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letsperaltiago · 5 years

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We’ll sweep out the ashes in the morning |CHAPTER 2|

If you're new here: welcome! And if you're returning for second chapter: bless you :')

Here's to some Peraltiago banter and pining !!

Read it on AO3 or simply enjoy it here! I appreciate comments more than you know <3

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CHAPTER 2: I say we don't know what comes 'cause that's on the way

“I’m home,” Jake called out as per routine as soon as he set a foot inside the walls of his home as the clock stroke 8 PM. The winter darkness had swallowed New York whole multiple hours ago, and the dwelling feeling of this specific day being that longest in a while was stuck in Jake’s tired, cold bones. Yes, today had felt torturously long, but it wasn’t because of the dark season (a national depression and whatnot) or the fact that he’d been out the door for 12 hours by now. No, all day long it’d felt like his phone and hands were constantly burning in what was clearly a move with the intention of provoking him. His body wanted to text Amy so bad; the faster he did that, the sooner he’d (hopefully) get to see her again. Yet he managed to refrain from doing so, figuring that Amy Santiago wouldn’t give anyone or anything but her job the time of day during official work hours.

Next thing he knew and before his thoughts could carry him elsewhere, the sound of a few light steps approached from the living room. Meanwhile he shrugged off his coat to abandon it on its designated hanger; right next to hers and above the already kicked off shoes.

“Hey,” he heard a warm voice welcome his eyes to switch in the direction of its owner. Here they met a pair of beautiful, welcoming brown irises. Not Amy’s warm brown irises though, he caught himself thinking… This was so wrong.

Immediately upon realising the betrayal his mind had just presented to him, Jake Peralta felt his heart skip a beat - the guilty kind - along with his gut dropping. It was indeed very wrong (even a rule he’d say) to compare ones current girlfriend, who was currently leaning against the doorframe connecting the living room to the entree, to an old friend slash colleague. Especially when you’d only talked to said old colleague for 3 minutes the very same morning. Her leaning hip elegantly as ever nudged the rest of her figure out of her resting position with his direction as target. “How was your day? It’s kinda late and I was getting worried about you.” Slender hands slid onto his waist as if they were making their way back home, reminding Jake of the fact that there was indeed nothing to worry about. Not when the incredibly stunning and smart Sophia Perez was gripping onto his knitted sweater in order to keep him in place for a welcoming kiss to his purple, frozen lips.

“Sorry,” barely made it out against her lips. Pulling away was his next move. “I had a perp that didn’t exactly feel like confessing, so I had to stay in order to get him to talk. He was not a fan.”

“Always the hero, huh?” Sophia smiled cheekily before turning back around prior to walking back to whatever she’d been doing before he walked in. “I had to bring home an important case that’s due tomorrow, so I’m working on that and already ate… But I made sure to keep a portion of dinner for you. It’s ready to be put in the microwave.” Then she disappeared back into the living room.

“Thank you,” was all there was left for him to call out after her, before making his way to their kitchen. ‘Their kitchen’ was still such a weird concept to Jake; sure they’d been together for 4 years now and had lived together for almost two, but sharing his home with another person still seemed surreal to him. This was of course nothing personal against Sophia, but it’d taken Jake a while to get comfortable enough with the idea of sharing a home with a romantic partner - hence why it’d taken Sophia two years to convince him of the fact that his apartment was a hazardous climate and that sharing the bills in two would ease their respective economies. All that aside, they now shared a quite nice apartment not too far from the 99th precinct and once again there was actual food on the table instead of his usual ‘chocolate milk with whatever cereal was in his cupboard that day’-combo. Not that he expected Sophia to cook or do anything for him… It was more a case of Sophia not really letting him, because she was afraid of him messing up, which to Jake himself seemed to be a fair judgement of character. What a chaos it would’ve been if he’d ended up with someone who couldn’t cook.

Whilst waiting for his food to be heated by the microwave as it quietly purred in the background, Jake suddenly realised he’d actually managed to forget about the burning phone in his pocket. For approximately three minutes. Nice. Without any further hesitation he grabbed the device from the right front pocket of his jeans and swiped it open before immediately clicking the green ‘contacts’ button; dear God, he hoped he still had her number. If not, he’d probably kill- Oh wait, there it was. Jake instantly felt his heart settle again. Yet just as quickly as it had settled, his veins started pumping and of course his heart followed behind, racing again just as his shaky thumb clicked her name then ‘send message’.

Elsewhere, still in her old apartment, Amy Santiago heard her phone give off a rumbling sound that was too loud to ignore. A sigh escaped her otherwise relaxed body in frustration caused by the fact that she’d forgotten to take her phone off vibrate. Trying to fight the global phone-addiction, she liked her evenings undisturbed and preferably without unnecessary use of any gadgets. Though she had to admit that this interruption was no one else but her own fault; and Jake Peralta’s, she mentally added shortly after having put down her book and pushed herself off the couch to check on whoever was trying to reach her after 8 PM. A small, some would say guilty even, grin let its presence be known at the sight before her. Of course it was him; who else?

Jake Peralta: Didnt have ur email saved in my contacts. Sorry:(

Creative, funny enough for her to breath out a chuckle. Even though it was just a few words, Amy had to admit that she was pleasantly surprised by how unquestionably their dynamic fell back into place; something she’d lacked ever since her transfer.

Amy Santiago: I’ll let it slide this one time.

Waiting, staring at the three taunting dots, holding her breath.

Jake Peralta: cool cool cool. so i was thinkin saturday. shaw’s. 8 pm. cool?

Jake’s lack of upper case letters was a mess, which could only cause Amy to feel physically uncomfortable. She was just about to allow herself to comment on it; had he not gone to school? Though she refrained and thus it was quickly replaced by more important matters such as verifying her neatly structured calendar. It would be a lie though, if she claimed to not have made a mental note; Jake really needed to step up his texting game and formal requirements. Simply the thought of his supposed, messy work mails caused yet another shudder, whilst her fingers directed the conversation in a completely different direction.

Amy Santiago: Just checked my calendar and we’re in the clear. Saturday at 8 it is. Hope you’ve gotten better at pool.

In his comfortable spot on his and Sophia’s couch as yet another episode of Queer Eye introduced itself, Jake tried to act if he wasn’t actually afraid of not getting a reply; as if he didn’t fear the fact that Amy had agreed to meet up just to be polite and get rid of him that very same morning. He tried to act as if that would be okay ‘cause it’s not like they meant more to each other than the average old friend slash colleague. People came and went; Jake knew that better than anyone. Though that didn’t mean that he was actually good at playing it off as okay - especially when ‘people’ could potentially be Amy Santiago. Mercifully, a buzz coming from the arm rest beside him drew his attention away from the warm dinner before him and spiralling thoughts. There was no questioning the fact that he did indeed reach for the buzzing device way too fast, but all that fell aside when the lock screen’s preview of the text caused his heart to swell with joy.

Jake Peralta: deal. and dont worry. i’ve been practicing. ur ass will be whooped by 9

A feeling of a potential catastrophe came rushing through his entire body as soon as his finger had pressed the ‘send’ button. Perhaps your third text in five years to an old friend shouldn’t include her ass; especially when you own ass was far from single and definitely had felt… emotions towards said old friend at some point in time. Fumbling fingers quickly typed out a desperate, probably pointless, redeem before yet again hitting ‘send’.

Jake Peralta: sorry!! that was really inappropriate!

“Fuck,” he furiously locked his phone, mad at himself, at the exact same time as the back of his head hit the back of his couch in defeat. Well, if she had no reason to back out before, she definitely had now. Billions of minutes went by (or so it felt) before another buzz drew the heavy head off the back of the couch in a quick snap. In a spur of moment it all very much felt like the pivotal moment of his entire life.

Amy Santiago: Title of your sex tape?

Oxygen once again poured right into his lungs, allowing his chest to open up and his breath to unhinge from the brief, horrid intermission. The widest smile in forever (compared to what, he didn’t exactly know) formed on his tired yet now very content face. Their relationship really hadn’t changed and apparently the student had become the teacher.

Though ‘Saturday at 8 PM’ had seemed lightyears away on that Wednesday, for both Jake and Amy, the weekend and day finally emerged. Unbeknownst to the opposite party, one was more nervous and excited than the other. They’d sent each other a few texts during those few days; small jokes, remarks and other whatnots without importance. Little did they know that every single notification made the other’s heart jump to their throats for just a nanosecond - every damn time.

Amy Santiago: I’m at Shaw’s. Got us two seats in the right corner booth. Where are you?

Jake Peralta: its only 7.48!.. whatever. shouldve known i never had a fighting chance. see ya in 10

Amy chuckled to herself after leaving her phone face down on the oh so familiar, wooden table. Seemingly out of nowhere, the strong familiarity of the situation hit her like a ton of bricks: Sitting in a booth at Shaw’s, the smoke from multiple lit cigarettes mixed with the smell of alcohol, waiting for an iconically late Jake, sipping on a cheap beer… If she hadn’t known any better, Amy could’ve sworn that she was back in 2014. There was no way she’d ever say it out loud, because that would mean actually acknowledging it, but she sometimes wished she actually was back in 2014. This would imply still working at the Nine-Nine and more importantly the fact that she’d get a second chance at choosing a different path for herself. A path that didn’t bring her away from what she’d forever consider her favourite work place and best friends; more precisely a path that didn’t bring her so far away from the possibility of getting closer to a certain idiot, sweet manchild. Sometimes she even caught herself redhanded thinking, daydreaming about what they could’ve possibly resulted in if she’d just stayed. If only she’d just stuck around long enough for her to realise that Teddy wasn’t a match and Jake possibly was… If not perfect then maybe at least better.

She must’ve been staring at the tip of her beer bottle for quite some time seeing that as soon as she allowed her eyes to leave it, she gazed right at a smiling Jake Peralta. Almost like he’d walked right out of her guilty daydream.

“7.59,” he briefly threw a glance at his phone, before putting it down on the table. “Nailed it.”

There was that stupid, racing heartbeat again, Amy thought to herself in the midst of trying to play it off with a welcoming smile and what she hoped was a smooth answer. “I’m impressed. Just for that? First drink is on me.” She pushed a second beer, unopened, in his direction. Prepared as always.

“First drink? Damn, Santiago,” he slid himself into the narrow booth and seated himself next to her. “Are you planning on getting me drunk?”

“Shut up.” Honestly? Yes. But she couldn’t admit to that so she settled for a classic eye roll. That at least always seemed to get her out of these kinds of situations, where she hopelessly needed to run from her secret wishes.

“Here’s to reunions and old friendships,” Jake raised his beer into the air, implicitly asking Amy to make this their little moment.

“I’ll drink to that,” Amy complied, clinking her bottle against his before taking a slurp.

Moving forward, flow of the conversation was smooth and seemed infinite. As a surprise to no one, they had a lot to catch up on and there was no sparing of details or sidetracks. The rabbit hole that was their five years apart was wide agape, and with alcohol added to the mix, there was no stopping them. Their phones never left their screen down positions on the table before them, and their eyes never left the other’s. This was continuously the case until they were both three drinks in and Jake’s phone suddenly pinged.

“Sorry. Just a sec,” the beer in his hand was replaced by his phone. “Must be Sophia asking where I am.”

Sophia. Amy mentally repeated the name, analysing it, trying to put it into a fitting context but alas failed. It must’ve shown on her face. She was never good at hiding her true emotions - especially confusion, where her frowning brows would always act as snitches.

“Oh, wait…” an almost regretful, nervous even, expression presented itself on Jake’s face. “You don’t know Sophia, right?” Why did he have a culpable feeling of not wanting her to either? Things were going so well. It might not have been morally right if so, but Jake couldn’t help but consider that an evening without mentioning Sophia would’ve been easier… He knew things with Amy could never head in certain directions, but he also knew that there would’ve been nothing illegal about forgetting about certain things for just a couple of hours, right? Temporarily allowing himself to forget that Amy had left, eliminating alternative fates for their relationship, thus leading him onto a path right into Sophia’s arms. Alas, it too late. There was no way around it, and Jake had to act like he didn’t absolutely loath the cards that were now clearly on the table. “I met Sophia about a year after you transferred to Major Crimes. She’s…” Jake interrupted himself by taking a finishing gulp of his now empty beer. “She’s great. We live together in an apartment near the Nine-Nine and we’re enga- she’s uh-… my fiancée.”

If he didn’t know any better, Jake could’ve sworn that his old friend’s otherwise golden brown eyes were suddenly eclipsed b a darker shade that he couldn’t quite recognise. All he knew was that it could compare to the way sinister thunderclouds would overtake a clear spring day.

“Oh, that’s…” He saw her struggle to form words, her dark eyes returning to the old habit of centralising on inanimate objects rather than people, whenever she needed a second to form her upcoming sentence. “That’s… amazing!” her eyes were redirected back to his, paired with a weirdly contrasting smile. “I’m so happy for you, Jake. You deserve that.”

If it wasn’t because he consciously forced himself to not overanalyse every single thing she said or did that evening, Jake would’ve been worried by this immediate switch of mood. Yet he let it be, acting as if everything was as it should be. “Thank you.” That was a start, Jake thought. “Yeah, I’m… very happy.” He begged to God that he sounded more convincing than he felt. Why was he feeling like this? He was far from unhappy with Sophia and there was no justifying his opposing thoughts nor his feelings.

“Good. That’s the most important, right?”

God, he hated that he loved the way she tilted her head, whenever she would ask a rhetorical question. “Of course… But uh- what about you? Got a lucky guy?” Though he was definitely tipsy by then, he was nowhere near drunk enough for this conversation. Just the fact that he felt the need to be drunk for this particular conversation was reason enough to get drunk.

“No,” she smiled. Not sadly, because Amy Santiago surely didn’t need a man. But maybe her smile was just unaccented enough to imply that she needed something. This alone gave Jake a devilish and false sense of consolation. False in the sense that it was so wrong. On the other hand he also suddenly feel the need to figure out what this something was. “It’s just me, myself and my job,” she added.

“Well,” a comforting smile countered hers. The last thing he wanted was for her to interpret his question as criticising or demeaning. On the contrary, he actually admired (and always had) her professional drive and independence. “That’s not a bad thing. I’ll have you know…” He pushed himself out of booth for the first time since he’d arrived two hours prior, earning himself a confused look frown from Amy. “… I’ll drink to you and your admirable devotion to your job. Beer?”

Amy couldn’t point out if it was caused by the change in the way the lamp’s warm light hit him now that he was standing up; or if it was caused by him taking off his hoodie before throwing it where he’d been sitting, only to reveal his iconic and flattering flannel; or if it was caused by the buzz in her head and heating cheeks that made her wish he would peel of the remaining layers of clothing. Whatever it was, Amy Santiago was frustrated, yet happy - that collision of feelings itself was extra frustrating. She needed to fight it off the deeply wrong and forbidden thoughts with something. “Shots?”

“Shots.” He concluded, checking for his wallet. “Definitely.”

When Jake came back with four tiny glasses of some clear liquid. Amy didn’t recognise that nor the taste, when she downed her first shot seconds later with Jake back by her side. They’d gulped down one each, followed by Jake explaining her what it was, but she didn’t care at this point. All she wanted was to get back on track and forget the pre-shots conversation about the future Mrs. Peralta.

#jake x amy #jake x amy fanfic #fanfiction #peraltiago #AU #b99 fanfiction #b99 #Brooklyn Nine-Nine #jake peralta #amy santiago

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littlemisssquiggles · 5 years

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RWBY Musings #65: A Tale of Love. A Squiggle Meister’s Views on the similarities between Oscar and Salem

Someone asked “ Now I love parallels too and I’ve noticed that you would like to see a rosegarden Ozma Salem hand hold. As cute as that sounds, it kinda scares me. Ozma and Salem ended in tragedy. What would happen to Ruby and Oscar 😞 “

Squiggles Answers:

I'd love to see the hand hold scene mirrored in Ruby and Oscar because it was done during a moment where Salem and Ozma reunited and re-established their love for one another.

While Salem and Ozma's romance ended in tragedy, I still adore their love story because before their whole involvement with the Gods respectfully, they both first and foremost were two young lovers who wanted more than anything just to be together forever and went above and beyond to do that even if it meant disobeying the Gods.

The true tragedy wasn't that Ozma and Salem wound up sworn enemies but mainly how much the God's intervention changed them into two people unrecognizable from who they used to be to the point where you wouldn't believe either loved the other to the point of defying both the Gods and death itself to be reunited.

The positive that I take away from the Tragic Lovers or Fairy Tale (I think that’s their ship name) romance is the unyielding devotion and strength of their love or at least what it used to be. How much Salem and Ozma were willing to go through just to be together. Salem approached the Gods to beg for Ozma to be brought back to life for her because she couldn’t stand living the rest of her days without him and Ozma only chose to return to Remnant because the God of Light told him that Salem was still alive in that world. Let’s not forget that Ozma initially refused his godly task because in his eyes, Remnant wasn’t the same or as dear to him without his beloved Salem.

This is why I like this ship so much. Before RWBY revealed Ozpin and Salem’s past together, I was gunning for them to be lovers from the get go. Hence my previous musings like this one, this one and this one. I knew their love was going to end in pain anyways but I was still banking on them being companions and lovers and what we got was even more bittersweet than what I envisioned. A brave knight who rescued a lonely maiden from her captivity and the two fell deeply in love ever after. Who wouldn’t eat that up? This squiggle meister surely would. I’m a sucker for those types of romance stories. It hurts when you think about what Ozma and Salem’s tale became in the end. But I still ship it though. Still loving that Fairy Tale.

That's what I'd love to see and can see for a potential romance between Ruby and Oscar. Not the tragedy part, of course, although let’s admit, it will be in there since time and fate will arrive to challenge the bond between these two smaller, more honest souls given one’s connection to a certain other character.

Nevertheless, what I mostly would love to see in a future RoseGarden love story (if it’s in the cards) is that that unyielding love. That strong devotion to one another’s well-being and protecting each other while fighting together for what they both believe in and the lives of the people they both care about. When I look at Ruby, her righteous heart and desire to help others actually reminds me a lot of Ozma. You would think it’d be Salem but nah. I can actually see similarities between Salem and Oscar. Oscar’s infatuation with Ruby and obvious admiration of her strength, courageousness and pure heart reminds me of how Salem used to revere Ozma. Well…at least in that one shot we got.

Another similarity between Oscar and Past Salem that I noticed is just as how Salem lived a sheltered life trapped in her lonely tower dreaming of freedom and a life beyond its uncharted walls, the same can be said for Oscar who seemingly lived a sheltered and quiet life as a farmhand back on his aunt's farm while still fantasizing of a life beyond his home in Mistral.

The key difference between Salem and Oscar is that Salem was more self-seeking; albeit as a result of her unknown upbringing and being forced to live a lonely life locked off from the rest of the world by the only family she had; whereas Oscar is selfless. While we still don’t know much more about Oscar’s past with his family beyond the few scrapings of details left from V4, one can safely assume that Oscar was well loved and taken care of by his family.

Though he was only seen to have his aunt for guardianship, from what I observed back in V4, Oscar still retained a good relationship with his Auntie Pine who took no problem in taking Oscar into his household, providing him a comfortable home where he could’ve had his own room for privacy and a warm plate of food on the table every evening for supper in exchange for Oscar working on the farm which he didn’t seem to mind. Overall, though he desired more from his life, Oscar was quite comfortable and content living with his aunt hence the reason why he wasn’t so keen on leaving at first after Ozpin’s unceremonious arrival into his life.

Unlike Salem, Oscar more or less knew and felt love before leaving his old life behind which I guess made it all the more easy for him to give it. One characteristic I’ve noticed about Salem’s personality that always shines through, even in her past self, is her selfishness---that nature about her that always puts her desires above anything else.

This is the complete opposite of Oscar. One thing I’ve noticed about Oscar’s personality is that he makes a habit of pushing aside his own feelings in place of doing what he feels is right or better, not particularly for himself but for others around him as a whole.

This is not an entirely bad trait to have. I myself, do the same thing from time to time to avoid conflict or tension with others because I don’t like conflict. Someone once asked me what I thought Oscar’s personality type might be and my first guess was a INFJ. Speaking as someone with that personality type, I see quite a few traits of an INFJ in Oscar. Although I’m still gathering as much as I can about his persona as provided in the series, I’m still sticking with my first choice of Oscar having an advocate/ counsellor type of personality because there are key examples from the show where he’s exhibited that trait. Specifically with Ruby.

Ironically, it’s Oscar’s moments with Ruby that help bring out that caring, compassionate and willing to do what he can to help others type of personality in Oscar the most. Oscar cares for others, particularly with those closest to him. Even when he’s literally backed against a wall, Oscar puts himself last in the scenario.

This is a boy who got shoved into a wall by one of his peers after being wrongfully accused in one scene and is then seen making this person and the others a hot meal after they went looking for him after he went missing in another.

Y’know, I harped a lot on V6 C9 on how they handled Oscar coming to terms with his feelings. But…y’know what? Now that I’ve had more time to think about the episode in terms of Oscar’s character, I realized that the bit with Oscar is surprisingly the most relatable thing I’ve seen in the show…at least to me.

Blake said the group needed space and that’s exactly what Oscar did. He went off on his own, let out whatever negativity he needed to get off his chest in that moment doing who knows what, came back and by the time the group found him, he was fine. All things forgiven if there was anything to forgive. Whatever lingering discomfort that Oscar might have harboured for Jaune was easily washed away when Jaune apologized and Oscar could see and hear how genuinely remorseful Jaune felt for his actions.

Though I still would’ve liked the episode to have shown how Oscar came to terms with his emotions and getting over it, I can’t be 100% mad anymore at the Writers for choosing to have Oscar adopt that attitude after the events of V6 C8…cause if it were me, I probably would’ve reacted and resolved the same way as Oscar did. I would’ve been cussing Jaune’s face in my mind for how he treated me with a face as straight as a pin but I would have forgiven him all the same after seeing how hurt he was for the things said and done and would have chosen to move on from the problem with better resolve; just as Oscar did.

I saw myself in Oscar while rewatching this moment and for that, I can’t be too mad at the writing for C9. Still mad. But not too mad. Only 65% versus the original 101%. Oscar Pine--- right in the relatability! That’s why he’s my favourite! This scene showed me how mature Oscar is for his age in how he takes in problems and decides to address them despite being the youngest of the group.

Basically what I’m saying is that Oscar is a good boy. He’s such a good boy. Too much of good boy. Sigh. Please don’t hurt my precious freckled baby boy too much CRWBY. I want him to grow up big and strong and devilishly handsome so that he can sweep Ruby off her feet and the rosebuds can get married in 5-10 years and live happily ever after on a farm or whatever plot of land they can afford wherever in New Remnant during a time when the Gods have returned, the kingdoms are at peace again, the Grimm are there but are no longer the monstrous threat they used to be so that Oscar and Ruby’s future string band of children can grow up in a world void of war and the threats of the former Salem who would have moved on to have her happy ending with Ozma at long last in the afterlife. The end.

Returning to my point on Oscar and Salem now. Just as how Ozma arrived to free Salem from her captivity, you can almost say that the same was done for Oscar when Ozpin's arrival sparked his departure from home to become a huntsman. In a way, Ozma’s presence in Salem and Oscar’s lives gave them the push they needed to take the first step towards the freedom and change they both desired.

But as I mentioned before. Though Oscar and Salem share parallels, the defining difference between them is how either values others over themselves. As much as Salem’s past with Ozma made me empathize with her as a villain, it doesn’t excuse the fact that Salem is a person who is mostly out to achieve her own desires above anyone else’s. As a matter of fact, the revelation of her past and involvement with the destruction of Remnant only affirms my point. In her past life, Salem was probably so used to looking out for herself due to her years of isolation that it sort of developed a warped sense of egocentrism (not the word I was looking for but I’ll roll with it) that later translated into her relationship with Ozma.

I'm not denying the fact that Salem loved Ozma nor am I trying to imply that her feelings for him weren’t genuine at all. On the contrary, Salem definitely loved Ozma proving that she is capable of compassion. This is one of the things that makes Salem a far more intriguing villain to me now. What I appreciate about Salem and essentially Ozpin-Ozma too is that despite that fact that both represent the sides of good and evil in show; neither are entirely what they’re supposed to represent. They actually very gray characters.

Though Ozpin is the hero and personifies light and the preservation of all life in Remnant, Ozpin has been noted to have done some shady things that otherwise painted him in a negative light as we saw most of all this volume.

The same can be said for Salem. Although she is our main villain, I’ve noted times where Salem has shown a softer, kinder, even motherly side to her to some degree. For example, her relationship with Cinder Fall in particular. Cinder is Salem’s apprentice and the way Salem treats Cinder is almost like a surrogate mother with her daughter.

I mean, Salem could have easily had Cinder killed with a snap of her finger just as she did with Lionheart and have her Maiden magic extracted and given to someone else more worthy if she so desired. We all know she has the capability to do that. So then why not do it? What reason does Salem have to keep Cinder alive especially knowing fully well how she is?

I don’t know about you guys but it reminded me of a strict parent punishing their child but still going easy on them. Still keeping a close eye on them because they know their child so well that they have full confidence that they’ll ultimately come of their senses.

That’s why Salem is leaving Cinder alone to quote, ‘toil in her isolation until she redeems herself’. She’s punishing her but at the time, Salem also knows that Cinder will come back stronger and far deadlier than she was before because of this experience and that’s what Salem wants. It’s what she expects of her perfect apprentice. Her successor.

But here’s the thing. Salem loved Ozma and in the end, she still put her own desires about even him. Even if Salem is capable of loving someone, her selfish nature always resurfaces to prevail in her endeavours.

Rather than honouring Ozma's life and allowing him to rest as the God of Light said, Salem challenged the Gods again and again until it resulted in her winding up immortal but alone; cursed to walk Remnant’s face until the world is either destroyed or Salem learnt the value of life as the God of Light had hoped she would.

Did she though? Well that fact that she’s trying to gather all Four Relics while simultaneously making plans to jumpstart a Second Great War within the kingdoms of Remnant which would throw the world into the perfect chaos to get it permanently destroyed by the Gods’ return speaks volumes of how much she still hasn’t learned her lesson yet.

Salem may have loved Ozma and the life they built together after he returned but even that was later upturned by Salem’s own selfishness. From the get go Salem has only catered more for herself and even after all these years, she still refuses to see the light of what the God of Light warned her about herself. Say what you will about the Gods. Though the Brothers are also pretty grey characters themselves, it doesn’t change the fact that there was justification behind their actions with Salem. A lesson to be learnt that’s unfortunately still being avoided.

Salem was cursed with immortality because she refused to let go of her selfishness after attempting to trick the Gods into granting her desired wish of being reunited with her lover. As the God of Light rightfully said, in the beginning, when Salem made her first attempt to revive Ozma, her motives were worth pitying. As a viewer, I felt for Salem the first time. However after her second failed attempt and watching the people of First Remnant get manipulated and killed because of her personal vendetta against the Gods, my sympathy well dried up as I started to see Salem become the antagonist I know her to be.

And what’s even more depressing and noteworthy is that even after causing all that death and chaos to Remnant, Salem still did not learn her lesson and she still hasn’t to this current timeline in RWBY. She still continues to pursue her own desires and see the lives of others as nothing more but tools to use in her pursuit of what she wants.

This brings me to the meat of my post and why I’ve been making parallels between Oscar and Salem.

I have this theory---one that I’ll delve deeper into in a future musing--- about Oscar becoming an immortal just like Salem. Hear me out on this one. What if… Oscar meets the God of Light in the Realm between Realms similar to Ozma and asks him to grant him immortality. Not because he wants to preserve his own life but for the selfless motive of him desiring to use his newfound immortality to protect the people Oscar cared about while taking on the full mantle of saving humanity from the plight of Salem and her forces without the need to force Ozma and any more unsuspecting souls after him with such a task.

Imagine if… Oscar willing sacrificed his own life to end it. End the cycle and let it start over with him alone.

Imagine if…Oscar became the last Wizard of Light. The only Wizard and the cycle resets with him as he’s turned immortal.

As I said, I plan to go more in depth with this theory soon in another musing but it’s definitely something I think could be a potential twist with Oscar’s story. I don’t want to put it as an expectation but I would love to play around with the concept of it.

I’ve seen many Pineheads worrying over Oscar being taken over by Ozpin completely or losing himself to the Merge so to counter that, I raise this possibility of Oscar essentially becoming the last reincarnate---the Last Wizard of Light as he willingly choses to dedicate the rest of his existence to stopping Salem while Ozpin, Ozma and all the other past Wizards culminated inside him over the centuries can finally be laid to rest knowing that Oscar will be the likeminded successor to carry out their legacy and mission all on his own and of his own choice as himself going forward.

If you’ve read any of my Oscar-themed musings and theories before, y’know I’ve been singing this idea of Oscar being the end to the reincarnation cycle along with him being the true reincarnate of Ozma’s original form.

I still stand very firmly by those theories because the series has set up Oscar being special---completely different from the other Wizards. The lingering question brought up in this series is whether or not Oscar will be just another one of Ozma’s lives to live out and I don’t think he will be. I believe the very fact that Ozpin reincarnated within Oscar of all people at such a young age compared to the other lives and in such a short space of time between rebirths was the first sign of how different his journey was going to be.

In the Legend of Korra series, Korra technically became the last Avatar and first Avatar in the second book. Basically the Avatar cycle sort of reset itself with Korra.

So I’d like to think Oscar will follow a similar experience where the reincarnation cycle will change with him. Oscar could symbolize the end and beginning to a new cycle. That’s why I like the concept of him becoming immortal. Instead of Ozma’s soul being reborn in the minds of different men and those souls coming together to form who we know today as the Wizard, Oscar will be the last one so that the next time Oscar dies---either he’ll die for good (meaning the God of Light strips him entirely of the reincarnation curse) or Oscar won’t die and will be reborn as himself at the last point of death or perhaps he’ll get to stay fourteen years old forever until Salem is defeated. Who knows? Overall I really love the idea of Oscar becoming an immortal just like Salem.

I mean sure Ozma had his reincarnation curse but technically his immortality wasn’t the same as Salem’s. Jinn did allude to Salem, quote, ‘meeting her adversary in time’. Of course, at the moment of revelation, the obvious assumption to that for me was Ozma since he’s the one we know is Salem’s main opponent.

However…Ozma once shared a relationship with Salem. He had a past with her. He loved her and I’d like to think that love is still there buried deep within. I don’t want to say that Ozma’s love for Salem has been his crutch but that little titbit is starting to make me wonder that perhaps…the true adversary that Salem was supposed to have wasn’t Ozma or any of the Wizards after him. It was Oscar.

For all we know, what if…Ozma and the other incarnates were just another experiment conducted by the God of Light similar to how he said Remnant was an experiment for him and his brother to learn from.

Imagine if… Light basically used Ozma and the other Wizards as guinea pigs in his formation of the perfect adversary for Salem---one the Gods believed could truly achieve what his successors could not. Defeat Salem once and for all and undo their mistake of the past. That could be an intriguing twist too. It does paint the Gods in a very heartless light more so than the actual canon did unfortunately but still worth tossing out as a theory y’know.

But yeah, that’s the theory I’m working with for now.

Returning to the original point of this response post, I know I’m hoping for Ruby and Oscar’s love to parallel Ozma and Salem in some ways but not all parallels have to end the same. Just because Ozma and Salem’s love ended in tragedy doesn’t mean that the same will befall Ruby and Oscar for their potential love story.

If Oscar and Ruby were to fall in love, I’d love to believe their love will be different. It’ll probably have its own fair share of harsh challenges particularly the ones stirred by Salem but it will be a different story with a much better end. A happier ending than the Fairy Tale lovers.

Y’know what’s ironic and what would best summarize my answer to this post. It was Ozma and Salem’s love that admittedly brought about the end of humanity in a way when you think about it. All the more reason for me to believe that it’ll be the love between Oscar and Ruby that will save the world. The relationship to blossom between them, the love and devotion they’ll come to share for each other and the people they care about---that’s what’ll save both Remnant and Salem from damnation.

I know it sounds cheesy but I do love me a good plate of cheese in romance.

More Squiggles’ RWBY Content

~LittleMissSquiggles (2019)

#squiggles answers: rwby #oscar pine #ruby rose #oscar and ruby #rwby rosegarden #ozma and salem #rwby fairy tale #rwby theories #rwby volume 6 spoilers #rwby musings

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spillingmylifetea4481 · 4 years

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Chapter 1: It's all downhill from here mom.

Fair warning: This will be a long ass story and it wont be the last. But I promise you it'll keep your attention. My earliest memory is my mother being thrown against the wall by her at the time boyfriend when I was two. Out of all fucking things right? My childhood wasnt horrible don't get me wrong. I was middle classed, living in south Florida so I was a bit of a minority being a white female who barely understood any spanish in a sea of all types of Latino American people. But I did have a lot of friends and lived blissfully unaware of real life responsibilites and situations. My mom was with the same man for 11 years since I was three. Although I couldn't for the life of me figure out why being that they violently argued almost every day. We will call him Jack. Jack was a self driven individual determined to be the next richest man in the world so he worked all day from home and had her working at home with him as well. I later found out when I was a teenager that she was a stripper before I was born trying to get out of her situation so I see the appeal in her taking his offer to help build his business from home. We moved constantly as he was trying to chase the money from Pembroke Pines, Ft.Lauderdale, Miramar, Apopka, Las Vegas. It seemed to stress her out trying to keep up with everything but back then I still didnt understand why she was so miserable. Ultimately this is all I knew of as far as what a relationship looked like. My mom used to be my best friend. When she wanted to get away she would always take me (sometimes our dog Jake too) with her. Most of the time to a movie or a park of some sort but we laughed and had loads of fun. She introduced me to video games, music, art, all things creative and fun. However looking back the bad outweighed the good. There was always a tension when I walked out of my room. I could almost smell her short temper and frustrations before I came downstairs. I always made her things and told her I loved her and tried to be a part of what she was doing. At least half the time she made it abundantly clear I was on her last nerve and she wanted me to leave her alone. At one point I had said I love you so many times in a short amount of time she yelled back annoyed "I LOVE YOU TOO." I remember that I kept saying it to try to make her feel better because she was stressed but really I guess I was bothering her. Im not saying she doesn't have a back ground for this cold shoulder she gave out so freely but it was definitely rough for a child to not see it as anything personal. She did however take care of me and made sure I had everything I could ever need or want. She never spanked me but she could be pretty cutthroat verbally. All my negative Florida memories consist of her screaming at Jack to the top of her lungs, hearing them have sex through the walls, slamming doors, being brought to my Aunts house for her to get away from Jack and playing with my cousin, or spending summers with my late grandmother in South Carolina. Hell one fight was so bad all I heard from inside there room was her screaming "Call the police!" As if Jack was harming her and I was scared for anyone to get in trouble and froze up..I just curled up in a ball and cried. Jack didnt hurt her. They were naked though which was odd to me. That was the day I first heard Jack tell her she needed help and look at what she was doing to her daughter. I couldnt have been more than 10 years old. About 2 years later we moved to Apopka Florida and that was the best place he ever moved us to hands down. But of course by the time I was 14 about to turn 15 Jack moved us to Las Vegas Nevada. That's when this mundane routine seemed to change within about 30 days. Financially it seemed that we were on top of the world really. We had a badass pool and jacuzzi attached with a waterfall into the pool and a stone slide. A casita (attatched one bedroom apartment type building meant for maids or someone of that sort). He ended up hiring a woman to live in that building to work for him on his everchanging business. We will call her Brazillian Lady. So after a few weeks my mother and I took a trip with my Aunt and cousin to Minnesota to visit their friend. After we came back mom and I noticed something a bit off about Jack and Brazillian Lady. She had dinner ready for us, ( That bitch couldnt cook if her life depended on it), house was clean, she was almost taking a house wife position catering specifically to Jack. One night Brazillian Lady supposedly went out to meet her boyfriend she claimed, and almost immediately after Jack left for the "gym". Mom and I decided to watch the movie August Rush together while she did some work on my laptop. Right about midway into the movie she yells "THEY ARE FUCKING". That movie is forever ruined for me. This asshat decided to use my computer to skype chat Brazillian Lady and didn't erase the fuckin evidence. All their dirty laundry was aired out to his family, friends, co-workers etc. It was almost artistic how mom handled this in my opinion. Before Jack and Brazillian Lady got home we threw all his shit downstairs and moved onto the Casita she was in. I personally went through all her shit, threw anything useful or expensive in the yard on top of dog shit. My mom stopped me at breaking her car window with my skateboard to avoid criminal charges. Was this the right thing for her to involve me at all? Nah. But it happened so here we are. I didn't ever really care for Jack. He was only ever interested in disciplining me and making empty promises to me regarding rewards for good grades. He treated me like a little sister and was always fighting me for my mothers attention. He walked around the house talking loudly on his stupid headset with no shirt, and gray cotton shorts never wearing underwear. He always changed the channel in the middle of me watching something and any time he tried to play with me he would rough house and accidently hurt me. He made my mom unhappy and I was thrilled to destroy his shit. When my mom dead ass asked me (a 14 year old teenager) if she should leave him,if I didn't want to live there with him anymore, I reminded her of the time I bit him on the leg as a three year old when I first met him because even then I knew he was an asshole. So we packed our shit and moved back to Miramar Fl with my Aunt after some out of the country traveling to Italy that my Aunts boss payed for. It was a blessing truly and it was so beautifulbut after everything it was hard not to be depressed and concentrate on enjoying a once in a lifetime trip like that. Also it was hot as balls there. Dont worry folks. There's more to this story I just feel the need to separate the Chapters in multiple posts. To be continued...

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like-twilight · 4 years

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a soft, stay at home ask game, stolen from here cause i just want to do it and im not going to wait for number cause i have eight followers, one of which is me i think so...

your favourite playlist (made by yourself or someone else)

I don’t really make thematic playlists so like... my Ateez one? x”)

how many houseplants in your room, and what kinds are they?

One. Dead x”) I got it for international women’s day and watered it exactly once.

your favourite “grounding” activity (anything that involves using the hands/doesn’t involve “spacing out” or escapism - something like gardening, knitting, dancing, cooking)

playing minecraft and crying x”)

an account on social media whose posts make you smile

this one!

5 tv shows that cheer you up

Im not really watching anything but b99 and community are funny \o/ the good place also! I should finish it hmm.

how you get relaxed when you’re struggling to sleep

I dont, i usually just scroll down twt, forget that about a billion things trigger me then at one point the sun comes up.

your favourite board game

I dont play any? It is strange to me that board games are a huge thing apparently, like we had like two like simple ones, roll the dice, go around the board with your figurine type deals but there are apparently so many, its crazy.

if you were going to write a non-fiction book on any topic, what would it be?

I wouldn’t cause I don’t like things I can be wrong about so I usually just make everything up.

a quote that you would consider getting tattooed or putting in a frame

''...so I believe in a universe that doesn't care and people who do.'' is my go-to favourite quote at the moment but i wouldnt get it tattooed or framed nor do i really believe it x”) but itd be nice.

something you’ve created in the last year that you’re proud of (a playlist, a piece of art, some writing, a craft hobby, a social media account, etc)

I really didnt.

a tip or hack you’ve learned that makes cleaning or tidying easier

listen. to music. i know, groundbreaking.

if you could make a candle that smelt like anything, what would you pick?

Oh i was like it “smelts” anything like, a candle so hot it SMELTS?!?!? Umm, idk, smells arent a big part of my life x”) something nice like... pine???? wood??? cones? i dont know? x”)

the last so-bad-it’s-good joke you heard

Specific Ocean, its not even bad or good its just funny.

an artist (of any kind) whose work you look forward to seeing

I was looking forward to seeing Ateez live but then the apocalypse happened.

the last tv episode that made you laugh out loud

The good place? I watched a few epis of that a few months ago.

how you wake your body up when it’s feeling tired, achy or needs a stretch

By the sheer force of being scared to get scolded at work if im too late.

a bath, shower, beauty or toiletry product that makes you feel revived, or that you always re-order when it’s running out

I don’t really use anything other than um. Shower... gel...? x”) I do always like getting bath bombs tho i bought some (well, my sister bought those too hm) last year and i got two again this year and i like those they make the water pretty colours :3

a book series you can always escape in

I don’t reaaaad

the sport or exercise you enjoy the most, and what’s helped you get better at it

I have a stationery bike that i should use way more often than i do.

a skill you’ve picked up in the past few years

I havent.

a youtube video you find useful, entertaining or relaxing

I watched a lot of Doctor Mike two weeks ago.

if you were going to dye your hair any colour of the rainbow, what would you choose?

Pink. I actually did dye it pink x”)

the book you just finished and what you thought (no spoilers!)

I didnt.

describe the most wacky, weird and wonderful at-home outfit you’ve put together

Bitch i own four shirts, i dont got the facilities for this.

a game you’re playing that takes your mind off things

Minecraft. Only Minecraft.

the film you watched most recently that you could watch again and again

I watched parasite a few times i think.

your favourite flavour and brand of tea

I dont really care for brands, i do love black currant tea the most, i dont really pay attention to what brand.

a good-will story you’ve heard on the news that’s made you feel hopeful

if that one i read on tumblr about that lady’s husband being the announcer on a subway line and then they changed the announcements and then she was sad cause her husband died and she could only hear his voice in the announcement and then they put the old announcement back for the lady, that shit was good.

a favourite easy recipe: 5 ingredients or less, or takes less than 30 min to make

The Dalgona coffee foam thingy, instant coffee, sugar, water, then stir your little heart out.

a song that makes you want to have a boogie round your bedroom

dazzle dazzle by weki meki \o/

#personal #i dont do a lot of things do i huh

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overhaulbids · 7 years

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100 Front Yard Landscaping Ideas

Advantages of Long Leaf Pine Needles in your landscape: It provides the best level of level of acidity for your plants to take in maximum soil nutrients It doesn't float and get rid of and breaks down more slowly, so it does not require to be reapplied as regularly as other mulches It is much easier to manage and lighter per cubic foot than other mulches: one big bale can cover as much location as 30 cubic feet of a lot of mulches the expense per square foot is competitive with other mulches It breathes better, does not compact, and permits much better water seepage It is easy to use: just unroll the bales and scatter by hand It doesn't bring in termites It adds natural product and nutrients to soil and minimizes weeds The consistent color and great texture of pine straw highlights the color, contrast, and texture of your landscape You can use it for erosion control where lawn will not grow to hold soil, even on hillsides and paths FAQ

How Can I Get Rid Of Mind-Your-Own-Business? My Garden Is Being Taken Over And I Can'T Rake It Out Without Disturbing My Wild Primroses. Is There Such A Thing As A Selective Weedkiller That Won'T Harm The Primroses Or My Oak Tree.

I am an antipoison person. I bought a house and also had an overgrown garden with things I wanted and didnt want. Answer...labor. I used a handshovel and dug up all the ground around. I left the plants I wanted but dug deep around them. After I got the soil loose, I mulched the whole area about 6 inches deep around the plants I wanted and 8 inches deep where the weeds had taken over. No need to buy expensive mulch...almost anything will do. Shredded leaves from the trees, old tree bark, rot from decomposing trees in the woods, pine needles, almost any of this will do if you have this stuff available. Shredded oak leaves make a beautiful mulch. For about $30 you can buy a leaf suckerupper than mulches and shreds at the same time. Weedkillers really arent all that selective. You may poison the ground and then find that new plants that you put in will die.

Is My Rabbit Supposed To Stay In Her Litter Box? I Just Got My First Bunny And I Was Surprised To Learn That I Could Potty Train Her. So At First I Had Her On The Recycled Paper Bedding And She Just Peed And Pooped Everywhere And She Would Never Do Anything In Her Litter Box. I Had Wood Chippings In The Litter Box. So I Decided That I Would Switch The Bedding. So I Put The Recycled Paper In The Litter Box And The Wood Chippings On The Cage Bottom. Now My Bunny Is Living In Her Litter Box And Won'T Come Out At All, She Just Comes Out To Poop On The Wood Chips But I Clean It Up Right Away. How Am I Supposed To Get Her Out Of The Litter Box? I Don'T Liek Her Lying In Poop And Pee. Also What Type Of Toys Can I Get To Entertain Her?

Hopefully the wood chips that you are using aren't pine or cedar, since it may result in respiratory problems. I would line the cage with newspaper and the litter box with the recycled paper. The newspaper would make it easier to clean up too. So let's say she pees, then you just simply tear out the part where she peed and put it in her litter box and cover it up with the recycled paper. Clean up after her poop and place some of it in her litter box. Just keep doing that, it can take a day to several weeks (usually 2). She will soon get the idea, bunnies are creatures of habit after all.Don't let her have free roam of the house, maybe just a particular room until she is litter trained. Also, if there's a certain area that she pees, maybe you can move the litter box there instead, unless you have a designated spot for her. When she is finally litter trained, you can let her explore several rooms, but make sure you put a litter box in each. It took my baby bunny about a week for him to pee in the litter box. Sometimes he misses, and it's right next to the box, but it's a matter of getting a bigger litter box for him. Mine sits in his litter box too. I put hay in the litter box too, kind of like a reward for peeing in the box, you should do that too if you haven't done so already. Put a handful of hay in a corner of the litter box...bunnies usually poop and eat at the same time, since consuming more food helps to push the digested food out. But if you are concerned about her sitting in her pee and poop, you can also buy some baby type wipes at the petstore to help clean her up, it's safe and dries fast. But you can't disallow her from sitting in her litter box entirely. So just keep her clean, wipe her once a day or every other day and clean the litter box often (I clean mine every other day). I have a straw mat that I line the cage with for my bunny, he loves laying and chewing on it. I have a few wooden chew toys for him too, a tube and some boxes for him to climb. Some ferret and cat toys are good too, but make sure it's not a choking hazard. I got mine a baseball looking toy that's made of natural grass and wood that he loves chewing on. My boyfriend has a bottom shelf that we lined with newspaper and a few toys for him to sit there in chill, since they like dark places. I also have a "sandbox" it's a simple cat litter box with about 2-3 inches of sand in it that he loves to play in, since bunnies love to dig, so I thought dirt was too gross and dirty, but sand isn't as much and it doesn't get stuck to his fur. I also hide some treats in the sand for him as well. Hope this helps =)

Does Anyone Know Any Pros Or Cons About The Camera Nikon D40x.? Do You Need That Many Megapixels.

Dr. Sam's overview of the megapixel question is excellent, but I can add some specific information about the D40x as I bought one a little over a month ago and have taken several hundred pictures with it. I've also introduced two of my children to photography through the D40x and a couple of "photo safaris" we've taken. The experience with my kids really highlights the D40x's strength, which is that it's incredibly easy to pick up and start taking stunning photographs. If all you do is leave it in "auto" mode and use it as a "point and shoot," you'll end up with the best-looking snapshots you've ever taken. But if you're willing to learn a couple of simple adjustments -- simple settings on the top of the camera, mostly -- you can take your photography to a whole new level. Case in point: the D40x comes with a "flower" icon on the selector dial, which presets the camera for close-up work. You get a very tight "depth of field," which means the distance from the lens that is in focus; anything closer or farther from this depth of field will be blurry. Here's a shot my 10-year-old son took using this preset: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lightningch... There's also a "mountain" icon which presets the camera to give you a much, much greater depth of field, suitable for landscapes and long shots. Think of it--if you're shooting a picture of a log cabin 100 yards away with trees 500 yards farther and a mountain a half-mile behind that, you want them ALL in focus, right? Here's a shot I took with the "mountain" (landscape) preset: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sfisher71/5... You can see details in the ferns in the foreground and also in the fir and pine needles in the distance. (Check it out in one of the larger settings to see more about that.) There's also an "action" icon (a running stick-figure) which optimizes the camera's settings for motion shots. Since a large portion of my old film photographs include race cars and other forms of motorsport, this was a big attraction for me. I did a test session with my son out at his school's playground a few weeks ago, in which he was playing with a rubber-band powered airplane. Those shots are here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sfisher71/s... As you can see from several of them, the "action" setting captured it in the midst of some pretty rapid movements. And for those of us who learned to take pictures using cameras where we had to set the F-stop, film speed (remember film?

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