[ It's been a close to two weeks since Akashi had gone to a party in Theasthai with Emerald. Some Stuff happened. The two of them haven't really talked about it since then, but Akashi thinks about it from time to time. In fact, what gets transmitted via image is Emerald leaning in to kiss him—or, well, someone. Akashi isn't shown in the transmission because why would Akashi imagine himself in his imagination, too. Now it just looks like Emerald is kissing whoever's thinking about her, and since Mercury is sharing the same thought now, she's kissing him, too. ]
That wasn't meant for anybody to hear or see? Oh god. Akashi doesn't like to lose, but he decides he doesn't like this weird feeling more. It's fear mixed with shame and he hates it, thanks. ]
Hello.
[ The image is gone, at least. Now it's just Akashi's voice in Mercury's head. That answered nothing. ]
How is it that every time I think you're going to make things more interesting for me, you always manage to... not? For a pro athlete, you're great at dropping the ball.
[... Honestly, he might be a little more relieved than anything. Not because he wants Emerald all to himself or anything, but still.]
If you were trying to get serious with Emerald, for example, I'd be able to threaten to bash your knees in if you screwed around. You know, things like that.
She told me that I should tell her right away if "something comes up" between us. I'm aware of the promise you made to her not to hurt me unless I hurt her, as well. Even as friends, that isn't something you should worry about. Emerald is important to me.
You'll forgive me for not just taking your word for it.
[Not that Akashi's really... done anything to warrant being blatantly distrusted, but it's not like Mercury's been given reason to offer trust readily, either. He's a hard sell.
... He also doesn't know exactly how much Akashi knows about her - specifically about her life after meeting Cinder, about the things they all did. But he's also not sure how to ask without giving away that there's a secret to be uncovered.]
Sorry to say, but just because she trusts you doesn't mean I do.
[There's something that Yang's been meaning to follow up on ever since the Trial of Style in Theasthai. A suspicion that's been lurking around in the back of her mind and, while she doesn't at all expect an outright confirmation, she's not going to back down from trying.
Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately?) Yang had better things to do and, frankly, better people to talk to than Mercury for the past couple of weeks and she wasn't about to prioritize her own closure over helping her friends.
And so.]
I'm only going to ask this once.
Which one is it?
[There's no beating around the bush, no pretense as to why she's contacting him. Perhaps she's cutting too quickly to the chase but then again that's always how her interrogations tended to go.]
[He had been able to avoid thinking about it for a while. Sure, he was a little thrown after that designer blabbered about his legs in front of freaking Yang Xiao Long, but it hadn't really impacted anything that day and he'd found enough distractions to not stress too hard over it.
So the sudden message? Annoying. He was hoping this was just going to fade away, but if she's calling him out he can't back down.
Instead of speaking an answer he replies with a mental image from his point of view: he's lounging on the couch in his apartment in a pair of shorts, revealing not just one but two gleaming metal prosthetics.]
[With a reveal like that, it may come as no surprise that Yang's initial reaction is visceral enough to be felt over the crystal network. It's a difficult emotion to describe as, while there's still no small amount of anger and betrayal and, yes, shock, there's also no denying there's an instinctual empathy buried underneath, no matter how small.
Perhaps the best way to put it into words would be:]
[Call it a sort of low-key kindred feeling from a fellow amputee. She has no idea what circumstances led to Mercury losing not one but two limbs, nor does she care to ask, but she's fully aware of the struggle involved with adapting to a prosthetic limb physically, mentally, and emotionally.
Of course, with responses like that it's super easy for that feeling to dissipate almost as quickly as it had formed and Yang's control on her temper momentarily slips.]
You think I wanted to hurt you???
[It was a match in a combat tournament so obviously the objective was, in fact, to hurt each other but not actually hurt each other.
The insinuation still stings even now. That was exactly what most people had thought about her.]
Only after you tried to hit me with my back turned!!
[A wave of anger accompanies that, even as she tries to reign her temper back in just as quickly. She's getting too heated about this and she knows it, but dammit is this ever a sore point for her, even after all this time.]
[Technically, he didn't attack her - she was just made to believe he did. But that's splitting hairs, and he doesn't really feel like going down that road.]
Never said you should. I would've done the exact same thing.
[Things were better for him back then - for the first time in his life, things had been going his way, albeit at the expense of others. The fall of Beacon was supposed to be the first major step towards a future where he got to be on the top of the food chain.
[The thought of doing anything exactly the same as Mercury would have sets her teeth grinding. She doesn't enjoy hurting people. ...Fighting people, yes. Winning, definitely; the more decisive the better. But never to the point of causing lasting harm if her opponent was anything other than a Creature of Grimm.
That question catches her somewhat off-guard however, suspicions instantly raised and prompting as vaguely an affirming answer as possible out of her.]
I didn't make it all the way to Haven on just my good looks.
Good, because everyone I've gone up against here is terrible.
[To be fair Squall wasn't that bad, and most of the others have been Pokemon trainers whose monsters put up a good fight, but fighting against a Pokemon isn't the same as fighting against a person and even Squall had to use a summon of some sort to take him on.
It's just not the same.
They'd gone at it for a little while at Haven, but most of the fight had involved the whole group presumably anyway, thanks for off-screening half of that battle RT. Still, when it was just him against Yang she wasn't bad. He needed that to keep his own edge sharp.
... Or maybe, really, he just needs to know that he's stronger than her. That in a fight without interruptions, without interference, without ulterior motives, he's better.]
So if you're not afraid of getting that pretty face messed up, let's throw down.
[Yang thinks that over for just a moment before answering.]
No thanks.
[It's said flatly, like she can't believe Mercury thinks she's that stupid or something.]
I don't have to prove anything to you.
Besides, I've got plenty of sparring partners.
["Plenty" might be over-selling it a tad, but she does have options. Never mind that she would literally rather have anybody else for a sparring partner than Mercury.]
[ Emerald's been out most of the day despite having just gotten back from a trip to Theasthai and the weirdest bed and breakfast she's ever been to. (She's still not convinced it isn't haunted, but it wasn't awful so she can't complain. She can bitch and talk crap, but not complain.)
But she's been out most of the day because she's been avoiding Mercury, and she's been avoiding Mercury because she needs to talk to him and she's still not sure of herself about this.
It needs to get done, though. So sometime that evening, she knocks on his bedroom door, and waits. ]
[Well this month has been just the absolute fucking worst. Having his entire personality flipped had been jarring as all hell, and the fact that it was possible in this world was beyond unsettling. To say it's had him in a sour mood ever since his recovery (which took some time; even after Emerald snapped him out of it, he still had periods where he'd flick back to that "other" version of him) would be an understatement, so the ominous nature of her wording...
He's already getting a headache.
She'll hear a sigh as he flops back on his bed, staring at the ceiling.]
[ With the resigned permission, she opens his bedroom door and heads on in, moving to sit next to him on his bed. She's very consciously sitting up near the headboard instead of his feet though. She knows she's about to piss him off and she doesn't want a metal leg to the rib. ]
Don't get excited about me starting off saying this, but you were right.
[ She'll let him have half a moment to process that before telling him what about. ]
If Salem finds out I want out, she's going after everyone I care about.
[ Mercury included, possibly, but she doesn't feel the need to specify. ]
[Emerald starting off by admitting he was right is, on its own, enough to set off about a hundred warning bells in the back of his head. That's a "butter him up" move for sure, and he props himself up a bit on his elbows as he turns to give her a very, very wary glance.]
We can't fight her on our own. But here, she's heavily outnumbered. By people who want to fight and don't have a lot else to go off of because they're idiots, but they don't have to be ignorant idiots.
[ There's a brief beat during which she turns to face him a little better on the bed, eyes wide in the puppy-like manner she gets when she doesn't want to get yelled at-- usually with Cinder more than Mercury, but here they are. Then she adds: ] I've been in Theasthai, away from the steam, and I've been thinking about this a lot longer.
I think they're a safer bet than sitting around with a prayer and two boyfriends and their friends with no fighting ability and way too much pride to ever kneel before someone else.
[ The fact is, Emerald's already in trouble. She's already got loyalties elsewhere and she's been told in no uncertain terms that there are people who wouldn't just let her disappear for their safety. It's as terrifying as it is gratifying to know that people genuinely care about her to their own detriment. Either she drives away what she actually does want, or worse, or she figures out some way ]
We know where she is, the layout of her lair... We know who's working for her so they don't trust the wrong people again. Seijuro's working on making it so we can remember when we go home, so we can offer them that too so they don't just forget the second they leave. We can tell them about the grimm we helped Cinder use on Amber, or the Seers. Maybe we don't know her weaknesses or what she's fully capable of, but a lot of what know has value.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
i'm sorry to all of us involved
whispers oh no
And once more, for good measure...
Woah.]
... So I'm going to need some context, here.
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That wasn't meant for anybody to hear or see? Oh god. Akashi doesn't like to lose, but he decides he doesn't like this weird feeling more. It's fear mixed with shame and he hates it, thanks. ]
Hello.
[ The image is gone, at least. Now it's just Akashi's voice in Mercury's head. That answered nothing. ]
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[he doesn't recognize that it's a memory, at least!
...
is that better or worse, though...]
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[ WHY IS AKASHI STILL TALKING ]
I'm sorry you had to see that. It wasn't supposed to be sent to anybody.
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Wait.]
By the gods, you were her freaking boy toy all along.
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[ She did give him a boner but that wasn't intentional???? ]
We don't fornicate.
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[A pause.]
So tell me, then - what kind of relationship do you have?
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[ Less declarative and more emotive, now. ]
We help one another. At least, that's what I'd like to believe.
[ She'd helped him out a lot, and he tries what he can to help her, too. ]
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[Spoken flatly.]
You make out with your other friends?
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That's it?
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[... Honestly, he might be a little more relieved than anything. Not because he wants Emerald all to himself or anything, but still.]
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[ Let him correct you on that one first, Mercury. ]
And I'm not sure what you mean. What would make things interesting for you?
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She told me that I should tell her right away if "something comes up" between us. I'm aware of the promise you made to her not to hurt me unless I hurt her, as well. Even as friends, that isn't something you should worry about. Emerald is important to me.
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[Not that Akashi's really... done anything to warrant being blatantly distrusted, but it's not like Mercury's been given reason to offer trust readily, either. He's a hard sell.
... He also doesn't know exactly how much Akashi knows about her - specifically about her life after meeting Cinder, about the things they all did. But he's also not sure how to ask without giving away that there's a secret to be uncovered.]
Sorry to say, but just because she trusts you doesn't mean I do.
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[ Akashi's stating what he feels. Mercury doesn't have to believe him, but Akashi has said his piece. ]
If you do intend to hurt me in the future, just make sure you have your facts straight.
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And if you do decide to "fornicate", try not to flash me that imagery.
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[ Especially Mercury??? Maybe in an alternate universe—wait]
4/1 [Voice] April Fools...jerk
Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately?) Yang had better things to do and, frankly, better people to talk to than Mercury for the past couple of weeks and she wasn't about to prioritize her own closure over helping her friends.
And so.]
I'm only going to ask this once.
Which one is it?
[There's no beating around the bush, no pretense as to why she's contacting him. Perhaps she's cutting too quickly to the chase but then again that's always how her interrogations tended to go.]
WOMP WOMP
So the sudden message? Annoying. He was hoping this was just going to fade away, but if she's calling him out he can't back down.
Instead of speaking an answer he replies with a mental image from his point of view: he's lounging on the couch in his apartment in a pair of shorts, revealing not just one but two gleaming metal prosthetics.]
Bold of you to assume it's just one.
1/2
Perhaps the best way to put it into words would be:]
2/2
You're one high caliber son of a bitch, you know that?
[HE WAS FAKING THE WHOLE TIME.]
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Her comment, however, earns a short laugh - perhaps to disguise the natural discomfort that comes from having some amount of truth laid bare.]
I'm a master of my craft.
[His craft, apparently, is being a jerk.]
Or are you just mad you didn't break a real leg?
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Of course, with responses like that it's super easy for that feeling to dissipate almost as quickly as it had formed and Yang's control on her temper momentarily slips.]
You think I wanted to hurt you???
[It was a match in a combat tournament so obviously the objective was, in fact, to hurt each other but not actually hurt each other.
The insinuation still stings even now. That was exactly what most people had thought about her.]
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[And he puts on his best Yang impersonation, which isn't very good at all but at least gets the point across:]
"That's what you get, you little..."
[A pause. A laugh.]
So yeah! I think you did want to hurt me. Not saying I blame you, but don't act like you didn't feel satisfied for at least a second.
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[A wave of anger accompanies that, even as she tries to reign her temper back in just as quickly. She's getting too heated about this and she knows it, but dammit is this ever a sore point for her, even after all this time.]
I'm not going to feel bad about defending myself.
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Never said you should. I would've done the exact same thing.
[Things were better for him back then - for the first time in his life, things had been going his way, albeit at the expense of others. The fall of Beacon was supposed to be the first major step towards a future where he got to be on the top of the food chain.
Hadn't really panned out that way.]
You gotten any better since then?
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That question catches her somewhat off-guard however, suspicions instantly raised and prompting as vaguely an affirming answer as possible out of her.]
I didn't make it all the way to Haven on just my good looks.
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[To be fair Squall wasn't that bad, and most of the others have been Pokemon trainers whose monsters put up a good fight, but fighting against a Pokemon isn't the same as fighting against a person and even Squall had to use a summon of some sort to take him on.
It's just not the same.
They'd gone at it for a little while at Haven, but most of the fight had involved the whole group
presumably anyway, thanks for off-screening half of that battle RT. Still, when it was just him against Yang she wasn't bad. He needed that to keep his own edge sharp.... Or maybe, really, he just needs to know that he's stronger than her. That in a fight without interruptions, without interference, without ulterior motives, he's better.]
So if you're not afraid of getting that pretty face messed up, let's throw down.
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No thanks.
[It's said flatly, like she can't believe Mercury thinks she's that stupid or something.]
I don't have to prove anything to you.
Besides, I've got plenty of sparring partners.
["Plenty" might be over-selling it a tad, but she does have options. Never mind that she would literally rather have anybody else for a sparring partner than Mercury.]
image, dated to post flower festival
action; mid-to-late june
But she's been out most of the day because she's been avoiding Mercury, and she's been avoiding Mercury because she needs to talk to him and she's still not sure of herself about this.
It needs to get done, though. So sometime that evening, she knocks on his bedroom door, and waits. ]
Merc, I need to talk to you.
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He's already getting a headache.
She'll hear a sigh as he flops back on his bed, staring at the ceiling.]
No one's stopping you.
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Don't get excited about me starting off saying this, but you were right.
[ She'll let him have half a moment to process that before telling him what about. ]
If Salem finds out I want out, she's going after everyone I care about.
[ Mercury included, possibly, but she doesn't feel the need to specify. ]
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Okay... and? What's this about, Em?
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[ There's a brief beat during which she turns to face him a little better on the bed, eyes wide in the puppy-like manner she gets when she doesn't want to get yelled at-- usually with Cinder more than Mercury, but here they are. Then she adds: ] I've been in Theasthai, away from the steam, and I've been thinking about this a lot longer.
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It doesn't seem like the puppy thing is having any effect.]
You want to blab to the brats.
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Yes. [ She still looks upset, but she steels her gaze as Mercury looks at her. She decided this, and she decided she was going to tell him first. ]
Salem can't give either of us what we want. I'm not dying for her and I'm sick of being scared all the time that one wrong move is going to be it.
[ She thinks Mercury might understand that better than anyone. ]
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[He flops back onto the bed again, flapping a hand dismissively.]
What could you possibly tell them that would help? We barely know what she's capable of.
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[ The fact is, Emerald's already in trouble. She's already got loyalties elsewhere and she's been told in no uncertain terms that there are people who wouldn't just let her disappear for their safety. It's as terrifying as it is gratifying to know that people genuinely care about her to their own detriment. Either she drives away what she actually does want, or worse, or she figures out some way ]
We know where she is, the layout of her lair... We know who's working for her so they don't trust the wrong people again. Seijuro's working on making it so we can remember when we go home, so we can offer them that too so they don't just forget the second they leave. We can tell them about the grimm we helped Cinder use on Amber, or the Seers. Maybe we don't know her weaknesses or what she's fully capable of, but a lot of what know has value.