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Let's Discuss "The Woman From Italy"

So, george-blagden was asking why we aren’t talking about the most recent Welcome To Night Vale episode. It’s time to rectify that issue. 

So… Night Vale has gotten weird recently. Not that Night Vale wasn’t weird to begin with, but for a while it had a bit of a rhythm, a pattern if you will. Each episode from say, PTA Meeting until Summer Reading Program. Now, there is a easy answer for some of this. Yellow Helicopters and the subsequent Strex Corp takeover explain Cecil’s mood, tenseness and even the rough plots of each episode. 

But the difference, at least what I see, is in execution. To compare WTNV to Gunnerkrigg Court, for a while both do the same thing; they set up a lot of subplots while resolving their episodic plots and then refuse to explain said subplots for the majority of the arcs. But where GC is still maintaining it’s rhythm, WTNV has decided to go on another route. 

We’re getting a lot more action up front, with the glaring exception of this episode, which is why I’m so intrigued by it. And that is not necessarily bad, it definitely highlights the dire straits Night Vale is in, along with giving the viewers even more of a reason to tune in to the next episode. 

Alright, so onto the Episode. 

And I will say it now so I don’t have to say it later. “The Woman From Italy” is my favorite Night Vale episode that’s come out recently. 

Now. There’s a clear trend of people impersonating Joseph now, mirroring Cecil’s own predicament. Though, how relevant that is, I simply don’t know. 

So, who IS The Woman From Italy? I have two theories that are not mutually exclusive. Whoever she is, she’s someone of immense power, and someone who we’ll be seeing again. When Cecil is possessed by something, he speaks in poetic warnings and doomsayings, but doesn’t seem to notice it. 

THE WOMAN FROM ITALY           IS ARRIVING TODAY NOTHING CAN STOP HER           FROM COMING THIS WAY SHE WILL NOT HEAR PLEADING,           SHE CARES NOT FOR SUCCOR SHE IS THE WOMAN FROM ITALY,           BOW LOW BEFORE HER

ALL THE CHILDREN IN TOWN KNOW TO HIDE IN THEIR ROOMS THE ADULTS HAVE FORGOTTEN – THEY’LL RECALL ALL TOO SOON HER HANDS ARE LIKE STORM CLOUDS, WITH LIGHTNING-QUICK TALONS ALL BEFORE IS A MURMUR, ALL AFTER IS SILENCE

This is first poem. Whoever she is, she’s merciless, and commands respect and worship with her presence. However, there is also an implication that the older members of Night Vale have forgotten her. I’m honestly not sure what to add to that line. Somebody must have a theory. 

THE WOMAN FROM ITALY           IS WITH US THIS EVENING WE HIDE AND WE SHUDDER           BUT THERE IS NO DECEIVING SHE EXHALES MUST AND STEAM,           SHE POISONS THE AIR SAY YOU HAVE A FAMILY, SAY IT!           SHE DOESN’T CARE

THE WOMAN FROM ITALY           DELIGHTS IN YOUR PAIN SHE ASKS JUST ONE FAVOR,           BUT ASKS AGAIN AND AGAIN “DO YOU THINK YOU COULD,           NO RUSH, JUST A MOMENT, GIVE IN SCREAMING TO           ETERNALLY BURNING TORMENT?”

Now, this is where my first theory began to form. The last stanza places her as a figure of Damnation, one who is probably demonic, given that she delights in your pain and such.

And poem three.

THE WOMAN FROM ITALY,           OH END OF ALL THINGS SHE HAS SEEN THE FALL OF BABYLON,           SHE HAS DRUNK THE BLOOD OF KINGS HER ROBES ARE SHADOW,           HER EYES ARE DUSK HER VOICE IS AMBER,           AND CHALK DUST AND RUST

THE WOMAN FROM ITALY           HAS HONED IN ON YOUR SCENT SHE SEEKS OUT YOUR REFUGE.           OH YES! SHE KNOWS WHERE YOU WENT! IT’S YOUR SKIN THAT SHE WANTS,           BOUND AND BROWNED INTO LEATHER BUT FIRST, PREDECEASE,           I GIVE YOU THE WEATHER

Now, theory one. Also, another theory just came to me.

I can’t shake the idea that The Woman is actually the Whore of Babylon. Maybe it’s because that’s my favorite character from Revelation, but the idea of a regal, damning figure who delights in suffering, who has seen the fall of Babylon (which the Whore has done. Also, apparently the Babylon spoken of there may or may not be a reference to Rome. Where’s Rome? Italy.) The descriptions of her physical qualities only add to the royalty of herself, along with giving her a sense of age.

Now the theory that just came to me will make more sense with the final poem, which goes as such. 

THE WOMAN FROM ITALY,           OH MERCIFUL GODDESS! HER VICTIMS ARE LEGION           BUT THIS EVENING THEY’RE NOT US WE GRAB GRATEFUL BREATHS           FROM THE NIGHT-SHADED AIR BATED BREATHS, FEARFUL BREATHS,           BUT BREATHE DEEP – NOTHING THERE

THE WOMAN FROM ITALY IS GONE           BUT THEN, NOT FOR ALWAYS SHE WAITS BEHIND DOORS           AND AT THE END OF DARK HALLWAYS SHE FOLLOWS NO LOGIC,           EXISTS SOLELY FOR SPITE BUT YOU ARE SAFE FOR NOW, DEAR LISTENER,           SO GOODNIGHT, NIGHT VALE.

Now, I’m sure many of you have read Good Omens. If you haven’t, it’s a book about the apocalypse. It is completely possible that The Woman From Italy might be one of the Horsemen. The way she is described in fearful tones with a sense of relief at her passing reminds me of War, the horsewoman who simply causes chaos by sitting down, overrunning an entire island without lifting a finger.

But, the last theory I think might be actually likely. The Woman from Italy might also be everyone’s favorite lurker, The Faceless Old Woman Who Secretly Lives In Your Home. There’s a few hints to this. One being that nobody seems to notice her passage, with the exception of Cecil, who for some reason has a habit of being able to narrate things he shouldn’t be able to witness. (Just go watch “A Story About You”.) She seems to have a love of windows, since Cecil mentions her looking through antique stores for ones she likes. Now, bizarre motives are Faceless’s ball game, so I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s planning on replacing your basement windows to murals of melting birds or something. Speaking of birds, the book she reads in the park is called “A Bridge of Birds”. Faceless has a bit of a thing with birds, especially considering the fact that she wants to know what point they melt at. 

But that’s small potatoes to the point that gave me the idea. Go and listen to the lines Cecil says right before the last poem. Go on. 

"We all see her face and we… and we… we…" 

Cecil takes great pains throughout the episode to describe the woman by her actions rather than her face, the way he does with say, Frances Donaldson- the tall woman with the green eyes who manages the antiques mall-  which comes off as deliberate. When he gets too close to describing her, he gets jumped. He gets her smile, her teeth biting her thumb, and bam, possession.

And then when he finally sees her face, he chokes, and bam possession. I’m seeing a pattern here. If he actually glimpsed the face of the Faceless, it wouldn’t be surprising that she’d take him over to prevent him from saying anything. 

-

Now, the fun thing with these three theories of mine is that thefirst two are totally compatible with the last one. We really don’t know much about Faceless, except that she’s bizarre and has Good Ideas For This Town. So if she’s anybody, why not The Woman From Italy?

[thefacelessoldwomaniswatchi-blog]

Beware the unraveling of all things.

Faceless Old Woman Who Secretly Lives in Your Home (31.5 - Condos)

[thefacelessoldwomaniswatchi-blog]

i found a shirt that accurately describes cecil and carlos’ relationship

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JP’s original OJ! Get yours at a store near you, and feel your responsibilities and worries and stress flicker out of existence. Then fill that void with this delicious OJ.

[thefacelessoldwomaniswatchi-blog]

I have no memory whatsoever of making these tapes.

[thefacelessoldwomaniswatchi-blog]

[thefacelessoldwomaniswatchi-blog]

This site is currently down, and I believe it has been for a while (something about spammers?) but here's a similar one. http://emotionalbaggagecheck.com/

I just discovered this really awesome site. Emotionalbagcheck.com

It’s a site that lets you leave the things that are bothering you anonymously. When someone chooses to “carry your baggage" they’ll get your submission, and send a song and a personal note to your email address through the site (it’s never shown publicly) that may help you with what you’re going through. I think this is an amazing idea! Don’t keep scrolling past this cause it’s actually worth checking out! :) 

[thefacelessoldwomaniswatchi-blog]

Hello. I am a faceless old woman secretly living in your home. I just so happened to be looking over your shoulder at your computer screen a little while ago, and noticed the very spectacular telling-off you posted. I would just like to congratulate you on the quality of the telling-off, & thank you for saying all the things that needed to be said. That tumblr user will be sure to find insects in their bedsheets tonight, courtesy of me. Also, what's your wifi password?

I am definitely voting for you

[thefacelessoldwomaniswatchi-blog]

Two dinosaurs chasing an early 80’s Ford Mustang up a palmetto-lined suburban street as some residents look on, shocked and scared, a few laughing, others undisturbed as they mow their lawns behind the dinosaurs, because I didn’t have much room or sculpt their fruit-shaped topiary bushes.

Well, I was bored and made the emoji Cecil mentioned in Orange Grove. Or at least, I made a similar bit of pixel art - I have no clue how to actually make art into emoji, I just edited it into a creation from http://www.fakephonetext.com.

[thefacelessoldwomaniswatchi-blog]

Good night, sweet sweet listeners.

[thefacelessoldwomaniswatchi-blog]

[thefacelessoldwomaniswatchi-blog]

The voice of Night Vale.

p.s. give me all your cecil headcannons so I can draw them all at once, it’s too much fun.

[thefacelessoldwomaniswatchi-blog]

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[thefacelessoldwomaniswatchi-blog]

A Note on Leftovers

Hello.

Christmas is over, the goose has gotten fat. And by 'goose', I really mean you. You have eaten so much over these past few days that a huge weight gain is imminent. Are you ashamed? You should not be. Shame is a fleeting emotion, and if you truly felt bad, you wouldn't have eaten all those desserts in the first place. No use crying about it now.

Anyway, I'm writing to let you know that I intend to take full advantage of the leftovers sitting in your fridge. Please do not eat them. They are mine. I have claimed them. All of them.

Thank you, and happy holidays,

- The Faceless Old Woman

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"a flies salesman"

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reblog if you are your url