#weiss has accepted her fate

[rockstrais]

What are your favorite aspects of Emerald & Mercury’s relationship?

this is a very broad question…. my gosh where do I begin?

I’ll start with how they didn’t choose each other each other by their own accord. emerald initially vetoed against mercury joining their party. it took them a while to actually accept the other’s very existence. em asks merc why he joins them. he says it was fate. cinder and her show up looking for his father the night he killed him? what else could that be except destiny. as we know, destiny & fate are heavy theme in rwby. the characters have to spend time challenging their ideas of that. we see that with pyrrha, ruby, weiss etc… but the thing is whether they were fated to meet… mercury and emerald subconsciously choose one other—despite their own protests. they’re the only people their age (literal seventeen year olds at the beginning of the show) they are each other’s first friends—and perhaps first loves(?) (wishful thinking on my part)

i also enjoy the symbolism around them. they foil and compliment each other nicely.

emerald is the gemstone of the planet mercury! in her concept art for v2, she’s seen wearing gold (linking her to cinder) jewelry. it’s later changed to silver (linking her to mercury).

emerald also has light/day symbolism! and mercury also has night/dark symbolism. every blocking of each scene they are in together has emerald in the light, representing how she’s always been morally good; and mercury teetering into the dark, representing how he keeps getting swept toward morally bad people. figures since he’s named mercury. he’s gonna be the one who is more morally grey than his peer. (haha, get it?) but as we see, emerald will get him to face the light.

their struggles also foil each other too. she projects a pseudo sister-mother relationship onto cinder, since she lacks that familial connection. she yearns for love above all else. it’s why she joined and stayed with cinder for so long. his father raised him to be killing-machine. to be the best of the best in his craft. of course he was never enough. (insert silver medal joke here) mercury craves respect above all else. it’s why he joined cinder. it’s why he accepted salem’s hasty promotion. he wants to be taken seriously very, very badly.

though unknowingly to both of them—they have what they want already!

mercury loves emerald unconditionally as she so desperately desires, you can see he cares for her. He might not show it in the best ways possible all the time, but he does. what is love if not wanting to crack a joke in front of the cute girl you barely know who’s now your partner in crime any chance you get? what is love if not trying to convince your best friend (though you’d never admit it aloud because your dad called it a weakness) to let go of the woman who is not a mother or sister to her whatsoever? what is love if not protecting the only person you give a damn about from some weird freak of a grown man who keeps threatening her?

emerald respects—dare i say admires—mercury as he badly craves. what is respect if not immediately going to apologize for upsetting him when he brought up his terrible childhood and abusive father because you assumed he didn’t know what it’s like to have such love for a parental figure (one who constantly failed you, not that you can admit it)? what is respect if not immediately trusting him with new information you overhead from a prisoner? over your mentor who just returned from the dead mind you. like, of all people, why is he, the boy you didn’t want, your first choice? if you don’t respect him why do you use his fighting style to escape a sticky situation and his favorite snarky insults? if that’s not respect, then do tell me what is?

and notice how i never said mercury wants love—like yes, he does. but not over respect. he wasn’t raised to need love. to be honest, he never makes a huge point about wanting because he already knows what it is. he learned it from emerald; her respect is her love. which is why he is trying to reciprocate that in the only ways he knows how. emerald doesn’t think her respect is love. her respect for cinder is more unwavering, unhealthy devotion. that’s not love. it’s one-sided. her begrudging obligation to give a damn about mercury has sprung into something much more.

both of them are too stubborn to realize it, but they’re getting and giving what they ask for. once they eventually—oh i can’t wait to see the epiphanies and developments that come from that!

anyways this was very long, sorry. you can see that i’m clearly passionate between these two!

#anon #lets chat! #emerald sustrai #mercury black #emercury #rwby

[lunatriense]

Between @scipiosmith's Yang ask and a post I saw a few days ago, it's got me thinking. The post in question brought up how Yang doesn't really fit in with the rest of Team RWBY: Ruby is a fated anti-Grimm warrior whose kind have been hunted nearly to extinction, Weiss is the heiress to the largest company in the world who wants to change her family's reputation and undo the damage her father has done, Blake is the former 'terrorist' princess of the faunus who's been fighting for their rights since she was a child (largely against said company), but Yang is just… Yang. She's just Ruby's sister, who's trying to find her mother. Everyone else has something big and important going on, but the closest Yang has to that is that her mother is a bandit queen… except Raven doesn't care about her so that doesn't mean anything.

Contrast this with JNPR. Jaune is a cheat who doesn't even know what aura is, Nora and Ren are orphans from a small town… but Pyrrha is an international celebrity, a 4-time tournament winner who has never lost a fight, with a major sponsorship deal, someone who Weiss – who's part of the very highest level of society from another country — knows all about, and who latches onto anyone who doesn't immediately recognise her name and face.

I think you know where I'm going with this. What if we swapped the odd ones out? What if, rather than teams RWBY and JNPR, we had teams RNBW and JRNY? How would it change things?

Well, here's a few ways it might.

Schneekos (hey, I'm still me lol). Alternatively, Pyrruby and Monochrome would work really well in this.

Ozpin selects Yang to be the new Fall Maiden. She lacks direction but she's got a good heart, and she's strong; this will give her purpose. Moreover, a Maiden will need to hide away, and where better to hide than with Tai, his old agent? No one will give a second thought to Yang returning home, and should she need to be anywhere, a trip with her uncle would hardly be strange.

Yang isn't totally sure how she feels about this, mostly because of the risk of losing herself. Trying not to let anything on, she talks to Ruby. Who else? These are the stories she use to read to her! But she's not such a cool big sister anymore; Ruby is stretching her wings, she has her own friends… she doesn't need Yang the same way now. But if Yang can be one of the figures from the stories, she'll always be the cool big sister, right? Ruby is super excited of course, given that her idea of hunters and heroes is still straight out of those stories, and she inadvertently encourages Yang to accept.

Hot-tempered as ever, when the Beacon attack happens and Cinder kills Amber, Yang is right on her heels. Unlike Pyrrha, she's at close to full aura, but also unlike Pyrrha, she depends on getting hit as part of her fighting style. Things end more or less the same, only this time Ruby is arriving just in time to see her sister die.

Ruby is the one to get the major grief arc in Mistral (but we don't leave out the others, because it would be ridiculous for them not to grieve their lost friend). She doesn't have just one training video, she has lots of pictures and videos from over the years, and the others will frequently catch her looking at them and crying as they're travelling. She takes to wearing Yang's gauntlets (if Cinder melted them, perhaps an older pair that no longer fit Yang but would fit Ruby) and, slowly but surely over the course of several seasons, learns to fight with them like Yang did — never as well necessarily since they aren't her primary weapon, but with the same style.

Pyrrha is faced with many of her fans suddenly turning on her, believing she murdered Penny and caused Beacon's downfall. Her mother is furious with her for 'throwing away the life they'd worked so hard to build'. She has to come to terms with herself beyond her persona and reputation, and ultimately decide to truly take control of her own destiny.

At some point after reuniting, Ruby snaps at Pyrrha (probably when the latter is trying to comfort her or something), not just because of Penny but Yang too. Why was Yang the one that had to do all that? Pyrrha's the champion, she should've been the one to do it! Fighting people is what she does!!

Ruby is the one who's especially angry that Ozpin kept his secrets from them, because her sister died for it. Qrow's anger also fits in better since Yang was his niece.

Weiss takes Yang's place in the Adam fight. She has to confront firsthand what the SDC does, driving her (more) to do something about it when the group returns to Atlas.

Given Ruby's ire toward Ozpin, she doesn't keep his secrets from Ironwood, who is now able to immediately begin altering his plans to account for new information.

With Weiss fired up from what she saw in Adam, she takes a much larger and more active role in opposing her father, publicly denouncing the SDC's practices and revealing what she's seen. Although she has no proof and thus can't bring criminal charges against him, her efforts draw the attention of the Happy Huntresses, the workers of Mantle, and Dr. Watts. The former groups quickly become allies, while Watts begins targeting her, thus leading the team into their initial villain for the arc.

I could keep going, but I'm drifting far enough out that it's less changes and more a totally different story from there. Which could of course happen earlier too! Or less could change, or different things!

What I find really interesting, however, is that by making that one little change — by switching Yang and Pyrrha's positions but still having Ozpin pick 'the B team ace' — so many things suddenly fall into place so well. So many things that were, to a greater or lesser degree, askew, no longer are. Everything just smoothes out so much and makes more sense, and the only thing so far that doesn't click into place is bb (which imo needs a lot of work anyway, so yeah).

#rwde #kinda?

[autumn-foxfire]

I can't believe people are disappointed Ruby "resolved her issues so easily" because firstly, she hasn't. No doubt we will see her struggle in the future however what Ruby did come to accept is that it was okay for her to be Ruby Rose and that she wants to be her. Even if it means she's not perfect, or that she could fail, because that's fine! All that matters is that she's trying.

Ruby has been trying to emulate the heroes in her life for so long, to live up the expectation of being Summer Rose's Daughter, the one to inherit her silver eyes and her passion for protecting humanity. The pedestal Summer had been placed on was one too high to reach and even if they had, they would have realised Summer was never on it.

Because Summer Rose was a flawed woman. She kept her secrets and she tried to fight a war no one person should fight alone. Ruby watched her mother lie to her father, watch her tell her friend to trust her, and while we still don't know what happened to Summer Rose, we know she failed her original plan.

Ruby Rose knows that if she keeps trying to follow in Summer's path she will meet the same fate in some way (just like how Summer's lines says in Red like Roses II "baby please don't do what I did") so she's shattered that pedestal she placed her mom on and can see her the flawed woman that had been hidden by the impossible shadow it cast, the woman who tried her best yet made mistakes that could have potentially been her end, and then Ruby makes the decision to follow the path of Ruby Rose instead.

And the path that Ruby Rose follows will be the one that Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna and Yang Xiao Long will follow too and it's only by being together that they will succeed.

I loved this final because it was everything I wanted Ruby to realise.

#rwby #rwby volume 9 #rwby volume 9 spoilers #ruby rose #sorry to the people who don't enjoy this outcome but I'm built differently

[iamafanofcartoons]

why do fanfic writers keep making jaurne the main char like I get they prob don't like female main chars but its not even him but an oc in all but name llike at that point just make an oc. and they make chars blander then most harem animes (like I swear a harem where a male char has 1 trait is more devolped then the chars these people write cause at least I understand what their goal is

Have you ever heard of Fate Stay Night? Impressive back in its day, but as misogyny and homophobia and pedophelia no longer became acceptable, it lost its value to many.

However, it gained an appeal to many fanfic writers and doujinshi artists.

Why was this?

Like RWBY, the Fateverse has a fantastic worldbuilding, with many different opportunities for RPGs.

But RWBY lacks something that Fateverse has in spades to this day, especially amongst the fandom.

Straight white male protagonists that are basically useless and fragile and stupid...and yet, the women who are so much stronger and smarter in the fateverse, must surrender any and all agency, authority and free-will to the men.

Oh that does remind me. Fateverse did have ONE spinoff where a female protagonist was there....it was lesbian pedophelia. So basically , fateverse ONLY allows lgbt content if its fetishized lesbianism. as for the pedophelia, they do that to an alarming degree, and anime fans stand by it because to them, lolicon is somehow not pedophelia.

Oh wait, it is! Anyway, back to the patriarchy issue.

Too many men, and even women? Have trouble with the idea of women holding authority,influence, or power over men.

How many shows have women as protagonists taking on the same roles as men? How many shows have women be LGBT or not have men be shipped with them, and said women being protagonists?

For Fateverse, there are no gay men. and women are only bisexual if they're shipped with a male character, otherwise they're straight.

Speak to a fanartist or fanfic writer or fan who hates on bumbleby. Ask them what is their favorite MlM ship. I asked many a rwby fan who hated on bumbleby and accused CRWBY of queerbaiting...what was their favorite MlM ship. They had none...they considered it gross. Because well...see for yourself.

This was from a WlW fanartist who was part of the "Fixing RWBY" youtube channel where Roman Torchwick is the white male savior alongside Adam Taurus.

In case you're wondering, no, FatmanFalling was not the person I got this from. It was from his Christian friend who made Hogwarts Legacy Fanart on Twitter, but chose not to post it here for obvious reasons. you'll see that one of their ships involve Jaune x Weiss and I've already provided post explaining why WK is a bad ship. https://www.tumblr.com/iamafanofcartoons/715787142254772224/why-the-whiteknight-ship-makes-many-in-the-rwby

But you see Tauradonna there too. Blake is blamed for Adam being evil...because at the end of the day, women are blamed for the actions men, because to blame men means having men be accountable for their actions. And we know how men both in shows and in real life just CANNOT do that...they're too fragile, too hypocritical. So those men blame women. And their supporters parrot that misogynistic hate.

Coer Al alaran? the "king of rwby fanfics" is notable for several things.

He never writes a female protagonist unless said woman is not allowed to have agency, power, or influence over men.

He does not make a woman a major character unless she is straight and the love interest of a straight white male savior.

He will only write an lgbt character such as coco adel, as evil or hated.

He forbids bumbleby at any cost, and will write yang as throwing herself into jaune or adam taurus' arms while hating blake and defending men from her.

Couer has apparently stated he despises blake's bisexuality and hates the idea of people of different genders being attracted to her, so he either writes her as jaune's pillow partner, or makes her antagonistic to men.

Finally, couer writes jaune or adam as the straight white male savior who has yang or another women sleep with them, while said men are abused by women.

He basically gets his writing from rise of the shield hero. I'm honestly surprised couer didn't decide on including pedophelia in his fanfics.

but at the end of the day? A woman, no matter how complex or fascinating? will be tossed aside by critics in favor of a straight white male savior, no matter how bland he is.

You can say, but this is just fiction. How about a real life example?

Hillary Clinton. She never sexually assaulted anyone. She never mocked people with disabilities. She maintained a single successful marriage. She's a successful businesswoman. Served in the Obama administration. Friends with Joe Biden and worked with him. Managed to even get Republicans to support her over the opposition.

Now then...why did Hillary lose the 2016 elections?

Because people decided that she was somehow on the same level as DONALD FUCKING TRUMP! Lets look at his record: Multiple divorces. Multiple failed businesses. Sexual assault, more than once. Mocked a disabled reporter. And more.

Yet despite him being a horrible human being? Because hillary was a woman, people decided that her flaws made her just as bad as donald trump.

Thousands of people refused to vote for her. Despite multiple democrats pleading with people to recognize the threat?

People decided that because hillary was a flawed woman? they would either not vote, or toss their vote for the green party, an anti-semitic political group that sabotaged democrats in the past.

more than 5 years later, after the GOP continue to spread harm and poison? People still stand by their refusal to vote for hillary.

If Hillary was a man, people would have voted for "him" in a heartbeat, flaws be damned.

And for those who say "but women and POC"... Look at the GOP.

Marjorie Taylor Green, Lauren Bobert, ben carson, etc etc.

How many women and POC in the GOP support racism, homophobia, misogyny, transphobia?

You want to see what those people believe in? Take a look at Florida.

Your gender, your race, etc does not stop you from being bigots or prejudiced.

And people would rather defend the idea of a white male protagonist either in fanfics or real life, rather than a complicated woman with flaws.

Because at the end of the day? Feminsim isn't about "a man being able to punch a woman" despite what shows like Konosuba seem to gloat about.

Feminism is about things like stopping gender gaps in paychecks. Its about allowing women to have a voice. Its about allowing women to have independence without being tied to a man. Its about women having their choices without a man influencing them or telling them how they should live their life. Its about shutting down the god damn mansplaining that so many fanfics, anime, manga, etc seem to embrace with the same passion that misogynists defend Naruto. Its about letting women have access to the same rights and privileges as a male.

RWBY is about that. Women are written as equal to men. Women are written as being able to make their own choices without having a man decide for them. Mansplaining is removed. LGBT rights are embraced and encouraged. And women, not men, are the protagonists.

Is it any wonder that people influenced by male fragility, toxic masculinity, and the patriarchy have such a hatred for shows like RWBY and Legend of Korra?

And THIS is why I stand by my beliefs that RWBY Criticism is rooted in homophobia, biphobia, transphobia, and misogyny. Also because the critics tend to be assholes on more than one occasion, but apparently people love men being assholes but hate the idea of women having a mood.

Honestly, It makes me root for Salem and Cinder Fall...at least they have a legitimate excuse for blowing shit up and setting everything on fire.

Also, this is a reminder to PLEASE vote in your political elections! No matter how flawed a Democrat Representative may be, do you really want a Republican holding power over you?

#fate stay night #fsn #nasuverse #rwby #rwby fanfics #the patriarchy #fight the patriarchy #burn the patriarchy #feminism #hillary clinton #politics #for the love of god please vote #vote democratic #feminism is for everybody #lgbt rights are human rights #trans lives are valid #misogyny is real

[blakebow]

Do you know what's so unfair about blacksun sinking? Sun's loyal and genuine love for Blake. Compare that to Neptune who flirts with any girl he sees. Or Jaune who pursues Weiss when she was totally uninterested, all while ignoring Pyrrha until it was too late. Even Ren tiptoed around his feelings for Nora way too long and she ended up forcibly kissing him. Sun who no doubt has his fair share of female admirers (SSSN fangirls) only ever has eyes for Blake. Yet it's blacksun that's thrown away!😡

absolutely, anon. 1000% agreed, Sun genuinely LOVED Blake, we have more than one song that canonically confirms this. he wasn't interested in her for shallow reasons, like Yang is only in love with Blake's kitty ears.

Renora was made canon then immediately dropped, which i would've liked the same fate for bees. one accidental kiss then realize "hey wow, this is not for me, this is not gonna work" and then just let it drop. have blake realize she has more chemistry with SUN than Yang and let them rekindle what they had while shutting Yang out completely.

the only way i'd accept vol 10 is if bees is guaranteed to break up (and or Yang dies because fuck her lmao)

[bestworstcase]

RAVEN: The truth is that “truth” is hard to come by. A story of victory for one person is a story of defeat for someone else. By now, your uncle has surely told Ruby and her friends plenty of stories.

[…]

RAVEN: Old man Oz has a great and terrible secret, one that could spread fear across the world, one that he eventually entrusted to our team. And once I knew, there was no going back. I needed to know more, but with every new discovery I made, the more horrifying the world became.

YANG: Okay, then tell us. What’s the big secret? What’s so crazy that the rest of us don’t know?

RAVEN: The creatures of grimm have a leader named Salem. She can’t be stopped, she can’t be reasoned with, and she will not rest until humanity crumbles at her feet.

[…]

YANG: Why should we believe any of this?

RAVEN: *Now* you’re catching on. So far you’ve done nothing but accept what others tell you, but you need to question everything.

+

“The Girl in the Tower” is unique among fairy tales in that it is the only one in which the protagonist is credited with penning their own story; the girl essentially writes herself out of danger. It is steeped in an awareness of the nature of fairy tales and, in a sense, its own status as one of them. As a metafiction, this tale more than any other in this collection demonstrates the power of stories to create reality and shape our destinies, and the subtle influence storytellers have over their audiences.

This is how propaganda works, of course. Arguably, every fable was originally told for a purpose, either overt or hidden. Some were designed to communicate a moral lesson or instruct children on how to behave, while others were meant as warnings or to persuade people into believing a certain thing. The girl in the tower shared a version of her story intended to elicit sympathy and motivate people to come to her aid—but in the process she also doomed many warriors to die in the attempt. Her story did not include the whole truth, and how much of it might have been false? One must always be prepared to think about and question everything they read or hear, especially if they are told that it is the absolute truth.

🤔

the first thing ozpin asks yang upon catching her and weiss up to speed on his version of the truth is if his narrative aligns with what raven told them, and excepting the bird thing it does; which is interesting because ozpin LIED. half of what he tells the kids in volume five is a provable lie and the remainder is suspect for having come from him—and the story raven fed weiss and yang after making a whole production of letting them in on the truth and flat out saying don’t take ANYTHING at face value perfectly corroborates ozpin’s.

but before yang left her camp, raven told her this: “I’m giving you a choice. Stay here, with me, and I’ll answer all your questions and more. We can have a fresh start. Or… you can go back to Qrow and join Ozpin’s impossible war against Salem, and meet the same fate as so many others. But can you really go back to trusting someone that’s kept so much from you?”

i—think the things she told them were a test. the very things ozpin told *team STRQ,* all those years ago, before raven began to search for answers on her own and discovered the truth was so much more horrifying than she knew. she presents this narrative to weiss and yang as if that’s the secret, and then praises them for demanding proof, for questioning—

and in doing so raven echoes ozpin’s commentary on the girl in the tower, thus becoming the narrative voice for the power-of-storytellers theme in the show proper, as it pertains to salem’s character; which in connection with the unknown of precisely what raven knows…

…i really do think she found out about the ultimatum somehow, and while the obvious source for that information is salem, raven puts SO MUCH emphasis on the implication that she went digging for information herself and… it is not… inconceivable that she might have learned by some other means. ozma has been remarkably successful at suppressing this inform—

wait. people still worship the brothers. (the only way this could have happened is if OZMA started it, in one of his lives. modern brother-worship was instigated BY HIM) “the two brothers” is a religious myth and the ultimatum an open secret. all raven would need to do is catch ozpin’s confirmation that the brothers are real and then read between the lines in order to start putting two and two together, and HOO BOY would that explain some things about why raven is the way she is, if she’s never spoken to salem and her perspective of the situation formed out of applying ozpin’s crumbs to myth and legends and fragments of history until she began to get a sense of the bigger picture. question everything indeed.

and—goddd if this is how it happened, her teammates probably would’ve taken it as raven spiraling into conspiracy theories because like… if she never spoke to salem she has no proof. tai saying she tore the team apart raven bitterly saying she said ozpin would fail, beacon would fall…

hm. HMMM.

#does raven KNOW or does she have an unhinged conspiracy board stashed away somewhere

[anthurak]

So here’s something I’ve been thinking about for Volume 9 for a while now, but has really felt more prominent ever since the trailer:

What if the Ever After at first seems like some idyllic paradise for Team RWBY... and then it turns out that it pretty much IS exactly that. Sure, they may be a few dangers and some areas best avoided if possible, but on the whole the Ever After actually is very peaceful, idyllic, even fun, and safe. Especially compared to Remnant. Overall, far from the worst place to live...

Imagine that once Team RWBY has reunited, gotten their barrings and started getting a real sense of this place, they all start thinking ‘Is this really such a bad place to be stuck in?’

The thing is, Ruby, Weiss, Blake and Yang have some unique qualities as protagonists which make a potential ‘Leave Your Quest Test’ a VERY interesting plot point. When you think about it, Team RWBY isn’t exactly vital to the main plot as protagonists generally are. None of them are ‘The Chosen One’ or possess some super unique trait which is the one thing that can stop the Big Bad or hold some vital macguffin or are simply ‘The Best(tm)’ fighter(s) among the heroes by this huge margin. They’re important to be sure, but not quite in some easily apparent ‘the other good guys literally cannot win without them’ important, to either themselves or the audience.

And when we combine that with just how much unmitigated SHIT that Team RWBY has been through the past several volumes, I think the prospect of the girls deciding to just stop and settle down in this new world starts feeling particularly plausible.

Think about how Ruby in particular has begun feeling more and more responsible for pretty much the fate of the whole world and is clearly buckling under the obligations she’s put on herself. When we get to the point where Ruby finally admits just how exhausted and overwhelmed she is by this responsibility, I’d say its an all-too logical next step for her to simply let that go.

Imagine Team RWBY has gotten back together, got caught up on what they know, had all the emotional breakdowns that have come with it (mainly from Ruby), have started exploring the Ever After and getting settled into this new environment. And they start thinking ‘Maybe this place isn’t so bad...’

Sure, they try to figure out a way back home at first, but quickly find there is no apparent way back to Remnant. And after sitting with this for a bit, they begin to accept it.

Their friends and family can continue the fight against Salem. And besides, they tried to fight Salem, and they FAILED. So what more can they really do? Weiss might even be able to provide the others with a small bit of solace that almost everyone from Mantle and Atlas made it through the portal to Vacuo, so they know they did get achieve one victory in the end.

And this new place they’re stuck in isn’t so bad. It’s mostly peaceful, beautiful, even kinda fun, and it’s safe. Safe from the Grimm, safe from Salem. Team RWBY could just stay here and not have to fight anymore. Maybe it’s okay if they just... stop.

And there isn’t any malicious mind-altering effects from the Ever After forcing the girls to think this way either. Because there doesn’t NEED to be. The Ever After doesn’t need to be secretly nefarious. All it needs to be is just ‘better than Remnant’ for our heroines to start seriously considering just staying there.

It all makes the whole “Leave Your Quest” Test hit all the harder. It makes Team RWBY actually settling down and leaving their quest feel like entirely plausible.

(and as a side note; I imagine the girls haven’t found Jaune at this point. Remember that none of them, even Weiss, has anyway of knowing that he fell too. Team RWBY being lost but still together makes the possibility of just staying feel more plausible)

Heck, going back to the theories about the girls spending months or even years beyond the void while only weeks, days or even just hours pass on Remnant, imagine that we see Team RWBY actually settle down and just live peacefully for a while (months or perhaps even a few years) in the Ever After before something spurs them into action. Maybe finding Jaune who’s barely experienced any passing time at all, or stumble on something that might actually get them back to Remnant. Which of course brings up the question: Do they even WANT to go back...?

Now of course, I’m not positing that our heroines will ultimately flat out abandon their quest. Team RWBY ultimately will decide to return to Remnant and continue the fight. But all this makes the conflict and the decision to return, the decision to reject paradise and a peaceful life in favor of returning to help others hit all the harder.

#rwby #rwby spoilers #rwby volume 9 #rwby theory #Team RWBY #Ruby Rose #Weiss Schnee #Blake Belladonna #Yang Xiao Long

[antihibikase-archive]

the hero’s journey.

In the hero's story, both the princes of truth and ideals are accompanied by a party of three.

A warrior, for  boundless strength.

A scholar, for adaptive knowledge.

And a heart, for unwavering emotion.

That’s how the story always has been.

And that’s how the story should always be.

...

Two years ago, N laid eyes on Hilbert at Chargestone Cave, accompanied by his two childhood friends and a newcomer. 

As soon as he saw their initial party of three was now a party of four, he was confident that Hilbert, was, in fact, destined to battle against him, his ideals, and his friend Zekrom at the end of his journey.

The hero’s journey.

In the hero's story, both the princes of truth and ideals are accompanied by a party of three.

How fitting. Their parties were complete now.

All that was left was to let time take its course, until both Zekrom and Reshiram chose their respective heroes.

Hilbert was a hero himself, opposite of his own tale, accompanied by his fateful companions, all who will fall to the mighty dragon of ideals.

Clearly, the heart was poor little Bianca Alabaster, who was seeing the truth that not everyone could become stronger.

Clearly, the scholar was the newcomer Hilda Weiss, denied of the throne of champion, but blessed with knowledge and experience.

Clearly, the warrior was Cheren Slater, who fell behind Hilbert's strength and compassion in every way, who grew up in his shadow.

Wrong.

Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong.

Just like everything N had learned so far in his journey, he was completely and utterly mistaken.

N finds himself unable to meet Bianca's gaze when she asks him if he had thought the same as her back then. 

If he had mistaken her kindness for weakness. 

If he had mistaken Hilda’s experience for knowledge.

If he had mistaken Cheren’s stoicism for strength.

He finds himself unable to answer.

Because it’s true, isn’t it?

The prying eyes of the league were nothing compared to her heartbroken voice.

Though they may accept him with their hearts, he knows not all would forgive him, especially for the part he had played in forcing Hilbert’s hand in accepting the sword. 

In accepting the crown.

In becoming a hero.

Being pure and innocent did not absolve him of his compliance in his father’s crimes, nor did it excuse his escape at the end of it all.

Perhaps Zekrom leaving his side in favor of a new hero was for the best.

Both his truth and idealism were wavering after all.

...

Bianca is able to pinpoint why Cheren starts closing his heart again.

Why he feels this way.

Of course she does. She seeks the truth, and she finds her answers.

It is befitting of a scholar, no?

It’s never easy to swallow, the reality of the role she was bestowed upon by the gods themselves. The road she was carefully curated to take.

It seems ironic to her that Cheren, who had come across as the cool, calm, and collected one in their group, had been assigned the role of the heart in the hero's story.

Twice, in fact.

Bianca knows how it must hurt.

To be stripped of one's agency.

To be seen as weak.

To be doomed by the narrative.

Twice.

Bianca brings the bitter truth to everyone's attention, supplying her hypothesis with evidence she had gathered over the years; pictures of the murals she's seen all over Dragonspiral Tower, accurately translated text from ancient scripts, and verbal confirmation from the cooperative sages and N's sisters themselves, who were well-versed in the story of the legendary heroes.

All Hilbert and N can do is lower their heads in guilt, while Nate, newly crowned champion (but still a child) tries his best to look for a way to help Cheren, nevermind all this talk about heroes and legends and destiny.

There were three heroes in this room, weren't there, Nate asks. 

What use is that title if they're unable to save one person? 

Much less from some bogus story from years back?

It’s not bogus, silly child. There are facts. There is proof. The truth is laid for all to see.

But a little white lie passes through her lips, and she masks it all with a smile and a sense of false hope.

...

Hilda does not believe in legends, even if they rip through the fabric of space and time just to show themselves to her.

She does not believe in them in the sense that she does not think they are worthy of her trust.

How could they, when they were complacent in Team Plasma's sins?

If they had really cared about humanity, wouldn’t they have taken better care of their withering garden?

She doesn’t get it. 

Not at all.

Not even when she sees the dragons with her own two eyes.

Not even when the swords of justice appear before mere children.

Not even when the spirit of victory itself chases after her.

She knows she has no place at the table of the league. She was rightfully denied her title as champion, as her strength had not been lacking, but her heart and resolve were weak.

Yet, she finds herself in the spotlight once more, clasping Bianca’s and Hilbert’s hands with her own as she listens to the tale she dreads to hear, in an effort to make everyone understand.

Understand why the heart was wavering.

In the hero's story, both the princes of truth and ideals are accompanied by a party of three.

It was only right for the warrior to remain in the shadow of the hero, as so the ancient texts say.

She feels their hands squeeze her’s for reassurance.

She hates it.

Not them. Never them. Her precious, precious friends.

She hates how everything turns out. How everything played out.

How the gods themselves jeer at them.

How they toy with them.

How their journey was executed like it was a bad adaptation of a decades-old play in Nimbasa City.

She’s sick of it.

These dragons, these mythical creatures, these legends don’t deserve the praise and worship they get.

Not even if they save the world.

...

Cheren tries.

He knows he’s spiraling out of control.

He tries to find proof of his existence as something meaningful.

He knows that Reshiram and Zekrom don't see him as lesser of a human being even if he feels like he was a sacrifice just to wake them.

He wants to prove his fears wrong.

And he does.

For a brief moment in time.

He sees the small Pokemon in his home, thriving and enjoying their lives to the fullest because Cheren raised them, provided for them and cherished them.

He sees lovely flowers on his desk- Gracideas, even, from Nate and the rest of the students, who are all wishing him the best of health.  

He sees the thank you card that comes along with it, from Nate and the rest of the children, with little doodles of Stoutland, Watchog, and Cinccino.

It works for a little bit.

But then he spirals.

Its a cycle.

He feels better about himself but then he falls apart.

Constantly.

There's only enough flowers he can receive before it starts to feel like he's being a bother.

Like he's being patronized.

Like they're sending him off to a funeral.

He knows he’s losing himself.

But he can’t. He just can’t.

He can’t let them take him.

He can’t let fate do this to him.

Not again, not again, not again.

In an attempt to regain control of his life, Cheren runs to the only place that he knows will cut the strings and set him free.

At the top of the lookout, the breeze feels vaguely reminiscent of his home.

...

Hilbert is a hero, whether he likes it or not.

He’s not incredibly smart like Bianca, or amazingly strong like Hilda.

He knows that. 

He’s fine with that.

He accepts that. 

But what he doesn’t accept is the truth of the heart.

In murals and ancient texts, the hero is depicted with a silver crown embedded with stones of black and white, a velvet cape draped over their shoulders and a sword in hand.

The scholar is depicted in heavenly robes imbued with long-forgotten magic, carrying a tome of blessings and curses.

The warrior is depicted in heavy, impenetrable armor, an army of weapons at their disposal as they ride their mighty steed.

But the heart has no direct depiction.

That’s what Bianca said.

In some versions of the story, the heart is not even included at all.

A strange role to play, he thinks.

But an awful, awful one at that.

He supposes he knows the reason why the heart is an ugly thing to touch upon, especially once he understands the very purpose of the heart in the hero’s journey.

No one likes hearing about how their heroes are imperfect.

The same must have been the case for the old Unovan folk, who saw human sacrifices as a necessary evil if it was to appease the legendary dragons.

It was sick.

It made him sick. 

But moreover, it made him anxious.

He did not share the idealism that Nate had. 

Even if they claimed he was an integral aspect to the meeting, Hilbert boarded Reshiram’s back and made his way to Aspertia as soon as the terrifying realization had set in.

The heart was of unwavering emotion.

But not Cheren.

Not his best friend. 

Not the person who had grown up by his side. 

Not the person who had cried in secret at his own frustrations for being weak.

Not the person who had temporarily lost his self at the hands of the enemy.

Not the person who was used as a sacrifice. 

Twice.

And his best friend, his poor best friend who had suffered so much to catch up to his steps, to support him through thick and thin.

His poor best friend who he had abandoned to wait for him.

His poor best friend who had now seen the truth his purpose in Hilbert’s journey.

Apologies were long overdue, but it wasn’t enough. It would never be enough.

But if Hilbert was a hero like the world had claimed, then he would do what Nate had asked of the league, and save the heart from meeting a grim demise.

...

In the hero's story, both the princes of truth and ideals are accompanied by a party of three.

A warrior, for  boundless strength.

A scholar, for adaptive knowledge.

And a heart, for unwavering emotion.

That’s how the story always has been.

But Hilbert would be damned it he let it stay this way.

#Pokemon #Pokemon Fanfic #Pokemon Black and White #Pokemon Black and White 2 #Natural Harmonia Gropius #Trainer Bianca #Trainer Hilda #Gym Leader Cheren #Trainer Hilbert #Trainer Nate #((Might be turning this into a thing?? W/ a different writing style and all.))

[fightabear]

So I was thumbing through the FF7 wiki as I wait for tea to boil, checks the entry for loveless. Read the prologue, paused, read it again slowly.

This could be one hundred percent scuba-diving for meaning where there is not, but that's the fun of speculating wildly in the hype before a new release. so here's... whatever this is.

Prologue

When the war of the beasts brings about the world's end The goddess descends from the sky Wings of light and dark spread afar She guides us to bliss, her gift everlasting

This is basically the ending of Dirge. The war of the beasts (Deepground) bringing about the worlds end. Omega now comprised of both Weiss and Nero (light and dark) spreading its wings in preparation to take all life on the planet.

My conspiracy hat started buzzing at the possible readings of this in how it played out in the game. The idea that Loveless wasn’t predicting the original timeline, it was about the conditions to unlock Remake.

So with that aggressive theorizing in mind...

Act 1

Infinite in mystery is the gift of the Goddess We seek it thus, and take to the sky Ripples form on the water's surface The wandering soul knows no rest. Three friends go into battle. One is captured One flies away The one that is left becomes a hero.

So, I'm going to presume the "Act 1" here is what happened before we take control of Cloud.

Even if they’re not friends I genuinely think could very well be referring to Cloud, Zack, and Genesis. Since he has that line at the end of Crisis Core when he’s sharing the apple with Cloud and Zack, and it’s meant to be that echoing moment of what he’d wanted with Angeal and Sephiroth.

In this moment, the three become the "friends" of the story.

In the original timeline, Zack is the one who "flies away". As he dies he's lifted into the air, we see feathers, we cry as Why plays and Cloud suddenly comes into awareness because he has been thrust into the role of hero.

I think in Remake, Zack's version of Cloud is going to remain comatose for some time as he's still working through the mako poison. It could also, in theory, be that his consciousness is the Remake Cloud's. So the body remains, but his mind is currently living in this other timeline and the reunion that was talked about will be the reunion of the two disparate Clouds.

Now with this said, I did do some digging and someone posited that the "flies away" line is meant to be something more like wanderer which fits Cloud even better.

I do think the key point of deviation is simple - Genesis was always meant to be the prisoner, and this time he accepts his role. Maybe his encounter with Zack involved a lot less stabbing, like he went easy on him or surrender, something so Zack isn't already barely on his feet.

In the original timeline, Genesis fucks off for reasons we still do not understand though now I'm wondering if it's because the gift he received was knowing that he has to do a bunch of convoluted shit to fix his mistakes. But if he has accomplished that by doing some timey-wimey bullshit to begin with, that means that now doesn’t have to be passive. He's reintroduced into the story in a new chapter he's penning himself.

So maybe the prisoner escapes in this version before the world ends.

I think it's important to note that Cloud still had to break fate in order for all of this to work. Thus sort of feeding in to the flying away line? Like, if Cloud has been shunted to a parallel timeline in order to break the bonds of fate so Zack can proceed - he's not there anymore.

Act 2.

Dreams of the morrow hath the shattered soul Pride is lost Wings stripped away, the end is nigh There is no hate, only joy For you are beloved by the goddess Hero of the dawn, Healer of worlds

This right here honestly just reads like Act 1 Remake Cloud to me, leading into Act 2. Cloud is the shattered soul.

He's having "dreams of the morrow" - dreams of the future, and his brain is a fucking mess.

The rest? I think it's Genesis' point of view on Cloud. And that this right here - what is to happen in remake - is Genesis atoning for setting all of this into motion by eventually sacrificing himself in place of Aerith.

So like... if we think of the fight between Zack and Genesis, Genesis was trying to usurp that hero role. But if he knows the future, maybe that changes how that battle plays out and rather than beating the shit out of Zack he steps down and they share the apple. So Zack isn't as worn the fuck down when he fights the never ending infantry.

Act 3

My friend, do you fly away now? To a world that abhors you and I? All that awaits you is a somber morrow No matter where the winds may blow My soul, corrupted by vengeance Hath endured torment, to find the end of the journey In my own salvation And your eternal slumber

Honestly less sure about this one, but I think this also ties into this being Genesis planning to end Sephiroth once and for all and to liberate himself from his mortal coil so he can be with the Goddess.

The "my friend" here - most likely soliloquizing to Sephiroth, asking if he really intends to do the shit he's doing.

But this NEXT bit...

Act IV My friend, the fates are cruel There are no dreams, no honor remains The arrow has left the bow of the goddess My friend, your desire Is the bringer of life, the gift of the goddess Legend shall speak Of sacrifice at world's end The wind sails over the water's surface Quietly, but surely

I think he's chatting to two separate friends here. The first friend? Cloud. That's the fate that Cloud was dealt. To have all the people he cares about die. Zack's SOLDIER honor and dreams, and Aerith dying.

The second part - that feels like a message to Zack. The "sacrifice" here could be a lot of things, but I think it's Genesis saying that this go around he's going to do the dying.

Zack? Zack's the Gift of the Goddess. Zack is the key to saving the day.

Loveless is a story wherein all of the players are on the stage and they are able to get a better ending than the one that fate had written for them.

Even if the morrow is barren of promises Nothing shall forestall my return To become the dew that quenches the land To spare the sands, the seas, the skies I offer thee this silent sacrifice

With this said, I'd be interested in what retranslations of the poem is because just plugging it into Google seems to change a lot of the meaning.

BUT IN SHORT i think that loveless is all about the remake timeline and Genesis will end up sacrificing himself.

#final fantasy 7 #crisis core #genesis rhapsodos #sephiroth #cloud strife #zack fair

[dragynkeep]

Schneekos

Purrha

Pyrruby

Sienna/Kali

Ironwinter

meme, not accepting.

schneekos ! / don't ship.

why don't you ship it : really it's just the way their canon relationship is handled with no growth. pyrrha's whole character revolves around how she dislikes being held up on a pedastal & used only for her name & fame, which is exactly what weiss does in their first interaction. it never changes when honestly, it really should've considering this is something they could've bonded over, being viewed as a name & as a trophy rather than actual people.

what would have made you like it : pretty much what i outlined above, weiss & pyrrha developing together to view each other as more than what they can be for other people. getting beneath the "ice queen" & "invincible soldier" to see the true selves of each other is textbook a trope i adore & i'm sad it didn't have in canon. also that height difference. woof.

despite not shipping it, do you have anything positive to say about it : a lot of the fanart for this ship is gorgeous & i can absolutely see why people are head over heels for it! i am, for my own version of them wheeze.

purrha ! / ship.

what made you ship it : it's not something i ship ship but there wasn't really a neutral option in the meme wheeze. however i do like that they both have these "masks" they put to the world & that with the minimal interactions they have in canon — curse you writers — that pyrrha is one of the few who doesn't other blake. also height difference. i'm a sucker for height differences okay.

what are your favorite things about the ship : the colour comparisons & the aesthetics, as shallow as it sounds lol. blake would obviously have a lot of negative connotations with red but the red & gold of pyrrha feels warm, welcoming & fits the dynamic of their relationship.

is there an unpopular opinion you have on your ship : is there even enough of purrha to have an unpopular opinon of it? i guess that, like with a lot of blake ships, pyrrha shouldn't be relegated to "protecting" blake from racism & speaking over her. it's weird & super white saviourist in tone. hard pass.

pyrruby ! / ship.

what made you ship it : they have so many romantic tropes connected to their relationship in canon & it?? drives me crazy?? like pyrrha's sacrifice being the thing to unlock ruby's powers that're canonically driven by love. the colour combos. ruby saving pyrrha amidst her mental breakdown in v3. fated heroes comparison !!

what are your favorite things about the ship : pretty much everything i outlined above but really i just love how soft the ship is. a lot of my ships range in flavours of problematic & troublesome so every once in a while, i'll have a soft one like this & really love it.

is there an unpopular opinion you have on your ship : pyrruby is the superior ship name over whatever the typical rwby ship name is for them lol.

khali ! / ship.

what made you ship it : it has absolutely nothing to do with their canon relationship but everything about what they could have been. like ghira was pretty much not needed if we'd just had it that sienna & kali had run the white fang wanting the same thing but then broke apart due to differing views of how to do it. let them parallel adam & blake!! sapphic moms!!

what are your favorite things about the ship : i love the opposite sides sapphic trope & really it would remind me of another sapphic ship i love, villanelle. also the tragedy of them having been happy for that long while, only to have it torn apart by the world around them & their own ideals: while still holding that love for each other so deeply.

is there an unpopular opinion you have on your ship : do people even ship this enough for an unpopular opinion.

ironwinter ! / ship.

what made you ship it : literally everything about the relationship!! the mentor / mentee trope!! i trust you above everyone else!! it's us against the world!! i can't let you do this cause i can't lose you!!

what are your favorite things about the ship : that they actually see each other beneath the labels other people put onto them. james is the first one to see winter as who she is, not just a schnee progidy. winter sees james as more than just the general.

is there an unpopular opinion you have on your ship : they were actually soulmates crwby are just cowards.

#lunatriense #rwby #schneekos #purrha #pyrruby #khali #ironwinter #ais.txt #answered #q #schneekos are my blorbos in my au

[fanstuffrantings]

Bought to ramble a bit about Blake and Bumbleby in my rwby rewrite. Might be a bit long but I'm thinking of angst and romance so let me ramble (for anyone reading note that in this rewrite i dont have faunus racism but faunus still exist):

Contemplating the idea of double agent Blake who only ever smiles a hand full of times in the first few volumes of the series, and specifically most of them are times when Yang flirts with her/distracts her from the guilt of what she's doing.

Moments where Yang is being friendly and flirty that slowly shift into something that's clearly deeper than Blake can accept because technically she's still with Adam. Because the idea of letting herself fall for and date Yang when she knows what she's doing will hurt a lot of people and deeply betray everyone keeps her embroiled in guilt.

When Yang loses her arm trying to help Blake without knowing Blake has just severed her ties with Adam finally as him and his Grimm, his cult help Cinders group take over beacon. Blake knowing she'll never be able to forgive herself for leading to this and secretly hoping Yang doesn't either because what happiness does she deserve if anyone who cares about her will meet the same fate.

This idea of Yang warring between hating Blake for what she did and being ready to forgive her for everything because she misses her. Meanwhile Blake is continuing to try and race as far away from her mistakes as she can while an odd pull brings her to a city her parents left that she barely remembers. Blake who figures herself out in the homecity of her lost parents with the help of her friend Sun and her aunt and uncle she barely knew. Blake who is aware that she won't be able to take the next step of her life until she deals with Adam, yet also knowing she's ready to try and start making ammends to those she wronged.

We get a RWBY reunion that's tense instead of instantly happy. Ruby is happy to see everyone. Weiss knew Blake's constant disappearing act was suspicious but was willing to put suspicions aside thinking she was wrong. Yang who is still wrestling on how to feel about everything, who isn't flirty and jokey with Blake anymore but watching her, always out of arms reach and expecting the worst.

Through these complex feelings Blake and Yang still manage to save each other. They're out of Sync and fumbling more than usual but even so Yang isn't willing to let Blake get hurt and Blake is taking it upon herself to do everything possible to earn a second chance. She's waking up trying to help Yang during her night terrors, trying to be encouraging when Yang gets frustrated, helping Ruby mediate more, and even tabling any anger she'd normally have at Weiss's snips.

When Blake and Yang take down Adam it's not a huge romantic moment between them, it's Blake reclaiming herself and refusing to let his cycle of pain pass beyond her, and it's Yang fighting her phantom. Blake buries Adam so the man she knew before his corruption can be laid to rest finally, and is ready to take that next step. And for the first time in months, Yang has found enough peace to herself take a step towards reconciliation.

Things aren't perfect, trust isn't completely restored, but it's a start. And it's one Blake is eager to accept as we see their dynamic shift. There's none of the flirtation from Beacon, but they're edging the territory of when Yang realized she wanted more. They notably sit up together more often as they talk and joke, both finally explaining what happened in the months their group was separated. Blake makes a comment about one day wanting Yang to meet her family in the heat of the moment and the air is tense, electric, before old habits take over and Blake attempts to wave things away.

The two of them begin to have more fun in battle as they work together, compliment each others new looks like they do in Atlas. And from there their story heads on a track we all know.

#rwby #rwby rewrite #molten rambles #if you dont like my rewrite thats totally fine #this is for me and me alone #i think the bees are pretty solid but i wanted to adjust some things

[grxmincvdescxnce]

( laura harrier, she/her, half-shade ) To GEORGINA ODETTE, the whole world looks like an open page. With a leap of faith, their ability of COLD INCARNATE grows a little stronger.  They are a MUTE SWAN shade aligned to HOUSE of FRASER. For TWENTY-EIGHT years, they have survived a world of magic with both their PASSION and PUERILITY. They work as a BALLET DANCER and SOCIALITE, but if they could change their fate, they’d want to BE WANTED FOR WHO THEY ARE. + gil child [ painter ]

inspo includes the likes of the following: odette of swan lake / swan princess, weiss schnee of rwby, courtney gripling of as told by ginger, marina of sinbad: legend of the seven seas

&. ⸻ BASICS

name — georgina euthymia nephera odette

aliases — lady george, snowdrop, andora porter 

birthdate — june 28

zodiac — cancer

birthplace — selphia

sexuality — biromantic demisexual

alignment — neutral good

temperament — choleric-sanguine

element — water

primary vice — envy

primary virtue — chastity

house — fraser

occupation — noble, dancer, unofficial spy

markings — curse mark on her thigh that she’s always assumed to be a birthmark. she has no idea how it got there or what it implies

&. ⸻ HEADCANONS

georgina has two older sisters, georjana and georgette. they are absolute devils as far as she’s concerned, with their relationship only more strained these days and full of sibling rivalry 

george has very little control over her abilities as a half-shade even after all these years, given little opportunity to explore them as she should. the only child of her parents to be born with gifts, and gifts that tend to go haywire at the most inopportune times since birth — her skin is often too cold to touch and her swan form tends to appear in moments of shock for example — she’s often shunned and made to feel great shame as a consequence. 

her strong wish for her family’s approval has steered a number of choices she’s made throughout the years, including putting reputation before everything and giving up a number of things she truly desires 

for example, her great first love was not dancing, but painting, with george only following through on her talents on the stage once her father dismissed her love of the medium as meaningless and unworthy of her station. it’s worth noting, of course, that her mother was very talented in the way of such artistry as well, and at one point, their larger estate had been filled from ceiling to floor with her work and favored artists. her passing affected the man greatly, and he has since banned any trace of what was. 

all that said, george never truly gave up her paintbrush, operating secretly for years under a version of her mother’s name and pushing her paintings into the local scene. similarly to her mother, she’s won a handful awards over the years, though georgina is never there to accept them in person, aiming to keep any idea of a connection to herself to a minimum. the only individual aware of any of this is her most trusted bodyguard ( wanted connection )  

ever the romantic, among her greatest ambitions is the notion of being free of her father’s gaze and traveling the world over, bringing color and life to wonders beyond even selphia. she’s frankly very easily jealous of anyone permitted to step beyond their doors unencumbered, let alone allowed on things as amazing as airships, like her cousin ariel 

george also collects paintings whenever possible, which primarily has been permitted only on her birthday due to her ability to easily disguise them as something else entirely to avoid her father’s suspicions. she keeps them safely tucked away in a secret room of the manor, admiring them in her quieter moments

she is a pescatarian and has been for several years now, refusing the very idea of land creatures as food. this may, in part, be due to how attuned she is to her swan form, having been stuck in it for several weeks at a time before. she is also a pacifist

much of the finery belonging to those of well-off stations like herself she’s less of a fan of, favoring simple elegance over unnecessary opulence and gaudy trinkets. of course, this will never leave her lips in usual company

she’s developed something of a love/hate relationship with shoes, particularly on account of how harsh ballet can be on her poor feet. while she doesn’t always mind wearing them and can even enjoy the look of them, she can find them uncomfortable and stifling after longer periods and may choose to go without should the situation allow

she absolutely adores sly commentary, thinly-veiled insults. she also has a thing for puns though she more so enjoys hearing them rather than the other way around. she might hate herself most for the latter, honestly, since she knows how dumb they can be

should any matter require use of it, george possesses a swan-imprinted locket from her mother that permits one to alter their appearance according to who beholds the wearer, for a very brief time. it can result in a number of odd symptoms should she try to push beyond the allotted time, so she tries not to rely on it very heavily 

she has a habit of gazing at any passing reflection, less in a fit of vanity and more in just ensuring she’s still entirely herself. given her struggles with maintaining her human form and keeping her abilities in check, it’s a constant worry 

she is extremely claustrophobic, tending to hyperventilate at the mere idea of cramped spacing. with that in mind, she’s often found in larger forest clearings and gardens when alone, enjoying the quiet and open nature. it’s where she’s most at peace, and most often able to find the greatest inspiration for her paintings 

the dancer is a child of gilbert gladstone, a fact she has absolutely no idea about, raised to believe the man responsible for her well-being all this time is of immediate blood relation. she has, however, noted how much her ‘father’ resembles her sisters more, but george has convinced herself she’s imagining the whole thing

&. ⸻ ABILITY

cold incarnate permits the user to become the embodiment of the colder element. this is more readily revealed in a form of cryokinesis or the manipulation of wintery air. while george’s immunity seems as expected, incidents like her freezing her first kiss, her arm being found in a block of ice at random, or her skin in general just being much colder to the touch are not uncommon. it’s to the point she’ll wear things like gloves or longer clothing to avoid others discovering what they shouldn’t

&. ⸻ HISTORY

the first seven years of georgina’s life were spent in a magically-induced coma, her mother suffering a version of hypothermia too quick to recover from upon her birth due to sheer lack of control from the child, evident from the start. the exact nature of her mother’s passing would never make the headlines, with the woman’s death attributed to a mere ‘freak accident’ that caused too many complications. her father, an extraordinarily wealthy business magnate and famous explorer, wishing to believe his family had somehow been cursed rather than blame himself, sought nothing short of the very best to see georgina’s health and life restored. secret letters were sent far and wide in an attempt to call on any possible miracle or magical advantage to see her freed. the time between would see the rumor of george being a sickly child, in need of constant care, making the rounds to avoid any further suspicion at her absence

it would be a great mage known to some as rothbart, who would hold the honor of seeing george restored to full health. the man takes on the role of the family’s designated sorcerer to keep george and her abilities in line, and an arrangement between his son, siegfried, and georgina for eventual marriage offered in return, rothbart solidifying his place in a position of absolute influence

georgina spends much of her youthful years hiding behind the walls of her family estate, rarely allowed into the world save for occasions that demand it with her father’s shame and disgust, now knowing the truth, preventing him from showing her the affection and freedoms he permitted her sisters. 

these days, she is rarely ever without the presence of rothbart or her bodyguard, and with rothbart taking a keen interest in the likes of her fellow nobles and palace trappings, he occasionally uses george to spy for him or otherwise do his dirty work, threatening to have her locked away should she fail to comply

#INTRO ⸻ the romantic. #cag: intro

[gainaxvel3o]

Was in a bit of a depressive mood as of late, not being able to get writing done and feeling paralyzed at my internship, so I haven’t been very active. I’m working on that a bit, but right now, I feel like talking about RWBY: Ice Queendom.

I had seen the first few episodes, but I only got around to finishing it now. One of my friends kicked my butt into doing so, great guy. Here we go. Spoilers ahead.

I loved the first episode of Ice Queendom. I loved how it was a mix of all the Color trailers, but tied together in an neat, organic way. Obviously there’s an  extra focus on Weiss- it’s her show after all. I love how they establish her familial issues off the bat and had cameos from her whole family, even Willow, to give some extra context into Weiss’ decisions. I also love the way the other trailers were incorporated. Blake’s Black trailer was included with some subtle tweaks to make it more interesting. While the Yellow trailer was cut, and the Red trailer was downplayed in comparison, the series more than makes up for that by giving Ruby and Yang expanded scenes establishing their characters, starting the episode with a visit to Summer’s grave, covering the trip to Vale, their interactions with each other and Tai which were so wholesome. The first fight with Roman managed to be breathtaking thanks to the score and the animation. I love the narration that book ends the episode- and the not so subtle allusion to Pyrrha’s eventual fate in the last part. 

It was my favorite episode of Ice Queendom, putting a genuinely interesting spin on old events in a way that felt refreshing. In all honesty, I think it makes a better introduction to the world than the actual first episode of RWBY did at least in my opinion. I was delighted.

The rest of the series... well, it couldn’t help but feel disappointing by comparison. NOT BAD. Just disappointing.

The next two episodes give a brief recap of the events of Volume 1. It was rushed, but that was to be expected given how much was crammed in. I like the Nightmare Grimm attack JNPR had to fight off, but I thought what it was doing with Weiss was more interesting. She’s presented as more of a flawed character than even in the original, which is especially noticeable in the scene where Port gives her that speech from the Badge and the Burden. While in the original Weiss learned to be more humbler and accept Ruby’s help, this series plays up more of her arrogance, taking the lesson as her needing to mold Ruby into more of the kind of leader she feels she has to be. In general, she’s more prideful and arrogant, more open with her faunus racism, and I enjoyed seeing this new version. I was wondering where the series was going with this new foundation set forth.

Episode 4 came around and revealed the real premise of the series: Weiss is attacked by the Nightmare Grimm, and her team (plus Jaune) have to save her before the Nightmare breaks apart Weiss’ mind forever. 

The dream world presented is a marvellous one. The snowy mountains, the Grimm like White Fang attacking the trains, the robot guards surrounding faceless crowds, the Klein doors, the walls protecting the city that Weiss looks over, the shadowy wails of her mother from the walls, Bat Whitley, so much creative imagery is thrown into the mix. If nothing else, the action sequences inside of the dream world was pretty awesome, as are the expanding rules and tricks our heroes come up with on their quest to help Weiss. I like that the series delves more into Weiss’ psychology, how much she works to keep her most precious feelings trapped inside of the cold exterior in insanely literal terms. In particular, I found the ways Weiss views Ruby and Pyrrha in the dream world to be revealing. Dream!Pyrrha is wearing more or less the same outfit Weiss had in Volume 4, giving a haunting rendition of Mirror, Mirror that serves to emphasize how Weiss sees a kindred spirit with her (which turned out to be more correct than she realized). With Ruby, though there are some conflicting feelings, as it turned out Weiss actually does come to see her as someone to care about... someone to keep locked away in her heart forever... These insights were welcome. Also Dream!JNR being animals stuck in a cage was pretty funny.

I can’t say there’s much I find awful with this series. Episode 10′s animation was pretty dire. I feel like the Dream Pyrrha could have been used more, she seemed like she was going to play a role because she didn’t glitch out the way the other dream characters eventually did, but nothing really came of that. I felt very disheartened the Nightmare form Blake eventually tuns into within Weiss’ dream. It makes sense in the context of the series, but taking on the form she did felt very wrong in a way that left me in a bad mood. Real!Jaune feels like a pointless add on. I guess I side eyed a little at how Roman was given screentime, but Cinder got a very minor cameo, not even getting to do the cool clash with Glynda like in the original’s first episode.

It’s definitely not bad, but it’s not really one of my favorite RWBY things perse. Even though they teased the promise of a new story, functionally it serves as a filler arc between Volume 1 and 2, primarily used to explain why Weiss chills out a lot between those Volumes. It’s disappointing to me, because I would have liked to have seen either A) How this more flawed Weiss would have developed over the course of the story, whether she’d grow as a person or not, or B) A series that fully took place in the alternate universe presented in the Dream World. As it is, I like Ice Queendom just fine, heck I probbaly enjoy it more than the first two Volumes if I’m being honest, but I don’t really feel like looking back on it again.

The first episode is still my favorite though, woof.

#RWBY #RWBY: Ice Queendom #Series #Opinion #Weiss Schnee #Ruby Rose #Pyrrha Nikos

[brokenrealitylooper]

Extra Out Of Canon

This is a bit of fun that, while set in R&L, is not part of NobleTheft (Tarnished Silver and Regrets and Love) canon.

I’ve been asked a few times why Weiss Came Back in time with Roman, and while there literally is no Big Reason—Weiss guesses that perhaps it was a twist of Fate or a Final Wish granted to her, but doesn’t care because she long ago learned to accept the blessings gifted to her—I decided to write an omake, an Extra.

Side note before starting; this does imply a crossover, in a loose sense as no characters or settings actually mix beyond what gets mentioned. (And yes, the title here is a play on words: both “Extra: Out Of Canon” and “Extra Out Of Canon”)

0-0-0-0

Weiss blinked as the world around her seemed to freeze, and felt a moment of panic before a rather unassuming man—perhaps in his 30s, by the faint greying of his close cut combover above an otherwise youthful face partly covered by a trimmed and greying goatee—stepped up to her table at the outdoor café and sat down.

“Hello, Mrs. Torchwick.” his tone was gentle, a faint rumble in an otherwise mid-or-high range voice, as he offered her a smile.

“Is this your doing?” she asked, one brow arched as she relaxed back into her chair.

“After a fashion.” he shrugged, smiled turning sheepish as he rested his hands—fingers woven together—on the table, “Call me Westvale.”

“What’s going on, then?” Weiss leaned forward, curious despite her caution, “A deal or a threat?”

“Neither.” he shook his head, “Answers instead. Ones you’ll forget until your time is ending and you march on to another place.”

“Ominous.”

Westvale ducked his head, wincing, before offering an apologetic smile, “Not my intention.”

“Then what questions do you have answers for?”

“Why you came back.”

The calmly delivered words had her instantly sitting straighter, gaze focused and sharp.

“In another time and place, the Grimm were a threat dealt by a woman bitter and twisted by hate; a woman who wanted to burn the world down and start over, stopped only by Oz.” he held up a hand, forestalling her, before he continued, “People died, the world torn in chaos. And while that story is not yet done, some wished for better things-” a sigh, “-and after a fracture cracked reality to shards, those of us who Write took our chances.”

“...what?” Had she been anyone else, this would’ve sounded like the words of a madman to them. But after what she had experienced, it was merely... fantastical.

“Instrumentality; an infinite number of worlds in infinite combinations, all with only one single unifying rule,” his gaze locked with hers, a weight settling in the air, “in all of them, you exist. In one way or another, you and everyone you know exists in each of those worlds. This one... this one I chose to touch and shape.”

“Like, what, some deity?” Weiss glared, hands flat on the table, “What gave you the right to meddle in my life? Did you take Ruby from me, back then?”

“Everything has a cost.” the man slumped, eyes dropping to the table’s surface, “To remove the Woman and her ties to this Place, a cost had to be paid.”

“So you decided Ruby and Yang were perfect, despite what that did to me.” she sneered, wishing for her rapier, “That’s the opposite of building a better world.”

“Beacon stood, Ozpin and Roman lived-” Weiss flinched at her husband’s name, but Westvale kept going, “-and you found happiness. And at the end, twisting things to put you here was far easier.”

“You took me from my family-!”

He sliced his hand through the air, cutting her off, “They live on, just as they would have had you simply died instead of coming here. But that was the cost; you Came Back, but lost contact with your children. Instead, you once again have your team, and Roman is still here. You can and are rebuilding.”

He spread his hands, regret and sorrow in his eyes, “You have it far better than the Children, whose world is the one sundered; the very sundering that allowed me to change things here.”

Weiss stopped herself, letting what he said sink in. Someone, out there, had paid a terrible cost; she could feel it in the weight of his words, someone suffered—continued to suffer—for her to have lost and regained her Best Friend away from a broken world.

“A noble theft; I stole your happiness, in Ruby, so you could have something better. So you could have family in both Roman and Ruby.” His smile was lopsided, sorrow and affection there, “We love the people we touch, when we ReWrite parts of your stories. We know it hurts, but... the payout is worth it, don’t you think?”

He gestured to the side, and as Weiss followed his hand she found Roman—not far off, but then he never wandered far if he had a choice—frozen mid-step as he was walking up to her from the sidewalk. The love sparking in his gaze, held within this moment like a picture, took her breath like it always did.

“Yes.” she breathed.

Yes, she’d suffered over the loss of Ruby and Yang; Yes, she’d suffered through the loss of her children. But also: yes, she loved that man so much it was almost too much, ready to burst from her and swallow her whole in the most wonderful way; yes, she had Ruby and her team, she had Roman.

“They found resolution too.” the sudden words drew her gaze back to the man, the Author, “Full circle. Running from pain, learning and growing, then running back; because how else can we fix things without facing them?”

“A common theme?” she asked, curious, recognizing it was much like herself and Blake.

“No one wants to suffer.” he gave a nod, then stood and started to walk away, “But we grow there; most often much more than any moment of peace. So we face it.”

He stopped, leveling a shy smile over his shoulder, “And it isn’t just for you, or me; others see your life and find inspiration there. One unifying rule: I see you, I know you, I love you.”

0-0-0-0

For those not familiar with Instrumentality, it’s the trigger event at the end of Neon Genesis Evangelion that fractured that world into near-endless repeats until the main protag, Shinji, finally grew up and faced the trials of his life and moved on, closing the loops—at the end of Evangelion 3.0+1.0—and collapsing Instrumentality.

Additionally, I used a partial quote from the Evangelion Doujin Re-Take, which I have always—since finding it—used as the “justification” for AU stories set in the NGE/Evangelion universe.

During instrumentality an infinite number of worlds were created; from the Edo period to the end of the millennium. All of them different, all of them unique. But all those worlds have one unifying rule in common; in every single one we met, and invariably, we fall in love. And sometimes we hurt each other. And we connect to each other deeply. Worlds made with both you and me in the center. That's the single, unifying rule. (Re-take 04)

Weiss is my favorite character from RWBY, her character growth over the series is wonderful to watch; and seeing how others portray her, and how I write her, is always a joy.

#rwby au #Noble Theft #rwby NobleTheft #author's ramblings

[danganbangan]

not meaning to mix things together but, which universe would mash better; the dangancast in the rwbyverse or rwby in the danganverse? :33c

I’VE ACTUALLY THOUGHT ABOUT THIS A LOT OKAY

so r/wby in the danganverse WOULD be very cool and angsty but d/anganronpa is honestly very character driven!! and even though the story can be interesting w other characters, there’s really not a lot you can do w the world (which isn’t a bad thing it’s just how it is)

AS FOR THE RWBYVERSE it has a LOT more fleshed out worldbuilding and lots of really cool options for AUs like this!!!

added a cut because this is getting long sgkjskfj

HERE ARE MY IDEAS for backstories, teams and partners in the second game (cause if i did the third and first game too this would be way too long) (also I’ve thought about this AU for the second game the most) (also they’re all at Beacon for these)

Hajime, Nagito, Chiaki, Mikan:

Hajime: leader and has no idea what he’s doing. actually didn’t go to combat school and only got in because the council chose him for a special project...something involving the study of semblances. partnered up with Nagito

Nagito: his semblance is so pedestrian compared to the rest of his amazing team! he’s just lucky he got accepted into the school and is happy to support them in any way he can, haha! partnered up with Hajime

Chiaki: doesn’t put much effort into school but has a unique and incredible semblance and a passion for hunting grimm. also is a rabbit faunus hehe. partnered up with Mikan

Mikan: grew up in Mistral and had a really tough childhood there. very talented at using her semblance, fighting, and schoolwork, but awful socially. has an extremely misguided crush on the leader Hajime. is a sheep faunus. partnered up with Chiaki

Imposter, Teruteru, Nekomaru, Akane:

Twogami: leader. obviously. he’s from an influential family in Atlas (the person they’re imitating anyway) but is a big softie underneath it all and cares a lot about his team. partnered up with Teruteru

Teruteru: has an aura based semblance, can boost others’ aura with food he makes or something like that. says he’s from Atlas but is actually from Vacuo, and is trying to become a hunter for his mom’s wellbeing. partnered up with Twogami

Nekomaru: grew up between Vale and Atlas getting treated for his sickness as a kid. was in the same hospitals as hunters sometimes and grew to admire them greatly. is a cat faunus hehe. partnered up with Akane

Akane: has an offensive semblance similar to Yang or Nora’s. grew up in the streets of Mantle and had a tough childhood there trying to scrape up enough money to get by. partnered up with Nekomaru

Mahiru, Peko, Ibuki, Hiyoko

Mahiru: leader and is taking it way too seriously. and is secretly super insecure about it. has a glass canon semblance like Weiss or Velvet’s where she can deal tons of damage in a creative way but gets taken out easily. super bossy but really cares about her team and is just trying to do the right thing. partnered up with Peko

Peko: she and Fuyuhiko planned to be partners and on a team together, but fate had other plans. it’s the first time she’s not by the young master’s side in basically her whole life and she’s not quite sure what to do or how to act. insanely talented at sparring, similar to Pyrrha. partnered up with Mahiru

Ibuki: was supposed to go to school in Atlas with a few of her friends from combat school, but changed her mind last minute and went to Beacon instead. just happy to be here and make friends! has a musically driven semblance, maybe can use sounds waves as offense or something similar. is a wolf faunus. partnered up with Hiyoko

Hiyoko: from a wealthy family in Mistral. initially hates being on a team and just wishes she could study and train on her own, but has her own special way of showing she cares. partnered up with Ibuki

Sonia, Gundham, Kazuichi, Fuyuhiko

Sonia: leader but is very sweet and lenient and just wants everyone to get along. from a very influential family (maybe a councilman’s daughter?) in Atlas and was sheltered from other kids for most of her life. partnered up with Gundham

Gundham: has a weird fascination with grimm. every time you ask him where he’s from he answers with a different kingdom and edgy backstory, but he’s actually from a middle class family in Vale. also is hamster faunus hehe. partnered up with Sonia

Kazuichi: has a tech driven semblance, maybe can analyze or take apart mechanics instantly or something similar. went to the same combat school as many others did, but no one remembers him (it’s cause he completely changed his appearance but he doesn’t realize that’s the reason.) has an extremely misguided crush on the leader Sonia. is a puppy faunus hehehe. partnered up with Fuyuhiko

Fuyuhiko: the son of a powerful family in Vale. he and Peko planned to be partners, but fate had other plans. he’s PISSED that things didn’t turn out the way he expected and initially hates being on a team. is very talented and fighting and schoolwork though and is surprisingly the best behaved of his team. partnered up with Kazuichi

#rambles #THIS IS SO LONG SORRY #as you can see I’m obsessed with this AU and have thought about it a lot #GIVE ME UR THOUGHTS ANON I’d love to hear what you think!!! #asks

[amelia-yap]

so,,, i thought it’d be fun to throw in characters i use in a.arena into one room?

#ruby rose #weiss schnee #coco adel #cinder fall #emerald sustrai #may zedong #illia amitola #carmine esclados #zwei #rwby #the first pic are the ones i always have in a deck lol #illia really doesn't get paid enough #poor girl #weiss has accepted her fate #shes trying to get cozy into the weird hug going on #my art #tbh i dont really know that carmine dude other than shes from the books #also the wf lieutenant guy asks the same question every 2 seconds #the response is always the same #ruby is losing her shit #ok bye #this was fun to do #got lazy at the end though hhh #cookie on the chair because i want fucking cookies #they take so long to obtain #fred has it hard