#{ Grandmother Hunter }

[theworstcwshow]

I find it so funny that they named dean after deanna even though he was the first born son, they didn't even wait to see if they might have a girl next time, and to save the name for that.

[acourtofquestions]

"And who, exactly, are you?"

Dorian gave the witch one of those charming smiles and sketched a bow. "Dorian Havilliard, at your service."

"The king," one of the Crochans murmured from near the wyverns.

Dorian winked. "That I am, too."

[the-martyrfication-of-the-matron]

Hi, yeah the anthropological study that made me interested in anthropology as a career is being a significant contributor to my story yeah thank you!

Yeah the concept of female hunters in hunter/gatherer times hunting in packs. That’s wild to me. Yeah definitely a significant inspiration for my horror rewrite of the series of the lady with a literal pack of dogs.

Seriously, though, I love using studies as an inspiration for things I write. Humans are pretty rad.

[lady-nuggetz]

Do not mess with us Fang fans!

We are fucking delusional!

[magimerlyn]

Until the End

An Ever After High prequel fanfiction

Chapter 1

The Wrong Roommate

It was the beginning of the school year at Ever After High, and students were beginning to move onto campus and into the dorms. A girl with pale, milky skin and long, cream colored hair went to the bulletin board to double check the dorm assignments. She wore a pink knee-length skirt, and a white blouse with lace sleeves. Her pink kitten heels had a small pearl dangling from each buckle. She wore a white pearl headband and carried a small, square white handbag with a light pink rose in the center.

Pearl White, the descendant of Snow White, sighed, seeing that the headmasters had not honored her request for a fellow princess as her roommate. Well, that wasn’t quite accurate. They had decided to room her with Victoria Hearts, the daughter of the Queen of Hearts, an exchange student from Wonderland who was there to take advantage of the princess class track at Ever After High.

Pearl had hoped to room with one of her friends, like Helena or Cynthia. The three has met in middle school, when Pearl had all but begged her mother to let her go to public school. The girls had quickly become friends. They bonded over and daydreamed about their destinies, and their bond had lasted for years now. And it would for ages to come.

The heavy doors of the school slammed open with violent purple magic. In strode Adrian Queen, the son of the Evil Queen, with Ragnar Huntsman following a step behind him. Pearl quickly averted her gaze, hoping to avoid his notice. This was why she had wanted to room with one of her friends, so she wouldn’t be alone when he inevitably decided to hurt her arbitrarily.

She could feel the moment when his alexandrite eyes landed on her, could see in her mind’s eye the cold, cruel smirk that spread across his face. She heard the click click click of his heeled dragon-scale boots as he walked across the polished wooden floors, coming to a stop right behind her.

“Hello, dear sister,” a black velvet voice purred from behind her. Slowly, she turned, looking up at the boy standing a few feet away. His black hair was swept to one side of his face, an iron crown sitting upon his head. He wore his royal wealth with pride, a deep purple stone hanging from one ear, and a black cape trimmed in gold and lined with indigo off one shoulder. His high-necked black shirt tucked into high-waisted tailored trousers. An iron corset encircled his waist and he wore a matching bracer on each arm.

“Hello, Adrian,” she said, barely keeping her voice steady. “Is there something you needed?”

The smirk widened into a cold grin, showing far too many teeth to be anything resembling friendly. “I just wanted to know who your new roommate was. It would be best if I took care of any misunderstandings early on, don’t you agree?”

Pearl sighed, glancing back up at the board. “I’m roommates with Victoria Hearts of Wonderland. She’s an exchange student.”

Adrian looked pensive for a moment, before saying “Ah, the future Queen of Wonderland. Good, I had worried it’d be someone I’d need to talk to.”

“Talk to” would have meant threatening Pearl’s roommate to not get involved in their affairs, but since everyone knows that villains all have an unspoken agreement to not get involved anyway, it would be unnecessary.

“Where’s your luggage, Ragnar and I will help you bring it up to your room.” That predator grin was back. Sometimes Pearl could swear that Adrian was part dragon, the way he played with his food. She nodded demurely and the three of them walked out to where her carriage had dropped her and her friends off. Her luggage was piled next to her friends’, where Adrian’s magic wrapped around it to lift into the air.

Ragnar nodded at the two girls in greeting. He didn’t often say much, in fact all most people ever heard leave his lips was a reverent “yes, your highness,” always directed at Adrian. His chestnut hair was pulled back into a low ponytail, choppy bangs framing his face. His almond-shaped eyes were like pools of emerald, and just as hard. Pearl noted that his bow and sword were missing from his back and side, though the rest of his outfit was the same as always: a studded leather pauldron over a deep blue shirt, a few belts that would ordinarily hold his sheath and quiver, and dark brown pants tucked into leather boots. The only thing on his belt right now was Adrian’s Token: an iron dragon curled around a piece of cut alexandrite.

Helena Rose, a dark-skinned girl with onyx eyes, looked up from the book in her hands. Her black braids were pulled into a half ponytail and she wore a yellow sundress paired with a flower crown. Her wedge sandals matched the woven straw purse slung across her body. She was sitting next to Cynthia Ella, a girl with dark brown hair and tinted skin. Her sapphire blue eyes sharpened when she saw Pearl’s luggage starting to float. She stood up, brushing down her deep blue skirt and glared at Adrian from behind her wire-rimmed glasses.

“What are you doing?” she demanded, one hand resting on her hip.

Adrian briefly glanced over to the girls before turning his attention back to the suitcases. “It’s nothing to concern yourself with, Cindy. Don’t you have some laundry to do?”

Cynthia fumed as Pearl spoke up. “He’s helping me get settled in. Everything is okay, I promise.” She gave a reassuring smile. “You know how it is.”

Her friend looked like she wanted to say something, but she sighed, relenting. “So I’m guessing we’re not roommates?” Pearl shook her head regretfully. Cynthia cursed under her breath before her eyes flickered to Pearl’s brother. “They didn’t put you with-“

“Of course not!” Pearl tried to soothe her friend. “After what happened in middle school, there’s no way they’d try putting him in the girl’s dorms.”

Adrian laughed from where he was standing. “Who could have guessed that preserved Dragon’s Breath could be so volatile?” Ragnar cracked a grin at that, his gaze softening as he looked at the smirking warlock.

Pearl offered Cynthia a reassuring smile. “They have me rooming with Victoria Hearts. Adrian is just helping me with my luggage. He insisted.” She shrugged, trying to convey a “what can you do?” It didn’t seem to work, judging by Cynthia’s expression.

“Pearl.” Adrian called sharply. She jolted, before shooting a last smile at her friends and hurrying over to her brother. He strode forward, his knight at his right hand and his sister at his left. The crowds parted on their approach, previously spoken conversations hushed down to a whisper. The three of them climbed the stairs of the girl’s dormitory. When they finally reached the door with Pearl’s name on it, Adrian knocked imperiously before having Ragnar open it.

Half of the room was already decorated in red, black, white, and gold. A black vanity with gold on the edges stood a few feet down from the tufted red and white bed frame. The bed was pushed against the wall, and a shining black nightstand stood beside it. There was a large red armchair positioned next to a small bookshelf by the window, already set up with bright red drapes.

Sitting at the vanity was a girl with long black hair. When the door opened, she turned her pale, heart-shaped face to the intruders, her garnet eyes looking them up and down. Her makeup was simple, but harsh, her lips painted into a small, blood-red heart. She had blunt bangs cut just above her eyebrows, and half of her hair was tied up in a heart-shaped bun. She wore a golden tiara with heart-shaped rubies and oval-shaped pieces of jet. She wore a high-necked, tight-fitting black shirt, with a red corseted skirt reaching just below her knee. A red, heart-shaped purse with a golden chain was slung over the back of her chair.

“White knight, moonshine, a place, a face, I have mine?*” she asked. Pearl and Ragnar shared a look of confusion, while Adrian laughed.

“Well then, that certainly clears up any question of this being the right room,” he smirked, leading the trio inside. “I am Adrian Queen, son of the Evil Queen. I’m helping my sister move in. And you must be Princess Victoria Hearts of Wonderland.”

Victoria nodded. “And I presume you are my roommate,” she said, turning her gaze over to Pearl, who nodded.

“My name is Pearl White, daughter of Ivory White. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” She looked around the room. “I… like your room. It’s very… fitting.”

“Clubs, spades, hearts and diamonds all ten,”* Victoria said, turning back to her vanity and the cards she had set out.

Adrian set down the luggage. “Well then, Ragnar and I will be off. Pearl, I’m sure you’ll behave yourself.” With that, he swept out of the room, leaving Pearl to unpack on her own, with a villain on the other side of the room.

*Riddlish translations:

“Hello, what is your name?”

“That is very kind of you.”

[ittybittybumblebee]

Damn realizing i havent had partridge in years id love to have it again it was way better than chicken, really nice flavour. Going off of that if i got a chance to try other game meat i would probably like it

[roxyandelsewhere]

Finished teen wolf s4. Why so many batman vibes

[roseband]

The defunding of public colleges was also very racial. With Nixon’s education secretary complaining that there were too many diverse and poor students there. It’s suspicious that tuition was added just as numbers of black/hispanic students were growing

There’s an advertising push to show how “bad” public colleges are,

I’ve literally had coworkers say I went to a school “not as good as theirs” in earlier jobs right out of college (CCNY alumn), but nearly all of my adjunct professors in art/design/marketing/web design classess also taught at SVA, Pratt, and the New School. We also were literally at the same job, and at some I was higher paid, and had no loans cause well, I went to CUNY. So I had the same education as coworkers, even sometimes having the exact same professors and curriculum as them, be at the same job, but because someone spent a premium amount of money for the same thing, they’d look down on it. 

(also CUNY/SUNY are free for first undergrad degree for NYS residents making under 125k again and people don’t know about it!!!)

The vast majority of my coworkers in my (pretty visible and don’t want to self dox) apparel job are CUNY/SUNY grads (mostly SUNY FIT), and people still have the “if it costs more it must be better” brainrot when choosing schools

[neganium]

There are, amazingly, still a decent chunk of slots left open for Monster Masquerade from the first signup that was posted yesterday. Unfortunately, it's for the team that's almost guaranteed to lose...

[dxrknessembr8ced]

She replied to the boy using sign language ensuring him that things will be fine so long as Rei keeps them safe.

" Worry not. You will keep us safe in the end, we're together... "

" men have guns, guns that kill us. Men are not like Frank they do not understand... "

After talking about Frank she did become curious as to why he trusted Frank a human who should be afraid of them.

" Frank is man, why trust him? Why he not afraid? "

" Frank is friend, he is brave, a nuisance but not only that. He is my friend. Frank may not be like us nor will he understand but he help me. I need him alive he knows my mother... "

" I see.... "

Koaru bumped in appearing between the hunter and Rei.

" What you guys talking about ? "

" Ugh Koaru...! "

" What? I thought you guys were talking about hunting! "

Rei couldn't help but to smile and chuckle.

" I wish we were, Koaru.... "

[werspinna]

In Wolfs World there is no "Magic" or supernatural elements: All of those elements are explained by Asgardian technology and people tampering with that technology. So how does Nikolaus of Colognes Story fits into it? The Original Myth of Nikolaus is like the Herrmann Mythos probably a historic happening (The peregrinatio puerorum) that had been caused by a lot of different people, yet those people had been molten into one character. Like Herrmann of the Cheruski was probably not one figure but many who lived through the Varusbattle and were molten together in one character (for propaganda reasons by the Nazis and) to make the historic event more epic and easier to remember. Accordingly there had never been one Nikolaus of Cologne, but many living through the peregrinatio puerorum. Its even more obvious for the peregrinatio puerorum, because there were two: The german one lead by Nikolaus of Cologne and the one of france lead by Stephen Ethienne of Cloyes, so there were probably molten together a lot of different people in these two boys together with a lot of different groups of people making a pilgimages on different times to Jerusalem to "take is back peacefully". The mythos of Nikolaus of Cologne is like this: Nikolaus is a young sheperd living in the area around Cologne (Area of Nordrhein Westphalen). One day he has a dream about an Angel telling him that he should gather other children who shall march to Jerusalem and peacefully take over Jerusalem. So Nikolaus takes on the Tau-cross as his symbol, sews it on is clothes, gathers other children (although historically the pueri were probably teenagers who couldn´t find work and even more often beggers, because Pueri does not directly translates to "children" but "servant" /"Farmhand") and shortly after eastern of 1212 he embrakes on the Journey to Genua in Italy where the Angel said the ocean should sepperate before him so he and his followers would travel through the mediterrane sea with dry feet. This miracle never happned, from 30.000 followers 7000 of Nikolaus followers reached Genua. The others died crossing the alps, others half was sold into slavery as they were in a foreign land without any family and easy victims. Nikolaus travels to Rome to be freed of his not even by the pope blessed crusader-duty. Then he travels back to Cologne and dies while crossing the alps. Back in Germany Nikolaus Father is hunted down and hanged by the families of the other members of the peregrinatio puerorum for killing their chidren. None of the Pueri ever reachs Jerusalem.

So how can this story fits into the "only sci-fi technology"-part of Wolfs story? In Wolfs story there is most prominently the "Signal" a distress call from a Asgardian who had crashlanded a few thausand years ago in italy and whos ship is buried under the earth. The signal can not be caught by Baldur, but it causes the people in Pisa and the area around it to always "seek out" , "move forward" and "help". Which obviously, depending on the person, can be interpreted in many different ways. Nikolaus himself is the son of a sheperd and a forestwoman: In other words a asgardian woman visited earth for a few hundres years, had a vacation in the forests around Cologne, met Nikolaus father, had a child and eventually left when she was too bored after a vacation of a few hundred years. Nikolaus therefor is especially "keen" to hearing the signal even if the source of that signal was countries away. However Nikolaus is also a child of his time, so he interprets the signal to "seek out", "move forward" and "help" as a message given to him by the angels he believes in. So his "visions" and the "calling" he feels did happned, but they were definitive not godly or devine. This "calling" also continutes in his adult years,aes the Nikolaus of Wolfs story survives. In his case he finds shelter in a cloister in rome to become a monk and even renames himself Martin because St.Martin is the personification of a good monk and he wants to be that. But he can´t let go of his "calling". In the coming ten years he starts thinking that the reason the miracle of Genua did not happned was because his followers were not pure enough and had sinned and that if he makes sure that those followers are nolonger there, if he "puts it back on zero", then the miracle would eventually happen. So he becomes this worlds mysterio and tries to murder every of the few left followers to "set everyhing on zero". Fourteen years later, by the time Wolfs regular story happens, Nikolaus/ Martin had already been hunting down his former surviving followers who had managed to build up themself a life in countries that they had been stranded in, for four years in different cities set around the mediterrane sea.

[themadzarka]

Undertale but Little Red Riding Hood AND Flowey-centric. LOOK AT IT

This isn't a big thing, I just did it for fun, BUT I have LORE to SHARE and I will do it in a separate post with more drawings.

Flowey: The 'Wolf'

Frisk: Little Red Riding Hood

Hunter

Toriel: Grandmother

[thecapturedafrique]

While discussing with a friend what Taiyang’s allusion could be, I ended up reflecting on this meta and thinking of perhaps another way the Three Bears could be divided, where prior to Ruby’s birth we have Tai as Papa Bear, Summer as Mama Bear, and Yang as Baby Bear.

This is a very bare bones analysis that could perhaps be shored up by learning more about Taiyang and Summer’s relationship, but so far they’ve been positioned as opposites: even before Summer’s death, Yang describes her as the adventurer who went out on missions while Tai was the teacher who stayed home. We’re also told that Tai lost heart completely in the wake of Summer’s death, whereas everyone who’s compared Ruby to Summer has done so primarily by stating that they are both the type to press on despite the odds/losses.

(If we do a bit of theorizing, we could also assume Tai’s first big battle against depression occurred when Raven left him and Yang, until Summer comes along with her positivity and love and heals his first heartbreak.)

So Papa and Mama Bear are opposites who still complement one another until a tragedy befalls their family and Mama Bear dies. Our Baby Bear Yang is suddenly forced to grow up very quickly because things are no longer just right, and with Papa Bear having shutdown completely, she takes up the role of both parents for the new Baby Bear, Ruby. And as Baby Bear, Ruby forces herself into the role of being Just Right, aka repressing her own problems to maintain her seemingly endless positivity.

But we see that the allusion is breaking down, because Ruby isn’t actually Baby Bear; she’s Little Red Riding Hood, and in her fairy tale, the protagonist is indeed flawed. LRRH has stuck religiously to the path thus far, but as OP’s other metas point out, she must listen to her inner wolf to find the flowers which lie beyond from the path (very neat symbolism for our rose!) and thus become the Huntress in full.

Tai does eventually return to his role as Papa Bear (recalling how one of the first traits we learn about him is his overprotectiveness), but by that point his Baby Bear has already begun growing up and into herself as Goldilocks. Yet we still see the sliver of the bear remain in Yang, most notably when she’s juxtaposed with Ruby.

I believe this is indicative of how the “final” piece to Yang’s self-actualization revolves around her relationship with Ruby. Specifically, she needs to learn that Ruby isn’t actually the Baby Bear and thus is not someone to strictly be protected. Just as she learned by defeating Adam and becoming the Golden Prince to Blake’s Beauty, Yang must accept that her little sister has grown up into someone who can offer her protection and support too, and that she is as deserving of it as she believes Ruby to be.

Yang's Goldilocks is Beautiful

Scathing eyes ask that we be symmetrical, one sided and easily processed. Yet every misshapen spark's unseen beauty is greater than its would be judgement.

The Yellow Trailer - like all trailers - foreshadows Yang's arc on multiple levels and it gives some hints on how our Sunny Little Dragon's allusion is used in her story.

To be more specific, Yang's trailer can be read in 2 ways:

The Yellow Trailer is Goldilocks and the Three Bears in a nutshell: Yang enters the Bears' turf (their house), asks about Raven and then trashes the place. She fights 3 opponents: the Malachite twins (red and blue, so too hot and too cold) and Junior (The Baby Bear). After all the ruckus, Yang simply jumps from a window and disappears, like her literary counterpart.

The Yellow Trailer also contains a super condensed version of Snowhite and Red Rose: The Malachite Twins play Snowhite and Red Rose, a pair of sisters that befriend a Bear. The Malachites use discarded designs of Weiss and Ruby and fight side by side with Junior, whose name means Black Bear. Their fairy tale should end with the Bear becoming a Prince with a Golden Armor. However, here comes Yang to take central stage. She plays the part of the Golden Prince herself and defeats the bear-curse (Junior). In other words, she enters the Malachites' story and makes it hers.

These 2 readings are complementary and offer 2 interpretative keys to Yang's allusion. The first is rooted in Goldilocks' plot and gives us the recurring motifs of Yang's arc. It helps us understand where we currently are in Yang's fairy tale and how much we still have to cover. The second instead adds a meta-element that gives Yang's Goldilocks an even deeper meaning.

Here comes the 2 reading clues:

Yang's Goldilocks motifs are the too hot/too cold (the Malachites Twins) and the Baby Bear/Just Right (Junior). To be clear: to reach her just right Yang has to go through her hot/cold sides and face her inner beast (the Baby Bear), so that she can emerge as a Golden Prince.

Goldilocks enters a strangers' house and tries to fit in. Well, Yang does the same, but with others' fairy tales instead. This is why her trailer is the only one with 2 fairy tales instead than 1.

You aren't convinced by this last point, are you? And yet, it is a very easy point to prove. Let's consider, for example, Yang's flashback in Burning the Candle:

Yang: I waited for Dad to leave the house, put Ruby in a wagon, and headed out. I must’ve walked for hours. I had cuts and bruises, I was totally exhausted, but I wasn’t gonna let anything stop me. When we finally got there, I could barely stand, but I didn’t care; I had made it. And then I saw them. Those burning red eyes…

This memory is clearly key to Yang's character to the point it can be considered the beginning of her story. So, it is no surprise it has some similarities with her fairy tale. A rebellious little girl wanders in the woods and finds a mysterious wooden house. The child hopes she will find a place for her there, but she discovers soon it is home to 3 scary beasts.

However, something feels odd. For starters, the 3 Grimms Yang meets are not Ursai, as one would expect, but Beowolves. Secondly, Yang does not run away, like in Goldilocks, but is saved by her Uncle Qrow, a model Huntsman. So, Yang disobeys Tai and goes alone into the woods, she is almost eaten by Beowolves and is saved by a Huntsman. This isn't Goldilocks and The Three Bears. This is Little Red Riding Hood.

Wait, what? What does this all mean? Let's start from the very beginning...

ONCE UPON A TIME THERE WAS LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD...

Once upon a time, there was Summer Rose's daughter. She lived happily with her little sister and was protected from evil beasts, be them wolves or bears alike. Then, something bad happened:

Yang: Her name was Summer Rose, and she was, like… Super-Mom: Baker of cookies and slayer of giant monsters. And then… one day she left for a mission and never came back.

Summer disappears and is revealed not to be Yang's biological mother. This is a double-layered trauma. On the one hand Summer not coming home triggers Yang's abandonement issues. On the other hand the discovery of Raven's existence just make them worse. Not 1, but 2 moms left Yang. Then, it must be Yang's fault. By the time of her expedition into the woods, Yang is clearly facing these very complex and painful emotions, that get metaphorically explored through a short version of Little Red Riding Hood. Let's analyze it, by considering these 3 elements:

The Mother Yang is looking for

Ruby - the real LRRH - being with Yang

The Big Bad Wolves Yang meets

1 - Who is Yang really looking for? She is searching for Raven, but unconsciously she wants to know why Summer left. This is why the scenario resembles LRRH more than Goldilocks. Yang is a child that has just lost her mother twice - both physically and psychologically.

In her mind, this double loss materializes in the form of 2 distinctive mothers: Summer who is missing and Raven who is tormenting Yang's mind. Yang's reaction is to go hunting for both.

2 - Yang puts a sleeping Ruby on a wagon and starts her journey. The scene describes how Summer's grief was handled in Yang's family:

Yang: Ruby was really torn up, but… I think she was still too young to really get what was going on, y'know? And my dad just kind of… shut down.

Tai is absent because he shut down, Ruby is unconscious because too little to understand what's happening (or so Yang thinks) and Yang starts her lonely pursue while trying to take care of her sister.

3 - Yang meets 3 Bewolves with burning red eyes. Here is where Little Red Riding Hood starts blending with Goldilocks and The Three Bears. Hood meets only 1 wolf (2 at most in some versions), while Yang meets 3 at the same time. 3 like the bears of her fairy tale.

At the same time, the motif of the eyes is very dear to LRRH:

"Oh, grandmother, what big eyes you have!"

However, the idea of 3 beasts seizing you up as different and unwelcomed is really Goldilocks-like. In the original story, the 3 bears find Goldilocks in their house and immediately condemn her behavior and attack her. She is a stranger, an outsider. She shouldn't be there. She brings chaos in their symmetrical world:

Scathing eyes (scathing eyes) That see things from only one side

So, the wolves' scary eyes become the bears' judgemental ones and Little Red Riding Hood is degraded into Goldilocks.

Wait, why degraded? I have nothing against Goldilocks, but it is often considered an imperfect fairy tale with no beginning nor conclusion. Where does Goldilocks come from and where does she go after the 3 Bears? There is no answer.

Goldilocks lacks an objective and a drive:

Yang: At least you two have something that drives you. I've just kinda of always, gone with the flow, y'know? And that's fine, I mean, that's who I am. I wanna be a Huntress, not really because I want to be a hero, but because I want the adventure. I want a life where I won't know what tomorrow will bring. And that'll be a good thing. Being a Huntress just happens to line up with that.

She is not like Little Red Riding Hood:

Yang: I'm not like Ruby, she's always wanted to be a Huntress. It's like she said, ever since she was a kid, she'd dreamt about being the heroes in the books. Helping people and saving the day, and never asking for anything else in return. Even when she couldn't fight, she knew that's what she wanted to do. That's why she trained so hard to get where she is today.

Yang's transformation into Goldilocks, then perfectly describes our girl's interiority and self-perception. She feels wrong, incomplete and asymmetrical. She isn't Summer's daughter, but Raven's. She isn't Little Red Riding Hood, but Goldilocks. The flashback in Burning the Candle simply gives an origin and an explanation to this unconscious feeling of inadequacy:

Yang: There we were: A toddler sleeping in the back of a wagon and a stupid girl too exhausted to even cry for help. We might as well have been served on a silver platter.

Yang is almost responsible for Ruby's death. This is why the red eyes imagery appears and sticks with Yang from here on out. After all, nobody thinks of Yang as unfitting or different, but Yang herself:

She is at the same time Goldilocks and the Bears judging her.

HERE COMES GOLDILOCKS!

Goldilocks and the Three Bears makes up the meat of Yang's story. Once again, the Yellow Trailer tells us how to interpret this fairy tale. There Yang is looking for Raven, but finds 3 downgraded versions of her teammates. The Malachites are Ruby and Weiss (Red Rose and Snowhite), while Junior is a Black Beast, just like Blake. This brings 2 considerations:

Whenever Yang fails to find Raven, she discovers one of her teammates instead. In the Yellow Trailer, Yang finds Ruby. At the Branwen Camp, she meets Weiss. When Raven runs away at the end of the Haven Battle, there is Blake waiting for Yang.

Ruby, Weiss and Blake are respectively the too hot (red), too cold (blue) and just right (red + blue = purple) of Yang's fairy tale.

Let's explore these patterns up until now, with a special focus on the Mistral Arc.

YANG AND RAVEN: TOO COLD, TOO HOT AND NEVER RIGHT

So far, Yang has tried to find Raven 3 times, which can be seen as a set of too cold, too hot and just right.

Too cold - As a child, Yang goes alone into the woods, but she is too weak to fight the Grimms waiting for her. She can only stare back frozen in fear.

Too hot - In the Yellow Trailer, Yang has grown strong enough. A douchebag flirts with her? She catches fire and punches him in the face. However, she still lacks knowledge of Raven's whereabouts.

Strength and Knowledge are the 2 ideas Raven has built her whole persona around:

Cinder: You know, I've heard so many stories about you, Raven. They say you're a cunning leader, that you're strong, that you're clever.

This is why Yang too has to prove she is strong and clever enough to find her mom. Third time is the charm and, as the gas station called Just Rite lets us know, things are finally just right for Yang and Raven to meet.

Just right:

Shay: Seriously. Not too bulky. Not too lean. You're… Yang: Just right. Yup. Like I said, I'm good.

Everything looks perfect, doesn't it? After being told twice she is too young:

Junior: Aren't you a little young to be in this club, Blondie?

Just Rite Bartender: Aren't you a little young to be drinking?

Yang is welcomed by her mom, who is ready to tell her all the truths adults have been hiding:

Raven: But I must admit that you've proven yourself. So any questions you have I'll be happy to answer.

After the Strawberry Sunrise of the trailer (too fancy) and the water bottle of the gas station (too plain), Raven offers her tea (just right), adding she likes it hot (just like Yang herself). And yet:

Yang refuses Raven's cup and chooses to leave her mom just after finding her.

Why is that so?

There are 2 thematic reasons. The 1st is about Yang and Raven's foiling, while the 2nd ties with Goldilocks and the Three Bears in general.

1 - Yang is too selfless, while Raven is too selfish

Let's compare these 2 scenes:

Raven: I'm giving you a choice. Stay here, with me, and I'll answer all your questions and more. We can have a fresh start. Or…you can go back to Qrow and join Ozpin's impossible war against Salem, and meet the same fate as so many others.

Yang: Because you're afraid of Salem!!! And if you thought having Maiden powers put a target on your back, imagine what she'll do when she finds out you have a Relic. She'll come after you with everything she has. Or she can come after me.

Yang and Raven are offered a choice. Yang must choose between Raven and Ruby. Raven between herself and Yang. Yang chooses her little sister and puts Ruby's safety before her own wishes. Raven instead chooses to survive even if it means Yang may die.

The end result is apparently the same. Both Yang and Raven leave through a window (a portal), like Goldilocks. However, their choices reveal 2 very different takes on the character. To be more specific, Raven plays the Little Old Woman to Yang's Goldilocks.

Goldilocks and the Three Bears is, in fact, a recent rewriting of an old fable, where a Little Old Woman enters the Bears's house to steal their food. In this version, the intruder isn't painted as a charming beautiful child, but as a greedy burglar only interested in stealing from the Bears. This fits Raven, a bandit who attacks towns and leaves them an easy prey for Grimms.

At the same time, Goldilocks' fairy tale may be the evolution of the Little Old Woman's fable, but it is not the same story. Similarly, Yang is Raven's daughter, but she isn't like her mother:

Yang: I'm not like you. I won't run.

Yang decides to write a brand new version of the story, which doesn't follow Raven's narrative. She chooses to become a Goldilocks that doesn't run. Not a Goldilocks who steals out of selfishness, but one who steps in out of selflessness.

2- Goldilocks and the Three Bears has no fairy-tale ending:

Yang: All of this endless death, because something bad happened to you once upon a time?! Nobody gets a fairy-tale ending!

Goldilocks runs away in the woods and doesn't have to face consequences for her behaviour. Similarly, the Bears do not really have to solve the mystery of this strange intruder. Who is the child? Where does she come from? They don't know and they don't care.

Goldilocks is ultimately a story of characters that run away from difficult things. In this way, though, they do not evolve and there is no proper closure. The central problem of Goldilocks's identity and of where she fits is left unsolved. Ironically, the famous "just right" is never found:

This time it was neither too hot nor too cold. It was just right and so delicious that she ate it all up. But she was too heavy for the little chair and it broke in pieces under her weight.

Even when the porridge tastes good, the chair breaks and Goldilocks falls.

The same goes for Yang and Raven in volume 5. Yang initially struggles to see Raven in her complexity (like the Bears), while Raven eventually runs away (like Goldilocks).

Most importantly, though, they both get a chance to choose the other, but don't. So, even if both heartbroken, they never find their "just right".

TEAM RWBY: HOT, COLD, JUST RIGHT

Ruby, Weiss and Blake are Yang's hot, cold and just right. This doesn't mean Ruby and Weiss are "wrong" for Yang, though. In reality, all 3 girls are necessary for Yang's arc, starting with her recovery after the Fall of Beacon.

Ruby is too hot: in volume 4 Yang is defeated and depressed. Her inner fire is out, which is why her hair (her flames) is in a pony-tail, restricted. For better or worse, Ruby is the reason why Yang pulls herself back together. The determination to find and protect her little sister is enough to fire Yang up and to start her recovery. This is also why the song Ignite focuses specifically on Yang jumping in the fray to protect Ruby (her family):

Usually I devastate This time, might annihilate Any minute now You're gonna rue our meeting Messing with my family Means that soon you're history The moments of your life are fleeting

Weiss is too cold: in volume 5 Yang deals with a lot of inner turmoil and is very easy to trigger. Be it Raven or Blake, her eyes are quick to turn red with anger. The one who manages to cool Yang down is Weiss. She is at Yang's side at the camp and checks on her well being several times. Later on, she is the one that helps Yang see things from a different perspective when it comes to Blake:

Weiss: You're right though. I don't know loneliness like you do. I have my own version. And, I'll bet Blake has her own version too.

Blake is the just right: Yang's journey in Mistral leads her to Blake. She has to face her demons, overcome Raven and reach her inner "just right" (balance) to find Blake once again. At the same time, Blake herself spells out what the "just right" is in volume 6.

Not too hot:

Blake: Hey, I'm not leaving. And if we ever see him again, I promise I'll be there. And I'll protect you. Yang: What? Blake: What? Yang: Forget it. Let's just head back.

Not too cold:

Adam: Heh, do you really believe that? Or are you just trying to scare me away so you won't have to die trying to protect her?

Just right:

Blake: She's not protecting me, Adam. And I'm not protecting her. We're protecting each other.

Ruby gives Yang love, warmth and inspiration, even after Summer's disappearance. Weiss cools Yang off and teaches her empathy better than Raven. Blake is ready to accept Yang in all her vulnerability and strength. Her teammates are the place Yang belongs to. Three people that have welcomed Yang. Three kind bears.

IS THE MISTRAL ARC'S "JUST RIGHT"... JUST RIGHT?

Yang's arc up until now has been the search for the "just right" both inside and outside.

Inside: Yang has learnt not to rely on her Semblance too much. After all, Burn is nothing, but a metaphorical representation of the "too hot" of her fairy tale. This is why Yang has had to reduce its use in order to find her just right. On a deeper level, she has had to face her anger towards Raven and Blake to see her 2 loved ones clearly, in all their contradictions. She has had to tone her emotions down, so that she could let go of her interiorized "scathing eyes".

Outside: she has restored her bonds with her teammates that right now are stronger than ever. In particular, her relationship with Blake has been progressing and, after Adam, they have grown even closer.

So, is everything done? Can Yang reach her happy ending provided that Salem doesn't destroy the world? Obviously, the answer is "not yet".

On the one hand it is clear Raven is bound to come back into the story, so that she and Yang can have some kind of closure. On the other hand Blake's resolution to stand beside Yang no matter what is beautiful, but has not really been tested, so far.

By this, I mean that Bumbleby's focus in the Mistral Arc has mostly seen Yang be there for Blake and help her complete her arc through defeating Adam. Sure, this has been an important development for Yang as well, but Blake has been interestingly absent from Yang's personal subplots, that have instead seen a major involvement by Ruby and Weiss. I wouldn't be surprised if this tendency were to be changed towards the end.

Let's briefly consider the 2 instances where Yang's Goldilocks has been alluded to directly: the Yellow Trailer and the Just Rite scene. The 2 situations are clear paralles. Yang is looking for Raven and she wants something to drink. However, there is a difference:

Yang: Strawberry Sunrise. No ice. Oh, and one of those little umbrellas.

Yang: A water. It's hot out.

The meaning is clear. In both situations Yang wants to find Raven, but the first one is the "too hot" (no ice) and it ends with Yang meeting Ruby, while the second is the "too cold" (water to cool down) and it ends with Yang meeting Weiss.

So, there might still be a "just right" scene in the future that involves Raven and Blake. If this is the case, it may offer proper closure to Yang and Raven's mother-daughter's relationship.

Blake may play a part in this by assisting Yang. Alternatively, she might support Yang when she faces the true issue at the root of her struggle: Summer Rose, LRRH's mother.

After all, Yang's story starts with Summer's disappearance, so it only makes sense that it ends with her return. She left as LRRH's mother and is probably going to come back as the Big Bad Wolf in some form, at least in Ruby's story. What about Yang, though? She isn't Little Red Riding Hood, so which form is Summer gonna take in her story? Well, she may very well be the Cursed Rose that brings out Yang's inner Beast.

... AND THEN THE BEAUTY AND THE BEAST LIVED HAPPILY EVER AFTER

Blake and Yang are each others' Beauty and the Beast. Blake's name can mean both black and white, so she is both shadow (beast) and light (beauty). She is the Beast that looks for redemption and the Beauty that temporary leaves the Beast.

What about Yang?

She too is Beauty and Beast, with her duality easily found in her fairy tale. She is a beauty that burns (Goldilocks) and a wounded beast (the Baby Bear). In this way, RWBY solves the mystery behind the character of Goldilocks. Who is Goldilocks? Just another story's Baby Bear, a child whose place in the world has been threatened. A child who has been looking where to fit since then.

Luckily for Yang, Blake is ready to take her in. When her inner beast, which is nothing, but her vulnerability, comes out, Blake will accept it and welcome her in their shared "happy ending". After all, Blake's fairy tale is the opposite of Yang's. Goldilocks has no resolution, while Beauty & Beast has a "happily ever after" that needs 2 people to be meaningful. This is why meta-narratively, Yang looks for a fairy-tale that can fit her, while Blake wants someone that can complete her story. This is why they are perfect for each other. Together, they make a tale as old as time. As old as the very beginning of our story:

Black the beast descends from shadows. Yellow beauty burns gold.

YELLOW BEAUTY BURNS GOLD

Yang's presentation line in Red Like Roses foreshadows her happy ending with Blake. Still, there is another deeper meaning to it, which is probably going to be the main theme of Yang's arc.

First of all, Yang is built on the idea of "hot". Our pun-loving girl is herself a pun on "hotness":

You're standing too close to a flame that's burning Hotter than the sun in the middle of July

She is introduced as an eye-candy hot girl. Then she is revealed as a ruthless and hot-blooded fighter. This is the dualism Ember Celica is built on: they appear as a pair of bracelets that transform into explosive gauntlets. Is that the root of Yang's character? There is more, which becomes clear the moment Yang loses an arm and becomes "asymmetrical".

What does Yang's "asymmetry" stands for? Once you think at her fairy tale and semblance, it becomes clear: Yang is "too hot". This is why she loses her arm, as well. She explodes in flames when she should have stayed cool, and loses a part of herself as a result. This is why her development is essentially... "her cooling down".

This process is shown also through her Semblance. When Yang uses Burn, her hair catches fire and her eyes go from purple to red. The symbolism is clear: she is usually the "just right" (purple), but her semblance makes her "too hot" (red). Her own semblance is a metaphor for Yang's inner asymmetry and unbalance. This is why she is the only one among her friends that has had to reduce the use of her semblance, instead of developing it.

Still, Semblances represent who people are, for better or worse. This is why a development that ends with a character simply repressing their Semblance is not gonna work. Burn will most likely evolve and affirm itself again in all its "hotness", in all its beauty:

Neon Katt: Ooh! Flashy eyes! Y'know, you're actually kinda pretty when you're angry.

When Yang uses her semblance she is beautiful. That is not just a physical attribute, but a thematic statement. There is beauty in Yang taking in the trauma and using it to grow stronger and protect her loved ones. There is beauty in her showing her emotions instead of keeping them hidden. Sure, she must pay attention not to "burn out" nor to let anger blind her. Still, there is value in her asymmetrical "too hot".

And here comes the final twist on Yang's fairy tale. Goldilocks and The Three Bears is a story that celebrates the "just right", but never finds it. Yang's story has her discover the "just right" does not really exist and that in itself is good. Because there are not "just right" people and then the rest. Everyone is asymmetrical and complex. Weiss seems cold, but has a lot of warmth inside. Ruby is Yang's little sister, but also her competent leader. Blake runs away, but she is also braver than anyone else. Raven and Tai's relationship may be hot/cold, but it still generated Yang, who is the "just right" (her purple eyes mix Raven's red and Tai's blue).

As a child (Goldilocks), Yang feels she doesn't fit, but as an adult (Blake's Burning Beauty) she realizes it is okay not to fit. After all, she is beautiful (hot) precisely because she burns gold:

Crash and burn (crash and burn) Some lessons are just hard to learn Scathing eyes (scathing eyes) That see things from only one side Yet every misshapen spark Suffers the judgment and pain But just as light conquers dark There's a beauty that's greater Than pure symmetry can contain So let's start the game!

Yang is the "too hot" of her fairy-tale and that in itself is "just right".

[messylustt]

݁   𓂃 ៸៸៸ little red — miguel o’hara + reader: an innocent walk in the woods to your grandmother’s, with your red hood and basket turns a little different than expected.

contents : intended age gap. non con/dub con. dark!miggy. red riding hood au. kinda monster kink. primal kink. size kink wc 2.5k.

the whole town had heard the stories. a monster who lived in the woods. woods that parents used to let their kids frolic in, now turned into a desolate area everyone steered clear of. there were the occasional hunters who brought back food for their families, but they never travelled too far past the less denser trees. a horror story. that’s what it was. one kids told others to freak them out in the dark. the beast with claws, fangs, and blood red eyes. he ate anyone who dared venture too far. at least that’s the story the townspeople were going with.

“oh please, there’s no such thing as that beast.” your mother says as she tucks your hair into your hood. your hands clutch a basket, filled with breads and pastries that you insisted on baking yourself. “now, head straight to grandmothers cottage. no dawdling.” she speaks sternly, knowing how easy your attention can sway. you nod, adjusting the red hood around yourself. your grandmother was sick. ill to the point of staying bedridden. she hadn’t wanted to die in this dirty town, as she had put it. she wanted to die peacefully, alone in the woods. your mother was against it, but ever since you were young every argument had always been won by your grandmother.

you make your way out the door, as your mother calls behind you ‘to be back before the sun sets’. you raise your hand to acknowledge her words as you continue on to the edge of the woods. you could hear the distant birds chirping, the woods looking far less scary than normally portrayed. the way the sun gleamed through the gaps between the trees was actually rather beautiful. with a growing smile you skipped over a small running lake, the wood’s animals darting away from your feet.

you made it through the first section of woods with ease, your lips pressed together in a hum. but the moment you edged into the shadier parts of the bush and shrub the singing birds had fallen silent. your own soft tune slowed too, as you gazed around. most hunters stopped here, where the denser trees casted heavier shadows. grandmothers cottage shouldn’t be far. she had chosen a spot in the midst of the forest, as far in as she could make it, without being too close to the fast rushing lake.

you switched hands, holding the basket as your feet softly slipped past large twigs, the grass now a dark shade as the sun became blocked by the heavy leaves. you spared a look up, seeing less animals scurrying about in the trees, and even less on the forest floor. and that’s when you hear it. the faint snap of a branch that has you spinning on your heels. but the moment you turn you’re pleasantly surprised to see a small patch of sunlight, almost acting like a spotlight on bundles of flowers.

the gorgeous colours made your feet move, crouching down as you brushed your hand over the different petals, the worry from the snap gone entirely. “she’d love some…” you speak to yourself, thinking of your grandmother. along with the bread, some flowers would do nicely. a pretty touch. don’t dawdle. you could hear your mothers voice. “it won’t take long.” you say softly, as you fully kneel and begin to pick some of the flowers. “what brings you here, little girl?” a low voice has you pausing, hand midway from picking a tulip. you swiftly turn on your knees and gaze up.

there, standing before you is a man. no…your eyes dart down to his flexing hands. claws. you shift your gaze back up to his slightly shadowed face. and as he takes a step closer to you your breathing gets caught. fangs and red eyes. you stare at him, your body seemingly frozen. “well?” he asks, his tongue moving to run along his lower lip as he stares down at you. you rush to a stance, quickly looking around for your basket. “you make these yourself?” he speaks again, and you shift your gaze back to him to see him holding up your basket.

you’re hesitant to grab it off him, hesitant to even speak. “you’re a quiet thing, aren’t you?” his tone has shifted a fraction. his view of you originally being ‘intruder’, now instead…something else. something…small. something that smells so so sweet. “can you…can you give that back please?” your voice is so soft. almost like a caress to him. this only makes him tighten his hold on your basket. he keeps his eyes on you as he grabs out one of your pastries. he takes a bite as you hold back your protest. “mm.” he hums, still keeping those red eyes on you. “so…sweet…delicious.” he licks the small crumbs off his lower lip, giving you another view of his fangs. his eyes haven’t strayed from you. and the way he stated those words of praise. you had an uncomfortable feeling that he wasn’t praising the food. you carefully reach over, stepping closer to take the basket off him. “those aren’t for you.”

he watches as you near, letting you take the basket. he then leans down to your height, making your body stiffen. “what a shame.” his hand moves up to brush away a strand of hair, before his claw flips your hood down. he drags that same claw over you cheek, just feeling your skin. “maybe i’ll just have to try something else.” at first you don’t catch the look of hunger in his eyes, before his hand is drawing you closer by your neck. with wide eyes, you try and struggle away from him. “no, please, you don’t have to eat me. i’m…i won’t taste very good.” you try and persuade him, thinking him licking his fangs is a sign that he wants to kill you.

but he just chuckles, slipping that hand at the back of your neck, down your spine, making you straighten. his claws slip past your dress and coat, softly scratching at your back as he draws you closer to his large frame. “eat you?” he practically coos. “why would i eat you?” he’s still stroking the skin of your cheek, before he tilts your chin further up. “because…because you’re a…monster.” you tilt your head further back to get away from his grip, but he’s then picking you up, hiking your skirt along your thighs as you gasp and instinctively grab onto his shoulders.

“now that’s a little rude. you don’t even know me.” he says, claws nearly sinking into your legs, keeping you straddled around him as you do your best to try and struggle free. “i know of you. the beast in the woods. the one who eats those who trespass.” you breath out, gripping the material of his shirt tighter as you wriggle. his grip on you only harshens at your movements, as he manhandles you over his shoulder. you screech, your hits on his back doing nothing. with the fast flip, and the state that your dress was already in, your panties are now on display. cute, innocent panties that have easily captured the attention of the monster.

he tilts his head as he stares at your covered pussy, his mouth already salivating. “maybe i do eat those who venture too far into the woods.” he plays along with your fear, as his hand pushes your dress even farther over your ass. “no—“ but your words cut short when you feel two claws run right down the middle of your panties. your hips shift as you bite your lower lip harshly. “please…” your anger has dissipated, leaving you with only your fear. “begging already?” he coos, sticking his two claws right against where your entrance is. he can see the stain beginning to form. you’re soaked, and the sight makes his grip on you tighten.

he suddenly flips you back around, manhandling you onto the ground, where the shadows create a little nook. his hands are fast as he rips the cotton of your panties. “what are you—“ you try but choke on your words the minute the monster slips two of his fingers inside you. your legs shake as you push up on your elbows. the sound of his fingers going in and out of you is embarrassing. you grab at his wrist, your legs already shaking as you try not to succumb to the immediate pleasure you had begun to feel.

“n-no.” you breathe. “yes.” he breathes back, curling his fingers inside you. any further words are choked, as your lips part in a pathetic whimper. “aw.” he coos, now holding you down with his other hand on your stomach. “stop…no—god.” your pleas fall on deaf ears. “yeah…you’ll do nicely.” he hums, continuing to fuck you with his long fingers. too long, in your opinion. his claws scrap against your already sensitive insides, as you squirm on the ground.

your cheeks and nose are flushed, your mismatched breath almost egging him on. “stop squirming or maybe i will have to eat you.” those words have you pausing, fists clenching around the grass. “please…” you gulp out, stomach contracting. but all the beast does is finger you harder, pushing at your thighs so he can get a good look at what a mess he’s already made of you. and just as you’re about to cum, your legs shaking, he pulls away. this fact seems to make you squirm again, as he pushes you completely onto the ground, before fully hiking your dress up and over your breasts.

“i’m only inspecting you, sweetheart. not to give you pleasure. so, stay. still.” he speaks as his hands grab at your breasts, beginning to squeeze and fondle them as he pleases. he bounces them, while pinching your nipples, as you try to gulp down any arousal you still feel. “you’re a very pretty girl, aren’t you little red?” he hums, glancing at the red hood surrounding you on the ground. “tell me, why aren’t you some hunter looking to kill tiny animals?” he hums out as he keeps playing with your breasts, pushing them together, before circling your nipples.

through hard breathes you manage “i’m going to see my…my grandmother.” the monster grins. “with these breads? how sweet of you.” he coos, as he nudged your legs apart again, flicking at your clit experimentally, as he keeps playing with your tits. “i don’t usually get little things wandering into my forest. and certainly not this far in.” he then catches your gaze as he leans towards you. “now be a good girl f’me, and flip over.” he whispers, so close to your lips. after your pause he continues. “eating you is still an option. i haven’t had something delicious in a whi—“

but he’s cut off as you quickly turn around on the ground, his grip on your hips keeping them raised, as he grins. “that’s it…” you’re now pressed up against the grass, your ass stuck out for him as he taps at your pussy, making you jolt a fraction. “you’re rather tiny…” his tone gives away that he likes this fact, his fingers spreading your pussy lips as you then feel something hard pressed against your clit. you can’t see him, but can instantly tell what he’s about to do. you grip the grass again, looking for stability in this unstable situation.

from the taps of his cock against your pussy you can feel how weighted it is. the hint at his size making your fear accelerate. he then begins to push the head of his cock into your entrance making a small cry leave you. and once he begins to rut into you relentlessly, your body moving along the ground at his harsh thrusts, your mind turns dizzy. your lips parting as you claw at the grass, ripping out strands. “are you drooling, sweetheart?” he hums. “open your mouth wider, let me see.” he gazes at your face, pushed up against the ground, as he fucks you from behind.

you slowly open your mouth, as his fingers slip down and drag at the flesh of your inside bottom lip. “just as soaked as your cunt is, huh?” he then begins to play with your tongue, coating your spit over his claws and fingers. “making such a mess.” he coos, as his balls slap against your clit making a small whimper fall past his fingers. his free hand grips your hair, pulling your head slightly back as his cock goes deeper, making you cry out, drooling even more over his fingers. “how bout this…” he says, a little breathless from how well your hole is taking him. “your grandma can have your breads and pastries.” he glances at the basket, haphazardly thrown to the side. “and i can have you.”

he sticks his fingers further into your mouth until you’re practically gagging, your tits bouncing as he thrusts his hips into you. “that sounds fair doesn’t it?” he’s nodding, licking at his lower lip as he murmurs “dios…” you can hear his breathing change, showing he’s getting close. as his cock twitches inside you, he pulls out, bringing you around to kneeling by the grip of his fingers in your mouth. he holds your mouth wide open as he rests his cock on your tongue. “give it a lick, little red.” he’s so close. with drool coating your lower lip in a shimmer, and his fingers hooked inside, you drag your tongue over the tip of his cock, as his hips shudder, finally spilling down your throat.

he makes a mess of your mouth, your only solution being to swallow. you gulp down as much as you can, though some spill out due to the unwavering grip of his fingers in your mouth. he stares down at you, a new emotion behind his eyes, that says more than a passing hunger. he grabs your chin and leans down to lick the remaining mix of cum and drool off your lips. your mind is reeling, this whole situation feeling like a fever dream.

“i’m sure your grandmother is worried about you.” he hums, running his thumb over your chin and swollen lips. “you should get going. and don’t forget the pretty flowers.” his words are far too sinister to make you stand with a skip in your step. as he soothes your dirty dress down and fixes your hood, his cock away as if nothing had happened. he hands you back your basket, your shaky hands gripping it. “now run along, little girl. and please do remember to visit your poor, sick grandmother more often.”

it was a demand. not a suggestion.

© messylustt.tumblr please don’t steal, copy or translate my work onto other platforms.

[katytrailcreations]

Glenn in Uniform/Inez'sClippings

Glenn in Uniform/Inez’sClippings

Page 72 Mon. Aug. 17, 1942~~~ Glenn left again to be examined for the army and was accepted. He came home early Wed. morning, Aug. 19th. Ruth stayed with me while he was gone. He was given a furlough of 2 weeks before going back, during which time we had a sale Sept. 1, 1942~~~ Glenn left for Jefferson Barracks on the train, at Sedalia. His mother & dad, Erma Lee, Ruth & I went with him to…

[apollosgiftofprophecy]

I think another reason why I get rather annoyed when people hate on ToA Apollo is because how hypocritical their criticisms are.

I just saw a post talking about how great it is that Annabeth gets to show a lot of emotion, especially by crying. I also recall moments where she got frustrated or angry, and I found myself absolutely agreeing!

But then my thoughts turned to Apollo, another character who shows a lot of emotion.

But you know what he’s called for being frustrated, or upset, or for crying?

Whiny. He’s called whiny.

Apollo gets frustrated when he’s unable to perform something (archery) he used to be extremely good at. He’s upset that he can no longer use a bow correctly.

And people call him whiny for that. Apparently, those people have never experienced, let alone heard of The Gifted-Kid, something all Gifted-Kids (hello, tis me, Gifted-Kid since 4th grade RIP) can relate to Apollo over.

You were really good at something but all of a sudden you can no longer perform it as well? You’re not hitting your usual mark?

Well too bad, according to the fan base, you should shut up and not be so awfully whiny! It’s just archery!

(That was obviously in jest but you get my point.)

Additionally, Apollo never complains about important things. He complains about having to walk, but not the injury that’s literally turning him into a zombie and physically tormenting him.

That post really made me think about this, and then I asked myself; “Why? Why are people’s thoughts so different on Annabeth v Apollo showing emotion?”

It became apparent rather quickly, if you ask me.

Annabeth is a woman. Of course she should be able to show emotion! also maybe deep-seated sexism of ‘women are emotional’

Apollo is a man. And God forbid men show emotion I guess smh so also sexism

Because think about it. How many of the RRVerse male protagonists were allowed to cry? To be fully, and undeniably, upset?

I can only remember Frank crying on the plane after his grandmother’s presumed death, and Grover sniffling/getting teary-eyed in PJO. I don’t recall Percy, Jason, Leo, or Nico ever crying, or really having powerful bursts of emotion.

Yes, yes, Percy and Nico have both gotten mad and unleashed their fury upon someone, but that’s not what I’m talking about here.

I’m talking about letting them feel, letting them be emotional.

Not a burst of anger. But real, genuine character-driven emotion.

The fact that I can only name Frank and Grover from the previous two series is truly saddening.

Apollo gets to feel. To let his emotions flow freely. He whines, yes, but he also gets frustrated, he gets upset, and most of all he cries.

That all makes him a real character, someone people can relate to.

I’ll admit I’m a rather emotional person too. I have a quick temper, and more often than not the water-works come on real quick when I get upset. It’s a normal emotional response, but it can be difficult to work with, especially when you’re trying to stay calm.

Apollo is the first RRVerse protagonist to be allowed to have feelings— strong ones, even. And I can relate to that. There’s a reason why Apollo, Reyna, and Annabeth are all favorites of mine, and that’s because I see myself in them.

Annabeth is prideful. I can be too. She gets obsessed over her work. I do that too. Hates spiders? Oh hell yeah.

Reyna gave me someone to connect with over my sexuality. Ignore that Rick mixed what aro and ace are for a moment please She really gave my demiromantic self somebody to relate with, because the lack of aro rep is criminal. and no the Hunters are not aro rep

Apollo is emotional. He’s made mistakes and wants to do better.

Who wouldn’t see themselves in him? I certainly do.

And yet, he gets called whiny for having the literal rug pulled out from under him again and again, and he doesn’t even let himself complain over what he should, absolutely complain about!

Idk. I think there’s a lot to be said about how this fandom treats emotional characters, especially based on gender.

I guess this is all to say don’t judge a fictional character, because you’re judging a real person too.

And real people have feelings, you know.