Imperial Scholars Mixer Arc

Note that the arc title and following sub-headings are fan-made and used to better organize the story.

The Imperial Scholars Mixer Arc is the ninth story arc in SPY x FAMILY.

With the biannual Imperial Scholars Mixer coming up, Damian sees a rare opportunity to meet with his reclusive and distant father. However, Twilight also has his own plans to intrude on their meeting.

Shopping with Friends
The Imperial Scholars' semi-annual get-together starts next week, and Damian, Emile, and Ewen eagerly discuss how they will one day become Imperial Scholars and join the event. Peering from the corner, Anya watches the group. While her goal is also to become an Imperial Scholar to help Loid with Operation Strix, Anya has given up on earning eight Stella Stars, discouraged by her lack of progress in academics and sports. Anya resolves to Plan B: befriending Damian, which is not going any better.

Anya expresses her frustration and Becky does the same, albeit for a different reason. Becky assumes that Anya is trying to get closer to Damian for romantic reasons and decides to help make Damian fall for Anya. She says that boys are easily fooled by outward appearances, so if Anya dresses up all cute, Damian will surely fall for her. Thus, Becky and Anya go on a shopping trip on the weekend.

Martha Marriott, Becky's butler, drives the girls to the shopping center, where Anya is shocked by all the high-end fashion products. Becky, excited to go shopping with Anya, had reserved the entire store, and the two get to finding a look that Damian would like. Anya tries on various stylish outfits while Becky shares her thoughts, but they are unable to narrow down their options since they have no idea what Damian likes. Anya points out that Damian will not see the clothes since she wears her uniform at school every day, but Becky says all the halls throw parties at the end of the term, and students will be allowed to wear street clothes with the teacher's permission. Becky realizes that if the parties are open to parents, Loid will most likely be there and also tries on different outfits, wondering what Loid would like. After finishing, Becky cannot choose and decides to just buy them all, much to Martha's concern and Anya's shock.

After finishing with the clothes, the girls check out all the accessories at the store while the boxes Martha carries continue to stack up. They stop at a café to rest and have sweets. Martha, covered by boxes, sternly tells Becky that she has bought too much. Becky remarks that Anya did not get anything; Anya says she does not even know what she wants, saying that fashion is hard. Becky shyly asks if Anya had fun shopping, and Anya happily replies that she did, as this is the first time she has gone shopping with a friend. Becky is touched to be called her friend and decides to find something Anya wants.

The girls head to a stuffed animal shop, but a sheep keychain catches Anya's attention. Liking how cute it is, Anya decides to get one as a memento of their shopping trip. Becky is hesitant, remembering her father saying he does not want her wearing anything less than the finest. However, Anya buys keychains for the both of them anyway, and Martha urges her to accept the gesture of friendship, saying her father would say the same. An embarrassed Becky accepts the gift, and the girls decide to head home.

Becky and Anya fall asleep on the drive back, and Martha flashes back to the past. Before attending Eden Academy, Becky believed that she was wiser and more mature than her peers, leading her to have a conceited attitude toward those around her. Martha would later tell Becky that understanding that you do not have it all figured out is the first step to growing up. After returning from her first day at Eden, Becky told Martha about Anya and how the school might not be so bad after all. In the present, Martha looks at Becky and Anya and expresses her happiness for her madam.

Returning home, Loid is stunned to see the expensive keychain. Anya says it is her and Becky's special thing while Bond glares at the keychain. Returning to school, Becky and Anya greet each other and cheerily talk about their matching keychains. Passing by, Damian and his friends see the girls chatting, and their smiling faces catch Damian's eye. Ewen asks Damian what is up with him, and he dismisses them in embarrassment.

The Imperial Scholars Mixer
On the day of the Imperial Scholars mixer, Loid once again infiltrates Eden Academy, this time as a professor. With Ostania's top brass in attendance, security has tightened with agents and the military on guard. Loid remarks how difficult it is to infiltrate the Imperial Scholars mixer, citing past failed attempts by other agents. The event is being held at the "Tower of Wisdom," which not only has few possible entrances but even tighter security with state-of-the-art technology. With his options thin, Loid decides to encounter Donovan as "Loid Forger". He concludes that while opportunities to meet Donovan outside the tower are virtually nonexistent, he should try to explore those possibilities.

Meanwhile, Cecile Hall finishes class early for the Imperial Scholars event. The students chat about the mixer and who will be attending. One of the girls asks Damian if his dad will be there since his brother Demetrius is an Imperial Scholar. Damian does not hear them, instead thinking back to a phone call with Demetrius. Damian asked his brother to deliver a message to Donovan: to meet with him in the courtyard at Library 2 after the mixer. Demetrius agrees but tells Damian not to get his hopes up, as their father is a busy man, before ending the call.

In the present, the girls continue to ask to meet with Donovan, and Damian angrily tells them to leave him alone and stomps away with his friends in tow. Reading his thoughts, Anya realizes Damian's plan. Seeing that her plan to win Damian's heart with fashion failed, she decides to tail him and face Donovan herself. The boys have already noticed Anya and tell her to go away. Ewen suggests there is a reason why Anya has been chasing Damian, and the boy reddens up, assuming romantic reasons. Ewen elaborates that Anya might be chasing him to gain favor with Donovan, and Emile agrees, saying Anya is the same as all the others. Embarrassed and enraged, Damian calls Anya names before running away.

Anya hears Loid's thoughts, expressing frustration at how the two are not getting along. Loid decides to follow Damian if he tries to meet with Donovan. Hearing her father's plan, Anya follows after Damian with Becky in tow. Heading to the courtyard, the boys discuss Damian's plan to meet with his father and decide to check out the mixer for themselves. At the Tower of Wisdom, Imperial Scholars and their families walk through the school grounds, heading to the event. The boys are amazed at how many people there are, and Emile comments that even among all the famous people present, Donovan is a VIP, which makes Damian freeze up. He decides not to see Donovan, reasoning that he is an incredible and busy man that does not have time to waste on people like him. Before he can inform his brother, he is stopped in his tracks by Anya.

Anya knows that Damian is afraid that Donovan will find out about his grade on his reading test and tells him that because she loves her father, she will use all her courage to tell him that she failed, despite her poor grade. While everyone, including Anya, is confused by what she said, it convinces Damian to go through with meeting his father. In the courtyard, the kids wait for the mixer to end. Becky is surprised Anya is also waiting, as she just wants to go home. She assumes Anya is eager to meet Damian's parents and looking for their blessing to marry, misreading her seriousness. However, Anya falls asleep shortly after, and Becky asks a nearby Martha to take her back to their car as they leave. On their way out, they pass by the disguised Loid, who reveals a handmade duplicate of Anya's expensive sheep keychain. With everything set, Loid puts his plan into motion.

Loid continues to observe the mixer from the outside until it finishes. After seeing Donovan leave, he decides to make his move. At the courtyard where Damian's group is waiting, Loid appears and asks the boys if they have seen a sheep keychain, which he planted on the ground for them to find. Damian recognizes the description and returns it to Loid. The boys connect the dots and realize they are talking to Anya's father. Acting as if meeting Damian for the first time, Loid quickly kneels before him and apologizes for Anya's behavior at the orientation. He tells Damian that he would also like to apologize to his parents, and at that moment, Donovan arrives. In his thoughts, Loid apologizes to Damian for needing to crash his family reunion. Damian is surprised his father showed up, while Loid comes face-to-face with Donovan. He tries to talk to Donovan, but the bodyguards tell him to leave. However, Donovan gives him the chance to speak, prompting Loid to apologize for Anya's behavior towards Damian and introduce himself to the man.

At a WISE safehouse, a rookie agent reviews a file containing attendees to the Imperial Scholars mixer, including Donovan. Seeing how the mixer is a treasure trove of intelligence, he suggests sending more agents to back up Twilight. Sylvia Sherwood advises otherwise, saying it would be giving them easy prey. She reminds the young man that they are in enemy territory and Eden Academy is the front line of this cold war.

Returning to Eden Academy, Loid thinks about his investigations of any media regarding Donovan. In it, he was unable to learn much about the man since his disappearance from the public eye. With this conversation, Loid must learn more about Donovan, his behavior, how to get him interested in "Loid Forger," and extract the plans for the war Donovan is plotting. Donovan recalls the incident at the orientation and apologizes for being too busy to respond personally. Loid offers to bring a token of regret to his manor, but Donovan brushes it off with an unusually bright smile, startling Loid. Donovan states it is just a spat among kids, but Damian yells that Anya laid hands on him, a Desmond. Loid agrees and insists on making amends. Donovan smiles again and says it is fine, although he appreciates the sentiment. Loid realizes he is being blown off and withdraws, but not before thanking Donovan for his generosity.

Seeking sympathy from Donovan, Damian tries to express his humiliation but is also blown off by him. Loid speaks up to defend Damian's feelings and notes how difficult it is to raise a child. Donovan agrees, stating that children are simply related by blood and are essentially strangers that cannot be understood, adding that people will never truly be sympathetic with each other. Loid wonders if that is why Donovan seeks to control other nations with threats of military force and if he has uncovered a core belief. While Loid agrees with the sentiment, he tells Donovan that what is important is meeting them in the middle. Loid admits that despite not understanding Anya's actions, he acknowledges her and creates opportunities for dialogue, even if it works out or not.

Loid then suggests that it may have been why Donovan took the time out of his schedule to meet with his son. Donovan supposes so, which surprises Damian. Loid then talks about Damian's respect for Donovan, bringing up the boy's school report on his work, which he had secretly snuck a peek at in the school. Loid claims that it moved Anya so much that it was all she could talk about at home. He tells Donovan that he was touched by Damian's respect and knowledge for his work as Party Chairman, praising the boy.

Loid then mentions how the report also changed his views on Donovan and the National Unity Party and wonders if he should attend one of their seminars. An embarrassed Damian tells Loid to stop, and Loid happily apologizes. Donovan decides to wrap up the conversation, but not before remembering Loid's name and saying that he enjoyed their conversation. Loid is satisfied with the result, chalking up Donovan remembering his name as a victory, and was able to memorize the faces and features of his security team. Loid then thanks Donovan for sharing his time with him. Before leaving, Loid asks Damian not to tell Anya about their conversation. He says Anya is at an awkward stage, and if Damian thinks she hates him, Loid suspects otherwise, so he hopes they can get along. Damian shyly says he wants to get along with her as well, surprising his friends. He quickly gets embarrassed and yells at Loid to go away. Loid laughs it off and bids goodbye, leaving the father and son to talk.

Damian starts getting nervous and says he has nothing to say to Donovan. As Donovan prepares to leave, Damian remembers Loid and Anya's words and informs Donovan of his achievements and failures at school. Hearing this, Donovan passively praises him. Damian asks why Donovan decided to come to see him, and Donovan says he acted on a whim and tells his son to think nothing of it. As he walks away, he instructs Damian to continue striving not to besmirch their family name. Damian enthusiastically agrees while Ewen and Emile cheer him on.

Watching from inside the school, Loid senses how distant Donovan is from his son. He concludes that the closer Donovan and Damian are, the better the odds of success are for Plan B. As for Donovan, Loid decides not to tail him and instead takes his new intel to HQ for analysis. Before he leaves, Loid quietly watches Damian and his friends excitedly cheering for Stella. Loid returns home to see Anya fast asleep with Bond. As Anya mutters strange things in her sleep, an exhausted Loid thinks about how carefree his daughter is.

After the Mixer - The Field Research Trip
As morning rises at Eden Academy, Damian misses morning muster, having studied all night. As punishment, Henry Henderson tasks him with helping the dorm mother with chores, forbidding him from leaving school grounds until he finishes. Emile and Ewen go to check on Damian worried that he is pushing himself too hard. They mention that their dorm tutor will take all the boys to the movies and get roast beef on the way back. Damian is adamant on not going and studying instead, hoping for his father's praise again if he works hard to better himself. To help him finish chores faster, Ewen and Emile purposefully loiter around the halls in an unkempt manner, waiting for Henderson to punish them.

While Damian is surprised to see them join him, he tells them to go ahead without him, but they stay to help with the chores anyways. The boys end up playing around during their chores, and seeing this, Henderson thinks about how there is nothing more elegant than the precious elegance of youthful friendship. Henderson decides to give the boys a new punishment for their tomfoolery while doing chores: going on a field research trip with Mr. Green.

Mr. Green takes the now frantic boys on a fast-paced canoe ride, planning to take them to a lake for a picnic. As Damian spots an approaching "waterfall," he accidentally falls off the canoe. When he cries for help, Ewen and Emile jump over to save him, only to end up in the same situation. They decide to let Damian survive to live and carry on their dreams, which moves him. Green then reveals that the water is actually shallow, which embarrasses the boys. After starting a warm fire on land, Green tells them to catch some fish for dinner. With Green's help, the friends prepare to fish. They look for bait and turn over a rock to find some earthworms, which frighten Damian. After Ewen and Emile chase Damian around with worms, they start fishing and successfully catch fish for each of them. As they enjoy their hard-earned meal, Green tells Damian that it is okay to enjoy oneself every now and then. After eating, he takes the boys to "Stella Lake," which Damian is excited to see.

Upon reaching their destination, the boys are amazed by the lake, where the stars reflect on its surface and look like they can be reached, hence the name Stella Lake. Damian is shocked there are no Stellas but denies that the trip was wasted. Damian, Ewen, and Emile lie on the ground and look to the stars. Green says they should be heading back and reminds them to write a proper field report. After returning to the dorm, Green meets with Henderson with the reports in hand. Henderson thanks Green and asks if he was able to "let the boys loose," which he confirms. While Henderson reviews the reports, he says Damian's needs some work, noting how brief it is.

Life-and-Death Dinner
While lazing on the couch, Bond receives a vision where everything is pitch black. He wonders what it means and assumes a scientist from Project Apple might come to kill him. As Bond frets, he sees the family photos and imagines his family mourning for him but saying he died happily. Bond accepts his fate and goes to Anya's room to say goodbye, but she says she is busy with homework and shuts the door on him. Bond trudges to Yor, who apologizes to him for forgetting to buy more dog food. Since Loid is out working, Yor decides to cook Bond's dinner for him.

Remembering his mysterious vision, Bond believes he will die from eating Yor's dinner. Bond starts to panic, then realizes he can refuse to eat the food. However, he recalls Anya telling him that Yor will kill him if he upsets her, then imagines Yor killing him if he refused. Bond starts defiantly thrashing around the house but comes up with an idea: if he can help Loid with his work, he can come home early and make Bond's dinner, preventing his death. With this resolve, the family dog unlocks the door and runs away, bewildering Yor.

Bond runs around the streets of Berlint, sniffing for Loid's scent. He eventually tracks down Loid, who is outside the Born Industries facility. His current mission is to steal a sample of "Gerrulimus," a new truth serum developed by the company. However, because he has no time to collect intel for impersonation, his only option is to infiltrate directly. He is surprised when Bond shows up and tells him to go home. Bond refuses and tries to explain his situation to Loid. Loid is confused, so Bond guides him to a route free of people. Loid wonders how Bond knows this and recalls that Born Industries was presumably involved with Project Apple. Assuming Bond knows this and wants payback against the scientists who abused him and his friends as test subjects, Loid lets him tag along to complete their missions.

The two infiltrate the facility and make their way to the laboratory, which is full of specimen lockers, one of them containing the serum. While Loid works to find it, Bond has another vision. He foresees the staff returning to the lab, causing Loid to hold them off, and orders Bond to run home. Bond becomes distressed and warns Loid to hide. Before hiding, he leaves a note saying the Gerrulimus has been stolen for the staff to see, tricking them into opening and checking the locker with the serum. Loid and a masked Bond jump down on the men and knock them out. Loid thanks Bond as he retrieves the sample and says he can go home early. As a result, Bond has a vision of Loid making his dinner and Yor happy for his safety, and he barks for joy.

Surveilling the Suspect
After surveilling a room where a deal is being held, Yuri and his division arrest all the men present on suspicion of espionage. At the SSS building, a superior praises Yuri for his work and give him another assignment: to investigate Franklin Perkin, a journalist who writes several books and articles that slander Ostania and sells them to Ostanian black markets, and stop his work from influencing public opinion. The Lieutenant expresses concern for the amount of work Yuri's been doing lately, but Yuri reassures him and is disgusted at Franklin for his traitorous activities.

Yuri monitors Franklin, referring to him as Subject J-095, and carefully logs his every move from when he wakes up and goes to sleep, even detailing the people around him and the conversations he has. The lieutenant is impressed at the number of details but tries to persuade Yuri to let someone take over as he has pulled two all-nighters in a row, noting that he is showing signs of fatigue.

Yuri hears Franklin preparing to leave home, and he and the lieutenant move out to tail him. Franklin tries to find something to write about as he discreetly takes pictures with a camera hidden under his jacket. Several children run past him, playing with a Bondman replica pistol. Franklin walks up to them and snatches the replica pistol, throwing it into a nearby dumpster. The children quickly dig into the dumpster to find the toy, and Franklin takes a picture to stage them as desperate and hungry street urchins. When the children threaten to report him to the SSS, Franklin intimidates them, which angers Yuri.

Franklin returns home to write a new article. His father is concerned about his activities, but Franklin says he wants to make the country a better place for his family to live, and wishes they had more money so his mother would still be alive. As Yuri listens, he wonders aloud if Franklin is motivated by concern for his family on the report but rips it out and crumples it.

On the 11th, Yuri continues to monitor Franklin, noting no signs of attempted contact with his publishers. He then realizes that Franklin does it at his work, the post office. Yuri stalks Franklin at the post office, where Franklin offers to handle the mail instead and discreetly slips the manuscript into the mail, sealing his fate.

On the 15th, Franklin prepares to leave but sees Yuri and SSS officers waiting outside the apartment. Though shocked, he accepts his fate and tells his father he will not be back for a while. After Franklin walks outside, Yuri informs him that they have arrested the publishers from the letter. Franklin expresses appreciation for them waiting outside, and Yuri tells him there was no reason for his family to witness his disgrace while he places handcuffs on him. Franklin wonders which of the two is the real disgrace, but Yuri says he would never do anything to cause his family pain. As Franklin gets escorted away, Yuri says he will apply for his father to receive financial assistance, and Franklin thanks him.

Yuri's boss pats him on the back, saying he is proud of him. Yuri vows to protect their country and catch Twilight, and the boss promises to treat him to a steak dinner. Afterward, Yuri drops by the Forger's home. When Yor asks if something is wrong, Yuri says he simply wanted to see her face. Hearing his thoughts, Anya pats him. Yor also pats Yuri on the head and praises him, deciding to make some tea for everyone.

The Pastry of Knowledge
The "Pastry of Knowledge" is one of the seven wonders of Eden Academy. It is said that a mysterious pâtissier randomly appears in the cafeteria and offers extraordinarily delicious desserts. As many of those who have managed to eat this pastry become Imperial Scholars, it has become rumored that it makes one instantly smarter.

During lunch, Anya and Becky play-pretend with their sheep dolls. Becky then informs Anya that at the end of the term, students will be divided into new classes based on performance. Anya is horrified that she might be all alone, so Becky encourages her to work harder, adding that the grouping is rumored to be based on not just midterms and finals but tomorrow's quizzes too.

Anya and Becky overhear an older male student whispering to another student about the Pastries of Knowledge selling in Dining Hall 2, made by a formal royal chef visiting today. The student adds that eating one guarantees becoming an Imperial Scholar, to the shock of Anya and Becky, who take off to the dining hall. Anya thinks she could be a genius if she eats one, while Becky is excited to try macarons from a former royal chef. They soon see a queue of students for the pastries, but Damian and his friends run up next to them with the same goal. The server announces only one order left of the special "Pierre Pommier Macaron" set. The two groups try to get the last set but are stunned when George Glooman has already ordered it.

Damian and Becky rush up to George and demand he gives the macarons to them. When George says they are his as he bought them with his allowance, the kids remind him what he owes them. George concedes to give up four macarons out of the set of five macarons. They realize they have five people and decide to have a round of Old Maid to determine who gets the macarons. Anya is unaware of the rules as she has never played cards before, but by using her mind-reading abilities, she wins the game. Damian and his friends are in disbelief and accuse her of cheating. When Damian thinks she could be reading minds, Anya panics and suggests they play another round, where she purposefully makes mistakes and gets the Joker card.

Anya's facial expressions are easy to read, making it impossible for her to get rid of the Joker card. Everyone else gets rid of their cards, leaving only Anya and Damian. Anya panics at the thought of not getting a macaron, thus failing her tests and being in a different class from Becky. As Damian is about to take a card, he sees Anya tearing up, and he takes the Joker card, losing the game.

After getting her macaron, Anya offers to share half with Damian, who angrily rejects her in embarrassment. Emile, Ewen, Becky, and Anya eat their macarons, and Anya becomes fired up after eating the pastry, studying excitedly until the quizzes the next day. When their results come back, Henry shows that Anya's quiz results are just as bad as before, and Anya and the other students stare in disbelief. Becky tries to cheer up the depressed Anya so that she will make it up on her finals.

At home, Loid and Yor look at Anya's quiz papers while Anya goes to her room to sulk. Loid notes that she would have done well on her Classical Language test if she had not lost so many points for spelling mistakes. He wonders how she did so well if they barely studied Classical Language and if she is acquainted with it due to her upbringing, but says there is no point in wondering. Loid tells Anya that he made her favorite hamburg steak for dinner, and Anya is quickly happy again. Yor adds that she tried to make dessert, and Bond barks in horror.

Story Impact

 * Supporting character Martha Marriott is introduced.
 * Donovan Desmond makes his first physical appearance.
 * Loid has his first meeting with Donovan.

Trivia

 * The faces of some Imperial Scholars and graduates are first introduced as cameos in this arc.
 * Demetrius Desmond is the only one of them who has replicas, but at the same time, the only one whose face and silhouette were not visible.