#i'm very aware that raoul gets the girl in the end

[emperorren]

What was all that stuff in TFA if F/Rey was "never alive in the first place"? Many people picked up on a romance between them, and I dont think it's fair to dismiss it totally. "Got a boyfriend" "women always know the truth" "he said it was your idea *hug*" Finn screaming after Rey... He didn't look half as dramatically concerned when he thought Rose could have been dying. And lots of people started shipping F/Rey after TLJ when they weren't invested after TFA. F/Rey is still very much alive.

“And lots of people started shipping F/Rey after TLJ when they weren’t invested after TFA”

um, really? I don’t want to automatically dismiss this piece of into because I’m reaaaaally not in touch with that side of the fandom, but it’s totally the opposite of what I’m seeing personally, and tbh I wonder what was exactly about TLJ that would make previously neutral fans suddenly take a turn towards F/Rey given their utter lack of interaction, aside from pure spite at the direction the trilogy has taken?

Nevertheless. I’ve previously talked about F/Rey and how the so called romantic cues are (imo) too tepid and toothless to be considered real hints, and are part misdirection, part residual of a formerly slightly different dynamic between them, that was probably course corrected by JJ himself during the filming of TFA. So when I say “it was never alive in the first place”, I’m not necessarily denying there was ANY possibility to interpret their dynamic as a romance, but that I don’t think it was ever meant to be a Thing in the context of the canon narrative.

The fact that many people pick up on romantic vibes between a boy and a girl who act affectionately around each other is EXTREMELY common and it isn’t, per se, a guarantee that those vibes are intentional; and, even if they are intentional, it’s not a guarantee that the narrative *will* act upon that romantic subtext or that it’s not using it as a red herring. I find this argument particularly frustrating, to be honest, because right after TFA plenty of people picked up on romantic vibes between Rey and Kylo, yet the F/Rey side of the fandom insisted for months it wasn’t real, that it was all our wishful thinking and imagination, etc. But now “if enough people see it then it must be real” has become your rallying cry? How convenient, lol.

That said, if you say F/Rey is alive in the sense that there will always be shippers to ship it, then you have my blessing—hell, I ship J/onsa fiercely even though I don’t think there’s a chance in hell it becomes canon, and I’m sure in three months the J/onsa fandom will be on fire. So if you wanna keep the ship alive regardless of canon, go for it. But if you mean that F/Rey is alive as a plausible endgame romance in a canon context, then I must say I respectfully disagree. I have no obligation to pander to those who think this ship can still be endgame for no other reason that *they* think it’s endgame, especially not after the treatment reylo shippers received by that side of the fandom for 2 years.

[hopeaterart]

RWBY HPTR AU: Return from Haven

Context for the AU: Incredibly self-indulgent, one of the main parts is that most of the show's villains are now on the heroes' side. As a consequence, Salem has new henchmen that are all (mostly) ocs. Context for this scene: Team ORKL, Wraith, and Gretchen come back from the failed attack of Haven... (if you wanna see a companion piece of how the heroes took learning the truth about Ozpin, just send me an ask since this is basically one half of the So That's How It Is episode)

Also, warning: Marcus Black is there, and he's generally a terrible person, so...

It's been a while since I posted RWBY content!

Ochre helped Lys get down from the airship, the smaller girl landing gracefully. They were quickly followed by Mia and Raoul, the teal-haired girl supporting her partner with an arm around his hip. He was still recovering from how he'd made the whole group go invisible during their escape, after all.

Wraith and Gretchen were already out, waiting for the team. It was weird seeing the two of them like this. Wraith's mask had broken halfway through the conflict, lilac eyes with red pupils sharpened with attention. Gretchen had discarded her cape coat when she found out who was hiding under that green hood, and the biggest signs of her transformation into a half-Grimm were as clear as day.

The older woman frowned at the group. "Are you sure Raoul is gonna be alright?" She asked, the reverb of her voice distorting the words slightly.

Mia nodded regardless, even as Raoul clutched his head. "He's had worse." She then looked in front of her, frowning. "Besides, we've got worse to worry about. Come on, dude."

Marcus Black was waiting for them at the entrance, leaning against a wall and fiddling with his shotgun. Gretchen marched at the front, Wraith right behind her, followed Ochre and Lys, and then Mia and Raoul. He said nothing until Raoul passed him, before turning toward the airship. "Where's Lycoris?" Team ORKL stopped as Marcus started laughing.

"Kids, come on." Wraith pipped up, turning toward the team and gesturing with their head. Ochre was able to make Lys start moving again, but Raoul was stuck to his spot, suddenly very aware of the array of throwing knives he had hidden on his person.

"Don't tell me someone finally did that old critter in!" Marcus mocked, turning his full body toward the group.

Raoul turning his face toward him was the only warning everyone got before he snapped. He fully turned toward the assassin, one of Wolf's Fangs in each hand, the Dust crystals gleaming menacingly. "I will finish what Ozpin started!" He threatened, referring to the array of deep scars the hitman had received during his failed attempt on Ozpin's life. It was honestly a miracle an eye was the only thing he'd lost.

Marcus stopped laughing. He calmly walked up to Raoul, loading his shotgun. "Careful, little boy..." He started, getting into the teenager's personal space. "Aura isn't there to protect you anymore." Raoul took a shaky breath, his hold on his knives tightening even as his hands started shaking.

Marcus was then pushed away by an unseen force, the source becoming clear as Lys jumped in, pink locks of hair flowing around her. "Back off, you big meanie!" She threatened, the choice of words and puffed up cheeks not doing anything to lessen the threat of Twinkle in her hand, nor the rapidly growing pressure.

The assassin took a few steps back, hands up next to his head. "Calm down, brat. I'm not happy 'bout this shit either. If Lycoris is dead, then that means you failed Salem." For a moment, he almost looked sympathetic. "The hell she's gonna unleash on you brats..." His face broke into a cruel smile. "I can't wait to see it."

-

Sky kept their head down as they looked around the meeting room. On one end of the table: them, standing in the middle right with Gretchen to his left, and the Wilhemia-Raoul pair to his right. Ochre and Lys stood to Gretchen's own left. All six of them, including Sky, had their head bowed down, with various looks of apprehension, shame, anger and fear marring their faces. Even as they made an effort to keep their eyebrows relaxed, their scarf still allowed them to set their mouth in an ugly grimace.

At the table: Greene was sitting in her usual seat in the middle on the left, having put down her Scroll for once as her face showed only attention as she waited for the scene to blow up. Black was sitting right in front of her, looking just as tense.

And of course, Salem was at the other end, annoyance the only thing she was letting show. She took a deep breath as she opened her eyes, hands clasped together. "I would like you to explain to me how it is that you've failed so spectacularly."

Well, for starters... Fucking hell, Adam. "The Faunus militia split our forces-" Sky started, frowning as they thought of how fast the White Fang had turned on them thanks to one spiteful boy.

"Stop." Salem immediately said, and Sky quickly shut their mouth. They'd probably had just made her angrier. She blinked as she looked at the rest of the group. "Let me rephrase the question: who is responsible for your defeat?"

Well, there was a question with multiple answers, all of them liable to make her mad: some guy who can't let go of his ex, a little girl with silver eyes, the cowardly principal of Haven, a wizard who just won't die, and Salem's right-hand wo- Gretchen had gotten up. Sky couldn't help turning their head toward her, frowning in worry. Wait, is she planning on...? "I take full responsibility." The Grimm hybrid answered, and Sky had to stop themself from facepalming.

Salem threw the table across the room, everyone quickly getting up to avoid it or out of sheer whiplash. "But that wouldn't be fair now, would it?" Salem asked, furiously walking up to her. "We all know who's truly to blame." She hissed, and curled her fist.

Gretchen seized up, barely stopping herself from screaming as her body collapsed. The parts of her that had been replaced by Grimm were pulsing, emitting darkness as they slowly started to spread. Sky quickly averted their gaze as Salem arrived in front of the group.

Salem frowned down at Gretchen, before turning her head. "Lys." She called, the pink-haired girl emitting an ever-so-quiet whimper. "I want you to tell me whose fault this was." Lys started sobbing quietly as Salem walked closer, her hold on her partner's arm tightening. "Now."

"Au- Aura!" She squeaked out, hiding her face in her long hair. One of Ochre's wing moved slightly, hiding Lys from view.

"... We failed because of Lycoris, madam." Ochre finished for her. Sky sighed in relief for the moment. So 'right-hand woman' was the right answer.

Salem leaned into Ochre's space, pushing his wing away so she could have access to Lys. "That's right." She almost whispered to the girl, her voice just loud enough so Wilhemia and Raoul would be able to hear, from where they were holding onto one another. "I want you to understand that failure." One of her hand reached out to caress Lys' face, the girl whimpering as a strand of pink hair was pushed behind her ear. "I want you to understand why Aura must be left to toil in her isolation until she redeems herself." She stepped back from her, starting to walk back to her throne.

Raoul gasped from where he stood. "You mean..." Another bout of headache came in, making him sway.

"She's alive?" Wilhemia finished for him, letting the boy in green lean on her shoulder.

"You're joking." Black scoffed, disbelieving. "How could you know that!?"

"Uh, hello? Haven't you been around for the past two years?" Greene asked, raising an eyebrow. "The answer is pretty obvious."

Black growled. "How is it obvious-!?"

"It's important not to lose sight of what drives us." Salem started, cutting off the argument before it started. Her head turned toward Black. "Revenge." Then Greene. "Justice." She made direct eye-contact with Sky. "Love. But the moment you put your desires before my own..." Gretchen stopped twitching on the ground, taking a deep breath. "They will be lost to you."

Sky took a deep breath, the brutal reminder doing it's job. All of this for Rusty. Just follow along, and they'll be able to properly form their aura again. They just hoped they'd hold her end of the bargain...

"This isn't a threat." Salem started, as if reading Sky's thoughts. "This is simply the truth. The path to your desires is only found through me. And so, we must press on..." She took a deep breath. "The Sword under Vacuo's Academy, Shade-"

"Ma'am?" Wilhemia suddenly piped up, cutting her off. "There's... more. Something that I... don't think was mentioned." Salem frowned, glaring at the group as Sky groaned.

She meant Ozpin, didn't she?

A cold sweat ran down their back as Grimm Hands reached around the teal-haired girl. Sky had to admit, Wilhemia's poker face was excellent. "The group from Beacon are planning on taking the lamp to Atlas."

Greene raised an eyebrow. "I think we can stop Qrow Branwen and a group of children from getting along with Ironwood."

"They're not being led by that alcoholic." Wilhemia bit out. "Whatever Aura did to Ozpin a year ago in order to keep him down... he's already recovered from it. He's the one leading the group."

Sky, Gretchen and Black all turned toward Salem. Gretchen was frowning at the reminder of the wizard, Sky hoped their expression came across as neutral, and Black actually looked scared as he caressed his eyepatch. As for Greene, she was visibly thinking a mile per hour. Ochre winced, taking a step back as the windows started cracking.

"How..." Black muttered to himself.

"He's the only person who can get through Ironwood in these circumstances." Greene said, frowning. "If that happens, then-" Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed black energy swirling. She turned her head, realizing that the energy was coming from a very pissed off Salem.

"Leave." She ordered, and it's barely as if Raoul and Wilhemia didn't go invisible right here and then. The boy quickly went to grab his other two teammates, cloaking them in his Semblance as they hurried out. Greene was the next one out, walking as briskly as she could with a cane, followed closely by Black.

Sky was snapped out of their panic as Gretchen grabbed them. "Come on, Wraith. Let's go." She said, and Sky nodded, letting the half-Grimm lead them outside.

The last thing they saw before the door slammed close was Salem engulfed in dark energy. The muffled sounds of her furious scream and the glass breaking following shortly after made them wonder just what Ozpin had done to earn such ire.