Not Me Latching Unto Any Plausible Ace Rep Ily Ren

About Willow, and the difference between forgiving and forgetting

Something I've noticed about Willows' characterization and that I genuinely liked is that she does not FORGET and she certainly isn't gullible.

If Gus struggles with not knowing what to expect from people, and doesn't seem to know who he can call a friend & trust & who he can't, lacking restrait and giving himself away too easily, Willow seems much more balanced.

See Willow is amazingly kind, she's compassionnate, she knows just how to offer support, she's forgiving and believes in second chances. She ISN'T however someone who FORGETS. She has a great balance of forgiving but also keeping herself safe & establishing boundaries. She's willing to give others a second chance and see how things will turn out but she won't go all out & 100% undoubtedly believe that they mean well or won't hurt her (whether they mean to or not). And that might be a detail but the TOH crew has conveyed it amazingly and I really like the moments where we see this aspect of her.

Concrete examples I can think of :

In Follies at the Coven Day Parade, we see for the first time Willow & Amity hanging out on one on one. They are rekindling their friendship after all, so this was important to see. And here, as usual, Willow shows that she's a great friend. She lets Amity come in, she listens carefully to her, she gives advice and she's helpful. No visible bad blood in how she treats Amity. She's willing to make this work ! She asks Amity to braid her hair and doesn't seem in a hurry to make her leave.

But when Amity herself rejoice at how everything is (apparently) as it was and how happy she is to have this back, we see Willow herself simply... hums and not answer, seeming pensive. Which shows that NO everything isn't as it was. Willow isn't trying to take up where things left off : this is a NEW start. They are trying to create something new, but that doesn't mean that Willow has forgotten what happened. She is simply giving Amity a second chance, and doesn't confuse the two.

In today's ep Labyrinth Runners, when the Hexside students find Hunter & heal him; they aren't sure if they can actually trust him. They want GUS back, so much so that one of the teacher proposes handing Hunter over to the Scouts in exchance for Gus, since they clearly want him.

Hunter is visibly scared by this proposition and start to slightly panick, and he scrambles to find a way to prove he's on their side. While he does so, we see Willow in the background passively listening. And she DOESN'T INTERCEDE IMMEDIATLY IN HIS FAVOUR. If you look carefully, Willow herself isn't convinced by this whole situation...

Up until Hunter mentions the "breathing thing" that Gus taught him. At this point, her eyes visibly widens.

And then she starts to vouch for Hunter, explaining that they can trust him. Because THAT is objective proof that Hunter & Gus were hanging out, for an extended amount of time, on friendly terms. You don't show someone how to calm down during an anxiety/panick attack if that someone is currently trying to capture you.

Willow might have forgiven Hunter, and chat with him and be kind & compassionnate to him. But she is CAREFUL with her trust, and won't automatically believe him, even if she thinks he deserves a second chance and appreciates him. She strikes a healthy balance, by being willing to be Hunter's friend but ALSO not forgetting what happened last time she hung out with him.

And I just think that showing these details, and showing it as okay is a great lesson. You can be amazingly kind & compassionnate while still protecting yourself. You can hang out with people and appreciate them and have fun with them all while keeping up healthy boundaries to make sure you won't get hurt again. This is good, and Willow is doing great for herself.

And now because I love them

✨GUS AND HUNTER BEING BROTHERS IN LABYRINTH RUNNERS✨

Grabbing your smol brother's hand to make sure he's safe? H e l l y e s

Protective bro mode: ON

Food for your homeless brother because man this kid needs help

Calming your big brother down/making your small brother laugh to make him feel better

100% sibling conversation you can't tell me otherwise

And then ✨this moment✨

Mercury: Sorry people are being weird to you about liking murder. What’s your favourite murder fact?

Cinder: When you kill people they die.

Cinder: Unless they’re Ruby Rose! Then you go “Ruby, I thought the void ate you!” and she’s like “shut the fuck up something something power of friendship.”

Oscar in cloqwork? Not in relation to the ship [that would be weird as HELL] i just think he’d look cool with the colors. WAIT HAVE U DONE THIS BEFORE

Nope, I haven’t done this one before

the two parts of my commission set is complete, by the amazing @kyuubicore

What do you love about Fairgame ? I liked them too ! Share some positivity with me if you feel like it 💚❤️

Bestie I’d love to talk abt fairgame if I didn’t have crippling anxiety and a fear of upsetting ppl :’)

THEY'RE BABIES YOUR HONOR !!!

wooo v8 pog

I tag myself as Whitley bc my cat has been sniffling and sneezing for months now and I'm too well acquainted with green goo and trying to run from it (desperately in search of a tissue)

The Schnees having a bad time tag yourself

RWBY SHIPPING II - Blacksun

Hello again everyone !

Onward with the shippy songs, I'm continuing with Blacksun !

Why ? Because, sue me I still like them, and I'm very happy with their choice song since it's a song I've rarely seen used or recognized Their theme song is Communist lovesong - Soltero

WHY THIS SONG ?

This song fits in my opinion both Blacksun as a couple, as well as their WF-related storyline from V4-V5 and it's this specificity that made me choose this song for them.

The song notably presents someone who is disillusioned with certain ideas & has been convinced that things cannot work out even if the original idea was well-meaning. It's a view that perfectly fits Blake's relationship with the White Fang during V4-V5.

As the song continues however, the singer seems to get back on his feet. Imagining this song as a back & forth between Blake and Sun, Sun alleviating Blake's sadness at the WF current's state and encouraging her to keep going, makes the song fit them especially well.

A few noteworthy lyrics :

When V4 rolls over, Blake has nearly given up on the WF & her determination at stopping their harm. The WF was a great idea, well meaning & well conceived, but got lost somewhere along the way until Blake didn't feel like she belonged with them. Faced with the attack on Beacon, the WF involvement and Yang's state, Blake isn't sure that fighting is worth the price anymore.

Sun on the other hand, is as ready to lend a hand and provide some advice as ever. He helps Blake to accept others' help & respect their choices in spite of her guilt. Guilt that he doesn't allow her to dwell in.

More than anything, and even if his timing isn't always the best, Sun knew how much the WF mattered to Blake, and kept an open eye even when she herself didn't feel up to it.

Thanks to a bit of rest, as well as Sun's steadfast attempts to help with the WF and her pent-up guilt, Blake manages to reconcile her disapproval for the WF current methods with her desire to still fight for what the WF was supposed to be. People might think that all of WF is bad & rotten, but Blake knows that to be false. And she's determined to build back up and to try again.

Blake & Sun are both Faunus and as such, even if Sun wasn't born & raised here, he's still concerned by the WF actions. Menagerie is a haven for Faunus of all kind, *their* land and Blake in particular is tied to it. All throughout V4-5; they walk their land together, Sun being particularly determined at helping Blake with her struggles.

And that's it for Blacksun ! Don't hesitate to tell me what you think. If you find my shipping + songs list, you can also ask me to do X ship next.

I think putting lyrics on gif is less time consuming for me. So I'll prob keep doing that when I can. Tell me if they gifs aren't too ugly zkffnqj

Gudnight everyone !

RWBY Analysis - Ozpin & Ruby, on the concept of leadership

In her song "Burned out", Dodie sings of her fans, how they look up to her and how uneasy that realization made her. For everyone is at the end of the day just as human as their neighbour; and having the hopes and expectations of others put upon you when you're just as lost as them can be a frightening thing. And this... made me think of Ruby & Ozpin.

On the subject of leadership, Ozpin tells Ruby the following : “Being a team leader isn't just a title you carry into battle, but a badge you wear constantly. If you are not always performing at your absolute best, then what reason do you give others to follow you?”

While I love this quote, I also have to analyze the drawbacks of this mentality and how they align with both Ozpin and Ruby. At the time, Ruby is a newly appointed leader and unsure of this reality. Ozpin's counsel give her the confidence needed to step up as a leader and take her duties more seriously, which in return appeases Weiss' and make their team all the more balanced. It is, in that context, good advice. A good leader should strive to lead by example and work hard to be worthy of the respect others give them, both in and outside of battle.

However there is one aspect that I find much more complex and that is... what does it mean to "always perform at your absolute best" and to have others follow you ? Note the use of follow, people letting you lead alone as opposed to "standing by your side" or a similar expression. It showcases in my opinion one of the biggest problem of Ozpin's leadership, but one that I feel has been inadvertently repeated by Ruby's.

- - - - - - - -

To cultivate hope and lies

When it comes to Ozpin's lies, I am of the firm belief that he had good intentions. Soo if you think he's the scorn of this earth, this might be a good time to tap out :D Now, this said I have a lot to say on the subject but I'll keep this short to stay on track (& make another unrelated post to develop my thoughts.)

In my opinion, at the core of his lies stand different beliefs. And on the subject of leadership, I think one stands out in particular and aligns with the advice he gave Ruby : the need to perform at your best to give others a reason to follow you.

Ozpin is the reincarnation of a centuries-old wizard and the headmaster of a school : what is one aspect almost every character agrees on upon meeting him ? "Oh, he's wise. He's knowledgeable. He has the answers. He has his shit together. He can tell us what to do."

Inherently, Ozpin's existence inspires respect and reassure. Just like to a child, a parent is all-knowing and unbreakable, Ozpin's status automatically give others the assumption that he knows what he's doing. And this, in my opinion, is one of the core problems of his leadership.

May it be with his inner circle, with RWBY, with ANYONE really; as soon as Ozpin reveals himself there are unspoken expectations that will chain him. He has the knowledge, he was here when it all began, he's the one calling the shots so he HAS to know exactly what to do. In that situation, breaking down and revealing to everyone how lost Ozpin is, how out of his depth... is unconceivable. And this is where Ozpin's conception of leadership becomes a problem as well. If you always perform "at your best" then you keep your doubts to yourself, you hide your sorrows and you put on a brave face. There are expectations in place that Ozpin wants (needs even) to meet. And thus the hopes of others and Ozpin's desire to fulfill them feed one another, as a perfect recipe for disaster. Because the more time Ozpin spends acting as if everything is under control, the more the expectations pile up... And coming clean about his humanity, the fact that he's just as powerless as the rest of them, becomes impossible.

And in that sense, breaking down the pedestal Ozpin had been put on was probably one of the best thing to do for his own mental health (though the method lacked a bit of compassion in my opinion xD)

The other part that somehow causes problem is how RELIANT on him his inner circle is. Despite their apparent friendship, Ozpin is the clear leader and as soon as he's out of comission, everything falls apart. Ironwood is the only one to call out Oz but in the end still wishes for the wizard to tell him what to do in period of stress. Qrow plays spy and takes order but doesn't seem really interested in stading at Ozpin's side as an equal. Glynda is stern but still defers to him etc...

All of them FOLLOW Ozpin but are just a few steps off from standing at his side. And this is something I see reflected in Ruby.

✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦

Following optimism up until it fails you

In Vol6, as secrets and lies are brought to the light, the loss of Hope that Ozpin feared so deeply happens. Is it worth it ? What are we even going to do with an immortal foe ? Maybe we should just go home. In that situation, Ruby is the simple soul who manages to keep her optimism, stand tall and say "No. We are taking the lamp to Atlas." And from then on her position as a leader and a bacon of light is reaffirmed. As Jaune put it in V4 "You gave us the courage to follow you."

Now is that, in itself, a problem ? Of course not. In fact I loved seeing Ruby come into herself and take the lead in Vol6. The problem in truth comes after, from the ramifications. From Vol6 onward, Ozpin has essentially been rid of his leader position and Ruby inherited it. And on a surface level sure, they are pretty different. Ruby is certainly closer to her partners : they're a family and they care about each other.

However, she is still clearly put at the lead. The others relied on Ruby's optimism and resilience to get to Atlas, and continue to do so. Setting foot in Ironwood's office, Blake tells Ruby "We'll follow your lead". They trust her, and whatever Ruby does... goes. They lie to Ironwood and Yang expresses some hesitations but eventually rally to Ruby's decision. And I emphasize this again : it is Ruby's decision. They did not pre-emptively discuss this as a group and then let Ruby be the spoke-person. Yang herself in Vol8 criticizes not their actions but Ruby's choices. Ruby calls the shots, Ruby is responsible for what happens, Ruby is their beacon of hope... Ruby is the new Ozpin.

Ruby has to be optimistic, and make the decisions and take risks because she's the leader. When Ruby leaves the room to break down, conversation & strategy stalls : the others don't take the lead. When things go south, it's Ruby's choices that led them here. Ever since Ruby has left Beacon, the only person who consistently encouraged Ruby to express the BAD, to share the negative has been Oscar. Even her silver eyes ask her to focus on only the happy memories to go off without a hitch ! The others comfort, they smile, they trust, they love even. But they don't want depressed Ruby finally grieving, they don't want honest "I don't know what to do" : they try to bring back confident and optimistic "we're gonna try" Ruby Rose. They want their earnest and happy but ultimately perfect leader that gives them reason to follow. In the end, even if they deeply care for her and have no shortage of warm coated reassurances for the teen, they still chain her down with their expectations. Ruby is NOT built for this. And I don't even say that in the "why is a kid calling the shots" sense, but "why is a kid put in a position where she's RESPONSIBLE for calling the shots ?"

Ruby is the youngest of the group apart from Oscar. The others should not rely on her this much to function. Blake telling Ruby that she looks up to her and that they'll follow her lead is admittedly sweet, but still builds up the pressure weighing her down. Blake calling out for Ruby's help when the teen has just been crashed to the ground by the Hound isn't even sweet anymore. They're all supposed to be equals. Blake is just as capable as Ruby. Calling out to your mind-controlled friend to bring them back from the edge is good. Calling out to your 17-old sister who's been beaten up because you need her to fight isn't.

They need to recognize that Ruby should not hold up the place alone. Because yes, they love her. But at the end of the day, Ruby is still the one bearing the weight of their decisions... Alone, even surrounded.

✦ ✦ BURNED OUT - DODIE ✦ ✦

He was certain; So was I There was comfort in her sighs

Dreams and ideas should not be the same thing You waited, smiling for this?

Oh, she'd want it, if she knew She could take it, I thought too Be careful, be cautious but you just wished harder You waited, smiling for this?

"But they love you!" Over and over, "they love you!" Thousands and thousands of eyes just like mine Aching to find who they are

"Oh, they love you!" Oh, you can feel how they love you ! Coated and warm but that's all they can do Words only get through if they're sharp

Oh, how fitting For one so fake Make me a fairy Whatever it takes

And just like a tale my dream was a scam You waited, smiling for this?

I am burnt out I smell of smoke It seeps through her cracks and so I start to choke Sentences sit in her mouth that are templated You waited, smiling for this?

Oh, maybe I'll talk about it... (maybe I'll talk about it) I can just talk about it... (I can just talk about it) I'll never talk about it... (I'll never talk about it) No, I cannot talk about it...

Don't build hope on something broken I am not cartoon. Cry for help, I am not joking I might just leave soon