Dawn of the English Roses (FFN
and AO3) is a RWBY fanfic by Stewbacca94.
It's the start of the English summer of 1965, and life can't get any better for the Yeatles, the biggest band in the world. A flyer they find at their local golf course promises a night of auditory fireworks from a London-based band, so they decide to see it. As Sun, Neptune, Sage and Scarlet soon learn, not only are the group on their level as performers, but they're also all female. Whatever will arise between the two bands?
In short, this is a Period Piece romance between team RWBY and team SSSN that pays tribute to the RWBY soundtrack.
Dawn of the English Roses contains examples of:
- Album Intro Track: The first song on the album is the title track - an instrumental of unknown length which plays before the rest of the songs.
- The Beard: Ruby promises to act as Scarlet's beard if romance doesn't work for them.
- Description Porn: Features heavily in the first and third chapters; the author invoked the trope to accurately convey what the RWBY soundtrack might've sounded like before metal was invented.
- Genre Mashup: RWBY's output varies depending on whoever writes the songs. Blake's output (such as This Will Be The Day and Red Like Roses) is hard rock, Weiss's songs (e.g. Shine and Dream Come True) are inspired by Motown, while Ruby writes the group's ballads (i.e. Home and Wings). Even the lone song that Yang sings (Not Fall In Love) is said to have a Latin-tinged feel to it. However, it's implied that the group leans more towards hard rock than any other genre.
- Hide Your Gays: Since homosexuality was criminalised in England until the seventies, Scarlet has to hide his attractions.
- Historical AU: RWBY takes place in a contemporary era, but this fic transplants the characters into The '60s.
- If It's You, It's Okay: Despite being gay, Scarlet develops inexplicable feelings for Ruby.
- Mythology Gag: How do the Yeatles get around incognito? By using sunglasses and false moustaches, as they're known to do in RWBY Chibi.
- No Celebrities Were Harmed: Team SSSN, Ozpin and Oscar Pine respectively take the place of the Beatles, Sir George Martin, and Alan Parsons in this AU.
- Nobody Loves the Bassist: Averted. Neptune is the AU's equivalent of Paul McCartney, and Ruby's the lead singer of her band.
- Race Lift: All of the characters here are English, with ethnic backgrounds that match their names. For example, Weiss is said to be half-Prussian, half-English, while Sage is of Jamaican heritage.
- Soprano and Gravel: Blake's voice is a rich contralto that extends into the tenor range, while Yang's voice is a steely soprano with plenty of coloratura.
- Spoiler Cover: The cover art for the piece is the album cover that RWBY use for their first album.
- Surprisingly Gentle Song: Wings and Home are the only two ballads the group records, and only the former made it onto the album while the latter became the B-side to their first single. The rest of their output, although varied, is very forceful by comparison.
- Textile Work Is Feminine: Much to Sun's surprise, Blake's skilled enough with the sewing machine to make RWBY's stage clothes.
- Their First Time: Two of the couples - Blake and Sun, then Sage and Yang - get together on their first date, while Weiss and Neptune waited until their second date.
- The '60s: The story is set in the English summer of 1965.
- Title Drop: The title of the fic is a title Sun and Blake come up with for the album that RWBY are set to record.
- Wrench Wench: Ruby's day job is as a technician for Qrow's radio repairs shop; this also means she maintains her band's equipment.
