The Ferris Wheel

Scene redraw

Ace’s unique magic Joker Snatch (hidden meaning: Gimme Your Trump Card) switches magic and/or a spell (EN uses both words) between Ace and a target of his choosing, manifesting during the climax of Book 7 when he uses it for the first time to swap Riddle’s unique magic with a spell/magic of his own and then uses Riddle’s “Off with Your Head” on Riddle himself.

In Book 7 the first-year students help Ace practice Joker Snatch, with Ortho observing, “Sebek and Ace have switched spellscript structures!” when he uses it on Sebek to receive Sebek’s Living Bolt.

When Ace electrifies himself and moves “barely 30 centimeters” he says, “You’re telling me this spell comes with its user’s glaring inexperience?!,” but Sebek insists that the inexperience lies with Ace, not himself, so the limitation of “Ace can only use a UM to the extent that it can be used by its original owner” is maybe still unproven.

Ace says, “Sebek’s unique magic shifts his body into a completely different form of matter. For spells like that, even if I understood how they worked, my body couldn’t keep up,” so Sebek’s UM might be of a type that is very difficult or impossible for Ace to utilize.

Jack says that when Ace tried to use his Unleash Beast he did not transform into any animal, but instead “just got all hairy like a yeti.”

This might, however, have not been a result of Ace’s inexperience: Jack’s UM is not a shapeshifting spell, it is a reversion spell, only enabling him to transform into a wolf because he is already a wolf beastperson (more here ▶︎).

Epel says that when Ace tried to use his Sleep Kiss he trapped Deuce by mistake rather than Epel himself.

Ace explains:

(Joker Snatch) just switches one spell with another. I’m not “robbing” people! It exchanges a spell of mine with a spell from the target. That’s it. I also can’t switch spells when I don’t know what kind of spells someone uses. If I’m expecting a fire spell but then it turns out to be a lightning spell, it doesn’t work. Plus, the target has to have fully formulated their spell, or mine will fizzle out.

Ortho says, “you have to have a read on the cards in the opponent’s hand to accurately make the switch,” and Cater agrees, “So you have to anticipate what your opponent will play next, ahead of time…like a card game.”

When Ace wonders why he had been able to successfully trade for Riddle’s spell in Book 7 Ortho observes:

Epel says that he generally prefers “cool, strong animals like tigers and leopards…” and he would like Leona as an older brother: “He's pretty much got it all-rugged looks, a cool attitude, and he's a quick thinker. He looks out for me in Spelldrive Club, too. He's everything I wish I could be.”

On the subject of his admiration for Leona, Epel explains, “Leona's a caring kind of guy. He's a dependable captain during our games, and he gives everyone individual advice when we're practicing….”

Epel says that, while they do not really overlap much outside of spelldrive practice, the Leona he knows “would point out when I'm about to mess up on my homework, and teach me the right answer... I think.” 

(During NBC Epel asks Leona outright for tutoring and Leona refuses.)

During Spectral Soiree Epel is possessed by a ghost that has him boop Leona on the nose.

Leona’s labwear vignette revolves around him making a potion for Epel and Grim that they spilled when they ran into one another, with Epel providing a running commentary on how the task Leona is trying to accomplish is impossible and why he should give up. (Leona successfully crafts the potion.)

In a vignette he see Epel run physically into Leona due to reading a book as he walked. A Pomefiore student suggests to Rook that they go to “bail (Epel) out before he gets into real trouble,” but Rook points out that such will not be necessary: “This lion has better things to do than get angry at cubs…a king knows how to be magnanimous.”

Epel seems to be the only student who worries when Leona disappears during Vargas Camp, though when it is revealed that he has been stuck in a cabin doing squats Ruggie responds, “Geez, Leona... Way to scare me over nothin’.”

Leona signs up for the Master Chef course both for the class credit and because Epel signed up as well, saying, “Less of a hassle than decidin' on another elective for myself.”

Later it is revealed that he may have had another motive: during his lesson he sends Epel to pick up his ingredients from the fridge rather than fetching them himself. The chef is shocked by Epel explains, “That’s pretty normal for Leona.”

I don’t like Bolaire. I find in him all the worst self-centered hubris of Molly, with none of the redeeming charm. Bolaire thinks he is better than everyone in the room, and will tell you so. His high-handed, circuitous statements are obnoxious, his heartlessness repellent. I do very much separate Taliesin from his character, but nevertheless I am annoyed by how Bolaire inserts himself into scenes (especially Hal’s) by thinking he knows best (episode 11 irks me). 

He is, at this point, barely redeemed by the quality of his witty banter (I did enjoy his scene with Makmaz), and that is all. 

But this is not a Bolaire hate post. You see, Bolaire thrives in that foundational statement: a character may be anything but boring. And Bolaire is never boring. His relationships to the rest of the Schemers (and, indeed, many other characters at other tables) are all fraught—he has no one he trusts, nor is comfortable with. He pretends he does not need this. 

He thinks he’s a person, and he hates Thjazi for denying him that. But he is a parasite, and thinks his life is more valuable than those of his hosts. He wastes food to keep up appearances, but starves his host out of… neglect? Not malice, I don’t think. But complete lack of empathy. 

I want to see the tension between him and Hal ratchet up—Hal starting to step into a story, and Bolaire trying to step out of one. I want to see the tension between him and Azune ratchet up—a mask who wastes food, and a boy who nearly starved. (From Taliesin’s repeated attempts to have a scene in his apartments, Taliesin also wants to see this). I want to see more of Bolaire’s relationship with Thimble—two changeless beings caught in the midst of change. I want to see more of Bolaire and Occtis—the interplay between an object and a self. Something that was created.