#rwby theory-crafting

[anthurak]

So this is almost certainly going to be an unpopular opinion for some, but for a long time now I’ve been feeling that the RWBY fandom puts just a bit TOO much stock in the various fairytale/mythology/literary allusions of the characters when it comes to theory-crafting. It feels like people find out that a certain character A is an allusion to another character B from an already completed story and go ‘Well that must mean that Character A is going to turn out just like Character B!’

Which of course completely ignores that these are allusions and references. Ruby Rose might have strong parallels and similarities to Little Red Riding Hood, but that does not mean she IS literally Little Red Riding Hood. Just as Weiss Schnee is NOT literally Snow White, Penny Polendina is NOT literally Pinocchio and Oscar Pine is NOT literally the Little Prince. Ultimately, whatever allusion a character might have comes SECOND to who they are as an actual character, NOT the other way around.

Whatever allusions a character has might inform what could happen to them, but that should still be treated as secondary to what we actually see them do in the show.

For example, I see a LOT of ships in the RWBY fandom that people seem to largely use interpretations of the characters’ allusions as ‘evidence’, rather than what the characters actually DO in the actual SHOW. Like has anyone noticed that discussions of ships like Bumbleby, Renora, Nuts and Dolts or White Rose have historically not involved much interpretation (relatively speaking anyway) of the potential ‘complimentary allusions’ of these characters? Because there is no NEED to, because all the evidence for these ships is right fucking there on the screen. Meanwhile we’ve got ships (and I am NOT naming names) that people will swear up and down are TOTALLY going to be canon for really-realsies where most or even all of the ‘evidence’ consists of people effectively playing some kind of matching game with their allusions. Or saying nothing more than ‘Character A kinda-sorta resembles the love-interest of Character B’s allusion’.

And ALL of this doesn’t even take into account the biggest factor which I keep getting the impression that WAY too many RWBY fans still having gotten the memo on:

The fact that RWBY literally NEVER plays its allusions STRAIGHT.

All the way from minute one when we saw an allusion to Little Red Riding Hood cutting down a horde of Big Bad Wolves, RWBY has ALWAYS been subverting, inverting, flipping, twisting and otherwise playing it’s allusions, references and archetypes literally ANY way but actually STRAIGHT.

Little Red Riding Hood hunts the Big Bad Wolf. Snow White is equal parts Princess AND Knight in Shining Armor. Cinderella is a tragic villain origin story. Pinocchio was always a real girl. The Great and Powerful Wizard Oz is far more powerful than anyone thought, but is ALSO far more of a fraud than anyone thought.

So when people use these characters’ allusions as some kind of rigid road-map to theorize what might happen to them, it’s not just that this detracts from their identity as their own characters; the story itself isn’t even using that map!

I mean speaking personally, that’s what has always made RWBY theory-crafting FUN. Trying to guess how the writers might twist and flip the allusions they’re using. But that also means that the allusions of the various characters simply DON’T actually provide ANY kind of accurate ‘road-map’ for where they might be going. Instead, the best we can do is use what the actual show has actually shown us to get any kind of idea where the characters are headed.

Ultimately, I feel like too often I see that when people are making theories about RWBY characters, they are treating them more like the characters they are based on, instead of the characters they actually ARE.

[decreare]

A explanation on how Glyphs function: Summoning applied creatively & Remnant’s New Magic

The Schnee Semblance. A peculiar power in a series that highlights that people granted a sliver of magic via their soul only get one ability. The Schnee Semblance, however, can be argued to be three abilities in one. Summoning, the most likely original function of the semblance itself, making the fallen nightmares that plague humanity into a resource, platforms that can provide extra mobility for the user, and the ability to channel dust without using the body. Honestly, this is absurd, and only balanced by the fact Weiss Schnee has the same level of cosmic doom as Jaune Arc, and thus, if her suffering is not focused on, she is almost entirely forgotten. But we are not here to discuss RWBY’s storytelling; there is quite literally an entire subfandom for that, we are here to discuss the true potential of the Schnee Semblance. How, despite being so multifaceted, it is not simply abilities stacked on top of abilities, and how it likely evolved.

To start, we must discuss summoning, what I theorize how the Schnee semblance started off as.

We must remember that the Schnne Semblance is heredity, and as far as we know Nicholas is the first in the Schnee name. Nicholas Schnee was a ambitious son of a miner and a warrior that defended his workers. His ability to use the grimm he had slain to defend his mines was likely highly useful in both his battles and day-to-day operations. But we know that his lifetime exposure to dust caused his health to fail. With Nicholas as our example, we know the basic function of the semblance, slay a monster of nightmares and be able to take control of it. That is the ability the sliver of magic in his soul granted him, likely through the fact that Grimm are magical creations and through some unknown interaction of the Schnee Semblence it is made possible to create his own “Light Grimm”. (As a side tangent I believe the origin of the Schnne Semblance likely matches up with Bakugo’s origin of his power in MHA academia. Nicholas parents likely had a semblance that controlled dust in some way, the last of magic of Remnant, while the other had control over Grimm. A fortuitous combination of abilities that along with his Father’s death, Nicholas used to make his legacy.)

Now enter Willow, the daughter of Nicholas Schnee, and first canonical wielder of the Schnee Semblance (no text has stated Nicholas had the power, but as the first known Schnee, I believe he did). Through Glynda and Blake, we know it is possible to channel one’s dust through their semblance.

Glynda, as a fully trained Huntress and Headmistress of Beacon Academy, can use Dust in its smallest form to allow her to create ranged attacks and as an example of absolute mastery, uses a mixture of Dust to create a storm she has full control over. Effectively what I believe is the New Magic of Remnant. Blake, as a Terrorist Freedom Fighter, is able to channel Dust through her Semblance into the clone she makes to give them elemental properties. Such as Earth (as seen by the image provided), ice, and explosive properties. The Schnee semblance is also capable of channeling Dust. Seen from Weiss’s ability to channel fire and most infamously with Winter summoning lightning to assist Nora (Does she have specialized hidden implants?  We may never know! But it does mean she carries dust, um, SOMEWHERE on her body.)

We know that such use of a technique (With Glynda’s and Schnee’s Semblances) requires nearly lifelong training, and despite Nicholas being quite exceptional, he succumbed to dust exposure despite his Semblance having the ability to channel Dust and thus flush it out of his system. So I theorize Willow, with her knowledge of dust through her father, introduced the ability to channel Dust through the Schnee Semblence. What makes this unique is how the Semblance functions. If we consider the Grimm Magic and the Schnne Semblance is absorbing the magic that makes up the grimm to recreate them, and Dust the remains of magic from Remanat’s old world, it would be pretty clear why the Schnee compared to all other forms of channeling Dust (Semblance & Body) is practically refined versions of channeling through the body.

Channeling Dust through the body allows one to use Dust to enhance their physical form, and likely use Dust’s elemental magic as if it was their own. The Schnee semblance is able to do this to no harm to the user, but unlike with Grimm Summoning Dust is spent. I theorize because this is not the Semblence’s “intent” or “role”. It is supposed to summon slain creatures of Grimm to fight by your side. But, as I theroize Willow was able to figure out, due to Grimm and Dust both sharing their origin in Magic the Schnee Semblance is just as compatible with Dust as it is with the Grimm, just at the cost of the Dust itself. Finally, we get to talk about Glyphs.

You might wonder, how, as I explained how Schnees can summon Dust’s magical effects with no harm at the cost of the Dust itself, can they make magical platforms. I answer with a question. If they can use Dust through their summoning circles what would happen if they used their own Aura instead? Who would attempt such a feat? Likely Winter to increase the combat effectiveness of her already powerful Semblance to include close-combat capabilities. What interests me more is that the Semblance is starting to become more spell-like as it is pushed to its limits. Observe: “I summon what I have slayed”:Grimm “I summon the powers of Dust”: The ability to use Dust at the cost of itself. “I summon a platform”: A magical platform is created from the Aura of the user. Of course, as we see from RWBY in the modern period of the show that is only its most “simple” function. “I summon a platform imbued with the power of Dust”: the most basic spell a Schnee can deploy, and what appears to be Weiss’s specialty as she can commonly apply them to her allies. The multiple functions that a basic Glyph spell is likely from Aura manipulation as the Glyphs themselves are just Aura constructs, something done while the intended effect plays out. Meaning it is still one’s Aura, and with how the Schnee’s use it, now with elemental properties.

Glynda’s semblance can replicate many of these feats but is bound by her Semblance intend effect, “push and pull”. Yes she can “push” fire Dust in front fo her, channel Aura through her semblance to activate the Dust, and then “Push” again to have a fireball.

The Schnee Semblance, for the same effect, summons a platform, imbues with the fire Dust, and now can be freely used in whatever way the User can imagine.

I know these Sembalnces have different intents but i simply wish to demonstrate how much more efficient the Schnee Semblance is. Glynda currently surpassing them in magical ability due to experience and creatvity.

Which brings me to the New Magic of Remnant, Dust Alchemy. The Schnee semblance is absurdly suited to this role, and to add to the pattern I created of each Schnee figuring out a new application of the semblance (Obviously barring Nicholas), is what Weiss is suited for.

As far as we know, Weiss is the creator of the “Time Dilation” glyph. Which effectively slows down time to the perception of whoever it is cast upon, and subsequently, speeds them up to the perception of others. Compared to the simple one-function spells and the common two-function spells, this is uniquely three: “I summon a platform imbued with the power of Dust to empower”. If Weiss continued her research into this “Dust Alchemy", she would have likely figured out how to actively combine the effects of Dust into her semblance, making it a personal Alchemical cauldron. This is not to mention that she can force any effect she desires. What if instead of using gravity Dust for Push and Pull effect, she instead used it to pin and/or slow down an enemy? Seeing anyone with Aura is forced to take on the effects of Dust, and by extension her Glyphs, what if she figured out how to make a more classical “Burn” RPG effect via Dust manipulation (through her semblance) and Aura manipulation? Sadly, the show never experimented with Weiss, so she in turn never experimented. What if she fought an actual magical user? Seeing that the Schnee Sembalnce functions by absorbing the magic of the creatures of Grimm to recreate them, she would likely be able to absorb the magic of these attacks and then cast them back at her attacker. What is she used other types of Dust instead of lightning on others? Fire can increase attack, Earth defense, and Air speed by making one floatier. Water could be used as the medium to recharge Aura on whoever she cast it on (a possible four-function spell?). Not to mention that Weiss seemingly has enough Aura manipulation and control of her semblance to not harm one with electricity while using Time Dialation on others. What if she used the less careful versions against her enemies? These are the possibilities the New magic of Remnant, Dust Alchemy opens up, and the Schnees are the only ones to lead the charge of it and channeling dust through semblances due the fine control they have over their own. Now, just for fun, let us theorize what the other members of the Schnee family can add to the Schnee Semblence’s capabilities.

Whitley Schnee is not a fighter, he attended no combat school and never bothered to unlock his semblance. But if he did, besides focusing only on Summoning to get anything done, with his analytic mind he would figure out a summon’s limits. Opposite to his sister who figures out Dust’s limits.

Winter can shrink and grow her summons, which Weiss figures out how to do while captured by bandits. Weiss can also summon just the ability and any weapon a Grimm might hold.

Whitley, without any combat training, would focus on these aspects. Summoning a grimm’s armor to defend himself, using them as mounts to travel. He might master summoning to the point of manifesting them to imbdue their power directly on his person. A beowulf’s claws to strike at his enemies, a Jackalope’s legs to run and jump, a Beringel’s arms to increase his strength. Maybe, as a form of mastery, he can see out of summon’s eyes.

Bleiss Schnee, a common fan character, is also depicted with the Schnee Semblance. Questionable parentage aside, she is a crude, brutally honest, blackened version of Weiss Schnee. To further increase this dark mirroring, she can have mastery over the inverse of Weiss’s unique glyph spell, Time Dialation. I propose she figured out an inverse, instead of imbuing she is taking, giving her power over souls because Aura comes from Souls, and due to Aura being magic so are Souls. Time Dialation’s existence means the Schnee Semblance already has a way to influence Aura and thus Souls. Her mastery can take the form of Semblance copying, maybe even permanent if she kills whoever she temporarily took it from. I explanation on how the Schnee Semblance actually functions for @caspianjupiter and @weatherman667

[strqyr]

Tbh I think an issue the rwby fandom has when it comes to analyzing the story and making theories n stuff, is that they forget to include what DOESN'T happen.

Like you can make a million assumptions based on what did happen! And that stuff is obviously important. But it's really easy to miss the stuff that doesn't happen, despite that being just as important.

Cause like,, let's throw an example out there. Some people say Oz is bigoted, and on the surface, if you only look at what did happen (Oz interrogating Blake and thinking she could be White Fang still, and thus be connected to Salem). But there's many things there that DIDN'T happen; Blake never pointed out Oz being bigoted (she would've done so had she felt he was), she never complained afterwards of Oz seeming to target her, and Blake wasn't intimidated at all. All she criticized him for was for 'not trying hard enough' to clean out Vales systemic racism, which was pretty fair. Not only that, but the story doesn't say Oz is wrong for thinking this, nor does Blake seem to blame him for being cautious.

There's many more examples of what did happen vs what didn't happen but I can't think of any atm lol. Essentially you can't rely on just one side of a story. Plus the framing is important, as well as what purpose something might serve narratively (and Oz being bigoted... serves absolutely no purpose).

Sorry for rambling in your inbox for the millionth time, hope you like it lol

yup. it's very easy to cherry-pick scenes and what parts of them to focus on to make it fit into whatever conclusion you've come to, or theory you're crafting. like, it's a thin line to walk and confirmation bias is one hell of a thing, but there's a difference between making up your mind and then working backwards to make everything fit into that conclusion (selective, if one must) vs looking at scenes, analyzing them, seeing what is being portrayed, how it's portrayed, and then if it forms a pattern that keeps repeating, you very well might have something there.

using the ozpin & blake scene as an example: yes, ozpin questions blake. yes, some of it comes across as accusative. but look at the end of the scene when ozpin tells blake that if she ever needs to talk to him, she shouldn't hesitate to ask, with this look on his face:

ozpin isn't just being cautious over the possibility that blake is undercover for the white fang / possibly salem, he's worried; "you wouldn't have been the first," he tells her when blake claims to have just been "at the right place at the right time." in regards to the white fang's presence at the shipyard that night.

this is not ozpin's first rodeo. blake is not the first troubled teen who may be involved in something she'd rather not and is looking for a way out but doesn't know how; she's paralleled with the branwens the most for a reason, me thinks lol

it's a small moment right at the end of the scene, and because of it it may not leave a lasting impact in the same way as the rest does, but it still exists, shining a new light on the rest of the scene.

[cinderthefallenmaiden]

RWBY Beyond Predictions: Vale

Spoiler warning: This post contains spoilers for V7-9 of RWBY and RWBY V9 Animatic as well as the two team CVFY Novels

Last we saw of Cinder was when she left the site of a destroyed Atlas/Mantle with Salem. At the time I thought the two of them were heading straight for Vacuo.

However, the RWBY V9 Animatic paints a different picture. According to Oobleck and Port who have recently fled Vale, Salem has set up shop in the vicinity of Vale and the city is gone. The usage of the word gone rather then destroyed is interesting to me. It paints the picture that while presumably waiting for Tyrian to prepare Vacuo for their arrival and locate the Summer Maiden, Salem and presumably Cinder attended to other matters in Vale.

Why are Salem and Cinder in Vale?

I think It is a safe assumption that they returned to Vale at the very least to search for the allusive Crown relic. Another possible reason is because the situation in Vale had changed. Salem has a mysterious informant in the area of Beacon who may have caught wind of something that Cinder and Salem needed to investigate on their own.

Who will be our POV Character?

This is a bit of a toss up between Cinder and Salem for me. It would be insightful to get into Cinder's head now that she has for want of a better word exercised the demons of her past. On the other hand so much of Salem's goals are still shrouded in mystery. We think she wants to end the world but are Ozpin and Tyrian reliable narrators?

The case for why both Ozpin and Tyrian are unreliable narrators for understanding Salem's endgame

Tyrian:

1.) Tyrian reveres Salem as a kind of death goddess to be worshiped and is probably working under an assumption that supports that

2.) If Cinder is the only one who knows the truth about Salem's true aims, I find it kind of hard to believe she would consider Team Remnant's attempts to stop the end of the world as misguided

Ozpin:

1.) Ozpin hasn't had a heart-to-heart with Salem since before the messy "divorce" and that was before the Great War so quite possibly well over 80 prior to V1.

2.) Due to a combination of the GOL's words and his own experiences Ozpin can only see the very worst in Salem so assuming her goal is the end of the world is kinda a given at this point.

3.) It's quite possible that Ozpin views Salem wanting to end the world as a foil to his own desires of stopping Salem and being granted eternal rest by the Gods.

Why not Tai or Glynda?

I think the writers have planted the seed that Glynda is MIA but are in no real hurry to confirm what happened to her. As for Tai I think he is another end game character who's involvement is going to be kept close to the chest.

Is the Crown in Vale?

I highly doubt it. However, for the sake of playing devils advocate lets say it is in Vale what would that accomplish for the story? Well other then shortening the series by one to three volumes not much comes to mind. Sure, this could make it so Vacuo is the final arc but why make a mad dash to to wrap up what remains of the story in just one to two volumes?

Past RWBY Beyond Perdiction Links

[moltensmusings]

I remember watching volume 1 of rwby and knowing something was going to happen to pyrrha. Either a villain arc, or she'd be killed. She had some kind of flag over her that was too big to ignore and everyone I'd met I'd tell my theory.

So when she died in volume 3 while I was happy to be right about something, it also meant that people who were unsatisfied with her handling also had merit to their feelings. Because Pyrrha was made too perfect. She wasn't allowed to have flaws until the episodes right before she dies and even then her only flaw was how ready she was to shoulder every burden. She was crafted to be loved and missed when she was gone and they didn't think of her outside that.

And this isn't to say she shouldn't die, her death is incredibly important, but her treatment throughout volumes 1-3 don't do the best job in showcasing that. We as the audience know she's a big deal. We've been told it since her first appearance. She's always winning fights and perfectly landing shots. She fumbles sometimes bit overall is clearly as skilled as she's intended to be. Her polarity makes her untouchable to most.

But they didn't push far enough with her and that's to their detriment. They wanted so bad for Jaune to be a 0-hero that they didn't actually think about a way to do it that would benefit both him and Pyrrha as characters.

Make her the leader of team JNPR if she's so incredibly talented, have the teachers and school itself laud her as someone for her peers to look up to and rivals to look out for. Put her on a pedestal that causes her to be so divisive in the student body that we are just as likely to find someone challenging her as we are to see those admiring her. Make it so we can't escape her. Have everyone buzzing during the tournament about watching her and her team fight because it's not every day you get to watch the rise of a living legend. Let her teach Jaune but still allow him to have his moments as a character outside of her.

Everyone we meet should know her name to some extent, and I beg that we let her be flawed beyond being sacrificial. Them constantly having her hover following her death is good, but she needs to hover more. If pyrrha's death is the one that changes everything, we needed her to be inescapable before we had the chance to miss her.

[theuntoaster]

Now that RWBY's future is feeling hopeful again, I can go back to theory-crafting.

Anyway, my latest headcanon is: what if Summer is the one who convinced Raven to kill the Spring maiden?

Like, we know Raven is the current spring maiden and it's heavily implied that she killed the last one (there's always the chance she was lying). And Raven seems to know a lot more about Salem and Ozpin than she should, suggesting she was the one who used the first question from the lamp. We also know that Summer and Raven were working together on Summer's last mission and thus were in contact with each other after Raven left everyone else. The timelines can easily work out such that part of Summer's plan was to ask the lamp a question and to do that they needed a new spring maiden.

[deserttransman]

Intro Post

I joined Tumblr in the fall of 2012, getting sucked in by (big surprise) lesbians (Korra and Asami to be exact. And by the way, I WAS FUCKING RIGHT HAHAHA!!!).

Anyway, I stuck around because of (surprise, surprise) more lesbians. This time it was Emily and Paige from Pretty Little Liars. And then more lesbians kept me around.

Now about me.

I’m 36 years old. I’m a queer panromantic polyamorous dude. I’m a trans guy whose been out for 11 years, on t for 10 years and had my top surgery 3 years ago. I consider myself a trans elder and am happy to answer questions for those just starting out.

I have ADHD (diagnosed at six), anxiety and depression (what Elder Millennial doesn’t?) and am self-diagnosed autistic. I do still have dysphoria and sometimes it still really hurts. I have fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome, as well as type 2 diabetes.

Also a leftist/communist.

Fandoms: Sailor Moon, Lord of the Rings, Stardew Valley, Persona 4, LOTR, RWBY, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, X-Men, Pretty Little Liars, The Hunger Games, Candela Obscura, Critical Role (Campaign 2), Batman... Yeah that's just the main ones I can think of.

Interests: sewing, costuming, history, cosplay, period dramas, reenacting, art, dolls, crafts, writing, collecting, goblincore, medieval culture and history, food, cooking, reading, YouTube, content creation, politics, sociology, punk music and culture, communism, queer theory and culture, pop culture, ttrpgs, video games, bookbinding, DIY, pretty rocks, witchcraft, heathenry, norse culture, mythology, journaling, LARP

NO HOMPHOBES, TERFS, TRANSPHOBES, NAZIS, REPUBLICANS OR RACISTS ALLOWED.

Links for some of my content creation: https://www.tumblr.com/deserttransman/729085543084851200/it-might-help-if-i-gave-yall-some-links?source=share

[cmdrwilkens]

Thoughts on Ren

So obviously super theory crafting/spoilerish but...

This is the culmination of Ren’s Arc that goes all the way back to V4. We all probably thought that killing the Knuckleave was the catharsis he needed to finally move forward (and he did through the end of that chapter and then through V5 and 6) but he didn’t finish his arc. The killing was a catharsis but it wasn’t confronting his core issue that his Dad placed on him of “sometimes the worst thing to do is to do nothing at all.”

Despite the change in volumes and time that has aged him he still isn’t ready to just ACT and accept that there will be consequences that he must then face. His rant to Yang and Jaune wasn’t about those two, its about this idea that he is fully entrenched in the mindset that there MUST be an “Adult” somewhere who knows the right decision simply by virtue of being an adult. Substitute hunter/huntress in for Adult and its the same thing going through his head. He simply hasn’t yet broken through his crippling fear of taking an action and personally facing the consequences.

I think at some point he is simply going to have to face a CHOICE and its one where it will fall to him and he will have to finally act affirmatively and learn that it might not be the perfect answer, that being an adult, being a huntsman, doesn’t mean you have the right answer always. What you do have is the ability to make the best choice you can and keep moving forward.

Anyway that’s my theory.

[kineticallyanywhere]

I wonder if the goal behind the project that made Penny could have been to create an aura that matches Oz’s. From a reductive view of androids with aura (that they aren’t human and so aren’t “real people,” as Penny had believed of herself before Ruby), Oz wouldn't have to interrupt anyone else’s lives. Maybe he could stay “alive” in the body even if it got horribly mangled or destroyed. They could just fix the android or transfer him to a new one. Oz could look however he wanted. 

I could see how Ironwood would see subsequent experiments around that goal as a necessary... thing. Maybe he always knew that Oz wasn’t telling him everything, but he still seemed to look up to and respect him. If he put the entire project together to help Oz, it’d be an interesting way of showing that the Tin Man does have a heart; he was trying to help someone he cared about. From there, I’d be very interested in his reaction to finding out that Oz has already reincarnated. That he’s already too late. 

[pvtcakebagmcgee]

It just hit me.

Ozpin stole Salem’s powers. If that didn’t happen, I’m eating a shoe.

[tumblezwei]

RWBY is one of the best examples of post-modern storytelling that exists and has become masterful in it’s ability reframe well-known stories and characters to fit the themes and worldbuilding of the show while remaining completely recognizable. On top of being able to utilize the popularity of these stories to convey their messages, it allows for incredibly deep theory-crafting that encourages analysis of the original work and the desire to find connections in other works that might not even exist. In this essay I will -

[short-wooloo]

RWBY V9 theory

Given how much Ruby is still repressing her feelings and ignoring her own state in favor of moving forward, I suspect that next episode or episode 3 she will dismiss the search for Crescent Rose under the pretense of "we don't have time, let's go", probably opting to pick up and use whatever weapon she finds, only for it to not "fit" her, and despite the fact that this other weapon does not work for her, Ruby will insist on pushing on

Weapons in RWBY are often crafted by the user, they are representations of the wielder and are effectively a piece of them, a piece of their soul, particularly true for Ruby, she's a weapons geek, Crescent is her baby

So in essence, Ruby would be discarding a part of her soul in the name of victory (which also can seeve as a parallel to Ironwood, the disregard of the self in order to win, ignoring what this does to a person, essentially Ruby is in danger of being on the path Ironwood took)

And I suspect the blacksmith will come into play here somehow, more or less articulating the above to Ruby

Ruby can't just replace/discard/foegwt Crescent, it's a part of her, it is her

(Couldn't resist)

Ruby will not be able to truly move forward until she reclaims Crescent, aka stops trying to push forward in spite of her issues, only when she takes time to see to her own needs, processes, reclaims Crescent, will she move forward

[theseerasures]

two questions going into the finale, and some possibilities for answers:

how can the Curious Cat go to Remnant?

it's clear that certain rules have to be followed--rules which seem to contradict. in rough chronology of how CC might have figured them out:

it has to be someone from Remnant. self-explanatory.

it has to be someone who WANTS to go back. Jaune was in the Ever After before Alyx and Lewis and (given how CC remembers all the way back to this world's sundering) CC probably knew about him before they encountered him with Alyx and Lewis. but at the time Jaune didn't want to leave, because he had to look for Team RWBY.

conjecture: it has to be someone who promises to take them along? this seems to be the operating theory with Alyx and Lewis. CC keeps harping on how ALYX said they could come, and how ALYX tricked them in a way they took very personally. would also explain why CC couldn't have just left with Lewis when Lewis left. so: Alyx promised she was leaving, and she could take CC, but then Alyx didn't want to leave, which in CC's mind also broke the promise. at this point it doesn't seem like possession is part of the plan to leave; they use the expression leave WITH.

humans are tricksy and change their minds, so CC will possess them to make sure they keep their promise. unclear on how CC knew how to do that, but the description we get is similar enough to how CC describes giving Herb a piece of their heart that it seems like an evolution of their power.

conjecture: starting with Alyx? it definitely seems like CC attacked Alyx in some way after Lewis leaves to try to MAKE her leave (and take them with her). that didn't work either, because...

sub-conjecture 1: like Neo, Alyx has no attachment back on Remnant? which seems impossible given her brother just went back there, so

sub-conjecture 2: the possession didn't take? because it seems like CC can only possess someone who is heartbroken and bereft of purpose--someone who needs to Ascend--and it seemed like Alyx already had a new purpose, and CC couldn't override that. which explains why it's so pressing for them to break Ruby out the tree before she gets a new purpose, too.

Ruby is the best chance for them to go to Remnant. Alyx wasn't a suitable vessel (and the process might have "broken" her in some way), and Neo is, but Neo has no reason to go back to Remnant. Ruby--before Ascension--fulfills both criteria, partly thanks to CC working her over this season. and CC obviously doesn't want to start from scratch because a) it's a lot of work and b) no one trusts them anymore.

what feels unresolved, to me, is the conundrum where once CC possesses someone, the vessel's identity--and presumably their attachments--are overwritten by CC's own, and it's clear that CC's own attachment to the Maker(s) is not enough to send them to Remnant. Neo is by all parameters an Afteran at this point, and CC doesn't think that will be true of Ruby, but i'm not as convinced. in fact, i'm not convinced that ANY of these rules are real; they could be as artificial as Jaune's schedule for the Paper Pleasers: crafted by CC in an attempt to circumscribe a world doesn't make sense. it's possible that the Gate, like the Tree, is a place you go once you are ready.

who will emerge from Ruby's cocoon?

well--Ruby, obviously. in much the same way Penny emerged from her old bodies, Ruby will be Ruby no matter what happens. wherever you go, there you are. WBY has pretty much confirmed it. but there are some gradations when it comes to what of herself Ruby gets to, or will WANT to, keep. CC said that Ascension doesn't work "like that" for people from Remnant, which is misleading at best and an outright lie at worst, so how will it work? and how will it stack up against other examples of reincarnation in the show (i.e., Ozma, the Maidens, Penny?)

HERE, I MADE A GRAPH:

(to be clear: i mean "evolution and regression" as discrete stages of being as determined by a previous incarnation. that's why Oscar and Cinder are at baseline, because their relationship with their previous incarnations is contested/nonexistent.)

(Herb doesn't have lines after his Ascension, but i assume from the imagery that he metamorphosed positively.)

touching on the extreme ends of each axis:

extreme one: Ruby returns with full memory. CC wasn't lying, EXACTLY, because Afterans don't come back with memories except those of the heart and for people from Remnant it's more like...when the Doctor regenerates. thematically appealing because it underscores how there is no easy way out of being yourself: Ruby's arc is ongoing, and the only way she can get that heart forged Fullmetal is through. she pops out with not much being different except probably a Vacuo-ready outfit, and has to reckon with both her own bitterness that this is all she gets, and reactions from her teammates in the way Renora got to react to Jaune in Volume 6.

extreme two: Ruby only remembers what her heart does. CC is a lying liar and Ascension works exactly the same. she's still Ruby at her core, but she doesn't have concrete memories of WHY she's like this. thematically appealing because Ruby has always been so burdened by the context for her existence, and here's her chance to be without that, only to find out that psych!!! she ends up speedrunning to become basically the same person. a side writerly perk would be it would heighten our hero's "out of the loop"-ness when they go back to Vacuo. interesting in terms of character dynamics as well, because WBY would still NEED to react to all this, but have to wrestle with whether this new Ruby deserves that, and with how much of a person's core is made up of their memories anyway. it'd be very Steven Universe, but...Ruby WILL need those memories back at some point. we've been following this version of her for too long.

extreme three: Ruby Ascends to become the person she always wanted to be. hey, apparently next episode is going to be really long! maybe she figures it out, or at least makes some in-roads toward it. it's not about attaining perfection--Penny's human form was decidedly imperfect--but about intent. Ruby never asked to be made, and now she is making herself. the possibility for evolution is there: the Paper Pleasers Ascended with a conscious, particular want, and they got exactly that. Herb's intent wasn't as clear, but presumably now he is better at helping people in the way he wanted. in order for that to happen, though, Ruby has to figure out what she WANTS, as opposed to the growing list of what she doesn't want.

extreme four: Ruby takes the easy way and decides to reset into Summer/her Beacon self/whichever. i'd certainly sympathize if she did. Ruby doesn't know what she wants, because she's never been allowed to want much of anything, and the Afteran with the closest dilemma to that was the Red King, who "couldn't cope with losing" and so defaulted to what he decided was most important, which was winning. in a way this extreme horseshoes back to the previous one: this would still be what Ruby WANTS to be, just...toxic. which, y'know: could be fun! and echo Jaune's whole deal this season. it would also be a huge bummer to end the season (and likely the series) on, but hey--that's the Atlas arc for ya.

[strqyr]

coming up with volume 9 theories more like how many significant trees does this show have and is there a way to connect them all.

(the answer: yes... after 3 hours of sleep.)

[cinderthefallenmaiden]

RWBY Beyond Predictions: Robyn

This is the second of what will probably be a four part series of posts. Before diving into prediction/theory crafting part of this post I will be linking a hopefully working link to part 1.

Spoiler Warning: As per the previous post there will be spoilers regarding the events of Volume 7-9 + the V9 Animatic and possibly the two Team CVFY novels.

Now with that out of the way onto the burning question regarding what Robyn focused episode might be like

Why have Robyn be our second POV character?

Besides the fact that I'm a big Happy Huntress fan and love getting more lore/screen time with them, I think there is a lot that the end of V8 left unsaid regarding Robyn. We see her reaction to the destruction of Atlas and Mantle but not much else. So, giving her a focus for this new miniseries to set up how she begins to process the loss of her hometown will both be helpful for the audience going into V10.

Why not have Qrow be our POV character?

We have already had Qrow get quite a bit of focus in the V9 Animatic. So all having Qrow being the POV focus would be is to fill the blanks between The Final Word and the V9 Animatic. I don't think it's as necessary as setting up Robyn's "Mantle is gone now what?" arc.

Are Maria and Pietro dead?

Considering that Amity Colosseum is in Vacuo something that was was confirmed before the full animatic was released I think it's a fairly safe bet that Robyn and Company will find them alive before making their way to Vacuo.

From Eddy's Twitter/X post from July of 2023

[thesilliestofgals]

NONNYYYYYYYYYYY HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE TOH FINALE BESTIE

SPOILERS AHEAD FOR THE OWL HOUSE S3 EP3 WATCHING AND DREAMING:

Unserious answer: BESTIE I WAS ALREADY RECOVERING FROM THE NEWEST EPISODE OF RWBY SO WHEN I TELL YOU I COULDN'T SLEEP AFTER WITNESSING WAD I REALLY COULD NOT SLEEP (/POS)

Serious answer: WAD was honestly a perfect way to end TOH. They took what time they were given and crafted something beautiful. I actually predicted that Luz would get hurt/temporarily die to cause Eda and King to absolutely feral, so seeing my theory come true was both exhilarating and heartbreaking. Also, they went off on her Titan design, and I LOVE IT. I had like. one or two minor gripes (not seeing Caleb and/or Evelyn), but again, minor gripes, nothing too major. 100000/10, will definitely watch again.