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one of my favorite things about episode 3a of the coffin of andy and leyley is the dead ends in it mirroring different fan desires for how the game should end, sort of like how hm2's player characters mirror fan archetypes

Shots and Such is for people who just want the two characters to fuck and ignore their underlying problems

The Deadest of All Ends is for people who wanted them to go out in a blaze of glory

The Good End is for the bizarre hatedom that formed around the game

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I realized: what if Ashley breaking the blood oath is foreshadowing for what may happen on Cliffhanger (and possibly other routes)?

That oath clearly demonstrated that Ashley considers Andrew above everything else, but his desires can also conflict with her own. Ashley is not used to these kinds of conflicts because most of the time, she expects Andrew to do what she wants. Because Andrew does not know she broke the oath, she has no idea how to handle that other than keeping silent and grow to distrust him over the years. Their disagreements in the present has mostly been resolved with Andrew going along with Ashley wants, even if he complains about them.

But this changes in Cliffhanger, where Andrew asserts his stance of not wanting to stay in the Entity's realm, and will not change it even if Ashley keeps arguing with him. Even Andrew makes it clear he does not want Ashley dead and wants to stay with Ashley in a peaceful, non-alien environment despite their disagreement, Ashley assumes that he does not truly want the best for her or them because of that disagreement. Ashley's way gave them concrete results while Andrew has no plan at all other than to just argue with her, so it's easy to see why she doesn't see his good will (even though we know he has a point).

Though I think possible that while Ashley finds summoning tedious, it's something she wants to do for the long term because she feels she's doing something productive and useful. She was unable to find a job that isn't sex work back in the human world, but she found a job that she can do well and it benefits the Entity, who helped them out multiple times and she does think of as a potential friend. But this conflicts with Andrew's mutual distrust of the Entity, so she is put in a bind that definitely is made worse once she finds out Andrew is gone without a note. While the May devlog suggests Ashley will rebel against the Entity because she was shown in the prison dimension Andrew had to travel through in Andrew and Leyley route, it's possible the rebellion was not wholehearted or a choice that the player can make. This could make it be a notable conflict they have when they reunite in episode 4, or even its own route/failstate entirely.

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this small exchange manages to both convey the characters' personalities to a T and act as a microcosm of the crushing setting of the story

sometimes, writing is good

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So there's an interesting detail I noticed. As far as we know, the Graves family's visit to their grandparents, where Andy accidentally contacted Lord Unknown for the first time, took place before Nina's death...

...yet Andy was already a grime soul at the time, as evidenced by the out-of-body experience he has at the very start of the episode.

Given that a soul's color in TCOAAL is determined by the individual person's own perception of themselves and the entire "How to Be a Walking Disappointment" segment that follows a bit later, the most reasonable explanation for this would be that Andy already saw himself as an awful person due to Renee's abuse. It's the "my parents don't like me = there's something inherently wrong with me" logic very common in abused children.

Andrew was convinced he was horrible since before the age of 10.

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Well uh, The Coffin is now kinda my secondary hyperfixation and I wanted to draw Ashley as a Demon, soooo...... I'm kinda trying to fight with my artblock by using bases from pinterest so the base I used is under the cut. As well as another (little spicy) drawing.

And the spicy one (with little censor, I don't want to get bonked)

And yes, one on the left was drawn with a base that I forgot to save ;-;

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Demon Andrew anyone? I feel that I need to fix something but for now I got my first idea on the paper so that's good, that's that, it's here and not in the abyss of my brain. It's probably obvious but Eyes and Roots was my inspiration. And yes, it's another base (that I placed under the cut) 'cause lazy brain wants to project it's thought onto the paper, not struggle with sketches and anatomy.

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Another good base, another sketch. Every way of fighting with art block is good, right? Enjoy some spicy gravecest. Base under the cut.

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TCOAAL mods are just cursed with really shitty makers huh

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TCOAAL SPOILIES: #23

On one hand it's nice to see Andrew recognize that his upbringing is a large contributing factor to his current issues and that he has grown into a very scummy person.

On the other hand, I'm not yet convinced he knows what he needs to do going forward. I think he definitely wants to "be better" but what "better" is to him... I'm not so sure, other than "be normal."

The demon explains that he can essentially hypnotize Andrew into not having intrusive thoughts anymore.

"Suggest" in the same way it's been "suggesting" Andrew open up about himself. it offers a companionship, seemingly similar to the one that ??? and Ashley share. it then opens a portal... buuuut before that, let's talk to Ashley.

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maybe i'm overthinking, or maybe i'm just sleep-deprived, but it hit me that "in the coffin of andy and leyley", the only characters with names rooted in ancient civilizations are julia, andrew (and renee). it’s kind of interesting when you look closer:

andrew (greek "andreas" (ἀνδρεῖος),which means "manly," "brave," or "strong" ,having in mind how Andrew is always parentified and expected to be the man of the house when his parents aren't around, also another Greek variant name or that has the same root is "Andreus" who is the son of the river god,Peneus. Andrew's father name is Douglas,which comes from dutch origin that means black river)

julia (latin "iūlia," means "youthful" or "jove's child," the feminine form of julius, a name given to women of the gens julia,a important patrician family, also name of Julius Caesar's daughter)

in the game, andrew enters a relationship with julia, possibly to distance himself from his sister ashley, to make his feelings go away and to conform to societal expectations. however, his inability to detach from ashley leads him to project his sister onto julia, even requesting her to emulate ashley's appearance,also between those two andrew was the dominant one. this dynamic could mirror the historical relationship between rome and greece: rome conquered greece politically, but was heavily influenced by greek culture—adopting its art, philosophy, and religion in this light, julia becomes a symbol of andrew's attempt to replace ashley, much like rome's adoption of greek culture. (also the word incest comes from latin origin, which translates to impure)

(or maybe the names are coincidence and Nemlei really liked them,lmao, you can tell I haven't slept in days,medical school is killing me,send help, but Nemlei you fucking genius)

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Andrew and Ashley Graves if they were in Fire Emblem.

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Oh wow, I can't believe I hit 100 followers! Thank you everyone for following me!

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I never said that Ashley fears Andrew as a physical threat, I just said she's scared of dying. In fact, I do agree with you that she fears Andrew's ability to separate from her more than him physically hurting her or her death, that's how Splat and Shots & Such endings happens. However, it is not mutually exclusive to say Ashley does not want to die because she is scared of it and would figure out any way to stay alive with Andrew.

Your can interpret that Ashley is not afraid of death in a non-instinctive way because she is unbothered at the cops almost shooting them, and that's a valid take. However, she clearly is nervous about them when Andrew warned her right before they arrived. This demonstrates she has the capacity to fear whatever punishment they may inflict on them.

Though I have to wonder where you got the idea that you need to respect someone to fear them. The Surgeon, who is one of the masterminds of the whole fraudulent quarantine scheme, certainly doesn't respect the ordinary person, yet is definitely okay with shooting anyone who wants to enter the apartments.

That is definitely not a limbic self-defense reaction, that is someone realizing they are doing something that can get them in big trouble. The same applies to Ashley, where wondered what the hell she will do to prompt such a reaction after seeing the vision.

Present-day Cliffhanger of Chapter 3A is her responding to that vision first with a physical threat, creating a fork for the Andrew and Andy routes. When that fails for her by Andrew choosing to be Andrew, she then attempts to negotiate on both versions of the route, sex jokes and seduction on Cliffhanger and apologies and persuasion on Andrew and Leyley. She is recognizing her actions have consequences, because being separated from Andrew by his murder of her are actual threats she must prevent, or else she'll suffer. If you say she does not feel like consequences are real to her, then why would she be doing all of this damage control?

if y’all don’t let go of the idea that ashley is scared of andrew beyond any extremely basic survival instinct response from her limbic system when he’s actively harming her, i will have an aneurysm.

you do not fear somebody you completely lack respect for. you don’t perceive someone as a threat to you and actively relentlessly provoke them into explosive anger on purpose because their anger means nothing to you— in fact, it even gives you gratification. you don’t scream insults in their face until they become aggressive, deliberately trying to cause this response, if you’re terrified that they’re going to kill you when you get it.

you would be scared shitless of andrew, this is the normal human response, and go interpret everything ashley says and does accordingly. that’s projection, not character analysis.

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I really would like to know what you think are the reasons for Ashley trying to seduce Andrew on Cliffhanger, especially when I already discussed about that on a prior post of yours.

if y’all don’t let go of the idea that ashley is scared of andrew beyond any extremely basic survival instinct response from her limbic system when he’s actively harming her, i will have an aneurysm.

you do not fear somebody you completely lack respect for. you don’t perceive someone as a threat to you and actively relentlessly provoke them into explosive anger on purpose because their anger means nothing to you— in fact, it even gives you gratification. you don’t scream insults in their face until they become aggressive, deliberately trying to cause this response, if you’re terrified that they’re going to kill you when you get it.

you would be scared shitless of andrew, this is the normal human response, and go interpret everything ashley says and does accordingly. that’s projection, not character analysis.

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I would argue that Ashley is indeed changing on Cliffhanger, albeit she may not even realize it. It's safe to assume she thought about roasting the camper on all routes, especially with her reasoning that cannibalism gives her power and the demon would encourage that seen with him roasting marshmallows. However, on Cliffhanger, she decides not to because she does not want to anger Andrew further, especially after she died to him in that vision and he slapped her. This is because Ashley either does not have a loaded gun so no reliable way to defend herself, or she had let herself be killed by Andrew in the vision. Whether or not she remembered why she did so is up in the air, but regardless, she is still scared of dying and wants to avoid that. That is a consistent trait we see, such as her being weirded out that that Andrew think them falling to their death together is romantic, her always terrified reaction to Andrew killing her even if she let him, and her closing her eyes and holding onto Andrew terrified as she falls to her death on Splat. Because she feels she has no physically violent power, she tries to "pacify" Andrew by seducing him instead, which is what allows him to initiate their heart-to-heart and bring them closer to a healthier relationship. Ashley may have grown up not having to face consequences, but death has become a very real one for her now, one she wants to avoid at all costs.

I agree with your take on Ashley not changing much between routes with a single caveat:

In cliffhanger route, she doesn't roast the camper, the act leading to Andrew's attempted murder.

Even if it's tiny baby steps, Ashley does seem to be on the path to respecting Andrew enough to actually listen to him. A single pebble causes ripples and all that jazz.

Also, mad respect, you have some very poignant and honest takes. If you made a podcast discussing this game I'd subscribe in a heartbeat.

i spoke to my wife about this and jesse as well, and while i have a tendency to want to give ashley credit for crumbs, i’m not sure how much significance i can reasonably see in this from her point of view that doesn’t feel like wishful thinking. ashley’s problem is that nothing she does really means anything to her, and when we’re seemingly all in agreement that she has not drastically changed her view of andrew to someone worth respecting who she has to be considerate of when she makes decisions, i’m just as inclined to see this as a situation where ashley may as well have flipped a coin.

it’s extremely important to advance the plot, it’s where the two routes split, and it’s the last straw that breaks the camel’s back for andrew. this does not automatically mean that this choice holds any weight to ashley herself.

if you only played cliffhanger, you would have no idea that ashley wanted to throw a cannibalism barbecue and decided against it because andrew said not to. i would say it doesn’t even cross her mind and hence there’s no decision here to make— in the shots route, she comes up with the idea seemingly just to defy andrew after their earlier spat where he demanded that she takes him seriously, with no faith left that she will. she decides to prove him right out of sheer spite, because who the hell does he think he is, “barking orders at her”.

she could not give less of a fuck about the gravity of the situation, to her it’s stupid, inconsequential and “not a big deal”, and what it actually was about was putting andrew back in his place because she doesn’t like the new tone he’s using with her. the scene is used to show that countless things that are insignificant “whatever”s to ashley are very important to andrew, that she doesn’t understand that this matters and that she should care. it’s her constant complete disregard for how these “whatever” decisions she makes affect him that makes him finally snap. it means jack shit to her, just like everything else, it’s just another choice she selfishly makes without a care in the world that ends up fucking him over. another one on top of hundreds.

andrew is changing and losing his shit because ashley, in all routes of decay, remains the same. to me, cliffhanger doesn’t show positive change and improvement from ashley’s end, we just don’t see her adapting to andrew’s drastic change for the worse.

also, thank you. adding “tcoaal podcaster” to my resume would certainly be something. perhaps i should.

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Excellent analysis, and I really do like your interpretation of Shots and Such, even if I necessarily don't agree. I think the "adult" versions of Andrew and Ashley are kinda blank-slate, where while they still have some core traits (such as Andrew's being assertive and willing to indulge in things he wants being not there as Andy and Ashley being curious but self-assured not there as Leyley), they could take on a different form depending on the circumstances of their route. It's also easier to distinguish from the Andy route where he doesn't fight back at all, while as Andrew, he will assert himself and on S&S, violently so.

I also like to point that the "Fucking Idiot" dialogue was likely written before the Renee mod even existed, to emphasize how Andrew is solely attracted to Ashley not because of an incest kink or whatever, but because of her as a person. It's another strong establisher as in S&S (which is a great reaction picture).

I also speculate that the choices are reworded to foreshadow future events now that the writing for Burial is completed, like Ashley might fuck it up on Burial route not trusting Andrew again and instead trusting the demon. The choice with Andrew would also make it easier to go onto Decay, because it isn't something really intuitive for a blind player to do.

The Decay of Andy and Leyley: the bad, the ugly and the terrible

Now that it’s been a while since I finished the Decay route, I think I’m ready to finally analyse this chapter as a whole. I’ve collected my thoughts and read through a couple of people’s opinions here and there… just to be utterly disappointed. I knew casual fans generally didn’t understand much of the subtext for tcoaal, but damn are they completely lost with this one. Maybe it’s the fact that I only interact with a small echo chamber of the fandom that does get it, but after all the terrible takes I’ve had the displeasure of seeing, I think it’s time I leave my own. There is quite a lot to comment on, since this part of Decay builds upon several plot points of the story: the quarantine, the entity, lord unknown, and namely, the main duo’s upbringing and relationship. While I’d love to pick apart every nook and cranny of this episode, this analysis will only focus on Andrew and Ashley’s relationship, as that alone has plenty of things to dissect for one post. I will also comment on some of the changes done to the previous episodes and what that could mean for the next routes. (More below the cut, this will be a long one).

But before I begin anything I want to start with a disclaimer of the obvious; yes, this game is fucked up and the relationship is toxic, horribly so (wow, who would’ve thunk it?). If things weren’t messed up before then they certainly are now, so I understand why nobody would want to touch this game with a ten-foot pole. In fact, I’ve noticed many let’s players who’ve previously played it either not mentioning it or going as far as to delete every video they’ve made on it (not dropping names here but I had a couple of videos in my watch later taken down mere minutes after I saved them because of this). I often see people saying “it’s just fiction” as a defense for talking about this, which is totally valid, but my view of it is a bit different. It is fiction, yes, but also something that could very easily happen in real life and that a lot of people could (unfortunately) relate to. That’s what makes it uncomfortable and gross, and that is exactly the reason why we should talk about it. As per words of the author “although unpleasant, true [CHAOS AND MAYHEM!!!] can only be achieved by unearthing the root cause of one's issues and addressing the underlying decay.” Even if you think it’s icky and gross that doesn’t disqualify it from existing. Moreover, it calls for analysis as to why it makes you feel gross, which might I add is an impulse reaction to something much deeper than a simple “nooo they’re related,” as there are many layers to this from a moral, ethical and psychosexual perspective.

So… let’s talk about it. 

The Bad: Andy and Leyley

The beginning of the episode tells us a lot about the upbringing of our characters, though most of it was writing on the wall if you paid attention during episode 2. We play as Andrew, examining his psyche and going through the motions of how to be a walking disappointment. As he cooks, cleans, excels at school and sets order in his family, he accomplishes a level of independence many don’t reach until adulthood, all before the age of 10. Yet every single mistake, as small or out of his control as it may be, is a cause for reprimanding. Renee doesn’t spare the emotional rod with him per se, expecting Andrew to go above and beyond for tasks that she should be responsible for. And whenever her live-in maid complains or dares to set an even playing field, such attempts are crushed by repressing him further into his shell. Berating, insulting, belittling him.

Nothing he does is ever enough, and it can’t be,  lest giving him hope of ever meeting others’ expectations, of ever doing better. The more suppression, the less of his independence, say or personality, the easier to control. The less of Andrew the better. And as such, Andy was born: a sorry replacement for Andrew’s essence, easily malleable and capable of becoming everything you want him to be. Many believe Andy is a result of Leyley, but really

Andy was a nightmare of Renee’s own making. And speaking of nightmares, Leyley’s origins aren’t much different. Having a second child as a middle finger to your disapproving family is no good if you don’t intend to raise said child. But what’s the need when Andy is there to do it? Disciplining a kid aching for attention is far too taxing for Renee, especially one with as much attitude as Leyley. So, instead of inflicting more trauma as she’s done with Andy, she lets him pass his own over to her, creating a direct pipeline to the cycle of abuse. It should be noted that in one of the new visions available we see that Renee is an older sister herself, and was expected to also go above and beyond for her sister despite being completely disregarded by her family.

In other words, her treatment of Andy and complete neglect of Leyley are anything but surprising. It’s all she’s ever known. (Not excusing Renee, I hate her with a passion, but it’s important to know where everything is coming from).

Funnily enough, Leyley’s personality isn’t as innate as many believe. It’s easy to see her as the “difficult child,” but in reality, everything she does is a cry for help. We’re dealing with a lonely, undisciplined girl, disregarded by the world as a crybaby and a freak, left to be raised by trash TV and her clueless older brother. The result of this terrible concoction is a self-loathing, marshmallow spine of a boy and a lost, shrieky viper of a girl. Neither can like each other, because they don’t like themselves. And neither can help the other, because they refuse to see themselves for what they are. These are Andy and Leyley, the antagonists of the story.

As much as people have difficulty separating Andy and Leyley from Andrew and Ashley it must be noted that, from a narrative perspective, these are entirely different characters. Andy and Leyley are the immature, worst traits of our main duo personified: Andy is a paranoid pushover garnering resentment every time his buttons are pushed, while Leyley is nothing more than a scared little girl, terrified of abandonment and terrified of change. The more they push and pull, the more they test and bring out the worst in each other, the more they decay. But if these are Andy and Leyley, then who are Andrew and Ashley?

The Ugly: Andrew and Ashley

I believe the cliffhanger route is where we get to see the most of these two, though glimpses of them can be seen in the Shots and Such route. Andrew we know (thanks to his lengthy pov) is a crude and relentless antisocial who can’t stand anyone. He only does so out of keeping appearances, instilled by his mom, but just like her, is incapable of caring for anything. Something Ashley is very quick to point out when they were children.

We also see he’s very manipulative, sly and finds fun in (mentally) messing with people and romanticising the shit of his life, perhaps as a way to feel something other than the misery it bestows upon him. However, not playing nice can only bring trouble, so he hides behind the mask of the innocent pushover (Andy). Needless to say, this is a life full of lies and deception, utterly unsatisfactory. It will never fulfill his true desires and can only push him further into nihilism. But what are his true desires? 

Well, to be seen and understood, the one thing no one’s ever bothered to do. No one except the mess of his own making. Ashley, the girl Andrew raised, is full of wit and charm. As seen in the flashbacks, she’s perceptive and quickly calls bullshit whenever she sees it. She doesn’t play nice, she doesn’t put up a front, she’s everything Andrew could be if he wasn’t afraid to show his true colors. This last bit is why I would argue Andrew is so drawn to her, that and of course all of the trauma bonding. As Andrew says himself, his attraction is pathological, i.e. unreasonable and irrational, a result of his loneliness and conditioning from childhood. And as much as I agree that it is paraphilic in nature, I do believe there is a logical side to his attraction; Ashley is loud, obnoxious and annoying. Carefree and unbothered, the flip-side to his Andy facade. In fact, she hates having to keep up appearances and how everyone around her is a phony. For Andrew, the man that has endured years of suppression and self-loathing, it is a relief, it is liberating to have someone just as bad as him. Someone who wouldn’t be afraid of him. Someone who could meet him at the same level; an equal.

Continuing with Ashley, one of her most emblematic traits is that she’s self-assured and doesn’t care about anything or anyone except for Andrew. This is quite the contrast to Leyley, who is incredibly insecure, selfish and does not care for Andy, only the reassurance he brings. And how do we know Ashley cares about Andrew if Leyley does not? Well…

This flashback is the single most important piece of information we get from the whole chapter. So let’s analyze it from the start. Julia takes Andrew to visit Nina’s grave, bringing back a slew of emotional turmoil he’s still haunted by. He immediately goes home to unpack it with Ashley.

(because god knows he was thinking about her the whole time he was talking to Julia). Ashley shows her first signs of maturity in the conversation that ensues, accurately pointing out the impending doom of Andrew and Julia’s relationship, and being a little more… introspective.

It’s clear that Leyley’s view of relationships is skewed, to say the least. She barely distinguishes romance from platonic love and has a very childish take of sex being "gross and all men want.” I’ve seen many people, before and after this chapter release, theorize that Ashley is asexual, something that’s always bothered me to no end. It’s one thing to just headcanon a character having “x” sexuality for the sake of it, but here people were using a headcanon to explain a critical part of her characterization, one of her Leyley traits. It is reductive and misguided, not to mention a terrible example of what asexuality would actually look like. Because this isn’t an innate characteristic from Ashley, it is a sign of immaturity, and to a certain degree, also insecurity.

Leyley has been conditioned her entire existence to believe she’s loathsome and undesirable, so anyone sticking around would never be out of their own volition. It would have to be a transaction, give and take. If Andy and Leyley marry it would have to be this way, a selfish exchange on both ends. But as she says: “different is fine, sometimes.” This is Ashley talking, taking into consideration Andrew’s needs for once and for all, which is the reason she made a move after he woke up. She understands his needs and is willing to put out for him, thinking maybe it could be good for her too. 

But boy does he fumble hard. Which I don’t blame him for, dude wasn’t in the right headspace at the time. Though this is the moment that set Ashley’s development far, far behind square one. She didn’t take the rejection well. For once she was doing what he wanted, and he pushed her away (mixed signals much). He began being very cold to her afterwards (albeit in a fruitless attempt to repress his feelings, which as we see through the puzzle sequences, the more he crushed his feelings on the outside, the further they spread on the inside). The moment Andrew reached out for her again, a year later might I add, he did it because of Ashley, or rather Leyley, needing to be reprimanded and set on the right track (with the massage parlor job).

This sealed the deal for Ashley that the only way to secure Andrew’s attention was the way that Leyley used to do with Andy: bitch and moan until he pays attention. In other words, it’s Andrew’s fault that Ashley is the way she is… though he’s not entirely aware of it, as seen in parts of his pov. And to a certain extent, Ashley also plays a part into why he’s so apprehensive to the idea of liking her. Her childish nature and refusal to grow up is proof to Andrew that if she were to indulge his desires, it would be to keep him around, but it wouldn’t be reciprocal (which is ultimately what he desires the most). 

This is my main takeaway from the cliffhanger route. I won’t be theorising much on what the outcomes for this route could be (more on why later), though I will be referencing this heavily for the analysis of Shots and Such.    

Also the symbolism in this scene is quite strong (couldn’t fit it into the previous paragraphs but wanted to bring it up anyway).

Her painted nails are trashy, and Julia's nails are painted. Andrew stares in silence as Julia rings away...  

Also:

This is after you destroy the Leyley plushie on the wedding cake scene, to retrieve Ashley's choker (which can later be used to create Andrew's partner... which also grants you a star). Originally, the plushies were watching cartoons, but now that Leyley is gone... something else surfaces. Interestingly enough, if you refuse to destroy it when prompted, the narrator will say "what are you, some Andy?" And if you try again after that, it won't allow to you to tear it apart, saying "you've made your choice." Very strong symbolism there. Let's move onto Shots and Such now.

The Absolutely Terrible: the Decay of Andy and Leyley

A terrible, disgusting, horrifying and necessary ending. Necessary to really discern the differences between Andy/Leyley and Andrew/Ashley, plus why the former will ALWAYS be a pointless, troublesome pairing. They hurt, abuse and tear each other down in the most sadistic and depressive ways possible. Long gone are the days of their playful banter, they are now replaced with just plain ol’ spousal abuse. Even when they try reviving their spark with their quick banter about the vacuums, it is soulless and dry, the damage done to their dynamic far too damming to ignore. 

They are never honest with each other, and they’re always afraid and resentful of the other. The only thing keeping them together is codependency and lame sex that sometimes distracts them from how miserable they feel. The one sex scene in this chapter reads like a dagger to the heart, because it is everything neither of them wanted to happen. Andrew yearned for something reciprocal, for him to be seen. And as much as he begs and pleads for Ashley to understand, Leyley’s fear of abandonment overtakes her, diminishing the little trust she had for him and respect she had for herself. As a result, they both hated the encounter, and the only two solutions are ending themselves or committing to a life of such misery.

In the splat ending, we indulge Andy’s desires of ending it all, and Leyley reluctantly follows, scared and unsatisfied until the bitter end, but unwilling to let go of her Andy. In the Shots and Such ending, we indulge Leyley’s fantasies of a forever union, which turn out to be anything but the ideals she had for Andy and Leyley’s marriage. It is more of the same old horrific abuse, dishonesty and bickering over nothing, with maybe one glimpse of honesty forced out by the alcohol every once in a blue moon. 

No matter the end, they’re both together forever as Andy and Leyley, dragging each other down into the lowest of levels. It’s pointless and bleak, and it certainly sent the fandom into a frenzy. You think the people defending Andrew “I’m normal” Graves or the people saying Ashley “did nothing wrong” were bad? Well, just as this route brought the worst out of the Graves, it also brought out the worst of these fans.

Every time I look into the comments section of a video or discussions for this chapter, it’s a constant shit-flinging contest of who had the worst upbringing, who has the worst personality, who is the most abusive, (which most people seem to be pointing fingers at Ashley for that one). It’s all blah blah blah who’s the woest of the woe. And worst of all, plenty of men (they’re almost always men) saying “Andrew should beat Ashley up some more.” I understand that Ashley’s worst traits as Leyley were amplified in this chapter, but honestly, men who had that takeaway from this chapter disturb me more than the game itself. Heck, even mother-of-the-year Renee calls bullshit on this:   

(context: this is a rhetorical question, the answer being no, obviously.)

Let’s get one thing straight: no character here is worse than the other. They’re both awful, they both beat each other, they both abuse each other and they're both victims of each others’ abuse. The tragedy here is that they are as much victims as they are perpetrators, with no end in sight, because the more one hurts the other, the more retaliation ensues. Characterizing one as the worst is, again, completely reductive and overlooking the point of the ending: nothing gets better because neither got better. We only saw Andy and Leyley in this route, with brief glimpses of Andrew and Ashley, that are quickly crushed by their inability to disengage from their toxic habits.

I think it’s clear to see how Ashley is regressing more into her fears (Leyley), given the threat of being murdered by the only person she has left forced her into that state. She doesn’t want to die, she’s terrified of death, and wants the security she believes Andy will bring her back. Except Andy is the one harboring resentment, as Andrew is the one trying to work past it. And to the people who think we’re playing as Andrew and Leyley in this route because “we chose Andrew,” no we’re not. There’s a reason the beginning of both the Andy and Andrew (shots and such) routes look the same in terms of the area we explore in the demon realm. 

There’s a reason why he keeps devolving further and further into resentment for Leyley. The “Andrew” choice means nothing if Ashley refuses to stop being Leyley. And her regression is reinstated by the selfish decision to kill Andrew in the bullets ending (and yes, I’m calling it selfish, since it is once again denying Andrew of his need to be rid of the Andy and Leyley dynamic). This reinforces Andrew’s belief that Leyley doesn’t want him, that his love is one-sided, and that she doesn’t care for his needs. The moment this choice (shooting Andrew) is set in stone it’s game over for both, because one can’t heal without the other. Again, nothing gets better because neither can get better.

The only difference between both routes is that when we pick Andy, Andrew surrenders. He’s hurt, battered and confused, but Andy’s instinctual need to please Leyley reigns above all. He knows it won’t get better, he doesn’t know how to make it better, so to hell with it. If we choose to be Andrew, Andrew never surrenders, insisting there must be a way to fix this, but can’t due to Leyley’s insistence. This leads to Andrew's decay, as he devolves into a mixture of Andy’s resentment boiling over and Andrew’s sadism. The logical part of him (which is Andrew’s lingering care for Ashley) tells him to disengage from the fighting. But his resentment (Andy’s decay) is overpowering his love for her. It gets to the point where both Andy and Andrew become undistinguishable, as they have melded to become his most deranged self. Surprisingly, something similar happens with Ashley, who also struggles to surrender in this route. There are two moments of honesty in the Shots and Such route, the only moments we get to see Andrew and Ashley completely. First is Andrew comforting Ashley’s sobs:

Here, Ashley was actually honest with him for once, which allows both of them to open up. This exchange is much more lighthearted compared to the rest of the route because both are meeting each other at the same level, talking through things together, addressing their happiness and where they want to go. Ashley shines through, taking genuine interest in Andrew’s happiness, but before things can settle…

Ashley must face her fears of freeing Andrew, trusting him. And she doesn’t, because let’s remember, we chose Leyley in this route and let Ashley decay. So once again, things go back to how they were, pointless resentment. There was also a time where Andrew opened up, and that’s when he was drunk out of his mind.

He put his front down, enough to indulge in his paraphilia but not enough to fully express his love. The mixed signals are strong with this one, which further confuses Leyley. However, when they go to sleep that night, Andrew opens up about his needs, about needing Ashley to see him for the mess of a man that he is and still accept him. Ashley takes the stage, reassuring him that she knows all his secrets and loves him regardless. Andrew is honest about why he pushes her away, because it’s the last thread of normalcy he has left. However, things quickly go back to normal, when Leyley refuses to give him a kiss due to all the times he pushed her away. At the end of both of these scenes, we hear a sad music box tune, a sad reminder of how crucial these scenes are. How easily things could be fixed with the care and honesty they warrant, and how easily they fall apart out of simple reluctance and conformity. 

This is a constant thread we see in their relationship, throughout flashbacks and present time, as well as symbolisms throughout Burial and Decay. The choice to not only trust, but to be honest with one another despite their fears could’ve been the fix they needed all along, the one thing they needed to mature. Their bond is so fragile, so easily twisted, that the only way to salvage any semblance of tenderness is to address their underlying decay. I find it funny how there are still people (few but still some) who were disappointed to see that Decay wouldn’t be the "normal" route. I read a few comments of people wanting their relationship to be fixed and be a normal sibling dynamic. To which I just have to say, that is way more delusional than the people who expected any routes of this game to be all fluff and rainbows.

The relationship was already screwed from the get-go, but here’s the hard pill to swallow: having a normal relationship is not the fix they need nor want. The paraphilia has consumed Andrew so thoroughly that his only solution is to completely wipe his brain or fully indulge in it (possibly the two routes of episode 4), while Ashley has to let go of her selfish, childish desires to recognize the Andrew she wanted has been there all along if she cares to meet him there. Is it an unsavory solution? Yeah. It’s gross, morally and ethically reprehensible. But that’s just who they are as people. And accepting themselves for who they are is ultimately the last ditch effort they could ever take to salvage this volatile, fragile relationship. I mean, this optional dialogue really puts it best:

(This is the single line of dialogue that actually made me tear up btw, not even the splat/shots and such ending tore into me so much as this line). 

The Coffin of Andy and Leyley is, at its core, a cautionary tale of generational trauma and the cycle of abuse. How far will people go if pushed to their limits? Is it ever possible to remedy yourself once you’re at the point of no return? And is that remedy worse than the sickness itself? Can the doomed ever be redeemed? And if so, what are the necessary steps to take in order to redeem yourself, before it all goes dark? Andrew and Ashley can keep longing for one another all they want, but until Andy and Leyley are ripped and torn to shreds, neither will improve, and are fated to decay in the coffin of a different apartment, one built out of their own hangups and fears. We’ll see what episode 4 has in store, I trust the author will give us a satisfying conclusion. And speaking of the author…

The Meh: Changes to Episode 2

This new update brought about a couple of changes to the previous episodes as well. Namely, the wording for the decisions that split the story into Burial and Decay, as well as revamping the Burial route. I’ll be honest… I’m not a big fan of some of these.

For starters, this new update made me realize the author, as offline as she appears to be, is keenly aware of people’s opinions of the game and takes quite the contrarian attitude to people who miss the point of the story (something I can’t blame her for entirely, and seems to be the reason why things escalated so much in this chapter). Take for example the Grave Mistakes vision, Andrew explaining why they’re not addressing the Toxisoda thing anymore, and going as far as to add a bloody sprite for Ashley in the Burial route (something a few people were complaining about back in the day). Also, there is an optional dialogue in the highschool flashback that feels like a clapback to the Renee mod:

I’m glad the author is aware of people’s criticisms and takes the time to sort through them, but part of me wishes she didn’t try to over-explain some plot points. The thing that I originally loved about the game was the subtle storytelling, how it takes you a couple of playthroughs to fully understand everything lying beneath the surface. It plays tricks with you and makes you think about the characters’ true intentions, goals and desires, all the way until they spiral out of control and pretenses can’t be kept anymore. I liked that Ashley has a little back and forth between wanting to trust Andrew, being unable to because of her insecurities, and falling back on the trinket. But now…

The choice kinda spells it out for you already. For one, the choice of dialogue feels a bit clunky and also redundant given the next couple of lines confirm this already. The change in the olive branch choice, with it now being reflect/decline, doesn’t bother me as much, but this feels a little too in your face. Same thing with the changes to the Burial vision. I like that you have to put the green plushie back in the cage at the end, as it’s something you also did earlier in the puzzle, so it feels less contradictory. But the change to this line…

It’s honestly giving too much away. People go through the Burial route because they want the siblings to trust each other, and they select the left door for the questionable outcome because they want to make the questionable choice. However that route turns out, whether good or bad, is for us to find out as we play. And mind you, I already know it’s not ending so well given the hex Andrew gets in Burial is the same as in the Decay Andy route. That just cannot be any good. Plus, the fact that Burial is all about burying things under the rug. I suspect that while Decay is more about Andrew due to its reflective nature, Burial will be all about Ashley due to her nature of compartmentalizing. I imagine both Burial and Decay will have their own good and bad routes, but I’d rather not jump the gun into assuming what each will pan out to look like, as chances are I’ll be completely mistaken.

And I say this as a good portion of the fanbase was proven wrong with this new update, in terms of what Decay and Burial are about. The general consensus used to be Burial = romance, Decay = hate. Some fans even came up with the bizarre defense that the game is not so bad because the incest is totally optional! It's on the player to pick it. All the while you have Andrew grabbing Ashley's belt loops and cuddling her on the couch in both routes...

I can appreciate asking people to look at what's beneath the surface and analyze things a little more critically, but that was just plain wrong lol. In the back of my mind, I always hoped that Decay would address some of Andrew's feelings to completely shut down all the "optional" nonsense. Welp, that it did... way more than I anticipated.     

Anyway, my point with this last bit of the rant was that I hope these changes don’t become a trend of the author trying to make things clearer for normies or paying any mind to them, as that would only cheapen the storytelling. Those who get the story get it, and if not, they can read people’s shizo analyses online. But I don’t need my hand held throughout the game; I like figuring things out on my own. To wrap things up, I’ll just say I’m very happy with the outcomes we got. They were terrible, but necessary for the reasons explained above. I was originally very scared of the Decay route, as I didn’t know exactly what to expect and angry Andrew scares me. But this has quickly become my favorite episode of all and I can only hope the next ones do it justice. Keep cooking Nemlei, you’re doing good.

[coffin-ramblings]

I'm referring to the fact that Andrew is deeply attached to Ashley because she understands that he doesn't like people, and yet she still likes him. He doesn't want to be isolated in the sense of being surrounded by people who never truly understand him, yet yearning for that genuine connection with someone. He explains that to her as a teen on why he still considers her a higher priority than even Julia.

The Decay of Common Sense: The Meta-Theme of the Episode 3A Routes

Playing Chapter 3A on a (luckily) uncorrupted save file from the end of Chapter 2 had me wondering: “how the hell did we get here?” Watching a playthrough of Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 and playing them months ago made my memories more flawed, even if I did rewatch parts of it for my posts. Replaying Chapter 1 before the update dropped helped jog my memory more, but it’s still not complete after it got new content.  I kept wracking my brain for how the siblings reached all these outcomes as I went through all the routes (and Cliffhanger twice). 

And then I realized it after finishing Shots & Such, my final route: it is because of “common sense”. The concept and phrase that is thrown around a lot if you ever talk with anyone. It is the end-all, be-all reason to many a decision, argument, norm upholding, etc. But if you ask anyone to define it, you probably would not get a satisfying answer. You often would be told, "That is the way it is" (why?), ""The actions and ideas that are the most rational" or "that makes the most sense" (how are they rational or make sense?), or "The actions and ideas that everyone follows" (who is everyone?). Of course, we see "common sense" throughout history used as a justification to minimize dissent on unjust conditions and actions, but that is not a satisfactory definition either because individuals can use that if they have no substantial argument. "Common sense" is also used to describe addressing the basic needs people have, such as getting food if you're feeling hungry. Thus, I will define "common sense" here as an amorphous concept most often asserted as the "logical" way to address the needs of and/or maintain order according to an individual, a group, an institution, an organization, or society.

There are other analyses that have discussed the treatment of morals in The Coffin of Andy and Leyley, but this one will cover how it profoundly shapes the choices and paths that build up to and are taken in Chapter 3A by both the player and characters. Be warned of spoilers for the chapter ahead.

TCOAAL has always questioned the idea of "common sense". In Chapter 1 where both Andrew and Ashley have "common sense" solutions in regards to the tomato can, their very first conversation in the present-day. Andrew's solution to save the can and hope the wardens give them food is one of foresight, that another emergency may come up and they should be prepared for that. Ashley's solution is to eat it now as she feels very terrible, terrible enough to wake up sleeping on the living room floor instead of her bed. Already it shows how constraints influence the morality and stakes of the decisions they face, which can make both of them look irrational. Andrew is risking both of their health for something he has no guarantee of, while Ashley is possibly being reckless in order to maintain her health. To the average player or viewer seeing this for the first time, they get no resolution who was right in that situation or not. One could argue that Andrew was perhaps right in this situation to save the can once Ashley started fainting, but even when she recently ate, Ashley still fainted regardless. Either one of them making the most "rational" decision does not matter in the face of an irrational and harrowing situation. This of course escalates further with the dilemma of eating their dead neighbor, however, most people would agree that Ashley was the one in the right, as horrifying as it was.

Chapter 2 takes this skepticism to be a significant factor to the Burial/Decay route split. It is "common sense" for Ashley to distrust Andrew, as Andrew wants to avoid the consequences at all costs and may back down from the plan in a desperate attempt to save his skin. Before the 3A update, it seems to be "common sense" for Andrew to accept the olive branch because society says "family matters above all else" (even if he will be going against his own sister and Renee abused and neglected them). After the 3A update, it could also be considered "common sense" for Andrew to consider Renee's words because she is his mother, and it is considered "rational" to consider both sides of the argument (which can spawn the middle-ground fallacy depending on the situation). But regardless of what you do, you are doomed to Decay because it reinforces Ashley's distrust of Andrew. You must take a blind leap of faith as Ashley and immediately reject Renee's words as Andrew. Only then do you get Burial, where their relationship notably improves. That would be another post though, so back onto Decay.

I will start with the Andy route because it's not influenced by prior decisions and outcomes. Choosing to be "Andy" is pretty "common sense" for Andrew. 

He is already so exhausted from everything happening, that he’s convinced asserting himself will just be needless energy spent. Even if he thinks Ashley is bluffing, his instinctual reaction would still be that he might get killed by her if he defies her. It seems to be the easiest and most logical option, one that saves his sanity and life. And the player can be inclined to agree, because it proves to Ashley that Andrew will no longer be a threat to her life. 

But the game mocks him for that and the player for adopting his mindset. All the decision does is convince Ashley she has all the power to do whatever she wants, which frustrates Andrew. His small yet notable defiance at her roasting the camper makes her willing to risk sacrificing his soul to the demon and the only route where she does so. In a tragic twist of irony, the sanity and life he cherished was thrown away, and he suffers a fate worse than death, unable to even commit suicide because that means his soul is damned to the Entity's whims forever. His sole lot in life now is to be a husk wearing a corpse to please a little girl, taken out when she wants to have fun and put away in the box when she is bored or has other tasks to do.

I will now focus on Decay's route split in relation to the bullets.

What's interesting is that to the blind playthrough player, "Shoot" and "SHOOT!!!!!!" may seem interchangeable. After all, it leads to the same outcome of Andrew, well, shooting the hitman. This demonstrates that at first impression, both actions seem quite logical, but when you make your choice, it's revealed that you are playing as a pragmatic Andrew or a panicked Andrew.

(Love how everything becomes silhouetted. The two siblings have become one in that final moment of violence.)

If Ashley chooses to kill Andrew in self-defense, that is a very common sense choice for her and the player, this is Ashley’s survival at stake after all. However, doing so leads Ashley to be further convinced that violence is an effective way to control Andrew. Even when Andrew asserts himself and demands her respect, she still defies him and does whatever she wants because she truly believes she has more power than him. Instead, this makes Andrew snap and try to kill her, and things only keep escalating in violence further and further until it concludes as a constant cycle in their lives or their demise. 

(While it’s easy to read Ashley trying to guilt-trip Andrew here, we know she is bluffing about wanting to kill him and is genuinely surprised and hurt he thinks she would when she had multiple opportunities before.)

Yet despite that, the vision and Andrew’s goading also affirms her "common sense" of Andrew is absolutely necessary in her life, where even if she could kill him, she doesn't because it’d absolutely make her miserable. This creates a sort of Catch-22 situation for both of them as they both cannot trust each other to the point they created a violent and unequal dynamic, yet they cannot leave the other due to their fear of isolation. This is contributed by their "common sense" cultivated by their upbringing, conflicts, and past mistakes to not trust anyone. 

However, this logic goes against their survival and well-being. No person is an island, many people need to rely on others to survive and thrive. Furthermore, both siblings are aware that staying with the other could eventually kill them, but they have the instinctive fear of death and isolation that makes them not want to consider leaving the other. Even though Andrew constantly talks about killing himself, him playing "eeny meeny miney" with the ring and their weapons to decide what he wants to do was him desperately trying to assign some kind of higher order, some kind of meaning, in his extremely chaotic and despairful life, on ultimately meaningless objects. 

(How tragically ironic that Andrew plays such a childish game when he spent all his childhood raising Ashley and his teenagehood working to support their family)

Landing on the ring convinces him that his fate is to be bound to Ashley as both siblings and lovers. Despite him believing that living together is better than dying together, they could not attempt to resolve their issues, only wanting to hurt each other more and more until they may eventually kill each other. This is best demonstrated where even though keeping Carl's identity is absolutely a bad idea due to how much debt he had, they do not want to move out of their shitty, loud apartment as it lets them inflict as much violence and misery on each other without any consequences.

But the ring as the thing that binds them is not true. It is absolutely arbitrary, as we can see if you choose to throw it away or not have it. Both are aware they already are bound together in a prison of their own making. Thus, they believe the most logical escape is to kill themselves together, jumping off in an embrace that they can't ever be separated from ever again.

(Despite having a gun at her head and bruises all over, despite taking those steps back, despite having two doors out, she cannot bring herself to turn away from him.)

(That is perhaps the most tired Andrew looks on the Andrew and Leyley route. Yet despite everything that happened before, he is at his most relieved to hear Ashley will join him in death.)

We know that these were not the only conclusions their relationship could reach, which makes them very tragic. The Andy route and Andrew and Leyley routes only happen because Ashley kept asserting power over Andrew without giving him any say. This dynamic can get worse by Andrew believing that retaliating violently is the only way to gain control, creating a miserable life for both of them if they survive. They are the logical conclusions to their toxic and unsustainable dynamic, mired with paranoia, hatred, love, and longing.

Now I will talk about if Ashley lets Andrew kill her. 

She has one last bittersweet conversation with him, and Andrew assures her that he will kill himself to be with her soon. This is notably their most romantic moment on Chapter 2 Decay, with Ashley even having a pink heart bubble if she chooses to do so. This is in direct contrast to the No Bullets route (which will be explored more later), where Andrew kills Ashley in the heat of rage and hatred. However, both have in common are the emotions that fuel these exchanges are in defiance of the "common sense" to not kill family or let yourself get killed. Interestingly, said emotions are of love and hatred respectively, often thought to be opposites of each other (they aren't really, that'd be discussed more in another post).

Notably, Ashley never makes any mention that she made that choice in Chapter 3A. Even when she has bullets, she does not suggest using the gun on the cops compared to Shots and Such. Now whether that is an oversight, she phrased it that way to try to bring back "Andy", and/or she genuinely forgot about that part is unclear, but whatever the case, Ashley chose to not assert power over Andrew. This creates the ground for them to talk earnestly to each other, one that would be further explored a little later.

I will now focus on "SHOOT!!!!!!". The average blind playthrough player is likely to pick this without thinking much about the difference, just like Andrew at the moment. He panics and empties out the entire gun with no regard for its future usefulness or that anyone could hear them, a complete opposite from his usual careful behavior. Ashley afterwards scolds him for it and wonders if there is a possibility to get new bullets, also a complete opposite from her usual, impulsive behavior. While that is unusual behavior for him to us, he can't really bear any blame for being reckless in panic. This again demonstrates how sometimes, "common sense" can't be followed because humans are not always rational beings and are very easily influenced by their circumstances.

Though of course, the consequences of acting without any thought can be devastating. Andrew giving into his emotions to commit great violence is further demonstrated in the Decay vision, where he kills Ashley out of blind rage. Him stealing the talisman from sleeping Ashley was also another moment of him giving into his emotions without considering the consequences, which while present in all routes, is particularly significant in this route as a part of a pattern. The same goes to Andrew chasing after the campers' kids, becoming enraged enough to want to kill him even though it'd waste precious time and he could avoid another murder.

This particular pattern of behavior of Andrew's is seen in both Cliffhanger and Andrew and Leyley route, but what is very interesting on Cliffhanger is that the roles of “the careful one” and “the impulsive one” sometimes switched between Andrew and Ashley. It can be done so in Chapter 2 with the hitman, and right in Cliffhanger’s beginning where the player can have Andrew decide to call Julia despite all the risks it entails. 

Even though logically, it sounds like a bad idea that would likely only be chosen on a blind playthrough by a player who wants to fuck around and find out, they are rewarded with Ashley getting praised and stronger trust from Andrew and a star for that. I think that on a more positive route of Episode 4, it will take the form of Andrew trying to encourage Ashley to consciously remember her trauma, even if she doesn't want to as it will bring her tremendous emotional pain, in order to help her make peace with herself. It is also entirely possible that there is a route where Andrew starts an argument rashly and it damages their relationship further, even irreparably, similar to how he retaliates brutally against Ashley after she slaps him in Andrew and Leyley route. Hell, there may be another path divergence between “SHOOT!!!!!!” and “Murder-Suicide” routes where the former produces a less positive ending compared to the latter with how the “easier” routes tend to be the less ideal ones and “Murder-Suicide” has equal power shared. We don't know, but it is an interesting food for thought.

Returning back to the route discussion, Ashley not having power is key to the Cliffhanger route and their reconciliation, as this leads to her trying to "pacify" Andrew with sex. Of course, Andrew does not want to go that far with nor exploit Ashley, making him initiate their heart-to-heart. There, he reveals his true feelings and Ashley reveals her genuine obliviousness to his feelings, with both of them apologizing for getting mad at each other. They start to realize an equal, more communicative partnership that Andrew desires, which while is fraught with lingering resentment, secret keeping, resorts to violence, and clashes over trusting the Entity, it notably has neither of them at risk of killing each other. Andrew leaves after Ashley slapping him, but he expects to return to her, and as he will find out, equipped to help address her issues and have a healthier relationship with her.

All of this is only possible when certain key "irrational" choices are made, producing what we consider the "rational" peaceful resolution. We see that theme run for some of the star events as well, now confirmed to be steps to see a significant vision of a future event. It was a really bad time for Andrew to buy a soda for Ashley, but he does it anyway to cheer her up. Calling Julia to provoke her and Ashley was arguably even more irrational with the high stakes it entailed, but he does it anyway as a way to test her, prove his loyalty to her, and reduce the burnt bridge with Julia into ashes (pun intended). Going up to the grove with the engagement ring, even though it takes more time, gives you a star. Killing Bunny Leyley to get her choker and have Ashley on the wedding cake cheers Andrew up, even though he had to commit a terrible violence for that and is further confronted about his romantic feelings for Ashley. And notably, two of these star events only happen on the Cliffhanger route, the route where the siblings are on the road of reconciliation. Thus, this potentially strengthens their relationship in a positive way and ensures their survival and ability to thrive.

In order to solve problems peacefully with someone, you first need to explore and open up your feelings and vulnerabilities to yourself. Then, you need to believe that the other has good faith in wanting to help you. That is extremely difficult to do when denial is essential to your survival and your trust is constantly betrayed, as Andrew and Ashley had suffered with throughout their life. Thus, it is very logical for them to try to assert power over the other through threats, manipulation, and violence without truly self-reflecting. However, this only leads to further anger and irrational actions. Andrew and Ashley best demonstrate that sometimes, when your "common sense" and "rationality" screams at you to avoid all kinds of pain, that you can take care of yourself and no one else can, they are ultimately arbitrary labels made by us that don't always guarantee what we want or need. To learn yourself and take that blind leap of faith in another person, even if it hurts; even if it is terrifying, is what leads to genuine resolution, growth, and nourishment of your well-being.

As Teenage Ashley succinctly says it: