granpulse | (no subject)

[It takes a moment for Yang to realize the motion of her ears. Hell, it takes Yang that long to notice the lack of a bow. There has only been a small handful of times when Blake has her ears out to the world with team RWBY so its something of a surprise.

What changed? Is she no longer hiding herself any more? Is she still a coward?

Watching them flatten rattled her a bit, Yang's expression softening just enough. But it hardly lasts long. Blake's tone might belay a weakness, but it brings out the fury in Yang once more.

She doesn't know. She doesn't know why she's here. Maybe that means she doesn't know why she ran. Maybe it's just another excuse.

Her fist tightens even more, head bowing so that she's not seeing the Faunus anymore. Yang has been just so despondent and in a swirling vortex of helplessness lately that this is the first time in a very long time that she's felt something.

Anger. Pure anger. Sure, she's been annoyed and furious before, but this time is different. This isn't a little fire that's eager to beat down some baddies, using her rage and Semblance as a tool.

Oh no, this is a volcano. And she's about to erupt.

When Blake's weapon hits the snow, Yang's head snaps up, eyes red with fury. If Ruby were around or if this was a different place or a different time, maybe she'd have reservations about attacking an unarmed person. But--

But this isn't the right time. She's not in the right state of mind. She lost her arm, her partner, potentially her sister, her whole team, her school, her second home, her friends...

Logic and niceties are out the window. Screaming, the blond charges forward with her fist behind her, intending on just punching something. If Blake wants to be punished, she'll gladly be the one to bring it.]

[normally, Blake Belladonna responds to an impending strike by activating her Semblance, leaving a shadow of herself behind to take the hit while the real girl flees to safety. it's what she's always done. she's always run away.

but this time, she does not. instead, she braces herself for the impact, but doesn't bother to protect herself in any way. the almost primal scream that erupts from Yang's mouth shakes her to her very core, but it does not scare her. she deserves it, she reminds herself. she abandoned her team, abandoned her partner when she needed her the most; now the four of them have been scattered to the winds, and this is how she returns?

her cowardice is what spurred her desire for self-preservation; even if it's too late for some things, she intends to at least try to right her wrongs. more things were lost than just Yang's arm that night.

when Yang's fist makes contact with her face, she unsurprisingly loses her balance, the force of the blow causing her to fall face first into the powdery snow. she lies there for a few seconds, then brings herself to her feet once again. having only activated her Aura the slightest bit, her cheek shines red. even knowing how devastating one of Yang's punches could be, she decided to take nearly the full brunt of it.

she didn't run.]

[She... she didn't run.

After successfully striking down her (former) partner, Yang's back is turned from Blake, her breathing just a little laboured. She hasn't been training or practising or doing just about any physical activity over the past few months. So even though this wasn't much, it sure felt like it.

The anger and fury that drove her forward has now nearly left her immobilized as she stares at the ground. Her mind is racing to try to keep up with what just happened. She knows her fist connected with something, and not just on of those shadowy clones. And she knows she heard the sound of something falling on the snow.

She... really didn't run.

Too bad that small realization only infuriates Yang even more. The blonde slowly turns around and glares darkly at the Faunus, eyes almost bloodshot red with anger.

Now... now of all times she decides to take some punishment for her actions. Well, that might not be good enough.

It really is a good thing that Taiyang isn't home, because one punch to an unarmed person might be able to slide by him. But Yang charges forward again with another scream, fist raised high, ready to strike her down once more. Or twice more. Or however many times she needs.

The problem might be, when will Yang recognize that they've both had enough?]

[the blind fury, the languished scream that yang lets out possibly hurts blake more than a fist to the face ever will. the one who needed to stay home, abandoned by everyone but her own father, who didn't really get it... it's hard to believe this is the same yang xiao long, firecracker of team rwby.

blake briefly wonders if she should try and reason it out with her old partner, but... talking in a civilized manner is most likely out of the window at this point. she did open herself up to taking the punches, literally.

... if blake has ever withdrawn, been distant in the past, she will make up for it now.

but while her mind is prepared to take as much as yang needs to release, is her body, protected by only the faintest use of her aura? she guesses there's only one way to find out, as she readies herself to take another blow from the arm that yang still has.]

[Even firecrackers burn out after a while, and for Yang, this is the first time in mere months where she's actually felt something. She's either been trying to cope with what's become of her new life, or has been dealing with the terrifying nightmares.

When her fist connects, she feels Blake's aura being used. It doesn't throw her off or make her stop, but something in the back of her mind might be a little relieved that she isn't going to make a literal punching bag out of her old partner. As angry and as frustrated and as hateful as she is--

Maybe she really doesn't want to kill the girl that was once her friend, even though she raises her arm again, readying for another strike.

Another punch... even though her red eyes are starting to sting with tears. Her balance may be starting to sway as she faces her again.]

I can't... can't believe you!!!

I know. I messed up.

[understatement of the century, that. blake's omission of the word "sorry" is intentional; she doesn't know if any amount of apologizing will ever suffice for the wrongs she's committed by running away. in all honesty, it might piss yang off even more.

seeing yang's eyes become misty tugs at her own heart, but blake does her damnedest to not tear up, too. it feels harsh, to retain a stoic expression in such an emotionally charged moment, but she feels she's shown enough weakness to her partner already. isn't that what landed them in this very moment in the first place?]

You more than messed up!!

[Truthfully, anything Blake says at this point will set Yang off even more. And maybe if she wasn't so full of anger (and maybe even sadness if those tears in her eyes are any indication), she'd actually think about her words and what they'll mean to Blake. But no. There's no hint of love or consideration thrown the Faunus's way this time.

As her eyes keep tearing up, Yang's punches and wind ups are becoming more off balance. Even if her partner wasn't stationary, it would have been easy for even a normal civilian to avoid her punches. It doesn't help that the adrenaline is starting to wear off and her head is pounding from all the frustration and different thoughts and emotions.]

I-I hate...

[So instead, she resorts to something far more childish, shoving Blake's shoulder to get her down to the ground as hard as she can. While it's hard to pin someone down with only one arm, she's damn well going to try, straddling the other girl and raising her fist again.

Her fist that's starting to shake as tears start streaming down her face. This was her partner. Her friend. Someone that she poured her heart and soul into. Someone she loved and wanted to see succeed in everything she did. Blake was like a second sister, someone she wanted to protect and be with.

Someone who abandoned her.]

I-I hate you... so much...

[blake thinks it would be a disgrace, an insult to yang if she were to just let her "win" by giving up, so her grieving partner will feel a bit of resistance as the faunus attempts to stand her ground when she feels the shove. the many hits she's taken already have weakened her, though, so it's not long before the wrathful yang gets her way.

blake does not turn her cheek to yang as the other girl sits atop her, winding up to hit her again. she makes sure to keep eye contact with her former partner, the best friend she'd never had before.]

I don't blame you.

[deeply personal conversation has never been her forte. yang, though, is one of the very few blake lets see this side of herself, expertise or not. the words hurt more than the blows ever will.]

[It's like a switch goes.

Those four words... and suddenly Yang's whole atmosphere changed. She blinks once, multiple times, and her eyes seem to turn back to normal. The tension in her body seems to melt away, her shoulders sagging as she lowers her arm.]

...Dammit, Blake...

[If she didn't know the Faunus so well, this would be so much easier. But she does know Blake. She knows that the other girl doesn't do anything without reason or cause, just as much as she knows that Blake can run herself dry or run away from her problems.

She also knows she probably hates herself now.

She takes a deep breath, nearly hiccuping and trying to rub her tearing eyes. It's an attempt to calm down, compose herself instead of being the uncontrollable and broken force of anger and hate that she has been for the past few minutes.]

Why did you--

[Leave me? Leave everyone? Why did you run? Why didn't you say anything?]

What made you run, again? After... after everything...?

He hurt you because of me.

[and that was the end goal the whole time, wasn't it? to hurt blake, to remind her that he could still exert his power over her. at least, it very much feels like it. she steals a glance at yang's stump, physical proof of adam taurus systematically ruining her life and the lives of those she loves, for daring to think she was free.

yang didn't deserve that punishment, for doing nothing than caring for blake belladonna.

as she looks up to meet her partner's eyes, there is nothing but regret reflected in her own.]

It was my fault. If it hadn't been for me, you would've never gotten involved—this would have never happened. I couldn't face you, or the others, after that.

[Yang doesn't have to follow Blake's line of sight to see what she's looking at. Sucking in a sharp breath, she shuts her eyes for a moment, trying to swallow a lump that's quickly formed in her throat, and to not think about that night. It's hard, but at least she isn't trembling.]

That... that isn't your fault.

[The words come out so quietly, Yang's not even really sure if she's said them. When she opens her eyes, there's a point not to look at Blake directly in the eyes, she starts to get up and off her (former? who knows anymore) partner.]

You didn't tell me to get involved. Or order him to do... [She swallows again before gesturing with her good hand to her stump.] ...to do this. Those things? They're not... not really your fault...

[Still feels like it is though, but Yang's trying to get a point across. What happened wasn't her fault, and she curses the damned Faunus who's made Blake feel that way.

When she turns around to face Blake, making direct eye contact, her voice somewhat controlled.]

What you did, though, was run again. Right when I...! [Breathe Yang. Breathe.] ...Right when I could've used a friend the most. And that, that hurts way more than this [Another gesture.] ever will!