Salem Witchhazel

au-centric potrayal of salem from rwby. strictly au. portrayed by sera, she/her, 25+.

[wiitchisms]

« the LIGHTNING doesn't take ADVICE from ANYONE ; the WILLOW doesn't need to LEARN to STAND. »

an indie, semi-selective, au only portrayal of rwby’s salem (witchhazel). as loved by sera (she/her, 25+). — not rwde friendly. — multimuse & sideblog friendly. — blog is 21+, under-21 DNI. — read rules on carrd before following. strictly au based/canon divergent. — interest tracker (required). other blogs: @schneeisms, @polarityisms (sideblog), @corvidisms (sideblog), @perceptionisms (sideblog).

CURRENT ACTIVITY: low. work is picking up but always around for plotting! formerly @mageiisms.

« we are PARAGONS of VIRTUE and GLORY ; DEATH can't find our ENDLESS story. »

[wiitchisms]

❧   we are PARAGONS of VIRTUE and GLORY ; DEATH can’t find our ENDLESS story.   ☙

⬑ promo gif by heramiart, not to be used without permission. ⬏

WIITCHISMS — an indie, semi-selective, mutuals only, canon divergent SALEM from RWBY, written as a role-swap with Ozpin.   Strictly canon-divergent AU portrayal.   Blog is 21+ only, under 21 DNI.   penned lovingly by sera (she/her, 25+).   rules & info on carrd; blog is dash only.   interest tracker required with no exceptions.   permanently medium to low activity.

[wiitchisms]

❧   we are PARAGONS of VIRTUE and GLORY ; DEATH can’t find our ENDLESS story.   ☙

⬑ promo gif by heramiart, not to be used without permission. ⬏

WIITCHISMS — an indie, semi-selective, mutuals only, canon divergent SALEM from RWBY, written as a role-swap with Ozpin.   Strictly canon-divergent AU portrayal.   Blog is 21+ only, under 21 DNI.   penned lovingly by sera (she/her, 25+).   rules & info on carrd; blog is dash only.   interest tracker required with no exceptions.   permanently medium to low activity.

[wiitchisms]

TAG DUMP

[wiitchisms]

i desperately hate the tumblr keyboard shortcuts because when my dumb ass forgets to switch her keyboard between the work laptop and my personal pc it ends up doing obnoxious things like liking or reblogging posts...

[wiitchisms]

“Is James not eating again? Do I have to do something about this? Because I will, and it may not be pretty.”

[wiitchisms]

[wiitchisms]

@noctiilvcent cont'd ;;

A tender heart? Well, that wasn't something he thought of himself to have, in all honesty. But here she is, pointing it out to him. He blinks at her a few times before pointing to himself, trying to comprehend that. But he doesn't know who else she would be talking to-- there's no one else around.

"I..." his tone is uncertain, "thank you, I guess." He's not used to such comments. Or was it a compliment? He doesn't know. He, at least, thinks it's a compliment. "Uh, right back at'cha. Or... something like that."

She could sense the confusion, like Qrow didn't quite know who it was she was talking to. It was enough to cause the corners of her mouth to twitch into a soft smile, a soft chuckle escaping her lips as she shook her head. Did he truly not believe her? Perhaps it was because unlike others, she could sense that tenderness in him; he wasn't one to show it openly, and she could imagine a multitude of reasons why.

Projecting light waves of calm and comfort in his direction, Salem did her best to ease his awkwardness and uncertainty, that soft smile ever-present on her features as she smoothed the sleeve of her dress. "Thank you... though I am certainly well-aware of my own... tenderness at times." She knew it all too well; it drove many of her decisions, after all. "People like us... we're excellent at hiding it, aren't we?"

[caeloservare]

James opened mouth, but dropped his gaze not finding any answer. What would have he done? What could have he done, which is probably nothing. Shameful. How absolutely useless of him. Years of friendship and of course he wouldn't be able to do anything, just as she confirms.

He can't help snorting when she mentions Qrow though. It's this odd kind of bitter mixture of too many too different things that makes him run hand across his face and take a moment to stifle an empty laughter.

"I apologize for taking credit for your magic then. I thought I was getting better at controlling myself and, well..." He lifted one hand gesturing towards her, but without malice in it, simply addmiting that it was her achievement worse fights didn't break out. Not like his self-control got any more reliable, especially with a kingdom erased from the map and so many dying because of him. "Here we are, I suppose."

"I'm the last person to judge you, Salem." Not like he would have any right, especially now, with evidence all around of actual terrifying crimes that his semblance can cause. Gods, what would he give to rip his soul apart and get rid of it, but there is no way to just undo the past.

"I'm sorry you had to go through this. I do not know if there is anything I could have done. I don't know what I would have done. I don't think there's anything I can do, but..." he very carefully put a hand on her shoulder. All the sensors feel off, so he can't tell if the touch isn't too light as he won't dare to push harder. He doesn't know if it is comforting or just awkward, but he's willing to try regardless. Little comfort is all he can offer, however little it is worth. "I'm not going to turn my back on you. I already did once, at Beacon, and I don't want to repeat that mistake ever again. I will be by your side as long as you would have me."

[wiitchisms]

She could sense his guilt. Don't you dare do that, she thought to herself, hoping he'd silently understand her message. He couldn't blame himself for what happened to her or what she had to deal with; she'd simply been born like this, long before she'd been immortal. The only downside of her immortality was that it meant her magic grew stronger and stronger with each passing year, and with it, her capabilities became far more than they could've ever hoped to reach in a single lifetime.

"Don't do that," she almost snapped, trying to hold back her mild irritation. "Don't feel guilty because there's nothing you could have done about it. This--" She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I was born like this, James. I was born with this capability; I've had it since I was a child, many years ago. It's a magical talent I shared with my mother... and it's the reason my father saw fit to lock me up in a tower, 'for my own safety,' so he claimed. It's the reason our enemies killed my mother back then, too. So don't you dare, for one second, take it upon yourself to be guilty for something that there is no possible way you could have changed it." That wasn't his place to feel guilty. It was stupid for him to feel that.

Perhaps it was his emotions afflicting hers; it was difficult for her to process them when they were too strong. "People see my power as so... invasive, like I've invaded their personal thoughts and feelings--but I don't do it by choice. Yes, I can, and yes I use it to my advantage, but..." There was a distinct sadness that came over her. She could recall ways she'd been turned away, years ago. The way people looked at her, like she herself was the monster, not Ozma. The loneliness it made her feel back then was making itself known.

She heaved a sigh. "As for Qrow... it wasn't just you I was reigning in. Frankly, it was often him that I had to reign in, not you. You're not taking credit for my magic; I'd done it naturally for... thousands of years. Glynda, too, some days..." It had been exhausting, keeping them all in check. Shaking her head, she stood up with a deep breath. "It doesn't matter, anyway. It is what it is. We have a trail that we need to follow. Or, rather, I have a trail we need to follow." It was faint, but she could still sense life signs not far from their location; it wasn't Grimm, but she wasn't sure it would be friendly life signs, either.

[wiitchisms]

WHICH TRAGIC CHARACTER FROM ANCIENT GREEK LITERATURE ARE YOU?

antigone

you are antigone, from the theban plays by sophocles. you are bold, unwavering in your morals and your passion, an unstoppable force of nature. but when you go head-to-head with an immovable object, your ideals can lead you to self-destruction. you are stubbornly resilient and fearless to a fault, and aren't afraid to stand alone in the face of death. antigone, in your quest for justice, don't forget: you are allowed to step back, to love life a little, to be young once more before soldiering on to the very very end. be selfish in your fierceness, just once.

tagged by: @caeloservare

tagging: anyone who wants to steal it!

[wiitchisms]

WHAT COLOUR CHARACTER ARE YOU?

red character

Red characters tend to be both quiet and observant as well as loud and dramatic. They are often brash and impulsive, and tend to act on instinct rather than planning ahead. They are quite self-sacrificing, often veering into self-destructive, and they push themselves to their limits trying to succeed. They tend to be stubborn, and it might take a lot to change their mind. They have a hard time expressing their feelings, and may come off as either emotionless, self-absorbed, or perpetually angry. They don’t have a ton of friends, and when they do, it’s often by circumstance rather than choice (although they grow to fiercely love their friends). They are not usually innately good at fitting into social situations, and can be awkward and out of place in them. They can come off as unhumorous because of how sincere and honest they tend to be, but tend to just have a dryer, sarcastic sense of humor. They do often think of others first, but their motivations for it might not be entirely selfless. They usually have a hard time conceivably lying, and are quite earnest without meaning to be.They put their full effort into what they do, and push themselves to improve at all costs. They get easily defensive, and feel like they have to prove themselves to earn anyone’s respect. They have a strong sense of internal morality and high standards for themselves. They also hold others to their internal high standards, which can cause a lot of conflict if not worked out. They tend to have bad relationships with their parental figures, who were usually either absent or abusive, and contributed to their toxic view of themselves. At their core, red characters want to be loved and accepted, but have often been denied it, leading them to build up lots of defenses. Others need to be patient with them and give them a safe space to be themselves as they open up and begin to flourish.

tagged by: @flightofaqrow

tagging: anyone who wants to steal it!

[wiitchisms]

WHAT FLAVOUR IS YOUR SOUL?

rosemary

ah, the old soul, nice to meet again. the time of ages is etched into your bones, you see clearly. you've watched the heartache in this realm and sworn to solve it. but kindness without limits is self destruction. oh little leaf, strong and wise, you seek to bring peace with your presence. I'd be wrong to say you fail at this effort, but you mustn't set yourself on fire to keep others warm. you wish to please everyone, to protect them all. but if you shield the saplings from the sunlight they will never grow, and you one day will wither. protect yourself too. you know there are no happy heroes, so don't be one. be a friend. your loved ones will not forsake you for not being perseus slaying all their demons. you have your own monsters, why not meet them first before you conquer anyone else's nightmares. oh true-hearted paladin you are brave, and you are good enough. you know that right? be true to yourself, one cannot do anything saintly if they did not tend to their own wounds first.

tagged by: @noctiilvcent

tagging: anyone who wants to steal it!

[unlockthestarsarchive]

@wiitchisms asked: ❛  i know a great way to burn off the calories in that drink.  ❜ - for tai because I also have no self-control

Dirty Pick-Up Lines // Accepting!

While Tai didn’t usually drink very much on his own, he would have an occasional social drink when he had guests.  And Salem was definitely a guest worth getting the special occasion flatware out for.

She’d dropped by to visit occasionally during the first couple of years the girls were at Beacon.  Today was a similar visit.  It was the middle of the semester, and she’d been in the area.  He’d made dinner, and she’d updated him on how the girls were doing at school.

After dinner, they’d had a couple of drinks and their conversation had changed.  Tai was a good listener, and he gave Salem the space she needed to talk about things she might not otherwise be able to, if she were so inclined.

Tai, being Tai, laughed and flirted and chatted, though he wasn’t intending for more than that.  But at Salem’s words, he let out another laugh.  And perhaps he’d had a little bit more than he’d intended, slightly buzzed as he was when he asked “What did you have in mind?”

[wiitchisms]

She, of course, had a lot more to drink than he did--but when you processed alcohol as quickly as she did, it was almost necessary. To anyone who didn't know of her condition, she'd have looked like an alcoholic on her way to a hospital visit, easily. Despite that, they'd been flirting, having fun, and enjoying themselves, something Salem rarely got to do. The fact that Patch was so remote helped; there was less... feedback for her to deal with.

They'd been... flirting. A lot. Not that she necessarily intended for anything to come of it, but it wasn't like the option was off the table. She did her best to read him as he spoke, hearing the flirty undertone in his voice in response to her question. He was... buzzed, but not enough that he couldn't back down if he chose otherwise. It wasn't like she had concerns about stepping on someone's turf; their feathered friend had made her decision years ago, and if she dared say anything, Salem would see fit to laugh in her face and tell her so.

"Well..." Involuntarily, he let the slightest feel of her attraction to him slip out as she inched a little closer. "We do have this entire cabin all to ourselves, don't we?" As if to punctuate her point, she let her eyes rake upward along his body, admiring a few of the things she saw along the way. She wanted to at least be sure Tai was into the idea; she knew how things had gone with... previous women in his life. She had no intention of stepping on any toes if there were any to be stepped on. Ruffling someone's feathers, maybe, but... well, she'd made her choice years ago.

His turn, now. The ball was in his court.

[wiitchisms]

@noctiilvcent asked:

❝You did well.  Now you need to recuperate. ❞ - James

Recuperate? Recuperate? Hadn't that practically been what she was doing the last--two years while he let everything go to hell? He'd brought his armies to Vale to help, and he failed. He ran home, hid behind them, and hoped Ozma wouldn't find him, and despite her attempts to tell him it was stupid and pointless, he still did it. He failed to follow her instructions. He caused the deaths of hundreds, no, thousands of people--deaths she could have prevented.

Salem did the only thing that naturally came to her, the only thing that would physically punctuate her anger.

She slapped him across the face, audibly.

"Don't tell me what I should or shouldn't do, James." Every word of hers was punctuated with anger, and unlike how she usually conducted herself, she wasn't hiding it; her Empathy flared, leaking into her words and permeating the area. James had been... selfish. Stupid. She'd tried to get him to send someone to get her; instead, he ran off, hid behind his armies, failed to listen to what was inevitably going to happen, and left Ozma's greatest threat to suffer, buried under rubble, going through the agonizing, torturous sensation of death all over again.

Brushing off her clothing--or rather, what was left of it--she narrowed her eyes at him, anger flickering in her teal gaze. "Or have you forgotten that I am immortal? Oh, that's right. You should know that. It's not like I spent the last two years dying over again while you hid behind your piss-poor defenses like the coward you are, instead of listening to the one person who knows exactly how Ozma operates." Scoffing down at her clothes, she focused for a moment, drawing in a deep breath as a hand waved over them, repairing and cleaning them as best she could manage.

"Let's go." She wasn't about to deal with his--grovelling. They were in the middle of the ruins that was Beacon Academy, and there were Grimm everywhere. She'd have to carve a damned path out of here with her magic, probably. At least her emotions were enough to fuel that magic; it often made her combat magic stronger, and a few Grimm weren't about to slow her down.

[wiitchisms]

@sunguns asked:

❝  this is a bad idea but i’m already committed so i might as well not half-ass being a dumbass.  ❞

"I would not suggest that, Mr. Wukong."

He was... nothing if not persistent, but surely Lionheart could have ensured his students would be... relatively well-behaved. Sure, it was amusing, but it was also an attitude likely to get the poor student killed if he didn't take things seriously. At least, if he were thrown into a truly dangerous situation.

"Such recklessness is more likely to get you killed on a mission than it is to accomplish anything. If you want to graduate from Haven Academy, I do suggest you listen to the professors of all of the Academies. We are nothing if not experienced combatants who have seen many of the Creatures of Grimm during our years." Thousands of them, in Salem's case--but there was no way Sun would know of that.

"Now, what would be a more tactful approach to the situation presented to you in this exercise?"

[wiitchisms]

@noctiilvcent sent:

your portrayal is absolutely *chefs kiss*. i can appreciate a good au of a character and this one is definitely it. love seeing professor salem.

I'm glad you're enjoying it! I've tried to keep things as closely to canon as I could with the role-reversal, so it doesn't result in too many changes unless it's actually plotted/written out/etc, because I personally find that adjusting your canon to such a drastic change can sometimes be... difficult? I'm not the biggest fan of AUs that massively and drastically change things, & I like to be able to adjust to the flow and events that have happened to make it easier to interact with Salem. That's not to say I won't plot large canon-divergence stuff with people, but I don't like just slapping it down as "this is my canon" for most muses (Raven's about my only one I do that with, and it's exactly why she's considered a very low-activity muse).

[rpmeme-dump]

Mutuals only means Mutuals only

People who are mutuals only, only want to interact with mutuals for their own safety, mental health, and comfort. Trying to bypass this rule by sending an ask or liking a starter call when they have not followed you isn't going to make them want to follow you. More often then not you're just ruining your chances of interacting with them since you've shown you don't respect them. Make sure you read peoples rules before trying to interact with them.