#oscar and ruby

[artoflittlemisssquiggles]

RWBY Rosegarden ARTSTYLE Transformation! Challenge 🌹Art Collab with JC

Another day, another glorious collab project with m’daikon buddy @jealouscartoonist completed!

This time, we tackled the “Art-style Transformation Challenge” as I believe it’s called.

For those unaware, this challenge involves two artists creating a sketch in their respective art styles that the other artist has to finish render in their own painting style.

I rendered JC’s original sketch of our golden little prince while she rendered my sketch of his lovely silver-eyed rose.

Enjoy fellow Rosegardeners!

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(Sidenote: JC’s render of my Rubes is 🔥🔥🔥8V )

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~LittleMissSquiggles (2023)

[littlemisssquiggles]

So miles did another cameo video about a week ago someone asked him what it would have been like if Oscar had gone to the ever after and Miles confirmed that if Oscar had been there with Ruby she wouldn't have gone through the conflict and trauma she was going through and volume nine if he had been there cuz Oscar would have been the one to notice it instantly unlike the others who didn't notice it till after she snapped at them

You can even see hints of it in the episode were they meet John again and they're at his house where Ruby sitting at the table and across from Ruby is an empty chair while Ruby sits there and look at Yang and Blake happily celebrating their new relationship Ruby sits there if so she's missing someone and that someone is Oscar I think

Hello anon-chan! Pardon the late answer to your inbox.

Do you mind linking me to this specific cameo you mentioned pretty please? Because I would honestly loved to listen to it.

Funnily enough, you’re the second person to bring up the theory that the empty seat across from Ruby at Jaune’s home in the Ever After during the scene before Jaune returns Crescent Rose to Ruby could’ve easily been filled by Oscar.

It makes perfect sense that Oscar would’ve been the one to notice Ruby’s depression if he were there since he has been shown to be weary of that in previous seasons such as the infamous dojo scene. Oscar noticing Ruby’s change in demenour is what initially prompted him to push her to admit her true feelings about everything that happened during the Fall of Beacon.

Not to mention that when Ruby was shown to be overwhelmed at the Cotta-Arc during the moment when Jaune exploded after JNR learned the truth about Oz and Salem, Oscar was the one to take notice of this and even did his best to help quell the situation.

Oscar has always been observant of Ruby’s feelings especially when she is at her lowest. It’s one of the reasons why I love their dynamic so much. Ruby has always been protective of Oscar since the moment he joined the team, looking out for him in her own way just as much as he looked out for her.

Oscar should’ve been there for Ruby in the Ever After just as how Ruby should’ve been the one to lead the charge to save him from Monstra instead of Jaune back in V8.

I absolutely hated the fact that Ruby was omitted from Oscar’s side of the story back then and this is one of the reasons why I didn’t enjoy that season.

The CRWBY showrunners spent the last few seasons continuously building up this shared sense of caring and protectiveness as the basis of the Rosegarden friendship and yet…there was no payoff?

They showed prior moments of Ruby protecting Oscar yet…she was completely absent during his most dire time of need---being a prisoner of Salem and brutally tortured by her and Hazel for hours. Ruby was not allowed to protect Oscar from that.

They showed prior moments of Oscar being a voice of wisdom to encourage Ruby to open up and be honest with herself and those around her yet…he was absent during her darkest emotional moment yet---her literal breaking point where she committed the Ever After equivalent of suicide.

You see the pattern?

Neither Ruby nor Oscar were present during each other’s worse moments.

They weren’t allowed to because the writers knew, canonically, these two would be each other’s true savior---their beacon in the darkness to get more metaphorical.

Because they needed the story to go a different way to get the ending that we actually got in V8 and V9, that’s how it had to go.

If Oscar has gone to the Ever After then Ruby would’ve never had her whole arc which…needed to happen. Although, some might argue that the whole point of Ruby’s journey in the Ever After was ultimately made pointless by her going from “no longer wanting to be Ruby Rose anymore” to “being Ruby Rose just as I am is enough. I’m Ruby-nough! I don’t need to change at all. I’m perfect just the way I am even with the flaws that I still possess that led me down this path in the first place”.

Sarcasm aside, I don’t dislike the fact that Ruby chose to be herself in the end. Being yourself and having yourself be enough is a good message. I just wished the showrunners had allowed this concept to cook more. While I’m aware they were pressed for time given the fact that no V10 was greenlit, nevertheless, I would’ve rather a twist where only Weiss, Blake, Yang and Jaune were able to return home while Ruby remained in the Ever After to complete her transformation.

We spent nearly an entire season building up to Ruby’s breakdown. It took 8 out of 10 episodes to have Ruby fall apart only to have her have her big revelation in the last episode. That makes the whole thing seem almost flat so I don't blame some fans for being disappointed with the conclusion to Ruby's Ever After story being concluded that way.

I dunno about you anon-chan but this just makes me disappointed that Oscar wasn’t present for the Ever After Arc because all cues prior to V9 hinted that he could’ve easily been added to this season and worked.

Oscar was the one who first introduced the audience to the fairytale of the Girl Who Fell Through the World.

Not to mention the whole theme of the Ever After being about embracing change---Oscar SHOULD’VE gone to the Ever After. Part of Oscar’s journey is about him coming to terms with the Merge with him either losing himself completely or becoming a new person entirely.

Seeing Oscar going through his own arc while trying to help Ruby with hers could've been great to see. But alas, that's not what we got.

I will give the showrunners this though---if Oscar had gone to the Ever After then we probably may not have gotten the clue that Ruby cares deeply for him.

It is very evident after V9 that Oscar's life is precious to Ruby. Shipping and romantic implications asides, you can't deny the fact that Oscar's wellbeing is important to Ruby.

Much like characters such as Penny and Pyrrha, Oscar is someone who Ruby doesn't want to lose.

Better yet, he is someone precious to Ruby that she doesn't wish to lose as a result of her failure.

Take a look at the deaths of Pyrhha and Penny. What do those deaths have in common?

Ruby failing to stop it from happening in the first place.

Ruby was present for Penny's first death but arrived too late to stop it from happening.

Ruby was present for Pyrhha's death but arrived too late to stop it from happening.

Ruby was present again for Penny's final death but got tossed into the Ever After before she could do anything to help stop it from happening.

Once again, Penny died and Ruby failed to stop it from happening. This is why the words of her illusion cut Ruby deeply during the Mad Tea Party fight.

"...Just like you were too late to save me at the Vytal Festival. I died in Atlas too, didn't I? Could you imagine what that's like? To be completely and utterly failed time and again by someone who meant the world to you..."

Similar to Penny, Ruby is someone who Oscar has been shown to care deeply for and Ruby, in turn, cares a lot for him. The evidence of that has been shown sprinkled throughout the seasons. There is no denying that these two smaller, more honest souls care very much for each other.

While there has yet to be any payoff to the development in their relationship as yet, one thing's for certain is that Oscar is a person of importance to Ruby.

He is someone she doesn't want to lose. He is someone she doesn't want to fail.

He is someone she can't stand to watch die because of her own inability to protect him.

Not again after she's failed others like him in the past.

Overall, I guess the point I'm trying to make here is, while it would've been great to see Oscar in the Ever After with Ruby (since he definitely would've prevented her breakdown), at the same time, the showrunners did still found a way to use his presence as part of the narrative to signify something about his connection to Ruby.

Oscar needed to be absent in order to Ruby to have her arc yet ironically, he was the reason for Ruby's breakdown in the first place. While Little's death was the final straw that drove Ruby over the edge, before that moment, it was actually the imagery of Oscar's death caused by HER HANDS that drove Ruby to her final breaking point.

While it would've been nice to see Oscar there with Ruby, in a way, he was still there with her---being used by Neo to indicate to the audience that Oscar is a person of dear importance to Ruby.

Moving forward, I expect the events of V9 to have some kind of impact on Ruby's overall relationship with Oscar. I want to believe the events of the Ever After would make Ruby more overprotective of Oscar; possibly hinting at much deeper feelings. That's how I see it.

~LMS (2023)

[sugarspikesart]

Oscar would relate SO MUCH to Steven Universe

Everytime I see this scene I can't help to imagine Steven is Oscar, White is Salem and Connie is Ruby. It all fits so well.

Salem is convinced that oscar is only one of Oz's tricks, and that he's deceiving himself. He's fooling everyone into thinking he's Oscar, that he's not Ozma, that his soul is not the same.

Oscar denying it at first, also convinced that it's not true, that he's his own person even if he carries a part of him (his soul)

And salem saying that Oscar holds information and has memories that he couldn't have by himself. Oscar starts doubting, remembering everything he knows about Amity, Atlas, his mannerisms. Hallucinations like when he saw himself in the mirror back in his farm. Oscar starts doubting, he weakens.

Ruby appears, trying to help him and tells him not to listen to Salem, she's just trying to mess with him.

And well, this would be a stretch, mainly because Oscar doesn't have anything tangible that contains oz's soul. But let's say for the sake of the post that Salem would be able to separate Oscar from his soul just to prove that his soul is not his but Ozma's. His soul at first adopts the form of Ozma, then of his multiple incarnations and finally, Oscar. They need each other bc that's his soul. Oscar soul tells Salem that Ozma as she knows him is gone. Ruby helps Oscar get to his soul, reuniting and becoming one again

And everything because Oscar has to deal with everything Ozpin and the previous incarnations started and tried to finish, dragging a lot of people in the process to face a villain that not only is stuck in the past but also holds a bond with the original soul, Ozma

It all just fits SO WELL

And it baffles me how easily people understood that Steven is his own person even when the series show all the "anomalies" Steven suffers bc of his gem and the memories it holds but somehow, a lot of RWBY fans can't see Oscar as his own person and just see him as a meatsuit for Ozpin and a fuckin vessel, missing the whole point of Oscar's character arc

[pmpknsoup]

[zizirobinson]

[manganart]

[chaikachi]

these kids and their identity issues 😔

[galdrgobrrr]

Stuff that piled up that I forgot to post

[pilot-boi]

A bird and his babies

Any guy can be a babygirl, but it takes a man to be a single mother

[stab3ry]

predecessor / successor

[rubyfunkey]

quick half-maiden check in

[chantaldraw]

"...because you did start something."

[littlemisssquiggles]

Imagined scenario while at work: Oscar when seeing Ruby return, runs up and hugs her tightly. He notices she's different and is hypersensitive to her emotions. WBY+J watching this realize how Intune Oscar is with Ruby and her emotions and feel all the more guilty for not noticing them more. The fact that Oscar can notice, understand and act towards her feelings even more than Yang feeds this in them all, and even moreso that Ruby will show them to Oscar and be honest with him.

Hiya Miki-chan! Thanks for the inbox as always. I hope you can pardon the very, very late response. I needed a bit of time with this one because the instant I read the scenario, my head just went into overdrive with just how much I could and wanted to say about it.

What I’ve written here is days of me attempting to accumulate my many, many thoughts on this subject matter and for what it’s worth, I hope actually managed to response accordingly to it. Y’know the usual spiel with yours truly XD

Okay, so without further delay, here’s what I gotta say:

First off, love the scenario. Your description of the moment is pretty much how I would envision the Rosegarden reunion following Ruby’s return would go, more or less.

To me, a big deal and a huge indicator of the Rosegarden dynamic potentially shifting into a romance would be if their respective ways of communicating compassion for one another were to suddenly reversed.

Despite Ruby seeming to have resolved her insecurities about herself through the aid of the Blacksmith, I’d like to think that the memories of what triggered her to go to the tree in the first place would still be quite fresh on her mind.

Therefore Ruby becoming anxious around reuniting with Oscar is fitting. The last time Ruby saw Oscar was him being cut down by her own weapon. While it may have been an illusion, the fact that the sight of such an apparition was enough to contribute to her breakdown is meaningful.

I’d like to think that upon returning to Remnant and reuniting with Oscar---the real Oscar---Ruby would suddenly be quite skittish around him. As a matter of fact, I kind of had this idea that Ruby’s new attitude towards Oscar would ping-pong between her being distant and avoidant of him while in Vacuo (since the memory of the illusion’s murder would still haunt her and could possibly be triggered by any contact they make with each other) to suddenly being very overprotective of him; more so than she's ever been in the past.

Oscar has always been cautious type. As outspoken as Oscar is, throughout the series we have seen him be presented as someone who isn’t afraid to be vocal when it comes to expressing his honest feelings or opinion of something, sometimes to very blunt degrees.

Oscar is deliberate when communicating. But at the same time, he has also been shown to be careful. Careful in what he says; always being sure to take a few seconds to ponder his approach before speaking up.

When it comes to the Rosegarden friendship dynamic, Ruby has always been the one to initiate any sort of physical contact between herself and Oscar whether it be holding hands or just lightly touching his shoulder in comfort. Oscar, on the other hand, as I’ve noticed, mostly reaches out to Ruby with his words. Talking to her has always been his main way of communicating his feelings to her. And whenever Oscar speaks, specifically to Ruby, you can bet assure that his words are always going to come from a place of honesty and kindness.

Because, Oscar has mostly always been honest with Ruby even in moments when she challenges him on maintaining that (as evidenced during the events of V6 following Ozpin’s Intervention and Ruby’s Deceit towards General Ironwood during V7).

If Ruby isn’t being 100% honest with Oscar, their peers or even herself, Oscar will see right through that deceit and will even challenge her on it. That’s something I’ve always deeply appreciated about Oscar’s character when it came to his budding relationship with Ruby. He was always one to take notice of her moments of lying to herself/masking her insecurities with bravado for the sake of maintaining the mask of their “righteous team leader”.

While Oscar certainly trusts Ruby and is willing to give her the space that she needs to figure things out on her own. In the event that things become too much, he will confront her. Challenge her even.

Ruby has always been a voice of encouragement and support for her team. It’s one of the most endearing aspects of her character which, in my opinion, made her a fitting leader and an all round good friend in general.

All the more reason why it truly sucked that when she needed that kind of emotional support and understanding in return, everyone seemed to just overlook her. And what’s even more ironic is that for those of us who have been paying more attention to the dynamics within our hero group, this was to be expected.

As sad as it will be to admit, Ruby’s teammates overlooking and dismissing her clear depression/frustration is…not new.

And what’s also not new is Ruby not being as open with her team about how she truly feels. I don’t know if we would ever get a moment of Yang, Weiss and/or Blake making the realization that Ruby is more open with Oscar than any of them. And it’s not even so much that Ruby is more open with Oscar because she has a stronger connection to him either.  To me, it’s more so of the fact that Oscar isn’t always complacent to blindly follow everything Ruby says or does or allow certain things he notices off about her slide.

This is something that Oscar shares with Yang. Both care about Ruby and are willing to trust her but at the same time, aren’t afraid to confront her on her choice of actions.

To me, the perfect example of this behaviour is V7 after the whole lying to Ironwood ordeal.

The only two people shown to actively challenge Ruby’s stance to deceive the General and shared their concerns with her were Yang and Oscar.  Heck, Yang even prompted Ruby on what Oscar thought about the whole thing.

This is what made the writers’ decision to have Yang appear to take Blake’s side following Ruby’s outburst in V9 disappointing to me.  

While I understand it may have been Yang’s way of redirecting Ruby’s anger away from Blake and onto her instead, it still bugs me til today that all Yang did for Ruby in that moment is appear to defend Blake alone.

Where was her sympathy and understanding for her little sister like before?

We have seen Yang comfort Ruby in moments of emotional breakdown in prior seasons.

Heck we even saw Yang provide comfort for Ruby at the start of V9 after she fainted from hearing the news about Penny's death.

So why is it that in this particular moment did Yang not offer the same olive branch she’s always given Ruby before as the older sister?

I could’ve accepted Yang suggesting for her and Ruby go off somewhere away from the rest of the group so that they can talk things out privately and having Ruby stubbornly refuse her sister’s attempt at helping her.

I would’ve rather had a scene like that as opposed to the a single, warning “Hey!” while shielding Blake and that be it.

I know other fans have defended this scene but I’m sorry, this squiggle meister will always dislike it. Say what you will, but I will always find that scene disheartening to look at because it just gave off the vibe that in one of Ruby’s lowest moments (the calm before the actual storm at the Mad Tea party), she had no one to turn to.

No one to understand her. No one to at least TRY to understand her.

Everyone she’s legit helped with their problems and offered emotional support to in the past just turned their backs on her. Even her own big sister seemed more concerned with her new girlfriend’s feelings than hers and she’s her family!

Say what you will but…as an older sister as well as a team mate and supposed friend, Yang failed Ruby in that moment.

They all did; admittedly with Jaune being the worse offender, making Ruby's clear frustration all about him and his problems.

I like Jaune but this moment was one of his worst for me; right behind the time he took out his frustration for Ozpin on poor Oscar.

This is why the concept of Oscar being the one to help Ruby if he had gone to the Ever After makes sense and why it also makes sense why the showrunners sought not to include him in this particular arc. Yang standing by while her own sister fell apart was enough of a stretch.

If Oscar Pine had gone to the Ever After, there is no way he would’ve ignored Ruby’s growing depression.

If Oscar had gone to the Ever After, my prediction would be that the two would’ve had a similar moment to what happened canonically between Ruby and Jaune--- meaning that our two smaller, more honest souls probably would’ve gotten into a very heated fight for the first time.

We've seen Ruby and Oscar support each other. We've seen them protect each other. We've even seen them disagree with one another only to eventually stand in solidarity side by side, on the same page. However, we have yet to see these two actually argue with each other which is what I think Oscar's presence in the Ever After would've led to.

Only in that instance, Oscar would’ve succeeded where Jaune (and by extension the rest of Team RWBY) didn’t. Instead of deflecting or making the entire moment about himself, my assumption is that, similar to their moment in the dojo scene from V5, Oscar would’ve gotten Ruby to confess what was truly bothering her.

Oscar would’ve challenged Ruby to the point of breaking through her emotional walls in order to get to the real root of her problem; just as he did back in Mistral.

There is no doubt in my mind that Oscar would’ve been the one to bring out Ruby’s deepest fears and insecurities about herself and get her to openly admit that to him, even if it was at the expense of making himself somewhat of an adversary in her eyes.

Similar to Jaune, Oscar would’ve definitely called Ruby out on her shit; just like he did in the dojo scene.

Hoooooooooowevvvvver, unlike Jaune, who deviated and made Ruby’s obvious cry for help all about himself and his problems, Oscar would’ve remained true to Ruby and reminded her with sincerest affirmation of how much he cared deeply for her and since he visibly took notice of her struggles in the Ever After, Oscar would instinctively wish to do everything in his power to help Ruby.

Just as he’s always done during past interactions. And just as he promised he would do back in Argus during V6 bringing that moment from Chapter 9 full circle.

“...I don’t know how much longer I’m going to be me but, I did some thinking and I do know that I want to do everything I can to help with whatever time I have left…”

If Oscar was in the Ever After, he would’ve asked Ruby the two most important questions that needed to be asked.

“What’s really going on with you?” and “What can I do to help you?”

~LMS (2023)

[hadesisqueer]

Lmao

[whereslynx]

Reader is gf of spooky for a long time, they all head to the pool together. Monse being jealous bc reader is very close with cesar, and you know, usual stuff like ruby and jamal caught staring 😂

a/n: HAHAHAHA SUREEE!! sorry for not posting yesterday, i got really busy :’)

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⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯

The sun was high in the sky, casting a shimmering reflection over the pool, making the water sparkle like tiny diamonds. You stretched out on a lounge chair, soaking up the warmth while the sounds of laughter and splashing filled the air. The Santos crew, along with Ruby, Jamal, and Monse, had gathered for a rare day off, the mood light and easy for once. Oscar, always close, was perched beside you, sunglasses on, looking every bit like the king of the block, even at a pool party.

You adjusted the straps of your swimsuit, glancing around the group. Ruby and Jamal were already in the pool, goofing off and splashing each other, while Cesar was sitting on the edge, legs dangling in the water. Monse sat near him, her attention flicking between you and Cesar with a thinly veiled expression—her eyes narrowing just slightly every time she saw you and Cesar exchanging playful banter.

Cesar caught your eye, grinning as he called out to you, “Yo, you gon’ join us or just sit there all day, looking pretty?”

You laughed, sitting up slightly and pulling your sunglasses down the bridge of your nose to look at him. “I don’t know, C. Think you can handle me in the pool?” you teased back, your tone light and playful. You’d known Cesar almost as long as you’d known Oscar, and the two of you had always had this easygoing, sibling-like vibe—though Monse clearly didn’t see it that way.

Oscar, sitting next to you with his usual unreadable expression, gave a small chuckle. He wasn’t the jealous type, not with Cesar, at least. He knew his little brother meant no harm and that the bond between the two of you was innocent. Still, you could feel Monse’s eyes on you, her posture stiffening as you spoke to Cesar.

Monse, never one to hide her feelings for long, shifted uncomfortably in her seat. “You two are always so close,” she muttered, loud enough for you to hear, though she tried to mask it as an offhand comment.

You raised an eyebrow, glancing her way with a knowing smile. “Cesar’s like my little brother, Monse. You know that.”

Monse’s lips tightened, but she forced a smile. “Yeah, I know.”

Oscar leaned over, placing a hand on your thigh, his touch possessive yet subtle. He smirked, sensing the tension but not commenting on it. Instead, he tilted his head toward the water. “Go on, babe. Show ‘em how it’s done.”

You shot him a playful look, rising from your chair and sauntering toward the pool. As you did, you could feel eyes on you—specifically, two pairs that weren’t as subtle as Monse’s. Ruby and Jamal, who had been engaged in their usual bickering, suddenly stopped when you walked past, their conversation faltering as their jaws dropped just a little.

Jamal, his wide eyes barely hidden behind his sunglasses, nudged Ruby hard. “Yo, bro, are you seeing this?”

Ruby, caught mid-sentence, just nodded slowly, his gaze following you as if in a trance. “Yeah, man… I’m seeing it.”

You bit back a smile, pretending not to notice them staring as you reached the pool’s edge and dipped your toes in. The water was cool, a welcome contrast to the heat. Cesar smirked up at you, mischief in his eyes. “You sure you can swim, or am I gon’ have to save you?”

Before you could answer, Cesar grabbed your hand and yanked you into the pool, causing a huge splash. You came up laughing, water dripping from your hair as you playfully shoved him back. “Oh, you’re so gonna pay for that!”

The splash had been enough to snap Ruby and Jamal out of their daze. Ruby leaned over to Jamal, his voice low but not low enough. “Man, if Spooky wasn’t in the picture…”

Jamal, still staring, added, “No kidding, bro. She’s like… wow.”

Monse, clearly overhearing their conversation, rolled her eyes. “You two are pathetic,” she muttered, crossing her arms over her chest as she looked away.

Oscar, who had been watching all of this from his seat, finally stood up, stretching his arms before making his way to the pool’s edge. He took off his sunglasses, his eyes following you in the water as you laughed with Cesar. With a quick glance toward Ruby and Jamal, who immediately snapped their heads in the opposite direction, Oscar raised an eyebrow. “You guys got something to say?”

Ruby held his hands up in surrender, a sheepish grin on his face. “Nah, Spooky, we’re cool. Just, you know, admiring.”

Jamal nodded eagerly. “Yeah, just admiring.”

Oscar smirked, not missing the way they were both still staring at you. “Better keep it that way,” he said coolly, his tone half-joking but with enough edge to remind them exactly who you were with.

Meanwhile, in the pool, Cesar gave you a knowing look, clearly aware of the situation but trying not to laugh too hard. “You’ve got them all wrapped around your finger, huh?”

You shrugged, splashing water in his direction. “Not my fault. I’m just here to enjoy the day.”

Monse’s patience finally snapped, her voice cutting through the lighthearted mood. “Cesar, you mind helping me with something over here?” she asked, her tone sharper than usual.

Cesar blinked, confused but obliging. “Uh, yeah. Sure, Monse.”

As he got out of the pool to follow her, you couldn’t help but notice the way Monse’s glare lingered on you for a moment before she turned to Cesar. You sighed, shaking your head slightly. It wasn’t your fault that you and César got along so well, but you knew how Monse felt about it.

Oscar, noticing the shift in the vibe, walked over to where you were still floating near the edge of the pool. He crouched down, giving you a rare, affectionate smile. “You good, baby?” His voice was low, just for you.

You smiled back, reaching up to lightly brush your fingers along his arm. “Yeah, I’m good.”

He smirked, leaning down to kiss your forehead, his lips lingering just long enough to make you feel like the world had shrunk down to just the two of you. “Come on, let’s get outta here. These fools can keep staring all they want.”

You laughed softly, knowing he wasn’t wrong. With one last splash of water in César’s direction—just for good measure—you let Oscar pull you out of the pool, his hand warm and steady as he helped you onto solid ground.

Ruby and Jamal, still stealing glances, exchanged another look as you and Oscar walked past them. “Bro,” Ruby whispered, “how does he do it?”

Jamal shook his head, still in awe. “I don’t know, man. Spooky’s got the game on lock.”

Oscar glanced over his shoulder, giving them both a pointed look. “Is something the matter?”

Both Ruby and Jamal shook their heads quickly, stammering in unison, “Nope, all good, Spooky!”

Oscar laughed, his arm wrapping around your waist as he pulled you closer. “That’s what I thought.”

You couldn’t help but grin, feeling the warmth of the sun and the quiet, comfortable power of being right where you wanted to be—with him.

[rwbyrg]

I'm being normal about the weapon and identity parallels again.