#where oscar has literally never been a part of his circle and is now this completely new and strange phenomenon

[kallicaria]

as a landoscar writer something i've been rotating in my mind is the way oscar slots into lando's life with all his childhood best friends. lando is someone who grew up so loved, who has always been so loved by the people around him, his friends and family; and not only that, but also someone so deeply and personally and intimately known by these people. and that's because they've been with him for so long, since he was a tiny midget prodigy child; they know all his ins and outs, his quirks and moods and how he loves and what he needs when he's upset, and he can always go back to them, because they're safe and easy and simple and home.

and then someone new comes along, a complete stranger; and because of his fame/job lando has good reason to be wary around strangers, to put up walls before letting them in (even if he doesn't always manage that because he's chronically wearing his heart on his sleeve). and oscar's unlike anyone lando's ever known or loved before, but he comes into lando's life and fills up a place he didn't even realize was missing, lying in wait. he understands lando in this oddly intense way; it's like they resonate on the same wavelength sometimes, and he's also just so patient, so calm, so steadfast. and so slowly lando becomes let to him in as well, to trust him with siller, brattier, less put-together polished versions of himself. to trust him to be there to help him when he's vulnerable; to, at the very least, always be watching him steadily.

and all of lando's friends are so protective and care about him so much, so they're cautious around oscar at first. they want to make sure he recognizes what a gift it is to be given lando's heart, what a priceless treasure he holds in his hands, and that he won't treat it carelessly or hurt lando in any way. but they know he makes lando feel happy, and safe, which is all they really want too in the end of the day.

these past few days i've been feeling so insane about nortrell—who i really think only work for me as platonic soulmates, best friends, brothers, more so than a romantic pairing. even romantic nortrell could only ever work as childhood friends to lovers (never strangers to lovers, for me at least!); their shared history, the way they know each other by way of all those shared memories and personal experiences, meeting as tiny children and becoming adults together, is an essential part of their dynamic. honestly i'd love to write something focusing on platonic brotherly nortrell as the central relationship but asdflkjaslkdjfa idk if non-romantic fics have literally any target audience on ao3 so maybe it'd just be something short? (that is if i ever manage to finish a wip in the first place)

[sonofthetrigod]

“This world was created to end.” Ruby has been taught that since her earliest days. Mom and her Grimm were meant to have destroyed this world long ago, and it’s only through the efforts of foolish Hunters that it continues. Oh, it’s not that the Hunters are evil. Mom always told her that good and evil don’t exist. There’s just those dedicated to keeping the world turning long after it was meant to stop, and those dedicated to letting the world end as it was supposed to. The foolish Hunters consider the Grimm evil, but that’s just silly.

So Mom had tasked her with infiltrating Beacon Academy and seizing the relics within. Ruby had been excited. She’d help Mom end the world, just as the Brothers had decreed so long ago. Mom had insisted she couldn’t tell anyone about her mission, but Ruby was sure there was a chance to meet someone who’d be receptive to doing the Brothers’ bidding. It was a holy crusade, after all.

She literally runs into her first friend before Initiation. After they’d crashed into each other and stumbled to the ground, he’d offered her a hand up. “Sorry about that,” he said shyly as he pulled her to her feet. “I really need to pay more attention to where I’m going.”

“No big deal,” Ruby had said, equally shy. It really wasn’t a big deal. When the world ended, such petty concerns as being knocked over would be as naught. Still, he was being so friendly. So much more than Mom’s devotees ever were that Ruby smiled at him. He smiled back, and something danced in Ruby’s chest.

The boy introduced himself as Oscar Pine, and she introduced herself as simply Ruby. Mom had never used a last name, and Ruby had never been given one, so “Ruby” was all she had.

They became fast friends, despite ending up on different teams. She managed to befriend a few other people, too. A fiery young woman with blonde hair, who felt familiar in a way Ruby couldn’t explain, named Yang Xiao Long. An awkward young man named Jaune Arc. Being with them was so bright after a literal lifetime of darkness. As her mission to claim the relic continued over the months Ruby, for the first time in her life, wondered if destroying the world was really necessary when there were kind people like her friends in it. Oh, she understands that the destruction isn’t punishment, merely a necessary part of the cycle, but Ruby is just now realizing Mom never really explained the cycle. Or why the Brothers’ want to destroy the world beyond, “So they said, and so it must be.”

But Mom hadn’t told her that Grimm actually killed people. Mom had never told her about loved ones left behind by those deaths. And, slowly but surely, Ruby starts to question things. Oh, she still reports the movements of Ozma and his inner circle as best she can. Mom needs that information, after all. But... why do they have to die if they’re serving the Brothers’ so faithfully. Why do her friends have to die? Ruby doesn’t understand.

Beacon’s dance comes and Oscar, gently nudged forward by Jaune and Yang, asks if she’d go with him as a date. Ruby... doesn’t know what a date is, but something in the way he asks brings the dancing things back into her stomach. So, she says yes. The dancing things dance harder and Oscar beams at her so she assumes she’s making the right choice.

She talks to Yang about the dancing things afterwards, and Yang gives her a toothy grin. “You’re in love with Oscar,” the blonde tells her. “Don’t worry about it, he feels the same way. You’ll see.”

I... I’m in love with Oscar? Ruby thinks, surprised. But more importantly. Oscar is in love with me? She’s surprised by the idea. But she’s more surprised by how much she likes the idea, or the fact it turns the things dancing in her stomach to a full on dance routine.

And so it came the day of the dance, when Ruby was supposed to further her mother’s plan. But... she didn’t. She couldn’t bring herself to leave Oscar’s side. If this was what being in love felt like, then... How could she ever give this up? Mom had insisted there was no such things as good and evil, but now... This felt good. This felt right. Dancing with Oscar and being around him. Loving him, and apparently being loved right back. How could destroying this be right? Even if the Gods’ wished it so. It just... didn’t make sense.

And in that moment, Ruby decided. She’d never give this up. Not for her mother, not for the Brothers’.

[watchmegetobsessed]

Never Have I Ever - Harry Styles (part 8)

a/n: oh my! we have finally reached the end of this story and I never thought it would turn out to be this long but im happy it did! thank you for reading and loving it, and now, enjoy the last part!

pairing: Harry x actress!reader

word count: 4k

warning: just pure fluff

SERIES MASTERPOST

masterlist

“Girl, even if you don’t win, you’ll surely take the title of the hottest woman on the red carpet tonight.”

Florence’s words make you chuckle, but you try not to move your lips too much as the makeup artist finishes up the last touches on them, using a nude shade.

“Stop, my head is big enough already,” you tell her, giving her a look through the mirror. She is standing a few feet behind you, already wearing her beautiful, golden Versace gown that hugs her perfectly. Her hair is up in a neat bun so her back can be on full display and the diamonds in her ears can also shine brightly. She looks amazing while she is the opposite of what you’ll look like tonight.

Rhonda, the makeup artist has an amazing notion about your look when you showed her the gown you’d be wearing tonight and since the dress is not the sparkly kind, like Florence’s, she went a little heavier with the glitter on your eyes, using mostly whitish-silver colors, creating rosy cheeks and topping it with nude, glossy lips. Your hair is in loose curls with a bunch of extension, creating the illusion that you might as well be Rapunzel herself tonight. But you are the most excited about the gown that’s already waiting for you to be finally put on.

“What time is it?” you ask Florence as you don’t have your phone on you, but she has hers in her hands already.

“We still have half an hour before we have to leave. Dude, I can’t believe you are an Oscar nominee and might turn into a winner tonight!” she sighs, eyes shining bright with excitement. She hasn’t come off of this high for days, so over the Moon that you get to walk the red carpet tonight as a nominee.

“Don’t jinx it, Flo,” you warn her.

There’s a knock on the door of the hotel suit you’ve occupied for the glamming and Florence is quick to rush to it answering, but you both know who it is. As she throws the door open Harry comes to your sight, looking  as handsome as ever, wearing his custom made Gucci suit with a pink dress shirt underneath that matches your gown perfectly.

“Florence, you look wonderful!” his british accent fills the room, making you smile. Rhonda sets your makeup with some spray and you’re finally done. Standing up you move your legs around a bit as they went a little numb from all the sitting.

“Thank you! Pink suits you well, Harry,” your friend compliments your man and you watch them smiling.

When Harry’s eyes set on you, the light up, his smile widening from ear to ear. He looks spotless, freshly shaved, his hair recently cut and combed into place for a change. Not that you don’t like it when it’s all tousled and messy, especially when it’s because of your fingers.

“Angel, wow!” he breathes out as he walks up to you, taking your hands in his. You know he wants to kiss you, but doesn’t want to risk messing your lips up, so he is left with admiring you with only his eyes.

“Just wait until you see her in the dress!” Florence chimes in making you chuckle. You kept your dress a secret, wanting to surprise him with the first look. You gave out only the most necessary details for Lambert so the two of you could match.

“You’d be great like this too,” he teases, taking a look at your fluffy robe.

“I’m not going to the Oscars in a robe,” you tell him with a narrow-eyed look.

“I know, I’m just saying that you’d still be stunning,” he mumbles with a boyish smirk.

“Y/N? Time to choose a necklace!” Your stylist, Rupert appears from the room where your gown is hanging. He has a few jewelry boxes in his hands and he sets them all to the coffee table, opening up you are met with four breathtakingly beautiful diamond necklaces, each of them different yet so magical looking, you can’t decide which one you like the most.

“Harry, which one do you like the most?” you ask, kneeling down next to the table, mesmerized by the jewelries in front of you. Harry leans down and inspects them one by one before poking on the last one in the row. It has three rows of diamonds, not too big, the stones in the last row are shaped like water droplets, it’s such an elegant looking piece, it surely caught your eyes as well and you think it would be perfect with the dress.

“This one,” he tells you and you nod, shutting the other boxes, satisfied with the choice.

“Alright, time to get you into the gown, girl,” Rupert winks, gesturing at you to follow him into the room.

“I’ll be right back,” you tell Harry, risking a quick peck on his lips before you disappear in your temporary dressing room.

You fell in love with the gown on the first fitting when Rupert pulled it out, still in the finishing phase. It still has pins in it, but it already took your breath away. It has a massive A-line skirt and a tight upper part that hugs your body perfectly, a row of buttons running down the middle of it. The sleeves are puffy, but then end in a tight run from a little above your wrists, the same set of buttons appearing like on your chest. It’s giving out some Victorian style vibes in a more sophisticated and simpler way, but it’s by far your favorite dress you’ve ever worn to any event.

It surely needs the extra pair of hands from Rupert to put it on, but once you are secured in it, you feel like a princess straight out of a fairytale and surely, your prince is standing on the other side of the double doors.

“Alright! Everyone get ready for the big reveal!” Rupert announces, sneaking out the room so he can open the door for you. He waits a few moments as you hear everyone shuffle around outside, probably lining up to see you walk out in your finished state. “Okay, three! Two! One! Welcome our Oscar nominee!” he cheers, a round of applause is heard before you even appear, but it’s quickly replaced with gasps when Rupert pulls the doors open and they get the first glimpse of you in your gown.

“Holy fuck!” Florence gasps, mouth hanging open as she keeps raking your form up and down. Your eyes find Harry’s gaze and you see him in a state you haven’t often found him in the past almost two years you’ve been dating. He is completely speechless, eyes glued to you in awe as if he just saw an angel in real life.

“Y/N, I—wow,” he breathes out, still at a loss of words.

“You like it?” you ask with a shy smile.

“I fucking love it, baby. You look… You really are an angel,” he tells you, making you chuckle at his words.

“Would you please help me put on the necklace?” you ask him and he nods eagerly, carefully taking the jewelry out of its box and walking behind you, he brings it around your neck, his fingers delicately working on the clasp. Once it’s all set, you step to the floor to ceiling mirror, taking in the final look.

“There won’t be a straight woman left on Earth once you step on the red carpet,” Florence bluntly comments, making everyone in the room laugh.

“Let’s take some photos, I need to immortalize this masterpiece,” Rupert gestures around, already grabbing his camera.

The next ten minutes you take hundreds of photos, alone, with Florence and then with Harry. He still seems a little stunned by your look, feeling shy when he circles his arm around your waist, but it’s cute that you can still have such an effect on him after being together for almost two years.

Florence snaps some with your phone as well, your favorite is when he held your waist and leant you back, making you arch backwards as your noses touched since he couldn’t kiss you. You already know it’ll end up as your lockscreen, replacing the selfie the two of you took on your latest trip to Hawaii.

When it’s time to leave you grab your little purse with your phone and other necessities and the three of you pile up in a minivan, since your dress needs all the space so it doesn’t get wrinkled before you step out to the red carpet.

As you sit in the car and watch the buildings pass by, your nerves start to rise in you. When the nominations came out a month ago it seemed so far, you couldn’t imagine yourself actually attending the Academy Awards, but now here you are, on your way to find out if you’ve been good enough to be the best.

Your role in Sinful Heaven has brought a lot to your life aside from the nomination. The three months of filming was one of the hardest times in your life you’ve ever worked through and at some points, you didn’t even think you’d get through it. Working so closely with Levi took a toll on you while you were trying to prove in such a heavy and serious role. It was a mess especially at the beginning when you and Harry were still in this weird phase, but that eventually turned right when he literally punched Levi in the face and ten minutes later asked you to be his girlfriend. It’s a badass way to start a relationship and you wouldn’t trade it for anything, especially because it put Levi into place or at least scared him enough to get off your back for the rest of the filming.

When Harry left following that visit, you couldn’t see each other until filming wrapped and you flew straight to him and travelled with him for the next two weeks, hopping from one city to the other, watching him perform every other night and spending all your time with him.

When the movie premiered eight months later, you didn’t appear with Harry by your side, Maya was your date for the evening, but by that time everyone knew you and Harry are an official couple. Neither of you felt like hiding it or caring about what others would think and you were able to focus on each other and rely on the strong foundation you’ve built for your relationship.

He was there with you when the nominations came out and probably screamed louder when your name appeared in the list. With tearing eyes and choked out sobs you jumped into his arms as he mumbled into your ear.

“I’m so proud of you, Angel. So, so proud!”

And now you are on your way to the show, only hours away from finding out if your dreams will come true tonight. Harry squeezes your hand and you turn to face him, his soft eyes meeting yours.

“Nervous?” he asks with a small smile.

“Very,” you admit with an airy chuckle.

“Whatever happens tonight, I’m very proud of you. Don’t forget that.”

“Thank you,” you whisper, giving his hand a squeeze back.

Since it’s the first time you and Harry appear on the red carpet as a couple, once you set your feet out of the car, everyone goes nuts. He helps you out and even fixes your dress so it falls just perfectly around your frame before he offers his arm. You link your through it, taking a deep breath as the two of you start walking down the carpet, posing for the photographers.

You feel powerful and strong, like it’s the peak of your career, but you also feel that it wouldn’t be the same without Harry by your side even though he is making sure to let you shine tonight. At one point he even steps back for a moment so photographers can snap you alone and you think it’s such a caring move from him.

You feel a little dizzy from all the flashlights by the time you walk into the theater, Harry holding your hand tightly as he leads you to your seats.

You’ve been to plenty award shows and it’s not even your first Academy Awards appearance either, but for obvious reasons, it’s the most important. Sitting in your plush chair, you can barely stop yourself from continuously fidgeting as one category follows the other and it’s still not yours.

Then following a jaw-dropping performance from Dua Lipa, Chris Evans walks out with a golden statue and an envelope in his hands and your heart skips a beat, but not because of the man himself, but because you know he is the presenter of the Best Actress category.

Your hold on Harry’s hand on your lap tightens and you glue your eyes to the big screens behind Chris as he smiles around.

“Good evening. It’s a pleasure to be here and to present the award for Best Actress. The theater tonight is filled with exceptional talents, but let’s see the nominees,” he speaks into the microphone and then he starts listing the names.

Emma Stone, Anne Hathaway, Margot Robbie and Rooney Mara are called and a camera fixates on each of them when Chris says their names, all smiling brightly and waving around before your name is called at the end. Taking a deep breath you plaster your most wonderful smile across your face, waving around like the other nominees did before the big screen splits, showing the five of you simultaneously.

“We’ve seen some spectacular performances from these ladies and now let’s see who proved herself to be the best this year.”

Chris flips the envelope open and pulls the little paper out that has the winner’s name written on it and for a moment you’re convinced you’ll pass out. You’ve never felt this anxious before and you’re gripping Harry’s hand so tightly you’re surprised he hasn’t pulled it back, but he is patiently putting up with your nerves, his eyes glued to the man on the stage as well.

“And the Academy Award for Best Actress goes to…” Chris starts with a charming smile, holding a short pause before he finally says the name. “Y/N Y/L/N for her role as Marie Davidson in Sinful Heaven!”

Your mouth hangs open, ears ringing as you process that your name was called. Everyone around you jumps up, including Harry, who is screaming just like when the nominations came out, while you are completely blank. It takes you a couple of moments to realize that you in fact just won your first Oscar and everyone is waiting for you to go and get your little statue.

“Baby! Baby you won!” Harry cheers as he helps you up from your seat and you throw yourself into his arms as reality sets in. “I fucking love you, Angel. Go and get your Oscar!” he laughs, pride all over his face as he urges you to walk up to the stage.

“Walk me up, please!” you stammer, not trusting yourself with walking in this fragile state. He offers his hand without a second thought, walking you to the stage where Chris is politely waiting for you to help you up on the stairs.

“Thank you,” you breathe out once you’re finally up on the stage, every set of eyes on you as Chris hands you the little statue.

“Congratulations,” he smiles as the two of you exchange two kisses on the cheeks before he steps aside and lets you give a speech.

You thought about writing a few words beforehand, but you figured if you end up being the winner you’d forget the whole thing, so there would be no use and that’s the case. Your mind is still blank as you look down at the award in your hands, the crowd still cheering on you, giving you a few extra moments to figure out what to say.

“I uhh—I don’t even know what to say, this feels like a dream,” you admit talking into the microphone, the clapping dying down so that everyone can hear your words. “I want to thank to everyone who worked on Sinful Heaven, because I wouldn’t be here without them. To my wonderful director and amazing costars, it’s been such a wonderful journey with you all. Thank you to my friends and family who were there with me from the very start, believing in me when I was losing faith in myself, thank you for never giving up on me. To my parents who I assume are now crying in front of the TV,” you add chuckling softly, imagining your mom and dad in tears as they listen to your words. “This is a wonderful sign to me that I am where I need to be and that I’m on the right path, so thank you for giving me even more motivation to keep me going on my way.”

Your eyes roam around all the guests until they fall on one proud man staring at you in his Gucci suit and pink dress shirt, his green eyes looking glossy as he listens to your words.

“And last but not least, thank you to one special person, because I’m convinced I wouldn’t be here tonight without him. I have one thing to tell you.” Forgetting about everyone in the theater you hold up the Oscar in your hand as you finish your speech: “Never have I ever loved someone like I love you.”

The crowd starts cheering again as you step away from the microphone and Chris is quick to jog up to you and help you down the stairs, Harry rushing back to take your hand once Chris lets go of it.

You catch him wipe a tear off his cheek as the two of you walk back to your seats hand in hand. Once you are settled, you take a deep breath and turn to Harry who is already looking at you, the same proud smile you saw from the stage still on his handsome face.

“I have never,” he tells you as his answer to the last line of your speech and you chuckle as your free hand finds the back of his neck, pulling him close. The lipstick on your lips long forgotten as you finally kiss him for the first time tonight.

“I have never either,” you whisper against his lips before kissing him again and again.

***

  Smiling around you wait for the audience to quiet down as you make yourself comfortable in the familiar armchair. It’s such a nostalgic feeling to sit here again.

“Y/N, it’s so nice to have you here again,” Ellen greets you once the clapping has stopped.

“Thank you for inviting me.”

“Of course. A lot has happened since the last time you were here, you won an Oscar just a few weeks ago, congratulations!”

The cheering starts again as a picture of you appears on the screen behind you, wearing your iconic pink gown, holding your Oscar in your hands.

“Thank you,” you shyly smile, still not entirely in peace with the fact that you are now an Oscar winning actress.

“Such a major thing, congrats.”

“Thank you, it is a huge thing, yes.”

“Do you already have a spot for the award? Does it have a designated place?”

“Well, for now it is in my study along with some more mementos, but I’m planning to have a little stand made in the living room,” you share your plans.

“Surely, I would want to show it off if I had an Oscar,” Ellen chuckles. “You have such a busy time behind you, have you been up to something new lately?”

“We finished filming the third season of The Umbrella Academy, so now I’m having a little break before I jump into anything new.”

“Sounds nice, you deserve all the relaxing. Anything planned while you’re on a break? A new book to read, or maybe a concert to go to?” she asks and you already know where this is heading.

“You know you can just ask if I’m planning to attend a Harry Styles concert,” you bluntly tell her, making the audience and Ellen laugh.

“Well, I was just asking around about your plans, but I’m happy you plan to visit Harry’s concert! It’s also good to know that the situation has changed since the last time you were here, you definitely have been to one of his concerts since then.”

“I have been, yes,” you admit smirking.

“And I assume the two of you are now very close, am I right?” she asks and suddenly a paparazzi photo of the two of you appears where you’re walking down the street hand in hand just a couple of weeks ago.

“You could say that,” you nod, biting into your bottom lip.

“Amazing, because he is going to join us now. Everyone, please welcome Harry Styles!” Ellen announces and turning around you spot Harry walking out from backstage, the audience screaming for him. He shyly waves around walking up to the center, greeting Ellen with a kiss on the cheek before he turns to you, pecking your lips shortly as he sits down next to you.

“Harry, so good to see you again,” Ellen smiles at him.

“Good t’ see you as well,” he nods.

“So, the last time you two were sitting here, you—it was the first time you ever met, right?”

“Right,” you nod with Harry.

“And now you are…” she gestures at the two of you, not finishing the sentence, but everyone knows what she meant by that.

“And now we are… not strangers anymore,” Harry says chuckling, making everyone in the studio laugh.

“Certainly,” Ellen nods. “Alright, I thought that we could play another game, just to bring back some nice memories,” she explains, reaching behind her armchair, grabbing the familiar board from her, flipping it in your hands with a nostalgic smile.

“Can we keep it PG rated though?” Harry asks, examining his board before looking up at Ellen.

“No,” she simply answers, reaching for her cards as the audience starts laughing. “Okay, you know how to play it, no need for explanation. Here is the first one: Never have I ever used my fame to get in somewhere.”

Ellen is quick to show the I HAVE side of her board and you slowly do the same while Harry thinks to himself.

“Oh come on, you surely have,” you elbow him playfully as he smirks in your way, holding up the same side as you and Ellen.

“We all have, it’s not a shame,” Ellen shrugs. “Next one. Never have I ever forgotten the name of someone right after they introduced themselves.”

Ellen holds up the I HAVE side and you do the same again while this time Harry flips it over to I HAVE NEVER confidently.

“Really?” Ellen asks him, surprised at his answer.

“I’m good with names,” he simply shrugs.

“That’s a good trait. Alright, let’s move on. Never have I ever punched someone in the face.”

It’s a sneaky and very shady statement. Just a few days after the incident with Levi, word got out that he was punched, a few blurry pictures floating around the internet of his bruise, then fans figured out it had to happen around the time Harry visited set and people were quick to put the picture together and assume that Harry was the one who hit Levi, but it was never confirmed.

Glancing at your boyfriend you are fighting your smile back, holding up the I HAVE NEVER side as he is looking back at you slyly, continuously flipping his board before it finally lands on I HAVE, the audience immediately rumbling at the partial confirmation and seemingly Ellen is also amazed by Harry’s honesty.

“Alright, interesting. Love that for you, Harry,” he comments making everyone laugh as you reach over and give Harry’s hand a squeeze. “Last one,” Ellen announces, reading the last statement from her cards. “Never have I ever fallen in love with someone I played never have I ever with.”

Ellen quickly shows her I HAVE NEVER side as you suck your lips into your mouth, glancing at Harry again. You share a look before you both slowly raise your boards, both reading the same sign on them: I HAVE.

[bestworstcase]

I really like your RWBY analysis posts. Especially the (really long) Penny one. Additional thoughts: The argument that Penny is literally a part of Winter and that she can be separated from her again (and share the maiden power or sth.) sounds, to me, like Winter doesn't actually deserve the maiden-powers 2.0, so she should rip out a part of herself and give them back ;). Also, Penny dying is deeply unfair, and how Ruby comes to terms with that (or not) would also be a nice foil to Salem again.

One more because word limits: I also really like your Winter analysis. Comparisons of Winter to Jadis felt kind of dehumanizing to read, to me. I really like you pointing out that she is Kai, because it feels like it acknowledges a kind of innocence that Winter had and still can have. And that the way to approach her is not hard rules, violence or some moral better telling her to stop, but compassion and affirming humanity. Idk if this makes sense. Thank you for your hard (analysis) work.

thanks!

with the penny 3.0 theorizing i've found there's often this underlying and perhaps subconscious mindset that penny is somehow special, that she is for some reason an exception to the patterns rwby has established vis a vis character death. and i can see where that mindset comes from—penny by dint of being a robot did manage to cheat the death-is-permanent rule twice—but. like, the reason penny has unique death mechanics is because she's a robot, but i think in penny 3.0 circles this has been kind of overgeneralized to penny being special on, like, a cosmic scale? which is how we get to the presumption that rwby+jnor and ruby in particular will respond to her loss in a fundamentally different way than they responded to pyrrha's and penny's deaths in v3, or the sometimes-implied and sometimes-stated-out-loud stance that penny just matters more than winter.

(what really kills me about the penny-in-winter's-head idea is that the prevailing thought seems to be "penny pulled some sort of magical trickery with jaune's help and tethered her soul to winter's so she's going to be in winter's head now a la ozpin and oscar" and--folks. in what universe does that sound like something penny would do to anyone, let alone to winter, her closest friend?! and if it's accidental, if it's just some weird side effect of penny dying in the void or jaune's semblance reacting to his horror and doing something fucky to penny's soul or whatever, then in what universe would penny not be absolutely horrified and devastated to find herself in this situation? rwby has been beating us over the head with "having two souls trapped in one body is miserable and traumatic for everyone involved and also fundamentally wrong" since volume fucking three, and y'all want penny to suffer that with her best friend?!)

and wrt winter i'm. honestly fascinated by the line of thinking that has her needing to be taught morality, because... the problem was never that winter didn't realize ironwood was doing bad things! "no, you have sacrificed everyone else—you closed the borders, you squeezed mantle until it broke!"—when winter calls ironwood out, she starts with things he did all the way back in volume four! she traces his failings all the way back to that first misstep after the fall of beacon because she understands that isolating atlas from the other remaining kingdoms was wrong and laid the groundwork for everything bad that came after.

the problem was that winter had been so abused and ground down by authoritarian conditioning that she completely lost her trust in her own ability to make decisions. she believed that her life and feelings and thoughts did not matter--believed that so thoroughly that she was confused and upset when penny chose to save her life instead of continuing to fight cinder!--so she fought her own conscience tooth and nail for the sake of being a good soldier. like, volume seven has this recurring thread of penny acting as the voice of winter's conscience--challenging her on her loyalty to ironwood--but that largely takes the form of penny validating the instinctive emotional reactions winter beats herself up for having. penny and winter are morally on the same page throughout all of volume seven; the difference between them is winter is mired in self-loathing so deep that she tears herself apart for it. ghskgh

so ultimately what she needed and what she will continue to need is not moral teaching but, like you said, compassion and affirmation of her humanity, reassurance that trusting her own conscience is okay. that her feelings matter, that her moral instincts are good, that she's allowed to act on what she feels is right instead of doing what her abusive father/father figure tells her to do.

aaand as for salem if ruby losing penny gets paralleled to salem losing ozma, which seems at least plausible at this point, i'm really hoping that that point of comparison will lead to somebody anybody on team oz finally getting it through their heads that salem's problem isn't "didn't get a fairytale ending," it's "gods have been torturing her personally for thousands if not millions of years" like i understand why the characters have the perception of salem that they do but the sheer absurdity of it is KILLING ME she has exponentially bigger problems than not being able to cope with ozma dying mgjkjhgsdnb

[razorblade180]

Interdimensional Moms pt3

Part 2 right here! <-

Team RWBY continue their interesting chat about their respective worlds. After the emotional roller coaster that was Weiss’s, a bit of light hearted stories would be welcomed.

Yang:Okay, does anyone have some real feel good things to talk about for their world? Just run of the mill pleasant life?

Ruby:Guess I’m going last....

Yang:Oh no!

Weiss:We’ll circle back to you then. Blake, I guess you’re up.

Blake:Wouldn’t you want calmer stuff at the end?

Yang:Blake, I would very much like to go at least ten minutes without wanting to cry.

Blake:Hmmmm I can guarantee you like...six I think.

Yang:I’ll take it! Blake Belladonna, tell me about a world where you and Jaune Arc are happily married. How did such stars align?

Blake:You make it sound crazy?

Weiss:Blake, there’s list of people I could see you with. Now I’m not saying Jaune couldn’t be one of them, but he’d have to fight his way up that list.

Blake:You...that’s kinda fair. It’s a bit hard to explain really. It happened back at Beacon initially, or our bonding did. Some days his team was busy and I didn’t tag along for the crazy antics you three wanted to do all the time, so we occasionally bumped into each by circumstances. He’d go to the library for a book, I’d do training and he was there, or sometimes he’d knock on our door and not realize I was the only one around.

Weiss:Was he trying to sing to me?

Blake:That plan did show up at our a few times, yes. One of those times I asked him out of nowhere to sing the song anyways because I just had to know if it was any good. Hehe, it wasn’t sonically pleasing at times, but you could tell it was genuine. Eventually though...he just sort of gave up on you. It was actually a little sad to see, even you thought so. It was strange. Jaune was definitely stumbling through his flirting and it came off as childish, yet the day he gave up, it was easy to see his heart was breaking a bit. Like all his insecurities ate even the faux confidence away.

Yang:Ma’am, it has barely been three minutes and I’m getting sad about thinking of Jaune being sad.

Weiss:Yeah don’t tell me I broke his heart!

Blake:Whoops, sorry. It’s important though. Jaune kinda kept to himself a little more after that. He still chatted pretty regularly but it was easy to tell he dived more in studies as a way to keep his head clear, which lead to us being on a project together. I was the only person in our friend group that wouldn’t actively try to make him open up about how he feeling. At first I thought it was a bit rude when he told me that, but I didn’t room to talk when it comes to socializing.

Yang:One more time for the people in the back.

Ruby:I’m the back.

Blake:*smirks* I was very against socializing about my feelings at Beacon.

Ruby:Yeah you were.

Weiss:I couldn’t even ask if you slept well without a lukewarm answer sometimes.

Blake:I’m better now. That’s all that matters. Romance and feeling love is a personal thing and talking about it is uncomfortable. I think we both recognized that in each other during our project. Trouble is, there’s only so many conversation starters and small talk subjects. Talking only about the project was dry and eventually all the facts a person could say about themselves ran out. Favorite food, color, hobbies, etc. We eventually had to dig a little deeper into those topics. To our surprise, we actually more in common than we thought when it came to how we felt about certain pieces of literature and music.

Ruby:Awwww, bonding over smut.

Blake:*red* It wasn’t all adult literature! Some were poems and stuff. Even when the project ended, we began being less formal around each other and hanging out. We went to the bookstores we mentioned and he even got us tickets to bands I liked. It...it was nice. I never really got to have just a normal teenage experience before without it being political. He always felt bad about being average compared to everyone but average was so foreign to me that I welcomed it. I liked having a normal time out. It was a thing we all took for granted. Especially when Beacon fell.

Yang:Yeah, that probably put a real bind on your relationship.

Blake:Actually....we technically never officially started to date.

Ruby:What? You courted each other all of Beacon.

Weiss:Ruby, who the heck says courted? I’m a Schnee and even I have never used the word courted.

Ruby:Hush, I read a lot of bed time stories to a five year old.

Blake:We were a bit shaky on labels. Me for obvious reasons. As for Jaune, it’s really true about what they say about guys when they get heart broken.

Yang: “Never again.”

Blake:Hehehe, it’s funny to look back at it but he’ll tell you it’s a bit cringy. He was so on gaurd. I could tell all the time when he was mentally telling himself to not be excited whenever we hung out or I complimented him.

Ruby:Hey it takes guts to shift feelings to a teammate of your first crush. That could blow up in your face.

Blake:Yeah...about that. *looks at Yang* you...were another reason why nothing was official. You uhhh, we actually had some jumbled up emotions.

Weiss:*sarcastic gasp* You and Yang, liking each other? Who could’ve seen that coming?

Yang:Was it mutual or...

Blake:Very mutual. Also...intimate at times.

Yang:*red* Oh....yeah. Yeah that tracks.

Blake:That jumbled mess was only more confusing after you got hurt trying to rescue me from Adam. Meeting up with-

Ruby:Question, so was Sun just not on your radar?

Blake:Sun? We’re just friends. He’s cute and I’m glad he was there for me when I needed help but things between us were always pretty calm. I think he noticed how confused I was with other people in my life and chose to not add to it.

Ruby:Bless him. Please continue.

Blake:Learning about Salem and reconnecting with you all was a lot. I’d really been out of the loop and my Yang and I were on....shaky ground.

Yang:That’s what happens when you leave someone who’s been left their entire life.

Blake:Sigh...yeah. It was a trying time, but not with JNPR. It’s funny, Oscar and I also hit it off quite well from the jump. I think we were both glad to have each other learn on the craziness at once. Even with readjusting, Jaune and I fell back into a groove naturally. Instead of doing average things we day dreamed of the things we did. Once again we become this little slice of simple life in this crazy adventure. Still didn’t date.

Weiss:What is this, a slow burn!?

Yang:Weiss, you literally didn’t date your Jaune until Atlas.

Weiss:There’s a difference. I didn’t make any heart eyes at him until around Atlas. I say I may have been a little quick. These two were “courting” for over a year at this point.

Ruby:Stop making fun of me!

Blake:Well anyways, I wouldn’t say much was too eventful in terms of romance with world destroying things happening. Salem, she was way too much to deal with. Every move age did was calculated and unrelenting. Keeping our head above water wasn’t easy. In fact, it was boarder line impossible. Yang and I barely beat Adam after all.

Yang:How’d you two feel about that?

Blake:Relieved. Huge weight off my mind, and yet...a piece of me still wishes things never got so dire. At least now I know that in another world, things aren’t.

Ruby:Sounds like your world was put through their paces? You survived though.

Blake:Not conventionally. I gotta say, hearing the ages and how you beat Salem so far makes me feel more than a little embarrassed. To be frank, we didn’t have this grand battle that involved the entire world making a final stand. We had Atlas, and then we had Haven. With their might and a plan to gain more time, we managed to seal Salem in a vault.

Yang:*chokes on water* Y- cough what!?

Ruby:You put her in a vault!?

Weiss:Thah sounds harder than a last stand honestly.

Blake:No matter what way we looked at things, we just weren’t ready for her, so we locked her away until we were. Two years on constant defense from her followers and grimm until Ruby had trained enough to use her silver eyes and we were all strong enough.

Ruby:Two years!? How old was I then?

Blake:Twenty I believe.

Weiss:Hey, you beat mine by a year.

Yang:Not mine, I think we either tied or just narrowly beat yours by like a year. Honestly it hard to keep track of birthdays and stuff.

Ruby:Wow. No offense to myself, but that’s a little disappointing. I guess being the same person really doesn’t mean we were all at the same level.

Blake:Hey, my Ruby put everything she had into saving the world. There wasn’t a second she wasn’t trying her best to defend it!

Ruby:My point exactly. If that was her at her absolute best then by all accounts, she doesn’t hold a candle to me; at least back then anyways. But I have no reason to believe she would be at my level now.

Yang:Okay little miss prideful, care to tell us when you saved the-

Ruby:Seventeen.

The reaper took a long swig of coffee while the others processed that information. It took a her a couple of seconds to realize she may be acting just a tad bit arrogant.

Ruby:Uhh, sorry. I think I was tooting my own horn a bit there.

Weiss:Seventeen....why so soon?

Yang:Why? Don’t you mean how?

Blake:That’s....almost unbelievable.

Ruby:Really? I don’t think so. I’ll dive into it when it’s my turn but for now all I really gotta say is people needed help, and I was going to answer those cries. I bet your Ruby had a similar urgency in her, but for some reason or another just had different limitations. I got hurt a lot as a kid. Maybe an injury did more damage in one universe than another? Who can say?

Blake:I...wouldn’t know. Odd, I know if my Ruby heard this, then she’d probably be more than a little upset. Saving lives is still what she’s all about. I know when she put everything she had into fighting Salem when the day came. All that training paid off. Her skills were polished and her silver eyes eradicated the grimm essence in Salem.

Ruby:Wait, she’s not dead?

Blake:No. Salem roams Remnant with Oz keeping an eye on her until one day she can finally grasp the lesson the gods wanted her to have.

Yang:That uhhh sounds risky.

Weiss:Yet oddly okay?

Blake:Funny, my Weiss said that too. Those two get checked on in secret. Can’t be too careful. With Salem beaten though, Remnant entered a state of...let’s call it average chaos. All in all, it’s way more peaceful but you know, people will be people. Downside about a secret war is you don’t get the unity of the masses. Atlas and Haven working together was still a great step in the right direction though.

Yang:Woah, I’m a little jealous. My world felt like a race against the clock. The pressure either broke you or made you harder than diamond, with most people crushing under it.

Weiss:Yeah. The tension and meet of extremes I had on the frontlines was beyond imagination. The unity was great, but to feel it on the battlefield against the odds was feeling with way too much adrenaline and stress. Can’t say I enjoyed it. I simply lived through it.

Blake:Well it isn’t like I had a walk in the park. But I guess in comparison, my experience was a tad more mellow. Still, people were lost and hurt. Oscar isn’t himself anymore, don’t have Penny, former classmates and a few enemies turned allies fell in battle. Family.... it took a bunch to get the plan of containing, then it took a lot more to do it. In a way though, the two years of training is time I can’t regret. It tested bonds, strengthening and reestablishing others.

Ruby:I take it since love couldn’t bloom on the battlefield, it bloomed in the training yards?

Blake:*red* You can say that. That’s when Jaune and I got serious. *frowning* But.....

Yang:We fell apart?

Blake:Yeah. I didn’t learn my lesson well enough the first time about the potential problems of dating a partner. Only difference this time was I felt like I was the one being cruel. We had gotten into arguments and apologized more than once. Your fear of being left and my own insecurities just kept butting heads. I’d cry, you’d cry, our friends would be concerned. Then the day came where you put it all on the line. You confessed genuinely how much you loved me and how you felt a bit jealous when it came to Jaune. I had never seen you look so vulnerable; letting your gaurd completely down. And though a piece of me loved you and wanted you in my life for ever....this sense of genuine comfort Jaune gave was something I want-needed for so long. So I did the one thing I didn’t want to do. I broke your heart. I hurt you again.

Yang:Sigh....*leans back in chair* Okay, let’s see how well I know myself. My eyes went red automatically, followed by tears. I lashed out at you angrily out of pain and embarrassment until I was probably blue in the face. But to take make things worse, somebody probably overheard. No matter who it was, I yelled at them too for trying to calm me down and then I eventually run off leaving everyone unhappy. A good old meltdown. Sound about right?

Blake:To the letter. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so distraught.

Yang:Of course not, I’ve never been in love before meeting you. I....did a similar thing with my Blake over the stupid Adam shit. *covers face* of all the things to be similar, it had to be my temper. Please tell me our team didn’t suffer too harshly?

Blake:The good thing about two years of training was it didn’t have to be together all the time. Team RWBY didn’t fall apart, but it didn’t feel comfortable either. Outside of missions, the four of us didn’t hang out as much. It was three at the most. Nobody pinned blame on me or Yang for it but it was obvious.

Ruby:I mean how can you blame someone for feeling sad or not in love with someone? Pointing fingers doesn’t do anything. However, I bet missions were rough.

Blake:Bumblebee was shelved. We did any other team up we could. When push came to shove, Yang and I did put feelings aside. Neither of us wanted our feelings to get anyone killed. That’s probably what kept us connected for awhile, especially with Salem. I don’t think we questioned each other when it came to watching one another’s back. Slowly, our relationship got a bit better. Until....we stopped speaking to each other altogether about a couple years later.

Yang:Wait, why!?

Blake:I got pregnant.

The three listeners’ faces scrunched up and they let in a sharp breath like they just got cut. No one had considered that bombshell.

Blake:Marriage was rough enough. Having Jaune’s kid and starting a family just...cut deep I guess. You didn’t make a scene or anything if that’s what you’re worried about. One day you told me “I just can’t do this” and exited my life. I wanted to keep you close to me, but you wanted to be closer. That was a thing I couldn’t do. Hehe, I can’t tell you how weird it is talking to you like this again.

Yang:So that’s it!? We just don’t see each other at all!?

Blake:Certain events and celebrations have us in the same room, but that’s all. Ruby is the only thing that regularly links us, but she’s busy living life too.

Ruby:Is it a good life?

Blake:The best. You’re the huntress you always wanted to be and a hero to many.

Ruby:*smiles* Really? That’s good. May she ride that high for as long as she can. Though I bet she wished she had a special someone to share that with.

Blake:Huh? Oh, you married Weiss.

Weiss:*red* What!?

Ruby:Aye, nice.

Weiss:Weren’t you upset about thinking of other people with Jaune besides you!?

Ruby:Yeah, but I won’t deny if I am going to be with someone that isn’t him, I’m very happy it’s the other special person in my life. I mean come on, the only reason we don’t get weird in your universe is because I married your brother and you already invited my sister.

Weiss:I mean...it’s mainly the brother portion. The second part...

Ruby:Weiss, that’s weird.

Yang:Eh...

Ruby:IT’S WEIRD! YOU CANNOT TELL ME OTHERWISE!

Yang:*sips coffee* Eh.

Blake:Anyways, Weiss, you’re running your company. The Schnee Dust Company was scrubbed top to bottom to remove as much corruption as possible. No department was overlooked. In times of money, there’s a notable decrease in how much the company used to make.

Weiss:Gee, I wonder if that’s because the other me is doing oh let me guess, paying all their workers and not cutting corners in safety?

Blake:The SDC people approval has gone up considerably, just so you know that too. Turns out people like it when the company they buy from have good morals.

Weiss:Am I happy though? I make time for my social life and hu- I mean wife?

Blake:Yea, you’re happy. In a way I think we’re all happy, but....

Yang:We’d be happier if we were all happy together? Yeah, that’s how it works. You’re only as happy as the most miserable person in a family or group; if you all care about each other that is. Ugh, I wanna punch the other me. I get how she feels but it’s fucking immature to just ignore years of teamwork and family. At the end of the day, team RWBY is a family! Can’t believe I’d runaway from it instead of figuring out...I don’t know! Something!

Blake:*small smile* Well if you feel that way then there’s no reason to believe she doesn’t. My Yang just struggles with it more I guess, but I hope she can come around one day. Not really for my sake, but for her own peace of mind. As well as Lucas’s.

Ruby:Lucas? Your son I take it?

Blake:Mmhmm. My strong and lazy young man. He got his father’s hair but my eyes and ears. I can’t think of a person who warms my heart quite like him. He acts uninterested in a lot of things, but his heart is so big.

Weiss:Ah, so he’s just you?

Blake:More or less hehe. Though I’d say I was passionate about things all my life. Lucas will sleep all day if he could and doesn’t like going out without a reason.

Weiss:Still sounds like you if I’m being honest. Teenager?

Blake:Seventeen, almost eighteen.

Yang:You said he’s need peace of mind too? I’m not...hostile towards him am I?

Blake:No, not by a long shot. On the occasions you two have meant, you were polite. It’s just he knows why you don’t visit or talk to me. That’s rough, knowing your parent’s closest friend stopped being apart of their life because you were born. I think sometimes he believes it’s actually his fault.

Yang:I really, really want to meet this other me and have a few words. She needs to know she isn’t trying hard enough. I’m proof.

Ruby:Yeah, but you’re only well off because the person that helped you get over Blake, was Jaune. Yeah she still can find love, but who that person will be would be uncharted territory for everyone.

Blake:Also I’m not entirely sure exactly if my Yang is even bi like you.

Yang:Sigh....

Weiss:Love.

Blake:Huh?

Weiss:As long as a person shows your Yang genuine love and a place in their heart where she’ll remain forever, Yang would fall for them. They just have to make it a point to make her feel like they’ll stay. Yangs are softies like that.

Yang:Wow, you an expert on me and all the versions of me now?

Weiss:No, you’re just a bleeding heart that’s super emotional. Let me guess, you fell for Jaune the moment you realized just how relaxed and vulnerable you could allow yourself to be around him.

Yang:*red*.......he holds me when I’m overwhelmed.

RWB:Awwww

Yang:Shut up! Blake, take the heat off me.

Blake:Not too much more. Lucas is a smart kid who generally stays out of trouble. Unfortunately, trouble finds him. Mainly because of his semblance.

Ruby:Don’t tell me...

Blake:No no, it’s not bad luck like your uncle, but Lucas can’t always control it so their similar in that regard. Premonitions, that’s his semblance.

Weiss:Like...the future? You child can see the future?!

Blake:Yeah. *sips drink* it’s terrible.

Ruby:What? That sounds so handy! Man, if I could someone fighting me before it happened, I’d be a monster on the battlefield.

Blake:Lucas isn’t a fighter. Well, he’s not aspiring to fight. He can fight, pretty dang well in fact.; but randomly seeing the future is not a gift. Imagine picking up a book and you suddenly know the ending, or watching a movie and you start seeing the middle of it right after you press play?

Yang:Ahhh, that’s why he’s lazy and unmotivated. His semblance is massive spoiler alert. Half the fun of new things is not knowing what will happen.

Ruby:Oof, you have a point. I’d be paranoid to no end.

Blake:To a point, he was. Ever since he was ten. Disasters happen at the drop of a hat. Lucas isn’t the kind of person to watch bad things unfold, so whenever it was possible or even if it was risky, he’d do whatever he could to prevent said disaster. But.....there’s only so much anyone person can do. There’s only so much information he sees. The constant strain and guilt that came from failing ate him up. The. There’s the incidents he’s seen that didn’t show him how it began or how it will end. *rubbing her hands* It’s bad...

Weiss:Hey, I...I’ve noticed your hands and frankly even your face are a bit....slim. Your skin isn’t as colorful as I’m used to either. Almost like it’s regaining color.

Blake:Hehehe.......I guess you were bound to notice of all people.

Weiss:Of course. I may not run a a company in my world but I keep tabs on my brother and have had my fair share of visits to a doctor. Why wouldn’t I notice.

Yang:So can we talk as if there are people who have no clue what’s going on?

Weiss:Blake has had one of two things happen to her. She’s either worked way too hard to the point she’s not taking care of her health, or she’s fallen very ill and her body is still recovering.

Blake:Yeah, it’s more of the second one, but probably because of the first one as well. Forwarding equality, I was overzealous with it. One day Lucas just started shaking and crying when he was twelve and I couldn’t understand why. Turns out he kept seeing me bedridden and unconscious without a reason. Day in and day out he simply cried and tried his best to get another premonition to learn more, but couldn’t. A week later I started feeling a little dizzy, and then blacked out after vomiting. At first I thought maybe I had the flu or something. Nope, a tumor.

Weiss:What?

Ruby:Blake!?

Yang:Oh shit, are you-

Blake:Perfectly fine! *smiles* I’m fine. Liver cancer, but it was caught early. No more tumor what so ever, but the meds and the entire process was really draining. Got sicker a couple of times. Not once did I feel like I was dying necessarily, more like...slipping? I felt myself getting drained. The whole time Lucas was so scared; blaming himself for not preventing this or knowing how to fix it. Though simply knowing he saw me like was a warning most people wish they got. I know I said seeing the future is terrible, but the scariest part through all of this was not knowing how it ended. Choosing medicine, doctors, surgery possibilities, it made me crack under pressure a little. I think he noticed that. I wasn’t sure if I picking an option that lead me dying or getting better. The stress alone may have killed me. Ever since then Lucas hasn’t been so outgoing.

Ruby:....

Weiss:....

Yang....It was already said, but there was no way this wasn’t going to get sad was there?

Blake:Take it from me, there’s joy in pain. So many people came to visit me when I was recovering. Even Yang dropped by for a bit. After I got out, I don’t think Lucas ever hugged me so hard. Jaune tried to stay calm through the whole ordeal but it was rough for him too. He was all but spent emotionally when I came home.

Weiss:I’m surprised Lucas didn’t become an older brother.

Blake:The last thing a recovering patient needs is a pregnancy, but as far as missing me goes...

Ruby:You can stop right there with that tangent.

Yang:We’ll talk about that in private. I wouldn’t mind that story.

Blake:*playfully rolls eyes* These days I try not to over do things. I’ve only officially been deemed completely cured for about a year. I can feel that I’m still not entirely up to strength. It’s fine though. It gives me an excuse for Lucas to dote on me a little. He’s a mama’s boy at heart. My biggest worries these days is peeling him out of this shell his semblance had put him in. At the very least I want him to smile like he used to and find away to live in moment when possible. His entire life is ahead of him. Hopefully he doesn’t see all of it.

Ruby:I guess too much of anything really is bad. Knowledge included. I hope things work out.

Yang:Me too. A happy life is something you definitely earned.

Blake:Thanks. That seriously means a lot, which is why I made sure to not end this on a sour note.

The happy faunus pulled out her scroll to scroll through pictures and her friends eyes lit up. The first one was a beach photo. This Jaune was different from what they were used to. He let his hair grow a little bit longer and the back went down his neck, but it was definitely still him. This jaune was pretty toned and went for a lean look than bulky like Weiss’s, but a tad slimmer. On his shoulders was an adorable toddler with wide amber eyes and big blonde cat ears. Both men were enjoying the sunset on the waves.

The next photo was more recent with Blake right in the middle of hopping into Lucas’s arms. Weiss noticed the girl still had on the hospital bracelet. She must’ve just gotten cleared. Lucas had grown like a weed. He was now roughly Jaune’s height. His hair was messy and looked like Jaune’s in his younger years. Also like his father, Lucas was jacked! His sleeveless purple shirt should off his biceps as they wrapped around Blake’s torso for a hug. His baggy purple shorts had black and gold trim through the seams and the shorts stopped right below his knees; but showed of his well defined calves. A smile of pure joy and what could’ve been a few tears were visible as he looked lovingly at his mother. It warmed all of the ladies hearts. Still, the girls also could tell under his eyes were a little dark. Lucas must’ve been very tired.

The final picture had to be the most recent. It was Blake and Lucas sparring. Both looked at each other with excitement and ease as their wooden blades clashed. Their clothes mirrored one another by being black and white kimonos. They even wore the traditional shoes and everything.

Weiss:Yeah, that’s your kid.

Blake:Damn right. Unfortunately that makes him a little too stubborn. But I guess that’s okay. Without a doubt, someone’s gonna break through that shell of his.

Yang:Oh? It sounds like you already know who?

Blake:Well....I have a hunch.

xxxxx

RING! RING! RING! Lucas’s scroll chirped, in the middle of the night. The boy let out a long, agitated groan of sleepiness as he rolled over in bed; reaching for his scroll on the nightstand to answer.

Lucas:Hello?

???:Did you know you are mathematically more likely to choke on a hotdog than get attacked by a shark?

Lucas:....Serenity, who gave you my number?

Serenity:Your parents, and it’s Serendipity!

Lucas:Too many syllables. Also a bit ironic given who you are. With the way you act though, my name for you is better.

Serenity:Ooooo so we’re moving on to pet names? How forward of you.

Lucas:Five seconds before I hang up. Three...two-

Serenity:You’re late! You promised to guide me around the beach at twelve. That’s now.

Lucas:.....P.M. Twelve P.M. Serenity. Why in the world would I mean midnight!?

Serenity:It’s romantic and personal. Nobody else is around. I thought you were trying to use that Belladonna magic on me by acting all cool and aloof in the moonlight.

Lucas:.....

Lucas:Please delete my number.

Serenity:Not on your life, my whiskered bodyguard!

Lucas:Don’t have whiskers-

Serenity:If you don’t wanna move that butt of yours to hang out with a pretty girl in a floppy hat and sundress with a bikini underneath, that’s your loss. I’m still going for a dip.

Lucas:Do not go in the water when nobody is around.

Serenity:Pfft, I’m a strong swimmer.

Lucas:Sharks.

Serenity:It’s more dangerous to eat a hotdog.

Lucas:Sharks feed at night.

Serenity:Are you trying to tell me the statistics aren’t as reliable just because it’s nighttime.

Lucas:That’s exactly what I’m saying.

Serenity:Then you better move your butt just in case. Either you get a snack or the sharks do. Either way, I get attention.

Lucas:Difference is one wants to eat you.

Serenity:My goodness Lucas, oh brazen of you.

Lucas:......

Lucas:Tell the sharks I said hi.

Serenity:Okay! Byyyyyyeeeee! *hangs up*

Lucas:(She’ll be fine.)

..........

Lucas:*putting on shoes* This is bullshit. Who thinks midnight!? *walking down stairs* Can’t have a peaceful day or night....

Jaune:*watching tv* Hey Lucas, going some-

Lucas:I’m giving out your phone number to a homeless man the first chance I get! *walks out door*

Jaune:.....(Whatever gets you outside more.)

It took about fifteen minutes of aggressive walking for Lucas to wrap around to the back of his house towards their section of the beach. Where Serenity walked around humming and collecting seashells without a care in the world.

Lucas:The next shell you grab will have a crab in it.

Serenity:Huh? Oh hey you’re finally-ahhhh! Ow ow ow ow ow ow!

Lucas:Should’ve listened.

Serenity:Have a better warning!!!! It won’t let go!

Lucas:Pull it off.

Serenity:That’s hurt!!! Lucas, help!

Lucas:Fine, if you delete my number.

Serenity:*sniffling* Stop being mean!!! This really hurts, it’s breaking the skin. Isn’t a young and pretty girl’s tears payment enough!? I thought you were getting paid to-

Lucas:Oh my goodness! Okay, just shush. I’m too sleepy for this.

Serenity:You’re mean when you’re sleepy. At least your waking up voice sounds handsome though.

Lucas:Please....stop. Stop everything. *removing crab* Happy?

Serenity:No, you’re not happy. Also my finger is bleeding.

Lucas:Yep, looks like you can’t go swimming now for real.

Serenity:Eh, I lied anyways. I’m not getting in that water. There are sharks in that watery grave.

Lucas:So. Why. Did. You. Wake. Me. Up?

Serenity:....*red* I...don’t really, have friends here. Besides you. Umm *points to pail and shovels* sandcastles?

Lucas:*inhales*......I’ll get the water.

Serenity:*smiles* Yes! I’ll delete your number later.

Lucas:*red* You....can keep it of you really want.

Serenity:....Kek, okay Mr. Tsundere

Lucas:You can remove the next crab alone.

Serenity:Don’t joke like that! That was a joke, right?

Lucas:Welp that pail isn’t gonna fill itself. *leaves*

Serenity:What!? Lucas!!! You were joking right!? Right!? *looking around the sand* you’re a lousy bodyguard!

Lucas:Good, fire me.

Serenity:I...you....ugh!

Lucas:Cheer up, I’m happy now after all. *smiles*

Serenity:*pouting* This is why I’m a dog person.

[kingstylesdaily]

What the 2021 Grammy Awards Will Look Like

Artists including Billie Eilish, BTS, and Taylor Swift will perform in a circle of five stages with masked crew at the center — in a ceremony that first-time showrunner Ben Winston calls “part Grammys, part Abbey Road studio session”

Ben Winston is exhausted. The television producer, who moved from the U.K. to Los Angeles six years ago to start The Late Late Show With James Corden, is a week away from executive-producing his first Grammys telecast. “I literally had two hours of sleep last night,” he tells Rolling Stone via Zoom.

On Sunday, March 7th, the Recording Academy revealed a slate of performing artists for March 14th’s 63rd Annual Grammy Awards that includes Billie Eilish, BTS, Taylor Swift, Cardi B, and Harry Styles. But while those names are on the lineup, Winston knows nothing about live TV is ever set in stone — especially in the time of a pandemic —so he’s been spending his days double- and triple-checking plans, waking up at 4:30 a.m. dry-eyed and restless. He’s worked to make a show “with heart,” he says — one that “doesn’t feel isolated, quiet, or alone.” He also had to take extra steps to ensure the three-and-a-half hour show, which will not take place at the Grammys’ usual home of the Staples Center, is Covid-safe for performers and attendees. Despite all that, he appears remarkably enthusiastic and alert.

Here’s what viewers next Sunday can expect from music’s biggest night, according to Winston: a multi-stage, audience-free show that highlights the year’s creative triumphs, social justice movements, as well as Covid-19’s impact on the arts. Winston hints at several “unbelievably powerful” performances on the slate, adding that the Grammys “absolutely are acknowledging what’s happened” in the country in the last year.

Winston, who in 2018 co-produced Bruno Mars’ well-received live show at the Apollo for CBS, also wanted to highlight independent venues, which are the “lifeblood of this industry” and a launchpad for emerging musicians — so the Grammys will feature guest spots from owners and workers of iconic American venues, including L.A.’s Troubadour and Hotel Café, N.Y.’s Apollo, and Nashville’s Station Inn. “I drive past the Troubadour on my way home from work every night,” Winston says. “It’s a significant thing for me when I look at it all boarded up. I always think, ‘When those boards come down, this will be over.’ That will be the sign. That will be the day where it’s like, ‘We got through this.'” Winston realized from his conversations with venues that many of them put on their last shows on March 14th, 2020, meaning the Grammys will mark the one-year anniversary of the shutdown.

Employees will come on camera to “tell us a little bit about their venue” and present some of the awards. “So, you’ve got, like, a bartender at a beautiful, independent venue — and she’s giving out Album of the Year to these megastars,” he explains. His goal is to acknowledge the people who work tirelessly to keep these stomping grounds afloat and have recently lost their jobs. “Those venues are made up by the bartender and the security guard, the manager, the box office person, and the cleaner at the end of the night.” He hopes to remind people of the importance of supporting local venues again when it’s safe to do so.

Originally, the Grammys were scheduled for January 31st, but organizers announced a move to March right after the new year. Winston says he felt American morale was at a low point in January — between political insurrection, an impeachment trial, and Covid-19 running rampant in Los Angeles — and it “didn’t feel right” to put the show on in the middle of that. The Recording Academy and CBS, which exclusively airs the annual show, both supported his decision to postpone. “I can now do everything that I wanted to do in my best-case scenario for this year,” he says of Sunday’s show.

Sunday’s location is an undisclosed building in Los Angeles, but Winston teases that the new venue is “massive,” “magical,” and “the biggest building I’ve ever been in indoors.” “I don’t want it to look like I’m criticizing Staples, because it’s the most amazing venue,” he emphasizes, sharing that he’s open to bringing the Grammys back to the arena in the future if they ask him to. While he does believe that Staples is a safe place, he says he wanted to go above and beyond to make even the most-skeptical participants feel undoubtedly safe.

A team of Covid safety officers oversaw the production set-up, and artists will enter the stage from different directions to minimize contact. Each artist also has their own backstage area. The space “allowed us to build an entire world,” he says.

The show will involve five stages of the same size and shape, four of which are for performances and one of which is for presenters. Stages are organized in a circle, facing one another, and crew members will work from the middle of the set. “People will perform while the other three or four artists on their stages watch, applaud, and enjoy. As soon as that one finishes, the next one goes, the next one goes, and the next one goes. Every 45 minutes, you change out those stages, and you bring another four megastars into the room,” says Winston, who was partly inspired for the “part-Grammys, part-Abbey Road studio session” setup by British shows he watched as a child, including Jools Holland and TFI Friday.

It’s going to be a “bespoke night of music that I don’t know if we’ll ever be able to repeat,” Winston says. “It’s about taking a camera into a room, and making an amazing musical moment by filming it quite simply and elegantly.” Performances, which started being planned in April 2020, will be a mix of live and pre-recorded — a fully live show would involve too many crew members moving sets and risking close contact — but the whole thing is intended to feel completely live. (Winston challenges viewers to try and guess which sets are pre-recorded; he designed them to be difficult to tell.)

To help plan the sprawling, immersive show, Winston brought in a suite of collaborators including co-executive producer Jesse Collins, who produced The Weeknd’s Super Bowl halftime show; co-executive producer Raj Kapoor, who handled creative direction for various artists on the last seven Grammys and produced Vegas residencies for the likes of the Backstreet Boys and Mariah Carey; producer Fatima Robinson, whose expansive background in creative direction and choreography landed her the Black Eyed Peas’ 2011 halftime show and Kendrick Lamar’s 2016 Grammy performance; producer Misty Buckley, who handled production design for Kacey Musgraves’ 2020 Christmas show; talent executive Patrick Menton from Dick Clark Productions; Corden collaborator Josie Cliff; and Super Bowl halftime, Olympic ceremony, Oscars, and Emmys director Hamish Hamilton, who Winston describes as a “legend” he’s admired since he was 14 years old. (David Wild, who has written for the Grammys since 2001 and became a producer in 2016, is the only person returning to his role.) Winston also points out that artists were heavily involved in designing their own performances.

Rather than have cameras pan over empty seats and an awkwardly small stage, the production team decided to reinvent the visual format with the five-stage setup. The pandemic’s limitations, coupled with the advantages of new faces coming in with fresh perspectives, helped them refrain from thinking in terms of what the Grammys had done before, he said.

For the most part, Covid-19 didn’t force too many changes. It did give Winston a lot of anxiety.

“There’s been so much uncertainty with what you’re allowed to do,” he says. Changing international quarantine rules made him question whether certain performers could fly in, while health guidance keeps fluctuating: “Every time my computer or phone dings, my first instinct is, ‘Oh, God, what’s gone wrong?’ I don’t know if that’s ever been my mentality before.”

While all the performers are confirmed and currently Covid-free, “you never know, one of their girlfriends could have Covid and have to quarantine, it’s all just bonkers,” Winston says. “There’s one artist that may, in the end, not be able to make it here due to rules of the country they’re currently in. There’s one immigration issue that we’ve got left.”

The show does not have replacements on hand if anyone pulls out — it’ll just cut that performance out.

Above all, Winston wants the 2021 Grammys to focus attention off of dire times. “I want people to be able to watch the 2021 Grammys in 2040 and go, ‘Wow, what an amazing show that was,’ and not go, ‘Oh, that was the Covid year, that’s why they had to do that,'” he says. “I think that’s what we could achieve if we get it right on Sunday.”

via RollingStone.com

[itsclydebitches]

Thinking back to the earlier volumes, isn't it weird that Ozpin either 1) didn't notice Jaune faked his transcripts (imagine if he was a Salem agent) or 2) decided to just trust this kid with fake transcripts when he is so paranoid that not even his inner circle has his complete trust?

I've always worked under the assumption that he had to have known. Even just ignoring the unlikely event that Jaune managed to secure transcripts that were that persuasive and Ozpin never followed up with/realized that Jaune didn't attend a previous school as he claimed (the huntsmen world seems to be a small one, increasing the likelihood of Ozpin hearing about potential new students, and Jaune couldn't have passed the test Blake, Ren, and Nora did for those students with unconventional educations prior to Beacon), he also just acts like he knows and is keeping it quiet. Ozpin is not at all surprised by Jaune's lack of knowledge regarding landing strategies, or his genuine fear about the initiation. Some like Ruby may be nervous about teams, but no one else is scared because to a Beacon level huntsmen there's nothing to be scared of - this stuff is easy-peasy. A guy asks for a parachute to safely land? That would have immediately tipped Ozpin off if he didn't already know. Plus, the person in these scenes who does pick up on these discrepancies, Glynda, is the one Ozpin ignores. "Oh, you think Mr. Arc isn't ready for Beacon? Haha, no reason to address that little observation..."

He had to have known, so the real question is why he'd allow this. You're right that it was a security risk, but it appears far riskier in a post-Fall story. Yes, of course Ozpin always knew about the threat Salem posed even if the audience did not, but the Fall wasn't just a shock to us and the other characters. I think people forget that it was absolutely a shock to Ozpin too. As far as he was aware, things were going swimmingly. It's that wonderful time of peace! Yeah, he starts hearing reports of enemy movements around the same time that Jaune was allowed in (meaning that any worry wouldn't have started until he'd already taken a risk on Jaune), but no one could have predicted that within a few months the entire school would be overrun with grimm. Meanwhile, telling people about Salem has been a known risk for at least several lifetimes. Letting Jaune into the school without credentials is only perceived as such a big risk after we've watched Cinder pull that exact stunt: sneaking into Beacon as a student and helping to destroy it from within. But, given the knowledge everyone had in Volumes 1-3, it doesn't surprise me that Ozpin would see one action as a STAGGERINGLY bigger risk than the other. He doesn't tell his inner circle about Salem because every time he tells people about Salem they drop the fight, betray him to her, or fall into such despair that they're functionally no longer allies - as the group beautifully demonstrated when the secrets came to light. Jaune is just... taking a chance on a kid with potential. One is a proven risk within a war that impacts all of Remnant; the other is only at that same level of risk if Ozpin were truly paranoid and spiraling when it came to imagining the worst possible scenario for every situation. What if this bumbling kid is secretly an intelligent spy sent to undermine my school from within, despite every possible proof to the contrary?

But it's details like this that make me roll my eyes so hard at the "Ozpin doesn't trust anyone" rhetoric of both the show and the fandom. Not trusting everyone with everything - because different people are more likely to be trustworthy or not; different pieces of information have the ability to do more damage than others - is not the same thing as not trusting, period. Ozpin, like Ironwood, has never been paranoid. Everything he fears is true, proven again and again across multiple lifetimes. It's not paranoia when people are literally betraying you left and right. Yet despite this, Ozpin extends a shocking amount of trust. It's as you say, he does let this unknown kid try his hand at being a huntsmen. He lets a former White Fang member into Jaune's class, allowing her to hide her status as a faunus the whole while, outright telling her that she can keep her secrets until she's ready to share them. He previously allowed two bandits into his school - who later revealed they'd come with the explicit purpose of learning how to murder huntsmen!! - and despite being betrayed by one he still keeps her brother as his second in command. He trusted his inner circle with everything but the secret that has screwed him over time and time again. He trusted a bunch of nobody students when they randomly showed up at his safehouse, demanding to be a part of this battle. He trusted them again despite the horrific way they put his trauma on full display. And then hit him. Screamed at him. Ignored him for months on end. He trusts them so much that when four of them came back with Emerald he didn't even question it. This 14yo boy I'm inhabiting wants to risk everything by "trusting love" in the woman who, just a few hours ago, was trying to help Cinder murder our Maiden? Lol yeah sure, why not.

Ozpin extends an extraordinary amount of trust given his circumstances. That's canon to my mind. What's ridiculous is that the comparatively few times he's held back have been blown into this inaccurate image of him being paranoid, or so manipulative that he refuses to allow anyone else agency through information. But Ozpin trusting others 99% of the time is the part of the story that has always made sense. Trusting others with caution during such a dangerous war is not - and should not - be criticized for this extent, especially when the other option presented is pure foolishness. Which, frankly, is where I think Oscar is at, surviving his blind faith in someone like Hazel purely because the plot bends to accommodate that. It also remains a strange theme in the face of Ruby's current characterization. Ozpin, according to the show, is flawed because he didn't trust love... yet this is the same volume when Ruby tells all of Remnant that Ironwood can't be trusted. No explanation, no attempt to reach out, just a black and white dismissal that he is an enemy now, full stop. And we can't even contextualize that with, "Well, Ironwood is too far gone to ever trust again. There are some cases where love just isn't enough" when we redeemed both Emerald and Hazel within episodes of each other. The PTSD riddled former-ally doing horrific things in the name of saving at least some of his kingdom is too far gone, but the guy who murdered the majority of Mistral's huntsmen, works directly for Salem, and has spent his two major appearances trying to kill/torture a kid is not? Yeeeaahh. That's really absurd to my mind. At the end of the day, RWBY's themes of trust are just fundamentally flawed. There is no solid foundation to work from and no continuity across the series, let alone across different characters. Ozpin trusted Jaune, but is said to be too untrusting because the show is basing "trust" on whichever characters it likes most in a given moment. It is, again, why we get a "Ruby will save the day because she's so trusting. More trusting than Ozpin ever was" while she is, in that exact moment, keeping these secrets from Ironwood. Or themes of Ruby uniting the world... while she explicitly says, "But not that guy." Any compelling story about trust we might have gotten died the day the group stole everything from Ozpin, punished him for things outside of his control, cut him out of their lives until the plot forced them to work together again, and the story never once went, "Hmm. Maybe our supposedly trusting, forgiving heroes shouldn't have done all that."

[alloftheimaginess]

AD INTERVIEW

Other parts

Jared Padalecki

Misha Collins

Jensen Ackles

This part sucks ass but I low key like it. I’ll probably end up redoing it soon

"Hello welcome Ad" I say opening the front door for the camera crew and Alex comes up behind me, wrapping his arm around my shoulder.

"I'm Yn Calvert" I say.

"And I'm Alexander Calvert, come right in" he says and I smile up at him.

"This house was built by my great great grandmother when she was in her 20's and then it was a gift to my great grandparents on their wedding night and then it was given to my grandparents and then my parents and then when Alex and I got married my mom handed us the keys" I say.

"We're currently in the middle of upgrading and rebuilding everything and we've been working on it for three years now" Alex says.

"This is our living room" I say as we walk in to it.

"This is honestly my favorite room in the house, when we're actually staying here the boys and I spend a lot of time in here, playing games, playing the piano and having quiet reading time" I say.

"I learned with kids a while ago that we can't have all the fancy things and I'm cool with with that because I enjoy the family vibes we created" I say going to the wall that holds all the photos.

"This is Misha on his first day of kindergarten" I say pointing to the photo.

"I cried harder than he did" I say laughing.

"This is a picture from our wedding night, I adore this picture so much because all of the couples can be seen dancing around us, I remember this moment because Flicker by Niall Horan was playing and at that point it was one of my favorite songs and right there you can see Jared and his wife being all cute" I say pointing it out.

"All the art you see in here is made by two of Yn's sisters who run an art shop" Alex says.

"They've been painting ever since we were young and the work they put out is amazing and every time we get a visitor they always ask where I got it from and I can easily promote my siblings" I say laughing.

"Over here is our kitchen" Alex says walking up the two step departing our kitchen from our living room.

"We tore down the wall because we wanted the open space, all the natural light and when I'm making dinner I can keep an eye out on the kids and they can eat their snacks at the table and watch tv or play the game while I'm doing whatever I need to do" I say.

"Let me show you my favorite part about the kitchen" Alex says leading them over to the sink.

"Yn cooks dinner pretty much every night which leaves me and the boys with the clean up and they like how big the sink is" he says showing off our farmhouse sink.

"Makes washing dishes so much easier and Aj use to take a lot of baths in here" he says patting the sink and I laugh.

"You sound like you're trying to convince everyone to get one" I say and he laughs with me.

"Maybe I am" he says taking them to the other room.

"Over here is where our dining room was but we don't use it so we made it into a branch off living room" Alex says.

"We celebrate the holidays here and it's perfect for Christmas when we have our families and friends here and the living room is taken, we have these two ceiling chairs and then some cushions and bean bags I like to think of it as a sort of cozy corner, this usually turns into the kids hang out spot when there's a group of them because we have the gaming tv here and they can just lounge and enjoy whatever game they are playing" I say.

"The backyard is what I'm probably proudest of" I say opening the folding sliding glass doors and we step outside.

"We have the pool over there completely gated off because Aj can't fully swim yet and he likes to play outside when I'm on the patio writing" I say.

"And on that side we have the boys playhouse from Charmed Playhouses, Yn seen a picture of one and she fell in love with them and decided that the boys needed to have a Harry Potter themed playhouse" he says.

"It's literally so cool in there, I should have just walked you to the playhouse and did a tour of that" I say laughing.

"We got Harry Potter because I've always been a massive fan and Misha when he was around three he fell in love with it and I knew I had to do it plus it's perfect for both boys and girls" I say.

"Now up the stairs on the right we have the office" I say sliding the glass sliding door open and stepping inside and Alex follows me in.

"There's not a lot here" I say.

"We're currently working on expanding this room because Alex has his desk and I want a space where I can put all of my art stuff so we're in the middle of that" I say.

"This is also where Yn keeps her awards because she's too embarrassed to show them off so she keeps them tucked away up here where she can glance at them to remind her that she can always be better" he says moving the picture frames they are behind.

"This is the hallway" I say and Alex laughs.

"Yn loves this hallway" he says.

"I do, I love it so much" I say giggling and I stop walking.

"This is why I love this hallway so much" I say pointing at the pictures.

"My family is very big and very all over the place. From my birth dad I have six siblings and on my moms side I have five and it's like crazy trying to get everyone together and when I found out I was pregnant with Mish everyone came and they showed up and I managed to get a few decent shots out of it" I say laughing.

"And next to that I have my all time favorite picture of me and my baby sister Zendaya at the oscars in 2015. It's a photo from the red carpet and I was telling her I was pregnant and this was her reaction" I say laughing.

"Moving on, the first room we have belongs to Misha, they are both down for a nap right now in Aj's room so I can show off Misha's room" I say opening the door and stepping inside.

"My mom actually designed this room for him and she put it together while we were in Canada while Alex was filming so we came back to it and it was a nice surprise, Misha loved it more than anything" I say laughing.

"She got him a moving bookshelf and every time we go to the store he asks for a book so he can add them to the book shelf so that way no one will know which books opens the bookshelf" he says tipping the book back and it slides open.

"This is his 'hey Misha clean your room bub guests are coming' hiding spot" I say.

"Gets the job done" Alex says and I laugh rolling my eyes.

"Until I have to come in behind him and clean it" I say.

"This is the game room" I say.

"It has all of the games your mind could ever imagine" Alex says opening the doors under where the tv sits and it is stuffed with games.

"Texas thunderstorms have taught us that we can never have enough games or candles to entertain us when we lose power or when it storms so much the boys are up all night" I say.

"Next is our bedroom" I say stopping at the closed double doors and I push them open.

"This is where the magic happens" he says and I laugh rolling my eyes and I step in.

"Our bedroom was one of the first things we did when we moved in, we tore it apart and with the help of my best friend slash Alex's fake father and his wife and we rebuilt this room in about two to three weeks and it was like the best time of my life" I say.

"In this little hole is where we keep Misha when guest come so we can pretend we did all the work around here" he says and I laugh.

"You're an idiot" I say and he laughs with me.

"This is a laundry chute, there's one in the main rooms such as ours, Misha's and Aj's and they can just send the clothes right to the basket which then I can just dump into the washer" he says and I nod.

"Plus there's never any clothes lying around, everyone should have one of these" I say.

"Through here is our bathroom and closet" he says opening the door and we go inside.

"It's just a bathroom it's nothing special to me but to Yn it is everything" he says and I press the button and the shelves come out the cabinet.

"It's my vanity but when I'm done I can put it away and not worry about anything getting messed up ever and I love it because everything is unorganized but you can't see the clutter" I say getting off of the pouf and I go into the closet.

"This is probably the most extreme room we have in our house because honestly I'm addicted to shopping and I need the space. I always wanted like the closet that Hannah Montana had and I didn't get it but honestly this one has hers beat so I'm not complaining" I say and Alex laughs.

"Like I said about the bathroom I don't get it" he says and I laugh.

"And the last room" I say opening the door showing off the nursery and I step inside them following me.

"You're the first ones that aren't apart of our inner circle to find out and we want to use this video as an announcement" Alex says and I nod.

"This nursery is for our princess who we are happy to announce will be born in four months" Alex says. "January 1st" I say smiling at the camera.

[littlemisssquiggles]

So Oscar is planning to kind of be a double agent and sabatage Salem's Inner circle. This could mean he might be planning to sow discourse within the group and let's be honest he does have experience seeing petty conflicts within the groups being with the heroes. And as we saw plenty of times the villians have there own conflicts with each other, the question is who will be easy for Oscar to either manipulate or switch to his side?

Hey Crystal. I think the answer to that question is pretty obvious, especially given the events of the last episode. I’d like to believe that as of now---Hazel Rainart, Emerald Sustrai and even Neopolitan are the most likely to make the switch from serving Salem.

 We know for a definite fact that Neo is obviously displeased by her experience at being a pawn for Cinder Fall. While Neo is used to being a lackey, given her history as Roman Torchwick’s right hand woman, at least with Roman, it was evident that there was more to their bond than that of the typical crime boss and loyal side kick dynamic. Neo cared a lot about Roman and he in turn cared for her when he was alive and definitely treated her with more appreciation than what she receives from Cinder Fall.

Then there is Emerald---since V6, Emerald has displayed doubt in her stance in serving the main villains. Based on what she told Ruby back during the Battle of Haven, we know for a definite fact that most of Emerald’s willingness to cooperate with Salem’s schemes is due in part to her loyalty to Cinder. As a matter of fact, I remember Emerald dead ass saying that she doesn’t care about Salem.

“…I don’t care about Salem but I owe Cinder everything…” 

I believe that’s what she said to Ruby back in V5. Therefore, Emerald bears no loyalty to Salem and mainly followed her out of her devotion to Cinder Fall. But as we saw last episode, I think based on her reaction to what Mercury said---I believe now Emerald is starting to see the truth in what Mercury told her. 

At the end of day, Cinder doesn’t care about Emerald. No matter how much Emerald does her best to prove her devotion to the Fall Maiden, it is never reciprocated at all. And given Emerald’s reaction to seeing Cinder being punished by Salem, I think that was her realizing that she herself has chosen the wrong side. I think what Emerald does next will define where she truly stands and I’d love to think---at least I’d hope to think she would chose the side that agrees to help Oscar thwart Salem’s schemes. If not for herself then…perhaps out of some twisted resolve to save Cinder from destroying herself further before Salem does, y’know what I mean? That’s how I see it.

And finally---there is Hazel. I’ll admit, I was worried about (and rightfully upset with) Hazel following the events of the fourth episode. It definitely bothered me a lot watching Hazel enact his vengeance on Ozpin through Oscar. However, after hearing Oscar voice that Hazel was “holding back” with him, it’s clear to me that while Hazel is upset with Oz---it probably makes him uncomfortable being forced to do so through Oscar---the eyes of an innocent child who honestly has no place in this fight.

It wouldn’t surprise me if Hazel sees a bit of his sister in Oscar since, according to him, she was “only a child” too when she went off to become a huntress of her own choice that Hazel still refuses to accept.  Not to mention that throughout the shared shots of Hazel with Oscar, you can clearly see Hazel’s apprehension.

When Oz confronted him on his choice to follow Salem, you can see that even through his rage at Oz, there was a bit of apprehension with Hazel due in part to Oscar. I think bottom-line, Hazel wants to avenge his sister but he doesn’t want to do it through killing another innocent child. 

If Hazel killed Oscar to avenge Gretchen over Oz, then how would that make him any different than the man he constantly accuses Oz of being?

Not to mention that when Oz brought up Salem bringing the Relics together, you can see Hazel’s confusion. One thing that I’ve always wondered is how much has Salem disclosed to her followers about the Relics. It wouldn’t surprise me if, much like Oz, Salem never told her followers the truth of what would ultimately happen should the Relics be brought together.

It wouldn’t surprise me if Salem has been manipulating her pawns on false promises---making them submit to the fact that the only way to achieve their ultimate goals in through her when in reality, all she really wants is to watch everything burn.

My hunch is that the reason Salem wants the Relics is so that she could bring about Judgement Day and have Remnant wiped from existence out of her own selfish desire to finally be able to rest. After all, in the Lost Fable episode, the Brother Gods told Salem that so long as the world turns, she shall walk its face.

So long as Remnant exists, Salem will never be free of her wretched curse. 

So I feel this is what Salem wants in the end. Not to become a goddess or rule Remnant (since she already achieved this during her time with Ozma in his second lifetime as Diggs) but to die. 

I think ultimately Salem wants to end her own curse and she’s selfish enough to take all of humanity and Remnant with her, just like she did long ago.

It makes perfect sense if that’s her ultimate goal given the events of the Lost Fable. But I highly doubt this is something that her followers know. After all, would you honestly be willing to follow someone who you know was working to end the world that you need to live in in order to achieve your goals?

It wouldn’t shock me at all if none of Salem’s pawns know the full truth about the Relics. All the more reason why I think it would be very easy for Oscar to make them switch sides using this info. I have a feeling Hazel would definitely be one to turn for sure. I don’t know what promises Salem made to him outside of revenge on Oz for Gretchen but I feel like Hazel would be among the first to side with Oz---at least, he’ll side with Oscar.

So yeah, to reiterate, I expect Hazel, Emerald and Neo to turn first. 

Mercury might take some added effort. But I think eventually he’ll come around too since deep down, I think Mercury cares more for Emerald than he lets off and being the Emerald Merc shipper that I am, I think it would be pretty sweet if Mercury asked Emerald to join him with Salem, promising to love and care for her in ways that Cinder never could or something like that. 

It’d be very sweet if despite his own abuse and hardships and despite growing up never feeling love from anyone, if Merc grew to desire to give the feelings he never got to someone who he sees shares in his loneliness. It’d be sweet to see Merc change for the better cause deep down he does genuinely care a lot for Emerald and it would be great to see her be the one to persuade/influence him since for the most part, Emerald has been a follower---not an influencer, y’know what I mean?

As for Tyrian and Cinder.

To put it bluntly, I thinkTyrian Callows would rather die than betray “his goddess” so he’ll probably follow Salem to literally the end of the world whether she kills him via Judgement Day or of her own hand. 

As for Cinder---Cinder I don’t know anymore. After watching her backstory, I don’t know what the showrunners plan on doing with her. While I’m still very skeptical about a Cinder Fall redemption arc (despite her history with Rhodes hitting me hard), I’m getting mixed signals on what the showrunners’ true intentions with her are. 

I don’t know whether to stick to my own theories on Cinder potentially usurping Salem at some point and becoming the new Red Queen and leader of the Grimm or…prepare to retrieve my jaw from all the way over in China after it plummets through the center of the earth at my mere unadulterated shock at the showrunners actually making Cinder a “good guy” after EVERYTHING this crazy chick has done over the seasons.

As for Watts---I’m sure he’ll cave faster than an avalanche once he learns that he can’t take out his bitterness and jealousy towards Pietro and Jimmy Ironwood from the grave.

So yeah XD That’s my answer to that.

~LittleMissSquiggles (2020)

[riofann]

Meet The Parents

GIF by: @leelakoiwolff​

A/N: Part of The Spooky Series

Warnings: some violence, cursing, mentions of smut, 18+ crowd

Things between you and your boyfriend Oscar were not going so great. The honeymoon phase was over and now it just seemed like all you two did was argue over dumb shit. You actually hadn’t talked or texted him in over a week after your last blow up, both of you had too much pride to back down. However today was ‘Santos Day’ and there was going to be a big party at Spooky’s house. All the Santos would be in attendance.

You and Letti had decided to bake a cake in celebration

“What type of cake should we bake?” she asked

“We should make it like the Santos sign, the cross and all”

“Oh yea! We should, good idea!” 

You both rush to the grocery store to grab all the ingredients you simply didn’t have enough at home. 

“How are things between you and Spook?” Letti asked

You shrug “I don’t know haven’t heard from him”

“Well hopefully with ‘Santos Day’ being today it will break the ice and we can double date again!” She was Sad Eyes' girlfriend. Very sweet young lady cared for Sad Eyes and Santos like they were her family. 

“Yea...” you said agreeing but deep down you weren’t so sure. The argument you had was so stupid you couldn’t even remember how it started, but it did, and one thing led to another which resulted in Oscar grabbing his things and leaving slamming your condo door behind him. 

~~~~As the time approaches you both get ready. You didn’t put much effort into your outfit, black jeans white top, and converse, you weren’t planning on staying anyway. You had a back up plan texting your cousin Sasha earlier in the day making plans to hang out with her and her boo. Even if it was third wheeling, you’re positive it would be better than having to pretend all was okay between you and Oscar. 

As you both arrive there are cars all over the street so finding parking was quite difficult. You had to walk a bit before you got to the house carrying cake in hand. 

“HHHEEEYYY!” Letti greets as she enters “Look what we brought!”

“Damn thats a cake?” Cesar asked 

“Yup we made it for ‘Santos Day’”

“Damn!”  

“Yo Spook!” Lucky one of his men called him to “Get in here!” 

Oscar slowly rose from his chair in the back of the house and walked in

“Look at the cake!” Lucky speaks to him pulling him in the direction of the cake 

(A/N:The cake is a replica of Cesar’s back tattoo, with cupcakes spelling out Happy Santos Day) 

“We made you a cake for ‘Santos Day’!” Letti says exited

“Hope you like it!” you added 

“Looks good, before we eat it call everybody into the house” Oscar said

You stood next to Letti and watched him give a speech, thanking The Santos for being his make up family and watching over his little brother Cesar. Afterwards it took you and Letti some time to cut and distribute either cupcakes or cake pieces to everyone, by the time you were done both Oscar and Sad Eyes had migrated back to their chairs in the back of the house and were just relaxing listening to conversations. Letti left to be by Sad Eyes before you did. You were doing a little bit more cleaning there were beer bottles and cans everywhere, red solo cups all over. You just wanted the place to be a little bit neater. 

When you step out to find the crew there's a couple girls sitting close to Oscar, flirting with him this was normal you had gotten used to it by now. 

All the ‘important’ Santos sat in the circle, as you approached the group a few attempted to offer you their seat but you declined and made your way to Oscar.

You bent over next to him putting your hand on his shoulder. “Hey!” he gave you that notorious mug and you quickly removed your arm, so much for breaking the ice he was still mad at you, “I'm gonna go, I’ll see you later okay?” He didn't respond, just give you a look you couldn’t read besides anger and irritation. “bye babe” you say before kissing his cheek

“Bye guys Happy ‘Santos Day’ drink up be merry yea?”  you speak to the group

“Where you going?” Letti asked 

“Yea what's up with that?” Sad Eyes chimed in

“Come on you can’t leave” someone else spoke up

“Sorry guys, my cousin Sasha and I made plans. I'll see you guys later.” you wave goodbye and quickly make your way down the driveway. Everyone knew there was bad blood between you two but nobody knew exactly what.

All eyes turned back to Oscar, who you feel boring a hole into your back

“Watch out” Letti said to Sad Eyes as she stood from his lap. “Y/N!” she called to you by this time you were walking down the street to your car. When she caught up you were wiping away your tears

“Yea!”

“You can’t leave, talk to him”

“I’m tired of being the one who always surrenders Aletticia!” you vent

“Y/N come on you guys are good together”

“Maybe we aren't suppo...”

Before you can finish Oscar had caught up with you two and was standing a few feet back “What’chu guys talking about?”

You turned to look the other way while wiping away your tears 

“Nothing Spooky we’ll be in soon” Letti answers

“I gotta go” you say hugging Letti “I’ll talk to you later” 

“Vamos” Oscar called tilting his head backwards

Letti begun to walk towards him 

“Not’chu,” he points at you “You, Y/N vamos” “Oscar I have...” you protest 

He interrupts once again “Cancel them”  he said stepping closer 

“Fine” you said walking towards your boyfriend, you had given up and you knew if you made this an issue things might get worse 

“AAAYYEE you came back!” Sad Eyes celebrates

“Have a seat” Oscar says to you as you approach his chair 

“Yea!”  you say forcing a smile 

You text your cousin canceling movie night plans it worked out for her anyway, she was getting hot and heavy with her boo thing. 

When Oscar returns he has another beer bottle in hand and a red solo cup “Here” he said handing you the drink. “Taste it”  He knew beer wasn’t your thing, you hated it, you would rather go for the liquor. 

You take a sip and smile. He made it just how you like, sweet. “It's good thanks”

He pulls you to stand up before sitting down on the chair and pulling you on his lap. He adjusts a bit and you sit still, your back is straight up you haven’t relaxed into him yet, your body is tense against his. 

“You comfy?” he asks close to your ear

“Mhmm” you nod taking a sip 

“Ven aquí”  he says pulling you closer to him practically forcing you to lay on him wrapping one arm around you resting his hand on your thigh

You don’t make a noise but just sit and sip on your drink. You didn’t do well with confrontation let alone a full blown in your face argument. You always needed verbal confirmation that things were good between you two before you felt at ease again. 

Your phone vibrates and it's a text from Letti

Letti: TALK. TO. HIM

You look up at her scolding you. You know Oscar has seen the text because he chuckles out of nowhere. 

You sigh and run your fingers through your hair. 

“Changed your hair?” 

“Yea” you had made it lighter and added a few highlights “you like it?” 

“It's cool,” he could care less you could be bald and he would still think you were the baddest in the group “what’chu been up to?” 

“Just work” you answer curtly

He nods and takes a pull from his blunt. He blows out the smoke. 

Out of nowhere you squeal from the sensation that just hit you causing the group to look at you “Oscar!” You say smiling now trying to get out of his lap, he was pinching your sides knowing they are your ticklish spots

“What?” he asks smiling while he pinches your side again causing you to squeal 

“Stop” you squirming around his lap

“Talk to me then, like Letti said”

“About what?” you ask looking in his eyes 

“Anything”

“Okay what happened to your hand?” you ask the obvious

“Don’t worry about it”

You shrug “I have no other questions”

“I got a question”

“Okay”

It takes him a moment before he finally speaks “How come i ain’t never met any of your family only your grandma who used to live down the street”

You turn to look at him and hold a puzzling look

“What cat got your tongue?”

“No,” you were putting two and two together  “is that why you're mad at me?”

“Answer the question.” he responds calmly before taking another pull from his blunt

“You answer the question!” you could really be difficult to deal with sometimes. 

“I mean we been dating what six, seven months you’ve met my entire Santos crew i don’t  even know your moms first name”

“I don’t know” you shrug “we have never really talked about it, i didn't think you cared”

“You embarrassed of me or something?” his facial expression changed to a serious one

“No! I am not”

“So whats up then?”

“We literally haven’t talked about meeting my parents i didn't think it mattered but i am not embarrassed of you! Don't think that!” 

“So when can i meet them?” he asks challenging you

“Uh” you hesitate before answering “I can text them and find out when would be a good time”

“Do it then”

“Now?” 

He nods “Yea”

“Its one in the morning”

“So? When they wake up they’ll see it”

“Okay” you say pulling out your phone and type the message “happy?” you ask showing him the text 

He raises his brow and shakes his head looking away 

“Hey” you say, making him look at you. “I am not embarrassed of you and I’m sorry if i made you feel that way.” 

“It’s cool, give me a kiss”

You leaned in to plant kisses on his lips. You two always did 3 meaningful kisses followed by an eskimo kiss

“There we go there we go!” Baldie, another one of his men, claps “WHOO that’s what we want to see!” You both flick him off before returning to the conversation. 

~~~~~A date was finally set for Friday night. Oscar was to pick you up from your condo and you were both to arrive by 7PM.

“Come on Y/N we are late!” he fusses, he was so anal about time

“It’s fine i guarantee you my mom is waiting for me to help her cook”

“Yea but i don't want my first impression to be bad i already got strikes against me”

“Like what?”

He counts on his fingers “Like my tattoos, my occupation, my record”

You shrug “I dont care about those”

“But your parents will”

“Are you dating them or me?” you challenge 

“Ay! Esta mujer! Vamos!”

“Okay! okay! im done sheesh!”

You both don't say much during your ride there. Truth be told you were both nervous. When you pull up to the affluent community, Oscar feels his nerves raging he didn’t care about them not liking him but what if they influenced you to feel the same?

He parks the car looking at the houses around him 

“DAMN you lived like this?” He asked 

“Yea” you shrug it was nothing special to you but for someone who grew up like Oscar it was something

“Ready?” you ask as you hold his hand pulling him towards the house

You open the door and call out, “Mom?” the dogs start barking, two Samoyeds run up, “Hi Tweety, Hi Sylvester, how are you I missed you!”  you greet them, Oscar does the same bending down to rub their heads, “Mom? Dad?”

You hear talking further into the house “they must be in the kitchen come on” 

You walk through the house and find them deep in conversation, in the kitchen 

“Hey mom, hi dad”

“Ahh Y/N you finally made it!” your dad comments he stands up and  glances at his watch. Oscar could pinch you right there “right on time!” He walks up and gives you a hug

“Hi sweety” your mom chimes in, giving you a hug too

“Hi mom this is Oscar, my boyfriend, Oscar my mom and dad Jennifer and Nicolas” 

“Nice to meet you son, come here” your dad said pulling him in for a hug

“Hi give me a hug too” 

“Nice to meet you guys”

“You guys got here right on time, dinner is almost ready! Y/N why don’t you help your mom finish up” he speaks to you before turning to Oscar  “let's go for a chat shall we? What's your poison?” your dad asked

“I'm good with anything sir,” this was his first time meeting parents. “Oh no, Call me Nicolas”

The two men walk away and your mom’s smile drops

“Really Y/N?”

“What mom?”  you say preparing yourself 

“Him? Of all people Him?” 

“Yes HIM” 

“What about Brett”

“Oh you mean the piece of shit who cheated on me repeatedly?”

She huffed handing you the salad bowl “what do you think is gonna happen, hmm? That you two can live happily ever after?”

“Why can't we live happily in the moment?” you argue 

“How long have you been dating?”

“Almost 7 months”  you mumble 

“7 MONTHS!” 

On the patio Oscar and your dad’s head snap at the direction of the scream

“Don’t mind them so tell me about yourself Oscar,” he motions to his cheek indicating the same spot as Oscar’s tattoo “is that tattoo real?”

“Yes” 

“Killed someone? That's what that means right?”

Oscar adjusts in his seat “Something like that?” he wasn’t sure how much he should reveal of himself. 

“Well did you?”

“No, attempted, self defense” he takes a sip of his whiskey

“When did you get out?”

“Bout a year ago”

Your dad nodded as he analyzed his outfit. You had told Oscar to be his true self and not change a thing, so he was dressed in his Cholo garb

“The other tattoo?” He turns so your dad can see all of it “Santos” “Your gang?”

“Yea”

Your dad adjusts in his seat “So what plans do you have for yourself Oscar? Do you plan on being in a gang your whole life?”

“Honestly?” he was going to reveal his true feelings to another person, that would make two, you and your dad. 

“Yea honestly”

“Honestly im kinda tired of it, trying to figure out how to get out but things are kind of complex”

“How’d you get involved?” 

Oscar tells him the family history all of it, might as well tell him now and hold nothing back 

“Wow i'm sorry to hear that must have been rough”

He shrugs “I made it through”

“How long have you been dating my daughter”

“7 months”

“Wow! She kept you hidden for 7 months, we didn’t even know, as much as she came over we would have never known.”

“Yea it was my idea, for us to meet” 

Your dad nodded, “I know you know my concern is my daughter’s safety at all times” 

“She's safe with me”

“I don’t question her being safe with you. It's been 7 months and she hasn’t come back with a scratch on her. My concern is how involved she is in your gang life”

“She's not” 

“She's not?”

“No she knows what we do but i’ve never asked her to step in and do something on behalf of the gang”

“Okay good because my concern is not so much that you two are dating more or don't throw your life away because of loyalty to..”

Oscar cuts him off knowing where the conversation was going. “I get it. I would never ask her to do that. I actually want my brother to leave the gang life too”

“Well good i’m glad we have an understanding”

“Honey!” your mom calls from the patio door

“Perfect timing again! Come on Oscar let's go eat! I hope you like italian” 

They both stood up and begin to walk slowly towards the kitchen

“If you ever need anything, in regards to your exit from your uh ‘club’ let me know and i will see what i can do”

“Thank you, I appreciate that”

“No problem anytime my friend, anytime”

Dinner was awkward between you and your mom.  There was a huge argument over you dating Oscar, but otherwise the conversation was kept light. Afterwards you both hang around, allowing mostly your mom to get to know him better before you leave. 

You both get in and say nothing for a few minutes until you hit the highway. 

“What did you and my dad talk about?” you ask 

“Don't worry about it” he says looking over at you flashing a smile

You knew that was good news you didn’t need to know the details

“What was that screaming we heard?” he asks you 

“Oh uh my mom was upset that i kept you hidden for almost 7 months”

“Did you tell her it was your fault?”

“YES” you roll your eyes

“What did she say?”

“She wasn’t happy” 

“And?” he knew that wasn’t all of it

“And said other things you know typical mom stuff” 

“She doesn’t like me huh?” he says knowing the truth you were hiding

“Yet, doesn't like you yet”

Your mind drifts off to the conversation in the kitchen

“7 MONTHS!”

“Mom!” you didn’t want Oscar to hear you two

“What? 7 fucking months you’ve been dating that!....that!...” 

“Human being” you cut her off before she said something else more degrading

“Why would you throw your life away?” she now stands across from you 

“I am not throwing my life away I still work at the firm, my behavior hasn’t changed, He hasn't asked me to do anything”

“Yet”

“Oh my god of course”

“Yet Y/N! What if you are in danger?” “He will protect me!”

“How? By brandishing a gun and shooting it? Then what about you huh? If you get shot?”

“I won't”

“Yet”

“Mom!”

“Yet Y/N do not mom me! I knew i shouldn’t have allowed you to go visit your grandmother”

“He is not that type of person!”

“YET!”

“Are you serious right now?”

She moves to stand closer to you “Riddle me this. Are you willing to pull out a gun and shoot?”

“IF I HAVE TO DEFEND MYSELF YES”

“What about him? Huh? Are you willing to shoot someone on his behalf?”

You shrug “Yes why not?” 

“So you're just gonna throw your life away like that?”

“Mom, dad has guns, are you telling me if some person came to hurt you guys you wouldn't defend yourself and dad?”

“I'm not saying that, what I'm saying is when you associate yourself with people like him it's hard for society to see your true intentions, you will be reduced to nothing but a gang banger girlfriend.”

“Mom can you give him a chance, please!” 

“And he has a teardrop tattoo! So that means he has done time in prison?”

“Yea so what?” you shrug She stood back shocked by your nonchalant attitude“Y/N i honestly don’t know who you are anymore!” 

“I was the same daughter who came to visit last week. You didn’t have concerns about my person then!” 

“Because you were hiding him from me!” 

“Because I knew you would react like this!”

She threw her hands up in frustration “Y/N I can’t do this with you!” “Mom, I don't want to date rich guys. I want to date regular people. All the money we had and i still ended up depressed with anxiety and all the boys and men I have dated they didn't care about me the way he does. So can you please just give him a chance?” you beg

She scoffed “and you think you’re so special huh?” “Yes!” 

“I can't believe you. I am very disappointed in you. I raised you better!”

“This is why i kept him a secret”

She scoffs “don’t put this on me!”

“Fine it's my fault i'm a shitty daughter i’m a big disappointment. Sorry i couldn’t find a rich guy to fuck like you did” you argue back

You feel a sting across your face, “typical” you say as you hold your cheek. This was part of the reason you moved out. You two just couldn’t seem to get along. 

“You watch your tone!” she threatens now squaring up with you, waving her finger in your face

You take a deep breath and move back “You seem to easily forget where you grew up.” You wipe away the tears. Your voice breaks as you speak “I don’t need your approval. I don't need dad's approval. I really care about him, mother, he makes me happy, he takes care of me, he keeps me safe, isn't that all that matters?”

“What if he gets locked up?”

You shrug “Then he gets locked up!” 

“Are you gonna wait 10 years? Waste your life away waiting for some thug to get out of jail before you live life?”

You take in a deep breath before you speak “He wouldn't let me do that. We already discussed this. As soon as he goes to jail we are done. And that's part of the reason why he is trying so hard to NOT go back”

“I don't know what to say”

“Just give him a chance. I tried it your way I really did. But the men of today aren’t like dad, the rich spoiled men aren’t like dad they don’t care and they all treated me like shit. Oscar has never done that to me”

“When all of this comes crashing down don’t ever say, i never warned you”

“That's okay i know dad has my back even though you don’t” you say as you walk away 

“Y/N!” she huffed as you walked away. 

“Y/N!” Oscar calls your name 

“Hmm!?” you say turning to face him  He rubs on your thigh “You okay bebita?” 

“Mhmm!” you hum taking his hand into yours

“I asked what you want to do? My place or yours?”

You shrug “doesn’t matter to me.”

He nods heading over to your place. 

The rest of the night goes smoothly but you can’t seem to get your mind off of the conversation you and your mom had. You don’t really sleep but listen to him snore lightly. Maybe your mom is right. Were you being that naive?  It was easier to pretend when your parents didn’t know anything but now it felt like reality was hitting you hard. And you start to remember the run-ins with The Prophets and how things were fine one second and the next it was war. You think about the gun he gifted you to protect yourself, it stayed in the night stand drawer.  He has shown you how to shoot it, how to load it, how to clean it, unjam it, all of that. What about your safety? You lived in a condo downtown with parking underneath the building, you started to wonder if he had been followed to your place, What about you? Had you been followed? Do his enemies know where you live? Do they know the car you drive? Should you get another car? What about your job? Your friends? Now your parents.  It was all too overwhelming and you didn’t have concrete answers for all it. 

When morning arrives you ease your way out of bed careful to not wake him up, you sit in the living room staring at the walls drinking tea, deep in thought. When you hear him wake up you rush to the kitchen pretending to make something for breakfast, so you pull out eggs, bacon, and fruit. 

“Morning” he greets you with sleep laced in his voice, you loved his sleepy voice 

“Hey good morning”

“Kiss” he states leaning down for your 3 kisses and Eskimo kiss “mmm making me breakfast?”

“Yes!”

He smacks your ass 

“Hey!” You say holding onto it

He smirks and you know that look all too well “what if i only want you for breakfast?” he asks picking you up placing you on the counter

“I’m not food”

“Speak for yourself”

You giggle as he bombards your neck and lips with kisses “baabbee” you whine

“Hmm?” he hums paying you no mind, he was preoccupied

“I have to cook”

“My meal is hot and ready” he says cupping your pussy

You erupt in laughter

“No seriously” you say pushing him away

“Why you being stingy?” he pouts playfully

You lean down to kiss his lips “I am not!” “You know i need it at least 3 times a week!”

“You got it 4 times this week” you counter back

“I can’t help myself it's so good, you got me feenin”

“Really Oscar”

“Plus 1 of them was a quickie so it didn’t count” 

“You came! So it actually does count” 

“Okay how ‘bout we go for the record do it all 7 days?” 

You laugh at his proposal, but you’re becoming weak to the temptation, he knows what buttons to push to get you going. The spatula you're holding drops to the floor, a result of you wanting to pull him in closer. He pulls you forward so your bottom half is hanging off the edge, he gently pushes you down on the cold counter. With one swift move he removes your shorts and underwear. You wrap your legs around his body so you don’t feel like you’re going to fall. He rubs up and down your thighs lightly, he knows you're anticipating  his next move. You roll your hips against his growing hardness. He reaches down and flicks your clit  with this thumb causing you to jolt away from him.

He grabs you holding you in place “don't run, i’m flicking the bean over here”

You can’t help but laugh, sex with him was just as goofy as it was intimate 

You watch as he returns his thumb to its place right on your clit and starts rubbing it in circular motions 

“I think i’m in love” he comments

“Are you talking to me or it?” you ask now curious 

“Shit i don’t know” he answers not looking up at you, he was mesmerized 

Before things get going his phone rings he groans in frustration but he is on a mission. It stops ringing and you hear it chiming meaning someone was texting him before it rings again this time you grab his wrist

“It could be important.”  It is important, phone calls signaled trouble

“Fuck men i can’t win!” he complains as he walks away from you. He picks up the phone and closes the door. You can’t hear much but after a few minutes he exits fully dressed. Gotta go

“Okay be safe” 

“I need my kisses,”  he says leaning in to give you a kiss. It didn’t matter how bad things were, he wasn't going to leave without getting his 3 kisses and nose kiss. You two actually argued about it once. He called them his ‘good luck kisses.’

A/N: as always please let me know what you think

[im-the-king-of-the-ocean]

Penny/Oscar prompt(with trans!Penny and trans!Oscar): Still feeling confused by being chosen as the Winter maiden, she approaches Oscar about whether she can really be a Maiden when her soul came from a man. Oscar tries his best to answer as himself, saying they're not so different as Oz only reincarnates into men, and explains he wasn't born as one, but that it's their feelings towards their gender and own identity that matters more and is a true reflection of their soul.

I don’t think I’m ever going to be completely happy with this one.  It’s been through (at minimum 3-4) drafts and waaay too many read throughs.  I’m just gonna call it done here.  A part of me feels like I could still make it better somehow, but I already put all that I could into it.

That said, Penny and Oscar as valid af and anyone who disagrees can fight me behind Denny’s (sure I’ll probably lose because I’m basically Steve Rogers before he became Captain America, but yeah).

Also if it doesn’t come across that they’re valid af in this fic, I will just go and edit it some more.  I did my best, but I also am somewhat worried that’s not enough.

anywhoooo off to the fic!

.

There Are No Strings On Me (The Farm Boy Is Also A Cricket, Too)

Penny watches the airship lift off and fly away.  She hates staying behind like this.  She understands why.  What she is now, a Maiden—she’s too important to risk on a reconnaissance mission.  The fate of Atlas, Mantle, the entire world rests partially on her shoulders, and not just in an ‘Ironwood telling her that it will be her job to save the world one day’ way.  This is real.  Too real.

Penny holds one of her hands in the other.  She rubs circles with her thumb on her open palm.  Her father, the first chance he got, repaired the damage Cinder’s fiery blade caused when it exploded.  She’s glad for that.  There’s no doubt in her mind that there will be a battle in the near future she will take part in.  Going into a fight with sustained damages is no good.

Penny closes her eyes.  A part of her wants to playback that terrifying moment.  Hurtling through the air, her sensors alerting her to the incoming blade, catching it, her hands overheating.  Spinning out of control.  Falling.

Catching herself.

She refuses to let herself do more than think about it.  She survived the fight.  So did Winter.  That’s what really matters.  

Although, dying doesn’t necessarily scare Penny.  She’s done it once already.  She doesn’t remember it or the time between it and her reactivation.  She never felt pain, terror.  One moment she knew nothing more, and the next she was blinking awake in her father’s lab.  Penny knows truly dying means not waking up again, but she finds it hard to fear the moment when it’ll eventually happen definitively for her.

What she does fear, and what she would cry over if she had the capacity, is the possibility of an afterlife.  Penny has hard evidence now that, if an afterlife does exist, she doesn’t get to go there.  She doesn’t go anywhere.  She just shuts off.  Like any other machine.

She’s not real like actual people are.  She’s a very close replication of life, but there’s still a gaping chasm between her and everyone else.  One that she can never cross precisely because of what she is.

I have come too far to be stopped by some toy!

They’re words said in rage by someone whose opinion Penny knows she shouldn’t really be considering, but they’ve stuck with her since they were yelled at her.  Is that what she is?  A toy?  A puppet?  A plaything?  An imitation of life meant to explore humanity’s capacity for creation?

An imitation of humanity itself, one that deceived—stole—one of its greatest powers out from under it?

Penny can’t describe what having the Maiden powers feels like.  They’re just there.  A part of her, but one that’s somehow detached from her operating systems.  She controls them, can send commands and signals to them like she does literally every other aspect of her body, but they are distinctly separate from her machinery.  Like a magnet that got accidentally stuck to her and won’t come off.  Not truly a part of her.  Not really.

She shouldn’t have gotten them at all.  The Maiden powers were intended as a gift from an old wizard to four living girls, to aid mankind.  Penny isn’t alive, not like everyone else is.  The gift to the maidens was never meant for her.  She intervened in a process she should have stayed out of.  It was not her place to act like she had.

But if she hadn’t…

Penny can imagine what would have happened if Cinder won that fight.  Fria’s final moments would not have been peaceful.  Winter, out of aura and injured, would be in no condition to continue a fight against an even stronger opponent.  Penny herself…well, she already knew how little Cinder regarded her life.

She’d had no choice, hadn’t she?  To save all three of them.  To not waste the window of opportunity Winter gave her by distracting Cinder.  In those precious moments, there was only her.  Penny.

She could have told Fria to think of Winter, couldn’t she?  Fria knew Winter.  Thinking of her probably wouldn’t have been too hard.  But, Penny hadn’t.  Penny had taken Fria’s hand and held it.  Because no one should be alone in that final moment.  Because she couldn’t say she knew what awaited Fria on the other side and she wanted to give Fria whatever comfort she could to send her off.  Because, in that moment, the magical powers hadn’t mattered, but the old woman in Penny’s arms did.

Now, here she is, the Winter Maiden.  A thief of a gift to humanity.

“You okay?”

Penny nearly jumps.  She hadn’t heard Oscar come up behind her.  Her receptors had captured the echoing sound, sure, but her processors hadn’t been attuned to register it.

“I—I’m fine,” Penny says too hurriedly, and closes her lips firmly to prevent the hiccup from escaping her.

Oscar looks at Penny a long moment, and then sits down beside her.  “I hate staying behind like this,” he admits, gesturing to the cave opening the airship flew out of to exit the Crater.  “I know there’s more I can be doing but I…”

“Are too important,” Penny finishes for him.  And he is.  Ozpin can always reincarnate into someone else, yes, but there will only ever be one Oscar Pine.  Even if he stayed behind, like her, because of the special magic connected to him, that’s the truth Penny believes firmly in.

“I guess you know what that’s like.”  Oscar laughs quietly.

Penny doesn’t answer.  They settle into silence.  It’s an odd place to sit, really, the opening that looks out over the Crater.  They have an entire, somewhat comfortable, temporary hideout to go rest in, but neither really want to leave the spot where they can see the sliver of the sky where the airship will first appear when it returns.

“Penny, I…” Oscar begins, and Penny turns to him to listen.  “If it was going to be anyone, I’m glad you’re the Winter Maiden.  I know we don’t know each other well, but I do know you’re a good person.”

“Thanks,” Penny replies quietly.  She knows the words are supposed to be reassuring, but they fall flat to her.  Again, she’d been the only one there, in that moment with Fria.  If the Maiden powers could have gone somewhere else, they probably would have.

It was unfair to them, and Fria.  There’s no way the previous maiden could have known Penny’s true nature.  Fria had much more important, pressing matters on her mind to truly take a second and notice the exposed metal of the palms of Penny’s hands, first when she touched her leg, and then when she held her hand.  Fria probably hadn’t had time to realize no ordinary person could have come through the freezing whirlwind of ice and snow.  She probably hadn’t seen how Penny’s legs were clearly synthetic and attached together at an artificial knee.

Despite being a Maiden who lived well into old age and was, therefore, arguably very clever,  Fria probably hadn’t noticed all the little hints that indicated what Penny is, even though she had every reason to critically examine Penny, since she’d been attacked for the power she was tasked with protecting mere minutes before.

Because that would mean Fria had known (or at least suspected) Penny’s true nature, and decided to choose her anyway.

And why would she do that?  Penny, as she keeps telling herself over and over again, isn’t actually real.  Not a real girl.  Not like Ruby and the rest of her team.  Not like Nora, or Winter, or even Cinder, who’s part Grimm now.  All of them were born, created as girls, and Penny was…well her father had been more focused on building something that functioned.  He’d never chosen a gender for her.  She did that herself, later on, after she gained consciousness.  But he’d given her his aura, and her father was a man.  So, following that line of logic, shouldn’t she too be a man too?

“What if it was a mistake?”  Penny asks Oscar in barely a whisper.

He looks at her.  “What if what was a mistake?”

Penny takes a breath she wholly doesn’t need, but the action she learned is one that people do when they need to prepare themselves to say something important.  “Me becoming the Winter Maiden.  I have my father’s aura.  I’m not a real girl.  I tricked some of the most important magic in the world and stole it from humanity and…” she trails off, unsure of how to finish her self-doubting argument.

At first, Oscar doesn’t reply.  Then, “I have Ozpin’s magic, and his memories,” he says slowly.  “Does that make me him?”

“Of course not,” Penny retorts.  “You’re your own person!”

Oscar grins, and Penny gets the feeling it was his ploy to get her to say that, for both their sakes.  “So, if I can still be me, even if I have a wizard living in my head, then why can’t you be your own person even if your father gave you some of his aura?” He posits.

Penny huffs.  “I know I’m not the same being as my father.  There is substantial evidence supporting the concept that we are two entirely separate entities, but I have his aura, and he is a man.  The maiden powers only attach to females.  Therefore, logically, they should not have come to me.”

“So, following that reasoning, aura and gender are linked,” Oscar muses.  He pauses and, if Penny weren’t so wrapped up in her own tumultuous thoughts, she’d recognize the signs that he’s mentally preparing himself to say something he considers very important.  “What if I had evidence to the contrary?”

“What do you mean?”  Penny asks, her curiosity getting the better of her.

Oscar doesn’t look at her.  His shoulders hunch in.  Instinctively, Penny reaches over and wraps a reassuring arm around his shoulders.  She doesn’t know what he’s going to say next, but she can still recognize it’s hard for him to say.

“I was…I am…Penny, do you know what being transgender is?”

Penny doesn’t reply.  The moment she heard the unfamiliar word, she immediately sent out an inquiry to the Internet to find its meaning.

“Transgender,” she finally says.  “Denotes or relates to a person whose gender identity and expression does not correspond with what it was at birth.”

Oscar lets out a sharp laugh.  “That’s one way of putting it, I guess.”  He pauses.  Sensing he’s not finished, Penny waits for him to continue.  He does.  “For me, it means, when my parents’ only child was born, they had a daughter.”  Oscar glances at her warily, but Penny doesn’t interrupt.  He gazes down at his hands, and sighs.  “And that they never got to meet their son either.  They died before he figured that out about himself.”  Hurriedly, he adds, “That’s not the point,” while wiping his eyes with the back of his hand.

Penny hugs Oscar, hoping to communicate that he doesn’t have to explain further to her if he doesn’t want to.

Oscar leans into the hug.  He doesn’t wrap his arms around Penny in return, but he does rest his weight on her.  “The point is,” he starts again.  “I once had…doubts.  Kind of like you do.  But I learned aura and gender aren’t really related.  Aura is just aura.  It doesn’t really concern itself with any other part of you.  It’s just there.  Completely yours.  It’s what we believe about ourselves, our identities, that makes us who we are.”

“But my aura is my—”

“Yours.”  Oscar sits back.  “Penny, have you ever considered that all parents create their children’s auras when they conceive them?”

“What?”

“It’s something Oz told me once.  We had a conversation kind of like this.”  Oscar inhales slowly and exhales.  “Oz told me everything comes from somewhere.  He has…interesting theories on the origins of Dust and semblances, for instance.  But he told me, our parents are always a part of us, because they gave a part of themselves to make us.  He said, because of that, mine will always be with me.”  Oscar stares down at his hands.  “Even if I never got to know them.  My aunt used to say the same, that I had my father’s laugh and my aura is nearly the same shade of green as my mother’s, but she’s not an ancient, mystical immortal, so I guess she was harder to believe.”

He smiles softly.  “It’s reassuring, in a way.  To know they gave me part of who I am.  My aura.  My laugh.  My appearance, to an extent.  But they didn’t decide who I am.  I’ve done that on my own.”  Oscar looks up at Penny.  “So have you.  You said it yourself.  You aren’t your father.  You have substantial evidence proving that.”

“But you’re human.  I’m not alive.  I don’t have a soul like—”

“How do you know?”  Oscar interrupts.  “How do you know you don’t have a soul?”

Penny hesitates, and then admits what she’s been thinking,  “I died.  I died and I didn’t go to an afterlife or anything.  I just shut down like any other old machine.”

There’s a long pause where Oscar doesn’t say anything.  Penny begins to think he doesn’t have an argument to refute her claim.  When she’s about to stand and walk away, Oscar finally speaks.

“What if you weren’t dead?”  He asks quietly.

“What?”

“Your father recovered your core, you, from Amity Arena, and used it to rebuild you.  A part of you never shut down completely.  In your own way, you were still alive.”  Though the words seem more like an statement, Oscar speaks them like he’s asking a question.

“I guess.”  Penny frowns.  She’s never really thought of it like that before.  Everyone told her she died, so she assumed she had.  But, a part of her had still existed in the world, hadn’t it?  Vulnerable.  Weak.  But not snuffed out completely.

Penny thinks about it more deeply.  Maybe it was like she had been in a coma?  When people are grievously injured, they can go into comas.  They don’t necessarily remember what happens during them either.  They wake up on the other end still alive, just with a gaping hole of time they weren’t conscious for in their life.  Like her.

“That doesn’t mean I have a soul or will go to an afterlife like everyone else,” Penny mumbles, but she’s not as certain that she believes herself now.

“Penny, I’m not sure how else to tell you this, but no one knows what happens to us after we die.  Not even me, and I—well, Ozma—sort of died once.  Actually, it was more like a couple times.”  Oscar winces.  “But Ozma didn’t maintain memories of what happened to him after once the God of Light brought him back.”  He smiles at her.  “Wondering about it, I think, is one of the most human things someone can do.”

“Oh.”  Penny considers the idea that she’s just as alive as everyone else is, and lets that sink in.

“If it helps.”  Oscar leans back on his hands and looks up to the small sliver of sky that’s visible to them.  “We’re probably the only two people who can be completely certain about their identities.”

“How so?”  Curious, Penny cocks her head.

“I was chosen as the next life as an immortal who only reincarnates into men.  You’re the Winter Maiden, who can only be a girl.”  Oscar shrugs.  “We were each chosen by magic older than this incarnation of humanity itself based on the identities we decided for ourselves.  If that’s not validating, I don’t know what is.”

“I never thought about it like that.”  Penny sighs.  “I—I thought I tricked it.  That I looked enough like a girl that the maiden powers came to me because they had no place else to go.”

“The maiden powers are meant to go to those who will travel out in the world and make it a better place because they are able to.  I think that fits you pretty well.”

[huntsman-ash]

RWBY V8E4 LiveThoughts

And were back at it again, this week with turkey and Italian preserved sausage as a snack! Lets see what RT has for us this week.

Oh, 20 minutes. Are they normally this long?

Oh, wait, the openings almost 2 minutes long. Thats more like it.

And now to Robyn and Qrow. Seems Robyns actually liking Qrow a little bit now. 

Guess the cells aren’t secured if a fly got into Schnee’s. This a “Fly on Mike Pence’s face” reference?

Qrow sounds more growly again. Did he get smacked back two seasons by Clover dying?

If by “darkness” you mean “Tyrian” then, yes. Also dude, its Clover. He was shit anyway. All the Aces are shit. Dont feel too bad about him.

And he’s got a point too. If Clover had thought with his head instead of his dick (yes, Im sure they were gonna fuck, Fair Games totally a thing), he probably wouldnt be dead now, and Tyrian would be the one with the sword through his chest.

But of course this is RWBY and V7/8 so things cant go their ways.

Ouch. Deep thoughts of Qrow. And some interesting stuff from Robyn too. I still think I’d prefer hopeandharmonizing’s Briar, though.

Marrows glare gives me life. Hare’s just a moron right now though, but thats no real surprise. She’s immature emotionally.  Honestly, shes...kind of like a less bad version of our current President. Always has to be the best at everything, fastest, leader, whatever.

Thats probably why this is grating on her so much. Even though shes TECHNICALLY the Ace’s leader now (I think? Seemed like she was Clovers lieutenant, so by rate of succession she’s in command now)

A glance at the little floating control pad... “Clerance access only”. Okay, that...seems weird. Shouldnt it say something like authorized personell only? Maybe it means access by clerance only or something.

Then Robyn’s name, and then process ID 4591-27. No idea what thats useful for but its there.

Also Marrow seems to be the only competent member of the Aces rn. 

Ah now we get to see some of the hills around Atlas. For those of you who have seen my headcanons on the Hunter-Killers and their base of operations, Fortress Academy, its out in these hills somewhere.

The music sounds like a boss fight.

The screen on Ren’s hoverbike reads “HVB Rhino” and “HD5800″ I can only assume HVB stands for “hoverbike” and Rhino must be its name, like how the dropships are Mantas. No clue what the number is. 

Also apparently the cold in Solitas is so bad it corrupts machinery?

Ahh, good, some action. Lets see what we get now. Ohh, teamwork. And again, signs that aura allows you to move faster and farther than a normal human

Heh, it really is like a boss fight, like the chase scene at the end of the first Viking level in For Honor.

Oh, and it can call for reenforcements literally out of nowhere? Or is the whole tundra of Solitas just CRAWLING with Grimm?

Yes, yes it did just call for backup, Yang. Maybe these are all forward scouts and ambush units from the Grimmstorm. They did say its the biggest...

Another banger from Casey Lee Williams...

What the hell happened in Solitas to cause this geography? Seriously, its a line of bridges over a gap in two cliffs...that cant be natrual, not that equal in distance.

Man, those bikes didnt even last half an episode...I guess thats fair, they are facing obsurd odds. Or maybe they just want Yang to be the only one with a bike.

And there goes the dropwall. Woops.

Also you can just kinda see it but they bounce off the rock and thats why they slow down. Useful.

Also this part with them falling off the edge reminds me of the ending cutscene of Halo 4s Forerunner level, where Chief flies out of a portal and almost goes sailing off a cliff in a Ghost.  Except here, the bike stays on the land and THEY go off the cliff.

I paused at just the right time cause YANGS FACE XD

Holy shit what are Ren’s weapons cables MADE OF? The one atop him is holding him AND the weight of his two teammates. And the one below has both Jaune and Yang. No sign of slippage or breackage at all. 

Ahhh there’s the whaleship (Monstra? Fuck it Im gonna keep calling it the whaleship). So yeah my headcanon now is the mountain its right next too is Menachite, where Fortress is. 

Oh hey back to the Schnee manor of all things! Does...this mean military invasion of the Schnee grounds. Hey Whitley. Lesbians are here. 

Someone make a video cut of Weiss banging on the door to the “Knock knock open up the door its real!” part of that one song.

Hehehehhe. Nice Weiss.

Also convenient about the house staff. Good thing RT doesnt need to animate them or Willow now...

I hope the staff took some of the silverware and some paintings on the way out.

Why is MAY the one carrying Nora.

Ah so now they’re stuck out there with no cell service. Hehe.

Ah okay so the cold in Solitas DOES eat aura. Good, my headcanon still kind of stands. 

I wonder, does wearing proper cold weather clothing (like bundled up stuff) help? Or does it cut right through...

Why is JAUNE the one hauling the bike? Isnt Yang the strongest? Or maybe they take turns.

Ahhh inter-team talking. Also, outpost. Hmm. Atlas one? Overrun if I had to guess. Unless he saw Fortress. Which I doubt.

I do love the circling shot here, with the light on Yang’s hair and the shadows on Ren. Its...really artistic and emotional. GREAT WORK RT. 

Rens got points. And hes saying stuff I myself have been saying for ages, which is good. I wonder why this is how Ren is now...working with the Ace Ops? Being afraid of loosing Nora? No one tell him what happened last episode.

Also, Jaune’s hair seems to have gotten less crazy in recent episodes. It looks less like a banana and more like a close tactical cut.

Yangs got a point.

Ahhh and now we get to see the inside of the whale. 

SALEM FOR THE LOVE OF GOD STOP SHOWING THE FUCK OFF. SERIOUSLY. WE GET IT. 

...this is gonna be a really criingy torture section, isnt it.

Someones gonna take that “hound didnt break you” line in the WRONG direction 

It is amusing the only thing holding Oscar down is the Hound actually. 

Ah so they’re still searching the remains of Beacon.

Also I like how Salem calls them “her forces” as if its anything but a random bunch of expendable monsters. Like, bruh, you cant search anything with THAT.

Ignoring the boring chat between these two, notice how the Hound’s shoulder literally flexes and shifts when Salem touched it. I dont think this thing is solid at all aside from the head and the bone claws...the whole thing is just amorphous Grimm material that can adapt to whatever situation it requires. A specialist unit. A...Hunter hunter.

Yo what the fuck was that. Magic? Huh. Did we actually SEE magic for once in the show? Only took us 8 FUCKING SEASONS...

Doesnt seem to be anything but an energy blast/pain never firing though. I assume his auras still gone, cause its completely singed his shirt, but it didnt do much else.

...Im not impressed.

She really needs to stop touching his face, its creeping me out.

HAHA SHE CANT DO IT HERSELF SHE HAS TO RELY ON HAZEL BEATING THE SHIT OUT OF HIM. I think we know where she stands now, doesnt she...say what you will about her letting Hazel have his vengeance (which is very valid, even he admits hit), but me? I think she A) cant actually beat up on Ozma herself because she still cares and B) shes almost out of magic too. Its weakened as the Gods have been gone and shes been forced to rely on the Grimm and on pawns. Basically, once she and Oz are both gone? That’s it for magic. Remnant will belong to the Grimm...and to technology. 

At which point without Oz around to hold them back Atlas is going to go fucking BONKERS and basically ensure the Grimm get pushed back into a corner and then finally permenantly STAMPED OUT.

More Whale insides. Seems like most of its empty grandious spaces. Or possibly muscle? Hard to tell. Either way theres a lot of open air in there...with tight corridors. If you fired a thermobaric warehead into one of the chambers the resulting blastc could possibly blow the doors off and send a raging fireball through the entire thing...Hmm. Filing that away for later.

NEO IS SO SHORT ITS FUNNY TO ME. I know its just positioning BUT SHE LOOKS EVEN SHORTER IN THIS SHOT THAN USUAL.

More note on the Hound; the “flesh” around its right shoulder spike actually sinks down when it stops moving. Its neck shifts and moves too, like the material isnt solid, but recirculating.

I also dont see any eyes. And it looks like it has some kind of...forehead mouth? Def looks like teeth down the ridge of its spine.

Oh boy yeah that...whole thing is basically melting in on itself.

I wont lie; hearing Cinder get berated by CORTANA (and yes, I still hear Cortana in Salem, espeically now that the two characters are kind of one and the same, both megalomaniacal leaders of giant armies, bar the fact that one of them is about a TRILLION times more dangerous than the other because one of them has access to Guardian Custodies and the other one is...well kind of lame and has to have beefy dudes beat up on small children etc) is pleasing to me. 

Get fucked, Cinder.

And THERE is Cortana again too.

Neo Marry Popins’s Ya’lling is fucking CUTE. And I love her little smirk.

Wait the whale’s that close?

..oh my...hold on.

...thats it. THATS ATLAS’S AIR FLEET!?!

12 AIRSHIPS? 12? EXCUSE ME!?

ARE YOU LEGITAMETLY TELLING ME THE BIGGEST MILITARY ON REMNANT HAS FEWER AIRSHIPS THAN THE SMALLEST NAVY ON EARTH HAS FRIGATES? YOUR FUCKING KIDDING ME RIGHT? THERE HAS TO BE MORE SOMEWHERE. THIS IS A JOKE, A STRAIGHT UP FUCKING JOKE.

...

No, thats...thats it. Thats Atlas’s airfleet. 12 tiny vessels. I swear it was bigger last season...

...HA! HAHA! HA! Oh, Ironwood, and Atlas as a whole...you deserve everything your about to get. I hope you die SCREAMING, and that when your bodies fall bleeding and shattered to Mantle, the people down there will realize that, no. You cant just assume Hunters will do all the work for you

THIS IS REMNANT. ITS KILL OR BE KILLED. YOU EITHER MAKE A FORCE POWERFUL ENOUGH THAT THE GRIMM RUN FROM YOU  OR YOU DIE INSTEAD. ATLAS FAILED. NOW THEY SUFFER.

Emerald stop simpin.

Also that is...the SHITTEST outpost...I have ever seen in my life. My overall thought process of Atlas is...sinking even LOWER than before. 

Though it seems more like a waystation. Bed, Dust, some dudes coat on it. Dead heater. Its probably a rest spot for Specialists out in the tundra.

Ren does the emo sit. Lol. Yang even says it. Brood himself to death.

Alright whats this now...something forcing itself out of the tundra?

And thats it for today! Cool ass concept art at the end there too. 

[alison-anonymous]

♡ miss understood ♡ t.l.

Miss Understood ♡ Tom Lucitor Imagine 

Requested: yes, thank you to @technolilly for requesting this! Let’s try to bring some popularity to Tom Lucitor fics because he doesn’t get enough attention!

Warnings: angst, EXTREME FLUFF ALERT!

This took me all night to write, and it is decently long but I had a lot to say! I was excited, this was my first Tom Lucitor request so PLEASE SEND IN MORE IF YOU HAVE ANY IDEAS FOR HIM! 

♡♡♡

      To say you had a crush on Tom Lucitor would be a very big understatement.

      You had always had a bit of bad luck when it came to the love department, but when you did fall for someone, you fell hard. Which is probably why literally everyone except for Tom knew about your crush on him, even Ludo. But, knowing you, you were far too terrified to try anything. You loved him enough to distance yourself from him, is what you always claimed your excuse was. Not like that made your aching heart any better. You feared that there was no way he could love you compared to someone like his ex, Star, because whereas Star was this beautiful, fun, princess from Mewni, you were nothing but a human bookworm with a strange obsession with cows (I added in that last part lol). You would never have a chance with someone as stunning as him.

      Where people found Tom creepy, you found him charming. Where people found him scary, you found him misunderstood. And where people claimed he had anger issues, you said he was just a work in progress. 

      Of course, just because you were hopelessly in love with him didn’t mean that you couldn’t be friends. You spent most of your time hanging out with Marco and Star, so you got to see him a lot. You were known as his favorite out of you and all of Star’s friends, which you didn’t mind. If only you wouldn’t feel like throwing up every time he was around you from all the butterflies. 

      You were committed to keeping your feelings inside, as you were petrified of rejection. Little did you know that that wasn’t quite what Star and Marco had in mind...

♡♡♡

      It all started with an innocent sleepover at the Diaz residence. 

      You, Star, and Marco had became known as the Crackhead Trio among your oh-so-loving peers, but you loved the two goofballs with all your heart. They made all the rough stuff you dealt with in life fade away. It was the weekly sleepover you guys had began having, and after filling yourselves until your stomachs bulged with junk food, you all huddled around in a circle on Star’s bed and began a friendly game of Truth or Dare.

      Innocent enough right?

      “Marco,” you smiled at him deviously. “Truth or dare?”

      He eyed you carefully, resting his chin on his hand as his chocolate eyes tried to read your level of danger. “Mmmm… truth.”

      You cackled wickedly, rubbing your hands together as an evil grin spread across your lips. Star and Marco backed away from you, arms wrapped tightly around each other as they waited for whatever cruel fate Marco was about to receive.

      “Fuck, marry, kill; Star, Oscar,” you had to bite hard on your lips to prevent you from bursting out laughing. “and Glossaryck.”

      A look of disgust crossed across his face as you burst out laughing, Star quickly following in suit until she realized she was an option in this too. An unexpected blush crept onto Marco’s cheeks as he avoided your piercing gaze, wringing his hands nervously in his red sweatshirt. 

      “We need an answer Marcoooo,” Star singsonged, leaning her head closer to him expectantly. He heaved a sigh.

      “Kill Glossaryck, fuck Oscar, and...” he turned redder than a tomato. “Marry Star.” 

      You let out the fangirling scream you had been holding in for so long as you grabbed a beet red Star and hugged her close to you. She buried her face in your shoulder so that Marco couldn’t see her face and muttered a soft ‘thank you’ so that only you could hear. She had confessed to you the same night you confessed to her about liking Tom. You had been petrified she would have been mad, but when she squealed, hugged you, and told you she was going to form a plan to get you both hitched, you knew she was completely and utterly over him. It was only right for you to make the same promise to her as well!

      Marco pulled his hood over his face and tugged on the drawstrings as you and Star sat back up. 

      “Okay, okay,” Star brought herself back. “Marco, it’s your turn!” 

      He shook his head slightly from behind his hood. “Marco is not able to come to the phone right now. I transfer my position to Star.” 

      You giggled, rolling your eyes slightly as you took a sip of the Coca Cola bottle you and Star were sharing. 

      “Okay! N/n, truth or dare?”

      “Dare. I feel pretty daring,” you smiled. Star shuffled back towards you and began to scratch her chin, staring at you intently as she formulated a plan in her mind. You sat there patiently, figuring she was just going to dare you to do something stupid, like eat a whole stick of butter or something. However, when her eyes suddenly filled with large pink hearts as a gasp left her lips and she turned to excitedly whisper something into Marco’s ear, you began to feel less sure of yourself. 

      At the sound of the words, Marco suddenly perked up, pulling his hood off his head and letting it dangle around his neck as he grabbed Star’s hands, staring excitedly back at her. “That is perfect! Oh my god!” 

      “What?” You asked incredulously. “What’s perfect?” The look Star and Marco gave you struck fear into your brain. “Star...” You warned, narrowing your eyes.

      She gave you an angelic smile that quickly turned into a devilish grin. Marco also smirked as he reached for more of his nachos. You sighed, already knowing that whatever she had planned for you, you had to do by the laws of the game. 

      “What is it?”

      “I dare you to...” she paused for dramatic effect. “ASK OUT YOUR CRUSH!”

      You had a heart attack. Not really, but your heart stopped for a minute due to the momentary shock that coursed through you. Star could not possibly be serious. Because if she were being serious, that meant that you had to ask out your crush who just happened to be the fucking demon Prince. The one who had adorable lavender skin and enchanting red... eyes...

      SNAP OUT OF IT, Y/N! 

      “Y-you don’t m-mean...” you stuttered, feeling the room suddenly become a lot more suffocating than it had previously been. Star snuggled up next to you, wriggling her brows suggestively. 

      “Ooh yeah, baby, you have to ask out Tom!” 

      Images of him flashed through your mind at a million miles an hour, startling you so much that you fell back against her pillows, hugging your knees to your chest. 

     “No, no, no, no, no, I can’t do it!” You cried out, feeling the tears of frustration prickle as Star and Marco threw their arms around you in encouragement.

     “Come on, N/n,” Marco drawled. “You like him, what do you have to lose? Worst case scenario, he says no!” 

     “Yeah!” Star chimed in. “You two would be perfect together! And besides, you are his favorite!” She poked you in the side, but their encouragement did nothing for your heavy heart. You shook your head rapidly, feeling your heart rate go through the roof.

     “I can’t.”

     “Alright,” Marco heaved a heavy, dejected sigh, giving Star a subtle wink. She suddenly leapt off the bed and raced out of the room without giving you a sign as to where she was going. You were about to follow after her, but Marco quickly blocked you, snickering slightly.

     “Marco,” you suspiciously said his name. “What’s going on?” 

     “Well, you wouldn’t do it out of your own free will, but trust me - you’ll thank us later!”

     “What in the hell are you talking a-”

     Before you were even able to finish your sentence, a portal appeared as the last person you wanted to see stepped out of it, followed by Star as well, with a giddy grin imprinted on her face. He looked around the room before his eyes rested on you, sitting on the bed, with complete terror written on your face. This was crazy. You could actually see your nightmare coming true. 

      As soon as he saw you, a smile spread across his lips as he waved slightly at you. “Hey there, darling.” He greeted, using the nickname he had given you back when you two were just starting to become friends. Usually you tried to pay no mind to it, but tonight, just the sound of his voice melted you like butter.

      Before you even had a chance to reply, Marco’s hands were suddenly pushing you towards Tom as Star was doing the same with him. He glanced at them all in confusion as you attempted to scramble away from him out of fear, but Marco prevented you from leaving until you were so close to Tom that you could practically hear his heartbeat.

      “Y/n has something she wants to ask you,” Star giggled, as she grabbed Marco by the hand and suddenly, you and Tom were alone together. 

      A gentle silence followed as he stared at you in concern, you practically fearing that your stomach was going to pop out of your mouth if you dared to open it. It felt as if though your heart were racing so much that you might drop dead, but you forced yourself upright because the perfect guy was staring at you right now.

      “Are you okay?” His voice suddenly yanked you out of your thoughts and you blinked quickly as a loose strand of your hair fell into your face. You began to reach up to brush it away, but he beat you to it, stepping even closer to you and gently tucking it behind your ear, his hand lingering on the side of your face a little longer than it should have. He stared down at you with those enchanting red eyes until you forced yourself to look away, causing him to awkwardly clear his throat and retract his hand. It might have been you, but it seemed as if though he were hesitant to move it. 

      “I’m f-fine,” you cursed your stutter. “I-I’m really sorry about this.”

      He chuckled, tucking his hands inside his pockets as he looked you in the eyes once again. “It’s alright, so, what was it you needed to ask me? It must have been pretty important for them to stage it like this.” 

      You both laughed at the awkwardness that had been created, and you suddenly realized that you had to ask him. Your brain was screaming at you to be logical and to just half ass another question, but your heart really wanted you to ask him. I mean, what did you have to lose? Marco was right, the worst thing that could happen was that he would say no. And if he said yes? Well... maybe you didn’t have to be unhappy after all. 

      “Tom, I wanted to ask if, maybe, and you totally don’t have to if you don’t want to, I know I’m-”

      He gently rested a hand on your shoulder, startling you slightly as you looked up into his eyes. “Y/n,” he softly said your name. “Breathe.”

      You slowly nodded your head, and did as he said, taking in a deep breath and letting it out softly. “I was wondering if... you would want to go out with me? Like, on a date?” 

      As soon as the words left your lips, you scrunched your eyes shut, preparing for the worst heartbreak you could ever imagine. But when only silence followed, you were confused. You began to open your eyes when you suddenly felt his arms around your waist. Before you knew it, he was shooting you up into the air with fire from his boots, holding you close, and spinning you around in his arms with the hugest grin you had ever seen on his face. “Yes, yes, yes, yes, a thousand times yes!” He cried out as you gently placed your hands on his shoulders in confusion. Were you hearing him right? “Do you have any idea how happy you’ve made me?”

      It finally clicked into place in your head. He said yes! Tom was yours! Well, not quite, baby steps, Y/n. Baby steps. You laughed, pulling yourself closer to him until you suddenly realized how high up you were, and you pressed your body against his as he slowly stopped spinning you around, but continued to hover. He must have realized how desperate he had sounded because he suddenly cleared his throat, but made sure not to let go of you as he reworded. “I mean, yeah, that’d be great.”

      You pulled back enough so you could look him in the eye. “Wait a minute, you really want to go out with me?” You couldn’t help but ask.

      He slowly began to descend as he switched from holding your waist to holding onto your hands as he gave you a sheepish look. “I mean, yeah, of course I do. You’re Y/n, you’re incredible! I’ve actually had a crush on you for a while now, but I kind of suck at this,” he laughed awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck. Your eyes widened in shock. So... he felt the same way?

      Taking a leap of faith, you delicately lifted his chin so his eyes met yours, causing a slight blush to rise on his cheeks as your sudden intimate action. You offered him a soft smile. “I feel the same way.” 

      At those words, though they were few, Tom regained his confidence completely as he swept you back up into his arms and spun you around again, this time only on the ground. You couldn’t help but laugh at how overjoyed you had made him as he gently set you back down on your feet and held you close to him, cupping your cheek gently. “I’ll pick you up tomorrow. Six sound good?”

      “I’ll be waiting.”

♡♡♡

      Of course, the date was even better than you had hoped for. Marco and Star helped you get ready before it, each of them gushing about all the future possibilities for you two, Star being most concerned about the wedding that was supposedly going to happen. He arrived to pick you up by a carriage drawn by a skeleton unicorn enveloped in fire. To any other human girl, it would have been horrifying, but to you, it was romantic. 

      He had planned the first date entirely, so it was a complete mystery as to where you were going. He first took you to have a dinner by candlelight in a very fancy restaurant that knew exactly what you favorite foods were (wink wink). You two talked and laughed and made fun of some of the other guests for hours, and it was the most fun you had had in a while. 

      After that, he took you to one of the most beautiful cliffs with a perfect view of the setting sun. You began to take a walk near the edges, but not too close out of fear you might fall off, talking the entire time. Your heart began to beat a little faster when he slipped his hand into yours. You both slowed to a stop as you stared out at the sunset in a comfortable silence when he turned to face you, gently lifting your chin to face him too. Hearts beating faster, faces turning your red, and butterflies fluttering like crazy in your stomachs, you watched as he began to close the distance between you too. Your eyes fluttered shut and you leaned in closer until-

      “SPACE UNICORN SOARING THROUGH THE STARS~” you both froze at the sound of your phone going off. Disappointment set in your stomach as Tom hesitantly pulled away, but wrapped his arm around your waist to show that he wasn’t upset. You shot him an apologetic look as you retrieved your phone from your bag and saw the familiar contact photo light up across your screen. 

      “Marco,” you sighed, a smile forming on your lips. “He probably wants to know how the date was going.”

      “Put him on speaker!” Tom said excitedly. You gladly accepted his call and clicked the speaker button.

      “Hey Marco,” you said.

      “Hey, dude,” Tom added.

      “Hi guys!” Marco greeted cheerily. “How’s the date going? Star would’ve called but she’s working on perfecting one of her spells for her mom.”

      “It’s alright,” you responded, looking up at the beautiful sunset. “I think the date is going pretty perfectly. What do you think?” You asked teasingly, looking at Tom with raised brows. He simply smirked at you.

      “I’m pretty sure there’s going to be a second one.” He chuckled.

      Even though you couldn’t see him, you were pretty sure Marco was grinning ear to ear. “I suppose you have us to thank for that, right?” 

      You were about to answer when Tom suddenly turned to you with furrowed brows in confusion. “Wait, thank him for what?” 

      Uh oh. “Uh, Marco, I’ll call you back.” You quickly hung up the phone before he could object and turned to Tom who was already starting to get even more suspicious. His eyes searched yours in confusion, and you scrambled to find the right words before he brimmed with anger.

      “Tom, please, it’s nothing-”

      “Just tell me, Y/n,” he interrupted, his expression changing slightly to desperation. You sighed. How he knew you so well was a mystery to you.

      “Before I asked you out, Marco and Star dared me to.” His face slowly began to contort out of confusion and into anger. “Wait, Tom, it’s not what you think-”

      “It was a dare?” He retracted his arm from around you, and you instantly felt a chill from where his arm used to be. “So none of this was real? You were just leading me on, toying with my feelings for you?” The last words came out in a demonic voice that was not his own as his eyes became engulfed in red hot fury, his hands setting on fire as well as his feet. He gritted his teeth in hatred as he slowly began to levitate in the air. Fear coursed through your veins as you stumbled back from him, feeling your heart breaking as tears began to fill up your eyes. 

      “No, no, Tom none of it was a lie, I do like you, I just-”

      “You led me on! This was all a joke to you, don’t even try to deny it!” He snarled, shaking with rage as his entire body became swallowed up in flames. You felt a thin layer of sweat form on your forehead from the heat and from your frustration as tears began streaming down your cheeks. At the sight of your tears, his anger faltered, if only for a moment, before he went back to being furious again.

      “Tom, no, please,” you sobbed. “Please just let me explain.”

      “I don’t want to hear it.” He opened up a portal, and in a flash, he was gone. You stood there for a moment in shock, trying to wrap your brain around what just happened before your knees buckled and you fell to the ground in a sobbing mess. 

      Of course, only then did it begin to rain. 

♡♡♡

      “Come on, N/n,” Star pressed her cheek against your closed bedroom door. “You’ve been in there for days.” Only silence followed. They couldn’t see you, but you were buried deep within your covers, still dressed in your outfit from your date with Tom, with matted hair and bloodshot eyes from all the tears. Your heart was broken. And you couldn’t find a way to get up anymore.

      Marco sighed from his sitting position on the floor next to her. “I’m not sure if it’s any use. Ever since she got back from her date, she crashed and didn’t get back up...” 

      A look of determination remained on Star’s face. “Well, I refuse to give up! She’s my co-best friend! I want her to be happy.” She grabbed Marco by the collar of his sweater and pulled him close to her face. “We have to fix this!”

      Seconds later, they were back at Marco’s in front of Star’s mirror. “Call Tom,” Star commanded. As soon as his face popped onto the mirror, Star and Marco gasped in horror. He looked even worse than they figured you did. His eyes were red and puffy, his lavender skin looked paler than normal, hair hair was messy, and his clothes looked sloppy. 

      “Hey,” he half-assed a greeting, running a hand over his face. 

      “What on earth happened to you?” Star gasped. 

      Tom’s face contorted into one of confusion and a bit of surprise. “Y/n didn’t tell you?”

      Marco and Star shook their heads. “No, after your date we were waiting for her at her place, but she stormed in soaking wet, went into her room, dropped into bed and didn’t get back up.” Marco explained. 

      “She hasn’t left her room in days,” Star continued. “I’m worried about her. So WHAT DID YOU DO THIS TIME?” She cried out, jabbing a finger at the mirror with narrowed eyes. Tom held his hands up in surrender as a look of guilt and sadness crossed his features. His three eyes cast down to the floor.

      “I may have gotten a bit mad when she told me the only reason she went on a date with me was because you guys dared her to.”

      Star and Marco sent each other fearful looks. “Okay, first, that doesn’t sound like Y/n at all,” Marco began.

      “And second, we dared her to ask out her crush. We never said you specifically! We knew she liked you, we wanted her to give her a chance because she was too scared you wouldn’t like her to ask you out on her own!” Star cried out in exasperation. Marco sighed as Star whirled around to lean her forehead on his shoulder out of frustration. A look of realization crossed over Tom’s face.

      “Oh my god,” he breathed, terror in his eyes. “What have I done? How can I fix this?” 

      “You can start by getting over there with us and apologizing,” Marco replied, rolling his eyes.

♡♡♡ 

      It was getting hot under your blankets, and it didn’t help that the sheets were wet from your dress and skin and hair, but every time you tried to move your limbs, they refused to comply from your heavy heart. You felt the tears begin to prickle once more as the thought of... him crept into your mind once again.

      Suddenly, there was the familiar sound of a dimension ripping and footsteps walking towards your bed coming from outside your sadness cave. Fear began to set in your mind as you feared the worse, when you felt the stranger sit down on the side of the bed. Slowly, the covers were lifted off of you, revealing your horrid, heartbroken figure to the harsh bright light. You squinted as your eyes became accustomed to the light and the first thing you saw was the person who stole your heart and crushed it sitting next to you, with a look of pure guilt and sadness written on his face. 

      “Y/n,” he breathed your name, and you hated the way you felt your insides melt at the sound of it. He reached out for you, but you forced yourself to prop yourself up on your arms and back away. “Y/n, I am so, so sorry.”

      With the little you had allowed yourself to look at him, you could tell he looked as bad as you did, if not worse. But you forced yourself to look away from him and out your window, resting your head down onto your pillow as you stayed silent.

      “I should have listened to you. It wasn’t right for me to be so quick to judge. I just...” he sighed in frustration at his feelings. “I like you. A lot. So much in fact, that even the idea that you might not like me back after asking me out in the first place made me feel... furious. I know I have problems, and I know now that it wasn’t about me, that your friends just wanted you to have a shot with me...” he paused for a moment. “Is it true you were afraid to ask me out because you thought I wouldn’t like you?”

      Even though you didn’t want to, you slowly nodded your head as your lips began to tremble. A lone tear slipped down your cheek as you stifled a sob. You felt disgusting for crying in front of him as his eyes softened and in seconds, he was picking you up and pulling you to him, cupping your face in his hands and wiping away the tears that began streaming down your cheeks. You were so glad to be back in his touch that you leaned in to his hands, savoring every moment.

      “I am so, so sorry, darling,” he whispered, his own eyes began brimming with tears and only then did you notice how swollen his eyes were too. You cracked a small smile and wiped away his tears as well, resting your hand on his cheek as he stared longingly at you.

      “I forgive you,” you smiled. He let out a breath in relief and tilted his head back before resting it against yours. You teasingly tapped your nose against his, causing him to laugh. 

      “I may have liked a lot of girls in the past, but you, Y/n L/n, are the only one for me. Alright?” He whispered, his breath warm across your lips. You felt your heart race as a giddy smile spread across your lips.

      “Alright.”

♡ a.a.

[probably-writing-x]

Too soon to say it

Harrison Osterfield x Reader

Request by the wonderful @fanficparker

My requests are always open❤️

“Come on, it’s not that simple!” You shake your head, taking another handful of popcorn from the bowl between you and Harrison.

The two of you were in the middle of a video game night and were taking a break from your second round of Mario Kart. And the prospect of you moving away had just become the topic of conversation.

“Why would things have to change? We’re best friends!” He exclaims like a child, typical to fashion.

“I’m going to be in another country, you’ll be busy with work - I’m just saying things are likely to change,” You defend, trying to brush off the conversation topic quickly.

Harrison’s face falls as he pulls away the popcorn bowl before you can take some more, “You seriously think things aren’t going to be the same?”

When you look at his face, it pains you to be leaving him. The two of you had been best friends since your parents first taught you what a friend was. You’d been inseparable - closer than your parents and families ever expected from the two of you. You just fit together. And it grew and grew, from going to the same school, living on the same street, sneaking out to the same parties, and now living in the same London flat.

“Haz, we spend every day together here,” You explain, “I’m just saying it will be different because we won’t be living together, spending every waking moment with each other.”

“I have other friends,” He points out with a boyish pout.

“I’m just saying I won’t be living with you and it won’t be exactly the same, I’m not saying we’re just going to stop speaking to each other.”

He eyes you suspiciously and sets down the bowl once again, “If I win the next race, you have to stay!”

- - - - - -

“Harrison, have you seen my big suitcase?” You push yourself up from the ground as you’d been busy rummaging through your wardrobe to find it.

Today was the day you’d decided to first start packing as, three days from today, you were on your way to Spain for a year of teaching out there. It was something you’d wanted to do from when you were young. When the opportunity arose, not one part of you wanted to say no.

“I thought I’d left it in the bottom of my wardrobe but I-“ You start to explain to your roommate as you walk into the lounge.

There, in the middle of the floor, is the trusty suitcase that you’d been searching for. Though it’s misshapen and open with Harrison’s attempt to climb inside and zip himself in.

“Are you kidding?” You laugh, trying to shift the zip to expose him.

“I told you I could come with you!” He yells back from inside, his voice muffled by his contorted shape.

You’d dread to think how much effort he’d put into this, “And I told you that you could come if you bought your own damn seat on the plane. Get out of here, you div!”

“Okay, okay, okay,” He replies, “Get me out, it’s really hot in here!”

“Haz stop moving! The zip’s stuck!” You can’t help the exclamatory laugh that escapes your lips, “What the fuck have you done?!”

“Oh my god (Y/n) get me out!” The fear is seeping into his tone as he starts to wiggle around in the cramped space.

It takes a lot of yelling and too much stress but, eventually, he’s freed.

“You see what I’d do to keep you?” He comments, pulling his knees to his chest as he still stays seated in the case.

“Come on man, you’ll make me feel bad,” You sigh, “I’m only a few hours away.”

“But here, you’re a few steps away,” He comments, glancing between your retrospective rooms, “I don’t know, it’s going to be weird here without you.”

“It’s only a year, and you can still come and visit, I’ll come back for Christmas,” You remind him, the comments you’d already made a hundred times.

“I know, I know,” He assures you, reaching out his arm, “I’ve just never been without you.”

You blush a little and lean into his embrace, letting his arms wrap around you.

“Ew, God! Harrison you’re sweating!” You exclaim, pulling away from him.

“I told you - I was burning alive in there!”

“Get out of my suitcase then!”

- - - - - -

“How are you going to live without her, man?” Harry shakes his head, “I give it five weeks before this flat has gone to shit.”

“Five weeks? You’re being generous!” His older brother, Tom, scoffs as he hands a beer to his brother.

You and Harrison had organised a going away party at the flat for the night that was two days before you left. Giving you your last day to be just for you and Harrison - to prepare him to live without you at least.

“Let’s just say FaceTime will definitely be useful,” You nudge at Harrison’s side.

He didn’t seem much like himself tonight but you didn’t want to mention anything with all of your company around.

“Are you excited to leave, (Y/n)?” Harry asks, smiling in your direction.

“Nervous, worried, terrified,” You nod, “But definitely excited!”

You notice Harrison looking at you from the corner of your eye, his gaze not faltering. It’s deep and focused, like he’s clinging onto every last word you said.

The conversation flows from there on out but Harrison still manages to keep his eyes set on you with certainty that they wouldn’t lose you - in more ways than one.

- - - - - -

“Fancy sleeping in my bed tonight?” Harrison suggests as you’re both getting ready for bed, the apartment now semi-clean in the aftermath of the party.

“Sure, I’ll grab my duvet,” You smile and he heads out of the bathroom.

It wasn’t irregular for the two of you to share a bed, despite having your own rooms. You’d always grab both duvets and pool them into one bed for what Harrison called ‘optimum comfort’. Those were the nights where you’d sit and chat for hours and tell him a deep secret you were yet to expose. Or he’d confess to you that he’d got an audition coming up that he hadn’t mentioned. Or that he wasn’t ready for what life was throwing him.

“Thanks for tonight, it was lovely having everyone here,” You smile, “And you managed to invite everyone!”

Harrison smirks as he pulls back the covers of the bedspread, “I’m getting better.”

“Were you okay, though?” You bring it up eventually, “You just seemed a little quiet.”

He climbs into the bed and snuggles into his half, “Just feels strange that you’re leaving in like a day.”

You smile a little and climb in beside him, “We’ll be okay, Harrison? I’m not going to move to Spain and act like I’m living a new life.”

“I know, I know,” He shakes his head, “And I’m so happy for you, (Y/n), honestly.”

You smile a little at him and let the conversation fall silent. There was still something he wasn’t telling you.

“I’m so scared, H.”

The statement makes him bolt upright like a sudden danger had sprung upon you, “What do you mean?”

“I’m moving away from everything, what if I hate it? What if I’m a really shit teacher? Or I just don’t fit in with anyone there?” You ponder, “I’ve been waiting for this like it was all going to just be easy. But it’s probably the scariest thing I’ve ever done.”

“Hey,” He starts, “I think it’s impossible for you to be shit at anything - and you’re a people person with literally anyone, you’re practically fluent in Spanish more than English now, and it’s all just going to fall into place. It always does.”

You snuggle into him and wrap your arms around his torso, “It’s just a big move.”

“Of course it is, but don’t you remember telling me this plan when we were like ten years old?”

You chuckle, “We were sat in that fort we’d made in your garden.”

“And you told me that you’d already planned it, though you didn’t really know much more of what you wanted to do.”

“And you told me you wanted to be the next Leo DiCaprio,” You respond, glancing up at him with a smile.

“I’m getting there,” He wiggles his brows, “I promised you I’d thank you when I won an Oscar.”

You laugh, “Your Mum used to get so fed up when we ended up falling asleep out there. It used to get so cold!”

He smiles and holds you a little bit tighter, pulling up the duvets until they’re up to your chins. It feels like you could stay here forever.

“Well, we still have one full day,” He points out, running a hand through your hair.

“What do you fancy doing?” You ask quietly, fatigue taking over now you were wrapped in Harrison’s arms.

He pauses to think of any valid answer but his pause is just long enough to mean that you’re already falling into a slumber in his arms. When Harrison looks down at you, it’s like his whole world is wrapped up in this bed you’d struggled to put together when you first moved in. He lets your even breaths take hold of his thoughts as he circles through the motions of realisation that always occurred when he was this close to you. At what moment did he fall in love with his best friend? At what point did that ‘other half’ manage to grab a hold of his heart? And would he really let her leave without confessing that? It tugs at his heart to think of a day, a week, a month, a year, without her. But it makes things even worse that she’d been leaving with the lie he’d upheld since he first realised that his heart fluttered when she was near. And that didn’t happen with ‘just friends’. It’s not like Harrison when he feels a tear spill onto his cheek and trickle down the length of his face.

“God, you’ll be the death of me,” He mutters into the silent room, swiping at his face to stop any more tears.

- - - - - -

Your last day at home goes all too quickly, you run through everything with Harrison to make sure he was all set up for running the flat on his own. You check your packing once, twice, three times, before settling on the fact that you’d buy anything you’d forgotten once you were out there. You get your passport and your other essentials ready for the early morning. And just like that, the only thing left is leaving.

You find yourself sat out on the small balcony that came with this apartment, overlooking the typical city streets of London. It feels overwhelming to leave a place like this behind. You’d never been apart from home. First, it was your family, then it was Harrison. Wherever you went, there was a piece of home with you. You’d never really had that experience of being separate from it. Maybe you’d meet somebody out there that would become another piece of that home. But the prospect of a love interest was still yet to become of interest to you. You had everything you needed. Plus, Harrison was always hard to explain to any prospective love interests.

“Am I interrupting?” Harrison asks cautiously as he steps through the window and out onto the balcony, “You looked a little lonely.”

“Just thinking,” You give him a warm smile as he comes to stand beside you on the terrace.

He hums in response and let’s the silence engulf all of you once more. His lungs are screaming for him to say a thousand words with the breath they hold, his heart is yearning to stop feeling so tight at the thought of you. His head feels weak at the thought of processing one day without you.

I love you. Not in the way we’ve been saying since we were little. Not the ‘love you’ or the ‘love ya’. It’s I love you. Simple. Is it? I don’t know where it started, what caused it, why I can’t change it. But it’s consuming, heavy, crazy. It’s in every action you do, every word, every gesture, every expression. Living a life without you would be hell. But living a life where you’re always just my friend? That feels like a punishment that no religion could conceive the thought of.

“Haz...” Your voice is what snaps him from his thoughts.

It’s only then that he feels the tears pricking his skin, slipping down his cheeks.

“Shit,” He mutters, “It must just be the cold.”

The beaming sun outside and the T-shirt adorning his skin tells you otherwise.

“You know if you start crying, I always cry,” You chuckle, outstretching your arms and pulling him to your chest.

Harrison doesn’t speak and it scares you that he’s not the one comforting you - was he really not going to be okay without you?

“I’m just thinking about all of the Spanish boys you’re going to fall in love with,” He jokes, “And you’ll forget all about that pale boy from home.”

“Come on, if they love me, they have to love my pale boy,” You chuckle, “You’re my best friend!”

The statement makes him wrap his arms around you a little tighter. Not for the reason you thought - for the fact that you weren’t going to leave him. But for the fact that that’s all he ever would be. The name ‘best friend’ that always held so much weight had now become completely hopeless. It pained him that he could no longer accept that.

- - - - - -

You were on the phone to your parents when Harrison first started trying to write down everything his brain had been aching for him to say. It felt like it would give some sort of relief.

Dear To (Y/n), Squidge, My Love, Div, and all the other names that this twenty something years has given you.

We’ve been over this a thousand times, how you’re leaving me, how I’ll live alone, how Tom will get sick of me in the end. We’ve talked about it for hours because I started thinking that talking about things would make it easier. Make it easier to say goodbye to you.

It’s silly really - you’ll be back eventually. Whether that’s in a year, or two or three. You’ll be back. But I think it’s the fear of me realising that things are getting too late for anything to change. That somebody else could take my place could give you what I want to. you’ll leave and I’ll lose my chance of admitting anything real to you.

The truth is, for the past, well I don’t know how long, I’ve fallen in love with you. It wasn’t like I realised one thing one day and watched it develop. It’s like one morning I woke up and suddenly noticed it all. I noticed every single piece of you that ignites every single piece of me. I noticed who I am around you and how much I adore who you are around me. And, within that one day, it became blaringly obvious that things weren’t the same anymore.

I can tell you which exact day it was. It was not long after we’d moved in here. In June. We had a day at home where you decided to start decorating the lounge. You’d bought all of this new stuff that you’d been eyeing up for months. And it was all spread out on the floor. You were in this pair of grey joggers and a top you’d planned on wearing to the gym - although you never did get that membership. There was no particular thing that drew me to you. It was everything. It was the way you slipped in the kitchen in your socks as you tried to make a fancy lunch. The way you laughed and rolled your eyes when I failed to set up the coffee table. It was all of these parts of you that I’d never noticed enough.

He’s just starting to choke up when you say goodbye to your parents and he quickly folds up the page.

“Hey, we should probably start getting ready to go,” You lean against the doorframe and fold your arms.

Harrison glances up and nods, “Yeah, I’ll just sort myself out and we can go.”

You had it all planned. Sort out your final things, leave a little present on Harrison’s bed for when he got back from the airport, get to the airport with enough time to check in, and then you’d be gone.

- - - - - -

“Okay, is my passport in there?” You ask Harrison as the two of you are now parked in the airport carpark.

He’s in the back of the car rummaging through your carry on bag to check you’ve got everything in the right place.

“Yep,” He responds, “You’ve got your phone, laptop, purse, earphones...”

Harrison trails off as he slips the letter between the fold of your laptop - part of him hoping you’d somehow see it before you got on the plane. The rest of him hoping you’d never open that.

“Alright, then, we’re ready.”

- - - - - -

You’re just about to walk through to security when you and Harrison realise this will be goodbye. You want to take in every feature of his face. You wanted to memorise the way his eyes move when he smiles, the way his head tilts back when he laughs, the way his hair moves when he shakes his head. You wanted to memorise all of the features that made him your best friend, practically your other half.

“Alright, I think this is it,” You begin, looking at him a little hopelessly - knowing there was nothing you could say that would tell him how much you’d miss him, “I’m gonna miss you man.”

He smiles a little but it doesn’t meet his eyes, “Yeah, you could say that.”

“You’re all ready for the bills and stuff, and I’m sure Tom will be staying more often than not,” You assure him, “If there’s any complication with the rent or bills or anything, just let me know, okay?”

“(Y/n), we’ve been through the logistics!” He squeezes your hand, “I’ll be fine.”

You sigh and wrap your arms around him tightly, taking in his scent that always laced his clothes, “Thank you for everything Harrison.”

He pulls away gently and looks at you with complete focus, “Okay, there’s something I need to stay because, if I don’t, I’ll spend every day thinking that I should’ve done.”

You frown a little and take a step back.

He lets out a shaky breath, “God, I don’t know where to start. Okay, here goes nothing.”

“Harrison, you’re scaring me. What’s going on?”

“I love you (Y/n). I love you with every single fibre of my body, every single piece of my heart. And I know that I shouldn’t feel like that. I’m not supposed to. You’re supposed to be the one girl that I wouldn’t fall in love with - the one girl. And I couldn’t do it,” He shrugs as tears start building up to blur his vision, “I know this is the worst time and I know that it’s-“

“Haz, what are you doing?”

He stops dead, lips parting slightly.

“I need to catch my flight, I don’t know what you want me to say... I...” You stumble, heart beating way too fast in your chest, “I can’t do this.”

“(Y/n), please,” He croaks out, hand reaching for you.

“You want this to be how I leave?” You pull away from him, “Harrison this changes everything!”

“I know, I know,” He nods, “But it’s consuming (Y/n/n). It’s killing me everyday that I’m not telling you that I love you. It’s killing me every time I convince myself that we should just be friends.”

You’re trembling as he talks - the panic of not knowing how to respond starting to trickle through your veins.

“You’re the only woman I’ll ever feel that way about.”

“Don’t say that,” You shake your head, “What do you expect me to say? Is this how badly you want me to stay?”

“No! God no!” Harrison tries to grip onto your hand again, “I just needed you to know.”

“I can’t do this Harrison, this changes everything.”

“No, no, it doesn’t have to change anything. I just-“ He stops, “There’s no way you could feel the same?”

You look at how helpless he looks and it breaks your heart into unfixable pieces, “I don’t know if I can give you an answer to that H. I didnt expect any of this.”

That’s when there’s a call for your flight. Perfect timing.

“I don’t need an answer. But if, or when, you find out how you feel, I’ll be waiting here (Y/n). I’ll always be waiting.”

With one last look at the possibility he’d left you, you pick up your bag and walk away - tears streaming down your face for a reason you’d never expected. You don’t have to look back to know he’s still stood there. And you don’t want to look back. You just let him leave you with those words.

I’ll always be waiting.

[itsclydebitches]

i always wonder just how much of v1-3 ozpin was Ozma the spirit and Ozpin the person. the fandom really likes to pretend that these two are one in the same but we never got any confirmation that Ozma takes over his host body or the two merge into one person, there are some scenes where im 100% sure its Ozma talking (the mistakes speech, giving ruby that pep talk about leadership) but then theres things like letting them do that mission they were unqualified for that i think were Ozpin (1/2)

I’m astounded we haven’t gotten confirmation about what exactly the merge entails and how it works because that is crucial to both conflicts RWBY itself has introduced and how fans read related scenes. In regards to the first, Oscar’s entire conflict is “omg I’m getting swallowed up by this other person.” He’s terrified of losing himself and thus far the show hasn’t confirmed or denied whether that fear is founded. So far, I’d argue that there’s more evidence for Ozma and his current host remaining individuals throughout their co-habitation - the First Host spoke to Ozma years later while he was with Salem, Oscar has now fully come into Ozma’s magic while maintaining his own personality, etc. - but we don’t actually know. More importantly, Oscar doesn’t know. Is the story ever going to let Ozpin talk to him and say, “Oh no. You won’t actually lose yourself” or are we just going to drop that conflict entirely, leaving Oscar indefinitely in his Volume Six Argus perspective of “Well, I’m assuming I might ‘die’ at any moment and become an Ozma amalgamation, but who cares about that anymore now that I’ve agreed to stop talking about it and focus on helping you instead?” 

In regards to the second issue, the Oscar-Ozma separation is arguably a significant part of Ironwood shooting him. I’ve seen a lot (a lot at lot lol) of explanations along the lines of, “Ironwood hates Ozpin so he was never shooting Oscar. Just Ozpin” but... what evidence is there for that? Ignoring the “Ironwood hates Ozpin” argument which I fundamentally don’t agree with, as you say, Ironwood knows about the merge. He should understand that they’re separate people in as much as anyone understands it. Now here’s Oscar, being Oscar, speaking to him as Oscar, even confirming at the start of their conversation that he’s still Oscar and not Ozpin. So... what? Ironwood’s unfounded hatred for Ozpin is so strong it literally blinds him the fact that this isn’t him and he’s just delusional? Ironwood despises Ozpin so much and cares so little for a kid thrown into this war that he’ll shoot both, not caring who is currently in control? None of it makes sense. A clear explanation regarding the merge wouldn’t erase the OOC stupidity of that choice, but it would at least provide some boundaries for trying to explain/defend it. Saying “Ironwood thinks that’s Ozpin” doesn’t work when the show has shown us a clear separation between the two, given Ironwood all the information we have (arguably more), and hasn’t bothered to explain whether that separation is ever likely to change. Now, if we (and by extension Ironwood at some point after joining the inner circle) had been told, “Yes, you will lose your individuality and become one with me at some point” then we’d have some justification for making assumptions about Ironwood’s assumptions. Maybe he does think that’s Ozpin, currently lying to him and pretending to be Oscar. Still flimsy, but at least there’d be some evidence for that reading. 

Sadly, this isn’t a cool character detail or backstory that ultimately has no bearing on the present plot. This impacts two main characters. It impacts every other main character by virtue of them traveling together. This merge is at the heart of the story’s primary conflict: the reason Ozpin is still on Remnant, a thousand years later, fighting the battle Team RWBY will presumably win. RT’s decision, for two volumes now (if not the whole series) to introduce such a significant aspect of the tale and then not firmly establish its boundaries is... not good. It’s even worse that 75% of the time we could have gotten an explanation wasn’t available because of the “RWBYJNR hates Ozpin and will not try talking to him” setup. It’s going to be frustrating if the only reason we didn’t get clarification earlier, when we needed it, was because of a silly, OOC (no one in this group was willing to try and talk to Oz?), two volume dismissal that thus far hasn’t accomplished anything. Has the group at least learned something in Ozpin’s absence? They have not. Maybe we will get an explanation now that he’s back - we should, even if it’s late - but I fear this is another cool concept of RT’s that they haven’t bothered to think through, let alone plan how those details should impact their story. Deciding whether two characters will remain two characters and whether one character will learn this after agonizing over it for four volumes, making it his primary (and frankly only) point of growth is definitely important. 

[whitleyschn33]

Ozpin and Ruby: Hypocrisy (Probably a Rant)

Yeah, you probably knew this was coming - as a fan of Ozpin that was very much not happy with how he was treated during the later half of V6, you can probably guess that I had a very bitter taste in my mouth when only 2 episodes in, Ruby told the exact same lies for the exact same reasons as Oz and the FNDM started trying to find every possible way that that wasn’t true, that obviously “Ruby is far more justified and has far better reasons to do so” than Ozpin did, and therefore not being hypocritical. 

Yeah, that’s a crock of BS, and I will go on to explain why in a bit, but first, got to make something clear.

As of right now, this isn’t necessarily an example of hypocrisy yet (stressing that yet there). As of now, there hasn’t been any episodes out to follow up on the thought process of Ruby in this and no chance for her to explain why she did it, so there is a chance that she will connect her reasons for doing this to Oz’s reasons to what he did, and realize that Ozpin was right (or at least justified) in not letting them in on every detail, which would mark this a sign of growth in Ruby’s worldview and a step towards reconciliation with Ozpin, rather than hypocrisy at its finest. 

However - the way that the stolen ship was handled (which I’m also itching to rant about) and the fact that there was no set-up to Ruby learning that Ozpin had reasons to do what he did (no talking with him, no example of trust backfiring in her face, nothing that would indicate her perspective of “we deserve to know everything involved” has flipped to “sometimes it’s necessary to be cautious with information”) makes me pessimistic on how this is going to be handled. The track record of the show so far makes me feel like this going to be played as an “It’s okay when we do it, and it’s totally justified cause we’re the protagonists” moment rather than a “Okay, we now see why it would feel necessary to lie or hold back information” moment of growth, and that makes my blood boil. I could be wrong, I hope I’m wrong, but as of writing this, I don’t have a lot of faith.

That being said, let’s get into the arguments (and if I miss one or you have another one, lay it on me).

The main one I’ve seen is that “The gang can’t trust Ironwood, so that makes them lying to him justified, but Oz should trust RWBY, so him lying is wrong and inexcusable.” That’s bull, though - Ozpin has no reason to trust RWBY whatsoever. We know that they’re (theoretically) trustworthy since they’re the protagonists, but from Oz’s point of view, these are just a bunch of random teenagers that Qrow dragged to his safe house and expected him to explain everything to, despite Ozpin not bringing any of them into the loop himself. With Team RNJR, he’s only familiar with Ruby’s background, and only met her at the beginning of the school year - JNR are all complete strangers he’s had no chance to vet. Weiss, Yang, and Blake literally just show up and attach themselves to the party - they all volunteer or invite themselves into the inner circle, and then expect Ozpin to trust them completely when he has no reason to. That’s what I think a lot of people forget - they volunteered for this. Ozpin didn’t seek them out; they showed up with Qrow and volunteered to help - volunteering before they could possibly know everything there is to know. Ozpin doesn’t trust them, and he has every right not to. We’ve seen firsthand that Oz is constantly betrayed, even by people he does come to trust and bring in. Lionheart is someone that Oz has known for decades, but still betrayed him the moment Salem came for him - while coming off the sting of that, why would he do something so foolish as to put his faith in these random teenagers? JNR and Blake in particular are people that he knows next to nothing about, and all have gaps in their pasts or faked records - any one of them could been an agent of Salem. RWBY and Co may not be able to trust Ironwood for good reasons, but Oz has equally good reasons for not trusting them. 

Another one I’ve seen is that “Team RWBY is risking their lives doing this - they deserve to know everything”. To which my response would be, well, that’s not entirely true. Ozpin has never actually lead them into a conflict zone. Haven was meant to be a safe place to recover and begin rebuilding defenses, I’ve already explained why the Grimm attack isn’t Ozpin’s fault, and everything that goes down in Argus is on tRWBY. The only thing Ozpin haves them do is continue training and hang around while they make sure the lantern is secure - Lionheart was supposed to be an ally, Haven was meant to be a haven. Ozpin has never asked them to head into the line of fire - all he’s asked is they learn and play defense while at Haven. 

But alright, though, I’ll play that game. Assuming that them risking their lives is true, then doesn’t Ironwood deserve to know everything? He’s not only risked his own life all this time, but as the head of the Atlesian military and currently concocting a plan that will draw the lives of all of Remnant into this conflict, shouldn’t he be told everything they know that could possibly be pertinent? Before Ruby lies to him, Ironwood has just laid out a plan that will throw Remnant into chaos and panic and result in many deaths, all for the end goal of finally mustering enough strength to destroy Salem - phrased another way, his entire plan hinges on the idea that whatever consequences that happen will be worth it when they destroy Salem. Ruby then proceeds to lie and not tell him about the part where them learning that, for all intents and purposes at this moment, Salem can not be destroyed is what drove Ozpin away. That is extremely important information that Ironwood, if for no other reason, needs to know since it’s the motivation behind everything he’s doing. At this moment, Ironwood has far more need to know this information than tRWBY ever has since he’s actually about to put himself, his military, and all the people of Remnant in the line of fire and the chaos of panic, but Ruby doesn’t tell him because.... why? She doesn’t trust him because of what’s happening in Mantle, which is being fueled by Ironwood’s current plan which she has the information to dissuade him from? Then telling him would be the right choice, and it wouldn’t come of as massively hypocritical. Gah, this entire situation is dumb.

Then there’s the fact that the first thing she lies about isn’t about the Relic, isn’t about what they’ve learned - it’s about why Oz isn’t there. Ironwood wants to speak with Oz, and Ruby lies about why that isn’t possible. You can make the argument that she’s lying to protect the last Relic question, or protect the information that Salem isn’t able to be destroyed, but that’s not what she’s directly lying about, those are a few steps down the line. What she initially lies about is why Ozpin isn’t present, and she practically cuts Oscar off to do so - and that comes off so much like her trying to hide what they did to Ozpin, and honestly? That’s what really makes me mad, because they have no right to hide that. If they’re so certain that what they did was right and justified, why hide it? Why cover it up? Is it possible you realize using the Relic against his will to dig into his past and trauma and then, when he was on the ground and crying after you forced him to relieve his own deaths and the death of his children, attacking him about it was a shitty thing to do? It feels so much like trying to hide what they did so they won’t face the consequences, and after all they did to Opzin for not telling them all of his mistakes and trauma? It’s so insanely hypocritical that I want to scream. 

Speaking of the Relic - lying about the Relic now, are you, Ruby? But I thought that was a no-no - after all, you all freaked out when you realized that Ozpin lied about the number of questions left and that was the driving motive for you to use the Relic on him. Why is it okay for you to do that when it wasn’t okay for Oz? “Well, we can’t trust Ironwood to not waste it/use it poorly -” Great! You just realized why Ozpin didn’t tell you! He couldn’t trust you all either, especially when the first thing y’all did after learning what it was was start trying to come up with questions to ask. So, same reason!

As I’m sure you can tell, the more I talk about this, the more ticked I get. All the justifications Ruby could have for lying to Ironwood are the same reasons Ozpin would have, but honestly worse, since it comes off as them not giving Ironwood the information he would need to stop his disastrous plan and hiding their own sins. It all seems so incredibly hypocritical, and if we don’t some kind of follow-up discussion of all of this, it will be. I want to think that CRWBY will find a way to make this a moment of growth and understanding, but they failed to properly set that up when Ruby switches from “we deserve to know everything” to “it’s okay to lie to people you don’t trust” without any reason that she may have come to change her mind on this between those two actions, and so far, the show hasn’t been batting a hundred with showing any consequences for the team doing something stupid. I want to be hopeful, but for now, it’s just left me feeling incredibly bitter.

Probably a poor way to end this, but I’m technically in class, and I feel like if I rant any longer, it will devolve into incoherent rambling, so - let’s just end it here.