This was inspired by Talilover's story "Normal Reactions? Fat Chance". When they posted that the RWBY fandom seemed to have a yandere drought, I somehow got motivated to write whatever this is. So yeah, a yandere-ish Cinder x Jaune story. I added the -ish because after looking up various kinds of yandere personalities, this version of Cinder won't be the "I'm going to stab you because I love you" kind. Rather, she's going to be a mix of suuhai-gata (worship), ison-gata (dependence), shuumatsu-gata (final type), and jiko-gisei-gata (self-sacrifice) by borrowing aspects from these kinds of yandere. Let's see what the result will be!
"Pathetic. You spilled tea while serving a customer. You made a fool out of yourself. You disgraced the hotel."
Cinder howled in pain. Electricity erupted from her collar, travelling down her entire body in a flash. Her nerves felt like they were on fire. She twitched and shrieked. There was just so much pain. The young girl shut her eyes, trying to grit her teeth in an attempt to subdue her screams. The Madame didn't like it when she made too much noise – punishments included.
The much older woman loomed over her. A cruel, sadistic witch who found subtle pleasure in depraved acts such as torture. She liked to see Cinder squirm; to see her suffer.
"Please… stop!" The pained howl escaped her lips, as a testament to the immense pain she was experiencing.
The shocks paused briefly. "Making demands, are we? A useless girl like doesn't get to demand anything from me."
Another surge of electricity. Cinder's eyes were filled with tears as she fell on the ground. How much more would she endure like this? There was no one there to help her, just like at the orphanage. She'd been ridiculed there too. All she was ever good for were menial tasks, or to serve someone else in some way or another. Cinder tried her hardest. She did everything they asked of her.
And yet, no one cared. Not the kids at the orphanage. Not the Madame. Not her stepsisters. Not even Rhodes!
Cinder didn't register the fact that the collar was no longer active. Her mind was too hazy from all the pain. She remained motionless, muscles twitching occasionally against her will, and stayed silent. Her breathing was labored. She tried to open her eyes again, and flinched as the Madame made eye contact with her.
"Utterly useless. Why I bothered to take you in, I can't remember nor fathom." The woman sneered. Her dismissive, cold gaze was just like the others. Everyone either looked at her in disgust or disinterest. Like she didn't matter. Cinder whimpered pitifully. "Stay here and think of what you've done. While you're at it, think of a decent apology. Otherwise you'll spend the evening without dinner, girl."
The clacking of heels announced the Madame's departure from the storage room. Cinder was left all alone, as always.
She hissed through gritted teeth as she got up slowly. Her arms trembled with the little strength she had left in her limbs. All of her muscles ached, and her head was pounding. Cinder moved into a sitting position, leaning her back against the wall. Several minutes of pure silence passed by.
She was so tired; both mentally and physically. The punishments were nothing new, sadly. Having been beaten from a young age, Cinder was used to the treatment. It still hurt, obviously, but no longer like it used to. The mental damage was also something that her mind had accustomed to. She no longer cried herself to sleep at night. How could she, when there were no tears left? No, it was the utter despair and hopelessness that drained her.
Not even her goal to become a huntress seemed feasible anymore. Despite the progress she'd made under Rhodes' tutelage, practicing both her semblance and combat skills, she could no longer see the light at the end of the tunnel. There was no point in working towards such a faraway goal. Besides, what would she do with her new freedom? All Cinder had ever known was servitude. As the Madame constantly reminded her, without a person to work for, she was nothing.
Just a sad, little girl who couldn't survive on her own.
Cinder grunted as she rubbed the abused skin of her throat. Frankly, it was a wonder none of the visitors had ever noticed the abuse that went on in the hotel. Her sisters weren't exactly subtle in their attempted torture. But as she'd learned a long time ago, most people simply didn't care. Especially the wealthy elite that regularly visited the hotel. As long as they could live happily in their own pleasant world, they saw no need to get involved with an insignificant peasant like her.
She looked out of the window on the other side of the room, gaze drawn to the shattered moon of Remnant. Cinder didn't know what to do; either fight or give up. The imaginary shackles binding her were causing her to sink deeper into the abyss. Despair gnawed at her, taunting the raven-haired girl in every passing moment. All of these negative thoughts fueled the headache she was having right now. Her hands were clenched into fists so hard, she almost drew blood from her nails digging into her palms.
When would this living nightmare end? Forget freedom or revenge. Cinder wanted to be happy! To have a purpose in life that didn't inflict sorrow; one that wasn't so far away from her reach.
"Hey! Are you alright?"
Cinder froze. She slowly turned to the right, spotting an open hand that reached out to her. The servant girl didn't understand the gesture. No one had ever offered something like this, and Cinder couldn't wrap her head around the concept as a result.
As she raised her head, her golden eyes locked on to the most beautiful blue orbs she'd ever seen. They were a deep blue, much like the ocean she'd only seen in picture books or videos. Somehow she felt at ease when she looked into those pools. The throbbing pain dulled faster than ever before, and instead she focused on this boy. He was short, meaning he was younger than her. Cinder could see it in his innocent eyes. His blonde, messy hair framed his youthful face.
The boy tilted his head to the side, probably wondering why she didn't react. So he smiled. It was a smile meant to put her at ease, but for Cinder, who had never been shown such a wonderful sight of friendship, it was so much more than that. It was a smile that was etched into her memory, so she would never forget it in her entire life.
"Don't worry. You can trust me. Mom always says strangers are just friends you haven't met yet. And I'd like to be friends with a pretty girl like you!"
Pretty? Cinder had never considered herself to be pretty. Broken; useless; dirty. Those were the words associated with her. Yet this boy wanted to be friends. He even called her pretty!
Cinder reached out, and took his hand.
BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.
The alarm burst into flames on the wooden nightstand. Its horrible noise was quickly silenced; a suitable punishment for interrupting the most cherished memory in her life. Besides, there was no serious harm done aside from losing a single device, which they could easily replace. With a quick use of her half-maiden powers, the fire disappeared instantly.
Sweeping back her long dark hair, Cinder Fall got out of bed. That little girl had blossomed into a true beauty. One that held far more power than she did back then. After all, without power, she could not meet her knight in shining armor.
"Good morning, ma'am."
Emerald's voice was just the tiniest bit apprehensive. Her partner, Mercury, didn't say anything at all. He was more focused on the burnt alarm. Ah, maybe she'd been somewhat rash. Cinder had built up the persona of a calm, cunning woman who got what she wanted either through subtle deduction, or veiled threats and promises. It was how she'd secured these two's loyalty. It wouldn't do well for her plans if they thought of her as anything else but that.
Then again, Cinder could never stay too rational when it came to her knight.
"Good morning. I hope you're ready for today's activities, you two." She said, making it evident that not a word was to be spoken about the alarm clock.
Luckily they caught on rapidly. "Of course. We're to mingle with the other students. That way we can establish connections, and gather information for our goals."
"Yeah, we understand." Mercury nodded along. Not even he dared to say anything otherwise. "And if anyone asks about our other teammate, we'll just say she'll be joining us later along the semester."
Hmm, acceptable. They were getting better at remembering orders. Neo hadn't joined their little team, seeing as Roman still had need of her. It was only during the Vytal tournament that they'd need her anyway. Roman could keep his little helper – for now.
Cinder stood up, and walked over to her wardrobe to get changed. As a student, she was required to wear her Haven uniform for the most part. At least during lessons. Beacon wasn't so strict as to demand that the students wore them all the time. Just during lessons and other school activities that required the formal dress, while free time and combat lessons could be spent wearing regular outfits. That meant she wouldn't be wearing her dress.
A shame. Aside from drawing out her beauty to charm targets, Cinder wanted to look nice for when she'd be reunited with her knight. He was the main reason she put so much effort in her appearance. Then again, that boy – probably a man by now – was usually her motivation for about anything she did, really. Every action she'd ever taken was for him.
She'd broken free from the Glass Unicorn to find him. She'd joined Salem to search for him. She'd taken the Fall maiden's powers to be strong for him.
At first, she'd tried to look for him herself. Those efforts had been… largely unsuccessful. The blonde angel hadn't told her where he came from. And describing his appearance to a random passerby wouldn't get her results, of course. There was little she knew about him, but that didn't stop Cinder from loving him. Still, it was frustrating to be so far away from him, for such a long time.
All she had to go with was a single name, which was naturally the most perfect name ever; Jaune.
Only a first name. Back then, she hadn't thought of asking for a last name. At least it was something. Salem had promised to look out for anyone named Jaune, mostly by assigning Watts to perform this task. The snobby scientist had made fun of her adoration for her perfect knight though. The relationship between herself and him was shaky at best, and outright hostile at worst. It wasn't rare for him to take jabs at her. However, he'd learned very quickly that Jaune was a subject best left untouched. Not even Tyrian dared to mock her affection, especially after her rampage. Only Salem had managed to calm the young woman down.
Gods, why couldn't she just be with Jaune? Was Watts really that incompetent, or had Salem ordered him to delay his findings? At this point, she was beginning to consider the latter. The mere thought of being kept away from on purpose filled her with a cold, intense anger. But staying with the ancient queen of the Grimm served her purpose for now, so she'd play the part of the obedient servant.
Cinder finished buttoning up her jacket, and took another good look at herself. Her appearance was impeccable, as usual. She could feel Emerald's longing gaze drilling holes in the back of her head. Poor girl. As useful and obedient as she was, Emerald could hardly measure up to the handsome knight who'd saved Cinder all those years ago. Then again, no one could. But the girl's misplaced love made it easy enough to control. So she would allow it.
"We shall have breakfast first." Cinder said, as they left the dorms. Students were roaming the hallways, but almost all of them were going in the same direction. "Do not stand out. That means no pickpocketing, and not starting any fights."
"Understood, ma'am."
They looked nervous. It was a given, seeing as she was referring to their little 'mess' with that Faunus turncoat. Roman should have taken care of that problem, but alas. Apparently the thief was still being unruly. Were he not essential to her plans, she would have taught him a lesson he'd never forget. Nothing would stand in her way to obtaining the Maiden's powers, and thus stepping closer to her ultimate goal in the long run – being with Jaune.
"I heard there was this big food fight a week or two ago." Mercury spoke up, breaking the silence.
"Really? You're telling me that a bunch of teenage students, who are training to become huntsmen and huntresses in order to fight savage beasts, had a food fight of all things?" Emerald raised an eyebrow, doubtful of his claims.
The sole boy of their entourage shrugged his shoulders. "Hey, I heard it from a couple of other transfer students. Then I confirmed the story by asking several Beacon students, so it's legit. Rumors spread fast around here. Especially when said fight turned the entire cafeteria into a warzone. Broken vending machines, broken pillars – a broken roof!"
"How did they break the roof? Wait, never mind." Emerald shook her head. "We're talking about kids with lots of dust and flashy semblances. Of course they'd find a way. And here I thought we'd be mingling with reasonable people, rather than children."
Even though Emerald was practically the same age as them, Cinder noted. She didn't comment on the matter though. What the students did during lunch time held no interest to her. Still, it was good to hear that her underlings were already at work, trying to gather information. Knowing how the rumor mill in the school worked would also be an advantage.
The teachers in this school had little control over their students, it seemed. The only teacher who commanded respect, aside from the headmaster himself on certain occasions, was Glynda Goodwitch. Cinder knew this for certain. Their information on the staff at Beacon was solid. Not only did they have dossiers on almost all associates of Ozpin, but she'd also done her own research before coming here. Not that it had been hard. On the contrary – Lionheart had been most accommodating, by providing all there was to know about the teachers.
Before long they reached the cafeteria. Cinder walked inside, her presence immediately drawing the eyes of many. Gazes filled with lust and jealousy sized her up as she passed several tables by. Plenty of males – and females too – looked at her with desire, fantasizing what it would be like to be at her side.
None of them would ever get that chance though. There was only one man worthy of being her special someone. Any student foolish enough to approach her with romantic intentions, either pure or selfish, would face her wrath.
Cinder claimed a table close to the wall, where they could see plenty yet remain inconspicuous. She didn't want to draw too much attention to herself. While her enemies were still unaware of her arrival at Beacon, she had no intentions whatsoever to take risks. For now, her focus was reconnaissance. Gathering information on other students in order to spot possible Maiden candidates. And maybe, just maybe, she'd find her beloved knight among this annoying rabble.
She sighed longingly, resting her head on the smooth palm of her hand.
"Is everything alright, Cinder?" Emerald asked. When in public, it was best to drop the titles.
"Nothing to concern yourself with. Everything's under control, as always." She responded coolly. "Mercury, retrieve our meals. I trust you can do this much."
The assassin grimaced, but did as he was told. "Sure thing, boss. I'll see if they've got any dog food for Emerald. Wouldn't want our resident puppy to feel left out."
"Why you arrogant piece–"
"Enough." They stopped with a single command. Cinder's golden eyes froze them into place. "It hasn't been an hour since I told you not to start anything unnecessary. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I distinctively remember hearing that you understood."
Her underlings looked away, radiating discomfort. Good. Fear of what she could do to them, in case they displeased her severely, would get them back in line. She waved Mercury away, and gave him another look to warn against doing anything reckless. Luckily the silver-haired clown got the message.
"Sorry for what happened, Cinder. I'll try to be on my best behavior from now on." Emerald said.
"We shall see."
The girl nodded, but smiled slightly at the more relaxed tone. It was easy to keep her docile. Cinder understood Emerald better than she herself did, and it was obvious to see how even the smallest form of attention or affection motivated the former thief.
Cinder watched the students to distract herself. Most of the gathered teens were either first or second years, as far as she could tell. The third years had more free time, due to the fewer lessons they had. This meant that plenty of their numbers were still fast asleep. She carefully analyzed the students that were present, picking out those who stood out.
A few teams were known to her. Cinder kept track of those who could prove to be troublesome in the future, or who were already known for their combat prowess. Naturally, the list of such groups was very small. They were just children, who knew nothing of what the real world was like. They dressed up in flashy clothes, dyed their hair in bright colors and wielded crazy weaponry; nothing like true huntsmen. Almost as if none of these students had any common sense whatsoever.
"Isn't that Weiss Schnee, heiress to the SDC?" Emerald asked, looking pointedly to the side.
Cinder followed her gaze, and spotted the Atlesian elite. Her lips almost curled into a sneer out of pure instinct, showing her distaste for the Schnee girl's kind. Unwanted memories of the hotel resurfaced without her consent. Were it not for her precious memory of Jaune, she might have shown more emotion. However, Cinder was an expert in hiding her true thoughts, and quickly put her mask on again.
"So it would seem. And she seems to be partnered with Ruby Rose; the girl responsible for Roman's botched heists." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, speaking low enough to avoid detection. "Both of them are possible targets. As for the rest of their team, only the Belladonna girl is of interest – if only because of her family's status. The blonde is unimportant."
And yet, maybe they should look into team RWBY a bit further. While possible a coincidence, the team was made out of interesting figures. A girl with silver eyes; the heiress to the largest dust company on Remnant; the daughter of Menagerie's leadership. Cinder wouldn't put it past Ozpin to have put these girls together on purpose, in order to nurture them into powerful allies. Or, well, tools to be more precise. Maybe the blonde one was also of interest somehow…
What was far more important, however, was their team's relationship with Pyrrha Nikos. The champion fighter was incredibly recognizable, and was sat at the same table as team RWBY. Due to her skill as a prodigy, Nikos was a logical choice for the enemy to pick as the next Fall maiden. She would need Emerald and Mercury to befriend those children. The more information they could gather, the better their chances of success.
Nikos' team was anything but remarkable. Cinder saw a ginger-haired girl stuff her face with pancakes, talking with such fervor and volume that she could hear the noise from here, while a dark-haired boy ate his meal in silence. Judging by the clothes he wore, he was native to Mistral. She shook her head. Putting random nobodies on the team of a renowned fighter such as Nikos seemed like a waste to her. She shifted her gaze to the final member of the team, spotting the second blonde at the table and–
Cinder gasped loudly. Her heart skipped a beat, did a somersault and almost crashed entirely. Her eyes were wide open – almost to a ludicrous degree, in fact. It felt as if someone had puncher in the gut. She could barely breathe.
"Cinder? Are you okay?"
Emerald's concern fell on deaf ears. But no, she was not okay. Because she could see him.
His hair was still that perfect shade of gold, blinding her with his beauty. The childish looks in her memories no longer matched the handsome, older features he had now. But that made him all the more attractive. The final killing blow to her already racing heart were his perfect eyes. A familiar deep blue, which regularly graced her dreams to put her at ease.
It was Jaune. He was here!
Cinder didn't know what to do. Her mind was simply overwhelmed with joy, happiness, anxiety and desire. The carefully constructed façade she'd made was crumbling away, with each passing second that she looked at her idol. He seemed so happy, sitting there with his friends. Jealousy surged like magma rising to the surface as he laughed along with a joke from the blonde bimbo sat opposite of him.
"C-cinder?"
She finally drew her sight away from teams RWBY and JNPR, only to see Emerald stare at her as if she'd grown a second head. Using the little restraint she had left, Cinder stood up.
"I'll be back shortly. There is something I need to take care of."
Her speech was short and tense. Emerald obviously wanted to come along, or at the very least know what was wrong, but Cinder had no patience for the girl right now. She stormed off; no regality to her pose whatsoever. Students made way for her, which saved them from being burned to a crisp. Cinder didn't feel like she was in control. Her heart was beating faster than ever, and her head was pounding.
She needed to be alone. Somewhere secluded. A place where no one would find her.
As she marched through Beacon's hallways, she came across a girls restroom. With almost all students still at the cafeteria, Cinder took her chance. She went inside, and shut the door behind her while making sure it was locked. No one was in here. She checked the stalls just to be safe. Only when she was certain that not a single soul had followed her here, or that someone could find her, did she allow the mask to finally slip away. She braced herself against the lavatory, staring at the large mirror.
"It's him, it's him, it's him, it's him, it's him, it's him, it's him himhimhimhimhim!"
The cool and collected woman from earlier was nowhere to be seen. Cinder peered into the glass, golden eyes filled with desire and love. Her lips formed a lucid smile as she gushed audibly over her soulmate. She palmed her cheeks; a single, slender finger slipping in between her full lips as she softly bit on it. Reason and logic abandoned the ravenette. Her breathing was heavy; husky too.
Her sweet, handsome Jaune was here at Beacon! Cinder had hoped – wished even for this to happen! Oh, her brave knight. Just the mere sight of him was enough to make her emotions run wild, like a rampaging Goliath. He'd changed so much, and yet so little in all those years. Was he still kind? So full of love? Cinder didn't mind if he was broodier or gloomier, despite his earlier behavior suggesting otherwise. After all, it was impossible to find any fault in Jaune. He was perfect. The perfect man.
The powerful woman, who commanded criminals and assassins, while serving the literal queen of the Grimm, squealed like a young school girl. There was no denying her obsession with Jaune. But rather than regarding it as a bad thing, she reveled in her love. Cinder wanted to run back to the cafeteria, pounce on him and declare her love for everyone to see!
But that bimbo was there too. Cinder's lovestruck expression morphed into a scowl when she thought of the blonde bitch.
It's only natural for someone as perfect, kind and wonderful as Jaune to attract potential lovers. I bet he's received dozens of love letters. But he's mine! MINE! Cinder thought to herself. Fire began to leak out of her eyes, which were literally aflame with anger. There were too many girls hanging around her knight. What if they wanted to sink their filthy claws in him? No, I can't let that happen. Never! Jaune is mine, and mine alone. If any of those skanks even dares to make a romantic gesture, I'll burn their throats!
Cinder took a deep breath. She needed to calm down. She hadn't spent all these years gathering power and knowledge just to waste it away by doing something reckless, like Mercury had done several minutes earlier. She was too smart for that. The half-maiden called upon the intelligence drilled into her by Salem, trying to formulate a plan.
She couldn't just kidnap Jaune – not like that. Cinder only felt abhorrence at the mention of hurting Jaune, as if her body's natural reaction was to expel such foul thoughts. He meant the world to her, and she'd be damned if he grew to hate her. Instead, a plan was needed. Yes, a way to get closer to her lovable knight. She would bump into him by 'accident', and talk to him first. Maybe even see if he remembered her.
If not, that was fine. Cinder didn't mind jogging his memory. And his friends could be assets too. By portraying herself as a person who got along with them, her wonderful knight would without a doubt see her in a favorable light. As long as they refrained from making advances on him, that is.
Cinder smiled; the lovestruck expression never leaving her.
"You will be mine, Jaune. I will have my shining knight in armor – whatever it takes."