#why they started the strix in the first place

[navree]

"you made him. tristan." "i think it would be more accurate to say that we made each other." i cannot believe that this stupid show bungled this relationship, what an absolutely solid set up that they did nothing with.

anyway tristan and elijah were exes.

#personal #no like what is this meant to mean #we never see any of this ever again #this idea that elijah is as much shaped by tristan as tristan was by him #whatever made tristan so special that elijah was willing to turn him #why they started the strix in the first place #like the idea of tristan and elijah as this ouroboros together that have never quite stopped orbiting each other's personalities #even with the distance and the time #and then the way elijah says tristan's devotion to aurora is 'pathological' like that's not a mirror to him and klaus #it's insane it's so nuts #anyway i stand by my exes statement. in the words of keri russell: those two have definitely fucked

[yumeka-sxf]

A chronological analysis on Twilight and Yor - Part 21

*This is part of an ongoing post series. If you missed the Introduction/Part 1, click here*

----------

The next morning, Twilight muses to himself that there are still things in the world he doesn't understand, but nevertheless, a spy must overcome fear of the unknown. While his face and tone are dead serious, it's comical that the thing that caused him to burst into this heavy-handed inner monologue in the first place is none other than his misinterpretation of Anya's reactions the previous day. AniTrendz described the humor of this scene perfectly by stating that "Loid really spent all morning acting dramatic when he's just sad that his daughter called him lame."

And yes, he really was bothered by the fact that he's still having trouble understanding Anya's emotions. While her mental well-being is important for Operation Strix, he also cares very much how she views him as a father. Unfortunately for Twilight, this trend will continue – after a whole day of fun activities, he's devastated to see the scowl on Anya's face when they're having dinner that evening. And, once again, he blames himself and even thinks that Anya could possibly hate him.

As I've mentioned before, Twilight is always cool and confident when it comes to his spy missions, but whenever Yor or Anya are upset, he becomes a second-guessing nervous wreck! It's telling how frazzled he gets when trying to figure out what's going on in their minds versus anyone else. If Anya and Yor's happiness is tied to a mission, and he's always calm and collected about his other missions, why would he get so bent out of shape about them in particular? I think we all know the answer to that.

It's also important to note that the couple of days on the cruise are likely the longest amount of time Twilight has been alone with Anya, without having Yor for parenting support. If she were with him during all this, there's no doubt that her patience with Anya's antics and the encouraging words she always offers, would put his mind at ease. But without her around, there's no one to buffer his constant freak outs when trying to analyze the mind of a child. His anxiety gets so bad that Anya even starts to feel bad about it.

Meanwhile, the big showdown on the deck between Yor and the assassins has so far been the most gritty and violent scene in the series. Endo has stated in the fanbook that making Yor likable while also giving her a profession that involves killing people, was difficult (though I think he's done a stellar job!) A reoccurring theme in Spy x Family is how the tragedy of war has led to otherwise good people partaking in immoral acts, whether for survival or because they're brainwashed into thinking that the side they're on is the right and just one. It's not only Twilight and Yor, but other characters as well, such as Yuri, Sylvia, even the young terrorists from the doggy crisis arc, as well as the assassins on the cruise – the factions that they work for, the politics behind their decisions, and the jobs they're assigned to do, are not framed as heroic nor completely evil, only the aftermath of political turmoil that the next generation has to suffer for.

In Part 13, I mentioned an interview in the fanbook where Endo states that the Forgers should not be seen as virtuous role models…he doesn't think it's correct to only see their "nice family" side. Despite all the comedic antics in the series that sometimes stretch the veil of realism, one very realistic aspect is that none of the characters are depicted as "black and white," "heroes and villains," and their professions are portrayed as more tragic and ugly than "cool." This is in contrast to other shonen series, where the main protagonists are often portrayed as role models who fight for noble causes we can't help but support, while banishing only the most wicked of villains. And often these protagonists started out "normal" only to suddenly gain superpowers, opportunities to go on grand adventures, and have big battles against villains. But Twilight and Yor are the opposite. The series starts with them already having extraordinary abilities and exciting, dangerous jobs, so the end goal is instead for them to be able to attain a peaceful, normal life…because their professions aren't framed as wish-fulfilling but as heartbreaking, grim, and sometimes terrifying.

Twilight and Yor's professions, as well as those of pretty much every other character in Spy x Family, have a lot of gray areas on the moral compass. This is why having a balance of both fun, slice-of-life scenarios, and spy/political action and drama conflicts, brings out the true complexity of the characters. Twilight may lie and act cold as ice towards people during his missions, but because we get to know him while he's living as Loid Forger, we can see that he's doing it for a noble cause, and underneath all that callous calculating, he's a compassionate guy who cares about the feelings of others. Likewise, we see that when she's not killing people, Yor is a total sweetheart who doesn't have a mean bone in her body, is a loving mother to Anya, selfless sister to Yuri, and, like Twilight, she does what she does because she truly believes she's doing good in the world.

If we only see Twilight and Yor as a spy and assassin, our view of them could be skewed negatively. On the other hand, if we only see them as a "nice family," we would be doing exactly what Endo warned against in his interview. But because we get to see both sides of them, we're able to relate to them even more, which makes us want to root for them. Is the immorality of their jobs too much to be forgiven, or are they righteous people who are simply victims of a cold war? Obviously if you're a fan of the series like me, you're opt to lean towards the positive view that Twilight, Yor, as well as many of the other characters, have been sorely damaged by the post-war era that they live in, but the commendable things they do far outweigh the ugliness of their professions, so they deserve a happy ending. And that's really the main appeal of the series – with all the gray areas of morality, seeing whether they can truly live happily without lies is something to look forward to.

Continue to Part 22 ->

<- Return to Part 20

#spy x family #spy family #sxf #spyxfamily #loid forger #yor forger #twiyor #sxf analysis #loidyor #loid x yor #sxf meta

[andreal831]

Totally using your recent tiktok for this. Would you say Elijah’s love language is more physical touch or acts of service? I feel like Hayley’s is definitely physical touch, but I see Elijah as more acts of service.

Also could you continue the haylijah in every episode and/or Elijah’s relationships in songs? I enjoyed those, plus it gave me song suggestions.

Thanks for watching my tik tok! If you haven't seen it, this anon is referring to this one.

So I've always loved how affectionate Daniel made Elijah and if you watch anything else that he is in, that is just kind of how Daniel acts. But I do think they ran with it. He always greets Rebekah with a kiss or is holding hands and kissing Hayley's hand.

While I don't fully buy into the love languages because I think everyone shows and gives love in all the ways and even more that aren't listed, I think it's a simple way to express what one may want from a relationship and how one may express their own affection. That being said I do think Elijah and Hayley tend to use physical touch to show their affection the most.

Part of this is because of a headcanon, but I think it's supported by canon. Essentially, I always viewed Elijah as being touch starved. We hear from Esther that their family was broken until Klaus was born, that Klaus brought joy back into their family and made them feel like a family after losing Freya. But Elijah was born during that time. If you've read my prequel to TGW, You're On Your Own, Kid, (which I know I need to update), it starts with Esther going through some heavy emotions at the time Elijah was born, even post-partum depression. Elijah, to me, always seemed neglected by his parents. He was no ones favorite and used essentially as a place holder for parents or even for a child they actually wanted. I always thought this is why he is so attached to Klaus, because it was the first time he felt love.

But back to the ask. Elijah let's himself get close to very few people throughout his long life, so when he does, he is always reaching out for them. To remind himself that they are still there. He uses it to ground himself in that affection. That they love him enough to allow a monster like him to touch him.

I do agree that he also likes to show his love in acts of service, however, to me, it always seemed like he did this more when he was uncertain of the other's love, like he was trying to earn their love because he's always had to earn love through acts of service and sacrificing himself. Like when he killed all of the Strix members for Hayley because he was uncertain that she cared for him after everything. I'm not saying he does so selfishly, but rather he believes he isn't worth anything to his loved ones if he isn't acting in their service.

So both of these love languages to me come form places of insecurity. I think the most important one to him, without his insecurities, is quality time. Hayley and Elijah fall in love while she is trapped in their home. They fall in love from spending time with each other. It's similar with Elijah and Gia. Their affection develops from their mutual interest in music and them working together.

To me, Hayley and Elijah were such a good match because they seem to feed off of each other's love languages. They were always there for each other when they needed comfort. They were there to offer physical comfort as well as just physically being with each other in times of need. They are also incredibly protective people so they are willing to do anything for each other.

We don't see them really give gifts but I think it's just for lack of the show putting any effort on them, because we know Elijah would shower his loved ones in gifts.

It's essentially a mix of all of them and they just instinctively know which one the other person needs which makes them so special.

I will definitely continue the haylijah in every episode series as well as the Elijah's relationships in songs. I welcome any suggestions! In case it isn't obvious, my ADHD hyperfixations make me super unorganized with them but I will continue!

Thanks for the ask! It inspired me to make a gifset of their love languages, coming soon!

#elijah x hayley #tvdu #the originals #the vampire diaries #tvd #the mikaelsons #hayley marshall #elijah mikaelson #hayley x elijah #anon ask #fandom asks #tvd anon ask #tvd ask #fandom answers #tvdu metas #metas

[eternal-echoes]

Several people have wondered what Twilight was going to say before Yuri came bursting in interrupting his thoughts.

I think I can speculate to what they are.

It’s been running theme in the series that he’s not aware of his own feelings for Yor (and Anya) and anything he does for them he just say that “it’s for the mission.” But what if he’s actually aware of his own developing feelings for Yor, as evidence from his conversation with Franky after Franky’s failed date with Monica.

He knows his romantic feelings for Yor are there, but as a spy and people who live hiding from the SSS like Franky, he has to suppress them for the sake of the better world. So when he was drinking with Franky that time, he tried to nip his developing feelings for Yor. He tried to flush them away with alcohol. Because if he trusts someone, it could end his life.

As a spy working towards world peace, that is one thing he cannot afford to lose.

Also considering that in the last arc, Fiona pointed out that he’s been losing his edge:

This is due to the fact that he just got beaten up by Wheeler after he duked it out with Yuri, which wasn’t just physically exhausting but also emotionally draining as well BECAUSE of Yuri’s relationship with Yor.. What he loves about Yor (excellent mothering) and what he admires about the Briar sibling (sibling bond) - he almost destroyed.

He was so weak during his fight with Wheeler because of Yor.

I think since in the last arc, Twilight might actually start distancing himself from Yor and Anya because as Fiona has pointed out, he has lost his edge. And the reason for that being he has been emotionally attached to them - they had made him soft as he plays the role of the husband and father.

Because he cannot afford to lose his life, because as a spy working on Operation Strix that would risk losing the peace between East and West, which prevents children from crying - which is the whole reason he became a spy in the first place, he would have to make a huge sacrifice in order to keep aligning himself with that goal. And that sacrifice would be sacrificing his own happiness - the possibility of being with Yor - which means completely eradicating his feelings for Yor.

Because before he thought he can just get away with burying them down and maybe keeping a little bit of it alive (and just tacks on the "for-the-mission" excuse whenever he wants to spoil his wife and kid). But maybe this time, he would be more like Fiona - being stone-faced for the rest of his life. He would kill his own heart to be a better spy. Someone who won’t be defeated by Wheeler again.

So I think what he was going to say is:

“But the thing is, Yor… I've become painfully aware of my weaknesses. And when I looked into Wheeler's eyes, I remembered... I live in a world in which only the perfect survive. Which is why - ( I can’t keep letting these romantic feelings for you to develop.)”

Or something along those lines. At least something about referring to his relationship with Yor.

But I’m hoping that Tatsuya Endo will write a Twilight’s version of this:

When Twilight realizes that Anya and Yor can be his source of strength, not weakness.

#spy x family #spy x family manga spoilers

[princess-of-the-corner]

K, 2 things:

1. — So, yeah, looked at potential vampire beings for Himiko hero names and either 1), they are not actual “vampires” but creatures that simply primarily drink blood, otherwise have no connections at all, or 2) they really lean into the “Ancient, Sexy Immortal”. I basically made my criteria “drinks blood” after a bit, because it was otherwise REALLY HARD to find anybody who sort fit. Of the few I found that KIND OF fit:

Strix - in Greek myth, a creature that largely resembles an owl, but seems to reflect the behaviour of a bat, hanging upside down from perches, and making high-pitched noises that sound like crying. They drink blood (though a few tales mention feasting on human flesh) and were either the familiars of malevolent witches, or merely ill-fated omens which themselves posed no harm, but seeing one was the harbinger of doom or despair coming your way. Also called “vampyre owls”. Apparently six strix feathers were main ingredients of several love potions. Strix also became synonymous with “witches”, specifically used to refer to “flying women”, at some point, though it seems to be fairly even between the witch and vampire association.

Mullo - a kind of vampire from Romani culture, though more specifically, an undead, usually a person who did not receive proper burial rights. This isn’t being included as an actual name suggestion, I just got a kick out of Mullo also being the Mouse Miraculous, so I imagined a little vampire mouse.

Jubokko - a Japanese yokai, basically a demonic tree that grew near a battlefield. So many people died on said battlefield, that the tree would suck up blood rather than water, and seem to become addicted? (The website I found this one on was oddly translated, and Wikipedia did not help much). So, the trees start kidnapping travellers who venture near it, wrap them in its roots, and drain them dry.

Dhampir - supposedly the offspring of a vampire and a human. Can really only see this if Himiko was making some kind of statement about her parentage.

Empusa - both the best and worst one I found. Greek mythological beings, they were blood drinking shapeshifters (often said to have one leg of bronze/copper, and the other vaguely reptilian). They also lured young men in, so they could Black Widow them (the spider, not the Marvel character). So like, on the one hand, actual blood-drinking shapeshifter! On the other, Greek myth monster that liked killing people! I could definitely see Himiko making it work, but again, it doesn’t really fall into the “cute” category she’s going for, even the one she has that’s different from most peoples.

2. — Now I’m thinking about it, Termina could be an entire side quest section of No Fate. Like, you get introduced to it by whatever the Zora Quest is (cause I am really attached to the Trio turning into different species). Like, Trio can’t get to Zora’s domain, because it is COMPLETELY flooded/underwater, so they follow a rumour about a mask that lets you breathe underwater. They end up in Kokiri/Deku Forest, and find a hut with an old man, who says he’ll carve them the masks if they get wood from the Deku Tree. So, the go to the Great Deku Tree, who gives them some wood to use, they go back to the Old Man, and he carves the masks. My main thoughts here are 1) as the Trio travel through the forest, they see glimpses of Termina. 2) Maybe at some point they fall asleep and their dream selves get briefly transported to Termina, where they encounter [Fairy Whose Name I Forgot].

Regardless of how it happens, they first ask the Deku Tree about it, and he tells them that the Forest occupies a “Space Betwixt and Between”, a kind of crossroads that can lead to other places. Then, they ask the old man, as he’s carving their masks, and he makes some vague remarks about the state of his “home”, and why he might be in the Forest in the first place. You get the masks, and go do the Zora thing (Ganon and Zelda are both surprised to actually TURN INTO Zoras, while Link is like “oh, should I have warned you?”). The Zora masks let the Trio breathe underwater and swim fast (or in Ganon’s case, let him swim), and maybe let you explore the Great Lakes or something, but are the only Masks that are plot relevant.

The Termina thing could be a whole side thing, where you visit the old man, fall asleep, and get Dreamed to Termina, where you sort out various problems, probably find some rare items or materials. Completing the various sections would also earn you new masks, which while cool, giving you new forms to wear, wouldn’t be required to beat the game. Like, you could have a Rito Form, who increases your jump (and changes any gliding animations from a Glider, to using your wings), and maybe gives you default cold resistance, maybe makes using bows easier. The Goron mask lets you roll around, and has a built in heat resistance. Zonai could give you increased magic buffs. None of these things are required to beat the game, but they are helpful, since they wouldn’t take up any armour slots. You put the mask on, and your “base” changes, but you can still wear all your other gear.

Thoughts?

-

Re: Himiko’s Name: I think the thing here is that yeah a lot of them are so off--handedly scary. And while some Heroes can have ‘scary’ names, Himiko is trying for more cute than scary.

I have a Thought™ on what I may want with MM but I’ll come back to that

#submission

[ironwoman18]

Rather Be - Part 2

A little disclaimer, I will mention events from the manga up to date so if you only watch the anime. Know this chapter contains small spoilers on future situations.

Chapter 2: Our first kiss... Sort of

Twilight was needed for an important mission and he had to leave for the whole week.

Luckily for him there is going to be a medical conference where he has to go. 

“Lucky bastard... Even the perfect excuses knock your door at the right time” said Sylvia smiling at her best agent “We already added Loid Forger to the list and for your wife and the government you will be there”

He nodded and smiled softly “good. I'm glad I have good luck on this one”

Sylvia just smirked “yeah... Since I met you, you have good luck... I guess Operation Strix is just that difficult” 

“I guess so” he said and left WISE headquarters and headed home.

He arrived and had to cook the dinner since Yor had to stay an extra hour due to a Fair that will happen on the weekend.

It became more frequent that she cooked dinner, thanks to Granny Barbara and her husband, Grandpa Siggy helped Anya to study so she could understand better what she was learning at school.

Those elders, without knowing it, were helping a spy from another country to bring peace to both of them.

When Yor arrived Loid sat down and explained to them about him leaving the next day and won't return until Friday night.

Yor nodded “We are going to miss you, Loid but I know those conferences help doctors to get better so I will support you here with Anya and Bond”

Loid smiled back, a genuine one, and added “I know you will and you know I trust you on that” then turned to Anya “this time let's hope your school doesn't plan an excursion” he said with a bittersweet taste, because last time he had to left she was kidnapped alongside his target’s son, Becky and the rest of her class.

“Don't worry papa... It won't happen” she said like a military with her hand on her forehead. Both Yor and Loid laughed softly. 

They finished their dinner and after brushing their teeth they went to bed.

The next day. Yor made breakfast and after that they let Anya leave in the school bus and the couple walked separate ways. She went to her job and he went to the train station.

At the train station was Fiona and Doctor Lewis Armstrong (Code Name: Daybreak) who was a little taller than Twilight, brown hair and white skin. He was an MD in the same hospital and was there to assist Twilight if he needed back up.

“The sky doesn't have any clouds, right?” Said Twilight.

“Indeed. I shouldn't have brought my umbrella” said Daybreak, looking back at the other spy.

Fiona didn't say anything since she already knew Twilight and had the same conversation with Daybreak when she arrived.

They started to tap their feet on the floor communicating with Morse code and looking around like waiting for the train.

“The mission is finding the database of the vice president of Desmond's party. People said he used it to buy adversaries and to convince others to follow their ideology” said Nightfall.

“Why the three of us?” Asked Twilight.

“You are the master of disguise, I'm a sharpshooter and Nightfall can act like your wife so your role is more reliable” added Daybreak.

“I was afraid you would say that. I usually work alone” said Twilight but before Nightfall could reply, the train arrived and they will discuss the case later.

The trip was quiet and it will take most of the day to arrive at the place. Twilight somehow missed Anya’s tv show in the background, the sudden touches of Bond’s tail and hearing Yor whistling while making tea and hot chocolate for Anya.

‘How can I miss all that while I'm on a mission? I'm Twilight, the best spy from WISE. Loid Forger is a character I created...’ He sighed and quit reading, turning on the TV in his room and seeing Bondman on TV. He smiled softly.

‘Ay Loid Forger you're taking control of me... I shouldn't let it happen but, it feels... Right?’ thought him as he watched the tv spy fighting bad guys.

The next day they arrived at their destination and signed up in the hotel. Doctor Forger, Doctor Armstrong and their secretary, Fiona.

After putting their stuff in their room, informing their family, mostly Loid and Lewis, they began to gather information on their target. These took all day and at night they ordered food and planned everything. 

As always and to Nightfall’s delight, Twilight had eight hundred sixty-five plans in his head. 

After he shared the main line they left to their mission.

Daybreak would be their backup in case they needed it. Nightfall was already recovered from her injuries and stronger than before. And Twilight had his costume ready to act as Leon Bridges, a man interested in the war politics of Desmond’s political party.

They surely will draw their target’s attention.

Twilight had a light brown wig, his normal blue eyes were now green. He was wearing a black suit with a blue shirt and black tie, Fiona was “his wife” Meredith Bridges, black hair and red eyes with black dress, a copy of Yor’s look.

This didn't escape Twilight's perception “you look just like Yor” he said in a whisper.

“It's a very common sight in the south” said Fiona without looking at him.

He rolled his eyes looking around “you had been studying her?”

“I wanted to know why you picked her as your partner in Operation Strix. What does she have that you didn't pick an expert spy?”

“She is good with Anya and she's trying to help without knowing my mission. But I'm not here to discuss my decisions Nightfall. I'm here to finish the mission” she just nodded and they continued with his plan.

The main course was going smoothly. This helped discard already six hundred plans. As the night went on, the line of actions became smaller until they reached their goal.

But of course something had to go wrong, the mission was almost compromised and he had to improvise. He was the best because of his quick thinking. 

But watching Nightfall's wig and contact lenses made his legs and brain slower than usual.

The thoughts of Anya and Yor came to his mind and he cursed himself because he was letting Operation Strix get in his head.

A bullet almost hit him, it barely touched his arm enough to leave a cut. His mind was foggy and full of THEM, those two women he realized he cared too much to be just another mission.

Yor was doing her best to cook better, Anya had three Stellars and finally met someone who can explain things to her and get her to understand them.

He can't lose them, he always thought Operation Strix was another mission but, now they were his family and he will protect them. Even if he had to return with just an arm, he will return, just to see their faces again.

These made him recover control over his body and think quickly. He wasn't used to killing but if it was necessary he would so he got a gun and shot it, killing a couple of them. Daybreak and Nightfall also kill the others, giving Twilight a chance to get in a room and to get a new costume and steal the data with ease.

The next day after their wounds were treated, the three spies left.

“Superior... I wanted to apologize... I shouldn't used Yor Forger’s look for the mission it was reckless and stupid”

“Nightfall... I picked her because she showed strength, she was in need and so was I... It was a common cause, I needed a wife for Eden and she needed a boyfriend/ husband so people didn't say that she was a spy. But they... The way she is with Anya, how she compromised with being a good wife, made me think I made the right decision. Maybe if I have another agent it would be easier but Yor fit even more because she may the mission look imperfect”

Nightfall nodded, he was even more perfect than what were her expectations and something was clear to her. At this point in time... Yor Brier, erm... Forger had 2 points against 0 points for her.

On Friday night Loid was back home and he smiled at the little welcome party. Anya made a star with paper and with Yor’s handwriting it said:

To the best papa.

I love you

Loid smiled and kissed Anya's head and hugged her which was a surprise for her but she let it flow since her daddy wasn't normally like this.

“Tomorrow is the Fair so I want to invite you all” said looking at all of them. They nodded and after dinner they went to bed and slept all night which was weird for him since he was used to not sleeping all night.

The next day after breakfast they left and went to the fair. Got to the attractions, played fair games and won plush animals for Anya.

They ate hotdogs and fed Bond with sausages. After a fun day the Town Hall decided to close it with fireworks.

Sadly Anya fell asleep so Loid held her in his arm, biting his lips due to the pain in his arm and smiled at Yor.

“Thank you for taking care of her while I was gone” he smiled, causing her to blush which made him act impulsive for the first time as Twilight. He leans in and kisses her cheek then he looks away with a red face as well as Yor’s.

They headed back to their house after the fireworks show. Yor was still red after Loid kisses her cheek.

OOooOOooOO

Hope you enjoyed this one. Maybe less sweet and short but our dear Twilight needed to realize he cared for Yor and Anya deeply.

#spy x family #loid forger #yor forger #anya forger #loid x yor

[crimsonlyinglilly]

Taste of sin.

Update of sorts and a short view into a new Elijah AU.

I wont be doing any whump months for a while due to real life but i will try to keep posting, mostly fleshing out the Aus I've got and hopefully not making any new ones.(this is one of the three I haven't posted anything for yet.)

Summary - Kol calls Elijah to help prevent Silas's return instead Elijah falls. A year and half Elijah arrives in New Orleans with a new hunger, powers and a trail of blood. will feature Siren!Elijah.

Set TVD Season 4 Episode 12

---

He had only returned because Kol had asked him for help, his now youngest brother was fiercely independent and Elijah's own past habit of siding with Klaus had made Kol even less likely to rely on him, so Elijah had come without thinking. 

It’s sudden, there isn’t a fight at all. 

If there had been, it wouldn’t have ended this way. He was a thousand years old, they were teenagers but he had trusted them to talk, he should have learnt after the dagger, he would have smiled if he wasn’t in shock.

Jeremy Gilbert looked confused as if he hadn’t expected the stake in his hand to end up in Elijah’s chest while Elena looked horrified, lips moving but no words making it past

For a moment he let himself lie to himself and pretended it was Tatia, his first love. Maybe he could see her again, or Celeste, he hadn’t realised how tired he was years chasing after his family ignoring his losses.

 It hurts, whiteoak embedded in his heart, burning. He doesn’t fight or say a word, just falls. His last sight is just a plain ordinary ceiling.

A thousand years, seeing empires rise and fall, fled burning cities and this was his end, maybe this place was cursed for his family, Henrik, Finn and now himself.

It was meant to be a chance to start again after decades of being alone searching for his family. 

‘At least it wasn’t Kol.’ he thought as he died. 

----

Tristan had a warning as he watched the Strix fall around him. 

He had enough time to realise why his Strix were dying. 

‘Damn you, Elijah.‘ He cursed as he died.

#fanfiction #elijah mikaelson #the originals #fic #tvd fanfiction #the vampire diaries #the originals au #the vampire dairies au #AU- Taste of Sin

[ackergarden]

Chloe if she were a WISE mole in the State Police (slight Yuri x Chloe because why not!)

a list of ongoing headcanons which are purely mine. don’t take this to heart, it’s all for fun!

special shout-out to @streetcheetah and the soy server for hearing me ramble it out first 😭🫶🏽

more beneath the cut

anyways… on with the headcanons we go! i have came here to bother everyone with my chloe x yuri hcs because that will be the thing i talk about for the next two weeks—

1. headcanon that yuri probably trained chloe with the first lieutenant since she’s one of the new recruits in the state police

2. chloe started crushing on him the moment she finished officer training

3. i remember reading that it was canon that the girls that liked yuri turned away from him because of his personality of protecting yor, but chloe found it cute (despite being annoyed) which draws her to him even more

4. this mission to retrieve wheeler with the other agents is her first ever mission after trainee completion

and another headcanon that’s totally unrelated (just because i overanalyzed that one panel of chloe helping yuri get out of the sewers):

in winston’s dialogue, he mentions about “you’ll never know when it’s going to be your last mission. or when you’ll get betrayed by someone” because i was literally reading the betrayed part right when i got to the chlori panel and i’m just like wait.

there was this headcanon (i think it was moot's but i’m not sure) on chloe when she was first introduced without a name in chapter 80 — it was just for funsies, though i think lol — that what if she’s actually one of wise's moles in the state police that haven't gotten caught?

we know jeffery already got caught since he was in the communications branch of the service. so chloe could possibly be another wise agent that had been dispatched to infiltrate the sss (possibly being in another branch) in case one of their agents get caught.

(you know, maybe the branch yuri is in because of operation strix...?)

@streetcheetah and i were rambling about how after wise finds out that mrs. forger's brother is part of the state service, that's when upper management in hq decided to send in another agent to ambush the sss.

they send chloe.

they send her to get close to yuri since he is yor's brother after all, so all eyes would be on him in case he poses as a danger to operation strix (in courtesy of @streetcheetah's comment). strix had been the foundation of peace, another reason why she's been placed in the sss to keep watch on yuri briar.

it would end up getting to the point where she'll have to take yuri out since he's close to discovering loid forger's true identity. but the thought of her having to finish him, why was it easier said than done?

#spy x family #chloe (spy x family) #spy x family chapter 80 #will i add more in the future? #absolutely (for funsies) #i have headcanons and headcanons and headcanons and headcanons and headcano- #mole hunt arc spoilers (spy x family) #yuri briar #elliane’s shitposting #chloe if she were a wise mole tumblr fic au

[piracytheorist]

For Spy x Family it's the first time I invest in a fictional relationship that has so many lies and secrets, and I think it's because those lies and secrets do not influence the way the characters behave towards each other.

Anya is the only one who aims for emotional connection from the start, unlike Loid and Yor, and while that's explained by her very young age, she also doesn't make use of any manipulation in order to gain their love. She does take advantage of her powers from time to time, but never to trick her fake parents into loving her. She wants to keep Operation Strix going so they'll still be a family, but she also wants for world peace as well. And again, she's like, five.

Yor, besides showing a tremendous amount of honesty and humility in her interactions with the other two, is also not using the "clean" image she presents in order to manipulate their feelings. She admits her flaws - a little too much, if we're honest - and her secrets would only affect the practical side of the marriage. She does not expect Loid and Anya to be heartbroken in the case of her being exposed as an assassin. When it comes to fulfilling her role in the fake family, she promises to do her best when it comes to being a good roommate - and she does try to. Beyond that, she's kind and sweet and very, very caring for the others' feelings, and all because she genuinely wants them to be happy - not secure her place. (It's why she's so touched by what Loid tells her - she expected him to be mad at her for not being a good cook, but instead she's hit with the idea that making Anya happy is enough, and that's enough to move her to tears)

Now Twilight's case is the most complicated, because we relate to his fight for world peace. For that to be accomplished we would eventually excuse him using the feelings of two innocent civilians, but the thing is, he's perfectly content with a marriage of convenience with Yor (for now), and while he pampers Anya, it's to make her happy and thus motivated to study, not convince her he's a good dad whom she should make proud by studying hard. In a different way than Yor, he shows his compassion in a way that's too honest for a spy of his caliber, and it's what allows Anya and Yor to feel connected with him. He risks everything to save Anya from Edgar; he supports Yor's choice to be a "sex worker" and honestly relates to it; he thanks Yor for her advice and input; he's ready to punch Master Swan for making Anya cry; he admits to Yor he was jealous of her connection with her brother - all those are things not for the mission. It's his true self bursting through, and never in a manipulating way. When he smiles at Yor after telling her she's doing enough because Anya loves her, it's so fucking genuine it bleeds through his experienced defences. He doesn't use his lies to achieve emotional connection; it comes naturally without them actually having an influence in that.

And it's why it works, and it's why so many people love this family and root for it. It's not only them being three broken people finding a home in each other. It's the honesty among them. The lies and secrets keep their "contracts" intact. Their honesty and kindness are what make them a family.

#Spy x Family #sxf meta #the Forgers

[agentplutonium]

WIP Wednesday

I haven't done one of these in forever, and once again haven't been tagged. Either way you guys get the littlest update on what I am working on so that I am held responsible for what I do. ANYWAY

(if ya'll wanna do something too you should tag me! I love seeing people's works :D)

This week I wanna show y'all two snippets, one from my OC work and one from a fandom I rarely talk about on here. I'll start with the fanfic stuff first (all is gonna be under the cut because I think it looks cooler that way)

So, here I present a part of my Cher & Sherlock character study. These guys are from NeXus (created by the one and only @mr-laveau which can be found on their youtube channel). This mostly is just me seeing how my Characterizations of these two listener characters play out with one another. That and I have been itching to write something NeXus related since the second video on the channel. Anyway:

The clock ticked on the wall. There was the occasional shout from outside the apartment. Cher sat at the table, shoulders rigid, fingers tapping the wood beneath them impatiently. The wood was smooth under their arm, the back of the chair digging into their shoulder blades. They wanted to keep moving. They wanted out of here. They wanted to keep everyone safe. Cher was dropped off at Alonzo’s and his partner’s place to be babysat, despite what Uriah told them. He said it was for their safety but they felt Uriah didn’t trust them, or that he thought they couldn’t take care of themselves. It was humiliating. Not to mention this was probably putting the lovers out of their way just to be there with them. They did not want to do that to them. They were not worth the amount of effort the two vampires were putting into them.  Suddenly, a mug was placed before them, snapping out of their thoughts. Owl, what Cher has taken to calling Alonzo’s partner, took the seat across from them, a matching mug in their hands. They were silent, not looking at Cher. Their presence wasn’t… unwanted, but Cher still felt on edge. Their fingers stopped tapping. They couldn’t help but analyze the situation, Owl’s body language, the way they kept their eyes on the mug in their hands, the mug that was left suspended between the two of them. But Owl just fucking sat there. The silence lasted for a few more moments. “It’s just hot chocolate, I’m not trying to kill you,” Owl said, those eyes finally glancing at them. “Thought you might like something to do than just sitting here.”

(You will probably be able to find this fic soon on my AO3 :D)

And now my favourite part of this: the part where I get to show off my OCS. If you haven't seen anything before these two are my god characters. They are the sole reason why in my world anything exists. They are literally my heart and soul you guys i don't know if you understand. ANYWAY, snippet of the creation of the Strix:

Terra had been messing around with different designs for a bit, shaping and reshaping the clay in her hands in an almost bored manner. None of the designs were sticking out to her, and weren’t exactly how she was picturing things. Normally, this wasn’t such a problem. She was usually able to perfectly recreate what she was thinking. However, each time she did just that she found that the design was impractical, or didn’t look the way she imagined it would. In all honesty it was starting to irk her quite a bit.

She was about to give up on the design, but tried one more time. This one was also imperfect, but… Terra thought it had potential. It was a small, winged creature that Terra was going for, but there were a few things that she fixed or added. One of them was a short, curved, needle sharp beak. The other was sharper talons as well. After messing with the colours for a bit, making them a clash of green’s and blue’s, Terra brought the prototype to life. It slowly became mobile, turning it’s head from side to side, watching Terra curiously. Terra held out a finger to it, and it readily hopped over onto it, turning back to Terra and giving a small chirp.

Terra grinned, mouth stretching wide as she watched her creation. “Well, hello, little one,” Terra said gently. “You’re not as big as some of your cousins, but I think you look absolutely adorable.”

The creature chirped in response.

Terra only smiled wider, nose scrunching in the process. “Well then, what shall we name you and your siblings? Hm? Any ideas?”

The creature didn’t respond, only tilting it’s head in the other direction. Terra pursed her lips as she thought.

“What about… finches? No, that’s a bit to human sounding. We need something different.” Terra hummed, reaching up to gently stroke her fingers over the creature’s feathers. She had gotten an idea, and her eyes lit up. “Oh, what about Strix? That’s a fun sounding name. What do you think?” The creature chirped again, and Terra smiled. “I’m so glad. We’ll have to tell Caelus next time we see him, I did promise I’d keep him-”

“Tell me what?” Caelus asked, beside her all of a sudden. He settled next to her on the ground, eyes immediately falling to the Strix. “Never mind. I figured it out.”

Terra gave a sheepish smile, holding out the Strix. “Don’t you think he’s cute, though?”

Caelus didn’t seem like he did. He was never very good at hiding his feelings, especially not from her. “He’s… something,” Caelus said.

Terra swatted at his arm playfully. “Be nice at least. He’s technically yours too.”

Caelus looked spooked by the prospect, however he didn’t have time to comment on it before the Strix was hopping onto his knee. Caelus held as still as possible, eyes not leaving the thing.

“Aw! He likes you!” Terra gushed.

“And, uh… what is he, exactly?” Caelus asked.

“I call them Strix,” Terra said matter-of-factly, but she was already getting distracted.

Caelus stayed like that, staring down this creature. If he was honest, he actually didn’t mind this one all that much. It was a bit of an eyesore, but he was a bit smaller than the others. It was roughly the size of half his forearm in height. A manageable size. The creature chirped at him, and Caelus couldn’t help but give a small smile, reaching forward to cautiously stroke the feathers on the creature’s head. It looked like a freaky bird, he commented to himself.

Terra’s words caught up to him then, and he snapped his gaze to her. “I’m sorry, them? What do you mean them?”

“There’s more than one,” Terra said, like it was obvious, “I just haven’t had the time to make them. But-” She trailed off, taping the ground in front of her, at the feet of a few dozen more. They came to life in a blink, all staring at their companion and at Caelus. It was only a second more before Caelus was swarmed in a flurry of feathers and wings. Terra gasped, watching as the creatures settled and Caelus was covered with the birds.

Caelus did not look happy. Terra tried to keep her giggling subdued.

“Get them off,” Caelus said through his teeth.

“I don’t know, I think this look suits you,” Terra snickered.

“Terra-”

“Okay okay,” Terra said, though her amusement was still evident. She rose to her knees, hands reaching for the creatures, fanning them away or moving them herself. “Come on guys, you heard him. Shoo. Go.”

Caelus was relieved when they were all gone, but he was still grumpy. Terra giggled again.

“Oh come on, It wasn’t that bad! Stop being so grumpy. I saw you smiling at the first one, I know you secretly like them,” Terra teased.

“I do not,” Caelus denied.

“Uh-huh, okay, whatever you say big guy.”

Terra’s amusement was cut short when one of the Strix flew over and pecked at her neck.

“Ow!” She cried out, hand flying to the spot. She frowned at the creature who fluttered in front of her, looking up with that curious gaze of theirs. She pulled her hand away, only for it to come back smeared with blood. Her frown deepened even more.

“Are you okay?” Caelus asked, concern in his tone, half reaching toward her out of habit.

“Yeah,” Terra said, more mystified than in pain. “They shouldn’t… they probably don’t know better. They were just created after all.”

Caelus still seemed wary, but Terra didn’t allow for the conversation to continue. Instead, she started herding the birds up to place in a temporary home until she felt like they could join the rest of the world. It was going to be a while before they were accustomed to their new world, and Terra also had to train them on a few things to keep them safe.

This will be fine, Terra could feel it in her very core.

If you wanna read more, I also have this story about Terra and her realization that Vampires exist.

that is all I have, but but I love talking about my things and am open to any questions, and like I said i'd love to see y'alls work too!!

#plutonium_WIPW #plutonium_fanfiction #plutonium_rambles #Plutonium_Files #guys i need to talk about my things in order to get it written #it is a curse that I bear #ocs #original character #nexus #nexus fanfiction #that's right im starting that tag

[asha-mage]

The Warrior in the Woods [RWBY]

>:C

[Send me in an Ask with one my WIP titles from this post, and I'll post a snippet of it and tell you a bit about it!]

Listen. Listen. It's ON THE LIST okay. I just have to work more on my posted WIPs first. Also probably need to rewatch RWBY at some point.

This is my 'Jaune and Adam are stranded together in the frozen tundras of northern Anima circa v5 au and have to work together to survive, causing Jaune to learn Adam's messy history and get a new perspective on him, and forcing Adam to question a lot of his assumptions about the cruelty of the world now that he has his lowest point and finally encountering someone who seems to just be good in a uncomplicated straightforward way, but is a human which runs so hard against Adam's lived experience that he doesn't know how to deal with it' au

(I wonder sometimes if my inability to sum up my ideas in a succulent fashion is why so many of my works use references and song lyrics as working titles)

Anyways-

Jaune stood there, staring at Adam who lay on the ground, motionless. The snow had not stopped falling, if anything the storm was growing more intense as the moments passed and Adam’s body started to collect a light dusting of snow, his gray clothing quickly covered in a layer of faint sparkling white. Jaune could faintly hear the strident cries of the huge Strix, likely still circling up there somewhere overhead. And the huge Cereian would be  back for revenge as well, soon enough. Jaune’s best chance was to find shelter in the castle and wait them both out, while his Aura recovered. But if he had to drag an unconscious Adam on his shoulders while he did that, his chances of making it through the next few hours would go down sharply. But Adam’s chances of surviving if Jaune left him here, were nothing. You don’t owe him anything. He only worked with you to save his own skin, then only with his teeth clenched the whole time. Jaune told himself. He tried to kill you. He dropped you to your death. He ambushed you while you were fighting Grimm. He helped Salem at Beacon and Haven, and has probably killed dozens, maybe hundreds of innocent people. He hurt Blake. He hurt Yang. He wants to hurt everyone. No one is here to judge you, and if they were they wouldn’t. He’s a monster. But you are a Huntsmen. A voice that sounded a lot like Pyrrha’s whispered in the back of his mind. And Huntsmen do not leave people to die. Jaune exhaled and forced his feet to walk forward. He leaned over to dust off some of the snow from Adam’s body, and gave a start as he realized the blindfold had fallen the rest of the way off, exposing his left eye. The pale skin around it was twisted and gnarled red as if it had been burned, the darkest pieces raised into rough ridges that spelled something out. SDC. Schnee Dust Company. Jaune felt his skin prickle, his stomach lurching in horror at the sight. So this was why he had worn the Grimm Mask, and then the blindfold. Before Jaune could stop himself he had reached out to thumb open the eye, and instead of icy blue a pale milky white iris and pupil stared back at him, filmed over the way a corpse’s eye was filmed over, the whites so blood shot they seemed red. Jaune pulled back his hand as if burned and felt the urge to shiver for reasons that had nothing to do with the cold. He steeled himself, and gently as he could manage, rewrapped the blindfold around Adam’s eyes. He had chosen not to show this to the world, and Jaune felt the need to respect that. Then he lifted the other man into his arms, feeling a stab of surprise at how light he was, and set out to look for a place they could shelter, before the cold and the Grimm killed them both.

I've always had this weird soft spot for Adam/Jaune, because I genuinely think their dynamic could be fascinating and challenging to both characters, and also I am huge sucker for dark knight x paladin style relationships (Someone whose power is draw from anger and rage at a unjust cruel world, who can believe in their strength to see them safe, and a person whose power is drawn from an ideal, tirelessly working to create a world where their isn't suffering and pain and refusing to let either thing burn them down- delicious). I defiantly want to return to this work and flesh it out properly. Probably will once Vol 10 finally drops and I descend back into RWBY hell.

#Rwby #Jaune Arc #Adam Taurus #Matador #Rwby Fanfic #wip ask meme #about me

[strixcattus]

Conlang Year Days 31–33

At long last and after an uphill battle, I have a finalized list of ten sound changes (several of which are actually groups of similar processes affecting different but similar sounds) in order. There's a chance—though not a good one—that I might prod at a couple changes (specifically those in the glide-deleting vein) in the coming days, but what I have right now is solid enough.

Ten sounds like a lot given I've never tried anything similar to this before, but nearly all the sound changes I implemented fall under one of three different multi-step processes, so I'm really just doing four things that all need to be a little spread out. The processes in question:

Stop reduction. For the purposes of creating a few diphthongs, voiceless stops sometimes reduce, very slowly, to nothing at all.

All glides must die. We hardly knew ye. (You may recall that the original phonology only had one glide, [j]. We'll get to that.)

The Consonant Conveyor Belt. An only slightly shaky series of sounds shifting to fill gaps left by those behind them. I must have had something against [g] at the start of the year that I don't have now, and I wanted it back.

Bonus—clean up the ugly sounds. I find [pu] to be an unattractive syllable. That's not the only thing this one gets rid of, but it's most of it.

Complete and lengthy detail under the cut.

Day 31

All three days kind of bled into one another—especially the first two—but day 31 was the one where we were supposed to have a full list of sound changes, if not necessarily an ordered one. I ended up making a few edits yesterday and today, so here's the most current list of sound changes:

Voiceless stops [p] [t] and [k] reduce to [f] [s] and [x] respectively in contexts [a_i], [u_i] and [o_i].

[p] becomes [w] before [u], and before [o] in unstressed syllables.

[d] becomes [g] before [a] and [o], and before [e] in unstressed syllables.

[owo] and [owu] become [ou]. [uwo] and [uwu] become [uo]. [awo] becomes [ao]. [eje] becomes [ei].

[j] vanishes in contexts [a_i], [e_i], and [o_i], as well as [i_o], [i_e], and [i_a]

[j] becomes [ʑ] before high vowels and after [i].

[l] fortifies to [d] before [a] and [o].

[f] and [x] reduce to [h] everywhere they occur.

Glides fortify to [l] anywhere they persist.

[h] is deleted universally where possible. Where not possible, it changes to [ɕ].

If you're looking closely, you might notice a few things:

Why [ɕ] and [ʑ] rather than [ʃ] and [ʒ]? Couple reasons. First, unashamedly, they're fun to say, even if they're not quite sounds I'm all too familiar with in the wild (and I can't distinguish between the two when listening too well...). They're also not sounds I've used in a conlang before—Yvelse has [ ʃ], and I think a couple projects I've left by the wayside did as well. The... interesting conlang idea I mentioned a while back has all four of these, but that's just a concept right now, so it doesn't count. Second, it just made a bit more sense for the sound created in step 10 to be palatal, and I was not about to have two similar sounds in two different places of articulation, one voiceless and one voiced, when I could just put them together. Also, this way the final form of the language uses all the same places of articulation as the original did!

Some of these steps look like they're going to end up tripping over themselves, Strix—unless you want triphthongs or something. Yes. Yes they do (look like that) and yes they do (interfere with themselves). We'll get to that. Incidentally, this is the same force behind that last little bit in step 10.

What do you mean by "where not possible?" Diphthongs are allowed—the set of diphthongs created by these changes is the same as the set of allowable diphthongs—but more than two vowels in a row is forbidden. That little clause is there to stop that from happening if something weird happens between steps 1 and 10.

Hey, you never said anything about where stress goes, but now you're referencing it! I did not! In the proto-forms, primary stress falls as close to the antepenultimate syllable as it can, and secondary stresses radiate out from there, every other syllable. When a word has two syllables, stress lands on the first syllable. I'm ignoring secondary stress when I talk about stress-based sound changes.

Day 32

This was the day where we were supposed to start testing out the changes—though I did a lot of that the day before. I've got a color-coded table where I test a few of the proto-forms I already created—but first, the rules, and some of these are pretty important. For one thing, we can say goodbye to IPA now—at least for the finalized forms of words. Any rules that were only added today (as in, during the "break things" phase) will be in bold.

[j] is represented by y, [ʑ] by j, and [ɕ] by c

Stress-based changes look only to primary stress

Diphthongs shift stress to themselves as soon as they occur (not as though that changes anything, but as a note)

Vowels within diphthongs do not count as single vowels for deletion purposes. They may be considered as single vowels for fortification purposes (the only other context-dependent change that occurs after formation of diphthongs).

If a single step affects multiple parts of a word, work from beginning to end.

And the final phonology:

Day 33

Today's goal was to make a few new forms to "test" sound changes. Of course, "test" as used here means "do your best to break." As such, you'll notice that most of the new forms have three syllables to fit in as many bumps as possible, and the final versions are very diphthong-heavy—every diphthong that wasn't represented in the original chart gets to show up here.

They also tend to hit up several different sound changes. *mijena is maybe the only root that's still pretty similar at the end to the beginning, as opposed to the initial table, where several roots go through only one sound change or none at all.

In my doc, the roots still use IPA as I've been doing for the previous days. Here, I've switched fully to the same romanization system as in the table above, for ease of reading.

*miyena: Companion animal ⇒ miena *yupuki: Friend ⇒ juoci (This is where that [ɕ] clause comes from.) *tiyola: Bone ⇒ tioda *sodeye: Limbless creature (why not?) ⇒ sogei *kiyapo: Fire ⇒ kijao (Here's where that weirdly specific diphthong rule comes from) *zapiyo: Time machine (obviously this is a basic root) ⇒ zacio *lokiye: Tooth ⇒ docie *dayi: Grain (mass) ⇒ gai *yupo: Sun ⇒ juo *yayiyo : Moon ⇒ laijo (And this is why you have to work from start to finish in step 5. This one was fun.) *nopula: Sky ⇒ nouda *siyapo: Hair or analogue (as it's possible for an intelligent species to have feathers or somesuch instead of fur) ⇒ sialo

#conlang #time travel conlang #conlang year #man was this a lot to write up

[redsnowdrop]

LOID’S NAME THEORY

It’s really hard explaining this theory because I’m sure we will know his name at the end of the series but I can’t predict how it’ll finish. But let’s dig in!

We might discover his name IF Yor gets to kill Twilight. Imagine: she’s a killer and she always will. She grew up killing people and honestly it’s the only thing she excel at, except parenting. Her boss might find Twilight, the town where he is located, maybe his fake job too. So it’s name. Yor won’t know it’s Loid in the first place because on the paper she will read his real name, his birth name. Not Loid’s.

It will be traumatic but I sure believe SpyxFamily will have an happy ending.

Another possible theory: Plan A (or Plan B as well) works, operation Strix ends and Loid decides to retire, he got enough money to maintain himself and his new family (plus his future son-in-law will help). So he simply tells the truth to everyone, not only about his job but also about himself. He will drop the mask he’s wearing since he started being a spy and tell everyone who he is. It won’t be easy, Anya always knew and she will pretend to be surprise but she’ll accept it quite fast but Yor will feel betrayed. But anyway I believe in the happy ending so it’s fine.

But why Anya, a telepath, hasn’t heard his real name? She can read minds and we know Twilight thinks a lot about everything in every moment. He has to have everything under control. He has to have himself under control as well. That’s why he always referred to himself as “Twilight”, when he loses control (let’s be honest, it happens quite often) he doesn’t think about himself as his real self. He try to get control again but as “Loid Forger, a doctor, a father and a husband”.

Loid has lost his true identity and he’s gaining it back thanks to his family and I can’t wait to see more.

I apologise for my bad English, it’s not my first language and I try my best!

Please don’t steal! Thanks!

#anime #anya #anya forger #loid and anya #loid forger #loid x yor #manga blog #spy x family #spy x family yor #theory #manga theory #yor briar #sxf anime #sxf loid #sxf anya #sxf spoilers #sxf fiona

[lady-charinette]

Chapter 4 of "Practice makes perfect" Spy x Family

There was something Twilight noticed that could potentially endanger Operation Strix.

At first, it had been a minor thing, nothing of significant importance, but ever since the incident with Yuri, it started happening more frequently.

Yor couldn’t look him in the eye for more than a few seconds.

Unless they were talking about Anya and school.

Still, it made for some potentially high risk situations.

After all, who would believe them to be married for a year when they can’t even hold eye contact for longer than a few seconds?

He would have to talk to Yor.

It was still early in the morning, so Loid made his way to the bathroom where he knew Yor was brushing her teeth. Anya didn’t seem to be awake yet when he found Yor alone in front of the sink.

“Yor.”

Yor startled, glancing back at Loid briefly, her hair kept out of her face by a fluffy red headband. “Yes?”

Loid leaned against the doorframe, his arms crossed and gaze serious. “Why are you avoiding looking at me?”

Yor spat out the toothpaste in her mouth, splashes hitting the once pristine mirror and sliding down its smooth surface. Apologies tumbled from her mouth as the secret assassin hastily tried cleaning the mirror, silently hoping it might just distract her husband from his question.

It didn’t.

Loid cleared his throat. “Well?”

Yor sighed, running a dry paper towel down the now clean mirror again for good measure before she rinsed her mouth. “I um…I-I don’t know what you mean!”

Loid noticed the position of her feet and the way Yor’s hips twisted, all pointing in the direction of the door.

An escape.

Loid quickly slammed his foot on the other end of the doorway, blocking the only exist with his whole body. He felt the air rush past him as Yor now stood very close to him, obviously not having anticipated her escape route to be so swiftly blocked.

When their eyes met, Yor jumped and averted her gaze. “Ah- sorry! Where did I put-“

Before Yor could attempt another distraction, Loid asked softly. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to, but would you please tell me if I make you uncomfortable, Yor? It would be easier for me to decide how to conduct myself around you in public without seeming suspicious but also respecting your space.”

At his words, Yor finally looked him directly in the eyes.

And held his gaze.

Twilight didn’t know if it was because of the bright bathroom lights, the early morning sun peeking lazily in through the half-opened blinds or the remnants of sleep in his eyes, but Yor suddenly seemed to glow. Her eyes sparkled like stars in the dark nights following a bombing, the soft redness on her cheeks only accentuating the ruby red of her eyes.

‘Huh? What am I thinking?’ this wasn’t the time nor place to have such thoughts. Perhaps Twilight was more sleep deprived and stressed than he thought.

His attention focused back on Yor when she bit her lip, her eyes fluttering but remaining on him. “You…are doing it again, Loid.” Was her face redder than before?

Loid blinked, “What?” Had he said something during his internal monologue? He didn’t remember speaking.

Yor briefly looked down at her feet before she returned her gaze back to his. “Y-You…you keep giving me that look…”

Loid blinked rapidly.

A look?

If only the mirror were in front of him, Loid could check what sort of expression he had on his face now that caused Yor to become so uncomfortable with him.

Did he look too stern? Upset? Unsettling?

Handler used to tease him of being a ‘cold, sharp eyed guy’ back in his rookie days, but Twilight had practiced his facial expressions in front of a mirror every day since. He knew what expression to make to gain the upper hand in a situation. He knew what expression to make to disarm people, so how did he look like for Yor to react like this?

“A…look? What…what kind of look, Yor?”

She bit her lip again, an action that inexplicably seemed to draw Twilight’s attention, before she hesitantly replied. “It’s…it’s very intense, Loid.”

She swallowed, another inexplainable action that caught Twilight’s attention, before he focused on her words.

Intense?  

Well, he supposed all his years as a spy did shape and require a person of certain intense character, but Twilight wasn’t so sure if he could be described as intense all the same.

“I…I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable, Yor. It wasn’t my intention.” He relaxed his stance against the doorframe, no longer blocking the exit with his body and towering over her. “I didn’t realize…I thought you might have avoided my gaze for different reasons.”

Was all there was to it? Was Yor shy? Was his gaze simply too intense?

Loid turned towards the door to allow Yor privacy to finish her morning routine, but a hand firmly gripping his wrist stopped him in his tracks.

This time, it was Yor that had a very intense look about her.

Twilight had spent years with Sylvia as his handler, he knew how intense women could get. And Yor meant business.

Loid felt the faintest dampness beginning to build up on the back of his neck. “Yor?”

A determined expression caused the fire in her eyes to light up like a rising phoenix from its ashes. “You’re right Loid, we have to practice!”

…Practice?

At his befuddled silence, Yor helpfully supplied: “Practice holding eye contact!” her cheeks were tinged pink, not unlike after she would emerge from her shower.

Yor silently waited for Loid to speak, her mind racing with newfound worries. ‘If people notice me being too embarrassed to look Loid in the eyes, we’ll be figured out and reported to the secret police! I can’t allow that to happen!’

“Um…yes, of course. When would you like to start, Yor?” Loid offered an easygoing smile, but it wavered when Yor suddenly leaned in close to him, her eyes never leaving his.

“Right now.”

Loid swallowed thickly.

--

The next morning at Berlint City Hall:

Sharon sipped her black coffee, pulling a strand of hair behind her ear just as Yor entered the break room with a boisterous: “Good morning, ladies!”

Almost immediately, all the women shared knowing glances with each-other before Sharon revealed her thoughts on Yor’s mood. “Someone seems to be in a good mood, something good happen, Yor?”

Yor busied herself with making coffee for herself, smiling at Sharon. It wasn’t unusual for Yor to smile, but this time it nearly blinded Sharon from her leaning position against the window. “Ah, it’s just – I spent a nice evening with my family. We went for a family outing and um, Loid and I went on a date yesterday.”

Yor had been so excited to try out their newfound eye contact record that she asked Loid if it was alright having their monthly dates a bit earlier. He had agreed without objections, they’d spent a lovely evening eating at a nice restaurant, maintaining good eye contact judging from people’s reactions around them and a long walk through the park.

Millie’s smirk resembled that of a Cheshire cat. “Oh? Did the two of you have a lovely evening together?”

Camilla, who had bit her tongue to wait for the right moment to tease Yor, finally spoke. “Oh my, Yor! I didn’t peg you for that type of person! It’s the same with my boyfriend and I! I just get too shy to look him in the eye after all the things we did the night before!” the pretty blush on her face could’ve fooled Yor into believing she was running a high fever were it not for the salacious look in her eyes.

Yor was oblivious to the woman’s double meaning. ”Oh, yes, I think I know what you mean. Last night was really intense, Loid insisted we continue and I guess I got swept up in it too. It was pretty late when we were done.” It had been funny actually.

Loid had praised Yor for overcoming her shyness to the point they managed to impress other patrons in the restaurant of how smitten they looked at each-other. He had asked if they could continue practicing for a while longer after coming home, his enthusiasm had infected Yor and they had stayed up late as a result of that.

Sharon’s cigarette almost fell from her slack grip. “B-But where was your daughter?”

The silence in the break room of Berlint City Hall was deafening until Yor opened her mouth to respond. “Oh? Anya was sleeping of course, but we were quiet to not disturb her sleep.” Of course, holding prolonged eye contact didn’t require much talking, but Yor and Loid had tried emulating situations of every day life and holding steady eye contact while conversing over the mundane to the more complex things in life, such as the exact filleting technique of a fish being eerily similar to that of skinning a person. Not that either Loid nor Yor had any practical experience in that, of course. That knowledge had been gained through “extensive theoretical research.”

Camilla seemed to regurgitate her coffee. “Wow, who knew they had such an active sex life.” She rubbed her forehead in distress.

Sharon adjusted her glasses, her fingers sweaty at the assault of images her mind conjured up of her innocent, pure co-worker engaging in such depraved acts with her daughter in the same house. ”You know what they say, it’s always the quiet ones…”

Millie blinked rapidly, taking a sip from her coffee. “Wow, I envy her.”

Yor hummed happily, completely oblivious to the distress her coworkers found themselves in.

For some reason, her coffee that morning tasted much better. She idly wondered if the image of Loid’s warm blue eyes engraved in her mind chased the bitterness away.

Thanks for reading!

#spy x family #sxf #yor forger #yor briar #loid forger #agent twilight #practice makes perfect fic #sxf fic #spy x family fanfic #twiyor #loiyor #loidyor #my fic #my fics

[dk-wren]

Can I ask your top 10 fav fics ever (from any fandom, if you don't mind)?

Also, just curious, is there a story behind your name "dk-wren"?

Hello Anon!

Thank you so much for the ask. I really wish I kept better track of the fics I've read and enjoyed for myself, as well as to answer your question a little better. The 10 I've chosen represent both a mix of my all time favorites and some of my recent favs.

(I'll link all of them at the bottom of the post for the sake of formatting and to help with the flow of reading. Also, if you are the author for one of the fics I've listed and would like to be tagged, please let me know! I'd be more than happy to!)

Buddy Daddies

Let's Make this Last Forever & Practice Makes Perfect by ZsBrainrot

Love these fics as they both explore Rei and Kazuki's relationship and some of their earlier moments as a couple (or as they begin to realize their feelings for each other). Love their other BD works too, but if I had to narrow it down, I'd say these are my favorites from Z.

Every Reason Not To by Jenanigans1207

Just a sweet little fic of Kazuki talking to Rei about how he is nothing like his father and that he is loved and wanted by both Miri and him.

Bolt from the Blue by AlexiasRei

Fun crossover with Spy x Family and the Forger family. Also, love how all the parents get a little slice of action to show off their (some more than others) hidden identities.

Spy x Family

Cold. by MyriadOfThings

I remember this being one of the first Spy x Family fics I read and it has continued to stand out to me. The angst of Twilight still having to leave the Forger family after Operation Strix was a success, seeing Yor as Thorn Princess going to any length to find out where her husband is, and the ending!

The Woman in Red by nightofmynyx8

I think this was the first series I read on AO3 as it was being released. Literally, remember being so excited whenever I saw a new chapter dropped. Also, loved seeing Yor take center stage in this mission and protective Loid.

Trigun/Trigun Stampede

Take Care by Lunarame

I'm always interested in how different artists explore Vash's wings and how he reacts to their appearance. For most of his life, Vash has constantly been on the run, so I love the tenderness of Wolfwood just wanting to take care of Vash and his wings in this fic.

Waiting at that shallow grave by riotintheheartt

I really enjoyed this piece from the Vashwood Big Bang that took place recently (and still might be taking place). This is the first one I started and quickly fell in love with it. I was super intrigued by the premise and loved how it was told in a non-linear way.

Banana Fish

I always wanted to protect you - Flying by Enora_Wings

Shorelines by snowcapped_detours

Guess who just watched Banana Fish? Me! And guess who's been reading fics to cope? Also me! Jokes aside, these represent some of my more recent faves, especially for the Banana Fish fandom. It's also fun(?) because they sorta represent two sides of the scenario of what if Ash reunited with Eiji.

As for your second question, Anon, yes, there is a story behind my name Dakota (or DK) Wren.

Dakota (and the nickname DK) was the name of my favorite doll growing up. Looking back, I realized how much the scenarios I would imagine in my head and how I would dress her should've been a big indicator of the geeky, fandom lover I am today. I knew others would play like school or mall with their dolls, and then you had me dressing her up and pretending she was going to SDCC, Star Wars Celebration, etc. In a way, playing with Dakota when I was little was the first time I could really embrace this side of my personality without feeling the need to simmer it down or pull back on how I expressed my love for all these things. That's why, when creating this name, I knew right away I wanted Dakota incorporated in some way.

As for the "last name," Wren, that was pulled from one of, if not my favorite character, Sabine Wren from Star Wars Rebels. I discussed why I love Sabine so much and what she means to me in a previous post, but basically, I loved how she used art as a form of resistance. For her, the power of art could cause as much change as physical power. And for someone who spends a lot of time in the arts, I just really loved this aspect of her. Likewise, I loved how she was portrayed in Star Wars Rebels as this character who was both strong and emotionally vulnerable. The complexities of her past, and how she must deal with them in the present, is what caused me to love her even more. Since Dakota Wren was going to be my pen/writer name, the way her artistic side is emphasized throughout Rebels, and my general love for her, is what caused me to pick Wren as the second part of my name.

.

.

.

Thank you again for the ask! I hope you enjoy the fics if you take the time to read them. I've only really gotten into reading fics from these fandoms (even though I'm in a few more) so I apologize if you were hoping for fics from a fandom I didn't list above. Also, if you (or anyone else) has any fic recs from these fandoms, please send them my way!

Thank you as well for asking about the story behind my name, it was really fun to talk about! Maybe not the most interesting or elaborate, but both parts of my name mean a lot to me, so I'm glad I could share the story of how I created my name!

-Dakota Wren

Links to the all the listed fics:

#asks #favorite fics! #buddy daddies fic #spy x family fic #trigun fic #banana fish fic #story behind name

[bitchboynoy]

This was the first draft of franky and loids visit to the bdsm club.

The version I have now is more in character. I don’t think Loid would be this snobbish about sex, I don’t think franky could trick Loid into going anywhere, Europe doesn’t have us tipping culture, etc.

But! I had a lot of fun writing this so I wanted to share anyway

Franky and Loid play off of each other really well and are really fun to write. In the future I’d like to write them platonically having sex bc idk I think it would be funny 🤷

Enjoy!

Loid regrets every scrap of trust he’s even given Franky as he opens to the doors of what can only be a sex club. Loid had guessed the address was going to take him to the seedier part of town but Franky had laughed it off with a “Hey trust me, a change of pace will be nice!”

His casual tone had Loid hoping that perhaps it was just a hole-in-the-wall bar with some unpleasant neighbors but he now recognizes that the thought was foolishly optimistic. Apparently so was his thought that he was only entering a sex club as he gives the bouncer the passphrase and Franky’s name and he is led to a private table overlooking the center of the club.

This place must be a fetish sex club if the unusual devices, elaborate knots, and shiny leather are anything to go by. Loid gives the space a passing glance to ensure there are no threats and focuses intently on not making eye contact with the occasional curious glance his stiff posture gets.

He arrives at the table Franky had reserved and gives the waitress a polite nod of thanks as he goes to sit down. She stays and looks at him expectantly until he realizes she is expecting a tip and he quickly pulls out a wallet and gives her apparently the appropriate amount of dalcs.

“Oh good, you made it.” Franky says as Loid sits down primly, crossing his legs and shutting his eyes so he won’t glare at Franky as the other man attempts (poorly) to hide his amusement at Loid’s flustered interaction with the waitress.

“Franky, why the fuck are we here?” Loid asked, deciding that hiding his glare is a politeness Franky does not currently deserve.

“What do you mean?” Franky says with an affected air of casualness. “I thought a change of pace would be nice! Don’t you get tired of meeting at the same three places?”

Loid crosses his arms and stares evenly at Franky. The silent treatment is a sure-fire way to wear him down. It’s usually better to let Franky explain himself instead of succumbing to his goading.

“Fine, fine” Franky starts, not letting Loid’s silent treatment stretch out long. “I honestly wasn’t even sure if you would show up.”

Loid’s face shifts with affront at the insult to his professionalism. He shifts to smooth it out but Franky catches the expression before it’s concealed.

“No offense!” Franky continues “I know you would do anything for your mission which I’m serious about the change of pace!”

Franky looks at him expectantly as he gestures to the activities below them. Loid is lost so he nods for Franky to keep going.

“Look,” Frankie says, “I’m probably the closest thing you have to a friend and I’m honestly a little worried about you.”

The concern would almost be touching if Loid weren’t so confused and they weren’t in a fucking sex club.

“WISE is working you to the bone and you’ve been managing so far but it’s only a matter of time before something gives and when it does someone is going to get seriously hurt and you’ll be lucky if it isn’t you.”

Loid tips his head to concede the point. Since Operation Strix started there has scarcely been a moment where he isn't Twilight the superspy or head of the Forger household. Even his sparse freetime is spent understanding Anya’s TV shows, reading up on parenting and learning new recipes. He can’t recall the last time he wasn’t actively doing his job or holding up a front.

“So why are we here?” Loid asks, Franky’s explanation not connecting with their location.

“You need to find a way to let go, if you don’t you’re going to explode.” Franky pantomimes Loid’s explosion with his hands and little booming noises. “This is just one option of many.”

Franky points to a leather-clad woman spanking the man spread across her lap with a flogger. Loid quickly looks away as the man lets out what he can assume is a breathy moan but it is lost in the noise of the crowd and the music.

“Is that the only reason you brought me here? No new intel or secret sources?” Loid asks, not bothering to hide his frustration. “No secret plots that would absolutely require me being here?”

“Well no, but I figured this-” Franky gestures around them and Loid knows better than to look this time. “-would kickstart your imagination, if only to help you think of something else that would help.”

Franky coughs and Loid knows him well enough to recognize he’s hiding snicker. Loid gives him a pointed look.

“I also thought it would be funny.” Franky admits before continuing. “I’m serious though! You need to find an outlet to relax!”

“Is that all?” Loid asks, straightening his posture. Franky looks disappointed but nods.

“Thank you for your concern, but I can take care of myself.” Loid stands up and buttons his suit jacket. “Good night Franky, let’s not do this again.”

Loid does not storm out because he is an adult with self-control but he does firmly reject another waitress’s offer of assistance with more harshness than necessary. Loid’s damned if he spends another fucking cent in this place and he’s not getting tricked again, by Franky or anyone else.

#lgbm