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aspoonofsugar · 3 years

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Hello! What are some of you`r favorite character/outfit designs when it comes to RWBY? I also wonder if the designs hold any symbolical significance?

Hi!

Here are some of my favourite designs in no particular order!

1) Ruby Rose

Ruby’s design is interesting because it combines elements of both Creation and Destruction.

After all, her silver eyes are linked to Creation:

Maria: Precisely! It is the desire to preserve life which fuels the light inside you. And to make no mistake, it is light. Preservation is an extension of creation, or, at the very least, an enemy of destruction.

Still, her weapon is a scythe, which is symbolically linked to death aka Destruction:

The Grimm Reaper

Once again, we have the dychotomy Soul (the eyes) = Creation and Body (the weapon) = Destruction.

What is more, both the Silver Eyes and Crescent Rose are linked to the moon. Not only that, but as @ gatheringkeepsakes notices in this post, the moon itself is like a “scattering rose”:

Both scattering and roses are two recurring motifs in Ruby’s design.

They are clearly conveyed in Ruby’s Petal Burst, which appears as a rose scattering. Both imageries are linked to contradictive ideas.

On one hand Ruby scatters because she is flexible, has an original approach to things and can’t be restrained by gravity or any kind of obstacle. On the other hand there is this:

Maria: You know, you don't give yourself enough credit.

Ruby: Oh... Thanks.

Maria: That wasn't a compliment.

In her struggle to move forward Ruby might spread herself too thin and her petals might get lost.

Similarly, red roses are symbols of both life and death in the story.

They are associated to life in how they are linked to a young life blooming:

Blake: I know you don't always know what to do, but that's never stopped you from doing something. I was like that as a girl, but time and... a lot of other things, took their toll on me.

Ruby embodies purity also because of her young age that lets her be hopeful.

However, red roses also resemble blood:

It doesn't matter how The petals scatter now Every nightmare just discloses It's your blood that's red like roses

It is a powerful juxtaposition that fits Ruby’s character and her complicated feelings over Summer:

To Ruby Summer is both hope and despair, creation and destruction since she gave life to Ruby, but is also the girl’s first experience with death and loss.

This is why the eyes Ruby inherited from Summer are so pivotal not only in the series itself, but in Ruby’s personal arc too.

So far they are at the centre of Ruby’s story-line.

She receives knowledge about them from Maria, who plays the role of the Grandmother in Ruby’s Little Red Riding Hood allusion:

And they are linked to both creation in how they protect life, but also to destruction in how they kill Grimm. Not only that, but Ruby activating them is linked to her witnessing Pyrrha’s death and being unable to save her friend.

What Ruby chooses to do with her silver eyes, aka her mother’s legacy, will probably be her self-actualizing choice. As for now, I think she will use them to save Cinder aka the Wolf and the Victim in Ruby’s plot-line, where she plays both the Hood and the Hunter.

Speaking of which, it is fun how her hood, which clearly plays tribute to her allusion loosely connects her also to super-hero imagery, since she flies in it and uses it to cover and protect others with her semblance.

In any case, Ruby’s main challenge is to overcome her mother’s shadow and this is pretty much summed up by her emblem, which is the same as Summer’s and that Ruby must make her own.

Interestingly, these are challenges Ruby shares with her partner.

2) Weiss Schnee

Weiss’s design is similar to Ruby in how her power:

And her emblem are traits she shares with other members of her family. They represent a difficult legacy she must deal with and make her own if she wants to grow.

At the same time, both the Schnee family crest and her glyphs convey pretty clearly Weiss’s most important motif, which is snow.

This motif can be declined in two ways.

1) Snow and ice are symbolic of Weiss’s loneliness:

This is why frozen roses appear in her character short for volume 5, while the song Path to Isolation plays in the background.

The whole short is Weiss’s losing fight to melt the ice that covers her home and heart:

However, she can’t do it alone, but she needs friends and a new family to succeed.

She needs red to complement her white. This is why this color can be found pretty often in Weiss’s designs. It is symbolic of her partnership with Ruby, which plays into the allusion of Snow-White and Rose-Red (Weiss’s secondary allusion).

However, the color red also says something about Weiss herself. It conveys her hidden warmth and childishness, which she initially hides within herself:

But wears proudly later on:

2) Weiss is a snowflake (a Schnee) that looks for her own uniqueness (agency) in a snow storm (her family). She finds it little by little and builds her own character as the story goes on.

Her summons are precisely this symbolically.

This is why her most iconic one is Arma Gigas:

It represents both Weiss’s ideal self (a knight in shining armor) and her family legacy, which is possessed by an evil ghost Weiss is able to exorcise.

In other words, Arma Gigas is Weiss’s reflection. It is partial and confused when she is unsure of who she is, but finally appears when she finds herself.

Mirrors and reflections are another motif of Weiss’s character, which are underlined by her multiple character songs (the Mirror Mirror series).

Weiss has been controlled her whole life and brought up, so that she can be the perfect Schnee heiress. The result is that she does not really know who she is. She has no clear self-image.

However, she knows she wants to be more than a name and rebels against her destiny.

The signs of this defiance are seen in her design:

She adopts an asymmetrical way to style her hair to figth the image of perfection, which is requested from her. Similarly, as she struggles more against her father, she gets a scar on her face, which is symbolically a crack in the mirror she is imprisoned in.

Let’s also highlight that this mirror imagery and how it ties with her summons is used in a metaphorical way in Weiss’s fight against Marrow in volume 7.

Marrow’s allusion is The Dog and Its Reflection, which is a fable about a dog mistakenly believing his own reflection to be the real thing. He sees himself in a poddle of water carrying a piece of meat, thinks that the steak in the other dog’s mouth is bigger and lets go of his own to steal it. The end result is that he loses the meat that falls in the water.

Now, this fable means several things when it comes to Marrow. However, when it comes to his fight with Weiss, it is about him using Freeze against Weiss (the real thing), only to let go of her to stop Arma Gigas (her reflection). This leads to him being defeated by Weiss. In short, Arma Gigas acts as Weiss’s reflection in that fight and plays with Marrow’s allusion strengthening the notion that the Knight is a part of who Weiss is.

Finally, the choice to turn Weiss in a singer is interesting given her allusion. Snowhite’s singing is famous because it manages to get even to animals. However, the ones Weiss uses her singing voice to placate are not beasts, but the Atlas Elites. Given Atlas’s racism against Faunus and how this plot-line plays in Weiss’s arc, it is an interesting inversion. It is as if the true animals are the rich people of Atlas, who enjoy their superficial lives at the expense of others.

At the same time, Weiss’s two performances frame her as a singing bird in a cage. The cage might be golden, but it is still a cage.

Weiss is like a princess in Atlas and this is why a crown is incorporated in her design. However, she is unhappy and stucked in her own privilege, which is underlined (intentional or not) by her main color being white.

She is Snowhite, a princess, who is a prisoner in her own castle because of her parental abuse and it is interesting how her story counterbalances Cinderella’s own abusive story, that happens in the same kingdom, but starts at the very bottom instead than at the very top.

3) Cinder Fall

Cinder is Cinderella, but a “bad victim-version” of her. So, her chosen path to reach the top and to become a Queen has destructive and self-destructive elements to it.

This idea is especially explored in the Atlas arc, where Cinder “goes back home” and her background is revealed. Because of this, Cinder’s design in this specific arc is resonant on at least two additional levels.

1) Her design is juxtaposed to that of the two Schnee sisters. They are white, while she is black. They are ice, while she is fire.

Not only that, but Cinder has motifs she shares with respectively Weiss and Winter.

Weiss starts the story with a very frail sense of self. Her story is to break the mirror she is trapped in, so that she can grow:

I'm shattering the mirror that kept me split in pieces That stood between my mind and my heart This is where I'll start

Cinder’s sense of self is even frailer to the point that she is not just trapped into glass, but she herself is made of glass forged through heat (abuse):

Winter and Cinder are both maidens called after their respective season.

However, Winter is given her name and the maiden power is imposed on her. Her development lies in making that choice hers through friendship and trust.

Cinder is a nobody who calls herself a Maiden and decides to steal others’ powers and choices.

At the same time, fall and winter are two seasons that are close, but at the same time different. Just like Winter and Cinder come from opposite yet similar circumstances.

2) Cinder’s outfit in the Atlas’s arc fits with the chess motif she and Ironwood share.

She is the black Queen:

While Ironwood is the white King:

Ironwood loses because the King needs other pawns to work properly. He might be the most important piece on the board, but he is not the most powerful, far from it. Still, he chooses to see himself as a solitary hero and pushes others away. This ends up in him falling with Atlas.

Cinder wins because of her flexibility that fits the most powerful piece on the board.

Their different approaches are well summed up in volume 7:

Cinder: The timeline has changed.

Ironwood: The timeline has changed. And so we must change accordingly.

Both react to a change of circumstances, which is no beneficial to them. However, Ironwood becomes too rigid and fails to face the emergency, while Cinder turns the situation to her advantage.

In the end, though, Cinder stays a piece on the board. Ironically, she completes her climb to the top and ends the Atlas arc by flying away victorious, while the kingdom falls. She is a successful Queen. Still, a queen is not that different from a pawn.

Even outside the specific symbolism of the Atlas arc, Cinder’s design is a rich one.

It is mostly built on duality. Cinder is burnt (black), but also burns (red). She is also associated to autumn through her orange flames and aura to the point that the aura around her eyes resembles both leaves and fire. Similarly she falls, but also makes others fall.

This idea of Cinder as both victim and perpetrator is well conveyed thanks to her looks.

Since the first volumes, Cinder has always had two sides of her:

Her right side is visible and pretty, even embellished (look at the jewel on her ankle). However, her left side is hidden with one of her eyes usually covered.

This dychotomy becomes stronger after the Vale arc, when Cinder loses her left eye and arm. She blames Ruby for this, but the true culprit is Salem who is slowly turning Cinder into a Grimm. Since then, Cinder’s outfits have all been about asymmetry, so that she can hide her monstruous parts.

Let’s highlight that Cinder has had this tendency to cover up things she dislikes about herself since the beginning. For example, the scar on her neck being covered in all her outfits shows how much Cinder needs to project an invincible image of herself to the outside.

This happens because deep down Cinder’s self-identity is strongly dependent on how others see her. This is why her emblem (a pair of slippers) is literally given to her:

And ties to her Cinderella’s allusion together with her weapons (her other slippers).

When it comes to Cinder’s Midnight, it is interesting that it consists of a pair of swords (like Rhodes’s ) turning into a bow. It is the idea of two halves becoming a unit (another hint at Cinder’s duality) and its bow form references the rainbow phase in alchemy and the peacock whose feathers Cinder wears and that is associated with her, as @hamliet explains.

At the same time, the choice of a bow as a weapon plays into Pyrrha’s allusion where Achilles is killed by an arrow shot by Paris.

4) Pyrrha Nikos

Pyrrha’s design has three layers to it.

1) It fits Pyrrha’s allusion since it uses a classical Greek Hero aesthetic.

Not only that, but Pyrrha’s name itself plays into this imagery.

As a matter of fact Pyrrha is how Achilles is called while masked as a woman. At the same time, Pyrrha Nikos also means pyrrhic victory, so something that is officially a victory, but that feels more like a loss.

This foreshadows Pyrrha’s story since at least two of her official victories are more like losses:

Mercury forfeits, but hel gains knowledge about Pyrrha’s semblance. Later on this knowledge is used to orchestrate Pyrrha’s “win” against Penny, that ends with the robot-girl destroyed.

In general, Pyrrha has all it takes to be a winner in life. However, she dies tragically, while still too young.

This happens because her arc is written as a Greek Tragedy. In this way, her whole allusion becomes a meta-commentary of her story.

In Greek Tragedies, the character’s main foe is destiny and destiny is precisely what Pyrrha’s character explores:

Pyrrha: Do you believe in destiny?

Of course, in Pyrrha’s case, things are made more nuanced by destiny being thematically intertwined with choice. Destiny is deep down a chosen goal and this is also why it can be so painful.

Pyrrha is a girl that has always known what her destiny is:

Pyrrha: I've always felt as though I was destined to become a Huntress - to protect the world...

This is symbolically what her semblance is about:

Cinder: Hmm... People assume that she's fated for victory, when she's really taking fate into her own hands.

However, even if she seems to have her own destiny in her own hands, she ends up losing control:

Only to re-affirm her own agency in the end with a very brave, but also self-sacrificial choice.

So, Pyrrha’s story is a Greek Tragedy because it is about her struggling with destiny. Destiny is not something decided by the Gods, but what a person chooses, despite the impossible to control events of life.

2) Pyrrha’s name means also red and red is, together with gold, Pyrrha’s main color.

This color scheme ties her to fall, which fits her being the chosen Fall Maiden (just see what the Forever Fall Forest looks like)

At the same time, symbols related to “fall” in the story have usually a tragic component to them:

Fall is a season where one comes to term with the death of nature and prepares herself for the difficulties of winter.

It is a season of falling and passing:

Pyrrha: For it is in passing that we achieve immortality. Through this, we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all, infinite in distance and unbound by death. I release your soul, and by my shoulder protect thee.

This sad and nostalgic feel fits Pyrrha’s story.

3) The color gold coupled with Pyrrha’s metallic armour is part of a metal motif Pyrrha shares with Jaune.

Jaune is lead, while Pyrrha is gold. Pyrrha is close to self-actualization and she finalizes it with her final choice to fight Cinder, while Jaune has yet to reach that stage.

This is why Pyrrha teaches Jaune how to become a better warrior and a better person. Jaune’s journey is one to become more like Pyrrha, so that her legacy is not lost.

This is also establised through their respective weapons. As a matter of fact both have a shield and a weapon they use to attack.

However, Jaune is initially out of balance. His weapon is too heavy for him and less versitile than Pyrrha’s. Not only that, but even its evolution is unbalanced. In the Mistral arc, for example, Jaune focuses on making Crocea Mors‘s attack stronger as a symbolic commentary of his unsolved feelings of anger and grief. It is only in Atlas, after he reaches an inner equilibrium that Jaune also makes his defenses stronger.

Pyrrha is instead well balanced since the beginning. Her Miló and Akoúo̱ are complementary in combat and symbolic of inner harmony.

This is conveyed through their names. Miló is used to attack and its name means “I speak”, while Akoúo̱ is a defensive tool and it is called “I listen”. One represents a more passive/reactive approach, while the other an active one. In fights, like in personal relationships, they are both needed.

Initially, Jaune is too “active” both as a fighter:

Glynda: Mr. Arc, it's been weeks now. Please try to refer to your Scroll during combat. Gauging your Aura will help you decide when it's appropriate to attack, or when it is better to move to a more... defensive strategy.

And as a person since he speaks without really listening to others:

Jaune: That's easy for you to say. You've probably got guys clamoring over each other just to ask you out.

Pyrrha: You'd be surprised.

Jaune: Oh please. If you don't get a date to the dance, I'll wear a dress. Heh.

His journey has been one of growth towards “passiveness”, so he has learnt how to fight defensively and how to be more sensitive to others.

Pyrrha is instead more balanced (at least in combat, while in personal relationships she needs to be more active, like she is in the end). Still Cinder breaks Miló (steals her choice/agency) and overcomes Akoúo̱ (her defenses). She literally takes Pyrrha’s “crown”:

Just as she takes her destiny and her life.

That said, Pyrrha’s metal has been incorporated into Jaune’s weapon, so that he can keep growing and reach the harmony conveyed through Pyrrha’s emblem where her complementary weapons appear together.

5) Penny Polendina

Penny’s emblem is similar to Pyrrha’s since it has her weapon on it.

However, it holds a different meaning from Pyrrha’s one.

The imagery of Floating Array perfectly encapsulates Penny’s main conflict.

Is Penny moving the strings? Or is she moved by them?

On one hand it is obvious that Penny is the one controlling her blades. They are her weapons after all. On the other hand her blades are in fact used to hack Penny herself.

With the addition that the blades have the same power symbol that appears in Penny’s rebuilt design, it becomes clear that there is an overlapping between Penny and her weapon.

Maybe it is precisely because of this that in her human form Penny leaves Floating Array behind and creates new blades she is able to move without strings.

In general, her rebuilt design has more metal than her original one.

Her bow has a metallic component that was not present in the Vale arc and her legs are more obviously mechanical. The power symbol also makes clearer that she is an android and that she can be switched on and off by others.

This is to convey how after the time-skip Penny has less free time because of her job as the Protector of Atlas. It also foreshadows how her enemies will try to control her throughout the Atlas arc.

What is more, I like that Floating Array is on a backpack Penny always wears. It ties well with another important component of Penny’s design aka her childishness.

Penny carrying her weapon in a backpack as a girl carries her schoolbooks fits this idea that is conveyed also through her freckles, her ahoge and her overall body language.

As a matter of fact Penny’s story is about a child growing into a full person and making herself independent from her father. This is why symbolically Penny’s aura is from her dad. It is a way to convey how she is his creation that needs to grow into herself.

Penny’s final design embodies this since it highlights Penny’s humanity and her being emotionally open to others.

So, she loses the power button and all her mechanical components like her legs and her bow. She even loses her gloves to emphasize how she can now feel freely.

There is another interesting aspect of Penny’s “design”. It is not really about her, but rather about how her allusion has been played overall in her arc to comment her story with fitting imagery.

In other words, Penny’s story starts with her making friends with Ruby against her superior’s wishes. By this point she fights Lampwick instead of joining him:

It is an inversion of Pinocchio’s original story line.

Later on she dies because of two false friends:

This fits the idea of Pinocchio being tricked by the Cat and the Fox.

She comes back to life and meets a Blue Fairy (Fria) for the first time. By this point she risks to die swallowed with her loved ones because of Monstra appearing.

However, she survives and receives a human body by another Blue Fairy (Ambrosius). Still, this is only a part of Penny’s arc because she needs choice to become her own person.

This is why she meets the Blue Fairy a third time and Penny is actually the one creating her in an inversion of the original book:

Personally, I think it is cool that Winter is literally surrounded by blue aura that conveys both the idea she is ice vs Cinder’s fire, but also that she is the final Blue Fairy in Penny’s story.

Last but not least, Penny’s green tones, her name and her metallic body make her the copper character when it comes to the alchemical metals in RWBY. Copper is the metal associated with Venus and it represents love and femininity. Both attributes fit Penny perfectly.

6) Mercury Black

Mercury has two main motifs that are tied to his name.

On one hand he alludes to the god Mercury. On the other hand he embodies the metal mercury, just like Penny embodies copper.

Both imageries are conveyed perfectly through two aspects of his design.

The first one is a detail of his Atlas outfit aka his flight tag. As the wiki explains:

Mercury's flight tag, "M80-495", plays on his name. 80 is the atomic number for the element of Mercury, and the year 495 is the date of the foundation of the Temple of Mercury, the Roman god, playing to his allusion.

The second element is Mercury’s prosthetic legs that are highly symbolic and the core of his design.

In particular, his legs convey two different aspects of Mercury’s reaction to Marcus’s abuse.

1) His metallic prothesis are symbolic of the metal mercury and of how the boy weaponizes his trauma.

Marcus has clearly treated Mercury as a weapon, but instead to claim his personhood back, his son chooses to embrace the identity forced on him:

I'm the one That was born in a nightmare a murderer's son Got no gun But I gleam like a blade and I'm harder than iron

It is not by chance that the song references iron since that is the metal associated to Mars aka Marcus, instead of mercury itself.

Mercury’s journey will probably be about discovering his own identity outside his father. Still, he won’t be able to do it until he does not let go:

This is what Yang and Mercury’s foiling in volume 3 and 5 has specifically been about.

Both characters weaponize their pain, but in opposite ways.

Yang does so through her semblance. Her strategy consists in enduring and feeling the pain, so that then she can give it back with additional damage.

Mercury does so through his weapon aka his legs. He uses his unfeeling limbs to endure damage he could not withstand if he had legs made of meat and bones.

These opposite coping mechanisms are shown through the two characters having similar yet opposite weapons and fighting styles (punches vs kicks). Moreover, they come out in their fight during the Vytal Festival.

On one hand Yang wins using her semblance and is later on called out by her father:

Taiyang: Do you realize that you used your Semblance to win every fight after the qualifiers?

In a sense, it is the philosophy embodied by her semblance (you punch me, I punch you back harder) that leads her to fall for Mercury’s trap. She shoots him without properly analyzing the situation or questioning Mercury’s actions.

On the other hand Mercury loses on purpose and has Yang shoot him in the leg after his aura is broken. In other words, he is simply hurting himself more, but he does not realize it because he symbolically doesn’t feel it.

That said, volume 5 shows Yang’s progess and Mercury’s stagnation through the scene above.

Yang has started healing, while Mercury can’t really do the same. This is also why his prothesis seem made os scrap metal compared to Yang’s. It is because he has actually never started a process of elaboration of his trauma, so it still appears bare and raw.

The only thing Mercury does is to cover it up (just like Cinder with her scar). Not only that, but he also covers most of his skin. After all, this is the major change between his looks in the flashback and his appearance in volume 2. Then his arms are bare, while he covers them in the series.

Apart from that, he does not really change much, especially compared to Cinder and Emerald. This is because the second reaction Mercury has to his trauma is the inability to move on.

2) Mercury’s legs tie with his allusion to the god Mercury, but as an inversion.

According to mythology Mercury/Hermes has the power to fly and to go everywhere. However, Mercury has no legs, so he is symbolically stuck:

Tyrian: All you ever learned was pain and violence, and now you're too afraid to leave it. Such a tragedy.

This is why he can’t currently escape Salem. It is because psychologically he can only react to his situation trying to fit in more, even if he will never truly be happy where he is.

These different elements are conveyed by Mercury’s emblem, which is similar to Talaria. On one hand Mercury chooses his weapon because he sees himself as a weapon. On the other hand he chooses the embellished version of his trauma aka the cover up to the ugliness beneath.

Moreover, Mercury’s two motifs of metal and god actually convey similar thematic ideas.

Both Mercury the god and mercury the metal are about reconciling opposites and exploring boundaries.

This same concept is well represented by Mercury’s main color, which is gray. Gray is what comes out if you mix black (Mercury’s surname) and white (Mercury’s aura). It is a color symbolic of nuance and complexity.

Finally, Mercury’s allusion is not limited to his own design, but influences also Emerald’s since she plays into his allusion.

7) Emerald Sustrai

Emerald has two main motifs and they both tie with Mercury’s allusion. Moreover, they can both be found in her name.

On one hand she has a thief motif (sustrai means thief), since Mercury is the protector of thieves. On the other hand she alludes to the Emerald Tablet (emerald), which was written by the god Mercury.

These two ideas are conveyed in several ways through her design.

1) Emerald is designed to appear as a though gangster girl.

For example, this is what Thief’s Respite is about.

It consists on a pair of guns that can turn also in sickle blades and kusarigamas.

The guns complement Emerald’s cow-girl looks that are especially emphasized in Atlas, but have always been present thanks to her signature chaps. Cow-boys and cow-girls are associated with a violent world without laws and this fits Emerald’s life in the criminal world.

The kusarigamas are similarly a hint to her humble origins since they are traditionally considered a weapon for poor people in Japan.

In general, Emerald’s humble past and present potential is well conveyed also through the use of Emerald’s main color aka emerald green.

Her outfits so far have all some green on the chest (her heart) and earthy tones surrounding it.

This is a metaphor to describe what Emerald herself says in her song:

I'm the one Who rose out of filth and was loved by no-one

There is a gemstone (potential for good) inside of her, but it is surrounded by filth (her environment). Her story is about making this potential emerge more. This may also be why brown changes into black and white in Atlas. It is because “the filth” is slowly being left behind.

1) The Emerald Tablet allusion is played straight with her name and her main color.

That said, even Emerald’s Egyptian design may be a part of it. This is because Mercury has an Egyptian alter-ego in the god Thot and the Tablet is traditionally linked to Egypt as much as it is linked to Greece/Rome.

In general, Emerald looking as a an Egyptian works well with her semblance, which can be compared to mirages, both for its effect and for its aesthetic:

This desert imagery also fits with Emerald loosely resembling a snake. As a matter of fact Emerald’s red eyes and green hair with two long locks make her similar to this animal.

Why does Emerald look like a snake, though?

Once again, it has to do with her being linked to Mercury. As a matter of fact the metal mercury in alchemy can be associated to snakes. Similarly, the emerald is also the gemstone associated to the planet Mercury.

Other than this, Emerald’s design also explores her link to Cinder.

For example, her top in the Vale’s arc resembles Cinder’s own one when she took Emerald in. Even Emerald wearing heels is an attempt to look more like Cinder.

Finally, Emerald’s emblem conveys many of the topics listed above nicely.

a) Its positioning on the back is Emerald imitating Cinder.

b) It being a cut gem is about Emerald being a raw gem that needs refinement.

c) It being an emerald is a link to the planet Mercury and to the Emerald Tablet.

8) Ilia Amitola

Ilia is a character that plays in another’s allusion, like Emerald.

In particular, she is one of the many beasts in Blake’s allusion.

Adam is the Beast prisoner of his own curse (the withering rose). He is a beast the Beauty can’t save.

The Faunus as a whole are the Beast Blake wants to show the goodness of to the world.

Yang is the Beast the Beauty falls in love with.

Blake herself is the Beast who wants to redeem herself.

Finally, Ilia is the Beast the Beauty redeems.

Because of this, Ilia’s design heavily ties in her chameleon motif and it does so on many levels.

Superficially, many elements of Ilia’s appearance can be linked to a chameleon. For example, her hair are styled in a way that resembles a chameleon’s tail and Lightening Lash with its flexibility and speed is simiilar to a chameleon tongue. Even the darker spots on her skin can be seen as chameleon’s scales and her White Fang mask is a chameleon mask.

That said, Ilia’s character concept is deeper and more thematic. Ilia is a chameleon because she tries to camouflage and to fit in. She does so to survive, but it ends up damaging her in the long run. This is why Blake helps her true colors emerge and shatters the Grimm Mask she has been hiding behind.

This idea is explored through the ability of her skin to change colors. This ability highlights two opposite traits of Ilia.

On one hand she uses it to mask who she is and how she feels:

Ilia: ...and absolutely, under no circumstances, was I allowed to change colors. No one could know I was a Faunus.

On the other hand she is not always successful at this and her skin conveys her feelings:

Ilia: I lost control. Every inch of me turned blue as I wept.

This is the contradiction Ilia is built in as a character.

Finally her name Amitola means rainbow and this is probably a reference to her changing colors. At the same time, it is a fun easter egg considering Ilia is one of the first confirmed LGBTQ+ characters in the show.

These are some of my favourite designs and I hope you enjoed my analysis of them!

I would add Neopolitan and Ren’s designs are faves as well, but I have no energy left to analyze them :’’’) Maybe in another meta!

Finally, there are some designs like Adam, Tock and Sienna Khan that are great, but underused. Of these, I think the most wasted one is honestly Adam’s. He is given an exceptionally rich design, but the story fails to properly capitalize on it.

Thank you for the ask! I had much fun doing this!

#rwby #rwby meta #asksfullofsugar #echo-from-the-void #my meta #chain of faves #ruby rose #weiss schnee #cinder fall #pyrrha nikos #penny polendina #mercury black #emerald sustrai #ilia amitola

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womenofwonder · 3 years

Text

RWBY emblem headcanons:

Blake had a very different emblem when she was with the white fang, wanting to distance herself from her family name. She changed it after she left, making it a restylized belladonna flower to reclaim her name.

Canonically Ruby‘s emblem is the same as her mother’s. HC that the Roses have always been great huntsmen who usually died in mysterious circumstances (Though it was always assumed to be Grimm). The Rose emblem is actually a very old one, though Ruby has no idea that the legacy traces any further then her grandparents. Salem, however, knows it by sight. So does Ozpin.

Canonically Weiss’s emblem is her family’s symbol. The Schnees are a very old family, descended from the Mantle royalty back when they still had kings. It’s unknown if this is true or if a Schnee simply adopted the symbol for bragging right; either way it’s a symbol that has always meant wealth, power, and elegance.

Yang created her flaming heart emblem when she was eight. It was a lot more complicated and messy then.

The Arc family symbol has always meant warriors. Even before the Great War they were famous as knights and warriors sworn to protect Vale and it’s king. Jaune‘s great grandfather was a famous general during the Great War, and his great-grandmother was the royal family’s bodyguard. In many ways the Arcs were the first huntsmen, so while it makes sense that Jaune chose the family symbol it’s still quite a legacy.

Ren created Nora’s emblem as well as his own. It was a New Years gift.

Pyrrha’s emblem was created by her grandmother as a gift for when she first went to combat school

All of CRDL emblems where passed down through their families, except for Russell Thrush, who created his own

Coco Adel created her own emblem

Velvet created her own emblem. Her mother, who work as a traveling doctor, would often have to leave Velvet with relatives instead of take her on the dangerous journeys. She gave her a velvet, hand stitch heart whenever she would leave, telling her daughter that her heart would always be wherever she was. When she was younger she would keep the heart with her until her mother came back home, now she has it’s design on her weapons and clothes, still always keeping it with her.

Flynt Coal’s emblem was the symbol of his father’s dust shop

Raven and Qrow both created their emblems, though wings were a common symbol of the Branwen tribe. Both of their emblems appeared to be eyes as the twins were always spies, first for the Branwens and then Ozpin. Qrow created his with gears as a nod to his beloved weapon, and Raven subconsciously chose a clock (or a compass) because she always felt like she was running on borrowed time (or never knew which way to go)

Summer’s emblem was a tribute to her own mother, who died while she was still in school.

Cinder’s emblem was given to her by Salem.

Cinder also gave Emerald her emblem. She wasn’t really feeling creative that day, as you can tell.

Mercury created his own emblem. The winged feet basically symbolize how he sees his own legs: as how he got his freedom from his father and turned his weakness into a strength—of course he’d never admit any of that.

Maria Calavera chose the sugar skull as her symbol because she believed death was just another part of life and nothing to fear. I’m going to assume the day the dead is a thing in remment (there’s a lot of deaths and negativity around them brings Grimm. People will probably want a more positive holiday for the dead). Maria always prided herself of being unafraid of death, something most of her human enemies didn’t share. Unfortunately, she never thought a possibility worst then death.

#Rwby #rwby headcanons #Rwby emblems #ruby rose rwby #summer rose #team rwby #team cfvy #team jnpr #team strq #qrow branwen #Raven Branwen #jaune arc #Lie Ren #Nora Valkyrie

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dreamer213 · 3 years

Text

Broken Machines: Lights the Dark

Chapter 3 Evening in Atlas Part 2

Penny was stunned, of all the things she thought he was going to say she never would have guessed it would be THAT. A party? Their mission was at a party? One that requires formal attire and an luxurious vehicle. Just how? Why? What reason could there possibly be for her to go with General Ironwood to a formal party? This just didn’t make any sense at all! Penny tried and tried to comprise some sort of answer but every time she does she just circles back to where she started. Why in Remnant was this happening to her!

Penny: Um I’m sorry General but could you please explain to me why we are going to a evening party.

Ironwood: In all fairness we aren’t going to a normal evening party. We are going to an Altas evening party at the largest estate in the region.

Penny: I see, that still doesn’t answer my question.

Ironwood: The reason we are going is to gather some info before we begin our formal investigation or in this case your investigation.

Penny: I’m sorry what?

Ironwood: I’m rearranging your schedule and assigning you to an undercover investigation.

Penny: A-and what exactly am I going to investigate?

Ironwood: A week or two ago you witnessed one of the supply truck carrying materials for “the project” get hijacked, correct?

Penny: Yes. I tried to go after them but I had to rescue the security detail they injured during their escape.

Ironwood: Well, there’s been several more incidents since and it’s put everything behind schedule and we can’t afford any delays. Not right now. So we been investigating and have some clear suspects but we still haven’t been able to apprehend them. Every time we get close they spring a trap or find an some sort escape route and get away. We’ve done everything we can to tighten up security but they’re always one step ahead. Is as though they have information on the shipping schedule, the security detail, the layouts of the facilities, and facilities security systems. I believe that there’s a spy who’s been feeding the thieves this information.

Penny: I understand that but what does that have to with me attending an Atlas evening party?

Ironwood: You see, we’ve already done a thorough swipe of all the military personnel involved with “the project” and every single one was cleared of all suspicion so the spy isn’t from our end. Which means it has to be someone from factories or shipping companies and due to the classified nature of most of this intell it has to someone in a very high position in one or both companies. The only ones with that type of authority in either would have to be an Alas elite. The listed of possible suspects is still too large to focus in on any one specific and a public investigation will just raise more suspicion and give the spy a chance to flee hence the need to do this incognito.

Penny: But why me? Out of the numerous soldiers you have at your disposal why did you pick me?

Ironwood: I would do it myself but given my status as both a general and a member of the council showing any interest of any kind towards someone in high society will just raise more questions. As for the soldiers I could send most would be so obvious either in appearance or behavioral that they could never maintain their cover. And anyone who could maintain it already has some sort of of connection with Atlas that would just further complicate things. So that leaves you, Penny Polendina, with your innocence appearance and skill set you’re the perfect person to go undercover without raising any alarms.

Penny: I understand what you’re saying Sir but there’s still a large flaw in this plan. While it’s true I appear the most non threatening there’s still the matter of my mechanical nature. I just cannot believe people wouldn’t be suspicious of an android with more firepower then several military grade tanks attending formal events.

Ironwood: Your right they would be very suspicious of you if they knew.

Penny: If? They don’t……..How? How is this possible? All of Vytal saw me get ripped to pieces! The tournament was live! It was viewed around the world! How could anyone not know?

Ironwood: Tell me Penny, has anyone asked you about the tournament since you’ve been Mantle?

Penny paused for a moment, looking back no one had said anything about the Vytal Festival for as long as she’d been in Mantle. In fact she had explained her capabilities to several people after they witnessed her heroics the first month she was stationed there. Even then many had a hard time believing it was true. Was this really not public knowledge? Was this really not as well known as she thought? Had her terrifying near death experience really gone unnoticed?

Penny: How? Please just tell me how?

Ironwood: While your tragedy was televised across the globe it occurred so close to the fall of Beacon that it was quickly forgotten amongst the chaos Beacon’s tragedy caused. That and after global communications were lost all footage of the tournament was lost to.

Penny: But there were still witnesses. People still watched it happen.

Ironwood: Not in Alas.

Penny: Huh!

Ironwood: Atlas has always been a sort of world of its own especially amongst the elites. To them if doesn’t effect their cash flow it isn’t worth talking about or remembering. Your destruction may have been a hit to the military but to the city of Atlas it was non existent.

Penny: So from the perspective of the people at this party I’ll just be-

Ironwood: A girl from Mantle with a military background. A perfectly nobody, that’s your cover.

Penny: I see.

Ironwood: As to why we’re going tonight, this event is a very special one. Every politician, business mogul, and wealthy family in Atlas will be in attendance so is the perfect opportunity to make your induction into high society. I was hoping to brief you on the case and get you some etiquette lessons before you go in but this chance was to good to waste. We’ll go over everything properly in the morning but for tonight all you need to do is introduce yourself and try and make some connections.

Penny: …Yes Sir.

Ironwood: Remember Penny this isn’t for the sake of a military project. It’s for the sake of Altas as a whole.

Penny: Yes Sir.

With that everything was out in the open, all they could do now was finish the ride in silence. After a while the limo arrives at flying ferry, the only way to get passenger filled cars from Mantle to Atlas safely, once the limo is loaded on they’re into the air and soon they are greeted by the beauty that is the Atlas skyline.

Welcome to the city in the sky

The party’s going well, after the initial greeting and welcomes Jacques makes the announcement everyone’s been waiting for. In a long winded speech Jacques expressed how “sad” he was that his daughter had lost herself to the thralls of war to the point that he had to throw her out of the house for everyone’s safety and so now. He ends his “heartbroken” speech by announcing that his youngest child and only son Whitley was to be the new heir of the Schnee Dust Company. With that said he hands Whitley the microphone, prompting him to make his speech.

Whitley: Thank you Father, ladies and gentlemen I would first like to say I am so sorry about the circumstances that has brought us here tonight but never the less I’m grateful to all of you for gifting us with your presents. I never expected to be given this title especially not this way but I’m grateful to both my father and to all of you for believing in me capable of holding this new position. I promise I will do everything in my power to become the best heir I can possibly be. And one day I will take charge of our family business, continue our great and glorious legacy, and insure that it will carry on for many generations to come.

Whitley hands the mic back to Jacques whose now holding a glass of champagne. Jacques raises his glass, the guests follow. He points the glass towards his son and makes a toast.

Jacques: A toast to the new heir. May he grow to be strong man capable of doing what’s best for the Schnee Dust Empire and for the great city of Atlas! To Whitley!

“To Whitley” the crowd shouts back. Once everyone’s downed a bit of their drink Jacques and Whitley return to the ballroom floor and back into the awaiting crowd. Soon Whitley was mobbed by a sea of people all wanting to make conversation. Scores “ Congratulations” and “I’m sure you’ll be a wonderful heir!” and of course many “ It’s pity about your sister.”. Every word out of their mouths is like sugar drenched poison. Alluring on the surface but bite into it and the toxicity of their true intentions are strong enough to kill eight full grown men. This was not group happy guests but a flock of vultures looking to pick at the fresh meat that is a young elite’s pride.

Whitley: This is going to be a very VERY long night.

As the limousine gets closer to their destination Penny grows anxious, she had handled many missions before but those were all Grimm related she’d never had to socialize outside of saying hello to Mantle citizens or issuing warns to known criminals. Her anxiety only grows worse as she spots their destination out the window. They’re heading towards a ginormous mansion, longer then most of the government building, it’s pearlescent, grand, and overall screamed “High Class”. Penny was feeling completely out of her depth in this situation and very unsure of how to handle it. She looks over to Ironwood and asks for a little guidance.

Penny: Sir, May I ask what exactly am I supposed to say to these “Altas elites”?

Ironwood: That easy. Just give them you’re name, that you’re here with me and you’re one my highest ranked soldiers. That should be enough to get them talking.

Penny: Alright, I’ll do my best.

The limo finally come to a stop in the manor driveway behind several other more expensive looking limousines. The driver opens the car door, Ironwood get out first he extends his right arm her to grab. She tries reaching for his hand but he corrects her and places it on his bicep instead. He lifts her out of her seat and onto the sidewalk. Once Penny’s out of the car she gets a full view of the manor, and it’s almost overwhelming with how regal it looks. A castle like structure with high towers, ornate windows, and beautiful woodwork, a true masterpiece of a building. They head inside and by the gods it’s as though they step into a fairytale! The marble floors, the gorgeous walls, there’s even statues and big chandeliers! Things only get more dazzling as they enter the ballroom, it’s just as amazing as the entrance and there’s a sea of well dressed people socializing inside. Once again Penny looks to Ironwood but before she can say anything someone rushes up to greet him and soon people start gathering around him!

“There’s the man we’ve been looking for! General Ironwood get over here this instant! “

One man shouts bringing even more attention to Ironwood as the now mob of people get closer and closer. Most look to be business men and wealthy middle women and they’re all thanking for saving them at the charity gala and asking to get him a drink. They’re almost surrounded when Ironwood finally speaks up.

Ironwood: Penny, Why don’t you go take a look around. I have some people I need to talk to.

Penny: But General-

Ironwood puts his hand up to ask the crowd for some space then gets down to Penny’s level and whispers to her.

Ironwood:(whisper) I can handle things here, you go and cover more ground.

Penny: Yes Sir!

Penny unlinks her arm from his and heads off while Ironwood starts chatting up the crowd. Penny looks around hoping to find someone to converse with but everyone seems to be engrossed in their own conversations. As she goes deep and deeper into the ballroom she picks up a really nice smell, not like the perfume or cologne of the people around but more like the smells of the food stands and restaurants in Mantle only nicer! Penny knows she shouldn’t get distracted but temptation is just too great and there was still time to figure out how to complete her mission so would it really be wrong to take one quick little break? Penny follows the smell to a line of tables and it’s glorious! It’s a buffet! Full of fresh seafood, a carving station, an assortment of vegetable dishes, and some many food she’s never even know existed! There’s even a fancy dessert station! Penny’s beside herself trying to figure out how she should to go about this.

Penny: It all looks so good I want to try everything! But I can’t just eat all I want my stomach has a capacity. And I know Dad must have a plate saved for me at home. So I’ll just get one plate and fill it with a little bit of everything that stands out to me so I don’t overeat. Yeah that should work.

Penny grabs a plate and goes down the buffet line. She picks up a small lobster tail and a couple shrimp, a small piece of wagyu beef, a bit of garden salad, some truffle pasta, and a tiny chocolate soufflé for dessert. Once she’s got her plate filled she can’t wait another second and takes a bite from the first thing she can stick her fork in. It was the lobster and it’s delicious. It’s so savory and sweet and buttery. It’s so soft it’s practically melting in her mouth. So good.~

She keeps eating for bit until she notices a shadow looming over her. She looks up from her plate to see a group of upper class women in beautiful dresses each in different colors. This is great Penny could finally start on her mission! She was about to greet them but a woman in a red dress spoke first.

Woman in red: Oh my look at that plate! It looks you’re really enjoy yourself. The food must absolutely delicious.

Penny: Yes, it is. Good evening my name is Penny Pole-

Woman in red: I mean it must be, why else would you be stuffing your face so eagerly.

Penny: What.

Woman in blue: Uh Young lady I think you might want to slow down a bit. Surely you wouldn’t want to fill out that dress of yours, though you do have plenty of room in the hip area. Maybe you should try hit the gym or look for a good surgeon.

Woman in yellow: Oh don’t forget about the color! I’d never be so bold to wear lime green to an evening party. And with those freckles and such pale skin Dear you look a little spotty glow stick.

Penny:(quietly) I thought it looked nice.

Woman in indigo: Now girls don’t be so cruel, she’s just a little girl isn’t she? Poor thing can’t be more then 12 with that silly hair and those fat cheeks. Come on where’s your mommy and daddy? Do you need help finding them?

That’s it! Penny couldn’t take anymore! This wasn’t the first time she had been insulted. Be it by drunks, criminals, or generally rude people Penny had been insulted, screamed, and even cursed at while on patrol. But none of that had ever made her feel like this! Nothing had ever made her feel like this! These women may have said things that were far less graphic than what Penny was use to hearing but the way they said was just so awful it made her feel so tiny and pathetic. She couldn’t listen to anymore and walked away as fast she can as they laugh behind her. She kept going until she found an uninhabited section of tables next to a balcony. She sits at the table closest to balcony and starts eating her food again. It’s gotten cold and don’t taste as good for some reason. What was she going to do? If this was how the elites treat what they believe to be a helpless teenage girl how could she possibly investigate and find the spy! What was she going to do?.

Whitley had been on his feet all night. His father had left to go rub elbows with some politicians in his cigar room leaving Whitley to do the lion’s share of hosting the party. He’s spent hours spitting out fake compliments, making small talk, and apologizing on behalf of his sister to the point he feels like a broken record. After finishing yet another pointless conversation Whitley excuse himself to get something. Once he’s gotten out of view of the guests he heads towards a secluded balcony in the quietest part of ballroom passing by a woman picking at her plate.

He steps on to the balcony, he takes a moment to take in the cool night air, he walks forward to the railing turns around and leans backwards on it looking towards the ballroom floor. This was the only way he could try to relax at events like these. Go to a quiet place a little far from the guests but still close enough that he could run back in if his father came looking for him. Ugh Father.

Whitley: I’ve been doing his job all night while he runs off to smoke with some famed narcissists. Though that is what they say about birds of the same feathers, still hosting an event to apologize for your child’s behavior then leaving the actual task of hosting up to your other child can’t possibly reflect well on you. But it’s not like I’m only doing his job. How many times have I apologize for Weiss tonight? How many excuses have I made for Mother while she’s off drinking? How times have I had to redirect a conversation when someone asks about what Winter’s been doing? I do all that and more for what? Why is this how I live? Why am I stuck constantly cleaning up after people who don’t seem to give a damn about me just to survive? I mean I keep hanging on trying to keep things calm until I obtain the power I need to finally put an end to this nightmare but honestly what am I even trying to save? A mother who’s spent the last decade a drunken mess, an older sister who seen hell but still throws tantrums like a child, an even older sister who acts like her precious perfect baby sister is her only family regardless of who else cared about her, and manor full of people who would only see me as a way to maintain their incomes! Gods Am I really that alone?

Whitley internally sighs, he throws his head up to the stars bathing in the heaven’s light. The stars were one of the only things that could ground him when he starts feeling this way. Looking up at them always made him feel like he was floating in heavens, far away from all his problems free and safe. He leans back further to get a better view, spacing out as his mind begin to calm. Until he moves back a little too much and loses his balance. He tries to catch himself but he ends up flailing and slips. Time seems to slow down as his about tip over into a two story drop he screams.

Whitley: AAAAHHHHH! Crap! This is bad! Father’s going to throw an absolute fit when he see the mess this makes.

He closes his eyes hoping it’ll be quick but before he goes into free fall he stops. He opens them and sees a freckled hand wrapped around his forearm.

Penny: Hang on, I’ve got you!

He looks up and makes eye contact with his savior. It’s a girl who’s face he’d never seen before. She no older then him, wearing a bright green dress with fiery red hair in soft ring like curls and big beautiful green eyes.

Penny was still pondering what to next when she heard a scream and commotion coming from balcony. Knowing a cry for help better then anyone Penny dashes towards the sound. She’ll almost too late when she gets out the door and she see half the person’s body is already over the railing but she manages to close the distance just in time to grab they’re arm. She yells to get they’re attention and let’s them know she’s got ahold on them, in this moment they made eye contact and she finally gets a real look at the person she just saved. It’s a teenage boy and he’s…just…beautiful. That’s the only way Penny could describe it. His skin was so pale if she hadn’t felt the heat coming off him she would’ve sworn he was made of porcelain, his hair was so white it looked like snow and it looked so soft and shiny it could’ve been mistaken for silk. And his eyes gods his eyes, they were this deep blue that somehow looked like the sky right before twilight, a endlessly deep sea, and bright like a brilliant shining jewel. Now Penny had seen plenty of handsome men before, she knew nature could make many gorgeous creatures but this, this was the first time anything had made her this awestruck. She couldn’t move she couldn’t think all she could do was take in the beauty of the young man before her.

Whitley: Ummm Excuse me miss? Could you please pull me up?

#penny polendina #whitley schnee #broken machines #james ironwood #jacques schnee #rwby fanfiction #fanfic #it is here

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virgil-is-a-cutie · 4 years

Note

Apple salt: Apple wants Raven to follow her destiny even though it’s the Grimm version where she dies by dancing in red hot iron shoes, poisons Apple 3 times instead of 1, & will have to marry Apple’s dad. Raven tries to explain to Apple the pain her destiny will bring her, but Apple says she doesn’t care about Raven if she gets her happy ending.

Raven was starred at Apple horrified, but before she could scream she heard a cough and both girls turned to look at Headmaster Grimm.

"I truly am sorry Ms. White, but because of the version your tale is for this generation, I will have to inform you that... you will not be having the legacy story you want," Headmaster Grimm said as he grimaces a little.

Apple and Raven's eyes widened.

Apple felt her cheeks turn red as she stomps a foot, "what do you mean we can't have our story?!" she shreaks.

"Well... because we have decided that it's best for some... tales to not go through the Grimm version of the fairy tales. They tend to make things very complicated."

Apple's mouth hung open and she giggles nervously, "what do you mean? It's just her poisoning me!"

"True, but 3 times Ms. White. One with the comb, the second being the tight corset that may or may not have needles hidden within to stab you slowly, and finally... the apple. I'm sorry Ms. White but we banned that version from ever being retold," Grimm said softly.

"Why?" Raven asked curiously as Apple growls.

"Well... we did have difficulty with Nightly Queen, the Evil Queen at the time, being brought back to life with her husband. However, Gala White... had more difficulty in her life after her tale ended."

"What do you mean difficulty?" Raven asked softly.

"Well... because of the comb being in her head for more than and hour in a half it caused some problems to some parts of her brain, the corset was put on for too long. The corset usually was supposed to be on for less than 20 minutes, but hers stayed on for 3 hours and with how it was crushing her ribs it caused long term breathing problems for Gala. As for... the poison? Miss Nightly used a different kind of poison one that caused problems for Miss Gala's reproductive organs. Miss Nightly didn't know that at the time though."

"W...what do you mean by problems?" Apple asked nervously as she eyed the book.

"It took 3 decades for Gala White to have a child to be the Next Snow White. Nightly had a child 2 years after she and her husband was brought back to life and said daughter was 38 years old by the time Dove White was born. By the time Dove White finally graduated Ever After High, Narcissa Queen was already 57 years old and Gala's husband was already dead by the time their tale had to begin. Even by then Narcissa Queen already had a daughter who was 13 years old. It creates a mess Ms. White and so that version is prohibited from being repeated."

Apple felt her stomach get butterflies before quickly grabbing the key in front of her and opens the book.

She freezes upon what she sees.

Her as Snow White, poisoned with the comb, corset, and apple.

However, it shocks her when she sees herself in a wheelchair. It seemed that Raven had bought the corset from a shady person.

Said corset was designed how the murder that Sherlock was trying to find in John's wedding.

It had cut into her spine.

She was gripping the podium as she watched how her life was made difficult because of her wanting to follow the dark tale.

Wnat shocked her more was seeinh a much older version of her holding a small child.

The older version looked to be about almost perhaps 50 years old.

She would go through what her many greats grandmother went through if she signed the book.

She hesitates.

And doesn't sign.

She had no choice.

#jenny speaks #ever after high #apple white #apple salt #apple white salt

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sasstrash · 4 years

Text

It’s done. I’ve finished it. I’m so sorry it took so long I kept getting distracted while writing. I’ll try to get the next one out faster.

Quick note before we begin anything that’s highlighted like ‘this’ is someone speaking in sign and if it’s like ^this^ then it’s like what the first one usually means. Enjoy!

The Silent Queen 4; The Subjects Converse

In all parts of the school students were buzzing about the latest arrival. Turns out Blondie Locks got close enough to snap a pic to post on the school’s Mirror Blog about Raven. It wasn’t a long post but it certainly blew up.

In their dorm room Raven and Maddie were silently unpacking Raven two bags. After awhile Raven broke the silence with a question ‘So who was that girl, the one with the blonde hair?’

‘Oh that’s Apple White, you know the girl your meant to poison.’ Maddie casually answered. She immediately noticed the way Raven shrunk a bit after being reminded of her destiny. ‘Hey what’s wrong? You ok?’ She asked walk closer to her friend, she heard one of the narrators start to say something but a quick glare shut them up.

Raven let a small sound out, it was almost a sigh ‘Maddie I - I don’t want to be the next Evil Queen, I don’t want to end up in a mirror prison with my mother. I do love her but I can’t be with her alone forever. I’d rather find my own happily ever after!’ It was something that chewed at her, she hated the tale. She worried she would get one similar to her great-great-great grandmother Morrigan. She had the traditional tale, dying from dancing in burning iron shoes. She barely wore footwear after hearing the tale when she was nine. Maddie held her close as silent tears fell down her face. She then stood back with a warm smile on her face.

‘Hey,’ Maddie began ‘it’s okay you can find a way to fix it I’m sure of it! After all your story can change, it’s happened before! Remember that Princess and the Pauper story from a few generations back with the singer who got to spend time performing for all other? If it can happen then it can happen now!’ She comforted her friend, noticing how Raven smiled.

In a spare room across the school the Charming siblings were together talking a bit.

“So she’s deaf huh?” Dexter asked looking up from the burrito he was eating. Daring nodded before clearing his throat.

“It might complicate a few things for the school, but otherwise it’s fine.” Daring spoke calmly. After a moment of silence another voice came.

“How’s Apple doing” Darling asked noticing the way Daring flinched. The silence could have killed an ogre.

“She’s fine ... I think, she turned red once the crowd left and Briar pulled her away. I don’t know if she knows that I know sign language.” The blonde Charming states looking at his siblings concerned for his supposed future queen and wife.

“I told you it was a good idea to take that online class during summer break was a good idea!” Exclaimed Darling looking at her brothers. A year ago when Darling had mentioned the idea her brothers hadn’t been so keen, but after she explained it would help them be ^better rulers^ they jumped on the idea.

“Yeah you did Darl, and it’s probably a good thing too. I mean it’s not like everyone in the school knows sign, we could be a big help.” Dexter responded a bright glint in his eyes, ok so maybe he thought Raven was cute, but he had barely seen her so it wasn’t like had a crush, just a respect fo beauty.

“You said it bro!” Darling cheered before returning to her salad. This was going to be an interesting year.

Faybelle flopped on her bed and groaned, the second Duchess closed the door. “Of course the Daughter of the Evil Queen is deaf! That certainly changes things for ever after!”

Duchess look over at her roommate confused “How exactly does it change things?” She squawked while gliding over to her closet.

“Well it’s not like she can ask ^who’s the fairest of them all^ know can she. I mean I don’t think magic mirrors speak sign language.” Faybelle explained spinning her hair around her finger. It certainly changed things in her opinion. Duchess rolled her eyes as she sat down besides her bffa.

“Stories change, I mean Apple is blonde so there’s already one change.” Duchess pulled out a nail fail and began to use it on her left nails. Faybelle just nodded as she used her magic to bring a magazine to her pillow opening up to a random page.

“Wait, wait wait.” Raven came this year? And you guys didn’t tell me?!” Cedar exclaimed looking over at roommate.

“We wanted it to be a surprise, and you know the whole ^tell the truth only^ might have ruined it for some.” Cerise responded quite red in the face. She knew she should have told Cedar who had also known Raven quite well since her father was close with the Good King. “Sorry.”

Cedar sighed “It’s fine I just wish I had been at the front hall. It would have been great to talk with her.”

“We have the rest of the year Cedar.” Cerise pointed out.

“Yeah, we do have all year.”

Lizzie was currently sitting silently in Kitty’s dorm looking at the picture Blondie had uploaded. “She has a wonderful bone structure in her face. And her hair is quite lovely too. Don’t you think?” She asked waiting for the next Cheshire Cat to answer.

“Oh yeah she’s quite nice looking, honestly she looks more like a White then Apple ever has.” Kitty smirked before sighing “I just wish I wasn’t roomies with the girl this year. She’s fine but it is legacy year and she’s really into her destiny.” Lizzie walked over to her friend and put comforting hand on her shoulder.

“Don’t worry you can always come to my dorm to sleep if you want to.” She comforted before continuing “by the way, it doesn’t look like Apple’s been in here yet.” She put a hand on her chin thoughtfully.

“She’s probably at one of her friends dorms right now.” Kitty responded before the two girls began talking about what many people would call random but to the Wonderlandians it was normal.

In Briar and Ashlynn’s room the two girls were trying not to groan as their friend Apple ranted to them. The rant began the second the three had entered the room, and hadn’t stopped once because neither of the two other girls had tried to interrupted the angry princess.

“I can’t believe her mother would do that! Snow White is the most important story and it won’t work now! We have to get Ravens voice back!” Apple finished look extremely peeved. She stared at her friends who had wide eyes “What?”

“Apple I’m pretty sure Raven was born that way.” Briar said “Not everything is something to fix. I’m sure that it will be fine, stories always change. I mean, look at you!” She motioned towards her bffa who now looked shocked.

“The Snow White story never changes!” The blonde exclaimed stamping her foot. “Oh I now! I can ask Headmaster Grimm if I can switch rooms and live with her! Then I can get her hearing back! I’ll go right now!” Apple was smiling almost as wide as the Cheshire Cat’s before zipping around to skip out of the room to the Headmasters office, determined to ^fix^ her story.

Ashlynn looked over at Briar “Does she know how to speak sign language?” Was all that came out of the strawberry

blondes mouth.

“No, she doesn’t, I offered to teach her before but she refused. Something about ^never needing to know^ and ^having someone else do it^ at least we learnt it.” Briar smiled, she knew that she’d have to sleep for a hundred years so she intended to do as many things as possible, and one of those was sign language. Ashlynn had learned sign when her grandmother had gone deaf at age seven.

Meanwhile underneath the school a man with bushy gray hair sighed, this would be long Legacy Year.

Tag list for the Silent Queen

@virgil-is-a-cutie @justafanwarrior @bee-a-garbage-shipper @spicybelladonna @starrry-nites @tired-butterfly @insomniac-nerd-posts-things @themagicmistic

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zebrabaker · 4 years

Text

Choosing Destiny; Part 2

Here ya go!!

“Um, hi” Raven said, “My name is Raven um- Queen, it’s nice to meet you.” holding out her hand.

“My name is Epel, oh- Felmier, it’s nice to meet you too,” He shook her hand “Sorry if I’m awkward, this would normally be Vil’s job. He’s our dorm leader.”

“Ah, I understand. I’m pretty awkward myself. So, any tips on how to survive here at Night’s Raven? I’m pretty new around here”

“Well um- always avoid Azul. He’s the dorm head of Octavinelle, he loves to make these “deals” with people,” The boy spoke, leading Raven down the halls, “Oh, Also! steer clear of Riddle, he’s the dorm leader of Heartslaybul. There, the students have to follow a bunch of made up rules and if you don’t, Riddle gets mad!” and through twisting corridors, passing a cafe of sorts. They reached the dormitory, tall brick walls surrounded by thin pathways and evergreen trees.

“This is the Pomefiore dorms. You and I are going to be on the top floor, since we’re first years. We share the two bathrooms with every other first year” Raising his hand, he swiped a key card against the keypad, opening the door “The bathroom cleaning is handled by students, but magic is used, so we don’t have to scrub anything, lazy pricks.”

Raven didn’t seem to hear Epel’s afterthought; her attention was on the lavish lounge they walked into, polished chandeliers hung from the ceiling, white rugs with floral embroidery.

The chairs and tables filled to the brim with boys scattered about, studying, playing, talking, strangling each other wait what-

“There you are Epel! Today is your day to help repair the- who is this?” A boy with long icy blonde hair had come storming over, beginning to berate Epel before he noticed her.

He had flawless eyeliner.

“Hello! I’m- Raven Queen. It’s nice to meet you!” The boy stopped and stared at her for a moment. “I was placed here in Pomefiore, the mirror thingy said that it was because I was the Evil Queen’s daughter”

“Deep apologies, did you just say, ‘Evil Queen’s daughter’?” He asked.

“Er, yup.” Raven awkwardly rubbed her neck, heat crawling. “Apparently you guys call her the ‘beautiful queen’ here? Sorry, I’m new to Twisted Wonderland, I’m from Ever After” looking over her shoulder, she could see the students staring at her. The boy stood, gaping at her before being interrupted by Rook Hunt, who had bounded to them.

“Mademoiselle! It’s wonderful to see you again! How is your ankle?”

“I’m fine now, thanks for asking. I’m actually gonna be a new student, I start classes tomorrow... I think so anyway. The headmaster didn’t make it clear, he’s strange. Not as bad as Giles, but still pretty hard to understand.” Raven giggled, and the three boys couldn’t help but blush, she sounded like bells.

“Come on now, there should be an empty dorm on our floor.” Epel said, gently grabbing Raven’s hand, tugging her towards the staircase.

“Tch! Fool.” Vil scoffed. “This girl is the descendant of the Beautiful Queen; she can not just stay in a common dorm!”

“That is true, but where else should she stay, Vil? Pomefiore is quite packed.” Rook pointed out.

“There are two rooms for dorm leaders, I use the second as a staging room for my photos, Princess Raven-”

“Just Raven is fine”

“can stay there, I would never put the daughter of the Beautiful Queen in some commoners dorm!” Epel swallowed a scowl.

“If you could follow me, Princess, I can show you where you shall be staying” He turned on his heel at the other boys, he clapped getting everyone’s attention “Louis, Benard, Trachov-” they snapped off their seats and quickly came to Vil’s side.

“-Rook and Epel, you all will help move my equipment.” Raven was frozen for a moment, as the three boys from the lounge stood before her and bowed. Her greetings evaporated in her mouth.

“It is a delight to be in your presence” The first boy said.

“It’s nice to meet you too.”

“Sorry to be blunt, but you’re beautiful.” The second smiled in a charming way.

“Oh! Uh- thank you.”

“It’s an honor to have you in our dorm.” The third boy pressed a kiss to the back of her hand.

“It’s great to be here.” Raven quickly nodded back before following the group of boys up the stairs. She shied away from the curious stares of the other boys in the common room, how they had all perked when Vil had snapped at Epel, hungry for drama.

The room was much larger than expected, with a giant four-poster bed in the center left, while the far wall held a desk, a massive vanity, and a small dresser. On the right was a walk-in closet, and what looked like a private bathroom. Next to the door was a large marble fireplace, with a loveseat in front of it. It was a room that screamed ‘Vil was here!’.

Scattered around the room was photography equipment and make-up brushes, and many, many make-up palettes. Raven gasped a bit, in awe of the view through the windows. She could see over the woods for miles, all the way to the horizon.

“I apologize if it isn’t up to your standards, Princess Queen.” Vil spoke, bowing low at the waist

“Please, just, call me Raven. Where I’m from I’m not exactly considered noble.”

Raven laughed a little at the self-deprecating joke, leaving the boys stunned.

“Still, you are a direct descendant of the Beautiful Queen! You ought to be admired, revered even!” Vil was walking around, tidying up the room as he went, piling make-up palettes and brushes and styling tools into Rook’s arms who quickly shoved it to one of the other boys.

“Tell that to the kids at Ever After.” Raven scoffed, sitting on the edge of the bed, it was comfy, too much lace though. “So, what do you guys do for fun around here? Is there, like, a village square or a mall or something?”

“Could you sit up Miss Raven?” The first boy from earlier said.

“We’re trying to remove the sheets.” The second explained. Raven turned to the two students.

“Oh really, no it’s fine!”

“I asked them to,” Vil responded, noticing her dislike for lace. “continue as you were, please” he muttered something to the boy next to him.

“So anyways... if I was at home, I would be getting ready for Thronecoming, decorating my float for the parade, getting my dress tailored for the party Briar would be throwing…I really hope Maddie is okay.” she said, sitting back down on the newly changed covers.

“Pri- Raven, what’s a ‘Thronecoming’?” Epel asked, placing a light outside for someone else.

“Thronecoming is a huge parade held every year a week after Legacy Day. Each student gets to decorate a float for a parade, and that night we have a huge party. It’s the kick-off of the school year.”

“And ‘Legacy Day’?” Rook asked, still holding a teetering pile of beauty supplies, as the third boy struggled with the same task.

“That’s…complicated.” Raven sighed, flopping back onto the bed. “See, Ever After High is a school hex-clusively for the children of fairy tale beings, from prince charmings to wicked witches.” Everyone in the room was now listening, a few passer-by's stopping to investigate. “Every student, in their second year, signs what we call ‘The Storybook of Legends’. Once you sign, you’re magically fated to follow the path of your ancestors in life, be it eating a poison apple or sleeping a hundred years”

‘how dreadful’

‘eating a poisoned apple doesn’t sound bad, I’ve had quite a few’

“Louis, mind sharing your thoughts? You look distracted”

“Oh no, not at all. Deepest apologies for my offence, Princess”

“Really- it’s fine,” Raven sighed, I'm never gonna get used to this “Princess” spiel.

“My mother’s line is that of the Evil Queen from Snow White’s tale. A lot of people think that since it’s my supposed to be my destiny to poison my best friend and marry this- guy! He's so- old. But…I didn’t sign. The complicated part is, the Headmaster of Ever After High, Headmaster Grimm, told me that if I didn’t sign the book, everyone involved in the Snow White story would disappear from existence.”

She stood up, furious.

“And, well, I obviously didn’t!” Raven puffed out her cheeks, before hissing out air like a leaking tire.

“That’s…a lot to put on a sixteen-year-old.” Epel muttered.

“Fourteen.”

“What was that, Raven?” Rook asked.

“I’m fourteen. My birthday was a few days before school started. I was castle-schooled for most of my life, so I got to skip two grades. All the make-up and heels makes me look older.” Rook shot Epel a bewildered look. This girl was fourteen, and had almost been married to a man in his- what? fifties? That was…repulsive!

“Well, you’re safe here with us, Raven!” Rook chirped, everyone followed.

“You can expect nothing less from us!”

“Trachov, the boxes.” Vil snapped.

“Apologies, Vil.” So, he was Trachov, the last one is Benard then.

“Indeed. One so lovely as you are, deserves only gold! After all, beauty holds power.” Vil sniffed, checking his eye makeup in the vanity (it was flawless, as always).

“Thanks, but I’m really nothing special” Raven blustered, cheeks painted red.

“Nonsense!” Vil snapped. “You have a fair complexion, a flawless facial structure, full lips that look to be naturally red, unique coloured, large eyes, and you’re petite enough to be considered cute.” Raven looked at the other students, they seemed to agree “Add all that together and you truly look like a doll, Raven dear. Now, we need to introduce you to the rest of Pomefiore, and let them ask their questions so that they keep their hands off you tomorrow, you would not want them intruding in your studies”.

Benard- she thinks that’s right- arrived back in the room with a plate of cookies, he handed them over to Vil before leaning against the wall with Louis and Trachov.

“Remember to restrain yourself, usually I only allow confection sparingly but, I can make an exception for you”

Raven nodded and munched into them, it was simple but very tasty.

“Thank you, Benard- Oh they left”

“Vil asked them to get the Pomefiore students,” Raven jumped at the presence of Epel next to her, then she noticed him eyeing her plate of cookies.

“You can have them.”

“Really?!”

“Epel, the noise” Epel turned to Rook with a look, accepting Raven’s plate.

“And just so you know, Benard’s his last name, same with the other two”

Just when it seemed to get quiet, Raven saw the three who left sprint past the door screaming all sorts of profanity and laughing their lungs out.

“Quiet down out there!” Vil snatched up his jacket and chased after the boys.

Then, it dawned on Raven. they treated her differently, was going to be Ever After High all over again? small tears pricked at the corners of her eyes.

“Oh mademoiselle,” Rook saddled to her side, cupping her cheeks, “There is no need for tears.” Epel sat down by her side.

“Pomefiore can sometimes be hectic, so don’t worry.” The shorter boy reassured her.

“No, it’s not that. It’s just-” She sniffled a little, trying to stay calm. “I just want to be normal, treated normally.”

“If that is what you want,” They gasped, Vil was already back. “then tell them. You are a part of us too” He joined Raven, Epel moving out of the way, “You have what it takes, and you will do what it takes” They stood up, Raven’s eyes glinted.

“Why else are you here?” a small hug, among the four of them.

“Rook, Epel, go down with everyone else. I need to touch up Raven’s makeup. Your mascara is smeared, dear.” Rook and Epel left, and Vil guided Raven to sit in front of the vanity. From his pockets he withdrew a small pack of makeup wipes and gently stripped off her old mascara, before having her close her eyes and applying a new coat.

“There we are. Now, if you’ll follow me, Raven. Our audience awaits!” Vil clapped with a dramatic flourish, and Raven couldn’t help but giggle. Maybe being stuck here wouldn’t be so bad after all… in fact, it was going to be great.

@sayuricorner @keiwahikari

#ever after high #ever after high salt #twisted wonderland crossover #salt #writing prompt

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rapeculturerealities · 4 years

Link

The conteuses created the archetypes of our classic fairytale heroines: Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and Rapunzel. They were bestselling writers in their day, their popularity continuing into the 18th century, circulated throughout all levels of society by publication in the Bibliothèque Bleue, a series of cheaply printed and readily affordable chapbooks.

But their tales were complex and their morals ambiguous. Their intended audiences were not children but educated adults. Their stories were long, like novellas, and incorporated character development, dialogue and complicated plots. And they digressed, embroidering an extravagant tapestry of miniature, marvellous detail. And this was, perhaps, their downfall.

In the 19th century, when the Brothers Grimm began their project of collecting and publishing folktales, they dismissed the conteuses as inauthentic, as not representative of the voices of the common volk. But the Grimms’ theory that fairytales had a linear relationship to folktales has been exposed by scholars as a nationalist – and masculinist, as the teller was usually an illiterate female – bias. A furphy.

We need to redress this false belief, because it denies us the ability to acknowledge the contributions individual female authors made to stories that continue to have currency in our culture in ever-changing forms: manga, graphic novels, movies, novels, television series.

#fairytales #books #culture #australia news #australian books #history

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soulvomit · 4 years

Text

I really struggle with all discourse about children’s works, but ESPECIALLY The Giving Tree. It’s like having an opinion about a culture you weren’t raised in and ALL you can ever have is an outsider view.

One of the reasons I’m struggling with Giving Tree Discourse has to do with the way I was raised with regard to children’s works. In my own house - the assumption would have been that any books that are ambiguous, that bring up lots of different feelings for lots of different people, would be discussed, and the feelings that they brought up, would be discussed. And this was just assumed to be... all books? I was taught early that EVERYTHING is Your Mileage May Vary? My parents were actually aggressive deprogrammers when it came to messages that I took away from media. Mainstream media often made me feel shitty, ESPECIALLY because of legacy 50s programming on network tv, and because of 80s programming about Perfect Happy Families. My parents were *always* pointing out that stuff I read about or watched, wasn’t real life... from day one. Also, partially due to atheist upbringing, there are very few instances in which I experienced any one book being forced on me as any kind of required foundational pedagogy. There is NO book that I was required to read. (Part of this is that I loved to read so much that I just read a lot of stuff on my own. I did not really get into fiction until my vocabulary and reading abilities caught up to classic fiction and adult works, and my adult figures’ whole focus of teaching me how to read was about getting me up to speed to at least read Steinbeck. Children’s literature *only existed for purposes of teaching reading and grammar* and wasn’t an end to itself, and was supposed to be a temporary, transitory phase until my reading skills got better.) For whatever reason - The Giving Tree is a book that neither upset me, nor particularly appealed to me. It’s not my favorite Silverstein work by a long shot. The one that always spoke to me? Powerfully? The Missing Piece. (I don’t have much experience with Silverstein being rammed down my throat or spoonfed to me, in any case. NO BOOK WAS.)

Like a lot of children’s books, I was neutral on The Giving Tree. There are a whole lot of semi-contemporary kids’ works (as in, written in the 1960s-70s) that just totally missed me.

And I didn’t really come to appreciate Shel Silverstein’s broader oeuvre until adulthood. The only thing I was ever given anything resembling “classical pedagogy” on, was math, because it’s the one thing I wouldn’t study on my own. I was basically encouraged to just study whatever I wanted and if I had a particular interest, my parents got me books on it (that were often above my grade level) and encouraged me to read them and ask questions, and they taught me early on to look up words I didn’t know. Almost all of the books that I liked reading were for older kids (and later, adults). I was actually exposed to classic fantasy work and Grimm’s Fairy Tales before any of the Bowdlerized versions. Because of my limited contact with other children, I just didn’t even know that other kids weren’t being raised in the same world that I was raised in, or reading any of the same material. I only knew that I was different from other kids in ways that made their parents uncomfortable.

My parents were very, very specifically opposed to certain things that are in standard public school pedagogy, and felt that those things destroy children’s minds. Somehow my household managed to not rear me on 20th century children’s material almost at all and barely even any postwar or later 20th century adult fiction (before my dad got me into sci fi). Somehow fairy tales seemed to just... miss me. They weren’t interesting especially because I KNEW they were Bowdlerized, and my parents didn’t push me to read stuff I wasn’t interested in. (But I liked Disney movies for the drama, the songs, and the fancy dresses.) My parents' thing was to let me read whatever I wanted - they simply wouldn’t keep books in the house that they didn’t want me to read - and to make themselves available to any questions I had.

My schooling experience is weird, too. When I was in school (before middle school, because I WANTED to go to middle school), it wasn’t with a lot of consistency, so - whatever social noise was going on between teachers and students, *shrug.* Lots of it missed me. My parents provided a lot of buffer between what was going on at school, and my home life. Anything that got discussed in school, was being countered by my parents’ own programming. So... The thing with books like The Giving Tree is that I’m not used to them being *taught out of.* This is not how my parents used fiction books, and I wasn’t in very many environments consistently enough for the schools to do that, either. I’m not used to any particular book being forced on me as a training manual. That was my parents’ job and their job only and that was a rule in my house. They didn’t rely on media to teach me sharing, that was *their job* and it wasn’t via abstract “let’s have a lesson about sharing.” (Very few things were “lessons” or taught “school style” that weren’t specific academic topics. My parents were into reinforcement and modeling.) Sharing is something that was modeled at the dinner table, for example. Also my mom is a hardcore rationer, and my family was poor for the first half of my childhood, so my understanding of sharing was rooted in pragmatic sharing of resources, as opposed to kids sharing their toys. I was even raised *not to eat in public* because it was rude to eat in front of people if you weren’t sharing your food. And I really feel that a lot of The Discourse around kids’ media comes from the broader culture and its institutions, relying upon mass media to model for kids what parents and schools are no longer able to model. This is the framework everyone is approaching this book from - not as a book on its own merits, but pro-con in terms of its use as an instrument of pedagogy and social modeling that is totally alien to how I was raised to approach any book. They wanted me to question everything I read. I was actually much more reinforced to read science and history material. Another thing is that as an advanced reader, I didn’t enjoy reading children’s work, and came to despise children’s media BECAUSE of the overbearing modeling in it. It was transparent to me and put me right off, and... lots is aimed at middle class WASP kids’ life experiences, in ways that most people don’t realize. (Sometimes I feel like a lot of standard pedagogy, and standard American kids’ writing, is about SLOWING KIDS DOWN and rationing the amount of information they have access to.) And I’ll say that class is actually a big issue. I lived in a poor urban area and was an advanced reader, so the material dangers presented in a 19th century or early 20th century work were actually more relatable to my real world. I FUCKING HATED POSTWAR PERFECT HAPPY FAMILIES CRAP. My family was weird as fuck, and lots of my family was poor as fuck, and all of us were dysfunctional as fuck. This meant I found mainstream shit TOTALLY ALIENATING AND OTHERING and it only reinforced to me how abnormal my family was. (In fact, I didn’t come to discover how normal we really were for a long time... that most families are “dysfunctional” - and that what’s being measured as “normal” is 100% specific to the propagandized optic of middle class white Christian families.) Mainstream children’s work only made me feel bad about my family and about myself, and I started shunning practically anything that other kids were into, or even discussing. Mainstream kids’ works made me feel suicidal, whereas adult works made my imagination soar. (The irony is that Shel Silverstein is one of the few writers that I actually felt *got* me on some level. I think there is a way in which I picked up on the author’s own “otherness” and connected it to my own.)

This is a case where my background is so different from most people’s that even approaching this discourse, is like trying to discuss specific American problems from the inside, when you were raised outside and have no idea what half of the discussions even are. And when I discuss the kids’ books that people are talking about, it’s not even possible for me to come at it from the viewpoint other people do, because that’s not the way ANY book was ever presented to me... and furthermore, my parents felt that it’s parents’ job to teach their children and model social behavior to them, not schools’.

I am just so outside of this discourse that I don’t even know how to approach it. I also don’t know how I feel about the fact that many people are being traumatized by his work because they were forced to read it as Christian-reared children who took different messages away from it than I took, as a secular Jew reading a secular Jew’s work. That makes me have really strong feelings about removing his work, tbh. I don’t know how to feel about this at all. Is there a way that we have to write for children who are Christian-reared, because they will parse some things traumatically? Where does this leave Jewish writers, or outsider writers? Do only specific people get to write for children? This. is. so. complicated.

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rahirah · 4 years

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via Barb's Place MAYOR: Open your present. There. That look on your face is my reward. [The present is a knife with an intricate design.] FAITH: This is a thing of beauty, boss. MAYOR: Well, it cost a pretty penny. So, you just take good care of it. And you be careful not to put somebody's eye out with that thing, until I tell you to. FAITH: Any particular eyes in mind?

~~Choices (Season 3)~~

[Drabbles & Short Fiction]

A Conversation with the Fae (Buffy. Xander, T, Devil May Cry xover) by madimpossibledreamer

Crescendo Nocturne (Buffy/Spike, M) by MissLuci

Something is Wrong with Buffy (Buffy, Giles, T) by we_are_who_we_are

Lonesome Whistle, Blow My Blues Away (Xander, Faith, T) by nwhepcat

Not a Fairytale (Buffy/Spike, E) by Unfeathered

Not Just a Game (Buffy, G, Fast & Furious xover) by lateVMlover

Illyria helps (Illyria, Spike, Angel, Willow, G) by Bacner

Imagine: Telling Spike you are bi (Spike/reader, unrated) by randomfandomimagine

The Asgards' New Princess (Cordelia, G, MCU xover) by Buffyworldbuilder (lateVMlover)

Dirty Jokes (Spike/reader) by chubbyreaderchan

The Perfect Moment (Spike/Reader, unrated) by writings-n-stuff

for the world to become good (Buffy/Faith, M) by rootsmachine

A Series of Unfortunate Events (Giles, T) by IBJoyful

Unused Key (Buffy, Dawn, Willow, T, Charmed xover) by btvsforever

[Chaptered Fiction]

Eyes of Gold Ch. 1-2/2 (COMPLETE) (Buffy, unrated, LotR xover) by ElzaCBoe

The Scoobies in a Marvel World 1-7/25 (Ensemble, G, MCU xover) by Buffyworldbuilder (lateVMlover), lateVMlover

Willow Season One Ch. 1 (Ensemble, T) by PleaseNo1985

Darkness Rising Ch. 8 (Buffy, M, Anita Blake xover) by Deesse

Mommy Dearest Ch 2 (BUffy, M, Harry Potter xover) by Deesse

What do you think you are, a Jedi or something? Ch 51 (Buffy/Faith, M, Star Wars xover) by Blackhat

The Meaning of Strength Ch 1 (Xander, T, DCU xover) by AxelBlade

Honeysuckle Ch. 45 (Spike/OC, T) by Mushroom99

Let the Wrong One In CH. 15 (Buffy, Giles, Spike, OC, T) by Cynder2013

More Grimm Tails, Chapter 20-21 (Buffy/Spike, M) by Twinkles

Distant thunder, Chapter 9 (Buffy/Spike, E) by Axell

Prisoners of Love, Blue Skies Above, Chapter 22 (Buffy/Spike, E) by bewildered

Tutor, Chapter 7 (Buffy/Spike, E) by Holly

Summer's Lease, Chapter 11 (Buffy/Spike, E) by Iamblichus

Love & Thunder...& Vampires , Chapter 1-2 (Buffy/Spike, T, MCU xover) by all_choseny

Reconstruction, Chapter 3 (Buffy/Spike, E) by EllieRose101

Eye of Eleos, Chapter 68 (Buffy/Spike, M) by pfeifferpack

Love is a Many Splendored Bitch, Chapter 12 (Buffy/Spike, E) by MissLuci

Sleeping Arrangements, Chapter 14 (Buffy/Spike, T) by ChryshCn

Always Been Bad , Chapter 24 (Buffy/Spike, E) by DarkEternity96

Civilized monster, Chapter 30 (Buffy/Spike, E) by Axell

Divination, Chapter 1 (Buffy/Spike, E) by Miss Marisol

It Must Be Tuesday, Chapter 8 (Buffy/Spike, M) by Safire

Beneath the Surface, Chapter 11 (Buffy/Spike, E) by The Danish Bird

More Than A Crush, Chapter 12 (Buffy/Spike, M) by all_choseny

These Violent Delights, Chapter 12 (Buffy/Spike, E) by Touchstoneaf

Echoes of Beljoxa 1: Plan B (Buffy/Spike, unrated) by myrabeth

[Images, Audio & Video]

Artwork:BtVS Season 5 () by Cooke8008

Artwork:Buffy () by Gabraskolbe

Artwork:Little Doodle for my Fav Badass (Buffy) by a-z-e-r-t

Artwork:Buffy () by MatthewB

Artwork:Buffy and Tara () by taffybtvs

Artwork:Buffy () by goldenebee

Icons: Tara Maclay Pride Headers () by tarasmaclays

Icons:Buffy Summers icons & 5 Buffy Summers headers () by midnightisquiet

Video: Series Rap Battles - BtVS () by Geeks Who Drink Pub Quizzes

Video: Buffy & Giles | Prepare Me. [Father’s Day 2020] () by hostilepoet17

[Reviews & Recaps]

PODCAST: Power Play/Not Fade Away by Once More With Commentary

PODCAST: Go Fish S2 E20 by Buffy and the Art of Story

PODCAST: 118. Blood Ties (S5.13) by Still Pretty

VIDEO: Buffy The Vampire Slayer Season 1 Episode 1:Welcome To The Hellmouth by JustDaggers

PODCAST: 073 - Jonathan (S04E17) by Buffy Boys

PUBLICATION: Rewatching Buffy – Episode 134 Potential by COnfusing Middle

PUBLICATION: Rewatching Angel – Episode 75 Long Day’s Journey by Confusing Middle

[Community Announcements]

Countdown to Summer of Giles 2020 by summer-of-giles

[Fandom Discussions]

Amazing Buffyverse Storylines by itsnotmymind

Soulless Spike is not a hero by blackkismet

S5 Rewatch Reactions 1 by turdle

Tara in Buffy is one of my favourite characters ever. by winterfellsroses

Buffy not telling Riley she loved him by blackkismet

Quarantine Conversations: Willow and Angel and Modern Decor by stashofmystories

Prior to his fall fron grace did you have any attachment to Whedon's works? by blazehedgehog

Faith and Spike by eldritch--fae

My biggest takeaway from watching Angel by merelyspecters

William Meta by xanderharrisisgay

i feel like there are a lot of bargain bin spikes out there by moistvonlipwig

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#IFTTT #Barb's Place

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littlemisssquiggles · 4 years

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On the topic of Silver eyes, I think it's gonna get a little complicated: Silver eyes are activated by, essentially, "Happy Thoughts". When Ruby used her Silver Eyes, the first time failed because of intrusive thoughts about the things that made her sad. But what brought her back was focusing on the people she loved and how they made her feel. But with self-doubt being the theme of the volume with how the group is unsure of who they can trust and a betrayal imminent (TBC)

(Part 2) Ruby’s previous “Happy Thoughts” to activate the Silver Eyes might not work. Especially if the group begins to splinter off because of their differing views on her pulling an Ozpin, Yang’s lie about Raven, Oscar’s views on her changing and everything else… Ruby’s Happy Thoughts begin to dwindle until she’s not left with any and she has only her fear, doubt and anger. And that would make her vulnerable for either Cinder or Tyrian to enact “Eye for an Eye” on her.

——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Squiggles Answers:

Here’s the thing about everything you just said, Miki-chan. That is an excellent justification for Ruby currently not being able to summon her Silver Eyes or not be seen using them coming off of V6.

However, I can’t say that this is the case in the show since as of the start of V7, the PLOT hasn’t really addressed Ruby and her eyes since the last season ended despite it taking place right the events of V6’s finale episode.

Ruby hasn’t be sighted even trying to use her Silver Eyes at all for this season. We haven’t even heard her mention her eyes or even potentially resuming her training with Maria in order to continue to hone mastery of her abilities. We haven’t even seen Maria in the PLOT since the first episode. If the PLOT had written Ruby to acknowledge that there is still more room for improvement with mastering her eyes—y’know like for example, have her attempt to summon her powers again during the heroes’ first Grimm battle against the Saybers down in Mantle only to fail.

Like maybe instead of Blake being the one to suddenly be blindsided by a Sayber, what if…it was Ruby noticing more oncoming Saybers charging in and thinking to herself that now’s a good enough time as any to try using her eyes again. Only she fails and makes herself look like a sitting duck in the line of combat before being saved by Penny.

If we had gotten something small like that before leading into Ruby not using her eyes again for the most of the season up until CH5, then I could definitely see your point. But as I said, Ruby hasn’t mentioned her eyes again at all for this season.

I’m not even certain if she cares anymore about her eyes since the PLOT has her focusing on other things.

This is an odd habit I noticed in the writing for RWBY where the PLOT would introducing certain elements into the story only to suddenly drop them entirely in a season later, having the character behave as if the thing never happened or affected them at all despite feeling so strongly about it a season or two prior.

In the case of Ruby’s Silver Eyes, one issue I remember hearing folks in the FNDM criticize regarding our little red rose’s side of the things is how she never quite questioned her eyes after hearing about it from Qrow firstly back in V3. And despite knowing that Oz originally told Qrow about the Silver Eyed Warriors, not once did we really see Ruby probe the old soul for more answers on these mysterious warriors with the power to vanquish the Grimm. She didn’t even do it when she approached him with questions back in V5CH10, I believe.

Ruby’s eyes didn’t come into place again for her story until she met Maria and even then, she unfortunately still doesn’t receive the proper chance to train with Maria (whatever that would’ve entailed) before we next see her jumping straight into the line of fire against the Leviathan Grimm.

And in spite of going through ordeal just last season, now it feels as if the PLOT has returned to having Ruby not focus on her eyes anymore which feel odds coming out of V6 and how it ended. I get that Ruby has other things to focus on for this season but regardless, it feels a little weird seeing her desire to be trained as a Silver Eyes finally by Maria and now that doesn’t matter to her anymore and the way the PLOT treats it having Ruby act like that part of her story last season didn’t happen at all.

It isn’t even Ruby herself who mentions her eyes again for V7. It was Yang and it’s in a throwaway line that’s played as a joke.

This is kind of disappointed since I originally pegged Ruby’s eyes and her role as a Silver Eyed Warrior as an integral part of her character—one that even transcends herself since it connects her to her own mother Summer Rose who also shared in her power and such a mysterious yet mystical legacy.

Overall, I guess what I’m mostly getting at here is that I’m bummed at how Ruby’s development into a Silver Eyed Warrior has been executed thus far. Just when the party was getting started in V6, I feel like it’s been dropped again for V7.

I don’t wish to sound as if I’m bashing the CRWBY Writers or the writing for RWBY in general. That’s never my intention at all. However, I do wish to always remain honest in my opinions of all the things I like and even dislike in regards to RWBY especially when I’m describing how I genuinely feel about it. Feel free to respectfully disagree with me if you will.

As an audience member, it’s hard for me personally to take Ruby’s development into a Silver Eyed Warrior seriously, at least anymore since after three seasons, I’m left thinking that the PLOT isn’t taking it seriously; y’know what I mean?

And that’s disappointing since I was really, really, REALLY looking forward to that aspect of Ruby’s story the most. I wanted to see her grow into her role and potential destiny as a Silver Eye.

I wanted to learn more about the Silver Eyed Warriors themselves and if the show wasn’t ready to delve deeper into the lore surrounding that, I at least for the most part was hoping to see Ruby grow closer to Maria. Train with her. Come to value and cherish her as both a mentor and surrogate grandmother figure just for the sake of seeing all that the wise old pocket abuelita had to pass down to her eager young pupil.

Who knows? Perhaps that’s still in the cards, somehow? Maybe. It’s just that right now, I don’t think that’s happening much for V7. But this is just how I see it.

~LittleMissSquiggles (2019)

#miki-13 #squiggles answers: rwby #ruby rose #maria calavera

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acomplicatedgrimmlegacy · 4 years

Text

Hansel’s Girls

Hansel Kuhn and his girls: wife, Maria Hill; daughter, Betty Kuhn; daughter-in-law, Marina Kuryakina nee Petrovka.

#a complicated grimm legacy #hansel kuhn #maria hill #betty kuhn #marina petrovka

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donttouchmyasymptote · 5 years

Text

Old Enough To Read Again || Darabella

Happy Holidays, @eccentricextrovert ! I know you love Darabella (as well The Adventure Zone, which doesn’t feature at all in this fic, but I also love TAZ so let’s talk about that too sometime), so I wrote you some for the @eah-exchange <3

It took a good month for Daring to realise that dating- no, courting, Rosabella was a bit more than extravagant gifts.

To be fair, courting any princess at Ever After High was more than extravagance. For some, being born with a silver spoon in their mouths meant that the taste dulled their senses until they could accept no less than platinum. For others, raised by wet nurses and with dead mothers and distant fathers and the lived experience that a jewelled crown came with a political weight, every bit of gold seemed that of a fool’s. For many, they knew that if someone had to put a monetary value on marriage, and that they were priceless and deserving of things better than riches, like loyalty or trustworthiness, or like, really good biceps.

(Rosabella was pretty fond of his really good biceps, if linking arms on the way to classes or dates was any sign, so Daring knew he wasn’t doing too shabbily.)

And to be fair, Rosabella kept all of the gifts. She had a few expensive rocks tucked up on one of her bookshelves, and all the flowers placed in a vase until they expired their time. She shared chocolates with Daring, but not without small tangents on rising sea levels, on how dwarf mines were an unsustainable power resource, on how magical energy was not being harnessed in renewable ways and that the waste was spreading to other magical regions, most notably Wonderland, and because of all that, the fairytale universe was getting hotter and that wasn’t just because natural selection meant that only those regarded as most beautiful in their lands got shots at marriage, and that meant that the cacao plants were going to die out and with that so many sweets-filled destinies and--

Unfortunately, he only fixated on the most minor of parts. “No fear, Rosabella! We shall sort out this waste issue. Dragons fly vast distances, surely they can take any trash off to some far, far, far off land. I’m thinking America.”

To which, she had only lightly scolded and told him not to dump their own issues on other, unsuspecting people. “Think of the Ozians! They’re unstable as it is!”

The next time Daring bought her chocolate, he made a deal about it being Fair Fairy Trade, with practises, through what research he could do, that were environmental friendly and didn’t involve underpaid fae labour. When Rosabella kissed his cheek and called him thoughtful, he felt his heart warm up inside.

~*~

“Am I doing well?” he asked, when Rosabella came up to him after classes, handed him a coffee, and looped her free arm around his.

“What do you mean?”

He blanked. “Uhm.” Daring Charming did not lose grace in social situations. “I’m totally dashing and cool, right?”

“I like you, yes,” she said, and leaned up to gently kiss him on the nose. “You are the next Beast. I’d be a little miffed if I didn’t.”

Daring wasn’t confident with that response. Author Grimm-it, he was quite fond of Rosabella. He was determined to impress her, to stand out among Ever After High’s avalanche of handsome princes, but it seemed naught when all he had to offer was pretty when she was that too, and on top of it, clever and dedicated and knowledgeable…

“The next Beast,” the words ran in his mouth strangely. It had been a while since he realised that he would soon follow Rosabella in her destiny, and abandon what he thought was his future life for the past decade. With Rosabella, things felt right. “Rosabella, I’m sorry if I don’t quite seem as princely as I do normally. My real role is just a completely, fair-y, fair-y different role from the one I thought I had.”

“I think you’re doing royally well,” she squeezed his hand. “There’s a lot to being the next Beast. For starters, you’re no longer just a trophy husband.”

He looked down at his coffee. Trophy husband. Daring knew of princes who resented that term. He never did, but he would always pass by conversations in common rooms -- ‘no matter how the world sells the narrative, we are naught but prizes for princesses’, ‘it doesn’t matter how many witches or woods they endure, we deserve autonomy too’. Ill-complaints, he had thought. The World of Ever After was still tilted in princes’ favours. His roommate, Hopper, had once tried to offer his input to these common room rifes, but was shot back with ‘isn’t your princess meant to kill you in your original? No amount of revisionism will save you, amphibian boy’.

How did Rosabella know this term? She liked activism circles, didn’t she? How much she did absorb from these princes?

Just-- what a fascinating princess. So steadfast, always holding her ground. Daring felt like he couldn’t keep up. Sometimes, he wanted to just sit back and listen to her talk for hours. Whatever topic, whatever rant, that voice, that mind, her ideas.

“For an eldest son, you never had to do much outside of hero stuff, did you?”

Rosabella was right. Daring never really thought much about ruling. Destiny for him used to be so simple - be handsome, and be certain about being handsome. Kiss a princess, wave a weapon around or so.

He thought about Apple and the role of Snow White. He thought about how, once, he had to ‘rescue’ her. How simple it was - a quick kiss.

Did he ever think about Happily Ever After afterwards? Not really. Snow White had been named one of Faebes’ top world leaders for decades now, with pretty much a monopoly on rare Dwarf minerals. Apple was the one that would have been crowned queen; they were not meant to be joint monarchs.

“No…” he confessed. “I mean, I get good grades in Kingdom Management. But I used to think that Apple would handle the political side of things.”

She grinned, and loosened her looped arm to grab his waist and pull him in. “Good. You won’t have to.”

“Rosabella, don’t think so little of me!” he tried to amplify his voice to sound strong, but a slight whinge remained. “I am not completely useless--”

Having finished her coffee by now, Rosabella put her free hand on his chest. “No, no, I didn't mean to insult you. I meant, you won’t have to rule over anyone. We don’t have people.”

“... what?”

“Other than the castle staff, we don’t have subjects,” she said. “Beauty’s the youngest daughter of a rich merchant. My coronation will be an incorporation.”

Daring blinked. “Coronation… incorporation?”

And she explained. How, because each generation, the beast’s castle would be secluded, so when destiny was done and over, him and Beauty had to live and move into it. Twenty to thirty years was too short of a time to cultivate any stable population, so the kingdom was not remodelled into a county, but a company. It was a versatile move on her predecessor’s part, so that no matter the gender of the heir, their lives would be properly set up in a manner to fulfill the story accurately.

He never realised how much he failed to ask about her.

And to think -- the times she thought about him: how she got through all the list of action movies he loved, or how she remembered his ever-complicated drink orders and the moods in which he preferred them, or the efforts she put into being friendly with Dexter and Darling, and reminding Daring about their lives. No detail seemed to slip from her mind.

“A lot of words! A lot of thought!” he said. “No wonder you’re as you are.”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re so smart. And well-read! I cannot keep pace with you all the time. It’s highly empress-ive.”

She beamed. “I think highly of you too.”

“I feel like every time we hang out, I learn more. I just… I just hope I’m not boring you. Maybe I should read like you, too.

There - her smile faltered.

Daring felt a very sudden, cold fear that he had upset her.

“I mean, other than for activism purposes, I haven’t really been reading. Legacy Year really thrones you in for a loop,” Rosabella took off her glasses and dusted them with a handkerchief - one that Daring recognised, for he had gifted it. “Too much time spent memorising crowns from birth to coronation, or looking into newly passed legislation. I want to read again.”

“You can read to me.” The response was instantaneous. “I like your voice. I like hearing you talk.”

“If I read to you, those aren’t my thoughts. But I appreciate it, Daring,” she smiled up at him. Even the roses that frequented her family castle’s gardens could not compare to her.

Daring recalled the warm feeling in his stomach, when Rosabella had kissed him for the Fairy Trade Chocolate.

“As a prince that should dash to every lovely princess’ needs, I will make time for you-- so you can make time to read!”

“We’ll start simple. Animal Farm.”

~*~

It had started out simple: hours spent under the trees in the Legacy Orchard, or Rosabella trying to read over the sound of the wind while dragonback riding, her voice starting to sound like a death metal song, or secluded areas of the Castleteria.

But the pages of the books dragged out longer, and Daring grew more eager for fiction, and by the time Rosabella cracked open a copy of Robert Iron Heinrich’s Stranger in a Strange Far, Far Away Land, reading already became an evening past-time on one of their couches in one of their dorm rooms.

At some point in these evenings, he would be comfortable enough to tuck his head between the nape of her chin and clavicle. Comfortable enough to have one arm across her waist, comfortable enough for his breathing to fall in sync with the weight of her words.

And eventually, comfortable enough to kiss for a bit, though never for long. There were books to get to, after all.

(Besides, Rosabella’s voice was perhaps one of the nicest things to fall asleep too.)

#ever after high #darabella #daring charming #rosabella beauty #eccentricextrovert #eahexchange

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