#Then maybe moving beyond RWBY | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

last-knight-who-was · 2 months ago

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I found this in my notes app and realized I never reposted this on my current blog! I wrote this while RWBY V9 was airing, between episode 7 and 8 in response to this post by @actualbampot. I like it, so I figured I'd go ahead an post it again!

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It was strange being back at Beacon after three years. Even stranger to think about how, if the Fall had never happened, they'd be ending their final year of school within the next month or so. It'd been some time since Weiss had imagined that particular scenario though. And yet here they were; the four of them, back in their old dorm room.

It was exactly as they'd left it that last morning, before the final match of the Vytal Tournament. Before they'd lost Penny and Pyrrha. Before the First Battle of Beacon. Before everything went wrong.

Everything was covered in a thick layer of dust. All of their old things exactly where they'd been; Blake's books still on the shelf, Yang's posters plastered across the walls, Ruby's game controllers discarded on the floor, several of Weiss' text books laid out on the desk.

Weiss glanced over at Blake and Yang, sitting together on the faunus' old bed. Ruby had opened the window, sitting down on the sill, one leg lifted up with her arm propped on her knee, the other leg dangling outside as she stared off at Vale in the distance. The fires had been put out days ago, and already people were coming together to rebuild the kingdom.

With Salem put to rest at last, the Creatures of Grimm eradicated, and the Gods of Light and Darkness gone for good, there was finally hope for a future. Humans and Faunus were moving forward together, rebuilding everything that had been lost. And beyond that, with no Grimm, new settlements could be established. No more hiding behind walls. Unfortunately for Team RWBY, today was also the last time they'd all be together for quite some time.

With reconstruction underway, all of the Heroes of Remnant (as they were apparently being called now) would be going to different parts of the world to offer aid. Ren, Nora, and Oscar had left earlier in the week, headed east to Anima. They'd taken Jaune's armor and weapon with them, to return to his family. Emerald and Neo had elected to stay in Vale and help out there, while Yang and Blake were leaving later that evening to go to Menagerie. Meanwhile, Weiss would be going to Vacuo to reunite with her family and help establish an actual settlement for the refugees from Atlas and Mantle.

Ruby hadn't told them where she was going yet; Weiss suspected she wasn't sure what she wanted to do yet. Which was fine, honestly the younger girl deserved to have a break. Maybe she'd stay on Patch with her father for awhile. It would be good for her.

A beep from Yang's scroll roused Weiss from her musing. Glancing at the blonde brawler, she found her reading a text, Blake leaning against her side. "Dad's waiting down at the docks to see us off," Yang announced. As the BY duo stood up, Weiss noticed from the corner of her eye how Ruby ducked her head.

She didn't have much time to think on it as she found herself pulled between the newly married couple, into a tight hug. Weiss wrapped her arms around both of them, burying her head into their shoulders. "I'm gonna miss you guys," she murmured.

"Don't worry, it'll only be a few months before we're together again," Blake replied, giving the former heiress a squeeze as she butted their heads together affectionately.

"Yeah, cheer up Weisscream! You'll see us again before you have time to miss us," Yang added, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead.

"I doubt that," Weiss said, giving them a watery smile as the three of them separated.

Yang turned as Ruby approached, pulling her little sister into a crushing hug that Ruby returned just as tight. "I'll miss you little sis," Yang whispered, kissing the side of Ruby's head.

"I love you Yang," Ruby replied, voice muffled against her sister's shoulder.

"I love you too." Pulling away, Yang cupped Ruby's cheek briefly before she moved over for Blake, who immediately pulled Ruby into another hug.

Ruby laughed softly, curling her arms around the older girl's waist. "Look after Yang for me, will you? We both know what a disaster she is," the leader joked, shooting her sister a teasing look over Blake's shoulder.

Yang very maturely poked her tongue out at her as the other three giggled. "Of course I will," Blake replied, leaning away.

"Good," Ruby said, looking away briefly before meeting Blake's eyes. "I love you Blake. I'm happy to call you my sister."

Blake's lip wobbled, tears gathering at the corners of her eyes. "I love you too sis."

Yang smiled, taking Blake's hand in her own and tugging her toward the door. "C'mon ya softie," she teased, stopping briefly to shoot a look back at the other two. "Bye guys, we'll see ya later." For a moment, her eyes locked with silver, a sadness that Weiss didn't understand appearing in those lilac eyes.

As the Bumbleby duo left, Weiss turned to her partner. "I know it'll only be a few months, but... a part of me can't help thinking of the last time we were separated at this school. About how I thought I'd never see you three again."

A frown tugged at Ruby's lips as she crossed her arms, turning to Weiss. "You'll see them again Weiss," she said with conviction, absolutely certain of that fact.

The ex-heiress looked up into those silver eyes, still not used to how much taller than her the younger girl was now. "I know."

Ducking her head, Ruby's tongue darted out to wet her lips. Almost as if she were steeling herself to say something important. After a moment, a soft sigh escaped her. "But you won't be seeing me again."

Weiss stiffened, eyes narrowing. "What do you mean? Where are you going?" As she took a step closer, Ruby took one back.

"I don't know. I just know that... I'm done here." Finally, she raised her head, meeting Weiss' gaze with a small, content smile. "I've fulfilled my purpose, finished my journey." Her smile widened, eyes glossy with unshed tears. "And it feels good!"

Weiss stared back at her, mind running a thousand miles a second as realization settled in. After Ruby had run away in the Ever After she had been gone for days. Days that WBY and Jaune had spent looking for her everywhere. Until finally she came back, Neo with her, no longer trying to kill them.

There had been something different about Ruby after that. A sort of calm focus, as if she was certain of who she was and what she was meant to do for the first time since Beacon fell. Weiss should have realized that Ruby had experienced the same sort of Rebirth that the Afterans did, but she'd just been so happy to have her best friend back that she'd ignored the signs.

But now she understood. Ruby Rose had died and been reborn in the Ever After. Reborn with the purpose of saving Remnant. A purpose that she'd finally fulfilled.

Inhaling shakily, Weiss gave her partner a teary smile before pulling her into a hug. "I'm... I'm happy for you," she whispered, taking comfort in the warm embrace of her first friend, her best friend, for what she knew would be the final time.

As they pulled apart, Weiss subtly wiped a tear from her face, clearing her throat. Ruby laughed softly, shaking her head. "So what will you do next? Today's the first day of the rest of your life Weiss."

Weiss took a step back, fidgeting with her hands as she took a moment to think it over. "Well, you know I always imagined that I'd one day take over the Schnee Dust Company, turn it back into the company my grandfather wanted it to be." She paused, considering that old dream, knowing that wasn't the future she wanted anymore.

Ruby seemed to understand, her head tilting curiously, a knowing smile on her face. "And now?"

A smile slowly curled Weiss' lips as she bounced on her heels. "Now... I think I wanna keep moving. Go anywhere, everywhere!" There was an excitement to her voice as she began to pace back and forth under Ruby's watchful gaze. "There's so many people who need help and I want to help as many as I can!" She let out a laugh, running a hand through her freshly cut hair. "Brothers, I can't believe I'm saying this! It sounds so exhausting but-" Turning back to face Ruby, she froze, the smile dropping from her face.

Her partner was gone. As if she'd never been there at all.

Weiss looked around, whirling in place to look at every corner of the room. There was no sign of her.

Slowly, Weiss' shoulders slumped. With a sigh, she moved to leave, pausing in the doorway. Giving one last glance over her shoulder, she took in their old dorm room for the last time, her eyes landing on Ruby's dangling bed last.

"Goodbye Ruby," she murmured softly, reaching over to flick off the light switch. "You won't be forgotten." Gently, Weiss Schnee closed the door and walked away.

#ruby rose #weiss schnee #blake belladonna #yang xiao long #bumbleby #rwby

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birder-of-remnant · 3 months ago

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Discussing Why Ironwood's Plan Would Fail

For years, I have avoided Ironwood debates. Whether you agree with Ironwood or with Team RWBY, you cannot deny that he is a complex character with an intricate character arc. But in this post, I am not here to argue whether his actions were right or wrong in principle. I have a complicated opinion on this, which I am not going to share or discuss. Instead, I will focus on why Ironwood's plan to raise Atlas out of Salem's reach was most likely doomed to fail regardless of what he did. Some of these arguments are based on known facts about the RWBY universe. Others are based on speculation. I will do my best to keep this concise, but the flaws in his plan are many, and the details are complicated. In general, they fall into the following categories:

Raising Atlas - Could he even summon Ambrosius?

Could he truly escape Salem's reach? a. How high is high enough b. Grimm evolution c. Recreating the Amity Project d. The other Relics

Survival in the sky a. Oxygen b. Water c. Food supply, diversity, and resilience

Dust, energy (or lack of), and supplies

Civil order

It's always a bad sign when you see a friggin Table of Contents in what is supposed to be a Tumblr post (not an essay). But, if you are curious, then read on.

Raising Atlas - Could Ironwood actually summon Ambrosius?

Before we even discuss whether they could actually survive in high atmosphere as Ironwood claims, we first need to address whether they could even get there. Throughout Volume 8, it is clear that Salem is always one step ahead of Ironwood, and this is no exception. Salem knew that to use the relics, she not only needed a maiden capable of retrieving them but also the password that would summon them. But Ironwood's planning stopped at retrieving the relic. Even if Penny had opened the vault and given him the staff, it is doubtful that Ironwood would know how to use it. Is it possible that Ozpin told Ironwood the password some prior time? Maybe. Could some prior incarnation of Ozma have entrusted the password to the headmaster's station so they could unilaterally use the staff in a crisis? Maybe. But extremely unlikely. If there is one thing that is clear about Ozpin, it is his penchant for secrets. It is extremely unlikely that pre-volume 8 Ozpin would have entrusted anyone with the secrets of the relics. Ironwood would not have been able to summon Ambrosius, and I highly doubt the staff has a toggle button on the side for increasing power output. Simply moving the staff also doesn't seem to affect Atlas's height either. No, even if Ironwood had the staff, he would still have needed to torture or blackmail Ozpin into giving up the secret (keeping in mind that, as far as he knew, Oz was still locked away in Oscar's mind). Funny how this simple requirement is so often ignored by the Ironwood-was-right camp.

Could Ironwood truly escape Salem's reach?

How High is High Enough? The idea was to raise Atlas's height enough that the Grimm could not reach them but not so high that dust loses its effect (as a recap, dust does not work in the high atmosphere or in orbit, hence why satellite technology doesn't exist). There are two reasons why Grimm may only fly so high. First, they can only survive up to a certain height. Second, they physically cannot reach a certain altitude. Let's start with the former. There are only two reasons that I can think of why Grimm cannot survive at certain altitudes. First, like dust, they cannot sustain their essence beyond Remnant's atmosphere. But again, Atlas would have to be below this point for their technology to work, so we can throw out this possibility. Two, there is not enough oxygen. Do Grimm even need oxygen? We know from World of Remnant that they do not need to eat, they just like to (or at least, that is the prevailing theory). I will get into this in the next section. But regarding whether they can reach these altitudes, that is no problem. On Earth, the factor limiting how high birds can fly is not ability but oxygen. Bar-headed geese can fly over Mt Everest and are only limited by the amount of oxygen. If oxygen was not an issue for the Grimm, they could likely fly quite high into the atmosphere. How high? I don't know, it depends whether they are using gravity dust, pushing against the air, or using some type of reaction-based propulsion. The following arguments are more speculative than substantial, but they would need to be addressed regardless.

Grimm evolution Regardless of whatever limitations the Grimm may currently have, it is dangerous to assume that they will always be constrained by these limits. As the saying goes, generals always prepare for the last war. The continent of Solitas was settled for a reason: the Grimm couldn't survive there. Hunger and cold were the greatest threats to the early settlers of Mantle. But over time, the Grimm evolved the ability to withstand the harsh cold of Solitas so that they could continue to hunt down humanity, no matter which desolate corner they sought to hide in. And this is not the only case of Grimm evolution that we have seen. We have seen Salem modify Grimm on-screen. In the World of Remnant, they even mention how new kinds of Grimm are discovered almost daily. That may be an exaggeration, but who is to say that the Grimm could not evolve to chase their query into the sky? After all, the Grimm may never have been documented flying that high, but there also hasn't been a selective pressure for them to do so.

Recreating the Amity Project If Grimm evolution was impossible, there is another option Salem could pursue. In short, enslaving humanity and forcing them to recreate the technology used for the Amity Project. The project was designed to lift Amity Arena to heights equivalent to what Ironwood envisioned for Atlas, indicating that it is possible even without the staff. With enough time (and remember, time is always on Salem's side), Salem would inevitably acquire the means to do so herself.

The Other Relics Could Salem use the other relics (presuming that she has tortured their passwords out of Ozma, which given enough time, would inevitably happen) to pull Atlas from the sky? Maybe. But out of all of my arguments, this is perhaps the most tenuous. I will keep this brief. The Relic of Knowledge could provide her with a method for doing so (if it is possible). The Sword of Destruction is the opposite of the Staff. Could it neutralize the effects of the Staff, canceling each other out, much to Atlas's demise? Maybe, but it is uncertain. It is also uncertain whether the staff and sword used by the King of Vale in the final battle of The Great War were these relics and, if so, how they are used. Finally, it is uncertain whether the Relic of Choice could be used to force the people of Atlas to descend against their wills. Some people suggest that the relic appears in the RWBY fairytale, 'The Indecisive King'. But while potent, the power described in the fairytale would not warrant the extra caution that Ozma placed in hiding that particular relic, which he considered the most dangerous in the hands of Salem. Regardless, this is all speculative and not worth further discussion.

In summary, there is considerable uncertainty in Ironwood's claim that he could forever escape Salem's reach. The discussion points above may be speculative, but they provide important considerations that could have threatened Ironwood's plan. However, it also assumes that they could even survive at these altitudes. Ironwood seems to believe so with the usual certainty carried by those who believe that technology can solve any problem. But can his technocentric belief in Atlas's climate system really hold up to scrutiny?

3. Survival in the Sky (Note: I realized after writing all this that there was a Reddit post rehashing these same arguments, I'll link it in the comments).

Oxygen Let's start by reviewing what we know about Atlas's life support and agricultural systems. It is unknown how exactly Atlas can create a climate-controlled area capable of growing crops and allowing people to lounge outside in short-sleeves in an otherwise frozen landscape. But regardless, it is unlikely that it can actually control the chemical composition of the air they breathe. Again, we assume that Grimm can fly at least as high as bar-headed geese, who are only limited by oxygen availability. Whatever height Atlas would need to reach would have to be hypoxic. While Atlas can clearly control its climate to some degree, its system would have been designed to regulate temperature, not oxygen availability. Could they install CO2 scrubbers to purify the air? Not within that massive space. Even if that technology existed, it would be restricted to fringe applications such as deep sea exploration, not sustaining human life in high atmosphere. Nor could it be built instantly. Could they use natural processes? While they have plant life, it would not be enough to create a livable biosphere. Especially if it is dark for half of the year, as we may expect for such a northern kingdom (depending on how Remnant actually rotates its sun).

Water To get high enough to escape the Grimm, they would need to rise beyond the clouds into a zone with very little water vapor. They would be unable to collect water vapor from the atmosphere without sending drones down to the surface, which is infeasible, as I'll explain later under 'Dust.' This means that they would need to recycle every last drop of water that they bring with them. They did not have time to prepare for this, nor would they have the setup or means to do it. Regardless of how good their climate control system is, I doubt it is water-proof. Water would inevitably evaporate out of Atlas. They wouldn't have enough water to support human life, much less grow crops.

Food Supply, Diversity, and Resilience I had prepared a long essay about this subject, but let me be straight to the point: Atlas's agricultural system is not up to snuff for supporting human life for even a short period, much less in perpetuity. It is difficult to calculate the amount of land they would need to support Atlas without knowing their population, but it would be much more than the small tracks of farmland shown in the diagrams. Atlas is a kingdom reliant on trade with other kingdoms for its survival. They trade technology and dust in return for food and other supplies lacking in the tundra. While their impressive agricultural system could supplement their food availability, it must be bigger to provide for the entire city. Especially if it is dark for part of the year (although they could have Ambrosius move the city around the globe, placing it wherever the light shone). And from what we could see on screen, most of the farmland consisted of grain monocultures. Here are the problems with this system in a nutshell: A. Not enough nutritional diversity - malnutrition would be a significant threat. B. Feast-or-famine dynamics - monocultures only provide food at specific times of the year, requiring storage capacity for the lean times beyond what Atlas is big enough to support. C. Low resilience - relying entirely on a single crop raises significant threats, as the Irish can tell you. A polyculture would be required to remain viable in the long term. D. Soil conservation - like with water, they would also need to conserve every particle of soil since they aren't getting any more. Monocultures are terrible at retaining topsoil; they would need very aggressive soil conservation measures (including an elaborate polyculture system) to minimize soil loss.

Energy

Even if Ironwood could lift Atlas beyond Salem's reach forever AND even if they could support a sustainable biosphere capable of sustaining life, there is one significant problem: energy. Not only would they need dust to maintain their technology and way of life, but even to support such elaborate life support systems. A few people out harvesting wheat using scythes isn't going to work. Isolated in the sky, Atlas would have no way to acquire or process dust. Nuclear fusion could potentially give them enough power, but considering how reliant they are on dust, it is doubtful they have that technology. The only semi-viable solution would be to use Ambrosius to move Atlas around in such a way that collects energy from the environment (for example, powering wind turbines or even converting potential energy from gravity into usable energy that would not disappear as soon as Ambrosius created something different, like they did with Penny). But this is still highly dubious. And regardless, they would be restricted to whatever materials they had lying around Atlas. They could not exactly go down to Remnant to mine for rare earth minerals. Overall, they would be in serious trouble without dust.

Civil Order

Again, I will keep this briefer than I had intended. But even if they defied the odds and created a self-sustaining system, society could only do so if it was organized, cooperative, and peaceful. However, small systems are prone to failure. This is a recurring theme in the Theory of Island Biogeography and within human history. Remember, Atlas is a system built upon inequality. The people of Atlas could enjoy such luxuries because their wealth was directly or indirectly built upon the labor of lower-class citizens (Mantle) or lucrative trade with other kingdoms. After launching into the atmosphere, everything would change. The capitalistic system they had built would crumble and be replaced with a military autocracy. It is not certain whether Ironwood would have voluntarily ended martial law and restored any type of civil government. But based on his unstable paranoia and belief that only he could make the hard choices necessary, it is very unlikely. Especially if they were slowly dying of dehydration. The social structure of Atlas would collapse. One of the myriad problems with an autocracy is that they are inherently unstable. Order may be harshly imposed for a while, squashing any dissent; but there would inevitably be a power vacuum. It might be immediately or in the distant future. But it would happen eventually. Many people idolize Ironwood because he is a strong man who seems to bring order and control. Just as we saw in Ren's deference to him (and as we see in parts of the fandom). But a society built upon such a violent principle cannot stand indefinitely. Given enough time, Atlas would either need to descend back to Remnant or they would kill themselves.

I could go on about this, but I have rambled enough. Most likely, I have forgotten other poignant problems with Ironwood's plan. But feel free to add your own input. Thanks for reading!

#i am just focusing on the practicality of his plans #not on the moral merit or validity of his arguements #but i do stand with team rwby and their decision #james ironwood #rwby #general ironwood #atlas #i disagree with ironwood but his arguments have merit - but he needed to go down #save rwby #save crwby #greenlight rwby volume 10

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itsclydebitches · 11 months ago

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CLYDE. I was thinking about the RWBY vs Ace Ops fight again because it's one my least favourite moments in the entire show and I realised that Qrow/Clover/Robyn weren't part of the conversation prior, nor were they ever acknowledged. Nothing of the effect that "Hey, maybe we should wait for Qrow/Robyn/Clover's opinion on this plan before moving onwards, considering their experience and leadership skills?" before being shut down that time is of the essence and they can't wait for them. It just feels illogical to have the Ace Ops leader, Mantle's primary representative and the leader of the Happy Huntresses and one of James' closest allies be completely absence from one the most impactful turning points of the Volume. It feels they were either purposely left out arbitrarily for the sake of two poorly conceived fights or the writers just forgot...which wouldn't be the first time. This show is very...frustrating to say the least.

YEAH. The other day I was thinking about RWBY and ludonarrative dissonance in video games. Specifically, the number of action/adventure games I've played that have a, "OMG COMPLETE THIS MISSION IMMEDIATELY TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE SOMEONE IS GONNA DIE!!" narrative paired with a "Look at all these fun side quests populating the map, you should totally spend a month of in-game time leisurely exploring them" gameplay. RWBY feels similar to me (minus the interactive elements, obviously). The narrative continually pushes the urgency of the situation, but what the characters do don't align with that. Waiting in the mansion is the classic, go-to example of this, but it's also seen in questions like, "If the group is so concerned with the safety of the Relic why don't they.... put it in the vault?" and "If Qrow needs to speak to Ironwood so badly, why doesn't he just... go to Ironwood in handcuffs rather than starting a fight that, unforeseen airship crash or not, is gonna SUPER delay him getting there." Importantly, these moments go beyond the characters simply making impulsive, fallible, human decisions. It always feels like the writers haven't thought through the situation, or are so focused on one (badly chosen) outcome that they'll ignore all logic to get there.

So, same idea with this fight. I completely understand Ironwood's position because there is a clear line of logic here. Salem is about to attack, the group has consistently lied/undermined him, ergo he is removing a potential threat by locking them up until this battle/escape is complete. No one has to agree with him, but I think the reasoning makes sense both in general and for his specific character. (Which is also one of the reasons why I think some fans are willing to hear consider his side: his writing, however messy in other places, is leagues beyond the group's, particularly in the first half of the Atlas arc.) The girls though? They're all over the place. They don't want secrets but they're going to keep them from Ironwood. But they're also going to spill them all to Robyn, someone they don't know and shouldn't trust. They want to save everyone but have no idea how and can't/won't troubleshoot an answer. They're determined to unite the people but are simultaneously determined to solve their problems with a fight. They start said fight and then Ruby immediately tries to talk her way out of it again. And, as you say, they ignore that unity/experience/help available to them by not looping the others in because, supposedly, there's just no time... but then we have long scenes where they just sit around the mansion, tearfully bemoaning the fact that they don't know what to do and getting angry that no one has magically shown up to help.

I can EASILY picture a better-if-not-perfect scenario where the girls' decisions in that fight actually follow their proclaimed intentions AND the not-actually-very-critical timeline they have (because remember, even after all this Salem just sits there for an extended time.) What if Ruby ordered the team to let themselves get arrested and then we got a cool break out of jail scene? (I mean... Ruby blasts through Ironwood's steel doors that are meant to keep people in + they sneak into Atlas HQ. Clearly this would not have been difficult for them.) What if they ran into Qrow and Robyn while in their cells? Or what if they escaped, realized they needed their uncle, and started a help Mantle/find Qrow dual mission? What if instead of broadcasting a horrifying and near incomprehensible message to the whole world, they spoke to all their allies in Atlas about the plan they'd come up with, calling them together? Maybe coded so Cinder wouldn't understand. Maybe bluntly honest like a gauntlet throw-down: we know you're here, but we're ready for you this time.

Instead Ruby forgets she exists...

There are just SO many things you can do with that fight/the aftermath that don't completely undermine the themes, the tension, the proclaimed desires, and the narrative expectations. If there has to be a battle of ally vs. ally when Salem is on her way and half our villains are roaming the streets (god I can't emphasize that enough), why is everyone with the wrong person? Why isn't Robyn fighting the Ace Ops, her political enemy long before the girls showed up? Why isn't Qrow fighting Ironwood, the guy he (stupidly) blames for Clover's death? Why isn't Clover with his team? Why isn't Ruby facing Salem? Why the hell would you have Qrow team up with Tyrian?

As a side note, I've seen a resurgence of discussion about Ruby's breakdown in Volume 9 and everything above re-emphasizes for me just how much she HAS demanded this power and responsibility. "Hey, maybe we should wait for Qrow/Robyn/Clover's opinion on this plan before moving onwards, considering their experience and leadership skills?" is one of MANY considerations when weighing the question of whether Ruby has truly been burdened with the unwanted expectations of others... because they've never been unwanted and she has never down a thing to lessen that burden. She doesn't wait. She doesn't ask. She doesn't lean on others' experience and leadership. And this goes all the way back to Ruby responding, "Yes, I want to attend Beacon and take on all the responsibilities of that despite not being old enough," but there is also a LOT in the Atlas arc - right before her Volume 9 breakdown, literal hours in-world - where Ruby stood her ground and said, "No, we're doing this my way and my team, whether they've disagreed with this decision, or suggested this course of action in the first place, will ultimately follow me because I am the leader." She told Qrow to stand down and let her continue fighting Cordovin. She made the decision to lie to Ironwood and talked the others out of coming clean. She made the call to attack the Ace Ops instead of submitting to arrest. Using the Relic and dropping Atlas was a group suggestion, but Ruby sanctioned it. Based on literally 8 Volumes of content, if anyone HAD said no to her Ruby would not have listened to them. That is an overt, consistent characterization of hers.

And then Volume 9 expects me to feel bad because she's going, "Everyone expects me to take the lead"??? Like sure, in a very general, "That's indeed stressful no matter who's at the helm" sense, but Ruby has spent years at this point loudly yelling, "I'M THE PERSON YOU SHOULD LOOK TO AND I'LL FIX IT. IF YOU DON'T LIKE MY PLAN I'LL FIGHT YOU :)" Not roping Qrow and the others in is a part of all that. Not overtly on screen - we don't have a scene where Ruby goes, "We don't need to talk to them" - but the story doesn't think their input is important. We get the closeup on her smiling face when she thinks of using the Relic and then the others just inform Winter of what is happening when she happens to call. Major decisions in RWBY have often been collaborative when it comes to suggestions, but the final call is always Ruby. Whether we're talking about "This is my fight too!" when Qrow warns her to stay back, or using the Lamp's question when Ozpin is begging her not to, or shrugging off Yang's concern that she lied to Ironwood, or telling the whole damn world about Salem when numerous people with more experience than her have said, "That's a terrible idea" for generations, Ruby forcibly takes the lead and will not back down no matter who is asking that of her, or how they're asking. In fact, I'd say that is the most OVERT and CONSISTENT way in which she displays agency in this show (which, ugh).

#rwde #rwby #mymetas

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moltensmusings · 3 months ago

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Rwby au idea, has this been thought about? Maybe. But I offer

Au where there aren't Academies and instead all training is done by huntsmen either related to an apprentice or from the same town as.

Huntsmen were once considered noble heroes but with the death of Ozma centuries back, a darker Era was ushered in and the once revered fighters fell into greed. Largely they're mercenaries now that defend towns or make journeys across Grimm infested territories in exchange for a price.

Technology is far more limited with the most advanced society, atlas, being considered almost a myth among other kingdoms due to it closing itself off from all the others 2 centuries ago.

Faunus are a more reclusive group, a few appear in towns every so often and are met with awe and treated often like spirits, but they figured out ways to survive in Grimm territory and find humans far too dangerous to spend long periods with beyond simple trading.

Fairies and witches used to exist back when Ozma was alive but seemed to vanish following his death. Every now and then a new malevolent being crops up with some horrific magic power that they use to terrorize a town or two and while sometimes huntsmen get dispatched on dangerous missions to slay the villains, sometimes the threat will disappear on its own. No one is sure why yet.

The story would follow Ruby setting out to track down her uncle who went missing. She's an idealist who still believes in the honor of the old huntsmen. She's fascinated by the history of heroes and has a strong knack for dealing with Grimm. People not so much. She isn't exactly a skilled fighter but us tenacious and her spirit helps keep the group moving.

Taiyang runs the tavern in town and as such Ruby and Yang would hear a ton of conversation from huntsmen and few travelers with news of the outside world. This is where ruby hears of a fighter that sounds like Qrow who hasn't returned home in months and decides to set out to find him.

Yang joins the journey after noticing ruby missing and being unable to convince her to turn back.

Blake is the third to join when ruby and Yang get lost in a forested area trying to escape Grimm. Her plan is to initially lead them out of the woods and tell them to stop being a bother and return to safety, but hearing of one human that still believes in the honor of huntsmen and the power of Ozma she begrudgingly joins the group to try and make sure Ruby doesn't die.

Weiss would join after they've been to a town or two because she'd be the sole survivor of an envoy headed from atlas to the largest city in Vale as they'd attempted to escape Grimm attacks.

#molten rambles #rwby #rwby au #ruby carries an axe #this au is from several months ago and has been in my drafts #leaning more into dark fantasy #team rwby #blake belladona #yang xiao long #weiss schnee #ruby rose

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animebw · 2 years ago

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Something I’ve noticed about RWDE and the asshole side of RWBY criticism is just how bad they are at reading anything into the things they don’t like beyond their initial dislike of them. They never say “I think X was done poorly, the writers were probably trying to accomplish Y but they fell short because Z and it hurts the show because ABC.” It’s always “X SUCKS AND THE WRITERS ARE AWFUL PEOPLE WHO HATE WRITING.”

Like, perfect example: I’ve seen a lot of people complaining about the pacing in the most recent RWBY episode, and I agree with a lot of their complaints. We weren’t given any time to see WBY’s reactions to Ruby’s choice in episode 8, how it affected them and what they thought about it before finding her at the tree. Hell, the way the start of the episode is written it basically feels like everyone forgets they exist so they can deal with Jaune’s trauma; nobody even really acts like Ruby just, you know, Did That. I get that WBY knows by now ascension isn’t death and Ruby’s probably not gone for good, but it’s still a hell of a sight to witness. And there needed to be, like, two more minutes dealing with that fallout before connecting it to Jaune’s catharsis and their mutual understanding that the people they care for aren’t gone forever. I know RWBY doesn’t have unlimited money to throw around, but it really feels like a critical scene was just cut out wholesome.

But there is a stark difference between how regular fans and RWDE voice these complaints. On one side, you’ve got normal people saying “Yeah, that was rushed, it needed a scene of WBY processing what just happened and it feels kind of callous for them to seemingly get over it so fast.” And on the other side, you’ve got the usual asshats going “OMG YANG HATES HER SISTER AND MILES AND KERRY ARE JERKING OFF JAUNE CAUSE HE’S MILES’ SELF-INSERT AND THEY HATE RUBY AND THEY HATE WOMEN ARGLABARLG.” No, you insufferable nimrods, it’s a very simple writing error, nothing more, nothing less. And you really don’t have to expend much brainpower to take that failure in context and move on. It doesn’t ruin the episode, it doesn’t take away from Yang’s scene with Ruby’s tree form, and unless you’re either stupid or deliberately arguing in bad faith, it’s not hard to take it on its own terms without blowing it out of proportion.

Despite what RWDE would have you believe, RWBY fans are fine with criticism. The reasonable, measured complaints I’ve seen from fans about this episode are proof of that. We have no problem discussing the issues with this show. But the bad-faith, poorly-researched, bias-driven, self-serving drivel that spills from these so-called critics’ mouths has no business sharing the same space as actual analysis. And we’re not going to insult our own intelligence pretending otherwise.

In short: RWBY fans have no problem with reasonable critiques. Maybe all these “critics” should try actually, you know, making some one of these days.

#anime #the anime binge-watcher #tabw #rwby #rwby volume 9 #rwby9 #I feel like I'm increasingly in my no-fucks-left-to-give posting era #it's working for me

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howlingday · 1 year ago

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I'm in the mood for some slight angst at the moment, so how about a RWBY version of the Justice League's Identity Crisis, with Jaune being the one who gets mind wiped with a relic from trying to stop his friends?

He doesn't even realize anything's really wrong until he notices how his friends can barely meet his gaze anymore. Why do they look so guilty..?

It isn't until he meets a still traumatized Emerald that it all finally comes back to him...

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

Cinder Fall was in prison once more. Another job well done for Teams RWBY and JNRO. Victory like this calls for a celebration. Sure, things got messy when Hazel Rainart was dragged into the mix, but it all worked out in the end, right?

So why did Jaune feel so... off? And more importantly, why did Cinder look so... Well, angry couldn't begin to do what she felt justice. Something wasn't right, and it's when things aren't right that Jaune looks into it.

"Ruby, can we talk?"

"Uh, sure, Jaune." The two leaders left the party, with Yang cooing after them in a tease. "What's up?"

"Did Cinder seem..." Jaune struggled for the words, "...different to you?"

"Different?" Ruby put a finger to her chin. "Well, I wasn't expecting Hazel. She usually works solo."

"Yeah, she does." Jaune furrowed his brow. "But it's not just that. She looked at us like... Mm, I don't know. Like she hates us."

"Well, she is a bad guy."

"Yeah, but I mean HATES us. Like..." Jaune gave a grunt as he scratched his head. "Sorry, it's kinda hard to explain."

"It's fine." Ruby patted his shoulder. "Maybe the fight took a lot more out of us than we thought? Let's get back to the party and relax, okay?"

"Yeah." Jaune sighed. "Okay."

As the two moved back to the party, Blake leaned away from the wall. She mentally sighed in relief, only for a tightness to grow in her throat. It was only a matter of time.

..................................................................................

Cinder carved through her gloves into her cell wall. Her black talons dug into the solid concrete, though with little results because scuffing. All the while, she heaved heavy breaths that steamed out of her.

Those bastards. Those horrible, awful, evil bastards! She recognized how they grabbed Hazel as she attempted her escape. It was the only way they caught her! They held him in the exact same way she had been held years ago.

When she found Emerald. And she was alone once again.

..................................................................................

Emerald sobbed as she clung to Oscar. She felt so helpless. So pathetic. She wanted to die. She NEEDED to die!

But Oscar continued to hold her close. He watched as Nora stood between Jaune and Cinder's body. The horrible monster of a woman had been subdued, but Jaune lost himself and beat her into unconscious. Behind him, Ren was doing his best to calm Jaune's fury, righteous as it may have been.

"Is she... Are you okay?" Yang asked as she crouched near Emerald. She didn't reply beyond her already occurring sobs.

When Emerald was with Cinder, she had never so much as raise a hand to her. Sure, unkind words had been said now and then, but it never got physical. Nor did it get to a point of bruises, bleedings, and burns, either.

"I'll go let the others know what happened." Ruby said, satchel on side. "That way Cinder can never hurt anybody like this again." Receiving a nod from Weiss, Ruby left out the door.

"It won't do anything." Jaune huffed. "Cinder needs to die."

"Jaune-" Nora began.

"Look at what happened to Emerald!" Jaune shouted, making the girl quiet into soft mewls. "Cinder is a threat to not only us, but our families! I have sisters! Parents! I have a fucking nephew, a child who doesn't deserve this! Nobody deserves this!" He glared at the unconscious woman. "I say we put her down. Like the sick animal she is."

There was a tension in the air. Everyone glanced between one another, hoping someone would- could refute what Jaune said. But nothing.

"What if..." Oscar spoke up, looking from Emerald to Jaune. "What if there was another way?"

..................................................................................

"I'm heading out on patrol." Jaune told Ren. His friend didn't turn from the stove. Same as yesterday and the day before. Was he always like that? Jaune simply sighed and shrugged. "I'll be back later tonight."

Jaune made his way outside, down to the patrol house. Along the way, he saw Blake give him a glance, but nothing more. Not even a wave. Blake was distant, sure, but was she always that distant?

"It's not right!" Jaune looked over and saw two children bickering, toys in hand.

"It is so right!" The other child shouted back. She shoved her playmate. Nora then tackled Jaune to the floor.

Jaune shook his head. What was that? Was he seeing things?

He passed by the mechanic's shop. A car pulled in, a handsome teen grinning as he slapped the car door excitedly. As he pulled in, the car muffler gave a loud bang as it backfired. Yang dogpiled him, unloading a heated shell into his face.

Jaune felt his heart race as his teeth and fingers clenched. He'd sparred with Yang before, but it never got so heated. He shook his head as he hurried along to the patrol house. Maybe he could get medical help after patrol. After all, this wasn't anything serious.

The station was just down the street now. Hopefully, tonight wouldn't be too crazy. Nothing beyond vandals and "kids being kids". Hopefully there were a few donuts left from the morning.

There was a bell ring in front of him. It was the old pastry shop that him and Ruby liked to visit. However, neither exited the sweets store, though the patrons were familiar. Oscar was smiling as he and Emerald left. Sadly, the smiles fell as they saw Jaune.

Emerald looked at him like she was going to cry. Just like that night. Half of her faced was covered in faded scars. Just like that night!. Oscar had a look of fear in his eyes as he stood close to Emerald, as if shielding her. JUST LIKE THAT NIGHT!.

"Oscar?"

"Uh, y-yeah, Jaune?"

Emerald screamed as she dropped the box to the ground. Jaune lifted Oscar by his collar with blue eyes blazing. Oscar kicked in the air, but it did little to end his airborne status. Jaune glared into him.

"WHAT HAPPENED?"

#submission #rwby au #justice league #jaune arc #rwby #my submissions #ruby rose #yang xiao long #weiss schnee #nora valkyrie #blake belladonna #lie ren #oscar pine #emerald sustrai #identity crisis #dc #cinder fall

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invested-in-your-future · 4 months ago

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Wouldn't be a retcon to have Yang rush into Beacon after Ruby primarily to she could watch over her? In V2 she explains her reason for enlisting as a huntress is because she wants an adventure, which she later reveals to be an excuse to not feel aimless and possibly find her purpose.

It anything it's very implied that Yang had enrolled into Beacon first before Ozpin's decision to enlist Ruby two years earlier;

"Oh, I can't believe my baby sister is going to Beacon with me!"

Not to mention the first thing she does upon arriving to Beacon is ditching her sister to her own devices and keeping up her own going.

Yang is aimless, but she is aware of it, and has her autonomy.

The thing about Team RWBY listing their reasons in V2 is that apart from Ruby, none of them are entirely honest about them(nor have they fully figured out what they want to do) - Oobleck even is shown to have his doubts about them except for Ruby. Yang, too, questions her whole "adventuring" answer later and how it might just be an excuse not to think about not really having a goal.

It ties into how her first answer to Oobleck is more textbook-utilitarian than idealist - "Huntsmen protect people" and all that.

The way I am going about it in the rewrite is that Ruby always wanted to get into Beacon (I mean, really, why wouldn't she? It's where her mother and father went, and she's supposedly obsessed with being a huntress, and walking in her mother's steps).

Within the rewrite Yang and Ruby had been inseparable in their childhood, and Yang likely had decided to walk the same path even back then - after all, it just makes sense since she's already looking after her sister and father. It's what she knows best. She would have enrolled in Signal before Ruby because it would have provided her with position and skills needed to protect her, but also because she knew Ruby would have gone there too.

When it came to Beacon, originally Yang should have entered earlier than Ruby, but Ozpin's decision led to Ruby being moved up a few years (which ties into the idea Glynda entertains that Ozpin was basically moving his pieces into place before something really bad could happen), so they ended up together, once again.

It ties into the idea that Yang entertained the idea of moving to Beacon as a "fresh start" in her life where she could maybe figure out herself, but with Ruby being moved up, she ended up doing what she had always been doing instead of moving forward - a common theme and worry within Yang's character in my rewrite.

She is self-aware that she's aimless. As I mentioned before in one of posts here, to me Yang ditching Ruby is her attempt to change things up. So she hurries to push Ruby to make friends and break the status quo, but eventually ends up in the same team and feels like she hasn't really figured anything about herself out.

After all "going on an adventure" might as well be synonymous with a journey of self-discovery. Consciously or subconsciously, beyond just protecting people or helping Ruby, Yang saw being a huntress as the means to see the world and find herself.

Yang had been stuck in a routine ever since Summer died - within the rewrite she had thrown away her own goals and selfishness to keep her family together and she had never stopped - eventually, team RWBY became part of that family she had wanted to keep together and protect. She had to burn twice as bright even if it meant using her hopes and dreams as fuel.

But deep inside she wants change and to make her own decisions and to form her own ideals she never could. Bull-headedness and temper issues manifest as her subconscious attempt to release the built up frustrations she could never vocalize. She rushes forward through all obstacles because in reality she feels like she never could do that in any way that matters.

Of course she would never admit that to herself - she would feel guilty about abandoning Ruby or putting her in harms way just like she did when she had brought her to that cabin when they were young - a defining moment in Yang's character path.

In turn, despite her seemingly easy-going nature, just like Ruby she is hesitant to let anyone in on what she actually feels and what her worries are - the scene before the dance with Blake is likely one of very few rare instances where she let's her guard down and actually opens up. Usually she wouldn't let herself do that.

So she shields herself with "act rather than think" mentality and dives headfirst giving her all for the people she cares about - venting her frustrations that way and not having to truly parse all the emotions boiling inside. She throws herself in all directions at once, thrashing about, dedicating all her power for sake of others.

In part it's why what happened at the Fall of Beacon stung so much - everyone she knew embarked on some grand journey, leaving her behind in the same spot she had been all her life. What's more, she had spent all this time burning for others, that she was left with nothing when it mattered the most.

She's similar to her sister in that both of them had attempted to escape their issues only to end up with nothing but aimlessness.

There's a unifying element of all four team RWBY members being back where they started with Fall of Beacon and exploring how they would handle that. For Yang, fittingly, that means going on a journey somewhere new(just like she wanted to and just like she had hoped Beacon would be). A change of scenery and perspective that comes with the world challenging self-perception - all tools necessary for her to rebuild herself from the ashes.

It's part of why an element of her journey is her having to re-discover her semblance and actually understand how it works - after all it's a reflection of one's inner self.

#rwby #rwby au #rwby rewrite #ruby rose #yang xiao long #rwbyr asks #rwbyr stuff mine

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bmblboop · 5 months ago

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For the rwby ask thing, 7, 20, 28

Thanks for asking!

7. Favorite lines?

Most of my fave lines are bittersweet or sad-yet-hopeful, thanks to Volume 4. Blake and Ghira’s talk, Ruby’s speech at the end. “You didn’t drag us along; you gave us the courage to follow you.” Also Ruby resolving to 'keep moving forward' despite her fear in v5.

There's this line in the 2nd RWBY Beyond episode where Jaune wonders "Do you think we're gonna make it?" and it's just so topical now because it was made at a time when RWBY's future was uncertain. No matter what, they're still gonna try, and that's worth it.

On a lighter note, sometimes I remember Vol 2's “They don’t give out prizes for almost” “They do and they’re called silver!” and it cracks me up every time.

20. What are you looking forward to seeing in Vacuo?

The new headmaster, Theodore. We got a hint at his design in the RWBY Beyond shorts, but I can’t wait to meet him. The Summer Maiden, if she’s even in Vacuo, so we can complete the set (and gear up for Maidenbowl #3). Renora growth (even though they aren’t together) because I love them both and I love them together and I want the best for Nora. Emerald being a good guy now and how that has changed how she interacts with people.

I am also interested in seeing, even though it will break my entire heart, Oscar/Ozpin’s struggle with the merger. I just want Oscar to be happy, and I am fearful that we might lose something once they are one consciousness.

28. Fairytale character you'd want to see RWBYified?

Okay, so lame answer but I’ve been watching Inuyasha recently… and Viz Media got big bc of the Inuyasha localization… and he’s got a ‘faunus trait’ with the dog ears…it makes too much sense.

For actual fairytale characters, maybe “the Lion and the Mouse” from Aesops fables. It’s a very RWBY moral, that a smaller, more simple soul can still make a difference. I also loved Fenix’s design from the Grimm Campaign, and would like to see something like it in the show.

#smmrofrwby #ask game #rwby #my posts

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saqui · 2 years ago

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Rwby Ships as my kpop playlist songs:

I'm a very huge kpop stan and I think it would be nice to have some fun just by mixing my two interests into one. Enjoy!

Rosegarden - "SLOWMOTION" by TREASURE

What I love about this song is it speaks about taking your time to go deeper, slower, in the moment. It also gives deep comfort or ease. This song best suits Rosegarden in my opinion because from how I see Rosegarden, as the world is going faster that it's heavier to carry its heavy weight, they find as if the world became slower and lighter the moment they see each other.

Overall, the vibe just suits 😌🥰❤💚

Lines:

(1) We goin' slowmotion

(2) I want a deep talk

(3) All day, let's go, it's a long day, trust me, lean next to me.

Renora - "But You" by iKON

One, I can definitely see Ren singing this to Nora.

Two, this song tells about how sure that the girl, he used to be in a relationship before, is the only one for him no matter what and would want to start over again which I think suits them sooo much. Plus, I think this is something how Ren would really deeply feel about Nora even especially how they are currently.

Lines:

(1) You're the reason. I need you baby

(2) Start over and fall in love

(3) We know each other better more than anyone else

(4) Nobody but you

Bumbleby - "Bet You Wanna" by BLACKPINK

They're high for each other. They're hooked for each other. Just look at the gif. Does that not speak volumes to you??? /hj

Anyways, yes, this song has the whole vibe of being high because of their partner. Blake and Yang have always been clingy and whipped for each other and this song expands that idea more. This song is playful and teasing like their love language so it's this I choose.

This song kinda mentions a lot of fire too.

Lines:

(1) Take me to your paradise cuz I don't wanna wait anymore

(2) Something 'bout me's takin' you higher and you ain't ever gonna come down.

(3) I'm lighting your fire and it ain't ever gonna go out

Blacksun - "Thank You" by TREASURE

Both Blake and Sun are thankful for being with each other. There are so many lessons and memories they've made from each other and I guess it's time to say "Thank you". They wish each other good things in the world. That's the whole point of the song, just being thankful and moving forward. Also, the vibe or the music just suits them a lot.

Lines:

(1) Thank you that I met you

(2) All we have to do is walk on the flowery path

(3) Instead, I promise you don't get sick and I hope you meet a good person.

(4) Thank you so much, I was so happy

Tauradonna - "KILL THIS LOVE" by BLACKPINK

LET'S KILL THIS LOVE!

YEAH YEAH YEAH YEAH YEAH

Arkos - "Shout Out" by ENHYPEN

Honestly, everything about arkos makes me associate everything specifically about being true to your feelings which I think relates to the song about "shouting" it out and considering how Pyrrah was always keeping her feelings to herself.

This song also has that beautiful vibe I feel for this ship.

Lines:

(1) The fake paradigm that locked me up beyond the border line drawn by someone, I shout out, and this is my shout out. I'm all for myself.

(2) Shout out my heart for you. My burning heart, shout out.

(3) I'm trapped in a wall that locked me up. Your voice is calling me

(4) My life without you is a misery

(5) With my real voice, I'll tell you my true feelings.

Everything here is only based on how I interpret both the songs and the ships. This is really fun to make!

The songs are beautiful!

If you're looking for other ships, maybe I would want to make another post for it. That is if you guys are also kpop stans haha!

I'm also genuinely curious what songs you think would fit these rwby ships too, let me know! 🤩

#Kpop #rwby #just for fun #rwby ships #rosegarden #bumbleby #renora #blacksun #Arkos #Ruby Rose #Oscar Pine #Lie Ren #nora valkyrie #Blake Belladonna #Yang Xiao Long #Sun Wukong #Jaune Arc #Pyrrah Nikos

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blade-liger-4ever · 1 year ago

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RWBY X Transformers Partnerships 3: Yang Xiao Long and Sideswipe - War Dragon

"How do you do it? How do you move forward when you lose so much, and have to let your little sister grow up? Okay yeah, she's technically my cousin, but I'll never stop thinking of her as the little baby I've been caring for my whole life."

"I used to be a gladiator. Fought and, sometimes, killed to make a living. But when the war started...all I could think about was how much was at stake. And then I remembered that I had a means of fighting the Decepticons, and I realized that if I could use that, I'd be able to stop the war faster. Heh, granted I got pretty full of myself early on..."

*both chuckle, then become silent* "So, that's one question answered. What about the other?"

"Speaking as the younger sibling, the best thing you can do for Ruby is to stand by at the ready in case something goes wrong. Breathing down her neck and watching her all the time will only upset her and drive her to prove herself. Sunny and I had to learn that the hard way - which is actually how I got my first battle scar."

"Really? Do - do you mind sharing that story?"

"Sure! I mean, I gotta let others know how awesome I am, don't I?"

"Haha! I'm starting to think you were always full of yourself, Sideswipe!"

"You know me so well, Yang!"

Sideswipe hates grass. And trees. And endless hills and mountains that drive him fragging nuts with how expansive they are, and seem to never end...!

So he's naturally beyond relieved to get the signal from Ironhide, and hears pretty much everyone chattering through the line immediately afterward. After a short eternity of 'Bots asking "where are you?", "are you damaged?", "how do we get this Dust Wheeljack spouted seventy different yet oddly specific facts about?" (and Sidewipe's own enthusiastic, "THANK THE PRIMES, SUNSTREAKER, YOU'RE ALIVE!!"), Optimus agrees with Ironhide's suggestion that all Autobots on the continent of Sanus (slag, the planet's internet is better than Earth's!) converge on the island of Patch. If they are too far away or on another continent, the Autobots are to make contact with Qrow Branwen and Taiyang Xiao Long's allies in the City of Vale or the main cities of the other continents for a means of temporary shelter and Dust supplies.

Though annoyed that Optimus and his nephew Smokescreen are already on the Vale island, Sideswipe manages to double time it to the City of Vale before hopping a transport to Patch. Having gotten the contact information from Qrow and the necessary Dust Wheeljack recommended (the Wrecker-scientist is gonna have to explain the side effects of that Lightning subtype), Sideswipe managed to convince/annoy that Glynda lady into a transport to where his allies are. It hurts like the Pit that Sunstreaker is on Solitas, but if Sideswipe wants to join his older brother and make sure his dumb aft survives on Remnant, then he needs to be with his leader for that to happen without hot-dogging it himself and risking his own death.

He's not sure what he expected the Xiao Long residence to look like, but a simple log cabin like the old Westerns with modern tech isn't it - nor the attempts of Wheeljack to build a GroundBridge a few yards away from the place.

Introductions to the inhabitants are memorable: the blue-haired boy who is somewhere below Miko's level of excited when she first met the 'Bots is Neptune Vasilias. Funny name, but the kid's got talent considering the weapon he has. The quiet, silver-haired guy who hangs around the apparently-unconscious girl's bedroom is Mercury Black. A more straightforward name for sure, though Sideswipe's noticing the boy is not one to socialize. The blond man is Taiyang - or Tai, as he insists on being called - and the one-armed blond girl is his daughter, Yang Xiao Long.

Maybe it's the clear vulnerability she radiates, or the spark of fire he sees in her when she's being pushed by Ironhide to reintegrate into society. Regardless, Sideswipe likes Yang, and decides to get to know her between his time helping Wheeljack with the GroundBridge and reporting to Optimus for scans of Autobot and Decepticon activity on Remnant.

It doesn't take much work for the ex-gladiator to strike up a conversation with Yang. The girl's got spunk, even if she is in shock over her losses. Neptune's there most of the time too, and after one particular session involving both Ironhide and Tai when Yang is trying out her new arm, Sideswipe has a talk with Neptune about encouraging Yang. Taking her out for a drive, the two help Yang reignite her love of adventure and brawls. Through their efforts and Ironhide's experience in training kids, Yang becomes more like her old self and learns to embrace her new prosthetic limb.

Sideswipe and Yang are a nigh perfect match for battle. While they each love a good brawl, are jokers, and some of their teammates' heavy hitters, Sideswipe provides the necessary experience to help temper Yang's impulsiveness. Neptune is her calm center, but Sideswipe is the voice of reason she needs to figure out her new approach to life. Although she still loves to drive her bike Bumblebee (as well as the confusion it causes the Cybertronians) with Neptune, sometimes she'll ask Sideswipe if she and her boyfriend can ride with him for some fun. The younger of the Lambo twins enjoys taking them up on this offer, and the three normally get up to mischief together in their off-time.

In spite of their fun antics, Sideswipe finds himself thrown into a new dynamic when Ruby is revealed to be Yang's cousin and not her sister. He gives her space, letting Neptune help her in this time before she can face Tai or Qrow again. Despite that, Sideswipe's suspicions of her emotional state are confirmed when Neptune asks him to talk to her, since she needs an outsider's perspective for this. Taking her through Patch, Sideswipe and Yang talk about the family drama that's unfolded, and listens as she explains she doesn't know how to accept both that Ruby's not her sister and that Ruby is growing in a way that requires her to step away from Yang's protection. After some thought, Sideswipe encourages her to keep contact with Ruby, but to also focus more on herself, since she's defined herself by being Ruby's protector. Yes, Ruby still needs guidance, but Yang has to break out of the maternal mindset she's imposed on herself for her entire life.

"Let me and Neptune be there for you, okay? You can go back to Tai whenever you want, but you can rely on us to let you be yourself. You're my friend, and Neptune's girlfriend. You can fight alongside us, goof around with us, or blow off steam, and we won't judge you. You're Yang Xiao Long, and we'll help you find your path in life."

Not only does this help Yang in her journey of growing up, but it brings her closer to Neptune, Sideswipe, and her family.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Phew, this took a while to figure out! Honestly, their team name didn't take too long to discover: Yang's the dragon of the two, and Sideswipe's got the experience of war under his belt to help guide her. Maybe I've just been out of it, but I thought for sure I'd have my two favorites done sooner than this.

Oh well, I hope you enjoyed them, folks! I've got another duo in mind, but time will tell when I post them. I will say this, however - it's not a pair you'll expect. Until next time...

"Autobots, transform and roll out!"

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nyxlarkyn · 2 years ago

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Weiss and the Caterpillar:

Weiss' growth will be pushed by the caterpillar.

I have no idea how much growth they intend for Weiss this volume. I think her and the bees might be pushed on the back burner. I'm sure they will have moments but just like one or two big ones the rest is going to only be focused on Ruby.

I always find that Weiss really listens to her respected authority figures and grows from them. From moments with her professors, family, and friends. She listens to them and decides what to do from that.

Most notable are her talks with Winter.

In vol3, when she was showing off to her sister how much she had grown, she's hit with a, "you don't know shit yet little sis" by Winter. She reassures Weiss of how well she's doing but reminds her,

"Your semblance is like a muscle, the more you practice with it, the stronger you will become. But if you only focus on one aspect of it, you fail to test the limits of what you think is possible."

Which is alluded to the fact that Weiss still hasn't managed to summon yet. But right before Winter says this Weiss tells her how she's improved on her glyphs, specifically mentioning her time dilation. One I don't think I've seen her use in awhile.

Later in the episode it cuts to them training on her summoning with a caterpillar in the foreground, them in the background before the camera focuses on them. Weiss fails to summon. Her sister offers her more advice. Weiss listens to it.

The second time we see the caterpillar is when both sisters walk out of frame and camera moves back to it and focuses on it. Behind it is a sword the same size that Weiss summoned. Showing us, but not her, that she is growing.

A caterpillar is an odd choice. Yeah, shows us a good sizing but like why? Would be just as effective without it. Because RWBY is a show all about foreshadowing. Building off of what Monty left us in the first two volumes and who knows how much of 3 and beyond.

Winter tells Weiss in before they depart.

"Emotions can grant you strength, but you must not let them overpower you. It sounds to me like you have two choices. in front of you. You can either call him back, beg for his money and explain once more why you want to study at Beacon over Atlas. Or you could continue to explore Remnant. Discover more about the world, and honestly, more about yourself."

Weiss has learned this lesson. She can summon. She's getting quicker at summoning previously used creatures and for those she still has trouble fully summoning; she still finds ways to utilize them. (Nevermore feathers to shoot at enemies to gain the upper hand despite not being able to fully and quickly summon yet) She can use her glyphs to support and defend herself and her teammates at the same time. She has grown in her abilities.

It's time for her to share this knowledge, especially with Ruby.

But we've seen a lack of her growth of a partner, especially as the team captain's partner. This volume will focus on how she can support her team outside of battle, especially her leader and partner.

It's not as though she lacks the support her teammates need. We see her advice Yang about Blake and the different types of loneliness. She's there to support Nora, Blake, Ruby, and Penny in moments of doubt and worry. Yet Ruby has had a hard time learning to lean into that type of support. Nor does Weiss know just how much more support Ruby needs.

The caterpillar will be there to help out the emotional growth needed between these two characters. Maybe this scene will be Weiss' wakeup call that something is not right with Ruby and be when she starts switching to the emotionally supportive partner.

It's odd that we've seen Blake teased on the bridge with clouds, Ruby on it in the intro, and Yang has been both teased on it along with falling down from it on the official poster. Weiss hasn't been shown on the bridge.

She has been shown in the mushroom forest on the poster and her teaser looks like she's up against a mushroom. So, this area will be important for her:

I believe RYB will trip on some mushrooms and go to the clouds while Weiss trip sits and gets words of wisdom from the Caterpillar. Maybe even overhear things the other girls are saying while trippin.

Whatever insight she gains out of this area will be key for her character this season.

#rwby spoiler tag #rwby #rwby spoilers #rwby volume 9 #rwby analysis #weiss schnee

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frozenearthwife · 2 years ago

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If you wanna feel even more terrible about Ruby and Jaune

Here's a horrifying scenario from my angst-loving fanfic brain:

Jaune might have spent decades in the Ever After learning to cope and move on from the tragedies... but what if he hasn't?

What if he's spent decades wallowing in regret for all the failures and worst of all, for being the one to end Penny's life? What if the reason he never fixed his sword is because in his mind he's not worthy to have a whole weapon after what he did. And that, actually, he deserves to meet the same fate? He can't fix what's happened, he can't bring Penny back, he's got nothing to return to anymore after being in Ever After so long, but he's found his purpose...

What if he's been waiting all this time for team RWBY to arrive, only to ask Ruby to end him with the very same sword he used to end Penny. Because he feels it is her right to do so, it is what he deserves, and he's old and tired and has been suffering through this guilt for so long and in his delusion he thinks Ruby needs this closure and maybe even that giving her this is his purpose. He needs her to end it for him.

But this'll only fuck up Ruby beyond anything imaginable, because he's not the first friend to ask her to kill them and the first one who asked was killed by the one who's asking her now and she didn't do it the first time and Penny still died but she can't kill Jaune but he wants her to and he's suffering and she wants to help him but the only way to help is to do as he asks and she can't take it anymore and--

#rwby #Ruby Rose #Jaune Arc #RWBY spoilers

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thatoneawkwardfanthing · 7 months ago

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I realized I haven't actually talked about the epilogue animatic yet, just reblogged some stuff. I have so many feelings about it so uhhh

Spoilers below (it's also definitely out of order because I haven't watched it in a few days. Still can't without CRYING)

"We buried our friends today" okay ouch. Following it up immediately with that shit of Nora breaking down? CRIMINAL

The fact that Ren was talking to Jaune about how much he held them together and how he wished he was there hurt

Oscar/Oz actively fighting the merge is exact what I want! Let that little boy free!

Mercury having that same hesitation that Emerald did in V3 cmon let my wlw mlm besties be reunited

I haven't finished the two Vacuo books, but I know The Crown is BAD NEWS BEARS

Winter Schnee how I wish I could hug you so close. You did your best and genuinely thought Ironwood would come to his fucking senses it's not your fault!

The Renora parts of this really hurt my heart I love them so much you don't understand.

OOBLECK AND PORT MY FAVORITE OLD MEN and wait WDYM Vale's gone? Hello?

WHERE'S TAIYANG?!?

Qrow being optimistic and saying an old friend taught him that? And then it showing Clover's pin? STOP IT WE KNOW HE DIED AND THEY WERE GAY LOVERS PLEASE

As much as I HATE Raven, I do think that the second she felt her connection to Yang come back, she was there, breaking her "one save" rule. Maybe we'll see her try to make amends if/when V10 is made. Also really want to see Ruby going off on her because SHE KNOWS WHERE SUMMER WENT THAT NIGHT!

Where's anyone from Menagerie? Blake's parents? Illia? The faction of the White Fang that follows Ghira?

I know a lot of it is gonna be different in V10, but I'm sure the key points (them talking to the grave, Vale being gone, etc) will still be there.

I'm holding out hope and RWBY Beyond is also really doing a great job at telling more of the story. It really feels like Monty's saying of "Keep Moving Forward" is what's at the forefront of everyone's mind and I love that.

#rwby #rwby spoilers #rwby9 #v9 animatic

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itsclydebitches · 2 years ago

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It occurs to me that all the fun of an Alice in Wonderland story kind of gets sucked out when your characters can just beat up everyone there instead of being forced to engage with the nonsensical and unfair rules of the setting. Where's the fun in tricking the Queen of Hearts and playing a bizarre game of hedgehog croquet? Just knock her block off.

I might have argued that RWBY backed itself into an inevitable corner by being a combat show - you have to forsake the bizarre rules and trickery of the Ever After for choreographed fights because that's just what RWBY is and what the viewer expects - IF we hadn't been introduced to the Jabberwock first thing. Plus, you know, Neo is there. We have the perfect setup for classic battles via old enemies/fantasy beasts and new, fun, interesting conflicts that require the girls to navigate a situation with skills other than brute strength... but no. I mean, maybe we'll get something moving forward, but the Prince's game isn't very reassuring in that regard.

You know what I was thinking about throughout that part of the episode? The Magicians. Specifically the scene where Quintin plays Push. Basically, he's a magic user playing a game of War, but in this version the whole point is to cheat. The player who's better at putting the right card in their own hand, the wrong card in their opponent's, or generally just fucking with the deck is the winner; a game of skill, power, and creativity. For all the show's many other problems (oh boy did it crash and burn lol) I love that scene and it kept popping into my head as the Prince yelled about humans cheating while, of course, cheating himself. That cheating could have been interesting, especially with a supposed strategist leading the charge, but as you say, instead we just get another beat 'em up fight. (You know, how Yang also wanted to solve her arm problem.)

Which I'm admittedly ambivalent about because we dodged three potential battles in the first two episodes (vines, Jabberwock, guards) and I was absolutely going, "When is RWBY going to give us some combat?" but it's one of those details that make me wonder why we're in the Ever After in the first place. If the show wanted Ruby to grapple with her depression while engaging in straightforward battle sequences, rather than grappling with her depression via the twisty, metaphorical rules of an alternate reality... she could have just done that in Vacuo. Thus far, three episodes in out of ten, all the Ever After has provided is a weather cue for when Ruby is feeling really sad. Otherwise every important character moment is easily removed from our setting. Some opportunistic Vacuo thief could have stolen Yang's arm. Ruby could have found something that reminds her of Penny among the Atlas civilians (which probably would have made more sense). Hell, people can even ask probing, thematically relevant questions like, 'Who are you?' given that they're unwelcome refugees. I'm slightly interested in the trio remaining small for a time, but beyond that everything we've gotten - Ruby is separated from her weapon, Neo's semblance evolves, Yang and Blake are still flirting, etc. - is not a result of the setting, it just happens to be happening in that setting, which begs the question of why we're taking this Ever After detour in the first place.

#rwde #rwby #mymetas

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