Bolaire’s conversation with Demodus, while being absolutely hilarious with Bolaire having no idea how to share his space but trying so so so hard because he cares about this kid, had a tidbit that I cannot get over it.
Bolaire asking if Figment (a familiar who has been described as “imaginary” and “not real” multiple times, and Bolaire is implied to relate himself to as another thing that is not real but therefore has the freedom to be whatever he wants) is reading about architecture because they want to, or because Demodus is influencing them somehow, reads to me like desperation for assurance.
Bolaire had, multiple times, affirmed that he is not, and cannot be, a person. He isn’t real. He is a thing. But here he is, wondering if a thing can actually have free will, or if it’s only ever the sum of its creators’/masters’ wishes and designs.
This to me affirms that Bolaire, while being truthful, was not entirely honest with Azune when asked about how he views himself. Because he never answered the actual question!!!
Azune asks “do you view yourself as a person or as a thing”, and Bolaire’s response is “I am a thing”. Cold, capital t Truth. Bolaire is an object. He was manufactured by mortal hands and built for a particular cause. But Bolaire of all people would know the difference between what something objectively is and how it is perceived.
It feels like Bolaire, in his loyalty to Truth, discarded the notion that he could be anything other than he is. Person and Thing are mutually exclusive, and he is especially attached to his identity as a Thing, considering for most of his existence he had to literally hide himself to be treated as Person, and even now he has to, even if he can show his real face.
Bolaire is simultaneously desperate to grasp at personhood and is denying it to himself, which is fascinating to me.
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