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She is sadly not a Solar with Bureaucracy charms. Which could help here a whole lot.
Miracles of Ancient Wonder [RWBY/Exalted]
- Thread starter Graveless
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- exalted (white wolf) rwby
Nora's riddle seems to be a take on a classic koan: "Not the wind, not the flag. The mind is moving."
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They already were a thing, just not a useful thing.
Thank you!
Yep!
Don't worry, Yang, hitting immaterial targets is totally something a martial arts style can do! All you need to do is develop a completely new martial arts style, teach it to a bunch of people, convince the world that it's not some kind of Anathema trick, and spread the style as widely as possible! Should be easy!
Probably still going to be sharply limited, since the demons probably won't be able to leave whatever protective circle they end up with to ward off those spirit-eating ghost-fly grimm.
Well, when Mars killed all Grimm around Beacon, that apparently included the immaterial ones. If they havent fully returned yet, it might be possible for a demon to move around a little bit, or fight back agains the bugs. Ofcourse it seems that what Goodwitch wants most right now, is information. Ofcourse not sure how much a first circle demon could actually say? Weiss could in theory learn to summon a second circle, but that would likely be a bad idea.
Though is it not true that only exalts can bind demons? So no matter what, Goodwitch is not going to be able to bind one. Or has that been changed in 3E?
There's no mention of it in the 3e core, but IIRC there was no mention of it in the 2e core either. It was in one of the later sorcery books.
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OR she could find an existing one that can hit spirits, and help spread it. And since it will have some history, t would seem more legitiment.
One that already exists in Remnant, even though they don't know that immaterial spirits are a thing that exists? I mean, if such a style exists and Yang can identify it, sure, but that's asking a bit much of the universe, isn't it? Plus, even if there is a style that can hit spirits, it obviously doesn't locate spirits, so it really only solves half the problem.
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Well, we have no shortage of canonical styles that can hurt immaterial creatures. We know MA's are a thing on Remnant, why not Righteous Devil Style? Why not Immaculate MA's? VBS and Throne Shadow are both wonderful at killing spirits, though unlikely to be out there. MA's that can hurt spirits do exist, and we have no reason to believe they aren't somewhere on Remnant. Actually finding Spirits could be harder...but Pyrrha seems to be almost there with her new sensing trick. I would expect others may be able to find ways to sense them a well. And is one person can sense them, they can direct others to hit them. A handfull of powerful MA charms can also locate spirits, but those are quite rare. TSS has one I believe.
The issue is identifying which styles can hurt spirits. Luckily, Yang has something that might help her do so: Tialeth. As a first age Dawn, she likely has a fairly wide knowledge of MA's, and you likely know if a style has the ability to harm spirits. Especially if she focused on MA's like Yang does. Ruby is also capable of observing an MA charm with Telltale Symphony and making a role to analyze it's effects, which would include effecting spirits. Yang could get Essence Dissecting stare too to do it...but not her thing. They have ways of getting there with a little cleverness.
FullNothingness
Mostly DHMO.
Uhm... What happens when Pyrrha does find ethereal grimm through her technique? Because that sounds like the sort of thing that could involve screaming.
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Screaming, telling Weiss, scream a bit more, tell Coco, form some sort of screaming Acapella group?
Its also worth noting that the dematerialized bug grimm are apparently everywhere, and in vast amounts. We saw it with Ruby, when she gained the ability to see them. And we saw it here with Yang, when she demonstrated their existence to Blake. Beacon is full of them, and so is the city Yang and Blake are in. Seems likely that their purpose might be to make sure demons and maybe weaker gods(?) cannot build in sufficient numbers to pose a threat.
This would also likely mean that MA styles or sorcery spells that might somehow expose spirits and make them visible like Yangs flames do either don't exist, or are very rare. If they were commonly known, the fact that there are incorporeal grimm bugs all over the place would presumably be a known factor. I mean Ruby was able to notice the grimm characteristics of the bugs pretty quickly, and yet Goodwitch (who would presumably have been informed even if it was top-secret) has no idea what might kill the demons so quickly.
The big mind-influencing grimm are apparently rarer. Ruby never saw one. Could be there are less of them, and they might only target strong (and thus potentially dangerous) hunters. Also a good way for Salem to make sure any exalts the critters find don't get big enough to be a threat. Send an invisible grimm to drive them mad with UMI. Even if the exalt resists, eventually limit buildup will screw the exalt over, and help make sure the exalt dies fast, while also strenghtening the anathema sentiment, and thus making it less likely that people would work with them.
Are those not beyond non-exalts? Throne Shadow is SMA and VBS and Righteous Devil are CMA. Or did 3E change that too?
If the goal was the find a MA style that could be taught to hunters, then it would presumably have to be a TMA style that hurts spirits, exists in remant and does not have insane skill requirements. If you need CMA+ styles, you need exalts anyway, in which case might be easier to try and get charms to see spirits. Ruby has one, Blake and Weiss could easily get one, and while Yang would need two from Cecelyne, neither are particularly "evil", so its certainly possible.
Yang is freaking out because she thinks that detecting and killing the invisible mind-control grimms is something only exalts can do effectively. If the mind-controller grimms are more numberous, she may well be right.
This would also likely mean that MA styles or sorcery spells that might somehow expose spirits and make them visible like Yangs flames do either don't exist, or are very rare. If they were commonly known, the fact that there are incorporeal grimm bugs all over the place would presumably be a known factor. I mean Ruby was able to notice the grimm characteristics of the bugs pretty quickly, and yet Goodwitch (who would presumably have been informed even if it was top-secret) has no idea what might kill the demons so quickly.
The big mind-influencing grimm are apparently rarer. Ruby never saw one. Could be there are less of them, and they might only target strong (and thus potentially dangerous) hunters. Also a good way for Salem to make sure any exalts the critters find don't get big enough to be a threat. Send an invisible grimm to drive them mad with UMI. Even if the exalt resists, eventually limit buildup will screw the exalt over, and help make sure the exalt dies fast, while also strenghtening the anathema sentiment, and thus making it less likely that people would work with them.
Are those not beyond non-exalts? Throne Shadow is SMA and VBS and Righteous Devil are CMA. Or did 3E change that too?
If the goal was the find a MA style that could be taught to hunters, then it would presumably have to be a TMA style that hurts spirits, exists in remant and does not have insane skill requirements. If you need CMA+ styles, you need exalts anyway, in which case might be easier to try and get charms to see spirits. Ruby has one, Blake and Weiss could easily get one, and while Yang would need two from Cecelyne, neither are particularly "evil", so its certainly possible.
Yang is freaking out because she thinks that detecting and killing the invisible mind-control grimms is something only exalts can do effectively. If the mind-controller grimms are more numberous, she may well be right.
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MA charms that detect the immaterial are rare as fuck. First thing that comes to mind is FSH's Adept gesture allowing contact with Elementals. Crane Style can detect threats from Immaterial creatures as well. I think Air Dragon may have a charm to do so as well. Hungry Ghost definitely does, but I would be suspicious of any practitioner. Though the style as a whole is well suited for fighting the immaterial. The issue is that these charms don't grant...conventional sensory info. The Hungry Ghost charm for example is different for every user. People may well have noticed the bug Grimm before...and simply had no one believe them, thinking they'd gone insane, describing phantom monsters no-one could see or touch. We know the truth, but Remnant as a whole seems entirely ignorant of the Immaterial.
Edit: A few of the Immaculate MA's have charms that can strike Immaterial targets( Wood and Earth), but none to detect. My mistake.
It did. Graveless seems to be using 3e MAs, which remove the circles for some other...suspect...mechanics. SMA's are their own thing. And Throne Shadow was never an SMA, it was a Celestial Style that was also innate to Sids, along with VBS. Somehow.
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A fair bit, assuming they get the right type of demon.
Like many things, I'm using a combo of 2e and 3e, taking whichever aspects I like most from both. The idea that Celestial Exalts get more out of the same Martial Arts that the Dragon Blooded use makes a ton of sense and also improves on the nature of martial arts in the setting to me.
However, as shown by Mars, Sidereal Martial Arts still exist and they're outright beyond the others, requiring a certain amount of metaphysical potency to even attempt.
Pity, then, that they don't know anything at all about demons, leaving them summoning at random.
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Even summoning at random, the first time they get one that talks, say an Erymanthoi, that one can point them to the cleverest ones. I will note that most demons are reasonably intelligent, and so could point them in the right direction. An Agatae or Stomach Bottle Bug would be a problem, but most anything else would do. Their chances are good, but it will take effort.
Now, this could backfire, because the ones most capable of informing them are often the best manipulators, but that's how demons roll, so...
FullNothingness
Mostly DHMO.
She has a book... It probably has some basic options listed.
Do we know the Demons are actually dying and not dematerializing and floating away? Goodwitch isn't an exalt so she lacks the surrender oaths to make the demons obey her, and likely can't see the immaterial.
The demon Yang fought might be one of the ones Goodwitch summoned.
The demon Yang fought might be one of the ones Goodwitch summoned.
Ruby saw one of them getting eaten by Grimbugs, IIRC.
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We are sure that any summoned demons are killed basically immediately by the bugs. and Yang killed a Grimm.
Book 2 Chapter 2.3
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Miracles of Ancient Wonder Book Two: Remnant
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Chapter 2.3
~~~
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Chapter 2.3
~~~
She stepped into the ballroom, heels clicking against the marble. Spotlights followed her, turning on as she approached the center of the room. A solitary singer was waiting for her there, her own gown of silver glittering as she swayed from side to side. Her back was turned as the song played.
She sang a slow, sorrowful song about a girl locked within a cage of her own design. It crested as she tried to withdraw and build it up even more, only to end before anything about her life resolved.
"Hello, Yang." The singer turned toward her, more dolled up than Yang had ever seen her.
"Hey, Weiss." Yang stepped up and wrapped her arms around her. It had been months.
"Yang," Weiss kissed her lightly. "Just so you know, this is a dream."
"What're you talking about?" Yang squeezed her harder. "If this was a dream you wouldn't be wearing that much dress and the music would be way different."
Weiss rolled her eyes, "You're asleep, I sent you a dream so that we could speak."
Yang glanced back and forth. The music had started up again. It was a… classical piece that she was sure she'd heard somewhere before. All of the couples surrounding them stepped toward each other and started to dance.
"Come on. "Weiss held a hand to the side, clearly waiting for Yang to grab it.
"I don't know how to dance like this." Yang didn't.
"Sure you do, this is a dream after all." Weiss smiled at her, earrings glittering in the light.
"Don't blame me when I catch your toes." Yang took her hand and started moving.
It was easy to catch the beat. One... two... three… two, two, three, three, two, three, four, two, three: Yang tapped the beat in her mind as the dance began.
She started with a slow turn, keeping Weiss close as they rotated around in place. A second rotation brought a smile to her face as her feet moved on their own and they stepped to the outside of the floor, following behind the others.
Yang stepped and spun, twirling Weiss like a fairy princess. Again and again they glided across the floor, slipping past their friends as they moved. Yang could make out all of them there. Jaune and Pyrrha, Ren and Nora, Pyrrha and… some girl Yang didn't know…
"Wait a minute." Yang snapped her head back and forth. There were two Noras… And now that she was paying attention, two Rens... along with three Pyrrhas.
"It's a dream, anything is possible." Weiss nodded her head to the corner where Ruby was dancing with… her scythe… and somehow managed to be spun around by it.
"Right, but-" Yang twirled Weiss again, interrupting the spin with a hand on her lower back. "Why this?"
Weiss smiled and the action froze, the colors began fading to grey. They were alone. "There's going to be a dance at Beacon soon; I thought that you would've wanted to go."
"I mean… yeah, but I don't think this is the sort of dancing you'd see there." Yang shook her head. "For one, there's no way Ruby'd be able to do that in heels… or even without them."
"Probably not, but I thought that you'd never had a chance to dance like that before." Weiss sat down, a chair materializing from thin air behind her. As she leaned forward, a table appeared as well. The music and dancers finished, fading away and leaving only the silver table behind. Moments later a chair for Yang appeared.
Yang kicked the chair out and sat on it backwards, her dress shifting into her hunter outfit. "So, what else is there? You wouldn't do all of this just to dance with me."
Weiss let her head fall slightly, face changing from the softly smiling mask to utter exhaustion. "Do you have any idea how long it's been since I did anything remotely resembling fun? Months, literal months of nothing, but work."
"Weiss…" Yang held a hand towards her.
In an instant, the mask was back up. "I didn't send you this message to make you sad, even if having both you and Blake around would make me feel better. I sent it to give you an experience you wouldn't otherwise have and warn you."
"What's going on?" If something was getting to Weiss, of all people, that much, it had to be big.
"I'm not sure how much you've paid attention to the news. Frankly, I wouldn't blame you for ignoring it completely, but there have been a lot of changes thanks to Ruby." Weiss folded her hands in front of her, eyes shining as the mist behind her shifted. "The most significant of them is that the Atlas military was called in to help Vale with their Anathema problem while Vale's Hunters are incapable of fighting."
Yang slowly nodded, stomach falling to the ground. She knew Atlas was around, she'd been attacked by them often enough, and that Hunters all around Vale were cursed in some way, but not that Ruby was the cause. Though… as soon as Weiss said that, it made sense. Who else would be able to pull something like that off? But… "But… Ruby wouldn't do something like that."
"Wouldn't you if it meant helping her?"
"Of course I would!" Yang pounded on the table. "But, I'm a bad person. Ruby isn't."
"And Ruby wanted to make sure they didn't kill you."
Yang didn't really know what to say to that.
"She's being hunted by everyone because of how much she cares." The symbols of the kingdoms appeared behind Weiss, slowly rotating. "She hasn't been caught due to what I have to assume is a stroke of luck."
"That's… good." She didn't know what else she could say.
"Which brings me to the reason I'm sending you everything right now." The image changed to a map of the region they were in. Ruby's symbol appeared on it, trailing behind Yang's own. "I've been tracking Ruby as best I can. While I don't know how far away she is right now, she's close."
Yang gulped. She… what the hell was she going to say to Ruby.
"Yang, there's something very important that I need you to do until she finds you."
She nodded.
"Keep yourself under control and do not, under any circumstances, get your body taken over by Tialeth." Weiss' voice was ice. "I don't know how Ruby's changed since she left, but I can't imagine her reacting well to you losing control of your body. That is, quite literally, one of the most common theories about the nature of the Anathema."
"Shouldn't be too hard." It wasn't like she wanted to lose control of her body like that and it hadn't even happened since she learned how to do first aid. "Anything else?"
"Please keep yourself as safe as possible." Weiss reached across the table and grabbed Yang's hand. "I know it may be hard to believe, but there are more people at Beacon who care about you than just me and we're trying to make it possible for both you and Blake to come back."
"I- I never dreamed that…"
"I know. I didn't either, but that's Ruby's influence for you."
"What do you mean?"
"It will make more sense in person, when I can actually answer complicated questions."
Yang sat still for a moment. "But... you've been answering mine-"
"Yang." Weiss cut her off. "This conversation is a dream. I'm not going to know anything you're thinking right now."
"I… But… But I'm saying things." If this was all Weiss guessing how she'd react, that'd be really creepy.
"I created this dream for you. It isn't a two-way method of communication." Weiss conjured a computer screen. "Think of it as a video email where I hired an actor to play your part and then inserted your consciousness in her body via sympathetic connections."
Yep, really, really creepy and… "Sympa-what?"
"I had to make a message for you and then forge a connection between it and your soul so it would be delivered."
"How?"
"I burned one of your socks." Weiss smirked. "That was the fuel for the spell and your ownership of it hadn't faded."
"Jerk." Yang made a face… or, Weiss made her make a face… Even if it was exactly the face she would make in this situation. "Now you need to send me another to make it even."
"Oh, I'm planning to. There's a lot more that I need to let you and Blake know."
"You sent Blake one?"
"Of course."
"What was it?"
"You'll need to ask her, but"- Weiss snapped and the mist behind her started moving -"let's do something fun before you wake up."
A race track appeared, Bumblebee's engine purring underneath Yang. Weiss was on a similar bike… which didn't actually resemble any motorcycle Yang was familiar with. But, if this was all Weiss, then maybe she just made something cool.
"Ready?" Weiss smiled at her.
Yang revved her engine.
The racing lights started counting down.
Red… Yellow… Green…
Yang-
-slammed face first into the ground.
She pushed herself back up, flipping to her feet with her fists raised at… her bed… that she'd just fallen out of.... Missing out on what would probably have been an awesome race and… Was the shower running?
"Blake?" She called out, stepping into the bathroom. Her partner was showering, without any mist.
"Yang?" Blake gasped.
"What're you…" Yang stuck her hand under the water, ice cold. "Why?"
"I need to not be... distracted while we're shopping."
"Did… did you just have a weird dream directed by Weiss too?"
Blake slowly nodded, cheeks bright red.
"Ohh, what did she do?" Yang smiled and chuckled.
"N-Nothing."
"That's not a nothing face."
"She… Told me some of what's happening and…"
"And?"
"And then she recreated the opening scene from one of my books…"
"Ohhh," Yang rubbed her hands together. "Which one?"
"I'm not telling you." Blake mumbled through her teeth.
"The Ninja one?"
"No!" Blake shouted, cheeks flaring. "There was just kissing!"
Yang nodded, smiling as smugly as she could.
"Can we please stop talking about this?" Blake's ears were all the way down.
"I dunno, I kinda feel left out now. I didn't get a sexy dream."
"Yang."
"Okay, okay.." Yang stepped back and grabbed her brush. She needed to take baby steps with Blake's level of comfort. "Did she tell you anything we need to do before the dinner?"
"Not really. I'd be able to handle it, but…" Blake shrugged. "Coming out to Carmen comes first. Ruby probably won't find us tonight, so we can figure out what to say to her afterward."
"Yeah." Yang nodded, brushing her hair. What could they even say to her? 'We haven't been trying to hurt people? We know about a big scary Grimm thing? There's a Grimm cult we're hunting?' All of those sounded ridiculous.
They needed to do this right, with both Carmen and Ruby.
~~~
"Hey, hey, you need to try this." Yang bumped into Blake and forced a glass of wine into her hands. Somehow, she hadn't stained the fancy red dress she rented. "It's amazing!"
Blake rolled her eyes, but took the glass. After swirling it around a couple of times, people always did that in movies even though she didn't know why, she took a sip… and barely resisted the urge to grimace.
"Good, right?" Yang's eyes were so bright they were almost on fire.
"It's.. something?" Blake choked the overly… bitter? … sour? … She really wasn't sure what to describe it as except that it left her feeling like she needed to drink two glasses of water.
"You don't like it?" Yang pouted.
"It's…" Blake quickly downed the rest of the glass, resisting the urge to cough. "It's tolerable."
Yang sighed. "And here I thought it was super sweet and delicious."
"Yang, you…" Blake really didn't know what to say to that. "What type of wine was it?"
"I don't know what Mistral wine names mean." Yang looked at her glass. "A dryish red?"
Blake sighed. "I'll find something else to drink."
She turned back to the dance floor as she made her way to the far end of the warehouse where the bar was set up. The happy couple had been dancing out there since the reception started. So had Carmen. She and her husband had been the second couple on the floor, only stopping to grab water.
Blake smiled at them. It was nice to be around such happy people, even if it made her own plans more difficult. Carmen, as the one who officiated the wedding, had been so busy that Blake hadn't managed to get a word in.
When she finally reached the bar, it was covered in full wine glasses.
"Not your thing?" The bartender must've noticed her grimacing.
"Not really. It's too..." Blake shrugged. Even after going out with Yang many times, she had no idea how to describe alcohol. "Do you have anything… smoother? Is that the right word?"
"Got a favorite flavor?"
"Uhh… Chocolate? Cream… Both?" Blake grabbed one of the glasses of water and swirled the taste of the wine away.
"Coming right up." He pulled out a few bottles, spinning them as he poured something.
Blake drank the entire glass, glaring at the wind.
The bartender chuckled. "It's an acquired taste, unlike this beauty."
Blake sipped the milky brown drink. It was chocolate flavored with a hint of almond. "Much better."
"You're here with the redheaded goat Faunus, right?" He nodded toward Yang, who'd managed to get herself into a drinking contest with a man literally twice her current size.
"Yeah."
"Watch out for her. She's on her tenth that I've seen… eleventh now."
Blake didn't need to worry about that small of an amount. "Thanks you letting me know. I'll-"
The sound of shattering glass cut her off.
The room went silent. Blake slowly turned to the source of the crash.
A man had fallen, bringing a table down with him. He slowly lifted it off of himself, chest covered in tomato sauce.
After a few moments, someone started laughing. Then the rest joined in. Blake couldn't help laughing herself, though a smile crept in when Carmen broke away from the dance to help him.
Blake focused on her ears.
"Don't you worry. I have an extras in the back." Carmen pulled the man up, whispering to him.
Blake started following behind her as she lead him away. She pulsed a thought to Yang. 'Carmen's going into the back. Coming to grab you.'
'Okay.' Yang was in the middle of chugging a bottle of wine when Blake arrived.
She tapped her partner on the shoulder. "Come on. You've had enough."
Yang held up a finger, finishing off the bottle as quickly as she could.
"Come now. Let the girl have her fun. It is..." The man took an exaggerated drink, smiling in a way that sent shivers down Blake's spine. "A good day to drink."
"We're going." Blake looped her arm through Yang's and pulled her away.
"Aww, okay." Yang tossed the bottle onto a table and pointed at the man. "I'll be back to beat you later."
"I'll be waiting."
A moment later, Blake growled. "Yang, what was that?"
"Dude saw how much I could drink and challenged me to a drinking contest."
"And you said yes."
"Yep."
Blake took a deep breath and sighed. "Let's just get this over with."
"Don't worry, your plan is great."
Blake smiled and listened. She could make out exactly where Carmen was from the awkward laughter. The man had his new shirt and Carmen was urging him to hurry back to the party.
"Hey." Yang waved as they stepped into the room. "Carmen, can we… talk to you for a bit?"
"Of course." Carmen smiled, waving the man off. "Do you want to sit?"
"I think that would be for the best." Blake nodded, closing the door behind her. She focused on the sounds outside. They were alone.
Carmen pulled a pair of folding chair out for them. "What do you want to talk about?"
"We're…" Blake started, not able to meet her eyes. "Not exactly who we said we were."
Carmen nodded, smiling softly.
"You aren't surprised?" Yang sat down, staring at the wall.
"Girls, the two of you appeared seemingly from nowhere, having traveled through the wilderness, with more money than many people see in a month." Carmen kept smiling. "I had you pegged for either wealthy runaways or criminals from the first night."
She was… technically not wrong. Blake had stolen a lot over the past few months. "Why weren't you worried?"
Carmen took a deep breath. "Because many of the Silver Lady's followers come from such a life. I would say that more than half of us have run afoul of the law at some point."
It wasn't a lie, but it wasn't the truth either.
"Gotcha." Yang still couldn't meet Carmen's eyes.
Blake grabbed her partner's hand and squeezed.
"I imagine that something serious must have happened if you're coming to me now," Carmen said softly, with a bit of stress on the final word.
"Yeah, something big has happened and we need your help." Yang squeezed back, now looking at her lap. "We came to this city because we were trying to track someone down."
"And you think I might know them?"
Yang paused for a moment. "Yeah… His name's Tyrian and he's a member of the… He's called 'the Speaker of Darkness'."
"I've heard of a Tyrian, but not that title."
"They're… a creepy Grimm cult that wanted me to help them destroy Vale." Yang clenched her free fist. "So… I took out the group I found and, well, kinda of want to find the rest of them to put a stop to whatever they're doing."
"That sounds awfully dangerous."
Yang waved the warning off. "We'll be fine. Just let me know where to find him."
"I cannot in good conscience do that."
"Why not?"
"While I had thought the two of you may be Academy dropouts, someone threatening Vale isn't a matter that you should be playing around with, " Carmen raised her voice slightly.
"What?"
"That's for the Guilds or Vale's Hunters as a whole to handle. Not two girls who are far too young for such a risk. Any information that you can give them would be-"
"We'll. Be. Fine." Yang finally looked at Carmen. "I've already killed like twenty of them."
"Yang." Blake cut Carmen off. "I think there's something you should explain."
Carmen frowned at them.
"Okay… So… yeah, there is." Yang rubbed the side of her neck. "There's really no problem with any of that because I'm… actually… Yang Xiao-Long."
The frown turned into the glare.
"You know, like, the new goddess tha-"
"Don't make jokes like that," Carmen snapped.
"I-" Yang froze. "Why would I joke about that? Why would anyone joke about that?"
"There are many people who seek power above all else and will take any amount they can, even if it is just duping a young girl," Carmen said so bitterly it made Blake finch.
"But… Who in their right mind would pretend to be Anathema? That's… stupid and..." Yang rubbed her temples. After taking a deep breath, she got back to normal. "Anyway, I'm not lying."
"Then I hope you'll forgive me if I ask for proof." Carmen folded her hands on her lap, fingers so tense her knuckles whitened. Blake listened for the real meaning. 'Please, be real. I've been disappointed so many times.'
"Umm…" Yang held a hand out and ignited it with green flames. "Poof."
Carmen squinted, not able to look directly at the flames. "That could easily be your Semblance."
"Uhh… help?" Yang awkwardly grinned at Blake.
Blake tapped her partner's forehead.
"But then I'll have to sit back here for an hour." Yang whined. Blake gave her a cold stare. "Okay fine."
After another breath, swords of green fire erupted on Yang's brow. "Believe me no-"
Carmen dropped to one knee. "I'm sorry that I doubted you, my Lady, but… You must understand, we've been lied to so many times."
"Uhh…" Yang looked like a deer caught in headlights. "You… you don't… It's no problem, I just… Can you tell me who he is now?"
"Of course." Carmen bowed her head again. "I'll introduce you to Violet immediately. She's the one who knows of him."
"Thanks?" Yang half smiled. "Just, stop bowing please."
Blake squeezed her hand. All of a suddenly very aware of how warm Yang was. Was it the fire?
Carmen began standing up, then went back down. "My Lady, if I may ask a boon of you."
"Sure, if you stop calling me that. It's just Yang."
"I'm sorry, that's too irreverent."
"Uhh-" Yang made a couple of noises, sending her thoughts to Blake. 'Help me make her stop!'
'Umm… Give her a title that makes her closer to you?' Blake shrugged. She couldn't think of anything good to say. It was really a question for someone like Weiss. 'Like High Priestess or something? Then it'd be less improper?'
'I… I really don't think that's a good idea and I don't know why.' Yang groaned. "Okay, what's the favor?"
"Iris and Grey"- the bride and groom -"are both very devout followers of Lady Luna and were some of the first to ask about including yourself in our regular ceremonies."
"Okay."
"It would mean the world to them if you were to bless their marriage."
"Uhh… Isn't the ceremony over? You married them an hour ago."
"Does that matter?" Carmen raised her head.
"I don't know?" Yang looked at Blake again. "Does it?"
Blake shrugged. "It's your cult."
"I-" Yang stammered. "Can we keep it quiet? Like, just the five of us?"
"You don't wish for everyone to know?" Carmen asked very slowly. "It would bring a lot of happiness to their lives."
"I don't… not yet." Yang shouted at Blake mentally. 'Help!'
After a moment, Blake coughed to draw attention. "If everyone knew, it's more likely that someone would let the secret slip to a Hunter."
Carmen nodded. "Of course. I understand, Lady Blake."
Blake shuddered. Being called that did feel really weird.
"I'll… Figure out how to get them here without revealing too much." Carmen stood up, bowing her head to each of them in turn.
As soon as she left, Yang grabbed the straps on Blake's dress and pulled her close. "What am I going to do now?"
"Be god like?" Blake grinned, trying to hold herself together. The room had gotten really hot, probably thanks to Yang's fire.
"But I don't know…" Yang squinted at her. "Are you alright?"
Blake fanned herself, trying to keep her eyes from drifting down. Yang's dress was really nice looking. "Just, really warm."
"Sorry, I figured fire would make it more obvious."
Blake shrugged, sitting down. "Can you bless people? Ruby could, right?"
"I… don't kn-" Yang looked up. "Shut up you stupid demon!"
"Yang?"
"It wanted me to brand them like Adam."
Blake shivered again. "Please don't."
"Of course not! I-" Yang cut herself off, looking back towards the main room. "Someone's Aura just did something."
Blake took a deep breath and focused on her hearing. "That's so gross!" A little kid said as people were gasped.
An older man awkwardly chuckled, "I think you've had a little too much."
"No, I'm," the man slurred. "I'ma grood."
"I think someone got too drunk and threw up."
"Urgh…"
She could also hear three sets of footsteps coming towards them. Blake wiped the sweat off of her forehead. "You ready? It's showtime."
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FullNothingness
Mostly DHMO.
I have the feeling things are likely to get complicated fast here.
Typo.
Typo.
kinigget
Best Demon
- Location
- People's Republic of Portland
I can't decide whether to laugh or facepalm
still, the relentlessly positive reinforcement has to be a good thing right?
she can't stay convinced that she's evil and everything she does is evil by default when so many people see her as their savior right?
Honestly, there's going to have to come a point where she gets it through her thick, self-loathing skull that she's actually helping people
still, the relentlessly positive reinforcement has to be a good thing right?
she can't stay convinced that she's evil and everything she does is evil by default when so many people see her as their savior right?
Honestly, there's going to have to come a point where she gets it through her thick, self-loathing skull that she's actually helping people
- Location
- NOVA
Now would I do something like that
?Thanks!
She's been tumbling towards a shift in thought since the beginning of the arc.
Book 2 Chapter 2.4
- Location
- NOVA
Miracles of Ancient Wonder Book Two: Remnant
~
Chapter 2.4
~~~
~
Chapter 2.4
~~~
Yang's heart pounded in her chest as the doorknob rattled. This was it, there was no going back now. She was going to really have a group of people worshiping her and… telling them to do things. It was only these three, but she couldn't pretend that it was just going to end here.
She needed to do it right, keep the wedding happy, make the impression that she wanted to, and… and how did she even want them to treat her? She was their goddess… sort of. But, what did that even mean? Did she need to do something else for them? A bunch of people worshiped the Sun back in Patch and he didn't seem to do anything for them.
The door slowly opened, revealing Carmen, Iris, and Grey.
The happy couple was a little plain, dark green haired and brown eyed, but they were absolutely adorable in their matching cerulean gown and robes. The hems were lined with silver with yellow-green accents that she really didn't want to spend too much time thinking about. The color was something that Yang didn't really get, but she didn't really need to. It was their wedding, they should wear whatever they wanted to.
They also had a weird energy surrounding them. It had built up through the ceremony, but didn't seem to be doing anything. Now that Yang was closer, she could feel it. It was… calming and heavy. There was a gravity to it that felt like it mattered, even if Yang didn't know why.
Iris stepped forward first, bowing her head. "M-My Lady?"
That was it, the moment of truth. She needed to be serious, dignified, god-like.
"Yo." Yang waved. "Yang Xiao-Long. What's up?"
All three of them stared at her, gaping.
Nailed it.
"I- My…" Carmen took a deep breath. "Lady-"
Yang frowned, but didn't interrupt.
"-Yang, please. Decorum is important, especially for a ceremony like this."
"Hmm." Yang glanced at Blake, who was still kinda flushed. When her partner nodded, Yang sighed. "Okay, yeah. You have a point. This is an important ceremony and making it feel right matters."
Carmen bowed her head. "Thank you, Lady Yang."
Yang couldn't help shivering. Carmen had to be at least ten years older than her. She shouldn't be so… respectful. Not, that wasn't the right word... Deferential? That was better. No one should be counting on a teenage Anathema to make important decisions.
"Alright." Yang smiled and stepped towards them, clapping her hands on their shoulders. "So… let's get this marriage blessing thing going."
Carman briefly flickered to a frown, but she didn't say anything.
'You're doing that on purpose.' Blake's voice echoed in the back of her head while all three hesitated again. Lips trembling while they tried to find the right thing to say.
'I might be.' If Yang was going to have a cult, it damned well wasn't going to be so stupidly formal all of the time. If it took her being forcibly casual for that to sink in… She could deal with the awkwardness.
'It's a... really important moment. You should take what you're doing seriously.' Blake's thoughts were a little delayed.
'I am! That's why…' Yang paused. How would Weiss or Blake explain her feelings? 'That's why making the tone what I want it to be is important.'
After a long moment without anyone saying anything, Blake prodded her again. 'You might want to suggest something.'
Carmen, Iris, and Grey were moving very slightly, mouths quivering as if each was waiting for their chance to speak.
"So, what're you thinking?" Yang nodded to Grey.
"I-" He met her eyes briefly, then bowed his head. "I had thought that we might make out oaths again… with your blessing this time."
Which was the exact idea that Carmen suggested. Yang barely resisted the urge to run her fingers through her hair. It felt wrong to do that, for some reason. "I'm pretty sure vows don't work like that; you already made them."
He paused, furrowing his brow in thought. "A lot of couples will renew their vows at some point, usually for really important things, why not now?"
"This is an important event," Blake said. 'I think it'd be great.'
'Traitor.' Yang couldn't exactly disagree with her though… and yet.
She promised Weiss she wouldn't risk anything, but… if she wanted to make something nice happen she might have to. Yang focused on the memories that weren't her own, searching for weddings. Tialeth had performed several, was present for many more. "I think… there's something... better that we can do."
Carmen and Blake both raised an eyebrow.
"It's something you need an Anathema for." She lied, sending a message to Blake. 'Just trust me, okay?'
She held out a hand and focused her Aura. A brilliant green flame flared in her palm, its own power surrounding the calm energy. "This is probably the best way I can-"
When both Iris and Grey flinched, Yang focused on them with her other senses. Neither had an Awakened Aura. There were also even more people using their Auras on the dance floor, but they were also getting drunk enough that they'd be stumbling or bumping into each other a little too hard.
"Okay, so… Sorry about that. I didn't realize you two didn't have active Auras… Hmm…" She needed to do something… magical and god-like as part of the ritual. There was something which always happened, it started with a speech like what Carmen gave during the ceremony, then a lot of dancing, and then a priest did some magic. She didn't have all of the ritual items, but raw power should work. "Give me a moment. I think I know what we need to do."
Yang walked over to a nearly broken foldup chair in the corner, rapping it with her knuckles and igniting it. There was something she'd figured out when building the towers that might be useful. As the chair burned up, the ashes rose, swirling around her. They bunched together, becoming pinpricks of perfect blackness that smoldered with green-yellow flames.
"Someone hit the lights." Yang collected the bits of darkness around her hand.
Carmen flipped the lightswitch, leaving Yang illuminated by the glowing flames. She let them move outward, lighting up the room like tiny fireflies. "There we go. That's a lot nicer."
Everyone's eyes followed the lights while they circled… as far around the couple as Yang could manage. They kept coming back to her, no matter how much she tried to push them around someone else.
"They're… beautiful." Iris gasped, raising a finger to touch one.
"Oww!" She yelped, recoiling when she got too close.
"Yeah, they're still really hot." Yang chuckled, making her hair spark with flames briefly. "So, are the two of you ready?"
Both nodded, hands clasped. Blake and Carmen backed away, sitting on the remaining chairs.
"Alrighty then." Yang took a deep breath. She could do this. She'd been to… a bunch of weddings and sort of knew what to say. "Iris and Grey, when you two were first joined in marriage… er… an hour or so ago, you probably weren't expecting any of this."
Yang held her arms wide, letting the flames spin faster. They both took slow breaths, eyes sparkling.
"You promised to love and honor each other and I'm pretty sure I saw a lot of love on that dance floor." Yang paused, pushing down her nervous energy. This was the part that was important to not screw up. "And so, as one who wields the power of the heavens I will… register your union into the divine… manuscript? And also bless it so it will be… fruitful."
No!!
Yang could feel Blake's disapproving glare. She focused, pushing it and the demon from her mind.The energy surrounding them wasn't moving right, so she pulled her own in closer and forced it to condense. It strained against her, but its resistance shattered before a fraction of her might.
'Better.'
The demon's approval made her shudder. "Are you ready for your vows?"Both nodded.
Yang snapped, lighting her index finger on fire. She drew a symbol that she'd seen in the memories of weddings, leaving a trail of fire behind. It was… a circle with a cross coming out of the bottom, the symbol of one of the gods. Yang didn't really know which one, but considering that no one seemed weirded out, she probably got it right.
"Grey, will you declare Iris as your wife. To be bound together in this harmonious union?"
"I do."
"Iris, will you declare Grey as your husband. To be bound together in this harmonious union?"
"I do."
With a wave of her hand, she sent the symbol forward. When it was directly between them, she clenched her fist and focused. The serene energy flowing between the couple had strengthened, but it was not yet bound to them.
Yang pulled the wisps of fire closer, infusing the calming energy with her own heat and forcing it to compress. Again and again she squeezed it, shaping it, molding it, forging it into the blessing that she half-remembered thanks to an ancient Anathema whether it wanted to take that shape or not.
With a flare of hellish light, her will was made manifest and a bond of serenity was tied between the couple.
Yang took a deep breath, wiping the sweat from her forehead. "And bam, your marriage is blessed with… blessed."
Yang averted her eyes from the kiss, glancing at Blake. Her partner had slumped over, her own eyes flickering open and closed.
'Blake!' Yang mentally shouted.
Blake lurched, suddenly sitting straight. 'What?!'
'Are you okay?'
It took until the kiss finished for her to reply. 'I… I don't think so.'
Yang stepped over to her, helping Blake up. Her hands were cold, clammy. 'What's wrong?'
'My head's… fuzzy.'
'That's not-' Her thought was cut off by a scream of horror coming from outside.
'What-'
'Someone just fell and...' Blake cut off Yang's next thought. 'Someone else came in.'
Yang focused on the dance floor, there was a very powerful Aura moving around it. Strong enough that it could've been one of their teachers at Beacon.
Carmen stood up, eyes going to the door.
"Wait." Yang held her arm out, still looking at Blake. "Is anyone saying anything?"
Blake closed her eyes again, brow furrowing in concentration. "Someone's looking for us." 'And there's blood.'
Yang turned to Carmen, Grey, and Iris. "Stay here."
"Lady Yang." Carmen spoke softly, stepping back. "Didn't you want to remain hidden?"
"I'm not sure I have that option now."
~~~
Blake grabbed her weapon with trembling fingers. It was like her belly was both so empty it didn't exist and so full that if she sat down she'd throw up.
"Are you up for this? Yang placed a hand on her shoulder, steadying her.
"Not going to let you do this alone." Blake mumbled, focusing her Aura into her body. Her muscles surged with unnatural power.
"Thanks…" Yang let go. Blake barely managed to avoid stumbling. Through focusing her Aura, she regained her balance. "Gonna be able to fight?"
"They won't even see me." Blake brushed her hand against Yang's. They hadn't fought a Hunter in a long time and this one sounded obsessed with them. "Are you ready?"
"Yeah…" Yang sighed. "I liked this city."
"I did too." They might be able to re-disguise themselves, but the city would be swarming with people looking for them. "But, there's always somewhere else we can go."
"Mmh, maybe we can go back to Vale." Yang clenched her fist, as they approached the door to the main area.
"Maybe." Blake took another breath, pushing the bile in the back of her throat down.
Yang opened the doors and stepped through. Blake stepped into her shadow.
The dance floor looked more like a slaughter house. The happy dancers were either on the floor or huddles in corners. Masked men and women stood above them with rifles. Their black and red robes were marked with an eye, just like the cult that she and Yang took out.
Many of the fallen people had blood dripping from their mouths. They were still alive, but their breathing was shallow, sporadic.
In the center of it all was a man Blake had seen walking around the city before, a scorpion Faunus in a brown long coat and hair that matched it. He was smiling just like Adam had before a fight and had enough scars on his bare chest that Blake knew he wouldn't go down easily.
"Ahh, welcome, welcome. I was so hoping you would join us. "The man giggled and clapped, manic yellow eyes looking right at Yang.
"What is this? What're you-" Yang stopped, looking at the ceiling and glaring. Blake couldn't make out anything up there.
The man shook his head and paced. "Now, now, I wouldn't have taken you for someone so slow. What is happening should be obvious."
"So enlighten me," Yang growled.
The man giggled and smiled again, tapping the tips of his fingers together. "Tell me, did you enjoy the festivities?"
Yang hesitated. "What?"
He picked up a bottle of the awful wine. "Did you, perhaps, hehehe, partake in the wine?"
Everything about his laugh made Blake shiver.
Yang narrowed her eyes, kicking a fallen bottle. "Yeah, why?"
The man licked his lips. "Well… what did you think of it?"
"It was…" Yang paused. "Really good?"
"What?" The man's smile broke. He looked from the bottle, then back to Yang. "You drank from one of these bottles?"
He poured a glass of the reddish-purple wine hat Blake hated. "This is what you drank?"
"Yes?" Yang cringed, grabbing a glass from a table. After smelling it, she nodded. "Yeah, that's it."
"Huh…" The man pursed his lips, looking at the the glass. "Well… Are you feeling… different? A little… under the weather maybe?"
"What's in that?" Yang asked very slowly, putting her glass down and edging away.
"Hmm… Well then…" He frowned, watching Yang. "That's… very odd."
"What are you talking about?" Yang shouted, hair flaring with light. "You're killing people and… distracting me."
"Ahh, yes." The man laughed, smiling again. "You see, it's much easier to kill an Anathema after they've been weakened and surrounded by… those who they wouldn't want to accidentally harm."
Yang glared at him.
"You wouldn't want anything to happen to your precious cult, now would you?"
"What did you do to them?"
"I did nothing." The man gestured toward one of the cultists. They dragged the bartender out.
"You see, I've been trying to find you for quite some time, without much luck. Imagine my surprise when you appeared from nowhere, lighting a roof on fire, and fleeing a great brawl. The blow you blocked would have killed a normal girl."
"How did you know that was me?"
"Hmm…" He looked up, thinking in a ridiculously exaggerated manner. "I think I'll leave that as a secret for now. As for finding you, well, once I knew who took look for it was simple."
The man leaned on the bartender's shoulder. The bartender tried to shy away, keeping as much of a distance as he could. "I've know our dear friend here for quite some time and he isn't quite the upstanding fellow that everyone thought he was. Why, a simple reminder of an old debt meant he would do anything for me, even add some very special mixtures to his drinks."
Blake listened for the mean meaning behind his words. He'd forced the bartender to poison them.
She should've known something was wrong when Yang liked it almost as much as those stupid berries.
'Yang, he-'
'I know… I'm an idiot for not noticing.'
'You couldn't have known that someone would do that.'
"So, what is this?" Yang stomped forward and deployed her gauntlets. "You'll kill all of these people just to get to me?"
"All of these people?" He looked almost offended. "My dear girl, I would kill far, far more in order to ensure that you were one of them. You have done us a grave injury that must be repaid… Now..."
He held a hand up to his ear, as if he was waiting to hear something. Blake focused on her senses, but couldn't make anything besides normal nighttime city sounds.
"What are-" Yang was interrupted by him holding up a finger.
"Hmm… Any moment now…" He frowned at the door. "Where are they?"
"Let me guess, you were waiting for backup?"
"In a sense…" The man sighed so hard he almost fell over. "They were supposed to be here by now, but I guess I'll need to send the command myself."
His eyes flashed with yellow light. Yang's eyes went wide right before she snapped a punch straight up, firing a shell toward the ceiling. It burned with green flames, leaving a trail of ignited bugs behind. It punched straight through the metal plating above them and caused something to scream like nails running down a chalk board.
Blake shuddered as Yang fired a second green bolt, only stopping after it exploded, killing whatever was up there.
"So, you can feel them. It's such a shame that you rejected our kind offers."
"What the hell are you?" Yang exploded with flames, destroying the bugs flying around her. "You felt like a goddamned Grimm."
"Hehehehehe…" He started cackling softly, before breaking into an incredibly loud laugh. "Ahh, you can feel my blessings as well. Oh what glorious carnage we could have wrought."
Yang fired a bolt at him, he smoothly slipped under it. "Who are you?"
"Why, my dear girl, my name is Tyrian." His bowed, eyes flashing again. "And I'm afraid you must-"
Blake didn't give him the chance to finish, exploding from the shadows in the blink of an eye. Her blade was shrouded in deadly energy as it cut into his thigh. But the strike was sloppy thanks to her still spasming muscles; it didn't cleanly slice through his Aura.
He was launched away, landing on his feet with a gash in his coat where her blade hit.
Tyrian was smiling and giggling. "Oh, both of you are after all. How delightful."
'We need to capture him.' Blake pulsed the thought to Yang as she got ready for another strike. Her fingers were still trembling and her legs burning from the short burst of movement.
Her partner stepped up next to her, sparing a glance at the fallen members of her cult. 'I really want to kill him right now.'
'You can do that after-'
Blake glanced up as the city's Grimm sirens blared.
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