#But just look at the points gap. Oscar cannot lose any points. he has a incredible shot at P2. even P1 if Max's car doesn't better

[things-methinks]

The difference between Max and Norris is 62, whereas the difference between Norris-Charles is 24, Norris-Oscar is 44, Charles-Oscar is 20, and Oscar-Carlos is 13.

Charles and Oscar are closer to Lando than Lando is to Max. In fact, Oscar is only 20 points behind Charles. Even Sainz Jr is only 13 points behind Oscar. If Lando has one non-podium finish and one of these 4 win that GP, the gap goes down even if they don't move up. Say Charles wins Baku (we're not going to assume fastest lap, it's a wildcard), he gains 25 points, and Norris finishes at 4th gaining 12 points. Charles would go up 242 and Lando would be 253, an immense reduction.

Not even Charles, if Oscar wins, his wdc points go up 222, and Norris goes to 253, reducing the gap 31. If Sainz Jr finishes above Oscar, he could potentially move above him, even without a podium finish. We could have an even more interesting outcome if one of the Mercs finishes in the top 4, one of these 5 guys would be out of the top 5.

《Edit: I completely forgot we still have 3 sprints left. Putting that into the mix will change things as well. Oscar has done well in Sprints, even cinching his first win at a Sprint in F1. This is another element to consider.》

Charles has gotten pole for the last 3 years at Baku, but we all know the reasons he did not win. Ferrari have shown they can challenge that McLaren rocketship, they have one insane driver. We have 2 kids who are the least experienced in F1 compared to rest of the grid on a decently difficult street track. Baku might be an interesting weekend, but I am not going to say anything.

[itsclydebitches]

RWBY doesn’t follow the fairytale characters to a T: Emerald is evil when Aladdin wasn’t, and the point of Oz's inner circle is to SUBVERT their original counterparts, Oz is a wizard pretending to be a regular guy, Leo gave in to his cowardliness, Ironwood lost his heart (tho very poorly), and Qrow lost his brain (joining with Tyrian was ALLEGEDLY supposed to be dumb on his end, not that that stops the FNDM from victim blaming)

RWBY definitely doesn’t follow the inspirations to a T, however, I don’t think I agree that the big three here are subversions. Rather, up until Ironwood shot Oscar they seemed to be following the arcs of their counterparts rather closely (or at least, the arcs as laid out in the film. I admittedly can’t speak to the original novels): 

Ozpin - Yes, he’s technically a real wizard here, but he still follows the same path as the Wizard character. That is, moving from someone who is perceived as nearly all powerful, all knowing, all important to someone who is just as flawed and scared as the rest of us. Like pulling back the curtain, Volume 6 reveals Ozpin to be just another fallible man. He is a regular guy. He might have actual power - like the Wizard has actual influence - but that doesn’t make him the omnipotent being people chose to see him as. Both were normal men who stepped up to help: the Wizard a mere carnival worker who tried to give the Emerald City the symbol they wanted; Ozpin a mere fighter, with magic like many others in a Humanity 1.0 world (that power doesn’t appear to have originally been unique) who agreed to become the defender of Remnant. Both try to help their Dorothy character and fail: the Wizard with his balloon and Ozpin with his schools, leaving both girls to find another solution. Personally, I think there’s far more parallels between their stories than subversions. A subversion would have been actually making Ozpin as wise and all knowing as the Wizard initially appeared. Instead, this is revealed to be this: 

Ironwood - Same here. Ironwood is meant to appear like he’s heartless to the audience (and those of Remnant) at first glance. Here comes this man made of metal, with his stern looks and military persona, making calls that a lot of people don’t agree with. However, the story quickly reveals - to us if not the entire world - that the Tinman always had a heart. That’s the lesson of the film. You never needed someone to teach you how to care, or supply some magical means of achieving that. You’ve done it all along. Even if others - and at times you yourself - can’t see it. A subversion would have been to make Ironwood an actually heartless character, or at least someone who has to learn how to care like his counterpart assumed he had to. Instead, Ironwood is merely perceived as this, but is shown to actually be this: 

Qrow - Finally, like Ironwood Qrow is introduced as the brainless fool but, like his Scarecrow counterpart, is shown to have always had a brain. We’re introduced to him getting drunk in a bar and picking an idiotic fight with Winter. He reveals sensitive info to a group of students, destroys the courtyard, is revealed to have not kept in contact with his team, and then continues drinking. It’s easy to write him off as the brainless troublemaker of the group but, again, as we get to know him it’s revealed that Qrow is actually a genius spy. He’s thoughtful and strategic - never dumb to begin with. This is revealed to be this: 

(Sorry it’s hard to find a picture of Qrow being smart. Not because that intelligence doesn’t exist, but because it’s not easily reduced to a single image. So I just went with him being badass instead lol.) 

So I’d argue that RWBY was keeping very closely the moral messages of the Wizard of Oz, rather than subverting them: the man you see as an all powerful savior is human too and cannot fix all your problems, the man who appears cold and heartless has always cared about others, the man who appears brainless at first glance is actually quite astute. Even Emerald follows her Aladdin pattern by being the one person in Salem’s inner circle who we’re supposed to sympathize with. Emerald is the one who gets long close ups to show how uncomfortable she is with things. She’s the one questioning if this is the right course to stay on. Like Aladdin, she’s technically a villain (thief) but is primed to leave that life once better prospects are presented to her (I found a genie/I’m given a way out of Salem’s employment). From Dorothy/Little Red Riding Hood still being an innocent hero in Ruby, to the Good Witch still being a good “witch” (her semblance might as well be magic) in Glynda, to Pinocchio having always been a real person in Penny... I’d say RWBY follows the lessons attached to their allusions far more than they subvert them. Which isn’t to say there’s no subversion at all. I think having Adam really be a beast rather than someone whose “curse” is broken by Blake is one. Yang presented as the dumb, reckless blonde who is actually a brilliant and caring big sister is another (even if RWBY has messed this subversion up in more recent volumes). As is Lionheart. He is indeed a previously loyal lion who was revealed to be cowardly... but he’s also notably barely a character. We know almost nothing about him. He existed to give the heroes something to work towards - gotta get to Haven to talk to the headmaster - and then as a means by which all the other, important villains engage with the cast. Then he dies. It’s much easier to subvert (or accidentally write something that looks like subversion) when the character barely exists on screen. Lionheart has no character to complicate. Ozpin, Ironwood, and Qrow though? Their stories have all been (very basically) following the path of their inspirations. Until Volume 7. 

I don’t agree that Qrow is now subverted due to teaming up with Tyrian. Don’t get me wrong, it’s absolutely a stupid move. Arguably the stupidest I’ve seen in RWBY to date, but the story doesn’t seem to realize that. That decision isn’t treated like the Scarecrow has now lost his brain. Rather, it’s treated like a good decision that then led to ~totally unexpected~ consequences. If the story thought Qrow had made a dumb call we could have gotten any number of details to imply that, including but not limited to him regretting the choice he just made while Clover dies, rather than blaming Ironwood for it. So we as the audience might recognize that it’s dumb, but that doesn’t mean the story does, which undermines any argument that it’s a deliberate subversion. Though this may change depending on how Qrow views his actions in Volume 8 and/or if others call him out on it.   

Which finally leaves us with Ironwood. Yeah, it could be a subversion to give the Tinman a heart and then have him lose it... but why now? If you’re going to do that work then do it from the beginning, not only so that there’s proper setup for it - as you say, very poorly done - but also so that the audience doesn’t devote nearly six years of emotional energy into a characterization only to be told that we’re reversing course now. A character’s downfall takes time. A character’s reveal that they were secretly bad/evil/whatever all along takes planning. As @leonhaxor points out, you can also introduce an influence like the lamp. How and why did these characters suddenly become their opposites? Because an outside force is influencing them, but even then you have to plan for and think through the complexities of that situation. What happens when the lamp is removed? What happens when the characters actually talk about these problems and realize they simplified things horribly (i.e. Qrow’s belief that everything he’s done is meaningless)? How are you going to maintain that new characterization if the reason for its existence is so flimsy? When you spend years developing characters, it’s no easy feat to chuck that characterization out on a whim. 

RWBY did none of these things though and thus Ironwood’s sudden shift is neither believable nor satisfying. It’s not a subversion to write a classic Tinman for six years and then suddenly, in literally a few minutes, insist that he’s evil!Tinman instead. Imagine you read about a detective for six books who appears cold and unyielding, but is actually revealed to be a vulnerable hero doing his best to solve these cases. And he does. Not perfectly, but he does solve them, helping people in the process, and you adore his flawed-but-ultimately-very-good person. Then suddenly, in the last few pages of the most recent novel, the detective attempts to murder his assistant out of the blue and you’re left gapping at where the previous six volumes of characterization went. Other readers go, “Well, he and the assistant once got into a fight so it’s totally believable that he’d shoot him" and the author goes, “You never expected the detective to be the criminal, huh? See, it’s a subversion.” Except it’s not. Is the concept of a detective who is actually the criminal a cool subversion? Absolutely. Dexter is right there showing us that. But you have to introduce that from the start, plan for it, and develop it in a believable way. Writing a good guy for almost the entirety of the story’s run (Ironwood didn’t arrive until Volume 2) only to turn around and change your mind about them - without proper setup - is just bad writing. We could have gotten a persuasive and compelling fall from grace that culminates in Ironwood shooting Oscar... but that would require really basic things like him not losing his arm/making hard calls in the name of helping others just a few minutes before. 

[silverwhisp-headcannons-blog]

HAPPY RWBY THOUGHTS TO HELP WITH EATING ISSUES AND INSECURITY ABOUT ONE’S BODY

RUBY ROSE - “You can’t stop eating; you need to, or else…” she trails off, lower lip not restraining a quiver. “Come with me! Let’s go get you something to eat. Anything you want, just eat for me, please.”

WEISS SCHNEE - She scoffs, abashed, “I’m not the most talented in the kitchen, but I need you to eat for me. Just this once.”

BLAKE BELLADONNA - “I don’t want you depriving yourself like that, {Name}. If there’s someone faunus and humans have in common, it’s that we cannot survive without nourishment. Don’t make the same mistakes I have.”

YANG XIAO LONG - The firecracker isn’t amused as she forces you to sit down, as your sunken sockets roll over to encounter a plate of food. “Neither of us are leaving this spot until you’re done. Now eat.” When you complete your task, she pulls you aside and holds you as though you’re a lifeline. “Thank you, {Name}. Please, don’t do this to yourself.”

ZWEI - He tags along at your feet, offering his personal dog treats and ensures you eat enough all throughout the day

PENNY POLENDINA - “I may not be a real girl, but I am aware humans must acquire sufficient nourishment! Shall I check what is on the menu that perhaps peaks your interests?”

CIEL SOLEIL - “Did you remember to eat today? You were supposed to approximately twelve minutes prior to the present moment, Miss/Mister {Name}. You must not forget to eat.”

JAUNE ARC - The revelation is staggering; proof reading the inscription has him more perplexed than before. “Hey, hey, listen to me. We all need to eat. It’s not just something you can stop doing all of sudden. No one wants to see you get sick and eventually..no, we aren’t getting to that point. Let me see if I can make you some food, okay?”

NORA VALKYRIE - Her heart thumps, incarcerated in her throat. “You…just can’t stop eating.” She tries to play it off facetiously but doesn’t triumph. The scene of her childhood self clutching a molding piece of bread, stomach rumbling, flashes in her mind. “Please. I can ask Ren to whip up something for the two of us, and I want you to eat every last bite.”

PYRRHA NIKOS - Counting her blessings, a wisp of energy squeezes between the gaps of her fingers. “You shouldn’t…no, I won’t stand for this, {Name}. I want you to be healthy,” she tenderly links your palms, ripping open her sternum and capturing you with her finely shaped ribs. “And I know just the foods you need to reach that state of health. I’m here whenever you need me.”

LIE REN - He doesn’t say a word as he prepares a top notch cuisine tailored to your taste buds, and lightly suggests new eating arrangements and ensures you aren’t growing ill. “We all need to thrive, but this isn’t how you do it. You need to eat. I don’t want you to forget that.”

SUN WUKONG - “You got to be kidding me,” he tangles his digits in his banana cream bangs. “Listen, I understand you feel insecure, but this is not how you fix things. Taking care of yourself is looking at those flaws and wanting to make them better without hurting yourself.” His tail snatches your wrist reassuringly. “Now c'mon, I heard of a great place that has these awesome ramen noodles. It’s all on me.”

SCARLET DAVID - He shakes his head, pressing his temple to yours, “My love, you mustn’t be dragged down by this. You are much stronger than this. Don’t hesitate to ask me if you need anything at all; we all need to learn how to care for ourselves.”

SAGE AYANA - He cradles your hand in his enormous on scale fist, gritting his teeth. “Babe, stop it. You shouldn’t be thinking like this. There’s a reason I care for you. And you need to find out why you need to care about yourself, too.”

NEPTUNE VASILIAS - Lovingly running his hands along your complexly structured face, he encourages you quit the nonsense. “Hey, baby, you are absolutely fine. But what you’re doing isn’t. You can’t starve yourself and expect to keep moving on. I want you to be okay, but you need to want that, too.”

COCO ADEL - “We’ve all got our insecurities, babe. Even I suffer from a few of my own every now and then. But I don’t allow them to take control of me. And I can say with certainty they don’t make me do some of the things you have. I want you to sit here and wait while I get Yatsu to make you a little something; you’re eating regardless.”

FOX ALISTAIR - “Enough of this, {Name}. I can’t stand seeing people hurt themselves over that. You deserve much, much, much, much better. I don’t care what you say. You’re eating.”

VELVET SCARLATINA - “I don’t…understand. Why would you deprive yourself like this all for the sake of being thinner? It isn’t healthy. And I don’t want to see you hurt yourself any longer. Please, let me help you.”

YATSUHASHI DAICHI - “I’m always by your side.”

QROW BRANWEN - “You know, sometimes it puzzles me when people like yourself worry about these things. But I guess everyone’s got a problem with themselves. I know I do. That isn’t the point. Stop this. You need to know you deserve better even when someone makes you feel like garbage. Obviously, if they waste the time I silting you, they aren’t really worth it. Now eat something, please. I don’t want you getting sick.”

TAIYANG XIAO LONG “I’ll be honest, I always feared Yang or Ruby would take this route, yet I never expected you would do this. But that doesn’t change a thing. I’m here for you, you know.”

SUMMER ROSE - “Stay with me, my love. I shall remain at your side through all your trial and tribulation.”

RAVEN BRANWEN - “You are strong, not among the weak. Stand tall and keep moving forward. I won’t permit this trouble to persist for another minute.”

GLYNDA GOODWITCH - “You need to take care of yourself. Please. I don’t want to lose you like I’ve lost so many students.”

OZPIN - “I have lived longer than most, and trust me when I say I’ve made more mistakes than any man, woman or child on this planet. I don’t want you to fall victim to this, dear. Thank you for confiding with me. Would you care for some coffee? It always soothes the soul. Then we can talk about how we can help you overcome this.”

OSCAR PINES - “I’m…not the best at this, but please do know I really do care about you, and want only the best to come your way.”

WINTER SCHNEE - “This behavior does not suit someone such as yourself, {Name}. We all have our demons to ward off, and it appears you are struggling. Perhaps I can teach you to rise above them, hm?”

WHITLEY SCHNEE - “Unacceptable. Klein, please fetch {Name} the finest cuisine you can prepare. They deserve only the best and are worthy of knowing the meaning they hold.”

ILIA AMITOLA - “I want you to look me in the eyes and say you deserve so much more. You’re the reason I can finally say that about myself, and now you need to know it for yourself.”

ADAM TAURUS - “My darling, I demand you cease believing this nonsense. You’re at my hand - you are strong, and I shall keep building you up. You must know of your worth.”

SALEM - “Under my watch, this will not prevail. As my beloved, you are to be treated as the divine being you have risen to.”

CINDER FALL - “Why must you allow such trivial thoughts conquer you? Don’t you understand you are powerful? It isn’t often one can tame the flames that will burn Beacon whole, now is it?”

ROMAN TORCHWICK - “Sweetheart, you look gorgeous! There isn’t a thing I’d change about ya. Let’s say we head to a fancy new restaurant and treat ourselves, free of charge! Trust me. You are fine as you are.”

MERCURY BLACK - “Quit letting these things take control over your mind. I can’t have you getting sick on me, now can I?”

EMERALD SUSTRAI - “I want you to have everything I couldn’t have. A home, food, and somebody who loved me. Now it’s my turn to five back what you gave to me.”

TYRIAN CALLOWS - “Your Grace, have I expressed how divine you are?”

[parisiangiraffe]

HAPPY RWBY THOUGHTS TO WELCOME YOU BACK AND TO HELP WITH YOUR EATING ISSUES

RUBY ROSE - “You can’t stop eating; you need to, or else…” she trails off, lower lip not restraining a quiver. “Come with me! Let’s go get you something to eat. Anything you want, just eat for me, please.”

WEISS SCHNEE - She scoffs, abashed, “I’m not the most talented in the kitchen, but I need you to eat for me. Just this once.”

BLAKE BELLADONNA - “I don’t want you depriving yourself like that, {Name}. If there’s someone faunus and humans have in common, it’s that we cannot survive without nourishment. Don’t make the same mistakes I have.”

YANG XIAO LONG - The firecracker isn’t amused as she forces you to sit down, as your sunken sockets roll over to encounter a plate of food. “Neither of us are leaving this spot until you’re done. Now eat.” When you complete your task, she pulls you aside and holds you as though you’re a lifeline. “Thank you, {Name}. Please, don’t do this to yourself." 

PENNY POLENDINA - "I may not be a real girl, but I am aware humans must acquire sufficient nourishment! Shall I check what is on the menu that perhaps peaks your interests?" 

CIEL SOLEIL - "Did you remember to eat today? You were supposed to approximately twelve minutes prior to the present moment, Miss/Mister {Name}. You must not forget to eat.”

JAUNE ARC - The revelation is staggering; proof reading the inscription has him more perplexed than before. “Hey, hey, listen to me. We all need to eat. It’s not just something you can stop doing all of sudden. No one wants to see you get sick and eventually..no, we aren’t getting to that point. Let me see if I can make you some food, okay?" 

NORA VALKYRIE - Her heart thumps, incarcerated in her throat. "You…just can’t stop eating.” She tries to play it off facetiously but doesn’t triumph. The scene of her childhood self clutching a molding piece of bread, stomach rumbling, flashes in her mind. “Please. I can ask Ren to whip up something for the two of us, and I want you to eat every last bite." 

PYRRHA NIKOS - Counting her blessings, a wisp of energy squeezes between the gaps of her fingers. "You shouldn’t…no, I won’t stand for this, {Name}. I want you to be healthy,” she tenderly links your palms, ripping open her sternum and capturing you with her finely shaped ribs. “And I know just the foods you need to reach that state of health. I’m here whenever you need me." 

LIE REN - He doesn’t say a word as he prepares a top notch cuisine tailored to your taste buds, and lightly suggests new eating arrangements and ensures you aren’t growing ill. "We all need to thrive, but this isn’t how you do it. You need to eat. I don’t want you to forget that." 

SUN WUKONG - "You got to be kidding me,” he tangles his digits in his banana cream bangs. “Listen, I understand you feel insecure, but this is not how you fix things. Taking care of yourself is looking at those flaws and wanting to make them better without hurting yourself.” His tail snatches your wrist reassuringly. “Now c'mon, I heard of a great place that has these awesome ramen noodles. It’s all on me." 

SCARLET DAVID - He shakes his head, pressing his temple to yours, "My love, you mustn’t be dragged down by this. You are much stronger than this. Don’t hesitate to ask me if you need anything at all; we all need to learn how to care for ourselves.”

SAGE AYANA - He cradles your hand in his enormous on scale fist, gritting his teeth. “Babe, stop it. You shouldn’t be thinking like this. There’s a reason I care for you. And you need to find out why you need to care about yourself, too." 

NEPTUNE VASILIAS - Lovingly running his hands along your complexly structured face, he encourages you quit the nonsense. "Hey, baby, you are absolutely fine. But what you’re doing isn’t. You can’t starve yourself and expect to keep moving on. I want you to be okay, but you need to want that, too." 

COCO ADEL - "We’ve all got our insecurities, babe. Even I suffer from a few of my own every now and then. But I don’t allow them to take control of me. And I can say with certainty they don’t make me do some of the things you have. I want you to sit here and wait while I get Yatsu to make you a little something; you’re eating regardless." 

FOX ALISTAIR - "Enough of this, {Name}. I can’t stand seeing people hurt themselves over that. You deserve much, much, much, much better. I don’t care what you say. You’re eating." 

VELVET SCARLATINA - "I don’t…understand. Why would you deprive yourself like this all for the sake of being thinner? It isn’t healthy. And I don’t want to see you hurt yourself any longer. Please, let me help you.”

YATSUHASHI DAICHI - “I’m always by your side." 

QROW BRANWEN - "You know, sometimes it puzzles me when people like yourself worry about these things. But I guess everyone’s got a problem with themselves. I know I do. That isn’t the point. Stop this. You need to know you deserve better even when someone makes you feel like garbage. Obviously, if they waste the time I silting you, they aren’t really worth it. Now eat something, please. I don’t want you getting sick." 

TAIYANG XIAO LONG "I’ll be honest, I always feared Yang or Ruby would take this route, yet I never expected you would do this. But that doesn’t change a thing. I’m here for you, you know.”

SUMMER ROSE - “Stay with me, my love. I shall remain at your side through all your trial and tribulation." 

RAVEN BRANWEN - "You are strong, not among the weak. Stand tall and keep moving forward. I won’t permit this trouble to persist for another minute.”

GLYNDA GOODWITCH - “You need to take care of yourself. Please. I don’t want to lose you like I’ve lost so many students." 

OZPIN - "I have lived longer than most, and trust me when I say I’ve made more mistakes than any man, woman or child on this planet. I don’t want you to fall victim to this, dear. Thank you for confiding with me. Would you care for some coffee? It always soothes the soul. Then we can talk about how we can help you overcome this." 

OSCAR PINES - "I’m…not the best at this, but please do know I really do care about you, and want only the best to come your way.”

WINTER SCHNEE - “This behavior does not suit someone such as yourself, {Name}. We all have our demons to ward off, and it appears you are struggling. Perhaps I can teach you to rise above them, hm?”

WHITLEY SCHNEE - “Unacceptable. Klein, please fetch {Name} the finest cuisine you can prepare. They deserve only the best and are worthy of knowing the meaning they hold.”

ILIA AMITOLA - “I want you to look me in the eyes and say you deserve so much more. You’re the reason I can finally say that about myself, and now you need to know it for yourself." 

ADAM TAURUS - "My darling, I demand you cease believing this nonsense. You’re at my hand - you are strong, and I shall keep building you up. You must know of your worth.”

SALEM - “Under my watch, this will not prevail. As my beloved, you are to be treated as the divine being you have risen to." 

CINDER FALL - "Why must you allow such trivial thoughts conquer you? Don’t you understand you are powerful? It isn’t often one can tame the flames that will burn Beacon whole, now is it?" 

ROMAN TORCHWICK - "Sweetheart, you look gorgeous! There isn’t a thing I’d change about ya. Let’s say we head to a fancy new restaurant and treat ourselves, free of charge! Trust me. You are fine as you are." 

MERCURY BLACK - "Quit letting these things take control over your mind. I can’t have you getting sick on me, now can I?" 

EMERALD SUSTRAI - "I want you to have everything I couldn’t have. A home, food, and somebody who loved me. Now it’s my turn to five back what you gave to me.”

TYRIAN CALLOWS - “Your Grace, have I expressed how divine you are?”

[lutece-mess]

HAPPY RWBY THOUGHTS TO TO HELP WITH EATING ISSUES

RUBY ROSE - “You can’t stop eating; you need to, or else…” she trails off, lower lip not restraining a quiver. “Come with me! Let’s go get you something to eat. Anything you want, just eat for me, please.”

WEISS SCHNEE - She scoffs, abashed, “I’m not the most talented in the kitchen, but I need you to eat for me. Just this once.”

BLAKE BELLADONNA - “I don’t want you depriving yourself like that, {Name}. If there’s someone faunus and humans have in common, it’s that we cannot survive without nourishment. Don’t make the same mistakes I have.”

YANG XIAO LONG - The firecracker isn’t amused as she forces you to sit down, as your sunken sockets roll over to encounter a plate of food. “Neither of us are leaving this spot until you’re done. Now eat.” When you complete your task, she pulls you aside and holds you as though you’re a lifeline. “Thank you, {Name}. Please, don’t do this to yourself.”

PENNY POLENDINA - “I may not be a real girl, but I am aware humans must acquire sufficient nourishment! Shall I check what is on the menu that perhaps peaks your interests?”

CIEL SOLEIL - “Did you remember to eat today? You were supposed to approximately twelve minutes prior to the present moment, Miss/Mister {Name}. You must not forget to eat.”

JAUNE ARC - The revelation is staggering; proof reading the inscription has him more perplexed than before. “Hey, hey, listen to me. We all need to eat. It’s not just something you can stop doing all of sudden. No one wants to see you get sick and eventually..no, we aren’t getting to that point. Let me see if I can make you some food, okay?”

NORA VALKYRIE - Her heart thumps, incarcerated in her throat. “You…just can’t stop eating.” She tries to play it off facetiously but doesn’t triumph. The scene of her childhood self clutching a molding piece of bread, stomach rumbling, flashes in her mind. “Please. I can ask Ren to whip up something for the two of us, and I want you to eat every last bite.”

PYRRHA NIKOS - Counting her blessings, a wisp of energy squeezes between the gaps of her fingers. “You shouldn’t…no, I won’t stand for this, {Name}. I want you to be healthy,” she tenderly links your palms, ripping open her sternum and capturing you with her finely shaped ribs. “And I know just the foods you need to reach that state of health. I’m here whenever you need me.”

LIE REN - He doesn’t say a word as he prepares a top notch cuisine tailored to your taste buds, and lightly suggests new eating arrangements and ensures you aren’t growing ill. “We all need to thrive, but this isn’t how you do it. You need to eat. I don’t want you to forget that.”

SUN WUKONG - “You got to be kidding me,” he tangles his digits in his banana cream bangs. “Listen, I understand you feel insecure, but this is not how you fix things. Taking care of yourself is looking at those flaws and wanting to make them better without hurting yourself.” His tail snatches your wrist reassuringly. “Now c'mon, I heard of a great place that has these awesome ramen noodles. It’s all on me.”

SCARLET DAVID - He shakes his head, pressing his temple to yours, “My love, you mustn’t be dragged down by this. You are much stronger than this. Don’t hesitate to ask me if you need anything at all; we all need to learn how to care for ourselves.”

SAGE AYANA - He cradles your hand in his enormous on scale fist, gritting his teeth. “Babe, stop it. You shouldn’t be thinking like this. There’s a reason I care for you. And you need to find out why you need to care about yourself, too.”

NEPTUNE VASILIAS - Lovingly running his hands along your complexly structured face, he encourages you quit the nonsense. “Hey, baby, you are absolutely fine. But what you’re doing isn’t. You can’t starve yourself and expect to keep moving on. I want you to be okay, but you need to want that, too.”

COCO ADEL - “We’ve all got our insecurities, babe. Even I suffer from a few of my own every now and then. But I don’t allow them to take control of me. And I can say with certainty they don’t make me do some of the things you have. I want you to sit here and wait while I get Yatsu to make you a little something; you’re eating regardless.”

FOX ALISTAIR - “Enough of this, {Name}. I can’t stand seeing people hurt themselves over that. You deserve much, much, much, much better. I don’t care what you say. You’re eating.”

VELVET SCARLATINA - “I don’t…understand. Why would you deprive yourself like this all for the sake of being thinner? It isn’t healthy. And I don’t want to see you hurt yourself any longer. Please, let me help you.”

YATSUHASHI DAICHI - “I’m always by your side.”

QROW BRANWEN - “You know, sometimes it puzzles me when people like yourself worry about these things. But I guess everyone’s got a problem with themselves. I know I do. That isn’t the point. Stop this. You need to know you deserve better even when someone makes you feel like garbage. Obviously, if they waste the time I silting you, they aren’t really worth it. Now eat something, please. I don’t want you getting sick.”

TAIYANG XIAO LONG “I’ll be honest, I always feared Yang or Ruby would take this route, yet I never expected you would do this. But that doesn’t change a thing. I’m here for you, you know.”

SUMMER ROSE - “Stay with me, my love. I shall remain at your side through all your trial and tribulation.”

RAVEN BRANWEN - “You are strong, not among the weak. Stand tall and keep moving forward. I won’t permit this trouble to persist for another minute.”

GLYNDA GOODWITCH - “You need to take care of yourself. Please. I don’t want to lose you like I’ve lost so many students.”

OZPIN - “I have lived longer than most, and trust me when I say I’ve made more mistakes than any man, woman or child on this planet. I don’t want you to fall victim to this, dear. Thank you for confiding with me. Would you care for some coffee? It always soothes the soul. Then we can talk about how we can help you overcome this.”

OSCAR PINES - “I’m…not the best at this, but please do know I really do care about you, and want only the best to come your way.”

WINTER SCHNEE - “This behavior does not suit someone such as yourself, {Name}. We all have our demons to ward off, and it appears you are struggling. Perhaps I can teach you to rise above them, hm?”

WHITLEY SCHNEE - “Unacceptable. Klein, please fetch {Name} the finest cuisine you can prepare. They deserve only the best and are worthy of knowing the meaning they hold.”

ILIA AMITOLA - “I want you to look me in the eyes and say you deserve so much more. You’re the reason I can finally say that about myself, and now you need to know it for yourself.”

ADAM TAURUS - “My darling, I demand you cease believing this nonsense. You’re at my hand - you are strong, and I shall keep building you up. You must know of your worth.”

SALEM - “Under my watch, this will not prevail. As my beloved, you are to be treated as the divine being you have risen to.”

CINDER FALL - “Why must you allow such trivial thoughts conquer you? Don’t you understand you are powerful? It isn’t often one can tame the flames that will burn Beacon whole, now is it?”

ROMAN TORCHWICK - “Sweetheart, you look gorgeous! There isn’t a thing I’d change about ya. Let’s say we head to a fancy new restaurant and treat ourselves, free of charge! Trust me. You are fine as you are.”

MERCURY BLACK - “Quit letting these things take control over your mind. I can’t have you getting sick on me, now can I?”

EMERALD SUSTRAI - “I want you to have everything I couldn’t have. A home, food, and somebody who loved me. Now it’s my turn to five back what you gave to me.”

TYRIAN CALLOWS - “Your Grace, have I expressed how divine you are?”

------------------

I'm to crying you are these are so GOOD HONEY IM PROUD OF YOU AND IM LOVIN THESE

[spiderbird7-blog]

Ask Sam Mailbag: 02.15.19

I remember growing up, the all-star game was always the most exciting event of the NBA season for a fan, other than the start of the playoffs. Not so much the festivities, but the game! It was always a treat to see star players from their perspective regions come join forces to battle on the court and walk away with bragging rights as to who was a part of the better conference. In years past, that has changed. The game doesn't capture that electricity, that anticipation. Is it because we have an opportunity to watch games coast to coast all year round and it's no longer a special treat to see these players? Has free agency contributed to that, as players are looking to team up all season long? Is it the new format of choosing teams despite of conferences? Anyway, what are some of your favorite memories from years past of the all-star game?

Christopher Billingsley

Sam: Money changes people, you might have heard, though I am not against money. Certainly for the players, who earned the right to be compensated as they are. It's All-Star weekend and many don't care much anymore, though like the Pro Bowl people probably will watch because it's, well, on TV. After all, it must be something if it's on TV. Once, and you obviously did not grow up with a cell phone, making the All-Star game and winning meant a payment for players being paid so little at the time it mattered a lot. Like baseball's World Series share. The Yankees were the dominant team, but so cheap they would underpay their players and then say they'd be getting a World Series share so could make it up that way. Winning side in the NBA All-Star game made more money. They competed seriously for the money. Then when they began to make pretty good money in the 80s, it was a time of a greater spirit of competition because players were more linked to their teams before free agency matured.

Players from that era grew up when neighborhoods determined your school district; there was no hopping around to the high school of your choice and no AAU with players competing against and with one another routinely. Plus, you had showmen type players in that era who liked to perform on that stage, like Magic Johnson and Isiah Thomas. There were more intense team rivalries then with more games between teams before all the expansions and limitations on free agency. The combination of fewer games between teams during the season and players even sitting out some to rest their loads effectively eliminated rivalries today. The AAU factor and greater freedom of movement, which was hard earned and deserved as well, led to a league with more fraternization.

So the All-Star game became more of a beauty contest. And the league is fine with that because it's really just a giant annual convention now with players there as runway models. I watched pretty much all of them back to the 60s, though our TV screens were so small you never could quite tell who was playing. I held a media record rarely challenged and mostly mocked of having covered the last 30 consecutive All-Star games. When I discovered there's no award for that, I decided to sit this one out as I build toward Chicago 2020. Among the ones I covered, my favorite was the Magic Johnson HIV return game when he made shot after shot and was embraced by Isiah and Michael and continued the NBA's lead in helping erase the stigma of those with the infectious disease. The 80s games with Magic and Isiah setting up their teams with the full court bounce passes were the best All-Star games.

I had Michael as MVP in his last one in 2003 until overtime and Kevin Garnett stealing it and, of course, Jordan's 1988 show in Chicago with the dunk contests with Dominique Wilkens those few years. I loved Kobe in his first All-Star game waving Karl Malone out of the post so he could try to dunk on Jordan, Craig Hodges making something like 19 threes in a row and 1997 with the 50 greatest and sitting listening to Wilt, Russell, West and Oscar tell stories. I also liked that Shaq dance with the mask whatever that was.

I want a reality check – why are we bringing in role players that can win us 4 more games? Tank or bring in alphas – the only options… We cannot live in a malaise for the next decade! And binging in ‘nice' players will do just that because we don't have a contending core…. You say we cannot recruit alphas. I agree. so the only option is to tank… it makes no sense bringing in Porter, none whatsoever.

Tarun Kalra

Sam: Great win going into the All-Star break! That's the way to play! What idiots! Don't they know Zion is a once-in-a-generation talent? Lose! And so goes my teeter-totter mail these days. Everyone understands Zion Williamson potentially is a great player, and the NBA is about great players, and you need a couple, and maybe the Bulls have some pretty good ones now moving forward, but you need that No. 1. Where would Scottie Pippen and Horace Grant be without Jordan? I don't watch much college basketball, but the consensus seems to be Williamson is the great talent while his teammates and the point guard Ja are very good top fives like in other years. OK, fine. But the way the NBA modified the lottery this year with the teams with the three poorest records having a 14 percent chance of No. 1 and No. 4 having 12.5 percent, it's essentially the same.

Now, I get it that you'd rather have the worst or second worst because two is better than three and three better than four. But if this is all about No. 1, as most suggest, then the Bulls likely will be there and probably with the fourth poorest record with a huge gap between them and No. 5. The Knicks seem headed toward that poorest record with the Suns and Cavs in close pursuit. The Bulls have better overall talent than those three teams, which should be a good thing. They'll win more games. They lost so many because of the injuries to Markkanen, Dunn, Valentine and Portis. So it's really a fluke chance at the top pick. They should be about where Orlando is without the injuries. So do what? Play Felicio 40 minutes? Rawle Alkins? Players are not about to help a team compete for their replacements. The game has to matter, and whatever the Bulls do it seems they'll be among the four poorest records and with essentially the same chance at No. 1. That's about as good an outlook they could have for now even with making what appears like an excellent trade for the team's future.

The Bulls won the coin toss against the Kings and because of that they ended up with the 7th pick in the 2018 draft. If they had lost, they would have had that #2 pick, which is crazy to me to think that a coin toss decided that they picked 5 spots lower. IF the Bulls had lost that coin toss and ended up with the 2nd pick, who do you think they would have taken? Bagley or Doncic? Interesting to think about.

Justin Swiercz

Sam: The coin toss really didn't decide it. The coin toss was just to break the tie in the standings for one extra number among the 1,000 in the hopper for the selection. It was a minuscule, fractional difference and luck just fell to the Kings. Though that's a good question. I had heard the Bulls liked Bagley a lot, but from what I can tell from general managers these days everyone would have taken Doncic.

Despite the beating this team is taking on the airwaves and in the loss column, I like the current shape of the roster and the direction it is heading. Zach, Otto and Lauri are a formidable perimeter trio in this slash-and-kick era of the NBA. The right complement to this, I think, is a penetrating, pass-first point guard who can play defense. Kris Dunn is not that. He is a scorer, not a distributor, and is fit to anchor the second unit as a first scoring option. I see Kris as a valuable piece in this rebuild- why not exploit his strengths as a 6th man and as a closer? You don't have to start a game to put your signature on it. There are a bevy of veteran, free agent point guards this offseason. The right signing here might offer the synergy this team needs.

Eric Cohen

Sam: I wrote something about that after the win over Memphis when Dunn didn't play, but you never want to make a judgment about a team or game just because a player misses one game. Though Dunn more than any player on the team, in part because of how vital the position is, has been under the most scrutiny this season despite all the fits and starts, including his. So perhaps it is a greater test for the coaching staff and management. This is, after all, still a bottom five team. No one's job should be safe. Everyone can be expendable until you are a consistent winner, and then you can make the case. You don't want to have a player starting because he was a high draft pick, or value in trade or it might send him spiraling in the wrong direction. It's about building the best team, which is what this post All-Star segment should be about.

With Markkanen finally healthy and Porter showing the veteran abilities missing on this young Bulls team, there's nothing wrong with seeing what works best. If it's Dunn off the bench, so be it. Lopez went from starting to the bench. As I mentioned in my post game report, the reserves have been dominated since Portis was traded and need leadership and someone to rely on. And don't we hear players say all they care about is who finishes? Perhaps that's also a better fit for Dunn. All we know is point guard is a vital, dynamic position in today's NBA, and whomever plays that position for the Bulls needs to play that way.

As a huge Bulls fan, the trade of Bobby Portis really hurt me. I thought Gar/Pax again made another fashionably stupid deal by giving away 2 double double a night players even with Parker's bad defense. I really felt like they should have tried to throw Felicio's contract in the deal instead. Given the early returns of Otto Porter, I have been more than impressed after years watching him here in the DC area. The Bulls are using him more than a spot up shooter. With that being said and still not totally happy about it, who are some free agents at the backup power position they could sign this off-season to help kind of make of the void left on the bench. My assumption is that unless they get the #1 pick they will pick the best wing wing player available to develop and resign Arcidiacono as the back up.

Thomas Brackeen

Sam: I think it's all up in the air about positions and summer since there's still the draft, free agents, buyouts, trades, surprises. As I wrote after the Memphis game, it wasn't personal with Bobby as much as he felt so. I understood that. We all feel that way when the place or person that embraced us moves on. We all felt that at The Chicago Tribune even though it was hardly the company and more the market and economics. You give your soul and spirit to the company and you love being there and sacrifice—we wore Tribune across our chests—and then everything keeps moving on without you. It hurts. Everyone feels they are irreplaceable because they are, certainty to them and their families, but the larger picture always leaves us at the margins. Bobby just duplicated what the Bulls had; Porter didn't. He filled a need with no small forward and the experiment trying Jabari Parker there unsuccessful.

Life also is all about opportunity. Otto really didn't have it in DC with John Wall and Braley Beal the favored players and assigned the majority of the scoring and ball handling responsibilities. We'd hear it with Michael Jordan in the 80s if the Bulls lost and Paxson or Craig Hodges had four points. Fans would say they needed to score more. But they might be getting three shots. How were they supposed to score more? They used to make fun of Porter in Washington for just standing in the corner waiting to shoot. But that's what they told him to do. It's also why he's been bristling here when asked about being a reluctant scorer as they said in Washington. With the Bulls now, he's being asked to do more, and he's showing he can, he wants to and it should be helpful for the Bulls.

Keep seeing this written or hearing it said as if this is obvious, so am curious as to why? "Portis Projects as a Bench Player" What is it about his game, size, athleticism, work ethic and impressive improvement trajectory that makes it clear to folks that sixth man is his destiny and ceiling? How sure should we be that in future matchups between Portis and Markkanen or Carter Jr. that Lauri or Wendell will prevail?

Peter Laundy

Sam: At least we should have a nice, regular rivalry between the Bulls and Wizards. Bobby clearly doesn't forget. Would he be a starter without Markkanen? Perhaps. Would the Bulls be good enough to be a serious contender? I suspect they felt without offending Bobby too much, no. Great teams have had great sixth men, like Kevin McHale, Ricky Pierce, Jamal Crawford, Bobby Jones, Detlef Schrempf, Manu Ginobili. There no shame, and Bobby was proud. But the Bulls filled a need and got a starter who fits. Got to give something good to get something good.

Could u imagine if Bulls bring back portis as a free agent! I could see the Bulls sending him an offer for $12 million per year. Then just get vet minimum guys. We would have a legit team.

Ryan Carpel

Sam: I guess it's possible since the Bulls can be in the other-than-superstar free agent market. Perhaps Bobby should not burn all his old Bulls stuff yet. You never say never in the NBA, and as Boylen likes to say the Bulls want those guys with the Bulls across their chests, and few have worn it more proudly than Bobby.

Thanks for the article about Noah. So life relatable and we know his outside story so well. Total good natured leader and warrior. I always thought has to be the most interesting guy to have a one on one interview or just have dinner with. How cool to bring him and Derrick back next year in supporting roles for a young team with top pick. Maybe a jersey that should be retired?

Jeff Lichtenstein

Sam: The Bulls do need to loosen up on that jersey retirement thing a bit, I agree. As much as it would be wonderful to see Rose and Noah in Bulls jerseys again, those things generally do not work out well. Because we always remember them as they were and not as they are now. Like trying to date your also divorced high school sweetheart after divorce. Generally seems like a better idea than it is. Rose and Noah could have several more productive years in the NBA, and I'd love for them to be contented doing so. It seems to be it would be more difficult in Chicago considering who they were and what they accomplished. I am for the jersey retirements because it was a memorable decade.

When is the last time the Bulls starting front line combined for 83 points? Loved your comparison of Lauris stats to Giannis's career arc. Also looks good compared to that of love who is also a stretch 4 and was also a one and done in the pac 10/12 so similar in that respect. We would all be thrilled if Lauri became either Giannis or love, excited to watch him progress and hoping for good health.

Guy Danilowitz

Sam: Since it included Lopez' 25 points against Memphis, it may be an outlier. Nate Thurmond, Love and Walker? Gilmore, Greenwood and Larry Kenon? It's not that rich a history. But the possibilities seem intriguing for LaVine, Porter and Markkanen, and especially the way Markkanen has played lately, and not even shooting as well as he can. The way the game is being played these days, he needs to take at least 10 threes every game with his shooting ability. He's just now getting into shape after his injury. We are an in-the-moment society, I understand, which is why I offered the comparison. Not to say Markkanen could be that good, but we never thought Giannis would be. Nor Curry or Westbrook or Harden. Markkanen's got some amazing skills and he's barely off his rookie season and rookie language.

Regarding tanking and the draft: Divide the teams into three draft tiers. The first group is the fourteen teams that did not make the playoffs, the so-called lottery teams. The second group is the five through eight seeds. The third group is the one through four seeds. Each group has its own draft lottery to determine selection order, with the same odds for each member of the group. The big difference is that each group does its complete draft before the next group begins its draft. The fourteen non-playoff teams make their first and second round picks. Next, the eight first round road teams make their first and second round picks. Last, the eight first round home teams make their first and second round picks. By giving all the non-playoff teams the same odds of getting the first overall pick the league will eliminate most of the tanking incentive. By giving the league's worst teams essentially two first round picks the league will allow them to improve more rapidly. Also, by allowing the worst teams a better opportunity to assemble a talented nucleus quickly, the league increases the likelihood that nucleus will stay together. I think that will enable small market teams to compete more effectively than they can now.

Michael Murden

Sam: Defeating human greed and wickedness never has succeeded. Hey, I read that in the Bible. And quantity never beats quality. It's a nice try, but the flaw is like this year. Everyone wants Zion or maybe one or two others. By equalizing the odds, you give a .500 or better team the same chance for the potential superstar as the 10-72 team. Multiple No. 1 picks out of the top 5 or 7 don't guarantee much as we see with the Bulls picks out of the top 10; some good players; mostly reserves. Teams really shouldn't be tanking this season with the odds for the bottom 5 similar. But they still do. It's become a rebuilding blueprint if you are bad, so teams would be doing it anyway. Long before the lottery, teams were losing 65 to 70 games a year also. There's always poverty, there's always corruption, there's always bad teams that don't seem to be trying. It's the imperfection of humanity and the NBA draft. Let's just accept it. Hey, is that a sermon?

If Valentine comes back healthy for 2019/20 season, could / should bulls use him as point guard plus put responsibility on Carter as a point center. Starting Valentine, LaVine, Porter, Markkanen, and Carter gives Bulls length and capability for switching on defense plus all are scorers. Reminds me of years when Harper started; thus no "real" PG for those years with Jordan. Valentine has the three point range. If want to go slightly smaller & faster then can sub in Hutchison for either Carter or Markkanen to give a different look. Then look to sign a free agent high volume scoring small guard for bench scoring.

Wayne Warner

Sam: Oh yeah, Denzel. I believe he is in the Bulls plans. He is a good three-point shooter and passer. Quick enough to defend after all those ankle surgeries? That's for next season. But thanks for mentioning him. You feel badly seeing him sitting around all the time with nothing to do. Though the team said he is out of his boot and working out some finally. Though with the snow still piled up perhaps he could have kept the boot longer.

Why didn't the bulls go after Markelle Fultz? There is a lot of uncertainty at point guard for the bulls. Getting a former talented number 1 pick in Fultz could've solved our point guard situation. Much like what the nets did with D-Russ. I think Fultz is still going to be a great player in this league. And say the Knicks held on to Porzingis. Wouldn't a trade to the Pelicans for Anthony Davis work for both teams? KP, a couple of first rounders and Tim Hardaway for Anthony Davis. Pelicans get a Star to build around with picks.

Bilal Muhammad

Sam: I assume it was too uncertain regarding Fultz as he's another young player who is injured and has to start over again, and I don't think the Bulls want to keep adding such inexperience, especially with another top five pick likely coming this season. The 76ers got a useable veteran for their playoff run and a first-round pick to replace some they gave up for Tobias Harris. The Bulls didn't want to give up a first, I'd guess, and really didn't have the kind of veteran wing the 76ers needed for now. It's a gamble that could pay off, though I suspect the Bulls are losing patience with waiting out uncertain 20-year-olds. The fan base seems to be. As for Porzingis, he's a big risk coming up for free agency off a serious knee injury. The chances he'd sign with a depleted Pelicans team seemed remote. Though this gives me a chance to condemn the league for its unequal decision to force the Pelicans to play Davis, who seemed out of it along with his teammates, and understandably after asking out like he did.

The league long has been firm on not interfering in team business (the league owned the New Orleans franchise when it rejected the Chris Paul trade), which is why it never punished the 76ers for their four years of trying to lose. Teams routinely rest players in big games and send players home, like Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith this season. Yet the Pelicans had to play Davis, which presumably lessened their chances for a good lottery pick and took playing time from a player they want to develop. It's patently unfair and inappropriate, and needs to change. It's a bad precedent for other owners to allow the league to dictate who can and should play. And Davis could get hurt, affecting his value. Ooops. He did Thursday against theThunder, leaving the arena with an apparent shoulder injury. It seems unconceivable now he'll play for New Orleans again this season, and probably not in Sunday's All-Star game. But he'll likely go and work on trade machine suggestions for LeBron.

I'm reading comments from Bobby Portis about reassurances he got from Gar Foreman, and yet he was still traded. I actually like Otto Porter so far, and we will surely miss Bobby's energy. What's your take on Bobby's description of the situation?

Anthony Reed

Sam: Don't we always hear the players say that it's a business? It strikes me as naive and misunderstanding how the world works to believe you cannot be traded. I don't know what was said, but I basically never have heard any team telling a player who is not basically all-NBA first team they cannot be traded. I find it hard to believe Bobby playing off the bench for a team straining to win 20 games truly believed there was no chance he could be traded. Especially for a young starter who was a top five lottery pick. Seriously?

The Lakers fell below .500 and the natives are getting restless. Surprisingly though, the Los Angeles Times column wasn't blaming Magic, it was LeBron. The complaints were about all the ‘turmoil' he's caused (trying to get Walton fired, trading away all the kids for AD, etc.) without bringing them on-court success. I guess 27 pts, 9 boards & 8 assists per game on 51% shooting isn't enough. Oh, and he's been hurt too. Can't forgive him for that! The latest poop is that LeBron doesn't care about winning in LA. He made some comment when he came here about having everything he wants and this being "the icing on the cake". LA fans the column points out don't think of the Lakers as "icing". To them, they are the cake. Apparently, LeBron sat on the bench a few chairs away from his teammates during the last game. I'm sure those ‘LeBron's gonna trade you' chants from the stands don't help. this quote from the column… "For all his greatness, James is not this team's veteran leader. That role has been taken by Rajon Rondo, who has become the most respected and trusted figure in the young locker room…"

Art Alenik

Sam: What a way to brighten up a Chicago winter day. The fans of the team that got LeBron James are mad, also. Perhaps not exactly an endorsement for the Bulls, but it's refreshing to know other fan bases and media are angry. And they got LeBron!

Watching the Grizzlies game was more fun than most have been, even the last couple of wins. The Bulls looked like a basketball team, running, moving the ball on offense, driving to the basket, and, like you said, playing competent defense. As I watched Zach LaVine last night and over the past month or so, I kept recalling a comment Bill Walton once made about Michael Jordan: "He just moves so much better than anyone else." Not to curse Zach with an MJ comparison, but his movement on the basketball court seems both effortless when he runs and cuts, and other-worldly when he leaps. He has the potential to be special, and I see what you see. I just hope he and his teammates can stay healthy.

Kirk Landers

Sam: I have found it interesting the nitpicking about Zach, the bad shots thing and the defense and the passing and the…Hey, wait! I heard the Lakers fans hate LeBron! Zach's one of the world's great athletes; that he's come back from his ACL like he has is truly amazing. He plays through injuries as he could have sat the last few weeks with ankle issues. He is a player the community should be embracing for wanting to play, wanting to succeed, standing up without complaint as all fell around him and there was nothing but losses, and that you rarely can find athletes of that level. Zach has a chance to be great. What the reaction mostly means is, "We are losing and I don't like that! Excuse me while I stamp my feet, hold my breath and bang my head against the wall."

Do you reckon the Bulls will take a look at the buyout market now that the trade deadline has passed?

Shaun Chalmer

Sam: Mostly to see where the top players go for their fantasy league teams, I'd guess.

This season is one of the worst seasons for a Bulls fan. Lots of expectations for an improved season came short. I still do not understand the change of head coach. As I read comments on social media I get the feeling that the fanbase thinks that the ones to blame are GarPax. The general feeling is that with them no big names will ever chose the Bulls and that with them we are stacked at mediocrity.

Stefanos Panayiotides

Sam: Despite some of the conventional wisdom and the woe is us stuff, I don't think that influences player decisions. It's more the record, and because of factors like injury and rebuilding, it's been bad this season. The Bulls got hammered pretty good for saying, in effect, Porter was like a free agent for them. You want transparency? Except of course when it's not what you might want to hear. Though it seems I often hear why try the free agent market since no one comes. So make a trade! No, what about Durant and Kyrie? Oh, man. The Porter deal really seemed to make sense because with all the talk about free agency, the history is the best ones never go to losing teams. So we'll see with Durant this summer and all the rumors about New York. I don't believe it, in part because he is so sensitive and he has no idea how you are treated in New York with a bad team and big salary. The 76ers have done a great recovery, but they could not get free agents because of their youth and record. So what you usually have to do is improve and become competitive before seriously having a chance in the free agent market. Or making trades. There is no real next man up when that next man previously was in the G-league. Injuries wiped out this season for the Bulls. But in Markkanen and LaVine, the Bulls appear to have potential All-Star talents. Porter is a nice addition to that. Wendell Carter Jr. could be.

It's Year two of a rebuilding; the Bulls did say they'd be bad for three or four years. So it's really no surprise; obviously, difficult if you've been watching the games. Heck, maybe they're really a year ahead and deserve your praise. You can get back to me on that.

Additional information has surfaced about the Bulls acquisition of Porter. Apparently Washington had no intention of trading Otto until Wall reinjured his leg and they concluded they would not be a serious contender, making Otto available. The Bulls action was prompt in response and not a panic reaction to the scrambled free agent market. Trading a rotation player at an overstocked position approaching free agency for a starting quality player at a position of need was opportunistic and applause is appropriate.

John Petersen

Sam: Was that you applauding with one hand?

From reading your mailbags it seems clear a lot of people are frustrated with Gar and Pax and feel they can do nothing right and should be shipped out. At the risk of disrupting the #FireGarPax narrative, there are a few things people should remember:

Since 2008, only two teams have drafted an MVP, a Defensive Player of the Year, and an All-Star who was picked outside of the lottery. One was the Golden State Warriors. The other was the Chicago Bulls (Rose, Noah, and Butler). But, the Bulls apparently can't draft anyone good? In 2013 the Celtics traded Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett, two future Hall of Famers and recent All-Stars (Pierce was a reserve in 2012, Garnett was a starter in 2013) in a deal with the Nets that netted them multiple lottery picks. Danny Ainge is considered a genius for that move. In 2005 the Bulls made a trade with the Knicks turning Eddy Curry, a solid player but nowhere as accomplished as those two, into two Top 10 lottery picks, one of whom became Joakim Noah. But the Bulls apparently always lose trades? Between 2008 and 2017, the Bulls had the ninth best winning percentage in the NBA, despite Rose's many absences. Yet, the Bulls apparently aren't committed to fielding a winning team?

Oh, but the Bulls didn't sign Lebron James or Kevin Durant as free agents, so they can't sign the major players. Fair enough. You know who else didn't sign them? The San Antonio Spurs or Boston Celtics, who reportedly are two of the top front offices in the NBA. Where's the call for their heads? By the way, Lebron not signing with the Bulls is viewed as a Bulls failure. Maybe it's a Lebron mistake. You can't argue that he made four trips to the NBA finals with Miami and won two titles, but the Bulls had room for two max free agents in 2010. You're telling me if Lebron/Wade or Lebron/Bosh signed in Chicago, with future MVP Rose, with future Defensive Player of the Year Noah, with future all-star Luol Deng, with the opportunity to draft Gibson and Butler based on the fact they were taken at the end of the first round, where the Bulls would most likely be drafting, that team wouldn't have done as well, if not better? I mean, the Bulls got to the Eastern Conference Finals WITHOUT those guys. Are the Bulls to blame because NBA players have the right to make their own choices? Besides that, the Bulls have brought in accomplished All-Stars like Ben Wallace, Pau Gasol, Carlos Boozer, even Dwayne Wade. Think back--who was the most notable free agent acquisition during Jordan's run, before Gar/Pax got in the front office?

But, the Bulls had the second pick in the 2006 draft, could have had LaMarcus Aldridge, but they traded it for Tyrus Thomas. Good GMs don't do that. Except in 2008 Pat Riley, viewed as one of the all-time great GMs, picked #2 and passed over Russell Westbrook and Kevin Love . . . even Serge Ibaka . . . to select Michael Beasley. Do good GMs, let alone all-time great ones with incredible talent evaluation skills, do that?

But, the Bulls don't spend money. Would you prefer they spend it foolishly? Would you like to have John Wall and his $40 million contract eating up your cap space when he can't get his team to the NBA Finals? Do you want to be the Timberwolves, who invested a max deal in Andrew Wiggins that to date hasn't paid off with anything more than one playoff appearance? Do you want to be the Heat, who have one of the top payrolls in the league and are fielding at best a borderline playoff team? When your worst deal is Felicio at around $9 million a season, that's not a bad place to be in. I can think of a lot of teams who would love that problem.

I'm not saying the Bulls are perfect, but the impression they can't do anything right is short sighted, and I don't believe if you make great decisions at one point you suddenly forget how to do that. It seems people have very short memories . . . although considering sports media is obsessing over whether Anthony Davis should just be sat when just a year ago the Bulls were prevented from doing that exact same thing with Lopez and Holiday, maybe everyone has a short memory. OK, I'm done venting.

Chris Feldman

Sam: You interested in conducting some of those Bulls media conferences?

Source: https://www.nba.com/bulls/news/ask-sam-mailbag-021519

[itsclydebitches]

RWBY Recap: “Cordially Invited”

Only a week late, folks! Can’t say I’m surprised, what with the holidays underway and my normal schedule all topsy-turvy. Still, at least now there’s a little something to fill the RWBY-less hole this Saturday. Always a silver lining.

We begin the episode with our group discussing their upcoming dinner---Oscar included! We’re off to a great start. We learn that Jacques supposedly just wants to “break bread and hash things out,” but anyone with two brain cells to function together know that’s a load of BS. What frustrates me is Ruby’s attempts to spin this as a good thing because they supposedly want Ironwood to start “opening up” to “these people.” Yeah... there’s so much wrong with that. Normally Ruby’s optimism is one of the personality traits I love most about her, but lately that optimism has been twisted into naivety at best, that pro-protagonist perspective at worst. We saw this in Volume Six where the optimistic “We’ll find some way into Atlas!” became an attack on Argus. Now, Ruby’s “Maybe this won’t be so bad!” is functionally an attack on Ironwood. The responsibility lies with him to achieve that good outcome: he needs to open up to the horrendously corrupt abuser that Weiss at least suspects might be involved with Salem. Note that Ruby doesn’t extend those same expectations to herself and her team. She doesn’t claim that they all should “open up” to Jacques in the name of crafting better relations. No, she immediately jumps to having Weiss spy on him in order to get ahead in the game. For the record, I don’t give a damn if the group commits “bad” actions against Jacques (more on that below) because again, Jacques is an evil, corrupt abuser. Rather, it’s just that continuing issue of hypocrisy. Ruby expects Ironwood to “open up” to him and make peace over dinner, but only expects herself and her friends to give him what’s for. Insert [Ozpin and Ironwood must never keep secrets or tell lies, but we’re allowed to] here. Same song, different tune. 

Oscar at least points out how idiotic that perspective is from a practical perspective. He doesn’t call Ruby out on the expectation that Ironwood make nice with the man they want to keep Weiss five billion feet away from, but he does acknowledge that such expectations can’t be fulfilled at this time in this place. Jacques has tailored this dinner to benefit him and him alone. He will control the conversation, so good luck getting around that.

Weiss: “I think my dad would do whatever it takes to win.”

Ruby: “And we should do the same.”

Granted, “whatever it takes” comes to mean spilling some food which obviously is in no way comparable to Jacques’ entire existence. The viewer doesn’t know that’s coming though. When we first hear them, these lines are another nod to the closing gap between the “heroes” and the “villains”---whether we’re defining a “villain” as someone like Jacques or someone like Ozpin. The theme is there. The group is willfully adopting the same choices as those they oppose. If Ozpin is going to lie to us then we’ll lie to Ironwood. If Jacques is going to do whatever it takes then so will we. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. As I’ve mentioned in non-recap metas, RWBY has now created a harsh world where by-the-book heroics will only hurt you in the end. If Ozpin had never kept secrets I don’t believe he would have achieved that extraordinary time of peace. If Blake and Yang hadn’t killed Adam they still would have a murderous abuser stalking them. We clearly have a story where the concept of a lesser evil exists...it’s just that we’re continually turning around to insist that the group is somehow better than everyone else for also doing what they have to to survive. 

Which brings me to the fact that if Blake and Yang told everyone else about Robyn, we get not indication of that here. The only nod to last episode’s huge decision was Robyn’s shock that Jacques doesn’t already know what the Amity tower is for, but she’s cut off before she can reveal anything in front of Ironwood. So until proven otherwise... here’s another secret. Not just from an adult in a position of authority, but from the rest of the team as well. Given that Blake hid her faunus status and time in the White Fang, Yang continues to hide her knowledge of the Spring Maiden, both of them are helping to keep at least three major secrets from Ironwood, and are now keeping the Robyn secret from everyone else... no leg to stand on. Not to be dramatic on main, but if either of them ever pulls another, “How dare you keep secrets?!” I’m gonna go absolutely feral lol.

Anyway, back to the plot.

There are no new models of the group in fancy dinner clothes. I in no way had my hopes up for that, but it was fun seeing the posts theorizing about it and I can understand others’ disappointment. That definitely would have been a nice surprise, if an insane amount of work for what amounts to ten minutes of screen time.

Instead everyone just shows up in their normal gear and we get a telling exchange between Ironwood and Winter where she informs him he’d have to pay her to smile. I’m really glad she got a lot of attention this episode, both because we expect as much with her returning to the Schnee manor and because, if she’s going to become the next Winter Maiden, we really need to develop her character some. Even just setting up that she might become a Maiden demands that Winter be more than just Ironwood’s second hand and Wiess’ big sis. Who is she on her own? We start getting a glimpse of that here.

Before her outburst though, the group arrives en masse looking like a small army knocking on Jacques’ door. They’re greeted by Whitley who comments on that, asking Ironwood how large he thinks their dining room table is. Absolutely humongous, obviously. Not really the point though. This is clearly Rooster Teeth poking fun at their own massive cast, which would be more enjoyable if the number of characters didn’t constantly hinder the story. Personally, I’d prefer that they actually tackle underdeveloped or mostly dropped characters (like Maria) rather than just joking about it, but anyone keeping up with these recaps already knows that. If we’re not going to get a better structured story I’ll take some jokes here and there. Laugh about it when you can.

Although, I will say that Rooster Teeth does a good job with a minor character here, namely Klein. Whitley makes a dig at Weiss over how he was let go. Wonder how that could have happened. Klein, to my mind at least, was always meant to be a one shot sort of deal. He was introduced to help Weiss escape and once he’d achieved that was no longer useful to the story. It makes sense that we left him behind, but it’s nevertheless wonderful to get a bit of closure. Sad closure, but closure nonetheless. Now, if Rooster Teeth wants to keep him out of the picture we technically have a complete story. We know who Klein was, what he did, and what happened to him in the aftermath. Yet by keeping him alive and away from the Schnees, there’s always the potential that we’ll run into him again someday. I’m quite satisfied with that balance. It’s much better than what I was expecting, namely for Weiss to return home and conveniently not run into him because that would complicate things. Here we’re given an in-character explanation for his absence. Of course Jacques would fire him.

Finally, in the realm of massive casts and character development, I’ve got to admit that I’m disappointing with Penny being there. Simply because it once and for all shatters the hope that this well-executed frame job will amount to anything. If she’s attending a dinner with Jacques Schnee then things are fine. I said that I wasn’t convinced of this “Penny might be deactivated!” consequence before and I’m definitely not convinced of it now. Theoretically another consequence could have been Ironwood losing his council position, but we don’t see that either. Jacques references Ironwood’s inability to catch whoever hacked them at Beacon and his inability to catch whoever attacked Robyn’s supporters as reasons for being untrustworthy, both of which stand without the frame job. It’s incidental. Tyrian could have just killed everyone as Tyrian and it would have had the exact same effect. All the framing has done is make Penny sad (which hasn’t led to any development yet) and get Pietro to spill the beans about her aura (which could have happened in a thousand other ways). I was so pleased at this setup and the ingenuity of the villains, wondering what sort of impact this framing would have, but now we see the impact is minimal at best. If you frame a character for murder but have no other major character questioning their guilt and they’re out in public two episodes later... what was the point of the framing? Penny’s presence here is disappointing. Not because I don’t love Penny, but simply because of more missed opportunities. At this point I’m wondering why they bothered to bring her back at all. We’re not going to have Ruby grapple with the resurrection of her friend. We’re not going to deal with Penny taking the heat for Tyrian’s murders... Why is she here?

Also, not to distract from these important questions but... that.

That.

Friends, I cannot quite convey how confused I was at first. This is obviously supposed to be akin to the Jaguar ornament but... that’s a raptor, right? Have we seen raptor-type grimm? Am I missing something?? Yes, yes I am. Turns out RWBY Rex is a thing I never knew about and I can now only assume this is another Easter egg. Either that or I’m still missing something. Which is always possible. Either way it made me laugh. 

The group heads inside and then splits, Ironwood, Clover, Winter, and Penny going into the dining area. Clover makes a quip about needing luck and Qrow points out that he’s already been invited. I can easily see why so many people are shipping them, but as a hardcore ozqrow shipper myself I’m already biased to view this as friendship. Maybe if we see more of Clover and he doesn’t die like everyone thinks he will I’ll find space in my heart for a dual ship. Either way it’s sweet. As much as I’d like Qrow to acknowledge the best friend he already has two feet away in the body of a kid he hasn’t treated particularly well, I’m nevertheless here for Qrow having healthy and supportive relationships.

We also get to see him refusing a glass of wine. Thank you! Again, it’s pretty late in the game to introduce this and we’re still given no insight into why Qrow is willing to battle his addiction now when he’s succumbed to it for most of his life, but at least they’re maintaining the work needed to stay sober. Qrow politely refuses the offer (from a faunus waiter. No surprise there given Jacques’ racism) and removes himself from temptation by offering to patrol the grounds. Very nicely done. The other Ace Ops join him, warning the newbie huntsmen not to wander off, not to break anything, and make sure you’re available if Ironwood needs you.

To which Yang provides the counter point that they should wander off, they should break things, and all the rest. Jaune later says, “What was that about breaking things?” Admittedly, these lines originally rankled. Because as much as Jacques deserves all the snooping and breaking our team can dish out, I maintain the position that they need to act more responsibly, especially now that they’re officially on the job. We’ve already got Blake and Yang deciding to go behind their bosses’ back. We don’t need them aggravating a situation when they’re the ones who want Ironwood to do that “opening up.” Jacques controlling the situation aside, Ironwood is even less likely to make headway if his guests are off causing trouble.

Which is why I’m so thrilled they didn’t. I’ll be blunt and say straight out that this was a fantastic way to do things. They’re allowed to get food. Nothing wrong with that. We already know Nora is a big eater and tends to be impulsive. If she just happens to pile a plate crazy high, it just happens to hit another guest, and she just happens to douse Whitley in wine? Well... who could have seen that coming? It’s a way of causing mayhem without endangering others or their mission. It achieves the one very specific thing they need: give Weiss an opening to sneak off. No one went overboard. No one else actually snuck off to break things. It was an all around smart plan. Unlike the group attacking Cordovin or Weiss dumping a racist in the trash when they’re supposed to keep a low profile, this is the kind of decision making I can get behind. Something that demonstrates the maturity the group continues to insist they have alongside keeping their playful personalities.

Also, just look at Ren’s smile. That might be the first smile we’ve gotten from him all season. That’s a blessed image, right up there with Oscar stealing hors d'oeuvres the second he walks through the door. Our farm boy is hungry and he’s going to milk Jacques’ wealth for all it’s worth.

The other thing this scene gives us---besides the joyous image of Whitley drenched in wine and Weiss’ amusement over it---is the split screen technique. On the whole I think Rooster Teeth chucks this in too often. There have been many times since the beginning of Volume Six, especially during fight scenes, where the split screen doesn’t feel necessary to me and is even at times quite distracting. Here though? I think it works. The split screen montage used to show the many people involved in, say, a heist is a pretty common technique and it adds another spot of humor to this situation. They’re plotting and executing their food spill with all the sincerity of a bank robbery. I’m here for that.

As Weiss heads upstairs we turn our attention to the meeting with Jacques. It goes about as well as anyone expects. A lot happens in that short span of time though. Robyn sarcastically points out that she should just be happy to have been “invited to the table” and though there’s another black woman across from her, it stands out to me that Robyn, a comparatively dark skinned woman to the rest of the group, says this while the shot poises her between two very white, powerful men. Even the phrase “invited to the table” has gender and racial implications for the audience watching, outside of Robyn’s in-world characterization as a Robin Hood type focused on class. Going off of these themes, we also hear Ironwood reassuring Jacques of their safety by claiming that “Penny is completely under my control.” This, hands down, is the worst thing I’ve seen Ironwood do this volume. Sure, things like the embargo and the supplies have objectively worse consequences, but the story has done a lot to demonstrate the “greater good” justifications behind those choices. We might not agree with Ironwood, but we’re supposed to understand that (until proven otherwise) he has good motivations. Here? That comment is pretty horrible. Ironwood refers to Penny as if she’s a weapon or a tool, a young woman who he believes he literally has control over. It’s a fascinating look into his perspective and a pretty logical one as well. Here’s a man who has put so much faith in his technology, from amassing an army to protect his kingdom to relying on prosthetics to get around. He asked his team to create a new security measure and they did... they just happened to create a person along with it. I’m not sure Ironwood fully understands that yet. He trusts Penny enough to bring her into his own inner circle, but he likewise thinks he can manage her like he would a gun or a vehicle, dictating whether she has friends and announcing that she is under his control. I hope that this is something the writing explores and helps Ironwood work through, rather than just letting it sit as generic evidence that he’s a bad (as opposed to flawed) person. I think Ironwood would realize his mistake and work to correct it if someone pointed out the issue, in the same way we’ve seen him considering, settling, and agreeing with the issues the group has seen fit to yell at him lately.

What interests me most about this whole interaction is (shocking) this continued debate regarding secrets and trust. Overall Rooster Teeth has actually succeeded in creating a decently complex situation here. We know that (again, until proven otherwise) Ironwood has only good intentions and we likewise know that Jacques is now connected to Salem. The information the audience has makes us biased. We know who is supposedly good and supposedly bad. At the same time though, the actual issue appears to be removed from that. Jacques’ side---notably expressed through a new character who acts as a more neutral party---points out that from where they stand there’s no reason for this embargo. We know there’s a reason. Ironwood knows there’s a reason. Because we all know about Salem. But the other council members are making entirely reasonable demands given the information they have: why are you continuing to hurt both the people and our relationship with others? What’s the justification? You can’t give us one? Then why in the world would we let you keep doing this? It puts us in the discomforting position of knowing Jacques is an evil slim ball manipulating the conversation while likewise having to admit that his side has a point. You can’t just announce Salem’s existence because that would make things exponentially worse, but keeping her secret has its definite downsides.

Where Jacques’ party doesn’t have a good position is in his insistence that because Ironwood hasn’t caught these various perpetrators he can’t be trusted, equating trust with results. There’s only so many ideas, resources, and luck that can lead you to catching someone like Tyrian. I understand that knee-jerk reaction, the idea that because someone hasn’t succeeded you should replace them with someone you assume will, but in situations like this you only have so much control over the probability of success. Claiming that Ironwood not catching criminals is indicative of an inability to lead is flimsy, but as we’ve seen, Jacques is a manipulator. He tosses these assertions out as if they’re facts. He and the others continually cut Ironwood off, refusing to let him defend himself. It’s not at all surprising that Winter, someone who suffered under his abuse, eventually explodes with, “You can’t just buy trust like everything else! You have to earn it.” Winter is someone I’m particularly interested in seeing react to the group’s secret keeping because from her perspective, she and Ironwood have earned the group’s trust a hundred times over. Again, provided the story isn’t hiding something from us and Winter is secretly in on some plot with Ironwood, we’re seeing this volume how she’s done the work her father couldn’t and it still wasn’t enough. Her peers, including her baby sister, still decided they weren’t going to trust her with secrets that are intimately tied up in their current work and choices.

  Frustrating moral questions aside, something I really loved about this scene was the character setup and the cinematography. Having Jacques with his two allies on one side, Ironwood mirroring that on the opposite end of the table, and Robyn sitting poised between the two, the audience still unsure whose side she’ll fall on. That aerial shot showing off the distance between them all? Excellent visual storytelling.

We get a quick conversation between Winter and Penny which I don’t have too much to say about. Merely that I love Penny for checking up on Winter and I love Winter for correcting her assumption: I’m not saying you wouldn’t understand because you’re a robot, I’m just saying these problems are very specific to me and being in this place. That was particularly reassuring after Ironwood’s comments. Penny ends the scene by saying she doesn’t understand why Winter wouldn’t want to follow her heart. Perhaps an odd comment coming from someone who almost blindly obeys the orders she’s given even when she doesn’t agree---such as not making more friends---but then, it may well be a ‘do as I say, not as I do’ situation. Just because Penny isn’t sure how to always follow her own heart doesn’t mean she can’t encourage others to do the same.

We return to Weiss who, after getting past a curious server, makes it to her father’s office. I feel like this is the scene people are most invested in, considering that I’ve seen a LOT of posts lately trying to demonize Willow for her comment about Whitley. Here’s what people need to remember about Willow moving forward: she’s as much a victim of abuse as Weiss is. She is, presumably, Jacques’ first victim, fully entrenched in his abuse by the time her kids started coming along. As a mother does she have a responsibility to her children? Absolutely, but that doesn’t erase the fact that she’s simultaneously a woman attempting to survive domestic abuse.

(That’s another stunning shot hell yes.) 

Initially Weiss takes the side of the posts I’ve seen, painting her mother as someone who made a conscious decision to let the abuse happen---another abuser herself, one out of passiveness. “Some of us are trying to do something about it,” Weiss says, emphasizing that she’s better because she’s doing what her mother never could: fighting back. Ignoring for a moment the highly dubious insistence that abuse victims must simply ‘do something’ about that abuse (it’s not that simple at all), Weiss quickly realizes that she was wrong. Her mother has been doing something, namely setting up hidden cameras around the house for some spying of her own. Why? “For our safety.” To make sure that if Jacques ever goes farther than he already has, Willow will know about it and can take appropriate steps. Is taking precautions against something worse better than leaving a situation that’s already horrific? Of course not, but as said, abuse isn’t just something you can fix. Even if you know it’s happening. This is a woman doing all she can and what someone is capable of in an abusive relationship is based on them and that context, not what others believe is fighting back “enough.”

Willow then reassures everyone, Weiss and the audience alike, that she doesn’t expect Weiss to be the family savior.

Willow: “You haven’t come back to stay, have you?” Weiss: “No.” Willow: “Good.”

That first line potentially reads as a plea. We might have gotten a scene where Willow is disappointed that Weiss isn’t coming back because she doesn’t want to face this family alone. While a very human and understandable desire, it’s likewise not okay to expect another abuse survivor to return to their abuser after they’ve gotten out. In that hypothetical scene the fandom would have a basis for going, “No. That’s... not okay.” But we don’t get that. Willow is thrilled that Weiss both got out and has no intention to return. She wants her daughter safe. That parental instinct outweighs any selfish, human desire to not suffer this situation alone.

Keep the above point in mind when we read the line, “No matter what happens, Weiss, please don’t forget about your brother.” Willow isn’t telling Weiss to return to the house and save him. She’s not even telling her to forgive him. Just don’t forget him. Remember that he’s not a mini Jacques. He’s another young abuse victim. He’s just like you. When we look at the family dynamic it’s clear that in some ways Weiss had a leg up from her brother that helped her get out. Namely, she had Winter. They’re the ones who are close among the siblings and thus Weiss had a role model to follow. Winter, however she managed it, got out and forged her own path. We then see throughout the series how closely Weiss emulates that, from going into combat herself and having Winter train her. The two actions---fighting and escape---are connected in Weiss’ Volume 5 short. Winter tells her that if she wants to get out she has to get better. That’s your route.

In contrast, Whitley has shown no interest in combat and thus doesn’t have that path to emulate. He’s not a girl and is thus automatically treated as the next Jacques, not the next Winter or even Willow. Most importantly, Whitley doesn’t have a close relationship with an older sibling to guide him.

That’s all Willow is asking of Weiss: be for Whitley what Winter was to you. Don’t forget about him. Don’t pretend he doesn’t exist. Don’t fall into the lie Whitley himself believes, that he’s set to be the next Jacques. He’s really an abused 14-15 year old who has suffered through everything we have. So if there ever comes a time where Whitley falters in this belief or you’re given an opening... please treat him like your brother, not your father.

I think that’s a perfectly reasonable thing for a mother to ask and we can easily see via Weiss’ expression that she’s coming to all these realizations too.

“Of course [Whitley doesn’t want anything to do with you.] You left him alone. With us.” That’s not an accusation, it’s a fact. As established, Willow is happy that Weiss got out, but like with so much in RWBY the best decision doesn’t mean it’s a consequence-free decision. In this case the consequence is that Weiss and Winter left their little brother alone with their abuser. They had to for their own mental health and their safety, but they nevertheless did it. So if there ever comes a time when they can help alleviate that consequence, please do. 

It likewise doesn’t escape my notice that, again, Whitley is a guy. Just like the fandom was unwilling to accept Ozpin as an abuse victim, people seem hesitant to accept Whitley as an abuse victim either. From what I’ve seen (and there are admittedly always exceptions) Whitley’s shitty behavior hasn’t gotten an a fraction of the sympathy Weiss’ shitty Volume 1-3 behavior got. They’re three years apart at most. If Weiss is a victim then so is her little brother. Don’t let the Jacques’ genetics and learned behavior fool you. 

Finally, we end on Watts. The man who continues to be THE most dramatic bitch in this entire series.

We watch as he shuts down the system keeping Mantle warm. Rather than rain, snow starts to fall. Whether this will be just another generic thing going wrong to make the people angry and Ironwood seem incompetent, or whether there’s a more dangerous downside here (we did hear from Weiss about the deadly temperatures...) remains to be seen.

And that’s it. You know, I think that’s the first time in nearly two volumes where I ultimately had more good things to say about an episode than bad. It’s a holiday miracle!

Until next Saturday ;)