#something tells me that it's going to be a Schnee victory (should the plan work) and not just a Whitley victory

[aspoonofsugar]

Ironwood and Cinder: The Final Word

Cinder: And that’s… checkmate.

The Final Word of the volume is Cinder’s and it is meaningful she says it to Ironwood.

As a matter of fact Ironwood and Cinder are two sides of the same coin on many levels. This is conveyed also structurally.

Volume 7 is mostly about Ironwood’s tragic spiral. We are shown him struggle with his flaw throughout the whole volume, but in the end he loses to it and becomes just as dangerous as Salem:

Oscar: Then you're as dangerous as she is, James.

Not only does volume 8 close with Cinder instead, but it also opens with her:

And it even gives us her backstory:

Why does it happen? And why is Cinder’s final line so important when it comes to her foiling with Ironwood?

GRAVITY

It is not by chance that Watts calls both Ironwood and Cinder out before the climax of respectively volume 7 (Ironwood) and volume 8 (Cinder). This is because, as stated above, volume 7 is Ironwood’s volume, while volume 8 is Cinder’s. So they both are confronted with a truth about themselves and their reaction to it influences their stories in the Atlas arc.

In a sense, even if Watts is the one dangerously hanging over an abyss... it is actually Ironwood and Cinder who are on the brink. They are deciding Watts’s survival, but they are also deciding their own destiny.

They are choosing if to fall because of gravity or if to fly in the sky victorious.

At the same time, the two scenes with Watts show how Cinder and Ironwood are both similar and opposites.

AS ABOVE, SO BELOW

Ironwood and Cinder are nothing, but two products of Atlas’s society.

Ironwood was born at the very top:

Watts: You just stood atop it and called yourself a giant!

Cinder existed at the very bottom:

Watts: You think you're entitled to everything just because you've suffered, but suffering isn't enough! You can't just be strong, you have to be smart! You can't just be deserving, you have to be worthy! But all you have ever been, is a BLOODY MIGRAINE!

Watts is in the middle and he represents the worst traits of both.

He wants everything, just like Cinder:

Ironwood: I gave you everything you could have wanted!

But differently from Cinder it was no true he had nothing. He was successful, had food, clothes and respect. Still, he was never satisfied and ended up disgracing himself in the search of something more.

He also disregards feelings in favor of rationality, just like Ironwood:

Watts: Our tin soldier’s heart has cost him his mind.

And he sees people under him as inherently inferior:

Watts: Yes, yes, please keep your posse in check.

This is why his death is fitting:

Cinder: I merely added more flames to the fires of Atlas.

He burns with Atlas aka the city he wants to destroy, but also a symbol of who he is deep down.

What is more, his death happens specifically because he blindly follows his wishes:

Watts: Oh, believe me, this is everything I've ever wanted.

And because he is outsmarted and manipulated by Cinder:

Cinder: You deserve this, Arthur. We'll be back.

He is proud of his genius and rationality, but in the end he dies because of his feelings of pettiness.

In short, Watts, Cinder and Ironwood represent three social classes of Atlas and how the system corrupts people at every level. In general, all three want to be at the very top, but disreguard and mistreat the ones below.

-This is why Ironwood seeks control even in situations where he is not in charge, like the Vytal Festival. He also challenges Ozpin’s authority and leadership because he is not used not to be the one deciding. At the same time, he is shown ready to discard Mantle in multiple occasions.

-This is why Watts can call out Ironwood’s arrogance without seeing he is exactly the same as him.

-Finally, this is why Cinder lashes out at people she sees as Atlas elites (the Schnees, Ironwood, Watts), but treats those below her just like she was treated:

Emerald: We don't need him! Everything was going fine! (a slap is heard, and she cries out in pain)

Cinder: Do not mistake your place.

Mercury: Oh yeah? Tell that to--

Cinder: Quiet.

THE ENEMIES OF TRUST

Both Ironwood and Cinder’s left arms are artificial. Ironwood’s is mechanical, while Cinder’s is Grimm.

Their respective arms convey opposite approaches to things.

On a more general level, they are respectively linked to Creation (Ironwood’s mechanical arm) and to Destruction (Cinder’s Grimm arm). As a matter of fact a robotic arm is a human creation, while Grimms are nothing, but the symbol of destruction.

On a personal level, their arms hint at the two characters’ opposite personalities.

Ironwood’s arm can’t feel pain.

Cinder’s is instead linked to pain and feelings in different ways:

Raven: Aura can't protect your arm, it's Grimm.

Salem: You chose to disobey my specific instructions just to fail again.

Cinder: She’s back…

Cinder feels great pain whenever her Shadow Hand is cut because she can’t protect it with aura. At the same time, it is used by Salem to torture her. Finally, it links her to Salem to the point that she knows when her Master is back.

In other words, Cinder’s arm lets her feel more, while Ironwood’s lets him feel less.

This difference is mirrored by both the ways Ironwood and Cinder respectively attack Watts and by their semblances:

Ironwood’s Mettle lets Ironwood suppress his own feelings, so that he can pursue any objective, no matter how cruel or immoral it is. It makes him “superhuman”, but in a very negative sense.

Cinder’s Scorching Caress represents Cinder’s explosive emotions. It is a form of self-expression, which is both destructive and self-destructive.

Ironwood’s semblance is about repression, while Cinder’s is about lashing out.

Similarly, Ironwood goes after Watts at the cost of his arm and he ignores the pain he feels:

Watts: I wouldn't do that if I were you. I mean, unless you're hoping to add more metal to that body of yours.

Cinder instead goes after Watts to vent her anger:

Cinder: What do you mean, she'll destroy herself? How am I supposed to take her power if she's dead?!

Both are extremes and both are wrong, as Winter explains:

Winter: But yes Penny, we must still acknowledge our personal feelings, wrestle with them. It ensures us that we’re on the right path. It’s what makes us human.

Ironwood and Cinder should aknowledge their own feelings not to be consumed by them.  It is also the only way for them to truly be humans, not machines or monsters, but simply people.

Both characters almost succeed just before the climax of their respective volumes.

Ironwood tries to open up to others:

And Cinder shows vulnerability:

However, none of them is able to capitalize on this chance for development. This is ironically because of each other:

Cinder messes with Ironwood’s insecurities, while Ironwood’s ultimatum gives Cinder the perfect chance to ignore hers.

The result is that Ironwood goes back to control, while Cinder goes back to manipulation. Both do so because they are unable to trust.

Interestingly, they take after their respective mentors in this.

Ironwood takes after Ozpin:

Ironwood: Did you really think you were the only one who got to work on a new plan after Beacon? WIth Ozpin gone, I needed my own team of people I could trust.

Oscar: General? Earlier, you asked for my advice.

Ironwood: I wanted Ozpin's advice.

Oscar: And his advice probably would've been to keep your secrets.

Cinder takes after Salem:

Salem: When I chose you as my vessel for the Maidens, I put my trust in you. So, I trust that you wouldn’t possibly return to me empty-handed.

Ironwood’s whole struggle in volume 7 is his search for a “new approach”. He wants to be like Ozpin, but better. This is why he founds his own group, but wants to trust the world with the truth about Salem. However, he confuses trust with control.

Cinder instead wants to become just like Salem and suffers when she sees she is not. This is why she collects assets, just like her master. This is also why she does not trust anyone, but manipulates others.

That said, what is the difference between Ironwood’s control and Cinder’s manipulation? It has once again to do with feelings.

Ironwood’s attempt to manipulate others is about suppressing feelings. He uses Atlas’s military hierarchy and social structures to ask for his subordinates’ blind loyalty.

Cinder’s method to control people lies instead in making use of others’ feelings. She uses both wishes and fears to her advantage.

In short, control and manipulation are nothing, but the same inability to trust declined in opposite ways. They are both “enemies of trust”.

This is why both Ironwood and Cinder find a strong enemy and a foil in the character, who embodies friendship in these volumes:

Deep down, Ironwood and Cinder not trusting others is because they fear betrayal:

Cinder: I won’t have to run now.

Rhodes: That’s all you’ll ever do.

Ironwood: I've chased a lot of shadows over the years, always expecting betrayal. But never once did I think it would ever come from you.

However, Penny too is betrayed and mistreated by others:

Penny: I do not like it when friends fight.

Ruby: I know. Yang and I may not agree on how best to save Mantle but-

Penny: No. I mean Winter. The general. They were our friends. But then the Ace Ops attacked you. And the general, he said people were going to die, because of me.

 However, she does not give up on the ideal of a genuine bond:

Attached but not By strings

Still, if Penny is a positive foil to both Ironwood and Cinder, why does she die?

RISK

Weiss: Trust is a risk.  

Yang: Ruby, they’re not called sure things, they’re called risks.

These two lines taken together are why at the end of volume 8 Penny dies, our heroes fall and the manipulative Cinder wins.

It happens to show the main theme of the two Atlas volumes. Trust is not a “sure thing”. It is a risk and it does not always work. Still, it is necessary to trust as it is necessary to take risks:

Yang: You were being optimistic. Look, blind optimism isn’t great, but no optimism means we already lost. We need hope. We need to take risks.

Giving up on trust and risks means giving up on hope. It means to give in to fear.

Still, this does not mean your trust will always be paid back. And it does not mean that the risks you take will always work, even if you come up with a wonderful plan:

Cinder: I knew your plan would be bold, but I never could have predicted all of this...

Sometimes people will betray you:

Sometimes your risk will end up in a fall:

However, it is still worth to trust, even when you have no guarantee it will work:

And sometimes It is even worth to risk the fall because it may lead to people being saved:

This same idea is conveyed also through Penny’s final choice:

Penny: Trust me.

Winter: Thank you for trusting me with this.

Penny dies tragically, but she still manages to pass the Maiden’s power to a person she trusts.

This is especially meaningful because the Winter Maiden power, just like Penny herself, has been subjected to both control and manipulation.

Ironwood does all he can to make sure the power ends up to Winter. At the same time, he is the one most responsible for Penny feeling as nothing, but a robot:

Ironwood: As the official report stated, that footage was doctored. Penny is completely under my control.

Cinder tries to steal the power three times. She also manipulates Penny’s feelings towards her friends:

Cinder: I was hoping your friends would be here. But it looks like they left you to do all the work. You’re just a tool to be used!

In the end, Ironwood treating Penny as a machine (control) and Cinder using Penny’s love for her friends against her (manipulation) are among the psychological factors that lead Penny to be mortally wounded by Cinder.

Still, while dying Penny negates both Ironwood and Cinder and frees the power and herself from both control and manipulation.

The fact she chooses Winter works well to illustrate this.

Winter is the person Ironwood wants as the next Maiden. However, Winter becomes a Maiden not because of Ironwood’s control, but because of Penny’s trust:

Ironwood: So… the destiny I chose for you has arrived.

Winter: You chose nothing. This...was a gift.

Winter is a Schnee, so she represents both what Cinder hates and what she herself wants to be:

Cinder to Winter: You Atlas elites are all the same! You think hoarding power means you’ll have it forever, but it just makes the rest of us hungrier.

Winter is a symbol of Atlas and so she is a reminder to Cinder that Atlas is not really destroyed:

Robyn: What do you think a kingdom is? The people, or just the chunk of land they live on?

Just like Cinder’s past isn’t.

WORTHY

Cinder wants to be worthy. Ironwood wants to be a hero.

Deep down, Ironwood and Cinder want the same thing. They want to be above others. They want to be more than humans.

However, they go at it in opposite ways:

Ironwood: I have sacrificed everything!

Cinder: I want it all...

Ironwood thinks that victory lies in sacrificing everything, while Cinder sees it as taking it all.

These opposite viewpoints mirror their respective social stances.

Ironwood can say he wants to sacrifice everything because he has everything.

Cinder thinks happiness lies in everything because she has nothing:

Cinder: You’re right. Without you I am nothing. But because of you, I am everything.

In the end, Ironwood and Cinder are each other’s true enemies, but they fail to see it and lash out against the wrong people:

Ironwood and Cinder’s respective fight against Winter and Weiss is exactly this.

Ironwood fights a Maiden he sees as an enemy of Atlas, while another Maiden is attacking the people he swore to protect.

Cinder lashes out at Weiss because of her origins, while Weiss has decided to leave her status and money behind to make the right thing.

Still, Ironwood and Cinder are too hypocritical to see the truth. This is why they attack people, who could have helped them, if they were given the chance.

This is also why they receive a warning:

Winter: No, you have sacrificed everyone else!

Winter: You… are going to pay… for everything you’ve done!

Ironwood claims he is ready to sacrifice everything. However, he never sacrifices himself:

In the end, he is unable to sacrifice his life to fight Salem.

Let’s highlight he has nothing to lose by this point. He is falling with Atlas anyway. In his final moments, he is given the chance to prove true to his words:

I would die Without regret, I’d offer up my life With zero reservations I would fly Into the sun If that would keep our dream alive

Instead, he gives up. He has been shooting his allies until the very end, but freezes in front of his enemy.

Cinder thinks she is closer to her final victory, but in the end she has accomplished nothing of what she truly wants.

She wants to kill RWBY, but they are alive. She wants the Maiden powers, but she fails.

At the same time, Cinder is still far away from what she truly needs:

Cinder: You have everything you need?

Watts: Oh, believe me, this is everything I've ever wanted.

She is given a perfect mirror of herself in Watts. Still, instead of seeing it, Cinder uses his flaw, which is her same flaw, to kill him. Watts’ wants lead to his death and the same thing might happen to Cinder if she does not stop herself in time.

Finally, there is this:

Salem: This game is not yours to win, Cinder, it’s mine. Just because you’re more valuable to me than a pawn, does not make you a player. Everything is already in motion. All you need concern yourself with is your ability to act when I tell you to.

Ironwood and Cinder share a chess motif.

Ironwood thinks of himself as a player and specifically as Salem’s opponent.

Cinder is instead told she is no player.

However, in the end, Ironwood becomes a mere pawn to the point that all Watts has to do is to open his cell to be sure he is going to unwillingly aid in Cinder’s plan.

What is more, he is so fixated on Salem that he fails to aknowledge the people below him. This is why his true opponent is a slave that Atlas exploited.

Cinder frames herself as a player instead. She is the one who truly makes the first move against Ironwood and ultimately she is the one who defeats both him and our protagonists. Finally, she is the one who calls checkmate.

Still, is she really playing her own game?

In the end, the one who gets what she wants is not Cinder, but Salem:

And all she has to do to obtain it is one small move:

Salem: And I’ve realized, it’s all my fault. You’ve fought your whole life unwaveringly for what you want and here I am holding you back instead of lifting you up.

While Cinder is once again letting her talent be exploited by those above her. She is choosing to be Salem’s Queen instead than a player of her own life.

She is the Black Queen defeating the White King, but nothing more.

#rwby #rwby meta #rwby vol8 #rwby vol7 #cinder fall #james ironwood #my meta

[theseerasures]

While you're doing reactions, if you're up for it, how are you feeling about all the finale predictions you made on March 23? By my count, you scored pretty well!

hooooooo boy (the alluded post, for those just catching up)

how i feel about my predictions is that...you’re right and i scored pretty well, but much like the characters doing right in the episode itself, it didn’t matter. part of the reason why the finale made me feel so much--why i loved it, despite still being emotionally hungover from ugly affect--is because i WAS right, but i was so often right but wrong on a smaller scale, or right but wrong because i completely misunderstood the overall thematic stakes, or in one case right but in such a phenomenally cruel and roundabout way that i’m still reeling from it.

more detailed breakdown under the cut (as in “let’s unpack this,” and as in “i have an emotional breakdown”):

WHERE I WAS MOSTLY RIGHT

Team Green, Yang, the non-Robyn Happy Huntresses, Klein and the non-combatant Schnees were gimmes from the beginning, even the ones of whom we didn’t have visual confirmation by the end of Worthy.

Pietro and Maria are still MIA so i’m putting them here, but...Winter’s gonna have to tell Pietro, when he shows up again.

Cinder and the Relics i was correct about, but even though i knew going in that she would win i didn’t imagine the scale of her victory. mostly because i thought she might have learned some self-discipline and just skedaddled with the Relics in an attempt to trap as many people as possible in superhell, but a) she didn’t, and b) she won without needing to.

Salem, Watts, and Ironwood are where i predicted, but i think part of me really bought into the fan theory that maybe Salem would want to keep Atlas around. both Watts and Ironwood lasted much longer through the episode than i expected because i was working from that assumption, but with the direction the episode actually took it makes perfect sense that they exited the stage as Atlas fell--they are, after all, twin architect-destroyers of Atlas. brains and brawn.

Nora ended up in Vacuo, but she’s...uh, not happy about it. not that i expected her to be happy, but this is much much worse. og JNPR is now JUST Renora, and much as i love freewheeling modular megazord JNPR, that’s gonna hit like a truck. last time they lost someone Renora were consciously trying to play supportive teammate to Jaune, who’d just lost his partner, and Nora especially also had to talk Ren off the edge with the Kuroyuri stuff. i expect they’ll swap the dynamic this time, especially since Nora was already planning to go all independent woman before this.

Qrow, Robyn, and the AceOps are stranded, but in transit and not in Mantle, because Mantle the place is no more. and Vine is dead. the reason i posited that the AceOps might be split up was so they could find their team dynamic after it’s been unsettled, and...well. having one of them do a heroic sacrifice should do a similar trick. because i didn’t think Atlas would fall on Mantle i thought Qrow and Robyn (particularly Robyn) would get more to do, but both of them are pretty much exactly in the same place they were in at the beginning of the season: trapped in a cramped environment, cut off from the people they love and uncertain what happened to them, and unable to contribute in a way that they would consider meaningful. i’m guessing we won’t check back in with this crew for a while, but if we do it’ll be interesting to see if the Qrow and Robyn dynamic changes--like, if he has to be the one to talk her down from cabin fever and despair. (before he finds out that he was the one who should have been despairing all along.)

WHERE I WAS MOSTLY WRONG

Neo is in superhell. i had put her in Atlas because i’d overestimated Cinder’s ability to play the long game, but what the show ultimately doubled down on was that Cinder remains at heart a petty and impatient opportunist, and that’s where she’s most effective. which i dig! i dig that she has not so much improved (in means or ends) so much as learned to hold the beneficial and detrimental parts of herself farther and farther apart, because in the end they’re all the same parts, and because presumably she’ll end up starfishing out so much (who knew the way she took care of Winter’s death pigeons was foreshadowing?) that she breaks in two. and i dig Neo in superhell without Cinder, because it’ll be our first chance to see Neo not working for anyone outside of that one time she fought Cinder. if superhell does end up being part afterlife, she might also get some closure with the Torchwick stuff.

Jaune being in superhell points to it being part afterlife, because the chance for HIM to get some closure is also right there. that was always the case, but the reason i made the prediction i did was because i assumed that Jaune would remain the person he has been this whole season--this stolid, clueless but incredibly effective supporting leader. having a Jaune who is at the top of his game meet up with Pyrrha again is obviously appealing, especially to me, a person who scribbles misshapen hearts labeled “Arkos = 5evr” on all my notebooks, but at the time i didn’t think it was necessary to his story...and then the story dramatically shifted his character and threw all my carefully hedged bets off (which is something we’ll also get to with...later).

having a Jaune who has just effectively EUTHANIZED someone meet up with Pyrrha again isn’t just appealing--it’s vital. and it’s vital because the exact parameters of how and why Jaune ended up having to kill Penny is a point-for-point echo and escalation of the way the Amber to Pyrrha transfer was supposed to go. last time Jaune Arc was party to a Maiden transfer process he had no idea what was going on, and he tried to intervene when he worked out that whatever Oz was doing was going to hurt Pyrrha, and that however minute thing contributed to Pyrrha’s death and the Fall of Beacon. this time it’s not just that he knows what’s going on and the stakes of it. it’s not even just that he is the Ozpin operating the Aura Transfer machine. it is that there is no machine--there is just him, holding the knife. he knows the Amber better than the Pyrrha this time, and this time the Amber is his friend, and still whole, and choosing. not just consenting, but asking him. trusting him. so he carries it out. the old Maiden dies, and like Ozpin he dies shortly after, but not before he watches the new Maiden fail.

but he does prevent history from repeating, because a new Maiden is created, and she gets to live. and Cinder Fall has made him a murderer on top of everything else, but she WILL remember him, now.

there are other people i was wrong about, but that’s...for later.

WHERE I WAS RIGHT AND IT DIDN’T MATTER

Ruby, Blake and Weiss are all in superhell, so on paper i was right, but...well. sing it if you know the words. the reason i’m putting them in their own section is because it’s not just that they fell and didn’t jump like i thought; it’s that they would not have jumped, and that changes everything. you know how i realized that we would lose everyone, and not by choice? it was Weiss. it was when Weiss said we have to do this for Yang. Jaune had reminded Nora of what was priority one minutes before, but the implications of that didn’t sink in for me until Weiss confirmed it. they PLANNED for this. not just the eventuality where they would have to die, but the one where they’d have to watch everyone else die and do nothing except keep going.

which...has implications. the best way to read this--and i think we’re all dying for some good news--is that even if it certainly does not feel that way, RWBY was able to snatch a partial victory from Salem’s claws. they lost the Relics, but they got the Maiden powers away, and most importantly: they saved Atlas and Mantle. by the time Jaune intervened Grand Central was empty. there was no one left to evacuate. they didn’t get everyone, but they got a lot. even before Cinder intervened so catastrophically they knew how many things could go wrong, so they made a plan, and largely stuck to it. on a purely material level they only lost one thing vital to the war effort--the Staff. but they got everyone else out, which was priority one. the show in general and this arc in particular has emphasized that our heroes don’t think they should be exceptionalized, that they’ll fight tooth and nail to make sure everyone is given the treatment and respect they deserve, and they’ve made good on that. they’re Huntresses, and Huntresses be thou for the people. they chose, and they won what mattered to THEM.

but on the flip side: they chose, and there’s no way to read this choice as anything but a compromise...and a very Atlesian one at that. when confronted with calculus similar to the one JYR faced after they lost Oscar in War, our heroes chose...the opposite. one, then three, then four, then five, then six for the many. what was that number compared to two entire cities’ worth of people, especially when they’re the ones who signed up for this? i’m not trying to take this down the slippery slope where our heroes are no better than the dictator they just dethroned, because when the time came for sacrifice they chose themselves first. but it remains a sacrifice, which means that when the time came to test the hard moral limit they set for themselves, they...moved. they decided ahead of time that some risks aren’t worth taking. that this is not a situation where everyone wins, so they had to go for the next best thing, then the next best thing after that, and so on. i’m honestly not sure where it points to yet, except my usual refrain that this show is a lot less didactic than it seems, but...yeah. this is going to lead to some invigorating discussions in-universe.

and maybe it’ll start with this: that Jaune and Weiss--the two who had to verbally advocate for leaving the fallen behind--fell last of all, which means they had to watch everyone else go first. and the last person they saw was the same person. Weiss, who executed the plan to brilliant perfection, saw the past--the first family she ever had--streaking after her in an endless void, forsaking the priorities they all agreed upon, for her. Jaune, who followed the plan to execution and broke a part of himself, saw the new Maiden he crowned, backlit and pulled away by the bright future that he ensured was possible, but can no longer access.

QUEENMAKER

i’m starting with Penny, because Penny came first. there has already been a ton of discussion on the ways that she’ll come back, and while i absolutely agree that she will, for now i am not so much interested in that as i am in eulogizing this Penny. the Penny we had just now, not identical but continuous with the Penny we had before that, in the same way that everyone is not identical but continuous with who they were in the past. the Penny who IS dead, her eventual resurrection notwithstanding.

because she DID die, and her death matters. that’s the thing about the deaths in this season, and it furthers my point re: RWBY’s presumed didacticism--the show’s treatment of death has changed as our heroes have changed. it is no longer (and never was) as simple as “death and sacrifice are always senseless waste,” and more something like...”death has to matter, and we will give it meaning.” Hazel and Vine sacrificed themselves, and the fact both resulted in a “positive” outcome (more lives saved) does not make the deaths any less tragic. but neither should the tragedy of it take away from the fact that they saved lives. what separates our heroes from a Salem or a James Ironwood even now is that they recognize the importance of grievable life even as they accept inevitable death, that what is worth it all about preserving life is not to make sure that lives go on forever, but that lives have meaning and are remembered, that when you’re gone the people who are still here respect you enough to carry that meaning with them. it’s a tenuous balance to walk, but all the more important for that reason.

Penny--though her death can and will be reversed--is much the same. in every arc there has been a Game of Three Maidens (which i guess would make shogi the better metaphor and not chess because--what AM i on about), and in every Game there has been sacrifice. and i thought that would encompass Winter, here. we’d get away with it not being literal death, since Fria already took care of that, but she would be trapped on the other side of the gate--in pretty much the exact same position James Ironwood ended up in the episode itself, actually. it just seemed obvious: she’s the decoy, the one who missed the call by inches, the last revealed defector when there still was an Atlas from which to defect. all of it pointed to Winter’s story ending with one last delay barring her from salvation, of her finally being too late...

and well. i WASN’T wrong in the broad strokes, but first there was Penny Polendina. Penny could have let Jaune try to save her and Weiss die for her, but she knew she had to make a different choice to save as many lives as possible. so she offered herself up as the sacrifice instead. last week i waxed prolonged poetic about how Winter defected so recently, how it has been just IronwoodandWinter for so long, how Winter doesn’t have a team and only the healing shreds of a family, how no one would think to look for her...and then Penny did. you were my friend. (given Winter’s rough age and the hazy creation dates for the PENNY Project, it’s possible that Winter is Penny’s OLDEST friend.) Penny thought of Winter as she was dying, thought about the good Winter could do if Winter had her powers, believed in Winter, and in doing so, saved Winter’s life before anyone else’s.

she ceded the spotlight to Winter in this last episode, but this season as a whole belongs to Penny Polendina--the myriad ways she creates herself, the ways she defends her self-creation, ultimately culminating in her new body, created by no one but herself. but for her final act the Maiden of Creation did something different and no less miraculous: i thought of you. a thought was all it took.

she created someone else.

KINGSLAYER | THE MAIDEN THAT WAS PROMISED

the thing about Winter is that she came first.

no, i’m serious. i checked the fairy tale and everything--Winter came first. as the Wizard’s first visitor she encouraged him to reflect and meditate, and when probed about why she was here at all, she answered: i am waiting for my sisters. Spring and Summer have to wait, too, of course, but. Winter was the first.

Jacques and Willow named their firstborn Winter. it is not the way this story begins, but it is certainly is one of them, because the story begins with Winter, and Winter begins the story--a new retelling, a new cycle of heroism. we’ve since been introduced to other characters in that indeterminate age group between RWBY and STRQ, but Winter--by virtue of being Weiss’ older sister--anchors herself to the new generation in a way those others (even Cinder, who comes closest) do not. she started things, in the mythical emblematic way that this show likes to move, and the way she started things--the way she MADE herself start things, thanks to the house she grew up in--was with love, and protection. she took care of Weiss and laid the groundwork for the person Weiss is today, and conversely: she took care of Weiss, and through Weiss, laid the groundwork for herself and how to take care of everyone. so eventually the steel thread she tied to Weiss she also linked to Whitley, to Penny, to Marrow, to all the people they love, and on and on it goes. Winter loved Weiss, so she made herself learn how to love Weiss, and so when i say she started things what i mean is she started family. a new home, for a new generation of the orphaned.

Winter came first. but as the show demonstrates time and again, especially with Winter: first does not mean best. because being first also means you’re the prototype, a volatile thing that must be tested and tempered and then discarded to make way for what comes after, what gets improved. and it is THIS part of being first that Winter has internalized most of all. Winter, the first Maiden, taught the Wizard peace and prepared the earth so that her sisters could grow and foster and harvest the life within it; Winter, the first Schnee, laid the groundwork in her siblings, but did not wait for them. and let herself fallow in the process. she left, and every time they tried to follow or stay with her she sent them away. (she keeps sending them away; even after defecting and taking down Ironwood, the first thing she says to JNPER is go.) Winter laid the first stone in the foundation, but she cannot take credit for the home her family turned it into, for all the ways it has flourished, because she willfully absented herself of that (birth)right.

and the reason she did this was very simple: she was afraid. she could not bear the thought that while she had to learn how to love she made mistakes, the idea that instead of preparing the earth she might have poisoned the well. so she ran. she turned her face away so she would not have to look, so they would not look to her. she left, and every time one of her siblings superseded her after that, every time she was made to be their Esau--passed over--it just seemed to confirm that she was right to leave. look how well they’ve all done without her.

in the stories, eldest siblings aren’t here to win. they’re here to be made an example of, and Winter...had resigned herself to that. she was prepared to be left behind for good by all the people who have outpaced her.

but then there was Penny Polendina. Penny didn’t follow her, or try to stay; Penny came back for her. Penny remembered Winter when all Winter wanted was to be forgotten, because she’d gotten it in her head that it was what she deserved for all the things she’d done or enabled or failed to do. why did Penny remember Winter? because you were my friend. there is no divine complexity to it, nothing for Winter to fall hopeless short of. there is only the fact that Winter gave Penny something, made something together with Penny, even as she was trying her hardest not to, for fear that she would create something terrible. and this does not take away from all the ways Winter did fall short, but it is still SOMETHING. and it is enough.

it was your power, after all. Penny means the Maiden powers, but she also means THIS Maiden’s power: the power to create. you made this home, Penny is saying to Winter, you should get to reap its fruit, even if you weren’t around for the labor. all you have to do is say yes.

this was a gift. she says yes. she accepts, because in the end Winter Schnee loves her family more than she hates herself.

but then--

(a gift for what? Winter will ask herself wretchedly later, after she has failed in the two tasks she thinks Penny set for her.)

the thing about Winter is that she came first. she taught Weiss everything she knows, and she was so busy doing that she never had the time to show Weiss everything she feels. so in the end what Weiss never predicted was that for all of her team’s painful planning, for all of her own pained enforcement of that plan...none of it was a match for her sister. that when the time came it was would be WINTER who defaults to the absolute ideal of “no one gets left behind,” of “every life” meaning every life, priority one be damned.

or that Winter, in trying to choose both, in finally and fiercely trying, with surely enough power to make a difference, would fail.

what are you doing? Winter heard as she watched Weiss fall into nothingness. my life doesn’t matter.

so here, then, is the story of Winter in The Final Word: a girl returns home after having left it, but in this version it is the home who has changed and the girl who has not. and from this both are unmade. but she gets to live, because she was invited back home. and she gets to go through the portal as its last passenger, into the Promised Land.

and she is still the Maiden of Creation. even after all this, THAT is still her task. to build a refuge for her people, to collect the broken strands of the family she began and her siblings continued and expanded and reinforced, and gather them up again into a new home. it will be impossible, but at the same time: she has done this before.

and this time, she will wait for her sisters.

(a gift for what? for nothing, would be the answer. gifts aren’t FOR anything. they’re gifts.)

#typeoneninja #rwby #helen writes meta #VERY LONG OBSCENELY LONG META CANNOT EMPHASIZE HOW LONG #at least it didn't take me a whole month this time

[kitkatopinions]

The only way I can see RWBY recovering in quality is if the island arc in volume 9 ends with seemingly days passing in the island world and a time skip in Remnant. The world of Remnant and their friends have moved on from the loss of RWBYJ in Atlas and have been dealing with Salem for 3 years or so. Gives the world time to heal from the damage RWBY+ caused in Atlas and with the broadcast and realize how much they fucked up following Ruby Rose blindly. Solves the age gap debates of Rosegarden if that's the ship they want to go with for Ruby and Oscar. Let's Sun move on from Blake organically and allows Blake to come to terms with any romantic feelings she had for him and how that chance is long gone. An opportunity for Salem to take control in a way that might not have been possible were it not for RWBY+'s actions in Atlas. Shows that the protagonists can fuck up and suffer consequences.

Ahhh, see, I specifically don't want a time skip because I think it likely will be a way to remove the affects of a bunch of the stuff that I want pay off for. You say that having the world have time to heal from RWBY + actions would be a good way to show the consequences, but I disagree with that. I think that'd actually be the quickest way to make Ruby's actions not matter and not seem important. Having her forced to see the full effects of her actions as the suffering is unfolding in front of her would be a way to get her to actually see for herself that maybe she's made some massive mistakes.

Can I paint a picture for you?

Ruby, Yang, Blake, Weiss, and Jaune get back from the island quickly, only a day having gone by for the people in Remnant. The refugees have just arrived in Vacuo, they lost tons of people trying to get through the desert, everyone is staggering with exhaustion as they move through the Vacuo streets, parents carrying their sobbing children, there are people throwing rocks at Winter and people trying to beg her to save them because they saw her fly through the gates and guessed that she was magic, there's sirens over a comm system in the city, trying to alert everyone to remain calm that's been going on for the hours it's taken to try and get everyone in and calm-ish in the first place. On top of that, the gates are flooded with guards working around the clock to keep Grimm out of the city, some of the exhausted Atlas hunters have gone there as well, Ren and Fiona and Team SSSN are desperately defending the last few hundred stragglers as they arrive. Ruby, Yang, Weiss, Blake, and Jaune are shocked, dismayed, they manage to get to the Academy where Nora is there with Oscar and Theodore, Theodore trying to get in contact with the Vacuo council in clear distress. Oscar tells them that everything has gone wrong, that everyone is panicking, that Vacuo was already struggling with keeping the Grimm away from the city when Ruby's message came, and with the addition of the refugees, the Grimm are coming in by the hundreds - by the thousands - almost more than the Vacuo authorities can fight back. Ruby is so confused, she'd been trying to reunite the world! But she just brought panic instead, and she now has to contend with that while seeing the immediate aftermath. She knows Qrow is missing, she tries calling him on her scroll, hoping she just missed him among the refugees. She and Yang are going crazy with worry, they think he might've been stuck in Atlas, he might be hurt, he might be dead, he might get captured by Salem, and they both have to face that. Being assigned by Theodore to help get refugees to the homes they've been temporarily assigned to squeeze into, Ruby is confronted by grieving families who lost everything, parents who tell her their daughter was one of the Atlas soldiers who died fighting on the front lines at Atlas, a couple with four kids spit at her and refuse her help because to them, her broadcast felt like a death sentence for Atlas while she called for hope for the rest of the world like they didn't matter. As she's traveling, Ruby runs into Neon and Flynt. They're angry and bitter too, coldly telling her that Ivori and Kobalt died in the fight against Salem. Ruby leaves that encounter wiping away tears. She wants to break down, but then gets assigned her next family to move and has to push it down and get back to work trying to do her job. Meanwhile Weiss has to deal with a brother who still clearly needs someone to help and take care of him when their relationship is somewhat rocky. Nora and Ren have to have distance and sort through what they want in their relationship and we see that and the immediate affects of their breakup. Salem has two Relics and Ruby has to explain that to Ozpin and maybe admit some mistakes and apologize while it's still relevant enough to matter to him. Emerald sees the affects of a lot of what she's done and has to contend with the fact that Mercury will be in Vacuo and she has to choose whether to try and help him or fight him instead. Mercury and Tyrian have to react in real time to the fact that the Atlas plans went completely sideways and now there's tons of people from Atlas here ruining whatever plans they have for Vacuo. Team RWBY work with Team SSSN while his and Blake's relationship is still clearly going to matter to him and he wants to continue where they left things and she has to explain her shift in feelings. Oscar is still contending with the fact that he and Oz are going to merge someday, asking questions about that. Salem must regroup now with so few people, and Cinder is going to have to try and keep up her lies in real time. Neo (if she survived the

island) is going to actually have to either get scrapped as a character or grow beyond her motivation of just wanting revenge. Winter is dealing with powers that are still new (remember, Maidens being 'new' is supposed to mean something) and having her whole world crash around her, while also maybe finally interacting with the family members outside of Weiss who have just had their entire way of life gone and now must adjust to sudden poverty. Qrow, Robyn, and the Ace Ops might have a storyline where they deal with what just happened themselves, maybe launching rescue for some of the people who didn't make it through the portals (like Pietro and Maria.)

These are all really important things that we should be expecting pay off for that should get focus and development. Ren and Nora's relationship problems, Oscar dealing with merging with Oz, how Cinder is going to regroup now, what will happen with Mercury, what the Schnees will do now they've suddenly lost everything, how Emerald is going to go on from her 'side switching,' how Qrow and Robyn reacted and where they'll go from here, whether or not Vacuo can even take in refugees, what the people think of RWBY and what consequences they've had to go through, and especially RWBY seeing the aftermath of the things instead of being allowed to just move on to the next thing and write it off as a victory like they did with Haven... All of that is something that we're likely to miss if we have a big time skip.

What I really don't want is for everyone to get back to the world after three to five years have passed only to see that it's doing pretty okay right now. Vacuo thriving with the Grimm population under control, and everything a little crowded, but most of the Atlas population settled in their new homes at this point, many of the important relationships of the side cast have been solved off screen and Maria, Pietro, and Qrow are already in Vacuo and have already adjusted to their various losses (both real for Pietro and believed for Qrow,) while (like you suggested,) Sun has just moved on from his dead former love interest he never got closure with that he promised to see again, because it has been years, and BlackSun fans like me see him in some relationship with someone he's never had any growth at all with (or maybe Neptune, which is... the preferable option over someone Sun's never actually talked to before.) Now Ruby doesn't see that her choices have caused major problems, instead she sees a city doing fine and if anyone is angry at her for causing them problems three to five years ago, they're mean. She's been supposedly dead for years and that person is just fine now! How can they yell at her? Now she doesn't see people suffering and Grimm flooding, she sees that her plan worked out in the long run, everyone just needed to hold on and have faith. She doesn't see a giant economic crash and families uprooted and soldiers dead and Pietro's reaction to the death of his daughter and people panicking over Salem... Ruby sees people talking about Salem as common knowledge, amassing troops to go after her now that the 'hard times' have started to pass, and she's validated. She knew it would turn out, she knew if she just believed, things would start working out!

I don't think the writers could save this show with a time skip, I think they'd just use it as a way to jump past the immediate affects of Ruby and her group's actions and avoid organic growth and problem solving while 'not being unrealistic' about it. If they brought RWBYJ back to Remnant within days, weeks, or even months, people expect real repercussions for the things that happened in the previous couple of seasons. They won't be able to just pretend none of it happened - or they might, but then most people will (hopefully) realize that's stupid.

So their choices are 1. just waving everything away and pretending there aren't any consequences to actions, 2. bring RWBYJ back in days, weeks, or months and address and deal with problems in a way that feels natural, 3. have a time skip so they can bypass the affects and consequences and avoid giving pay off for much of the things that fans have been expecting and waiting around for.

#rwde #anti rwby #rwby bashing #rwby hate #anti crwby #anti ruby rose #rwby criticism #rwby critical #I know this is all just speculation btw #but I have no faith and that's not my fault lol

[shera-dnd]

Face Turn - Three Count

What’s up fuckers it’s time for another chapter of Face Turn

This time let’s watch as these two slowly bond over their fucked up childhoods

Also this chapter has a joke about Weiss’s name and I want to clarify that Veiss is not quite the correct pronunciation, but it’s like the closest most english speakers can get to it

anyway AO3 link and on with the show

Her match with Yang had been long, painful and bloody. They had to sell this as the nastiest fight they’ve had and by god did they fucking sell it. Of course, their wounds weren’t half as bad as they looked, but they were still in some serious pain, and Weiss loved it.

She missed this adrenaline, she missed the thrill that came with a really good match. Beating the living shit out of Yang had been the most fun she’d had in well over a year now and it showed.

“Well someone here is having a lot of fun.” Yang joked, from the seat to her right, “for a loser.”

In the end that was the solution they found for the story. Weiss had beat Yang and showed the world that she was the strongest fighter around, but she had gone too far and the judge was forced to disqualify her and give the victory to Yang. 

Yang kept her honor and her win streak intact and Weiss got to make her point that she could kick anyone’s ass in a real fight. Now they were both set to continue their rivalry properly.

She had to admit she was happy with that result. That didn’t mean she couldn’t sass Yang back though.

“And you’re talking a lot of shit for someone I just beat up.”

“Hey, if you want me to shut up, next time aim for the mouth,” she joked.

Weiss laughed, but Doctor Goodwitch was having none of that.

“You’ll do no such thing.” She interjected, “and you will both run your ideas by me before you go out there and beat each other black and blue. This is wrestling, not boxing.”

“Don’t I know it,” Weiss tried to bite back, but Goodwitch had a glare that would put even her sister to shame, so she toned the attitude way down, “sorry ma’am.”

They stayed in silence there for a while, patiently waiting for her to finish patching them up. It was awkward and painful, but the grin didn’t leave Weiss’s face the whole time.

“Hey, ice queen,” Yang called after Goodwitch had left, “wanna hit the bar tomorrow to celebrate our first match?”

It was good to hear that not even she was crazy enough to go drinking while on some serious pain meds.

“Only if you’re a gracious winner and pay for my drinks.”

The next day, after a nice night of drinking, Yang offered to do exactly that.

“Hey, I was joking about paying for the drinks,” she interjected.

“I know, but I am, in fact, a gracious winner,” Yang replied, looking her smugest.

“Yeah, not gonna happen,” Weiss slammed down her money and turned to leave.

“Jeez,” Yang complained as she followed, “it was just a few beers.”

“I don’t like owing people,” she replied, and before Yang could say anything she added, “and you saying I don’t owe anything won’t change that. I don’t buy that shit.”

“You have some serious trust issues, you know that?” That earned a laugh from Weiss.

“First lesson in the Jackass Schnee’s school of life,” she declared, “don’t trust anyone and don’t owe anyone shit.”

Yang looked at her like she didn’t know if she should laugh or give her a hug. Instead she settled for saying, “okay now I need to hear that story.”

“I’m not drunk enough for that one.”

But next week she very much was.

“Then I tried singing,” she rambled, “and of course that asshole tried to get his creepy little hands all over that. Then I joined the military, like my sister did, and there he was again trying to make sure I honored the Schnee name or whatever.”

“Shit, you used to sing?” Yang asked, focusing on the wrong thing.

“And I was fucking great at it,” she answered, with quite a lot of pride, “don’t ask me to try singing any of it now, I haven’t practiced outside of a shower in almost ten years.”

“Aww and here I thought I’d get a show all for myself,” she joked. There was something else in her tone, but it was lost amidst the alcohol and her absolute lack of experience with casual social interactions.

“Anyway that’s when I decided that I needed something that he would hate too much to get his hands on,” she continued, “something that he would refuse to tie the family name to.”

“So you’ve decided to spend the rest of your life punching people just to make your dad angry?”

“I mean, at first,” she hated how petty this made her sound, “but then I started liking it. It was something I could focus on and try to get better at, and I could do it for myself for once.”

Yang gave her a smile that was more soft and genuine than anything anyone had ever given her. Then she lifted her bottle and announced, “to spite and all the great things it helped us achieve.”

Weiss smiled back and raised her own bottle, “to defiance, and not letting anyone tell us how to live our lives.”

They both chugged their drinks and laughed loudly, like the two drunk idiots they were.

“Hey, wanna hear what’s worse?” Weiss offered, trying really hard not to laugh.

“You mean it gets worse?”

Weiss nodded and then leaned forward as if she was about to tell her some sordid Schnee family secret.

“Jacques doesn’t know how to say my name right,” she whispered, “but everyone thinks he does, so they all just say it wrong too.”

“No fucking way!”

“Yes fucking way!” She insisted, “my mom gave me a german name and it should be pronounced like Veiss Schnee, but that dumb shit has been butchering it since the day I was born.”

At that Yang started cackling. 

“Shit, Weiss,” she called, trying and failing to say it properly, “your family makes even mine sound functional.”

“Okay now it’s your turn to share your tragic backstory,” Weiss asked, maybe a little drunker than she was planning on getting tonight.

“Maybe next time, Ice Queen.”

Thankfully Weiss didn’t have to wait long. Even though they barely saw each other at work that week, they knew they’d both be at the White Fang again. It was a strange new routine that she wasn’t sure when she had fallen into.

“So after Summer died dad got hit pretty bad. Couldn’t fight anymore, couldn’t even help around the house,” Yang told her over some drinks. Weiss had noticed she’d been drinking a lot less that night, “so that’s when I took up wrestling. Indie stuff at first, just trying to get some bills paid and help raise my sister.”

Weiss didn’t know how to respond. She’d never been in a position like that before. Should she console her friend? How would she even do that? Shit, were they even friends or just very close coworkers?

“I try not to blame Tai for it,” Yang continued, “he’s a great dad and I know he was going through a lot back then, but it’s hard not to get bitter over that stuff.”

She looked down at her drink, having vastly underestimated how hard this would hit her. It was strange seeing Yang’s face doing anything other than beaming or laughing. She was such a joyful person that it hurt to see her like that.

Damn it, she had to fix that.

“Hey, jackass,” fucking great start there, Weiss, “stop torturing yourself over feeling shit. Just because you know it wasn’t his fault doesn’t mean you don’t get to let yourself be bitter about it.”

Yang chuckled weakly, “wasn’t expecting an actual lesson in emotional health from you of all people.”

Weiss should be offended, but Yang did have a point.

“Hey, letting me feel things was the first thing I taught myself after I told Jackass to fuck off.” 

“Was the second thing swear words?” Yang joked and it was as if that shadow from before had never been there.

“You can bet your ass it was fucking swear words!” She declared, slamming her hand on the table.

At that they both laughed loudly and happily. When had Weiss ever felt so at ease with someone else? The answer was never, but she didn’t want to focus on the sadness that came with that realization. She wanted to focus on the idiot laughing in front of her.

“Weiss Schnee,” Yang called. Her pronunciation getting just a little better, “you’re the fucking worst!”

To that she smiled.

She liked how her name sounded in Yang’s voice.

#rwby #yang xiao long #weiss schnee #freezerburn #freezer burn #fanfic #wrestling au

[strykingback]

War is Coming...

Location: Odin, The Capital City of the KIngdom of Artorias. 

Time: 8:00 AM

OST: Victory for Artorias 

____________________

The streets of Artorias was filled with cheers of citizens who had received the announcement of Atlas’ fall with soldiers marching down the streets looking forward and some of them so overjoyed that their war with Atlas had finally come to an end. Parents, Husbands, Wives and Children hugged their loved ones even attempting to march with them. 

Despite it being Imperius Prime who destroyed Atlas and Mantle it was enough for the Artorians to finally feel sated after months of fighting. Now they can have a respite. Which every soldiers unit lined themselves up in front of Daedalus Corner. Inside the Grand Hall of the Artorian Council was Glestchner and Hans walking together. 

“Brother, full glad I am to see that you are alive after everything those savages put up against our forces….but I must ask you something where is Salem?” Glestchner said which Hans stopped walking. 

“Salem was killed by that of the Prince of the Brumelians and The Heiress to the Schnee Dust Company. As for Watts he was captured by an Atelier Agent so far we have no spot on his location yet. But We do have two things now….” Hans answered. “And that is?” “The Relics of Knowledge and Creation. How lovely both of these would be…. Thanks to Cinder.” Hans said which both him and Glestchner looked behind themselves looking at Cinder who had a confident smirk on her face. “Still… you used the last answer for the Relic did you not Cinder?” Hans asked looking at the Fall Maiden. 

Which she could feel that confidence fall back a bit being questioned that feeling many eyes being stared at  with Hans Elite guard prepping themselves which she had no choice but to say it. “Y-Yes… I used the Relic of Knowledge to find out what Ruby and her friends were planning...then I used the Relic of Creation to-” Cinder spoke which prompted Hans to put his hand up  telling her to stop which he snapped his fingers with one of the Elite guard bringing up miniature V-PAD showing the footage from Atlas. “I do not care about Han’s so called plans! I just want to kill Ruby and I have the power to do so and after I am done with her I will kill Hans and his useless brother next, Tyrian, and whoever gets in my way!” Cinder shouted on the recording towards Neo who seemed unfazed by her shouting which the recording ends there which Hans returned the V-Pad  to the  guard stepping backwards. “So you had plans on killing me? I will admit this is very unpredictable of you Cinder little did you know that you have to be careful with what you say.. For your words can become consequences…” Hans said “Guards… remove her  Grimmified arm and also… make sure  she loses her Maiden Abilities… Permanently.”  Hans said  with Cinder preparing herself to attack with her eye glowing  before she felt something pricked against the back of her shoulder which  she grabbed it with her human hand and looked at it feeling drowsy trying to approach Hans before falling down. As two members of the Elite Guard picked her up and carried her away. “Now brother.. Time for your speech it will be broadcasted to all of Remnant… and thus we shall ascend as the fourth kingdom replacing Atlas once and for all.” Hans said placing a hand on his brother's shoulder with Glestchner returning a soft smile as he walked out of the Hall along with his brother. 

_________________

Location: Actus, Capital of Brumel. War-Room. 

OST: Pride..

Time: 9:00 AM 

_________________

Rodrigues looked at the empty podium waiting for Glestchner to begin his speech whilst Guangxian who was busy hacking away ready to get things started with Rodrigues’ speech instead. Which the King himself had spent days conversing with the Knights of the Roundtable, and the Brumelian council about the action Brumel should take and it was Unanimous. Declare War…

Brumel would be going to war for the first time in fifteen years and this time it would be with a vengeful wrath this time around. 

“Activate the Sleeper Agents..” Rodrigues said  leaving the room with one of the War Room Attendants calling the numbers of the Artorian sleeper agents… -Back in Artorias-

A Phone Went off in three different places One in an apartment, another in a security guard position in a broadcast station, and finally in a Soldiers pocket who was talking with some family members with each one picking up their phone as they answered with a brief  “hello” with all of them hearing this one phrase….

“For the Glory of Brumel…” 

With all three freezing up and hearing their mission objectives in their head, with the apartment sleeper agent leaving his apartment and going to the broadcasting station, the security guard who moved to shut off all cameras grabbing his pistol and leaving his post into the guards break room. Which they all looked at their former ally who had their gun raised at them with everyone trying to scramble to pull out their pistol only to be  met with bullets to their heads sighing softly as he left the area of carnage to go meet with  the broadcasting crew. 

The soldier sleeper agent left his family saying he had something to do, meeting up with the Apartment agent with both nodding at each other and going to the broadcast station which both had their own objective there. Which the soldier explained to staff that this person was selected by Hans to  help the broadcast team  which the two were escorted by the security agent as when all three arrived at the door they prepared their weapons which the Soldier gave the Apartment agent a pistol. Finally opening the door and closing it to the confusion of the broadcasting staff as they were met with bullets as all of them were killed….

Which the apartment agent hopped on and took out a USB drive he had from when he went on “Vacation” beginning to upload it into the stations mainframe which back in Brumel Guangxian smirked knowing that agents were getting the job done which he and the Apartment agent worked together on the hack finally opening up a connection Brumel which Rodrigues’ can broadcast his speech not only to the Artorias but the rest of Remnant as well which after a few minutes passed the hack was complete. All the Apartment agent had to do was wait until Glestchner said something that would change it from the speech to Rodrigues doing his speech. 

Back to the Grand Hall came out none other than Hans and Glestchner with Hans taking a seat with his most trusted Generals. With many soldiers and citizens shouting the salute of Artorias.

“HAIL ARTORIAS!!!”

Which Glestchner smiled preparing to speak with the salute dying down as everyone in Remnant with the exception of Atlas….

“My people, sons and daughters of Artorias. It has been done, the Atlesians who had laughed at us  has now been eliminated from the world of Remnant and to dust it returned!!! We have proven ourselves in the face of a most  contemptible opposition but we had risen and shown our pride! I thank you the soldiers who had joined us against our Atlesian foe! We have Rebuilt Our Nation, We Have Regained Our Strength and WE HAVE BECOME THE NEW FOURTH KINGDOM  TO REPLACE ATLAS ONCE AND FOR ALL!!!” Glestchner said with Pride. With Vacuo and Vale’s people looking on with horror seeing what remained of Atlas until it was switched over to Rodrigues’ sitting behind his desk on every screen in Artorias, Vale, and Vacuo. 

“You will not be such a fourth kingdom…” Rodrugues spoke on the screen. 

“Whats this?!” Hans said putting his finger up to his communicator, “What is happening?” He said with an angered tone. 

“Sir, the broadcast station is not replying, we have zero conncection with it at all and are sending teams to check it out over.” A reply came over which Hans nodded. 

OST: Atelier

“For years we had merely did our best helping wherever we can within Remnant, the Atelier Agents, The 105th Atelier Rifle Division, and much more. Yet, we too had attacked our Atlesian brothers and sisters. But We found it in our hearts to forgive them as they were led by a cruel dictator.” Rodrigues spoke. 

“Such foolishness and they suffered for their mistake when they-”  Glestchner spoke. 

“Yet, if we only knew of your plight we would’ve helped you. We could have helped stabilize and return your kingdom to its former glory. Instead you allowed a son to murder his father in a planned attempt to destroy Atlas… instead you had succeeded where we had shown mercy in taking the lives of our Atlesian brothers and sisters and going as far as to destroy their home.”

“I know this, My son.. Had told me this HANS AMADEUS. That a son who murders his father who sought to converse with the Atlesian council for aid and succor is a fool to do so!!! This is no longer a reconciliation this… is what we shall do. The Kingdom of Brumel hereby declares War against Artorias… may the Brothers Grimm have mercy on you, your soldiers, and its people…. Enjoy your days of peace as they will be short-lived.”  Rodrigues said with the broadcast shutting off with an explosion going off where the broadcast station.. And smoke rising from it. 

Which many people including soldiers who thought they were doing this with a good cause started walking away and with many civilians calling out Hans for what he did but others getting in arguments thinking it was the right thing to do…

War was coming… and is Artorias prepared for it…? Only time will tell.. 

#[Sometimes A Story Has Its Heroes- Drabble] #[A Wise King of Honor- Rodrigues] #[Grand Leader of Artorias- Glestchner] #[Symphony of Destruction- Hans]

[calliecat93]

Welcome to the Chapter 6 review, everyone! Where everything is nice and happy and full of sugar and rainbows! Sure we got stuff like Jaques being horrible and Mantle breaking out into a riot, but hey! It’ll be fine! EVERYTHING WILL BE FINE! So let’s discuss all the happy things, okay? Okay!

Overview

It’s Election Day, and while the riots have calmed down, things in Mantle are still tense. While Robyn doesn’t condone the violence, she does encourage those who support her to take that anger and use it in the polls. Indeed, it seems that she already has the lead over Jaques Schnee and a large amount of support behind her. Up in Atlas, the kids are training more when Ironwood comes in. The gang tries to convince him that maybe working with Robyn will help with the cause, but the general is uncertain and unconvinced that she’ll be willing. Either way, he grants the kids a night off. After all, it’s going to be a new Atlas the next morning, and they need to be up and ready to face whatever happens.

Everyone divides off. Blake and Yang are going to a dance club with Team FNKI, Weiss is going with Jaune and Oscar to the movies, and Ruby, Ren, and Nora are going to a victory party for Robyn in Mantle. As they walk, they talk about how this seems… well, too soon, but Nora says that they should have something certain to hold onto. Ruby agrees, especially since when Amity Arena goes online nothing’s going to be certain anymore. She’s still concerned about how Salem can’t be beaten is about to be common knowledge, even when Nora suggests that Jinn only said that Oz couldn’t, so there could still be a way. Ruby in uncertain though and Ren is clearly on edge due to them running out of time. He even gets worked up at Nora, which only makes Ruby feel more conflicted about what’s coming.

The trio arrives at the party location, but it isn’t joyous as Ren and Nora are bickering due to Ren’s more closed-up attitude that he won’t talk to Nora about. Ruby is uninterested in relationship drama and goes to hang out with Penny, who is handling security detail along with Marrow. The Happy Huntresses aren’t very happy about that since… well, they’re there for that and don’t want any Atlas personnel around. Robyn’s more open about it though since she’s going to have to work with them when she becomes councilwoman. We get a nice talk with them about how Robyn works outside the law and despite what she says, doesn’t exactly do things legally so Marrow is suspicious of her. But Robyn points out that the law isn’t perfect nor exactly equal, a fact that Marrow can agree with due to his Faunus status. Nevertheless, he wants to act within the law, while Robyn is more than willing to go outside of it to do what she feels is right.

With the polls getting ready to close, Fiona has Robyn get up and give her final speech. Ruby’s forced to be on her own since Penny has to focus on the job, and the Renora pair are still bickering. So she joins the crowd and listens as Robyn speaks of how despite never planning to get into politics, she thanks the people for choosing her and swears that whether she wins or loses, she will continue to fight for the betterment of the city and its people. But as the polls enter the final minute, it seems that Jaques is quickly catching up and while her girls encourage her, Robyn looks worried. 

The speech was enough to cool Nora down, but Ren is still tense. Nora pleads with him to just tell her what’s going on, and it’s clear that the young man is conflicted. He says that he’s never been good at talking, which is true, but Nora decides ‘screw talking’. And thus my friends, we get something that we have been waiting for for so, SO long. Nora pulls Ren over… and full-on kisses him. Ren is shocked at first, but he quickly melts into it and relaxes. All while this really nice song that kinda makes me think fo New Years sung by Casey and another singer by Santi C plays in the background. This was a long time coming my friends,,, but trust me, getting this beautiful moment is gonna come with a cost. Why?

Well… remember V3 Chapter 6? The one where pretty much everything began to take us down the route of no return? Well.. deja vu anyone?

As Robyn’s supporters count down the final seconds… we find out that Tyrian is there. Watts is elsewhere, having live footage of the party up as well as one of Penny fighting. He gives Tyrian the signal, and Ruby turns just in time to see the stinger of Tyrian’s tail. She tries to warn Robyn in horror, but it’s too late. The entire building blacks out, and Tyrian proceeds to go on a murder spree. We watch him slash at various bystandards with his tail and blades, and Ruby is knocked down and due to the dark, can’t see him. Penny can see though as she tries to stop Tyrian from attacking Robyn. He fails to strike her, though he DOES manage to severely slash Fiona and even bypass her Aura. All as Watts takes the live footage and begins to splice it with footage of Penny fighting.

By the time the lights come back on, it’s… a grizzly scene. Multiple bloody corpses lay along the ground, and standing on the stage with her swords armed and ready, is Penny. The people of Mantle immediately jump to the conclusion that it was her who did this due to being ‘Ironwood’s robot’. Penny is understandably horrified at this revelation. To make things worse, the polls have closed… and with a sudden last-second surge in votes, Jaques Schnee has won the Council Seat. Ruby goes to check Fiona, informing Ren and Nora that the real assailant was Tyrian. An outright riot breaks out as the Huntresses, as well as the citizens, charge at Penny, but Marrow freezes them. Ren and Nora lead Penny away as Robyn outright pushes Ruby away hard from Fiona to check on her herself. As they all leave, Marrow tries to tell Robyn that it wasn’t Atlas that did this, but whether she believes that or not is currently uncertain. Considering how Joanna shot at him though, it doesn’t look good.

Watts has uploaded the edited footage for all of Atlas and Mantle to see, properly framing Penny for cold-blooded murder seemingly due to Ironwood’s orders. She is understandably horrified, confused, and… well take how Yang and Pyrrha respectively felt when Emerald tricked them in V3, and you get how Penny feels. Marrow tells her that she should get back to Atlas, but Penny offers no reply though she does indeed fly off. Riots are once more breaking out, and along with it the Grimm. And the only ones currently available to protect the city are Ruby, Marrow, Ren, and Nora though Marrow does call in backup. The warning sirens blare and go red, all as Jaques makes his victory speech and promises to serve all of Mantle and Atlas. Fittingly bleak words to end a bleak episode.

Review

Damn man, just… damn… we all knew that things were gonna go off the rails in this volume sooner or later, but damn I don’t think that ANY of us expected this.

Okay, lets… let's talk about Renora first. This was an interesting episode for the duo. While I still think that the Chapter 3 scene with them was a stupid scene if only because of how predictable and overused that trope is, we do get to see that there is more going on. It’s clear that Ren is tense. His danger senses have been going off, the weight of the secret mission is piling on, they’re running out of time regarding Ironwood and the Salem reveal, it’s understandable for them to be edgy. But Ren seems to be moreso than anyone, even more than Ruby. This is making him more withdrawn and focused on the job, which means neglecting Nora and not talking to her. As he said, he isn’t one for talking, but I would imagine that since he's been with Nora since forever, fi h could talk to anyone it would be her. And yet, he isn’t.

It makes you feel for Nora. I mean Ren isn’t being cruel or anything, but he won’t let Nora in and just brushes her off when she tries to address it or lighten things up. So far, Nora’s been… well Nora, but she’s been pretty vocal about wanting to help Mantle be better and clearly wants to trust/believe the people trying to do so. Ironwood may not be doing a great job. But at least he’s well-intentioned. Robyn also wants better for Mantle and compared to Jaques, she would keep her word about helping both cities… at least he says, but still. Nora’s well aware of what’s coming, but she’s remaining optimistic and even pointed out to Ruby that just because Salem can’t be defeated by Oz doesn't mean that no one else can. They’re in a position to help people, so that’s what Nora is trying to do while Ren is stressing out over the larger picture and what’s about to come.

We’ve never seen the duo have issues like this. I can't really recall any time that they argued aside from the occasional friendly spat. With how much these two are usually shoved into the background, it’s nice to see some focus on them and especially on their relationship. While we’ve known since at least V4 that Nora at least had feelings for Ren, the show has been VERY unclear about if they’re canon or not. Sure they sit together, stand next to each other, and are with each other a lot, kinda like Blake and Yang are now, but there was still this kind fo air of ‘are they nor not’ especially since little was done with them in V5 and 6. This volume seems to finally be addressing this by having them reach an impasse between them and their views. Nora is living in the present, while Ren is scared about what’s coming and not being ready. I’m really happy that Nora decided to take that step and kiss him. Maybe it was to try and get Ren to open himself up to her in some form. Maybe it was to comfort him. Whatever the reason, we know that this has been building up for a while and clearly Ren reciprocated after the initial shock. It was really, really nice…

Then the murder spree happened…

Yeah, things went to shit FAAAR sooner than I was expecting. Its a brilliant plan on the villains part. Have Tyrian murder people, splice the footage with Penny, and then set it up so that Penny takes the fall Penny: the Protector of Mantle. A member of Ironwood’s inner circle. The girl who Ironwood assigned to protect the city, despite frequently pulling her away for Atlas matters and offering no other form or protection for the city. Penny is very well-meaning and is genuinely trying to do everything at the sacrifice of having any personal life, but add this to the other murders, Ironwood’s police state, the frequent taking of valuable resources, and now Jaques winning the election and this whole thing just adds onto the tension between the two cities. Watts and Tyrian clearly want to create as much chaos as possible, and so far they’re killing it.  Their only snag was that Ruby saw Tyrian, so now the gang knows that Salem’s minions are there, but that doesn’t undo the damage that they caused.

This is certainly the breaking point. All that tension has boiled over, and it’s probably not going to simmer down any time soon. Even before, you could see how the Happy Huntresses were mad about Marrow and Penny’s presence and wanted them gone. Robyn let them stick around, but her view is clearly… well, not the most moral. From what we can tell she isn’t a bad person, but she’s perfectly happy with robbing and breaking a few laws to accomplish her goals. Which if she did win council, might have made her look somewhat dubious. Marrow is a Faunus who is fully aware of Atlas’ crooked system, but he wants to work within the law and do what’s right morally. Both sides have good intentions, but Robyn’s efforts are to help a broken city while Marrow is ultimately still siding with a place that frequently puts others down. You can see the right and wrong with both sides, but they do ultimately want what’s best for everyone, a fact that both ignore because of their different ways of accomplishing it.

Now? Reaching some kind of middle ground just got a Hell fo a lot harder. We saw the kids try to convince Ironwood to work with Robyn, but he won't for it, and she probably won’t be now either. While I do think that Robyn will realize that it wasn't Penny eventually, especially with her fighting Tyrian in the opening, she’s clearly not happy. Her girls seem even more angry with how hostile May had been towards Marrow earlier, and Joanna hooting at him when he tried to ask if Fiona was okay. Neither side is willing to talk or cooperate with each other, and in the current state where doing so would be more important than ever, it’s only been made much more difficult, if not outright impossible. That’s not even mentioning what’s going to happen once Ironwood reveals Salem. It was already a very dangerous idea, but doing so with this much chaos and mistrust everywhere? And when it’s unlikely that Ironwood will send the standby forces into the city while the Manticore are swarming, allowing for even more devastation due to his paranoia? Doing it is going to lead to outright slaughter.

Heck, this is only going to make things worse for Ruby. For one, she’s still running out of time. But think about what’s going to happen once Ironwood is made aware that Tyrian was the murderer. That Salem’s forces are indeed there. That they have been compromised and didn't even know it. Ironwood’s likely going to be even more paranoid. He’ll double efforts ton Amity Arena. Double down on the police state. And worse of all, he’ll care even less about his mage and Mante’s perception of him. WHich will not only continue the thread of mistrust and hate, but it’ll make it all the easier for Jaques to paint all the fault onto Ironwood. While IDK if he can play the political game well, Jaques isn’t stupid and clearly he’s in on Watts’ schemes on some level. If he plays his cards right, he can make everyone hate Ironwood and paint him as the cause of everyone’s pain and suffering. All that he wants is to get rid of the Embargo (at least currently cause he’s sure as Hell gonna abuse his power for SO much more) so he’d have zero issues playing long, especially with his own contempt towards Ironwood. Which is going to make everything even harder for our heroes.

Ruby knows that she’s running out of time. She knows that once the truth about Salem is out, nothing’s going to be the same again. But she also doesn’t know how Ironwood will respond about Salem’s immortality, and this could make her either unwilling to reveal it or at least doubtful. Which is unlikely to go well among the team. But either way, she’s going to make a call soon. But she doesn’t know what to do. Even if there is a way to beat Salem like Nora said, Ruby doesn't know what to do. She may very well be over her head here, and it’s all going to come crashing down. Add that to what happened with Penny and being unable to do anything to stop Tyrian, and… yeah, poor Ruby’s got it rough.

Despite all the bleakness though, this was an excellent episode. The bleakness came across very strongly, and it felt like Volume 3 Chapter 6 all over again when Yang got framed. It really paints the two sie of Mantle and Atlas as flawed, but well-meaning but they cannot find a compromise and that is by far the biggest thing holding them back. The villains have been ramping things up between them, kinda like how the Mercs did to the two opposing side son Chorus in RvB. Though I think it’s better here since while the Reds and Blues came into it when the tipping point had LOOOONG been crossed, the RWBY gang are there to witness the tipping point themselves. It was an appropriately shocking episode, but it had it’s light moments as well. Dorky Bees, some training scenes, some cute Ruby and Penny bits, and of course the Renora kiss. Whether that will cause issues later is yet to be seen, but hey we finally got it! About time~!

Chapter Seven Predictions

While no thumbnail is currently available, RT DID accidentally reveal some brief clips of Blake and Yang in Mantle fighting Robyn. Not sure which episode it’s in, but if they’re in Mantle with FNKI, chances are they’re going to get pulled into the current conflict. Why they’d go after Robyn? Heck if I know. But we’ll get to see Robyn in action, so that’ll be nice. I’m hoping that maybe Robyn is looking into what happened and is realizing that something’s amiss, and maybe it’ll even lead to her fight with Tyrian. Not sure, but let’s hope. Otherwise, assuming that we start where we left off, we’ll likely get some Grimm fights, but IDT that it’s gonna end any happier…

Episode Stats

Favorite Character: Lie Ren and Nora Valkyrie Favorite Scene: Renora Kiss Least Favorite Scene: Honestly? I got nothing. Favorite Voice Actor: Sam Ireland (Nora Valkyrie) but Honorable Mention to Kdin Jenzen (May Marigold) because about dang time that she got a part in this! Favorite Animation: Renora Kiss, the camera work and background blurring were perfection. Rating: 9/10

Final Thoughts

What’s left to say? This episode was the Wham Episode. The point where everything goes to Hell. It captured the shock and bleakness so well, but also had plenty of light-hearted moments and nice character perspectives. It really paints these two sides similarities yet vat differences perfectly, and that divide is only going to get wider. It’s uncertain how things are going to go from this point, but we can only hope that we get some kind of miracle by the end. But I’m for certain that I'm still gonna be here to find out~

#rwby #rwby7 #rwby reviews #callie reviews

[theredeclipse]

Spite, just a headcanon about Adam Taurus in the upcoming Vol 7 of RWBY and Adam’s backstory (trigger warning, it gets dark)

Btw, I just wrote this over the past like, 30 min and this probably does not have good grammar. I literally just came up with this out of the blue so if anything doesn’t make any sense, please tell me and I’ll go back and edit, this is just a rough draft

-Adam’s mother lives in a house outside mantle

-Adam sends her money and a letter monthly

-The gang shows up in atlas and Adam’s mom hears about Blake and goes to ask if she’s heard from Adam because last month he said he was coming to visit finally and just had one more “thing to finish”

-Mama asks if he came with Blake because it’s been a month and she was getting worried, she’s heard about Blake in his letters and even tho she heard they had a “disagreement”, it couldn’t possibly be anything worse than an argument

-We get Adam’s backstory through the eyes of the mother, whose just finally happy to meet the wonderful girl that Adam talked so much about

-she takes Blake to her house and there’s an old picture of Adam’s mother and father on wedding day

-Adam’s father is tall, brown hair, blue eyes, bull horns that stretch far backwards off his head(“was a real pain when he would turn in bed” she’d say)

-Adam’s mother has black hair, Amber eyes, and cow ears on the top of her head

-both were forced into the Schnee dust mines when Adam’s mother was pregnant( money was tight and it couldn’t have been as bad as some people said right? The advertisements seemed nice enough) (Schnee dust managers saw two able bodies and a future worker)

-Adam was born into the dust mines

-crayon pictures of Adam with his parents framed because they wouldn’t have cameras in the Schnee dust mine

-Adam’s father was a proud and passionate man, no unlike his son

-Adam’s father saw some Faunus being abused and stepped in, accidentally killing the abusers

-Schnee employers decide to make an example of Adam’s father and have a public execution (public only to the Faunus workers that is)

-Adam and his mother are in the crowd, Adam is twelve and too young to be a worker yet( they usually wait until they’re fifteen to mark their investments and put them to work)

-Adam sees his father about to die and tries to get the other Faunus to help save his fathers life. They’re all too scared and don’t want to die, even Adam’s mother is too afraid of losing Adam as well and tries to stop him

-Adam rushes to the hastily built execution platform alone and tries to fight back but a twelve year old doesn’t stand a chance against eight full grown men

-Adam just gets front row seats the his father getting hung

-Adam’s father tries to say something but the rope is too tight, all he can do is look on as his son is dragged away crying as the world grows darker

-Adam’s mother rushes after her son, the last thing she has in this hell of a world and is captured and brought along with him

-They put both of them in cages and the Schnee guards try to come up with some way to punish them

-one of the senior guards looks up to see Adam glaring at him from his mother’s lap, tears long since dried even tho his mother clings to him and silently cries to not upset the guards

-the guard looks into those blue eyes filled with so much fire and spite... and he comes up with an idea

-he puts one of the branders in the fire and explains his plans to the guards

-Adam and his mother can’t hear what they’re saying but they both get a feeling of trepidation and Adam’s mother clings him tighter to her chest

-he gets two of the guards to drag the child out and gets two more to hold the mother so she can watch

-they put Adam on the ground and three more guards come forward to hold his arms, legs, and head still

-the head guard brings the brand out of the fire and Adam sees the three letters that have damned him for all his life

-Adam starts struggling harder while his mother screams and begs them to stop, all the while the monster creeps ever closer, his eyes reflecting glee in what he-it’s about to do

-the monster reaches Adam and holds the brand over his face, the smoking, terrible red contrasting from the blue of the overhead sky that looks so much like his father’s eyes

-the monster says “look at the passion in this one, an animal this wild needs to be broken in sooner than others or else they would have to be put down. You should be happy boy, I’m saving your life” it laughs and the monsters unsteady hands bring the brand that Adam hadn’t taken his eyes off gets slightly closer to his face, causes Adam to start to hyperventilate

-the monster steadies itself and looks up at the mother whose gone deathly silent, the whites of her eyes visible and a deranged desperation glinting in them

-the monster demands that she be grateful to have only lost one precious thing in her life, that this was mercy

-she doesn’t take her eyes off her precious boy, who would look up at the sky with innocence only a child could have, as he shook and his breathes came out to fast for him to actually be getting any air

-the monster, upset that the mother didn’t even acknowledge his presence, scowls and looks back at the boy whose eyes haven’t left the glowing brand that hovers before his face

-it pushes the brand into the skin

-At first, Adam felt intense heat and let out a choked gasp, sounding to all the unfair world like the scream that was supposed to come out was swallowed by the pain as well

-Adam’s shaking became more spasmodic and harsh as more choked gasps came flying past his lips

-Adam’s right eye was squeezed shut, blackness enveloping that side of his vision

-Adam’s left eye did not have the option of blackness, the bright crimson red that enveloped it’s sight blinding and disintegrating every tear that his soon to be destroyed tear duct could provide

-more choked gasps came out of Adams throat at much faster intervals

-Adam opened his right eye, saw the monster smiling down at him but looked past him, at the bright blue sky that was so much like his father’s eyes, the man that went after his goals and did whatever necessary to do the right thing

-the monster noticed his open eye and put it’s head in the way

-the choked noise that had been trying to break free finally did, an all-powerful scream that even made the monster pause

-the world got dark again and Adam tried to open his eye again, to see the blue sky that filled him with comfort

-but then the blackness of his right eye was filled with red

-Adam grew terrified, not wanting the pain that had begun to fade to start with again on the other side

-But then the heavy metal that Adam had almost let become used to left his face and the sky became blue again

-he looked up, his left eye all but useless, but that did not lessen the shock that overrun his his already diminished soul

-the bodies of the six monsters were laying in pieces, scattered around the room

-Adam looked behind himself, searching for his mother who held him and comforted him whenever the guards would beat him or he’d cry because of the hunger in his stomach

-she sat kneeling beside the bars where the guards had let her slump down, staring wide eyed, not a damaged part on her but two monsters laying bisected at the naval behind her

-Adam stares into his mother’s eyes, one eye expressing fear and the other trying to express itself however it could

-Adam’s mother ran with her unconscious baby in her arms as fast as she could before any of the guards could come investigate

-they snuck out and took refuge in the wilderness, where, not 2 days later, they found a little organization known as the white fang camping in the woods

-Adam was given medical attention by the horrified Faunus, his mother never leaving his side as he tossed and turned in his sleep

-A young woman named Sienna Kahn was in charge of this branch of a relatively new organization that was pro Faunus and Faunus rights

-she visited the family almost everyday to make sure they were okay

-when Adam woke up, he was cautious that these White Fang members were like the other Faunus in the mines, pathetic and unwilling to help do the right thing

-Sienna assuaged his fears, regaling him of the many victories that the White Fang had accomplished and Adam grew enamored

-Adam’s mother was just happy to see her son smile, however small it was

#rwby #rwby volume 7 #adam taurus #blake belladonna #backstory #im gonna go cry now

[valkyrieelysia18]

RWBY Rewrite: WTCH

Hello again! Welcome once again to the RWBY Rewrite series of posts I’ve been working on if under the unlikely chance I was asked to consult on a reboot. Unfortunately for my opening line, this is not the Pyrrha Nikos post (believe me, I’ve got a bunch to talk about on that one), but instead this one will focus on the villains, specifically the main four of Salem’s underlings: Cinder Fall, Arthur Watts, Tyrian Callows, and Hazel Rainart.

Now, villains are always fun to work with; often times they are the most memorable part of a story. A hero is only as good as their villains, as showcased by certain heroes’ rogues galleries. Unfortunately, RWBY’s treatment of its villains has been.....not the best. With the way the heroes have been prevailing lately, it’s been kind of downgrading their threat factor. Not to mention the current writers’ inability to deal with morally gray conflicts and characters. As such, I feel the need to break up the villains into more manageable sections, starting with the villains that will serve as the immediate antagonists to Team RWBY.

Now it’s not going to come up too much here, but it should be made clear that these four are merely this generation’s evil team. There have been many members of Salem’s council, but all that have served previously are dead, mostly due to battle against Ozpin’s forces or by Salem for a number of reasons (betrayal, insubordination, became too much of a liability, etc.). In each of their cases, Salem would reach out to them, whether through a seer or one of her other subordinates, and they would join her cause of their own free will. She’d save her main manipulations and threats for those she’s going to use as scapegoats and those she’s planning on killing. But when it comes to her long term lieutenants, it’s generally best to try and set as positive of a relationship as she can.

So, why would each of them join her? Well, the thing about the great worlds of fiction is not just their positive traits, but also their dark sides. Take the world of My Hero Academia. You’d think a world where almost everyone has super powers would be amazing, but the more you look into the society, the more cracks you find and it becomes very understandable of why some people would want to tear it down. Each of these characters are going to be associated with a problem found in the world they live in, that directly played a part in why they are villains. It’s all going to contribute to the question “Is Remnant and it’s people truly worth saving?” I’ll deal more into this question when I get to Salem.

For this, I’m also going to run with the head canon that each of them comes from a different kingdom and that problem they’re associated with relates to that kingdom: Hazel Vale, Cinder Mistral, Watts Atlas, and Tyrian Vacuo.

Hazel: Apathy

No, this is not about that Grimm. Apathy is generally defined as the complete lack of emotion about a human being, a thing or an activity. And in this head canon, this would describe Vale’s biggest problem. Vale (or at least most of those in charge) doesn’t care about what happens outside of the kingdom’s borders. So long as the life that they’ve become so accustomed to is safe, the rest of the world could be on fire and they wouldn’t lift a finger. And that especially relates to how they, and other kingdoms, view huntsmen and huntresses.

Now, we don’t really know much about Gretchen Rainart’s death, only that Ozpin said that it was due to a training accident, but that’s not what this is focusing on. I imagine that after Gretchen died, Hazel might have tried to raise concern about the Academies’ practices and get answers....only to find that no one really cared.

So what if some no name huntress in training got killed in some sort of accident? Huntsmen and huntresses die all the time. Surely she knew what she was signing up for. And there will be many more just like her.

You know that lyric “Or are we weapons pointed at the enemy, so someone else can claim a victory?” That’s how many people would view huntsmen and huntresses in this Rewrite: weapons to be used and replaced when necessary. This also gives Hazel more of an understandable reason as to why he sided with Salem. Revenge against Ozpin is still his primary motivation, but he also wants to destroy the system that would label his sister and others like her as expendable pawns just so people who know nothing about fighting and sacrifice could live peacefully.

Cinder: Prejudice

Now I know the word prejudice usually comes in when people talk about racism (we’ll get to Adam and the White Fang another day), but as a sociology major I also know that prejudice applies not just to race but also gender, social class, sexuality, family unit, where you grew up, religious beliefs, and more. In the show, Mistral is said to have the most diverse environments and lifestyles. That I think would lead to some serious divisions in the country, particularly after the Great War. 

I always thought it was a missed opportunity that after that conflict, the King of Vale (Oz) essentially dismantled and restructured the governments of four different kingdoms to streamline world peace. Even if it may have had a greater long term benefit, there should have been lasting consequences to drastically changing established governments that had been probably been around for centuries. Entire ways of life may have been altered or destroyed and the power structure must have been completely scrambled. Like, what if most of Mistral’s population is in Central Anima and is more Asian themed, but after the Great War the southern trading ports that are more Greco-Roman (where Pyrrha is from) gained more influence due to being more cooperative with foreign powers? This would make Mistral much more complex compared to Vale and showcase that when you get a bunch of people with differing statuses and beliefs together you’re going to have problems.

Then there’s the royal family and that is where Cinder comes in. In my head canon, Cinder is in fact a direct descendant of the Mistralian royal family which fell into ruin with the deposal of the monarchy. That would perfectly tie into her fairy tale inspiration of Cinderella, a young woman of great status brought to the lowest of circumstances. Only instead of taking it all with grace and kindness, Cinder would grow resentful and bitter. Constantly having to deal with people mocking her for her status and her blood, hearing what family she had left reminisce about what was once theirs, and hearing everyone look down upon the last emperor and all that came before him who styled themselves like gods but turned out to be nothing more then men.

This would give Cinder a much more personal reason to join Salem’s cause, considering that Ozpin, more specifically his last life as the King of Vale, was the reason she and her family would have been in that state in the first place. Her desire for power, strength, and to be feared would be tied up in her desire to reclaim her family’s honor and status, to strive to the image of the old Mistralian emperors. The things she should have had by right and so she’s going to do whatever it takes to take those things back.

Watts: Corruption

While many might cite Atlas’ obvious racist issues and the elitism of its upper class as problematic, Atlas’ upper class and those in power have also exploited those beneath them in order to stay on top. A missed opportunity when it came to the racism subplot is the lack of human allies because when if you really think about it, there must have been human miners in the Schnee Dust mines alongside the Faunus. Mantle is still very much there and the Atlesian hierarchy have most likely exploited those from it who where just trying to live their lives, Jacques Schnee most certainly has. And some of Ironwood’s power plays are definitely overstepping his bounds. As such, I’m using Atlas to highlight corruption. Unlike Vale, the Atlesians do care about how the world sees them and they will do anything to come out on top.

So, how would the good doctor fit into all this? The show has stated that Watts is a disgraced Atlesian scientist, but we don’t know why that is. Well, what if it wasn’t because he went behind his superiors’ backs in making deadly unethical weapons (because that seems like something Atlas would be completely on board for), but because they needed a scapegoat?

In this rewrite, Watts would be Professor Polendina’s protégé and they and others were performing certain experiments for the Atlesian government. The exact type of experiments I’m a little fuzzy on (I’m a writer, not a scientist), but I think it would interesting if these experiments were what laid the groundwork on Penny’s creation. Given Pyrrha’s reaction back in Volume 3, you get the impression that messing around with Aura and souls wouldn’t be the most....moral inquiries. And naturally someone would find out and the government would need someone to put the blame on. Professor Polendina would have been at the head of things and thus would be too important to lose, his protégé on the other hand would be much more expendable. Heck, the professor might be talked into going along with it in exchange for support to build Penny.

Now in this rewrite, Watts is by no means a good person, he’s just not a hypocrite. He knows full well what he’s done is pretty terrible, but he doesn’t deny it or sugar coat it. However, he is extremely pissed how he alone was blamed while others got away scot free. Salem would promise him both freedom to conduct his experiments as well as promising the opportunity for revenge against his former superiors. This could lead to an angry confrontation with Professor Polendina down the line, tearing into his old teacher. Ultimately culminating in Watts telling him that for all his attempts to convince himself he was doing things for Atlas or the greater good, Polendina is no better if not worse than the ones who ordered the experiments.

I also a couple ideas for Watts involving Ironwood, Jacques, and Willow, but those didn’t tie into his motivations so I’ll save that for a backstory post.

Tyrian: Anarchy 

Of the four kingdoms, Vacuo is definitely the worst off. Shade Academy is literally the only form of order in the kingdom, with the rest as a harsh merciless desert. While it may be welcoming to those who can survive, who are the kind of people who would survive in such an environment? I get the feeling that we’d be seeing Raven’s philosophy ‘The weak die, the strong survive’ be taken to quite the extreme. While we certainly complain about our governments (when Donald Trump was elected, I felt the immense desire to beg the UK to take us back), they do provide certain things that keep our lives relatively stable.

And that’s where Tyrian comes on. Unlike the other three, I don’t think Tyrian needs an intricate backstory or compelling motivations. He’s just someone who wants destruction and death. Rather, it’s because of the lack of order that someone like Tyrian was able to live and grow so strong. Perhaps Salem reached out to him with the potential of stronger and more difficult opponents than he was used to. Over time, he would begin to view Salem with an amount of reverence given that she leads the Grimm and the Grimm are essentially made to kill and destroy.

Well, that’s it for this post. Now I’ve got a bunch of ideas, but no idea what I want to do next. If anyone has a request, I’d be willing to hear it. Hope to see you all again relatively soon.

#rwde #rwby rewrite #cinder fall #hazel rainart #Arthur Watts #Tyrian Callows #giving the villains stakes #salem will probably be more than one post

[forgetspecifics]

Murphy’s Law: ... --- ... ---... / ... - --- .--. / --- ..- .-. / ... . -..-

Rated M

Story summary: Because anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.

Mutual pining, mutual sexiness. Now with attempts at plot and is currently in the fluffy mess stage. Slight AU.

Chapter summary: 4. Blake and Yang sit down for some real talk post-Schnee intervention. Real talk may or may not include arguing about proper English and include the debut appearance of rando rude-jerk-face guy.

AO3: http://archiveofourown.org/works/9450161/chapters/23773173

FF.net: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12335981/4/Murphy-s-Law

Chapter 1: Stupid sexy grin™

Chapter 2: With friends like these

Chapter 3: Rainchecks, refunds, and returns

Available below

To her surprise, Blake heard her partner returning from her Schnee-hunt within ten minutes. At least Yang satisfied her blood-lust; the actual lust had been put on the back burner in favour of some well-deserved revenge.

“Back so soon?” came her question, “I didn’t take you as the merciful type.”

Yang gave her a ’what kind of savage do you think I am?’ look. Alright, fine. Blake knew Yang was literally the nicest, caring person – only rivalled by Ruby – especially towards Weiss. They were all a family. Yang and Weiss just didn’t always…get along twenty-four seven.

“In that particular situation,” Blake added.

She motioned Yang back to the bed, moving closer as the now smug blonde thumped down perpendicular to the edge. Yang always was going against the norm (compared to herself); part of her charm, something Blake found oddly attractive. Totally had nothing to do with the fact she was half undressed at that moment.

Yang shifted to clasp her hands behind her head. “Well, Blakey, once Weiss agreed to my terms, I let her live.”

Now curious, the faunus’ ears fluttered as it was realised what exactly that meant. Yang took a bribe – and coming from Weiss, it could be good.

Blake gave a happy hum as she lay her head on Yang’s shoulder, “Care to share?”

Yang happily explained, “I told her I wanted an all-expenses paid honeymoon for me and you to somewhere nice and secluded; where we could have plenty of time and no interruptions, to make up for the wonderful moment she just ruined with her insipid lunch plans. Did I mention she would pay for it?”

Of all the things she could have taken from that, Blake was most intrigued about there being a honeymoon. They weren’t even technically dating. Even if they had been dancing around each other for years. Blake propped herself up to look at Yang with a questioning eye.

“Are you proposing to me?”

Slight shock washed over Yang’s face. “Uh,” she muttered, clearing her throat, “no? Just something to keep in mind when I do, I guess.” Her expression read as slightly embarrassed; she had forgotten that the specifics of her bargaining included them having to get married.

The poor woman was just trying to have some fun; Blake didn’t have the heart to seriously discuss the matter of marriage. For whose sake; she’d rather leave unsaid.

Blake made her tone inherently teasing, “Ignoring that you answered my question with a pretty vague ‘no’, I’m not sure if I would have said yes anyway,” she shrugged as her finger idly traced over Yang’s collarbones, “I didn’t even know you had ‘insipid’ in your vocabulary.”

“Oh, please,” Yang huffed proudly, “I’m well educated, Blake!”

Now that, she thought, was a little bit ironic. “You said ‘you and me’, though.”

Yang didn’t see the problem, “So?”

Blake tapped Yang’s chest. “You’re supposed to say, ‘you and I’.”

“That’s what I said,” Yang gestured between them, “you and me.”

“No, ‘you and me’ is not proper English,” Blake shook her head. Well educated her fine ass, she thought.

“I’m not following you, Blake,” Yang said with almost an insanely obvious amount of naiveté. She loved to argue with Weiss, but she loved to argue even more with her partner. Yang had to keep talking in these types of situations. Pyrrha called it a ‘self-destructive’ habit, Nora called it a ‘fun’ habit, she called it a ‘fun, if not a little bit obnoxious’ habit.

The little shit was doing this on purpose, Blake knew; again, she poked the stubborn dragon, this time pointedly to the words, “You and I!”

They had both returned to lay on their sides as Yang jabbed her finger into Blake’s sternum in retaliation. Yang couldn’t stop. It just kept coming up like word vomit. “You and I won’t be getting married if this is what you’re going to say to a proposal.”

“But you said you weren’t proposing!” Blake exclaimed, her hand flicking the air in exasperation. A shit eating grin was Blake’s reward. Or punishment, in this case. The trademark for ‘stupid shit eating grin’ was surely already filed at this point.

“Well,” Yang said noncommittally, “not now I’m not.”

This discussion was entirely pointless, if Blake wasn’t trying to make a point about proper English. She didn’t even know she wanted a proposal until now. Except she didn’t. Mostly.

“Shut up. I’ll propose to you with correct English, and you can answer with whatever you want in your barbaric vernacular.” Blake could tell Yang had no idea what vernacular meant by the brief and confused blink she received.

Quickly, Yang feigned an uninterested manner, “And what if I say no?”

“You wouldn’t dare,” the Faunus challenged hotly.

Yang took Blake’s words seriously, and then some. Like hell she would dare to refuse the one person she was pining for since…she could remember. A long time. It’s not like she was aware that she was ass over tits for Blake this whole time. Well, she wouldn’t admit that she had that suspicion to anyone, at least.

Casually, Yang relented. “Nah, I wouldn’t turn you down. A girl’s gotta settle down sometime.”

But it was too late, for Blake was already on the train to Sassville; stopping all stations passive-aggressively, “Oh, so you’re settling for me?”

Shit. Yang became panicked. “No!”

Employing her acting talents, though they were barely existent, Blake whined melodramatically “Woe is me! I’m heartbroken-”

Oh, no, it was coming up again. Word vomit. Yang interrupted abruptly, “I love you!”

“Yang, I am truly devasta-,” Blake’s face went such a deep shade of red, Yang thought she was about to explode. Blake jolted to sit upright.

Please, no actual vomit, Yang begged internally. She messed up, okay. She just goddamn shit…goddamn messed up really…goddamn shit bad. Goddamn shit, goddamn!

She sat up to join Blake, quietly adding, “Does it help if I’m completely serious about that?”

Blake couldn’t look at Yang. How could she? This was much more disconcerting than she imagined it would be. Even if she kind of already knew they were completely in love with each other; saying it and hearing it were different to thinking about it. This was, although rushed and following on from two failed attempts at having sex, the closest thing Blake had experienced to a serious relationship. And it was a declaration of love – something you had to be incredibly dedicated to be able to say.

“It does help,” she slowly admitted, somewhat awkwardly laughing, “who says romance is dead?”

She heard Yang mumble a jumble of words that seemed to sound like, ‘they should if that’s the way dumb people like me tell girls that they love them’.

As if she wouldn’t pick it up with her hearing; Blake asked Yang to repeat herself anyway, “What was that?”

“You don’t seem very shocked, I said.”

A sigh left Blake’s mouth unbidden as she chose to ignore the cover up. “That’s because I don’t think I am. You planning our honeymoon on a whim like it was second nature kinda gave me an,” she paused, considering what would the best explanation, “an inkling.”

“Ah. You were always the perceptive one, Blakey.” As the still nervous woman finally glanced at Yang, the blonde was giving her the strangest look.

Not strange as in she looked odd, but strange as in Blake sensed her love from one simple glimpse. This was too typical. Yang made her flustered, pissed off, have the urge to do things probably unspeakable to her – her best friend – and feel in her heart why she was so prepared to, or have no choice but to do all those things in the first place.

In the space of less than a day.

What a mess you’ve become, Blake Belladonna, she chided herself. A hot mess.

She gently bumped Yang’s shoulder, “Don’t sell yourself short, Yang. You’re all I’ll ever need,” Blake gently kissed the now smiling woman’s cheek. Because boy, was she grinning like she’d won the lottery.

Blake felt the need to say it. “You look like you’ve won the lottery.”

“If I had known I won the lottery, I wouldn’t have made Weiss promise to pay for a honeymoon for you and m-,” Yang swiftly corrected herself, “you and I.”

An effort such as that to accommodate and learn from the bookworm’s English lessons; Blake felt a little victorious for it. She’d had a good few minutes, after all.

She loved Yang. Utterly and completely. “Yang, I,” but it was still so difficult to say it, “I, I-” Blake fumbled; trying to spit it out was not working.

“…I am not good at this.”

Yang took Blake’s quivering hand in her own. “Take your time.”

“Yang,” yet the three words would not leave her mouth. They were in her head but they wouldn’t formulate into speech. Instead, Blake was just uttering nonsensical sounds.

She began to look irritated with herself, “This is unfair. I’m thinking it, I want to say it. Yang I-”

Her failed efforts were silenced as Yang pressed her lips tenderly to Blake’s. As if she were trying to take the words right out of her mouth. Maybe that would work. Because she couldn’t say it for shit, despite wanting to.

And Blake kissed her back, because maybe, if she tried, Yang would understand what she meant.

Yang pulled away shortly thereafter, but only slightly. It didn’t matter to her if Blake didn’t say what she had; she blurted it out when it was uncalled for. It could have gone a lot worse, though. Yang – one, universe – approximately one million…alright, it wasn’t a good record.

Time for damage control. “I know, Blake.”

“I’m sorry- wait, you what?”

Apparently Yang still had some form of surprise in her. Admittedly she was perceptive just like Blake; likely picked up from her in their time together, or she just cared enough to realise that Blake hadn’t had the easiest time trusting people – humans in particular – and that distrust had probably set itself in her subconscious so profoundly that it tried to defend her even when she didn’t need it to.

“You’re forgetting that I know you better than anybody. Besides, I didn’t choose an appropriate time to bring this up, and it’s up to you if, and when, you want to continue it,”

A tell-tale sign that she had hit the nail on the head was Blake’s faunus ears folding in embarrassment, which she tried to hide by snuggling her head into the crook of her quite perceptive partner’s neck.

“I wouldn’t be against it if you wanted to show me what you meant to say, though.”

The blunt statement provoked a muffled scoff and a, “No, thank you,” from the still hiding master of stealth.

Blake didn’t miss the sound of disappointment that originated in the hollow of the neck she was conveniently next to. It wasn’t her fault that she had lost all drive and hope that they could accomplish anything close to what Yang was probably imagining. Goddamn Weiss had better pay for a honeymoon after that stunt.

She lay an apologetic kiss on Yang’s throat, making sure it was not insinuating she had instantly changed her mind. “I’m suddenly apprehensive at the idea, if that’s hard to believe.”

“It’s not, I understand, Blake,” Yang gave her a brief rub at the base of her feline ears for reassurance, “I guess I’ll settle for a late breakfast.”

Tearing herself away from any temptation, the dark-haired woman pulled Yang up as she stood. “We’ll pretend I didn’t just let you pet me, and I’ll agree that I’m up for a meal.”

“Last chance to eat-out,” came the cheeky offer.

“Wha-”, Blake’s confusion lasted only momentarily, “shut up.”

– ..- .-. .–. …. -.– .—-. … / .-.. .- .–

Somehow they had ended up going out for their ‘late breakfast’; one of them had decided it was too much work to make their own food – they’d both argue it was the other – and were on their way out of the small café.

Yang surreptitiously grazed her fingers against Blake’s, for if she held her hand she’d undoubtedly just follow her home. “I better head back. Explain to Rubes, in very little detail, where I was and what happened.”

“Does Ruby have to know?” Yang could tell that Blake was still very much self-conscious about the situation. As much as she wanted her to be comfortable, it was kind of a moot objective when the whole world by now was aware of their complex relationship.

Not to mention Ruby was her baby sister, and Yang still heavily relied on her for talking about all things-Blake related. Poor kid probably was sick to death of those conversations. “Weiss most likely already complained that I almost sent her to an early grave.” It was at that point Blake realised that she would just have to come to terms with the consequences of them taking this next step into ‘dating’ territory – the consequences being their circle of friends knowing about it and still teasing them.

For fuck’s sake, that was going to be difficult to deal with. “Yang, I’ll be honest with you,” Blake started as she tugged her partner slash whatever it was she was to the side of the path.

“I can deal with a lot of problematic situations. But not the one where everybody incessantly butts into our personal life – the intimate part – and I die of embarrassment and feel like we’re doing something wrong.”

Yang gave her the out she wanted, “I’ll deal with everyone, okay? I’m fine with that,” and a nod to continue. At least that was appreciated and comforting.

“I know that this all has taken too long to happen, and now that we’ve experienced difficulties so soon, I don’t want you to get the idea that I’m going to take it all back.” Because she had stopped running away from things, and wasn’t about to start again now. Not when they had this opportunity.

Lilac eyes stared in earnest. “What is the idea you want me to get, Blake?”

“I think it’s an understatement to say that we both want to just have sex like we’ve always wanted to, but now I’m just mortified at myself. I’ve been so set on finally doing it, and it’s ended up in disappointment for us both. So, maybe we should slow things down, take our time to do it right? There’s nothing I want more than to make it work between us, Yang.” The corners of Yang’s mouth quirked ever so slightly. She’d waited this long – by choice – she could wait a little longer. Blake made a good point, anyway.

“If there’s anything I could want more than you, it’d be having you for the rest of my life. No matter how long it takes,” Yang leaned down, intending to kiss the blushing woman in front of her before she stopped short, “to be clear, that wasn’t a proposal. I just love you.”

Instantly, Blake was on her, wrapping her in a tight hug, stealing the kiss before Yang could deliver it.

A passer-by was unimpressed, as he disgustedly and loudly screeched on approach, “Get a room, bitches!”

Whether he was rude because he didn’t like gay people, or faunus, or both, he scuttled past angrily complaining, “You’re cluttering the sidewa-” Blake couldn’t stop her foot jutting out to catch the verbally abusive man’s, Yang erupting into rambunctious laughter at the sight of the rude-jerk-face’s jerk face hitting the concrete.

Between frantic giggles, Yang managed to offer her a high five. “Sorry buddy, guess she didn’t see your worthless ass there,” said worthless ass was up and taking a step towards them; Yang wasn’t going to tolerate such a bigot, and shoved him back with force, “You best keep walking, I’m going to be more pissed off if I have stop kissing my hot as fuck girlfriend to reacquaint your face with the ground again.”

Taking in the distance that he was pushed, the man conceded and raised his hands in surrender knowing he was indeed better off leaving, and scurried off in a pathetic display.

Bouncing with adrenaline, and mostly pride, Yang scooped up and twirled Blake around, laughing like a madwoman. “What a chump! I’m seriously holding myself back from you right now, Blake! I just wanna do you right here and now to spite that asshole!”

“As great as that sounds, being arrested for public sex isn’t on my to-do list,” Blake said stoically – though her smile and blush said something different. Yang then recalled that she’d agreed to slow things down not two minutes ago for some inane reason; this was not going to be easy. She should at least try to make good on her promise to Blake, right? Not drag her into an alley for things that were better done in privacy. Not even if it looked like Blake had considered it for a minute second.

“But,” she added a ‘heh butts’ under her breath, “I think I’ll just ask you on a date instead. A real, proper, date! Whaddya say?”

“I say we did everything in the wrong order. Usually sex and marriage comes after asking someone to be your girlfriend and asking them on a date,” Blake replied.

“Well if you recall, technically, we didn’t do two of those things,” the blonde countered.

Blake rolled her eyes. “And technically, I didn’t say yes to the remaining two things.”

“If we’re getting that technical, I didn’t even ask you to be my girlfriend Blake.”

“You don’t have to,” she booped Yang right on the nose. “You’re stuck with me regardless.”

Yang snorted and imitated what her girlfriend had said earlier. “Woe is me!”

The raven-haired beauty turned her in the other direction and smacked her butt lovingly. “Okay, go home, Xiao Long.”

Blake watched as the still chuckling woman turned the corner with a spring in her step. “I love you.”

Notes: 25th of April, ANZAC day; I acknowledge the ANZAC soldiers; those that fought or died, those still serving - for they do not deserve to suffer for the tragedies of war; no human does. The people of Australia and New Zealand deeply appreciate the sacrifices made. I wish those sacrifices didn’t have to be made, but as Ned Kelly once said, “such is life”. I truly wish that wasn’t the case. Lest we forget. 

Coming off that serious note,

I’m gonna apologise for the delay with this. I went on a short holiday, did some things, forgot about having to write a chapter, delayed some more, wrote 1000 words and wanted it to actually be substantial, then had to do other things, then finally did it because I was frustrated and mad at sports (yes Australian tradition commemorating a tragic war includes having a fucking sports game, because why not).

ALSO if you didn’t recognise the pop culture reference/s you’re either too young to be reading this, or you haven’t seen one of the best movies of all time, either way, what are you doing with your life? AND 10/10 managed to chuck in a reference to my own username because fuck yeah I am that meta 100% fire emoji

The Morse code inspiration came from me knowing Morse code for SOS, smartphones can’t even do Morse code pfft LAME 0/10 would not buy. I wanted to make a line break look interesting so that’s why there’s Morse code in the middle of the story. I do what I fuckin want

By the way, no, I had no intention to turn this into such a fluffy mess with attempt at plot but here we are

love ya *kiss kiss*

#rwby #rwby fanfic #rwby fanfiction #bumbleby #bumbleby fanfiction #bumbleby fanfic #blake belladonna #yang xiao long #blake #yang #blake and yang #yang and blake #rated m #because idk #teasing #bees #the bees #otp #team rwby #ruby rose #weiss schnee #serious talk #why you gotta be rude-jerk-face #yas it is a reference to mean girls

[texanredrose]

RWBY + Frozen + no self control = this. I know I’m late for Monochrome Monday but I honestly don’t know what day it even is anymore my schedule’s so fucked. Have a cookie and forgive me, please. Based on @dashingicecream‘s Frozen!AU 

Blake sighed heavily, scrubbing at her face with one mitten and flicking her ears to dislodge the flakes of snow clinging to her ears. They were replaced the next moment by new snowflakes from overhead. She wasn’t surprised of course; the closer they’d gotten to the mountain’s summit, the heavier the storm had become, but it was nothing compared to the blizzard that had swept over the land and buried them all in several feet of fresh powder in the middle of spring; no, this seemed almost light and playful by comparison, and if it weren’t for the fact that her very livelihood was at stake, she had half a mind to actually play in it.

Well, her livelihood, and the life of a very stubborn Princess.

“What are you doing?” Her ears cocked back in slight exasperation as she watched the woman attempting to scale the sheer cliff face do so with marginal success.

“For the last time, I’m going to find my- urgh- sister!” Princess Weiss Schnee snapped back, turning to look over her shoulder for only a second before her grip threatened to slip, forcing her to refocus all her attention on finding the next handhold. “I’m going to find her, explain that this whole thing’s a- hmph- misunderstanding, ask her very politely to end the snowstorm, and then- whoa- and then we’re all going to go back to the castle and pretend none of this ever happened.”

“Is that before or after you tell her you’re intent on marrying some Prince you hardly know?” Where before the point had curled her lips into a slight smile- because, really, it was more than a little amusing that this whole mess started over some flight of fancy from the younger of the royal sisters- now the Faunus was a tad more serious, crossing her arms over her chest as she watched the Princess’ slow ascent. “Because I have the feeling she might not really be okay with that, still.”

“I’ll have you know- ack, that hurt- that Neptune is a perfectly fine...” She paused, either to catch her breath or find the right descriptor, it was difficult to tell, but Blake was willing to bet ‘both’ was the correct answer. “Perfectly fine gentleman!”

“Right. Sure. Perfectly fine.” Rolling her amber eyes, she turned her head away to look out over Atlas, how the whole kingdom was blanketed in such a way that she rarely saw even in the coldest depths of winter. Living outside the capitol’s walls meant she was more accustomed to nature in all its forms, but this didn’t even look natural. But it was pretty, she’d admit that much.

As Weiss continued to struggle, a strong gust of wind blew, at once prompting the woman to cling tighter to the cliff face and drawing the Faunus’ attention to the strange sound the wind was making, as if it were passing through a narrow opening. A quick look around confirmed there was a small passage hewn from the rock by millennia of strong winds and, curious, Blake took a few steps away to investigate. Quite frankly, if there was an easier way up the mountain, she was all for it; without her sled and a reindeer to pull it, getting this far was taxing enough.

She swore, once she found Gambol after all this was said and done, she was going to chew him out for a while; she still couldn’t believe he had the gall to abandon her with the task after one measly wolf attack and a near avalanche.

The snow crunching underfoot was much easier to hear after the wind died down, allowing her to peek around the corner without fighting the sting, and what she found was a blessed relief. There, standing tall and proud and looking magnificent was a palace made of pure ice, catching the weak rays of sun trying to break through heavy clouds overhead. Although she’d never met Queen Winter, Blake had to admit the woman had quite the eye for architecture; ice sculptures weren’t half as impressive, and she’d seen quite a few over the years.

Tearing her gaze away, the Faunus started walking back. “Princess, I think I found your sister.”

Blue eyes snapped to her from Weiss’ impressive height- a whole six feet off the ground, and she wasn’t even being facetious with that thought considering the woman had no experience to speak of- and hope lit up expression. “Really?”

“Right around the corner,” Blake said, her expression morphing from amusement to panic as the Princess’ hand slipped. “Careful!”

She only had time to let out a short squeak of surprise and alarm before her hands, nearly numb inside her gloves, lost their precious grip and she fell back. Weiss closed her eyes and braced for the cold impact awaiting her but the Faunus rushed forward, nearly tripping herself in the thick snow and barely catching the woman in time. She was off balance, forcing her to her knees, but she curled both arms to secure her companion and ensure she didn’t end up sprawled in the snow, cringing slightly as she awaited the reprimand that was undoubtedly heading her way.

“Princess, are you okay?” She ventured after a moment, shifting both ears forward as she looked down, meeting the woman’s gaze.

“I- I’m fine.” Weiss cleared her throat, looking away for a moment. “Thank you.”

“Yeah. Um. N-no problem.” Thankfully, the cold and the wind had granted her a nigh permanent rosy tint to her cheeks because she otherwise wouldn’t be able to hide the rising blush. Not wanting to open herself up to questions, Blake pushed herself to her feet, mentally congratulating herself for not staggering as she turned and started walking towards the natural opening in the cliff face.

“Blake? You can put me down, you know.” There was no harsh edge to the woman’s voice, and it sounded more like a suggestion than an order, but really the Faunus was a bit too distracted to really notice that immediately. “I can walk.”

“O-of course.” Honestly, she hadn’t thought about it; Weiss was smaller and near freezing when they first met, stubbornly trying to make her way past Tukson’s Trading Post and Spa without so much as a thought to proper protective gear, and she still worried that the Princess would ignore her own well being as she tried to find her sister. At least this way they could share warmth but Blake hurriedly set the woman on her feet, brushing off imaginary snow from Weiss’ shoulders and then from herself- anything to avoid eye contact.

She was a Princess, and dead set on marrying some Prince besides. They had nothing in common- she was a Princess- and this was just her performing a service in expectation of payment. That’s it. That’s all.

“Anyway...” Weiss seemed to lose track of what they were doing, readjusting the snowflake broach holding her cloak in place. “We should- talk to my sister. I’m sure Winter will be able to set everything right again and we’re almost there.”

“Right.” Blake nodded, pulling her hat a bit further down and shaking her head. “This way.”

They both walked through the thick snow towards the opening, ducking through one at a time until they stood side-by-side a few feet from the bottom of a beautifully intricate staircase leading up to the castle proper. Once again, the Faunus found herself entranced by the sight but she snapped out of it quicker, looking towards her companion and surprised to see the expression of pure wonder on the Princess’ face.

“It’s beautiful. Absolutely stunning.” She let out a half laugh, leaning towards Blake as if she were imparting a secret. “Ever since we were small, I always knew she had a gift. I didn’t- well, I didn’t expect this of course, but... somehow, I always knew anything she touched would be perfect.”

The Faunus shrugged, shunting her urge to agree aside for a moment. “It’s alright, I guess.” Carefully, she leaned over slightly and nudged the woman’s shoulder with her own. “I’m sure you’re just as talented in something else.”

Weiss let out a brief laugh, though this one didn’t seem as happy, and shook her head. “No. I’ve always been the spare. Winter’s never treated me as such, though, but Father made it very clear. My sister was destined to rule and I... well, I was the back-up plan.”

The Princess started forward, mentally working out how she’d make it up the stairs, when she was stopped short.

“No, I don’t believe it.” Blake waited until those curious blue eyes were upon her before continuing, setting her hands on her hips and cocking her head to the side. “You’re trying to tell me that there’s not one thing you can do better than your sister? I find that impossible to believe.”

“Excuse you-”

“Believe me, I’m excuse,” she replied, the corners of her lips tugging into a small smile. “I highly doubt the Queen’s better at climbing rocks than you, for instance. Or being as stubborn- she did run away after your argument, after all.”

“Do not insult my sister like that.” Weiss paused, reaching up to push a lock of pure white hair back under her cap before relenting. “And... if you must know, I suppose I’m better at singing. Winter seems to think so, at any rate.”

Ears perking at her impending victory, Blake took a step forward. “Well, then, I’m changing my price. You have to sing a song for me.”

“What?”

She held up her hands with a smile. “You can’t say you’re a better singer and then not prove it, Princess. Besides, I reserved the right to change the fee for my services at any time, and I did save you from unnecessarily climbing a cliff.”

“You are impossible, Blake Belladonna.” The woman huffed, glaring at her guide. “If I’d known you’d change your mind at every turn, I’d have hired someone else to bring me up the mountain!”

She raised a brow, offering in a flat tone. “Like the wolves?”

Weiss made a frustrated noise in the back of her throat before throwing her hands in the air as a sign of surrender. “Fine. One song of my choosing. Now, can we go retrieve my sister or do you have more demands to make?”

“After you, Princess.” Blake even made a slightly mocking bow, smirking at the muttered ‘ridiculous’ she heard before falling into step beside the woman.

“And I’d better hear nothing about a refund if you don’t like the song.”

“You won’t; I can already tell you’ll be perfect.” The Faunus fought the urge to smile. Despite the woman’s naturally pale complexion, Weiss’ cheeks were undeniably tinted pink by the wind and cold, the same as hers, but she liked to think they’d turned a bit darker just then and a result of her words. Maybe she wouldn’t have a chance to see the Princess once this mess was all said and done but she wouldn’t trade these few precious moments seeing the woman beyond the picture of royalty for anything.

#Monochrome #Monochrome Monday #It's still technically Monday for me #My lack of self control will be the death of me jfc and I'ma go willingly #Hope y'all enjoyed the ridiculousness #TRR writes