#i am desperate to see more of yor's backstory

[frozenartscapes]

I have a theory that Yor's poison tolerance is so high not just because of the assassin training, but also from all the trial and error she likely went through while foraging for food as a kid.

(I mean, her cooking is a given as a source of poison training but I personally think that she probably ordered out most of her meals once she started living on her own. But considering a lot of adults sometimes have difficulty determining which berries and mushrooms are safe to eat, I fully expect a child with limited resources wouldn’t know right away. And rather than chance anything with Yuri, she likely was the poison checker herself until she became more familiar with what plants are safe to eat.)

[briefhottubcoffee]

Hey so I love spyxfamily, yet I have some issues with the pacing lately. I miss The Forgers like crazy and I am desperate for more Yor content. I suppose that’s what I’m most worried about, she’s not getting fleshed out enough and being used to her full potential. She’s such an amazing character!

That said, I do have complete faith in Endos storytelling capabilities. He’s created a truly amazing story with compelling characters (side characters included) awesome world building, and both light and dark themes. I think, in pointing out the slow pacing and lack of the Forgers recently, we’ve forgotten all the awesome directions the story can take with all the different plot points Endo has set up at this juncture of the story.

I feel like, based on the narrative, the story is about to reach a big climax, a change in the status quo for the Forgers. Exciting things have happened, but nothing has truly changed the status quo, or the relationship dynamics between the main characters. Since we have reached 100 chapters, and the way the narrative is propelling upward, I think we are due for a big shift. Not the biggest, but a change for sure. Just remember all that’s been set up! Here are a few things I’m fairly confident is gonna happen soon to the Forger’s in the story:

Manga spoilers obviously!

- Twilight is going to continue to try to distance himself from the family, because of the Wheeler stuff, but he will be challenged on that and face a work vs family thing. This is a big theme of the series obviously, and it will take a lot to break down his walls. But it will happen.

- Twilight will learn something about Anya’s past. Most likely related to her knowledge of classical language. Perhaps her history with other families or where she is from. I doubt he’ll learn about her mind reading, that would be huge, but I’m honestly kinda hopeful he does because I don’t want Anya to have to hide anymore. Whatever he learns will affect him and hopefully bring him and his daughter closer in the end.

- This means we will finally get the Anya backstory Endo’s been hinting at for a while! Again, I expect this to lead up to a sweet family moment that brings them closer.

- A new Yor arc. We are truly due for one and I don’t think Endo is ignoring her purposefully. It just may take a while to set up because it will be a big climax of the story. Perhaps Garden lore. A big assassination that affects her character or the plot.

- Yor will get closer with Melinda and maybe find out what the heck is going on concerning her relationship with the other Desmond’s.

- As this happens I think Garden will come into play. I don’t think they like the Desmond pro war agenda. Yor may report her findings from Melinda to them or something. This would be a continuation into that one panel of the Shopkeeper when Yor brought up that Loid was interested in their politics. They will start questioning Yor’s husband as well.

- Damian will confirm Anya can read minds, but will keep her secret. Maybe Becky finds out as well. Dimitri will come into play somehow. I would love to see Damian stop bullying Anya so severely and truly start treating her like a friend, while still struggling with his crush.

- Some Authen’s chapters with some information on their backstory. Are they related to Anya’s mind reading stuff?

- We were recently introduced to Chloe! Yuri’s co-worker and potential romantic interest. I think we will see more of Yuri x Chloe. This will hopefully help him in his crazy obsession with Yor lol.

- Yuri maaay become more suspicious Loid is Twilight (a reach I think). He may also start to like Loid more! (an even bigger reach lol).

- BUT I do think Endo is setting up a funny chapter where Yuri has to stay over and Loid and Yor will have to share a bed! That’s been hinted at several times!

- I also think we are leading up to a big moment between Twilight and Yor. Some type of physical affection. (I’d love a hug, but I’ll take some erotic hand holding once they’re forced to share a bed or something) It’s not a reach, the setup is there for a shift in their physical relationship. This will obviously change things between them. Again, Twilight will be confronted with his feelings after the Wheeler arc and struggle with his feelings for Yor.

- Yor is definitely going to realize she is in love with Loid.

- Finally, after the Wheeler arc, Handler gave Fiona some important patient files for Twilight. I think this will lead to a big break for Strix. He may also meet Melinda as Loid Forger in this capacity.

So yeah, based on basic narrative storytelling, we are due for a climax and change in status quo in sxf! I’m excited to see which way the story goes, there are so many different directions. I’m confident some of these points will happen sooner rather than later. Of course Endo could throw us for a huge loop. But he has setup all of these points and it’s bad storytelling to leave them open ended with no closure or shift in the story.

We have to remember Endo is setting up a truly big story! We should be excited about that. I think it’s fine to criticize the slow pacing (and lack of Yor) but I can only hope it is just building to something big!

[beannoss]

Off the back of this great post by @hermy-97 about Endo's choice in Twilight's alias last names and specifically the comedy therein, I had MANY THOUGHTS! But in a DIFFERENT DIRECTION! I didn't want to hijack the original post though, so am jumping off separately. (Manga spoilers discussed herein)

Following in OP's footsteps and borrowing here from Google's definition, here's what Google says for 'forge':

1. make or shape (a metal object) by heating it in a fire or furnace and beating or hammering it. (eg: "he forged a great suit of black armor") 2. create (a relationship or new conditions). (eg: "the two women forged a close bond") 3. produce a copy or imitation of (a document, signature, banknote, or work or art) for the purpose of deception. (eg: "the signature on the check was forged")

As OP covered off meaning three, I wanted to look more at meanings one and two!

I’d personally argue number one also applies if taken as metaphor.

1. make or shape (a metal object) by heating it in a fire or furnace and beating or hammering it.

I think it works broadly for how trauma can sometimes feel (for better and, more often, for worse), but more specifically in the context of Twilight & SxF, I think about how 'forged' is often used as a metaphor for people's experiences of war, speaking to how those experiences shape them (particularly: 'forged in the crucible of war'). Indeed, ash is a frequent motif throughout Twilight's backstory chapters:

Personally I'd say its reasonable to extend the metaphor back further into Twilight's adolescence and childhood, given how (understandably) angry, hurt and grief-stricken it left him, leading him into the military (undoubtedly though he also, ironically, joined the army as a means of survival: food, shelter, a desperation to do something and have some form of regularity even if it was within the context of the military and a war campaign, etc). Of course this could also apply to many other adults in the series, and their experiences of the two wars.

I’d say definition two applies as well; OP noted Twilight's honeypot missions in this instance, and I think it carries further, outside of either honeypot or other missions.

2. create (a relationship or new conditions).

It can be taken as a whole within the Forger household, after all Twilight did create the Forgers. But more importantly to me, this meaning applies particularly by way of what Anya and Yor are doing within the family, their choices and aims, and how they’re influencing and shaping the Forgers. And then, of course, Twilight’s choices in return, both under the explicit guise of for the mission and those times when the mission is curiously (ahem) absent from or delayed in his thought process. They three are forging something real, regardless of what the family began as, and regardless of how they may be looking at it presently.

I'd tend to say that, of our three, Anya is doing this most intentionally: I know Twilight does a lot as Loid, and I think the tone he set for the family actually does impact this collective act of creation fairly substantially. However, he still tells himself the family is temporary: maybe it's nice while it lasts but it will end and that's that. Whereas Anya is, insofar as she can conceive of it as a five year old, very deliberately trying to create bonds and smooth possible fissures, with an explicit view of everlasting. Which makes sense, since she's the only family member who knows the full circumstances, even if she doesn't and can't (and shouldn't) understand how complex it all is.

Yor, of course, also does a lot but again, I don't think she sees it as a specific project; in part because our favourite assassin isn't known for her forward planning, and also because it's simply how she moves through the world. And that's speaking: that Yor's impulses, instincts and choices build into forever-types of foundations, without her necessarily thinking of them that way. There are many tragedies within SxF but the one I think of with Yor particularly is that she is such a community person and particularly a community builder, but due to her traumas and circumstances, she hadn't had the opportunity to live that part of herself. It's one of my favourite things, watching her come into her own and live out her values and priorities inside and outside the home. /side track. All of which to say, she is, definitionally, a forger. As here, where she creates bonds with not only her colleagues but demonstrates connecting threads across generations and individual experiences.

The definition around creating something also applies to Twilight’s mission in Strix — preventing war actually also necessitates the forging of bonds. It’s unclear how things will shake out with, for instance, Yuri, but Twilight-as-Loid-Forger is already a positive presence in several circles (his hospital job for instance) and Yor’s presence is also increasingly positive (at work and it seems possibly/probably with Melinda) and Anya’s also making positive waves in her circles (with Becky, and while I think Damian's trajectory is a bit less linear, I know others argue that she's positively influencing him as well).

(If I wanted to go deeper, I'd also borrow a Watsonian perspective and chat a bit about what it says about Twilight to choose the name Forger, given his clear wants for family and his equal surety he can't ever have one, even from the first few pages of the manga... Perhaps in another meta.)

I think it's also worth noting that although Endo goes to this particular joke well a few times, Forger stands distinct. Neither 'Phony' (def: not genuine, fraudulent) nor 'Spoof(y)' (def: imitate for comedic effect; hoax or trick someone) have any sort of additional meaning along the lines of actual creation. And of course, in the case of Spoofy, Twilight is tricking the military; and with Fiona, bless her, any sort of romantic relationship with Twilight would only ever be fraudulent.

I wanted to round things out with one more definition, this time taken from duckduckgo's:

"To advance gradually but steadily."

If that isn't the tune of the Forger family and Spy x Family generally, I don't know what is.

[lacrow]

Chapter 36...

...Me too, Anya. Me too.

After the Loid/Yor heavy arc we just came off of, I was wondering which direction Endo would take things. A lot of people were hoping for some focus on Damian and Anya, and boy oh boy I’m sure those same people were happy with this week’s chapter. It’s looking like the next arc is going to focus on the kids at Eden, only instead of tests and exams we’re going to get a PARTY!?

...Sorry, got a little excited there. First, let’s back it up.

I love how Anya just flat out acknowledges she’s never going to be an imperial scholar. Loid gave up far sooner than she did, but seeing her just blatantly accept the same thing is funny and also shows she’s not oblivious or air-headed; she’s quite aware of herself (which is rare for a child, as we’ll soon see with Becky) and is much more willing to focus on her strengths. Granted, the only thing she has going for her at the moment is Damian’s crush on her (which she isn’t even aware of in the first place). Also I just found it funny everyone still thinks Loid beats his patients. Poor Loid xD.

To kick off the arc things focused on Becky and her relationship with Anya and, honestly, I didn’t realize how excited I was for that until I started reading it. Becky was desperately needing some backstory, and I feel like this chapter delivered on all fronts. Sending the girls out on a shopping trip was a great set-up, and having Becky rent out the entire department store was a smart way for them to spend some alone time and also show off just how LOADED the Blackbells really are. Plus, Anya’s reactions to everything was priceless.

Okay, so...the fashion. It was cute, it was fun, and the dresses were fantastic. With that said, there’s no way I’m going to able to fit all of it into one post lol. So, briefly, I’ll list the highlights for me;

Anya’s Cover-Girl-esque spread

All of Anya’s costumes, but most importantly the “scholar” one with diploma caps for the headbuns (fantastic)

Becky immediately thinking of dressing up for Loid (honestly kinda cringey, but at the same time funny) and going down a runway because of course she would.

The tiny detail of Becky’s hairpin changing with each costume and how it changes to a knife when she wears Yor’s sweater (I see you, Endo).

Is there more? Yes. But now we’re moving on lol

I’d be remiss not to mention Becky’s thirst in this chapter, and I love how her attendant Martha just puts up with her shit with the flattest of faces. I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s well aware of Becky’s current obsession with soap opera’s, hence her casual, muted reaction. Home-wrecking is a no-no indeed xD

Aside from all her fashion shenanigans and Loid-thirst, the exploration of Becky’s character was fascinating and deeply satisfying. I was fond of her before this chapter, but now I have a much better idea of who she is as a person. Anya calling her a friend caught her completely off-guard; we as an audience knew this was already the case, but even after months of being together Becky clearly didn’t. Martha’s musings over her bratty past were insightful, and paint the picture of a little girl who grew up from a young age thinking she was a) inherently better than everyone else and b) had an image to maintain at all times. Such beliefs made it impossible to truly make friends, and she likely would have expected others around her to only get close to her in order to get material things because of her family’s wealth and status.

Besides Becky, Martha was really the standout character for me this week. It’s clear she’s been with Becky since the latter was very young; at first I took her for this exasperated servant who loathes Becky for being so spoiled, but by the end of the chapter I was pleasantly surprised to find her genuinely caring for her like a grandma or nanny. Her relationship with Becky, and by extension Anya, was very endearing and I hope to see more of her in the arc.

OKAY SO BACK TO THE PARTY!

It’s looks like this arc is going to deal more with the social aspects of Eden Academy, and I for one am thrilled. The tests and classroom and shenanigans are usually enjoyable, although I’d be lying if I said I found them very interesting. This whole backdrop of an end-of-term party, however, opens up the possibility of so many character interactions that we normally wouldn’t get to see. Just a few examples;

Becky finally meeting Loid

Yor chaperoning and causing unintended chaos

The kids all in spiffy clothing

The possibility of finally meeting Damian’s older brother

Mr. Henderson busting-a-move (god I can dream)

And, of course...

...some good ol’ Damian and Anya. It’s clear we’re gonna see an update on their relationship, and depending on how this party goes we may or may not finally get to see Anya be invited over to the Desmond’s house. Operation Strix might be up for it’s first big break in a while, and I’m excited to see how it all unfolds in the coming months!

Also, BONUS

$950 dollars!? Are you kidding me right now!? For two keychains!? Bond doesn’t even know math and he KNOWS those prices are outrageous!