don't get me wrong if there are no figayda defenders then i am dead but equally important to me is the fact that adaine was the one who reached out to ayda in the first place. from the very first moment, while the other bad kids were either unsure if ayda was even a person or if she was a bird or something else altogether, while they were making jokes, adaine was the one emphasizing ayda's personhood and acknowledging her as an individual deserving of respect. minute one, adaine has clocked ayda's deal and is completely on the level with her.
like, just to break down their interactions solely from the episode where they meet (2x07):
Adaine: Oh yes, I have a piece of paper.
Ayda: Why, are you bragging? I have many slips of paper.
Adaine: It's a specific piece of paper with a letter from Garthy on it.
> speaks too vaguely, sees that ayda did not understand her meaning, and immediately clarifies with specific language, without being glib or making a joke out of ayda's response
Ayda: Do you give this as a gift or as a message?
Adaine: I give it as a message. I would never give you a gift, you've made it clear that you do not want one.
> heard ayda's clearly expressed opinion on gifts and took her at face value, once again without any hint of mockery
Ayda: I wish for no gifts.
Adaine: But if you would like to buy this message off of me, you're more than welcome to.
> reframes the offering of the message as a transaction to eliminate any concern ayda may have about putting herself in debt, something she'd just expressly communicated she did not desire to do
Adaine: I can teach you a spell if you teach me a spell. Then the transaction is clear.
> says in no uncertain terms what the transaction is. she is communicating on ayda's terms.
Adaine: We can hang out if you like.
Adaine: I don't have any wizard friends.
Ayda: Why? [...] Are you hard to be around?
Adaine: No, I, no? Are you hard to be around?
> you just know ayda is repeating back words she has been told.
Adaine: Oh, do you want a friend?
Ayda: (pauses, intense stare) Desperately.
> this entire exchange is spoken in clear words and without subtext. adaine says what she wants and why she wants it. she is not put off by ayda. she doesn't find ayda hard to be around, but she also doesn't say anything to give ayda something to argue against. on the heels of ayda saying she's hard to be around, adaine asks anyway, "do you want a friend?" which communicates (1) the answer to whether or not you're hard to be around does not in any way modify my desire to be your friend, but also (2) i don't want to force friendship on you so i will ask you a clearer question: do you want a friend?
Adaine: I'll be your friend. Would you like to hold my frog? It's not a gift.
> "i'll be your friend" = adaine clarifying the result of the preceding line of questioning. "do you want a friend" could be taken by ayda to mean that adaine will present her with some third party friend, and adaine puts that to rest: she will be the friend. also doesn't assume ayda will remember adaine's earlier words or generalize her earlier sentiment of never offering ayda an unwanted gift; this is a new situation and conversation so adaine simply repeats her promise
Ayda: What level spell is this?
Adaine: Oh, it's just Find Familiar, it's—
Adaine: I can teach you it. It'll cost you 50 gold per level.
Ayda: (laughs screechingly) Very good.
> friendship notwithstanding, adaine does not assume that the transaction of spells for money is negated, but suggests it in such a way that ayda laughs, potentially sensing that adaine has created an inside joke for them, and potentially not being on the inside of too many of those.
all of this is FIRST MEETING. and the difference between how the other bad kids interact with ayda vs how adaine interacts with her in this episode is so stark. when adaine learns that they're both divination wizards, she is genuinely delighted. she thinks ayda is cool from basically their first interaction. adaine doesn't have any wizard friends!! and she's respectful towards ayda and meets her where she's at without any hesitation or difficulty. day one ride or die.
brennan likes to say that fig was the one who brought ayda out of side quest territory and into the main story, but it was adaine who extended the offer/request for friendship, it was adaine who reached out when she needed help at the row & the ruction, and it was adaine whom ayda immediately dropped everything to go and rescue the moment she knew adaine was in trouble. fig was an incredible friend and eventual partner for ayda, but adaine was ayda's first friend, the hand that reached out and grasped ayda to bring her into the bad kids fold in the first place, and nobody better forget it.
