#adaine deserves the world and more

[hidingfromsav]

‼️ fhjy spoilers (episode 17 ramble) ‼️

episode 17...what the fuck!!!!

- first of all AYDA MENTION <33333 the love letter made me cry they're so perfect for one another I LOVE THEM SO MUCH :')

- on the opposite end of the spectrum, oisin when i get my hands on you. "didn't see the storm coming? must not be a very good oracle." WHAT THE HELL AND FUCK!!!!! i mean it's a fabulous line but cannot wait for him to eat shit later, adaine's furious fist level 100 million coming for his ass TRUST. (i was completely and utterly fooled and i feel like a CLOWN.)

- ANKARNA ART. ANKARNA AND CASSANDRA ART. another win for the wlw community 🥳🥳🥳💪💪

- british kristen..she'll come in clutch i just know it

- kristen's conversation with bucky :(((( i honestly want to make a whole separate post talking about that because god does it hit so close to home hashtag oldest sister vibes

- AND FIG WAS RIGHT ALL ALONG FUCKKK PORTER!! that stun scene in the hallway was scary as hell. but on a serious note: brennan's storytelling is fucking incredible, the way seeds were planted all the way back in freshman year and slowly and subtly built upon in sophomore year is SO good (also jace and porter 🤨🏳️‍🌈?) probably not but let me have my fun

- also murph realizing what's going on at the very end right before everything goes to shit is so funny, ALSO murph's rolls reallyy coming in clutch this season holy cow

- cannot wait for next week's episode but i'm also terrified. i can smell the upcoming emotional turmoil in the air.

overall takeaways: don't trust a man ever all they do is LIE. anyways the gay agenda is ALIVE AND THRIVING!!!!

here's 5 images to describe my feelings throughout this episode for funsies:

[bacchuschucklefuck]

What about sorcerer Adaine? It'd keep the way her parents treated her consistent because of in that case they'd see her having the easy way of casting instead of studying to be a "proper" caster

this is a great idea!! the only reason why I'm not gonna pick it up is bc I've already locked down sorcerer for kristen haha

[jq37]

So, that lady FH episode was amazing and all, but...

Hoo boy, I already see the discourse around the Ratgrinders' fates forming and it is going to be painful. Be careful around the fandom space.

(I mean, resurrection is still on the table for them, but that's based on if the players feel like it and right now, we're looking at 50/50 odds at bests)

Yeah, don't worry about me. This isn't my first rodeo and also I post a lot about D20 and respond to asks I get but I don't actually personally engage with any of The Discourse (tm).

And I'm not really surprised at the reaction. I know people have been opinionated all season in two main camps (that have a lot of overlap): people dissatisfied with the narrative direction and people deeply sympathetic to the Rat Grinders to the point of being mad at the Bad Kids.

The first camp I mostly understand. I get wishing the cast would explore a certain storyline more. For example, I've been on the Aelwyn redemption arc train since literally the first episode of Fantasy High so I was a little disappointed that when that finally came to a head in Freshman Year, it was a big fight and then very little aftermath/unpacking because Aelwyn was sent to jail right after. And Sophomore Year hadn't been announced so I had no idea that she was gonna get another shot. But I wasn't upset or anything. Adaine at that point still hated her sister. She had no reason to want to reach out. And at the end of the day this is other people playing a game. Brennan presented them all the possible plot threads and they were most interested in self discovery, hanging out with each other, doing Shenanigans, and playing Tomb Raider re: Ankarna. Those are all options they were presented and it's not like they were doing crazy off-roading. It's well within the parameters of what D&D is. If you're gonna watch a show like this (or honestly any show), you have to accept that what's most interesting to you isn't always going to be the most interesting thing to the people in the driver's seat.

So yeah, I feel like this side of things I get (even though I'm fine with how things turned out).

The other camp--people being legit mad at the Bad Kids (and in some cases the actual cast) for treating the Rat Grinders like antagonists instead of victims that they were responsible for empathizing with and redeeming--I find kind of wild.

Like…you're mad at the kids who go to Child Murder School for killing kids who want to end the world and kill them specifically? Literally the first day of school the principal of the school says that adventurers are violent wanderers who engage in shenanigans and enact violence. This is the exact assignment they were given and that's what they're doing.

I think it's wild to at the same time believe that the Rat Grinders (who have killed people) are not responsible for their actions and deserve to be talked down while in the process of causing an apocalypse because they're just kids who were manipulated while at the same time calling the Bad Kids evil lunatics for trying to stop them by killing them (in a world where Revivify and Resurrection exist) even though they are ALSO kids who are doing what they've learned at Child Murder School. The Bad Kids have to be mature enough to thoroughly investigate the situation and have nuance about it but the Rat Grinders don't have any responsibility to not join a shady evil murder plan*? And do the Bad Kids really hate the Rat Grinders to the point where they're doing some overkill in this fight? Absolutely. But it's not like they're killing them because they hate them. They're killing them because they're trying to end the world--and they also happen to hate them. Are we forgetting that Kipperlilly killed Buddy--her own teammate--with a gleeful smile on her face? That was so out of pocket.

They're adventurers! Not guidance counselors! If Jawbone was like, "We need to kill these kids," yeah that would be weird but why would the Bad Kids extend an olive branch to the kids who (1) famously hate them, (2) killed at least one maybe 2 of their own party members, (3) endangered the entire student body population an hour ago, (4) are currently trying to end the world. Hell, Adaine was ready to be mean to her own sister in elf jail literally up until the point Brennan described how rough she looked from the torture and that's when she changed her mind. The Power of Love and Empathy is on the menu but it's a special item you only can get if you know the chef. Everyone else is getting a serving of These Hands. Just because you can find a vegan solution to a problem it doesn't mean you're obligated to.

This all comes down to, "Maybe teenagers shouldn't have godlike powers and the ability to play judge, jury, and executioner" but that's literally the premise of the entire show so you can't get around it without rejecting the show's entire premise. If they were like, "Hmm the systems that underpin our world are questionable and we should change the power structures" instead of, "Let's kill some bad guys!" then that's a totally different thing we're doing here!

And, idk man, this show has always had a Who Framed Roger Rabbit style morality where the normal rules of ethics stop applying when it's funny. They beat the crud out of Ragh and then lied to him that he shit his pants just for the bit. A pirate was rude/kinda racist to Riz so they scared him into killing himself. Riz ate the remains of the sentient (albiet evil) dragon he killed. That's all unhinged behavior but none of that is meant to be serious. Getting upset about Fig sending Ruben to hell to me feels like getting mad that Jerry hit Tom with a cartoonishly large mallet.

None of this is new so I have to assume that people are having a big reaction because they relate to the Rat Grinders or just really like them so it feels bad that the Bad Kids are treating them like fodder rather than beloved NPCs.

But again, this is a world where you can bring people back from the dead and the Rat Grinders have showed intent that is grievously neglectful at best and insanely murderous at worst so I can't muster a lot of sympathy for the fact that the Bad Kids are just taking them down without remorse. I don't think you have to try to empathize with the people who are trying to harm you if you don't want to especially while they are in the process of harming you.

(*And we still don't know how voluntarily they joined this plan. We don't know if they were killed and basically forced into resurrecting with rage or if they just leapt at the chance to join a plan that would let them get one over on their rivals. It literally could be either. We've had kid villains on this show strong armed into being party to evil plans by threat of harm (Aelwyn) as well was kid villains who just had their own selfish motivations and weren't tricked at all (Penelope and Biz). We actually don't have any clear answer on how culpable they are. We don't know if they all have rage crystals (except for Buddy). And we don't know how much having a Rage Crystal effects your actions. The best indicator we got is in this latest ep when Brennan said that there was a mechanic where Porter was going to call anyone with a rage crystal to fight for him but that says to me that he's only directly puppeting them when he uses that action and otherwise they have free will and are just angrier. The Bad Kids don't have a reason to believe definitively that the Rat Grinders are just unwilling puppets even if that is the case so of course they're treating them like enemies. Anyway, this is a whole lot of "I don't knows" but that's only because I've seen a lot of people talking like the Rat Grinders literally aren't in control of their actions but that's not info that we have. It could be true but we don't actually know that so it's not a good argument.)

[figscigfigs]

my favorite moments of episode 13 of fantasy high junior year!!!!!!:

harold and the purple crayon mention!!!!

fig running around cleaning up hell bc she didn’t know her friends were coming over

“hey man!!! i’m in charge here!!! (and i pay him)”

BILL SEACASTER IS BACK!!!!!!!!! HIS BOAT IS GETTING A TRAMP STAMP BUMPER STICKER FOR HIS OWN DARLING MAN BOY!!!!!!! (cait may’s art continues to be the best thing to happen to me bc gd he looks so so rad)

the multidad curse just got a little confused!

“i’ve got this asshole trying to win president over me” “KILL ‘EM!” “i’m this close”

FIG AND ADAINE GET GUNS!!!!!!! (deserved and overdue)

tattoo in roboto is the scariest and worst decision fabian has ever made

*talking about fabian’s nemeses* “one’s my girlfriend”

“what vandalism did you do” “i… i helped clean up”

baby’s music (“move your head, torso still”)

"¡ got a gun!!!" :) (concerned sigh) (ally perfectly mimics pok's concerned sigh)

“it is too many blessings to ask for to have good luck and the most wonderful daughter in the world” (BRENNAN IM SOBBING THATS TOO GOOD!!!!!!! I WANT TO SCREAM I LOVE YOU GILEAR AHHHHHHH)

“you have made it snowy… strange”

ankarna just being the raddest. (“she took artifacts from other pit fiends about conquest”)

adaine’s cousin’s girlfriend’s nepotism and her friend’s dance ability being the reason she makes enough money to pass her wizard classes

nara’s dad just being absolutely devastated by the loss of fleek

“i’m roma childa” “KEEP MY FUCKING BUT OUT OF YOUR MOUTH”

“sup?” “sup?” *ONSLAUGHT OF NOs* “everyone stop talking except for adaine!!! and maybe me” “oh please the ball!”

the goddess of sun and clarity married the goddess of nighttime and doubt

LOU MF WILSON PERFORMING MORE UNTRAINED SURGERY?!?!??!?!?!

fig and fabian’s field trip to the bank in matching suits (sibling bonding!!!)

[mishishiwritings]

The Bad Kids: Doubt or Certainty

So we all know of Fig and Kristen's allegiances to Ankarna and Cassandra, but I want to throw my hat in the ring about the other four bad kids.

Gorgug: In my mind, he is the clearest towards Cassandra. His doubt in his abilities is a clear example of this fact but in that doubt, he finds clarity in situations. He was somewhat the first to break out of the nightmare king's illusions and his line of "It's Gorgug, keep going" is not of righteousness but instead of doubt. That it's okay to be scared but I'm here holding your hand. That is exactly what Cassandra means in the world of spyre. (I will give a shout out to Paladin Gorgug au on ao3 which was a wonderful view of Gorgug as a champion of Ankarna. Really good stuff and helped me figure out my opinions on Gorgug's placement.)

Fabian: The other easier decision for me is Fabian towards Ankarna. Not in the violent aspects of her but in understanding and fairness. He wanted his father to understand him, to know him, to remove the doubt and mystery of how his father views him. He also channeled Ankarna well when he was defending Mazey and he is a very sure character, even if it is to his own detriment. He is sure in himself and especially in his friends and his own loyalty and that combo of Ankarna's old self and new self is most clearly seen in Fabian in Junior Year.

Adaine: Her and Riz were the hardest for me but I'm going to ultimately put her in the Cassandra camp. Not just because she is an oracle but because she spreads doubt in all that she does. Doubting her parents and their care for her and her sister. Doubt in the institutions she was involved in as the elven oracle. The most important part of that is that she shines a light on what needs to be questioned, and needs to be solved so that everyone is set to right. Out of all of the bad kids I feel like she can represent both deities the best but for the sake of my analysis I think she is more aligned to Cassandra.

Riz: The hardest to figure out and again like Adaine is a good balance of both but I am going to slot him in with Fabian and Fig in drawing on Ankarna's ideals. Yes, he focuses on mystery and puzzles but his drive and conviction in doing so speaks louder and closer to who he is at the end of the day. He fights for people to get what they deserve and that no one should remain a mystery. He is the maddest in the world and other NPCs like Kipperlily when they aren't playing fair. Fairness is so important to him and when that is broken he goes nuts. That rage and his ideas of conviction and justice in my mind make him more aligned with Ankarna.

Please let me know what you guys think in the comments.

[purrassicjet]

Sandra Lynn wishlist for her extra screen time next week(s?):

- Battle mini! Please fight in the Mountains of Choas! Maybe even a Baxter mini! She doesn't have one yet please!

- Ranger stuff!! Let's learn more about Solesian Rangers!! Brennan please I know you have cool world-building!!

- Goes apeshit if Fig gets hurt. She deserves to protect her daughter for a while. She's done being nice, she deserves to go apeshit

- SPEAKING OF GOING APESHIT: fights Bobby Dawn. Even like, an argument. I want him to try to approach her and her stop him in his tracks. I want her to chew him out for what he did to her. Get your justice queen. Ruin his life back.

- Teaches the Bad Kids Ranger stuff. Like when she taught Adaine how to make a tent. Let her teach them how to survive in the wild you know she wants to

- More moments with Jawbone. Even the little bits like we got earlier in the season. Moments like "Don't let those bastards push you around".

- Her trauma from her own mouth. This is probably the most likely to happen. When Fig (please) asks about Bobby Dawn, I want to hear what happened from her own mouth.

[moltensmusings]

Honestly, I hope Ruben is related to Professor hopclap by being his Nephew/son/cousin or whatever. Because the idea of the Rat grinders building up thoughts that the bad kids have unfair advantages when all the advantages the bad kids have mirror the Rat grinders would be so juicy. Kipperlily being a rich kid matches up with Fabian already. It would make their arguments petty and superficial, which completely tracks for teenagers.

Teenagers get emotional and reactive. This isn't me saying that teenagers are terrible people and that they're wrong for their feelings, but more so that teenagers tend to be incredibly hormonal and impulsive, which high school doesn't help. Their jealousy makes it so that all of their arguments about how unfair it is that the bad kids get preferential treatment far outweighs the sensible thought that the bad kids are just as privileged (maybe even slightly less so depending on how supportive the parents are) as the right grinders.

Sometimes, hatred you have for people doesn't make complete sense. The bad kids largely are very welcoming and friendly. Some of them can be knuckleheads, but for the most part what they do is always to help others. They're the cool kids in school even if we as the viewers don't always notice it because we see them for the dorks they are. In freshmen year they got arrested for murder charges, broke out of prison after a few months, and saved the day from the vice principal who they'd been actively investigating for months.

In sophomore year both during spring break and summer they save the world 2 more times when their spring break quest unfolded into something bigger.

They're legends at Aguefort and that means all of their classmates probably get incredibly overshadowed.

They see the accomplishments without the sacrifices. They don't think about Kristen dying in the nightmare forest and having to revive herself because no one else could or how tough it's been for her becoming disillusioned with her faith that told her she deserved to burn for who she was. She's the lesbian cleric who broke away from her faith, started 2 religions, weight lifts now, and is chill enough to run for president and jump into a pool of sauce on the back if a flaming motorcycle.

They don't think about Fig finding out she was a child of an affair leading to her father saying she was unwanted and her having to find who she was, something she's still doing. They see fig as the Rockstar revolutionary girl who befriends the outcasts, is the arch devil of fhe bottomless pit, daughter of Gorthalax, and person willing to smoke at any opportunity regardless of whether she'd get in trouble for it.

Fabian isn't a guy unlearning his ingrained toxic masculinity after killing his dad and being raised to believe money, intimidation, and brute strength were how you get through life. They see the captain of the football team who hosts parties at his massive mansion, rides a demonic motorcycle, has a mom dating the vice principal, and is a world class dancer.

Riz had to work through the death of his father at a young age, constant ridicule from peers who didn't want him, and a desperation to do whatever it takes to be wanted that he still hasn't gotten over. But most people see a classmate who has everything figured out and the ability to connect the dots at all times. Plus a nickname from the football team that's said with love.

Adaine with her social anxiety she's now medicated for, parents who never loved her, an older sister she's only barely starting to bond with, and a barely passing grade in her class because she has no money to make ends meet. But she's also the elven oracle, cool party wizard who summons mephits to chill drinks, magically gifted in truly amazing ways, and will always remember your name after speaking to you.

Gorgug who was lovingly raised but always felt disconnected due to his parents not being able to understand him, who had to push against porter for 2.5 years before finally getting a chance to be taught by someone who didn't talk down to him, trying his best but failing so often. But to most he's a football player, rock star, hyper intelligent mechanic, rebellious teen, and now dude who oinked at a fed.

We all as viewers are aware of their flaws and their awesome moments, but the school at large only knows their moments that gained them more attention. Of course the Rat grinders would become jealous and angry when things seem so much easier for them. Of course they'd perceive any instances of the bad kids being friendly as them looking down on others because obviously they're too popular to be genuine. But if the rat grinders can prove the bad kids are the horrible people they think they are and stop them from succeeding, then it just puts things right doesn't it?

[ghostlyeris]

cemetery drive

read on ao3

Mordred Manor is intimidating. 

With its sprawling graveyard and spiking tower, it seems like a house designed to harm. All sharp angles and cut corners, with little thought given to what it would be like to actually live in such a strange sanctuary.  None of the dimensions seem quite right; he’s never been inside but Oisín is almost certain that the internal dimensions don’t fit the external layout. 

He’s been standing outside for five minutes. It’s a toss-up whether it really takes that long to find anyone in the maze of a manor, or if Adaine is just making him sweat. Either one is fine. 

It’s not as if he doesn’t deserve it. 

His tail twitches with restraint as he holds it back from broadcasting his baser instincts. The last thing he wanted was for Jawbone to see how stressed he was. He would probably do something awful like ask if Oisín wants to talk about it. His fins ruffle at the very thought. He barely wants to be here. He certainly doesn’t want to talk about it. 

It’s been a long five minutes. 

Finally, the door swings open. Oisín snaps to attention as soon as he hears the doorknob squeak, working himself up to actually apologize before his cowardice gets the best of him. 

He’s ready. He has to be. He’s spent weeks staring into the cracked mirror above his dresser, reciting the apology over and over again until he could do it with his eyes closed. He’s practiced with Ivy, the only person still willing to spend real time with him until she too got sick of his shit and told him to just go do it. He’s whispered the words under his breath on the drive over, grabbing every last second until he was standing at the door asking if Adaine was home. 

None of it matters. Not in the face of her. 

Adaine stands in the doorway, leaning against the frame to hold her weight as she crosses her arms and stares him down. Even in her house clothes, soft sweatpants and cozy cardigan, she seems sharp. Oisín instinctively takes a step back; it’s only right that there be space between them. He can’t be too close to her. He doesn’t know what he would do, if only given the chance. 

It takes a few moments, just long enough for it to be awkward, before he realizes that she’s waiting for him to speak first. 

“I-Uh, I came to apologize,” he stammers out before slamming his mouth shut. So much for his script. The words vanish into vapor as he tries to grasp them, tries to gain any semblance of control over the situation he’s put himself into. 

A beautifully blonde eyebrow raises as the silence stretches on. “Well?”

“I'm sorry.” He has to force the sentence out through the thick layers of shame that settle on his shoulders every time he thinks about what he’s done. “Not just about the whole—you know—but for the party too. Especially the party.” 

He didn’t need to flirt with her. Kipperlilly had said it was a stupid plan from the start; more likely to get his heart broken than help them change the world. Even from the grave, she can’t help but be right. 

“Which one?”

Which one? “Either. Both. I shouldn't have played with your feelings like that.”

“You shouldn't have done a lot of things,” she spits out. It hits like acid, corroding through any emotional shield he may have crafted to scald his very soul. 

“Yeah, I know.” She’s still just standing there, staring him down from the stoop. He has to say something, anything, to fill the silence. So of course he chooses the worst option possible. “I don't know if it makes it better, but I did like you.”  

She goes still. “Did you?”

“I did.” The next line is a little softer. Barely more than a whisper. “I do.”

“Do you think it makes it better?” She asks. Her tone had gone flat. So even that he can’t detect anything through it. 

“...No?”

“Unbelievable.”

She scoffs, finally breaking eye contact to move back into the house. He panics as she turns to go, an overwhelming fear filling him at the thought of her leaving. It’s something primal, an emotion he can’t begin to describe but needs to sate before it consumes him.

He can’t let himself be consumed again. Never again. Even if it means humiliating himself. 

“You're just-you're so cool!” The words spill out, one after another like a flood finally dropping after hours of mere drizzling. “Adaine, you're amazing and impressive and everything you do is awe-inspiring.” He can’t stop, no matter how stormy her expression gets. “You killed a dragon. You saved the world. You’re the Elven Oracle! Ever since freshman year you've been larger than life, how was I ever going to talk to you?”

Adaine stares. And then she laughs. 

It starts small. A minor hitch in her chest. He almost thinks it’s a hiccup, the way her chest jumps but then it happens again. And again. A moment later he can hear the rumble. It builds in her throat, louder and louder like rolling thunder until it billows out of her in shocking, staticky waves. 

Oisín has seen Adaine angry before. Oisín has made Adaine angry before, as stupid as he knew it was. He had always been invisible to her before. Someone she didn’t see. But he had hoped—prayed—that maybe if she could just feel it too, that if she just understood what it was like, then when they raised a new god into the heavens that she would be by his side.

It was stupid. Foolish. Incredibly reckless. 

And maybe if past-Oisín had seen what he’s seeing now, he would have understood just how bad of a plan that had been.

Oisín has seen Adaine angry before. But Oisín has never seen her this furious before. 

Magic runs through his veins. It sparks under his skin every time the fabric of the universe shifts. And Adaine rears back up, his blood burns.

She’s not even casting a spell. Magic simply ignites with her rage. 

“Larger than life, huh. Oisín, the only reason I'm at Aguefort is because I failed the Hudol entrance exam after having a panic attack in a testing room of three-hundred people and puking on my neighbor.” 

Her voice raises with each sentence, as the house bellows behind her. Places as intimidating as this often have deep magic seeped into its bones. They’re violent. Reactive. Protective and petty in equal parts. Adaine stands in the doorway of Mordred Manor as she screams and Oisín can feel the malice from them both. 

“I've spent my entire life an embarrassment to my parents and now I have to spend my summer hunting down my mom, again, so I can kill her since for some fucking reason she refuses to stop being evil! My life is one catastrophic disaster after the next, and for once, you made me feel normal!” 

Out of the corner of his vision, he sees the silhouette of another lean blonde elf watching through a window. Joy. They have an audience. The elf jauntily waves and he winces. 

“For once, I was a normal girl doing normal things and having a normal life. There was a normal cute boy who made me feel normal feelings like everyone else just gets to have. And what I got in return was being humiliated for even having the hope that I could ever feel that way about someone.” 

And then the worst possible outcome happens. She breaks. 

The house crashes back down, creaking as air rushes out every opening it can find. Her voice hitches as she bites her lip. She’s staring at the ground. “But maybe I'm just the stupid one. I should have known better from the start.” 

“I-” 

The words won’t come. He’s had the wind knocked out of him, left with nothing else to say, no way to react to this paradigm shift Adaine has dropped on his head. 

She looks back up at him. There’s tears in her eyes. “I defended you to my friends, Oisín.” 

“I'm sorry.” It’s the only thing he can say. 

“I know you are.” She turns back away. “Get out of my house.” 

He doesn’t stop her this time.

Adaine Abernant hates him. 

At least they have one thing in common. 

[fantasy-mixtapes]

Adaine Abernant Fantasy High Freshman Year Charactet Playlist

She deserves everything in the world and more

Genres include: alternative, pop, and pop punk

[itbeleeeee]

Just finished Fantasy High: Junior Year, which was once again a great feat of storytelling on both Brennan, the Heroes, and the art department's parts. This season was really clean in terms of dealing with upper level D&D, and the story and the battles were done very well. I enjoyed it a lot, and it did make me tear up in some moments, which was what I was expecting because the Bad Kids do hold a very dear place in my heart, and everyone that takes part in this story does their job with so much precision and love that we can all see it.

Specifically in terms of story I do think focusing on the school part of this universe, and how Brennan did downtime was a good change of pace because it was different to how we'd seen the world of Spyre before. As an American and having experienced my own junior year, this was all very accurate and did make me cringe in places because it DID hit a little too close to home, so good job on Brennan for that. I also think the Heroes did really good with figuring out where their story would go, and how different they all went with it (Adaine needing money vs Fabian trying to become the most popular guy in school). You go through a lot of change junior year because it's the prelude to becoming an Actual Adult so there's so much thrown at you at once, and both the mechanic and the character choices all reflected that super well.

I also thought all the battles were super good, especially the Last Stand. There is nothing I love more than seeing the Heroes flex their battle muscles, and showing how well they all understand the mechanics and the characters they've built. It's always a joy to watch people do something they're good at, so that will always make watching them flip through sheets of paper and roll some dice an enjoyable time.

In general, this was the Heroes at their peak. They've stepped it up every time, and I expect that for the next season, if/when they choose to do one. I devoured this season like I have past ones, and I enjoyed every minute of it. Seeing the Bad Kids in action is always a treat, and I give my love to everyone who worked on this season, because they deserve every bit of it. Wonderful job gang <3

Here is the ranking thus far (in chronological order):

Fantasy High: 8/10

Fantasy High Sophomore Year: 9/10

Fantasy High Junior Year: 10/10

Unsleeping City: 7/10

Unsleeping City II: 8/10

A Crown of Candy: 9/10

A Starstruck Odyssey: 10/10

Neverafter: 10/10

[theology101]

LEAVE MY BABYGIRL ALONE

This man has been nothing but the best for his students, even if they didn’t always get it.

Let’s get something out of the gate - as a Stone Genasi and Oath of the Ancestors, if he was connected to any of the Giant Gods, it would probably be either the one tied to Fall or Spring (My money is on a Cloud Giant for spring and Stone Giant for Fall) and NOT the summer oriented Fire Giant God. It’d make more sense that his Oath of Ancestors means that he’s probably tied to the Stone over the Fire.

And this is all assuming that Porter worships a Giant God - the man isn’t even a giant. Lucy was a Genasi who followed a Giant God, that doesn’t nesacarily mean that Porter is also a Genasi following a Giant God. We don’t even know if he follows a God, it could easily just be an Elder Earth Elemental or like, Peepaw Cliffbreaker. Paladins have oaths, not gods - its just that oaths are sworn most often to Gods that they get it wrong

Anyways - Rage.

Do you think that Brennan Lee Mulligan thinks Rage is bad? Like, this id a narrative and it has a message - and that message probably is not going to end up being ‘Anger is bad.’ Because it ISNT.

Lydia has been in a rage for decades. Put that into perspective a DnD rage is meant to last Ten Rounds - 1 minute - with at most like, 4-5 uses a day. Lydia, for the safety of herself and the world, has been at it for over twenty years.

Adaine was so angry with her dad she killed him, and that moment was justified and cathartic! It was a hell yeah! And it was a moment of raw fucking rage.

“Do you have a warrant? Do you have a fucking warrant?” Gorgug my boy for the first time in your entire life you allowed yourself to get angry without self recrimination or doubt. And you know what Porter’s reaction to that was?

Pride. Absolute Pride.

“Rage is not a bad thing - Ayda… says you’re the greatest wizard of this age. And I feel LUCKY to have you in my class. You’re someone who can use that rage in a smart way but it’s not wrong to want… to fuck shit up sometimes!”

You want to know whats dangerous? What’s bad for you? Bottling up your emotions and never expressing them. Feeling terrible for what you’re feeling. Thinking your emotions are harmful intrinsically.

This is another Nightmare King circumstance. A God and their spouse were murdered, by Sol. People forget that a lot, Sol murdered Cassandra and now we learned it was a double homicide. Does this Summer God of Fire not deserve to feel angry? Is that not justified?

IT IS!

The Rat Grinders are the only followers of this Rage God. What they are is what the Rat Grinders want. As Above, so Below.

If Fig does as Porter told her to, she could restore this God just as Kristen did with Cassandra. If terror and confusion can turn into comfort in doubt, why can’t Unchecked Fury turn into justified expression of emotion?

[voxmilia]

Tell me about Adaine :D

Send me a character and I'll ramble

Ily, thank you for indulging my hyperfixations! 🥰

Also tagging @ghostlyeris and @shackld bc they also sent in Adaine jhdalshd loving Adaine is my brand ig (it's an excellent brand)

Under the cut bc I rambled so goddamn much

My first impression: "oh...oh wait help her voice is so soft, oh she had a panic attack at her entrance exam? Oh baby 🥺"

My impression now: "that's my GIRL, that's my GIRL, she's got a gun and a magical punching spell and she's gonna kill everyone who hurts her or her friends"

Favorite thing about that character: She's so endlessly caring. She's been put through the absolutely wringer and yes, she's guarded about it. But she's so, so kind. She has downtime and she offers to clean her friend's closet or throw an ice cream party. She uses her jacket that can produce anything (under 10 gold) and 90% of the time uses it to get stuff for her friends. She's three for three on helping redeem wizard antagonists, she's amazing

Least favorite thing: It's more least favorite in that I love her so much, I want her to have nice things? But narratively, it makes sense. She's so guarded and independent because she's had to be. And so that means now she struggles to accept help and open herself up especially to parental affection. And it just breaks my heart, seeing how far she's come but how far she has to go to let herself be loved the way she deserves.

Favorite line/scene: Her and Aelwyn in sophomore year is imprinted on my brain forever. In Fallinel wizard jail, holding the broken shell of her big sister in Kei Lumenura, the confrontation in the nightmare forest. "I do not love our parents and though you have not earned it? I do love you." TEARS. EVERY TIME.

Runner up goes to any scene with her and Jawbone - the iconic "You're not a coward, Adaine, you're just sick, you need medicine!" and the equally iconic "You're easy to love. And anyone who couldn't figure that out is a real bozo."

Third place goes to the ping pong table scenes, both of them. The amount of times I quote "ONE GUY OFFERED ME DIAMONDS AND I RAN AWAY" in dms is so funny

Also obviously "MAGIC IS REAL AND SO IS MY FROG!!!!!!!"

Favorite interaction that character has with another: beyond the above examples with her and Aelwyn, her and Jawbone, and her and Oisin? It's so silly but I'll always have a soft spot for her and Zayn in the opening to sophomore year. "You may absolutely tread upon my sanctum santorum!"

Also ofc any interaction with her and Ayda so I'm SO glad we got that moment in junior year where they were shading each other. Their friendship means the fucking world to me. They made each other spells, I'm forever tender about that

A character that I wish that character would interact with more: After junior year, I have to say Sandra Lynn! Their scene was incredibly sweet!! She's her dad's girlfriend and the closest thing to a mother figure she has, they deserve to have a moment! Also in a similar vein, Tracker! Tracker is not only her adoptive cousin but also her former roommate - she lived with Tracker nearly as long as she's lived with Kristen and about as long as she's lived with Fig, I'm so curious about their dynamic.

Another character from another fandom that reminds me of that character: it's not at all a one to one but my immediate thought was Annette Dominic. Just? Idk something about incredibly studious girls who don't know how to relax and just be kids, who had to grow knowing they were abandoned or neglected by their parents and had to find the love they deserve in a group of school friends? Idk!! I think they'd be friends. Adaine would offer to kill Gilbert

A headcanon about that character: Though it's her legal name, Adaine doesn't really refer to herself as an O'Shaughnessy, mostly out of habit. At her college graduation ceremony, she insists on being announced as Adaine Abernant-O'Shaughnessy. Jawbone cries.

A song that reminds of that character: So I haven't started her playlist and didn't wanna just pull something from mine and Nick's ship playlist for her and Oisin, so I just looked on Spotify and 🥺 Someone gave her Waiting on a Miracle from Encanto and that breaks my heart, so I have to say that one.

An unpopular opinion about that character: I'm ambivalent on the glasses. I like her with or without them. I know most folks seem to think that's just canon but personally I'm way more team "Riz definitely has a tail" than "Adaine definitely has glasses"

Favorite picture: HOW DO I CHOOSE, let me highlight a few of my faves:

the absolutely iconic princess mononoke moment with oisin,

this heartbreaking art of adaine and aelwyn while aelwyn is still imprisoned in sophomore year

this gorgeous bad kids group shot that I use currently as my tupperbox icon for adaine

this stunning and tragic parallel with adaine and the previous elven oracle

[allthecastlesonclouds]

wait can we pls see your fh ship chart???

yeah! here ya go :)

i'm not sure how legible it is bc i mostly made it for my own enjoyment but you can click on it to see it slightly more clearly and the description is in alt/below cut :3

and this isn't even including my t7 ships! just fh!

figgorgug- Sig Figs my beloved figadaine- would you destroy the world for your best friend? / yes, every time. figayda- the girlfriends ever aydaine (?): ✨wizards✨ adaine/oisin: pending jy- he's very nice adaine/fabian: they let each other feel fabian/mazey: pending jy- BARDS fabragh: they deserve nice things <3 thistlecaster: fellas is it gay to be your bro's respite in a forest of nightmares? gorgug/ragh: i just think they're cute owlbears: HOOT GROWL donospring: ✨barbarians✨

trackerbees is pending bc. that phone call was uncomfy. but also! they're teens! they're allowed to fuck up!

riz is just vibing :)

[theinvulnerabletide]

Also this is a world where revivication magic exists. the bad kids don't have TIME to knock their enemies out, where they could get healed and brought up to be a nuisance again.

The safest and most expedient thing for everyone is to mow the Rat Grinders down as quickly as possible so they're not in the way, defeat Porter and save the world, and then the authorities can resurrect the Rat Grinders.

(and kill her again in a more satisfying way if Kipperlily insists on continuing to be terrible).

Like am I disappointed that Ivy and Ruben are the only ones that got any banter so far? Yeah. I would have liked some "Adaine deserves better" from gorgug when he smashed oisin. Am I a Rat Grinder apologist who thinks it would it have been ""nicer"" to try and talk them around. Sure. But like, hell, I get it.

"the ratgrinders, traumatised and manipulated teens, could have been redeemed if that subplot was explored and developed more" and "the bad kids, also traumatised, and in a life/death situation, are not responsible for healing these fellow kids" are opinions that can and should co-exist

[thisaliennerd]

i can't stop thinking about aelwyn and sandra lynn bonding over their destructive coping mechanisms, and how it's really hard to get better for themselves, but they want to get better for adaine and fig respectively.

just...sandra lynn wanting to help aelwyn because no one ever helped her. reaching out to aelwyn because she knows aelwyn's struggling with her morality and feeling like they don't deserve love, and sandra lynn KNOWS how that feels. and aelwyn breaks down and confesses that she doesn't know how to move forward and even though they know they shouldn't, sometimes she misses their old life and her mother. sandra lynn validates them and she holds aelwyn in her despair the way she wished someone had done for her when she was their age. and from that point, aelwyn gets so much more comfortable around sandra lynn and in mordred manor.

they like jawbone but just didn't have the connection adaine had with him, so she always felt out of place, but now she has this relationship with sandra lynn. sandra lynn isn't the most maternal person in the world, but she cares, and aelwyn has never had a positive relationship with an older woman before, so sometimes their relationship is maternal, sometimes it's more sisterly than anything else. aelwyn learns to let their guard down and trust someone who isn't adaine, let someone else love her, and both of them continue down their respective recovery journeys helping each other along the way

[creacherkeeper]

SUFFER WITH ME. adaine and aelwyn role reversal au (like, aelwyn joins bad kids but adaines still the oracle)

aelwyn was unpredictable. she'd play nice in front of her parents, but the second their backs were turned, you didn't know what she was going to do. was she fueled by spite, fear, self-loathing, boredom? it depended on the day. the thing about aelwyn was that she was a betrayer. to her own self-interests, most of all

adaine was ... predictable. she was angry. and that was most of it. the thing about anger is that once it appears, you aim it at a problem, and it destroys and demolishes and deconstructs until the problem is gone

adaine was angry

and kalina liked that very, very much

angry at your parents? work for me instead. angry at your school? work for me instead. angry at the world, at life, at circumstance itself?

you get it

aelwyn always had some plan, some plot, whether it was to enchant the remote control so adaine couldn't use it, or for far more dangerous things. kalina didn't like that. she was the one who was supposed to plan and plot and control and manipulate. she didn't need some punk like aelwyn messing things up

one of the sweetest things about adaine - grape from the vine sweet, too big, juice dripping down your chin like blood - was that she'd never been accepted. never understood. never been shown a lick of kindness from her parents or her sister or the world. and so when kalina would wrap an arm around her shoulders and say, doesn't that make you angry, sweet girl? don't you think you deserve more? adaine would agree. she was an angry child. some part of her recognized that the lot she'd been given in life was not one she had earned. and when kalina was the one pointing that out, cooing over her split knuckles, looking through her eyes while the world bruised and battered her ... well. kalina found it delectable. too easy, if there ever was such a thing

the next one will be you, you know, kalina says the day before the harpy sets sail. people would respect you. they'd treasure you, like i do

aelwyn was smart. she was always planning, plotting, whether for kicks or validation or drugs or some little treasure that she only cared for out of spite. the other thing about aelwyn was that she did love her sister. whether or not she'd ever say that out loud was another matter. so when she hears about the bad kids--this group of aguefort students who, aelwyn knows, even if they don't see it themselves yet, are starting to unravel the darker machinations of their quaint suburban town--aelwyn knows what she has to do

i have information, she says to riz one day, out in the parking lot of the academy where everyone else is keen to ignore him, i'll tag along with your little group, for now. don't let it go to your heads

what she doesn't say is this:

something has ahold of my sister. something i don't understand. she'll see me coming from a mile away. she's the oracle now, after all. i'd never say it out loud, but i'd do anything to save her. i can't do it myself. i don't think she'd even let me. i need help. please.

and that's how aelwyn becomes a bad kid. an unsteady arrangement for all involved. she fights with them. she helps them. they begin to unweave the tapestry that is elmville and the hellmouth and kalvaxus. they don't find kalina. not yet. but aelwyn is persistent. she'll tolerate these people, for now, as it gets her closer. they aren't friends. not that she would admit

and through it all, through riz's eyes, kalina watches