#infinity train b2

When confronting the Apex and running away with Lake, his number does not change. They don't get his exit right away, it doesn't appear after this dramatic moment of him standing up for himself and his friend.

"But Yellow! It's about the pacing! It's about the drama of them running away!"

Wrong!

For one, Jesse's problem isn't that he can't stand up for himself. Because he can! And he shows us this!

"It looks like your punching wasn't doing much good either."

"I was yelling! It's still my turn to yell!"

He talks back after Lake mocks his approach. He puts his foot down and defends himself.

"Pft. You would."

He antagonizes Lake after the flecs outted them as a criminal. He doesn't bend to Lake's whims like someone who's spineless.

"You better not tell mom!"

He doesn't grovel for Nate not to tell their parents. Doesn't promise to make it up to him later, doesn't try to lighten this blow at all. The way someone would if they always played both sides.

Defending himself is not his problem, not really. It's not even just people-pleasing.

"Don't tell me what to do!"

"I'm not gonna be a part of anything like this. On or off the train!"

If it was? This would have been the scene Jesse got his exit. There's enough build up for it, we don't need the chase scene before it, we could still have the flex show up after Jesse's exit closed with Lake on the other side.

But it isn't.

"I've got you. We're getting out of here."

It's only after he reassures Lake that his number changes. After he promises to stay with them, to side with them.

Jesse's issues were about standing up for others. For defending other people, even when it wasn't convenient. Not about him.

I re-colored this thing like 5 times and I thought I would never finish it 💀

But at last I bring you choo choo squad at the arcade 👾👾👾

he goes to school after the train holding hands with a metal punk kid flips off his ex-friends and does his best to be good brother passive aggressively because fuck those guys who only showed up for one episode

And they almost seem sad when he doesn't respond to them? They have the tinest frown before they decide to carry the conversation entirely by themselves.

And they've never had to deal with physical affection before, and they panic in the face of a touch that isn't meant to harm them. Their face goes from surprise to concern before they realize it's... it's just okay to pet him.

At first I thought it was just ironic because it doesn't suit the way they look at all. Lake looks like they should be reserved. Like they're a closed-off person who doesn't express their emotions. And maybe Lake would've been if they had been raised like a normal kid!

But Lake hasn't had a choice their entire life. It was them always mimicking Tulip and doing what Tulip wanted to do. They're learning what it's like to move when they talk, to express themselves the way they want to! Learning to express themselves at all because Lake has never known how to express themselves. Just that they wanted to.