#deadbeatbirdmom posts

[deadbeatbirdmom]

I've a vague recollection of posting something about this before at some point, but I've seen other posts around about it and felt like saying something.

Yang Xiao Long is canonically sapphic. At this stage the only thing we know for certain is that she's romantically paired with Blake. There was this whole confession of love and kiss, and seeing a gif of that cross my dash was what got me into RWBY.

There was also the Volume 9 Bluray commentary released later on last year, the gist of the relevant part of that is Blake is Yang's first love, and as of that confession scene Yang is realising something new about her sexuality. If CRWBY had wanted to confirm Yang as lesbian, bi or pan, they could've. But it sounds like Yang herself hasn't fully figured that out yet. The only thing that is certain is that Yang isn't het.

That means there's nothing wrong with headcanons that she's lesbian, or bi, or pan. Or even that she's Blakesexual and not interested in anyone else and never will be. All are valid. There's no erasure or phobia of any sexual orientation involved with any of these headcanons.

My own headcanon is that she's lesbian, or will be when she's figured it out. It's something that takes time for a lot of people, me included. I was over 25 before I figured out I was bi. You'd think that being bi I'd headcanon Yang as bi too, but no, and that's not internalised biphobia. I just don't get the impression she's interested in men.

But what about this moment back in Volume 1?

Yang leering at shirtless boys, after saying she approves of them in response to Ruby commenting that she doesn't think their dad would approve of all the boys. This is the single time Yang shows any interest in boys, and it sounds a lot like a joke. It can be interpreted as Yang genuinely finding those boys attractive, but with the way Yang has a thing where she deflects with humour it's hard to tell for sure.

There's also the secondary canon of that Volume 9 commentary. At this point in Volume 1 Yang herself presumably had even less certainty of her own sexuality than she does at least a year later. She's 17 here, and she's 19 when she kisses Blake. We also know from that commentary that Yang's first love is Blake, so anyone she might have been with before that? She didn't love them. And I personally find it unlikely that she'd be with anyone she didn't love.

Secondary canon is one of those things that some people ignore. If it's not in actual main canon, they don't consider it canon. It's also easier to miss than main canon. There could well be people who haven't heard about the Volume 9 commentary. There could even be people who don't know that Blake is bi, because it's not explicitly stated in RWBY itself. It's just implied by her romantic history, and by Bumbleby being canon.

There's also nothing wrong with shipping Yang with anyone else. She's with Blake in canon, but there's no reason she can't be with someone else in headcanons and fanfic or fanart. And vice versa with Blake. Which does feel kinda weird to type, but then they are my OTP.

#Yang Xiao Long #Bumbleby #Blake Belladonna #deadbeatbirdmom posts

[strawberry-seal77]

Hi Strawberry! How're you doing?

I'm a wee bit confused by the tumblr update. As far as I can tell it hasn't done anything except load my dash slower, and load tumblogs a lot lot slower. Are you having any better luck?

there was an update? ive had the slow loading too sbhfbdhsbf

#also that one time the messages on one of wick's posts dissapeared #I still dont know what their comment was.. #ask #deadbeatbirdmom

[yay-is-for-yorses]

SO recently, this specific yorse has been brought to my attention by @deadbeatbirdmom as a possible first. (citing this post)

Reasons to believe this are that it was used as the representation of Yorse in a tournament (5 years ago, so probably quite soon after Yorse's creation), and that it was present in Arryn's video of searching Yorse on tumblr.

However, I cant find the original post on tumblr, only a repost on reddit (though perhaps I could do a deeper search later.)

the yangs-got-yooves blog is nowhere to be found though

this does confirm that it was made right around the time Yorse was, but it doesn't say how long ago the original post its taking from was made.

It would have to be at least 3 days to be a candidate of First (since the oldest post ive found is february 6th)

#centaur yorse #fun thing about tagging someone on tumblr is that im pretty sure if they change their username it links to the new blog!

[citadelofmythoughts]

Hey, I'm so sorry you were misgendered, I wish this was a world where that never happened.

I followed you because your posts about Bumbleby are an insightful delight to see on the tag, and this way I'll catch reblogged additions too. Considering I've been around on Tumblr for 10 years it took me an embarrassingly long time to find out that only original posts show up when searching a tag.

I reblog a lot of random things on my main tumblog, so you're most likely to see me around on my RWBY sideblog, deadbeatbirdmom.

Awwwww, I really appreciate the kind words. I'm feeling better today but it still helps!.

I'm also really happy that you enjoy my posts, I love my girls and I'm glad that others see them the same way I do.

And yes, I've seen your other blog recently. Good to meet you!

[yang-png]

Hi! Love your art, especially of Yang, and your posts defending Yang (reblogged to my sideblog @deadbeatbirdmom). In my admittedly biased opinion she's the best, my fav RWBY character.

hey!! im glad you like my art :D it means a lot to get comments in support of it 🥺

listen listen. i will defend yang xiao long until the day i die. like ive been here for 8 years and have seen some Shit. yang gets a lot of undeserved hate and slander from the fndm and a lot of it is just. wrong. bad. and honestly it's not even just yang, pretty much everyone on the team gets so mischaracterized and there's a lot of specific hate and grhrhejdkg im tired of it

#asks #notoftheskaal #yang.txt #cant believe that ive been here for 8 years like thats crazy #i dont remember when i made this blog i think it was around v5 or v6 #holding a baseball bat in front of team rwby defending them with my life

[erros429]

Hey, here by way of @strawberry-seal77, I reblogged a post or two as my sideblog, @deadbeatbirdmom. This answer of yours made me think of something that I just had to share, apologies in advance for my weird brain and lack of impulse control:

Does that mean Yang’s your mother?

abso-fucking-lutely she is so mother

#she is technically younger than me now tho 😭😭 #asks #notoftheskaal

[betabites]

Hi! I came to rec your latest fic (on my sideblog, deadbeatbirdmom) and followed for the mini painting. I haven't posted any pics of my own painted minis (I don't have many, I'm a slow painter) but I really enjoy it, and seeing some of your minis has been a treat.

Thanks for the follow and the lovely Ao3 comments! I made the mistake of getting involved in wargaming, and having a strict 'if it's not painted, it doesn't get played' standard. External pressures are always good for forcing out painting motivation for me. I've got a whole pile of minis I need to clearcoat, if the weather will cooperate, and then I can get the Orktober glamour shots.

[deadbeatbirdmom]

My favourite moments from Justice League x RWBY Part 2, as 30 screenshots:

(Most of these were posted back in October when I was talking about what I liked after first seeing it, but thanks to @strawberry-seal77 I realised not everyone interested in seeing screenshots from that movie would have seen that post, and this time there's a minimum of my rambling)

Starting in Vacuo:

Sisterly love. Also Bumbleby moment 1: they're totally holding hands behind Yang's thigh.

I love how Ruby's just resigned to Yang shoving her head out of the way.

Blake ready to get a padlocked door open.

Gambol Shroud ready too.

A slash and a kick and BAM! Breaking and entering 101 by Blake Belladonna.

Bumbleby moment 2: a wink and a finger gun = blushing Blake.

Newly arrived on Earth and Yang notices something is missing from her girlfriend... aka Bumbleby moment 3.

Poor Blake does not approve of missing cat ears. Same, Blake, same.

Blake's hand on her shoulder makes Yang pause.

Also known as Bumbleby moment 4: Blake being a supportive girlfriend.

Sisterly love again. Aww. Hugging it out.

Ruby giving Yang some reassurance.

Two Grimm learning not to mess with Yang. Especially when Burn is charged up.

Yang: on fire but not actually screaming. Just a battle cry.

If Grimm had the sense they'd run from Yang when she's like this.

Catching Wonder Woman's fist mid punch.

A possessed Wonder Woman I might add. That's really Kilg%re Yang's punching.

Sending possessed!Wonder Woman flying.

And through at least two trees.

Checking on Ruby after she got hit by possessed!Wonder Woman.

Worried Yang.

Expressing concern again.

Silver eye reflecting Yang, a neat mirror of what happened in Volume 9.

Good news: they got Kilg%re out of Wonder Woman.

Bad news:

There's a reason why that grin isn't normal for Yang...

Kilg%re creeping out Blake. Also not on one of these pics: Bumbleby moment 5 when Blake tells Kilg%re he could never fool her while pretending to be Yang.

Weiss: "You can't have her!"

Black Canary catching Yang after they get Kilg%re out of her.

Blake and Weiss supporting Yang while she recovers from having Kilg%re in her head.

Yang very much unimpressed with Watts.

Victory celebration, with the second Bees kiss on camera (Bumbleby moment 6)

And I've finally hit the image limit on a tumblr post. That was the end of them though.

#Justice League x RWBY #Bumbleby #Yang Xiao Long #Blake Belladonna #RWBY Ruby #Weiss Schnee #long post #deadbeatbirdmom posts

[deadbeatbirdmom]

Why Yang is the best*

*in my admittedly biased opinion, she's my favourite character in RWBY.

Let's get the shallow reasons out of the way first:

She's very pretty, including her long golden blonde mane of hair and lilac eyes. Blonde bombshell is a fitting description.

And this blonde bombshell can make other things very literally explode with her sticky grenades from Volume 7 onwards.

She's a badass in combat even without her Semblance, but with it she packs even more of a punch, and that's quite an understatement.

There's also the way her Semblance makes her hair either glow like molten gold or transform into flames (Volume 6 onwards), and her eyes turn red, or later a fiery orange. Both striking.

But Yang is far more than these shallow things. She has depth.

Right from the start in her trailer, from the quote at the beginning to the things she does, it's clear that there's more to her than meets the eye. She's goes to a club, but not to party. She's there for information.

Yet I've read fics where she's written off as a dumb blonde party girl. Sure, the beauty of fanfic is writing what you want, but if Yang's that out of character is she really still Yang, and not an original character by the same name?

Yang isn't dumb. There's no mention of her being a bad student, and she's seen paying attention and poised to take notes in Volume 1.

She also doesn't fight like someone who just keeps punching until her opponent falls down and can't get up again. I mean, that might be part of it, but she adapts, like she did in the trailer against the kicks of Melanie Malachite.

In that trailer Yang defeats a club full of goons, two bodyguards (Melanie and Miltia) and Junior himself. All of them adults against a 17 year old who hasn't yet started at Beacon (going by what I've heard of the Roman Holiday book, Melanie and Miltia are in their early twenties in Volume 1, just like Neo).

Yang starts to adapt against Neo on the train in Volume 2, but gets knocked out before she can get far enough to actually do more than throw Neo.

The Yang that gives the impression of a cheerful party girl is a mask, as can be seen when there's glimpses of her depth in Burning the Candle when she persuades Blake to slow down. And that mask really shatters in Volume 3 when bad things start to happen.

Yang goes through trauma, physically and emotionally. It changes her. But it certainly doesn't make her boring, at least not to me. She also gradually heals, enough to make jokes in Volume 5 onwards. That is a hopeful message to other people who go through bad things. Sometimes bad things just happen, but that's not the end. You keep moving forward. It may take a while to recover, and to get back to yourself, and you won't be quite the same, but you're still you.

Then there's the sisters Xiao Long-Rose. Yang is dedicated to being there for Ruby, to the extent that she raised her after Summer disappeared. Exactly how long their dad was lost to depression isn't clear, but even after he recovered he'd still be busy working. Yang would remain the combined big sister and mother for Ruby even after Tai's more capable of parenting.

That isn't to say that Yang is perfect, or that she never makes mistakes, or always gets along with Ruby. She's human. They both are. To be human is to err. But they always love each other. They're family, the closest they have. Even if Yang didn't always manage to say 'I love you' back right away. Even if Ruby left her without a goodbye or even a note (the one she left at the end of Volume 3 was for Tai). They know where they stand with each other, even if it took Ruby a reassuring hug and an 'I love you' from Yang to be sure of that in Mistral.

There's Yang’s big heart. I've seen her described as the heart of team RWBY, and it's so true. Yang's intimidating when she wants to be, but she's so kind and caring, to the extent that it led to a rift of sorts with Ruby in Volume 8. Ruby was focused on the big picture, trying to get word out to all of Remnant about Salem, while Yang wanted to help save the population of Mantle before they were overrun by Grimm. Neither of them were wrong.

Yang takes hits, not just as part of her combat strategy to fuel her Semblance, but also to spare others who might not be able to take them as well as she can. Usually Ruby, but her other friends too. She draws Salem's attention away from Oscar when she threatens him, which could have gone so badly for Yang. But that's who she is. Those she loves matter more to her than her own life ever could.

And there's Yang's mothers. Her biological mother Raven, who abandoned Yang when she was a baby for reasons that still aren't clear, but likely to do with Raven being afraid of Salem. Yang's search for her almost got her and Ruby killed as young kids, and when Yang finally found her she was bitterly disappointed by who she found.

I don't hate Raven, I find her an interesting character, but she has without a doubt disappointed and hurt Yang, to the point where that was a large part of what reduced Yang to tears on claiming the Relic in Haven's vault.

Despite all that, Yang kept the fact that Raven was the Spring Maiden to herself, as far as we know. It wouldn't be the first time that a conversation about Raven took place off screen, as Jaune, Ren and Nora knew Raven was Yang's mother. Yet Yang only ever told Blake about her. And I can't see Blake gossiping about that. I figure Ruby likely told them at some point when on the long walk to Haven.

Then there's Yang's step mother, Summer, who took Raven's place so completely that Yang didn't know about Raven until after Summer disappeared. Summer, Yang's super-mom, who Yang must have tried to emulate when raising Ruby, but couldn't possibly be more than a pale shadow of. Yang was just a child, only two years older than Ruby. Summer is Yang's hero, and who she still considers as her mom, as she proclaimed to Salem.

Last but certainly not least: Blake and Yang. The Bees kissing are what drew me to RWBY in the first place, and Bumbleby is my OTP. They've been through so much together, and they deserve happiness with each other.

Yang was already my favourite months before the Volume 9 commentary revealed it, but it also means a lot to me that she's only just figuring out her sexuality. It took me a long time too.

This isn't every single thing I love about Yang, but it's what I could think of and get down in writing.

All of this is of course just my opinion. Maybe someone else from RWBY is your favourite. In that case I'm just glad another character can mean that much to you.

#Yang Xiao Long #RWBY Ruby #the sisters Xiao Long-Rose #Raven Branwen #Summer Rose #Bumbleby #long post #I hope that read more cut works #deadbeatbirdmom posts

[deadbeatbirdmom]

Yang's eyes

There's a lot I love about Yang. She's my favourite character in RWBY. At some point I'll go into depth about why. But that's not what this post is about. No, this is more to do with shallow appreciation of Yang's eyes. They're very pretty, and an unusual colour: lilac.

But there is something that confuses me.

One of these is not like the others. And I'm not talking about Yang's loss of most of her right arm, which I'm sure is hardly surprising on a post about her eyes.

Behold:

It took me a while to notice it. I'm capable of being observant, at least sometimes, but it took me up until some point in Volume 5.

Yang's pupils aren't black, unlike just about everyone else. I think Weiss's were also a darker shade of blue in the first couple of volumes, but that changed. They're certainly black by Volume 5.

Here's Yang with black pupils, somewhat clumsily changed by yours truly:

I played around a bit more, here's Yang with her usual dark purple pupils and edited black pupils in the moment before the confession in Volume 9, which I call 'gay panic':

It's a fairly subtle difference but I certainly notice it.

And here it is again, with a close up kindly provided by @strawberry-seal77, as I mentioned I was trying to find pics of Yang's eyes to her/him.

More striking close up, at least to me.

CRWBY must have a reason to do Yang's pupils the way they do, considering just about everyone else in RWBY has black pupils. But why? I have no idea. Do black pupils risk making her eyes look a different colour?

Whatever the case, it's not something I hate or even just dislike. It just confuses me.

#Yang Xiao Long #team RWBY #RWBY #deadbeatbirdmom posts

[deadbeatbirdmom]

I think I've recovered enough from watching the episode to actually say something about it, or at least more than I managed right afterwards.

I loved it.

It's great to see chibi-ish!Ruby used for comedic effect again, for the first time since Volume 1 I think. First acting playfully mad with Yang, and then in her excitement at the boba.

On that note, it's great to see and hear Ruby excited again. It's impressive how high her voice can go without breaking, especially considering Ruby's VA's normal voice seems to be lower pitched than Yang's voice.

I'm not surprised Ruby's uncomfortable with the cult that has sprung up around her message to Remnant. She always wanted to be a normal girl, if one who became a huntress, which is a fairly normal thing in Remnant. Especially for someone born to a family of them.

It's good to see that refugees from Patch can set up their business in Vacuo, and even better that it lets Yang and Ruby carry on the tradition they had before Beacon. That it was something they did with Tai also ended up revealing why he isn't there with them: he's on assignment, according to Qrow. What is more important than being in Vacuo, where the majority of Remnant's population is gathered? And more important than being with his daughters, who he might have heard were presumed dead and miraculously reappeared.

I've seen the suggestion that Tai's guarding the Crown aka Relic of Choice, but I've also seen the great point that if that's the case and Salem finds him, there's not much he can do to stop her, no matter what his Semblance is. Although I guess Raven might feel that he's in danger and open a portal for him to escape through. It's not confirmed that's how her Semblance works, but it explains how she knew when Yang needed saving in Volume 2.

Anyway, back to Yang and Ruby! I love that Yang brought up what happened in the Ever After. That she's understands, or at least understands enough after what Yang herself has been through, and the important thing she gets across to Ruby is that she's not alone. That she's not going to carry the weight of leading them alone. Not anymore.

It's also important that they've figured out a code word to signal that Ruby needs help, because she doesn't always know how to reach out. I figure that they will tell Blake and Weiss about that, or it could confuse them:

Ruby: "Boba!"

Weiss: ...

Blake: :3 ???

Yang: Hugs Ruby. "I'm here for you."

Weiss: "Is. Is this another weird Xiao Long-Rose thing?"

What I particularly appreciate about it is that Yang acknowledged her mistake but didn't actually apologise for it, and Ruby didn't mind that. Because the important thing isn't saying sorry, it's changing things so that Ruby never feels that alone again. Actions speak louder than words.

It's also equally important that Ruby recognised she still has issues saying when she needs help. They're a team and they need to work together.

It just reinforces RWBY's message of hope, and to keep moving forward, and that no one is perfect but that they learn from their mistakes.

Asjhgsdkjghfdkshjkakjhdhlsj FEELS AUGH

Also that last line kinda hints that Ruby likes to go shopping with Yang, but they haven't got around to it. Shopping for new outfits, perhaps?

#RWBY spoilers #RWBY Beyond #Yang Xiao Long #RWBY Ruby #the sisters Xiao Long-Rose #the sisters of all time #deadbeatbirdmom posts

[deadbeatbirdmom]

I have a question, but it needs a little background info first.

Yang's Atlesian prosthetic doesn't seem to get caught up in hair, as seen above. But their second on screen kiss doesn't really involve that prosthetic, after team RWBY changed the way they did coming through the portal into DC Earth.

So my question: did they have to untangle Yang's prosthetic from Blake's hair after this triumphant kiss?

Smooch

Blake: Ow! Yang!

Yang: Sorry sorry sorry! Um, a little help?

Weiss: SIGHS

#RWBY spoilers #Justice League x RWBY spoilers #Bumbleby #deadbeatbirdmom posts

[deadbeatbirdmom]

I love this moment in the new crossover movie:

Especially the second Bee kiss:

Well, the second kiss between Blake and Yang on screen. I have my doubts it's only the second time they've kissed.

There is one thing I don't care for the implications of: the fact that it's a still image. That means it will have been cheaper for them to do than an animated scene. And I can't help thinking it'd also be easier and cheaper for them to switch it out with a censored version with no kiss for certain regions.

Maybe that's cynical of me, and there is no censored version. I hope so, it'd be a nice change, because that sort of cynicism doesn't come from nowhere. Movies with LGBT moments have a history of having changes made for less progressive audiences, censoring those moments.

Maybe it really was done this way as a moment caught on camera for the Justice League's photo album. If so I hope they sent a copy to Weiss's scroll.

#RWBY spoilers #Justice League x RWBY spoilers #Bumbleby #possible censorship although I hope I'm wrong #deadbeatbirdmom posts

[deadbeatbirdmom]

I've been thinking about Tai's advice to Yang in Volume 4 about how she uses her Semblance.

I very much get the impression that what he knows about Burn is limited by what he's witnessed, and he doesn't actually know everything about how she uses it.

If Yang relied on her Semblance as much as Tai thinks she does, going by most of her broadcast fights in the Vytal tournament and whatever he's seen while training her... Surely Blake would have known how Burn works before Volume 2?

There's no way every classroom duel could have been on screen in the RWBY volumes at Beacon, or every training session. And I doubt Blake had her nose in a book every time Yang fought or trained, so the fact Blake didn't know what Yang's Semblance did for quite some time? That must mean Yang didn't use Burn to finish every fight.

#Yang Xiao Long #Taiyang Xiao Long #deadbeatbirdmom posts

[deadbeatbirdmom]

So I'm gradually reading back through @lovingdabeessss tumblog, they've done some great character analysis for Yang and Ruby and I daresay others too, so far I got back to late August. They also do some adorable sketches of the characters.

Anyway, the latest post I reblogged by them was about Ruby accidentally calling other characters Yang, because it comes automatically to her if she needs something. It makes so much sense to me, as Yang raised Ruby for at least long enough that they both acknowledge it.

Even after Tai recovered enough from his depression after losing Summer to actually parent again, he'd have been busy working. Qrow much the same, and I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't visit his nieces much for fear of his Semblance hurting them. Enough to train Ruby to use a scythe, but not enough to be a substitute parent.

Yang would have been the most reliable person in Ruby's childhood, the one who was always there for her. That means I can easily see Ruby slipping up.

Ruby, craving milk and cookies: "Yang, can I have a snack?"

Yang, not actually in the room.

Tai, who Ruby was talking to: fighting back tears

I can also imagine that Ruby ended up calling Yang 'Mom' at least once.

Yang's reaction:

The above gif isn't entirely accurate, because I think this would have happened when the sisters were much younger, maybe not long after Summer disappeared.

Ruby would have been pretty upset too at such a slip up. She might not be able to remember much about Summer, but she misses her so much. I can imagine she'd be very careful never to make that mistake again, which might mean she's not so careful when it comes to calling other people 'Yang'.

#deadbeatbirdmom posts #Yang Xiao Long #RWBY Ruby #the sisters Xiao Long-Rose #they give me feels

[deadbeatbirdmom]

It's time I was sleeping, but before I do a thought occurred to me: when Yang is using her Semblance, is it just her long mane of hair that turns all fiery, or all of it? Eyebrows? Elsewhere?

I don't think her eyebrows have ever been animated with flames, but that might be more to do with how her eyebrows are modelled.

It would be a little impractical if her eyelashes did it though, I can imagine that'd be rather distracting for her to see.

As for anywhere under clothing going up in flames, that sounds like it'd set her clothes on fire, but I figure it can be infused with her Aura so that doesn't happen.

There's also vellus hair or peach fuzz. The fine very short hair pretty much everywhere except lips, palms of hands, soles of feet and perhaps a few other places. But does it mean most of the surface of Yang would burst into flames if all of her hair was affected by her Semblance?

#Yang Xiao Long #go to sleep deadbeatbirdmom #you get weird(er) thoughts when overtired #deadbeatbirdmom posts