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string-cheese-cake · 1 year ago

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Nobody asked but white supremacy is the reason why white women are obsessed with true crime.

So when chattel slavery was becoming cemented in the United States and other European areas, the idea of biological race and racial hierarchy emerged to justify the generational enslavement of Africans and the genocide of indigenous people. Africans and other non-whites were labeled as less developed, more susceptible to their "primal urges" and committing sex crimes and therefore needed to be controlled by white men. Specifically to protect white women.

White supremacy is typically framed as necessary to 'protect' (read: control) white women, the mothers of the next generation of whites. They must be protected from "sexually voracious black men" (read: miscegenation and mixed race children). So white supremacy operates on the myth that white women are constantly under threat of sexual violence and must be protected by white men.

That myth becomes baked into the public consciousness, many unaware of the origin or even that the idea is there. It even becomes less racially based, but there is still a common belief that white women are inherently vulnerable to violent crime. Especially among white women. To be fair, it's difficult to not internalize an idea that you are not exactly aware of but is still seeped in every interaction and bit of advice. Don't wander off, don't talk to strangers, don't go out alone or late at night, cover your body, hold your keys between your fingers, take self defense, watch your drink, don't be under the influence. Your body is soft and valuable and delicate and you must protect it.

This idea of vulnerability is reinforced in the news media, which chooses to focus on stories which fit this particular narrative of white women's vulnerability. Missing white women syndrome. This subconscious belief has saturated society. White women develop an outsized fear of death by violent crime. So what do they do? They embrace it. They eat up stories of families like theirs and the deaths of women like them.

It's been suggested that experiencing that fear of violence in the controlled environment true crime provides can be cathartic, somewhat like watching a horror film. There is also a sense of justice and closure felt when the perpetrator of that crime is punished.

In conclusion; White women love true crime because it's a coping mechanism for their deeply embedded fear of violence which was established and is upheld by white supremacy.

#statistically white women are the least likely to be victims of violent crime. they can be and all victims need support but white women are #just not as vulnerable as society makes them out to be. and it becomes the standard of behavior and treatment for women of all races #women don't need control and protection they need empowerment and for men to treat them like goddamn human beings.#i kno im using binary language but u tell me how to better word this. the binary is fake tho. all the little stranger danger things got to #me. walk away from the street don't walk too close to unknown men I'm not afraid of my community!!! no one should be!!!!#we should not fear each other. i understand that violence and assault are real things that happen to people all the time but it's much more #likely to happen to men and women of color. they deserve love and support and real effective change. and white women shouldn't have to #be afraid and feel vulnerable. we need legitimate efforts to address and prevent random violence #not fearmongering and the offloading of responsibility onto potential victims. anyway thank you for coming to my ted talk #why am i talking #maybe I'll use this one day #i wrote this at 2am don't @me. i am right tho. i also like me some ethically filmed #true crime content. it needs to be tasteful though. and people need to be normal about it.

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fallinglikemagic · 2 years ago

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Frosen Steel Week Day 3 - Villain/s AU

Summary: After splitting up into pairs for a mission, Ruby and Weiss find themselves lost in a brutal sandstorm in the middle of Vacuo. When somebody does come to their rescue, they find that their savior isn't quite what they expected.

[TW: Fairly minor blood/violence, moderate-to-severe descriptions of injuries from a previous battle that happened off-screen]

Story under Read More | Read on AO3 | Prompt List l @frosensteel

The winds raged all around the duo, sharp Vacuan sand buffeting their faces as Weiss and Ruby stood back to back, weapons defensively held in front them, straining to make out anything beyond the howling sandstorm. Both of their Auras had already been worn away and shattered by the combined forces of Grimm they had fought back earlier and the harsh sands that now stung and scratched at their skin. Ruby growled, frantically glancing around them on the lookout for any more Grimm that could burst through the sands and fly at them at any moment.

“This storm isn’t letting up any time soon!” they shouted over their shoulder, barely able to hear their own voice over the howling winds.

“Where’s Winter? She was supposed to be here by now!” Weiss yelled back.

“Something must have thrown the plan off course-" Ruby coughed and spat as some sand flew into her mouth. “Could really use her help right about now-"

As if on cue, a magical whirlwind suddenly formed around the duo, slowly expanding around them in order to create a pocket of mostly still air, keeping the sandstorm at bay and giving the pair a chance to catch their breath. A few moments later, a faint silhouette appeared through the sand at the edge of their little bubble, growing darker as the figure stepped closer.

Weiss smiled and let out a relieved sigh, dropping her weapon and rushing towards the figure. “Winter! Thank goodness you-"

In a flash of green, the figure burst through the sand and grabbed Weiss by the throat, coming to a stop at the other side of the bubble and holding Weiss so that her feet were just barely able to touch the ground. Ruby whipped around and pointed Crescent Rose at the figure, only to immediately freeze in place upon seeing a face that was far too familiar, and yet somehow completely foreign at the same time.

“Penny..?”

It was undoubtedly Penny, or at least her body, but she looked very different from how she did the last time Ruby had seen her. Somehow she’d found her way back into a robotic body, but while it was clear that it was once identical to the one that had been lost, several areas had now been patched over with various pieces of random scrap metal, and her usual cute but practical outfit had been replaced with a simplistic, slightly torn black and red dress, lightly singed at the edges. She stood completely still, her head lowered, her grip around Weiss’ neck neither loosening nor growing any tighter as Weiss flailed in her attempts to get free, the shifting sands beneath her making it nigh impossible to find her footing. After a few silent moments, Penny slowly raised her head, the whites of her eyes now pitch black as she gave Ruby a smile that they would have described as soulless if not for the unsettling awareness in that cold expression that pierced into their soul.

Ruby was snapped out of her shock upon hearing Weiss’ desperate whimpers, once again raising Crescent Rose and pointing it at Penny, finger hovering over the trigger. “Let her go.”

Penny slowly turned her head to look at Weiss, then shrugged before dropping her onto the sand. Before Weiss could sit up or get her bearings, Penny created a sword made of ice from thin air with a flourish and pointed it at Weiss, the sword’s tip only an inch away from Weiss’ throat.

“Hello, Ruby. Hello, Weiss.”

Ruby only grew more tense. “Penny, what is this? What’s going on?” they asked in a low tone, fighting to keep their voice steady.

“Aw, not happy to see me?” Penny tilted her head, keeping that same cold smile that sent chills down Ruby’s spine.

“W-Winter…” Weiss spoke with a raspy, shaky voice, staring at the sword hovering so close to her neck with teary eyes.

“Hm?” Penny turned back to Weiss, staring emptily for a few seconds before letting out a stiff, empty laugh. “Oh, do not worry, Winter will be fine. She will wake up. Eventually.”

“What did you-"

“No,” Penny cut Weiss off, moving the sword close enough for Weiss to just barely feel the sharp tip of the blade grazing her skin. “No, I obtained these powers from a different source.”

Ruby leapt forward, but Penny held out her free hand in front of her, using the sword to lift Weiss’ chin as a not-so-subtle threat. “I would not come any closer if I were you.”

Ruby immediately halted with a growl. “Start talking.”

“Have I not been talking already?”

“You know what I mean!”

Penny giggled, a stiff, lifeless sound void of any true emotion. “Why should I?”

“Because if you don’t then I’ll put a bullet through your core and kill you a third time!”

“Hm,” Penny tilted her head, expression blank and unreadable. “Would you? I highly doubt you would truly be capable of going through with such an act. After all,” that empty smile returned once more, soulless and yet far too alive. “Are we not friends?”

“Friends don’t hold swords to each other’s throats!”

“And yet, you are holding me at gunpoint.”

Ruby growled, fully aware that she was being toyed with. Unfortunately, they knew Penny was right – as much as they would love to shut her up, they knew they’d never be able to follow through on their threats.

“Penny,” Weiss strained to speak with as little movement as possible, “What happened to you..?”

Penny stayed silent for several moments, then closed her eyes. “Since you asked so politely, I suppose there is no harm in telling you. It is actually all quite simple.

“As I am certain you recall, you failed to safely retrieve the Staff of Creation and escort it to Shade Academy, instead allowing Cinder Fall to take it from you and bring it back to Miss Salem.”

“'Miss Salem’..?” Ruby quietly questioned under her breath – apparently not quietly enough, as Penny instantly glared at her.

“If you wish for me to continue telling this story, do not interrupt me.”

Ruby huffed, readjusting their grip on Crescent Rose, but stayed silent. Penny continued to stare before deciding this was satisfactory, the smile returning.

“Using the Staff of Creation, this body – the same one that had previously been destroyed by that infernal virus – was brought back into existence. Unfortunately, Dr. Watts perished in the Fall of Atlas, and so Miss Salem needed to outsource repairs to a third party, so for now I am stuck with these…rudimentary alterations,” Penny held a hand to her chest, where a slightly bent plate of rusty sheet metal lay exposed under a rip in her dress. Ruby’s gaze followed along the edge of the metal as Penny continued speaking, searching for a weak point. “While my body was returned a functional level, I was of course still in need of a soul. Luckily, Miss Salem has plenty of life force to spare, and so she generously donated some of it to me, along with some of the magic that came with it.”

Ruby’s heart sank, her grip on her weapon loosening slightly in her shock. “What..?”

“Why would Salem do that!?” Weiss argued. “Doesn’t she already have Cinder as her magical attack dog? Why waste the Staff’s power on-"

Weiss instantly shut her mouth as she felt Penny’s sword dig into her throat, a few droplets of blood slowly trailing down her neck.

“How rude,” Penny chided. “Is that any way to speak to somebody holding a weapon to your throat?”

Ruby lifted Crescent Rose again, identifying a spot where a dent had left a tiny open space between Penny’s skin and the scrap metal welded over it, desperately hoping that her Aura would regenerate fast enough for her to safely use her Semblance to save Weiss as soon as Penny let her guard down so that she wouldn't have to take the shot.

“But if you must know…Cinder has been growing far more rebellious as of late, and Miss Salem had taken notice. She was fired last week. I am her replacement.”

“What!?”

“Are we done with the questions now? I am growing quite tired of this.”

Weiss tried to speak, but found that each movement only caused the sword to dig ever so slightly deeper into her throat. Ruby could see the light faintly dancing at the edge of her vision as her protective instincts kicked into gear, but had no idea if her eyes’ light would even have an effect on Penny.

“Good. Now,” she slowly turned her head to look down at Weiss. “We have no need of you, so your life will end here.”

“No-"

“And you,” Penny’s gaze whipped up to meet Ruby’s at a speed that Ruby hadn’t thought this version of Penny was even capable of. “You are to be taken to see your mother. I am sure that you have many things to catch up about.”

Ruby felt their heart drop at the mention of their mother, but ignored the urge to break down again, pushing Penny’s words to the back of their mind.

“Come on, Penny, this isn’t you! This, this is just like the virus, remember? This is just a part of you, you can fight it!” Ruby pleaded. “I know the real you is still there somewhere!”

Penny’s smile widened a little. “Actually, you are correct. There were a few small traces of Penny’s soul still attached to this body when it was recreated – fragments, if you will. Remnants of her true self, too small to make a difference. Little sparks of hope that I could easily snuff out if I so wished…just as I snuffed out Cinder. But,” her sword cut ever so slightly deeper into Weiss’ throat, a soft, strangled cry of pain slipping through the huntress’ lips, “I prefer to let them remain, let them struggle. It’s just more fun that way.”

“Penny-"

“And now I am going to snuff out our dear Weiss as well.”

Ruby aimed Crescent Rose once more with a resolute glare and locked onto the weak spot she’d identified earlier, painfully aware that her Aura was nowhere near recharged enough for a full Petal Burst, hoping that her bullet would be fast enough to make up for it. Penny looked down once more, and for just a moment, there was a shift in her voice, and she almost sounded like herself again.

“I’m sorry.”

Ruby pulled the trigger, Penny swung her sword to slit Weiss’ throat, but before the blade could pierce flesh, a blur of black shot past with a trail of fire and smoke and swept Penny up with it, away from Weiss and away from the bullet, both figures tumbling back into the sand. Ruby rushed over to her partner’s side.

“Weiss! Weiss, are you okay?” they asked, gently taking Weiss’ hand and helping her to her feet. She stumbled, prompting Ruby to put Weiss’ arm around their shoulders for support as she struggled to find her footing.

“I’m alright-"

A flash of green light drew the pair’s attention back to Penny and their savior just in time to watch the dark figure land a few feet away from the robot. Penny had surrounded herself with a circle of swirling green flames, a few of which had stuck her attacker and were now fizzling out with a waft of smoke. Even after the smoke cleared, it took Ruby a few moments to recognise the dark figure as Cinder Fall.

Cinder had certainly seen better days. Most of the left side of her body was coated in oozing black goop creeping in from her arm, twisting around her neck and beginning to crawl up her bruised, sand-covered face. Dried blood outlined several wounds that looked to have been hastily and clumsily cauterised, the largest being a long gash that started at Cinder’s right shoulder and stretched across her upper chest. She seemed unable to properly put weight on her right leg or even stand up straight, hunched over in a crouched stance, showing where her shirt had been burned away to expose part of an expansive lightning scar that spread across her back. Despite all this, Cinder showed no sign of weakness or pain in her expression, only burning rage and hatred.

For the first time that evening, Penny actually looked fazed by something, raising her voice with a piercing glare. “I thought I already disposed of you!”

Cinder simply smirked bitterly. “Going to take more than that to get rid of me,” she spat back, her voice coming out scratchy and broken, yet unwavering.

Penny closed her eyes, then opened them with a smile. “So be it.”

Both magic users burst into action, too fast for Ruby to keep track of in her exhausted state, though if she could, she had no idea whose side she should be on. Flames of brilliant green and orange clashed, patches of sand melting and turning to glass across the battlefield. Rock and obsidian flew through the air, lightning struck around them, shards of ice flew towards Ruby and Weiss before being melted in a huge fiery explosion that knocked Penny onto the ground. Cinder landed in front of the duo, forming a wall of obsidian to shield them and buy some time before throwing a pillar of wind behind them, creating a wind tunnel that would act as an escape route through the sandstorm.

“What the hell are you waiting for!? Go, get out of here!”

“What-"

“Why should we trust you!?” Ruby barked, pulling Weiss closer to her.

“I’m not doing this for you!” Cinder hissed. “This is between me and her, now get out before I change my mind and kill all three of you!”

Ruby’s glare didn’t waver, but they knew Penny would be on her feet by now and that there was no time to hesitate further. She gave Cinder a curt nod before hurrying through the opening to the wind tunnel, helping Weiss to keep up. The entrance closed behind them after they’d gotten only a few feet away, but they kept running until Weiss’ legs eventually gave out from under her.

“Weiss!”

“I-I’m fine, I’m fine,” Weiss assured them, her voice shaking. “Just, in shock, I think.”

“Yeah. Yeah, shock…” Ruby breathed with a shaky nod before weakly sitting across from Weiss, the duo taking a moment to catch their breath. Ruby could hear the distant roars and crashes of Penny and Cinder’s battle beyond the howling winds that protected them from the biting sandstorm, though who knew how long the tunnel would hold up, especially if Cinder ended up being overpowered by Penny.

Penny...

Oh gods, Penny...

Ruby pulled her knees close to her chest and stared at the ground, shaking as the realisation fully set in.

Penny, that was Penny and...

Gods, this was all their fault.

If Penny hadn’t been forced out of her robotic body-

If they’d kept the Staff out of Cinder’s hands-

If they’d kept Penny safe-

“Ruby-" Ruby felt Weiss’ hand on their arm and raised their head a little, vaguely registering the tears falling down their cheeks. Weiss didn’t seem to be faring much better, barely restrained tears welling up in her eyes.

“We’ll-" Weiss’ voice broke as she spoke. “We’ll get her back, Ruby.”

Ruby stayed silent for a moment, then shook her head. When she spoke, her voice was weak and shaky, flimsy, small. “She’s gone, Weiss...”

“No,” Weiss settled down at Ruby’s side in held them in a tight embrace. “Some part of her is still in there, I’m certain of it. It’s weak, but present.”

“But-"

“I saw her face, right before she tried to...” Weiss trailed off, covering her neck with her hand. “She looked upset. Scared. She didn’t want to do it. She’s still there, we just have to reach her.”

Ruby sat in silent thought for a few moments before taking a deep breath, giving Weiss a slow nod.

“Okay. Okay, we can help her. We’ll save her,” she said with renewed hope before glancing at Weiss’ neck and reaching around to tear off a bit of her cloak to cover the wound with. “Let’s just get you all fixed up first, okay?”

does this one go a little too edgy/cliche? maybe I can't really tell

#does this one go a little too edgy/cliche? maybe #I can't really tell #but I had a lot of fun with this one so cringe culture is dead and I do what I want #fun fact i got the idea for this AU from listening to 'want you gone' from portal 2 and imagining it as this version of penny talking to-#-cinder so that's why cinder gets to be included in this one. as a treat #anyway sorry for this one being even later than expected i was doing commissions and getting a job and playing arrowfell and pokemon #speaking of pokemon i'm skipping day 4 so that'll be the next post! it won't have any spoilers from the new games though because i still-#-haven't progressed very far in yet :P #ruby rose #weiss schnee #penny polendina #cinder fall #frosen steel #red refrigerator #frosensteelweek #fs week 2022 #rwby #rwby fanfic #tw violence #tw blood #ask to tag

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