After thinking that the previous chapter may have been the end of the storyline that started with 128, today's chapter not only jumped straight into a new arc, but one that seems to be potentially plot-altering π We've got Yor and Fiona meeting again after so long, possibly more Authens lore, Donovan going out in public...and Anya very close to encountering him!
This is actually the longest Endo has gone without a short mission or standalone chapter in quite some time. I was counting everything from chapter 128 (the beginning of the TV station hijacking) as the same arc, but now it's more like three arcs back to back: TV station hijacking (128 to 132), SSS house party (133 to 136), and now the start of a possible "hospital symposium" arc with chapter 137! Not that I don't enjoy the more slice-of-life focused chapters, but I'm also happy that Endo is showing us so much juicy character and plot progression lately! But as for the chapter itself, there was a lot to unpack!
Loid's stomach issues are officially canon and not just a throwaway joke π
I like how Yor gives Fiona a polite acknowledgment before going back to her business with Loid. If this had happened a long time ago, she would probably feel a lot more embarrassed about doting on Loid in front of his coworker. She'd be second-guessing herself about how to act like a "normal" wife and all that. But instead, she's confident enough now to simply be herself in front of others, even someone she was once jealous of. She even refers to Fiona as "that tennis lady" instead of "Loid's coworker," which makes it even clearer to me that she's moved past the whole jealousy thing and is confident that Loid wouldn't want to replace her as his wife.
Meanwhile Fiona hasn't changed a bit π€£
The fact that someone related to Sigmund may be at the symposium, which is taking place somewhere within walking distance of where the Forgers currently are, really makes me hope it'll lead to more Anya backstory, even just a bit.
We already know that Sigmund has some connection to Anya/Project Apple. And now we have a situation where someone connected to Sigmund (Director Surjay) is potentially in close proximity to Anya at the current moment. The excuse with Sigmund is that he has amnesia, which is why Anya can't get more information from reading his mind. But that may not be the same for Surjay, which makes me wonder if Anya will meet this guy, read his mind, and remember some...not so pleasant things about her past with Project Apple? π’But even if she doesn't encounter this Surjay guy, we also have Donovan on the scene now, which could definitely lead to something.
There's been a rumor ever since Melinda's "my husband is an alien" chapter that Donovan could have the ability to read minds and was part of the Project Apple experiments along with Sigmund. Even though Donovan's appeared a few times in the series so far, what I always found interesting is that we haven't heard any internal monologuing from him. We've gotten to hear the inner thoughts of pretty much every other prominent character at some point, but not his even though there was a good opportunity for it during his meeting with Loid and at the Desmond family dinner. Why would Endo not want us to know what he's thinking unless it's to keep his ability to read minds a secret? But if Anya encounters him, there would be no way around this...UNLESS he's able to somehow suppress his thoughts in the presence of another mind reader. I wouldn't put it past him to have that ability. And even if he and Anya don't meet, there's also the chance he could meet Yor, Fiona, or Loid again. If he can read minds, he already knows all about Loid from their first encounter, so who knows what he's been plotting since then?
Whatever happens in this arc, I'm super hyped! Endo has really been on a role with all the Twiyor development in the last several chapters, and now potential Desmond/Project Apple lore right after! I hope he keeps the momentum going on~