#that or a denizen of the train trying to leave like lake was

[saturnniidae]

Hijack infinity train au. This would definitely not end in tragedy

[tiffany-loves-broadway]

Miscellaneous Infinity Train Fan Cars

@lakesbian You said you were interested in these, so here goes - the full set of Infinity Train fan cars I made. I made these nineteen cars for five different passengers in all, mixed in with canon cars and a fan car a friend made.

The Alphabetized Car is a car with a wide assortment of miscellaneous items that are all tagged and neatly sorted in alphabetical order. Featureless denizens occasionally manifest to maintain the car's organizational system, and to tag and add inexplicable new shipments of junk. If you come across them, you can help them with their work, but there is a continuous hazard of being identified as an item that belongs in the car and tagged. If this happens to you, you can wait for them to leave and then escape, but the tag does not come off.

The Murder Mystery Dinner Car is exactly what it says it is; it's a fancy dining room where a fair play whodunnit murder mystery plays out and you need to solve it to leave. The murders aren't 100% real; everything has a very staged feel to it, like it's self-consciously a show being put on for the benefit of the passengers. A relatively common source of companion denizens.

The Back On Earth Car briefly makes it seem like you have escaped from the train and are, in fact, back on Earth. You quickly realize that you're like a ghost and can't be perceived or interact with anything, though. The visions this car gives you of Earth aren't perfectly reliable, although it isn't just making them up out of whole cloth, so it can be kind of hard to disentangle. The car generally directs you towards scenes of people worrying about you, missing you, and assuming you're probably dead.

The Conspiracy Car is a windy void that manifests your thoughts in real time as scraps of paper with images and text, hanging and connected by red strings; more relevant thoughts manifest come closer to you and less relevant thoughts pull away. As you play around with it, it begins to subtly insinuate itself into this process to alter your thinking, first by improving it and generating useful insights that you wouldn't have thought of yourself, and then by making you paranoid and despondent. If you get caught up in this and stay put for too long, the car will ensnare you in this web and consume you.

The Maid's Car is a room featuring a two-foot-tall denizen with a jellybean for a head, wearing a maid outfit; when met, she is usually cleaning up a pile of spilled jellybeans from some unspecified incident. She is a very frequent companion denizen, and is extremely experienced as such; she's something of a foil to Lake, being very comfortable in her assigned role. Even as it's grown routine over the years, even with its ups and downs, she thinks of acting as a companion for passengers as her purpose, and the idea of casting off the denizen role and leaving the train is unthinkable.

The Biplane Car requires you to fly a biplane from the entrance to the exit. It's set up so that you'll have an argument with your companion that will distract you from flying the plane.

The Henry Car introduces you to Henry, a psychic, shapeshifting denizen who appears human, and will try to follow you on your journey, much like Perry. You will remember that Henry has been accompanying you throughout much of the train, but this will be false. You will remember knowing and liking Henry on Earth, but this will be false. Henry is basically malevolent in nature, and will be a burden on you at best; the sooner you realize something's up and dispel him, the better. (Worth The Candle didn't invent this general concept, but the name Henry is a reference to its use of it.)

The Apocalypse Car is kind of a counterpart to the Back On Earth Car. It takes you through a distorted, fake version of Earth where something is horribly wrong, and all the people are missing or dead. It's unclear exactly what happened, but you get the sickening feeling that it's a plausible future somehow.

The D&D Car is just a fun cute little car with a group of denizens who want you to join their TTRPG campaign, which the car helps produce dramatic visual aids for. It's very easy to spend too long there, if you're the type to go for that and you aren't too concerned with making forward progress through the train.

The Airport Car is arguably a utility car, which denizens can use to return to their home car. (Passengers can technically also use it in the same way, but you can't control where it sends you and it only sends you elsewhere on the train, so it'll actually just send you to a random car.) Its real purpose is to divest you of a companion - it shows up when your companion is getting tired of being your companion and you need a teary-eyed airport goodbye where you try to convince them to stay.

The Motel Car is a seedy motel where you need to do a chain of fetch quests for assorted primate denizens to get the key for the exit. A very tedious car even if done exactly correctly.

The Marathon Car is a car designed to exhaust you. The path through it is very clearly marked; it's simply a very long way from the entrance to the exit. It has a racing theme to it, but thankfully no actual time limit; you'll definitely need to pace yourself. Expect to spend at least a day here.

The Vivisection Car is a hospital ward with a large and horrifying betentacled denizen who, driven by curiosity, will attempt to surgically take apart any living thing it encounters.

The City Of Cards Car is a city made of cards, inhabited by little card people. The whole city is extremely delicate and will collapse if not treated with great care, at which point you have pissed off all the local denizens, who will need to rebuild it.

The Nuclear Test Site Car is a little '50s Americana town, eerily devoid of life. There is a heavily-armored observational building near the exit, where a passenger poking around is likely to set off a nuclear bomb that destroys the town.

The Folsom Prison Blues Car is a car that is a prison, inhabited by both guard denizens and prisoner denizens. Passengers will generally be identified as a prisoner, and the guards will refuse to allow them to leave the car - even treating a passenger's number falling as an escape attempt to be punished.

The Survivor Car features a mid-sized group of denizens (one or two dozen) who are collectively quite unpleasant. When a passenger arrives, the group will begin voting at regular intervals as to who should be kicked out. The Survivor Car's denizens treat this fate as especially unpleasant, like they're being sent to their deaths; however, they're just playing it up as part of the game, and getting voted out is in fact the only way for a passenger to leave the Survivor Car. The longer you manage to politically maneuver yourself into staying on the Survivor Car, the likelier you are to wind up stuck on it as its newest permanent denizen.

The Elephant Car has a society of mouse-like denizens milling about chatting with one another, totally ignoring a large elephant standing in the middle of the car. It's a bit of a Rorschach test, and if the passenger acknowledges the elephant, the results are a coinflip - sometimes the elephant is a grave taboo that the passenger will be chased out of the car for violating, and sometimes the passenger will be lauded for bravely speaking up where no one else would, making the elephant feel welcome, etc.

The Grand Theft Auto Car is set in a stereotypically/unrealistically crime-ridden modern city; passengers must navigate, Scylla-and-Charybdis-style, a complex gang war between several factions to get through.

[anti-eluvians]

Lavellan changes after drinking from the Well.

She had mirrored her surroundings, trying to be as bland and Chantry-like (as human-like) as possible. If she acts too inhuman this unpredictable Seeker might throw her back in the dungeon to be forgotten. Certainly no one in Haven would protest. She reaches out to other elves but is swiftly rejected. She doesn’t hear from the clan and assumes she must handle this alone. So Lavellan smiles and tells no lies. She moves softly. She doesn't know what happened in the Fade, she makes no claims of divinity, she tells jokes only when she knows they will land. She asks Cassandra if an elf should really lead this religious Inquisition, then declares the Inquisition for order, for safety, for all of Thedas. Only when asked directly does she say “I believe in the Elven gods.” And when Cassandra asks "Is there no room in your pantheon for one more god?” Lavellan bites her tongue and smiles.

After the mages, the Wardens, Halamshiral, she reflects less and dares more. She tells jokes that makes her audience groan. She charms the most prickly Orlesian visitors, teaches Harding dances and trades songs with Maryden. She helps Cole help people, she adopts Sutherland And Company, she attends drinking parties with the Chargers, she tends the wounded at Skyhold, she visits the soldiers down in that icy pass at Skyhold’s feet. She is everywhere doing good works, carefully building a reputation for the Inquisition and the Dalish and, despite herself, the Maker. She smiles at “rabbit” and tells Solas later that she just barely resisted the urge to hop around the ballroom. Leliana only gets reports of muffled screaming (as if into a pillow) after particularly nasty nobles visit. Lavellan is friends with everyone in the fortress, she is interested in everyone and all they have to say. She interviews scholars and priests, taking copious notes, until they flee the castle. She joins or starts chess tournaments open to all. She pulls in Dalish mages to show the kitchen staff (and any human mage who will listen) how to make ice cream. 

But after the Arbor Wilds, everyone tumbling to the floor in a tangle days before the Inquisition leaders can return, she stays down longer than the others. Morrigan and Solas leave immediately, and only Cole remains when she can finally stand. Over the next month the inner circle finds her staring into space more and more often. They find her in the eluvian room where Morrigan no longer goes, sitting beside the mirror with eyes closed and face lifted to the sunlight. Iron Bull and Varric hear whispers that she’s praying. Sera joins her one day but can’t stand being so close to ancient elfy magic and flees after an hour. Blackwall quietly carves her a chair in the Dalish style and asks Dorian to distract her while he sneaks it into place.

Lavellan is less prone to bad jokes. She trains alone and starts fewer games with the denizens of Skyhold. For a week she skips her nightly study session with Dorian and Josephine, driving them both frantic with worry. But after seven days she appears like clockwork, bringing a small journal crammed with notes on ancient elven culture to discuss with Dorian. She begins to wander the soldiers’ camps near the lake, or stare into the wind on Leliana’s balcony, or, more and more often, sit silent in the eluvian room. The normal folk assume she is praying to one god or another. Those closer to her hope she is meditating on the mirror and what Corypheus might do, until one day Vivienne sees a flash of light and watches her step down from an unannounced stroll in the Crossroads.

“You are the Inquisitor,” Josephine begs over dinner that night. “Please do not go to such dangerous places alone. I cannot think what we would do without you!” Lavellan blinks, her halla-horn mug paused just above the table. Most of the circle holds their breath. “I wasn’t alone,” she assures them all with the smile that Josie now dreads. “I had an excellent tour guide. The spirits of the Well are very familiar with the Crossroads.” Solas stands, drawing everyone’s attention. Impishly Lavellan adds, “And they're full of stories.” The elven apostate leaves without a word.

Morrigan and Solas rarely speak to her anymore. Lavellan pretends not to notice but her hurt is made obvious by Cole’s sudden, constant presence at her side. Varric knows she looks up to Morrigan as a hero of the Blight. Solas’ sudden withdrawal had left her spinning, untethered and angry. At first Varric (and the rest of the castle) attribute her odd behavior to the breakup, but her resilience and stubbornly hopeful outlook make that hard to believe. But many more things go missing around the fortress, and when asked Cole apologizes for leaving so many people bemused. But he also says the tree's roots have not regrown so he will not stop. Whatever he's doing helps; Lavellan begins to spend less time with the mirror and more among her people again. The chess tournaments resume though she refuses to play herself. 

But months pass and during state dinners, or out in the field on night watch, or in the war room, she closes her eyes mid-sentence to listen to something only she hears. She might nod, or frown, or smile gently, then look at the faces around her and change the subject. When Morrigan sees this she always leaves the room in a huff. When Solas sees this, The Iron Bull tells Krem over a pint, he flees like his clothes were afire.

Lavellan replaces her human-made armor with Dalish styles one piece at a time. Cassandra frets at the lack of steel until Lavellan points out that the chainmaille on her arms is safer than the hide she had been using. Only the Inquisition chestplate remains, strapped on over tabard and belts. She polishes it herself to such a shine the eye flashes when she turns, blinding enemies but calling allies. She is always fully present during a fight but the inner circle votes not to send her to the front lines; keeping her safe is more important than keeping her present.

One day while bringing books to the Inquisitor’s tower Dorian sees the Templar flag is down, neatly folded and draped across a banister. In the room upstairs, he tells the others, are the red sheets presumed lost to Cole’s helpfulness weeks ago. They gently drape from ceiling to the floor over her bed, a long warm arc like a ship’s sails. The image reminds Cassandra of something she can’t quite place until their next visit to the Exalted Plains, Dalish aravels rumbling past them on the road. Cassandra watches the Inquisitor wave to the clan with a smile on her face and something dark in her eyes. That night Lavellan goes missing again and returns at daybreak, arms full of dusty relics from a lost elven fortress nearby. The group seeks out yesterday’s clan and spends hours being thanked, fed, blessed, and promised favors for the return of such treasures. Cassandra watches the Inquisitor laugh and smile and ask if she can visit them at the next Arlathvhen. 

After months of avoiding the Exalted Plains and Emerald Graves, suddenly the inner circle is in semi-permanent residence. Lavellan vanishes for hours at a time and comes back with torn clothes or twigs in her hair. Dorian, Varric, and Vivienne work out shifts to escort her on what turn out to be simple walks. They move with her through mists and down paths, taking her gently by the arm when she’s so deep in thought she doesn’t see the trees ahead and the giants in the distance.

Then at last, after two encounters with Mythal they are ready. Everyone agrees Corypheus has been too quiet. The Inquisition has the power and people to stop him if they just knew where to look. During a late night (or early morning) war briefing Lavellan takes too long to respond to Josephine's "Does the Well have any suggestions?". The advisers trade nervous looks as her eyes sink closed then snap open. Cullen softly ventures “What um... did they say?” Her glance cuts through him, through the walls, through the stone and wood between the War Room and the library rotunda.

She walks out. 

[jesse-cosay]

Since explaining the No Exit au went over super well, I've decided to introduce y'all to The Late Blooming Perennial au.

This one starts with Tulip's adventure on the train, when she reaches the Chrome Car. Except, reflections can't think or feel when they're in the Mirror World. They can't feel discontent. (I wanted a real reason as to why most reflections were content, and I felt like this explained better why they don't all try to escape aside from "they like being reflections")

So Lake has never wanted anything before, until they switch into the Prime World with Tulip- but they don't know what to do. They haven't had the chance to Exist yet. The chance to be their own person or make choices- not even to think about what choices they might take, in theory.

Instead of trying to trap Tulip or run away, they talk, and work out a plan a bit faster. Making a narrow escape and traveling together instead of splitting up. Lake doesn't know much, and even if being around Tulip sometimes makes them feel weird, she's the only person they have. Tulip helps them hide from the flecs and ends up taking a lot longer to get off because the two of them often have to take detours now that they're traveling together instead of apart.

They're on the train for so long, in fact, that they run into a magical deer and a boy who talks too much.

For the sake of not having too many characters, Atticus stayed behind in the Unfinished Car, working with that king instead of going forth with Tulip and One-one.

After Lake and Jesse argue, and Lake begs Tulip to let them travel with "the deer" because Tulip has her own denizens and Lake wants to feel normal, like every other passenger. Well, they move forward. Tulip is excited to meet another passenger and her and Jesse get along pretty well.

Lake wanted to be more cautious about who they befriended, given their circumstances. Circumstances that they had yet to reveal to Jesse. That leads us to the Toad Car.

Jesse panics, but Tulip won't stand for it. She and Lake mock the flecs (loudly), and while Jesse isn't sure he should trust them- he's inclined to. Tulip is a human, like him. They explain what happened, how Lake came to be, and he turns around.

This leads to Lake being Extra soft on Jesse, which Tulip teases them for immensely. Lake is Not subtle. Jesse is the first person aside from Tulip to see them as a real person, to treat them normally. He had no obligation to help Lake or "make it up to them", the way Tulip did. He could have traveled on his own after they escaped the flecs. But he didn't.

He stayed.

They have a few run-ins with the Stewardess, but it's easier to fight her/run off with the three of them (and a magic deer and a talking robot-ball).

Lake (finally) shaves their head using a train wheel. Much to Tulip and Jesse's horror and dismay. There is lots of screaming and yelling.

All-in-all, everything seems to be falling into place. Their numbers going down bit by bit and the future seeming brighter now that they aren't facing the train alone.

Until the Ball Pit Car.

The Stewardess is set. The conductor will stop at nothing to put an end to their journey.

Jesse stands up for them. He sets his shoulders, he blocks the path. He won't be swayed by threats.

His number drops to zero.

The Stewardess forces him through his exit, flinging him without a second thought.

Lake, who had been defending Tulip (keeping her behind them since the lasers only bounced off uselessly), breaks. They try to fight the Stewardess, but that only leaves Tulip open. Amelia takes her shot.

Horrified, Lake holds Tulip. The first person to care about them. To free them, before they even knew they were trapped. And it's their fault she's dead.

Except she isn't dead. Just. Changing. Just different. Morphing into something inhuman, something that Tulip had warned them about in their early days.

The next sequence is similar to the canon of Book 1. They have to trap Tulip, who's now a ghom. The Cat helps Lake get to the front of the train.

The fight with Amelia is a bit quicker. Lake is made of metal and they are pissed. They don't pull their punches.

Lake turns Tulip back, doesn't talk to Amelia the way Tulip does. They lost Jesse, sure, but they don't know how to deal with loss. How to explain that to someone else. And while they understand Amelia to some extent, they care more about the fact she hurt their friends.

One-one takes over the train, and he grants Tulip her exit. Tulip, however, is smarter than Jesse or Lake.

She lets Lake go first, and when she realizes that it won't work, she fights One-one about it. Lake isn't a denizen- and he should know that! They came from the Mirror World, which is attached to the train just like the real world is. But not a part of it.

Eventually, they get Lake through (who is relieved that after messing up, Tulip was still willing to fight for them), and the two are finally safe in Minnesota.

Of course, the first thing they do is look up one Jesse Cosay, and save him from getting a return trip on the train.

[mugmegan]

So anyway I finished Infinity train. Spoilers...

I think the first season was the best one. It had the mystery element of the train over the seasons that came after of course so maybe it is that but it also had nicer directing I think. It had it's moments. And the other seasons didnt really take time for those moments to me. It was also a lot more subtle? It said very little but fully and the other seasons felt like they just kept explaining and explaining... the story telling didnt have that same uniqueness to it. Yeah...

Also in the first season I believed that the train's purpose was to save people from making decisions that would lead them to their deaths. Tulip wouldve died in that snow storm if she went further and for Emilia the train appeared through the collage building... I honestly just assumed that she was going to jump off the roof of it tbh and that that was why the train appeared there and why it didnt help her. The train is trying to fix people's problems. But she very strongly didnt want it fixed. She wanted to die (based off that one line in the last episode where she says "I dont want a life without him in it") so she was stuck for long in between that purgatory state. Which is what I assumed the train was. It just made more sense for a train like this to exist if it was people's lives in danger and the point wasnt merely fixing emotional problems. Too bad the second season disproves that.

But anyway the second season had great character stuff for Lake and that was cool I think.

The third season kinda leaves it's characters hanging? The child (forgot her name) just leaves with Emilia and the twist with her doesnt really add much to her character. I thought she was just another companion the train created at first that was specifically designed to appeal to Simon and Grace. She kinda looks like their child tbh and I thought that was intentional. I thought it was a great ploy by the train to get them to sympathize with denizens and fix their mindsets and that the kid would have a character arc about appearing a human but not having a chance at living a normal human life or something like Lake but... she is just Emilia's creation and leaves and that's it. Simon and Grace's characters dont feel complete either. Especially Simon. He makes decisions and the only reason he has problems is because the cat left him one time. I can see how that is bad for him but how does that shape his personality in a way that would make him act like this? That is too much for just one bad incident. We dont know why he was on the train in the first place and that couldve been it but we never see it.

The fourth season peaks in the first episode. Thats it.

[its-just-fern]

i still have rotting asks in my inbox about the infinity train au that i never answered. theyre like 2-3 years old at this point? sorry about that... but ill answer with what i thought of at the time. (im sure there were more, maybe, but i think i cleared my inbox at some point?) ive gotten worse with answering asks over the years but sometimes the original post gets sudden notes from time to time.. it blows me away!!

notes about finn's part (parts 1-2 combined):

finn gets on the train because of his parental issues/internal struggles that he has in the late seasons

jake (as a passenger - he also works well as a denizen) comes along solely because of his concern for finn. in reality he doesnt actually need to be on the train at all (think of him as kinda jumping in the portal on instinct, betty-style). i think his number would be like. 1. hes too unbothered

finn losing his arm so fern can be in the real world mirrors tulip losing her pocketknife for lake. fern would come from a sort of "topiary car" where the leaves can "mirror" you (idk how else to explain this one.. think of it like these mechanical mirrors, maybe)

betty would be amelia. chicle would be the other metal cop.

notes about pb/marcy's part (part 3):

in general i didnt see bonnie dying at the time because... i love bubbline LMAOOOOO im weak im sorryyyy. her dying would be on brand tho and i love tragedy

i never thought of bonnie and marcy as killing denizens intentionally, but they would definitely still "claim" the train as theirs... the apex would instead be like their "kingdom", with them as the "princess/queen"

marcy might have little regard for denizens, while bonnie might see them more as things to "examine". i think instead of intentionally trashing each car, bonnie would try to specifically "improve" them how she sees fit (which messes them up anyways)

fp might start out like... hiding out in another car, having run away from the car she came from (flame kingdom) with the help of cinnamon bun. she was trapped in the kingdom but didnt know that bonnie trapped her there in the first place (part of her "improvements").. bonnie, of course, lets her "join" them, but actually wants to re-trap her.

betty, as amelia, instead of making turtles (trying to revive/save simon), kept making flame people -> leads to fp's existence.

unfortunately nothing for part 4! i made this au way before that and i dont really feel like figuring it out right now.. but ill leave it to you all!

if im being honest i think lake would lowkey dislike him/find him disturbing? to them i think he would seem like a gigantic asshole with how he treats finn, even if his problems are very relatable to them. LOL

but in a goofier world where digestion is possible for all species they would probably be like drinking buddies

maybe peppermint butler.

[julianobungus]

What do you think a Sex Car would look like? I have two ideas.

The first idea is that it is a car in the form of a bedroom, and when Passengers and Denizens get inside, they get aroused. Maybe there are aphrodisiacs in the air, maybe there are none, but if you stay in this car with someone, then one of you will eventually fuck the other.  Those who are in this car can fuck for hours and they will not get bored or tired of it. And if there is only one person in the Car, then he or she will masturbate. And the only way to stop in both cases is either to be outside the Car with the help of outside help, or any physical needs like eating

Another idea is inspired by your idea that a Train can create copies of Passengers and resurrect deceased Denizens by rolling back their minds to the initial settings. This idea is that when someone enters this car, he creates copies of those to whom the visitor has romantic feelings or has had in the past.  Copies have only the knowledge and memories of which the visitor of the car is aware, but there are exceptions. If a visitor to the car has or has had feelings for a Passenger or Denizen, then the car will create a copy of the Passenger or Denizen with all the memories.

Also, if a person has never been on a Train, but different Passengers had feelings for this person, then the car will create a copy that has all the memories that different passengers are aware of. And it doesn't matter if these Passengers are on the Train right now, or have already left it a long time ago.

And the last thing, a copy in any case will want to fuck the one for whom the Train created it. Regardless of how the original felt about this person and whether the original had a relationship with someone, the copy will love Passenger or Denizen for whom it was created, and try to fuck him.

Imagine how self-confident Lake fucks with clones of Tulip and Jesse, while in another place Jesse embarrassingly rejects all offers from different clones, including clone Lake. Or, Amelia is having fun with clones of Alrick and Simon, while Hazel is having fun with a clone of Simon and Grace and possibly a clone of Amelia. Or Grace, who takes the loss of Simon badly (His death or exile) and cries with happiness to see him again and touch his face. And she doesn't mind at all when he offers something interesting.

I do not know if copies can leave the Sex Car, but it would be interesting. The brave Atticus, the king of Corginia, leaves this Car with a clone of Tulip the Literate, who eventually becomes the Queen of Corginia. Samantha the Cat leaves this Car with a clone of Simon, who becomes her assistant and husband.

Oh, and imagine a meeting of several clones of one person, or a meeting of a clone and an original. All these emotions, all this shock, distrust, and only from those for whom the clones were created. By themselves, clones have no problems with the existence of other clones.

What do you think about it?

OOOOOOft. Honestly, I love both ideas, so perhaps I can adopt both? So many good steamy aspects to take in here, great job :3 I also loved learning about the different ships and pairings and situations you've fed me here (Tulip/Atticus fr. Big-brained). I'm extremely normal about this concept. hrrg. I also like the touch of existential horror at the end there (an implication suiting most Infinity Train scenarios). Great work. The idea of two lifeforms being so absorbed by the need to have sex is so oddly adorable? Especially if one is a passenger and the other is a denizen - can't explain it, it's just weirdly cute.

Why not a bit of both ideas, like I said? If a passenger/Denizen is alone in the car, then copies will be made; if they're with another person, then they'll fuck. The point is, coitus WILL happen. Also, an older Hazel using the car to enact her crushes on the three people who probably informed her sexuality is A+

[aster-ghost]

More thoughts

I feel like Lake would have to be extremely careful otherwise they'd likely get someone trying to experiment on them. Their biology is unique and they're the only denizen to ever leave the train based on Oneone's reaction. Mace is a huge asshole but he did have a point. What will Lake do in the real world? Would Jesse's parents be ok taking in a random kid out of nowhere? Would she be able to get into a school safely?

Just some food for thought and I have so much more.

I've been rewatching Infinity Train and thinking about the outside world in the show.

Thousands of people must be going missing every year on the train. And and least a few are making it back even if a lot die or don't get better. Plus, weird things make it back too. Tulip has no reflection, Lake is a metal teenager. Someone has to be noticing all this weird stuff. Every story was set before the modern day but Tulip and Jesse probably had access to Facebook or Myspace at least. Do you think escapees have an organization to talk about everything?

Just something I've been thinking about. Not just cause it would be fun for Tulip and Lake to reunite.

[the-magnificent-otaku-draws]

A lot of people were really interested in the Infinity Train x Gravity Falls x Steven Universe AU so I guess I'll give some background info that may or may not make it into the actual fic. This is still a work in progress so some things may change a little. This is context for the Infinity Train characters,the Steven Universe and Gravity Falls one will be in another post

In this AU the Apex was never a thing,Simon never met the Cat and instead first met Grace. They grew up together on the train and met Hazel in the Kaiju Car when they were 18. They are super close in comparison to canon with them all seeing each other as family. They all found out Hazel was a denizen when Simon almost died trying to protect both her and Grace from something that tried to take her number. One One decided to let Hazel come with them off the train because that was the only way Grace and Simon's number would get to 0 (And he also got a bit more flexible with situations like this after the incident with Jesse's number). They met Ryan and Min while hitchhiking and they let the three stay with them as long as they need to.

Lake and Jesse's story is pretty much the same except instead of meeting the Apex they meet Amelia who is looking for a train anomaly. She thinks Lake is the anomaly and promises to protect them from the flecs only to try and convince Jesse to give up Lake or she'll rat them out. He stands up to her and gets his exit but Lake isn't able to leave. Everything goes on as it does in canon and they end up going to school together and living normally for a while. That is until someone starts leaving messages telling Lake to come back onto the train and help them escape. Thinking they are being chased by the flecs they decide to run away to help save them,Jesse deciding to follow to make sure it's not a trick. They end up meeting Min and Ryan after getting lost on a highway and say they're trying to find a friend who's in danger. So far they haven't told anyone about the messages.

Tulip's story is the same and this takes place in the second summer after getting off the train. It's the first time her parents let her head to the camp alone and she ends up getting on the wrong bus. It drops her off where Min and Ryan are performing and she sees Jesse and Lake with them. Too afraid to call her parents and look irresponsible she decides to tag along until the summer ends and they can drive her back home.

Ryan and Min's story is also the same,the only difference is that now they have to take odd jobs every once in a while and be dads to six kids.

Everyone knows Lake and Hazel are denizens and try to accommodate them as best as they can. Simon,honing his art skills,helps paint them to look more human and come up with new disguises while Ryan,Min and Grace teach Hazel how to calm down and deal with intense emotions. They both have to be checked in constantly and Lake is more secretive to protect everyone

Amelia is off the train with Alrick thanks to the help of someone who let her off a bit early. They're both very aware they aren't supposed to be there and try to lay low in Gravity Falls so they can live a somewhat normal life.

Uncolored version under the cut

In this AU the Apex was never a thing,Simon never met the Cat and instead first met Grace. They grew up together on the train and met Hazel in the Kaiju Car when they were 18. They are super close in comparison to canon with them all seeing each other as family. They all found out Hazel was a denizen when Simon almost died trying to protect both her and Grace from something that tried to take her number. One One decided to let Hazel come with them off the train because that was the only way Grace and Simon's number would get to 0 (And he also got a bit more flexible with situations like this after the incident with Jesse's number). They met Ryan and Min while hitchhiking and they let the three stay with them as long as they need to.

Lake and Jesse's story is pretty much the same except instead of meeting the Apex they meet Amelia who is looking for a train anomaly. She thinks Lake is the anomaly and promises to protect them from the flecs only to try and convince Jesse to give up Lake or she'll rat them out. He stands up to her and gets his exit but Lake isn't able to leave. Everything goes on as it does in canon and they end up going to school together and living normally for a while. That is until someone starts leaving messages telling Lake to come back onto the train and help them escape. Thinking it's the flecs they decide to run away to help save them,Jesse deciding to follow to make sure it's not a trick. They end up meeting Min and Ryan after getting lost on a highway and say they're trying to find a friend who's in danger. So far they haven't told anyone about the messages.

Tulip's story is the same and this takes place in the second summer after getting off the train. It's the first time her parents let her head to the camp alone and she ends up getting on the wrong bus. It drops her off where Min and Ryan are performing and she sees Jesse and Lake with them. Too afraid to call her parents and look irresponsible she decides to tag along until the summer ends and they can drive her back home.

Ryan and Min's story is also the same,the only difference is that now they have to take odd jobs every once in a while and be dads to six kids.

Everyone knows Lake and Hazel are denizens and try to accommodate them as best as they can. Simon,honing his art skills,helps paint them to look more human and come up with new disguises while Ryan,Min and Grace teach Hazel how to calm down and deal with intense emotions. They both have to be checked in constantly and Lake is more secretive to protect everyone

Amelia is off the train with Alrick thanks to the help of someone who let her off a bit early. They're both very aware they aren't supposed to be there and try to lay low in Gravity Falls so they can live a somewhat normal life.

[the-aggro-crag-car]

Ya know what I love about Jesse? Even though the entire reason why he was on the train was because of an inability to stand up for himself and being a chronic people pleaser, we see him fight with Lake.

like, a lot.

basically any time they're on screen together in the first two episodes they're arguing in some way, and some of that isn't even Lake initiating it! Jesse makes snide comments too! ('looks like your punching isn't doing much good either' 'I'm soft, squishy, you're hard and mean!')

during the map car Jesse is acting more how we'd expect him to with his people pleaser nature, but then in the toad car they're fighting again, with Jesse even being stubborn enough to leave them in the car all night because he doesn't want to kick the toad

yeah, during both of these times Jesse was falling pray to trying to please and being manipulated by other people (the family tree families and the flecs respectively) but he doesn't just take anything and everything lying down. Jesse wants other to be happy yes, but he's not spineless

I think that the fact that Lake was immediately so hostile and bristly to anything and everyone is actually a part of why they were able to be friends at all. Jesse very clearly wants people to like him, and when people are friendly he matches that energy and will go along with whatever in order to keep that friendliness intact.

Both the Gillicuty and the Trumbleshanks are friendly to Jesse at first, Sieve puts on a good cop act, Grace is Grace. Even when they're in the map car, since him and Lake have a system now with Lake as the Advising Denizen he doesn't want to make waves and stops questioning anything they say and just goes along with it.

But Lake makes no effort to be nice when they first met, and even though Jesse still wants her to like him his normal methods aren't working in the slightest, so he quickly starts fighting back. He doesn't want anyone to be mad at him but Lake already is! Which means he's actually able to stand his ground for once, because that ship done sailed.

they aren't fighting anymore after the toad car, but I think the fact that they had argued so much was what let Jesse be so comfortable and confident in their friendship. He doesn't have to worry about messing up and Lake getting mad at him, because it's already happened and they're still friends. If they don't agree all the time it's not going to ruin everything.

Lake needed someone who would accept them no matter what, but Jesse really needed someone who would just be like 'actually, you're an idiot' who at the end of the day was still his friend, and it's just cool how that worked out

[4rainynite]

Infinity Train Headcanons

Just a bunch of Infinity Train headcanons I've come up with, I'm only doing five per character so it won't too long. I'm mainly gonna focus on the passenger characters and do the denizens later on. Majority of them have been posted on @infinity-train-headcanons already (awesome blog by the way), but whatever here we go:

Tulip

The reason Tulip loves onions so much is because when her mother was pregnant she craved onions a lot. Mrs. Olsen thinks onions are okay at best, but Tulip loves them.

Tulip is fairly athletic (that explains why she could do all those stunts on the train), but prefers gaming and coding. Her classmates that are on sports teams are greatly annoyed that she won't join.

Despite Lake being gone she can still take pictures of herself on cameras or through a selfie (and sometimes see herself in water), because those are images not reflections.

Tulip would so adopt a corgi and name him “Atticus the 2nd” and put miniature crowns on him.

When Tulip goes to Oshkosh she'll based her game on her adventures on the train. Not only will it be super popular, but some of the other campers and counselors will suggest some cars because some of them were passengers as well.

Lake

After, Lake left she accidently started a revolution in the Chrome Car. In the end (in a future fanfic of mine) there will be peace and Lake and a certain group of passengers will help.

Lake won't be able to start school immediately (due to Tulip being in middle school and Jesse being in high school) , but she is able to do homeschooling. Come next school year she'll be at school with Jesse

Lake lives in the Cosay's attic. They've tried to convince her/him/them (other pronouns) to take the guest room, but Lake's cool with it. Mainly, because she/he/they gets a view of the lake she/he/ they named themselves after.

Lake is super into art! It's mainly abstract and black, but she loves it! The problem is Jesse's parents have to buy the spray paint for her.

Lake loves traveling to new places and Jesse brings her/him/them along when the swim team travels to different places.

Jesse

After, the train Jesse decides to join theatre class/club. He mainly gets background or understudy parts, but he loves to sing.

Is a Chicken Choice Judy fan and gets Lake and Nate into them. Jesse and Lake theorize that Chicken Choice Judy were passengers at one point.

Jesse becomes closer with his swim team to be friends, he is currently co-captain.

Jesse really misses Alan Dracula, so, Lake got him one of those deer plushies as a gift. Jesse put glasses on it and named it Alan Dracula the Second and Cuddliest.

Jesse always picks vampire movies during movie night at the Cosay house. I believe he really likes vampires .

Grace

Grace's parents so would've sent her to boarding school after the shoplifting thing instead of just talking to her.

Grace will be the last former Apex member to leave the train due to her number still being high. In the meantime she still helps passengers lower their numbers.

There is no way Grace was the only person to form a cult on the Infinity Train. Grace's was just the longest surviving one of eight years, I won't explain why Grace's was the longest due to... cult stuff.

Grace rarely got to see her maternal grandparents, due to her mother wanting to reject her low-class upbringing. From what little memories she had, Grace misses them.

Grace regrets what she put Hazel through and wants her back, but she knows her leaving was for the best no matter how much it hurts.

Hazel

I don't know why but I see Hazel as a vegetarian.

When Tuba found her she was a baby, not a baby turtle, a baby- baby.

She and Amelia will be close, but will never have a true mother - daughter relationship. I know Amelia is trying to get better, but she admitted she's not a caretaker.

She'll sing Tuba's Lullaby to comfort herself in stressful situations and whenever she feels she'll forget her.

Hazel will be adopted by Ryan and Min-Gi when she gets off the train and Tulip, Lake, Jesse, and Nate will be like siblings to her. Okay, okay, okay, I know that's a very long shot, but Hazel deserves happiness!

Simon

Was a boy scout or took a survival class, I mean how else would he know about frostbite in Le Chat Chalet Car.

Probably went to way too many funerals as a child. I'm going by what he said to Hazel about neighbors brining casseroles.

Simon would get into fights with his teachers and classmates about being right about every little thing, even as a he was a narcissist.

Simon so had a crush on Grace way before their 'awkward middle school kiss' . After, Grace's betrayal whatever feelings he had were gone.

Was a fantasy nerd and wanted to be a fantasy writer. His trilogy book would've had his character based off himself being made a king.

Ryan

Ryan and his youngest brother are the only two in their family who wear glasses.

Is still on good terms with his ex-girlfriends (Disco Girl, Punk Girl, and Hippie Girl). Yeah, they broke up, but Ryan wasn't their worse ex and was nice to them. They love telling Min-Gi embarrassing dating stories.

He most likely had suicidal thoughts, once off the train he tells Min-Gi and gets help through therapy.

Despite not gaining attention during his solo gigs he did make a friend or two during his stops like the lesbian couple at the party in the Twin Tapes. Which helps spread Chicken Choice Judy's music.

Ryan is very strong despite his scrawny appearance, due to carrying equipment, changing tires, and other heavy lifting activities.

Min-Gi

Was diagnosed with dyslexia at an early age. His parents worried this would hamper him so they would hire a tutor after school when he wasn't playing with Ryan.

Is a really good cook, but his main specialties are Korean dishes (his mother taught him) and breakfast food (working at Dumpty's Diner).

Has an artistic side, but rarely used it except for the Chicken Choice Judy t-shirt. Later on he designs the covers for CCJ's CDs.

He most likely has a bunch of older cousins. I think Mr. and Mrs. Parks had Min-Gi late, so he's the baby of the cousins.

To me Min-Gi never shown in interest in dating or romance. His parents tried to set him up a few of their co-workers' daughters, but nothing ever happened afterwards. He does love Ryan though.

Amelia

I believe Amelia will get off the train, but when she does majority of her friends and family and friends will be gone and will return to the train.

Amelia will allow Hazel to play with the denizens while she works on the train. She may not be a caretaker, but she remembers being a child and children need to have fun.

I think Amelia was jealous of Min-Gi and Ryan, since the two remind her of Alrick and herself in their youth and what could've been if he lived. She dubs them 'Destiny Rubbish Duet'.

Amelia would monitor the Snow Car frequently to make sure One would never leave or any passengers interacted with him. But, the one time in thirty years she set her clock on the wrong time to wake up, allowing Tulip to find One-One.

The day Amelia picked out her wedding dress was the same day she got the news of Alrick's passing.

Well, that was a long post. I may do more in the future, so I'll just end it here.

[artbyblastweave]

Infinity Train Season Concepts that we’ll never get to see:

The train onboards both a genuinely dangerous criminal and one of their victims, whose obsession with revenge was enough for the train to pick them up. Examines what happens when the emotional and physical wellbeing of two passengers are directly at odds with each other.

A passenger with nothing going for them back home gets their number down to zero, but consciously chooses to stay on the train with their newfound friends and integrates into a denizen community.  Unfortunately, that community winds up being upended in the process of another passenger learning a lesson, a la what happened in the Iceberg car, so they begin a quest to the front of the car to try and get the conductor to reset their home, or at least stop routing passengers through it. Examines the premise that leaving the fantasyland at the end of the adventure, ala Wizard of Oz, is always the ideal outcome, and what happens when you overstay your welcome on the train in good faith.

Someone (probably Amelia) is tasked with hunting down and purging the Hand Monster from Season 4, because it’s gone totally off the rails and started hunting passengers for sport. This would examine the logical extension of Lake’s rage against the machine in season 2; Lake was willing to disregard the lives of passengers to get her number, but we’ve yet to see a free-roaming denizen who simply wants to kill them out of spite (Not counting the threats that read more like setpieces, like the wild west car and.... basically everything in season 4, actually.)

A season that examines the aftermath of a situation like Simon’s. Someone is picked up for a relatively trivial issue and then ultimately dies on the train; the grief causes someone in their immediate circle to board the train, and when they put two and two together they decide to try and overthrow the entire system. If they’re a protagonist it could be the ultimate refutation of the train. If they’re an antagonist it could be an allegory about how revolution often screws the most vulnerable, since vastly more denizens exist on the train than human victims to avenge.

[welcome-tothe-madness]

Yo so like, after watching Book 3, I think I wanna kinda just put my thoughts here on Simon because so far he’s been one of my fav characters because of how well written he is and I just wanna like, idk, ramble

i absolutely adore how Simon and Grace are essentially 2 sides of the same coin, but also fundamentally different, and this is how their paths diverge. i think a large part of why Grace was able to start her redemption is because of how much she loved kids, and making them feel less alone. She thrived off of taking in lonely souls and showing them a “better way.” She genuinely felt bad for Hazel and wanted what was “better” for her. This doesn’t excuse any of her stuff, but her general love and compassion for other kids is really was kickstarted her on her redemption.

Simon did not. Not to say he didn’t care about Apex, but I don’t think he cared for the kids themselves. He cared about GRACE. He cared because she cared. If she had taken his hand and said “let’s leave this all behind” I’m sure he would have followed her. So while Grace is bonding with Hazel and learning to be ok with Tuba, all Simon sees is a distraction and someone holding them back. He also sees Grace not as enthusiastic to get rid of Tuba and keeps putting off killing her.

Now, about Tuba’s death. I see a lot of people marking this as the moment they started to hate him, and they’re not wrong, this was the key point where he became irredeemable. But I want everyone to take a step back and look at what we’ve seen so far. We know his backstory with Samantha, and i think everyone believes that’s the only reason he hates denizens. That could be the MAIN reason, but I don’t think it’s the ONLY reason. Remember why they were running in the first place? Because there was a bug denizen chasing them. We know from Book 1 that these big monsters are actually the creatures that inhabit the train. I think there is a big chance that he witnessed a denizen transform in front of him, and try to attack him. This is also supported when Grace has to explain to hazel why she doesn’t like them, she says “they’re unpredictable.” What’s that supposed to mean? Using context clues, I think they’re aware al the denizens are actually those soul sucking creatures. Yeah, no wonder they don’t feel anything for them when they die. As far as they’re concerned, they could turn and kill them at any minute.

Also, i’d like to bring up Book 2, when we’re first introduced to Simon and Grace. When they’re trying to recruit Jesse, they planned on killing Lake off to “help” him. Look at just how many kids are in Apex. What’s the likelihood that a majority of them befriended a denizen that they later had to sacrifice for initiation? This isn’t the first time they’ve done something like this. They’ve done this a LOT, possibly hundreds of times. Tuba’s death to Simon was just another day of initiation. Does it make it any less wrong? Of course not, he fully had the capacity to bond and redeem himself just as Grace had, and they even got along right before her death. But in Simon’s eyes, he was too far gone, Tuba was a dangerous creature holding them back and he finally found the perfect opportunity to get rid of her like they‘d always done. Grace’s horror is what’s new to him. Her acting shocked, disgusted, scared? She’s never done that before. She’s always planned it, egged it on, encouraged it, PRAISED him for this behavior. And note what he says to her after the job is done!! “Let’s see how high OUR marks have gotten.” He knew Grace was insecure about her number lowering, and did something he usually got praised for, and even thought it’d help her. It wasn’t a selfish betrayal (sort of, I also partially believe he did it to get on Grace’s good side again) but he also did it because he knew how down she’d been.

I also just wanna say Grace should have communicated better with him. I don’t know if things would have turned out better or different, but a lot of his later actions were derived from her dishonesty and her distancing himself from him. She never told Simon what she was thinking. She never told him about her hesitation. She never let him in on anything. Instead? She chose a denizen over him. She decided to change and grow and expected Simon to follow suit. He isn’t a mind reader, how the hell was he supposed to know plans had changed and he was meant to keep Tuba alive? How was he meant to know?

This doesn’t make any of his actions ok. Trusting the cat over Grace and trapping her in her own mind? There’s no ”justifying” that (not that I’m trying to justify) but I think I’ve reached a level of understanding with his character. A lot of what happens is because he’s been left in the dark. Yes, he had the opportunity to change and it is his fault for not taking action, but I think a moment that struck a nerve with me is when Grace said “I’m not responsible for your problems, I don’t owe you anything.” She’s right, she’s not responsible for him not bettering himself.

She’s not responsible for his betrayal. She’s not responsible for his jealousy over Hazel. But you know what she is responsible for? Shoving this ideology down his throat, refusing to communicate, and then acting disgusted and lashing out at him for doing everything she’s ever taught him. She’s the one that taught him a higher number was better. She’s the one that’s always took command/control. She’s praised him for shitty behaviors and when she sees the result of it? It’s not her problem. I completely understood when Simon screamed out “YOU OWE ME EVERYTHING.”

No, she doesn’t owe him everything, but her toxicity towards him is a major factor into why he turned out how he did. Treating people like shit and then saying it’s not your problem when it affected them? (Btw, I’m NOT a grace hater and do not believe she is the source of all his problems, clearly he is his own person and has the capacity to grow as well, but saying she doesn’t owe him anything?? Not even an apology for lying and keeping secrets?? that’s what mainly struck a nerve.)

Also, I wanna bring up another moment that I think solidified hate for him. When Grace saved him, and he tried wheeling her. I can also understand why he did this. Is it right? No, obviously no it’s not ok. But I think the reason he chose to shove her off is because when he asked “why did you save me?” Her response was “I don’t know.” You don’t know? You don’t know why you were compelled to save your number 1 friend for years? Someone who stuck with you through thick and thin, clung to every word you said, and did everything you asked? You don’t know why you saved him? Even after everything? In such an emotional and high tensity moment, I can’t say I wouldn’t have done the same. Again, not something he should have done, but it’s something I can understand. If my scorned ex best friend saved my life and said they didn’t know why, I’d probably feel angry too.

anyways yeah, he’s still a shit person but he’s complex and i think a large reason why his character works so well is because of how well he is written. He did horrible things but there was always a reason, it was never ”mwuahaha, I’m evil now.” And that’s what I love about Infinity Train. Everyone feels so real. Anyways yeah ramble over, if you’ve read this far, feel free to discuss more with me if you feel like I overlooked anything or just wanna spark more conversation!! <33

[sepublic]

The Castle Car and the Train to Nowhere!

           This was SUCH an amazing and compelling finale, y’all! The way all these things come together, how it just culminates in humble, silly, yet REAL apologies… Concessions, the parallels in the denizens and one another, I love it SO MUCH!

           Firstly, what started as a funny gag photo with Jeremy, Kez, and Morgan, and the meaning expanded upon- SSSOOO clever, like everything in this entire damn series! But also the grief and symbolism, how Morgan is literally like a prison for Jeremy… And she wants to keep him, hold onto him, but she’s not letting him be his own person, and it reminds me of Min not wanting to be left behind by Ryan! And how Morgan takes things personally against Kez for just being herself, for this accident, at Jeremy for leaving her… And how Min learns not to be mad at Ryan and vice-versa, that they FINALLY learn to say sorry!

           There’s so much to unwrap… Jeremy going on his journey, but he never really left, just like Ryan going off but not REALLY progressing! And this theme of progression and journeys, wanting to get it over with and rush it, feeling like you’re trapped and not getting anywhere… Wanting a plan or a destination, but as Kez said, sometimes it’s just about the journey! To just live in the moment, to enjoy and appreciate what happened… To not stay stuck over the past, while also taking responsibility, mutually admitting where you went wrong! Making concessions because you LOVE a person, you want them to be their own!

           How Kez really didn’t just mean to, just like Ryan can sometimes be thoughtless… How the passengers learn to help the denizens and vice-versa in their examples! Jeremy realizing he never really left the fog, and when he figures this out with Kez’s help, in a sense he goes back to where he started; And only by returning can he start anew his ACTUAL journey, just as Ryan goes back home to reunite with Min, and starts off this whole sequence! And GOD, the horror and creepiness of Kez luring them in for a trap, dragging them along without really telling the plan, no trust and how Min feels like he can’t trust Ryan who just brings him and doesn’t slow down…

           UGH IT’S SO GOOD, and how Kez and Morgan learn to confront their issues, how Kez just wants to make up- And Morgan is rooted in place, stuck in the past, maybe kind of like Min? The culmination of Kez being a welcoming bell for people… AND RYAN FINALLY GETTING TO RING HER, we’d never seen ANY ringing and we finally got it! For a moment I thought it’d cut to an actual bell ringing as we see Ryan and Min at a real-life place to check in for their journey… But no, we got it! God, the wordless trust as Kez fully understands and bows her little head, eyes closed… Kez is phenomenal, 10/10, one of THE best denizens in my opinion, alongside Lake!

           Just GOD, the motif of the train and passengers and journeys, the denizens going on their own journey… I must say, with how the denizens can actually leave to hound after the passengers even after the puzzle is done, even taking advantage of the local tech- It all seems very unintended, doesn’t it? And Amelia, lol, we get to sort of see her take-over; We know it happens across Book 4, and we see the effects with how she’s trying to figure out the Steward and take Ryan and Min’s boots for her own experiments, only to mess up and cause the Steward to self-destruct! It’s kind of hilarious how everything stops for a moment and Ryan and Min have no clue WHAT happened, they don’t know who One or Amelia are, they heard their voices last time in that Party Car and that was about it… Hilarious.

           But damn, Amelia just abandoning everyone and telling them they’re on their own, it’s a contrast to how these people are reuniting and finding solace… Well besides Judge Morpho, I’m glad she’s alive after all- I was afraid she’d be decked into the fire, but no, just out the chimney and gone! She really is unkillable, huh… And the Cow Creamer came back, she’s with her kid again! She’s a good and mature mom… And I SAW Kez’s apology coming and I loved it! And Ryan, Ryan wants to move on, he wants to get away and progress and he’s impatient, but he needs to learn to appreciate the journey, even if he has been feeling trapped and held down…

           UGH IT’S SO GOOD, learning to stick with one another! The character themes, the clever bits of worldbuilding across the seasons, coming together like one giant puzzle as we learn and understand more about the setting, even retroactively, as well as some characters… The storytelling is SO concise, sweet, and to the point! Morgan gets to still cope with her own feelings on her own, that theme of enjoying and appreciating what you DID go through, as part of that theme of progress and learning to move on, while still taking it slowly enough to actually take in what’s happening!

          There’s accountability with the apologies, admitting you did wrong, that you’ll actually learn and progress from here, instead of staying in the same places and repeating the same mistakes… It’s wonderfully cheesy but also heartfelt, I ADORE how this show isn’t afraid to be dark and twisted like Book 3, but then have a happy ending like this; It’s the RANGE that is granted by the setting, premise, and anthological story-telling!

           Amelia doesn’t learn, not until she meets Tulip- And it’s SO fun thinking of how these characters all indirectly and directly interact and come together, the parallels… Amelia meets Ryan and Min, then later inspires Grace, she meets Tulip, who frees Lake who meets Jesse… And Tulip’s efforts get Amelia to change for the better, leading her to eventually meet Grace again, as WELL as Simon, and then Hazel who she made! It really is an interconnected web, a story that overlaps and all comes together as one great end-product and recipe, and DAMN if I’m not salty we’re not getting the rest! We’re missing out on a whole second half… But maybe in graphic novel or book- There’s hope and freedom in that medium, let’s not forget!

           Well guys, this was a PHENOMENAL season, and a wonderful way to end the animated version of this tale… Although hopefully, the story continues on in other formats- And who knows, maybe the animated medium CAN be retained, if this does well enough. We’ll just have to wait and see… But in the meantime, this was a wonderful way to end things, and I genuinely hope that Owen Dennis can tell the rest of his story, perhaps in literal books; All of them, Books 5-8, as well as the resolution to Amelia and Hazel! This was purely amazing you guys, and it really made my day… THANK you, Owen and crew, for everything and Infinity Train- I mourn the destination and end after having reached it, but as Kez taught us, you just gotta appreciate the journey, and what mostly certainly DID happen…!

           Even unintended, this works as a nice goodbye to the animated form of the series; So what better way to end, than with a song that makes the most of the animated format? And a song taking inspiration from the Infinity Train and the friends met there… I’ve always wanted to see a passenger incorporate those experiences creatively like that! Who knows, maybe Tulip did so with her games… And in the meantime, I’d love to see a reference to Chicken Choice Judy in a future Book, perhaps just a glimpse in modern time to see how they did! But then again, Owen does like his ambiguity; And even if Chicken Choice Judy didn’t make it, I think Ryan and Min can both agree that the brief tenure was still worth it, no anxiety over the destination- They’ll get there, WHEN they get there, as Min said… They don’t need to control, just adapt and survive! No knowledge nor certainty, no guarantees required- They have their hope, faith, their past, and one another as guidance to keep company, and they’ll never be alone from hear on out! They can learn to let go, and move on… Just as Jeremy moved on from the death of his own lover (and child), so hopefully Amelia can learn as well, too. We’ll see…

           Until next time you guys… Like Ryan and Min, let’s appreciate what we did get, and keep ourselves open to our next destination, whatever it may be, if nothing; The journey was still enjoyed and happened! To our next destination, or shall we board off at our final stop- We’ll just have to wait and see.

[they-callme-ami]

Gender and Sexuality headcannons for Infinity Train passangers and Hazel. 

(I’ll make a seperate posts for just the photos but if you want to read about the why behind them, click down below for more)

Tulip Olsen:

Gender wise, I think Tulip is a demigirl. The definition (according to google) is "A gender identity term for someone who was assigned female at birth but does not fully identify with being a woman, socially or mentally." For some reason, while I was doing this--it just felt like Tulip. She identifies as a girl, uses the pronouns and seems happy as one--but she seems like the kind of person to not really fit with other women in a certain way, if that makes sense.

Sexuality wise, I'll be honest. I think Tulip is an aromantic. And I don't just mean because she never had a potential love interest or human friend on the train. Her little road trip song? "No romance, no romance, no romance for me mamma." Plus, check the colors match, I rest my case.

Lake:

Okay this one is easy and I don't even think there will be any arguments or debate about this one. The evidence is all there. Cutting off hair, wearing more masculine/androgynous clothing, wanting to be your own person, changing their name to a NOUN to signify their new life, not wanting to be put into boxes? Lake is a she/her and they/them (mostly the later after escaping the train) non-binary and pansexual. It's just the facts.

Jesse Casay:

For Jesse, I believe that he is trans. Why? Most of book 2 was about Lake's journey to discover who they are and get off the train, but Jesse was still their because of his own lessons he had to learn. He was a people pleaser and never stood up for himself and did what he thought would make people like him more. He also makes his little brother partake in his 'friends' ritual of a 'manhood test' where they shove him down a hill and he breaks his arm--it feels like he was in a way, overcompensating. It seems like he's such a people pleaser and conformist because he doesn't want to give others a chance to dismiss him for who he is.

I also think he is pansexual. No deep meaning--I just honest to god think he truly does like EVERYONE.

Grace Monroe:

Her parents didn't seem like the type to pay attention to their daughter already, and give off 'rich black republican' energy which clues me in on 2 things.

Her parents would not care enough to use Grace's pronouns if she were trans, so I do believe she is cisgender.

Her parents wouldn't even notice that she's a lesbian, and if they did she definitely wasn't allowed to act on those feelings. Probably why she has a hard time interacting with other girls her age and why she sees Simon as just a friend, despite all the tools there for them to have been together.

Simon Laurent:

Look this isn't even me doing the whole 'haha, the bad guy is the cishet, cis-het white men are icky' thing. Literally, name one thing about Simon that could be queer-coded. You could argue he was deep DEEP in the closet I guess--but I just got straight and cisgender vibes from him.

Hazel:

Now stay with me on this one. Stay with me here. This is not because Hazel is a denizen. But I believe Hazel is an intersex child that uses she/her pronouns is aromantic. Hazel is only 6 (or so she says) and it's a bit hard to argue sexuality for someone who's both very young and probably hasn't even had their first crush yet. But gender wise--I think intersex works. Not only does Hazel remind me of Stevonnie (a cannon intersex character) but her whole character is her trying to figure out 'what' she is and how she doesn't completley belong anywhere. She was most comfortable with Tuba, another denizen like her, but even Hazel was 'different' from her and was caught between 2 worlds--and she didn't want to choose. She's just Hazel.

Amelia Hughes:

Super easy here. Amelia gives off bi-wife energy and distinguished bi energy where ever she goes. She just--I can't explain it but she isn't straight for sure. You could argue she leans closer to men because of marrying Alrick but proposing to a man during that time period?? Not the traditional cis-het womanly thing to do. Also--come on. Y'all know. Y'all KNOW.

Min-Gi Park:

Book 4 was just "this is for the mlm" personified. Book 2 was for the trans/enby folk, but book 4 was for the gays. Min-Gi is the personification of 'in the closet but in love with my best friend' to the 9's. The reason he gets off the train is because he finally accepts that he doesn't want to fit the status quo, he wants to be with Ryan and outright says he won't LEAVE the train without Ryan--who was currently still at 202-- while he was at 0. That is the GAYEST shit I ever saw. He's def not out to anyone yet, but he checks off those boxes alright.

Ryan Akagi:

Do I need to explain?? Do I REALLY need to explain? I will. Ryan is a neurodivergent, rocker teen who drives a van across the country in the 80's and wants his childhood best friend to come back and reform their band. He uses the t-shirt said best friend made for him as a headband and keeps it for years after they spilt apart. He has a rockin fashion sense, definitely loves the ladies (he unironically flirted with a cat and had multiple girlfriends) but also is in love with his best friend. Hell--he FITS the red-blue soulmate trope--he is literally a rebel without a cause and doesn't seem to fit anywhere but with his best friend and band partner--

Ladies and Gentleman, Ryan Akagi is a disaster bisexual enby that uses he/him and they/them pronouns, thanks for coming to my fuckin' Ted Talk.

[argentdandelion]

Who’s Qualified for the Infinity Train? (June 27 Twitter Party Edition)

Who’s Qualified for the Infinity Train? (June 27 Twitter Party Edition)

An excerpt released in time for the Twitter party on #InfinityTrainHBOMax. Limited to a few theatrical films made by Disney Animated Studios and Pixar, from 2000 and later, starring human protagonists.

(Yes, a six-year-old could have a higher number than a surly teenage boy.)

Lilo (Lilo & Stitch)

Jim Hawkins (Treasure Planet)

Lewis (Meet the Robinsons)

Tiana (The Princess and the Frog)

Rapunzel (Tangled)

1. Lilo Pelekai (Lilo & Stitch)

Severe Emotional Turmoil:

Lilo’s is a six-year-old girl whose parents died in a car crash. She gives peanut butter sandwiches every week to Pudge, a fish she supposes controls the weather, probably because rainy weather contributed to her parents dying in a car accident and she doesn’t want anyone else to suffer the same way. A classmate outright calls her crazy for her beliefs about Pudge, and Lilo hits and bites her. Lilo does not have friends: they’re evidently unnerved by her eccentricities and how she attacked a classmate. Nani, her 19-year-old sister, became her legal guardian after their parents’ death. As much as she tries, Nani is initially an inadequate caretaker, yells at Lilo, and is often busy with her job(s).

Crossroads:

When the tough social worker Cobra Bubbles shows up and concludes things have gone wrong.

On paper, Lilo's turmoil after this point isn't much different from that of the average strong-willed six-year-old arguing with an older sister put in charge or an unprepared or irritable mother. Still, the Train doesn't seem to discriminate between mundane, common, seemingly small problems and extreme loss. Amelia boarded after the death of her fiance, but Jesse boarded just because of his people-pleasing doormat tendencies. Lilo's turmoil is also compounded by multiple problems: not just Nani's unsuitability as a caretaker, but the loss of her parents and lack of meaningful relationships with her peers.

Can’t Fix Problems: While Lilo is not constantly sad about it, Lilo nonetheless is badly affected by her parents’ death. She outright claims her family is “broken”. Lilo cannot undo her parents’ death, nor stitch the wounded family together. Though going to grief counseling would be plausible in this setting,  it doesn’t seem as if either went to grief counseling, possibly due to financial problems or Nani’s tight schedule.

Early on the in the film, Lilo has Nani, David (Nani’s boyfriend), and possibly the hula studio employees. (They don’t dismiss her beliefs about Pudge, apparently making the connection between her Pudge appeasement and her trauma)

Best pickup time: After Cobra Bubbles shows up: shortly after, Lilo goes up to her room and screams in her pillow.

Parallels: Grace has no friends. Tulip’s parents are divorced, which is also a parent-based and living situation problem. If Min-Gi and Tulip can get on the Train, despite having their loving parents inadvertently making things worse, then it is possible Lilo can get on the Train. Six is evidently not too young to get on the Train; three Apex members seem around that age, and Grace and Simon aren’t surprised at Hazel, who seems to be a Passenger who’s six-and-a-half years old (as of later in Season 3, when they’ve been traveling for some time).

Number: Above 202 (Min-gi and Ryan), below 337 (Amelia’s number).

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2. Jim Hawkins (Treasure Planet)

Severe Emotional Turmoil: A delinquent who has violated his probation by operating his solar vehicle in restricted areas. His father left them and he’s raised by a single mom having trouble operating an inn; he’s failing at school, constantly in trouble, sullen. Believes he has no future. After being caught again solar-sailing in a restricted area, the police-bots take away his solar sail.

Crossroads: If he trespasses one more time, he’ll go to “juvenile hall” (juvenile imprisonment). He probably knew the risks of going into the restricted area, since he’s done so before. His solar sailing is somewhat dangerous; he’s not even wearing a helmet. (Though it’s possible there’s some technology that keeps his feet attached to the sail, making it safer than it looks.)

Can’t Fix Problems: He seems sullen after being apprehended/arrested, and later on. It may be solar sailing is the only enjoyable activity for him, even if he tends to get in trouble from it, and without it, he may have no joy in his life left.

Since his mother seems to work a time-consuming, demanding job, she might not have much time to properly raise him. He doesn’t seem to have relationships with anyone but his mother and Dr. Doppler, a friend of the family.

Best pickup time: Right before the old turtle-pirate shows up.

Parallels: His problem seems to be somewhat small-scale but long-simmering. The closest parallel is Grace Monroe, who engaged in delinquency (specifically shoplifting) apparently just to get her parents to notice her.

Number: ~202, near Min-Gi’s and Ryan’s number.

3. Lewis (Meet the Robinsons) – NOT QUALIFIED.

Lewis had gone through substantial emotional turmoil. He mother left him at an orphanage, he had gone through 124 failed adoption interviews by age 12, he figured his adoption prospects when he turns 13 the following year are low, he could have killed a potential parent who was allergic to peanut butter after spraying him with peanut butter from an invention malfunction, and his public attempt to recover memories of his birth mother was a disastrous failure.

However, Lewis was never a crossroads, at least prior to the movie’s plot properly starting with its sci-fi elements, and he can fix his own problem. Lewis can just try again with the machine, or he can get adopted by different parents. (which he does: he finds the younger versions of the people he knows adopt him when he time-travels to the future year of 2037). He also has the support of his roommate Goob, the orphanage director Mildred, a supportive science teacher, and possibly other teachers and classmates.

4. Tiana (The Princess and the Frog) – NOT QUALIFIED.

As of the best time for pickup, at least, Tiana is doubly, perhaps triply, not qualified for the Infinity Train.

Firstly, Tiana's persistence, can-do attitude and great competence in accomplishing her goals (had prejudice not interfered) just makes her too well-adjusted for boarding. Though her father died in World War I, at the time of the film, it doesn’t seem to greatly affect her. Though she gets sad sometimes, but she's not some kind of dysfunctional wreck like the other Passengers.

Secondly, she's not qualified for the Train for similar reasons as Lake. Even if One-One agreed to give Lake a number, Lake's problems ultimately lie upon how others perceive her, the system separating denizens from Passengers, and the enforcers of parts of that system (the Flecs), not in issues that simply require emotional growth. Similarly, while not outright stated in the film (it’s implicit in how her “background” is mentioned), Tiana faces prejudice that hinders her long-term goal of starting a successful restaurant.

Arguably, Tiana’s support system is also too strong for her turmoil to be too severe, or to have a strong enough “crossroads point”. Tiana has her mother, her friend Charlotte, and at least five (unnamed) friends which meet with her at the beignet cafe.

If one were to write a work in which Tiana gets on the Infinity Train, one would need to amplify the problems she faces up to that point, or alter the events so Naveen doesn’t show up and then add more problems after that point.

5. Rapunzel (Tangled) – NOT QUALIFIED.

She must have a supernaturally sunny disposition due to the power of the Flower of the Sun or her hair healing her mentally, because she should not be this well-adjusted due to all the child neglect, abuse, and no healthy relationships (but for her pet chameleon) she’s had for practically her whole life. She’s melancholy and hates herself for disobeying her abusive mother figure’s orders to never leave her tower, but quickly just gets sunny and cheerful again.