Board Thread:Speculation House/@comment-4606441-20141024012020/@comment-176.251.206.63-20141025101453

I personally think that it is Blake's mother/maybe even elder sister. The weapon and fighting style are reminiscent of Blake (and Adam) inplying a link between them. The way they both seemed to utilised Dust in their weapons, the oriental style of their weapons, and the design of the weapons. If you look they both had a sword and a sheath. Even though we only saw the woman "Vermillion" use her sword I suspect the sheath could be used as well. Her sword also extends, similar to how Blake's folds.

Her overall look is very animalistic, and her Grimm mask certainly suggests a connection to the White Fang. Whether or not she is currently affiliated with them remains to be seen. Blake also said she was "born into" the White Fang, and that they only turned violent after their previous leader stepped down. She may be the old leader of the White Fang, AND Blake's mother. This may be why Blake knows so much about their operations.

I have a theory that her mask and the feathers that seem to make up her hair are some sort of headdress. This way her cat ear (if she is indeed Blake's mother) would be hidden. She may be a bird faunus, but I don't understand how that would work logically and biologically. If she were a bird faunus she couldn't reproduce in the human way; I mean are we supposed to believe that she laid an egg and out popped Yang? That seeems too far fetched and would be a pain in the ass the explain.

As for her not helping Blake, but helping Yang. Yang was in the most need at the time. Why would any decent person go to help someone who DOESN'T NEED IT? Blake clearly thinks she is alone, but why? Maybe her mother was always distant, and so is keeping this distance even now. I think she would still remain motherly towards Blake, just in a different way to a typical mother/sister. She had an organisation to run after all, but maybe her quality time with her daughter was teaching Blake how to fight (see aforementioned link to their fighting styles).

Also this whole arc has pretty much been Blake centred, would it really make sense in the narrative to change it the episode before the finale? It could be foreshadowing, but I very much doubt that.

As for why she can't be Yang's mother in my mind. Yang has no connection to the White Fang (why would she she isn't a faunus?), her apparent semblance doesn't resemble Yang in the slightest. Her colour scheme doesn't even hint to Yang, it is the complete opposite of Yang's in fact. It is more similar to Ruby's but Summer Rose is confirmed dead. The fighting style is just too different. Yang uses hand-to-hand combat with Ember Celica, whereas this woman uses a sword.

On a side note, I like "Vermillion" as her temporary name. It sounds pretty badass.