[X] Clothes store. See what Atlesian fashion is like, maybe get herself a nice jacket. Maybe get Miltia something ridiculous as a gift.
As it turned out, basically every clothes store in Atlas was owned by the Schnee Dust Corporation. Or, well, at least, all the ones that Yang could find were. Man, the Schnee's really had thumbs in every pie, didn't they?
How did the SDC get so big, anyway? Yang didn't know the story behind that. Sure, she'd heard a few bits of information here and there, and she could piece some of it together. As far as she knew, the man who founded the Schnee Dust Corporation, who was probably a Schnee themselves, had also been a big player in getting Atlas as a Kingdom organised like it is today. Apparently had a lot of respect, and had stepped down from his position in the military to run the family business once he got too old for the job.
Yang was fairly sure she'd heard that story from an explanation on why the Atlesian law was that you couldn't own a major company like the Schnee Dust Corporation and also have a chance of getting into the really influential sectors of Atlas politics, but she wasn't entirely sure. Though, that would explain why Weiss was the heir if Winter looked older, so that was probably it.
Not that it really mattered. The reasoning behind it wasn't any of Yang's business. For all she knew, Winter just didn't want to own a company.
...Yang should probably talk to Winter at some point. She'd been the one to supervise Yang's trip outside the Kingdom all those months ago. Really, it felt like a lifetime ago at this point. Actually, she might have some insight to the silver eyes thing too, given how she was some kind of high ranked military person in a Kingdom where that was the kind of person who would have access to all the secret records.
...And Yang was back to thinking about that again.
She really needed to clear her mind better. If all thoughts eventually just led back to her current issue, she was never going to properly relax.
Clothes store. She'd been standing outside one for a while now.
Heading for the inside of the building, Yang took a moment to note how big the place was. Most clothes stores were big, but usually, Yang would expect a store of this size to be in a mall across the road from the food court, not just a place on the street across the road from a donut shop.
As she entered the room, she looked towards the checkout and noticed that, for once, she was at a store that didn't have an old man running it. Rather, there was a half dozen different desks with people standing at them, scanning clothes and collecting payment. Of various ages, Yang noted. Some teenagers, some older people.
Man, she felt like she'd be able to get lost in a place like this. Though, at the moment, there was hardly anyone inside it. There was three people purchasing their clothes, and there was a handful looking around.
Well, time to get some stuff.
Taking a moment to look at all the racks of clothing sorted around the area, Yang decided to have a look at the tourist section first. She was technically a tourist, after all, and a jacket to wear and show off as a souvenir would be pretty cool.
...And just for that, she needed to get one of the ice-themed jackets. Probably going to have to get one with the Schnee snowflake, though, all things considered.
Or maybe not, Yang mused, as she paused by a shelf of clothes including a motorcycle jacket and helmet.
...It was almost her birthday, and her father hadn't really been subtle about what he was planning on getting her. It'd be nice to have a spare helmet, and that design there was rather nice. Rather than the cliche of a flaming skull, it seemed to be designed in the image of a skull that had been frozen over. The jacket hanging beneath it fit the theme as well, with the decorative frozen ribcage and bones.
Yeah, she should totally get that.
Putting them in a bag and heading towards the changing room to see if they'd fit, Yang mused for a moment about how she'd nearly forgotten her birthday was soon.
...Well, forget nearly. As it was, her birthday would probably be happening before whatever One was planning went down. Yang hadn't even talked about it with anyone, and Two was going to end up missing it as it was.
Yang considered giving her a call, but it wasn't likely to go through in time. Communication outside the Kingdoms took a while, what with how bad the signal was. Unless One was carrying around some special new communication tower that made the talks instant...
...Actually, given how long she'd been planning this, Yang wouldn't be surprised if she hadn't tried to solve the issue of communication outside the Kingdom. If she did have one, there would have to have been a reason for it not being shared with everyone, if only for the fact that it was possible, but One was the sort of person who kept secrets for no good reason so Yang didn't discount the idea entirely.
But even if that was the case, it'd be at best just communication between One and whatever military contacts she had beyond Winter. No good for Yang. She was just going to have to tell Two when she got back and deal with the pouting then.
Zipping the jacket up over herself, Yang took a moment to muse about it.
Yeah, this was good. A bit big, but not too big. Big enough that she had growing room. She was definitely getting this.
Taking the jacket off again and putting it into a bag, Yang unlocked the door and left, going to look for more clothes.
She stopped, when she saw who was standing on the other side. The girl looked so much like another that for a moment, Yang almost mistook the two. But no, this girl was wearing white, not red.
This was Melanie, not Miltia.
She landed in front of Yang a moment later, a bloodthirsty grin on her face.
"Why didn't I do this sooner?" She asked, as she walked towards Yang. "Do you have any idea how amazing I feel right now?"
Yang felt her hand clenching into a fist, as she looked at the girl in white. Melanie looked up to her face.
"You're in my way." Melanie said bluntly, holding her own bag of clothes. "Move."
"Is that all you have to say?" Yang asked. "After what happened last time we met?"
"Have we met?" Melanie asked, tilting her head. "Blond bimbo's are a dime a dozen."
"You kicked me out of a building." Yang grunted. "Sound familiar?"
"Oh." Melanie replied. "That one."
Having remembered who Yang was, Melanie stepped around Yang and stepped into the changing room to try on her clothes.
...Jeez, what a bitch.
Yang took a moment to breath, and tried to think of something different.
Nope, not working.
Melanie can't even be bothered remembering Yang? After what she did? Yes, they'd only met once. Didn't change the fact that Melanie had tried to help Five evade pursuit by attacking Yang and trying to beat her down. If she was that uncaring, Yang could see why Miltia had gotten into an argument with her.
...Miltia hadn't been in the best condition after that, though. And Melanie had been hooked on Five's song at the time. Yang had mostly gotten over the role that the other people of Five's had played. She barely remembered Coco and Velvet fighting for Five, and Torchwick and Neo had helped sabotage Five after the fact, which meant that it was hard to remember at times that Neo was even the one who had made it possible for Five to make such a clean getaway with Ruby in the first place.
Didn't mean Yang liked her any better. But maybe she should calm down a bit. Melanie had been messed up by Five and Miltia clearly cared for her, if she was taking Melanie's actions after the fact so badly. Maybe she shouldn't hold it against her so much.
...Which would be a lot easier if Yang had any memories of Melanie other than of her being a bitch and of her being a psychopath.
Well, whatever. Yang didn't have any reason to stick around Melanie right now. Maybe if Miltia wanted to try and fix that bridge more, Yang could try beating her head on another brick wall and try to help the sisters out there, but for now, she wasn't even going to bother.
"You've been standing there a while."
Yang looked up, and Coco sighed as she got a look inside Yang's bag.
"Really?" She asked. "A motorcycle jacket?"
"I liked it." Yang replied defensively.
"People like all sorts of terrible things." Coco replied. "Velvet likes swimsuits that cover her entire body rather than just a bikini, for instance. It's my job to make sure you don't act on these foolish tastes."
"Why are you even here?" Yang asked, a bit confused.
"Why wouldn't I be here?" Coco asked. "One estimated how many days is absolutely safe for those still influenced before they start hitting minor signs of withdrawal, and this is my last day, so I'm making the best of it. Melanie and Velvet too, though Velvet's already leaving with those cute little carrot slippers I picked out."
"And I'm leaving too." Yang decided. "Excuse me, I've got to be going."
Coco sighed. "You'll learn one day, that you need my fashion tips. How else will you be able to look this fabulous?"
Yang looked at the sunglasses that Coco was wearing. "Are those just surgically attached to your face or something?"
"Not yet." Coco replied. "But if you must leave, then go ahead. You'll be back."
Frowning to herself, Yang walked away from the older girl, and headed towards the checkout.
...That was weird. She was weird.
Reaching the payment station, Yang noticed the other older girl who was previously from Beacon, Velvet, talking with an old lady at the checkout.
"That'll be twenty." She grunted, looking at the screen in front of her.
Velvet was reaching for her pocket, but stopped when she heard the pricing. "Twenty? The price tag said ten."
"I don't care what you say it said." The old woman replied. "Price is twenty, rabbit. Pay the price or get out of my store."
Closing her eyes, Velvet sighed, as she pulled a card out of her pocket. Moving to swipe it across the back of the computer on the desk, Velvet rubbed her forehead with one hand while the old lady suddenly reached out and caught the other one.
"What's that, then?" The old woman asked. "A Schnee card? Do you think I'm daft, girl?"
Velvet forced her hand to the side, swiping the card she was holding, and the old woman pulled the bag on the checkout over to her side before Velvet could take it.
"I don't see what the issue is." Velvet replied.
"Do you expect me to believe that a Faunus got her hands on one of those?" The checkout lady asked. "Pull the other one, fluff ears. It's got bells."
"Are you trying to imply this is stolen?" Velvet asked, her voice raising slightly.
"Don't get aggressive with me." The old lady replied defensively. "I'll go and get my manager if you're gonna try anything."
Velvet almost said something, but stopped herself, taking a moment to breath.
"This is my card." Velvet said simply. "It was given to me. I am currently staying with a friend who works with the Schnee family, and she organised for me to have this."
"Organised to have it stolen, you mean." The old lady snorted. "D'you even realise how often we get your kind trying to cheat some of out stock, girl?"
Yang had heard enough of that.
Stepping forward, Yang cleared her throat.
"Is there a problem here?" She asked, looking towards the two.
The old lady leaned back against the wall. "This hooligan's trying to cheat the establishment, young lady."
"I've done no such-"
"Raising her voice again!" The old lady reacted. "How is an honest worker supposed to feel safe when people like her can just walk in and do as they will?"
Velvet sighed, her ears drooping.
"...Can you explain the issue in more detail?" Yang asked, forcing herself to stay calm. Some people...
"She's clearly got a stolen card, miss." The girl replied. "Does she expect me to believe that the Schnee would hand stuff like this out to just anybody?"
"Do you have any proof it's stolen?" Yang asked.
"Look 'at her!" The old woman replied. "The Schnee ain't in the habit of handing out charity, and they weren't exactly pro-Faunus before the White Fang killed off the matriarch. Do you expect me to believe she's magically the exception?"
...This was going nowhere, and Yang was starting to get a headache. Maybe it'd be best to just settle this somehow.
[X] Just offer to pay for Velvet's stuff and leave it at that. The Schnee get the charge in the end and Velvet gets to go on her way.
[X] Coco and Melanie are here, they should have been with Velvet. Go get one of them to go confirm her story.
[X] Suggest getting in contact with the SDC and getting confirmation. It'd take a while, and Velvet would have to wait until then, but it'd prove she was telling the truth.