#rwby rhodes

[anthurak]

I mean, technically Rhodes was risking himself just by training cinder in the first place, he may have truly believed that running away meant she’d always be running

The fact he was secretly training her at all was potentially against the law

Answer me something: What actual risk was Rhodes putting himself in by training Cinder? What ACTUAL repercussions might he have faced if it were found out that he was training a young 'servant' (BIG-ass airquotes there) girl? A slap on the wrist? A scolding perhaps? Being banned from the establishment? Like you said, he was only potentially breaking the law.

You know what WOULD have been breaking the law? What would have been a REAL risk for Rhodes to take in order to help Cinder? Getting her out of that hotel.

But he didn't do that, did he?

You can give Rhodes all the sympathetic hand-wringing you like, at the end of the day, Midnight made it abundantly clear EXACTLY how far Rhodes was actually willing to go to help Cinder:

Right up to the point where helping Cinder would require him to break the law. After that? Well that's just too bad. The law which, mind you, was totally okay with child slavery.

When it came down to either helping an abused, tortured young girl, or upholding 'The System', Rhodes picked the system.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Rhodes was not a 'bad' guy, but he also wasn't an especially good guy either. At least not where and when it truly MATTERED to be good.

#rwby #rwby ask #anon ask #rwby rhodes #Cinder Fall #i hope this has made my feelings on rhodes clear

[ficretus]

Jaune is anti Rhodes

This isn't really a new revelation or anything, just wanted to throw my thoughts about it.

As we briefly see in Cinder's flashback, Rhodes is model Huntsman, attracting attention of hotel visitors. Meanwhile Jaune is fraud. He enrolled with forged transcripts, he never finished his education at Beacon and got his Huntsman license ahead of time at Atlas. So they are already opposites in that regard, true Huntsman against pretender.

However, you can pit Jaune against any legitimate Huntsman in that regard, it doesn't make Rhodes any special. They are also opposites in their morality, more specifically, prioritization of upholding law or morality. Rhodes knew very well that Cinder was abused for years, yet he did bare minimum of teaching her how to fight. When she inevitably lashed out, he sided with the law and tried to apprehend her. So despite knowing what is happening to Cinder at Glass Unicorn is immoral, Rhodes does nothing because he knows it's within the law (I guess child protection laws at Atlas are dogshit) and only truly steps in when Cinder herself breaks the law. This is stark contrast to Jaune, especially Atlas arc Jaune. When faced with dilemma of either following orders or upholding his moral values he chose latter and turned against Ironwood. This makes Rhodes real Huntsman but fake hero, while Jaune is fake Huntsman but real hero.

Similarities and contrasts even extending to their visual design. While in some regards similar design, both being knight like figures, chosen colors nicely contrast each other.

Rhodes has dark hair with purple glint- Jaune has blond hair

Rhodes has dark skin- Jaune has pale skin

Rhodes' breastplate is dark- Jaune's breastplate is white

Rhodes' sleeves are blue- Jaune's sleeves are black, but with orange details at elbows

Even their shades contast, Rhodes's colors being mostly dark and muted, while Jaune is very brightly colored.

I don't think their similarities and contrasts are coincidental. Cinder's flashback ties relatively well to her encounter with Jaune back in Volume 5. Blade she used to fight Jaune (after remarking she is starting to remember him) is retroactively made to resemble the blade Rhodes gave her back then. Her backstory and especially its conclusion feel like an answer to Jaune's rant (Jaune's rant ending with "all with that smile on your face" while Cinder's backstory ends with her cracking a pained smile after killing everyone).

This could have no major ramifications for the story, but I'd find it pretty interesting if they ended up tying it all back to Cinder. Because their initial encounter with her is another contrast. Rhodes sees her as a good kid that is being abused, Jaune sees her as evil abuser. However, when Cinder hits her low point of backstory, Rhodes turned his back on her and denounced her. We've never seen Jaune interact with Cinder at her low point, but it would be interesting if it once again contrasts Rhodes. If instead of seeing her as a monster he decides to help her.

#jaune arc #rwby jaune arc #cinder fall #rwby cinder fall #rwby volume 8 #rwby rhodes

[kaen-ace-of-diamonds]

see I was going to say that a trained-by-Summer Cinder might just be in the same position as she was in the Glass Unicorn, with a mentor who will look on and not defend her when her stepmother abuses her

but then I remembered

Rhodes wouldn't even look at her

#rhodes: listen if i don't see it then i don't have to do anything about it. i am a good huntsman. #cut to years later #summer: listen. you know i'd bite her head off. i could. but it would just grow back and be annoyed at both of us. #cinder: [can't catch a god damn break] #cinder fall #summer rose #rwby rhodes #rwby salem #RWBY #kaen rambles

[aspoonofsugar]

Just Another Cinderella Story

Cinderella is the Queen of Fairy Tales and one of the most universally known stories, with at least 345 different versions. So, it is no surprise this allusion is so relevant in RWBY, which gives it to one of its key characters and a Queen in her own right ;)

Not only is Cinder’s allusion at the root of her tragic past, but it is also important for her current storyline thanks to a series of symbols and motifs elegantly interwoven into the narrative. This meta will explore said imagery by focusing on 4 key elements found in all Cinderellas stories:

Evil Stepmother

Fairy Godparent

Prince

Slippers

The Stepmother, the Godparent and the Prince are found in the series twice: in Cinder’s background and in the main story itself. This shows that Cinder is stuck in the cycle of abuse. No matter how powerful she becomes or that she is now an adult. Deep down she is still a broken child, who can’t find her freedom.

When it comes to the Slippers, they are instead present in at least 4 different shapes, which makes them incredibly important for Cinder’s arc. They foreshadow the outcome of her story and can be used to explore Cinder’s character in all her complexity. In short, just like in the fairy-tale, they tell us who the real Cinder is, what is her major conflict and the characters, who’ll help her deal with it.

Let’s now start dancing with our Cinderella and see the woman who appears once midnight strikes!

CINDERELLA’S FIRST DANCE

You're no good I hope you know That your life is of no use And the truth is that No one's ever loved you

At her root, Cinder is a child, who is unloved in 2 different ways.

On the one hand there is an Evil Stepmother, who hates her:

On the other hand there is a Fairy Godfather, who does not love her enough:

Madame’s violence and abuse and Rhodes’s indifference and weak love are why Cinder is who she is. In a sense:

Cinder: Without you I am nothing. But because of you, I am everything.

Madame and Rhodes were Cinder’s everything and even now everything Cinder is can be traced back to them. Symbolically, their failure as parents runs so deep that Cinder doesn’t even get a chance to go to the dance:

Rhodes: Then we’ve got about seven years.

Cinder: For what?

Rhodes: To train you for the Huntsman exam.

Cinder’s big festival is meant to be the Huntsman exam, where she can show the world who she really is. Not a worthless slave, but a skilled Huntress. However, the Evil Stepmother’s hate and the Fairy Godfather’s lack of love make so Cinder never gets this opportunity and she slips deeper into the cracks of the system.

At the same time, Rhodes does not play only the part of the Fairy Godmother, but also that of the Prince, which means he fails Cinder in an additional way.

Deep down, what Cinder wants is not to be a Huntress, but to be free and loved. This is why Rhodes becomes a beacon of hope in her horrible life. She imitates his hairstyle, looks forward to his visits and is sad whenever he leaves. This turns their sparring sessions under the moonlight into true dances:

Ozpin: If you think about it, fighting and dancing aren't so different. Two partners interlocked, although one wrong move on the ballroom merely leads to a swollen foot.

After their dance, the Prince is supposed to meet Cinderella covered in ashes and dirt. However, he still recognizes the beautiful girl thanks to the slipper and takes her to the palace. This is what Rhodes is supposed to do. He should see Cinder for who she is and accept everything about her. However, he doesn’t. The moment midnight comes and Cinder shows herself in all her complexity, Rhodes refuses her and brings tragedy to them both.

The Prince’s refusal forces Cinderella to fight for her freedom. In the process, she takes her 2 Slippers by force:

Rhodes’s Twin Swords are important plot devices in Cinder’s flashback, as they drive Cinder’s actions and kick in both Cinder and Rhodes’s first meeting and Cinder killing her adoptive family. At the same time, they clearly serve as Cinder’s first pair of Slippers. She uses them to “dance” with her Prince during their training sessions and she is given one as a memory of their last meeting:

Moreover, she is promised the other once she is ready to become a true Huntress (aka a Princess):

Rhodes: Just a few more years and you won’t need your guardian’s permission. You’ll be free.

Finally, as all weapons, the Twins Swords are metaphors for Cinder’s true self:

Just weapons? They're an extension of ourselves! They're a part of us! Oh, they're so cool.

To be more specific, they are intertwined with Cinder’s wish for freedom in 2 complementary ways:

They symbolize power, which Cinder wants to use to free herself (active)

They are gifts from a loved one, who can free Cinder (passive)

Cinder is both a violent victim, who wants to punish her tormentors and a victimized child, who wants to be given care and gifts. She wants not to be hurt and to matter for someone. She is angry and hungry. This is her duality, which is conveyed by the Swords. She manages to walk on a fine line between these 2 sides of herself until Rhodes betrays her. By this point, she has her dream of love and care broken and is left with only a longing for power.

However, she can’t free herself with that. Cinder needs both to affirm who she is through her own inner strength (active) and to be helped by someone in doing so (passive). How can she succeed, though? To discover it, let’s see how her Cinderella story is repeating itself in the present and if there is any hope for the cycle to be broken.

THE EVIL GODMOTHER’S SLIPPERS

Salem is the Evil Godmother, who combines the Evil Stepmother and the Fairy Godmother. She is basically a mix between Madame and Rhodes, in terms of both Cinder’s desires and of Cinder’s abuse.

It is clear Cinder envies both her “parents”. On the one hand she wants Madame’s power and status. On the other hand she wants Rhodes’s freedom. These ideas manifest in Cinder’s persona and demeanor. She dresses like the Madame, but fights like Rhodes. She wants to be at the very top of the system, like Madame in her eyes is. However, she also desires to be an outsider, like she believes Rhodes to be:

Cinder: Like you? You can do whatever you want, go wherever you want.

This is why she exhibits conflicting behaviors. She presents herself as a force of chaos, who refuses society’s hierarchies and rules:

Cinder: You Atlas elites are all the same! You think hoarding power means you'll have it forever, but it just makes the rest of us hungrier. And I refuse to starve.

However, she deep down keeps applying classism to herself and others:

Watts: You think you're entitled to everything just because you've suffered, but suffering isn't enough! You can't just be strong, you have to be smart! You can't just be deserving, you have to be worthy! But all you have ever been, is a bloody migrane!

She wants to destroy society, but also for others to see she is at the very top of it. This is why Salem, who is somehow outside the system (she is literally above the cycle of life and death) and yet controls it becomes the mentor Cinder wants to emulate.

At the same time, Salem is Cinder’s bad parents in one and traps Cinder in abuse, just like Madame and Rhodes did.

In her childhood, Madame is Cinder’s abuser that forces her to obey through pain and fear. Rhodes brings instead dreams and wishes into Cinder’s life. He promises a better future in exchange of her being a good girl, who handles her abuse “correctly”:

Rhodes: But hurting them isn’t going to make your life any better. You can run, but you’re going to be running for the rest of your life. Or you could find another way to handle it.

Madame embodies fear and Rhodes embodies wishes. Together they are why Cinder is unable to leave the Glass Unicorn. Salem obtains the same result, but manages on her own.

She controls Cinder through fear and violence:

And manipulates her through promises and desires:

She uses both weapons according to how she needs Cinder to feel and to behave. In this way, she balances being Cinder’s abuser (Madame) and her mentor (Rhodes).

However, the desire Salem promises to fulfill is just a pale imitation of Rhodes’s one. Rhodes represents freedom and love, while Salem embodies power. This is because Cinder has given up on the formers and has shifted her focus towards the latter:

Cinder: I want to be strong. I want to be feared. I want to be powerful.

Salem promises to turn Cinder into a copy of herself and delivers through costumized slippers:

It is not by chance Cinder’s emblem appears on her back the moment she takes Amber’s powers. It symbolizes that the Maiden powers are the Slippers Salem is using to make Cinder dance for her. This is also why, the moment she gets the powers, Cinder burns Midnight and starts making her own weapons out of magic and glass:

It is as if she is trying to overcome Rhodes by making a statement. She does not need his teachings and weapons anymore because she can now make magical slippers out of thin air. She is a Cinderella that needs no Fairy Godmother nor Prince. Still, Cinder’s Maiden powers are not really hers, but rather Salem’s and they come with the side effect of slowly turning Cinder into a Grimm, just like those she used to clean:

Cinder’s hunger for power is only trapping her into abuse and servitude. She does not realize that her current slippers are rooted in Destruction and leading her towards monstrosity, rather than humanity. Still, if there is Darkness, there is also Light and Salem’s Grimm Slippers are juxtaposed to the Prince’s Silver Slippers:

Maria: The Creatures of Grimm were made by the God of Darkness, but your light comes from his brother.

THE PRINCE’S SLIPPERS

Ruby and Cinder’s connection is set up in volume 2, when Cinder goes to the dance under the condition she must be back before midnight:

Emerald: It appears all the dancers have partners.

Cinder: How long do I have?

Mercury: You should probably be home by midnight, to be safe.

Her magical evening has her dancing with a young charming Little Red Riding Hood:

And losing her glass slipper (her weapons and clothes), so that she can disappear into the crowd and leave her pursuers with questions and mystery.

Ruby meeting Cinder the night of the dance and after Ozpin draws a parallel between dancing and fighting leaves no doubt: Ruby is the Prince, who will see Cinder for who she is and save her. To fulfill this role, Ruby is equipped with her very own pair of slippers:

Ozpin: Ruby Rose... You... have silver eyes.

In The Wizard of Oz Dorothy’s slippers are silver, just like Ruby’s eyes, which RWBY’s Wizard himself conveniently points out for the viewers to notice.

However, the Prince’s first attempt to use her Slippers on Cinderella does not really work out. It becomes instead a traumatic moment for both girls. Ruby activates her eyes out of shock and grief, freezes a giant Wyvern and strips Cinder of her new-found powers kickstarting her quest for revenge. Cinder is defeated when she thinks to be invincible and this leaves a huge psychological scar, which she tries to hide with arrogance, anger and hate. At the root of this failure, there is this:

Ruby: You said the light only reacts to Grimm, but... I used it during our battle at Haven. It reacted to Cinder.

Maria: “Maybe there was something there you just weren’t seeing”

Right now, Ruby is unable to properly see Cinder because Cinder is doing her damn best to hide her victimhood and humanity. She presents herself as a monster to hide her vulnerability and Ruby’s challenge will be to see the person behind the grimm. The Child eaten by the Big Bad Wolf, as @misstrashchan​ explains in this great meta. Only in this way Cinder can escape midnight and the time that stopped with Rhodes’s death can start running once again.

This is also why the setting of their first dance will probably be the stage of their final one:

Beacon Tower is a giant clock and its fall symbolizes both the Beacon of Hope losing its Light and the Time being frozen, just like the Grimm at its top:

Taiyang: Things at Vale are under control, but the school... It's... it's not that simple. That thing, whatever it is, doesn't seem to be dead. Don't get me wrong, you did a number on it. But it's not disappearing. It's... kind of... frozen. I know that doesn't sound too bad, but it keeps attracting more Grimm to the school.

The Wyvern is symbolic of all the characters’ trauma. It is a monster which is now where once the light was, like an untreated festering wound. It is Ruby’s trauma, that she buries deep within herself, so that it is inoffensive, but also impossible to solve. It is Cinder’s who is pushed into the shadows of society, until she becomes strong and dangerous enough to resurface and bring destruction. Just like the giant Grimm. So, for the 2 characters to solve their respective issues, it makes sense that they would meet again where their relationship began. This time, though, they can do things properly: the Hunter saves the Child and Cinderella is freed.

Thematically, both characters will be asked to choose between Creation and Destruction. Will Ruby choose to save or to kill with her eyes? Will she see Cinder as the Grimm that she has become or as the child she once was? And will Cinder choose Salem (a mother figure, the past) or Ruby (a child, the future)?  Will it be power or choice that grants her freedom? And what will Cinder do once unchained? Who will she be when Midnight comes?

To answer these questions, it is necessary to firstly understand who Cinder is right now. Luckily, the last pair of Slippers makes it clear.

CINDERELLA’S SLIPPERS

Emerald and Mercury are taken in by Cinder in scenes that mirror respectively her first and last meeting with Rhodes. This conveys 2 things:

Emerald and Mercury are weapons she picks up, just like she takes the Twin Swords from Rhodes (by stealing > Emerald) and Madame (by killing > Mercury) in the 2 above mentioned scenes

Emerald and Mercury are Cinder’s childhood selves she is unconsciously trying to rescue

This duality is specifically why her bond with Emerald and Mercury is so nuanced. It is familial on some level, but Cinder’s experience with family is abusive, so she weaponizes and objectifies the kids.

In short, she turns who could have been a real family into a pair of weapons to use against her enemies. Her fight with Amber makes it clear:

Cinder is able to win against the Maiden specifically because she uses Emerald and Mercury as tools and smoke screens. She sends them after Amber, so that they can distract her with their abilities (Emerald’s semblance that confuses Amber and Mercury’s legs that let him withstand her elemental attacks). She joins the fight later on to deal damage, but is quick to fake her defeat, so that Amber’s focus stays on the kids. Finally, she finishes Amber off when her guard is down. In short, Cinder is symbolically using Emerald and Mercury as the Twin Swords, all to get a better pair of Slippers:

This frame’s very telling. The focus on Cinder’s feet hints to the Slippers, just like the similar frame in Midnight. However, here there are all 3 pairs of Slippers:

1) Midnight - Cinder’s past, the Twin Swords and Rhodes, whom she is desperately trying to leave behind

2) Amber - Who Cinder superficially wants to be, someone powerful, who has ironically just lost a fight against Cinder’s childhood selves

3) Emerald - Who deep down Cinder is. A crying child hungry for love:

And a thief/assassin:

It is really no surprise that Amber is defeated specifically because she fails to realize that the crying child she offered an apple to and the girl attacking her are actually one and the same:

It is just like Rhodes fails to reconcile Cinder’s 2 sides and dies because of it. It is just like Cinder loses herself by repressing the hurting inner child behind the mask of a powerful Maiden.

In short, the Maiden powers are who Cinder wants to be, while Emerald and Mercury are who she needs to accept that she is. They are also the only Slippers that are not given to her, but that she chooses freely, which should be indicative of their importance for her arc.

Finally, Emerald and Mercury are the conclusion of a cycle of abuse that starts with Madame and Rhodes, goes on with Salem and Cinder and reaches the kids:

I'm the one Who rose out of filth and was loved by no-one

Overrun By the hate and the beatings defiled by a father

(I mean... if you read these lyrics together you literally get Cinder’s backstory)

Emerald was not loved, while Mercury was hated. Neglect and abuse. An indifferent society and a cruel family. Together they explore 2 sides of Cinder’s trauma and together they make the One (Cinder). Just like the Twin Swords turn into Midnight and the 2 Slippers of Cinder’s emblem draw an empy heart.

However, Cinder has failed to use her most important pairs of Slippers wisely, so far. Instead of healing through the kids, she is failing them, just like she was failed:

1) Her first meeting with Emerald parallels her first meeting with Rhodes and Madame. Superficially she acts as Rhodes by offering food and becoming Emerald’s idol. However, she is deep down acting like the Madame and trapping Emerald in a cycle of abuse:

Cinder: Don’t think... obey.

2) Her first meeting with Mercury parallels her last meeting with the Madame and Rhodes. Once again, she seems to be acting in the opposite way of her failure of a parent. Rhodes condemns Cinder, while Cinder praises Mercury. However, she does not aknowledge Mercury’s victimhood. She simply pushes Mercury on the path of violence for her own convenience, just like she was driven on that same path by  Rhodes:

Cinder: Mercury... Tell me, are you anything like your father?

So, Cinder abuses the neglected child and neglects the abused one in what is just a tragic repetition of her life. Switching between neglect (at its best) and abuse (at its worse). What’s interesting on this dynamic on a writing level is that Cinder does not really treat Emerald and Mercury all that differently. However, the relationships she has with them appear as distinct. This is because Emerald and Mercury themselves are different people, with different experiences and reactions to abuse. The result is that they give Cinder back different fragments of her past self, just like 2 misshaped pieces of glass in a very fascinating mirror game.

The result of Cinder’s mistreatement of Emerald and Mercury is that they both leave her in the episode Midnight (so literally she loses them at midnight :P):

And once again their current situations mirror the Twin Swords in Cinder’s flashback:

Emerald is found by the Prince and her friends. She is saved and accepted because people are able to empathize with her, just like Rhodes empathizes with thief Cinder.

Mercury is instead stolen by the Evil Godmother and taken away from Cinder. It is a way to prey on Cinder’s frail sense of identity and to exercise power over her. He is the killer Cinder, whom Rhodes likes to ignore and who gets stuck in abuse.

So, Emerald is the Slipper she loses at midnight and is found by people who can save Cinder. Mercury instead is the Slipper taken away by the Stepmother as a punishment.

However, only together the Slippers make Cinder, as they are 2 different sides of her personality. Both kids need to be saved and empathized with, so that Cinder herself can be understood and helped. After all, the Slippers are meant to bring the Prince to Cinderella and this is probably what Emerald and Mercury will do. As for how this will happen, different outcomes are possible. As for now, I think the most interesting one is:

Emerald, as the Emerald Tablet, brings Knowledge to Cinder by confronting her. She should be the one to call Cinder out and show her who she truly is. This would also fit with her arc. Emerald is a survivor victim whose main flaw is her idealization of Cinder. So, for her to truly see the kind of person Cinder is and to challenge Cinder to see herself would fit.

Mercury, as the Messanger God, should connect the stone (RWBY) with the alchemist (Cinder). Because of this, it would be interesting if he were the one to empathize the most with Cinder’s most wounded part (he embodies it, after all) and to help others see it.

If this happens, it would also work as a chain. Emerald is helped and helps Mercury, who, in turns, makes Cinder more understandable to others. In general, though, Emerald and Mercury might share their roles of messangers of truth and mediators. What’s sure is that they will have a conflict with Cinder (like all abuse victims with their abusers in RWBY), but also inspire her to be better (like the other kids-mentor couples).

With their help, Ruby and the others will see Cinder and Cinder will see herself. Once this happens, the Prince will save Cinderella and Cinderella... what will she do?

MIDNIGHT - HEROES AND MONSTERS

A near unstoppable force, Cinder is now something more than human... And simultaneously... something less. Midnight struck one last time that night, Never to be seen again. The clock forever stopped in the waltz with Fire, Turned to ashes in Scorching Caress. "Who are you again?"

Cinderella ends with the protagonist being saved and becoming a princess. So, Cinder’s story will probably end with her becoming a princess too. This means she’ll finally become a true Maiden, which is exactly what she has been trying to do up until now. The problem is that so far Cinder has been going at it wrong. She is trying to be a Maiden (Salem’s Slippers) to run away from who she truly is (Emercury, her own Slippers). However, this does not work because you can never be your ideal self if you do not face who you really are.

This is precisely the point of Jaune and Pyrrha’s foiling when it comes to heroism:

On the one hand Jaune wants to become a hero to run away from who he is:

Jaune: Cause this is always what I’ve wanted to be! My father, my grandfather, and his father before him were all warriors! They were all heroes! I wanted to be one, too. I was just never good enough.

This is why he symbolically enters Beacon through cheating. He acts as someone he is not.

On the other hand Pyrrha is a hero simply because that is the person she wants and chooses to be:

Red-Haired Woman: I don’t think she would regret her choice, because a Huntress would understand that there really wasn’t a choice to make. And a Huntress is what she always wanted to be.

The choice between being a hero and being herself is never really a choice because being a Huntress is a part of who Pyrrha is. So, her final sacrifice is not really a negation of the self, but a result of who she deep down is.

Cinder is currently acting like Beacon Jaune, but instead of hiding her pain and insecurities by becoming a hero, she has chosen to be a monster. However, the truth is that she is just a human and humans have both Destruction and Creation within them:

Pyrrha: It’s not about why; it’s about knowing. Understanding dark and light helps us manifest our Aura. Everyone has some of both.

Once Cinder rediscovers her own humanity thanks to Ruby saving her and is reminded who she is by Emerald and Mercury, she will finally choose who she wants to be. This choice is clearly going to be key for the whole series. Basically, the Maiden of Choice will choose what the story theme is:

Salem: But even the most brilliant lights eventually flicker and die. And when they are gone... darkness will return. So you may prepare your guardians, build your monuments to a so-called "free world", but take heed... there will be no victory in strength.

Ozpin: But perhaps victory is in the simpler things that you've long forgotten. Things that require a smaller, more honest soul.

Is victory truly in a simple soul (aka humanity)? Or will humans choose darkness over light? Can a monster really turn into a hero? Do humans have this strength? The one to answer this question will probably be Cinder. And by doing so, she will also fulfill her destiny:

Pyrrha: When I think of destiny, I don't think of a predetermined fate you can't escape. But rather... some sort of final goal, something you work towards your entire life.

Salem: You’ve fought your whole life unwaveringly for what you want and here I am holding you back instead of lifting you up.

Cinder’s final goal is freedom, just like Pyrrha’s heroism and Penny’s friendship. Just like the other 2 maidens, she will get it, against all odds. However, it won’t be the freedom from everything that she has dreamt of, but rather the freedom of doing something only she can:

There's a moment that changes a life when We do something that no one else can And the path that we've taken will lead us One final stand

There's a moment we make a decision Not to cower and crash to the ground The moment we face our worst demons Our courage found

(..)

I may fall But not like this – it won't be by your hand I may fall Not this place, not today I may fall Bring it all – it's not enough to take me down I may fall

Choice will be Cinder’s Freedom.

#rwby #cinder fall #ruby rose #emerald sustrai #mercury black #salem #rwby rhodes #rwby salem #rwby meta #my meta #once upon an allusion

[bridgyrose]

Rhodes is alive and a teacher at Beacon.

(Had to twist a few things for this one to work)

Rhodes finished writing out his lesson plan on the chalkboard, leaning on his cane as he turned around and looked over his students, pausing as he took count of each one. “Welcome to Civilian rescue 101. Today, we’ll be focusing on rescuing civilians from grimm and reducing collateral damage from grimm attacks. As you’re all probably aware, the first rule is to bring the grimm away from civilians. But if you cant do that-” 

“And what about the non-grimm threats?” asked an amber-eyed girl. “Surely there are threats that arent grimm related.” 

Rhodes paused for a moment as he looked at the girl, trying to place where he knew her from. “There are, but aside from rogue huntsmen and bandits, we dont normally deal with other threats. That’s what law enforcement is for.” 

“And when the law isnt on their side?” 

“Our hands are tied.” 

“But that’s not fair!” 

Rhodes winced as he heard the girl slam her hands on the table in front of him, taking a glance at the roster in front of him. “Not everything is fair, Cinder. Huntsmen dont make the rules, they follow them. Even when we dont want to.” 

“So we’re just to condemn people to their fates?” Cinder asked, half growling as a little smoke left her mouth. “Just leave them like you did me?” 

Hushed whispers filled the room as Rhodes looked over Cinder, finally recognizing her as the girl from the hotel in Atlas. His hand reached for his hip, fingers gently stroking the pommel of his sword. “I dont believe we’ve met. Whatever it is you went through, I’m sorry, but it would’ve been beyond any huntsman to break the law to help a civilian. Now sit down or I will send you to the Headmaster’s office for disrupting class.” 

Cinder sat back down, keeping her eyes on Rhodes. 

Rhodes sighed and turned back to the chalkboard, writing on it again. “There are rules that huntsmen try to follow. We’re here for the threats that law enforcement and militias cant deal with. Grimm. Rogue huntsmen. Bandits. Thieves. Others who have unlocked their aura and use that as an excuse to hurt others. We dont enforce the laws, we follow them. If a law is unjust, its up to the councils to advise that those laws be reformed. Otherwise, we go unchecked if we enforce the laws and enforce the punishments that go with them.” 

The bell rang as Rhodes finished his sentence, dismissing the students as they stood up to make their way to their next class. He slowly took the eraser and started to erase what he had written on the board, keeping Cinder in view in the corner of his eye. “And Cinder, please no more outbursts like that.” 

Cinder frowned at him. “Outbursts about what? Leaving me at that hotel to be abused? You were supposed to help me train to be a huntress!” 

“And I did.” Rhodes turned around, looking over Cinder. “But my hands were tied-” 

“You could’ve taken me away from them!” 

Rhodes froze as his eyes locked onto the scar around Cinder’s neck, mostly healed but very visible from the damage the shock collar had caused. “I… I didnt know-” 

“Of course you didnt know!” Cinder moved her collar to hide the scarring, tears welling up in her eyes. “No one did. Or cared. But then you left for weeks and that woman’s daughters found the swords you gave me. She used that collar until it broke, the lightning dust embedding itself into me as it shattered. And you werent there to save me!” 

Rhodes stumbled a bit as he moved his cane with a step back, remembering that night he came back to Atlas. The hotel had been engulfed in flames, various huntsmen had been called to help put out the flames that threatened to spread to the nearby buildings. As far as he had been told, no one had survived the initial blaze, that fire dust had been used to start the flames. “When I came back, the hotel was gone and I was told that everyone that had been inside was dead.” 

Cinder removed a glove from her left hand, showing her scarred skin. “I survived, but was burned. Not that you cared.” 

“Cinder-” 

“I dont want to hear it.” Cinder slipped the glove back onto her hand and started to walk off. “You showed me exactly what it means to be a huntsman.” 

Rhodes sighed as he watched Cinder disappear into the crowd of students as his next class started to file in. It was like seeing a ghost from his past, the kid who was eager to train from him. But seeing her now hurt his heart, knowing he could never make up for it. 

#rwby #cinder fall #rhodes #rwby rhodes #drabbles #professor rhodes au #professor rhodes

[armenianwriterman]

RWBY Best Outfit Polls: Rhodes

#rwby #rwby rhodes #polls

[dragynkeep]

I have a headcannom that Ironwood and Rhodes are kind of child magnets.

James is serious and imposing but very calm and delicate while Rhodes is quite and observing. Children feel calm with them.

Just imagine this little bean waiving and saying "Hi Mr Ironwood!!"

Both of them are great with kids but in different ways, and that's why they're married and making out as we speak.

#rwby #james ironwood #rwby rhodes #ironrhodes #answered #luke.txt

[aspiringwarriorlibrarian]

So Rhodes was just lazy I guess? I mean that makes sense, tho atlas using assassins seems somewhat of a headcanon but it also wouldn’t surprise me lol,

To be honest, yeah, he was lazy. He had five years to come up with something better than "wait it out and maybe the woman who trafficked her will let her go at seventeen", and he just stayed the course because it didn't require him to risk anything.

#rwby rhodes

[your-dar-ling]

There's an essay within me somewhere about how the FNDM seems to take Rhodes as a narrative foil to Ironwood but really it makes a lot more sense to me that Rhodes would the shorthand for Team RWBY's flaws throughout Volume 8.

#rwby #rwby spoilers #rwby8 #rwby v8 #rwby volume 8 #rwby volume 8 spoilers #rwby meta #rwby rhodes #rwby analysis

[hadesisqueer]

Remember when Midnight came out and a lot of people said they didn't feel bad for Cinder and her backstory because she was a bad person and she deserved it? Y'all it's okay to hate her now and all but she was ten and a slave and tortured every day. If you think a 10yo deserved that then I think you need to reconsider. Also, you're missing the point: Cinder always saw the worst of humanity. The one person who was kind to her immediately turned against her, deciding she was a villain for [checks] snapping and defending herself after years of abuse he never did anything about except giving her training and a sword (what was he expecting, honestly). And then Salem found her, and she found herself stuck with another abuser, a much smarter and manipulative one.

The whole point of Cinder's backstory isn't to justify her current actions. It's to make us see that if someone—someone else, not Rhodes—had found her, someone who, again, has only seen the worst of humanity, and given her the help and kindness she really needed— Cinder wouldn't have turned out like she did. It's obvious and yet people still don't get it.

#rwby #cinder fall #rhodes rwby

[anthurak]

So to bring up discourse from volume 8 again, do you think Rhodes was a wealthy atlesian himself? I’ve been having a discussion with someone about weather or not Rhodes was an atlas elite afraid to challenge the system or someone who genuinely was doing the best he could with the knowledge he had?

I seriously doubt it. Rhodes doesn't strike me as coming from the wealthy class of Atlas.

For one, his attire and weapons don't particularly look all that extravagant or expense or otherwise give the 'I have/come-from money' sense.

More than any of that, I simply DON'T see any of the typical Atlisian elite giving Cinder any care, sympathy or even so much as the time of day. The only people born into that the atlisian upper class I could see doing that are those like Weiss or May who have specifically rebelled AGAINST that whole culture. And they likely would have simply smuggled Cinder out of that hotel after first meeting her instead of this whole 'earning your freedom' business Rhodes was on.

Rhodes strikes me as someone more likely from Mantle or possibly even from outside Solitas altogether, given that he clearly doesn't hold the elitism that seems to be largely indicative of the atlisian upper class.

That being said, I do think Rhodes is DEFINITELY an Atlas Academy graduate. The certainly seems the most likely place he would have picked up that certain mentality we see from him. The 'it's better to be Lawful than to be Good' mentality that goes 'gotta work within the system' despite said system being totally okay with child slavery. Or the kind of mentality that has no problem frequenting an establishment that bans service to faunus (always love that subtle detail).

It all ties into Rhodes not being an outright bad guy, but also not really being a GOOD guy either, at least not when it REALLY counted, ie; when he had to actually put himself on the line to help someone.

I also think it better accentuates Cinder's whole worldview that ALL huntsmen are frauds and the whole idealistic system is a sham if the huntsman who let her down wasn't some atlisian elite but rather someone more ordinary much like herself.

#rwby #rwby ask #anon ask #rwby rhodes #cinder fall #rwby theory #rwby analysis

[ficretus]

Observing Cinder's backstory as Cinderella story

Cinder's backstory is probably one of the clearest Cinderella references of her story. I this post I wanted to dissect it for all the Cinderella references I could find and try to find the point of story's subversion. I will mostly focus on Perrault and especially Grimm version of the story for parallels.

BEGINNING OF ABUSE:

First interesting subversion is changing Cinderella's background before her father remarried. In both versions it is either directly stated or heavily implied Cinderella's father was very affluent man. Grimm version outright calls him rich man. While I do believe Cinderella's father is represented in Cinder's backstory, he is not her biological parent. Instead, they decided to make Cinder an orphan. So that's already one big subversion. Cinderella went from relatively carefree life of luxury to being reduced to servant after her father remarried while Cinder just continued her life at the bottom, going from being abused in orphanage to being abused by her adoptive family.

Next subversion ties back to the first one, and that is removal of Cinderella's mother from Cinder's story. And unlike Cinderella's father, which I feel has an equivalent, this character is completely omitted. Cinderella's mother has relatively limited characterization, after all, it's a character that dies in first two sentences. However, she is described as almost saint like figure, being loving mother to Cinderella and instilling good values in her. This is seemingly minor change that adds a lot later on. Cinderella had positive role model that unconditionally loved her which also plays major role in Grimm version, while Cinder was just continuously abused with no saving grace.

GLASS UNICORN:

Looking at Cinder's stepfamily and their relationship, it becomes quite clear primary influence for this portion of story was Grimm version of Cinderella. Treatment of Cinderella by her stepfamily differs between the versions, with Perrault version being significantly milder. Don't get me wrong, it's still abusive, but it doesn't get to the level of Grimm version or Cinder's backstory.

For example, trope that emerged from Perrault version is Cinderella having one more sympathetic stepsister as opposed to both being equally abusive like in Grimm version. In Perrault version she is of course forced to do chores for her stepsisters and they verbally abuse her, but on top of that in Grimm version they actively sabotage her so she has to do even more chores.

Besides this, the sisters did everything imaginable to hurt her. They made fun of her, scattered peas and lentils into the ashes for her, so that she had to sit and pick them out again

This matches what we see in the show with stepsisters dirtying the floor on purpose to get Cinder in trouble with Madame.

"Why should that stupid goose sit in the parlor with us?" they said. "If she wants to eat bread, then she will have to earn it. Out with this kitchen maid!"

This matches the brief bit of Cinder trying to taste strawberry cake and her stepsister stopping her.

Cinder's outfit in her backstory is another thing that matches the Grimm version. In Perrault version her outfit is not described besides being unsightly and coarse. In Grimm version it's described as:

They took her beautiful clothes away from her, dressed her in an old gray smock, and gave her wooden shoes.

While Cinder is not wearing wooden shoes, color scheme and design do match gray smock Cinderella is described to wear.

Comparison between Cinder's outfit and common work smock.

Additionally, interesting change between Cinderella story and Cinder's backstory is lack of reasonable motive behind her stepfamily's abuse. Don't get me wrong, Cinderella's stepfamily weren't nice, but their motives were reasonable for family of that era. Stepmother viewed Cinderella as a competition to her daughters who couldn't compare to her beauty and manners. There is also financial motivation. Having a daughter meant needing to pay a dowry when she got married, being able to pay bigger dowry meant better marriage prospect. By removing Cinderella, Stepmother ensured money that would have been reserved for her dowry would be split between dowries of her daughters, ensuring them better marriage. Very unscrupulous behavior, but ultimately for betterment of her daughters.

Meanwhile, you have Madame, who abuses Cinder beyond any reasonable measure. Of course there is some logic behind it, she basically bought a slave so she doesn't have to employ workers for her hotel (do we ever see any staff in Glass Unicorn?). If it stopped at that, it would have been unscrupulous but logical behavior if you are cheap hotel owner. However, her treatment of Cinder is almost comically evil. She put shock collar on child that at most was 10 at the time and made her repeat mantra to instill worthlessness. This is borderline psychopathic behavior. Unlike Cinderella to her stepsisters, Cinder is not competition to her stepfamily in any way nor does she want to assert herself. This is abuse for the sake of abuse and stepsisters' involvement in it makes them almost irredeemably evil.

RHODES:

I've seen Rhodes read as both Prince and Fairy Godmother in various analyses. I partially disagree with Fairy Godmother one and completely with Prince one, which I will tackle first. And no, I am not even gonna go for easy option of "middle aged man being Prince to girl that is 10-15 years old is fucking creepy" because I don't think Prince has to be romantically involved with Cinderella.

First of all, what was Cinderella's goal? Common misconception is that Cinderella's motivation is Prince, which is completely wrong. She just wanted to go to ball and by sheer coincidence she met Prince there.

"I wish I could. I wish I could." She was not able to speak the rest, being interrupted by her tears and sobbing.

This godmother of hers, who was a fairy, said to her, "You wish that you could go to the ball; is it not so?"

"Yes," cried Cinderella, with a great sigh.

Cinder states her goal to Rhodes, she wants to become Huntress because she perceives that to be the most free one can be. So Cinder wants to be free. Since Cinder's goal of becoming a Huntress never gets achieved it means she metaphorically never went to the ball. Since she never went to the ball, she never met Prince, therefore Rhodes is not Prince. Role of a Prince is completely absent in Cinder's backstory and seems to be filled by characters like Jaune and Ruby later on.

Ok, but since lot of aspects of Cinderella story were subverted, maybe this is one of them. Let's look at it from another angle: Prince saves Cinderella. Once again, this doesn't work with Rhodes. He had plans for Cinder, but his way of freeing her was basically "train and you'll be able to free yourself". If Rhodes was Prince, he would have attempted to save her directly in some way.

Only other Prince like thing I can see with Rhodes is the fact he met Cinder after midnight in their final encounter. This is parallel to Prince seeing Cinderella in her usual outfit after midnight and not recognizing her. Rhodes symbolically doesn't recognize Cinder. But I don't think that's quite it, and midnight angle also works with different roles.

_____________________________________________________________

Now onto Fairy Godmother. Rhodes actually fits the role of Fairy Godmother quite well, albeit very shitty Fairy Godmother. I'd say to fill this role, person has to assist Cinderella in reaching her wish, which he does fit. He gave Cinder his sword and trained her to become a Huntress. Midnight encounter in this case is Fairy Godmother's magic running out and snapping back Cinderella to reality. Rhodes appearing after she killed her stepfamily kills any hope Cinder had. This is good and all, but there is a better role for Rhodes to fill.

To me, Rhodes best fills the role of Cinderella's father, especially Grimm version. First of all, while not literally her father, Rhodes is the only father figure Cinder had throughout her story. His gestures towards her like head pats do seem to lean in that direction. Cinderella's father is someone who is aware of abuse Cinderella is enduring yet doesn't seem to care enough to stop it.

The poor girl bore it all patiently, and dared not tell her father, who would have scolded her

This does match Rhodes, who notices Cinder getting abused several times yet does nothing about it. Just like Rhodes, Father is also relatively absent character in the story.

In Grimm version of the story, there is no Fairy Godmother, instead there is a magic hazel tree planted on the grave of Cinderella's mother. Cinderella planted the tree herself after she asked her father to give her hazel branch. Cinderella cultivated that tree for unspecified amount of time (according to quick google search, hazel grows 40-60cm each year which would imply it took years for it to grow into something that can be considered a tree), watering it every day.

"And you, Cinderella," he said, "what do you want?"

"Father, break off for me the first twig that brushes against your hat on your way home."

(...)

Cinderella thanked him, went to her mother's grave, and planted the branch on it, and she wept so much that her tears fell upon it and watered it. It grew and became a beautiful tree.

Cinderella went to this tree three times every day, and beneath it she wept and prayed. A white bird came to the tree every time, and whenever she expressed a wish, the bird would throw down to her what she had wished for.

This to me is parallel to Cinder's training with Rhodes and her being given his sword. Unlike Fairy Godmother who works miracles instantly, magic hazel tree was a reward for years of Cinderella's hard work. And since this is the magical element that replaces Fairy Godmother, it should serve the same purpose. Hazel tree gives Cinderella tools she needs to get to the ball just like Cinder's hard work gave her tools she needed to become a Huntress.

____________________________________________________________

What about Cinder and Rhodes' midnight encounter, how does this fit Father's role? Cinderella running away from the ball at midnight sequence plays differently in Grimm version, hell, concept of her running away at midnight is not present at all. Cinderella simply decided to leave the ball at some point during the evening and go home. Every time she did so, Prince attempted to follow her all the way to her home, forcing her to hide first in pigeon coop, then on the peach tree. Each time she hid, Prince made commotion which made Cinderella's father come out.

However, she eluded him and jumped into the pigeon coop. The prince waited until her father came, and then he told him that the unknown girl had jumped into the pigeon coop.

The old man thought, "Could it be Cinderella?"

He had them bring him an ax and a pick so that he could break the pigeon coop apart, but no one was inside.

So this is the parallel to Rhodes' midnight encounter with Cinder. Father arms himself and attempts to capture a woman that hid in his yard. Both times Cinderella evaded him and slipped back inside. This is just like Rhodes unsuccessfull attempt to capture Cinder.

Story essentially skipped the ball sequence since Cinder never gets to her ball. Instead story goes from Cinderella's stepfamily forbidding her to go to the ball to her father attempting to catch her when she hides in the yard.

WHY?

Interesting thing with Cinder's Cinderella story is that all good aspects (loving mother, ball sequence) got taken out in favor of making her life even more miserable. I have a speculation on why she never got a ball sequence in her backstory. Unlike Cinderella, Cinder is never truly loved by anyone in her backstory (whatever Rhodes felt for her clearly wasn't enough for him to go against the system). While never explicitly stated, it is implied that wish granting hazel tree in Grimm Cinderella is influenced by Cinderella's mother. Not only is the tree planted on her grave, there is also this quote at the beginning of the story:

"Dear child, remain pious and good, and then our dear God will always protect you, and I will look down on you from heaven and be near you."

Since nobody ever loved Cinder, her "hazel tree" is complete dud incapable of granting wishes, therefore she was unable to go to the ball. If someone like Rhodes truly loved her, he would have found a way to help her beyond "nah it will be fine". It is tragedy born out of lovelessness.

____________________________________________________________

So what now? How does her backstory influence her actions going forward. I believe they might redeem Cinder by the end of the story. Not saying it because "she had big sad, therefore not bad". Way her backstory is presented makes everyone around her almost completely unlikable. Between her stepfamily that has no redeeming features and has hobby of torturing children to Rhodes who seems fine with child slavery but draws a line at murder. Redeeming Cinder serves to highlight that both Huntsman and Kingdom system fucked up. Keeping Cinder as a villain without giving her any chance to redeem herself simply restores status quo (just clean up fuck ups of the system every so often and it works just fine). Of course I am not saying good guys should be forced to redeem her. Adam is an example of villain with tragic backstory that refuses to stand down. However I would at least like to see some character make an attempt to extend a hand towards her.

Counter argument I can see being thrown is that she is based on Cinderella, therefore her backstory had to be abusive no matter what. I disagree with that sentiment. It's not that hard to write Cinderella story and make it so Cinderella is not purely just a victim in it. They could have for example given Cinder Prince like figure that tried to save her, but she squandered it all by tunneling on getting revenge on her stepfamily. Or make her ambitious character that clashes with her stepfamily. Or make it complete subversion of Cinderella story where Cinderella is abusing goodwill of her stepfamily for her sinister goals (Dio Brando from Jojo's comes to mind as almost inverted Cinderella). My point is that her backstory could have easily been framed to make it clear Cinder was in the wrong.

____________________________________________________________

What are your thoughts? Feel free to comment if I missed anything or you have your own interpretations.

#rwby cinder fall #cinder fall #rwby volume 8 #rwby rhodes

[kaen-ace-of-diamonds]

high up there in gifs that break my heart:

she so clearly doesn’t like being touched like this but her whole life her only option ever has been just “endure it”

Rhodes: hey cool you already know the drill so how about you just keep that up the entire rest of your childhood?

(and it’s notable that this isn’t their first meeting, this is after they’ve begun training sessions, which are building Cinder’s trust and which she actually is hyped about: she’s only holding still and trying not to flinch now that it isn’t acceptable to dodge or block the touch)

and then in the Atlas Academy AU

Winter: hello new partner welcome to Advanced Repression. you’ll fit right in.

#cinder fall #rwby rhodes #RWBY #kaen rambles

[starlightshadowsworld]

The Haven exchange plot line is so underrated and it's a crime it was never bought up again.

Because the potential is sooo good.

The battle of Beacon gets so much more fucked if they acknowledge that.

Like Cinder genuinely caring for RWBY and JNPR and knowing she's going to destroy them.

Having to make that choice.

Which you know, Beacon is all about choices.

And just, in another life this was Cinder's dream.

To be a huntress.

It's a fairytale that she never got to live out.

And than the maiden power shifts from a stranger to a friend.

Than it becomes I have to kill my friend for power.

And under that, because if I don't Salem will kill me and I will no longer serve a purpose to her.

Everything I've done will mean nothing.

Pyyrah getting seperated from Jaune and going to Cinder.

Not to fight her.

But because Pyrrah trusts her.

It's Rhodes all over again.

And she can't even cry because it's her own fault.

Mercury seeing what he could be, and knowing for the plan to work yes going to have to ruin Yang's reputation.

Pretending it doesn't hurt to see the hurt in her eyes.

Emerald who wanted a family knowing this is just an illusion and no matter how much it hurts she has to destroy it.

This was never supposed to last.

Oz holding a hand out to Cinder like I know she's behind this.

We can fix this.

I can save you.

You don't have to do this.

And Cinder shaking her head because she knows he's lying.

You can't even save yourself from her, how can you save me?

Just this bittersweet understanding of the situation they are in.

Oz saying he's proud that she was his student. That it's okay, he can take the fall.

They both knew he will return but he won't be the same

Cinder saying goodbye and setting the place ablaze.

She makes herself watch and puts his cane somewhere safe for Qrow to find.

Salem praises her but Cinder just feels hollow.

Jaune calling her a murderer, that Pyrrah trusted her and she has to pretend she doesn't remember him for her own comfort.

That she knows she doesn't deserve.

She's a monster.

She will always be on the run.

Stabs Weiss and feels like she stabbed herself.

It takes everything in her not to scream.

Emerald joining up with the rest of them and it hurts knowing just how easily she slots into their group.

Like she'd always been apart of it.

And somehow that hurts even more.

Also just fitting with the theme of the schools falling because of a friends betrayal.

Cinder, Emerald and Mercury betrayal caused the fall of Beacon.

Leo's betrayal caused the fall of Haven.

Ironwood's betrayal caused the fall of Atlas.

But those 3 still living unlike the other two and they live to regret it.

If they didn't already.

#Rwby #cinder fall #mercury black #emerald sustrai #Ozpin #team jnpr #team rwby #professor ozpin #james ironwood #leonardo lionheart #salem rwby #rhodes rwby

[bridgyrose]

What if there's an AU where Salem and Cinder were the same person? Or at least, that Salem possesses Cinder the same way Ozpin does to Oscar?

“Stupid sisters and mother…” Cinder muttered to herself as she kicked her door and rubbed the scar on her neck. It had been the same thing day after day, week after week, since she’d been brought to this damned hotel and it was starting to get to her. Years of being bullied and the way her new family had treated her made it clear that she was never going to be safe, never be free. 

“Dont cry, my child. I’ll make sure you have the power to free yourself.” 

Cinder paused as she heard the comforting voice in her head and looked around the room. “W-who’s there?” 

“Someone who was in the same position as you a long, long time ago,” the voice said as it almost seemed to pick around Cinder’s memories. “Although, I think I make sure that you never have to worry about having the same curse as I do.” 

Cinder stood up and made her way to the small bathroom she had. She quickly rinsed her face off and shook her head as she looked into the mirror. “I’m… going insane. Absolutely insane.” 

A face slowly started to form in the mirror that wasnt Cinder’s: red eyes with black sclera stared back at the young girl. A smile crossed the pale woman’s lips as she spoke to the young girl, her voice soft and comforting as she spoke. “My name is Salem. And like you, I was hurt by those I was supposed to trust and cursed by the gods. I can help you escape the torture you’re going through.” 

“How?!” Cinder whispered angrily as she gripped the sink. With a breath, she quickly spoke again. “How can you help me escape?” 

“I can teach you everything you need to know, starting with how to defend yourself. But first, you’ll need to find a weapon.” 

Cinder nodded and looked towards a vent that she could hear voices coming from. “I can do that.” 

—------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cinder ran through the halls of the hotel as she held a pair of swords she stole from a huntsman, her hands started to heat up the cloth that covered them as she started to panic. With a quick duck, she crawled into an open vent and went quiet as she listened to the footsteps pass in the hallway. Once she was sure no one else had been following her, she slowly unwrapped the swords and looked at her reflection in the steel. “I… cant believe I took them…” 

“And you’ll want to give them back.” 

Cinder hit her head on the top of the vent as she jumped and pointed the sword awkwardly at the hunter that found her. “I’m not giving these back.” 

“Those arent yours,” Rhodes sighed and knelt down onto his knees. “I’ve seen you around and know you havent been treated well. If you’d like, I can train you.” 

“Do not trust him,” Salem’s voice whispered through Cinder’s mind. “He’ll just want to use you.” 

Cinder’s arm shook as she kept the sword pointed at Rhodes. She slowly lowered the weapon and sighed. “I… can be a huntress too?” 

Rhodes gave a gentle nod and stretched out his hand to Cinder. “You can. It’ll be a good few years before you can take the entrance exam at Atlas, but I can train you how to protect yourself. How to help others.” 

Cinder let out a heavy sigh and looked at her reflection in the sword once more. She watched as her reflection started to twist to Salem’s visage and her words once again swam around her mind, almost amused to the idea of going to Atlas. 

“Play along with him and I’ll make sure you get the power you need to never be put down again.” 

Cinder nodded and gave the sword back to Rhodes with a smile. “I’ll do it.” 

#cinder fall #salem #rwby salem #rhodes #rwby rhodes #drabbles #The witch and the huntress #the witch and the huntress au

[bestworstcase]

very annoying thing this fandom does is describe exactly the intended point of a given scene ("cinder was treated unjustly and failed by everyone in her life!") or character ("raven isn't The Bad One to summer's Good One, people are more complicated than that!") and then go "ugh rwby is soooo simplistic" because they cannot wrap their heads around the fact that rwby. agrees with these ideas and is in fact using characters like raven or cinder or salem to criticize black-and-white moral thinking

#like how do u watch midnight and think we're supposed to agree with rhodes. are u stupid #how do u watch V5 and think we're supposed to take qrow's disdain and tai's blaming of raven at face value as objective fact. are u stupid #how do you watch the lost fable and think we're supposed to take everything jinn says at face value! that's preposterous! #meanwhile rwby is like HI. FAIRYTALES ARE PROPAGANDA AND THE HUNTSMEN ACADEMIES ARE A CULT. lmfao