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beannoss · 3 months ago

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Something I think about a lot and wonder if maybe gets overlooked in Twilight’s story and as vitally indicative of his character is actually in the very first chapter:

Anya isn’t needed for Strix. Twilight decides to adopt her anyway.

[Spoiler warning: Mostly this post deals with early chapters already in the anime but there is reference to chapter 62, which has not yet been animated and will be in season 3]

Twilight decides it — “I’m going to rework the mission so it doesn’t involve a child because that’s too dangerous” and he’s 100% right! Donovan Desmond is canonically a far right warmonger with fascistic authoritarian aims. His government made liberal use of the SSS — a group to mirror the Stasi — who continue to operate in morally dubious ways (much more likely they’re actively morally reprehensible, though we’ve mostly only had rumours of that so far). From what we can tell, Desmond is at best an absent father and likely actually worse than that: if that's how he treats his own children, imagine how he might treat others. And the timeline seems to indicate that the experimentation performed on Anya was done under Desmond's government — even if Twilight isn't aware of experimentation on children, he is aware of both human and animal experimentation under Desmond's government. Taking all that and also the complexity of Strix's aims, undoubtedly there were other things that could be done, more straightforward if not necessarily easier.

So. Why? Why entertain the change at all? And then, having entertained it, why go back when the reasoning is indisputable?

On the Doylist level, I think Endo wanted to ensure that Anya had some agency within the set up — Endo also does this with Yor. It would be much harder to be on Twilight’s side fully, or to trust him on an ethical level/take him as any sort of moral authority, if he were just straightforwardly using these two people. To have them be active and consenting participants (arguably to actually be affirming the arrangement: Twilight sets it up, but Anya and Yor actually make it happen) even if the audience only knows the depth of their knowledge/motivations/etc currently, shifts the power dynamic in important ways.

But it also the set up tells us important things about Twilight. He is largely impatient, cold, detached in chapter one. His overarching feelings towards Anya are, I think, real annoyance, real confusion, and real impatience. He just doesn’t understand this damn kid and it turns out she’s a person which is frankly unacceptable — he’d needed and anticipated an automaton, ideally of himself in miniature form. (Though I think one could ponder whether Twilight was, in many ways, an automaton himself at this point, but that's maybe for another meta 🙃)

He’s not entirely unmoved of course — we're given to understand he’s affected when Franky tells him how many times Anya’s been adopted and returned, and isn't amused by Franky's joke about names. Franky's comment — "Just don't get attached" — reinforces this. The prospect of “the future” perturbs Twilight when he’s reading the parenting books. His initial reaction to Anya’s kidnap is horror. All these are true too.

Then there’s also this, from earlier in the chapter:

It’s exposition, yeah, and it’s also exposing. "Hopes" and "joys" are very specific words to describe those events. It could simply have been "A marriage? An ordinary life?" but describing them as such — hope for marriage; joy in ordinary life — expose something of what Twilight feels about those two experiences and, on the flipside, they expose what he deems he's lacking. No hopes of intimacy; no joy in (an ordinary) life. There's an argument as well, of course, that he's being ironic but I don't think that actually invalidates the above analysis. Drawing attention to 'hope' and 'joy' at all are revealing, regardless of Twilight's tone in thinking of them. I think it's also interesting this panel, taken in conjunction with a pair of panels in chapter 62, Twilight's backstory. The above is almost a pulled out version of this below panel of Twilight's recollection of his childhood, and of course the returning image of not just a rubbish bin but a rubbish bin on fire when it comes to disposing of his identity:

Back to Strix. Both his final interaction with Karen and the whole everything of the framing of Strix is making Twilight think (and feel, ahem) things that he hasn't for some time. Twilight decides, I’m reworking this. It can’t proceed this way. Not because Anya is a pain in his ass, not because she’s not as (apparently) intellectually advanced as he’d originally thought, not even because he thinks he can find another child who would better be exactly what mission parameters called for. No:

And what changes his mind is Anya asking to come home.

One of the important parts of this to me is this:

He seeks consent.

This moment is a keystone, I think, to understanding Twilight. It’s also more telling than he maybe realises. Twilight is decisive — we all laugh because he spirals at the drop of a hat when his daughter or wife look even mildly upset but outside those (also very telling) scenarios, he makes decisions and he pursues them. Often he makes decisions quickly. He’s a dab hand at it; it’s a large part of why he’s as good a spy as he is.

He’d decided to change Strix.

Anya asks him, in essence, not to.

So, he doesn't.

But it's wild that he entertains keeping her request at all — why? Why even entertain it? It’s dangerous; it’s impractical; there are too many moving parts outside his direct control; Anya isn’t the sort of child he’d wanted for the mission if he’d spent any time thinking about what a child might actually be like; Strix is in many ways an extremely long shot anyway, Desmond could just stop attending for reasons unknown and unrelated; etc.

So, yeah, why? Maybe because of this —

In conjunction, I often think of this moment in the cruise arc:

Twilight first naming the feeling as lonesome, and secondly tacitly conceding that he perceives Yor as a companion and that that relationship is important to him, something to be missed. What makes this for me though is that Anya calls this out "Papa's you're so sappy" and Twilight's reaction is that of someone caught-out. He doesn’t say “nuh-uh!” but he may as well have. Essentially, something landed a bit close to home, hm? Maybe some of that hope for marriage? A soupçon of joy of an ordinary life?

Twilight’s loneliness underpins many of his decisions with his family — probably without him being fully conscious of it. I think he is at least somewhat conscious of it, but also if he looks too closely... Well, best not to. I could fill this post, I think, with images that demonstrate his loneliness throughout the series; that sorrowful/pensive close-up of his eye(s) is one of the abiding motifs for Twilight throughout. I'd probably start with this one from Twilight's backstory arc:

Anya's request plays directly off his loneliness. Still though, he doesn’t immediately capitulate — he emphasises Anya’s choice. Is she sure? The last day has been scary for a child (and for him, but he's ignoring that part) and Twilight, in his increasing recognition that Anya is a person, is probably aware in the back of his mind that he hasn’t exactly been warm or welcoming or at all patient with her. Things that people respond to — he's otherwise excellent at manipulating people, so of course he understands this. So. Given she'd just had this scary experience, given he hasn't exactly been great with her: Is she sure? She wants to come home — with him?

I think the moment may get a little lost because Anya says something riffing off his own earlier thoughts and self-revelation (featuring that shadowed, lonely eye motif again!)

Were this a post about Anya, I’d talk about how it’s an important character moment for her as well by way both of demonstrating her agency/choice and also that she isn’t nearly as dumb as Twilight thinks (and the audience, maybe, also thinks).

But in my view, she didn’t actually need to say anything about it making her cry. I think she could simply have said yes in that moment and Twilight would have agreed.

Twilight’s an unreliable narrator; he’s disconnected from his heart and that shrouds his own motivations from himself — something he actually also concedes in this chapter!

And it shrouds from us just how much he actually understands himself. He’s also a master of deflection. Easy to assume or say that bringing Anya home is just to align with Strix. Nothing more to see here; nothing else going on. But also that ripping off of the mask in the panel above — and the literal 'riiip' sound effects — also indicate to us that this is an unveiling to himself.

In my view, Twilight agreeing to Anya's request, deciding to go back to original mission parameters, actually shifts his motivations, subtly. Now he’s committed not only to the original mission goals, but also to Anya. He needs Anya to succeed at Strix, not only for Strix's sake, but also because otherwise the mission will end and she’ll have to go back to the orphanage, and he’s just agreed with her not to do that (not right away, in any case). I don’t think at this point he’s thinking it’s forever — his thoughts throughout the manga indicate he still expects the Forgers to be temporary. I don't think the shift in motivation is necessarily even conscious, but given the set up, I think something inside Twilight recognises that agreeing to bring Anya home is a compact, jointly engaged. Mostly all this has become subsumed into Strix: he makes decisions. He pursues them. He deflects, even from himself. Of course it's just for the mission; this saved him the trouble of reworking it, of figuring out something else. Nothing more to see; no need to think any more on it. And to be fair to him, Strix is very high stakes, resting pretty solely on his shoulders, so of course that is, objectively, motivation enough. Why even consider beyond that?

But I personally think that to the extent he's aware of it at all, there is something else going on, that he wants to have Anya for as long as it takes him to work something else out for her. If that's the case, then of course, we have Occam’s razor: the simplest solution may be the best one.

Maybe Twilight should just keep Anya himself, eh?

[Image description: gif from Spy x Family season 1, episode 1. Twilight and Anya have just found out Anya passed her entrance exam and are overjoyed. Celebratory, Twilight picks Anya up and swoops her into the air as they smile at one another. End image description]

#spy x family #spy x family meta #agent twilight #loid forger #sxf manga #sxf manga spoilers #i haven't talked too much about yor in this but ofc she is also an important part of this dynamic #i’ve been in my thoughts for weeks about twilight and they’re all pouring out 🥲#i tried to work them out in fic first but it was not enough 😤#should I put some of this post behind a cut? pls lmk if yes #also caveat that ofc i'm working from translations which may sometimes miss nuance/be somewhat off from endo's originals #here fandom take this!#gif #and i had a whole section about the complexity of consent in children and particularly a child with anya's background #ultimately tho this is fiction we're discussing and i'm sticking within those parametres pls and thx

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thedragonqueen1998 · 1 year ago

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Once again, the limit's been hit. This post is like a ball we keep throwing at each other, every once in a while, one of us throws it too hard and we gotta get a new one. The most inefficient post on Tumblr. XD

Altaïr finally starts realizing his feelings, ey? :> And maybe before going after Robert he confesses to Desmond. Then after Altaïr sees the map, he feels Desmond being ripped away and no matter what he won't return to him. Not until he starts studying the Apple.

@thedragonqueen1998 and I had fun adding these tags on this post but we reached the tag limit so I figured we should create its own post…

And still reblog with tags instead XD

Previous tags

#i accidentally reblogged this on my other account #oh well #bitch slap #assassin’s creed #i made altaïr twirl around all the time #altaïr ibn la'ahad

#<previous tags #Altaïr just hears Desmond’s shitty rendition of “You spin me Round”

#< thedragonqueen1998 prev tags #ngl you said “You Spin Me Round” and my brain went “Turn around… every now and then-” #and now i’m just imagining desmond singing both songs on repeat XD

#< previous tag #Altaïr knows no peace #and he can’t do jack shit about the spirit haunting him #Desmond is messing with Altaïr ‘cause he can’t do anything to the Templars #and Altaïr’s a bit of a dick in the beginning so he deserves it

#< thedragonqueen 1998 prev tags 2 #they are both suffering and annoying each other #just to get some kind of ‘reprieve’#but also… #altaïr thinks desmond is his true punishment for failing the mission XD

#< previous tags #does Altaïr think God himself sent a spirit to punish him #or that Al Mualim is responsible? #either way #he just wants some peace and quiet #just for 5 minutes #Desmond please! #i am begging you #Desmond is just having the time if his life

#lol 30 tags limit oh well #desmond doesn't give him any reprieve #if he's going to suffer altaïr will suffer with him #al mualim is now worried that he might have fucked altaïr up #<previous tags #Altaïr is just everyones problem now #would be interesting when Altaïr kills his targets #Desmond is in the white space together with Altaïr and the target #< thedragonqueen1998 tags #that's the only time altaïr sees him #so they try to talk #but the white space only last for a few seconds #after altaïr's target die s #so altaïr starts being more 'gunho' about killing his targets XD #just to finally give desmond a piece of his mind #< previous tag #Once the target is dead Altaïr just rushes at Desmond #to just grab his throat and violently shake him #while trying to choke him out #so he can maybe get some goddamn peace and quiet #Altaïr now knows how Malik felt about his arrogance #he just goes up to Malik and says “I am sorry” and just leaves #Malik is very confused #Desmond is pleased because Altaïr is becoming a better person thanks to him #Al Mualim just gets more concerned as time goes on #< thedragonqueen1998 prev tags #altaïr gets as far as grabbing his throat before desmond disappears #and altaïr is left annoyed and frustrated #not helped by the fact that it felt less choking #and more like a caress to desmond

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piracytheorist · 11 months ago

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The kindness surviving

As I can't stop saying, one of my favourite things about Spy x Family is how focused it is on humanity's innate kindness. Its premise is three lonely people finding a family (and themselves) with each other, the story's endgame is to secure peace, it's hopeful in the midst of its realism, and it allows characters to be vulnerable when it comes to family and connections.

And one more thing that is added to that, is how Yor and Twilight (to a less obvious degree) have retained their kindness and compassion through their violent lives and professions.

Yor started the assassin gig when she was just a teenager.

Adding to that how it was a choice she made out of despair and lack of any other choice, and how the Shopkeeper seems like a despicable person to work under (there's no moral merit to recruiting children for assassinations, let alone orphans with no other choices left), this could have easily made into a story of how Yor became cold and emotionless and cruel.

Instead, particularly thanks to having Yuri in her life, she's remained as kind as ever, even when she kills people. She doesn't torture her targets, would rather refrain spilling unnecessary blood, and she's careful and quick in her job.

And through all that, her priority has never been herself.

She's kind, almost to a fault. She's polite and when it comes to everyone else but her targets, she thinks they have the best interests at heart and can even be confused sometimes as to why some people behave in a rude or cruel way.

She's human. Her reason to start and continue being an assassin was to ensure her brother's carefree life, and now that she's bonded with the Forgers, they've joined Yuri in the way she wishes to protect their peaceful life.

It's showing that despite her violent work, her humanity has prevailed, making her selfless and nurturing. It's in our nature.

Twilight's case is handled differently, as he has denied himself any identity and attachments to ideals, aside from protecting the peace.

He's not supposed to "have" traits or a personality. He was trained to be able to adapt to any situation and become the role he's acting as. When he acts as a father, he can be kind and caring. When he acts as a terrorist, he can be cruel and violent. And when his job gives him no option but to kill people who stand in his way, he'll do it without remorse.

But again, like Yor, his reason to do everything he does is to ensure peace remains, so that no-one will have to suffer like he did. That's a very empathetic and compassionate motivation, and though the circumstances of his life made him bury it deep, the moment Anya cries and clutches onto him for comfort he's reminded securely of that.

As he is when he sees Anya smile.

He cares for the next generation and wants to provide it with a better future than he had. And while the previous season showed many moments of instinctual kindness (saving the kid from the charging cow, sparing the German shepherd, thanking Bond for saving Anya, encouraging Carroll Campbell to play fairly) and understanding of how humans can work together (his discussion with Desmond, talking about how despite different stances, people can still meet in the middle if they try), the cruise arc showed how he prioritized on making Anya happy. While at first he was confused by the concept of "having fun", he eventually ended up observing Anya and encouraging activities that would make her happy.

Again, after a certain point the "mission" is nowhere in his mind and he only worries how Anya's mood will affect her and the family. As he focuses on that, he turns compassionate, empathetic, and dare I say, sweet.

And I can't help thinking those are traits he doesn't have to pretend that much to show, if at all.

He's a master of manipulation and deception. He could act tooth-rottingly sweet to deceive his targets, but seeing how open and unprecedentedly honest he becomes with Yor, and how (even if he doesn't realize it) he actually learns to be a good father to help Anya with her mood, I don't think that's the case with those two (three, if you count Bond too!).

If nothing else, we (and Anya) have the advantage of hearing his thoughts, and while we joke about how "For The Mission" is his flimsy excuse to himself for the feelings he's developing for his family, it's truly important how he's started to not need the reminder; how he can instinctively care for them, because it's what his compassionate nature tells him to do.

And I think, just like Yor, it's very important and telling that through his life of violence and deception, his humanity has survived just under the surface and is starting to show more the longer he stays with the Forgers. He's not "learning" to be compassionate and caring; those are traits that already existed, but he had to cover with all his fake identities. However, since they were what led him to become a spy in the first place, the way didn't replace the motivation.

He's human, even though he willingly trained to suppress any such vulnerable spots, they could never be extinguished entirely.

This story is full of hope for humanity and how kindness can survive and prevail among anything else. Its characters would logically follow the example.

And I love them for it.

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

#Spy x Family #sxf meta #Yor Forger #Loid Forger

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keepyourpantsongohan · 9 months ago

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Ayesha Liveblogs Spy x Family S1

"Proof that the foreign minister wears a toupée. I even have the negatives." "Well done. Now we can force him to resign." How could this possibly be enough to force a resignation? Is wearing a toupée a sign of dishonesty or shame in this cultural context??

"In an era in which the nations of the world were waging a fierce war of information just out of sight, this man survived the battlefield by being a master of disguise." Ooooh is this a historical anime? How fun!

Update from 1 minute later: The newspaper confirms this as a Cold War-era story!! Colour me intrigued

"Farewell. May you find happiness." What a polite end to such a callous breakup LMAO

Why does Donovan Desmond look so incredibly haunted LOL

"In order to achieve this [spy mission] you will get married and have a child." Ah, there we are with the premise!

Of all the spy strengths they've displayed thus far, I am most impressed with this blond man's ability to pull a newspaper apart without bending it. You must need to generate a lot of force:

"Yeah, sure. Take whichever one you want." This is about the average regard for orphans in Shonen Anime Societies

"This little girl happened to be a telepath." She's a WHAT NOW? What a casual way to introduce this fact

Honestly the random facts about what Anya likes and the bursting into tears with unclear motivation seems very much a realistic parent and child experience

"I just don't understand this irrational behaviour." I love how quickly Loid Forger aka Twilight, International Spy, has been foiled by this tiny, psychic child

Loid is approaching parenthood very casually so far. Surely a spy (pretending to be a psychologist, even) can recognize the psychological impact of abandonment on a child

Fjlkjfljflf what kind of society allows Loid to barricade his six (or maybe four) year-old child inside their apartment unsupervised all day LMAOOO

SCREAM not Anya immediately revealing their location from playing spy games. Also a very realistic problem to have

"Boss, I think we should just give up on the toupée." [Pulls out a gun and shoots him] "Transparency is essential in government. Toupées are a no-go." WHY ON EARTH ARE TOUPÉES THE ULTIMATE SPY PLOT DEVICE JFKJFJF

Love that the betrayal of the nation is SECOND to the toupée. They said: Wigs are for liars and cowards

"No one reached out their hand to save me. I felt alone, in despair, and so powerless all I could do was cry." We have unlocked Loid's parental instincts AND his tragic backstory in the span of 1 and a half minutes

"I'm a failure as a spy? No. My mistake was putting that little girl in danger to begin with. How could I forget? To create a world where children won't have to cry... That's why I became a spy." Alright Loid, colour me charmed:

Ahhhhhh I love Loid giving his enemy the chance to go back to his daughter instead of attacking him

Loid deciding to take Anya back with him despite all his misgivings bc he wants to give her a home 🥺💘 HE'S NICE

"Papa is a huge liar. But he's such a cool liar." Awww, Anya

I can see how being psychic and being able to hear every single child's confusion during a test would be distracting

"I... relaxed? What the hell is going on with me?" FATHERHOOD

"It is mandatory that the applicant attend with both parents. Absolutely no exceptions." For a society with such a cavalier approach to violence and orphans (at least where Loid goes), you'd think they'd be more accepting of single parents

Everyone's absolutely on Yor's ass for being a single 27-year-old. [Yor as Charlotte Lucas voice] I'm 27 years old. I have no money and no prospects. I'm already a burden to my brother—

"I have a client for you, Thorn Princess." Is Thorn Princess Yor's sleeper agent activation phrase? Her whole face darkened

Clearly Yor doesn't have the same violence-aversion as Loid:

Yor ready to fall in love with anyone who's nice to her. Mgkjgkg but same perhaps

"A spy...An assassin...? I'm... so excited!" [Narrator voiceover] "The little girl was straving for entertainment." The narrator's interjections are very funny

HAHAHAHA I love that they're both trying to fake date each other for very different reasons. Incredible, 10/10, love this

It's fun that Franky, spy gadget guy, is also now mission back-up

Also I take back everything I said about Loid's violence aversion

"I'll be sure to tell your brother that you came alone." Why is every woman that Yor works with (and, it seems, every woman with more than one line in this show thus far) seem to be so mean-spirited LOL

HFHLKHGLHGLGH Loid showing up to the party covered in blood and introducing himself as her husband when she needed a boyfriend. We love a spy who is terrible at his job

Loid managing to somehow make a really amazing impression on this party by being hot and defending Yor's past as a masseuse (murderer). GOOD FOR HIM

"The concussive recovery method is the latest in modern medical practices." Imagine going to your doctor for a prescription and having them kickbox you into submission LMAO

"Um, Loid-san, this may not be the best moment to ask, but why don't we get married?" SCREAMING AT YOR BEING THE ONE TO PROPOSE AND HOW KNOCKS THE WIND OUT OF LOID:

"No matter what hardships await us, let us be there for one another." [Explosions go off in the background] Colour me sold on this grenade-pin ring and spy-assassin romance

I love that they're going on a little family outing to prep for their interview

I can also understand how a political rally would be stressful for Anya

"I've completed countless missions, yet once again I find myself losing heart." Loid will eventually get used to his girls who are obssessed with nuts and knives 💞

All of them calling attention to themselves by helping an old lady deal with a purse snatcher ❣️ I love this family. I've only had the Forgers for two episodes but if anything happened to them I would [redact] everyone in this room and then myself

"I guess... receiving thanks every once in a while wouldn't hurt." "Papa is a softie." YEAH HE IS

"Papa and Mama are flirting." "No we are not!" HEE HEE

"Anya, are you going to be okay in this crowd?" Dad Mode Activated

Ohhhhhhh Anya helping the cow through her fear. Baby!!!!

OHGHGLGHLKGH setting aside how they managed to have at least three outfits in that suitcase, I really want to know how the quick change is happening in the middle of this cobblestone pathway to the school

"Why are you getting irritated, Loid? She's not even your real wife." I love that whenever someone makes an out-of-pocket insult to Yor (her coworker calling her a whore, this dorm master critiquing her lack of cooking) Loid jumps in and he's like, HEY, THAT'S MY WIFE

"My Papa and Mama are both so much fun, and I love them very much. I want to be with them forever." I also want this family to stay together forever, Anya 💗

Both Yor and Loid ready to fight this jerk for making their daughter cry!! I love them

The hope that Loid has because of his new family. This is really fulfilling a deepseated psychological need that I had to watch an anime that's just about a nice man

"He might just be the best spy in Westalis, so don't worry too much." With all due respect, that doesn't say much for the other spies, considering how suspiciously Loid acts everywhere he goes

Yor genuinely considering murdering someone to get her daughter into school 💝 Parenting!

"I appreciate the attempt at consolation, my elegant boy." This is how I will be responding to all attempts for someone to comfort me from now on

Loid just carrying a party popper around in his pocket for when Anya gets in. I LOVE HEEEM

Loid can waste government resources on a little play mission for his family. As a treat

"He's requesting agents. As many as possible," incredible how Loid immediately folds to his daughter's request to be attacked by enemies LMAOOO

HAHAHAHA Loid telling them in morse code it's an imperative part of Operation Strix, which is technically true, but not at all for any reason they would think

The way they're all like, "I will JUMP at the chance to attack Loid, been waiting my whole life for this," is also really fun

I was waiting for the spy costume. I am so glad it is a plot point

I can't decide what I enjoy more, Loid's blush over having to put on the costume mask, or the way the other spies are fangirling over him

Loid getting his butt kicked by Yor in this drunk roleplay does make me wonder if we're going to see that her assassination missions run contrary to his goals of peacekeeping

"I've come to save you, Princess Anya." "Papa!" "Wait, I'm supposed to be your dad in this?" AWWWW ANYA JUST WANTED TO HER DAD TO ACT OUT SAVING HER

In fairness to Anya's fear of kidnapping, she has been kidnapped before!

"Though, you're usually on the ball, so [discussing Operation Strix Phase 2] may not be necessary." "Well... I may actually be off my game lately." At least Loid's willing to own up to it LMAOOO

Firstly, what happened just now was definitely an attempted [redacted] crime, which is hideously uncalled for, what the fuck. But secondly: I love Yor and Anya bonding time

"I know it's really dangerous to be an Eden student now. But it won't be as scary if I train. I can do my best at school without dying!" I do love the idea of teaching this tiny child fighting techniques, but my god, what a thing to say

"Even if I can't be like a normal mother, I'm going to do everything I can for her." YOOOOOOOOOOOOR I love you

"She's already realized how amazing I am and fallen for me." Incredible confidence from Damian Desmond, Very Rich Six-Year-Old LMAO

"Mama, you liar. Smiling didn't help at all." I am very entertained by Anya's psychic child conflict management

Ffjhfkhfk I really do love the way that Anya tries her best to do things in a way that her parents would most approve of. Smiling first, trying to not get in trouble in front of the teacher when she punches Damian, claiming defence of a friend. She's a good kid!

What will Loid, who is not actually a psychologist, be doing during the day while Anya goes to school and his wife does her work. I hope it involves costumes

Update from 1 minute later: At the very least, it involves stalking elementary students from a rooftop

Update from 4 minutes later: IT DID INVOLVE COSTUMES!

Also. Also. How the hell would Loid's plan work if his daughter was NOT psychic. Like yeah yeah yeah, she knows she's supposed to be a good student. But it doesn't seem like he's explicitly told her out loud to be friends with Damian. So is he just hoping for her organic success? It's a good thing his baby knows exactly what he's thinking LMAO

I love that Becky has decided to be Anya's no. 1 supporter. She needs a friend!!

"Why do I find it so hard to speak when she's in front of me?" In a very expected turn of events, lil Damian has a crush:

"Plan B is done for." You are wrong Loid! Plan Befriend has simply turned to Plan Boy Has a Crush on Your Daughter

This at-home tutoring really resonates with my experience of being the child of Asian parents with high expectations when it comes to their children's innate talent for math

"No, Yor. You're not a stranger, nor part of someone else's family. Right now, you're the mother of the Forgers. I'm counting on you to provide whatever I'm lacking." AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH I love the Forgers

I loveeee this parenting discussion around positive reinforcement

"I wonder what it'd feel like to have a real family," said Loid, tits deep in a family and fatherhood

"My sister got married?" I was waiting for this ball to drop. Can't wait!

NOT BABY BROTHER YURI BEING EMPLOYED BY THE TORTURE DEPARTMENT OF THE GOVERNMENT OMG

"[Twilight] is the villain who is trying to make this world fall into chaos. You could call him my natural enemy." NOT BABY BROTHER YURI ANNOUNCING HIS INTENTIONS TO MERC HIS BROTHER-IN-LAW WHO HE'S ABOUT TO MEET AT DINNER:

I gotta say, despite them introing with assassinations, I do feel like Yuri represents a drastic tone shift for this show

"Yuri... I mean, my younger brother is coming here today! [Loid's voice raises several octaves] "Today?" The voice crack was funny. Back to family shenanigans

As a sister. I AM SICK OF THE SISTER COMPLEX JOKES. WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU, BABY BROTHER YURI, ANIME AS A GENRE, AND WHATEVER JAPANESE SOCIETAL NORM THAT ALLOWS THIS TO BE A CONSTANT IN SO MANY DIFFERENT STORIES?

"What could my sister possibly like about this guy?! Just because he can cook a little, and he's handsome, and tall, and considerate, and a doctor," It sounds like Yuri is talking himself into having a crush on Loid????

Wow, Loid has made Yuri as an intelligence agent within like, mere minutes of meeting him. Maybe Loid is a great spy!

Ahhhh, so the reason Yor took up killing as a job was to put her little brother through school. How honourable!

"Kiss here and now." I can't decide if this is terrible or fun. Maybe both. My money is on Anya interrupting to see her Uncle

I do appreciate that Yor has never been kissed! It makes sense, given her murder job, and I feel like we don't often get 20somethings without prior entanglements

HDJHDKJDHDHD this is so unhinged and weird. Jesus. Yuri Briar puts the B in Behnchod

"Loid Forger. You may lay claim to my sister's lips for now." WHAT A THING TO SAY

"So, let's do everything we can to make sure Yor is happy." Loid is THE Husband. There are no other husbands, just him!

"Children are so curiously observant at times," said Loid, about his daughter who is literally telepathic

"It's a terrible idea to date a woman while deceiving her," said Loid, as if that has not been the premise of his ENTIRE romantic history thus far

I think Loid is starting to develop (romantic) feelings:

You know, I haven't really commented on the horn cap thing, but I do wonder if they are to do with Anya's powers rather than just a fun little design thing

I need you to see what I'm looking at when they tell me this is Bill Watkins, Age Six:

I do like all the montages of how all of these children (and Bill Watkins, Deeply Suspicious Age Six) were preparing for this dodgeball tournament

SCREAM THE CUT TO THE DRAGON BALL Z NAMEK BACKGROUND

Damian taking the dodgeball bullet for Anya. Love u little guy

Calling it right now, with all this lead-up, I don't think Anya's throw is going to work out the way she wants

Update from a few seconds later: Yep, that was correct!

Gnjghkgjhgkjhg Loid loves Anya too much to be strict with her so he is engaging in quite a permissive parenting style

ANYA TRYING TO SAVE THE LITTLE BOY FROM DROWNING WHEN SHE'S JUST A LITTLE GIRL HERSELF. SWEETEST BABY ALIVE

DAD'S HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ANYA EARNING HER FIRST STELLA! YEAH BABYGIRL

I like how they do a count of her Stellas (merit points which lead to the Imperial Scholar Society of Parent War Instigation) and Tonitrus Bolts (demerit points which lead to expulsion) whenever Anya gets closer to her goal

Also, bonkers that getting a Stella doesn't cancel out your Bolt? It's like, forgive, but never forget

Fhkhfkjfhfkjh Anya deciding she'll only respond to Starlight Anya. Very Six-Year-Old Behaviour

"Do you really think we go to some third-rate school that would hand out a Stella by mistake?" Damian continuing his chivalry streak

1) Extremely rude of the people to treat the dogs that way and 2) Does that big white dog's flash to the Forger family mean that we have unlocked a psychic puppy subplot?

I have been thinking since Damian was introduced that he and Anya are paralleling the Syaroan and Sakura Archetypes, but there is no greater Cardcaptor Sakura parallel than the fact this episode is called Penguin Park

"Please wait, Papa, who is a good and normal person." 10/10 spy deception Anya, no notes

Gghkhgkghkg Loid being yelled at by his Spy Juice Lady for not prioritizing this other mission. How does no one overhear this!!

"Mama, I'm being kidnapped," said Anya, as if she did not latch onto this spy herself to help out her dad's Penguin Mission

It's incredible how many of Loid's problems are solved just by him being hot:

Awwwwww I'm glad they did some actual family time after the Aquarium mission. Also I love how embarrassed Loid is every time has to do something silly, like pretending to be a Penguin Plushy for his kid, but how he'll immediately do it, even in public. Best dad!!

"Being both a Papa and an agent... must be tough balancing the two." Real and true, spy chauffeur

I love how they do parallel plots between family stuff and spy stuff. Anya looking for a puppy... Dad looking for bomb dogs!

They are in fact explaining the psychic puppy subplot

"It is far too early for Anya-san to get married!" Yor, I would like to study the way your mind works (also mom's here!!!!!!!!!!!!)

UHHHHHHHHHHHHHH EXTREMELY TRAUMATIZING FOR ANYA TO HAVE TO WATCH HER DAD'S IMMINENT DEATH BY EXPLOSION THROUGH DOG-O-VISION

That was an incredibly morose diatribe from The Handler, who is the only spy other than Loid to get a title/name

How is this baby supposed to disarm a bomb?!?!?!??

Ahhhh, by leaving a ketchup message for her dad on the door that says "NO! (Drawing of Bomb)" Of course! We love a girl who knows how to improvise

Dad has got back in the danger zone to stop the last of the Foreign Affairs Minister's terrorist threats, fair enough! I really hope they don't make him [redacted violence involving animal]

OH THANK GOD THEY HAD HIM ATTACK THE VEST AND NOT THE DOG—I WAS PRETTY CONFIDENT THEY WOULDN'T DO THAT TO LOID, BUT YOU NEVER KNOW WITH ANIME

From Yor's perspective, Loid has been in the bathroom for two full episodes

Yor kicking Keith the Radicalized Student Terrorist's car off the road after he has been discovered by Anya and foiled by Loid. We love a team effort!

"How many times must I tell you not to run off alone because it's dangerous?!" [Tearfully] "I'm sowwy." Awwww a very reasonable worry for your daughter who keeps running into every spy mission she possibly can

"I also had a daughter about her age." The Handler's tragic backstory unlocked?!

"Be prepared to take care of him until the end. I may have no right to say those words." Loid's dog care advice has accidentally turned into existential dread about adopting a child for the sake of a peacekeeping mission

Awwwwwww Yor taking cooking classes from her workplace enemy to be a better cook for her family

"Camilla-san has always been a nice person," said Yor, about the woman who called her a whore in front of a room full of people and tried to scald her with hot food on like Episode 2

"The more I savour each bite, the more I see my life flash before my eyes." Say what you will about Weird Brother Yuri, he is supportive

Admittedly this cooking lesson episode has made me like Camilla

HAHAHAHA the "They are whispering" caption so the viewer can understand why no one's reacting to the yelling about spy intel on Scruffy's potential lover

Awwwwwww Loid opting out of the family outing to comfort his little scruffy friend, who I have just re-learned is named Franky

LMAOOOOO at them just having Henderson-sensei do literally all of the classes. Top-tier writing

The Handler now has unlocked TWO new names, which are Sylvia Sherwood and Fullmetal Lady

"On the one day each month that Mister Moon goes away, Anya's power to read minds goes away too." Oooooh new psychic baby lore unlocked

Even though I don't care for Weird Brother Yuri, it is nice that Anya has someone outside of her parents to rely on for tutoring

Loid covering for Incompetent Spy Daybreak jkhfkhfkjhf

I love that Loid broke into the school, not to boost his daughter's grades, but rather to check that she didn't fail and leave it that way, and then reverse cheat (as in, undo someone's wrongdoing) to make sure two other students got their earned grades. What a man!

Ffljlfjjflkj Becky objectifying Anya's dad. I know they're six, but it's not a trope I love

"I was trying to report the cigarette I found, then he punched me." I know this is a scheme but what kind of society has SIX-YEAR-OLDS plausibly smoking???

"Second Son wouldn't do that! Anya was watching." Heck yeah Anya standing up for Damian (even though her Damian motives are decidedly ulterior LOL)

"Don't try to drag me into these adult matters in the first place!" An incredibly reasonable request from Damian

Gdljljggjglkj I love these kids telling Glooman 'Actually, the biggest problem is you have a bad personality' True and real and cutting

"Don't worry. The West is a safe place." ANYAAAA. Something something children and their ability to see people outside of the confines of politics

"There's saltwater pouring out of my eyes." The implication that George has not cried once in his six years of life LMAOOOO

Genuinely heartwarming to see all these kids singing for George and giving away their favourite school items for his sake (also I bet you $5 he doesn't actually have to quit this school)

Update from two minutes later: I was correct lol

I've been thinking about this since the hospital volunteering, but it is kind of a flaw in Loid's spy tactics to choose a public-facing job, because at any point someone could just walk into the hospital and realize he doesn't work there kjhgkjhgg like he should've just been some sort of private practice

Loid running home to "check on what Yor was doing at the school" but actually using it as an excuse to ask her on a lunch date <3

As if the show could psychically tell that I was wondering about it, they are now forcing Loid into a "Take Your Kid to Work Day" situation lmaooo

"[Loid] became an important part of our team as soon as he transferred in." How is Loid an important part of the staff if he's constantly out of hospital doing spy stuff??? How is he even capable of giving psychological care???

"To go with the rest of the facade, a number of my coworkers have also inflitrated this hospital." Ah, perhaps the fact he has a research position and other spies in the hospital is enough to cover his absences and maybe make him have fake patients

Honestly, it's a wonder Anya hasn't run into more problems in the spy realm recently other than getting stuck in a secret passage

HHGKJHGKJHGKJGH Loid taking Anya's improvised sandbox of toys as a sign of deep psychological distress

"He golfs at his workplace and creates shady channels." In every class there is one child who has the most chaotic possible interpretation of their parents' job (the kid who says their parent stabs people for money when really their parent is a tattoo artist) and Anya has decided to be that student

"But if Mrs. Forger just happened to retire, that position would have to be filled, would it not?" Why is Fiona so comically evil about getting to fake marry Loid

"But... this woman doesn't seem to have any flaws in her appearance." Even Father-snatcher Fiona Frost thinks Yor is hot

"To think the great Twilight is stuck playing house.. It's a disservice to the world." Loid said: Fuck you Fiona, I like playing house!

This silent spy standoff has certainly taken a turn:

I actually kind of love that Loid is faced with someone else who has feelings for him, because I KNOW for certain he will choose Yor, and I think that's good for Yor to see

"You're already working hard enough, Yor. That's why Anya is so fond of you. I couldn't ask you to do anything more." HE LOVES HERRRRR

I really resonate with Yor's Girls Who Are Bad At Stuff representation kjhgkgjh

"Agent Penguin suffered honourable injuries in battle." Loid sewing up his daughter's penguin stuffy and making up a backstory for their dog chewing him up ❤️ I love hiiiim

I appreciate that Fiona confirms from someone who knew him before Loid has been changed by love (for Yor and Anya)

NOT THE DOUBLE FAKE TENNIS COUPLE NAMES BEING TWAIN AND NAFALIA PHONY

Though, now that I think of it, I guess Loid's given last name is Forger, so really this is a pattern of very silly names

"We've been developing a new doping agent called OSO-R along with the government in preparation for the upcoming East-West Sports Exhibition." Every so often they dip back into the crime world, and today it's sports doping

"I wonder what her relationship with Loid is." Yor babygirl, you do not need to worry about her, Loid is fully Team Yor

I love this little look into all the different things that come up in an infiltration (having to be very good at specific things like tennis, dealing with potential poisons, compensating for traps)

"You're still young, and you're clearly talented. From now on, hone your craft properly. I'm sure you'll become an amazing player." "Twain, I'll really do my best from now on!" Aside from being an incredible professional tennis player, Loid's talents also include reforming his opponents into better people:

Fhfhfkjhfkfjhf Loid every time Fiona comes near Yor: Hey, please leave my wife alone

"Come at me with everything you've got." "Uh, don't, Fiona." Loid knows Yor has enough physical might to beat a hundred tennis players

Yor wanting Loid to praise her for winning the match 🥺❤️

Loid taking Yor on a reassurance date to let her know she's still #1

"Wait, does Yor have romantic feelings for me?!" TOOK YOU LONG ENOUGH, BUT YOU GOT THERE, LOID

NOT LOID IMMEDIATELY SWITCHING TO PLAN HONEY TRAP AND YOR ACCIDENTALLY KICKING SOME SENSE TO HIM

"I can't let my guard down like that. Somehow, being with Yor throws me off." Loid, you stupid man, who can't see that him AND his wife have feelings for each other

"I would love for you to continue being Anya's mother. And to continue in the role of my wife." This is the most honest thing Loid has said in hours

Anya getting Becky a keychain because she didn't think she was allowed to get one for herself!! Sweet girl

What kind of father has ZERO time to interact with his son LMAO (Donovan Desmond, apparently)

"Anya's a little scared because she's not sure if Papa loves her or not. He always gets mad at me. But I believe in him because I love him." ANYAAAAAAAAAA

Papa Desmond and his truly haunting eyes finally make an on-screen appearance and meeting with Loid:

"Even the child that shares your blood is a stranger." Is this a general view from Donovan on his parent-child relationships or is this a shot at Loid for not being Anya's biological father?

"People will never be able to understand each other." What a thing to say about your six-year-old, who is standing right in front of you with his friends

"What's truly important is to continue walking them despite [not understanding each other]. I decided that I would accept her regardless, and I try to find every opportunity I can to talk to her." Loid laying spy ground work on top of challenging Donovan to be a better father. We love a man who can multitask

"I'm pretty sure she doesn't actually dislike you. It'd make me happy if you could be friends with her." "Well, I want to, too..." Gjhgjhgjhfjlfj Loid is also working on Operation Playdate

This has been a pretty delightful show so far. Spy x Family proving to everyone you can fight people AND be nice!!!!

#ayesha talks anime #liveblogging #ayesha liveblogs spy x family #spy x family #long post #sxf series #spy x family series #told you the next liveblog would be smth light-hearted!!#i haven't quite decided on a tag for this show yet #moqueueton #guns tw

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hauntedparadisebandana · 3 months ago

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Guys, the bleeding effect has me in a choke hold I must speak about it🗣I always see people talk about the animus like it's super cool and revolutionary, which it is in some aspects, but what about the destructive side of it? Let's get down to the nitty gritty.

Desmond is a disaster just waiting to happen. He thinks of Claudia as his real sister, and he loves Mario as his own uncle. Once, he was talking to Lucy about "the last time he has been here," all while they were exploring the tunnels in Monterigginoni. She corrected him, prompting that Ezio had been there and not him. THAT IS LITERALLY SO SAD FOR NO REASON. You literally lose yourself as a person to the Animus, but all in the name of research, right? Right.

I hc that It goes so far that he starts screaming in his sleep or waking up in sickly cold sweats. He has episodes where he slips into speaking other languages such as arabic and italian and believes he is and refers to himself Ezio or Altair. Basically, he has other people in his mind who come out in episodes, and it's tragic. Maybe, the episodes get to be too much, and his memory starts to deteriorate. He starts writing and taking pictures as memories to remind himself of who he is along with his friends. Just maybe, he stares at the pictures for minutes on end, his efforts of trying to remember himself and his friends don't help as much anymore. His memory of them is fading, being overrun by a mass in his mind. Just maybe, he throws a fit and tears the picture to shreds, so upset at the fact he can't recall their names.

The others are aware of the effects of the animus. They try not to react when Desmond calls them out of their name, such as calling Rebecca Claudia, so they dont scare him more than he already is. They share knowing looks when they see him pacing a room or coming out of one of his episodes. They know it's only a matter of time before he ends up like clay, Desmond is aware as well, and he's petrified.

Imagine being him. You won't know if you're you or Ezio, or maybe you're Altair. You see them like ghosts, you hear them, you feel what they feel, you grieve for people that dont exsist anymore, you miss a home that isn't yours, you confuse your ancestors memories with your own, you think you're them, and I find it both crazy and heart breaking.

#assassin's creed #desmond miles #bleeding effect #ac2 #angst #poor guy #im literally crying #assassins creed #subject 17 #someone help #ac #altair ibn la'ahad

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fantasy-drawings-ra · 24 days ago

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Here are some miscellaneous sketches I drew and took a photo of the same time as the animatic concept arts. But took me a while to post because of writing the image descriptions. I hope you like them!

Image Descriptions:

Image 1: Is of Desmond Sycamore from the Professor Layton Series. It is a side profile styled shot from head to shoulders. He is looking to our left with a surprised expression. He has his red rectagular glasses on and is wearing his signature double breasted waist coat, tie and white button-up shirt.

Image 2: Is also of Desmond, but in a 3/4's angle facing to our right slightly downturned. It is also head to shoulders since it's easier to draw and is good for simple expression practices. He has a bit of a confused pout on his face. He's wearing his rectangular glasses but a dark button-up shirt.

Image 3: Is of Desmond as Howl. As a sort of fun Howl's moving castle au. It depicts him in the scene after he first returns in his semi-bird form. Its a 3/4's shot with his head up as he reclines in his chair. He has a slight discomforted expression and has feathers in his hair and from his face. He is turned to our right and has a small window in the background about the same size of his head to the right of his face.

Image 4: Is of Meier Link and Charlotte from Vampire Hunter D Bloodlust (the movie). It has Meier and Charlotte facing eachother. Head to shoulders (for Meier more of a head to lower bicep due to his height), side profile. Meier is facing her to our right while she faces him turned to the left. Both looking into eachothers eyes with a fond, soft expression.

Image 5: Is of D from Vampire Hunter D. He is drawn in a 3/4’s angle looking to our left. From a head to shoulders shot. He has a neutral if not discontented expression. In his big brimmed hat and armour.

Image 6: Is of Lü Shang from Dislyte. He is also in a 3/4’s shot turned to our left and is drawn from head to shoulders. He is smiling warmly and kindly and giving the viewer a wave with his right hand.

Image 7: Is of Anton Herzen from Professor Layton. It is based on his introduction in the game. He is drawn in a 3/4's angle, head to shoulders shot. With a light smirk looking to the viewer. He is turned to our left and has the moon looming behind him.

Image 8: Is of Anton and Sophie from Professor Layton. You can tell I was in a bit of a Pandora's/Diabolical box kick since its October. But in this shot it was based on the scene Anton and Sophie were dancing. They are looking into eachothers eyes with warm smiles in a side profile. And is from head to waist. Sophie is on our left and Anton is on the right. Her hand rests on his shoulder while Anton has his on her side.

Image 9: And final, Hayden from Fields of Mistria. He is drawn from head to lower hip and is based on his game sprite. He like the other sprite redraws are in a 3/4 and is facing to our right. He has his usual welcoming smile and is giving the viewer a slight wave with his left hand and the other is tucked a bit under his belt hook.

End of Description.

Bonus little facts:

I drew some characters from The Vampire Hunter D movie because I'm planning to rewatch it again for Halloween this year. The style is just really pretty and unique. And has become sort of a tradition in these past three years.

I got a while back Lü Shang in Dislyte since i casually play it and really was interested in his story and quest in the game. Just a really nice character. I only got him after saving enough of those crystals when you get repeats or 5 stars.

I might try to edit an edit of Pandora's/Diabolical Box for Halloween, after rewatching the cutscenes. I also might draw more sketches but I can't make any promises. Little extra fact this is one of the three Professor Layton games (Curious Village, Pandora's/Diabolic Box and Last Spectre/Spectre's call.)

End of Post.

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suzukiblu · 6 months ago

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Ko-fi thank-you sentences for redflawedglass behind the cut; they asked for dealer's choice, and I picked "Clark wakes up alive". ( chrono || non-chrono )

“I hope you don't mind me just showing up like this,” he says, gentle and apologetic. Conner never had enough choices in his life, short as it was. He feels like–Clark just wants better for him, this time. “Is it alright that I'm here?”

It was partially his fault, that Conner thought he couldn't choose things for himself for so long. Thought he couldn't have things he wanted. Thought he just had to accept whatever he was offered, more often than not.

Not always. Not every time. But–too much of the time.

If Clark can help him learn otherwise sooner . . .

Well. Of course he's going to try to.

. . . yes, appears very slowly in Clark's head, and he smiles at Conner again.

“Thank you,” he says. “I'm happy to hear that. I hope us meeting each other makes you happy too.”

Conner's face stays perfectly impassive, but his eyes go wet. He blinks, and Clark hears his heartbeat stutter again.

He could've done this last time. He could've done less than this, and Conner would've had a much easier and much less painful start to life outside Cadmus.

But he didn't, of course, so he can't do any less than this now.

“Call security,” Desmond says flatly. .

“On Superman?” Guardian asks in disbelief. “Sir, even if there was a reason to call security, I wouldn't do that to security.”

“He’s trespassing!” Desmond snaps. “And interfering with the subject, besides!”

“I mean, I don’t know if this is interfering . . .” Guardian says skeptically.

This is absolutely interfering, and Clark is going to be doing as much of it as (in)humanly possible, but he does prefer no one calling security and interrupting the conversation.

“Don’t mind me,” he says to them, as pleasant and sweet as Ma’s most passive-aggressive “bless your heart”. Then he smiles a little softer at Conner, trying to be . . . careful, maybe.

He did this so badly last time. Did so badly by Conner last time.

He doesn’t intend to do anything like that again.

Ever.

“It really is so good to meet you, kid,” he says gently. Simple and straightforward, still. Easy for a child to understand, he hopes–or at least easier. Conner had enough trouble understanding other people to begin with, and he can’t imagine it’d be any easier while operating a younger brain and with an even earlier interruption to his education uploads. “Would you mind if I hugged you now?”

Conner’s eyes . . . flicker, just barely. There’s confusion in them, Clark thinks, but it’s a little hard to tell. He’s even less expressive than the version of himself Clark’s used to.

. . . was used to.

Clark doesn’t think about that. Not right now.

. . . ‘hug’? appears in his head, slow and hesitant over an obviously unfamiliar word.

Clark debates throwing Desmond through a wall. Just a thin wall. Not a load-bearing one.

But definitely a wall.

“I mean I’d like to hold you,” he explains, because if Conner sees him get angry, he’ll blame himself for it. Of course he would, between his current age and the kind of things he’s likely had shoved into his brain so far. “Like you were holding your friend a moment ago.”

He points at the G-gnome to clarify, and Conner . . . hesitates. Nothing appears in Clark’s head.

“Call security immediately,” Desmond snaps at Guardian. “Now!”

“Sir–” Guardian starts, half-raising his hands, and Desmond’s expression turns murderous.

“That was an order, Guardian,” he says dangerously. Clark half-expects to feel G-gnomes in his mind or for Guardian to change his mind under their influence, but nothing happens.

He doesn’t look at Dubbilex, but he . . . wonders, a little.

Conner just barely shrinks in on himself, and Clark wonders how many times he’s been faced with an angry person so much bigger and older than him in real life, or even been out of his pod at all. Is this the first time? A regular occurrence? Something in-between?

The G-gnome hops up on Conner’s shoulders; leans forward over his head and inspects Clark curiously, tilting its own head. Conner freezes, and Clark sees the faintest trace of fear in the back of his eyes.

He wonders if the G-gnome’s putting it there, but Conner’s looking right at him.

So if the G-gnome is putting it there . . .

If it is, Clark can’t help but suspect it’s not actually a deliberate effort on the creature’s part, as opposed to a genuine by-product of Conner not knowing what to expect from him.

Not knowing if he’ll hurt the G-gnome, he means, remembering the way Conner had hesitated when he’d called it his friend.

Considering what he knows of how Desmond ran this place–is running this place right now . . .

“Hello,” Clark says, and smiles at the G-gnome. “It’s nice to meet you too.”

The G-gnome stares at him for a long, silent moment, and then slips back down behind Conner’s back and wraps its arms around his neck. Clark hears something like a whisper from another room, but not that clear, and Conner . . . hesitates, again.

Then the word hug appears in Clark’s mind again, this time tentative and longing, and he doesn’t hesitate himself at all. He scoops up Conner and stands up with him in the same moment, and Conner lets out a little breath as his thrumming heartbeat stutters in his chest, and Clark holds him against his own chest very, very carefully, as if he’s holding something more delicate than melting frost on a sunny morning or cracked porcelain.

Conner doesn’t seem to know what to do with himself; where to put his hands or arms. If he should hold onto him or lean into him or not.

Clark keeps him in his arms anyway, and swears to himself he’s not leaving without the kid. Not for anything. If Conner doesn’t want to come with him right now, then he’ll wait here with him until he does, no matter what happens outside.

If Conner never wants to come with him, well–then he’ll just stay, if that’s what it takes.

He’s not giving Desmond the chance to hurt or hide him. Not giving anyone that chance.

He wonders if the Conner he remembers even remembered being this small himself, or if it was so brief an experience that it didn’t stick in his head at all.

He suspects it might’ve been, and hates the thought.

Buzzes, appears in Clark’s head, still tentative. He doesn’t understand, for a moment, and then realizes Conner’s ear is practically against his chest. So he’s probably talking about . . .

“I always thought of it as more a ‘thrum’, myself,” he says, and Conner stares mutely at him. Their heartbeats aren’t a perfect match–even with cloned DNA, Conner isn’t quite Kryptonian enough, and his heart beats a little slower and harder than his does. The separate beats are more audible, too.

But it does still thrum, when it comes to it.

Warm, appears in Clark’s head too, and Conner ducks his head just enough to hide his face from Desmond when the tears start falling.

His expression doesn’t change at all, but the tears on his face are undeniable.

Maybe a load-bearing wall wouldn’t be so bad to throw Desmond through, Clark thinks, bundling the kid up tighter in his arms and wrapping his cape around him as he does. Then he looks at Guardian, and puts on the most pleasant smile he can manage without needing to actually throw Desmond through a load-bearing wall first.

“I appreciate you taking care of him, but it’s not good for him to be down in the dark like this,” he says, gently stroking what of Conner’s back the G-gnome isn’t perched on and pretending not to notice the fat, heavy tears dripping onto the El crest on his chest. “He needs the sun.”

“There’s, ah–a solar suit, sir,” Guardian says, but he looks uncomfortable even as he says it. “I mean–he’s being fed solar energy, not just . . . uh . . .”

He trails off, and looks much more uncomfortable; like he’s just realized what he’s saying. Maybe he has, given Desmond’s influence over the G-gnomes and what they do and don’t let people down here think.

Guardian still thinks he’s human himself right now, after all.

#redflawedglass #wip: clark wakes up alive

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crispybureau · 4 days ago

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(via @teecupangel )

Desmond was raised in a secluded group where everyone was treated mostly equal (leaving out the difference in treatment through ranks or skill) but there wasn't racism or homophobia so imagine how absolutely confused he was when he started working at the bar and some conservative came up to the bar, gave him a dirty look and loudly remarked "can I get someone who speaks English to pour my drink?" While glaring at Desmond. Meanwhile, young confused gives him a look and is like "I can speak english?"

They end up going back and forth for a few minutes with the conservative guy making all sorts of racist remarks and confused Desmond, shutting those remarks down. Eventually, the guy gets fed up and storms out of the bar, and Desmond's coworkers have to explain racism to him.

#oh the way ''and desmond's coworkers have to explain racism to him'' made me LAUGH #just the absolute absurdity of that conversation #at first his coworkers think it was a tactic to deal with the bigot but then hes #legitimately flabbergasted #and his coworkers are flabbergasted right back for entirely different reasons #like if THIS is the reveal to them that he was raised in a cult? like des just hadnt mentioned it until then?#and then the CONFUSION of ''your doomsday cult... taught you tolerance and equality?''#and des is like ''i have no idea what those two words mean in this context''#humor #desmond #to fic #other people's writing

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jamethinks · 1 month ago

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Preliminary thoughts on 106

I've only read it once so i may have missed a few details so bare with me sexy

Donovan is such a well designed character. A menacing presence every time he's on a panel. I had to hold my phone at a healthy distance to get through this chapter. Beyond his signature bulging eyes, he has such a zombie like appearance to him that just leaves a horrible taste in your mouth

Damian's dynamic with his family is interesting. He's oddly optimistic, determined to have a bond with them despite their distance and coldness. He doesn't seem that interested in Melinda and I will give Endo the benefit of the doubt and say it's because they're already close (ignoring that she wanted him to die)

Demetrius is wonderful as always. Nonchalant king. He had not a concern about anything but his food and his work. Autism wants his number

Melinda was the stand out character. She was oddly quiet and timid in this chapter. Damian had no direct interaction her and she had few lines. Still there was something so unusual about her demeanor. She is normally very cheerful and bright, the only time we saw her this dull(?) was when Damian brought up his dad at the end the bus hijacking arc. At first I thought she was mad but looking at screencaps she seemed sad and uneasy but still a bit irritated.

Love how this chapter expanded on fucking nothing btw. A filler indeed. But a good kind, shows that when he's ready but the man cook.

Anya's absence in the chapter resulted in little to no thought bubbles. This further added to the tense environment. A lot of the tension in the story is subdued by Anya's (and to an extent Twilight's) perception. You're never fully lost or confused. This chapter however, you feel their absence as you're forced to watch these characters silently interact and only rely on what the author is willing to share.

Anya and Donovan have never interacted and his brief interaction with Twilight showed he has an intense amount of self control, hiding his intentions and responses cleverly. I will omit my tangent on the parallels between the two patriarchs for now but it's obvious they're good liars and manipulators. The same way Anya is Twilight's kryptonite (a person who cannot be lied to or manipulated) it's obvious she has the same dynamic with Donovan hence why the two of them have been kept apart for so long

Donovan's final comment about the dinner being worthwhile (man can someone compare the orig japanese version please) is the most captivating line. Two possible interpretations are: a, he genuinely didn't pick up on the terrible vibes in the room (touch of the tism, consequences of the lobotomy, who knows) or b. He did that shit on purpose

I like the second one more. The idea of him coming home and having dinner with his family fully aware of how awful they will feel the entire time is just peak villain shit. Choosing a random week in December to just make everyone miserable is the kind of evil I need.

I think of it as his way of reaffirming his dominance in the family. A cruel reminder of everyone's position in the family. As he sits at the head of the table gazing off coldly at his family while they all desperately avoid his gaze. The scene where he scans the room but his eyes barely move, oh what a wicked man.

Damian seems to still be learning his place in the family. He is again still trying to have a normal family life but he will soon fall in line I suppose much like his brother and learn how to stay quiet and work.

Donovan is clearly aware of his son's adoration of him and is using that to help "train" him. The moment where Damian was talking and he just sighs (vol 6) or his parting comment to slow down (indicating that he had been fully aware of his son the entire time, including his attempts to start a conversation).

tldr i love Donovan Desmond. They'll make me hate you, you ugly decrypted zombie man. 100000+ aura indeed. terrible terrible man

#spy x family #sxf #damian desmond #donovan desmond #melinda desmond #demetrius desmond #anya forger #loid forger #twilight #sxf spoilers #sxf chapter 106 #love when villains are just so evil #endo knows how to shut me up man

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brucewaynehater101 · 6 months ago

Note

Years later into the future most of the batkids are old some have families now through adoption or biological means, well almost all of the batkids are old the youngest Timothy drake-Wayne is still 17 and had to watch as his younger siblings grow older then him

Dick has Mari she’s in her early teens he also adopts Olivia Desmond who is around 10 or so

Cass and steph end up dating and steph asks for partial custody of her daughter when she is older which she gained

Jason helps take care of lain

And Damian has his army of pets

Tim ends up stuck as the person who watches kids (and Pets) which works for now but will get a little confusing when his nieces and nephews end up older then him

That's a really funny concept (especially cause it makes fun if DC for keeping Tim as 17 for so long). I also like how you made Tim forever be without his own family unit (no kids, significant other, or pets of his own).

It's also really angsty! How long will Tim be 17 for? Does he know why he's still a kid? He's also right on the brink of "adulthood," and that's gotta be really annoying for him.

Do the Bats let him drink if he wants to? Does he know when he was born (or how old he is supposed to be)? I love the hc that YJ got into some stuff they weren't supposed to, and Tim got cursed to be 17 forever (maybe the others got cursed, too).

Does staying 17 also come with an immortality deal, or is it just anti-aging?

The 17 year old forever thing can also tie into the Tim is fae AU/hc.

Tim and his perpetual 17 year old status is a fun setting to play around with (angst, crack, confusion, etc).

#dc comics #tim drake #dc universe #dc au #thank you for the ask!!!!

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drugs4dragons · 5 months ago

Text

A Comprehensive Analysis of "NoseGate" - An Essay by Ivy Lynnwood

Workplace harassment - it is just one of the many rampant, yet little discussed issues that plague the American workplace. According to the article, "Workplace Harassment Statistics in 2023," "20% of American workers have been victims of workplace bullying (up from 14% in 2022)." Workplace harassment can come in a variety of forms including, "...verbal abuse, offensive conduct or behaviors, work sabotage, undermining work performance, and inappropriate use of power or authority (Setyan, 2023)." With workplace harassment being such a taboo topic, one would typically be hard-pressed to find examples of it in media... that is until stumbling upon the 2022 Adult Swim animated comedy, Smiling Friends. Season Two's eighth episode, "The Magical Red Jewel AKA Tyler Gets Fired," is a masterful depiction of workplace harassment, and it's various effects. Within the episode, protagonists Charlie Dompler and Allan Red hash out a past incident that had been haunting Charlie for a number of months. The following essay is not for the purpose of stating who is in the wrong, but rather to lay out what canonically happened in order for the reader to come to their own conclusions.

Where it All Began

In Season Two's episode, "The Magical Red Jewel AKA Tyler Gets Fired," Allan and Charlie are tasked with the important job of babysitting Mr. Boss' 18 year old son, Jason. Later on, while watching Jason in Mr. Boss' office, Allan remarks, "You know, it's weird we don't really hang out one-on-one much, do we?" to which Charlie replies, "Yeah, yeah, it's definitely been awhile uhm... I don't know if you remember this or not, but the last time we hung out, like, you and I, you actually sucked on my nose, so..." Charlie's statement references a scene from the series' pilot episode, "Desmond's Big Day Out," in which Allan does, in fact, suck on Charlie's nose. However, is Charlie's framing of the incident truly accurate to what happened? A full analysis of the scene is needed in order to fully understand each character's actions and motivations.

The above image is from a scene from the ending of, "Desmond's Big Day Out." This takes place after Allan remarks, "Yes, and I got my cheese back...nom," to which Charlie replies, "Aw, come here Allan, you crazy character," after pulling Allan into a friendly embrace and tracing his hand with his finger.

Allan then proceeds to commit the very act that has haunted Charlie throughout Season One and Most of Season Two: nose sucking.

Afterwards, Charlie can be seen pushing Allan away. The two then laugh together.

Allan then tries to suck on Charlie's nose a second time, to which Charlie backs away.

Charlie and Allan laugh it off a second time. Then Allan exclaims, "Nom," again, however this time, he does not try to lean in and suck Charlie's nose. It can be inferred that Allan had learned by that point that his actions were making Charlie uncomfortable, which is why he chose to stop.

It is important to note that Charlie was the one who placed his hands on the other first. We do not know if whether or not Allan was uncomfortable with Charlie touching him, as he does not say anything or make any gestures that can be interpreted as discomfort. Regardless, this could already be counted as misconduct, as it can be argued that he should not have touched Allan to begin with, especially within their workplace. Allan's act of sucking Charlie's nose in response will come off as confusing to most audiences. It could be seen as a form of Allan playfully reciprocating Charlie's initial gesture, as Allan is often depicted as an individual with many quirks. However, it is also important to consider that we do not know the full extent of critter culture and social customs. While Allan's nose sucking can be seen as friendly and playful, it could very well have been Allan expressing his distaste towards Charlie's actions, or some other unknown emotion. Overall, Allan's true intentions behind sucking Charlie's nose are unknown, however it is obvious that Charlie was uncomfortable with that, but this should not disqualify the fact that Charlie touched Allan first.

Present Day

Nearly two entire seasons later in, "The Magical Red Jewel AKA Tyler Gets Fired," the aforementioned event of Allan sucking Charlie's nose is brought up again. Charlie claims that it was necessary to, "...hash it out..." so they, "...can hang out more..."

Allan, upon being confronted by Charlie for his actions, replies in a shocked tone, "What? I don't remember doing that." Whether or not Allan was telling the truth in this statement is unknown, however, evidence suggests that this may very well be the truth. In "Desmond's Big Day Out," before the encounter between the two, Allan was attacked and crucified by an army of bliblies, which had infested the Smiling Friends office.

According to an article by Harbor Psychiatry and Mental Health, "Traumatic experiences can have a profound effect on memory function, often leading to memory loss as a coping mechanism...This impairment can stem from physical or emotional trauma, with memory loss serving as the brain's way of processing and managing the experience (Harbor Mental Health, 2023)." The physical and emotional damage that Allan suffered from that day was certainly enough to result in memory loss, especially in terms of a short-lived interaction that took place not too long after the main event. For Charlie, that day was rather normal, considering that he mainly spent his day out of the office doing his job, so he is much more likely to remember such an interaction.

Despite Allan's lack of memory of the initial interaction, he is clearly distraught by what he had done in the past.

It is clear in his facial expressions (see above image), body language, and tone of voice that he clearly regrets his actions and the distress that he has caused Charlie. After Charlie explains what had happened, that fateful day, Allan responds with, "Sure, I- I honestly don't remember doing that but- well, yeah, if I did, I'm sorry. I just don't remember doing that but it sounded like it really bothered you." An interesting thing to note is how, during Allan's attempt at an apology, Charlie interrupts him to remark that the incident had happened "recently," however, the event had taken place before both Halloween episodes, suggesting that well over a year had passed in-universe. Whether or not this is a case of Charlie misremembering the incident, or just being so distraught by it that it felt more recent that it truly was is up to interpretation.

So Charlie finally admits his feelings about the incident and Allan gives a decent apology in return. The logical next step would be to just move on and allow time to heal any remaining wounds, right? Unless...

Present Day Part Two: The (Temporary) Death of Jason

During Charlie and Allan's confrontation, Jason suddenly screams, then dies immediately afterwards.

Charlie begins to search Mr. Boss' desk for anything that might help, then momentarily gets distracted by Mr. Boss' manifesto. Allan tries to calm Charlie down and says, "Charlie, there is nothing we can do." Charlie, undeterred, attempts to perform CPR on Jason (in an incorrect fashion). Charlie accepts defeat, and Allan replies, "Yeah, I already told you that."

Later on, Charlie and Allan try to get Glep to pretend to be Jason for the rest of his life in order to avoid the inevitable consequences. Glep eventually becomes fed up with the situation and leaves. Allan says, sarcastically, "Great idea, Charlie," to which Charlie responds, "At least I'm trying to think of stuff, man!"

Allan argues, "Well, maybe if you weren't talking my damn ear off we would have noticed something was wrong with him in the first place!"

Allan's argument begs an important question: would they have even noticed something was wrong with Jason had they not been arguing previously? Mr. Boss states at the beginning of that episode that Jason is "super low maintenance," and that if he were to need something, he would let them know. In the scenes following up to his death, Jason doesn't give any sort of major signal that something was wrong. He simply sat there, as he typically does. Jason dies immediately after screaming, so there was no time for Charlie and Allan to help him. It could be argued that Charlie did technically try to help Jason, however this was after he died. Allan recognized that Jason was dead and did nothing because there is simply nothing that could have been done.

Back to the argument, Charlie exclaims, "Woah, woah, this is not my fault, dude. You were the one that was on the phone the whole time and you were not paying any attention at any point!"

While Allan was on his phone previously, he was technically paying at least some attention to Jason, as he says early on, "Is it supposed to be doing that?" in response to Jason breathing noisily. Charlie responds to this with, "Yeah, that's like his whole shtick." It should be noted that Jason does not make this heavy breathing sound in any of his other appearances, which means that this could very well have been a sign, albeit a very subtle one, that something was wrong. Allan was the one to question this behavior, and Charlie thought nothing of it. It should also be noted that Charlie shifts all of the blame onto Allan, suggesting that Jason died because he wasn't paying any attention. But what was Charlie doing at that time? Wasn't he also not paying attention? Why doesn't he take any responsibility, considering that he agreed to help watch Jason?

Allan goes on to argue, "Fuck you, I was checking work emails, you yellow son of a bitch!" with this insult implying racism. This is not the first time Allan has engaged in such behavior, as is shown in the episode, "A Allan Adventure," in which he calls Armzo, a critter with several arms, "spider." Whether or not Allan truly feels this way about other critters is unknown, as he very well could have just been frustrated. However, one could argue that in these modern times, there really is no good reason to insult someone based on race or appearance, and that Allan's insults were just terribly "low hanging fruit."

Onto the physical portions of the altercation! Allan and Charlie begin arguing back and forth over who killed Jason. Allan is the first to make things physical, by slapping Charlie's hand. Charlie understandingly responds by slapping him back in a similar fashion.

After various kicks and punches from both sides, Allan once again reaches for low hanging fruit and punches Charlie in the nose, a spot that he had previously established as a place he would rather not have touched.

Charlie responds to this by attempting to choke Allan. While Charlie seemingly won the (physical) fight in the end, it can be argued that his win was not a fair one. While Allan did punch Charlie's nose, he did not try to full on kill him. However, it is also unclear if Charlie's true intent was to ultimately choke Allan to death, or to simply give him the illusion that he was going to do so.

The Verdict

Allan and Charlie would ultimately end up confessing that Jason died while in their care, and then embrace each other once he was revived by the magical red jewel. At this point, it is safe to say that they have put aside their differences for the common good of Jason, and perhaps have even made up (though it remains unclear if there was any forgiveness on either side). However, there is a fairly good chance that none of these events would have had to happen had Charlie and Allan been educated on proper workplace conduct. It is truly horrifying how such a small gesture can ultimately progress into such catastrophic, and even fatal, events. The story of Charlie and Allan proves that workplace harassment is no laughing matter, and that we as a society need to improve upon how we conduct ourselves in public environments, as well as work towards establishing rules that can help to keep ourselves and others safe. So next time you find yourself thinking about sucking your coworker's nose, remember Charlie and Allan, and think twice about your potential actions.

Sources:

Setyan Law - Workplace Harassment Statistics in 2023

Harbor Mental Health - Does Trauma Cause Memory Loss?

#when i started writing this it was supposed to be a funny ironic meme #i genuinely can't tell if it's a meme at this point or not #anyways #if you read to the end ty kiss kiss mwah #lynnwrites #smiling friends #charlie dompler #allan red #nosegate #nomgate #this is in no way meant to be “my finest work” or anything like that #if i were to ever make this a true academic essay i would do so many edits...#but i dont think the world is ready for that yet #perhaps if they further progress in season 3 i will consider doing a part 2 or something #who knows

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