#harley is jaune's mom

[novankenn]

Arc ladies (Harley mom Au) vs Cindere (Yandere Cinder). That's all I got.

Hmmm... this could be interesting.

/=/

Cinder Fall was obsessed. Ever since she arrived at Beacon for the Vytal festival and saw Jaune Arc she couldn't concentrate on anything. Her days were consumed with finding ways to bump into him. To get him alone, and to keep... them away from him.

Hearing that Jaune planned to ask Weiss to the dance set her off. Why was he so consumed by that white hair pillow princess when a REAL woman was so close to him? Why the Schnee over her?

Weiss: Cinder?

Cinder: Hello Weiss, can we have a... chat?

Weiss: (hissing at Cinder's burning touch.) About... ah...?

Cinder: Jaune.

Weiss: I don't...

Cinder: No you don't, BUT you will guide him to me! Understand Schnee?

Weiss: But...

Cinder: (snarling) There is no buts! Unless of course you think...

Weiss: Think? (trying to twist away from Cinder's grip) Think about what?

Cinder: Think... you're accident proof...

????: (singing)

Cinder: ...

Weiss: ...

Mama Arc (Harley Quinn) : Hello, ladies!

Cinder: (releases Weiss) Hello?

Weiss: Mrs Arc, how... how are you?

Mama Arc: I'm doing alright, hold on!

Harley tilts her head, and purses her lips as if either in deep thought or hearing an important conversation.

Mama Arc: So I should tie Weiss up with her hair and give her to Saphie for punishment, while taking out...

Weiss: ...

Mama Arc: (points at Cinder and makes a come closer gesture. ) What's your name sweetheart?

Cinder: Cinder. Cinder Fall.

Mama Arc: ... Cinder for a shopping trip? I could.

Cinder: (leans in to whisper to Weiss) Is this REALLY Jaune's mom?

Weiss: Ye... *ahem* yes.

Cinder: She seems a bit...

Mama Arc: Sorry ladies. Voices. They can be so intrusive at times. Anyway what were we discussing?

Cinder: Ah...

Weiss: Cinder was mentioning how she WANTS my help to get Jaune to ask her to the Vytal Dance!

Mama Arc: Is that so?

Weiss: Ye... yes?

Cinder: ...

Mama Arc: That's so sweet of you Princess! You just gained some points!

Weiss: Points? What points?

Mama Arc: Keep Utena away from me... points.

Weiss: I'll be going! Nice to see you again Mrs Arc! Cinder... good luck!

Cinder: Good... luck?

Mama Arc: Now. You're interested in my puddin' are you?

Cinder: Yes?

Mama Arc: Is he... interested in you?

Cinder: Yes!

Mama Arc: Don't lie to me sweetie.

Cinder: I'm not! We're meant to be together! We are!

Mama Arc: I see. I see.

Cinder: ...

Mama Arc: We have a little problem then don't we?

Cinder: Problem? What problem?

Mama Arc: Well, I know bad, when I see it, sweetie.

Cinder: See bad?

Mama Arc: I can, and sweetie you have bad written all over you, which begs the question...

Cinder: Question?

Mama Arc: Are you generally bad, or are you possessive keep my puddin' from his family bad? You look like the possessive bad, to me.

Cinder: I would never, hurt Jaune like that!

Mama Arc: Really? That's good to know. Good to know. You can ask my puddin' out to the dance, and I'll even give you an hint on how to make sure he says yes.

Cinder: HOW?!?

Mama Arc: Be direct. Ask him to go to the dance with you as your date. No subtle shit. Direct. understood?

Cinder: Yes.

Mama Arc: Oh and Cinder?

Cinder: Yes?

Mama Arc: Treat him right, because if you hurt him...

Cinder: (eyes going wide when the mallet appeared out of nowhere)

Mama Arc: Am I... understood?

Cinder: Yes. I understand completely.

Mama Arc: Good. Oh, meet me at the bullhead pads in two hours.

Cinder: Ah... why?

Mama Arc: 'Cause we're going shopping! You'll need the perfect dress for the dance if you're going with my puddin'!

[howlingday]

Babysitting Duty

Jaune: That's Uncle Waylon. He was always really nice to me.

Pyrrha: He looks... nice.

Jaune: Not really. His condition makes him less and less human by the day. Then again, it could be how he's treated in Gotham that makes him this way.

Pyrrha: Oh, and, um, what about him?

Jaune: That's Uncle Penguin. Mom said he wasn't allowed to babysit anymore after last time.

Pyrrha: What happened last time?

Jaune: The newspapers said it was a hostage situation and a lot of police officers died.

Pyrrha: That's horrible!

Jaune: Yeah, it was.

Pyrrha: And who's this?

Jaune: That's-

Ren: Uh, what are you two looking at?

Jaune: It's an old scrapbook my mom made of all my babysitters.

Ren: It looks more like an archive of wanted posters.

Jaune: ...Huh, that would explain the stamp inside the binder that says, "Property of the Gotham City Police Department".

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

Harley: Well, if Alfred is gonna be out, why not get a babysitter? We both know you can afford it.

Bruce: It's not that simple. Hiring a teenager for a one-night job at Wayne Manor is more suspicious than I'd like.

Harley: Well, if you really feel that way, I can always call up somebody for an old favor. You think Zsaszy would charge extra after an hour?

Bruce: ...

Harley: Yeah, you're right. He'd probably tally up more trouble than he's worth.

Bruce: That's not funny.

Harley: Oh, like you've ever had a sense of humor.

Harley: But you're right. Zsasz isn't going anywhere near my little Jauney.

[richardsphere]

My thoughts on the RWBY9 Finale

So, that after credits scene was just the most dissapointing thing wasnt it.

I’m going to be honest, the introduction of even bigger gods on top of the two D-bags does NOT improve my hopes for the series to return to a lighter, more fun tone in the end. It feels uncomfortably like a series about to lorecreep its way up its own backside.

But if there’s a chance that the final climax at the end-of-days gets resolved by RWBYJNPORE Calling Mom on the Brothers about their most recent attempt at species-wide extinction, that’d be objectively humerous at least.

While I am happy there was at least a hug and some handholding as they entered the door, the fact that there were no apologies or talking out of the initial spat between Ruby and Jaune. Not even a single moment of Rubies friends adressing the whole “you commited suicide” thing feels bad to me. It feels like this finale threw the entire seasons emotional turmoil in the trash and said “dont you look at the turmoil behind the curtain, here’s an expositionary picturebook sequence to distract you instead”. This finale didnt need lore, it needed an emotional resolution to some of the heavy-ass topics they decided to introduce this season. More “summer lore” teases, they still dont mean anything but at least confirmed the one thing we already knew for certain: Raven knows what Summer did. hence why she knew Ozpin couldnt be trusted. Ruby gets to keep her memories because she decided to be herself (and the herself she decided to be had memories so of course she keeps them). Jaune gets de-aged by an actual deus-ex-machina born of a new one-of magical wishgranting mechanic that has no real establishment in the cannon so far. Its not the ominous “ascencion” that’s been looming over the plot, its just an entirely new and seperate thing. I have mixed feelings on the use of the treeherbs to make Neo have an off-screen halucination scene was sort of anticlimactic for that resolution as well. Im not saying it doesnt work as an excuse to get her to fight off the cat from inside, but Neo is tied for the longest-running antagonist in the series, and due to her muteness a non-reading audience knows so little about her. Like if you read the books i understand she’s got a lot of backstory but if you’re like me and just watched the show you only know 1 thing about her: She’s Torchwicks personal Harley Quinn. So while having her halucinations off-screen is probably the correct choice, because it avoids having to exposit an entire backstory in her presumeable final apearance, it is also verry frustrating because she’s still such a vague character to a large swathe of the audience. Also really sucks how they ended Neo’s character with a vague “she’ll become something else” tbh. Like i get that the only NON RWBY character in Blazblue is probably too marketable for them not to keep a backdoor open for a re-appearance when drama suits. (And her treebody just happens to be next to a door that plops people out “wherever they are needed most” so consider her less “dead” and more “A Heroic Return Locked and Loaded for Deus Ex Machina down the line”) Best Bun is gone now. Im not happy about that in the least. I’ll admit i never really cared for little that much (i found them sort of over-cutesied. Like i get that was the point but production overplayed their hand i feel) Im happy Pyrrha’s sash is big again. Im not happy the hair is back though, and its weird that “fixing what Alex broke” turned Jaune back into Pre-fall Jaune rather then Slightly-but-not-yet-extremely-rusted Jaune. Like most of Jaune was already broken before Alex met her, so it seems the spell is perhaps a little too generous. (but im willing to let that slide :P) I felt that the finishing move against the cat was a bit.... much. like it seemed perhaps a bit excessive and focussed on flash. Which is a bit dissapointing because RWBY’s fights are best due to its more nuanced aspects. Not saying there isnt flash usually, just that the flash and nuance normally work together and here it ends in a big ball of everyone-turning-into-streaks-of-movement -------- Now onto my personal notes of judgement. Will i be sticking with the series seeing its current trajectory if a hypothetical S10 gets greenlit? I’ll say Im semi-optimistic, The introduction of the tree smith as a genuinely benevolent deity is probably the most important thing here for the series tonal trajectory. But then that is an indication of levity/hope, not the “fun” that has long been absent of the series. I dont think im abandoning the series completely after all, or at least not yet. Im still worried but no longer hopeless for the series future.

[blackhakumen]

Mini Fanfic #320: Oscar's Funeral? (RWBY)

Everyone: (Crying Over Oscar's Supposed "Death")

Jaune: ('Sniff') I.... Can't.....('Sniff') Believe..... He's gone.....

Nora: Yeah.....My baby.....('Sniff') (Noticed Something was Missing on Oscar's tombstone from her very teary eyes) My son was a Farm Boi, Damnit! WHO CHISELED THIS SHIT?!!!

Ren: (Mourning over the lost of his son, respectively Chiseled "Proud Farm Boi" Under Oscar's name.)

Elsewhere........

Oscar: (Eyes Widened by what he's watching on his scroll) Did they seriously arranged my Funeral already?!

Ozpin: (In Oscar's Self Conscious) Well, to be frank, you did got shot by Ironwood. So this might be their way of coping the supposed tragedy.... Oddly enough.

Glynda: (Smiles Softly) They really care that much of you, do they?

Oscar: (Chuckles Lightly) Yeah...... It's almost like we're.....(Frowns Sadly) Family.......('Sigh') Alright. We need to go and find them right now-

Glynda: Oscar, no. It's freezing outside and it's already nighttime.

Oscar: B-But-

Glynda: (Starts Scolding the Farm Boy) No buts, young man. You may have an immoral wizard inside that head of your, but you are still young and in desperate need of rest and relaxation. Do I make myself clear?

Oscar: ('Sigh in Defeat') Yes, ma'am..... I'm sorry....

Glynda: ('Sigh Sadly') Oscar....

Oscar: Hm?

Glynda: (Gently Grabs Oscar's hand) I promise we'll find them together. So please don't let this bother you.

Oscar: I won't. (Smiles a Little) Thank you, Ms. Goodwitch.

Glynda: (Smiles a Little) There's really no need to thank me, dear. It's like what I told you before......Me, you, and Ozpin..... We're all on this together until the very end.

Ozpin: (In Oscar's Self-Conscious) She's right, you know? We won't have to go on this difficult journey alone anymore.

Oscar: (Nodded with a Soft Smile) Right.

@keyenuta

@miki-13

@littlemisssquiggles

@oscarpineprotectionsquad

@shadowsnowdapple

@tikitm

@ma-lemons

@maripr

[barbaracleboy]

Bianca Barrage Compilation: Day 1-4

Hey, guys, you wanna see some old art? You wanna see a lot of old art? You wanna see a lot of old Bee Mom art? I hope you do, because way back in, like, June of last year I drew and posted a crap ton of Queen Bianca art to the Bug Fables Official Discord because I felt she hadn't seen enough appreciation at the time. Each day that I posted I tried to give a different theme, but I also did a number of bonus posts that often had less to do with that day's particular theme. Also, a number of these pieces were posted on this blog already. But enough blab: time for Bianca!...Under the Keep Reading.

Day 1: Theme - Oblivious

I feel like the “Rental Mommy Shirt” meme was dead even before I made this almost a year ago, but eh. I still find this funny. I originally wanted Jaune here too but I wasn’t confident in drawing her yet.”

This is not canon anymore. Bianca is absolutely a gamer and she would know the difference between a Wii and a GameCube Mario Party. I feel ashamed.

Day 2: Theme - “Don’t Feel Like It”

Harley the Honeycomb! I’ve wanted to introduce her on this blog for a long ass time.

Also, Bee Mom in her jammies.

Day 3: Theme - SUS AMOGUS

AMOGUS

Day 4: Theme - Cosplay 

Oh wow, she’s dressed as that OTHER big mom that was popular at the time!

Also two doodles of her dressed as Elizant. Why two? Because I genuinely wasn’t sure which I preferred: one had better proportions, one had less erase marks.

Bianca totally wears a leotard, don’t @ me.

Day 4 Bonus:

Those bottom two panels can be a meme, if I do say so myself.

[nate-the-content-creator]

I wonder what things would be like with Harley Quinn as Jaune's mom? Would he know how to use a bat to fight?

A bat, a huge comical wooden mallet that Nora is seriously jealous over. Oh, and let's not forget the large caliber revolver.

[gorillageek27]

I suddenly want an AU where Harley Quinn is Jaune's mom.

Oh my god

[certified-soft-si-content]

F/O List!!!

Thought I'd finally make one aha x

I am absolutely fine with you following me if we share an f/o, be that romantic or platonic!

Romantic F/Os (mains/currently focused ones are coloured):

Connor and Chloe - Detroit: Become Human (ship name: SamConChlo | Hearts of Red and Blue)

Peter Parker aka Spider-Man - Marvel (ship name: Sensed Souls)

Thirteen - Doctor Who (ship name: My Lucky Unlucky Number)

Max Caulfield - Life is Strange (ship name: Power of Love)

Lance Serrano and Takashi Shirogane - Voltron: Legendary Defender (ship name: Sky, Sea and Stars)

Blake Belladonna and Weiss Schnee - RWBY (ship name: Shades of Blue)

Steven Grant Rogers aka Captain America and Sam Wilson aka Falcon - Marvel (ship name: Stamwich | I'll Carry You)

Samwise Gamgee and Frodo Baggins - Lord of the Rings (ship name: Tol and Smols)

Double Trouble - She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (ship name: Partners in Crime)

Adora aka She-Ra - She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (ship name: Princess Jock and Prince Nerd)

Soren - The Dragon Prince (ship name: My Stars Shine For You)

James T Kirk (Star Trek AOS) (ship name: Space Gays)

Eleanor Shellstrop - The Good Place (ship name: We Can Grow Together)

Jaskier - The Witcher (Netflix) (ship name: Song of Our Hearts)

Elsa of Arendelle - Frozen (ship name: Melt My Heart)

Lunafreya Nox Fleuret - Final Fantasy XV (ship name: Moon Dance)

Harleen Quinzel aka Harley Quinn - DC (ship name: Red, Black and Blue)

Christine Daaé - Phantom of the Opera (ship name: Say You'll Love Me Every Waking Moment)

Nyx - The Dragon Prince (ship name: Flying Together)

George Weasley - Harry Potter (ship name: Seorge)

Platonic F/Os:

Steve Harrington - Stranger Things (pairing name: Manly Backslaps)

Robin Buckley - Stranger Things (pairing name: Solidarity)

Will Byers - Stranger Things (platonic/found familial) (pairing name: You Don't Need To Be Fixed)

Joyce Byers - Stranger Things (pairing name: I Wish You Were My Mom)

Dustin Henderson - Stranger Things (platonic/found familial) (pairing name: Hair Ruffles)

Hank Anderson - Detroit: Become Human (platonic/found familial) (pairing name: You Are My Daaaad)

RK900|Nines - Detroit: Become Human (pairing name: Not My Type)

Gavin Reed - Detroit: Become Human (pairing name: Wonderland)

Simon - Detroit: Become Human (pairing name: Two Blond Twinks)

Markus - Detroit: Become Human (pairing name: I'll Fight For You)

Kara - Detroit: Become Human (pairing name: Give Yourself Credit)

Luther - Detroit: Become Human (pairing name: A Simple Thank You)

Chris Miller, Ben Collins, Officer Person, Officer Wilson, Tina Chen - Detroit: Become Human ('squad' name: More Than Rumours)

Merry Brandybuck - Lord of the Rings (pairing name: You Perplex Me)

Pippin Took - Lord of the Rings (pairing name: How Did You Eat Four)

Legolas - Lord of the Rings (pairing name: Reluctant Older Brother)

Scorpia - She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (pairing name: you need a better friend)

Bow - She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (pairing name: Not Princesses)

Princess Shuri of Wakanda - Marvel (pairing name: Always In Awe)

Janet - The Good Place (pairing name: Not Girls)

Chidi Anagonye - The Good Place (pairing name: Our Joint Decision)

Tahani Al Jamil - The Good Place (pairing name: Your Accent Is Worse Than My Accent)

Michael - The Good Place (pairing name: If Anything Happens To Her I'll Find A Way To End Your Afterlife)

Jason Mendoza - The Good Place (pairing name: You Okay There Buddy?)

Sean Diaz - Life is Strange 2 (pairing name: Someone To Watch Over You)

Daniel Diaz - Life is Strange 2 (pairing name: Not Quite Brothers)

Luna Lovegood - Harry Potter (pairing name: Pretty Odd)

Tenya Iida - Boku No Hero Academia (pairing name: Under Control)

Prompto Argentum - Final Fantasy XV (pairing name: Take A Shot)

Ignis Scientia - Final Fantasy XV (pairing name: Mother Birds)

Leonard "Bones" McCoy - Star Trek AOS (pairing name: Stressed Men in Blue Shirts)

Lie Ren - RWBY (pairing name: Comfortable Silence)

Jaune Arc - RWBY (pairing name: Shields)

Penny Polendina - RWBY (pairing name: Place In My Heart)

Jean Kirstein - Attack on Titan|Shingeki no Kyojin (pairing name: Platonic Jam)

[hypeathon]

RWBY Animators Spotlight # 5: Asha Bishi & Kim Newman

Previous Animators Spotlight Posts:

Joel Mann & Harley Dwortz

Ian Kedward & Millivette Gonzalez

Dillon Gu & Austin Hardwicke

Honorable Mentions

So far in previous Spotlight posts, quite a bit of time has been spent touching on certain animators that have been part of RWBY’s production since the first couple of volumes. And though I’ve referred to a handful of newer names in the web-series’s production, there are more who have become more involved that also deserve a mention. This post will be dedicated to two of those animators, one who joined the production in volume 3 and the other who joined in volume 4.

Asha Bishi

I said before that Volume 3′s production had arguably as big on an overhaul as volume 4. And while that’s true, let’s not dismiss what changes occurred in the latter. Whereas the third volume’s production underwent changes in terms of establishing and adjusting phases, teams, and positions, much of the changes during volume 4 were in terms of the animation process itself. Contrary to what some might think, Rooster Teeth had always used Autodesk Maya, albeit for just modeling characters at first. But volume 4 was when Maya replaced Poser Pro as the main tool for animation. As a result, various assets had to be rebuilt from scratch and new plug-ins and approaches to using the software were considered. This led to a challenge for the animation team, especially with the schedule cutting things close between RTX 2016 and the volume 4 premiere on October 22nd of the same year. But veteran animators and newcomers for volume 4 had tackled those challenges.  Asha Bishi, a newcomer during volume 4, would be among them.

Like any animator who starts small when involved in the show, Asha’s first scene in volume 4 was one of team RNJR’s various trekking scenes in chapter 2, where they talk about Shion village and Jaune’s trips with his family. This scene, as faint as it is, is where her way of animating in the show can be identified. Asha usually makes character animations feel snappy yet lively through facial expressions or body language while still maintaining who the character is, as seen in the way Jaune’s eyes embarrassingly shift around in her scene. 

Eventually, her snappy way of animating dialogue-oriented scenes would prove to compliment the fight scenes she would be assigned with. One of her first bits of action-oriented animation were Ren and Nora’s successfully-cathartic attempt at pinning down and killing off the Nuckelavee. What sticks out in her shots the most is the way Ren indifferently yanks his father’s dagger off of the Grimm’s flank as he walks towards and defiantly deals with the Nuckelavee’s sudden attempt to intimidate him. We would then start to see Asha’s skills at animating fight scenes develop further within the volume 5 character shorts, namely Weiss’s. Some have referred to Weiss’s way of fighting in her character short as more of dancing than fighting. Whether or not that’s ultimately meant as a compliment or a criticism, some of those moments are simply due to Asha applying her forte; snappy character acting. The way Weiss swiftly unleashes fire dust, lunges at the beowulves and decapitates a couple of them with twirls and a sense of grace but cockiness are all intentional.

Now I bring up the matter of how Asha does character acting in both dialogue and action scenes, but there is one character who probably brings the most in her style, and that’s Blake Belladonna. But how exactly does a character as serious and emotionally withdrawn as Blake bring the most in Asha’s animations?

The moment where Blake ditches her bow has been widely deemed as a positive note for Blake’s character within RWBY’s fandom. But believe it or not, it’s also been a great moment within the animation team, and it’s not hard to see why. With faunus characters, what could’ve been misinterpreted as certain characters having ears and tails as prop, can now be seen as genuinely-nuanced behavioral traits. Blake as a result has been able to communicate more openly with her ears and thus adds a range of emotion and secondary action animation. Believe it or not, much of how Blake and her mom, Kali’s ears move are generally reflective of how a real cat’s ears would shift depending on their mood. 

Now, none of this is to say that Asha is the only animator who does this, but you’ll definitely see a difference in some scenes in volumes 4 and 5 where Blake barely moves her ears at all and scenes where she moves them a lot. When Blake’s ears are expressed lively, there’s a good chance Asha did it. Besides Blake and Kali, this also extends to other characters, faunus or not, like Sun and his tail (these are the actual shots she did), Sienna’s ears and Weiss’s ponytail. Of course, she still animates well-emoted scenes for other characters in-between, such as Yang and Weiss’s reunion.

There are two Japanese animators Asha Bishi can be compared to when it comes to the way she animates, Hirotoshi Takaya and Akira Hamaguchi. The former has utilized a swift way to express character movement in various anime projects since the 90s. Some of the works Takaya has animated for include the Magical girl anime Mysterious Thief Saint Tail (a TV series that fell into obscurity in anime compared to other shows of the same genre), the Shonen anime Kekkaishi, and the TV anime adaptation of the Japanese role-playing game, Tales of the Abyss. The latter animator I referred to, Akira Hamaguchi, often sprinkles a bit of frame modulation in his works, meaning he will go from animating on 1s to animating in 2s or 3s or vice-versa. Between that and his character animations having a sometimes swiftly and bouncy feel, Hamaguchi’s scenes have their own sense of liveliness to them.

Here are the list of scenes confirmed/presumed to have been worked on by Asha Bishi:

Most of team RNJR walking scene - Vol 4, Ch 2

Most of opening scene with Blake on ship - Vol 4, Ch 3

Some of Blake and Sun’s dialogue on ship - Vol 4, Ch 3

Yang coming up to her room and eavesdropping on Taiyang, Oobleck and Port’s conversation - Vol 4, Ch 4

Blake seeing her parents again - Vol 4, Ch 5

Blake, Sun, and Ghira confronting with Corsec and Fennec until Ghira asks, “Know what?” - Vol 4, Ch 5

Team RNJR walking until Ruby says, “I don’t know! I lived in a small area. I’ve never been this far away from home!” - Vol 4, Ch 6

Team RNJR stopping in Oniyuri and unleashing their weapons as Ren senses Tyrian - Vol 4, Ch 6

Weiss and Jacque arguing until he smacks her - Vol 4, Ch 7

Jacque stripping Weiss of her heiress title - Vol 4, Ch 7

Blake and Ghira’s talk from when Ghira says, “And you pulled yourself out”, to the end of the scene - Vol 4, Ch 8

Team RNJR and Qrow’s conversation from when Qrow says, “Look, I had the same questions”, to him saying, “Like I said, the schools are an important part of stopping Salem.” - Vol 4, Ch 8

Yang and Taiyang taking a break from sparring from Taiyang petting Zwei to Yang sitting up from the ground - Vol 4, Ch 9

First few shots of Blake and Sun chasing Ilia - Vol 4, Ch 9

Nora falling from the tower to pummel the horse part of the Nuckelavee Grimm and Ren killing it off - Vol 4, Ch 12

Oscar meets Qrow - Vol 4, Ch 12

Weiss landing in front of Schnee emblem statue and striking a sweep of fire at the summoned Beowulves - Vol 5 Weiss Character short

Weiss maintaining focus after seeing more Beowulves summoned, then lunges and strikes down three Beowulves - Vol 5 Weiss Character Short

And here is Asha Bishi’s most recent demo reel:

Kim Newman

A couple of times before, I briefly teased mentioning about a certain animator gaining a lot of attention. And that animator I referred to was Kim Newman. Kim has developed a positive reputation within the fandom during the middle of volume 5′s run for very specific reasons, but more on that later. For now, let’s dive into when she got her start on production of the series.

As stated before, every animator who has worked on RWBY, regardless of how good they’ve gotten in the eyes of the fandom, had to get their start on smaller scenes somewhere and Kim Newman was no exception. During her first few weeks working at Rooster Teeth during the production of volume 3, she provided bits-and-pieces of both the Team JNPR vs Team BRNZ fight and the Team SSSN vs Team NDGO fight, with her very first animations being Nora showing off her semblance for the first time, Sage and Dew clashing, Gwen’s knives dropping on Scarlet and Sun’s drop-kick on Octavia. Judging by these shots alone, one probably wouldn’t easily tell this was Kim, given how back then most animators who had been working on the show up to that point were getting their sea legs with constructing full-fledged fights. but small signs of her approach to animating scenes can be seen, such as how the camera distorts a bit when Gwen’s knives fall toward Scarlet.

By the latter-half of volume 3, another side of Kim Newman’s animations would be seen through facial expressions. The first noteworthy example is Team RWBY in their dorm room in chapter 8, where not only do we see how she’s just as capable at character acting, but that she manages to sell Yang’s expressions through the first actual tears in the show. Not just comedic tears done in compositing or characters wiping their eyes with their hands to fake the gesture, but rather real tears. And this would be far from the last scene of that sort she’s done. Two other scenes she’s done that were even more emotional involved Ruby... witnessing both Penny and Pyrrha’s deaths. Yeah, these kinds of things she’s insisted on volunteering for, going as far as adding tears for Ruby’s reaction in the former scene when they weren’t even in the storyboards or animatic. Though what’s really worth noting is how she captures the expressions and gestures in both scenes at making Ruby feel helpless while making other characters like Pyrrha feel briefly content in her final moments before being struck. Also, fun fact: Kim had a replica of Pyrrha’s crown on her desk when animating the scene... okay, well, maybe not necessarily a fun fact. But this is all to point out how dedicated she was to mo-capping and animating her favorite character

The scenes Kim Newman animated throughout volume 3 would prove to be an signs of things to come in volumes 4 & 5 as her skills would not only improve, but she will also develop traits in her style that can be best described in one word: ‘intense’. From here on, the way she animated how fast and hard characters attacked and weapons and fists were swung would be more refined. She would also more often angle and/or distort the camera in a manner that winds up adding a sense of dynamism that would be seen among certain animators in anime. I said in part 3 of the this Spotlight series how Dillon Gu used the camera to apply a sense of speed for the character. For comparison-sake, if Dillon used the camera to help show how fast the character was going, then Kim used the camera to apply the sense of distance, to display how far one character was from the other they faced depending on the setting. This is made most evident in shots like Blake being flung to the sky  above the Water Dragon Grimm, Ruby dodging the reach of the Nuckelavee Grimm, Yang standing ground against the Ursa, and Weiss summoning her knight against the lancer.

Kim still just as much strengthened the use of the camera in her scenes as she has character acting, where strong emotions are applied both during and outside of fight scenes. Though not as gut-wrenching as the stuff she’s done in volume 3, she still couldn’t help but find herself still working on scenes where characters are emotionally crying such as with Ruby and Yang’s reunion and Yang and Raven’s verbal confrontation, the latter of which she mo-capped and animated alongside another animator, Melanie Stern. And in the case of fight scenes themselves, she makes sure to communicate to the viewer moments where a character is feeling shocked, alarmed, angry, focused or in Tyrian’s case, playful. One of the best examples of this is in chapter 10 of volume 5. When fans think of that chapter and Kim Newman in terms of fights, they think specifically of the fact Sun is using his “gun-chucks” mode for the first time in a while. And while that moment was great to watch in it’s own right, it’s her part in Blake and Ilia’s fight that arguably better captures use of intensity described earlier. Not only does it fit the setting of the inside of Blake’s being set on fire as a visual metaphor for the heat of battle, but it even effectively compliments the fueled, angered voice acting done by Cherami Leigh as Ilia, a character that served as the biggest departure of all the roles she’s voiced in anime and video games.

I mentioned earlier that Kim gained a reputation within the fandom for certain reasons during volume 5 and when I say that, I’m referring to her position. Since volume 3, Joel Mann and Dustin Matthews have most consistently been credited as the lead of the animation team. By chapter 10 of volume 5, Kim Newman was officially promoted to Assistant Lead Animator. Though she wasn’t the first to be credited for this position (that honor goes to Paula Decanini during volume 4 who is now the director of RWBY Chibi season 3), it’s this role where Kim managed to help lead the team of animators who were brought on board during volume 5. Animators like Erika Soosaar, Jason Dickol and John Yang (or “NWBY” as she aptly put it) have in response expressed enjoying their experience working with her.

So with all of this mentioning about her skills and position in the web-series, what Japanese animators could her style even be compared to. Some may by default compare her to Yutaka Nakamura or Norio Matsumoto since they have done some of the most popular fight scenes in very widely-known anime. But the comparison can be considered unfair as both animators have had 30 years of animation industry experience under their belts whereas Kim has only had a few. Plus the comparisons can be seen as too obvious and broad. One could argue that since she’s gone on record that her passion for animation was inspired by the Shonen boxing anime, Hajime no Ippo, then she could be compared to say, animator Yoshiyuki Ito, who did certain scenes in the series and has done character designs for various Studio Bones titles like the 2003 Fullmetal Alchemist series, Soul Eater, Star Driver, Space Dandy, Concrete Revolutio, and the spring 2018 anime, Dragon Pilot: Hisone & Masotan.

Though a more appropriate choice, the two animators that Kim Newman can be best compared to in my eyes are that of Aito Ohashi and Takahiro Shikama. With the former, Ohashi has been fairly new to the anime industry, having made a presence in the more recent Pokemon XY and Sun & Moon series and Gundam Build Fighters with angled cameras and swift animation to give a feel of how fast and how far characters are moving about in a given setting. So that’s the comparison to Ohashi. But what about Shikama? Having animated scenes for anime like Kurokami, Star Driver, Sacred Seven, & most recently, Darling in the Franxx, Shikama has a way of timing punches and kicks to either be thrown or hit hard and fast. Every hit and sword strike capture great force, combined with fierce facial expressions.  

Here are the list of scenes confirmed/presumed to have been worked on by Kim Newman:

Nora unveiling her semblance for the first time - Vol 3, Ch 2

Octavia of Team NDGO surfing and sliding across the sand - Vol 3, Ch 2

Sun drop-kicking Octavia (all of the models weren’t fleshed out yet. They just used blank, grey models or ‘proxy models’) - Vol 3, Ch 2

Gale of team NDGO dropping her knives around Scarlet - Vol 3, Ch 2

Animating part of Weiss in her and Yang’s fight against Flynt and Neon - Vol 3, Ch 5

The part where Yang launches toward and charges at Flynt’s attack (presumed) - Vol 3, Ch 5

Team RWBY in their dorm room after Yang’s match - Vol 3, Ch 8

Ruby trying to escape from Mercury - Vol 3, Ch 9

Kim Newman improvised from what the storyboards/animatic (asst. Editor, Stan Lewis’s animatics)

Ruby’s tears after seeing Penny was not originally in the storyboards

Qrow, Glynda & Cardin attacking the Atlessian Knights and Grimm - Vol 3, Ch 11

Cinder killing Pyrrha and Ruby unleashing her silver eyes - Vol 3, Ch 12

Jaune training in the forest - Vol 4, Ch 2

Blake climbing up Sun’s clones and then diving to clip the Water Dragon Grimm’s wing - Vol 4, Ch 3

Qrow vs Tyrian until Tyrian takes his weapon from him - Vol 4, Ch 7

Ren recovering from letting go of the Nuckelavee Grimm’s grip and wildly charging at it - Vol 4, Ch 12

Ruby, Jaune and Ren working together to pin down the Nuckelavee Grimm’s arms - Vol 4, Ch 12

Yang fighting the Ursa Grimm from when she charged and stopped its arm attack to before it knocks her across the forest - Vol 5 Yang character short

Weiss shooting at the Lancer Grimm - Vol 5, Ch 2

Weiss summoning the knight and having it run off the ship - Vol 5, Ch 2

Kim did most of the mo-cap for Weiss using dance moves in K-Pop as a reference

Yang, Weiss, and Ruby’s reunion - Vol 5, Ch 6

Blake and Ilia exchanging blows after the former sets the house on fire - Vol 5, Ch 10

Sun attacking Ilia - Vol 5, Ch 10

Yang and Raven’s argument - Vol 5, Ch 14

And here is Kim Newman’s most recent demo reel:

[novankenn]

Imagine the Arc sisters(Harley arc family) Each pick a girl they think would be best ro date their brother while the girls look on in confusion and Jaune is just blushing in the corner. (Bonus points if none of the crazy sisters pick Pyrrha but Saffron quietly tells Pyrrha she is rooting for her. Also everyone dunking on Weiss.)

Jaune was hiding, behind the locked door of his dorm's bathroom, as the entirety of his immediate family... YES all of them... was currently having a "discussion " in the common room about his love life.

Mama (Harley Quinn) Arc: Girls... GIRLS!

The arguing voices quieted.

Mama Arc: Now we ALL know that our love-bunny-wunny has a hard time speaking to girls, and let's be honest that's because of us. I mean how can he EVER hope to find anyone as perfect for him as we are!

Arc Sisters: DAMN RIGHT!

Mama Arc: Now, be that as it may, our puddin' needs someone to watch over him, to cuddle, pamper and hold him when none of us are around... so... please present your personally chosen candidates. Jinx...

Jinx: That's me!

Mama Arc: You're first.

Jinx: the choice is simple. He needs someone chaotic and energetic. Someone that will always remind him of us so... I chose...

Nora: ME??? But I'm with Re...

Jinx: We offer explosives, pancakes and breaking stuff!

Nora: That include legs?

Jinx: Of Course!

Nora: I'm IN!

Mama Arc: Interesting choice. Tiny Tina you're next. Who do you...

Tiny Tina: SHE WAS MY CHOICE!!!! Mom Jinx took my idea!

Jinx: Snooze you loose!

Mama Arc: Girls behave! No fighting!

Jinx & Tiny Tina: Sorry.

Mama Arc: Do you have a second choice?

Tiny Tina: Well...

Ruby: ME!?!?!?

Tiny Tina: Yeppers.

Ruby: Why?

Tiny Tina: You're smart, cute, adorable, and like guns. You're almost as perfect... no on second thought you are PERECT!!

Ruby: Um... thank you?

Mama Arc: You are right she is adorably cute, and oh I can just see the GRANDBABIES!!!

Ruby: EEP!!!

Mama Arc: Saphron, you're next.

Saphron: I refuse. We have no right to be interfering in Jaune's love life, and besides we came here to SEE Jaune, not matchmake!

Mama Arc: We can do both dear, but I accept you decision.

Saphron: (Whispering) You better make your move soon red...

Pyrrha: (Whispering) What?

Saphron: (Whispering) You heard me. Make your move... I'm rooting for you.

Pyrrha: (Whispering) Ah... um... th...thank... you?

Mama Arc: Now while Saphron plots like a traitor, you're up Rebecca.

Rebecca: The girl I picked is the best! She's the strong silent type and kick ass enough to keep Jaune safe from everything, even man stealing homewrecking hussies!

Neo: 😵‍💫⁉️😵‍💫

Mama Arc: Is she okay?

Rebecca: She's... hey! Get back here!

Neo: 😝🤑😝

Mama Arc: No shooting in the hallways!!! Ah whatever. Joan...

Joan: Jeanne and I are making a joint choice for Jaune.

Jeanne: That is correct, and we expect everyone to respect and accept our... choice.

Mama Arc: You mean suggestion.

Joan & Jeanne: Choice.

Mama Arc: Okay. And who is this... choice?

Joan & Jeanne: Her!

Yang: ME?!?!?

Joan & Jeanne: Yes. You.

Yang: But I don't like VB like that!

Joan & Jeanne: VB?

Yang: It's Jaune's nickname...

Ruby & Weiss: Don't Yang!

Yang: ... Vomit Boy.

Joan: We may have made a mistake.

Jeanne: We must correct it.

Yang: Huh?

Joan: Burning at the stake?

Jeanne: It is fitting.

Jeanne and Joan each hook one of Yang's arms and start walking out of the room with her.

Yang: Hey! Unhand me! Let me go!

Mama Arc: Saphron, can you get Jaune and get a stay of execution, please dear?

Saphron: Yes, mom. Come on Red, let's get you... partner.

Mama Arc: Saphron.... any way. Utena you're next.

Utena: Jaune needs someone adventurous and exotic, and I choose her!

Blake: ME????

Utena: Yes.

Blake: But why?

Utena: Cause.

Blake: That's not a reason!

Mama Arc: Ah, Utena IF Blake is your suggestion, why are you holding Ms... Schnee's hand?

Utena: She's seen the error of her ways... but needs some more correction...

Weiss: Help me?

Mama Arc: Ah... Utena... fine. But don't break her too much. She has classes in the morning.

Weiss: Help me?

Mama Arc: Well as I have seen your choices, I shall reveal mine as well. I choose... HER!

Glynda: I... refuse! This is unacceptable!

Mama Arc: My puddin' needs a mature and motherly figure in his life. You're perfect and... this is non-negotiable...

[novankenn]

Can you write Harley meeting her grandson Adrian for the first time?

Saphron fidgeted nervously on the couch, while her wife Terra sat completely terrified at the figure seated across from them, bouncing their miraculous bundle of joy on her lap.

Mama Arc (Harley Quinn): Oh... aren't you just the cutest, sweetest puddin' I ever did saw!

Harley tips Adrian backwards and blows a razzberry on his chubby tummy.

Adrian: *Giggles*

Mama Arc: Oh you are TOO precious!

Harley blows another razzberry on Adrian's tummy.

Mama Arc: I could just EAT you!

Terra gave her wife and love of her life a panicked look. She had heard the FIRST-HAND stories Saphron had about her family's more... interesting exploits, and she was definitely not going to assume anything is out of the realm of possibility for Saphron's family... anything.

Saphron: Mom?

Mama Arc: I should just scoop you up, my little puddin' and take you home! Would you like to come home with grand-mama? Would you?

Adrian: *Giggles and Coos*

Saphron: Mom?

Mama Arc: Yes Saphi?

Saphron: Not that it's not GREAT to have you just show up without warning...

Saphron delicately reached out, and obvious sign she wanted her son back.

Mama Arc: That is... rude.

Saphron: Mom?

Mama Arc: I raised 8 or you, on my own without any help from that useless manic twit of a father. I am more than... capable to hold on to my only grandchild... safely.

Harley holds Adrian in the air and makes a goofy face at him.

Adrian: *Giggles*

Harley: And I think I raised you all into well adjusted adults. Well everyone except Utena. She's an odd one.

Saphron: Well adjusted???

Adrian : *Sniffles*

Mama Arc: Oh, it's okay puddin'. It's okay. grand-mama won't let anyone hurt you... ever. Your mama didn't mean to scare you.

Harley pulls Adrian into a comforting hug, ending his tears before they could even start.

Mama Arc: Don't raise you voice, Saphi. It's counter-productive.

Saphron: Sorry.

Mama Arc: Now why did you...

Saphron: We're not well adjusted. Well Jaune and I are... but you and everyone else...

Mama Arc: How dare you slander your family like that?

Saphron: How? How? The wedgie incident.

Mama Arc: Phish. That was nothing.

Saphron: Nothing? Two ten year olds and a thirteen year old... Joan Jeanne and Rebecca burned down Ansel's elementary school because someone gave Jaune a wedgie!

Mama Arc: You'll understand once this little angel starts school. You'll understand... I have no doubt in my mind about it.

Saphron: And why...

Mama Arc: You're my daughter after all... you're my daughter.

(A/N - Hope this is along the lines of what you envisioned. )

==> Original <==

[howlingday]

@r3dj3st3r

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

Happy Chaos Jaune

VS Raven Arc & Mama Harley

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

"Well, well, well! Look what we have here!"

"Jaune?" Harley asked, confused by the blue man in front of her. "You do something with your hair... and your skin?"

"Mm, yes and no." He chuckled. "I didn't do this, but I can't complain."

"I don't know who you are," Raven drew Omen from her sheath, "but you're not my Jaune."

"Probably not mine, either." Dr. Quinn cupped her chin and squinted her eyes at him. "Though I wouldn't say this couldn't happen to my Jaune."

"Because of you, or because of his world?" The let the torn hoodie on his back slide to his elbows as he spread his arms with open palms. He then shut them into fists as a wide grin spread across his face. "Or maybe it's because of ol' daddy dearest?"

Harley's face almost immediately twisted into one of rage. "Watch it, bub. You may not be my Jaune-"

"But you'll give me a spanking, right?" Jaune chuckled as the woman balked. "Yeah, I've heard that one before. Or at least I think I did. One of the two."

"What the hell are you?" Raven growled.

"Me?" Jaune pointed to himself. "I thought we already went over this." He smiled wide and spread his arms again. "I'm Jaune!"

"No, you're not."

"Sure I am!"

"Not our Jaune." Harley said.

"Exactly!"

"So, what, is this some kind of... clone story or something?" Raven asked as she lowered her sword for a moment in her confusion.

"STRIKE ONE!" A broken sword aimed for her head was narrowly deflected as the duplicate of her son charged faster than she expected. She swung at him only to completely miss as he jumped away. "No clones. Clones are so pass-ay."

"No kiddin'!" Harley swung her bat at him, catching him off-guard. Or, well, mostly off-guard except for his hand that caught the cudgel. "So, is this a multiverse story, or is it something more stupid?" Harley was no stranger to multiverses, especially since Bats was practically an expert on them.

"It's pretty stupid, but yeah, multiverse sounds about right." Shoving her away, he gave a short applaud to her. "Not bad. Clearly you're the brains of the two." Ducking, he avoided being skewered by Raven, who jumped for him using her portal. "Not bad! Way to take a gamble on me being connected to your semblance!"

Batting her blade away as she swung again, he then weaved out of the way of Harley's bat. Bobbing and dodging out of harm's way, the smile on his face grew wider and wider. Then a thought came to him. He stopped and the two women stopped just inches from hitting him.

"Oh. Oh, now this is interesting."

"What?" Raven asked.

"Someone's watching us." He looked away from the two, into the empty space. Colors of every shade swirled around the barren world, like the sky was in a poorly organized washing machine. "Somebody a lot stronger than us. Probably wants me to say they're more attractive than us, too." He then clicked his tongue. "Eh, probably not. Either they're too modest or they don't think too good of themselves."

"What the hell is he talking about?" Raven looked to Harley.

"I got an idea, but..." She shrugged. "Best to just let him ramble."

"Hm... Hm hm... MHMMM~!" He spun around. "Alright! Let's team up!"

"What?" Raven was getting tired of asking these questions.

"To get home!" He turned his head. "That's what you want, right? For us to go home?"

"Please, Mr. or Mrs. Disembodied Entity!" Harley cried. "I'd like to go home to my Jauney~!"

"Who-" Raven groaned. "Whatever. So we're teaming up? Is that what's going on?"

"Yup!" Jaune beamed ear-to-ear. Suddenly, he had an arm around both Raven and Harley. "Just a kid and his two moms, off to get back to their realities! Onward!"

"Road trip~!" Harley cheered, keeping in step with the strange man who looked like her son if he was a smurf.

Raven had already slipped away and let the two walk ahead of her. Looking behind her, she saw nothing but empty wastelands for miles to the horizon. Her only other option was to follow the blue weirdo claiming to be her son. Rolling her eyes with a sigh, she began following.

"Why do I always get stuck with the nutjobs?"

[howlingday]

Jaune: Hi, Mom. It's... It's me. I'm back.

Jaune: I know I haven't come to visit you in a while, but I... I don't really have an excuse. There's no excuse for me being an awful son. (Sniffles, Tears roll) An ah'm so sawry. Ah'm sorry ah wasn't there fer you, when ya needed me most. Ah shoulda been there fer you, an ah wasn't an ah... an ah... ah just... (On his knees) Ah'm sawry, ma. Ah'm sawry ah broke yer heart. Ah... Ah was a bad son, an ah nevah got to say good-bye, or tell ya... Ah love ya, ma... You were... everything to me. You were my hero. My best friend. My role model, an I... I dunno, ma... I dunno where to go next or what else to say...

Jaune: Except that I love you, Ma. I love you, and ah'll always miss you. I love you, mommy. (Sets down flowers, Stays at her grave)

Here lies Harleen Quinzel

"Harley Quinn"

Friend, Lover, Leader, Mother

R.I.P. Arleen Sorkin 1955-2023

[howlingday]

Actually I’m curious with the Mama!Harley au how would she react to vol9 jaune?

"Hattah, Imma give ya one chance!"

"Tsk, tsk, Miss Quinn!" Said the strange man in a green hat.

Jervis Tetch, or The Mad Hatter for you few Gothamites reading, wagged his finger at Harley. Same gag as he always pulls; kidnap innocent girl, roleplay his obsession with her, snaps because she isn't a fan like him, then kills her to find the his next 'Alice'. Harley managed to get the girl out, but Tetch had to be taken care of. When she chased him, his trap caught her. Hey, we all have our off days.

"You should know better than to chase the White Rabbit, don't you?"

"I wasn't chasin' a rabbit." Harley snapped. "Only thing I'm chasin' is a creep who got way too into his story books."

"How rude!" Hatter balked. "Clearly, a readjustment must be made, post-haste! Wouldn't you agree, my March Hare?"

The poor goon behind him simply drooled and nodded behind in his brown rabbit mask. Hatter turned to him and snapped his fingers but was only met with the same drooling face as before. From his pocket, he produced a small sitch. With a point and click, he electrocuted the henchman who was gratefully too numb to scream as he was shocked to death.

"Now, what will you be?" Jervis took a mask from a box at random. He clapped his hands with glee at the face that stared back at him. In his hand, he held a mask shaped like a cat. "Oh, my dearest Cheshire! It's been too long!"

"Keep the hell away from me, you creep!" Harley thrashed against her restraints.

"Oh, Harley, I wish you could see things my way." He shook his head. "If you only could see things as I do..." His voice became faded and distant. "Through... the... look... ing... glaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa..."

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

"Ugh, what the hell?" Harley looked around and found herself in a strange location, even by Hatter's standards. Was she about to meet the Walrus and the Carpenter, because that was the only place she could think of that had a beach like this. Still, the colors were way off. "Okay, just gotta find a way out."

As Harley walked, she noticed the scenery was wildly different. Floral gardens had been replaced with lush jungles. She saw a tribe of mice work together to water a bush of thorned vines. As she passed through the village, she noticed all of the characters were pieces from different board games.

"Jaune used tah love board games." She sighed. It felt like forever since she last saw her baby boy.

One day, all of a sudden with no warning, the transdimensional gate between Remnant and Gotham broke and couldn't connect. It was like the gate on the other side was broken somehow, both at Beacon AND in Atlas! Without another portal, mother and son couldn't reunite, no matter how much she wanted to.

Until then, she had to wai-

"M-Mom?"

Harley froze. The voice was different, but she'd recognize it anywhere, anyway, anyhow. It's a real power. Just ask your mother. Jaune could.

"Jaune?" Harley turned and tears flowed on sight. Her son, her baby boy, her little cupcake. He was right in front of her.

But he was so old. His hair, once bright like spun gold had now dulled and filled with white streaks. He'd grown an inch or two, too, and was wearing armor so covered in rust, she felt like she need a tetanus shot just looking at it. And she would after she was done crushing Jaune in her hug.

"M-Ma!" Jaune whined. "You're crushin' me!"

"I don't care!" She laughed and sobbed. "You're my baby boy, and I'm nevah letting you go!"

"What are you doing here?" Jaune asked as he hugged her. "How are you here?"

"It's a long story, sweetie, but I can tell you later." She pulled away. "Right now, I need to find a creep in a green hat. If I don't find him, I'll... I'll..."

"Mom?" Jaune asked.

Harley was conflicted. On the one hand, Gotham needed her to come back. Hatter was still loose, which meant a lot of innocent people were in danger. Batman could handle it, but he wouldn't be around forever.

But neither would Jaune. After so long, she finally meets him again and it's in a fantasy world. She would never get this chance again would she?

"Jaune, I... I don't know what to do." Harley shook her head. "I need to go back, but I... I'm not sure if I can leave this time. Not when I have you in my arms."

"I know, Mom, but... you'll have to let me go some day, right?"

"If I had it my way, you'd be my baby forevah."

"I always will be, Mom."

Harley was crying with a smile. This would be the most painful she'd done since she gave birth and brought him into her world. Not a close second, but a second regardless. She stepped away.

"Jaune, I'll nevah fuhgive you fuh breaking yuh mothah's heart..."

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

"...but I'll always... love... you?" Harley looked around and saw the Dark Knight standing over a beaten Jervis. Panic filled her mind as she found the cat mask in pieces against the wall. "NOOOOO!"

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

Jaune stood there. He stayed where he was, unmoving as the world continued to move silently around him. Some who passed stared as they went about their lives. Children. Parents. Sons. Mothers.

Harley's last words to him rang on a loop in his mind.

'Jaune, I'll never forgive you for breaking your mother's heart.'

[howlingday]

If mama Harley can handle ren let’s see how she handles the big guns….and by that I mean the emotional mess that is Ruby

"C'mon in, sweetheart." Harley sweetly offered from the doorway. "I promise I won't bite on the first session."

Ruby gave a nervous chuckle as she passed Harley and sat herself on the couch. Since arriving in Beacon only a few weeks ago, it seemed Harley- er, Dr. Quinn was comfortable enough to move herself in. Her diplomas hung from the walls, though a few looked like they were taped together from torn shreds. But her friends gave their words that these sessions were good for them.

"It's a joke, ah course." She seated herself in the comfy chair across from her. "Somthin tah put yah at ease."

"Uh, thank you." Ruby let out a sigh. "I'm sorry, I'm just really nervous about this."

"An why is that?" Jaune's mom asked. "Is it because I used to be a criminal?"

"You did?" Ruby asked, more curious than afraid.

"Mhm, and I used to be one of the worst people in Gotham." Dr. Quinn nodded. "But then I learned bettah, an now I help girls like you learn bettah."

"What would I need to learn better?"

"What do yah want tah be bettah at?"

"Um..." Ruby scratched her head. "I'm kind of confused."

"Hm, well..." She tapped her chin. "What do you think yer not good at?"

"I guess," Ruby closed her eyes as she spoke, "I don't think I'm a good leader sometimes, but I think I'm getting better at it."

"That's good." She scribbled in her notes. "What makes you think you're not a good leader?"

"Well," Ruby twiddled her thumbs, "I kind of get my team into trouble. Like when Roman Torchwick got a hold of an Atlas Paladin, there was... a lot of damage that the school promised they would cover."

"And you feel it was your fault?"

"Wouldn't you?" Ruby asked. "I mean, have you ever led a team?"

"Several, sweetie." Harley beamed. "And you bettah believe I got us into trouble. But I also got us outta trouble. That's what leadahs do, right?"

"I... I guess..." Ruby sighed. "I just wish Mom warned me before she..."

The room was quiet, save for the novelty clock on the wall. Much like the face of the clock, the space was open for interpretation, with the numbers piled on the bottom perfectly representing Ruby's self-esteem. Unlike on the clock, however, Harley could actually pick up the pieces here.

"I know this might sound cliché, but why don't ya tell me about yer mothah?"

"She was... She was my hero. From what I can remember, she was everything I wanted to be. She was strong, brave, pretty, made the best cookies ever." Ruby chuckled, then sighed. "But then she left one night. I never got the chance to say good-bye, or I love you, or... anything. Not until I was standing in front of her grave."

"That must've been hard fer you." Harley said.

"Yeah." Ruby sniffed. "It was. Until I left for Beacon, I would always visit her grave and just... talk to her."

"What did you talk about?"

"School. Yang. Dad. Uncle Qrow. Anything that I thought she would normally ask me about." Ruby wiped her eye with her finger. Harley pushed the box of tissues closer to her. "Sometimes, though, I wish," Ruby gulped before taking a tissue, "I wish I could see her again. Even if she really was gone. Just so I knew what happened to her."

Ruby blew her nose and sniffed. Harley set her notes down and took a tissue herself. Doctor-patient confidentiality meant any tears shed by either of them would be kept quiet on her end. Ruby's end, not so much, but it was something she was willing to risk.

"Ruby," Harley blew into her hankie, "when you stepped into my office, you were very nervous. Scared, too, I bet. But now you're here, showing your emotions with a stranger. That takes guts, and I can't speak for yer mothah, but I want you to know that, as a mothah, I'm proud of you."

"Th-Thank you." Ruby sniffed.

[howlingday]

So has Ivy had a chance to meet the rest of team JNPR and if so what’s the lovely lady’s impression of em

Jaune sat next to his Aunt Pam as she held a tight grip on her own jacket sleeve. His plan to spend time with her had been... well, not a failure, but was being executed poorly. He thought a trip to Beacon's botanical gardens would cheer her up, but he failed to account for how Ren was pretty much the only student using this place consistently.

Nora was hauling bags of fertilizer around, though it was less for any real purpose, and more of a distraction for while Ren tended the garden.

The boy in question carefully snipped and plucked as tenderly as he could. In time, his crop would grow into a bountiful harvest, and he would have ample supply of ingredients for his meals. For now, though, he tended to the small, green flora.

Pyrrha used this time to practice her semblance by tending an empty patch of soil with garden tools. The garden weasel was the most challenging, as she tried to focus only on the bar without catching the spurs.

"Um, so how do you like Remnant?" Jaune asked.

"It's... nice." Aunt Pam said. She closed her eyes. "The Green isn't as strong here, but I can feel it. The plants are happy here, compared to Earth." She winced. "But your friend could be a bit more careful with his trimmers."

"I'm pretty sure he's open to criticism." Jaune said with a nervous smile. He was aware of her sordid history as an eco-terrorist, though it could be argued his mother's background was much worse than hers. Thinking on it, he didn't remember much about his own life before coming to Remnant. "Um, Aunt Pam?"

"Hm?"

"What's it like back in Gotham?"

"Awful." She answered without hesitation. "Gotham is an awful city filled with awful people who will do awful things for awful reasons."

"Is it really that bad?" Jaune asked. "I know Mom says it is, but I can't remember anything about it."

"It's full of selfish people." She said, facing his blue eyes with her green. "People who will hurt you and everything you care about because they can." She then huffed a sigh. "It's honestly terrifying that you came out so sweet, considering how awful everyone there is."

"Well, you're not awful." Jaune said.

"Because you only know me as I am now." She reached down and a stalk of thick, brown roots rose from the dirt, carrying a heavy-looking stone in it's grasp. "Back there in Gotham, they called me Poison Ivy, and it was a name they learned to fear." As if in imitation of her own fist, the roots curled in on itself and crushed the rock in between. As the pebbles and dust fell, Jaune gulped. "If it wasn't for Harley, I probably would have done more awful things for awful reasons, too."

Jaune was quiet for a moment, staring at the shattered remains of her inanimate victim. "Would I have been awful, too?"

"No, you wouldn't." Jaune looked up to see his team standing in front of him. Nora smiled wide, her arms covered in dirt and grime from her hard work. Ren held a basket of seeds he carried with him for his plot. Pyrrha stood between them and looked down with a soft smile. "You're kind and brave, and you're willing to do whatever it takes to help your friends. Awful people don't do that."

Jaune smiled at that. He was always the cutest when he wore that sweet smile. Auntie Pammy didn't have it in her to devastate the mood and explain that Gothamites who always start like that eventually become awful people.

Just like her.