"How Many Years I Know I Bare— I Found Something In The Woods Somewhere."

"How many years I know I bare— I found something In The Woods somewhere."

Phoenixflare x Hozier's "In The Woods Somewhere" "Lost in the Woods" Secret Santa Prompt for @february13rose "In the poem, the protagonist finds himself in the woods, and is terrified by beasts until his love interest in Heaven sends a mentor to pull him out of the woods and set him back on the virtuous path he had lost." (x)

To me, this gifset is a very loose 'retelling' of Dante (Dion) moving through the "circles of hell," though primarily the version of the stories presented in Hozier songs (both In The Woods Somewhere, which these lyrics come from, and most of the phenomenal album Unreal Unearth: Unending, particularly Hymn to Virgil) which that draw very heavily on the imagery and themes of The Inferno, albeit more romantic way only Andrew Hozier Byrne can be. In my mind, we are following a Dion reflecting on the madness inflicted on him by Ultima, both the slow degradation of his confidence in his father and his ability—and how, after what he did in Twinside, he considers himself lost and unworthy of saving. At the start, he is waking to a version of himself he cannot face, one burdened by regret & a lack of desire to live–but who is slowly led back to "the surface" and forgiveness by "the voice from heaven" (Joshua), who is also in a way his Virgil in that he is the authoritative guide leading him through things he doesn't understand.

In my original vision, the ending of this set is a lot sadder—more in alignment with the tone of the game and Hymn to Virgil (where Dante refuses to leave hell because he won't leave Vigil, and...they are trapped in hell together lol). In this, he escapes that hell with Joshua (out of respect for Luna's desire for a happy ending), both because he #DeservesIt and also because of the Phoenix's proverbial and literal ability to "revive" him, whether through love or his powers. Either way, the redemption and forgiveness he desires is achieved through his alliance with Joshua–which is actually kinds like the story told in canon, at least to me!

Also, side note: the grid was done in reference to Dion’s talk of his gilded cage in the quest Clive does for him in the Hideaway. It just struck me as poignant to give to him here.

Hope you enjoy your gift! :)