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* HumiliationWager: After winning a duel, Winter gets the right to dress May in whatever embarassing outfit she wants during their next rooftop meeting, and picks an extremely frilly princess dress and tiara. Downplayed, since no one but them can see it, and [[spoiler:Winter knows May actually enjoys it]].
* InsideJoke: After winning a dart game at the Vytal festival, May picks a giant yam plushie as her award. At Cinder's objections, she declares that the yam is like family to her. [[SdrawckabName Yam Marigold]]. Marrow and Cinder don't get it, but Winter does a SpitTake.
* InsideJoke: After winning a dart game at the Vytal festival, May picks a giant yam plushie as her award. At Cinder's objections, she declares that the yam is like family to her. [[SdrawckabName Yam Marigold]]. Marrow and Cinder don't get it, but Winter does a SpitTake.
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* HumiliationWager: HumiliatingWager: After winning a duel, Winter gets the right to dress May in whatever embarassing outfit she wants during their next rooftop meeting, and picks an extremely frilly princess dress and tiara. Downplayed, since no one but them can see it, and [[spoiler:Winter knows May actually enjoys it]].
* InsideJoke: After winning a dart game at the Vytal festival, May picks a giant yam plushie as her award. At Cinder's objections, she declares that the yam is like family to her.[[SdrawckabName [[SdrawkcabName Yam Marigold]]. Marrow and Cinder don't get it, but Winter does a SpitTake.
* InsideJoke: After winning a dart game at the Vytal festival, May picks a giant yam plushie as her award. At Cinder's objections, she declares that the yam is like family to her.
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* CastFullOfGay: May is trans, but hasn't figured out her sexuality yet. Winter realizes she's grayromantic and lesbian after a talk with Fiona. Marrow is gay and comes out during the Vytal festival. Cinder is too preoccupied with being the best to care about romance. Fiona, Joanna and Robyn are in a polyromantic sapphic relationship.
* DoorStopper: Not extremely so, but at 440,000 words split across 47 (so far) chapters, it's the length of a respectable epic.
* {{Emo}}: Deconstructed. May comes across as a brooding loner because she doesn't like to be around people and keeps to herself even with her team, but it's not out of choice. Instead, she's scared of what they will think if she comes out as trans, and constantly hiding who she is has a poor impact on her mental state.
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* HeightAngst: May's uncertainty about wearing high heels is in part from not wanting to be taller than she already is. [[spoiler:Winter convinces her by saying that she finds [[ShipTease tall women hot]]. ]]
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* HeightAngst: May's uncertainty about wearing high heels is in part from not wanting to be taller than she already is. [[spoiler:Winter convinces her by saying that she finds [[ShipTease tall women hot]]. ]]hot]]]].
* InsideJoke: After winning a dart game at the Vytal festival, May picks a giant yam plushie as her award. At Cinder's objections, she declares that the yam is like family to her. [[SdrawckabName Yam Marigold]]. Marrow and Cinder don't get it, but Winter does a SpitTake.
* SinsOfOurFathers: Keegan Athery, the leader of team KROT, is obsessed with the Great War and hates CASM because they're from Atlas, the successor state to the Kingdom of Mantle that Vale fought in the war.
* SitcomArchNemesis: Qrow Branwen and Glynda Goodwitch get along fabulously poorly, which leads to some amusing commentary when they are assigned as announcers at the Vytal festival together. It's implied that Ozpin assigned them to work together [[ItAmusedMe for his own amusement]].
* SitcomArchNemesis: Qrow Branwen and Glynda Goodwitch get along fabulously poorly, which leads to some amusing commentary when they are assigned as announcers at the Vytal festival together. It's implied that Ozpin assigned them to work together [[ItAmusedMe for his own amusement]].
* StockYuck: Cinder and Winter both find May's preference for pineapple on pizza to be disgusting. Winter's favorite pizza topping in turn is so bizarre that everyone hates it.
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* ToBeLawfulOrGood: Cinder admits that she struggles with this, worrying that she can't balance being a good soldier for Atlas with being a good leader for her team. Winter advices her that she will have to chose, since a soldier needs to follow orders, while a leader must prioritize her people, and tries to push her towards the latter.
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* ToBeLawfulOrGood: ToBeLawfulOrGood:
** Cinder admits that she struggles with this, worrying that she can't balance being a good soldier for Atlas with being a good leader for her team. Winter advices her that she will have to chose, since a soldier needs to follow orders, while a leader must prioritize her people, and tries to push her towards thelatter.latter.
** Marrow believes he can be both, serve Atlas as a specialist while also being a proponent for Mantle's rights. Joanna disagrees, since any work he does for Atlas will only perpetuate the oppression of Mantle.
** Cinder admits that she struggles with this, worrying that she can't balance being a good soldier for Atlas with being a good leader for her team. Winter advices her that she will have to chose, since a soldier needs to follow orders, while a leader must prioritize her people, and tries to push her towards the
** Marrow believes he can be both, serve Atlas as a specialist while also being a proponent for Mantle's rights. Joanna disagrees, since any work he does for Atlas will only perpetuate the oppression of Mantle.
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* TransformingWeapon: As is tradition in RWBY. Winter and Marrow use the same weapons they use in canon, a sword that can sepparate into a saber and a rapier named Erfrierung and a rifle that becomes a boomerang named Fetch, while Cinder and May's are different. Cinder's, while still a pair of swords named Midnight, turn into guns instead of a bow. May uses a bastard sword named Matilda that can transform into a repeating crossbow.
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* WhipItGood: Orchid Morrigan, a rival huntress from Beacon May fights during the Vytal tournament, uses a fencing sword that can turn into a whip.
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* AbusiveParents: May and Winter were both raised in households that tried to mold them into just a second version of their parents, with no room for self-exploration or individualism. Jacques disinherits Winter when she decides to become a huntress, while May knows her parents would disown her if she came out as trans. Rhodes was better by comparison, but still treated Cinder less as his daughter and more like an obligation he had to fulfill. And that's not even getting into how her adopted mother [[MadeASlave treated her]].
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* AdaptationalRelationshipOverhaul: Cinder, Marrow, May and Winter, who run the gambit from colleagues to bitter enemies in canon, are here teammates with a complicated relationship. Likewise, whereas May is a member of the Happy Huntresses in canon, they are casual acquaintances of her in this continuity.
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* AdaptationalRelationshipOverhaul: AdaptationalRelationshipOverhaul:
** Cinder, Marrow, May and Winter, who run the gambit from colleagues to bitter enemies in canon, are here teammates with a complicated relationship. Likewise, whereas May is a member of the Happy Huntresses in canon, they are casual acquaintances of her in thiscontinuity.continuity.
** Weiss is friends with Ilia, which is a common headcanon, but not supported in the show.
** Cinder, Marrow, May and Winter, who run the gambit from colleagues to bitter enemies in canon, are here teammates with a complicated relationship. Likewise, whereas May is a member of the Happy Huntresses in canon, they are casual acquaintances of her in this
** Weiss is friends with Ilia, which is a common headcanon, but not supported in the show.
* AffectionateNickname: After [[spoiler:May comes out to Winter]], Winter starts calling her "Princess", partially as an insult, partially as [[spoiler:gender affirmation]].
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* ComingOutStory: May ends up coming out to [[spoiler:Winter]] in chapter 14. Chapter 15 is about the immediate aftermath.
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* ComingOutStory: ComingOutStory:
** May ends up coming out to [[spoiler:Winter]] in chapter 14. Chapter 15 is about the immediateaftermath.aftermath.
** Marrow comes out as gay to May during the Vytal dance, then to everyone else by asking a guy he likes to dance.
** May ends up coming out to [[spoiler:Winter]] in chapter 14. Chapter 15 is about the immediate
** Marrow comes out as gay to May during the Vytal dance, then to everyone else by asking a guy he likes to dance.
** When asked what she will be doing the next time the Vytal festival is held in Vale, May says she wants to fight for Mantle's rights. The reader knows she will have become an agent of Salem by then.
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* FunWithAcronyms: As is tradition with ''RWBY''. The main characters are on team CASM (Chasm), while the secondary characters are on team CGHT (Candlelight).
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* FunWithAcronyms: As is tradition with ''RWBY''. The main characters are on team CASM (Chasm), while the secondary characters are on team CGHT (Candlelight). May and Winter end up sharing a laugh over team KROT (Carrot).
* HumiliationWager: After winning a duel, Winter gets the right to dress May in whatever embarassing outfit she wants during their next rooftop meeting, and picks an extremely frilly princess dress and tiara. Downplayed, since no one but them can see it, and [[spoiler:Winter knows May actually enjoys it]].
* MartyrWithoutACause: Cinder does everything because it has some direct benefit, usually by making her stronger. She has genuinly no idea what to do with herself during her time off, though Winter suggests she could take up gaming.
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** The second is that [[spoiler:Taiyang Xiao Long died when his daughters were young, leading Summer Rose to raise Yang and Ruby.]]
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** The second is that [[spoiler:Taiyang Xiao Long died when his daughters were young, leading Summer Rose to raise Yang and Ruby.]]Ruby]].
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* ToBeLawfulOrGood: Cinder admits that she struggles with this, worrying that she can't balance being a good soldier for Atlas with being a good leader for her team. Winter advices her that she will have to chose, since a soldier needs to follow orders, while a leader must prioritize her people, and tries to push her towards the latter.
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* HeightAngst: May's uncertainty about wearing high heels is in part from not wanting to be taller than she already is. [[spoiler:Winter convinces her by saying that she finds [[ShipTease tall women hot]].
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* HeightAngst: May's uncertainty about wearing high heels is in part from not wanting to be taller than she already is. [[spoiler:Winter convinces her by saying that she finds [[ShipTease tall women hot]]. ]]
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* HeightAngst: May's uncertainty about wearing high heels is in part from not wanting to be taller than she already is. [[spoiler:Winter convinces her by saying that she finds [[ShipTease tall women hot]].
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* AppearanceAngst: Obiviously, May gets a lot of dysphoria from her masculine body. The way she discovers that she's trans is by standing in front of the mirror and imagining what she'd change if she could, and realizes that the changes she's making are ones that would make her look feminine.
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** Winter and May end up pondering where they'll be the next time the Vytal festival is held in Vale. May wants
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** Winter and May end up pondering where they'll be the next time the Vytal festival is held in Vale. May wants to fight for Mantle. Winter agrees, but says that she would have said becoming an Atlas specialist if she had been asked earlier. Both are the roles they have in canon. Doubles as DramaticIrony, since the reader knows that May will be an agent of Salem by then.
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>''We know the stories of Cinder Fall, May Marigold, Marrow Amin, and Winter Schnee.\\
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->''We know the stories of Cinder Fall, May Marigold, Marrow Amin, and Winter Schnee.\\
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* AdaptationalHeroism: Working for the PoliceState can hardly be considered ''heroic'', and she still maintains her nasty disposition, but Cinder is at least not on the side of an OmnicidalManiac in this continuity.
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* AdaptationalHeroism: Working for the PoliceState can hardly be considered ''heroic'', and she still maintains her nasty disposition, but Cinder is at least not on the side of an OmnicidalManiac in this continuity. [[AdaptationalVillainy Unlike May, who is]].
* AdaptationalRelationshipOverhaul: Cinder, Marrow, May and Winter, who run the gambit from colleagues to bitter enemies in canon, are here teammates with a complicated relationship. Likewise, whereas May is a member of the Happy Huntresses in canon, they are casual acquaintances of her in this continuity.
* AdaptationalRelationshipOverhaul: Cinder, Marrow, May and Winter, who run the gambit from colleagues to bitter enemies in canon, are here teammates with a complicated relationship. Likewise, whereas May is a member of the Happy Huntresses in canon, they are casual acquaintances of her in this continuity.
** Winter and May end up pondering where they'll be the next time the Vytal festival is held in Vale. May wants
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* BothSidesHaveAPoint: Discussed by Joanna and Marrow. Marrow believes that the tension between Atlas and Mantle is nuanced, that Atlas may not be innocent, but their treatment of the lower city is not entirely unjustified. Joanna counters that Atlas is exploiting Mantle for labor while giving nothing back. Mantle is fighting to survive, Atlas is fighting to remain wealthy.
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* BerserkButton: Having been a slave to Atlas nobility as a child, Cinder reacts very poorly to classisism. Downplayed, as she only reacts that way when faced with it in person, and has no issues working for a system that perpetuates it.
* BothSidesHaveAPoint: Discussed by Joanna and Marrow. Marrow believes that the tension between Atlas and Mantle is nuanced, that Atlas may not be innocent, but their treatment of the lower city is not entirely unjustified. Joanna counters that Atlas is exploiting Mantle for labor while giving nothing back. Mantle is fighting to survive, Atlas is fighting to remainwealthy.wealthy
* BothSidesHaveAPoint: Discussed by Joanna and Marrow. Marrow believes that the tension between Atlas and Mantle is nuanced, that Atlas may not be innocent, but their treatment of the lower city is not entirely unjustified. Joanna counters that Atlas is exploiting Mantle for labor while giving nothing back. Mantle is fighting to survive, Atlas is fighting to remain
* DesperatelyLookingForAPurposeInLife: Marrow seeks a cause to dedicate himself to, which is currently Atlas' military. Joanna, Robyn and Fiona attempt to persuade him to turn that dedication towards helping Mantle instead.
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* DreamWalker: Stella Nyx, an infamous bounty hunter whom Salem brings into her employ, has a semblance that lets her inhabit and control the dreams of people, as long as she has their name. She ends up using this to build a psychological profile on team CASM, going through their dreams to learn their history
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* DreamWalker: Stella Nyx, an infamous bounty hunter whom Salem brings into her employ, has a semblance that lets her inhabit and control the dreams of people, as long as she has their name. She ends up using this to build a psychological profile on team CASM, going through their dreams to learn their historyhistory.
* DudeNotFunny: When she and Marrow are bullied for being from Atlas during their visit to Vale, Cinder fires back that, unlike Vale, Atlas can defend their expansions, alluding to the infamous Mountain Glenn. Marrow objects that she's going too far.
* ForcedOutOfTheCloset: Winter unintentionally pressures [[spoiler:Weiss]] into coming out while training her to use her semblance.
* DudeNotFunny: When she and Marrow are bullied for being from Atlas during their visit to Vale, Cinder fires back that, unlike Vale, Atlas can defend their expansions, alluding to the infamous Mountain Glenn. Marrow objects that she's going too far.
* ForcedOutOfTheCloset: Winter unintentionally pressures [[spoiler:Weiss]] into coming out while training her to use her semblance.
* FunWithAcronyms: As is tradition with ''RWBY''. The main characters are on team CASM (Chasm), while the secondary characters are on team CGHT (Candlelight).
* ResurrectiveImmortality: Ozpin/Ozma, per usual. He and Qrow ends up having a back and forth about who's older, since Qrow is older than Ozpin's current body.
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** Chapter 13 also reveals that [[spoiler:Taiyang and Summer have swapped roles; Taiyang dying on a mission, and Summer surviving to raise their children]].
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** Chapter 13 also reveals that [[spoiler:Taiyang and Summer have swapped roles; Taiyang dying died on a mission, and Summer surviving survived to raise their children]].
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* TookALevelInKindness: Cinder spends most of the first ten chapters being, well, [[{{Jerkass}} Cinder]]. After bonding with the members of her team, she starts showing signs of improving, offering an arm to lean on when Marrow gets airsick and apologizing when her anger issues act up.
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* ShipTease: While it's not tagged as such, the fic contains strong leanings towards Hellbore (Winter/May). May is closer with Winter than any other member of team CASM, they frequently have private talks about their respective issues from being raised in abusive enviroments, Winter even mistakenly thinks May asked her out on a date once, and [[spoiler:Winter is the first person May comes out to]].
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* TeensLoveShopping: Discussed. In Vale, CASM and the Happy Huntresses go on a shopping trip, and all enjoy themselves. Winter, Marrow and Cinder particularily enjoy finding their own style. May, on the other hand, ends up feeling constrained, since she's not out and can't shop for the clothes she ''actually'' wants. [[spoiler:After coming out to Winter, she's taken on a shopping trip where Winter buys her clothes she's comfortable with]].
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* ComingOutStory: May ends up coming out to [[spoiler:Winter]] in chapter 14. Chapter 15 is about the immediate aftermath.
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* SecretKeeper: May ends up coming out to [[spoiler:Winter, who's supportive, before anyone else]].
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* HateSink: May's parents and cousin Henry are introduced treating her like a fashionable commodity. When they show up again a few chapters later, they discuss [[spoiler:Weiss]] in highly transphobic terms, and are shocked that May supports trans rights.
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** The second is that [[spoiler:Taiyang Xiao Long died when his daughters were young, leading Summer Rose to Yang and Ruby.]]
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** The second is that [[spoiler:Taiyang Xiao Long died when his daughters were young, leading Summer Rose to raise Yang and Ruby.]]
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-->'''Qrow:''' You're a sadist.\\
'''Ozpin:''' [[SarcasmMode Must you harass an old man?]]
'''Ozpin:''' [[SarcasmMode Must you harass an old man?]]
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* SnarkToSnarkCombat: In their first appearance, Ozpin and Qrow end up having some back and forth. Qrow complains about feeling old, Ozpin points out that he's older than recorded history, Qrow fires back that Oz is an outlier that shouldn't be counted, etc.
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* ForWantOfANail: The point of divergence for this entire continuity seems to be Cinder being saved from slavery by Rhodes. Because of this, she ends up on a team with Winter, May and Marrow, Winter ends up interracting more with the Happy Huntresses and learns more about her family's crimes, and Salem has to find a new Maiden candidate, setting her sights on May.
to:
* ForWantOfANail: The main point of divergence for this entire continuity seems to be Cinder being saved from slavery by Rhodes. Because of this, she ends up on a team with Winter, May and Marrow, Winter ends up interracting more with the Happy Huntresses and learns more about her family's crimes, and Salem has to find a new Maiden candidate, setting her sights on May.
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* RoleSwapAU: The basic premise is that May Marigold becomes Salem's subordinate in place of Cinder, Cinder [[AdoptiveNameChange Rhodes]] becomes Ironwood's right hand woman in place of Winter, and Winter Schnee becomes a happy huntress in place of May. The meat of the fic is exploring how this swap actually happens, while a planned sequel fic explores how this will impact the main plot of the show.
to:
* RoleSwapAU: PointOfDivergence: There are two, though one only comes up in chapter 13;
** The first and most obvious one is that Cinder was saved from slavery by Rhodes, leading to her training as a huntress and eventually attending Atlas. This in turn leads to other characters being put on a different team and having different relationships.
** The second is that [[spoiler:Taiyang Xiao Long died when his daughters were young, leading Summer Rose to Yang and Ruby.]]
* RoleSwapAU:
** The basic premise is that May Marigold becomes Salem's subordinate in place of Cinder, Cinder [[AdoptiveNameChange Rhodes]] becomes Ironwood's right hand woman in place of Winter, and Winter Schnee becomes a happy huntress in place of May. The meat of the fic is exploring how this swap actually happens, while a planned sequel fic explores how this will impact the main plot of theshow.show.
** Chapter 13 also reveals that [[spoiler:Taiyang and Summer have swapped roles; Taiyang dying on a mission, and Summer surviving to raise their children]].
** The first and most obvious one is that Cinder was saved from slavery by Rhodes, leading to her training as a huntress and eventually attending Atlas. This in turn leads to other characters being put on a different team and having different relationships.
** The second is that [[spoiler:Taiyang Xiao Long died when his daughters were young, leading Summer Rose to Yang and Ruby.]]
* RoleSwapAU:
** The basic premise is that May Marigold becomes Salem's subordinate in place of Cinder, Cinder [[AdoptiveNameChange Rhodes]] becomes Ironwood's right hand woman in place of Winter, and Winter Schnee becomes a happy huntress in place of May. The meat of the fic is exploring how this swap actually happens, while a planned sequel fic explores how this will impact the main plot of the
** Chapter 13 also reveals that [[spoiler:Taiyang and Summer have swapped roles; Taiyang dying on a mission, and Summer surviving to raise their children]].
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* TransTribulations: Marigold and [[spoiler:Weiss]] are both terrified of coming out, since Atlas society is not particularily kind to those who stand out.
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* TransTribulations: Marigold and [[spoiler:Weiss]] are both terrified of coming out, since Atlas society is not particularily kind to those who stand out. After coming out, while her mother and sister are supportive, [[spoiler:Weiss]] still deals with transphobia from her father and virtually every upper class person in Atlas.
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* SadisticChoice: On their first mission beyond Mantle, CASM end up in a lab that's about to explode, with the optino to direct the explosion into a lab with thirty scientists, or to a server room with five scientists but invaluable and unique data. The team is split on the issue, but Cinder makes a last-minute decision to [[spoiler:sacrifice the thirty scientists with the hope that the data will save lives in the future]]. This drives a further wedge between her and her team.
to:
* SadisticChoice: On their first mission beyond Mantle, CASM end up in a lab that's about to explode, with the optino option to direct the explosion into a lab with thirty scientists, or to a server room with five scientists but invaluable and unique data. The team is split on the issue, but Cinder makes a last-minute decision to [[spoiler:sacrifice the thirty scientists with the hope that the data will save lives in the future]]. This drives a further wedge between her and her team.
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** May doesn't want to come out to her team because she doesn't feel that she can trust them to not have an issue with it, particularily Cinder, who's a {{Jerkass}} by nature, and Winter, who's father is infamously intolerant. The reader gets to see Winter [[spoiler:handling her sister coming out with grace, showing that she is nothing like what May feared]].
to:
** May doesn't want to come out to her team because she doesn't feel that she can trust them to not have an issue with it, particularily Cinder, who's a {{Jerkass}} by nature, and Winter, who's father is infamously intolerant. The reader gets to see Winter [[spoiler:handling her sister coming out with grace, showing that she is nothing like what May feared]].feared. Weiss comes out publically soon after, so May still learns about it, just a bit later than the audience]].
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* SadisticChoice: On their first mission beyond Mantle, CASM end up in a lab that's about to explode, with the optino to direct the explosion into a lab with thirty scientists, or to a server room with five scientists but invaluable and unique data. The team is split on the issue, but Cinder makes a last-minute decision to [[spoiler:sacrifice the thirty scientists with the hope that the data will save lives in the future]]. This drives a further wedge between her and her team.
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Changed line(s) 7,8 (click to see context) from:
The fic is loosely inspired by "[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/32161645/chapters/79688038 Blackened Bluebird]]", another ''RWBY'' fic with the same premise. Unlike ''HWS'', which gives roughly equal focus to each of its four protagonists, ''Blackened Bluebird'' is entirely centered on May Marigold, who takes the role of Fall Maiden. Both ''Bluebird'' and ''World on their Shoulders'' are deeply angst-filled, bordering on DarkFic. Trigger warnings are provided for each chapter. Cen be read [[https://archiveofourown.org/works/34252888/chapters/85221154 here]].
to:
The fic is loosely inspired by "[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/32161645/chapters/79688038 Blackened Bluebird]]", another ''RWBY'' fic with the same premise. Unlike ''HWS'', which gives roughly equal focus to each of its four protagonists, ''Blackened Bluebird'' is entirely centered on May Marigold, who takes the role of Fall Maiden. Both ''Bluebird'' and ''World on their Shoulders'' are deeply angst-filled, bordering on DarkFic. Trigger warnings are provided for each chapter. Cen Can be read [[https://archiveofourown.org/works/34252888/chapters/85221154 here]].
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The fic is loosely inspired by "[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/32161645/chapters/79688038 Blackened Bluebird]]", another ''RWBY'' fic with the same premise. Unlike ''HWS'', which gives roughly equal focus to each of its four protagonists, ''Blackened Bluebird'' is entirely centered on May Marigold, who takes the role of Fall Maiden. Both ''Bluebird'' and ''World on their Shoulders'' are deeply angst-filled, bordering on DarkFic. Trigger warnings are provided for each chapter.
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The fic is loosely inspired by "[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/32161645/chapters/79688038 Blackened Bluebird]]", another ''RWBY'' fic with the same premise. Unlike ''HWS'', which gives roughly equal focus to each of its four protagonists, ''Blackened Bluebird'' is entirely centered on May Marigold, who takes the role of Fall Maiden. Both ''Bluebird'' and ''World on their Shoulders'' are deeply angst-filled, bordering on DarkFic. Trigger warnings are provided for each chapter.
chapter. Cen be read [[https://archiveofourown.org/works/34252888/chapters/85221154 here]].
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* LivingLieDetector: Robyn's semblance lets her know if someone is lying, as long as she's in physical contact with them. This makes Marigold hesitant to be around her, since she has quite a bit secret she doesn't want let out.
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* LivingLieDetector: Robyn's semblance lets her know if someone is lying, as long as she's in physical contact with them. This makes Marigold hesitant to be around her, since she has quite a bit big secret she doesn't want let out.
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* DramaticIrony: May doesn't want to come out to her team because she doesn't feel that she can trust them to not have an issue with it, particularily Cinder, who's a {{Jerkass}} by nature, and Winter, who's father is infamously intolerant. The reader gets to see Winter [[spoiler:handling her sister coming out with grace, showing that she is nothing like what May feared]].
to:
* DramaticIrony: DramaticIrony:
** May doesn't want to come out to her team because she doesn't feel that she can trust them to not have an issue with it, particularily Cinder, who's a {{Jerkass}} by nature, and Winter, who's father is infamously intolerant. The reader gets to see Winter [[spoiler:handling her sister coming out with grace, showing that she is nothing like what Mayfeared]].feared]].
** When he overhears Salem discussing Maiden candidates, Watts suggests Marigold, since her invisibility semblance could be useful. Salem does note them down, but dismisses them as a Maiden because they need a girl. As the reader will already know, Marigold ''is'' a girl. To her credit, Salem does realize her mistake and returns May to the candidate list.
** May doesn't want to come out to her team because she doesn't feel that she can trust them to not have an issue with it, particularily Cinder, who's a {{Jerkass}} by nature, and Winter, who's father is infamously intolerant. The reader gets to see Winter [[spoiler:handling her sister coming out with grace, showing that she is nothing like what May
** When he overhears Salem discussing Maiden candidates, Watts suggests Marigold, since her invisibility semblance could be useful. Salem does note them down, but dismisses them as a Maiden because they need a girl. As the reader will already know, Marigold ''is'' a girl. To her credit, Salem does realize her mistake and returns May to the candidate list.
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* AllohistoricalAllusion:
** When Cinder has a nightmare about her enslaved childhood, it takes the form of the canonical events from the episode "Midnight".
** Salem laments that Cinder would have made a good candidate for the Fall Maiden, if she hadn't been accepted into Atlas first.
** When Cinder has a nightmare about her enslaved childhood, it takes the form of the canonical events from the episode "Midnight".
** Salem laments that Cinder would have made a good candidate for the Fall Maiden, if she hadn't been accepted into Atlas first.
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* AdaptationalHeroism: Working for the PoliceState can hardly be considered ''heroic'', and she still maintains her nasty disposition, but Cinder is at least not on the side of an OmnicidalManiac in this continuity.
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* CompetitionFreak: A lifetime of enslavement and being saved by a Huntsman who trained her has left Cinder with a desire to be the at the top of any situation. In Atlas, this manifests as a desire to drive her team into being the best of their year on the leaderboard. Once she does that, she aims for the top ten overall. Then the top five, etc.
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* DreamWalker: Stella Nyx, an infamous bounty hunter whom Salem brings into her employ, has a semblance that lets her inhabit and control the dreams of people, as long as she has their name. She ends up using this to build a psychological profile on team CASM, going through their dreams to learn their history
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* {{Deuteragonist}}: May Marigold is ultimately the character with the most focus, with Cinder, Winter and (to a slightly lesser degree) Marrow serving as deuteragonists.
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* AdaptationNameChange: Cinder's last name is Rhodes, instead of Fall in this continuity. Justified, as she took the name from the Huntsman who saved her from slavery. Even in canon, "Fall" is implied to be a self-chosen name.
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* BothSidesHaveAPoint: Discussed by Joanna and Marrow. Marrow believes that the tension between Atlas and Mantle is nuanced, that Atlas may not be innocent, but their treatment of the lower city is not entirely unjustified. Joanna counters that Atlas is exploiting Mantle for labor while giving nothing back.
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* BothSidesHaveAPoint: Discussed by Joanna and Marrow. Marrow believes that the tension between Atlas and Mantle is nuanced, that Atlas may not be innocent, but their treatment of the lower city is not entirely unjustified. Joanna counters that Atlas is exploiting Mantle for labor while giving nothing back. Mantle is fighting to survive, Atlas is fighting to remain wealthy.
* ForWantOfANail: The point of divergence for this entire continuity seems to be Cinder being saved from slavery by Rhodes. Because of this, she ends up on a team with Winter, May and Marrow, Winter ends up interracting more with the Happy Huntresses and learns more about her family's crimes, and Salem has to find a new Maiden candidate, setting her sights on May.
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* RoleSwapAU: The basic premise is that May Marigold becomes Salem's subordinate in place of Cinder, Cinder [[AdoptiveNameChange Rhodes] becomes Ironwood's right hand woman in place of Winter, and Winter Schnee becomes a happy huntress in place of May. The meat of the fic is exploring how this swap actually happens, while a planned sequel fic explores how this will impact the main plot of the show.
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* LivingLieDetector: Robyn's semblance lets her know if someone is lying, as long as she's in physical contact with them. This makes Marigold hesitant to be around her, since she has quite a bit secret she doesn't want let out.
* RoleSwapAU: The basic premise is that May Marigold becomes Salem's subordinate in place of Cinder, Cinder [[AdoptiveNameChangeRhodes] Rhodes]] becomes Ironwood's right hand woman in place of Winter, and Winter Schnee becomes a happy huntress in place of May. The meat of the fic is exploring how this swap actually happens, while a planned sequel fic explores how this will impact the main plot of the show.
* RoleSwapAU: The basic premise is that May Marigold becomes Salem's subordinate in place of Cinder, Cinder [[AdoptiveNameChange
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->''We know the stories of Cinder Fall, May Marigold, Marrow Amin, and Winter Schnee.\\
But this isn't their story. Not as we know it.\\
This is the story of a timeline where everything shifted, slightly. Where they all attended Atlas Academy, for better or for worse. Where their roles get shifted around. ''
'''Holding the World on their Shoulders''' is a ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'' RoleSwapAU fic by Asheskies, swapping the roles of Cinder Fall, May Marigold and Winter Schnee. After being saved from slavery by the huntsman Rhodes, Cinder is accepted into the presigious Atlas Huntsman Academy, where she is assigned four teammembers; Winter Schnee, the disinherited child of the prestigious Schnee family; Marigold, another heir with issues relating to their identity; and Marrow Amin, a Mantle native who barely got into Atlas by the skin of his teeth. Over their time at Atlas, all four will attract the attention of forces that seek their loyalties, leading to a quite different story from the one we all know.
The fic is loosely inspired by "[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/32161645/chapters/79688038 Blackened Bluebird]]", another ''RWBY'' fic with the same premise. Unlike ''HWS'', which gives roughly equal focus to each of its four protagonists, ''Blackened Bluebird'' is entirely centered on May Marigold, who takes the role of Fall Maiden. Both ''Bluebird'' and ''World on their Shoulders'' are deeply angst-filled, bordering on DarkFic. Trigger warnings are provided for each chapter.
!!Holding the World on their Shoulders provides examples of the following tropes
* BaitAndSwitch: When Winter returns home to visit her "brother", RWBY fans will expect her to meet Whitley. She's actually meeting [[spoiler:Weiss, who hasn't come out as a trans girl yet]].
* BothSidesHaveAPoint: Discussed by Joanna and Marrow. Marrow believes that the tension between Atlas and Mantle is nuanced, that Atlas may not be innocent, but their treatment of the lower city is not entirely unjustified. Joanna counters that Atlas is exploiting Mantle for labor while giving nothing back.
* DramaticIrony: May doesn't want to come out to her team because she doesn't feel that she can trust them to not have an issue with it, particularily Cinder, who's a {{Jerkass}} by nature, and Winter, who's father is infamously intolerant. The reader gets to see Winter [[spoiler:handling her sister coming out with grace, showing that she is nothing like what May feared]].
* TheFriendNobodyLikes: Cinder Rhodes, to a T. While she isn't an AxCrazy powerhungry lunatic like in canon, her extremely competitive nature and dismissal of personal issues wins her no friends, even within her own team. She gets slightly better as she spends more time with her team.
* LastNameBasis: Team CASM, reflecting their rather strained relationship, refer to each other mostly by last names. Marigold does call Winter and Marrow by their given names because she's closer to them than Cinder, but insists that she herself only be called Marigold, since she's not willing to come out as trans, but feels strong dysphoria from her deadname. This ends up saving her from [[spoiler:Stella Nyx, who's semblance requires her to know the victim's true name]].
* RoleSwapAU: The basic premise is that May Marigold becomes Salem's subordinate in place of Cinder, Cinder [[AdoptiveNameChange Rhodes] becomes Ironwood's right hand woman in place of Winter, and Winter Schnee becomes a happy huntress in place of May. The meat of the fic is exploring how this swap actually happens, while a planned sequel fic explores how this will impact the main plot of the show.
* SupernaturallyValidatedTransPerson:
** Stella Nyx is able to invade the dreams of any person she knows the true name of. May ends up unintentionally {{No Sell}}ing it, since no-one knows that her actual name is May.
** [[spoiler:Weiss]] is only able to manifest her aura and semblance when she admits that she wants to become a Huntress, not a huntsman.
** Salem tells Tyrian that there have been previous trans maidens, and in one case, a trans boy who failed to inherit maidenhood because of his gender. She even notes May as a perfect candidate.
* TransTribulations: Marigold and [[spoiler:Weiss]] are both terrified of coming out, since Atlas society is not particularily kind to those who stand out.
* WhiteSheep: Winter and May are both scions of wealthy families that object to their family businesses' unethical practices.
----
But this isn't their story. Not as we know it.\\
This is the story of a timeline where everything shifted, slightly. Where they all attended Atlas Academy, for better or for worse. Where their roles get shifted around. ''
'''Holding the World on their Shoulders''' is a ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'' RoleSwapAU fic by Asheskies, swapping the roles of Cinder Fall, May Marigold and Winter Schnee. After being saved from slavery by the huntsman Rhodes, Cinder is accepted into the presigious Atlas Huntsman Academy, where she is assigned four teammembers; Winter Schnee, the disinherited child of the prestigious Schnee family; Marigold, another heir with issues relating to their identity; and Marrow Amin, a Mantle native who barely got into Atlas by the skin of his teeth. Over their time at Atlas, all four will attract the attention of forces that seek their loyalties, leading to a quite different story from the one we all know.
The fic is loosely inspired by "[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/32161645/chapters/79688038 Blackened Bluebird]]", another ''RWBY'' fic with the same premise. Unlike ''HWS'', which gives roughly equal focus to each of its four protagonists, ''Blackened Bluebird'' is entirely centered on May Marigold, who takes the role of Fall Maiden. Both ''Bluebird'' and ''World on their Shoulders'' are deeply angst-filled, bordering on DarkFic. Trigger warnings are provided for each chapter.
!!Holding the World on their Shoulders provides examples of the following tropes
* BaitAndSwitch: When Winter returns home to visit her "brother", RWBY fans will expect her to meet Whitley. She's actually meeting [[spoiler:Weiss, who hasn't come out as a trans girl yet]].
* BothSidesHaveAPoint: Discussed by Joanna and Marrow. Marrow believes that the tension between Atlas and Mantle is nuanced, that Atlas may not be innocent, but their treatment of the lower city is not entirely unjustified. Joanna counters that Atlas is exploiting Mantle for labor while giving nothing back.
* DramaticIrony: May doesn't want to come out to her team because she doesn't feel that she can trust them to not have an issue with it, particularily Cinder, who's a {{Jerkass}} by nature, and Winter, who's father is infamously intolerant. The reader gets to see Winter [[spoiler:handling her sister coming out with grace, showing that she is nothing like what May feared]].
* TheFriendNobodyLikes: Cinder Rhodes, to a T. While she isn't an AxCrazy powerhungry lunatic like in canon, her extremely competitive nature and dismissal of personal issues wins her no friends, even within her own team. She gets slightly better as she spends more time with her team.
* LastNameBasis: Team CASM, reflecting their rather strained relationship, refer to each other mostly by last names. Marigold does call Winter and Marrow by their given names because she's closer to them than Cinder, but insists that she herself only be called Marigold, since she's not willing to come out as trans, but feels strong dysphoria from her deadname. This ends up saving her from [[spoiler:Stella Nyx, who's semblance requires her to know the victim's true name]].
* RoleSwapAU: The basic premise is that May Marigold becomes Salem's subordinate in place of Cinder, Cinder [[AdoptiveNameChange Rhodes] becomes Ironwood's right hand woman in place of Winter, and Winter Schnee becomes a happy huntress in place of May. The meat of the fic is exploring how this swap actually happens, while a planned sequel fic explores how this will impact the main plot of the show.
* SupernaturallyValidatedTransPerson:
** Stella Nyx is able to invade the dreams of any person she knows the true name of. May ends up unintentionally {{No Sell}}ing it, since no-one knows that her actual name is May.
** [[spoiler:Weiss]] is only able to manifest her aura and semblance when she admits that she wants to become a Huntress, not a huntsman.
** Salem tells Tyrian that there have been previous trans maidens, and in one case, a trans boy who failed to inherit maidenhood because of his gender. She even notes May as a perfect candidate.
* TransTribulations: Marigold and [[spoiler:Weiss]] are both terrified of coming out, since Atlas society is not particularily kind to those who stand out.
* WhiteSheep: Winter and May are both scions of wealthy families that object to their family businesses' unethical practices.
----
