#strq women are built different

[strqyr]

summer wears her emblem front and center and her cloak like a cape like some goddamn superhero and raven wears a mask of a monster—heroes and monsters of it all—and yet.

they're both competing for the top spot of who can cause more issues to their daughter with their mere absence.

#rwby #rwby9 #rwby spoilers #summer rose #raven branwen #strq women are built different

[strqyr]

"if i do this right, there's nothing to worry about. trust me."

"let's get this over with, i guess."

you two could not sound any less certain about this. bodes well for the mission when it starts with an "if i do this right" and an "i guess".

#rwby #rwby9 #rwby spoilers #summer rose #raven branwen #strq women are built different

[strqyr]

summer betraying raven isn't messy enough i need it to be followed by an opportunity for raven to take the high road but bringing a shovel instead cos this hole isn't deep enough

#just. imagine #summer betrays raven and they fight #which ends up with summer dangling above a grimm pool or something #only sundered rose keeping her safe #or maybe raven instinctively grabs for summer when she's about to fall #they were teammates after all #friends who trusted each other #and then #it's time to make a choice #lift her up or let go #any other day the choice would have been obvious #but the betrayal *really* stings #and raven let's go #strq women are built different #<- this has now become my tag for the mess that is summer vs raven #(like cinder did with neo) #(you can't just threaten ppl without consequences) #(and whaddaya know ruby was there too) #(and whaddaya know x2 the lamp -> spring involvement?) #(the plot thickens)

[strqyr]

And on the topic of Summer and Raven, i am absolutely convinced that Summer betrayed Raven in some way.

In the volume 9 flashback, it seems that there is very little if not no animosity from Raven towards Summer. Then if you look at the comics (if you consider those canon) Raven kinda borderline hates Summer when she’s terrorizing Ruby, and that would’ve been not long after their final mission. And when we fast forward to Raven and Ruby’s interaction in volume 5, we can see that Raven still holds some sort of something towards Summer whenever she is reminded of her.

All I’m saying is there’s gotta be an explanation for this kind of sudden and drastic change in attitude, and the probable answer is that it was

✨Betrayal✨

literally it's been 15 years or so in universe and raven is still holding a grudge like that's some dedication and you don't do that for some minor thing, something BIG must have happened between raven and summer, and betrayal is definitely the most likely option here.

even just the contrast during the flashback like. like you said, raven doesn't seem to hold any animosity towards summer, quite the opposite she seems to act like nothing has changed, while summer, who people were expecting to be the one out of everyone to have practically already forgiven raven and who would welcome her back with open arms if raven chose to return, seems to hold more animosity towards raven (understandably); she's acting all professional, no friendly banter (contrasted with her interaction with tai) and as a cherry on top shoulder checks raven for absolutely no other reason than she could, so she did.

sucks to be raven tho. imagine going on a mission thinking you're going to help your old friend, getting betrayed by said old friend, and then having no one to talk about it bc who would believe you? your friend is summer rose, the best of all, the super-mom, the hero, the list of good things goes on, and you're. . . raven.

there's just no chance. no way. so holding a grudge for 15 years it is!!

#aereox206 #ask.strqyr #strq women are built different

[strqyr]

looking back... gods what it must have been like for crwby to watch the fndm make a mountain out of the look tai gives qrow, speculating how there must have been some sort of falling out between them and how they don't get along that much anymore (despite just moments before hearing the two talk with each other just fine lol)

and then having to hold onto whatever it is that happened between summer and raven like

this is some 'mild disagreement vs attempted murder (probably)' level of difference

#the focus is on the wrong half of the team #strq women are built different

[strqyr]

summer searching for the relic of choice. raven the maiden of knowledge. choice and knowledge interwoven into the ever after narrative; the door to somewhere—remnant? wherever you want to end up?—flanked by the brother gods, creation and destruction.

ruby wants to know what happened to her mother, and she'll get her wish. family only comes around when they need something. -> we had each other. work with us. -> you sound just like your mother. summer's last mission is a mystery; qrow, tai, even ozpin doesn't know. there's a name missing, an empty but very loud space.

choice and knowledge. knowledge and choice. two sides of the same coin. they were warned by ambrosius—a being of creation—to not fall. they did. they'll come out with new knowledge, and a choice to make. past the doors of light and darkness, creation and destruction. creation got them there, destruction awaits on the other side.

'this last creation would be given the power to both create and destroy. it would be given the gift of knowledge, so that it could learn about itself and the world around it. and most importantly, it would be given the power to choose, to have free will to take everything it had learned and decide which path to follow—the path of light or the path of darkness.'

there's always a choice to make. what did summer choose? how much does raven know?

how much will ruby learn? what will she choose?

#rwby9 #rwby spoilers #brainworms are loud but making less sense by the minute #so take these disjointed ramblings for what they are #anyway #strq women are built different

[strqyr]

okay but. if in strq, white is summer and black is raven then in terms of parallels...

were they on the "opposite" sides, the same as weiss and blake were re: sdc and white fang? i.e. the silver-eyed warrior (in the woods) who lost her people to other people, aiming to become a huntress & the bandit who was sent to learn how to kill huntsmen to make their raids easier. except that, maybe, unlike weiss & blake, they never worked through their differences?

....i'm having thoughts.....

#rwby #summer rose #raven branwen #strq women are built different

[strqyr]

step 1: summer and raven go on a mission together that presumably involves actually facing salem.

step 2: “a smaller, more honest soul… it’s true that a simple spark can ignite hope, breathe fire into the hearts of the weary. the ability to derive strength from hope is undoubtedly mankind’s greatest attribute. which is why i will focus all of my power… to snuff it out,” salem narrates, while at the very end of this spiel, raven flies off—one spark can incite their hope and ignite the hearts of the weary souls, i will extinguish that flame.

step 3: more from divide (and war): divide them, tear them apart; sever their trust, it will strangle their hearts. (i never dreamed that you would be my enemy, the knife to take my heart.) inside them, plant seeds of doubt; hope will be smothered, they’ll turn on each other. hatred will sprout, suspicion and doubt; friendships deny while allegiances die. (all along i thought our friendship was true.)

step 4: ???

step 5: [summer voice] friendship ended with raven now salem is my new bff.

#rwby #summer rose #raven branwen #salem #strq women are built different

[strqyr]

the thing about the songs is that you never really know if there's a connection between two different songs based on similar lyrics or if it's just a coincidence

which sucks bc i'm currently rotating sacrifice and hero in my head bc there's... something about this that's tickling the conspiracy theory side of my brain:

born and angel, heaven sent falls from grace are never elegant. stars will drop out of the sky, the moon will sadly watch the roses die. in vain, lost, no gain, but you're not taking me. you can't have my life, i'm not your sacrifice. you can try, but i'm free, and you won't conquer me. i won't crawl, most of all, i won't fall, for you.

take my hand i'm here to protect you, nothing will stop me understand there's no sacrifice, that i won't make i'll risk it all to keep you safe trust me to be strong i'll be your hero just hold on

and

what if all the plans you made, were not worth the price they paid? even with the lives you stole, still no closer to your goal

i've made my plan hearts and minds may not agree emotions topple strategy you can't believe in honesty that your children can win a war

like... in hero, you have this hero character who has made a plan and is willing to see it through no matter what; there's no sacrifice they won't make, and they're willing to risk it all to keep someone safe, just trust them okay? there's nothing to worry about here!! they'll be the hero, and part of it seems to stem from the belief that the children can't win this war. it's almost like the hero is willing to take all these risks, and sacrifice others along the way if necessary, to keep the children safe.

and in sacrifice, you have someone who's not willing to really play along? the hero is willing to sacrifice those they deem necessary ("necessary" sacrifices are a thing in rwby, see: ilia about sienna [5.5], and tyrian about watts (and neo, sorta) [8.1]), but the presumed sacrifice is like nah, not me, they're not there to take the fall for the hero, they're free. the sacrifice also makes a pointed statement about the plans the hero may have (that others might not agree with); what if it wasn't worth it? it's been a long time—"just hold on" the hero says, as if the plan is long time in the making, they'll be the hero by the end of it, you'll see—but actually, the hero is no closer to their goal.

it's not so much about who or what the songs are really about, it's about the general sentiment behind them; a story about the hero and the sacrifice and the reasons behind their actions / thought process / etc. and how it could apply to other parts of the overall story that goes beneath the surface level of who / what these songs are actually about.

#which is to say #yes this is going through the strq-ification lens #pew pew #strq women are built different