onewomancitadel

[onewomancitadel]

I don't know if they did it intentionally, but it's an organic inversion just by the nature of the beast, Ruby is Cinder's White Shadow, aka all her good suppressed characteristics. I think this might be best embodied in these two facts: Ruby's dream of becoming a Huntress is something which condemns Cinder; Ruby's silver eyes are the cure to Cinder's affliction, despite her viewing it as the enemy.

I think it's pretty natural that the capacity for Cinder's heroism through the Fall Maiden power is reflected in the fact that she's the protagonist's Shadow double, and in my view Cinder's role in the story elevates Ruby's psychological journey. So when I'm talking about Cinder I'm often also thinking of Ruby as much as I am Jaune, honestly.

Relatedly, this is why I think it's really funny that Blake wears white (and people complain that she does) because she is a White Shadow herself lol. I also just like the idea of it being oxymoronic, which fits in with the overall R/WBY ethos.

#the sacred texts

[onewomancitadel]

One of the reasons I really like posting here is that like... so many people are so boring about narrative lol. It's always like, is it didactic, is it a punitive lesson, is this romance toxic, is it a marked political agenda, is it filtered through therapese, what does the author 'really' mean, are you right or wrong, here's the secret code to understanding the TRUE story (you'll be shocked when you find out!!!!), here's why storytelling doesn't mean anything in particular, here's why my character wins and yours doesn't

It's so tiresome. Are you feeling anything at all?

#my character is on a heroine's journey and she is losing the battle against her white shadow. currently. she will get there. #hopefully. #narrative cynicism

[onewomancitadel]

Somebody liked the post I made when I was replaying Sudeki... annoyingly enough because of the laptop drama I never ended up finishing that playthrough; I was right at the very end when Tal teams up with the Shadow selves and I had all the ultimate weapons. Cryyyy

Anyway, maybe this is a sign I should play it again and actually finish it. It did a lot of interesting things I think only came into vogue again recently and most of all it was interesting because it's a Western take on a Japanese style of game, which is kind of similar to R/WBY, because I find it fascinating where these two things clash. It also had the Jung stuff going on as well naturally.

I have seen very few people mention this game online but it was one of my favourites as a kid. (o:

#sudeki

[onewomancitadel]

This is my last straw.

#didn't accept herculean either #seraphina's puzzle log #letter boxed is a NYT word game specifically designed to irritate me #it's actually creative though

[onewomancitadel]

Only sharing another Weepies song because for some reason this evening it's made me cry! Such a perfect song with a melancholic arrangement but so lovely and sweet

#I need this to distract me. #semuta

[onewomancitadel]

Allow me to speak casually and off the record but holy fucking hell I do not know what they're doing with Jaune and Cinder if it's not all for (romantic) Knightfall.

#he killed penny to betray ruby and save cinder('s soul). I'm going to scream

[onewomancitadel]

On a more romantic note I think it is very powerful that Jaune killing Penny at her behest is a sacrifice of himself as well but it is ultimately something which saves Cinder. Sorry, I think her redemption is only narratively possible if she remains only the Fall Maiden, and he saved her. In my eyes.

Whether anything ever develops after that is not within my purview right now. On its own, to me it is very beautiful that something so damning and fraught and tragic and awful and terrible and horrible and fundamentally challenging to Jaune's sense of self, and involves Penny's own literal death, is something which promises Cinder another chance.

It's awful and I love it.

#capital R Romance #knightfall

[onewomancitadel]

Because I don't stick my neck out anymore hearing from a lovely commenter that apparently people got really mad about Jaune and Ruby's argument in Volume 9... God I don't understand these people. That's like, the most interesting and awesome thing ever I had been waiting to happen. The fact they balanced exile with magical resolution was really awesome - I just wish the volume had more room to breathe.

Jaune-Ruby actually having an interesting leadership bond/friendship is awesome. It's a terrible, terrible thing he did, which Ruby herself refused to do (taking the power from Penny - Penny offered) and it's the major difference between them as characters and to me is one of the many reasons it has to be Jaune first who reaches out to Cinder to get Cinder to Ruby.

I just really love that something so breathlessly heroic he did is also this awful, awful thing which breaks him before he can reach deeper to the real wound... like, that's good. That's great drama. Both sides are understandable and it's an ideological dispute.

Ultimately I think Jaune is 'more' correct in that Cinder should only ever have one of the power - he is actually doing a good thing for her in the way that he is doing a terrible thing to Ruby - but it's sooo good. It is just so good.

I guess like, some people view storytelling as a partisan engagement.

#the healer has the bloodiest hands

[onewomancitadel]

Not a moment's rest writing.

#the plot bunnies are breeding

[onewomancitadel]

I think probably what contributes to my dislike of D&D is the static moral alignment, and even though it probably hasn't completely influenced a lot of bad opinions people spout on the Internet - and to some degree is helpful to the nature of D&D - the idea of static moral alignment is completely anathema to my sensibilities. Boo, not interesting.

I imagine that adherents to D&D (not even tabletop altogether, I know, other tabletop games exist) would protest this but this is my blog and I'm the Tumblrina in charge.

#this isn't a democracy

[onewomancitadel]

Sorry I can't shut the fuck up today I have free time and an unusual burst of inspiration. Trying to enjoy things as they come.

#I have been lucky to have this time with knightfall as much as I have lol #what am I going to do? fuck myself?

[onewomancitadel]

Exception to my ad hoc storytelling principle is Wizard Story but the author of Wizard Story is also really really smart with excellent taste so what can you say, and also I know she has those higher aspirations lol.

#lol

[onewomancitadel]

My R/WBY analysis is always going to be incomplete because I refuse to entertain D&D as an influence. Lol

#I know it's there. I'm pretending it isn't #okay it's just because it's superficial. it doesn't mean anything narratively to me. that's it #I have played enough video games to notice the heavy influence of D&D if not complete invention of the RPG genre because of it #I just don't like it. and I think I especially do not like it because as a writer I am not interested in interactive media #and as somebody engaging with a story I want to read/engage with something intentioned #not ad hoc

[onewomancitadel]

It is kind of uncanny how Joseph Campbell's talk about dangerous animals and sacred marriage describes the Blake/Yang fight and killing of Adam. Do they know...

#three kisses on the serpent's head to tame it and bull sacrifice for the sacred marriage...

[onewomancitadel]

Now, I don't wish to repeat myself, but this other feeling I have about Knightfall and connected ideas - redeemed Ozlem, the monomyth, Jungian storytelling, whatever - is that to me it resolves the contradictions of R/WBY and clarifies the intentions. A lot of it really does make sense read through a certain lense and it is a story with genuinely lofty aspirations. Whether the audience is 'getting' it doesn't really matter to me, because it's not like everybody understands Paul's journey in Dune, and I certainly don't think that's Frank Herbert's failure.

If it doesn't resolve this way, then sure, maybe some criticisms of the show might stand. I'm not sure what the point of I/ronwood is if Cinder and Salem are not respectively redeemed; it's just pointless tragedy, etc., though read on its own terms I still think that drama was really fun lol. But this is one of the many reasons I find myself fascinated with Knightfall because it is also a narrative key, and that's compelling.

#knightfall

[onewomancitadel]

For my captive audience of about four or five people: I don't think speculating about Knightfall is tinfoiling, btw. The method of speculation can be (this is a common problem I have with most fantheories) but earnestly engaging with a story which is for some reason viewed as silly most certainly isn't.

If a story fails to be thoughtful or changes its course or has very different (and lesser realised) ideas, that's not my fault, and fault or wrongness or rightness shouldn't ever be the point.

#idk people call things they don't like tinfoiling #there are things I like I've called tinfoiling lulz #and tbf I do think the idea of 'tinfoiling' can create an inherently incurious audience #then again the things I've seen...

[onewomancitadel]

I had been thinking about what it was that made the Rusted Knight title pair so well specifically with the Fall Maiden, not just any Maiden, and it was obviously right there.

The fact that the Rusted Knight and the Fall Maiden both represent decay - yes - certainly - but also the promise of renewal is craaaazy. It's the time of harvest; Jaune's armour is restored. The fact that it perfectly embodies the sense of the romance (the Ozlem story told backwards, restored and made something more) is also craaaazy.

#otp: the rusted knight and the fall maiden