#genuinely I kept forgetting that cinder killed her

[elliesgaymachete]

It’s ok to miss Pyrrha and to love & support Cinder at the same time you are valid

[19-bellwether]

RWBY character tier list based on writing quality

Opinions on some individual characters:

Ozpin: great for V1-3, but meandering afterwards. Didn't need to be a main character.

Torchwick: great starter villain, appears just the right amount, leaves the story at the best possible time.

Ruby: generally good, just needs more moments to show off her personality and to challenge her as a leader.

Weiss: Generally alright, peaked in V4 and V6, had little to do from V7 onwards despite taking place in her home.

Penny: Near perfect from V1 to V8, dropped the ball starting with the hack, and monstrously destroyed her character arc by the end.

Cinder: She's a roller coaster of quality. Just needs to be refocused and kept on a clear path.

Neo: neat side character in V1-3, her return from V6-V9 was ultimately unnecessary.

Nora and Ren: comedic side characters that struggled to stay relevant after V3. Attempts at giving them arcs came too little, too late. Should be recurring side characters instead of main characters.

Blake: terrible racism allegory. Good personal story with fluctuating execution quality. Starts becoming aimless by V8.

Tyrian: good example of RWBY's struggle to introduce darkness without pushing the rating. Ends up being a saturday morning cartoon villain, though he has some high points in V7.

Big guy who stabs himself with rocks whose name I'm forgetting: "I will kill as many children as I have to in order to stop you from killing children."

Adam: nadir of the racism allegory. Good job as Blake's psycho ex though.

Salem and the gods: clearly meant to be endgame antagonists but just come off as tropey and unintimidating.

Maria: didn't need to exist after V6.

Hound: first time a grimm has ever felt like a genuine threat. Could have been a stellar recurring antagonist but killed off way too soon.

Summer: took too long to expand on her, to Ruby's detriment.

Oscar: Just not interesting, and most of his development happens off-screen. Should be a recurring side character, not a main character.

Ace Ops: a massive contributor to RWBY's cast bloat problem.

Sienna: the other nadir of the racism allegory.

Jaune: On four different occasions, women are maimed or killed for his development. On multiple occasions, moments that should have gone to Ruby are given to Jaune. On two occasions, his character development is reset so he can relearn the exact same lesson again. You treat a tumor by cutting it out.

Feel free to ask for details about anything.

[kittyprincessofcats]

RWBY Volume 8, Episode 14 - The Final Word

Thoughts on the final episode of RWBY Vol 8 under the cut.

Also, I will from now on reblog spoilers for Volume 8, which will be tagged with “RWBY v8 spoilers” if you want to blacklist them.

tw: Since the episode itself had the same content warning, I should mention that I will be discussing themes of suicide in this post.

Also, everything I’m about to say is *my* personal opinion. I’m not trying to tell anyone else that they’re supposed to feel the same way about anything in this episode. In turn, please don’t tell me how to feel about it either.

- I should start by bringing up what I said in my post about episode 13, because all of that is going to become relevant now:

So... that all aged... interestingly.

- Next, I should say that I actually did end up getting spoiled about Penny’s death. I was trying really hard and didn’t go into any tags, but literally one day before this episode was released to the public, Tumblr recommended me two blogs with the titles “Penny deserved better” and “Justice for Penny Polendina”… so I drew my conclusions from that. And while I think those blog titles are valid sentiments, I do wish people would wait a week before putting spoilers in a blog title. But then again, I was weirdly glad to get spoiled this time, because it meant I was more emotionally prepared.

- And now, on to my very controversial opinion about this finale: I… uhm… I actually liked it. There, I said it. I liked it. I’m seeing a lot of takes from people who hated it, and that’s totally fair, but personally, to my own surprise, I liked it. (It’s kind of interesting that last time I said it would be “awful writing” to kill Penny now, then it happened, now the whole fandom is complaining about it being awful writing… and I’m here going “actually… that wasn’t so bad”.) That’s not to say that I’m a fan of everything in this finale, especially re: Penny – but overall, the good outweighed the bad *for me*. (Stressing again that this is just how *I* feel.)

- I think the main reason I feel that way is because I honestly expected way worse. If you read that thing I wrote last week^, you see I expected multiple character deaths. I was incredibly nervous. And after I’d already spent a few minutes genuinely thinking Yang died (because of a badly worded episode 13 spoiler I accidently saw), I had to think about the kind of deaths that would be a dealbreaker for me and make me drop the show. (Let’s say it like this: If either of Bumbleby ever died for real, I would be done with this show immediately.) So, in short, I was terrified of the finale and expected it to be the kind of finale that ruins the show for me (which has happened in far too many fandoms so far) – and it wasn’t. I have mixed feelings about how they handled Penny’s story, too, but this finale didn’t ruin the show for me and I honestly felt way worse after the Volume 3 finale. Maybe that’s because I wasn’t prepared for it at the time, but this time I spent a whole week being super anxious, so when I’d actually finished the finale, I just felt overwhelming relief.

- Okay, so let’s talk Penny: Back in Episode 12, I already wasn’t a huge fan of the idea to make her human (if that even is what she was?), but I think I said I’d reserve judgment on it until we see where they go with it. Obviously, it feels unsatisfying to have the show just kill her off after everyone’s been trying to save her all volume. And of course, it’s never fun to see a favorite character of yours (and Penny is definitely a favorite of mine) get killed off. The way it happened (a character who’s been trying to sacrifice herself the whole volume finally doing so through assisted suicide, even though there could have been several potential ways to still save her) feels incredibly unsatisfying and depressing as well. The “heroic sacrifice” cliché isn’t new, but there’s still a difference between a sacrifice that feels necessary and like it really was the only way (Hazel, Vine) and one that feels more like a character being over-eager to sacrifice themselves even though there might have been alternatives (Penny). So really, I understand why people don’t like this, especially because the narrative, so far, seems to validate Penny’s choice by having her plan work. And that does send the opposite of the “fight for every life”, “no one is replaceable” message this volume had been going for until then.

- And this is why, I think Penny’s death is meant to be awful. Volume 9 might prove me wrong on this, but I think we haven’t seen the end of this storyline yet. For me personally, it’s too early to judge this plot-point by itself because it depends a lot on how they deal with it in the aftermath and how things go from here. (For instance: I hated Pyrrha’s death at first because going into a fight she knew she couldn’t win also felt like a needless heroic sacrifice to me. It was only how the aftermath of it was handled from there that made me be okay with it.) So basically, what I’m asking is: How will the other characters handle Penny’s death now? Will Ruby (or anyone else) get angry at Jaune for agreeing to kill her? How will Ruby grieve in general? And, most importantly: Will the narrative really treat Penny’s choice as the “right” one or will it challenge that view? (And was there maybe more going on that we know because I’ve been reading those “Penny is alive” theories and… oh boy.) So yeah – for me it depends on how it gets handled from here.

- Also, I just want to say that I really appreciate RT putting a suicide trigger warning in the beginning of the episode and I wish people wouldn’t twist that into a bad thing. (I’ve seen some takes along the lines of “If they had to put a warning, that means they were aware it’s a harmful message, so that makes it worse” and… please don’t do that. Content creators putting trigger warnings on things is a good thing. Also, this might be a controversial take, but I don’t think fiction always has to “send a good message and teach you a lesson.” The important thing is that RT were aware that this episode could be upsetting/distressing to people and that’s why they put a warning and the suicide hotline’s number in the description.)

- Anyway, I’ve been rambling for too long. My point is: I understand the criticisms and agree with some of them, but I hope the writers know what they’re doing here and I want to believe that they do. I also love all the theories about Penny coming back (in Winter’s mind, for example) and I think they’re not actually that unlikely. And if Penny doesn’t come back, then honestly, I’m okay with that, too. At the end of the day, she’s a fictional character. I can always go and read fanfictions where she’s alive and lives happily ever after with Ruby and nothing that happens in canon can ever take that away. Canon only has as much power as you want it to have. I can enjoy the canon show and the story they’re telling (even if Penny is dead for good this time), while still also enjoying my AUs where she’s fine. One doesn’t harm the other.

- (Also, let me take this moment to shamelessly promote my favorite cartoon show because I think this is relevant to the interests of anyone who hates the “person who’s been trying to sacrifice themselves the whole time ends up doing just that” story: The main character in She-Ra and the Princesses of Power is self-sacrificial to the point of it being unhealthy, but the show explicitly doesn’t treat this as a good thing. When she tries to sacrifice herself for the greater good in the final arc and says it’s better that way, this is treated as a problem, and the lesson she ends up learning in the end is her life has value, too, and that she deserves to be happy. (The show’s also very gay.)

- I don’t know if brought any of this across properly. Basically… I’m not happy about where they went with Penny either, but I am okay with it. I still enjoyed the finale and will continue to enjoy the show. And I want to focus on the things that make me happy about RWBY and made me happy about the finale, so I’ll talk about the rest of the episode now (while rewatching it because I’ll forget stuff otherwise):

- Have I mentioned I really love the Volume 8 opening? Because I really do.

- That shot of the destroyed whale is still awesome.

- I love how the episode opens with all the fights we left off with (Winter vs. Ironwood, Penny vs. Cinder, Harriet vs. Qrow, Ruby vs. Neo) and cuts between them. Also, the music is amazing!

- Elm admitting that Harriet is their friend and that being what finally gets through to her was a nice conclusion to their little arc, I guess. Vine’s sacrifice and his admittance that they’re his friends and he’s doing this for them were touching. Honestly, Harriet is right to blame herself for his death. That said, while this volume made me strongly dislike her, I do hope she now gets an arc about actually dealing with her grief and changing. I think that would be way more interesting to see than still having her be bitter, especially after what happened in this episode.

- Qrow causing good luck to stop the bomb was a nice little moment and honestly makes sense. Good luck and bad luck are just a matter of perspective, after all. What’s bad luck for yourself will be good luck for your enemies and vice versa. So, maybe Qrow technically caused “bad luck” for the bomb? Either way, I like the idea of him realizing that his semblance is more than what he thought.

- Cinder breathing fire during the fight was awesome. I need GIFs of that.

- Blake was amazing in this episode! I love that she didn’t let her grief over Yang consume her, but got up and kept fighting, kicked Cinder in the face and told Weiss to get up. Good stuff!

- I wonder if Cinder’s “You should have never been born” line to Ruby was just a generic “I hate you” line or meant something more.

- Do people honestly think that Cinder betraying Neo was unexpected or like… super unreasonable for a villain? Neo did threaten her – most typical villains don’t react well to their underlings threatening them, so I really don’t see why some people are so shocked or downright offended about this (is it just because they like Neo?).

- Weiss being the last one standing and using Blake’s weapon in the fight was absolutely amazing.

- The tragedy of Jaune sending Nora to bring the Huntsmen and Huntresses back through the portal while not knowing the portal is a one-way deal…

- Cinder knowing that Salem is back because her Grimm arm started hurting was a super interesting moment. And Weiss’ shocked face in that moment was quite interesting, too.

- I wonder if Penny really meant dying when she said “Let me choose this one thing”. To me, it sounded more like she meant choosing the next Winter Maiden. Also, her “trust me” to Jaune is an interesting line. Between that and us not seeing how that conversation goes on, I wonder if there’s something we don’t know here. (*puts on my “Penny is alive” tinfoil hat*)

- I’m glad they at least didn’t graphically show Penny’s death – which is an interesting choice again, because this show doesn’t usually shy away from making deaths graphic and portraying them in all their brutality. So, the fact that we don’t see the act itself and then just cut to Penny’s conversation with Winter was interesting. (But I am glad about it because I didn’t want to see that.) It might honestly just be because of the nature of Penny’s death that they didn’t want to show it too much (and that’s fair).

- “You were my friend.” Gosh, this rewatch is making me cry now 😭. (I also think it’s interesting that Winter calls herself a machine and Penny is now the one who corrects her. It’s a nice callback to Ruby telling Penny she’s their friend and “not just a machine”.)

- I was also just reminded that Penny died thinking Ruby was dead… ouch. This possibly hurts me more than Penny’s death itself.

- People have also pointed out that when Penny transfers the powers to Winter, her aura looks yellow (like Jaune’s) with only some green sparks (like Penny’s). Hmm… I really wonder if there’s more going on here.

- “I won’t be gone. I’ll be part of you.” Who’s cutting onions in here?

- Honestly, the main reason I kind of forgave them for killing Penny was because THAT MOMENT of Winter opening her eyes with the powers while that epic music plays was just amazing to witness. And her fight with Cinder? EPIC. BREATHTAKING. BEAUTIFUL. I’m not even that into the idea of Winter as the Winter Maiden (I honestly thought Penny, the robot girl, becoming the Winter Maiden was a much more interesting plot), but the way it was done in this episode was great. I’m glad we’re finally getting that rivalry between Winter and Cinder, because their arcs parallel each other in so many ways. And I love the symbolism of Winter only getting the powers that Ironwood chose for her after she betrayed Ironwood. I like the idea that she only became worthy of them after turning on Ironwood (which does work well with her Volume 7 arc).

- Oh, by the way, I really hate the “Team RWBY will become the four maidens eventually” theory. Even if it didn’t require characters to die, I just think it would be cheap and way too obvious, and I think it’s boring to throw all the magic powers at the main characters. So, if they only made Winter the Winter Maiden so she can eventually die and pass it on to Weiss, I’ll be very annoyed. (But I hope that’s not where this is going.)

- I’m also just realizing that Cinder asking “How am I supposed to take her power if she’s dead?” about Penny a few episodes ago was foreshadowing… damn.

- Jaune’s sword breaking was a really cool and symbolic moment, too.

- Winter trying to save Weiss from falling and not reaching her in time really got to me. I’m mostly not that affected by any of Team RWBY falling into the void because… come on, we know they’ll be fine. But Winter thinking her little sister just died is… oof. Maybe it’s because I have two younger sisters, but stuff like that really gets to me.

- Also, Winter going through that portal and seeing her family after she just (as far as she knows) lost Weiss… ouch. They never got to all reunite with each other (yet).

- I absolutely LOVED that final scene between Salem and Cinder. They’re both such fascinating characters and I just live for their interactions. Cinder talking herself down (even though she got the relics, so she knows she succeeded at the most important part) was amazing on her part. She did learn from Salem! It’s also interesting that even though she got what Salem wanted, Cinder didn’t get what she herself wanted (the Maiden Powers). I feel like that’s eventually going to become important.

- I wonder if Salem believed Cinder’s lies or not. I’ve seen some interesting opinions in both directions here. (Also, again, I don’t get why some people are so shocked and offended about Cinder lying? I’ve seen so many “I hope she pays for her lies” takes and… really? That’s her biggest crime in your eyes? Lying to another villain?? I don’t think any of you villain-haters feel bad for Salem here, so why… oh. Oh, nevermind, I just understood. They’re not mad that Cinder lied, they’re mad because they wanted Salem to kill her. Gosh, that’s so dumb. Face it, people: That’s not going to happen because Salem still needs the Fall Maiden’s powers. She’s not going to kill Cinder anytime before Cinder opens the last vault.)

- Cinder killing Watts with the staff was kinda funny, tbh. Also Salem’s proud little smirk in that scene kills me.

- “And that’s checkmate.” THAT. Okay, THAT was the best line in the entire episode, I don’t make the rules. What an epic moment!! Gosh, have I mentioned I love Cinder to death? What a queen! This volume really completely changed my opinion on her. I’ve already said that she’s my standout character of the volume, and I stand by that. It was her volume in so many ways and it’s so fitting that she gets to say the last line. It’s also such an interesting line in so many ways: 1) Because this episode is called “The Final Word”, is the only episode in this volume that doesn’t have a one-word title, and the actual final word of the episode is “checkmate”, it implies that “Checkmate” is the real, hidden title of the episode. And that fits so well! They could have easily just named the episode “Checkmate”, but revealing it like this works even better. 2) I also love the chess symbolism in this volume in general. There was a really great analysis about it on here somewhere, but basically: Salem is the king, Cinder is the queen (the king can’t die and barely moves, the queen is out there getting rid of opposing player pieces). And the interesting thing about that here is that the king can’t actually checkmate anyone else, only other chess pieces can. So, it’s very fitting that Cinder is the one who says “checkmate”. Also, in a game of chess, you often have to sacrifice your own pieces to win, which is what Cinder did. 3) I also LOVE the realization on Ironwood’s face when he realizes that he’s been so paranoid about Salem, but he’s actually been playing Cinder all along. (Someone else on here pointed out that there’s something super poetic about Cinder, someone who was very much a victim of Atlas’ systemic problems, being the one to defeat Ironwood and destroy his kingdom. Ironwood was ready to sacrifice all the poor people from Mantle for his own goal, and a poor person who was hurt by people in Atlas is the one who destroyed him. Yeah, yeah, Cinder’s evil and all, but I love it! 4) It’s also really interesting to me that Salem said “This game is not yours to win, it’s mine” to Cinder in the first episode of this Volume, but in the end, Salem ended up being gone for the entire last part of the volume and Cinder is the one who got to say “checkmate.” IT’S JUST SO GOOD.

- And ngl, I’m super happy for Cinder. She really got it all. Yeah okay, she didn’t get the Maiden Powers (and I hope she never does, because one person being two maidens at once is lame), but she got the relics, got rid of her enemies and co-workers (or so she thinks), destroyed the kingdom that she was a slave to, got back into Salem’s good graces… good for her! And apparently one of the buildings that you see being flooded was the Glass Unicorn? Amazing. Love that.

- (Yes, I’m team “redemption for Cinder please”, but come on… it was never going to happen this volume. And if it never happens, that’s okay, too – I’m loving her as a villain as well!)

- Also, I hope that all the people who were specifically criticizing Cinder for not being a competent enough villain are very happy now. Because there you have the competent villain you said you wanted! I mean, I’m saying this as someone who used to criticize Cinder’s character for not being interesting/deep enough. I used to say that I’d like a backstory or something that makes her more interesting/compelling to me. But as soon as we got that backstory, I happily switched sides to team “I like Cinder now”. So, I better not hear any complaining from the “I just want her to be a more competent villain” faction now!

- Yeah, I admit I’m getting annoyed with the Cinder hate. Everyone has a right to their opinions, but it gets frustrating when you’re going through the tag of a character you like and half of the tag are people talking about how badly they want that character to die. (Maybe use a seperate tag for it?)

- (I’m just realizing that I said “Well, at least it was only one character death” earlier, but people like Ironwood and Watts actually did die… I just didn’t count those because I don’t care. Sorry not sorry.)

- We decimated Salem’s faction quite a bit this volume, didn’t we? There’s only Cinder, Tyrian, and Mercury left. I wonder if Salem will get some new people on her side.

- Overall, while I did like this episode, I feel like Volume 8 got weaker towards the end. Most Volumes were at their best towards the end, but I feel like episodes 8-11 were the strongest parts of Volume 8, while episodes 12-14 were still good, but not as good.

- My prediction is that Volume 9 will (of course) be Tearm RWBY’s way out of the void (or whatever that place where they ended up is called) – And I quite like the theory that we won’t see the other characters at all and it’ll be focused only on what’s happening in the void.

[kendrixtermina]

Hey, I love your FE3H essays and analyses, and I was wondering if you had any thoughts on what Edelgard and Hubert were up to in chapter 6? I assumed the situation was similar to chapter 8, and they didn't know of Flayn's kidnapping until after the fact. I've since seen people saying Edie and Hubert were actively complicit in what happened that month, but to me considering Edie's hatred of human experimentation and Hubert's dialogue that month, that doesn't seem to fit.

First, thanks!

It’s genuinely ambiguous. 

Keep in mind that Edelgard thinks that Flayn and Seteth are complicit in Rhea’s crap and knows they’re older than they look. Flayn looks like a schoolgirl but so does Kronya. She certainly did keep Rhea in the basement(though it’s definitely the slitherers that wanted her kept alive for their blood experiments, perhaps in part to ressurect the liberation army - in CF where Edelgard is already securely in power by the time she confronts Rhea, she simply kills her)

The Slitherers are also doing their demonic beast experiments - they likely would have done those wether Edelgard cooperated or not, but she IS making use of them. 

She certainly hates human experimentation but I don’t think there’s any act that she would always 100% reject on principle, but judges according to the long term end result. Of course this is not a dichotomy wether ppl suffer or not is PART of the end result and I don’t think she ever forgets that.  Basically she’s more utilitarian than Kantian. (that would be Dimitri)

(Claude is also utilitarian but a different sort. I can’t remember the proper terms rn but utilitarian rationales can be characterized into “minimize loss” and “maximize gains” variants. )

No one ever said Edelgard was a perfect person with no flaws- this might be one situation where she’s genuinely guilty of an unscrupulous act. 

It’s not wholly impossible that she thought that it was acceptable for one person to become a test subject if it helps her get on the throne (which would have been difficult without buying off the slithers somehow - and without power she can do nothing, including get rid of them) 

Especially since she doesn’t know that Flayn is largely innocent, but believes her to be Rhea’s accomplice, and hence, guilty of much worse. (Let’s appreciate the irony that even Rhea’s arch enemy didn’t think she’d deceived even her own family) - despite the misinformation in play this is a genuine downside of a more drastic decisive MO after all incomplete information is a fact of life. 

One place to look is Edelgard’s battle quote with the death knight - in chapters 8 or the cindered shadows map she’s like, “WTF are you doing here leave now”, whereas in chapter 6 she simply says “There’s no way around it… “ which isn’t unambiguous one way or the other but could just as easily mean “Okey seems like we’ll have to fight to keep up the charade (that we’re both in on)”

On the other hand it’s not impossible that she really didn’t know at first and hence, that the attempts at sleuthing that we see are genuine, until they find the passage in Jeritza’s room, she realizes what’s going on and gets in her mask to call him back/ ask him what’s going on. 

I say this mostly because the slitherers sure don’t keep her informed on what they do (it would be stupid of them to do/ think they have her that well under control) - we see Arundel asking to borrow the death knight but as we didn’t see the previous conversation where they made that request we don’t know how much he told her about what he needed the backup for, their cooperation was probably a series of individual quid pro quos more than anything. “Get us the crest stones and we will back you instead of PM Aegir/ will not interfere with you taking the throne” etc.

There is definitely a great and often underappreciated deal of double-agenting going on in part I, in which Edelgard pretends to work both for the slitherers and the church (in her capacity as a student) so as to spy on and sabotage them both (*Leaks Solon’s location to Byleth* ”Oh, I had to fight Solon! I would have blown my cover if I hadn’t, it was definitely to fool the church not because I want you all dead or something” - she used the same tactic quite openly with Cornelia in cf) where she helps to fight and investigate the slitherers cause she really wants to know what they’re up to for her own purposes and she can use Byleth & the knights to do that just as she uses the slitherers to get the means to act against the church. She definitely made the deliberate decision to leak info once it became aparent that Solon and Kronya were far too dangerous and destructive to be kept under control. 

Solon is the only one who remotely manages to pass for a human, Arundel, Cornelia and Kronya are just obviously creepy - but then again its a recurring theme that the Agarthans underestimate the surface dwellers and see them as basically animals.

I just don’t know if this is an example of it. All in all the fact that she makes a masked appearance in which she explicitly declares herself,  leads me to lean towards thinking that she knew and was willingly cooperating in this particular instance. 

The slitherers meant for Flayn to be “found” eventually (once they had their blood samples) to get Kronya planted as a spy, and Edelgard certainly knew about her, if definitely not about her precise mission.

Maybe one of these days I’ll get around to making a ff that shows part I from Edelgard’s pov focusing on all the double agent antics. 

[strxga]

Stop stoking the fires. Just stop. Please.

I genuinely can’t believe I have to write this post, it’s honestly genuinely surprising how the FNDM hasn’t changed at all from the past years and I’m just so tired of it. So tired of all the drama, the character hate, the toxicity, please just, stop this, stop this already!

Ever since Seeing Red the FNDM has been on a constant back-and-forth between shitting on certain characters while also elevating others to the highest praise, and while usually this wouldn’t be such a huge deal, it is because this has gone way past the point of tolerable but to the point of harassment and blatantly fake accusations. Obviously I’m referring to the whole Adam vs. Bumblebee fiasco that’s been stirring on the pot for far too long, and trust me, this has been going on for far too long and starting to get EXTREMELY out of hand.

Each and every single day I go to the Adam Taurus tag I see nothing but hatred and venom being spewed at Adam’s fans, calling them abusers, misogynists, scum of the Earth, abuse apologists and other far worse things, and the worst part is that NONE of the Adam fans I have spoken with have EVER excused his character. In fact they’ve all agreed he was an asshole who got what he deserved. Some agree the narrative did a good job of handling it while others disagree, and that’s good and all! We all have our different opinions, but when we as a community bundle together to single this specific group of fans who particularly enjoyed Adam’s character for whatever reason and proceed to harassment and take over the character’s tag and just fill it to the brim with hatred? Then we, as a FNDM, are doing something WRONG!

Bumblebee and Blacksun shippers are CONSTANTLY asking their tags to be kept nice and sweet with no hatred in it, so why is it so hard to ask for the same for the Adam fans? They know their character isn’t the most universally well-liked, but when you lunge all these fake accusations and branding and labeling them as something they aren’t? Things are being taken to the extreme and being taken way too far! Especially when these bullies CELEBRATE Adam’s death and shove it in their faces. Imagine if someone did the same to you, if someone went ahead and made FUN of you when your favorite character in not just RWBY but in any medium died. Would you like that? Would it feel good to be on the receiving end of that?

Adam wasn’t the best character or person. He had the POTENTIAL TO BE MORE but he wasn’t - Kerry and Miles settled on writing him that way and they did, but that excuses NO ONE to harass these FANS for believing and wanting their favorite character to be more than just the yandere ex-boyfriend trope. There are soooo many unconfirmed or just plainly false headcanons about Adam being spread about him in the tag or lies being told to new fans that just make him even far more despicable than he already was in canon: A few examples of this is I’ve seen people present their headcanons of Adam sexually assaulting Blake, stabbing her before or even that she discovered her Semblance after he physically assaulted her while they were together on the White Fang WHEN THERE’S NOT EVEN A PROPER BASIS FOR THAT!

As far as we KNOW, he only took advantage of her emotionally, which is bad enough as it is. But Adam is by far NOT the only character with these traits yet he’s the only character I see being demonized further by the FNDM. You want a long list of other characters who are abusive and very much as real as Adam is yet get absolutely no hatred for their actions? Some of which are on Chibi as well: -Cinder Fall -Roman Torchwick -Neopolitan -Hazel Rainart -Tyrian Callows -Raven Branwen -Jacques Schnee -Corsac Albain -Fennec Albain -Ilia Amitola

I could even list a few more but these are the first examples that come to that. Let’s take a look at the similarities between Adam and the other listed characters:

-Adam is the leader of a terrorist organization, the White Fang -Cinder is a member of the biggest criminal and terrorism organization EVER. -Adam killed multiple Humans and Faunus alike. -Raven is the leader of a group of bandits that casually assaults and murders settlements outside of the Kingdoms for supplies to survive. -Jacques leads the S.D.C. and is single-handedly responsible for Faunus abuse and oppression and operating outside the law for his own selfish interests. -Roman is a thief and murderer who cares only about himself and is willing to take as many lives as necessary if it means to survive. -Cinder orchestrated the Fall of Beacon which led to multiple lives from ALL the Kingdoms to end prematurely. -Adam supposedly took advantage of Blake emotionally while they were both in the White Fang and used manipulation to keep her by his side. -Cinder emotionally AND physically has assaulted, threatened and manipulated Emerald. -Raven is emotionally manipulative and tried to take advantage of Yang and make her feel inferior to her so she could maintain the illusion of power. -Adam was on a quest of obtaining power to accomplish his goals. -Cinder desired power so obsessively that she not only joined Salem but allowed herself to be turned into a Human-Grimm hybrid. -Raven’s whole shtick is about being powerful enough to lead her tribe! -Adam has an unhealthy obsession with killing Blake for betraying him. -Cinder has an even unhealthier fixation on Ruby and torturing her, wishing to see her burn to ashes in front of her, even to the point she’s still obsessed with her. -Hazel holds Ozpin accountable for something out of his power and is obsessed with murdering him over and over for his own satisfaction. -Tyrian is just straight-up psychopathic and a mass murderer who delights in killing! -Neopolitan expressed a twisted and wicked delight at the idea of extinguishing Yang’s life. -Adam stabbed and hurt Blake and cut Yang’s arm as a display of power. -Cinder killed Pyrrha and left a nasty scar on Weiss too after piercing her with a spear. -Adam groomed a young Blake into serving by his side as a soldier despite him being much older while Ghira was still part of the White Fang. -Ilia, if we’re going by the Adam Trailer, was around Adam’s same grown age while Blake was, at the oldest, 12. So even if she didn’t groom her, she still felt attraction for a minor, which is pretty bad! -Adam lied to all the Faunus and claimed he cared for them. -Fennec and Corsac did the same to the entirety of Menagerie. -Adam has tried to kill Blake multiple times. -So did Corsac, Ilia and Fennec.

All these fucking characters are based on reality! People like Tyrian are mass murderers that are still frequent! People like Hazel who form a grudge and never let go until the target of their hatred’s life is beyond miserable, people like Neopolitan who take a sick satisfaction in hurting those who are down and enjoys inflicting pain on others. Criminals like Roman who kill and steal as long as it’s for their self-interests, people like Raven and Jacques who form negligent and abusive parents that only hurt their children, people like Adam who are abusive and crave to be seen as a savior in order to retain power. People like Cinder who are not satisfied with obtaining power and using it to crush others but who won’t stop until the people they oppress cannot dare even lift a finger against them like a megalomaniac tyrant! All these characters, not just Adam have real-life counterparts that are just as frightening!

Oh and let’s not forget when Yang was about to be killed by Neopolitan was there outrage for her character? Absolutely not! As a matter of fact, most of the FNDM loved it so much they started SHIPPING these two characters together! Why?! Hell if I know! Because they’re both women I suppose and for some reason the FNDM excused Neopolitan’s behavior, but when it’s a male character the one doing the hurting then he gets demonized to all hell and back. I’ve seen absolutely zero arguments in the FNDM when it comes to women-on-women violence though. But I guess it’s because it’s empowering for the fans for some reason? I don’t know. I just know one thing.

All these fucking characters are real, and they’re terrifying! Yet they’re still in Chibi. All these female villains are dark beyond belief yet they get excused! Why, because they’re women? Because they’re pretty?! Regardless they’re all just as bad as Adam fucking Taurus yet no one says fucking anything! Why are still only the males that get demonized? Why are the fans still so toxic to others? Why has this FNDM not fucking changed since 2014?! I’m sick and tired of it. I didn’t want to write this post yet here I am doing so because this hot garbage mess of a FNDM can’t go at least a fucking day without being wild.

Respect other people. Stop accusing them of shit they’re not guilty of. Just stop. Stop stoking the fires of drama. Just get along with each other! Let people like the characters they want to like and for the love of God stop harassing each other and just be at peace!

[mohshuvuu]

Level 65 - The Orphans and the Broken Blade "Sidurgu is about to make a suggestion he will immediately regret."

Sidurgu: <yawn> [Name]. I imagine you'd like to get back to it, and so would I. Unfortunately, Myste remains inconsolable. Sidurgu: His failure with Lowdy, such as it was, weighs on his mind. He's afraid of repeating the same mistake with others. Sidurgu: And so...for lack of a better idea...I'm thinking it's time to pay another visit to those furry little shites in the Churning Mists. Rielle: What? But why? I can't imagine Myste helping a moogle. Sidurgu: My master used to take me to places like Moghome when the city became too much. The fresh air, the quiet, the isolation... Sidurgu: ...And yes, I have not forgotten how the moogles helped Rielle and me when we were moody and brooding. Though I would argue that we reconciled in spite of their intervention, not because of it. Rielle: Whatever you say, Sid. Whatever you say... Myste: ...Don't worry. I haven't given up yet. How could I? You wouldn't.

>Rendezvous with Sidurgu at Moghome. Sidurgu: Right, then. Water under the bridge. No need for poms to be torn from heads and shoved down throats. Yet. Sidurgu: Our Myste is taking in the sights, I believe. Why don't you join him? Rielle: It's good to see you again, Moggie. I hope you and your friends haven't been getting into too much trouble... Moggie: Oh, you know Moggie! Trouble follows me wherever I go, kupo! Sidurgu: I don't know why they're so afraid of me. It's not as though I threatened to kill every last one of them and burn their village to cinders. Not recently, at least.

>Search for Myste. Myste: The wind in your hair, the sun on your face... Here you can immerse yourself in the beauty and the calm, and forget the horrors. Almost. Myste: How far we have come, you and I. The others, they hesitate...but you understand the obligation. The duty. The need for atonement. >For what do you need to atone? >What happened to you? Myste: We have lost...so, so much. So many friends and loved ones. So many moments. We thought we could keep and preserve them...but we are left with anguish in the end. Myste: Time strips us of even this bitter remainder, if we let it. But I cannot. This pain, this sadness...it is mine to bear. Mine alone. This I understand now. Myste: Their grief will be mine, and in return I will give them peace. But who and when and where, that is the question. Even we have our limits... Myste: Who did I lose? Everyone. No one. We have always been apart, have we not? Myste: Perhaps one day you will understand...and then you will share my loathing and contempt. Myste: Oh! Forgive me, I...I have been away from the others too long. Sid will be worried. We must return to them at once!

>Speak with Sidurgu. Moggie: Kupopo? Is this another one of your friends? Rielle: Did you and Myste have time to talk? Myste: Is Sid upset? I'm not sure, but I think I heard him grinding his teeth...

Sidurgu: There you are. I trust Myste has had ample time to reflect upon his mistake? Myste: I have. I am ready to resume my search for those I might help with my power. Difficult though it may be, I do not intend to give up. Sidurgu: Glad to hear it. In that case, there's no need to remain here any longer. I say we leave this accursed place and never return. Rielle: Don't be silly, Sid. I say we show Myste more of the Churning Mists. We did come all this way, you know. Rielle: Come on─there's a place I'd like to show you... Sidurgu: Now wait just a godsdammed moment! You can't go running off on your own like that! You'll get eaten by a three-headed goobbue! Rielle!? Rielle! Sidurgu: Bugger me with a bleeding... <sigh> Come on, they cannot have gone far. Watch out for belligerent dravanians and mischievous moogles...

>Follow Sidurgu. Unconscious Moogles: Not the pom... I'm too dead to kupo... Foolish...fool... Sidurgu: ...Don't give me that look. If the little bastards didn't want their heads caved in, they shouldn't've tried to sneak up on me. Besides, they're still alive. You ought to give me credit for holding back. Sidurgu: Anyway, I lost sight of the children. I'm not sure which way they went. Sidurgu: I'll head north and circle back towards Asah. You head straightways there.

>Search for Rielle. Myste: Rielle tells me she has rather fond memories of this place...

Rielle: ...You should have seen the look on Sid's face when the moogles started singing and dancing. He was utterly speechless! Myste: Um...why were the moogles singing and dancing again? Rielle: It was stupid, really, but...I guess you could say that Sid had become obsessed with trying to live up to his master's example. And for all the wrong reasons. Rielle: He lost his family when he was younger than me. Ser Ompagne took care of him, and Fray, but then they died too. So it's just the two of us now... Rielle: He was angry and shortsighted, but now...well, he's still both those things...but not as much as before. So that's progress, I suppose. Myste: Sid's master was very dear to him, wasn't he...

Sidurgu: Oh, thank the gods. You shouldn't have run off like that. Myste: Do you wish to see him again? Your master? Sidurgu: Huh? Where is this coming from? What has Rielle been telling you? I mean...there is much I wish I could have asked him before he passed, but─ Sidurgu: Wait, no! Don't you dare, you little shite! ???: Oh Sid. Charming as ever, I see. Sidurgu: Master!

Ompagne: And this must be Fray's successor. A worthy one, I have no doubt. My name is Ompagne, and it is an honor and a pleasure to meet you, [Name]. Ompagne: You did well to come so far on your own before meeting Sid. And together, you have both grown so much, in mind and body and soul. As dark knights, and as true heroes. Ompagne: There was a time when I was hailed as a hero too. For deeds meritorious in the defense of Ishgard and in the name of the Fury... Ompagne: A brave and true Temple Knight, I was. Slayer of countless Dravanians. A commander beloved of and respected by his men. They would follow me into the Seventh Hell... Ompagne: ...And indeed, that is where I led them. Time and time again. They would fall, and I would earn the accolades. And then they would give me more green boys with dreams of glory. Ompagne: Green boys with red blood, spilled on white snow. Again and again and again... Ompagne: And then, one day, I couldn't...I couldn't remember the first one's face. I had forgotten the face of the first boy who gave his life for me... Ompagne: That was the day I left the Temple Knights. Sidurgu: I know that tale by heart...but not the tale of what came after... Sidurgu: Why a goodly man with titles and wealth, a man who could have lived out his days in quiet comfort...why that man chose instead to walk the path...and to once more accept two children into his care... Ompagne: Aye, you asked me that very question long ago, and I told you that one day you would understand...when you were older and wiser and stronger... Ompagne: Shall we put you to the proof, Sid, and see if today is that day? Sidurgu: <sigh> You always were fond of your tests. Ompagne: Now, now, don't be cross. You've only yourself to blame. These are your memories, remember? Hah, but of course you do... Ompagne: The point is, deep down, you wanted this. And while there's no substitute for the genuine article, you could do a lot worse. Ompagne: So do me this honor─all of you! One last dance with the dead. Show me the man you have become, Sidurgu of the Obsidian Heart!

Duty commences. Ompagne Deepblack: Hold nothing back, you three! Show me your all! Sidurgu of the Obsidian Heart: You heard the man, [Name]! With me!

Ompagne Deepblack: Is that the best you can do? Hmph. Maybe this will help! Ompagne summons 4 dark sprites. Sidurgu of the Obsidian Heart: They're going after Rielle! Help her, [Name]!

Ompagne Deepblack: You swore an oath, Sid, did you not? What will happen if you fail to uphold it? Ompagne traps Rielle. Sidurgu of the Obsidian Heart: I can't break free! Save Rielle, [Name]!

Ompagne Deepblack: Death awaits those who walk this path alone, Sid... Stack with Sidurgu. Sidurgu of the Obsidian Heart: Ugh! You never were one to hold back... Rielle the Voiceless: Sid! Sid! Are you all right!? Hold on! Sidurgu of the Obsidian Heart: We're still here, old man! What else have you got!?

Ompagne Deepblack: Never take your eyes off your charge, Sid! Remember! Ompagne traps Rielle. Sidurgu of the Obsidian Heart: Godsdammit, not again! [Name], help Rielle!

Stack again with Sidurgu. Ompagne Deepblack: If it wasn't for [Name], you'd be dead by now... Sidurgu of the Obsidian Heart: Gah... He's right. That's one more I owe you...

Ompagne Deepblack: Well done, you two! You have exceeded all expectation! Consider this your reward! Ompagne defeats Sidurgu. Sidurgu of the Obsidian Heart: You thrice-damned son of a─ Graaagh! Rielle the Voiceless: Sid! Speak to me! Sid!

Ompagne Deepblack: I am still your opponent! Defend yourself! Ompagne summons several dark sprites. Ompagne Deepblack: Think me merciless? Your enemies will be no kinder!

Ompagne Deepblack: Magnificent, [Name]. Fray would be proud...

If Rielle dies: Rielle the Voiceless: I'm sorry, Sid...[Name]... I'm sorry... If Sidurgu dies: Sidurgu of the Obsidian Heart: Am I...so weak... Duty fails in either case.

Ompagne: Well done, [Name]. Well done indeed... Fray would be proud to know that you carry on his legacy...and mine... Ompagne: And Sid...Sid, my boy. My beloved boy. You nearly had me─ Sidurgu: Oh, spare me your sympathy, you bloody shade. I lost, and that's the end of it. Ompagne: You kept Rielle and [Name] out of harm's way, Sid. You did well. Learn to shut up and take the compliment. Ompagne: You asked me once why I chose to walk the path. Why I chose to look after you and Fray, even though, deep down, you already know. But, since I lost, I owe you the answer from my lips. Ompagne: I was angry. Angry with the Temple Knights, angry with myself, angry with this twisted world where good men die for nothing. I was seeking justice for my boys...and forgiveness for my sins. Ompagne: I saved lives and punished the wicked, and for a time, that was enough. But nothing lasts forever, does it? And a man ought to have a legacy... Ompagne: ...I failed my boys as a Temple Knight, but you two were my second chance. Ompagne: I would teach you everything I knew, everything I learned from my mistakes so you wouldn't have to make them. I would send you out into the world to do great things and maybe, maybe...it would all balance out... Ompagne: Well. That's all I have to say about that. You know what comes next, don't you? Ompagne: ...Though I suppose I ought to give you a word of advice before I disappear in a puff of smoke. I am your predecessor's master, after all. Ompagne: People like us will never know peace. Every moment brings us closer to death─those of our enemies, our loved ones, and yes...our very own. Ompagne: The fear of death is what keeps most men alive. That dread, that desperation to escape the inevitable, if only for a little longer. Ompagne: But we are not like most men. We have seen what awaits us beyond the abyss. We have tasted that despair, bathed in that oblivion. We have wept rivers for our dead and cursed the gods for their cruelty. Ompagne: That is our sword and our strength, and that is why you may one day stand above us all. May the gods have mercy on your soul. Ompagne: Take care, Sid. Be nicer to the girl. And try to be less of a chocobo's arse. Sidurgu: Oh, for the love of...

>Use Souleater to consume the Swirling Abyss. Myste: They weren't supposed to fight... Sidurgu: For an illusion, that bastard hit awfully hard... Reclaim your aether so we can leave. I may need to visit a healer... Rielle: Sid's in a bad way. I think Ser Ompagne may have overdone it a bit...

If you click on the abyss: In the depths of the abyss, a flame lingers... Use Souleater on the abyss: As the aether flows into your soul crystal once more, from the depths of the fading abyss, you hear a whisper...

>Speak with Sidurgu. Sidurgu: Good, good... Glad to see it all worked out in the end... Sidurgu: As for you, Myste...I distinctly recall telling you not to do that. Myste: Forgive me...had I known it would come to violence, I...I... Sidurgu: Don't you dare start pouting. I'm annoyed, aye, and sore all over, but it's nothing that won't heal with time. Sidurgu: All I ask is that you promise not to do it again without warning and consent. Memories can be powerful and painful...in more ways than one. Sidurgu: That said, he was right. I've only myself to blame. If I thought I could defeat him, I would've. But I didn't think I had a chance...and so I didn't. Ugh... Rielle: His injuries are worse than I thought. We should hurry back to Moghome! Myste: For a moment I was certain he would fly into a fury... Could it be that he is grateful for the experience after all? Myste: Then...then it was not in vain. Tired and broken though he may be, he is nevertheless better for the pain, and in time...in time...we too may be... Myste: There is still hope. Redemption is not beyond us.

>Speak with Sidurgu. Rielle: He'll heal, but I'm afraid it's going to take a while. The moogles can probably help, though Sid would have to let them─and good luck convincing him. Myste: He...he will recover, yes? Moggie: On the bright side, you can't blame us for it this time!

Sidurgu: Ugh...I'm afraid Rielle is right. I'm going to need some time to recover. I'm not fit to travel in my condition. Sidurgu: Which means...which means...oh, gods help me, I'm going to have to stay with these furry little shites even longer. Sidurgu: Two more times, was it? Two more times and we'll be finished with this boy's crusade. Not soon enough... <sigh> [Name], be a dear and punch a moogle for me, would you?

Sidurgu: I wasn't joking, by the way. About the moogle punching.