#she/her v2 real too

[euoniainquisition]

Guys, She got a Mug!!! Isn't it awesome!!!

Original Image:

[steakout-05]

i made some cute little wip chibi sprites of some vocaloid, utauloid and fanloid characters :)

the characters from left to right, top to bottom are: hatsune miku rin and len kagamine teto kasane momone momo zatsune miku akita neru shiteyanyo nakao/larval rin

[frogatz]

ohhh dect ruined me actually

[dalishious]

Let’s get rid of the whitewashing Isabela mods!

Would you believe me if I told you that one of the most popular downloaded mods on NexusMods for Dragon Age II, is a mod called “Sexy Fair Skinned Isabela”? If you’re at all aware of the anti-Black racism that exists in fandom spaces, then I imagine you would.

Well, now we have the power to do something about it.

The current File Submission Guidelines for NexusMods includes a section on Inappropriate Content. Under this section, reads the following:

“Content that may be generally construed as provocative, divisive, objectionable, discriminatory, or abusive toward any real-world individual or group, may be subject to moderation. This includes but is not limited to content involving politics, race, religion, gender identity, sexuality, or social class. We tolerate content related to real world issues and events as long as the appropriate tag ("Real World Issues") is used and the content is handled in a tasteful, respectful, and non-inflammatory manner. Users who do not wish to see such content should make use of our content blocking feature.”

Now, unfortunately this rule has been abused by folks who want mods that add inclusivity taken down. (I myself had my mod that gave BG3’s Shadowheart darker skin removed.) HOWEVER, it has also been successfully used to get rid of whitewashing mods within the Baldur’s Gate 3 modding community! So, why not for Dragon Age as well?

Dragon Age II may be an older game now, but that does not make it any less against these guidelines to have mods like the following remain up:

Sexy Fair Skinned Isabela v2 by lustrianna

Sexy Outfit for Fair Skinned Isabela by lustrianna

Dark Celtic Isabela by Ravenwolfie

Dark Celtic Isabela Head 1 by Ravenwolfie

Alternative Isabela by omegadeity

iveys Isabela by jandwivey

Isabela Improved Armor by Stacycmc

XN_Isabela by fosywyn

(There are, of course, other whitewashed mods as well, for Fenris and Sebastian. But I think NexusMods might be more receptive if we have a targeted campaign at a time. So, I personally think the best strategy is to currently focus on Isabela. She definitely has the most.)

How to Report Mods

1. Under the “About This Mod” section on the Mod Description tab, there is a “Report Abuse” button.

2. A pop-up will appear asking why you wish to report the mod. Select, “I believe this mod is breaking the rules” and click “Next”.

3. When asked how you believe the mod is breaking the rules, select “Inappropriate Content” and click “Next”.

4. When asked why the content is inappropriate, select “Other Terms of Service violation” and click “Next”.

5. This is where you must describe how the content is breaking the guidelines. I strongly suggest quoting the guidelines themselves. Don’t make it too long, but remember you must outline why this is wrong as if you are speaking to an ignorant baby. Here’s an example message I’ve written:

Isabela is a Black character, as confirmed by game writers Sheryl Chee and David Gaider. This mod changes Isabela to make her white, and breaks the Inappropriate Content guidelines: “Content that may be generally construed as provocative, divisive, objectionable, discriminatory, or abusive toward any real-world individual or group, may be subject to moderation.” As such, this mod should not belong on NexusMods and must be removed.

Is this quite a tedious task to report all these mods? Yes. But I believe it is a worthy one, if we can successfully get rid of them. This will only work if a lot of people come forward and participate. So please, if you use NexusMods, take a few minutes to help clean up this racism!

[smooshednetwork]

Here’s some more ideas for fanart- Chihiro and Chiaki reacting to the Minecraft movie trailer.

-Your Gyaru design of Byakuya and Junko in an au where they’re like, rival models or something.

-Sakura in a cute cottagecore dress.

-Somebody (you decide who) introduced all of the Warriors Of Hope to skibidi toilet.

-Gonta playing Animal Crossing. (I feel like he’d love it)

-Mukuro playing Call of duty or some other war game.

(Since it’s spooky month, here are some Halloween adjacent ones)

-Junko and Mukuro as Ghostface from scream

-Hajime and Izuru as the twins from the shining

-Gundham and Sonia as Jack Skellington and Sally

-A Coraline AU where Makoto/Hajime/Shuichi/Kaede/Whoever you want is Coraline

-Ibuki playing Spooky Scary Skeletons on her guitar for her class

-The Warriors Of Hope go trick or treating

-Yasuhiro goes to a haunted house (either a fake one with actors, or like, a real one with actual ghosts) and is terrified. (Also works for Kaito since he’s terrified of ghosts too. If the ghosts are real maybe this takes place in your ghost au and they’re his classmates)

-Komaru casually talking to a ghost (since she can canonically see ghosts) Neither her nor the ghost realize that Toko walked in on them talking and now she’s just watching Komaru talk to air (from her perspective), and is very concerned. This one also works for your ghost au, maybe the ghost is one of her brother’s classmates.

-The design of a ghost from that au that you haven’t drawn yet.

-Ghost Kokichi and Miu getting into a fight

-Ghost Chihiro watching Byakuya tamper with his crime scene

-All the v1 ghosts in your au watching that one part in trial 5 where Hiro accuses Kyoko of being a ghost. They’re all facepalming.

-Ghost Sayaka not getting how it takes everyone so long to figure out 11037

-Ghost Rantaro+ all the other ghosts watching that one part in trial 3 where Tsumugi says that Rantaro’s ghost must be the killer.

-Ghost Hiyoko Fortnite dancing while Mikan’s getting executed in the background.

-A ghost trying to comfort their living friend/partner that can’t see them (Sakura/Aoi, Peko/Fuyuhiko, Tenko/Himiko, Kaede/Shuichi, Gundham/Sonia, Mondo/Taka, and some more but I don’t want to list them all. this can work for any pairing really, pick whichever you like best)

-Ghost Celeste and ghost Hifumi getting into a fight

-Ghost Hiyoko and ghost Mikan getting into a fight

-An alternate universe where the seance in V3 works, like for whatever reason Kiyo’s sabotage was unsuccessful but the seance was so Angie just…tells them what happened and the trial lasts 5 minutes.

-Ghost Chihiro and Ghost Chiaki reuniting after V2 ends.

(Hope you like at least some of these! Sorry if this was too long!)

I wanna appreciate this person for like almost doubling how long the list was I love you

[bestworstcase]

"There is no victory in strength."

"And Yang was strength."

I wonder if this is some "subtle" foreshadowing for something later?

oh i have some THOUGHTS about this

first: see this post regarding salem's V1 monologue. the key point to keep in mind for this discussion is that she begins by naming several qualities of mankind—strength, wisdom, resourcefulness, passion, and ingenuity—so her concluding statement implies its own inverse: 

"mankind was strong, wise, and resourceful, but he was born into an unforgiving world […] in time, man's passion, resourcefulness, and ingenuity led them to the tools that would help even the odds […] but take heed: there will be no victory in strength," i.e. "victory lies in these other four qualities." 

so what does this have to do with yang?

in V2: yang gets slapped by the paladin prototype, and when blake calls out to her in a panic, ruby stops her: "don't worry! with each hit she gets stronger, and she uses that energy to fight back. that's what makes her special."

in V3: after her disqualification from the tournament, qrow passes on raven's message to yang ("she saved you once, but you shouldn't expect that kindness again") after she tells him she saw her mom ("i- i was in a lot of trouble, took a pretty hard hit"), then follows up with "you're a tough egg, kiddo; shouldn't let this tournament thing get you down."

in V4: tai tells yang that she, like raven, "act[s] like the easiest way to tackle an obstacle is through it: that strength is all that matters in a fight," which he implies is the fatal flaw of raven's that "tore our team apart and […] did a real number on our family," even though "raven was great in so many ways: her strength, her ambition, her dedication." 

in V5: blake describes yang to sun as "[the embodiment of] strength."

also in V5: yang confronts raven in the vault under haven academy and, when raven calls herself strong, snaps back: "oh, shut up! you don't know the first thing about strength! you turn your back on people, you run away when things get hard, you put others in harms way instead of yourself! you might be powerful, but you're not strong."

in V6: blake reassures yang by telling her "adam's strong, but his real power comes from control."

also in V6: adam taunts yang: "moment of truth, yang! do you think you're faster than you were at beacon? …heh. me neither," and after catching his weapon she retorts, "i may not be faster, but i'm smarter." (<- put a pin in this one, it's important.)

in V8: yang falls, blake fails to catch her, and it's the hit she can't come back from—it doesn't make her stronger, it just plunges her into the void to her apparent death.

in V9: when they catch up with yang, she's performing strength ("i said i wasn't done with you yet!") but in reality she's exhausted, barely able to stand. later, blake describes her like this: "you're an extraordinary person. you're always the first to lighten a situation; you act bravely when you're afraid; you do what you say."

ok. 

there are a few threads to unwind here.

first let's unpin what adam says to yang during their final duel: "do you think you're faster than you were at beacon?" not "stronger." not "tougher." faster.

ruby tells blake that strength is what makes yang special. qrow tells yang she's too tough to let one "slip-up" bring her down. her father thinks she relies too much on her strength. before their reunion, blake sees yang as the living personification of strength.

but just as a younger blake was wrong about adam being "justice" or "passion," she's wrong about yang being "strength," and adam is actually—ironically enough—the first character besides yang herself to notice that strength is not what yang is about. he taunts her for not being fast enough. 

speed. agility. not just in the sense that yang is a very nimble combatant, but she's emotionally agile—look at how she handles herself and her feelings during fraught confrontations with blake in V2 or raven in V5. she's a self-described thrill-seeker, but she also worries about being too rootless. her biggest setbacks all come from rushing—and her big wins all come from outmaneuvering her opponents, whether physically or emotionally. she's strong, but strength is not what she is.

keeping that in mind, the second thread to follow is the difference between strength and power. yang tells raven "you might be powerful, but you're not strong." blake tells yang that adam is "strong, but his real power comes from control," from getting into people's heads and making them feel small. when ruby and tai and blake talk about yang's strength (and when blake talks about adam being strong), they mean raw physical strength—but that's not what yang means when she talks about strength. in yang's terms, raw physical strength is just power. her semblance makes her powerful; it doesn't make her strong. 

yang defines strength as the choice to put others ahead of oneself, even and especially when it's hard. 

in the ever after, blake says that yang uplifts others (always the first to lighten a situation), that she's brave, that she has integrity. between V5 and V9, after reconciling with yang and going through the harrowing experience of of fighting adam with her, blake sees the vulnerability behind the brave mask yang puts on for her loved ones. her perception of yang at beacon was colored both by her adam trauma and by the way ruby saw yang as invulnerable, unshakable. since then she's come to see yang as she truly is: caring, brave, and honest. she sees and loves the kind of strength that yang values.

third thread: the really crucial piece is what kind of strength is salem referring to? 

and the answer is that she's talking about power, explicitly in contrast to what she sees as humanity's true strengths: wisdom, resourcefulness, passion, ingenuity, and hope. in V1, salem credits hope as the reason mankind was not wiped out (again) by the grimm and names "passion, resourcefulness, and ingenuity" as the qualities that allowed them to find a way to survive against the odds. then, "nature's wrath in hand, man lit their way through the darkness, and in the shadow's absence came strength, civilization, and most importantly, life."

in this story salem tells about the beginning of the world, strength is one of the fruits of mankind's triumph, something that could only develop after the darkness had been beaten and pushed back. when she gives her warning—"there will be no victory in strength"—she names "your guardians" and "your monuments" explicitly. 

to be precise, she is talking about the maidens ("a guardian is a symbol of comfort"), amity coliseum("it was decided that the tournament would need a stage equal in greatness to that of its competitors. amity coliseum was the culmination of four kingdom's efforts: a technological marvel and a shining symbol of harmony, capable of making the journey to all the kingdoms of remnant"—but note that menagerie is excluded from the vytal festival), and atlas ("the people of mantle needed a sign of a brighter future, and that sign was atlas; a city in the clouds is as bright as it gets").

those things represent ozpin's definition of strength: technological marvels, shining symbols of harmony and comfort, a girl who is "strong, caring, and intelligent" enough to make the people feel safe. and of course outside of these soliloquies, the word salem uses is power—and she warns cinder, twice, in no uncertain terms that power will not make her strong: "it is because of the maiden's power. […] your newfound strength brings with it a crippling weakness" and "you will have the power i promised you, but remember that it comes with a cost."

now back to yang: she and salem share this mindset, this clear delineation between true strength and mere power. salem tries to impress it upon cinder; yang's power blinds her family to her true strength, which blake learns to see clearly as they become partners, and she is placed in juxtaposition with adam, raven, and cinder—all of whom are powerful but not strong. 

and, like salem, the way yang is perceived (that her power is what makes her special, and she thinks physical strength is all that matters in a fight) does not align with how yang sees herself or what she values: yang takes pride in being able to face her fears, speak the truth, put others before herself, and outwit her foes; she likes that blake has never been intimidated by her, and she admires blake's dedication and willingness to forgive. 

salem values wisdom, i.e. experiential knowledge—yang tells her past self that her losses and failures "more than anything are what have shaped me into who i am, showed me how i need to grow." salem values passion—yang is passionate in everything she does and likewise admires the passion she sees in blake. "you know what matters to you." salem values resourcefulness and ingenuity—yang revels in outsmarting people who underestimate her, as they often do, and flat out tells adam that she may not be faster than him, but she is smarter, then throws his weapon to bait him into running right into blake's punch.

yang values courage—salem fomented rebellion against the fucking gods and vowed to keep fighting even after they crushed her like an ant, and rewards cinder for defying her, and disdains lionheart for being a coward. yang values honesty—salem explodes when people lie to her and loathes ozma for his deceit. yang values compassion—salem built her whole rebellion on the premise that no one else should have to suffer as she did. yang values cleverness—salem cultivates spies and meticulously prepares to stack the deck in her favor before making a move.

"the ability to derive strength from hope is undoubtedly mankind's greatest asset," says salem. "even the smallest spark of hope is enough to ignite change."

"look, blind optimism isn't great, but no optimism means we've already lost; we need hope. we need to take risks," says yang. 

aside from blake, all of team rwby repeat salem in some way: weiss is the girl who frees herself from her tower, ruby the idealist who sees how broken the world is and takes it upon herself to fix it, inspiring the world to strive with her. (blake repeats ozma: the warrior who fights for justice, but her journey is the inverse of his: her ideals are corrupted by adam's spite in the beginning and she leaves him behind in pursuit of true justice.) but yang is salem's heart. 

(<- the reversal in how blake sees yang before/after they reunite at haven and defeat adam together is a fractal-ozlem thing, by the way: the inflection point occurs in 6.5 when yang opens up about her flashbacks and blake sees her hands shaking. the maiden's tears restore her prince's sight—yang allows blake to see how scared she is, and blake recognizes how badly yang needs blake to be there for her, to stay.)

WHICH IS HYSTERICAL BECAUSE,

"all this endless death, because something bad happened to you once upon a time? no one gets a fairytale ending! everything i've lost, every person i've lost, is because of you!"

yang is being deliberately provocative here. her intention is to redirect salem's boiling fury from oscar to herself, to protect oscar. she is trying to piss salem off, and while she succeeds in distracting salem from oscar, she completely fails to make salem angry—instead, salem calms down.

why?

the anger and scorn yang throws in salem's face here are completely genuine, but as i said before, yang's emotional agility—her control over her emotions—is unparalleled. she does not "lose her temper" (and on the rare occasion she snaps without meaning to, she reins it in lightning fast). she lets it out. so in this scene, yang makes a calculated choice to yell at salem. to get angry.

now, we've seen her do this once before—and by "this" i mean specifically the choice to get mad enough to verbally explode at somebody—and that was during her last confrontation with raven. 

"oh, shut up! you don't know the first thing about strength! you turn your back on people, you run away when things get hard, you put others in harm's way instead of yourself! you might be powerful, but you're not strong."

i think yang is not quite as in control of her feelings in this scene with raven, because the wounds are very personal and very raw, but nevertheless she is making a deliberate choice to let her anger come out because—again—she's trying to make raven mad. if raven decides she's leaving with the lamp, yang can't actually stop her. she knows that. she also knows raven isn't going to listen to an appeal to join them, so her only real option is to upset raven enough to make her abandon the lamp (and yang) (…again). 

so that's what she does! yang asks questions and needles raven on her answers until raven starts to react emotionally ("i survived because i'm strong enough to do what others won't!"), and yang pounces on that. shut up, you don't know the first thing about strength. she goes right for the throat, attacks the thing at the center of all raven's rationalizations. and raven fucking shatters.

this is what yang tries to do to salem. "why do you keep coming back?" -> "why do YOU!?"—raven says "i'm strong," yang goes "shut up, that's bullshit, no you're not." salem says "why do you keep coming back," yang hears salem playing the victim and goes "shut up, that's bullshit, your suffering isn't special" because she guesses—based on what she's been told about salem, and what she just heard salem say to ozma—that salem has built her sense of self around victimhood in the same way that raven built hers around "being strong."

only. it doesn't work this time.

because salem is just like yang.

just like yang, salem prizes courage and conviction and abhors liars. she makes the same distinction between genuine strength and mere power, and values power not at all. 

she also, just like yang, keeps her anger firmly in check. when salem yells and slams her hands down or flips a table to intimidate someone, or threatens cinder with the hound, or tortured oscar, that is a choice she is making to let her anger out. the one time salem actually loses her temper, she sends everyone else out of the room, waits for the door to close, makes what appears to be a herculean effort to hold it in (<- the air boils), and then explodes all the windows.

this tactic of yang's depends on her opponent not having her level of emotional control. but that isn't the only reason she completely fails to get a rise out of salem; look at salem's reaction:

<- "why do you keep coming back?"—this is genuine fury. teeth bared, crushing oscar's head with her nails digging in behind his ears.

<- "because something bad happened to you once upon a time?"—she's nonplussed. it's not even that salem's too in control of her anger for yang to provoke her, salem is legitimately thrown for a loop by this line of attack. yang misses the mark by such a wide margin that it knocks salem out of her anger altogether. she was seething about ozma sacrificing children for the god to whom he debases himself in blind obedience, why is this child yelling about fairytales. what.

it's telling, i think, that salem does not, in any way, dispute the premise that her own suffering does not justify the suffering she causes or that she is personally responsible for yang's losses. neither of those ideas challenge or threaten salem's self-identity, and in fact the only response she does make is to ask who she took from yang. (<- implicitly conceding that she is responsible for ruining yang's life, or at least that she might be.) 

she and yang are Very Alike.

(this is also why yang has such pronounced paralleling with cinder. by the way. two halves of salem's psyche. fire as hope, fire as wrath.)

anyway

the point of yang vis-a-vis "there will be no victory in strength" is to clarify and articulate the distinction salem makes between power (which neither character values) and strength (which they do, and define as the sum of many virtues). both of them are positioned in counterpoint to ozpin, who trusted only in power and symbols of power (the maidens, amity, atlas), and ruby, who mistakes power for strength and is on a journey that puts both her power (silver eyes) and her strength (hope) to the test.

[systcmaticeras]

hi there! we're a p-did system, and figured it might be nice to try and find a sense of community somewhere, so why not try here? we've had suspicions for a while but consistently gaslit ourselves into thinking otherwise– this is our first time accepting that this in fact a likely reality and are self identifying as plural until we can get in to see a psych to confirm. we use i/me and we/us rather interchangeably for the most part and to the best of my knowledge as the host we're all okay with they/them pronouns but some of us have other pronouns we also use! now, a few rules or general topics to cover real quick:

• we are not here to engage in syscourse, we aren't professionals or doctors, it's simply not our place.

• we do not mind (pro)endos interacting, we have chosen to remain neutral on this stance as, again, we are not professionals or doctors, not our place.

• we don't tolerate hate speech or bullying, if anyone is commenting such things on our posts they will be swiftly blocked.

• we would prefer that no one under the age of 16 (bodily) interacts in dms or anything unless they need some help or support, we are 19 bodily, so we just want everyone to be safe! any ages are welcome on this page, however almost all of us do swear and have a dark sense of humor, so keep this in mind!

• we love introjects/fictives! for who we know of rn, a lot of our system is fictives, not everyone to be clear, but we've always found great comfort in different forms of media, so we assume our brain split some of the characters we resonated with the most and still continues to do so sometimes!

with all of that out of that out of the way, a brief intro to the alters as we know ourselves!

FIZZ

they/them, key-host (rarely leaves front, most others blend with or co-host with me), potential helluva boss fictive but this is unclear, i may have just stolen my name from it!

CONNOR

he/him/they/them, emotional protector, fronts occasionally, mostly during times of stress, but sometimes just when he wants to. dear evan hansen fictive.

RIFF

he/him/they/them, protector, possible gatekeeper, second most frequent fronter so far, has a typing quirk, generally pretty caring but can definitely be stubborn and sarcastic. west side story fictive.

LESTAT

he/him/they/them, role unclear, hasn't fronted for a while, tends to use french terms and a fancier vocabulary. iwtv fictive.

DALE

he/him/they/them, role unclear, rarely fronts, not very confident but extremely sweet, wants the best for everybody. newsreader fictive.

V1

they/them/it/its, persecutor, co-con frequently but unlikely to fully front, harsh, does not like others, does not care to communicate with others. they have not shared their name, thus the placeholder name of V1.

ROSALIE / V2

she/her/they/them, possible caretaker, she doesn't front frequently, we don't know much about her, very sweet and motherly. name is assumed.

V3

she/her/they/them, role unclear, pretty chill personality from what we know, hasn't fronted much, first one to inspire me to make a picrew for her, hoping to have a name soon.

P

she/her/they/them, little – role unclear, we do not plan to share too much info on her, she fronts occasionally, and absolutely loves jellyfish and ham.

ART

he/him/they/them, role not yet discovered, he's relatively new, we think he split due to recent events that caused significant duress, but he's shown up when the paranoia hits some. pretty chill so far, but extremely tired. challengers fictive.

we follow from @artsracquet !

that's about all we have for right now, but we hope to meet some fellow plurals and cannot wait to find some community here!

~ fizz

[misstrashchan]

2, 3, 7, 20, 27, 28, 29, for the rwby ask game? If you don't mind!

2. Rank the soundtracks

From favourite to least:

V1

Not a single track I don't love. Forever iconic, each and every one.

V5

Ignite is my favorite Yang song, as is Path to Isolation for Weiss. Smile is such a tragic song of showing Ilia's parents telling her to cope by smiling, by hiding, to the present where it's twisted into an angry mantra and she's still hiding who she is in a different way. The Triumph feels like such a comeback song with how high energy it is, all our girls heading back to each other, jumping back into the fray. All that Matters is PEAK bumbleby pining angst song. All Things Must Die is glorious, and tbh I think even This Time is pretty underrated as a song for Blake/the White Fang.

V7

I find myself relistening to this one a lot. Trust Love is my favorite OP (and yes that is in part the refrences to the Little Prince I can draw). I also like Touch the Sky and Brand New Day as these kind of recovery songs for all the characters that had been at their lowest or feeling lost finding their hope and confidence, happy in themselves. Let's get Real is a song that DID get me into Renora a little, it's a bop. Was over the moon to have an Oscar song in Fear that encapsulated the theme of the volume and complimented Ozpin's fear speech. Hero makes my brain go AAAAHHHH at how it captures the hubris of Ironwood. Such a great tragic downfall song for his character. Until the End is a great listen and such a lovely surprise to have a Ruby song after so long. War is a certified banger and a great song for the RWBY vs Ace Ops fight.

V9

In fairness I don't think I've listened to this one enough, but the more I do it definitely grows on me. Inside feels like the most unique OP, Checkmate is catchy as hell, Trapdoor makes me INSANE as a Ruby spiralling song. Pleasantly surprised to have a Jaune song in Quiet that's very moving. Worthy is beautiful as a Bumbleby confession/kiss song, truly magical. As a whole I feel the songs lean into being more gentle and introspective as to the usual hardcore rock ballads we know RWBY for, even Checkmate with it's jazziness feels fresh and new. I haven't actually listened to the Edge or Guide my Way enough to have an opinion on them, but I remember liking them, Guide my Way is a nice continuation and evolution of the Red like Roses song trilogy.

V3

When it Falls is SO HARDCORE. Bleeding edge and tragedy for the death and destruction to come. I'm the One is fantastic at laying out Emerald and Mercury's trauma's and subsequently coping mechanisms. Neon is one I like to listen to a lot, it's so fun and upbeat. Divide is brutal and chilling as the song to introduce us to our main villain after seeing her for the first time in all her dark glory at the end of V3. Not Fall in Love with You is... eh. It's my Turn is a good Weiss song, but it's not one if my favorites.

V6

I really like Rising as an OP, it feels the most... magical? fantastical? idk. I like the vibes. Indomitable is what I feel like singing all the time in wake of the recent RWBY news! We really are indomitable! Nevermore as a true triumph over Blake and Yang's trauma at Adam's hands, while acknowledging the tragedy of Adam's own situation. And Big Metal Shoe is a certified banger, love all the fairytale references crammed in there. Miracle is... fine. One Thing is a great song for Neo's return and revenge quest, but I never bought into the Neo hype so I'm kinda mid on it too.

V2. SACRIFICE I LOVE YOU FOREVER AND EVER PLEASE REPRISE IN THE SHOW LATER WITH CINDER PRETTY PLEASE. Now it's Time to Say Goodbye is an incredible banger of an OP, but it felt a little misleading considering it's a song all about losing innocence and leaving behind childhood, which feels more appropriate for V3 and the FoB than V2. Shine, Dream Come True and Boop are all fun and cute but I'm not hugely into Arkos or Renora so I'm kinda neutral on them. I'm also kind of mid on Time to Die as a song.

V8. Honestly this is just the soundtrack I find myself listening to or remembering the least, even though I really like Friend as the perfect Penny song that had me tearing up, and Truth, while short was a great bittersweet song for Cinder. And it was nice to get a Nora song too. The opening for this volume never really grew on me like all the others did (aside from the "some ROSES WILL NEVER BLOOM, SOME HEROES CHOOSE THE WRONG SIDE"). I also just associate this soundtrack with fandom arguing a lot about what song applied to who and it felt exhausting.

3. Favorite Ruby ship?

ROSEGARDEN ALL THE WAY BABY!

7. Favorite lines I already answered for @hoepunkausta

20. What are you looking forward to seeing in Vacuo?

*vibrating at a frequency unknown to man* idk I think a reunion hug between Ruby and Oscar would be neat maybe. Like @aspoonofsugar has pointed out all the set up at the end of the extended epilogue points to these two having a second alchemical wedding and so their relationship having a certain amount of focus/development in Vacuo seems apparent. After so long of not seeing them onscreen together I'm excited for any interactions honestly. I miss my kids.

Wanting to see WBY all trying to support Ruby more and her actively trying but still struggling to open about how she's feeling. More of what see saw with Ruby/Yang in the Boba episode. I'd especially like Ruby and Weiss to have a heart to heart.

Very curious about what Theodore is gonna be like and whoever the hell the Summer maiden. With the Dorothy allusions and those who've lost their homes trying to make one in Vacuo, I'm expecting an exploration of "there's no place like home" to be leant into.

RAVEN. TELL US WHAT HAPPENED ON THAT MISSION WITH YOU AND SUMMER. RUBY AND YANG DESERVE TO KNOW. For real though I'm hoping we see what lead Raven to rejoin the fray too, and how she'll interact with Yang and Qrow and even Ruby, what tension might be there. Delicious family drama....

Speaking of delicious family drama, the Schnees! all reunited! I want Winter and Whitley to tackle hug Weiss to the ground! Also the Schnees appear to be being confronted with all the harm their family and company has done in a kingdom like Vacuo, so I'm curious to see how Weiss handles that. Also Winter is clearly Not Doing Good, so something I'd really like is if Weiss (as her sister) and Ruby (as a friend of Penny and someone she also offered the maiden powers too) and maybe Jaune (who was there with Penny in her final moments) offer comfort to her and they all grieve together.

Emerald. Honestly suprised we didn't get much of a sense of how she was doing in the extended epilogue, not even briefly like Mercury. But I'm super excited for what her arc holds. Seeing her integrate with the group, if Ren, Nora and Oscar are already on friendly terms with her but RWBY are all still a bit wary of her because they've spent less time together. Seeing more of her friendship with Oscar develop (gimme that Little Prince/Fox allusion with their friendship in taming each other pretty please) and like. Mercury. Emerald KNEW Mercury and Tyrian were being sent to Vacuo, she saw him off in the ship, but Ren seems suprised to see him and Tyrian on the cameras in the epilogue. Did Emerald... not tell them? Even though that's incredibly important information that could help her new allies? Because... she wanted to protect Mercury? Because she still feels conflicted? It's incredibly juicy and I can't wait to see how Emerald and Mercury's relationship comes into conflict during the Vacuo arc. Gimme that Emercury angst pretty please.

Vacuo in general. By virtue of the books I think they have the most interesting world building, the food, the culture, the different words for weather phenomenon, the fauna, the nomadic tribes, the history of being a once incredibly beautiful oasis full of everything they needed, then exploited time and again and left with nothing and yet still surviving and carving a home and life for themselves. The world building of Vacuo is one that is inevitably tied to the story because of their fraught history leading to tensions between them and all the refugees from Atlas, Mantle and Vale seeking their aid and shelter in their kingdom, not to mention the Crown seeking to restore the monarchy, it'd be easy for them to be divided and conquered by Salem, and so our heroes have to find a way to overcome that and bring everyone together. So just getting to see the kingdom animated and learn more about its history and culture would be cool. I also like desert punk aesthetic, so I'm hoping whatever new outfits our girls get will have a little of that. (part of me hopes for maybe some Trigun inspiration... we've had Gurren Laggan inspiration in Yang's outfits before!)

I would also say I'm looking forward to seeing my darling cringefail wife Cinder but I don't know if she'll be in Vacuo or with Salem in Vale wrecking shit.

27. Favorite voice performance?

AARON DISMUKE AS OSCAR HANDS DOWN. Him being the VA for Oscar meant I was destined to like him, I usually do with characters he voices. The fact he has to also voice Oscar when controlled by Ozpin, and sometimes Oscar pretending to be Ozpin, and completely nails the subtle differences in all of them is phenomenal. And as the merge progresses he's literally having to mix and merge their voices together too!!! It's crazy!!! The awkward and shy intonation becoming a more sincere and quiet confident voice as Oscar develops, and gaining Oz's mannerisms in speech with a deeper and more serious tone. That is some crazy talent this man has.

Always impressed with how well Linsay Jones and Miles Luna hold up in earlier volumes, they've consistently been the best voice performances from start to present. Also Cherami Leigh as Ilia is absolutely fantastic, it's rare I've heard her get to flex her emotional range like that in her voice work for such a complex character.

28. Fairytale character you'd want to see RWBYfied?

With how character songs are a big thing in the show and semblances that can hypnotize and mind control exist, and instruments sometimes being weapons (gestures to Flynt), I'd love an allusion to The Pied Piper or the Lorelai Siren as a villain of some kind. Bonus if you had a Little Mermaid/Lorelai Siren allusion for that victim/monster/hero duality RWBY likes to play with.

Not technically a traditional fairytale but also very much one, the Last Unicorn, one of my alltime favorite books would be beyond amazing to be alluded to, even a tiny bit. Amalthea the unicorn being the last of her kind, the rest hunted down by a wicked beast at the order of a tyrant. She is associated with silver, the moon, hope and purity constantly. A story that is both a love letter and deconstruction of fairytales, an exploration of the nature of humanity and mortality. Tell me that wouldn't be perfect as an allusion to a Silver Eyed Warrior (also thought to be a myth) trying to find out what happened to the rest of her kind.

29. Favorite opening to sing along too?

TRUST LOOOOOVVVVVEEEE AND OPEN UP YOUR EYESEESSSSS TRUST LOOOOVVVVVEEEE THE TRUTH IS THERE BUT SOMETIMES IN DISGUISE

[sleepdeprivedsprout]

Left… Up… Down… Right…

[Pommisc on Newgrounds] » [ H A V E M Y H E A R T - G F M I X ] «

1:20 ───〇── 2:43 ⇄ ◃◃ ⅠⅠ ▹▹ ↻

Before my introduction: Self Love Masterpost

“The blood of the covenant runs thicker than the water of the womb.”

Now then… Hey! My name’s Sprout. I go by a few different names, honestly. Sprout, Root, and Leaf.

real canon daughter of Pico and Alastor trust chat

ALSO!!! Canon wife/partner of Boyfriend — as I call him, Blue — and I am NOT COMFORTABLE SHARING. It’s not a DNI if you’re a double, but just… Don’t mention it too much.

I also selfship w/ Diluc and Kinich from Genshin Impact :3 married to Diluc, dating Kinich

Speaking of Genshin I am the #1 Itto hater /sarc [< this is just to bully my friend lmao]

Speaking of… My F/O list! Part 1, and Part 2! These are probably gonna update over time…! ^^

Friday Night Funkin’ is my main hyperfixation; most of the time, my blog matches a character I like (right now it’s a character I hate but like. We look similar so shush)

I also go by a few other names that I’ve stolen from fictional characters! You can find them under the cut.

My headmates!

I'm avoiding calling myself an endogenic system due to general hate thrown towards them. I just have headmates. Please, avoid saying I have DID as I am not diagnosed; I am not a traumagenic system and I am not an endogenic system. I just have headmates. Also, below states their source materials as well. For some, it is the specific version (such as Pico being labeled under FNF instead of Pico’s School). For others, it is simply their source material.

Sprout; Host (🌱), Sarvente; Mid-Fight Masses (🩷), Husker; Hazbin Hotel (🥃 [alternatively 🍺 or 🍻 since he forgets which]), Angel Dust; Hazbin Hotel (🕷️), Alastor; Hazbin Hotel (📻), Fluttershy; My Little Pony GEN 4 (🦋), Nebu; Friday Night Funkin’… Kinda (💎), Kapi; Arcade Showdown V2 (🧶), Ruvyzvat; Mid-Fight Masses (🩶), Documic.TXT; Unknown Source (💻), Blake; FNF: Lullaby (🗻), Annie; Hazy River (🩸), Pico; Friday Night Funkin’ (🔫), Darnell; Friday Night Funkin’ (🔥), Garcello; Hazy River (🚬), Selever; Mid-Fight Masses (❤️‍🩹), Rasazy; Mid-Fight Masses (🩵), Callie; Splatoon (🖤🩷🖤), Marie; Splatoon (🖤💚🖤), Pearl Houzukin Splatoon 2 (🦑), Marina Ida; Splatoon 2 (🐙), Shiver Hohojiro; Splatoon 3 (🟪), Frye Onaga; Splatoon 3 (🟨), Big Man; Splatoon 3 (🟧)

Sprout uses she/they/it, Sarvente uses she/her, Husk uses he/they, Angel Dust uses she/they/he, Alastor uses he/him, Fluttershy uses she/they, Nebu uses he/him, Kapi uses he/they, Ruv uses he/it, Documic uses whatever the fuck is an option, Blake uses they/them, Annie uses she/her, Pico uses he/him, Darnell uses he/him, Garcello uses he/they, Selever uses he/him, Rasazy uses she/her, Callie uses she/they, Marie uses she/he, Pearl uses they/she, Marina uses she/they, Shiver uses he/they, Frye uses she/it + a few neos, Big Man uses he/it. Please respect all our pronouns.

There’s probably a few others, but that depends on when they wish to come out.

I’m ✨autistic✨ so please use tone tags because I misread sometimes < misreads “you’ve improved” as negative sometimes for some reason

Tagging System!

I’ve stolen the FNF score input whoops

Sick!! - Mutual

Good! - Reblogs

Bad. - Text Post

Shit… - Asks

No Input - Queue

Gettin’ Freaky On A Friday Night Yeah - Suggestive

Twinsomnia - Recording Dreams And/Or Nightmares

Choose Your Dipshit - (I asked before using this) plurality stuff

Everywhere At The End Of Funk - Vent Posts

Other blogs?

@lilyofthevalley-s - Headmates’ Blog!

@havemyheartt - ElectroSwing (Aria X BF) Blog!

@melting-in-ur-arms - M.I.Y.A. (Diluc X Hokikori) Blog!

@blxxm-bxby - Bloom (Kinich X Shuyang) Blog!

@sprouts-xreader-stories - Fanfiction Blog!

@demonsparks - OC blog! Find Aria (and everyone else) here :3

WOAH!!! IRL FRIENDS!! I GO OUTSIDE SOMETIMES!

@levisvoid , @akuutff , @sh0uz

Wah! Online Friends!

(Uh… let us know if you wanna be removed. Also, I put the people I talk to most frequently on here.)

@vexter-the-comedian , @justletmestayawakeatthispoint , @winedownthesink , @worldsbiggestnerd101 , @pico-newgrounds

@guardianangelhaver , @schnozzlebozzle

Found Fam(ily <3)

@aroacerick , @vaporwave-dr34ml4nd , @mochapop223

Matching?

*the slashes are because we’re PLANNING to, I’m just waiting for them to change so I can actually @ them*

Yep! Pfp credits go to kor0kke, right here! Matching with @aroacerick (Boyfriend) , @vaporwave-dr34ml4nd (Pico) , @/winedownthesink (Darnell) , and @/worldsbiggestnerd101 (Nene)!

Random thing/s I have (userbox/es); made by @/fo-userboxes and @/just-another-userbox-maker and @/ghosting-plural-userboxes (if you’re seeing this, HAI GUYS…)

[invested-in-your-future]

Can you elaborate on what you mean by Ruby and Yang have idealistic views of one another?

Yang and Ruby have this idealised perfect version of each other in their minds, which I think is true even in the show.

Through the rewrite, for example, there are moments where Yang finds herself in doubt of her choices and wanting to turn around - but she reasons Ruby would never have those doubts and so neither should she. To Yang it doesn't even cross her mind that Ruby might feel aimless and lost or questioning herself - she sees Ruby as unwavering and thus her decision to leave Patch Village(And Yang) is unwavering too. Within the show that can be seen in her monologue to everyone during the V2 Glenn episodes. In her mind Ruby is a hero but that also frustrates her. In a way Yang tries to live up to the drive and determination she sees in Ruby - both real and imagined. Yang wants to have a goal she could chase with the same conviction she sees in her sister. Yet at the same time Ruby in her mind is far too vulnerable to the world around her - someone who would benefit from making human connections and expanding her social circle. It frustrates Yang that Ruby just left without saying a word(especially with how heated their confrontation got and how it's yet another thing she can't undo). In Yang's eyes picking between ideal and family is not even a contest for Ruby - the ideal always wins. Now we know that's not true but Yang is hurt and angry and it's how she rationalises everyone leaving her in her time of need - not to mention in no doubt also projecting her thoughts about summer(and what happened to her) onto Ruby. It's no wonder all that plays right into what Raven reveals to her.

Ruby likewise has this image of Yang as this unwavering protector - a knight in shining armour who would always arrive to save the day. The idea that Yang could get hurt or lose doesn't even cross her mind - even in the show you can see that in multiple situations where Ruby shows her unflinching belief that Yang is unstoppable. And Part of her wants to be like that too. It's why what happened to Yang during the Fall shook her and why Yang's bitter attitude after Ruby woke up threw her off. And Yang's outburst only made Ruby feel even more like she did something wrong. She still hasn't really had time to deal with any of that.

[liocto]

Alexander's love

The woman, who even looked very tall from the canvas, was sitting in an armchair, looking directly at the viewer. Either because of the wrong lighting in the room, or the painting itself was painted that way, her skin seemed to have an unnatural bluish hue, as if she were sitting in a remote hall of the castle. Her blond wavy hair with a silver sheen was loose and decorated with several clips in the form of small wings. Even though the stranger's face was hidden by a translucent veil, black, like a dress of a strange cut, more like a monk's robe, only very rich and decorated with precious stones, it was clear that her features were noble and sharp, as if carved from stone.

"Do you know who she is?" Daniel asked, coming closer. "No," Elise replied, although she had a hunch. "What is it?"

She looked at the table and saw a piece of paper lying on it, obviously torn from some book. Part of the page, neatly torn off at the bottom and top, was yellowed with age, but it was still possible to make out what was written. Squinting, Elise realized that it was an excerpt from a poem, moreover, in German.

"You make noise and rush about and cannot understand What it is that torments me, poor me. And no, I have not lost anything, Although I also lack it." Then pick yourself up - hurry, You are a young fellow. At your age, one has the strength And courage to gain what one wishes. "Alas, no - I can never obtain it; It is too far from me. It dwells as high and flashes as beautifully As that star up there."

The thought of the portrait made Elise sad. She couldn't be sure if this woman was really the same Alexander's love that his brother was talking about, but the very presence of a hidden portrait in the depths of the castle seemed terribly tragic to her: someone tried to perpetuate her memory, and spent many attempts on it, judging by the piled canvases smeared with black paint, but In the end, he hid it in an abandoned wing, leaving time and dampness to be torn apart. And this woman looked very different from what was depicted in the paintings of noble ladies: she looked like either a nun, or the embodiment of some ancient forgotten goddess. She had no place in the real world.

Für Elise, chapter 9.

og design by @shenji-yei-v2

[pilot-boi]

For the twins AU. I can’t help but wonder what Ruby and Yangs reactions would be once they meet Saphron.

Would there be even more young Jaune pictures that get shown? Did Jaune tell Saph about Yang when they met up again in Aurgus? Hell did Jaune tell Yang much about any of his sisters? Would Yangs reaction to Adrian differ much? Does Yang ask Saph for dating advice?

Sorry if this is a longer ask I am just so full of questions. (Btw I absolutely love this AU)

Oh yeah, Saphron breaks out the whole family album. She’s also freaking stoked to meet her two new sisters after hearing so much about them

I imagine Jaune told his family that he found his birth family some time before the CCT goes down, probably in V2 or early V3. The Arcs we’re gonna come visit, because they’re so happy their boy found someone from his past, but then ya know… the Fall

So the Arcs, and Saphron by extension, already know about Yang and Ruby. Also just because Jaune wanted to tell them about his friends

Jaune totally tells Yang about his sisters. After all, as far as he’s concerned, they’re HER sisters, too. Yang doesn’t want to impose, but Saphron welcomes her with a big Arc hug like she’s known Yang her whole life

The whole Adrien thing probably goes about the same, aside from Jaune maybe showing her pics of his nephew back at Beacon. But pictures don’t compare to the adorable mess of the real thing

I don’t think Yang would ask Saphron for dating advice. After all, she’s still figuring out this whole liking girls thing, and at the time when they’re staying at the house the whole “we’re protecting each other” scene hasn’t happened yet

So sadly I don’t think it would come up

[bluecheeseinmyoffwhites]

Very late, but, https://www.tumblr.com/blue-cheeseinmyoffwhites/756639587329277952/rwby-asks-are-open-im-bored?source=share

Who's you're favorite character?

Quick shoutout to the lovely @tumblingxelian for their amazing RWBY content check them out on YT

Let’s do Top 5

Mercury Black

This is solely because of his fighting style. If I could fuck up some stuff with my legs I’d probably be a dick about it too. I started RWBY during V2 & he was one of the first faces I met. I remember LOVING his design & liking his cool laid-back attitude. He started gaining my attention in Volume 3 after his fight with Coco & Yatsu, then won me over after his fight with Yang. I remember being baffled after his prosthetic reveal, & after learning about his allusion it all came together. For the longest time I was trying to decode his semblance (I thought it was something to do with wind manipulation) then V6 came around & shut all that down. I understand he hasn’t been very popular as of late, but I think he has so much potential & they just need to give him more screentime in V10+

Sun Wukong

I appreciate an unconditionally positive character. Sun & Mercury have always just been so cool to me. His design is great too, I like his monkey traits & how he shows his abs. His weapon is genuinely top 5 in the series, & his semblance matches his bright personality. One of my favorite fight scenes is Blake & Sun vs Sea Feilong & his contribution played a big part of that. I did like his appearance in V4-V5 & I was excited to see his gun-chucks return against Ilia. I think he is a great foil to Blake & serves her character arc really well.

Cinder Fall

Sorry but Cinder Fall is just that bitch. I hate everything she does & that’s why I love her. She knows what she wants & can easily get people on her side to do her bidding. She actually pushes the narrative & I consider her to be the main antagonist. The animators take real care when it comes to her battles. She has not missed a SINGLE fight she has been in. Seriously every one has been a hit: Glynda, Amber, Ozpin, Pyrrha, Raven, Neo, Winter, Penny, etc etc. Anytime there is a fight involving Cinder it’s going to be rememberable in some way, especially the Raven vs Cinder fight. I vividly remember my mind going numb watching it for the first time. I do feel they made her a little OP but it’s whatever. I really like her character arc & how she’s slowly turning into a Grimm. I loved her backstory, a lot of people didn’t because it’s just “Cinderella but dark” but like…..that’s kinda the entire point of this series, dark retellings of fairytales. She’s a great foil to Ruby & actually learns from her to gain victory in V8. I just want them to have a proper fight.

Qrow Branwen

Qrow Qrow Qrow. I love their man & want to give him hugs. If there’s one thing RWBY does amazingly, it is setup & payoff. I love his they slowly teased him in V1-V2 as a badass & then finally let us visualize it in V3. He doesn’t take crap from anyone & says what’s on his mind. Love Love LOVE his relationship with Ruby (forever holding onto my cracktheory that he’s her real dad). He acts as her mentor & influenced her fighting style. I like how he became the leader of the team for some time & how his laid-back attitude conflicts with him suddenly having to take care of 8 kids. But he does it anyway. His fight scenes are also amazing. He always looks so confident. His first appearance in V3 he had that super dynamic fight against Winter. In V4 he fought Tyrian & showed Team RNJR (& us) the difference between students & Huntsmen. V7 is where he really shined for me. He finally had a relationship that wasn’t affected by his semblance & can just chill for a while. I very much enjoyed his relationship with Clover & was heartbroken by what happened after. But those last 2 fights with them were pretty great. I hope his semblance evolves into Good Luck as well.

Yang Xiao Long

I like all members of Team RWBY but Yang stands out for obvious reasons. She had the best Trailer for one. Also her fighting style is the most different from her teammates. They’re all swing-swing-slash & she’s all punch-punch-kick. Like Cinder, Yang gets the best treatment when it comes to fight scenes. She’s been marketed as the strongest member & it shows over & over again. Her semblance is super cool & makes her look like a Goddess. I like how her character arc revolves around her fighting style & we can actually see her improvement throughout the volumes. I like how she is the most vocal about the whole trust situation in V5-V8. She lost her arm for this war, she of all people deserves some answers. I really adore her relationship with Blake & I think their story is perfect. She’s the heart of the team & it’s most present in V5 when she is the one reuniting the team.

[steeloptic]

i have an art request. draw any of your favorite characters from any of your favorite medias and explain why you like them. :)

hehehe. explanations under the cut for anyone seeing this who only cares abt the art

@ubersaw asked me to tag her hi jpeg

cole brew (rhythm doctor) - he's literally me irl if i was a musician instead of an artist

wx-78 (dont starve) - human who didnt like being human and wanted to put their consciousness into a robot body... they just like me for real. bonus point for being enby

pyro (tf2) - just full of such whimsy and mystery!

paintbrush (inanimate insanity) - the reason i figured out i was non-binary. im pretty sure they didnt become a favourite until after that, but they were the first enby character i ever heard about so i latched onto them very quickly :)

petra (minecraft story mode) - my first girl crush except i never realised until a few years ago because i didnt know i was queer when mcsm first came out. she is saur cool

v2 (ultrakill) - the dream's end come true fancomic really made me think about just how tragic her story is. bested by the first version of itself, who was presumed to be worse than it as its predecessor, only to be the end of her life... i try not to think about it for too long. bonus points because robot who is genderless (are you starting to notice the pattern yet)

frye (splatoon 3) - once again just full of whimsy :) i love her dynamics with all the other idols, especially with her own group

[gh0stface-k1sser]

Lynn’s Transcript

(Ft Maria, Rae(my other family oc) and @/g0ttal0ve101’s oc, Les, will eventually add on @/lelandmylove’s oc Jolene too :3 ‘n the family’s responses)

(Ability- Sweet Nothings:

Match Start

-“Huh…seems like we got company.”

-“Lets get this over with.."

-"Guess I'll have to trick 'em again.."

Feeding Grandpa

-“‘s good, ain’t it?

-“This’d already be over with if you was up ‘nd able…”

-“‘m gettin’ hungry myself..,”

-“Don’t worry, we’re gettin’ it under control, grandpa!”

Victim Found (in hiding spot)

-“Whatcha doin’ in there, doll?"

-"Get outta there, that's my hidin' spot!"

-"Found ya!~" (laughs)

-"Alright, hun, no more hidin'."

-"Awh, guess our game of cat 'nd mouse is over then, sweet face."

Victim Hit

-"Awhhh, that hurt hun?"

-"You ain't getting very far like that...you should just give up now."

-"Quit runnin' 'nd I'll take it easy on ya... just kiddin'" (laughs)

-“

Victim Seen

-“Where ya goin’, doll?”

-“There you are…”

-“Quit runnin’ little bunny..”

-“I won’t hurt ya..not too bad at least” (laughter)

Victim seen v2/Ability used

-“Help..! (Sob) Please…”

-“I…don’t know who you are…but we should stick together, I think I know a way out.”

-“Hey! Over here! I found a way out…”

-“(sob) help me..please…”

-“You look like shit..”

Blood trail

-“Ooh…you left a trail, sweet face.”

-“(giggle) Someone ain’t doin’ too good..”

-“Yer losin’ an awful lotta blood.”

-“Yer bloods supposed to be in yer body, y’know~“

Idle

-“I didn’t wanna kill her…I really didn’t..I wish I coulda just kept her in my room..”

-“Hopefully mama’s proud of me after this…I really hope so…I don’t think she likes me too much…well..I mean, I know she does..just not as much as Johnny..”

-“Maybe I can keep one of them tied up in my room…I’ll have to keep her quiet though…”

-“(huff) what the hells this draggin’ out for?”

-“I wonder if he still wants me dead sometimes…nah…probably not.”

Victim seen escaping

-“Shit, shit, shit!” -“Oh no…mama’s gonna be pissed…”

-“Goddamnit…maybe Nubbins’ll catch ‘em down the road…”

-“You slippery sumbitch!” -“Hey! Our game of cat ‘nd mouse wasn’t over yet..”

Ability Denied

-“Nah…they won’t fall for it.” -“Not yet..”

-“They’ve already seen me…”

-“Ain’t none of ‘em nearby.”

Close encounter

-“I might be small, but I’ll still slit yer throat!” -“This’d be a lot easier if you’d just sit still”

-“You ain’t gonna win, hun.”

Execution

-“Told ya, you weren’t gonna last much longer”

-“Hm~ looks like our game of cat ‘nd mouse is over.”

-“Don’t worry, you’ll be joinin’ yer friend.”

(female victim only) -“‘s a shame..I coulda kept you tied up in my room..oh well~!”

Maria seen

-“Oh shit…that’s that damn girl!” -“She’s still alive?!” -(sigh)”Damnit Johnny..”

-“He must’ve really liked her…”

-“What the hell…whatever, I’ll catch that bitch myself.”

Drayton/The Cook seen

-“Quit yellin’ at me..christ..”

-“‘m sure Johnny didn’t mean to make this damn mess..”

-“what’s for dinner tonight?” -“Goddamnit old man, stop fuckin’ yellin’ at me. I’m workin’ on it!”

Nubbins/Hitchhiker Seen

-“..watch where yer pointin’ that knife, yeah?”

-“d’ya wanna see some bugs I found after we clean this mess up?” -“you should show me how to make some of them traps sometime..”

-“Grandpa’ll be real proud of us!”

Johnny seen

-“Don’t worry ‘bout it too much…’m sure it’ll be long forgotten as soon as this is over.” -“Y’think Nancy’ll be proud of me after this..?” -“I’m tryin’ to find her, Damnit!” -“Why do you fool around with them girls anyway? It makes Rae real jealous…”

Sissy seen

-“Don’t worry, I ain’t stepping’ in yer flowers..”

-“Where’d you learn to make that poison anyhow? It’s real helpful..”

-“Good thing it’s wildflower season, huh? Maybe after this I can help ya gather some more.”

-“That poison stuff smells real good but it stings like a bitch..”

Nancy Seen

-“I’ll find em, don’t worry!” -“Y’think I should try to trick em?” -“Any luck..? …we’ll get ‘em”

-“I know a real good spot to put one of them traps!”

Bubba Seen

-“How the hell don’t you get tired swingin’ that thing around? My arms hurt just carryin’ it..”

-“Yer doin’ a real good job! Get those sumbitches!” -“Yer real good with that saw…”

-“Don’t listen to ‘em yellin’ at you, they just wanna get this shit over with..”

Hands Seen

-“I barely know you, ‘nd I already know yer nothin’ but trouble. Stay the hell outta my way.” -“You may be big, but height ain’t gonna save ya if you keep showin’ up for no good damn reason!” -“I dunno why the hell Johnny likes you so much…’s beyond me.” -“Just…get outta my way ‘nd set some of those freaky ass traps..”

-“You taught Johnny? Hah! Bullshit.”

Les seen

-“Bullet’s real good at finding’ em..”

-“You should have Bullet flush ‘em out, ‘nd then we can catch em!”

-“‘ya wanna go swimmin’ out back later? ‘S hotter than hell out here..”

-“Yer gettin’ really good at this!”

Rae Seen

-“‘m sure Johnny didn’t really like that girl…”

-“If I find her, I’ll drag her to ya so you can make sure she’s dead, yeah?”

-“Yer real good with that axe!”

-“you ain’t the only one that ain’t actually apart of this family..so…I get it. I dunno what Drayton’s got against you though..”

[bestworstcase]

Okay so a lil bit back you made a post going into RWBY's chess symbolism with a particular chess strategy in mind (iirc at least, I know very little about chess) and found primarily that in this context the Black Queen is neither Salem (the player) nor Cinder but Watts and Cinder is the much-more-important-in-this-strategy Black Bishop and I just realized. Teams JNPR and RWBY have their own assigned chess pieces, right? The White Rook and White Knight respectively I think? Is there anything there or does the metaphor not run quite that deep?

the dragon variation!

conceptually the beacon initiation is interesting because we’ve got teams of four assembled from pairs which each choose a single “relic.” it’s not quite as pointed as the vytal tournament (notionally a celebration of teamwork but at every stage the teams are fragmented until a single combatant is sent into the final bracket) but i think it is thematically salient that the initiation is set up this way. and i lead with that because:

blake beelines to the black king and stands in front of it until yang grabs the white knight; if yang had been indecisive, or asked blake which one she wanted, it’s pretty clear that this is the piece blake would have chosen.

similarly, nora and jaune choose the white rooks, and ruby takes the other white knight:

implicitly, this leaves ren, weiss, and pyrrha as either of the white bishops, the white queen, or the white king. i would argue that ren and weiss are bishops, the fall maiden (both amber + pyrrha together) is the white king, and ironwood is of course the white queen.

as a point of interest, none of white’s main lines against the dragon variation rely heavily on the knights or the rooks; the common tactics are a kingside pawn storm or attempt to force an exchange of bishops by putting a bishop on h6, defended by the queen. so the beacon initiation foreshadows ozpin’s defeat quite heavily. his tactics are all wrong. (likewise, cardin winchester is a black bishop to foreshadow cinder’s role in this game.)

but the more intriguing piece is that blake is linked so overtly to the black king. of course, in V2 ozpin suspects her of being salem’s spy and makes insinuations and thinly-veiled threats along those lines when he questions her after the incident at the docks, so her transient association with a black piece here does neatly foreshadow her perceived, but not real, affiliation with salem. but why the king, specifically?

the king is invaluable. it’s the piece you must safeguard at any cost, the one piece you cannot sacrifice. in the symbolic vocabulary of this story, the king piece is what each side is fighting for; ozma’s white king is always a vault, both the relic and the maiden needed to acquire it. but what is salem’s?

what does blake represent? what does she stand for? what brought her to beacon? “there’s too much wrong in the world to stand by and do nothing! corruption, inequality—someone has to stop it.”

“so you may prepare your guardians, build your monuments to a so-called ‘free’ world, but take heed: there will be no victory in strength.” <- this is followed by a narrative drumbeat of salem’s pieces and pawns explicitly condemning systemic corruption and unfairness upheld by the huntsman academies and atlas military. salem herself names love and justice as qualities that “drive us,” along with reverence.

“build your monuments to a so-called free world” -> “look how you’ve diminished; how you’ve lessened yourself, and for what? these children? this ruined world?” -> “in pursuit of a new world” she’s not talking about the planet!

the black king is freedom. it’s the desperate longing to be free and not knowing how to make that happen but needing to try something because doing nothing is intolerable, and therefore impossible. blake is associated with the black king because she represents what salem is fighting for, and she turns away from it to accept the white knight instead because she’s hoping for a peaceful way forward whereas salem’s hope is anger.

and i think this is why ‘this time’ is… the way it is. notionally the song is about ghira and blake rallying the faunus to save haven academy, but, um…

This warning is dire my words you must hear A kingdom in shambles our downfall is near Yet I still believe that the peace We'll achieve's growing closer But first blood must spill like the wine at a feast The calm only comes once the carnage has ceased Fight or die There'll be no release

…this is really violent imagery to put in the mouths of pacifists. yes, both ghira and blake are willing to fight to defend themselves and others if cornered, but ‘this time’ is explicitly a violent call to action. blood must spill like wine before peace can be achieved! the calm only comes after the carnage is done! like this sort of thing is what you might expect sienna khan to say to rally her people, not the belladonnas.

which on one level serves to underscore the point that the belladonnas are on sienna’s side, but also:

Out of the ashes, a new flame ignite Rise up from shadows and into the light

it’s phoenix imagery. and where have we heard that before?

The light of hope is taken And discontent is the contagion The blinding eyes That burn a yellow flame The embers that remain Will light the fuse of condemnation  Kingdoms in tatters Hung on the brink of a war The peace will succumb to flames

hm.

One spark can incite their hope And ignite the hearts of their weary souls I will extinguish that flame

hmm.

“but even the smallest spark of hope is enough to ignite change […] nature’s wrath in hand, man lit their way through the darkness, and in the shadow’s absence came light, civilization, and most importantly, life.”

HMMM.

kingdoms in tatters / a kingdom in shambles. the parallel imagery is not especially subtle. ‘this time’ is akin to ‘for every life’ in that the characters it’s notionally about are reflections of salem.

(‘for every life’ could be a post on its own but: “you are all that remains of humanity” -> “all that remains/the end of the tale/is worse than we feared/all that remains/collapsed in the void/drowning in tears” and “the moon will sadly watch the roses die” -> “some roses will never bloom/some dreams will rot on the vine” and of course “there will be no victory in strength” -> “strength’s not victory” it’s a salem song!!)