#but Riz gets it

[clownjacket]

Okay my ‘why Kipperlily hates Riz’ theory: She handed out business cards first day, he handed out business cards first day, she’s tiny, he’s tiny, they’re both obviously overeager teacher’s pet type A rogues, they’re like male and female versions of each other and it’s obvious to everyone. What would most high schoolers do, in that situation, seeing another kid so similar to your friend on the first day that they somehow BOTH made business cards to hand out at school? AND they’re going to be taking classes together? You say “Omg, he’s literally the boy version of you, you’re SOULMATES, you’d be perfect together!” And what do you do when your type A tight-ass friend acts embarrassed by that? You tease her about it more obviously. You think it’s just good natured ribbing, and she KNOWS it’s just good natured ribbing, but for some reason she gets unreasonably angry any time she sees Riz after that. Maybe even uncomfortable? But she KNOWS she doesn’t have a crush on him, so why does it bother her so much?

[bitemarx]

[never coming out, never coming clean]

so is baron just in the briefcase now.

[the-greatest-magic-of-all]

Some quick Bad Kids (with their Junior Year updates) as Text Posts (+ 1 tweet)

[moonlightmagical]

the “pressure is kind of my thing” quote from riz being a reply to his mother as he tries to keep a smile on his face as his mom explains their bleak financial situation and how a perfect gpa still probably won’t be enough to get into higher education in the face of a world in which knowledge is paywalled is another type of heartbreaking

[writer-and-thrasher]

I get why the real-life players are mad about the Rat Grinders doing power leveling -- like, that's fucking annoying. I get it.

But I love Riz's anger about it. I need more of that, to be honest. What do you mean, he's had to save the world 3 times and he's maybe 17? What do you mean, his friends have died in front of him over and over? What do you mean, after all of that, it's still not enough to keep his mom from worrying about his future? What do you fucking mean???

Gorthalax said that the fucking Rat Grinders have killed like 80,000 rats. At 10XP a pop, that's 800,000 XP just for the rats. Which puts them at, like, level 12 or 13 or something when you divide it up.

They didn't have to die or watch their friends die. They weren't kidnapped by a mirror person or confronted with watching their parents be interrogated in hell. They got to go into the forest after school for hours and kill tiny forest creatures over and over.

It didn't have to be this way. None of this had to happen. They got a fuck ton of trauma (that they're only vaguely dealing with, really, if that) and pain and time spent away from their loved ones and birthdays missed and none of it had to happen.

So yeah, fuck the Rat Grinders. But, more than that, fuck the whole fucking thing.

[midnightfox450]

The fact that Riz Gukgak (the boy who doesn't know how to take a break, who is deeply afraid of drifting apart from his friends, who "has a hard time connecting to his dearest friends unless he can feel useful") was the one who manifested a creature that forced The Bad Kids to work together again and robbed them of having a proper summer break is so poetic.

[adrastea-moon]

love that fabian and riz were originally designed to be the quintessential preppy jock and outcast nerd stereotypes, but with each new season riz is more of a cool guy while fabian becomes increasingly lamer <3

[hamable]

Brennan pulling out Real Test Papers and a Real Two Minute Timer is one of the scariest things I’ve ever seen on this show

[alaydbug]

i've missed them all terribly so

[twinstxrs]

idk if this is accurate but i’ve felt like in previous seasons riz & gorgug have been one of the inter-bad kids dynamics we’ve seen the least of & this season has been so great in that aspect. gorgug having helped make some of riz’s magic gear. riz helping gorgug with his studies. the shared birthday party. gorgug’s gift to riz being something he himself made to protect riz. riz’s gift to gorgug being something he illegally grabbed to protect gorgug. gorgug who utilizes rage to put his body on the line for his friends & riz who will take deep levels of mental stress for his friends. even though it was within the context of a joke, riz calling gorgug an “absolute sweetie.” like yea they might not be in a band together or both part of a presidential campaign team or owlbears teammates, but they’d go to war for each other, because they’re best friends.

[carrotchipper]

*drops this and pirouettes away*

[star-wrld]

someone has to sit down riz and walk him through fantasy fafsa and help him figure out if he is eligible for a fantasy pell grant or fantasy g.i. bill

[hi-intrepid-heroes]

the bad kids + text posts: riz 'the ball' gukgak edition

[satisfactuality]

I have always loved the paladin!riz headcanons regardless, but this season actually sets up SUCH a funny reasoning for it,,

please, just, riz multiclassing as a paladin of cassandra just so kristen will fucking pass

[starstruckodysseys]

uh, yeah, i have rizz *carefully unloads riz gukgak from my backpack*

[h4lftruths4ndhyperb0le]

Junior year promo really said “it’ll be a fun time” as though friendship and financial and academic struggles aren’t a million times more soul-crushing than fantasy adventure hijinks