#i want to know about lucy and kipperlilly's dynamic

[psychopomping]

the tragedy of the rat grinders wanting to be heroes before this all started and the bad kids being forced yet again to save the world because no one else can or will. the tragedy of lack of choice.

[deconstructthesoup]

Been thinking about how the Ratgrinders' relationships with each other would evolve from here... and this might be a hot take, but I actually think it would get slightly better.

Sure, there's the trauma that Lucy has of seeing her friends taken over by rage and killing her. There's the fact that Oisin and Ivy remember stuff, and Ruben doesn't remember anything. And there's the fact that Mary Ann... well, she seemed largely apathetic to everything, but seeing as she immediately asked Gorgug out as soon as she got resurrected, I'd have to say that she only appears apathetic now, as opposed to actually being apathetic.

But they're not grinding rats in the woods anymore, because that was Kipperlilly's idea. They have the opportunity to go on real, actual quests, where they can learn and connect and actually grow as a team. And you know what? It's the perfect opportunity to explore their dynamics, if we ever get a season with them a la The Seven.

Give me a scene where Oisin, Ivy, and Mary Ann are roasting people together, which eventually evolves into them just trying their hardest to make each other laugh. Give me a scene where Ruben plays a quiet little ukulele tune to calm Lucy down when she starts having flashbacks. Give me a scene where Mary Ann and Lucy are quietly curled up together, playing Quokki Pets and giving each other gameplay tips. Give me a scene where Ivy and Lucy are doing each other's hair and makeup after one of them has had a hard day and they need to unwind. Give me a scene where Oisin notices that Ruben's lagging behind and he just picks him up and carries him on his shoulders---because even now that he's not shatterstarred, he's still a lot stronger than he used to be, and maybe he might take a level in paladin, just for a little extra healing factor. Give me a scene where Ruben and Mary Ann run into battle stacked on top of each other and by the end of it they're both giggle-laughing and play-shoving each other because oh my god that was so dumb and your stupid puka shells kept on getting in my face. Give me a scene where Oisin sheepishly asks Mary Ann if she could put in a good word for him for Adaine and she immediately tells the rest of the party, causing them to tease him for the rest of the night until one of them---maybe it's Lucy, maybe it's Ivy---quietly tells him that it's okay, that he's not that person anymore, and maybe it might work out. Give me a scene where Ivy wordlessly carves little trinkets and bracelets out of wood and gives them to Ruben, because while it's still hard for her to say what she really thinks, she still wants to show them that she really does care.

Idk, man. I think they could be a great party.

[ratgrinders]

It be really funny if we have a senior year campaign and Kipperlily and Lucy are still dating and like Kipperlily might not be planning assassinations anymore (I like to think as a peace move kristan makes her the student consul treasure because embezzlement could be where she thrives) but she’s still kind of vaguely evil and we get to have a Hallariel moment where Lucy is asked about if she’s okay with this and Lucy is just like “I liked her before the rage crystal and she was still like this.”

And yknow….if the bad kids are going to go on and be grand adventurers and superheroes they’ll need a reliable rogue gallery and maybe that’s who the ratgrinders are gonna be.

Kipperlilly would THRIVE in embezzlement ABSOLUTELY!!!!!!!!! Although I'm not sure she'd ever accept a position as a consolation prize, esp from her Worst Enemy™️. I'm picturing any situation where Kristin and Kipperlilly on the same leadership council as carnage. Absolute Carnage. There'd be no survivors. Unstoppable force (Kipperlilly's unflinching work ethic and Type A management style) meets Immovable Object (Kristin "main campaign strategy was giving speeches at the steelworkers union, who Cannot Vote" Applebees).

And YESSS that's EXACTLY how I picture it. Look imo Lucy's gotta be at least a LITTLE unhinged to be friends with all the Rat Grinders in the first place and that 100% extends to Kipperlilly. "Your girlfriend looks like she wants to kill me" "I know, isn't she cute <3".

AND YEAHHH ok my Ideal for the Rat Grinders is that their rage simmers down a bit but they still have some beef with the bad kids, just in a friendlier(?) high school rivalry way. I want Fig and Ruben constantly dissing each other and competing for #1 on the charts. I want Oisin and Adaine enemies to snarky academic rivals who constantly try to show each other up but who can eventually become friends(?). More Kristin and Buddy "you and what god?" "yours only came back once". PEAK Rat Grinders/Bad Kids dynamic to me is one where they can still be competitive and little shits to each other, just in a way healthier way this time.

[beauteousevil]

I wanna know all of The Rat Grinders motivations soooo bad

Kipperlilly: pretty thoroughly explored because Riz is her counterpart and he sleuthed the shit out of her backstory. I'm more curious on her and Lucy and the High 5 Heroes dynamic 👁👁

Ruben: got a glimpse because of Fig's psychological warfare but still not 100%. So he was some Nevershoutnever! ukulele kinda guy mad that Fig was more famous? Or was that just the rage and the death of Lucy sent him on a spiral? Both?

Buddy: as said in the last episode, "point him in a direction and he runs", just around to be a cleric, a reminder of Kristin in season one, and a pawn for Bobby Dawn.

Mary Ann: truly who knows. we don't even know if she has any strong feelings against Gorgug beyond willing to hurt him to get on The Owlbears, but we don't even know why she's on The Owlbears.

Ivy: Fabian's counterpart who kind of tried flirting with him and is shitty about Mazey. Does she have grief with Fabian's family? Part of the ancestral line of the plot (bringing back older families/elf nobility/dragons into power)? Her and Oisin don't seem to even like Kipperlilly so truly no clue on her goals.

Oisin: Adaine's counterpart who for sure was flirty with her but that could have just been a ploy (ping pong balls and possibly giving her botched spell ingredients). They make a point to say he was real scrawny and only recently became more traditionally attractive which seems like could be his motive... but then it means, so far, everyone attracted to Adaine has been an incel weirdo and I don't want that for her lol