Disclaimer – I claim no ownership to the characters used in this fan work. The characters rightfully belong to their creators such as Monty Oum and their other respective owners at Roosterteeth.
Apathetic Sisters
Chapter 1: Routine
Knocking on the hardwood door, Yang gave the owners a few seconds before opening it up by herself. With a perky smile, the blond stepped inside. "It's me!" The woman exclaimed, shutting and locking the door behind her. Something she had gotten used to doing over time.
Walking further inside, Yang looked over the somewhat spacious flat she had seen numerous times by now. There was a simple brown leather couch near the center. It was oriented in front of a wooden coffee table and facing a television pressed up against one of the brick walls.
Behind the couch area was the kitchen. A counter-top blocking off the ground which separated the tile and wooden flooring. A fridge against the wall with a stove and dishwasher set up next to it underneath the counter. A sink with a garbage can tucked away on the other side.
The deepest section of the flat was fenced off by a foldable wall. This was less for privacy and more in an attempt to help break the barren chamber into separate sections. If the blond were to gaze passed it, she would find a single queen sized bed, a cabinet filled with the owners clothes and a single nightstand attached to a mirror for when they needed to apply their makeup.
A partially closed door opposite of the entrance way lead to the bathroom. Inside would be the normal toiletries along with a standing glass shower.
Given the rooms admittedly large size, to a newcomer or visitor, it would be understandable for one to think the inhabitants were in the middle of moving. From what she had gathered however, it had always been in this state.
When a small clattering of kitchen utensils echoed from the sink, Yang looked over to find one of the room's two owners glance up at her, Melanie Malachite. When she gave a friendly wave, she received nothing in return.
In the middle of cleaning some dishes, the older of the two twins had tied her long hair behind her with a scrunchy into a temporary messy ponytail. Off hours, her clothing was much more pedestrian and casual than what she would normal dress up in for her job at the club.
The black haired girl was donned in a simple white sleeveless top that was held up by noodle straps. A light blue skirt around her waist which held close to the back of her thighs. Not going anywhere, she didn't bother wearing shoes. Instead, she wore a pair of long white socks. Of course not heading into the club tonight, she was also barren of any of her extensive makeup.
Looking up from the porcelain sink, she gave her guest a short stare before going back to her remedial task. Her face not cracking into any form of emotion whatsoever. Both loathing and joy seemed far forbidden from her facial features.
A bit disheartened by the emotionless although expected greeting, the buxom youth turned away. Walking over to the couch, the blond plopped herself down in the middle with a slight huff. As she sat down, she leaned her arms on the back of the leather furniture behind her.
Looking forward with disinterest, Yang watched with little attentiveness of the current news program being played on the television. Neither of the twins seemed to be particularly interested in it either. Perhaps the pair simply enjoyed having it on as background noise.
With wandering eyes, the tall blond shifted her gaze out the window next to the television. Late at night, the passing cars lit up the cityscape. From an earlier visit, the student found that if she focused enough and squinted her eyes, she could see Junior's club.
Not very alert, the huntress-to-be failed to hear the soft set of footsteps approaching her from the left. Looking up, she found the younger of the two sisters place a glass of water for her on the table in front. Leaving it without a word, she began walking back where she came.
The barely younger of the twins was dressed with similar casualness as her sibling. On top was a red strapless tube top on her upper half which barred her midriff. A fading pair of jeans below. White socks poking out from the bottom of the pant legs. She as well devoid of any makeup or jewelry.
Smiling at the gesture, Yang happily accepted the drink. "Thanks Melanie. You're the best!" The blond praised aloud. Trying her best to lighten the mood.
Without looking back, the sister kept walking forward. "I'm Miltiades." The girl corrected, a noticeable and understandable amount of annoyance in her tone. However, from what Yang had come to know, she couldn't really tell if this was more or less than the usual disdain in her voice.
Embarrassed all the same, Yang took a small sip of the drink and glanced away. "Sorry." The teen mumbled but still loud enough for the other to hear.
The blond boxer had been visiting the two at least once a week for almost a month. And yet, she still had problems differentiating the two. The twins even had physical differences. It was a little humiliating. She was certain that if the two were lined up with identical hair and clothing, she would never be able to guess their identities correctly every time.
"Whatever." The petite short haired girl commented without any real change in tone, still walking off ahead.
Leaning back, the blond stared up at the ceiling. Her unfocused gaze gravitating toward a slow moving ceiling fan high above. This is what her Monday nights had come to as of recently.
Junior's club was open six days a week. This excluding special holidays of course. Tuesday through Sunday, that club would be open form dusk 'till dawn. This meaning that the only time off that the twins reliably had was on days like tonight.
Working in a club everyday, it made sense that the pair enjoyed staying in on their day off. This however never went with the eldest teen's nature. Yang just wasn't built to sit still. Not pleasantly at least. She would tap her foot, hum to pass the time, or wear a look of absolute misery as she fidgeted with whatever she could to pass the time. She often contemplated how the twins must have had the patients of saints to put up with her.
During one such period of a prior visit, the blond found herself snooping in one of the twins abandoned scrolls. Going into the contacts list, Yang was surprised to see so many names. This was quickly replaced with a different emotion when she had noticed almost every single contact had a title underneath. This varied from person to person. Positions such as boss, cook, manager, and DJ lined the phone. Every single person apart from one was someone from their job. The only exclusion, herself.
The normally active blond couldn't believe it when she came to that realization. She even found herself wondering about that hidden detail while back at Beacon and in her classes.
At one point, all sorts of possibilities started flooding into her head. The possibility that one of the siblings held all work contacts while the other held onto important personal ones, like family and dear friends was a prominent one.
There was a hole in this theory however, her. This unfortunate alternative would mean that she was so devalued in the Malachite twins eyes, that she was intentionally put on the work list out of sheer discontent. Somehow finding doubt with her reasoning, Yang dropped the idea from her head, at least for a time.
Perhaps this was one of the reasons the student found herself sneaking out to visit every Monday night without fail. When the thought of this being pity or concerning sympathy crossed her mind, it only lead to a passing headache as well as a partial sense of guilt.
Yang always found herself wondering how the twins actually saw her during these weekly visits. While never appearing particularly enthused at her comings, they never refused her at the door. After a while, they even started leaving it unlocked for her.
Whenever she would try helping out with whatever task the twins were busying themselves with, she would always be denied. Cleaning, cooking, or anything they were at the moment preoccupied with, she was turned away.
This of course would lead her back over to the couch. Where she would be left alone in her boredom and tedium. At which point, she was left alone to think, like she currently was right now.
Sitting up ever so slightly, the blond ran a single hand through her hair. Peeking forward, the cable box under the television blinked 10:35.
It wasn't uncommon for Yang to arrive late at night. While a little awkward at first, her stealthful trips in and out of Beacon had become habitual at this point. So long as she was able to make it to her motorcycle, she was home free. Waiting for her teammates to fall asleep was still the most difficult part.
It was a long day. The droll classes had dulled on more stagnantly than usual. Assignments just so happening to pile up all on one day, this one. Heavy traffic flooding in on her way into downtown didn't help either. While not showing it initially upon her arrival, the typically energetic girl was mentally exhausted. The thought of saying her goodbyes and leaving early crossing her mind more than once.
Leaning back she started looking up at the ceiling once more. Staring off at nothing in particular, the sounds of the flat started all melding together. The chatter from the television, the running water from the kitchen faucet, the passing cars from outside and quiet footsteps of the two twins all fading.
Her eyelids naturally heavying, the blond couldn't stop herself from shutting her gaze and drifting asleep.
… … …
When a moderately stronger breeze blew in from the night outside, Yang's eye groggily blinked back open. Sitting still for a minute, the blond allowed her body a moment to adjust to awaking from her unplanned slumber. Her neck stiff from the position she had been sleeping.
After a while, her eyes not adjusting quite as well as expected, the huntress-to-be came to the staggering realization that the lights were turned off.
Pushing her head forward, the blond squinted from the powerful glow of the television. averting the center of her gaze, she was able to barely read off the time of the cable box. 12:09. The iridescent hue of the same news station from earlier blinding her momentarily. Thankfully, it had at least been muted.
Grimacing to herself, the blond went to get up immediately. While attempting to, Yang found something had glued her stiff into her seat. Glancing beside her, she quickly found what was anchoring her down.
On her right, the older sister was cuddled up next to her. Leaning on the inside of her shoulder, Yang's arm had fallen over the sibling's and pulled her in tighter.
Looking over on her other side, she found the younger sister as well. Her left arm having slid forward off the couch, Miltiades clutched it close to her as she leaned on it similar to her sibling across from her. One hand laced inside hers.
Yang couldn't help but smile contently at the situation of the normally callous twins now so affectionately sandwitching her. Laying her head back to the position it was before, she let out a deep but silent sigh.
This wasn't the first time this had happened. One time before, the blond lost track of where she was and passed out on their couch. She could already predict that the same thing would happen again.
First, the twin's alarm would go off late in the morning. Echoing throughout the flat, it would eventually rattle her into a disgruntled wake. After seeing the time, she would literally shout her goodbyes as she sprint and vault out of the front door. Once making it to ground level, she would jump on her bike, slide on her helmet, then speed across town, blowing several traffic laws in the process. Finally, making it to campus, she would run up to her bedroom, change into her school uniform, and stumble in half late to class. Her teammates would question why she disappeared and while she'd be hard-pressed to come up with an excuse, she'd find a way.
Warmly settled in place, it would be difficult to rise up without disturbing at least one of the other two. The blond knowing full well that avoiding to do so would lead to the very situation she just laid out and recounted in her mind, and all the hassle that would surely come with it.
Oh well.
Smiling softly to herself, the young woman nestled back into place. Leaning over gently, she rested her head against the older sibling's. Letting her eyelids close, she allowed the comforting air of the two siblings lull her back to a tranquil rest. Their steady breaths and heartbeats rocking her to sleep.
She would have to apologize to Ruby sometime after returning to Beacon tomorrow. Without her realizing, it seemed that Yang Xiao Long had acquired two more younger sisters.
