I Feel It In My Bones

[solar_flare]

WHO: Yang Xiao Long
WHAT: Yang wakes up mildly disoriented in the Bay, then sets out to refresh her memories of Genessia
WHEN: September 28, 2017
WHERE: Genessia City
NOTES: The below log is just a one-shot, but we can start up brand new custom threads if you want to run into her. Just name the date and place!


"Ugh..."

Yang sat up, bracing her arms behind her as her head hung forward, thick locks of untidy blonde hair spilling over her shoulders. For a moment she just sat there, one knee half-bent, eyes half-lidded as her muddled thoughts swirld in her head. The part of herself that had lived in this city...the part of herself that fought in Remnant... Both parts swirled around one another, like oil and water, together but never really mixing.

She gave her head a quick shake as if that might cement both realities into one, but all it did was make her head ache. Instinctively her hand moved to her forehead, but instead of touching warm skin, she felt the brush of cool metal.

It surprised her at first. Her hand slowly fell away from her face so she could look at it for herself and confirm that yup, the robot hand was still a thing. Staring at it now, it seemed so foreign, so out of place. She turned her wrist, confirming that yes indeed, both sides were skillfully crafted out of metal. Her fingers curled inward, and flexed straight. Everything seemed responsive enough. And it still sported her signature colors that she'd painted by her own hand literally.

She swung her legs over the edge of the pod and gave herself a push, her leather boots hitting the Bay water with a careless splash. Yang gathered her box up in her metal arm to let it rest on her hip as she made her way toward the sunlight.

SUDDENLY WEISS.

"Whoa!" Yang visibly jumped back half a foot, startled by the hologram. Familiar face...familiar voice...but was it the same Weiss she remembered? Was she even the same Yang that Weiss remembered? Puzzled, she dug in her box until she found the communicator and powered it up, eyes tracking immediately to the time and date.

"Almost three years," she murmured, no longer paying full attention to her friend's explanation. The hologram seemed fine continuing on, whether Yang was listening or not. But she did tune back in eventually, turning to face the young woman in white. It seemed this place had advanced beyond pamphlets. Probably for the best, she remembered how many people ignored what was written there and panicked over the communicator instead. Good job, Weiss, Yang thought to herself with a smile.

The hologram finished and flickered to silence. Yang took a step back toward the Bay...then moved toward the hologram once more to activate it a second time. It couldn't hurt to get all the information clear in her head, but mostly, she was just kind of glad to hear Weiss's voice again after all those long, lonely months.

* * * * *

Yang didn't announce herself over the communicator. She'd tapped the device a few times on the diner table as she thought about what she wanted to say. But in the end? She couldn't really think of anything. It had been such a long time, she wasn't even sure there was anyone around who still remembered her. Besides, she was still trying to figure out her own situation, and wasn't in a talkative mood. For now, she just wanted to get her bearings and settle in. She wolfed down a club sandwich with a side of fresh fruit, then set out to the department store to pick up some necessities: some extra changes of clothes, a toothbrush and toothpaste, her favorite brand of shampoo and conditioner...and a duffle bag to put it all in. If there was an item that didn't fit in there, she left it on the shelf.

And she still had her shades in her jacket pocket, which she slipped on with a smile.

Part of her was tempted to check on the junkyard/mechanic shop where she used to work, but the owner had left a long time ago. Best to leave it alone. And that same part of her thought about swinging by the old apartment building just in case the Yang Cave was vacant. But without Blake and Ruby and the other adopted stragglers who crowded the place, Yang knew it just wouldn't be the same. Maybe the table that Kamina hammered over the window was still there...

Her nose crinkled as she giggled to herself. This place sure had some good memories. She wondered if the others managed to get that house they'd been working so hard to buy.

With a fistful of apartment building pamphlets and the latest 'help wanted' flyer in her hand, Yang climbed the stairs of the Commons to find her room. She flopped onto her bed, leaving the papers next to her as she folded her arms behind her head and stared up at the ceiling.

Tomorrow, she'd give Weiss a call. For now? She just wanted to make sure she still had her balance.

Just for now.

Five minutes later, she was fast asleep with a half-typed message to Weiss on her communicator.

Weiss! Back in town. How's Frost? How are you? Just wanted to let you know I'm here.
Missed you. :)
Maybe tomor

The device slowly slipped from her fingers as her grip grew lax, and tumbled to the floor with a soft thump.

Comments

like later or something, text

[whiteas]

Yang, how long have you been here without messaging?
I saw your name 15 minutes ago I know you're here.

yes text good mwah ha ha

[solar_flare]

[It's probably a good hour at least before Weiss gets a response. Which is unintentional. Yang was just sleepy. But hey look, there's a reply!]

Weiss! Back in town. How's Frost? How are you? Just wanted to let you know I'm here.
Missed you. :)
Maybe tomorGood to see ur smiling face again
:) :) :)
Did u see binford garbage dump is the commons how wild is that? Haven't been here long just got some food and supplies then passed out.
Where are you?

[whiteas]

OK you remember Frost so I can skip the intro and get straight to it. Check which Yang you are:

򪪪 Yang 1.0 (who I started with)
򪪪 The one who was here when all the professors were (Ozpin, Glynda, Gen. Ironwood..)
򪪪 Blake's girlfriend

I'm guessing not the third one since I think the Commons was around before that version left.

[solar_flare]

[WHAT. She boggles at the list, hurriedly taps her fingers against the first option multiple times.]

[Which does nothing because it's not like this is a poll.]

The first one do I even want to know about

Where r you?

[whiteas]

There's a lot to fill you in on.

That version of Blake is gone too so I don't think you'll have to worry about an awkward break-up, any other Blakes are probably going to be upset with me more than you.

NC. I'm home, I'll come get you. It might take a little while, Jaune crashed my Bentley.

[ Which is somewhat true. She was driving, then they accidentally body swapped so Jaune was technically in the driver's seat when it crashed. Oops. ]

[solar_flare]

[Yang heaves a sigh of relief. Yeah, she definitely wouldn't want to hurt Blake's feelings over something like that. She sits up and folds her legs underneath her, now holding the phone with both hands.]

I'll ask when we meet in person then. Sorry about your car.

[She doesn't ask if Jaune's okay, though. Mean. If he can get smacked around by raging Grimm, a car crash is nothing.]

Meet you at the NC gate!

[whiteas]

[ Jaune is probably not okay, but that's less because of the car crash and more because of a compounding number of things. But she'll get into it later. ]

OK. I'll ride Joan so you don't have to wait too long.

[ And with that, she's going to ride Arcanine to the Nova City gate. Arcanine is much more comfortable than a car anyway. ]

[solar_flare]

['Joan'? Is Weiss naming her vehicles now, or did she hire some gigantic person to carry her around on their shoulders? Yang grins. Either way she'll find out soon enough. She stashes her communicator in her jacket breast pocket and makes her way outside toward the gate.]

[It's not as if Yang minds the wait. It's not as if she's got a busy schedule right now, or a queue of pressing deadlines. She relaxes against one of the arch posts, ankles crossed, fiddling with the communicator as she listens in on past conversations. That weird guy from the Halloween party that dressed as a knight is still here, that's cool. Most everyone else is unfamiliar, though.]

[She glances up, then back to the phone...then up again, squinting into the distance where a faraway blob gallops toward the archway. Is that some sort of giant fluffy striped dog...?]

[whiteas]

[ She certainly doesn't have anyone giant to carry her around on his shoulders except for Joan Arcanine, a pun she never intended to make. (Growlithe just seemed like a Joan, she had no idea what she would evolve into!! And Jaune certainly never lets her live it down.) Weiss got there as soon as she could, though because of the Arcanine's size, it's likely Yang didn't even see her behind it's large fur tufts until she slid off the side. ]

Thank you, Joan. [ She's more polite to her Pokemon than most people, let's be real. She looks over at Yang. She has mixed feelings about the situation. Lately a lot of her team's arrival felt like meeting strangers, over and over. Four Rubys, three Yangs, three Blakes. All of them inevitably disappeared and never remembered- it was little wonder she'd developed somewhat of a wall between herself and her teammates that was more of a hurdle than her personality alone usually provided.

This was the first Yang that actually remembered her, that felt like she was still a part of her life here- a life that had gone on long enough she wasn't sure she wanted to go home, not with what the cost of doing so would be. It felt so much easier than trying to force herself to smile through another 'Welcome to Nova City' tour to people who don't know her anymore, even if Yang had missed enough that it was still true. But It was a step above losing everything again, and it'd been a while since she'd seen any of her team. ]

It's been almost three years since I've seen you. This you, anyway.

quicksilver and gold

[sarcaskick]

[ It's not a particularly interesting day, by any stretch of the imagination. You would think they'd all be interesting days once you became one of the city's Guardians, that there would always be a threat to tackle, a challenge to beat down, but so far the worst offender has been some weird guy stealing puppies with no malicious intent.

Seriously, what the fuck.

Desperate for something to do, Mercury's taken to the streets in the hopes that maybe he'll just happen upon a crime. A purse-snatching, an armed robbery, a carjacking, he'd take some aggressive jaywalking if it gave him something to do. He's not exactly in any sort of uniform of authority, but it's not like Guardians had a dress code.

He slows to a stop in front of a familiar restaurant, once-broken glass since repaired, even if the interior is alien to him now. It's a place that brings some mixed feelings, some fun memories and some frightening ones, and he stands for a while to stare inside, lost in thought with his hands buried in his pockets.

He usually doesn't spend time on self-reflection, but it's a boring day. What else is there to do? ]

[solar_flare]

[Hopefully he's not too lost in thought, otherwise he'll miss out on the reflection in the diner window. Someone in a leather jacket, an asymmetrical skirt, and an all-too-familiar head of unruly blonde hair, is emerging from the flow of pedestrians.]

[Yang makes no effort to disguise her approach. Her steps are steady, rhythmic. And she's walking straight toward Mercury.]

[How much trouble is he in? Well...her fists are clenched, but her hair isn't blazing. Her stare is fierce enough to bore holes into the back of his head, but her eyes are lavender, not scarlet.]

[Whether he notices her right away or not, she comes to a stop three feet away from him, and waits. Weiss said she trusts him. Hired him for the job of guarding a city, even after he played his role in a city's complete destruction. Her feelings are...mixed...about this guy. Which is why she sought him out to get answers, and decide for herself how to deal with him.]

[sarcaskick]

[ He doesn't notice her, right away - and it's not the sight of her in the reflection that does it, either, his vision focused beyond the glass to the tables inside. He'd had some good meals here. Best he'd ever had, really. Too bad the chef went home.

But his Aura pings in the way that alerts him to incoming danger, and it's only then that he catches the blonde's reflection. Well. Okay. He wanted an interesting day, he hadn't counted on this.

He remains mostly unmoving, only shifting his weight a bit from one leg to the other without actually turning around to face her. ]

Hey there, Blondie.

[ He has no doubt she remembers the last time she heard that name from him. Which you would think would clue him in to not use it, but he's not exactly known for his manners. ]

Like what you see?

[solar_flare]

You really think it's a good time to start cracking jokes?

[She's not even glancing at his butt. That's how serious this is. Instead she focuses on his stance, the tone of his voice, and even the shadow of his face from what she can see reflected in the window. He screwed up. He has to know that.]

So? Are we going to talk? Or are you hoping I'll take a swing at you, and say that makes us even?

[She folds her arms, her right settling on the left with a metallic clack he can't fail to notice.]

All that time we were here, you never said a word. And I... Ugh!

[Her head jerks slightly to the side with disgust at herself.]

I danced with you! Must have been pretty hilarious to you, knowing what you did, knowing we didn't have a clue what you and your boss were going to do to us.

[sarcaskick]

[ He turns on his heel at last, hands sliding out of his pockets to hang at his sides. His words might not have been terribly serious, but his expression is stony, lips not even twinged into anything resembling a smirk. His eyes, for a moment, glance down at her hand - the artificial one, and there's a flicker of something in his expression that lifts his eyebrows just a touch.

That's new.

His eyes meet hers again, sharp and focused, without an ounce of mirth. ]

You want the truth? You're right. It was hilarious.

[ Maintaining distance right now is the safest thing for him to do, so of course he takes a step towards her, then another. ]

I'm not going to tell you I regret it, either. I'm not sure that I do.

[ Which, to be fair, is a far cry from where he was a few months ago, when he absolutely knew he didn't regret what he helped to make happen to Yang. To Beacon. To Penny. To Pyrrha. ]

Things change. A lot has changed since then and now, so if you want me to talk, help me narrow it down - where do you want me to start?

[solar_flare]

['Hilarious.' Yang's teeth clench and her lips curl back, as her brow darkens. She wanted honesty? She's getting it, even if it's not what she wanted to hear. And to make matters worse, he's moving toward her, challenging her. She's not going to just stand there, and she sure as hell isn't going to step back.]

Where do I want you to start?

[She steps toward him too, reaching out to shove both of his shoulders.]

How about what made you think it was in any way okay for you to destroy Vale! Do you know how many people died because of what you did? People that aren't ever going to come back!

[Another shove.]

Pyrrha! Penny! Do you know how much that broke my little sister's heart?! And you have the gall to say 'things change' as if that makes any of it just fine!

[Her right fist slams into the corner of the restaurant, hard enough to make a small cracked crater. Her gaze snaps sharply to the side to look at it, at what she's done because of her temper. Some of the tension leaks out of her, and her gaze falls to the ground for a moment, her frown deepening. Her fingers slowly uncurl and her arms fall to her sides.]

Weiss told me...she trusts you. And I trust her more than I distrust you. But...

[She looks down at her hand again, and she closes her eyes, shaking her head.]

[sarcaskick]

[ She's mad.

Well, it's not like he didn't expect that.

He doesn't resist the first shove, or even the second (though he looks visibly annoyed by it - a third probably would have pushed his patience too far), his body rocking back a bit with each push. No one had actually come at him like this over what he'd done back in Remnant, so even if the events took place years ago for him? This experience is making it feel a little raw again. ]

I did whatever Cinder wanted me to do. Period. She...

[ His scowl darkens - he doesn't like thinking about Cinder anymore, and it's been a while since he's really had to talk about her. Doesn't feel good. ]

She found me when I was at my lowest and dragged me out of there. Gave me a new life, a chance to walk forward instead of bleeding out in the dirt. It felt good. Wasn't until much later that I realized she's a manipulative bitch, but until then I was happy to break whatever she needed broken.

[ A moment, then another, before he sighs in frustration, running a hand through his hair. ]

I was in over my head. Caught up in some kind of... blood feud between my boss and yours - Ozpin, I mean.

[solar_flare]

[She's beyond angry. However, she's able to recognize what's happening here -- she's lashing out, venting her pain and frustration, and Mercury is the first person involved in that horrible mess that she happened to run across.]

[But that wasn't why she came here, and she has to wrestle her temper into submission to keep that fact firmly in mind. She wants to hear what happened, make sure it never happens again. She has to find out why Weiss trusts him so she can support her friend. Actually listening to him talk is helping, instead of hammering her fist into his jaw like the old Yang would have done without hesitation.]

[What would she have done if someone like Cinder had found Yang after the loss of her arm? Instead of giving her warmth, patience, and wisdom, she was instead fed with power and promises of revisiting that pain on the ones who hurt her? Would she have found herself walking down that same path in his shoes? Because she can kind of see it happening, and it makes her gut twist to think that it could have if her situation were different.]

[Yang folds her arms again. It's just too easy to let her temper get the best of her, so she ensures her fists aren't in position to start swinging.]

What made you change?

[Yang isn't shouting into his face anymore; if anything, her voice sounds tired. She's still glowering at him, but she's not pushing into his personal space.]

Because I need to know from the bottom of my heart that you won't ever let that happen again.

SOME TIME LATER.....

[polearity]

( the network wasn't one of pyrrha's favourite things to frequent. what place did a ghost have, interrupting the happiness of the people she once knew, anyway? but being out and about was a different story, running into people that she didn't know from home, they were easy to talk to. they didn't know about the terrible things that had happened, or all the pain that she'd caused...

and it was thanks to a familiar flash of golden hair that all of that came rushing back to her. she was only a short distance away, but... it was someone she hadn't seen in a long time, right there. )

Y-Yang...

Re: SOME TIME LATER.....

[solar_flare]

Pyrrha!

[Yang stops short, coming VERY close to dropping her massive armload of cleaning supplies. Weiss had told Yang that the girl was here, but the implications that Yang should NOT reach out to her were unmistakable. She didn't know why, or what was going on, but she'd resisted. It was best to let Pyrrha decide when she was ready.]

[So Yang doesn't drop the cleaning supplies.]

[She hurls them to the ground as she rushes forward. Ready or not, she was going to hug the shit out of her friend.]

You have no idea how goo it is to see you again.

[And if she hugs too tight, she'll blame it on the robo-arm.]

[polearity]

( before she can even really register what she's seeing, what with the cleaning supplies being violently abandoned to the ground and the squeezing pressure she suddenly finds herself wrapped in... pyrrha... doesn't even resist.

it might be a tight hug, maybe even a too-tight one, but this feels so much better than being yelled at. better than causing someone so much pain they panic at the sight of you. better than... anything else that had happened in genessia in a long time.

she doesn't even stop herself. she's returning this hug. it had been so long since she had felt the warmth of another person, and yang's blazing bright brand of affection was more than welcome. )

I... had no idea that you were here. ( still here? returned?
things got complicated sometimes. she peels herself away, finally seeming to notice the cool metal sting from the one side. ) Y-your arm! Yang, what happened?

[solar_flare]

This? It's a long story.

[She stops the mama-ursa hug and backs up to a comfortable distance, holding her arm up and giving her fingers a little flex. Hello, how are you, Pyrrha.]

I mean, the short version? Adam was going to hurt Blake. I lost my temper, charged him, and he just...

[She huffs a sigh]

When I came to, it was gone. And then General Ironwood sent me this. I'm still adjusting to it, but it does pack a punch!

[And though her feelings are mixed, and would definitely be harder to express if she gave the full account, on the whole the positive emotions outweigh the negative ones, and those good feelings are getting stronger every day.]

Where are you staying at? Are you doing all right? Eating properly?

[polearity]

( adam...? she didn't really know much of anything about all that but if it was someone capable of taking yang down at the height of her temper then... surely he was a man to be reckoned with.

perhaps it was good then, that all the lost was an arm in a confrontation like that.
mesmerized by the metal arm momentarily as she spoke, pyrrha seemed to snap out of it as the questions started coming.

easy questions, that had never been harder to answer.
plastering on a forced happy face, she tried her best to answer. )

Oh, I've been staying... around and— things are... just fine! There are lots of places to eat or walk around, lots of things to see, so...

( in a word: it's been awful. )

[solar_flare]

...Please tell me you're not sleeping on park benches and in cardboard boxes, Pyrrha.

[Because she just. Might. Be.]

[She lowers her arm, shrugging her shoulder lightly. Hopefully the sight of it isn't too disturbing. Knowing now what Pyrrha can do with metal, Yang still isn't worried about that ability being used against her to slap herself in the face. She trusts Pyrrha.]

[polearity]

Not... exactly. ( it may be better, it may be worse. let's just leave that up to the imagination of her non-answer. )

You must know by now that there are others from Remnant here, too. And how... ( her green eyes drop to the side— ) complicated that can be.

[solar_flare]

[Ooooh... Yes, yes she definitely knows. 'Complicated' doesn't begin to describe it.]

Sort of like how I came in wanting to punch Mercury into next Thursday only to find out that he's decent and kind of fun to be around? Yeah.

[She nods with a crooked smile.]

I don't know too much about all the others and if they've changed as much as he did, but it's still kind of trippy. What about it?