This was actually my test run of the “collage of overlapping panels” idea — the Dissociation Denial Diaries was drawn afterward!
Although Magical Thorn doesn’t understand it, Ebony’s line is “Captain, if the Time Mage had left the Embassy any instructions, we would give you the instructions.”
And Leif’s is “You are going to be okay. Grown-up you is nice, and caring, and really smart.”
Magical Thorn: Rowan? Violet?! You got so big!
Thorn: Well, I didn’t expect an official protocol for “a teenage version of me needing to crash at my place” —
???: Hold still until the scan is done.
Leif: (incomprehensible but at least it sounds reassuring)
Magnolia: And this is your magical-boy costume?
Magical Thorn: Um, no, this is the school uniform from Chalice Prep. . . . Where I think you’re a civics teacher.
???: We’re sure Acai said–?
Ebony: (Words in incomprehensible new language)
Magical Thorn (thinking): Is that seriously Magical Ivy’s dad?
What’s that scar? How did he get that burned?
Thorn: He needs clothes and something to sleep on! It’s not rocket science!
???: Was the opening really a crack, or more of a tear?
Magical Thorn: I don’t know, I was too distracted by getting kicked through it!
Thorn: Listen, do you have a “just got custody of a teenage son I didn’t know I had” protocol? Great! Use that!
Okay, enough! No more tests tonight, and no more questions. The kid is going home.
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10 Comments
I like the effect but it does make it a little more difficult to tell what order the panels go in. I really like the pink bubbles in purple and blue background. (Also theres a coloring error on teen thorn’s hair in the going home panel. Right between the two figures)
I like the random-ordering effect. It loosely reads from top left to bottom right with pretty good coding as to ‘start here’ and ‘end here’. The rest… feels like a really confusing day, where your memories end up kind of jumbled up afterwards. Which feels exactly right.
This is exactly what I was thinking – it really sells the feeling of “too much is happening all at once” without actually making, you know, ME feel like too much is happening all at once. It’s kind of confusing but not so much that I can’t figure out what’s happening, and just confusing enough that I can pick up on how confusing it was for the PoV
it sells it well enough that my brain hurts a little, but like, that happens to me these days. it’ll pass. I’ve been on the laptop longer tahn I should anyways
… We have the same name.
Fixed the coloring error, thanks!
Honestly, you can read the panels in almost any order, as long as you end at the bottom right. The order of the text in the transcript is just because I had to pick one.
I love Thorn’s immediate response of “He’s family, Help Him.” It’s everything I’d hope for from my AU self if I suddenly shifted universes.
I originally thought Thorn Prime was on the phone with whatever organization furnishes Government Employee Apartments, but they wouldn’t handle clothes… Is he getting his Alternate Universe Self set up with the Universal Basic Income office?
It’s the Government Employee Apartments office on the phone, yes! I figure they won’t pick out a whole wardrobe for you, but they have a protocol for “delivering a few changes of clothes to tide you over until you get a chance to go shopping.”
…I know that reaction. Of course, it was “She’s family, help her” … https://www.egscomics.com/comic/2013-03-15
Poor kid. This really conveys how totally overwhelmed he is.
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