

Antinous doesn't just say "We will kill Telemachus and rape Penelope": he describes step by step what he wants to do. He presents a clear, precise plan of what he wants to do and how he wants to do it.

That's what makes it so chilling: how careful he is with the details. How he pondered about everything. His willingness to do all the things he says, without an ounce of doubt or fear.

And what's even more terrifying, is how Antinous' words are welcomed by the chorus of the other Suitors. There is no coldness, no shock, no fear: there is this palpable, growing excitement, that grows stronger the more he describes his plan. The chorus accompanies his words, anticipates them eagerly: they cannot wait to hear what he wants to do next.

And when Antinous says Penelope will be at their mercy after Telemachus' death, silence drops for a moment and the line: "And then we'll" is welcomed by pure silence. This perfectly shows how all Suitors held their breath, for one second, waiting for Antinous to say it out loud, to push his plan further and say what they were all thinking: without a man in the house, they could've had access to the queen's bedroom and body. They were waiting to hear it. They wanted, needed to hear more.

This is how you make a great villain song. This is how you build a terrifying villain: it's not just Antinous, who can stir up an entire crowd, by pushing on their primordial instincts. But it's the crowd itself, that welcomes the terrible images he proposes, because they were already in their minds. They were already thinking all of that: all they needed was someone to propose it out loud.

Of course Odysseus goes into full rampage mode after that: who wouldn't?

One last detail I appreciated a lot: the allusion about how the prince was on a diplomatic mission. Sure he was, that's how Odyssey starts: Telemachus leaves Ithaca to search for more news about his father, visits Sparta, Menelaus tells him about the Troyan horse and so on. It was a nice reference.

__________________

Odysseus: a song better known as "Odysseus cleans his house from 20 years of filth".

I've already talked about the first lines and I appreciate them a lot, not just because they further clarify Odysseus' thoughts and actions, but also because they imply he spent some time in Ithaca before this moment, enough to see how the Suitors treated his palace. There's a huge lack of Argo, the only dog who lived something like 20+ years and died right after seeing his owner one last time, but I suppose that his dog's death would've sent him into ultraviolence mode instantly.

I lovelovelove the ensemble chanting Odysseus' name. It's solemn, it's ineluctable, it reminds me of old church hymns and I am a sucker for that stuff.

But I am also a very bad person, so when I listen to Eurymachus saying "hey, what if you spare us and welcome the world with open arms instead" and he gets slaughtered with a "no" as a reply, I laugh.

Yes, I am a bad person.

Okay, fine, we can acknowledge how this wasn't what Polites meant with open arms and how no one has been able to fully understand his mentality... but also, it works perfectly to show how Odysseus changed. In the past, he would've been tricked by these words - and it would've led to him losing more people he loves.

But after going through so much shit, he's not willing to trust others anymore. The time of open arms is gone forever. As he says, "And as long as you're around / My family's fate is left unknown".

And so, it's ruthlessness time. Because, as Poseidon told him, ruthlessness is mercy upon ourselves. And Odysseus would find peace, only if he gets rid of all the dangers around.

Because come on, we know the Suitors would've found a way to still try to kill or hurt him and/or his family. They don't play fair, they said themselves. Sparing them would've only hurt Odysseus in the long run.

And if we consider the time period, killing all the opponents was all Odysseus could do, to regain control over Ithaca.

Think about it: he has been away for 20 years, leaving the island without an adult male ruler. Of course this led all other, younger men to become restless and prideful and do things they would never do, without a strong leader: like trashing the leader's palace or trying to hurt his family.

Odysseus' only way to regain control was to show everyone he was still the strongest. And the only way he could do it, was to get rid of all the people who were undermining his authority. This way, he got rid of the dangerous ones and taught everyone else a lesson: do not even try to oppose my authority again, because I am still the strongest man of this land - and therefore, the only leader.

__________________

I Can't Help but Wonder: so, right after showing everyone he was still the ruler and the stronger and so ruthless, Odysseus takes his time to softly listen to his son and tell him how much he loves him.

No, I am not crying, I got this song stuck in my eye.

But seriously: the softness, the love, the affection he holds for his son. And how this is all beautifully portrayed through Jorge's voice.

I know others already said it, but the way he modulates his voice is incredible. He really sounds older here, an old man talking to this young boy who is so confused and full of doubts about his own strength... and like the father figure Telemachus always wanted, Odysseus reassures him: he's sure his son is strong, he understands his pain and the troubles he experienced. And he loves him, with the unconditional love a father has for his child.

I said I am not crying.

The Athena part has been a surprise: honestly, I feared Jorge forgot and we would never see a closure for them, but we actually got it!

And it was a very good one: Athena asks if there is a world where empathy is stronger than fighting. A world where people can understand each other more and not always resort to violence and ruthlessness.

There's an implicit invitation in her words: would Odysseus help her pursue this world? Would he still be her warrior and work for this new, greater tomorrow?

And Odysseus refuses. He's too old, too tired. This world is too far beyond his reach. We are still trying to reach it and we are getting glimpses of it in our everyday lives.

Athena, thanks to her immortality, can live long enough to see this far-away future, but Odysseus? Maybe in the past, when he was younger, he would've loved to see it. Now he's had enough of adventures. All he wants is to finally see his wife again.

And Athena proves her growth, by that simple "very well". You can hear a smile in her tone. She's not angry at him, she's not resentful: Odysseus made his choice and she's okay with it. Their paths divide forever, not with bitterness but with understanding.

__________________

Would You Fall in Love with Me Again: better known as "I am not crying, I said I am not, I just got the Odyssey stuck in my eye".

Odysseus reveals his wife all the awful things he did, he insists he's not the same man - Tiresias told him too, he's not the same kind and gentle husband he was and he will never be anymore: he's a man marked by hardships, by the war, by the world.

By saying it, he reminds me of the war veterans, the people who faced horrors and survived, to come back as changed people. Odysseus is one of them: the war left a mark on him and the following 20 years deepened that mark, made new ones, scars and terrors that will haunt him forever.

So of course he's not the same and he will never be: life and its hardships changed him too much to come back to the naive, younger man he was.

And yet, despite everything, Odysseus is still the same man. And Penelope proves it, through the bed trial. Again, I love how it has been used here: in the Odyssey, it was Penelope's way to be sure the weird beggar-looking guy who just killed everyone truly was her husband. Here it's her way to prove to him first that yes, he still is her husband. He may be rougher, more ruthless, filled with more regrets and anger than before... but he's still him. And she doesn't care what he did: all she cares about is that he's finally back.

Does that make Penelope a bad person too? Personally, I think it makes her more human. She spent 20 years imprisoned in her own house, with 108 possible predators trashing her place, desperately trying to buy more time for a husband she didn't even know if he was still alive, all while trying to hold the predators down as long as possible, so they wouldn't hurt her or Telemachus. Can we really blame her, if she doesn't care about what her husband did to come back, as long as he's finally back?

__________________

A truly passionate project

Epic the musical is a project overflowing with love. Every artist, every voice, every song is filled with passions and emotions and they shine here, in the final Saga, more than ever. Jorge's voice has been incredible, the way he went from sounding like an old father, to a younger man again. How we shifted from love and affection, to anger.

Penelope? Amazing, brilliant, incredible. All female voices are A+ and she's no exception.

The instrumentals? Always on point, they highlight the emotions and the mood of every song perfectly.

All the artists? Incredibly fitting, superb voices. Each of them did an amazing job with their characters, each of them brought their own spin to it and made them iconic. I don't think we'll easily forget characters like Hermes, Circe, Calypso, Athena, Scylla, Tiresias or Zeus. I know I won't.

And yes, I will fondly keep this version of the Odyssey close to my chest. It's so hard to find good modern versions, now that I found one, I won't forget it so easily.

__________________

The end?

The concept album is done, but that doesn't mean Epic is over. Jorge already said he wants to make videogames and, hopefully, give the musical some live adaptation.

So it's now right to say this is the end: this is the first step of a bright future for this series. And I personally can't wait for what it will bring.

In the meantime, as always, do not forget to stream the Ithaca Saga (and the whole musical for that matter), support Jorge and show love to all the people involved: they deserve it. Every last bit of love. It would be only fair, considering how much love and commitment they poured into this project.

That's why I would like to thank them all again for their hard job. It has been a truly wonderful journey and I can't wait for what 2025 will bring them - and us.

[beauty-and-passion]

Life imitates art

A Brief Rundown of the IRL Ithaca Saga (to the best of my memory, in probably not chronological order)

jorge (creator, odysseus) decided it'll be cool to celebrate the ithaca saga with the epic cast via a trip to ithaca, greece

surely nothing can go wrong

mico (telemachus) seemingly found out about the trip with the rest of the fandom. he proceeded to plot a trip to ithaca

the epic cast dealt with multiple broken vans and missed a ferry by one minute. they had to cancel a stream because they were too exhausted

mico made it onto a plane

ithaca got hit by a typhoon, forcing them to move another stream indoors

mico got banned from tiktok. it was reversed

mason (tireseas) asked luke (zeus) to stop the rain. luke refused

the crew hiked up to odysseus' palace. they ran into a roadblock. mason looked into the future and did not see a way around it. (they found a way around it)

the crew found a well and sang their epic songs into it. except jp (crew) who just sang happy birthday

janani (aphrodite) also sang "royal we" into the well

anna (penelope) made it onto the plane to fly out to ithaca

hermes (troy) decided to take a plane to ithaca like a normal human instead of teleporting. he got side-eyed by a woman at the airport as he slept sprawled out in a chair. this quickly became a meme

hermes arrived in ithaca to the delight of everyone except jorge. mico also appeared in his videos. mico still had not updated anything after getting on the plane

anna's connecting flight got cancelled, leaving her stranded in a fancy hotel. she struggled to find the toilet in her hotel room

mico finally updated, claiming he was stuck in munich. mason appears in the video and gives him a water bottle, proving he is lying

the fandom believes mico anyway

mico is forced to post another video revealing he had been gaslighting us basically the entire time and was just delayed in getting to ithaca, that was all

troy and talya (circe), in character, talk about tea. troy says the tea tastes like her father's approval. earle (ares) then asks for 1000 cups and breaks down crying as luke cuts the camera

jorge posts a video apologizing for mico's absence, encouraging him to fly to ithaca, new york. mico appears in the background of this video

mico posts a video saying that he's finally in ithaca, but the crew is in ithaca, new york. jorge appears in the background of this video

jp films a behind the scenes video, calling out "some random guy" who just showed up asking if anyone knows jorge. it's mico

janani sings "royal we" again, but after she says "troy was breached" troy comes out screaming in pain. mico appears in the background of this, filming the video from two points above

it's time for the ithaca saga livestream... except it gets cancelled because the connection is bad and jorge's devices are dying

TL;DR: the gods saw the epic crew in ithaca and went "do you guys think it'll be really funny if we just. recreated the odyssey"

[beauty-and-passion]

Truly an accurate experience

kudos to jorge for continually making the release of the ithaca saga an immersive experience by going to ithaca itself, missing the ferry, getting caught in a storm, and having the livestream delayed. can’t wait to see everyone in ten years for the final album!

[beauty-and-passion]

Do you think Pacifica's parents are irredeemable?

Gravity Falls taught us that no one is irredeemable. Even Bill, with all his absurd chaotic soul, got the chance to try and improve.

So, why shouldn't Pacifica's parents get a chance too? They deserve one, at least.

Then it's up to them to take that chance and actually improve or remain the same assholes they are. If they improve, better for them. If they do not, then it will be their own fault and Pacifica will definitely leave their stupid, oppressive asses, to enjoy her life as she pleases.

[beauty-and-passion]

Do you think Pacifica views Dipper and Mabel as her best friends?

Well, I don't think the two girls we saw with her were her best friends and, aside from them, we didn't see Pacifica with other kids, except for Dipper and Mabel.

So I like to think that, yes, deep down she thinks they are her best friends. She will probably never admit it out loud and, instead, say they're her lackeys or something. But she (and the twins) know she doesn't really mean that.

[beauty-and-passion]

Stupid Question: if you were to write a canon-abiding version of Pyramid Steve (more specifically of an AU where he also survives the euclydian massacre alongside bill), what would you do with him? How would you make him follow the euclydian worldbuilding that you laid out in your metas?

Maybe he was fully capable of seeing the stars just like Bill? Would he have the same kind of misplaced eye condition (inside them and not in their laterals, where it could actually see) that bill has? What could be he explanation for why he survived whatever bill brought upon euclydia?

I know we are starting from a shaky foundation given he is named after a polyhedron that wouldnt exist in the second dimension, but for the purposes of this thought exercise, let's just assume he is as much a triangle as Bill is.

What a fun challenge! Okay, so let's start by assuming that Pyramid Steve is:

part of the GF canon

Euclidian just like Bill

also survived the massacre

not a pyramid but a triangle

That means he has the same malformation Bill has - aka an eye on the face and not on the side.

By that, we can develop a ton of scenarios. Personally, I came up with two I really like and I will explain them in parallel, by dividing them into the three big moments of Pyramid Steve's life:

The premise (aka Steve as a character before the destruction of Euclydia)

The massacre (aka how Steve and Bill came into contact)

The after (aka their life together after the 2D incident, up until Bill's "death")

______________

THE PREMISE

1) Steve as the Rule Follower

Unlike Bill who insisted on looking at the stars and talking about them, Steve learned from a very young age that it was way better to listen to his family and pretend to not see the stars at all. This way, the doctor believed the medicine was working, his family was reassured and the other kids stopped making fun of him.

Steve grew up and became an adult. And now he lives his life as a perfectly law-abiding Triangle, doing everything society expects him to do like getting married and working as a Tradesman.

Steve does everything and pretends to not see what he can see: his eye is always focused on his peripheral vision - aka Euclydia - rather than on the little dots shining above him. Only at night, when he's in his bed and everything and everyone around him is silent and asleep, he can finally look at the little dots and ask himself, as always, what they are.

This version of Steve lives his life in constant fear. He lied all of his life, he lies every day about what he can see. But what if someone finds out the truth? What if someone can see that his eye did not shift on the side but it's still on the face? what if someone finds out what he does at night, when he looks at the bright dots?

The truth can destroy his life. He can lose everything - his family, his clients, his loved ones. The truth may show him for who he really is: a liar. An Irregular. A scam.

(And yes, feeling like a scam is a meta reference to the fact he really is the scam version of Bill :P)

2) Steve as the Imprisoned Irregular

Unlike Bill who was loved enough by his parents to be sent to a doctor who checked his malformation, Steve's parents were too scared and/or the optometrist was too incompetent to deal with his weird eye. So the doctor just labeled Steve as Irregular, he got separated from his parents and was thrown in jail, all while he still was a child.

Steve grew up in prison, surrounded by other inmates and prison staff members. Over time, he learned the prison's rules, the strictness of it, why he's considered wrong by society. He learned to distinguish between good and bad Shapes. And most importantly, he learned how to be sneaky and how powerful words can be.

Adult Steve is clever (even if it's much more convenient to look stupid to the prison's staff) and he has a way with words. He doesn't take part in any quarrel, he doesn't side during fights. He's the guy everyone ignores because he's just so forgettable.

However, Steve has a trick up his sleeve: unlike other Irregulars, his Irregularity is hidden from the eye of an Euclydian. And since his perimeter is regular, he can easily pass for a normal, regular Triangle.

That means Steve can, when necessary, pretend to be a visitor or part of the prison's staff. And that means having a little circle of friends (among inmates and other staff members) who know about his ability and use it for mutual gain - like, Steve pretends to be another Triangle to give something to a friend, and in turn, he gets something he wants too.

But even if these little victories and friends and happy moments are parts of his life, there is also the bad side, the repression, the limitations. Even just knowing that his entire life will be just that, four walls of a prison in which he will grow old - because his parents didn't love him for who he was, because society labeled his eye as wrong. Because his entire world decided he was wrong. And so, he will never experience what true freedom is like.

______________

THE MASSACRE

1) A scam artist can be exposed only by another scam artist

Since Bill and Steve are both Equilaterals, that means they're both members of the middle class and they're both Tradesmen. So that's how they came into contact: they basically work in the same circle.

And they didn't come into contact once, but multiple times, enough for Bill to start noticing more and more details about this apparently-so-law-abiding Triangle and enough for Steve to grow nervous around this weird Triangle who keeps looking and talking in weird ways.

Then, one day, Bill mentions the bright, tiny dots he can see shining above Euclydia. And other Shapes laugh and mock him, but Steve is absolutely, totally terrified. He knows what Bill is talking about. He knows what these dots look like. He knows, because he can see them too.

But he doesn't say anything. He doesn't even try to move a finger. And Bill notices. Little by little, interaction after interaction, Bill realizes Steve can also see the same bright dots. They have the same ability.

This brings the two Triangles closer - but it also frightens Steve even more. His worst nightmare happened: someone found out the truth. What if Bill let it slip? What if he exposes Steve? Bill isn't married and he's already labeled by the weird one, so he's not losing anything... but Steve might lose everything he worked so hard for. His marriage, his job, his reputation, everything.

He should run away from Bill, he knows that, but he doesn't do it. Because, for the first time in his life, Steve feels understood. And having someone who can see what he sees and understand him so deeply is too good to give it up.

So they keep going on with their lives - Steve by playing the role of the perfectly normal Triangle, Bill with his stubborn plans to show the stars to everyone - plans always destined to fail.

Until, one day, one of his plans succeeds and that doesn't destroy just Steve's life, but everyone else's.

2) Saved by God (more or less)

Irregular!Steve met Bill only during the massacre.

While the world is burning and everything around him is falling apart - the life he had just one moment before crumbling in front of him, Steve is the only one quick enough to run away. Thanks to always being the most forgettable one, no one notices him when he escapes and, for the first time in his life, leaves the prison.

However, he doesn't have the time to enjoy his freedom, because the world is still burning around him. He knows it's the end - and he's happy he managed to experience freedom, at least once in his life.

So he looks up, at the impossible dots he has always seen... and he notices something he never saw before.

It's a Triangle. A Triangle like him, with an eye on the face like him, who looks down at the world with a fixed, shocked, disconnected expression. He looks like he's not there, even if he physically is.

And so, Steve calls for him. He calls for the Triangle in the sky and the Triangle comes back to his senses. He looks down, notices Steve surrounded by the fire, desperately asking for help.

And the big, otherwordly Triangle, reaches out, grabs Steve and tears him out of the dying world of Euclydia.

______________

THE AFTERMATH

1) The freedom of choice

For the first time in his life, Steve is now free. He doesn't have to pretend anymore. He can be who he is and look whenever he wants, without being labeled as weird or wrong.

It's incredibly liberating, it's all he ever wanted... but it's a freedom he gained at the cost of his past life, family and loved ones. He lost everything to get it, just like Bill lost everything.

And Steve is thankful for this freedom, but he also hates Bill for it. Why didn't Bill pretend to not see the stars? Steve did it for years, why couldn't Bill do the same? If he did the same, now they would still have their lives!

At the same time, Bill's act gave them both a freedom they would never experience in Euclydia. It's thanks to Bill, that they can do everything they want now. It's thanks to him, that Steve doesn't have to live in constant fear anymore.

Steve is happy, but it's a tainted happiness. He and Bill are even closer - they're each other's family now. Henchmaniacs can come and go, but Steve is a constant for Bill and vice-versa. Bill gave him powers, a new shape, the ability to travel and see much, much more than tiny bright dots.

So when Bill "dies", Steve is devastated. He lost everything once again, but now it's truly everything. He's truly alone now.

And even if solitude is overwhelming for Steve, it's also very, very compelling. Now he has all the freedom in the world. He's free from everything - his life, his past, Bill. He can be a blank slate and, if he has the willpower, he can start anew.

Steve has to face the biggest choice he will ever make: stick to Bill's memory and lose himself to it... or experience the complete, absolute freedom the Multiverse has to offer?

2) Freedom for the first time

For the first time in his life, Steve is now free. No more prisons, no more cells: he can go everywhere and do everything he wants.

Bill gives him powers, freedom and a new, more stable shape. He likes the guy, his resourcefulness, his cleverness, his hunger for freedom. And he has the same malformation, so he can understand him and see the world like he sees it. Bill can be a teacher for him.

And Steve happily accepts. Bill is fun, powerful, all-knowing. He's the god who saved him and the friend he never had. He's like him, but also more than him. He's Steve's entire life and Steve follows and trusts him blindly.

Even when he finds out it was Bill who destroyed Euclydia, all he can do is be grateful: it's thanks to him, they're now both free. Bill can never do anything wrong, in Steve's eye. And it's thanks to his constant validation, that Bill can hide and ignore his regret for so long.

Over centuries, their friendship grows stronger and Steve becomes more and more important for Bill. He becomes the closest Henchmaniac, the one Bill likes the most and has more fun with. Everything is perfect.

And then, Bill "dies". And if Regular!Steve was devastated, Irregular!Steve is even more devastated. Bill was his everything, gave him everything, gave him life and freedom. He was his family, way more than his biological family.

And now that Bill is gone and all that's left is chaos: the Nightmare Realm is in shambles, the Hechmaniacs do not have a leader anymore, other enemies are claiming Bill's territory and the people who feared him are now trying to get more power to fill the power vacuum left by him. All Bill built is bound to be destroyed.

But Steve still has a trick up his sleeve, a trick he learned in prison long, long ago: the ability to use his regularity, to pass for other Triangles. And if he could pass for any Triangle in Euclydia, in the Multiverse he can pass for a very specific Triangle. The only one who, like him, has an eye on the face.

Now Steve has to face the biggest choice he will ever make: should he use his ability for the biggest pretense ever and pose as Bill? Should he keep up everything he built and become a false god, so the Multiverse will stay in line and no one will ever forget who the real boss is? Or should Steve abandon Bill's memory and move on, to start a new life and experience the absolute freedom he always wanted?

[beauty-and-passion]

The ship came back and took its rightful place

BILLFORD IS NUMBER ONE SHIP I REPEAT BILLFORD IS NUMBER ONE SHIP OF 2024 THIS IS NOT A DRILL

[beauty-and-passion]

Sorry to bother you again but I have more questions about Euclydia and Flatlands. I remember seeing a video on YouTube about perfect equilateral triangles in flatland being born from isoceles fathers. Is that how it goes?

And making it about the cipher family. I wouldn't mind the notion that equilaterals are born differently in this world, that equilateral marries equilateral and has equilateral children... but the name of bill's father always weirds me out. Why is he named Scalene. Scalene implies he's not even Isoceles (as he could plausibly be to have an equilateral son in flatlands), it implies he is an irregular, and I do not understand the implications of that. And I know that from the Vallis Cinneris image he was probably Equilateral too but this name still confuses the hell out of me.

If Alex was deliberate in his references to flatland, why do you think a creative decision like this one would have been made?

Oh don't worry, you're not bothering me at all! On the contrary, I'm happy to reply to these asks :D

And this ask is awesome, because it made me think a lot about Bill's parents, all I want to do is brainstorm here!

But let's start from the beginning: how are Equilaterals born? In Flatland there are only two ways:

From other Equilaterals (it happens for generations until an Equilateral gets a Square as a son. Only then, every son will have one more side than the father - i.e. a Square will have a Pentagon son, who will have a Hexagon son and so on).

From Isosceles. However, this is extremely rare and, when it happens, the newborn is immediately taken away from his family and given to a childless Equilateral family.

But as you cleverly pointed out, Scalene could be the name of Bill's father. A name that seems to imply a Scalene triangle, not an Isosceles, nor an Equilateral.

The boring answer would be quite simple: Alex Hirsch didn't think about it too much. Scalene is just a word related to triangles, he wanted to point out that Bill's parents are triangles and Scalene sounds less weird for a name, compared to "Isosceles". Or maybe Hirsch wanted to make a reference to this video because it was a great meme.

But we can get less boring answers. Like:

1) It's a common name

Since Euclydia is different from Flatland and less oppressive, maybe it's normal for an Equilateral Triangle to be named Scalene. It emphasizes how all Triangles are equal, and even the ones who should be considered Irregulars are universally accepted as parts of the society.

2) A Scalene can be part of society

Scalene is the name of Bill's father and he is a scalene triangle indeed. But, unlike what happens in Flatland, Bill has never been taken away from his family because Euclydia's society is more progressive compared to Flatland's. So Bill simply was an Equilateral born from a Scalene triangle and another Equilateral.

3) A hinted story of separation

Despite being more developed compared to Flatland's society, Euclydia still has some limits and one of them may be very Irregular shapes, like Scalene Triangles.

That means Scalene is a scalene triangle indeed, but he's also an Irregular and a pariah. Hence why, once the Shapes in command found out a Scalene - an Irregular - had an Equilateral son, Bill was immediately taken away from his real family and given to a childless Equilateral couple. The same faceless Equilateral shapes in the Vallis Cinneris image.

This would explain why these Triangles were faceless, show Euclydia's most oppressive aspects and, most importantly, emphasize how special Bill is and how he truly was a bridge between Regulars and Irregulars. His birth from a more differentiated genetic pool might explain why he's so particular and his enemies could've used his origins to discredit him, once he started talking about the stars.

Also, can you imagine the sweet angst of Bill finding out he was adopted and actually finding his real father and maybe blaming him for his ability to see the stars and for being ostracized by other Shapes with a more "regular/honorable" lineage? And maybe that made him even angrier at his world and more determined to show he wasn't a liar, when he talked about the stars? To prove to those bunch of Shapes oh-so-high-and-mighty that he was better than them, despite his humble origins? The possibilities for angst backstories are endless ;)

[beauty-and-passion]

In thisisnotawebsite.com, bills fears are stated as "venetial blinds, 3d glasses, TV statics" do you have any theories or hcs for any of this? I loved your analysis of billford and bill in general so I'm pretty curious!!

Oh, that's a great question and I would be more than happy to brainstorm a little about those fears! Of course, everything I write is the result of my personal interpretations, so you and everyone else are free to add more :D

But before talking about Bill's fears, I would like to point out two things:

1. The apparently weird and random nature of these fears

Blinds, glasses, and TV static? I doubt anyone would've ever imagined them as Bill's fears.

However, their seemingly innocuous nature works great for a being like him. Bill isn't a normal human being - or another generic 3D being: he comes from a completely different dimension and he has powers beyond our imagination. He sees and experiences the world in a totally different way compared to us. So having apparently random elements as his fears emphasizes how different and "detached" his nature is from us even more.

2. The conceptual weight of these fears

I doubt Bill fears these things for what they are. Like, if someone gives him a physical pair of 3D glasses, I doubt he would run away screaming.

It's not the object per se that scares him. It's what the object implies or represents that scares him. And, again, we should take into consideration that he's a 2D being and experiences reality differently. So maybe what for us is normal, for him is a much more powerful representation of something else.

_______________

Said that, let me explain what I think these fears represent for Bill and why he fears them:

Venetian blinds

Venetian blinds are thin, horizontal strips of wood/plastic that can be moved to change the amount of light coming through a window.

When they are down, they look like a thin, flat surface. They're so smooth, they don't let any light pass through. They almost look like one, single, uneven surface.

Maybe, to Bill's eye, this flat, thin surface reminds him of the flat, thin surface of his own world. Maybe Euclydia was as flat and smooth as a blind. And when the blinds are down, they remind him of the flat nature of his world.

But Venetian blinds can also be moved: they can be tilted, to let the light pass through the slits, or raised completely.

The act of tilting and/or raising the blinds might remind Bill of the destruction of his dimension. From his perspective, he sees a once smooth surface move, break and suddenly the light shines through - a light that could remind him of all the stars he always watched.

So every time he sees blinds being adjusted, he sees a tragedy being reenacted: a world that breaks/gets destroyed and the light of stars passing through its fragments.

3D glasses

As we know from the art therapy note on thisisnotawebsite.com, Bill draws red and blue triangles. And we all associated red and blue with his parents, thus guessing those were their colors.

3D glasses are made of a red lens and a blue lens. One lens filters out all the red in the 2D image we're watching, the other lens filters out all the blue: as a result, our brains put together the resulting two images processed through our eyes and we can see in 3D.

But if we consider this mechanism through Bill's point of view, the mechanism behind 3D glasses implies that only by filtering out blue and red (aka the color of his parents), you can see the third dimension. Only by removing red and blue, you can see in 3D. Only by removing his parents, he could see in 3D.

These glasses could be a dark confirmation, for him: your parents had to die, for you to finally see the third dimension. They had to die. And they died. And they constantly die, every time their colors are removed. Because only if they die, you can see further. It's a bit like killing them over and over.

And maybe, this is also cruel irony for him. Because 3D glasses need his parents' color to work. His parents, who never saw nor understood the third dimension, are a means to allow a 3D vision of 2D things. Only by using (and killing) them, others can see in 3D. Maybe that's too cruel, even for Bill.

TV static

Bill said that, every time he tries to talk about the destruction of Euclydia, he blacks out and doesn't remember anything. Every time he blacks out (like in TBOB), it is shown through static very similar to the TV static he's so scared about.

In the past, I supposed that the static and Bill's blackout were a way to hint that Bill actually died in the destruction of Euclydia - that's why he cannot remember exactly what happened and blacks out every time he tries to.

Therefore the TV static might be a reminder of his own death. Of what he experienced, right after his world died and everyone else along with it.

This would also reconnect TV static with all other fears, because being afraid of the first time he died, implies the destruction of his place, the death of his parents and his own terrible mistake that caused all of that. It could be a terrible reminder of his own mortality and his past sin - both things Bill isn't able to deal with (not after eons in therapy, at least).

[beauty-and-passion]

Do you think Mabel is a hopeless romantic? 💔

Yes, but not with the negative connotation the word "hopeless" might have.

Mabel loves romance, she clearly proved it. And she thinks she will find someone to love - romantically at least, because she already showed love towards her family and friends.

However, even though she believes in love and romance, Mabel is not just defined by it. She is not just "the romantic one": she is chaotic, she is immensely creative and she has a ton of hobbies. Romance might be the most important because she's in the age when hormones rage up and because it's an important element for her in general, but it's not the only thing about her. It's just one element of a bigger, more complex individual.

Will Mabel ever find someone to love? I don't see why not. She's 13, she's still a child. There's a long life ahead she has to live, there's more than enough time to find someone. So no, I don't believe in the "hopeless romantic" as "she will never find anyone / she is destined to be alone" either: Mabel has all the time in the world to find anyone who is worthy of her.

Because, let's be real, who can be worthy of her? Just like Stanley, she is the superior twin. And the superior twin is always too much for anyone. All we can do is look at them, love them and know we're never enough for them.

[beauty-and-passion]

hey hi i'm coming by again because yes i have more thoughts about exwhylia and euclydia actually i'm mostly here to show you a video!

it's a video called "I Made a 1D Game" by the channel Mashpoe, i think you'll find it interesting!

Thanks for the suggestion! I knew about some 4D games (like 4D toys) and 5D games like chess (which is mindblowing and mindboggling at the same time), but didn't know about a 1D game. It looks awesome and I am very grateful you suggested it!

In turn, I would like to suggest a video too: it's called "Simulating Biology in Other Dimensions" from Curious Archive and it doesn't just mention these 4D and 5D games, but also the 1D game you told me about and other pieces of media that explore more dimensions and how to convey them to the eye (and the mind) or 3D beings like us.

This stuff is cool and awesome, so if anyone has more suggestions, please reblog and add them, we need more multidimensional experiments! Personally, I am still trying to wrap my mind around the actual, full geometry of a 4D shape and not just the "faces" it can show in our 3D world, but it's as hard (and fun) as you can imagine.

[beauty-and-passion]

Do you think Pacifica might be a little older than Dipper?

I wasn't really sure, so I checked the wiki, which confirms Pacifica is the same age as Dipper. However, I like the idea that she might be a little older than him - maybe even just a couple of months. It would be fun for fanfictions!

[beauty-and-passion]

"EYE DOCTOR OF A DIFFERENT KIND / WHO WANTS TO MAKE HIS PATIENTS BLIND"

What would you say Bill's eye doutor being "Of a different kind" could mean? If we go by flatland rules then a doctor would probably be a square? Is that what this means?

My new Crack headcanon is that Bill's optometrist was actually Fanon Purple Square Tad Strange

Your crack headcanon is gold and I love it <3

But seriously, I think that the "EYE DOCTOR OF A DIFFERENT KIND" was just another way to tell us that this isn't a simple optometrist like the ones in our world.

Think about it: a 2D creature is shaped (a-ah) differently, compared to a 3D being like us. They are biologically and physically different. For example, a 2D being cannot have a digestive system like us, because they would be split in half by it.

But speaking of eyes in particular, we can be sure of two things regarding them:

a 2D creature has an eye on the side, to see at a 2D level. This also explains why Bill's eye was "a rare mutation": it wasn't on the side, but on the face.

Bill's eye doubles as a mouth too.

So if we take these two elements into consideration, we can safely assume that a 2D optometrist doesn't just check the sight and/or the structure of the eye, but maybe it checks the mouth too - and who knows, maybe also the eating/digestive system of a 2D creature?

Personally, I imagined that the optometrist was a bit like a family doctor: it takes care of the Shape in general, starting from the most important organ (the eye/mouth), to everything else. Hence why, the optometrist is an "eye doctor of a different kind": because it's not a simple optometrist, but a doctor in the broadest sense.

What kind of shape would it be? Oh, that's an interesting question! If we go by Flatland rules, the doctor should be a Square or a Pentagon ("Our Professional Men and Gentlemen are Squares (to which class I myself belong) and Five-Sided Figures or Pentagons."), but we are unsure if Euclydia follows the same rigid social hierarchy as Flatland.

However, I would like to see a Square or a Pentagon as a doctor. It would be nice - and implicitly confirm that there is a social hierarchy and Bill is indeed a Tradesman of the middle class.

[beauty-and-passion]

CCCC Vol.1 - Concord: end and beginning (2/2)

Hello and welcome to the final part of this analysis.

Oh boy, what a long ride it has been! But now, it’s time for the last recap, so we can finally wrap the loop - and connect it to the beginning, as Chonny intended.

So, what happened until now?

We know the story is a loop. The starting point of this loop is an event, a calamity, that leads to a split in Chonny’s mind between Heart, Mind and Soul: a failed romance (probably)

At first, the three sides tried to cooperate as one, but then Mind started to point out the flaws in Chonny’s plan to confess to his crush

Scared by Mind’s influence, Heart intervenes, tries to subdue him (the Juno Incident) and pushes Chonny to confess. Chonny doesn’t: he misses his shot and so does Heart

Overwhelmed by apathy, Heart leaves full control to Mind

Mind tries everything to get a reaction out of Heart

When he fails, Soul intervenes and they get reunited again

The joy of being whole again gives Chonny a rush of optimism and enough confidence to revisit his memories of the failed romance.

And now, here we are. Chonny remembered what happened. What will he do now? What did he already do in all of the previous loops?

<- Previous post - First post

_______________________________

Greener: declaration of intent

Right after the end of this failed romance, Chonny does the most human thing ever: he wants to talk about it. And since he’s an artist, what better way to do it, if not by using the artform he knows?

This song is a declaration of intent: Chonny wants to talk about his experience - but not just that. His mind is dark, twisted and chaotic, so why just talk about one experience, when he can let out some of this internal turmoil too? As he said in the Q&A, he wanted to talk about duality and logic vs emotions, so why not add them to the story he wanted to tell? Why just talk about a failed romance, when he can expand it by showing the contrasts in his own mind through Heart, Mind and Soul’s characters?

Chonny starts to think about this. He wants to do it and he states it with these words:

Wherever this goes, whatever ensues These songs are my own, these songs aren't for you But still, I'm so glad you're listening

Chonny reconfirms what he said since Mucka Blucka: he’s not writing these songs for the public but for himself. To better understand himself, his own mind and that duality of logic/emotions he’s (rightfully) fascinated about.

That also confirms he’s a real artist, because artists don’t make art for others: they make it primarily for themselves. Not because they’re heartless, but because making art is a need. When I write, it’s because I’m pushed to do it. It’s because I have a weight on my chest or words in my head or images that keep repeating - and the only way to calm them down (and calm myself) is by putting them on paper. It’s like breathing: you just have to do it, to feel better, more satisfied and more complete.

Even though the public isn’t the primary reason behind art, every artist wants a public and every artist is immensely grateful a public exists. Even if the art is personal, knowing that someone else got something from your work, experienced, lived it… it makes everything even more important. You’re sharing a part of yourself and someone else, no matter if it’s next door or on the other side of the ocean, accept it and react to it.

And I want to focus a bit on the last point, because art is all about human connection. You’re reaching people you will never reach nor meet and with something you created, you touched them. You made them happy, sad, angry, it doesn’t matter: you still influenced them and they reacted to it. You made a connection and I can assure you, 90% of the artists need it to feel less alone.

This is what makes art so precious: it’s not just a way for us to express ourselves, but also to get a connection with another being. To not just be in our place, alone, but find others, talk to them, talk with them.

If Chonny hadn’t made this album, cj-anon would’ve never told me about that. I wouldn’t make these posts. You wouldn’t interact with them. We wouldn’t talk, connect, have fun together. We would be alone. If we’re not, it’s only thanks to art.

_______________________________

Special: inner fears

Chonny has a plan, a story he wants to tell, things he want to talk about. So, what’s the first feeling he get right after this planning?

Asking himself if he’s special or not.

Mood.

Seriously, when has anyone started doing anything, by thinking “Man, I’m so great and this will go as smoothly as I planned it”? Of course Chonny questions himself, of course he’s full of doubts. And it’s even worse in his case, considering he’s full of dark thoughts and recently came out of a failed romance - failed because he didn’t give it a try, because why should his crush stay with him? He’s not special at all.

So, again, very understandable.

But while in the past (and in the future of the loop), Chonny would’ve surrendered to these thoughts, now he thinks he can find a way to cheer, by switching perspective (aka “the key change”).

And it works:

So maybe I'm unique and maybe not But I might as well deliver all I've got

He’s still full of doubts, he still don’t know if he’s special or not. But he’s an artist and making songs is “what I can do” (The Whole World & You). So he will do it.

_______________________________

Taken for a Ride: a perfect conclusion

I have two possible interpretations for this song.

1) This song is meta from the real Chonny

The real Chonny (not the character) takes center stage to talk about his whole album: he explains the thinking process behind the writing of every song, his goals, the problems he faced. He emphasizes how personal this whole album is, because he poured a lot of himself inside it (“my blood, my sweat, my open doors”).

And now, the story is over. He’s aware of the missing parts/explanations, but there wasn’t a beginning either. And why shouldn’t there be a beginning or an ending? He’s still young, he still has a lot of years ahead. Maybe his story hasn’t begun yet. Maybe the real obstacles will come in the future.

For now, all he knows is that he’s whole again. He told the story he wanted to tell, he reached Concord and now his artistic need is satisfied. He doesn’t need to write more, at least for now.

And yet, his public asks for more.

However, Chonny doesn’t give a straight answer. By mentioning his public, he acknowledges people want more. He’s aware of that - and who knows? Maybe this will push him to write more in the future.

For now, he knows people want more from him. Maybe, when the artistic need wakes up again, he will make more songs and tell another story.

2) This song is still part of the storyline

In Special, Chonny said he would “deliver all I’ve got” and so he did. He made an entire album, to talk about his failed romance and all the themes he wanted to explore.

So, he talks/remembers the process behind the writing, his goals, his difficulties. He makes it clear he poured all of himself in it, as he promised (“my blood, my sweat, my open doors”).

Now the album is done, the story is told.

And the public’s reactions is strong. Stronger than he expected. They want more songs, more covers, more of him.

So... what happened? Well, we can guess from the previous hints scattered throughout the album:

Chonny is a man with dark thoughts, anxiety and low self-esteem

In The Heart Acoustic, Heart said “as complacency settles, anxieties will rise/And part this Soul as Jekyll parted Hyde”

Over and over Chonny will point out all he does are covers

And this part of Time Machine:

So, look Oh God, look at what you've done now to me Locked into eternity I'll be back here one day, so they say Rumors have that I will write a different song Trying to get it right all afternoon

I believe Chonny’s mind started to spiral. What if people liked his songs, only because they were covers? What if all they wanted wasn’t him, but to listen to songs made by others? Was he even able to write anything by himself?

His anxiety rose, while his self-esteem sank: he was stuck in a loop, always making the same covers. He wasn’t able to get out, not while his mind kept spiraling down. The “me left on the shelf” (aka Mind) was put aside, while Heart and his chaotic feelings were taking control.

Therefore, this song becomes the starting point of Time Machine: a man with a confused, fractured mind. A man who wasn’t believing in himself. A man who was stuck always doing the same thing. A man closed in a loop, in which he doesn’t feel like he will go out and is forced to relive the failure that started the loop in the first place.

That makes CCCC a loop that keeps repeating over memories of what happened. The first time, Chonny failed his romance, wrote the album, anxiety took over, made him feel he wasn’t able to achieve anything by himself, and started the loop. The loop is a constant reminder of how much of a failure he is, only to cheer himself up, to fall again into a new depressive cycle.

I don’t know if this second interpretation is correct and Chonny said it’s up to us to interpret his album as we want. But from someone this skilled and clever, I like to think he played a lot with metaphors and tragedy, so I prefer this second interpretation too. Also because it connects extremely well to Time Machine and what kind of loop would it be, if the beginning and end don’t coincide?

_______________________________

In conclusion

It took me an eternity to make this analysis of the whole CCCC album - and I was trying to restrain myself. Just imagine the endless pages if I let myself ramble about every little stupid thing XD

But I really, really wanted to talk about this album. It has been a wonderful surprise and I enjoyed it a lot. It was clever, it was interesting, it was funny. And Chonny really has a way with words. Good for you, mate, I wish you a great career.

Also, there were you all. You, with your kind replies, reblogs and your incredible affection. I've been in several fandoms and, despite being small, this is one of the nicest I've ever seen.

So, for you all who stayed with me until the end: thank you. Thank you for all the time you spent here, with me, listening and appreciating my ramblings. I hope those posts have been a good reading and you enjoyed yourself as much as I did by writing them <3

If Chonny makes something else, maybe we will meet again in the future to talk about him and CCCC again. Or maybe, we will meet in some other posts soon. Who knows? If the future can still hold a lot for him, why not for us too? ;)

Thank you for your time and always take care of yourself <3

(How about a coffee? ☕)

_______________________________

📌TAGLIST: @mudpuddlenl @allmycrushesaredead @aquatedia @whatishappeningrightnow @effortiswhatmatters @bella-in-a-bag @doydoune @forever-third-wheeling @payte @hypnossanders @idontreallyknow24   @imcrushedbyarainbowoffical @patton-cake-and-crofters​  @hereissananxiousmess @purplebronzeandblue​ @cynicalandsarcastic​ @lost-in-thought-20 @andtheyreonfire @riseofthewerewolf @rosesandlove44 ​​@arya-skywalker @csi-baker-street-babes @reesiereads @dracayd-universe @starlightnyx​ @stubbornness-and-spite @averykedavra @joyrose-fandomer @mihaela-tbg @igonnatalknothing @thatoneloudowl @grayson-22 @softangryfuckingdepressed @theotherella @nevenastark @coldbookworm @boopypastaissalty @varthandiveturinn @roses-bubbles @cuter-on-the-inside @snixxxsmythe @charmingcritter @analogical-mess @emphasis-on-the-oopsie @selfdestructivecat @yangwalkerao3 @the3rddenialist

[beauty-and-passion]

So... The Vengeance Saga

Mr. Rivera-Herrans is really trying to release the entire musical by the end of this year, isn't he?

But seriously, the dedication this man has for his project is admirable. He drops song after song and even if they're not all bangers, the quality is still extremely high. He deserves all the money and appreciation he's getting - and same goes, of course, for all the talented people who gave their voices! These songs wouldn't be as impactful without those great artists, so they deserve love and recognition too.

Said that... well, this saga is even more videogame-y than the last. We get the big boss battle and the closing of a resentment that has been going on for ten long years. And even if it was great and I understand it for the overall plot and how it's gonna close in the last saga, I am also a bit perplexed by it.

But let's start from the beginning.

__________________

Not Sorry For Loving You: just like Done For was a way for Mr. Rivera-Herrans to expand more on Circe's mentality and reasons, this song tells us more about Calypso and why she acts the way she does.

Calypso is young - not physically, but mentally. She has always been alone, so she never had someone who taught her best or explained to her what love is. She never saw other people being in love or having any kind of relationship. She doesn't understand what love is.

However, she is enamored with the concept of love. The idea of having someone else to keep her company. So when she found this man on her shore, she fell in love immediately - exactly like a young girl with her first crush.

And, in a way, that's how she acts with Odysseus: she gets immediately, completely obsessed with him and ignores his life and relationships. She doesn't see him as a separate human being with his own mind and reasons: Odysseus is just her lover, that's the role she designed for him and the one he must play. Like a kid playing with a doll, Calypso plays with him and forces him inside the dollhouse she designed for him (Ogygia).

But then teens grow up and learn that other people are more than their dolls: they are their own persons, they have their own wants and needs and said wants and needs may differ from the ones the teens forced upon them.

Calypso never grew up, because she never met other people, nor had any example of human relationships: she has always been stuck in the "teen mentality". So now that the toy has been taken away from her, now she has to deal with the truth that Odysseus has never been hers. That he has always been his own human being, with his own wants and needs. And that she's not part of them.

Of course now she's angry and desperate, of course now she doesn't know what to do and how to deal with rejection: she never had a real relationship with another human being. She never had anyone, besides him. She herself said it!

And now, unfortunately for her, she has to face the harsh truth: Odysseus never loved her. And now that he's leaving, she will be alone again, left to think and ponder about what happened. And, hopefully, learn from her mistakes and mature.

__________________

Dangerous: Hermes is back and brings another banger of a song. I love all the voices of this musical, but the way he laughs and sings is just <3 <3 <3

I also noticed how Odysseus reacts with a lot of confidence and firmness to Hermes' words. Is he going to face dangerous things? He's accustomed to danger, he can and will be dangerous as much as he needs. As he said: "I'm gonna use ruthlessness".

And oh boy if he will.

__________________

Charybdis: I am a bit disappointed by the lack of voice or, well, anything else from Charybdis. It's just a random monster and the battle isn't even so interesting. It's just a monster after all and Odysseus gets past it fairly easily - he just uses his cleverness and bam, problem solved. He didn't even need the "mindset change" Hermes talked about.

I get that this song is more of a "link" between Odysseus leaving Ogygia and his meeting with Poseidon but... I don't know, I think it could've been used better. And Charybdis deserved some more attention - or at least to speak/make any noise at all.

__________________

Get in the Water: Poiseidon is back, baby. And he's still as pissed as he was 10 years ago.

Ah, the Greek gods. Huge stubborn babies.

I would also like to point out the crescendo in Odysseus' actions towards Poseidon. First, he tries to let the whole "vengeance/being pissed at him" thing drop:

Aren't you tired, Poseidon? It's been ten years, how long will this go? We're both hurting from losses So why not leave this here and just go home?

Then he tries to convince Poseidon to forgive him:

Maybe you could learn to forgive?

So the next step is supposed to be another clever trick, right?

Weeeeell... not exactly.

__________________

Six Hundred Strike: we all love a boss battle. The music is truly epic, worth the confrontation we waited for so long. The voices are incredible, both Jorge and Mr. Rodriguez have been incredible in conveying a ton of emotions into their lines.

And the Rule of Cool plays a huge role here, in making Odysseus look as badass as ever. The way he orders Poseidon to call out the storm, the "exactly" he says while he picks up the trident, his last chilling line... he's the king of Ithaca, sure, but also the king of badass.

The ultra-violence was not what I expected, but I am not complaining about that either. I understand this choice: it shows how much Odysseus changed over time, how he became the monster and it works as a great preview of what we will see in the Ithaca saga. Also, it's a clever solution for the narrative: the gods are immortal, so why not use this immortality against them?

Having said all that, what's the problem?

I just think it feels a bit rushed. The moment before, Odysseus was still trying to talk to Poseidon and reason his way out of this confrontation - like he should do, since he's famous for his silver tongue and his ability with words.

But the moment later, he gets out of the water with a goddamn jetpack and resorts to brute violence. Like... what?

I am not saying it cannot work, just... I think it should've been played differently. Maybe by giving him a bit more time to go from 'talk' to 'violence'.

Also because: how am I supposed to believe Odysseus is a monster, if one moment before he was still trying to reason with Poseidon? He didn't try to reason with the sirens, he tricked and killed them all. He didn't try to reason with Scylla, he just got past her. And he didn't try to reason with Calypso either, he was just too wrapped up in his own trauma, to do anything besides begging to die and/or leave.

But here, he tried to reason with Poseidon. And then, bam, violence. Again, it can work, but it needs more time/lines. Enough to show us, idk, that trauma overwhelmed him and because of that, he stopped reasoning and resorted to brute force? If the scene underwater with his loved ones dragging him down was supposed to convey this... well, it wasn't enough for me. It should've taken at least a few more lines.

Also, @oreramar made a great point in their post: what is preventing Poseidon from retreating and going back in the future to pursue his vengeance? He waited 10 years and we know he holds grudges: what stops him from waiting 10 more years and coming back to destroy everything as he threatened Odysseus to do? Or what, being stabbed is enough for him to drop the revenge idea entirely?

However, if we consider the original poem, the other gods basically helped Odysseus behind Poseidon's back and the revenge idea disappears once the Phaeacians bring him home... so, well, Poseidon dropping the revenge idea is coherent to canon :P

And now... one saga left. The last one! We already reached the end! It felt like yesterday when I found out about this musical and started following its genesis... soon, we will see its conclusion.

But before that, as always, shower the current saga with love, stream it, listen to it and enjoy it. It's a great work and deserves it.

[beauty-and-passion]

Do you believe there is any particular reason as to why women in Euclydia are not lines like they are in flatland? Like, Bill's mom is clearly a triangle too. Also why are women lines in flatland anyway what is that supposed to mean

I don't really remember if there was a specific reason why Women in Flatland are Lines - and if someone knows of a specific Victorian reason or a reason Abbott himself mentioned, then feel free to correct me.

Personally, I think Women are Lines because lines, half-lines and segments are all part of the Euclidean geometry. And since Abbott was talking about a 2D geometric society, he wanted to include that part of geometry too.

For the sake of the story itself, Women as Lines is a great choice: A Square, the protagonist of Flatland, spends a lot of time talking about Women and explains how their shape, despite being considered lesser than multilateral shapes like Squares, Pentagon, Polygons or Circles, is way, way more dangerous than theirs.

A Flatland Woman can potentially kill any shape: since their ends are pointy, they are basically invisible to a 2D creature's eye. So, if a Woman stands still, a Shape can potentially bump into her without noticing and, since she's so pointy, she can easily pierce through the shape (especially if it's a multilateral one) and kill it without any problem.

That's why Flatland Women have to constantly waggle their ends and signal their presence through vocalizations called "Peace-cry": because otherwise they would be invisible killers.

Also, they're subjugated to men because... well, of course they're not as mighty and multilateral as the Circles, who are the highest authority in this world. And since this world is based on the number of sides and regularity, Women can never be on the same level as Circles.

Speaking of that, I would like to cite this part regarding the Colour Bill, a historical event mentioned in the book: this bill proposed that every shape should be painted of different colors to identify them (and replace therefore the Recognition by Sight). But when talking about Women and Priest (aka Circles), the bill suggested they would be painted the same way:

"When it was objected that Priests and Women had no sides, they retorted that Nature and Expediency concurred in dictating that the front half of every human being (that is to say, the half containing his eye and mouth) should be distinguishable from his hinder half. They therefore brought before a general and extraordinary Assembly of all the States of Flatland a Bill proposing that in every Woman the half containing the eye and mouth should be coloured red, and the other half green. The Priests were to be painted in the same way, red being applied to that semicircle in which the eye and mouth formed the middle point; while the other or hinder semicircle was to be coloured green."

And yes, it's extremely ironic that the female sex, considered so ignorant and inferior compared to the high Priests, was put on their same level - if not above.

Of course this was all a satire that aimed to expose the awful situation of women in Victorian society. And I love how Abbott decided to do it: by implying women are much more powerful than the authoritarian figures - so powerful that if the Colour Bill passed, they would've easily gained status, power and knowledge, three things the authorities are taking away from them:

"At home they (Women) might hear political and ecclesiastical secrets intended not for them but for their husbands and brothers, and might even issue commands in the name of a priestly Circle; out of doors the striking combination of red and green, without addition of any other colours, would be sure to lead the common people into endless mistakes, and the Women would gain whatever the Circles lost, in the deference of the passers by."

Having said that... I really don't know why Euclydia's women are not Lines as well. Maybe it was a way to imply that, since this society is apparently more "evolved" compared to Flatland's, women and men have the same rights and social status. So there's no need to put them into a specific category and make a satire.

Also, this choice emphasizes the playful, "childish" vibe of this world: like a kid can put together two triangles and imagine they are a couple, so Bill's parents are both triangles because they have the same shape. It fits more with what we talked about in the previous ask, about Euclydia's colorful, less serious world/society.

Sure, there may be rules we're not aware of - maybe only Triangles can have Triangles as offspring in Euclydia - but for now, I think that's why women in Euclydia are shapes and not lines:

women and men have the same rights (so no need to build a satire like in Flatland)

the playful nature implied in this world

what Bill said in the AMA years ago, about his dimension having 14 billion genders: with so many genders, enclosing women into a specific shape would've been weird, I suppose