excellent clusterfuck of a seekers table we've got coming up, so here's a rough (and a little jokey) guide to where everyone's relationships are at!
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ALTit's also such a shame azune has to stay back in the city again, both bc he has so wanted to go with thimble everywhere and can't
but also bc as things stand at the end of convergence this is my personal favourite relationship in this campaign 😂
ALTugh we need more manipulative characters that aren’t evil. lie and cheat and steal for a good cause. control every narrative. use narcissism for justice. ruin all of your personal relationships for the good of the mission.
Just got to Azune's "I think I'm having fun," about saying in the city and PROFOUNDLY LOVE THAT THIS IS THE MOST SINISTER THING HE'S EVER SAID. MY FUNKY LITTLE LIAR.
#Is he referring to the high of making friends with a dragon?#Is he buzzed after finessing House Einfasen twice in the same 24 hours?#Is he saying what he thinks needs saying so Thimble doesn't worry after his earlier meltdown?#Is it all of the above?#Don't know! But I love the shade of red this flag is :)#a little less Changebringer a little more Asmodeus#go on buddy take a little pride and joy in your work! (can't get out of it so you may as well!) (tags by see-arcane)
"…inxolotle…"
…remember…
Been working on this Azune fanart, with the dragon of the River Vrosh for a while now, and it's finally complete!
Even setting aside the matter of Bolaire, Halandil Fang has a long-standing pattern of ignoring or compartmentalizing the problematic behavior of people close to him.
It started about twenty years ago, when Thjazi was about to marry the Lady Aranessa Royce. Hal was with Thjazi and Aranessa before the wedding, when Aranessa offered up Thimble as a gift to Thjazi. Thjazi is immediately and justifiably disturbed by his soon-to-be wife giving him an entire person as a gift. "Sorry, the fairy's a gift? I don't agree with any of this." After Thjazi's repeated objections to what Aranessa has done, what does Halandil Fang have to say?
"Just shut up and say thank you."
Thjazi is willing to believe that Aranessa can be wrong and make choices he can't ethically accept. Indeed, it was only a year after this wedding that he left Aranessa because he couldn't accept her choices and those of House Royce. But Hal does not want to believe this about Aranessa. He wants to smile and say thank you and not disturb the peace by making a fuss about whether it's ethical to give Thimble as a gift or not.
Fast-forward to the end of the Falconer's Rebellion, when Azune shows up on Hal's doorstep with a plea from Thjazi to look after him. As mentally unwell as Azune is in the present day, I can scarcely imagine how fucked up he must have been as a sixteen year old war veteran with his home and family forever lost to him. As he spent time in Hal's home, his behavior and reactions must have made it clear that Azune was severely traumatized by his time as a child soldier in the Rebellion. What any foster parent ought to start thinking in this situation is: "Did this child's previous guardian do right by him? Or did he fail him?"
Except that Azune's previous guardian was Thjazi, and nothing indicates that Hal ever took Thjazi to task for letting a child fight for him on the front lines, or for the mindset that his guardianship created in Azune, that he is a thing, a weapon, only worthy of care if it is bought and paid for. Just like Hal liked Aranessa and didn't want to believe she might have crossed a line with Thimble, and would rather have just kept the peace, Hal didn't want to disturb the peace with Thjazi by suggesting that he might have crossed a line with Azune.
As @everroth and others have noted, Hal's biggest character flaw is complacency, wanting a peaceful, untroubled life without having to be reminded of the cost of maintaining that peace. Is it, then, any surprise that Hal has, once again, ignored and compartmentalized the fact that someone close to him might have hurt somebody else close to him, for the sake of his own peace of mind?
Furthermore, if we bring Bolaire back into this conversation, Hal’s compartmentalization applies not only to Thjazi’s abuse of Bolaire, but of Bolaire’s mistreatment of his own victims. Hal is clearly uncomfortable with what Bolaire does, but he’s kept his mouth shut, even put Bolaire on a new host, right up until he saw Misha wearing Bolaire and couldn’t keep those feelings in a box anymore.
Even setting aside the matter of Bolaire, Halandil Fang has a long-standing pattern of ignoring or compartmentalizing the problematic behavior of people close to him.
It started about twenty years ago, when Thjazi was about to marry the Lady Aranessa Royce. Hal was with Thjazi and Aranessa before the wedding, when Aranessa offered up Thimble as a gift to Thjazi. Thjazi is immediately and justifiably disturbed by his soon-to-be wife giving him an entire person as a gift. “Sorry, the fairy’s a gift? I don’t agree with any of this.” After Thjazi’s repeated objections to what Aranessa has done, what does Halandil Fang have to say?
“Just shut up and say thank you.”
Thjazi is willing to believe that Aranessa can be wrong and make choices he can’t ethically accept. Indeed, it was only a year after this wedding that he left Aranessa because he couldn’t accept her choices and those of House Royce. But Hal does not want to believe this about Aranessa. He wants to smile and say thank you and not disturb the peace by making a fuss about whether it’s ethical to give Thimble as a gift or not.
Fast-forward to the end of the Falconer’s Rebellion, when Azune shows up on Hal’s doorstep with a plea from Thjazi to look after him. As mentally unwell as Azune is in the present day, I can scarcely imagine how fucked up he must have been as a sixteen year old war veteran with his home and family forever lost to him. As he spent time in Hal’s home, his behavior and reactions must have made it clear that Azune was severely traumatized by his time as a child soldier in the Rebellion. What any foster parent ought to start thinking in this situation is: “Did this child’s previous guardian do right by him? Or did he fail him?”
Except that Azune’s previous guardian was Thjazi, and nothing indicates that Hal ever took Thjazi to task for letting a child fight for him on the front lines, or for the mindset that his guardianship created in Azune, that he is a thing, a weapon, only worthy of care if it is bought and paid for. Just like Hal liked Aranessa and didn’t want to believe she might have crossed a line with Thimble, and would rather have just kept the peace, Hal didn’t want to disturb the peace with Thjazi by suggesting that he might have crossed a line with Azune.
As @everroth and others have noted, Hal’s biggest character flaw is complacency, wanting a peaceful, untroubled life without having to be reminded of the cost of maintaining that peace. Is it, then, any surprise that Hal has, once again, ignored and compartmentalized the fact that someone close to him might have hurt somebody else close to him, for the sake of his own peace of mind?
Can't lie, as much as I love playing shipping dolls with most of my favorite Characters, I am kind of all about how intense Azune's relationships seem to be with so many characters thus far without any definitive sexual/romantic punctuation. The man's gay, but the gravity well of platonic It's So Much More and So Much Weirder power around him is incredible
I see and support the Mag'Nayar crowd, but am also delighted by their first 'mistaken for couple' moment including
-Azune confirming he wanted to 'get lucky' with Murray and her being gobsmacked (He Does Not Know What Metaphor Is)
-and their only witness assuming some kind of no-touch kink thing was happening in the alley (He Still Does Not Know)
-followed by multiple instances of Murray showing interest in Kattigan and King Gus while Azune is just kind of ??? 'Are they aware of your desires, Murray?' says the guy who needs intentions to be known
ALL THE WHILE they are drawn together like magnets, the most scheming together of the Schemers, Velcroing to each other the moment they're in proximity, they are 100% each other's Person (c). They are Friends+ who have every other person who sees them wondering what kind of friends they are, with or without benefits wink-wink
Azune: "Is the benefit not friendship? Am I missing something?"
Murray: "Don't worry about it"
Luis was flirting. Matt was flirting. Julien was flirting. Azune, once again, Does Not Know. Luis canonically confirms that while Azune is gay, he does not have a gaydar to speak of (or at least not one as good as his player's). All Azune knows is that out of the encounters he's had with Julien, the amount of which he can count on one hand, the guy went from prickly to trusting to I Must Touch Your Shoulder at Every Opportunity to Take this to remember me by (re-gifts the massive romantic favor of an axe). Julien was perking up at just the mention of Azune's name in conversation with Hal. Meanwhile Azune is just
Azune: "Wow, he really turned around during his trip. Great to have such a friend and ally on the team :)"
Which will make it all the funnier when Julien finally gets over the hurdle of hints and tension and seduction attempts and just gets to the point of telling him I want to do amorous things with you (take a note from Ingrid, buddy, the time for subtlety is over). Only for them both to be very aware that Thjazi Fang is literally grafted to Julien's heels as a permanent audience. Should go well.
The Doylist reason is the dice rolls. The Watsonian reason is that Azune must be some kind of Einfasen catnip. But what is that catnip even doing?
Are they mistaking him for a lost Einfasen bastard? Maybe! He's been playing with the Alter Self, slipping flints of their accent into his speech, radiating loyalty to the house. Otto even cracks the joke of "Are you sure you aren't an Einfasen?" Could just be that!
But then there's how immediately intense Harondus got about him before and after the Falconer's Rebellion sob story. Azune Nayar is His blackmailed Asset. The key tool in the Tachonis investigation, his right hand in the Arcane Marshals, now put in place as the new plant once Capt. Fazir was kicked out. Azune's natural state of I Am a Utility in Need of Wielding brought Harondus running.
And then there's the main family! Whether or not they're getting a false positive on 'Okay but really is he part of the family tree..?,' it's clear that everyone in that house has a thing for the competence + loyalty combo. During the scene in the wagon, Runbrom and Josefir--especially Runbrom, regardless of him being the clear hot-blooded brother--are keen on him. As an A+ acquisition to House Einfasen's forces? As suspected kin? As a ~prospect~? Who knows! Who cares! This guy's great! They love this guy!
Every Einfasen who meets Azune is just:
Early days yet, and we can chalk a lot of the immediate full throttle GOOD MAN :D business up to Filoneus being the bellowing and not terribly canny fellow he is. Though sharp enough to know the benefit of having a devout man of the Creed on the inside of the Arcane Marshals. So much so that he's vouching for Azune to head big cases from the Lords Advisory. But wow is Lord Knight Fil right on Azune the instant he clocks the guy is present. Cannot keep a low profile about this young man to save his life
And it doesn't stop at the Royce investigation boost! He beelines for Azune at the gala! He zeros in on him in the post-theater street party! HE IS PUTTING CAPT. AZUNE NAYAR'S NAME IN THE EARS OF THE CANDESCENT CREED CREW SO IMMEDIATELY AND BROADLY THAT THE CLERGY KNOW TO NAME DROP HIM AT THE HALLOWED ROUND AS A THREAT! AND THAT WAS AT A POINT WHEN HE'D SHARED 1.5 CONVERSATIONS WITH THE MAN
Fil, buddy, hit the fucking brakes. Now is the time for subtlety.
And while the serious plot reason for all this is clearly Filoneus acting to make use of a perceived Creed agent within the authorities, the sheer gusto of all this makes me wonder if Azune didn't accidentally truthfully clock his whole deal during the first audience with the Einfasens
Azune: "I believe I know the moment you are speaking of, and I think I owe that simply to a moment of kindness. [...] I was approached by a member of the Candescent Creed, and I gave him attention."
House Halovar is a house of attention-farming and devotee collection, but Yanessa's made it clear that neither of her sons are set to be her heir. That's reserved for Wicander 'Scion and Face of the Creed' Halovar. Godard is too off-putting as direct angel spawn and Filoneus is...too Filoneus. Not a guy who's easy to approach. So when Azune meets his usual raucous bluster and boisterousness without flinching, even trading jests, it's probably a novelty to him
I won't go so far as to say Filoneus has assigned Azune as his new best friend, or that he perhaps has a thing for strapping young redheads with bright eyes, maybe with certain preferences locking him out of providing any offspring of his own to the Halovar tree, but he's definitely 100% not chill about Capt. Nayar
@featherquillpen you're so right!
The person who was raised to be a useful thing!
The useful thing who wants to live as a person!
They're war vets! They're Thjazi's tools! They're living weapons who work like synchronized magic in battle!
They are the Mask and the Masking!
They are the most wildly not normal members of their party!
Bolaire is the only one who knows how to say Azune's name correctly because he whispered it to him alone!
Azune is holding Bolaire's hand and walking him toward acknowledgment of his personhood beyond mere performance and his written role!
Bolaire lauds Azune's cleverness and character at every turn!
Bolaire saved Azune's life twice!
They trusted each other enough to head to Bolaire's apartment with Bolaire on Azune's face!
They are a unique set and I hate to see them separated because we deserve to see them in their weird and wonderful duo more!
Thaisha and Azune being the two people to genuinely reach towards Bolaire (physically and emotionally) when he's scared and struggling... I love kind, empathetic characters so much. And how much do you want to bet he learned some of those skills in reaching out from her
I do think the fandom underestimates how much of a bond there is between Thaisha and Azune. They had SUCH a hug together in Convergence, and Azune does have the marks of Thaisha’s brand of kindness.
"Soldier, how old are you?" / "I'm old enough to use this. And I draw the sword that I have." / "All right. Are you old enough to use this? [...] We got to get a bunch of sacks of potatoes back over to the wagons and they're stored in this granary over here. [...] I don't doubt your bravery at all. You should not be here." / "I have nowhere else to be." / "We need someone who can work quick and help out behind the lines, moving gear and equipment, food, all right? And if you need someone to help teach you how to use that thing," / "I'll do whatever it takes." / "It's going to take a lot of us feeling that same way. Come on, we'll get you some food."
How long until Thjazi caved and sent Azune on a mission because he's small and quiet and wouldn't be as noticable?
This compared to Thjazi's attitude to being given Thimble paints a dark picture for how Thjazi's morals shifted after seeing behind the curtain of the Royce. Like, he really sank low because of his relationship with the Royce, first by accepting Thimble as a gift, then by continuing to fail to get them to change from the inside, then by slowly losing his morals in the war against them, both during the wartime and peacetime parts of his campaigning against the Houses.
This is really sad because it makes me think about how differently Thjazi might have treated Thimble if he had gotten her as a gift later on after he’d been jaded by all the crap he’d seen. What might Thimble have been to him then? A companion in all things, or just another thing for him to use?
Chapters:
1/1
Fandom:
Critical Role: Aramán (Web Series)
Rating:
General Audiences
Warnings:
No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships:
Bolaire Lathalia & Azune Nayar, Thjazi Fang & Azune Nayar
Characters:
Bolaire Lathalia, Azune Nayar, Thjazi Fang
Additional Tags:
POV Bolaire Lathalia, POV Azune Nayar, POV Alternating, Azune Nayar Wears Bolaire Lathalia as a Mask, Falconer’s Rebellion (Critical Role), Unreliable Narrator, Teenage Azune Nayar, Azune Nayar Needs to Feel Useful, Protective Bolaire Lathalia, Background Torn Banner Members (Critical Role), cr-summer-wildflowers’s Critical Role Summer Wildflowers Exchange 2026, CR Summer Wildflowers Treat, It/Its Pronouns for Bolaire Lathalia, also no name for Bolaire, Newly Awakened Bolaire Lathalia, Child Soldier Azune Nayar, Somewhat Ambiguous Ending, I’m Bad at Titles
Summary:
“So. Who wants to put on the weird mask?”
“I’ll do it!” The words are out of Azune’s mouth before he realizes what he’s said. He swallows as the rest of the Banner turns to look at him. “I— me. Let me do it. I can’t fight as good as you all, so maybe I can fight better this way. And if it is evil and stuff, then it’ll be easy to take it off of me again. Please?”
Loza and Thjazi exchange a look.
———
A newly awakened Bolaire is captured by the Torn Banner.
cannot recommend this Azune and Bolaire fic highly enough, I am high off the sheer feels
