I love how infinity train uses glasses, and that Ryan is the one who wears glasses in book four.
Like there's the basic stereotype of smart character who wears glasses, and studious people having glasses almost as an accessory. At least when used in character design.
There must be a reason the character has glasses. Whether for plot, a motive, or to help us grasp who they are based on stereotypes.
And Tulip! Fits those stereotypes! Her frames or thin and large- and neither of her parents need glasses, so I think it's safe to say it's used mostly for the stereotype and also to give her parents something to fight over.
(I don't find anything wrong with leaning into this stereotype here because it does work- and it's not necessarily negative. But it's possible that's just because I felt very seen when I watched Tulip's parents argue about glasses during the flashback scene.)
And in book four- Min suits the stereotypes of glasses-characters. He's studious, down to earth, smart- giving him glasses would have made sense to express those key associations. But they didn't! They took the time to turn the trope on it's head, to give the silly-goofy character glasses!
And Ryan's glasses do still say something about him! They're bulky and brightly colored! It's something for him to fidget with, and his glasses never once feel out of place on his character!
I dunno where I was going with it but, I just really appreciate the thought they put into these character designs, and knowing when and where to use character design tropes and when to break them.
Need to add to this immediately, because Ryan's glasses are being used to say something about him and it is that he does not fit expectations.
Nerdy characters wear glasses, they follow rules, they're the teachers pet.
Just like we expect that characters with glasses will be a certain way, people have expectations of Ryan and he doesn't meet them.
He doesn't go to college, he isn't having a great time when he's away from Min, people think he's always happy and doesn't take things seriously and that has never been true at all. Just like the glasses are meant to be a subversion of expectation, so is his character.
Okay I was thinking about them and realized something interesting 🧐
Between the two of them Jesse is the one who unprompted and more directly expresses how he feels about Lake! Mainly through words of affirmation and touch. And it’s thanks to these actions that Lake is so sure when they say “he didn’t want to leave me” “we’re friends and that’s real!”
Like they believe this wholeheartedly and it’s very sweet that we the viewers get to see this moments where Jesse is also a source of comfort for Lake. For example in episode nine Lake is in the number car and says “you and Jesse are gonna laugh about this, this will be funny”
But here’s the thing, Jesse isn’t around in any of those moments. So my theory is he might not know truly how much he means to Lake.
Because even tho there’s moments where Lake shows they care about him, like comforting him in the lucky cat car when he’s sad about Nate, when they get separated and Lake looks absolutely crushed that he’s leaving or when he gets thrown into the TV and Lake yells his name all worried and also obviously this scene where they hug!!!
This is the moment where they express the most to him that he means a lot to them. But most of the time it’s through body language but very few words.
Remember how in the lucky cat car Jesse looks at Grace and says “I don’t think that was a real bow I think that was a sarcastic bow!”
Like guys why does he have the need to clarify that??? I think he struggles with body language
And another thing! If we really think about it Lake only expresses they care when it’s promoted, pushed to the limit or when they’re in a dangerous situation.
Which isn’t very healthy and I think would be an interesting thing to explore in post canon ideas or aus bc I think people obviously catch on Jesse’s internal flaws bc they’re a lot more explicit but I think Lake’s struggle with vulnerability it’s worth noting!
If you compare their vulnerability even from episode 8 book 1! To the end of book 2! When Lake says “I guess I changed too” 😭 maybe it’s bc they learned to rely on others a little and open up.
The character they feel the most comfortable opening up to is Alan Dracula bc it literally takes them less than a day to trauma dump to this deer lol. And it’s important bc they do consider Alan their friend.
So yea idk I have a lot of thoughts about this idk if I’m making sense but oughhhh
In this au Lake spits out tulips bc cmon what else could best represent being forced to do something Lake doesn’t want?
The disease is yet another thing that is here to take control over their life just bc What? They don’t wanna tell their crush about their feelings? Is that a crime now?, telling Jesse should be their choice but the hanahaki disease very implicitly tells them they don’t get to make that choice.
For better or worse Lake’s got a reputation with stubbornness.
robot whumpee getting Ship of Theseus'd. this isn't their body anymore. the slow removal of what was into what is, the tedious reconstruction of their body and mind until the unit they see in the mirror, with different eyes, a different face, different hands, different name, has to reconcile their memory with their impermanence. nothing is the same. is it a curse?
Infinity Train theoretical Book & OCs! (long ass post)
INFINITY TRAIN BOOK ???: OVERT ATTACHMENT
Meet the cast!
Renae (They/Them) got on the train at the age of 16, 10 whole years ago, in that time they managed to make friends and adjust to life on the train. Every time their number hits 0, they're struck with such intense fear of going back to the real world and its real problems that the number shoots up. Shortly after arriving they lost their hand, and managed to find...
Liv (She/Her) is Renae's best friend, their left hand gal! she's a living car who gives a glob of her shapeshifting form as a replacement hand for Renae. Renae was actually the one to name Liv! She's eternally grateful for Renae coming into her life, best friends, through thick and thin.
Battrick (He/Him) is also there. A recent member of the dynamic duo, met in The Haunted House Car, Battrick is on a search with the others to find the scariest things he can to improve his house! He has ignored Renaes suggestions of mushrooms and pirates.
Episode Overview!
Episode 1: The Magician Car
Renae and Liv are on their typical trek when something goes wrong.
(Setup, shows the typical dynamic duo interaction between the two as they take down an evil magician guy, until The Living Car is moved far away, and they have to get back)
Episode 2: The Haunted House Car
Renae and Liv go through a spooky manor and make a friend.
(The two go through an unimpressive haunted house experience, and when Battrick, one of the denizens, asks for advice on what’s scary, Renae claims mushrooms and refuses to elaborate. Battrick joins them, hoping to find scary stuff outside the car. It’s shown how he’s not working well in the established dynamic, to Liv’s annoyance.)
Episode 3: The Catfish Car
Renae and Battrick have a moment on a shoddy fishing boat. Liv discusses with The Cat.
(Battrick asks Renae what they’re gonna do after they get off the train, and that sparks a conversation about their old home and the potential for a new one, as well as their past in general, with Renae mentioning they’re not a fan of boats. Cat strikes a conversation with Liv and is suspicious of how she talks about Renae.)
Episode 4: The Chillax Car
Liv and Battrick bond over video games and food.
(Renae finds friends in the car and hangs with them, to Liv’s annoyance. Liv and Battrick interact, with Liv talking about their frustration with Battricks addition to the group, but honestly reassures him that she’s warming up to him, and that it's definitely her just being ironically scared of change. Renae feels a bit bad for kinda ditching them, and apologizes, even though they aren't in the wrong. Battrick feels the need to reassure that, but doesn’t.)
Episode 5: The Telenovela Car
Renae and Liv put on a show.
(Renae and Liv are cast as romantic partners in a show, with Renae’s character revealed to be cheating on Liv’s. Liv’s acting reaction has a slightly concerning level of realism, talking about how she always had a feeling they were with the neighbour (Battrick's character) and yelling with tears in her eyes, her incredible “acting” catches herself, the others, and the audience off guard, but the audience adores the show.)
Episode 6: The Mushroom Pirate Car
Renae remeets a not-so-friendly face.
(Renae is back in the car where they lost their hand, and the mushroom pirate captain who took it is more than happy to finish the job. Liv is overprotective of them and underprotective of Battrick, to Renae’s concern and annoyance. Renae eventually takes down the captain themselves, without Liv.)
Episode 7: The Confessional Car
The three have to confess their feelings and sins.
(The three are forcibly separated, and made to confess in a freakily religious setting that physically cracks with every confession. Battrick says they’re unsure on how good Liv is, Renae eventually admits they’re a bit scared for Liv, and Liv’s is not revealed, but it’s clear it upset her.)
Episode 8: The Fear Car
The truth comes to light.
(The car seems to be a version of Liv, but way, way more hostile. When the captain shows up and they piece together that this is a fear themed car, Liv is incredibly confused and upset that they showed up as the main hostility. They then finally arrive at The Living Car, where Liv locks them inside.)
Episode 9: The Living Car
Liv snaps at Renae and Battrick.
(Liv separates Renae and Battrick, for Renae’s own safety, as she puts it. Liv is having a full on breakdown, constantly shifting and ranting, worried that they aren’t good enough for Renae and desperate to prove the opposite, with Renae trying and failing to reason.)
Episode 10: The Breaking Point
Renae learns to move on.
(Renae finally admits to themselves that their relationship with Liv is not healthy. After freeing Battrick, their number hits zero, but they don’t want to leave without talking to Liv, so they fight through the mass to her center, consoling her a bit before saying they wish her luck for the future and changing for the better, but they don't want to be a part of it. After they leave, she retracts and lets Battrick leave the car, and Renae goes forth on Earth looking for a new life.)
Other Notes
Each book has a genre and theme
Book One is a mystery about reality
Book Two is an adventure about identity.
Book Three is a tragedy about empathy.
Book Four is a comedy about communication.
This Book is a horror focusing on moving on.
Each Book also has an irl classic book associated with it
Book One takes inspiration from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll.
Book Two is basically Carlo Collodi's The Adventures of Pinocchio.
Book Three has references to J. M. Barrie's Peter Pan.
Book Four had nods and themes from Nikolai Gogol's short story, Nevsky Prospekt
Man, I wonder what book this one is based- OH.
Renae's Number is revealed to be 54, and stays as such in the majority of the story. Guess what 54 is in roman numerals :]. Go on guess :]. Renae's name also means "Rebirth", with their themes of finding a new life on the train and then leaving to find one off of it. In addition, before they met Liv they were taken in by the Mushroom Pirates and bonded with them, and when they were like "I wanna be a pirate too!" the captain replied "Ha, of course! but you'll have to LOOK THE PART!" and swiftly held down their hand with their hook for the amputation. If they succeeded in making them "look the part" they would have infected them with spores and fully turned them into a mushroom. This is meant to represent betrayal and manipulation that happened in their past as well as would soon happen in their future with Liv.
Battrick was created as an antithesis to Liv's ideals, and as such I chose an animal that apparently represents communication, long journeys, challenge, good luck, dreams, and fear.
Liv using part of herself as Renae's arm is to represent the emotional attachment to them in a literal sense, as well as her unintentionally girl-nipulating them to stay on the train, with her physically covering the (now floating) number. Liv as a villain is on a sliding scale between Morgan and Simon, in all honesty. shes unhealthily obsessed with Renae and wants nothing more than to always be in their life, and them to always be in hers. They NAMED her, they gave her a LIFE, if Renae leaves, what does that make her? She sees herself as an extension of renae rather than her own person, and in the end Renae does feel bad for her, and genuinely hopes she gets a better mental state, but they don't have to or WANT to be a part of it.
And yes that includes that shitty video game, yes that includes the Lego sets, yes it includes visiting the theme park. Stop giving Transphobia Georg money.
Everyone pls enjoy the blorbos bc today is their special day!!
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO MY FAVORITE SEASON AND SHIP OF ALL TIME!! 5 YEARS SINCE I WATCHED BOOK 2 and I let these two take over my brain💛💙🖤🤍
I couldn’t finish a solid rendered piece this year but I decided to dump my doodles on you! Most of these are stuff I managed to do on when I was scratching the walls for some dopamine on 2024
Hope you can enjoy 😊 have a wonderful book 2 anniversary 🚂 ♾️ and a very cool 2025
