#ephi rambles

[yeah-ephi]

I've been making a little google-doc analysing the links between songs on Clancy and their music videos and one thing I've picked up on is the use of flowers, specifically yellow ones, in different music videos since Trench. As an ex film student as well as a trainee florist, I'm very interested by what different flowers can represent when used in visual media.

°❀.ೃ࿔* First: Let’s take a look at Jumpsuit.

The flowers in this video are Gerberas, known for their rich colours and distinctive shape. Like sunflowers, Gerberas are known to turn towards the sun's light. They can represent a closeness to nature, as well as innocence and stress-reduction. Yellow ones specifically can be seen to represent friendship.

In relation to the Jumpsuit video, they are seen growing on the bottom of the valley Tyler/Clancy wanders through after Nico catches up with him. Much like how gerberas turn towards the light, the bright yellow is enough to break his dazed state to gaze back at the Banditos lining the cliff's edge. Obviously, we know that lorewise yellow has a protective quality against the Bishops, so it makes sense how these flowers were able to help him break free from Nico's control.

Additionally, their connection to innocence could be linked to Clancy's wonder at encountering the Banditos for the first time, and his realisation that the group he'd only ever heard rumours of were in fact real. This can also be relevant to the specific meaning behind yellow gerberas, and their links to friendship and optimism, given how the relationship between Clancy, Torchbearer and the rest of the Banditos develops, and the hope the group represents.

We see the flowers once more in the music video for Nico and the Niners, this time wilted and hidden away in a draw. They bring colour to the otherwise grey and dull rooms of the city, as well as representing the thread of hope Clancy clings to that he might finally escape for good this time.

°❀.ೃ࿔* Now: Routines in the Night

The flowers in this video are a type of Chrysanthemum, seen both on a desk behind Tyler and on his bedside table. Chrysanths are an interesting flower, as they hold many different meanings from culture to culture. The yellow chrysanthemum is the one deemed the 'traditional' form of the flower, with the name deriving from the greek 'chrysos' meaning gold, and 'anthemon' meaning flower. A lot of eastern cultures link them to luck and royalty, whereas in the west they can carry more of a solemn association of mourning and sorrow, given their commonplace in funeral arrangements. They do, however, still carry an association with optimism in certain areas.

In this video, the choice to include yellow chrystanths is still linked to the Banditos, especially given the inclusion of the bishop cloaks in the closet in the following chorus. The flowers are there to offer Tyler protection from the thoughts and insecurities plaguing his mind as he tries to sleep. Again, they hold a strong connotation of friendship in the US, very different from the sympathetic implications throughout a lot of Europe.

It's also interesting to note that the room they are found in is lit in blue, as opposed to the mostly red lighting throughout the rest of the video. We know that within the lore, blue is a colour symbolising defeat (in reference to that one blurryface tweet about wearing blue on stage), so with the flower’s associations they could represent either sorrow at impending defeat, or a thread of hope to keep pushing on.

°❀.ೃ࿔* Finally: Navigating.

It's a little harder to make out which flowers these are, but given the image of a cup-like flower with flat petals at the base and a bent stem, I believe these to be some kind of Wild Daffodil (or as it is also known, a Narcissus). For such a beautiful and common flower, they tend to hold quite a dark symbolism. This is in part due to the link between their alternative name 'Narcissus' and the character of the same name in Greek mythology doomed to fall in love with his own reflection, but also due to their commonplace as a graveyard flower during the Victorian period. They are commonly referenced in literature, such as in William Wordsworth's 'I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud' poem.

I think the negative connotations of hubris and death apply to its appearance in this video, which serves as a direct parallel to the gerberas in Jumpsuit. Again, Clancy is being guided by the Banditos, but unlike before, he doesn't spare a glance to the hardy yellow flowers growing from the ground. We know that he has begun to become absorbed by his power to seize ("the crown his heavy but I can carry it" "I will be their example of absolute power, I feel alive again"), and if he does indeed fall down the Bishop path (which I'm not entirely sold on being the end of the story) it would indeed be in line with what the daffodil represents symbolically.

Alternatively, they are also one of the first signs of spring, a season that represents fresh starts and hope. Their bulbs survive through cold winters ready to rise once the sun thaws the winter frosts. They are resilient flowers, much like how Clancy persists despite finding himself captured and back in Dema again and again. Despite all their negative implications, hope is still at the core meaning of this flower; and the same can be said for Clancy.

A huge thanks to anyone who read all of that, I really enjoy analysing the visual elements of these videos as a lot of thought goes into how it reinforces the message of the individual song or overall story. I know this was a long one, but there's truly so many different meanings you can pull from even just one singular flower.

If the rumours that one of the tracks on Breach being named ‘Flowers’ is true, they did that specifically with me in mind. And you bet I’ll be analysing that as well.

I'm also well aware that at least 2 of these examples are naturally growing flowers in the filming locations, but I do believe the active choice to include them as a focal point holds some type of meaning.

Thanks again for reading, I'm sure i'll find something else to ramble over soon as I keep on analysing stuff.

:)

[thetwilightroadtonightfall]

currently in the sadness stage of my 5 stages of waiting for kh news grief cycle once again

[autistic-sidestep]

You've read exile if too?! Aah, can u tell what kind of commander did u have?? What powers did they have?

hi yea i have! (though it's been a while since i did, played the cog demo all the way to the end) my commander is my old dnd vampire cleric ephie (she/ver) which got translated to a demon mythosi, i don't remember much of my run but i should probably do another one now that the choicescript version is back up lol

[ephenan]

I didn’t think my Adaar would get along with Cole since she’s very direct and a teensy bit aggressive but they seem to get on well enough. Maybe it’s the directness; Cole is new to a lot of things so Adaars straightforward way of talking helps him understand things better?

[lambstwoth3slaughter]

I have no intention on listening to it. I'm so fucking tired of their constant negativity on my posts. Cosmos...

I have a brother...

That's... pretty fucking cool. Hah..

[goldensunset]

for drawing requests, perhaps the khux gang with what pokemon they'd have? (or maybe just a few of them lol)

ok i would Love to actually draw this kinda thing someday but it would take more than i have in me atm so i will simply ramble about it. some of these are what i think they would realistically have in some sort of pokémon au and half of these are just like pokémon i think match their vibe

first off. the entire porygon line fits brain PERFECTLY. it’s like an artificial computer program thing (also its existence is meant to be an ironic fourth wall break lol). meant to be a helpful program that fights bugs and viruses in cyberspace. its final evolution porygon-z is where it gets interesting… it has grown in power, but it’s been corrupted by dubious data itself…….. as another option uhhhhh gallade. a very noble and mindful and steadfast soldier. i just love gallade. he also deserves a steel type. screw it klefki the literal key ring pokémon

lauriam was born to have a roserade let’s be so real it’s grass/poison… looks like a lovely bouquet of flowers but it can Kill you… plus it even has like the dapper cape thing. it’s a no brainer from me on this one. but i’ll give him a runner up or two. he deserves some ghost types too, becoming a shell of himself… i’m feeling poltchageist/sinistcha. grass/ghost types associated with like hospitality and seeming all proper but also it’s a ruse and they will kill you. cofagrigus is a consideration almost entirely only for its pokémon sword entry that says it ‘no longer remembers it was once human’ and also like grabbing and trapping the living. marluxia…

would it be funny to give strelitzia a grass/ghost type like phantump (dead child) or is that too sad. ok how about she gets lilligant. very beautiful elegant grass type with an orange flower. alternatively she gets floette- it’s not a grass type but like very clearly associated with flowers (and also. dying. if we’re taking gen 6 lore info account. and then being brought back to life but at devastating costs and turning the person who was desperate to do so into a monster)

skuld……… i’m really indecisive here. i think psychic and fire and steel are all good choices. first thoughts here it’s gotta be something to do with stars of course. y’know what? i think she deserves cosmog privileges. little star baby that can evolve into one of two legendary pokémon. she has that aura. (if i don’t just straight up give her necrozma lol). but also gothitelle is a really good pick for her bc it’s associated with both the stars and with seeing the future (although the emotional detachment and terror don’t fit that well). maybe delphox? but also she deserves a sword. honedge. screw it. zacian. skuld deserves a legendary

ventus….. if we’re talking khux era specifically my immediate thought was mimikyu. it’s Gotta be mimikyu. desperate for love and attention, taking the form of someone else and trying to fit in…. and zorua of course!!! i mean ig it’s more like zorua would be his darkness that shapeshifted to deceive him but like that works!! that works. the tricky fox pokémon… and because i’m not done being evil i want him to have a pokémon with the ability infiltrator. cute option is whimsicott. option relevant to vanitas’ later existence is ninjask (bc think about shedinja…) option relevant to him probably deserving a flying type is the hoppip line

elrena gets electric types obviously but she isn’t quite as vicious as larxene so she gets like. pachirisu. plus the color scheme works. or shinx

and last but not least ephemer the guy of all ever. this one is really hard….others have assigned him pokémon before that i agree with, such as rosie giving him arcanine (he deserves an Ouppy and it’s a noble majestic beast) and roadie giving him eldegoss (dandelion seeds….). it’s a wild thought but i also kind of think of mew… bc it’s said to be kinda like the genetic ancestor of all pokémon… the nexus from which all worlds spring… i think ephy deserves some sort of mythical or legendary. i’m feeling victini… he always wins somehow am i right… and he’s like sora’s good luck victory charm in kh3… but also i think he should have a water type. suicune privileges be upon ye. no yknow what he gets volcarona it has the fire type and it’s like worshipped as a sun deity for having saved the land. idk. half this post is me trying to justify giving my favs to my characters lol

oh and how could i forget the player… immediate thought is spinda. there are something like four billion different forms right. representing how player is a customizable avatar. for deeper lore reasons how about basculegion the ghost fish. ‘clads itself in the souls of comrades that perished before fulfilling their goals of journeying upstream’ those who didn’t make it out of the keyblade war or out of the fall of daybreak town etc still remain with them in spirit giving them strength, although they were the only one strong enough to survive…. (also it evolves by taking a ton of damage without dying. well it kinda does die but that’s beyond the point right)

i could probably say more and make this more coherent and provide better choices but unfortunately i think the sickness brain has finally caught up to me so i’m gonna finally hit post

[keykidpilipili]

Wouldn't it be hilarious if Dark Road ended without giving the upperclassmen any names?

- this post was made by the khux gang

[aurriearts]

.... tiny amigurumi theron though

[quite-clairely]

no asparagus? *insert megamind* alright i’m literally *gradually* asking for a food basket lol do mangoes first please? :D

JLKFDGFH oml im sorry

ok so mangoes

the mangoes is a CHAOTIC little fucker. like. wow. i mean come on look at this mangoes:

this is a mangoes taking on several fucking lions. mangeese are like the peak of chaotic evil

did you know?? every year, indians give birth to roughly 24.7 MILLION TONNES of mangeese!!!! i know, it's insane

now, mangeese are seen as quite a delicacy in many countries (especially india, china, and thailand), they are usually skinned and then cut in pieces to be eaten raw after the (rather large) central organ is removed. they have the texture of scouring pads and taste like sugary heaps of acid, which is very addictive. it's like eating hot chips and just not being able to get enough of them despite hating the burning sensation--and yet that very burning sensation is actually what keeps you hooked.

by the way, if you were ever wondering why indians never drink water, mangeese consist of 84% water---almost as much as cats, which consist of an unstable liquid consisting for 94% of water---so that's where indians get their hydration from.

in terms of calories, one mangoes is about a third of a hotdog, one hotdog being half an avocado. interestingly, avocados, despite containing lots of calories, actually shrink belly fat!! mangeese, on the other hand, can only shrink your ego; those lions wept after talking to that mangoes. tears of embarrassment, they were. never did they dare hunt again, out of fear their pray would laugh at their pitiful physique and ridiculous voice.

so yeah, there you have it, the mangoes!

[astran-education-program]

I apologize for my inconsistent posting. Åsheh and I have quite busy jobs, and this blog is something we do on the side. Nonetheless, I should have an intro to our language for you all soon!

[yeah-ephi]

I’ve had an absolutely horrific reoccurring dream this last week where upon Breach’s release there was a secret raffle for Tyler and Josh to hand deliver someone’s pre-order. Turns out I won, but since I’m moving house I’ve had my pre-order set to be sent to my brother. On release day they turn up on his doorstep and not having a clue who they are he just thinks they’re new postmen and just shuts the door on them

[thetwilightroadtonightfall]

I need to be banned from watching kh3 mods because these two shots alone have made me deathly ill (/pos)

[link]

[autistic-sidestep]

sits. considering importing some ocs over as non-step regenes to be Maybe batchmates w/ sura

ephie is a vampire so my logic was her having a weaker version of shroud's death touch/siphoning, and san's a werebear so maybe he'd translate best as a blugene terrorbeast similar to arde?

[ephenan]

I need to stop listening to abba while I'm having tragic solavellan thoughts it just leads to tears

[sunshades]

i like the brotp name ephrom because it sounds like efron, reminding us that one day ephraim and chrom will fuse into the ultimate straight boy, troy bolton

[keykidpilipili]

KHUXWR Nightmare Chiri

Nightmare Chirithy was right in the end, the bond was severed and with its honeyed words they drew many data beings to grow hearts darkness in order to find bodies to escape the sinking ship that is Data Daybreak Town. And yet you aren’t here, the you who struck them down, its will darkness made it to the “dream” but not you.