#its probs bad and very ooc and the plot is ALL OVER THE PLACE

[dingletragedy]

Could I request prompts 15 & 35 please? Xx

35 - “is it too late?”

in which ben and callum are both entering their final year of college, callum is new to the area and him n ben instantly become best friends. 

(for anon & the wonderful @bencal who’s birthday it is today!!! katie deserves the world and a hell of a lot more than this fic, but i hope you’ve enjoyed your day and this year treats you with so much kindness and love <33)

Of course, it’s only fitting that the first day of British summertime begins with a downpour.

Ben has never been covered in so much mud in his life, and he’d much rather be tucked up in bed, thrashing Jay on Fifa, or watching a film, than tackling in puddles for a ball.

Callum, the little shit, is up in the stands, like he is every match, wearing a bright yellow raincoat and probably the ugliest beanie Ben has ever seen, looking like he’s just about drowning. He’s the only one up there too, and every time Ben looks at him he has to stop himself from doubling over with laughter at his huddled figure.

Ben knows he’s going to come out this match covered in bruises and the odd scrape, and he knows Callum will fuss over him for it, his own injury having ruled him out of the school team for the rest of the term. Ben doesn’t enjoy the football a great deal, not half as much as Callum does that’s for sure, and to be honest, he was days away from dropping out of the teams. But when Callum had picked up the injury, he was so down about not being able to play, and chase that promotion, and suddenly Ben wanted nothing more than to carry on, to win the league, for Callum. 

Despite his devotion to the team, some of the lads are being particularly standoffish today, tackling hard and pushing Ben into the mud and laughing it off like it’s a joke. At the start, Ben let himself have a little fun and get muddy. Now though, his shins are fully coated and his hair is sticky with it. 

It’s funny though, when Ben gets that last minute equaliser, 89th-minute screamer, how they all celebrate with him like he’s the hero of the league. Ben only has eyes for one celebration though, Callum’s cheers can be heard from down here, and the grin stretching his face enough to wash the grey clouds away. 

After, Ben’s completely soaked and chilled to the bone, and it doesn’t help that the changing room feels like a literal freezer. Everything is concrete and metal and the boys all huff out tiny, stilted puffs of air as they change and shower.

Then, he remembers, Callum. He instantly warms. 

Callum, Callum, Callum. 

The mysterious new lad in town, the one every man and his dog wanted to befriend, but for some unbeknown reason, he’d chosen Ben to do so. 

Slowly, over the past few months, since Callum and his brother had moved to Walford, Ben has begun to learn all the little things about Callum. He knows that his favourite colour is orange, that he doesn’t have a favourite album or song because he can’t choose, he likes to read more than he lets on, and he loves to sing, no matter how much he can’t.

They’re just little things, just the tiny pieces, and Ben begins to realise that as much as he’s learning about Callum now, he doesn’t know anything about him before he came to Walford College. There’s a whole seventeen years that Ben really has no idea about.

He has no idea what made Callum who he is now, this brilliant, yet shy and reserved boy, with a heart bigger than Ben could ever imagine.

He shakes himself from his trance, grabs his bag and runs outside. It’s still pissing rain, and across the grounds he can see Callum standing by the bike shed, wrestling with his umbrella. It’s folded completely out the wrong way in the wind, and Ben finds himself laughing as he makes a break for it, thoroughly soaked.

“Why aren’t you waiting inside!?” He shouts over the rain as he approaches. When Callum sees him, he shuffles under the tiny shelter quickly.

Ben follows, and when he sees Callum’s face, he slaps a hand over his mouth to stop himself from laughing.

He looks utterly distressed, his hair wet and hanging wildly over his neck and eyes. His raincoat has been beaten spectacularly, and his umbrella is only just holding on.

“Where—” Callum starts on a shaky exhale, shivering, “have you been?”

Ben falls into hysterical laughter. “Oh, my God.”

“Ben!” Callum whines, but then he’s laughing too, his hands shaking roughly at his hair. 

“You look like a drowned rat, mate,” Ben wheezes. “Not gonna lie.”

“Shut up,” Callum guffaws, shaking his hair out like a dog.

“Your umbrella,” Ben exclaims, cackling. “How did you even manage that?” 

“I know, look at it,” Callum wipes at his eyes and holds it up, the whole thing mangled.

“You’re a nightmare, Cal,” Ben holds his stomach, shaking his head. “You want to come back to mine? Get you dry and then maybe I’ll let you have me on Fifa?”

“Oh, you’re finally admitting I’m better than you, then?” Callum says, and he looks pleased. “Yeah, that’d be nice, actually. Cheers.”

“Nah, it’s not that nice,” Ben says, and he tries to remember, frantically, if his room is in any state to be seen by another human, let alone Callum. 

“Don’t be daft,” Callum shrugs. “I just want to get inside and get out of these disgusting clothes.”

“Come on then,” Ben says as he leans down to unlock his bike. Callum does the same, and they’re off.

It’s an absolute disaster from the word go.

It’s raining even harder than before, and Ben almost falls off his bike laughing when Callum attempts to shield himself with his umbrella as he rides, wobbling all over the places as the umbrella is pulled this way and that by the wind.

He should be hating every moment, should be angry about his idiot teammates, and his sodden clothes and annoyed about the weather. Instead, he smiles the whole way home, he and Callum laughing and shouting to each other as they pedal frantically, splashing each other with puddles and shaking out their hair.

When they finally make it back to Ben’s house, he hesitates for a moment, because his mum’s car is still in the driveway.

They kick off their muddy shoes outside the front door and attempt to shake any excess water off their bodies so they don’t drip everywhere. That, of course, proves entirely useless, and Ben attempts to make a beeline straight for his room as soon as they step inside.

“Oh, hello love.”

Ben flinches and turns quickly, seeing his mum in the doorframe leading to the kitchen, ready for work with a cup of coffee in her hands. She looks at Callum then looks questioningly at Ben.

“Mum, this is Callum. Cal, this is my mum, Kathy,” he presents. “Is it alright if Callum and I chill for a bit?”

“Sure,” Kathy blinks, looking between them again.

“Uh—hello,” Callum says, and he holds out his hand for her to shake, smiling. “Nice to meet you, Kathy.”

“You too,” she takes his hand eagerly. “Do you go to college with Ben?”

“Yeah, I’m pretty new there,” Callum affirms. Ben sighs internally as his mum looks Callum up and down again, quirk tilting at her lips. “Just been to watch the match, he was the star of the show. Again.” 

“That’s what I like to hear,” she shifts her weight, flicks her eyes back to Ben’s own. “Well I best going, don’t want to be late, can’t be dealing with your brothers moaning today.”

“Alright,” Ben says with a nod. 

“There’s food in the fridge, beers too — although maybe it’s a little early for drinking? Help yourself to whatever you want, Callum.” 

“Yeah, mum,” he says, suppressing a groan. “I ain’t going to starve him. Bye.”

He hurries upstairs, safely away from his Mum’s prying, and Callum following close behind. There’s a little pause before he opens the door to his bedroom, and he sends a silent prayer that it isn’t entirely awful.

“It’s not much, um,” he says awkwardly, as he opens the door slowly. Nothing seems too out of order, thankfully.

“Woah,” Callum says as he enters, going straight for Ben’s record player and vinyl collection.

For a moment, Ben pauses, looking at Callum standing here in his room, fingers trailing over the curves of his records. It’s a little surreal, a little too much. Ben clears his throat awkwardly.

“Didn’t know you were such a huge fan of musicals, Mitchell,” Callum teases as a blush heats Ben’s cheeks. 

The sudden flash of lighting, and the booming clap of thunder that follows it makes them both jump and flinch towards the window.

Ben approaches carefully and looks out into the street. It’s raining so heavily he can barely see the house across the Square, everything a muddy mirage as the rain falls in thick, heavy sheets.

“Apparently this is going to go on all day, I ain’t letting you ride home in this,” Biting says, biting his lip. 

There’s another flash of lightning, and the thunder rattles the room.

When he looks over his shoulder, Callum is just staring at him.

“What?” Ben says, pushing his hair off his forehead nervously.

Callum blinks once, twice, then looks away. “Nothing.”

“I’ll get you a towel, hang on,” Ben says. In the dark of the hall, he rubs a hand down his face.

Callum is in the same position when he returns. Ben tosses the towel at him.

“I don’t have any spare clothes on me,” he says.

“You can borrow some of mine,” Ben says, moving towards his dresser.

“They won’t fit,” Callum says, and Ben can hear the amusement in his voice. “I’m about six foot taller than you, Ben.” 

He turns with a raised eyebrow in challenge. Callum dissolves into quiet laughter. Ben throws a pair of joggers at his face, and he splutters.

“I hate this,” Callum says as he changes into them. The joggers are predictably, definitely too small, cuffed around his ankles. And, they’re tight. So tight. God.

“Perfect fit,” Ben says enthusiastically. He lets his eyes linger, long enough to burn the imagine into his memory, but not long enough for Callum to notice. 

“Shove over,” Callum says, patting at the space on the bed beside Ben. He furrows his brow, but does so anyway. Callum looks over Ben’s record collection again, rubbing a hand over his chin like he’s making some grand decision. Finally, he makes a tiny noise of affirmation and slots a vinyl out.  

He throws Blur, Parklife, at Ben. 

“Interesting choice,” Ben says with a raised brow.

“You remind me of him,” Callum says with a little smile. He shoves Ben over some more.

“Damon Albarn?” Ben’s eyebrows rise into his hairline. “That your way of telling me you fancy me, then? Because everyone fancies Damon.”

“Shut up,” Callum laughs off, but there’s no mistaking the peach blush that floods his check, it’s one Ben’s become familiar with. 

It’s silent for a long time as Ben loses himself to his thoughts, just the sound of Girl & Boys and booming thunder, the pelting of the rain on the window and their breaths. Everything is washed in a soft yellow glow, and Ben tries not to glance at Callum every time he flips a page. His hair is gold tipped in the light.

“I like these lyrics,” Callum breathes. “I don’t usually care for the words over over-hyped rockstars, but these ones always stick with me,”

He rests his hand on Ben’s hip. Ben stares at the ceiling, wide-eyed, trying to regulate his breathing.

“Love in the nineties, is paranoid, on sunny beaches, take your chances,” Callum sings, slow and hushed and mixed with the rain. Ben’s slips his eyes closed. “Always should be someone you really love.”

Ben breathes in sharply, heart pounding in his chest. When Callum stops, voice losing out to the thunder, Ben feels himself sinking into the mattress. Callum’s hand burns like fire at his hip.

There’s another flash of lightning, and in that split second their eyes meet, white-hot.

Thunder rumbles.

The light flickers, and goes out.

“Oh,” Callum breathes. Ben feels him sit up slowly. His eyes haven’t yet adjusted to the light, so all he has is touch.

All he can feel is Callum.

“Cal?” Ben whispers. He’s so tired, but the thought of missing a moment of this, of him and Callum, alone and safe, together, is terrifying for reasons Ben doesn’t want to think too hard about. 

“Mm,” Callum hums, chest shifting.

“Um,” Ben says and there’s so much, so much he wants to say, to ask, to confess. “I should—should see if I can find a flashlight downstairs, or something.”

He moves, reluctantly, and Callum’s hand falls away, replaced by cold air.

“It’s alright, we’ll just wait out the storm, I guess,” Callum’s voice says, close.

There’s so much heat radiating off of Callum’s body, and Ben looks up at his raindrop covered window, searching for some kind of thought other than the one screaming for him to reach out his hands.

It’s quiet for so long. With every passing second Ben feels his throat growing tighter and tighter.

He doesn’t know if he falls asleep, or falls entirely into his thoughts, but when he comes back to himself, feeling like he’s been in a deep sleep for days, his eyes are heavy and his body is warm. Callum is a deadweight beside him, breathing evenly. It’s still raining.

“Cal,” Ben whispers into the dark. There’s no response.

He sits up slowly and tries to maneuver himself over Callum’s legs without waking him. It doesn’t work as well as he’d planned.

Callum stirs with a huff of breath and a yawn. “Ben? What’re you doing?”

“Need a piss.”

“Oh,” Callum breathes. It’s quiet again, and Ben grabs his phone, flicking on the flashlight and guides himself across the hall. 

Callum stumbles in a minute later, sleep rumpled and young-looking. In the barely there light, his eyes glow like hazy amber.

“Sorry,” he murmurs. He’s just standing there, leant against the towel rack, watching. Ben turns away, pulse pressing against his neck. “Ain’t much of a fan of the thunder, didn’t want to be alone.” 

Ben ducks down to wash his hands, he lets icy water hit his skin, needing that shock to wake his mind. He hisses a little and pulls away, shaking out his hands. He can feel Callum’s eyes following him, burning into him, and as he moves to the towel rack, he doesn’t meet his gaze as he wipes his face.

But he’s right there, so close that Ben can feel his warmth, can smell his aftershave clinging.

Ben glances up slowly, his gaze lifting from Callum’s bare feet all the way up to his eyes.

The flashlight is so dim that everything is cast in shadow, so low that he can’t read Callum’s face. It feels as though they’re trapped in this sudden bubble of warmth, and Ben can’t move, can’t breathe, can’t do anything, doesn't want to do anything, but look at Callum’s eyes and tremble.

“Ben,” he breathes, barely a sound. Ben swallows, electricity shocking through him, zapping his skin. There’s fear there too, gripping fear that holds him by the back of the neck.

But then Callum lifts a hand, his smooth, delicate hand, and runs a long finger down Ben’s cheek, coming to rest just by the hinge of his jaw. Ben stutters out a breath, gravitating closer, his eyes threatening to flutter closed as Callum touches him.

Callum rests their foreheads together gently, his thumb coming to rub at his jaw, his hand cupping the back of his neck and head. Ben’s body is covered in goosebumps, every inch of him shaking like a leaf, so nervous, so unused to this sort of touch.

Callum dips his mouth closer, their noses bumping. He can feel Callum’s warmth breath on his lips, and when he shifts, they brush together, just barely. Callum sucks in a deep breath, chest heaving, and leans down.

It’s so, so, unbelievably delicate. Their lips meet with a cautious press, and they stay that way for a few moments before Callum pulls away a little, then ducks down again. Ben lets him lead, lets him hold his face in his big hand, because his brain is a muddle of heat and jarred murmurs.

Callum presses in closer, both his hands cupping Ben’s face now as he kisses him slow and soft, pulling back every few moments to shudder in a breath, fingertips brushing through the soft wisps of hair by Ben’s ears. His hands slide down to his shoulders, down his front, and Ben’s stomach spikes.

He grabs Callum’s hands, pulls away slightly, eyes searching for something he’s not sure of.

“Fuck, I’m sorry,” Callum babbles as he meets Ben’s eyes, too loud in their little bubble. “Ben, I–I didn’t mean to–”

“Cal” Ben says, hoarsely. His hand finds Callum’s cheek, it’s hot to the touch, he slips it back into his hair. “Come here, yeah?”

“If you want me to go—” Callum whispers, and Ben feels it against his bottom lip, this barely-there buzz.

“Sh. Just–just come here.”

Their mouths touch again, and it’s molten, soft and melty and cautious, Ben’s bottom lip caught wetly between Callum’s. Ben has to let out a shudder of a breath, toes curling up so hard it hurts as he starts to twist his fingers in Callum’s hair. Ben feels out of body, like he can register each touch and press, he can hear the rain tapping heavy fingers on the rooftop and the low buzz of the record player and the rasp of Callum’s breathing but it doesn’t feel real.

But it is real, so real. And it’s the most intimate moment of Ben’s life, standing in the dark, holding the warm body of this soft boy, kissing him, tender and so full of feeling.

It’s Callum who pulls away the next time, and when he doesn’t duck straight back in, Ben peels his eyes open slowly to look up at him, panics.

Callum’s chest is rising and falling noticeably, his eyes intense and gentle all at once, hooded but so open. They’re locked together for a beat, and time seems to stand still for them. All of a sudden, the rain is gone, and there’s just silence. It’s just him and Callum, standing on this invincible plane, bound together.

“How long?” Callum asks, their faces still pressed up close. He’s so warm, burning up under Ben’s touch.

“So long,” Ben answers honestly. “So fucking long.”

“I’m sorry,” Callum breathes past his lips, muffled by another kiss. “‘M so clueless. Is it too late? Please tell me it ain’t too late?”

“No,” Ben hushes him, tries to pull him closer again with a nudge to his hip, but Callum shakes his head lightly and just stares down at Callum “It ain’t too late. It couldn’t ever be too late.”

They come back together on a sharp exhale, there’s little hesitancy now. Callum presses Ben against the wall, cradling his jaw and gripping at his hip, breathing heavily. Ben holds him close and tries to stop the little noises bubbling inside him from escaping. He doesn’t succeed.

“Shit,” Callum breathes, ducking down to bury his face into Ben’s neck, kissing the skin there over and over, breathing him in. “Shit, Ben.”

“Callum,” he shudders when Callum kisses wetly at the hinge of his jaw. He threads his hands into Ben’s hair again, so soft and silky beneath his fingers, and pulls him back up to his mouth. He’s never wanted anybody, anything more in his life than this, than the wet press of their mouths, the heat of Callum’s hands sliding down his back. It feels right.

“You’re beautiful,” Callum gasps out between kisses, pressing in hard. “I’ve wanted to tell you that every day since I moved to that damn school.”

“Callum,” Ben says again, because he can’t say anything else.

“You have no idea,” another searing kiss, a hot press of their bodies, “how amazing you are.”

Ben whines softly, and Callum shudders, grabbing his hand and pulling them backwards. They leave the flashlight, and they have to fumble blindly into Ben’s room. Callum’s hands are hot and possessive on his hips, squeezing him and moving him through the space. They finally find Ben’s bed, and Callum falls down first, pulling Ben on top of him.

“Oh, my God,” Ben sighs out at the press of their bodies, burying his face in Callum’s neck for a moment to try and form any coherent through.

“Kiss me,” Callum breathes. “Don’t stop kissing me.”

And so Callum kisses a line from Ben’s jaw to his lips. He cradles his jaw, presses his thumbs against the hinges, and Callum makes a throaty noise, opening his mouth wide and arching up. Ben gasps in response, and then Callum is flipping them over so quickly that Ben sees stars, reaching up blindly as Callum presses him down.

Ben likes it like this, he thinks, with Callum’s body covering him, caging him in close. The rain hits the window violently, and Callum licks into Ben’s mouth hotly. His first response is to grapple at Callum’s shirt in surprise. His second, is to open his mouth wider, keening. He’s got a hand in Callum’s hair now, tugging roughly. Callum groans, so deep and chesty. Ben is helpless against him, breathy and shaking.

When their hips brush together, Callum a steady weight on top of him, his stomach jumps and he pulls away involuntarily, before he can stop himself. Callum pauses, his breathing heavy, and searches his face.

“Y’alright?” He whispers thickly, brushing his thumb over Ben’s cheek, eyes sated and heavy.

Ben’s breath stutters in his chest, hands shaking. “I’m just—”

He lets out another shuddered breath, blinking up at Callum with wide eyes.

“I know,” Callum says, hushed. “I know.”

He kisses him again, soft and slow and honey-sweet, brushing his hair away from his forehead gently. He moves his mouth to his neck, just dragging his lips over Ben’s skin and breathing, occasionally kissing him delicately.

Callum falls sideways, coming to settle next to Ben as they kiss gently. He threads their fingers together, and Ben’s heart flutters in his chest, eyes threatening to grow wet.

“Cal,” he breathes, pressing their foreheads together.

Callum snuffles slightly, pecking Ben’s lips one more time before he tugs him in close, wrapping his arms around him to cuddle him. His chest is warm and cosy and Ben curls around his body willingly. Callum strokes his back, presses kisses to his forehead. It’s so lovely, so delicate and careful that Ben can feel his heart shaking in his chest.

“Goodnight,” Callum whispers. 

Ben blinks up at him. They stare at each other for a moment, and Ben just lets it rush over him, lets himself go. He tells himself to stop thinking, to stop worrying, to put himself in the here and now; not tomorrow, not when they have to go back to school, when he knows he’ll have to go back to being Callum’s new friend, when he knows to football lads will be on his back and he’ll have to lie to Jay, when he’ll miss Callum so much it’ll make his heart ache. 

Right now he’s got to let himself be happy. Callum’s mouth twitches, and Ben knows that he’s happy, too.

“Goodnight, Callum;”

[robiness]

Qrow was meant to be a punching bag (theory, V7CH12 spoilers)

tw: depression, one brief mention of suicide at the very end

Many are upset about the literal and narrative butchering of two beloved characters in RWBY V7E12. The initial and probably most popular argument against what happened is that it doesn’t make sense, why would these characters do what they did. And honestly, that reasonable reaction to the injustice was mine, too.

But now that I’ve “calmed down”, meaning I’m finally not in a whirlwind of blind rage, indignation, and devastation, I started thinking about “Why did they do that?” with some level of depth. 

The answer I found is still unjust and disgusting, but at least it fell in line with something resembling logic.

Qrow enthusiasts have been complaining about his endless heartbreak. Why can’t be be happy for once? What’s the whole point in his recovery arc this volume if they’ll just scrap it? It’s like they put random tragedies on a dart board and the writers just started throwing.

Hear me out - they meant all of this. Every instance Qrow suffered is intended. They didn’t throw away his recovery arc because he was never meant to recover. 

I think that they’re going to make him an antagonist at worst, or a man driven to the ultimate tragedy at best. 

At this point, you’re probably like. What. Lol no. You’re as silly as the writers are.

But again, let me explain. I used to have that mindset of Qrow always being best but sad boy. A hero who just needs a chance. 

There was NO way this man will ever go dark:

he probably thinks he lost summer to salem

his nieces are actively hunted by salem and her forces, and RWBY for sure ain’t changing sides 

he’s always believed in the principles he has, and he’s always applied them. he’s a good Huntsman who cares, and knows his path 

he believes in ruby’s determination and ability to probs save the world

But that’s the thing.

He’s ALWAYS stuck by the principles he learned from Ozpin. Betrayal after betrayal, he was crushed but managed to somehow bounce back. 

This volume, he was on a good track. A good mind space. His kids are great, but then he met an equal - someone with literal plot armor against his Semblance. Misfortune is the reason why he stays away from the people he loves, why he blames himself for a lot of things, why he feels like baggage. 

A person his age who could be a friend, or more. Huntsman of equal ability and maturity.

Queerbaiting aside (I’m sorry I ever used that phrase, I hate them too), Clover was a possibility. Here was a potential team partner, friend, lover, whatever, but the point is he was finally free to explore what a developing relationship is like because here’s a guy who kinda got him, and probably won’t be harmed by staying close for an extended period of time. 

I think the chemistry in their fights solidified this too. Clover was someone who didn’t get in trouble by being at his side (except the first time in the mines, and Clover took it in stride and still succeeded).

Even better, Clover actually vocalizes that hey, it’s okay.

He doesn’t dismiss Qrow’s semblance, but he encourages Qrow to let go of the guilt a bit, that he’s worth more than his bad luck, and can continue to work around it. 

Qrow was nowhere near full recovery, but he was definitely on the way with a bit of Clover’s help. Later, my precious man finally smiles for real... not his smirk or sad smiles to Ruby. He’s smiling for the enjoyment of the moment and things are looking up!

(slightly sorry for the gif below)

(V7CH12 gifs would be appropriate from here on, but I am NOT doing that to myself)

So what’s the point, Robiness? We all know how THAT story goes. Qrow gets trauma because it’s shown to him, yet again, that his Semblance fucks up the good things, that even someone with the most potential to be safe ISN’T. Not around him. 

The whole crash was OOC, rushed and bad writing, whatever. But why did it happen? 

Qrow is basically the poster boy for mental health in this show. He’s depressed, and to him AND to the outside world, he’s right in thinking he’s only going to hurt people. He’s been proven right, many times, that he is bad luck.

What’s different this time?

He didn’t have hope, the other times he was let down. He had hope for humanity, yes, and that he can somehow contribute to saving it.

But he’s never had hope for himself, that he could be more than his Semblance. Clover’s character gave that to him. He was already trying to quit drinking, but that was for Ruby and the other kids, and by extension their mission, but not for himself.

When CRWBY killed that hope, it killed anything inside of Qrow that could’ve thought that he could be a hero. Or even simply better than he was before.

He’s crushed, his mind is clouded. As Clover died, he wanted to kill Tyrian, then he wanted James to fall. The legal type of justice wouldn’t be enough to assuage his need for vengeance. 

And he’s alone. Perhaps about to be arrested, I don’t know. But every other time he’s been crushed, he had the kids around to divert the attention even a little bit. But this time, there’s no one to help him process and move past this. No positivity from Ruby, no scolding from Yang to keep it together. No one.

If you’ve ever had mental illnesses, you could probably imagine being alone in that fragile state of mind. 

And you know who’s the most likely to know where the heck he is and that he’s going through something? His sister, Raven, because of her Semblance. 

Details have been important in how RWBY is told to the audience (though they retract when convenient lol). Sometimes, this includes release dates. February is the last month of winter, slowly turning into spring. Yes, I mean the Spring maiden. 

Let’s talk about Raven. 

She’s angry at her brother, also for feelings of betrayal. He betrayed their tribe, their values, everything they stood for. He left her, his sister. He chose Ozpin’s mission over her, even though their original plan was to just infiltrate Beacon to learn how to kill Huntsmen better. 

This means she remembers a boy that had the same ideas and supported her and their family. I don’t think she can accept that this Qrow, the one we know, is her actual brother, how he should be. When it comes to Qrow, I think what matters to her the most is proving that she was right all along, that they should’ve just stuck together and kept to their practices. 

And Qrow, regardless of the spring bit, if he encounters her as he is now... could easily believe that she was right. After all, the facts to him are:

He can’t escape his Semblance, ever.

He needs vengeance for Clover, because his death was his fucking fault. His attempt to deescalate the fight (leaving Harbinger in the snow) didn’t matter, because his bad luck won in the end. 

A plausible 3. Doing things “the good way” “the right way” is never going to cut it for him because he is walking misfortune. Something will always go wrong.

So why not drop all fucks and go ahead full-force?

His mind isn’t in its best state right now, and all his decisions will of course be emotional. 

We’ve known Qrow from point A depression to point B somewhat recovery to point C the last fucking straw. I think it’s something to consider that we’ve never heard anything about his youth, except that he used to believe in the brutality of their tribe. He never mentions it, and we don’t know anything about the circumstances that made him change, beyond “Ozpin gave him a place”. 

He gave up his heritage just to be proven that brutality would have protected his loved ones better. 

So yes, the punching bag theme, the endless misery, Clover’s death - all these are most likely building up to that shift in his character. We thought the eventual character shift would just be his recovery, but since that was scrapped, the only other way that makes sense is that he’s going to regress into someone that cannot be saved.

He’s not going to switch sides. He’s not going to stop loving his kids. He’s probably never going to join Salem. 

But his methods will be more ruthless now, driven by heartbreak and rage and self-hatred. God knows how he’ll deal with anyone in his way. He’s not going to fucking listen. He listened to Clover, and where did that get him? 

This way, the violent, straightforward way he used to know, this would protect his kids more efficiently, even if they don’t want him to go down that path. He’d probably leave them to protect them, and to be unhindered in his corner of the war.  

He’ll think that this - to be a rage-filled killing machine - would be the best case scenario for him and the rest of the world. Kind of like how he followed RNJR from a distance, killing all the Grimm that could get in their way.

We thought he was a broken man before, but this has been escalating. It’s been probably planned out since before.

If you’re not convinced yet, remember:

RWBY loves literature parallels. 

Leo Lionheart changed, and gave in to fear. The Cowardly Lion.

James Ironwood, the Tin Man, has proven that he’s thrown away his heart. 

Qrow Branwen, the Scarecrow, was always fucking destined to lose his mind.

I don’t know what will happen after, what kind of sick tragic death he’ll end up with. Since they’re romanticizing his suffering so much, he’ll probably end up killing himself after his work’s done. 

I have no idea how the details will go, but I’m pretty sure this is the path the writers will take. There is just no other reason I can fathom as to why they keep hurting my man. I want to be wrong, but I can’t think of anything else, unless some deus ex machina shit happens in the finale, but hell if I’m ever trusting CRWBY again. 

And yeah, as a depressed person who relates to and loves Qrow, the idea of the message of “it’s never going to get better” fucking sucks. 

[ohlukcs]

( alex wolff, male ) did you hear how LUKAS TOZER is applying to columbia university as a FILM & MEDIA STUDIES major ?! the 19 year old is living in the WALLACH HALL. i heard that they got in because they are + PASSIONATE and +THOUGHTFUL, but honestly i think HE can be -ASSUMING and -CYNICAL. they’re a real MAVERICK. oh well, only time will tell if the SOPHOMORE will make it til the end.

about the mun !!

hi hello my name is sam (she/her), im 22, and im a big fat mess at all times :) um but a lil more about me is that i’m australian and a recently graduated film student lmao. i’ve been rping for like ten years now i think idk but i am a NERVOUS BITCH !!!!!!! and it sometimes takes me forever to reply to things (ic and ooc) bc of that so pls be patient with me lmao. anyway, happy 2 be here !! if u like this post i’m gonna assume u wanna plot with me and my idiot and hit u up !!! lets mcfreakin lose it !!!!

about lukas !!

full name: lukas joshua tozer

nickname(s): luk-ass idk whatever u can come up with lmao

age: nineteen

gender: cis male

pronouns: he/him

hometown: jackson, new jersey

date of birth: nov 4th

occupation: student ( film and media studies, sophomore ), cook/server at a nearby 24hr pizza joint

relationship status: single

drink / smoke / drugs: yes / yes / yes

faceclaim: alex wolff

positive traits: passionate, thoughtful, creative, ambitious, untethered, humorous

negative traits: assuming, cynical, insensitive, rebellious, resentful, irresponsible

if he was in a hogwarts house: slytherin

now some more dot points that are just me talking about lukas !!

was born in fort lauderdale florida but there is a vERY low chance he will ever admit that, he’ll just say he’s from new jersey. as far as he’s concerned, he’s always been from new jersey even if his family did move there after he turned twelve

speaking of things lukas probably wont ever tell u but i’m including them anyway: his family is kind of messy. not majorly but like a little bit more than average. he had two brothers, now he only has one. i’m not gonna include a whole lot of nitty gritty here i’ll save it for when i write the real bio and can actually do it justice but its the reason they moved from florida and it has had a pretty major effect on lukas over time obviously

he’s the baby of the family and he’s pretty much always been treated like one. it has left him pretty immature and irresponsible. still learning that his actions have consequences and that he cant just be a total dick all the time. he’s improved in those areas a fair bit since he started at columbia a year ago but he still has a long way to go

he didn’t ever really expect to go to columbia, he’s from a middle class family and his dad didn’t even go to college. he applied for columbia just as a might as well give it a go thing. like maybe it will happen. they had a film course and although the course itself isn’t really great, the connections to the industry available at columbia were valuable enough for him to try. he was wait listed up until basically the last minute, preparing to go to a college in boston instead but when he was accepted he knew he had to go. for himself, for his family, and for his lost brother.

obviously irresponsible attitude has led to some Bad Decision Making including but not limited to partying and drugs. he doesn’t prioritise that lifestyle over his school work (bc he knows how lucky he is to be at columbia at all) but he is a big believer that you need to experience things to be a great artist and he plans on being the greatest artist so bad decision town here we come !!!!

he has a pet goldfish named michael bublé pls dont nark

for more info on him click here to check his about page, no bio there yet but hopefully soon

wanted connections babey !!

course friends/rivals/anything: i am writing these before acceptances happen so i have no good god damn idea if any other characters are film majors but hit me the hell up if they are bc i would love to plot some stuff out

old roommate(s) : lukas was probably an entertaining roommate but probably verged on annoying pretty easily. he’s messy, gross, probably didn’t respect the do ur fucking dishes rule in first year ( probs still doesnt tbh ). but he also has a password to every streaming account plus a phat hard drive full of movies and shows that he is absolutely willing to share with u so just depends what ur into i guess. maybe this connection led to friendship or maybe they hate each other now. im down for either/both 

dealer: hi welcome back to bad decision town. lukas isn’t into any hard stuff but is a big weed smoker (to my understanding medicinal cannabis is allowed but lukas def doesn’t have a prescription), then after that it’s kind of just experimenting. will chat more details if u wanna take this connection

booze leachers: so yes lukas is 19 but he has four, thats right, four fake ids. he is not willing to give u his contact for fake ids but he is willing to buy u booze if u pay him. dont hate the player hate the game

gang gang: pretty much just a close group of friends. i imagine all pretty relaxed, all pretty chill. idk what to say here except i want people to care about him and let him put on dumb movies and watch them with him and probably have dumb matching stick and poke tattoos and hog a communal tv to play mario kart but lets talk about it

fast food workers deserve respect too: as mentioned, lukas works at a 24hr pizza joint near campus which means he’s seen some shit. one of the things he’s seen multiple times is drunk student trashing the place. whether it be vomit, forgetting how to hold a cup, or bet try at a food fight lukas has seen it and he’s cleaned it up too. this connection could be that maybe he helped someone out and cleaned them up and got them back to campus when their friends ditched and now they look out for lukas too and its a positive connection. or maybe lukas hates their guts and spits on their food whenever they show up ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ who’s to say

hot girl bummer by blackbear: now listen here’s an angsty connection i want, and i def want to plot it out way more with whoever takes it on but basic outline of what i have in mind: they’ve kind of sort of been dating for a while but they’re just falling out of whatever they had to begin with. they were never official, they probs def fucked around with other people while they were ““““together”””””, lots of oh sorry ur taking it so seriously i thought we were just chilling bullshit. all of this girls friends probs hate lukas and he definitely hates them back. were probably once really good friends and had a really good time together but they’ve lost it. will they find it again or will it fizzle out? lets find out together xoxo

new girl(s) : i hate the connection title too but i couldnt think of anything better. we’re in bad decision town and now we’re going to thot street babey. since things have been falling apart with hot girl bummer and even before that lukas a little bit of a thottie. this doesnt mean he’s good at it, please also feel free for a part of this to be that they rejected lukas and he got butt hurt about it idk lukas being attracted to them is basically this whole idea and i would wanna plot the rest of it more depending on specific characters wooo

lukas is a bad influence: if u have gotten this far u may have noticed that lukas is not a very good influence at all. this is someone probs his age or younger that wants to loosen up and have a good time and lukas completely encourages that. bonus points if this connection is a combo with the above connection bc lukas is a gross boi and would be like wow listening to my bad ideas thats so sexy and cool of u ya know. but also doesnt have to be that ! could just be lukas thinks its funny and thinks that someone listening to him is just like good content that could get him on barstool

lukas is badly influenced: this is basic as hell but someone that tells him to leave his impluse control at the door and encourages him to be trash. probs older than him and i def see this as more of a masc connection than a fem but like all my plot ideas: lets talk about it. this one probs v much depends on ur character so gonna leave this one nice and short

lukas is good-ly (??????) influenced: also basic as hell and p much just the opposite of above. someone who is a good influence on lukas. encourages creativity and ambition instead of straight up recklessness. again, i see it as an older character but no gender seen here. a lot of this would be based around ur character so lets chat

michael bublé’s co parents: lukas has a goldfish named michael bublé (or just michael), i picture him having got it while high as heck during the day and just being like This Is A Good Idea. maybe ur character was with him and they were co parents from the start or maybbe they came into the picture later ??? i’m honestly down for whichever just give michael the love he deserves pls

and probably just about anything else these are just some ideas, i totally wanna plot further and brainstorm so please still hmu if none of these fit ur character we’ll plot something up !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!