#Cinder and Mercury can to
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Something it feels like a lot of people miss in RWBY is how often the villains are pushed into their roles by others or society.
Salem was forced into the role of villain by the gods, punished with immortality after trying to get Ozma back, then pushed deeper when she tried to fight back, lost everything, and wanted to try to end her curse on her own terms. Now with the God of Light using Ozma as his tool, Salem keeps getting pressed deeper into her role becoming the villain everyone wants her to be.
Cinder was abused by the orphanage and the madam, only ever catching a break with Rhodes until she saw no other way to save herself than fighting back against the madam. Rhodes pushed her into the role of villain by treating her like one and forcing her to fight again.
Hazel was used because of his grief of his sister's passing. We dont know much, but it can be inferred that Gretchen died while as a student in Beacon since she died in a training mission, but Hazel was pushed to find Salem. After meeting her and trying to kill her, his grief and anger was pointed towards Ozpin, turning him into a weapon for Salem.
Tyrian's a serial killer and seems to be the odd one out at the moment.
Watts gave into his jealousy after Pietro's project was chosen. From the sound of it, Ironwood never fully appreciated everything he did for Atlas, but that's all speculation and possible unreliable narrator.
Emerald was a street kid living on her own. She fell into Cinder and walked the line of villain because it gave her a place to belong until she found something more.
Mercury was abused by his father and trained as a killer. He sees no other purpose for himself and gladly lives that lie for now.
Neo was neglected and abused by her family, initially turning to shoplifting as a way to get attention, only to find herself getting deeper into crime after meeting Roman. She found someone who understood her and cared about her in him, so it wasn't a hard choice.
Adam was branded by SDC workers and gave into his anger when the White Fang wasn't getting the results he wanted. He treaded a slippery slope of wanting to help and defend the White Fang, eventually getting pushed to want humanity to fear faunus and serve them like the faunus did humans.
Ironwood gave into his paranoia and anxiety, isolating himself more and more as things went wrong. Noble goals were pursued in the worst of ways, bringing his fleet as security for the Vytal Festival, closing kingdom borders to help ease tensions of war between kingdoms, redirecting supplies from Mantle's wall repair to Amity, every act playing right into Salem's hands until he was pushed to do things his way to stop Salem and save Atlas, isolating himself further until he sank with his kingdom.
Every single one of them have been pushed into their roles because none of them had the support they needed to do better. For some, like Ironwood, Adam, and Watts, that was on them for giving into their feelings, blinding them to what was going on around them. Salem, Cinder, Mercury, and Tyrian haven't had much of a choice, pushed into being villains by their actions and by others. Emerald, Hazel, and Neo never had the support they needed to tread a different path, and once they did, that support led them down the path of villains.
Villains aren't born, they're created. Pushed down a path to follow as the easy way out because no other doors open to them. Which will make it all that more interesting to see how the remaining, living villains will be dealt with. Will they be given a hand and support needed to change? Or proven right that all they are are villains with no hope of change?
#rwby#cinder fall#neopolitan#arthur watts#mercury black#james ironwood#tyrian callows#emerald sustrai#i still think Cinder would take the chance to do better if it was offered to her#if Emerald and Neo can be offered that chance#Cinder and Mercury can to#and all of this still makes me wonder how Salem will be stopped#if its a smaller more simple spul needed#then maybe hope or compassion with be the key
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rwby characters as who i think they’d main in super smash bros
ruby: sonic because speed but also bc i think she’d just be a huge sonic fan in general
weiss: pyra/mythra because of how versatile they are, similar to her semblance
blake: sheik!! the ninja-like qualities + the personalities fit pretty well
yang: captain falcon ofc! falcon punches her way to victory every time. i also think it’d be funny if she was wario because she’d use her motorcycle the entire time fbshfjsjfjs
jaune: young link. idk it just fits him super well through design and fighting style
nora: kirby. duh. pink and hammer and also adorable.
pyrrha: considering i had to give pyra/mythra to weiss, i’ll just have to give her sora. i think she’d fall off the edge a lot so she’d want someone with a really good recovery
ren: greninja. same sorta logic as blake
oscar: pokemon trainer. he likes the versatility that comes with playing three different kinds of characters in one. either that or villager because he matches the vibes
qrow: joker but mostly b/c he thinks he looks badass lmao
sun: diddy kong!!!! monkey boys!!!!!
neptune: luigi. no reason for this i just think it’d be funny
emerald: bayonetta. the vibes fit SO well
mercury: (i also wanna say bayonetta because the boot guns but that’d be a copout so) i’ll say sephiroth because he’d spam his projectile moves and laugh
cinder: can’t imagine she’d play but if she did then she’d kick ass as byleth
neo: jigglypuff. and then she’d commit mass murder
winter: lucina because the vibes. would also only play b/c either weiss would beg her to or qrow would taunt her until she did
#rwby#ruby rose#weiss schnee#blake belladonna#yang xiao long#jaune arc#nora valkyrie#pyrrha nikos#lie ren#oscar pine#qrow branwen#sun wukong#neptune vasilias#emerald sustrai#mercury black#cinder fall#neopolitan#winter schnee#i might make more with other characters if i can think of them
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call them team comet bc... idk, it was the only name i could come up with their letters.
#rwby#team cmet#cinder fall#mercury black#emerald sustrai#adam taurus#au stuff#strqyr.wip#i am being self-indulgent on this fine night#u can tell i'm not used to drawing cinder with two eyes when her hair hides the other one fhgfshdsfjh#also chances of this getting finished are near ZERO#but i needed to get this out of my system#your honor none of them have been to school before and they need to pretend to be haven students?#they're doomed
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wait off topic if I change Cinder's semblance for my rwby canon-adjacent au.... would this be controversial
editing to warn people that the tags are novel length but that i love them and also @graythegreyt pls read them when u have a chance
#wick lore#i have asked myself this question with almost every character but for cinder i was thinking abt her dustweave (?) clothing#dustweave. dust infused. something like that#her v1 outfit that has the design on the sleeves that lights up when she sends out fire. that's her using fire dust that's in the cloth#but as far as i know this is a detail that literally never comes up again like we never see anyone else with clothing like this#so i asked myself. what if that was her semblance instead. that she had the ability to sew dust into cloth#how hard would it be for the girl modelled after cinderella to know that her semblance required her to do domestic labor to be used#thus explaining why it doesn't show up in later volumes because once she gets the maiden powers she thinks she doesn't need it#idk i think making her semblance be 'she can heat stuff up' and thus making her semblance indistinguishable from maiden powers#for the entirety of the series. is a bit of a waste. bc semblances say a lot about characters right#i know there's a point to be made about like. it manifested as that at that time because cinder has always been angry etc etc#but wouldn't it hurt from a different narrative angle. to have her semblance be dustweaving. when she doesn't have any money#no money to buy dust with but a semblance that makes her a skilled and incredibly rare craftsperson but can she bear to sell her skills#when they've been used against her for so long? when all she's known is hard work and grit and sweat? when it's probably dangerous?#anyway i think im about to hit the limit for tags but. lmfao. the possibilities!!! also the association between handsewing and the HOME!#something she's always wanted but never had. a safe place to sit by a fire that she doesn't have to tend and do her work...#also like the possible tension with mercury bc she's wishing her semblance was more offensive + merc's like BE GRATEFUL YOU HAVE ONE???#i headcanon that mercury has a semblance though. that he has silver eyes and his dad took those from him by making him hate the world#...anyway#goodnight
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unrequited emercury with the facet of Mercury being jealous of Cinder for having the kind of attention from Emerald that he wants is just
#to be clear cinder is not returning emerald’s feelings and emerald’s feelings are complicated#but Mercury as he stands rn probably interprets them as romantic to some degree#and it’s a combination of ‘jealous’ and ‘you can do better than her come ON’#r: emercury#adaurable#adartable
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The Popsicle Comparisons
Pyrrha: Jaune’s bigger.
Yang: Waaaaaaay bigger!
Nora: Thicker too.
Weiss: My singing career really helped me take it.
Blake: Took me a few tries, but I can reach the end.
Glynda: I can kiss the tip when I sandwich him.
May: I wanna do that…
Velvet: I love his carrot~!
Ruby: I can’t get my hands around it.
Coco: I can’t keep my hands off of it~!
Cinder: Oh, look, it’s my discipline stick~!
Emerald: Yeah, Daddy’s bigger.
Militia: It was fun when we sandwiched it between us.
Melanie: We have to do that again~!
Neo: 🥰🍆💦
Winter: The limp I got was divine~!
Harriet: I pulled so many muscles that day… Worth it~!
Elm: He picked me up like a twig when we did it.
Salem: My ex-husband was a shrimp compared to him.
Willow: I love how he remodelled me to fit him~!
Kali: I’ve never had a human before, but good gods~!
Raven: And, I thought I was a top~!
Summer: We need to do it again, the timing was off.
Sienna: Pro-Faunas on the streets, Pro-Human in the sheets~!
Terra: I’m gay, but when it comes to, Jaune~!
Robyn: I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t divine.
Fiona: The big bad wolf is coming to ravage the poor defenceless lamb again~!
Jessica: Yellow, my one weakness~!
Jinn: You think you know everything, but then you really know everything~!
RWBY Girls: AHHHHHHHH~!
Saphron: …
Saphron: Dibs. I go next.
RWBY Girls: Eh?!
~~~
RSNM: …
Mercury: D-Did you really…?
Jaune: Yeah…
Ren: A-All of them…?
Jaune: Yep…
Sun: One is surprising enough, but all of them?!
Jaune: Shocking, I know…
Neptune: How did that all happen?!
Jaune: Word of mouth.
Ren: Is that metaphorical, or literal?
Jaune: Yes.
Mercury: How can you manage that?!
Jaune: Semblance.
Ren: So… The whole team?
Jaune: Which ones?
Mercury: The bad girls?
Jaune: A few here, and there.
Ren: The teacher?
Jaune: You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.
Sun: The moms?
Jaune: Not all at once. I think…?
Neptune: The faunas chicks?
Jaune: They tend to bite, and scratch…
Mercury: The green ring girl?
Jaune: I still don’t understand the yellow weakness bit.
Sun: The, Relic?
Jaune: There’s some knowledge for you.
Ren: Your sister-in-law?!
Jaune: Was my first.
Mercury: Your sister?!
Jaune: Another brocon. Joy…
RSNM: …
RSNM:
YOU ARE A GOD!!!
Jaune: …
Jaune: No comment.
#rwby#jaune arc#yang xiao long#blake belladonna#pyrrha nikos#weiss schnee#ruby rose#nora valkyrie#lie ren#mercury black#neptune vasilias#sun wokung#may zedong#winter schnee#willow schnee#robyn hill#fiona thyme#coco adel#velvet scarlatina#kali belladonna#summer rose#raven branwen#saphron cotta arc#terra cortta arc#rwby salem#rwby jinn#rwby neo#sienna khan#harreit bree#elm ederne
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Emerald: Ruby? Weiss? May I talk to both of you for one minute?
Ruby: Emerald? You want to talk?
Emerald: Yes.
Weiss: With us?
Emerald: Yes. Do you both have the time or not?
Weiss: Um… sure.
Ruby: This is rare so I am curious about how this conversation will go.
Emerald: Okay, good. Now, if you don’t feel comfortable, we can drop this. Alright?
Ruby: Okay.
Weiss: Absolutely.
Emerald: Good. So… which one of you is going to give it up to Jaune?
Weiss: WHAT THE-
Ruby: WHEN DID WE GET TO THIS POINT?! WHEN?!
Emerald: I’m just saying. When are any of you going to give the man something for his efforts?
Weiss: There is no way this is happening. Especially not from you.
Ruby: *looks around*
Emerald: Ruby what are you doing?
Ruby: Checking for cameras and microphones at the very least. But mainly to see if Nora or Blake are hiding anywhere. This is something straight out of their book.
Emerald: Look, I’m just asking a simple question. Now Ruby I understand considering-
Ruby: No. Stop.
Emerald: I mean-
Ruby: Shut up.
Emerald: Fine. But you Weiss, I don’t understand.
Weiss: Alright look. I somewhat am impressed with Jaune, but I don’t like him like that. We’re just friends.
Ruby: Yeah and so are we!
Emerald: So after everything he’s done for both of you, you don’t think of him as anything other than a friend?
Ruby and Weiss: Yes.
Emerald: Even though he helps both of you. Saves both of you. And kept both your sisters alive.
Ruby: Um…
Weiss: I mean… yeah.
Emerald: Mhmm. Disappointing.
Ruby: Excuse me?
Emerald: I’m just saying I met no one besides Hazel and Mercury who would go that far for me. If I were you girls I try to keep that around.
Weiss: What are you trying to say?
Me: Cinder and Neo may have had a point. You two don’t deserve shit. Ungrateful bitches.
Weiss: Look, Emerald, Ruby and I care about Jaune. Plus, you make it sound like we don’t stand a chance now to get with him.
Emerald: Because you don’t. Especially when you had Jessica ahead of you both. And she’s not from this universe.
Ruby: How do you know about Jessica?
Emerald: Jaune told me and he didn’t skip the details.
Ruby: … … um…
Emerald: And he’s older now.
Weiss: But not as mature.
Emerald: How so? I mean, he cares about others. And he’s responsible. How does that not count as being mature?
Weiss: Well he yelled at Ruby.
Emerald: Did he have a reason?
Ruby: He was always angry and frustrated.
Emerald: Again did he have a reason?
Ruby and Weiss: Yes.
Emerald: Okay, look, if you girls don’t want him fine. Just don’t be mad when another woman decides to claim him.
Ruby: Pfft like who?
Emerald: I don’t know. Maybe just any girl willing to put up with him. Help him. And unlike Pyrrha would take any opportunity to seal the deal. Maybe Winter. Elm. Me. Harriet. Possibly any one better.
Ruby: Hold on what you say.
Emerald: I said what I said.
Weiss: Emerald, you are no older than us.
Emerald: I mean I can wait and if it doesn’t work out I’ll find someone new. But again… what about you Schnee cause I believe your chances are slim.
Weiss: What?
Emerald: Because you are basic.
Weiss: Basic? Oh, I will show you ‘basic’.
Ruby: No, Weiss. Calm down. No.
Weiss: Let me go, Ruby.
Emerald: Well I am going to take my leave. Later losers.
Weiss: I KILL YOU!!
#rwby#jaune arc#ruby rose#weiss schnee#emerald sustrai#rwby lancaster#jaune x ruby#rwby topaz#jaune x emerald#whiteknight#jaune x weiss#pyrrha nikos#rwby arkos#jaune x pyrrha#harriet bree#jaune x harriet#rwby elm ederne#jaune x elm#jessica cruz#jaune x jessica#rwby knightlight#jaune x winter#winter soldier#winter schnee
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the first thing. the very first thing we see salem do besides the non-diegetic bookend monologues. is tell off watts for being mean to cinder. “watts, do you find such malignance necessary?”
and it isn’t just a passing remark, salem makes a whole thing of it. “then i see no reason for your cruelty towards young cinder,” effusive praise and then she turns back to watts and says, “so, i’m curious, to what ‘failures’ are you referring?”
well, watts says, the girl with the silver eyes. even without her new power, it should have been effortless—
—and salem shuts that down hard. “it is because of the maiden’s power.” it’s not cinder’s fault. “make no mistake, cinder: you hold the key to our victory. but your newfound strength brings with it a crippling weakness, which is why you will remain by my side as we continue your treatment.”
then, after salem gives her orders, cinder asks about ruby. watts scoffs; what about her, she’s cinder’s problem, not ours. but: “tyrian? spring can wait. find the girl that did this to cinder, and bring her to me.”
and scene. that’s our first real glimpse of who salem is, and it lays the foundations for everything that develops from this point with salem and cinder.
before salem walks into the room it’s established that cinder is at the bottom of the pecking order. watts and tyrian gleefully pick on her; hazel doesn’t give a shit. and then salem enters and makes this deliberate, protracted point of not just “don’t be cruel to cinder” but she is at pains to demonstrate that cinder’s wellbeing is her first priority. salem is personally involved in treating her injuries. watts is taking over the haven operation so that cinder will have more time to heal. she pulls tyrian off the hunt for the spring maiden because cinder wants ruby dealt with, and salem again intends to deal with the matter herself.
“it’s important not to lose sight of what drives us: love. justice… reverence. but the moment you put your desires before my own, they will be lost to you. this isn’t a threat; this is simply the truth. the path to your desires is only found through me.”
but for cinder fall, spring can wait.
cinder has always been the exception to every rule. salem put what cinder wanted ahead of her own agenda. salem effectively postponed haven to do cinder a favor, without a second of hesitation. salem spent all of V4-5 focused on cinder and what cinder wanted.
her parting words before cinder leaves for haven are: “you will have the power i promised you when the time is right, but remember that it comes with a cost. if ruby rose has learned to harness her gift, you must take care to protect yours; there’s only so much i can do to aid you.”
<;- “be careful.”
and then cinder is not careful. now consider this exchange:
SALEM: Emerald. I want you to tell me whose fault this was… Now.
EMERALD: Ci-Cinder! We failed because of Cinder.
SALEM: ……That’s right. I want you to understand that failure; I want you to understand why Cinder must be left to toil in her isolation until she redeems herself.
MERCURY: You mean…
EMERALD: She’s alive!?
WATTS: You’re joking. How could you know that?
ok. really think about this.
salem is the only person in the room who knows cinder is alive. everybody else takes it as a given that she died at haven. “maybe cinder survived somehow?” is not a possibility on anybody’s radar.
emerald is on the brink of collapsing in abject grief because she believes cinder is dead. and then salem grabs her shoulder and is like “listen to me very closely, it is emotionally important to me that you understand why we will not be going to cinder’s aid. she MUST be left to TOIL ALONE. BY HERSELF. until she redeems herself. do you understand?”
and the entire inner circle is like excuse me
what do you mean cinder’s alive
how do you even know that
“NO FURTHER QUESTIONS.”
i just—hrgfjfk
“apropos of nothing, i am NOT sending you or cinder’s other little friend to her aid and i will NOT be altering my plans in any way to help her i am not going to lift a finger for her. until she redeems herself.”
the lady doth protest too much.
for cinder fall, spring can wait.
salem is projecting her own desire to rescue cinder from the haven mess onto emerald for the express purpose of shooting it down. watts asks how she could even know cinder survived and salem’s like >:( and changes the subject.
“it’s important not to lose sight of what drives us. love—”
she goes through her whole little spiel about not putting what they want before what she wants and then, with her back turned to all of them, she glances out the window and the mask just crumbles. her shoulders hunch. she is acutely unhappy. “and so we must… press on.”
this song and dance is not for them. it’s for her. it is half of an argument salem is having with herself.
“spring can wait; find the girl that did this to cinder, and bring her to me.” -> “but the moment you put your desires before my own, they will be lost to you.”
“you will have the power i promised you […] but remember that it comes with a cost. if ruby rose has learned to harness her gift, you must take care to protect yours; there is only so much i can do to aid you.” -> “the path to your desires is only found through me.”
✨salem✨ is the one who set the expectation that what cinder wanted took priority. salem told cinder to rely on herself first and salem second. she warned cinder repeatedly and explicitly that the power she promised to cinder would expose her to greater harm.
as far as salem knows, because watts certainly wouldn’t have painted a fair picture of why cinder made the choices she did, cinder didn’t heed that warning, fumbled haven, lost the lamp, and very nearly got herself killed in the process.
and salem wants to throw her a lifeline.
she doesn’t want to be wanting to throw cinder a lifeline but it is, obviously, a thought that crossed her mind often enough for her to feel the need to declare out loud that she is Not Going To Do It, No Matter How Much You Might Want Me To, Emerald.
“the sword under vacuo’s academy, shade—” and then hazel drops the bomb on her that ozma has the lamp and he’s taking it to atlas. watts and tyrian are rattled because oz might talk some sense into ironwood and spoil the plan. but salem?
salem isn’t thinking tactics or strategy. she is getting run over by the freight train of discovering she feels the same way about This Situation—cinder trying to get the lamp away from ozma alone—as she feels about her daughters.
and she cannot fucking do it.
cinder must be left to toil in her isolation until she redeems herself (by recovering the lamp) -> what do you mean oz has the lamp -> never mind we’re all going to atlas right the fuck now. cinder can toil in isolation with the covert support of salem’s most formidable pair of agents while salem churns out a zillion grimm over the course of a few months ITS FINE. EVERYTHING IS FINE.
“she thinks; she wants. as if she’s done something to warrant me caring about either of those things.” i don’t care, she says, caringly.
but:
“your newfound strength brings with it a crippling weakness, which is why you will remain at my side while we continue your treatment.” -> “you will have the power i promised you when the time is right, but remember that it comes with a cost. if ruby rose has learned to harness her gift, you must take care to protect yours. there’s only so much i can do to aid you.” -> “i would like to think i’ve shown a great deal of patience during my many years walking remnant, but i do hate repeating myself. you will remain here. is that clear?”
it isn’t that she’s punishing cinder for the failure at haven.
cinder comes home from beacon maimed, salem keeps her at evernight for months and replaces the arm she lost with a grimm (<- symbolically, she gives cinder part of herself; the arm ties them together and that goes both ways, salem knows she’s alive and cinder knows when she’s back; she makes cinder like herself). waits as long as she reasonably can before sending her to haven, with parting words that amount to be careful, i won’t be there to save you.
cinder gets clobbered at haven and barely survives, salem is at war with herself over it when hazel blindsides her with the bad news that ozma has the lamp and she panics.
salem drops everything to rush to atlas with overwhelming force and arrives to find cinder waiting for her not only in one piece but also in possession of the lamp; her eyes go fucking glossy for a second as an enormous amount of tension just melts away. and salem like? teases her? about her habit of bringing home strays. “hm! you certainly do like collecting assets,” fondly indulgent. oh you. like genuinely is is the one and only time salem has ever sounded like she’s having fun.
…then cinder reveals that she tried for the staff, too, but the polendina girl “interfered” and became the winter maiden instead. (salem isn’t stupid she knows this is cinder-speak for “a girl who could beat me without magic is the winter maiden now.”) and cinder wants to turn right around and hunt her down? NO. ABSOLUTELY NOT. YOU ARE STAYING HERE.
the hammer drops because salem is scared. she resorts to cruelty in a desperate stab at clawing herself back from the ledge of Caring About Cinder; but salem is so, so, so painfully cognizant all the time of how mortal cinder is. she sent cinder to beacon and cinder came home missing her eye and half an arm. she sent cinder to haven and cinder almost didn’t come back at all, it’s a miracle she survived. and salem brought an incomprehensible number of grimm to atlas specifically to avoid round three of feeling terrified while cinder crawls through a meat grinder for her. and now cinders like BUT I WANT TO CRAWL THROUGH THE MEAT GRINDER!
“remember that [power] comes with a cost; if ruby rose has learned to harness her gift, you must take care to protect yours. there’s only so much i can do to aid you” -> “everything is already in motion; all you need to concern yourself with is your ability to act when i tell you to.”
she doesn’t have the nerve to say it or maybe she just doesn’t know how but she is trying to pull cinder out of the line of fire. this is not your game to win (this is not your fight) and just because you’re more valuable to me than a pawn (you are not just a pawn to me) and everything is already in motion (i will take care of it this time) and all you need to concern yourself with is your ability to act when i tell you (don’t worry just let me handle it).
if she can crack down and keep cinder under control with cruelty and intimidation then she doesn’t have to confront the feelings driving her decisions, but of course she can’t because she never had control over cinder in the first place; cinder is legitimately stunned when salem shuts her down in 8.1 because Salem Does Not Treat Her Like That.
so naturally cinder goes: well fuck you i do what i want.
and almost fucking dies.
again.
they hit amity in the middle of the night. it’s dawn in vacuo during the broadcast, vacuo is six hours ahead of atlas (2.3). cinder does not wake up until dawn. she is unconscious for six hours. six. hours. in a world where aura can fully heal a thoracic impalement in about fifteen minutes.
think about how badly cinder had to have been hurt for emerald—who loves cinder and is terrified of salem—to bring cinder back to the whale after they did exactly what salem directly ordered cinder not to do. think about the level of desperation necessary for emerald of all people to weigh the risk of salem’s fury against the severity of cinder’s injuries and decide she had to bring cinder to salem.
“you chose to disobey my specific instructions, just to fail again. and… i’ve realized it’s all my fault. you’ve fought your whole life unwaveringly for what you want, and here i am holding you back, instead of lifting you up. you deserve so much more than i’ve given you.”
<- that is the sound of salem falling off the ledge.
like
as a manipulative tactic to get cinder under her thumb this is, quite plainly, not going to work, and cinder sees right through it, and salem knows that. by literally ✨rewarding✨ open defiance she accomplishes nothing except proving to cinder that when the chips are down, salem will blink first.
but.
salem is not about getting cinder under her thumb. she wants the relics and she’s also been losing her gods-damned mind for months now because every time cinder leaves her sight for an extended period of time cinder has gotten smushed like a bug and the legion of grimm did not even slightly improve the situation. and the only way salem can think of to thread the needle between having her cake and eating it too is to go REBELLION IS OKAY. LET’S TRY THE BUDDY SYSTEM.
the minute salem reconstitutes, she beelines to where cinder is. pretends not to notice cinder’s bald-faced lies. “you did well” and “our work here is done” and not interrupting and making a point to demonstrate that she listened to what cinder told her (“you said they used the staff; i assume you rid the world of their creation.”) and asking carefully non-threatening follow up questions (“what did you create?” as opposed to, like, what happened to watts).
salem isn’t trying to put cinder on a leash. she’s twisting herself into knots in search of a way to move forward with her actual agenda without getting cinder killed, and her increasing desperation to keep cinder alive is not primarily motivated by strategic calculation; it’s emotional.
her establishing character moment is salem Making a Statement to her own inner circle that cinder is more important than the plan. she says she’s going to leave cinder to ~toil in isolation~ and sticks to it for all of, like, two minutes before she finds out it would mean abandoning cinder to face ozma alone and just shatters. she is visibly relieved when cinder surprises her with the lamp and proceeds to make “you will not go hunting a girl who can definitely maul you” her hill to die on until cinder tries to actually die on it, whereupon salem snaps like a stretched rubber band back to “you can do whatever the hell you want just please for the love of fuck slow down and let me bend the odds as much in your favor as i can.” this woman is immortal and cinder is still shaving years off her lifespan.
and this is going to keep happening until she can get her act together and say outright that she Cares About Cinder, because to cinder all of this just looks like salem yanking a leash to remind cinder she’s worthless. the second beacon arc is going to be hysterical.
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Cinder: And with the Relic, one can find true happiness.
Mercury: But everyone already knows where the strip club is
Emerald: She means real happiness
Mercury: . . . But everyone already knows where the strip club is
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Ruby: MMmm-MH! Goooood Morning Yang!
Yang: *Brushing Teeth* M'rn Rbs!
Ruby: You're up bright and early. What's up?
Yang: *Spits in sink* Me and Blakey got a whole day planned-*Gargling & Swishing Mouthwash, Spits* We're gonna go for a walk in the park to get some pictures taken and do a little window shopping, then we're meeting up with her parents for lunch!
Ruby: You've got a whole day planned, Huh! Is there something special about to ... day ...
Ruby checks the calender - wednesday, Febuary 14th.
Valentines day
Ruby: Nonono! Not now! I haven't prepared!
Yang: Sorry Rubes! I gotta get dressed, so unless you wanna see me naked again, you should-
Ruby: I'm going, I'm going!
~~~~~
Ruby: Hey Weiss! Blake and Yang are busy-
Weiss: I have Dates planned Ruby! I'm afraid I can't help you.
Ruby: With- I'm sorry did you say 'Dates' as in Dates Plural?
Weiss: Yes I did.
Ruby: Isn't that kind of-
Penny: Salutations Ruby! I am here to see My Valentines for the day!
Ruby: Penny? You're going out with Weiss?
Jaune: I am too! We're going to be switching on and off throughout the day!
Ruby: What.
Penny: Knowing that you identify as 'Asexual' I inquired what romance felt like to Weiss, who was on her way to ask Jaune on a 'date.' Jaune brought up how Polyamorous relationships were uncommon but plausible, so Weiss agreed to spend her time with us both!
Ruby: ... Oh.
Weiss: Yes, and I still need to finish readying up! Please leave so that I may Dress!
~~~~~
Loud Thumping and groaning may be heard behind Ren and Nora's Door, along with slapping sounds.
Ruby: I dunno why I thought they'd be doing anything else.
~~~~~
Oscar: Hey Ruby! What're you up to?
Ruby: Finding you! Everyone else is busy with Valentines, so I figured "hey, Oscar hasn't seemed interested in anyone, and he know what romance is" so I looked for you so we could have a Totally Platonic hangout. Which, for Valentines day would be weird-
Whitley: *Barging in* Hello my Evergreen~ I brought Cinnamon raisin Oatmeal cookies for my most sweet of sweets~
Oscar: Uuuhh ... Sorry Ruby, I'm kinda busy?
Ruby: ￣へ￣
~~~~~
Ruby: *Knocking on Door* HEY UNCLE QROW!
Robyn: *Wrapped in a towel* Sorry kid, He's busy in the Bathroom.
Ruby: ... i though him and Clover-
Clover: I'm here Too!
Qrow: I got a big heart Kid! Now leave and let me bathe with these guys, or I'll tell them about your seventh brithday!
Clover: Now that I wanna hear!
Ruby: You wouldn't!
Robyn: *Holding Qrow's hand* He Would.
Ruby: ... Got it. Have a nice time. Please leave a sock on your handle next time this happens!
~~~~~
Ruby: ...
Emerald: How do they feel now?
Mercury: *Rubbing his legs, crying Slightly* They feel Real. They feel like they're back.
Ruby: Well That's sweet.
Emerald: We're trying. I'd talk more but concentration-
Ruby: And Merc seems like he needs you, have a nice day.
~~~~~
Ruby: Hey Winter-
Winter: ...
Cinder: *On Winter's shoulder* ...
Ruby: ... I'll be going.
~~~~~
Ruby: Hey Miss Schnee-
Willow: *sweaty and Flushed* Hello Dear! I'm afraid I don't have much time-
Kali: Willow~ We have time for one more round before me and Ghira need to see our Kitten~
Ruby: Just go-
Willow: I can take a break if you need-
Ruby: I'll be fine, i get it-
Willow: Seriously, If you need something-
Ruby: Thank you, but I'm good, all good, go have your fun-
~~~~~
TaiYang: Hey! You've reached the Personal Scroll of Taiyang Xiao Long! At the moment I am pounding someone's ass right now, and Can't reach you! PLease leave a message at the Tone!
Ruby: *Hangs up* Safe to assume that's where Raven is.
~~~~~
Ruby: ... Hey? Hey Torchwick!
Roman: *Sitting at a table at a cafe* Little Red, I'm not in the mood for any of our games today.
Ruby: What do you mean?
Roman: Look, Neo's a free spirit, and on today of all days, she's reveling in Warm bodies rather than cold blood, leaving little ol' me out to dry, just cause the way I get down and Dirty is only ever stylish not sexy.
Ruby: ... yeah, I get that. Everyone I can think of is either being horny or romantic. It's annoying.
Roman: Oh-ho-ho! It seems the little nightmare for all the criminals in Vale is and Ace of Spades, huh?
Ruby: Well ... *Unfurling Crescent Rose as she takes a seat* Wrong Farm tool, but yeah, my flags fly white, gray, Green and Purple.
Roman: ... how about truce for today? I get the feeling if we stay out of each other's trouble our friends and family can have a nice day.
Ruby: No assault, theft from Mom and Pop shops, no murders, no trafficking and no destruction of property.
Roman: ... take off destruction of property.
Ruby: Hostile architecture only.
Roman: *Extending his hand* Deal.
Ruby: *shaking his hand* Sweet.
#rwby#ruby rose#roman torchwick#NOT rosewick#platonic rosewick?#bumbleby#whiteknight#frostbyte#frostknyte#rich farmers#renora#true fairgame#jailbyrds#fairgame#cinwin#emercury#tairaven#rwby pheonix#rwby shitpost
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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.
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Grimm Au: So when the dance comes how are Emerald and Mercury gonna deal with the fact they have to actually be their just cause?
Emerald: You don't care!? What do you mean you don't care!?
Mercury: I'm still paid the same to basically do nothing. I can basically do whatever i want so why should i care?
Emerald: We were here to destroy Beacon! Don't you feel a bit... Weird? Like you don't belong here at all?
Mercury: *shrug* we aren't going to do jack shit. Relax Em. Try living for yourself for once. I'm sure there's something else than Cinder 24/7 in your mind.
Emerald: *think about the students* I guess some students are less... Annoying than others.
Mercury: Weren't you looking at the girl? The one who had a relationship with the extremist?
Emerald: *just a bit red* I was wondering what book she was reading.
Mercury: ... The porn one?
Emerald: IT'S NOT PORN!
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Mercury: Try closing your fingers one at a time.
Cinder: *Focuses on her new cybernetic arm, willing her fingers down one at a time*
Jaune: *Looking on in astonishment* Now that is cool. How does it feel?
Cinder: It feels... creepy. Like I'm controlling someone else's arm.
Mercury: *Chuckles* Trust me, you'll get used to it. The more you use that arm the more natural it will feel, almost as natural as your real one. You just have to remember to be careful with your thoughts, that thing is connected right into your nerves, so simply thinking about moving your arm will cause it to move. Here, try thinking about picking up that soda can without crushing it.
Cinder: *Looks at the soda can on the table for a second before her robot arm slaps it off the table* Well thats just great.
Jaune: *Places a reassuring hand on Cinder's shoulder* Its alright, Cinder. This is going to take time, but I know you got this. Let me get that for you so we can try again. *Bends down to grab the soda can*
Cinder: *Steals a glance at Jaune's butt. Before she knows it her robot arm reaches out and grabs Jaune's ass in a tight grip*
Jaune: *Springs up with a loud yelp* C-Cinder?!
Cinder: *Blushing hard, trying to will her robot arm to let go of Jaune's butt cheek* I-it must be a m-malfunction! L-Let go damn it!
Mercury: *Smiling a big shit eating grin* Gotta be especially careful of those intrusive thoughts, Cindy.
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Cracktheory Time
I find the design of this weapon in the Blacksmith Gallery quite interesting. They are:
Twin swords
Red
Who do they remind you of?
Cinder chooses to leave her weapon behind the moment she becomes a Maiden because symbolically she wants to affirm she doesn't need Rhodes (nor anyone for that matter) anymore. She is a Cinderella who can make her own glass slippers (hence her own magical weapons). She is a strong independent woman TM. Except she is really just a wounded child still in the hands of an Evil Stepmother, who is using the maiden powers to slowly consume her:
So, wouldn't it be interesting if by the end of the story Cinder chooses another weapon, which represents who she really is? A pair of twin swords (Emerald + Mercury, victim + perpetrator, gold + moon), which are not gray like Rhodes (lead) nor black like Midnight (nigredo), but have red in them (Rubedo). Just like Cinder is gonna go from the raw material (black) to the philosopher stone (red).
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Merry Nondescript Winter Meme Holiday from RWBY FNDM artists
we did this in 4 days but we don't think you can tell
twt credits under the cut:
Ruby Rose - @Kaleidoarms
Weiss Schnee - @tozsta
Blake Belladonna - @MewMewPurin
Yang Xiao Long - @madhighlows
Jaune Arc - @BackupBastian
Nora Valkyrie - @Leux_21NSFW 🔞
Pyrrha Nikos - @Mikururun
Lie Ren - @Hiru3152
Qrow Branwen - @Ashbowling_art
Oscar Pine - @mmcmystery
Penny Polendina - @sytokun 🔞
Sun Wukong - @Mikururun
Ozpin - @Kaleidoarms
James Ironwood - @BackupBastian
Winter Schnee - @Eryx45__
Marrow Amin - @Squira130
Harriet Bree - @BackupBastian
Maria Calavera - @fillmargarin
Salem - @Hiru3152
Cinder Fall - @Kaleidoarms
Emerald Sustrai - @JumJamz
Mercury Black - @levilagann
NeoCat - @zachmorganart
Jacques Schnee - @jindianjun000
Kali Belladonna - @BackupBastian
Adam Taurus - @Darakoispellire
Ilia Amitola - @Kaleidoarms
Velvet Scarlatina - @ilazaaraf
Little - @Hiru3152
Somewhat - @Ashbowling_art
Jinxy Peddler - @TheRyaccoon
Curious Cat - @Kaleidoarms
Zwei - @madhighlows
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Jaune the Strategist
Jaune: Um… General Ironwood? I have a question.
Ironwood: What is it Mr. Arc?
Jaune: Why not release the video footage of Tyrian killing a bunch of people?
Clover: Are you crazy? If we release such a video it cause panic in Mantle.
Jaune: I hear you. But... isn’t the Atlas military already being framed for countless murders?
Ironwood: Yes.
Jaune: And no one in Mantle is willing to follow protocol because they don’t trust us right?
Ironwood: Well... yes.
Jaune: Okay. So why not use this to our advantage?
Ruby: Explain.
Jaune: I mean come on. Seriously? We have proof. We have video display. And if this has been happening for a while then we have dead bodies that can hold our case.
Ironwood: Mr. Arc, I’m going to need you to further elaboration.
Jaune: What’s there to- Look, Tyrian has been killing people for a while, right?
Qrow: Yeah.
Jaune: We have video proof that he committed the massacre at Robin’s party. We could just report this and clear Penny’s name.
Ironwood: That is true.
Jaune: Plus with the few bodies Tyrian left behind, which I’m hoping your Atlas soldiers investigated completely. Like the time and location of death. As well as how they died. Basically if Tyrian left multiple victims, can’t we compare them to the other corpses from the party.
Ironwood: Huh.
Jaune: Not only that but Tyrian has a poisonous tail. Didn’t some of them have a hint poison consumed or at least small pick to their bodies.
Ironwood: Oh. That is something to consider.
Clover: Okay, but still doesn’t change the fact if we tell the people a killer is on the loose it will cause panic.
Jaune: True. But it could also make people listen. Think about it, they’re already being invaded by grimm everyday. And now they have killer amongest them. Wouldn’t that force them to reconsider they’re options?
Clover: … My… My Oum he could right.
Marrow: Okay but what about Robyn?
Jaune: Mantle’s Champion? Happy Huntresses? Are you serious? Do you honestly think she would not make a killer her top priority?
Marrow: Huh.
Jaune: I’m just saying, why are we keeping this under raps and quickly turning to Martial law?
Ironwood: Wow… anything else Mr.Arc
Jaune: Why frame Penny?
Ruby: She’s the Protector of Mantle.
Jaune: She also a robot. With a human soul. Who recorded everything! Who so far never got hacked? So why her specifically? If anything I would have got Penny out the way and framed one of the Ace-ops. Specifically Marrow. Hell why not frame Robyn herself?
Marrow: Whoa why me?
Jaune: You know why.
Blake: But tell us why.
Ironwood: Damn he’s right. That absolutely makes sense considering he’s a Faunus and recent member of the Ace ops.
Jaune: Exactly.
Blake: Are you two serious?!
Jaune: Blake think about how much conflict that would cause. A faunus in the Atlas military. An Ace operative killed and injured a bunch of innocent people. Humans and faunuses mind you. Not only would that cause division amongest the people of Mantle but the school and the soldiers.
Ironwood: He’s right. We have faunases who attend this school and are apart our units.
Jaune: It’ll be chaos. Racism and Hatred in the air. And with that much negativity the grimm attacks would be sky rocketing to the masses. Screw trying to get Amity Arena up we might as well have focused our time on containment. Hell that would been a better reason to initiate Martial law. Something I think Robyn would agree to. Considering Fiona is a faunus and her teammate.
Ironwood: So basically framing Penny was-
Jaune: A stupid idea? ABSO-FREAKEN-LUTLY!! Who ever made this plan had to be dumb as bricks.
Watts: *sneezes*
Jaune: I’m mean now I might as well ask this question. Has anyone ever disagreed with Penny’s creation?
Ironwood: I mean-… ... actually... yes we had a few people who disagreed.
Jaune: Also if you have a file for Tyrian, then what about Cinder, Emerald, Mercury or Hazel?
Ironwood: Why yes we---- Hold up. You all saw Hazel?
Jaune: Yeah.
Ironwood: And you survived?
Nora: Yes. Though with our tails between our legs. How do you know him?
Ironwood: How do you think I lost half of my body?
Jaune: Damn. And I thought Ren and Qrow had it worse. How powerful is he?
Ironwood: He crippled Ozpin.
Oscar: (And he said he stood a chance. He could’ve killed us both.)
Jaune: (We’ll most definitely need to jump him.) An-anyways, back on topic. So, who out all the other people were against the Penny project? Simply put who hates Pietro the most?
Ironwood: Well… there was Professor Watts.
Jaune: Professor Watts?
Ironwood: He was an inventor as well. He was even to soul creator of the Atlas robots you’re associated with. However he died in accident.
Jaune: How long ago?
Ironwood: Months ago?
Jaune: Okay now that’s weird.
Weiss: So what Jaune? He died.
Winter: Yes but I understand why Mr.Arc is suspicious. In Cinder’s file, after committing four first degree murders she disappeared.
Jaune: Then she suddenly appears back at Beacon with a way to hack the military.
Clover: Tyrian was captured but then escaped and he disappeared as well.
Qrow: Then he came out nowhere and tried to capture Ruby.
Ironwood: Hazel disappeared once too.
Oscar: And then I saw him on my way to Mistral.
Jaune: Is any of this making sense?
Ironwood: Yes. Clover I need you to follow up on some the victims of the previous crimes. And Winter I need you look into Watt’s case. Lets make sure he’s dead. If not we need evidence.
Winter: Yes sir.
Ironwood: Well, Mr. Arc it seem I underestimated your intelligence. I will not call in Martial law.
Jaune: No-no. Keep it in mind.
Nora: SAY WHAT?! I THOUGHT YOU WERE TRYING TO AVOID IT!!
Jaune: I am. But Robyn could still cause trouble for us down the road. We need to be ready when she could take things too far.
Nora: But-
Ironwood: It’s only if she continues to be an obstacle.
Nora: *silent*
Ironwood: Alright. Everyone back to work. Keep an eye out for Tyrian. And if you learn anything you report to me immediately.
Ace-ops: Yes sir.
Ren: Yes sir.
*JNPR Dorm Room*
Nora: Jaune, I can’t believe you sided with Ironwood.
Ren: Nora, it is a constitutions plan. It’s not going to happen.
Nora: I’m just saying the people of Mantle are already having a hard time.
Ren: I understand but-
Nora: But what? That getting Amity Arena up is more important than helping the people.
Ren: What about the world? What about all of Remnant?
Nora: How can help the world if we can’t help a country?!
Ren: We can’t always focus on the small things Nora. We need to consider the bigger picture.
Nora: So after all we’ve been through before you want to throw that away?
Ren That not what I’m saying. I-
Jaune: ENOUGH!!
Jaune: Please. Stop arguing.
Ren: Jaune, look I want to say-
Jaune: Stop. Sit. Both of you.
Nara and Ren: *sit separately from each other*
Jaune: Look, Nora, I understand. I know Mantle going through hard times. Due to the trading routes and transportation being limited, people are starting to struggle to get in and out of city. Stores and companies are closed so people are having trouble finding work. And without work, they can’t make money. And without money they can’t pay rent nor provide for their families. Basically majority of those people might as well not have homes soon.
Nora: Then you know why Martial law can’t happen. It will make things worse.
Jaune: Yes. That is why I would rather keep it as a last resort. However, with Mantle’s lack of funding and resources, I almost can’t blame Robyn for what’s she’s doing. However, two wrongs don’t make a right.
Nora: Hmm.
Ren: Well said Jaune.
Jaune: And you. Don’t think I’m openly siding with Ironwood. I only did that because I need everyone on the same page.
Ren: Jaune.
Jaune: At Beacon, Amber, Ozpin and Pyrrha died. Then the world got divide. Mistral, we almost died.
Nora: We survived.
Jaune: Through the skin of our teeth Nora! We got lucky! And Hazel, Emerald and Mercury stilled escaped!
Nora: *hates when he’s right*
Jaune: Now Tyrian is here. And even if my theory on Watts is correct, we still don’t know what they’re up to. Not to mention, we’re keeping secrets too. Especially, about Salem., who may have sent them here to retrieve the lamp. And worse, kill Oscar.
Nora and Ren: … … …
Jaune: Look… … Basically what I’m saying we need to be careful. We are no longer students. We are hunters. Every move we make could jeopardize what we are trying to accomplish. Even the people we trust could be a problem if we’re not careful.
Nora: So you don’t trust Ruby?
Jaune: Yeah. But keeping these secrets could get us in trouble, or most likely, have a gun to our heads. And Ironwood has plenty of them compared to us.
Ren: So what should we do?
Jaune: We do what we started this journey for. We search for answers.
#rwby#jaune arc#ruby rose#weiss schnee#lie ren#nora valkyrie#penny polendina#tyrian callows#james ironwood#winter schnee#clover ebi#rwby marrow#jnpr#hazel rainart#rwby watts#oscar pines#qrow branwen#blake belladonna#robyn hill
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