SALEM

Here's a sketch i made quite a while back for the concept of the Oz Squad coming back to life and all having distinct personalities

I'm not entirely sure about my characterisation now because i don't think i was taking that entirely seriously while making this (as evidenced by all the jokes) but it's worth posting

Maybe I'll make more defined sketches for the idea

Wanted to say, I love your palette concept !! I love seeing people reblog them on my dash. It's very neat. I propose... Mercury in Rosebird ?? If you like the idea !

Awww thanks, I’m glad you like the palettes! It took me like a million years to make them all, so it really means a lot :]

Here’s a troubled boy

Weiss : I trust Ruby

Winter : You think she knows what she's doing ?

Weiss : I wouldn't go that far.

Okay okay it made me snort

I think all of these are pretty spot on, just the image of Ironwood, Ruby & Ilia crying over the cube because that's one more thing going wrong along with everything else in their life feels both sad, very fitting and absolutely hilarious I'm sorry

Ren, Ozpin & Pyrrha accept the cube as it is absolutely. Just full-on headpats for the cube. "It's okay if you're difficult it's not your fault" ebsligs

Mercury doesn't understand why the cube isn't solving itself, he shares it with Emerald who has the same reaction. Then Mercury smashes it.

I think Watts would try to solve it at first since he's so proud of his intellect but as soon as it's looking like he won't be able to he's gonna hand it off to someone else and pretends he didn't struggle and never cared about it.

Nora smashes then eats the cube, she has standarts. Meanwhile Yang smashes AND burn the cube. Then use it as training practice, let's so how fast she can throw it at someone. Still burning of course.

Jaune & Oscar are well-adjusted young boys who ask for help when they need it. Ironwood uuhm. Might. Before or after starting to cry is debatable though -

Blake, Salem & Winter all have better stuff to do.

Weiss tries & probably succeed at solving the cube. And now I'm decreeting that she solved it with Penny; after Penny solved it 3 times, put it back together and then gave it to her. BOOM Weiss/Penny interaction i'm so good at this

Conclusion : thank you Quinn, also I need to make more memes too.

As always, some characters are in more than one spot :P The greyed out ones mean it sort of applies but they fit better in another category, but I didn't really go in depth with that (like the people in *cries over cube* all would try to solve it first)

I both welcome criticism and will offer explanations if asked ✌

Oscar deserves everything ;;

Currently emo about how the first line of Fear, the song sung from Oscar’s perspective addressing other characters, starts with a gentle but sincere “I’d understand if you’d rather not talk about this.”

cactus beatdowns are definitely the answer to ppl making her sister do unnecessary labor

Fruits Basket is not about “the power of unconditional love” 

People say a lot of things about Fruits Basket and its themes and Tohru as a character. They say it’s about “the power of love” or the importance of “unconditional love” or “love and forgiveness”. Then they say that Tohru as the main character exemplifies these themes.  

But let’s really think about this. 

Fruits Basket is not about the power of love, or unconditional love, or forgiveness. 

Now Fruits Basket does have a lot to say about empathy, but it says both positive and negative things about it, and at most it is one subtheme of the larger themes of the narrative. 

People will say Furuba is about “love and forgiveness” and even just the positive side of “empathy” because they see this as what Tohru displays. Particularly they feel this is what Tohru displays as her “saving power” in the first climatic moment of the story’s end where she talks to Akito and offers her a hand in friendship. 

But “unconditional love” or “forgiveness” isn’t what Tohru has going for her in this scene that allows for such a powerful start of a resolution with Akito’s character. Nor is it ultimately empathy. Yes, Tohru has a lot of empathy for Akito in this scene, but as stated above, this is at best a subtheme of something larger going on that is the much more powerful play in the story. 

The true crux of this moment in the story is that Tohru relates to Akito. That of course leads to understanding, which leads to empathy, but it’s what Tohru relates to Akito about which is the main driving theme and purpose of the scene and the overall narrative of Furuba. 

Firstly, let’s acknowledge that Tohru isn’t empathizing with Akito in this scene simply because she has some otherworldly power that makes her “unconditionally love” even the most awful of villains. She relates to Akito because she isn’t relating to her as a “villain”, she’s relating to her as herself. Tohru is seeing herself as a villain and understanding her own flaws through Akito. Tohru is having a moment of personal development and growth as she faces down Akito with a knife - Tohru’s focus is as much on herself as it is on Akito. This is even more clear in the manga where these scenes between the two of them have tons of internal dialog from Tohru, where the bulk of it is about her own issues currently going on (with Kyo and her mother) and very little about Akito in front of her. She is talking to herself as she talks to Akito. Tohru is only able to understand where Akito is coming from at this moment because she recognizes that she has been coming from the same place - the untenable desire to hold onto unconditional and everlasting bonds. 

Now let’s talk about that theme. “The untenable desire to hold onto unconditional and everlasting bonds”. Note the word “unconditional”. Now there are a lot of dimensions to the Bond, but one key piece is that the Bond in Fruits Basket is an “unconditional love”. The Zodiac are bonded to (and love) God no matter what God does. There is also bitterness and hatred there after years and years and being bound by this feeling. But that “unconditional love” is supposed to overpower all other conditions - bitterness, oppression, abuse, desire, freedom, individuality. And it does. That’s why the Bond works, because it demands “unconditional love” from it’s members, and is set up to enforce it as the primary feeling they experience. 

So saying that Fruits Basket is about the “(positive) power of unconditional love” could not be further from the truth. Saying that this what Tohru “saves” Akito with could not be further from the truth. The story recognizes that which is unconditional and everlasting as something negative - love included - and, ultimately, impossible. The love between God and the Zodiac. The love Tohru tried to create between herself and her deceased mother. Tohru doesn’t reach Akito through a display of “unconditional love”. She reaches Akito through a recognition and a mutual acknowledgement that “unconditional love” does not exist. 

“It is terrifying to exist in this world, with no guarantee that I’ll be loved”. 

When Tohru offers Akito her hand in friendship, she is showing her that relationships (love) do not have to be unconditional in order to exist. At first, Akito rejects Tohru, saying that the first time she does anything undesirable, Tohru will reject her. Tohru doesn’t say anything and she doesn’t object to what Akito has said. She simply offers her hand again. She is not telling Akito that “I will accept you no matter what” - she is telling Akito that even without a guarantee, it is worth a try. That things don’t have to be unconditional and everlasting and frozen in time in order to exist or be worthwhile. Akito is terrified that if she leaves one absolute (the Bond and the love it guarantees her) then she can only possibly be met with the opposite absolute (no bond, no relationships, and no love ever in her life). Tohru is showing her that this isn’t true. Right here, now, she is offering Akito a chance to form a new relationship - one that may be imperfect, conditional, and limited in scope and time, but nevertheless real. 

This is what Fruits Basket is about. It is about ambiguity and change. It is about the lack of guarantees. The existence of both light and dark. The fallacy of absolutes. The false dichotomies we let rule our lives. 

So there is no absolute love. There is no absolute forgiveness. There is no absolute empathy. Tohru is not a character who, in the end, embodies any of those things. Tohru embodies hope in impermanence and the importance of change - and only after she’s learned to embrace those things herself when her character has been fighting against them for so long, just like Akito. - Mod Red (Christa) 

everything’s sad right now so here’s a screenshot redraw of what is probably the most adorable scene in the entirety RWBY so far

EN kaeya animation again bc.. him……

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