Rwby Analysis - Blog Posts

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.

I strive on the RG love and asexual Rosegarden content I've been seeing lately, so take this shipping chart ✨

Please don't hurt me if you think I didn't put them in the right place, I spent time on this and I tried I edited out the Horny and I will do so for every chart because I don't feel comfortable answering that ;;

I'm fine with both NB and cis girl Ruby, but I thought I'd make this extra gay ✨ to spite the people who call it a boring straight ship </3

Also I didn't put down Oscar as bi ace because I personally don't hc him, all on his own, as ace as much as I do Ren or Ruby. But Ruby and Oscar as a couple absolutely make up asexual Rosegarden (also because Oscar isn't all that friendly with touch)

And if that makes no sense and it doesn't work like that well idk i'm sorry, this is the right time to annouce i don't know anything about romantic relationships *sobs*

It's my chart and I get to make Oscar the little spoon because he's a SHORT KING and he deserves ALL THE HUGS. But to be honest they swap

They can both exchange clothes but I just feel like Ruby would be the clothe-stealing gremlin

I don't remember Oscar using pet names, but all of RWBY still teases Weiss with the Ice Queen thing so here they go.

Neither of them are really extroverted but I think Oscar hides in the background even more. Babies

Ruby always has a speech and comforting words ready, Oscar is king of Acts of Service & Quality Time

Oscar might be a very awkward blushing dork but that won't stop him from confessing first. Also because Ruby is very stressed and very worried and feels like there's too much going on to do it first

Oscar is farm boy, he's seen worse than a bug. Although he can squash but he probably would simply bring out bugs 🥺

They can both drive, Ruby can honestly go two ways : either be as clumsy as she usually is outside of Huntsman work; or know just enough mechanics because weapons to know her way around. Imagine Ruby modifying their car with weird additions... "Are you sure that's safe Ruby ??" "Yea yea trust me, building Crescent Rose only took 3 tries." "Oh that's good... Wait, THREE ? Ruby we don't have 3 cars !"

Ruby is banned from the kitchen apart from a few dishes, and Oscar is the chef because I said so

Ruby is okay with PDA, Oscar is canonically picky about touch so

"I'll protect you." "No, I'll protect you !"

They're babies your honor, they're awkward because they have no idea what they're doing.

I can't see either of them being seriously & genuinely jealous ?

RWBY in Song ♦ Adults and their mistakes

Human - Rag'n'Bone Man

Maybe I'm foolish, maybe I'm blind Thinking I can see through this and see what's behind Got no way to prove it, so maybe I'm lying

But I'm only human after all I'm only human after all Don't put your blame on me Don't put your blame on me

Take a look in the mirror, and what do you see? Do you see it clearer or are you deceived... in what you believe?

'Cause I'm only human after all You're only human after all Don't put the blame on me Don't put your blame on me

Some people got the real problems Some people out of luck Some people think I can shoulder The weight of heavens above

I'm only human after all I'm only human after all Don't put the blame on me Don't put the blame on me

Don't ask my opinion Don't ask me to lie

Then beg for forgiveness For making you cry For making you cry

I'm only human, I make mistakes I'm only human that's all it takes To put the blame on me Don't put the blame on me

'Cause I'm no prophet or messiah You should go looking somewhere higher

I'm only human, I do what I can I'm just a man, I do what I can Don't put the blame on me Don't put your blame on me

»»————-　♔　————-««

A song for the adults in the cast and the mistakes they made, but mostly how much these mistakes boil down to humanity's limits.

➸ While RWBY as a show is mostly focused on the teenagers, I've found the adults to be really compelling when you allow them the room to simply be human and acknowledge that they inevitably make mistakes as a result. That is not to mean that some of their actions are not reprehensible, but I think they also all deserve some manner of understanding, in the sense that the root of their failures are more often than not familiar and real.

➸ Fear, Hope, Despair... The hesitation to trust brought on by trauma and experience, the fumbling that occurs along the way of an impossible task. The fall that comes with relying too much on others' hope, trying in vain to numb and run from your pain. How the weight of your responsabilities and desire to do the right thing can bring you down if pushed and pulled for too long. The difficulties that come with leaving behind the life you've been raised in (and ultimately failing to). The root of everything being a simple human's grief and his inability to let go... or the fact that the gods might be much more to blame. The hope and desire to make the world a better place for the next generation, only to force a bigger sacrifice on them.

➸ Everyone is human, trying in their own way and making mistakes on the path. Everyone is faillible, and I sometimes wish this was acknowledged more... Because it is so very easy to become the antagonist in someone else's story as everyone struggles to find their place in the world or simply what to do. And I think it's important to remember the good among the bad decisions... To look at the root of the evil more than the humans who fell victim to it.

I have so many ideas of songs to apply to RWBY characters in one way or another, like I can picture it perfectly in an AMV, I'm imagining the lyrics with the scenes in the background...

Except I've never ever made an AMV, idk how to or what programm to use 😭 I'm coping with music posts to at least put the ideas OUT THERE instead of just letting them rot in my brain, but the yearning to just... snap my fingers & make them into AMVs is so strong

I'm putting my long list of song ideas under the cut if anyone's interested If per chance someone who sees this makes AMV, all these ideas are like... free to take just give me the link to the results if you use them 🙏 (and like, if you credit me for the idea in a corner that'd be NEAT but really not mandatory)

Yang - Piece by Piece (Kelly Clarkson) ➸ About Raven's abandonment, how Tai/Qrow made up for it, and her inconditional love for Ruby

Blake & Yang - Forgive me friend (Smith & Thell) ➸ About their fallout in V4-V5 due to their respective issues

Ruby & Yang - Trenches (Beth Crowley) ➸ About their respective Branwen relationships, Qrow & Raven, and the struggles they put them through at times (the difference between the two being that Qrow is always willing to change and do better) .

Ozpin & Ruby - Burned out (Dodie) ➸ On the concept of leadership, and the similarities between the two

Oz-carnations - I was Wrong (the Oh Hellos) ➸ About their story and mistakes, but mostly how guilty and sorry they feel about it

Blake & Ozpin - Savior (Beth Crowley) OR Don't Make Me (MALINDA) ➸ About their respective abusive relationships with Adam & Salem

Ozpin - Liar (Arcadian Wild) ➸ On Ozpin's lies, his guilt fighting his desire to appear strong and reliable. Ends with showing how RWBYJNRQ succumb to the same need to save face and hide their struggles. .

Ren - Keep you safe (Crane Wives) ➸ About Ren's struggles with risk and the fear of failure

Renora - Line without a Hook ➸ About their relationships, ups-and-down. Alternating PoV. .

Qrow - Ship in a Bottle (Steffan Argus) ➸ About Qrow's downward spiral, and how Ozpin/Clover factor into that

Adults in the RWBYverse - Human (Rag'n'Bone Man) ➸ To highlight the humanity of the adult cast. About their mistakes, and how they boil down to humanity's fallibility. My top adult pick for this one are Ozpin, Qrow, Ironwood & Raven. Then Winter probably ? And maybe others can be found. .

Sun about Blake - She wants me (to be loved) (The Happy Fits) ➸ One-sided love that realizes they won't be loved back, while acknowledging that Blake does love Sun (platonically) and wants the best for him. The most anti-incel song, 10/10

Sun & Weiss - Soap (The Oh Hellos) ➸ Sun singing to Blake and Weiss to Yang, platonic love, V4-V5 focus .

Penny & Pyrrha - If I die young (The Band Perry) ➸ About their lives, cut short. Highlight on their sacrifice and the good times

Penny - Bright Idea (Mother Mother) ➸ About the love Penny found in her life, her relationships, her growth and choices, and simply how great of a person she was. Good vibes .

Ironwood - Hunger (Monsters & Men) ➸ On his struggles & shot mental health, and his jarring behaviour in V8.

Emerald - Be my Escape (Relient K) ➸ About Emerald's doubts & subconsequent redemption, and Oscar's role in it.

Emerald - 10 feet tall (Cavetown) ➸ On the need to appear big & tough when her main goal is to find a home & family .

Salem - The Angry River (The Hat)

Mercury - The Moon will Sing (Crane Wives) ➸ A different look at Mercury's harsh persona, focused on his status as an abuse victim who feels trapped by the darkness they were raised in

Adam - This is Love (Air Traffic Controller) ➸ About his twisted personnality & abusive behaviour toward Blake

Neo - Snowcone (Rei Ami) ➸ About the duality of Neo, who is such a competent bad bitch but also so vulnerable without Roman, and still lost as to what to do with herself since his death

RWBY Characters in Song ♦ Yang Xiao-Long & her family

Piece by Piece - Kelly Clarkson

And all I remember... is your back Walking towards the airport, leaving us all in your past

I traveled fifteen hundred miles to see you Begged you to want me, but you didn't want to

But piece by piece he collected me Up off the ground where you abandoned things. Piece by piece he filled the holes, That you burned in me at six years old.

And all of your words fall flat. I made something of myself, and now you wanna come back ?

But your love, it isn't free ! It has to be earned. Back then I didn't have anything you needed,

so I was... worthless

Piece by piece, I fell far from the tree, I will never leave her like you left me

And she will never have to wonder her worth Because, unlike you, I'm gonna put her first !

And you know : he'll never walk away, He'll never break her heart. He'll take care of things, he'll love her

And piece by piece he'll restore my faith That a man can be kind and a father should be great

☼ ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ ☼

A song about the Xiao-Long & Branwen family

➸ Yang suffers from Raven's abandonment, knowing that her mother left and didn't consider her daughter important enough to *stay* for. For YEARS she knew nothing of her. And saying that Raven didn't want to want Yang seems pretty accurate.

➸ It's thanks to her father & uncle that Yang is so very aware of what love (actual love) is. It's why Yang is so different from Raven, why she cares so much and isn't impressed by Raven's attempts at "kindness". She wanted to know her mother & why she left. But after years and years wondering... the time to "come back" is long lost. Yang is far from impressed by Raven's philosophy.

➸ All in all, it's clear that if Yang is so well-adjusted most of the time it's because she had her own family, without Raven, that she could always count on. Her father who, having given up on the Hunter life, took care of his daughters & loved them as best as he could. Her uncle who, unlike his twin, chose to STAY as much as he was allowed. A credit to how fiercely Qrow loves as well, that shows how different the twins are.

➸ Raven might have abandonned Yang, but Yang isn't planning on doing the same. She'll be there for Ruby as much as possible, and she can feel safe in the knowledge that Tai & Qrow will always be there for the both of them as well.

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.

RWBY Masterpost

Analysis in Songs

Neo - Snowcone (Rei Ami) Part 1

Neo - Snowcone (Rei Ami) Part 2

Ozpin & Ruby, on the concept of leadership - Burned out (Dodie)

Ozcarnations - I was wrong (Oh Hellos)

Adults and their mistakes - Human (Rag'n'bone man)

Yang Xiao-Long & her family - Piece by Piece (Kelly Clarkson)

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﹥━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━﹤ .

Memes

How do they sleep at night

*runs into someone crying*

Your fav is controversial : the RWBY edition

Drinking too much with friends

Alignment chart

How to deal with : people who disagree with you

Sanity & emotionnal vulnerability : the scale

Bold of you to assume...

Happy Pride Month !

Time to start a fight

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﹥━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━﹤ .

Love Languages

Part 1 : RWBY, JNR + Penny

Part 2 : Oscar, Ozpin, Qrow, Clover, Winter, Pyrrha, Emerald

.

﹥━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━﹤ .

RWBY Character Asks

Qrow Branwen

Nora Valkyrie

James Ironwood

RWBY Characters in Song ♦ Oz-carnations

I WAS WRONG - OH HELLOS

I was born, I was born

I was born at the hands of the potter

And I was torn from the start

I was torn between my god and my father

I was born, I was born

I was born at the dawn of our folly

And I was young, and stubborn to the bone

As I took from the tree that was rotting

☼﹥━━━━━━━━━━━﹤☼

I took my chance and bit down deep

The weight of the world was crippling

Now I'll hide my shame with woven leaves

I was wrong... I was wrong,

I was wrong...

And I'm so, so sorry

I was wrong, I was wrong, I was wrong...

And I'm so, so... I'm so, so sorry

I knew you'd never forgive me

But I was wrong... I was wrong

And I'm so, so sorry

I am sorry...

...

A song that I thought nicely fitted our favorite wizard

➸ "The potter" is another way of calling god in sacred texts. Ozma was brought back to life and given his mission by the God of Light.

➸ Right from the start however, Ozma was torn between the terms of his mission and his desire to see Salem again. Misled by love, he ended up playing god in a misguided attempt to unite humanity. In that instance, Salem can be read as his "god", turning him away from his "Father's" mission.

➸ Salem, or more specifically the Salem we know today, was born at the height of humanity's greatest folly : turning against the gods which prompted their annihilation.

➸ She was young, she was stubborn and determined and she took powers from the gods that revealed themselves to be rotten in the light of day. (Immortality is highly desired but was nothing but a punishment for her)

➸ Ozma was given the chance to come back and see Salem again through a deal with the God of Light, and he jumped at this chance. While this was his choice at the time, the apple he bit into was in truth just as rotten as the gods previous gifts.

➸ We all know how his history with Salem played out. That bridge burned, Ozma has nothing left ahead of him but his task. A daunting task that weighs on him, seemingly impossible because of Salem's existence and her immortality.

➸ And in answer to his loss of hope, the wizard hides away from the world : ashamed and desperate, seeing no end to his fighting... Up until being proven wrong by four young maidens. Four maidens who give him the will to keep trying, for humanity's sake.

➸ The Wizard tries and tries and keeps trying. He struggles and fails and yet still holds on. He has mades mistakes and how he suffers from them. But no matter how many times he might fall, he will always get up, an apology on his lips. Because humanity stays worth fighting for.

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