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The teaser for volume 9 has dropped, but there’s surprisingly little conversation on its essential part: RWBY. Short as it is, there are some tasty tidbits offered.

Who had a lot of problems

First, it seems they’re reunited quickly. The volume is going to a shorter one, so not dragging the reunion out is excellent for story progression. There’s no need for solo outings when the many problems of the Ever After should be tackled together. Especially the big ones. It’ll be good to see instant reactions instead of the secondhand accounts they relay to each other later. Speaking of which.

[The friends she made and lost](https://i.imgur.com/6bsiwoq.png

Messing around with fic ideas and this just popped into my head; can Salem be drained of her powers/abilities? If so, isn't she effectively neutralized?

The first issue to tackle is Salem's magic. Now that we know how the staff of creation works, then is it possible to make a device that drains her magic? We know magic can be:

1. Given up, e.g. Ozma creating the maidens
2. Transferred via technology, e.g. the aura transfer device
3. Drained e.g. Cinder and her Grimm arm

Any one of these can be a reference for Ambrosius. He doesn't need an exact technology to mimic, only enough information to understand the concept of the creation you're asking for. Like creating a spacetime bending portal

..satisfying conclusion to Penny’s character.

First a disclaimer; this isn’t a Jaune hate post or anything of the sort. I’m seeing debate on this devolving into accusations, so I want to cut that off now. This is my opinion/critique on Penny’s demise which includes Jaune’s part in it.

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Penny had a fantastic arc this volume. She went from a character I was largely indifferent about, to someone that I felt very endeared to. The last volume told us Penny had a soul, this volume we got to explore it. Seeing Penny’s humanity made Ruby’s reinforcement meaningful, rather than empty rhetoric. Penny had heart. Ironically, her end is soulless to me.

Jaune being tapped to take the p

One of the rules for the staff is Ambrosius can't destroy anything when creating something else. Simple enough, right? So what happens if his creation is used to destroy something? Does that break the rule? Likely not, right? Since nothing was destroyed to create the object, then technically the rule is followed. But what if removing the last creation to make a new one caused destruction, then is the rule broken?

With Atlas going to fall from the sky, a lot of destruction is incoming. And that's a direct result of making something new. So did Ambrosius technically destroy Atlas and Mantle by creating Penny?

Curious on people's thoughts!

Ironwood is so hot right now.

The spotlight is shining again on our favourite Tinman after the last episode. There’s some trying to cast shadows, while others are flooding the stage. I prefer a more even contrast when it comes to Ironwood. So I figured I’d pop on an ELT hat and have a crack at it.

I’ve seen a fair amount of comments trying to pass off early Ironwood’s actions as more black than they were. Taking words and actions out of context doesn't do V2-3 Ironwood any justice though. His overwhelming motivation during those volumes is to protect people. As a General, he has a clear stance on what the protection should look like; overwhelming. Not just so they can respond effectively,

...Oscar killed a guy! With a magic cane!

No hesitation, no pleading, just a look of determination and acceptable collateral. A 14 year old kid weighed a life in a instance.

The irony is palpable. We just just had Winter and Marrow being conflicted over the many vs. the few. Oscar has no such qualms. He weighed and measured and made his decision. He accepted that loss. Of course Hazel was also making a choice, he's putting his life on the line to hold back Salem. But YRJ make that choice as well, they're aware of the risks. The conflict is over pulling the trigger.

Tbf, Hazel may not be dead. With how CRWBY clutches at characters, it wouldn't be surprising if both Oscar and Hazel emerge

Big old spoilers ahead!

The Hound has been revealed and while it wasn't a grim family reunion, the faunus underneath did have something in common with Ruby and Summer; silver eyes. But why use a silver eyed warrior as a base? Why not any old faunus/human?

I think a simple answer is that SEW's have the resilience to survive the process. Their power is destroying or neutralizing grimm. Theoretically, the power can stop the ooze from completely consuming them. Or alternatively, it helps cancel out its effects. The powers are thought to be from the God of Light (likely brought into the world through Ozma). Grimm are the sole creation of the God of Dark - no life in them. So when the God of Li

Okay, this may be a crack theory but it does make sense to me, southern hemisphere girl and all.

I was browsing discussions to catch up on stuff I missed (YEGG, you people are amazing!) and came across a post asking why people think Ruby is 18. Looking into it, it was based on Eddie relaying information on the timing of the school year which starts in August/September. So Ruby would have turned 16 during the first semester. Going by northern hemisphere seasons, she should be 18 by now. Honestly, it isn’t even a huge deal - 17 or 18, it doesn’t affect Ruby’s character in

I’m back from Holiday! I’ve caught up on the two episodes I missed, and since I missed the last two episode decisions threads, I figured I’ll throw my thoughts and impressions into a post for funsies.

Midnight

Cinder backstory time! Nothing terribly surprising when it came to the elements I was expecting - evil step mother & step sisters, fairy godmother, poor Cinderella etc. What surprised me was how Cinder wasn’t a fully product of her environment; her nature counts towards the monster she became.

She’s an orphan in Mistral adopted by an elite to work in an hotel in Atlas in a brazen way to get around child labor laws. Her treatment is horrendous, it makes your heart ache. At t

Okay, building off the last post, since there’s more to back it now. Let’s start by jumping into the enlightening talk Oscar had with his second half.

Oscar’s frustration of people not cooperating sets the tone of their talk, especially when he’s annoyed at Oz finishing that thought. Nice ironic segue in. We get some great exposition on Oscar’s feelings; he’s upset that Oz is back, not that he was gone. He acknowledges his changes, he was becoming the person he dreamed of being. Oz throws some cold water on that, reminding him that he was never truly gone, that their souls continued to merge. Examining Oz’s we

First up, good start to volume! Impressed with how smooth the set up was while keeping individual personalities intact. And there's so much to dive into for discussions, can't wait to get into it! Of the many threads up at the moment, didn't see an Oscar/Oz one, so let's get one going!

I love how the character was utilized in the first episode. There's no stuffing around with the rescue, no preloading of exposition, no stepping into other roles. There seemed to be foreshadowing of future conflict between Oscar & Oz, and there was clear demonstration of the merge aftermath of V7. Our boy is keeping secrets because he doubts it would be handled well, sound familiar? He also acts as an adv

Last night I read a comment that Weiss was the same as Jaune in that they’re both insecure individuals at Beacon. It's not the first time, Weiss being an insecure person is a criticism that’s popped up every now and then, and it’s always struck me as off. While her upbringing and privilege has given her a certain abrasiveness with others, she’s never actually insecure about who she is. Or what she wants. Weiss has a lot of self-confidence and ambition. And that’s when it struck me; her ambitious traits are being filtered through gender norms.

I’ve mentioned this before with Ruby, that certain traits in women, especially young women, are often perceived differently than in their male counter

Shitty Margaritas

Summary: A busted dorm room, miffed team mates, and a massive hangover. After a night out, Weiss regrets waking up, and who's feet are these? Comedy, fluff, a little angst. It's a Whiterose fic dealing with wreckage tequila has wrought. It's set during the Vytal Festival arc in volume 3, kind of adds to events.

Chapter 4 is out! This time there's an insight to how Ruby is dealing with the aftermath. Cracked 2000 views as well, so stoked! Getting positive feedback, some critical viewpoints would be welcome.

Thanks for reading!

Jumping right in, I'm brainstorming a fic I've recently started, trying out different twists. But I'm having some difficulty wrapping my mind around an idea; what would the tipping point be for Jaune to fall for Ruby romantically?

Yes, that does sound simple, but I don't mean Ruby's qualities in general. She's a flat character, they don't really change. If that's all it took for Jaune to fall for her, then it would have happened a long time ago. This plot point needs to develop more recently on the fic timescale. I know his physical attraction would likely change over the years, but it's too shallow for a meaningful plot point. And their lack of personal friction/conflict works against them

My girlfriend is away this weekend, and I have found myself with extra time on my hands. So I'm here to offer feedback for your fics, or even just your ideas/premises.

I've done one of these before, and it fun to read different stories and talk with the authors. You can request targeted feedback on areas you want focus, or it can a more casual review. If it's a long story, I would prefer a section to look at though, something you think represents your writing best. Otherwise, I'll focus on the first couple of chapters.