#warrior tales

[girl4music]

“I think we enjoyed letting that ambiguity be there. Sometimes we played on it a little but most of the time I think that we just allowed it.” - Lucy Lawless.

Yep. And it worked so well because it wasn’t forced in. It didn’t need to be played up and pandered. It just needed to be natural. And it was. It was wonderful.

Thank you. Nobody’s ever been as brave as you guys when it comes to this in the TV art/entertainment industry. You gave us all you could. I’m so grateful.

[toyastales]

Sculpture of a seated man with two dogs (one of the dogs is seen in the image). Dated (400-800 AD), from Veracruz, Mexico.

It could depict a warrior, as the man wears a full head mask that represents a (prairie) wolf.

[gingermintpepper]

In my Zeus bag today so I'm just gonna put it out there that exactly none of the great Ancient Greek warrior-heroes stayed loyal and faithful and completely monogamous and yet none of them have their greatness questioned nor do we question why they had the cultural prominence that they did and still do.

Jason, the brilliant leader of the Argo, got cold feet when it came to Medea - already put off by some of her magic and then exiled from his birthland because of her political ploys, he took Creusa to bed and fully intended on marrying her despite not properly dissolving things with Medea.

Theseus was a fierce warrior and an incredibly talented king but he had a horrible temper and was almost fatally weak to women. This is the man who got imprisoned in the Underworld for trying to get a friend laid, the man who started the whole Attic War because he couldn't keep his legs closed.

And we cannot at all forget Heracles for whom a not inconsiderable amount of his joy in life was loving people then losing the people around him that he loved. Wives, children, serving boys, mentors, Heracles had a list of lovers - male and female - long enough to rival some gods and even after completing his labours and coming down to the end of his life, he did not have one wife but three.

And y'know what, just because he's a cultural darling, I'll put Achilles up here too because that man was a Theseus type where he was fantastic at the thing he was born to do (that is, fight whereas Theseus' was to rule) but that was not enough to eclipse his horrid temper and his weakness to young pretty things. This is the man that killed two of Apollo's sons because they wouldn't let him hit - Tenes because he refused to let Achilles have his sister and Troilus who refused Achilles so vehemently that he ran into Apollo's temple to avoid him and still couldn't escape.

All four of these men are still celebrated as great heroes and men. All four of these men are given the dignity of nuance, of having their flaws treated as just that, flaws which enrich their character and can be used to discuss the wider cultural point of what truly makes a hero heroic. All four of these men still have their legacies respected.

Why can that same mindset not be applied to Zeus? Zeus, who was a warrior-king raised in seclusion apart from his family. Zeus who must have learned to embrace the violence of thunder for every time he cried as a babe, the Corybantes would bang their shields to hide the sound. Zeus learned to be great because being good would not see the universe's affairs in its order.

The wonderful thing about sympathy is that we never run out of it. There's no rule stopping us from being sympathetic to multiple plights at once, there's no law that necessitate things always exist on the good-evil binary. Yes, Zeus sentenced Prometheus to sufferation in Tartarus for what (to us) seems like a cruel reason. Prometheus only wanted to help humans! But when you think about Prometheus' actions from a king's perspective, the narrative is completely different: Prometheus stole divine knowledge and gifted it to humans after Zeus explicitly told him not to. And this was after Prometheus cheated all the gods out of a huge portion of wealth by having humans keep the best part of a sacrifice's meat while the gods must delight themselves with bones, fat and skin. Yes, Zeus gave Persephone away to Hades without consulting Demeter but what king consults a woman who is not his wife about the arrangement of his daughter's marriage to another king? Yes, Zeus breaks the marriage vows he set with Hera despite his love of her but what is the Master of Fate if not its staunchest slave?

The nuance is there. Even in his most bizarre actions, the nuance and logic and reason is there. The Ancient Greeks weren't a daft people, they worshipped Zeus as their primary god for a reason and they did not associate him with half the vices modern audiences take issue with. Zeus was a father, a visitor, a protector, a fair judge of character, a guide for the lost, the arbiter of revenge for those that had been wronged, a pillar of strength for those who needed it and a shield to protect those who made their home among the biting snakes. His children were reflections of him, extensions of his will who acted both as his mercy and as his retribution, his brothers and sisters deferred to him because he was wise as well as powerful. Zeus didn't become king by accident and it is a damn shame he does not get more respect.

[descendinight]

实验。。

prints

[exocynraku]

lalalalala joy and whimsy

[sonic-channel]

NEW SONIC 3 LEAK ?! comes from a credible source, though i cannot release who it is. comes from an early screening. apparently, every time a new character is introduced, a red circle and arrow come on screen to draw attention to them? what a daring stylistic decision. this is going to be a movie for the ages

[mothfables]

Tumble

Legend falls down the stairs

Sky sighed, relaxing into the soft cushions of his chair. It had been far too long since he’d sat in a decent chair. That was one thing he disliked about adventures, he mused, you went so long with only the basic necessities.

Several of his brothers lounged around him, taking advantage of the rare opportunity of being in one of their own’s home.

This time they were in Warriors’ apartment in his Castle Town. The captain had graciously allowed them full use of the space while they were there and the group of heroes was taking full advantage of the space, comfortable furniture, and hot water.

Today, the older heroes were relaxing in the living room, sharing idle conversation while the younger ones played some sort of game upstairs. Sky could hear laughter and pounding footsteps overhead. He wasn’t sure what it was they were doing, but at least they seemed to be having fun.

He flicked an ear in Twilight’s direction as the other man pulled himself to his feet and headed to the kitchen, saying something about snacks. Sky simply hummed in reply and sunk further into the cushions, his eyes slipping closed as he relaxed.

Suddenly there was a yelp and the sound of something heavy tumbling down the stairs. Sky was up and moving in a flash, racing towards the noise.

Upon reaching the stairs, he found Legend sprawled at the bottom, eyes wide. The younger hero’s lip trembled as he hiccuped and let out a faint whine, eyes finding Sky’s, who startled at the realization that he was looking at a very small Legend in that moment and felt his chest squeeze.

“Oh, baby,” he breathed, kneeling down and reaching out to cup pale cheeks. Legend hiccuped again. “Shh, shh, it’s okay. That was scary, huh?”

“Shit- is he alright?” Warriors asked from behind him. He glanced back to see his brothers gathered in the hallway, looking on worriedly. Wars put a hand on his shoulder as he leaned closer to get a better look at Legend.

”He had a bad scare,” Sky murmured. He gently pulled his baby brother close only for Legend to let out a pained whine, eyes still wide and lost. “What’s wrong, baby bird?”

Legend only gave a tiny shake of his head, pressing closer.

Sky exchanged a look with Wars before pushing to his feet and hoisting Legend carefully up on his hip, ignoring the quiet gasp at the movement. Together they led the rest of their brothers (the younger boys creeping down the stairs after them) back to the living room, where Sky set Legend down on a stool by the fireplace. He set to fussing and cooing while Warriors went to find his medical kit and shoo the other heroes away to give Legend space, as he hated being crowded, no matter his age.

Then he was back, kneeling down by Legend’s side to look him over. “Can you tell me what hurts, honeybun?”

Legend sniffled. His brothers waited patiently; he had a hard time with words when he was small, and his fall wouldn’t have made it any easier.

“Mm- mmmuh, mmy sh- mmy ssshh-shuh,” an inhale followed by a frustrated sound. Legend hunched his shoulders only to hiss in pain.

“Your shoulders hurt?” Wars asked, voice soft. Legend gave a small nod. “Is it okay if I touch your back? I gotta know exactly where it hurts so i can help.”

Legend bit his lip, hesitant, but nodded. Wars smiled. “I’ll be as careful as I can, I promise.”

He lifted a hand and set it gently on Legend’s back, between his shoulder blades- only for Legend to flinch away with a whimper.

Sky watched as Warriors’ brow furrowed in a frown. His brother glanced at him then back to the boy between them.

“Hey, honey… would you be okay with us taking your tunic off so we can see your back?”

Another moment of hesitation before Legend nodded again.

Sky breathed out, relieved. For a moment he’d worried Legend would refuse or make a fuss - nevermind that he hated the very idea of throwing any sort of fit when he was small. He worked with Wars to unbutton Legend’s dark green undertunic and pull his arms through to let it sit around his waist. The boy visibly shivered at the feeling of air against his skin despite the fire behind him.

Then Wars made a sharp sound, quickly cut off, causing Sky’s eyes to snap to him in alarm. The captain’s gaze was trained on Legend’s back. Warily, Sky shifted to look. He immediately bit back a gasp.

Legend’s shoulders were a mess of bruising: red darkening to purple blossomed across his skin like a macabre bouquet. Tearing his gaze away, Sky noticed similar bruising on his lower back.

“Wars,” he murmured, gesturing as discreetly as he could. Wars followed his gaze and grimaced. He swallowed before reaching into his medical bag to pull out a bottle of red potion and a scrap of fabric.

“Alright, bud, you’ve got some bad bruising back here. I’ve got a red potion that I’m gonna put on it; it might feel a little funny but it’ll make your back feel better. You can hold on to Sky if you want, okay?”

Legend gave a timid nod, reaching out to hold on to Sky’s sleeve with a trembling hand. Sky covered it with his own, hoping to reassure him. He murmured comforting words as he watched Wars pour some of the potion onto the cloth before beginning to dab it over Legend’s back.

The boy didn’t react much more than flinching at the first brush of cloth on skin, but Sky could hear him grinding his teeth as he visibly strained to remain still. The older hero rubbed circles into his hand, trying to help him stay calm.

Thankfully it only took a few moments before Warriors pulled away, cloth in hand. He cast an appraising eye over Legend’s back before nodding.

“Alright, that should kickstart the healing, but I want him to spend some time without putting any strain on his back. I’d prefer if he was lying down, as well, just to make sure.” Sky hummed in acknowledgement. “I also want to put some cold packs on those bruises to help keep the swelling down.”

Sky pursed his lips, thinking, before he lit up. “Why don’t I take up him up for a nap?” At the captain’s questioning look, he elaborated, “It’s quieter upstairs, not to mention easier to keep nosy worrywart heroes out.”

He inclined his head back toward the doorway of the room with a wink, where he knew their brothers were trying to pretend they weren’t watching (poorly, he might add).

Wars followed his gaze and snorted, then shook his head. “You make good points. Give me a moment to put these away and grab an ice rod and some cloths, then I’ll help you bring him upstairs.”

Sky nodded. “I’ll help Lege put his tunic back on. You go do what you need to do and deal with our flock of concerned cuccos.”

There was a flurry of offended squawks from the other room and the two of them shared a smirk. Then Wars was gathering up his bag and standing, giving Legend a gentle pat on the shoulder, well away from the bruises. “Be right back, honeybun.”

Legend gave a tired sniff in response. Sky cooed and carefully helped him pull his arms through his sleeves. When he moved to do up the buttons at his collar, Legend winced with a small whine. Sky immediately pulled his hands back with an apologetic smile. “Sorry, baby. Is it too tight?” Legend nodded. “Okay, we’ll leave those undone then. Good job, you’re being so brave.”

Wars came back then, smiling at the pink dusting Legend’s cheeks. “Ready to head up, then?”

“I think so! What about you, little bird?”

Legend bit his lip before nodding. He tugged on Sky’s sleeve, whispering, “Ssuh- Ssky, c-carry?”

Sky melted. “Of course, baby. I’m so proud of you for asking.”

Legend squeaked, the tips of his ears going pink to match his cheeks. He held out his arms towards the older hero, making grabby hands. Sky was quick to (carefully) scoop him up, settling him on his hip and pressing a kiss to soft hair as Wars led them upstairs towards one of the bedrooms.

“Here you go. You get him settled while I make some cold cloths, alright?”

Sky nodded and moved over to the bed, intending to set Legend down, only for the little boy in his arms to cling with a huffing whine.

“You gotta lay down, baby bird,” he sighed. Legend only shook his head. Sky ran a hand through his hair in exasperation. Legend laid his head on his shoulder with a little sigh.

Sky blinked down at him. “…oh. You want to nap together, huh?”

Legend let out an affirming sound, making him chuckle.

“Alright, little bird, we’ll take a nap together. Let me just-” he shuffled to sit on the bed and shift Legend to his lap. “You gotta lay on your tummy, okay? We don’t want you to hurt your back more.”

It took a moment before the two of them were settled in bed- Sky propped up against the pillows with Legend on his chest. Sky hummed softly, and he felt more than heard his baby bird trying to copy him, quiet little hums and squeaks sending vibrations through his chest.

They lay there for a few minutes as Legend slowly started to doze off, squeaks drifting towards snores that had Sky pressing a kiss to his hair.

Wars turned around from the dresser where he’d been using the ice rod to make cold packs and smiled at the sight that greeted him. Sky gave him a small wave, hands resting lightly on the middle of Legend’s back, careful of the bruising.

Wars picked up the packs and moved over to the bed to set them on the bedside table. He reached over for a moment to smooth pink locks away from a pale face; Legend gave a quiet sigh and leaned into the gesture.

The older hero allowed himself a fond smile before picking up one of the packs and placing it gently across his shoulder blades. The boy shivered at the feeling, whining softly. Sky quickly soothed him by threading a gentle hand through his hair. The rest of the packs quickly followed suit, finding places on Legend’s shoulders or lower back, each followed by a shiver that had his brothers frowning sympathetically.

“Leave those on for about twenty minutes. After that, we’ll wait two hours before we put them back on. We don’t want to damage his skin any more than it already is,” Wars told Sky. “I’ll come back to check on him and see how he’s doing in twenty minutes, alright?”

His brother nodded and continued running his hand through Legend’s hair. Wars gave them one last smile before turning away to leave them to nap in peace.

Next ->

[trippygalaxy]

My Opinion on the LU Boys DND Classes

as a DM of 3 years and a enjoyer of dnd for MUCH LONGER, i have so sososos many thoughts on what classes the boys would be. This will also include subclasses CAUSE ITS MY POST AND IMMA DO WHAT I WANT! /LH SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG!!!!

Time -> Fighter, Eldritch Knight

Twilight -> Barbarian, Path of the Ancestral Guardian

Warriors -> Fighter, Battle Master

Sky -> Paladin, Oath of Devotion

Wild -> Ranger, Gloomstalker

Legend -> Wizard, Bladesinging

Hyrule -> Warlock, The Celestial

Four -> Fighter, Echo Knight

Wind -> Rogue, Swashbuckler

Taglist cause I know somepeople were interested! @catreginae @next-hero-in-line @unexpectedstormy @nancyheart11 @majorproblems77 @ladye-zelda @ajscico @mishwanders @violetregrets1837 @1dragon-mustard1

Under the cut will be explanations as to why i picked these classes! (as well as the official descriptions of the subclasses for context)

Time, The Eldritch Knight

Subclass Description; They focus their study on two of the eight schools of magic: abjuration and evocation. Abjuration spells grant an Eldritch Knight additional protection in battle, and evocation spells deal damage to many foes at once, extending the fighter's reach in combat. These knights learn a comparatively small number of spells, committing them to memory instead of keeping them in a spellbook.

--

Fighter is a go to for all the boys, but I think Time is a perfect fit for the class as he is shown time and time again to be a frontline fighter. He's quick to draw his sword and quicker to swing it.

Though Time is not a heavy magic user in the LU comics, he is known to have quite a few spells/magical abilities in his games and comics! Many of these abilities are defensive or to deal with large 'groups' of enemies at once, which is what Abjuration and Evocation spells are used for -respectively. The Class is still heavily rooted in melee rather than magic -like Time- but the magic they do use is to add a extra kick to their punch.

There are also abilities that make the Eldritch knight much harder (if not impossible) to disarm!

In higher levels, the subclasses allows the user to be more effective and quick with their spell casting who their actions are free for melee attacks, which would be a perfect fit for the quick and preciseness Time uses in battle.

Twilight, The Barbarian of Ancestral Guardians

Subclass description; Some barbarians hail from cultures that revere their ancestors. These tribes teach that the warriors of the past linger in the world as mighty spirits, who can guide and protect the living. When a barbarian who follows this path rages, the barbarian contacts the spirit world and calls on these guardian spirits for aid.

--

Barbarian is a common pick for Twilight as it is the most strength based class and while I agree with it always never quite sat right with me due to the violence the class is stereotyped to lean towards.

The subclass itself was picked because I connected it with not only the Hero's Shade but also the light spirits that Twilight encounters on his journey. Its very much a spirit heavy class that deals with a lot of themes regarding 'guardian' like figures which fit perfectly for the 'guardian' spirits Twilight runs into -and is trained by- during his adventure. I also choose this one because of how defensive it is, especially when it comes to protecting others!

Twilight is a protector, in the LU comics, in his games, in his manga, he is shown time and time again to protect others so to have a subclass to reflect his protective nature is a perfect match for his character!

Warriors, the Battle Master

Subclass Description; Those who emulate the archetypal Battle Master employ martial techniques passed down through generations. To a Battle Master, combat is an academic field, sometimes including subjects beyond battle such as weaponsmithing and calligraphy. Not every fighter absorbs the lessons of history, theory, and artistry that are reflected in the Battle Master archetype, but those who do are well-rounded fighters of great skill and knowledge.

--

Another fighter! Like I said for Time, this class is very much a 'go-to' class for any and all of the LU boys! But warriors fits so well for this class, a undeterred and seemingly never ending energy in a fight, Fighter fits perfectly!

I think that we all can agree that Warriors is one of the top 3 swordsmen in the group, his way with his sword is unlike the others as he holds an elegance and swiftness that can be rivalled by very few. The Battle Master subclass is built upon the idea of 'Yeah, you can try to hit me but get ready for your shit to get rocked.' It is about countering, using the enemies weaknesses to your gain and getting your hits in whenever you can.

A Captain in a war would be a battle master without a doubt!

Sky, Paladin of Devotion

Subclass description; --They hold themselves to the highest standards of conduct, and some, for better or worse, hold the rest of the world to the same standards. Many who swear this oath are devoted to gods of law and good and use their gods' tenets as the measure of their devotion. They hold angels – the perfect servants of good – as their ideals, and incorporate images of angelic wings into their helmets or coats of arms.

--

Is...Is this a surprise to anyone? A little cliche yes, but how can you blame me when it suits him so well!

First, Divine smite? PERFECT for the Skyward Strike, without a doubt and I don't think theres anything that could fit it so well! A mighty strike blessed with divine power and -depending on what spell/ability- can shed a great amount of light and cause lightning/thunder to burst from the strike! There is also abilities with the subclass that makes your weapon a beacon of light for a short period of time

Sky is devoted to many things. But its obvious hes devoted to his Zelda -the reincarnation of Hyila, a goddess- so much so that before he knew of her divine spirit he was willing to head into a world unknown just to look for her. He is so devoted to her and Skyloft that he fought a GOD to keep everyone he loved safe and sound.

Wild, The Gloom Stalker

Subclass description; Gloom stalkers are at home in the darkest places: deep under the earth, in gloomy alleyways, in primeval forests, and wherever else the light dims. Most folk enter such places with trepidation, but a gloom stalker ventures boldly into the darkness, seeking to ambush threats before they can reach the broader world.--

--

Since TOTK I feel like this would be fitting for the hero to be proficient in fighting in the darken places of the world. The name of the subclass is also suits him considering a huge part of the game -The Gloom- is apart of this class in a way.

Ranger is a great class for Wild, it is the definition of a hunter, an explorer, one that finds there own path in the wildness. Wild, though seen to get lost in the comics, has a great understanding of his Hyrule and its geographic locations and terrain, both surface and depths. He is also a great archer, and a even better hunter!

The hero is a survivor of the wilds, and Rangers are the best suited to do such a thing

Legend, The BladeSinger

Subclass Description: Bladesingers master a tradition of wizardry that incorporates swordplay and dance. In combat, a bladesinger uses a series of intricate, elegant maneuvers that fend off harm and allow the bladesinger to channel magic into devastating attacks and a cunning defense.

----

Legend is one of the more magically inclined Heros, and though thats mostly through his artifacts and magic items that doesn’t take away the fact that the hero has a broad knowledge when it came to magic.

I picked bladesinging specifically because while it’s main focus is magic it still uses the sword and it’s connection to ones-self. Legend is still a fighter at heart so i don’t think he would toss away those skills in this situation. He is shown in a few panels to have some sort of connection/bond to the mastersword and likely his own weapon, so it was important for me to somehow intertwine his two biggest skills together.

And a bit selfishly, i think he would look very very cool dancing around with his sword-

Hyrule, The Holy Warlock

Subclass description: Your patron is a powerful being of the Upper Planes. You have bound yourself to an ancient empyrean, solar, ki-rin, unicorn, or other entity that resides in the planes of everlasting bliss.

---

I know most people would make Hyrule either a wizard or nature based magic user but in all fairness, I dont think Hyrule is one to learn magic by the traditional means (reading/studying it). This isn’t to say the kid isn’t capable of doing so, but with the whole “hero of Hyila,” you’d think there would be a bit more a divine connection there.

Warlocks make deals, pacts, with some sort of higher being for their magic intentionally or not and Hyila ,a holy celestial, being fits perfectly to be his patron. The magic granted to a celestial warlock is based on a clerics abilities, healing, protecting from the undead and fiends, lighting a path etc. Warlocks also are also a little more focused on melee/combat and if picking the right pact boon, can have a special relationship/connect to their sword!

Four, The Echo Knight

Subclass description: Echo knights harness fading shades of unrealized timelines, pulling a shadowy duplicate of themself called an "echo" to fight by their side. The echoes are somewhat fragile, but the echo knight can summon another at any time.

--

Okayokayokay— HEAR ME OUT ON THIS ONE!!!

One of the echo knight’s main abilities is being able to make shadowy versions of themselves to fight alongside them in a battle. These shadows or ‘echoes’ are an extension of the person’s form/soul and are able to communicate and aid the original knight. They are able to project their consciousness into these shadows to get the information they have seen/witness and collects it all once they all fuse back together.

TELL ME THAT AINT PERFECT FOR FOUR!!!

Wind, The Swashbuckler

Subclass Description: You focus your training on the art of the blade, relying on speed, elegance, and charm in equal parts. While some warriors are brutes clad in heavy armor, your method of fighting looks almost like a performance. Duelists and pirates typically belong to this archetype. A Swashbuckler excels in single combat, and can fight with two weapons while safely darting away from an opponent.

--

….i feel like this is pretty straightforward as to why i picked this for Wind.

Wind, shown to be quite a sneaky Link in his games, is probably the most rogue like in the Chain. He’s a strong kid, but he specializes in quick strikes and keeping his opponents on their toes and unexpecting. He is also, very clearly, a pirate! So it isn’t surprising for the hero to have one of (if not the only) pirate theme-d subclass! The class is very agile, but the subclass specifically is focused on disarming, ‘backstabbing’ and overall being sneaky in plain sight!

And thought i do think this is a great fit for the hero, i could also see him as a Storm sorcerer, which was my second pick!

UHHHH! YEAH THATS IS! if you're reading this, thank you so much for listening to me ramble and if you have any ideas/thoughts of your own i would LOVE to hear them!!!

[nymfheii]

(((o(*ﾟ∀ﾟ*)o))) I've finished this fanart of Aurora, I feel happy ♡♡

https://www.instagram.com/nymfheii?igsh=em5xdXJvcmlkMmN2

[alackofghosts]

i want to do it too, take in all the sweet life caught inside this world

[girl4music]

God I really just have such respect for this man. He fought tooth and nail with the network to get XENA to be a thing on syndicated TV because before Xena there was neither any W-led or WLW shows and XENA really did start the whole juggernaut for lead female action heroes in TV off. Because of XENA we had Buffy, Charmed, Wynonna Earp,... all these shows happened because Xena happened. All this high quality female and WLW representation kicked off after XENA.

It's all because Rob wanted to prove that it would be successful. It merely needed all the right different elements to work together and I can't imagine how grateful Rob is to Lucy and Renee because with those two ladies leading the charge of it, it absolutely would be a hit.

ROB: "Nobody's ever going to go back and write about it."

What am I, chop liver? 😚 I'll be writing about Xena until the day I die.

[toyastales]

A beautiful family portrait

[thekainlegacy]

very effective way to break open a door i think!

[anthurak]

So I think we all understand at this point that much of the Fairy Tales of Remnant and various other in-universe folktales and legends that have been told or otherwise mentioned up to now are IMPORTANT. That these stories, particularly the ones that are given some kind of focus, are meant to relate to specific events or characters and generally foreshadow things that will happen or be revealed in the show. Whether in the direct sense of ‘this story is actually relating real events that are significant to characters’ like The Story of the Seasons to the Maidens and Oz, or in more indirect, symbolic fashion like Oscar and Ozpin idly discussing The Girl Who Fell Through the World in Volume 8.

Suffice to say, fairy tales in RWBY clearly MEAN something. Especially if a fairy tale is clearly being connected to a character or characters.

To that end, going forward I think we should really be looking at The Warrior in the Woods, and in-particular the animated short, as being narratively tied to Summer, Raven and Taiyang. And specifically meant to foreshadow what Taiyang’s relationship with Summer and Raven was REALLY like.

For one, the connection the animated short draws is not exactly subtle. The short is flat out framed as Tai reading the story to Ruby and Yang for bedtime, with the boy in the story looking like a young version of Tai while the titular Warrior looks literally like a combination of Summer and Raven. And to top it all off, the story even broadly reflects what we already know about the relationships of the three; with the young man losing the woman he so admired and loved just like Tai lost Summer and Raven. Again, the connections are not in ANY way subtle here.

So with that base established, what more can we potentially glean as foreshadowing here?

Well, as I’ve stated in previous posts, I think it is telling that while the Boy in the story did love the Warrior, it is ultimately a tragic, doomed love that was never meant to be.

And more than that, the story notably only gives us the perspective of the boy, and never the Warrior. And likewise, we never learn how the Warrior truly felt about the boy. She clearly cared about him, enough to consider him something of a friend, but did she feel about him like he felt about her? The story never makes this clear, and I think that in and of itself is rather telling: Despite the boy’s attempts to reach out to her, the Warrior maintains her distance. Whatever growing care or affection she might have felt for the boy, it clearly wasn’t nearly enough to get her to break her isolation or duty to safeguard the village in secret. While the boy may have loved the Warrior, it was a love that in all likelihood, could not and was not returned.

So when we apply this to Taiyang, Summer and Raven, a rather bleak picture emerges: That Tai’s relationships with Raven or Summer were NEVER going to work out. Or that neither Summer NOR Raven actually loved Tai in the same way he loved either of them.

And the thing is, this IS supported even by what little we have seen of Tai, Summer and Raven. Just like in the story, we have been told of Tai’s love for Summer and Raven, yet told precious little of how either of THEM felt about Tai. And what little we HAVE been told or shown has left it rather questionable how either of them cared for Tai.

Raven has made it clear that she cares little for Taiyang in the present, which really raises the question of how or if the two were ever in a relationship in the past. And while the existence of Yang might imply some kind of relationship, let’s also consider the possibility that Yang was actually an unplanned pregnancy. The result of a possible drunken, one-night-stand between Raven and Tai. Which would certainly put Raven’s reluctance to be a mother in a VERY different context.

Then we have Summer, and thanks to Ruby’s tree-vision, I think we can count her feelings for Taiyang as being at best ‘ambiguous’.

For one, as I’ve stated elsewhere, Summer’s scene with Taiyang is curiously lacking in especially overt romantic gestures. A lack of noticeable flirting or particularly romantic physical acts like a kiss. They do hug, but as I’ve said before, RWBY has used these close, intimate hugs just as much if not more often to convey platonic or familial affection. Note also that Taiyang is the one to clearly initiate the hug, not Summer

More than any of that, it’s clear that Summer is putting on an act for Tai in this scene. In the scene she is clearly pensive and uncertain and maybe even afraid, but the moment Tai walks in, Summer immediately adopts a mask of ‘everything is normal, don’t worry about anything’. Which calls into question how much of anything Summer does/says in this exchange is truly genuine, and how much is simply an act for Tai’s benefit.

Summer clearly does not trust Taiyang with the truth of what she is ACTUALLY doing. And the clear ease with which Summer assumes this mask implies that this is likely far from the first time Summer has done this.

Just compare Summer’s scene with Tai to both her previous scene with the sleeping Ruby and Yang, and her following scene with Raven; both showing Summer not putting on any kind of act for anyone else.

Most notably, despite whatever resentment she might feel towards Raven for leaving them (or perhaps just leaving her), Summer clearly trusts Raven, more than ANYONE, with helping her on this mission she considered so vitally important.

Summer certainly cared for Taiyang, that much is clear. Otherwise she wouldn’t put so much effort into reassuring him that everything was fine.

But did she love Tai in way that he loved her? Or was it simply a role she went along with for his, and possibly more-so Ruby’s and Yang’s benefit? Given the clear emotional mask and barrier we see her put up when around Tai, I would call the answer, at BEST, ambiguous.

Which all ties perfectly into what we see in The Warrior in the Woods.

The boy in the story, who is presented as looking just like Tai, loved a mysterious but noble warrior, who is presented as looking like Raven AND Summer. But the love the boy felt could not or was not returned and the warrior would instead vanish into the night. Just like Summer and Raven did.

Oh, and the ending of the story match-cutting a shot of the ‘cross between Summer and Raven’ Warrior to a shot of Ruby who likewise has a lot of visual similarities to Raven as well as Summer MIGHT be hinting at something too…

[internationalemeteorologie]

Utagawa Kuniyoshi

Untitled series of the Kanadehon Chûshingura performed by bats, acts 1 to 6, published ca. 1847 by Ibaya Senzaburo

[phantomrin]

Inktober 2023

Day 21 - Marya Morevna

Ivan-tsarevich asks, "If there's a man alive, answer me! Who defeated this great army?" A man alive answers, "This great army was defeated by Marya Morevna, the fair princess."

("Marya Morevna". A.N. Afanasiev's collection of Russian folk tales.)

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