#Reincarnation of Light and Darkness

[rainevargkyn]

To the one I’ve loved through lifetimes.

Even if you’re miles away,

even if time or form or silence stands between us,

your fire still warms me.

When the world goes cold,

when the nights stretch long and empty,

I hold onto the memory of your touch, your pride, your eyes like dawn.

And somehow… I still feel you.

I hope my fire reaches you too.

That in some quiet hour,

you pause and feel the warmth of something unseen, and know it’s me.

I haven’t forgotten. I never will.

One step closer.

- Raine

[nightmare-foundation]

Yknow, I feel like part of the reason why people don't understand Ozpin as well as they probably could is because they... don't understand how the merge works. Let me explain.

The fandom has this expectation that Ozpin will take over Oscar when the merge is finished, and that Oscar will just disappear. Honestly, I think this is an extremely inaccurate reading of the merge based in bias and listening to unreliable narrators.

"But Oscar says he's afraid of disappearing, and expects it to happen. Isn't this reliable?" <- good question. No, I don't believe it's all that reliable. Oscar is experiencing the merge for the first time, and has no clue how it'll end; because of this, and his personal fears, he draws conclusions, and that conclusion is "I'm going to disappear into the collective of lives that is Ozpin." I also don't believe that this specific sentiment has been said by Oscar since v6, but it's been a while, so I can't remember.

Meanwhile, though, Ozpin himself never said that he was going to take over Oscar and that Oscar would disappear. When it comes to talking about the merge, Ozpin always frames it as Oscar gaining, rather than losing to him. Oscar will inherit my memories and muscle memory, you're recollecting my longest held memories and gaining control over my remaining magic, etc. It's almost framed as if OSCAR is taking from Ozpin, rather than the other way around.

"But Oscar has been changing throughout the volumes, if Oz isn't taking over, why is he changing?" <- another point. Oscar IS changing, but it's more superficially. His vocabulary is widening ("plummeting immediately" for example), his mannerisms have changed a little but mostly in the confidence department, and his voice has lowered, plus the inherited magic and memories. But his actual personality and deepest parts of his identity hasn't changed; he's still wise in his own way, notably different from Ozpin; he's optimistic but still realistic, for one, and he's very contemplative, and expresses importance in the individuals, vs the many as Ozpin does. He also still has his own unique brand of sass, his unique strategies and planning (how he handled the situation in Monstra), etc. He still identifies as Oscar, and the biggest change is definitely the gained confidence.

But, harder to notice, especially if you're not insanely obsessed with them like me, Oz has also changed, arguably more than Oscar. At this point, his entire voice has changed; the cadence of his voice, the timbre, his vocabulary and how he words things, etc. If you compare Ozpins current voice and Oscars, both Aaron Dismukes version and Shannon Mccormicks, they sound nearly the exact same. There's VERY little difference- at times, Oscar seems a little more formal than Ozpin! Oz's mannerisms and facial expressions have changed a lot as well, adopting more of Oscars (wider eyes, softer looks, lots of movement with his hands without their cane, honestly likely more that's escaping me rn). He also talks to the other characters as peers now, though it's hard to tell if that's from the merge or character development. I'd also mention how Ozpins worldview has drastically changed, but that's from character development and canonically, Oscar inspired him, but basically he's completely picked up Oscars views and beliefs (even if he's a little hesitant at times, he still trusts Oscar).

But basically... they've both changed, arguably Oz more than Oscar, both from the merge and character development. And it seems to me that it's more likely that Oscar won't disappear? Especially when you consider Ozpin saying "I understand. I went through the same panic and confusion you are." <- this is talking about the merge in v4, when Ozpin just appeared in Oscars head. Obviously, he'd have to be referring to being an ordinary person (likely a teenager) suddenly having a voice show up in your head. Ozpin identifies AS Ozpin- not as any previous incarnation (though he identifies with the memories too), so I doubt he identifies as Ozma. Thus, this implies that they change.

Also, soul in rwby IS identity. Aura is your soul but tangible. Thus, if two different souls merge- that inherently implies a change of identity. The souls change, thus the identity changes. Plus, Ozpin literally says IN v5 that "I am the combination of countless men, living, dying, and reincarnating, and i am changed- but my memories stay with me." It seems that the only constants are their memories, magic, and immortality. Everything else changes- "I am changed."

So I definitely don't think that Ozpin just takes over and absorbs his hosts. Everyone who thinks that's how it works in-universe are unreliable narrators; Ironwood, Leo, Qrow, Salem, even Oscar himself (though atp I think he might have an idea that he won't disappear, but he still doesn't want to change, which is reasonable). Oz's inner circle members wouldn't know in-depth how the merge works, bc a) Oz tended to lie to them and b) i doubt that's something he wants to discuss anyways. Salem wouldn't know because when Ozma told her, he'd only reincarnated once, and he only had the God of Lights really vague, cryptic words to go off of, and Salem herself has likely only been informed by people who wouldn't know how the merge works anyways (Leo). And i already explained why Oscar is also an unreliable narrator about it too.

Light and Jinn are also hints as to how it works too; they imply the hosts don't disappear by saying "Until then, you will reincarnate, but in a manner that ensures you are never alone." And "As the centuries passed, he learned to live with the people in which he had been paired." So naturally, the hosts don't disappear, and everything else says that Oz changes.

Another, smaller note, but you can tell with the other Oz's seen in The Lost Fable that they all act differently. It's more obvious with Ozma and Ozma 2.0, but you can tell with the rest of them (and even the hermit in the story of the seasons), since they all have different mannerisms and, for those who speak, they kinda speak differently as well. They're also vastly different from how Ozpin acts, both from the beginning of rwby to now, and they act differently from Oscar.

TL;DR: the merge isn't a takeover on Oz's part; they both change and, at the end, identify with whoever the host is (hence the name change).

[ballerinarina]

[naitfall]

reaper au. Maybe it's long after Levi's death, maybe it's a sort of reincarnation au. Levi's a REAPER. The most despised kind of all angels— it's in his nature, to take the lives of those meant to die, else they'd wonder endlessly the world of living. It's his job to reap, to convince, or to force the ones close to death to follow him. He was human once. He has no memory of who he once was. No recollection of a name, or loved ones. Until, in his path appear a familiar face. He doesn't remember. They seem to recognize him. His name was Levi.

[freyadragonlord]

We're about to meet the Second Dokja!!!

The one from Dokja's second modifier!!

Hakhyun in the new cover was holding an apple!!!!!

We about to get Watcher of Light and Darkness??? Is he going to be in angel form????? Is he going to be devoured by guilt like he was after consuming thw Forbidden Fruit???

Please????????

[that-wannabe-vangoghgurl]

I don't know if reincarnation is real but if it is can you imagine how many people read stuff they wrote? Or go to a art museum and see art they made or read a book that they don't remember writing, or walk by a really old building which they designed,or love listening to music they wrote in a different life. I wonder if I've ever passed a loved one from a previous life in the street.

[whereipostnotes]

If reincarnation is real, I wonder how many souls go back to the last place they went, just to see their family for one last time before taking that journey to heaven. I also wonder how many souls visit their home and have the pleasure to sit on that favourite rocking chair of their's and touch that last book they read, just to complete it. I also wonder how many artistic souls stare at their own art in museums, listen to music they made in a different life, and read books they don't remember writing.

[cassynite]

one thing drawing characters from a romance series im rereading has made me realize is just how averse the author is to giving the heroines eye colors in normal hues

like they tend to be multicultural in slightly weird ways where their appearance is described as if the author pulled up their ancestry.com results, but god forbid a woman have brown eyes. what gives

[sannes-reincarnation-saga]

This first chapter depicts a fictional bombing of Berlin and is continued under the read more.

[just-someone-online]

I'm having trouble fully articulating this (Which has been a very frustrating trend recently) but I sometimes think about how Hikari and Ha-chan would have interacted.

[aurora-wandering]

I want a love so forceful

I recognize you from our past lives

[rainevargkyn]

To my soulmate

who gave me 13 beautiful years

I don���t know where you are.

I don’t even know if you remember me.

But something in the air has changed. The ache isn’t as silent anymore.

It hums.

It trembles.

It pulls.

I can’t force the world to bring you back to me.

I can’t tear down the walls between us, not with fury, not with grief.

But I can wait.

I can whisper into the places where your fire used to burn.

I don’t know if your eyes still glow like they once did.

I don’t know if your claws are dulled, or your voice is tired.

But I remember how your warmth felt against me.

I remember the look in your eyes before every storm, and the promise in your breath after every battle.

If you feel broken now,

If the world around you has gone silent,

If you don’t remember why you feel hollow,

Then maybe this is why:

You were never meant to be alone.

Not then.

Not now.

Not ever.

I am still here. I never stopped searching.

Even if you’ve forgotten me, your soul hasn’t.

Even if your fire feels dim, it’s still there, and I will find it.

And if you don’t know who I am,

then maybe I’ll say the word we promised would always find you:

“Ravine.”

If that means anything to you,

If you feel even the faintest ache in your chest,

Then please…

Tug on the bond.

I’ll feel it.

- Raine

[crossinfiniteworld]

Selena’s not like other high society ladies—she has the skills, memories, and personality quirks of being an assassin in her past life. Now she's been tasked by the royal family to guard international royalty? Why waste her time guarding when she can teach them how to fend for themselves? Find out if this former assassin has what it takes to protect others in The Former Assassin Who Got Reincarnated as a Noble Girl Vol.2 on 11/30!

[skrunglesage]

as a known timeline heretic, i have to announce that in my heart of hearts the ancient hero is the first male gerudo born after ganondorf

[brudick-week]

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DAY 3: “You are the light to my darkness.” | BruDick meet their AU’selves | Reincarnation

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[ashitakaxsan]

On September 1 2023 ,was released the 10th volume of the Light Novel "Reborn to Master the Blade: From Hero-King to Extraordinary Squire". I waited patiently for the release. Synopsis of the volume:

" Eventually,after the weirdy reduction,where she got smaller,she finds out it was caused by the influence of the Demon Seal Arms,forged by the Highlanders. Furthermore, at the same time, an other problem arose,with the weaponization of Hieral menace Eris. So Inglis and her friends decide to head to the floating Highland,to solve the problem! However the trip goes awry,as the girls team is attacked by the guards around Highland,the machine dragons".

My say:

It's the weird,setback how Inglis chan is reduced to a 6 year old child,with her powers reduced as well.Namely it's a severe problem on her dream,her reason of life. And just to add that Eris's in trouble too,due to the weapons she received-made by the Highlanders*.And to make the problem unsolved: They don't allow anyone to enter their precious Highland,even when the benevolent girls who are Ugly trapped.

So what happens in the upcoming volumes ? Won't someone come to help the girls? Black mask,come to help the girls.

*I figure the Highlanders are the Real,True Villains in there. Not Black Mask.