What Defines Us - Commentary - Ch. 3-4 (Patreon)

Another two chapters, another commentary.  Again, please read both chapters before reading this!  There will likely be spoilers and I don’t want to ruin the story for anyone.

… (these spaces give you time to read the chapters)

… (because two ellipses is all you’ll need - one for each chapter!)

Ok, now that you’re done reading, we pick up the story with Weiss right after she left dinner and get a deeper look into how she’s feeling right now.  Which might be appropriately reduced down to...shaken.  That had been a huge deal for her, yet she doesn’t seem to feel any amount of success in what she just accomplished.  How long has she been away from Vale?  How long was she running?  She finally made it back and yet...no internal congratulations?  Not even a tiny bit of relief?

In my mind, that’s just typical Weiss.  She didn’t succeed and, therefore, she failed.  That type of mentality can propel someone to greatness, or drive them into madness.  And at this point in the story, do we even know what Weiss’ goals are?  Does she know even know what her goals are?  What is she trying to accomplish, really?  These are all good questions to keep in mind as we progress further.

On another topic, some people have commented that Weiss’ arrival seemed rather fast - to which I agree in some ways.  That was a particular moment that I grappled with when deciding what I wanted to do - I considered adding more length to the beginning of the story, but also felt that it was ok as is.  In the end, I left it as it is because I felt it was more appropriate to Weiss’ current mindset. 

You see, we missed out on much of the dragged out decline of Weiss’ psyche.  Instead of playing through that decline linearly, we’re dropping in on the characters’ lives at the very precipice of change.  Do we really need to watch her fall to know that she’s fallen?

I didn’t think so, because we’ve all been in those moments that Weiss found herself in at the beginning of the story - where we’re scared to make a decision, to take action.  Like jumping off of a really tall diving board...once you summon the courage to do it, you do it.  You run forward and jump without a second thought.  If you hesitate, you might psych yourself out.  And it’s a rather long climb back down once you’ve reached the top.

I didn’t give Weiss the opportunity to chicken out because she’d made the decision, she’d found the courage through her experiences in Chapter 1, and so she did it.  She went back to Vale.  In Chapter 3, we see that she almost psyched herself out and she’s still trying to find ways to disengage from the situation - which she feels to be insurmountable - but she did it.  She took the plunge.  She jumped off that diving board and now she’s treading water.  We’re left wondering if she can find the strength to pull herself up that ladder and do it again.  The first time is the hardest, isn’t it?

Chapter 3 also gives us another glimpse into Weiss’ relationship with Winter.  Now, I haven’t seen much of Winter in the show since she was only briefly in Volume 3, but I believe her relationship to Weiss is paramount.  She’ll appear several more times in this story and these instances which can be used to compare their relationship with that of Ruby and Yang.  Two pairs of sisters, two different upbringings, two very different relationships.  However, there are some things that will be the same - as you’ll notice when paying close attention to their interactions.

I’d also like to touch upon the importance of another family member - Summer Rose.  I believe that Ruby and Yang were both treasured and loved by Summer, whose love for them helped craft the caring sisters they are today.  She may not have been around for long, but she doted on those two girls.  At least, that’s my hope for two small girls who went through an incredibly difficult childhood.

I don’t think we know much of Summer through the show, but imagine how impactful her presence - and subsequent absence - might be for Team RWBY.  Not only to Yang and Ruby, who were obviously most immediately affected, but also for the partners they bring into their lives.  Weiss and Blake would have heard stories and learned anecdotes of a motherly figure they never had the opportunity to meet.  Ever the good partners, they accepted Ruby’s connection to her mom - but they didn’t just accept Summer, they embraced the idea that there was a spirit somewhere watching over them.  

The idea that Summer’s soul is a piece of Remnant’s broken moon came from a oneshot I wrote in The Endless Days of Summer, and it’s reiterated here.  No matter where Team RWBY goes, Summer is with them - a true guardian angel.  She has become an almost mythical figure who guides all four girls from afar - which Weiss makes reference to in Chapter 3.

While Weiss struggles to stay in Vale, Ruby is going through some struggles of her own, but in her own way.  It’s almost hard to tell that Ruby’s struggling, isn’t it?  It’s there, but it’s not really there.  Whereas Weiss’ battles are being waged very prominently in her mind, Ruby isn’t as intently dwelling upon hers.  And when she does touch upon them, she finds a way to press herself forward - to motivate herself past them.

This is going to be a very key difference between the two of them as the story progresses, so keep it in mind as we learn more about what happened and why things fell apart the way they did.  It’s remarkable to watch two very different personalities and circumstances work through their own life changing moments - which is definitely what we have in Ruby and Weiss. 

But think about, and continue to think about, the differences in their circumstances and how that might have played a role in the outcomes.  

Last, but certainly not least, Chapter 4 gives us a better look at Blake and Ruby’s relationship, which I think is just plain adorable.  Ruby looks up to Blake in the same way she looks up to Yang - these two super skilled and accomplished huntresses that she loves to learn from and spend time with.  It was probably weird and uncomfortable at first for Blake to have the equivalent of a younger sister, but at this point in the story she seems to have accepted that role in Ruby’s life - embraced it, even.

For someone like Blake, who seems to want fewer attachments rather than more, can you imagine taking on that type of responsibility for someone else?  Yet that’s exactly what she’s done - and successfully, at that.  Notice the way Ruby thinks about her - and how Blake tries to help Ruby grow and recover.  

There’s still a lot left to be unraveled, but I hope that you’ll keep a close eye on the relationships growing and mending between all four characters as we continue.  As with any relationship, feelings can become quite complicated - and this is certainly no exception.  But by watching them cope with what’s happened to them and come to terms with their new reality, hopefully we’ll learn something about ourselves along the way.

At least, this writer can hope.

Until next time,

Miko