Author Notes for Stress Relief

Stress Relief here we go, I'd like to thank all my s for making this possible - as without you, this honestly might not have come out until June or July 2016 - so I hope everyone else will throw out a quick "thanks" to them. Do it right now, say it out loud.

I'll wait...

...

So the typical first chapter warnings, this story is rated M for mature, and that comes with a few extra warnings. While there will be no detailed lemons in this story (I'll make some separate ones if people honestly want them) - there will be references to sexual intercourse and some foreplay elements. So if you're against that kind of thing you might want to try looking elsewhere.

Also I'm trying a bit of an experiment in writing entirely from one person's PoV - namely Cinder's. So you'll never get to see Jaune's internal thoughts, meaning I'll be trying to show them in his actions, words and how he reacts to things. So you'll need to read a little deeper to catch everything.

I'm also trying a few other experiments, but I don't want to list them all as it will spoiler things - you'll see in time perhaps. Another warning will be that if canon suddenly changes things with Cinder massively, I might be forced to ignore it. Consider this AU obviously anyway, in that Jaune and Cinder don't really talk in the show. But if Cinder suddenly somehow becomes a "goodie" then I am ignoring it.

Other than that I hope you like it, review if you enjoy xD - Though honestly, it'll take a chapter or two to get into it anyway...

So... what did you all think? Cinder is an interesting character and I've tried to capture how I imagine her character being. Cruel, calculating, *arrogant* but also mortal. A woman who doesn't suffer fools gladly, but knows how to play the game and when she needs to pretend to be something she's not.

I'm sure no one was honestly expecting me to go all "lovey-dovey Cinder" but if they did... well yeah, I'm not. When I say "Romance" I still mean on-character.

I will be making what is perhaps an unpopular decision here however... \*drum roll\* - no omakes for this fic.

Gasp, why!? Well, this story is a serious one and I don't want to break the mood and tension with funny snippets at the end. Besides, this comes out alongside Staffroom Chronicles, which is pretty much two omakes anyway, a long one and a short one.

You can go there if you need your fill.

Otherwise, thanks for reading - I hope you enjoyed, and please leave a review if you're looking forward for more!

*Next Update: 28th December 2015.*

### Chapter 2

**December 28****,**

Back, and here we go! Some initial notes before we go. In response to many reviews I guess, thank you - in response to others. I'll be trying to keep Cinder in-character as much as possible, but with her changing so wildly in the show, as it's focused on her now, that will be difficult. That said, the story for this has already been "planned" in advance. So like i said at the end of last chapter. If she goes through one of those annoying RT twists, where they seem to get utterly bored of their character and re-write them... then I'll be ignoring it sadly.

This is all written from the PoV of Cinder as a criminal mastermind. Now some I may still use from the show, and I hope to. But like I said, if they suddenly add in a "she actually loves children and won't hurt them" thing or a "Cinder is actually a hero in disguise" - then I'll be ignoring that. If they give her a past, then sure I'll use it. What I'm saying is, the whole premise here works on the assumption that she is a driven, sometimes cruel criminal - who isn't afraid to do what needs to be done to reach her goals. If they vastly change that, in a way that she could *never* be cruel or hurt someone... then I will ignore it.

On another note, someone said she's utterly OoC because she isn't snappy or angry like in last chapter... sigh. You haven't seen her snappy in the show because she's usually shown in a good mood. That would be like saying I cannot ever write angry Ruby, because she's never "truly" angry. In this fic (early on anyway) she is frustrated and annoyed. So of course she is going to "act" frustrated and annoyed. We've never seen the shopkeeper aroused in the show, that doesn't mean he's a eunuch.

Also as for never snapping at Mercury and Emerald, some of Cinder's first lines were to tell them off, tell them to be silent, and then say; "Don't think - obey."

Her snappy nature will only last so long as her frustration does. When she's back in a good mood, then she will be much more similar to how she acts in the show.

Anyway, I'll be trying to keep in-character, but obviously the whole premise is a little AU, as RT will never include sex or any desires for, in an anime aimed at younger audiences.

There we go. Jaune, you are the chosen one. Also, I still haven't seen the last three episodes or so of RWBY, but I'll be watching them all before next weekend. At this stage there shouldn't be too many clashes though, unless it's been revealed that Cinder is a man. Or my own little joke (but also hoping it ISN'T as it's cliche as hell, but kinda scared it is.. please RT, do not...) conspiracy - Cinder is Summer Rose, or Cinder's boss is Summer.

*Next Chapter: 18th Jan.*

## January 2016

### Chapter 3

**January 18****,**

Chapter three of Stress Relief is a go, I hope you all enjoy.

I'm sure Jaune does ~

This chapter is rated M for "Oh my…"

A reviewer raised a good point in asking if Cinder is an "unreliable narrator" since it is from her PoV. I would like to point out that yes, she is an unreliable narrator. For instance, she considers Jaune to be a complete idiot - but that doesn't mean he is, or that I am belittling him. It's what Cinder initially thinks.

Keep that in mind for things perhaps, as it *is* intentional.

Oh wow, so the scene already. In a traditional romance story this would be an absolute failure – it should be saved for so much later at least, maybe near the middle – beat 4 or so. Or even at the end if you're going for a lighter one.

Not here though, as the whole story revolves around casual relationships, which means it needs to happen early. Like Beat 2 early – the meeting.

And this is how the sex scenes will likely be, for reference. Not explicit, as I hope you can see – there's no mention of thrusting, mechanics – all that stuff. But it's still M-rated nonetheless.

Leave a review if you liked it. I'd be interested to hear if you think the detail was too much, since this is meant to not be as explicit as a lemon. The sex is ironically less important than the way in which they have sex.

*Next Chapter: 8th February*

## February 2016

### Chapter 4

**February 8****,**

Hey guys – great feedback from the last chapter, I really do appreciate hearing people's thoughts on things. Anyway, this chapter might raise a lot of concerns people have raised – mostly about the moral aspects of Cinder's plan. All I can say is… keep reading. Also, yes – Jaune isn't going to be a "Y-yes" stuttering mess for the entire story. Cut a man some slack, we were all tongue-tied and a bit useless around women at first! Practice makes perfect, after all.

Also, he's gone from "constantly getting rejected by Weiss" to "bagged super-hot new girl in a single day" that's a *little* bit out of his comfort zone perhaps. Forgive a man for being caught off-guard xD

But at the same time, it's a valid concern. I personally hate reading those stories where one person has a "..." between words all the time.

"Naruto...kun... eto... eh... ano...I-I-I..."

Kill me...

Wow, good job Jaune! Again, the sex is short – it's there to… show things. You'll see in time, but the sex itself is meant to represent show, don't tell – so there are details to be had if one digs. On that note as well, the quotes about "She had won, he belonged to her." Were not "tells" they were "shows" you simply didn't notice what they were showing. It was to represent Cinder's mindset, that she genuinely believes people can be "won" and that they "belong" to her. It's not meant as a tell of the fact her seduction was successful... that was kinda obvious anyway.

Now we see the effects of Cinder not instantly breaking Jaune's heart, he's just naïve enough, just hopeful enough... just inexperienced enough - to think that this might be relatively normal in a relationship. After all, what's a day or two of no contact? Maybe she's just busy… maybe we didn't have many classes together.

Also, while Cinder might have achieved her *objective* by dancing with Jaune in public, there's also a certain… well, let's just say *fallout* of such an action.

I changed the fight scene with Ruby. Sue me, I didn't want to have to repeat exactly what happened again and describe it in full. Realistically speaking it changes little. Sure, Ironwood didn't see her per se, but all the cameras would have proven it was a masked figure. Not to mention matters of timing. *Yes, I know* that when Cinder arrives, Jaune is already in the dress, etc… but consider this, Jaune noticed Pyrrha's distress at the dance, but would he… if he was currently going through his own little mini-crisis, looking for the girl he might be, might not be, going out with – who he hasn't seen since they last had sex?

That's a pretty distracted Jaune… which means, yes… poor Pyrrha. She went alone, all miserable, and Jaune did nothing about it.

*Next Chapter: 29th Feb*

*Note: Starting from March (assuming no cancellations) the update speed will be increasing to a chapter every 14 days - there will be more notes as to the exact schedule closer to the time. But faster chapters is always a good thing, so I hope you enjoy.*

### Chapter 5

**February 29****,**

Hoo boy! This pairing suddenly got scary to write or support in any way, didn't it? I've actually received a few PM's about it. I wouldn't call them complaints or criticisms, since none of them relate to anything actually *in* the story.

Let's just call them flames – although maybe that's an ironic word choice xD

Basically equating to – "How *dare* I write a Cinder x Jaune after what happened! How very dare!?"

Well I dare, ladies and gentlemen. And if we can hold back from burning me too much, and cut out the flames (unless they're actually relevant to the writing – in which case turn up the heat!) – and if I can cut out all the fire puns at Pyrrha's expense?

I will try… even if doing so leaves a taste like ash in my mouth.

…

Okay, I'll try from now – honest.

So many metaphors, much symbolism. And, of course, motivations and relationship statuses to be pulled from the actual act of sexual gratification. None of it is purely for smut, as honestly it's quite tame for that. If I wanted to write a lemon, it would be much more detailed. Anyway, I've gone a little insane with the symbolism and little hints here, maybe too much. But ah well. Life!

Technically speaking this fic is my first proper romance. In that my others are more along the lines of romance as a sub-genre. They are action or adventure, with romance. Whereas this is romance, and just romance. The entirety of the plot is focused around the central question "will they get together at the end?" "Will it be real love?"

And technically no sex this chapter, though that defence is a little thin - ah well - let's hope it doesn't lead to any *burning sensations*, am I right!? On a serious note, you have no idea how hard it is to resist the urge to have some of them eat breakfast in any of my fics, and mention the new "Pumpkin Pete's new BBQ Flavour." The temptation is so real!

*New Schedule:*

*You might have heard it in Professor Arc, but just in case – we have a new schedule for fics, and the details are below. This will mean faster updates, and this story will be updated every 14 days. I've also included the exact dates for the first rotation, but after that you'll need to figure it out yourself in a sense. It just rotates, basically…*

*Monday 1 – Stress Relief (29th feb)*

*Friday 1 – Not this time, Fate (New Story) (4th March)*

*Monday 2 – One Good Turn Deserves Another (7th March)*

*Friday 2 – Professor Arc (11th March)*

*(Repeat) – From Beyond will be updated every Sunday.*

## March 2016

### Chapter 6

**March 14****,**

Here we go, another week another chapter. Man, I didn't get as much done on my week off as I had hoped… mostly due to the whole drama between my work not understanding what a holiday is. Ugh… I realise that I've brought them pretty much from collapse to maybe survival… but all I needed them to do was the same as they have been the last three weeks or so.

I'd even written all my articles for the week in advance, as well as arranged and done some interviews for the magazines. Le sigh!

Ah well… life. Enjoy the chapter.

Or don't… xD – Don't let me tell you what to do. But then, don't let me tell you what "not" to do, either. Ooh, the double negatives.

Sheesh Jaune, take responsibility for your actions xD – I know I would.

Some development between them, and hey, look – no sex! We're actually still on beat 3 here, for those keeping track – I know one or two are. Keep in mind that in my lessons I do say that beats 3 and 5 should last for much longer than the other ones. This is essentially the first time Cinder has ever been impressed with Jaune, or wanted him.

You'll also notice I made up new reasons for the breach here, as it's worth keeping in mind that in the show… it was utterly pointless. But had it succeeded, at a time when all the students were out – and the older hunters with them?

The breach could very well have been the hammer blow Amity was. I like to think of Amity as their contingency plan. Because there's no way Cinder would be foolish enough not to consider the possibility of failure. She just didn't expect the definitely-not-sharingan that Ruby has.

### Chapter 7

**March 28****,**

Long story short. I have been getting spam flames from guest accounts since this story began back in chapter one. I've been ignoring it for a long time but the consistent insulting bile, combined with the work involved in moderating and removing it, has been playing with my patience.

Similarly things got a bit tough when my roof half-collapsed and I ended up ranting here a bit. I've altered this now to remove it, but allow a small message to remain.

I don't mind negative reviews. I will never delete them if I even think they are slightly relevant. To that note I have left in ones like "Lame" or "Rubbish" without any explanation. Those can stay because it might be someone's genuine opinion. But I am tired of the obscenity filled threat reviews, that say if I don't delete this story that they hope I get cancer and such. The usual drivel.

So there it is, just an ultimatum of sorts. Don't bother - I'm moderating guest reviews now so generic hate will be removed. I never wanted to have to do this... why would I - it's just more work? But apparently I have to...

In total there have been 89 deleted reviews for this now. All 89 from a Guest account that tends to use nothing but swear words and threats. Please... if you don't like this story. Leave. There are thousands of others that can be read.

Cinder gets her revenge, or does she? Things heat up – if that's still possible – while the time until D-Day ticks down. As always, things to be read between the lines.

This chapter was pretty rushed and didn't all get to College Fool on time. Mostly because we had a bad storm here and my roof has collapsed – which is pretty bad! So I've spent all this weekend – and bank holiday Monday – trying to mitigate the damage while also stave off the massive loss of heat.

Good job I filled up on oil for our boiler like two weeks ago. Because I've a feeling I'm going to be going through a lot! Fuck my life…

*Anyway, next chapter 11th April*

## April 2016

### Chapter 8

**April 11,**

Hi all, another chapter here. Thank you for the many who have offered their support. I'll be pretty much ignoring the silliness that went on however, as always – best to ignore. One or two have mentioned how the PoV focus on Cinder might be a weakness. All I can say is… you might be right! But it's an experiment I'm trying. Next time I write a pure romance I will split the PoV's equally, but I just want to see how it works out this time ;)

Not saying I'm right in this choice or that you're wrong… just that it's something I want to try out. Personally I think you're correct and it *is* a mistake… but I've also read a lot of good single PoV Romance novels, and wanted to see how it worked.

Little else to say, but I will clear up one small thing. Cinder… is not my favourite character. I don't ship when I write, so I'm not ever "into" my pairings. Please don't mistake my writing this fic for me supporting her. She is a cruel, cruel woman – and I want to show that in this story too. I'm not, by writing this, claiming that she is misunderstood, deeper or otherwise a better person than anyone else. I used her in this fic simply because I wanted a mature romance around a very conflicted theme – and I thought; "hey, Cinder could work… with a casual sex theme!" In a way I don't *want* you to like Cinder too much, or I'm taking away from her character too much. Understand her... maybe - that would be good.

Nothing more ;)

I'm sure keeping in mind the time in the series that we can all guess what that call was about and what it signalled. I got this to CF really late this week, so my apologies there – but also if there are any weaknesses or mistakes then blame me, not College Fool.

For they are my mistakes! All mine! Mwahahaha!

*Next Chapter: 25th April*

### Chapter 9

**April 25,**

Hey everyone! I got one or two questions about this, which I thought I would answer (even as a few others pretty much got it spot-on). So last chapter, why did I have Jaune think that Pyrrha would be happy to meet Cinder? Was it stupidity on his part? Well… actually I believe that is the impression Pyrrha would give Jaune. She's so willing to sacrifice her own happiness for his (to the point that even Nora points it out), that I can't help but think if he *had* gotten a gf in canon, she would have been incredibly supportive, while insanely frustrated and jealous (but only in private). Essentially making herself miserable because she believes it is the right and kind thing to do. Sometimes it can be hard to understand girls at that age, especially when they clearly say one thing and totally mean another.

I imagine Pyrrha would be the first to just hug Jaune and congratulate him, wish him well and when he asks about a meeting say "Oh, I'd love to meet her…" all the while feeling her heart breaking. Just feels in-character.

Oooh, emotional – but also conflicted. This is *not* a simple romance. Hell, I wouldn't want to invest all this time into a simple romance.

Ugh, this weekend…I have a trapped nerve in my back which led to something of a weird weekend. The pain is bad, though only when I move and such… so I went to the doctor and they gave me some pain medication on prescription. Typically, I had a bad reaction to this like… all Saturday. I was shivering, some hallucinations, vomiting, all my skin was itching no matter how much I scratched it. I'm utterly fine now (and obviously not taking it anymore), but it really put a damper on my writing lol. I still have the pain, but compared to the weird crap of this weekend it's totally preferable!

For those who wonder, by the way, this is the official end of Beat 4 in the 7 Beat System. Beat 4 is always short, and included last chapter and this one only. Interactions with other characters comes next chapter, since if you recall she did say she would meet his friends when he returned... and she did just reveal herself to ALL of them.

*Next Chapter – 9th May*

## May 2016

### Chapter 10

**May 9,**

College Fool is currently in South Korea, so is going to be off the beta grid for a little while, just keep that in mind if there are any mistakes and direct all criticism to me. Other than that, on with the story!

I'm sure some people will accuse this chapter of Pyrrha bashing, despite my attempts to avoid it. Sorry to say this is realistically speaking how such a confrontation would happen, if not worse. Cinder cares nothing for these people and perhaps is the kind of person to take subtle pleasure in little digs at them.

On the other hand, Pyrrha is a teenage girl in love and isn't going to give up on him. Sorry if you believe this is me victimising her but there is no realistic alternative in my mind. That said, she's still kind enough to feel bad when she believes she has crossed the line.

That excuse Cinder gave as to her combat style? I actually ran with what we see in the show where she wears that outfit and wins a fight by kicking someone in the stomach. In that scene she is unarmed, so I imagine her cover was as melee martial artist like Mercury.

*Next Chapter - 23rd May*

### Chapter 11

**May 23,**

Here we go, thank the lord I got last week's devastating real-life workload done. It really ate into my writing time for my fics, since I was working every night at home as well. Anyway, now that's out of the way things are back to normal. Yayifications!

Also frothing at the mouth for Total War: Warhammer at the moment… I just know it's going to be disappointing, I just know it won't meet the hype… but even my cynical, jaded heart is beating for it. I… need… to… WAAAAGHHH!

(Is actually going to be playing Vampire Counts or Chaos first)

Man, what a bitch… you know a lot of people just assume I despise Pyrrha, but even I feel a little bad for her here. But this *is* Cinder we're talking about…

Plus this is still all muted by the "Squeeeee" going on in my head about tomorrow's release date. I've taken Thursday and Friday off work just to play it all weekend. It's embarrassing when staff turn to their boss and say "what will you be doing on holiday, then?" And my immediate thought is:

Hmm… writie fanfiction and play computer games for four days straight.

"I'm going to… de-stress… and spend more time outside… yeah."

*Next Chapter: 6th June*

## June 2016

### Chapter 12

**June 6,**

Monday is here, my dog recovered from surgery – my house is a mess of broken and knocked aside furniture by virtue of her cone head. All is well, sort of. On an even happier note, Stress Relief now has cover art – ooooh. This was drawn by my Visual Novel artist, Rachel Marks, who is an awesome artist. It's not actually released yet, so I can't offer any links to it – but you can see it above, I'm sure.

Also, this chapter hasn't been beta'd (babysitting cone-head dog all weekend, so my bad) – any mistakes belong to me. Onwards!

Double whammy for Cinder here, the rift between JNPR stretches on – but Cinder's plans… well… Mercury is starting to notice things, it seems. So yeah, this goes a tiny bit further – I've had more than a few people asking me I think I'd be able to write an actual lemon. My answer is yes, I'm fairly sure I could.

And yes, there is a small part of me that wants to. My biggest concern, and it's an ironic concern I know, is getting reported on here for it. Odd, when there are RWBY fics where the sexual content is explicit, and then others where it's downright illegal!

So I'm unsure, still. It won't ever be a full lemon in this fic, though I might include one in a different one, just like the lemon that continues after one of these scenes cuts off. Maybe even this one, for I must admit some small appreciation for control-play.

But argh, I digress! Hope you enjoyed the chapter.

*Next Chapter: 20th June*

### Chapter 13

**June 20,**

Just for the sake of explanation. At the end of season 2, with the breach and all that – then the beginning of season 3, there's no great explanation as to time frames. I know a lot of people assume each is a trimester, and I personally do believe that there was a holiday period (hence Ruby able to visit her mother's grave). But for the sake of this story, I'm going to assume that there was no such thing.

I mean, it raises weird questions anyway, like; "What do Blake and Jaune do?" One has run away from his family, the other is essentially homeless and unemployed. Do Nora and Ren have anywhere they can live, either? It doesn't really effect anything, just thought I'd mention it in advance. Who knows, maybe Beacon keeps its boarding facilities open for those who wish to stay. Such would be a little unfair for the staff, though. Since they wouldn't be able to take a holiday… not unless they wanted to trust Beacon to the students. xD

Oh dear Jaune, you've done fucked up a little there. Cinder starts to feel a little emotional, but then again – this is her central PoV, and as a central character she has to develop as the story progresses. We see so little emotion from her in the show, that there's just no telling how she would react to situations like this. But she *is* meant to feel confused and conflicted over this… an emotion she just hasn't shown in canon.

She strikes me as quite the vengeful and angry woman though. While also being quite self-centred. Agree, disagree, let me know.

Then fight me! xD Jokes aside, writing this was tough. It's the show week for us at work, which means I'm in and out of the office, at the show Wed-Thursday, and stuck in mind-breaking traffic afterwards. I'm talking the kind of 4 hour delays that come from 70,000 people all leaving one area at the same time. Hate it so muchhhh!

*Next Chapter: 4th July*

## July 2016

### Chapter 14

**July 4,**

So we got robbed last night. Some thieves came by and broke into our garage using power tools and some barriers to muffle the noise. Took off with a £3,500 quad and a bunch of tools from the garage… it's all insured, but since this is the FIFTH burglary in 3 years, the insurance company has said that if we do claim, they will have to end their contract with us.

And since all new insurance companies would ask how much has been stolen in recent years… they would be unlikely to insure us either. Not to mention most criminals make repeat visits to steal the insurance stuff too. So we have to just accept the loss. Police useless, naturally.

So pissed off today, so very pissed off. It's a rural area so there are a lot of criminals come by to try and steal expensive machinery - especially since less neighbours and population density means never any police presence.

Oh dear. Cinder has come to an epiphany of sorts, but oh so late… with only two days to the Festival, can anything be changed – and would she even wish to?

For those keeping track – and I realise that I forgot to say it – we're pretty much in the mid-point of Beat 5, essentially the last climax before the true climax of the story.

*Next Chapter: 18th July*

### Chapter 15

**July 18,**

Another week passes. I've made the garage into Fort Knox after the burglary of last time. Alarms, more CCTV, iron grates – two sets of windows, and then a metal mesh wire over the back of it all. For added oomph, I have also installed a speaker system that would let me talk to anyone who got inside. Not sure what my plan is for that though… mockery?

I was just buying stuff off ebay, okay – that "recommended" bar at the bottom can be weird sometimes, and I was determined to get everything.

Oh dear. Part of me fears the last line might make people think she's sick of his words, but hopefully not. I considered changing it to be more obvious, but the impact of the final line would have been robbed a little.

They say that the moment at which you open yourself to another is when true love can be born, but I say that's also one of the most terrifying moments of a person's life. Cinder's final vestige of power over him has been taken away. The one place where she still felt he could be nothing more than a tool.

On her plans, I wanted to come up with specific reasons for why she did each thing in the show. It seemed odd for her to specifically choose CFVY to face, unless there was a reason she needed to ensure their loss. The same with the other people… So I came up with this little head-canon that she is doing it to try and force Ozpin's hand with the Maiden. Sure, he *may*have already made up his mind, but if Pyrrha were to utterly bomb out of the tournament, then it might be enough to make him change – especially if she lost to Yang or Coco, for instance. Others who he feels he could trust just as much as Pyrrha.

And, of course, Cinder *is* uniquely suited to face Pyrrha, with her complete lack of metal rendering her safe from Pyrrha's polarity.

*Next Chapter: 1st August - Sorry about the mistake, I originally said 25th July, this was incorrect.*

## August 2016

### Chapter 16

**August 1,**

Oh Gosh, I think I've really done it… I have… planned the final chapters. We are reaching it ladies and gentlemen. We are truly reaching it. Goodness gracious. When I first started this pairing, it was pure crack. I think I love those pairings, since Blake and Jaune was pure crack when I started that too.

Perhaps because those stories have the potential to surprise us a lot more than others do. We all know how an Arkos will go, because in a lot of ways it will follow canon. The reasons for why Pyrrha likes him are established, and his in return. It can be "lovely" to read them. But it doesn't come with any surprise factor in a lot of cases. The same can be said about any common pairing in fiction, Naruto x Hinata, er… (gosh my limited anime knowledge) Eren x Mikasa? Basically common anime pairings, is what I'm getting at.

But pure crack? Man, those can be crazy. I still love my Sun Wukong x Weiss Schnee pairing from the Writer Games with College Fool. It was probably one of the favourite ones I wrote out. Because in a weird way, after thinking about it, I found a way to make it work and feel realistic and sweet. And that made me feel all gooey. Oh gods, I'm getting sentimental again because I nearly wept a little when I finished OGT and now this is going to come to an end too. xD

Wow… talk about a paradigm shift if we compare her to the early chapters of this. Cinder has really come a long way, though whether she would have wanted to is another matter entirely. I think it was in OGT that I said love can be terrifying because it causes great upheaval. What were the words I had Nicholas Arc speak?

*"There's this moment, when you find that you're falling in love. It should be the most joyous moment and actually… it's not. It's the moment where everything is turned on its head, where another's happiness becomes more important than your own, where all your priorities are upset.*

*It's the moment where your world ceases to make sense anymore, because all your dreams have been replaced with new ones, and suddenly you don't want the world. You just want the right to deserve them - nay, just the chance to deserve them. And it's frightening too – to know that so much of you depends on them, that their words can hurt you more than anything a Beowolf can do. No one falls in love gracefully Jaune, no one."*

I feel like I'm sticking to that a lot, but it's my own personal view on those emotions. Living alone is easy. It's painful, cold and lonely – but it's easy. Loving someone is where things get hard.

When this fic ends, another romance fic will replace it. Currently it's either going to be straight into the Yang x Jaune, or it might be a short (probably 7 chapters max) Arkos. Undecided as of yet.

*Next Chapter: 15th August*

### Chapter 17

**August 15,**

Some events and timeframes are a little altered here, just for reference. All I mean is the time between the Mercury x Yang fight and the Pyrrha x Penny one. Since they are both semi-finals, it would suggest to me that they happened on the same day. I think in the show that there was quite some time between them, but well… that was all from Yang's PoV, which kind of wouldn't make sense to use here.

I don't think it should negatively affect anything.

Oh dear… what else can be said here?

For those who take lessons with me or have heard some of my other lessons in other fics about the seven beats of romance, this would be classified as the beginning of Beat 6 – the black moment (only the beginning though, the real is next chapter). Throughout the entire chapter should have been a slowly increasing sense of dread. If it's managed perfectly, it should be something you feel in your stomach as you read as events happen and you just *know* something is going to go wrong. In great stories it can even be a little visceral, in that it makes you actually upset or angry, or hate the characters. It's a little muted when you all *know* what is canon and what will happen, but ah well. Such is fanfic.

P.s. A lot of votes for the Yang x Jaune (even though I didn't mean it as a vote). I do think I will start on that one next, but I might write the Arkos on the side and release that as a special extra once it is finished. As one reviewer said, I do take more pleasure in the unusual pairings, so Arkos is less something I would write for fun – and more to complete my goal of writing a pairing fic of Jaune with every woman at some point or another.

So it's not that I won't be writing it, it's just going to come out a little unexpectedly at some point. I'm not sure when. I'll likely write it all before releasing it chapter by chapter.

*Next Chapter: 29th August*

### Chapter 18

**August 29,**

The finale, in a sense. Though one chapter still remains. Thank you to everyone who stuck with this, through the flames, the horrible reviews and everything else.

T\_T

One last chapter, to bring this story to an official close. I suppose the ending better explains an earlier comment this chapter.

"Rather a fool in love then one destined to a life alone."

Cinder's breath caught, but she pushed through it. It did not matter. This was what had to be done. There was no other choice. Salem had ensured it, or maybe Cinder was to blame. She no longer knew. She hadn't for a while.

Yes, sadly that distress she felt was *not* aimed at herself. Because deep inside, she knows what the life he will live after this. What he will go through.

*Next Chapter: 12th September*

## September 2016

### Chapter 19

**September 12,**

The last chapter, it has finally come… It is short, yes. It just wraps things up a little. Also, by the time you finish this - the new fic should be out. Check my profile, though it may take an hour or so to load.

So that's it… in a sense this chapter is just about tying up the loose ends, explaining things as how they are and how they happened, so that there aren't any big questions. Well, other than the `how will they cope` question. The truth being, like all people do.

Thanks for reading everyone. I've had a lot of fun writing this story, more because it was new and novel than anything else. Many feared it could not be done, but I tried to see it through regardless. In truth people likely know that I'm not a fan of Pyrrha (though I've always tried to make it clear it isn't Pyrrha I dislike, but rather her lack of character – which is RT, not her). But in all truth, Cinder is far worse in my mind. We never see why or for what reason she does what she does, and the Chibi episode recently seems to say it best. She is evil for the sake of being evil.

So I tried to mix her up a little, and therein lay the challenge – one that I truly enjoyed. Sadly yes, the story did end a tragedy. This was the plan from the start and I will admit to not labelling it as that on purpose. :D I'm sure there are many who would not have read it, had they known it would be a tragedy, and honestly such a genre tag would have spoilered the entire thing anyway.

There were a few things I tried in this fic, ambitious though they may have been. The sex, for instance, was always meant to be an indicator of "show, don't tell" taken to the extreme. As you no doubt noticed, Cinder lies to herself as much as she does anyone else in this story, but the sex was always honest. If you dig into each act, you can sense the emotions behind it. Another thing is that Cinder never referred to the word "love" and "her" in the same sentence, up until the end. The idea being to explore that she refused to believe it ever existed at all.

Writing from her PoV was fun and interesting too, especially taking the "unreliable narrator" ideal to its extreme, with someone so used to lying that she deceives Jaune, herself *and* the reader all at once. Very fun.

And it may shock some, but when I first drafted this to CF, like… maybe a full year ago? I seem to recall that he wasn't 100% sure on the idea of the tragic ending. So don't accuse CF of having influenced this too much, lol. I wanted this to be a tragedy from the start, so that I could have a chance to practice and write one.

Thanks again everyone, and I hope you enjoyed what was honestly a fun story to write – even through the flames when my main character suddenly went and killed a main character (and Ozpin - why does no one cry over Ozpin?). Even at the time I remember wincing and going "Oh gods, I'm going to feel *this* in the reviews, aren't I?"

*Next Story: Yang x Jaune – Released NOW*