#this episode hurted

[notelectrictigerart]

goodbye...

[angstpancake]

The Girl with the Silver Eyes

Despite the circumstances of the world she was born into- a dark world on the verge of war, where smaller, more honest souls were unwelcome- Ruby Rose didn't allow her light to be tainted by selfishness or malice. 

She was born into a world that was overrun by monsters, whose master took her mother away from her and robbed her of a bond that every child deserves, that every child needs. She grew up in a cold home, one where her father clocked out of parenthood to wallow in grief, leaving her older sister to step up and take care of her. Eventually that home got a lot brighter and warmer as old wounds healed, but the scar it left behind meant that her father would never look at his daughter the same way again... because Ruby Rose was just like her mom. 

And as everyone told her as such, she wanted to live up to that. She wanted to be the one everyone could count on, she wanted to be the inspiration, to be the hero she read about in books. She wanted to help people- enjoyed the romanticism of it. She thought, as she became fascinated with weapons and wanting to learn to fight grimm, "This is who I am." 

She gets older, and starts to see the problems of the world. It's broken, shattered like the moon that rises every night. But she can fix it. 

"Unfortunately the real world isn't the same as a fairytale."

"Well, that's why we're here. To make it better."

She tries her best. She tries so hard to prove herself. Stops a robbery, catches the eye of a professor from a prestigious academy. The same one her mom went to. Gets moved two years ahead because she has a lot of potential and- apparently- silver eyes, whatever that means. Gets made a team leader because... why? Learns briefly that she doesn't need to prove herself. 

"I'm not trying to show off, I want you to know that I can do this."

"You're. Fine." 

And then gets hit again that there are still expectations of her. 

"That's just it - you've done nothing to earn your position! Back in the forest, you acted like a child, and you've only continued to do so!"

And she's right. 

At Beacon, Ruby receives her first bit of... advice. "If you are not always performing at your absolute best, then what reason do you give others to follow you?" If she's not perfect, then people won't listen. People won't care. So she gets better. Tries her best to be perfect.

She never is. 

She's never asked about why she wants to be a huntress, because apparently, she already knows. Who wants her reason, anyways? She's the leader. She doesn't talk, she listens, she adapts.

---

Her dream is collapsing around her. Her classmates are dying. Beacon is falling. She had time to stop it, but she didn't make it. Her semblance is literally to go fast and she can't even save her own friend. Penny Polendina is dead. But there’s no time. Pyrrha Nikos needs her. Ruby runs up the tower, but gets there just in time to see Cinder Fall strike an arrow in Pyrrha’s heart. 

Not good enough. Again. Not perfect. Not enough. Never enough. Never. 

From her grief, Ruby activates a power she never knew she had. She’s special just like her mom was, according to Qrow. 

“If I’m so special, then I can help… right?” 

Her team left her. Her sister is… a shell of her former self. She wants nothing to do with Ruby. And that's okay. She needs time. She’s just getting used to… things.

"You can do whatever you want. I'm going to lie here."

Weiss is gone. Blake left. She doesn’t know why. Ruby used to be part of a team. Part of something bigger. But now it's just her again. 

Well… not entirely. JNR is still there for her. They were hurt by the Fall too. They want answers. They want to change the team name to RNJR (JNRR?). Ruby feels sick to her stomach. She’s filling in the spot of a teammate that she failed to save. She knows JNR doesn’t blame her but, it’s her fault Pyrrha Nikos is gone. 

Eventually, her team comes back. It’s not the same. They’re back together, but they feel more distant than ever. It feels like they understand her even less than they did before. 

It’s okay, though. She has to put her team first and herself second. 

She finds out it's all been a lie. She finds out their goal has been impossible. Every person that's ever been a guide to her has given up, shattered whatever this is. She has to pick up the pieces. She has no idea how to put them back together. 

She almost gives up. But she doesn’t. She fishes the lamp out of the well, beats the Apathy, and keeps moving forward. 

Keep moving forward. Keep moving forward. Keep moving forward. 

She finds out what having silver eyes means. It means carrying the light of the world, and using it against the grimm... as a weapon. It means being that light at the end of the tunnel. It means being a spark of hope. 

She needs to channel hope and joy to use it. She never talks about how hard that is. 

To be happy without trying.

By some miracle they make it to Atlas. By some miracle Penny Polendina is alive. And despite the shitty situation of politics and Ironwood not entirely being all trusting, everything is okay for a while. 

Ruby's semblance evolves. She can now go so fast, that she breaks apart. She can pick people up when she breaks.

Salem shows up, and Ruby’s mask cracks. Only for a moment. Ironwood snaps. Salem is coming and they need help. 

Despite her trying, nobody comes. Her plan fails. It doesn't work. 

Ruby finds out what happened to her mom. No time to think about that. There's no time to think about what might've happened to Ruby if Tyrian had managed to capture her back in Anima. No time. Penny needs her. Penny wants her to kill her. Ruby can’t think about that either. Because if she thinks about any of that, she knows she’ll break. 

Nothing is working anymore. She isn’t working.

Ambrosius warns them not to fall. 

Ruby falls. 

She finds out what happens to Penny, and Atlas. She faints in front of them. The facade is gone. She’s tired. She’s alone, and despite her team having said that they’re there for her in the past, all they ask is if she’s okay. She’s clearly not, so she doesn’t respond. Do they expect a different answer from her? Do they expect her to bounce back on her own? She supposes her mask has been so good that they do. 

Weiss is seeking comfort from her. She tries. It comes out shallow and cold, and doesn’t seem to be helping. So Ruby stops. Weiss notices. Great job, Ruby. Now you’ve failed your partner. 

How many more people are going to be hurt around her?

Maybe Cinder was right. Maybe it’d be better if she was never born.

[keferon]

Let me tell you their duo WASNT something I expected to see. Like. Ever. Oh my god ahahaha

[heph]

05 x 04 | Still not boring ❤️‍🩹

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

Heh...Literally nothing personal, kid.

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[u3pxx]

guys please ... they were at each other's weddings!

based on that one gayest non-canon bitches tournament poll. credits to @yamujiburo for delia and jessie's wedding outfits! 😳 when i saw em post that drawing, i had an idea ghgfh <33

[zendayacolemann]

You turned into your worst fears And you're tossing out blame, drunk on this pain Crossing out the good years

[egophiliac]

What do you think of Rook's savanaclaw card? <333

I didn't get him (and I need to save my keys for Silver's birthday, sob) so I looked up his groovy, and I'm not over how incredibly dramatic and epic and cool it looks in direct contrast to the absolutely ridiculous context. just look at that dynamic action and his majestic sparkling tears and keep in mind that this is pretty much right after a bunch of characters have been dance battling for his soul.

and then even the actual moment of the groovy is just like

this is NOT a negative in the slightest, I love it all, this truly was an incredible update in so many ways

[wishfulsketching]

More

[lilly-townshend]

[toqiuh]

“We were in love.”

[shima-draws]

I'm rewatching GF since the whole world seems to be into it right now (thank you Alex and the Book of Bill) and AGHHH I FORGOR about the body swap episode when the twins find the secret room and Stan picks up Ford's glasses and later we see him sitting on the couch looking at them wistfully...

Shut up shut UP that's NOT okay

[sunlit-mess]

spam

[pbnmj]

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

I'm a doctor, not a miracle worker.

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[roninreverie]

I had to frame analyze the protective boi.