[ Yang's sudden shift in body language isn't hard to miss, but Jaune can't begin to guess any specific reasons for it. Maybe she had an unpleasant confrontation with Cinder in the vault? The woman does have a way of leaving a haunting impression on people.
He'll never forget how powerless she made him feel, after all. ]
She's driven if nothing else...
[ Yang's answer doesn't give him any peace of mind, but he's been living with paranoia for a while now that he thinks he prefers it rather than being caught with his guard down someday. ]
When Ruby disarmed her at Haven, I tried to end her with my blade. I've been wondering for a while if that was the right thing to do, if I should've given her a chance to surrender. ... That time has passed.
[ If Cinder will not accept anything other than total victory, then he knows what he must do. If she's still out there, then there may come a time when Cinder dies on her knees, a fitting end for someone who took Pyrrha in the same way, but Jaune won't have any pleasure in it. His heart may be broken but it's not cold just yet... he won't let it get to that. ]
Maybe you should head back.
[ He feels so useless. He had hoped he would come up with something helpful to say if Yang agreed to go for a walk, but the words just aren't coming to him. There's nothing he can say to make any of this better. He knows someone who can, though, and she's back at the house. ]
[Yang's expression has shifted to something unreadable as she listens. She looks as if she's regarding him very carefully, before giving a small thoughtful huff of breath.]
Jaune. [Pausing in her steps and moving to stand in front of him, she places a hand on his shoulder, her tone warm as she says with a gentle smile.] Don't tell me what to do.
[It's a half-hearted attempt at some levity. She's not at all insulted or bothered, but she's also not about to go home and leave Jaune to deal with his own thoughts alone when they're both so obviously in the same depressing boat. It's true, Yang does have someone back at the house who could possibly make her feel better about this whole thing, but she didn't agree to this walk with the idea she'd come out of it feeling 100% better about everything.
Letting go of his shoulder, she starts walking again, tone still soft.]
What I meant was...I don't think Cinder is the kind of person who'd just give up and walk away. Not with the Relic right there.
[Yang pauses again and looks over at him with a sad smile on her face.]
My mom is really good at killing people too. We both know that.
[Yang doesn't hold herself accountable for any of the horrible things Raven has done, but they still horrify her. An entire peaceful village wiped off the map. No doubt just one of many. There's no coming back from something like that. Raven has killed...so many people...even people who trusted her...]
And...given the chance...I don't think Raven would have hesitated to kill her too. Definitely not if she'd double-crossed her.
[Yang never saw the fight itself but it wasn't impossible for her to put two and two together. Vernal dead, debris everywhere, and no Cinder. There was only one obvious outcome.]
So...hopefully none of us will have to make that choice with Cinder now.
[It's not the most comforting thought, if only because Cinder's far from the only enemy they have that won't stop until they're all dead, but it's...something?]
[ So that's how it is... maybe he has been worrying about nothing all along. ]
I guess your mom's pretty driven, too.
[ He smiles a little, appreciating that Yang isn't willing to let herself be pushed away, but she's also trying to make him feel better. It's not easy, considering the cards they've been dealt with, but she's doing her best and he won't let that go unnoticed.
There's not much else they can do about it for now, but if she's willing to still stick around with him, then he thinks he knows what they can do for the time being. ]
Y'know, I was gonna pick up a couple of milkshakes for the house, but... I only got so many hands, heh. Mind if I borrow yours?
[ a beat ]
I'll bring it back.
[ A joke, of course. What he's really asking is if she'd like to come along and help him in this endeavour. ]
[Yang can't help the derisive snort that escapes her.]
That's one word for it.
[He can just say Raven's an asshole, she's not gonna disagree with him.
Her expression softens again however at the mention of milkshakes, before it shifts into a mock pout, her left hand settling at her waist as her mechanical right one holds up a finger to interrupt.]
Nnnnope~ No way! Sorry Jaune. [She folds both her arms in a faux huff.] Me and this arm are a package deal.
[She's barely hiding her grin at this point, knowing exactly what he was really asking.]
Ahh, well, far be it from me to "tell you what to do"...
[ He says it with a grin that matches hers, obviously pleased with this outcome. Maybe going for a walk wasn't such a bad idea after all, and when they return, the mood back in the house might even feel a little lighter again. Milkshakes won't solve all of their problems, but it will do for now as they figure out what to do next in the near future. ]
[Her expression warms, the grin she'd just barely containing settling into a bright smile.]
Anytime.
[There's gratitude in her tone as well, an unspoken, "Thank you as well". She's maybe only witnessed a small tip of the iceberg when it comes to what Jaune does, not just for his own team, but for Ruby and Weiss: Encouraging them, bolstering them when they're down, even playing the fool just to get a laugh. But what she has seen him do for the people she cares about means more to her than anything and she knows he's tried to do the same for her which is...admittedly still something she has more practice giving than receiving. But still appreciated all the same.
Milkshakes definitely can't solve all of their problems, but all of them working together and supporting each other? Maybe, just maybe, that'll be enough.]
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branchandroot
(no subject)
Date: 2019-01-22 11:54 am (UTC)He'll never forget how powerless she made him feel, after all. ]
She's driven if nothing else...
[ Yang's answer doesn't give him any peace of mind, but he's been living with paranoia for a while now that he thinks he prefers it rather than being caught with his guard down someday. ]
When Ruby disarmed her at Haven, I tried to end her with my blade. I've been wondering for a while if that was the right thing to do, if I should've given her a chance to surrender. ... That time has passed.
[ If Cinder will not accept anything other than total victory, then he knows what he must do. If she's still out there, then there may come a time when Cinder dies on her knees, a fitting end for someone who took Pyrrha in the same way, but Jaune won't have any pleasure in it. His heart may be broken but it's not cold just yet... he won't let it get to that. ]
Maybe you should head back.
[ He feels so useless. He had hoped he would come up with something helpful to say if Yang agreed to go for a walk, but the words just aren't coming to him. There's nothing he can say to make any of this better. He knows someone who can, though, and she's back at the house. ]
(no subject)
Date: 2019-01-26 05:25 am (UTC)Jaune. [Pausing in her steps and moving to stand in front of him, she places a hand on his shoulder, her tone warm as she says with a gentle smile.] Don't tell me what to do.
[It's a half-hearted attempt at some levity. She's not at all insulted or bothered, but she's also not about to go home and leave Jaune to deal with his own thoughts alone when they're both so obviously in the same depressing boat. It's true, Yang does have someone back at the house who could possibly make her feel better about this whole thing, but she didn't agree to this walk with the idea she'd come out of it feeling 100% better about everything.
Letting go of his shoulder, she starts walking again, tone still soft.]
What I meant was...I don't think Cinder is the kind of person who'd just give up and walk away. Not with the Relic right there.
[Yang pauses again and looks over at him with a sad smile on her face.]
My mom is really good at killing people too. We both know that.
[Yang doesn't hold herself accountable for any of the horrible things Raven has done, but they still horrify her. An entire peaceful village wiped off the map. No doubt just one of many. There's no coming back from something like that. Raven has killed...so many people...even people who trusted her...]
And...given the chance...I don't think Raven would have hesitated to kill her too. Definitely not if she'd double-crossed her.
[Yang never saw the fight itself but it wasn't impossible for her to put two and two together. Vernal dead, debris everywhere, and no Cinder. There was only one obvious outcome.]
So...hopefully none of us will have to make that choice with Cinder now.
[It's not the most comforting thought, if only because Cinder's far from the only enemy they have that won't stop until they're all dead, but it's...something?]
(no subject)
Date: 2019-01-27 07:59 am (UTC)I guess your mom's pretty driven, too.
[ He smiles a little, appreciating that Yang isn't willing to let herself be pushed away, but she's also trying to make him feel better. It's not easy, considering the cards they've been dealt with, but she's doing her best and he won't let that go unnoticed.
There's not much else they can do about it for now, but if she's willing to still stick around with him, then he thinks he knows what they can do for the time being. ]
Y'know, I was gonna pick up a couple of milkshakes for the house, but... I only got so many hands, heh. Mind if I borrow yours?
[ a beat ]
I'll bring it back.
[ A joke, of course. What he's really asking is if she'd like to come along and help him in this endeavour. ]
(no subject)
Date: 2019-01-28 11:56 am (UTC)That's one word for it.
[He can just say Raven's an asshole, she's not gonna disagree with him.
Her expression softens again however at the mention of milkshakes, before it shifts into a mock pout, her left hand settling at her waist as her mechanical right one holds up a finger to interrupt.]
Nnnnope~ No way! Sorry Jaune. [She folds both her arms in a faux huff.] Me and this arm are a package deal.
[She's barely hiding her grin at this point, knowing exactly what he was really asking.]
So I'll just have to come with.
(no subject)
Date: 2019-02-01 08:59 am (UTC)[ He says it with a grin that matches hers, obviously pleased with this outcome. Maybe going for a walk wasn't such a bad idea after all, and when they return, the mood back in the house might even feel a little lighter again. Milkshakes won't solve all of their problems, but it will do for now as they figure out what to do next in the near future. ]
...Thanks, Yang.
(no subject)
Date: 2019-02-06 05:09 am (UTC)Anytime.
[There's gratitude in her tone as well, an unspoken, "Thank you as well". She's maybe only witnessed a small tip of the iceberg when it comes to what Jaune does, not just for his own team, but for Ruby and Weiss: Encouraging them, bolstering them when they're down, even playing the fool just to get a laugh. But what she has seen him do for the people she cares about means more to her than anything and she knows he's tried to do the same for her which is...admittedly still something she has more practice giving than receiving. But still appreciated all the same.
Milkshakes definitely can't solve all of their problems, but all of them working together and supporting each other? Maybe, just maybe, that'll be enough.]