#weiss when hes being his ACTUAL self

[plaidos]

I have no particular dog in this fight as I'm not a GF superfan or anything, but I would like to question a bit of your analysis.

I think you're right that the version of GF where Dipper is transmasc makes Mabel's canonical actions transphobic.

I would like to question the insinuation that those same actions would've been "normal sibling rivalry" (?!) were Dipper closeted transfem or even cismasc, as opposed to "worst sister ever" (!?) behavior. Especially if we're going with transfem Dipper, those incidents of bullying remind me much more of patterns of bullying against transfeminine people, and intersex people CAMAB (such as myself) that I've personally witnessed/experienced.

Also, to the idea that Mabel being transphobic fundamentally changes her character in some way. Like, sometimes characters we're supposed to like hold a bigoted attitude which they will unlearn over the course of the story. Sokka from Avatar and Weiss from RWBY come to mind. Mabel being one of those characters doesn't fundamentally change her storyline or arc.

you’re right, Mabel’s actions and teasings are still mean with a transphobic undercurrent — even if Dipper is a dyadic cis boy, to be honest. but she’s also a twelve year old born in 1999. i too have received the kind of bullying associated with the way Mabel acts towards Dipper about his gender, but i’ve also had similarly “jokes” from loved ones who didn’t realise how shitty they were being because they didn’t have the political framework to analyse what is fucked up about it.

but if we’re reading Dipper as transmasc, it’s like… everybody he knows is accepting enough of his identity to gender him correctly, but they’re still totally willing to say things to him that you would categorically know are bigoted even at that age. like a twelve year old cisgender girl who knows about trans people and respects their existence might not realise how needlessly callous she is being when she teases her (seemingly) cisgender brother for having “girly” interests, but that same cisgender girl would probably be able to identify that her openly transgender brother wouldn’t want to wear makeup and that it would be incredibly fucked up to make him. i’m not saying it’s “right” but Mabel needs to actively Be A Transphobe (rather than just having some twelve year old cis girl ideas about gender & masculinity) to treat Dipper the way she treats him if he is openly transmasculine, but I feel like there’s more of a plausible deniability. i feel like the Mabel we see in the show is a couple years away from being like “wow, that was spectacularly mean of me, i hope that didn’t have an effect on Dipper’s self worth”

i feel like if (in the crazy alternate universe where this is possible) there were an episode where Dipper came out as transfem after feeling hurt by Mabel’s jokes she would be really torn up about it. she’d say something like “i’m really sorry, i didn’t know you felt so strongly about gender… i thought we were just joking around but i should be paying more attention to how you feel, Dipper…. wait, maybe you don’t want to be called Dipper any more. Oh no I AM a bigot!!!” and then Soos would come in and be like “heheh. total hatecrime dude” and then we’d cut to Bill being like “i don’t care what gender you are pine tree… i’m gonna get that GIRL if it’s the last thing I do” except girl would be obviously ADR’d over in Alex Hirsch’s normal voice with his live action mouth over Bill’s animated mouth

also transfeminine Dipper has just always made more sense. the big argument was that he uses a nickname instead of his birth name which he keeps a secret. and that would make sense if Dipper had a girl’s name, but Dipper’s birth name is “Mason”. so he actually is choosing to not use a male name and instead use something gender neutral, even though he really loves matching with his twin sister & having matching names is a family tradition — so he probably has a pretty big reason to not use it, considering he still doesn’t even with all the reasons he has to.

[holylulusworld]

The assistant (12) - 8 times the trouble

Summary: You are invisible most of the time.

Pairing: Former!Boss!Steve Rogers x Former!Assistant(plussized)!Reader

Possible pairing: Jake Jensen x Reader, Lloyd Hansen x Reader, Curtis Everett x Reader, Ari Levinson x Reader, Andy Barber x Reader, Mike Weiss x Reader, Ransom Drysdale x Reader

Warnings: flirty CEvans characters, language, plus-sized/chubby reader, protective brothers, Lloyd being Lloyd, arguments, brothers being brothers, fluff, caring brother

The assistant masterlist

The assistant (11) - Heating pads and cupcakes

“Back to Captain America. Isn’t it odd that he looks so much like Grandfather Steven?”

“What?” All six brothers stare at Ransom, mouth agape. They consider Ransom’s words before they snort.

“What are you talking about? Grandfather didn’t look like Captain Turd,” Lloyd grunts. “How dare you say shit like that!”

“I don’t know.” Andy knits his brows together. “I mean…Ransom is not wrong. Grandfather did have sharp features, matching Rogers’. It’s easy to confuse them.”

“Yeah, because Rogers is grandfather’s age,” Curtis snorts. ���Just look at Gramps sit over there, choking on his dry bagel because our food is not good enough for him.”

Mike and Jake stare at Steve; they dip their heads and think about Ransom's words again. “Not sure what you see,” they say in unison.”

“Guys, what’s going on?” You walk into the kitchen, watching the brothers stare at Steve. “You don’t plan on killing Captain Rogers again. Right? We talked about this. No killing before breakfast.”

Lloyd chuckles darkly. “I’ll be waiting for my chance, Cupcake. If anyone kills Captain Turd, it’s me.”

You sigh deeply. “Alright, guys. We need to talk about a few things before Mike and I will go to the meeting of his self-help group later.”

Mike smiles because you didn’t offer to help him and let him down. No, you will keep your promise and help him stay clean.

“We will have cake later,” Mike proudly says. “Maybe ice cream too.”

“I want ice cream too,” Jake pouts. “Can I come with you? I can wait outside for the two of you.”

“Uh—it’s actually family’s day,” Mike nervously murmurs. “I mean…uh—they said we can bring family members today if we want to. It’s not like with the drug addicts anonymous group.”

“How many groups did you join, Mike?” Ari wonders aloud. “And when did you join this self-help group?”

“He joined the group online with my help,” you are quick to help, Mike. “They talked mostly online, but today is a meeting, and he wants to go. I offered to go with him.”

“You’re so good to us,” Lloyd says before wrapping you in a hug. His hands creep toward your ass, and you giggle when he roughly gropes your globes. “So, so good, Cupcake.”

“Lloyd,” you giggle and laugh. “Stop it, you little perv!”

“Aw, I’m her little perv already, guys. You don’t stand a chance!” He grins while feeling your ass up. “She’s putty in my hands.”

“Lloyd Hansen, take your hands off my assistant!” Steve jumps up. He grits his teeth and wants to attack Lloyd, who nuzzles his face in your hair. “I said, let her go.”

“Hey, shut the fuck up!” Curtis growls. “If Y/N doesn’t want my brother to touch her, she’ll tell him to get off. You don’t give her enough credit for being the tough woman she is. Y/N is not a helpless bimbo like the girl you chose over her!”

“Get out of my way,” Steve growls as six of the seven brothers block his way. Even Ransom joined the bunch to stop him from getting anywhere near you. “I’m warning you.”

“No, I’m warning you!” You push Lloyd off you and slap his chest. He smirks but steps away. “You won’t hurt my friends. I chose to live with the brothers after you made me leave the job I loved. You are a guest at our house, and you can stay and watch me be happy around them, or leave right now! I will not allow you to hurt my family!”

The brothers sigh happily and look at you in awe. “Aw, she just admitted that she wants to be all mine,” Lloyd decides before bringing you back in his arms to peck your temple. “Now we will all have breakfast, and later, we’ll bring our little chaos to his group cuddle thing or whatever he’s doing with these guys.”

“And get ice cream,” Jake insists. “We will go for ice cream and have a movie night. Now that we are all back together…”

“Back together,” Curtis sarcastically says. “Right. For how long? Until he decides we are not his family?”

“Curtis, that is enough,” Andy steps in. “I know you are still hurt, but we let Mike back in, and you even allowed me to come back. Let’s give Ransom the benefit of the doubt.”

“Fine—” Curtis crosses his arms over his chest and glares in Ransom’s direction. Ransom glares back, a smirk on his plump lips.

“Fine—” Ransom mimics his brother, already planning to rile Curtis up some more later. They were always close but like fire and water at the same time.

“Aw, that’s so sweet!” You peck Lloyd’s lips before wrapping Curtis in a hug. “I’m so proud of you, my grumpy Curtie. I knew you’d make up.”

Ransom pouts. “Where’s my hug, sugar? I deserve a hug for being a good boy too, don’t you think, sugar? Also, I’m new here and deserve an extra hug for coming here to save my stubborn brothers.”

“Earn it,” Ari growls. “You don’t get free hugs only for being around. Just like Captain Turd.”

Lloyd grins because his brother finally used the right name for Steve.

“All of her hugs belong to me now. She wore my apron, which means she’s mine!”

“Alright, we have plans for today!” Andy stops his brothers before they even get the chance to start the fight. “It’s breakfast time!”

“I can't believe you bought a fucking eight-seater van,” Ransom wrinkles his nose. He shakes his head, not believing his eyes. “Who bought this piece of shit? This monstrosity is an affront to any car!”

“It’s bulletproof, spacious, comfortable, and we all have a seat!” Andy bites back. “I bought it…” He shakes his head, wanting to forget about his family’s fate. “Whatever. Get inside or stay here with Captain Turd.”

“I call shotgun!” Lloyd snickers as the rest of the brothers groan. “If not, I’ll sit in the back, and Y/N can sit in my lap.”

“Noooo!” Jake and Curtis grunt in unison. “She won’t sit in your lap; you will only try to grope her!”

Lloyd puts one hand on his heart, pretending to be offended. “I’m a gentleman and would never do such a thing. Cupcakes knows that.”

“I will come with you! I won’t let you take Y/N to an unknown location!” Steve gets inside the car, calling shotgun before the brothers can stop him.

“Hey! We only have eight seats, you dull brick!” Ransom grunts. “Get out of the car!”

“It’s fine. I can sit in Jake’s lap,” you say before grabbing Jake’s hand to guide him toward one of the seats in the back. “I know he won’t try to grope me.”

You give Lloyd a stern look when he tries to protest.

“Next time, she’ll sit in my lap,” Lloyd says. “No discussion.” He follows you and Jake to claim the seat next to you. “I’ll behave, Cupcake.”

While Jake and you get comfortable in your seat, the other brothers get inside the van. Steve harrumphs. He stares into the rearview mirror, gritting his teeth because you are sitting in Jake’s lap, looking comfortable and relaxed.

“Captain Turd.” Ari gets behind the steering wheel, smirking at Steve. “Don’t be a sore loser. We all want her to sit in our lap…”

[rwby-encrusted-blog]

Inspired by @pilot-boi's Fusion AU!

Warning now for talking about suicidal ideation, self harm, and self loathing. And mentions of Vomit.

None of it is explicitly detailed.

~~~~~

The Wildfire Knight had been in the Ever After their whole … Life? Existence. Whatever one would call this desperate act of survival. Jaune and Cinder both cringed and recoiled at the fact their fusion was a person. Maybe it was the Ever After, Maybe it was the fact The Wildfire Knight had time to develop into a person from them both. Nen was almost a person with how close and reliant Ren and Nora were on each other. 

Stars Fell. Four of them.

RWBY.

Hurt Them.

Help Them!

Kill them!

Save them. Please.

Cinder was angry. She usually was. it was often the only choice she had, and all three knew it (Cinder almost hated that the most.) She’d calm down soon. Jaune could negotiate with her.

They shook their head clear of the other’s thoughts, and hopped on Jewels.

Jaune wanted to call it Juniper, Cinder was defiant. She didn’t want to give it name and was half-tempted to kill the Jackalope just to hurt Jaune.

Cinder suggested the name Emerald for all the wrong reasons.

They settled on Jewels.

Cinder and Jaune wanted to be out of here - first take care of RWBY (Whoever won out at what that meant), and then try and leave. That was always the goal. The Wildfire Knight was scared they might die when it happened. Jaune was open about feeling the same way. Cinder was more guarded about it, as she always had been, but in raw, open moments, Jaune and Wildfire knew she cared.

Wildfire was reliant on Jaune’s survival knowledge, tactics, and most importantly, his kindness. They also relied on Cinder's skills in fighting, her ability to be both shrewd and deceptive, and, most strongly, her unending will to survive.

Their leg hurt. Their lack of a leg hurt. Their missing eye stung slightly. It all always did.

Cinder wanted freedom, but was bound to Jaune.

Jaune wanted to protect his friends. Cinder was only able to comprehend actually caring for someone after the first decade or so. After Wildfire came about.

Wildfire wanted to live. For RWBY. For JNPR. Because Cinder couldn’t just die, not after all the work she put in.

Wildfire hated themself at first. Because Jaune and Cinder hated each other. Because Jaune and Cinder Hated themselves. Because They were Jaune and Cinder.

It was only because they had Cinder’s need to survive that they didn’t kill themself. They did, however, hurt themself. Jaune’s self-sacrificial tendencies and his need to be punished for the mistakes he thought he made, and Cinder’s feelings of never being strong enough, and that weakness deserved to be punished.

The scars on their arms burned, like they did when they were fresh.

They thought back to the first time They did something for themself- Cinder and Jaune were arguing about Alyx - they’d just been poisoned and left to die. It was loud. Too loud. They needed to leave. To clear their head - the Herbalist was too raw, too recent - they tried to tear each other apart.

So The Wildfire Mage Walked.

And Walked.

And Walked.

And eventually stumbled into cool, clear water.

Cinder and Jaune were surprised - too caught up in their argument to notice their vessel had been moving. 

Someone New was here - no. They’d always been there. They’d just woken up.

Wildfire was shook from their thoughts at the noise of fighting, immediately whipping out Corcea Ignis - Crocea Mors’ shattered blade extended and reformed with Obsidian Glass into a Cutlass-esque form, the the shield expanding in front of them as they charged into battle on the back of Jewels.

~~~~~

Meeting in the lotus with Rwby caused Wildfire to be pushed back by Jaune’s - and as loathe as she was to admit it, Cinder’s - relief at RWBY - the real, living, breathing team RWBY.

The four of them were, of course, shocked when they saw “Jinder” Weiss being the most surprised.

It didn’t get any better as the situation was explained.

~~~~~

The Paper Pleasers were gone. The only stable thing outside of themselves was gone. The ones that Jaune Protected, the ones that Cinder commanded, the closest things to friends Wildfire had - They were gone. Just like that.

Ruby screamed at them. At Jaune. At Cinder. She didn’t acknowledge Wildfire as a part of them. That might’ve been the worst.

All of Them were angry at Ruby. They’d suffered. They’d all suffered. Jaune’s hope and love was betrayed, Cinder’s rage was Reignited, Wildfire’s fear of not being anything but a mistake  was getting thrown in their face.

He could never be a hero.

She was Weak.

They didn’t matter to anyone.

He was a killer.

She was a Failure.

They were nothing.

Anger reacted with Anger, reacted with Anger, reacted with Anger, and it coiled in on itself ever further.

An eye lit with golden fire.

A fist was swung.

Ruby was knocked to the ground several feet away.

Gambol Shroud wrapped around their midsection, yanking them back, Yang gappled their arms behind them, and an Arma Gigas as white as the Atlesian Tundra got between Them and Ruby.

“EVERYTHING YOU TOUCH FALLS APART! EVERYTHING YOU TRY AND SAVE CRUMBLES!”

“Mercury Stopped you from saving Penny the first time- You were too slow, Too WEAK- The Paper Pleasers were all I had! The JabberWalkers Followed YOU, Because Neo HATES YOU- THEY WERE LIKE ME- MADE BY THIS PLACE- You Don’t get to act like they’re NOTHING-”

Wildfire, Cinder, and Jaune Spoke over themselves. Over each other, their anger feeding on each others, till their voices broke with pain and at the emotions pouring over themselves. 

Three Souls in one body was an awful lot to handle. They stopped straining against WBY and collapsed to their knees, heaving and shaking. “We’re not right - I know I’m broken pieces - We just want to live - You’re suppose to care about people- to care about us-”

The three of them fell into each other, the distinctions between Jaune and Cinder and Wildfire collapsing.

They were crying. They were numb. They were sore. They’d hurt their friend. She deserved it. That wasn’t true. They were Weak, not good enough. That was true. Wasn’t that true? Weren’t they powerful?

They were all exhausted.

The three of them vomited.

They fell over, just out of range of the puddle they made, curled up as they clutched their head, and they cried.

When they finally opened their eyes again, Weiss was sat nearby, petting and consoling Jewels.

No one said anything.

Weiss eventually moved over to them.

“Hey. That was a lot, and I’m certain there’s been a lot going on in, but Ruby’s in trouble it sounds like. It’s urgent. Can get to her quickly on a summon, and I need to get going now. I’m sorry I can’t stay longer.”

Weiss Summoned the Lancer Queen, and started getting on it.

Jaune Urged them all to stand, out of guilt and a need to protect, even if he was still upset. Wildfire knew Ruby didn’t know them, not in the ways that distinguished them from other fusions. They felt guilty and a need to make it up to Ruby. They propped themself up on their knees. Cinder, in her own odd way, had respect for Ruby. She was a survivor as much as she was a thorn in her side. Even she felt a smidge of guilt for much of what she’d done - guilt tempered with the ‘knowledge’ it was the only way for her to survive. She helped them up.

The three of them climbed onto Jewel’s back and chased after Weiss.

~~~~~

When they Arrived, Ruby was lifting the Teacup to her mouth. 

Cinder hit her with a fireball, splashing the tea on the floor and sending Ruby Tumbling again, a burn on her upper chest.

They cringed at the harm.

The cat Lunged at her.

Yang Lunged at the cat, blocking it.

Neo lunged at Ruby as well.

She was knocked away by icicles from Weiss.

The Wildfire Knight Ran to Ruby, Guarding her with their body and applying Jaune’s semblance to her.

Ruby Batted at them, scurrying away with tears in her eyes.

They cried out an apology.

Neo slashed across their back.

Blake tried to wrap her ribbon Around Neo.

She shattered into glass.

There was a fight.

Eventually the fusion’s aura broke, The Ever After keeping them from falling apart.

The Curious Cat raised a claw, prepared to kill, Neo coming in from behind.

They were Going to die. Jaune was Going to die. Cinder was going to die.

In the moment they couldn’t be mad. Cinder didn’t like it, not one bit, she was rather peeved about it, but … There was something about not having to fight anymore that let her let go.

Wildfire figured they’d get an answer on what they were - Living or just a means for Jaune and Cinder’s survival.

Jaune saved his friends. Now that he was actually faced with his death he didn’t like it, in a very personal manner. He realized just how horribly wanting to die felt.

But there was nothing the three of them could do.

He was strong enough to protect his Friends. 

She wasn’t strong enough to survive on her own, by making enemies, seeing as how it came back to bite her, but she was Strong. Strong enough to protect others, something she’d never thought she’d do.

They meant something. They’d been the one keeping Jaune and Cinder alive, and it was their body that saved Ruby.

So they “Held Hands,” Being completely open about how the three of them felt, and embraced the end together. 

None of them expected to feel so weightless.

~~~~~

They found themselves … somewhere.

Somewhere.

There was a tall person in front of a grinding wheel, sharpening … Crocea Mors? 

The person looked over their shoulder, setting the weapon into its sheath and walking over to The Wildfire Knight.

“I am happy to see you three after so long. I am the Blacksmith of the Ever After. You are welcome in this place.”

The three were confused.

“Did we die?”

“No, not in the way you may be thinking. You are ascending. I will say, however, that you are a unique case - usually I only find one to help at a time more than enough.”

They grimaced a little at that, sheepish at being different. “S-sorry.”

“There is nothing to apologize for. In fact, something new is quite welcomed!” The Blacksmith was grinning widely. 

It was comforting.

“Now, I unfortunately cannot separate you three myself - You have been entwined for too long, and it is only you that may decide where one of you ends and the next begins.”

The Knight looked and the Blacksmith, confused.

“Separate? We may separate?”

“Yes, if you would like.”

Jaune and Cinder both “Jumped” at the idea - but were held back by something. They’d been together for so long, what would it be like to be apart now? What would Happen with Wildfire?

The Blacksmith produced a small knife from their apron.

Alyx’s Knife.

“She left this piece of herself for you, when she left. I know it may seem daunting, but as I said I cannot do this for you. You must decide if and how you come apart, and who gets what from yourselves.”

Wildfire took the knife.

Cinder Trusted them. They had her drive to survive.

Jaune was worried, but also relented. They all had to be in agreement on this.

The three of them plunged the knife into their stomach.

~~~~~

Wildfire Blinked. The area was different, their eyes straining - Eyes? They stepped, one foot in front of the other- They had both feet?!?

Wildfire looked over themself, staring at both hands, running them along their leg.

“AH-”

“Hold Still Arc - Bite the hem of your clothing I need to cauterize the wound-”

“RRRG!”

“There. Not the worst feeling, ever, right?”

“I Suppose not Cinder.”

“Excellent. Now help me stand.”

Wildfire whipped around to see Jaune - one eye shut with fresh blood trailing from it, tears in his remaining eye, with Cinder standing on a black-glass prosthetic.

“What- Why-”

“I can keep going without an Eye. You deserve to see the world with your own two.” Jaune interrupted, Grinning even through his obvious pain and Cinder hanging off of him. He was old, hair tied back in a low ponytail, rusted plate armor surrounding him, with gray streaks in his golden locks.

“I figured … I could rely on you. I can also fly. I supposed I could live without being able to walk quickly.” Cinder avoided looking at them, clearly shocked by her own kindness and embarrassed by her seemingly having gone soft. She was also old, crows feet in her eyes, a dark cloak wrapping entirely around her body, hair long and graying.

They looked hardly different, tears welling up in both their eyes at the kindness Cinder and and Jaune showed them.

The idea of Wildfire being their Child - a new person born of two souls - had crossed their minds before. It made them cringe and recoil, especially when Jaune and Cinder actually started viewing Wildfire as something closer then just a combination of them.

“That was very selfless from both of you, if perhaps unnecessary. Another part of Alyx’s gift was that you would be put back to being young, and now all of you can be young again.”

“We’ve been told the Mind forgets but the heart remembers. If we become young again …” Cinder trailed off. She was scared - she held no power in this situation. She was willing to do just about anything to be young again, but she also … she couldn’t quite betray Wildfire … and … Jaune … just like that after everything.

“If you choose yourselves, No. But in this place you may be anything-”

“If we choose ourselves can we … change some things? About ourselves?” Cinder stared at her Grimm Arm for the first time in decades. She was glaring at it.

“To a degree, yes. Changing what you are changes who you are-”

“Get rid of my Grimm Arm.”

“So you choose yourselves?”

“Yes!”

The Blacksmith handed Cinder a Bow made of Glass.

She accepted readily, the gray leaving her hair, arm dissolving into mist as she erupted into a brilliant new flame.

“Yes?”

The Blacksmith handed Jaune a reforged Crocea Mors, a visible line from where it had shattered on the Bridge.

He accepted it tentatively, turning into glowing, golden motes of dust, blinking two blue eyes as he left.

“ … am I … myself?”

The Blacksmith smiled.

“Yes, but I do not have a weapon for you. What you wielded was theirs.”

“... may I make myself a weapon?”

“Yes, but it may take some time.”

“ … May I have Alyx’s Dagger?”

“It was left for you.”

“ … Thank you.”

“You are very welcome Wildfire.”

And Wildfire smiled, seemingly melting into an glowing Amber slag, tailing behind their progenitors, excited to see what they would become as their own person.

~~~~~

I have Ideas about what happens next, and I do feel I left things unanswered, but the open ending feels right. I know they help RWBY Fight Neo and the Cat, but that’s all. 

[infoglitch]

no because wishfulfillment isekai webnovel writer Jaune + raging antifan Weiss that criticizes his every choice but still reads every single one of his chapters and is always the first to comment is the only way i will consume whiteknight (i had thought about a fic like this but most likely wont write it)

bonus points if the MC is actually Jaune's self-insert and Weiss actually likes that character and writes super long rant posts because he had potential but was wasted for dumb isekai fanservice

neither of them knows each other irl but when Jaune is unable to post chapters bc he has gone into uni debt Weiss secretly pays it all off

My brother in Christ if this shit is not the most comedic and perfectly ridiculous thing I've ever read then I don't know what is.

For a moment I thought you were pug but I'm surprised I've received another ask that isn't someone being a piece of shit.

And in all honesty,

I fuck with this idea

It's funny as all hell and could definitely work as a whiteknight fic. So overall

You can fuckin cook!

[matt0044]

What we can learn from “The Jaune Arc Discourse” (TM).

Well, to start with, people are really resistant to being corrected on lies at worst or overstatements at best.

Like if nothing else, the Does RWBY Like Women poll was illuminating in how it showed me that a veeeeeery weird myth about Jaune Arc has persisted beyond its true relevancy.

Volume 1 of RWBY features Jaune Arc in the spotlight for… what? Four episodes? The minutes of each adding up to roughly twenty minutes, the length of an average TV episode?

While he was featured in the previous storyline where we are given an eight episode arc introducing us to our eight main protagonists, he was a lot more… ancillary as comic relief. A discount Lavernius Tucker with Felix’s voice if you will.

He's Vomit Boy in episode one. Episode two has him introduced more formally as somebody who helps up Ruby after a bad first impression on Weiss. He later appears more prominently pining over Weiss and catching Pyrrha's attention before falling to bracing himself in being catapulted into the Emerald Forest.

He's bailed out by Pyrrha and it's set up that he's in over his head by not knowing what Aura is or at least wanting to know how it works. An exposition sponge as I heard on fan call it. I could go on but the point is that all signs pointed to a Butt Monkey Ron Stoppable sort who was likely there for cheap laughs.

Amusing enough but I worried if that's all he'd be personally. Lord knows that some movies give the Comic Relief character too much comic relief and, well, not enough character. But after Ruby and Weiss have their leader/lance headbutting, the four episodes that followed reassured me that there'd be more to Jaune than meets the eyes.

But to circle back to the main thesis, it's actually fascinating that the myth of Jaune hijacking the narrative for himself is this pervasive when the offending story in question... is very much a self-contained character piece. It's way less about the wider story involving Ozpin, Roman Torchwick (at the time) and the White Fang.

It has relevance in how Pyrrha starts mentoring Jaune after he deals with Cardin and gets over himself (for now) which trickles down into future stories. Even then, the next story arc right back with Team RWBY with nary a sign of the everyman in question. A story arc that does deal with elements of the main plot, leading directly into Volume 2.

And in Volume 2, Jaune trying to woo Weiss and being ignorant to Pyyrha's advancements was just a subplot scattered in the first half of the story. It very much piggybacks off of Team RWBY's whole deal.

Volume 3 has what I consider to be a reversal of what's been known as Trinity Syndrome.

Namely the sort where a male character goes off the square off with the main villain mano-e-mano after shoving the female character/his love interest away so she won't get hurt. An egrigious example being when the love interest CAN FIGHT and back him up.

However, Pyyrha instead shoves Jaune out of the way after kissing him and goes off to face Cinder in a very fatal battle. It was honestly a brilliant (as much as the term may be disliked these days) subversion of the cliche.

And it’s Ruby who sees her death and gets the trauma induced power up. Jaune only has a scene of angst before that and was the one to call Ruby to have her try and back up the one he just realized he loved.

Jaune from that point on is an Everyman Protagonist who is forced to remember that he’s not THE protagonist. Yet the myth persistently proclaims that he hijacks the narrative from the titular Team RWBY despite only four episodes being wholly dedicated to him and his head space.

How did we get here?

Well… there’s the fact that not everyone finished Volume 1 and that not everybody, well, watched RWBY. And that would be fine on its own. You gave it a shot and it wasn’t your cuppa joe. You saw the trailer but clicked on something else.

I get it. That’s fine. Contrary to popular belief, nobody in the FNDM will really fault you for it. Less fine is when you spread faulty readings of RWBY and from those heavily biased against it no less.

It cannot be emphasized enough that tearing into RWBY is a cottage industry on YouTube. Hbomberguy might have the biggest platform but you’ll find multiple channels with lengthy series on “RWBY bad, here why.” And they are actually amongst the FNDM. They know how the YT Algorithm game is played, how it rewards engagement above all else. And sadly, negativity and rage pay more bills.

It’s why there are few positive videos or at least few that are pushed into the recommendations. Many often borrow the same points from each other born from the V1 days, namely that Jaune is allegedly given favoritism by the writers while we somehow “don’t know who the main girls are.”

From four episodes.

I also think it’s also to do with how it’s not that he actually did steal screentime… so much as many anticipated he would. A lot of shows and movies I grew up with would have strong female characters but any potential they had was hindered by the male lead and his hero’s journey. See the above Trinity Syndrome I referenced.

But Jaune didn’t do that. Even when he was central to an event like his semblance being awakened, it’s a healing/power boost that he gives to others. Weiss getting skewered might’ve brought it out but it lead to her getting back into the fray while he was largely to the sides.

Seems more like he shares screentime if anything.

People cling to these myths despite legit fans actually pointing out, “Hey, that’s not true actually and here’s why,” because that hate being told they are wrong more than being wrong. And because there are many around these who reinforce this “truth,” they feel content with it. No need to challenge it when it “feels” right.

So Jaune Arc stole screentime. Because that’s what “everyone else” is saying. By you need to question popular opinions. You need to realize that sometimes… a fan community is based on lies.

”Trust me, bro” is not the gotcha you think it is.

[aspoonofsugar]

Looking at the Jaune clock piece I think it’s interesting how the show plays around with the tropes related to the Everyman hero and male audience surrogate with his character. The hero is “supposed” to save the girl. That’s how it’s meant to go in these kind of fantasies. But Jaune’s arc plays around with this by putting him in the heroine role and putting his insecurities and motivations under a harshly critical microscope when he falls short of these expectations he places on himself.

RWBY is criticized for its use of the “fridging” trope with regards to Jaune, and I think there’s probably a kernel of truth to that. But he almost feels like a “take that!” at those tropes and the show is making a deconstructive commentary on the archetype of character Jaune is meant to represent. After all - Pyrrha, Penny, Weiss, and Alyx’s stories are never fully about Jaune. At each point where he “fails” it’s these women who move forward and become who they’re meant to be. Jaune is more the incubator in which one of the story’s central themes is being internalized - the idea of choice and how that contextualizes these tragedies in the story as something beautiful. How that lesson can be used to help Jaune himself achieve self-actualization and potentially hand it back for someone else to do what they need to do.

It’s a really interesting arc and I’m not convinced they knew it would turn out that way, but if they do conclude it meaningfully it’s an interesting piece of the puzzle that recontextualizes so many pivotal elements of the show where Jaune has been a bystander.

Hi!

I agree, Jaune is a great character! Thank you for sharing your analysis, I mostly agree!

I have talked about Jaune's arc in multiple metas. Here comes a synthesis of my thoughts:

-I don't think Pyrrha or Penny were fridged for Jaune. They have their own arcs, which both end in death and have an impact on Jaune. The truth is that their last moments and overall arcs are more than just Jaune. Jaune is a big part of Pyrrha's arc, but in the end she chooses to be a hero over being with Jaune and her final moment is about her and Cinder and the theme of destiny. Penny's arc as a whole has very little to do with Jaune and her final moment is about her and Winter.

-Jaune trying to save a woman at the climax of each arc ties with the 4 gifts. He fails to save Pyrrha because of ignorance. He saves Weiss through creation. He has to kill Penny to learn destruction. He will probably have to help Cinder make a choice.

-Jaune's arc is about becoming both Knight and Maiden

Thank you for the ask!

[howlingday]

Been missing the Rwby Pokemon Au

Can we just have some random skits you can think of for them?

Ideas if u need them

they have a field trip to a gym(-any pokemon type)

Jaune takes another nap outside, team jnpr nap alongside him with the pokemon being jealous there spots are filled

Weiss plays with her pokemon (shenanigans)

A legendary pokemon does a thing (also shenanigans)

Jaune’s mom telling the pokemon that keep breaking into Jaune’s old room to stop, he’s not here right now

At The Gym

"Hey, there, Trainers~!"

"Dad?" Yang balked. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm the Gym Leader of Patch now!"

"You're the Gym Leader now?" Ruby asked.

"Yup!" Taiyang turned to the rest of the students in his daughter's class. "For those of you who don't know, I'm Taiyang Xiao Long, the Gym Leader of the Patch Island Gym. Can anyone tell me what type this gym specializes in?" A familiar student raised their hand. "Yes, Ruby?"

"Fighting-Types, right?"

"That's right!" He gave a thumbs up. "And what service does this Gym offer?" Another familiar hand shot up. "Yes, Yang?"

"This Gym teaches self-defense for Pokémon and Trainers while also acting as a safe-guard against Grimm attacking from the sea."

"Rightio~!" Taiyang gave another thumbs up, this time giving a wink. Both Ruby and Yang cringed. "And what does Safeguard do?" He held out his hand. "Without getting help from my daughters, please."

"I wouldn't even know." Yang whispered, getting a snicker from Ruby.

"Anyone?" A delicate hand was raised. "Yes, you?"

"It provides a barrier that prevents status effects." Weiss answered.

"Correct!" He chuckled. "Bet I caught you kids off-guard, huh? Bet you're all in a state of ASTONISH!" Professor Goodwitch joined her students in a collective groan.

"So, one last question for the day." With a pop, Taiyang's partner, the Mega Fire Pig Pokémon, Emboar, emerged with a growl. "Who's got the Guts to take me on~?"

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

Playing Games

"Okay, Arc, which type does Powder Snow work on?" The Alolan Vulpix tilted her head at the two cards. One had an Eiscue and the word "ICE" underneath, while the other card had Dratini and the word "DRAGON" beneath. The Fox Pokémon tapped her nose against the Dratini card. "Whoosh!" The card fell over as Weiss made a noise with her mouth.

"Vah!" Arc cried.

"Yes, you did very good~!" Weiss cooed as her fingers slid across her Vulpix's fur.

"Wouldn't it be easier for her to learn if she actually battled?" Yang asked. "She's not going to be a baby forever."

"She will battle when she's good and ready to." Weiss huffed as she picked up her Pokémon.

"But she won't be ready if you keep coddling her." Yang argued. "Sometimes you gotta throw 'em to the Orthworms to see what works and what doesn't."

"I am not some brute who mindlessly puts her Pokémon in danger for the sake of 'gaining experience' as you say." Weiss turned up her nose. "My Pokémon will be ready for anything the tournament throws at them BEFORE the tournament begins."

Yang rolled her eyes at Weiss. "Whatever you say, Ice Queen."

Weiss then resumed playing with her Vulpix while Ember and Celica rested at Yang's feet. They'd stood up as they argued, but quickly settled after Yang put her hands on both of their heads. Thinking on it, she remembered when she first got these two. They were as rambunctious then as they were now, though Yang had to step in at the request of her teammate, Blake.

Getting a better look, Yang saw that Arc was definitely smaller than her Pokémon, even before they evolved into what they are now. Maybe it would be better for the little one to spend more time learning before actually getting into the thick of it. Yang stood up and left the room, her two troublemakers trailing behind. She did her thinking best when she wasn't sitting down.

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

Beautiful Day For A Nap

'It's not fair!'

'Quiet.' Akouo said little above a whisper. 'Disturbing their rest will only make matters worse.'

'Mm!' Milo nodded, though his weepy eyes and trembling feet made his true intentions more easily seen.

Those intentions being to take a nap with his trainer, along with her friends, under the shade of the tree her leader was often seen resting against. She was right at his side, though not touching as she kept her hands to her chest. When her leader placed an arm over her shoulder, she seemed to be smiling. On the other side of him was their teammate Storm Flower's trainer with his back pressed against his leader and with Magnhild's trainer cuddled up to him! It was like one big cuddle pile!

'It sure would be nice to take a nap over there.'

'Then what's stopping us?!' Magnhild cried.

'Him.' Without pointing, everyone knew who Akouo was referring to.

Crocea Mors, the Aegislash of the leader trainer, was the one who insisted on maintaining a distance from their trainers. In his words, it would help "strengthen personal willpower and resolve" while also "rooting out the weakness of dependency". Milo didn't understand what it meant, but if Akouo was on board with it, then so was he! Even if Pyrrha's exposed skin looked so inviting to him.

He took a step forward.

A subtle screech of steel hissed.

He took a step back.

No Pokémon was getting cuddles right now.

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

Reading

Rock. Shiny rock. Many side. Infinite within. Endless with an end. Dialga.

Stick. Wet lines. Held in mouth. Firm, except when touched. Zamazenta.

Gold. Big hole. Human made. Taken without permission. Hoopa.

Eyes. Above head. Hateful. Not Pokémon. Not human. Salem.

Must move.

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

Intruder

"Go on now, shoo!"

The massive Pokémon glared at her from the shadows. It's massive, fiery red eyes glared at her from beyond a timeless void. Still, this didn't stop Mrs. Arc from shoving a broom at the beast from beyond. Giratina gave a bellow.

"He's not here! He hasn't been here for almost a year! Now shoo!"

Another bellow as their head started to push through. Mrs. Arc began jabbing harder, shouting louder than ever. "NO!"

Mr. Arc was in the living room, trying to watch TV with his youngest while his wife struggled in their only son's room. He looked down to his daughter, her eyes glued to the TV, then put his hands on his knees.

A tiny hand was placed on his thigh. Looking down, his child shook her head.

"I have to, sweetie. Mommy needs help." With a sigh, she slumped, watching TV with her head on her chest. He rolled his eyes. "I'll be right back."

Standing from the couch, he stepped away from the living room and closer to where his son's room was. "Honey?" He called. "Everything okay over there?"

"GET THE SPRAY BOTTLE!"

He sighed. It really was that bad today, huh?

[rise-my-angel]

i agree with your last post wayyyy too much. i can’t do jon snow haters or people who say that dany had every right to burn down kings landing because they k!lled her best friend. okay??? what about the thousands of innocents. she had a whole army, she could have just gone for cersei or been an actual leader and not taken revenge on her own ‘people’. like??? also if you support jamie lannister being a king slayer and k!lling aerys to save thousands of lives (which ill assume most of the fandom does) then jon did the exact same thing. yes they both ‘betrayed’ people they served but it saved thousands of lives.

my only argument in dany’s defense is she should have never gone ‘mad’. the writers should have never made her get on dragon back and burn down an entire city, but since she did, then she has got to GO.

The thing is, is that the burning of Kings Landing has been a LONG existing prediction by book readers of what Dany will do once she reaches Westeros. It has been theorized for YEARS before Benioff and Weiss were likely ever told about the books planned ending beats.

But, it won't be because she's mad. It will be a calculated move on purpose, no madness, just self righteous justification that because they didn't want her as Queen, they should die.

In the show, Dany has posed this multiple times. Dany in the show over the years does NOT hesitate to say she wants to burn cities to the ground, make her enemies die screaming, and has routinely posed situations where her options are literally bend the knee or die.

For example, this is a snippet of dialouge from season 8 after she burned Kings Landing and one million people with it.

Jon: "What about everyone else? All the other people who think they know what's good." Dany: "They don't get to choose."

This sounds extremely like something Dany says to Jorah in season 4 when he informs her that the masters have disregarded her laws almost as soon as she left Yunkai.

Dany: "He will tell the masters what has happened in Meereen. He will explain the choice they have before them. They can live in my new world or they can die in their old one."

This is the exact same scenario. You either live in Dany's world exactly as she dictates it, or you die.

There is no actual choice she is giving the masters, it is her way or death. Exactly like she plans to do to the rest of Westeros. Season 8 was not out of character.

Jorah says in this very scene that it is tempting to always see your opposition as evil, but that by always treating those who oppose you as such, it is the good and innocent who will get caught in the crossfire, and she says that she has no interest in entertaining what other people think is good and evil, she does as she sees fit.

One Barristan dies, she leads whats left of the leaders of noble houses to where her dragons are locked away, and lets one burn a man alive with abosutely no proof these men had anything to do with it as a threat that she will do the same to them. Again, with no proof that the masters or noble houses of Mereen have ANY relation to the Sons of the Harpy.

Upon a rewatch, one will find Dany says a LOT of very concerning things that foreshadow whats to come. This is going to happen, this was always going to happen. Dany was not going to burn the Red Keep, because thats the castle her family built with the throne her family created. Its the symbol of everything she wants and thinks she's entitled too.

But the people? These people who in the show and likely books, will not see kindly to this foreign occupier who uses her dragons to scare people into submission and will not yeild their Queen or King to her? Well, they are in her way. They refuse to join her new world, so they die in their old one. She doesn't need the people of one city to take the throne as long as theres still a throne to sit upon.

Dany routinely sees evil in her enemies with no grey area. Jon, otherwise is a man who looked his enemy in the eye (lord commander of the nights watch who betrayed them as a spy up against the wildlings he spied on and defeated in battle), and said (paraphrasing) "We don't have to be friends, but you, your children, and your children's children all deserve to survive. Let me protect you."

When everyone hated him for it. But he did it because it was the right thing to do. Jon has always given men at their worst chances at redemption. Thats what the Nights Watch is, so many of them were criminals, murderers, rapists, but Jon lets them prove they are better then their worst parts and only punishes with due justice when they commit the re offending behavior. Jon doesn't kill Karl Tanner in a brutal way beacuse he likes it, he only killed him like that when his back was turned, because Karl was about to kill the innocent girl who helped Jon by stabbing Karl in the back when he had Jon pinned.

Dany has no right to burn down Kings Landing, there is no excuse for it. But she will not beacuse she is forced too, or by accident, or through madness. No, it will be a calculated, purposeful decision that she will choose to do this, because thats how she has chosen to commit every atrocity she's ever done, which when you tally it up, is shocking and disturbingly high.

It was a massacre of extreme proportions that she was proud of. Wheras Jon felt extreme guilt for not saving every free folk when the army of the dead massacred Hardhome, when that was completely out of his control or power, and when he still in fact, saved over 5000 lives of what was supposed to be his greatest enemy.

The completely unbelievable joke of a romance aside, the Jon we know would not have hesitated to kill her. That is one million lives she murdered in the most brutal fashion because she didn't get what she wanted.

But we know why Jon would want to kill her for it, beacuse she answered the very question he posed in season five in the most terrifying way possible.

Jon: "Isn't their survival more important than your pride?"

Dany said no, and massacred the very same people Jon has been trying to save for years. I was being factious when I said Jon should've killed her harder, but it's still true. Dany in the show became exactly what the books are leading up to. But people were tricked through the framing that beacuse Dany thinks shes the world's main character, that she's always in the right, when she very often isn't.

It was always coming, and it was never out of character, beacuse Dany was always this way. At the burning of Kings Landing, she finally just allowed herself to be honest about it.

Jon was right to kill her for committing the exact mass slaughter that Jaime killed Aerys II for being about to commit.

The Targaryeans are fire and blood, and they paid the price for it.

[pilot-boi]

I can 100% see Ruby and Yang escalating to violence in that mirror man/twins combo, all too willing to beat the Rusted Knight out of their brother. The image of their childhood idol ruined by this callous monster, reminded of the darker versions of the fairytale where Alyx loathed his uncompromising view of morality. And all while they fight, Yang notices that she never really feels any of the hits they land on him, the pain dulled and numb, as if their auras don't recognize eachother.

That’s the thing, the hits WOULD land, she WOULD feel them. His Aura is the same, even if RK doesn’t think he’s Jaune Arc. It’s all a mental thing, there’s no magic or anything involved. They are the same person

Actually, it would feel like they hurt MORE, because the whole time Yang would be able to feel this nauseating self hatred covered up by an oil sheen of positivity. She’d be able to feel Jaune in mental/emotional agony under the mask of the Rusted Knight

Which makes it hurt even more when her twin says to her face that if he could’ve killed himself before they ever met to keep him from ruining her life, he would’ve done so without hesitating. Because she can FEEL that he’s not lying, he’s absolutely telling the truth

And Ruby, meanwhile, is going through her own identity crisis, so arriving in the Ever After and seeing her big brother so far down his own rabbit hole that he’s cheerfully telling them he’d kill himself again doesn’t do Ruby any favors

Jaune’s one of the strongest people she knows, and if HE took the easy way out and couldn’t continue being him, then why should she keep being Ruby Rose?

Then there’s the whole thing about them both being fans of the story as children. The Rusted Knight is a hero, he’s THE hero, brave and moral and unbending in the face of evil. So to find out that he’s Jaune, not just that, that he’s the last resort Jaune’s mind had after breaking so utterly?

He knows them, but he pities them for loving him. Feels sorry for THEM for being “tricked” into loving someone so deplorable. He hates himself so utterly that he killed himself and fled into this shell of a person

Jaune’s lucky he has a lot of Aura, because after that, the sisters can’t help what they do. Blake and Weiss have to pull them off of him, because “The Rusted Knight” doesn’t try to defend himself

He’s not Jaune Arc, he’s not that monster. But he’s still the person who killed their brother, so he just takes the hits.

He deserves them

[rwbyrg]

Another thing I had noticed was the way Ruby interreacts with everyone vs. how she interacts with Oscar. Like her mannerisms seem to change a bit when she speaks or is near him or she treats him differently from the others. Because personally I've never seen her act very nervous around the others when she met them versus how she met Oscar, and she still does it to this day. What do you think?

I am soooooo late to answering these asks and this got sooooo long aha. Thank you for your patience. 🙇‍♀️

I have noticed that Ruby acts markedly different around Oscar than the others! And in my opinion, it is done with a great deal of intention. The thing with RG is that a lot of what makes the ship so strong is how subtle its writing is. So much of it is paralleled themes and a lot of it relies on an absence of something that is usually present. Often treating the absence itself as a presence of something to be paid attention to.

When we first meet Ruby in V1, she says she gets along better with weapons than she does with people. (Lol isn't it funny that Oscar's name means "God's Spear" haha. surely that has no correlation whatsoever... anyway).

When Ruby meets Weiss, she gets screamed at and makes a dust bomb explode in the courtyard, but by V2 so many of their conflicts are resolved and they've become rivals/besties/team partners.

When Ruby meets Blake, she's got her foot in her mouth and is super awkward... until there's an opportunity to connect with her about stories and fairytales. Then we see Ruby's earnest side come out and the anxiety in her pretty much disappears.

When Ruby meets Jaune, it's remarkably not awkward. Their shared social awkwardness and feelings of not belonging at Beacon cancel each other out and they're able to have a fairly normal conversation.

Very quickly through the early volumes, Ruby gets comfortable. As a leader, as part of her team, as a welcome part of their social circle. She's young, still optimistic and full of hope. She hasn't been given too much trauma or cause to question herself by that point. She has her moments, sure, but like a lot of kids that don't fit in much and aren't super social, she's actually really good at it once she's given the chance.

But when Ruby meets Oscar - while she has experienced some of the Horrors™ that have chipped away at her self confidence - she's not too different than usual. Not at first, anyway.

He comments on her eyes and she responds naturally by asking him who he is, she's able to be candid with her response when she's told he's carrying Oz around, and yeah she giggles a bit when they're all playing the 'getting to know you game', but she also smiles at him. Earnest, trying to make him feel at ease cause this situation is kind of weird for all of them. When they spar later, she's being a goofy kid. Sticking her tongue out at him, laughing while they throw and dodge punches, running to help him when he collapses, grabbing his wrist with very little hesitation to tug him towards the rest of the group. It's all fairly normal...

...and then the Dojo Scene happens.

With the Dojo Scene, the narrative tone of their relationship is both established and changed. Ruby comes down the stairs and she's open, at first. But as they talk a bit more, her body language becomes more and more closed off the closer she gets to him. Clasping her hands in front of her when she asks a question about his past, then hugging herself as she dares to step a little closer to him, as if putting up some kind of protective barrier.

She tries complimenting his efforts, laughing a bit to hide her nervousness, is fairly candid, and makes a bit of a joke. But the joke reveals a wound of hers that hasn't healed yet and opens the conversation up to vulnerability. A vulnerability that Oscar points out immediately. One she has not spoken to anyone else about up until that point.

"How do you handle all of this?"

Ruby pauses. She's not used to talking to people about her problems. At first, I don't think she's even thinking about herself when he asks. She nudges him to clarify what he means and he opens up about his own fears, which prompts her routine song and dance that she gives to everyone. Uplifting words, holding onto hope, keep moving forward, just don't let the things that haunt you catch up and you'll be fine.

And Oscar doesn't accept it. He isn't moved by it. He's not comforted. He rejects it, questions it, and completely lashes out. Is actually angry that she's telling him to "just press on" in spite of those fears. Is angry on her behalf that she's not being honest about her own feelings.

And Ruby cracks. She actually opens up and talks to Oscar about all the grief she keeps buried down and doesn't burden anyone with. She might have argued to herself that it was the only way to make Oscar feel better, but it's uncharacteristic for her. She doesn't usually have to go that deep to cheer other people up. When she tells him about her losses and motivations, Oscar joins her in that open doorway, in shared vulnerability... and the moment she sees an opportunity to retreat, she takes it. Not used to this closeness in the slightest.

From then on out they're still friends, clearly. Their bond strengthened, if anything... but Ruby does not know how to handle him when he has such a skill for seeing through her in ways no one else ever seems to catch onto. She's able to push it away a bit when he's pre-occupied with something else. When he's worried about the merge or his mistakes in Atlas, or they're in a group conversation, she's able to act with some sense of normalcy... but when they're alone that awkwardness comes creeping back.

When WBY confront Ruby about her decision to keep the truth from Ironwood, Yang specifically asks how Oscar feels about it, and we see Ruby falter. This is a direct parallel to Bumbleby circa V8 when Yang is the one worrying about Blake thinking less of her for her own decision. We've seen Ruby disagree with people before and remain confident in her choice... but she questions herself here because of how much she values Oscar's opinion. And their disagreement colours more of her interactions with him throughout V7.

When they're all practicing in the academy training rooms, Oscar comments on her semblance. Asking if she's always been able to do that, which is something he wouldn't ask if he didn't pay close enough attention to be able to notice such differences. She's laughing awkwardly, scratching the back of her head.

And the fumble, when they finally come back together with renewed trust - that I already dove into a bit over in this post - she's still doing it!!

She is so excited to talk to him again, to not be at odds, that she almost runs directly into his back and is all flailing arms, and awkward giggles as she tries to tell him she agrees with him. When they finally establish that they're on the same page, she's hugging herself tight, rubbing her arm, looking away from him in her nervousness. Even when she walks away she's hugging herself again. Meanwhile, Oscar is all open body language, hand on hip, hand extended to her, active listening and receptive to what she has to say.

Interesting that this conversation's themes around choosing truth over fear calls back to the Dojo Scene so well, innit? 🤔

The last example I want to give isn't about Ruby. It's about Oscar. Throughout the show, he's always been a bit skittish, jumpy, and expressive with things like loud noises and - quite noticeably - touch. Oscar's been tackled to the ground by Nora in multiple hugs, tackled by the whole team in V6 after he went missing, scooped up by Jaune after he was kidnapped, and in all of those instances there has been a noticeable physical discomfort from him. Often a flinch or a wince beforehand, only relaxing into it after the surprise of the impact is over with.

But Ruby has put her hand on Oscar's shoulder multiple times (outside the Dojo Scene) without eliciting that response from him. One of those touches made him blush, if anything. And when Oscar returns from Salem's prison, beaten and covered in bruises. Ruby is running to hug him and not only does he not flinch, he smiles with open arms, completely ready for and accepting of it. And then the narrative robbed him of the chance 😭

Ruby, despite her usual confidence, resolve, and unwillingness to talk about her issues, becomes nervous, awkward, and self conscious around Oscar. The absence of her usual demeanor becomes the presence of how much she values what Oscar thinks of her and how vulnerable he's able to make her feel. (Which, for a character as emotionally guarded as Ruby, is a good thing).

Similarly, Oscar's established pattern of resisting physical touch - even when he's injured and probably sporting a few broken ribs - is absent with Ruby. It becomes a presence instead of his comfort, trust, and (desire for) closeness to her.

While these examples aren't exhaustive, generally speaking, the absences of their usual behaviours around one another become the presence of something unique to their relationship and often serve to highlight their attachments to each other. Be it how they interact with each other directly... or how they act when they're apart. But that, my friends, is an entirely different post and I have rambled long enough for today.

[bestworstcase]

Hi there! I was wondering what your thoughts are on the rwby ship whiteknight? I'm not a hard-core shipper but I think they have a really interesting dynamic (they both have a kind of damsel in distress VS knight in shining armour duality in them (with jaune starting the series desperate to be the hero/Knight but constantly finding himself in position of damsel, over the series growing into that role of Knight while also learning that relying on others is okay, and weiss being both damsel and liberating Knight rolled into one). Do you think these 2 fit into an ozlem fractal? Or do their parallels make them too similar to be compatible?

in general terms, the fractal ozlem lens is about – well @rontra distilled it here more pithily than i could lmao but the thesis is that the fractures and reflections of ozlem in other characters (& their romantic arcs) is a narrative commentary on and justification for ozlem itself; so the question to ask when looking at the narrative this way is always, what does this say about ozlem?

(<- and you [general] also kind of have to understand, as a prerequisite, what’s actually going on narratively with ozlem themselves, by which i mean anyone arguing for the romantic eventuation of this or that ship on the basis of it being in some way a narrative refutation of ozlem doesn’t know what they’re fucking talking about. lol)

anyway, i’ve written before about weiss and (SIGHS HEAVILY) where jaune’s character might be headed vis-a-vis romantic arcs, with the TL;DR being i don’t think weiss will have one and jaune has a lot of weird setup in this regard that has led me to what is either the most brilliant moment of foresight i’ve ever had or completely losing the plot but i think he’s headed for some kind of enemies-to-lovers situation with gillian asturias.

in any case the– i don’t like to refer to it as ‘ship teasing’ because that presupposes that the writers put it there as fanservice and not in service of characterization, but the light narrative flirtation with weiss/jaune in v9 struck me at the time and continues to strike as akin to blake/sun in that it’s predicated on a genuine but superficial and passing attraction that is textually shown to be at odds with a deeper incompatibility and lack of sustainable romantic connection – weiss alienates and hurts jaune in precisely the same way sun does blake with his misapprehension of her motives for running away in v4. also like blake/sun, this flirtation-incompatibility is resolved via a movement toward closer friendship absent any romantic tension.

which is interesting in part because narratively the point of blake/sun is to precipitate character development blake needs to be able to return to yang. we see something similar with penny/ruby -> ruby/oscar wherein ruby’s grief for penny and guilt about not being able to protect her is entwined with the narrative setup for ruby/oscar, although there the grief/guilt complex is what creates the obstacle inhibiting ruby from wanting to/allowing herself to admit how much she’s grown close to oscar. the point being, rwby has a pattern of doing this kind of thing.

(what makes jaune weird is that this is also happening with cinder, and i don’t think the pseudo-romantic development with weiss can really be extricated from the pseudo-romantic development with cinder because there is this push-pull happening. the blatant ozlem-parallel chest stomp is immediately followed by cinder impaling weiss which incites jaune’s semblance; cinder murders penny and forces jaune’s hand by moving to kill weiss only for jaune to save weiss by screaming in anguish when he ends penny’s life; cinder shatters the symbol of jaune’s selfhood and weiss incites the mending of his self-image by casting him into the tree.)

the fractal ozlem level checks out for gillian/jaune (<- he’s a salem who is cynical and in want of true faith, she’s an ozma who chose her heart over her cause, but she’s also a salem whose father refused to put her in a tower and his experience in the ever after corrupted him into a shadow of ozpin, the julius caesar / nennius allusion implied by crocea mors and jaune’s forefathers having been mistrali soldiers vs gill allegedly being descended from the vacuan monarchy that was conquered and eradicated by centuries colonization which most recently was at mistrali hands rather directly echoes the lifetimes of enmity salem and ozma have shared; if the narrative goes this route with them they are a microcosm of the compromises and understanding that needs to be found between ozlem)

but that in itself isn’t necessarily grounds for the ship to eventuate and indeed it’s sort of the window dressing; more salient is that it makes… a lot of sense for gill to be where the tragedy of arkos and the pseudo-romantic developments with weiss/jaune and jaune/cinder are all pointing (especially if im correct in thinking gill is or will be the summer maiden!):

arkos ended in tragedy for the same reasons ozlem did the second time around – pyrrha chose to die fulfilling a (hollow, arbitrary) destiny she was coerced into accepting rather than choosing herself and her love. if jaune is slated to have a second romantic arc i’d expect it to not only not repeat this tragedy but to specifically reject the self-sacrifice that made arkos tragic; thus the romantic interest would need to be someone who would choose to do what pyrrha did not, and gillian is—demonstrably—exactly that person. she sacrificed her destiny to save herself and her brother. (she is also, er, the invincible girl…2!)

similarly the intertwined back and forth between cinder and weiss in relation to jaune, if that is precipitating a genuine romantic interest i would expect her (or him) to be someone who resembles both cinder and weiss in a way that is salient to jaune and their interactions to him. and like.

cinder:

✅ phenomenally powerful enemy ✅ aura-siphoning capabilities contrasting jaune’s semblance ✅ (possibly!) a maiden

weiss:

✅ heir to a political legacy in her kingdom of origin whose character is strongly defined by that legacy and her patriotism ✅ injured in a way that galvanizes jaune’s character development (<- in gill’s case, jax’s medical condition)

all the necessary pieces are there. and certainly it seems very likely that jaune—who has the reverse of gillian’s semblance, whose forefathers were involved in the conquest and occupation of gillian’s country!, and who traveled the ever after with two children who very likely lived during the mistrali occupation of vacuo unless that book is centuries older than i think it is—will be a central player in gillian’s character arc regardless of whether he is or isn’t a romantic interest.

comparatively—i don’t see much of any meaningful narrative foundation for weiss/jaune to eventuate romantically. his crush on her during the beacon arc is long gone (and chiefly served to facilitate his growing up for pyrrha, allowing arkos to culminate in romantic tragedy) and the v9 flirtation is, as i said, i think contraindicated in the same manner blake/sun was in v4. weiss’ friendship is of crucial importance to jaune’s character, but there is nothing obvious binding them together in the long term–

compare blake/yang: yang’s desire for adventure and novelty in service of others is a perfect complement to blake’s razor-sharp clarity of purpose and searing commitment to justice. or ren/nora: they’re bonded by shared history and a shared need to find purpose now that they have, together, exorcised the demon that destroyed their home (as it were). or ruby/oscar: both of them have expressed, in different ways but with equal longing, a desire to just explore and find freedom from the burdens of destiny thrust upon them.

the evident endgame pairings all have something that connects them – a shared goal, or two different goals that each complement the other so well that they might as well be two halves of a whole.

weiss wanted to reclaim her family legacy from her father’s corruption of it, and make things right; now that her kingdom has fallen, her motivations seem likely to shift from reclamation to rebuilding. meanwhile jaune forced himself into an ill-fitting mold in desperation to follow in the footsteps of his forefathers – again, mistrali soldiers who were likely participants in the occupation of vacuo and certainly would have been fighting on the fascist-imperial side of the great war!!

notionally jaune’s preoccupation with his family legacy dovetails with weiss’ but the way they interact with these legacies are diametrically opposed, and jaune has never actually reckoned with what his forefathers were fighting for. that the narrative exiled him in the ever after in the specific way it did – meeting two vacuan children who might well have come of age in a time when his grandfather was an occupying soldier in their country, and being so paranoid and obsessed with forcing their story to happen correctly that one of them got scared and poisoned him – along with the very explicit telegraphing that vacuo’s history of being colonized will be coming home to roost… well. jaune’s individual goals have been driving him toward a reckoning in vacuo, and he has no personal connection to atlas/mantle at all.

basically i struggle to see him leaving vacuo once all is resolved and likewise struggle to see weiss doing anything besides returning to solitas to rebuild, and that is a pretty critical incompatibility – these locations are literally not even in the same hemisphere. and i don’t think that would be the case if rwby were building up toward weiss/jaune with any seriousness tbh

[wu-sisyphus-gang]

Jaune: Pop quiz time. A train is traveling west to east at speed of 300km/h. The driver applies the brake producing a deceleration of 1.4m/s/s. In newtons, how hard will the man in carriage 7 mash his face into the seat in front of him and realize most of the problems in his life are created not by external circumstances but by his own repeated self-sabotage?

Ruby: Jaune?

Jaune: Are human tears primarily composed of a) water b) antibodies c) a quiet admission that all of our plans and dreams will eventually turn to forgotten dust or d) salt?

Ruby: Jaune!

Jaune: Daniel gets salty at criticism and admits he is wrong: never. In years, how long will it be before he alienates all of his friends with this behavior and finds himself entirely alone?

Weiss: Is this supposed to be a personal attack?

Jaune: Rachel has chosen to remain alone at home for the evening and drink two liters of red wine. Please identify the correct chemical formula for consumable alcohol. Is it: a) C2H6O b) C2H5OH or c) The 17th time this year Rachel has attempted to solve an issue by escaping it internally simultaneously knowing at some point, however difficult, she will have to confront whatever it is that went wrong and why?

Weiss: Yo what the fuck?

Jaune: If the y axis is a sense of purpose, and the x axis is the course of a person’s life time, please explain the significance of this result. *flips them off*

Ruby: Jaune this isn’t funny.

Jaune: Quiz ain’t over yet. Alice and Pierre are having a significant disagreement. Pierre says ‘why didn’t Obi-Wan Kenobi remember R2D2 in star wars episode IV?’ Alice says ‘he did, because, like, remember when he called him his little friend.’ Pierre replies 'then why did he say he didn’t remember owning a droid.’ And Alice returned 'that’s because R2D2 was Anikin’s droid.’ Who is right and why?

Jaune: Please study figure 66 of the world not giving the slightest shit. And relatedly refer to figure 72 of the world before you were born. Then the world after you’re gone. Then the world after everybody is gone.

Jaune: *Holds his arms apart* Is this angle a) acute b) obtuse c) reflex or d) the hug we desperately wish we could ask for but have convinced ourselves that the pain of existence must be carried alone on our backs forever and ever?

Weiss: This is a personal attack.

Ruby: I’ll hug for as long as you want as much as you want.

Jaune: Ava and James sometimes interact digitally. This month James has responded: 4, 3, and 7 days after Ava’s messages so as to give the impression he is uninterested despite being completely infatuated with her. What is James’ median reply time and why will he live miserably ever after?

Weiss: Is this why you don’t text me back immediately?

Jaune: Arthur knows people who are nice to him, and people he likes. Please explain why the only people he pushes away are the few who belong to this intersection.

Ruby: I don’t know…

Jaune: An intersection is a point where two lines cross over. Will and Claire intersect on a street. Claire is thinking 'Do you know that I still love you? That I will always love you? I was never as happy as when things were good between us and I wish it could have worked and I’m just so sorry.’ Will is thinking 'Not a day goes by where I don’t remember your little and big kindnesses. And I recall the heights of happiness we climbed to. And how sure we were that it couldn’t go wrong until it all went wrong and I’m just so sorry.’ Their lines will not intersect again. Why are people like this?!

Ruby: Jaune, what the actual fuck.

Jaune: This year Amelia has suffered a death in the family, a break up, and several personal crises. Calculate her remaining resistance to completely loosing it when Christopher says: 'Hey you look sad. have you tried going for a run? Have you tried the paleo diet? Have you tried melatonin?’

Weiss: Okay Jaune we get it.

Jaune: I’m not finished with the exam. A pine cone is the canonical fruit of the pine tree. It isn’t sentient but it also doesn’t suffer for possessing sentience. Therefore, would you rather live as a) a pine cone b) a pine cone or c) a pine cone?

Jaune: A pine cone experiences neither shame, anxiety, nor the long months that turn grey and numb for conceivably no reason. Using only the terms 'gnaa!’ and 'aaahahaah!’ explain what a nice condition it must be to be a pine cone.

Jaune: A pain cone is traveling from west to east at 300km/h. If the driver applies the brakes even if the pine cone bops its head, even if the pine cone comes home to its house burning down and its life destroyed, even if the god of darkness manifested in the sky and started laying waste to continents with anti-matter beams shooting out of his ass please explain why the pine cone will witness and bear these things with ease and experience no self contradictions, no sadness, but merely boundless calm.

Ruby:

Weiss:

Jaune: And for extra marks please explain why evolution or a deity would bestow upon a person a big enough brain to realize they are fucking up but make them too stupid to stop fucking up and if your answer is 'happiness’ please show all your workings.

Ruby:

Weiss:

Jaune: If your answer is 'happiness’ please show all your workings

[sokumotanaka]

Actually I disagree, not even personally but Jaune being removed would improve the show tenfold.

Allow me to explain: (Long post ahead, you know me.)

First off remember that RWBY originally was a female empowerment show, so jaune having his own arc where we focus on "some guy" instead of the title characters spits in the face of this idea- a "anime" or show made for the female gaze of women being badass warriors is rare especially for the time it was introduced.

Second Jaune arc is based off real life Joan of arc and a poor representation of the murdered saint. It be like making idk Chris Pratt and anime girl and then making them the WORST. If this is suppose to be female empowerment, why even make Jaune a dude besides the writer wanted to self insert his OC in something he frankly should of stayed out of.

Jaune didn't ruin the show (he didn't help it either.) what ruined the show was poor money management, poor, writing, egotism , racism, Anti-LGBT, Ableism, refusing to take criticism, lazy writers, Lack of forward thinking and planning and the list can go on, but I agree it wasn't Jaune.

And before I get into the knitty gritty; if Jaune was removed and it was just Ren, who cares? Again this was suppose to be a female empowerment show! And there's plenty female led shows and media with small male cast: Sailor moon, Steven universe, Land of the lustrous, totally spies. for games: Nier automata, Bayonetta, Portal, life is strange the list goes on! I'm sure if Jaune was removed Ren could handle the bunk of being the few~

Let's talk about some things Jaune did and why removing him wouldn't be the end of the world.

Volume 1- Jaune's whole thing that is suppose to make him interesting is that he somehow got his hands on fake papers to sneak into beacon because "This is all I ever wanted to be." He then proceeds to hold his classmates back by refusing to study, sleeping through classes and when Pyrrha supposedly a woman who wont tournaments 3 years in a row (which would mean she was 14 when she went into her first hunters training and was allowed to fight teams by herself or has a team she just doesn't mention?)

Jaune's laziness and pride (you can't be both lazy and prideful, that just makes you insufferable) holds his team back and there's never any push-back from Ren and Nora who were homeless and obviously worked hard to get here. He doesn't wanna get better at fighting or studying despite wanting this so badly.

[Sokka accompanying post]

This doesn't change till he thinks he kills a grimm on his own terms, then he got serious (Pyrrha literally didn't tell him he didn't block the grim attack so he'd get his shit together. OR she's into him, confusing writing.)

Vol- 2 he almost outs Blake that she's a faunus before Pyrrha shuts him up.

He stalks and confines the ugly little racist gremlin Weiss in a roo, which is a very real and threatening thing women have to deal with, no one wants to see it in their escapist fantasy that a guy reuses to accept no for an answer and when he says he'll stop- Weiss opens the door and he says "I lied" What a gentleman, stalks and creeps on women, behavior that's gotten real women killed btw.

Vol- 3 Jaune doesn't suck as much here as he just doesn't do what he's told- if Jaune protected the glass or called Glynda, Irowood or Qrow like Ozpin asked, cinder would of been passed tense and Pyrrha would still be alive.

But he calls ruby then throws his phone for no reason? I mean all it would take to fix that scene is have it either be low charge so he could only make that one call, or when the locker crashed it broke the scroll so it wouldn't last past the first call but he wouldn't know till it happens.

But the problem with vol 1-3 is that because it spends alot of time with Jaune, the title characters RWBY barely get any character growth and the other side characters get zero screen-time (because miles got pissed that people didn't like the jaune arc, threw a tantrum and punished us by refusing to make more character focused arcs cause is pet oc didn't get the circle jerk he wanted.)

If Jaune wasn't in the series or was Joan (so he couldn't self insert) then we'd probably at the very least get better written characters. Okay moving on!

Vol- 4 Jaune for some reason got Pyrrha's remains and instead of giving them to her parents decides on his behalf to melt them down and incorporate them into HIS gear, Ren and Nora get nothing and never protest that he should give it to her parents. (I mean it could of still ended with them taking maybe Pyrrha's tiara and letting Jaune have the rest then Pyrrha's stepdad (the blacksmith) could soup up jaune's gear.

We think Ruby's gonna get development when she dreams about Pyrrha but she just wakes up so the scene could switch to Jaune and the commentary track states that she wakes up so the scene could be about "making jaune cool" Ruby didn't even need to wake up for that! Also why not give RUBY THE COOL SCENES!? SHE WATCHED PYRRHA DIE, LET HER TRAIN IN PAIN AT NIGHT!

My favorite part of volume 4 is that they consistently ignore Jaune's strategist plans, he tells them to knock away the limbs on the geist and then the body and ruby goes "I'ma just throw the strongest party member at it and kill it one hit." Then when the team is circling the nuck, he stops them, they look at him and he tells them to circle him and they just ignore him to continue what they're doing and Jaune takes credit I assume.

Jaune also spends the entire arc turning to ruby while her uncle is dying and he saved her going "your uncle should die." Btw Jaune when ruby was about to get stabbed by Tyrian just sat there and closed his eyes- I saw this bitch charge a nevermore without a weapon for pyrrha but not for the first friend who spoke to him on the first day? You suck Jaune, you have a shield and "alot of aura"

vol- 5 Miles lies to us and says that his semblance isn't healing he just gives them more Aura which Aura heals minor wounds remember; and just covers Weiss impalement wound, she needs a hospital, aura can't heal a spear through the body!

He also takes away Ruby's fight with cinder, he should of fought leo, not the 14 year old farm boy they kidnapped.

vol- 6 he puts a hole in his sister's wall and never apologizes (good god you're a guest here!) Then assaults a 14 year old farm boy because of the ghost possessing him. Oscar should of legit ran away and they should of never seen him again, they treat him like garbage, why did qrow punch him? Why did yang pull out her weapons, blake and weiss too, were they gonna stab or kill this kid because Ozpin was in him and they didn't like him? Rope him up, weiss has glyphs for this, this shows abusive.

Jaune also gets a solo scene with Pyrrha's mom telling him it was okay that she sacrificed herself for him because...shrug, Ruby never gets this closure despite seeing her die...AGAIN!

Vol-7/8 Milfs would never be into Jaune, he's such an plain character design and he's 17, this is some wish fulfillment crap

vol- 9

Jaune is turned into a 50-60 year old man that creepily watches over some creatures he doesn't understand and names one after Pyrrha and then gets pissed they wanna get away from him as fast as possible (They suicide and then come back better what the FUCK are you writing down there!?) and blames a 17 year old for his faults and is never challenged by anyone. HE'S MENTALLY 50-60! He's blaming and yelling at a child!

Then to make matters creepier, the tree makes him LOOK younger but doesn't alter his memories at all (evident from him saying how he missed looking and feeling young) but still keeps him mentally old, thus ruining any chances of him finding love. (which I approve of frankly) Seriously just say that the tree remade him and he was reborn and when he ask "what happened" just say a bad dream.

-----

So yeah Jaune adds nothing to the show and just takes away time from valuable things, frankly Jaune could of exited the show in volume 6 and it been impactful and make sense character wise.

They messed up the robot that the little racist gremlin (NO NOT WEISS THIS TIME ANOTHER SHORT WHITE HAIRED RACIST!) Controlled and Jaune, Ren and Nora could of stayed behind to help, I can see Jaune looking at the statue of Pyrrha and then to his sister and her wife and then saying "We'll help hold them back, we'll catch up with you guys when things calm down." And it could be suspenseful and emotional cause you could go ' What happened? did they survive? Are they okay?' Maybe Maria could stay with them (cause she doesn't do shit in vol 7/8) and it solve the character bloat of the series as well.

Jaune being removed could actually make the show better AND make the female empowerment show more compelling, actually give the characters proper screen-time and maybe get the writer to focus on something else besides "Making Jaune cool" It's called RWBY.

Not JAUNE, make your own series if you wanted SAO with a white guy.

I hope that clears everything up, thanks for sticking with me.

[queenaryastark]

It's actually interesting examining Stansas and their absurdity.

A lot has already been said about the fact that Sansa was created specifically to bully Arya. That's already been proven and is a fact.

But what's interesting to think about here are the different ways Stansas will attempt to excuse what can't be excused. Here are the tactics I've noticed:

Stansas will lie that Arya is actually the one who bullied her foil. I'm actually surprised this person didn't go with that tactic since they have ST's mug as their icon, which suggests they rely on Benioff and Weiss' inaccurate adaptation where Arya was shown as the aggressor toward the character who was specifically created to bully her. Regardless, this excuse relies on ignoring the books in favor of published fanfic. The books show that Arya is bullied by her foil.

Stansas will lie that Arya "gave as good as she got". Now, this one requires a little bit of accepting that bullying occurred but tries to decrease the concession by putting blame on Arya as well. This is still factually untrue. All bullying in this dynamic is only coming from one direction: from Sansa to Arya. What Arya endures is name calling, being told she's unwanted, being told her life is worth less than an animal's, having her appearance likened to an animal's, being casually insulted just in the flow of conversation, having a murdered friend of hers victim blamed as a taunt, etc. There are exactly zero examples of Arya treating Sansa this way. The closest they try to come to providing an example is using Arya's grief over Mycah where Sansa was victim blaming him for his maiming and murder. But that's not evidence of anything other than Sansa's malicious nature.

Stansas might transfer blame exclusively onto Jeyne Poole. Again, this requires admitting that bullied occurred. Rather than blame Arya, Jeyne is presented as the only bully or as a bad influence on Sansa 🤣. Again, this is incorrect. Jeyne is a member of the lower nobility. In a world where Sansa didn't exist, there is a 0% chance Jeyne would ever dare to bully the daughter of a high lord. Even if she tried, that first attempt would be cut off at the knees due to the difference in rank between Arya and Jeyne. It's Sansa's bullying of Arya that gives Jeyne permission to join her, since she is also a high lord's daughter, and Jeyne is able to follow her lead. So Jeyne’s blame in the treatment of Arya is far less than Sansa’s. But isn't it funny how quick they are to throw Jeyne under the bus? I guess that's on brand for Stansas since Sansa was canonically relieved that Jeyne, her dearest friend, was given over to a pimp because it meant she could read without having to hear her crying.

In the case of the person I screencapped, they attempt to excuse bullying as normal in order to strip away Sansa's complexity and purpose. They even tried to project their fav's behavior onto real people instead of just Arya and Jeyne. It's been proven that bullying has a long-term negative impact on the person who endures the bully. GRRM seems to understand this as shown in how he depicts Arya and her bullies. We see how her schooling suffers and she has a negative self-image, which results in her tolerating additional bullying from others as if it was something required of her (she only speaks up with Hot Pie and Lommy when she thinks they're insulting Jon). Studies have shown that the impact of being bullied as a child can stay with a person well into adulthood. So by trying to normalize it, not only are Stansas proving what terrible people they are, they're showing that they aren't capable of accurately analyzing the text nor understanding basic character development. In short, they're wrong.

If Stansas actually enjoyed Sansa as a character, they would embrace her complexity rather than doing mental gymnastics to pretend she's one-dimensional. But then I'd lose out on seeing their ridiculous trends in bad takes.

[savingsallow]

Hey Casper! I hope you’re doing well! 🫶

I’ve been curious about this for a while now;

How do you think Val and Ale would interact with Elijah, Lilith, Raymond and Weiss?

hello there, pika!!!! :D

thank you and i hope you're doing well, too! 🤭🫶🏻✨

also, i'm very much sorry this took me a whole millennium to answer 🫠

but here you go!! 😁❤️‍🔥:

— — — —

— Elijah Avery Finch 🦡

Ale:

He's also a Muggleborn like Eli so I'm sure that Ale would do his best to look out for him whenever he has the chance

I think there's a chance they would bond over their hatred/resentment towards their own father

Overall, I think Ale would love to have Eli as his friend since he's a chill and fun guy to be around✨

Val:

She would appreciate his warm demeanor and would try her best to be friends with him as soon as she can! 😆🫶🏻

Eventually, I think they would bond over their similar hobbies like painting and snacking! 🍓

They're both the only children in their families as well so I'm guessing that they would understand each other in that regard

She'd also tease him about Seb 🤪

— Lilith Mila LeStrange 🐍

Ale:

He would be a bit wary about her at first since she's from a pure-blood supremacist family. However, no one is actually safe from Ale's attempt to talk to people so he would still talk to her eventually

I think once they start to have some frequent small conversations, his perspective of her will change and realize that she's nothing like her pure blood obsessed lineage

He would go as far as to defend her from her own siblings who bully her 👊🏻

Val:

These two would probably have this unspoken understanding between them since they both came from pure-blood supremacist families and they're both nothing like them

At some point, I think they'll become friends or at least a shoulder to lean on 🫂

If ever Lilith opened up about her self-harm, Val would do everything in her power to make sure she would never feel the need to do that again

I can imagine them climbing trees together and just talking about life while sitting on a tree branch

— Raymond Todd Sweeney

Ale:

I can imagine these two being a part of a Poetry Club of sort 😆✨

Raymond and Ale have very different interests and hobbies. However, there will be a time when they will be able to interact since Val and Ray have very similar interests, and it so happens that Ale joined an unholy number of school clubs just to get close to her! 🤣

He would probably ask him for some 'how to get better at potion' advice

Val:

As I mentioned above, they have a lot in common✨ Like they both are into quidditch, flying, astrology and space, and more!

Val's emotions are attuned to the phases of the Moon, so I think these two can help each other out in regards to the matters of the Moon

Once she learned that his mother is a baker, she would definitely ask for recipes 😆 This is because Val is a foodie! 🍞

For fun, she would challenge him to beat her at potion-making

— Weiss Snow Starling 🦅

Ale:

This may come off as a surprise but Ale is good at sewing 🪡 so I think once he learns that she likes sewing, they can bond over this! ✨

He would have mad respect for her standing up for those who are getting bullied

Would 10/10 compliment her fits 🔥🔥🔥

Val:

She would admire her courage and the way she carries herself cuz YAAAAS QUEEN 👑✨

Since they're both into Quidditch, Val would playfully tease her by saying: "Think you can beat me in a broom race, Starling? 😏" She's more than aware that Weiss is exceptional on a broom but a little fun challenge won't hurt 🤭

Val would hate Winter sooooo much and would do her best to make sure she doesn't get near Weiss as much as possible

She would also love to hang out with her whenever they get the chance! And maybe do some shopping together, too! 🛒🎀

— — — —

In conclusion, Val and Ale would definitely want to hangout with all of them 💯 Different perspectives and new friends are always welcome in this household✨

I hope these made sense and thank you so much for the ask! I so enjoy answering it 🤭❤️‍🔥

Wishing you a wonderful day ahead and sending many warm hugs!!! 🫂🫂🫂

[aspoonofsugar]

Any thoughts on what Oscar’s semblance will end up being? Since Oscar’s magic has come from Ozma and is more in line with “destruction” as a contrast to Ruby’s eyes which are tied to “creation”, I’ve often thought that it would make sense for Oscar’s semblance, as a means of self-affirmation to be something that also represents creation/preservation, which would make him more like Ruby and also find his own sense of who he is as a person. After all, if Oscar/Ozma are supposed to achieve a balance by the end then he should possess elements of both, no?

That said, the most common headcanon/theory I see for Oscar’s semblance has been for him to create barriers for defense… but not only can he already do that with Ozpin’s magic, I feel as though Jaune is actually the character who is more set up to have a defensive evolution for his semblance. There was the flash of light in V1 and his “it’s like a forcefield!” line, Vine’s comment about extending his aura, the shield grenades he used in V8, and just his general tendency to leap in front of people using his shield or body to protect people.

So, to me, this would be a bit of an odd choice for Oscar’s semblance and just make the existing overlap between Jaune and Oscar’s progression as characters more confused. Do you think I have the right idea with the theming of Oscar’s semblance? Or do you think it’ll come from a different place altogether?

Hi!

It is very difficult to say, cause there could really be many things that fit Oscar.

I agree about both Ruby and Oscar ending up having elements of both creation and destruction, as they are two philosophical children.

When it comes to Oscar's semblance, I think it will be worth the wait, since:

It will appear toward the end and there won't be time to slowly develop it, like Blake, Weiss or Ruby's

Ruby kind of told us so tbh, as she said when Oscar gets a semblance "everyone will be jealous" ;)

I think most semblances tie with the characters' allusions too:

Ruby is super fast cause she is Little Red Riding Hood, so she rides

Weiss's glyphs allude to the Snow Queen fairy tail, but progressively become more Snowhite-like (her summons are characters in Snow-White)

Blake's shadow is symbolic of the beast, as in jungian terms the shadow is also called inner beast

Yang's power has her become too hot, with her hair catching fire, like Goldilock

Jaune gives his aura (his spirit) to others to heal them (he makes miracles), which ties with his Jeanne d'Arc allusion (I agree with the fact he will become a barrier warrior to an extent btw)

And so on...

So, tbh the majority of ideas for Oscar's semblance seem to tie into this theme:

Some theory think his power will tie with time, as time is a recurring motif for him and Ozpin

Other theories (I think this one is @misstrashchan ) instead think he will get the ability to make an astral projection of himself, in a tie in to the Little Prince (the little prince dies, so he leaves his body behind). This could also be used to separate his own soul from Ozpin's

These are my two preferred theories, but again it is impossible to say for sure. I don't think there is much foreshadowing as to what Oscar's semblance will be, differently from Jaune's.

Thank you for the ask!