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Bond's rain jacket is adorable!

It has stopped raining!

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I've been reading manga so much, this made me imagine two manga high schoolers and thought: "This tracks"

Just saw a man ride past in a bicycle with another man sitting on his lap like in a bridal carry

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⚠️Vote for whomever YOU DO NOT KNOW⚠️‼️

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⚠️Vote for whomever YOU DO NOT KNOW⚠️‼️

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⚠️Vote for whomever YOU DO NOT KNOW⚠️‼️

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⚠️Vote for whomever YOU DO NOT KNOW⚠️‼️

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Oh hey! I haven't read Boozle in like a minute. Ok, possibly a year or two.

⚠️Vote for whomever YOU DO NOT KNOW⚠️‼️

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I get a dopamine boost when I'm a commenter and I get a notification that the author posted a nice reply to my comment! :)

nothing gives me more dopamine that an ao3 notification that someone's left a nice comment on my fic

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Spy x Family workbook scans - part 4

After making scans of the three SxF workbooks that were released last year, I was surprised to find out that more were being made 😀 Two of them just came out (for teaching English), with a third releasing next month. Like the previous books, these include a ton of adorable chibi art of the SxF characters, some repeat illustrations I already scanned from the previous books, but plenty of new ones too! Here are scans of my favorites:

Always love all the wholesome Forger art~ Again, the books are made for teaching English to kids, hence the (sometimes awkward) English sentences accompanying the images 😅

I couldn't help but snicker at this next one. The simplified English just makes it even more unintentionally funny 😂 Poor Yor.

A reference to the cruise arc! (something the little kids reading this book probably shouldn't watch, lol)

Reference to the tennis arc!

Tiny running Yor - look at her go ❤️

These two images were kinda random - Anya and Yor helping a tourist? And Loid eating at a cafe by himself.

Love Loid's face here! Not sure why they translated dalcs to "darks" though.

Omg, Becky 🤣 Again, the stiff, simple English makes it even funnier.

The artist captured Anya and Damian's expressions in chibi form very well.

Was so happy to see a Twiyor drawing! But I don't think "shy" is the word I'd use here 😂

Some Damianya too.

What was most surprising to me about these two new books is the amount of references to manga-only chapters. The artist even made sure to have them wearing the right outfits! They're definitely a SxF manga fan, lol. I can't believe I have to spoiler-tag this post 😅 The manga-only images are...

The Eden gala (this is such an adorable drawing!)

Yor holding all the boxes at the charity bizarre. She even has the armband!

Young Martha doing ballet (like the cruise arc, her arc is definitely not for the little kids who will read this book, lol)

Yor and Anya helping Sigmund.

And Sylvia with Aaron.

Fiona finally makes an appearance in one of these books! Playing a flute...kinda random, but why not.

And lastly, some cute Anya, Becky, and Damian.

Like I mentioned, there's going to be one more book released next month, which I'm also planning to buy and scan. So stay tuned~

<- Return to Part 3

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I have photo albums on my (Android) phone for when I'm going to meet family that May Not Talk Much But Respond to Visuals.

Last 14 Days: An auto-album of screenshots and photos from the last 2 weeks. I figure the screenshots are also an indicator of things I have looked at and found interesting. I also have other uses for this album - such as ideas on things to post on IG, or to share in my group chats.

People Pics: An auto-album of photos I took but also saved from WhatsApp and Telegram. They aren't always pics of people, but they tend to be. I also find this useful as an indicator of things that have been happening. (The blurred tile below is just a pic of me filling my plate with cake, taken by my SO!)

(Yep, the text screenshot in the "Left 14 days" album is one of the very post I'm reblogging here heehee.)

Oh, I also mentally prepare some points if I'm meeting friends that I see on a monthly/two-month basis (because I am a Low Social Energy Adult i.e. introvert). Though it's not to make conversation smoother - it's more as I want to make sure I remember to tell them any Important Updates or Hilarious Story I Really Must Share.

I'm coming to realize how vital it is to keep a running list of shit you did in the past few weeks so that you can participate in small talk. It's literally not anything to do with them being interesting at all it's just having Something to say to give people even the barest thing to hold on to. It's so you don't get into the "what have you been up to" "nothing much what about you" "yeah same" trap. Literally just say something.

What have you been up to? Um well it's getting warmer so I've been having to brush my cat every day.

Like no it's not that interesting of a thing to say. But now they can respond to it. They could say, man yeah it really is heating up, I've been trying to think of things to do inside more often. Or, oh you have a cat? What's their name?

Like. It's Something. All you need is Something. And if you're like me and your brain immediately goes blank upon entering small talk then keeping a list will help you remember things to say.

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I really like these comparisons of Garden and WISE, and Twilight and Hemlock's views on isolation.

WISE would never have a company picnic. But I can't tell if it's more because they don't have the budget for frivolous expenses, than the risk of their agents becoming acquainted more personally than necessary. (Wheeler never knew Twilight's real face, however all the WISE agents who were deployed to the rental castle saw his face, so that's a discreprancy supporting the latter point.)

I don't think Garden has any such monetary worries, plus they already have a plush garden in which to host gatherings. 🤭 But generally they're not as worried about cover identities - they don't leave many witnesses to their work - Hemlock certainly isn't. (What would Gympie's be?)

And I think Twilight would be a very different person, not the Twilight we all know and love, if he truly had zero emotional attachment to others. He would not have that rapport with Franky or Sylvia. He would not feel guilty about using Anya and Yor completely as tools in his mission.

Gotta thank Hemlock for all these thoughts!

SPYxFAMILY (CH. 117)

// manga spoilers

so... that escalated so quickly?? help?? 😂

this chapter has given me a lot to think about that i'm having trouble thoroughly processing atm. but of everything, it's so interesting to me that the more i read about hemlock, the more i'm reminded of yuri and how they're more similar than they are different?

because for the differences:

there's the visuals with hemlock's long, light hair and emo city boy vibes vs. yuri's shorter, dark hair and bright country boy charm.

hemlock dislikes yor vs. yuri's adoration for her.

where hemlock is successful in sequestering himself away from others, yuri is less so, slowly learning to become more involved in the lives of his coworkers.

however!

they're both competent at their jobs and seem like they'd be mature people, but they surprisingly have this aggressively childish side to them (with yuri being a siscon and hemlock having more of a chuunibyou vibe), more so when they're around yor (altho to very different extremes).

and speaking of yor: they both look up to her in some ways (but again for very different reasons) and were both greatly displeased when they found out she married into a family.

they both have very strong opinions on what gives them power (knowledge for yuri, isolation for hemlock).

they're both antagonistic with a forger (yuri with loid, hemlock with yor) and are quick to challenge them.

they both seem to misunderstand what the agency they're serving is all about. with yuri, he thinks that by serving the SSS, he's making the country a safer place for his sister (he's not). with hemlock, he thinks that to be part of Garden is to be a tool, which makes him much better than the people who aren't (he's not).

idk if anything will come out of these (i don't even have a clue as to where this arc is going tbh). but i think it would be interesting if yor defeating hemlock leads to her taking hemlock under her wing as an employee at city hall or something? maybe as a way to help him reintegrate back into society lol. that could lead to a ton of potential conflicts like yuri getting jealous because yor has another little brother figure in her life; or twilight getting concerned at the amount of bloodlust in yor's new co-worker; or hemlock either getting babied or tormented by the city hall girls 😅

other things i've noted:

there seems to be merit in the hc that the 'princess' in 'thorn princess' does actually mean something within Garden! whether that's a rank or just a distinction for yor's abilities remains to be seen

despite being a league of assassins that's treated like urban legends, its members seem generally well-integrated in society! maybe it's because they're from ostania, maybe it's because they seem well-connected to different powers within the country, but it's a stark difference to how WISE seems to operate

yor is such an intelligent fighter, so now i'm itching even more to see what a twilight vs. thorn princess sparring session would be like

"i'll go propose my plan to the shopkeeper." i wonder how much hemlock meant this. it felt more like bait than a sincere threat, but he's also sort of crazy so i wouldn't put it past him if he actually meant it!

the real winner is the elk 😂

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A few SxF manga thoughts! This was in my drafts from a month ago, so it's from the chapter from then (Chap 116), while also touching a little on the latest chapter as of writing (Chap 117).

In Chap 116, as the Garden colleagues drive through the forest, I felt this was a bit different from the cruise arc. Yor and McMahon and even Hemlock talk a bit more like everyday coworkers, just a little surreal for Garden assassins and the weight of their work. (In Chap 117, more of Garden's inner operations as a workplace become even more comically surreal!)

In the cruise arc, McMahon came off a lot more serious, but understandably:

That was a big job and protecting Olka and Gram from a literal shipload of assassins, with little time to unwind, merits some level of focus and gravitas. We know that Yor almost did lose her life on that ship.

It was the first time we saw Yor on a big job, and it was also McMahon's debut. So in terms of the narration, and for us to understand more of Garden through McMahon, it makes sense that he would be written more seriously.

Next in Chap 117, we get some tidbits about Garden as a workplace that are pretty hilarious, but we shouldn't imagine it's all picnics, family gossip, and after-work drinks. They are still assassins, after all. And as pathetic as Hemlock turned out to be, it startled and worried me when he got Yor's neck, and he was pretty scary when he announced he'd go after Yor's family. This is a skilled, dangerous man.

Also I couldn't help thinking that Hemlock reminded me of someone... oh yeah, FMA's Kimblee (links to: MAL; expect spoilers). I think it's in their facial expressions and, of course, their bloodlust. Minor superficial similarities: long hair, and perhaps having a bit of fashion flair haha.

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She makes the distinction that she didn't marry to appease loneliness (we know why she did) but her reflection is about what she's gained. Who she is now. Moving forwards.

Loving that. Love Yor having reflections and growth 😭

This week's chapter gives us great development in the Briar sibling's relationship and their outlook on it.

This is after 100+ chapters where we mostly see Yuri as obsessive.

Just here, I find Yuri's behavior endearing (trust me, weird and psychopathic if he were a real guy), with how unashamedly outward appreciation he shows for his sister. Although, I'm still more concerned for his dependence on her as his source of his raison d'être. (I see this slowly changing with him giving more time and mental capacity to Chloe and his sss buddies. His network expanding to more than Yor!).

I'm drawing attention to ABDUCTED. We know Yuri feels Yor was snatched away, but he's not saying she was ABDUCTED FROM HIM, BUT ABDUCTED BY. Yuri's pinning the blame on Loid, but importantly, HE DOESN'T BLAME YOR AND HE DOESN'T BLAME HIMSELF (for not being there). That's a little interesting, Yuri isn't the sort to self-flagellate despite spending so much thinking time in the past.

In the mid-20th century, middle-class women found themselves responsible for more of the housework, compared to the early 20th C such families had maids. Becoming a servant through marriage is a real issue, ongoing today with studies showing women's household workloads to often triple after marriage. Yor's fortunate to not have that, and Yuri's acknowledged Loid's culinary skills, but I'm interested by how he tries to reason with her.

BRAINWASHING

Remember Melinda's fear which shuts down her thought process and how Demetrius' mind is near empty? Donovan's thought process appears extraterrestrial.

The Authens, especially Sigmund Authen, psudenym for Freud. The guy with Dream Theory and some less savory ideas... Still about the mind, perception, and how our fears manifest themselves in our dreams.

Anya's memory of her mother and talk of a butterfly's freedom. Themes opposite to mind control. Now we've got Yuri introducing brainwashing (from his earlier sss work).

I haven't yet a strong theory of why, but I'm pointing this pattern out now. What is Endo-sensei building up to?

Yor realises her plan to put Yuri at ease didn't work out at all. She's very open about it, talking softly. Telling her little brother, whom she's always prioritised above herself and always had a smile for, just how she felt is a massive step for her. She used to brush her feelings aside and prioritise on the other thing which brought her joy back then (killing), to bring light back to her eyes.

She makes the distinction that she didn't marry to appease loneliness (we know why she did) but her reflection is about what she's gained. Who she is now. Moving forwards.

This deeply affects Yuri, who realises this new routine is set to stay when Yor says she loves this city. I still hope for a Nielsberg mountain trip in the future however.

Yuri's room reminds me of Yor's at the beginning. Bare of trinkets and newer memories, utilitarian and not a place to truly live in... It's a room for function and purpose, not a home.

At the end of the chapter there is a great sense of remorse and loneliness from Yuri, eating multiple biscuits to drown his grief and melancholy with his new understanding. It's striking that he's eating many biscuits, not just half of one like he did as a child, to try to shush his upset. He's indulging himself in past sentiments, yet I bet he'd feel better if he shared half of one with Yor.

Now the biggest development in the chapter is Yuri's understanding of WHY he feels so distant from Yor and WHY it feels like it's growing. The ABDUCTION by the Forgers couldn't cross the entirety of that gap, nor spoiling his sister. The change is HIM.

Yor's lived with her shadow work secret for most her life, but this is much newer for Yuri who had a close life with his sister before this, free from apparent secrets. It's weighed on him this entire time, it still will, until the psychological toll will finally break him, or like Anya, he won't be believed - which might just be worse.

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** Permission to post it was granted by the artist Do not repost/edit the art without permission Please, support the artist on their pages too **

Artist : Hiroko (pixiv / twitter / IG)

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New brainrot and new ship for me!

The manga is sooo good

Love this fanart, it's so them

i miss them so much

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This came to me in a dream 🚪🧍🏻‍♂️

Based on this:

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I love that I share my house with one of the most efficient apex predators millions of years of evolution could produce. I love that two of nature’s most prolific machines met and were like “hmmm. We should lay around and do nothing together”. Now we’re both fat and happy and full of meat. The hedonism of it all