deerington inbox

[kintsugambol]

STAGGR

ABOUT ME

Blake Belladonna

FULL NAME

19

AGE

January 19

BIRTHDAY

She/Her

PRONOUNS

Taken

RELATIONSHIP STATUS

I'm bi. Figure it out.

INTERESTED IN

6010 Swan Lane

ADDRESS

Huntress
Assistant librarian

OCCUPATION

"There is no past self more important than who you are right now."

FAVORITE QUOTE

The Harpees

FAVORITE MUSICIANS

Ninjas of Love
The Man With Two Souls
The Corpse Doctor
The Vampire Count
Beauty and the Beast

FAVORITE BOOKS

Whatever my team is dragging me to

FAVORITE MOVIES/TV SHOWS

EXPERIENCE

Beacon Academy
Private tutors (emphasis on law, politics, history, diplomacy)

EDUCATION

Huntress training
Combat
Firearms safety
Weapons training
Diplomacy
Politics
Stealth
Infiltration
Security culture
Street medicine

TRAINING

Being a huntress is a full time job.

PAST JOB EXPERIENCE

English?

LANGUAGES

Writing. Music. Public speaking.

ADDITIONAL TALENTS

CONTACT ME

deerFeed
betenoire

deerlyBeloved
fromshadows

staggr
betenoire

profile pic credit

Comments

[kintsugambol]

I think I could deal with it in the summer. [ a flash of a bright sun in a clear blue sky, of crystal blue water and white sands and a younger blake, maybe 10 years old, diving out of a boat alongside an older cat faunus woman with the same black hair and ears

of a mistrali-style estate surrounded by palm trees

of the sun beating down on a white fang encampment in the desert, still flying the blue and white ]

[thepunshow]

[ yang quietly takes in all of those images while rubbing small, lazy circles on her shoulder. the estate she's seen before, but not the others, and it feels as if some of the pieces that make up blake click into place.

softly, ]

You grew up in those places, didn't you? With your parents and the White Fang?

[kintsugambol]

[ she nods. may as well finally tell her some of this. she knows a lot about where yang came from, after all. ]

... Grew up's maybe not the word, but... yeah. [ there's a flash of blake young, about eleven, drawing back in fear as she caught adam's eye for the first time. "let me walk you home. you never know what monsters are out in the dark." a spike of terror rises in her chest, like an icicle between her ribs.

another image comes through--ghira belladonna, with the banner of the true white fang behind him. ]

My dad, uh... founded the White Fang, after the revolution, when he was young. We split our time between Kuo Kuana and moving around the other kingdoms.

[thepunshow]

[ her stomach lurches at the sight and sound of adam and she drops her hand to rest on blake's waist, kissing her temple. he is gone and they are (relatively) safe here in deerington. they're okay. ]

Wait, your dad started the White Fang? [ she turns this information over in her mind then declares, ] That's...really cool. No wonder it means so much to you.

[kintsugambol]

[ it's desperately appreciated, and she lets out a soft breath at the feeling of yang's lips on her skin, curling further against her. ]

I'm... yeah, I guess it is. [ a thoughtful hum at that. that's such a yang way of looking at it. ] Honestly, I never really thought of it like that. My family's led Menagerie for generations, and after the revolution... I don't know. I guess he knew he had to do something with his position. I never really asked why, it always felt obvious to me.

[thepunshow]

[ yang places another gentle kiss to her temple again for good measure and grins. she'll do that as many times as it takes for both of them to feel at ease. ]

If he's already a leader, might as well use that power to help Faunus in the kingdoms, right? It just makes sense.

[ but as interesting as it is to discuss the true intentions of the white fang, she needs clarification on something. ]

Back up, you just said "generations." You're telling me the Belladonnas have been in charge of Menagerie since before your dad? Like "passed down from parent to child" in charge?

[kintsugambol]

[ blake's face heats up, and a feeling of calm settles over her. she really does love this, and knows fully well how she feels about yang xiao long, even if she's not ready to talk about it. and she knows, for certain, that yang knows too. ]

There's not a ton of actual power in it, but... yeah. [ the thought crosses her mind, not for the first time, he targeted me because of who my parents are. that was the sick truth of it that she'd realized far, far too late. the thought isn't accompanied by fear, or guilt, or anything but the tired echo of anger. ] Since about...eighty, ninety years ago? My great-grandparents were already pretty influential with the community in Mistral, so when they came to Menagerie with their people... you get the idea.

[thepunshow]

[ holy shit? holy shit??

the gears are turning so fast in yang's head that it's surprising steam isn't coming out of her ears. learning that blake belladonna is latest child in a political dynasty going on 100 years wasn't on the to do list today, but fuck it. they're doing it live. from the way she's described the situation, it almost sounds like she's...

an unbidden flash of blake dressed as a princess from ruby's old storybooks and she's beautiful and ohnoshecanseethis

her entire body radiates more heat than usual, a blush setting in across her cheeks and back of her neck. ]

Ah, yeah, it was the move that made the most sense! [ yang huffs a nervous laugh and ruffles her hair with her free hand. ] You know, I was joking back on the Titanic, but guess I really wasn't calling you by your proper title. How do you feel about "Your Excellency"?

[kintsugambol]

[ well that's... an image. blake scoffs, and opens her eyes to take in just how embarrassed yang is. she rests a hand on the back of her partner's neck. ]

I'm not a princess, Yang, [ though there's not a huge difference, and she seems to realize the distinction is... fairly academic ] and I don't have a title. [ a little smile plays across her lips. ]

It's just Blake. Same as ever.

[thepunshow]

So your real title is "Your Royal Blake-ness". [ yang is grinning and she can't stop, not when that little smile makes her feel lighter than air. ] Don't worry, though. I'll stick to Blake.

[ her gaze flicks to blake's lips on instinct. she feels hyperaware of everything in this moment: how close they are, blake's hand on the back of her neck, the way her breath catches in her throat. they aren't ready, they're not.

but yang knows how they feel about each other. she knows and that alone is enough to make her eyes and smile turn tender. ]

You didn't have to share any of that. Even with the--well, you know. [ the red string connecting them by their ring fingers that's made the last few weeks interesting. ] Thank you.

[kintsugambol]

It's not a secret, I just... [ she exhales, looking away from her for a split second. ] You don't have to thank me, Yang. I wanted you to know.

[ they very much aren't ready. but seeing yang this close, the look on her face... blake's smile softens and widens just the same.

she's always tried to be open with her, even when she barely knew how to be. ]

[thepunshow]

I still appreciate it. [ this is another part of her she's chosen to entrust to yang. like she won't ever express gratitude for that. ] But you know you'll have to keep this a secret from Ruby, right? Otherwise, she's going to call you Princess Belladonna and bow every time she sees you.

[ a beat. ] Or curtsy. Or some combination of bowing and curtsying. Whichever she thinks looks more formal.

[kintsugambol]

I'm not a princess! [ again... yeah, you kind of are a bit, blake. she laughs, pulling yang down slightly and touching their foreheads together. ]

And hey, I don't know. The first thing I ever said to Ruby was a joke about it. Not that she got it.

[thepunshow]

Exactly what a princess would say! [ she laughs, easy and bright. yeah, blake is pretty much royalty. yang will never get over this as long as she lives. ]

Seriously? She never told me what you guys talked about when she pointed you out that first night, just that you'd already met. What'd you say?

[kintsugambol]

Weiss was giving her a hard time about something. Ruby got fed up and called her princess. I was walking up, and I cut in with "it's heiress, actually." ... Then I started talking about the SDC's abuses.

[thepunshow]

[ 'it's heiress, actually' is such a blake type of joke to make that yang can barely process it. oh, man. for ruby and weiss to know this whole time and be out of the loop even now....

she snorts, shoulders shaking with silent laughter. ]

Weiss must have lost it when you brought that up. She didn't think the SDC could do anything wrong back then.... Look at her now. They grow up so fast.

[kintsugambol]

[ blake laughs at that, nestling her head against yang's chest. ]

We've all come really far. [ thank you, she doesn't say. ] ... I'm glad I chose you.

[thepunshow]

[ there's a brief vision of blake looking yang in the eye with a smirk, edges of the emerald forest blurry around her; of blake at haven, looking directly at her as she calls her name; of blake looking for confirmation as yang says 'i know you won't' with conviction under a waterfall in argus.

she'd chosen yang so many times over. all yang can do hope to do is repay her. ]

'm glad, too. [ yang loosely wraps her other arm around blake's waist and holds her close. ] I wouldn't have wanted anyone else.

[kintsugambol]

Mm. Guess you really liked my bow.

[ there's no repayment. this isn't about commerce or favors owed, and it never has been. otherwise, blake would never be able to return the favor for everything yang has done for her.

she just wants to stay with her.

but she remembers something else. she remembers anger and self-recrimination, standing her ground against sun as she tried to isolate herself. it bleeds through the link.

shut up! do you think i like being alone? every day... every day i think about them! ruby, weiss... yang... they were my friends! i loved them like i never thought i could love anybody. and i hope they hate me for leaving. ]

[thepunshow]

It was a cute bow.

[ yang tenses in surprise while the scene plays out in her mind. hate her? hate blake? the idea is so absurd that she has to fight down a laugh. no, never. ruby and weiss always held out hope blake would return once she'd exorcised her demons.

and yang? she tried to hate her.

and blake ran! sun saw her go. after we got to the city, she just...ran!

but...why?

i don't know...and i don't care.

she tried.

why would i want her here?

and utterly failed.

no one blamed her for anything! if she had just talked to us, she would've known that! how could i be there for her if she doesn't let me?

what if i needed her here for me? ]

[kintsugambol]

[ oh.

oh.

blake tenses, but doesn't pull away from her, doesn't do anything to make it seem as if the moment is gone.

so she decides to show her what happened before she ran.

and as i set out upon this world and deliver the justice mankind so greatly deserves, i will make it my mission to destroy everything you love.

blake! blake, where are you?!

starting with her.

moving in front of yang while she was down, between her and what surely would've been a killing blow. why must you hurt me, blake? before adam beheaded the shadow left behind. carrying yang away, even with the pain of her own wound and the blood she was losing, more focused on her.

she remembers tearful apologies to an unconscious yang, once they'd gotten to beacon's courtyard, curling up on herself in guilt and pain as she held her hand like a lifeline.

i'm sorry. i'm so sorry. ]

[thepunshow]

[ yang forgets how to breathe while the scene plays out in her mind. she always assumed blake was scared away by something at the fall of beacon, but this.... everything makes sense now. blake hadn't run away to save herself. not like raven. (and there's a brief flash of an older woman who could be yang's double if it weren't for her black hair and calculating, red eyes.) she had distanced herself in an attempt to protect them. protect her.

and she came back for them when they needed her most. came back for her.

she pulls blake into her lap without a word and shows her more of their time apart.

relaxing in her bedroom in patch with a half smile on her face, deep into a copy of the man with two souls by the light of the shattered moon

lovingly brushing her thumb over blake's face in a team rwby photo from their beacon days

roaring through a forest in argus on bumblebee with the same racing, looping thoughts: she has to find her, she can't let it happen again, she won't let it happen again, she's on her way, almost there....

yang presses her face into blake's hair with a sigh, staying silent for now. she doesn't want to shatter the peace with her clumsy words. ]

[kintsugambol]

[ blake remembers yang opening up to her about raven, and it's not hard to piece together who that woman was from that. so yang found her, then? she lets the curiosity float in the link but doesn't say anything, burying her face in the crook of yang's neck.

she's never leaving yang again. and even if they're separated, she'll always find her way back. blake's resolved on that much. this place is a nightmare in so many ways, but... they have each other. and their team, their family, will be back together soon. blake's heart feels too full for her chest, and she tightens her hold on yang, melting into the embrace. there are glimpses of their night at the club: blake looking at the sunflower pop cap and pocketing it, their toast, discussing the man with two souls (represents something you didn't know you had inside you... sometimes, it's exciting).

there's so much she wants to say, doesn't know how to say. she wants to give this woman the entire world. ]

We're okay. [ she rubs circles between yang's shoulderblades, the gold ring on her index finger cool on her skin. ] Everything's going to be okay.

[thepunshow]

[ yang relaxes at her touch, letting go of the many anxieties that are plaguing her. blake always knew just what to do and what to say when it mattered the most. the lingering unanswered question gets something close to a sigh of promise to tell you later through the link. raven is the topic of a very long conversation for another day.

oh, man, the club...the first of many outings. there is a hint of surprise to see blake keeping the cap of sunflower pop. she idly wonders if was left behind in beacon, but doesn't push that through the link. not important enough. in spite of the explosive end to the night, their conversation about the book overshadowed everything else.

whatever feelings inside her in regards to their relationship--complicated and wild as they are--were exciting. and if blake was always looking to find her way back, yang would always meet her halfway with open arms. ]

You're right. [ she wants to say more, do more, always more. blake deserves to know that someone will always want be more for her. instead, yang lightly grips her partner's top and kisses the top of her head. ] It'll all be okay.