Yor and Loid (and a Lot of the cast like Yuri and Hemlock. Probably Nightfall too if we're honest, I'd need to see her apartment again. The Handler just crawled out of her depression hole to walk her dog so I'm giving her a pass. That counts to me.) suffer from No Hobbies syndrome so bad in the beginning.
These are all people who do their job extremely well but are locked purely in survival mode. They have not done something for the enjoyment of it in years. High functioning people living on the bottom of maslow's hierarchy of needs with tentative grasps of the safety rung at best.
I'm sorry Yor, why is your apartment just a table and a chair in the beginning. I know you love your brother and your work but aside from murder. No hobbies. No interests. The situation with her coworkers drastically improves not because she's married but because she literally has something ANYTHING to talk to them about. (Her eyes are so empty in those first chapters and I don't think it was an art style change) Truly man who raises shrimp and they save his life behavior. Melinda is not an insignificant part of this growth. She has FRIENDS (?!?!!!) who do ACTIVITIES with her!
Truly Yor has made the most progress of anyone. Oh I'm safe in my marriage. I feel loved and valued by him and my daughter. I am gaining connections with others. My job feels rewarding again. My self esteem is slowly improving.
Yuri? Starting to realize that his (sisters) safety needs are being met. Maybe they Aren't in survival mode anymore. Maybe there Is room in his life for more than work and worrying about Yor. He is starting to feel lonely because he sees that it Could be better. He, just like Yor, could have people he cares about and that would be okay. Pick up knitting Yuri. Anya needs some knit hats for winter. No don't look at what Loid made stop comparing yourself.
Loid? He's caught between the little bit of safety he's slipping into trusting at home and the very real constant danger he will honestly never escape as the most famous spy (ain't that a contradiction) of their time. He WANTS to cling to that bottom rung. That's kept him safe. That is where he survives. But Yor and Anya keep pulling him up. You are safe. You are loved. That is dangerous because Not being in survival mode means death. Yet he wants it. And that's just as dangerous.
But Loid is also extremely hobbyless. Yes he is good at pretty much everything. Can talk about anything. It's how he Passes as someone normal-ish. But Anya and Loids day on the cruise feels extremely telling. He's read all the books in the library. He can put the puzzle together in 2 minutes. All holes in one at mini golf. (how well does he pretend to play with his doctor coworkers do you think? One of them implied he'd gone golfing with them before) None of it seems to interest him. He's just engaging with it for Anya. (Who i'll remind you is ACTIVELY trying to find something he's interested in to distract him so she can escape and find Yor.)
Like at most I think we can infer he enjoys cooking. Not because we've seen him do it (maybe in the anime) it's not a cooking manga after all. Just that he seems to repeatedly choose to make more difficult things that taste excellent when something easy and plain would do. It's not like Yor and Anya expect 3 star meals, I think it's safe to assume neither of them were particularly food secure. And he seems offended when people imply he Shouldn't be the main cook of the family. But he also brought home a thing of canned tuna during the first week so it could just be a part of his commitment to being the ultimate father/husband. Maybe week one when he was still mailing in the Dad duties they ate canned tuna over rice with peanuts and called it dinner. Look no carrots kid. (That's even worse, extremely depression coded. But tell me chapter 1 Loid is making the same meals for himself and the kid he Doesn't want as he is for his Family. Especially once Yor shows up)
But beyond that what? He seems to enjoy training Bond. That's huge. That's something! He reads the spy war comics but that's for Anya. He seems to enjoy watching the news but that's for work. (Although perhaps analyzing the broadcasts IS fun for him. I imagine it's more reassurance for him that he's aware of the current situation tho) Anya tells him to try on silly clothes or skip through the port and he Does because he can be a pushover when she tells him how to be her best Papa. (Assuming her homework is done)
I'm just very interested to see who [Redacted] actually is. I don't think He knows. What Does [Redacted] like to do? Is there something that lets him turn his brain down to a simmer from its constant rolling boil?
I think we're getting close. To him feeling safe enough to start wanting things for himself. I think he'll hate it. Hates that he wants something again.
But put that man in a box. Let him sleep for a week with no obligations. And I think, once the pain fades and the boredom sets in, he wants to take Bond for a walk. Wants to make something grand for dinner. Wants to internally make fun of the politicians on TV, at least when it doesn't fill him with dread.
I hope we get that for all of our cast. That they take up checkers or knitting. Get really into tea making. It would save them, once the war is done.
Because without those things, the war is never done. You don't get to escape. Not really.
