Yang Xiao Long (AU) (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
burndownforwhat) wrote2018-08-30 09:44 pm
burndownforwhat) wrote2018-08-30 09:44 pm
Entry tags:
[ARCHIVED] AU app for ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
recolle rev 2018.2
PLAYER
YOUR NAME: Cidriel (they/them)
18+?: Yes!
CONTACT: PM or![[plurk.com profile]](https://plurk.com/favicon.ico)
simplypip
CHARACTERS IN GAME: none
RESERVATION LINK: here!
YOUR NAME: Cidriel (they/them)
18+?: Yes!
CONTACT: PM or
CHARACTERS IN GAME: none
RESERVATION LINK: here!
CHARACTER: CANON SECTION
NAME: Yang Xiao Long
AGE: ~19 (She is 17 according to official materials when the series begins, as must 1st year students of the four major combat academies. Volume 2 starts off with the second semester. Volume 3 appears to take place in the early stages of Autumn, and ends close to the end of Winter by the epilogue. Then there is a 6-8 month time skip for Volume 4, but we have no idea WHEN her birthday is, if Remnant runs on a 12 month calendar, etc. I'm assuming that if she's not 19 yet by her canon point, she's pretty close to it by now.)
CANON: RWBY
NAME: Yang Xiao Long
AGE: ~19 (She is 17 according to official materials when the series begins, as must 1st year students of the four major combat academies. Volume 2 starts off with the second semester. Volume 3 appears to take place in the early stages of Autumn, and ends close to the end of Winter by the epilogue. Then there is a 6-8 month time skip for Volume 4, but we have no idea WHEN her birthday is, if Remnant runs on a 12 month calendar, etc. I'm assuming that if she's not 19 yet by her canon point, she's pretty close to it by now.)
CANON: RWBY
CANON HISTORY: wiki over here! (warning for spoilers in general)
CANON PERSONALITY:
Blonde hair, a boisterous attitude, and a babe-like body. If one were to judge Yang on first impressions alone, one would be gravely mistaken as to the depth of her character. As an older sister, a loyal friend, and as a Huntress-in-training, she exemplifies more complex character traits than the "bimbo" image she projects. From her first arrival at Beacon Academy to begin her training alongside her younger sister Ruby, to the middle of her second semester at the school, Yang shown herself to be more than just a pretty face with a charming wink and a cheesy sense of humor.
From the get-go, it's obvious Yang is a social person. After her initial excitement of arriving at Beacon wore off, she seemingly abandoned her sister to instead spend time with the friends of hers that arrived in the same batch; presumably other students from Signal — the combat school she previously attended — though said friends are never given names, faces, or ever heard from or seen again. That does not mean that she isn't proud of her sister. No, Yang can acknowledge and praise her and others for their accomplishments easily, for it isn't a matter of pride to her that they each have achieved good things. Life isn't a contest to her by default, one has to really come to her with a challenge that's clearly established in order for her to go along with it. It isn't like her to snub how far someone else has come, and every victory deserves recognition in her eyes, no matter how small. Yang is almost the polar opposite of Ruby in that way, and it's why she tried so hard to get Ruby to make friends of her own... even if that method was a little like throwing someone who can't swim very well into a lake and watching them try to avoid drowning. In that way, she is said to be like their father.
Family is a sore subject with her, when it comes to her mother, Raven Branwen, and Ruby's mother, Summer Rose. They are only half-sisters, sharing the same quirky father (Taiyang Xiao Long), and one "functional" alcoholic uncle., Qrow. Their family is all comprised of those who were Huntsmen and Huntresses, with all the distance and dangers that profession carries with it. Yang's mother abandoned her with her father shortly after she was born, and though he eventually fell in love with Summer and they sought fit to raise both the toddle Yang and infant Ruby together, Summer was killed in action on a mission when they were both still very young. As Taiyang was said to "shut down" after Summer's passing, it was largely up to Yang to look after Ruby along with her uncle Qrow.
Qrow, for better or worse, acted as a surrogate uncle for Ruby and taught both her and Yang what it meant to be a Huntsmen. While heroic exploits recounted and magical fairy tales wove a tapestry of intrigue and heroism that drew her sister in, Yang's desire to become a Huntress likely stemmed from watching Qrow in action. In taking a stupid risk to both her and Ruby when they were young, in a futile quest to search for clues regarding Raven's disappearance, the siblings were nearly turned into Grimm-chow. If it wasn't for Qrow shadowing them and dispatching the threat, Yang's reckless action would have gotten them both killed. Training hard and absorbing all of Qrow's knowledge and wisdom set her on the path to having the power to follow-up on that research at a much steadier pace, without allowing her emotions to drive her to ruin as a result. It's a lesson she learned all too painfully and is one that she refuses to let anyone else close to her repeat.
That does not mean Yang has given up on her mother. On the contrary, she is more determined now than ever, with new clues coming to light, that Raven can be reached and, hopefully, reasoned with. Yang isn't keen on giving up on anyone, even if they themselves cannot see the help she is offering for what it is. It varies on whether or not Yang displays her compassion with a cool head or whether she employs "tough love", such as snapping Blake out of her self-destructive rut in tracking down Roman at the cost of her own health. Sometimes a push-pull approach is just necessary to make her message clear. Yang isn't coy when her feelings are on the line. If she truly cares for someone, they will know it, but just as easily if someone she cares for slaps her helping hand away she will put that hand right back out there until they see what she's trying to do. Yang was surprisingly calm leading up to that, though, which shows that her patience has firm boundaries that cannot be crossed.
The confrontations with Raven did not go as planned. Her determination and stubborn nature showed through in how she approached the bandit camp where she was hiding, how she refused to be dismissed as both her daughter, and how she intended not to convert Raven's way of thinking to her own, or bring her back home, but instead flat-out told Raven that the main reason she was present was that she had the ability to reconnect her with Ruby without having to scour the countryside herself for her sister, their friends, and Qrow. Raven had made an attempt to convince Yang and Weiss to take sides with her instead, and betray their allegiance to Qrow and Ozpin's plan in exchange for hospitality at the camp and an answer to the many questions they had. Despite the distance covered and hardship endured to finally be face to face with her own mother, her own skepticism over Ozpin's agenda and all his kept secrets, not to mention the potential for a new start, she turned down Raven's offer.
Grave matters aside, Yang's enthusiasm for life knows no bounds. When pressed for her motivations in attending Beacon for training, Yang admitted that she was a thrill-seeker. That traveling around the world seeking out new exciting adventures was her ultimate goal, and that helping people along the way conveniently fell in line with that notion. If she were to draw it out, overlapping those two ideals, along with her desire to find her mother during her travels, in the center of that venn diagram would be one word: Huntress. It doesn't mean she half-asses it. Never is it implied that she isn't up on her studies, and her combat skill is easily proven in the way her team excels in field operations, as well as her successes during the Vytal Festival tournament. Additionally, she is not afraid to resort to using her sex appeal and intimidation when the situation calls for it, such as the way she shakes down Junior after raiding his nightclub in an attempt to get a lead on her missing mom and, later again, when it comes time to investigate Roman's activities in the area.
Yang would also be the first to proudly admit that she has a wicked sense of humor. Whether it's corny one-liners in combat, the odd pun here and there, or just a simple joke to bring levity to a tense situation, Yang can be counted on to (try to) bring the fun into everything she does. It's a lot harder to match her timing when it comes to delivering jokes, as Weiss discovered after trying her hand at a pun. That was ill-received only because the team had lost that particular encounter, and Yang did not appreciate Neo completely evading her finishing blow. There's a time and place for everything.
Of course, her ability to appreciate puns was only one of the things lost after the incidents that unfolded at the Vytal Festival Tournament — or, as it was seen by those present, the Fall of Beacon Academy...
Once, Yang was so full of energy and life. She played the parts of Team Mom, big sister, best friend, loud and proud brawler, thrill-seeker, and party girl. You could look to her for support as easily as for a laugh, and it seemed like nothing could ever bring her down or keep her there. It was equally a matter of bravado as it was a shell she buried herself inside to hide the pain of her rough childhood. Yang sought answers from her mother, Raven, for abandoning her. It took almost getting herself and Ruby killed in this quest for Yang to realize she could not let the search consume her life, but she has not let go of the goal completely. It remains part of her motivation to go out into the world as a Huntress, but now with other motives involved. Other questions that needed answering.
In spite of Yang's past, she still looked ahead with determination and an indomitable will to do good and have a fun time doing so. That all has changed in the face of the insurmountable losses suffered by Yang and those closest to her around the time of the fall of Beacon. The light was all but gone from her eyes for many months. Even before Ruby left home to journey to Haven in search of answers, Yang had walled herself off from the world with a mixture bitterness, sadness, and resignation. Stating that she didn't care about Blake's reasons for leaving everyone behind and running away — particularly painful, given the other girl knew of Yang's past with regards to being abandoned by loved ones — was only a step behind the harshness of dismissing her sister; telling her she could go off and do whatever she wanted to while Yang just laid in bed.
No doubt the circumstances shook Yang to her core, and after everything else it's a miracle that her PTSD isn't worse. It was always assumed that her time at the school would be rough, as it is for all those who pursue the path of a Huntress, but nothing could have prepared her for what happened. Even after field missions where danger was at every turn and not always with professional supervision available. It took a long time for Yang to come to uneasy terms with the loss of her right arm. There was a lot of pain to deal with, both emotional and physical. Even acknowledging that this is just the way things are for her now didn't chase away the traumatic nightmares of her fight with Adam. If it wasn't for her father's love and support she probably wouldn't have been able to get by on a daily basis. It's her luck that, unlike his past trauma causing him to shut down, Taiyang could be there for her in the first place this time around. This point at which Yang is at her lowest and most vulnerable.
Things did improve over time. The episodes are less frequent. Yang is able to perform simple tasks and chores around the house even without relying on any sort of tools to make up for her loss. She's regained her stubborn will, arguing with her father and former professors about her status as an adult who can handle the heavy topics discussed concerning the state of the world after the devastating blow dealt to Beacon and the global communications system. Even some of that spark that allows her to smile once again, to laugh at her father's jab at her misfortune, has returned. It surprised the professors as much as anyone else. It just goes to show that she was on her way down the road to recovery, but not yet ready to step out into the world again on her own; to take the fight to the source. Yang still has a long way to go...
SKILLS/ABILITIES:
Like most Hunters and Huntresses, Yang has unlocked her Aura, a defense mechanism that acts as both a shield born of the power of one's soul, as well as a conduit for a unique special ability that everyone is innately capable of called a Semblance. Her Aura is extremely durable, allowing her to take the big punches and get right back up, where others might have faltered or become drained of their energy source more easily. It ties into her Semblance, which stores the energy of the forces directed against her and channels them back directly into offensive power. This reversal allows her to move with even more incredible speed and strike with greater force than her body is normally capable of. An example of this usage would be when she was literally slammed through a pair of concrete pillars by a 30 foot tall mech, only to turn back around and halt the follow-up blows with her bare hands after getting back up, and then further utilizing that energy during a team attack with Blake, the impact of which shattered the entire giant robot into its component parts.
As Ruby said about her in that same episode: "With each hit, she gets stronger, and she uses that energy to fight back. That's what makes her special."
When Yang is charged up, her hair literally glows with the stored energy, her irses go from lavender to bright red, and she even emits an aura of flame from around her body. The latter symptoms can occur if she's really angry outside of actual combat but it doesn't mean there's any energy stored to convert. It's just a good way to know if she's pissed off.
In addition to that, every Huntsman and Huntress has a unique weapon that acts as a compliment to their skills and their use of both Aura and the magic ammunition called Dust. In Yang's case, each student at the Signal Academy combat school she was at before being accepted into Beacon, she forged her own. A pair of yellow "shotgun gauntlets" titled Ember Celica which function pretty much how one would expect. They are capable of firing explosive Dust slugs at enemies at long range, causing powerful bursts upon impact to blow back targets that she punches with her fists, and break the ground with powerful shock-waves if Yang is landing from a great height. They must be frequently cocked and reloaded, especially when changing from one type of blast to another, but they also have another use. Since Yang's Semblance depends on her channeling force used against her back outward, she'll sometimes slam her own fists together hard enough to hurt, to give herself a small boosted charge at the beginning of or during a lull in the fighting. This always assures that as long as her Aura is active, she can charge her Semblance and stay in the fight.
CANON PERSONALITY:
Blonde hair, a boisterous attitude, and a babe-like body. If one were to judge Yang on first impressions alone, one would be gravely mistaken as to the depth of her character. As an older sister, a loyal friend, and as a Huntress-in-training, she exemplifies more complex character traits than the "bimbo" image she projects. From her first arrival at Beacon Academy to begin her training alongside her younger sister Ruby, to the middle of her second semester at the school, Yang shown herself to be more than just a pretty face with a charming wink and a cheesy sense of humor.
From the get-go, it's obvious Yang is a social person. After her initial excitement of arriving at Beacon wore off, she seemingly abandoned her sister to instead spend time with the friends of hers that arrived in the same batch; presumably other students from Signal — the combat school she previously attended — though said friends are never given names, faces, or ever heard from or seen again. That does not mean that she isn't proud of her sister. No, Yang can acknowledge and praise her and others for their accomplishments easily, for it isn't a matter of pride to her that they each have achieved good things. Life isn't a contest to her by default, one has to really come to her with a challenge that's clearly established in order for her to go along with it. It isn't like her to snub how far someone else has come, and every victory deserves recognition in her eyes, no matter how small. Yang is almost the polar opposite of Ruby in that way, and it's why she tried so hard to get Ruby to make friends of her own... even if that method was a little like throwing someone who can't swim very well into a lake and watching them try to avoid drowning. In that way, she is said to be like their father.
Family is a sore subject with her, when it comes to her mother, Raven Branwen, and Ruby's mother, Summer Rose. They are only half-sisters, sharing the same quirky father (Taiyang Xiao Long), and one "functional" alcoholic uncle., Qrow. Their family is all comprised of those who were Huntsmen and Huntresses, with all the distance and dangers that profession carries with it. Yang's mother abandoned her with her father shortly after she was born, and though he eventually fell in love with Summer and they sought fit to raise both the toddle Yang and infant Ruby together, Summer was killed in action on a mission when they were both still very young. As Taiyang was said to "shut down" after Summer's passing, it was largely up to Yang to look after Ruby along with her uncle Qrow.
Qrow, for better or worse, acted as a surrogate uncle for Ruby and taught both her and Yang what it meant to be a Huntsmen. While heroic exploits recounted and magical fairy tales wove a tapestry of intrigue and heroism that drew her sister in, Yang's desire to become a Huntress likely stemmed from watching Qrow in action. In taking a stupid risk to both her and Ruby when they were young, in a futile quest to search for clues regarding Raven's disappearance, the siblings were nearly turned into Grimm-chow. If it wasn't for Qrow shadowing them and dispatching the threat, Yang's reckless action would have gotten them both killed. Training hard and absorbing all of Qrow's knowledge and wisdom set her on the path to having the power to follow-up on that research at a much steadier pace, without allowing her emotions to drive her to ruin as a result. It's a lesson she learned all too painfully and is one that she refuses to let anyone else close to her repeat.
That does not mean Yang has given up on her mother. On the contrary, she is more determined now than ever, with new clues coming to light, that Raven can be reached and, hopefully, reasoned with. Yang isn't keen on giving up on anyone, even if they themselves cannot see the help she is offering for what it is. It varies on whether or not Yang displays her compassion with a cool head or whether she employs "tough love", such as snapping Blake out of her self-destructive rut in tracking down Roman at the cost of her own health. Sometimes a push-pull approach is just necessary to make her message clear. Yang isn't coy when her feelings are on the line. If she truly cares for someone, they will know it, but just as easily if someone she cares for slaps her helping hand away she will put that hand right back out there until they see what she's trying to do. Yang was surprisingly calm leading up to that, though, which shows that her patience has firm boundaries that cannot be crossed.
The confrontations with Raven did not go as planned. Her determination and stubborn nature showed through in how she approached the bandit camp where she was hiding, how she refused to be dismissed as both her daughter, and how she intended not to convert Raven's way of thinking to her own, or bring her back home, but instead flat-out told Raven that the main reason she was present was that she had the ability to reconnect her with Ruby without having to scour the countryside herself for her sister, their friends, and Qrow. Raven had made an attempt to convince Yang and Weiss to take sides with her instead, and betray their allegiance to Qrow and Ozpin's plan in exchange for hospitality at the camp and an answer to the many questions they had. Despite the distance covered and hardship endured to finally be face to face with her own mother, her own skepticism over Ozpin's agenda and all his kept secrets, not to mention the potential for a new start, she turned down Raven's offer.
Grave matters aside, Yang's enthusiasm for life knows no bounds. When pressed for her motivations in attending Beacon for training, Yang admitted that she was a thrill-seeker. That traveling around the world seeking out new exciting adventures was her ultimate goal, and that helping people along the way conveniently fell in line with that notion. If she were to draw it out, overlapping those two ideals, along with her desire to find her mother during her travels, in the center of that venn diagram would be one word: Huntress. It doesn't mean she half-asses it. Never is it implied that she isn't up on her studies, and her combat skill is easily proven in the way her team excels in field operations, as well as her successes during the Vytal Festival tournament. Additionally, she is not afraid to resort to using her sex appeal and intimidation when the situation calls for it, such as the way she shakes down Junior after raiding his nightclub in an attempt to get a lead on her missing mom and, later again, when it comes time to investigate Roman's activities in the area.
Yang would also be the first to proudly admit that she has a wicked sense of humor. Whether it's corny one-liners in combat, the odd pun here and there, or just a simple joke to bring levity to a tense situation, Yang can be counted on to (try to) bring the fun into everything she does. It's a lot harder to match her timing when it comes to delivering jokes, as Weiss discovered after trying her hand at a pun. That was ill-received only because the team had lost that particular encounter, and Yang did not appreciate Neo completely evading her finishing blow. There's a time and place for everything.
Of course, her ability to appreciate puns was only one of the things lost after the incidents that unfolded at the Vytal Festival Tournament — or, as it was seen by those present, the Fall of Beacon Academy...
Once, Yang was so full of energy and life. She played the parts of Team Mom, big sister, best friend, loud and proud brawler, thrill-seeker, and party girl. You could look to her for support as easily as for a laugh, and it seemed like nothing could ever bring her down or keep her there. It was equally a matter of bravado as it was a shell she buried herself inside to hide the pain of her rough childhood. Yang sought answers from her mother, Raven, for abandoning her. It took almost getting herself and Ruby killed in this quest for Yang to realize she could not let the search consume her life, but she has not let go of the goal completely. It remains part of her motivation to go out into the world as a Huntress, but now with other motives involved. Other questions that needed answering.
In spite of Yang's past, she still looked ahead with determination and an indomitable will to do good and have a fun time doing so. That all has changed in the face of the insurmountable losses suffered by Yang and those closest to her around the time of the fall of Beacon. The light was all but gone from her eyes for many months. Even before Ruby left home to journey to Haven in search of answers, Yang had walled herself off from the world with a mixture bitterness, sadness, and resignation. Stating that she didn't care about Blake's reasons for leaving everyone behind and running away — particularly painful, given the other girl knew of Yang's past with regards to being abandoned by loved ones — was only a step behind the harshness of dismissing her sister; telling her she could go off and do whatever she wanted to while Yang just laid in bed.
No doubt the circumstances shook Yang to her core, and after everything else it's a miracle that her PTSD isn't worse. It was always assumed that her time at the school would be rough, as it is for all those who pursue the path of a Huntress, but nothing could have prepared her for what happened. Even after field missions where danger was at every turn and not always with professional supervision available. It took a long time for Yang to come to uneasy terms with the loss of her right arm. There was a lot of pain to deal with, both emotional and physical. Even acknowledging that this is just the way things are for her now didn't chase away the traumatic nightmares of her fight with Adam. If it wasn't for her father's love and support she probably wouldn't have been able to get by on a daily basis. It's her luck that, unlike his past trauma causing him to shut down, Taiyang could be there for her in the first place this time around. This point at which Yang is at her lowest and most vulnerable.
Things did improve over time. The episodes are less frequent. Yang is able to perform simple tasks and chores around the house even without relying on any sort of tools to make up for her loss. She's regained her stubborn will, arguing with her father and former professors about her status as an adult who can handle the heavy topics discussed concerning the state of the world after the devastating blow dealt to Beacon and the global communications system. Even some of that spark that allows her to smile once again, to laugh at her father's jab at her misfortune, has returned. It surprised the professors as much as anyone else. It just goes to show that she was on her way down the road to recovery, but not yet ready to step out into the world again on her own; to take the fight to the source. Yang still has a long way to go...
SKILLS/ABILITIES:
Like most Hunters and Huntresses, Yang has unlocked her Aura, a defense mechanism that acts as both a shield born of the power of one's soul, as well as a conduit for a unique special ability that everyone is innately capable of called a Semblance. Her Aura is extremely durable, allowing her to take the big punches and get right back up, where others might have faltered or become drained of their energy source more easily. It ties into her Semblance, which stores the energy of the forces directed against her and channels them back directly into offensive power. This reversal allows her to move with even more incredible speed and strike with greater force than her body is normally capable of. An example of this usage would be when she was literally slammed through a pair of concrete pillars by a 30 foot tall mech, only to turn back around and halt the follow-up blows with her bare hands after getting back up, and then further utilizing that energy during a team attack with Blake, the impact of which shattered the entire giant robot into its component parts.
As Ruby said about her in that same episode: "With each hit, she gets stronger, and she uses that energy to fight back. That's what makes her special."
When Yang is charged up, her hair literally glows with the stored energy, her irses go from lavender to bright red, and she even emits an aura of flame from around her body. The latter symptoms can occur if she's really angry outside of actual combat but it doesn't mean there's any energy stored to convert. It's just a good way to know if she's pissed off.
In addition to that, every Huntsman and Huntress has a unique weapon that acts as a compliment to their skills and their use of both Aura and the magic ammunition called Dust. In Yang's case, each student at the Signal Academy combat school she was at before being accepted into Beacon, she forged her own. A pair of yellow "shotgun gauntlets" titled Ember Celica which function pretty much how one would expect. They are capable of firing explosive Dust slugs at enemies at long range, causing powerful bursts upon impact to blow back targets that she punches with her fists, and break the ground with powerful shock-waves if Yang is landing from a great height. They must be frequently cocked and reloaded, especially when changing from one type of blast to another, but they also have another use. Since Yang's Semblance depends on her channeling force used against her back outward, she'll sometimes slam her own fists together hard enough to hurt, to give herself a small boosted charge at the beginning of or during a lull in the fighting. This always assures that as long as her Aura is active, she can charge her Semblance and stay in the fight.
CHARACTER: AU SECTION
AU NAME: Jinjing Sawyl Longwei
AU AGE: 20 (with an AU birth date of July 17th)
PHYSICAL DIFFERENCES: Her hair is duller and less "golden" because she honestly takes poor care of it. It's still a point of pride for her but it's straighter and less fluffy because washing it all the time takes too much effort on her own and she dislikes getting help with it. She still super long because she also hates cutting it (but lets her sister trim her bangs so no one thinks she's bringing Hair Metal back).
Yin is also a big fan of body art, having learned to appreciate what she's been left with, so she's covered in tattoos on her arm and torso. All this work was done by a talented artist friend of hers. The main art is dragon-themed, but there are tributes to her closest friends who have supported her recovery all down along her remaining arm. Her left knuckles spell out BANG because it's how she starts everything off, and if she's gonna go out some way, some day, she hopes it's with a BANG too.
She also has several piercings. One ear has four holes total she changes out with for her mood, the other has an industrial bar made to look like weightlifting apparatus. Yin also sports a tongue bar, and two lower lip studs that look like she has black fangs when she smiles or grins. (All this is supported by a big part of the themes of RWBY and the Color Naming Rule has to do with it being a middle finger to the people that fought to stamp down the ideas of freedom of expression, individuality, and art.)
Lastly, rather than a shade of purple her eyes are just blue, taking after her father.
AU NAME: Jinjing Sawyl Longwei
AU AGE: 20 (with an AU birth date of July 17th)
PHYSICAL DIFFERENCES: Her hair is duller and less "golden" because she honestly takes poor care of it. It's still a point of pride for her but it's straighter and less fluffy because washing it all the time takes too much effort on her own and she dislikes getting help with it. She still super long because she also hates cutting it (but lets her sister trim her bangs so no one thinks she's bringing Hair Metal back).
Yin is also a big fan of body art, having learned to appreciate what she's been left with, so she's covered in tattoos on her arm and torso. All this work was done by a talented artist friend of hers. The main art is dragon-themed, but there are tributes to her closest friends who have supported her recovery all down along her remaining arm. Her left knuckles spell out BANG because it's how she starts everything off, and if she's gonna go out some way, some day, she hopes it's with a BANG too.
She also has several piercings. One ear has four holes total she changes out with for her mood, the other has an industrial bar made to look like weightlifting apparatus. Yin also sports a tongue bar, and two lower lip studs that look like she has black fangs when she smiles or grins. (All this is supported by a big part of the themes of RWBY and the Color Naming Rule has to do with it being a middle finger to the people that fought to stamp down the ideas of freedom of expression, individuality, and art.)
Lastly, rather than a shade of purple her eyes are just blue, taking after her father.
AU HISTORY:
- after Yin was born, her mother left her behind with her father
- she was raised by her dad and a close friend, who was the only mother figure Yin ever knew
- after a couple of years together, the two adults had a child together; Yin's half-sister
- Yin was last gifted a drum kit when she was five because "a loud child deserves an equally loud, but productive way to channel her creative energies"
- their father owned a training hall in town and taught martial arts
- they all lived together until Yin was in middle school, at which point her sister's mother took up work outside Recollé
- her sister's mother passed away in an accident while out of town and because they were unmarried only her sister inherited any benefits
- due to mounting debts and lack of students, the training hall went under when Yin entered high school
- with the inheritance tied up there is only so much the girls could do to support the family, including giving lessons and taking up part time jobs
- Yin pretty much became the mother figure in the household, while her sister focused on her studies
- she put aside money in secret to be able to afford herself a motorcycle when she was 16 so she didn't have to take public transit to work all the time
- in the fall of her final year of high school, Yin got into a horrific accident on her bike and ended up hospitalized
- with the loss of her right arm above the elbow came crippling medical debt and deep depression
- her sister graduated high school early and with help of scholarships she was able to attend university so that other money helped retain the house even with
- Yin's father was able to find contract work outside of the city, but as it involves traveling he opted to leave Yin at home once she was up and around
- Yin discovered the feats of disabled musicians through internet videos linked to her by her sister; with her sister's help, they built a custom kit to emulate Rick Allen's drumming technique
- she practiced nonstop for months to get used to the new equipment, but never returned to school to finish up, and can't afford university in addition to her frequent medical checkups and physical therapy
- most of her days are spent working part time cleaning jobs or playing the drums, uploading videos on YT, and being very vocal in defense of disabled musicians on social media and video sites
- Yin also performs with local groups or other artists touring in from out of town, if they need temp and can accommodate her needs on stage; "all the drummer, half the price"
- Yin also has a bandcamp page, proceeds of the sales of her drum covers and tributes there mostly fund her body art habits, while music gigs fund her "social" drinking and take-out, and her part time jobs cover transportation costs and food
AU PERSONALITY:
One of Yin's main driving forces is pure stubbornness. The need to prove herself as more than the sum of her extremities. She's still a hothead when it comes to taking insults and jeers from others, but it's definitely more of insecurity in her performance and her image than it is just out of vanity — such as when Neon Katt repeatedly teased her in the tournament match concerning her appearance, such comments wouldn't get nearly as much of a rise out of Yin. But if someone calls her a cripple, or anything in that vein, they're liable to get thrown in a trash can.
This means she's quicker to go on the attack with people, blustering or using sarcasm to influence the other side's opinions of her attitude before they can judge her based on looks alone. It's much easier to deal with people believing she's a jerk, or at least abrasive, than it is with them thinking she's a gimp. A lot of her friends are the ones who stick around despite her abrasive behavior and it's with them that she can open up to easier. She's still a strong believer in giving people a chance to explain themselves, or give second chances for missteps, but whereas she was shown to be more forgiving in the show, Yin herself is more vindictive and capable of carrying grudges over the smallest things.
While Yin is fiercely defensive of her family, she's more or less on equal terms with her dad when it comes to the impression of her maturity, strength, and ability to be self-sufficient. It's how she can get away with the things she does without him asking too many questions or being too doting the brief times he's even at home anymore. Her overbearing nature comes out when she talks about or hangs around her sister; going so far as to give as much support to her little sister as possible while also unconsciously directing her away from the same sort of mistakes that Yin herself has faced. This isn't too far apart from canon, but her behavior is magnified since any attention she may have given toward pursuing her mother has been dropped as Yin has never seen it worth chasing a woman that clearly never wanted her in the first place.
Yin's father deposits money into a bank account to cover things like rent, utilities, etc. All those bills are on auto-pay and there's a little money set aside on a debit card Yin has for emergencies. Insurance covers most of her treatments along with the money received from the settlement paid out by the perpetrator of the accident where she lost her arm. Obviously she can't touch that money. It goes directly toward paying down legal fees and medical bills. Prescription medication, physical therapy, psychotherapy, life aids, etc.
Yin is fairly rigid about using her "day job" money for basic necessities, such as food and household supplies. She may not live "well" but she doesn't consider herself poverty-stricken either. When it comes to her other earnings, Yin blows the rest of her money from working gigs and her online sales on things that seem selfish because she figures she's earned the right to do so. She has so few things that she thoroughly enjoys, activities that make her feel alive. While others consider these foolish expenditures or a waste of money that she could use for school, Yin believes that since it's all the product of her own efforts that she can spend the money however she damn well pleases! If a girl can't enjoy her guilty pleasures and vices, what kind of life is she living?
Not going to school is as much a conscious choice to avoid having to deal with large groups of people on a daily basis, and the stress that comes with assignments and deadlines and grades, but also because it's money that her father cannot afford to put aside right now. Yin doesn't think herself smart enough to apply for any kind of scholarships, despite whatever accolades she may have earned for herself in the past. It's discouraging to her father to hear that she's still unmotivated on the subject of education, it's not something he presses her about since. To him, Yin's mental and physical health are top priority, and such a soft heart that he is he just glosses over a lot of her faults because he loves her and wants nothing more than to see her smile again.
What did not help Yin's case is that the timing of the accident happened around what could be described Yin's "rebellious" phase. She was thinking about quitting practice at the dojo, expanding her drumming lessons. There was the leather jacket, the motorcycle that she scrimped and saved up for despite concerns about its danger. Yin once boasted that she was going go grow some "sick dreds" so she went without washing her hair for a month -- or tried, but failed, to hold out on that promise after just four days. After the accident, the crippling depression and lack of personal freedom throughout her immediate physical recovery caused her to discard all those feelings and dreams. Her father did his best to keep her on the right track with his doting, but that sort of soft hand attitude just served to lay down a nest of compromise that kept him from putting the brakes on some of her more drastic behavior changes. His faith in her ability to bounce back from her ability was not misplaced, because he was still at home to hear her take her first swing at a drum kit she hadn't touched in almost a year.
Hearing that, Yin's father believed that she was finally on the road to a full recovery, or at least able to find her center. Something to strive toward. She had been so dedicated to her practice and made sweeping improvements to her physical therapy scores, that when the time came to pack his bags and find work on the road, he knew that he could leave his eldest daughter without worrying overmuch. It was the only way to continue to afford supporting her, after all, and it was the least he could do given the circumstances. In a way, Yin considered it repayment for all the time she had put in for taking care of herself and sister beforehand, when it was their father who was the one caught in a seemingly impossible rut. He's had his share of mood swings that Yin had to make excuses for, or distract her sister with by getting them out of the house. The same could be said for the alcoholic uncle that tried to come by every now and again to cheer his brother-in-law up; when he wasn't currently residing in rehab himself. Now with her sister and her father out of the house (except during school breaks), Yin has more of her personal freedom back. It's something she takes great advantage of.
Basically, when she's around her friends, playing a gig, or home by herself, it's like Yin's a whole other person. With authority figures or doctors she withdraws into herself, not particularly wanting to deal with the rigors of answering to anyone else. There's a part of her that resents the way "the system" treats her like a different category of person just because of what happened to her, even if some members of the medical teams and her regular therapists are more engaging than that. Her part time jobs manage to be the kind where Yin does not have to interact with many people, and her managers attempt to be understanding, but she just does her work well enough to get by. Her coworkers may be able to chat her up here and there but for the most part she avoids making waves which could put her at risk of being fired. Productivity is already difficult for her to maintain; she doesn't need to make it worse by slacking off. The management doesn't make a big deal out of her being employed there, Yin causes no trouble, she collects her paycheck and then she's out! Win-win for everyone.
- after Yin was born, her mother left her behind with her father
- she was raised by her dad and a close friend, who was the only mother figure Yin ever knew
- after a couple of years together, the two adults had a child together; Yin's half-sister
- Yin was last gifted a drum kit when she was five because "a loud child deserves an equally loud, but productive way to channel her creative energies"
- their father owned a training hall in town and taught martial arts
- they all lived together until Yin was in middle school, at which point her sister's mother took up work outside Recollé
- her sister's mother passed away in an accident while out of town and because they were unmarried only her sister inherited any benefits
- due to mounting debts and lack of students, the training hall went under when Yin entered high school
- with the inheritance tied up there is only so much the girls could do to support the family, including giving lessons and taking up part time jobs
- Yin pretty much became the mother figure in the household, while her sister focused on her studies
- she put aside money in secret to be able to afford herself a motorcycle when she was 16 so she didn't have to take public transit to work all the time
- in the fall of her final year of high school, Yin got into a horrific accident on her bike and ended up hospitalized
- with the loss of her right arm above the elbow came crippling medical debt and deep depression
- her sister graduated high school early and with help of scholarships she was able to attend university so that other money helped retain the house even with
- Yin's father was able to find contract work outside of the city, but as it involves traveling he opted to leave Yin at home once she was up and around
- Yin discovered the feats of disabled musicians through internet videos linked to her by her sister; with her sister's help, they built a custom kit to emulate Rick Allen's drumming technique
- she practiced nonstop for months to get used to the new equipment, but never returned to school to finish up, and can't afford university in addition to her frequent medical checkups and physical therapy
- most of her days are spent working part time cleaning jobs or playing the drums, uploading videos on YT, and being very vocal in defense of disabled musicians on social media and video sites
- Yin also performs with local groups or other artists touring in from out of town, if they need temp and can accommodate her needs on stage; "all the drummer, half the price"
- Yin also has a bandcamp page, proceeds of the sales of her drum covers and tributes there mostly fund her body art habits, while music gigs fund her "social" drinking and take-out, and her part time jobs cover transportation costs and food
AU PERSONALITY:
One of Yin's main driving forces is pure stubbornness. The need to prove herself as more than the sum of her extremities. She's still a hothead when it comes to taking insults and jeers from others, but it's definitely more of insecurity in her performance and her image than it is just out of vanity — such as when Neon Katt repeatedly teased her in the tournament match concerning her appearance, such comments wouldn't get nearly as much of a rise out of Yin. But if someone calls her a cripple, or anything in that vein, they're liable to get thrown in a trash can.
This means she's quicker to go on the attack with people, blustering or using sarcasm to influence the other side's opinions of her attitude before they can judge her based on looks alone. It's much easier to deal with people believing she's a jerk, or at least abrasive, than it is with them thinking she's a gimp. A lot of her friends are the ones who stick around despite her abrasive behavior and it's with them that she can open up to easier. She's still a strong believer in giving people a chance to explain themselves, or give second chances for missteps, but whereas she was shown to be more forgiving in the show, Yin herself is more vindictive and capable of carrying grudges over the smallest things.
While Yin is fiercely defensive of her family, she's more or less on equal terms with her dad when it comes to the impression of her maturity, strength, and ability to be self-sufficient. It's how she can get away with the things she does without him asking too many questions or being too doting the brief times he's even at home anymore. Her overbearing nature comes out when she talks about or hangs around her sister; going so far as to give as much support to her little sister as possible while also unconsciously directing her away from the same sort of mistakes that Yin herself has faced. This isn't too far apart from canon, but her behavior is magnified since any attention she may have given toward pursuing her mother has been dropped as Yin has never seen it worth chasing a woman that clearly never wanted her in the first place.
Yin's father deposits money into a bank account to cover things like rent, utilities, etc. All those bills are on auto-pay and there's a little money set aside on a debit card Yin has for emergencies. Insurance covers most of her treatments along with the money received from the settlement paid out by the perpetrator of the accident where she lost her arm. Obviously she can't touch that money. It goes directly toward paying down legal fees and medical bills. Prescription medication, physical therapy, psychotherapy, life aids, etc.
Yin is fairly rigid about using her "day job" money for basic necessities, such as food and household supplies. She may not live "well" but she doesn't consider herself poverty-stricken either. When it comes to her other earnings, Yin blows the rest of her money from working gigs and her online sales on things that seem selfish because she figures she's earned the right to do so. She has so few things that she thoroughly enjoys, activities that make her feel alive. While others consider these foolish expenditures or a waste of money that she could use for school, Yin believes that since it's all the product of her own efforts that she can spend the money however she damn well pleases! If a girl can't enjoy her guilty pleasures and vices, what kind of life is she living?
Not going to school is as much a conscious choice to avoid having to deal with large groups of people on a daily basis, and the stress that comes with assignments and deadlines and grades, but also because it's money that her father cannot afford to put aside right now. Yin doesn't think herself smart enough to apply for any kind of scholarships, despite whatever accolades she may have earned for herself in the past. It's discouraging to her father to hear that she's still unmotivated on the subject of education, it's not something he presses her about since. To him, Yin's mental and physical health are top priority, and such a soft heart that he is he just glosses over a lot of her faults because he loves her and wants nothing more than to see her smile again.
What did not help Yin's case is that the timing of the accident happened around what could be described Yin's "rebellious" phase. She was thinking about quitting practice at the dojo, expanding her drumming lessons. There was the leather jacket, the motorcycle that she scrimped and saved up for despite concerns about its danger. Yin once boasted that she was going go grow some "sick dreds" so she went without washing her hair for a month -- or tried, but failed, to hold out on that promise after just four days. After the accident, the crippling depression and lack of personal freedom throughout her immediate physical recovery caused her to discard all those feelings and dreams. Her father did his best to keep her on the right track with his doting, but that sort of soft hand attitude just served to lay down a nest of compromise that kept him from putting the brakes on some of her more drastic behavior changes. His faith in her ability to bounce back from her ability was not misplaced, because he was still at home to hear her take her first swing at a drum kit she hadn't touched in almost a year.
Hearing that, Yin's father believed that she was finally on the road to a full recovery, or at least able to find her center. Something to strive toward. She had been so dedicated to her practice and made sweeping improvements to her physical therapy scores, that when the time came to pack his bags and find work on the road, he knew that he could leave his eldest daughter without worrying overmuch. It was the only way to continue to afford supporting her, after all, and it was the least he could do given the circumstances. In a way, Yin considered it repayment for all the time she had put in for taking care of herself and sister beforehand, when it was their father who was the one caught in a seemingly impossible rut. He's had his share of mood swings that Yin had to make excuses for, or distract her sister with by getting them out of the house. The same could be said for the alcoholic uncle that tried to come by every now and again to cheer his brother-in-law up; when he wasn't currently residing in rehab himself. Now with her sister and her father out of the house (except during school breaks), Yin has more of her personal freedom back. It's something she takes great advantage of.
Basically, when she's around her friends, playing a gig, or home by herself, it's like Yin's a whole other person. With authority figures or doctors she withdraws into herself, not particularly wanting to deal with the rigors of answering to anyone else. There's a part of her that resents the way "the system" treats her like a different category of person just because of what happened to her, even if some members of the medical teams and her regular therapists are more engaging than that. Her part time jobs manage to be the kind where Yin does not have to interact with many people, and her managers attempt to be understanding, but she just does her work well enough to get by. Her coworkers may be able to chat her up here and there but for the most part she avoids making waves which could put her at risk of being fired. Productivity is already difficult for her to maintain; she doesn't need to make it worse by slacking off. The management doesn't make a big deal out of her being employed there, Yin causes no trouble, she collects her paycheck and then she's out! Win-win for everyone.
AU ADDENDUM
Jen Bowen - born Jinjing Longwei - grew up in Seattle, WA. Jen had a strong competitive streak and a great talent for sports, playing just about everything her mother could sign her up for since she was very young. In middle school she played soccer in the fall and softball in the spring, and in high school it was volleyball and swimming. After graduation, she went to a local university and joined the volleyball team. She shot up the ranks of the players but couldn't match the statistics of those who had been playing the sport for much longer. To fix this, her mother had her put in an application for a school with a worse overall tournament record and inferior players to beef up her records by comparison. Thus she was accepted to Recollé University last year and moved to the city in the fall just in time for off-season games with local clubs.
Jen is currently in training to join the university volleyball team when try-outs open back up. Her mother's plan is for Jen to rapidly improve and stand out amidst the others on the team this coming season. She doesn't believe this will be much of a challenge for her. To try and catch the eye of a scout for a bigger, better team such as Stanford or Penn State. Thus Jen doesn't feel overly attached to the city or the school since it's just supposed to be a stepping stone in pursuit of a brighter future. It's ~nothing personal~ though. That's just what her mom's dream calls for! Oh, and sponsorships. Because everyone needs those.
Since her mother supplies her with financial security in excess of what she strictly needs to get by, and she gets rewards every time she does particularly well with her athletic goals, Jen has a bad habit of spending tons of money on material things for herself and others. Her apartment is absolutely littered with early-adopter gadgets, video game consoles, and other stuff she rarely uses or has touched once and then never again. She's absolutely incapable of cooking for herself except the basics, so her fridge and freezer are stuffed with healthy meal kits for all times of the day, fresh fruits, and protein products. She abhors smoking and doesn't drink unless it's a special occasion.
In her free time, Jen engages in anything that can give her a thrill short of drinking or drugs. Climbing, surfing, off-road biking, and racing of all forms. She something of a sore loser, though. The higher the stakes the worse it gets. Jen is also unfairly judgmental toward people who seem to be wasting their life, or just refuse to "get it together". (Yes, she's one of those people who would tell someone who's depressed that they just need to exercise and drink more water! Try to smile more!! But it's just because her actual attempts at supporting and enriching other people's lives often fall flat.) She can play up the sportsmanship angle when it's on the court because she knows the consequences if she's seen behaving badly there, but all in all she dislikes being seen as weak or in a negative light and will try to do anything to blow past any lasting effects. Or play it off as something unimportant.
On the flip-side, Jen craves validation, adoration, and affection from just about everyone she meets, to a near-manic degree. Ever since her teenage years Jen was often praised for how "mature" she seemed, and it went to her head. With her makeup and manner of dress she plays up that perceived advantage. Having her body in such good shape already gives her a leg-up in that department as far as she is concerned. That said, she crushes hard on older women, especially those who are very secure in who they are, what they're doing with their life, are ambitious, and so on. In general she has to keep her sexuality on the down-low because her mom would be furious that she would risk her career over a "fleeting lifestyle choice". (Spoilers: she is very bad at being lowkey anything.)
Other AU Changes
-her mother had her name changed to distance herself from her father and his Chinese heritage
-the motorcycle accident never happened so Jen is hale and whole
-less trauma obviously, and no abandonment issues, but a whole host of other Stuff as seen above
-she has no tattoos or piercings, because her mother doesn't want them to ruin promo photos
-instead of krav maga, she practices tai-chi and yoga, you know, because her body is a temple and all that?
-can't read music at all (plays the harmonica. poorly. it was a gift from her dad from a rest stop during a road trip to Yellowstone.)
-a fairly decent good singer, who really enjoys those rare karaoke nights
-hasn't performed an honest day's paid work in her entire life
-social media usage is entirely on twitter & instagram; food pics and selfies showing off her muscles w/ motivational B.S. thrown in #AbsForDays #GunShow #BodyPositivity