twenty one pilots 发布影片“I AM CLANCY”，回顾 Dema 故事线

twenty one pilots 社交媒体账号发布一段影片“I AM CLANCY”，Tyler Joseph 朗读了一份以 Clancy 口吻写下的文字，回顾了Dema 故事线和自己叛逃经历，以及他将要做的事情：回到 Trench。

他说自己陷入了一个循环当中想要逃脱（指“逃脱 - 被发现 - 被捕”），他是一个（据称的）古城 Dema 的居民，位于“空旷的” Trench 绿色大陆底部的圆形的水泥城市（但是居民不允许访问 Trench 的其他地方）。根据这里的描述，南方 Dema 城的“圆形”让人想到“圆形监狱”，代表无处不在的监视，钢筋水泥的构造让人压抑紧张；而北方 Trench 则是不受约束的荒野、自由地带，绿色代表植物和自然，让人愉悦放松。

自称“Blurryface”的 Nico 是九主教的领袖，他总是能在 Clancy 逃离以后找到他。主教他们通过能够远程控制身体的“念力”以及 Vialism 宗教来掌控城市，而 Vialism 的内涵即说服人们，只有自毁可以到达天堂 - 那时主教就可以利用“念力”将他们空荡的身躯作为“容器”来使用和控制 - 可以想象 Dema 城很多人都实际上是被主教“夺舍”的行尸走肉。Clancy 说，“夺舍”（seizing）的规定是，你只能控制死尸，而且只能持续一小段时间，并且只有主教有这种能力（但在后来，Clancy 成了例外）。

Clancy 叛逃：他设法让 Nico 把他带出 Dema 城的城墙，他通过点燃汽车转移了主教的注意力，逃脱了 Dema 城。他在 Trench 大陆游走数周后被主教找到并带走，但在被带走之前，他看见了山间的匪帮团（Banditos），之前他只在传说故事中听到过他们。（注：以上是“Jumpsuit”录影带的内容）回到 Dema 城不久，匪帮团解救了他，让他加入他们的队伍，但是他不久又被主教找到、带回 Dema。（“Nico”和“Levitate”的录影带）

两次叛逃后 Clancy 在 Dema 城的名气增长了，这是主教不希望看到的。他们让他装扮成 Dema 城的娱乐明星，用色彩鲜艳的舞台表演迷惑那里的市民。Clancy 在海上表演时，一名主教 Keons 背叛了 Nico，使用 Trash 龙攻击游艇（“Saturday”录影带），Clancy 逃脱了，到达了 Voldsoy 小岛。岛上的 Ned 授予了 Clancy 拥有“念力”能量的双角，使他拥有了控制死尸躯体活动的能力。（“The Outside”录影带）

影片最后，Clancy 戴上了一种仅露出双眼的、有红色条纹的黑色帽子，衣服上贴着红色胶带（如图）。他说他将会回到 Trench。根据之前的信件，他希望发起叛乱，无数火炬组成熊熊烈火，星火燎原（也就是这次专辑的宣传图像，火焰的含义）。我想这里的问题是，他会不会再一次叛乱失败被捕，重新进入这个循环之中。

另一个角度来看，Clancy 希望使用“念力”来赢得这次的战役 - 也就是通过占据 Dema 城的死尸的躯体，让他们加入反叛活动、对抗主教。这可以让人怀疑，他这样的做法是否跟主教没有区别；而他的装扮（遮脸、红色装束、黑色双手）也跟黄色和绿色装扮（同时也是 Trench 大陆的荒原的主色调）的匪帮团不相同，跟主教的装束更加像。Clancy 是否会在想要战胜主教的过程中，自己已经变成了 Nico/Blurryface？

另外，根据 @BanditoHub 的解释，影片最后有女声用德语和法语说“The secret island has turned me into a weapon”（这个秘密之岛把我变成了一个武器）。片尾有钢琴片段，有人发现是把“Leave The City”转换音调以后的结果。以及另一种低音乐器演奏的音乐，不知道是不是新音乐的片段。（@jimb0cius 把这里的音乐分离出来了，可以去听听）

也有人找出 2022 年乐队的一个电台访问，其中 Tyler Joseph 提到他们的下一张专辑会是这个故事线的最后一张专辑，他们也会直接和清楚地讲明这个故事和其中的人物，把故事从头到尾串在一起。这么说的话，“Trench”、“Scaled And Icy”和这张专辑算是一个 trilogy（三部曲），他们也会在这张专辑给 Dema 的故事写下一个结尾。

附，影片中 Clancy 写下的内容（大概也可以当成一篇 Clancy 的日记）

I am trapped. Stuck in a cycle I have never been able to break. I want to believe this is the last time, but I don't know for sure.

I'll start with what I do know. I am a citizen of an old city. Well, they say it's old, but there's just no proof. I can feel my friends rolling their eyes.

I'll keep it simple. I am a citizen of Dema, a circular cement city in the lower portion of an otherwise wild and green continent, Trench. We aren't allowed to go out there. Most haven't even seen it. But I have. I am an escapee, getting better at it with every attempt.

But they always find me. Well, he does. Nico. Or, Blurryface is what he calls himself. He's the leader of the nine Bishops who govern the city.

Their authority comes from two things: a miraculous power and a hijacked religion. One feeds the other. A cycle. It's called Vialism.

And all you really need to know is that it teaches that self-destruction is the only way to paradise. It also conveniently allows you to become an available vessel for the Bishops to use.

And that's where the miracle comes in. We call it seizing. The rules are that you can only seize, or control, a dead body and only for a short while. Also, they, the Bishops, are the only ones who can do it.

I am a citizen. I am an escapee. And I am an exception to the rule.

Okay, this is what happened recently. I tricked Nico into taking me outside the walls. I created a fiery diversion. I escaped. I wandered, grew weak, and was tracked down.

But this drag path was different. I saw them. They watched me. The Banditos. Legends, only stories of a group that lived out here.

Shortly after being back inside the walls my new people got me out. They needed me for something. They brought me in, taught me their colors. But the cycle was too strong. I was recaptured. Back inside.

I guess word got around, I became known in Dema. The Bishops did not like this, but decided to use it to their advantage. They made me entertain the people. Lie to them. They made me perform for them.

Then Nico was betrayed. And I escaped. Again. This time I found myself at a new place, washed up on an island.

And there, I was given a gift, thought to be extinct. I now had the same exact, miraculous power they wielded from their towers.

I am a citizen. I am an escapee. I am an exception. I am returning to Trench.

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