#crini0

LOOK AT THOSE CHEEKS, HES WEARING A FULL ON THONG-LIKE FABRIC HOLY MOLY😩😩😩.... I can't stop staring.... It makes sense they have their privates wrapped up but it was funny to think they don't really bother with all that. Just slap a loincloth on it and it's fine.

(Someone tell Grace to stop mogging in life or death situations)

First of all, to get the gushing out of the way, I so loved seeing Dek act so energetic as he tackled the mission. He's so adorable but his overzealousness makes me feel really bad for him. He's so desperate to prove himself. And what yautja wouldn't be? Especially one that's considered weak and an abomination. Dek always puts 120% into everything he does and while that shows his resolve and commitment, its what got in his way of being more flexible. Njhorr is an awful, AWFUL father.

It really hit me right about here that this comic was trying to showcase how bullheaded and cruel Dek was being in this situation, how he perpetuated the behaviour and teachings his own father applied with him. He saw this machine was only trying to protect the people it was designed to protect and, in Njhorr type fashion, Dek saw it as an opportunity. That exchange between Dek and Kwei in the movie when they're fighting really resonates here and puts into perspective how much Njhorrs upbringing affected Dek:

K: "You fight with rage."

D: "I fight like father."

😪😪☹️

This but what if it was Kwei failing to save his little brother from their father..,,, WHY AM I DOING THIS TO MYSELF!!!

This whole exchange ughhh it squeezes at my heart....Kwei is the type of older sibling that has most certainly carried within the generational toxic cycle, but he has broken free of it. Now, he wants to make sure he can guide his little brother and make him see that you don't have to adhere to the extremes of their culture to be a successful and accepted hunter. Kweis trying to help Dek break the cycle, especially since Dek has gotten the worst of their father's hate and it obviously has affected Dek in such a way where he tries to overcompensate in all the wrong ways.

I almost missed this little panel because I wasn't sure what the drawing was trying to convey but!!! This was Dek reacting to Kweis words "We protect each other"🥺🥺😢. He touches his broken fang, all of a sudden brought back to that time when he protected his brother and how it probably felt like something very natural for Dek to do. It's in his blood to protect the people he cares for–even though he doesn't see that in that moment because its not a lesson that's taught amongst the yautja it seems–and Kwei zeroed in on that immediately. He knew that's where his strength would shine and come through the best!

I love these two so much and the highlights of this comic have definitely been the interactions between Kwei and Dek and how Dek interacts with the environment due to his upbringing. It was also really interesting to see another alien species and how it seems like they are mostly a peaceful species and do not want to be bothered or found. There was a panel where it said how if Dek got his hands on the tech he was looking for, it was very likely for the yautjas to trace it back to the aliens homeplanet which implies that the yautjas would most likely do so and possibly find the planet for new game. Its funny that Dek considers them "weak looking", he doesn't know that sometimes, judging a book by its cover is the worst mistake you can make. And as a hunter you cant really afford a short sighted mindset like that.

It was even more eye opening. I could fully see the world and its beautiful biosphere and locations. It was really endearing and a really cool moment when I noticed how when Dek got preoccupied with catching Bud so he could stop her from interfering with his hunt, Thia pulled at Deks scalp tresses to catch his attention to the bison that was charging at them lol. I wish they had more moments like that ugh. I need a sequel so bad man...

I felt for Dek and Kwei even more than I had in my first viewing too:((. Its really such a cruel world they live in. While their traditions are there to honor their lifestyle and ancestors, Njhorr's way of upholding them was truly unwarrantedly cruel when it came to his own son. He didnt even fucking try as a father to see if Deks potential was *there*. Now I know the prequel comic adds some nuance to this whole situation, but Njhorr didn't handle it any better there. It makes me wonder if Kwei had tried to take Deks fate in his own hands by suggesting to Njhorr to let him train his little brother. Or if he tried and it fell on deaf ears because Njhorr's mind was already made up when he told Kwei to kill Dek.

*sighs heavily* I miss them already dude. I really am gonna write a fic about Dek aren't I?:))) I feel it in my bones.

I PRAY we get a sequel that revolves around Deks mom somehow, if not around Dek and his clan. It would be an INSANELY missed opportunity to not introduce the female yautja with that ending scene. It was literally like a carrot on a stick, being dangled in front of our noses!!

What I'm disappointed with is the lack of Scarlex content 😫😫😫!!! I was lied to!!! Don't get me wrong, I loved every additional piece. Like Scar and Lex working together in making the armour, how he stared back at Lex when she was spying his ritual through the hole in the wall, how he scared her with the xeno hand twice, to make a point, instead of using the head (that was a nice touch, i think both versions portray his humour well), how Scar used his sound recorder to use Lexs "keep it together, make it to the surface" not only to communicate his goals with her but to ease her anxiety at one point, how Lex studies Scar so thoroughly in her head (there's like 3 or more pages of just her inner monologue analysing Scar), how Scar makes an effort to slow down for her when he runs off to show he considers her an equal worthy of listening to, and towards the end how Lex rushes to Scars dying side and sobs at his inevitable death. She shows some emotion which is so much better considering they're kind of bonded through trauma and war. It really made my heart clench when Scars final words "the enemy of my enemy..." and Lex joining in with "is my friend" showed how despite it all–they had something going on. A line that encapsulates the begrudging respect they harbored for each other which turned into genuine allyship by the end. How Lex holds Scars head against her chest after he dies🥺😓. It made me a bit more sad to see Scar die. He was a good one.