Ghria moved the hood covering his head as he made it to the steps of the orphanage with a small, swaddled baby. He sighed as he looked over his child once more, worried about what would happen to her when he left her, but he didnt have much other choice. He wasnt in a position to care for his child, and as much as he had wanted to watch her grow on his own, he knew he couldnt give her the life she wanted. Not alone and not while traveling on the road with people who wouldnt understand him. He knocked on the door as loud as he could, swaying nervously as he waited for the door to open for  what he was told was the best place for faunus. 

The door slowly opened as an elderly woman looked out. “What are you doing out here in this weather?” 

Ghira cleared his throat and slowly moved his child into view. “I… need to leave her here. I uh… I’m not in the best position to give her the life she needs. And a friend of mine told me that you run the best place for someone like her to be.” 

The woman nodded and gently took the child into her arms, smiling as the baby girl started to whine. “And her name?” 

“I’ve been calling her Ember. Ember Belladonna.” 

“I’ll make sure she’s taken care of.” 

Ghira smiled and with a quiet thanks, started to head out to the snowstorm once more. The elderly woman closed the door and started to take Ember upstairs to the nursery, cooing to the child to calm her. 

Over the next few years, the old woman passed away and a new owner took the orphanage under her command. Files of a few children were lost or misplaced, Ember’s being one and a new name given to her: Cinder. Cinder spent her time trying to survive, bullied as she grew up. It wasnt long before she was punished for being a faunus, blood dripping down her claws as she panted and stood over another young boy with deep scratch marks across his face. 

The matron of the orphanage slapped Cinder’s back with a ruler and glared at her. “Causing trouble, are we?” 

Cinder winced and her claws retracted as she turned around. “I… was just defending myself.” 

“And attacking another one of your family here? Up to your room without supper.” The matron attended to the child on the floor and let out a heavy sigh. “No wonder no one wants to adopt you. A faunus as dangerous as you doesnt belong here.” 

Cinder held back the comment she wanted to make, and the anger she felt as she clenched her fist and made her way back upstairs to her room. She knew she was far from the only faunus at the orphanage, though she felt like she was the only one that was constantly in trouble. The only one beaten down day after day by the other children, and the workers that came to volunteer at the orphanage. 

As a few more years passed, Cinder found herself beaten day after day by the same children she had lived with, passed over by the prospects looking for a child to take home, and punished by the adults that were supposed to take care of her. Each day had become the same, tedious day over and over again. Scrubbing the floors, helping make the meals, going outside only to be bullied by another one of the children, punished for defending herself, made to scrub the floors again and clean while the other children relaxed. Anger boiled through her as she was punished over and over again until one day, a woman walked over to her while she was scrubbing the floors. 

“I’ll take her,” the woman said in a commanding tone, her face serious as she watched Cinder clean. 

The orphanage matron paused for a moment as she looked over Cinder, mulling over the words she wanted to say. “You should be aware that that one is a faunus. A troublemaker that’ll need a stern hand-” 

“Then she’ll be perfect for me.” The woman smirked and started to walk off. “There will be paperwork for me to fill out in order to take her home, correct? I would like to get that started today so I can bring her back to Atlas for a fitting as soon as I’m able.” 

“Wouldnt you rather have another child? One that isnt a faunus?” 

“No need. A faunus is exactly what I need.” 

A small smile crept across Cinder’s face when she heard she was wanted. And while she wasnt entirely sure what Atlas was like, she was sure it had to be better than the orphanage she was currently kept at. Her excitement was short lived as she found herself in  Atlas, a shock collar fitted around her neck and electricity flowing through her body as the madam tested everything to make sure it was in perfect order. As her claws came out and dug into the wooden floor, she felt the metal buckle of a belt across her back and the madame’s voice in her ears. 

“You are not to allow anyone to know you’re a faunus.” The madam took her finger off the button of the remote to the collar and frowned as she looked over Cinder. “You’ll do the cooking and the cleaning, stay out of the guests way, and out of sight unless otherwise told. Do you understand?” 

“Yes… ma’am,” Cinder struggled to say as her throat tightened from the shock that had gone through it. 

“Good. Now I want you to start cleaning-” 

Cinder’s stomach rumbled, interrupting the madam and earning her another shock as a scream left her lips. 

“That’s for interrupting me.” The madam stopped the shock and picked up a piece of half eaten bread from a tray and tossed it to the ground in front of Cinder. “Eat, then you’ll clean the kitchen and wash the dishes. Once you’re finished here, you’ll come to me for your next task.” 

Because I’m poor and cannot draw, I’m writing gift fics for my friends this holiday season! Cin’s got done first, there’s at least four more coming, and they will all be posted on this RWBY fanfiction sideblog!

Happy holidays, @emberworn!

Check this story out on ao3!

Apologies if it's a bit of a long prompt.

Awhile after revealing her secret to Ruby and Neo, Cinder is suddenly starting to hiding her wings again, becoming more irritable and and distant. Neo and Ruby try to give her space at first, but when Cinder starts wincing whenever something for someone touches her back and they end up finding the burnt remains of discarded feathers, Neo or Ruby suspect the worst.

They confront her about it, hoping to get some answers and provide comfort. But in the end it is revealed that Cinder is busy molting. It makes her wings very sensitive and it is something she is very self conscious about?

Feel free to add as much angst as you want XD and a tag for @incorrectspicecreamquotes ;)

(@incorrectspicecreamquotes )

Ruby sighed as she watched Cinder from a distance, missing her girlfriend. Cinder had started getting a bit… irritable and cranky, no longer wanting hugs or even cuddles, which Ruby understood that she might not be in the mood all the time, but it still seemed off even for Cinder. Especially since she was now going on a week of this attitude. 

Neo sat down next to Ruby, looking for some sort of sign that Cinder was starting to feel a bit better. Or at least was willing to be near them. 

Ruby shook her head. “She’s still a bit cranky. Although, the last time I saw her, she smelled like smoke and burning hair.” 

Neo sighed and pulled out a charred feather she head picked up near the dorm. It was still warm to the touch, which means it wasnt long ago that flame had met the defenseless feather. 

Ruby hesitated for a moment when she saw it, immediately knowing what had been done. “N-no… that… that cant be right… she wouldnt… would she?” 

Neo shrugged, not quite sure how to answer. She had the same exact thoughts that Ruby was having: that Cinder was finally trying to get rid of her wings. And none of that sat right with her. She pulled out her scroll and started running through Cinder’s schedule, trying to find the right time to confront her. 

Ruby peered over Neo’s shoulder, looking over the schedule as well. “We could try to hit her up after Remnant History. I’ve got Peach’s dust class around then, which isnt too far off. And there’s a few empty classrooms near that period that we could get her into.” 

Neo shook her head and pointed to the class after, suggesting they get with her then. Neo had a free period before then that she could use to set up anything they needed to make sure Cinder would come with them and talk.  

Ruby thought about it for a moment and smiled a bit. “Alright, if you can get her into a classroom after that, then we can finally talk her out of this. Just… be ready to stop her from harming herself. I dont want to see her in any more pain.” 

Neo nodded, putting her scroll away and using her semblance to start blending into the crowd to make her way to a room to set up. 

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Cinder groaned and winced as someone ran into her back, sending a bit of pain through her spine. One the pain died down, she could feel an itch flaring up with the dry skin on her spine. And of all the times for her to be going through… this… Well, at least class was over and then she could have a bit of time alone to finally finish-

“Cinder!” 

Cinder sighed as she heard the familiar voice she’d started to grow fond of. “Ruby, I’m sorry, but I’m really busy-” She couldn't finish her sentence before she was dragged down the hallway and into an empty classroom by her girlfriend. Once they were stopped and Cinder could regain her balance, she looked at the younger girl and sighed. “Ruby, I need to get back to the dorm-” 

“Not until you tell us what’s going on.” 

Cinder was about to ask until she saw Neo appear next to the door, holding out a charred feather. She looked between her girlfriends and the feather before sitting down. “Its… not what you think.” 

“Cin, we know you’re having issues with being a faunus and we just want to help.” Ruby took Cinder’s hand and smiled at her. “We’re your girlfriends. You can tell us anything.” 

Neo nodded and took Cinder’s other hand, looking up to her with pleading eyes. 

 Cinder hesitated for a moment when she finally realized what Ruby and Neo thought this was about. “W-wait… you… you think I’m hurting myself, dont you?” 

“W-well, yeah. You’re trying to burn your wings off, arent you?” 

“What? No! I’m molting and it’s irritating as fuck!” Cinder took her shirt off and turned around to show her wings: feathers were matted every which way, a few looking more vibrant than before while others looked charred and burnt. “I’ve been trying to burn the feathers off to help speed this up. You dont understand just how frustrating it is to be itchy and in pain with these once a year. Usually I’m lucky enough that it happens when I’m not in school, but this time, of all times, it had to be with finals for the semester. And I cant even spar like this either because the second I try to do anything, my wings hurt as feathers try to loosen up!” A few of Cinder’s feathers started to glow as she used her semblance, a small explosion of feathers leaving her wings in charred bits. “I just want this to be over with.” 

Neo gently walked around to Cinder’s back and carefully touched a wing. A few of the feathers had a little wax on them that seemed easy enough to wash out with a real bath. With a few careful strokes, Neo started getting a few of the loose feathers out of Cinder’s wings. 

Ruby sighed in a bit of relief at Cinder’s explanation. “Oh thank the gods. I thought you were trying to burn your wings off.” 

“I… may have thought about doing that when I was younger, but… not anymore. I just…” Cinder sighed and looked away from Ruby. “I’m sorry I worried you. I wanted to take care of this on my own and well… I guess I went a little overboard on trying to be alone for it.” 

Ruby nodded and gently hugged Cinder, making sure to avoid her wings and not put a lot of strain on her back. “We understand. Just let us know how to help and Neo and I will do what we can, alright?” 

Cinder nodded and winced as she pressed into the hug. “Think you could help me wash my wings? I think I’ve got a few charred feathers that are a bit… stuck.”