Day 16: Favorite Quote
Alright, this is not a conventional one. I love a lot of the well known Twiyor quotes like “That’s the kind of strength that will finish the job,” and “To endure such a harsh job…that isn’t something that just anyone would do.”
But, as I wrote Orpheus, one smaller moment in canon kept coming back to me. It’s from short mission 3 (chapter 30.5) when Bond rips up the penguin plushie out of jealousy. Twilight fixes up the penguin and then actually acts like a real dad, in his awkward, self-conscious way, with what we parents call “teachable moments:”
I cannot overemphasize how big this seemingly unimportant moment is for Twilight, and for his relationship with Anya. Most of the time, he avoids acting childlike or playful like a typical dad would, because he takes himself way too seriously. The few times he does, it’s grossly exaggerated, comedic behavior like during the cruise arc when he dresses up in that ridiculous squid-themed costume, or skips like his life depends on it—and it's always when he thinks the cover or the mission is at stake.
This event with Bond and the penguin happens at home with no audience watching, no threat to the mission. He simply sees that Anya is in distress, and that he has an opportunity to comfort her and teach her something. Instead of using a lesson from the many parenting and psychology books he's read, he pulls a lesson from his own life! He tells her that scars are nothing to be ashamed of, but badges of honor! He even has a little blush on his face as he says it.
Then, here comes my favorite quote:
"Yesterday's enemy is today's friend." The panel containing the quote is too small to do this quote justice. I believe in the anime it translates friend as ally instead, which I like just as much. I love this quote so much! And it isn't even from Twilight directly; he is quoting BONDMAN of all people.
This is such a dad moment!!! He quotes his daughter's favorite show, just at the right moment, and the lesson LANDS!!! This is every parent's dream!!!
But aside from that, the quote itself is so meaningful. [Redacted] was driven by hatred for so long, he killed countless enemy soldiers in his quest for revenge, only to realize how empty and meaningless it all was. He recognized that his own thirst for vengeance only fed into the neverending march toward war. He did a 180 and enlisted to fight in the shadows for peace, so that children won't have to cry, and he expects never to be recognized for his deeds. At some point in his past, beginning with his first encounter with Franky and probably ending during his WISE training, he committed to forgiving his enemies and dedicating his entire life to preserving the peace. He holds no hatred for Ostanians anymore, he just sees them as ordinary people who deserve to live in peace just like Westalians do.
Unbeknownst to most people, this Bondman quote sits at the core of Twilight's beliefs.
That is a little sigh of pride right there from Twilight as he watches Anya take the lesson to heart. Of course it won't be that easy to mend East-West relations, but he managed to teach one child the value of forgiveness and reconciliation. That is often the most any of us can do--influence one person at a time.
This chapter just warms my heart every time I think about it!
(P.S. This is also the reason I titled one of the spinoffs of Orpheus "Yesterday's Enemy is Today's Girlfriend." That title did not come out of nowhere, lol.)
