#Weiss off to the side struggling

[humbledoodles]

Ruby with muscles is too powerful 💪❤️‍🔥👀

[smokestarrules]

Was just reminded of this scene from v1, and... hoo boy. It also stands to mention that directly afterwards is the moment when Ozpin tells Ruby that “if [she is] not always performing at [her] absolute best, then what reason do[es she] give others to follow [her]?” which I think pretty much sums up Ruby’s entire character up to this point. 

Leaders aren’t allowed to make mistakes. Leaders aren’t allowed to be people. This episode in v1 ends happily, of course, with Weiss promising to be better and to follow Ruby’s lead, but Ruby’s own mentality because of this episode is inherently and deeply flawed. 

“Why are you asking me? Because I’m the leader? Because I’m just supposed to have something to say? ... Gotta find someone who isn’t just going to screw everything up!” 

So in this moment, Ruby and Weiss have switched places entirely, and that’s fascinating to me. Weiss has upheld her promise, and has done nothing but support Ruby’s leadership, but now that support has tipped too far off the other side and Ruby’s the one rebelling against her assigned role. 

Which isn’t me blaming Weiss -- there’s no one to blame for this situation -- but it is interesting and I think the fact that Weiss was also so clearly struggling in the fight against the Jabberwalkers helps this point; she and Ruby are completely out of touch with each other, and this has to be fixed alongside Ruby’s own self-worth issues. 

Weiss challenged her first, and now she’s going to be the one to help Ruby rebuild herself. 

[pilot-boi]

How do you think Jaune would react if there was a sequel to the girl who fell through the world? Honestly my initial interpretation was some tenant person decides to write a sequel not knowing the truth of it but also I’d love to see the happier version of that where rwbyj have their ever after story written

I think it would depend on the content of the story how he’d feel about it

If it was a sequel, Through the Looking Glass style, then I think he’d be apprehensive and more than a little uncomfortable

The Rusted Knight is a fan favourite character, after all, and no sequel worth its ink would leave the Knight poisoned and dead. So Jaune would definitely be in the story, and he’d probably try to avoid learning anything about it

They’re not just characters, after all. That’s HIM on those pages, doing and saying things he never did (but he would, he would, he knows he would). Alyx is there again, off on another adventure, learning from her mistakes with the Rusted Knight and the Curious Cat by her side

No Lewis

Just the Knight she killed and the Cat who killed her. Jaune wants to scream at the author that this girl is dead, she’s dead, the Cat killed her, they both tried to kill him, and he’ll never be able to repay her for giving him his life back

If it’s RWBYJ getting their own happy ending, then I think Jaune would be cautious but much more open to it.

I could see Blake writing and illustrating the fairytale, with Weiss and Yang as her editors/sounding boards. Input from Ruby and Jaune about their personal struggles (and the years Jaune lost), all translated into terms a child could understand

The Red Huntress, the Icey Heiress, the Shadowed Cat, the Sunny Dragon, and the Lonely Knight. A story of five friends, some of whom temporarily lost their way, or lost themselves, but who all found their way home

[howlingday]

Jaune's Shampoo

Mawraider

"DAMMIT, NORA!" Jaune opened his shower door. As he exited, he noticed his body had drastically changed. Using a mixture of his shampoo and experimental goo found at the fiendish Dr. Merlot's laboratory, Nora had unwittingly created a mutagen just to prank her team leader.

Jaune pushed his way through the shower door, a loud crash echoing through the steamy room. He fell to the floor, catching himself on the slick tiles for a moment before his body scraped underneath him, and his chin smashed into the hard ceramic beneath. He gave a groan as he felt the aching and stinging in his mouth. He ran his tongue across to find where his teeth may be missing from, if there were at all.

"Huh." None were missing. "Guess I got lucky."

This luck was short-lived as he pushed himself to his arms, but his legs felt stuck. Actually, stuck wasn't the right word. Stuck implies individual movement hindered by another. This felt like he was moving both legs as one.. if that made sense, which it didn't for him.

"What the heck?" Jaune looked down, eyes nearly bulging as he saw large protrusions from his forearms. Were those... fins?! Not only that, but these fins had scales, too! He looked further down his torso and discovered his, er, other body parts were gone! Everything below his belly button was replaced by a long, solid white tail with fringes of yellow at his sides! "What the hell is going on?!"

"Would you keep it down in there?!" Jaune snapped his head to the door, where a melodious screeching voice muffled through. "Whatever 'teenage boy' problems you have can be resolved yourself! Quietly!"

Oh, this was not good. In fact, it was well beyond not good. He'd completely forgotten the study session Nora set up with him and Weiss! Wait, did Nora plan this whole thing together? Oh, she was the absolute worst!

"Uh, Weiss?" Jaune called. "Is there anyone out there with you?"

"No, it's just you and me." Even through the door, he could still hear her say 'Unfortunately' under her breath. "Everyone else is busy with some other study session." Another 'Unfortunately' could be heard, a bit louder this time. "Why? You didn't hurt yourself in there, did you?"

"Uh..." Jaune looked down at his body. "Maybe?"

"Unbelievable." Weiss sneered. "Not only are you late to our study session, but you're also injured." There was a drawn-out sigh for extra drama, as Weiss is wont to do. "Are you at least decent?"

Again, Jaune looked at himself. "Kind of?"

"Can you open the door?"

Dragging himself to said door, he looked up to the knob, realizing how close and yet so far away it was. "I'm here, but I can't reach the lock."

"Do you have your scroll in there, or do I need to get Ruby to emergency unlock it?"

"Uh, no and no! My scroll should be by my bed at the end of the room." Quiet thumps of footsteps grew softer, before returning to their normal timbre. "Um, before you open the door, I need you to promise me something!"

"And that would be?"

"Don't freak out?" He couldn't see, but she was rolling her eyes.

"I assure you," the door came open, "I have seen far worAAAAAIE!" Weiss ran to the dorm room door, slamming it shut behind her as Jaune tried crawling after her. Sadly, her bipedal and still very much human form beat out whatever abomination Jaune had going on.

"Yeah, I'd freak out, too." He said with a sigh.

Jaune crawled his way out of the bathroom, his body dragging across the carpeted floor. He didn't want rug-burn, so he tried his best to keep whatever human skin he still had stayed off the floor. Once he reached the desk, he struggled his way into the chair. Nora and Pyrrha shared a mirror up here for personal use. Looking in, he finally got a good look at himself.

His hair remained it's moppy, blond self, though the skin underneath had become coarser than it used to. Following the trail of yellow scales down, he passed his mouth full of serrated teeth, and caught a glimpse of a dorsal fin jutting from his back. Looking down from the mirror to his body, his pale belly shifted to pearl white down his new tail, which ended in a strange near crescent shape. If Jaune didn't think he was a monster, then this was one heck of a costume.

"What the hell happened?" Jaune asked. "No wonder Weiss ran away."

Weiss freaked out earlier, but how was everyone else going to react? Would Ruby still want to be his friend, or Yang, or Pyrrha, or Ren- Well, Ren was a pretty cool guy, so he'd still be his friend. Nora, too, though he'd be angry with her at first. Blake... Well, him and Blake were more friends of friends already.

Still, his mind raced to all the ridicule and disgust his change would bring upon him. He'd be kicked out of Beacon, ruining his dream. His family would disown him, leaving him out on the streets. He'd have to get a job as a traveling circus freak, or worse, be abducted for science experiments and-

"Here." Jaune looked to his side where a tissue limply hung from the delicate fingers of one Weiss Schnee. "Don't get any shark snot on me."

"Th-Thanks, Weiss." Jaune took the tissue into his clawed fingers, accidentally shredding them, and blew into the clumps of rags. "Ugh."

"My thoughts exactly." Weiss said, setting the box next to him. Taking the box, he grabbed more clumps of tissues. After a long silence without blowing, Weiss spoke. "How did this happen?"

"My best guess..." Jaune gave a sniffle. "Nora."

"I hardly think she's capable of genetically altering a human's body to this degree." Weiss said with a scoff.

"You don't know how bad her pranks can get."

"And when would she have time to change you into... this?"

"She must have put something in my shampoo."

"Hmph. I would have used honey."

"She did, last time." Jaune said, remembering his training session ending with him being attacked by Rapier Wasps that snuck into Beacon, mysteriously by a jar borrowed from Cardin. The former bully swore he had no idea why she needed his jar, but she did threaten to break his legs. "This time, she put it in my shampoo."

"...At least it doesn't smell bad."

"Did you just sniff me?" Jaune asked, looking to his crush. She turned away with a blush.

"I thought it might be a clue of how you changed into this!" She nearly screamed. "It's not my fault coconut and lemon would turn you into this!"

"Coconut and lemon?" Jaune asked. "I think that was my shampoo."

"Maybe." She said. "Do you remember the ingredients?"

"Uh... no?" He sheepishly chuckled. Sharkishly? Whatever. "All the ad said was that it was 'spicy fruit' that would 'make me smell like a big fish in a big pond'."

"Of course it did. It's Advertising 101: The Truth Doesn't Sell."

"Do you... Do you think there's a cure?"

Weiss was quiet for a long time. She walked over to the window and tapped into her scroll. She gave a huff and continued to do so. Having enough of looking at himself, Jaune fell from his chair as he attempted to climb down. He crawled over to his bed, his claws digging into the blankets and sheets he made that morning. He tried to lay on his back, only to feel uncomfortable as his dorsal fin almost bent, and chose to lay on his stomach instead. He watched her work tirelessly.

In the afternoon light, she looked like an angel. He fell asleep with those thoughts.

An hour passed when the rest of Team JNPR returned to their dorm. Weiss was asleep next to Jaune, her hand in his hair as they quietly dozed. Nora beamed at her partner. He simply sighed.

"I told you it would work~."

A special thank you to @rwby-encrusted-blog for the inspiration of this work. I hope it's up to your standards.

[novankenn]

Four of a Kind... WHY stop there?

/== Master Post List ==/

Fiona Thyme was not having a good time. Robyn had asked for a volunteer to go to Vale to keep tabs on Ironwood and Atlas' military... which should be protecting Mantel and not some "academy pissing contest", as Robyn put it. Fiona stepped forward, and now she was wishing she hadn't.

The job was simple enough... it was just the crowds. They were just causing her so much stress. Yet here she was on a guided tour of Beacon. She had to admit, Beacon was a nice looking school. Much less utilitarian that Atlas. She had just about gotten over her nerves when she froze, there were two people standing very close to her. As she stood there she watched the tour group move further and further away.

????: You're adorable!

Fiona: Ex... excuse me?

????: Yes she is. Sister Weiss, do you think Sister Pyrrha would mind?

Fiona stepped away and turned to face whomever had gotten so close to her. She froze when she saw a pair of young woman, both in blue dresses, trimmed with golden thread. She easily recognized Weiss Schnee, but not her companion.

Fiona: Ex... excuse me? Who are you and what are you doing?

Weiss: My apologies. This is my Sister Ruby.

Ruby: Hello.

Fiona: Hello?

Weiss: What are you thoughts on... children?

Fiona: Ah... what?

Ruby: She and Jaune would make rather precious little ones, don't you think?

Weiss: I agree.

Fiona: What are you two...

As one Ruby and Weiss, moved in. Hooking their arms through Fiona's they started to walk, causing Fiona to stumble and fall in step with them.

Fiona: HEY!!! Let me go! What are you doing?

Ruby/ Weiss: You have been chosen. Come sister-to-be, join us in making a better world.

Fiona: HELP!

Fiona tried to struggle, but the pair of young woman holding her were much stronger than one would have thought just from looking at them. But what was worse was how even though she was screaming for help... EVERYONE just vanished... like literally took off running in the opposite direction.

Weiss: Sister Pyrrha!

Ruby: We have found an initiate!

Fiona's face paled as she saw someone anyone would recognize... Pyrrha Nikos, also wearing the same dress as Ruby and Weiss... but what was really troubling was the struggling form of a red haired cat faunus draped over Pyrrha's shoulder like a bag of potatoes.

Pyrrha: How wonderful! I have discovered one as well!

Ruby/ Weiss: The King Mother will be over joyed! Blessed be the grand-babies!

Pyrrha: Blessed be the grand-babies.

????: LET ME GO YOU PYSCHO!!! I"M NOT BECOMING SOME FEISTISH BREEDING BITCH FOR YOUR SICK GAMES!!!

Weiss: Sister Pyrrha, that language.

Pyrrha: Neon. Enough.

Neon: STUFF IT BI... *Smack!* ... EEP! You just slapped my ASS!

Pyrrha: Shall I spank you again?

Neon: No...

Pyrrha: Thank you. Now who is you initiate?

Fiona: Fi... Fiona Thyme.

Pyrrha / Weiss / Ruby: SO PRECIOUS!!!

Fiona blushed at the praise, and then grew scared again as the group was once again moving. But they approached a very ominous looking door, fear spiked in side her, and Neon. It jumped even further when the door opened and Professor Goodwitch, also wearing a blue dress trimmed with golden thread stepped out.

Neon/ Fiona : HELP US!!!!

Glynda: Sisters, welcome back. The King mother wishes for a conference after the evening meal.

Neon/ Fiona: Please! Please!

The door snapped shut with an ominous thud when all six figures stepped inside the room. Across the hall a pair of heads peeked out into the hall.

Yang: This is starting to get out of hand. We should do something... or warn someone...

Blake: Yang, honey... do you really want to go head to head with a group that has Pyrrha, Professor Goodwitch, Weiss, your sister Ruby, May Zednog, Arslan Atlan, Neo, and Jaune?

Yang: Not really... but we can't just not do something!

Blake: I'll tell you what we will do, my little Sundragon.

Yang: (Blushing) ...

Blake: We are going to keep you as far away from those nut-cases as possible. I am NOT loosing my blond.

Yang: Huh?

Blake: Yang, I love you... and we're moving to Menagerie. We'll live with my parents until we can get our own place.

Yang:.. you love me?

Blake: Yes, now call your dad, tell him your moving in with your girl-friend, I'll start packing.

Blake gives Yang a quick peck on the lips, and then flutters her eye lashes at her.

Yang: Okay.

/====/ A/N : Well I have been give more suggestions... so I'll see what I can do to keep this insanity going.

Thanks to @freshmiraclecheesecake for suggestion Neon Katt, and thanks to @allday2006 for the suggestion of Fiona Thyme. Also Thank you to @segmentaldragon for the list of "potential initiates"... let's see if I can get a few more of these out?

[the-path-to-redemption]

RWBY's №1 theme; Believe everything the narrative wants you to believe, eat up whatever bullshit's shoved down your thoat, turn off critical thinking. Emerald switches sides at the eleventh hour? She's a good now, praise the internal struggle she's toootally gone through to make this hard risky decision. Raven is a cowardly, traitorous, child murderer who— Oh, wait? She walks among the mcs in an unreleased epilogue? Nevermind, she's a good guy now, and anyone who disagrees is either misogynistic or doesn't get the show's complexity. The mcs say it's different when they act in same ways they denounce the bads for? Then it is different! How dare you think it's not absolutely rational and justified of them?! Last thing you checked, that's what they said. If they believe it's different, then it is, no further questions! Penny said there was no time to heal her human body she's been familiar with for like half an hour before her death? Even though Jaune sucessfully healed a literally impaled Weiss which is far worse than Penny's papercuts on her chest? Then there really was no other way stop victim-blaming Juane!!! Ruby's reaction to the full truth behind Penny's death wasn't shown on-screen and she wasn't shown acting hostile towards him throughout volume? Then she has forgiven Jaune and wouldn't get mad about this at all, she's too kind for this, read between the lines!!!!

Bruh if everything in the timeline is revealed to have all been a dream, you bet they're gotta eat that bs up too. It's fucking rwby.

Oh god, please not the "it's all a dream" shit, I will actually die.

Inconsistency is the name of the game, anon, and the writers are experts at it. Apparently, RWBY is a show where you can only watch one volume at a time, forget about them, and pretend that the next one is a new show. Because it sure as shit feels like that.

[invested-in-your-future]

Honestly the way Ruby was reluctant to form new connections at Beacon, wanted to appear normal, but then went out of her way to prove to Weiss her worth, before she was assigned as the leader, makes me assume that she's sort of a people pleaser. Ruby appears way more like a people pleaser than Yang.

Ruby is complicated because her decisions and behavior stem from her desire to walk in her mother's steps.

I'd imagine she would be perfectly fine with not interacting with people -, the attire choice, beyond allusions to her mother, always felt to me like her way to separate from the world around her.

Where I think it gets complicated is that while she doesn't really want or need people to give her validation, at the same time, others deconstructing her motivations or poking holes in her ideals is her ultimate weakness. It's why Roman's big monologue on that airship serves as a crucial moment that tears her down as a person.

(and it's why the V3 finale is built in such a way that tears down her motivations and destroys her while contrasting it with narrative framing her as a leader in that Arena stand-off segment, not to mention being part of some secret ancient legacy - Ruby is given validation but it's not what she needs nor what she wants)

Meanwhile, Weiss's very existence challenges her very being - Ruby's first impression of her is that of a rich social butterfly who flourishes in crowds, always ending up the center of attention - someone smart, someone who is a powerful fighter and someone who knows what they want from their life.

Her introduction and Weiss's early interactions with Ruby all scream at her - "This is what a Huntress should be, this is what a competent person looks like and you are not like her."

This clashes with Ruby's own self-doubt - her need to "belong" in Beacon due to how it ties into her life's purpose - her need to BE a hero/Huntress like her mother.

She doesn't really want to be liked or useful, but she wants to be a Huntress.

She doesn't want to be praised nor to get that positive feedback, but she can't stand any negative feedback.

She wants to deny her, she reacts to react Weiss in a specific way.

But more importantly, Ruby wants to prove Weiss wrong, and she wants to prove herself wrong.

At the same time, I think Ruby subconsciously gravitates towards people who are hurt (whether dealing with grief or trauma) but have to put on cheerful masks to survive - it's not a coincidence that Ruby's first "real" friends are Weiss (abuse survivor and someone who struggles with identity issues) and Penny (existential crisis due to exploration of developing consciousness) and that the huntress she idolizes is Pyrrha (someone who struggles with being put on pedestal and who had to keep up appearances all her life to the point that it would drive others away and she would struggle with genuine interactions).

At some level Ruby recognizes those struggling with the same issues as her and relates to them - Ruby and Weiss's relationship only truly takes a step forward when Weiss lets her guard down around her in that V1 dorm scene, which means that in the end what progresses their relationship is less Ruby proving herself and more of both actually being vulnerable around each other and thus kindred.

In fact, I'd say the show specifically tells that "proving yourself" is a bit toxic of an idea - it's understanding and connections that matter in the end.

Like, it's the most obvious with Jaune, who doesn't prove to be stronger but, rather proves to be a better person than Cardin by actually willing to risk his life for someone who actively blackmails and bullies him.

There is a certain overlap between Yang and Ruby, though because, in a certain way, Yang's coping mechanism and how she behaves is emulating Ruby, but both are doing it for entirely different motives.

Yang hides a softer, vulnerable side behind a hard-headed, angry exterior, while Ruby hides all her anger and emotional turmoil behind a cheerful, more reserved facade.

Yang rushes headfirst and takes the hits, while Ruby, even at her closest combat range still keeps her enemies at a distance, not to mention having a semblance designed around avoiding hits.

Yang's choice of attire is extravagant and draws attention to her, while Ruby's is designed to blend in and hide.

Yang copes by getting into fights to let off steam, while Ruby bottles it all inside till she can't.

Ruby gravitates towards a person hiding her loneliness behind a facade, while Yang gravitates toward someone who feels aimless just like her.

At the end of V3, Yang copes with trauma by shutting down and distancing herself, while Ruby copes with anger outbursts, essentially reversing their positions.

Yang and Ruby both parallel AND contrast each other.

Yang derives her self-worth from how "useful" she can be to others because she doesn't know what she wants in life and because she has mostly just gone with the flow after giving up whatever childhood dreams she might have had.

Ruby on the other hand knows what she wants from life but it is outright impossible - being viewed as a hero wouldn't make her one nor let her save people, for example. It's exactly why most of the first volumes are just her delaying(or running from) that realization of just how silly and impossible "And then everybody lived happily ever after" is in that world. It's something she had refused to face since Summer disappeared, after all.

[bridgyrose]

🏠 casual roommate/prudish roommate

Ruby and Cinder, which is which is up to you 😌

(Well, since you were so nice)

“And how do you know you wont like it if you dont try it?” Cinder asked with a smirk. 

Ruby blushed as she rolled her eyes, doing her best to keep from watching Cinder strip in front of her. It hadnt been the first time that Cinder had stripped during a hot, summer day, but the idea of being naked around others still didnt feel right with Ruby, especially around Cinder. The older huntress had been a mentor to her at Beacon, almost like an older sister to her, and the idea of moving in with her felt more like a dream for further training. Instead, she had spent most of the last year watching Cinder walk around naked, play strip poker with a few of her friends, and even try to talk Ruby into getting naked. “I’m not… exactly comfortable with, you know, stripping like that.” 

“Why not? You wont be harming anyone and even you said that its still too hot in here even with the little you’re already wearing? What’s removing just a few more pieces of clothing?” 

“Because its indecent!” Ruby paused for a moment as she swore she sounded like Weiss for a moment. “I still want to keep at least a little modesty.” 

Cinder grinned and gestured towards Ruby. “And you think that’s modest right now?” 

Ruby looked down at herself, looking over the tank top and shorts she’d decided to wear. Her tank top left very little to the imagination, clinging to her braless chest as sweat dripped down. Even her shorts seemed to hug her hips tightly, a tad bit small on her after years of training. “This… this is different.” 

“And how is this different?” Cinder asked as she sat down. “You’re practically exposed right now and you’re worried about showing off a bit more skin? Hell, I’ve seen you go to a pool in a bikini. Its not like you have anything no one else has seen.” 

Ruby blushed a bit more as she felt herself get eyed by Cinder, unable to argue that she was wrong. Her hands went down to her shorts as she felt the fabric, the thought of removing them along with her tank top ran through her mind. “Neo… Neo is coming over, isnt she? O-or what if we get called for a mission-” 

“Neo wont mind and will probably get naked herself, and if we get called on a mission, then we’ll deal with that. Besides, Ozpin told you to take some time off, right? You’ve been on mission after mission for months, why not just relax?” 

Ruby quietly sighed and gripped the side of her shorts. Cinder had made a compelling argument and the summer heat wasnt going to leave any time soon. Still, the idea of getting naked in front of her or even around someone else still felt… wrong. Getting naked still felt like too intimate of an activity to her, especially since most shows gave the impression that getting naked with someone would lead to sex. And that was something she was not up for. “I… I cant…” 

Cinder shrugged. “Suit yourself.” 

Ruby quickly went back to her room, closing the door loudly. The air in her room seemed warmer than the rest of the apartment even though her window was open to allow air to circulate and blackout curtains to keep the sun from shining into her room. Still, nothing seemed to help much. In a moment of desperation, she slowly started to strip herself, first by taking off her shorts and relaxing a bit when it did feel better. Though, it wasnt long before she put her bikini bottoms on to feel a bit less naked. Then, she looked down at her sweat soaked tank top, quickly removing it and replacing that with her bikini top as well. She winced as she struggled to get the bikini top to stay on right, not realizing how small it had gotten on her. 

With a heavy sigh, she tossed it away while she dug through her things for something else that’d work. She tossed away a few bras, taking a couple of them and looking in the mirror before throwing them away when she realized just how little most of them actually covered her. Not that she was surprised, after all, she did prefer the feel of lace on her skin and most of the stores she shopped at did put lace underwear on the gothic end. Finally, she settled on a sports bra and put it on, taking a quick look at herself in the mirror. A blush crossed her cheeks when she saw just how much skin she was showing, only embarrassed with the prospect of Cinder seeing her and telling her she might as well just strip. 

Ruby flinched as she heard a knock on the door echo through the apartment, quickly putting her clothes away and grabbing her shorts to pull them back up. Her heart raced for a moment as she moved closer to her bedroom door to make sure it wasnt her own that was knocked on, practically pressing her ear against it. When she was sure that no one was looking for her, she opened up her door a crack to see Neo walking into the apartment, following Cinder. She relaxed and closed the bedroom door, letting out a sigh. 

“Rubes, Neo’s here!” Cinder called out. “We’ll be in the kitchen if you need anything.” 

Ruby nearly froze up and opened the door slightly, peeking out before calling back to Cinder. “Wait, you’re going to be in the kitchen?” 

“Its colder in there than anywhere else in our apartment.” Cinder answered back. “Besides, There isnt a better place to play a few games. We still have a spot open for poker.” 

Ruby could practically hear the grin that Cinder had on her face, knowing full well what she was doing, yet, she couldnt call her out for it. And Cinder was still her mentor, and it was hard to go against anything that she said. Finally, Ruby let out a soft sigh. “Fine, I’ll join you.” 

“Great! We’ll give you a bit of room.” There was a pause. “Oh, and come out naked. We have a different kind of poker in mind.” 

Ruby sighed and stripped down, blush burning her cheeks as she looked herself over trying to rethink everything she was just about to do. After a few, quiet moments of looking herself over and trying to find an excuse to stay in her room, she finally made her way out to the kitchen.

[sytokun]

Art by Mikkusushi on Twitter.

I've been sort of entertaining this idea for a while now. Knowing all the unfortunate baggage and mishandling involved with the White Fang, why not just. Make them the good guys?

Say an official rewrite or reboot of RWBY exists in the future - if those two words rub you the wrong way then whatever, basically a clean slate or re-adaptation of RWBY - the fact stands that the White Fang need a heavy revision.

People are smart enough at this point to know that you shouldn't be villainising the oppressed group trying to fight back against a world that is actively pushing them out - if anything the SDC should be more of a antagonistic faction, kind of like the Shinra corporation from Final Fantasy 7 which RWBY is clearly heavily based on, what with Dust and Materia and all that. But that still leaves you with the White Fang and Blake's arc to write.

This has been a large headache point for anyone trying to figure out how to revise RWBY's more fundamental writing flaws, because the WF are such a prominent antagonist faction throughout the Beacon arc and they were such a problem that CRWBY had no choice but to sweep them under the rug entirely after Adam's death. But hear me out here. Do we really need to latch onto that idea so hard? That the White Fang need to be villains?

Like, imagine a RWBY where the White Fang are shown as terrorists on TV and in newspapers throughout Vale, but when you actually meet them, they're a ragtag band of freedom fighters. They're like Avalanche from FF7; the freedom fighters from Sonic SatAM; you start to realise that they're the good guys. They're the embodiment of Chaotic Good or at worst, Chaotic Neutral.

In any other show they'd be the Resistance, the Rebels against an evil corporate empire - they're just not in the main point of view of the story. Going off this change in perception, one would then rewrite everything else based off that foundation.

Putting aside Adam, Ilia and others simply because they're all supplemental to Blake's arc, where does Miss Belladonna herself fit into this?

If we want to keep her backstory as a person atoning for a dark past, then the WF would be more grey in response, but still not outright evil. Revolution is not without sacrifice, and when you're fighting for drastic societal change, conflict is inevitable. While they may fight for a good cause, not everyone has the will or strength to fight, to endure the monumental societal backlash and opposition. Perhaps Blake was one of those people - jaded and burnt out by the never-ending struggle to be heard, losing hope that change would ever be possible - so she runs away in hopes of finding herself, only to be scooped up into Beacon instead.

What would she feel, fighting for the side that, while may not have oppressed the Faunus directly, have remained ambivalent and blind to their struggles? Hunters who claim to fight for human and Faunus alike, but who clearly have more humans in their ranks and would choose to rather save a prosperous human city over a struggling Faunus slum? Would living among humans change her outlook on the fight, where she's torn between reclaiming the hard fight to preserve her own heritage, vs. a relatively comfortable new identity, but one that forces her to assimilate with humankind and live on their terms? Is there a way for her to reconcile these two sides of herself, these two families she's now a part of?

But let's not exclude other possibilities too. Assuming we have a Chaotic Good WF, what if Blake was actually proud to be part of the Fang, and enrolls into Beacon as an unashamed member? Her conflicts would then come from the people around her struggling to accept that - how would Weiss work with someone whose group keeps sabotaging their trains? How would Beacon deal with a public member of the Faunus liberation movement? Would some staunchly oppose her enrolment, while others see it as a possible bridge to better relations with the Faunus? How many Faunus would be inspired by Blake and look up to her as a Faunus-born Hunter, while others would decry and dismiss her as just a hollow figurehead and Remnant's equivalent of a diversity hire?

When seeing other rewrites or revisions of RWBY, I still mainly see people trying to work with the WF as given in canon. They still keep the activism turned to violence and extremism. The WF and thus a majority of Faunus are still portrayed as terrorists and cannon fodder for fights. But what if there's a better way of going about all this?

In the end, this is just an interesting thought exercise, but I leave you with this:

As Blake has said in the manga: "Fangs of pure white need not shed blood." Those words and the imagery they evoke have always stuck with me when I think about the White Fang and how Blake could have been written, and gives such a valuable insight to why the group was named the way it was.

What if they had never strayed from that name? What if they had not been treated by the story as just faceless enemies to mow down by the dozens... but as people from the very beginning?

[itsclydebitches]

Ruby’s angst is a sore point b/c I will always remember her crying over Salem mentioning her mom only to go back to being confrontational and smug to Ironwood and the Ace Ops.

This is why I harp on about tone so much in my recaps. It is crucial to keep things consistent (within reason) because otherwise your audience is going to start doubting the persuasiveness of this characterization. If Ruby breaks down over Summer's death and then immediately shrugs that off, transitioning into smug antagonism, my takeaway is going to be, "Well, I guess she wasn't that broken up about it" and "Well, I guess Ruby lacks the insight and critical thinking skills to realize that turning on her allies is just going to make Salem murdering more people easier."

If Ruby decides to start this battle and confidently expresses the inevitability of her win against Harriet, only to then start begging for them to lay down their weapons after taking a hit, the takeaway is that Ruby back-peddles on a position the moment she's no longer winning.

If Yang rushes to Ruby's side to comfort her while she sobs and then spends a Volume ignoring her equally obvious distress, the takeaway is that Yang is becoming a worse sister, likely because she's putting all her emotional energy into Blake instead.

If Blake was introduced as a no-nonsense activist willing to get up in anyone's face and then shrinks before an angry friend, the takeaway is that she's grown more passive as the series has gone on.

If Weiss loses her entire Kingdom and then spends the first half of the Volume being used purely as the comic relief, the takeaway is that this tragedy hasn't actually hit her very hard and we shouldn't buy into these incredibly brief moments of grief.

If the group says they don't want to run anymore and then the very first fight they come across results in them running away, the takeaway is that these are heroes who talk big, but can't make those promises a reality.

Similarly, if the group hugs and makes the occasional speech about how much they love each other, but then turn around and criticize, become suspicious of, and dismiss Jaune in his ultimate time of need, the takeaway is that their care is hollow and will falter once the going gets tough.

If Ruby spends whole Volumes active bubbly, optimistic, confident, driven, and at times extraordinarily arrogant, but then kills herself after two days of mental health struggles, the takeaway is that RT is willing to use suicide as a cheap spectacle, rather than a real life issue that must be written with care and proper buildup.

If the show pushes a found-family dynamic and then has four members of that family simply stand there while Ruby kills herself... yeah, the takeaway is, "Wow. They didn't care about stopping her much then, huh?"

We know the characters are supposed to love each other. We know that we're supposed to come up with some easy explanation like, "They were in shock!" But if you actually take what's happening on screen - which, you know, is the backbone of analysis - RT continually undermines the core messages of RWBY through badly managed tone and inconsistent characterization. Every scene is a puzzle piece creating a whole and if the pieces don't fit... well, then the picture is nonsensical. It's not the job of the person observing the puzzle to go, "Well, it certainly looks like this is made up primarily of confused colors, textures, and images, but if I just imagine that all these pieces are different from what's actually in front of me, then the puzzle is perfect!"

[wastelesscrafts]

Project: crochet bralette

Introduction:

If you're a regular here, you might remember me asking for beginner's crochet resources. You've all been amazingly helpful!

After finishing my first plushie last month, I decided to try my hands at something wearable: a crochet bralette.

The project:

I used the basic bikini cup pattern on Ravelry by Regina Weiss to make the cups for my bra. If you're not a Ravelry fan, you can also find this free pattern on the Morale Fiber blog. My yarn is a basic cotton fingering weight yarn.

I still struggle with remembering the names of stitches, so I accidentally used double crochets while following the pattern's instructions for a half double crochet cup. It still worked out though!

Once I finished my cups, I attached them with a row of single crochets along the bottom, then made the band wider and added a row of decorative eyelets in the middle. I then picked up stitches along the sides of the cup and added bands for the back, using double crochets to make them match my cups.

This type of bra often comes with lacing in the back but I opted for buttons instead, using a Dummies tutorial on how to make button loops. Finally, I added a simple shell edging to finish off the bottom of my bralette.

Next, I added chains to the tops of my cups to serve as shoulder bands. I then added a border of single crochets and small eyelets along the cups and chains to widen the straps and create a decorative border. Once I was done, I sewed the ends of my straps onto my bands.

When I tried the bralette on, I realised the space between my cups gaped a little. I improvised a small connection between them to tighten them up.

[ID: a white crochet bralette spread out across a wooden floor. The bralette is decorated with eyelets and a shell edging and has three buttons in the back.]

[ID: front view of a white crochet bralette lying on a wooden floor with its back bands tucked behind the cups. The bralette is decorated with eyelets and a shell edging and has three buttons in the back.]

[ID: back view of a white crochet bralette lying on a wooden floor with its back bands lying on top of the cups. The bralette is decorated with eyelets and a shell edging and has three buttons in the back.]

I didn't take progress photos because to be honest I didn't expect this project to work out as well as it did.

Conclusion:

The result is a white cotton bralette that fits pretty well. It doesn't offer much support, but it's more of a fashion piece than a functional bra anyway so that's fine by me.

If I were to add a longer bottom band and maybe used a different stitch to minimise space in between stitches, this pattern would probably make for a decent tank top too.

I'm really happy with how my first wearable crochet item turned out! Not sure how it'll hold up after a few washes, but we'll see. Either way, I had fun and learned several new techniques so I'd call this a win.

A note on the pattern:

The pattern contains instructions on how to customise the cups to your own size and shape. In theory you could make them as big or as small as you want, but in reality I have no idea how well this would work for sizes larger than my own as I'm still very new to the craft.

If you'd like to see patterns specifically aimed at larger sizes, check out Jam Gabriel and Crafty Madness.

Morale Fiber also has a free bralette pattern based on triangles rather than the classic crochet cup, which comes with a curvy version too.

[heyiwrotesomethings]

Blake belladonna x FEM reader

she has a nightmare about Adam and the reader wakes up /barges into the room and comforts her

thank u have a good one

He Haunts Me Still

Blake Belladonna x She/ Her Reader

A/N: Hi! I wrote this taking place sometime within Volume 7. Hope you like it! Word Count: 1,280

(Y/n) awoke from a dead sleep, not unusual given her semblance. She usually wore earplugs to bed, when it was safe to do so, but Ironwood’s training regimens had her so exhausted that she fell asleep before she could put them in.

She sat up in bed, hearing a rapid heartbeat through the supposedly soundproof wall, along with uneven, nearly frantic breaths. She leapt out of bed, exiting the room quietly so as not to wake Jaune, Nora, Ren or Oscar. She tapped her scroll on the door to the room next to theirs and crept inside.

“Oh, Blake.” She murmured sympathetically.

Blake laid tossing and turning in her bunk, tear stains tracked across her cheeks as she fought off the figure of her nightmares.

The rest of team RWBY would usually be there for her in a heartbeat, but Ruby and Yang had an assignment that they wouldn’t be returning from until tomorrow, and Weiss was with Winter.

(Y/n) crossed the room and knelt at Blake’s side. She gently caressed Blake’s arm, but it was as if the simple brush had burned her. Blake let out a cry and jerked away from the touch.

“Blake, it’s a nightmare, wake up.” (Y/n) told her, cautiously reaching for her again.

Blake grunted, unconsciously slapping her hands away, but (Y/n) persisted until her hands broke through her defenses and rested against Blake’s wet cheeks.

“Blake, Blake! Wake up, you’re alright, I’m here.”

Blake struggled against (Y/n) and the sheets trapping her body, she scratched at (Y/n)’s arms, which stung, but (Y/n) continued gently running her fingers over Blake’s face in an attempt to soothe her.

“Blake, please wake up. Just wake up!”

Blake’s eyes shot open, wild and aglow in the dark of the room. She was breathing heavily. Her heart pounded in her ears and sweat rolled off her like she had ran a marathon.

“Blake!”

Her eyes snapped to the person hovering above her. Had she no night vision, she might have lashed out to defend herself, but she was relieved to find that it was (Y/n) leaning over her and not…

“Blake? Are you with me? Loosen your grip a bit. Let’s try sitting up— oh! Okay.”

Blake sat up and wrapped her arms around (Y/n) tightly, shaking like a leaf. She sobbed quietly against her shoulder and (Y/n) shifted to hold her more easily.

She let Blake cry, comforting her with quiet assurances and soft touches. When she had quieted into shuddering breaths and the occasional hiccup, (Y/n) pulled back a bit.

“Can I get you anything? Water maybe?” She whispered.

“Water would be nice, as cold as you can get it.” Blake croaked.

“On it. Be right back.”

If you wanted cold water, Atlas was probably the best place for it. She filled a cup and even wet a washcloth figuring the cool fabric could help her calm down a bit more. Then she came back to sit at Blake’s side.

Blake thanked her and downed the water in one go, then she covered her face in the damp washcloth, lightly rubbing at the hot skin on her face and neck.

“Do you need more water?”

“No, thank you (Y/n).” Blake took a couple deep breaths and lowered the washcloth to her lap. Her eyes slowly dragged away from her own lap to (Y/n)’s beside her and she gasped when she saw the scratches on her arms.

“Did I do that?” She asked, taking hold of (Y/n)’s closest arm for a closer look. “(Y/n), I’m so sorry.”

“Ah, it’s alright. It’ll heal. If I hadn’t depleted my aura in that training session with Neon and Flint, you wouldn’t even be able to tell.”

“Still…” Blake murmured, trailing off.

“Do you want to talk about it, your nightmare?”

Blake was quiet for a long beat.

“You don’t have to of course. I just meant if you wanted to talk about it, I’m here for you.”

“Thank you,” Blake managed a half smile, “I don’t really want to talk about it, but I think I should at least acknowledge it.”

“Take your time.”

Blake scooted across the bed closer to (Y/n) who seemed to understand what she was looking for and gave her a comforting hug. (Y/n) rested her head atop Blake’s, her nose scrunched a bit when Blake’s soft ear flicked against her face.

“I understood why I had these nightmares while he was still alive, but now…”

(Y/n) rubbed Blake’s outermost arm. She knew right away Blake was talking about Adam.

“I stabbed him in the chest, Yang got him from the back. I watched him fall, I heard the sound his body made against the rocks before he sunk into the freezing water. I know he’s dead, but he haunts me still. What is wrong with me?”

“Nothing is wrong with you, Blake. He had a big impact on your life. He may be gone now, but he left a mark on you. In more ways than one,” (Y/n) applied a soft touch over the spot where Blake’s scar laid, “You need to give yourself time to heal.”

“What if I never do?”

“I can’t promise you will, but I can promise that you don’t have to go through it alone. We’re more than a team, we’re a family. We support each other on and off the battlefield.”

Blake sniffled and lightly headbutted (Y/n)’s jaw.

“Thanks.”

“Anytime.” (Y/n) pulled back a bit to give Blake a tender smile, “I’m usually pretty good about lending an ear.”

“You can leave the jokes to Yang, thank you very much.” Blake laughed quietly regardless. “I do have four ears though, so I kind of get it.”

“So, what do you want to do now?”

“I’m exhausted,” Blake sighed, “but I don’t know if I can go back to sleep after that.”

“Then what if I laid with you for a bit? We can talk about dumb stuff until you fall asleep.”

“I’d like that.”

They got all cuddled up and talked for awhile. Not about Adam, their missions or Salem, just normal things. When (Y/n) had finished a retelling of some of the weirdest things she had ever accidentally overheard, she noticed that Blake was rather quiet.

She turned her head to the side to find that Blake had fallen asleep, and on her arm no less.

(Y/n) tried to pull herself out from under Blake, but she only curled up closer making (Y/n)’s attempts to free herself futile. She tried waiting for Blake to change her position, but the wait was so long that she fell asleep herself.

She woke again the next morning to giggling and the sound of scrolls snapping. She groaned and peered through squinty eyes as another flash assaulted her retinas.

Before her she saw Ruby and Yang taking pictures in rapid succession while Weiss shook her head, unable to keep a smirk away from her lips. When they noticed she was awake, that was when the teasing began. It didn’t take long before the noise disturbed Blake from her slumber as well. She gave her teammates a grumpy glare.

“We’ve still got two hours before training begins. Quiet.” She grumbled.

Blake brought the blanket up over her and (Y/n)’s heads, earning another round of giggles from her teammates before they left them alone to bring breakfast up for everyone.

“Thanks for staying.” Blake yawned, “I think it helped.”

“I’m glad,” (Y/n) grinned, “your purring works really well as white noise.”

“I do not purr.” Blake muttered, though she looked a little embarrassed.

“It sounded like purring to me. I think it’s nice.”

Blake groaned and put a hand over (Y/n)’s mouth.

“Be quiet.”

[chaikachi]

Since the writing team simply refuses to have Oscar meaningfully interact with most of the main cast besides Ruby and Jaune (for now, at least) smh smh, what sort of dynamic and relationships do you think Oscar would have with WBY? Pine boy deserves more justice!

Ohhhh v good questions!! Basing off their respective characters and what few interactions he has had with them, it's still tricky to say, but I'll do my best. DISCLAIMER: RG GLASSES ARE ON FOR THIS, I AM VERY SORRY. IF YOU WANTED AN UNBIASED APPROACH YOU CAME TO THE WRONG PLACE 😭

Both him and Blake are fairly quiet and more introspective members of the group. I think if they had any sort of relationship they'd probably talk to each other about their shared love of books and stories. I do think it would be fun if Blake teased him a little bit like she started doing with Ruby in v8, although Yang is doing a good job of that on her own. My guess for their dynamic is dependent on where Blake's character goes from here though, which is yet to be seen.

As for Weiss... She seems to care about him a lot! And Oscar got super happy when she agreed to go to the movies with him and Jaune. It's hard to say what their 1-on-1 dynamic will be. Honestly i picture it being a bit like Oscar's existing dynamics with Jaune or Nora after the comic relief treatment Weiss got for all of v9. But it's also hard to say, I wish I could come up with more than that. :(

Lastly Yang... honestly she's the one I have the most hopes for future interactions. We've seen so far that their dynamic is a bit goofy with Yang teasing him lots, but she cares about him a whole bunch too. Very much living up to big sister energy imo. She also seems very aware of how close him and Ruby are with how often she brings him up when talking to her sister (Ex: Yang being the one to first call Ruby when Oscar went missing in v6, asking her how Oscar felt about lying to Ironwood, emphasizing that they brought Oscar back from Salem when trying to cheer Ruby up, etc.)

I think I'd really like to see a heart to heart between Oscar and Yang in the future. Not as much as a Ruby and Oscar or Ruby and Yang conversation, but Yang expressed a lot of frustration, hurt, and confusion after Ruby snapped. She doesn't understand why her sister hasn't spoken to her or the rest of their team about her struggles... but Ruby did speak to Oscar about them at one point. We've also been given direct parallels back to back of how Yang and Oscar both approach Ruby differently about the same issue. And I think there's a lot to explore there.

As much as I would love to look at this question as exclusively about Oscar + one other person, with no exterior influences, I really can't. When I think of the canon narratives around all these characters, it really skews my read on what to expect in the future.

During v9, we see WBY being setup to be more mindful of Ruby and her struggles in the future... compared to Oscar who has always paid attention to those things. And how any dynamic that mixes those two sides together could lead to Oscar and WBY learning to take better care of their Ruby together.

Also, while we don't get a lot of other relationship focus for Oscar outside of what's absolutely necessary for the story (curse you limited budgets), it is worth noting that Oscar is very often included in team RWBY meetings/arcs where the rest of JNR is not.

Look at our little deuteragonist go. I don't feel like I answered these questions well but I don't know what else to say ahh i'm sorry but thank you for listening😫

[howlingday]

I'm in the mood for some slight angst at the moment, so how about a RWBY version of the Justice League's Identity Crisis, with Jaune being the one who gets mind wiped with a relic from trying to stop his friends?

He doesn't even realize anything's really wrong until he notices how his friends can barely meet his gaze anymore. Why do they look so guilty..?

It isn't until he meets a still traumatized Emerald that it all finally comes back to him...

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Cinder Fall was in prison once more. Another job well done for Teams RWBY and JNRO. Victory like this calls for a celebration. Sure, things got messy when Hazel Rainart was dragged into the mix, but it all worked out in the end, right?

So why did Jaune feel so... off? And more importantly, why did Cinder look so... Well, angry couldn't begin to do what she felt justice. Something wasn't right, and it's when things aren't right that Jaune looks into it.

"Ruby, can we talk?"

"Uh, sure, Jaune." The two leaders left the party, with Yang cooing after them in a tease. "What's up?"

"Did Cinder seem..." Jaune struggled for the words, "...different to you?"

"Different?" Ruby put a finger to her chin. "Well, I wasn't expecting Hazel. She usually works solo."

"Yeah, she does." Jaune furrowed his brow. "But it's not just that. She looked at us like... Mm, I don't know. Like she hates us."

"Well, she is a bad guy."

"Yeah, but I mean HATES us. Like..." Jaune gave a grunt as he scratched his head. "Sorry, it's kinda hard to explain."

"It's fine." Ruby patted his shoulder. "Maybe the fight took a lot more out of us than we thought? Let's get back to the party and relax, okay?"

"Yeah." Jaune sighed. "Okay."

As the two moved back to the party, Blake leaned away from the wall. She mentally sighed in relief, only for a tightness to grow in her throat. It was only a matter of time.

..................................................................................

Cinder carved through her gloves into her cell wall. Her black talons dug into the solid concrete, though with little results because scuffing. All the while, she heaved heavy breaths that steamed out of her.

Those bastards. Those horrible, awful, evil bastards! She recognized how they grabbed Hazel as she attempted her escape. It was the only way they caught her! They held him in the exact same way she had been held years ago.

When she found Emerald. And she was alone once again.

..................................................................................

Emerald sobbed as she clung to Oscar. She felt so helpless. So pathetic. She wanted to die. She NEEDED to die!

But Oscar continued to hold her close. He watched as Nora stood between Jaune and Cinder's body. The horrible monster of a woman had been subdued, but Jaune lost himself and beat her into unconscious. Behind him, Ren was doing his best to calm Jaune's fury, righteous as it may have been.

"Is she... Are you okay?" Yang asked as she crouched near Emerald. She didn't reply beyond her already occurring sobs.

When Emerald was with Cinder, she had never so much as raise a hand to her. Sure, unkind words had been said now and then, but it never got physical. Nor did it get to a point of bruises, bleedings, and burns, either.

"I'll go let the others know what happened." Ruby said, satchel on side. "That way Cinder can never hurt anybody like this again." Receiving a nod from Weiss, Ruby left out the door.

"It won't do anything." Jaune huffed. "Cinder needs to die."

"Jaune-" Nora began.

"Look at what happened to Emerald!" Jaune shouted, making the girl quiet into soft mewls. "Cinder is a threat to not only us, but our families! I have sisters! Parents! I have a fucking nephew, a child who doesn't deserve this! Nobody deserves this!" He glared at the unconscious woman. "I say we put her down. Like the sick animal she is."

There was a tension in the air. Everyone glanced between one another, hoping someone would- could refute what Jaune said. But nothing.

"What if..." Oscar spoke up, looking from Emerald to Jaune. "What if there was another way?"

..................................................................................

"I'm heading out on patrol." Jaune told Ren. His friend didn't turn from the stove. Same as yesterday and the day before. Was he always like that? Jaune simply sighed and shrugged. "I'll be back later tonight."

Jaune made his way outside, down to the patrol house. Along the way, he saw Blake give him a glance, but nothing more. Not even a wave. Blake was distant, sure, but was she always that distant?

"It's not right!" Jaune looked over and saw two children bickering, toys in hand.

"It is so right!" The other child shouted back. She shoved her playmate. Nora then tackled Jaune to the floor.

Jaune shook his head. What was that? Was he seeing things?

He passed by the mechanic's shop. A car pulled in, a handsome teen grinning as he slapped the car door excitedly. As he pulled in, the car muffler gave a loud bang as it backfired. Yang dogpiled him, unloading a heated shell into his face.

Jaune felt his heart race as his teeth and fingers clenched. He'd sparred with Yang before, but it never got so heated. He shook his head as he hurried along to the patrol house. Maybe he could get medical help after patrol. After all, this wasn't anything serious.

The station was just down the street now. Hopefully, tonight wouldn't be too crazy. Nothing beyond vandals and "kids being kids". Hopefully there were a few donuts left from the morning.

There was a bell ring in front of him. It was the old pastry shop that him and Ruby liked to visit. However, neither exited the sweets store, though the patrons were familiar. Oscar was smiling as he and Emerald left. Sadly, the smiles fell as they saw Jaune.

Emerald looked at him like she was going to cry. Just like that night. Half of her faced was covered in faded scars. Just like that night!. Oscar had a look of fear in his eyes as he stood close to Emerald, as if shielding her. JUST LIKE THAT NIGHT!.

"Oscar?"

"Uh, y-yeah, Jaune?"

Emerald screamed as she dropped the box to the ground. Jaune lifted Oscar by his collar with blue eyes blazing. Oscar kicked in the air, but it did little to end his airborne status. Jaune glared into him.

"WHAT HAPPENED?"

[whitelikeroses]

Ship of the Week!

Gonna start posting these here too because why the hell not. I love to scream with joy about my ships. Starting off strong with one of my favorites (actually they're all my favorites), Blacksmith's Familiar! Which is my name for the ship comprised of Blake/Yang/Penny (I named it for the fact that the ship name for Yang/Penny is Blacksmith) Now let's get into it!

These three are, as I so affectionately refer to them, my 'THEY COULD HAVE BEEN SO FLUFFY THEY DESERVED TO BE FLUFFY' OT3. I mean, notice how in the pictures above, Yang lets Penny pick her up, and Penny lets Blake lift her when she hugs them! Anyway Combat Kitty happens to also be one of my favorite rarepairs. One of my favorite things to talk about regarding it is how Blake must know how Penny felt in the early volumes, being different but being able to pass being both a blessing and a curse. A blessing because they can blend in, they aren't targets. A curse because they can't be authentically them. And then you have Yang. Yang who has never been anything BUT authentically herself. Yang who doesn't care that Blake's a Faunus or that Penny's a robot. Because they're still them! And she loves them! And they should be able to love themselves too! Yang Xiao Long who goes out of her way to remind them that not only are they wonderful for everything that they are, but she'd never want them any other way. I hc that Yang runs warm, and thus she appreciates that Penny is cool to the touch. Her favorite times are when Penny and Blake are leaning into her on either side, snuggling into her while she wraps one arm around Penny and uses the other hand to gently pet Blake's ears. Think of the affection in her eyes as she gazes at each of them. Yang's always worn her heart on her sleeve, and that means Penny and Blake are never left in the dark about how she feels about them. This is great for Blake, because she never has to worry about empty promises from Yang. She means and does what she says. It's also great for Penny, who has always struggled with the nuance of interacting with people, and struggles when people either don't say what they mean, or worse, suddenly change their behaviors. Penny's bluntness and slight inability to lie also helps. It helps Blake for the same reason Yang's earnest nature does, and it helps Yang because of her issues with people leaving her, lying to her, and in Raven's case, even trying to manipulate her (I hope I'm making sense). I am so delusional about these three I stg. They would be SO obnoxiously in love that Weiss would have to take to wearing earmuffs in their vicinity to ignore the stream of loving words, and a blindfold to ignore the sweet gestures they'd constantly exchange. Like They're so adorable I could DIE Anyway, Thank you for reading! I have been delusiona- I mean Apex and this has been a Ship of the Week post! See y'all next week!

[dragynkeep]

v7/v8 made me dislike ruby a lot but v9 made me really side with her. i've been in her shoes, with having to put on a strong happy face for everyone because their problems always seem to be bigger than mine.

but to see yang walk ahead of blake to shield her from ruby really broke me. like?? do you not know your own sister?? do you genuinely think she'd harm her own teammate??

blake doesn’t need protection, and it’s weird how yang tries to shield her like ruby is about to hurt her. i get bumbleby's whole thing is "we're protecting each other"

but that doesn't mean go and protect blake (who has shown she can hold her own in a verbal argument anyway) against your own sister, yang!

sorry for the rant, i just am in shock that this was written and executed this way with no one thinking of how ruby would feel from this. ruby was somehow more effected by jaune's rant (which, while valid, doesn't change the fact that jaune basically held a whole town hostage for 10-20 years) than by yang shielding blake.

I really hate that scene because it just makes WBY look like clueless idiots who don't know how to actually care about other people's feelings beyond their own.

And it's worse because they SHOWED they could in the past volumes! Weiss is constantly aware of other people around her; she comforted Yang and listened in V5 when she cried about Blake abandoning them and was the only one in V9 to actually ask Ruby about Penny.

Blake saw that Ruby was stressed in V8 and tried to pick her up by admitting that she looked up to her, that she believed in Ruby and that their plan will work. Which while might've fed into Ruby's anxiety over everyone looking up to her and expecting so much from her, but it was still Blake understanding that Ruby was struggling and trying to pick her up however she could.

And Yang literally ran after her last Volume, literally one/two days prior to the events of V9, and hugged her while she cried over realising that her dead mother might not actually be dead and might even be a monster like the one she just killed.

But now they're suddenly so fucking oblivious it hurts, and it's worse because Yang is meant to be Ruby's overprotective sister. What kind of sister, who already showed that she can pick up when her sibling is struggling, now suddenly doesn't care and walks off to flirt with another girl?

What kind of sister steps in front of said girl to glare at her sister while she's clearly having a breakdown and doesn't even move when the older man is screaming at said sister not five seconds later while she's crying?

The next episode made it even worse by having Yang angry at Ruby for screaming at them and running away, with Weiss practically having to spell it out for her dumbass.

Weiss and Blake annoyed me with how shit they are as a friend, but Weiss at least tried to talk to Ruby about Penny, more than just asking if she was okay and accepting her brushing them off, and Blake just isn't Ruby's friend, those two have not developed any sort of believable relationship for these past nine volumes.

But Yang is a terrible sister, and Yang stans that project too much onto her need to accept that. She is not a good sister, and it isn't even her relationship with Blake that solely ruined it, it's the inability of the writers to remember that Yang was supposed to be Ruby's sister, not her teammate.