#cinders writes

[duplicityvn]

O B S E S S I O N :: 30 Fics in 30 Days

11387 / 30000 words. 38% done!

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This challenge is something I made based off the 30k November challenge. I plan on writing one short story per day every day of November, and since I know I'll probably blow past the 30k mark, I changed the name.

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"Obsession" is a look into the mind of 'Griffin', how his thoughts work, and what he feels for Y/N.

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WC: 869 (shorter fic) :: CW: general yandere tendencies/thoughts

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He could see you through the window of the café, working and chatting with that co-worker of yours. That awful, pathetic snake of a man that couldn’t stop staring at you every time you turned your back. His fists clenched in the pockets of his sweater as he continued to observe.

He was sitting on a bench across the street, his eyes trained on you through the window. There was no way you wouldn’t be his. He just had to play his cards right, get you to trust him, get you to rely on him. To not need anyone else other than him.

He glanced around the empty street again before subtly lifting his camera, zooming in on you in a way that was practiced. Clearly, he’d done this before. He’d done it almost every day since the day he first walked into the café, when he saw your bright welcoming smile and heard your voice. A melody to his ears.

He was just taking pictures for your scrapbook, that was all. Pictures that you’ll put in an album together, showing off his devotion and love to you. Your future children together will appreciate it, won’t they? Or, even if you didn’t want children, it would be something to look back on. Something to remember.

Because his love was always going to be one hell of a memory.

He felt the phone in his pocket buzz, pulling it out eagerly only to be met with a message that made him clench his jaw tightly.

Alex: Where are you? I thought you were coming today.

Of course, they would reach out to him, now of all times. Interrupting his time with you—even if you didn’t know it, this was your time together. Where he was watching over you, protecting you, mentally filing away every little touch and look that snake gave you.

He was only trying to protect you! You can’t see the evil that you work with. How could you? That snake’s manipulation rivaled his own. He was scared that your co-worker would have you wrapped around his stupid little finger in no time if you weren’t careful enough.

Christ, already he had to save you from him. Walking behind you and accidentally bumping into you. Those chance meetings? They weren’t chance, little owl.

He ignored the text and shoved the phone back into his pocket, looking up at the café again. He was wearing a hooded sweater, not his usual style, but then again… You only saw what he wanted you to see. You weren’t ready to see him yet, no.

You’d be scared if he wasn’t so charming and friendly with you. You couldn’t handle the dark miasma swirling inside of him, not yet, no. Not until you were truly his.

He’d planned so much for you together. Everything from the way you met, to the way you’ll get married in the near-future. Because he’ll have you loving him so much, you wouldn’t know what to do without him. You wouldn’t be able to stand not having him near you. Not having him by your side, protecting you, reminding you how precious and delicate you really were. What a sweet little bird you were, his Pidge.

His eyes zeroed in on the way that snake orchestrated bumping into you, accidentally burning you with black coffee. How dare he harm you, even if for a chance to take care of you. He didn’t love you, Pidge.

Of course he didn’t.

Not like he did. He would never harm you, little owl, not ever. He wouldn’t plan these stupid little moments that cause you physical harm in order just to have your attention for two fucking seconds.

His hands curled into tight fists, his fingers digging into the skin of his palms painfully. That pain was a reminder for him to keep calm, keep his cool and definitely do not storm into the café right now. That wouldn’t do.

That would give him away. You weren’t ready for him, pigeon. You weren’t ready to see just how much he loved and c h e r i s h e d you.

The snake, however, was already on thin ice. He’d know soon enough. He’d know that you belong to him. That he already claimed you long before this asshole showed up.

His phone buzzed once more and he let out a noise of frustration, pulling it out of his pocket again. As much as he wanted to ignore it, there was only one other person worthy of his attention other than you. Sorry, Pidge. He had family obligations.

Alex: Seriously?? I really needed you today, man. I’m already having a tough time.

He bit his lip, drawing blood. Now he was conflicted. On one hand, he needed to stay here and make sure the snake didn’t bite you when he wasn’t supposed to. On the other hand, he did make previous plans.

He glanced up again and located you coming from the back room, a bandage around your hand and your co-worker walking behind you with a self-satisfied smile. What a fucking prick.

He sighed when he looked at his messages again.

He’d see you again soon.

Don’t you worry about that.

[indycinders]

Are you home?

Cinders heard her phone go off and she swung her arm out on her bed, patting around until her fingers hit it. She lifted her head from her nest of blankets, squinting in the darkness as the light from her phone blinded her for a moment. She typed a response without looking at the sender.

I’m home.

She put the phone back on the bed and sleepily burrowed back into her blankets. Her throat and head were still hurting from the cold she’d picked up over the last day or so. As she was about to drift back off to sleep, she heard a knocking noise.

Letting out a small whine, she dragged her achy body out of bed and walked to the front door. She was in pajamas and her thick burgundy hair was sleep-tousled all around her head. She peeked out of her door, opening it more as she came face to, well, chest with Sylus.

“You’ve been ignoring me again, sweetie,” he said, then paused, taking in her appearance. His tone changed. “Are you okay? You look-“

“Like death?” Cinders finished for him. She stepped back from her door gesturing for him to come in. “Come on, don’t just stand out there. My neighbors will get weird seeing you.”

Sylus stepped inside and closed the door behind him. He didn’t say anything, but his crimson gaze wandered over her apartment. It was small, but cozy, and seemed warm and comfortable. Kind of like she did.

“I need to lay down, so if you want to talk, I’ll be in bed,” Cinders called over her shoulder as she hugged herself, fighting off a chill, and walked back to her room. She was climbing back into her makeshift nest of blankets when she heard Sylus’ boots approaching the bed.

“Is this why you haven’t answered my calls or messages?” he asked. She felt his weight sink down behind her on the bed.

“I’ve been ignoring everyone, you’re not special,” she mumbled, muffling a cough within her comforter.

He clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. His eyes took in the empty tissue boxes on her nightstand, a spilled bottle of Tylenol, and a half empty glass of water. “How long have you been sick?” he looked at the lumpy shape in bed where she was curled up, only her hair visible.

“Yesterday afternoon, I think. But I was feeling worn down the day before,” she replied.

Sylus hummed in response and reached over, running his hand over her hair. She made a noise of discontent, “Oh, don’t. I’m sure it feels like straw.”

He chuckled as she tried to hide further in her bundle of comfort. “Where’s your hair brush? I’ll take care of it for you,” he offered gently.

Cinders didn’t say anything for a few seconds before pointing towards her dresser. Sylus got up and walked over to grab the brush, walking around the bed to sit properly on the other side. He silently coaxed her out of the nest. She laid her head on his lap and he silently began to brush her hair, starting from the bottom.

His touch was gentle. She didn’t have a sensitive scalp, but she appreciated the care he was taking not to hurt her. One of her hands curled around the fabric of his trousers, holding onto him. “… Grandma used to do this for me when I was sick,” she said suddenly and softly.

Sylus looked down at her, quirking an eyebrow in interest. He continued stroking the brush through the long red strands. “Is that so?” he murmured. “… You must miss her.”

Cinders felt her throat tighten and she nodded. “… Yeah, I do,” she whispered.

“You know you can talk to me, right, kitten?” he moved onto a new portion of her hair.

“Talk about what?”

“Anything. Everything. I want to know when you’re not feeling well. I want to help take care of you,” his usually deep voice was soft and pleasant, like a low hum of white noise almost.

Cinders shifted a little, feeling sheepish, “You don’t have to do all that…”

“I want to,” he chuckled, still brushing her hair. “You don’t… need to isolate yourself. Not from me, at least. If you’re lonely and not feeling well, tell me. If all you need is someone to brush your hair… I want to be that someone.”

She was quiet for a few minutes, and he wondered if she’d fallen asleep and his words fell on deaf ears. However, Cinders was trying to compose herself, since his words caused a maelstrom of emotions in her heart. “… Okay,” she agreed softly, her voice trembling slightly.

Sylus smiled and ran his fingers through her now tangle-free hair. “Okay,” he repeated in a whisper.

was feeling bummy and unwell so I wrote comfort .u.

[indycinders]

REPOST I POSTED TO THE WRONG BLOG HAHAH

*sees this*

...

*SIGHS*

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Outlaw!Harper belongs to @campwillowpeak

Bounty Hunter!Cyprian belongs to me~

No CW :: SFW :: 1,311 words

Title: Toe the Line

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The hot sun of mid-morning beat down as Cyprian urged his stallion, Quicksilver, to continue on. He’d been on the hunt all night since he’d received a tip from one of his favorite drunkards at Emerald Gorge’s saloon. The horse slowed its pace as it trotted up the incline of the canyon.

“Whoa,” Cyprian pulled back on the reins just enough for Quicksilver to stop. The dappled Appaloosa kicked at the ground as he dismounted.

Cyprian walked up to the edge, pulling out his binoculars and crawled forward, keeping low. He put them over his eyes, peering through them. There was a gentle breeze kicking up loose red dirt, causing small clouds to obscure his vision. But then he saw the white smoke of a late night campfire dying out. There was a bedroll, and the familiar golden Dutch Warmblood.

Only such a large horse would be able to carry a man like Harper.

Cyprian grinned, shuffling backwards until he was out of sight and then he stood up. He walked over to his horse and pulled a carrot out of the saddlebag, feeding it to him. “Stay up here, boy, okay? I’ll whistle for you.”

The horse blew air through its nose in response and chewed the carrot. Cyprian turned and looked for a way down the canyon. It wasn’t too far of a way to go, but it still took some time to make his way down a narrow path while trying to be quiet.

Once he was down on the ground and approaching the camp, he realized that the bedroll on the ground was empty. He looked around for the horse and didn’t see it either. Just as an uneasy feeling settled in his chest and he moved his hand to his hip where his revolver was, he heard that familiar voice from behind him.

“Lookin’ for me, Caro Mio?”

Cyprian whipped around, almost losing his hat in the process. There, atop the large horse was the tall frame of the infamous outlaw, Harper. Wanted in seven states for arson and bank robberies.

The black-haired main grinned, flashing sharp teeth down at the other. “Miss me that badly, eh?”

The Dutch Warmblood snorted and kicked up dirt, causing Cyprian to take an uncertain step back. He drew his revolver and pointed it at Harper.

“Don’t make this harder than it needs to be, Harper,” Cyprian warned.

“What if I want it hard?” the outlaw winked and grinned again.

Cyprian’s thumb pulled back the hammer on the gun. “I’m serious! Get off the horse and surrender now.”

“Oh, Caro Mio, I am serious, too.” Harper’s boots touched the flank of the horse softly and it started walking in a wide arc around Cyprian, who turned with it, keeping his gun steady and aimed on Harper. “But I can’t allow myself to be hanged. I’m having too much fun.”

“Harper…”

The outlaw winked at him again before quickly tapping the horse and taking off. Cyprian cursed under his breath and holstered his gun, putting two fingers in his mouth and whistling for Quicksilver. His horse found its own way down and Cyprian jumped on, spurring it forward to chase after Harper.

The Appaloosa was faster than the Warmblood, being a smaller and more agile horse. Plus with the way Cyprian had trained him from a foal, it was used to these chases. Once he saw Harper some twenty odd yards ahead of him, he kept a steady pace behind him.

When they started nearing the long train bridge, he saw Harper hop off the horse and send it away. Cyprian, wary of the sudden change in the man, slowed to a trot before hopping off his horse as well. Quicksilver stayed behind, kicking the ground, amped up from the chase.

He put his hand on his revolver again as he approached the outlaw, who was standing a few yards away from the railroad tracks, staring down at the river below the bridge. “You screwed yourself, Harper. Come on, now, don’t be stupid.”

The man didn’t move, just glanced over his shoulder.

“You jump from that height, you’ll die. You know that.” Cyprian called as he inched forward.

“Are you worried about me, Caro Mio?” Harper asked. He extended his arms out at his sides, as if he were spreading long wings.

Cyprian’s heart pounded in his throat and as Harper leaned forward, he jumped and grabbed onto the back of the man’s jacket, pulling him away from the ledge. They tumbled backward into the dirt. In the distance, there was a train whistle.

Cyprian scrambled around, trying to get a hold on Harper’s wrists in the ensuing scuffle. However, he somehow ended up on his back, staring up at the outlaw, with his wrists pinned behind his head. Harper laughed softly, leaning down to whisper in his ear, “I’m still gettin’ the best of you, Caro Mio.”

“Fuck you, Harper.”

“Is that an offer?”

“Get off me!”

He complied and let go of Cyprian’s wrists, standing up and brushing the dust off his pants and coat. As the blue-haired man stood up as well, he could see a train approaching. Cyprian went to grab his hat off the ground but Harper beat him to it.

Clenching his jaw, he said, “Give it back.”

“Or what?” Harper teased. “You’ll shoot me?”

Cyprian put his hand on his hip and realized his gun was missing. When he looked back at the man taller than him by a few inches, he saw him twirling the damned thing around one of his long fingers. “You know, for a bounty hunter, you’re not that observant,” Harper chuckled.

“So, what happens now?” Cyprian asked, sighing. He glanced at the train behind Harper. “You’re expecting me to just let you go?”

Harper’s deep blue eyes flashed in excitement. “I have a better offer, actually.”

“What’s that?”

“Come with me.”

Cyprian’s resounding laugh was more like a bark full of bitterness. “Ha!”

“You hurt me, Cyprian,” Harper pouted. “Is it that bad of a proposition?”

“I’ve been chasing you for years, now, Harper. What makes you think that I want to join you?” Cyprian asked, his voice filled with venom. Harper took a few steps forward, Cyprian’s hat in one hand and his gun in the other. “In all these years, all these attempts I’ve given you, not once have you had the guts to go through with it.”

He was standing so close now, their chests were almost touching. Cyprian could feel Harper’s breath on his face while he spoke. “Why is that, Caro Mio?”

“I-I—“ Cyprian struggled to make a coherent sentence.

The hand with his hat raised up and placed it back on his head, tilting it back. Without warning, Cyprian felt Harper’s mouth meet his in a startlingly deep kiss. He found his hands reaching up to grab his jacket, but instead of pulling away, he pulled him closer. He felt Harper smile against his lips.

Suddenly Harper pulled away. His hand had untied the red bandana from around Cyprian’s neck and he clutched it in his hand. “I’ll return it when you find me again, Caro Mio. Take care.”

Cyprian watched stunned as Harper continued walking backwards towards the tracks. The train was so close now, almost off the bridge. Cyprian shouted and almost jumped forward as Harper raised a hand and grabbed onto one of the car handles and hopped on.

In a flash, he was gone. Cyprian stared as the tall man waved his bandana at him like a taunting flag. He reached up and covered his mouth, remembering the feel of his lips. His hand brushed his hips and he noticed that Harper had returned his gun as well.

“That son of a bitch,” Cyprian sighed and watched until the train disappeared. Then he whistled for Quicksilver and started trotting after it.

OK BUT WHAT IF

WHAT IF

HARPER IS THE OUTLAW AND CM IS THE BOUNTY HUNTER??

[taddymason]

Face to Face

[fahye]

novella announcement: Cinder House

CINDER HOUSE: a Cinderella retelling, a ghost story, a queer romance (of course), a novella. Coming to you in October next year.

US preorder links here, others to come!

Alt text for the book copy below the cut:

Ella is a haunting.

Murdered at sixteen, her ghost is furiously trapped in her father's house, invisible to everyone except her stepmother and stepsisters.

Even when she discovers how to untether herself from her prison, there are limits. She cannot be seen or heard by the living people who surround her. Her family must never learn she is able to leave. And at the stroke of every midnight, she finds herself back on the staircase where she died.

Until she forges a wary friendship with a fairy charm-seller, and makes a bargain for three nights of almost-living freedom. Freedom that means she can finally be seen. Danced with. Touched.

You think you know Ella's story: the ball, the magical shoes, the handsome prince.

You're halfway right, and all-the-way wrong.

[misstrashchan]

I know people have picked up on the board game scene in RWBY V2 Episode 2 (Welcome to Beacon) as foreshadowing the events of the show, but for funsies I want to take a stab at how it foreshadows the general arcs of each four kingdoms myself.

So we have Blake playing as the Kingdom of Vale, and she's completely unaware of the events of the game unfolding and not really paying attention, clearly distracted.

"Alright Blake, it's your turn!"

"Huh? Sorry, what am I doing?"

"You're playing as Vale, trying to conquer the four kingdoms of Remnant!"

"...Right."

The Vale arc is the first three volumes of RWBY, where all our protagonists are at Beacon, but during that time, much like Blake during the game, they're unaware of the larger conflict with Salem, and aren't actively participating in the war at that point. They are ignorant and reactive instead of active. However it's ironic that Blake plays as Vale, since the reason she's not paying attention to the game and seems distracted is because, out of all the main characters in the Vale arc, she is the one most concerned about being kept in the dark and that they're ignorant as to what's really going on.

Blake: I just, I don't understand how everyone can be so calm.

Ruby: (approaching Blake) You're still thinking about Torchwick?

Blake: Torchwick, the White Fang, all of it! Something big is happening and no one is doing anything about it!

She also leaves the game during her turn, much like how she runs away after the FoB and the end of the Vale arc.

"Right. Well, I think I'm done playing, actually"

Yang is playing as Mistral, and she's the most savvy and knowledgeable (hah) player, winning many rounds of the game, teaching Weiss how to play, and has the other players falling into her trap cards.

"Heh, pretty sneaky sis, but you just activated my trap card!"

There's two ways this can be interpreted, with how the Mistral arc (volumes 4-6) is when our protagonists start to gather more knowledge and awarenesses of themselves and the world. It's also in Mistral that our heroes have their most decisive victory so far. It's fitting to have Yang playing as Mistral then, since during the Mistral arc she's the one who who learns from Tai to fight smarter, and to question the authority figures around her from Raven, and after confronting her in the vault is the one who retrives the relic of knowledge.

But, most of the losses our heroes experience are because of Cinder, who is from Mistral, and them falling into her own "trap cards" with the Fall of Beacon being orchestrated by her, killing Pyrrha and Ozpin. And in Atlas the same, with her manipulating Ironwood, undermining the heroes plans to evacuate everyone from Atlas, and killing Penny. She often finds ways to trick and exploit others, and is most dangerous when overlooked and underestimated, like falling into a trap.

Which brings me to Ruby playing as Atlas, where Ruby and Yang have this exchange after Yang's trap card is activated by Ruby:

"Giant Nevermore! If I roll a seven or higher, fatal feathers will slice your fleet in two!

"But! If you roll lower a six or lower, the Nevermore will turn on your own forces!"

"That's just a chance I'm willing to take"

In the Atlas arc (volumes 7-9) the theme of trust and taking risks is very prevalent. Like the move Yang makes in the game it is a risky one, that could end badly for her, but it is one worth taking nonetheless. They take the risk of trusting Ironwood but he ends up turning on our heroes. Oscar takes a risk trusting Hazel and Ozpin, as well as Emerald later on being accepted into their group, and it ends up working out for them. Ruby takes a risky chance in sending a message out to all of Remnant and evacuating Atlas, which saves a lot of people, but they still lose some, including Penny, a dear friend of Ruby's.

"Noooooo! My fearless soldiers!"

"Eh, most of them were probably androids anyways"

"Goodbye my friends... you will be avenged!"

Ruby acts distraught when losing her turn in the game as Atlas, expressing anguish over losing her friends who are described as androids by Yang, just like how Ruby is incredibly depressed and broken after the Fall of Atlas in V9, mourning the loss of Penny, who was both a sentient android and Ruby's friend. (I do wonder if Ruby's comment on avenging her friends might be foreshadowing for her wanting to avenge Penny's death in the future, like how Jaune tried to 1v1 Cinder in V5 to avenge Pyrrha, but I think it's too soon to say)

As a sidenote the fact it is a Nevemore in this turn that has a chance of turning on Yang or helping her is interesting, as it puts me in mind of two characters who can turn into ravens/crows, like the bird and poem Nevermore is associated with. It could pertain to Raven, someone who turns on Yang in v5 during the battle of Haven, but appears to help her and her friends in the V9 epilogue. It could also be about Qrow and his semblance, since during the Atlas arc it begins to evolve so that it is not simply a bad luck semblance, but one that can generate good luck too. In other words he can affect whether the chances are in people's favour or not.

After defeating Ruby (Atlas) Yang says this:

Yang: Not until I draw my rewards! Which are double this round thanks to the Mistral Trade Route!

Ruby: Bah!

Yang: Oh, and what's this? The Smugglers of Wind Path?

Ruby: Bah! Bah, I say!

Yang: I say, it looks like I'm taking two cards in my hand!

After the Fall of Atlas Cinder retrives not one but two relics for Salem, and with Atlas falling into Mantle, two kingdoms are destroyed in one fell swoop.

Then it's Weiss's turn. Weiss is playing as Vacuo, but has no idea how to play the game. Yang takes it upon herself to teach Weiss how to play and what she can do to win the game:

Yang: Well, Weiss, it's your turn.

Weiss: I have... absolutely no idea what's going on.

Yang: (Yang slides up beside her and puts her hand on her shoulder.) Look, it's easy! You're playing as Vacuo which means that all Vacuo-based cards come with a bonus.

Weiss: That sounds dumb.

Yang: See, you've got Sandstorm, Desert Scavenge... Oh, oh! (She pulls up a card to show Weiss.) Resourceful Raider! See, now you can take Ruby's discarded Air Fleet—

Ruby: (crying) Nooo!

Yang: —and put it in your hand!

We know from the end of V9 that what remains of the airfleet of Atlas, as well as the airfleet of Mistral and Vale, have all flocked to Vacuo's defence. What remains of the kingdom of Atlas, the airfleet, but most importantly the people, have now fled to Vacuo and are trying to make a home there.

Yang continues to give Weiss advice on how to win the game to Weiss, building her up, until Weiss starts to get arrogant, believing she's going to win the whole game and is the one in control:

Yang: And since Vacuo warriors have an endurance against Natural-based hazards, you can use Sandstorm to disable my ground forces and simultaneously infiltrate my kingdom! (Yang points a finger at Weiss.) Just know that I will not forget this declaration of war.

Weiss: And that means...

Ruby: You're just three moves away from conquering Remnant!

But then Yang turns on Weiss, activating her trap card, and Vacuo loses.

Since this is may be foreshadowing for the Vacuo arc that we haven't seen yet, I can only speculate what this might mean.

...But judging from the V9 extended epilogue and the books, my best guess would be that if Yang/Mistral is meant to be in part Cinder/Salem and their forces, then Weiss as Vacuo is in part the Crown. In the extended epilogue Jax and Gillian appear to be recieving help from Tyrian and Mercury, meaning Salem has decided to recruit them to her cause.

The Crown wants to restore the Vacuoan monarchy and detest outsiders, especially Atlesians. They do however wish to protect Vacuo from the same forces that destroyed Beacon, aka Salem, and so they are likely going to be manipulated like Weiss is by Yang in the game, being offered aid and giving them advice on how they can win and achieve their objectives, making them believe they can "conquer Remnant", only for them to realise later they were being tricked and used.

"Once again, Vacuo had been isolated from the conflict raging throughout Remnant—only this time it was an opportunity. With the global CCT network disabled, Vale in ruin, Haven leaderless, and Atlas closed off, Vacuo was theirs for the taking. This was likely their last, best chance for a generation. And it was their only hope to defend Vacuo against whomever had been targeting the other kingdoms. In likelihood they had written off Vacuo, like everyone else did, but if they tried to move against the Crown, they would have an unpleasant surprise.

Vacuo wouldn't break this time around."

Weiss: (Weiss stands and a thunder clap accompanies Weiss' overjoyed psychotic laughter.) Y-yes! Fear the almighty power of my forces! Cower as they pillage your homes and weep as they take your children from your very arms!

Yang: Trap card... (Yang's arm appears holding the card.)

Weiss: Huh?

Yang: (Yang shuffles the pieces on the board, Weiss' pieces disappearing in a puff of smoke.) Your armies have been destroyed.

Weiss: (Weiss slumps in her chair, cries and whines.) I hate this game of emotions we play!

Weiss as Vacuo may lose to Yang after realising they've been tricked, but is offered comfort afterwards by Ruby who relates to her losses and empathises with her, which is interesting since Ruby plays as Atlas. So I'm predicting at the end of the Vacuo arc they'll experience somewhat of a loss, whether that's the Crown, our heroes, or likely both, but Atlas will give support to Vacuo and the two kingdoms will come together to heal and ultimately work together, making steps to overcome their tense history with one another.

"Stay strong Weiss we'll make it through this together!"

"Shut up, don't touch me! "

...Which does make Weiss specifically playing as Vacuo especially intriguing, as she is the SDC heiress from Atlas, and Vacuo is a kingdom that has suffered the most in being exploited and colonized for it's natural resources by Atlas. From the epilogue it seems like the Schnees are being confronted directly with all the harm that has been caused by their family and kingdom, so I wouldn't be surprised if Weiss recieves a certain amount of focus during the Vacuo arc in deciding what her legacy as an Atlesian and heiress to the Schnee name will be. Moving forward to make amends, maybe inspiring the citizens of Atlas/Mantle to come together with Vacuo so they can all help and support one another, instead of isolating themselves and suffering alone.

Jaune offers to plays Weiss's hand for a turn also, with Weiss refusing:

Jaune: (Begging with both hands folded together.) Come on, let me play your hand for a turn!

Weiss: I'm not trusting you with the good citizens of Vacuo!

Which is reminiscent of how Vacuo is mistrustful of outsiders, as we've seen in After the Fall and Before the Dawn books.

Yang follows up to say that Weiss attacked her own forces, which could reference the infighting in Vacuo, especially with the Crown.

Weiss: Besides, this game requires a certain level of tactical cunning that I seriously doubt that you possess.

Yang: Uhh, you attacked your own naval fleet two turns ago. (Weiss makes an annoyed sound.)

Overall Weiss as Vacuo recieves the most help as any player during their turn, being taught how to play by Yang, offered comfort by Ruby after losing, and Jaune wanting to help her by playing her hand for a turn. This seems to fit with both how all kingdoms have flocked to Vacuo's aid in response to Ruby's message, but also Weiss as a character, who starts out "the loneliest of them all" but gradually opens up and warms up to other people. The crux of her arc being looking outside herself and at the people around her, relating to their struggles and coming to support them and being supported by them leads to her better understanding herself and becoming stronger for it... Which is kind of what the Kingdom of Vacuo needs to learn too!

Following this is Blake's turn as Vale, which I covered at the start of this post, but that's not the end of Vale's turn. We don't actually see it, but we know the aftermath of the game is this:

Yang: Ugh, we should have never let him play!

Ruby: You're just mad cuz' the new guy beat you!

Blake leaves the game during her turn as Vale, and presumably the "new guy" which is likely Neptune, who they'd just been introduced too, takes over her hand as Vale and wins the game of Remnant overall, even beating Yang and her trap cards. This is likely the endgame of RWBY itself, our heroes return to Vale after the Vacuo arc during the last volume for the final stand, where they win.

How and what that victory will look like I don't know, as we don't see the last turn of the game, so yet again this is even more vaguer speculation. Neptune doesn't really have much plot significance so I can't think there's any meaning to that except that he's a minor foil to Jaune, and the line of it being "a new guy" that wins, so maybe someone who recently joins our heroes side in the final act of the story, possibly Mercury or Cinder.

[obligatoryjauneblog]

MK Intros: Arcfall / RK!Jaune v. Cinder

RK!Jaune: Cinder...

Cinder: Ah yes... you... And you are?

RK!Jaune: Your judgement.

-

RK!Jaune: A lifetime with nothing to do but imagine the ways I would kill you.

Cinder: Careful now, you sound like you belong on my side.

RK!Jaune: I do what needs to be done.

-

RK!Jaune: Is this the Ever After playing it's tricks on me again?

Cinder: I assure you, you schizophrenic, I'm real.

RK!Jaune: Good.

- Bonus -

Jaune: So, loser gets to top?

Cinder: As always

Jaune: Just promise not to lose on purpose this time.

[chemicalcindercat]

Ethereal/Deity Batfam AU I'm playing around with:

-Bruce is a karma deity, meaning he can sense how good or bad a person is. It's way more complicated than that, because humans are complicated, so most of the time he ignores peoples' auras. However if someone is particularly good or evil, Bruce can pull some strings in the universe so that they will be rewarded or punished appropriately.

-This comes in handy during his work as Batman because he can sense which of the criminals are decent people acting out of desperation (and send some good vibes their way so hopefully they can make a better choice) and which ones enjoy hurting people (to which he will send the bad vibes towards). He doesn't kill, but on the rare instance he feels someone really deserves it, he can pull some strings to make their life fall completely apart.

-Dick is a sleep demon. He can make people fall asleep or wake up, can influence their dreams (sometimes even weave them from scratch), and on occasion he can view or enter someone's dream (he could theoretically also use this to communicate with someone in a coma). When Bruce approached him that fateful night at the circus, Dick was crying because he thought his parents were dreaming but he couldnt see their dreams or wake them up.

-As Robin, he can easily put a group of people into a deep sleep and give them good dreams while he's at it (or terrible nightmares if he's pissed off). He also uses this ability on Bruce (and his future siblings) a few different times when the man is denying himself sleep.

-When Bruce finds and adopts Jason, he's a normal human kid up until his death. He is resurrected and given a job as a reaper. His task is to collect people's souls as they die and take them to the afterlife to be with their loved ones. He looses his physical form after he dies and becomes formed from literal shadows; however most people can't see his true form, so when he collects souls he takes on the appearance of either the person's closest loved one, or whatever idea of the grim reaper/death they believe in. (Dick, Bruce, and Alfred still see him as the Jason they knew before he died, because of how much they loved him.)

-When he collects the souls of criminals or other people he feels don't deserve eternal peace, he simply decides to keep their souls for himself. (Perhaps he keeps them locked up, or devours them, idk how dark I want to be with this yet.) Sometimes he has to collect the souls of children too, and it's his least favorite thing in the entire world, but he does his best to make them feel safe and comfortable as he carries them to the afterlife. (He always takes kids to the afterlife.)

I'm not sure about the rest of the bats yet, so if anyone wants to share their thoughts or ideas please feel free! I'd love to make this into a series once the rest of the ideas form, but for now I have a different Batfam WIP to focus on.

[the-elegant-necromancer]

Who says magic has rules? Part 2

Part 1 here

Cinder finds herself in a plain white space all alone.

Cinder: Hello? Where am I? Did I actually die?

Phyrra: Hello again

Cinder: What! But, oh Im really dead this time?

Phyrra: Not exactly, I mean you're close. Its nice to see you.

Cinder: What? So if Im not dead why the hell am I seeing you?

Phyrra: Well its complicated. You took the maiden powers when you weren't supposed to. so there are some bits left over.

Cinder: Bits what bits?

Phyrra: Well me for starters

Cinder: So if Im not dead then what the hell! I can't just stay here, he's out there trying to heal me and its going to get him killed!

Phyrra: Calm down, time moves different here.

Cinder: Don't you tell me to be calm, that fool is going to get himself killed over me and I will NOT allow that!

Phyrra: Well that answers a few of my questions. *starts laugh warmly*

Cinder: What questions! What are you talking about.

Phyrra: Take good care of him for me okay? Oh and you're going to have to teach him how to use the maiden powers... or hm, what should we call it?

Cinder: Wait, so, I was right? *Smugly smiling*

Phyrra: Eh... fifty-fifty

Cinder: Wait what does THAT mean? Stop being so vague!

Phyrra: Sorry, thats all Im really allowed to say. Just be gentle with his heart okay? He's going to need you.

Cinder: *Wakes up taking a harsh breath before coughing*

Jaune: Firelight! Oh you're okay, I though I lost you for a minute.

Cinder: I think you did... *still coughing roughly trying to catch her breath*

Jaune: I'm just glad you're okay.

Cinder: You have Phyrra to thank for that... and this....

Jaune: Wait you saw her!? And for wha- Mrph!

Cinder: *Kissing him hard slipping the man a little tongue before pulling away slowly* That.

Jaune: Oh... wow, okay... wait why do I feel, weird?

Cinder: *Smiling smugly* Turns out I WAS right, or in a manner. Turns out maidens are supposed to have guardians. I just made you mine.

Jaune: Wait! What does that even mean?

Cinder: It means that you can use the same power I can, as long as Im alive that is.

Jaune: Why didn't Ozpin ever say anything about that? Seems like a huge oversight!

Cinder: Ask the old man once we're out of here. Right now *starts to stand looking at where her wound used to be* We should go, there is a passage not far from here.

Jaune: Alright but you're going to have to tell me how these powers work... its not like you gave me a user manual with that kiss.

Cinder: You're clever, you'll figure it out.

Jaune: Uh huh... so anything else I should know about being your guardian knight?

Cinder: No idea, but if I come close to dying again Ill ask Phyrra to explain it.

Jaune: Just great.

[neverchecking]

More Sage Hc's

Because I miss him :(

And this is a wonderful half-collab with @angry-trashcan. I love you so very much and thank you for letting me yell ideas at you.

CW: Mentions of child abuse, child soldiers, Zelda slander, Sage

・❥・Welcome back. :)

・❥・So, we've established Sage as his own character at this point. I think it's safe to say he is not Wild. They are similar but two very distinct characters. That is something I'd like to clarify.

・❥・But we'll step into that later.

・❥・For now, let's talk about his entire timeline from start to finish.

・❥・So, Bailey and I talked about his parents and this is the conclusion we came to:

・❥・As everyone knows, Link in the AoC/BotW/TotK timeline was in the knights by a staggeringly young age. Either four or twelve or fourteen. I've seen them all, but I'm not sure if there's a canon age.

・❥・For Sage, we're going with four.

・❥・Now, let's start with his father. Sage's father was in the knights as a commanding officer, which is why he was okay with Link joining the knights. However, because of this a lot more expectations were placed on a very young Sage. And if he failed the punishments were much harsher and much less justified.

・❥・There were nights when Sage/Link was left on the ground outside because his father didn't deem him worth the effort and forbade people from helping him.

・❥・He'd walk past and spit on this terrified child because he didn't live up to expectations. "Your mother would've been so disappointed."

・❥・(shout out to Bailey for ripping out all of our hears with that line.

・❥・Because of this Sage finds much more comfort sleeping outside. Even a a century later, he prefers the comfort of a constant rather than a bedroom he was never allowed the privilege of knowing.

・❥・When he gets his house in Tarrey Town, he builds the stable extension first and slips outside with Epona.

・❥・We also agreed that his mother most likely died during the birth of his sister, which is probably why they had to move out of the Hateno house and closer to the castle, if not on the castle grounds.

・❥・If I had to make an assumption on his mother, she was probably a timid woman that never stood against his father.

・❥・This is really just my lil tidbit but because of that headcanon it's why I made Aaliyah such an abrasive character because I feel Sage would feel too much like his father with someone who reminded him of his mother. Or the little bits he remembers of her.

・❥・Anyway, his mother was probably a seen rather than heard woman,

・❥・Now, you're probably asking about his sister. We decided that she would've ended up as a maid/servant in the castle.

・❥・This is for two reasons:

・❥・One) It adds to hatred Sage has for the Royal Family. As a knight he would've had no choice but to watch this happen and would feel that burning guilt as a bystander, ignoring the fact that he has no choice in the matter. Maybe that's why he fought so hard pre-Calamity. Of course, he still fought because it was his duty, but I also like to imagine he was trying his best to protect his sister before it could ever hit her. Even if it was a fruitless endeavor.

・❥・Two) When Sage remembers this fact, it's probably before Tears of the Kingdom. The bridge between TotK and BotW probably is Link/Sage unravelling a lot of the trauma he tried to ignore regarding the royal family. So this is almost a catharsis to the entire feat. Moreso with Zelda/Natura's reaction.

・❥・She'd be flippant and almost ignorant to the entire ordeal.

・❥・Before anyone comes for my throat, let me explain Natura's character okay?

・❥・So, as far as I'm concerned, Natura hasn't learned anything. She's very much still the same character she was in AoC which is a spoiled individual with little regards to the woes others are facing. She had a tough time, yes I understand that and she was young, but she had no reason to act the way she did with Link. I don't care, argue with the wall.

・❥・She went digging around in the remains of what was left of her people post BotW trying to figure out how the guardians worked. She puts more emphasis on her studies and research rather than her people. Remember this is Natura. Not Zelda. This is my characterization in the same way that Sage is my characterization of Link.

・❥・Anyway, she didn't go looking for a way to solve the Gloom issue, she went looking for a way to capitalize on it. Like the pharmaceutical industry.

・❥・So you can imagine her reaction knowing that.

・❥・"We kept her off the streets like a worthless rat. You should be thanking me."

・❥・Yeah, it's not great.

・❥・So then TotK happens, yadda yada.

・❥・Sage loves animals. Let me get this straight. He's not heartless, he's angry and he's vengeful. Animals never wronged him. He finds comfort with animals as they can't lie to him. He can earn their trust and they'll remain loyal.

・❥・Because Sage is a dangerously loyal man. He still carries the loyalty of the hero's spirit, but it's amplified. Once you're his, you're his forever. Nothing can drag him away from you as he won't let it.

・❥・He's so loyal it turns from a positive attribute to a flaw. :)

・❥・He's possessive and protective and doesn't see an issue with it. Everything else has been torn from his hands but his fingers will be broken and bloody before he lets what's his go.

・❥・I bring up the animal thing just to say Sage gets a dog. You know that stable that closes down in the desert? And how all the stables have stable dogs? Well, this one follows Sage all over Hyrule. And if he goes in the depths thinking he's lost it, the second he's out the dog is sniffing his ass out.

・❥・Yes, he keeps the dog and feeds it the nicest cuts of meat, don't worry.

・❥・It's name is Droolius Caesar.

・❥・Timeline wise, let's talk about that.

・❥・So again, Bailey, and they're gorgeous fucking brain, brought up the idea of him being on a different timeline then Wild. I ran with it.

・❥・I don't see TotK falling on the timeline nicely no matter what we do. Not with the Zonai and not with the other game.

・❥・So what if it doesn't fall on the same timeline as BotW? The same events happen but now it's different.

・❥・Here's how it goes:

・❥・So when Time splits the timeline we get the normal one where, yay! he saves the day! and the other one where he doesn't. Call it the downfall timeline, the fallen timeline, the failure timeline, I don't care. For the sake of argument it's the Fallen Timeline here.

・❥・So there's an idea that the timelines merge somewhere between Wars timeline and Wild's. But let's say they don't. Because the Fallen timeline goes to Legend, then Hyrule. Then what if it doesn't fix itself and just continues. which is where it then leads to Sage's era.

・❥・Only this timeline is on hard mode at all times. Legend's adventures were difficult, Hyrule's era is absolutely brutal, so it makes sense that Sage's is just as hard.

・❥・We toyed with the idea that because this timeline is so hard, the heroes that reign from it are just that much more advanced. It's shown through Legend and then Hyrule, both of whom have wielded the full triforce at one point or another (I think). Somewhere between Hyrule's world however and Legend's, the goddess' didn't like this idea. They didn't like the idea of the hero having this sense of power, so they stripped it away entirely. They knew that somewhere the hero's spirit would be tainted and took away the power that could be used to dethrone them before it could manifest with Sage.

・❥・In turn, the hero's spirit carried on and grew stronger to overcome this. Sage still has the hero's spirit, but it's not like an actual spirit. No, it's more like the fallen hero carrying on and trying to amend for his sins.

・❥・Which Sage hates. He hates it so much, but it propels him before he can stop it. In the beginning of TotK? It's what propels him to jump in after Zelda. After however? The gloom is what finally kills that spirit. Rauru can save him, but fails to save the spirit.

・❥・And from there Sage evolves and arises into the rat we all know and love.

・❥・All of this to give my own lil headcanons on Epona.

・❥・So there's a theory that Malanya (Horse god) Is actually Malon and I like that. (Because she gave Link Epona OG and they sound similar) So in Sage's Era? Guess what?

・❥・Anyway, I imagine Malanya and Sage had a better connection because of this. Malanya goes out of their way to care for Sage and his horse because they feel they failed their Link.

・❥・So Sage gets an Epona in a way to apologize for their first failure.

・❥・Epona is a very good horse <3

・❥・So in the wise words of bailey to end this off,

The hero's spirit is dead. Long live whatever the fuck Sage is.

[anthurak]

To this day, the end of the Ironwood v. Watts fight is one of my favorite exchanges in the entire show:

Ironwood: (currently hopped up on unhinged willpower and semblance-induced painkillers) “I will sacrifice WHATEVER IT TAKES to stop her!”

Watts: (knowing full well that his boss is going to take that obsessive hero/martyr-complex and play Jimmy like a godsdamn fiddle with it) “Oh, I hope you do James. I hope you do.”

[indycinders]

hi again~

so i made some things for myself that i want to share with my writer friends, and any writer!, as i'm prepping and working towards NaNoWriMo again this year!

just a quick disclaimer that i do not own either of these templates, i did not create them, i just copied them down into a format where everyone else can copy and paste into their own preferred word processors! (❁´◡`❁)

i've always struggled with just writing things that came to mind and working on piecing it together later, which resulted in a lot of frustration, getting bored with my characters, not knowing how to write them, and in general just a lot of negative feelings (towards myself) for feeling like a bad writer.

i've come to learn that it's a lot easier to write when you work on making fleshed out characters and making a basic outline for your story. which might be something everyone always does, but i've always just flown by the seat of my pants *ahem (￣▽￣)"*

the character template is really in depth and it can be a little intimidating to start working with, so my advice is to just fill in the things you definitely know about your character! as you start writing those, you might start thinking of how to fill in the other areas as well. or you can leave them blank like i do and come back to it later!

another tip, as a side-note, is that i use sims 4 to create characters to get a visual representation and screenshot them and add them to my character templates so it's like their own bio cards if that makes sense hahaha. it's just a placeholder until i feel like drawing again tbh.

i may share more writing tips and stuff as it gets closer to NaNoWriMo season, and i might also share snippets and tidbits of my work and my characters. my goal this season is to just write, write, write my little heart out and not care about the end result until i'm finished. because that's what NaNoWriMo really is at its core: making time to write, and writing anything and everything. editing and refining can come later.

anyway enough rambling. here's the links to my google docs where i made the templates. there shouldn't be any problems copying and pasting it over :>

Character Template

Story Outline Template

and here are the sources i made the templates from. they both have really good advice in general, so take a peek!

https://www.dabblewriter.com/articles/character-template

https://www.novel-software.com/novel-outline-template/

[cinderswrites]

Frayed ::

one

The morning light hit her face at just the right angle through the shabby curtain hanging above her window. She blinked away the sleep lingering in her heavy eyelids as she turned uncomfortably on the dingy cot, squeaking the springs as she moved and kicking up a new cloud of dust. No matter how much she cleaned and scrubbed the small room, the dust never seemed to leave.

She stared at the wall with disdain in her eyes, briefly wondering if she’d ever get a happy morning again in her life. Only a few years ago was she waking to her mother’s singing voice, the smell of sweet syrups and freshly baked bread permeating through the whole house, sleeping in a bed so comfy it felt like a sin to leave it at all. She counted the seconds until the knock she dreaded so well would come to make sure she was awake.

It came, sounding like ten hammers against the wood door, rattling the poor thing against its frame. “Wake up!” the sharp bark of her stepmother’s voice came through muffled.

She took a deep breath, mulling over the possible punishments if she didn’t move. After a few seconds, she threw back the tattered blanket and sat up, gathering her lengthy brown waves into a blue ribbon. The ribbon was one of the only things the stepmonster allowed her to keep from her mother. It was a cornflower blue, striking against her hair color, and embroidered with similar colored thread in a vintage yet still stylish floral pattern. It wasn’t any old ribbon, the ones people used for gifts and such, it was made specifically for her and her hair. Exchanging her night dress for her work dress, she pulled on too-small shoes and answered the door. Only a minute or so had passed when her stepmother called for her, but by the look on her face, it might as well have been an hour. “About time,” Thelma sniffed indignantly, doing that thing where she curled her upper lip as she examined the young woman. “Breakfast was due five minutes ago. Inexcusable!”

“Good morning to you as well,” Rhea said under her breath as she shouldered past the rather portly older woman.

“Get to it, then!” Her high pitched squeal could win a pig sound alike contest, Rhea thought.

Heading for the kitchen, she pulled off a ragged apron from a hook on the wall and threw it over her head, tying it over her equally as ragged work dress. New clothes were a luxury for her these days as well. She washed her hands in the kitchen sink, getting to work. She hummed under her breath as she broke and fried eggs, bacon and toasted days-old bread. Four plates were dished up and handed to the maid who waited patiently for her to finish. The rest of the food which consisted of the hard crusted end of the loaf, half an egg, and grits from the bacon was dished onto a smaller plate. She took the scraps and sat on a milk crate just outside the kitchen door.

She wasn’t allowed to eat with the family anymore. Not since the time she was fifteen and made Thelma’s omelet mostly out of eggshells and cracked pepper. The woman’s mouth was spewing drops of blood everywhere as she bellowed with such a force that turned her fat cheeks purple and made the vein that ran across her eyebrow and forehead pop with such a ferocity, Rhea almost wanted to poke at it. Her father couldn’t even calm his wife after that day. Much like with everything else that happened since he remarried, he would tell Rhea, “If you wouldn’t provoke her so much, you wouldn’t be punished so severely. It’s out of my hands, Rhea.”

She lost her room, her wardrobe, her privileges, and her life so far. The only thing she held onto was her steadfast stubbornness and the dignity of being the daughter of her mother, a cherished and well-liked woman named Flora. Flora was akin to a soft breeze through the cotton trees, the sound of their stiff leaves rattling in the wind, the lazy bob of a dandelion on a summer day. A lovely woman that cared deeply for her community, her marriage, and mostly her daughter. The day she died, a dark raincloud was cast over the Fisher Manor and still hadn’t lifted.

The day Rhea met Thelma and her daughters, that raincloud turned into a monsoon. She was drowning every day she lived under the same roof as them, even more so now that she was nearing twenty and still hadn’t sought higher education or a husband. The people around her neighborhood knew the circumstances, of course. Thelma worked her to the bone cooking and cleaning and tending to everyone but herself, keeping her busy and too tired to care about much else. Everyone else didn’t know that the Fisher family had another daughter.

The crust of bread she nibbled at turned her whole mouth dry and left a sour taste as she realized it’d only been six years so far since her mother passed. Her father married quickly so she wouldn’t be long without a “maternal figure” around, as he put it. The bitter treatment started almost immediately when he wasn’t looking, which spurred on the rebellion in her heart. First from Thelma, then from Scarlett. Her stepsister, a year or so older than her, with a face like a frog: big dark eyes and a wide mouth that always sported her signature red—scarlet—lipstick, treated her like the bottom of the barrel servant she thought Rhea was. She had unruly straw-colored hair and a nose that resembled her mother’s: upturned and flat, like a pig’s.

The youngest daughter of Thelma, Alice, was a tiny thing. Pale and fragile with hair like a spider’s web, fine and wispy. She was only two when she came with her mother and sister. Rhea never treated her unfairly, and she grew to be resentful of her mother and older sister. For an eight year old, she played her part well, but did her best to make things easy on Rhea. They were close like sisters should be. Henri Jr., her actual half-brother, had been born three years ago, and was a quiet and easy child, similar to Alice. He observed everything with his doe-like brown eyes, and he had a tuft of dark hair, the same color as their father’s. A fine little gentleman in his own right, he had his fair share of rough days. Most of the time, he preferred the company of Alice and Rhea, rarely crying for his mother or father. Rhea wondered if he even knew his father, as he’d been absent more in recent years after the birth.

Henri Sr., she thought dismally, a man who had once been full of life and honor, now whittled down to nothing short of a workhorse. He had gained quite a bit of weight in his middle age, probably from eating food from the town’s inn so often. He was what was called a port master, the man that oversaw the comings and goings of the docks and what was brought in. He worked his way up to that position from a humble dockworker, around the time he first met her mother. He was well known in town, as well as by the royal family who had their own personal fleet of ships almost permanently docked these days. According to Rhea’s little wallflower, Alice had said that he’d been coming home less and less these weeks, apparently busy with securing trade routes with neighboring kingdoms.

Of all the hurt she’d faced since the funeral, seeing her father become someone she no longer recognized hurt most of all. A fluttering of wings from a bird flying away and the squeaky creak of the kitchen door’s hinge brought Rhea back to the present. She set her plate of food down on the ground as she turned to see Alice peeking out the door, searching for her. The little girl’s brilliantly blue eyes settled on her and the happiness that washed over her features brought a warmth to Rhea’s chest. “There you are!” the girl said happily but quietly. She stepped out barefoot, closing the door behind her.

Alice eyed the plate of food when she walked closer. “You should eat more, you know. It’s not healthy.”

Rhea shrugged but nodded, “I know. I’m just not very hungry this morning.”

“Well, I’ve got good news for you!” Alice grinned, teetering back on her heels playfully.

“Divorce?”

Alice wrinkled her nose, “No!”

“Right, right, because you’ll lose the best sister ever,” Rhea said jokingly.

The little girl nodded affirmatively, giving her a glare. “I know it’s bad, but it’s only Mother and Scarlett, right? Soon, Henri Jr. will be on our side, too! We’ll outnumber the lot of them!”

Rhea tilted her head back in a laugh, “Of course, of course, how could I forget? Anyway, what’s this news of yours?”

“Good news, Rhea. It’s great, actually,” Alice continued to put off the actual news as she paced around, pretending to look serious.

“Honestly can’t believe that you’re not sitting on the edge of that milk crate, begging me for details.”

Rhea rolled her eyes, chuckling, “Alright, out with it, Ali.” She knew using the fond nickname she had for her little sister usually broke the ruse.

Alice giggled and finally turned to face her, “Okay, okay,” she held up her hands in surrender, “so you know how Father’s been away a lot?” Rhea nodded.

“Well, as it so happens, he’s been working extra hard to take us on a vacation!” the little girl grinned, clapping her hands together. “Well, actually, it’s a work trip. But he wants to brings us with, and we’ll be staying at that fancy inn in Silverwater.”

“Silverwater? That’s quite far.” Rhea turned her eyes skyward for a moment, trying to remember where on her father’s maps that was.

“That’s at least two days one way on a ship. I don’t imagine I’ll be going, though?”

When she looked back at Alice, she noticed the girl looked sullen, “I tried to get them to bring you along. Mother said over her dead body, and Father said until you learn to act like a proper young lady, you won’t be going anywhere. Besides, they said they need someone here to help Portia with keeping the house in shape.”

“It’s okay. I don’t like ships all that much anyway,” Rhea lied, knowing that the memories of her last sea trip were beginning to fade since they were so long ago. She knew she loved the smell of the ocean and the breeze running through her thick hair.

“You’ll be without us for a while, I think. At least a week.” Alice left the unsaid lingering between them.

Rhea caught on to the weight of her words. One week without the hovering, and the overbearing, and the insults. One week of peace and quiet to do whatever she pleased, since she knew Portia didn’t need any help. That woman was capable of running her own military group, let alone an empty house. Rhea reached out to take the girl’s hands, squeezing them softly, “You’ve just given me the best news I’ve had in a while, Alice. Thank you!”

Alice smiled and shimmied a little in happiness, “Make the most of it!”

“I will.”

[short-wooloo]

I'm hoping next episode the kid's parents will get to see their children in action piloting the Onyx Cinder

[taddymason]

and then she proceeds to kill people

(reference from a panel of jjk chapter 89)

[pilot-boi]

How does cinder react to the bunny? Does she try and go for murder round 2?

You know how hares stare at people? Like they’re a thousand years old and have watched their brethren decay?

That’s how Jaune stares at Cinder when she steps through the portal

Cinder just blinks at the creature. And then she smiles

Her arm is Grimm. She can feel the creature fighting for control, drawing on her soul. She has made it fear her, cowed it into submission. She is a monster of her own making, fire and hunger pulse through her veins

And here stands a monster of someone else’s making. Horns and ears, scars like claws and too many limbs. A thousand yard stare boring into her from eyes she remembers filling with tears before she snuffed out their light

She never knew the old man had it in him. Salem was right, he isn’t any better

The boy’s partner is spitting venomous words at her, calling her a coward and a traitor. But the boy is silent. Empty. His hands slack at his sides. He looks ready to bolt

Or ready to tear out her throat

He’s not a boy any longer. He’s twitching, his ears are flat against his head. He’s not a person, he’s an animal. Feral and dangerous

Her mistress gave her Grimm to replace her missing arm. The boy was missing so much more, and his patron filled in the blanks the same way. The boy’s partner thinks he’s different than her, but Cinder knows the truth

He’s not a boy. He’s a monster. They both are.

Her smile widens. His pupils contract and he bares his teeth like a beast

“I’m going to enjoy killing you again.”

And he lunges at her