#tsundere nightmare weiss

[rwac96]

I can see nightmare Weiss being a tsundere

Weiss (Nightmare): *blushing* "Pr-proposterous! I-It's not like I love you or anything, imbecile!"

Jaune: *deadpan, holding very expensive flowers* "Yet you bought me these."

Weiss: "TO MAKE YOUR PLACE LOOK MORE PRESENTABLE, YOU OAF!"

[powertaco]

Interesting or not little thing I noticed.

So according to the leaks from episode 4 Weiss sees the people in her dream in 3 catagories. Schnees, Not-Schnees, and dummies. 

Why this is significant, in my mind, is this from the preview

Ruby is the ONLY person we have seen Weiss name in her dreamworld. In a world where everyone fits into place even in Weiss’s nightmare/dream Ruby stands out among the rest. 

Also keep in mind that in this dreamworld she’s hostile to everyone, and YET still she thought Ruby was on her side. I mean she is, but she doesn’t think so anymore. 

So you have general Tsundere who is hostile to everyone and no one has a name except Ruby who she also thinks is on her side. 

Combine that with all the other stuff like only Ruby can go into the dream at the start, and gay stuff like this

Right before it hard cuts to this gal finally wearing Weiss’s colors which in RWBY is a huge thing. 

And it just seems to me that it might be a big thing that’s being overlooked right now.  Also Weiss dissolves into rose petals. White rose petals. 

Or I could be biased. Or both. 

[dragynkeep]

You know what REALLY kills me about IQ?

Weiss doesn’t learn a damn thing.

She doesn’t learn about Blake’s struggles as a Faunus. She doesn’t learn about her own ingrained bias towards said Faunus or the lower class. She doesn’t learn about her own conflicting feelings towards Ruby as both her friend and team leader. She doesn’t learn about what her grandfather really meant when they had their final conversation. She doesn’t learn about how she needs to start seeing herself as a fellow equal instead of an obligatory team manager/helicopter parent/military dictator.

At best her team gives her the Cliffnotes version of events afterwards but it means NOTHING. Weiss merely cries not out of remorse for her harmful subconscious actions BUT BECAUSE SHE FELT EMBARRASSED. The show does nothing but enforce the idea that it’s RBY that need to be more considerate towards Weiss while she gets a pass for her actions because she just being a ‘tsundere’!

And you know what makes things worse? BLAKE is supposed to be seen as being just as bad and in the wrong as Weiss. Because how DARE she be upset and uncomfortable with how Weiss treats her kind in the real world? How dare she still continue to risk her own life multiple times while fighting in the dream world, even becoming possessed by a nightmare in order to wake Weiss up from hers? Blake even lands the killing blow on her own nightmare and finally confronts her own past fears during her time in the White Fang! Yet her and Weiss somehow come to an understanding that it was BOTH their fault that they antagonistic towards each other prior to this shitty filler arc!

Fuck all the rabid Weiss simps going “Yasss, Queen, slaaaaaayyyy!” and fuck this series for continuing to sweep her early problematic behavior under the rug. They wouldn’t be nearly as forgiving if her character design wasn’t just another anime girl they could have body pillows of.

IQ really saw what the show did with Weiss and her racism and went “I can make it worse”-

[anthurak]

You know between Ruby going all ‘I gotta impress Weiss and get her to like me!’ and Weiss herself alternating between tsundere-ing hard for Ruby and somehow gay-pining even HARDER for Pyrrha, I can’t help but wonder if the central dramatic thrust of Ice Queendom is going to wind up basically being a Ruby-Weiss-Pyrrha love-triangle XD

Or rather the ‘Weiss’s nightmare-coma-created partner and possible wife’ version of Pyrrha, but you get the idea.

[fat-hedonistic-hogs]

AU’s

Alternate versions of my muses!

Nerd AU, RWBY: The world of RWBY except things are a bit different.. Hunter’s use power suits and remote operate drones to fight the forces of Grimm meaning the physical requirements have gotten a bit slack so the fate of the world is in the hands of a team of slobby nerds.

Muses:

Nerd Ruby: Leader of team RWBY and Yang’s little sister.

Nerd Weiss: A star soldier and huntress in training from atlas. She joined the anime club randomly for more extra curriculars and wounded up making friends with the nerds. She never got to have a proper childhood or hobbies so she’s rebelling against her parents by embracing her slobby and nerd nature.

Nerd Blake: Leader and founder of the anime club. a shelter mama’s girl who ran away from home to become a hero!

Nerd Yang: Former jock who joined the anime club because her sister asked her to. over time her snacking and lazing around has left her in a similar state to the other nerds. thick rimmed glasses and dork outfits included.

Nerd Jaune: Leader of team JNPR and rookie warrior. he has little to know combat skills but he makes for a fine leader

Jock Nora: A jock and former pro body builded Nora is the definition of a muscle gut. She genuinely enjoys anime and tries to watch out for her friends.

Jock Ren: Nora’s maybe lover and cook for the team. He’s just happy that Nora is finally joining clubs again.

Jock Pyrrha: Jaune’s Gf and closet nerd. she only joined the anime club for jaune but she has a secret love for RONCOM anime.

Nerd Emerald: A spy for Salem she tried to infultrate the anime club to get close to Ruby but wound up getting turned into a nerd in the process.

Nerd Cinder: A total tsundere she tries to deny being a nerd and liking geek stuff but has fallen in love with it after emerald introduced her to it. 

Nerd AU Neo: The certified mom friend of the group. She’s just looking out for the nerdy hunters and huntresses and tries to keep them from being bullied. Is in charge of making snacks. Not a nerd but enjoys participating none the less.

Nerd Winter: A total tsundere Nerd in denial. is a part time instructor at beacon and has picked up on several of the nerd’s habbits.

Nerd Glynda: The head mistress of Beacon, she’s a closet nerd and secretly a total pervert with a body pillow and figurine collection to match.

Mythical au: my muses except their mythical creatures and goddesses

Muses:

Mythical Yang: the bovine goddess of Prosperity, Fertility and bountiful harvest. Enjoys blessing women with plump fully figures and round swollen bellies.

Mythical Blake: the feline goddess of autumn a major deity responsible for the season of autumn. Her gas causes the plants to change and begin wilting for the coming winter.

Mythical Weiss: Weiss is a snow giant standing at 21 feet tall which is on the smaller end for snow giants. She is the daughter of Willow goddess of the North and sister to Winter the current goddess of well winter.

Mythical Ruby: Goddess of Food and the harvest. She is the main goddess worshiped In Patch and is responsible for the occasional famine due to her intense appetite but she won't allow her followers to go hungry for long. Her joyful nature and generosity makes her very popular even outside of Patch.

Mythical Harribel: An ocean goddess of the tides and comander of an army of sharks. It's best not to make her mad...

Mythical Tengen: God of festivals and the night sky, he's a bit of a picky deity to worship but he always holds the best celebrations.

Mythical Mitsuri: goddess of love and marriage. She's always meddling in mortal affairs trying to play match maker.

Mythical Shinobu: goddess of insecte and medicine! She's known to heal any person who comes her way! Though her methods are questionable...

Mythical midnight: goddess of sleep and dreams. She feeds off good dreams!

Mystical Black Arachnia: goddess of fears, Nightmares and panic, midnight's rival and barer of nightmares.

Mythical Kurama: a hefty Kitsune spirit and said to be the defender of a portal to another world...

Mythical Unohana: Goddess of blood and flesh. A mysterious and scary deity, not one to cross...

Mythical Toshiro: an Oni born of ice and snow... some say he's shorter than his silhouettes let's on but those who encounter him never last long...

Mythical Rangiku: Goddess of cats

Anthro/furry Au: My muses but they're all anthros

Muses:

Anthro Ruby:

Species: Corgi

Anthro Weiss:

Species: polar bear

Anthro Blake:

Species: Panther

Anthro Yang:

Species: Cow

Anthro Jaune:

Species: golden retriever

Anthro Nora

Species: hippo

Anthro Pyrrha

Species: Lion

Anthro Ren

Species: wolf

Anthro Kobayashi:

Species: house cat

Anthro Robin:

Species: Elephant

Anthro Tsunade:

Species: Pig

Anthro Midnight:

Species: skunk

Anthro TenTen

Species: donkey

Anthro Temari:

Species: Tanuki

Anthro Sakura:

Species: slug

Anthro Hinata:

Species: rabbit

Apprentice AU

Description: an Au where Ruby was adopted (kidnapped) by Salem after falling and scrapping her knee during their climatic final battle. Humanity is now at a temporary truce with Salem as long as she gets to keep and raise her new "daughter".

Muse:

Apprentice Ruby: Salem's adopted daughter and witch in training. She's learning magic under the tutelage of the queen of Grimm.

Nerd Au:

Muses:

Any!

Shortstack AU:

My muses except they're all adorable shortstacks.

Muses:

All of them! Just specify you want them to be a short stack when you send the ask :3

Examples:

Shortstack Toga:

Shortstack: Nami

Femboy AU:

My muses except they're femboys.

muses: any! Just specify that they're a femboy when you send the ask.

Examples:

Femboy: Weiss

Femboy: Boa

Femboy: Hinata

Futa Au:

My muses except they're all horny futa's!

Muses: all of them! Just specify if they're a futa when you send the ask.

Examples:

Futa Ashe:

Futa Tsunade:

Futa Rangiku:

Berry/Fruit AU: my muses except they've all become round bloated berries. They can be juiced to get smaller but once someone is infected they'll be a berry forever.

Muses:

Cherry Ruby:

Snow Berry Weiss:

Pear Blake:

Dragon Fruit Yang:

Blueberry Jaune:

Strawberry Pyrrha:

Watermelon Nora:

Grape Coco:

Carrot Velvet:

Snow Berry Winter:

Snow Berry Willow:

Blueberry Nami:

Watermelon Robin:

Peach Retsu:

Watermelon Tengen:

Taur Au:

My muses except they have the bottom half of various animals!

Muses:

Centaur Pyrrha: a traditional Centaur

Hybridtaur Weiss: Weiss is a genetic anomaly as she was born with a mixture of Hippo and skunk traits. Having the bottom half of a hippo with a big poofy skunk tail to go with it.

Cowtaur Yang: Yang's got the bottom half of a cow fit with udders and all!

PantherTaur Blake: Blake has the bottom half of a panther.

Centaur Ruby: Ruby is a generic Centaur nothing special.

Farm hand Jaune: the only human attending beacon...

Bulltaur Nora: She's got a LOT of stamina.

Centaur Glynda: head mistress of Beacon.

Dragontaur Salem: mother of the Grimm and ancient and powerful dragoness... she has wings >:3

Grimmtaur Cinder: not only is she a maiden but her lower half is that of a long extinct Grimm species resembling a dragon.

Milf Au: My muses but they are all stereotypical milfs and housewives!

Muses: All of of them! Just specify the Au in your ask!

Example:

Milf Yang:

Milf Sakura:

Milf Izuku:

Goblin Au: my muses except they're all horny shortstack Goblins!

Muses: all of them! Just specify the Au in your ask!

Wresting au: my muses except they're all wrestlers/sumos

Muses: All!

Wild west au:

Muses: rwby verse

Steampunk au:

Muses: rwby verse

Expanded AU's:

Lardy islands au:

https://www.tumblr.com/fat-hedonistic-hogs/740092381778657280/one-of-whos-the-flabbiest-a-certain-empress?source=share

[hadesisqueer]

How do you feel about Yang and how she’s summarized in Vol. 8 as suspicious and emotional?

Late, but better late than ever. I've been waiting for this one. It's probably the longest because as I said, I make either two lines or just an entire character analysis lol. And I'm going to do it properly this time.

Okay, I straight (gay) up don't know where to start. I love Yang. I truly love Yang. She's not perfect, she has many flaws, but that's what I like the most about her. I can't help but laugh when some people say she's a Mary Sue.

Childhood, first volumes.

Yang starts the series as the funny blonde hot girl that goes around punching people. And I liked that, but I also like how she wasn't just that, as I said with Nora being the comic relief. Like, there's so much more in Yang than that, just like Weiss turned up to be much more than just the bratty tsundere.

Yang's mother abandoned her. Her other mother disappeared. Her sister was a toddler that didn't really get what was going on except her mother being gone, and her father was so depressed that for a good while, he wasn't even able to raise her daughters. Can you imagine being in that situation? I imagine she was, at most, six when that happened. She was forced to become Ruby's mother figure at six. She was forced to become the fucking adult in the house at six.

Damn, you can even see the difference between how Qrow talks to Ruby and how he talks to Yang, at least at the begining. He talks to Ruby as her uncle, as her mentor. He may tease Yang a little because she's still his niece, but when he talks to her, he always talks like she's an equal. Like, Tai still considered Yang a kid, but Qrow treats her like an adult, and knows and expects her to be the mature one. Because he saw her all those years, being forced grow up so fast. He trusts her to protect and take care of Ruby, and she trust him to protect her as well.

And damn, all of this really explains her behaviour when the series began. As Ruby got older and started to be able to take care of herself, and Tai eventually started to be functional again, Yang had more freedom. Her personality and eagerness for adventure and parties and all of that - is just her trying to make up for her sacrificed childhood. But even then she still was, out of all the girls, the most mature and nurturing of team RWBY. She is the party girl, yes. The hot headed one that will break legs. But she's still the adult of the group.

And then volume 3 happens. She gets framed in front of the entire world, two of her friends die, Beacon falls, she loses her arm in the most traumatic way possible; Weiss, her friend, is basically taken away from her and Blake -her partner, the girl she probably already had feelings for at that point- left, triggering her abandonment issues. And of course, PTSD, because she isn't fucked up enough already. She's so fucking destroyed that she can't even talk about Weiss, about Blake, about what happened. She doesn't even want talk to Ruby, because she can't stand the thought of her little sister seeing her at that state. She is not used to be the one people have to take care of, and it becomes more and more obvious in the next volumes.

Disability, recovery, abandonment issues

I like how volume 4 treats her recovery. I mean, I wish her storyline was longer, but I also like the DC comics. Now, the thing is, she isn't really recovered. In vol 4, she learns to live with her disability, she learns how to use her new arm, she learns how to fight better than she ever did before. It's about physical recovery. But is she okay? No. She hates being taken care of. She forced herself to be okay, or at least pretend she was, so Tai would let her go with Ruby. And in vol 5, she's anything but alright. She is pretending to be for Ruby's sake, because she is her mother figure and Ruby can't see her like that. She has to face her abandonment issues, she still has PTSD, and she is just not okay. Weiss notices right away, and tells her that it's okay if she is not okay. She noticed how hurt she was about Blake leaving. She just could see through the façade because if Weiss knows about anything, is about loneliness and pretending.

Her conversation with Raven at the end of the volume is just one of the best scenes, because you can just see how much Yang has grown. That scene deserves a post of its own because it's just amazing. But she finally faces one of her fears -her own abandonment issues, though they probably will always be there- and sees right through Raven. Because just like her, Raven just puts a façade to hide her own fears and insecurities, and the moment her own daughter isn't just taking any of that shit, she just starts crying. Because Yang is right. And deep down, she doesn't want to let Yang take the lamp, but she isn't just strong enough. Deep down, she wants to be in Yang's life, wants to protect her, and I think Yang knew that. But it was just too late.

More abandonment issues and relationship with Blake.

Now, to Yang, Blake coming back was huge. Not only in the terms of shipping, but as a whole. In her mind, Blake left her, just like Raven, just like Summer (though Summer didn't do it in purpose), and technically, just like Ruby, though she knew why Ruby did it and understood. But she's probably wondering “what is wrong with me that everyone always leaves me”. And she always has to be the one looking for the person who left her.

Not with Blake. After that talk with Weiss (bless the wingwoman), Yang was able to understand Blake's perspective better. But she didn't think Blake would actually ever come back, because no one ever does. But she did. Not only did she come back; literally, all Blake cared about once she entered the room and saw Yang was her (for once, someone is prioritizing her). And later, she was the one to walk and talk to the team, and tell them she didn't plan to leave again if they accepted her back. She didn't have to look for Blake because she was already looking for Yang. She was the one who made the effort, not the other way around. And to Yang, even though they still had issues to work through, even though she was still afraid at that moment that Blake would leave and break her heart again (All That Matters), that was enough to forgive her. Or at least give her another chance.

Now in volume 6 they clearly have issues. Like, Blake is very nurturing to the entire team because she feels like she has to make up. But mostly, she is trying to make up to Yang. She still feels guilty because of Adam, and she knew that Yang had already abandonment issues before she left and she probably made them worse. She was just trying so hard to be there for Yang so she could understand that she would never leave her again that she made things awkward. Yang is used to be the one who takes care of people, not the other way around. She thought that Blake “protecting her” was her seeing her a weak when actually, it was just Blake just genuinely caring about her but with the wrong words. Blake understood after that, and she changed the phrasing in the fight against Adam. Protecting each other. Equals. It really applies to the Bees relationship as a whole. “You're taking care of me, yeah, but I'm going to take care of you as well, no matter what”. For once, Yang is allowing someone to take care of her (well, except Tai, but again, she wasn't completely sincere with him, so technically she wasn't really allowing him to fully help her). And that's what I love the most about their dynamic, and why I ship it.

PTSD

Now (I'm sorry I'm taking so long), I've seen many, many people saying that Yang's PTSD is poorly written, or that the writers messed it up in the fight against Adam. Now, I have to ask those people: what the fuck do you think PTSD is?

If a Great WriterTM reads this and tries to tell me I'm wrong, or that I don't know what I'm talking about and I don't know anything about good writing and blah blah blah: I have PTSD myself. Diagnosed. So yes, I acknowledge there are many things I'm ignorant about, but I'm quite familiar about this topic. Yang's PTSD is, at least by my point of view, very well-written. It isn't perfect, but it's still far so much better than most PTSD portrayals I've seen in TV, along with Korra's. And I've seen people saying that Korra's portrayal was so much better. Well, let me tell you, it isn't, or at least I don't think it is. It's just different, because the worst thing about PTSD (and what makes it harder to treat) is that it's different for every person; sometimes it can be really severe and obvious, sometimes it seems “light”. Damn, sometimes it doesn't appear until years after the event; mine didn't trigger til I was like sixteen, and the event took place when I was around five or six. And yes, sometimes I have nightmares or flashbacks about it if something triggers me, but it isn't the whole time like some of you apparently think it is. I'm not scared 100% of the time, what the fuck.

When it comes to the fight with Adam, saying it didn't affect her: did you watch the fight? First of all, at that precise moment, Yang was so full of adredaline and too busy keeping Adam from killing Blake that I don't think her brain even realised he was the cause of her PTSD. Second of all, when he triggers it, it does affect her; she starts shaking, he's able to land hits on her that he couldn't before. But PTSD is different in every person, and is a defense mechanism, not a freezing mechanism as some people think. If I see the cause of my PTSD in front of me trying to hurt me again, I'm not gonna freeze; I'm gonna do whatever it takes so they don't ever hurt me again. Same goes with Yang: some people think she should have completely freezed during the fight, like “oh my god this guy fucked me up really bad and now he's gonna do it again and there's nothing I can do oh my god”. No. As I said, PTSD doesn't work like that, at least not always. She's not thinking that, she's thinking “alright this guy really fucked me up once but there's no way I'm letting him do that again”. Again, PTSD is a defense mechanism. A fucked up one, but it's what it is. And the writers handled very well.

Yang being suspicious and not completely trusting someone.

Now, I'm not lying when I tell you that I have no idea about what this could mean. Well, it could be her disagreeing with Ruby and having a bad argument, and that would really break my heart because I just love those two sisters so much. It could also be about Ozpin; she's teaming up with Oscar and hearing Ozpin is back could bring some problems. Or maybe Raven just appears there and she's like Hell Naw. I have no idea.

Conclussion.

I love Yang. She's not perfect at all. She's a bit of a hypocrite with the whole Ozpin thing because she's keeping Raven's identity as the Spring Maiden a secret as well (or maybe she did tell them off-screen? Honestly clear that up already). But she's over all a really good friend and person, an amazing older sister and just one of the most inspiring characters in the show. I see part of myself in her, and I don't see that often in a character. I just love her.

Damn, sorry I wrote the Bible but my girl deserved that.

[singingrose002]

Oscar Pine and Whitley Schnee Headcanons

Warning this has some spoilers for RWBY and has some angst in it too so if you don't like angst don't read it

Oscar Pine

. When Oscar was 7 him and his parents were going to go see his aunt and they got attacked by beowolfs, his parents died and he got badly injured if it wasn't for some huntsmen he would be dead too. (I'm so sorry Oscar!! T^T)

. He has scars on his neck from the attack and he hates seeing the scars every time he looks in the mirror so he stared to wear bandages all the time.

. The quilted cloth he has in his pocket is a unfinished scarf his mom was making for him and after he got his new outfit he now keeps it in one of the pouches on his belt.

. If he wakes up from a nightmare in the middle of the night he'll read a book until he gets tired again.

. He's a dog person.

. His hair is super soft.

. He's bi.

. After the Grimm attack he stared to get panic attacks but after he got older he didn't get them as often.

. He has never played a video game. . He's a nervous mess when he's around someone he has a crush on.

. He loves cooking and baking.

. If you ask about his scars or his parents he well not answer it.

. He stared to like hot coco because of Ozpin.

. He likes to doodle when he's bored. Whitley Schnee

. He's scared of spiders, cockroaches and rats.

. He can play the violin.

. He's left-handed.

. He's a sweet tooth but his father doesn't let him have sweets very often.

. He loves crepes, especially dessert crepes.

. The reason why he dislikes his sisters is because they were never there for him. (I mean think about, Weiss and Winter were there for each other when the family stared to fall apart but did Whitley have anyone? Then Winter left for atlas and is now in the military and Weiss left for beacon and Whitley hast to stay with his asshole of a father who brainwash him don't get me i love Weiss and Winter but did they even try to help him?! Sorry about the rant)

. He's gay and has not told his father. (I'm not going to lie, i don't think Jacques is very open-minded because the man's a piece of shit, he brands faunus is abusive to his kids and made his wife in to an alcoholic so i would not be surprise if he's homophobia) . Even though he lives in atlas he's not used to the cold.

. He's always wanted a pet.

. He's the some age as Oscar.

. His smile is 100% fake. (Someone please help this boy) . He's a tsundere. . He loves coffee. . He has nightmares a lot. Rich Farmers (Because why not)

. Whitley loves to play with Oscar's hair.

. Oscar found out he was bi when he met Whitley.

. Oscar gets super embarrassed when Whitley see him talking to Ozpin.

. Whitley loves getting hugs from Oscar.

. Oscar loves listening to Whitley play the violin.

. Whitley both loves and hates how cute Oscar is.

. If Oscar is having a panic attacks Whitley well try his best to help him.

. Whitley and Oscar like to read books together.

. They like to cuddle.

. Oscar likes to make hot coco for him and Whitley.

        ___________________________________________________

  This was fun to make, i hope all of you like my headcanons!

[manygalaxiesinone]

What if Gwen Lives Part 7

((Greetings Hee ho dood! Prinnyfrost reporting for duty! Here it is people! The conclusion of “What if” Gwen Lives AU I came up with so long ago!

OR IS IT??!!!

We continue our story with the in Part 2 of the War of the Netherworld. Everyone returns to the castle so they can make a route to the Battleship Gargantua. Like before, Jennifer already put the coordinates in beforehand, but they need to take care of the rest of the ships that are still flying around.

https://shop.tcgplayer.com/weiss-schwarz/disgaea/like-a-picnic-sicily

“You thinking what I’m thinking Big Brother?”

“Hell yeah I am! Let’s do it!”

“Uhh...what are they thinking?”

https://www.deviantart.com/maharl/art/Laharl-s-mother-Disgaea-4-sprite-276434986

“Let’s just say, you may want to stay out of their way for a while. Try not to make too much of a mess you two!”

And insert your own Sonic Forces double boost meme here. Go ahead, it’s on me internet. After the EDF gets completely REKT by two half demon children, the party gets on board. Things play out pretty much the same as before with Gordon warning everyone about the Astro Canon and the cyborg soldiers,

and of course the realization of Kurtis modifying Jennifer.

Then we get a message from Carter pointing out that he’s doing all of this because the world is lacking in resources and pretty much everything you heard Thanos complain about in the Infinity War movie. I neglected to point out the flaws in this “great” plan of his in my EWW: Disgaea post I made some time back, so I’mma let Previous Overlord Gwendolyn say it for me.

“Wouldn’t creating a war such as this escalate the extinction of the human race? I’d imagine you’d have to spend plenty of resources to create such a huge fleet. Also, I’m sure you noticed how quickly those ships have been taken down. My two children were kind enough to let everyone evacuate before destroying them, but even I have to admit that not all demons are this merciful. Even if you did manage to successfully take us over, how would you know that the Netherworld is safe enough for normal humans and has enough resources for everyone? Are you sure you truly care about saving the world, or are you one of those people who make excuses just to do whatever they please and only act just to save their own hide?!”

Carter is conflicted and outraged by Gwen’s response he just insures that they’ll all pay and ends the call right there and then. Yeah, sadly we don’t get to hear Gordon call him a chrome dome.

Now we come to the confrontation with Kurtis. Like before, he tells everyone his tragic past about how he lost his wife and daughter due to an accident at the lab involving criminals and the fact that Gordon not making it in time to save them is what drove him to path he’s on now. Gordon apologizes for his previous failings, but still points out that helping Carter out with this war will still result in countless sacrifices.

“It matters not what planet I’m on, Earth or the Netherworld, I am still a defender! As such, I shall fight with my body and soul until the very end to do what is right, even if it means facing a comrade in arms! Come Kurtis! Let our true spirit clash once more and see justice prevail!”

In the end, Gordon wins and shows Kurtis what it truly means to be a Defender! Unlike before when Laharl and Etna agrees to finish him after winning (before Flonne stops him), this time, there’s only a possibility that Etna might joke about doing that, but other than that, everyone’s pretty much in agreement to let him live.

“Hey Big brother, how about we invite him to stay with us in the Netherworld? This way, he can be a Defender of the Galaxy too!”

“Why not? We could always use another vassal.”

“What do you say Kurtis? Will you fight alongside us as a comrade?”

“After everything, you’re willing to let someone like me join you? Hahaha... You’ve found a hilarious bunch Gordon. Unfortunately, I’ve used too much energy during the fight. My body has to rest for a while. Gordon...be careful of...Jennifer.” -passes out-

They soon meet up with Carter and realizes the modification Kurtis installed in Jennifer wasn’t quite what they expected. Carter explains that this neural override device practically makes Jennifer into his puppet...and naturally Gwen is completely outraged by this act, attempting to blast him with a powerful spell, but Carter’s protected by some sort of force field.

“What kind of father would even consider committing such cruel act to their child?! Something so inhumane only proves that you’re only goal is to protect yourself!”

“It appears you never understand that some sacrifices must be made in order to achieve the greater good. If it means saving the Earth, then I’ll gladly exchange a few lives. Now, I think it’s time to put an end to all of this. Jennifer, start with that foul mouthed woman!”

Jennifer does as instructed, but Gordon gets in the way taking the hit instead. Sicily goes over to heals him as she realizes that he too used a lot of his energy back during his fight with Kurtis and is probably a little spent.

“Hey Prince, why don’t we just blow up the ship? You seem to handle the other ones just fine.”

“I can’t. I promised Sicily I’d give her the ship once this is all over.”

“Aww, I was just about to claim this ship!”

Fortunately, Kurtis shows up just in time to save the day, and like before, it is indeed a shock that Kurtis has already recovered so quickly. Things play off in the original story even with Carter activating the bomb he planted in the device, which naturally pisses off Gwen even more to the point where she made cracks in the force field protecting Carter. This gets Carter concerned since now there’s a chance he could die from the explosion as well and tries to call Jennifer off, but it’s too late. Kurtis sacrifices himself to deactivate the device and save everyone. Laharl tells death to reunite his soul with his wife and daughter and is less tsundere about the reason. Jennifer is back to normal and Gordon recruits her to fight as an equal to him rather than an assistant. Just when it looks like Carter is completely cornered, he calls out the celestial host to aid him, much to the surprise of Flonne.

“It can’t be! Why are angels helping this man?!”

“Celestia’s involved now? I knew they had a grudge against us, but this is ridiculous.”

Gwen: (First an assassination and now this? It’s hard to imagine Lamington would resort to this. Just what’s going on in Celestia right now?)

After the battle the episode ends how it does before, with Carter escaping and being threatened by Vyers to reveal that Vulcanus was the one pulling the strings. Vyers tells him that until he realizes the cause of his actions, he will be plagued by nightmares, proving once again that deep down this is a demon you do NOT want to fuck around with. The episode ends with Flonne’s declaration to go to Celestia.

Now, it’s time for the Final Episode, what lies beyond the battle. Flonne made up her mind to find out what Lamington’s true intentions are, even if it means she has to face him and her fellow angels as enemies. Of course, no one’s letting her go alone for this.

“This is my chance as the Overlord to see Celestia myself. I can’t pass up on that. Besides, I told you. It’s my duty as your guide to make sure you’re kept alive.”

https://picclick.com/Weiss-Schwarz-Disgaea-x-4-Overlords-Spot-Sicily-311654867788.html

“Big brother, why can’t you just admit that you want be by her side? It’s clear that you care about her.”

“No it’s not! I mean, I don’t, but, I- just shut your trap!”

“Come on Princess, you know that the Prince is a big boy now, and big boys like him act tough around girls they like.”

https://shop.tcgplayer.com/weiss-schwarz/disgaea/overlord-sicily

“You mean all those guys that pick a fight with you actually like you Etna? You must have a lot of fans.”

“Well, that’s one way of putting it.”

“Hmph! I don’t need this. We’ll just go on our own if we have to.”

Gwen: “Now, now. We were just having a bit of fun. No one said we weren’t going together.”

“She’s right! As a defender, it would be wrong to be to leave a comrade to fight on their own.”

“No matter what happens, we all have to stick together. That’s what friends are for, right?”

“BEEP BLOOP BLIP BEEP!!! NEVER LEAVE A FRIEND BEHIND! THAT’S THE LAW!!!”

“Thank you so much everyone!”

They make it to the Celestial Gate, created by one of the previous Seraphs to prevent anyone other than Celestial Residents from entering. In which case, it’s a good thing Flonne’s around since Sicily’s not an angel in this continuity. And once they open the gate, they see none other than...

Vyers! Ta-daaaaaaaaaa!

“Didn’t you just say that only angels can get through this gate?”

“Oh, uhh, that’s odd.”

“Maybe he’s actually an angel in disguise?”

Like before, Vyers points out that he just made it up here by chance (even though it’s been over a thousand years since any other demon made it through the gate), and that he’s here to test everyone’s resolve. In the end, he points out that humans, demons, and angels has had a history of labeling each other and that this group can be an example that regardless of their differences, as long as they become one in mind, they can overcome anything. Before leaving, Gwen asks him if he knows what Lamington is up to. Remember, it’s at this point of the story that Vyers realizes that Gwen is on to him not being what he seems, but Gwen has no involvement of what they’re planning. Part of Vyers wants to reveal the truth to her, but ultimately, he knows now’s not the right time, especially since both Laharl and Flonne are right there.

“Vyers, you know what he’s planning, do you? What has the Seraph been up to lately? Please...please tell me!”

“...It would be best to ask him yourself. That’s what you all came here to do, is it not? Why spread rumors when you could hear it straight from the horse’s mouth?”

He then leaves before she had a chance to stop him again. Gwen couldn’t help but still feel at least a little upset about being left in the dark like this, but soon snaps out of it, hoping that there really is a good reason to all of this in the end. The party soon encounter the angels that were sent by Vulcanus to intercept and kill them (despite Lamington clearly stating that he only wanted them captured!) and like before, Flonne is stunned by the reality of having to fight the angels.

“What’s wrong Flonne? I thought you said you were ready for this.”

“I thought I was, but I...I can’t...”

“Flonne, are you sure you’re ready for what lies ahead? To get the answer you want, you must make sure you’re determined to face the hardships that come with it. If you’re not up for it, then we can turn back and head to the Netherworld. It’s up to you.”

“I...” -takes a deep breath- “I’m ready. I’m alright now. Thank you Lady Gwen.”

And this they begin kicking some angel butt. Soon, they come across Archangel Vulcanus...the evilest angel around.

“Hey, Big Brother, doesn’t he kinda look like that villain from that game we used to play? What was his name again...”Dr. Mustache Moron”?”

“HAAAHAHAHAHAAAA! You’re right! Hey Gordon, you sure you two never met before?”

Vulcanus: “Grrr... you filthy demon brats! How DARE you?!”

I would’ve gone with “Baldi McNosehair”, but last I checked, Vulcanus isn’t bald. Anywho, like before, Vulcanus has branded Flonne a traitor for joining with the demons and has ordered her execution, and like before, Flonne points out that by allowing his own heart to be blinded by prejudice, the evil he speaks so much about is in his heart. BTW, #Pwned. Out of rage, Vulcanus calls out more soldiers to take care of them, and they lose. After the fight, Laharl brings out a good point that if Lamington isn’t involved in this, how come he hasn’t come out to save Flonne yet. Despite this, Flonne will continue to believe that Lamington has a good reason for everything that’s going on. Flonne knows that deep down, she’ll be punished for harming angels, but no matter what happens, she’s glad to be around some wonderful people. They soon meet up with Vulcanus again and this time, he attempts to get rid of them by summoning demons he made a pact with where if the party dies, they can have the Netherworld.

“Shouldn’t this count as treason too since you see all demons as “the enemy”?”

“Yeah! You’re trying to make Flonne look bad when you’re no better!”

“Not doing a good job convincing us you’re not the villain here, are ya?”

“Silence! This is act that must be good for the greater good of everyone.”

Before he could explain what he’s talking about, he leaves. Both Gwen and Gordon are viewing the situation and believe it might be best to come up with a strategic retreat...until Kurtis shows up! Yeah, Kurtis is still a prinny for his past sins, and somehow graduated from Hades in such a short amount of time, but hey, he’s here now. Unlike before though, it would be Etna that couldn’t contain her laughter, not Laharl. Also, I’m pretty sure Sicily might glomp him a bit considering her fixation with prinnies. With their morale at an all time high, they can take care of the higher demons and move on to the Seraphic Sanctuary. They see the guards protecting Lamington, blocking the path with their impervious force field. In the original story, it took the combined efforts of everyone, to use a Galaxy Omega Star blast strong enough to destroy the force field. This time, they now have Gwen and Sicily teaming up as well, so their camaraderie is much stronger than before. So I’d say that instead of Galaxy Omega Star, it’s more like...

Universal Peta Star. Not only are the shields destroyed, but they also take about a decent amount of damage before the battle starts.

They soon meet up with Vulcanus and he finally reveals his plan to achieve absolute peace by becoming a god and keep a watchful eye over the universe. Flonne argues that peace can only be achieved when everyone join hands in unity. Vulcanus points out that her idea is doomed to fail due to the deceit of demons and foolishness of humans. And just like with Carter’s argument, I’m going to let other characters point out the flaws in this “grand idea”.

“Wouldn’t your selfish fantasy end in failure too? Considering your views on humans and demons, wouldn’t that bring a lot of lack of trust among you and the people you’re looking after?”

“He’s right. Any great leader would be nothing without the bond between them and their group. I’ll admit, we may have our ups and downs, but I’m proud stick with my friends until the very end.”

“My old man was respected by everyone in the Netherworld because he knew how to handle a kingdom as well as his strength. He went so far as to give up his own life not just for me, mom, and Sicily, but for all demon-kind.”

“Look at Flonne. Despite everything that’s happened, she still believes that Lamington has good intentions. That’s how much she trusts him. See can see the good man he is that other people might be able to.”

“You have shown your bias towards demons and humans. I imagine that your idea of peace would be to alter the minds of others by force or commit mass genocide. Instead of taking time out to fully understand the issue, you assume and act accordingly. If you do manage to become this “god” you envision yourself, ask yourself if you really call this true peace. And then ask that question again the moment you see a rebel intent on claiming your life.”

Ah, thank you Jim for introducing me to this meme. Anywho, despite this Vulcanus refuses to let go of his ambition and decides to fight the party himself. After realizing that he’s been backed into a corner by the power of teamwork, Vulcanus still has one trick up his sleeve, which is to convince Lamington to fight them and watch everyone kill each other.

Before entering the Sacred Alter, everyone takes one final moment to prepare themselves, for they don’t know exactly what’s going to happen. No matter what, they’re going to be ready...or so they think. Once they enter, Vulcanus wastes to try to convince Lamington that this is an invasion, but that plan’s already starting to get thrown out the window because of one little detail.

“It’s been quite some time since our last encounter Gwen. Good to see you’re still doing well.”

https://www.deviantart.com/maharl/art/Laharl-s-mother-Disgaea-4-sprite-276434986

“Same to you Lamington. Still taking proper care of the flowers, I see.”

“You two know each other?!”

Gwen: “We have meet a few times on occasion.”

Okay, I don’t really know if they really did know each other in the past, but it’s another possibility that I won’t deny. It’s probably one of those times when her and Krichevskoy left the castle and let Rainer babysit. That or he could be responsible for the wedding, whatever the case may be. Flonne goes on ahead and asks about why were angels helping humans invading the Netherworld. Vulcanus quickly denies it, saying that she’s been tricked by the demons.

“While demons can be violent, they don’t really act without reason and are really kind once you get to know them. They can be selfish and cynical at times, but demons are capable of expressing love pretty the same way as any other person, whether it’s familial love, admiration, or...”

-looks at Laharl- “...romantic.”

“...”

Lamington finds it a bit amusing that an angel would not only defend demons for their behavior, but also fall for one. Still he agrees that rather than understanding each other, Celestains have blinded themselves with prejudice, considering themselves as everything that’s pure and good, while labeling demons as the exact opposite. He also points out that he’s well aware of everything that Vulcanus has been up to.

Yup! Just like before, he turns Vulcanus into a flower before he had a chance to escape. If you ask me, he let him off easy. I’m surprised he didn’t send him straight to Hades for trying to dominate the universe. Actually, let me know if you want that outcome instead. I might use that retcon in the future. Lamington thanks Flonne for helping to protect the Netherworld from invasion and for stopping Vulcanus, but she still has to be punished for harming other angels. This is something that nobody is happy with. I mean NOBODY!

“Why does Flonne have to be punished?! She did nothing wrong!”

“It was a matter of self defense! She came here just to ask a question and the angels threatened to kill her!”

“She only followed what’s in her heart and stuck to her beliefs! When did such an act be considered a crime?!”

“BEEP BOOP BLIP BEEP!!! FLONNE IS INNOCENT! SHE’S IN AN UNFAIR TRIAL!!!”

“Flonne put all of her faith in you, and this is how you repay her loyalty?!”

“I may not be in the best position to say this, but shouldn’t all of her good deeds like saving the Netherworld and stopping Vulcanus balance out this one mistake?”

“I don’t care who you are, you lay one finger on her and it’ll be the last mistake you EVER make!”

“I...don’t understand Lamington. You send someone as innocent as her to assassinate my husband who was already dead, and now you’re going to punish her after only showing her concerns about the state of being for Celestia?! What in the name of the three worlds has gotten into you?! Answer me!”

“...”

“Please everyone, it’s alright. I’ve prepared myself for this.”

As a final request, Flonne asks Lamington to pardon everyone’s sins, to which he agrees. She thanks Laharl for being the best guide she could ever ask for. Unlike before, she doesn’t give him her pendant. In the original story, the pendant showed that Laharl’s heart is no longer wicked, proving that Flonne managed to reach him and reveal the kindness in his heart. Here though, it’s already clear that Laharl’s kind of a nice guy. While he does have trouble expressing his feelings sometimes, he is much nicer than his original counterpart, so leaving him with her pendant is pointless; however she does give Laharl one final gift...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=breXNVIk4zs

She gently puts her hand on his face and pulls him into a kiss. See, I told you I was saving it. Laharl is completely shocked by this even after when the kiss breaks. Flonne confesses her love for him and says her final goodbyes to everyone. Laharl snaps out of it, but it’s too late. Flonne is turned into her flower. The existence of Angel Trainee Flonne has been erased, along with her sins. Laharl walks up to the flower, not only upset that Flonne is gone, but also at himself for letting this happen. He questions himself, if he’s worthy of being an overlord, despite not being able to protect the woman he loved.

“King Laharl...do you despise me?”

-glares at Lamington- “Despise you? Of course I do you bastard!” -the ground begins to shake-

“Ah! What’s this huge serge of energy?!”

“It’s big brother! He’s losing control of himself!”

“Of course! Surely there’s nothing worse then a man’s scorn after losing a loved one.”

“BEEP BLOOP BLIP BEEP!!! EVERYONE! RUN FOR THE HILLS!!!”

“Kill...you...

“I’LL KILL YOU!!!”

(This is my punishment...I willfully accept it.)

Yup, Laharl’s inner rage has unleashed once again, this time even stronger than before. You can bet your ass Lamington’s not going to have an easy time with this fight. I’d imagine it would be a tough fight, though probably not as before with Laharl’s amplified power from his anger. In fact, I won’t dismiss the possible ending where he ends up killing Lamington, but overtime, he’s reminded of his past experiences, like when he showed mercy to Hoggmeiser after ripping off Sicily, or when he forgave Etna for her betrayal, or when Flonne stopped him from seeking revenge for Sicily’s near death, or when Gwen told him that everything will be okay if he never gives up. Soon, when it looked like Laharl was about to deal the finishing blow, he stops. He couldn’t bring himself to do it, knowing that it won’t bring Flonne back. He goes up to the flower, and unlike before where he sheds a simple tear, this time is bawling his eyes out admitting that he’s going to miss her. Etna and Sicily goes up to console him, and Sicily can’t help but shed a few tears as well. Gwen looks at them and came to a conclusion. She’s glad to see Laharl and Sicily grow up and is glad to see people like Etna help out in looking after them. She’s sure that they’ll do a find job protecting the Netherworld together. She gives the three of them a hug and wishes all of them good luck. That’s right, Gwen is about to give up her life in exchange for Flonne’s, and she ends up doing so...in the alternate ending where Lamington dies.

But here, not only did Vyers just stop Gwen from doing it, he grabs her hand immediately right before she finishes saying Flonne’s name. Gwen is surprised by this and asks him what he’s doing.

“I’m glad you all came to terms with Krichevskoy’s decision. I know it’s not an easy task, but it’s important to understand to let things go and not rely solely on the path of vengeance. I apologize for keeping you in the dark for so long, but allow me to make everything clear. Look!”

Sure enough, Flonne is back! She’s not dead at all! Hooray! Of course, being happy to see her, Laharl gives her a nice hug, while Etna puts her into a minor headlock and of course, Sicily glomps her, bringing everyone down to the ground. The defenders of the galaxy couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief, while Gwen is just confused. Happy, but confused. Vyers reveals that he punishment all along was to turn her into a fallen angel and that she was actually sent to start bridging the gap between the Netherworld and Celestia, not to assassinate the overlord. When he reveals that Laharl and Flonne are the knot that binds the two worlds together, they look at each other and blush as they already have a feeling of what he meant.

“I hope you’ll forgive me. I couldn’t risk either Laharl or Flonne knowing about it early, or we would run the risk of their bond be formed artificially instead of naturally. We didn’t any pressure to damage the progression.”

“I understand. I knew I shouldn’t have doubted your true intentions.”

“Pardon me mister, but it’s clear that you’re more than who you lead on to be. Would you mind telling me who you are?”

“Hmhmhmmm...I suppose there’s no use hiding it now.”

“...”

“Y-You’re...”

“Daddy?!”

“Take great care of the Netherworld you two.”

“Of course! You can count us!”

“R-Right! We’ll keep the Netherworld safe no matter what!”

“Farewell everyone! Haaaahahahaaaaa!” -he bows and his spirit floats away-

Things tend to wrap up like it does in the original timeline, with Laharl making peace with Lamington, everyone returning to the Netherworld, Gordon, Jennifer, Thursday, and Kurtis taking off to defend the galaxy,

and Flonne becoming a teacher in the Netherworld, which is something I’m surprised hasn’t been touched on in the normal timeline. And after one of her classes ends, this happens...

“Come on big brother, what are you waiting for? She’s right there.”

“Y-Yeah, but what if she’s getting ready for another class soon?”

“I’ve seen her schedule. That was her last class for the day.”

“Why do you know that?”

“The better question is, why are YOU backing out at this great opportunity?”

“I’m not backing out!”

“Oh, you should be fine then.” -shoves him in the classroom- “Good luck Prince!”

Gwen: “I believe in you my son!”

Sicily: “I know you can do it Big Brother!”

“When I get out of here, I’m going to-”

“Oh, Sir Laharl! What brings you by?”

-!!- “Uh, nothing really. I was just...”

“Say, are you busy later today?”

“Not really. Why?”

“Well, I was wondering if you could...uh...”

“Do you need me to help Sicily feed the prinnies? That’s okay, I don’t mind.”

“No, it’s not that. It’s just...I..”

“Just go on a date with me, okay dammit?!”

“...”

“W-Wait, that came out wrong! Let me try a-”

“Sir Laharl! Of course I’ll go out with you!”

“He...hehe...

“Haaaahahahahahaaaaaaa!”

Welp, that’s the end folks. I hope you enjoyed watching it as much as I did making it...is what I WOULD say if there’s one small thing. You see, in the Disgaea timeline theory post I made, I pointed out that pretty much all of the bonus battles are considered either non-canon to the overall story, or just them fighting off different versions of said character. That is, except for one...

Tyrant Overlord Baal. That’s right, we’re postgaming this story! Tyrant Baal is coming back and it’s going to take more than an overlord to deal with this guy. Here’s the thing. I am open to suggestions on who the bonus characters would be. It’s not going to be a poll, just let me know who you want me to add and I’ll consider it as long as it’s anyone from the NIS series, except anyone from the following titles:

1. Disgaea 2 (Except maybe 14 year old Adell) 2. Disgaea 4 (Except maybe Tyrant Valvatorez) 3. Disgaea 5 4. Disgaea D2 (Sicily doesn’t count)

So, tune in for next time where our heroes take on what could possibly be the greatest challenge of their lives!))

[crazywolf828]

Weiss Schnee

First impression: I was like, really into tsunderes when I first watched RWBY and thought immediately she'd be my favorite

Impression now: not my favorite but definitely top five and I think she needs a hug

Favorite moment: the freezerburn meetup in Raven's camp. I laugh every time at "Your mom kidnapped me?" "You kidnapped her?" Iconic.

Idea for a story: I actually have a WhiteRose fic half finished where Ruby has a nightmare and asks Weiss to sing to her. It's so soft.

Unpopular opinion: I really dunno if I have any... I wasn't a huge fan of her in V4 (until she left) it felt like she was just sitting around. Which like I get, I get the growth behind it, but when everyone else is off adventuring and you cut to her in her room for the nth time it's a lil boring. Again, I get why, just not my favorite.

Favorite relationship: see I could say whiterose or freezerburn, but give me that platonic monochrome. I'm weak for them interacting especially after the last few episodes?? Weiss pulling Blake back? Blake choosing to help Weiss instead of going after Neo? Love it

Favorite headcanon: Weiss is bi :)

[yukarisystem]

@sentientbook

Name: Anthony Weiss Age: 19 Gender | Sexuality: Male | Romantically attracted to intelligence Is Your Character Signed to the Yukari System?: Yes. Relationship Status: Single Nationality: British / German Profession: Unemployed Rich Kid Personality Rundown: Self important, rude, pompous, brutally honest, dry humour, slightly sexist, helpful, caring, standoff-ish, “tsundere”, naive, patient with children Backstory: Born in England to a wealthy family, Weiss was an only child. He was spoilt rotten &. was allowed anything his heart had desired (except love &. affection). He was homeschooled, often raised by a carer which allowed him to focus all of his learning on whatever he had desired, this had lead him into being a large recluse &. though he had a large vocabulary along with knowledge on multiple different topics he was left behind when it came to technology &. modern cultures. As the boy continued to grow, his parents had decided that enough was enough. The way that he had turned out within their (the carers) care, so they had sent him off to live in Japan. His home is completely paid for by his family, as are most of his things; it is a huge test from his parents to see if he can grow up &. become a self-respecting gentleman. They hope that the System will allow him to get a good job afterwards, so they could slowly disown him quietly. More Info: He will dress in more victorian style clothing. Because he likes it. He despises being touched. He has excruciating nightmares &. is constantly on medication for it.

[notori]

RWBY Volume 4 Thoughts

I watched it all in one shot today and, well, spoiler-y comments below the cut!

So straight up I just want to say, in my opinion, this was the weakest volume. Go ahead and disagree, I’m not here to start fights - I just found it lackluster across the board. It left me wanting RT to pick themselves up and get back to volume 3 level next time. It wasn’t supremely awful and I’ll go over the good along with the bad, but I guess my overall sentiment was “Okay, better luck next time. Waiting on volume 5!”

So the good: Ren. Just... Ren. The only time I felt something deep in this volume was Ren’s backstory and his interactions with Nora. Not only super cute between them, but he’s always been a mystery and it was cool to see where those two came from and so on.

The bad: That was really the only moment I felt something! At least on the same level as how I felt throughout volume 3 (or even say, the Project Freelancer arc of RvB - point being, I know RT can do better). I mean, I was kinda concerned about Qrow. I like him - even if he is the archetypcal silent mentor guy who we now know literally has magical levels of angst to keep himself away from people. But I wouldn’t have been too heartbroken if he died either.

I did like Blake and her family. That was sweet - especially with her father and comparing it to Weiss’ family. However, it compounded too much with the other characters having split up and Qrow being himself that they repeated the (been there done that) conflict of “It’s not good for me to be around you! You’re better off! -OVERDRAMATIC EXIT-”

Back to the good: Still on Ren but, that grimm! Such a cool design! Major props to whoever came up with that. Creepy, powerful, all around the haunting image I expect when something terrible from someone’s past comes back.

A little bad: The team being split up didn’t work for me. I know a lot of people probably liked it and obviously the production team did but me? Nah. Didn’t care for it. Take Weiss for example - a titular character - what did we learn about her? Her dad’s a douche, her brother’s a douche, she’s pissed off with the rich people and makes an escape. So... wait... we didn’t actually learn anything about Weiss. We already knew she was headstrong. We already knew she would defy her upbringing for the greater good as we saw at the end of volume 1 when Blake was revealed to be a faunus. Sure, it takes a lot to stand up to family, but given who we knew Weiss to be... didn’t seem like it’d take this long or be this hard. It felt like she got set back when the entirety of her action taken this volume was to leave her home... which was done rather quickly (from a screen time POV) with seemingly minimal consequences. Of course there could be more to it that we’ll see in vol. 5, but as for right now? Again, lacking.

A bit of good though: The scene where she summoned the knight was cool! Also, and maybe this is just because I was watching with headphones, but the sound effects have improved over the years. So good job on that. Not just this moment but the grimm cries, ships, everything ambient really resonated and was pretty cool!

On that note however: Not my favourite volume for music. Which kinda sucks because I’ve always loooovved the RWBY soundtracks! The end credits song of the final episode was the only one I’d want to have of my phone. Same deal, I know RT can do better so I’m hoping they pick it up back up in vol. 5.

Where it really fell apart for me though was the characters, and again this comes back to the team being split up. Weiss got the least progression, but even the others... I guess I felt like no one grew this volume (except Ren, which is cool, but he’s a side character).

Ruby was backseat to Jaune. I didn’t want to say it. I’ve been defending Jaune for a while all through vol. 3 but this one was just... bothersome. Let me clarify: I like Jaune. But I feel he’s a good guy trapped in a bad narrative. All of team JNPR are side characters! And sure we can love our side characters, but do not try to give them this much of a spotlight. In fact this is my only criticism with Ren’s arc: I loved it, but it was Ren’s arc - not anyone from team RWBY - and it was the most interesting part of the volume. Look at what Ruby actually accomplished this volume or how she grew. Did we learn more about her? We saw... Ruby worries about people - which we knew. Ruby is a badass with her scythe - which we knew, but also saw better of before. I know the fights won’t be as good without Monty but did anything Ruby do in vol. 4 even come close to her decapitating that bird way back at the start of the series? Even from an info dump standpoint we learned nothing about the silver eyed people that we didn’t already know. They’re special and they’re being hunted. Yeah... most special people are in a world of magical strife.

Yang’s arc I liked, although it was kinda weirdly done. It’s like they couldn’t decide if they wanted to go dark and give her the grit of PTSD or keep her screen time more upbeat compared to the others. I kinda wish they had stuck with keeping her traumatized though, without it being her wallowing. Because that’s not actually how trauma works 100% of the time. It happens, yes, but it’s more than just feeling listless or being easily startled. We see her go from freaking out over the sound of a broken glass and having nightmares, to being fully okay when her father jokes about the attack. It’s all well and good if she’s over it - and I get that RT has VERY limited time to work on RWBY - but it came on sudden to see her be okay with it. Especially because it was implied through the joke that she and her father had been okay with it for some time.

Blake’s story was... kind of marred by Sun. I get the same feeling about him as I do about Jaune - except Jaune has (for all narrative purposes) been paired with Pyrrha. Sun is still after Blake and is just so stereotypical about it that I can’t not be rubbed the wrong way. Ships aside, I just wish that they could be friends. And unfortunately, they can’t be just friends if Sun is clearly into Blake. Now it’s just going down an all too familiar - and ugly - road of the poor guy who likes a tsundere who doesn’t want to be his friend! They can’t be friends unless they both want to be friends - and it’s clear from not only Sun’s actions, but the way RT is framing it with the comments from her mother and father, that Sun is not in the story to be Blake’s friend. He’s there to be a potential love interest.

Which brings me to my next point: Don’t. You. Dare. Bait. Us. Again.

Arguably my biggest point, and the thing I most want Rooster Teeth to know: We know when we’re being baited. We all do. It’s just a matter of some being willing (or naive) enough to put up with it, or those who have been through the cycle too many times to fall for it. These are my stern words of warning: We know you’re doing it. Don’t do it again. Representation only counts if it is within the story, not said by creators.

My kinder words of advice: At this time, you cannot run a male-female platonic relationship side by side with a budding male-male or female-female one. I can see how in the well-meaning creator’s mind it can seem almost obvious to treat two potential love interest as equal regardless of gender - on paper that sounds great! But in practice, in a world where LGBT+ people are constantly being told that their love, their friends and family, their very lives are second best to cis-straight people... It’s too threatening.

I did notice how Blake was adamant about denying Sun’s advances. And sure, her mother could just be being the playful motherly type and this is all a ruse for the big surprise that is Bumbleby. Yes, Blake and Sun could be just friends and their banter nothing more - hell I know I’d change my tune right quick if everything they did was literally being good friends and nothing more. It’d go from stereotypical boring guy-likes-girl-he-can’t-have BS to subverting the trope in favour of a healthy, fun, platonic relationship.

But you know that’s not how it’s coming across. And that’s where it sucks. Even if you didn’t know how Yang and Blake looked or acted at the start was reminiscent of a potential relationship, you know by now. You also know - given the blatant jokes throughout - that you were writing Sun and Blake’s interactions to at least look like the start of something romantic. Even if the end goal is to trick us.

What I’m saying is, we’re tired of being tricked. Mainly because tricks never work out in our favour. The few times they do, it’s short lived, usually ending in murder or suicide or something else terrible. This is why - at least right now was media is only just getting a handle on representation - if you are going to have LGBT+ rep you have to do it by denying any other possibility. You need to outright say “THIS CHARACTER IS NOT STRAIGHT LOOK HOW FUCKING NOT STRAIGHT THEY ARE!!! SEE THAT OPPOSITE*(For lack of a better word)-SEX CHARACTER BESIDE THEM??? BEST BUDS! THAT’S IT BEST BUDS DON’T WORRY ITS COOL BECAUSE THEY ARE SOOOO NOT STRAIGHT.”

If you don’t, especially if you tease a straight ship alongside it, we are so vastly outnumbered (by our oppressors no less - and yes, people who send ship hate specifically to LGBT ships because it’d interfere with their straight one IS oppressive - trying to silence us seeing ourselves in characters). Teasing LGBT+ fans by saying “yes, you’re here in this story... somewhere... we just haven’t shown yet...” and then writing a possible straight romance that would torpedo your leading LGBT+ one is downright a slap in the face. And don’t act like you don’t know it. And if Bumbleby IS where Blake’s romantic life is heading, don’t make tried fans who are used to getting hurt jump through the emotional hoops, or dragged through the emotional mud, of a straight ship alongside it. You don’t have to hand it to us on a silver platter, but make it clear that others are not happening.

(*Side note: I have zero qualms with bisexual Blake. More power to her. But the fact is her relationship with Yang is far more suited for a better romantic plotline than her relationship with Sun. It’s not because he’s a guy. It’s because he is nothing more than the average down-on-his-luck well-meaning goofball who’s primary character attribute is “I LIKE BLAKE”. And if they did anything to change that now it would only feel forced for the sake of trying to justify the ship.)

We are on volume 4 and you’ve said since the beginning that there are LGBT+ characters, even who we have already met, but just don’t know it yet. You have one last chance, volume 5, to remedy that - and make it count. The excuse of “we don’t know how to write romance” falls flat when you have Jaune and Pyrrha, and Ren and Nora.

Overall thoughts: It was alright. But if volume 5 could be my last unless they pick it up. Ways to do that include: Make Jaune and Sun better characters. Make the titular team the main characters again - together. Up to par music and fights. And - deal breaker - reveal some of these LGBT+ characters.