Board Thread:Speculation House/@comment-158.125.243.29-20150329080244/@comment-26206856-20150417062058

I'm gone for a day and look what happens... xD

Spiegel;

Are you writing a thesis? My word, you've done some seriously critical thinking about this. And you know what? It's really quite impressive. Thesis? What's that? :P Nah, though it does seem like it, it's just how I respond. All you're seeing is my thought process in action, and attempting to find any shred of proof to back up my ideas as I go. Curse the overactive logical thinker who breaks down every bit of detail combined with a creative mind searching for answers. That's actually part of the reason I love this show; all the details are put in purposely because they have a meaning. It's a love project created by a man, not a mass produced product 'worked' on by a large group of people because they have to in order to make money somehow.

That "workaholic" parents angle does make a lot of sense. Plus, children born into money and prestiege having strict, aloof, or otherwise cold parents/guardians is quite a common trope. In regards to her mother, I would assume dead, or otherwise estranged, but... would they use that trope twice?

Perhaps Weiss' father is cold towards Weiss because he sees a lot of her mother, who committed some kind of crime and is on the run, in Weiss. Perhaps Weiss' mother was a huntress, and disappeared.

[Mr.Schnee]... had nannies and nurses, teachers and instructors raising Weiss. That could explain her appetite for learning (being raised by people who taught her things, but didn't really provide anything else for her). She just got used to it. Caring workaholic that misjudges how much she realizes it may work well as a presumption, but I also feel Weiss was getting frustrated with the actions of the company and what she could see was happening to her name on top of all of the incidents (greif) she had to deal with on a regular basis. Remember, they could be cold to her, which makes more sense, or she could likewise have withdrawn herself from her family. (The fact she seems to seek and cherish emotional connections disputes the latter unless she didn't feel she could trust them.)

For the mothers, though it seems repetitive, it is also a common trope for a tragic backstory and could be used to bring them all together. I could also picture RWBY walking in the footsteps of an old team their mothers used to be in the last time a threat was around. (As if all the parents were connected somehow.) The huntress thing could be a neat idea with the connection to 'true huntress blood' being her mother having the true huntress bloodline. Even more so if Mr. Schnee was actually a normal human with no unlocked Aura or Semblance. (Remember, one must see both the dark and light (anonymity and individualism) to unlock their aura.)

Remember the key thing about Weiss: She is an heiress. Everything has to do with prestige; so being the smartest, owning the most or best things or being the best at something is what keeps her name in it's standing, and she will live her life to uphold it in any way she can. Also think about a child stuck away in a mansion, with the hovering implications and pressure to not do something stupid to tarnish the name, who is lonely. Naturally, you'd think she'd be a shut it who spends her time reading or studying. For the cold aspect, if she's withdrawn and only has the interaction with uncaring maids or teachers, your 'providing nothing else for her' quickly takes on the aspect of an even greater lack of emotional connection to people. Stack on to this any meetings with anyone, especially boys. They're all clamoring over her name and her ''family. ''Not her as an individual, and its all so they can get brownie points or a better reputation for this that and the other.

Or, perhaps the White Fang killed Weiss' mother. Perhaps Weiss' mother died saving her from the White Fang. That's why Weiss fights.

That would be nice and dramatic. Certainly possible, but it's not the only reason she fights. (Part of it is to at least attempt to bring honor back to her name.). For some extra funny, think of the scar like Harry Potter's: a scar given to mark her out of pity and yet keep her constantly reminded of how helpless she is/was. Who knows, maybe someone's controling her father into the corruption and she just doesn't know about it because of the lack of communication.

This is why Weiss is the most rewarding character. We're supposed to not like her to begin with. She was upset because Blake didn't come to her friends about it. That speaks volumes about Weiss being an altruistic person at heart, in spite of being an ice Queen by default. What I find interesting is how people like a character. I see every character as they are, and when they're bitchy I look to find why they're like that, and then judge if it makes sense for them to be that way or not.

Weiss is a character with a lot of juggling going on that's pulling her different ways. With the standards of needing to be the best or have the best of everything, of course she's going to come off as pompous, but that's how she's been raised, as everything is for the name and prestige. Posture, ettiquite, even grades are put to the forefront over things she may want to do like have bunk beds or dogs or slack off every now and then. As a reactionary effort, she mimics the only things she knows which are the words and actions of those who taught/scolded her. Seeing others doing or getting these things makes her both jealous on the inside and reactionarily strict on the outside to keep them in line. (After all, what good is the Schnee name if it's attached to a horrible, slob-like team of failed huntresses.) But since she's realized she's stuck with this team of goofballs for better or worse, and realizing she's happier with this new way of life, she's letting herself get spoiled and is opening up more. What should prove interesting is a confrontation with her family to see if she'll flip a switch back to straight-laced ice queen or get scolded for becoming more like the 'commoners'.

As for the WF and Blake, she clearly draws into her shell with icy spikes and all when the subject comes up. She's grown up not only being told, but seeing and living through one way of thinking which is how horrible the WF are. She hasn't had much real world experience to be able to see and understand all sides of the situation. She's so stuck in her ways of being the best, being right, being told what you want to hear that she's never really had to step into someone else's shoes before and see things their way. The fact that the others keep giving her counterpoints gives her a reason on top of the time to think about it, and she realizes she could be wrong. It won't change her thoughts on the matter, but she's willing to break down the ice barriers some and instead of making everyone guilty until proven innocent, go with the slightly less harsh innocent until proven guilty. She's connected with Blake, so no matter how much she despises and wants nothing to do with anyone pertaining to the WF, her 'greed' to want to connect more allows her to waive off Blakes past. The reason she doesn't want an explanation is not only out of fear it will convince her she can no longer be friends with Blake, but more importantly that she can see part of herself in Blake. When confronted with something big, she would run and hide from it in her shell. Being able to step into someone elses shoes who closely resemble her own (at least in the past) not only makes it an easy stepping stone for further understanding, but allows her to remember what she needed most when faced with the same situation: someone to talk about it with. The quick left eye look before she says that line also has me think it's a line she's pulling from memory of what someone once told her. (Looking up and left is typically considered to be a 'tick' of retrieving a memory.)

We've seen the ice sheild melting as we go. Some aspect or idea gets reflected back, and then it's slowly allowed into her own routine as she becomes accustomed to it. Be it hijinks or jokes, filthy animals or reckless kids, the want and need to build emotional relationships and bonds is what is breaking her guard down and letting her open up more and more.

ChisioKunrin wrote: Speaking of her line "The innocent never run"... I wonder if Yang's reaction was her thinking about Blake, or her thinking about her mom. Very interesting observation and train of thought now that we know more. Probably both.