#he just wants to be loved aauauuauuauauauauauuauauauauauuauauaua

[pollyanna-nana]

Like a cat clipping its own claws

I was talking with a friend recently about how Thistle continues to wear his silly little jester outfits all the way into the present day even as the mad mage, and while I agree to an extent that he just likes the aesthetic I also think it might be something he feels like he has to do, because otherwise…

Thistle’s very dubious acquirement as a child was specifically so Freinag could have the aesthetics of an elven court member without the danger his advisors worried an adult would present. From his very first moments in the court, it was clear that making him a simple jester was because they feared what would happen if he was allowed to gain too much power (and independence…) And the thing is, I think Thistle knows that.

In the end, Delgal ends up asking Thistle to learn magic and become the court mage anyways after his father’s death. There’s no way there weren’t a lot of opinions about that from other people, especially his advisors, seeing as that was exactly what was feared could turn an amusing commodity into a dangerous threat. The fact that he was so secretive, too, about his investigations into the ruins I think might hint that he was aware of the optics of such a stunt.

But Thistle isn’t stupid. From his reaction here to the way the villagers look at him I’m sure he knows— whether from overhearing, being told directly, or simply picking up on the vibe— that they think he’s dangerous and scary simply for being an elf.

So, why keep the silly outfits, especially when he doesn’t seem to have any qualms with the villagers finding him scary now? Maybe he does just like wearing them. Or maybe… it’s a remnant of a desire the demon ate away a long time ago. Who is to say…