Pyrrha In Gingersnaps? 🙏🙏

IT'S MEME TIME COWBOYS !

Time to start a fight ⚔️

For even more characters than usual, I made one chart for the kiddos and one for the adults. Enjoy ~

It's hard to find characters who avoid fighting because they know they'll lose in a show filled with characters who KNOW how to fight

For approximatively 90% of the meme conception Oz was the only pacifist adult and if that doesn't summarize the stress he's under I don't know what will

Almost everyone is ready to throw hands at any given time in this show. Even the nice and responsible ones

Penny, Sun and Pyrrha are 100/10 friends, will have you back anytime, just wanna be included

If you wonder at any point why Ilia is here, remember she won't hesitate to break your teeth

i keep forgetting that reblogs don't show up in the main tag after ranting for a good 10 minutes SO, I was saying

On the subject of Silver Eyes, I've been thinking that I would really like Mercury to have them ?

No way it is canon of course, the writers have made clear that Mercury's eyes are grey; and I'm pretty sure they want to roll with the Chosen One/only Ruby has Silver Eyes currently aspect. But I think it could have been interesting in other ways; and Mecury would have been an easy way to develop SEW lore.

For a starter, Mercury (apart from being part of Salem's team) is kind of lacking in direct ties to the rest of the world of Remnant. We barely know what country he's from. He doesn't care about Cinder as a person; both her and Salem are just job-givers. His abusive dad is dead and there's no mention of a mom. Truly his only tie in terms of relationships currently is Emerald, who just defected. In that sence, Mecury having Silver Eyes that no one (not even himself) knew about could be a good starting point do develop new relations with other characters.

His character also isn't bloated with traits or skills, so it wouldn't feel like a weird powercreep pileup.

And the other aspect that I think could be really interesting is in term of Lore. I don't know PRECISELY where we're at in terms of SEW lore, but I think there were some ideas thrown around akin to "there have never been SEW who used their powers for bad" ? (or was that a headcannon, I forgot -) In any case it's been clearly said that Silver Eyes aim to protect life. And what life does Mercury feels the need to protect ? None. He's an abused, lonely and cynic kid who doesn't feel like he has anything better to offer than assassination talents. The only person he cares about is Emerald. How would Silver Eyes play out among that ?

And more than that, let's not forget : his father rid him of his Semblance. Semblance, the manifestation of the soul. What does Mercury's soul even look like now ? How damaged and hurt could it be ? That's interesting.

So what if Mercury plain grey eyes were but a dulled version of true Silver Eyes. Because to truly shine like this, like Ruby and Summer and Maria and all these previous SEW did, you need more than just DNA : you need the will to protect. A simple soul.

I just think it would be neat to explore that. It wouldn't even hinge on Salem being dumb : Mercury doesn't have Silver Eyes as it is, but he'd have the *potential* for them under different circumstances, given a reason to protect life. I don't think it would be farfetched to assume that Salem didn't look further than "SEW vaporizing Grimm, transmitted in a family" and not experimenting on whether angry children with plain grey eyes had the potential to vaporize her Grimm : it's not like she WANTS to create herself more ennemies.

And on the other hand, I just think there would be a poetic message within the abuse victim who dwells in darkness by habit, because they're convinced they have nothing better awaiting them... That no : you have good and greatness in you. You can do so much more than what you've been taught.

(Oughta be careful to not make it look like Mercury specifically is redemeeable because of those hidden Silver Eyes instead of just because he's a person who has more to offer to the world than just his father's teaching, bc that would turn a good message into a terrible one. But like, there's something there ? I think ?)

Idk people I've been having feels over this concept.

Heya there ! I've been pretty busy, I'll come back to make more posts soon, in the meantime lemme give you some more pride memes before June ends.

Be gay do crime <3

(If you want this meme with another ship you can always ask, I'll do it ! Even for other fandoms I'm not in, just give the name)

When bored in the subway, why not make RWBY picrews ? Link here if you want to have fun

Ignore my obvious Oscar bias, nothing to see here

Slight color edits added on top for extra shiny ✨

^^^ This

Like, if someone wants to make a Dumbledore comparison; one of the main difference between these two is that Dumbledore always wanted power and was lured by it, he tried to keep out of his hands because he knew he would cling to it if it was given.

Oz was several times given power, and each time he gave it away willingly. As Ozma 2.0, when he realized that things weren't working out for humanity. As the old wizard, because he realized humanity still had hope even when he lost it and he wanted to express gratitude to the four sisters. As the King of Vale, after years of war to establish peace, because he never wanted that power for himself and gave it away to establish a government as soon as possible. As Ozpin himself, because he trusted Qrow & Raven to help, and thus he gave them shapeshifting powers even if his magic was dangerously dwindling.

Oz only ever takes up positions of power to have the power to help and enact positive change, and he never struggled to give up that power when it was needed or simply the right thing to do.

No shade, you can do whatever you want with your fanon, but the idea of Ozpin only ever wanting power is just so hilarious to me, because i mean have you seen how he dresses

IT'S JUST

IDK

I can't imagine someone who chooses to dress like this only caring about power

James Ironwood, for character ask? 👀

Aaaa thank you so much for the ask ♡ More rambling incoming !! Sorry for the wait btw, I've been both pretty busy and tired ;;

If you hate James Ironwood and don't wanna hear one good thing about him tap out now please ღ

My fav ship(s) for the character

I am not a super big shipper when it comes to James, but there are still some I like more than others soo here goes :

I think Ironwitch is a pretty good one. It's not necessarily a ship I'd search content for but I think these two would work well together ! Glynda is stern and honest and a no-nonsense kind of woman. She has the strenght to stand up to James when he slips or gets too stubborn when faced with the high stakes. At the same time, we've been shown that she cares for him and she knows he's only trying to do what's best for people. She has faith in him but also the ability to stand at his side as an equal. She seems to be the more steadfast of Ozpin's circle : loyal, you know you can trust her, and she will not crumble. This is the kind of personnality that I think James both admire and feel safe with. And the other way around, I think James is a good match for Glynda too. On a day to day basis, he's serious enough to not annoy here, but he's also a softie in some aspects and that's a nice combination to smooth out Glynda's edges.

Ironqrow is a completely different dynamic. The "we're annoying each other" dynamic is not one I'm particularly interested in usually xD But these two certainly had strong & interesting moments so it's a pretty valid ship !! Despite how they might butt heads because of the difference in their upbringing they (prior to V8) clearly trusted each other with their life. Even if Qrow jokes about shooting himself if he had to be one of James' man, when everything goes to shit there is no doubt in his mind that James wasn't responsible. Similarly, while James talks of shooting Qrow for his misbehaviour, when push comes to shove and we meet a tired Ironwood, run ragged by the pressure he's under... the only thing he does is hug him and reiterates how glad he is to see him. So again, they clearly have a lot of faith and trust in the other, and that's solid ground for a relationship.

My least favorite ship(s) for the character

Same spiel as always, shipping kids and adults is a big no from me; so any ships between Ironwood and RWBYJNOR can qualify here. That said, among the less uncomfortable ones, here are those I don't really like

This one is again because I love their relationship but platonically only, I'm talking of Winter Soldier. The reading I like best is not that Ironwood is Winter's Jacques 2.0, nor that he groomed her; but that he was an important father figure in her life. Protective and caring, who tried to help her escape with what he knew. I don't see James recruiting Winter as a way to gain a strong ally. But rather that Winter wanted to detach herself from her family name, and make something worthwhile of herself all on her own. And that the military is what Ironwood knows and understand, so naturally it's a career he'd see as a good path. Just like Winter then proposed it to Weiss. I like to think they care about each other a LOT and they're their own tight family in between the lines, even if professionalism might throw a wrench into it. For short I love them together but not romantically please =)

I don't know if there's a ship name for this, but Salem x James Ironwood would be a big nope from me too... In general, let's just assume I ship Salem with nobody because abuse.

My fav & least fav platonic relationship(s) for the character

Fav platonic relationship would be (have been because we dont talk about V8?) with Winter. Fooor the reasons I've explained above I suppose x) I (again) love the trust they had in one another and the quiet support.

There was also his relationship with Oscar that I really liked during V7, although it has been soured a bit by the (valid) reading from some people that Ironwood sought out Ozpin a lot through Oscar, and given his identity issues it is not ground for a greatly healthy relationship. Their interactions were still very intersting though ♡ I consider Oscar to be the kid who went at trying to appease James' fear or make him reconsider his decisions the best way. There was true understanding and hope for a working relationship here. I do feel that Oscar put in more work than James however (emotionally) and I wish there had been pay-back instead of a gunshot.

For my least fav relationship ? Probably Robyn or Watts ? Robyn was always very antagonistic toward Ironwood since their priorities are so different. And I overall just don't really like her after V7 so there are very few relationships with her I'm interested in (the exception is her ship with Fiona I think it's cute). Meanwhile, Watts is just a petty asshole hell bent on ruining Ironwood because he didn't pick his project. I'm not very interested in hate relationships, and since theirs wasn't deeply explored anyway, it's even more the case here. Their fight was great though, one of my favorite RWBY fights !

My favorite thing about the character

Well this was completely proven wrong by V8 buuut as of V7 I liked that he was a deconstruction of the military general (dictator) trope. Sooo you can guess how i feel about V8 X) In general among RWBY, several of my fav are fav BECAUSE they look like one trope but also have key differences that from the get go make the character stray away from said trope. For example I'm not a fan of the princess tsundere archetype at all, but I loooved Weiss in V1 BECAUSE she was extra-willing to listen and change her mind, and you could very easily tell that it was her upbringing speaking more than herself in most occasions.

Similarly, I wasn't a big fan of Ironwood before V7. I didn't hate him you know and he wasn't lower than most characters in my Tier list but I also didn't particularly care. But you know what ? I've aaaalways had a really soft spot for the "angsty angry traumatized teen". And RWBY made the mistake of extending that soft spot to "tired adults trying their best" (only to repeatedly beat them up/make them villains after making me care about them but what can you do uh)

Soo in general, I loved that Ironwood was trying so hard. I loved that he was tired and in over his head but learning and listening and trying to do good and be better despite his fears. I liked that he told his entourage about Salem and was loyal. I liked that he cared about helping the people above his own image and the way people perceived him. I liked that you could tell this was a terrible situation all around, and his decisions WERE questionnable but we could SEE that he meant WELL and was genuinely trying so hard despite how scared and tired he was.

My biggest criticism for the character

Well this won't be a surprise but in general I just wished he had stayed a morally grey character we were allowed to feel for instead of a cartoon black villain. I didn't need James to be THE Hero or anything like this despite some accusations levelled at those who like him. Him becoming one of RWBY's antagonist is honestly fine by me ! It is interesting. But I'd have preferred they kept him ambiguous and trying in his own way. (And smart because V8 Ironwood was dumb af)

I can be a tad overprotective of his character since he's just... so despised, so I think that I have inadvertently distanced myself from any of his flaws... somehow like "people are already yelling all of them so I don't need to add to this shit show" you know ? skjfkd But I KNOW he has them and it would still have been good to develop his flaws, just... not like that

But yea I'd have liked it if V8 Ironwood DID diverge from RWBYJNORQ and became an antagonist but not an iredeemable villain. LIKE,, we redeemed Hazel and Emerald and IRONWOOD is where the writers draw the line by saying "nope this one is rotten" ?? What ?

When was their writing at the peak according to me (ex : best season)

V7 definitely ! Ironwood carried V7 so hard haha. His character was fleshed out and given nuance and made to struggle and evolve and I loved him in that volume.

A song I think fits them & why

Hunger • Monsters & Men Human • Rag'n'Bone Man Way down we go • Kaleo Beekeeper • Keaton Henson Thistle and weeds • Mumford and Sons Castle of Glass • Linkin Park It's all so incredibly loud • Glass Animals

A headcanon to make up about them

His metal parts impact his metabolism so Ironwood is terrible at holding his alcohool and very little manages to knock him out. He's a workaholic. His low tolerence for alcohool is a great tool whn friends need to put him to sleep.

His joints crack and hurt in the cold, his metal parts as well and they are an hassle in the sand. James like to keep his room temperature warmer than the average atlasian because of this, otherwise he has to spend 30 min every morning simply unwiding muscles to move around efficiently.

He's not a good singer but has a nice low voice for telling stories. If he had kids, he'd probably avoid lullabies but compensate with bedtimes stories.

What I would change about them if I was making a re-write

As always, I'm kind of reflecting along the way as I write this, and one thing I'm thinking right now is... Doesn't it take away from the atlas arc message ITSELF to just pile up so many "standard bad guy" stuff on Ironwood ? Like, I wanna ask... why do we hate him ? Is he an antagonist because he lets fear get the best of him ? Because he's a classist who doesn't care about Mantle like some fans argue ? Because he's too stubborn and wants to be THE hero ? Because he doesn't listen to others ? Because he abandonned Mantle ? Because he kills peopke left and right ? Because he wanted to bomb a city ? I think you might see where I'm going with this : his status as villain is kind of messy. V8 just kept piling-up flaws and villainous actions onto Ironwood with no concern for whether this was a lenght he would go to (using the certainty that he would go to any lenghts to enact his plans), ,or whether these were one of the initial flaws/failings that led to his "fall" as an antagonist. What lesson is Ironwood supposed to learn ? Personally the very first time I yelled at my screen "No ! Why would the writers choose that ?" is when Ironwood shot Oscar. When answering criticism against medias, many people tend to look at it only through the lense of "well it makes sense in universe" or as if there were no other ways for the story to devolve. But at the end of the way, everything in a story is a choice from the writer even if it is influenced by the characters' personnalities. If I took the scene where Ironwood shoots Oscar, someone might tell me "he's crippled by his PTSD, he COULD do this." Maybe, that's a reading I can somewhat understand at least. But the writers have the power to NOT put his character in such a position. When I saw the wreck that was V7 finale, I ranted to my bestfriend about it and at no point did i say "why did Ironwood do that", I said "why did the writers make him shoot Oscar, the only point narratively would be to make irredeemable" Aaaand that's what they went for and I obviously didn't care for it. So if I had to rewrite it; I would have kept Ironwood's "mistakes" more focused. If he's wrong because he wants to abandon Mantle, because he's (understandably) scared and doesn't want to take risks; then stay focused on that. It's what makes RWBY leave, and out of all his V8 actions that's really the only thing RWBY needed to tell the whole world he wasn't an ally anymore apparently. - Don't make him shoot Oscar point blank, instead Oscar can simply fall because he flinches away from Ironwood's outburst; and a distraught/guilty Ironwood can decide that he doesn't have the time or capacity to help because of the tense situation. (Killing and not saving someone don't hold the same moral weight at all). - Don't make him kill people left and right or bomb cities, maintain the flaw of Ironwood struggling with his PTSD and his fear and not being able to take risks. - Don't paint him as a black villain, and eventually write V8 in such a way that RWBYJNORQ show taking risks might lead to a bigger victory, which was the volume's theme anyway. For example, following Oscar's destruction of the whale, a growth can occur that would bring back together the two anti-Salem factions : Oscar's risk put Atlas out of harm's way, which leads to Ironwood seeing that maybe there WAS a way to save Mantle as well as Atlas despite Salem's presence and he might have jumped the gun too quickly because of his fears. I'm not sure, I haven't thought about this extensively honestly but I hope you see what I mean. I think it would have been more focused & more in-character to focus Ironwood's failings on his fear; and the fact that he cares for the people and the greater good sometimes at the cost of the individuals. The idea that by sacrificing individuals too much you forget the people you're fighting for in the first place, could have been interesting to dig deeper into. Keep to the idea that Ironwood is somewhat disensitized to the individuals suffering for the sake of the greater good, instead of making him just

callous & uncaring.

My guess for their MBTI/Enneagram

I think pre-V8 Ironwood was an unconventionnal ENFJ. Aka, the type of character no one would type ENFJ because they go by stereotypes and Fe stereotypes are just enneagram 2 everywhere (aka nice, kind, helpful) whereas Ironwood has an enneagram tritype very common among xxTJs so that's what he looks/behaves like, but the way he thinks (what's best for the people, ethical values derived from an Atlasian upbringing) align more with Fe cognitively I think I'm going with ENFJ 6w5 1w2 3w4

Starting from V8 though, Ironwood veered clearly into ENTJ territory (types aren't supposed to change but I wouldn't say RWBY is the most consistent media when it comes to characters' personnalities)

One aspect that I think would be nice to delve deeper into ?

I understand why they didn't care to, but it'd have been interesting to get a few backstory hints for Ironwood. How did he lose half his body ? How did Oz recruit him ? Or some pieces about his upbringing ?

Not gonna lie, Ozpin's advice did contribute to the way Ruby understands leadership's, and it is visible that his way of leading has rubbed off on Ruby quite a bit (I had a whole post on that a while ago)

BUT

The problem is people being allergic to nuance. You can be partially responsible for something, without meaning to, without being a bad person, without bashing a character.

Did Ozpin's advice lead to this situation in some ways ? Yes.

Was it meant to ? No.

Was it malicious advice ? No. In the context it was given, it was very good advice.

Was it hypocritical ? No. Ozpin acted exactly as he adviced Ruby to.

See the fun fact about giving advice, especially when you are a traumatized teacher, is that even when you mean well, even if you only wish to help, your own experience (or trauma) will "color" and impact the advice you give, and possibly make it flawed in some aspect. Does that make you an inherently bad person & teacher ?

No it makes you human, it makes for understandable & compelling character arcs, it gives us parallels. People just need to exerce some nuance really.

This is basically the same problem I have in the MHA fandom, where people who criticize All Might's teaching need to paint him as an inherently bad teacher & person. But actually, All Might has never given any consciously malicious advice to Izuku. He neve asked or expected for Izuku to do anything that he hasn't done himself and to himself. Self-sacrificial tendencies ? All Might has them in spades himself, and was never really given the room to acknowledge how bad they are. And yet he STILL hopes for Izuku to be safe (safer than him at least) and urges him to take care of himself and not act recklessly.

Being human, having trauma, offering advice based on your own experience can lead to flawed advice. That is interesting and compelling. It makes sense, and it leads to wonderful parallels and development. That doesn't make a character bad, nor does it mean that their entire advice & teaching was always terrible and that they should be burned at the stake.

To the person who made the “all of Ruby’s problems are Ozpin’s fault!” Post. Disrespectfully, and I mean this in the most rancid way possible, fuck off.

Ozpin is doing his best and is literally traumatized by the events and years leading up to where we’re at, the advice he gave to her in volume 1-2 about being a leader was genuine advice, how the fuck was he supposed to know it would’ve led to this, he didn’t do it maliciously stop acting like he did. He gave RWBY and JNPR an out from the war SEVERAL TIMES and they CHOSE not to. So don’t go saying that he manipulated them into the war or some other bullshit.

He kept all those secrets EXACTLY because of RWBY and CO’s reaction, he knew they were going to be mad which is why he didn’t want them involved in the first place.

God you people are fucking insufferable.

When you hate a character you people will find every reason you can possibly pull out of your ass to shit on them, which is wildly unhealthy tbh.

The RWBY character ask still going on, don't hesitate to ask if you have nothing better to do <3 (it lets me organize my thoughts because when I'm not speaking I don't think apparently)

(i'm reposting instead of reblogging bc the original post is getting long, sorry)

Send me a RWBY character and I’ll tell you:

My fav ship(s) for the character

My least favorite ship(s) for the character

My fav & least fav platonic relationship(s) for the character

My favorite thing about the character

My biggest criticism for the character

When was their writing at the peak according to me (ex : best season)

A song I think fits them & why

A headcanon to make up about them

What I would change about them if I was making a re-write

My guess for their MBTI/Enneagram

One aspect that I think would be nice to delve deeper into ? (optional)

21/01/2003

(remake)

Your fav is controversial : the RWBY edition

Need some handy catchphrases to defend your love for your "imperfect and sometimes f*cked up but ultimately human" fav ? Here are some at the ready !