#thread: downtime

[demodraws0606]

People complaining about Tsukasa5 already are pissing me off, because like, it's so unbelievably obvious what this event is trying to do and the fact that people are so hung up on "urgh dur tsukasa strong why can't he do a wall climb".

Like, first of all, a lot of Tsukasa's strength has been used as comedy before and also it's never been said that Tsukasa could specifically do a wall climb before so people calling this a retcon or a stretch is really dumb to me.

Sure we can make jokes about it, but this is not like a serious writing problem or anything.

Also are we just gonna ignore the fact this event is literally just a reference to his 3rd event in a silly trenchcoat. Or the fact that this is obviously meant to be WxS's downtime and training arc to prepare them to face the loose plotpoints in the future?

His inner dialogue when chasing the ninja is very clearly a reference to the whole Pheonix thing, how he can't reach it no matter how hard he tries.

The wall climb is like an extremely fucking on the nose metaphor to him climbing over his issues as an actor.

THERE IS ALSO THE WHOLE THING THAT HINTS THAT TSUKASA CAN ONLY OVERCOME HIS PROBLEMS IF HE HAS HELP FROM OTHERS (AKA tsukasa would've literally BEEN INJURED, if it wasn't for the fact the troupe's leader was there).

In fact this literally followed an event aka Tsukasa 4 where he FAILED to do his role correctly.

It's almost like this event is meant to be a transition point between Tsukasa 4 and 6, where Tsukasa builds up the knwoledge on how to face his problems.

But no this is just mid event because it's very silly and "wow plot is stupid why can't tsukasa wall climb".

WxS fans are slowly just turning into VBS fans in terms of how whiney they're being i swear

[judassamara]

Sometimes, when he wanted to get away from things, he would visit Naz for a bit of quiet, and a bit of flirting too. She was nice, kept to herself and didn't mind who he was or what they did for work. They also respected how she had taken over her husband's work. She was tough, though he thought that of a lot of women he knew.

"Looks like business might be booming soon," They commented as they entered, noting that she was still working. With a killer on the loose, she might have more business than she could hope for, or even want. "You know, if you are looking for some extra security, I'm happy to start visiting you in the evenings, maybe even stay the night."

@naz-ulusoy

[altrxisme]

me: thought would have more time to do replies, was excited to do so the universe: fuck you

[needlenxggin]

Just a quick lil heads up! For the people who have been waiting for replies and stuff from me I'm sorry it's taken me so long to get around to our stuff OTL

I've been re-iconing the whole of Stampede because my first batch of icons were rushed so I had things to use. I'm almost done, though! (2 episodes to go!) and when I'm done I'll be able to properly focus on all my replies and stuff! It's just making these icons the way I do can sometimes take me almost all day lmao (I go frame by frame manually pausing as I go through an episode) I just jump on to reply to what I have really strong muse for inbetween icons.

But, once I'm done, I'll be able to focus on all my replies soon uwu

[gaolerdeathmetal]

Hey I have about 15 mil treasure I want to turn to gems, if anyone has gems they wanna trade for 1:1000 feel free to open a trade with Unsanctum :)

[highaver]

@ltnsingh. call.

ㅤ“ I've heard a lot about you. ” Balfour has decided that it can't hurt to get to know the people he's working alongside. Especially since they'll be working closely together for the immediate future. He smiles, a little awkward, as tends to be his way when he's really trying. “ The captain - he speaks quite highly of you. I'm glad we'll be working together. Though, I'm sure we both wish it was under better circumstances. ”

[hyaciiintho]

🌸｡*ﾟ+. Adriel Live Reaction to seeing their friend's threads where their muses are being flirted with and getting mildly saucy--

[wildcard777]

i was willing to give ch4 a pretty pass but idk im sooo sad.. i wanted lore to get attached to but lately it feels like theyre just trying to be cryptic with no follow through..... the nothing! the unseen! whaaa triarch nox doesn't want you near the terminal!!!! what even IS the terminal .

like ok the roots and stuff definitely mean the herald is going to reappear but tbh im not threatened by it.. like she blew up the island yes but the live event was so disappointing . I was ready to get into ""The Ageless Champion"" lore or whatever and now him AND stellan are gone....... choosing to believe this is all brie larson's fault /j

[rebelichor]

🌙 — Like or comment on this post for a small starter.

[fakezircon]

It's Done!

Three months of work from start to finish! All so I could finally present to the world:

Pocket, Minecraft Edition:

Some standard rambles and fun progress images under the cut :)

So, I started this project in early August, mostly as something I could do during downtime of a then upcoming trip.

I had seen some absolutely amazing art pieces by @royalnaym which kinda gave me the idea that minecraft rendered in pixel art has a pretty interesting while still very recognizable look. At the same time I came across @groupcritpowerdynamics 's speedrun pastel pieces and those really inspired me to try depicting my favourite game in one of my favourite mediums!

In the middle of August 6th, while in the middle of packing for my trip to the UK, I decided I wanted to do this and I wanted to have it to work on during the trip, so I loaded up minecraft and went looking for a screenshot worthy of immortalization. Unfortunately I couldn't find exactly what I was looking for so I made a brand new world and started looking around for the right vibes.

I knew I wanted a lone tree, and that if I ended up including the hot bar I wanted some hearts and food missing, so after running around for a few minutes I decided I would just do it myself and planted a sapling to serve as my centrepiece.

I gotta say I think the resemblance is striking!

And now as promised, the progress gif: mind the slight flashing, I did take these in all manner of different places including but not limited to: a plane, a handful of buses, and a small inn on the shores of England (not in that order).

It's pretty neat to me that you can see how different tones of lighting affect the perceived colour of the thread, I definitely noticed it more on this piece verses other larger stitch projects.

[more-than-a-princess]

WHEW.

Save for two replies that I'm giving myself a little grace period for (my drafts count has been broken on tumblr for awhile), all starters and asks are queued.

And mostly to give myself a small rest (and not burn out!), I'm going to keep with my original plan and switch my queue back to posting 2x/day on Sunday. Unless I get a bunch of things back tomorrow, though I'll update again if that's the case.

In the meantime, I'm happy to plot, chat OOC, or do simple crack/dashcomm/anything that doesn't need to be turned into a thread. I plot best on discord: if you need my discord handle and we're mutuals, please reach out and ask!

I may have poured myself a celebratory glass of wine but I deserve it!

[xvysarene]

ℍ𝕖𝕒𝕣𝕥𝕙 𝕒𝕟𝕕 ℍ𝕠𝕞𝕖

Pairing: LADS Men (+ Caleb) x Fem!Reader Prompt: Husband material & domestic life Words: ~1.4k || 300-400 per LI Genre: Fluff, Comfort, Suggestive (if you blink), Established relationship A/N: Another request by my sis @brailsthesmolgurl. It's quite a challenge writing in this kind of short format, but I love how it turned out!

[ᝰ.ᐟ MASTERLIST]

⊱ 𝕏𝕒𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕣

Xavier keeps a watchful eye, a beacon of reassurance in a world filled with uncertainty.

Regular check-ins during the day such as “𝑁𝑒𝑒𝑑 𝑎𝑛𝑦𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔?”, “𝑇𝘩𝑖𝑛𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑜𝑓 𝑈”, and “𝐻𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑈 𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑛?” are gentle reminders that he’s there for you.

Whether it be a hand on your back, positioning himself on the street side to shield you from the oncoming traffic, or ensuring your comfort before taking a seat, his subtle acts affirm his protective nature.

You won’t feel his watchfulness to be intrusive; he respects your boundaries and independence, believing that his role is to enhance your safety and well-being, not to control you.

Like a ray of tranquility amidst the raging storm, Xavier's composed approach keeps the frictions between you both from escalating.

The flames of anger will be extinguished, restoring harmony, unity, and equilibrium.

Evenings are reserved for cuddles, finding solace from the chaos of the outside world, enveloped in the warmth of each other's embrace.

Though you’re still hesitant to let him near the cooktop or oven, he has mastered the art of preparing hot chocolates for your downtime.

The soft grumbles escaping his lips as you pause threading through his hair brings out a chuckle from you.

Teasingly, you ask what his associates at UNICORNS would say if they witnessed the fierce hunter yielding to a head scratch.

When no reply comes, you assume he has fallen asleep. But in a sudden blur of movement, Xavier is on top of you, one hand firmly pinning yours down.

“𝑌𝑜𝑢 𝑘𝑛𝑜𝑤, 𝑑𝑎𝑟𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔, 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑛𝑒𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑎𝑠𝑘 𝑖𝑓 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑚𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑠𝘩𝑜𝑤 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝘩𝑜𝑤 𝑓𝑖𝑒𝑟𝑐𝑒 𝐼 𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝑏𝑒,” the low whispered words and the scent of chocolate wafting off him sends a delicious shiver down your spine.

As you meet his smouldering gaze, you're reminded once more that beneath his calm exterior lies an untamed passion waiting to be unleashed.

His other hand has embarked on its journey, its touch electrifying, sending excitement coursing through your veins.

⊱ ℝ𝕒𝕗𝕒𝕪𝕖𝕝

Rafayel may be a maestro in allocating his focus and attention to several people at once, a skill developed by his job of entertaining the crowd.

But, when you’re by his side, you can be certain that his attention will solely be on you.

Unabashed physical affection—fingers interlacing with yours, an arm wrapping around you, or giving you a quick kiss—and the variety of nicknames (wifey, doll, babe, among others) he uses even in public leaves no doubt to others that you’re his.

And he’s yours.

“𝑃𝑎𝑟𝑑𝑜𝑛 𝑚𝑒, 𝐼 𝑠𝑖𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑦 𝑐𝑎𝑛𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑙𝑜𝑜𝑘 𝑡𝘩𝑒 𝑓𝑎𝑐𝑡 𝑡𝘩𝑎𝑡 𝑦𝑜𝑢’𝑣𝑒 𝑓𝑎𝑖𝑙𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑎𝑐𝑘𝑛𝑜𝑤𝑙𝑒𝑑𝑔𝑒 𝑚𝑦 𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝑤𝑖𝑓𝑒,” he'll interject, cutting off the words of anyone who seemingly ignores you, letting them know that they have truly offended you and him, “𝐴𝑙𝑙𝑜𝑤 𝑚𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑓𝑦 𝑤𝘩𝑎𝑡 𝑦𝑜𝑢’𝑣𝑒 𝑏𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝑜𝑏𝑙𝑖𝑣𝑖𝑜𝑢𝑠 𝑡𝑜.”

He will ensure you never feel unloved or not good enough for him. Words of affirmation will grace your life, constantly reminding how cherished you are. 

Don’t be surprised by the lavish pampering and sudden romantic, at times whimsical, getaways.

Theme park’s resort hopping? Sounds fun!

Your dining table will always be adorned with fresh flowers, meanwhile, the books are sorted by colour—a quirky habit of Rafayel that you find amusing, especially when he scolds you for misplacing a book.

Rafayel's fiery passion, though, can manifest in heated arguments. Nonetheless, he’ll still acknowledge your perspective, validating your feelings and concerns speaks volumes about his respect.

Be aware of his cheeky personality that will definitely rile you up. He enjoys teasing you, but it's all in good fun.

“𝑌𝑜𝑢’𝑟𝑒 𝑠𝑜 𝑎𝑛𝑛𝑜𝑦𝑖𝑛𝑔!”

Tugging your hand, he cages you with his arms. A mischievous smile on his face as he replies, “𝑌𝑒𝑡 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑐𝘩𝑜𝑠𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑛𝑑 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑤𝑖𝑡𝘩 𝑡𝘩𝑖𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑛𝑜𝑦𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑔𝑢𝑦, 𝒘𝒊𝒇𝒆𝒚,” before capturing your lips, turning your complaints into a symphony of moans.

Talented artist's fingers will make you quiver with anticipation. You're his canvas on which pleasure is painted in vibrant shades of desire with each touch.

⊱ ℤ𝕒𝕪𝕟𝕖

Zayne’s stoic nature and stress melt away the moment he steps through the door, replaced with a content smile gracing his lips at the sight of you welcoming him.

On his best days, he greets you back with a kiss, whispering, “𝐼’𝑣𝑒 𝑚𝑖𝑠𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑦𝑜𝑢, 𝑚𝑦 𝑙𝑜𝑣𝑒.” A trace of guilt laces his words when your messages from earlier in the day were left unanswered due to his busy schedule.

On the bad days, seeing the lingering frown on his face or sensing the overpowering pressure that he can't quite shake as he walks inside, you greet him with an even warmer embrace.

Sinking to the floor as you hold him tight, the shared silence between you and him is a language all their own, a refuge in a world filled with noise.

And it works both ways.

He’s always ready to be your pillar, holding you firmly through your burdens, sharing the weight when it becomes too much.

Stability and security—that’s how you feel around him. He’s your steady anchor in a turbulent sea.

Whenever he travels out of town for work, you occasionally tag along, and he feels guilty about leaving you by yourself.

A dinner together is guaranteed, no matter how tied up he is during the day. His eyes soften with adoration as he watches you chew your food happily.

“𝐻𝑜𝑤 𝑑𝑖𝑑 𝐼 𝑔𝑒𝑡 𝑠𝑜 𝑙𝑢𝑐𝑘𝑦 𝑡𝑜 𝘩𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑖𝑛 𝑚𝑦 𝑙𝑖𝑓𝑒?” he murmurs quietly, and you look at him like he’s lost his mind.

Here you are, in a burger joint (much to his dismay, but he won’t say no), enjoying your meal in jeans and a shirt, and he says the most romantic thing.

In any relationship, disagreement is inevitable. Zayne, comfortable with his frigid manner, can be icy and distant, often choosing silence over confrontation. The fights are never loud or explosive, but the quiet cuts just as deep.

Zayne will make the first move towards reconciliation if he's the one who isolates himself. You both understand that growth involves learning to navigate and accept each other's flaws.

With that being said, it won’t be rare for the primal need to surface after he bares his raw emotion. When words fail, his touch conveys everything, setting ablaze an ardent fire between both of you.

His hands roam your body with a scorching zeal, each caress igniting a fervent passion that consumes you both.

⊱ ℂ𝕒𝕝𝕖𝕓

Caleb is akin to a familiar melody tuning in the backdrop of your memories—a constant presence in your life.

Growing up, your paths may have diverged, leading you through different experiences.

Even so, he's still the same Caleb you've always known; the caring sweetheart who gently blew on your scraped knee when you tumbled from the bicycle, the kid who held your hand through your parents’ scolding for returning home late.

It's no wonder your deep bond's gravitational pull draws you back together.

A knowing glance, a shared smile, a comforting touch… there’s an unspoken understanding that transcends words.

The aroma of freshly brewed coffee greets you every morning, a routine he insists on keeping since he knows how much you love it.

A framed photo in the hallway shows two innocent kids smiling side by side. Beside it, another picture shows matured versions of the said children, their smiles illuminated with joy and love shared during their first dance as husband and wife.

It’s more than a memory, more than saying, “𝐼 𝑑𝑜.”

The depth of your trust in him is unparalleled. Every fear, every dream—you've shared it all with him, knowing that he will always listen without judgment.

However, due to the deep pool of shared memories, your debates can swiftly become emotionally charged.

His approach with empathy and commitment to working through obstacles together strengthens your bond with each issue you overcome.

Knowing Caleb for a long time also means you can predict when one of his mischievous antics is about to happen by the playfulness glinting in his eyes.

Just like now, as you tease him for losing the pillow fight.

“𝐼 𝑝𝑢𝑟𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑦 𝑙𝑒𝑡 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑤𝑖𝑛 𝑡𝑜 𝑠𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑦.”

You gasp as he effortlessly pulls you into his lap, heat flooding your cheeks at the innuendo and the blossoming excitement it ignites.

Strong hands glide up your thigh, settling on your waist. His fingers trace delicate, tantalizing patterns on the skin exposed just above the waistband, chuckling as you squirm.

“𝑁𝑜𝑤, 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑦 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑 𝑡𝑤𝑜? 𝐼 𝑤𝑜𝑛'𝑡 𝑔𝑜 𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑦 𝑜𝑛 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑡𝘩𝑖𝑠 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒.” His warm breath tickles your earlobe before you feel him nibbling on it.

Suffice to say, you surrender pretty quickly this time.

[theresattrpgforthat]

@martianworder asked me about this on my Forged in the Dark post, so here we go!

Clocks

So Clocks have been a tool that have been used before and outside of Blades in the Dark, but BitD was where I think they were made really popular.

Golem Clocks designed by cmartins on Itch.io

For all intents and purposes, a Clock is just a track that you fill, but in some cases it's preferred over a track because it fills less space, and it's easy to just draw a clock on a piece of paper to help you keep track of something as you play.

A Clock can be more than just a track. It can be a countdown, a timer, or a representation of a person or faction's goals. The larger the Clock, the bigger task it is. Here are some examples of how you could use them.

A Healing project clock from Blades in the Dark.

A player could have a project Clock that they fill over the course of many sessions. Perhaps they want to research a cure for a vampire virus that is threatening a loved one. The GM would ask them to make a research roll every downtime, and how successful they are indicates how many slices they fill - effectively, how much progress they make towards finding a cure.

Rebellion and Sedition Clocks for Brinkwood: Blood of Tyrants.

A play group might use a Clock to track a common goal, such as winning over a number of anarchists to help take down a mega-corporation. If this is a campaign-long goal, you might use a series of linked clocks to represent the jailbreak you need to assist before you can win over a computer hacker, and then the massive hacking project you need to support before you can overwhelm the corpo servers.

Faction Clocks from Scum & Villainy.

A GM might use a Clock to track the work a Faction makes towards their goal. Every downtime section, they GM might roll to see how successful the Faction is, or simply tick one slice of the clock if the Faction has no reason not to be able to do what they want. If the Faction is allowed to work unimpeded by the PC's, they might eventually do something that changes the world around them, for better or worse.

Mission Clock from External Containment Bureau and Doomsday Clock from Apocalypse Keys.

Clocks might also be used as a timer, to indicate when something terrible might happen, or when the group's time is up. This might be the amount of time before a murderer next strikes, before the haunted house claims another victim, or before the world begins to end. In some games, specific points in the clock (such as halfway, or a quarter of the way through) may trigger special events that give the PC's more information, or remind the group that the pressure is really on.

Clocks for Protect the Child.

All in all, Clocks are a great visual tool to help you and your game group keep track of what's going on in the fiction, and it can also help you keep track of a number of narrative threads in a fairly condensed space. Even if they're not built into the game you're currently running or playing, I think they're a fairly easy addition, and can certainly help with bookkeeping!

[needlenxggin]

look at him in his little hooded cloak.

[jq37]

Just to throw my two cents on the Rat Grinder discourse: They weren't worth the Intrepid Heroes' time. We didn't get the full picture of what's going on with the Grinders until the last quarter of the season. Before that they were just this other clique that hate the main characters, so in-character why would the Bad Kids bother giving them so much attention when they've got so much of their own crap going on. Kristens quest to get Cassandra back and her presidential campaign, Gorgugs courseload, Riz's million and one plates that he's been spinning all season, Adaines financial problems, Figs curse and her doubts about what she wants to do with her life. Fabian's the only one who might have had the time, but he had to be Maximum Legend. There genuinely was no time or even an incentive on the IH's side to develop the Rat Grinders characters.

I still think it's fucked up that these teenagers got taken advantage of by adults they trusted, but we didn't learn any of that until we only had two roleplay episodes left. Too little too late to even try anything diplomatic even if they didn't spend all their time after the Last Stand in hiding.

And a thing about Ivy that no one is roasting her about and really should: An elven archer? Really? Wow, never seen that before.

Yeah totally. Like, from a meta level, I see where the players themselves could have been more curious about the Rat Grinders. There are obvious plot threads that could have been teased out there (though, in fairness to the cast, the adult manipulation aspect didn't become clear until way later in the season--the rivalry and foil aspects were more obvious). This final confrontation could look really different if they'd played that all the way out all season.

But in character? The Bad Kids really didn't have a good reason to waste time on the Rat Grinders. They came into this school year already burnt out from their Night Yorb quest and wanting a break. But they don't get that because they immediately are beset by problems they have to deal with--Kristen's god is on death's door from neglect and she's on the brink of expulsion, Riz is running himself ragged trying to boost his resume for college, Fig is having a whole ass existential crisis, Adaine is struggling with money issues she doesn't want to talk about, Gorgug is taking FOUR YEARS of school at the same time, and Fabian is multiclassing and dealing with his empty house/not having parental support (or Cathilda's support) for the first time. They are dealing with SO MUCH high stakes, personal stuff before the plot even kicks in. And, mechanics-wise, this is represented with the downtime system that means that any time they spend on the RG's is time they can't spend on something that matters more to them. IMO, not prioritizing your haters is actually pretty mature. Like, they weren't proactively using their free time to bully them or anything (except for arguably Fig). They were snippy with them when they crossed their paths and that was it. As opposed to the Rat Grinders who literally had to be told by Jace to stop antagonizing the Bad Kids (though they must have been pretty ineffectual at it because the Bad Kids hardly noticed, which I bet stung considering they were so obsessed).

And also, it's not like they didn't try at all with the Rat Grinders. Early Insight checks on Kipperlilly just got, "This is a polished steel orb of a personality" which doesn't sound very worth interacting with in a sympathetic way if at all and then the next big thing they learn is that she had hated Riz since Freshman Year and that she wants Riz and Kristen dead. And that's AFTER we saw her smile and kill her party cleric. In their position I'm not spending further time trying to empathize with this person, I have made my judgement and it's up to the Jawbones of the world to find if there's something in there to be rehabilitated.

And that's not the only case. Adaine straight up saved Ruben from disintegration during the Frosty Folk battle when she easily could have saved the spell slot, but that didn't soften him towards the Bad Kids any. Adaine also was really keen to Scry on the Rat Grinders to find out what was happening at their meetings. But, in scene at least, she was never able to do that so we never got a scene of them, huddled together, clearly unsure about the path they're on but not feeling like they can walk it back or say no to the authority figures in their lives. She didn't get anything humanizing that would cause her to rethink their position on them the way that she did with Aelwyn for instance. So why would they think they're anything but gleeful co-conspirators?

Hell, the one RG Adaine was even slightly curious about was Oisin and now we know that he was feigning interest in her which, man, can you imagine how much worse that would have felt if she'd actually taken the bait and pursued him beyond just thinking he was cute? Of course, it's possible that her interacting with him more along with some good charm rolls could have changed the narrative in some way but we can only go off of what we know to be true in canon and those facts are (1) He tried to get closer to Adaine while actively planning the downfall of her and her friends, (2) he (along with Ivy) was mean to Buddy behind his back while tricking him into a plan that would force him to go against his religious beliefs, and (3) he called his KVX related dragon ancestors to try to kill the Bad Kids and endanger the entire student body population. Three strikes, you're out. If I'm a Bad Kid I'm not super interested in whatever else is going on with him. And again, literally all of Adaine's friends (except Riz) gave her help to do an Insight check on him during their confrontation in the hallway so she was looking for something there worth engaging with, but she didn't get much.

Fig was fully doing CIA, MKUltra, Fantasy Geneva Convention violations on Ruben to try see if she could get information or flip him. I think she did it in an objectively insane way so I'm not entirely shocked that it didn't yield the exact results she was looking for. But she never found the smoking gun (or whatever the opposite of that is) in his head that would absolve him/show the Rat Grinders were being controlled and her messing with his dreams never flared his conscience enough to make him try to break free (as far as we know) which is what I assume she was going for. If I was Ruben looking for a way out but scared of the repercussions, I might go to Adaine who saved me from certain death earlier the same year and has helped saved the world 3 times with her party and their friends in high (and low) places. Maybe that's what Fig thought might happen but it didn't so from Fig's POV? Gave him a chance. Time to start blasting. And again, at that age, if I walked in to the first day of class and the first thing this random boy does is sneer at me and flaunt his musical success, I'm popping up on his Nemesis Alert at that moment. Doubly so after he tries to trick me and my friends into doing drugs so we get expelled. I'm surprised she tried at all with him.

Fabian absolutely tried to interact with Ivy--in large part for self interested reasons of course, but that doesn't change that he did it. And she came across as callous and unkind from the jump. Their final conversation before the latest episode is the one where she talks about wearing Mazey like a sweater and then says that Fabian missed his chance with her before stalking off. That's a pretty open and shut interaction. No way 17 year old me is like, "Hmm, but why is she acting so mean? Perhaps I should examine that more closely to further understand her." Nah, I've decided she sucks.

And Kristen has tried with Buddy literally up until the last moment. She rolled an Insight check on him right before the fight started and she got a 1. She got nothing from him.

Mary Ann is actually the only Rat Grinder who hasn't done anything to make a bad impression on the Bad Kids--the only thing she did was have a really good Bloodrush tryout. So no reason to hate her specifically (and, in fact, she is also the only Rat Grinder that at least half of them are positively obsessed with), but no reason to explore her further. And Kristen still tried giving her a stuffed animal and her response was that she already had that one and that she was going to give it away. What are they supposed to do with that?

Even when they tried, they didn't get information that was worth chasing when they were so busy and had to manage their free time. Gorgug didn't even slot in downtime to talk to his bio parents when they visited. Why would he spend any time on Mary Ann to figure out her deal? Maybe if they were given more explicit opportunities to interact with them in passing. If Mary Ann was shown at Bloodrush Games. If during class time Oisin tried to interact with Adaine. If Kristen ran into Buddy and Bucky talking. If any of their forays into talking to them or looking into them yielded anything actionable or that piqued their interest--they opened the door for Brennan to give them something more than once. But they never got anything that was worth investing more of their limited time into.

(And also, they didn't learn that Porter was involved until WAY into the last quarter of the episodes. Which absolutely could have changed things since, as far as they knew the RG's were working alone to raise this god which isn't crazy for them to think because Kristen literally did that last year and it was of her own free will. If they knew early that the RG's were smaller players in Porter's plot then maybe they would have been in more of a rescue mindset--especially since Fig has always mistrusted him--but that's not information they had and by the time they got it, the RG's were in deep hiding, like you said.)

And so, coming into the last few episodes, that's who the Rat Grinders are to the Bad Kids. A group of kids who they first heard about in the context of, "they famously hate you," even though they'd never interacted before. A group of kids who they already thought sucked even before they tried to kill the entire study body an hour ago. A group of kids who are trying to doom all of Elmville to eternal rage and who are willing and ready to kill them to do it.

With that context, yeah I think their actions are pretty understandable.

(Also, lmao. Yeah, I think calling Ivy basic would probably hurt her more than most things you could say to her.)