I just read your Knightfall fanfic and it is amazing! I absolutely loved the dialogue between Cinder and Jaune, as well as the descriptions of the settings/characters. The way you used, "scorched honey" to describe Cinder's eye was just perfect.
As for another theory parallel between Jaune and Cinder. The Relic of Choice was hinted to be at the Tower, the type of building Salem was trapped in originally until Ozma rescued her. What if Jaune rescued/redeemed Cinder from the tower in a sense which supports the reverse Salem/Ozma relationship. There's also the fact that Cinder's turning more Grimm, so while the start of Jaune/Cinder (not officially mind you, but kind of like the start of a relationship between the two) could be Cinder turning from (almost) Grimm back to human, Salem and Ozma's relationship continued while Salem turned into a Grimm. At least, that's what I got from the reverse Salem/Ozma tags. Thoughts?
T_T T_T T_T thank you so much for this ask, I'm glad you enjoyed it <3 <3 that's all a fanfic author wants in life <3 <3 (scorched honey line - I try to simplify my writing because I have a tendency for the verbose, but I can't help myself for the imagery lol - and I love the duplicity of it, burnt yet sweet, it just makes me think of everything perfect and complex about Cinder, anyway now I am just gazing into my own river reflection lolololol PLEASE I want to talk about these things without sounding up myself. I just love fanfic so much, because I can express how much I love these characters and story like this).
Re: the second part of your ask: you are absolutely right, and I actually find Beacon Tower's iconography highly suspicious (like, Ozpin's latest and greatest incarnation basically locked himself back up in there, and he was only 'freed' from it by Cinder, which allows Oscar to meet Ruby, which allows Ruby, on that rooftop, to unlock her silver eyes... it all comes back to towers, back to Salem when she was but a girl).
So in this respect Cinder and Ozpin have already played out more Salem/Ozma business. But I think it's still yet unfinished (especially because they did not have the correct dance partners yet), and wherever the Relic of Choice is hiding, I don't know, but I wonder if it's sentimental to Oz? If it were, I would have thought Salem would know, but maybe she's forgotten; the way the new generation reinvigorates these old ideas of soul, spirit, beauty, justice, redemption, by remembering the secret hiding spot, Jaune and Cinder retreading ground, I don't know, it's very suspicious and I love it. I think a significant event will take place there, especially as you brought to my attention the pronounced Indecisive King and the Relic of Choice parallels.
And yes you are absolutely bang on the money: Salem's Grimm corruption occurred after losing Ozma, and she has remained this way, whereas Cinder's purification (I use this in a purely ceremonial sense - I don't mean she's tainted) will occur after joining with Jaune. So these are reverse events: enemies to lovers, Grimm to human vs. lovers to enemies, human to Grimm (so structurally reflect one another as well). In my opinion. That is.
I also contend that Reverse Salem/Ozma is actually an overarching relationship theme of ALL major RWBY canon ships (particularly the theme of 'trust' - not just simply love), but Jaune/Cinder is actually the most on-paper obvious example and likely the most dramatic and one crucial in our most desperate hour (see: the Relic of Choice being the final Relic at large).
Err so like, any more ideas I have about this I have to be honest, I've saved for my fic LOL!!! But yeah I really think a proper Salem/Ozma parallels write-up is in order, I do have a secret Knightfall manifesto sitting in a Word Document but it's mostly unhinged colour theory. (I'm now reading this pseudoscientific book from the 19th century on chromatology and the power of the colour blue to give life to earth. It's bizarre. I love it).
But yes, one last thought which occurred to me, and mostly speculation: Cinder is perpetually 'stuck at midnight' (so on the nose: Evernight, Salem's home base), and the Tower is full of clocks and gears, and well, I don't know, the theming of time and towers is doing something for me lol. It is sort of poetic that that would be the moment 'time starts again': where Salem was first freed, where the story has been picked back up to be finished, since Salem's conflict has been exhaustive, drawn out, neverending.
Thank you for your lovely ask, you have no idea how excited I am talk about this ship <3333333
