Xiao Long, Yang

[That Bastard]

Name: Yang Xiao Long
Nickname: Blondie (if you want to die), Little Dragon, Firecracker, Burning Beauty
Age: 19 (Aug. 7)
Gender: Female
Birthplace: Nantucket, Massachusetts, Unova
Family: Taiyang Xiao Long (Father), Raven Branwen (Mother; Estranged), Ruby Rose (Half-Sister), Summer Rose (Stepmother; Deceased), Qrow Branwen (Uncle)

Trainer Orientation: Chaotic Good
Trainer Class: Student, Battle Girl, Beauty
Starter Pokémon: Stufful

Yang's Theme:
Casey Lee Williams ~ I Burn (RWBY Volume 1)

Love for Little Sister:
Casey Lee Williams ~ Gold (RWBY Volume 1)

Clash of Destiny:
Van Halen ~ Right Now (For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge)

The Promise:
Casey Lee Williams ~ All Our Days (RWBY Volume 2)

Yang's Rebirth:
Casey Lee Williams ~ Armed and Ready (RWBY Volume 4)

Yang, Unleashed:
Casey Lee Williams ~ Ignite (RWBY Volume 5)

Mr. Buttons [Shiny Male Stufful] — Better bewear you don't push my buttons.
Yang's oldest and most favorite Pokémon, given to her by her father at age six. Because of this, Mr. Buttons has the same boisterous bruiser personality as Yang and a temper to match. As they aged together, they realized the great pranking potential in not evolving, which is why Mr. Buttons is still a Stufful. His favorite prank is to lay around somewhere amongst Yang's possessions and pretend that he's merely a stuffed doll, then startle whoever gets close or picks him up. (Usually Weiss) Due to his size, he typically will travel by riding on Yang's back and napping. Much like Yang herself, Mr. Buttons acts as the team dad for not only the rest of Yang's Pokémon, but also those of her companions as well.
—Gifted by Taiyang Xiao Long.

Ability: Cute Charm
Move Pool: Hammer Arm, Flail, Return, Focus Blast, Brutal Swing, Payback, Take Down, Hammer Arm, Superpower, Bulk Up

Summer [Female Xuilyn] — Looks like she's still Super-Mom.
Were it not for Summer, neither Yang nor Ruby would be alive today. When a youthful Yang, exhausted from hours of travel and towing her little sister in a wagon behind her, was beset by a pack of wolves, it was the regal fire dragon that held them at bay long enough for her uncle, Qrow, to arrive and save them. Since then, Summer had kept a surreptitious eye on Yang through her childhood as though a guardian spirit. Once Yang came of age and began her Pokémon journey, Summer revealed herself to the firebrand and forced her way into Yang's party. Since then, she has watched over and protected Yang, such to the point that Yang--not a spiritual person by any means--can agree with the sentiment that the Xuilyn is Summer's spirit remaining to watch over her daughters.
—Befriended in Nantucket State Forest

Ability: Levitate
Move Pool: Fly, Sunny Day, Dragon Pulse, Sky Attack, Fire Blast, Protect, Flamethrower, Smokescreen, Agility, Draco Meteor

Junior [Male Pangoro] — Questionable legality aside, it pays to have a broker in your corner.
Junior was given to Yang half as a peace offering from Hei Xiong after she trashed his nightclub, and half as payment for cleaning up some criminal riff-raff that had reneged on a deal with him. In the spirit of the offer, Yang named the Pangoro after Junior himself, and has used him in the front ranks of her team ever since. His intolerance for bullying meshes well with Yang's own opinions on the matter, and she is quick to sicc him on any bullies she comes across. He is extremely friendly with Ruby, and likes to prank Weiss by creeping up behind her while she's not paying attention and startling her.
—Received as a gift from Hei Xiong.

Ability: Iron Fist
Move Pool: Surf, Payback, Focus Blast, Power-Up Punch, Vital Throw, Sky Uppercut, Work Up, Parting Shot, Dark Pulse, Taunt

Standing at 5'8", Yang is a tall woman with a pale complexion. Her most notable feature--aside from her not-inconsiderable feminine assests--is her full-bodied head of golden blonde hair that reaches down past her waist. While outwardly-appearing to be wild and unkempt, Yang takes immaculate care of her hair and is extremely touchy about any harm coming to it. Her eyes are lilac in most instances, but turn a bright red when her Aura power is fully active or when she is angry.

Despite her personality, Yang typically favors subdued, earthen colors in her outfit. Her main attire consists of a yellow crop top with her own personal emblem of a burning heart, with a tan vest worn closed over it, black short shorts, half of a tan pleated skirt and a longer, semi-transparent white half-skirt both worn under her belt, zip-up knee-height brown leather platform boots, orange socks of differing lengths, a gray bandanna on her left leg worn over her sock but inside her boot, and fingerless black gloves. She is almost never seen without her weapons, Ember Celica, worn in their collapsed/disguised state as golden bracelets on her wrists. She also usually wears a well-worn, hand-knit orange scarf that has embroidered on one end "Property of Yang Xiao Long: Official Badass". If she's not wearing it, the scarf is folded away somewhere on her person.

Artwork by So-bin (upper left), bojue yu yaojing (upper right), koyoriin (lower left), Kuro (lower right), and Rooster Teeth (center).

Yang is the kind of person who will teach someone to swim by pitching them into the water. She is an extremely straightforward individual and possesses a great deal of confidence. She is energetic, cheerful, and bright, but also very flippant and carefree. This manifests in her always making jokes--especially puns, especially bad ones--and sarcastic comments even in the heat of battle. This doesn't mean she's incapable of seriousness, as her banter is reserved solely for those opponents that she knows don't stand a chance against her; she's serious and uncharacteristically silent against foes that she regards as a threat.

Beneath her flippant--even vain--exterior lies a woman capable of deep passions and powerful emotions. First and foremost is her love for her younger sister, for whom she would turn the world inside out and flip it over to keep happy. Because of her having helped to raise Ruby after Summer's death, Yang has a powerful maternal attitude, always seeing to the needs of her friends and doing her best to ensure their happiness, even and especially at the cost of her own. She forms fast friendships, and adversities just as quickly, but in many cases she's been known to overcome her dislike of people who initially riled her, so long as they're not truly bad people.

Yang's deepest and truest fear is of abandonment, something she has suffered from all her life due to her birth mother walking out of her life before she could even remember her. That trauma has left a deep-seeded sentiment in her that she is somehow unwanted or unworthy of being loved. She fights off these fears in two ways: first by surrounding herself with as many friends and acquaintances as she possibly can, and by her lifestyle of adventurism and thrill-seeking.

Born on Nantucket Island, Massachusetts, to Taiyang Xiao Long and Raven Branwen, Yang would never know her birth mother. Just days after her birth, Raven would walk out of her life forever, saddling Taiyang with the care of a boisterous and inquisitive newborn. Fortunately for them both, the maternal void would soon be filled by Summer Rose, the woman who Yang would always consider to be her true mother--later in life, she would angrily refer to Raven as little more than a womb donor.

After two years, Yang would receive what she has and still considers to be the greatest gift  in her life: her younger sister, Ruby Rose. Standing in the delivery room with Summer resting from labor, Taiyang holding Ruby for her to meet, and her infant sister grasping at her finger, little Yang made a promise that has guided her life ever since:

I will cling, I will clutch
I'll hold onto you, I won't turn away
I won't leave, I won't go
I'll stay with you all of our days.

For a time, life was perfect for the Xiao Long-Rose household. Their father a teacher at a nearby junior high, Summer spent much of her time raising her two girls, instilling in them kindness unto others, love of family, and compassion for all living things. To Yang, Summer was super-mom: slayer of closet monsters and baker of the best cookies. And Yang made good on her promise to Ruby, playing alongside her and taking quite a few bumps and scrapes so Ruby wouldn't have to.

At age six, Yang was given a shiny Stufful by her father, whom she named Mr. Buttons. The little bear Pokémon could always be seen in her company, taking after her in many ways, especially in being protective of Ruby. Soon thereafter, it became clear that Yang would take after her father, a former boxer. Summer insisted that Taiyang properly train her so that she wouldn't hurt herself by trying to imitate him, and so Yang's lifelong combat style was set.

Shortly before turning seven, Yang noticed a change. Summer, ever a symbol of quiet strength, seemed to be more tired, less capable of keeping up with her daughters, and leaning more heavily on Mr. Buttons to look after them. Her father seemed more tense as well, and her uncle Qrow was visiting more often. Ruby didn't seem to either notice the changes or be bothered by them, and so Yang kept her concerns to herself so as not to upset her little sister.

Her sharp-eyed uncle, however, picked up on her unease and took her aside to talk. She told him of her concerns, and he broke the news to her as gently as he could.

Summer was dying of cancer.

Yang confronted her parents with this knowledge, who confirmed it as truth. Summer, in particular, apologized profusely for the deception, but she hadn't known any other way not to upset the girls. Yang looked out the window to see Ruby happily playing with Qrow, and didn't blame them for their reasoning, but knew that Summer's unexpected death would utterly crush Ruby.

Shortly thereafter, Ruby was told of Summer's failing health, but a five-and-a-half year old could barely understand the concept of death. Yang hastily explained that Summer would be going to Heaven soon, where she would become a guardian angel, protecting people like in the bedtime stories that Yang would read her. The drawback was that Summer wouldn't be able to come home after going to Heaven. Although it broke Yang's heart to tell such a tall tale to Ruby, she felt it worth it in order to spare her sister that pain.

Summer passed peacefully at home five months later, the day before Yang's eighth birthday. On Qrow's insistence, Yang's birthday party was held anyway, but the mood was not joyous. Of all the gifts she received that day, only one would remain in her mind: a hand-knit orange scarf, her last gift from Summer. She has never since been seen without the scarf, either wearing it or having it folded away in a pocket. Since that year, Yang has stopped celebrating her birthday, instead choosing to mark her memories of Summer.

Taiyang fell into grief at Summer's death, and in his drunken despair, revealed to Yang the truth of her birth mother. Still battling with her own grief, Yang rationalized the knowledge that Raven had abandoned her along with Summer's death just before her birthday to imply that she was unwanted. She shared this discovery and conclusions with Ruby, whose only concern was that she was about to lose her big sister as well. Yang reminded Ruby of the promise she had made at the latter's birth: no force on Earth or in Heaven could ever tear their sisterly bond apart.

After discovering what she thought was a clue to her mother's whereabouts, Yang waited one evening for Taiyang to pass out, then loaded her sister into a wagon and set off into the state forest in pursuit of the clue. She walked for hours, pulling her sleeping sister behind her, until her feet were bruised and her body exhausted from the trip. She found the abandoned cabin she sought, but not her birth mother. Instead, a pack of wolves inhabited the structure, wild and hungry, and in tears Yang came to the dreadful realization that she had just served them up fresh dinner in the form of herself and--worst of all--her sister. Too exhausted to even cry for help, Yang fell into the wagon and shielded Ruby with her body, startling the younger girl awake. Telling the groggy child to go back to sleep--she did not want Ruby to be awake to see her die--she prayed that her body would be enough to sate the hungry wolves.

Without warning, the dark forest lit up in artificial day as a Xuilyn descended from the trees, encircling the wagon with her body and protecting the sisters with a literal ring of fire. For nearly half an hour, the fire dragon held the wolves at bay as Yang helplessly clung to Ruby, buying them time until Qrow--tracking them--caught up, his reaper's blade exacting a dire price on the wolves that had dared threaten his nieces. As soon as their safety was assured, the Xuilyn disappeared into the forest once more, but it was not to be the last time that their paths would cross.

Returning home with Qrow, Yang was ashamed of her selfish actions that had nearly killed Ruby. She resolved that, while she would still try to find Raven, she would step into the void left by Summer's death and help to raise her sister. The near loss of his daughters scared Taiyang straight, and he once more became a respectable father, if a bit eccentric.

When the time came for her Pokémon journey to begin, Yang was reluctant to head off, unwilling to leave Ruby behind but equally aware that she might unintentionally put Ruby in danger again if she brought her along. Finally, she was coerced into going under promise that her father and uncle would watch over Ruby. Even her little sister assured her that she would be fine, and expected her big sister to bring back lots of stories and cute Pokémon.

With those assurances in mind, Yang set off on her journey with Mr. Buttons at her side. Within a few days, she was met in the forest by a Xuilyn. Yang remembered that it had been one of this Pokémon that had saved her and Ruby, and as her Pokédex informed her that this species was not native to her area, she wondered if this could have been the same one. As if in answer to her question, the Xuilyn lit off a Sunny Day, set a ring of fire around Yang, then curled in a defensive circle around her, demonstrating beyond doubt that this was the very same Xuilyn. Yang thanked the Pokémon for saving her and Ruby those years ago, and was surprised when the Xuilyn--which her Pokédex had informed her was a reclusive species that avoided humans--wound itself around her and nestled its head against her orange scarf. For the briefest of moments, Yang recalled the warmth of Summer's all-encompassing hugs. She found that the Xuilyn had no intention of going anywhere without her, and so she invited the fire dragon to journey with her. Because the Xuilyn had saved her and Ruby, and evoked so many memories of her mother, Yang bestowed the name Summer on her.

Traveling with Mr. Buttons and Summer--and a lot of other Pokémon that came and went--truly awakened Yang's love of adventure, wanting to explore and have fun rather than chase after the Pokémon League. That didn't mean she wouldn't challenge Gym Leaders--she would never, after all, hide from a battle--but whether she won or lost was no big deal; the fun was in the battle.

By the time she returned home to continue her schooling, she had close to a dozen badges and a large network of friends. Now no longer roughing it on her journey, she grew her hair out and began to meticulously care for it, developing her distinctive look. It took nearly no time at all for the locals to learn that messing with her hair was the fastest way to get to the hospital. As the years passed, Yang grew into an attractive and popular teen. Between her looks and her natural charisma, she had huge numbers of friends, but would always forgo social interactions if her sister needed help with homework or anything else. Still following in her father's footsteps, she took up boxing and weightlifting in school, becoming known in the area as the Burning Beauty for her fighting skill and her explosive--when provoked--temper.

It was around then that Yang discovered her ability to use Aura to supercharge her attacks, especially after taking damage. This knowledge instilled a sense of temperance in her, knowing that she was capable of inflicting grievous harm on people. Summer, she reasoned, would have been proud of her.

In the background of her daily life, Yang continued to search for her birth mother. Her search led her to numerous underworld contacts, among them Hei Xiong. After a disastrous first meeting which saw her trashing his night club, they got off on a better foot after she also trashed a small crime ring that had gotten on his bad side. Realizing that it was better for business not to be in a low-intensity war with Yang--or any intensity for that matter--he made peace with her by gifting her a Pangoro, and agreed to provide her information she needed so long as she did the same.

On her sixteenth birthday, she received her motorcycle, which she named Bumblebee for its color scheme, from her father, riding gear from Qrow, and the gyroscopic stabilizer upgrade from Ruby. If at all possible, she became even more renowned after this, but the local police largely let her be as she didn't present a danger to the public.

Yang might have spent her entire life in the area around her hometown, were it not for the encroaching threat of the Darkness. The entire Xiao Long-Rose-Branwen family felt the pull to stand in the world's defense, and Yang believed that this foe was the reason that her Aura power developed. Ruby, the mechanical prodigy that she was, devised weapons for them: a hybrid scythe/rifle named Crescent Rose for herself, and a set of telescoping gauntlets with built-in shotgun function for Yang to increase her already-considerable melee power. Yang named the paired weapon Ember Celica.

With her new weapon and resolve at hand, Yang expanded her activities to hunting down and destroying any Darkspawn that came near her home.

Martial Abilities______________________________________
└-Weapon specializations and fighting styles.

Mixed Martial Arts: Primarily a front-line combatant, Yang specializes in hitting heavy and both tanking and evading return attacks. Her major focus is on boxing-style fist attacks, complimented and enhanced by her primary weapon, but she is also capable of using her feet and executing grapples.

│
├─Classification: Physical
├─Category: Fighting Style
└─Power Level: Master

Regular Abilities______________________________________
└-Skills, professions, knowledge and talents.

Mechanic: From doing most of the maintenance on her motorcycle herself, Yang is somewhat skilled in automotive repair and maintenance.

│
├─Classification: Talent
├─Category: Knowledge, Skill
└─Power Level: Journeyman

Unique Abilities_______________________________________
└-Powers unique to the character.

Heart of Defiance: Yang possesses a unique ability through her Aura. When she suffers pain, either physical or emotional, the adrenaline and endorphines created in response are amplified and turned into increased strength, speed, and durability. Though this power creates a positive feedback loop of combat ability, she is still limited by her endurance and the potential of taking an instantly-incapacitating blow, as well as agile enemies capable of avoiding her attacks. Further, attacks that deal very little damage do not engage her ability. This power has a visible affect on her: her normally lilac-colored eyes turn red, and flames emanate from her hair. No upper limit on how much strength this feedback loop provides has yet been determined. Currently, Yang is misinformed as to the nature of her ability, assuming that it is only triggered in response to taking physical damage or becoming angry.

│
├─Classification: Aura
├─Category: Aura Semvlance
└─Power Level: Inherent

Weapons_________________________________________________
└-Weapon and munitions.

Ember Celica: Yang's main weapon is a pair of combination gauntlet/shotgun called Ember Celica (Heavenly Fire), developed to augment her fighting style. Disguised as a pair of golden bracers in their inactive state, when activated, they extend into full-length gauntlets that protect and cover her entire forearms, concealing a rotary chamber that can each carry one belt of a dozen 12-gauge shotgun shells. These shells are triggered by a palm mechanism, allowing her to either use them for increased damage to her strikes or as an impromptu ranged weapon. She carries two types of ammunition belts: beanbag for use against humans (and the occasional Pokémon) that she deems requires the extra oomph, and 12-gauge slug for use against Darkspawn; two of each type are carried at any given time, for a total of four belts.

Miscellany______________________________________________
└-Small items, tools, or other important belongings.

Bumblebee: Yang's personal motorcycle, custom-built to her specifications. As a sport-class motorcycle, its design emphasizes aerodynamics and speed, with a top speed of 250 kph. Its coloration matches her personal scheme of yellows and oranges, and possesses a sophisticated gyroscopic balancing system that, while originally intended to let the bike remain upright without the use of a kickstand, allows her to perform maneuvers that would put any other rider on the ground.

Two Betrayals - A night out turns into a fight for Yang's life in a new region.