#rwby v8c2

[yinyangofnevermore]

Qrow after the death of Clover

[starbuurner]

RWBY Character Status Chart - Volume 8, Chapter 2 

Hi tumblr, you get this chart before reddit, I hope you enjoy it.

If anyone is confused as to why I’m posting chapter 2′s chart, it’s because someone else started making charts for Volume 8, but stopped at Chapter 4 because they turned out to be a not so great person. I stepped in and remade Charts 1 & 4, but kinda was too busy to make 2 & 3 on top of normal charts. 

So here we go, at the end of the volume, chapter 2 at long last. I will make chapter 3 sometime too.

[lunarwby]

my babies !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! they so lesbian AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

[yinyangofnevermore]

This is like a direct parallel to what Weiss says in V1 about her family’s issues with the Faunus

This bitch…

[whiterosebranches]

THE SCENE WHERE NORA PRESSES A BUTTON AND WEISS GOES UP THE TUBE..... THAT WAS SO FUNNY

[mieswritingarchive]

I'm going around asking people how they're recovering after today's episode! Seeing as everyone is freaking out, you good?

I’m great- I’m HERE for this lmao. 

I’m always a sucker for some GOOD ANGST AND HURT.

[magnhild]

Nora Valkyrie, Identity, and Purpose

Hey everyone, Blaire here, and almost exactly a year ago, I made this mess of a post where I laid out all of my thoughts on Nora and what I thought the show could have in store for her.

And honestly, most of my ideas were way off, and not at all correct. Also, the post kind of flopped.

Thankfully, Volume 8 has given me a chance to redeem myself, and write another, more coherent, essay about my favourite RWBY character; where this Volume seems to be taking her character, and what it means to me, personally.

Buckle up.

To the vast majority of people in the RWBY fandom, Nora is the least-developed character, and the one most lacking in dimension. Most of her character seems to be defined by two things; her energy and love for fighting, and her relationship on Ren.

Volume 8 took note of these conceptions, and addressed them head-on.

Of course, any keen-eyed viewer will have noted Nora’s hidden depths even before this volume, which I noticed in last year’s post. She is perhaps the most perceptive of the main cast, at least, when it comes to people’s feelings and relaionships. She was the only one to really comment on Pyrrha’s crush on jaune, and the first to bring up Blake and Yang’s growing relationship. It was also her level-headedness that resolved RNJR’s argument in Volume 4, Chapter 9.

Volume 7 also showed us her innate desire to protect the weak, and her disdain to those who have the power to help, but refuse. I personally get the feeling that this was her driving motivation in becoming a Huntress; to protect people who cannot protect themselves, perhaps because she doesn’t want anyone to have to grow up as she did. Nora’s fury at Ironwood in V7C7 is esepcially signifigant, because it’s the angriest we’ve ever seen her before, even more so in that this anger is directed at someone with much more authority than her.

But these little details were only the tip of the iceberg. These were traits she already had, and while they help to add layers to her character, they’ve done very little in terms of her actual development. 

This is where Volume 8 came in stronger than any other.

Volume 7 hinted to us that Ren and Nora’s relationship was beginning to get more complicated, between their bickering, Ren’s dismissiveness at Nora, and their kiss in V7C6. By the end of the volume, it was clear that they were still struggling, despite their clear love for each other. Volume 8 carried this thread along, having them split into different parties, and Nora giving Ren a bit of attitude we’ve not really seen her direct at him before. 

She’s frustrated with him, and disappointed that he can’t see what she sees. But despite her tough front, V8C2 then hints that she’s sadder about the split than she’s letting on, after May brings up Nora’s ‘friends’. C3 then brings this to a head, where we get a conversation that sees Nora opening up to Blake and Yang, and revealing a deeply sad truth about herself- that she has no idea who she is without Ren, because she’s spent so much of her life with him and him alone, and her feelings for him have shaped so much of who she thinks she is. We’ve never seen her so hopeless and lost, especially after she reveals that, as far as she’s concerned, all she’s good for is hitting stuff.

Right in these few minutes, the show takes how the audience percieves Nora, and reveals to us that those two core traits are the gateways to a far deeper insight of her character. She’s known for her relationship with Ren, but wait- what about when he’s not there with her? She’s known for hitting stuff, but wait- that’s all she thinks she’s good for. 

It’s revealed to us that, not only is this how most of the audience percievs Nora, but it’s how she percieves herself. And for all her energy and upbeat attitude, deep down, she thinks incredibely lowly of herself. For all her confidence in her fighting abilities, she lacks confidence in herself as a person. 

Surprisingly enough, the ‘who am I?’ character arc is one that was hardly explored at all up until this point, despite it being one of the most common and signifgant character arcs in fictional media. And I don’t think many of us at all could have imagined that Nora would be the one to get that arc, when she’s always seemed so self-assured on the surface.

And then, when Penny is in need of help, Nora takes Weiss’ advice to heart, and does the one thing she believes she’s capable of- being strong, and hitting stuff.

Nora overcharging her Semblance to take down the wall is seen by a lot of the fandom as some kind of win for Nora; as her ‘big moment’. But while it’s certainly a really cool and badass scene, it was far from a triumph for her.

This was Nora at perhaps her lowest point so far in the series. This was Nora figuring ‘well, if this is all I’m good for, I’ll do it to the extreme’. This was Nora thinking her only purpose was to greatly endanger herself for the sake of others, because she figured she was the only one who could. And she almsot got herself killed for it. 

While certainly a defining moment, it was far from triumphant. It wasn’t a win. It was a self-destrcutive act that reflected how little she thinks of herself; that she’s not worth anything unless she’s pushing herself to the limit doing the one thing she thinks she’s good at.

And to drive the knife in harder, it backfires horribly. 

Because now she’s bedridden and critically injured, with scars that are probably permanent; a reminder of her lowest point, forever marked on her body. She can’t fight now, can’t help at all, and Salem has launched her attack on Atlas.

And in her half-unconsious state in V8C7, she realizes this, delivering an absolutely heartbreaking line:

As far as she’s concerned, her last attempt at doing what she thinks only she can do- what she thinks is all she can do- has prevented her from doing anything of worth at all. She lost one half of herself when she split from Ren, and now she’s lost the other half too. The two things that she defines herself by are gone. And the worst part is, we don’t know if she’s awar of the fact Salem has begun her attack. We could very well see her fully wake up, only to realize that the world has begun ending while she was unconsious, and she can’t do anything about it.

Now, this scene, and Nora’s struggle in this Volume as a whole, hit home for me in particular.

If you follow me on Twitter, you’re probably aware that Nora is only of my hightest- and only- kins. And I’ve only been able to relate to her more and more after what we’ve got of her in this Volume.

I am chronically disabled. I have a connective tissue disorder known as Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, which fucks up my body in a multitude of different ways, but signifigantly affects the joints. For me, it hits worst in my back, ankles, and my fingers. The fingers are my main problem. To make matters worse, I’ve also been victim to intense pains in my shoulder, which came out of nowhere a couple of months ago and have only gotten worse since. The slightest movement aggrevates it. As any follower of mine would know, I am both an artist and a writer. I create both for fun, and I’ve studied writing as a profession. It is these things I’m known for being good at, and not much else. 

Thanks to my disability and my shoulder though, I have to do these things less. Even on perscription pain medication, it still hurts. It hurts to write this even now; my shoulder feels like it’s burning up from the inside. It will only get worse over time.

So, I’m finding myself in Nora’s position. I can’t do what I’m good at anymore, and I don’t know what to do with myself as a result. Not doing these things makes me feel lazy and unproductive, and makes me feel that the people around me will abandon me so long as i can’t keep providing them content. And I’ve gotta say, it hurts a lot, and I don’t just mean physically. 

Because of what I’m going through, it’s especially important to see my favourite RWBY character just so happening to be dealing with the same problem; the same loss of idenity and purpose. We don’t know who we are or what we’re good for without the things we think define us.

While I’m unsure of my own future though, I find comfort in knowing that Nora’s problem will be tackled and addressed; that her friends will help her to rediscover herself and find her true worth. And while we’ve got a while to go until we’ll be able to see the Volume continue, I’m incredibely excited to see where Nora’s arc goes, especially if we can get some backstory along the way. I find myself wondering if her life before Ren is part of why she thinks so little of herself without him- was it the way she was raised to think? Is this the fault of her childood circumstances? Or is this just something she developed on her own, after becoming too dependant on Ren for comfort?

Whatever answers we get, I have faith that Nora’s story will be told well, and I’m very sure that it’s only just beginning. Even if she finds her worth before the end of the volume, her story won’t be over yet, not when we’ve still likely got at least four more volumes to go after this one.

In just seven episodes, Nora Valkyrie has gone from one of the least developed characters, to one of the most interesting and relatable, at least, in my eyes. There is so much more depth to her character than having a crush on Ren, and being the strong girl who hits stuff. There’s a layer of tragedy to her character that we’re touching upon now, and I’m excited to dive into it.

Thank you all for reading!

[green-like-pine-trees]

Let’s not forget this scene. While everyone is startled by the piece falling, Weiss and Oscar physically move their arms. It’s a basic startle response, readying one’s hands to deal with the potential threat. We know Weiss comes from an abusive household, so it would make sense for her to noticeably react from a sudden loud impact. Oscar’s really jumpy, however. 

I thought maybe Oscar’s reaction to the knuckle cracking would be due to Hazel – since he cracks his knuckles before facing off against Nora and Ren in V5 – but Oscar didn’t exactly witness that. 

Below the cut I’ve redone some of Quin’s wonderful gifs so ppl can see Oscar’s reactions more clearly (for the folks on Mobile). 

Oscar flinching when Jaune punches the wall and flinching again when Jaune says “Everything we did was for NOTHING!”  Oscar flinching away when Jaune walks past him up the stairs. Oscar flinching when Ren says “Now Salem has the lamp, Ironwood has the staff, and we have NOTHING!” The way Oscar puts his hands up in front of him whenever someone tries to give him a hug (with only one exception).

[forevergayscreaming]

RWBY V8C2

Grimm: *beats Oscar*

Grimm: *goes to leave*

Ren: Imma rule for persuasion...

Ren: *roles a nat 1*

Ren: GIVE GIM BACK

Grimm: no

[alexkablob]

RWBY V8C2 “Refuge” reaction, featuring me being so freaked out by the Hound that I COMPLETELY MISSED that it fucking talked.

[blake-belladonna-defence-force]

Just saw V8C2 a couple of hours ago... After wrestling with my internet connection... And I think ironwood is rapidly finding himself higher and higher on the list of the very few people Ruby hates... Also, I kinda wanna see a Penny/Blake duet in the style of "Like Morning Follows Night", but it's about Blake relating her own experiences to Penny to help her come to terms with her current situation and understand that it's not her fault and that she isn't alone.

*groans* oh, Ironwood... I wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt, much like Blake, but holy shit did he stomp on that!

It would be really interesting to see some Blake/Penny dynamics, honestly. It’s going to be interesting to see how Penny’s arc continues because RWBY emphasises that doing things alone, being a sacrifice, is not the way to go about it.

[yinyangofnevermore]

Nora’s chaos really coming out with buttons this volume, huh?

[waystobuild-blog]

Volume 8 is here so remakes are back in session.

This one comes from Volume 8 Chapter 2 during Oscar and Ozpin's conversation about the merger.

[marithlizard]

Thoughts on RWBY v8c2, “Refuge”

Even more worried going into episode 2.    What's going to happen to Ruby,  what's with the freaking pool in the intro, and has this all been set up as far back as volume 3's  "Huntsmen"  WoR - which ends on a silhouette shot of Ruby with Ozpin saying "and never succumb to the darkness".  

As Qrow would say, "...So yeah.  There's that."

Oh shut up, Robyn,  my hopes for you just instantly cratered.  Though I suppose Qrow's lashed out hims- oh, she's verbally scathing JACQUES.   Nevermind! Good misdirect RT.

At least those cells are about ten times larger than the one Roman was locked in.

The Qrow I know would be fretting about his nieces.  About the other kids, and about Mantle and Salem and saving the world. But THIS Qrow, who put down his brain along with his flask last volume, is focused on killing Ironwood like a one-note comic book hero whose love interest got fridged.  

(Have Qrow or Robyn been told anything about what happened since Ruby's last broadcast?  Do they know Salem is here with an army?  Doesn't seem like it.)

Enjoy your happy trailer moments while they last, Yang.  I don't think you should lie to the people you're evacuating  like that though.

(Oscar didn't actually weigh in last episode on either Yang or Ruby's plan.   He might have gone with Yang's group to keep the numbers even, but I wonder what his personal thoughts are.  And Oz's. )

I do like the throwable re-usable hardlight shield projector. Hope they've got a bunch of them though, as they're likely to get lost  or stepped on in tougher battles.

That's barely a dozen people they're escorting.  Are there so few left in Mantle, or did most refuse  to come?  Prediction: Spending so much of Ren's energy on this small mission was a bad call and will come back to bite them.  

Oh, Oscar.  You're still a teenager, and the situation still sucks, resentment is natural. But Oz saved your life by coming back and his knowledge and perspective are major assets in a bleak situation.    And he's trying *so* hard - the change in his voice affect speaks volumes, the voice actor obviously put a lot of thought into Ozpin's frame of mind.  

Ah, there's everyone.  That's at least a few hundred incoming Mantle refugees on top of the faunus already in the crater slums.  If JORY "cleared sector 7" by bringing in only a dozen people, though, then I'm not sure how seriously to take anything.

Ruby in v2:  "We mail ourselves there." Weiss in v8:  "Finally, the moment for your insane idea has come."

Annd a shapeshifting, talking Grimm flying monkey (which terrifies other Grimm) just carried off Oscar.  This is fine.

[localboop]

RWBY V8C2

WHAT TO EXPECT TOMORROW FOR VOLUME 8 EPISODE 2 

( kinda spoilers )

- like 5 minutes before the end of episode 1 a soldier came to Ironwood saying “  Sir, the prisoners have arrived. They're being processed in stockade B. “   So r Qrow and Robyn in 1 cell? or 2? confusing but we should get them in V8C2 tomorrow. - Paula posted on twitter that were gonna see Fiona  - which means we will see team JOYRide evacuating Mantle - Adele ( Animator ) posted a photo of Yang ( Kinda drawn so we don’t know if its from the actual episode ) So uh yEa - Maybe they show us what Weiss’s idea was to getting up into Amity.

now these r just guesses: - ACE-OPS PLEASE - SCHNEES? WILLOW? - Get Cinder backstory crumbs PLEASE - UH MARROW? Also can Marrow join up with the fugitive gang please? he has 2 days-

- And I’m guessing that if we get May we get Happy Huntresses, like May using her semblance since Joanna told them about the crater so May might help them with taking them where their needed.

[actingwithportals]

Me: -shows my mom v8c1 of RWBY-

My mom: well that wasn't as exciting as I remember

Me: -shows my mom v8c2 of RWBY-

My mom: now THATS more like it!