[RWBY] RWBY Shorts

[AndrewJTalon]

Some plot bunnies:

-Nora makes some wooden figurines of her friends for fun and acts out various adventures with them. Ruby gets in on it. Mischief ensues.

-At a village during a training mission, everyone imbibes the local drink... Which includes psilocybin, a naturally occurring tryptamine alkaloid-IE, the active ingredient in magic mushrooms. Thanks to his medical training and his mother's efforts, Jaune is basically immune to the stuff... But his teammates sure as hell aren't. How does Jaune Arc keep his friends from destroying the village?!

-Ren gets dragged into making a short martial arts movie by Team SSSN, Jaune, and a few other fighters at Beacon. Nobody expected him to be as deadpan and awesome as Bruce Lee during it, but he absolutely is.

-What other insane episodes of Valewatch do our heroes watch? And how many of them involve Pyrrha and the equivalent of David Hasselhoff fighting a giant fake looking Grimm Kraken?

-Jaune is not just a good gamer, but he's an incredible ero gamer-He figures out puzzles, mini-games, and all the routes for all the love interests. And Blake wants him to play her favorite games for her. Shenanigans ensue.

 

[cavalal386]

-Nora makes some wooden figurines of her friends for fun and acts out various adventures with them. Ruby gets in on it. Mischief ensues.

Click to shrink...

either Nora accidently made voodoo dolls and shenanigans ensures.

OR this happens:

 

[TheFabulousCustodes]

-What other insane episodes of Valewatch do our heroes watch? And how many of them involve Pyrrha and the equivalent of David Hasselhoff fighting a giant fake looking Grimm Kraken?

Click to shrink...

Given that Pyrrha's mother is an actress, she could have co-starred in an episode with Pyrrha.

So the albino Grimm Kraken kidnaps Pyrrha's mom during the annual Vale jet ski race, but it retreats into Vale's sewer system, which the Atlesian army rigs with explosives under the orders of Captain Ahab. Pyrrha and Not!DavidHasselhoff have to do one of those terrible fake race scenes, rescue Pyrrha's mom from the Kraken, and leap out of the sewers on their jet ski's just as it explodes behind them.

 

[ExFelineServer3]

I can totally see that episode playing out

 

[MetalHead]

-Jaune is not just a good gamer, but he's an incredible ero gamer-He figures out puzzles, mini-games, and all the routes for all the love interests. And Blake wants him to play her favorite games for her. Shenanigans ensue.

Click to shrink...

Blake's favorite eroge is about a hapless guy sneaking with no training in demon hunter academy.
Where he meets:
Tomoe - who becomes his mentor and confidant, who keeps his secret and tutors him in marital arts. Elder sister ara-ara type.
Akane - a perky goth girl, who becomes his best friend. Imouto type.
Yuki - a noble lady who is initially distant (hardest route) but eventually warms up to his honesty. Tsundere type.
Kuroko - enigmatic half-demon ninja, with tons of fetishes. Kuudere/pervert type.
Hikari - bright and passonate pyromancer. Whom he bonds with on shared family values. Genki type.

Jaune helps Blake unlock the harem route, the hardest path in the game. Though, they both have strong feeling of deja vu for some reason, when they play it.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

The Beacon courtyard was a tranquil haven, dappled with the fading light of dusk, the air carrying the faint scent of blooming flowers. Lie Ren sat cross-legged on the grass, his eyes closed, his breathing steady, the picture of serene meditation. Beside him, Jaune Arc was decidedly less serene, wobbling precariously on his head at Ren's insistence, his blond hair splayed out and his face flushed red from effort.

His hoodie bunched awkwardly under his armor as he groaned, "Gah… uh… you sure you trained like this, Ren?"

"Very sure," Ren replied, his voice calm, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

"Nnnngh… how do you achieve inner peace standing on your head?!" Jaune grumbled, his arms shaking as he fought to balance.

"Practice," Ren said, his tone even, his magenta eyes still closed.

Jaune scowled, his voice laced with exasperation. "Like not getting upset over your teacher making you do ridiculous things?"

Ren's smile grew, subtle but genuine. "Exactly."

A booming laugh shattered the quiet, rich and warm. "Hahaha! Oh man, I remember that! Shifu put me through that all the time at the start!"

Ren's eyes snapped open, his calm fracturing as he sprang to his feet, turning toward the voice. Jaune, still upside-down, craned his neck awkwardly, catching sight of a portly Panda Faunus in elegant green robes, a conical hat perched on his head, a wooden staff in hand. His teeth gleamed under the fading light, his grin wide and infectious.

Ren's hands clasped in a respectful fist-over-palm salute, bowing deeply. "Master Po! I-I did not know you were coming!"

Po's grin widened, his eyes twinkling. "Well, I was in the area. I wanted to see how you were doing." He glanced at Jaune, still wobbling. "Your student?"

Ren straightened, his voice steady but warm. "He is my team leader… and friend."

Po's smile grew, his staff tapping the ground. Jaune, with a grunt, flipped off his head, landing with a stumble before offering a bright grin. "I'm Jaune Arc!"

Po bowed, his robes rustling. "I'm Po! Ren was my student!"

Jaune's eyes widened, his voice curious. "So, wait, you're… a kung fu master?"

Po chuckled, his tone humble. "I'm called a master, but you never truly master anything. You learn something new every day…"

Jaune nodded, his grin thoughtful. "Huh… sounds familiar."

"Now!" Po clapped his hands, his stomach growling loudly. "Let's catch up… at the cafeteria."

The Beacon cafeteria was a bustling chaos of clattering trays and student chatter, but the arrival of Teams RWBY and JNPR turned heads. Nora Valkyrie led the charge, her turquoise eyes blazing with excitement as she spotted Po. "PO!" she shrieked, launching herself at him in a tackle-hug that sent the Panda Faunus crashing to the floor with a laugh.

"HAHAHA! Nora! I missed you too!" Po roared, his staff clattering as he hugged her back.

"How's Old Tavish?!" Nora demanded, bouncing on her heels.

"He's doing well!" Po said, climbing to his feet. "Still blowing things up, but happy in retirement. He was really excited over you blowing up a Deathstalker!"

"YAY!" Nora cheered, fist-pumping.

Ren quickly introduced Po to the others, his voice calm but proud. Yang Xiao Long, leaning against a table, raised a skeptical eyebrow, her lilac eyes glinting. "You're Zen's master?"

Po, happily munching a meat bun, nodded. "Mmhm! Hnnn… they're way too salty."

Ren's voice was soft but firm. "I agree, Master."

Nora beamed, her voice bright. "Yeah! Ren's pork buns are way better!"

Po grinned, swallowing. "He was very good at those. I also taught him cooking!"

Yang's eyebrow arched higher. "Uh huh…"

Weiss Schnee, arms crossed, frowned. "You just seem… very unlike what we expected."

Yang snorted, her voice teasing. "I mean, can you even run a mile?"

Ren's eyes narrowed, a rare scowl breaking his calm. "Yang! This man took me and Nora into his home! He trained me!"

Yang raised her hands, her grin faltering. "Hey, hey! I'm sorry! No offense meant—!"

Po held up a paw, his voice gentle. "Ren. It's all right."

Ren's scowl lingered, but he forced himself to relax, the outburst startling everyone.

Po's grin softened, his tone reflective. "Heh. Nobody thought I was cut out to be a kung fu master when I started, either. Me least of all. But! It turns out appearances can be deceiving. Not that it was easy. I sucked. I sucked hard, at the start. But eventually… with enough hard work… you realize you can stop sucking."

He held out his paw, and the pork buns in a nearby bowl glowed with his Aura, rising up into the air. The teams gaped as the buns floated in a graceful orbit above Po's head, then behind him, his control effortless.

"But only if you believe you can be more than what you appear to be," he said, waving his hand to guide the buns back into the bowl.

Yang stared, then grinned wide. "Can you teach me that?"

Po laughed. "Maybe! Right now, I gotta make some real food. Come on, Ren! We're commandeering the kitchen! Let's make you and your friends a real dinner! We'll be right back!"

"Yes, Master," Ren said, following Po into the kitchen.

The cafeteria kitchen was nearly empty, the staff unbothered by the intrusion. Po set to work, his paws a blur as he kneaded dough and chopped vegetables, while Ren assisted, his movements precise but heavy with unspoken weight. As Po started a pot of broth, Ren sighed, his voice low.

"I'm sorry, Master. I shouldn't… I shouldn't have lost my temper. I don't have any right to defend you or… or anything. Not after what I did."

Po glanced at him, his tone curious as he rolled out noodles. "Hm? And what did you do?"

Ren's head bowed, his hands kneading dough. "I… I left. With Nora."

"Yeah," Po said, his voice light. "And why?"

"I wanted to be a Hunter… and…" Ren's voice faltered.

Po raised an eyebrow, frying noodles with a sizzle. "And?"

"... Get justice for my family," Ren admitted, his voice barely audible.

Po nodded, his tone warm but firm as he stirred pork into the broth. "Wanting justice isn't a bad thing, Ren. I wanted justice for my family, too. And being a Hunter is a wonderful thing! Protecting and saving people, pow pow pow! That's great! We're very proud of you both, all of us!"

Ren's lips twitched into a small smile, but Po's expression grew somber.

"But vengeance… vengeance is not the way to do it."

Ren's hands stilled. "I shouldn't kill that monster?"

"I didn't say that," Po said, his voice gentle but pointed. "What I did say… is that you shouldn't go into a fight not caring if you come back alive."

Ren froze, his breath catching.

Po's eyes softened, his tone heavy. "Hey. My masters did the whole 'I can see into your mind' thing with me, too. I was amazed and annoyed by it, like, all the time… Your dough's getting dry."

Ren blinked, adding a pinch of water to the dough, his hands moving mechanically. "Ah…"

"You know," Po said, pouring pork and broth into buns with aura-fueled precision, "it was a very sad day when you two left. You were really good, Ren. Amazing, even. One day, you could be better than me."

Ren's eyes widened, his voice a whisper. "I-I could never be the Dragon Warrior—"

"Heh," Po chuckled, sealing the buns with a flick of aura. "And that's what I said, too." He slid the tray into the oven, his voice softening. "For me? It was doubting I was anything more than some fat dummy raised by the best cook in the Valley of Peace. For you? It's fear and anger."

Ren's jaw tightened. "I don't fear—"

"You fear, Ren," Po cut in, his eyes locking onto Ren's. "Come on. Be honest. You fear getting too close to anyone because you think you're going to die." His voice dropped, heavy with truth. "Because part of you feels you deserve to."

Ren's breath hitched, his eyes dropping to the counter. "…Shouldn't I?"

Po's paw rested on Ren's shoulder, firm and warm. "Wha—of course not, Ren! It's not your fault the Nuckelavee killed everyone, any more than it's my fault some crazy peacock attacked my village!" He turned Ren to face the cafeteria, where Nora was animatedly recounting tales of the Valley of Peace, her eyes catching Ren's with a radiant smile. "And most importantly, you saved Nora."

Ren's gaze softened, his voice a whisper. "…I did…"

Po's grin returned, gentle but firm. "She cares for you, Ren. Loves you. And you don't want to break her heart, do you?"

"…I do not," Ren said, his voice steady but raw.

"Or the hearts of your friends, right?" Po said, pointing out at the teams. Ren slowly shook his head.

"No."

"Or our hearts?" Po asked, looking very solemn. Ren slowly shook his head, his voice catching.

"No… But…"

Po nodded as he let go of Ren, pulling the buns from the oven, their aroma filling the kitchen. "Yeah. I get it. And hey, one conversation doesn't fix everything. That's just in movies." He levitated a bun with his aura, grinning. "But it's like my dad said: It's like pork buns."

Ren blinked. "Pork buns?"

"Every single pork bun adds up," Po said, popping the bun into his mouth, then yelping, "AH! HOT HOT HOT! TOO HOT!" He fanned his mouth, his eyes watering, but his grin held.

"You eat one on your own, eh, it's just a meal. Even if they taste really, really good. But! Keep making pork buns, and more people come in. They pay you to make more if you make 'em good enough. They come to eat, and talk, and you meet great people. You become friends. Even family. And after a while, the pork buns aren't just pork buns. They're every happy meal, every satisfied customer, all your happy memories."

Ren's lips curved into a rare, genuine smile, his eyes soft. "…Master… I'm sorry I left you in

anger."

Po swallowed the bun, his grin wide. "Eh… as long as you don't come back to take revenge on everyone, you're good. Just like…" He popped another bun into his mouth, sighing happily in bliss. "This pork bun."

Ren smiled back at his master. Soft, still guarded, but the warmth was still there. Po nodded back.

"Now, let's have dinner with your friends," Po said cheerfully. "We want to make more happy memories!"

"Yes Master."

 

[SharkCultist]

Nora and Yang during a "friendly spar" managed to rack up a million in damage debt that both teams need to scrounge up the money before the year ends (so about five months) otherwise they'll be expelled.

And there's only one way they're gonna get that money in time.

The biggest not so secret illegal but tolerated enterprise in Vale.

The ULTIMATE MUSCLE aura wrestling league. Filled with all the freaks, dropouts, crazies, and scum in the kingdom with a unlocked aura.

The fights are wild, illogical, and full of bullshit. They're also incredibly lucrative.

As long as the teams can keep up a good win streak they can do this.

Wait what do you mean no weapons?

And separate divisions for girls and guys outside of tournaments?

Ah shit and it looks like the reigning champ has something out for team RWBY.

What'd they do to piss of Jack Frostbite (trademarked stage name)?

 

[Dragon Bob]

Nora and Yang during a "friendly spar" managed to rack up a million in damage debt that both teams need to scrounge up the money before the year ends (so about five months) otherwise they'll be expelled.

And there's only one way they're gonna get that money in time.

The biggest not so secret illegal but tolerated enterprise in Vale.

The ULTIMATE MUSCLE aura wrestling league. Filled with all the freaks, dropouts, crazies, and scum in the kingdom with a unlocked aura.

The fights are wild, illogical, and full of bullshit. They're also incredibly lucrative.

As long as the teams can keep up a good win streak they can do this.

Wait what do you mean no weapons?

And separate divisions for girls and guys outside of tournaments?

Ah shit and it looks like the reigning champ has something out for team RWBY.

What'd they do to piss of Jack Frostbite (trademarked stage name)?

Click to shrink...

No one expects Ren to be the one who gets the most into it. Sure he's the best at hand to hand, but when he puts on the costume he is like a different person. As insane and bombastic as Nora.

 

[SharkCultist]

No one expects Ren to be the one who gets the most into it. Sure he's the best at hand to hand, but when he puts on the costume he is like a different person. As insane and bombastic as Nora.

Click to shrink...

He puts on the costume and only speaks in ancient mistrilian. Next to nobody understands a word he says and yet somehow he gets his points across perfectly.

 

[Dragon Bob]

He puts on the costume and only speaks in ancient mistrilian. Next to nobody understands a word he says and yet somehow he gets his points across perfectly.

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Except Nora, why translates for him. Or at least she claims to understand him, and he seems to accept what she says he's saying. No one is entirely sure.

 

[Gur40]

FIXING Penny V8

Spoiler: LET HER COOK

She Deserves the World

---

V9 vs Beacon Era

Spoiler: Picture Meme

Or Leadership Meeting AU {Paperwork}

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Super Schnee

Spoiler: Whitley x Ruby

I just wont someone to Bane back breaker Hazel

---

GOL is truely his mother son

Spoiler: SEW have it hard

Ruby got it hard

 

[SharkCultist]

They failed to stop Salem, she summoned the brother gods so they would wipe away her and humanity.

But the brother gods weren't satisfied, the lessons they wanted learned were ignored. So they decided to make everyone do it again. But this time they're making things harder on everyone.

Welcome to Fragment, the Remnant of a Remnant.

Here humanity is locked in a three way war. Themselves against the Grimm that seek to destroy all of humanity, and the Blighted which seek to add humanity and the Grimm to themselves.

Among the lands are two resources that humanity used to defend themselves. Dust, the mysterious power of nature in crystal form.

And echoes strange bits of a unknown material, fluid like water yet solid as stone. To touch it is to add the echo to yourself whatever it may be.

Perhaps it's skill with a blade? Or knowledge long lost, it could even be changed to your form.

But be careful with these seemingly mystical resources. Nature's power is never fully at the command of man, and a loud enough echo can overwhelm sounds yet to be made.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Remnant's nations would need militaries for the same reasons all nations throughout human history have needed them.: Militaries exist to address the strategic needs of a nation state. This military is maintained as a deterrent against invasion, a fast reaction force in case of natural disaster or civil unrest, as a system for the advancement of technology that can later be released to the private market, and as a tool in foreign policy before and after diplomacy breaks down.

As an example: The United States Navy has its ships do "Demonstration of Freedom of Navigation" missions. Basically, they send ships into an area of contested waters to ensure that civilian traffic can go through. This is in the United States' interest as it promotes oceanic trade, and in the interest of the nations in the area because there are consequences to bad actors who try to sink or raid local shipping. Those nations are more likely to trade with the United States and with eachother because of the security the US Navy provides. This is not new: The Ancient Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Spanish, Korean, Japanese, Royal (British) and many other navies did exactly the same thing.

Remnant's kingdoms would need militaries to deal with Grimm hordes too large for Hunters to handle on their own, to deal with pirates and bandits, to provide assistance in case of natural disasters and to deal with massive social unrest like riots, to employ people who didn't cut it as Hunters, and to defend their borders and interests from foreign adversaries. Remnant has all the same problems Earth does in terms of human nature on top of the Grimm, so of course they would need militaries.

As for the military equipment being mostly lifted from Earth? Well, one: The inhabitants of Remnant are human or humanoid on a world where the laws of physics outside of Dust and Aura do still apply, so naturally most of their vehicles will resemble Earth vehicles. Two, the idea behind firearms technology is to engage enemies beyond melee range because fighting hand to hand is a messy, bloody business and bullets are more numerous and cheaper than swords and shields. So the principle is the same here: Tanks and mounted guns would engage Grimm at range and cut down as many of them as possible before they got to bite range. When you're behind walls or other defensive positions and/or in armored vehicles that have ammo, this is a perfectly viable strategy for defending your settlement or group from Grimm. The armored vehicles, in turn, can move when your position becomes untenable and you can retreat or move somewhere more advantageous.

For people with no unlocked Aura or very weak Aura, the best strategy is to be fast, mobile, well armed, and protected: And armored vehicles provide all of that.

However, fighting Grimm is not like fighting other humans: They respawn, they have supernatural abilities, they cannot be easily scared off, they cannot be bargained or reasoned with, they do not know fatigue or hunger. So you are correct in that a regular military is insufficient to deal with Grimm. Thus, Hunters are needed and in large numbers. Hunters have several advantages over the regular military in many areas: They are usually more powerful than rank and file soldiers, more experience, can react faster and have internationally agreed upon authority. At the same time, the military has advantages over Hunters in many other areas: They can bring in more firepower and resources, they have better logistics, they have numbers and more discipline, and they have more authority on a local level.

That's not to say there wouldn't be conflicts between the military and Hunters, there always are between different organizations meant to deal with similar threats, but that's a good thing: It gives you opportunities for drama and storytelling.

 

[TheFabulousCustodes]

Thus, Hunters are needed and in large numbers.

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I stand by my assertion that Beacons intake in Season One was way too small if the Kingdom's weren't essentially city states with a few orbiting farming/resource communities.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

I stand by my assertion that Beacons intake in Season One was way too small if the Kingdom's weren't essentially city states with a few orbiting farming/resource communities.

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I chalk it up to Beacon being an elite Huntsman Academy, the absolute top. And there are many other smaller schools or apprenticeships for other Hunters available. Jaune would settle for nothing less than the best, like his ancestors did.

 

[GoldDoesGames]

Remnant's nations would need militaries for the same reasons all nations throughout human history have needed them

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Didn't a previous incarnation of Ozma basically defund the military in all the Kingdoms, except for Atlas? If so, then that was a pretty dumb move.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Didn't a previous incarnation of Ozma basically defund the military in all the Kingdoms, except for Atlas? If so, then that was a pretty dumb move.

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Again, this is why I keep advocating for a reboot of RWBY by competent writers, because this is just dumb.

And why I use my own headcanon for RWBY's militaries.

 

[GoldDoesGames]

Again, this is why I keep advocating for a reboot of RWBY by competent writers, because this is just dumb.

And why I use my own headcanon for RWBY's militaries.

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Was CRWBY's political stance of the week "Defund the Military"? It's bad writing, especially in a world that actually needs more firepower since it's, y'know, a Death World.

 

[CountvonBarnOwl]

Didn't a previous incarnation of Ozma basically defund the military in all the Kingdoms, except for Atlas? If so, then that was a pretty dumb move.

Click to shrink...

He did.

Was CRWBY's political stance of the week "Defund the Military"? It's bad writing, especially in a world that actually needs more firepower since it's, y'know, a Death World.

Click to shrink...

You can put down to CRWBY's political persuasions that, they cannot conceive of a deathworld where the physical and political realities of a situation on the ground could be in any way substantially different from those of Cold-War/End-of-History Peacetime America that was spawned by WW2-in-living-memory consensus of the West. They give us a setting that by its own definition, is wholly anathema to everything they believe or purport to believe, and it simply doesn't dawn on any of them that maybe espousing those values that they seek to uphold (or at least, that they seek to be seen upholding). Or rather it does dawn on them and they have convulsions and conniptions about it, but since they invest so much of their own self-worth into being seen as right/correct the only thing worse in their minds than blundering is the admission of a blunder.

I'll spare you the rest of the rant, and instead throw another example out for your perusal. Remember how Qrow tried to break it to Yang that Raven's personal system of values was ostensibly extremely twisted? And all we got was that Raven subscribes to the notion that might makes right? How is such a belief not exceedingly socially acceptable on a deathworld? I've got a whole bag of contradictions like this that I like to laugh at from time to time. The sheer cognitive dissonance I mean. But again, I'll spare it unless you ask.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

He did.




You can put down to CRWBY's political persuasions that, they cannot conceive of a deathworld where the physical and political realities of a situation on the ground could be in any way substantially different from those of Cold-War/End-of-History Peacetime America that was spawned by WW2-in-living-memory consensus of the West. They give us a setting that by its own definition, is wholly anathema to everything they believe or purport to believe, and it simply doesn't dawn on any of them that maybe espousing those values that they seek to uphold (or at least, that they seek to be seen upholding). Or rather it does dawn on them and they have convulsions and conniptions about it, but since they invest so much of their own self-worth into being seen as right/correct the only thing worse in their minds than blundering is the admission of a blunder.

I'll spare you the rest of the rant, and instead throw another example out for your perusal. Remember how Qrow tried to break it to Yang that Raven's personal system of values was ostensibly extremely twisted? And all we got was that Raven subscribes to the notion that might makes right? How is such a belief not exceedingly socially acceptable on a deathworld? I've got a whole bag of contradictions like this that I like to laugh at from time to time. The sheer cognitive dissonance I mean. But again, I'll spare it unless you ask.

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Agreed on that for CRWBY for the most part. Bandits, raiders, and others who prey upon those who build and create are always seen as reprehensible and would be seen even more so on Remnant. People who intentionally attack settlements to weaken them so Grimm can finish them off and they can take what's left for themselves would be feared and HATED across Remnant. They would be hostis humani generis, enemies of all mankind: A term applied to pirates, bandits, and raiders, and would be shot on sight.

Now you COULD give them some moral nuance: Raven's group could operate more like a warlord band or yakuza group, in that yes, they do rule over and exploit an area's people, but they also provide real benefits to the populace. As detestable as the mafia and Yakuza can be, they also provide protection for ordinary people where the rule of law is absent and defense against worst threats: In this case, the Grimm. It doesn't make Raven any less of a terrible mother but it would give her SOME dimension and nuance. But again, as you said, CRWBY is so locked into their Liberal Post-WW2 mindset that they cannot conceive of such moral complexities or that a woman could be (GASP!) wrong in some way without something or someone else to blame.

 

[Fallout5368]

It also doesn't help that Qrow heavily implies that the Branwen Tribe has been following Grimm like Old Nuck around for Decades. Even when Raven takes over she still keeps up the practice even though she is a demi-god.

 

[GoldDoesGames]

But again, I'll spare it unless you ask.

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I would like the "whole bag" as you say, but only if it's not much of a hassle.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

I mean, the spirit of cooperation and a wish for humanity to be united together is not a bad thing and if CRWBY were competent writers, this would be the theme they would push throughout the show. Because that unity is needed to defeat Salem. So the Faunus racism is not a BAD idea because it's another obstacle for our heroes to overcome, the execution was just terrible. And indeed, the Kingdoms being largely at peace at this time in history and united by trade and mutual defense is a GOOD THING. Indeed, Ozpin may have felt he was getting close to his goal of uniting mankind.

And then Salem fucks it up and brings it all crashing down and then our heroes have to pull it back together to oppose Salem. But to do that, you need some actual worldbuilding and common sense. Monty took some inspiration from Final Fantasy 8, but he should have also taken inspiration from Final Fantasy 9 wherein the bad guys (spoilers) actually deliberately drive all the most powerful nations on Gaia to war to weaken them so that they can get their hands on vital relics to bring about the end of the world for their own purposes. And it's up to our heroes to stop them while having a world spanning adventure! Taking inspiration from FF8 AND FF9 would have given you a much stronger narrative to build upon if you did the proper worldbuilding.

But they didn't because their modern day Tumblr politics were more important than telling a proper story. Sure, Monty wasn't a writer but he did at least have an idea of where he wanted the show to go and what it was about. Whereas CRWBY just made it about their pet politics and pandering to the tiniest, brokest, most insane part of the internet just so they could look virtuous.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Just some lame AI Art of Isabel, Saia, Summer and Raven at Beacon as students.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

It also rendered Taiyang, Arjun, Qrow and Nick:

Doesn't really capture their personalities, except for Taiyang. And yeah, Nick doesn't have the scar on his cheek that he should. Freaking wish I had talent in art.

That said, Nick starting out as a little runt and then growing into a seven foot five inch giant is a fun idea.