"Alright, got your spare clothes?"
"Yes, dad."
"Got your weapon?"
"Dad..."
"Oh, and you still have the cash card, right?"
"Dad!"
"Yes?'
"It's okay. We'll be fine." Yang, Tai, and Blake were standing out on the pier in Vale. A strong, cool, salty breeze blew in from the ocean as Tai publicly triple checked his oldest daughter's readiness. Around them, a squall of people moved around them like the ocean's own waves.
"Right... you're a big girl now, I know. But, it's my job to worry about this," Tai continued, running a hand through his hair. "You sure you've got everything you need? Menagerie's a bit of a hop, skip, and a jump."
"Dad," Yang said, putting her arm on his shoulder. "It's. Okay. Alright?"
"Alright, alright," Tai took a deep breath and grabbed Yang into a hug. "I know it's weird, but it's just... well, with you being the oldest, you're my first baby. It's hard to let that go."
"Aww."
"Blake, you're not helping!"
"Hey." Tai pulled back from his embrace and looked Yang straight in the eyes. "I know I'm a pain in the ass, and that you can take care of yourself, it's just..." Tai blinked a tear from his eyes. "Write, or something, okay? I know the comms are jacked right now. Just, try to keep me up to date, occasionally. Alright?"
With a sigh, Yang pulled her father in for one last, one-armed hug. "Yeah, yeah... now I know where Ruby gets her puppy dog eyes from. Don't worry, old man, I'll keep you in the loop."
"Trust me, she doesn't get them from me," Tai told her with a wistful smile as he pulled away. "Alright! Your boat's set to take off in an hour, so you'd both better get a move on. And Blake?"
"Yes?" Blake gave him just the slightest of bows as she responded.
"Try to keep her out of trouble, okay?" Tai gave her a playful wink.
"I'll do my best, sir," Blake said with a faint smile as she again gave him a slight bow of affirmation.
"Alright, girls, get a move-on, then! Don't wanna be late for your big trip. I gotta go have a chat with Qrow, he said he's got some 'big business' he needs to chat with me about, and I've been putting him off all day." With that, Tai waved the two young ladies goodbye as they stood in front of the docking platform to the S.S. Andiamo. Yang gave Blake a short look as they took a moment.
"What?" Blake asked innocently.
"Aww?" Yang asked in a mocking tone with a raised eyebrow.
"It was cute," Blake insisted. "He came across the world to see his daughters when he heard everything went down, and he cares a lot about both of you. It's... admirable..." she said, looking down at her feet as she finished, ears flattened to her head.
"Hey, we're a team, right?" Yang asked as she leaned into Blake with her bad arm. "We're sticking together, thick and thin."
"Yeah. Yeah, just..." Blake sniffled as she tried to compose herself.
"Aww, c'mon, Blake. We're good," Yang affirmed to her as she reached around with her good arm and gave the faunus a quick embrace. "Just... you know, don't-"
"Right." Blake broke from the embrace and gave her teammate a confident nod. "C'mon, we should get ourselves set up."
"Hmm... where the hell is Sun, anyways? He said he was gonna see us off," Yang wondered as they marched to the wharf to present their tickets, each dragging a small suitcase behind them.
"It's Sun," Blake shrugged. "Who knows what he's up to? He's easier to distract than Zwei."
"Well, his loss."
"Top deck, aft side, miss." The older, grayed man taking their tickets pointed out to them.
"Right... yup... aft... aft..." Yang swiveled her head around as they passed onto the deck. "Aft..."
"It means the back of the boat, Yang."
"Well yeah, I mean, obviously, I was just trying to figure the fastest way to get there."
"You mean like just following the deck until we're at the back of the ship?"
"Well, I guess that works, sure."
"Have you ever actually been sailing before, Yang?" Blake asked as they strolled past a mother goat faunus trying to console an infant in her arms.
"Kinda. Me and Ruby tried to make a canoe once back home. Wasn't really our most successful venture. But, we did make it off the shore before we realized it had a hole in it, so yes, I have technically been on a boat before."
"Well, hopefully this is a better experience," Blake said as she ran her hand along the edge of a doorframe as they pulled to a stop. "Cabin twenty six, here we are. Home away from home." Blake swung the door open and they were greeted by a modest affair. There was a single, full size mattress, adorned by a pair of pillows and thin sheets; as well, there was one small, cube-like chair and a miniature coffee table. The walls were covered in a cheap, but clearly cared for wallpaper with light blue, tropical flowers.
"Huh, cozy." Yang stomped on in, dragging her suitcase, slit it against the wall and flopped onto the bed.
"Could be worse," Blake said with some caution as she followed in, closing the door behind her. "Guess we're sharing," she said with a hint of a frown.
"Jeez, don't sound so disappointed!" Yang grabbed her teammate by the wrist and pulled her down onto the mattress with her.
"Now who's the one getting frisky? You've been at arm's length since you put on that show for Weiss."
"Oh come on that was hardly a show. Besides, my dad's been around since then, and I didn't need another talk like that first one. Actually," Yang turned her head over to Blake and gave her a nuzzle into her neck. "We haven't talked about your parents. How're we gonna handle that?" At the mention, Blake visibly stiffened up. "Hmm?" Yang pulled her gaze up to Blake's. "A little awkward too, huh?" Blake sighed and gazed into the ceiling.
"Where to start?"
"Well, just pick a spot, and I'll listen. I mean, if you want."
"Now's as good a time as any, and you deserve some explanations." Blake took a deep breath and started in. "I ran away from home four years ago. I-"
"You ran away from home at fourteen?" Yang asked with an incredulous tone.
"I thought you were going to listen?" Blake turned her head over and gave Yang a reproachful look.
"Right, right, go on..."
"I ran away from home at fourteen. It's not like I had a bad home or anything, my parents are... my parents are... well I guess you'll see them soon enough. They loved me. But, we had some disagreements. Dad especially was always trying to put out fires, keep the faunus from going into full scale revolt. Him and mom wanted things to progress between faunus and humans without violence. But, every week, someone would come into port, just escaped from a dust mine, or run out of their homes by a mob. And I didn't want to wait. It just felt like nothing was happening, so... one day I just signed up with the white fang and left. Grabbed a bag, a spare set of clothes, and gambol shroud and left without saying a word."
"I wanted to be part of something. I think it's something we've got in common, actually," Blake ran a finger along Yang's cheek. "Can't stand sitting around, while bad things happen to people. Adam's group, especially... we did some good things, Yang. We helped a lot of faunus." She looked at her girlfriend with pleading eyes, asking for understanding. "We also did some things that... weren't great. That didn't really help faunus, just hurt humans. That's where I realized something wasn't right. It stopped being about setting faunus workers free from slavery conditions, or helping a shopkeeper who was being bullied. It was more about sending messages, about sabotaging and attacking. That's when I decided I didn't want anything else to do with Adam. So, I did the thing I do best, and ran. Ran off to Beacon, and got everyone there-"
"Eyyyno-" Yang moved herself around to free her left arm, which had been lying underneath her and held up a finger. "I'm interrupting again. No more guilt trips over Beacon, okay? There's a whole lot going on more than just that nutjob looking for you. He's just a tiny man, a cog in some machine." Blake swallowed.
"Okay. Well, beyond all that, I'm an only child, going back to her parents after running away with no more notice than a note left on the fridge so she could go be a part of a terrorist group. Oh, and if they still don't just kick me off the island for that, I'm trying to figure out how to explain that I've decided to start dating a human girl, which is several levels of declaring 'you may not be getting grandkids'".
"Alright, so you wanna play things chill when we get there?"
"If that's okay? Look it's not like I'm ashamed or anything I swear it's-"
"Hey, I get it. We were just talking about trying to keep things on the lowdown in front of my dad, and I know he means well, even if he's a pain in the ass."
"Thanks, Yang." A deep air horn sounded from outside, indicating departure.
"Hey, I've been stuck in a sad hospital room for way too long now," Yang hopped up, changing the subject. "And it's preeeetty nice out. Wanna go get some sunshine out on the deck? I saw they had some chairs set up."
"That sounds nice," Blake accepted Yang's offered hand and pulled herself up. "Let me just grab something to read while we're out."
FIRE. SMOKE. Yang coughed as an acrid, burning sensation filled her lungs. It was so dark, but Yang could feel where she was. She was here again. She darted forward, dodging around pieces of falling timber that she could feel and hear, but not see. Where was she? Where had Blake gotten to? They had to get out of here! She came to a stop as she pulled through a doorway and saw him. His red hair seemed to glare through the darkness at her, his white mask shining in contrast to it.
"Come to try your hand again?" He asked her with a cocky tone. "It's okay; you can try as many times as you want, and we'll just get the same result," he continued, flicking his sword out its sheath with his thumb.
"Where's Blake?" Yang demanded as her eyes flooded into a deep red.
He shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine. My kitty is an elusive one, isn't she? But, I'll find her and put her back into her place."
"Raaaaaaaagh!" Yang lunged at him in a rage, firing a blast from Ember Celica as she fell down to his position. She connected! She'd never landed a blow before. A sickening crack could be heard as his head twisted unnaturally to the side at a ninety degree angle.
"Heh, not bad, for a human."
"What?" With a flash, his head snapped back in place and his sword seemed to teleport as he brought it upwards from its scabbard, straight through her right arm... her right arm?! Yang watched it fall to the darkness, practically in slow motion as he circled her in an instant, and struck through her left at the same spot. Yang dropped to her knees as pain washed over her. All she could feel was agony...fire... and suddenly a cool, copper pool as she collapsed into what she knew was her own blood.
"Sorry, bitch, but she's mine," Adam Taurus hissed as he leaned down to her face. He drew his katana along the side of her face, eliciting a small trickle of blood. "She's mine, and no human is going to do anything about that."
"YANG!"
"Blake?" Yang called out weakly for her. She could hear Blake calling for her, but from where? She couldn't even see anything, other than the flames, and Adam...
"YANG!"
"I..."
"No, you're nothing," Adam spat at her. "Just a waste of life. NOW DIE!" Yang could feel his sword ready to slice at her neck, waiting...
"YANG!"
"Uwaah!" Yang tumbled out their bed, hitting the floor with a solid thud. Right... she was on the ship... with Blake. She was-
"Yang, are you alright?" It was dark, but she could see Blake's eyes glowing in the darkness at her from the other side of the bed. Right, Blake didn't have any issues with the dark. Yang hit the light switch and a faint light overtook the cabin. Their small mattress looked like a bear had been scavenging through it; the headboard had a splintered hole in it, and the sheets had been tossed aside in every direction.
"I'm fine..." Yang ran a hand through her hair and breathed a sigh of frustration. "I need some air." With that, Yang flipped open the door and stomped out.
"Every time. Every FUCKING time!" She thought to herself as she stumped over to the railing. Moonlight gleamed down on her and she could hear gentle waves against the ship's hull down below. It was so peaceful here. The contrast was almost too much. Yang almost jumped out of her pajamas as a pair of arms circled her from behind and she felt Blake rest her head on the back of her shoulder.
"You kicked me out of the bed," Blake said with a faint bit of humor. "Wanna talk?"
"What'd you see in him?" Yang asked bitterly. "What was so goddamn great about him?" She pulled away and rested against the rail, glaring daggers at Blake.
"You mean-"
"YES I MEAN ADAM!"
"You ever been called a freak, Yang?" Blake shot back. "What about Ruby? Or your dad, are they freaks?"
Yang had the decency to move her glare off, looking up at the full moon, her breathing still heavy as adrenaline pumped through her system. "...No, but-"
"But what, Yang? Hmm? You've never had anyone look at you like a sub-person because of shit like this!" Yang nearly jumped back over the railing as she felt five pricking sensations drawing a line as Blake drew her hand along Yang's left arm. Yang swung her glance back to Blake, who stood now almost directly face to face with her.
"Wait, you have-"
"Yes, Yang! I have funny ears and retractable claws and like tuna way too much, so obviously I'm just an animal!" Blake practically screamed into her face. "You wanna know why Adam can get so many followers? What's so great about him? Because humans don't understand us. When you spend your whole life wondering why humans treat you and everyone like you like sub-humans, and trying to be peaceful about it isn't working, what's left? Adam's a monster, but he's passionate and energetic. He has big ideas. When nothing else is left, what are people supposed to turn to?"
"Blake... you know you're not a freak to me, right?" Yang asked weakly as she felt the adrenaline finally abandoning her. "It's just... this is the fifth time that I've been reliving that night in my dreams. And every time, I can feel it, losing my arm again and again, and sometimes it's even worse, I..." Yang listlessly settled onto Blake's shoulder.
"I'm sorry. I know I'm just an ignorant idiot. Maybe I'll never understand. But, I want to understand. Help me, please..."
Blake sighed and gripped her teammate around the shoulder. "I'm sorry, too. It's just frustrating. I know you're trying, and I'm trying to be more open. It's hard when there's not a lot you've done to be proud of. Why do you think I can't stop feeling guilty over the attack? A lot of good, decent people died or got hurt... but mostly you got hurt, trying to defend me, against my own past. How am I supposed to feel about that?"
"You shouldn't feel bad about it, because it's my fault. I'm the one that messed up. I didn't even get a hit on him."
"...It's going to be a while before we're really over Beacon, isn't it?" Blake whispered in fear, gripping Yang tighter. "I did some bad things with the White Fang, but nothing's like this."
"Well, we could try doing it... together?" Yang offered, pulling her head back. "I'm sorry I snapped about Adam. I know you're past him... can you-"
"I- it's okay, Yang. You should be mad about him. I'm mad about him. And I can't even imagine reliving that..." Blake stroked her hand down Yang's maimed arm. "I'd say you should've told me sooner, but I guess that'd make me a hypocrite," she said sadly.
"I hate it. I hate feeling so weak. And now I'm just... fucked," Yang gave her bad arm a pathetic wiggle. "I'm stuck like this, how am I supposed to fight like this? Sun even got my other half of Ember Celica back and I can't even use her right anymore."
"Hey," Blake leaned and gave Yang a short, tender kiss. "You- we'll figure something out. When we get to Kuo Kuana, we'll do some sparring. Get some of that tension worked out of your system. Does that sound good?"
"Yeah... yeah. Hey, until then, maybe work out some of that tension in our cabin?" Blake smiled as her teammate showed off her trademark smirk.
"Down, girl. Maybe if you behave tomorrow."
"Hey, I was-"
"Ewww, Mommy, they kissed!" Blake and Yang froze up and slowly turned their heads down the deck. A small, scale covered boy with shining eyes was peeking out from behind a corner at them.
"Sterling, there you are!" A young faunus woman with short, brown hair, dark scales, and similarly shining eyes came behind him, scooping the lad up in her arms. "I'm so sorry, he's so adventurous that I-" the woman stopped herself as she looked upon the two with hesitation. "Yes, as I said, my apologies, let's go, Sterling." She turned her back curtly and walked briskly with the child in tow.
"...I guess we made a bit of a racket, huh," Yang said flatly.
"Yeah, let's go back," Blake sighed and shook her head.
"Uh, is it 'cuz I'm human?" Yang asked as she followed along behind Blake. "Or is it the whole 'gay' thing?"
"Some faunus are... very insistent on keeping bloodlines going," Blake said carefully as she opened the door. "Not as many of us around anymore, so, yeah, it's sorta frowned on to be going out with someone the same gender. Not that most people will say anything about it. Of course it could just be good, old fashioned racism."
"Well, fuck'em, then. But, I guess that's why you wanna play things low key when we get to your parents?"
"I don't think they'll have any issues with you being human," Blake considered as she sat back down on their mattress. "More just the 'whole gay thing'. Maybe", she added with finger quotes.
"Alright, well, we'll deal with that when we get there. I'm wiped, let's try this aga-. Wow, I jacked this thing up!" Yang inspected the hole she'd made earlier in the headboard. Blake frowned, seeming to consider a comment as she crawled into bed with Yang, flipping off the light.
"Guess I'll just have to hold on extra tight this time," she said with an exaggerated faux sigh, latching her arms around Yang's midsection and nuzzling into her neck. "So my brute of a partner doesn't destroy the whole cabin next time."
"Blake?"
"Yeah?" Blake pulled up and Yang was awed once again at how her eyes could seem like beacons in the dark.
"I know I'm really bad at saying this stuff, and maybe I seem ungrateful sometimes, but thanks. For letting me come along. And uh, be with you."
"I'm just happy you let me back in. For someone whose schtick is getting mad, you're pretty forgiving."
"Nah. Only to the people who're special to me."
"...Special?"
"In a funny way, it was you leaving that made me realize it. Sitting in that hospital with nowhere to go, when I couldn't fight anything or even just go run. It was like having this razor blade carve through me, not having you there. I was so damn mad, but at some point I realized I was only so mad because I loved you that much in the first place."
"...Thanks, Yang. I-I love you too."
Yang closed her eyes and smirked. "I know. Nighty night, Blake."
"You know, I'm glad we got all that stuff off our chests." It was the next morning, and Yang was picking out a couple of lawn chairs that had been unfolded for the guests on the aft deck. "I mean, I get it... I think," she continued as she plopped down to enjoy the sun, wearing a light tank, shorts, and a pair of cheap, substitute sunglasses Tai had bought before they left. "We're pretty jacked up, but at least we know it, right?"
"I guess... that's comforting?" Blake said as she sat down on the chair next to Yang with her copy of The Man With Six Souls.
"I'm just saying, now we can just look ahead. Sure, we might be messed up, but now we can-"
"Well jeez, I could've told you guys you were messed up."
"Fucking seriously?" Yang and Blake both slowly turned their heads to the left as a familiar, golden-haired faunus boy swaggered up, wearing only a pair of athletic shorts and sandals, and plopped himself on the chair to Yang's left with a gratified sigh before sipping a colorful, unknown drink.
"Sun, what're you even doing here?" Blake asked.
"Hey, I said back in Vale, if you wanted to go back to your home, I'd smuggle you onto a ship myself if I had to."
"But we have tickets, you dingus."
"Well yeah, that just made the job easier since I only had to work on getting myself onboard."
"Wait, how'd you even get on? Do you have a room? And, seriously, are you stalking us or something?" Yang ran off a list of questions.
"Okay, in order; a) a magician never reveals his secrets, b) Yes, and c) C'mon, you think I don't have better things to do than stalk you guys?"
"Evidently not, seeing as you're kinda actually stalking us."
"Well okay actually I don't have anything earth shattering to do, but hey, I figured I've never been to Menagerie, might be cool to see what a place that's mostly faunus is like. And c'mon, it'll be fun!"
"Sun, what're you even going to do when we get there?" Sun shrugged.
"I'll figure something out. Planning's not really my thing."
"We know," both girls deadpanned simultaneously.
"Well, whatever. C'mon, I won't butt in too much; Sun Wukong knows when the third wheel needs to buzz off."
"Third wh- wait how do you?" Blake struggled for her words for a moment.
"Well, you guys weren't exactly subtle last night. Pretty sure half the boat knows you're a thing by now."
"So you are stalking us!"
"No, seriously. I was sleeping when your screaming woke me up. That is, the screaming you did outside the cabin," he added with a wink.
"Gods, you're worse than my dad," Yang groaned. "Okay, ground rules, buster - from now on, we're keeping things on the down low, got it?" She gave him an emphatic point of her finger. "And if you fuck around with the teasing too much, I'm not going to guarantee I don't throw you overboard. Capiche?"
"Alright, alright," Sun held his hands up in surrender. "But, uh, hey, it's okay in my book. Just saying, I got your backs. If you don't mind having me tag along on occasion."
"Fine. Just tone down the smartass a bit and holy shit you really are like my dad. Gross."
"Shame I didn't get to hang out with him more, then. Sounds like a pretty amazing guy," Sun said with a grin as he kicked his sandals off and stretched his legs out.
"Alright, quiet time, you two," Blake admonished them as she flipped her book open.
"You heard the lady, monkey boy." Yang said, kicking back her chair.
"Yes, ma'ams..." Sun said quietly to himself, taking a sip from his drink.
A/N:
Story notes - Blake having claws is obviously non-cannon. In my defense; first, there's genetic precedence, and second, I always had wished the Faunus would be slightly more bestial. Just being a person with funny ears always felt uncompelling as a basis for widespread discrimination, so there will likely be more emphasis in this story on some of the physical disparities that make said racism seem a bit more believable.
Music o' the day: Isunova, by ES Posthumus.