#and found and raised by Kuroyuri

[xmrnothingx]

Yuki

[OC] drew my girl, Yuki, Embodiment of Loneliness. She's one of my younger OCs, still a bit naive to the workings of the world. She likes to make friends with children and anyone suffering from loneliness.

[darksaiyangoku]

RWBY: Christmas Tales

The Masked Swordsman

Blake cupped her hands for warmth as she wandered around the markets. During these four days, traders from all across Remnant would set up their stalls and bring treasures from their native kingdoms; jewels, weapons, fabrics and sweets. Blake's nose twitched as she couldn't decide what to get for her beloved. Jaune had been her friend since childhood and had moved from his original home in Charlemagne to Kuroyuri. Unlike many of her peers, Jaune wasn't a fighter. Instead, he shared Blake's passion for poetry and literature. Suddenly, an idea popped into her head. Maybe she could find a storybook within the market. She moved through the crowd and tapped the shoulder of an ox faunus.

Blake: Excuse me, ma'am. Do you know any stalls that sell books?

Ox Faunus: Oh of course. They're over by the pottery. The man has a vast collection from all four kingdoms.

Blake: Thank you so much. *bows*

Blake shuffled through the crowds again, trying to fight her urge to yell at everyone to get out of her way. She finally reached the book stall and came face to face with a young tiger faunus.

Tiger Faunus: Welcome to my Treasure Trove of Literature, my dear! We have every book you could possibly sink your teeth into! What takes your fancy today?

Blake leaned over and scanned the table. Of all the books, one stuck out to her the most. It was a black and white image of a caped swordsman surrounded with twelve knights. Blake's eyes sparkled with joy. It was Jaune's favourite tale; Charlemagne and his Twelve Paladins, the namesake of his home nation.

Blake: *picks up book* I'll take this one.

Tiger Faunus: Excellent choice. That'll be 10 gold lien, please. Would you like it gift-wrapped?

Blake: *nods head and pays* Thank you.

Tiger Faunus; You're welcome and have a Merry Christmas, my lady. *bows*

Blake smiled as the book was wrapped in a beautiful white cloth. She took her present and bowed to the vendor. Her nose twitched as she caught the scent of freshly baked cakes. She followed the trail to a small, makeshift bakery, where she saw a pile of mouthwatering strawberry cream buns. Jaune was sure to love this. She paid three silver lien for a box and once again ,oved through the sea of the crowd. As soon as she left the down, she saw that the clouds had become thicker and a dark grey. A few specks of snow fell and brushed against her face. She pulled her scarf above her mouth and continued her walk along the path. The snow began to fall thicker and heavier. Even with her Aura, Blake shivered through the bitter cold. The wind grew wild, obscuring her vision and pushing her back.

Blake: Ugh! Damn it!

When the wind finally cleared, Blake found herself standing face to face with her enemy; The Masked Swordsman. He wore a blood red shitagi, black hakama and a white oni-like mask, with two black horns.

Masked Swordsman: We meet again, Belladonna. *draws a azure bladed katana* Today, you will meet your end.

Blake: *draws her jet black katana* I don't have time for this, Swordsman. You've been tormenting me for the better part of a year. Today, the conflict ends.

The two of them circled around the path, raising their swords high. In a flash, they clased and a loud, deafening clang echoed as both of them struggled to push each other back. Blake began to glow a deep purple and split into a shadow clone, catching the Masked Swordsman off guard. She tried to thrust, only for him to counter and land a punch straight into her stomach.

Blake: Agh!! *stumbles back*

The Masked Swordsman raised his sword for downward strike, but Blake split into another shadow clone. She reached to her belt and poured a vial of Burn Dust onto her blade. A flame ignited and she slashed towards The Masked Swordsman. Desperately, he tried to dodge as a wave of fire burned the snowy ground. He looked into Blake's eyes and saw that they were bloodshot. She hadn't blinked once. She was intending to finish this once and for all. They both gripped their swords with both hands and ran towards each other. Blake swung with devastating force and cut a piece of the Swordsman's mask off.

Masked Swordsman: GAAAAAARGH!!!!! *grabs part of his face* NO! NOO!!! MY MASK!!!

Blake: *sheathes sword*

Masked Swordsman: This... this isn't over!!!

The snow fell faster and the Masked Swordsman djsappeared. Blake looked down at the broken mask and noticed black blood. Her eyes were wide with panic. Whoever the Masked Swordsman was, he wasn't human.

[Arc House]

A loud knock was heard and Jaune rushed over to answer the door. Standing outside was his girlfriend, Blake, shivering.

Jaune: Blake! What the hell are you doing out tbere? Get inside! *drags her in*

Blake: T-T-Thanks J-J-Jaune.

Jaune: *closes door and chuckles* It's okay, sweetheart. What were you doing out there?

Blake: *laughs* Buying your Christmas present, silly. *gives him the red cloth wrapped present* I hope you'll like it.

Jaune: If it's from you, I know I'll love it. *kisses her forehead*

Blake: *giggles and blushes* I also picked up some cream buns. You want to have some?

Jaune: Of course! Let's sit by the fire.

Jaune and Blake sat with each other by the warmth, kissing and cuddling, as they counted the days for a wonderful Christmas.

[brimstonesoul]

Roleswap- How about swapping Jaune and Ren with Mercury and Adam? How would that work?

In a world where a terrible Grimm attack claims lives of Jaune’s mother and sisters, the Arc patriarch spent his entire life forging Jaune into his ideal huntsman.

Brutal training after brutal training and constant blame for his mother’s and sisters’ death turned the boy’s heart cold and twisted until he could no longer take the abuse and killed his father.

Having lost his arm doing so, he was found by Cinder and offered a chance to be her knight.

*

In this same world, Mercury Black is taken by his mom when she escapes the abusive Marcus Black.

She raised him with love and care, praying that the boy never goes into the life of violence like his dad.

But the adventure calls and the rebellious young man escapes to Beacon.

*

In this same world, Adam is found by kindly family of Valkyries. Their love cures his pain and hatred. And he swears to return the debt.

When the Grimm destroy their village, he promises to protect their surviving daughter, Nora, until his last breath.

*

In this world, it is not the Grimm that destroy Kuroyuri. Instead, the Faunus village sees their peaceful life destroyed by SDC-hired thugs.

Ren, one of the few humans here, sees his neighbours and friends chained and enslaved. This is not right, he tells himself. This is not right!

His parents think the same. His parents try to help. His parents are killed and the boy finds himself all alone.

Until Sienna Khan finds him and offers him a mask of white.

And though he is a human, he fights for White Fang with the ferocity of a beast.

[lore-of-the-silvereyes-rwby]

Part 2  Burning the candle

@wixhing0nastar

This is probably going to be a very long counter argument as a majority of What ill say most likely will have to incorporate critical thinking and speculation about the lore history and world building of remnant and the huntsmen as well as some examples of my own experiences with parentification along with ligament and reasonable examples on how this is by far a true example of an Unreliable narration as this is only speculative truth as this is from Yangs perspective and understanding as well as the fact that this is from a roughly 6 year old version of herself so bare with me when I say and will explain why Burning the candle as well as anything that Yang says about her past from her memories shouldn’t be taken as pure truth and fact and what actually happened 

After all, truth is often what we make of it. You will believe what you want to believe, and hear only what you want to hear.

Otherwise it is not your truth

For when it comes to truth there is fact that can’t be disputed and then there's fiction that can be twisted to how you see fit.

Before we begin I will also be providing a timeline that more or less focuses on the Xiao-long/Rose/Branwen family and relevant events and people to give a sense of an overall scale and consistency of events and people that have either affected or influenced this family.

Timeline

B.F.B./ Before the Fall of Beacon

F.B./ Fall of Beacon/ RWBY year one

A.F.B./ After the Fall of Beacon

90-80 B.F.B. The Great War

80-60? B.F.B. Nicholas Schnee and Maria are Born

70-60? B.F.B. Potential Oz incarnation born

60-50 B.F.B Jacques and Willow born

55-50? B.F.B Lionheart Born

50-45? B.F.B. Ironwood/Theodore born

50-40? B.F.B Ghira and Kali born

45-40? B.F.B. Ozpin is born

40 B.F.B Team STRQ born

30-20? B.F.B. Atlas is raised to the sky/ The Faunus rights Revolution(The Faunus War)/ Peaceful white fang founded

Ironwood ages 20-30/ Ghira and Kali ages 10/20-20/30/ Ozpin ages 15-25/ STRQ ages 10-20

28-23? B.F.B Past Oz incarnation dies and reincarnates as Ozpin?

26-1 ? B.F.B Ironwood’s rise to General of Atlas Military & H.M.

Ironwood ages 24-50

25-23? B.F.B Nick Schnees health grows ill/Jaques becomes the CEO and marries Willow

23? B.F.B. Winter and Cinder are born

23-19 B.F.B. STRQ’s time at Beacon (Ages 17-21)

23-5? B.F.B. Mt. Glenn’s destruction

STRQS ages 17-35

17 B.F.B. WBY/ JNPR born/ Raven leaves (STRQ ages at 23)

15 B.F.B. Ruby born (STRQ ages at 25 and Yang at barely 2)

13? B.F.B. Oscar born

13-8? B.F.B. Cinder is made a victim of human trafficking and slavery and adopted/sold to her abusers and tormented during this time 

Cinder is at ages 10-15/Yang ages 4-9/ Ruby ages 2-7

12-10? B.F.B Summer disappears and possibly dies at or around the age of 29?

Yang’s age ranges around 5-7/ Ruby’s age ranges around 3-5

12-5? B.F.B. Nora’s mom abandons her and Kuroyuri’s destruction happens leaving Nora and Ren orphans 

Nora and Rens age range is possibly from 5-12 during this time 

11-10 B.F.B. Raven meets, kills, and becomes the Spring maiden

10-7 B.F.B. Penny project greenlight/Paladin incident

8 B.F.B. Cinder ends her time of abuse and slavery by killing her step family

Cinder age 15

8 B.F.B- 0 F.B. Salem recruits Cinder during this time

7 B.F.B Willow begins her period of depression and neglect upon the Schnee children (Winter age 16/Weiss age 10/Whitley age 8) 

5 B.F.B Sienna Khan becomes the leader of the white fang and leads through acts of terroism/ 12 year old Blake joins terrorist White Fang

0 F.B. RWBY V(s) 1/2/3 (RWBY year 1 and Yang turns 18 before the start of V3 and Ruby turns 16 by the end of V3)

1 A.F.B. V(s) 4/5/6/7/8/9 (RWBY year 2 and Yang turns 19 within the 2 months before the battle of Haven and Ruby turns 17 during V6-V7) (STRQ ages at 41/42)

With that out of the way let's begin

First off I think you forgot that Tai was already a teacher at Signal academy at this point  so yeah a 6 year old yang would be able to know the work schedule of their parent who is a teacher and since signal is at least the equivalent to high school it wouldn't be too much of a stretch to assume tai would be gone from at least 8am to 3pm on a normal school day (barring any early outs, shift changes, lunch breaks and after school activities or emergencies) so 7 hours at best and he probably would use his lunch break which is usually halfway into the school day to check on the kids at home so realistically Tai most likely didn’t leave the kids unsupervised for more than 3 hours at a time until he got home from work and this is important as this helps explain the next part

Hours just implies more than 1 hour so by the time she is rescued by Qrow she  could have been gone for 2 hours, 4 hours or 6 hours till then but chances are Tai probably wouldn’t have realized his kids were missing until probably 3 hours after they left (assuming Yang left immediately after tai went to work) and since these are kids that nobody knows where they went chances are they decided to search the city first based on what would interest a couple kids around the ages of 4 & 6 like a playground, or an arcade, and candy shop before someone decided to search the woods and abandoned places of Patch were the Grimm are like who’s going to be the adult that suggest searching for a pair of lost kids in the abandoned woods with the killer monsters when they (as far as they are aware) could possibly be somewhere in the city that can catch the interest of young children.

Counterpoint Qrow can shapeshift into a bird so he can fly which is a major speed advantage against the average human running 8 mph so it's not that surprising he would find them in the woods so fast I’ll give you the potential clue though as it's not very likely that a 6 year old yang would have been careful enough to not leave tracks or a trail behind especially when the clue can be something as simple as Wagon tire marks on the ground carrying a sleeping Ruby which probably slowed down and made it difficult to traverse the woods and terrain for Yang 

Second after doing some research( Normal growth rates for kids | Children's Wisconsin (childrenswi.org))and keeping in mind the 5-7 year age range that Yang possibly could have been when she did her solo adventure with ruby in the wagon, Yang’s height at the time was possibly and surprisingly can be based on the average height of a 5 and 7 year old which is respectively about 3 feet and 6 inches (Five) to 3 feet and 11 inches (Seven) (Depending on growth rate, genetics, health, diet and environment) so the whole reason why it took her so long to walk so far isn’t about her having small and stumpy legs but most likely due to carrying around and navigating through the woods with Ruby in a wagon so she probably didn’t travel that far a distance from her home which could be reached faster if she were older and not hindered 

(Also while on the subject the depiction of Yang and Ruby as small children can probably at best be artistic freedom to show these characters younger in a cartoon format than trying to use realistic accuracy)

Third, to say that Patch is a tiny island is most likely a misconception as any land mass being viewed on a 2D flat surface like a traditional map is going to look small. so for proper scale we would have to look at the map on a globe and since Remnant is a Earth size analog with 4 seasons and 12 months Remnant is most likely similar in size to Earth with a diameter of 12,756 km so its pretty big and with this in mind chances are Patch is bigger than what you might think it is.

For all we know Patch is the size of Ireland or half the Size of the UK or Japan heck it can probably be as big as Greenland the Largest island on Earth but the maps probably don’t accurately show it and probably never will so we really can’t get that real sense of size, scale, or distance

There's a reason why it took RNJR 6-8 months to travel from Patch to Mistral. The planet was bigger to travel than one would think it actually is

Before you did the research and looked up what exactly classifies as a toddler what in your mind's eye did you think the age of a toddler was?

(Also your using one website for this age criteria so depending on said criteria chances are the use of the word toddler can vary. For example; Newborn usually refers to a baby from birth to about 2 months of age. Infants can be considered children anywhere from birth to 1 year old. Baby can be used to refer to any child from birth to age 4 years old, thus encompassing newborns, infants, and toddlers. So its going to be a loose term when applied to a characters age in this topic without further details or specifics)

In other words I don’t think Yang was being specific when she said Ruby was a toddler during this as remember she is retelling this to Blake in order to advise caution to her so she's just getting to the point in her story and probably left out a few details or so and if she wanted to be specific then she should have stated Ruby’s exact age during that event but instead chose to use a vague and exclusive term that makes people think of young children in order to convey to Blake how serious this was.

So to summarize obviously Tai was regularly leaving he had work as a teacher and semi active huntsmen that payed the bills and fed his kids what did you expect him to do not go to work and risk going homeless and living on the streets with his kids like Ren and Nora and we don’t even know if he did leave them alone for all we know Yang left before the babysitter got there and this show already has too many characters so I really don’t see the point of acknowledging or pointing out that Ruby and Yang had a babysitter as that can be something assumed and yes this is remnant

 And in the grand scheme of things especially in comparison to characters like Ren and Nora, Cinder, Weiss, Blake, Emerald, Mercury and every single character that we know or can assume to know that had a horrible childhood Ruby and Yang more or less were better off and lived a pretty good if not idealistic childhood minus the dead mom and single working reliable dad.

Second Patch is still within the kingdoms borders as an island territory and we can blame this on early failures on world building planning because realistically Islands so logically be the most controlled, protected and in remnants case grimm free so we can at least say this is bad writing or that maybe grimm are rare on patch because either A.) someone is bringing them to patch or B.) theres a small grimm pool that spawns a small but manageable amount of grimm so its 50/50 here 

Also Yang wasn’t the only one grieving and if anything if there is one person who deserves to grief about summer more so than anyone else it is Taiyang 

Why

Because unlike Yang who at best with her childbrain has at best 2-3 years of actual memories with summer and chances are these are more or less skewed and false idealistic perspectives about summer so really Yang and by extension Ruby never really knew summer

But Taiyang did 

He was on a team with her, he was one of her closet friends to the point that they fell in love and had a child in less than 2 years after yang was born Tai knew her for at least 12 years before she disappeared 

That's 4 times longer than Yang most likely ever got to know summer and unlike Yang Tai wasn’t a child with a faulty memory. He can remember those times better than a  young child would and he probably knew and saw different sides and faces about summer that Yang and no one else saw or knew about so it really is understandable for why Taiyang would be this neglectful and depressed but that alone doesn't make him a bad parent after all he wasn’t getting black out drunk, doing drugs, gambling, or paying for xxx 

No

Taiyang had just lost the one person that most likely cared and loved him on a deep and emotional level and become the sole guardian and parent of two kids that he had to raise and take care of alone 

And as harsh and cruel as this might sound no one outside this family and their friends cares about their loss or struggle 

Tai’s job doesn’t care if he’s depressed and sure they gave him some time off to grieve and make funeral arrangements for Summer but at the same time they expect him to shut up, quit crying and get back to work otherwise why are we paying you the money to take care of your kids if your not going to work and do your job when we can fire you and hire your replacement 

So again Tai was really in a rock and a hard place when summer died and when he raised Ruby and Yang but at the end of the day Taiynag has responsibilities, obligations and a life outside of his daughters. I’m not saying he should prioritize work over his kids but at the same time nothing is free. Ruby and Yang need food and water to survive they need new clothes as they grow, they need a roof over their head and a bed to sleep in to feel safe and protected, fees and registrations are needed to be paid so they can go to school and get an education so they can learn to be independent and be prepared for a world where Taiyang may no longer be apart of it 

Good charity and a happy family can only get so far especially in a world where others have experienced greeter pain, loss, and suffering than the Rose/Xiao-Long family ever did at this point in time 

We all cope and grieve in different ways and we handle different situations as we see fit, there is no one way or one healthy way for one single individual  to deal with problems like this so aside from that one crisis and death in the family (unless further evidence is revealed) Yang and Ruby more or less had a better and good childhood in comparison to others Thanks to Taiyang despite his hiccups

This is all I have to say for now let me what you think and I will respond to the next section as soon as I can

@iamafanofcartoons @angstandhappiness @anthurak @harostar

Abuse Narratives in RWBY: Yang Xiao Long Edition (Feat. Ruby Rose)

We’ve all witnessed and talked about Blake and Weiss being abuse survivors for years. Blake escaping from Adam and Weiss escaping from her father were both huge, impactful events that have shaped the narrative of the story in many ways.

Yang on the other hand has managed to fly mostly under the radar with the abuse she’s suffered up to this point. Her jokey, happy-go-lucky facade tricking the audience just as well as it has her friends and family for years.

(Note: this is going to be a long post, so strap in. Also this is your warning I am not going to be holding back in my criticism of Tai, so if you don’t want to see me go into detail about how exactly he abused Yang, I highly suggest turning back now).

TL:DR: Yang was neglected and parentified (aka: abused) as a child and that’s the root of a lot of the issues that she’s currently struggling with in Volume 9 and a large part of her healing is going to be centered around her relationship with Blake going forward.

Keep reading

[riku-izanami]

Hey all, with the permission of @the-wayward-arc, I bring you Elena meeting......nora

Jaune: I honestly can't believe I have a cousin......from your side of the family not less. How come you never told me about them

Elena: I've been out of contact with holy terra for what seems to be eons now. When I was present most of my sisters did not care for such thing after Hera's betrayal & father's entombment.

Jaune: well.... I guess that makes sense....

Elena: *her expression turned to concern*....

Jaune: Mom? Is something wrong

Elena: just...a thought really..... it's.....*in thought "what if my sister's children fall to chaos"*

*THUMP THUMP THUMP*

Elena: what....is that noise.

Jaune:...oh boy.....not again

*THUMP THUMP THUMP*

Random student: OH MY $#@&@+¥¢ OUM RUN!

Elena: *looking at jaune* you know what it is

Jaune: *deadpanning* it's more of a who.........and sort of a what...

Elena: *eyes widen,& draws her sword* a daemon! Well, no foul daemon has ever survived a....

Jaune: I think she's worst than a daemon...OH @$#@ MOM INCOMING!

*Elena turned just in time to face the full force of a pink blur*

Elena: OOOOFF

???: HIYA AUNTY!!

Elena: *slowly coming her dazed state*....aunty? Who

Jaune: DAMN IT NORA! DON'T BODY SLAM MY MOTHER EVER AGAIN!

*Elena set her sights on the now named Nora. Her eyes widen at the mere sight of her toothy grin*

Nora: sorry jaune-jaune. I just wanted to let aunty Elena

Jaune: well there are better ways to greet someone you know, *turns to Elena* are you ok mom...

Elena: *stunned completely* impossible......

Jaune: ummm.....mom....

Nora: uh oh...*speeds off behind jaune* did I accidentally break her?

*the students watched Elena pick herself up, approach Nora, & inspected her like she had done emerald*

Jaune: uh mom....*realization slowly sets in*..... don't tell me...Nora is...

Nora: YUP *points her thumb at herself, giving a toothy grin, showing her fangs* I'm an official member of you family. We're cousins!

Jaune: *barely even registering this info*...if your....if she......then

Elena: I can't believe it......the offspring of Lena Russ...the wolf queen of fenris

(this is Nora's mom)

*After the ball drop of nora being a child of a primarch*

Nora: *on her 3rd stack of pancakes* and that's how Jeff, my best bird thingy friend, showed me the portal to remnant. then I got stuck here

Jaune:.....*visably speachless*

Elena: your scared chaos daemons, survived alone in the wilderness, and possess a bottomless appetite.....you truly are lena's daughter

Nora: yup, *pulls back her lips showing her fangs* and the teeth to prove it

Jaune:hey Nora.....

Nora: yes jaune-jaune?

Jaune: how did you survive in the wilderness alone

*Elena raises an eyebrow at her son's question*

Nora: I wasn't alone...I had renny.

Jaune:..true..but Ren still had his parents, you didn't meet him till you we're around five

Elena: true, even Lena found comfort with a pack of wolves to keep her alive

Nora: wait....momma was raised by wolves..... that's...So....COOL! Did have eat raw meat?! Oh was she forced walk on all fours. Is it too late for me to be raised by sloths? I like sloths. And pancakes, speaking of which...I need more pancakes

Elena: *sighing & shaking her head* just like Lena

Jaune: *snapping Nora back to him* Nora! Focus.....

Nora: right....right......what were we talking about

Elena: how you and this Ren survived in the wilderness

Nora: well....*scratching her head*....I had my auntie kanna

Elena: Who?

in the forest surrounding kuroyuri, an infant could be heard crying. This infant is Nora, only 2 years old and she was trick into going through a portal to a strange new land with no way home. With no familiarity of her surroundings & her calls for her mother unheard left Nora unbearably distressed, which did not seem good at the moment for one creature had heard her cries. A nuckaleeve, a bizarre and dangerous Grimm with a humanoid torso attached to a horse that terrorized this part of the forest, approached the tiny girl, eyes fixed on her with mouths watering. A human like this was no threat at all and provides a fairly easy to meal. In addition to it being alone made it all the more easier. With a mighty screech, the nuckaleeve charged towards Nora ready to make quick work of it's snack.

Nora turned her tiny head towards the strange noise that fill ed the air moments ago. But instead was met with complete silence as if someone killed all animals. Nor did Her tiny eyes see the disintegrating carcase of the nuckaleeve in the shadows. Her cries started again only to be quickly silenced by a dark, feminine and rather scratchy voice

???: hush now child of Lena , there is no reason to cry

Nora: *hiccuping she turns to look at the stranger who mentioned her mother's name*

The stranger was female, dressed in dark armour with strange claws on both her arms. Nora was quite fearful of her saviors appearance & voice. So much so she began to back away slowly.

???: It's alright little one *kneeling down spreading her arms in a welcoming manner* I am no threat to you

Nora was apprehensive until it was apparent the stranger ment no harm. Crawling into her arms, Nora gave a happy giggle her way of show affection.

The strange woman smiled at her companion, & proceeded to walk to an unknown location

Kassandra curze: your auntie kanna will keep you safe

(first actually prompt I've actually done. Once again, this is a loose interpretation of @the-wayward-arc parental primarchs au. I've decided to take some creative liberties such as; I decided to live ren's parents & kuroyuri alive and well. Also have nora cared for by a gender swapped Konrad curze. Why because I like her design, and thinks she might actually be a some what good parental figure as atonement for her actions way back when. Hope yall like It, please follow @the-wayward-arc for more RWBY x Warhammer content

[shinobirain24]

Mi Ren

Age: 18

Hair color: black (with a violent streak)

Eye color: violet

Gender: Female

Weapon: Nightshade

Semblance: Psychokinesis

Family: Mai Ren (Mother), Choi Jin (Father, deceased), Li Ren (Maternal Uncle, deceased), An Ren (Maternal Aunt-in-law, deceased), Rin Jin/Choia Ren (older twin sister), Dai Jin (paternal half-uncle), Lie Ren (Maternal Cousin), Empress of Mistral (paternal ancestor, deceased), Liu Ren (Maternal grandfather, deceased), Mi Ren I (Maternal Grandmother, deceased)

Affiliation: Haven Academy (formerly), Shade Academy (currently), Ren Clan

Occupation: Student of Haven Academy (formerly), Student of Shade Academy (currently)

Bio:

Mi Ren was born to Mai Ren (Li Ren's younger twin sister and current head of the Ren Clan) and Choi Jin (the former heir to the Jin Clan) alongside her older twin sister, Choia Ren. As an infant, Mi and Choia were resting in their cribs. Until a fire has been casted in their house. It was all a ploy for Mi's uncle, Dai Jin to kidnap one of the twins to raise as his own and leave the other for dead to get back at her father for affiliating with Mai.

Only Choi managed to recover Mi, but Choia was taken by Dai in the process. Mi did not have any recollection of this as a baby. Later her parents would go into hiding from her corrupt uncle and his clan, the Jin Clan to protect her from harm. But later when Mi was 3-years-old, her father Choi was killed by Dai when he found them, and attempted to take Mi and Mai's lives. But only Mai and Mi were the ones to be able to escape.

Later at the age of 5, Mi started her training as a Huntress to enroll to Haven Academy. So at 17, Mi would have no choice but to disguise herself as a boy named, Ming Ren. In order to not be recognized by Dai Jin. But would later have a rivalry with her twin sister, Choia, who was renamed Rin Jin by Dai.

After the Fall of Beacon, Mi returned home to her clan in search for her cousin, Lie Ren, after her maternal relatives were killed in Kuroyuri. And would later assist in the main protagonists in the Battle of Haven and later enroll into Shade Academy.

Personality:

Mi is a cheerful and spirited young woman with pride training with her mother. She is also gentle and caring, not wanting to hurt anyone in training sessions. She makes use of medical classes in order to secure the health of her teammates while in Haven Academy.

Despite being full of life in her mother's eyes. Mi still grieves over the loss of her father, but would never thought about killing her uncle for revenge. But hopes he would be stopped for him to see the error of his ways. Whenever she heard her mother grieving the loss of Choi. Mi would comfort her, indicating that she and her mother have a loving mother and daughter relationship.

After encountering her cousin, Lie Ren, for the first time. She came to view him as an older brother. And would refer to him as brother for honor. Being a fighter and a huntress in training, Mi knows when to fight by any means necessary.

Mi also hopes to one day recover her older twin sister from the hands of her uncle to get to know her after years of childhood together are stolen.

Semblance:

Using her weapons, Nightshade. Mi can use them to enable her Psychokinesis. Such as blowing away her enemies. Psychokinesis are rare that passes down to only daughter for generations. Due to her semblance being passed down by her mother and maternal grandmother. Her semblance is also useful for creating twisters to trap her enemies.

Weapon:

Mi's weapon are a pair of fan blades she dubbed, "Nightshade." Which she uses to enable her semblance. But it also has sharper blades to counter her enemies. Fans are not just for show.

Mi Ren's theme-

https://youtu.be/UAos24sUDxg

[rwbyvein]

Sunlit Knight:  Kiss and Made Up:  Part III/III

Dark Form: *pounces from the shadows*

Jaune: *catches Blake a few feet before she reached Yang*

Blake (hanging from Jaune's arm): Hehe?

Jaune: Nice try.

Yang: It's like having my own shield follow me around.

Ruby: *turns into rose petals and charges at Yang*

Jaune: *catches her midflight*

Jaune: *lifts Ruby up to look him in his eyes and gives her a questioning look*

Ruby: What?, it looked like fun.

*shadow appears over Jaune*

Jaune: *turns around to see Nora barreling down with her hammer*

Jaune: *barely has time to use his aura like a shield to stop her*

Nora: *giggling*

Nora: *raises her eyebrows suggestively*

Jaune: *turns around to find Ren in his space*

Ren: *heel palm pressed against Jaune's chest*

Ren: It did, indeed, look like fun.

Weiss: *unsure if she should admonish them, or join in the fun*

* * *

Jaune: *chopping wood shirtless*

Ruby and Yang: *intently watching him*

Ruby: I feel like we should be doing something.

Yang: Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Or we just enjoy ourselves, and make sure he enjoys himself later.

Ruby (still staring): But?..

Yang: Alright, Rubes, take your eyes away and I'll believe you.

Ruby: But he's gorgeous - and shirtless - and - and...

Yang: Oh, I know. Trust me, Rubes, I know.

* * *

Jaune: *still shirtless, blowing into the camp fire to get it going*

Ruby and Yang: *still staring*

Yang: So, Rubes, still want to help him?

Ruby: Yeah...

Yang: Still can't look away, can you?

Ruby: . . .

Yang: That's what I thought.

Weiss: Do you two intend to lounge around all day?

Yang: We're... just...

Weiss: Staring. Quite intently. And before that, Jaune carried you for half the day.

Ruby: I thought he wasn't allowed to carry both of us.

Weiss (self-confidently nods her head): He carried each of you for half a day. And now you spend the whole evening...

Yang: Uh-huh? Hard to look away, isn't it?

Jaune: *still shirtless, starts throwing meat onto the grill he set up*

Blake: Are we just going to let Jaune do all of the cooking for us?

Yang: It seems like it, yeah. I mean, he's a fantastic cook.

Yang: *looks at Blake*

Yang: I mean, not saying you're not...

Weiss: He does seem to enjoy taking care of us.

Yang: And we take care of him.

Weiss: . . .

Yang: At night...

Weiss: *weak huff*

Ruby: You have coffee.

Yang: Because you make FANTASTIC coffee. And cakes.

Weiss: Pastries.

Yang: Still fantastic.

Ruby: And Ren usually does breakfast.

Yang: I mean, what's left for us to do?

Weiss: Other than the tent.

Yang: Clear night.

Yang: *points at their joined sleeping bag*

Blake: I know, a bath?

Weiss: And just what are we going to use for a bathtub?

Blake: . . .

Weiss: Even if it does sound wonderful.

Yang: *walks toward Jaune and offers him a wet towel*

Jaune: *starts cleaning himself off*

Ruby: Nope.

Weiss: Nope?

Ruby: He's OURS.

Weiss: I hardly intented to...

Blake: He is fun to watch, though.

Weiss: I believe that's something we can all agree with.

* * *

Jaune: *lays slumped against a log*

Ruby and Yang: *snuggle into him*

Yang: You're too good for us.

Jaune: *scoff*

Ruby: You have to know how much we love you.

Jaune: Okay, yeah, but too good? Even for one of you, I find that hard to believe.

Yang: Did you see yourself today?

Jaune: *stares her into her eyes*

Jaune: Uh, no? Kind of hard to see myself.

Yang: That's not what I mean.

Ruby: I don't know, I think he has a point. He doesn't see just how amazing he is.

Yang: You know what?, I think you're right. So, what do we have to do to prove to you how amazing you are?

Ruby: Nothing.

Yang: Oh, I love your schemey face.

* * *

Ruby and Yang: *snuggle back up to Jaune*

Ren: We were asked to explain to you how feel about you.

Nora: Like, totally awesome.

Jaune: You definitely believe that, but I don't know why.

Nora: . . .

Ren: Perhaps our history is in order. We have never told you the whole story, so to speak.

Ren: *breathes deep*

Ren: As you have likely surmised, I grew up in Kuroyuri. Until...

Ren: *breathes deep*

Ren: It was a happy childhood. My father was a hunter... not a huntsman, but a mundane hunter. He was often away from home, as hunters often were, and so wanted to teach me responsibility from my earliest days.

Jaune: And Nora?

Nora: I was an orphan. Not the happy kind, either...

Ren: I first came across her, as she was... being beaten. I am ashamed to say I did not initially do anything...

Nora: But... you?..

Ren: It was only when my father reminded me of responsiblity that I acted.

Nora: Oh, come on, you were just a kid.

Ren: *breathes deep*

Ren: I know... but it is still my greatest shame.

Jaune: Not?.. I mean...

Ren: *breathes deep*

Ren: During the fall of Kuroyuri, I found strength I never had before. My father could barely delay the Nuckelavee, nevermind fight it. The only thing I could do was save Nora... and myself... That's where my semblance first manifested. If we panicked, we would be dead. We had to remain calm, escape, and evade. It took the upmost strength for us to flee.

Nora: There's no way I could have made it without him. He... he was the one who calmed me down... and has been doing every since... until...

Ren: Until the Emerald Forest. It was in the first time in our lives when we were not alone. We met RWBY, Pyrrha... and you... In our lives, we had only fought to flee, or aid others in doing so. We never fought for ourselves, we never... stood... and fought...

Nora: Until you. Like, you had to stand and fight.

Ren: And you did.

Nora: And we did.

Ren: For the first time in our lives, we fought for something.

Jaune: What?

Ren: *quietly looks down for a moment*

Ren: We honestly don't know.

Nora: But you do.

Ren: Ever since, you've given us something to fight for. We're always confident that you made the right choice, and our fight was righteous.

Nora: And all we had to do was fight. Which is the part I'm good at...

Ren: It is wholly freeeing and invigorating.

Jaune: . . .

Jaune: I... mean that much... to you?..

Nora: I mean, come on, you ask us to join you on an epic quest and we didn't even had to think about it.

Jaune: You... did pause... for a moment..

Nora: I was trying not to sound too eager...

Ren: I was trying to contain my elation.

* * *

Weiss and Blake: *kneel in front of Jaune, still with the sisters snuggling up to him*

Weiss: We have been asked to share our feelings on you.

Jaune: *looks at Weiss fearfully*

Weiss: *scoff*

Weiss: I thought we have long since gotten over that unpleasantness. You were young and naive, and simply tried to court me... even if you had no idea how to go about this. I will admit... it was annoying... But, as I said, we have long since gotten passed that.

Jaune: Since when?

Weiss: Since, perhaps you saved my life?.. I still cannot believe my first words to my saviour were so... uncouth...

Blake: As for me... you... kept the hearth burning...

Jaune, Ruby, Yang, Weiss: *look at her curiously*

Blake: It's a metaphor. You kept RWBY together. Who knows what would have happened if you hadn't gone with Ruby? We probably would have never gotten back together. Your biggest problem is that you care too much, for everything and everyone you come across. It's your greatest strength and your greatest weakness... but it's a strength none of us, other than Ruby... have...

Yang: See, told you, Ladykiller.

Weiss: *huff*

Weiss: I assure you he has not... killed... my lady... But that does not mean we do not respect you, or consider you a true friend.

Blake: We wouldn't be here without you.

Ruby: *kisses Jaune on his cheek*

Yang: *more passionately kisses Jaune on his cheek*

Ruby: *even more passionately kisses Jaune on his cheek*

Weiss: And you seem to have them frothing at the mouth.

Blake: Among other places...

Jaune: *squeeze the girls*

Ruby and Yang: *stop in their tracks*

Jaune: We'll have to save that for later.

Weiss: We can excuse ourselves to give you a bit of privacy.

Weiss: *stands up*

Blake: Just believe in yourself, and if that doesn't work, remember that we believe in you.

Blake: *stands up*

Weiss and Blake: *turn to walk away*

Jaune: *forces Ruby and Yang to kiss*

[pilot-boi]

By Any Other Name: Chapter Five

Mandevillas

Bright and vibrant, as musical as their name sake. Hardy and strong, but still needing the support of others to grow.

AO3 LINK

Nobody ever explained the flowers to Nora. She’d had nobody to do so, after all. Living alone and young and scared on the streets, she’d learned to not question certain things. The flowers existed, they just did. They didn’t hurt when the grew so she generally paid them no mind.

Yellow was the most common of the blooms, and she left a trail of daffodils behind her wherever she went. She’d string the blooms together, or keep petals in her pockets. Just something to remind her that there was life away from the streets. 

When her stomach rumbled and hunger stabbed it like hot knives, she almost wished for more flowers if only for something to eat. Whether the flowers were safe to eat or not didn’t matter. Nora thought she could endure any pain if only to stop the hunger gnawing at her belly.

Nora found out she was Ren’s soulmate on the same day he found out she was his. It was on the day that Kuroyuri was… on the day that they met.

Great black and white monsters with glowing red eyes filled the sky and the street. She had no home to run to or away from as most of the people seemed to be doing. With nowhere else to go, she’d hidden herself away under the raised floor of an already vacated house. It was only a matter of time before the monsters found her, and she had no way to defend herself.

Something touched her shoulder and she jumped. There was a boy there, telling her to be brave. Before Nora knew what she was doing, she’d thrown her arms around his shoulders.

One of the monsters screeched overhead. How could it not know where they were? A wave of calm flowed over her like cool water after a hot day. The monster flew away.

The calm feeling went away as well, and as it went, Nora’s fear returned. The worst monster of all clopped past on mismatched legs, trailing its long clawed hands behind it. She and the boy watched as it stopped in front of the house they were hiding under. They both released a breath they hadn’t known they’d been holding when it walked away.

“I’m scared,” she said, still crouched on the ground ready to bolt away. 

“Me too,” the boy said, meeting her eyes. One of Nora’s hands was still clutching his sleeve, and she grabbed him and cried out when he tried to move away. He reassured her, and she very reluctantly let him go. 

He turned and crawled away into the street, retrieving a small wooden hammer which he presented to her upon his return. “We’ll keep each other safe,” he said, sounding sure of himself, unmovable in his belief that they would be okay. “What’s your name?” he asked as she took the hammer from him and held it close to her chest.

“Nora,” she replied, feeling the barest hint of a smile flicker across her face.

“My name’s Lie Ren,” he said. Ash was still falling like corrupted snow from the sky, but Nora somehow felt more safe than she ever had before. The boy, Ren, was bleeding. He’d scraped his right hand when he’d crawled into the street, but he hadn’t seemed to notice.

“You’re bleeding!” Nora exclaimed quietly, shuffling a little closer to him and pointing with her own right hand. He glanced down at it and exclaimed quietly at something he saw.

Nora followed his gaze and saw that some of the flowers were sprouting on her hand again. Green water lilies bloomed along one side of her hand, small pale petals fanning to cover her bruised skin.

“You have my flowers…” Ren murmured, quiet amazement filling his voice as he watched them with wide eyes. The explanation of what he meant lasted until morning, and by then it was safe to leave the underbelly of the house. 

When they ventured from the ruined remains of Kuroyuri, Nora realized that she’d never actually been alone. Red, Yellow, and Green, who she now knew as Ren, had been there with her every step of the way. Lilies sprouted more from Nora now that Ren was living in the wild with her, but with Ren there to look out for her, many fewer mandevillas appeared on Ren’s body.

Traveling together led to many insightful conversations about soulmates. Of their unknown flowers, Yellow ones came the most often. Red didn’t get hurt that often, and their injuries were small enough that the chrysanthemums were pale and small. After a while, Red’s flowers stopped blooming at all.

Yellow was an entirely different story. Scraped knees, pricked fingers, paper cuts, the daffodils were a constant companion on their travels. One time, when they were about to arrive at Beacon Academy, flowers started blooming like crazy on their arms. Nora had freaked out, but Ren was quick to provide “bike crash” as a reason. They both agreed that Yellow needed to take better care of themselves.

[ashyybees-art]

I’ve seen the theory that Nora could be Dr. Polendina’s lost daughter, and I like it, but I also thought of something else now that we’ve seen Mantle. ( And Nora backstory is confirmed for V7)

What if Nora’s parents are from Mantle and while they were in Mistral/the continent, they actually just abandoned Nora there because with Mantle’s condition they couldn’t afford, and vice versa, to raise a child anymore?? Even being able to move wasn’t an option as they were hoping to with visiting Mistral? So they just silently left Nora there, where she wandered and found herself in Kuroyuri eventually.

Or Nora’s family was from higher up Atlas, visiting Mistral, and along the way were attacked by bandits and her parents were too stubborn to give up anything, despite Nora’s terrified pleading for them to just give them what they want, and were killed and Nora running away?? It could line up with how Nora acted to Ren’s stubbornness in facing the Nuckalavee, and to Jaune post V4 with too much adamantcy in getting revenge for Pyrrha to the point of putting his own life at risk.

[becomestormaa]

twin au ( with @lotusesque​. )

is a variant of ren’s villain & assassin verses.

nezha is the older twin of lie and, following the decimation of kuroyuri where they were separated from their family, was raised into their father’s previous assassin clan after having been found by a member.

li left the assassin clan long ago and was extremely paranoid about their influence eventually reaching his family. now that he is seemingly out of the picture, it’s sort of messed up that nezha fell into their grasp.

they spent years mourning each other, and dealing with it through emotive semblances that were similar, having unlocked through the same means and at the same time.

the clan is eventually contracted to act as spies for salem’s network, having planted young assassins in all the schools to search for agents of ozpin, silver eyed warriors, and potential maidens.

nezha attends beacon where they are unknowingly reunited with their twin, who is on a team with the next potential fall maiden, making the situation very complicated.

[basically-rainbow-aus]

The next two RWBabies the admins have created! Kusagi and Lavica are childhood best friends.

Just like the other four RWBabies on this blog, Kusagi and Lavica will be open to questions.

(Once again, their bios will be under the cut, and they’re still long:)

Kusagi Ren (Based on Bonnie Parker)

Name Inspiration: ‘Kusa’ can mean herb in Japanese, ‘Gi’ can mean righteousness in Japanese

Nickname(s): ‘Kusa’ by Lie and Lavica, ‘Gigi’ by Fox and Byakuren, ‘Ren’ by anyone and everyone

Iolite-isms: Weed, Stoner, Pink Eye, Herbivore, Picasso

Languages: RSL

Gender: Male

Species: Human

Aura Colour: Pink

Schools and Team: Sanctum Academy (combat school), Haven Academy (Academy)/Past Member of Team DBRK (Daybreak)

Bestie Better Than The Restie: Lavica Politan

Homeplace: Kuroyuri

Orientation: Asexual Heteroromantic

Semblance: Commute, a semblance that is shared between Kusagi and his sister Byakuren together. It is a semblance that is always active. It allows Kusagi to sense his sister’s emotions and in turn read her movements, meaning they have access to flawless teamwork and team attacks, aware of exactly where to strike and when to attack without harming Byakuren. 

Weapon: Lilypads, a pair of leg bracers that are hooked up to a projectile, long-range firing mechanism that fires off a colourless firework or flare. They are slightly heavier than that of Byakuren’s Blunt Retribution and can haul more weight and thus more projectiles.

Voiced by: No one

Trivia: 

His fathers are the reason he enjoys tea as much as he does. His favourite kind is skullcap tea.

Kusagi was born clinically mute similar to Neo but was only diagnosed when Fox found it curious that he never made a sound when he cried or laughed at age four.

He is very close with both his fathers but also his Aunt Nora, finding common ground with her on the basis on fashion sense and their shared love of pinks. He is always overjoyed whenever she and Ruby choose to visit Kuroyuri.

He loves music and will actively seek out quiet places when he feels overwhelmed by the noise of life so he can listen through his headphones in peace.

Late nighttime is the first time he meets one Lavica Politan, his best friend aside from his little sister. Though the two can barely speak a word between them at first, with some assistance from Neo in the way of RSL lessons for Kusagi, they become very good friends very quickly. He often assists as extra guard for her while she runs the crime of Anima. It is also with Lavica that he became a protector and guardian for Cinnabarus after finding him in the Politan residence attic.

Though he cannot sing, he can play bass guitar.

Kusagi is extremely protective and connected to his little sister Byakuren since their shared Semblance prevailed when he was five and she was four. The emotional and mental attachment between the two means that if Kusagi is seperated from her, he’ll feel as though a piece of him is missing and will risk just about anything just to ensure her safety and closeness. Byakuren also acts as his scribe in most situations where people don’t know RSL.

He’s an early bird and doesn’t go to sleep well. 

His favourite meal is fruit salad with maple syrup and honey. He’s a sucker for all things sweet and lovely.

Although he doesn’t wear it day-to-day, Kusagi’s Huntsman garb includes a transulcent pink veil that covers his mouth. He finds that it draws attention away from his lack of voice and towards how he can communicate.

Lavica Politan (Based on the Cheshire Cat and Pompeii)

Name Inspiration: Lava Red and Lava Grey

Nickname(s): ‘Lav’ or ‘Lavi’ by anyone and everyone, ‘Ma’am’ by syndicate members and teammates

Iolite-isms: Little Bitch, Pompeii, Sir, Magma Pop

Languages: RSL, Valean, North Mistrali, South Mistrali, limited Vacuan

Gender: Female

Species: Human

Aura Colour: Red

Schools and Team: No combat school, Haven Academy (Academy)/Leader of Team LCRC (Liquorice)

Bestie Better Than The Restie: Kusagi Ren

Homeplace: Northern Anima, later Kuroyuri

Orientation: Asexual Aromantic

Semblance: Visionary, an illusionary semblance that gives Lavica similar abilities to her Mom. Using just the thought of her mind and a bit of Aura extension, she can create illusions of objects or even people with little to no strain. Her power seems almost limitless and surpasses that of Neo. It does, however, come with a temporary effect. If an illusion takes too much damage or cannot be held anymore, then they will disappear into ash and embers, though if Lavica is in an emotional state then the illusion will erupt into a flame will vaporise itself withins three seconds of its life. To keep this flame from appearing, she practices calming techniques such as Tai Chi every morning with her foster brother, Cinnabarus. 

Weapon: Trickshot, a cane that, when a button on the side is pressed, extends at the hook to reveal an umbrella’s canopy. The canopy is fused with a special mesh of carbon fibres, allowing them to absorb heat and withstand blasts but also perform lightly, creating the perfect shield and showmanship tool. The base of the cane can also pop open to reveal a firing mechanism capable of releasing a few shots at a time. A blade mechanism is also built into the cane’s hook, which can extend and divide itself in blade form to achieve a wider surface area and thus a further damage capacity. The top of the canopy is also emblazoned with a flame symbol that acts as a Dust absorber and can lauch an attack back at its initial weilder. 

Voiced by: Brina Michelle Palencia

Trivia: 

Neo and Cinder had Lavica after Team WTCH had split off, Salem having been defeated. With Watts and Tyrian hiding out in Atlas and Hazel off the face of Remnant in a matter of days, Cinder returned to Neo. Lavica was welcomed into the world with flashfire from Cinder and a smile from Neo, the former leaving soon after her birth.

Lavica arrived in Kuroyuri when she was three, having tipped up with an injured Neo and no Cinder in sight. It was that night she met Kusagi Ren, her future best friend. The Ren family quickly became a constant presence in the Politans’ lives, providing easy access to services, respect and later better resources than they would’ve had alone out in Anima.

She is hot-headed and short-tempered similarly to Cinder. Running a crime syndicate and ensuring no-one gets hurt without your say so while juggling being a Huntress is not an easy job, to say the least.

She has a somewhat foster brother in the form of Cinnabarus, as she and Kusagi found him in her attic when they were both eight and chose to raise him with limited success.

Lavica has no interest in finding a partner. Her mothers’ “divorce” broke her ideals of love long before she could even grasp it.

She’s a night owl and often breaks into Kusagi’s room while he’s awake.

Although she is a decent Huntress alongside her sustained team, she is quite occupied and passionate about keeping tabs on the crime syndicate of Anima she rules with an iron fist. The only exclusion is Rooke Branwen and said Branwen’s tribe, as the girls have clashed many times over the years and Lavica now simply uses her as a source of information on whoever she needs to find.

Although she has been trained since she was five and Neo trusts her immensely, Lavica was not allowed to leave her mother’s side or the village of Kuroyuri until she was fifteen. The constant threat of Cinder returning for a “visit” and harming Lavica has always been a paranoia of the Rens and Neo alike.

Her favourite meal is either katsu chicken curry with coriander and lime or the ever-delicious pancakes Lie makes with strawberries and pumpkin spice powder.

[darksaiyangoku]

Alright, guess I’ll send a Christmas prompt thingy: Dragonslayer! Jaune and Yang are spending time together and are about kiss, only for Raven to accidentally walk in on the duo. Raven in question wants to reconcile with her daughter, but does a poor job at it, so Jaune (having living with seven sisters previously) offers to help, and slowly gaining her approval in dating her daughter.

Episode 11 of RWBY Christmas Specials is here!!!!

The Rose-Xiao Long household was quiet this Christmas Day. After a big delicious meal, cooked by Ruby and Tai, Jaune and Yang snuggled up together on top of their bed. Jaune tussled Yang’s hair slightly, smiling as he did. Normally she would burst into a rage of someone even dared think about touching her hair, but Jaune was one of the few exceptions.

Yang: What are you thinking about, Ladykiller?

Jaune: *mock pondering* I’m thinking *carresses Yang’s cheek* that I want to kiss you all over.

Yang: *smirks* Ooooh, I like the sound of that.

Jaune held her shoulders while Yang cupped his cheeks as their lips met. They both hummed in delight as they enjoyed the beautiful sensastion and taste of each other. Soon Jaune began to straddle Yang and moved his lips closer to her neck. Yang bit her bottom lip, trying not wake her sister and dad. Suddenly, she heard a slashing sound and, next to the door, she saw a woman with black hair, red eyes, crimson armour and a small rectangular object wrapped in brown cloth. Yang gestured Jaune to stop and the blonde boy and out of his bed at the shock of seeing Raven. The two women stared at each other, fists clenched and teeth bared.

Raven: Hello Yang.

Yang: Hello Raven.

Raven: *raises eyebrow* Really? You refer me by my first name?

Yang: *standing up* As far as I can tell, you lost the mom status when you left.

Raven: Listen here, someone had to take charge of the tribe and it certainly wasn’t going to be my idiot brother!

Yang: *eyes flash red* So you decided that those murderous bastards were more important than your own family?

Raven: *eyes spark* They ARE my family.

Yang: Gee, some family you have there! A bunch of thugs and lowlifes who do nothing but cause misery and pain for others...... just like you do.

Raven: *clenches fist* That’s not true.

Yang: *scoffs* The only time you ever show up is when you need something. So whatever it is, just find Qrow or dad and leave us the hell alone!

Raven: *grits teeth* I didn’t come for them, I cane for you!

Yang: *eyes flash red* Whatever you want I don’t have!

Raven: *stamps foot* I CAME HERE TO APOLOGISE!

The room became deathly silent as Jaune looked at the two women exchanging fierce glares. The words struck Yang like a bolt of lightning.

Yang: ......no.

Raven: *shocked* What?

Yang: *eyes flash red* I said no! You had years to make up for everything but you didn’t! What, just because it’s Christmas, you think you can just waltz in here and expect me to forgive you? It doesn’t work like that!

Raven: Yang I-

Yang: *semblance activates* SHUT UP! YOI BETTER GET RIGHT NOW OR I SWEAR I’LL-

Jaune: *yelling* YANG STOP!

Yang: *turns to Jaune* What?

Jaune: *panting* I said..... stop.

Yang: *eyes turn lilac* You can’t be serious.

Jaune: I am. I know how you feel about Raven, but I think you should hear her out.

Yang: Hear her out? Why the fuck should I hear her out? I’m never going to forgive her!

Jaune: *sighing* I’m not saying you have to forgive her, but at least listen to her. She came all this way to see YOU. That has to mean something. Whether or not you want to forgive her is your call, but at least try to hear her out.

Yang: ........

Jaune: Please, Yang. For me.

Yang: *sighs* Fine. *turns to Raven* Say what you need to.

Raven: *fidgeting* I......... I’m not good at this sort of thing. I’ve made a big mistake and I chose the Tribe over you. I’ll be honest, I did expect all of this to blow over quickly and everything would be fine. *chuckles* Clearly I was wrong.

Yang: Well, at least you know that it was a stupid plan, but it still doesn’t explain why you came here in the first place.

Raven: .......because of your sister.

Yang: *eyes wide* What?

Jaune: *gasping* You met with Ruby?

Raven: *nods head* Yes. She and that cat were on a mission to Kuroyuri. My tribe was there and...... let’s just say we got into a scuffle. It was there that Ruby and I clashed. *chuckles* She’s gotten quite skilled. Even I wasn’t a match for her. When she disarmed me, she also tosses her weapon aside and...... just talked.

Yang: Just talked?

Raven: Yes. She told me everything you’ve been through. What you lost, what you gained, how hard you fought and........ how much you inspired her. It was there that she made me realise that I needed talk to you. Because....... *tearing up* I never realised how much of a horrible mother I really was.

Yang: *soft breaths*

Raven: *crying* In all your darkest moments, in all your struggles, I should’ve been there! To help you, to support you and to let know......... that you weren’t alone and that........ everything would be okay.

Yang: *tearing up*

Raven: *crying* But I wasnt! I was so fixated on my old family that I didn’t dare to give my new one a chance! I-I know that this doesn’t fix the mistakes I made, nor does it make up for the fact that...... I was never there for you.......... but I’m here now and I wanna start over.

Yang: Start over?

Raven: I-I won’t leave the tribe........ but I want to change it. To make it something better than it is now. Reforge it as Huntsmen tribe......... and I want you to be a part of it.

Yang: I-

Raven: You don’t have to decide right now, you can take all the time you need. But I am serious of wanting to be part of your life again........ if you’ll have me.

Yang said nothing and slowly walked over to Raven. The bandit leader winced, expecting a punch. Instead, she felt arms wrap around her as her daughter drew her in for a warm embrace.

Yang: Raven........ this is a lot to take in. You coming over here, knowing that you spoke with Ruby, wanting to change the tribe. I-I just don’t..... don’t know if I can forgive you just yet.

Raven: .......

Yang: *tearing up* But I’m willing to try.

Raven: *tearing up* ....you will?

Yang: *smiles* Yes. This is the first step. Merry Christmas Raven.

Raven: *tightens hug* Merry Christmas Yang.

Jaune smiled at the sight of them. Though not entirely fixed, their relationship was beginning to heal. He tried to leave the room, but was caught by Raven.

Jaune: Wait, what are- oof!

Raven: *brings Jaune into the hug* Come here you!

Jaune: *incoherent noises*

Yang: *chuckles* She seems to like you now.

Minutes passed and Jaune had escorted Raven downstairs to the guest bedroom. Meanwhile, Yang opened the cloth to find a small, silver and red dagger with a black handle. She looked at it ominously, glancing at a small note near it. Curious, she began to read:

To my little firebird,

I hope this finds you well. The New Branwen Tribe would like to welcome you and your family into our ranks. From this forward, we will dedicate our lives to proctection instead of destruction. This dagger was forged when the tribe was first founded and, normally, tradition would dictate that this would go to the son of the leader, but I decided to make an exception here. I wish you and your family well, especially your mother and uncle. Merry Christmas, my dear.

Your grandfather, Corvus Branwen.

Tears fell from her face as Yang smiled. Her family was whole again and was beginning to grow even further, with the addition of her boyfriend. She would remember this day forever, recounting it to her children every year.

[becomestorm]

some headcanons that i’ve developed about kuroyuri.

the village of kuroyuri was said to be founded originally on marshland, and suspended over water. the great tree in the centre has a legend surrounding it ( better illustrated through this video ) said to be the burial place of two lovers, reincarnated in the next life to produce the beauty that is now the village of kuroyuri’s sacred tree. their descendants founded the village. the tragic star crossed lovers trope is something that keeps appearing, as i base my characterisations of li and an on the butterfly lovers, with emphasis on zhu yingtai as ren’s mother.

kuroyuri was once known as the place of new beginnings, and a major tourist attraction for young couples, and especially people getting married. there were ancient temples and shrines nearby, and the cherry blossom trees made for beautiful backdrops wherever one decided to point their camera.

the cherry blossom tree in the centre is the one that flowers the longest, and is pink for the majority of the year save for the dead of winter. it flowering marks the spring equinox which the kuroyuri valley was famous for in their celebrations.

because kuroyuri was a tourist attraction, the surrounding hills and forests were also home to bandits who picked off travellers. they were a nuisance, but ordinarily the hunters who lived in the village were enough to handle them. they didn’t invest enough time into village defences, which was why they were decimated once the knuckelavee came. bandits ransacked the town soon afterwards.

during the spring equinox, not only the great tree but the entire valley would be filled with these kuroyuri trees, a special genus of flowering lotus whose seeds could grow anywhere, whether it was soil or water. this, the origin of the lie family, is where they get their name. a name meaning “endure”.

coincidentally, this is also ren’s birthday.

the village has a lot of intersecting canals that run through it as a reminder that kuroyuri was once on top of water, and fish can often be found swimming through them. it is river / rain water. there were often little fish feeders found around corners so that people could feed the koi that ran through them.

when ren is in their mid thirties, they go back to kuroyuri and start reconstruction.

the first thing they do is consult an arborist to see if the great tree is salvageable. it is only dying, as it’s isolated from surrounding trees and because kuroyuri was once lake / marshland, the soil is still rich and it is not completely dead. ren goes about the arduous process of bringing it back to life, even infusing some aura into it from time to time to see if that will help the process. eventually, with the help of the reconstructed canals circulating water better throughout the village, it starts growing leaves and flowering again.

ren was asked to help along with / from other former kuroyuri inhabitants, but they don’t spearhead the entire process. even though they don’t elect themselves as a leader, they are often consulted as to what to do, even if ren would rather work quietly on their own. this time, prioritising village defences, kuroyuri becomes liveable in again. ren’s mentor sets up a small dojo as a sort of prep for combat school for children raised there, and ren disappears once efforts are almost complete, constantly coming back, but only returning permanently once they’ve retired.

they build a small shrine where their parents are buried, plant a nest of trees around it so it becomes a garden that shrouds the tombstones.

[alansparkshark]

Alright, this hit me like a Boarbatusk. Or a truck. Same thing.

So, here I am, happily making some RWBY OCs. I get to their Semblances and think: "What can I give them that's useful and connected to their character?" Cuz, you know,

I don't quite get it from that explanation though, so my next thought is: "Well, let's look at the original cast, see what they got and how it pertains to their characters."

And yet the more I looked, the more a thought grew in me.

"There's aren't so much decided by their personalities as they are by their wishes."

Now, hear me out here. For most Semblances we've seen yet and have heard/seen the unlocking of, they seem to have appeared in a moment of need, a moment of physical or emotional stress.

And it always seems to pertain to certain desires the user has.

Alright, let's just start from somewhere. Let me explain my thought process.

I take a character who's Semblance we know of, then check their backstory and personality. Then I check if said backstory/personality could lead to a desire in said character. And finally, I try to see if that desire connects directly to the Semblance of the character in question.

Let's start with someone who's Semblance we not only know, but saw the moment they found it.

Lie Ren.

First off, we check their personality/backstory. Ren is a quiet, less emotionally expressive character. He seems to stay calm in every moment. As the story progresses, he grows more expressive - in current-day Kuroyuri, he is shown in a rage.

So far, it seems fitting that such a character gets a Semblance such as "Calmness", as I'll dub it.

But it's the moment that he unlocks it that makes it interesting.

Up until that point, we've seen Ren as an excitable little boy. He went from store to store, trying to find something to buy his father for his return. He shows a lot of emotions at that point. When the Nuckelavee attacks and his parents perish, he is panicked beyond belief and is hiding under an archway. He notices Nora a little ways away, in a similar state. He wants to help her. He wants to take action, but he's too panicked to move. He wants to calm down , he tries and tries and- his Semblance activates. His desire to calm down activated his unique ability - to instill calmness despite negative emotions. His wish was to do as his father and mother did - be brave and inspire others to feel the same.

In other words, his Semblance was unlocked by his desire to be calm so he could be reliable to those he cares about.

Alright, next big example - Jaune.

His Semblance was first hinted at in "Forever Fall, pt.2" as Cardin attempted to give Jaune the good ol' knuckle sandwich, only hurt his hand after a bright flash of light (This'll be of importance later). The next time we see it is alllll the way in "Vault of The Spring Maiden", and this time it was fully unlocked. His Semblance of Aura Amplification is one that I personally feel really fits his character - he doesn't want to protect his friends. He wants to do as Pyrrha did for him at Beacon - bring them up, assist them in achieving new heights but not doing it instead of them. Notice how I again used "wants". His desire to do as a good leader should, bring up his teammates, is the basis of his Semblance. It's the same with when he blocked Cardin's punch - he wanted to bring himself up from the pitiful state he was in at the time, not just protect himself from the pain but have the strength to overcome it.

Alright, next up on the list... is Raven, surprisingly.

She was one of the easiest to piece to this logic, as she and Qrow have an irony with their Semblances. But back to Raven.

Her Semblance is "Connection", as I'll call it. It's premise is relatively simple - she can create a portal to those she has a strong emotional connection to. The list so far includes Qrow (brother & teammate), Taiyang (lover & teammate), Yang (daughter) and Vernal (right-hand woman until her untimely demise). We know about Vernal due to process of elimination - unless you wanna imply she actually had a connection to Cinder or her companions. And yet, her whole story is how she abandoned her daughter and her husband. She told Qrow "they owed everything to the Branwen tribe", strongly implying, if not confirming she feels a sense of thankfulness to the people who raised her when she needed it. She admonished Qrow for deserting the clan. She feels a sense of duty towards them. And yet, her Semblance is based entirely on emotional connection - something I doubt is of great importance in a bandit clan composed of "killers and thieves", in Qrow's words. I'd hazard to guess that a childhood in a bandit clan would easily stir a desire to form lasting bonds - something easily achievable when you can make portals. Despite her sense of duty, she still desires a strong emotional bond, devoid of power dynamics and a sense of "we may die any day". Something she had with Taiyang and Yang. Something she had with Qrow and Vernal, despite the circumstances. Really adds a layer to her character if you put it like that.

Alright, who's next... hm, let's put Qrow on the dissection table now.

His Semblance of "Misfortune" seems awfully contradictory to his character, that of a caring man who can barely stand to hurt those close to him, even if they're not family and friends. Why would that be his Semblance?

Well, he obviously didn't have a great opinion of the Branwen tribe. Who knows, maybe what Raven saw as being saved, Qrow saw as being used. Maybe he wished that they'd be caught by bad luck, that the tribe would just collapse and disappear. But that spite evolved into his current Semblance - everyone around him suffers while he's only really left with emotional scars.

Welp. That was depressing. Who's up for getting at Nora next.

Now, this is gonna be pretty short this time. There's not a lot to talk about. She sees Ren as her emotional anchor, her savior. She wants to give back for what he does. She sees he's struggling on the physical side (he's pretty low on the endurance, as evident multiple times throughout the show), so she desires to be strength he's lacking in. And look where that got her - her Semblance, "Charging" makes her grow exponentially stronger the more electricity she absorbs. She can even channel it into objects, like Magnhild or an Ursa. I'd say mission successful, you funky little Thor ginger.

Let's finish up JNPR with their resident apology machine - Pyrrha.

So, we know she'd been in many tournaments. She's the Invincible Girl. The three-time Mistral regional battle tournament winner. She's honestly a gladiator. And what does a gladiator crave? Victory. That's where her overpowered (in comparison to others) Semblance appeared from. She simply wanted to beat her opponents more easily. Well, until she didn't want all the fame that came along with her power.

Alright, who do we mentally lay bare... Hm, Velvet seems simple enough.

What's there to say - a shy, bullied bunny. She's a second year in the first year's history class. I'd say that would do some things to your confidence. And what's her Semblance? Well it just so happens to be "Movement Copying". She can copy a person's physical movements, even if she has not seen them, as shown in "Heroes and Monsters". Makes sense - her desire to be as strong as those around her shows both in her Semblance and her weapon (which is basically a weapon-copying camera). She doesn't have confidence that she's strong, so she (quite literally) does as those around her.

Hm, who next... oooh, how about Yang?

"...basically a temper tantrum", I'd call it "Rise Up". This also can connect to a desire. Yang, being repeatedly battered by one damaging event after the other - her mother abandoning her, her stepmother dying, likely a depression in her father and mothering Ruby. The girl has likely been brought down more than once. But she desires to get stronger from it, so much so that the desire has become a characteristic. She shows so when she decides to find Ruby, when she decides to start training again. She has done it again and again and she'll continue doing it - her desire is now another part of her personality that won't break.

Alright, we put Yang here, how about we make a Bumbleby combo and go for Blake next.

"Shadows", now that's a name I can get behind. She "leaves an empty shell, a shadow to take the hit while she runs". It's, all things considered, a kind of cowardly Semblance. It's basically "here, beat on this while I dodge away and escape the attack". And with the recent events, we've seen she doesn't wanna run anymore - yet she retains her Semblance unchanged? Makes no sense if it's connected to a personality trait. But if it's connected to a desire, then it would make perfect sense. Firstly, she's a Faunus. We know for a fact that there's Faunus discrimination (seriously, if the Adam short and Adam's scar aren't enough proof for you...) and that she was fighting against it in protests. And if our world is anything to go by... yeah, it's easy to see how peaceful any counter-protests would be. Not to mention Adam himself. From all those factors collected, well, the thought process behind the desire her Semblance is founded on becomes obvious - she realised the racists only saw an animal, nothing of importance where Blake stood. So she gave them just that - an empty sandbag to hit while she runs. I'm not gonna get into Adam, as I'm simply sick of the topic.

Hmm, who's left... Well, Weiss has a familial Semblances. The Schnee Glyphs aren't so much unique as the summons included. Really, the only thing unique about her Semblance is who she summons, as we've seen a Queen Lancer, a Boarbatusk and the Arma Gigas, unlike Winter, who we've seen with a flock of tiny Nevermores and a Beowolf. The show says the Schnee family Semblance is a very rare thing, a passed-down-by-blood power. So it's an understandable outlier.

Let's look at Ruby next... Well, she seems to be a very big outlier to this theory of mine. Her silver eyes have more to do with her desires than her Speed. Maybe she has a desire we have yet to see? Anyways, I don't quite have an explanation for Ruby, so I'll leave her aside.

Let's clean our palates with Sun, then.

His Semblance, "Kage Bunshin No Jutsu" (I know it's called "Via Sun", but I wanted to make an unoriginal joke), actually seems to fit my theory. We don't have much, if any, backstory, but in this case we need none. His desire, as we've seen many times throughout the series and which was twisted in Volume 4 & 5, is to help people. He wants to be there for those he cares about, like Blake and his team, but he realises he can't do it alone. So his desire turned into his Semblance, "One Monkey Army" - a way for him to help even if he's alone to do so. You can't tell me he hasn't used his Semblance to fetch something for someone at least once.

Hm, few people left. Let's go with Emerald.

Her "Hallucinations" are a nod to her growing up on the streets. A place you'd be begging people not to pay attention to you. Her Semblance, then, is born from the obvious desire to fool prey and predators alike.

Neo... We don't know much about her. No backstory, some personality, but honestly? The only idea I have at this moment is more of a headcannon. But I CAN connect her Semblance's evolution. So, before V6, her Semblance is simply making physical illusions. It's honestly similar to Blake's "Shadows", in some uses, but it's definitely a lot more of a multi-use tool. It can be used to make her look different, if not outright invisible. But it always shatters upon being hit. Fast forward to V6 and her fight against Cinder, and suddenly she can use the illusions as straight up puppets to fight for her. Her Semblance grew, to put it bluntly. But why in such a manner? Her illusions were fragile and immobile before, now they're tougher and mobile to the point of being straight up weapons. But why in that direction? Well, they can move and touch things without them breaking now. Guess who's started to get more headpats from her partner.

Alright, Hazel is up for the mental strip.

Honestly, despite our lack of major backstory here, his Semblance is pretty easy to trace back. Nobody likes pain, outside of masochists, so it's easy to understandable he'd have a Semblance that removes the feeling of pain.

Adam. Adam Adam Adam. He's surprisingly more similar to Hazel than Yang in terms of Semblance. Yeah, you heard that right. "He gets to dish out damage and not feel it". His Semblance is basically a self-loading gun - he can use the power of strikes to charge it, only to the unleash various empowered slashes. He refuses to feel pain, just like Hazel, but unlike him, he also desired to return what was meant for him straight back at his attackers. Hazel is relatively peaceful when the situation doesn't include Ozpin, but Adam? He's aggressive, always bloodthirsty. His desire was simple - feed his thirst for vengeance. A perfect Semblance for that wish, no?

Hm, well we only have Glynda left. I got nothing. I don't see how I'd understand her desire to have telekinesis without a backstory I doubt we'll get.

Well, that's it for that! I feel like I'm onto something.

[calliecat93]

Top 5 Things I Liked About RWBY Volume 4

(Top 5 Dislikes)

This is going out later than I was hoping, but hey better now that never. Anyways, I honestly think that V4 is a pretty underrated Volume. There’s a lot that I really enjoy about it and after the insanity of V3, I’m glad that we got a more lowkey season that let everyone begin to heal. I’m hoping that RvB18 will follow that path tbh, but that’s not important here. There’s a lot to like, so let’s talk about the Top 5 Things I Liked About RWBY Volume 4!

#5. The Switch to Maya/Improved Animation

For Volumes 1-3, animaiton was primarily done in a program called Poser. This was mainly because it was what Monty liked to use, especially for fight animation. Poer isn’t an animation program, it is a modeling program that Monty was able to work for what he needed, but again it is not a proper animation program. V3 looks amazing, but I think that it was clear that they had reached their limit on how much they could push it. Add that with now having a larger animation staff, and it was time for a change. As such, they shifted to Maya, a common animaiton program in the field, and I am going to say it… it was 100% the right choice.

The animaiton in the Poser Era wasn’t bad, but… there were plenty of times where it felt like expressions and casual movements were very stiff. V4 changed that massively. There is so much more facial expression, but not just that. Take Blake’s cat ears for example. They are SO expressive in every scene that she’s in. Sure it might be because she threw out the bow, but still! I really don’t think that they could have done that in Poser. Animaiton models improved, like Sun’s abs no longer being glued to him for example and his little necklace sometimes daggling about. Environments look more vibrant. Environments have improved. Things like shading look better. And while the fight scenes aren’t Monty-like anymore, they are still really good! Seriously, Qrow vs Tyrian is still awesome~

I know that the shift wasn’t something liked by everyone, though I think that the vast majority have come around since V4. The animaiton has only kept improving after this, and it’s crazy going back to V1 and seeing the difference. But they sold me the second that they released the Ruby Trailer in the lead-up to the volume. Maya has allowed for a lot of improvement and new opportunities, and I believe that RT made the right choice in transitioning over to it. V4 looked so good, especially with how many new locations that it introduced us to, and I freakin’ love it~

#4. Expansion On The World

Volume 4, above all, is a world-building volume. We spent all of our time in the first three volumes primarily in Beacon and the city fo Vale. The only locations that we got a substantial amount of time in otherwise were Mountain Glenn and the Amity Arena for the Vytal Festival. Otherwise, we’ve been stuck in one place despite knowing that there is a much larger world out there. Thankfully though, this volume takes us outside the Kingdom of Vale and finally allowed us to explore the rest of Remnant… well, parts of it. Still, more than the other volumes had.

This was an advantage of using the multiple plotlines.. We got a really good amount of new locations. RNJR was in Anima, which had a lot of Asian-inspired scenery and naming. Yeah, we mostly spend the time on trails and villages, but you can still see the difference between the villages and Vale. Which we got to see what it’s like outside of Vale. Some villages like Higanbana are nice, while others like Shion or Kuroyuri… well… it emphasizes just how bleak the world truly is. Vale was an overall safe place, and even that wasn’t safe. If you don’t live within a kingdom though? Hope that luck is on your side.

We also get to see Menagerie for the first time. Sadly we don’t get to see as much here or in V5, but we do get to see how cramped it is and it overall looks nice. You can see that, as Blake said, they tried to make it a welcoming place for Faunus. We get to see Weiss’ home, which is as empty and cold as you would have imagined it being. It looks grand, but it’s just… empty and quiet with Weiss, more or less, alone aside from Klein. Patch is nice, you can certainly see why Tai would raise his kids there and in contrast to Weiss’ home, it’s small but the peaceful and comforting environment that Yang needed. Salem’s realm is eerie. Oscar’s farm is… a farm. And Mistral? Amazing.

What I’m getting at here is that we learn so much more about the world. Even outside exploring new locations, we learn about the Relics and the God Brothers. We start to get an understanding of the war between Oz and Salem, though of course, we learn the true scale in V6. The volume does a lot to make Remnant feel more like an actual world full of stories, problems, and history. It took us out of the hub that we were used to with Volumes 1-3, and I think that they did so very well. Very much appreciate it~

#3. Yang Plotline

While Yang got the least amount of focus, I… don’t view that as a bad thing. A story can’t be dictated by screentime alone. You have to look at how well they executed what they needed to do in the amount of time that they had. For example, they didn’t do very well with Ruby in V5 with the time that they had, but we’ll save that for the V5 posts. For V4, as I said, Oscar didn’t get the proper development and they didn’t utilize the amount fo time that they had for him well. But Yang though? I thought that they did her very well here.

Yang’s plot is, of course, recovering after losing her arm and getting back into fighting condition so that she can go after Ruby. We see that she has PTSD, having flashbacks and nightmares and her emotional state is… not in the bright place that we’re used to. Chapter 4, the chapter mainly focused on her, shows how concerned she is about taking the first steps of recovery, though we do see her start to laugh and joke around again. With Tai’s encouragement and support, Yang ut son the new arm, trains again and Tai helps her see the disadvantages of her fighting style/Semblance reliance, and opens up to her about Raven. In the end, Yang’s ready to go after her sister. She’s not 100% healed, but she’s got her drive back and is ready to move ahead.

Now again, Yang gets the least amount of focus. She only gets one chapter dedicated to her, and otherwise, her’s appears the least out of the four RWBY girls. But they utilized that time very well. They don’t drag it out or rush through it. They set up Yang’s mental state, show us signs of her PTSD, have Tai give her the proper encouragement, and have her start to get back on her feet. I’m glad that they were just straightforward with it, there was no need to drag it out especially since V5 and 6 show that there are still things that she has to work through. The point for this volume though was to get Yang well enough mentally for her to get back out onto the field, and they did that very well. She was in a positive environment as well, and that probably helped her.

So yeah, when I look back at the Yang plot, I have no issues with it. I think that it was given the amount of attention that it needed. It wasn’t rushed, but it wasn’t dragged out either. Yang didn’t fully recover, but she got well enough to move forward. That was the ultimate goal for everyone’s plotline, and they achieved it here. But I’m gonna leave it at 3 since it is a bit of a bummer that she got limited screentime. But for what it’s worth, they used that time properly and I am happy with the final result.

#2. Weiss Plotline

Out of all the plots, Weiss’ is my favorite and imo, the best one done. This is because this is the conclusion to her three volumes worth of character development. As I said n the V3 Likes post, her plot had her decide to finally cut herself away from her father for good and move ahead with the life that she wanted. Sadly, due to the Fall, Jaques had the perfect excuse to got o Vale and force her to return to Atlas with him. So just as quickly a she was able to embrace her freedom and the choice to never turn back, fate dealt her a bad hand and she was her father’s prisoner once more. Which she literally becomes a prisoner after her outburst at the charity event and gets stripped of her title. It’s just… horrible to watch that scene. Really, any scene with her and Jaques is uncomfortable, especially when he slaps her.

This is when we truly get to see Jaques abuse first hand, and it is as horrible as the previous hints indicated. He’s condescending and passive-aggressive to Weiss. He treats her like she’s a child and an employee more than as a parent. Compare it to Tai or Ghira with Yang and Blake, where they are nothing but caring and supportive to their daughters. Ghira especially welcomed Blake back with open arms despite how she called them cowards in the past and was just glad that she found her way again and was safe. Jaques only cares about Weiss for his image and to use her when it suits his needs, whether Weiss is willing to do it or not. He makes her sing rather than ask her. He refuses to let her out fo his sight during the charity gala. He talks down to her. He tries to gaslight her into everything being her fault and like her outburst was wrong.

Weiss did NOTHING wrong. She, and maybe Ironwood, were the only ones at that charity who gave a damn about Vale. Seeing her in that environment, where people were snobby, argumentative, and only cared about their own petty problems makes you really, really appreciate how much she had grown. She had broken out of that mindset after V1 and when the Trophy Wife claims that Vale deserved what it got, she rightfully calls her and everyone else out on their bullshit and refuses to let Jaques shut her up. Yeah, it ends badly with Weiss losing her title and Whitley rubbing it in. Weiss had no one aside form Klein, who is an actual good person who showed Weiss kindness and care moreso than her own family ever did. When Weiss breaks down, ti just… hurts. But luckily, at her lowest point, Weiss decides that enough is enough. She gets back out Myrtenaster, perfects her Summoning Glyph, and decides to break free once and for all. Klein helps her escape, and she manages to get onto a plane heading for Mistral. Which leads to… more problems, but that’s for the next volume.

Weiss’ plotline was very well done. It gets you to see how far that she’s come since Volume 1. She wanted to break free and become better, and she did. Jaques tries to lock her away again, but he failed. Weiss had gotten a taste of freedom, and she was going to reclaim it. She was going to redeem her family name her way by being a Huntress and no one was going to stop her. As This Life is Mine stated, “I won’t be possessed/burdened by your royal test/I will not surrender, this life is mine.” Yes Weiss, it is indeed.

Weiss was great, but there is one character whose focus I appreciated not just because it was good, but because it saved that character in my eyes.

#1. Ren Becoming a Character

I haven’t talked much about Ren and Nora, and that was because up until now… there wasn’t much to talk about. While I liked them fine enough, in V1-3 they’re just… there. It felt like they existed just because Jaune and Pyrrha had to be part of a four-man team because they’re nothing more than supporting characters there. Nora at least was funny and bubbly so she was at least fun, but Ren? He was just… quiet and the straight-man to Nora’s antics. That was it. He didn’t feel like a character, he just felt like a necessity needed to fill in a spot. My biggest hope with V4 was, now with JNR traveling with RWBYt hey would do something, anything to flesh out Ren and Nora. At least for one of them.

Fortunately, I got my wish.

To be fair, RWBY Chibi had gotten me to warm up to Ren since they got a lot out of him in several of the skits. More than I thought that they could. But I also like Chibi!Neo FAR more than I like Canon!Neo, so that wasn’t saying much. But fortunately, Volume 4 came around! Ren was really great in this volume! He’s still the quiet one, though he gets more here than any other volume. Which is something to note real quick. Neath has done a fantastic job as Ren. I can’t imagine how it had to have felt since he was taking over Monty’s spot. His brother’s spot. But he has done a perfect job since Day One, and I can’t imagine anyone else int he role at this point. He especially shows his range in this volume, and for a guy who had never voice acted until he started doing Ren, he pulls it off perfectly. I love Neath.

Ren is from Anima, but outside Mistral, so he’s of course the most knowledgeable of the area. We get to see more of his tracking and fighting skills, which is as fun to see as it was in Volume 1 which was the last time he got to showcase his fighting style. We get to see him interact with not only Nora, which was really nice especially with Jaune. But most of all, we get to see how Ren’s past affected him. His reaction to the destruction fo Shion perfectly fits due to what happened to Kuroyuri. His refusal to go back there makes sense since… well, no one likes to revisit the source of their trauma. He tells us about Oniyuri, and through him we see just how difficult it is to live outside the Kingdoms. We saw that with what happened to Shion, but Ren is a character that we’ve known for years and we get to see and hear about it through him. Which makes it hit us harder because it affects a character that we’ve known for so long. And when we get to the flashback and see how happy Ren’s life was and how it all went to Hell in just one night? It breaks your heart. We also finally learn his Semblance, which fits him perfectly so that was also appreciated.

But most of all, we get to Kuroyuri, and it’s the first time that we see Ren lose it. He’s always been a very calm, very tranquil person but when the Nucklavee attacks, he is understandably terrified… and then just lose it. We’ve NEVER seen him get angry before, but seeing the monster that ruined his life, killed his family, and destroyed his home? Yeah, that’ll make anyone snap. But thankfully, Nora snaps him out of it and this is when we see just how strong their relationship is. When Ren lost everything, he found Nora who had absolutely no one, and befriended her. They fought together. They survived together. They went through everything together, both good and bad. So fo course Nora could see that Ren was losing it, and she was the only one who could pull him back and stop him before he lost himself I’d still like them to be more clear on if Renora is canon or not cause I still really don’t know. But at least we get to see that their dynamic isn’t just the ‘hyper girl, calm guy’ dynamic. There is a true bond there, and it’s just beautiful.

It ends with Ren suing his father’s knife, the only thing of his family that he still has, to kill the Nuclavee. For his parents. For all the lives stolen. And, of course, for himself. This was him confronting his trauma, and finally putting it to rest and moving forward. That’s the biggest theme of this volume honestly, taking what brought you down, and moving forward. Yang began to stand up again after her trauma. Blake decided to quit running and to rise up against the White Fang once and for all. Weiss broke free of her father despite him trying to pull her back. Ruby saw just how bad the world truly was along with the Fall of Beacon still haunting her, but took ti and strengthened her resolve to be a Huntress and make things better as much as possible. And Ren? He chose to go back to Kurroyuri to save his friends and destroyed the monster that made so many suffer but without giving in to his sorrow. 

The volume just made me love Ren and see him more as a character than I had before. He’s one of my absolute favorites no. I’m hoping that V7 is going to do the same with Nora since at this point, I feel that she’s the most under-developed of the main cast. But we’ll just have to wait and see. Regardless, V4 changed my opinion of Ren completely and his story was done very well. As such, it my favorite thing about RWBY Volume 4.

And another volume done! So… next we get to Volume 5. Ho boy, I haven’t revisited it since it ended and not for the reasons that you think. But we’ll talk more on those posts. For now, thanks for reading everyone~!

[ourfinities]

ren loved li a lot and so did li in turn, but he wasn’t the best parent.

li wasn’t ready to have a child when an told him she was pregnant / with his background he has never believed he could be a good person / let alone a good father. an was one of the only people he confided in about his background as a former assassin, and he thought it was foolish to think someone like him could ever raise someone else. his past could always resurface and come to hurt them, especially if they ever eloped and left the security of the lie compound ( which they eventually did, waiting in kuroyuri while oniyuri finished building. )

li didn’t want to be a father, but he kept this a secret all throughout zhilan’s pregnancy until something awful happened. she had a miscarriage. he felt awful during that depressive period more for her, but he had also realised he was disappointed too. he had been mentally preparing himself for this, and all in one night the chance of a real family away from his awful upbringing took that away. an didn’t intend to try again, because the doctor said it was just naturally difficult for a woman with her biology. even still, ren was born on the spring equinox, a miracle baby.

li justified taking more and more dangerous missions while he was away and his son grew up without him as an excuse. he was earning a little cache so when they moved to oniyuri they wouldn’t have to worry about expenses. the truth was that fighting, in any form, is an ingrained part of who li is. he has been fighting so long, that he doesn’t know how to function well without it. it used to be people he tore apart, but grimm make a good substitute.

he also didn’t know how to be a good father. in the assassin clan he was raised in, all children raised in the same age bracket are brothers and sisters, no matter the blood relation. you never meet your mother or father, you look to the elders for guidance. li could have very well interacted with his mother or father while he was raised in the clan, and it became a sort of mission to distinguish who it could have been, but he never found out. you are not supposed to tell your child that you are their parent, to build up a sense of cult - like unity. he wasn’t given the kind of upbringing that ren deserved, so didn’t know how to provide.

he never liked leaving all their living expenses up to an, using the remains of an’s rich family money to survive. she had been disowned for running away with him after all, they couldn’t live like that forever. she was still a medical practitioner but she volunteered to stay home and take care of ren in that one year.

li couldn’t see ren all the time for the first few years of his life. ren was raised in zhilan’s family property until they moved to kuroyuri and zhilan’s father hated him. he definitely wouldn’t have let li stay if zhilan wasn’t his favourite daughter. this was one of the reasons he spent so much time away from ren, and all the more reason he felt guilty that ren still idolised him when he was away. even when li could see his son more often, he was always paranoid that the enemies he’d made in his past would come back to haunt him and harm his family. he’d never had a reason to protect anything before instead of killing.

li had a lot of issues he kept to himself even up to the point where he died on the canon timeline, where my version of li was heavily injured and lost his memories. an knew that he was of a former assassin clan, but he never told ren anything about himself. anything ren knew about li he had to figure out through observation ( li was a man of action, but didn’t say much at all. ) he was always good at hiding his emotions because there weren’t that many there to begin with, but those few precious slivers of non-apathy he reserved for people closest to him. he made friends, of course, but it was easy for him to grow apart from people, keep a distance, to the point where no one was there to recognise him after he lost his memories ( save for enemies. )

when he eventually gains his memories back, his guilt complex is worsened for leaving ren on his own. he might not be familiar with his own son anymore, but he had no excuse before the nuckelavee, he was distant and consistently gone before then too.