Its On Your Tumblr Page, Sir.

Its on your tumblr page, sir.

When an RWBY fan does it, it's inferring from context.

When an RWDE, Ironwood lover does it, it's ignoring Head canon.

I kinda think Ironwood managed to find spaces within Atlas that was not flooded during the crash. He then found Watts and they're now doing their best impression of Subnautica as they try to find supplies, and survivors, and rebuild.

*very quietly* can james actually swim safely? even if the metal is water proof its probably really heavy....

Uhhh that is a good question that I honestly don’t have the answer to. I would like to THINK they would find a way to make it so James could safely swim and in a serious au I pretend they figure something out this is a world with magic after all I don’t have to always obey the laws of physics. But now I’m imagining James with a bunch of floaties to stay above the water while swimming.

Ah, a fellow Harriet Lover of Culture.

harriet my babe

When the Council Members are being stupid Ironwood stands, does his Dad Pose to assert dominance, and everyone falls in line because they don't want to disappoint Dadmiral.

BEHOLD

It is the IronDad stance, used exclusively when his child brings home their partner to introduce to him.

Le Gasp, an Autistic dude told me to grow up.

I feel the change. The mutation, building within me.

Something seeks to break out. Emboldened. Mysterious what can it be?

The thing is ready to burst free from the chrysalis, its first words upon transformed lips, a cry of defiance to an uncaring world.

It stands on the threshold, raises its mournful head to an uncaring sky, and says -!

When an RWBY fan does it, it's inferring from context.

When an RWDE, Ironwood lover does it, it's ignoring Head canon.

The 'Final' Definition of Mary Sue

The commonly held concept of the Mary Sue is that of a poorly designed character. A poor character archetype comprising a person, usually a girl, who is perfect.

Not much else to say for this definition of a Mary Sue. Perfection defies any attempt to describe it. Which is what makes the Mary Sue the bane of good story-telling.

However, I believe that the Mary Sue is a problem with story-telling rather than character development.

More specifically - A Mary Sue is what happens when the Main Character's story pushes out the story of the other characters over the course of the narrative.

The narrative of a tale is like a river, through which the stories of the narrative's characters cross like the tributaries to the main channel. There is one main narrative within which are a multitude of stories. The stories that the audience focuses on become the main characters whom the audience follows through the narrative.

A narrative with a perfect character, the smartest man or the strongest warrior, works because the story is not entirely about the perfect character. A good example of this is Sherlock Holmes. Sherlock is the smartest man in the room and the narrative never lets the audience forget it. But the story is not about Sherlock. The story is about the clients who brings their mysteries to 221B Baker Street. So while we are reading about a perfect character, namely Sherlock Holmes. Sherlock is a narrative device which frames the real story. Whether it is about a Red-Headed League, or a missing Silver-Headed Horse.

Harry Potter is an example of a Mary Sue. Under my definition, and only in every book after the Goblet of Fire. In the first three books, Harry is like Sherlock Holmes. He is the narrative device through which the audience explores the Wizarding World. By following Harry's adventures solving the mystery of the Philosopher's Stone or the Chamber of Secrets. Harry's title of 'the Boy who Lived' was merely a justification for Harry getting involved in these mysteries.

But once Voldemort returns, Harry's story overshadows everyone else's as the narrative progresses. Everything becomes centered around Harry and the fact that he is destined to kill Voldemort. So much so that previous adventures are retconned into Dumbledore essentially 'fattening' Harry up for the slaughter. Something no amount of apologies in a deserted train station could really gloss over.

If a Mary Sue was simply the 'Perfect character', Superman would not be one of the world's most beloved heroes to date. However, even the most relatable character can become a Mary Sue if the author buys into his or her own hype.