#path to isolation

[yunayunaka]

[lierenprotectionsquad]

Path To Isolation

Drafted (1.15.21)

I wrote this as a salt fic about my transphobic teacher who publicly shamed, bullied and humiliated me because of my pronouns. It’s sort of inspired by RWBY, sort of not. Eike is inspired Jaques Schnee as well as my old teacher, and Robin is inspired by Weiss Schnee as well as me. This contains direct lines from Jeff Williams’ Path To Isolation, as well as Pyrrha Nikos’ destiny mentality and elements resembling a reverse My R by Hikaru Station. I purposefully over exaggerated the ridicule of boys in theater and colorblind artists, as I have never heard of anyone in today’s day and age facing such hurtful criticism for those things. That is not to say that it might not happen to people! Anyway, enjoy this attack on my transphobic teacher!

UPDATE! (2.6.21) Turns out I might actually be going back to that cursed school after all...

Once upon a time, there was a rich man named Eike. He wasn't very appreciated by the working class, for his ways were unethical. The lower class, the poor, worked in the mines while he sat comfortably in the big white house on the hilltop. He got richer with each day that passed, while the lower class hardly earned enough to survive. He wasn't very appreciated by the working class, and his shadow fell dark upon his children. Robin was very different from their siblings because society had rules. Rules the other two were happy to follow, but not Robin. Robin had never felt like a part of society, yet couldn't figure out why. Until they could. They were unlike most others, and Eike wouldn't have any of it. He tried desperately to change his child's view, but Robin has always been one to stand firm in their opinions and feelings. "Why can't you be like everyone else?" he asked. "Why can't I be like myself?" Robin asked. "It isn't normal. I refuse to relate to something I've never seen before! You're not special!" He said. "No," said Robin, "I'm not special. But are you really so singleminded that you cannot open yourself up for something new?" "Excuse me?" He said. Now he was angry. Robin could see it. "It isn't even new. There are many people everywhere who are like me!" They screamed. "Well then, why don't you go to them." Said Eike, and then he left, leaving Robin in their sorrows.

"Why," they said, "Why can I not live as myself having to meet ridicule from those I once trusted?" Robin had to look around themself, for they could not think of a solution. They walked towards their room but stopped in the stairway. "What if I fell down the stairs? Then all my sorrows would vanish. No one could hurt and mock me anymore. I would be free." They stood there for a while. No, Robin could not do that. They would lose. They walked the rest of the way up to their room and looked in the mirror. "Who is that?" They asked themself, "why do I not know this person looking back at me? I know who I am. But how can I find myself if I'm constantly forced to conform?

They needed to isolate themself from the enemy, and that would not happen in the city. So in the cover of darkness, they left their home. Robin travelled for three days before running into someone. A boy holding a book. "Hello," said Robin. "Hello," said the boy. "Why are you out here alone?" They asked. "I wanted to be an actor, but everyone I know says acting is for girls, so I left." He answered. "Do you believe in destiny?" asked Robin. "That depends on how you look at it. I don't believe in any predetermined fate," he said. And Robin knew where he was going with it. "But a final goal." They said. "I am on a journey to find a place for myself where no one will mock me. Do you wish to come with me? You can perform for me on our journey." The boy smiled wide. "Yes." He said. And they continued their journey together.

They travelled for another three days before they met someone else. This was a girl who sat by the road and cried. "Hello," said Robin. "Hello," said the girl. "Why are you out here alone?" They asked. "I wanted to be a singer, but no one has faith in me because I am afraid of singing in front of others, so I left." She answered. "Do you believe in destiny?" asked Robin. "Well, I don't think I believe in any predetermined fate. But rather," she said. And Robin knew where she was going with it. "A final goal." They said. "We are on a journey to find a place for ourselves where no one will mock us. Do you wish to come with us? You can sing for us on our journey." The girl smiled wide. "Yes." She said. And they continued their journey together.

They travelled for another three days before they met someone else. This was a girl with a paintbrush in her hair. "Hello," said Robin. "Hello," said the girl. "Why are you out here alone?" They asked. "I wanted to be a painter, but everyone says I'll never make it because I do not see colour like they do, so I left." She answered. "Do you believe in destiny?" asked Robin. "No. Or, maybe. Not those predetermined fates. But rather," she said. And Robin knew where she was going with it. "A final goal." They said. "We are on a journey to find a place for ourselves where no one will mock us. Do you wish to come with us? You can paint us a picture of our journey." The girl smiled wide. "Yes." She said. And they continued their journey together.

They travelled long, long and longer than long before they met one more. This person was different from the others. "Hello," said Robin. "Hello," they said. "Why are you out here alone?" Asked Robin. "My name is Clove, and I am on a journey. Every time I see myself in the mirror, it is harder to recognize myself. I see only who they want me to be and that I cannot stand for. I know who I am, but I can't find myself when I'm constantly forced to conform. I am on a journey to find a place for myself where the society I grew up in cannot reach me." They answered. The four travellers could not believe it—one like them. One who had already set out on their own journey with a clear goal. One like Robin. "Who are you? And what are you doing here?" Asked Clove. "Broken artists, outcasts of society. We are like you, on the hunt for a place in the world." Answered Robin. "The path to isolation is littered with the dreams that lay destroyed," said Clove to themself, "but maybe not anymore. Do you believe in destiny?" No one had words. "When I think of destiny, I don't think of a predetermined fate you can't escape. But rather some sort of final goal, something you work towards your entire life. What if something comes to show you that your destiny can be achieved? Or what if something comes along that will let you fulfill your destiny in an instant?" "What?" Robin asked. Clove was making no sense to them. "I believe that it is my destiny to find a place where I can just be me. And what if you are my chance to fulfill it?" Said Clove. "I want to come with you!" "Then come with us." Said Robin. And the five continued on their journey together.

They travelled for many days, but they were not tired. For they travelled with laughter and song and plays and stories. They shared with each other their dreams and taught each other their crafts. Robin thought they would have to find their place alone. And so did the boy with the book, the girl who cried and the girl with the paintbrush in her hair. Clove thought they would have to do it alone. But they found each other and realized that they were the goal they had all been reaching for. The path to isolation was not so isolated after all.

[inkperch]

Weiss Theory:

Weiss wanted to be a singer full time before Winter was disinherited.

Most of my evidence for this comes from the song ‘The Path to Isolation’- by which I mean almost all of it, but I’ve had this as a headcanon for a while, it just evolved into a full-blown theory recently.

So, to start with, the slow intro, so until now I’ve just kinda assumed that the ‘unexpected loss of something dear’ is about Weiss’ grandfather- makes sense, she was clearly either close to him or massively idolised him, and the start to her path to isolation absolutely would be his death, and her fathers subsequent takeover of his company. But it could also refer to Winter leaving- that definitely would be unexpected, especially if Weiss was quite young at the time and Winter, as we’ve been theorising, protected her and Whitley from the worst of Jackass. 

Which, the line that's really interesting comes at the end of the second verse- ‘The path to isolation is littered with the dreams that lay destroyed’. This confirms (to me at least) that being a huntress wasn’t Weiss’ original dream. There was something else she’d wanted to do beforehand. This actually comes up in a few places, ‘forget your dreams do what your told’ in Mirror Mirror part II, for example. So, Winter got disinherited and Weiss had to give up a dream? We know Weiss’ goal by the time of canon is to become a huntress so she can restore her families legacy. So, it stands to reason that when Winter was around, that wasn’t something that really crossed her mind- she wasn’t the heiress, after all, her awesome older sister was. 

And then there’s the other very interesting line in this song- ‘everything my mind wants, in conflict with my heart.’ We know her mind wants to become a huntress and restore her grandfathers company. So, what does her heart want?

Then the evidence that it’s singing: First off, in volume 5 Chapter 8, Yang and Weiss both talk about ‘recitals’ when she was younger, no mention of training. Yang is particularly interesting- that implies that Weiss’ singing career is pretty well known, even though, as we saw way back in episode 2, Ruby has no idea who she is. Which is especially interesting when Weiss admits in the same scene that the recitals stopped, which could explain why Yang vaguely knows about them but Ruby didn’t (or Weiss just mentioned them at some point in the 4 and a half seasons between those scenes, and I’m overthinking it. Both work.)

And, an interesting thought that honestly, could be a theory all on it’s own- Weiss seems like, disproportionally mad when she sees how young Ruby is in Volume 1. Maybe because, at Ruby’s age, Weiss was still fully intending to be a singer? Food for dumb thought.

So yeah, tldr, Weiss had a different career in mind before Winter got disinherited, and all things considered that’s probably why she’s a singer.

[idance2silence]

I was listening to "Path of Isolation" from the RWBY soundtrack, and I can't help but think of it in terms of Oscar, Oz, and their merge.

Lyric breakdown under the "keep reading" if you're interested. I think I did okay with this analysis. 💖

The first part could be about gaining memories of the situation Oscar now is confronted with, learning about Salem and how her plan to revive Oz ended with her being isolated and with a desire to destroy everything.

Could also be about how Oz has pushed away his own friends with all his lies just to get this far.

It starts

With the unexpected loss

Of something dear

The warmth

That comforted and cradled

Just disappears

And in its place there's nothing

Just an endless empty hole

The light that showed the way is gone

And darkness takes control

Bitterness and anger

Are quick to fill the void

The path to isolation

Is littered with the dreams that lay destroyed

This next part is about Oscar feeling his own mind getting merged with Oz. (Or vice versa.) They are both changing who they are to merge. Oscar has to conform to the new thoughts in his head.

The cold

Seems to grow in my soul

It's consuming me

Confused

And I'm losing myself

In the storm

Growing jaded

Being pushed being pulled

I'm unraveling

Can't find myself when I'm

Constantly forced to conform

What was it about "where you seek comfort, you will only find pain" again? Also when we first saw Oscar, he looked into a mirror and could see something off- Oz.

Enemies surround me but

The worst appear as friends

Liars and pretenders

Only seek to reach their ends

Everything is breaking

Right before my eyes

Looking in the mirror

I see someone that I don't recognize

Oscar left his life on the farm behind and all that joy and peace from childhood. He knows none of these people- in a way he's alone now. Oz knows these people, but he's not really their friend. He's their professor/boss.

The joy

That my heart used to know

Is eluding me

Removed

And the one thing I feel is alone

Smile's faded

And I'm spinning and sinking

I'm weakening

Frozen in solitude

Loneliness chills to the bone

Previous incarnations of Ozma have been shown to be incredibly broken people. All those dark memories mixed with the betrayal of Lionheart in V5 have to take a toll on the Ozma system.

Memories escaping

As my heart begins to drain

Scars that cover wounds

Can't hide the self-inflicted pain

Oscar's the heart, but Oz is in his mind. What he wants isn't what he really wants anymore. He relies on Oz for everything because he is alone and at Oz's mercy for the most part.

Everything my mind wants

In conflict with my heart

Fighting back surrender

But every day I'm falling more apart

Oscar doesn't see himself as him anymore and that's just a terrifying identity crisis. Again, Oscar is the heart and Oz is the mind.

Mirror what's this thing i see?

Who is staring back at me?

A stranger to my heart has filled my mind

Mirror

Help me

Who am I?

[calliope-writes68]

Love went wrong

Is it so easy to unlove someone? Is it easier than unfollowing someone on Instagram?

Just like blocking someone on WhatsApp?

Was it all a lie or a mirage in which I had fallen deeply?

Am I really not enough or capable ? Have you forgotten the moments we shared ,the time we spent together?

Why has everything turned into a question? Why have you fallen out of emotions when I had fallen deep into it?

Why has the garden of love turned into an abyss of sadness and uncertainty for you?

Was it my anger or tears or my saying no to things? Tell me which part of us made you think that we aren't good enough together ?

Why were you late in realizing it or was it me stretching things like an elastic band?

Finally now you realized that there's too much of shear stress and it will break or I shall say that it has broken and left me wounded.

I was giving love another chance and look what it did ;awarded me fresh wounds at a crucial point of life.

I guess all my questions will remain unanswered but that's for sure ,I won't give love another chance to break my heart.

[deadscottblog]

fighting back, surrender but everyday I'm falling more apart

[shaevira]

Path to Weissolation amirite guys? guys? hello??

[fanfictionsrookie]

Weiss Needs A Break

So I'm just gonna put this up since Weiss possibly cutting herself is getting so much attention.

If it turns out to be true then I hope it at least gets addressed in volume 6 since the most likely place it being addressed is while in Atlas.

If it doesn't and it's a more metaphorical or another way of self harm then that'd be good too. *internal sigh of relief*

But as for no signs of Weiss' possible cuts in volume 1:

The writers might not have come up with that plot point at that stage of the show.

The animation style might have made it difficult to show.

AURA HEALS HER CUTS AFTER SHE INFLICTS THEM.

I'm sorry Weiss *cries in corner*