#being split in two halves is no theory with me

[lonesomedreamer]

I expect nothing, Mr. Scott. It is merely logical to try all the alternatives. Doctor McCoy, a reading on the atmosphere, please.

STAR TREK | The Galileo Seven

[dearestblood]

tag dump !

[wwillywonka]

the original alice in wonderland story being so deeply important to spock... the way amanda would read it to him and michael when they were kids to remind them that while the world is indeed illogical, it's not impossible to navigate, that they'll be okay as long they keep true to themselves, as long as they don't let their internal subdivisions rule them or let other people decide which of the subdivisions is better. the way alice loses her identity over the course of the book because she constantly fills the roles of those around her, literally being bullied by the citizens of wonderland and having to physically get larger in order to have any semblance of power in this, ah, strange new world. the way alice talks to herself. the "i give myself very good advice but i very seldom follow it" line, followed by "for this curious child was very fond of pretending to be two people." subdivision of self leading to entire dissociation of identity as a result of the expectations around you until, even when there's no one left to externally control you, you are still your own greatest bully. "being split in two halves is no theory with me, doctor... i survive it because my intelligence wins out over both, makes them live together." i think i'm just saying words but i feel like chewing on broken glass. i've only seen disco s1&2 but it still makes me crazy that the alice story plays such an important role. i need to go run around the neighbourhood. i feel insane.

[theelectronicstranger]

Ultimate X-Men #5 and #6 Discussion

          Ultimate X-Men #7 comes out today, so I thought I’d finish talking about the last two issues of the first arc of the series. If you have not read Ultimate X-Men #5 and #6 then please look away now because I will definitely be spoiling things for you.

          To make this discussion a bit easier to read and easier to write for me, I’m going to split this discussion into two halves: “The Villains/The Antagonists” and “This Universe’s X-Men”

The Villains/The Antagonists

The first thing I want to talk about is this page from Issue 6:

This page actually confirms that the person we’ve been seeing for the last few issues is in fact this universe’s version of the Shadow King. I actually kind of like that they revealed it this way because I don’t think that revealing that this guy was the Shadow King in such a big way would have made sense for this universe specially since this universe has no sense of who the Shadow King is and why he would be a threat. I also feel like for new readers they won’t really understand why this person might be a threat just from his name and I think Momoko in this first arc has done a really good job in showcasing why Kageyama/Shadow King is a threat without really giving us parallels or showing us who the Shadow King is in the main Marvel universe. I’m excited to learn more about this character and the weird cult that he seems to be mixed up in in the next arc of this series. We find out in issue 6 that Kageyama has some sort of obsession on Hisako and that’s why he’s been following and stalking her these past few issues:                       

It seems that Kageyama/Shadow King has some sort of infatuation with Hisako and has this idea of her that is very clear in his head. That’s why in issue #6, when Hisako is fighting against him, he starts to lose it:

The wording he uses on that second page “My Hisako--- doesn’t talk like that!!!” confirms for me that he does have some sort of infatuation/obsession with Hisako. I think this tracks for this version of Shadow King. If I’m just going by his design, he looks like a typical shut-in otaku that would normally be obsessed with an anime girl or a Japanese idol, but in this case, he’s obsessing over Hisako and he also has the power to get in touch with her whenever he wants, which makes him terrifying as a stalker. I really want to know how his obsession started. He says in issue 5 that they went to the same middle school together, but I want to know what about Hisako made him want to latch on to her.

Kageyama and Hisako Went to the Same Middle School (From issue #5):

          Also, Kageyama seems to know the truth about what happened to Tsubasa. In the start of issue #5 we see him watching a video of one of Tsubasa's bullies, the one we see from issue #4, point a knife at Tsubasa:

Yes, we can say that this is could have been the final straw that made Tsubasa want to take his own life, but I feel like there’s something else going on. Especially, since Kageyama is watching this video. I feel like he knows more about what truly transpired the day Tsubasa died, and we’ll find out more about it in the next few issues. I don’t think he would have kept this video if there wasn’t something more. My guess is that these bullies were the people that actually killed Tsubasa rather than him taking his own life. Or that Kageyama saw Tsubasa being bullied and decided to make him take his own life through his powers. I’m not really sure but those are my main theories so far.

We also get more information on Surge/Noriko Ashida in issues 5 and 6 of this series. It seems that both her and the Shadow King are from the same cult. Also, she seems to be some sort of sex worker that uses her powers to fry her customers brains, so they can get off?:

I don’t know how else to explain this but that seems to be what’s going on here. This guy seems to be a regular customer of hers. This actually makes her seem terrifying to me, especially with her facial expression on the second page there. It seems like she doesn’t mind hurting other people to get what she wants and unlike Kageyama, she is very confident in what she can do to other people, which make her a very formidable enemy to our newly formed X-Men. I definitely am looking forward to seeing more of her in the next arc.

I want to talk a little bit more about this cult. I really like the idea that the Children of the Atom is a cult in this universe. It definitely makes more sense that this X-Men story takes place in Japan because there have been a lot of issues with cults in Japan as of recently. In fact, the last Kamen Rider reboot, Shin Kamen Rider, kind of explores this problem as well with Shocker’s cult-like behavior. Anyways, I’m really interested in finding out who is behind this cult and who this person is being crucified in their base:

My guess was that it’s Wolverine (Logan) because they seem to be using this person’s blood to heal people and Wolverine has a healing factor and has a lot of ties to Japan as well, so that’s where my mind first went when I saw this crucifixion. Also, there’s always this cover of Uncanny X-Men #251 that was featured in Deadpool and Wolverine months ago that made me think it is him:

          In regard to who might be the leader of this cult my first guess was Scott Summers because every time I see the swirling X Mark as their symbol it’s made me think of him in his black after Avengers vs X-men costume when I see it:

The Children of the Atom Swirling X-Mark:

Cyclops Costume After AvX [From Uncanny X-Men #1 (2013)]:

The reason why I’m thinking it’s Cyclops besides the costume is because I’m not convinced that it would be Magneto or Xavier that would be the leaders of this cult because I think it would be too easy to guess that they are. Also, I think The Maker, while perverting this universe, would have wanted to ruin the leader of the X-Men by turning him into the leader of this cult. Those are my reasonings so far. I don’t really have proof. I have not read issue #7, so if I’m wrong then forget this. Although if it is Magneto or Xavier, then I’m willing to think that the leader of this group would be magneto just from how much the term “homo superior” has come up regarding this cult.

This Universe’s X-Men:

We see the formation of this universe’s X-Men in issue 5 through Nico Minoru and Mei Igarashi:

I like that the main reason why this team has the letter “X’ on it is because Mei has bad grades, and it has nothing to do with the X-Gene. I don’t know how anybody else feel about it, but I like how unserious this whole thought process was. Yes, this is definitely informal and it’s at a stage where it’s just an idea being floated around but I think this could be a very interesting team. So far, we have Hisako (Armor), Mei Igarashi (Maystorm), and Nico Minoru as the key members of this group with Mori and Natsu Tsukishima maybe being part of the team as well. The reason why I’m unsure if Mori and Natsu are joining is because we don’t really know about them much yet. We actually don’t even know if they have powers yet. All we know is that they’re part of the Children of the Atom cult through their parents. I actually still want to know if Mori is this universe’s version of Molly Hayes. The reasons why I’m thinking that she is this universe’s version of Molly Hayes is because: Molly is a mutant in the main universe; she was first introduced in this universe with Nico Minoru, who is part of the Runaways in the main universe; and she keeps wearing bunny ears, which is what Molly would definitely wear. If she’s another character, then ignore this but so far, I think she’s this universe’s version of Molly Hayes.

Speaking of Nico Minoru, we get to see more of what she’s capable of starting in issue #5 when she does a reading on Hisako’s Armor Omamori:

So, it seems that this Nico Minoru also has the same powers that her main universe counterpart has and hopefully we find out more about what her power is. We’ll probably find out more about it in the next arc, but I wonder if in this universe Nico is a mutant rather than just a straight up sorcerer. Maybe she has some sort of psychic powers that is not dependent on the Staff of One. Also, regarding this scene, I really love how the Shadow King’s power is represented, and I like how Nico Minoru’s powers are represented as well, like she’s a mage that is casting this evil spirit away. I think that’s why Nico Minoru was chosen to be part of this series because her powers are supernatural in origin and this book has had a really big supernatural vibe ever since it started.

          I want to talk about Hisako a bit because she’s really grown since the first issue of this series. In the first issue, she was very much lost and devastated due to what happened to Tsubasa and the guilt that came with that. She cut herself off from the world around her, but in issue 6, we start seeing the more confident side to her. She’s taking a more proactive approach with dealing and fighting Kageyama/Shadow King:

She knows that she has people now; she’s no longer alone and therefore she can take on her demons, whether it’s the inner or the outer ones, with their help. I also liked that as soon as Kageyama stepped in Nico and Mei immediately took a fighting stance with Hisako. They look so much like a team on that first page, and it definitely made me want to see this team more in the future. These two pages felt like a teaser of what this team could be, and I am more than excited to see what they become.

          I have really enjoyed Ultimate X-Men by Peach Momoko so far. I’ve said this in the first issue discussion, but I really love that she is doing the art and writing for this book because it gives this book uniformity and consistency that I don’t really see with other books; especially, with the X-Men books. Her art feels like it’s just another extension of her writing and because her art isn’t this traditional comic art, it feels refreshing every time I’ve picked up an issue of Ultimate X-Men in the past year. Also, she really knows how to utilize the space between her art because she uses her borders on a page to tell the story as well, which I love. Her J-Horror and supernatural choice for this book is really inspired and it just helps draw me in to this book. This first arc has been so fun to read. The only reason why I didn’t write this discussion sooner was because I was feeling burnt out on writing, but I wanted to really compliment her work because I’ve enjoyed it so much, so I forced myself to write this now as issue #7 is coming out. I really do hope that people keep picking up this title because I think it is one of the most intriguing comics currently out now for Marvel and maybe with the other publishers as well. This book to me definitely feels like it’s pushing the envelope on what they can get away with in a marvel book right now and it’s refreshing to see that, so please support this book if you can.

          Thank you for reading this discussion. I’d love to know what you think of this title so far and if there were anything I might have missed while discussing these two issues. Or if there were things that I just did not talk about clearly. I tend to write these really quickly, so if I was confusing then let me know. Have a great day! Thanks again!

[necromancer-at-abattoir]

Hi, it’s “Rick really shot himself in the foot when he tried to differentiate Greek and Roman mythology and failed” anon again, and I just learned that apparently Rick is not only misrepresenting the gods and Greek culture, but actual Ancient Greek philosophers, and that really pisses me off as someone with a degree in philosophy.

I haven’t been a part of this fandom in a long time. I never finished HoO (I dropped it before the series was even finished), but I saw something upsetting the other day. I’ve seen a few posts talking about this one passage from HoO (Or, at least, I think it was from HoO. If I read that part, I don’t remember because It was a long time ago.) talking about “a story by Plato about how male and female were created because they used to be the same being that was split in half, and now they’re two halves of a whole looking for their soulmate or whatever” and this was supposed to create angst or something because then Nico didn’t know how he was supposed to fit into that equation.

Again, I don’t exactly know the context (I tried Googling it, but I couldn’t find anything), but I do know that it’s referencing The Symposium. The Symposium just so happens to be one of my favorite pieces of philosophical writing, and once had to write over 20 pages on this bad boy for an academic paper, so believe me when I tell you - that story is a load of BS, and I will not tolerate Plato slander.

First of all, that wasn’t even Plato that said that. It was Aristophanes. Yes, The Symposium was written by Plato, but he was essentially just documenting stuff that was said at a dinner where a bunch of dudes got together and decided to philosophize about what love is (there are 6 speakers in total, that all lead up to Socrates, and Aristophanes is just one of them). People debate about whether all the people and situations Plato wrote about were even real, or if they’re just a device to bounce ideas off of each other, and there’s even this whole theory that Socrates wasn’t a real person - but I’m not going to get into all of that. What’s important is that we DO know that Aristophanes was a real person, and it’s important to note that Aristophanes was NOT a philosopher. He was a playwright and basically the Ancient Greek equivalent of a comedian. I have seen a lot of people act like it was some profound theory of how humans came to be, but it was never meant to be taken seriously.

Now, I have seen that story be taken out of context many times, and it always annoys me, but this might be the most egregious one yet. The Symposium is not heteronormative in the slightest. In fact, it is VERY queer, which is what drew me to it in the first place.

The ACTUAL story that this is trying to reference is when Aristophanes tells a story where originally humans had 2 heads, 4 arms, and 4 legs, and there were 3 genders - male, female, and androgynous (which represented the sun, earth, and moon, respectively). The gods were intimidated by the humans, so they split them in half. The ones that were originally male became men who were attracted to men, the ones that were female became women attracted to women, and the ones that were androgynous became men and women attracted to the opposite sex. That is the very short version, but needless to say, very inclusive of homosexuality.

I see how what Rick was trying to do could’ve worked for asexuality or aromanticism, however, this is only just one small part of The Symposium, and there is actually a lot of stuff in The Symposium that I would argue are very ace and aro coded, but I’m not going to get into all of that, though, because this would be very long and that’s beside the point.

(Just one thing, though, because I can't resist. It’s not relevant to this, but it’s cool, and it relates to my previous ask. At one point, one of the speakers, Pausanias, tries to define love as a complex being and says that Aphrodite is the personification of love. He acknowledges that there are two different versions of Aphrodite that the Ancient Greeks believed in, from different parts of Greece (again, this is pre-Roman), and instead of trying to determine which is the “true” Aphrodite, he embraces both of them and says they are the personifications of two different kinds of love, which eventually results in him basically figuring out the split attraction model 2000+ years before it was called that, and I love it so much.) Anyway, everyone should read The Symposium, it’s public domain.

All that to say, this means one of two things. Either Rick knew this story and intentionally changed it to be heteronormative to create angst, or he read some other version of the story, that was not a primary resource, where someone else had already changed to be heteronormative - and that really freaking bothers me, because it could not be farther from the truth.

As a queer person who found a lot of comfort in The Symposium, I find it disgusting that it was twisted for the sake of making a queer character feel bad about themself for extra angst (and don’t even get me started on how Nico’s character was handled, that is a whole other thing I can go off about, but I won’t because this is about Plato). Shame on you, Richard.

Again, I haven’t touched HoO since I was in high school and it was still being released, and I honestly don’t remember reading that part. So, if I am taking this out of context and later in the book they say “Wait, but that’s not actually how the story goes!” then I will be pleasantly surprised for once, and you can disregard all of this.

You are wonderful, anon, and I love you and this message that you've sent so much. I will definitely check out Plato's Symposium sometime soon.

Don't worry-you're not taking this out of context. What you're talking about is, unfortunately, written in either HOH or BOO-I clearly remember that.

Rick Riordan does tend to misrepresent cultures in his stories-especially Greek culture, so I wouldn't be surprised if this was true. His views on Hellenistic Paganism and Greek Gods when he was writing PJO and HOO were unfortunately very derogatory and it's clearly reflected in his writing.

The fact that he changed a story to fit his version does not surprise me at all, though it's painful to learn that he has committed yet another infraction regarding Greek Mythology.

It's terribly discouraging to me when I see how many people think that what Rick Riordan writes is true and urge them to read up on real sources regarding Greek Mythology. This twisted version of Plato's Symposium is only one of many examples in Percy Jackson.

Knowing Rick Riordan, he either read the full version and twisted it to form his own terrible version, which he has done before (Hephaestus' attempted rape of Athena) and is quite good at or he read a version that wasn't the primary resource and just took it to be the real thing (like he did when researching for Piper Mclean).

Nico's moment there was pretty poignant, very relatable for many LGBTQ readers wondering how they would fit in to heteronormative society...........

But unfortunately, a lot of nice moments in PJO come at the cost of incorrectly interpreting Ancient Greek Gods and culture. It's pretty sad, honestly. Rick really likes to slander Greece in his works. First with the flame of the West, then with slandering all the gods and all those mythological inaccuracies, now with this twisted Symposium version of his.

Rick Riordan doesn't even do his research properly, so of course he said that Plato said it and not that Plato wrote down what Aristophanes said out loud. I wonder if it would actually kill him to do some more research. Is he really that bad at it?

Anyway, I will read the Symposium to gain more insight onto how Rick could have handled it better. I really like aro-ace coded stuff, too, so I'll love this one.

[vip-komilk]

⚠ TW: Sibling incest ⚠ Huge-ass leonfrancis headcanons post, including NSFW. If you read my fics, or just follow my nonsense on twitter/bluesky, these are the headcanons I'm leaning on most of the time. Take a look inside my twisted mind. This is more insane than the Vittorino one.

I'm putting it under a readmore for a reason, this is my disclaimer. Thanks.

Conceptual headcanons

This is the pretentious shit. Idk how else to say it. It's all the symbolism and references to folklore and stuff like that LOL.

THE GENERATIONAL CYCLES. This one is first because it is at the core of all the bullshit that will come after, so I need to hit you over the head with this one. 8:11 has a theme around cycles and I theorize that Leon and Francis are cycles of their parents. That's it basically. Leon picked up the hunting and surgery skills from his father. Leon kills his father in very much the same way Dante (who it's implied was something like a protégé or even a son) kills him. Their mother had a chronic illness and was intent on one of them (presumably Francis) becoming a priest, Francis then becomes traumatized and bedridden after her death. Leon falls into the role of his father, Francis into the role of his mother. Do you see the vision? This one is important.

Merge theory. If you've been in 8:11 fandom for a bit you'll have heard of this one, the idea that Leon and Francis merged at some point; presumably it was something Leon did in an attempt to "cure" his brother. You'll see me allude to this with ideas of them "becoming one" (yes, including sex).

I've played on the literary/spiritual concept of twins being split from a single "soul", they they are two halves of a whole, that they are incomplete without each other. Hence the aforementioned merge theory is more a rejoining of these split souls.

Cain and Abel. Why the hell not. I'll get into a bit more later but I do sometimes like to play with the idea that Leon really resented having to look after Francis, really resented his "ailments" when there appeared to be nothing physically wrong with him. The idea that Leon might have wanted to kill him at times, just to free them both; the idea that perhaps his father had felt the same towards their mother, even if he never expressed it.

---

General headcanons

I don't feel strongly one way or the other as to whether they're identical or fraternal twins, but them having different hair textures makes me lean towards the latter (ignore the split soul theory being for identical twins, its my beautiful dreamscape and I can do what I want). I think their features are similar enough that people think they're identical at first glance though.

I tend to characterize Francis as a grumpy cat LOL. He's kind of antisocial and withdrawn, when he's mad he tends to give the cold shoulder. He has a kind of stern, quiet compassion, and when he can tell Leon is stressed out, he'll just silently start cleaning up Leon's stuff and bringing him food and things like that. Real acts of service love language going on.

From the game it appears to me like they lived in a secluded, rural area. The Tremblays maybe had limited interactions with people outside the family, the boys would maybe take a bus to school, and they would go into town on the weekends and for church but it's not as if they spent a lot of time surrounded by people. This is kind of important in setting up the context for Leon and Francis becoming isolated after their parents die.

They were probably the kind of kids that made up their own language to communicate with each other. I think it would be cute if Francis kind of clung to Leon when they went to school (until they get to the age when being close to your sibling isn't Cool and 'I'm more than just my brother's twin actually').

Re: the whole 'children are more or less incarnations of their parents' thing above, Leon is favoured by their father as the eldest to more or less take up the role of the Man Of The House. Their dad was probably a serious guy, considering he was both a war veteran and a surgeon, so those are big shoes to fill. On the other hand, Francis is more of a momma's boy, spends a lot of time with their mother at her bedside, makes sure he tells her everything he and Leon are up to.

Based on VHS #2, the hunting motifs and the forest imagery towards the end of the game, I think it's fair to assume their house sat at the edge of a forest. Leon and Francis probably spent a lot of time out there as kids and teens, exploring and finding animal bones and setting up forts of branches and foliage. They probably got lost out there once or twice. Maybe they trespassed on their neighbour's land and got shot at. I like to think of Leon with a big VHS camcorder making "documentaries" of the stuff they make out there.

Francis starts smoking (weed). The first time he convinces Leon to try it, Leon gets really paranoid and doesn't leave the couch for hours. Needless to say he's not eager to do it again.

---

After their parent's death

Includes NSFW towards the end.

Uhhh I headcanon that Leon's drinking habit starts after he kills his father. I do think it's just as likely it could've started after the fall of the Basilica, but I really like the idea of Leon struggling with it in secret while at the Basilica lol.

They both have a lot of trauma, and struggle to process it and confront it. Francis starts talking about ghosts and Angels, loses his eyesight, becomes bedridden. Leon is likely forced to look after him in the aftermath, while I'm sure he's also haunted by the fact he killed his own father. And yet, however much Leon might resent Francis for his condition, how can he possibly abandon the only remaining family he had left? Especially when it was his mistake that drove Francis to be like this in the first place. And Francis is helpless; he's blind and ill and he relies on Leon completely. Leon fears Francis for the crazy things he's saying, and Francis fears Leon who returned home soaked in their father's blood. They have both become unrecognizable to each other, they both have reason to be wary and suspicious and yet horribly codepedent on each other.

Even something as simple as Leon leading Francis around the house, or bathing him, or shaving him. How easy it would be for him to push him down the stairs or slit his throat as he holds a razor to his neck. I like to thing the tension and the dread in that house is a constant weight on them both.

Leon avoiding mirrors is obviously him avoiding Dante in the game, but I think perhaps we should consider it could also be tied to guilt at seeing his brother's face in his reflection.

(NSFW - dub/non-con) If you've read my fic "If we fall," I emphasize the guilt I think Leon would probably feel for this whole situation and wouldn't really be able to bring himself to stop Francis from acting out against him, and just lies back and takes it.

(NSFW - dubcon) Leon drinks every night so that if anything happens (coughs having sex with his bedridden brother), he can deny to himself that he was in his right mind.

This is where the Cain and Abel thing comes back into play. Sometimes Leon resents Francis. It’s a burden to have to look after him. He's an unsettling, haunted husk of a human being, and he wonders if their father ever felt this way about their mother. If he secretly yearned to snap her neck, to free himself from the chains binding him to her. Some nights when Leon drinks and Francis sleeps he stands at the doorway glaring at him, caught in uncertainty, unsure if he loves him or hates him.

This one's a bit delusional but a few friends and I were throwing around the idea of Francis getting paranoid and trying to escape the house, but of course he's blind so he doesn't get far. Gets his leg caught in an animal trap set up in the woods and has to lie there as the sun sets, shivering and bleeding and unable to free himself until Leon comes to find him and brings him back home, now with an injured leg and even more reliant on Leon to help him.

---

Transfem Francis

Yes this needs its own section.

It started because a friend put me on to it but again, the parallels to the parents kind of just strengthened it for me. If Francis is meant to take on the role of his mother then why can't that include his gender? //taps temple//

I think she starts transitioning before their parents die, but she starts to present more outwardly feminine only after. She starts rifling through her mother's clothes and wearing them, and again Leon is kind of just too shaken and guilty to stop her. (I feel the need to clarify that Leon's shock would not be Francis wearing feminine clothes but more that she's wearing their dead mother's belongings).

Leon starts to treat her a lot more carefully (you can't just roughhouse with a sister like you can with a brother, in his mind). He fixes her shirts if they start slipping down too far and showing too much chest. Francis thinks it's annoying as hell.

---

The real delusion

This is the insane stuff I'm sorry in advance. Includes NSFW.

If you want the real delirium, there's a whole alternate au in my head where Leon never performs the merging surgery and never goes to the basilica and instead he and Francis kind of just get mind-broken by their circumstances and lean into the cycled roles of their parents as a means of survival and become horribly codependent on each other and convince themselves they love each other the way their parents did. If you ever see me talk about them being married or acting like a couple I'm probably referring to this "parent roleplay" au lol.

They should get married in the garden and Francis should wear her mother's wedding dress, beautiful wonderful world.

me and a friend went crazy talking abt them going to a local farmer's market together as a couple and some of the older vendors mistake them for their parents. She hangs onto his arm and asks him to describe things for her. They go to a barn dance and dance together. Agh. Sobs.

Incestuous codependent delusion aside, they can be the cutest couple ever i think.

Thanks for making it this far //blows kisses//

[nepheia]

02 ∙ the self is not me, but us

[ ✼ part 2 of the self is not me, but us series ]

okay that first part was a long-winded lead-up, but now we're at the main event: how the multiplicity of the self is the star of the entire 我们 album, but especially the mv. there are probably a hundred different ways you could interpret that gorgeous 6-minute film.

you could say it's a re-enactment of what xz experienced in 2020; that 'we' the fandom may be a collective but not a monolith, that the 'us' is complicated between star and supporter. 

you could say it's a cynical look at the psyche; that we need to shut down the din of emotions, because only in their absence, only when numb, can you truly face the hard truths.

you could say it was just his cheeky way of making his "charming and adorable villain" dreams come true!! and that 'we' are two halves of the same coin, a classic split personality antihero where one cannot have come to fruition without the other.

or...

❝ only after walking the boundless wilderness can you see us ❞

i like to think that the mv — just like xz — dismantles the notion that the 'real' self or the 'honest' self must be a clean-cut, singular thing. the most real self can be (and usually is!) what xz calls a boundless wilderness, an 'us': many disparate, messy, often contradictory parts. we also see mentions of this in restoration and glimmering:

❝ the most prideful, the most incorrigible and precious me ❞ ❝ the dull and crestfallen, diminutive me ❞

❝ the prideful, the unknowing, the helpless all of this proving that all are me ❞

these parts all co-exist in this networked hive that we call the spectrum of emotions, irreparably connected, because only through one emotion can we understand another. joy exists because sadness exists. sadness, all gentle tears and despondent eyes, teaches us that anger is different in its bitter brashness, that solitude is different in its cold loneliness, that despair is different in its bottomless depth of malice and loss.

to do away with any of them is to reduce ourselves to the black-and-white that does no justice to how complex human conflicts are. was hope vs. despair simply light against darkness? did despair 'win' just because he made it out?

no, because hope and despair don't exist in vacuums. the lyrics tell you as much — that nothing exists in a vacuum. if some emotions, some concepts, didn't exist, the way we understand life itself is likely to change:

❝ in a world without falsehoods will we be able to sleep more soundly? ❞

❝ in a world without objective truth will we be able to live more simply? ❞

if you take this lens and plaster it onto the mv, then hope and despair are helplessly intertwined, almost in a cyclical relationship. hope "birthed" despair, giving him true form the moment he was freed from that box. despair supplanted hope, taking his place out in the open world, so "hope" can also sometimes be born from despair.

⎯⎯ ୨୧ ⎯⎯

NOW. IF YOU'LL INDULGE ME.

🎪 bonus round – peak nonsense tinfoil hat theory: for those familiar with vocaloid, see: kagerou days

❝ perhaps we all became accustomed a long time ago but no one discerned it the most defeated samaritan devolved into a savage perhaps the progress of civilisation has to be cruel in order to be more hurtful than you we can only reclaim our natural state ❞

because this is a cyclical relationship, what if this is all a loop? where hope and despair know (they became accustomed a long time ago) but no one else does?

hope (the most defeated samaritan, by force) is fading away, left to die in despair's chamber. the seed of hope he planted and then subsequently picked up in the desert will sprout into a new being in this confined space, taking despair's place (devolved into a savage). 

despair (the most defeated samaritan, by choice) has taken hope's place in the outside world (devolved into a savage i.e. reduced to the 'other', no longer connected to the "civilisation" of the mind). he picks up the seed, returns to the hive mind, tries to free the newly-born despair — who he knows better than anyone else, maybe this time they can do it right, maybe this time they will break free of this cursed loop — and gets a shard of glass through the gut for it.

and the cycle repeats. despair supplanting hope, hope becoming despair, each trying to reclaim what they once were.

if despair hopes to escape, if hope despairs what he got in return for his kindness, then can we still say that the two emotions are entirely separate things?

XIAO ZHAN PLEASE JUST ONE LOOK INTO UR GALAXY BRAIN I NEED CLOSURE 🛐

⋆

← prev ┊ part 1: "the thousand-faced senior, xiao zhan" → next ┊ part 3: the dark whimsicality of drifting: a visual analysis

[maniacwatchestheworld]

I don't think that I've ever commented on it directly before, but my personal stance on if Harvey's dick is half burnt or not is the following.

I tend to like the idea of Harvey having more scarring than less scarring because I'm a weirdo and freak like that. More scarring is more fucked up and so that appeals to me! Less scarring is all good for iterations of his character, but as a dramatic bitch, I want to see Harvey being as physically messed up as possible because I like that in a Blorbo! The more horrific and gut-wrenching his damage, the better!

But I also entirely think that logically, it doesn't really make sense for him to be entirely damaged and scarred from head to foot. Logically speaking, the damage would likely be confined to his face, perhaps his hand, and the surrounding areas. So part of his arm, his neck, upper torso and shoulder is all fair game. Logically that should likely be the extent of that.

... And then there's my headcanon thoughts and interpretation that makes me deeply happy, but others would find deeply upsetting. >:]c

Because the thing is... Harvey- both of them are obsessive-compulsive... And it would likely bother the both of them how uneven things are... They're supposed to be a team together! Equal footing! Two halves of a whole! Two men in one body! Two sides of the same coin! Two! So... I can easily see that inequality bothering the both of them... And them taking action to make things right...

Basically, I think that if Harvey is split down more or less 50/50 that it's because one or both of them self-harm to make and keep it that way. Harvey already blatantly does self-sabotauging and self-harming behavior! Twofie, less so. But they are both obsessive-compulsive and are willing to hurt themselves or do self-sabotauging behavior for the sake of their own duality. I can easily see them continuously and repeatedly burning themselves with acid or damaging themselves in other ways to purposefully "keep things balanced" and to stubbornly keep their wounds or scarring from being able to get better! I feel like any iteration where his scarring is red kinda unheriently implies that he's self-harming to keep himself from healing. (Even though I'm personally in camp blue scarring because the color theory of it all deeply appeals to me!!!) I just think that the DC writers are cowards for not making any implication of this canon. But it would be a definitive answer! And it is very in-character! And is dramatic and emotionally painful in the most fun way possible because I'm a dramatic bitch! :D

So I am personally in the camp of, yeah. Harvey can have a half burnt dick. But that's because he did it to himself. A camp that I'm pretty certain that only I occupy! :D

[pandorasboxoftreasures]

Ok I know I’m not just overthinking this so hear me out : RECOM QUARITCH SPLIT-BRAIN THEORY

(aka “Colonel Sméagol”)

Avatar has its eye symbolism, right? “I see you?” Waking up from dreams, etc...

But has anybody else noticed this? It’s been bothering me since my first watch.

It’s to do with Recom Quaritch’s eyes and how they are highlighted from scene to scene and character perspective to character perspective and what that implies for which Quaritch has primary or dominant control at each given moment, the implanted one (Human) or the innate one (Na’vi).

Ritch when following the programming from his implanted memories (mostly noticeable when he has his PTSD moments, repeats routines that the human Ritch did like drinking coffee and squad briefings, observes things of interest to the implanted personality and goes berserker or highly emotional), left eye in clear light and/or focus, right eye in shadow or hidden.

Ritch when deviating from his programming and thinking individually (Mostly noticeable when he’s interacting with Spider or contemplating his next moves or observing and interacting with his environment through Na’vi enhanced senses/technically new eyes), right eye in clear light and/or focus, left eye in shadow or hidden.

They have full damn control over the lighting and it doesn’t fully follow the lighting directions from the same scenes or sometimes even shots and in many ways the opposite eye is considerably darker than ambient lighting without additional stylistic control would have it be. There’s no way these are accidental. Same goes for the composition.

There’s a symbolism here. There has to be. Maybe highlighting that there’s two people or halves of them in his head fighting for equilibrium or supremacy and they can each have turns taking over as well as working together as one (which is when we see barely any difference in how the eyes are lit or shown or they match the ambient lighting accurately the other exceptions being from the perspectives of characters who are unaware or couldn’t care less about which Quaritch is which). But also indicating that he may have a sort of split-brain but for personality. Two consciousnesses sharing one brain. One in each cerebral hemisphere.

Interestingly the main key behavioural differences between Recom Ritch and Human Ritch most noticeable so far when you watch them closely, are in aspects of the brain (regulation and comprehension of speech and language, working memory, cognitive flexibility, planning, inhibition, abstract reasoning, selecting specific actions in a list of possible actions, mediation of decision making, reorienting of attention, collecting and processing environmental information among many demonstrated) that belong to the left hemisphere that controls the right side of the body and therefore the right eye. 

It gets better...

WHICH SIDE OF THE BRAIN GOT DAMAGED WHEN HUMAN RITCH GOT WRECKED BY THAT VIPERWOLF SO BAD IT WENT THROUGH THE GODDAMN BONE?!

THE RIGHT SIDE THAT CONTROLS THE LEFT EYE!!!

EYWA, YOU NEON MACHIEVELLIAN CHAD DID YOU SEND THAT DOGGO AFTER MILES QUARITCH SENIOR FOR A TARGETED LOBOTOMY KNOWING WHAT WOULD HAPPEN?!

Now, with this hypothesis in mind, what can we do with it?

Look at each scene to determine who is who when, of course. If that left eye is like a street light take note that you’re likely dealing with the implant. If the right eye has it, it’s probably the innate, if it’s both, neither or barely noticeable, you’re looking at them in equilibrium or near enough.

Taking all that into consideration (again it is just a theory for now I will have to take notes next time I watch from beginning to end like I have every time since I started getting suspicious of this but now I have even more research and possible context behind it), who has Kiri by the throat, who has a gun to Lo’ak’s head, who is telling Jake Neteyam “didn’t have to die”, and who lets Kiri go to save Spider?

It also opens up the possibility if this is a hint towards future events (unlikely but again who knows) THAT THERE’S TECHNICALLY WAYS TO ERASE THOSE IMPLANTED MEMORIES AND PERSONALITY AND GIVE FULL CONTROL TO THE INNATE OR THE IMPLANT because people can still function mostly if not completely normally with a lot of parts of their brains removed or disabled.

________________________________________________

BONUS: Another interesting thing to see that I’m following up with and taking notes on is whether Ritch is left or right handed or a combination of both. Because that is very difficult to actually determine and also has additional possible implications. 

Stephen Lang can deliberately play a left-handed character. James Cameron is left-handed. It’s not out of the realm of possibility that it could be a deliberate choice and I need to check through both movies again to see any signs of it.

I’ll keep putting examples and further delvings and discussions under #quaritch split brain theory if people want to go deeper into this with me or follow along. 

I might even make some memes with it, who knows?

[thecrescentmind]

I’m so glad people are talking about the orange is Patton’s family theory I have believed in it for like a year

Propaganda time:

So let’s follow the logic of orange being rage or wrath or whatever word for anger, this is usually an extension of that theory. Patton is Thomas’ feelings. Anger is a feeling. So maybe there was a split. Some people think Patton is his dad other people think orange is his twin/younger brother.

Not only does this make sense but giving the man who tries to be a father figure for everyone family issues will do something to me, and depending on Patton’s role in orange’s situation this could lead to Patton being the cause of or the receiver of some crazy angst. Also also if they’re siblings parallels between them and the creativity twins? Trauma bonding or alternatively one of them tries to relate to one of the twins but they snap that they can’t relate because Orange and Patton represent different things while Roman and Remus are halves of the same things and therefore are constantly compared to eachother.

And a fun spoiler for the small amount of very cool people who like my side OC au:

A split between anger and the rest of the emotions happened with my sides! However instead of my orange splitting off of [redacted] the original side split into two the same way the creativity did, so basically they died. This death actually is a big plot point that affects the narrative even before the dark sides are introduced. Annnd TCM character’s are young teens at the start so [redacted]’s split would be wayyyy more recent for them than it would be for the canon cast, I’m sure everyone’s fine :)

[mythicaldemigoddess-of-deltarune]

Red Vs Blue Theory: Alpha/Beta Are Allison L. Church (And Epsilon Made Clone Timelines) Part 1

[Note: Please Do NOT reblog this without my permission...also the original thing I wrote for this, is possibly stuck in my drafts now, cause I can't find or get to my drafts, and I don't know why but I have a theory as to why that freaking is...and I wasn't originally going to break this into two parts, but I don't feel like fully going over right now what I had originally wrote for this...so I'm going to keep it short because I'm not in a good mood and I might have to wait a while to talk about the Crying Child from FNAF's name when I feel a bit more better...]

okay first things first, Epsilon likely made Clone Timelines by using Gamma's power, that the memory of him that is Epsilon-Gamma had inherited.

and when Doctor Leonard Church was making a A.I. he made one from using a Flash Clone of his late wife Allison L. Church, but he had use his mind to transfer the memories of the Clone into what will become the A.I. Allison.

but while it seem like a success at first, ends up being a failure to him when the A.I. Allison split into the Alpha and Beta, who would then become Church and Tex.

he tried to replica what happen, but couldn't make it work the same way, since the Beta isn't a copy or a fragment but is really one of the two halves of the A.I. Allison that split into two that would become the Alpha/Church and Beta/Tex.

I had wrote so much and just as I was getting it ready to be post, everything started to be all stupid on me, it wasn't going as fast as it should and I had to turn off the computer and turn it back on, just to get it to be back to normal...

I wasn't originally going to break this into two parts, but I might have to for now, because talking about the whole Church and Tex are both Allison, well the A.I. Allison that was made from a Flash Clone of Carolina's Mom that only ends up splitting into the Alpha and Beta.

and then talking about the whole stuff that Epsilon didn't just make Epsilon-Doubles and Artificial Realities, he made REAL Clone Timelines.

but after what happen, I don't feel like trying to re-write it all again...

I might explain a bit more in part 2 of this, which might be either later today or maybe in a few days, maybe next month...

this fan headcanon and theory, is suppose to be a possible plot twist that is suppose to be mind blowing...and it's okay not everyone agrees about this theory being possibly true, even with the series being fully completed.

and if I don't make part 2 of this fan theory today, I will try to make it either tomorrow or maybe even somewhere around on December of 2024...

and while this doesn't really have mature stuff in it, I would rather it be viewed by mature audiences only, because of reasons...

and I hope to feel bit better soon even after what happen to the original version of this theory...I will just check some stuff out on here before I get to work on the next post that will talk about my thoughts on Crying Child's name from FNAF, and then after that I will make part 2 of the theory about Alastor, but make sure to look through the part 1 of it first before I start on part 2 of the theory that has to do with Alastor...

anyway it's okay not everyone has to like the weird theory about how the Alpha/Church and Beta/Tex use to be one and the same and they use to be the A.I. Allison before splitting into two, and the Original Allison's husband took her name when they got married...yeah that is going to be part of the fan theory as well...

I can talk more about it maybe, when I write part 2 of this theory which wont be for a while, and if I decide not to write it today, I will wait until December to write part 2 of it and then post it up on that month as well...

and yeah, I know I'm weird for having the idea about Church and Tex being one and the same and the Beta was never a fragment.

Tex saying they use to be together, would give off the impression they were lovers, but she could of meant literal that they use to be one person before they split and became the Alpha and Beta...

I hope some do like this theory, but it's okay that not everyone agrees with it possibly being true, I'm still gonna view it as my own Fan-Headcanon anyway...

[lonesomedreamer]

Have you ever been engaged, Mister Spock? YES, IT’S ROGER. SHE IS T’PRING. My wife.

[beyond-the-rabbit-hole]

*peeks through the door very scaredly*

Do you think fairmount could in theory get fixated on ppl

Obsession

Features: Fairmount, Reader (Gender unspecified) Warnings: Mild violence, stalking mentioned

Fairmount getting fixated is VERY common haha! And hey, feel free to request whatever, I promise I'm not scary :3

“Hey, you can’t leave… I won’t let you!”

For Fairmount to get fixated on someone, it happens as often as the rain. He can’t help it, he’s so starved for positive attention that even the slightest amount has him completely fixated.

He wouldn’t immediately make the object of his affection aware of this though, as much as he’s fast to fall for someone with positive attention, he’s just as susceptible to negative attention. One cruel comment sends him into a spiral. So, he’ll probably spend a good amount of time stalking and harassing whoever is doomed to end up as his fixation. It would start out as bugging them, making fun of them or otherwise just being annoying. Once he’s comfortable around them though, this is where shit gets real.

He wouldn’t let the object of his fixation out of his sight. Every second of every day is spent either following them around or stalking them if they want to be alone. He’ll still be bugging them, but it comes with the expectation that they give into whatever affection he tries to give him, because if they refuse for whatever reason, he has a meltdown.

Not a figurative meltdown either.

His body loses what little structural integrity it has and he’ll typically end up as a miserable puddle. Alternatively, if he’s split on the issue, he might physically split into two halves, Malice and Misery. Malice is pure violence, Misery is extremely sulky and self-deprecating. Malice might even attack Misery until Fairmount is calmed down and both halves merge back together.

If his fixation returns his affections, it’s a 24/7 job to love him with how unstable he is. They’ll likely end up doing more for him than he’d ever end up doing for them. He might bring gifts, but really, he’s relying on his fixation for emotional and physical stability.

If his fixation doesn’t return his love, he’ll keep pushing and pushing for it, but he will inevitably reach a point where he has a meltdown. If even after that they refuse to love him, he’ll typically take a while to get out of a sulky mood. Then, he’ll be very hostile to them.

Well, unless he gets a shred of positive attention from this previous fixation. Then it’s right back to bugging and obsessing over them. Overall, he’s a very hot and cold kind of Habit.

“You’re so sweet, I love you! Never leave me. Never ever ever leave me. Ever! Okay?”

[cru5h-cascades]

Random idea I had for a future Deltarune chapter or something:

So I've seen folks speculate that the soul Kris currently has (the red one, obviously) isn't actually Kris' soul but it was supposed to be that of the character we create at the start of chapter 1, and I kinda think the theory makes sense tbh. At the end of each chapter so far we keep seeing Kris rip their soul out of their body and act all strange afterwards. How do I interpret this? Well I kinda think that Kris knows damn well something doesn't feel right about their soul, so basically they're tearing their soul out of their body so they can escape the player's influence (or, in this case, the soul's original owner's influence... I guess?). However, because they don't have their own soul, Kris ends up doing the weird stuff they do at the end of chapters, sort of similar to how Flowey behaved in Undertale (they had no soul so basically they went crazy and did the stuff they ended up doing). Eventually, they have to put the red soul back into their body or else they'll end up perishing (or something).

This is what I had in mind:

So in either chapter 6 or 7 (what I assume to possibly be the endgame of Deltarune), the chapter starts off as usual, but soon enough the Fun Gang end up encountering an enemy far more powerful then they could imagine, and it seems that it only wants to attack Kris, so the enemy eventually kills them with an onslaught of attacks. Kris wakes up alone in purgatory, with the red soul in their inventory (clicking it will say "your old soul, split into two halves. it seems useless, at least for now..."). After walking around for a bit, Kris encounters the character the player made. They turn around and start to talk to Kris:

"Hey... it's been a while since I've seen another human here."

"This place... it's hell to me. I know there's just so much more to life than this."

"Then again... I never had a life to begin with."

The player's character then senses the red soul nearby. They then quickly figure out what happened.

"Wait a minute... you have my soul, don't you? WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH IT??"

Kris is given two options: "What are you talking about?" and "Wait- this is yours?!"

Choosing either will result in the same answer: "Oh you're just playing dumb! I think you know damn well that this wasn't your soul to begin with! I can see it in your face..."

The player character pauses for a second and then says: "You know what's great about you being in purgatory right now...?" "I can beat you up for the rest of time. Forever."

After that, a fight begins. Instead of being able to move the red soul around (because the soul isn't inside of Kris at the moment), Kris will just take damage, so basically things will work out similarly to the Asriel Dreemurr fight in Undertale (if you're running low on items you can act and more items will show up in your inventory). Also your only option is to fight the player character. After you beat them, they'll be greatly injured and on the verge of fading away. Since the red soul is split into halves, Kris takes half of the soul and puts it into the player character's body, reviving the player's character and giving them some coloring. The player character thanks Kris and introduces themselves properly. The player character asks Kris their name, but they can't hear them (because the player character has at least a little bit of life in them and Kris doesn't have a soul in them) and then they instructs them to put the other half of the soul into their body. Kris speaks (at least a little) for the first time in the entire game, and then the player character responds with: "Sweet! Wait a minute... so if you had my soul this entire time, where's yours?" Kris' sprite shrugs. "Well... we're in purgatory, right? Maybe your real soul is somewhere around here. If we can get to the ruler of purgatory, we can probably figure out where your soul is, and maybe even fix mine! The we'll both be happy! Do we got a deal?" Kris' sprite nods.

After the encounter, the player now controls their player character. Since Kris and the player's character have half of the same soul (at least until the two can get their souls back), the player will have to use the soul mode from the Mad Mew Mew fight from Undertale (the joysticks will control two different sides of the soul), however they have more mobility than in the original boss fight where this soul mode originated (similar to the soul's original mobility, except if the player stops moving the joysticks the halves will go back to being one whole soul).

[icy-watch]

The sketch concepts for the Collector are SO eldritch horror baby like his hair swaps between being the star, sun, moon, cosmic galaxy void, a scooped skull bone with a 2nd head/alter ego like a Girafarig??? Spooky, but reminds me of the theory that King got lucky and pulled out the chaotic child half of the Collector instead of the other one since Collie can split his shadow form in two and argues with himself like there's two halves. Well, his face is split between two halves anyways so maybe.

*looks at the concept art*

*scoops up the Collector's concept art character designs*

Still a cutie.

[rachthepoet]

She Analysis

Who wouldn't love an eloquently layered painting done in words and song? Melodic in its exploration of longing and fantasy, from which many stories can stem and take their shape. Its beauty lies in its ambiguity, allowing various interpretations to foster and fester. And darling, do I have interpretations in the bucketful.

Coexistence in the introspective and in the narrative. Sensual and voluptuous, but just as strongly melancholic in moments, we're dropped in the protagonist's mind, enveloped so entrancingly in the same dreamlike state. Caught weary-eyed in a poignant state of human desire, aching for something more, with the intensity transcending the ordinary.

Here's a (ridiculously) deep dive into Harry Styles' She, from a poet.

Temptatious Trio of Theories

I will never be anything but upfront and honest with you during these analyses — I might've gone a little overboard, and this is set to be a bit of a doozy of an analysis. But, on the other hand, people seem to like it when I go full geek with no restrictions or reservations. So, I think I'm going to embrace the tempestuous nature of mind bopping between the three. Yeah, three. I have three total interpretations of this song, and will be mentioning each within the context of every set of things. And I will be numbering them, for the sake of your organization and maybe bit for mine as well. But, first, let me summarize and preview.

Important points that'll extend across all three: (i) The utilization of the different perspectives is both important and intentional; (ii) The atmospheric allure in the production is as essential as the lyricism; (iii) The "She" character has a great emotional hold over the "Man".

── ࣪˖ ࣪ ⊹ ࣪ ˖ ──

INTERPRETATION 1/3: The Soulmate.

This lightbulb came from the hopeless romantic rooted inside, I bet my bottom dollar. This calls back to the split soul theory and/or soulmate theory, which, simplistically, carries the idea that everybody has a person out there who completes or fulfills them. A perfect complement. In discussions of said theory, a quote from Plato's Symposium is often brought to the table — which, in the same discussions, I see many people who don't even know it wasn't said by Plato. Rather, by the playwright Aristophanes:

"Love is born into every human being; it calls back the halves of our original nature together; it tries to make one out of two and heal the wound of human nature. Each of us, then, is a 'matching half' of a human whole … and each of us is always seeking the half that matches him." — Plato's Symposium

There's this dream of a soulmate, one that he's conjured up in his head, a person that can never live up to the reality of where he's at on the (mundane) daily and can never live up to expectations. So, one looks forward to the night, as their head hits the pillow, and they can drift off into their dreams to meet with their soulmate as they fade into sleep. Extended, we can delve into the encompassing of as one's mind roams, oh the things they must see in the in-between. And these things are what I think this song chronicles, showing the contrast between the awake vs. asleep, and the constant lull the Man feels to escape into his dream world with She.

And the song itself feels so dreamlike to me, in a way the listener can shut their eyes and sail away so effortlessly, which could purposefully mirror these phenomena. The pull to reunite with the one he feels connected to, a soulmate. And, think about it. Songwriting (writing in general, really) is a love language. Simultaneously, it can be a tool to say things you can never say to someone in person (for she's only in his dreams, a woman who lives in his head) in hopes that wherever She is (on whatever plane), She will sense it's a message for her.

Given, there are many different kinds of soulmates, which in itself could lead to more interpretations & conversations. But, let's reign it in a bit. In regard to She, I think the "Man" and "She" are either divine love soulmates (structured in only the romantic view), past life soulmates (can exist in platonic or romantic view), or twin flames (which can lead into the 3rd interpretation).

DIVINE LOVE SOULMATES: Or, romantic soulmates, the kind that comes to mind when hearing the word. There's this capacity within divine love soulmates to bring one another to physical and emotional pleasure heights, either as a brief flame or one that burns continuously. The one's aura attracts the other, and there's a pull, an enigmatic fantastic, to draw the other to the one. They can help one discover a lot about how they express and receive love, the patterns in all their relationships' dynamics, and even one's own romantic tendencies, both positive and negative.

PAST LIFE SOULMATES: There's an undeniable familiarity, and such a strong emotional and energetic connection. One's subconscious is activate strongly by the other, and this often manifests in powerful dreams, varying from the venereal to nonsexual. The two maybe aren't meant for each other in this lifetime, and the same tendencies that defined the dynamic in past reincarnations can stick and travel on with the pairing.

TWIN FLAMES: A twin flame is said to be a mirror, reflecting parts of the other that they love, but also parts of the other that they cower away from. Twin flames share a singular soul, and share idiosyncrasies, and the pull towards each other will be grand, presenting in both romantic and platonic. It's as if they're ingrained within your energy, and there's always a desire to be closer if possible. While the other two can have multiple, there's only one twin flame for every person.

(Points relating to this interpretation will be marked accordingly with a [¹] after the sentence. Sometimes in conjuncture with others.)

── ࣪˖ ࣪ ⊹ ࣪ ˖ ──

INTERPRETATION 2/3: Yearning for What's Been Lost.

Of the three, this one will come across as the most unconventional. I take some joy in that, full transparency. This interpretation focuses on the third-person perspective usage, heavily. I believe Sign of the Times and She are sister songs — hear me out — in how both speak of grand stories and narratives beyond the writer himself, who then proceeds to function as the communicator of said grandiose. In both pieces, there's an embodiment of character, as the writer embraces his protagonist's perspective. The song, I believe, chronicles a man mourning the love of his life after she's died. They were young when they were ripped apart in tragedy, and She takes place many years later — illustrating the inability to move on and the coping mechanisms of The Man, who's stuck in his cycle of reminiscence. Which is often manifested through his dreams.

"The brain devotes lots of effort to mapping where our loved ones are while they are alive, so that we can find them when we need them. And the brain often prefers habits and predictions over new information. But it struggles to learn new information that cannot be ignored, like the absence of our loved one. [...] Grief is a heart-wrenchingly painful problem for the brain to solve, and grieving necessitates learning to live in the world with the absence of someone you love deeply, who is ingrained in your understanding of the world. This means that for the brain, your loved one is simultaneously gone and also everlasting, and you are walking through two worlds at the same time. You are navigating your life despite the fact that they have been stolen from you, a premise that makes no sense, and that is both confusing and upsetting." — Mary-Frances O’Connor, The Grieving Brain: The Surprising Science of How We Learn from Love and Loss

Bereavement dreams are one of the many types of dreams that have been studied and explored, often coming to the conclusion that a strong bond is maintained as the survivor still sorts through ongoing feelings of longing after the loss. It's something that feels so senseless to the heart and the mind, so the brain tries to make sense of it, even as someone falls asleep. They can be conjured in different forms, such as dreams where they're still living [as if their death was a "joke" or "mistake"] or reunion dreams [reflection of the deceased's longing presence in the survivor's subconscious] — which are the two I believe are explored here.

While many people have picked up on the entrancing sensuality of the song, the same many limit their listening there. But, to my ears, I always picked up on something a bit extra. An air of melancholy amidst the feeling of attraction. Maybe, even intentionally, mirroring The Man's inner conflict as he still struggles to process the grief of losing the love of his life, so he opts to daydream about her instead, imagining she's still with him, even years after the incident.

(Points relating to this interpretation will be marked accordingly with a [²] after the sentence. Sometimes in conjuncture with others.)

── ࣪˖ ࣪ ⊹ ࣪ ˖ ──

INTERPRETATION 3/3: Dancing Between Masculine and Feminine.

The third, and finally final, interpretation of mine is the one you most likely have encountered before. It's the most popular theorization, and, truly, who am I to argue? I'll be leaning on points others have made while also throwing in my own... je ne sais quoi? The verses are sung from the "He" perspective, outlining The Man's habitual, quotidian activities, painting a colorless and monotonous picture draped in routine. The chorus, however, contrasts. As the perspective flips, She is revealed, as well as The Man's harbored desires to explore his concealed feminine identity. However, some hesitation to fully let She come out remains. Therefore, The Man builds up a masculine façade, nearly impenetrable, all while She remains in his subconscious and The Man runs to visit this aspect of himself in daydreams and moments alone.

"Waits at the window / Wearing the face that she keeps in a jar by the door / Who is it for?" — The Beatles' Eleanor Rigby

For some reason, and for some time, I've felt reminded of The Beatles' Eleanor Rigby, in the lens of the spiritlessness of life when one's unfulfilled in oneself by not being authentic. Encompassing living life for other people until one can accept all aspects of themselves. Especially the one lyric highlighted above, which I felt could be a summary for this interpretation. The façade built up by The Man is his own interpretation of "the face in a jar by the door", still followed by the same question The Beatles poise. Who is it for? Because it's not for The Man, and it's not for She, but for the fear of those who might shift their perceptions, from friends to strangers.

I found this waltz (maybe it's also a tango?) between the masculine and feminine is most understandable when you dissect the song quite a bit. As I mentioned before, in much more detail, He is present in the verses while She is present in the chorus. But, additionally, She lingers in the instrumental until She pushes herself to the forefront as the music explodes during the guitar solo increment. And, the lyrics hold an ambiguity, much like The Man himself does deep down, and within the conflict is the switching perspectives.

The Man fantasizes about dropping everything in his life, all at once, without notifying a singular soul, and living for She that exists within him. And The Man cannot let She go, as She is wherever The Man goes. This business-based life does nothing for him, for it's all just pretend in his retrospect. What's real is She. In his daydreams, he would sail away from it all, as everything feels so fake to him, for it's not his own, as he's not living authentically. And the song chronicles the inner conflict of this.

(Points relating to this interpretation will be marked accordingly with a [³] after the sentence. Sometimes in conjuncture with others.)

Could any and all of these theories be incorrect? Of course, darling, but that gamble is part of the fun of this whole analysis thing. Don't you think? There's one more thing I want to discuss, and then we'll get it on with lyric-by-lyric details. And that's the placement in the intentionally structured songlist of the sophomore album.

This stems from a larger theory, that the album Fine Line is a chronicle of the stages of grief [Which could be another post shared if any are intrigued!]. The album itself is separated into four sides when you study the vinyl, and She is at the end of the second side, therefore a transitional song. Here, She guides the listener from Side B, the side of despair and regret, to the sunnier Side C, the side of reminiscence. And both of these themes are included seamlessly in the song, creating a perfect flow from one to the other.

Regarding The Soulmate Theory, the despair is in not being able to find this person he keeps seeing in his dreams, and the reminiscence is his feeling of already knowing them, even if they've never met. Regarding The Yearning for What's Been Lost Theory, the despair is in the loss of the love of his life, and the reminiscence is in the dreams themselves, where he can't let go of her. Finally, regarding The Dancing Between Masculine and Feminine Theory, the despair is in The Man being stuck in the facade he's made, and the reminiscence is found in the dynamic of his inner She itself.

This long, psychedelic song has an intimacy about it, this sense of introspection, but also this underlying feeling of nostalgia, like the listener has been here a few times before the first listen. This song utilizes tools of escapism, daydreaming, and memories, which leads straight into the core theme of reminiscence to come.

Phew. Ok, shall we get on with it then?

Lyric Pull-Apart

[VERSE 1] Nine in the morning, The Man drops his kids off at school And he's thinking of you, like all of us do

Nine in the morning, THE MAN drops his kids off at school: Third-person perspective (core POV). Early on in the song, we have established both a character (The Man/He) and, simultaneously, his routine. A specific time is noted, emphasizing the idea of routine and pushing forward a feeling of mundanity and monotony [1,2,3]. The Man remains undescriptive, which is important to remember, as it's used in contrast later [1,2,3]. The core perspective is third person, and the speaker establishes a detachment from the characters [2,3], whether through a distance from the narrative itself [2] or a present conflict they're still grappling with within [3].

And he's thinking of YOU, like all of us do: Second-person perspective (POV shift). During the mundanity of The Man's daily routines, he finds his mind drifting off to this person of mystery — who we will later come to recognize by the name She — that must have a significant hold over and meaning to him [1,2,3]. She is inevitably a part of He, a duality [1,2,3]. With the inclusion of the words like all of us do, there's more nuance added. Note: this is the only time in the song where we see the She character addressed with a second-person perspective, and the word you.

Could he be thinking of this person, like everyone does, in the context of wondering where his person might be like everyone else wonders if they'll meet the one? [1] Could he be thinking of this woman, like everyone does, in the context of feeling the emptiness left by her absence, as many do, for she becomes well-loved? [2] Could he be thinking of this woman, like everyone does, in the more abstract context of She being an embodiment of his own true self and identity, while the Us are bystanders that could act as judges? Or maybe Us could be multiple personas of The Man himself? [3]

[VERSE 1] Sends his assistant for coffee in the afternoon Around 1:32, like he knows what to do

Sends his assistant for coffee in the afternoon: Third-person perspective (return to core POV). We return back to the painting of the mundane monotony of The Man's routine, the specificity of the time once more, now in the middle of the afternoon [1,2,3]. The Man is going through the motions of what has become his normal, but there's an undertone of hollowness like something is wrong and missing from himself [2,3].

Around 1:32, like he knows what to do: Third-person perspective (remain in core POV). This is very Bukowski, adding numerical specificities to create a feeling of verisimilitude — the appearance of being true and real — which mirrors exactly what The Man attempts to do, even with the monotonous routines [1,2,3]. This repetition of specifics in the mundane is intriguing to me, as it makes me think about the times when one finds such boredom in the same cycles that they go searching, desperately, for any new detail. Such as The Man staring at his clock, watching the minutes tick on by, trying and falling flat of the appearance of nonchalance [1,2,3].

[CHORUS 1] She (She!), She lives in daydreams with me (She!) She's the first one that I see, and I don't know why I don't know who She is (She! She!)

SHE (She!), SHE lives in daydreams with me (She!): First-person perspective (POV shift). Arriving at the chorus, the perspective has switched, moving from the third person to the first. The Man, now speaking through the singer — who either embodies the character in storytelling [1,2] or The Man is where he sees himself or someone he knows [3] — admits that this divine feminine character has and only can live in his dreams/daydreams. In his mind [1,2,3].

She lives with The Man in these daydreams that drag him away from monotony [1,2,3] with an undercut of familiarity [2,3] and intimacy [1], for a part of him must still live with She [2,3]. In his subconscious, they're together, and everything is vibrant and alive to The Man in his dreams/daydreams — whereas, in his day-to-day life, he doesn't feel that same passion and thirst for life when disconnected from She [1,2,3].

There are a few more in-depth takeaways that could be made regarding this. Such as, this She character is no longer present in The Man's life physically, only existing as a ghostly figment of what he can remember of her as time grows [2]. Such as, the She character embodying the other side of The Man's duality, as She represents what he could become — but, alas, this feminine remains inside the masculine in hushed daydreaming [3]. Such as, She is the symbol of The Man's own romanticism and grandiose expectations, therefore still something unknown to him in perfect form [1]. Overall, the key word here is with.

SHE's the first one that I see, and I don't know why: First-person perspective (stick to POV shift). She holds prominence in The Man's life, so much that there's not a single moment that she's not present in the front of his mind. Right behind his eyes. The first one to be seen when he wakes, the first one to be seen when he tries to sleep [1,2], the first one to be seen in the mirror before the vision clears back to the mundane status quo [3] that was set up in the introductory verse.

And I don't know why brings in doubt and confusion from The Man. He doesn't understand why She is always present in his daydreams or why he sees She before anything else — but feels such a strong connection to her [1]. The Man doesn't know why he holds on so tightly to this preoccupation when there's an emptiness where She should be standing with him, with moments of fear for unfamiliarity and apprehensiveness for change [2]. He doesn't know why She keeps coming into his daydreams and visions, for maybe there's not even a sense of sensual attraction or romantic infatuation, but more sitting with a reflection of oneself — that brings about confusion [3].

I don't know who SHE is (She! She!): First-person perspective (stick to POV shift). A shrouded mystery is She to The Man, but She still holds enough power to be in his thoughts during the day, the star of his daydreams, to become such a priority that The Man sees She before seeing himself, even in this facade he spent so much time building up — an enigma powerful enough to stick with him [1,3]. In this line, there's frustration in his voice, like he's calling out hoping someone can offer an explanation — Where is She coming from? Who the hell is She? [1,3] And, as mentioned before, there's this apprehension in the face of change, and this unfamiliarity with She [1,3], maybe in contrast to what he thought he knew about her in his own limit of understanding [1,2,3].

[VERSE 2] He takes a boat out, imagines just sailing away (Away, away) And not telling his mates (Not telling his mates) He wouldn't know what to say (Wouldn't know what to say, to say)

HE takes a boat out, imagines just sailing away (Away, away): Third-person perspective (return to core POV). The Man has a craving for freedom, for a getaway from this mundane he's trapped in, in which all he wants is to be with his She [1,2,3]. For the monotonous has lost its appeal, and it no longer feels real or substantial, no matter how hard he tries to make it feel so (back to the first verse -> verisimilitude). Sailing in a boat, to me, equates to exploration — which only makes it more open to interpretation. Exploring a deeper level of consciousness and a new beginning in desperation to become more connected with She [1,3]. Within this new beginning to be sailed is, maybe, an exploration of the self, all stirred by the ever-presence of She [3]. Escaping his life and leaving it all behind grows more and more appealing to The Man, as his fascination with She grows at the same rate — maybe even more exponentially.

And not telling his mates (Not telling his mates): Third-person perspective (remain in core POV). This ties in with the line preceding it. The Man craves to disappear without a trace, for anything would be better than his boring, pretend life he lives without She [1,2,3]. He wants to set off alone, and disappear from all those he knows, in an attempt to find his She that he keeps getting pulled towards [1]. He wants to leave life to join She — maybe in death, even? — feeling alone in despair and desperation of the constant search, that he can't bring himself to tell his friends of [2]. The Man aches to discover more about the She who lives with him, but keeping it all to himself, still apprehensive of judgment, even from his closest mates [3]. This line, and even the second verse itself, embodies an essence of escapism, as a coping mechanism and a way to find solace.

HE wouldn't know what to say (Wouldn't know what to say, to say): Third-person perspective (remain in core POV). A good ole Harry Styles classic, I have to say it — struggle with communication. As The Man worries that he can't make someone else understand his relationship She — once more, an apprehension of judgment [1,2,3]. How does The Man begin to explain daydreams of a woman he doesn't know, and this She has made him realize his whole life is hollow? [1,3] Empty without her presence? [1,2,3]

[CHORUS 2 (ADD-ON)] She (She!), She lives in daydreams with me (She!) She's the first one that I see, and I don't know why I don't know who She is (She!) She (She!), She's the first one that I see (She!) She lives in daydreams with me, and I don't know why I don't know where She is (She! She!)

The beginning of the second chorus is the same as the first but then shifts into an add-on with I don't know where she is instead of the previous who, which indicates some progression in the story told. The Man has (1) figured out who She is and (2) aches to find her even more now. He longs for She's presence outside his daydreams [1,2,3], and wants her existence to be known [1,3].

I don't know where SHE is (She! She!): First-person perspective (POV shift). Further explained, remember that The Man has been stuck in the mundane. Maybe it's the world of the living, as he stays running after his She, but loses touch with his remembrance of her [2]. This drive inside The Man is instilled by She, as discussed previously, and this additional line cushions the desperation to sail away and explore, and embark on a search [1,3]. He doesn't know where She could be, as She isn't physically present in The Man's modern reality, yet She still lives with him, wherever he might roam [1,2,3].

[BRIDGE] Lives for the memory A woman who's just in his head (Just in his head) And She sleeps in his bed (His bed) While He plays pretend (Pretend) So pretend (Pretend)

Lives for the memory: Third-person perspective (return to core POV). This line hits me so much, always has, and I find it to be so fucking powerful. The Man lives for the memory of She, as it keeps him afloat [1,2,3]. There's a yearning there, and The Man's desperate need to be more connected with his She only amplifies as the song progresses [1,2,3]. This memory of her, the riddle of She, that spurs him on and saves him from moments of utter despair spirals in the mundanity-laced routines [1,2]. The Man is living for other people's memories, staying upright day after day to return to She, the one who will never leave his head, his memory [2,3].

A woman who's just in his head (Just in his head): Third-person perspective (remain in core POV). This is the narrator speaking, for the bridge returns to that core third-person perspective. I feel this lyric could be eligible for a one-line summarization. Though it may not have come into The Man's realization — or, maybe it has — this mystifying She can only remain inside his head [1,2,3].

And SHE sleeps in HIS bed (His bed): Third-person perspective (remain in core POV). The bed, often, is a symbol of intimacy (done in the song Falling, as well!). The Man's entire life, though normal and mundane on the surface level, is emotionally centered around this daydream of She [1,2,3]. He stumbles through his life, always thinking of her, imagining that She's still with him [2]. He stumbles through his life, always thinking of She, imagining one day that he can embrace their cohesive duality [3]. He stumbles through his life, always thinking of her, imagining the day he'll be able to stare into She's eyes and know her profoundly [1]. The Man has fostered an intimacy with She, feeling her with him in the morning, in the afternoon, and into the night. In his bed.

While HE plays pretend (Pretend) / So pretend (Pretend): Third-person perspective (remain in core POV). Playing pretend and make-believe leads to more exploration, and in this exploration, The Man tenderly maintains and expands his connection to She. But, I find this to be referring more to the moments that The Man has to leave her or hide She away in his memory — the same he lives for, don't forget — so he can blend in with the rest [1,2,3]. The Man aches to live authentically, and this awakening She has given him is painful and confusing [1,3]. I've always heard that last bit of the bridge sounding a little defeated, almost needing to be paired with a deep sigh.

[CHORUS 2] She (She!), She lives in daydreams with me (She!) She's the first one that I see, and I don't know why I don't know who She is (She!) She (She!), She's the first one that I see (She!) She lives in daydreams with me, and I don't know why I don't know where She is (She! She!)

One more rendition of the chorus, the add-on version, before instrumentals break out into the foreground — and the last time when the masculine voice is the vocal point. With repetition — which I always stand by it's an important tool if utilized correctly! — of the same lines we heard before, I think it emphasizes that the desperation to fathom the riddle of She has only grown stronger in The Man, overtaking him even. And there's more determination to close the dimension of separation, which sets the listener up to shut their eyes to get enveloped in She herself, much as The Man has been. Through instrumentals. In 3, 2, 1 ...

[GUITAR SOLO]

Standing ovation for Mitch Rowland everybody! A poet of the guitar faction, let's go! The guitar solo caps off the song, and pushes the feminine into the foreground. The mystifying She makes herself known independently in the sexy and sultry sound, mirroring the attraction and pull towards her that he felt [1,2,3]. Around 4:50 to 4:55 in the song, there are these beeping noises, almost reminiscent of a clock alarm. But, the beeping soon subsides as quick as it came, and the dance on the guitar continues. This indicates that The Man has now remained in his daydream and memory with She [1,2,3], composing an unwritten conclusion to our story.

For, I believe that no matter what path you take in interpreting, She is a song that tells a story with so many layers, full of recognition, and this ability to make you sink in so much that you forget how long a mere six minutes can be.

dedicated to this anon <3

Thank you for reading, you’re absolutely incredible! If there are any songs you’d like me to make an analysis of, please send your request to my inbox! along with any questions or insights you might have yourself!