#she's going through it but she pleads self defense on the principle of being a lil silly

[d4rk-x-w0lf-17]

man @itsalice3940 now you got me stuck on the au too /aff

anyway here's a continuation of their meeting after firey signs the contract

[rosethornewrites]

Fic: the thread may stretch or tangle but it will never break

Relationship: Lán Zhàn | Lán Wàngjī & Wèi Yīng | Wèi Wúxiàn

Characters: Lán Zhàn | Lán Wàngjī, Wèi Yīng | Wèi Wúxiàn, Wēn Qíng, Wēn Níng | Wēn Qiónglín

Additional Tags: Pre-Slash, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Secrets, Crying, Masks, Soulmates, Truth

Summary: Following the return of Wen Ning's spiritual cognition, Wei WuXian doesn't pull away quickly enough to avoid Lan WangJi discovering his secret.

Notes: This isn’t connected to try to praise the mutilated world. I’m also not sure whether it’ll just be a one-shot or if it’ll insist on being more. This is more compliant with The Untamed series as opposed to the novel. The title is from a Chinese proverb.

AO3 link

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Wei Ying pulls away from him, but too late.

Lan WangJi had caught his wrist with the intent of giving him spiritual energy to help heal from the injury caused by Wen QiongLin’s unconscious fury.

He disregards Wei Ying’s protestations about not needing spiritual energy for such a small thing and turns toward him, feeling a growing sort of horror. He knows what he felt.

“Wei Ying.”

Lan WangJi lets his voice carry enough insistence that Wei Ying goes silent mid-sentence.

“What has happened to your golden core?”

He doesn’t expect the raw fear and grief and exhaustion in Wei Ying’s eyes, the way he stumbles back a few steps as though struck. His mouth opens, then shuts again, and he turns away.

Lan WangJi hears a sigh behind him, and turns to find Wen Qing, accompanied by Wen QiongLin. She advances and places a hand on Wei Ying’s arm.

“Wei WuXian, that no one realized before now is a miracle,” she tells him.

Which lets him know that somehow Wen Qing knew. He remembers, when Wei Ying interrupted the banquet at Koi Tower, his assertion that Wen Qing and Wen QiongLin helped him during the war, his absolute insistence that he owed them his protection… 

Wen Qing presses a finger to a meridian on Wei Ying’s back, and he coughs up bad blood from his injury, staggering.

Shockingly, she then turns to Lan WangJi and bows respectfully. “Hangaung-Jun, we have no tea to offer, only water. We will leave you to your conversation.”

Wen QiongLin sets down a tray with a teapot and two cups, and Wen Qing grabs him by the sleeve to yank him from the room.

This leaves them alone, Wei Ying still hunched from his position coughing up blood, as though frozen, his eyes distant. He looks vulnerable, more so than Lan WangJi has ever seen.

Lan WangJi had always had difficulty with words. He knows he has driven Wei Ying away through his words before, and does not want to do so again. So instead of speaking, he reaches out slowly, as though to one of his rabbits so as not to startle, and gently grasps Wei Ying’s elbow, leading him to a seat. He pours water into one of the small cups, presses it into Wei Ying’s hand when he doesn’t take it.

This is what finally snaps Wei Ying from his fugue, his eyes finally losing their distance as he eyes the cup, then looks up. He seems to be searching Lan WangJi’s face for something, wariness painted in his expression.

He stays still, letting him search; perhaps he will find what his words have failed to convey. Nearly a minute passes before Wei Ying looks away, curling in on himself just slightly. Lan WangJi sits across from him, pours his own cup of water as though it is tea.

Wei Ying’s entire posture is defensive, as though he expects to be attacked, and he can only feel regret that he has led him to believe he ever would. 

“Wei Ying, when did you lose your golden core?” he finally asks.

“I didn’t lose it,” Wei Ying mutters, almost petulant. “I know exactly where it is.”

It’s so cryptic, Lan WangJi can only stare at him, reminded of just a few hours ago when Wei Ying claimed to have given birth to Wen Yuan with such a deadpan expression and tone he had for a moment doubted reality. 

“Ah, your face.” A ghost of a smile flits over Wei Ying’s face, fleeting, but his tone is just tired.

“Wei Ying.”

Wei Ying seems to deflate, and sets down his untouched cup, running a finger around the rim. “I gave it to Jiang Cheng. He doesn’t know. Wen Zhuliu.”

Lan WangJi’s mind reels at the idea. Giving up one’s golden core—that it’s even possible. But he has no doubt that Wei Ying speaks the truth; he has always given so much of himself. The evidence of how much he would give, his lack of self-preservation, is both awe-inspiring and terrifying. 

“When? How?”

“After Lotus Pier…” he trails off as though finishing is too hard. “Wen Ning helped me get him back. Even managed to get Uncle Jiang and Madam Yu, their bodies, away so they could be put to rest.”

Wei Ying’s voice has grown detached and clinical, as though he’s emotionally disconnected himself from what occurred. 

“He took us to the Yiling Supervisory Office and hid us. Wen Qing let him. And when I found out she’d written a paper theorizing the possibility of core transfer, I insisted. Told Jiang Cheng I was taking him to BaoShan SanRen. He thinks it’s his own, restored. I won’t tell him otherwise.”

The last sentence is spoken more forcefully, as though he fears Lan WangJi will interfere with his wishes. But what Wei Ying decides to tell Jiang WanYin is not his business, though perhaps the latter would behave in a manner more befitting as a brother if he knew what Wei Ying had sacrificed on his behalf.

He falls silent for a while, and Lan WangJi waits, asking nothing, trusting Wei Ying will decide what he wishes to share. 

“Then Wen Chao caught me and threw me here.”

His throat tightens as he realizes just how helpless Wei Ying had been against Wen Chao, against the resentful energy of this place, how terrified and alone he must have been...

“I did what I had to, to survive.” 

It comes out a harsh whisper, and Lan WangJi realizes Wei Ying is shaking, sees the dark circles under his eyes that he suddenly realizes have been ever-present since the Sunshot Campaign, since he returned from being missing and presumed dead for three months.

Wei Ying smiles suddenly, but it’s a broken, self-loathing one. “And so I walk the crooked path. It’s the only path I can walk, to protect the weak and seek justice. Regardless of the weapon I was in wartime, I am reviled for it. Even you—”

“I do not revile Wei Ying,” he interrupts, ignoring the Lan rule against it, frustrated that Wei Ying has referred to himself as little more than a weapon, an object of power—further because that is exactly how he has been treated. “I have never reviled Wei Ying.”

“You wanted me to submit to punishment at the hands of your sect,” Wei Ying hisses.

Lan WangJi feels as though he has been slapped. Was that how Wei Ying had interpreted his request to come to Gusu? 

“No,” he whispers. “For protection. For healing. Never for punishment. Never.”

For a moment, Wei Ying looks flummoxed, more vulnerable than Lan WangJi has ever seen him. Then he hides it under derision.

“‘Reject the crooked path,’” Wei Ying recites. “‘Do not associate with evil.’ I copied the Lan principles enough to memorize them, you know. I recited them at Indoctrination, even, at least until Wen Chao interrupted me. So rude. Sometimes I wonder if I let him off too easy...”

Abruptly, Lan WangJi realizes he’s being pushed away, that this is how Wei Ying seeks to protect himself. But this time, he’s not willing to go.

“Wei Ying is not evil.”

The broken smile appears again. “Oh, didn’t you hear? I dig up graveyards and steal naughty children away in the night. Who knows, maybe I even sacrifice virgins. Honestly, I can’t be expected to remember these things; you know my memory.”

He’s heard those terrible rumors, most recently at a tea house in Yiling earlier today. He doesn’t wish to hear them again, particularly not from him as though he believes them. He knows Wei Ying is trying to derail away from the topic of his golden core, from anything serious, hiding behind flippancy, trying to draw him into a semantic argument.

“Wei Ying,” he pleads. 

Wei Ying’s face goes carefully blank. “Lan Zhan, I have no other path to walk. There is no righteous path for me, only the crooked one.”

“You do not walk it by choice.”

He laughs shortly, without humor. “Does that even matter?”

“Yes,” he answers without hesitation. 

Wei Ying looks away at that, and Lan WangJi can see the way the muscles in his throat work, as though he’s fighting tears. There’s a long stretch of silence.

“Lan Zhan,” Wei Ying finally says, very softly, his voice tight, almost regretful. “I can’t go to Gusu with you, Lan Zhan.”

Lan WangJi comes to a decision so quickly it almost leaves him reeling. ‘Do not act impulsively’ be damned; he’s caused enough pain to Wei Ying. It is easy to disregard that rule now. 

“Then I will stay here.”

The myriad of emotion that passed across Wei Ying’s face is astonishing and quick like his mind—alarm, fear, confusion, but more importantly a heartbreak mix of longing and vulnerable hope. 

Then it’s gone, replaced with a resolute set in his jaw, and Wei Ying stands. “No.”

Lan WangJi calmly finishes his cup of water and pours himself another before repeating. “I will stay here and help Wei Ying.”

“You can’t! You can’t stay. You have responsibilities—“

“Brother will understand.”

Wei Ying starts pacing, agitated. “No. Throwing in with the Yiling Patriarch will ruin your reputation.”

“I do not care about reputation.” He keeps his voice placid.

Wei Ying makes a frustrated sound and stops pacing in favor of glaring at him. “Why? Why would you throw it away?”

Lan WangJi stands, leaving Bichen leaning against the rickety table. In many cases this would be seen as disrespect of one’s cultivation levels, implying one sees them as no threat, but he means it as a sign of trust; he hopes Wei Ying understands that. He moves until he is within arm length. It takes him a moment to find the words. 

“Bi sheng zhi ji.” He frowns when Wei Ying flinches. “You once called me this. I should have come with you at Qiongpi Path. I failed you, then.”

“You didn’t,” Wei Ying insists. “I didn’t ask you to come, or expect you to. I knew how I’d be seen, how they’d talk. You deserve better.”

Lan WangJi remembers; Wei Ying had expected him to stop him, to fight against him; had asked that when it came to the fight he believed and probably still believes is inevitable, that Lan WangJi be the one to kill him. The memory still hurts. 

“As does Wei Ying,” he finally says, pushing the memory away. It won’t come to that; he won’t let it. 

He suddenly realizes that Wei Ying is shaking slightly, his posture deflated as though he knows he has lost the argument. His eyes are wet, his throat moving soundlessly again. 

“I can’t… I’ve already damned myself, Lan Zhan. I can’t damn you too.” Wei Ying grabs his arm. “Don’t you get it? I’ll just drag you down, too!”

For a moment, he’s speechless. This isn’t unusual, but rarely is it due to this much emotion. That Wei Ying thinks so poorly of himself shakes Lan WangJi to his core, and he can only wonder how long he has felt this way. 

But Wei Ying has never defended himself against jibes and insults, only ever stepping in to defend those he cares for—and sometimes even complete strangers. Does he truly believe he deserves to be treated poorly, to be reviled and left without protection or aid?

“No,” he says finally, when he finds the words. “Wei Ying could only ever lift me up.”

Lan WangJi isn’t prepared for Wei Ying’s tears; he’s brought back to Cloud Recesses, his concern that he was crying when he was really goofing off. He’s never seen him actually cry. 

He feels frozen, uncertain what to do, but when Wei Ying sways and his knees seem to buckle, he surges forward to draw him close, to ease him down to prevent injury.

Unlike everything else Wei Ying does, he cries silently, like he’s used to doing so alone and without burdening others, his face bowed against Lan WangJi’s chest, his breaths coming in short gasps, his shoulders shaking as they once had at Cloud Recesses—though not then from crying.

As the minutes pass, Lan WangJi wonders how much Wei Ying has kept hidden away, how much grief he has tamped down within himself and hidden under smiles and false cheer, whether his constant chatter is perhaps just a distraction from his pain.

Wei Ying eventually stills, his breathing deepening with only small hitches, and Lan WangJi realizes he’s fallen asleep—whether from the release of emotion, overall exhaustion, or a combination. For a moment, he’s at a loss on what to do, but during what he had dubbed ‘the grand tour,’ Wei Ying had shown him where he worked and slept in the cave.

What surprises Lan WangJi further is the ease he has in lifting him, even able to hook one arm at his knees; he knows he has not gained as much strength as that, leaving only the possibility that Wei Ying has lost weight—and not a little. Looking down at his face, smoothed now in sleep, he realizes just how gaunt Wei Ying looks, how haggard. How truly vulnerable.

Bi sheng zhi ji.

He will never leave Wei Ying again.

[kob131]

https://spectralscathath.tumblr.com/post/190909103203/fight-analysis-rwby-vs-ace-ops

So let’s start with the set up for the fight, specifically, these quotes from Marrow and Harriet.

Marrow: We’re not actually going to slug this out, are we?

Harriet: We’re not doing anything. They decide what happens next.

This puts a heavy emphasis on the fact that team RWBY starts this fight. They are the aggressors in this situation, which then makes it both incredibly cowardly and utterly manipulative when, seconds into the Harriet vs Ruby fight,

Hold it hold it hold it.

How come you don’t mention the music in the background or the alternative to Team RWBY here? The foreboding music indicating a fight is inevitable and the alternative is Team RWBY being arrested while leaving people to do, something fundamentally against their morals?

That line is more of a confrontation Team RWBY will be offensive instead of being ‘the aggressors’ (AKA negative connotation).

... This is gonna be intensely biased in the Ace Ops favor isn’t it?

Ruby: Come on, Harriet! We’re playing right into Salem’s hands! You know we need to be working together!

A quick aside, Ruby’s voice is pitched up with this line, compared to her earlier bragging that the Ace Ops aren’t the best anymore. Her cocky smirk is replaced by a wide-eyed, fearful look, and I’d like to point out that this only happened after Harriet landed the first blow of the fight, kicking Ruby into the elevator doors. This is entirely faked, purely because Ruby’s suddenly realised that Harriet poses a threat and is trying to put on her cute ‘I’m just an innocent kid don’t hurt me’ act, while also trying to heap all the blame of this fight onto Harriet.

Her tone was also pitched up when she was talking into her school. That’s the result of raising her voice. To say nothing of how her look is PLEADING in nature, not FEARFUL.

Harriet doesn’t take any of this crap, thank the good lord, and decides to put her focus on pummelling the ever-loving aura out of Ruby.

... I really should just ignore you huh?

And boy, does she manage it. I went through and counted every single blow landed in each fight, so let’s start the blow-by-blow, literally. I’ll focus on each specific match-up one at a time, to properly break it down.

Yeah huh, sure. And Tyrian would be unbiased moderator in a debate between Ozpin and Salem right?

I’ll just keep the Ace Ops fight open in another tab so I can peer into reality.

Also, just so we’re all on the same page, I am a trained martial artist, having studied Karate (specifically Zen Do Kai), and boxing. Let’s keep this in mind as we analyse this fight.

Also keep the rest of what they’ve said in mind as well, as in ‘I have already shown an intense bias for the Ace Ops’ so you really shouldn’t be listen to.

Hits Taken Harriet: 2 Ruby: 7-8

Wanna know what isn’t counted? The amount of time or the number of times Harriet and Ruby used their semblances. Wanna know long/many times Ruby used her semblance? Five times. Two times for extended distances, once for a quick defensive deflect and two for split second dodges and maneuvers. The longest being 7 seconds. 

Harriet? Fuck, I don’t even know how to measure her because EVERY MOVE SHE MAKES is using her Semblance. She uses it CONSTANTLY. So naturally, her aura would drain faster.

Does the OP consider this?

Now, if we take into account aura levels, we are aware that Harriet’s are noticeably lowered, as seen from her fight with the Megoliath. She and Ruby are both using their semblances a lot, hard to say who’s using theirs more. Possibly Harriet, but Ruby isn’t far behind.

Fuck no, they keep it VAGUE so you don’t see how much Harriet uses her Semblance. 

I shouldn’t even consider the rest of this post considering how FLAGRENT this shit is, but we’ll move on.

Hit 2: Harriet kicks Ruby in the chest with both feet.  (Some of these screenshots are hilarious but I’m doing it as categorical proof of the hits)

Yeah, see how Harriet’s feet are ON Crescent Rose?

That’s a block. So -1 hit.

Hit 3: The next one is a little hard to count, as it’s the shot where Harriet blitzes by Ruby. The first hit is hard to tell if it connects or not, while the second hit most definitely does, meanwhile Ruby blocks the third strike. The first of these is the only hit that is ambiguous.

Yeah, it looks that way in screenshots...in animation Ruby doesn’t react correctly, meaning she wasn’t hit AT ALL. So -1 as well here too.

Hit 5: Harriet restrains Ruby’s hands behind her back, enough to cause Ruby pain. However, that is an unfortunate side-effect of having arms pinned in that manner, so I’m not going to call it excessive. After all,

Harriet: It’s not excessive if it’s necessary.

Quick fuck you: This can be said of Team RWBY fighting the Ace Ops, necessary to defeat them and try and save as much as Mantle as possible.

It’d be reductionist but that’s OP’s speciality at this point.

Hit 6: Ruby escapes Harriet’s pin, ties the bolas around Harriet, before yanking Harriet backwards into Ruby’s uppercut to the spine, which appears to go near the area of Harriet’s nape and the back of her head. (I’ll come back to this)

Yeah, that’s a pretty serious hit. Most people would suffer serious pain from that. OP even tries pointing this out as a failing of RUBY.

Yeah. That one. I study in Australia, which, had a certain event happen that leads me to be somewhat biased against punches specifically to the nape/back of head, you know, that place where your spine meets your skull? From Wikipedia, just for a basic rundown: ‘During 2013 and 2014, significant media attention was paid to two violent killings involving one-hit punches in Australia. Noting that 91 people had died in Australia in the previous fourteen years from brain trauma as a result of being so hit, a media campaign was launched to refer to them as coward punches.’

91 people. Yep.

So, if I sound like I disrespect Ruby for the single hit she landed, while Harriet seems to get a pass for punching Ruby in the back and the throw to the ground, I would like to point out first of all, Harriet only started going for attacks to the head and neck area after she had been restrained, in which case she is trying to put Ruby down hard and fast. Secondly, Ruby not only pulled Harriet backwards into the uppercut, she’s fucking grinning.

How triumphant. None of the Ace Ops show this level of glee at landing hits, I’m just saying. Also, calling back to Harriet’s line about it not being excessive if it’s necessary, Harriet was at that point restrained, only showing she is capable of fighting despite that after being punched. While hitting Harriet may not have been excessive, you would also think that perhaps a leg sweep, or a kick to the back of the knee, would be enough to stop her, instead of a King Hit, specifically one that Harriet could not have even tried to block due to how her arms are tied.

Rant about my own personal biases towards coward punches is over let’s continue the actual analysis now that I’ve copped to it

P.S. No admission of your self evident bias for the Ace Ops? yeah, not gonna buy this.

Hit 7: Harriet headbutts Ruby in the face. This one doesn’t have an impact SFX like a lot of hits do, but the way Ruby reels back makes it clear Harriet connected the blow

Notice how OP doesn’t have an image here?

Yeah, -1 again.

Hit 9: Harriet runs into Weiss’s ice wall, her aura is shattered, and she is knocked unconscious.

What isn’t shown: Harriet running head first USING HER SEMBLANCE (which makes her faster than Ruby in close quarters) into a thick ice wall.

For demonstration: run as fast you can, leaning into it, at a wall of ice. Actually don’t because people have DIED from that too. And we don’t have super quick powers in INCREASE the damage.

But how, the pray tell fuck, does Ruby apparently have enough aura to tank at least 7 hits, most of which are kicks, from a combat-trained runner, and come out smiling? Tyrian gave her a few scratches and one kick to the stomach and that had her aura flickering. Now, yes, Tyrian is on a level all his own that only Qrow and maybe Clover can match, but also; are you fucking kidding me?

Difference: Ruby used her semblance a fuckton, Tyrian is probably stronger than Harriet considering he was equal to QROW and could block bullets with his tail FROM SOUND ALONE. 

Ruby barely used her semblance in comparison to Harriet spamming the thing while the OP says she had LESS Aura.

All while taking FOUR hits, maybe 5 since OP manipulated shit.

Suddenly doesn’t seem so implausible huh?

Ruby’s a speed fighter/sniper, a DPS main, and I’m supposed to believe she’s all of a sudden more of a tank then Yang?

Because fictional characters in a world without definitive roles unlike an RPG fit neatly into all roles and not like certain circumstances gave Ruby more durability that you CONVIENENTLY ignored.

So… yeah. Take that bit as you will.

Take it as an indication you’re biased as fuck? Okay.

Anyway. Shall we move onto the next round?

You’ve sunk your creditability with that last fight and I REALLY shouldn’t listen anymore out of sheer offense at the lack of principles here, but fine,

Blake and Yang vs Elm and Vine

Hits Taken Blake: 4 Yang: 4 Vine: 3 Elm: 4

Ah huh, what is said about Semblances?

Okay, so. Elm and Vine use their semblances liberally enough, while Blake and Yang barely use their semblances outside of finishing moves. I’ll grant them all that.

...After all that with Harriet and Ruby, you don’t even BOTHER discussing the use of semblances?....

You know, they don’t even really ANALYZE the fight. Wanna know what they say beyond stating hits (NOT a good indicator of whose winning)?

And aside from the suicide bomber attack, this fight is solid enough, animation-wise at least. Elm proves herself to be an absolute goddamn beast of a woman whom I love, but… it’s a little sad that the only hits Blake makes are team attacks. Once again, even worse then it was with Bees v Adam, Yang carries the fight while Blake is near-useless, aside from a few token team attacks.

I do wish Elm was more of a tank, though. It’s what she deserves.

Honestly, this feels so INSULTING. What, you didn’t have problems so you skipped the fight effectively? Analysis doesn’t mean ‘bitching about what I don’t like’, I learned NOTHING from this. 

All I can say is-

It’s not even necessary? Anyone remember this handy lil trick Blake has?

Look at that! It’s an exploding clone that doesn’t rely on someone else to pull the pin on the bomb!

What the actual fuck was the point of this move, other then to make me worry about Blake’s mental health? Who approved this? Who said ‘what’s the ultimate show of trust? Having the former member of a terrorist group put bombs on herself that someone else detonates! Brilliant!’

This is utterly bizarre.

Just sayin’.

Blake’s clones are BLATANT when infused with Dust. Vine wouldn’t have fallen for it.

Weiss vs Marrow

Hm. Hmmm. Well. Weiss got her first solo fight win. Unfortunately,

Harriet: Marrow! Cut the crap, will you?

Marrow: I’m trying to arrest her, not kill her, Hare!

Her opponent was holding back. Looks like Weiss’s special power is still ‘losing every fight she’s in with an opponent who’s not self-sabotaging’.

Marrow: I know you Schnees are used to getting what you want. But it's time to let this one go!

Yeah, don’t buy it.

Hits taken Weiss: 0 Marrow: 1

Yep.

Weiss takes no hits, at all, while Marrow blocks and dodges every single one of Weiss’s hits aside from the last. I’m serious. So I can’t go by hits for this one, I need to go by attacks.

So you say basically nothing about the actual fight but the dodgefest you say more? Really?

Hm. Yes. Hmmm. There’s some rather, shall we say, unfortunate implications here, since this looks, to me, rather more like an execution than anything else. As pointed out to me by a friend, when I showed them these screenshots, Marrow’s posture in the last is a very submissive pose. Head down, tail drooped, arm slack, reliant on external support (his boomerang), and kneeling. Also, what is with Ruby and Weiss and going for the back of the head?

He JUST got done dealing with the Knight and had to use his Semblance to stop it. After dodging and blocking a fuckton of hits. After all of the shit with the Grimm before. For someone trying to make the Ace Ops look as innocent as possible, why would you ignore how tired he must be?

Also that isn’t an execution pose. You have to be aiming for the NECK for an execution, not the HEAD. 

There’s also the unusually heavy focus on Marrow’s tail getting burnt, and this tone-deaf line, if we’re going to point out all the ‘faunus racism’ implications that show up.

Marrow: I know you Schnees are used to getting what you want, but it’s time to let this one go.

Weiss: This is my home, and I’m not giving it up without a fight.

...

You mean like when Kefla was launching her barrage of lazers at Ultra Instinct Omen Goku and they focused on his hair just barely getting grazed? It’s to emphasize how close the attack was.

Weiss, honey, you’re from Atlas. Mantle is a separate city. Twin cities, at the most, but you’re Atlesian. Also, this came right the heck out of nowhere. Absolutely nowhere in Weiss’s arc this season were we getting anything about her giving a damn about Mantle beyond ‘I kill grimm there’.

... HER ENTIRE ARC IS ABOUT CARING ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE!

And, just because unfortunate and hopefully accidental implications are the order of the day on Weiss vs Marrow, she’s saying this to the faunus that’s managed to get racism humansplained to him by the same woman who calls him ‘Wags’ as a funny nickname.

Sorry, I don’t speak wet farts.

Seriously, how the fuck is this a racism thing when Weiss is assumed to be someone who always gets her way, even in THIS Volume.

Weiss: Don't you think "tyranny's" a little dramatic?

Forest turns around to respond and looks surprised upon realizing who had just spoken.

Forest: Easy to say for a Schnee heiress, living comfortably up in Atlas.

Weiss: (sighing sadly) Not anymore.

Marrow deserves more respect than this, guys. I don’t even want to get into how bizarre it is that the final shot of his defeat puts the focus on his shackles, putting them even more in the foreground then Marrow himself. That’s just weird.

To emphasize he has them. Dumb I know but considering this post’s bullshit, you guys kind of earned it.

To conclude:

Ruby should have gotten her aura broken three hits in, sorry not sorry. Ruby is also a cold-cocking manipulative lil brat who has lost even the dregs of my respect for her. What a shame.

Which was complete horseshit beyond even Adel Aka or Dudeblade.

Harriet and Elm’s defeats seemed to have been framed in ways that were meant to be a little humiliating, with Harriet making dumb faces as she passes out and Elm landing in an awkward position. I disapprove of this. I would prefer if they were defeated with dignity.

It’s called humor.

Blake continues to be a useless damsel in distress in Actually Important Fights, while Yang is Angry All The Time and does all the heavy lifting.

That had fuck all to do with what you said, and as if being evasive and wasting enemy resources and acting as support for one of the BIGGEST HEAVY HITTERS IN THE SERIES is bad?

Weiss v Marrow has some weird implications that make me uncomfortable.

Which says more about you than anything else.

Credit where credit’s due: the voice acting, sound design, and the fight animation was great. Do I think the Ace Ops should have won? I would have found it more interesting, to be sure. Can I live with team RWBY winning? I can, but I could have done without the smugness.

Smugness you inserted.

Is there anything I would have changed? Bees vs Elm and Vine was fine, but I’d have either made it Ruby v Marrow and Weiss v Harriet (for a speedster vs Schnee fight, and a Lil Rd vs the Wolf fight), or would have let Harriet break Ruby’s aura.

Instead of personal stakes, bland ideas! Wonderful!

Also: War should and hopefully will be an Ace Ops’ song, not a team RWBY song. If anyone got betrayed here, the Ace Ops were the ones who put their trust into four liars who hid vital information and had the gall to act offended when they got told what a dick move said information-withholding was.

*insert equally shitty take about Ace Ops with bias in favor of Team RWBY here.*

Anyway, thanks for reading, I’d love to hear other thoughts on the matter. Ta, luvs.

Which is why the reblogs do nothing but regurgitate what you said while I’m blocked.

Speaking of reblogs....

https://jadekitty777.tumblr.com/post/190942492544/fight-analysis-rwby-vs-ace-ops

A lovely read dear! I’d also like to add, just because I was curious:

During the Qrow &Tyrian Vs Clover fight, I decided to do my best to count the amount of hits Clover and Qrow took.

I’m going to start with Qrow - he took about 5. One toss and 4 punches, mostly to the face (jeez Clover, I thought you liked his pretty face lol). Keep in mind Qrow is also primarily more a close-range fighter and took front lead in the Tyrian fight in the episode prior AND just went through a plane crash. The same plane crash that knocked Robyn unconscious - despite the fact she was only back-up during the other fight  and hadn’t been down in Mantle during the evacuation efforts up until the end to lure Tyrian out. The point is, his aura should be hurting, but it doesn’t even flicker.

For Clover? It added up to be about 11-12 - one of which was a point blank shotgun blast to the chest, 3-4 hits from Tyrian’s bullets in the back, and one more sword slice from Harbinger to his back.  I highlight those ones because they’d be the hardest to tank. The rest were various kicks and punches, most to his face and midsection.

(Also really Qrow,you should not be surprised Clover’s aura broke. You guys were killing him).

But the point I want to make is… Clover was down in Mantle just like the rest of the ops fighting for who knows how long before they went for Tyrian - considering they were coming back only slightly behind team RWBY and the others, we can surmise only maybe an hour or so they diverted to deal with our little scorpion. It’s also worth mentioning that ALL of our team members have been up an entire night and these fights in c12 happened closer to dawn, considering the sunrise at the episode’s end. They are all equally exhausted.

So to circle back around: Clover got struck with double to triple the hits his own team got - a full team of Atlas specialists. It feels like Clover is the only one who seems to be treated like he’s on Qrow’s level, wherein they really ALL should be at his level. Instead, it’s like the rest of the Ops had to be significantly nerfed to be beaten by Team RWBY.

If you want me to believe Team RWBY can beat them, then you also have to make me believe they can beat Qrow. And yeah, I don’t.

...

Clover never used his Semblance.

Qrow hits harder than ANYONE.

He was also attacked by Tyrian.

And Qrow was in a PLANE CRASH.

Fucking hell, this is one of the worst analysises I’ve read. Yes, including RWDE slock.

[valmos]

Hey @neothebean, remember that horrible fanfic? Well the author finally updated!

Author’s Note: The ending of last chapter has been retconned slightly. It has been two years! :3 Sue me.

Miu took a bite out her half of Hart’s sandwich as she listened to him talk the bizarre abandon courtyard at the school. She was about to take her second bite, as Hart mumbled something about a poor attempt at drawing a parallel from an alternate dimension, when she sensed it. Someone was climbing the stairs! Are we even suppose to be up here?! Miu questioned if this dork got her in trouble on her first day as she sprang to her feet. 

A boy wearing a red plaid shirt, a jean vest, that looks it was once a jacket, and motorcycle boots came crashing through the door. To Miu’s surprise, she know him. He was on the Bergard High School’s wrestling team during their freshmen year... that is until he was kicked off for cheating. She couldn’t remember his name though.

“Figured you’d take the lost pup up here, Carhagh.” he said with a proud snarl. Hart slowly rose to his feet, he was obviously trying to stay his normal calm and cheery self, but Miu was able to see the worry underneath. “Oh, hi Perry!” Hart said has he finally stood up and placed his hands behind his neck. “Pecarry...” Miu mumbles to herself now remembering. “IT’S PERRY!” Pecarry screams with a flourish of his hands. An expression crossed Pecarry’s face that looks like cold water just trickled down his back, Miu guess he realized he shouldn’t be yelling and drawing attention to them.

“I’m here to welcome you, lost pup,” Pecarry said, much quieter then his earlier speaking voice, as he cracked his knuckles. Miu wasn’t scared; her father had taught her self defense and she was able to beat him in wrestling even with him using illegal moves. Well she wasn’t scared until Hart got between them, urging them not to fight. A sudden sharp intense filled Miu’s head and she feel to her knees, Pecarry had used the distraction to throw a rock at her. 

Perry advanced on his prey, despite Hart’s pleas. “Out of the way, Carhagh!” But Hart did not get out the way, in fact he got more in the way and pushed him. “Oh so you want to adopt the bitch, huh? We’ll see about that.” Perry grabbed Hart by the deer shirt and dragged him to the edge of the roof and dangled him over the side, over the abandon courtyard. 

Miu’s senses were starting to return to her. She could hear a mocking filled voice, demanding what someone wanted to do with her... her? Her Miu? With her vision starting to unblur, she realized the sight before her. Rage began bubbling within her. Hart had nothing to do with this. Before she could even think she was already right behind Pecarry. She grabbed him and pulled him, and Hart, to the ground, away from the edge. Miu found herself on top of Pecarry, raining blows down. She felt someone grab her left arm, without missing the tempo of her punches her right arm swung and found purchase on the one who would dare stop her. 

“...Miu...” The quietness, shock, disbelief, and pleading nature at which her name was called gave her pause. The red haze was lifting from her eyes. She looked at Hart, her fist still pressed against his stomach, pain plainly showed on his face. Hart’s hand found the top of Miu’s fist, “...Stop...” Miu glanced at Pecarry, when did she even get on top of him? She had broken his noise. The white haired girl turned back to Hart, who shot her a pain filled smile. Miu recoiled from Hart’s touch, what had she done? She was on her feet and running before she finished asking herself that question. Miu still didn’t have an answer by the time she finished running all the way to her bed.

((Meta Author Note: I had actually plotted out a Pecarry confrontation on the roof, complete with Hart being dangled and Miu saving him, for the first one of these, but I ran out of the time I set for myself. Doubt it would have turned out like this though haha))

                                           Chapter 2: The Lost Goat 

A young girl of about eight got off the school bus and waved good bye to her new friends. Her head turned this way and that, clearly looking for something, but with a shrug it was clear the brown haired girl didn’t find it. Hima was sure her sister would be waiting for her, but perhaps she had to use the bathroom? So she made the small walk home, alone. 

When she finally reached her door, after pausing to look at an ant hill and some flowers, and contemplating if she should take a very interesting rock or to leave it for others to enjoy (she left it), she found it locked. She was so happy her mother agreed with Miu when she argued that Hima should get her own key. Letting herself in, she noticed Miu’s shoes were by the door. A quest to find Miu it was! But quietly, in case she was asleep.

Through the open plains, past the firy volcano, and into the cave, Hima checked to see if Miu was at watering hole like she thought she might be. Miu-less. Perhaps upstairs? She retraced her steps and climbed the arduous mountains and head into the caves to the left. No Miu here. Only the Wolf’s Den left  to check. As Hima approached she heard it... crying. If Miu was crying so openly, even if she thought she was home alone, it must be something really bad. Hima slowly pushed open Miu’s door.

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

Miu sat in her bed, knees to her chest, crying as she never had before. What happened to her? Why did she do what she did? It was like her body went on auto-pilot and she lost herself. ...And then there was Hart... Pecarry deserved his broken nose, but Hart... sure she kinda wanted to, lightly, punch him in the arm for being so... annoying? She still wasn’t sure exactly how he made her feel, but whatever it was, he didn’t deserve this. His face when she came to her senses... How can she ever face him again? After being so kind to her, this is how she repays him? ... Also how can she face him again, literally? Her first day at a new school and she was already involved in attacking two people, was in an area she probably wasn’t suppose to be in to begin with, and skipped her after lunch classes. She would be lucky to see him again... or maybe it was lucky that she most likely won’t. The white hair girl felt a pang in her stomach as she thought that. What was tha..!! Miu did have time to contemplate the pang as she saw her door move and Hima appearing a moment later. 

Sign. If it had been anyone else she would have been mortified, but she always felt like she could be herself around Hima. Miu dried her eyes on her bed sheet as Hima climbed into bed with her and began speaking. The words washed over Miu, calming here, grounding her. Sometimes, Hima seemed like such an old soul that Miu wondered if she was really her sister and not some mystical spirit that decided to settle down with her family. 

“...the scary lady wanted to keep her, but the agent father and daughter insisted that they help get her home.” Hima said. “Is this the same goat person that visited the bunny people?” Miu interrupted. Hima looked at Miu, “Yes, her name is Stick. Now where was I..” Miu looked at the clock, it was already so late... dinner would be ready soon. Any moment now the phone would ring to inform her parents of what she did. Dinner came and went without a single call. It was already past twelve-thirty by the time Miu decided she needed to stop staring at the clock and get some sleep. Closing her eyes and leaned back into her pillow, her thoughts drifted to the goat person from her sister’s stories, Stick, far from home and in strange lands, the unknown never seemed to bother her. She didn’t know what tomorrow ... or today, she guessed, was going to bring, but as sleep overtook her she had the feeling that she was going to get through it.

                                  Chapter 3: Getting Through It

Miu stood before the steps of the school, head held high and ready to accept her fate... at least on the outside, on the inside she was curled in a ball, mind racing trying to figure out how she could get out of this situation. With each step her heart quickened. Soon she joined her heart at the door, with a quicker inner sigh she pushed through, and standing right there was the principle. Step by step Miu progressed, ready for the blow she knew would come. “Miss Tazino,” Miu felt her blood run cold, “Try not to lose track of time today,” the principle said with a slight smile. A slight sure was all Miu was able to get out, completely stunned she made her way to her first class, not even hearing the slight jeers aimed at her. 

“Miu! Hey Miu!” And then there was Hart, she wished she wasn’t there then. “Hey Hart, about yesterday...” Miu started, but Hart cut her off. “We can talk about it later. I know you didn’t mean to get all crazy violent, and that you feel bad about, so that means you are willing to work on your angry problems! Don’t worry about it” A large smile shot across Hart’s face as he placed his hands behind his head. Miu searched his soul orbs. She didn’t understand what made him tick, nor tock for that matter. “Also don’t worry about getting in trouble, Perry is always getting in a fight and he never tells anyone with whom, and I hid in a bathroom till after school and told the principle I lost track of time... she seemed to have expected that. I still need to copy the notes I missed from my friend, Brush, but I should have them by third period. See you then! Have a good class!” 

Miu was speechless. Wha... what just happened... She realized how much of an idiot she must be looking like just standing in the middle of the hall and quickly rushed into her classroom. Spotting her, very tired looking, teacher at her desk, Miu goes over to find out what she was responsible for. Taking the desk the teacher pointed out, unpacks, and pulls out a book to read while waiting for class to start. 

The bell rings. Miu puts her book away and starts taking notes. About three minutes into class, her desk is kicked from behind. Thinking nothing of this, Miu continues absorbing her lesson, but then thirty seconds later, another kick jostled her desk. Again and again, nearly clockwork, every half a minute her desk would be hit, and just like clockwork, tick by tick her annoyance was raised. She didn’t dare look back, knowing if she did the chance of her making a scene was too great. No, she bottled it up and hope whoever was doing it would get bored. They did not.

When the bell rang to signal the end of class, the teacher was the first one out of the door. Miu swung her head to look behind her to see a bored looking girl with dark hair, except for a streak of firetruck, packing her bag. She paid no mind to the girl in front of her staring daggers in her direction, and started to get up. 

“Why did you keep kicking my desk all class?” Miu demanded. “Oh, was I?” she replied with a tone that said she knew what she did and dared Miu to do something about it. With gritted teeth, “Yes, you were.Please don’t do it again,” Miu manged to say. “Sorry about that,” without a trace of being sorry, “I was trying to think of a new cheer routine for next week when we beat you red-eyed puppies next week. I guess I got carried away.” She paused for a second to study Miu’s face before flipping her hair and exiting the class to join two girls who were waiting at the door for her. 

Miu realized who the kicker was now: Cari, Cheerleader Captain of Bergard. A powerful enemy to have on the High School battlefield, but she wasn’t expecting to have nothing but enemies coming to this school.

She made it through her second class of the day without incident. When she was done talking to her third teacher and turned to find a seat, Hart was already flagging her down to sit next to him. With a large internal sigh and a small external eye roll, Miu made her way to the seat next to Hart. “Hey! How were your first two classes?” Hart greeted her with a lazy smile; Miu replied with a shrug. 

“Brush missed class do to football practice, so I had to ask Mouse...” Hart’s expression darkened for just a moment, but it was enough for Miu to catch. He then offers her a notebook, “Anyway, here are all the notes you should need. Feel free to take a few days to copy it.” She accepted it, noting the cover was filled with stickers of animals, mainly deer and otters. Her expression must have changed because Hart chimed in, “Oh those just represent people I like. A little silly I know...” Hart trails off into one of his big grins that she ... “Okay class, please open your books to page 123, today we will be studying...”  Saved by the bell.

                               Chapter 4: It’s Better Than Without A Light

And so she got through it. A couple of weeks go by without much incident, other than an ever more antagonizing Cari and mean glares from Pecarry, Just school stuff and Hart’s enigma iron-willed attempt at being her friend. She meet Hart’s friend, Brush, who was the quarter back for the Bergard’s football team. He seemed okay the few times she meet him, except he always seemed like he didn’t want to be around her. Which was fine with her, she didn’t need friends, if only Hart would feel the same way. ...And she meet Mouse, Miu would have gladly taken a hundred Cari’s over a single Mouse. 

At lunch, Miu’s phone goes off, “Now open your eyes, put yourself together. Now you should accept this, it is over. Now keep your eyes on this confusion. C’mon, yes, you should watch this transformation,” she checks said phone. It was a text from her father reminding her to pick up her sister at school at 4:00. She looked up to see Hart’s questioning face, “Oh that was my dad...” “No, not that, that is none of my business. Was your ringtone from The World Ends With You?” Hart interrupted. “Yeah it is, Transformation.” replied Miu. 

Quicker then she has ever seen Hart move, he pulled out his Nintendo Switch. “Have you played the final remix version? It has co-op, would you want to play during lunch?” Miu only got an, “Um, sure.” before she had a joycon in her hand. “Remind me later,” Hart requested,” to show you an amazing easy-listening cover of Calling by Secondhand Sharks.”

That was lunch for the next couple of weeks. They would talk and found out more about each other. “So you mentioned your dad earlier, what does he do? My mum is a cop and my da is in construction,” Hart asked. “My mother manages some sort of coding project from home, she is still getting set up at our new house,” Miu hesitated, “and my father works at Phoenix.” Hart turns to look at Miu, “Phoenix? That research place a few miles out of town?” “Yeah, he is part of the staff there. In fact that is the reason why I changed schools, he wanted to live a few minutes closer to work.” Hart was quiet for the rest of the day. 

                                         Chapter 5: Fuzzy  

Miu was sick; she had been for a week. It was Friday again, she had felt well enough to go to school that morning, but her mother insisted she stay home and fully recover. Besides you might still be infectious, she had told her, I will not have the school asking why I let a sick child go to school. So in her room Miu stayed, trying to keep her mind off the mountain of school work she was sure had accumulated during the week. If only she could have gone to school today so she could tackle it over the weekend...

Ding-dong. Blinking, Miu’s eyes fluttered open, must have fallen asleep. What time was it? Judging from the light it was about mid-afternoon, glancing at her clock she confirmed this as it was 3:33. Did Hima forget lose her key? No, she reminded herself, her sister was going to be sleeping over at a new friend’s house tonight. She could hear voices downstairs, her mothers and one that sounded familiar, but she couldn’t quit place with the distance and her still being sleepy. She heard the door close, but their conversation did not. Miu sat up slightly in bed as she heard her mother climb the stairs.

With a soft knock, Yumari slowly opened the door, “Oh good, you are awake. There is a boy named Hart here to see you,” she paused and raised a single eyebrow as her daughter suddenly sprang fully into a sitting position at the mention of Hart, “He says he brought over your school assignments. Should I send him up?” With a small smile on her face, placed by watching her daughter’s vigorous nod, Yumari left to fetch Hart. 

In an even gentler voice than normal, “Hey there Miu! I brought over this weeks school work. How are you feeling? Are you okay?” With a huff, “Do not talk to me as if I were a wounded animal! I am perfectly fine, I just had a little stomach bug,” but gentler, “But thank you for bringing my assignments... Did the principal ask you to deliver them?” “No, I asked if I could bring them. I know you were stressed about having to make up work when you transferred. I wanted to bring it over after just three days, but was told that you or parents slash guardians had to request it. I guess after a couple more days of nagging them about it, they decided it was simpler this way,” Hart smiled widely as he pulled out a folder and his notebook and handed them to Miu, “The folder has all the worksheets and assignments in it and the notebook has... well notes. haha” Trying, and failing, to repress a smile, Miu thanked him.

Miu was flipping through the loose pages in the folder, giving them a quick scan to see what was required of her, when Hart said, “Hey, um, you said you were feeling better, if you are up for it, and if you think your mom would be okay with it, would you want to play some The World Ends With You? We are super close to the end!” With a smile, Miu closed the folder and put it and the notebook on her nightstand and made a grabby hand motion at Hart. 

They played for a little over an hour, Yumari “casually” checking on them a couple of times. When they finally beat it, Hart noticed the time, “Oh bother! I need to get going! I had told my Ma I was going to come over but I didn’t expect to stay this late. ... Hey Miu, thanks. I really missed you this past week...” Miu stared into his blue(?? What color are his eyes? The wiki is down and I am too lazy to get up to get the book. Someone tell me down in the comments) orbs, the windows to his kind, gentle soul. She started to feel lightheaded... her mother was right, she hadn’t fully recovered from her illness. “Yeah.. I missed you too.” With that Hart was gone, she heard him talking to her mother downstairs, and the door opening and closing. 

She sat there for a couple of minutes, afraid to move, in case the sickness flares up again. Eventually she grabs the folder and notebook and starts going through them again. After getting a good idea on what she needs to do, she starts turning to the section for this past week’s science notes.. but she doesn’t get to them. She stops. There on the divider between sections, amongst the other stickers was a fuzzy white wolf sticker. She sat there, just looking at it. Then, gently, she reached out and gave it a little pat and smiled. 

[magnetizsm]

tang yan, 32, gydina, cis woman. ––– i believe that is yuan zhu ting, the lady of styria. they are thirty two years old and are known to be very agile & creative, though they can also be very mercurial & headstrong. they remind me of ; an array of silks and soft chiffons twirling around a gust of wind ; the passionate strokes of vivid paint colours, and the thrill of seeking out hidden alcoves and unique caves behind waterfalls.

Backstory: ( death tw )

Zhu Ting grew up in the extremely wealthy, influential and large noble house of Yuan, who ruled over the duchy of Styria in Gydina.  ( yes i did take the exact real life duchy from austria as I felt that charmingly exquisite region would be perfect for her family XD ) Her parents, the intimidating and powerful duke as well as his strictly proper wife, were very firm, extremely principled, enterprising and fair  people who could also be generous to the less fortunate at times. She's the 2nd daughter and 4th child out of 6.

Her parents, though loving and fair people, were also very prim and proper and pretty strictly traditional when it comes to raising their kids especially. Thus, Zhu Ting can be  considered to be quite the rebellious daughter in a way -  in terms of trying to be true to her self and her own beliefs & love for freedom in doing whatever delights her? More of a fun rebellion and though her parents sometimes ended up being frustrated with her, they still accepted her choices to a certain degree... eventually... Hence, she maintained a still loving and good relationship with them. Zhu Ting is very artistically inclined and is a very talented painter. She also loves dancing and is skilled playing the dizi, ( a Chinese transverse flute ) and guzheng ( chinese zither ). And she used to adore parties when she was younger .

She did use to flirt around quite a bit during her youth, but it was all just for fun and nothing really serious as she is a true romanticist at heart and wholly believes in love, romance, soulmates and all that jazz. She would never marry for less and she still maintains this stubbornness despite her late father's and now older brother's ( who is the current duke ) exasperated attempts to get her married off. 

 Zhu Ting used to be this  this bubbly, very openly affectionate, always frank about whatever emotions she was feeling ( as she always spoke what was on her heart & mind and failed at keeping a poker face, so her facial features were always very expressive ) , willfull, highly passionate and vividly chatty girl. Due to her highly passionate nature, she can also be rather mercurial with her temperament/ behaviors. However after her heart suffered heavy blows  :  first;  by the unexpected demise of her father about 2 years or so ago,  and then by alaric gydina whom she thought was the great love of her life but he then still left her , despite her emotional pleading, to go through with his arranged marriage , this noble lady has finally wisened up and matured even more. 

She's less idealistic about love now , though her stance on marriage still stays. She's more subdued, more mature, less giddy, more realistic and softly graceful in her movements ( due to being and agile dancer and also cos she's less excitable in nature now ) . She's also better at keeping a poker face now.  And she's also grown to be more subtly sensual over the years. Zhu Ting is still kind and generous. She can also be pretty genial and warmly social during MAJOR events where she has to be for the sake of politeness and to help maintain her family’s image.

Wanted connections ( !! )

Family ( I need her siblings, her sibling-in laws and her newphews like I need air, please <33 Large family ftw! )

Best friends and  close friends

Acquaintances

A friend that drifted apart

Pen-pals

Someone she doesn’t get along with / enemies even

Childhood sweetheart/ first love

Former suitor (s)

People she used to flirt with

A former, pretty serious betrothal that her father tried to coerce her into, but she eventually succeeded in getting out of it in the end.

A fake courtship to get her eldest brother and nagging older aunties off her back

Art buddies

Musical buddies

Someone whom her father hired to teach her some self-defense in the past

And any other thing you guys desire or can think of <3