I posted this under someone's comment, but just in case anyone else is looking for this I'm re-posting it here: Episode Timestamps! I'm going to put a basic episode timestamp list for this video here first, then a more detailed one below it with the actual individual clip timestamps from the official episodes if people wanna find the clips in those videos. Sophomore Year: 1. 0:00 - 8:05, Episode 7: The Friendship Section 2. 8:06 - 8:57, Episode 8: The Row and the Ruction 3. 8:58 - 10:58, Episode 9: Fallinel 4. 10:58 - 19:51, Episode 10: The Dangerous Mind of Aelwyn Abernant 5. 19:51 - 27:02, Episode 11: Revelations & Revivifications 6. 27:03 - 54:13, Episode 12: Crustaceans & Crushes 7. 54:14 - 59:54, Episode 13: Hellbound 8. 59:54 - 1:14:41, Episode 14: Daddies & Demons 9. 1:14:41 - 1:16:42, Episode 15: Blast From the Passed 10. 1:16:42 - 1:23:41, Episode 16: My Green Heaven 11. 1:23:41 - 1:30:18, Episode 17: The Forest of the Nightmare King 12. 1:30:18 - 1:37:46, Episode 18: Fearful Symmetry 13. 1:37:47 - 1:38:47, Episode 19: Spring Break! I Believe In You! (Part 1) 14. 1:38:48 - 2:02:53, Episode 20: Spring Break! I Believe In You! (Part 2) Bonus Content: 15. 2:02:54 - 2:03:59, College Visit (RTX @ Home Live)
WIP Clip Timestamps! (from the original episodes). These timestamps should work on both the Dimension 20 yt channel versions of the episodes and the Dropout yt channel versions of the episodes, except for the finale episodes where Dropout has longer versions (I will include both versions finale timestamps as well if I can remember). Also I'm just writing the timestamps with no info about the context to start because I cbf, but if someone wanted me to add that info for easier reference just let me know). These are divided by episode as well for ease of reference: Episode 7: The Friendship Section - 1st clip, 20:22 - 20:36 - 2nd clip, 21:00 - 21:21 - 3rd clip, 21:36 - Episode 8: The Row and the Ruction - Episode 9: Fallinel - Episode 10: The Dangerous Mind of Aelwyn Abernant - Episode 11: Revelations & Revivifications - Episode 12: Crustaceans & Crushes - Episode 13: Hellbound - Episode 14: Daddies & Demons - Episode 15: Blast From the Passed - Episode 16: My Green Heaven - Episode 17: The Forest of the Nightmare King - Episode 18: Fearful Symmetry - Episode 19: Spring Break! I Believe In You! (Part 1) - Episode 20: Spring Break! I Believe In You! (Part 2) - College Visit (RTX @ Home Live) -
Yeah, the absolute panic and bewilderment in Brennan’s eyes when Ayda notices people acting differently suddenly and like they all know something and expect Ayda to be able to work out what’s going on - chef’s kiss
I love the running gag that Fig thinks she's this closed off aloof loner but is actually extremely emotionally forthright with her friends and cries openly at least once per season
Fig: I know I can be a hard book to read, a tough cookie to crumble... Kristen: No, you're pretty transparent. Fabian: No, not at all. Riz: You're transparent. Adaine: You're the most transparent person at the-- Fig: ... A stale cracker to eat some turkey off.
Murph just clapping like a seal in pure joy as his wife plays a made up teenager kissing another made up teenager who is not the made up teenager he’s playing is truly husband goals
perfect combo to emily playing an ice cream sorcerer queen and commanding the gummy bear her husband is playing to fuck her right-hand. what a brilliant marriage truly/gen
I would like for my future partner(s) to acknowledge me as a strange and beautiful autistic bird creature they could once only have dreamed of. And take a picture of me crouched on top of the fridge. And help me get on the fridge And off of the fridge
My very minor revelation: I always thought that Ayda's reaction to Fig being in hell was overblown as Adaine is being super rational that she'd be relatively safe. But the night they kissed Fig said that if she were in trouble she would have wanted to see her "in action taking revenge" and it totally tracks that Ayda logged that and then the next day was like "I will flood hell".
I love when Fig and Riz are like "Your agreement with Adaine that you are both friends was very formal, usually it would be unspoken," and Ayda is like, "That sounds deeply confusing," and both of them think about it for less then a second and are immediately like, "You know what, you're absolutely right, it honestly completely is, your way is way better." It really feels like two teenagers learning in real time that neurodivergence isn't a deficiency because an inability to understand or adhere to certain social norms isn't a shortcoming if the social norms are actually just arbitrary and unintelligible
also it being riz who is also clearly neurodivergent and fig who constantly reassures her friends that they are in fact good friends - they weren't just humouring her, the genuinely understand and appreciate the reasoning
@@bumblerbree Even before season two I’ve always thought of fig as having undiagnosed ADHD/Autism. I think just because I am late diagnosed with those and I relate to a lot of her coping mechanisms she developed and emotional regulation issues as well as trying a bunch of classes except the one for bards or any classes at all and avoiding emotional vulnerability and being seen by “masking” as literally being someone else or eloping on her skateboard. Even the family issues based on her horns coming in felt late diagnosed adjacent. I was so giddy when they got together but whole unsurprised. They just have such a good back and forth. I love that they constantly explain the context and meaning behind everything to each other so they don’t misinterpret each other.
The world would be a vastly better place if people communicated clearly and explicitly _all_ the time. As someone who cannot read tone and subtext for the life of me, I feel the most at peace when I am around people who will tell me exactly what they think at any given time, and are very clear about scheduling and time management in particular. Communication is the #1 trait I value in a person.
She's so good with her! Several of the gang do this as well, honestly, Gorgug and Adaine especially, but it's so delightful to see Fig understanding Ayda's needs and having no problem at all with giving her extra explanations when she needs them.
The thing that makes this relationship special is that Fig deceives everyone just for fun, has had an extended relationship with an adult doctor, and yet is gentle and understanding and doesn't do that to an incredibly suggestible character.
omg great point i never thought about this element of it but you're so right, fig finally not deceiving a character that would be so incredibly susceptible to it is even more touching
I feel like a huge part of the fun of deceiving is doing it to someone that is difficult to deceive. But also, it totally makes sense that fig would think there was no challenge or fun in deceiving ayda, and further that she would get protective over someone that vulnerable
@@namangoy adaine going out of her way to adopt other troubled wizards into her friend group is honestly beautiful. zayn was cute enough with them bonding over shitty elf parents, now ayda with neurodivergency ?? adaine really is jawbone's kid
No kidding. Autistic characters in media are often awful punchlines - they're just there to be the "weirdo". They're often portrayed as robotic and unfeeling. They're also almost exclusively male. Brennan SMASHED those stereotypes and I love him for it.
Accidental rep is usually the best rep in my experience. Ada wasn’t originally meant to be autistic, but after they learned that people resonated with her in that way, they did their research and double downed
If i remember correctly, i believe they also used a consultant when developing her character, much like they do when writing characters that are diverse and differing from the GMs Identities and such. I am trying to find where that was said, i think it was a bts interview or something with brennan. The fact that they take so much care and get actual inside input is what makes their representations so wonderfully accurate and i love it every time
I love that ayda's way of speaking changes, it goes from a very cool dramatic thing to just loud and straight forward. It might be an accident bc improv is hard but it feels like her unmasking to me.
Same! I really loved that detail, that she becomes more accustomed to the group and opens up to them in that respect. I think a natural transformation of the performance of her character that happened to go hand in hand with her autistic context, improv is dope
@@MsCunningLinguistic grant has gotten me appreciated by fans of whatever that show was, and a couple times very conservative other Jews got mad at me. And it’s like man ur better off trying to find a thing that doesn’t offend god than one that does bc that large old baby is offended by absolutely everything about the concept of being alive
"Fantastic. I grow richer by the day." This line always makes me tear up a little bit. I'm not the type of neurodivergent that Ayda is, but Brennan actually does sooo good at portraying her that I feel the same comfort from her scenes that I do when talking to other autistic people
I literally did cry. That revelation is so incredibly impactful, and so relatable to me as someone who didnt know they had autism until i was like 17. Honestly i didnt really know what it meant until i was 19, but suddenly, so much of my life made sense and it made me feel like i wasnt defective.
Also, coming back to this, I dig the hell out of the fact that Brennan hears Emily's comments above the table about cool stuff she wishes could happen with Ayda and makes it happen. Like when Emily says "Aw, I want to do a cool spell in front of her!" and Ayda later affirms her when she does. It says a lot about Brennan's DM style about giving the players what they want while making it natural and organic to the story.
Actually a really smart move as a player to get into a deep relationship with a powerful NPC so the DM has a heck of a time justifying killing your character
One of my favorite moments (amongst all this wholesomeness) is Siobhan coyly trying to spill the tea, but Ally/Lou/Zac are all resolute in being completely oblivious to it 😂. Edit: Also the fact that she forgot all the plot-relevant shit that Ayda actually taught her 🤣
Now that they've announced Junior Year, the only way I can acceptably release my feelings about more Ayda x Fig content is by watching this video. I feel like screeching with joy whenever I think about it.
her friendship with adaine is really sweet and cute, and she seems to really like gorgug too. it really feels like she fully joins the group it's really good and what she needed
I mean, "The Creature Arthur Aguefort made for me," Is accurate. XD I have just realized that every time they are having a scene Lou is freaking out, giant smile. Biggest shipper of the group.
I remember seeing how ayda went about the world and wishing and hoping she was autistic because I would love a character like her representing me and when brennan dropped the ''this is normal'' line about the autism books I felt like I could cry because I remember being at that point where I felt so weird and wrong about myself and discovering that it was ok actually and the sense of relief that brings
Fig started off on such a rocky start with Ayda that the first time I watched Sophomore Year, I was shocked at how their deep friendship and then romantic relationship developed. If you haven’t seen it, Brennan and Emily talked about loving portraying and doing scenes with Ayda. I absolutely love how you can see both Emily the player and Fig the character fall in love with Ayda. The characters’ and relationship development was so carefully handled and beautifully co-created.
17:40 I love this scene- Ayda just repeating that she'll take cues from Fig about the sleepover after Fig says they can do whatever they want. It is so true to my autistic experience for that to not be reassuring or explanatory at all.
Oh my god I didn't actually expect to literally cry at this. Just the sentiment of not being able to see the good in yourself but knowing that your loved ones clearly do and so, even if you can't see it yourself, there's definitely something worthwhile to your existence really hits home. I haven't had much luck with romantic relationships and an abusive one shattered my sense of self but my friends, who are absolutely beautiful and brilliant people, love me completely in the same way I do for them and that knowledge has literally kept me alive in my darkest moments.
@bumblerbree i was almost 100% sure that ayda would have ended up with Adaine. I loved how the introduction of a character not only almost destroyed the balance of combat power but almost broke the party at some point.
@@tomasmanuelrodriguezretola5023 I think they're too similar with Adaine to have that romatic pull and attraction. Fig is literally the perfect match. But I love Ayda and Adaine's friendship.
same, it made figs worries about leaving a good but not lasting impression so obviously untrue because it was such a bad first impression and she REALLY put in work to make up for it
Brennan Lee Mulligan is a masterpiece. The skill of this man is unparalleled. The fact that a neurotypical man can roleplay an autistic character so well proves that we can always find common ground and see past our differences. As an autistic person, thank you Brennan!
I remember in some adventuring party Brennan said (maybe as a joke) that he had considered using adderall, but someone told him that people abuse it to get like him/have that level of energy so he doesn’t. (Which fundamentally misunderstand its effect on adhders, but we’re not getting into that right now.) Except for the fact that he uses such careful language when talking about autistic kids who went to the camp he worked at, I would totally think he’s on the spectrum. The way that he talks about his childhood (how his mother described him as wanting more rules/tests/structure), and all of the random trivia floating around his head just make me constantly side eye him. Also everything about how he interacts with D&D screams special interest, to me at least.
@emmakane6848 At the very least, he's extremely relatable for many autistic people (including myself) but yeaaah I definitely wonder if he has the 'tism. I don't like to speculate because at the end of the day, he's a performer performing and we have no real idea of who he is in everyday life, but I'm also curious 😅
as someone who doesn't really follow ships or ship other people/characters in general, the way emily axford and brennan lee mulligan so naturally and genuinely vibe off of each other's characters is so amazing, i gotta say i absolutely agree with you. best couple in any media i've consumed.
So... when I first watched this series, I thought Ayda was delightful. But years of therapy and introspection and multiple diagnoses later, and I see that of all the Bad Kids and Bad Kids-Adjacent, I absolutely identify with Ayda the most. Thanks for the supercut, this is heartwarming.
A lifetime of growing up, images screaming at her to do better, and to be better. Navigating as a child, seeing all the times she didn't understand something and no one explained it to her.... I can't imagine not crying whenever I listen to that, and how powerfully seen it makes me feel. Thank you, kind Brennan Lee Miulligan
What gets me about it is that Brennan spent about twelve years giving the most detailed, richest description of an NPC he had intended for like one scene, he’s crazy like that!
“What sort of nonsense things do you do to make yourself feel good?” CUT TO “I’m gonna be in the hot tub for a while…can I get the help action from the jets?”
55:35 This is one of my favorite parts. I just love how quickly they both react, Adaine’s excitement, Ayda asking to make sure it’s normal to tell people this, and the bird noise to top it off. *chefs kiss*
Yeah lol, Brennan had a bit of a shift in the way he perceived and portrayed her in that first episode he adapted with the feedback he received from viewers. The tone she used changed quite a bit after that. She definitely comes across as younger in later episodes too.
@@GoodMorningButch It could also be because Ayda was originally meant to be a minor NPC that the Bad Kids got the Pirate Sending spell from and then move on, so Brennan and the writers probably only had the broad strokes of her personality fleshed out, but then she became a party member, which necessitated more detail and intention towards her character.
Thank you very much for making this. There are other versions of this online but they have awful Audio quality and leave out some rather important scenes. Did you know that ayda was not written as autistic? Brennan talks about it in an adventuring party, how he retrospectively decided to lean into that part of aydas character
This is simply amazing bc Ayda is the most autistic rep character who has ever lived (positive, relatable) Real Abed Community character moment (but I relate to him less)
Looking back as someone who saw this before i knew i was autistic, Ayda’s treatment from the bad kids and fig specifically of unrelenting kindness and willingness to explain things was a true balm to my heart. I still have a hard time watching these scenes without crying.
truthfully I've been avoiding this excellent video for months because I knew watching it would send me into a figayda spiral and oh noooooooo 🌀🌪️ bye everyone
On every rewatch I always feel that Ayda was originally supposed to be an adult in the first episode she appears. But then Brennan realizing that she has such amazing chemistry with the main cast, both in relationship dynamics and how they influence Ayda's character herself, decided no shes going to be at the teenage point in her life in order to make everything feel more natural as she becomes one of the main NPCs party members of the season
I completely agree, that's definitely how she came across at the start. The magic of roleplay is you can shape your world into what you want it to be :)
@@GoodMorningButch Yeah, it's fun to see her character evolve. The only part that seems like a teenager in the first scene is when she sees Boggy and goes "Noo! it's too cute!"
I cried so hard when Ayda learned she was autistic. To have a group so openly and respectfully acknowledge her being autistic, and to have such genuinely good autism representation (especially late diagnosed autism in a non-cis male) was so amazing to me. I feel like a lot of late diagnosed autistic people like me have this sudden moment where the knowledge clicks and we kind of realise why so much of our lives and emotions were the way they were.
2:16 I think this is the creature Augefort made for me. Well, she isn't wrong. I love Fig and Ayda so much. I wish I had half the confidence either of these women possesed. As some one who is also neurodivergebt and has NLD( Non-Verbal Learning Disorder) I also have a hard time reading social cues. So, in many respects I am sometimes too forthright or blunt in what I say to people. Ayda was a very refreshing character to watch and get to know. Her being Autsistic wasn't a hinderance to her or her previous selfs but in fact her own special magic, well, on top of the actual magic she already knew and possesed. Also, that little smile at minute 30 something. The man knew what he was about to do. I also wonder what would have happened if Emily had rolled like a 15 insight check on Ayda.
Lou shouting 'YESSS! I BLESS THIS UNION!' 40:38 brings an extra level of joy to my heart! Also I love the way Brennan stares when he roleplays Ayda. She's so intense and feels like she's always overthinking in the most sincere way.
I posted this under someone's comment, but just in case anyone else is looking for this I'm re-posting it here:
Episode Timestamps! I'm going to put a basic episode timestamp list for this video here first, then a more detailed one below it with the actual individual clip timestamps from the official episodes if people wanna find the clips in those videos.
Sophomore Year:
1. 0:00 - 8:05, Episode 7: The Friendship Section
2. 8:06 - 8:57, Episode 8: The Row and the Ruction
3. 8:58 - 10:58, Episode 9: Fallinel
4. 10:58 - 19:51, Episode 10: The Dangerous Mind of Aelwyn Abernant
5. 19:51 - 27:02, Episode 11: Revelations & Revivifications
6. 27:03 - 54:13, Episode 12: Crustaceans & Crushes
7. 54:14 - 59:54, Episode 13: Hellbound
8. 59:54 - 1:14:41, Episode 14: Daddies & Demons
9. 1:14:41 - 1:16:42, Episode 15: Blast From the Passed
10. 1:16:42 - 1:23:41, Episode 16: My Green Heaven
11. 1:23:41 - 1:30:18, Episode 17: The Forest of the Nightmare King
12. 1:30:18 - 1:37:46, Episode 18: Fearful Symmetry
13. 1:37:47 - 1:38:47, Episode 19: Spring Break! I Believe In You! (Part 1)
14. 1:38:48 - 2:02:53, Episode 20: Spring Break! I Believe In You! (Part 2)
Bonus Content:
15. 2:02:54 - 2:03:59, College Visit (RTX @ Home Live)
WIP Clip Timestamps! (from the original episodes). These timestamps should work on both the Dimension 20 yt channel versions of the episodes and the Dropout yt channel versions of the episodes, except for the finale episodes where Dropout has longer versions (I will include both versions finale timestamps as well if I can remember). Also I'm just writing the timestamps with no info about the context to start because I cbf, but if someone wanted me to add that info for easier reference just let me know). These are divided by episode as well for ease of reference:
Episode 7: The Friendship Section
- 1st clip, 20:22 - 20:36
- 2nd clip, 21:00 - 21:21
- 3rd clip, 21:36 -
Episode 8: The Row and the Ruction
-
Episode 9: Fallinel
-
Episode 10: The Dangerous Mind of Aelwyn Abernant
-
Episode 11: Revelations & Revivifications
-
Episode 12: Crustaceans & Crushes
-
Episode 13: Hellbound
-
Episode 14: Daddies & Demons
-
Episode 15: Blast From the Passed
-
Episode 16: My Green Heaven
-
Episode 17: The Forest of the Nightmare King
-
Episode 18: Fearful Symmetry
-
Episode 19: Spring Break! I Believe In You! (Part 1)
-
Episode 20: Spring Break! I Believe In You! (Part 2)
-
College Visit (RTX @ Home Live)
-
As an autistic person "You've constructed a hellish riddle" hits
Yeah, the absolute panic and bewilderment in Brennan’s eyes when Ayda notices people acting differently suddenly and like they all know something and expect Ayda to be able to work out what’s going on - chef’s kiss
I love the running gag that Fig thinks she's this closed off aloof loner but is actually extremely emotionally forthright with her friends and cries openly at least once per season
Fig: I know I can be a hard book to read, a tough cookie to crumble...
Kristen: No, you're pretty transparent.
Fabian: No, not at all.
Riz: You're transparent.
Adaine: You're the most transparent person at the--
Fig: ... A stale cracker to eat some turkey off.
@@trailblazer225 "did someone say turkey crackers?" - Gilear
You must mean the skating away gag 😂
I mean in a way you could argue that she's open with her emotions, not her thoughts or long term worries nescessarily
@@trailblazer225 Gilear: did someone mention turkey crackers?
Murph just clapping like a seal in pure joy as his wife plays a made up teenager kissing another made up teenager who is not the made up teenager he’s playing is truly husband goals
His made up teenager is Asexual
@@shadowpsykie I know! It’s incredible we love to see it
perfect combo to emily playing an ice cream sorcerer queen and commanding the gummy bear her husband is playing to fuck her right-hand. what a brilliant marriage truly/gen
I love all these gay little made up teenagers
@@shadowpsykieor he’s just 15 and not ready to think about sex which is normal
I never realized that Fig’s first thought about Ayda was “this creature was made for me”
I would like for my future partner(s) to acknowledge me as a strange and beautiful autistic bird creature they could once only have dreamed of.
And take a picture of me crouched on top of the fridge. And help me get on the fridge
And off of the fridge
It's too gosh dang sweet every single time I watch it.
a fellow cultured bird i see hoot hooooot
@@grimle hoot hoot
I came to the comments for this, in a way she was the creature Arthur created for her 🥺
I'm here to rewatch the crab party, and realized that this is the best example of "Me and the bad bitch I pulled by being autistic"
My very minor revelation: I always thought that Ayda's reaction to Fig being in hell was overblown as Adaine is being super rational that she'd be relatively safe. But the night they kissed Fig said that if she were in trouble she would have wanted to see her "in action taking revenge" and it totally tracks that Ayda logged that and then the next day was like "I will flood hell".
Omgg
Fig: a remark
Ayda: (plays Seven Devils - F+TM) u got it
HOLY SHIT YOUR RIGHT, IT WAS MEETING A REQUEST FROM FIG, I JUST SCREAMED, BEAUTIFUL
I love how fantasy high is 50% Brennan pretending to be smitten and flirting with his friends.
Pretend?
50%?
@@filipemartinho1753the other 50% is split between philosophy thoughts, parents I wish I could be, and violence ^_^
@@Nortarachanges that’s. That’s exactly what it is
@@Nortarachanges 10% Brennan flirting with himself as parents you wish you were, 15% violence, and 5% philosophy wrapped in humor
I love when Fig and Riz are like "Your agreement with Adaine that you are both friends was very formal, usually it would be unspoken," and Ayda is like, "That sounds deeply confusing," and both of them think about it for less then a second and are immediately like, "You know what, you're absolutely right, it honestly completely is, your way is way better." It really feels like two teenagers learning in real time that neurodivergence isn't a deficiency because an inability to understand or adhere to certain social norms isn't a shortcoming if the social norms are actually just arbitrary and unintelligible
also it being riz who is also clearly neurodivergent and fig who constantly reassures her friends that they are in fact good friends - they weren't just humouring her, the genuinely understand and appreciate the reasoning
Not to take away from that, but also clear communication is an often neglected course of action.
@@bumblerbree Even before season two I’ve always thought of fig as having undiagnosed ADHD/Autism. I think just because I am late diagnosed with those and I relate to a lot of her coping mechanisms she developed and emotional regulation issues as well as trying a bunch of classes except the one for bards or any classes at all and avoiding emotional vulnerability and being seen by “masking” as literally being someone else or eloping on her skateboard. Even the family issues based on her horns coming in felt late diagnosed adjacent.
I was so giddy when they got together but whole unsurprised. They just have such a good back and forth. I love that they constantly explain the context and meaning behind everything to each other so they don’t misinterpret each other.
absolutely, when I started talking more to autistic people like this I was like "uhm they're right we should actually be doing things more their way"
The world would be a vastly better place if people communicated clearly and explicitly _all_ the time.
As someone who cannot read tone and subtext for the life of me, I feel the most at peace when I am around people who will tell me exactly what they think at any given time, and are very clear about scheduling and time management in particular. Communication is the #1 trait I value in a person.
They way Emily is fully crying when she finds out how much Fig means to ayda.
oh god do you remember the time stamp? theyre so cute
@@Flushedfox About 1:36:00 I think
And the rest of the party hasn't really noticed and then she sniffs loudly and Siobhan and Zac both whip their heads around like "Oh shit, you good?"
@@sarah.s.flanaganthats so cute im going to die
Lou going from confused and a little creeped out by Ayda at the start to "yessuh! I bless this union!" is the growth I love to see
I love how Fig so patiently explains social concepts to Ayda that she doesn't quite get, it's so sweet
She's so good with her! Several of the gang do this as well, honestly, Gorgug and Adaine especially, but it's so delightful to see Fig understanding Ayda's needs and having no problem at all with giving her extra explanations when she needs them.
Especially when she nonmaliciously lets her stay uninformed like when she is "let's go looking for emotions in caves".
Proposing a romantic relationship by saying you have information that might be actionable is my new favorite thing
The thing that makes this relationship special is that Fig deceives everyone just for fun, has had an extended relationship with an adult doctor, and yet is gentle and understanding and doesn't do that to an incredibly suggestible character.
omg great point i never thought about this element of it but you're so right, fig finally not deceiving a character that would be so incredibly susceptible to it is even more touching
I feel like a huge part of the fun of deceiving is doing it to someone that is difficult to deceive. But also, it totally makes sense that fig would think there was no challenge or fun in deceiving ayda, and further that she would get protective over someone that vulnerable
"When you're here, you're family. It's called being gay." -Ally Beardsley as Kristin. *Chef's kiss*
I've never felt more seen.
Ally Beardsley is a wonderful gem of a human being.
I love their love story but I also love Adaine and Ayda’s friendship because I feel like they both needed each other in a way that I think is so sweet
True. After all, what you want in your friends and significant others can be notably different.
I love that when Adaine finally yeets her dad it's Ayda's spell for her that she uses. Just. Incredible on so many levels
@@namangoy adaine going out of her way to adopt other troubled wizards into her friend group is honestly beautiful. zayn was cute enough with them bonding over shitty elf parents, now ayda with neurodivergency ?? adaine really is jawbone's kid
"I would start over" is such a heavy line from a phoenix
Ayda is the best autistic rep I've seen in *any* media and it's all improv, incredible
No kidding. Autistic characters in media are often awful punchlines - they're just there to be the "weirdo". They're often portrayed as robotic and unfeeling. They're also almost exclusively male. Brennan SMASHED those stereotypes and I love him for it.
Abed Nadir
Accidental rep is usually the best rep in my experience. Ada wasn’t originally meant to be autistic, but after they learned that people resonated with her in that way, they did their research and double downed
If i remember correctly, i believe they also used a consultant when developing her character, much like they do when writing characters that are diverse and differing from the GMs Identities and such. I am trying to find where that was said, i think it was a bts interview or something with brennan. The fact that they take so much care and get actual inside input is what makes their representations so wonderfully accurate and i love it every time
The idea of sending a message to all the outer planes warning any who would cross your partner that they will incur your wrath is extremely hot
fr if my partner did that i would probably marry them
working on self improvement so that when i tell the planet my wrath will be incurred that people might actually get scared
I love that ayda's way of speaking changes, it goes from a very cool dramatic thing to just loud and straight forward. It might be an accident bc improv is hard but it feels like her unmasking to me.
Same! I really loved that detail, that she becomes more accustomed to the group and opens up to them in that respect. I think a natural transformation of the performance of her character that happened to go hand in hand with her autistic context, improv is dope
51:10
"Mine is extremely literal."
"Oh.. mine was a gesture."
"I will treasure it always."
I LOVE HOW THIS SUMS UP THEIR RELATIONSHIP SO WELL
Autistic person x ADHD person is one of my favorite ship dynamics.
Yes And
Audhd x audhd
@@Lucifersfursona hello, Punky Jewster. I see you have watched Some Breaking News 😂
@@Lucifersfursona Ofc. I want more inattentive audhd x hyperactive audhd.
The dosent understand subtext gf that loves being explained to by the loves rambling about tings gf
@@MsCunningLinguistic grant has gotten me appreciated by fans of whatever that show was, and a couple times very conservative other Jews got mad at me.
And it’s like man ur better off trying to find a thing that doesn’t offend god than one that does bc that large old baby is offended by absolutely everything about the concept of being alive
21:22 idk why but im obsessed with “fantastic. God what a huge success.”
Rahg's "frankly, bringing up the rune in this context is homophobic" is so underrated
1:02:18
Lou's reaction to the build up to the kiss and then the kiss just kills me every time
"EEEEEYESUH.... YEEESSSSS-UH! I bLeSs ThiS UNIONuh"
"Fantastic. I grow richer by the day." This line always makes me tear up a little bit.
I'm not the type of neurodivergent that Ayda is, but Brennan actually does sooo good at portraying her that I feel the same comfort from her scenes that I do when talking to other autistic people
I almost cried when Ayda learned she had autism
That feeling of finally having an explanation for everything you do is so nice, man
Also the fact that Adaine made an entire spell so Ayda can understand things better is the most neurodivergent ally thing you could ever do
I literally did cry. That revelation is so incredibly impactful, and so relatable to me as someone who didnt know they had autism until i was like 17. Honestly i didnt really know what it meant until i was 19, but suddenly, so much of my life made sense and it made me feel like i wasnt defective.
Also, coming back to this, I dig the hell out of the fact that Brennan hears Emily's comments above the table about cool stuff she wishes could happen with Ayda and makes it happen. Like when Emily says "Aw, I want to do a cool spell in front of her!" and Ayda later affirms her when she does. It says a lot about Brennan's DM style about giving the players what they want while making it natural and organic to the story.
Actually a really smart move as a player to get into a deep relationship with a powerful NPC so the DM has a heck of a time justifying killing your character
One of my favorite moments (amongst all this wholesomeness) is Siobhan coyly trying to spill the tea, but Ally/Lou/Zac are all resolute in being completely oblivious to it 😂.
Edit: Also the fact that she forgot all the plot-relevant shit that Ayda actually taught her 🤣
It’s the most teen they’ve ever teened really
everyone really said 'fuck your mystery, my friend has a crush' for a moment and i love that for them
"We COULD start an all out war with Hell..." has the same energy as "Listen, I'm happy to let you go off on this guy" 😂
The way both those lines make Brennan crack up as well 😂
its so crazy that Lou was already at his "I BLESS THIS UNION-UH" energy if you look at his face all the way back at 23:00
He’s leaning so forward almost cackling like an evil match maker
Thanks for pointing that one out - I love watching Lou throughout all of this, but I'd missed that one.
Ayda is such a comfort character. I love how directly and beautifully she expresses herself.
Now that they've announced Junior Year, the only way I can acceptably release my feelings about more Ayda x Fig content is by watching this video. I feel like screeching with joy whenever I think about it.
Im so glad that Ayda was around to be a friend to the whole party and not just Fig's partner.
her friendship with adaine is really sweet and cute, and she seems to really like gorgug too.
it really feels like she fully joins the group it's really good and what she needed
The best part of this storyline is Adaine becoming gossipy smug friend with the information of Fig/ayda's kiss
I mean, "The Creature Arthur Aguefort made for me," Is accurate. XD
I have just realized that every time they are having a scene Lou is freaking out, giant smile. Biggest shipper of the group.
40:24 “”I think you’re perfect the way you are” and then I skateboard away” absolutely TOOK ME OUT, how have I never seen that clip before???
53:32 this is my favourite scene. Just burning through all her stuff to not be embarrassed.
As Brennan put it "the most teen shit I've ever seen in my life!". 😂😂😂
I have anxiety and my best friend is autistic, ayda and adaines friendship truly means the world for me
Lou saying "I bless this union!" and then years later officiating Brennan and Izzy's wedding is actually really hitting me 🥺😭🥹
As an autistic person who despises nonsense social norms, I ADORE this character
genuinely didn't know i could just? smile this big for two hours straight?? wild. adding this to my favorites immediately.
THANK YOU I NEEDED A SUPERCUT OF JUST THEM
At your service :)
I've rewatched this more times than I can count, Ayda has truly solidified herself as my favorite character from anything ever and she's here to stay
I remember seeing how ayda went about the world and wishing and hoping she was autistic because I would love a character like her representing me and when brennan dropped the ''this is normal'' line about the autism books I felt like I could cry because I remember being at that point where I felt so weird and wrong about myself and discovering that it was ok actually and the sense of relief that brings
Fig started off on such a rocky start with Ayda that the first time I watched Sophomore Year, I was shocked at how their deep friendship and then romantic relationship developed.
If you haven’t seen it, Brennan and Emily talked about loving portraying and doing scenes with Ayda.
I absolutely love how you can see both Emily the player and Fig the character fall in love with Ayda. The characters’ and relationship development was so carefully handled and beautifully co-created.
17:40 I love this scene- Ayda just repeating that she'll take cues from Fig about the sleepover after Fig says they can do whatever they want. It is so true to my autistic experience for that to not be reassuring or explanatory at all.
BRO the idea of Fig desperately trying to hide that she kissed Ayda is fucking hilarious and adorable 53:02
I didn't realize until now that Ayda is 7 feet tall, with two foot long talons. That height disparity was never impressed upon me by the art.
I think that’s her max height
But I assume similar to Evan kelp she crouches down a little bit
Oh my god I didn't actually expect to literally cry at this. Just the sentiment of not being able to see the good in yourself but knowing that your loved ones clearly do and so, even if you can't see it yourself, there's definitely something worthwhile to your existence really hits home. I haven't had much luck with romantic relationships and an abusive one shattered my sense of self but my friends, who are absolutely beautiful and brilliant people, love me completely in the same way I do for them and that knowledge has literally kept me alive in my darkest moments.
I BLESS THIS UNION-UH
Ayda was the one character Brennan created that totally frazzled Emily!
im pretty sure everyone at the table had a crush on ayda as soon as she was introduced, she was just so cool everyone wanted to keep talking to her
@bumblerbree i was almost 100% sure that ayda would have ended up with Adaine. I loved how the introduction of a character not only almost destroyed the balance of combat power but almost broke the party at some point.
@@tomasmanuelrodriguezretola5023 I think they're too similar with Adaine to have that romatic pull and attraction. Fig is literally the perfect match. But I love Ayda and Adaine's friendship.
Underrated moment is 17:15 where Ayda cries and Emily pokes at the air going "sss sss sss" as if Fig is wiping her tears
this is objectivley the best way to spend the next two hours of my life
And I’ll do it again
can't wait for ayda to be casting "ayda's comprehend subtext" in the next season sidgjnsjkgndksj
If we get another season T.T
Update: season 3 otw!@@ivaniawren5014
@@ivaniawren5014 good newsssssss ^_^
@@ivaniawren5014 I have some good news for you.
We are. Look up Junior Year trailer
Knowing that they were going to be a couple, and watching the true nightmare of a first interaction was a wild experience
same, it made figs worries about leaving a good but not lasting impression so obviously untrue because it was such a bad first impression and she REALLY put in work to make up for it
Lou screaming "YES!!! YES!!!! I BLESS THIS UNION!!!" GIVES ME LIFE.
looking back and seeing "I think this is the creature Author Agfort made for me" with such a different light
I feel so blessed- not only that this exists but that it was recommended to me. The algorithm finally understands my needs!
Brennan Lee Mulligan is a masterpiece. The skill of this man is unparalleled. The fact that a neurotypical man can roleplay an autistic character so well proves that we can always find common ground and see past our differences. As an autistic person, thank you Brennan!
do we know for certain that he is neurotypical?
Pretty sure he is autistic himself, honestly.
@@Strawb_Goblinyea that's my question too, he's just too good at neurodivergent communication!
I remember in some adventuring party Brennan said (maybe as a joke) that he had considered using adderall, but someone told him that people abuse it to get like him/have that level of energy so he doesn’t. (Which fundamentally misunderstand its effect on adhders, but we’re not getting into that right now.)
Except for the fact that he uses such careful language when talking about autistic kids who went to the camp he worked at, I would totally think he’s on the spectrum. The way that he talks about his childhood (how his mother described him as wanting more rules/tests/structure), and all of the random trivia floating around his head just make me constantly side eye him. Also everything about how he interacts with D&D screams special interest, to me at least.
@emmakane6848 At the very least, he's extremely relatable for many autistic people (including myself) but yeaaah I definitely wonder if he has the 'tism. I don't like to speculate because at the end of the day, he's a performer performing and we have no real idea of who he is in everyday life, but I'm also curious 😅
These 2 are still my favorite ship ever since it aired. Thank you so much for this!
as someone who doesn't really follow ships or ship other people/characters in general, the way emily axford and brennan lee mulligan so naturally and genuinely vibe off of each other's characters is so amazing, i gotta say i absolutely agree with you. best couple in any media i've consumed.
Same here.l, with very little competition
As an Aroace, I normally don't care about ships and romantic relationships.
But this really made me cry and also very happy
@@Shadow-Shell i am the same. im not normaly into shipping but something about these two just makes me melt.
That last bit with Ayda learning about autism and getting Adine’s spell always brings a tear to my eye.
you have no idea how much these two dorks mean to me i'm so incredibly excited for season 3 :3
Ayda says "terrible" the way I say "tragic"
“I think this is the creature arthur aguefort made for me” in a way she’s right
I cannot believe this is the healthiest relationship between the bad kids
So... when I first watched this series, I thought Ayda was delightful. But years of therapy and introspection and multiple diagnoses later, and I see that of all the Bad Kids and Bad Kids-Adjacent, I absolutely identify with Ayda the most. Thanks for the supercut, this is heartwarming.
Thank you. Ayda is my inner child and Brennan plays her so beautifully, it's almost healing.
A lifetime of growing up, images screaming at her to do better, and to be better. Navigating as a child, seeing all the times she didn't understand something and no one explained it to her....
I can't imagine not crying whenever I listen to that, and how powerfully seen it makes me feel. Thank you, kind Brennan Lee Miulligan
tfw Ayda wad supposed to be a one-off NPC
What gets me about it is that Brennan spent about twelve years giving the most detailed, richest description of an NPC he had intended for like one scene, he’s crazy like that!
its the Essek of this campaign
@@quinnnewman9538john feathers
“What sort of nonsense things do you do to make yourself feel good?”
CUT TO
“I’m gonna be in the hot tub for a while…can I get the help action from the jets?”
Iconic of Emily let's be real
When is the time stamp for this please
@@sovietblobfshthe tub jet comment is unfortunately not in this compilation but it is in the episode
I figure it must have already been said, but fig remarking that ayda was something made perfectly for her was prophetic in hindsight
55:35
This is one of my favorite parts. I just love how quickly they both react, Adaine’s excitement, Ayda asking to make sure it’s normal to tell people this, and the bird noise to top it off. *chefs kiss*
"Riz... you're nappin'."
The most important part of that scene for sure
“YESSUH! YESSUH! I BLESS THIS UNION!” I love Lou lmao
ayda’s voice is completely different the first time they meet her compared to any other time she appears. she’s like, vaguely british.
Yeah lol, Brennan had a bit of a shift in the way he perceived and portrayed her in that first episode he adapted with the feedback he received from viewers. The tone she used changed quite a bit after that. She definitely comes across as younger in later episodes too.
@@GoodMorningButch i knew the portrayal definitely changed i just totally forgot how significant it was, it’s so interesting
@@GoodMorningButchwhile i know thats the true, meta reason, i choose to believe that she was hardcore masking when she first me the bad kids
@@galaxycroissant6527 I also think that living on a ship full of pirates that it's smart to lean into that sort of imposing demeanor.
@@GoodMorningButch It could also be because Ayda was originally meant to be a minor NPC that the Bad Kids got the Pirate Sending spell from and then move on, so Brennan and the writers probably only had the broad strokes of her personality fleshed out, but then she became a party member, which necessitated more detail and intention towards her character.
11:02 I love Brennan's initial face when Ally asks Ayda if she's a bird after establishing through multiple episodes that she's half phoenix 😂
43:58 Lou’s face right here is the definition of “be normal, be normal”
Imagine the choke-on-grapes bits cross-stitched on pillows 😆
Thank you very much for making this. There are other versions of this online but they have awful Audio quality and leave out some rather important scenes.
Did you know that ayda was not written as autistic? Brennan talks about it in an adventuring party, how he retrospectively decided to lean into that part of aydas character
Yeah, it's because he based her mannerisms and speech of some friends of his, then realized said friends were autistic.
@@ivaniawren5014 he only realised that after fans pointed out that ayda seemed on the spectrum
This is simply amazing bc Ayda is the most autistic rep character who has ever lived (positive, relatable)
Real Abed Community character moment (but I relate to him less)
Unrelated, I dunno why it’s just now hitting me but seeing Gilear’s character card pop up and seeing 5 HP really got me. Why did they bring him hahah
because he’s the chosen one
Looking back as someone who saw this before i knew i was autistic, Ayda’s treatment from the bad kids and fig specifically of unrelenting kindness and willingness to explain things was a true balm to my heart. I still have a hard time watching these scenes without crying.
They are so god damn adorable, my favourite ship thus far in dimension 20 (tho I haven’t watched many)
truthfully I've been avoiding this excellent video for months because I knew watching it would send me into a figayda spiral and oh noooooooo 🌀🌪️ bye everyone
Fun fact
Figayda has the core “gay” between Fi and da, and I think that’s pretty neat
Ohh I’m already in this spiral but let’s make it worse
you’re my hero for making this mashup 🫡
On every rewatch I always feel that Ayda was originally supposed to be an adult in the first episode she appears. But then Brennan realizing that she has such amazing chemistry with the main cast, both in relationship dynamics and how they influence Ayda's character herself, decided no shes going to be at the teenage point in her life in order to make everything feel more natural as she becomes one of the main NPCs party members of the season
I completely agree, that's definitely how she came across at the start. The magic of roleplay is you can shape your world into what you want it to be :)
@@GoodMorningButch Yeah, it's fun to see her character evolve. The only part that seems like a teenager in the first scene is when she sees Boggy and goes "Noo! it's too cute!"
I cried so hard when Ayda learned she was autistic. To have a group so openly and respectfully acknowledge her being autistic, and to have such genuinely good autism representation (especially late diagnosed autism in a non-cis male) was so amazing to me. I feel like a lot of late diagnosed autistic people like me have this sudden moment where the knowledge clicks and we kind of realise why so much of our lives and emotions were the way they were.
One of the many beautiful things about rpg, is that I can look directly at the full grown man face of Brennan and say, “Oh I love that bird lesbian!”
"We're not taking down the Nightmare King, we're just taking his crown back, I want to make that perfectly clear"
Oh Adaine
2:16 I think this is the creature Augefort made for me.
Well, she isn't wrong.
I love Fig and Ayda so much. I wish I had half the confidence either of these women possesed.
As some one who is also neurodivergebt and has NLD( Non-Verbal Learning Disorder) I also have a hard time reading social cues. So, in many respects I am sometimes too forthright or blunt in what I say to people. Ayda was a very refreshing character to watch and get to know. Her being Autsistic wasn't a hinderance to her or her previous selfs but in fact her own special magic, well, on top of the actual magic she already knew and possesed.
Also, that little smile at minute 30 something. The man knew what he was about to do.
I also wonder what would have happened if Emily had rolled like a 15 insight check on Ayda.
Lou shouting 'YESSS! I BLESS THIS UNION!' 40:38 brings an extra level of joy to my heart! Also I love the way Brennan stares when he roleplays Ayda. She's so intense and feels like she's always overthinking in the most sincere way.
2:02:47 Murph's smile at Emily's "I love you"
Omg 😭
They're so cute together!
the way this is 2 hours long, THANK YOU
ARE WE EXCITED TO SEE OUR NUERODIVERGENT LESBIANS AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!??????????
IM SO EXCITED
Fig isn’t nd though
@@daphneglasurus7886 you cant convince me she doesnt have adhd
@@oofbih6397 you’re thinking of Kristen
@@daphneglasurus7886 dont be condescending
YESAHHH I BLESS THIS UNIONAHHH YESAHHHH
Have I fully watched this through twice already? Yes. Am I watching it a third time? Also yes. I am not open to constructive criticism at this time
Trust me, you are NOT alone. I made this for my own use haha
This is such a beautiful story 😭🥰
"I think this is the creature that Arthur Augfort made for me.."
Well.. no... but also yes..
ahh this is my favourite thing EVER! thank you for the compilation - such an awesome watch for pride month 😄❤
Figayda are so important!
@@GoodMorningButch right?!