#vaas lore

Thread the Needle

Fields of Elation

When the Bough Breaks

Calcutta

Nazareth

Jericho

Jaws

Alchemy Ramblings

Okay so in Chokehold there's the line about turning the walls to gold right, well alchemically they wanted to turn lead to gold. Now, lead is something that has much less value than gold and that could mean this sense of him turning something he deems as having less value, into something that could entice the other person back to him.

That being said, lead walls? That's weird... but then again coffins and such were lined in lead to keep the body better preserved for longer so would that mean he felt in a space of stasis, unable to move on? Being trapped in the crypt, waiting for the situation to become valuable enough for a return?

The thing is, alchemy fell out of practice once sciences began to develop and they realized that the main goals of alchemy could not be achieved. That could be Vessel's realization. He gets new information, sees the reality of the situation and realizes it's no good. He will never turn lead into gold. He will never add value to something if they other person doesn't already see value in that thing.

Lead does have uses and value. Maybe not in the same way as gold, with fanciful adornments, symbols of power and wealth, but in more practical uses, especially for preservation and safety.

And for this thought to tie into chokehold? A chokehold is not comfortable. It's dangerous. It can put a person to "sleep" without their control. Again a symbol for being trapped.

Moving on from that, we have Aqua Regia only a few songs away and what does Aqua Regia do in alchemy? It dissolves gold. Maybe this is Vessel dissolving this idea of perfection he can't ever live up to and finally putting value in the more practical, realistic option. Then again, Aqua Regia also turns lead into an insoluble lead chloride, it too is changed but not dissolved.

This song wasn't my first introduction to Sleep Token, but it is the one that began to ease me into connecting emotion to their music before Euclid decided to drown me in it.

I won't go into my more personal interpretation because I feel it might put me into a tailspin. All I can say is that it reminds me of someone specific every time I hear it. Someone I ache to connect with once more but understand that the universe isn't ready for that to happen and very well might never be.

As for in interpretation I fear I won't have anything meaningful to add. To me, it's too wrapped up in my personal story. The easiest way I can say it would be just what it is.

A person trying to relate to another the depth of their love. The yearning for them that is only eased when they're together. It feel as if he has been separated from this person though it doesn't way why. These are silent confessions of a person who loves deeply and struggles to make their words matter to whoever he's trying to convince. We all have things we want to hear and someone specific we wish we could hear them from.

The distressing thing, is that those words don't carry as much meaning when it's from the wrong person. Perhaps he isn't sure if he's the person they need to hear it from.

While I take a very physical approach with the fic version of this song, I don't necessarily consider the song to be as physical.

What I mean by this, is that it seems the victim is being lured though possibly not with the intent of harming or killing them. One of the first things I was exposed to when it comes to Sleep Token interpretations (I try to avoid them while I formulate my own opinions but this one slipped up on me) was that Nazareth was Vessel admitting to killing/sacrificing someone as a way to prove himself to Sleep.

Now, in my fic this is somewhat the point of the chapter but it revolves more around Vessel "killing" an aspect of himself. I won't spoil it.

Anyway, as for Nazareth, I do believe Vessel is trying to prove something. As if a question of loyalty and devotion hangs in the balance and this is the only way Vessel knows to make this happen. I don't believe the action was necessarily Sleep's idea, but I do believe Sleep is present. Whether this is possession (as I explore in the fic) or simply there as a presence watching Vessel's actions, I'm undecided.

There are mentions of nudity, of loaded guns, bullets tearing through flesh, of showing someone what they look like inside. There are mentions of forcing them to watch in the mirror and choking on tape which makes me think this is a forced vulnerability. The ability to rip oneself to shreds and come to terms with all of the horrible, dark aspects of self we normally hide from the world being laid bare for the sake of devoting to a god. A deity. A greater being.

However, this is a trick by Sleep I think. A way of saying, prove yourself and yet when he does, Sleep is watching as Vessel lays all of his darkness bare unaware that Sleep can and will use it against him later.

Perhaps he thinks he's gaining forgiveness in this vulnerability. Saying something akin to, "I have not healed from these dark corners of myself, but I'm taking a step in showing you (Sleep) and I won't miss these vulnerabilities or insecurities".

He asks for this vulnerability from Sleep later in Jaws but I'll get there later.

The violent way in which this happens makes me wonder if Vessel doesn't have enough respect for himself and his boundaries to ensure his own safety while laying bare the darkest parts of himself to another being. Maybe it's somewhat like he's dumping that trauma onto another being and hope they'll don't use it against him or run away.

This is meant to be an anonymous page, separate from other fandoms I'm in as well as my personal identity. But I have no intention on making this confusing.

You may call me Vaas. Pronouns are whatever you like to call me, I am willing to use any. I am in my 30's and taken.

Please feel free to reach out to me through whatever means you feel most comfortable. I don't care if you are bored and want to randomly drop silly ideas or want to talk about art or writing or whatever. Be warned, however, I might lurk quietly but I talk a lot so... Don't say you were unaware.

That being said, I am reluctant to interact with minors. If you are a minor, or you do not have your age in your bio, I will not follow you in return. While I don't intend this blog to have too much in the way of adult content, I will block anyone who does not meet age requirements if they are acting in a way that makes me uncomfortable. It's nothing personal, it's for both of our safety. Feel free to communicate publicly, but if you DM me and you do not have an age in your bio, I will not reply.

This post could change over time, but as is, most of the content here will be Sleep Token, including lore interpretations and a fanfiction I never intended to write. That being said, I may never finish it. I'm currently writing novels so we'll see where my focus lies.

Tags as of right now are

#Vaas Lore - Any lore interpretations, fictionalized or otherwise. I understand this might get confusing, I might create a secondary tag.

#Still Small Voice Fic - Fanfiction version of lore. It goes by this name on Ao3 as well

#Still Small Voice Fic AU - Anything dealing with my oc Whisper and GhostlyGothicGays oc Lustre

#Vaas Remembers Nothing - Likely things dealing with art and writing. Basically it helps with my horrid memory

Tumblr Post for Fic Index Linked Here

Since I got ahead of myself I decided to post the story version of this first, I thought it only made sense to also post my own take that is not in that format.

I swear I will attempt to be concise and not ramble, but no promises.

When I first saw the title of the album I thought it was a little odd but it stirred some memories of a deceased relative that struggled with this. For that reason I will TW sundowning as well as dementia and Alzheimer's, just in case. Also, the little personal experience backstory here will be between the asterisks if you wish to skip it.

***

That being said, I recall how she was during the day. Of course, we are talking about a woman well into her nineties at the time so there was very little that she did besides watch television. Evangelical preachers and the news more often than not. She wasn't bed ridden or anything of that nature and other than typical ailments for her age, she was rather healthy. Days were slow and quiet.

But as late afternoon crept in, tension built in the house. As she was able to stay home until her passing, she was accompanied at all times by at least one other person, be it family or hired ladies that assisted in her care. She would become confused, agitated, and paranoid. I won't go any further into it, but what I experienced made me wonder about Vessel.

***

Why the title of Sundowning when that is usually reserved for individuals suffering from dementia and Alzheimer's? Then I considered it as less of something he could not help, and more of a state he suffered as a result of knowing Sleep was coming. This plays up on my thought of Sleep being a separate entity that can (in some way) possess Vessel. Sleep isn't always there, but when he is, Vessel can feel him coming.

See, in lore context I wonder... when it's sundown you're growing closer to the time to sleep. Night is settling in and there is only so much time left before you must sleep. Fighting that sleep is always an option but rarely has positive consequences.

Vessel obviously doesn't have dementia so what if it's more in the sense that the night is coming and so is Sleep? I assume Sleep does not join Vessel every night, mostly because I believe that Sleep finds ways to manipulate Vessel and keep him in a state of longing or desire and what better way to do that than by living by the adage "absence makes the heart grow fonder". Let Vessel suffer through the night alone and when Sleep is present, it would bring so much relief, that Vessel would see the encounter as worth it no matter how unfulfilled he feels in the morning.

The prospect of the encounter could cause Vessel to pace and grow agitated or confused on how to feel about it. Seeking some kind of companionship to not be alone through the night, which is when most people struggle with loneliness, while also knowing that what's coming might not leave him feeling as fulfilled as he hopes.

This would tie in with my thoughts on Thread the Needle but that is for another post. However, I will say that it is the idea of giving his all to Sleep while accepting the bare minimum in return. I can relate to Vessel's side of that. I'm not proud to admit it, but when I was younger I obsessed with someone very similar. Only at night did they acknowledge my presence and they gave me just enough to keep me craving more. I was afraid of being alone, afraid of losing them, so I allowed a lot of things to happen just for the sake of the relationship. I'm still fighting the consequences of that.

To me this sounds more like Sleep talking to Vessel than vice verse, but the more I think about it, the more it makes sense both ways but perhaps for different reasons.

In my fic, I decided to go with it being a message from Sleep to Vessel but in a way he doesn't understand. Mostly, he chooses to take the meaning a certain way; as a gift to him from her. However, Whisper sees a different meaning. She sees this song as Sleep almost boasting about her relationship with Vessel. The ability to keep him willfully under her thumb.

However, fic aside, I have a few thoughts. In a way, it feels like a new relationship. People talking about a new relationship and how it comes across to them. There is still an air of mystery and excitement. Comfort doesn't quite exist yet. These people have lived on "past encounters" but whether that means that they are indulging in memories of past relationships or simply overthinking every instance they have encountered their new person, is hard to say.

In the beginning, there is an excitement of playing scenarios over and over in your head. Did they do xyz because they care? What did it mean when they sent me that emoji? Were they flirting when they opened the door for me?

New flesh. New encounters. New boundaries and mysteries and sensations and emotions...

And yet there also seems to be insecurity. Hands not being worthy. You see, I can see Vessel not feeling worthy to touch a god. Putting Sleep on a pedestal whether it's deserved or not. On the other hand, if Sleep is a being in which needs Vessel for influence, it would be important to make Vessel feel he is unworthy while also riding a delicate balance. Make him feel unworthy enough to keep him at your side, but not so bad that he leaves. I would think that in a way, Sleep would feel unworthy of Vessel's devotion because the influence Vessel spreads is due to his own skills and talents, not what was offered by Sleep. The idea that Sleep is what makes Vessel what he is, is a lie.