There are two ways I see that SpyxFamily can go with the Authens.
Ever since we've been introduced to the world of SxF, last names have always been an indicator of who exactly it is we're dealing with.
The Forgers are literally a Forged Family. No-brainer.
Yor and Yuri Briar: both beautiful people but with sharp thorns to protect themselves and one another. Their coloring and their characters are related to Roses and Yor is literally Thorn Princess.
Fiona Frost: Ice Cold. Frosty Exterior. Snow Queen. Warm and melty and obsessed on the inside.
Franky Franklin: Frank, honest and blunt. He's always up-front with Twilight since the beginning. Franklin also comes from the word francos meaning 'free'. He's a free agent, allied with Twilight but not with WISE, since he is an Ostanian. He's also the first true free-thinker, holding no allegiance to any state but cares genuinely for the people around him.
The Desmonds: meaning South Munster, one of the provinces of Munster. While it doesn't necessarily have a defined meaning, it is said that the lucky number of this name is 11, and Damian is ranked 11th amongst 228 students for the exams. Neat.
So Authens, right? Sigmund and Barbara Authen. If Loid, Yor, Anya and Bond are a forged family, then Siggy and Barbs are an authentic one from the getgo. Ever since the introduction of these two, everyone has both been over-the-moon and skeptical. It's nice to add new members to the family in this show. It's nice to see a foil (and an insight into the future for them) to Yor and Loid, where the elderly couple are genuine in their love, while Twilight and Thorn Princess still struggle with what exactly their fake relationship entails. Sigmund and Barbara trust one another completely, while the Spy and the Assassin still have ways to go on that front.
Now, Anya is being tutored by Sigmund, a former University Professor, Lecturer and Neurologist. Similar to Loid in a way, who moonlights as a Psychiatrist. The Authens aren't just being shown as a "what could be" for Loid and Yor as a couple, but as parents and mentors as well as seen in this chapter.
Both Loid and Sigmund get into Spy Wars for the sake of educating their students. The difference however lies in the way they go about it.
Loid reads and watches the entirety of Spy Wars to show that he is a good father with a pulse on what his daughter likes, as well as an avenue for him to teach Anya since she responds well to the show. But Loid only memorizes the show and tries to brute force (relatively speaking) Anya's education with it.
Like... making a fake episode of the show just to try and make Anya interested in her studies.
Sigmund on the other hand really sparks a love and understanding for the material itself.
Loid tries to force Anya to see the value in education through cold logic and goal-oriented thinking. Anya should study to Prevent War from erupting between Ostania and Westalis. Sigmund guides Anya into seeing the worth of education by itself. The joys in learning for learning's sake. Loid tries a surface level approach, where Bondman's adventures are hamfisted edu-tainment. He thinks that since Anya likes Bondman, she'll be tricked into learning by using Spy Wars as a coat of paint to mask a really boring lecture.
Sigmud correctly identifies what Anya loves about the story itself, and then uses those elements to relate to classical language.
Loid and Yor are committed to their duties, but it doesn't necessarily bring them joy. To keep children safe and happy, Twilight will lie and Thorn Princess will kill, but their personal satisfaction isn't something they bother about. Sigmund, on the other hand loved his job. He loves teaching. He loves the altruistic element to it—cultivating minds, helping them along to their full potential, but he also has a personal joy in teaching.
Another thing is that Loid loves his family, but doesn't know he does and can't spit it out. He can come off stoic and cold. Sigmund readily shows his appreciation for his wife and for his new student Anya.
What troubles me now is what happens next.
Authen does mean authentic. I have no doubt that Sigmund authentically loves his wife. His love for his research is also authentic. His passion for teaching is authentic. His admiration for Anya is authentic.
But what's the context of this authenticity?
See, the first route is that Sigmund really is just a good guy. A simple, kind, brilliant man who probably had a hand in building Project Apple from the ground up with the goal of improving people's minds, starting with dogs. Maybe it was co-opted by corrupt officials, twisting it into a monstrous organization willing to harm children and animals to realize their goals for a powerful human weapon. A weapon that became Anya Forger. Sigmund and Barbara leave, aid in the war effort for civilians and victims, and make a life for themselves in Berlint. I do believe this might be the likelier option.
But what if the contrast between the Forgers and the Authens is taken to the extreme?
The second route takes advantage of the inherent and subtle darkness in SpyxFam. This manga is just a bundle of gooey joy, but that happiness successfully hides the brutal truth of the world. Every character in this show is touched by war.
Anya and Bond are intended as living weapons. We tend to forget about this since Anya is a goblin child and Bond is floofy goofball.
Twilight and Yor are orphans of war, turned into the most powerful soldiers on each side. We forget this since both are idiots when it comes to anything each other and their family.
Handler is a level-headed badass who radiates older sister vibes for everyone who works under her, and she genuinely cares for her agents. She's also a depressed wreck who barely functions outside of work and constantly relives the loss of her husband and daughter.
The Blackbells? Posh rich folk, right? But their money comes from warmongering. Martha, the kindly mother-figure/butler/security for Becky? A veteran of war. The seamstress who is fond of Yor? Most likely an anti-authoritarian activist, since Loid clocked her immediately as being arrested for political activity. Maybe a former Red Circus member. Bazooka Bill? Funny kid who hit puberty way too early and has a hilarious deep voice. He's also being groomed to be a venerated soldier at the age of six by his father, who has most likely committed war crimes.
SpyxFamily is genuine in its joyful moments. But it barely hides the darkness that constantly lingers. War is a shadow that haunts these bright pages, and it always recontextualizes the zany adventures our family goes on.
What if the Authens are like that?
Everything about them is authentic. But they're also twisted. An authentic love for neuro science can lead to an obsessive march towards human weaponry. An authentic desire for world peace can mean that the end justifies the means, even if that means a telepath that could, theoretically dominate an entire nation. An authentic love for his wife could lead him to hiding everything from her.
What if Sigmund Authen is authentic in every aspect of himself, and is still a man with a dark agenda? That would perfectly contrast Loid, a man who has faked every single element of himself down to his own name and identity, but has never once strayed from his goal of ensuring a bright future for the strangers around him?
What I'm saying is that it'd be really cool if Twilight, a living lie made human who will commit to any deception for the sake of children's safety and happiness would be heavily contrasted by Sigmund Authen, a man who lives so authentically to his creed that he is willing to put children in harm's way for the sake of World Peace?
With the upcoming chapters clearly focusing on Anya and her past, wouldn't it be cool to celebrate Spy x Family hitting 100 chapters by revealing more and more of its dark, haunting, war-torn world after more than a hundred chapters of Spy Family antics?
Uh... Anyway, here's Comedy by Gen Hoshino.
169 notes
·
View notes
Dp x Dc Blurb #5 (I think)
SO SO HAD THIS THOUGHT WHILE MAKING MYSELF FOOD!
We know, well, fandom kinda goes that ghosts form when around ectoplasm as well as have a strong enough desire to make a core. And Gotham is like Amity but less ley line more murder (so not as good ecto but still just as much, have to be a stronger ghost in general to be fine there).
Martha and Thomas Wayne are very much the type of people to come back as ghosts. No vengeance, no protection. They just wanted to see how Bruce, their little Brucie, grew up. They just wanted Family.
And that's exactly what they got!
They were thrilled when Alfred filled the role of father, even if he later claimed to just be a butler. Dick appearing in their lives was one of the happiest moments, how they wished they could tell him that his parents wished him well before moving on a few years later. Jason was adorable! Though it was upsetting to watch the other two begin too fight. It was even worse to find Jason joining them, even temporarily. Tim was a blessing to the family, keeping it from fully falling apart, and oh how they wished they could help all their little boys, because they knew where they all were and how they were feeling at all times.
With each addition they were thrilled for the large family, yet sad they could never interact, never help. Jason could sense them, but he'd only gotten help with his illness recently, poor child, he was still so ill.
The two Waynes had been there for it all. Watching, wishing, and gently tucking each of the boys in, even when they were far away from home.
But something was still missing. Both could feel that frail bond reaching out for another part of their family. A young boy they discovered while following it. He was about Damian's age, and could see them! He didn't seem aware he was adopted, let alone had a family waiting for him, but he also seemed so overwhelmed. The two decided to watch him but leave their little Danny alone. At least, they would until he was in danger.
And just like with the rest of the family, danger came.
It was just a random afternoon when they'd felt the pull of panic from the half ghost child, yet they couldn't leave Gotham so quickly. Bruce and Dick had a fight for the first time in a long time and...well it wasn't pretty and left ALL of the other children worried and confused.
So with the ectoplasm they'd gotten with their growing family, and even visiting their halfa on occasions, Martha and Thomas Wayne decided to do something about it.
The mansion was haunted. For the last few days things had been going completely haywire with no reasonable explanation but ghosts, or magic, but from what they knew the two went pretty hand in hand. So they decided to call Constantine to figure out why.
None of them expected Bruce's parents. Especially when they told them they needed to go save their brother Danny...a name that one particular batkid hadn't heard in a long time.
~~~
Open ended on which one, but sibling of batkid implied.
Martha and Thomas kept getting stronger with each kid Bruce adopted/got, Steph and Barbara inculded, and could feel a semi-frayed bond with one of the kid's biological brother and it led to Danny 🤗
They didn't plan to introduce themselves since the boy seemed happy enough despite the stress, they did not really see what his homelife was like. It was only after they felt something happen through their bond (which because they have obsessions based around family they can sense their own family) that they realized something was wrong and decided a good ol fashion haunting to catch their attention so they could find a way to tell them to get their brother.
170 notes
·
View notes