#because his goal was to have the 'traitor' inflict the killing blow and have no way for anyone to figure out who did so that the | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

bloodraven55 · 5 years

Text

Gaslighting as a Form of Abuse in RWBY

With another comic focussing on an abuse victim having just been released today in the form of Weiss’ issue of the DC comic series, I want to tackle another analysis post in the hopes of bringing some more understanding surrounding emotional abuse to this fandom because in some parts it seems to be sorely needed.

There are a couple of points I’d like to address in this post, the first being the identity of the person speaking to Weiss during the sections set post-V3 in the comic. Most people assume it to be Jacques, but some also think it might be Willow. I can understand both arguments, and I’m not totally decided myself yet on which I think it is.

On the one hand, the type of abuse seems more subtle and manipulative compared to Jacques’ usual direct and aggressive approach, and we’re never actually shown who’s talking, which could suggest Weiss’ mother. But on the other hand the only thing we know about Willow is that she drinks to excess and fights with Jacques a lot so there isn’t really any basis to assume she would be manipulative towards Weiss, and the tone of the dialogue does fit Jacques’ sleazy and condescendingly pleasant demeanour that he assumes when he’s pretending to be nice to Weiss like in V4, so it would also make a lot of sense for it to be him.

For the purposes of this article I’m simply going to refer to them as Weiss’ parent to avoid any confusion and prevent me having to change it later if we get more information or I form a concrete stance on who it is. Their identity doesn’t impact the content of the post at all so it seemed the most logical solution.

With that covered, let’s move on to the main thing I want to talk about, which is the parallels between the way that Weiss’ parent gaslights her in the comic and the way that Adam gaslights Blake multiple times throughout the show but primarily in his Character Short.

“You are not the first Schnee in history to suffer disappointment, and this behaviour is really rather excessive…”

“Blake, I'm sorry. I told you it was an accident.”

This first part is representative of the main principle of gaslighting, which is to undermine the other person’s judgement and make them doubt their own ability to think rationally so that they’ll act the way you want them to.

Weiss’ parent diminishes her suffering by claiming it’s no worse than what other people have been through before—an interesting reference to the quote in the White Trailer which directly contradicts it by stating that “everyone is entitled to their own sorrow, for the heart has no metrics or forms of measure”—to invalidate Weiss’ pain.

Adam downplays the importance of innocents being killed on his missions by framing them as mere “accidents” to make Blake seem paranoid and foolish for being concerned by them and prefaces it with an insincere apology so that she’ll immediately feel bad because she thinks she’s hurt his feelings.

These both show the abuser using the way they talk to make it seem like the victim is totally detached from reality and as though their point of view on the situation must be false, leaving the abuser’s way of seeing things as the only correct option.

“Weiss, I just… don’t understand why you’re behaving this way. You act as though you’ve been kidnapped or imprisoned, and that is simply not what happened.”

“I don't know. I'm out there fighting for us, and when you fight, people get hurt.”

This is a continuation of the first part, further cementing the supposed “irrational” nature of the victim’s behaviour and showcasing the abuser moulding the scenario so that they’re never the one in the wrong.

Weiss’ parent feigns confusion and disbelief at the fact that Weiss is upset at being dragged away from her school and friends against her will, insisting that she isn’t being forced to stay and outright denying the validity of Weiss’ perception of what happened.

Adam dismisses Blake’s concerns at the deaths he’s caused by shifting the blame away from himself, falsely presenting the loss of life as an inevitability of fighting, and placing himself as the victim who’s having his heroism questioned.

In both cases the abuser warps reality to make themself seem as though they’re in the right so that the victim will stop trusting their own perception of events and come to believe that their abuser is right.

“It is natural to be unhappy to leave Beacon Academy, but friends come and go, and go more often as they get older… but family is forever.” / “And if you did have to leave those radicals, those ‘friends’ behind, well… all the better.”

“What, do you want me to just abandon our cause? Like your parents?”

This part ties into another major aspect of emotional abuse which is isolating the victim from their support network of friends and/or family so that they have nowhere else to go and no one else to rely on. However, it is also another example of gaslighting as it involves making those close to the victim appear like the bad guys in order to push the victim away from the people who might try to help them and further into the abuser’s control.

Weiss’ parent describes Weiss’ friends as “radicals” and mocks her bond with them, saying that it was good for Weiss to leave them and reminding her that she’s alone now without them, even spinning it to sound like they never cared about Weiss at all in the first place and as though her family—a.k.a. them—are the only people she can trust.

Adam deliberately brings up Blake’s parents, which he knows is a vulnerable topic for her, to remind her that they’re “traitors” and brand her a traitor too by association, reinforcing the idea that he is the only one she has left.

I suspect that this is the aspect of gaslighting that most people have the least trouble identifying since it basically amounts to guilt-tripping and even the majority of people without much knowledge of emotional abuse are aware of how that works.

“Weiss, sweetheart, please, don’t sulk!” / “Weiss, I love you, but you are really quite overreacting to the whole thing.”

“I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought them up. I just get scared when it feels like you don't believe in me anymore.”

This part I think is what blinds a lot of people to the fact that emotional abuse and manipulation is happening. And that’s because the abuser offers what might appear to be a sincere expression of affection or a genuine apology, when in reality it’s simply a way of convincing the victim that everything that they’re going through is for their own good and that their abuser has their best interests at heart.

Weiss’ parent calls her “sweetheart” and tells Weiss they love her, while in the same breath solidifying the idea that her behaviour is unwarranted and undermining her grievances.

Adam apologises for mentioning Blake’s parents after the damage is already done, while in the same breath making Blake feel guilty for being worried that he’s killing people and making it her job to reassure him instead of the other way around. He deliberately blows what she says out of proportion so that he can pretend to feel hurt in order to illicit sympathy from her.

The veneer of niceness that the abuser uses to hide the way they double down on their manipulation is what makes this facet of abuse hard to spot and can lead other people as well as the victim into thinking that the abuser is right because they seem to be being honest, when in reality it’s all part of how they manage to deceive their victim as well as sometimes serving the added purpose of further isolating the victim from their support network as the people close to them will often side with the abuser here.

“At a certain point, you have to take responsibility for your role in all of this. If you choose to continue in this way, Weiss, then we will have no choice but to keep you here. And you’ll have only yourself to answer to.”

“Why did you have to come into my life and ruin everything?!” / “… but not before you’ve suffered for your betrayal, my love.” / “I wouldn’t have to be doing this if you’d just behave.”

And this final part is a clear example of the end goal of emotional abuse, which is to make the victim think that everything bad that happens is their fault. This is achieved by distorting their perception of reality via gaslighting, as we’ve already covered, so that they trust their abuser’s judgement before their own and will believe it when they’re told that they’re the one to blame for the harm that the abuser causes.

Weiss’ parent makes it Weiss’ fault that she’s not okay with being confined within her own house in a relentlessly unpleasant environment and puts the blame for it on Weiss while claiming to have “no choice” but to inflict pain on her.

Adam places responsibility for the results of his own actions—a.k.a. Blake leaving him, his losing power in the White Fang, etc.—on Blake instead of himself and insists that if she doesn’t “behave” then he has no option but to punish her.

When people in this fandom blame Weiss and Blake to any extent whatsoever for the actions of their abusers, they’re doing the same thing as Weiss’ parent and Adam do here. It’s victim blaming pure and simple, and y’all who are still saying that Weiss deserved to be “disciplined” by Jacques and denying Adam’s abuse of Blake need to just stop.

If you’re interested in reading some of my sources, then here’s a list:

How to Recognize Gaslighting and Get Help

11 Warning Signs of Gaslighting

What is gaslighting? And how do you know if it's happening to you?

You’re Not Going Crazy: 15 Signs You’re a Victim of Gaslighting

#rwby #weiss schnee #blake belladonna #adam taurus #rwby analysis #my analysis #rwby meta #my meta #tw abuse #abuse tw #tw gaslighting #gaslighting tw

229 notes · View notes

sweetestrequiems · 4 years

Text

Goodbye, Hoshido

Summary: You finally reached the Hoshidan capital. Little did you know, though, that you’d have to sacrifice Ryōma’s life in order to continue your control of the lands with Nohr. With the siege on the Great Wall of Suzanoh over, and your forces moving to Castle Shirasagi, you face the most difficult decision of your life yet. But, you did not realize that the fight would come at the cost of your body being taken over by an ancient power.

Character(s): Female!Corrin (Will be referred to as Kamui.) Crown Prince of Nohr, Xander Crown Prince of Hoshido, Ryōma

TW: graphic description of death, violence, blood proceed with caution.

A/N: Because my dumb ass was listening to Lost in Thoughts, All Alone on repeat and also sad, this is what happened. Written in a mixture of second and third person points of view. (You/Yours/Him/His) Pretty much a deviance from my normal works (i.e.: Broadway/West End shows), but I have a soft spot for this peculiar installment of the Fire Emblem franchise. Fates captivated my heart with its story, and with the moral choices it forces Corrin to take. I really wanted to write the Revelation route, but Conquest is just so much more fun. And, I owned Conquest first of all the three.

This is my take on Chapter 25: Ryōma, of Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest. (Note: Ryōma, in the games, dies by a different manner. I just wanted to have fun and write something that deviates from the story.) And yes, Kamui does indeed get taken over by Anakos.

Tag List: @bchcadcd

––––––––––

Your steps felt heavy against the bricks of the Hoshidan Capital, but you kept walking forward.

The Yato felt like a screaming fire in your hands, but you kept holding on to your beloved blade.

The gold of the blade was tarnished in the crimson of the blood of the Hoshidan army. Most everyone had fallen, and by your hands. This blood is something you would never be able to wash off. A hand grabs your shoulder and stops you in your tracks. You turn around, to find it’s none other than the blond wielder of the Siegfried, Xander. His gaze looked concerned, and you could see it in his eyes. Part of you could get lost in that gorgeous gaze of his.

“Kamui.” His voice was a tad abrasive at the moment, but you knew it held soft undertones. “Are you okay? You haven’t spoken much since we left the Great Wall of Suzanoh,” that’s where his voice softened up. With a nod, you just shake off whatever’s bothering you. The Grim Yato’s purplish glow was a bit of a comforting sight to you, but nonetheless, the blood was not as much. Your voice is quite mellow, but your expression reads troubled.

“I’m fine, Xander. Really, I can handle this.”

He didn’t look very reassured, but his hand lets go of you and the two of you continue to walk. The blade of the Yato rested on your shoulders, as a way for you to give your arm a break from carrying it so much. Castle Shirasagi looked a little too desolate on the outside, which began to worry you. You had just spared Sakura and Hinoka, and Takumi had gone missing during the seize on the Great Wall. Your brain was reeling with thoughts and uncertainty, which even Xander himself was feeling. Knowing you two had one task left at hand, you both drew your blades and opened up the doors.

“Go to the Throne Room, Kamui. I’ll fetch the others, and wait for us there.” Just as soon as he had come in with you, he left.

You remember the layout of the castle. This was your family’s home. Your brothers, and your sisters... all of them lived here. But with Takumi gone, and your sisters in hiding... this became nothing. Your feet against the tatami made a soft thud noise with every step. The Grim Yato’s glow began to get brighter the closer you inched to the throne room. It was detecting the energy of Ryōma’s blade, the fabled Raijintō. You kept following it, hoping to maybe speak to Ryōma.

The sounds behind you grew louder with time. Xander had returned with everyone, and you had just opened the door to the throne room.

There he stood, the red samurai. Eldest of the Hoshidan noble family, the Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Hoshido: Ryōma, with the Raijintō sheathed, yet in his hands.

“Kamui, you have done well so far,” the unsheathing of the electric-pulsing blade immediately lit the torches in the room up. You saw his eyes full of both pain and love. This was a fate he never wanted to accept, that he would be going against his little sister. “But all of that was just practice. No more games, young one. To the death.”

This speech, of course, was cut short by that vile Iago. You hated him from day one. You knew something about him was off. And in the way that he threw Hinoka’s lance at Ryōma, you knew the chance to talk was over. He pinned a false death on you, and... well, you had to go along with it. Your face was full of shame and regret, as to go along with the act, but... Ryōma’s features, lit by the torchlight, looked rough.

Betrayal replaced the love in his eyes.

The doors to the throne room close behind you, with everyone else trapped on the outside. You turn around, yelling for someone to come back in. “Xander! Xander please! Open the door!” But even with the attempts one could hear, the door would not budge. Xander’s calming voice would be what brings you peace in this moment of fear. “Stand strong, Kamui! We’ll find our way in there!”

The second you turned around, the blade of the Raijintō was coming down upon you with fury. Bringing up the Yato, you stumble back a step or two, crying out from fear. Your brother’s rage was something you were blessed to have never witnessed, but it was truly a difficult sight to bear. “YOU MURDERING FIEND!”

“Ryōma, please–”

“I will have revenge for my sister! I challenge you to a duel!! I will not rest until I kill you myself, you traitorous scum! When the sun sets on this day, one of us will be dead. No one will get between me and my revenge!” The force on his blade doubled as you struggled to keep your ground. With all of your might, you manage to push your eldest brother back, and stare at him with pained eyes. “Ryōma, please! We can talk this out!”

But it was too late. The samurai was set on his one goal of avenging Hinoka, blissfully unaware that you had actually spared her.

Before you even managed a chance to catch your ground on the tatami, the Raijintō was coming right for your side. The smallest bit of the end of the blade cuts into your skin, and you cry out, needing to step back. The side of your body began to feel a little warm as that crimson liquid that had dried on your Yato was now running down your side. Looking up, you see the samurai you call a brother winding up for another attack, the Raijintō now showing off its true aura of electricity. The fire from the torches was dancing around the sleek katana’s blade.

This was not how you wanted to take Hoshido, but it seemed this was the only way to do so.

Your hands tighten around the hilt of the Yato. Forcing yourself to ignore the pain, you just begin to run down the corridor of the throne room, swinging the golden blade of your sword in a diagonal that would catch Ryōma off guard. And it did, as the top layer of armor he wore across his chest cracked upon the hard blow of your blade. In fact, just a small part of the edge of the blade got lodged in it, and you had to force yourself to yank it off of him.

“I see, you truly have been practicing. Well done, Kamui. But... I cannot bear to look at you. You’re a traitor to your family. To your home!”

It was a dance of blades. His Raijintō versus your Yato.

The sound of the metal clashing was driving you mad. You paused for a moment, seeming to look defeated. But instead, a rage began to consume you. Your dragon roots, due to Anakos’ blood being your own. Looking up at the tall ceiling of the throne room, you release a dragon’s cry into the air. The people outside of the locked throne room all seemed to have gone quiet. Your gaze goes down to meet Ryōma’s, and he looks a little shaken himself. Your red gaze seems to have hardened, because you feel your eyebrows furrowed.

You look down at yourself, to come find your Silent Dragon’s features have taken over parts of your body. Your hands are the menacing talons you used to crush Hoshidan soldiers at the Great Wall of Suzanoh, your silver tail has broken a hole into the tatami behind you, and your dragon’s horns have revealed themselves. Your grip on the Yato tightens, snd you charge forward, newfound strength coming from this rage. The first swing you manage to take against Ryōma in this state of yours lodges the golden blade into his torso, with a cry coming from the Crown Prince.

In a frantic display, the prince manages to dislodge himself from your blade’s grasp, hand going to cover the wound. It was pretty deep, but he would never admit defeat. You see the sparks fly from the Raijintō, and you knew what was coming for you. Deciding to ignore his wound, the Crown Prince charged forward, unleashing his fabled Astra attack. A blur of five strikes, which caught you off guard. You find yourself stumbling back, and even falling to the tatami, several open wounds on your body.

But just as he began his charge again, you raise up your left hand. Catching the blade as he began his strike, your eyes open and a leg comes up. Enough to kick him back, and make him drop the blade.

“Kamui, hold on a little longer!” You hear Xander call from outside. Little would he know though, that you were not yourself.

Standing up with a struggle, your grip on the Yato tightens once more. Another dragon’s cry. You begin to run towards him, with the golden blade striking downwards. He managed to get the Raijintō in his hands on time, but struggled to block your attack. Deflected the first, but the second was a strike. The voices of hatred were screaming in your head. “Death, death!” They chant, and you can't help but want to oblige. Ryōma stands up, needing the support of his blade to actually stand up. You managed to inflict quite a few wounds that were deep enough to cause concern.

However, you had had enough.

An attack Ryōma would never expect is a lunge forward, and a lunge forward is what you met him with. Just as you narrowly avoided his diagonal slash, it moved him into perfect position. The golden blade is driven into the top right sector of his chest, right by his collarbone. Your ears picked up the breaking of bones, and the sound of him gasping in an instant. “Further, further!” The voices screamed about the blade. As you continued to run, the golden blade began to exit out his back, and you could see the crimson running down it. Kicking him away from the blade inflicted more pain, as well.

He immediately fell down in front of you, hand coming to clutch the area, knowing damn well it would not be enough. Looking up, the fear in his eyes began to set in. “Kamui–” Your voice echoed as you spoke. This was not you speaking anymore, but rather, a wrathful Anakos. “Kamui is no more, pitiful fool. Only I reign supreme, and just soon... there will be no more of Hoshido!”

He struggles to stand up this time. You watch him struggle, and even allow it. But you got sick of all of this. Throwing your Yato to the side, you simply prepared to dash forward. You wanted to end this here, and now. So, you would. And in quite a gruesome style.

Ryōma barely had any time to look up or prepare to defend himself as your black-taloned hands began to reach for his body. A dragon’s talons were sharper than anything man could imagine, and being a Silent Dragon, you had an edge of being a descendant of the First Dragons. Just as your left hand tightly gripped his neck, your right swung right into the wound on his torso, the size of your claws helping to tear through the skin. The bones of the lower ribs cracked with the impact of your fist, and the insides were all suffering grievous damage. The Crown Prince found himself crying out for help.

No one was going to come to his aid, though.

Your bloodied right hand retracts itself, but your claws dig right back into his skin. He was beginning to lose grip on your left arm in an attempt to stop your other arm. But alas, he was unable to. Raking your right hand up from the wound, you made sure your claws were deep enough to cause real damage. That’s when you look up to see him cough. Blood was beginning to come out of his mouth. Letting go of his neck, you push him down, with your dragon’s tail swinging hard enough to knock him right to the floor.

He looked pitiful, and you stood over him with blood dripping from your arm.

“K-Kamui!”

Just as he reached up with an arm to beg for his life, you forcefully brought your right arm down, claws piercing through the skin and with force enough to rip a hole into his chest. The life in his eyes almost immediately left, and he began to turn pale. With a tight grip on bone, you crush his already broken ribs. Your vision grew redder for a moment. Carnal instinct took over, and your left hand came to join the right, you needing to make sure he was out for the count all together.

As your hands exit the partially open chest cavity of the body, you stand up, the warm, gory liquid dripping from your arms. The door on the other side of the throne room breaks open. It must have been the work of Leo and the Brynhildr tome. The Nohrian nobles rush in, seeing if you’re okay. But they all stand back, fear in their eyes as you look right up at them. That same, echoing voice from your ancestor being what speaks to them.

“He was first of many, and you are all next.”

All you saw was Camilla immediately hug Elise, as to cover her eyes from the blood splatter. Leo, with his jaw hanging and his mouth agape in horror. Xander, with fear in his eyes and a tense body. He raises Siegfried up in a defensive stance, with Leo joining him by opening up Brynhildr. You laugh at their attempt, but Camilla soon joins with her axe resting on her shoulder.

“Kamui, what have you done?”

“You just ruined our chances at–”

“I ruined nothing. This prince believed himself a rightful warrior, and I gave him but a worthy challenge he could not complete.”

The family is mortified at your words. You stare down at the body below you, letting a laugh or two escape. The blood from your arms had dripped onto Ryōma’s cadaver. His face and hair had the red liquid that once gave him life on it. You just stare at the ripped open body with a smirk, eventually looking up at Xander.

“You’re next, Nohrian Prince.”

#Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest #Fire Emblem Fates fanfiction #fire emblem fanfiction #Chapter 25: Ryoma #Crown Prince Xander of Nohr #Crown Prince Ryōma of Hoshido #Female!Corrin (Fire Emblem)#Angsty Fridays with Kit

4 notes · View notes