buf309 - Tumblr blog

[buf309]

ALRIGHT IM GOING INSANE RN SO EVERYONE PLEASE LISTEN TO ME

SYLVIA IS SUCH AN INTERESTING CHARACTER BECAUSE YOU LOOK AT HER AND THINK “OH SHE’S JUST GOING TO BE LIKE HIS PERFECT BOSS OR WHATEVER” BUT YOU LEARN THAT SHES ACTUALLY A WELL FLESHED OUT HUMAN BEING??!!! SHES A FUCKING SLOB, SHE DOES GENUINELY CARE ABOUT HER AGENTS, AND SHES GOT SUCH AN INTERESTING BACKSTORY THATS BEEN IMPLIED THE ENTIRE TIME?!! LIKE SHE LOST HER DAUGHTER AND HUSBAND AND IN A WAY SHE ALMOST MIRRORS LOID AND LIKE….UGH IM SORRY I JUST FEEL LIKE WE NEED TO APPRECIATE SYLVIA MORE!!!!

[buf309]

Lion’s Mane Jellyfish (x)

[buf309]

I am once again emotional by the thought that Twilight has been an unsung hero in all his years working as a spy, has accepted that and doesn't expect to get any recognition by it, but that recognition will come in a way he never could have imagined: his daughter's love.

Because Anya loves him and chose to stay with him because he's her hero, the one who fights to create a world where she and other children can be safe and happy.

I feel it's a different dynamic than with Yor because Anya didn't choose her because she thought what Yor did was the right thing; she mostly found her cool and exciting, and it was after Yor showed her protective side that Anya trusted her. With Yor it's more direct, because if anything it's been Yor that has directly saved Anya. Twilight's methods are more secretive and even detached and as far as he knows, Anya doesn't know anything about those.

So while I believe Yor will be touched to realize that Anya trusted her despite her dangerous work, it won't be a grand shock to her because she knows that Anya knows she's been saved by her - and it's how Loid convinced her he values Yor in the family, in the bench scene. It will still be an important moment, which will solidify (either immediately or slowly) in her the thought that she is worthy of love and of her place in the family. Yor has received recognition for her self-sacrifice and protectiveness (especially during the years through Yuri's adoration of her), even though it's for her direct actions and not her assassin work. Her direct actions were still her honest self, so I think post-reveals it will be more reassuring to her that Anya loves her despite her dark secrets. It will be more grounding than ground-breaking. After all, it was the hope of acknowledgement that pushed her through in the last battle in the Cruise Arc.

For Twilight it will be shocking, because as far as he knows, no civilian knows of his achievements. The SSS and other criminal organizations that know of him hate him, and WISE values him only for his "material" use. In his mind, Anya knows nothing of all he's done to protect her, either directly or indirectly. But to learn that Anya loves him for his very core reason to become a spy? To see that not only she knows, not only she values him, but values him for his principles and his character?

Like, I feel that especially because his motivation is to create a world where children don't cry, having a child see that and call him her hero is what will shake his world. He does get recognized. He is valued for who he is and not what he can offer. Those are things he deprived himself of for so long, and he'll receive them from an innocent child who knows him better than anyone ever will.

(anime only fan here, don't spoil me for the manga)

[buf309]

[buf309]

I see a lot of posts saying "teach boys about consent".

While that is true, a lot of parents will do that and fail to see how their own actions are the problem.

If you've spanked him, he's less likely to understand consent.

If you've forced him to sit on Santa's lap, he's less likely to understand consent.

If you've forced him to give hugs and kisses to family members, he's less likely to understand consent.

If you've grabbed him in order to force him to sit still, he's less likely to understand consent.

If you've labeled him as "too sensitive" for not wanting to be touched, he's less likely to understand consent.

If you've assumed he's okay with something because he technically allowed it even though he felt pressured, he's less likely to understand consent.

If you're only going to criticize his actions but not your own, it won't work.

[buf309]

The Grand Unifying Theory of the 'Forger Family Teacups (TM)'

(The title is a joke. But yes, this will be a long post about cups.)

I often talk about how food is the language of love... in which case, tea and coffee and hot cocoa - and maybe some biscuits and chocolates to go with that - must be the soft melodic notes that go with all that poetry 😊

The Forger Family Teacups are used throughout the series - much more so in the anime than in the manga - as a symbol of the Forgers' domestic bliss. It is warmth, it keeps them going (although Twilight really needs to cut down on the caffeine), it is a shared moment of rest and love at the end of a long day. It is family.

It also sets up a nice contrast to Twilight and Yor's life from before. In the first episode, we see him holding a paper cup filled with some dark brew as he leaves one place to head to another - such is the life of a spy. The cup, like all his lives and identities before, is disposable.

And even when Twilight does get a proper mug at the first Forger residence later... it is a plain white cup, and it sits alone on the coffee table. It does not scream domesticity. More like 'another day at the office'. Which it is, for him.

Then, there's Yor. We are introduced to her in the series as she is making coffee - it seems to be one of her jobs at city hall. But the white serveware and fancy contraptions make coffee for other people. The setting, the sterile color palette, the way Yor's detached reflection shows up on the pot of coffee... this is not home.

We see the Forger Family Teacups finally in Episode 3, when Yor moves into 128 Park Avenue and becomes Anya's mama. All three mugs hold slightly different things - Anya's cocoa, Yor's coffee with milk, and Loid's black coffee - but they are all sitting together, with a plate of food made lovingly by Twilight between them. The three of them may not think of themselves as a unit yet, but the tea cups and cookies don't like - this is the start of the Forger Family.

Notably, we return to a scene like this at the end of the episode. Just as Twilight laments that the operation is hopeless, in walks Yor with their family mugs, full of sweetness and comfort, quite literally. (Yes, this shot has to be deliberate.)

We get to admire the scene of domesticity - Yor smiles watching Anya enjoying her cup of hot cocoa. And Twilight gets to admire it too... and that's when the now-familiar 'teacups' music with the soft piano playing comes in. Because yes - they looked like a wonderful family to the old lady they helped earlier in the day... but they look even more like a wonderful family at home, basking in each other's warmth, sharing tea and cocoa.

We continue to see the Forger Family Teacups through the series, usually when the anime wants to highlight the theme of familial love.

In Episode 4, Yor brings out the tea tray as Twilight worries he's doomed Operation Strix. (Yor providing comfort to her husband - often with tea and coffee - when his brain goes brrrrr is a recurring thing in this series, by the way.) And we see the cups and saucers together... closer than where they were in Episode 3.

In Episode 7, Yor and Twilight talk about parenting and their partnership over their Forger Family Teacups as they wait for Anya to stop sulking over being made to study.

Notably, we get the 'teacups' music theme again, but also, Twilight has an emotional epiphany over his cup of coffee. Being Loid Forger, one cup in a set, has led him to the realization that he owes it to his daughter to be an ideal father. Him, not being Anya's real father? Well, the cup says otherwise. And he knows it too.

The last time we see the teacups prominently in the manga (again, they appear in nearly every episode, just look for them) is in Episode 8 and 9, with Yuri's visit and its aftermath.

Here, the Forger Family Teacups (TM) signify who is family, who is not. As I've pointed out before, Loid is seen wiping clean the good china for guests before Yuri's arrival in the manga and in the anime. It is, as you can see, not the same shape or pattern as the everyday mugs Yor, Anya and Loid use.

Except - and I only just noticed this - Yor actually took out a Forger Family cup first. Look at it. Shape and pattern match. Which makes sense! Yuri's family to Yor Briar, even if he's a weird little dude. But as a Forger... that's different. And Twilight's really not going to let Yuri be part of the Forgers, just yet. He does not get a Family Teacup. This is an anime-only detail. They just hate Yuri that much more. 😂

And just in case we've not entirely got it, the anime also gives us this shot - Yor, Anya and Loid's cups sitting side by side as they have a very serious discussion about how to come up with a coherent lie to sell to Yuri. It is a family discussion. About someone who is not family.

At the end of Episode 9, after the excitement that was Twilight planting a listening device on his wife, him realizing his wife is actually loyal and great, him hating himself for doing all of this, him telling her he's sick of pretending, and her declaring she's thankful she married him - phew, a lot happened in that episode! - husband and wife return home, cake in hand to celebrate their fake anniversary. Whatever crisis Twilight and Yor had imagined that could wreck their marriage and their family - well, those doubts are dead and buried, for now anyway.

The Forger Family Teacups ends the episode. Unlike in prior episodes, they have done away with the formality of saucers. Unlike in prior episodes, they are now sitting right next to each other. They are full, they are warm, they are bitter, they are sweet, they give Twilight stomach aches... They are Forger. 😊

---

PS. The second cour's ED 'Color' understands guests at the Forger residence are only allowed to use guest cups, not the Forger set. They get it. *nods approvingly*

---

PPS. Yuri eventually gets his Forger Family Teacup in the manga. Because even Twilight begrudgingly admits that the weird little dude is family. The fact that Yuri annoys Twilight but he can't do anything about it because his wife loves her brother, and Loid loves his wife is... Very Family.

PPPS. When Becky comes round to visit, Yor goes all out and uses a super special fancy tea set for the whole family, because Becky is super special and fancy 🙂 This is very cute, especially when you realize...

PPPPS. Yor very pointedly gave Nightfall a guest mug, even as the whole family used their Forger Family Teacups. As we saw with how Yor treated Becky, she could have actually done otherwise. But no, even before she knew how she felt, Yor decided to get territorial via tea cups and show Fiona that the Forgers are A Family, and she's not welcome, thank you very much.

[buf309]

A look at Loid's room

There's three separate windows in Loid's room. One to the right wall, and two on the wall across from the entrance. I'm guessing the door on the side is the closet. Both times we got a glimpse of his room in the anime, the shutters and the curtains were closed.

From an outsider's perspective, it should make sense to not see any light coming from that room.

(A quick approximate house plan. Greens are doors and reds are windows/balcony doors - I know there are ways to depict them but I just didn't wanna bother so I used colours instead)

For their cover, Loid and Yor are supposed to sleep in the same room, so there should be no need of everyday use of the extra bedroom. In fact, seeing light coming out of it at night on days where they don't have any guests would arise suspicions. Therefore, it's necessary to cover the windows in that room. I mean, it's not like he spends a lot of time in there, only for like the two or three hours he allows himself some sleep, so.

It's also interesting which room Loid picked for his own. Yor's room looks slightly bigger, but it faces the road, and there's a spiky fence on the ground under the balcony.

You'd think that Loid would choose the room that's right next to Anya's, being her "father" and all that, as well as choose the bigger room that has better lighting. You'd think. (Don't forget that when he got that apartment at the end of episode 1, he wasn't considering it a necessity yet to find a fake wife)

It's Yor's room, instead, that has the windows open, and the one they use as the "master" bedroom for appearance's sake.

Now this screenshot above may not be the best example, as it seems the left side of their apartment building is tight to another building, but we see that Yor's room has a balcony door on the wall opposite to the entrance, as well as two very bright windows on the adjacent wall.

So it might have been a misstep on the animation from that episode, as it seems that the left side of the apartment faces an alley.

So, Loid's room has windows from two separate angles that face an alley, and is on the first floor. As he said while checking the first apartment in the first episode, that's a secure escape route. He's athletic enough to jump from the first floor and land safely, and escaping through an alley is safer than jumping out into the main road (and having to avoid the spiky fence!).

(no manga spoilers please)

EDIT because I remembered there's a door in the separate living area. In episode 20 we see Yor come out of that area with some freshly cleaned linen in her arms, so I'm guessing that's where they keep the washing machine.

[buf309]

If the primary colors were to get into a fight, which would win and why?

good question would this include the additive and subtractive models? red vs blue vs yellow vs green vs cyan vs magenta

[buf309]

I think the thing I’m most excited for (and what I hope actually gets explored) in Spy x Family isn’t so much the drama of the secrets being revealed - I’m excited for what comes after.

Imagine that sort of awkward transition stage where everyone is getting used to this new normal. Loid and Yor are tiptoeing around each other, not really sure what to make of their partner who has been lying their ass off the whole time. They’re both kinda mad about it, but also can’t really find too much fault because they’ve been doing the same thing themselves. Imagine a montage of all the Not Normal things both of them are guilty of and the both of them having a “ooooohhh that makes more sense now” moment.

But then treading into angsty territory: say their missions align or something and they have to work through the fact that their partner is not a civilian. Loid constantly ordering Yor to get back and take cover, throwing his arm up to shield her, but then Yor ducks around him and takes down, like, ten armed guys before he can even blink. Yor having a mini war in her head between Yor Forger and the Thorn Princess, because the Thorn Princess has a damn job to do but Yor Forger is constantly fretting about Loid and what he must think of her and if she’s still a good mom for Anya when she just skewered a grunt’s head so hard his skull exploded. It results in neither of them being on top of their game and eventually having to work through their issues before succeeding (maybe whilst tied up back to back in a holding cell or something).

But then there’s this sort of relief? For Loid especially, because suddenly it’s not just him protecting this family. He knew Yor was good at keeping Anya safe, but before it was as an insanely lucky civilian who’s very good at “yoga”. Now… He knows that it would take something monumental to take Yor down. Anything less than that and she’s walking away covered in blood that’s not hers. There’s this sense of safety that starts to bubble up, which is strange, because it should be the opposite. Yor’s one of the most dangerous assassins in the country - hell in both countries - and yet Agent “I don’t trust anyone” Twilight has complete faith in her.

Meanwhile, Yor’s feeling more validated in months because even after learning Loid/Twilight’s biggest secret…he’s still here. He didn’t just pack up and leave in the middle of the night the way spies do whenever they are compromised. And he learned about her and yet he stayed. He included her in on his schemes. And suddenly living together is just…so much easier. She doesn’t have to sneak out in the middle of the night or hide her injuries. She doesn’t feel ashamed any time her incredible strength slips through. She doesn’t feel like she has to lie to everyone - she has Loid to talk to now. She’s never had someone who knows but who also isn’t a Garden agent themselves. And with him being a spy there’s a level of understanding of the job that makes it really easy to be open about it. Probably to a worrying degree, but Yor trusts Loid with her life despite him being a foreign spy.

And then there’s the question of the degree at which the secret’s out. Do they know about Anya? Does Anya know? (Or more specifically, do they know that Anya knows?) (Anya comes home one day and overhears them talking about spy/assassin stuff and after months of being exhausted trying to help them keep both secrets she just sighs really loudly, “FINALLY!” Only to then be questioned on how she knew.) Would Yuri or Franky find out? Garden or WISE? But it would be fun in there’s a little while where the family knows about each other, the three (four including Bond) having a wonderful little stretch of time where the first true test of their trust for each other is passed with flying colours. (Enough for a Stella Star, even!)

[buf309]

Been thinking about Nightfall wanting to "awaken the heart buried within Twilight" and I'm like... how exactly is she planning on doing that? It doesn't look like she really understands Twilight, she only sees the idolized image of him that she's built in her mind.

Her only ambitions driving her to perfection (and, to her credit, she does actually achieve a great level of physical discipline that a spy needs to survive) are the ones of her ending up as Twilight's real wife and life partner. She doesn't seem to share any of his dreams, she doesn't even seem to appreciate a possible world where children are happy - which is Twilight's core motivation, so ingrained in him that he kept fighting for it even when he hadn't actively thought about it for a long time.

The reason Yor and Anya are the ones awakening his feelings is because they are way more connected to his ambitions and motivations. Anya reminds him of himself and how important it is to him to protect children's innocence and happiness. Yor has similar motivations, and he actually, canonically thinks of her as someone suitable to inherit the world he wants to create, and maybe I'm taking a bit of liberty here by saying he probably wishes he'd had someone like her to protect him when he was young and defenseless.

So, without even trying, just by being themselves, Yor and Anya connect with him and awaken all the emotions that have motivated him as a spy from the very start. Nightfall has literally dedicated her entire existence to becoming the perfect partner for Twilight, but in her effort to become perfect she has completely lost what actually matters to the man behind the Twilight spy persona. In fact, she may have actually ended up at the opposite side. She believes that after the war Twilight will want to reminisce over old times and tour old battlefields with her when we as the audience keep getting hints that he finds no pride or happiness in being a spy, other than having the chance to protect the world.

Nightfall is hard to relate to not only because she's mean and selfish. It's also because she has dedicated herself to a false, empty promise that was based on Twilight's fame. I'm guessing Twilight never shared his inner feelings and motivations that drove him to become a spy, so Nightfall has no idea how much of a sensitive person he really is, beneath all the masks he puts on. And she's doing all that in an effort to make him notice her, praise her, and eventually choose her as his romantic partner, but everything about it is hopeless.

In a way it's a very interesting way to present her character, as she's willingly becoming a Satellite Love Interest, and everything about her plan, to mistaking Twilight's motivations and personality, to treating Yor and Anya horribly, to reaching for a goal the audience knows is unachievable shows why you can't be like that in reality. I could even say it's a commentary and satire of Satellite Love Interests, making a brilliant example of how such characters can work if they're consciously written that way.

(Anime only fan here, don't spoil me for the manga)

[buf309]

[Image description: A digital pencil comic of Loid and Yor Forger. Panel 1: They sit on a couch, Loid slightly hunched forward and Yor slouching into the seat back.

Yor: You know...

Loid: Hm?

Yor: When Yuri moved out, I remember thinking- Eventually we'll run out of 'clients'. It has to end at some point right? "When does the fighting stop?".

Panel 2: Yor from Loid's pov, slightly turned away.

Yor: And here I am.

Panel 3: Loid looking forward with a look of exhaustion.

Yor (off-screen): Still on call.

End ID]

gotta do everything myself. anyway the ramifications of a war that never truly ends, causing people to do terrible things in the name of a peaceful future that may never happen due to powers much bigger than them

[buf309]

Page of studies feat. Bond Forger

[buf309]

It's cute that Yor has a crush on her husband 🤭

There's plenty of evidence about Yor having feelings for Loid (more on that here), but I think the main one is that she doesn't behave that way with anyone else. She can take food from Yuri and Anya, dance with someone else like she did during the cruise arc (while telling this person that she's married), catch cats with Franky, all this without getting flustered.

Yet, every time there's a situation that involves getting physically close to her husband...well, we've all seen the results 😏

It's so cute because it's obvious Loid is Yor's first crush. She's living so many first with her family. Since she was always working (to provide for Yuri), she missed out on so much! So, I'm happy now she gets to experience life. She looks way happier than at the beginning of the story. Her brother and colleagues notice this too. And I'm happy that she's gradually discovering different aspects of herself, like being a mom, doing something more than just working or cleaning, and of course, falling in love.

[buf309]

my kuchipatchi plush comes to life to help me

[buf309]

Mate choice. Another older comic.

Mailing list | Patreon