Lyra, what would happen to the Evergreene family if there were no heirs? Or if there weren't any worthy to take the Lord Warden position?
"Funny enough, it has happened a couple times in our history where there were no direct heirs. Or the ones that did exist were... Not exactly up to the challenge that our position invited. If the children of the main branch weren't qualified, or if they didn't exist, other branches would be considered. The Lord Warden at the time would choose a successor from the various cousins and whatnot.
For all the pride we put on family lineage, we're not blind. There was once a time where there were no worthy successors. The Lady Sonata Evergreene recognized this, she had no children and those that did exist in the other branches were... Lacking in the qualities that the position of Lord Warden demanded. The solution was simple, adoption. She had discovered a child who lost their parents and had been living on their own for some time, taking care of a group of street kids. She took him in, gave him a home and every opportunity she could. The boy took to it extremely well. He had a knack for puzzles and riddles, and a kind heart that sought to uplift all those around him. That child was Lord Mezzo, grandfather of Lord Lagato, grandfather of Lord Tenor, my grandfather. Lord Mezzo wound up marrying one of the distant branches after he'd been named heir to keep up appearances. But yes, one of our links, our line of succession, wasn't even born an Evergreene. But by all accounts he was damn sure worthy of the name, and we gladly welcomed him in."
I’ve talked before about my theories about the full potential of Ruby’s semblance. That being, Ruby’s ability to deconstruct and reconstruct herself at a molecular level has some pretty wild applications.
Among others, the ones I think are the most interesting are Ruby effectively being able to shapeshift, ie; she can reconstruct her body, her clothing and Crescent Rose into entirely new shapes and forms. And on top of that, Ruby’s ability to reconstruct herself would potential allow to recover from just about any injury. Whether it be losing a limb, being impaled, cut to pieces or even EXPLODED, one activation of her semblance later and Ruby is back to normal. Effectively giving a ‘healing factor’ on par with Salem’s immortality.
And the thing is, I think abilities like these are thematically perfect for Ruby.
You know how there’s been a lot of discussion on how it seems like every character’s semblance seems to represent the major flaw/problem that character has spent the show grappling with in some way or another? Often in some dramatically ironic way? Like how Weiss is a girl who has been working so hard to separate herself from the baggage and burden of her family’s responsibility and legacy, yet has what seems to be the ONLY fully-hereditary semblance in existence? And in Ruby’s case, of course the girl who has spent the entire show, and likely much of her life running away from her pain and trauma has a speed semblance.
But the funny thing is, for Ruby it’s pretty clear that the show has already started building to a big subversion of this idea. In Volume 7 we see that while Ruby has always thought she had a speed semblance, Harriet voices that it’s probably something else.
And in Volume 8, Penny outright confirms that Ruby’s semblance ISN’T ‘speed’, but rather the ability to deconstruct and reconstruct herself at a molecular level.
It turns out that Ruby was wrong about what her semblance actually did. And through that, it turns out that this idea of Ruby’s semblance representing her attempts to run away from her pain are likewise flawed.
And now that we are in a Volume set to explore themes of transformation and our characters discovering who they might truly be, I think this is going to be the perfect time for Ruby, and the narrative, to reevaluate just what it is her semblance represents.
Because whereas Ruby’s Petal Burst simply being speed represented Ruby’s fixation on running away from her pain, Petal Burst being molecular deconstruction/reconstruction can instead represent Ruby’s unshakable idealism fully realized.
Now there is no obstacle that can stop her, because there is nothing she cannot move around or through. There is no challenge she cannot find a solution for, because she is infinitely adaptable. And there is NOTHING that can truly break her for good, because she can ALWAYS build herself back up from her literal molecules.
In other words, Ruby’s body may be weak and breakable, but her spirit is INDOMITABLE.
In the eye of a hurricane there is quiet, for just a moment.
A yellow sky.
When I was just twenty a hurricane destroyed my home
Grimm all around. I couldn’t bear to die.
I thought my way out, considered everything far as I could see.
I thought my way out, I looked up and the town had its eyes on me.
They put their trust in me. Total strangers, moved to courage by my words.
Now the Lord Warden and I managed to save my entire town.
I fought my way out of hell
I rallied my people, I’d be damned if Vale fell.
I fought the Grimm, unfettered by terrors spell
Organizing our resources so that we could excel
And in the face of terror and fear
I fought my way to what I hold dear
And when it seems the gods disappeared
I led us to dawn, I brought us here.
In the eye of a hurricane there is quiet, for just a moment.
A yellow sky.
I was eight when my parents died and they couldn’t flee.
I was young and they left it all to me. I couldn’t bear to die.
I’ll think my way out (wait for it, wait for it, wait for it)
Plan every eventuality (wait for it, wait for it, wait for it)
I’ll think my way out, show them how great that Vale can be
This is the eye of the hurricane
This is the only way I can create our legacy
(wait for it wait for it wait)