#you could also maybe do rosegarden family together too

[nyanykamito]

Whats Rosegarden to you collab idea

what would make for a wholesome and loving rosegarden collab event would be for everyone to include how they draw rosegarden all in one pic. save images as png

So if you see oscar as tall bean who carries ruby off draw that

if you see ruby and oscar as strawberry and lemon go at it

if you see ruby and oscar as vampire and werewolf do it big!

We're just all coming together to draw what rosegarden is to us whether it be au's or whatnot, just one big rosegarden collab amoung fellow rosegarden shippers. Just gotta keep it pg

Maybe schedule the event around fall because that's the season of the harvest soooo September 23 ish.

[rwbyrg]

hi! noticed the ask by the anon about the reactions to rosegarden and i can't help but wonder...

do you think any of them would have some reservations because of the oz in oscar's head thing? i reckon there may be some slight lingering intensity for each member regarding him so there's a chance they could be wary... but more so for ruby and oscar, rather than exclusively ruby

I answered the last ask on the assumption that them becoming canon wouldn't happen until after the war is won and the Oz curse is broken. Simply because I don't think either of them have the time or capacity to tackle that sort of relationship before the main plot is resolved. So in the hypothetical situation that they would get together and it's before the curse is broken, I think there's a chance some of the people around them might be a bit wary. At least Qrow, Tai, and maybe Yang. However, with it being so close to the final fight, it would probably be the least of anyone's concerns at that time. "Seeing as the world might end in three weeks, so long as those two are happy for whatever time we have left, I don't really care if Oz is around for it or not", if you know what I mean?

That being said, I think I am too biased to answer this in a yes-and kind of way. I know you're probably asking in good faith, but in full transparency, I'm pretty jaded by how often this particular topic gets brought up. Since this is not the first time and probably won't be the last, I'm going to take this as an opportunity to share my stance on this idea as a whole.

Ozpin's place within Oscar and RG's stories is one of conflict; which is what all stories revolve around. And it is not, nor has it ever been, a deal breaker for RG's relationship to me. The Ozcarnation curse is an allegory for a few things. The first is simply growing up. RWBY is a coming of age story, and Oscar isn't the only one going through that arc. But this conflict and grief of how he doesn't get to choose the kind of person he wants to be - largely because of the people he's met and things he's experienced - is not unique to him. The curse is just a fantasized and exaggerated version of it.

The next one isn't so much an allegory as it is plainly stated in the text, but it's a story about choice. It's about how even when we are irreversibly changed by things outside our control, we can still choose who we want to be. Even when it's hard, even when the influences are strong, even when it's downright traumatic. Oscar's story is about self discovery and self acceptance; about choice and change. Regardless of if Oz fades into the background, or his curse is broken, or they become a blendy merge of the two of them, Oscar is still going to remain his own person in some way by the end of it. Because this is ultimately a happy story and that is the main driving conflict of his personal arc.

The assumption that Oscar is going to get absorbed or overwritten by Ozpin being such a common take in this fandom never ceases to confuse me because of that. It also confuses me because the show - while it doesn't fully explain the extent of the merge mechanics - has told us that Oz has had families in his previous lives by "learning to live with the souls with which he had been paired".

The other allegory I'll mention - of which I am not the first, nor necessarily the best, to be pointing out (here is a great example from a little while ago) - is one for plurality. Some of the friends I've made in RG spaces have DID and have spoken to me about how they interpret the Ozcar situation; how it's similar or different to their own experiences. Hearing those stories, once again, makes it really hard for me to see Ozpin as any sort of deal-breaking barrier to a rosegarden relationship. This idea that Oscar must be isolated from his friends and constantly scrutinized when showing interest towards any romantic partners because of Oz's presence lacks both imagination and compassion for me. Oscar never asked for this curse, he didn't do anything to deserve it, and to condemn him to a lonely life because of something like that seems really antithetical to the themes of this story and to the characters involved. While some characters within the story might have some doubts about the relationship, at the end of the day it is not up to them on what Ruby and Oscar decide to do for themselves.

Again, this isn't aimed at you, Anon. I just wanted to say my piece on it given how pervasive this topic is. I truly look forward to the day where folks can talk about RG without this being the first thought or argument that everyone jumps to.

[rwby-sk]

My ship thoughts

This will be a long post, so I’m putting it under a ‘keep reading”

Bumbleby  - Until Vol.4 I wasn’t sure if the Bees liked each other. Like yeah, we’ve had solid evidence since, like, their Vol.1 trailers. But still. I wasn’t sure CRWBY would do it. But wow was I impressed.  - Probably my favorite well-known ship - Their EYES are the colors of each others SOULS what more do you want??? - I wish my gf would throw a motorcycle at my abusive ex...

Nuts and Dolts  - I tried pushing this ship out of my mind for so long. I did. I wasn’t ready for it  - I appreciated the things people made for the ship. I knew it had potential  - But wow. Vol.8 really said “Nuts and Dolts rights” and I respect that - They’re so cute together. It’s like if Pyrrha came back to life and could be with Jaune again.  - But healthier this way (see Arkos)

Renora  - Wholesome - Cute - ‘Boop’ is one of my favorite songs - We all saw it coming. But how we got there was the fun part  - That Vol. 4 finale though...

Arkos  - First off, Arkos is my favorite ship from Vol.1-3 - Himbo is taught how to drink his respect women juice by an Amazon? Sign me up  - The character development, the mutual respect, the CARE - ForeverFall still fucks me up. I cry when I listen to it - I love Pyrrha, she’s my girl, but... She really betrayed Jaune’s trust at the very end. He told her specifically he never wanted to be helpless and watch his friends fight for their lives again. And she did exactly that to him. Making him wonder if he could have made a difference had he been able to fight by her side with her in the end.  - But it’s not really even Pyrrha’s fault. Ozpin’s expectations and Cinder’s plan are more to blame - Still high tier - It’s just so tragic

WhiteKnight  - Cute in theory  - But it’d have to be done so carefully to be a good romantic pairing  - As friends? I LOVE IT. Make these two best friends right now! - But Jaune moved past his feelings for Weiss in Vol.2 when he finally realized she meant it when she told him she didn’t like him  - I’m shocked though that so few people pick up on Ep.3 Vol.1 when Weiss is making fun of Jaune and mockingly calls him a “cute boy”. I think Jaune just thought Weiss liked him already, and went from there. He hits on Pyrrha pretty quick in Ep.4 too - I think it could work with who they are now, but I think they’re better as friends 

WhiteRose  - The sole reason I didn’t ship Nuts and Dolts sooner  - Vol. 6 messed me up okay? That red scarf really threw me for a loop - Chasing each other in the Argus Limited?  - Weiss sassing Ruby non-stop Vol.1-3?  - It also completes the RW BY JP NR pairings. I like to joke that the Emerald forest is actually “true love” forest. And whoever you lock eyes with first you fall in love with them. But that only works sometimes  - Also that part where they call out each others names when Jinn shows them Ozpin’s past 

Ladybug  - Cute and interesting  - I’m not against it. I would just need more of it to ship it myself - They just have such solid connections with other characters  - I do love Blake’s introduction to the main cast though, and how much Blake looks up to Ruby 

Freezerburn  - Similar to LadyBug  - Cute, but I just ship them more with other people  - That hug in Vol.5 was a bit sus though - Yang does seem to open up the most with Weiss - And Weiss defended Yang so quickly after the Mercury fight  - It’s not unfounded, I’ll say that  - Analyzing it has opened my eyes 

Crosshares  - Yes  - Just  - Yes  - High femme fashion ICON Coco Adel  - With fan-fave Velvet Scarlatina - WLW powercouple  - I wish I was Coco and Velvet is cute, not much to understand here, keep scrolling 

RoseGarden  - I have my concerns  - Oscar is a wonderful kid  - He probably has a crush on Ruby  - And he is a wholesome boy who deserves all the happiness  - But he also has a manipulative immortal Wizard in his head  - So - You know

Lancaster  - I never saw Lancaster. Jaune is the first boy Ruby meets. And Jaune calls her cute and quirky once, but... - I love Ruby’s talk with Jaune about failure in Vol. 1, then his return to that speech in Vol. 4 in return.  - I think they lean on each other as leaders - But I don’t see it going further - Cute though. I’ve seen nice fanart 

BlackSun  - I read an analysis a long time ago that really sat with me  - Blake asked for space (not out loud, but in action) when she ran away - Yang gave her what she wanted. She didn’t like it. But she gave Blake what she asked for.  - Sun on the other hand, didn’t. He followed and helped her anyway. (Believe me, Blake could have used all the help she could get in Vol. 4-5) But in doing so, he kinda took himself out of the running as love interest.  - He’s and excellent Foil for Blake though, so I love him

SeaMonkies  - Two bros, chilling in a hot tub... - Is it gay to become junior detectives with your best friend and only hang out with him for like 3 seasons?  - These two are just  - So fucking stupid  - Apart, they are fine. Very competent.  - Together though - They are just so dumb I think its cute as hell 

JNR  - Wholesome  - I could see it in Argus. In front of Pyrrha’s statue - They love each other  - Maybe its not 100% romantic  - But they love each other  - I could be happy here

JNR+Neo  - CRIME + Ren  - The pure chaos of Nora and Neo  - The exhausted mom-friend energy from Ren and Jaune - The power polycule that could take on Salem alone and maybe win? - I think it’d be cute, but I personally ship them in the two pairs a bit more. 

Bees Schnees  - We add Blake and Yang’s angst, Yang and Weiss’ trust, and Weiss and Blake’s mutual understanding and growth  - Wow okay  - I have to give it to you, I kinda like it

Neo x Jaune x Ruby  - Based on my response to Lancaster, you might be able to guess my answer here - I think a lot of the ship’s points lie in “What’s better than one short girl dating the tallest guy in the cast? Two short girls dating the tallest guy in the cast!” - Cute though, I think it’d be chaotic and wholesome  - But poor Jaune would be exhausted trying to make sure the house doesn;t burn down every five minutes 

May x Winter  - Look - If I hadn’t made a Neo x Jaune side blog  - I would have made a May x Winter side blog  - The comparisons  - The family legacies  - The pure amount of how attracted I am to both characters  - What happens when two tops date each other?  - What if they were partners in Atlas?  - What if May was Winter’s first crush. And after May came out, Winter was like “Oh thank the gods, I was worried I liked all women and only one guy for some reason. Cool, crisis adverted. So anyway, Marigold, here’s how you do your makeup” - I could go on - Haha don’t tempt me - I’m serious  - Please let them sass each other at some point

GuardDogs  - Marrow = Just doing his best  - Jaune = Just doing his best  - Marrow and Jaune = two himbos just vibing in this world  - If we don’t get Silentknight, I’d be proud to get GuardDogs - Marrow sure has been worried about “Juan” this whole time, huh?

Emercury  - The sass - The pure sass  - Mercury’s unearned confidence paired with Emerald’s quick temper  - Wow, I hope Em can turn him away from murdering people.  - If Em gets 1 friend, I hope its Mercury and not Cinder  - At least Mercury cares about her (But he’s too cool to admit that outright) - Mercury is going to see Em on RWBY’s team and just immediately walk over and join up. No questions asked. “I guess we’re good now. Sorry Tyrian, its been cool, not really”

Happy Huntresses - Yes - Look at that HUG - Ladies, is it gay to go off into the tundra and form a rebellion against the fascist government with three of your hottest gal pals? 

[littlemisssquiggles]

I love rose garden 😍

I think oscar hasn't dated much at best maybe a girl or to in school or a girl is age is ant set him up with ,so he maybe knows how to date,

I don't think ruby dose,I don't think her date let her date,am after becane fail ,I don't think dating on her mind but I think at some point after,salem gone

Ruby and Oscar will start dating as the show ends I could maybe see them having an on screen kiss in the last volume

Do you think ,rose garden will kiss or date

Sorry if u been ask this be for

You and I share the same sentiments about this wholesome ship between these two budding smaller, more honest souls, anon-chan. Personally I agree with you on thinking that Oscar has probably never dated or been in a romantic relationship before. My assumption is that Oscar has lived a pretty sheltered life with his only source of human contact and companionship being his family back on the Pine Family farm.

Since Oscar stated that he never met huntsmen and huntresses before back in V5, my assumption was that he and his aunt probably lived in the middle of nowhere in Anima where the closest neighbours were probably towns away. Either that or many of their local neighbours moved to the kingdom for the protection of the huntsmen. That being said, my hunch was that Oscar didn’t interact much with kids, especially ones around his age growing up which would explain his social awkwardness when meting RNJR for the first time. At least he’s courteous to adults highlighting a good boi (best boi) who was raised right by his family.

I also liked the thought of Ruby being the first girl Oscar ever truly had a genuine crush leading to those feelings ultimately evolving into love. Looking at Oscar, I more saw him as being one of those types who didn’t really bother much about romance; so much so that I imagined Oscar would be so inexperienced to love that he wouldn’t even realize his own feelings until someone else had to help him make the realization for himself.

I saw Oscar as the type who only allows love to blossom if it’s with someone he trusts wholeheartedly since to him, trust is everything and he’s not one to open his heart to any and every one. But once he does and he’s found the one who has tamed his heart, he will be ever devoted to said person; loving and supporting them unconditionally with every bit of his being.

I pictured Ruby being the same as Oscar. For me, I think outside of admiring them in her favourite childhood fairy-tales and supporting the relationships between her friends in real life, Ruby is quite the little red novice to romance herself. I perceived her as not really being all that interested in romance too since the feeling has never really hit her before. Unlike other characters she might know, the little light of love has never sparked in Ruby before so much like Oscar, she strikes me as being another who probably wouldn’t realize she was in love with someone even if Cupid damn right thwacked her over the head.

That being said, this is what makes the potential of a Rosegarden romance so fascinating to me and why I like it so much. At the end of the day, Ruby and Oscar are just two kids fitted with roles of responsibility beyond their years. They are both often looked to as figures of guidance and wisdom or at least are expected to. All the more reason why I love how the show has highlighted the two showing support for one another since, within our main group of young heroes, they share the most in common (at least in my humble opinion) and can understand each other in ways unique to them; thus making their bond more meaningful than any others they might share.

At this point, I can’t really say whether or not romance is in the cards for the rosebuds. Don’t get me wrong. As I’ve voiced multiple times in the past, this squiggly Rosegardening Pinehead is all for Ruby and Oscar falling in love with each other (particularly if it parallels the Fairy-tale romance that happened between Ozma and Salem a long time ago only with a much happier ending and happily ever after). I’m down for a Rosegarden romance but whether that will be is up to the showrunners. I’m not sure if Ruby and Oscar will “date” but I do like the idea of them sharing an onscreen kiss.

As a matter of fact, once upon a time, long before it was revealed that Oscar will be kidnapped by Salem, I was one of the theorists who kept advocating for it. Therefore I had concocted this scene in my head where Salem gives Atlas an ultimatum to surrender Oscar over to her in exchange for sparing the kingdom from annihilation. And while his comrades were strongly against this, Oscar, on the other hand, had made up his mind that he was willing to trade his own life if it meant the protection of everyone.

I had this scene of Ruby and Oscar professing their true feelings for one another after Ruby desperately tried to convince Oscar not to give himself up to Salem. I had this idea of the Rosegarden first kiss mimicking the first on-screen kiss between Katara and Aang from Avatar: The Last Airbender.

In that series, Aang kissed Katara after expressing his concerns of never returning from confronting Fire Lord Ozai. And as Katara goes in to object, Aang kisses her on the spot as his way of letting Katara know his true feelings for her just in case he never got the chance.

For me, I pictured something like this being done for Oscar with Ruby. With him kissing her as a means of letting her know right then and there how much he loved her; just in case he didn’t return to her in the event that Salem  killed him.

I even had this idea of “I love you” being the very last thing Oscar says tearfully to Ruby before he is taken prisoner  by Salem and she and the others are left to die in the destruction of Atlas Kingdom. Even if we never get a Rosegarden onscreen kiss, I personally would still like the show to confirm Oscar having feelings for Ruby.

The longstanding Pinehead headcanon is that Oscar has a crush on Ruby and has been in love with her since the moment he looked into his silver eyes; paralleling the young man who met the lone Silver Eyed Warrior in the Warrior in the Woods tale from Fairy Tales of Remnant.

That being said, I’m waiting (ever so patiently) to see if the show would…y’know…do something more to make the notion of Oscar being in love with Ruby more official since I feel like they’ve been more or less teasing that since V5. It’s obvious that Oscar cares a lot for Ruby. It’s clear that he admires her and looks to her as a symbol of hope. However at the same time, it is also clear that Oscar acknowledges Ruby’s vulnerability (the side that she rarely likes to show but is evident to certain characters like Oscar and even Maria Calavera and of course, us as the audience) and the huge burden of responsibility placed on her shoulders and does his best to support her when he can in his own way.

But does this mean that Oscar is in love with Ruby? I’d like to think he is but I’m waiting on the canon to confirm since I feel like they’ve building up to it since the very moment Oscar met Ruby. I don’t know whether or not romance is in the cards for the rosebuds but what I can say for sure is that something important has been building between these two kids since V5 and I’d like to think thatV8 is the time to actually prove this or not since Oscar is expected to be taken by Salem at some point.

Not to mention that he’s also supposed to be dead a la Ironwood and I’m still waiting to see if that will be mentioned at any point by Ironwood when RWBN_P go to confront him up in Amity.

But we’ll have to wait to see what happens anon-chan. But whether or not, Rosegarden is carded to be together or not, let me say this, fam. I’ve voiced this point possibly several times in the past but given the nature of this fandom and how certain-certain shippers are behaving these days, this squiggle meister is going to make this firm statement.

Just like you anon-chan, I love Rosegarden too (if it isn’t obvious already XD). As a RWBY ship, they are my OTP and I adore this ship very much for the potential it has. Despite my own personal gripes with the writing of the show, if there is one thing I will give to the CRWBY Writers is that thus far, I’ve enjoyed the progress they have made with the growing bond between Ruby and Oscar. It is thanks to them and the things they have done with these two why I like them so much and humbly look forward to whatever else they have in store for their growing bond.

That being said, while I might love Rosegarden and why I may even wish for the series to pursue a romance with them---at the end of the day, that is NOT my ONLY motive for supporting this pair. It’s not even my main motive.

I don’t love Rosegarden solely because I want the showrunners to make them endgame and should the showrunners not do so, I will hate them forever. That’s NOT it. That’s not how I am as a person. I have always, ALWAYS said that whatever the showrunners do with this pair---whether it becomes a romance or stays purely platonic, I will respect it.

And even now, as we’re entering a new season, I stand by that. Regardless of what the showrunners choose to do with Rosegarden, as a supporter of the pair, I will respect it and it will NOT deter me from giving the pair as much love and support as I’ve always done.

Basically---in a nutshell, if Rosegarden becomes canon, this squiggle meister will support it. But if Rosegarden doesn’t become canon, guess what? This squiggle meister will still love and support it. How about that, huh?

I feel the need to express this now because there honestly seems to be this weird vibe in the FNDM in respect to Rosegarden and its community. It always annoyed me how certain-certain shippers and their respective community would go around the place acting as if their favoured ship was better than others even going so far as to bully other shipping communities because of it. In my opinion, there is no need for that. Just like what you like. Enjoy it however you wish and be respectful enough to allow others to do the same. That’s how I’ve always looked at it and that’s how I move.  

And that’s one thing that made me appreciate the RG community. For the most part, all of us share that same sentiment. We love our ship but we respect other ships and their respective shippers. Probably because some RG shippers are multi-shippers. While I’m not a multi-shipper--- since I more tend to latch onto one favoured ship and stick with it till the end---this is one thing that I liked and respected a lot about the RG community.

…Which is why it honestly disgusts me when I see the things that certain-certain shippers say about us.

What’s even worse is that even when we attempt to defend ourselves, somehow that proves to make things worse than better because then other certain-certain shippers start implying that we’re fighting a war with certain-certain ships when in reality, we’re not fighting anything. We’re just shielding ourselves against the nonsense the other people are sparking.

We didn’t start the fire yet…we’re being held responsible for it by association and even when we try to out the fire, somehow we still get chastised both by the folks who hate us and the ones we hoped would understand. It is honestly a mess and if you’re unware of it then stay oblivious, fam.

For the longest while I have heard stories about the toxicity within the RWBY shipping communities. But back in those earlier times, the toxicity was mainly contained to a few certain-certain ships and their shippers. Now it may seem that the toxicity is starting to spread into the RG community. Not in the form of us becoming toxic ourselves in our own behaviour towards other ships but more in the sense of certain-certain shippers kicking up dirt and trying to start fights with the RG community by making arguments against us whether it be here on Tumblr or Twitter or the dreaded cesspool that is the RWBY Reddit community.

And…sadly to say, I’m seeing some of my fellow Rosegardeners taking the bait and…that honestly needs to stop.

That type of attitude is one of the reasons why I’ve started to slowly back out of the RWBY community. That doesn’t mean that I’m jumping ship. I’m still following the RWBY train---just picture it more as me following it alone from the comfort and sanctity of my own little squiggle mobile gently chugger-chugging down the tracks. This way I can enjoy the show the way how I want to only engaging when I feel like it and more importantly, staying very, very, VERY FAR away from all the chaos that I’ve seen stirring up for seasons.

I still like the show and I’m still very much invested in seeing where it goes, particular with Rosegarden but I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t becoming increasingly difficult for me to just enjoy the things that I genuinely like about RWBY.

Rosegarden and the development of these two smaller, more honest souls (individually and as a pair) are two of the things I still really like about RWBY. However I’m honestly tired of going on the tags and seeing my fellow RG shippers sharing and responding to the discourse surrounding the ship sparked by certain-certain shippers.

I’m tired of seeing all the weak strawman arguments made by said certain-certain shippers against RG and why they believe their ship is superior and more likely to become canon and whatever. Like seriously? WHO CARES!

I’m tired of it all and I genuinely wish my fellow RG shippers would stop answering these types of people. When will you learn that you are fighting a losing battle? It doesn’t matter how many posts you make. How much good evidence you provide from the show or the showrunners. Even if you are in the right, it all doesn’t matter. These types of people don’t care. All that matters for them is stirring up nonsense and throwing hissy fits when they don’t get their way. It is childish behaviour at display and nothing anyone says will stop it. So why even bother to entertain it at all?  

This is not me trying to knock down my fellow Rosegardeners in the RG community or even me throwing shade at others to “start shit”---I’m just…tired!  Tired of seeing that shit, y’know what I mean?

Shipping is supposed to be fun. Happy fun times where you get to gush and nerd out about your favourite pairings, not really because them becoming canon was all that important but just because you like it. What happened to just liking something and having a perfect platform to like it and enjoy it with others who feel the same way about it with you…IN PEACE? No malice. No disrespect. No fighting over which ship is going to be canon endgame (as if the canon means jack-shit in the long-run because look at Zutara, Sheith and Klance for Pete’s sake). I dunno. Overall, I’m just tired of the RWBY shipping community as a whole and it’s becoming tough just to have fun being a Rosegarden shipper anymore. So I think stepping back is a good way to go. 

Sorry if this response went off course anon-chan. It’s just that your question motivated me to express things that’s been on my chest for some time. I hope you don’t mind and hopefully I was able to give you a decent answer in all of this. Feel free to let me know or not.

~LittleMissSquiggles (2020)

[rosegardensanctuary]

Winter Solstice

This is a little late for Christmas, but, to be fair I had no internet access for most of the time. This is just a sneak peek at the Rosegarden fic I’ve been working on but since this one was going on for a long time, I’ve decided to put the entire fic under the cut. (let me know if you’re having trouble trying to read it)

Victorian, Semi-steampunk (Mid 1800s era) AU

Every step in the cold stone floor felt like an eternity.

Despite the holiday season where everyone was in their solstice cheer, the red-haired girl shivered violently against the cold. Snowflakes flitted and fluttered in the air, slowly turning the world around her into a blanket of pure white.

“This really was a terrible idea,” Ruby mumbled, flinching each time her bare feet touched the cobblestones. “I knew leaving Crescent Rose was a bad idea-achoo!”

Oh great, she thought as she sniffled. How am I supposed to get to Beacon now?

She sneezed again, angrily this time as she contemplated at her failure. It started out with a simple thief snatching her pocket. Realising what was taken from her, she pursued the thief without a second thought. When she finally cornered the thief, she then realised her mistake as she was without her weapon. Before she knew it, the thief had two other companions and knocked her unconscious. When she found herself awake, her well-loved boots, coat, cloak and silver emblem were missing.

Just thought of her miscalculation only brought out another violent sneeze from her.

Asking for help would have been a good idea, had it not been for the fact that every shop in sight was closed. Ruby then looked up at the sky, standing still as she watched the flutters of snow drifted in the wind. The soft caress of the winter breeze brought her to tremble even further.

With her constantly trembling, her body slowly wore her down as her muscles began to strain. She decided at the very least, that she could find a place where the wind wouldn’t be able to reach her. And so, as a last-ditch effort, Ruby ran towards the closest alleyway, only to slip and fall on her face on the cold hard floor. Had it not been for her aura, she would have had met her fate right then and there.

“Are you alright?!” a voice hollered out from a distance.

The sound of footsteps hastily trudging through the snow drew closer towards her.

Ruby groaned at her predicament while trying to stay positive at her position. She then pushed herself up, only to feel a pair of gloved fingers holding her shoulders to assist her. By the time she sat up, she looked up and saw a face she had seen once or twice in the academy. A young boy with ebony black hair who was always seen next to Professor Ozpin. The boy had bundled himself in an over-sized coat and had a long, orange scarf wrapped around his neck several times. The winter breeze billowed once again, bringing her body to tremble even further before she could even speak.

Wordlessly, he bent his knee before her, took off his coat and draped it over her shoulders. He then began unwrapping the woollen scarf around his neck and then wrapped it around her neck twice.

“What happened?” his voice cracked in clear concern.

“A-a thief-f,” she stuttered.

The warmth that exuded from his coat slowly eased her shivering muscles, easing her breath into a much steadier pace. When he finished wrapping the scarf around her neck, her body twitched here and there at the shock of the sudden warmth. With her still-trembling nerves, she grabbed the two ends of the coat and pulled it closer to her body.

“W-weren’t-t y-you Profes-ssor Ozpin’s… a-pprentice?” she asked as she continued to shudder.

“Yes I am,” he nodded, his hazel eyes reflected a clear concern on her current state. “You’re a student from Beacon, right? I’m going to have to drop a line at the nearest postal station to let them know what happened.” -the boy then paused as he appeared to be assessing the situation- “Are you able to stand?”

“Yes, but my boots were stolen…”

The boy pressed his lips together as he bent his head down low. He then looked towards the direction of her bare feet and then looked at his.

“Alright,” he nodded to himself as he unfolded his left knee to have his boots flat on the ground. Ruby didn’t realise what he was doing until he began unlacing his boots.

“W-wait, you don’t have to go that far-“

“I’ve walked frozen floors like this when I was a kid,” he interjected as he slipped his boot off his left foot. Passing it to Ruby he then added, “Between walking on a sheet of ice and cobblestones, I’d rather choose the latter.”

“…And you’re okay with that?” Ruby felt bad already, having to hear that he had already been through something worse than her own predicament. Regardless of her own show of concern, the boy’s stern face never faltered at the question.

“The postal office is just 2 blocks away,” he pointed his head towards the road behind him. “I can handle a few short miles from here.”

The girl looked at his eyes and saw how serious he was at his offer. She then turned to the boot that remained in his hand. Hesitantly, she took it from him, in which her action of accepting it earned her a smile on the boy’s face.

“Thank…you…” she said quietly.

“It’s the Winter Solstice,” he said as he adjusted himself to unlace his other boot. “It’s the season to share with what you have with friends and family. It’ll be bad luck if you’d spend it on a cold afternoon like this.”

He then raised his head up to her after he unlaced finished unlacing his boot. Ruby was still looking at the boot in her hands as she contemplated on their current predicament.

“…Sorry if the boot stinks,” the boy quietly said with a blush. “It’s not much, but, that’s the best thing I have for now.”

“Oh no,” she shook her head and began slipping her foot into the boot. “It’s just that I have a better idea.”

The boy was half-way into removing his other shoe when she made her proposal.

“Maybe if I just wear this,” she pointed at the boot that she was now wearing. “And you can wear that.” -she pointed at the boy’s boot that was still being worn- “That way we can at least have one-less foot to worry about.”

The boy gave her an incredulous look.

“I mean, it’s better than having both feet in the cold, right?” she added.

The boy then made a long sigh, lowering his head for a moment.

“Alright,” he turned towards her. “But if I find you limping, I’m not going to take any chances.”

“That’s a deal then,” she smiled, tugging the large coat closer towards her.

The boy’s cheeks then glowed into a light blush of pink and batted his eye away. He then laced his boot loosely this time, in case he’ll need to remove it if the cold was too much for her.

He then stood up and stretched out her hand to her to help her stand. Ruby’s cold fingers then took his hand as she stood, wobbling a little as she did so.

“Are you alright?” the boy asked.

“I’m fine,” she answered, as she shivered once more.

The boy then took a couple of steps ahead, only to be halted by a sneeze as the winter breeze blew past their direction. From where Ruby stood, she saw his back arching as he wrapped his arms around himself as though he was bracing himself against the cold.

She looked at the coat that had been draping over her back and saw that the coat seemed to be big enough for people of their size to share.

Now that I think about it, she thought, looking at the boot on her foot. This size is also too big for him.

“Hey,” she called out to the boy.

The boy turned towards her.

“May I make a suggestion?” she gestured for him to come closer, to which the boy complied.

“What is it?”

“This coat’s too big for me alone,” she raised the flap of the coat. “And it wouldn’t be fair if one of us would be freezing in the cold. So…” -Ruby then opened the coat to show how big the coat was- “Would you mind if we shared the coat?”

The boy’s jaw dropped in disbelief. Whether it was the thought of her proposing to share something that he had advertently given her to help her; or the thought of being too close to a girl in general; the boy couldn’t help but sigh defeatedly.

When the winter wind billowed strongly this time, the boy then reluctantly walked closer to her. Unable to refuse because of the cold, the boy then stood beside her; taking one side of the overbearing coat over his shoulder.

Seeing that the distance between them created a wide space for the wind to billow through them, Ruby then shuffled closer to the boy and instructed;

“Sorry, but could you move a little closer? The cold’s going to get us if we’re not going get closer.”

“Ah, sorry,” he squeaked.

He then shuffled closer, and after a few adjustments here and there, they both found themselves in a supposedly comfortable position. With Ruby’s arm around his shoulder due to their height distance and the boy awkwardly had his arm around the back of her waist. For a moment, they stood in an uncomfortable silence, but when the wind billowed, it brought the two of them closer as they tried to preserve the warmth that they had.

When the wind died down, two of them couldn’t help but laugh at their predicament.

“Shall we go?” Ruby asked.

“Mm,” he nodded.

The two of them then walked a few paces ahead, wary of each other’s footing as they both had one foot in the icy cobblestones. Seeing as both Ruby and the boy had seethed with every step of ice, Ruby then decided to try distracting themselves from the cold.

“So,” she began. “I’m Ruby.”

“Hm?”

“My name. I’m Ruby Rose.”

“Oh,” the boy nodded. “I guess I already knew that.”

“Oh?” Ruby tilted her head a little. “Then you already know who I am?”

“Ah, sorry,” the boy shook his head. “I mean, Ozpin- I mean, Headmaster Ozpin mentioned you and your squad once or twice. So, I already knew who you are.”

Ruby slowly nodded, not knowing what to think with the sudden idea of the headmaster talking about her and her team.

“Not bad things I hope,” she said.

“Oh no, the headmaster spoke highly of your team, even you once or twice.”

The boy then raised his head as though he had an epiphany.

“What is it?” Ruby then tugged her side of the coat a little closer.

“Sorry,” he lowered his head. “I forgot to introduce myself. I’m Oscar. Oscar Pine… I guess you’re already aware that I’m Headmaster Ozpin’s successo- I mean, apprentice.”

“Oh, so your Ozpin’s successor?” Ruby never failed to miss that last part of what he said.

“…Ugh,” he groaned.

“What is it?”

“…Sorry. It’s just that part was supposed to be a secret…”

“Oh?”

Oscar chuckled guiltily as he spoke; “Yeah… the cover story was supposed to be that I was to be trained under him for a family friend… But I guess now that the cat’s out of the bag…”

“Don’t worry, I’ll keep a secret!”

The ebony-haired boy blinked.

“I won’t tell anyone, promise,” Ruby assured him. “Although, isn’t an apprentice the same thing as a successor?”

“Not really. There’s a big difference between them,” Oscar explained. “Apprentices just learn from their master’s skills to be more familiar with their line of work. Successors take over their master’s legacy.”

“Okay?”

“Yeah,” he nodded. “That’s that.”

The red-haired girl nodded slowly, her mind trying to digest the sudden information that was given to her.

“But yes,” he added. “Don’t tell anyone about this. If people found out that I’m going to be-”

“I won’t tell anyone,” she insisted. “I won’t and I can promise you that.”

He smiled upon hearing her assuring words.

“Thank you.”

So there you have it... The final product might have some alterations to the scene, but yeah. here we are. It’s a late Christmas Present to all my Rosegardeners.

[littlemisssquiggles]

Pinehead Headcanons: Oscar Goes Missing...Again

This headcanon was sparked by @jealouscartoonist​’s illustration for Day 2 of Rosegarden Week. In their image they depicted the concept of what if…Oscar is sent to Atlas Academy on his own while teams RWBY and JNR are off doing their own thing---meaning missions on behalf of Ironwood and the military and what not. I guess you can consider this somewhat my response to that or at least my way of expanding on the thought. As soon as I saw it, it made me wonder a very curious scenario.

Imagine if…Ironwood attempts to separate Oscar from the others through the use of the Academy? 

Technically he is the man with the authority to commit such an act undetected considering that he is both in charge of the huntsmen academy and the Atlesian Military while also having two seats on the ruling council of the kingdom. 

Here’s what I’m thinking. I know jealouscartoonist may not like this idea but I can see Oscar attending Atlas separately from RWBY and JNR a possibility. Technically…wouldn’t Oscar be the equivalent of a first year huntsman student given his current lack of training while the others are pretty much second or third years by now. I know JNR_RWBY haven’t trained under an academy since Beacon but I’d like to think they’d all have advanced to another year of school by this timeline in the story since the plot has progressed over a period of several months to nearly a year since Vale.

 I guess what I’m trying to imply is that if Ironwood wanted to keep Oscar under his firm watch while also tethering his bond with his fellow huntsman comrades, this is one way I can see him doing so within the law, I guess. By having Oscar attend the academy as a beginner student with a different school curriculum than his friends who would be his upperclassman.

In the RWBY V7 Trailer, we glimpsed the RWBY girls dive-bombing from an Atlesian airship down to what I’d assume is a school training mission---Atlas-style, much similar to their first training mission in the Emerald Forest and Forever Fall back in V1.

So perhaps Ironwood would keep RWBY and JNR busy with training missions while Oscar will be off doing his own thing since he wouldn’t be able to join his friends on their missions. It’d be the equivalent of how things were between RWBY and CFVY since they were their second year colleagues.

And if I’m going off of using CFVY’s experience as an example, I guess off-campus training missions to help real life victims is part of the second year of training at the huntsman academies. So what we saw for JNR and RWBY during the V7 trailer, with what appeared to be them going on a training mission to a dust mine---that’s probably part of their training as second year students. Maybe. It’s a hunch at best.

Either way, even if JNR_RWBY and Oscar went to Atlas together, I don’t think they’ll be able to see each other on the same beat like how it was during their travels. I wouldn’t be shocked if their respective times at the academy does create distance between the older huntsmen and Oscar. Sure JNR_RWBY will all be together since they’re all around the same year academically. But Oscar, he might just be on his own or rather segregated from his friends and given special treatment from the General.

I wouldn’t even be surprised if we get a moment where JNR_RWBY are on break in a cafeteria scene and all the while Ruby is scouping out the room in the hopes of spotting a familiar freckled face. But unfortunately Oscar isn’t around. He’s never around and this soon becomes an issue.

I wouldn’t be surprised if, due to Oscar’s predicament with Oz being gone, Ironwood would vouch that Oscar stay close to him all the times so that the two can figure out a way to bring the old soul out of his solitude. 

Heck, I wouldn’t be surprised if Ironwood convinced Oscar to sadly lie to the others about joining them at Atlas Academy when the reality is that it’s all a ruse to hide the fact that Ironwood has been experimenting on Oscar and his aura.

Or…maybe Oscar doesn’t even get to join the others at the academy. Perhaps unlike Ozpin who was willing to bend the rules to allow a 15-year-old huntress to attend his school ahead of her time, I doubt Ironwood would do the same for Oscar regardless of him being a successor to Oz. 

I’m more inclined to believe that James would keep Oscar under his surveillance so that they may figure out a way to bring Oz back or something along those means. One or the other, I suppose.

The overall theory is  to have Ironwood keep Oscar separated from JNR_RWBY. I feel like that is a plot point that could come to fruition canonically.

And y’know what? Is it weird that I actually wouldn’t mind something like this happening. Not just because it can potentially lead into my Pinehead headcanon about Ironwood betraying the heroes by using Oscar as a martyr in his scheme to stop Salem but partially cause, I’d like to think a subplot like this could lend to the golden opportunity to show Ruby strongly missing Oscar.

I think it’d be kind of adorable if as Oscar’s time spent with JNR_RWBY becomes scarce due to Ironwood, this kind of sparks Ruby’s inner mother hen and protectiveness of Oscar to go into overdrive. 

Picture a moments with JNR_RWBY hanging out together, laughing only for Ruby to frown sadly when she noticed the lone empty seat across from her between Ren and Nora where Oscar should be.

Picture Ruby trying to get in contact with Oscar constantly---perhaps our farm boy will finally get his own Scroll while he’s in Atlas prompting moments of Ruby ringing him up or leaving many messages on the hope the two could talk only for her attempts at communicating going to waste. Oscar never answers her. As a matter of fact, it’s like he wasn’t even there anymore (a nice allegory for the threat of the Merge if you will). 

Picture Ruby being teased by the members of FNKI---like Neon Katt for example, who mistake her protectiveness of her friend for an unspoken crush.

Like I’m just imagining Ruby trying to call Oscar for the umpteenth time in about a week of not seeing or hearing from him. Oscar has just ghosted himself from the group and it gets to the point where it starts to really worry Ruby. 

She of course, expresses her concern for her missing freckled farm boy to everyone---JNR, WBY as well as FNKI too--- only for Neon to bluntly ask Ruby if Oscar was her boyfriend (or someone she liked that way) since the red rose’s earnest behaviour reminded the cat Faunus of a love-struck girl hung up over not seeing her partner in some time.

This of course riles Ruby up and we get a hilarious bit where a flustered Ruby tries to awkwardly explain that she and Oscar are ‘just friends’. It’d be even more hilarious if the others joined in on questioning Ruby’s true feelings toward Oscar considering she’s only known him shortly yet acts so caring and defensive toward him.

I know there is no real necessity for the series to have Ruby justify on-screen why she cares so much for Oscar. Then again, this squiggle meister of course wouldn’t mind seeing something like that done if possible.

My hunch has always been that Ruby cares for the Oscar the way she does because she relates a lot to him. Unlike anyone else (besides probably Jaune), she knows what it’s like to be in his shoes---to be the youngest in the presence of older more experienced and possibly better huntsmen than her and have to work harder to prove yourself and show that you have a  right to be there.

 At least in Ruby’s case, she was fortunate to have Yang joining her at Beacon to look out for her and help her open up to others.

But with Oscar, he doesn’t have that luxury. He doesn’t have any immediate family to turn to or watch over him. He doesn’t even have Ozpin anymore. 

Oscar is all alone now so Ruby cares because she wanted to at least let him know that he still had someone there for him. 

That he didn’t just have to depend on Ozpin or Ironwood or handle things on his own all the time. He also had her on her side, looking out for him and standing by him no matter what.

I like the idea of Ruby voicing why she cares so much for Oscar since I can see it sparking JNR forming their own interest in looking out for Oscar. After all, it’s not just Ruby who has been in Oscar’s shoes. All three of them share this. I can see Ruby’s protectiveness of Oscar resonating with Jaune since it might remind me of how Pyrhha used to look out for him too. 

In a way, Ruby is technically Oscar’s version of Pyrhha and this realization could make Jaune see that he’s been where Oscar is as well as an underdog.

The same can be said for Ren and Nora. It was the same for them too. They wouldn’t be where they are currently if they didn’t have each other having their back through thick and thin.

I just think hearing Ruby say why she cares to much for Oscar would be an interesting way to sort of inspire JNR taking an interest in joining Ruby in looking out for the freckled farm boy too since in their own way, they’ve all been where he currently stands and understands the importance of having someone by your side as you go.

Personally I really need the Writers to do better on showing that Oscar is meant to be part of the team on his own bearings outside of Ozpin’s influence while supposedly emphasizing that the others care about him too.

No offense but each attempt they’ve done so far just makes me as the viewer watching feel like all of this is only being done because the Writers write it to be so for the purpose of the plot and not because the plot itself surrounding the relationship between these said group of characters that they’ve built upon thus far supports this development; y’know what I’m saying.

Take V6 C9 for example. I know folksl have heard me rip into this episode many times before and I apologize for doing it again here but…as a Pinehead and someone who’s favourite RWBY character is Oscar, I can’t look past how much the Writers mishandled him for that episode.

The writing decisions for Oscar’s part of that episode’s narrative still bothers me even now that we’re on the brink of V7’s premiere.

I understand that V6 C9 was meant to sort of express that Oscar is officially part of the group and everyone values him in that light and all that jazz, but I’m so sorry guys. That bit felt forced to me (like so many things about that one episode). I didn’t buy into Jaune’s sudden change in attitude towards Oscar or any of his remarks acknowledging him as part of the team since we didn’t really get to see him bond with Oscar in that manner. Hence my eternal disappointment of the CRWBY Writers not killing two birds with one stone by having Jaune and Oscar reunite and reconcile at the Pyrhha statue.

All of my gripes for this episode would immediately disappear if the Pyrhha leaf had led Jaune to finding Oscar standing at the foot of the statue of his former fallen teammate. That to me would’ve been more poetic.

But nah, I guess Jaune meeting the red-haired woman who might as well have been a ghost (since she vanishes immediately out of the story as quickly as she appeared) was a better, more fitting idea given how this subplot started.

 Yep, I guess revealing Oscar’s new huntsman gear in a rather contrived way was far more important than showing him and Jaune actually sharing a genuine heart to heart to help properly discuss and shed any previous animosity and misunderstanding left behind by their previous tense scuff. Yep. Good shit.

But that aside, what I’m mostly trying to say is, if we get another subplot for V7 where Oscar suddenly goes missing again prompting JNR_RWBY to go find him, I hope a better job is done to show how much the others care about Oscar.

If not the whole team then at least, show how much Oscar means to the members of his Golden Circle: Team RNJR. I still stand by my theory that Ruby, Jaune, Nora and Ren are destined to be Oscar’s closest confidants, particular Ruby Rose.

I do think a ‘Missing Oscar Part II’ story is possible to happen for V7 only this time, he’d probably been abducted by the Atlesian military and used as lab rat in Ironwood’s desperate attempt at saving the world pitting our heroes against the General and his forces as betrayal is in motion. And when it goes down, I’m hoping these four---RNJR--- are at the forefront of getting Oscar back---

Ruby as Oscar’s potential best friend (and love interest if romance is in the cards) and JNR as Oscar’s potential huntsmen team and surrogate family.

That’s my theory at least. Besides, if Oscar suddenly disappears again then I’m definitely banking on someone (probably Nora)  making the meta joke about Oscar going shopping. 

‘We need to find Oscar. He’s missing and he could be in danger!’ ‘...You sure he didn’t go shopping again.’

I think that bit is mandatory if we do get that story for V7. But as always, these are just my thoughts, theories and ideas.

~LittleMissSquiggles (2019)

[littlemisssquiggles]

Pinehead Headcanons: Oscar’s Betrayal

Okay, but…but hear me out with this one again, okay? So I just posted a new Pinehead headcanon and in that post, I shared a theory of:

What if…Salem captured a portion of the Atlesian populace during the Fall of Atlas and used them as leverage to force Oscar to submit to being her prisoner. 

Basically the idea was that the fates of these captive people were placed in Oscar’s hands and each time he attempted to escape from Salem, instead of punishing him, she would sacrifice the innocent lives of these poor captive people on his behalf. So as a means of keeping those people alive and not suffering because of his actions, Oscar became Salem’s compliant little prisoner, alone in his lonely tower while the abducted Atlesians were being held elsewhere that not even he knew. 

As a follow-up to that theory, it made me consider something. One of the reasons why I love the ‘Oscar the Boy in the Lonely Tower’ Dark Domain theory is due to the call-back to the Wizard of Oz story---the Lost Princess of Oz 

In that tale, Princess Ozma was taken hostage and it was her best friend, Dorothy Gale who led a search party to rescue her.

I cannot be the only Rosegardening Pinehead who can totally see Ruby doing this for Oscar should her become Salem’s prisoner. It’s just too perfect especially if these two rosebuds are destined to grow closer for the Atlas Arc.

Another reason for my love for this theory is the obvious parallel to the Lost Fable episode. 

Remember in her origin story, the original Ozma was the valiant hero who rescued the maiden Salem from her lonely imprisonment. So as a call-back to both of these stories, I can definitely picture Ruby Rose becoming the Ozma in Oscar’s Lost Fable. The noble caped champion who, together with her teammates, leads the voyage into the Dark Domain to rescue the lost little prince from the wicked witch.

Keeping that in mind, it then made me think of this. 

What if… in a shocking twist, Oscar ends up betraying his friends and joining sides with Salem? 

Okay, really hear me out here.

What if…when Team RWBY arrive to free Oscar from his imprisonment, to their dismay, Oscar refuses to leave with them. No matter how many times Ruby begs him to come with her, all Oscar does is stare back at her coldly, telling her heartlessly to leave him be. Leave him alone to his tower of isolation---he doesn’t need her saving. To prove his point, Oscar even summons the Grimm left to guard him to immediately surround and ambush the rescue party.

Despite her teammates being overpowered, including Yang who desperately pleads with her younger sister for their retreat, Ruby is adamant on not leaving without Oscar.

But again, Oscar refuses. He even takes it a step further to kind of break Ruby’s heart a little. Once upon a time, I shared this musing post where Oscar confessed his love for Ruby before surrendering himself to Salem and her forces to protect the people of Atlas.

Let's say, Ruby realizes her true feelings for Oscar after watching him helplessly be stripped away from her and everyone else while Atlas Kingdom fell from their failure. Following that, the idea of just seeing Oscar again becomes part of Ruby’s driving force to save him. So to have her finally find him only for him to not only refuse her help and cause her and their friends to be captured but to also deny his love for her---I can see it being kind of shocking and heartbreaking for Ruby.

So basically Oscar betrays Team RWBY and allows them to get captured by Salem. Or…so is what he leads them to believe? 

Let’s say, as it turns out, Oscar allowed the girls to be captured on the hunch that they would be thrown in with the missing Atlesians. This turns out to be true.

Perhaps as a reason for Weiss to be invested into going to the Dark Domain, maybe her family were among the kidnapped Atlesians? Maybe Winter and Whitley were abducted and Weiss could have a reunion with them or something of the sort? That could be interesting.

Maybe it’s a captured Winter and/or Whitley who informs Weiss and the others of Salem’s blackmail of Oscar---forcing him to obey her in order to keep the captive civilians alive in exchange for his submission. It is here where Ruby understood what Oscar did. She realized he only let them believe he had betrayed then to a) continue to protect the Atlas people and b) ensure that the RWBY girls found the missing people in hopes that they might possibly be able to help them.

This could be a cool way of highlighting how clever Oscar could be. Like picture Salem believing that she had whipped Oscar into becoming her subservient little puppy only for him to cleverly pull the wool over her eyes, to some degree. That could be cool. 

Having Salem believe he had doubled crossed his friends to side with her when in reality he still retained his loyalty to his friends is a nice testament of strength to Oscar. 

Salem thought she had broken him but instead, the young boy was still strong. Salem thought she had made Oscar into a coward but his heart was still courageous.

Braver than she thought. 

I dunno. I just wanted to toy with the idea of Oscar letting his comrades believe he had joined Salem’s side. I like the idea of Salem forcing the fate of others into Oscar’s hands while simultaneously making him hurt the people he loves. It's a sadistic idea but then again it’s one that ironically plays well with the malicious character Salem is supposed to be.

It additionally ties into her past with Ozma and what eventually drove them apart. Remember Salem cared very little for humanity even after becoming their supposed God for a while. 

Ozma was the one who showed compassion out of his duty to the God of Light. As the current incarnation of Ozma and a huntsman, Oscar also shares that similar responsibility and devotion to the lives of the innocent. So imagine how fittingly twisted Salem would have to be by blackmailing the vulnerable Oscar into becoming her prisoner and possible pawn using humanity as leverage.

Imagine Salem holding a handful of people hostage and telling poor Oscar, either you submit to me or they'll all be dead because of you and she uses Oscar’s time in isolation within the lonely tower as means of grooming the young boy into that way of thinking.

As I said, it was means of breaking Oscar and for a moment, Salem thought she had broken him. But she was wrong. 

That could be pretty interesting. But y’know, it’s just a small headcanon.

More Pinehead Headcanons

 ~LittleMissSquiggles (2019)