Ruby, Nora, and Mr. Crauch all stood in a circle around the sketch on the tabletop, staring with intent, thinking. Saws and files were at work in the background of the forge room, sparks from a welder illuminated a whole corner, and somewhere a student spilled a box of bolts. On the sketch that was on the table was a chest piece, a rough idea of what Ruby wanted to make for Weiss as soon as Weiss returned from the Hospital. The question posed by Ruby was what alloy did she want to make it out of.

"How about steel?" the Blacksmith said slightly annoyed, pre-pared to be told what a bad idea it would be for one reason or another.

"No, it would be way too heavy for her..." Ruby mumbled back, still staring at the paper.

"Steel titanium?"

"It would still be heavy for her, it'd rust, and it'd shatter if her aura wasn't there to protect her..."

"Isn't that the point? The armor should save her, not itself."

"You know why. It has to stop alot, and repeatedly. Just to be safe..."

"Hard brass?"

"And it has to be silver. We could paint it, or chrome it, but then it would chip. I'm not going to lie, Weiss doesn't take as much care of her things as we do, so it has to be long lasting..."

"Aluminum..."

"Don't make me laugh."

"Actually..." Nora finally spoke up, chipper and confident.

"Yeah?" the other two said.

"I still have aircraft grade aluminum that would be perfect for this."

"You have 60zb aluminum?" the larger man asked with suspicion.

"Yeah, a couple years ago the military scrapped a whole bunch of obsolete models and sold the metal at pennies for a pound" Nora answered.

Ruby waved a hand. "Wait, wait, hold on, what's special about it?"

Mr. Crauch put his hands on his hips as he spoke, clearly well versed in his knowledge of the subject but kind enough to simplify it when telling others. "It's aluminum with rare earths, mercury, silicon, and a combination of the other popular metals that makes it wicked strong, deadens vibrations, and of course is resistant to corrosion. They use it for the important parts of aircraft like jet blades and the like, but it's incredibly expensive for no reason other than the rare earths in it." He turned back to Nora, "why were they selling it for so cheap?"

She shrugged with a smile. "Apparently the bureaucrat in charge of selling the stuff had no idea what he was doing, and who am I to tell a government man how to do his job? He was happy to give it to me." The other two smiled with her.

"I figure that's not what your hammer is made of, but what about that?" Ruby pointed to the silver armor around Nora's elbow that was starting to gain extensions towards her wrist.

"Oh silly Ruby," Nora teased, "unlike Weiss, weight makes me more effective as a fighter. These are actually cast iron with a chrome acid bath."

"Ah," Ruby said. She knew why Nora would choose something as simple as cast iron. Firstly, it was easy to cast, duh, second, it was one of the best metals for killing vibrations, which Nora needs to cancel out the damage on her elbows from her increasingly heavy blows, third off, has high wear resistance, and fourthly, it would add weight that would add more priority to her already intimidating attacks. "Alright so, how do you use it, the aluminum I mean?" she asked to no one in particular.

"Nothing too hard, you just have to make a closed die and hot forge it."

"I can get you the instructions for the heat treatment process" Nora offered.

Ruby clicked her tongue in satisfaction. "Yeah, that'd be great, thanks."

-End Chapter 9-

Alright, so I was told that I should've been doing a running author's note that pointed out the references for each character and to explain the more obscure points, so in accordance with my habit of over loading things and doing stuff improperly, here's an info dump/some thoughts plus some current stats on every single character! If you read all the way through this, brag in the comments about how much of a badass you are... I'm serious, you've earned the right if you can read all of this.

Real quick, a school year starts at the beginning of fall, and the assumption is that freshman start when they're around 17. I got the numbers on their heights for the first two volumes from the wiki, meaning that the numbers you see here will be somewhat different.

-Second Years-

Ruby Rose: Age 16 (spring birthday), height 5'3". The only thing I feel I need to point out is that her cloak has a silver fur line added on the hem of the hood to inspire a more wolf-y feel that goes with her 'Little Red Riding Hood' theme.

Weiss Schnee: Age 18 (winter birthday), height 5'3". In canon it's made clear she has a troubled home life and probably crappy childhood, and the nature of her trailer shows hints of being relevant, and by her name sake of basically 'cold', I thought her character evoked the idea of having suffered or silent endurance, which is why she has the scars she has.

Blake Belladonna: Age 19 (autumn birthday), height 5'7". I still can't decide whether or not the purple slash beam things she uses several times (especially against Roman) are actually a second semblance or projected aura. Honestly, if it's the former, than that concept of multi semblances would support Yang's character (I'll explain), while the latter would coincide with Ren. I'm thinking it's projected aura though.

Yang Xiao Long: Age 18 (summer birthday), height 5'10". To go with Blake's idea of multiple semblances, we know Yang gets stronger as she suffers damage, but who else gets the idea she also has a secondary effect of being resistant to fire? The nature of the two perks are different enough that I can't think of them as one semblance.

Jaune Arc: Age 18 (spring birth), height 6'2". No comment other than he's essentially a knight, so I've been playing the trope that his best traits lie in defense and enduring.

Nora Valkyrie: Age 18 (summer birth), height 5'2". Nora's smart. I feel I need to say that. I will again soon actually.

Pyrrha Nikos: Age 18 (summer birth), height 6'1". We all know she invokes a spartan or a legionnaire, but from what I've gathered, her finer points are in her traits outside of combat. Pyrrha, like Nora, is smart, and to add to it, is focused. Because of this, I figured that her skills in combat would stem mostly from her ability to learn and prioritize the skills necessary, which makes her all the better a teacher for Jaune to learn from.

Lie Ren: Age 19 (autumn birth), height 5'10". It's at this point in the roster where I realize and always think that to get as far as they have by the end of volume 2, each character has to be smart in their own way to survive: Ruby is focused/has a high functioning understanding of physics, Weiss is academic, Blake is observant/well read, Yang is clever/street smart, Jaune is analytical, Pyrrha and Nora are pragmatic with Pyrrha being especially thoughtful, while Ren is... I think he's just smart. Flat smart. He's well read and observant like Blake, but I think he's also scholarly like Weiss, focused, analytical, pragmatic, I just think he's all of those just to a lesser degree, making him alot more rounded out than the other main 8. I think that's what makes up for his physical deficiencies. As of the second year, he redesigned his Storm Flowers to have a third form where they take on large daggers, allowing him to go toe to toe with human opponents easier.

Sun Wukong: Age 19 (Summer birth), height 6'3". It's not just me, right? Who else gets the idea that he's supposed to be really good looking, along with Neptune... actually his whole team? In the tournament arc I wrote for the first year, I had Sun defeat Yang as I figured Sun actually has to be somewhat intelligent to be a team leader as we have seen with all the others so far, even Cardin, that I'd say it's safe to say that he could figure out her trick after watching previous fights and has the speed comparable to Neo's necessary to beat Yang and her power threshold.

Scarlet (Waiting on the third Volume for a last name): I'm assuming he's a mage character like Weiss. A witch, scarlet (letter), puritans, Nathaniel Hawthorne reference anyone?

Sage (Waiting on the third Volume for a last name): Probably similar to Yang, let's be honest. Sage, monk, that's the connection I see. Plus he has tattoos, and I feel like he uses them (with aura infused ink) to fight.

Neptune Vasilias: Age 18 (Winter birth), height 6'4". No comment.

Cardin Winchester: No comment.

Russel Thrush: He Dove have some chemistry in my opinion. In the fight we saw between them and Pyrrha, Dove and Russel were well coordinated enough to push her back and force her to get tricky. I think Russel would be a bit of a punk, but I think he would have some skill to back it up.

Dove Bronzewing: I think he is actually really good. He went toe to toe with Pyrrha and only lost because Cardin hit him while he was focused. Out of the whole team, I think he would be the last man standing any day. I made him mute because we have yet to hear him talk in the actual show, and he seems like that kind of guy. Also he competed with Pyrrha without a shield, second weapon form, and barely used any rounds, so I think he has a lot of potential.

Sky Lark: He was the weakest link in his team, and his fight against Pyrrha shows that he has even less going for him than Jaune does post awakening. In a storm, the smallest candles are the first to blow out, and thus Sky Lark lies dark.

Robin Pine: Age 18 (fall birth), height 5'6". Brought in from Mistral, Ozpin filled in the fourth spot of team CDRL with her to increase their effectiveness. She first appeared as Jaune's opponent in the tournament in their first year, a battle of which she lost easily. She uses a .300 cal Sniper rifle that seconds as a sword, allowing her to fit right in with team CRDL's basic weapon layout, and her out fit isn't too far off from Russel's. Her color themes are all forest colors, and she is a gender bent version of Robin Hood basically, with a black sleeveless hoody underneath a green vest and cargo shorts. She can essentially curve bullets as her semblance, again referencing Robin Hood. Pretty tom-boyish with short brown hair.

Team BNSH (BaNiSH): Up and coming second year team of Beacon, though they look like they would belong more in Vacuo. All of them share a desert colored theme, and were nothing special in their first year. After summer training given to them straight from Ozpin, where they went to Vacuo (hence the name banish), they came back different (hence the desert theme) and much stronger. After realizing that there are quite a few students in each year as apparent through out multiple episodes, it wouldn't be realistic if RWBY, JNPR, and SSSN were the only note worthy teams. Thus introducing team BNSH. Also, they all own linen cloaks complete with hoods, but they don't wear them unless on a mission.

Ben Biscotti: Age 19 (Fall birth), height 6'0". Leader of BNSH. He has short dirty blond hair, is tan, and is a shotgun brawler like Yang, except with the gauntlet reaching more and covering his hands with brass with linen wraps. Biscotti is a bakery item. Chocolate colored shorts, cream colored t-shirt, tan vest with rounds.

Nola Gran: Age 18 (Spring birth), height 5'4". Nola Gran, Gran Nola, Granola, get it? Also dirty blonde with a pony tail, tan, uses a dagger tied by wire to a pickaxe backed by a shotgun, packs a great ariel game and armor penetration. Lots of oat colors, baggy cargo pants, fingerless gloves and thickly wrapped elbows and for using the wire, and a simple short sleeved button up shirt with crossed bandoliers. Wears the black beads necklace.

Sandell Cavalier: Age 19 (Summer birth), height 6'4". Sand(ell) colored, and cavalier is a horsemen. Has short curly black hair, has a scarf that doubles as a turban, dark like Emerald, and uses a lance/spear that can be propelled by heavy sniper rounds, and of course is sniper capable. Sandell is the only member of BNSH to wear any armor, covering his simple loose attire with strips and plates of bronze, but covers it up again with white cloth to prevent oxidation or overheating. He's the heavy hitter of the team.

Flaxi Harumi: Age 19 (Fall birth), height 5'11". Flaxen is a lighter shade of hazelnut. Pale skin, long brown hair, and is asian like Ren. She uses a weapon mentioned in a earlier chapter, a new model, basically a katana that can become a segmented sword whip. Wears black tights like Blake but has a beige sleeveless and thin shirt that extends down to her waist where it then becomes a long skirt that covers only the back half and is split down the middle to allow freedom of leg movement.

Team CFVY: They were the best fourth year team. Were.

Coco Adel: More bullets equals more dead things. And by bullets we mean the largest and most powerful bullets available to buy in bulk. Coco is the kind of person who leads the charge. Wears the black beads necklace.

Fox Alistair: Like Ren on steroids. Blind but somehow still capable as hell, he was also apparently an assassin sleeper agent for Cinder's faction. Dead now, but mostly due to bad luck on his part. Six rounds at point blank from Ruby and falling out of a window will do that to someone... and getting Yang to break her regular limits and yeah... you guys know.

Velvet Scarlatina: WHATS IN THE BOX! Who here has seen Se7en?

Yatsuhashi Daichi: Straight strength plus straight up sword equals HOW DO YOU BLOCK THAT?

-Final Round Tournament Contestants-

Phlox Sky: Age 19 (Summer birth), height 5'9". Phlox is in reference to purple, which along with black is her theme. Hailing from Vacuo, she can accurately use her semblance, gravity manipulation, to very dangerous effect. That's where the Sky is in reference to, as her style is based around dancing... in the sky. She uses a scimitar sub-machine gun, looks like an Arabian dancer girl (except a little more modest), and lost because Ruby is quicker and hits harder.

Auburn Mars: Age 19 (Fall birth), height 6'7". Big guy, semblance is super strength with no strings attached. Hails from Mistral, he made it to the final round of the tournament using his overwhelming style of giving nothing and taking everything. Resembling a Roman tower shield soldier, he wears heavy armor, uses a tower shield, uses a long spear, and has a magnificent beard. Mars is one of the ancient gods of War, and Auburn is his color theme. He lost to Pyrrha and Mercury because Mercury's attacks ignore armor mostly and Pyrrha is use to working around armor thanks to Jaune.

-Bad Guys-

Cinder Fall: You know her. She's been keeping on the down low.

Roman Torchwick: Gouged out Ruby's eye, you know him. Cinder is training him up for reasons.

Mercury Black: You know him. Almost killed Pyrrha, likes girls, can be sly though that's no longer an option. He hits hard and is quite acrobatic, and seems durable.

Emerald Sustrai: Was bested by Blake, but is still around. Somewhat of an errand girl for Cinder's faction.

Neapolitan: Last time she was seen was during the raid on the White Fang's hideout. Left a mark on Yang's stomach during the Breach, but it has healed since then. Wears the black beads necklace.

Jack Vorst: Age 18 (Winter birth), height 6'2". Wants to be apart of Cinder's faction, and has knowledge of the old world. Sadistic and a severe asshole, Jack Vorst (german for frost) uses dual shotgun axes in tandem with his balanced strength, toughness, speed, and intelligence to overwhelm weaker foes. His semblance steals the heat from things on touch, capable of freezing water, and is a easy reference to Jack Frost in folklore where he's not a nice guy but rather a trickster in a loki kind of sense. His outfit is like Ironwood's (whom is his uncle) and has a robotic shoulder thanks to Ruby performing the equivalent to a orbital strike on him.

Alice Azure: Age 21 (Fall birth), height 6'4". Think Alice from Alice in wonderland, and Azure is blue. She leads her small team of Scarlet Mally and Sham Rock, and is literally, legally, and metaphorically insane, and always seems to be in a daze. Previously a third year sleeper agent for Cinder's Faction, she wields a flamberge style sword she appropriately named the Jabberwocky, and her semblance is that of light distortion. She lost her left arm to one of Ruby's AMAG rounds.

Scarlet Mally: Age 20 (Winter birth), height 5'7". Uses a weapon almost identical to Weiss's Myrtenaster. Scarlet Mally being a mouse faunus, she greatly resembles Tim Burton's version of Alice in Wonderland's door mouse whom uses a needle as a sword, and wears a similar royal garb in colors of black, white, and scarlet. She also shares Lewis Carol's original door mouse traits such as being a perpetual drunk whom spouts off weird phrases and oddities.

Sham Rock: Age 21 (Fall birth), height 6'6". Sham Rock, shamrock, dark green. Think Ozpin with green coat tails, ginger hair, with a green beret; he's the mad hatter of the trio. With super strength as his semblance, he uses a trick crossbow that has a insane drawback weight and fires iron rods of rebar. His trick crossbow is in reference to his cartoon counterpart whom is all over the place and has many a trick up his sleeve. Translation, along with Scarlet Mally's semblance which hasn't been discovered by our heroes, only the crossbow portion of Sham Rock's weapon has been seen so far.

Dante: Mentioned by name only so far, he is one of the leaders along side Cinder. I'm not going to say that Devil May Cry will not play any part into his inspiration, but for those of you not in the know, Dante was an Italian Poet who wrote the 'Divine Comedy' where he is led through the nine or seven rings of Hell by another poet named Virgil. At some point, long story short, there was an invasion, change of government, and Dante was exiled (in real life, not the book).

-Adults-

Grandfather Arc: Imagine John Hurt, voice and all.

Gorm Crauch: Age 47, height 6'5". Gorm is Irish for blue, of which he doesn't wear at all, and Crauch sounds like grouch, which he can be. Donning all black, he runs Beacon's forge as the resident black smith, and as a testament to his skills, he wields a four stage weapon and smokes a sailors pipe to further his nordic feel.

Professor Brown: Ha, some of you out there who still remember his one appearance probably thought I forgot about him, didn't ya? Well, might as well. He offers music lessons to students who want them, meaning he's got a small class, but as a registered Huntsmen, he acts as a substitute if the need ever arises. He's professor brown because he's the music teacher and there's the brown note, get it?

Joe Hazel: Age 50, height 6'0". Is the owner of the garage that Yang used to park her bike. Helped her fix up her bike after it got wrecked off screen in the second volume. Brother of Sharpshooter Hazel. Not much else.

Vale First Division, 1th Squad: This eight man squad, the fore front of any attack, is a reference to 'The Big Red One', the company of American soldiers in World War 2 who were the front offensive against the Nazis and bore a literal big red one on their shoulders signifying their division. You guys should watch the movie, it's pretty good. In the world of RWBY, I imagine anyone who would sign up to be the first line of offense would have to have a sense of insanity similar to that of Huntsmen and Huntresses in training, just without the training to quite back it up. Most of them have though unlocked their auras. For their equipment, imagine Halo marines in black and dark gray with plenty of battle marks. Oh, and yes, they were the ones who discovered and reported the White Fang Hideout.

Sharpshooter Hazel: Age 48, height 6'5". Leader of the squad, uses a heavy sniper rifle, a pistol, and a shovel. Team dad. Shovels were used in WW1 in trench warfare as weapons, for those who didn't know.

Combat Medic Kringle: Age 55, height 6'3". Medic, his healing nature is in reference to Santa Claus along with his white hair, although short and military style.

Heavy Rifleman Samson: Age 34, height 6'7". A goofy and large man, Samson now uses the new hulking 25 mm canon talked about between Ruby and Jaune in the chapter 'Up and Down, Back and Forth', a weapon to complement his Biblical reference to Samson, whom had super strength gifted from God as long as he kept his long hair. In universe, our soldier Samson is named after Samson the Reclaimer, whom saved Vacuo from a legendary invasion of Death-stalkers similar to how real life Samson supposedly defeated an army of philistines whom had the clear intention of invading.

Rifleman Higgins: Age 19, height 6'1". Not much to say. In case you're curious, he uses a battle rifle and a shotgun with a machete at his side. He's goofy.

Rifleman Remarque: Age 20, height 5'11". Erich Maria Remarque was a real life german soldier who fought in WW1, and he wrote the book 'All Quiet on the Western Front.' For those of you who read the book, you are free to make assumptions, just don't spoil it for other readers. Remarque is stoic.

Rifleman Wash: Age 25, height 6'2". He is the resident pilot and driver of the squad, which calls to the character Wash from Firefly.

Assault Patic: Age 24, height 6'3". Patic is close to both Patton and Panic, Patton being the American General who lead the charge against the Nazis in again, WW2. He was one violent son of a gun. Assault Patic is deceased as of the Raid on the White Fang hideout.

Assault Cage: Age 20, height 6'1". Killed by Emerald and Sham Rock in the first division's attempt to find the White Fang Hideout.

Vale First Division, 2nd Squad: They're very much like their 1st Squad counterparts, except they follow into combat right after. Instead of Halo marines, imagine Halo ODSTs but instead of their regular helmets, look up Isaac Clarke's helmet, now picture it slimmer and black, and with personalized chalk drawings on each of them. 2nd Squad's explicit job is to go into combat from the air while combat is already in full swing or anticipated, in comparison to 1st squad whom starts the fights.

Lucifer: No, he's not the devil, or at least from what we've seen of him you have no reason to believe that other than the fact that he likes the song by the Rolling Stones. I'm serious, don't think he's the devil just because of that, I mean, I like the song alot, that's why I used it, so... And no, that's not his name.

Anyone I didn't mention was on purpose, and I have no comments on them.