victory_road | [ OPEN ] I have my own version of vital signs

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[ OPEN ] I have my own version of vital signs

Who: Yang Xiao Long & others!
What: largely listless loitering
Where: Goldenrod City
When: prompts start on 6/1, extending into the weekend
Warnings: during the transfer from R29, Yang was given a canon update. she is now a walking spoiler for the end of Volume 3 of RWBY. as a result certain uncomfortable topics that may arise in dealing with her. I have an opt-out post which extends past just replying to this log. I'd appreciate it if you took a look there before replying at least to brace yourself. castmate threads will be especially difficult, so stalk those at your own risk!

(A) 6/1 - Yang's old job
[ This diner in Goldenrod was a unique attraction. Most of its table space was situated outdoors. Service came not just with a smile, but with the added excitement of servers zipping around on skates. Summer was just around the bend, so business was picking up, and the manager was quite pleased to see Yang come in. Having her skates already in-hand, she manager was hopeful that Yang was here to start her lunch shift early. It's too bad the only reason Yang was here was to turn in her skates. As soon as that bad news was delivered, the blonde girl walked right back out without even considering placing an order for her favorite sandwich...

After Yang cleared the front doors her weary eyes scanned her surroundings. Despite the warmer weather, she was in her trainer outfit's red jacket. That wasn't odd compared to what was going on with her right sleeve. Yang's right hand was nowhere to be seen, and the fabric of the coat flapped loosely as she moved, starting at a point above her right elbow.

Yang marched right up to the nearest person and brought up her gloved left hand. In her right grip were the laces from which a pair of purple roller skates dangled. As if it was the catch of the day or something. ]

Hey. Can you take these off my ha—? [ Yang winced and tried that phrasing anew. ] Do you want them...? Or else I'm just going to throw them away.

((OOC: only one person can claim the lone pair of skates; preferably in the subject line if you're reasonably sure it would happen! others can tag in this prompt if they would refuse her offer outright.))

(B) 6/1 - outside and around town
[ With that business out of the way, Yang was free to wander aimlessly. Sometimes she stopped in front of the window of a business to check out the help wanted ads. Most times she would be there for a whole two seconds before turning away, either wearing a frown or outright scowling. One would think there would be something she can still do around here...

Other times, she can be seen walking alongside her tall and fluffy Arcanine. Growly was feeling more protective than usual, even going so far as to intercept anyone she did not recognize the scent of, should they come up to Yang. Or, if Yang was about to run blindly into someone, Growly would step in between so that Yang ended up with a face full of fluff and confusion. ]

(C) 6/3 - a park
[ Despite better judgement, Yang made a halfhearted attempt to play catch with her Pokémon. They were all tired of being cooped up, or so Yang believed, but they were not satisfied with romping about freely in such nice weather. It took some coaxing to get Yang to grab a stick and blindly throw it but... she's not left-handed. She had no way to control where the stick ended up with such lack of attention given to it.

It could end up on someone's picnic basket. Their blanket. The bush behind them. Hitting their Pokémon on their side. Hitting them on the head. No matter the outcome, Yang will jog on after it, looking and sounding thorough apologetic with a hint of underlying anger. ]

Damn, I'm sorry. I ... didn't watch where I threw that.

Are you okay?

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[ At the first question, Yang just shakes her head, speaking through gritted teeth. ] It ... hurts sometimes.

[ Physically and otherwise. So many instances she just wants to reach out with that hand; to wave, to pick something up, and now with Weiss close, she is starting to settle back into the mindset she had during her "absence" of being absolutely useless with trying anything on that side of her body at all.

Ugh. She's going to have to go back to awkward half-showers and asking for help on everything. The bitterness leaves a nasty taste in her throat. ]

I'm only blameless because I fell for whatever trick Mercury had planned for me. Walked right into it like they knew how I'd react. Same thing with that psycho that hurt Blake! [ She doesn't have a name yet. Or really a face. But she will never forget that mask so long as she lives. The eyes behind the hidden white of bone, the black of his suit, the way that red blade cut through—

This isn't the first time the vivid recollection hit her like a ton of bricks, only it was the first time it made her want to throw up. She turned her head away and put her hand over her eyes. ] Ugh.

That makes sense.

[What else can she say? Weiss isn't entirely sure. This isn't the kind of thing where she can promise that it will get better. She doesn't know that, and it wouldn't be fair to even say it.]

He hit you with a cheap shot. It was an incredibly low blow, and that's on him, not on you. As for that degenerate psychotic ass-

[She coughs.]

- him, I - I should have been there, I should have thrown up some kind of defense, something. I...

[That's when she notices Yang looking a bit green. She looks around, spotting a bench.]

Come on. We both need to sit for a minute.

[ Yang really, really shouldn't be talking about what happened with her and that swordsman, but once the words start she just can't stop herself. ] No! I threw myself at him without thinking because, hey, that's what I always do right? It usually works. [ She suddenly discourages being touched, pacing away with her arm flailing wide in a gesture her stump tried to mimic, for all it was worth. ] Doesn't it? I mean, "hey here's a big ass problem. I know what we'll do? THROW YANG AT IT!"

Boom, pow, problem solved. [ Torn between self-deprecating humor, earnest pride over her past accomplishments, rage, and sorrow, Yang is wearing a mixed expression even as the tears started anew. What can she do now? What problems can a gimp like her ever hope to be the answer to? She does sit down. Right where she was standing. Fuck benches, she doesn't need one. She needs an arm. She needs to lie down and sleep for a year.

She needs to actually listen to what people are saying. ]

[Weiss takes a step back, then another, instinctively hugging herself again. She can't say anything for a long moment, and she stares at her shoes, trying to ignore the tears that are starting for her, too.]

...you throw yourself into things because you care. You've always had the biggest heart of the four of us, and you've always been fearless. You wouldn't do it if you didn't care.

[She sits down next to Yang after a minute, putting a hand on her left shoulder.]

...and maybe we did take that too far, but - that would have been the same for any of us. We got cocky because we did reckless things and they worked, and we didn't think our luck would ever run out.

We never took the time to think of anything else because we thought we were invincible. That's a lesson we all learned the hardest way possible.

[Weiss stops, dabbing at her eyes again.]

I won't let you, or the others, but especially you go through this on your own.

[There's so much she's leaving unsaid.]

[ Rowdy doesn't let Weiss escape. The fire dog doesn't understand 100% what happened here, but did know that the cause of her trainer's sorrow had something to go with this other, equally sad girl, and she wasn't about to let her get too far without them resolving this. Or at least the two of them calming down first.

Once they're both seated, she curls around them; not touching, but definitely providing cover from prying eyes, her own ever watchful for anyone that might approach or try to walk too close to them. Maybe growl at a few people. NOTHING TO SEE HERE, MOVE ALONG ]

Maybe I cared too much that time. [ Yep. She really did just say that. She just laid it out like putting herself between Blake and her assailant was going one step too far. It's almost like she regretted it. But she doesn't. She just regretted that Blake took that opportunity to run off the instant they were both out of immediate harm's way and patched up.

Yang mumbled something about partners and punched the ground. Hard. Hard enough that she'll be wearing the scraped knuckles for a day or so. But hey, at least the pain from that can temporarily take her mind off of what was going on within the other side of her body. Totally worth it. ]

[Good move, Rowdy. Weiss was going to say 'we'll finish this conversation later', but that really isn't the best way to go about things.]

You and I both know that isn't true, Yang. I don't think you're capable of caring too much, especially not in a situation like that. You don't have that in you.

[Given how jumpy she's been this entire time, it's a minor miracle that Weiss didn't flinch or jump when Yang punched the ground. She pulls one arm tighter around herself, though.]

...you never had to learn that the only way to make it through things is to numb yourself so much that you wonder if you can actually make yourself not care anymore. It never works like that, though.

[ On a level Yang did not appreciate Weiss telling her what she should and should not know about her own feelings but in the half second it took of looking up and seeing her friend reacting the way she was, she realized it. ]

You don't know. [ She frowned. She sounded so disappointed. ] You don't know anything about how I'm feeling because — because you couldn't.

[ Another look at the ground. ] Ruby doesn't either. She can't, you hear me? I know what it would do to her.

[ Now she looks over to the side, uncurling her fingers and staring at the red marks on her hand; the broken skin. ] The only one that knows is gone. Just like everyone else.

Edited 2016-06-20 13:14 (UTC)

[Weiss doesn't say anything in reply. Instead, she pulls her knees up to her chest, hugging them. Of course, Yang is right. She doesn't know, not even close. She's trying so hard to understand it, but it's not nearly enough.

When she tries to speak, it comes out as a sob, and Weiss buries her face in her skirt, letting the tears go. It's a long few moments before she catches her breath enough to try speaking again.]

I know what it's like to have everyone that could possibly understand how you feel disappear. I know what it's like to blame yourself for it, because there wasn't anything you could do to change the situation.

[She takes a shaky breath.]

...I know what it's like to have someone in a mask take everything from you, piece by piece until there isn't anything left.

I don't wish that feeling on anyone. I don't even try to talk about it, because I know what it does to them. Of course I'm not going to try and talk to Ruby about it, because she would break down and I can't do that to her.

[ The more Weiss talked, the more Yang swore she had heard these words before. Not spoken, no, but definitely thought. It wasn't quite mirroring her own experiences but the overlap was undeniable. She just stared at her friend, aghast and pained all at once.

Despite the anguish bubbling to the surface, Yang laughs dryly. Maybe she was slowly coming unhinged. Who even knows at this point, what a normal response to this would be.

What the hell does she say to that? "Same." just doesn't seem to cut it.

She gestured at Weiss. ] I'm thinking back to when you were lecturing— [ Her partner's name almost causes her to bite her tongue, but she powers through. ] —Blake on coming to you, to us, whenever she had a problem.

And now — now we're finally sitting in a heap in the middle of the damn sidewalk, having a heart-to-heart like this is normal. Like this wasn't overdue.

[ Another bitter, choked laugh. She's so fucking tired. She wants to lay down. Growly doesn't let her lean too far before tucking her fluffy tail in to catch her trainer. ] We're ... seriously messed up. The scary part is... that it's kinda in the same way.

It wasn't ever the - you know, I would say 'not the right time', but when in the world was it ever going to be some mythical perfect time for it? It's a hollow excuse, to say the least.

[Weiss shakes her head, managing a bitter laugh of her own. She's quiet for a long minute after that, and eventually she puts an arm around Yang's shoulders. She isn't touchy-feely, not as a rule, but she needs the contact, and suspects that feeling is mutual.]

...better late than never? It's like this place just likes tossing the two of us into situations that are - they're something, all right.

[She shrugs a little.]

I halfway figured you were going to use stronger words than 'messed up', but...yeah. We are. At least we aren't going to be alone with it anymore?

[ Yang flinched at the touch to her right shoulder, but did not pull away. She can no more hide what happened to that arm than she can expect everyone to stay the hell away from it no matter what and, besides, she's the one that first broke the news to Ruby. No one had asked her to do it. Weiss had been the one to handle that disturbing piece of news the best out of all of them so far, even if the last person she had seen back home that seemed to have all her stuff together had been her little sister... before she left.

She thought back to their time here in the "game" world over the past few months. It was good to sit and focus on the specific memories of them together, piecing together a coherent timeline, because just trying to parse it all at once and fit it in with all the other shit that happened just made her head hurt.

Yang nodded. ] Yeah. You're right. We've had good odds with that weird stuff happening here, huh.

[ Whether that's this universe's weird sense of humor or just proximity to blame for it, she doesn't know. Doesn't care, really. It's all behind them. But even with that in mind, after Weiss's last comment, she has to let out a puff of breath that's almost like a laugh. ]

I don't think this place would leave the two of us alone, even if we wanted it. [ ... ] Unless I left, too. [ Yang had certainly considered that option. ]

[Weiss almost does pull away at Yang's flinch. She didn't intend any harm, but if she was causing it, she didn't want to make it worse.]

Do I need to move back?

[That makes two of them with Johto-induced headaches. The idea of parsing it all at once was overwhelming.]

We've had incredibly good odds. Almost too good, but it's funny. As annoyed as I was at some of them, I can look back and laugh now. It's only for a minute or two, but finding humor in a bad situation seems to help.

No. It definitely wouldn't leave -

[Weiss stops, shaking her head.]

- do you think we would let you go? If you do, think again.

[ It's a dry chuckle, but just as Weiss was speaking of humor it seems that Yang managed to find some small spark of it somewhere in those seemingly conflicting questions. ] Heh. First you ask if you should give me space, then you say you're not gonna let me go...?

[ She turned her head and offered her friend an odd look. ] Can't have it both ways.

You know what I meant! Scooting over a little isn't the same as saying it's fine to leave.

[Weiss manages a light laugh.]

...I know a whole lot changed. It's continued to change, and I feel like we aren't even close to the end of it. I don't want to face all the changes without you - [She puts emphasis on the word.] - everyone else, yes, but you, too.

[ It was a reprieve from all the heavy stuff, and her look says as much, but honestly, it's not like Yang was going to have Weiss make a choice on the spot between something trivial and something serious. Even though it seems like her teammate came to a firm resolution anyway.

Yang hung her head once more, silent for a long moment after that. Thoughts all competed to be the first out of her mouth; most of them negative. ] Like I'm good to anyone right now. [ Sad part is? That wasn't the worst of them. ]

I mean, look at me — I had to quit my job because I couldn't even balance a tray. I can't even tie my own freaking shoes! [ One is loose right now and has been the entire day. That's beside the point anyway. ]

Yang Xiao Long, don't ever let me hear you say something like that about yourself! You're important to us. I don't - I don't know what I'd do without you around. It doesn't matter if you can't balance trays, and there are things like slip-on shoes, so that doesn't matter.

[Weiss might sound harsh, but the look in her eyes is hardly that. She slips her hand into Yang's, squeezing softly.]

You realize you're around some of the best engineers in the world, don't you? We all designed and built our own weapons. We can use the skills to make you a prosthetic.

[ At her full name, Yang's head snapped back up. That was similar to that voice Weiss had used to talk sense into Blake. There's a moment of thinking parallel to this moment, but Yang shoulders it aside for the present. She doesn't want to think about Blake right now. She isn't ready to deal with that. ]

I ... don't think they're going to have the same tools for us that we're used to. [ Yang tightened her grip on Weiss's hand and there is a faint tremor. ] The PokéCenter... I went there with Penny after I woke up. They had one. In a box. With my name on it.

[ The tremor made her way into Yang's voice; she's obviously creeped out by the fact that not only did they have prosthetic arms just laying about, but that before she was even awake and aware the staff had one prepared and labeled just for her.

This world is fucking weird. ]

[It's almost identical to that voice. Weiss hadn't used it to intentionally draw the comparison, but the moment the words are out, she almost regrets it. What's done is done, though.]

...then we figure something out. There are labs and corporations around, we --

[She stops mid-sentence. Yang's not the only one creeped out by the fact it was just there.]

...what the actual f-

[She stops before the word comes out.]

[ And rather than be surprised by Weiss's near wording, or stop to chastise her for it, Yang shares the sentiment 100%. ] I know right?? Who would just take something like that without questioning it?

[ Someone far more desperate or adjusted to this lifestyle, probably. ]

I have absolutely no idea. How would they even know that? It is way past the point of being creepy, and why would you even think of taking something like that?

That's what I! Said. [ She scoffed. ] It's like — not weird enough to be treated in the same place that people go to have their Pokémon taken care of, but then to have that happen?

[ Yang had already been resolved to ignore the arm, but Weiss's agreement just solidified the thought. ] Yeah, they can forget it. I'm not going back for it. Not until I get more answers on how they even knew that much.

[ She sighed. It still leaves her armless, i nany case. ]

It's incredibly messed up. I get it, the fancy machine they have works fine on Pokemon, but people are a different story altogether.

[She thinks for a second, and nods.]

...then let us work on it. You've got excellent engineers around you, and like I was saying, there have to be at least a few places who would let us borrow the time and space.

We should... have our own space. [ for a moment it sounds like she was talking about just her and Weiss, but no, she was slowly coming into focus on the Big Picture again. the team picture. it was blurry, and the colors were faded, but it was there. ]

I mean. I don't want to stay in that hotel forever. It's not exactly friendly to... [ Yang rolled her right shoulder; a wide shrug cut short. ] I saw ads for houses. Could ... set up a workshop?

Agreed. We need our own space, and we need it yesterday.

[Weiss nods. It will be easier on everyone if they have team space, and they can definitely set up a workshop.]

We can definitely do that. It will be a good thing.

I hope so. [ something's got to change around here, or things will only get worse. Yang is feeling pretty drained from all this and even Weiss's presence, and that of her giant guard dog, isn't doing much to shield her from the fact that they're still just having a feelings jam just in the middle of the street. ]

I... think we should move.

[ OPEN ] I have my own version of vital signs

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