#and Yang and Ruby return to Patch

[strqyr]

the fact that qrow calls it an "assignment" is what gets me. this is the point of time that glynda should have already arrived to vacuo with help she went looking for—by the time team rwby + jaune return, the ships from all the kingdoms are there already—so it can't be that, and if it was somehow related to this search for help... why not just say so? "tai's still looking for help" is all it needs.

but no. he has his own assignment that keeps him away from vacuo. he left patch for a mystery mission after beacon's cct tower had been broken into, and once again sometime after the breach had happened. he's got to look after "some things", an explanation why he can't go after ruby even when he wants to, why he didn't leave when yang did.

what could be more important? what requires such secrecy that it's an assignment with no further explanations?

all the maidens are accounted for with the mystery girl in the secret meeting likely being the summer maiden—and if she isn't, she's still in vacuo, not in vale or patch.

all that is left is the mystery of where the crown is, and when beacon, the place their enemy excepts to find the relic at is compromised, tai starts going on missions again; when everyone is in vacuo, tai is still in vale / patch.

he is the dragon guarding the treasure. there's no other reason to point his absence if it wasn't an important plot point.

[anthurak]

Ruby's and Yang's Family Reckoning

Has anyone else noticed how each of the post-Beacon arcs thus far have featured a member of Team RWBY returning home and reconciling/repairing issues with their family? Volumes 4 and 5 had Blake returning to Menagerie and reconciling with her parents, while Volumes 7 and 8 had Weiss returning to Atlas and helping repair the broken relationships with her siblings and mother.

With that in mind, I think it’s easy to imagine that Volumes 10 and 11 will be Ruby’s and Yang’s turn to sort out their long-standing family baggage. I mean, they’ve got two of their parents/parent-figures already in Vacuo, the third and their childhood home is just a quick bird-mom-portal away, and it turns out they ALSO recently got information that their fourth parent might not be as dead as they thought.

And here’s the other thing: we’ve also seen an escalation in just how complicated, dysfunctional and overall ‘fucked-up’ the family issues faced by our heroines have gotten over the last two arcs.

As many have noted, Blake has the only unambiguously good parents among her team, with the worst of the ‘issues’ they had to deal with being some simple estrangement. Instead, the real family ‘issues’ Blake had to deal with Volume 4 and 5 was reclaiming her family’s legacy, ie; the White Fang, from Adam and the Albain brothers.

Then we went from that, to the long-abused mess that is the Schnee family.

So going off that trend, as well as several other factors…

Yeah, I have NO doubt at this point that the STRQ family is going to find a way to be an even BIGGER fucked-up, messy, dysfunctional train wreck that Ruby and Yang are going to have to sift through and repair.

Now I know some people are probably wondering how Team STRQ could possibly be worse than the Schnees? After all, they had actual Worst-Dad™, Jacques Gele. How could Summer, Taiyang, Qrow and Raven be worse than that?

Here’s the thing though: The Schnee family may have been a wreck, but it was also a fairly uncomplicated wreck with a singular, easy-to-understand root cause; one utter shitbag who was making life terrible for everyone else. And the solution to the family problems (or at least the START of the solution) wound up being likewise simple and straightforward; just kick out the aforementioned utter shitbag and the family can start healing. I mean, it took less than a day after Jacques was given the boot for Weiss, Willow, Whitley and even Winter to make major steps in patching things up between them.

The STRQ family on the other hand aren’t going to be anywhere NEAR that simple. They are ACTUALLY messy and dysfunctional and complicated and ambiguous and all the other things fandom claims to love yet more often seems to just break their black-and-white-morality-loving brains when they actually see it.

Because unlike the Schnees, Team STRQ DOESN’T actually have just one terrible person who can easily be pointed to as the root cause of their problems (No, not even Raven)*. Instead, I think it’s becoming more and more apparent that Summer, Raven, Qrow and Tai are simultaneously good people who all love their daughters and genuinely want the best for them, and are also all MASSIVE dysfunctional fuck-ups in each their own way who have FAILED Ruby and Yang as parents in one way or another.

Summer the ‘supermom’ who also obsessively chased her hero-complex into martyrdom.

Raven the ‘daddy had a good reason for leaving you’ who actually didn’t have a good reason.

Qrow the ‘cool uncle’ who’s actually spent the last 15+ years wallowing in alcoholic depression.

Taiyang the at-first seeming ‘reliable’ father who turns out to actually be a MASSIVELY dysfunctional wreck.

All while Ruby AND Yang can both state openly and matter-of-factly that YANG was the one to RAISE RUBY. The kind of sibling relationship we might generally expect to see in two orphans. Which does NOT, in any context, speak highly of the parenting they received.

And I think Volumes 10 and 11 are going to be when the story finally shines a light on all those problems and forces Ruby and Yang to finally confront them.

Simply put, I think this is going to be when the story effectively yanks the rug out from under us and flips the script on basically everything we, plus Ruby and Yang, long assumed about Team STRQ has been wrong. Or alternatively for Ruby and Yang, everything that’s been right in front of them, yet have been refusing to confront all this time.

Things like just about everything Yang thought she knew about her family when she explained her backstory to Blake in Volume 2 (and which has served as the basis for nearly ALL of our assumptions about Team STRQ) turning out to be wrong in one way or another.

Or things like Taiyang being shown to be just as big a dysfunctional fuck-up parent as Qrow and Raven.

Or things like Qrow being called out for ditching the family pretty much just as much as Raven did to join Ozpin’s secret society.

Or Raven turning out to be Ruby’s dad.

Or Summer turning out to NOT actually be dead and is basically Salem’s Darth Vader via horrific grimm-hybridization.

And ultimately, just how much Summer, Raven, Qrow and Taiyang all FAILED Ruby and Yang as their parents, as illustrated, once again, by the fact that Ruby considers her primary parent-figure to be none of them, but rather YANG.

Ever since Volume 1 featured songs like Red Like Roses Part 2 and Gold, the fact that Yang raised Ruby has been a proverbial Sword of Damocles hanging over Team STRQ. Representing the fact that that ALL of them, Summer, Raven, Qrow and Tai, FUCKED UP as parents.

And I think in the next couple volumes, that sword is finally going to fall.

--

*Okay, maybe Ozpin.

[razorblade180]

Streamer AU 6

Number 5 <-

Weiss:*rolls into view*….I’ve returned.

Yang:The bitch is back.

Weiss:Wow! Okay, rude. It’s not like I really left. I was in your streams all the time. I just don’t feel like doing my own after missions.

Yang:And yet somehow you still have more subscribers than me.

Photo Bunny gifted 30 subs

Weiss:Oh my gods! Velvet, thank you so much!

Yang:And the rich get richer!!!

Weiss:She says, knowing I’m not rich anymore.

Yang:And yet the money still pours in. Chat, make her play a horror game for being gone for so long.

“Yes!”

“PLEASE!”

“Alien Isolation.”

Weiss:Absolutely not. We have plans already. I’m just waiting for my co-host.

Yang:What am I then?

Weiss:A person who saw me hit the “live” button and immediately hopped into call to call me a bitch.

Yang:It’s in all in good love.

The Reaper: “Ayo! Look who’s back!”

Yang:Ruby, call Weiss a bitch.

Weiss:I’ll un-mod you. I’ve learned to do that recently.

Ruby: *enters call* Oh gods, chat, she’s learning computers. Tech savvy Weiss is dangerous. Who taught her such power?

Weiss:Your girlfriend.

Ruby:Oh, sorry chat. My girl can do no wrong.

Protector of Friendship: “💚”

Ruby:What’s the gameplan today? “Just chatting?” We can play Uno again.

Weiss:You hate teamwork. I swear you do.

Yang:Sends us on a life threatening mission where trust is needed, just to ruin it a day later.

Thunder Thighs: “How was mission? Everyone okay?”

Weiss:It was just bandits. Lots and lots of them. Unfortunately they ruined a village so most of the expenses went to rebuilding the town.

Yang:Chat, this woman is only on camera right now because her power bill is scaring her. This cute face has a price tag.

Weiss:Hey! I actually missed gaming. It’s oddly relaxing when I don’t listen to Ruby’s suggestions. Or Blake’s.

Ninja of Love: “League actually isn’t that bad.”

Ruby:That’s what I’m saaaaaying!

Yang:Don’t listen to them. They’re ill and can’t be cured.

Weiss:*looks at scroll*…Oh, I’ll be right back. Yang, you’re in charge. *gets up*

Ruby:Why not me?

Weiss:Because Yang doesn’t play League!

Ruby:You two lack vision. The four of us could be our own team! We could grab a few more friends and train for tournaments.

Ren: *enters call* Ruby, you are way too toxic for that. *leaves call*

Yang:Hahahahaha!

Ruby:You can’t just show up to say that!?

Weiss walks back into view rolling a second chair next to her. She’s then handed a coffee cup she gladly sips as she sits back down, all nice and cozy. Sitting next to her is Jaune, chilling in her merch hoodie as he waves.

Jaune:Hello…

“Whaaaat?”

“Oh it’s the guy.”

“Hi Jaaaaaaune!”

“Nerd alert”

“Co-host?”

Yang:I can’t believe you chose the other blonde over me. How cruel. What does he have I don’t?

Jaune:*holds up Kingdom Hearts*

Ninjas of Love: “FINALLY!”

Yang:..I would’ve bought it.

Ruby:Alright, maybe you chose better than Uno.

Weiss:Okay everyone, you can guess tonight’s game. It’s not like it hasn’t won several polls.

Ruby:Oh! Oh! Weiss, sub goal idea! 80 subs and you have to do a cover of the opening!

Weiss:I haven’t even heard it yet!

Jaune:You might like it more than the song from FFX.

Weiss:….

Yang:She’s setting you up for success.

Weiss:…We will circle back to that. Speaking of FFX, same rules apply. I don’t need back-seating from chat. My wonderful co-host here will help manage the stream and aid me with anything I ask.

Blake: *enters call* Jaune, what version is that?

Jaune:It’s from the 1.5 collection, so final mix. Post the patch.

Blake:You’re a good man.

Weiss:Do you want the camera on you or is that uncomfortable?

Jaune:I’m okay. This setup is nice.

Ruby:Questions like these wouldn’t be an issue if you got a VTube model. Penny could hook you up.

Weiss:I only recently learned how to fix normal PC problems. Don’t put that burden on me.

Yang:What does OBS stand for?

Weiss:I saved your life yesterday. What’s your damage with me?

Big Bags & Miniguns: “Is this the mystery boyfriend we’ve been searching for?”

Weiss:Cocoa, you’ve known Jaune forever. He’s always been around as a mod.

Thunder Thighs: “That wasn’t a no.”

Jaune:I literally showed my copy of the game. You all know why I’m here.

Cardinal Pride: “As if she’d date someone as lame as-

Message Deleted

Photo Bunny: “Please remember the chat guidelines before typing”

Ruby:I would’ve blocked him.

Weiss:He gets one more chance. I’m in a good mood.

Jaune:That’s the Kingdom Hearts spirit. *puts disc in*

Weiss:This won’t make me cry like Final Fantasy did, will it?

Blake:Oh….sweetie….

Weiss:*inhales* Great.

Yang:I already made a crude layout for the singing goal. I swear graphic designers should be thankful I like cars and fighting Grimm more.

Jaune:Don’t have any lower goals?

Weiss:I’m 20 away from having to cosplay a character from a game I’ve played. They also get to vote on an emote.

BB&MG: “How many subs for a boyfriend reveal?”

Weiss:…*rubs chin*

Ruby:You’re thinking about it!?

Weiss:I mean I’d have to talk it over with him to see if he’s comfortable with others knowing, but also that goal has to be high enough for Cocoa to be scared.

Jaune:….This game isn’t terribly long, and you have new followers. Personally I’d shoot for no less than 300.

The Monkey King: “Bleed her dry. 350”

BB&MG: “I thought we were friends Sun?”

Weiss:350 it is! After I discuss it of course.

“You’re on!”

“You underestimate our power!”

“I swear if it’s Neptune.”

“Just wait until payday!”

Yang:Like I said, the rich get richer.

[rwac96]

Farmer Au prompt

Weiss in an effort to expand her horizons stays with Jaune on his family’s farm over break. She comes to deeply enjoy a variety of aspects of farm life; especially ‘rolling’ in the hay.

A small, relaxed sigh escaped Weiss Schnee's lips, as she reached out towards the leaves of a turnip. Using both hands, the white-haired girl pulls the vegetable from the soil, placing it in a basket filled with others. The Team RWBY Lieutenant has been staying at Jaune Arc's childhood home/family farm over the break. It was either spend her Summer with Jaune, who admittedly from the both of them, started off on the wrong foot, or return to her father. Evidently, Weiss chose the former, since Ruby returned to Patch, Blake decided to take a boat to Menagerie, and Yang was doing community service back in Vale. That last part was something Weiss made a mental note of not dwelling over.

As for Jaune's team, Nora and Ren, due to their home being long destroyed by a Grimm attack decided to stay at Beacon, while Pyrrha returned to Argus to visit her mother. Weiss made a lot of assumptions about Jaune's home life, but the people seemed more welcoming. But, the current climate in the Summer was unbearable for her. That fact is evident as her face is covered in beads of sweat. As she plucked the last turnip, shaking the basket lightly.

"That should be that," the singer said with a relieved smile, "I suppose this isn't too bad."

THA-THOOM!!!

Then, she became soaked by an instant downpour of rain after a crack of thunder. Her relieved, victorious smile turned into an annoyed frown. "Dammit," she sprints towards the barn, the closes building to avoid the elements.

---

"There," Jaune drapes a blanket onto the middle Schnee child, "you good?" He exhaled, plopping down onto a stack of hay next to her.

"Yeah," she nodded, leaning her head against the lone Arc son. "I have to say, this place, it does have its benefits." She gives him a warm smile with a quick wink.

[novankenn]

Spirits of Vengeance...

(1)- the Rider (Yang)

"YOU FUCKING BASTARD!!!!" Yang screamed at the shadows inside the garage at her family home on Patch. "WE HAD A DEAL!"

"We did..." came a sinister almost hissing voice from all about her. "and I kept up my end."

"How? How did you? Mom is gone! She's gone!" Yang wailed tears flowing down her cheeks.

"I brought her back, like you asked..." the voice informed the distraught young woman. "We never agreed on how long she would stay..."

"So it was you!" Yang pushed down her sorrow and latched on to the burning rage with in her heart. "You did that to her and Ruby!"

"I did not." the voice replied. "I do not HURT my investments."

"I'm not an investment!"

"Oh my dear, dear Yang... yes you are."

"Bring them both back! I'll make another deal! Just bring them back!"

"I'm sorry my little sun-dragon... but you only get one deal."

"You can do it!" Yang wailed "You did it once you can do it again!"

"I'm sorry Yang... but without a deal... I can't..."

"But..." Yang collapsed to her knees , wrapping her arms around herself in a vain attempt to stop her shaking. "Why... why..."

"I wish I could tell you why..." the voice answered. "I truly do, but I have no answers for you... at least not yet."

"Yet?" Yang looked up to see a set of ominous and sinister glowing eyes in the deepest shadows of the garage. "What... what?"

"I have a job for you... and while you work to complete it... I'll find out the why and who of what happened to your mother and sister... deal?"

"Wait... you said no more..."

"This is not the same type of deal you made with me ten years ago..." the voice replied, "This is more of a verbal agreement. You do something for me... I'll do something for you."

"I... I..."

"Yang, my little sun-dragon... you really have no choice. I made an investment in you. I nurtured you strength, and wellness. I empowered you... now I aim to collect..."

"I won't..."

"You will. You have no choice... though if you... willingly choose to complete this task... I can do things in return... like find your mom and sister... so... what is your choice?"

"You swear?" Yang choked out as she forced herself to her feet. "You swear if I do this you will find them?"

"Have I EVER broken a promise to you?" the voice asked in response. "Will you be my rider?"

"Yes..." Yang answered with a shaking voice.

"Say it!"

"Yes, I will be your Rid.... ARGH!!!!!" Yang twisted about, pain shredding through her body. She staggered and fell to her knees as smoke began to flicker about her body. Wispy tongues of orange flame licked about her flesh, and she shrieked in agony.

"The change gets easier... with time." the voice commented as Yang's pale flesh melted and then was charred away. Floating into the air as specks of ash.

The sounds of her screams had never left the garage. The shadows having deadened them into complete silence... so there was no one but it to witness as the once vibrant beauty rose to her feet. All her exposed flesh was gone, leaving nothing but gleaming bone wreathed in flickering flames. Her once long golden locks now nothing but a cascade of rolling flames.

"Go. Vale. Her name is Trivia Vanille, though she goes more by Neo nowadays." the Rider turned it blazing eyes towards the origin of the sinister voice. "She is not wat she appears to be. Send her home."

"Send. Her. Home." the Rider hissed out in a guttural voice, before it moved forward towards her alternate body's pride and joy. As soon as its flaming fingers touched the motorcycle, flames leap forward and coiled about it. Slowly the formerly sleek street bike twisted taking a shape more inline with its new owner.

With a hissing snarl the Rider gunned the engine and tore out of the garage and down the short driveway, leaving a trail of flickering flames as it went.

The red eyes watched the Rider leave, before they too faded away.

(Master List)

[asmallermorehonestsoul]

RWBY Beyond: Boba

Yang plans a surprise outing for Ruby.

I love sister content lets go!

I love them so much TT.TT also return of chibi Ruby from Vol1 lol

She's a celebrity now! Awwww our poor awkward Rubes sdsdfgdsfg

Normal knees! Another Vol1 callback! And Yang once again being a proud big sis

HELP THE IRL PHOTOS TOOK ME BY SURPRISE SDAFFGDFG

but its cute to see Ruby so excited again! Confession, I never had boba, not sure how i'd feel abt it

Oh it was a shop from Patch that they used to go to with Tai, awwwww

OK so Tai is on assignment? But i guess it's bringing up old feelings for Yang

Awww Yang trying to talk abt Ruby ascending and letting her know how much she cares abt her

Awwwww 'boba' is their 'i need help code word'!

Again I love sister content so this was very good! I liked hearing abt the boba shop, and Ruby being so happy. And Yang having that hard conversation... has she learned abt asking for help either? I wonder what Tai's assignment is though... well it was nice they got this moment.

[bestworstcase]

Why didn't Salem recognize Yang as Summers daughter? Summers, not Yangs bio-mom, so Yang doesn't physically look like her. But there's no reason that Summer couldn't just show Salem a picture of Yang and say, "That's my other daughter." Even if Summer didn't have any pictures to show, she could have pointed Yang out during vol.3 while she was on camera.

I don't think Summer approved of Yang being framed by Emerald or of her being maimed by Adam(assuming that Summer knows it's him who did it).

But this begs the question of why wouldn't Summer tell Salem? Salem doesn't know that Raven is the spring maiden, so she shouldn't know that there's a possibility of Yang being next in line for the powers. But even if Salem knew about Raven, Summer withholding the fact that Yang's her daughter doesn't do anything to protect Yang.

(Or Summer doesn't consider Yang her daughter/doesn't value her as much as she does Ruby, which is a whole other can of worms that i don't think is the case).

well, when the story begins it's been twelve years since the last time summer either of her daughters and, having faked her own death, summer wouldn't have access to more recent photos necessarily. add to this that evernight—being hidden away in the recesses of an uninhabited continent—obviously wouldn't have been hooked into the CCTS even before the fall of beacon knocked out global communications.

summer could have described what yang looked like, sure, but no one is going to immediately recognize a nineteen year old on the basis of a verbal description of what she looked like when she was five, you know?

during V3, summer was probably on the ground at beacon academy (she's the only one of salem's circle with a motive to leave ruby alive when she pulled a grievously injured cinder off the tower) while salem remained at evernight; at this point she might have received reports from summer that both ruby and yang were enrolled at the school, but those would have again been verbal, over seer, because evernight is too far from the CCTS for summer to be transmitting video or pictures.

and after beacon falls, summer remains on campus while cinder et al return to evernight. at that point, salem would certainly know that ruby's glare injured cinder, seems to have been informed when ruby left home months later, and she might also have heard from summer that yang lost an arm and is still safe at home in patch.

<- that accounts for the disparity between salem's overt insistence on leaving ruby alive versus never mentioning yang at all; ruby was the one who hurt cinder (thus the one cinder had a motive to harm), and ruby was the one gallivanting across anima with only a few classmates and her alcoholic uncle to protect her. depending on how closely summer has actually been able to monitor what's going on in the xiao long cabin, there might be a significant gap between yang leaving and summer being able to confirm that yang has left or why. it's not like she can sit around spying on the cabin all the time—she has the academy to hold and a vault to find.

basically, the answer is fog of war. salem doesn't even know who neopolitan is when cinder brings her home in V8—and neo was one of the key infiltrators responsible for bringing beacon to its knees!

i do think there's a possibility that cinder targeted yang in the tournament specifically because yang is summer's daughter (<- nest parasitism), but from summer's point of view… like, getting yang disqualified and kicked out of the tournament isn't the worst thing in the world? because it means yang definitely will not be in the arena when the grimm hit it, and depending on how severe the disciplinary action is she might be removed from the campus altogether. it's unpleasant but there you go.

and then adam was one of cinder's pawns, not someone who answered to salem or summer, and "the rogue white fang lieutenant cinder recruited is the vindictive ex of summer's daughter's teammate and he decides to dismember summer's daughter to emotionally torture the teammate" is frankly not a scenario that anyone in salem's circle could have predicted, not is it something that summer could reasonably fault salem for. cutting off yang's arm wasn't exactly part of the plan.

i do, however, think that salem suspected that this girl was probably summer's other daughter—about the right age, blonde, violet eyes, and she's the girl who rushed to ruby's side when salem "your mother"-ed ruby yesterday. she might not have known for sure, but… this:

is an extraordinarily calm reaction to yang's deliberately provocative "all this endless death, just because something bad happened to you once upon a time?!" and if salem had even the faintest shred of suspicion that this girl is summer's eldest then that's all the more incentive to sharply rein in her temper. "and who is it i've taken from you, girl?" is a sly way of getting yang to identify herself.

sidebar. i also don't think summer knew that raven is the spring maiden—i think she fled from that confrontation before gretchen died and guessed that the power would have gone to someone unknown (remember how qrow specifically throws in "unless it's a dude" when they're explaining how the powers are transferred? remember how gretchen had a twin brother? assuming that her last thoughts would have been of hazel isn't a huge leap), hence why salem's people are also trying to find the spring maiden and hence why cinder doesn't walk into that camp forewarned that raven is the actual maiden. fog of war!

[writingrapscallion]

Avatar Ruby AU

Idea for Avatar AU inspired by this great fic: https://archiveofourown.org/works/50903554/chapters/128597659

So after reading this fic, I've been having an ATLA Whiterose AU in my head for days. The setting I've been thinking of is much like the regular show— the Fire Nation's at war with the rest of the world, and Ruby must act before Sozin's Comet returns. The Air Nomad Genocide was closer to 20 years ago than 100, and was done after capturing the previous Avatar rather than to kill the next Avatar. The Fire Nation believed that, by killing the entire Air Nation then killing the Avatar, they would forever break the cycle of reincarnation since there would be no Air Nomads to inherit the Avatar Spirit. This plot was only barely stopped by the survival of one Air Nomad: Summer Rose.

Team RWBY:

Ruby Rose:

Daughter of the last surviving Air Nomad, Summer Rose, and a Fire Nation soldier, Taiyang Xiao Long.

Taiyang, who had joined up in the Fire Nation army before he truly understood what they were, had done his best to save people from the Air Nomad Genocide. However, he ended up only being able to save Summer, whom he eventually fell in love with.

When Ruby was very little, she was identified as the Avatar. However, the Fire Nation found out and attempted to kill her, leading to her mother's death and her family hiding out on Patch, a small Fire Nation Island.

One of Ruby's oldest memories is her childhood home going up in flames as Firebenders attack— this leads to her repressing her ability to bend fire before she knows that she's the Avatar and, later on, a reluctance to use fire (much like Aang in the show).

Ruby fully believes that she's an Airbender, like her mother, since Taiyang and her Uncle Qrow didn't tell her she's the Avatar

Much like in the show, Ruby's a cheerful, mischievous kid. She uses her Airbender speed to rush everywhere, although she's been reprimanded for risking her identity enough times that she doesn't use it around people.

She works as a blacksmith's apprentice to her father, and is still obsessed with weapons— Crescent Rose very much exists in this AU, although it's unfortunately not a gun.

She hopes to be a freedom fighter like her Uncle Qrow. However, for all her hatred of Fire nation imperialism, she's not got the blinding hatred of someone like Jet (or in this universe Adam). She truly hopes she can bring about a peaceful resolution to the conflict (even if she's not as violence adverse as Aang).

When she's 15 years old, she accidentally unleashes her Avatar powers to save Yang and has to flee her home to avoid discovery.

Yang Xiao Long:

After Taiyang left the army but before he and Summer got together, Taiyang had a relationship with a pirate named Raven. Although she's Fire Nation by birth, Raven's Raiders are really a scourge on all four nations, preying on whoever has something they can take.

Although Taiyang initially believed Raven to be someone like him, Fire Nation by birth but taking a stand against their Nation's evils, he leaves when he realizes that she's just motivated by greed and doesn't care who she hurts.

Yang remembers a bit more about Summer than Ruby does, and hates the Fire Nation government as much as her sister. She's not quite as idealistic as her sister, and is a lot more suspicous of people they meet (especially Weiss).

Taiyang taught her his own, very physical style of Firebending, and Yang took to it like a duck to water. Her flames are even fiercer than her father's, but she lacks some of his control— nothing that would be a serious issue against an unskilled opponent, but maybe down the road...

Does several missions with her Uncle Qrow to sabotage the Fire Nation war effort (she keeps her actions secret due to her father's fears). She's just as surprised as her little sister when, after a botched missions leads to her being almost killed, Ruby enters the Avatar State to save her.

Weiss Schnee:

Although a lot of people put Weiss in the Water Tribe due to ice being her thing, it only made narrative sense to me for her to be Fire Nation (also I love Zuko and she's now basically Zuko)

She's the second of three children of the Fire Lord Jacques Schnee and Willow Schnee. Although Willow is the actual heir to the throne since her father was the Fire Lord, Jacques Schnee, a powerful merchant, managed to orchestrate a subtle palace coup after Willow's parents death to take power.

Although the Schnees are Fire Nation royalty, blue is still the main color of their outfits, since blue is the color of very hot fire. As Jacques Schnee would put it: "common flames burn red, but Schnee flames burn blue."

Weiss' parents are much like in the show, with her controlling father orchestrating her childhood while her mother became an alcoholic to deal with her loss of power.

Her older sister, Winter, ran away years ago, and although Weiss doesn't know what happened, she's told that her sister betrayed the Schnee Family and the Fire Nation. Weiss has grown resentful of her older sister, pubicly because she's a traitor but secrelty she's more mad that her sister abandoned her.

The one person Weiss has found she can truly rely on is her butler, a retired Fire Nation soldier named Klein. Although Klein was a decorated warrior, he retired from the military (partially due to his disagreement with the military's new priorities). He was chosen to be Weiss' attendant, and pretends to be simply a servant in public, although he is in truth her closest confidant, a sharp-minded old man who's unshakably loyal to Weiss (AKA ripoff Uncle Iroh).

Much like Zuko, Weiss challenges a plan that would have led to the slaughter of innocent Fire nation Troops (as well as massive civilian deaths) and is forced into an Agni Kai, realizing only too late that she's facing her father.

I think it would be interesting for Jacques to be a non-bender in this, just because ATLA villains are always mighty benders and I think it would be cool to have a non-Bending villain. For this reason, Jacques either physically beats Weiss since she refuses to fight (with some kind of monologue about how all the Firebending in the world and she's still too weak to fight him) or a proxy like Cinder fights for Jacques. This is where Weiss gets her eye scar, as well as a lot of other, less visible scars.

Although Weiss was previously a Firebending prodigy, after months of recuperation due to her injuries in the Agni Kai she's become rusty, struggling to be as good as she once was. She's continually upset by her failure to live up to, in her eyes, "basic standards," unable to even conjure her family's signature blue flame.

Once she's healed, Weiss is sent into exile until she, you guessed it, captures the Avatar. She's accompanied by Klein and an old ship she'd commandeered on what seems like a wild goose chase, until, suddenly, she sees a pillar of light.

Blake Belladonna:

I feel like Blake should have cat ears, but I don't want to figure out how the Faunus into this universe, so everyone who is a Faunus in the original show will continue to be one but it will just never be commented on.

The White Fang are a radical anti-Fire Nation group (much like Jet's Freedom Fighters in the original). Although motivated by the very real misdeeds of the Fire Nation, the White Fang has lately begun indiscriminate attacks on Fire Nation citizens and even Earth Kingdom groups it views as collaborators due to their leniency.

Blake was a member of the group until Adam, the group's leader and her lover, plotted to collapse a mine that was being used to fuel the Fire Nation war effort. When Blake realized that most of the workers who would die in the mine collapse were Earth Nation and only working there out of fear for their families, she tried to stop Adam from but he merely stated that they were collaborators who deserved what they got. Blake realized how twisted he and the group had become and decided to leave.

When Blake encounters Ruby and Yang, she suspects that they may be Fire Nation spies and joins their group, attempting to deduce their purpose (imagine how Jet thinks of Iroh & Zuko except a lot subtler). Upon realizing who they truly are, she enthusiastically volunteers to join them, believing this to be a way to truly help defeat the Fire nation.

Blake is incredibly cynical and, while not as blinded by rage as Adam, still has a deepset hatred of the Fire Nation. Meeting Yang and Ruby, friendly people raised in the Fire Nation, caused her to rethink some of her assumptions about the Fire Nation, assumptions further challenged by Weiss.

[strqyr]

i just can't get over the fact that yang expected tai to be there.

after returning to remnant and getting to shade, yang and ruby have probably witnessed weiss and maybe even blake reunite with their own families. and qrow is there. raven is there. people who made it out of vale are there, the fucking bubba bubba boba shop is there, having relocated to vacuo from patch.

but tai isn't, and it's weird. unexpected, so uncharacteristic that yang has to wonder why, the answer she has been given unsatisfying because what could be more important than being there? what could possibly keep their father, who they know to be someone who worries a lot and at times is a bit overprotective, away from vacuo where everyone is preparing for the final stand?

and it's pulling at my heartstrings like they miss their dad so much and it's just so 🥺

(and ya know also slightly worried for tai's state of mind like does this man know his daughters are alive and back on remnant has anyone kept him updated like please tell me he's not super depressed somewhere thinking his daughters are dead preparing for his own final stand against the impossible just to keep the crown safe bc what does he have left anymore the last time we saw him was alone with zwei in a dark room like hello??? health check????)

[anthurak]

Okay so Salem steamrolling into Vale, as we find out in the Volume 9 Epilogue, honestly makes PERFECT sense both in-universe and narratively.

See, going back to Volumes 4 and 5, we know that Salem hasn’t been able to actually FIND the Beacon Vault yet. So assuming that’s still the case, it honestly makes perfect sense that after getting the Lamp and Staff, Salem would set up shop in Vale in order to deal with locating the Vault herself. As to why she’s going after the Crown in Vale and not the Sword in Vacuo?

Simple; she KNOWS where that vault is, plus she’s already got Tyrian, Mercury and her two latest patsies the Asturias siblings handling that. Plus I imagine Salem’s gotten a bit annoyed at the lack of progress at Beacon, so she’s decided to handle locating the Vault herself. Not to mention that unlike with Vacuo, Salem already has the key to the Fall Maiden Vault (Cinder), so once she locates the vault, she can just swipe up the Crown of Choice no problem.

And from a narrative perspective, Salem now being in Vale nicely streamlines and ties together multiple story threads for the final battle against her: Now Team RWBY and co. can do a ‘triumphant return to Vale’, ‘retaking Beacon’ AND a final showdown with Salem all at once!

Now for a bit of fun theorizing on what’s actually gone down at Vale and the status of the Crown of the Choice:

First off, I don’t actually think that Ruby’s and Yang’s home and adoptive father have been overrun by Grimm. Let’s not forget that Patch is an ISLAND off the coast. And that Salem coming to Vale was almost certainly less about totally subjugating/destroying the kingdom and more about finally getting to the Vault under Beacon. Meaning that Salem is likely satisfied with simply securing the city and probably doesn’t care about a random island off the coast.

Which in turn nicely makes Patch, Ruby’s and Yang’s home, very important going forward. Both as a last remnant (pun intended) of resistance against Salem in Vale, as well as a natural beachhead for when it’s time for our heroines to finally take the fight to Salem.

In fact, this could neatly explain why Taiyang isn’t in Vacuo: He’s still on Patch helping to organize evacuation/resistance efforts, and more importantly to provide Raven a portal-anchor to the island. Heck, this could even mean that Team RWBY might be taking a trip to Patch during Volume 10 via Raven. Particularly if there needs to be a STRQ family meeting…

Then we have the status of the Crown of Choice, and for that I think we have to go back to a little line from Ozpin back in Volume 5: He mentions to Ruby that the Crown is safe, and curiously does NOT seem all that worried even with Salem’s Grimm infesting and presumably strip-mining Beacon and the Fall Maiden herself currently in her employ.

As I have brought up a few times in the past, I’m pretty sure at this point that the Crown of Choice ISN’T actually under Beacon, and may not even be in a Vault. Instead, Oz pulled a fast one and squirreled the crown away in a place much more inconspicuous.

Which in turn, by law of narrative foreshadowing, means that the Crown is almost definitely squirreled away on Patch. Effectively hidden right under Salem’s nose at this point. (I won’t say it’s been in Tai’s basement this whole time, but you never know…)

And by the way, this would also nicely set up our heroines to secure the Crown in the leadup to the final battle against Salem. They get the Sword of Destruction during their time in Vacuo, and then pick up the Crown of Choice when they arrive on Patch in preparation to retake Vale and Beacon.

[blade-liger-4ever]

RWBY X Transformers Partnerships 4: Optimus Prime and Mercury Black - Peacemakers

"It's just....after everything I've done, it's still hard to believe a chance to change exists for a guy like me."

"There is always hope for redemption, Mercury. However, I believe you are missing one crucial factor regarding your past."

"Man, you talk in the most ancient way. Alright Boss Man, I've told you about myself, no lies. I was trained to be an assassin, made to kill others, and steal, then killed my own father. What 'crucial factor' am I missing?"

"The fact that you were an innocent child born into a hard life. I do not deny that you were forced into committing vile acts, or that, in some aspects, you perhaps enjoyed it. However, I know that you had no say in the matter, and that until you befriended young Ruby, you felt you had been caged in the occupation of an assassin. But by choosing to escape that life, and proving your reliability since then, you have shown to be capable of changing for the better. I believe you were meant for more, Mercury Black, and if you are willing, I would be grateful to help guide you on your new path."

".....You mean it? Even though we just met like, what, a month ago?"

"I refuse to lie to you on such matters, Mercury. In my spark, I am certain that you will achieve more than you could dream is possible."

"I...well, Ruby believes in me, but I - I never had an adult give me a chance like that. Until Tai and the others, but even then, they're..."

"Cautious?"

"Heh, to put it mildly."

"I assure you, Mercury, that such caution will not be exercised by myself. Should you need anything, you can always speak to me."

"....Thanks, Optimus."

Mercury is used to adapting. As an assassin, you have to be ready to switch tactics on a dime, or create a new plan on the fly when your old one goes up in flames. It'd been drilled into him (he had the scars to prove it), and even when his perspective on life had been shattered and reconstructed by Ruby, Mercury was able to pull himself together and adapt to the change in time for the Fall of Beacon.

However, living in his sort of/definite girlfriend's house with her family and now having to deal with the revelation of giant alien robots bringing their war to Remnant is more than probably even Marcus could handle.

In order to process this curveball, Mercury decides to keep by Ruby's room, detach himself from the world, and analyze the residents of Patch while this new pattern settles in his brain.

Tai is a kind man, and though he's surprisingly tame, Mercury has caught glimpses of the senior Xiao Long's fire that has been passed on to Yang. Speaking of Yang, the fiery blond is returning to her old self, albeit more restrained than before. To be completely honest, Mercury is grateful for that progress; seeing Yang in a shell-shocked, blank state had actually hurt him. Her boyfriend Neptune has perked up on account of this, and although he gets along with him, Mercury is still confused about how he's so accepting of the existence of literal alien robots. Then again, this guy's dating the Sun Dragon, so he shouldn't be surprised that Neptune was actually excited to hear that Qrow had brought home over-sized guests.

Oh, right. Qrow Branwen.

Although the Huntsman's reputation precedes him by a wide margin, and though the hairs on the back of his neck still tingle when Qrow's eyes land on him, Mercury's initial fear of the man has morphed into suspicion and a deal of resentment. Tai can claim he was adopted into the family all he wants to, but Mercury had been taught to look for patterns and anything unusual. And the uncanny facial resemblance between Qrow and his "honorary niece" is blatantly obvious. And the scythe weapon? Please, it takes a genius to build something like that, never mind maintaining and operating it with the ease he and Ruby exercise. So yeah, the chances of two unrelated individuals having the same genius to build an intricately designed scythe weapon are a million to one - and those odds have already been stolen by the 'Cybertronians' who'd fallen through some portal onto Remnant.

Mercury is still trying to understand that, but between monitoring Ruby and the house, he's getting there.

Wheeljack is similar to Qrow, which Mercury automatically associates with the words "dangerous" and "unpredictable". He's a good engineer, judging by the doo-hickey he's cooked up on the island, but the scars and sparky look in his eyes tells Mercury that the...'Wrecker-scientist', is just as capable of destroying as he is of creating. Ironhide is what every drill sergeant wishes he could be; the giant 'Autobot' barks orders and gives assignments at great speed, usually practiced as he takes over a task from one of the others when they move too slowly. Despite that, he's surprisingly careful when dealing with Miko - and Mercury does his best to avoid her and her explosions. She's innocent, he knows that, but by Remnant, she has too much energy for his liking.

Sideswipe is...loose. Mercury can't quite put his finger on it, but he knows that Sideswipe, in spite of his bravado and snark that rivals Yang's, is fast. If he had to bet, the younger Autobot is used to moving at speeds that allow him to dish out pain with little detriment to himself. Good qualities for sure, but the way he acts like a twenty year old and carries himself like that hits a little too close to home for Mercury's comfort. As for Smokescreen, it's obvious he's the team baby - the short Autobot has the same kind of energy for justice as Ruby, as well as the excitableness and easygoing nature. Because of that similarity, Mercury's willing to spend some of his free time with him, though there are moments of eerie silence from Smokescreen, as well as a distant gaze, that makes him wonder about the guy's inner thoughts. However, the kid brushes it off with swagger, and Mercury's too deep in his own concerns to bother trying to coax an admission out of him.

However, the one he can't seem to pin down is their leader: Optimus Prime.

The Autobot commander towers over them all, with only Ironhide standing even remotely close to Optimus' height. Optimus walks steadily, with a silent strength and confidence that Mercury has never seen in anyone else's stride. Moreover, he can feel the guy's power when he enters a room, almost as if it were a supernatural sensation. Heck, even when he's standing still, Mercury can sense that power at rest, waiting to be used and capable of unleashing itself in a breath if Optimus wanted to cut loose.

But that's not what boggles his mind the most about the Autobots' superior.

It's the way he speaks.

Optimus' voice is deep and carries far, easily putting every other male's baritone and bass to shame. And yet, despite that, despite the sheer force in his voice, Optimus always speaks in a calm tone. He always uses full sentences, never utilizes slang or contractions (That's wild), and not once - ONCE - has Mercury heard his voice rise beyond an octave. It should be intimidating, should make him question this guy's status among the Cybertronian race.

And yet...the absolute warmth in Optimus' voice reaches something inside of Mercury. It reaches in and stirs something, something like a small child, to consciousness, and makes the child want to reach out to Optimus for something like comfort, and safety.

The only time Mercury can actually remember doing that is a time when he was eight, shortly after his mother had died. And his plea for consolation had been answered with a severe punishment from Marcus.

That memory makes all of his instincts scream to stay away from Optimus emotionally. Ruby understands him, accepts him, and so far her opinion outweighs the realistic worries of her family, which has given Mercury more time to continue improving himself and showing that he has changed from his upbringing. But since he's gotten to know her, he's become friendly with the other people in her life, although he can't help but keep some of them at arm's length for a while yet. Tai lets him roam the house free, Yang's willing to spar with him while Neptune cheers and mediates on the side, while Mercury and Qrow keep their distance based off a mutual, silent understanding of Ruby's true parentage between them.

So finding himself almost unconsciously following after Optimus whenever a meeting ends is more than a shock for Mercury.

It happens to him three times. The first time is when they meet, and Mercury had still been processing the Autobots' arrival. He'd all but locked himself in the guest room, and stayed in Ruby's room for a week to figure things out. The second time was when Wheeljack had finished half of the doo-hickey out in the woods, and required new equipment that required everyone's presence. Mercury had all but run back to the cabin from the shock of that lapse, and seeing that Ruby had woken up had kept him occupied for the next five days, and given him a reasonable excuse for avoiding the Cybertronians, their leader especially. However, his time with Ruby, while relieving and rejuvenating for them both, came to a head when Wheeljack stuck his metal foot in his mouth and openly identified Ruby as Qrow's daughter when they were working on Branwen's scythe.

He knew she was going to run, knew she was going to be too fast for him. But Mercury still tried going after her, mildly surprised that Smokescreen shifted into a sporty racecar to take after her as well. It seemed that he reacted instinctively too, as the short Autobot drove off without thinking to offer him a ride, and Mercury found himself chasing air and dirt before logic made him stop.

As he stood there, Optimus entered the area from the side, and Mercury's whirling thoughts consisted of one realization that the Autobot had been nearby when the fiasco began. To his surprise, Optimus asked him what had happened, and with a quick scan of the place around him, Mercury saw that Qrow and Wheeljack had disappeared - whether to chase down Ruby or not, he had no idea.

Resisting all his better instincts, Mercury summed up Ruby's real parentage and how he and Qrow had been trying to avoid it until Wheeljack ruined it. To his immense surprise, Optimus listened with keen interest, and once he'd finished, the leader thanked him and advised they let Smokescreen find her, as (apparently) the kid had ways of bonding with "human youth". Mercury quietly scoffed at the phrasing, then mumbled about the strangeness of this alien leader.

That dour sarcasm evaporated when he looked up and saw that he was trailing Optimus' moving feet.

Certain he was losing his mind, Mercury froze and tried to think of a way to leave without being spotted. However, Optimus paused and spoke his name, the patient, quiet underlying command of "stay put" rooting him to the ground. Turning around, Optimus revealed that he was aware of not only Mercury's unconscious tailing of him, but how he'd been avoiding him for the past two weeks as well. Optimus told him that while he respected his privacy and actions, he wished to know why Mercury fears him, as he only wants to be a friend to him.

The words make everything that's been building up inside of Mercury snap, and he can't help it. He yells at Optimus, blurts out that no one can be as good as he is, that adults aren't as inherently kind like him and that anything like those qualities are destroyed somehow in short order. He lashes out that he can't figure Optimus out because he's so different, so good, and honest-to-Remnant heroic, and that no one can - can...

"...Make me feel like a kid. A defenseless kid, who never....never had what Yang has with Tai."

Mercury stuffs his hands in his pockets, then stares at the ground and hopes against all reason that the world will just go back to making sense. Optimus takes two careful steps forward, bends down, and to Mercury's shock, picks him up. His hold is gentle, and he brings the hand holding him to his chest, where Mercury notices a pale glow emanating from somewhere behind the glass before the comforting warmth of his metal body distracts him and makes Mercury relax. As Mercury processes this, Optimus quietly speaks, telling him that many people are too weak to be either good or heroic, and that yes, many can be good, but will have their better qualities destroyed. Oftentimes, the latter is a personal choice, such as the Decepticons' leader Megatron, who Optimus once considered a brother before their war broke out. As Mercury detects a faint humming inside of the Autobot's chest, Optimus adds that many can and do choose to be good, and that while some possess those qualities to greater degrees than others, it does not make the entire adult world cruel.

"Life itself is cruel, and I feel you know that better than many your age do. However, if you will allow me to, I would be pleased to help you heal and learn to trust others again, Mercury."

Mercury's not sure if this is how it feels to have a father, but even if it isn't, he's gonna fight to keep it the same way he'll fight to keep Ruby safe.

Optimus and Mercury form a close bond after this, with Optimus often making sure Mercury is both safe and emotionally well after a long day. He knows when Mercury needs a push to go to bed or otherwise take care of himself, but more times than not, Optimus can tell when he should speak sternly to the boy over his sleep schedule, as well as when to put his foot down over Mercury's regular time of training, reconnaissance, and other habits. Similarly, Mercury has learned tricks of getting Optimus to take a much needed break, usually by asking for some alone time that he's reluctant to admit he needs. They make a strong team on and off the battlefield, with Optimus helping to refine Mercury's techniques while Mercury tells him about Remnant's stars and history. The Autobot leader's fascination with learning their culture softens Mercury a tiny bit, and - perhaps - leads him to learn of Optimus' past on Cybertron....

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lord Almighty, last year drained me more than I realized! Sheesh, I thought for sure I'd get them done sooner than this!

Anyway, I had this team up in my head almost from the get-go. Mercury needs a real father, and Optimus is the manifestation of Team Dad, so it only made sense to buddy them up. For their name, I chose Peacemakers because Optimus wishes and fights for peace, while Mercury needs to find peace - though I admit, I was partly inspired by the weapon of the same name.

Pray I get more done sooner than this, folks! I love these two franchises, and I want to get back on track for this series I started so long ago. See you around, and remember the wisdom of the greatest Prime in history:

"Hold on to your dreams. The future is built on dreams."

[tifaisms]

RWBY and Trauma Part 2: Team RWBY

Ruby lost a lot of people that she was close with, and moved forward too much - she ended up hurting people close to her because she refused to process her grief, and it led to her own misery, and that isn't something anyone wants to see. She also lashed out at people close to her in volume 9 as a direct result of her refusing to process her trauma, and seeing everyone else dealing with theirs and moving forward.

Weiss has trauma around her upbringing, and she let it colour her worldview and caused her to hold biases and prejudice that she worked to undo over the course of the show. She also hurt her brother without even realising - a documented phenomenon among children with siblings in abusive households is the complex cocktail of emotions around feelings of leaving, being left behind, being the favourite, etc. so Weiss ultimately made peace with her family, including her brother, because he was as much a victim as she was and he didn't deserve to be treated like a villain for it. they are now on the road to making peace with each other and moving forward as a family.

Blake suffered tremendously at the hands of Adam. She became wrapped up in his twisted view of the world and his twisted sense of justice, and she managed to escape from it, but Blake suffers from a specific trauma response that Ruby also has - she runs away. But where Ruby simply avoids her trauma, Blake physically distances herself from it. The problem is that she hurts people by doing so because she abandons them, and they are left to pick up the pieces by themselves. it takes Ilia, of all people, to help her understand this. Blake worked with Ilia to help her make amends for her actions, because staying behind to patch things up is far better than running away from the past. you need to confront it head on, and Blake realises through helping Ilia that she herself isn't staying behind to make things right. Ilia doesn't run away from her actions, and Blake shouldn't either. She realises that running away only hurts people close to you, and it doesn't help you in the long run. so Blake learns to commit. I'm very curious to rewatch v9 because I don't remember who makes the first move in the BB confession, but I think it works better if it's Blake, so I hope it is, because her whole deal was running away, so for her to CHOOSE to stay, even if things aren't perfect or going great, is a big personal step for her.

side note re Blake, Sun was very important for her arc because he is a shonen protag archetype and that really helps people deal with trauma by simply addressing it directly. He never gives her the answers, but he does push her out of her comfort zone to reach conclusions herself. Excellent supporting character, if a bit messy in the way he was written into v4. He was necessary for Blake to open up and deal with her trauma.

Yang's trauma is around abandonment and anger. Anger is an amoral emotion - it is the ways in which it is directed that lead to negative consequences. And Yang's semblance is representative of her anger manifesting in self destructive ways, because she needs to take the hit to get the payback. After Yang trains, she fights smarter, and learns that her anger, her semblance, is a powerful tool, but it is NOT something you should rely on. Keep a cool head, and you can protect people a lot better. It's also worth noting that Yang has dealt with her abandonment trauma as a result of Blake coming back, because abandonment leads to feelings of inadequacy - did they leave because they don't love me? and when Yang is shown that that is not the case, by blake coming back and making amends, and by disowning Raven instead of the other way around, she realises that she isn't the problem and never was - Blake ran because she was scared, but she came back because she realised it was wrong of her to run and hurt Yang in that way. Raven ran because she was a coward, and chose not to return because she is still running.

I've seen some people point out that team RWBY and team STRQ kinda parallel each other, with Summer and Ruby being the leader with the crushing weight of the world on their shoulders, Tai and Yang having been abandoned by the love of their life, Blake and Raven running from their problems when things look bad, and Weiss and Qrow having trauma related to their loneliness and isolation.

The fundamental difference is that team RWBY grew.

Summer told no one anything, and presumably died on a mission in secret. Ruby never shared her burdens with anyone, and it technically killed her in V9, but she was reborn and now needs to realise that she is not Atlas - the weight of the world is not her burden alone to bear.

Tai was left behind by Raven, and it destroyed him. Yang was left by Blake, and even before Blake came back, she prioritised the people she still had in her life, namely Ruby, and decided to do what she could for them.

Raven ran away from all of her problems and all of the people she cared about out of fear and paranoia, and never stayed in one place for too long. Blake did the same, until she realised that she was hurting people she cared about, and would rather face difficult problems with them than run away without them.

Qrow lets his isolation seclude him from people out of fear of hurting them, and it drives him into a depressive spiral. Weiss is isolated too, and even though their circumstances lead both to solitude, Weiss begins the slow road to making connections. I want to note that Qrow also does this, and eve nthough it kinda blows up in his face, I believe that he will also continue making strides and paralleling Weiss breaking away from terrible family members.

One last thing to touch on then I'm done, I'm sorry this post is so long lmao it's just a LOT to discuss.

I want to talk about Yang's semblance and how it parallels Adam's. Yang's strength comes from her anger. She takes the hit, and gets a rage power up to dish it out twofold, but it is self destructive and risky. Because anger can be directed and used for good, but it is dangerous to YOU. Adam on the other hand has no physical drawbacks to his anger on a magic system level. But that doesn't mean the anger isn't there, and it doesn't mean the anger isn't destroying him. It's jsut not physically destroying him. Having two characters rely on anger in this way, and having them parallel each other in a number of ways, is really cool.

Okay, I'm done for real. Hope you all enjoyed reading.

[notmaplemable]

Ghosts Of Summer 14: The House Stands Deserted

Jaune walked down a forest path with his new spectral friend, who's name is (or was?) apparently Summer Rose. Which, surprisingly, was a name he'd heard before. Usually attached to the end of "Do you want Jaune to end up like" by his father when Jaune's mother would want to train him.

Jaune: Soooo, how did you- well you know?

Summer: Die? I went on a mission to kill... an ancient and very dangerous grimm.

Jaune: And you went alone?

Summer: Maybe. I don't remember most of what happened. Just leaving home and bits and pieces after that.

Jaune: Like what?

Summer: Fire and ash, dead trees, a castle, some woman, and what felt like getting my soul ripped out of my body.

Jaune: So that's what if feels like to die.

Summer: I wouldn't recommend it.

Jaune: I don't think many would.

Summer: …

Jaune: What were you doing at the docks?

Summer: Seeing my family off. My oldest daughter, Yang, is starting at Beacon soon. So Tai and Ruby and are spending the weekend with her in Vale.

Jaune: Who are Tai and Ruby?

Summer: Ruby is my youngest daughter. She looks a lot like me so you'll know if you see her. Tai is Yang's father and my former teammate at Beacon.

Jaune: I'm actually going to Beacon too. After I'm done here that is. Have any advice?

Summer: Work on your landing strategy, don't touch Ozpin's coffee, hope you get a cute partner because you'll probably end up dating at some point.

Jaune: Did you date your partner?

Summer: Married him.

Jaune: Ah, well why didn't you go with your family? I know I'm the first person you've been able to talk to, but I'd imagine you would rather with them.

Summer: I can't follow them off Patch.

Jaune: Why not?

Summer: I can only go to certain parts of the island. If I try to go further it's like being trying to walk through jello after a certain point.

Jaune: Where can you go?

Summer: The forest around my grave and into some parts of the village. Nowhere else really. I can't even go...

Jaune: Summer?

In front of them was the a large cabin. The address where Jaune's mother had sent him and, unknown to him, a place Summer thought she would never see again.

Summer: Home.

(And thus I return. Earlier then I planned to, but I woke up at 2am and couldn't fall back to sleep so I got a lot of writing done.

For the next few installments we'll be going through Jaune's trip to Patch, Jaune and Summer leaving for Vale, maybe them stumbling upon a robbery or bar fight, and initiation. Maybe get some STRQ content if I can think of anything interesting from back them.

I know I'm doing this in a really weird order, but I didn't really plan out any of this before starting so that's my bad.)

[novankenn]

Steadfast, Immovable (3)

The girls were terribly shaken once everything had quieted down. The walk back through the dark, away from the inferno Jaune has started, not helping their emotional state, and even now, they were still jumpy. Outside, Jaune continued to walk in a circle about the small homestead, compacting the ground into a shallow ditch. Tai held the girls in a group hug, as Qrow spoke to Ozpin.

“What happened Qrow?”

“Yang and Juniper decided they needed to find Summer. They bundled up Ruby, and talked Saphron in joining them.” Qrow looked over his shoulder, taking in the sight of Tai still holding the sobbing girls, before returning his attention to the video call with Ozpin. “They went out in the forest alone and unarmed. I noticed they were gone, and found their note. I was almost too late, Oz.”

“But they’re okay?”

“More or less, though I think Tai and I are going to be on nightmare duty for a couple of years.” Qrow took a swig from his flask, trying to calm his shaken resolve. “I’ve never seen such a pack on Patch. Not with the number of huntsmen and huntresses we have. One that size shouldn’t have been possible.”

“How?”

“Jaune.” was Qrow’s one word answer.

“He reanimated?”

“Reanimated, powered up, whatever. All I know is Tai, and I were barely treading water out there, and he just arrived. I thought he was a monster before, but seeing him in action… the Fire department have yet to contain the inferno he started. But without him…”

“So after 4 years sitting dormant, he’s active again.”

“Yeah, well I don’t think Tai is entirely impressed with the garage missing half its walls, or the fact he’s right now wearing a trench around the house, due to his patrol. But yes, without him just showing up…”

“Is there anything you or Tai need?”

“We need Summer found. These girls need their mom back.”

“I have Glynda checking out several leads as I am talking to you.”

“And I need Bart to drop by and check out Jaune. He went toe to toe with an Alpha, and his… he needs some work.”

“I’ll see what his schedule is like, and when he could leave for Patch.” Ozpin responded. “Is there something else, Qrow?”

“Things just feel wrong. There should have been no reason for a pack that large… It was almost like Patch was being targeted.”

“Yes, that is concerning. Very concerning.”

“I know it’s been four years, but have you found any clues as to why Ansel was wiped from the map?”

“Aside from the technology we discovered, I can see no reason why she would have taken such drastic action.”

“Couldn’t be the tech? I ran some of that stuff… It’s well beyond anything anyone has been able to develop, including Atlas.”

“That could be it, but I have nothing concrete to support that theory.”

“I need some answers, Oz.”

“As do I.”

“No, you don’t seem to understand.”

“What don’t I understand?”

“If I was a betting man… if the girls hadn’t run into that pack… it would have attacked us here at the house.”

“I see.”

/== Table of Contents ==/

[nyxlarkyn]

I'm still thinking about this Cat.

There's so much focus on about them as a character. I could make several posts, and will about them.

Right now, I want to focus on their eyes. The first thing we see in show of them is their eyes before they disappear. Only to reappear first again but this time followed by the rest of their body starting with that blue color.

These two times the eyes are shown is when the cat is transforming themself from invisible to visible.

The next time our attention is drawn to their eyes inside the tunnel where everything, but their eyes turn to black and white centering on Ruby and her eyes, and they are transported out of the palace to another location.

The shot on Ruby feels like what a more powered up silver eye looks like through the wielder.

That also has the power to turn everything around them black and white ending in white.

(I'm not not saying Rubys eyes are going to triple click them to Patch because Ruby and Yang have yet to to the return home trip.)

Not to mention how they appear on screen in a similar way to Rubys petal burst.

[daggerpawstudios]

Rosegarden Week Day 7 ❤️💚🌹: Proposal | Will You Marry me...

Years had passed after the defeat of Salem at Vale, but that does not mean her influence had vanished from Remnant completely. Some still lived in fear, while others became worshippers of Salem. Despite the fear, small groups of people were brave enough to face the future and live. The Gods had restored magic to humanity, allowing semblances to become whole once more.

Oscar had returned to Haven and sat in his room, reflecting on his journey. For the past four years, Ruby and he have been traveling while helping as many people as possible. Blake and Yang had retired after the war and started a family together. Weiss had returned to Schnees to help the Atleasians rebuild Atlas and help her brother reclaim the Schnee name. Ruby had even received a letter from her stating that she was also seeing someone now. Nora and Ren were happy, and Jaune was living his dream as a huntsman. His family was proud of him.  

 While the others had relaxed, Ruby and Oscar were on edge. They traveled all over together to ensure that no remnants of Salem existed. On the journey, their feelings for each other grew more. They had revisited Atlas, Vacuo, Vale, and now Mistral. They recalled their journey together and decided to stop at Oscar's house before returning to Vale.

Oscar entered his room and quickly realized he had outgrown this room so much. The dust covered the majority of the furniture in the room. He walked deeper into the room and found the book he was reading before he left the farm. He began turning the pages and started to chuckle to himself.

"How long has it been?" He thought to himself

" I have been gone for six years. They could have at least kept my room clean." He snarked out loud as he waited for a response from Ozpin.

But no response came.

His happy expression changed to sadness as he recalled that Ozma had finished his journey. Ozpin, the chosen warrior, had died after completing his mission and left Oscar with magic power. Oscar missed him dearly. He knew Ozpin was pleased because he could die knowing the future was in good hands.

A knock suddenly came at the door, and Oscar turned around.

Ruby walked in.

Ruby had retired her combat gear and changed into a long black dress with a slit at the side. It went well with her red hood cloak.

" Are you feeling nostalgic?" Commented Ruby as she gently placed her hands in front of her.

"Yeah, I was." Said Oscar.

' It is weird...Everything is so calm, and humanity is finally able to thrive. I feel like I was fighting forever. Even the creatures of Grimm are gone now. " Said Ruby.

"Yeah, it is. I was worried, but I kind of miss Oz." Oscar admitted to Ruby.

Ruby smiled.

" So, you miss yourself? After all, you are the wizard, you know. " Said Ruby as she walked up to him and held his hand.

"Right... I guess. I am just confused by the calmness of everything. Cinder, Tyrian, and Salem are gone." Said Oscar as Ruby gently touched his face and listened to him speak.

" Trust me. I understand wholeheartedly. What should we do now?" Asked Ruby.

"Anything you would like." Said Oscar as he kissed her hand and gently caressed it.

Ruby turned slightly red and coughed.

" Um..."

" You know, Patch is a nice island for settling down. A dusty old crow told me." Said Ruby as he avoided eye contact with him.

" Oh, did he? Would a warrior be fine with domestic life?" Asked Oscar.

"Well....There is no war. Plus, I can always help people locally or take an overseas mission and come back. " Laughed Ruby nervously as she loosened Oscar's grip on her hand and started explaining.

There is also a teaching position open at Beacon. There is a cute wizard that would be perfect for it. It is an agriculture course, his favorite subject. " Continued Ruby.

" Yes."

" Yes to the job?" Asked Ruby nervously.

"Yes to both."

Ruby's face started to turn red.

" Four years have passed since the battle to save humanity. I think it is time for both of us to live our lives." Said Oscar.

Oscar walked over to ruby and gently interlocked his fingers with her, and they touched foreheads.

"Yeah, you are right." Laughed Ruby as they continued to touch foreheads.

Oscar then leaned forward and kissed her.