You're browsing the archives of HERO.
You can search these comics too.

show: [ full transcriptions | abridged transcriptions | just the first line ]

09. a city of delight: 181 [[Valentine releases his pinwheel and envisions himself and his sister in his brother's care.]]
09. a city of delight: 182 Valentine: Sorry. I got too emotional. I'm worn out now. / Valentine: What now? / The boy: We have found a city. Let's explore it.
09. a city of delight: 183 Valentine: Y'know, kid, some people say the city of delight / Valentine: is just like any other city; and only its gates are special / Valentine: gates through which your sorrow and regret cannot pass / Valentine: What d'you think, kid? / A voice: Valentine? Valentine!
09. a city of delight: 184 Valentine: Vin? / Vin (the voice): What're you doing here? / Valentine: Well, there was this gate, and I went through... / Vin: Ah. Running away again I see! / Vin: Dooon't deny it. Denial's not allowed here, and neither are grumpy faces, so smile! Or I'll kill you / Vin: And who is this?
09. a city of delight: 185 Valentine: He's lost. I said he could come with me, / Valentine: and visit cities. / Vin: There was this quote you liked when we were kids / Vin: "Life is like walking down a long road, carrying a heavy weight,
 
09. a city of delight: 186 Vin: "so let go of all burdens / Vin: "and you will be able to fly." / Valentine: Ohhh, that was ages ago. Ah, youth! Makes you crazy! / Vin: Well, I'm off. See you, Valentine. You too, Lost.
09. a city of delight: 187 Valentine: Hey, are you leaving already?? / Vin: I've seen enough, and I miss flying. / Vin: Anyway, if I stay here too long, I'll get old and weak just like you! / The boy: What do you mean? And that's not my name! / Valentine: Lost! Look! Ice-cream! / Valentine: Come pick a flavor! / The boy: Okay, okay, I'm coming.
09. a city of delight: 188 [[The boy and Valentine feast on ice cream, cotton candy, and other treats]]
09. a city of delight: 189 [[A pony chases Valentine until the boy pacifies it with the offer of an apple; the boy and Valentine settle at the seashore]] / Valentine: Ok, let's take a break. / Valentine: Hey, how do you find this relaxing? I always hated those noisy waves, / Valentine: but you'd just call it "music" and fall asleep. / [[The boy gives Valentine a Look]] / Valentine: Ah, I forgot. I?m sorry.
09. a city of delight: 190 Valentine: So how does it sound to you? Do you like the sound of the sea? / [[The boy smiles and gives a thumbs-up]] / Valentine: Ha, that's great. / Valentine: As long as you're happy now, it's fine if you don't remember. / [[The boy writes in the sand, DO YOU REGRET THAT I DON'T REMEMBER]]
 
09. a city of delight: 191 Valentine: I regret that Eira died. He shouldn't have. / Valentine: But I don't regret that you're here instead. / Valentine: It's like I got two friends instead of just one. / [[An exclamation, off-screen]] / Valentine: Duck?
09. a city of delight: 192 [[The Duck expresses its love from its place among a pile of stuffed animals in a stall]] / The stall-owner: Wanna play, kids? The duck is first prize. You need to shoot all the goldfish to win 'im. / Valentine: That is /my/ duck! I demand him back! / [[The woman shoves a gun at Valentine, and blows cigarette smoke in his face]] / Valentine: Fine! My friend will do it.
09. a city of desire: 193 Valentine: I'm going to look for the gents'. You know what to do! / The stall-owner: Sorry laddie. Just wanting something isn't enough, / The stall-owner: you've got to earn it, and prove you deserve it / [[The boy aims at the transparent goldfish that float through the air of the stall]] / The stall-owner: and if it has a price, you pay it.
09. a city of delight: 194 [[The transparent goldfish have all turned gold and pink and red]] / The stall-owner: Ah, well. There's no rule about shooting colours instead of bullets. / The stall-owner: You've won a duck-- / [[The Duck's spot on the stall shelf is empty. Valentine stands outside with the Duck in motorcycle form, triumphant. The boy grins delightedly and turns to leave, but is halted by the stall-owner's hand.]]
09. a city of delight: 195 The stall-owner: You shoot all the goldfish, you get a prize. / The stall-owner: Since you can't have a duck, / The stall-owner: take this: / [[The stall-owner hands the boy a small egg covered in colorful scales]] / The stall-owner: Who knows. You might get a duck, you might get a dragon, / The stall-owner: take it with you, / The stall-owner: show it off, / The stall-owner: cherish it. Prizes don't come easy.
 
09. a city of delight: 196 Valentine: Take good care of that! Maybe it will be friends with the Duck. / Valentine: In fact, why don't you take care of the Duck's keys too / Valentine: and I will take care of the beer? / The boy: In fact Valentine takes /such/ good care of the beer, / The boy: that it takes a long, loud drumroll to distract him from it.
09. a city of delight: 197 The band, via banners and slips of paper: Good evening! We're happy to see you all here, / The band: colleagues, / The band: lovers, / The band: friends, / The band: all are welcome!
09. a city of delight: 198 The band, normally: Although this may only be a dream, / The band: it is a very /nice/ dream, so let's enjoy it / The band: before we have to go away again / The band: After all, happiness is happiness / The band: Even if we wake up in different places, we'll both be smiling
09. a city of delight: 199 The band: Ah, people like to worry about things / The band: "Was it real? Was it just a dream?" / The band: Well, we're going to play a song / The band: and even if this concert is just a dream
09. a city of delight: 200 The band, or Valentine; ambiguous: I'm glad to have shared this dream with you
 
10. a city of despair: 201 The first thing that comes into my mind after waking up from the city of delight is: ah, what a shame it was only a dream.
10. a city of despair: 202 The second: how long have I been dreaming, when did I fall asleep? / Do we wake up only to begin a new dream?
10. a city of despair: 203 Thirdly: where am I now, and what should I do? / And finally: I am going to have /great difficulty/ communicating all these questions to Valentine.
10. a city of despair: 204 Time passes, / but eventually / nothing changes. / What now?
10. a city of despair: 205 Where to? / No answers immediately present themselves, / I can only assume they are waiting patiently to be found.
 
10. a city of despair: 206 Perhaps in order to find the answers / we must first think of a question, and ask / boldly, nervously: excuse me! Have you seen a Valentine?
10. a city of despair: 207 'What?' Ganymar says. / I repeat my question, this time a little slower. / 'I don't understand,' Ganymar says. 'Did he not run away and leave you here?' / I am not sure if that is impossible, I reply, but even if that's what happened, I am looking for him. So: have you seen him? / 'Not I,' Ganymar says. 'But my lord, who wishes to see you, sees much farther than I do. / 'If you would meet him, you may ask; and he may answer.'
10. a city of despair: 208 So I leave the Duck in what I hope is good company, and follow Ganymar deeper into the strange ship. / Begging your pardon, I ask Ganymar, but what kind of transportation do you call this? / 'Well, you see, my lord is a constant inventor,' Ganymar says, 'but he is not very creative on naming his creations...' / Ah, and what do you call that bright blinding light inside it? / 'Oh! That has no name,' Ganymar laughs.
10. a city of despair: 209 'It simply means my lord is occupied with something, and does not wish to be disturbed.' / So he does not wish to see me any more? I ask. But I still have something to ask of him... / 'I don't know, really,' Ganymar says. 'Juno, the guest we have waited for is here; will our master entertain him?' / 'He's doing today's crossword,' is the answer. Looking at her, I recall a meeting in a lofty building, in a desert land. 'And then there's the sudoku... Really, he might be a while.'
10. a city of depair: 210 Please, I tell her, it is a matter of great consequence! / As if in agreement, a great wind rises in a hot angry swell / as though it could sweep everything away, leaving only what we are each looking for... / But it passes, and we are left only with each other. / 'Did it not occur to you that the crossword might be of great consequence to me?' the golems' master asks.
 

Archive Page:
<< 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 >>