#who needs physics when you can have SYMBOLISM and ALLUSIONS and ALLEGORIES and fates you can never escape from

[appalachianapologies]

wrote so hard that google docs crashed on me :(

[flightofaqrow]

Misfortune (Reprise)

I realized I never talked about option 1. Let me back up. And bear with me a moment. We're going to get serious first, and then silly, okay?

I. The Take

I have too many words about it which will probably keep coming and being further refined into new posts, but to put it as simple as possible: My personal portrayal take is that Misfortune is symbolic of a physical disability (aura and semblance are like a muscle, don't u kno) and an allegory for depression/anxiety, and both of these things are further maladapted due to trauma.

We are explicitly told that semblances may or may NOT be reflective of someone's soul, and that if it is, it can be either a semblance shaped by the soul OR a soul shaped by the semblance. ...Remember?

“A common philosophy is that a warrior’s Semblance is a part of who they are. Some say your personality and character can define your Semblance while some claim that it is the other way around. Of course, there are still many who don’t see a connection at all."

We are also explicitly told by qrow that his "semblance isn't like most."

tl;dr (a) people trying to frame Misfortune as some sort of manifestation of qrow's personality or true self just because using that lens does fit a lot of the other characters, or (b) trying to say that having a different perspective about himself and the trauma aspect of things suddenly makes the other parts go away - absolutely smacks of (a) victim blaming and (b) ableism [to me].

This is a me thing, a personal interpretation and portrayal thing. But this is also my muse and my space to talk about it, so I do. No actual hate to people that interpret or have fun with it otherwise, you're valid.

II. The Alternates

On a lighter note, the two alternative options I will accept for Misfortune reflecting some aspect of qrow's true self are:

He wants to stay the hell away from main character drama, so he acknowledges his B Sitcom plot, complete with the stupid slapstick.

and

2. Super secret [til now] background tertiary allusion: Uncle Charlie.

Welcome to doing whatever you wish! you got the wrong guy. Laughing and singing all day! oh, isn't that wonderful. you mean there's no surprises or anything? Oh no, no, no. We know everything here. aw, that's just lovely. the clouds. the grass. the air. [/s] hey. would you like to dance? you must have studied dancing. you have natural rhythm... Ah! I'm getting dizzy... everything is so lovely here. so planned. so ordinary. and that's what's driving me crazy. i need Brazil, the throb, the thrill i've never been there, but someday i will adventure and danger! love from a stranger! let me be surprised! today there's sun, they said there'd be snow when all's said and done, it's fun not to know what keeps my heart humming is guessing what's coming let me be surprised! oh, ain't it great when fate ...makes you wait the world seems mirthless you feel worthless then suddenly, there's a big bone on your plate! Oh, Charlie, please remember Down there's a world of used cars And singles bars, broken dreams And out of reach stars... but it isn't over, not for this rover i don't like to steal... but i don't buy this deal... in 'bout three seconds, she'll have realized... and she's gonna be. wait'll you see. she's gonna be ...surprised!

this is relevant at just face value, but also.

qrow as 'the second child, the twin who never should have been, but came back wrong/cursed from a prior life' has been a brainworm based around this allusion for a very long time, and then Vol 9 came along and we got canon ascension/reincarnation for potentially everybody AND canon time-fuckery based around pocket watch imagery. so you know what, it's the time and place to talk about that too.

Ozma > qrow > Jaune parallel of boys trying so hard to be heroes but just end up dicking around and caught in things they don't understand. delicious.