#i rambled. its nonsensical at best and gibberish at worst but i have thoughts

[captmickey]

As I look at Tales of Monkey Island for the umpteenth time at work, I really really reaaaaaaaaaaally can't stop thinking how Guybrush has two tones (his snark tone and his sincere tone) and how Morgan was (so far) the only one to invoke a third, rarely used, tone: pure anger

Like... okay, let me put it like this: when he's around strangers or someone he doesn't know/trust, he has that sort of jolly but snarky tone. He says things with a smile, sometimes schmoozing up, and a bit of a backhanded remark. It's noticeable with Bugeye, DeCava, DeSinge, and initially Morgan.

(Of course, unless the person in question really deserves his snark, then he's just an overall menace and will not hold back.)

Versus when he's sincere. He still smiles, but it's kinder, he speaks a lot softer, he jokes, but there's a lot more questions about someone's well-being before he presses on about the current quest he's on. It's absolutely noticeable when he talks to Elaine and later on with Winslow and Morgan.

Now, Guybrush had been mutinied multiple times in series, he's almost used to it (e.g. his initial meeting with Winslow wanting to join his crew). He's used to doing things alone, and it was mentioned that Tales is the game to teach Guybrush that its okay to open up and know that he has people that care and want to help.... getting a network and all that.

And he does, by opening up to Winslow and eventually Morgan, you can see him getting used to having friends that genuinely care and help and it makes Morgan's betrayal hurt all the more because in his mind, his reward to opening up was getting knocked out, stop his time-sensitive quest and get dragged back to Flotsam for cash.

By someone he thought was his friend.

It freaking hurts. And all this to say that Guybrush has never used a tone that was so openly malicious because it came from hurt and anger instead of annoyance. And we can see it in his expression! And I am feral about it, like:

Initially focused on one thing...

...to snark....

...to anger.

And he just straight up doesn't relent on berating Morgan. Normally Guybrush makes a snide remark/insult and calls it day. Morgan is the only character that he lashes out verbally, not even giving her a chance to counter.

And I am living for this.