#winter and penny were always the most popular

[crazywolf828]

Man I hope I'll be able to get those eps off Crunchyroll like I could on RT cause if not I'm not sure it's worth trying to do more comps¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯

[lenarish]

A deep analysis on Pantalone

Since his first appearence on genshin on Winter's night Lazzo, Pantalone has become an obsession of mine, which not only made me look further on some Commedia Dell'arte scripts, but also sucked me into a whirlwind of theories regarding the possibilities for what part his character will play in the game.

I'm warning you, this post will be big, but also written in a hurry. There is a chance nothing will make sense, but there's also a chance that I'm not being as crazy as I think I am. After all, I guessed right the first time, when I said here that Dottore and Pantalone could be partners, and it ended up being true.

So fellas, specially Pantalone nation, enjoy this dose of hyperfocus.

The Pantalone archetype in Commedia Dell'arte:

Let's start with a simple question; what is a Pantalone?

I know this question may sound strange at first, but we have to keep in mind that the characters in the original commedia had their main comedic features making their way to be transformed into classic archetypes that still are present in other characters way more famous to us. We may know a lot of Pantalones in fiction, even if we never thought about this connection before! Let me show you some of them:

The "Pantalone archetype", as you can see, is in a nutshell "old men that love money". However, there is often a very important factor that must be considered when identifying them among comical rich characters; they often have a past in poverty, or at least weren't always as rich as they are now, and that is the cause of paranoid and grumpy behaviour. Another common trope for them (nowadays) is their hidden feelings, commonly having one or more family members that they love more than their wealth. That explains why Mr. Burns is the only one up there that doesn't match that new criteria, despite being obviously a Pantalone archetype from head to toe.

There is a reason for that. When we hear a joke, would you find it funny if you couldn't understand it?

Pantalone was created to mock the richer classes at the time (and it's important to remember, the era was marked by the bourgeoisie starting to get a sit among the higher classes.) but at the same time, he was created to represent Venice. We have a double joke here: in his name, and in his personality. The joke in his name is because the animal that represents Venice is the lion, so, to represent it, he was suppose to ''put/plant the lion''(pianta leone in italian) in the places he went to, being it other cities or colonies. Contracting this, we have ''Pantalone'', at the same time that it means Pants. The main joke of his personality is that although he is very rich, he lives almost miserably. It doesn't seem to be a popular portrayal that he was part of a noble family or always rich; he was innitially a merchant, and he is a symbol of the self-made man. That past in poverty is what gives context to why he is so stingy and obsessed with his money. And people loved it. Well, we still do. In fact, the most famous version of his portrayal is not focused on how powerful or cunning he can be, but in this pathetic and grumpy man that could be having a wonderful life, instead, he is too concerned about spending a single penny, and ends up being miserable. All to keep his status as rich. This is funny because we can still understand it, we still know very well what they were mocking.

That is why Pantalone is one of the strongest characters in the commedia. This exact stereotypical behaviour ended up becoming timeless.

More than that, it slowly became more and more a famous archetype to create characters that people end up sympathizing a lot with once they see their pasts. And why that? Time passes, and now we have families being middle class; not rich, but not miserably poor. The picture changes a bit: Pantalone became less a figure to represent rich people being cruel, and more a figure that can be understood; that is ''just like us'', a figure that still have a good heart deep down. The message being: "anyone can become a Pantalone one day, but it can change". (if they are properly traumatized into being gentle to others, like our man Ebenezer Scrooge).

Or even, a person that got blinded by power. And nothing good happens when a person that learned to hate the world and it's people gets power. They learned that the powerful ones can do as they please with vulnerable people like them, and what is sweeter for the oppressed than being the oppressor?

With all that in mind, let's continue.

The Pale Flame Set:

Genshin really went hard with the "rich man with a tragic past" trope for him.

So, we have here a man that feels so forgotten by the divine, so miserable and powerless, that he started to feel enraged at the gods and ready to declare war. It's important to notice since now: It's not about the money for him, it's about the power that comes with it. Because money is a power that common humans should control, not the gods. The gods don't need it, humans need. He needs it. In the end, it's more about him than the rest, I'll talk more about it later.

But what more do we know about him?

To start, many things we can discover about him in game shows that he is not stingy like the more classic versions of Pantalone. For example, the Goth Grand Hotel was entirely reserved by the fatui delegation. When we ask Goth about it, he says that Pantalone was so generous in his offer that he had no choice but to comply with the demand. This shows that he has no trouble using mora to get what he wants if words aren't enough. To me, this is just a good example of someone shamelessly using his power.

We see a similar indication of his "loose" fist on money when in Winter's Night Lazzo, he finds the idea of mourning for half a day absurd. Funny, even. In English, this is not very noticiable, but in Chinese, he sounds very passive-aggressive. He says that Pulcinella's values are ''more twisted than those of a banker like him'', and by that, unapologetically recognizing himself as a twisted person, considering that, right before, he was saying people say that the Northland Bank's true currencies are blood and tears (and cries of loss/wailing, in chinese). We haven't seen many harbingers speaking like this yet; this openly (or implicitly) sadistic.

Ok, Scaramouche was an asshole, Signora was patronizing, and Dottore is simply the cruelest character in the game yet, but I'm not talking about simply being cruel. There are types of cruelty. Signora never bragged about being cruel, neither was she sadistic. She acted violent with Venti for personal reasons, and was very diplomatic with the other archons. Dottore, too, acted very reasonable and calm in Sumeru, and even in the Zandik notes, he doesn't seem to enjoy the suffering of his patients and test subjects, it's just a natural part of the science for him. Scaramouche is the most similar one in that regard, but that speaks volumes by itself. He, too, was a very frustrated abused person wanting to feel like the abuser.

But there's more to it. In Liyue, when we ask Andrei about the Northland Bank, he says that the economy in Snezhnaya "have the brilliance and foresight of Master Pantalone to thank". Pantalone is regarded as a bold mind in economy, and therefore dangerous in many occasions. To start, we have Tartaglia's voice-over indicating his genius:

"Oh, now that guy has a head full of grandiose plans fueled by raw ambition. I don't understand a word he says once he starts talking about his theories… Eh, but as long as he keeps our cash reserves stocked up, I'm not complaining."

Then, we have Uncle tian tellilng us in Yelan's mission:

(...)"However, his "wealth" is not a mere question of how much Mora he has to his name. He has a very unique understanding of wealth… And what he's planning may very well shake the world to its core."

And finally, Scaramouche's voice-over cementing the point being built:

"Oh, the ninth-ranked guy. He's obsessed with the idea of "fair exchange," to the point of wanting to overthrow the natural imbalance between gods and humans. But, I guess it's just how ordinary mortals are like �� it's easy for them to come up with pointless delusions. Honestly, it's nothing worth writing home about, just like how there's also nothing impressive about his abilities or choice of partner. Hmph. Anyone who chooses to work closely with The Doctor is sure to meet a nasty end."

Now, we can definitely conclude two things with all that people say about him.

He is very revolutionary and many are already aware that what he is planning will be groundbreaking.

He is ambitious enough to ally himself with a person openly known as destructive and abusive by the other harbingers themselves.

That leads us to the question…

What part will he possibly play in Genshin?

Let's put everything together: We have a character here that has a tragic past, is filthy rich, has revolutionary plans for the future, and apparently is…a bit fragile for a harbinger. What potentials does he have? What can be done with him?

Well, first, I think he will be a parallel to Ningguang.

By that, I'm not stating that I think he is from Liyue. It must seem very obvious for many, but let's not forget that nothing in game confirmed his nationality. Ever. We have to remember that many people were also super sure that Scaramouche would be electro because of ''what the game showed'', but in reality we never saw him using electro powers, we just assumed.

But by saying he will be a Parallel to Ningguang, I'm saying that both were very poor people that are now Teyvat's richest individuals. But while one managed to wake a vision solely by the force of ambition, the other still wasn't graced with one, even if his ambition is as big as (if not bigger than) Ningguang's. Not only that, their views on mora and wealth are very different; while Ningguang is content with things as they are now, Pantalone isn't.

Let's take a look on Wriothesley's signature weapon, the Cashflow supervision:

"We'll start by creating a new currency to replace the dependence on mora"

Hm...

"Nor shall the wealth of the Gods descend, to rescue the dignity of the poor from the feet of the rich."

I don't know about you guys, but I admit that when I first read Pantalone's pale flame piece I thought he was lowkey a radical communist acting as a capitalist(which I found neat, personally), but the Cashflow Supervision opened my eyes. Come on, I know it's not confirmed that the person speaking is Pantalone, but just look at it. He even uses the same analogy of arteries and blood!

Let's think about what is being said here.

He is planning on making a new currency, one that will wipe mora away from the picture. A good plan, if you ask me. And, do you remember? Zhongli told us once, in the end of the Liyue arc:

This is the best opportunity Pantalone could ask for. As the Golden House ceases operation, the Northland bank can act. And I believe this is the reason Pantalone was trying to interfere with Liyuean politics in the first place, with Liyue being the economic capital of Teyvat, of course it's important to have someone that will be more open to agree with his ideas in charge, even if it was treated as a secondary matter to him.

But aside from that, that final sentence in Cashflow supervision really sticks to me. Again this sort of gleeful enjoyment with the power he will have. It becomes obvious that his main motivations behind the ''fair exchange'' between gods and humans isn't to make things better for anyone particularly. The rich will still be rich and the poor will still be poor. What he craves is to feel like a god in the end. To have the power to give and take, to be both feared and praised. And then deny the ones in need, just like he felt the gods denied him in the past.

Now, returning to the Pantalone archetype.

There are two routes for villains like that: 1, they simply die. 2, they change their worldviews in a very traumatic event.

I think Pantalone will die... I don't know, it's a hunch. I sure hope he doesn't, but I wouldn't be surprised if it happens. It's something in how Scaramouche hints he will have a nasty end too, or his dead anime mom hairstyle(kind of), or his white strands of hair... Or better, I think that he would be a good character to kill. Speaking about the narrative. He could die trying to bargain, or he could die while spitting the hardest truths possible to the traveler, maybe even making them reflect about the gods, the Archons, or what the Fatui want after all. I mean...we have now just 2 nations left, and the traveler didn't question anything about the harbingers' motivations?! Oh, please. Or maybe, if not the traveler, at least make the players symphatize with him. He is a very tragic character when you think about it.

If he lives, I think he is literally the best harbinger to make redeemable without it sounding ridiculous. Think about it: how many times a capitalistic villain was actually an anti-villain? I'll show you a very good example. Tumblr's lord and saviour himself:

Yes.

Pantalone is the best character in genshin to suffer a deep realization of his own morals in the best case scenario. But if not, he can flee or die trying to defend himself in the most tragic way, screaming. Maybe cry, plead, remember memories of himself in the past, and in the game? I'm sure some people will feel bad for him if there's a cutscene like this, as we defeat him, even if the final conclusion will be ''well, he deserved it''.

With all that said, I will conclude all this by saying that it's amazing how I love this character when he didn't even show up in the game yet. He has so much potential that I honestly feel that he can't fail, no matter the narrative they choose. It's already impossible. If he ends up being pathetic in the game? I'll love it. If he ends up being a complete maniac? I'll love it too. What if he is cold and calculating? Also fits and I'll like it! What about if he lives or dies? I'm all in, I will want to see it. The only way he can fail in the narrative is by dying too fast like Signora, I mean, before we can properly know more about him in the game(not only through weapons or artifact sets), but even so, Signora's death is the reason we got the Winter's Night Lazzo in the first place. Plus, I don't think Hoyoverse would repeat the same event twice, specially when they are improving the story-telling method significantly.

So think of any possibility for him, seriously, and tell me, honestly, wouldn't it be interesting?

[kob131]

"The writers aren't going to listen to their fans, because they can't even be bothered to listen to their own staff, because they "learned their lesson" to "listen to their gut" and "stick to their guns," and to ignore anybody who tries to educate their CisHet White Male selves on the matters of positive and accurate representation. Not just queer, but with everything. It happened with Jaune>Ruby, it happened with the White Fang, it happened with Emerald, it happened with Flynt Coal, it happened with Jaune>Ruby again, it happened with Yang, it happened with Cinder, it happened with Tyrian, it happened with Jaune>Ruby again, it happened with Pilot Boi, it happened with Ghira, it happened with Blake, it happened with Leo, it happened with Ilia, it happened with Sienna, it happened with Adam, it happened with Oz, it happened with Salem, it happened with Jaune>Ruby again, it happened with Terra Cotta, it happened with Ironwood, it happened with Marrow, it happened with Elm, it happened with Vine, it happened with Harriet, it happened with Clover, it happened with Qrow, it happened with Winter, it happened with Penny, it happened with Jaune>Ruby again - over and over and over and over and over, the fans have spent the past ten years explaining exactly how and why [X problem] was actually a real, tangible problem, with the writers either blatantly ignoring it, or hand-waving it away with vague and empty promises to "be better about it," only to pull the exact same shit all over again.

Ten years of hundredth chances, ten years of patient (or in some cases, not so patient, which is why we get villainized) adherence to the "Just Wait" rule, ten years of practically begging to see even tiny improvements only to be left hanging (or worse, to be directly baited as Eddy admitted happened with Fair Game, and then to be attacked directly by crwby itself and treated as if we were "just imagining things" and that we were "just horny salty fanboys" and that "it's not bait if we never intended to canonize the worm in the first place" and that it's our fault we were foolish enough to think Rooster Teeth would include queer rep and tentatively bit down on the hook) ten years of having it be PROVEN to us that the people who do most of the writing for RWBY write it specifically with a White Straight Male audience in mind, because at the time of RWBY's creation, data shows that Rooster Teeth's fanbase was 93% Male identified and 7% Female identified, and the separate demographic that was attracted solely to RWBY itself was just basically bonus income on top of that."

I saw this and I think it's a good showcase of an older RWBY critics. So let this be a lesson to the RWBY stans who not so coincidentally sound exactly the same.

For those who don't know what they're referring to, an old RWBY AMA on Reddit had this from Miles-

"-Boi howdy, did that take us by surprise. There's always a background character that gets super popular. Last season it was the Waitress. This season it was Pilot Boi and Cute Faunus Guard. Interesting story, we originally had a line for the Pilot that subtly told the audience he had a boyfriend back in Atlas (this was done in our attempt to get better about having more LGBTQ+ representation). However, when scripts went out to the team, a number of crew members were concerned that our first homosexual character with a line of dialogue addressing his sexuality was going to die in the very next episode and was "also kind of a selfish jerk". Soooo, we scrapped the line. Next thing we know, he's the most popular character of the volume and we're kicking ourselves for not sticking to our guns."

And the whole spiel is about how they wanted to keep Pilot as LGBT due to his popularity even though he's bAd rEP. Except that what makes bad representation (being stereotypical, being one dimensional ect.) makes a bad character IN GENERAL. It's why bad writers, no matter their subgroup, can't write good representation- You have to be a good writer. And given that Pilot Guy was so prevelant in Volume 5, he clearly resonated with/entertained so many people. So making him LGBT would have made a fan favorite LGBT, making it far more likely he'd be accepted. That's what happened with Illa. It's what happened with May.

But then, they don't care about the writing. Read it again- they care that the people don't have the right fucking genitals or melatonin content. Or rather, they don't get what they want EXACTLY when they want it. So they lash out like selfish children, crying about how thy don't get their cookie until after dinner. Except they DID get their cookie and they're being a greedy shithead.

Example? OP's own fucking examples.

Jaune>Ruby? Only happened in Volume 1...in the most shallow way possible (given that Ruby herself was a big part of JAUNE'S OWN ARC). Volume 2 gave her the involvement with the actual plot as well as her moment with Penny, Volume 3 gave her Penny's death, Pyrrha's death and being the driving force behind THE REST OF THE SHOW and Jaune got...a half baked arc that was made about Ruby in the only Volume where it got more than a episode (Volume 4).

The White Fang? Basically just "FUCK YOU FOR NO SUPPORING MY POLITICS!" With said politics being "Let me be as racist as a person from the 1920's.'

Emerald? Basically 'HOW DARE YOU MAKE A VILLAIN DARK SKINNED?!' while ignoring that she was a better person than her white cohorts (Roman, Mercury, Cinder).

Flynt Coal? Calling racism over a name (because 'black black')...while ignoring the German 'White White' girl.

Yang? That they skipped over her character arc...then gave her the lion's share of Volume 5 which they ignored because Jaune got mad at the woman who murdered his best friend for nothing was right there.

Cinder? Talking about her being a bland villain...which got shot and killed in Volumes 7 and 8.

Tyrian? Something something 'psychopath is offensive to people with mental disorders'. Completely ignoring LEGITIMATE PSYCHOPATHS..

Pilot Boy? See above.

Ghira? Something about him not being allowed to be seen as competent. ... Even though they accept Sienna being competent despite doing ACTIVE harm because Blake said so...in the same monologue saying Ghira was just as effective and more stable, just slower.

Blake? Her acting 'like a bitch' in Volume 4 despite the very clear reason of 'I just went through tramuatic events and am going through an arc.'

Leo? That having a Fanaus headmaster be a villain was racist. Even though he was still better than every other villain not named 'Emerald' present. He even got a shot in against Raven.

Illa? Psycho Lesbian...right in front of Adam 'Wannabe Racial Supremacist' Taurus. Also got redeemed and everyone went mysteriously quiet, almost like no one wanted to own up to their bullshit.

Sienna? See the WF section and add in racism accusations because Indonesians can't handle a fictional character dying apparently.

Adam? See WF section AGAIN.

Ozpin? Calling out the CRWBY for having the leader of the good guys preaching trust keeping VERY IMPORTANT secrets because 'uwu sad backstory'...after spending three years calling him the true secret bad guy.

Salem? Something about her not being a good villain because generic, cookie cutter complaints that really mean 'You will never appease us, slave.'

Terra Arc-Cotta? 'Racism' 'Why?' 'Fuck you!!!'

Ironwood? Some bullshit excuse about prosthetics that fails when you look at everyone with prosthetics which is just a cover for 'Gimmie my husbando or else.'

Elm, Harriet, Vine, Marrow? See above because no one talks about them outside of being an extension of James.

Clover and Qrow? 'We decided they were gay which not even half of the LGBT fanbase saw so you did a bad.'

20 swings, all misses.

This is not some grand outlier either. I have seen HUNDREDS, if not a THOUSAND criticisms. I have seen about a couple dozen stragglers and a half dozen consistent producers of good criticism...of which only THREE (Faboover, that Whitely Blog and Dual) are still around.

It's all just entitlement. 'You dared to ascertain your ownership over something you made so now I will bully you into compliance.'

As OP would say, over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over again.

Tens of thousands of chances on hitting a fucking t-ball. They always miss, split their head open on the bat and then try suing for damages after proclaiming themselves so much better than the coach.

Fair Game is a perfect example. Nothing was explictly romantic...or even implictedly. It was just some guys bonding. I have seen actual ship baiting (Amorshipping from Pokemon) and Fair Game does not fit. People picked up on some flirty animation that the WRITERS didn't intend for, used a character for their purpose and people shat themselves. Blaming them for YOUR immaturity is fucking disgusting.

But hey, this is how the crowd has ALWAYS worked. Don't give them what they want immediately? 'Kill yourself, Monty hates you.' Give them a background couple? 'Give us a major character, kill yourself.' Give them a tragic villain with a defined personality? 'Psycho Lesbian, kill yourself.' Give them a couple with a child? 'Doesn't count, kill yourself.'

Time after time after time after time after time- They demand shit by using their DEAD FRIEND as a soapbox and bludgeon and then move the goalposts so they can threaten and attack them.

We know this for a fact- the Camp Camp blog incident provided the psychos.

Oh did you think I forgot? Silly little fragile hypocrite- I will never forget.

You fucks are some of the most psychotic pieces of shit I have ever had the displeasure of meeting. I also remember how the very SECOND you got push back, that you had to eat your own shit for once, you cried foul.

No matter what you fucks try, I will not forget. And you will NEVER escape your bullshit.

You don't deserve to be listen to. You deserve every little bit of pettiness and disdain...times a hundred.

P.S. They do mention the Glassdoor incident...for half a paragraph.

"ACTUAL LIVING PEOPLE got hurt? Eh...BU WHAT ABOUT MY EGO?!"

[19-bellwether]

Pre-Finale V8 Survey Results

Thank you to everyone who submitted a response! I ended up with 598 total! Here are the results question by question. Shout out to the twenty-eight people who think Yang is dead.

Is Yang dead?

95.3% No, she's in turbohell for gay crimes.

4.7% Yeah, the show's renamed to Red Wersus Blue.

Where does the void spit you out?

41.8% Wonderland. Oscar's fairytale had to be foreshadowing, right?

20.1% A world made of memories. Ruby's not running from her trauma this time.

8.7% The Underworld where they encounter the spirits of the dead.

6.8% They're sent back in time. STRQ lore, here we come.

5.6% An alternate version of Remnant. Your AU fanfic might become canon.

5.3% The Old World full of gods, magic, and humanity 1.0.

11.7% Other

Some notable submissions to this question: The real world. RWBY Chibi. A Lovecraftian Nightmare. The home of the gods or relic spirits. Wonderland meets Dante's Inferno. All of the above at once. Nowhere, you just fall. Nowhere, because superhell spits Yang back out since she's straight.

Can Spicecream defeat Newspaper?

41.1% They defeat Team RWB... except Neo then betrays Cinder.

20.1% Neo bites it but Cinder survives to claim victory. She forgets to thank Neo for her sacrifice.

19.8% Cinder's losing streak continues and she falls into a bottomless pit for the second time.

10.5% Total victory. Cinder gets the relics and Neo gets her revenge.

8.6% They both die or fall lmao

How does team green conquer the sandstorm?

68% Surprise backup! It's time to see Team SSSN's and CFVY's new models.

19.1% ...or maybe a surprise appearance from the summer maiden?

9.6% Jaune, Nora, Winter, and/or Penny arrive to turn the tide.

3.4% Lots of effort and more than a few casualties.

Does Winter lose two shitty fathers today?

67.7% She cuts down Ironwood. Good for her. She deserves it.

15.9% Inexplicably, they both make it out of Volume 8 alive.

13% Winter sacrifices herself to kill him and we're robbed of a family Schneeunion.

3.4% Ironwood kills her and sheds a single regretful tear before moving onto his next genocide plan.

Does Atlas fall? How about that bomb?

45.9% Gravity always wins in the end. Hopefully Mantle finished evacuating.

43.5% It falls and gets caught in the bomb's explosion. Kingdom of Atlas more like Kingdom of Ashes.

2.5% The staff is used to keep Atlas afloat once more. So much for the evacuation plan.

8.1% Same as above except the bomb doesn't go off. Atlas and Mantle are left mostly empty.

Anyone dying in the finale? (Falling into the void doesn't count)

Nearly everyone answered Ironwood. There were many variations on his name including Irondaddy and Irondick. The next most popular choices were Watts, Winter, Harriet, and Neo.

Is Cinder on the path to redemption?

39.5% She'll leave Salem and fly solo, but idk if she'll ever be a good person.

33.1% Fuck no lol

18.2% No opinion. I'm not touching this discourse with a ten foot pole.

9.1% Redemption or bust. I'm all in on Cindemption and ready to gloat when it happens.

What's up with Penny's new body?

54.3% She's pure aura. Hopefully Cinder doesn't break it.

39.3% She's an ordinary human with squishy guts now.

6.4% I don't care, I just want robot Penny back.

Is Bumbleby canon?

47.9% Yes.

52.1% Yes, but I really wish they'd kiss or confess already.

R8 Volume 8 Average of 8.4/10:

*The next two questions were checkboxes, meaning people could select more than one answer.

Most enjoyed parts of Volume 8?

72.2% Character Development

61.4% Story and Overarching Narrative

41.2% Fights and Action Scenes

Other

Common answers: Animation improvements. Memes. Thirst for Salem. Everything involving The Happy Huntresses. Plot twists. Thirst for Ambrosius. Redemption arcs. Topical themes. Thirst for The Hound.

Least enjoyed parts of Volume 8?

38.2% Rushed character arcs due to cast bloat

26.2% Inconsistent pacing/tone

21.5% Characters make dumb or illogical decisions

18.1% My OTP still isn't canon

4.6% I'm a bootlicker and hate how they've treated Ironwood

Other

Common answers: Ironwood is a douchebag. Some characters not getting enough to do, especially Weiss. Lack of fight scenes. No Pyrrha. Not enough Team RWBY content. One person doesn't like Nuts and Dolts.

Ideal post-credit scene(s)?

Common answers: Yang waking up in Wonderland. Salem reforming. Taiyang and Raven. Side characters arriving in Atlas from Ruby's broadcast. Summer Rose lore. "Hello again!" And one person wants a full graphic Bumbleby sex scene.

Any final predictions or comments?

This was my favorite response so I'm sharing it: "i would die of laughter if atlas fell and just as Salem regenerated she got exploded by the bomb"

Thanks again for participating! Any results catch your eye?

[illusory-torrent]

Why I prefer the Genshin Impact fandom to the RWBY fandom.

I'll start off by saying what many of us are thinking. It's sad that the ships are nearly the only thing the RWBY fandom talks about because the plot leaves so many in a state of dissatisfaction. I've seen so many RWBY fans and non-fans alike say, "Oh, I don't care about the plot, I'm only watching for [insert ship here]" or "I'm going to drop the show if [insert ship here] doesn't happen". For those who doubt me, please believe me, it's a thing. 

Now, when I say that the RWBY fandom only really cares for shipping, you might ask, "Is that not what every fandom does though?"

Well... yes! You're right. However, I think the RWBY fandom takes it to the next level. 

First off, the theory-making side of the RWBY fandom has completely died. I remember there being videos theorizing if Yang was part-dragon Faunus or Ruby being a fox Faunus. These days, the fandom's theories boil down to, "What's up with the void that Team RWBY fell into?" due to V8's ending, but back during V5-V7, there were hardly any theories being posted. Most people just don't care anymore. 

Second off, Miles and Kerry struggle with writing characters outside of pairs. Not just romantic pairs, but pairs in general. Most characters only have interacts with their team partners, their love interests, their familial relationships, and... that's it. Blake is a prime example of this. Her best interactions are with Yang (her team partner), Sun (her former love interest), Ilia (another former love interest), and Adam (her ex-boyfriend). Her worst interactions are with Ruby (her team's leader, whom she hardly interacts with) and pretty much everyone else. Even her interactions with Weiss are few and far between. Another example would be Penny. Prior to Volume 3, Penny's best interactions were with Ruby. Penny hardly interacted with anyone else in a meaningful way. She dies and Ruby's tearful reaction is focused on. Why? Because she's one of the few characters Penny actually had a relationship with! Penny comes back in Volume 7, and she still only really interacts with Ruby. Her only new relationship that's developed is with Winter... and we find out why. It's because when Penny is killed by Jaune, her maiden powers are transferred to Winter, the rightful owner.

Miles and Kerry being unable to write outside of pairs is why we only have each of our characters only interact with certain other characters. Before Jaune helped kill Penny, did he ever even have a real conversation with her? We'll never know! Has Blake even talked to Jaune before? No idea! Did Yang even care that Pyrrha died? Probably, but we viewers literally never see the two interact prior to Pyrrha's untimely demise.

This type of writing (whether intentionally or unintentionally done) promotes shipping culture. Characters interact primarily with their love interests (who may or may not also be their team partners). This is why RWBY's fandom is so focused on shipping. Hell, even Blake's VA tweeted at Clover's VA with a joke regarding this.

Clover's VA: Has anybody heard of this thing, “shipping?”

Blake's VA: Welcome to RWBY.

[Photo for anyone who needs proof, in case these Tweets are deleted in the future.]

Blake's VA even once had to make a post saying, "Y’all, you know I love my Bees, but not everything is Bee related. Some is just RWBY hype in general. Calm yo’self.". The fact she even had to clarify that not everything she posts about RWBY is related to a ship is astounding. Imagine having to tell your audience that not everything you post is related to a fictional pairing. 

The RWBY cast even had an segment on The Ship-It Show where, you guessed it, they talked about their favorite and least favorite ships. Their tagline even was that "Shipping is a creative expression, so don't limit your creativity!", which went over with the fandom about as well as one would expect. 

Finally, Miles Luna recently posted a Cameo video where he stated, "Just remember: shipping is fun and pretend, and it’s just supposed to be a good time. Don’t be one of those people that attack other shippers and get real mean and toxic. We’re all just here having fun with wonderful make believe characters and make believe worlds, and I think that is a beautiful activity, as long as you’re doing it responsibly and kindly." 

So as you can see, shipping is a big part of the RWBY community. I'd venture to say that shipping is the most important part of the RWBY community. And that's fine! Shipping in itself isn't a bad thing. It's only when it gets completely out of hand where it becomes a problem. And I feel it is becoming a problem in the RWBY community. Rooster Teeth, if you need your show-writers to remind the fandom that shipping is supposed to be fun, you have a problem. 

Well, how does Genshin Impact avoid that problem? The fandom itself is large and the game is quite popular, so how does it handle not becoming a complete shitfest shipfest? 

For starters, Mihoyo doesn't confirm any ships at all. This is for profit reasons, the game is a gacha game designed for players to spend money on their "waifus" and "husbandos". Characters have outfit customization for this exact purpose. Mihoyo benefits from keeping characters canonically single. This is why, while people think soon-to-be-released characters like Ayaka and Tohma are dating, many people also believe these same characters to be single. 

Second off, VAs are unable to give their opinions on certain ships and on lore. For example, the VA for Lumine, the main female protagonist, confirmed that Lumine was 15, before apologizing and deleting her comments. The VA for Childe signed some Childe x Lumine artwork to sell, but blatantly stated that he only really shipped Childe with Childe. The VAs avoid discussing unconfirmed ships/lore and, in this way, Mihoyo avoids controversy. 

Finally, Genshin Impact only recently came out. This means that the theorizing part of the fandom is still alive and well. There's plenty to theorize about since there's so much us players don't know about the story. Lore tidbits are celebrated by lore junkies, folks who want to theorize on the characters' backstories or on the protagonist's journey to find their twin sibling are more than welcome to do so. 

So while the Genshin Impact community engages in tons of shipping, none of the ships are more canon than any other. A Zhongli x Childe shipper might argue that their ship is canon because Zhongli gifted Childe some chopsticks, but a Zhongli x Ningguang shipper could easily argue back that Ninguang is a reincarnation of Zhongli's former friend/partner Guizhong. And of course, a non-shipper could look at both of these arguments and believe them both to be false.

I think this allows shipping to remain a fun and lighthearted activity in the Genshin Impact fandom. You can ship what you'd like, or you can just enjoy the plot and lore like a normal gamer. 

So where am I going with this? Well, my thoughts are that no matter what the fandom, there will always be shipping. There's always gonna be some degenerates (like myself) who see two cute characters and want them to get together. However, it's up to the creators themselves to decide where to go with ships or to even entertain them at all. Mihoyo, in my opinion, handles the Genshin Impact fandom's shipping craze much more successfully than Rooster Teeth handles the RWBY fandom. 

So what are your thoughts? If you're in both fandoms, which fandom do you prefer and why? Let me know!

[shtern-and-art]

"Skeppy will probably cry" "Bad will probably cry". Bish, screw, that I am crying!!!

This whole thing was bloody gorgeous and I wasn't expecting that ending. I had no clue what ending to expect but that was definitely better than any I could have hoped for. Forest spirit to soulmate your honour!

I was terrified that you were gonna leave it at the point where he loses the spirit and becomes mortal again. If you had I would be actively sobbing!!!! And oh my god, the art!!! I still can't get over how wonderful your style is.

Imma ask fun things because if I don't I'll sit in a puddle of emotion all night:

What's the first tech thing Bad will buy and how annoying will he be about it? Poor Skeppy trying to answer 101 questions about something he doesn't really use XD.

Is no one concerned that the odd couple from a town they never name has a pet wolf??

Do they immediately go over to a different town or do they wander for a while. Find hidden creeks and befriend bears?

Does Bad still have a connection to nature and animals, like are creatures naturally more trusting of him?

Do they ever visit the og town again?

Does Skeppy still cause absolute chaos in other towns or has he learnt his lesson and only causes minor trouble now?

Does Bad ever try and study again? If he did what would he study and would Skeppy try to study as well?

Does Skeppy steal? I dunno, he just give off the vibe of a naughty lil trickster who'll pocket something if the owner refuses to sell it him.

Immediately after leaving the forest what the first 'argument' they have (not including the car one)?

Would they ever ride horse? If yes, how terrified would Skeppy be?

Skeppy falls outta tree. I don't know why but my mind keeps telling me that this man has great balance until he climbs trees. They are his mortal enemy and Bad finds this both hilarious and terrifying because he is going to hurt himself.

I had waaaaay more questions than I intended to have. My bad '^_^ but this story was way too much fun to read and you are entirely to blame for making it so engaging!

Make sure to take care of yourself and do stretches after and during drawing. You don't wanna hurt yourself <3

AaaaI’m so glad you liked it! :D And, dang, man, I cried while writing that part too :D

And I promised a nice ending for the main story, I did, and this one also makes the most sense narratively! For the story I wanted to tell, at least. Bad can’t really become human again, he’s changed to much. He can only move on, and do something with what he is, and has. And he did! :D That’s really nice and inspiring, this story will always have a place in my heart, heheh <3

Being a guardian spirit connected to a person and all, Bad may be not as strong as before, but he can’t die unless Skeppy dies first. And Skeppy can do that, but he’s pretty sturdy, and his lifespan operates on a whole other scale than human ones. And Bad knowing Skeppy’s real name balances it all out, makes them equal in the power and influence they have over each other.

So hellyeah, soulmates for the win :DDD

I’ll answer all questions under the cut, and this close up from one of the pages!

1) What's the first tech thing Bad will buy and how annoying will he be about it?

Probably a pager! Because it’s a more feasible thing to get than a wholeass computer Bad actually wanted :D An it means Skeppy will have to get one too, and that Bad will be having the time of his life texting him and everyone he can get a number from, even if they’re still in the room with him.

Poor Skeppy indeed, he can learn to appreciate the pagers, and later phones, too, and computers, but he really has 0 idea on how it all works and why Bad is so fascinated by it all.

2) Rat and regular people

Oh, she can shapeshift, just like Bad! If they’re out with people around, she takes form of a puppy, and Bad can pass her off as a weird mix breed rescue doggo.

3) Do they immediately go over to a different town or do they wander for a while?

Oh, since they have no end destination in mind, they can ride around for a bit, go visit some cool places and roadside attractions. Sadly, Skeppy is probably not spiritually or morally ready to full on befriend wild bears yet, and they do need money for gas and snacks. So, at some point they will have to stop somewhere and find work – at least for a bit, to save up. Life’s gonna be a bit complicated with all that, until Skeppy figures out his treasure-finding abilities :DD

4) Bad and nature and animals

He is definitely still in tune with all wildlife! Even more – Bad could become a proper guardian spirit for Skeppy in part because, in a way, Skeppy himself is part of the nature.

So yeah, Bad can understand animals (and plants) and communicate with them; they’re just more free to not take his shit, and Bad’s emotions do not “possess” them unless he makes an effort to do so.

He doesn’t like doing it, tho.

5) Do they ever visit the og town again?

Hm, I think they will completely forget about it for a while, until, like, 30+ years later they will be going somewhere, and find themselves around those parts. And they try to not appear too often in the areas they’ve spent a lot of time in already (they can be pretty recognizable, and also barely show signs of aging). But it’s been a long time, and the town’s really different now… So they make a stop, and spend a day there. They walk the unfamiliar streets between the new buildings, check out the popular hiking trail, the advertisements for hot springs and winter activities. The old cinema is still there, and is hosting an all-night marathon of classic horror movies of the last century.

Bad and Skeppy leave the town after sunset – the day was nice, but they have nothing more to do there. They ride through the forest on a well paved road, with radio playing something barely above the whisper. And in the dark of hot summer night, Bad can see the white stag running between the trees alongside their car. Shadows dance over the shimmering light of it’s fur.

Somewhere after the towns border, the stag disappears back in the forest. But the air in the car stays light and fresh, saving the smell of old pines and dry leaves all though the night.

6) Skeppy and chaos

Well, after the whole mess in the main story, Skeppy definitely learned some lessons, especially about not being a dick :D

But the thing is – he can’t really help the fact that things tend to stir up around him a lot. He naturally brings in chaos into everything, because he is, in part, a personification, or an outlet for it in the world. And so, to feel, well and good, and himself Skeppy gotta do stuff that disrupts balance, and creates some mayhem. And in gave him a lot of trouble in early life, but in the course of the main story he learned that he can chose were he lets that chaos to take hold, learned what can come of that chaos, apart from utter misery.

Like, where it can help dismantle something destructive, and where – bring in the more positive change, that was already brewing, possible, but is stagnant for some reason.

Soooo, I can’t say Skeppy causes only minor chaos in his life, but he sure learns even more about not being a dick :DDDD

7) The studying

I think Bad will want to get a higher education at some point, because he wanted to, and because it’s already new millennia and all that. Bet he’ll go for something very technical and/or literature. Maybe he’ll start by piking up some classes in small time colleges, when they stop in one place for a while, and later get into an online program, because why not.

Skeppy is not a college guy at all. He’ll listen to Bad talk about it, read textbooks if he wants to, can research stuff, buuut going to classes and doing homework is definitely not his thing.

8) Stealing

Well, you’re right, Skeppy can and will steal stuff out of spite! And will be scolded by Bad for it, and will not feel (that) sorry about it. But real stealer between them will be Bad himself :D

It’s just… he has the corvid tendencies, and a hoard (a box) of sentimental mementos from different people and events, and the thrill of stealing something small and harmless is very exciting. Bad is very proud of his little collection. Skeppy finds it very adorable, a bit hypocritical, and kinda creepy. Like, that pretty box he gifted Bad at some point is now full of stuff like:

- pressed flower from the clearing they had a picnic at on their anniversary

- the button the waitress lost that one day the storm caused a black out in the whole town

- some small animal bones

- couple pretty rocks Bad stole from Skeppy’s pockets

- penny that was once glued to the ground

- a handful of teeth people (and not people) lost in fights with Bad

- pen from some fancy hotel

- rainbow dash keychain that belonged to a child

- the list goes on

9) Argument

Oh, that same day they’ll fight over whether they should stay at the really crappy and suspicious looking motel, or go sleep in a perfectly fine forest near the road. Ironically, Bad wanted to try out the motel (because, yay, first time spending the night back in civilization), and Skeppy was the one insisting on sleeping in nature (because the motel looks like it could give you 10 diseases if you even stand near it, and sleeping in the forest is kind of nice, and means they can cuddle).

10) Horses

The guys will probably ride them at some point. Well, Bad will ride, and Skeppy will sit on his horse and hope it knows what to do and where to go, because trying to make this giant thing do something seems dangerous. If they’ll have to actually go somewhere fast, Skeppy will not survive that day, his butt (and legs) will be dead for days to come.

And riding with Bad on one horse may sound romantic and nice, but all romance dies when the gallop starts.

F.

11) Skeppy and climbing

Skeppy is more down to earth kind of guy, more of a “rocks and caves” kind of creature, real-life lizard person or something. Up on the trees and in the air – not really his element, yeah. But it doesn’t mean that Skeppy will accept this fact easy. The embarrassment of never managing to safely make it down a tree is too strong, he just has to do it all over again, and again. And again. Because, clearly, he was distracted this time. And the time before that Bad was teasing him, and it “disrupted his flow”. And, really, maybe these trees here just do not like Skeppy much, and make him slip a lot. Yeah.

So, more often than not, if Skeppy climbs a tree, he will not stop climbing it until he falls, or the tree ends. Bad had to take him off high branches couple times, forcefully, because, of course, Skeppy was sitting there for 2 hours just to properly enjoy the sunset. He can climb down at any point, he just Choses not to. The view is amazing. The bark is literally part of his skin now, not because he holds on tight, no, he’s just Than Much one with the nature )<

---

Don’t apologize for the questions! It’s always so fun to answer them, and it makes me think more about stuff I may have skipped, or didn’t think about before. It’s really nice :3c

Again, thank you for the ask, and for being here for this story! <3

(And I’ll try setting timers for rest breaks while I draw, mb that will help)

---

In The Dark - masterpost

[81scorp]

Life in the 1950s

Here`s a text I recently saw in a youtube comment about life in the 1950s told by someone who actually lived in the 1950s.

(The comment was posted on a video called “1950s fashion is not what you think it is” by Karolina Zebrowska)

“I grew up in the 1950s, like others commenting here.  Here's what I remember:

Average ladies wore deeper pink lipstick or softer shades of red, no foundation, a little swipe of powder to blot any shine on the face or nose. At most dark brown eyebrow pencil (black was considered too harsh) was applied to fill in sparse spots in the brows, no rouge or eye shadow was used.  Only movie stars used eyeliner, we didn't know it existed. There was a product called "Dark Eyes" for women with pale lashes, that dyed them more or less permanently until they naturally fell out.  Who knows what was in it.  Clear nail polish was worn on short nails.  

The really pretty teenagers, not us, experimented with colored nail polish on fingernails (and sometimes toes).  They occasionally used eyelash curlers followed by a light swoop of vaseline.  Mascara was considered quite glamorous and spent most of its time sitting unused in the top dresser drawer, to be saved for "someday".  

Popular fragrances for teens were Jungle Gardenia, Tweed, Tabu, White Shoulders and Windsong.  Moms wore Evening in Paris, Arpege, Chanel No.5 and My Sin. 

Little girls got tiny bottles of cologne from the dime store, which they dabbed on a couple times and forgot.  Cough.

Nylons with seams were always worn with skirts and dresses, even in high summer, and held up with garters attached to a longline or panty girdle. For a really small waist, you wore a waist cincher called a merry widow, named after the operetta. 

Full or half slips were always worn under dresses. For church, special occasions, or Saturday nights out, full skirts with nylon net cancan slips came out of the closet. It took a good while to iron these, so you wouldn't wear them every day.  They also took up more room when you sat or moved, so you wouldn't wear them to work, school or on the bus. 

Pleated skirts,  moderately full a-lines or straight skirts with a kick pleat for walking ease were more common.  Circular poodle skirts had actual felt poodles appliqued on them.  (We thought they looked dopey, but would try them on for a laugh.)  Shorter slacks called pedal pushers or capris helped make steamy days bearable.  Short fuzzy pants in Dr.Scholls moleskin pink, called snuggies, were worn under skirts in the wintertime to keep your legs warm above the knees.  Hideous things.  If the wind flipped your skirt up, you were mortified.  Thank goodness opaque tights came along later.

Young ladies wore plain dress flats, penny loafers, sneakers, low dressy heels, or plain 3" heels when they reached their teens. Little girls wore Mary Janes.  Saddle shoes weren't really that popular, because they made your feet look big and clunky.  Grandmas wore "nun shoes", black WWII lace-up oxfords with Cuban heels.  Women wore lower 2" heels when doing housework and 3" heels in a plain style known as pumps when they left the house. They never stepped out of the front door without lipstick.  An average day at home was spent indoors without any makeup whatsoever.  In my very ordinary Chicago neighborhood at least.

There were some odd little fads every year, like plastic pop beads that snapped together to make any size necklace in cream or orange, large muffs in the winter, clear plastic peeptoe slingbacks and purses that folded two flaps into the top instead of snapping with a clasp.  Check out the delightful movie musical, "Bells are Ringing", for the last one.  At one point, hoopskirts were all the rage for formal wear, ala "The King and I".

Women and girls only went hatless in their own immediate neighborhoods.  Shopping downtown, going to work, church or restaurants called for a hat and gloves (white cotton in summer).

Fashion magazines were dream books and did not reflect real life.  Women didn't worry about their weight until the 1960s, they simply bought a bigger size if they needed it.  Most women weren't really obese, because housework and shopping without a second car kept them active.  

On Monday you got up early to do laundry at the laundromat or in the basement.  If you only had a clothesline for drying, the towels froze like boards in the winter and had to be ironed out.  

On Tuesday everything was ironed: sheets, pillowcases, underwear (even bras and undershirts), hankies, etc. No disposable diapers, they were cloth, washed at home in Ivory Flakes and bleach.  Men's collars and cuffs were stiffened with liquid starch cooked on the stove. 

 In the winter, woolens were gathered up to go to the dry cleaner every Saturday.  Shoes were polished at least once a week. 

Ladies went to the local hair salon once a week for a shampoo and set, and carefully slept in a hairnet every night, no tossing and turning.  Permanent waves were very popular, in spite of being an ordeal. Most women wore their hair in a short style very similar to what Queen Elizabeth wore to her wedding. Longer hair was considered impractical for married ladies, and was usually reserved for teens and little girls, who endured rag curls. Curling irons were only about 1/2" thick and heated over a stove burner, no electric cords on them back then. My mother still wore finger waves into the 50s. The old ladies next door dressed in pre-WWI styles with Mother Hubbard aprons.  Old fashions, like spit curls, rats, and bowl haircuts on kids tended to linger as long as the older generation was around.  Just like today.

 I was in grade school in the 1950s and couldn't wait to wear all those lovely, feminine, grown-up dresses once I reached high school.  Imagine my disappointment when the 60s arrived with cheap-looking mini skirts that made us all look like dancing soup cans.  Back then retro and vintage were not options for young people.

Anyway, sorry for the ramble, just wanted to pass on a few details before they're lost forever.”

Just spreading some knowledge.

[itsclydebitches]

You know, bringing Penny back already had the risk of cheapening her death, but NO ONE having an emotional reaction whatsoever and Pietro being like “Yeah, I guess she did die lol :D” just DESTROYED the weight of her death. Just another reason I felt nothing when she died again.

The lack of reaction to Penny's resurrection will, forever and always, be a black mark on the series for me. I'm not at all surprised that she was brought back given her android status and popularity among the fandom, I can't even fault RT for restoring our original Penny perfectly given the latter (as opposed to getting a "Penny" without her personality and/or memories), but the sheer indifference to her cheating death? Not just that, but treating her return like a joke? Oh haha, silly Penny with her overenthusiastic hugs. I sure missed that bubbly girl back when our enemies manipulated our now murdered friend into killing her and that trauma kick-started the destruction of our school :)

And this trend in the fandom of going, "Just wait"? Penny suffered from it too. Massively. Like we were told to just wait to return to Oscar's mystery shopping trip, or for the reconciliation with Ozpin to start, or, now, for Emerald to undergo an actual redemption arc, the lack of reaction to Penny's return was explained away as shock (and haven't we heard that one before). Ruby will need to grapple with these emotions, it's just that she was so stunned by this turn of events! But, quite obviously, that never happened. Ruby and Penny's relationship fundamentally returned to where it had started, with Penny making comments about how she isn't allowed certain freedoms and Ruby reminding her that she's a real girl despite it all. A death and the trauma of losing a friend? Not a part of their Volume 7-8 dynamic, to the extent that the story throws them a party in the arena where Penny died — and where Yang was framed, and where the Battle of Beacon began — and not a single character has anything to say about that. The meaning that Penny's death carried in Volumes 3-5 was, in short, erased... and then Penny's entire journey of learning that she's always been real is erased too in an effort to kill her off for good. Her human body wasn't included because it was something she strove for (it wasn't), or something the group needed (it wasn't), or because it was a thematic culmination of her journey (quite the opposite), or even because it follows her inspiration (Ironwood's Tin Man would have something to say about that). It exists solely so that Penny could be murdered again, this time for good. The mad scramble to theorize that she's not really dead (again) is telling. Even the most complimentary fans, those who were quite happy with Penny becoming a human and took no issue with her story throughout 7 and 8, recognized that her death was a horrific, meaningless scene that served only to drum up shock value and give Jaune something to angst over.

I'd even go so far as to say her time as the Maiden was meaningless too. Not just in terms of her not actually doing anything with the powers and Winter ending up with them as originally planned — those two points have both been covered extensively — but in regards to the fact that the group didn't react to that either. Our formerly dead friend came back and a short time later is one of the Maidens? Neat! And that's the extent of their emotional investment in Penny's change. Neat, we've got a stronger fighter now. I just answered that ask that referenced Yang and Ren's fight and that's literally Yang's entire thought on the matter: "We have the Maiden." The Maiden is positioned as a useful tool in this war; a checkmark in the "Victories" column when your friend thinks you haven't achieved enough. But doesn't anyone care that the Maiden is Penny? It's particularly strange to me given the six years of fandom discussion surrounding Pyrrha's almost-time as a Maiden too. As someone (quite obviously lol) interested in Ozpin's character, his desire to make Pyrrha the next Fall Maiden is often viewed as one of his worst acts, supposedly taking this poor, defenseless student and manipulating her into accepting a power that will ruin her life. So much of this is conjecture and even more is an erasure of Pyrrha's agency, and the hypocrisy here is on full display when we look to the reaction to Penny's acceptance of the powers instead. No one is worried about how this power is supposedly going to ruin her life. Or drive all her friends away. Or make her a target to be murdered (again) which is precisely what happens. Or turn her into a tool for the evil men around her to abuse — even though Penny is the one who actually has storylines revolving around her agency, from Pietro building her to be Atlas' obedient weapon to Ironwood ordering her back to his side. Yet the characters don't react to this change with any of the horror we might have expected, because these views don't derive solely from fan headcanoning — we've got moments in the text too. Like Jaune convincing himself that Qrow and the others forced Pyrrha into this. Or the knee-jerk reaction to "real" magic and the horrible things it must do to you. Yet Penny walks out of that lab brimming with a foreign magic, something that Ironwood had always planned to pass onto one of this allies, a power that they know has gotten numerous people killed, and our group is just like, "Cool. Penny upgrade." Everything about Penny's Volume 7-8 journey demonstrates a lack of forethought; the authors' inability to connect what they're currently writing to what came before and what will come later. The lack of reaction to her death, the framing plotline going nowhere, a total acceptance of her as the Maiden despite complicated feelings in the past (and we can toss Yang's assumed secret about Raven in here too), the ableist and contradictory message of giving her a human body, dying again just an episode later, doing so in a way that throws Jaune back into the same situation we've seen before... none of it is emotionally fulfilling when set against the rest of RWBY.

And Emerald, as you say, is a crucial part of all that. Emerald is the one who originally orchestrated Penny's murder. We see her love for Cinder pushing her to attack Penny again just hours before she joins the group. Emerald pretends to be Penny in order to get close to Ironwood... and the only thing we get from all this is a quip about how "weird" it feels to do good. Their stories are woven together and the fact that RT doesn't seem to realize that does a huge disservice to them both. The question of, "How does Penny grow after being resurrected post-murder?" and the question of, "What will it take to redeem Emerald?" are irrevocably linked to one another... and yet neither character was given the chance to answer those questions in a fulfilling manner.

[fadedneonzzz]

My Top 10 RWBY Characters

Because I feel like it, and I’ll give a brief explanation for every character on this list.

First up, Honorable Mentions. In no particular order

Team CFVY

I know it seems lazy to put them all in one, but they’re here for essentially the same reason: lack of meaningful screen time. I appreciate they were amazing in the books, but it’s optional material. Also if it weren’t for Velvet’s popularity, CFY wouldn’t even exist.

Salem

While I do enjoy her for the most part, I feel there are other villains that are way more interesting. I also don’t enjoy villains who act like gods without something else going for her. However she is a master of destroying hope and has a terrifying presence, I will definitely give her that.

Neopolitan 

This might come as a shock to many of you as all I do is complain about Neo, but I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t some kind of charm with her. My distain for her isn’t really her fault as it stems primarily from the FNDM overhyping her along with CRWBY doing the same. I think many people would agree with me that Neo is by far RWBY’s most overrated character. But damn did I love her in V2 and V3.

Blake Belladonna 

This may also come as a surprise because at one point Blake was in fact my favorite character. But everything about her arc V4 onwards was pretty weak, though V5 was actually pretty good for her, it wasn’t enough to stop her from falling to Honorable Mention status. A lot of what made her interesting is gone, though I still like her a lot.

Emerald Sustrai 

While I have enjoyed her character since V3, her redemption arc was by far the weakest part of V8 and if it doesn’t continue in V9 or V10, it’ll be one of the weakest redemption arcs I’ve ever seen. On a more positive note, I found her snark to be great and she was probably the second most interesting of the villains around V3. As it stands however, I cannot put her in my top 10.

Now on to the top 10!

10) James Ironwood

Now don’t worry I’m not one of those crazy Ironwood stans that think he was right all along and RWBY was stupid not to follow his orders, but he was one of the best written antagonists in the show. Seeing him “lose his heart” was one of the most heart wrenching scenes in RWBY because you know he means well, but his methods aren’t. You didn’t want to see him turn antagonistic, but he did, and in the end it’s what causes his ultimate downfall. 

9) Neon Katt

Nothing really too special, I just think she’s a fun character to watch and I love her bubbly personality. That and she really likes talking shit to people, but wants to be your friend afterwards (after you beat her ass of course). She’s been a favorite of mine since V3 mostly due to her fight with Yang. I hope to god she’s still alive.

8) Jaune Arc

Ironically he became a better character with worse hair. Honestly, it wasn’t until V7 and V8 where he really started to grow on me. I loved that he grew as a character, I’m glad he’s not fixated on revenge like some of his fans want him to be. He has shown time and time again that he is the most level headed of the main team. It seems now he understands what Pyrrha’s sacrifice really meant and I hope he keeps growing.

7) Winter Schnee

Thanks to V7 and V8 doing wonders for her character, Winter has become a delight to watch. I can’t wait to see where her character goes now that she’s the winter maiden. I like that she had to change as a person before inheriting the powers. At first she wanted to do it because Ironwood said so, but then she used the powers for something more important. In a way, she cut her puppet strings like Penny did.

6) Ruby Rose

The thing about Ruby that I’ll always love about her is that she stays optimistic even during the darkest of times. While she may not be as interesting as other characters, she definitely grows and matures which is all I really need. In V6, it was cool to see her take charge after being sidelined in V5. Now Ruby is the light that everyone needs to keep moving forward. She is becoming the heroine she always dreamed of becoming.

5) Nora Valkyrie 

All I really ask from any character is 2 things: either be interesting or have character growth. Nora represents the latter as for the first 6 volumes, Nora was just there for me. She wasn’t particularly interesting, but not boring or annoying. However that all changed when V7 hit. She showed she’s more than just the comic relief character. It’s also very mature of her to want to find out who she really is, it may have taken a while, but better late than never I always say. She has quickly became my favorite member of JNPR.

4) Arthur Watts

Also known as Revolver Mustache, is my second favorite antagonist in RWBY. While he hasn’t directly interacted with any of the main characters, I do like his connections to Atlas and the people there. He had a pretty good fight against someone who could’ve easily beaten him. And his voice is amazing. 

3) Yang Xiao Long 

One of my all time favorite characters since the beginning, I loved seeing her get back up from having her arm cut off and maturing as the series went on. Some of her highlights include her talk with Weiss in V5 where we see a more vulnerable side to her. I liked her final confrontation with Raven as well, and so far she stuck to what she said. Yang might be afraid of Salem and all the future hardships she may have to endure, but she won’t run.

2) Cinder Fall

In my opinion Cinder is the most interesting character and the best villain in RWBY. Some may disagree with me, but she is just as much of a main character as the heroes. Her story arc is very relatable and compelling. What keeps me hooked to her character is that the writers can go whichever direction they want with the character. It’s rare to see a villain go through character growth that doesn’t (immediately) lead to a redemption arc. Villains are mostly static characters who are for the most part set in their ways, but not Cinder she became a better villain after so many failures. Some hate her because she fails so often, but honestly that’s more realistic than one would think. I’m really excited to see where her character goes in the future.

Now who could possibly top Cinder?

1) Weiss Schnee

Probably the most consistently well written character in RWBY for the past 4 (arguably 5)  volumes. Even when RWBY at it’s lowest point, Weiss was a joy to watch. I loved how she started off as a cold hearted bitch, but in V4 we found out where it stemmed from. Like her jumping into Yang’s arms after reuniting with her just shows how much she has grown as a person. While it took many of these characters a while to become my favorite, Weiss managed to be my favorite throughout. I also love how she managed to stitch her family back together by the end of V8.

So what do you think of my list? What’s your top 10 characters?

[remnantoforario]

Winter and Ironwood

So I was originally going to put this as part of my long rant about how Winter and Ironwood’s fight in Volume 8 was handled, but that post got so long that I just decided to make two different posts. You can find “Part 1″ here.

How about this? 

Instead of making all the scenes with Penny and Winter in V7 about humanity and following orders, how about we recontextualize that time to focus more on Winter’s relationship with Ironwood? 

Whenever something goes wrong or other characters start to blame him for things, Winter is the first one to step up and defend him. He might not be making the most popular decisions, but he’s doing what he thinks is best for Atlas and all of Remnant. Winter helps reinforce this. 

Instead of wasting time on bad montages and even worse comedy, throw in a flashback of Winter being thrown out on her ass after disowning the Schnee name and show her being taken in by Ironwood. 

Show her rising through the ranks of the military with Ironwood watching over and guiding her. Show WHY she trusts him so much. You can also show a flashback of how Ironwood was right after the Fall of Beacon. Show him coming to terms with the fact that Beacon fell, Ozpin is gone, their defenses were completely shattered, and how everyone sees Atlas as an enemy. Have Winter (and the Ace-Ops) be there to assure him that she will always be on his side no matter what. 

In Volume 8, put more focus on things from Winter’s perspective. Show how she feels about watching Ironwood grow more and more insane. Perhaps likening it to growing up under Jacques.  Have a scene where the Ace-Ops (mostly Marrow) voice their concerns on how the General is acting, but then Winter (and Harriet) tells them to stow it and remind them of their duties as soldiers of Atlas. They are the only ones the General can trust. They have to believe in him.  

When Ironwood brings up bombing Mantle to lure out Penny THEN have Winter confront him, but not with hostility. She talks to him privately, giving her concerns and saying that she has followed him for years. She looks up to and believes in him before all others and would even give her life if he asked, but bombing Mantle is too much. This isn’t about the safety of the people anymore, this is outright coercion and bullying for the sake of his ego. His fear is controlling him. This is something Salem would do. 

Ironwood would be enraged at this claim and yell at Winter about how all he’s done is try to protect everyone but they keep throwing it back in his face. Have him drop his Semblance for the first time since Salem arrived and have him break down, saying that he doesn’t know what to do anymore. 

Make his Semblance an actual plot point and not just something they threw in for the hell of it. Winter and Clover would be the only one’s that knew about it. James keeps it on so he doesn’t have to FEEL anything. He thinks he needs to be focused and unfeeling to do his job and defeat Salem, but Winter tells him that that is wrong and it’s not a sin to feel compassion and fear. He knew that once.

Winter could tell him that they can find a way to fix this along with Ruby and the others. Salem is gone for the moment, they have time. He doesn’t have to do this. They can find away to save the people. He can still go back to the person that he was. The general she respected (and possibly loved at one point). 

Ironwood reactivates his Semblance and says there is no going back. If Winter won’t stand with him, than he has no more use for her. He then orders the Ace-Ops to throw her in a cell next to Jacques. 

In jail, Winter could have an actual conversation with her father, blaming him for destroying their family and driving her away. Jacques can make a comment on how Ironwood betrayed her and threw her in jail, so they are alike and that she is no better because she saw the monster he was becoming and did nothing about it. 

Winter would come to terms with this and admit that yes, she is guilty just like Ironwood but her sitting in this jail cell right now means its not too late to atone. She saw him when he was vulnerable, she knows he’s struggling, and she can still save him. 

Tweak a couple of things. Elm saves Marrow from getting shot instead of Winter since she’s in jail and THEY meet up with Qrow and Robyn, and also have Harriet and Vine confront the kids instead of Ironwood going there himself when he finds out RWBYP went to the vault. Now we come to the solo fight between Winter and Ironwood.

Ironwood attempts to stop RWBY from using the staff, but is stopped by Winter. He orders her to get out of the way, but she says she can’t. He asks why she cares about Mantle so much, but she says this isn’t about just Mantle or even Atlas anymore.

Ironwood taught her the value of protecting others. No matter what, as a soldier her true duty is to the people, not her rank. Ironwood has lost his way, he’s let fear control him. He’s teetering on the edge, but she refuses to let him fall. Her respect and love for him won’t let her. 

The girls have saved Mantle and Atlas from Salem, now she has to save Ironwood from himself. If he does what he says he’s going to do and bombs Mantle, there will be no going back. He will become the monster that everyone says he is. 

Ironwood says he has accepted this and tells her one last time to stand aside, Winter grabs her weapons and says she won’t as her eyes get misty. Ironwood sheds a tear and they both start to fight. 

However, Winter isn’t trying to kill Ironwood. She’s fighting strategically in order to break his Aura. If she breaks his aura his semblance stops and she can finally talk to him again. So for the most part he’s pushing her back, yelling at her for betraying him like everyone else. 

Winter says she’s fighting because she’s the only person that still believes in him. If she turns her back on him now she wouldn’t be able to call herself a soldier of Atlas, or his friend. 

Winter barely manages to win the fight, no Maiden Power needed and Ironwood starts to come to terms with everything he’s done. He’s still focused on completing his mission, but Winter tells him that he doesn’t have to fight anymore. The mission is over. They’re done. 

Before the two can fully reconcile, Salem shows up and mortally wounds Ironwood right in front of Winter, thanking him for doing her job for her. An enraged Winter tries to fight Salem, but is easily defeated. 

Right before Salem can kill her, Winter receives the Maiden power from Penny and pushes Salem back. Winter tries to attack in retaliation, but Ironwood tells her that she needs to go through the portal. If Salem takes her power then everything will be for nothing. He then reminds her that her obligation is to the people, just like she told him during their fight. 

With tears in her eyes, Winter flies into the portal and comes in as the world is collapsing. She tries to catch Weiss, but fails and goes through the portal to Vacuo, cursing Cinder on her way through. 

Ironwood watches as Cinder gives both relics to Salem. Cinder says its checkmate, but Ironwood says that as long as Winter and the others are alive, Salem won’t win. He then dies with a smile on his face as Atlas falls. 

In Vacuo, Winter cries as she thinks of the lost lives of her sister and Ironwood. But she has to keep going. She is now the protector of both Mantle and Atlas. 

Got a bit messy at the end there, but for the most part that’s one way they could have handled the Winter/Ironwood story. Winter stands up to him, but Ironwood isn’t fully treated like a villain and gets SOME form of redemption before he’s tragically cut down. 

[kenzieam]

Get The Chance - Oneshot

Rating: T

Warnings: Fluff, some mild language

Word Count: 1508

Tags: @jewels2876​  @moonbeambucky​  @jeremyrennerfanxxxx123​  @iammarylastar​ @captstefanbrandt​  @badassbaker​  @pinknerdpanda​  @oliviastan17​ @mizzzpink​​

***************************************************************

Bucky goes looking for The Hobbit.

Just a brain-fart, be gentle.

***************************************************************

Bucky looked up from the scrawled directions on the ratty piece of paper in his gloved hand. Apparently, there was this new thing out there the kids used called Google Maps, but an actual paper copy felt better, more… present in his hand than a blinking phone screen.

This was the last used bookstore in Brooklyn, if he didn’t find it here, he’d have to expand his search into the other boroughs, and he’d rather not.

‘It’ was a copy of The Hobbit and not just any copy. He could go online and order a new one, download the Kindle version or pick up any dog-eared copy he’d come across in any of the other used bookstores he’d already visited, but he didn’t want that.

He wanted the original, one just like the one he’d first read, when the damn thing first came out, in 1937. He wanted the smell of old paper, the heft of it, the hard cover to help transport him back to when things were simpler, plainer; when a new book and an upcoming date with a dame were the good things in life, small things to look forward to.

Now it was a lifeline.

And an eye-opener. What had cost mere pennies back then was now a apparently worth big bucks, but Bucky hadn’t quite lost hope yet.

Maybe there would be a miracle hiding in this shop.

A bell tinkled quietly when he entered and Bucky quickly surveyed the scene, once a necessary action, now just habit. The smell of old books welcomed him, made him relax infinitesimally. Like most shops he’d visited this week in his quest, the newer books were all at the front and he moved instinctively closer to the back of the narrow space, scanning the shelves as he did.

Then he stopped.

It was only a few vertical shelves but printed at the top was what he was looking for. ‘Middle Earth’. If the Hobbit was in this store, it would be in this section.

He skimmed across the titles, finding many of the same that he’d dismissed in other stores, battered copies of The Fellowship and its sequels, a few of the Hobbit itself, but not the old version he was holding out for.

“Can I help you?”

Bucky startled slightly, fighting the automatic response of striking first and asking questions later and took a step backwards in caution.

The person who’d spoken took an answering step back also, as if realizing how close they’d come to receiving a knock-out blow and Bucky immediately felt awkward shame rising, heating his face.

“Sorry,” he mumbled, lowering his eyes but not before glancing around for the exit so he could run away.

“It’s alright, I startled you.” Her response was matter of fact, no further signs of alarm in her voice and Bucky chanced a glance upwards at her face, wishing two things immediately and simultaneously; he wished he’d looked up sooner and that he’d never come into this shop at all.

Her auburn hair was piled high on her head in a messy bun, glowing in the soft lighting of this hidden corner. A pair of thick-framed glasses, which reminded Bucky of what was popular right around the time he signed up for the war, were pushed up on top of her head and he wished they were down on her face because maybe then they would have saved him from being hit by perhaps the most strikingly beautiful amethyst eyes he’d ever seen.

Tolkien could have filled a whole page describing the colour on one of his Elvish princesses.

She shifted her weight, tilted her head to the side as she waited patiently for him and he cleared his throat, embarrassed.

“Uh... I was looking for a book.” Well, duh. Barnes.

Her smile was enchanting, with no sign of teasing or scorn. “You’re in the right place, any one in particular?”

“When I was…. younger, I had a copy of The Hobbit, one of the original editions. I’ve lost it, but I’d like to find one like it again.”

The girl’s brow furrowed regretfully. “Damn,” she muttered, sounding genuinely upset on his behalf. “Those always move fast, whenever we get a copy in, they always get snapped up right away.”

“I figured.” Bucky mumbled; he’d been told different verses of this same song in every shop he’d visited.

She studied him for a moment and Bucky felt himself shifted nervously under the scrutiny. Did she recognize him? He’d cut his hair and all, but some people still saw it, the shadow of the Winter Soldier looming over his shoulder.

“I can take your name down,” she offered, sounding relieved to have at least this for him. “If another one comes in, I can hold it for you.”

He hesitated for a moment before nodding and the girl turned suddenly, walking away, glancing once over her shoulder to make sure he followed.

God, he wished she hadn’t. She looked even more delicious walking away from him. Curves for days, softly covered by form-fitted jeans, his fingers itched to reach out and cup her ass, let the heaven that certainly existed there wash over his raw nerves and fraught soul.

To distract himself, he blurted. “Have you worked here long?”

She’d reached the counter by then, flashed him another smile, as if seeing right through him but finding him adorable nonetheless. “Not long. A couple of months. A friend of mine moved out here awhile ago, needed a roommate and I needed a change. I tend bar at nights and on weekends too.” Her cheeks went an adorable shade of pink, as if she too were afflicted by the same case of babblitis as Bucky.

Did she feel something too?

For a beat, their eyes locked and Bucky found himself unable to look away. She was triggering something in him, waking something up he’d thought long dead or maybe just sleeping. The prospect of seeing her again, in a different setting, didn’t terrify him like with others, the thought of asking her out, while nerve-wracking, was the good kind of fluttery feeling, the best kind of butterflies, the ones of anticipation.

She pulled out a notebook, names printed and scratched out randomly on its pages.

“Your name?” She asked quietly, lowering her eyes demurely.

He cleared his throat. “James Barnes.”

She froze as she finished printing his first name. “James Barnes?” She echoed.

“Yeah,” he tensed as she lifted her head, a look of surprise widening her eyes. “Just a minute.” She whirled, disappearing through an open doorway marked ‘employees only’.

Bucky’s heart sank. She did know who he was, or she’d figured it out just now and was probably running as far away as she could, as fast as she could.

Dammit.

The girl returned, holding a battered canvas backpack, a tentative smile pulling at her lips. Setting the bag down, she lifted the flap and pulled out something.

It was a copy of The Hobbit, one just like what Bucky remembered himself having.

“This was the first book I bought when I started working here.” She began, running her fingers reverently over the cover, almost stroking it lovingly. Her eyes lifted and he was shocked to see the beginnings of tears forming.

Without speaking further, she lifted the cover and turned it for Bucky to see.

Printed on the inside cover, faded but still legible, heart-breakingly legible.

James Barnes

Bucky froze, reaching for the book before pulling back, staring up at the girl with wide eyes.

What were the chances?

“I always got the sense that whoever this James Barnes was that owned this, that they really loved it and I was honored to have found it, to be able to read it and love it too.”

“I… how much is it?”

“It’s not for sale.” Her answer was blunt, bringing Bucky right down to Earth. Of course, it wasn’t for sale, she’d bought it for herself. The fact that he’d owned it once upon a time meant nothing and he felt a cringing, almost dirty shame. He’d misread this whole thing, hadn’t he? Whatever he’d thought he’d seen in her eyes, heard in her voice too was all probably his imagination too-

“It’s not for sale… because it’s yours.” She whispered. Silently she handed it to him, and he took it reverently, his mind racing, eyes snapping from hers to the book and back again, hardly able to believe his ears.

“W-what?”

“I suspected, but I didn’t know for sure if you were him.” She replied quietly. “I never thought I’d get the chance to give it back to you.”

He couldn’t speak, grasping for words, for anything to say, could only stare down at his book, his fingers clasping it almost desperately.

Her hand appeared in his vision, resting gently, carefully, hesitantly on his and he raised his gaze to hers, eyes burning with his own tears.

“I’m Lev.” She offered shyly. “I’m done in an hour; do you want to get a drink?”

[hibiscustea9]

10,000 views on “Fire Walk with Me”!

YOU GUYS. Late last night, “Fire Walk with Me” hit 10,000 views. I am beyond blown away by this. Nothing I have ever written has come anywhere close to the reception this story has gotten. To celebrate, I’m going to make the sort of post I don’t usually make and share one of my headcanons for each of the Stardew Valley villagers (excepting the few who don’t have any real impact on the story, like Gil and the Ginger Island villagers). Read on below the jump to see these (some of which have been shared already in “Fire Walk with Me”) and thank you, thank you for all of your support and reading this story. It’s made me so very happy.

Abigail secretly loves disco music. She hates the aesthetic and clothing of the era, but she will rock out to any of the great disco bands or divas when in her room and with her earbuds in. She would sooner die than have Sam and Sebastian find out about this.

Alex had offers to attend several universities on a full ride scholarship to play gridball, but turned them down out of fear of failing out of school. After high school, he was diagnosed as dyslexic. His teachers were encouraged to just pass him through without making him complete the work, which left him deeply insecure. He now has plans to go to trade school, which he feels might be his ticket out of Pelican Town.

Caroline is the wizard’s daughter, and a lay green witch. Her father was a sailor who was lost at sea and Rasmodius comforted her mother (which is the regret Rasmodius has that broke up his marriage). Caroline’s hair is naturally green. She is not aware of her magic, which manifests mostly as being able to grow any plants she wishes.

Clint left Pelican Town to go to college, only to have to come back when his father died to take care of his mother. He was a voice major and has a lovely singing voice, though he’s often too shy to show it off these days.

Demetrius is a skilled teacher and used to adjunct biology classes at Grampleton Community College to help support his family when Robin was getting her carpentry business off the ground. While he enjoyed teaching, the commute and long hours burnt him out after a year and he hasn’t felt the urge to teach since.

The Dwarf is a huge movie buff, but even more than the films, she enjoys turning around while sitting in the front row to look at the faces of the people watching the films.

Elliott is not a citizen of Ferngill but a foreign national. His posh accent and vocabulary rubbed some townsfolk the wrong way when he moved to Pelican Town. He managed to get on the good side of those same townsfolk when he accidentally knocked his bait bucket all over himself at his first Festival of Ice but continued fishing through it, coming in a respectable second to Willy that year.

Emily genuinely believes in the healing power of crystals and positive thinking, though she also has great respect for traditional medicine. She often asks Harvey medical questions when he’s at the bar. For his part, Harvey truly enjoys being able to talk about his discipline with anyone else, even a crunchy granola type like Emily.

Evelyn stopped believing in Yoba after her daughter was diagnosed with cancer and died young, leaving Alex in her care. She has never let on, given how George makes a point of attending weekly services. Seeing how much Clara suffered, first in an abusive marriage and then going through the failed treatment for her cancer, left Evelyn unable to believe in an all-powerful deity. Instead, she aims to spread as much kindness as she can, seeking salvation in other people instead of worship of Yoba.

George started watching so much television when Alex came to live with him and Evelyn. He didn’t like TV much before then, but got in the habit of letting Alex stay up late and watch reruns with him. While he claims to enjoy westerns the most, he has a not-so-secret love for classic game show reruns. The way the women dress reminds him of Evelyn when she was young, though he thinks none of them are quite as pretty as Evelyn.

Gus used to run a successful restaurant in the Zuzu City suburbs and is a classically-trained chef. The stress of running the restaurant and being in charge of both the front and back of the house took a toll on his health and his doctors recommended he step back and find something less strenuous to do. With his proceeds from selling the restaurant, he built the Stardrop Saloon and now is much happier with his life.

Gunther is a local son of Pelican Town who moved away to attend grad school in library science. He had a job in Zuzu City but moved back when he learned of the theft of the collection. He secretly resents returning to Pelican Town, which he was eager to leave, but feels it is his duty to stay and ensure the library is taken care of.

Haley’s ringtone on her phone is the National Geographic theme. When she was young, her parents took her and Emily all over the world and she grew fascinated with other cultures and other places. She has planned all the trips she wants to take. As much as she and Emily bicker, Emily is her favorite travel companion.

Harvey and his family were very poor when he was growing up. When he was fourteen, his sister contracted scarlet fever and they were unable to afford a doctor’s visit. A local doctor from a clinic came by and left medicine at her own expense. This led Harvey to pursue medicine as a career; he could make much more money in Grampleton or Zuzu City, but he stays on in Pelican Town because they really need a doctor. 

Jas helped Shane with his experiments in breeding the chickens. She has a natural head for science and once she got hold of Shane’s books, she plotted out how to look for recessive genes that would allow for chickens to be bred and emerge with blue feathers. She and Shane have a gentlemen’s agreement to not tell Marnie.

Jodi worked as a travel agent before she married Kent. She always envisioned the trips they would take as soon as they had the money, and then when Sam was grown, and then when Vincent was grown. She sometimes stays up late on the computer, looking at flight plans and planning the most affordable trips that would allow her to travel and see the places she most wants to see in the world.

Kent found comfort in another soldier when they were in the Gotoro prison camp. Though it became physical, it was more about finding something to hold onto than about the sex. His guilt over this relationship kept him distant from Jodi and his sons when he first returned. After confessing his indiscretion to Jodi, they attended relationship counseling. She has forgiven him, but he has yet to forgive himself.

Krobus is technically a liquid.

Leah earned an M.F.A. from Zuzu State, where she met and became friends with Elliott. Prior to attending her program, she interned as an apprentice carpenter in Grampleton. It was these same contacts who told her about Pelican Town and Robin, who let Leah stay at her home while she looked for a house to rent in town. Leah not so secretly has a crush of admiration on Robin.

Lewis, before becoming mayor of Pelican Town, owned a leatherworking business. He misses working with his hands, which is one of the reasons why he always visits the shopkeepers and is insistent on there being booths at the Stardew Valley Fair for the artisans in town to show off their wares.

Linus used to live in Pelican Town. He has a living relative in town. [REMAINDER REDACTED: SPOILERS FOR UPCOMING CHAPTERS OF “FIRE WALK WITH ME”]

Marlon saved George’s life the day of the mine cave-in. He was the only one willing to enter the caves and seek out the last missing miner. It was in the process of doing so that a falling rock blinded him in one eye. Despite his injury, Marlon managed to pull George to safety up through the mine shafts. Though his lost eye made him unable to be an active member of the Adventurer’s Guild, Marlon does not regret anything and would absolutely do it again.

Marnie wanted to be a veterinarian. She did very well in college, earning a degree in animal sciences from Zuzu State, and was on the verge of leaving Pelican Town permanently to pursue vet school when she interned at a vet’s office in Grampleton for a summer. She was so distraught the first time she had to assist with putting a dog to sleep that she gave up on the career and decided to open her ranch. She makes it a point to be present any time an animal has to be put to sleep to give it comfort, even though it wrecks her emotionally.

Maru got into science after Sebastian was completely uninterested in a chemistry set he got one year for the Feast of the Winter Star. She is still passionate about chemistry, despite her other interests in biology and robotics. She was briefly the most popular kid in town, despite being younger than most of the other young adults, when she learned how to make ice cream using ingredients found in any kitchen.

Morris was a child actor who had a small role in Junimo Forest, a nearly-forgotten children’s movie from more than forty years ago. He owns six of the known twenty surviving copies of the film.

Mr. Qi took Sandy on as his ward after her parents, who worked for him, died suddenly. He considers Sandy to be his own daughter and always looks out for her. It’s why the Oasis is still in business despite barely getting any customers.

Pam and Penny used to live above the library. Pam’s husband and Penny’s father was the former curator, who made off with the entire collection on a day when Pam took Penny to an academic competition her senior year of high school. The trailer was the only thing they could afford to move into. This was when Pam started drinking so heavily and Penny started longing so much to live in a house of her own.

Pierre holds a degree in economics that he wanted to use to help boost his family’s business. His secret stash is stock options that he has been investing in since taking over Pierre’s General Store from his father. Neither Caroline nor Abigail knows about this money that Pierre is sitting on.

(I am not the biggest fan of Pierre, in case you can’t guess.)

Rasmodius only built his tower after his daughter, Caroline, was born. He has looked over Caroline and her family ever since. Though his lifespan will last far beyond Caroline’s, he plans to watch over Abigail after she is gone, as well as any children Abigail has, or their descendants. His greatest regret is not being present in Caroline’s life as she was growing up.

Robin wanted to be a ballroom dancer, but at 5′11 was far too tall to actually enter the ballroom circuit. She met Demetrius at amateur ballroom dancing lessons and still knows how to perform any ballroom or Latin dances she learned. Her favorite dance is the tango because of the crisp precision required. After she retires, she and Demetrius have a plan to travel and dance the tango in all of the countries where it is taught.

Sam, despite a love of pranks, only ever really got in trouble once while in high school. He and Sebastian cut class and went to a local park, where Sam skateboarded and Sebastian smoked. A missed trick made Sam get so scraped up he had road rash for a month. After he got home, Jodi read him the riot act for once and grounded him from skateboarding until school was out. That was when Sam got into guitar and started thinking seriously about a career in music.

Sandy met Emily at a holistic retreat. She used to work for Mr. Qi, selling snake oil (literally - his iridium milk sells for a huge amount to those in the know), but was so energized by her encounter and conversation with Emily that she decided to go into running her own store.

Sebastian’s favorite adult in town (other than his mom) is Marnie, who recognizes in him a kindred spirit. Marnie taught Sebastian how to catch frogs when he was young and he still occasionally seeks her out to talk to and ask advice from. He vehemently dislikes Lewis because of his refusal to acknowledge his relationship with Marnie, and wants to see Marnie in a relationship with someone who will treat her right.

Shane was on track to be a major gridball star, and was the hope of Stardew Valley High, before getting in a car accident senior year. He almost lost a leg and had to spend six months relearning how to walk. He began drinking heavily afterward to cope with the constant physical pain. Marnie reached out to friends of his in Zuzu City, who had him come live with them and dry out. He remained sober until three months after he moved back to Pelican Town with Jas, his goddaughter. He started drinking again after working at JojaMart, much to Marnie’s dismay.

Vincent changes what he wants to be when he grows up on a weekly basis. Past desired jobs have included soldier (like his dad), musician (like his brother), teacher (like Miss Penny, but something fun like art, not yucky like spelling), game show host, Flower Queen, surfer, and astronaut. Jodi amuses herself by imagining what her son will wear to work on the weeks where he insists he’s going to be some combination of the above.

Willy is a veteran of the Ferngill Coast Guard. He is from the Fern Islands but vowed never to return after some of his siblings disputed his father’s will and caused a massive feud. He joined the Coast Guard as a way to stay on the water and get away from the islands. He was honorably discharged after suffering an injury on a rescue mission and decided to settle in the most peaceful seaside town in Ferngill that he could find, which led him to Pelican Town.

Once again, thank you all so, so, so much for reading “Fire Walk with Me”! I hope you enjoyed these headcanons and that they give you some insight into some of the way I’ve written characters in the story.

[gildedmuse]

Anonymous asked:

do you like any of the one piece manga colorspreads? if yes, which ones?

(Apparently you cannot answer questions more than once which seems like a flaw. People can always change their mind.

Let's see, where did I leave off? Oh that's right. the Strawhats are a acid punk rock band now . So the obvious next step is...

Devil Fruit's Angels

That's right, in this universe the Strawhats aren't marauders of the sea. They're marauders of the open road.

Look at this badass biker gang. And I'm not abbreviating for motorcycles. Luffy heard there were such a thing as a biker gang and took it very literally. Best of all, he got eight people to go along with this.

Eventually, he accidentally tore the bottom wheel rim from his bike, the Going Merry, but then they met Franky and since he was unaware of Luffy's stupidity innocence at this time, he built him an actual damn motorcycle. Zoro painted the sidecar to look like a shark (okay technically Usopp did the painting and Zoro bitched about it but he loves it if anyone scratches that paint job they immediately find themselves with their blades in their face). He just lays there, sleeping, sometimes doing weights while letting Luffy drive a fucking motorcycle.

Love that Nami weighed up her choices and her and Robin decide to ride with Usopp. Let's face it, he is easily the most responsible rider. Well, that's why Nami choose him. Chopper has two designated seats: Usopp's basket and Zoro's lap. So of course Robin has to sit where she can see Chopper.

Also, LOOK HOW FUCKING CUTE CHOPPER IS IN A BASKET.

Brook seems to be riding a penny farthing which is pretty amazing. He probably just had one in his garage from his youth. Sanji has wisely decided to ride backwards bitchseat so that smoke doesn't fly back in his own face. I am unable to see what Franky is driving. I assume his bottom half turns into a motorcycle. I mean why not?

The Strawhat Gang does pretty much the exact same shit they do as Pirates. I mean, Luffy even falls into water just as often. How? It's Luffy that's how.

Law's little group of anarchist ride around in a yellow Volkswagen Beetle. Fight me.

Winter Wonder Island

IS THAT PENGUIN WEARING ZORO'S HARAMAKI? HOW DID HE GET IT? DIES ZORO KNOW? DID HE GIVE OT TO HIM? DID ZORO THINK THE PENGUIN'S BELLY MIGHT BE COLD?

I love Nami and Chopper playing, though Chopper looks less pleased. Plus the polar bear and Luffy are just the same person/bear. And nothing can convince me Robin isn't currently getting a back massage by a walrus. That is how my bitch roles.

The Straw Helmets

And we're back to the AUs.

Total honesty time: I picked this less put of love (though I enjoy most the AU ones) and more to annoy a friend.. See, I know many a Norwegian. They are a super nice country, you guys.

Who get super pissed at popular depictions of Vikings. Which are wrong.

And yet this particular reimagining is so wrong it's like gone full circle. I mean it's still nowhere near accurate but damn is it awesome. Are they riding walruses? Oda knows the Vikings had horses, right? And reindeer?

And yet he's gone with the well known domestic walrus. Huh. It's a choice.

Honestly, Franky and Usopp's costumes look more gladiator than Viking (also, I know you are a pervert Franky, but you literally gonna die of hypothermia.) Chopper is apparently one of those famous Japaness Vikings based on his costume design while Luffy is wearing something I can 100% imagine Doflamingo owned at some point. And Zoro....

Well, there is a reason I have a tag called Zoro's sense of direction and/or fashion. Look at that thing. That is a mess. I love it.

Get Wet

Nami, babe, me, Brook, Sanji, and apparently Robin a appreciate how sexy you're being right now.

But all I see is Zoro's damn fine back with water forming little riblets around his muscles. Also, love the boy's smile as he watches Luffy. He totally knows what's about to go down and thinks it's fucking hilarious.

They Call It The Grand Line

Every member of the coward trio (plus guest member Brook) is freaking the fuck out and I love it. Chopper and Nami are cling to one another, Brook's soul has left his body, and I'm pretty certain Usopp has half climbed into the seat in front of him to grab Zoro. Which I cannot blame him for.

Meanwhile, Robin is watching this whole spectacle with mild amusement, Sanji is straight up grilling... While on the back of a rollar coaster, Franky is chowing down on some of that food and Zoro... Zoro is getting drunk. On a rollar coaster.

The only one who seems to be having any fun is Luffy, sitting, of course, on his special seat. Look at that kid, he's having a blast. Well now we know how all the other Strawhats ended up here.

A Game Of Chicken

There's a lot I could say about this picture, but all I'm going to say is this: Zoro is clearly riding a weird ass chocobo.

What else can beat that?

Pirate Olympics: Where Everyone Is Winner Wanted Man

Oh, look, it's another AU one!

Look, over all, everyone has a sport that is either well suited to them (except maybe Brook. I mean soccer? Really? Not, like short distance sprinting since he's the fastest strawhat or fencing? If it were winter he could participate in the skeleton - yohohoho!).

Let's just amire Zoro playing baseball THREE BAT STYLE. LIke a goddamn boss.

You Know What's Awesome? Drugs.

It doesn't even matter what's going on in this one, it's goddamn beautiful.

Just Another Sunny Day

[You know when I said I haven't read the manga yet? Well, also terrible with visual images - the world should be in words in my opinion. So this, it turns out, is not a colorspread but fanart by the very talented Frayten who I deeply apologize to for not crediting earlier. I'm keeping it though, because it's amazing art, it's been reblogged and at least now it's properly credit on the main post. Many thanks to @blueriza to for being a better fan than I am.]

I really enjoy this little switch up. I want to believe it isn't just Law fucking with them but they've all inhaled some kind of mind switching pollen of something. So one day Law just came out to find Robin making breakfast and heart eyes at all the men, Sanji eating nothing but meet and bouncing around like he was made of rubber, Franky trying to play the violin, Chopper taling wild stories about when he was captain, Usopp training for a couple hours before passing out, Brook worrying over everyone's health, Nami striking posed while talking about how SUPER it all is, and Luffy, for once in his life, perfectly calm as he sits there reading.

That would be hilarious but, yeah, obviously it was Law. Look at how Nami Zoro is threatening him. She know exactly who pulled this shit. And look at Law's smug little smirk.

Hey, you suppose Law flirted with Nami Zoro? I know it's Nami but she's still got Zoro's abs and ass. Just throwing that out there.

[aspoonofsugar]

Warning? What Winter is an implied threat in fact is the second he receives, do you know that there is a possibility that Ironwood and Watts are alive? as Ironwood has a huge fan base and advocates and most prefer Watts as a villain than Cinder mainly because of his talk of why you suck that he gave to Cinder. Also Watts has the excuse that he never unlocked his appearance and they already played that trick on Jaune.

"Watts's wishes lead to her death and the same could happen to Cinder if she doesn't stop in time." And matters? In your theory of the principles of alchemy you establish your belief that Cinder will die in the end. Not stopping "in time" a minor distinction. Everything for her translates into following an impossible dream but dreaming of her to the bitter end or just redeeming herself to live on borrowed time.

Hello anons,

these two asks can be answered together for two reasons.

1) They both refer to this meta.

2) The answers to these two asks all lie in the idea that you can talk about a story from different perspectives.

In particular, these two asks touch at least 4 different ways to look at a narrative and mix them all together.

So, I’ll answer bit by bit.

1)

Warning? What Winter is an implied threat in fact is the second he receives,

I used the term “warning” to convey the idea that Winter’s lines are used not only in-universe to express Winter’s feelings (she is calling Ironwood out and swearing revenge on Cinder), but to make a specific point.

As I said in the meta Cinder and Ironwood are foils and their foiling is conveyed through their actions, but also through specific lines said in key moments or by key characters, so that the viewers can pick up on their juxtaposition.

Ironwood: I will sacrifice... whatever it takes... to stop her.

Cinder:  And take... what is mine.

The one above is another example. Ironwood and Cinder say these lines respectively in Gravity and Ultimatum while they are confronting Watts. The two scenes are clear parallels, but in one scene you have Ironwood say he will sacrifice everything, while in the other Cinder talks about taking what is hers. We are meant to pick up on the juxtaposition.

The same thing can be said about Winter’s lines because Winter is either willingly or unwillingly pointing out the mistakes in Ironwood and Cinder’s logics.

On one hand Ironwood says he’ll sacrifice everything because he feels entitled to do so. The implication is that he sees everything as his, even what is not (others’ lives).

On the other hand Cinder wants everything because she feels she must receive payback from the world. She too feels entitled, but for a different reason than Ironwood.

Winter highlights Ironwood’s selfishness and points out how Cinder will receive a pay-back, not a prize though, but a punishment (in narrative terms).

Of course Winter has no idea she is in a narrative. We know though and we can read her lines in two ways.

The first one is from a character perspective. Why Winter says does things in-universe.

The second one is from an analytical pov. What those lines mean for the themes and for the narrative as a whole.

You are referencing the first, while in the analysis I am using the second.

2)

do you know that there is a possibility that Ironwood and Watts are alive? as Ironwood has a huge fan base and advocates and most prefer Watts as a villain than Cinder mainly because of his talk of why you suck that he gave to Cinder. Also Watts has the excuse that he never unlocked his appearance and they already played that trick on Jaune.

Watts and Ironwood being still alive or not does not change the sense of my meta. They have still been defeated and tricked by Cinder hence their thematic meaning in the volume does not change.

Moreover, once again I am using an analytical perspective there. An analysis is meant to comment on the story itself and to interpret it. Of course this interpretation might change as the story goes on and new information comes in. Still, a volume is meant to be a unit and to have some kind of thematic resolution, even if this resolution can be subverted or made deeper in the following installments.

Anyway, when it comes to Ironwood and Watts surviving I do not think it is the case. You are discussing the story through a fandom perspective. However, so far CRWBY has not been scared about killing off even popular characters.

Moreover, so far the “fake” deaths have always been pretty clear. It was clear that in volume 3 both Ozpin and Penny’s deaths were temporary and that they would have come back.

Similarly, all the characters who fall this past volume are very clearly alive.

Finally, even Cinder falling in volume 5 was clearly not the end of her story. This is because Cinder is a key character and she will be so until the end.

Which leads us to the idea Watts would be a better villain than her, The answer here is very clearly...no. Cinder is waaaaaay deeper as a character than Watts.

Watts is a character clearly linked to Atlas (just like Ironwood) and he has been pivotal in the past volumes because his skills are especially useful in such a setting. Other than this, he is a character clearly there to serve Cinder’s arc and not vice versa.

In general, all the members of team WTCH with the exception of Cinder herself are in the story as foils of our original villain trio:

Cinder, Emerald and Mercury are deeper and more complex characters than Watts, Hazel and Tyrian. This does not mean W, H and T are bad characters. I actually like all of them, but their role in the narrative is meant to be less important than the other three.

It is not by chance that Hazel and Watts both die in situations linked to respectively Emerald and Cinder. I guess Tyrian’s death will have something to do with Mercury’s story. Or maybe their foiling will play out differently. Anyway, they are clearly linked.

This is also why comparing Watts to Jaune does not really work. Jaune is a protagonist, while Watts is a secondary villain. Jaune discovering his semblance is not a trick, but a part of his character arc, while Watts does not even have an arc. He is more similar to Torchwick aka another character who dies without discovering his semblance.

3)

"Watts's wishes lead to her death and the same could happen to Cinder if she doesn't stop in time." And matters? In your theory of the principles of alchemy you establish your belief that Cinder will die in the end. Not stopping "in time" a minor distinction. Everything for her translates into following an impossible dream but dreaming of her to the bitter end or just redeeming herself to live on borrowed time.

What I wrote in the meta is an analysis, while me thinking Cinder will have a redemptive death is a theory. An analysis for me is about interpreting the past, while a theory is a guess about the future. A person might agree with the analysis, but disagree with the theory or vice versa... hence the two things are not necessarily linked.

If you are asking how I see the two things coming together in my mind, then the answer is that I think Cinder won’t stop herself in time. Or to better say, it is that this volume was her chance not to stop herself, but at least to slow down a little. However, she has not taken it.

I think she will receive pretty harsh consequences for what happened in Atlas. She is given a lot of warnings (Oscar’s warning abt Salem, Salem’s torture compared to the Madam’s, Watts’ speech, Neo’s threath, Emerald and Mercury leaving her). She chooses to ignore all of these and cuts off all the relationships that could have been either positive or at least neutral. We are in a story hence she will probably receive narrative consequences for all of this.

That said, I do not think these consequences will lead to her death. Still, things will probably go worse for her (and for everybody else) and she will need to be saved by the people she hurt. Once this happens, since we are in a story, I guess she will change and will need an action to cement this change. This action will probably be a sacrifice because Cinder is a selfish character, so to show she has become better she will be asked to sacrifice something. Maybe this sacrifice will be something else, but it could also be her life. This would be coherent with the themes and probably with the stakes. At the end of the story stakes are bound to be higher.

Just to be clear... I would actually be happy if Cinder survives and if this happens in a way that is narratively satisfying. I am not against it. I just think there is a possibility the story may go another way with her. We’ll see. In the end, this is just a theory and we still have a long way to go. New info coming next volume or the one after might change my mind.

Thank you for the asks!