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Blathering About Bolaire (Again)

With a name like The Totality, could it possibly be where a certain Divine Theatre exploded after a certain Panto show was performed?

Cut for length and Bolaire blather.

solarmane

new fanfic writer who has marked their work completed ao3 only to leave a note at the end saying: thanks for all the support guys if you want to read the rest of the fic subscribe to my patreon :)

me, an elder fandom veteran, suddenly having anne rice flashbacks:

no.

NO.

starting to rock back and fourth.

you do not understand.

you were born into an age of peace. i was there Gandalf. i was there three thousand years ago. i remember the cease and desists. i remember authors hunting fanfic writers for sport. i remember when every fic opened with a disclaimer because we genuinely thought it might protect us.

we do not charge money for the copyrighted gay wizard stories.

do not tempt fate youngling.

step away from the paywall.

that is how you summon the ancient evils.

that is how you wake the lawyers.

odins-price

Remember people, this is against AO3s terms of service. If you see a fic that does this REPORT THAT THING!!! These people may not know better or they might, but them doing this has the potential to ruin things for everyone.

peppermintquartz

Tell the writer to read the TOS. Writers absolutely CANNOT ask for payment in exchange for fanfic. If they won't take it down ASAP, report it to AO3.

#read the tos people #they’re pretty clear on what you can and can’t publish on ao3 #ao3 fanfic

ninanation

Come to think of it, it really is insane that my entire country is burning alive and literally no one in the rest of the world cares. Thousands of Indians are dying every day from the heat, it's 45+ degrees in multiple areas, the government couldn't give two fucks, we're getting severe warnings and red alerts, and not a soul outside of South Asia is speaking about it because why would you ever care about brown people

ninanation

please keep talking about how Becky from Maryland doesn't like the rising gas prices. It's clearly the more pressing issue.

creacher-art

USA folks, that is a consistent temperature range hitting 113°. Death Valley temperatures. In Banda, it hovered between 116°-118° (47°-48° C) for a week straight.

This has been happening all month with little to no international media attention. Here are a few organizations you can check out for resources or to support:

ActionAid India

SEEDS India

GlobalGiving

Raise India (Project Tapan)

#awareness

doomdoombot

The more I think about it, the more I realize Julien’s “the Tachonis might still need you” excuse is actually quite flimsy? Like it’s definitely a little warranted but also no one (the big brains of the party) seems to be that worried? Julien… do you…like Occtis?

r-hufflepuff

It felt like he was going to say something else but didn’t let himself, like he doesn’t want to admit that he cares about people.

elucubrare

You’ve heard of “i didn’t say it was good, i said i liked it,” get ready for “i said it had some technical problems & didn’t fully deliver on its themes, not that i didn’t like it”

elucubrare

#I voiced a criticism of some of its aspects#which in no way implies I did not like it#“and especially does not imply that I would like to hear a defense of it of the form 'shut up and let people have fun'”

REALLY endorsing these tags from galileosballs

elucubrare

a bunch of people have added other varieties of experience, such as "i said it was interesting, not that i liked it" and "i said i didn't like it, not that it wasn't good" and i think they all are part of the experience that inspired the post - i find that people are really eager for works to be binarily good or bad & that when i say "i don't think this piece of it is working" that garners the response "oh so it's terrible?" & i often don't think it is! i think there's a part of it that isn't quite working & i like thinking about why. eventually if there are enough parts that don't work, either on their own or together, or if the end happens and nothing converges, or it never manages to be greater than the sum of its parts, it might turn out to be bad. but for the most part, there are some glimmerings of light in the dark forest of a terrible book, and even in the sun-dappled plains of a good one there is shadow.

elucubrare

more great tags from @disappearedsock:

#its also like. ok if i can analyze WHY an aspect doesnt work for me#i can use that knowledge going forward in my own works to avoid similar pitfalls#or more easily recognize when similar pitfalls happen in other media

solarpunkfool

What if we win?

What if the children go to schools unafraid of tear gas and bullets?

What if the birds come back, and the bees are healed, and every species moves from endangered, to threatened, to thriving?

What if the rainforest ADVANCES?

What if every parking lot had solar panels? What if every structure had solar panels? What if we built climbing gyms and terraced gardens in the skeletons of old coal power plants?

What if you baked your neighbor bread, and they shared their home-grown blackberries?

What if every person who needed a home, had one? What if every person who needed healing was healed?

What if every body was treasured for what it was, not what it should be?

What if every trans child's parents attended their graduation, their wedding, their new-name-day?

What if every warehouse became a closed-circle repair station? Goods flowing out, and back, and out again? What if landfills started to SHRINK?

What if the water and air were clean? What if there was enough public transit that the cars dwindled, leaving the streets safe for kids on bikes, evening deer, midnight cats and foxes?

What if we win?

How would you win?

aetherograph

And we've won a lot already, mind you.

The condors are back. The whales are saved. The sea turtles are no longer endangered. The cranes are back. The bees are recovering. The air in LA and Tokyo and London is clean again. The aquifers in the LA Basin are refilling.

Children are kinder than previous generations. Parents are stopping the abuse cycle. Being trans and queer is more acceptable than ever on a ground level.

It's hard to see if you're young, if you don't know how to step back from social media and the news. But remember--bad news sells, and the algorithm knows despair keeps you scrolling. It's a skewed lens.

We are fighting and we are winning against this adminstration's bullying. We are coming together against the bullies and they are running away scared because they don't understand that we will do that.

People are working hard every day to find ways to make sure fewer animals get hit by cars and planes and rockets.

Maker spaces are more common than ever. Solar and wind are more common than ever. Coal plants are shutting down every day.

Unprecedented numbers of acres are being bought back or given back to their rightful stewards, and the world heals because of it. People are working hard every day to learn how to help a forest recover faster.

We are not at zero. We are at decades of effort to heal the world. We've come SO far.

In 1982 there were only 22 California Condors left in the world. In 1992, when the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), with its public and private partners, began reintroducing captive-bred condors to the wild. In 2001 the first wild nesting occurred in Grand Canyon National Park since re-introduction. In 2002 there were only 8 pairs of wild nesting birds population-wide. In 2008, for the first time since the program began, more California condors were flying free in the wild than in captivity. Today there are nearly 500 – more than half of them flying free in Arizona, Utah, California, and Baja Mexico.

When I was born, there were no condors in the wild. I'm 37 now, and there are over 250 condors flying free.

When my mom was born in 1955, there were days when she wasn't allowed to go outside to play, because of the air pollution. When I was born, that never happened anymore.

When I was born, humpback whales were critically endangered, and people thought they were going to go extinct. Today, they've recovered to exceed their recorded numbers. Other whales too!

We fixed it.

We CAN fix it and we ARE fixing it and we DID fix it.

three--rings

Since 1990 extreme poverty has decreased worldwide by over HALF.

This is not the narrative media sells us. We have access to more information about suffering now than we used to, but things are getting BETTER overall. Yeah some people are trying to undo this, but we have made SO MUCH PROGRESS. Don't give up.

#hopepunk #hope

We were right dragon!Azune

#critical role #schemers table #azune nayar #dragons #cr spoilers #dragon!azune

akajustmerry

anyways, I'm still so angry over that Deadline article about Disney nuking Ncuti Gatwa's era of Doctor Who because of "woke" (not even kidding), because they received "overwhelming" feedback that the show was "too woke" for international audiences. It will never not piss me the fuck off how woke was/is literally aave for being politically aware that's been so co-opted by white establishment conservatives that this bastardised co-opted colonised concept of "woke" is now weaponised against Black people, people of colour and other marginalised people to justify casting us down and out. A literal fuckinf alien was played by a Black gay actor and old white people lost their shit and now a 60 yr old show is basically dead because some white people hated they weren't being directly pandered to. I'm never not gonna be pissed the fuck OFF

akajustmerry

Hey, people in the comments who said I was wrong about the show being dead because I could see the writing on the wall months ago....well, now there's the official announcement. I really hope that no one ever forgets that Doctor Who was cancelled because of anti-Blackness, racism, and corporate greed.

hawt-me33

Coming into a fandom late

baxterdamus-deactivated20130513

Coming into a fandom early and watching it become an angry clusterfuck

valorious

Being in a dormant fandom that suddenly comes alive again after a new book/movie

leatherpatches-deactivated20150

Don’t forget about those who come in the midst of a fandom war.

fauxmoux

Accuracy at its best

street-of-mercy

Being in a fandom and not even knowing there’s a war going on…

my-reylo

all of this shit…lol

nerdsagainstfandomracism

When You’re Not In The Fandom But You’re Nosy AF

not-so-secret-nerd

When you get into a fandom only to discover it’s dead

jupiter235

This gets better every time I see it.

sageblackrose95

@fuboos-mess

inverted-mind-inc-sideblog-deac

Being in a dead fandom…

illogicalarchive

Or being in such a tiny fandom that it feels like youre the only one

erilias

The accuracy hurts.

fanfic-yes-please

Being in a fandom that had a shit ending.

it-is-bugs

When you’ve been fangirling long enough, you’ve experienced all of the above.

sweetferalbaby

Being in a fandom meant for kids.

teaganvamp

This just gets better..

hamboj2

@mi-kleos

thatcrazysonicchick

When you realize that joining the fandom has ruined you

knightofbloodcancer

Fandom hell in general

morathavictoria

Yes.

marvelanimelover

This^^^ just… ALL OF THIS.

stop-talking-babe-deactivated20

Being in so many fandoms that you don’t even know what’s going on

raise-cain-archived

THIS IS THE SKULDUGGERY FUCKING PLEASANT FANDOM IN ONE POST!!

crochanblackbeak

Trying to recruit people to your fandom

kateriverameliawolfe

Annnnnnndddd it’s back

ishipwhatiship247

Being in a fandom which has so many antis

ravenhilarious

I’ve probably reblogged this before, but that was before these great additions.

swanqueen-author

Being in a fandom that actually works together

commanderunhingedmongoose

Why is this so true? All of it.

pillowprincesslexa

being in a fanbase but all your mutuals suddenly turn into Kpop blogs

hangingfire

I always enjoy it when a good post comes around again and has been improved by the reblogs like the years for a fine wine.

priory-of-stars

Being in a fandom when shit goes down and everyone has different opinions

marianagmt

When you are in a fandom and don’t care for others people opinion…..even if they are right…(believe me, I have met several of those)

batbyte-alghul

Being in a fandom you never meant to join

tirnel-sutcliff-spears

I love this. and it’s gotten better

cartoonjessie

After abandoning a fandom you’re still a little bit emotionally invested in….

brit-is-bookish

All of these are me. Lol

thehikingastronomer

Being in a fandom on Tumblr

julietsemophase

And it reached its epic conclusion

isa-ghost

I CHOKED ON FUNDIP

van-arts

HISTORY HAS BEEN ENGRAVED INTO THIS POST

suncaptor

linked tree (includes options to donate to Ghanaian projects)

petition to show support

darkshrimpemotions

I absolutely love the running gag of "meanwhile Fusco is starring in an action movie of his own across town." It truly never gets old. Fusco is saving a supermodel from a shoot out with a dozen armed men? Fusco is diffusing a bomb? Sure, why not! What the fuck can't he do.

r-hufflepuff

He might understand what’s going on, but by God he is going to to his best

It might not look pretty but it gets the job done

machineexmachina

I thought this was going to be a run-of-the-mill crime procedural with an interesting but underdeveloped AI side plot, but instead I found a gripping serialised thriller about the dangers of mass surveillance, the corruption of the government, and three of the best characters i have ever seen on tv

see-arcane

Oh man. Oh god. Oh fuck. I’m not prepared for the conversations that are going to happen next episode with Azune

Because yes, he does have evidence to work with in the form of a direct witness of Tachonis’ coverup via Demodus Blix—to his mind, the only real evidence he has, because he still hasn’t crossed paths with the Seekers, meaning Occtis, Julien and Thaisha aren’t even on the table yet. All he has is Blix and the Tachonis candle that, short of some Legend Lore, is simply a fancy (human fat) candle that could be shrugged off as a prop. Which means he has to talk Demodus about joining him for that audience. Yes, the written account of his testimony is great—something to keep as a record—but forgery will be the first thought that comes to anyone’s mind if he doesn’t go with it.

Before any of that, he’ll have to go through Murray and Bolaire. Read: He will bring up the situation and say he wants to bring Demodus in as his material evidence. Murray and Bolaire will not take this well, bordering on outright vetoing the notion. Meaning Azune will do one of two things:

One, he will lay out his argument, whatever it is. He needs real evidence to make the case against House Tachonis. Groto’s vision, the signet ring, the suggestion of a coverup, that was all there to cast suspicion. That’s the lead-up to an opportunity exactly like this, in which he’s being asked to give proof that House Tachonis is an enemy to fellow Sundered Houses. Demodus doesn’t get his life back—at least not a life outside of Bolaire’s apartment—until he gets his name cleared. Yes, King Augustus would be a great backup to get him out of the city, but then what? He just wears an illusion and a fake name the rest of his life, hoping he doesn’t get trailed and offed anyway? At the very least he needs to ask Demodus, who is not a child any more than he is. Right? But if it’s truly off the table, please, tell him what the alternative is.

Two, he will hear them say no. He will hear Murray say no. And he will do exactly as he did as the escape plan for Thjazi Fang came into focus: Let his allies believe that he has a backup plan, not informing them that the backup plan is him dying as collateral. And if nobody catches onto him, he will walk away and try to privately scramble for what scraps he can present while praying he doesn’t get hit with fatal consequences for not having enough to offer.

In either case I think there’s an open door waiting to the painful but thus far sidestepped topic of Azune’s position in contrast to ‘civilian youth who needs protecting’ versus ‘useful and expendable soldier’ that’s been lacing through his corner of the narrative. He’s been in war since he was twelve and though the battlefield looks different he has never gotten to be at ease a day in his life. He’s about the same age as two of Hal’s kids. He’s a max of six years older than Demodus. And Occtis, a whole twenty years old, had a miracle performed on his behalf to undo his death and bring him back.

Meanwhile, Azune is sitting at the Big Kids Schemers table, plotting and acting with people twice his age and older, perpetually putting himself at risk in the proximity of Einfasen and Halovar. He has been living in proximity to danger as a plant in the Arcane Marshals for at least a decade. Even with the revelation made by Mayali’s sacrifice—I’m not a thing I’m a person I’m a person—is the evidence of the narrative really on his side? If he gets shut down point blank about bringing Demodus with him, implicitly leaving him empty-handed for his meeting with the Einfasens and whatever consequences ensue, what is he meant to take away from that? Some young people are worth more than others. You’re you, Azune Nayar. You’re so useful, so capable, so expendable. Figure something else out.

And hey, maybe they could try to whip something up like they did at the Palazzo Davinos with Groto’s vision! Maybe! But what? How fast can they pull some miracle piece evidence out of their inventory or forge something believable? What can they possibly produce on par with Demodus’ testimony on their own before nightfall?

Either Azune leaves with Demodus or nothing. Either he gets it spelled out that there isn’t (or shouldn’t be) an invisible line between him and other people who deserve more safety and concern or he doesn’t. Or, hopefully, in the midst of all the table parties running around the city, the Seekers can cut in before things come to a crescendo and one or more of them can come along as Azune’s combat-ready proof.

…But I kind of hope they don’t. If only for the gut punch of them appearing too late in ‘For Want of a Nail’ style. Because just imagine it.

Too late in the evening, the Seekers meet up with the Schemers and Soldiers. Meaning the latter only just learning from the Seekers that the Einfasens are very keen on hammering liars to death in the privacy of their home.

And off Azune has already gone, with or without Demodus in tow, with only a pocketful of half-truths and candle wax as evidence.

r-hufflepuff

Here’s the thing the way they have set up the relationships I think even if they don’t let demodus go, they would absolutely be trying to sneak either sum or all of the schemer in with him as even if the see him as an adult in a way they don’t see the rest they still value him and they have made it very clear no one is supposed to go alone.

Which makes me wonder who is supposed to be going with hale to the Halovar meeting

#spoilers #schemers table

edgebug

"grace. grace! grace give attention. rocky perform human ritual of escape closet now. statement."

"come again?"

"i learn more from thinking machine. human gender preference. attraction to same gender, means word 'gay.' all eridian same gender." rocky stands straight up. "rocky come out to grace now. all rocky plural gay, statement."

"...wow, that's... rock, i'm not sure it makes much sense to apply human ideas of sexual orientation to a monogendered species."

a long and judgmental pause. then:

"grace HOMOPHOBIC, question????"

alliepretends

I'm rewatching episode 19 (literally barely gave myself a day to process before going back to the beginning of the arc, it was so fucking good). And I just got to this moment:

And it has me thinking about something of a thematic thread running through the Schemers table. Much of the arc has focused on the practicalities of revolution. The limits of what people who agree with you may or may not be willing to do. The reality that you need to take time to take care of your community's basic needs if you want them to even be able to help you. But our characters are not necessarily looking after these practicalities in the same way. They are being pushed wildly outside their comfort zones and, while all of them are secure financially, they are risking are risking their jobs to varying degrees whie also being put into positions where they can't take care of themselves (I don't mean getting into fights where they might die, I mean essentially taking on a second full-time job that interferes with their sleep/eating/mental health). And I do think there's an undercurrent here of exploring what it takes to be a leader.

I'm going to go on a bit of a side quest here to try to understand what I'm thinking about. Basically, I think all four of our Schemers saw themselves as aligned with the lingering goals of the rebellion. They just did it within their comfort zones. Hal provided home and hearth to Thjazi, Thaisha, Azune, and possibly others. They may be the ones saving the world, but he's been a safe place for them to return to. He's also making art that points in a revolutionary direction. Azune was a foot soldier, ready and willing to take whatever command for the cause. Bolaire saw himself as dedicated to truth and protecting the heritage of the Shaper's war. And Murray saw herself as shepherding the next generation into taking magic from a new source available to all. And all four of them have had to sacrifice that vision of themselves to step into a leadership role. Hal has had to get his hands dirty and risk his own life. Azune has to make his own plans and his own decisions. Bolaire must lie and manipulate and recognize that life is messier than stories (the heroic foot soldiers are not, in fact, going to wait forever to get paid), and Murray has already slipped a student into a more dangerous role than her parent would have wanted for her and is facing down potentially having to do so again.

It's not that they are the only CR4 characters being pushed into new roles (Occtis and Wick certainly are, but so are many others to varying degrees). But the way the Schemers are being pushed out of their comfort zone isn't just the call to adventure, but a call to make the kinds of sacrifices required of those who wish to propel change forward. They talked about a leaderless revolution, and to some extent, they are still looking to achieve that. But people do have to step up and organize, make hard choices, and put themselves on the front line. And that's the growth the Schemers are being forced to have.

r-hufflepuff

That is so true

The schemers all knew what was going on because of the overture they would have had to stick their head back in the sand to continue on the way they were and they were all in places of possible suspicion regardless of their actions.

In a sense none of them wanted to be leaders but they are the ones who know what’s going on, they have positions of influence and power in the city even if not directly in charge and they are financially stable.

With Thjazi death they could no longer trust that the work of revolution would get done they had to be ones to step up for it to happen and they going about differently Thjazi had secrets from every one, I don’t think thimble knew about the paint. Whereas while schemes are keeping secrets they aren’t from each other if one them knows something they are shareing that at they dinner discussions except for the hole Hal’s daughter working at museum thing

#schemers table #critical role #cr spoilers

see-arcane

Actually wait, still thinking about the Bolaire and Azune of this fight

Because I am also forever thinking about that Overture cold open where a fifteen-year-old Azune was forgotten on the battlefield by his adult allies. Left to bleed and struggle his way back from the brink of death alone, all while the rest of the Torn Banner scooped others up--Tunk and Kattigan and Thjazi--and booked it for the trench's protection without him. All while the wyverns circled close. And we never learned how he made it away from that scene alive.

A flash of memory here in the present; little Azune, training to fight with Thjazi, his eyes closed as he tries to fight blind so he doesn't fear the sight of an incoming blow. Open your eyes! An order dressed as encouragement shouted at a presumably twelve/thirteen-year-old child.

We see Azune take a critical hit. He drops. He knows how this goes. The rest will go on. He'll survive or he won't. He knows how this goes he knows he knows he was ready to die for the cause anyway he knows...

And in the same second, Bolaire is right there, cramming life down his throat like he's a cagey infant taking his bottle. Within that healing heartbeat, we see Bolaire stride forward and pierce a glass blade straight through Azune's would-be killer's skull.

Azune is up on his feet. Alive. He kills another assassin as he stands.

Then.

Here is Mayali. Returned. Nearly dying for his sake. He pours life into her that--thanks to Bolaire's aid--he didn't have to waste pouring into himself. And as soon as he has her, she is gone again. All he has left in his head and his heart is to kill the bastard who nearly killed her. Kill him, doesn't matter how few hit points Azune has left, kill him, Azune is a person not a thing, kill him, even if it means dying in the effort, KILL HIM--!

But Command, pinned directly in his brain:

Calm.

Stopping him short of a move that might have seen him slain by the executioner or by Filoneus' own axe in the effort to erase evidence.

After a lifetime of having his young life allowed to be gambled in the war effort, a lifetime of narrow misses with (and provably without) someone watching his back, over a decade of being planted at more than an arm's length from any real ally or friend for 'the good of the cause'...look at this.

Someone is here, glued to Azune's side, making moves to not only keep him safe but to instantly and viciously cut down the one party in the room that dared to bring him near death; to hold him back from his own suicidal lunge after vengeance.

Whatever bullshit is about to ensue following the foiled assassination, there is some small solace here--Azune finally knows what it's like to have someone truly have his back in battle. Someone who won't settle for a pat on said back and a hasty exit to bigger better far-off things. What a novelty that is.

fortis-non-feroxx

schemers, i love you.

a father, kind to a fault, but as skilled a liar as his rascal brother. haunted by death, an actor with everything to lose. he knows how to swordfight because he was a child soldier, but his only experience in twenty years is with stage foils. war is in your blood, though, and he hasn't forgotten. that blade at his side isn't just for show, no matter how convincing his harmless family man act is, and his magic is far more than smoke and mirrors.

a hillbilly wizard--brilliant, a new breed of magician in this new world. a sense of justice as subtle as a sledgehammer and the temperament to match. she's short, she's topheavy, and she's sure as hell gonna get shit done. she can see into the fabric of reality. she hasn't slept in four days. she's got the shittiest boss in the world. despite everything, she still believes in the beauty of magic in this fresh new world. the universe speaks to her and she speaks back: brash, bawdy, and smarter than anyone expects.

a tortured survivor. his very magic is built on memories. who is he without what he has lost? sunset eyes, shining armor, and a heavy grief--he had to grow into them all. he's the man with a plan. a perfect soldier, if you ignore the sedition. he's got a revolutionary heart, and the war hasn't left him, either. he is still trying to take the world on his shoulders, and he is so very young. he was ready to die for the man he idealized. he thinks his life is worth less than his heroes. who's going to tell him he's a hero himself?

and, of course. a man who's not a man at all. a story brought to life. a myth, walking and grinning and murdering his way through a nearly mundane existence. his magic is all smoke and mirrors; a whisper here, a misdirection there. it's all a great act--the best trick that's ever been pulled off. he's kind to kids in need. his best friend is the brother of his worst enemy. he's a catty bitch. who are you when you had to fight for the right to even think for yourself? what are you willing to do for your autonomy, once you find it? he is a monster, a horror of the old gods--and he is laughing next to you at the bar, helping you save the world.

r-hufflepuff

iftihldyodyodyodotspysyspyosotsgo

Those are such good summeries of who they are

Love it so much

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