Yanno, for all of the people Ironwood is willing to kill as part of his fall—a defenseless prisoner, an unarmed civilian, a teenaged child, and two of his own elite agents—the one person Ironwood doesn’t try to kill is the person who never questions Ironwood’s leadership and authority to his face:
ironwood thought he had control over watts.
he thought he could force watts with strength.
that’s why he beat up watts to force him to “Serve”.
Commission illustration for Sarah Tilgner (@edelblume)! Featuring Iris a.k.a. variant!Penny and James Ironwood. In this scene, which happens in Atlas park, James points out one specific star – Hiems, the winter star – that’ll let Penny find her way home wherever she is.
The following below is a snippet from a work-in-progress AU, based on the loose premise of someone from our world winding up in Penny’s body. This particular bit, and the commission, takes place about two years before Volume 1.
Iris’ gaze flitted to the countdown, nestled ever-present in the corner of her vision, steadily ticking away the precious time she had left. Four months over two years. Only four months over two years to find a way to save Vale. To prevent the fall of Beacon. To, somehow, beat Salem at her own game.
And after, if there wasan after…
Shoulders sagging, she sought out that star. Iris wanted to be suspicious of the General’s motives in pointing it out to her, she really did, and yet, she couldn’t find it in her. It wasn’t just something to lead her to the Academy, a place to be kept, and it wasn’t as though it insinuated that she should think of Atlas as home — at least, not yet. It had been kind, and gentle, and a sort of understanding that was painfully personal. It was a promise, she supposed. Of safety, and belonging, and of somewhere to simply always come back to, if she needed it. A reminder that she wasn’t so alone in Remnant as she’d firmly believed. Staring through the haze of the aurora, the towers of Atlas Academy standing like silver sentinels against the night sky, Iris realized that, for the first time, she truly, earnestly didn’t feel like she was.
God help her, what was she going to do?
Beacon, first, she thought. Everything else, later. And then, taking a deep breath, she turned away from the stars, and the city skyline, and the cold she was suddenly rather happy not to notice.
General Ironwood stands at the brink of madness; Cinder Fall having been in his office, Salem’s apparition confronting him directly, his army weakened and Team RWBY who he trusted among those closest to him having been working behind his back and lying to him for weeks. With the Ace Ops defeated, Penny’s departure and Salem’s army on the way, he prepares to enact martial law and do whatever is necessary to keep the people safe, even if that requires the loss of their freedoms. These dark thoughts are interrupted before they can come to fruition by the arrival of the one person who his trust for never wavered, even as all those around betrayed him…
This is now canon in my head, and I’m not going to debate it. Glynda’s presence in Atlas arc would have solved everything!
Huntsman. Uncle. Twin. And a self-titled “bad luck charm.”
I have so many feels over Qrow fucking Branwen.
Qrow’s semblance, revealed in Volume 4, is “bad luck.” Here’s what the RWBY Wiki has to say.
“Qrow’s Semblance brings misfortune wherever he goes, and unlike most Semblances, his is always active and uncontrollable. This leads to incidents as small as a glass being knocked onto the floor in “New Challengers” or as significant as a blocked attack chopping off the corner of a building in “Punished”. His Semblance can come to his advantage in a fight, such when Tyrian Callows falls through an old roof. His Semblance does not discriminate on who it affects, which causes him to keep his distance from the people he cares about.”
Qrow freaking Branwen.
Can you even beginto imagine what kind of hellthis man must live each day?
No, you really can’t. You really, really can’t.
You probably think, “Yeah, it would suck to have constant bad luck.”
Allow me to elaborate for you.
Imagine a young Qrow, perhaps part of a happy family, crying because his sister, Raven, tripped and hurt herself while they were playing. In the weeks following, Raven is more careful when she’s playing.
Imagine a slightly older Qrow, now in school, watching his close friends get into freak accidents and sustain random injuries. His friends are in the hospital or kept home, healing, more and more often.
Imagine tween Qrow, hearing that close family members are passing away suddenly and unexpectedly. His relatives don’t visit much, they’re all grieving.
Imagine teen Qrow, finding out that his first girlfriend was in an accident and is now on life support. When Qrow goes to visit, her life support shuts down and the doctors are too late.
Imagine 17-year-old Qrow, starting his life as a Hunter at Beacon. During the relic retrieval in the forest, he makes eye contact with Raven, just as a Grimm attacks. Qrow wheels Raven onto the stage in a wheelchair when Ozpin announces Team STRQ.
Imagine Qrow, now on Team STRQ, grow more and more reserved as his teammates experience troubling accidents and strange injuries. They ask Qrow what’s wrong. He says he’s fine. He starts wondering if he’s the one causing the accidents and injuries.
Imagine Qrow, doing research with Raven, having recently discovered their ability to transform into their respective bird namesake. Qrow learns that his bird form, a crow, is a symbol of bad luck. Something begins to grow in the back of his mind as the WiFI goes out and many students doing last minute homework are unable to finish. Instead of celebrating finding his supposed semblance, Qrow is lost in dark thought.
Imagine 20-year-old Qrow, graduated from Beacon, watching Taiyang and Raven date, and seeing the small accidents that endanger their relationship whenever he hangs out with them for too long. Qrow refuses to date. Summer wants to help her teammate. Qrow say’s everything’s fine. Depression begins to set in.
Imagine Qrow, beside Taiyang, each holding one of Raven’s hands as she goes into labor in the hospital. Nearly 18 hours later, Yang is born, and Raven is in a very dangerous condition. The doctors say they’ve never seen such a healthy pregnancy go so wrong at the very end. Qrow, with his new title of Uncle, excuses himself, and goes to the nearest bar.
Imagine Qrow, tears in his eyes, as Taiyang and Raven and Summer have the biggest fight in the history of Team STRQ’s fights. Yang plays with Qrow in the living room, calling him “Uncle.” The fight is broken up by Yang screaming in pain. Qrow doesn’t know how the TV fell, but the weight in his heart tells him that it was his fault. Raven and Taiyang make sure their daughter is alright while Summer tries to speak to Qrow as he makes an excuse to leave. He ends up at another bar. The bartender is starting to recognize him.
Imagine Qrow, hiding the scent of alcohol on his breath watching TV with Team STRQ and little Yang. He sits apart from them, and the weight in his heart grows when the news report. The local bar burned to the ground, most of the employees still inside. Qrow’s depression and want for a drink only grow.
Imagine Qrow, biting back tears as the fight from a few months ago comes to a front and ends with Raven walking out, Taiyang heartbroken, Summer in tears, and Qrow trying to comfort Yang while touching her as little as possible. All of them think that it’s their fault that Raven left, but Qrow knows the true blame resides with him.
Imagine Qrow, now without his twin and best friend. Summer and Taiyang find out about his growing reliance on alcohol, and they do their best to help him. He finally tells someone what he’s been feeling for so many years. He’s a bringer of bad luck. Summer and Tai are trying to reassure him as the power goes out, and Yang cries for hours. Qrow wishes for a drink and answers.
Imagine Qrow, as he goes on long hunting trips, and on one return discovers Taiyang and Summer have begun a relationship. He hesitantly agrees to be the best man at the wedding. Raven doesn’t show up, despite Summer reaching out to ask her to be the maid of honour. Several small mishaps occur at the wedding, but Qrow makes it through without a single drop of alcohol. Maybe, just maybe, things are looking up. Maybe the hunting helps.
Imagine Qrow, hunting more and more, rushing back when he hears the news. He arrives a few minutes after Ruby Rose is born, beaming as he hears the pregnancy was quick and easy. No repeats of last time. Yang holds Ruby, already strong enough, and asks with wide lilac eyes if “Uncle Qrow” wants a turn. He can’t refuse, and takes the small bundle, wrapped in a red blanket. Qrow feels the weight in his heart, knows he should hand Ruby off before anything happens, but he doesn’t want to let the little bundle go. In several nearby rooms, doctors rush to save patients who are flatlining for no reason.
Imagine Qrow, uncle of two beautiful girls, turning down babysitting in favor of hunting. He notices a pattern as he kills Grimm after Grimm after Grimm. He finds them fighting each other, already wounded, and sleeping. During fights, Grimm stumble on thin air, wound fellow beasts, miss openings for attacks. Qrow uses his bird form more and more, but the question of his semblance hangs in the balance. Where does the bad luck come from, and why? When there’s no Grimm around to fight and Qrow is alone, the weather is always terrible.
Imagine Qrow, unable to do anything but drink after Summer dies. Taiyang would join him, but his two girls need him. Ruby and Yang ask for their uncle, but Qrow doesn’t want to be around anyone he cares about. It’s too risky. A car accident kills several people outside the bar. Qrow drinks into oblivion.
Imagine Qrow, still ridden with grief, helping Tai bury Summer. Raven doesn’t show up. Yang gets expelled from school for fighting. Ruby gets bullied after Yang is gone. Qrow drinks. Tai tries to cope. The bad luck continues.
Imagine Qrow, finally cracking under so much pressure. He goes to talk to Ozpin at Beacon, something Summer suggested several years ago. Ozpin has answers. Qrow’s semblance isn’t his bird form. Ozpin calls him “a strange case.” His semblance is always active, and it cannot be controlled. Qrow breaks down right there in Ozpin’s office. Ozpin offers to help, staring down at the remains of his favourite coffee mug.
Imagine Qrow, struggling to stay sober, teaching his first class at Signal, thanks to Ozpin’s good word. He’s every student’s favourite teacher. His classes are practical and hands on, and the students are heavily independent, since Qrow distances himself from nearly everyone. It gets harder once Ruby joins Yang at signal. The accidents stay at a minimum. Qrow feels like maybe he’s figuring this out.
Imagine Qrow, helping Ruby put the finishing touches on Crescent Rose. Ruby has already cut and bruised herself several times during the construction, but Qrow fears Ruby’s adoration and idolization more than the injuries. He needs to distance himself. He helps Yang with her motorcycle once she gets her permit. He really needs to distance himself, but he enjoys spending time with the girls. Ruby goes to the hospital when a dust cartridge explodes in Crescent Rose and Yang ends up in the bed next to her after getting in an accident on her first spin. Qrow swears never to be so selfish again. They could have died. Everything was his fault. Depression and alcoholism return. He quits at Signal, to the dismay of everyone.
Imagine Qrow, putting all of his time into hunting, honing his skills. His semblance is uncontrollable. The Grimm, attracted by the stench of negative emotion rolling off of the single Huntsman, soon discover this. He hunts several species of Grimm to near extinction in parts of Remnant. Taiyang sends the occasional update. Qrows notices that everything seems to be going smoothly, and that gives him a dark sense of satisfaction.
Imagine Qrow, in very recent events, hearing a glass shatter after being knocked over, getting Winter Schnee caught acting out line, and playing video games that the girls lose, despite having more experience. Small things. Nothing too big. He’ll take off soon and the bad luck will fade.
Now, remember. Qrow, watching Ironwood deal with prosthetic malfunctions, hearing reports of Amber getting worse. Hearing the news that Yang is disqualified. That Penny Polendina is dead. Grimm are attacking. The Fall Maiden’s powers are in the hands of the enemy. Amber, Penny, and Pyrrha Nikos are dead. Ironwood’s army is destroyed. The Grimm dragon is awake, but quickly frozen by Ruby’s silver eye powers. Ruby is in a coma. Yang is dragged to safety, bleeding to death, missing an arm. Her teammate is also badly wounded. Qrow watches Team RWBY get torn apart as Weiss Schnee is taken home by her father, Taiyang arrives to take Ruby and Yang, and Blake runs away. Ozpin is dead.
Qrow drowning in the belief that everything was his fault.
Remember Qrow following Team RNJR, keeping several miles between them, the horrifying memories of everything so fresh. He knows he can keep Ruby safe from a distance. But Tyrian attacks, and he’s nearly too late. He’s not exempt from his semblance. Far from it. Wounded. Too close to Team RNJR for their own good. Having to take more of their innocence and carefree lives by explaining what was happening. The quiet shame he hides as he reveals his semblance, not meeting Ruby’s eyes for fear that she will see him as a monster. Poison setting in. Unable to protect Ruby and her friends. Unconscious, but still causing bad luck.
Understand Qrow. Despite the terrible things his bad luck does to those around him, the bad luck affects him worst of all. Because he knows. He knows that it’s hissemblance, and he believes that it’s all his fault. And he can’t do anything to stop it.
@axe_wax for steel, leather and wood… and for leather that looks like wood . Final shot of my #bladeshowbuild knife from #bladeshow2021 before it ships to its new home. . #thepxsmith #joshaweston #bladeshow #knives #knifemaker #sharp #knifeporn #knivesdaily #leather #wood #ironwood #axewax (at Frankenmuth River Place Shops) https://www.instagram.com/p/CQbZyeHj0lO/?utm_medium=tumblr
This Bear Claw is heading out the door today! Web-etched 440c stainless steel with fatcarbon, corian, and ironwood burl scales. Definitely a looker!! . #knifeworld #knifelife #knifefanatic #customknives #handmadeknives #everydaycarry #blackwidow #carbonfiber #ironwood #tacomawashington #puyallup https://www.instagram.com/p/CFIBth9DPlH/?igshid=vvezmejncgv8
Little Brave in hammered 440c stainless with a very fine cut of desert ironwood burl.. . . #knifeworld #knifelife #knifefanatics #customknives #handmadeknives #huntingknife #huntinglife #ironwood #onlythebest #outdoorsmen #toolsforlife #tacomawa #puyallup https://www.instagram.com/p/CCZYmgvDTPl/?igshid=poezddpz11n0
Not knife related, but a cool resin piece I made for my buddy @ajholway. An Eastern Washington Rattlesnake he came across. . #rattlesnake #rattler #resinart #ironwood #venomous #tacomawa #puyallup https://www.instagram.com/p/CCUlwqTjGwI/?igshid=12ep60wqzozk6
Another spendy skin I forgot about, then hunted down the perfect dragon for, after I found it again. I purchased Skin: Inari Kitsune for 5k gems like idk, three? four? years ago.
Ideally, I love to find a G2 imp that would wear this well, but for now at least it looks good on this guy. ✨
I do have a couple of non-G1s in my lair. They are mostly imperials, the only G1s I can’t have/get.
This girl is the wearing the Skin Lunar Cycle, which I paid I think 5k gems for a few years ago. Idk what the current worth is, but she wears it so well!
