Let Not Your Hands Be Weak

article: “I suspect that a bit of the steam has gone out of the LGBT thing,” Backman told the right-wing outlet, staying ahead of the issue. “There may be the odd protester, but if they have got armies of PR people laser-focused on that then I suspect it may be OK.”

me: no surprises there... fuck them

sandwich recipe

Keyleth: What thing?

Vax: You know, the thing that always makes me happy

Keyleth: Oh

Keyleth: *smiles at him*

Becuase to me Bolaire is clearly going through a similar trauma repose Occtis is when it comes to his father

Like Bolaire expresses how bad Thjiazi treated him constantly, how Bolaire was horrified of Thjiazi, how he didn’t feel like a person, exclusively an object to Thjiazi and maybe that’s why he keeps insisting to Azune he is just an object because he was made to feel like that for so long

To me when Hal said “at some point you’ll have to let go of him and start dealing with us” (and yes Hal has a lot on his plate and while that was a terrible thing to say I think he regretted it later but even so) when Hal said that that was kind of like telling a victim of abuse to “get over it”

And when Julien came to Bolaire’s defense “it’s hard when he won’t let us go” (and while everyone took that as a joke/said that’s exclusively Julien’s problem even tho it’s really not) everyone brushed it aside but it’s true.

Thjiazi won’t let these people go; he was going to use Hal’s theater, Valeus’s relic, and even Thaisha’s help with the old path at some point according to Mara

And more specifically he was going to use Bolaire’s sister as an anchor as well — and I also have a gut feeling that if she wasn’t going to suffice Thjiazi would absolutely use Bolaire as a tool as well.

So yes, while Bolaire’s opposing opinion on Thjiazi can be seen as annoying or driving the plot in a negative way, or even causing “unnecessary discourse” I still see Bolaire as Thjiazi’s victim.

Whether or not everyone will acknowledge it — because everyone is glazing this man even though it’s been confirmed Thjiazi has been known to use people and rob and just do his own thing — Bolaire is a victim.

I truly don’t see a motive for him to lie about why he hates Thjazi. Everyone’s reaction(in game) and fandom that are just hating on Bolaire/doubting him while continuing to glaze Thjiazi as this perfect man who stood up to the sundered houses and even in death continues to fight for freedom

Bolaire is left yearning to be human, depressed when he realizes how quickly that isn’t true when Thjiazi is back, and now just back to being hopeless he will ever be perceived how he wants to be.

It’s not the exact same thing as what Occtis is going through, but the similar body language and verbal language of a victim is there.

I appreciate that even though Azune does hold Thjiazi in a minor spotlight, he is lowkey the only one willing to hear Bolaire’s side on this and the only one who is still not treating him as an object despite the fact that Bolaire keeps insisting to Azune he is.

I don’t ship them, but there is a special bond between Azune and Bolaire I pray they explore more. Azune is really the kindest most loving character at the table, and his kindness and optimism to Bolaire warms my heart.

I want their friendship to grow

Also this is not a hate post to people who hate Bolaire, you’re allowed to have your opinion.

-bruises

-bullet wound

-split lip

-nosebleed/broken nose

"I don't have the time to write/edit my work"

"I always liked drawing but I was never very good"

"I feel obligated to produce things faster than I could without ai"

"my writing isn't good enough and won't get any kudos/comments"

"no one would retweet my art because it's not as good as other people's"

Like yeah dude join the fucking club. We're all here carving out what little free time we have and taking months to finish a chapter or post art we aren't completely satisfied with because this is a community and we bond over the beautiful struggle inherent to the act of creation.

Post your shitty fan art and mediocre writing and make some gd friends. Join a discord or whatever and ask for help with your anatomy or composition from people who care and will cheer you on as you grow. Then in a year or two, post a before and after where you can see the ways you've improved at doing faces but maybe still gotta figure out how hands work. Rinse and repeat until you're the one on the discord server giving someone else advice on how to make that foreshortening look better, or how to improve the flow or the pacing of the excerpt they were brave enough to share with you, whose experience and judgement and artistic journey they admire and respect.

After almost a decade on this site, I found another Tumblr user in the wild. I stopped to tie my shoe with rainbow laces this morning outside the silversmith at Colonial Williamsburg, and I heard it.

“I like your shoelaces.”

Oh. Oh no.

I responded the only way I could. “Thanks.” And then I reluctantly added, “I stole them from the president…and if that makes sense to you, I’m very sorry.”

The poor man, in full Colonial dress, stared at me for a long moment. And then burst into laughter. And said, “I haven’t thought about that in YEARS and this has never happened to me before.”

Yeah. Me neither. Not until today.