genessia | This Was No Accident

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This Was No Accident

WHO: Yang Xiao Long & Others
WHAT: Yang's in poor shape after her last encounter. But she gets better. And she gets angry. Then at the end of the week she hunts Mercury down to give him so many words.
WHEN: October 15th - 21st, 2017
WHERE: Hospital - OPEN (10/15-10/17), Anywhere but Attleton - OPEN (10/18-10/20), Mercury's Apartment - CLOSED (10/21)
WARNINGS: Mentions of past traumatic events (Yang's lost arm, child abuse, shitty circumstances all around), possibly some Dad jokes

"Hahh--!!"

Yang jerked awake with a start. The smell of a hospital room carried a lot of strong, awful memories for her. That sickening plunge in her gut when she'd tried to lift her right hand only to see the blood-stained bandages tied around a useless stump...the sight of everyone's faces gathered around her but no sign of Blake or Ruby...

...The dread, sorrow, and guilt on her father's face that he tried to hide behind a smile when he came to take her home, telling her that Ruby still wasn't awake...

And for one horrible moment, when she looked at the empty space where a right arm should have been, all of those memories surged up and threatened to overwhelm her. But then she saw the yellow and black of her prosthetic, resting neatly on the nightstand beside her bed. Slowly, the terror began to wane, replaced by disappointment. Again, she'd needed saving, and again, she'd failed to save someone she cared about.

Her gaze shifted to the nightstand on her left side where her communicator rested. She picked it up.

Inbox - 0 Messages

Yang frowned. Well, it was still early. People didn't recover quickly from the beating of an angry, overprotective father who'd seen his daughter's life in danger. She'd just have to give it some time. For now, she had to concentrate on the good things. Her dad (of all people!) was here. The nurses could restore Yang's aura and fix her injuries. Her father could help her pick up the pieces of a broken heart.

Hunters and Huntresses of Remnant seldom stayed out of a fight for long. As Yang's aura returned, so did her strength and vital energy, accelerating the superficial injuries she'd sustained. Her nose would hurt for a while, and her ribs ached, but the only wound that seemed like it might not fully mend over without a scar was the deep gouge in her right shoulder that Marcus had deliberately carved into her. She only needed two days to recover, but those 48 hours were agonizing. Once the nurses told her that Mercury had checked out almost the second he'd opened his eyes, Yang's worry turned to annoyance, and she checked her comm.

Inbox - 0 Messages

After several minutes of mulling over, she decided to reach out first. For all she knew, he assumed she blamed him for what happened and was afraid she'd track him down again the way she had in Nova City for their reunion. She left a message and went to sleep. When she woke up, another check of the comm device yielded the same results.

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"Aaaaaagh!" she growled her frustration, hurling the device across the room.

...

...And then she sheepishly asked a nurse if she could please have it back.

When Yang was well enough to leave, she hooked her painted metal arm securely back in place and rolled her sleeve down over the elbow. If Mercury needed time to sort things out, she'd leave him alone. That couldn't have been a good experience for him, the last thing he needed was Yang showing up to flaunt her injuries in his face.

But he wasn't going to be left alone forever. With each passing day, Yang's impatience and irritation pushed her temper closer and closer to the surface. There were still some people she needed to talk to, so she'd seek them out if they didn't manage to find her first. Once she ran out of distractions, though? She knew exactly who she was going to be gunning for, and he couldn't hide from her for long.

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Oh, you know what I mean.

[ ... to be fair it's not like anyone ever gave him the birds and the bees talk but-- no, no, that was just a misstep on his part. He knows how it actually works.

He watches the scene, pointing at one of the bullies. He has a meaty potato-like face, a voice that's the audible equivalent of rotten milk, and clearly thinks more of himself than he ought to. In other words... ]

That looks like whats-his-face, your school bully. Winchester?

[ Hope he dies.

He glances down as Yang touches at his forearm; so she's going to try and jolt him when the scare comes up, huh? That's what he figures the plan is, anyway, letting his eyes return to the screen. Alright. Bring it on, Blondie. ]

The one I cliffed, yup!

[She wants to make sure he's got goosebumps first, but that might be harder than she realized. Still, she gave him at least some warning.]

[One of the lockers is rattling. Shake-a-shake-a-shake. But Yang remains calm and relaxed, as if she's not worried at all about what comes next. Maybe the locker isn't that scary.]

[Maybe.]

Did you ever meet him? He was a lot worse before you showed up, to be fair.

[If he opens the locker, A CAT JUMPS OUT WITH ANOTHER HORROR STING! Yang clutches his arm.]

AHHHH A CAT IT ALMOST CLAWED YOUR EYES OUT!

I didn't meet him, but I could smell him from across the room.

[ ... Not entirely true, but there was literally nothing likable about the guy. He doesn't mind ragging on him.

He approaches the locker in-game, standing in front of it for a few moments. Okay. He has a feeling he knows exactly how this is going to go down, so he just needs to play it right. The locker opens.

The cat jumps out.

Mercury whirls towards Yang to grab her by the shoulders, just in time for the horror sting, and-- ]

BOO.

[The cheerful exclamation she was about to make gets strangled into half a gasp and half a bleat. Her shoulders jerk upward as her eyes go wide, her body goes stiff, and her left fist shoots straight forward at his chest out of sheer instinct.]

[On the plus side, he won the bet.]

[On the down side, she definitely veers toward the 'fight' side instead of 'flight.']

[Her heart thunders in her chest for a few moments as the startlement fades, then she growls.]

You weren't suppose to win so soon!

[At least she has the good grace to admit that he managed to scare her.]

[ OOF.

It's not the hardest blow he's taken by far - from her, no less, especially when she doesn't have any gauntlets on - but it still catches him by surprise, a huff of air leaving his lungs at the impact and knocking him back onto the couch.

Well. A win's a win, right?

Ha ha... haaaaa... ]

Hey, I'm just as surprised as you are. I mean, you lost to "boo"? Seriously?

It wasn't the word, it's because you grabbed me, Smirkury!

[At least it didn't come from the cybernetic hand. She pulls her ankles up on the couch, dragging her hands down her face.]

Please tell me you were joking about the maid outfit at least.

[Mist is beginning to seep into the school hallway the longer Wil's avatar stands there idly, occasionally rolling his shoulders. Pinpoints of light that might be eyes flash in the fog here and there.]

[No longer paying attention to the game, Yang peers at Mercury coolly from beneath her lashes. Then she breathes and reaches out to grasp his hand and pull him up.]

I did warn you about shooting the TV when I get startled.

Joking? No, not really. But maybe I'll change my mind on it.

[ He lets her start to pull him up, waiting for the momentum to be in his favor before reaching out with the other hand to push into her shoulder, using his legs to give himself leverage so as to push her onto her back, with him looming close above. He's not pinning her down with his entire body, no, but the positioning is still... well. You get the idea.

And, of course

he smirks. ]

If you can persuade me.

Oof--!

[All right. Definitely wasn't expecting that to happen. She did just punch him, so...she should have seen it coming? But didn't. Her heartbeat hasn't slowed all that much since the jumpscare, and it doesn't seem like her pulse is going to slow any time soon as she gazes up at him, scarcely daring to breathe.]

...You are so bad...!

[Yang laughs, giving his shoulder a half-hearted push. Because looking up at his face, dimly lit by the glow of the television screen, feeling the warmth he radiates in the small space left between his body not quite meeting hers...it's dangerous.]

[She shouldn't. She wants to. It's been a week since she'd seen him, and honestly...]

[...Honestly...]

...I missed you.

[Her fingers rise to give his most prominent lock of silver hair a playful flick, watching it swing back into place in front of his dark eyes. They shouldn't, she knows that, but...he can stay there a little longer, can't he?]

[ He's all smugness and unpure intent until she says that last bit - and it's such a strange thing to hear, when a week ago his body was being used to practically torture her. When only a few weeks before that, she had been on the verge of punching his face in for what he had done to her and her friends, for his part in what happened at Beacon. To see her now, warm and inviting to his presence, to the point that she even missed him in his absence...

It's bizarre, and not something he's at all used to.

It's something he has no experience in handling, let alone reciprocating.

But after a few moments of silence he reaches up to return the gesture - a dangerous move, given that it's Yang's hair, but he doesn't do anything risky. Just a little flick at a stray lock draped over her forehead, his fingertip brushing her skin in the process. ]

Careful. Talk like that will make me think you like me.

[There's a faint flicker of her brows, as if she's about to frown, but it's only for a moment. She relaxes at his touch, closing her eyes for a moment, and takes a breath to urge her beating heart to calm. He was literally playing with fire just now, but he's not getting burned. That's the last thing she wants to do right now.]

Wouldn't that be a tragedy.

[There's a light shrug of her shoulders, mischief tugging the left corner of her mouth a little higher. Her hand lifts to touch his, but though she feels resistance, there's no warmth. Her eyes flick to her right hand. Sometimes it seems so natural, she forgets, forgets until she's touching something and feeling nothing. IF he were anyone else, anyone who didn't have prosthetics like her, she might feel self-conscious about it.]

[But he knows. And he doesn't care. Her metal fingers give his wrist a light squeeze. It's a fine line to walk, between genuine affection and playful flirtation, but she can't say she doesn't enjoy the challenge.]

So how am I supposed to persuade you? Not much I can offer that you don't already have~

[ He doesn't even flinch at the touch of her metal hand - it doesn't have the same warmth or softness as flesh, of course, but he's more than used to that sort of thing. Hell, he's been living with it for far longer than she has, and while he's kept his hidden from sight until just recently he still gets it.

It's the kind of thing he could easily make a sly remark about, something sharp, and he already has some ideas in mind - but they stay there, rather than escaping his lips, and that probably says something about her in and of itself. ]

You're a smart girl.

[ It's time to lean in again, time to whisper in her ear again, though this time it comes out more as a purr. ]

I'm sure you can think of something.

[So much for keeping her heart rate down. She grins from ear to ear, her shoulder hunching defensively on the same side he whispered at. His breath tickles, and it doesn't fail to raise some goosebumps on her arm.]

Hmmmmmm...

[There's the obvious, of course, but she's not sure either of them are really ready for that. It does seem clear to her, though, that he's probably in dire need of some physical affection after all he's gone through. For all she knows, it's years overdue.]

[So she shifts a little, making herself comfortable as her left hand combs over the back of his head, teasing a little at the nape of his neck with idle strokes and circles.]

Hmmmmmmm...hmmmmmmmmm...it might take me a while to think of something. You could be stuck here for a few minutes in the meantime.

[Yang turns her head to glance at the television screen, where ominous laughter occasionally rolls out with the ambiance. Wil is still doing his stock animation, working his head from side to side, rolling his shoulders, looking ready for a fight but otherwise not one bit concerned that the school seems to have entered some kind of hell dimension.]

Should we really just leave him there like that?

[Because they could. Easily. But that would shorten the thrill of the flirting, so of course she has to feign some concern...even if her fingers are still toying with his hair.]

[ He glances towards the screen, humming in thought as he considers it. That game isn't nearly as interesting as the one he and Yang are playing right now, but going too hard on this game might push it to its conclusion, and where's the fun in that? He hates waiting, sure, but dragging things out for his own amusement is different. ]

Well if you need to think, I'll play until you figure it out.

[ Which one might assume means he would sit up and keep playing - and as he turns his body to grab the controller again, it seems like he might. But instead he turns around so his back is to her, laying back to rest against her body, and his head is

well

using her pillows, so to speak. ]

You just let me know when you've got an idea.

[ Back to playing! Honestly he's looking for ways to get Wil killed, that's half the fun in these kinds of games. ]

[Yeah no.]

[Yang rolls her eyes, grinning, and wriggles herself out from underneath him to press her back into couch. They can still be cozy, though, as she can nonchalantly drape her left arm over his side and prop up her head with her right arm. Much easier for her to see this way.]

I could give you a back massage.

[She glances down at where her arm loosely encircles him. Oh ho... He's in a vulnerable position for more of Yang's mischief and he doesn't even know it yet.]

Might be a little weird with one warm hand and one cold, but I can work out your cramps.

[ He snickers as she pulls herself out from under him - it was fun while it lasted, though the new position isn't bad either.

...

And did she say back massage? ]

"A little weird" isn't enough to scare me away. Let's see what you've got.

Yeah?

[She kind of half-expected that he'd toss the idea out, as he could get that and more if she's his personal servant for a day. But then he's miss out on getting a massage right now. Maybe he's one of those who prefers the instant gratification.]

[...Or he just thinks he'll win another video game bet easily.]

We've got a deal then. Up to you if you want to keep your shirt or not for this.

[Because they both know what Yang's preferences are, that is not a mystery. She sits up onto her knees and tosses her hair back over her shoulders.]

You can either sit in front of me or lie on your stomach.

[ There's a pause - he'd normally already be taking his shirt off midway through her mentioning the options, but the whole thing with Marcus has him hesitating for a moment. He'd told Yang where those scars came from, and if she sees them again he's not sure if she'll want to say anything.

...

Well, he can just tell her not to talk about it if she tries. He's never been ashamed of his scars before, he's sure as hell not going to let that start now.

He sits up straight for a moment, peeling his shirt off to drop it unceremoniously next to the couch. ]

It wouldn't be an authentic massage experience if I kept it on.

[ He decides to sit in front of her - laying on his stomach isn't bad, but it'll be easier to play the game simultaneously if he's sitting upright. ]

[She did tell him that she thought they were hot. However, her perceptions have changed since the first time she saw him like this. These are signs of a very different type of battle than one waged against the grimm. Thinking that he earned each one of these at the hands of a man who should have protected him, not hurt him, causes her aura to burn a little hotter.]

[His dad is such a scumbag. No wonder he ran off with Cinder, who wouldn't leap at the opportunity to escape a house like that?]

[Yang holds her breath, trying not to exhale too forcefully, and moves her knees apart so she can sit comfortably behind him. Well to hell with his father, she's going to give his back the love and attention it needs. She starts with her palms flat against his shoulderblades, sweeping outward, then stroking down as she seeks out places with more tension and knots.]

Gentle, or rough?

[She murmurs in his ear with a smile.]

Pressure, I mean.

[ He can feel that pulse of heat - without turning to look at her he can't tell if it's from appreciating the view or acknowledging the scars in a new light, and he's not going to try and find out. The less personal this gets for the moment, the better - keep it light, keep it fun.

He rolls his shoulders a bit against her hands - even with one of them made of metal it's still pretty nice, and she'll find that most of the tension is there, in his shoulders, where stress tends to find a home. ]

Can you even do gentle? Never seemed your style.

Psh. It'll take longer, but I can do it. Watch me.

[She does a second pass, but this time with her left hand crossing to the right plane of his back, just to make sure she hasn't missed any hidden, unbalanced knots. All of his tension seems to be symmetrical, though, so that makes things easier for her.]

[On the screen, Vicki's voice is screaming Wil's name in the distance, giving him the option to press X to call back and figure out where she is.]

[Her touch remains firm, but not forceful, drawing her fingers up over the curve of his spine and spreading apart once she reaches his upper back. For now she's just rubbing him down to relax him. She'll get to the knots soon enough.]

We'll see.

[ ... She seems to be right, though. Her touch is light enough to not really cause any discomfort, but strong enough to start working the muscles a bit. He hums a little under his breath, a nonverbal encouragement.

Not bad.

He figures that having Wil call out might inadvertently alert monsters to his whereabouts, so... naturally he mashes X to try and make that happen. Come onnnnnn death scene! ]

[She smiles, allowing a pleasant skritch of her fingernails to tickle at his skin in response to the sound he makes. She likes knowing she's doing a good job, and since she can't see his face, she has to rely on verbal cues and body language. Sometimes she shifts her gaze to the screen so she can watch what he's doing. Calling back to Vicki gives him a little arrow pointing out the correct direction to take, but there's also a snarl from the mists, so he's pretty much right in that it brings monsters.]

Aw, you're trying to save her. That's so sweet!

[She really should know better by now how his mind works. She'll learn. For now, she presses her four fingertips into his tightened tendons, using her thumb to stroke along the line of one of his scars as if she could simply rub away the cause. Then she lightly drums the sides of her hands from one shoulder to the other, working back and forth.]

That's me! A real gentleman.

[ He keeps pressing X, and there's a gauge somewhere that's filling to warn him about how much noise he's making - he keeps going, bringing the meter up, up, up...!

Poor Wil is pounced upon the moment it fills, torn limb from limb with brutal, gruesome efficiency. ]

Oops.

[ He doesn't sound remotely sorry - he does, however, sound very relaxed, head turning a bit while the Game Over screen fades into view so he can give her a look. ]

You can go a little harder than that.

...Wow. Sucks to be your girlfriend.

[She's so disappointed in him...but it's her own fault for thinking he would put his all into a game where there's no competition to beat Yang at it.]

[Her hands grip at his shoulders, kneading at the soft flesh that spans from his neck to the end of his collarbone, going a little firmer than before to test his comfort levels. This is where he needs it the most, so she digs in hard with the heel of her palm before relaxing, and pressing, and relaxing.]

[Press A to Continue.]

See? I was doing you a favor when I shot you down.

[ HA HA Ha ha ha... ha... haaaaaah.

There's a little grunt as she presses into some of the more sensitive muscle, but he doesn't do anything to shy away from the touch so it must feel good. His attention goes back to the game, and he presses A. This time he opts to not intentionally fuck up, only calling out on occasion to make sure he's going the right way. ]

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