Qrow's not really sure how to start—what counts as something that's okay to say and what he knows they would prefer for him to keep under wraps—so he's grateful when Ruby ends up taking the lead. It gives him a chance to rally his thoughts even as he nods along with her assessment.

"I've known James for a long time. He's always been the overzealous type. Wants to do the right thing, no matter the cost."

His already heavy tone grows even heavier during that final caveat.

"But that overzealous thing gets out of control when he's stressed. He's got a real bug up his butt about seniority and the chain of command and all that crap, and he still freaked out so bad he went right over Oz's head during the Vytal Festival."

Which, you know. Qrow hadn't blamed Ironwood for how things went down, but it's not hard to imagine how things might have gone differently if they hadn't been fighting the White Fang, a horde of Grimm, and several platoons of killer robots all at once.

"And he was real stressed by the time we showed up in Atlas. So..." He sighs, and decides it's time to just... lie a little bit. "All I'm saying is, the situation's already making me feel antsy. So if you start to notice Ironwood getting twitchy, it's past time to start making backup plans and exit strategies."