Empty Cup

Bumblebee’s engine quieted as she pulled into the parking lot, doubling over as she rested her head in her hands. Her breaths came in shallow, ragged gasps as she shook, eyes squeezed together. Normally, the exhilaration of the illegal street races was liberating, but tonight… Tonight was just empty. So, so empty. The cold air bit at her skin as the tears dripped onto the blacktop, doing her best to hold back the sobs. She really should’ve been at home with Ruby. She should’ve done more than just leave a forced happy note on the fridge with dinner. She should have been there, comforting her little sister, not out here racing. But the ten thousand lien prize had just been enticing and she’d won but… It was just a way to try to get away from the reality of the date and she knew it. Damn it. She was supposed to be stronger than this. She wasn’t supposed to cry. She needed to always smile for Ruby’s sake, to be her rock, shelter, and protector. She had since the day of the memorial service since Taiyang had decided to get shitfaced at the bar then bury himself in his work at Signal. She’d held everything together for seven years, but tonight, she just— A hand on her shoulder made her jump and she engaged the Ember Celica, forcing the back into resting mode a heartbeat later. An elderly man in robes smiled at her and she rubbed the back of her neck. “Er, sorry…” She really couldn’t believe she’d almost attacked a priest! The man just continued to smile and shook his head. “It’s quite all right, miss. I just heard the bike engine and had a feeling someone needed my help.” She looked down at her hands, squeezing them together. How had he— Oh . She could faintly feel his aura reaching out to hers. It was subtle and something only the most advanced aura users would be able to detect. So his Semblance, at base, the opposite of Summer’s or something like that… Definitely very fitting for a priest. But hell, she hadn’t even noticed the giant chapel in front of her. She really was upset, wasn’t she…? “Please, come in.” His voice was soft but she shook her head. “I’m not somebody you’d want inside.” She raced illegally, drank at just thirteen, got into more fights than needed, flirted with people multiple years her senior… She was a mess of complexes, guilt and mistakes underneath her seemingly airheaded veneer. She’d screwed up so much while raising Ruby that she was certain Summer was rolling in her grave over them. She wasn’t the sort of person that belonged inside a chapel. The priest just shook his head, continuing to smile. “You have nothing to worry about, child. Verana welcomes all, regardless of mistakes. Flowers are most welcome after the harshest winter, after all.” Verana… So they worshiped the goddess of spring here, huh? She didn’t know much about Remnant’s innumerable deities, but the etymology of the name and the stateme were more than enough to clue her in. “I shouldn’t. I need to get home to my little sister. It’s late enough and it’s a school night.” A glance at Bumblee’s dash told her it had ticked over into the 25th and that the hell day had finally ended. She really did need to get back to Ruby, but she didn’t want to go back to the pitch-dark house and feel Summer’s lingering presence again so soon. “Miss, I can sense your exhaustion, Please, come inside and rest for a time. Verana opens her arms to all.” Normally, she would’ve protested more but… She was weary to her core. All she did was nod and push off Bumblebee, taking off the Ember Celica. Most urban churches had a policy against weapon carry as she’d learned at Signal just earlier that week. The priests just gave a small nod of approval and led her inside where she placed her gauntlets in a locker he provided her. She blinked as they ended the sanctuary and saw the pews lined with sleeping people. MOst were obviously homeless or down on their lock, but several appeared to be better off and downright wealthy… What were they doing in such a place? Her thoughts just earned a chuckle from the man who looked over the dozens of people. “Unlike a lot of chapels, we have a long history of helping even the least fortunate, human and Faunus alike. We were among the first to join the Faunus Truths Foundation and Human Coalition For Faunus Equality almost immediately following the Great War.” That… was more than a little surprising. But it did get a small smile from her and she nodded. “That’s good. I take it has something do with your interpretation of Verana’s doctrine?” She really didn’t know much about religion in general. About all she’d heard even in school up to this point had been the passing comment about the weapon policy. All she knew was that there was a huge pantheon of gods and no particularly correct interpretations of anything. Myths had dozens of different incarnations, so there was no ‘true’ interpretation of any one deity. “Correct. Verana is the goddess of spring, life, water, and fertility. To turn anybody away based upon past deeds or race would go against her teachings. We are to plant seeds and nurture them, not destroy them before they’ve brown.” Yang’s small smile vanished as she folded her arms, looking down and away. That reminded her so much of how Summer had seen things. Despite her retirement, she’d continued to meet with and nurture her old friends on Team ORHD as well as other Hunters that passed through their doors. No matter what, she’d always given of herself even though she was supposed to be retired. She felt the priest put his hand on her arm and she sighed. “Miss, another of Verana’s teachings is what I greeted you with. Winter is a time of rest so the earth can rejuvenate itself for the harvest spring, summer, and fall will bring about. Please, rest here tonight and tomorrow. I know you likely have school tomorrow, but I get the sense that you’ve not had a break in a long time.” She glanced over at him and could feel her eyes flash a little. “How deeply does your Semblance read?” The man blinked, his eyebrows shooting up as he pursed his lips together. “I felt it the moment you came out. I don’t appreciate somebody probing my mind like this.” Normally, a Semblance like this wouldn’t have worked on her since she knew how to protect herself mentally. Right now, though, she was just so exhausted that she didn’t have the energy to keep her walls up. “Forgive me. Normally this helps put people at ease. I’m surprised though; even professional Hunters twenty years your senior wouldn’t have sensed it. You must be rather enlightened, if you’ll allow me the Mistrali term.” Thankfully, she could feel his aura retract from hers, but she said nothing, looking around the magnificent sanctuary. It had to be centuries old due to the sheer splendor and structural work. Chapels like this just weren’t built anymore due to how secular society was now. As far as she knew, it’d really dropped off after the Great War… A high, pure soprano made Yang’s head snap up. Her purple eyes fixed on a young woman standing near the altar, hands over her heart. She sang in some form of ancient Valian, but even though she couldn’t understand the words, her tears flowed down her cheeks anew. It took only a few more seconds for Yang to hit her knees and start sobbing for the first time over seven years. Hard cries echoed in the sanctuary and she heard them, hating herself for losing it like this. She couldn’t hold back the grief any longer and finally let go. She just curled into a ball and let herself cry. All of the self-hatred, -doubt, confusion, and despair from the past seven years turned her blood to ice, but she didn’t fight it anymore. She was just so…tired from everything. She actually welcomed sleep for once as she felt it call out to her. Yang’s eyes snapped open and she sat upright, looking at her scroll. She buried her face in her hands as it clattered to the floor. It was past one and she knew she wouldn’t get to school in time even on Bumblebee. She hadn’t missed a day since she’d started except for the couple of times Ruby had gotten sick and she’d had to take care of her. Plus, she’d completely missed cooking breakfast and lunch for Ruby so— A hand on her shoulder made her look up. The young woman from the previous night sat on the pew next to her and offered her a tray of food, filled with a hearty breakfast. A bit of pink came to the young woman’s cheeks, her soft blue eyes awkward. “It’s kind of cold and I know you need more than this with how you’re a Huntress in training but…” Yang just shook her head and settled her feet on the floor. “No, it’s fine; I’m not picky as long as it’s not charcoal.” She made a face as she thought about her disastrous beginnings in the kitchen. She’d eat somewhat burnt things, but past that and she’d probably be in the bathroom soon after. The young woman nodded and slid the tray onto Yang’s lap and she demolished it in short order. The young woman just smiled in amusement and Yang managed a small one of her own despite herself. “Thank you; I appreciate it. And you have a beautiful voice.” The young woman’s cheeks heated a bit more and she ran her fingers through her long, black hair. “Oh, thank you. I tend to sing only when people are asleep since my voice tends to help them have pleasant dreams. It soothes weary hearts and minds…” Yang just blinked as she nodded. Sounded like her Semblance was similar to Summer’s in that way. How odd. Was it a common thing among clergy? And she could feel the faint spark of unlocked aura despite her not being a Huntress so… “You’re welcome.” Yang offered her one of her usual warm smiles as she clicked back into her normal mode. Her own grief and emotions didn’t matter especially when others were upset around her in some way. “So are you clergy here?” She wanted to put her at ease if at all possible so it seemed like a safe question. Thankfully, she nodded and smiled, relaxing a little. “Yeah… I grew up in this congregation and want to continue to serve the church. I’m not much of an actual believer but…” Yang blinked and the young woman shifted. “What…?” “You’re dedicating your life to a single goddess you don’t even believe in?” That…didn’t make any sense to her. Okay, sure, she hadn’t originally wanted to be a Huntress, but after Ruby had expressed interest… Well, she wasn’t going to leave her little sister to go off on dangers missions like that alone. Now she did want to be one and couldn’t see herself doing anything else. “I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable. This is my first time in a chapel, so… I don’t really understand any of this…” Thankfully, the young woman relaxed again and smiled. “Even though this chapel is in the name of Verana, you’ll find most people that attend here—and most Valian congregations really—don’t believe in their patrons. For the most part, chapels are gathering places for like-minded people Here, we don’t even really hold services in Verana’s name aside from twice a year; we just provide a refuge for people to rest and regenerate themselves.” Yang just blinked again. How strange. This was a religious institution and it was more secular than religious. She knew that Vale’s society was extremely secular, to she hadn’t expected it to this extent. From the sound of it, this was the norm, not the exception. How utterly bizarre. Regardless, she smiled a little more. “Can’t say I was expecting that, but I have no room to judge.” She wasn’t involved, so she really did have no room to comment. “Are you interested in music?” Yang tilted her head to the side at the question and the young woman gave an abahed smile. “If you are, maybe you’d be interested in joining choir practice tonight? You don’t have to know anything; we’ll accept anybody as long as they can stay on rhythm and pitch…” Yang’s smile vanished and she looked at her hands, knuckles turning white. “I…shouldn’t. I need to get home and take care of my little sister. I’ve never left her alone like this.” She really only could imagine just how upset Ruby was. She hadn’t left her overnight before. They went their separate ways at school, of course, but overnight? Not once in seven years had they not been in the same bed. Sure, Yang could get home at late hours if racing or going to a club, but she always returned. She couldn’t imagine just how terrible Ruby felt without her especially on the anniversary of the day Qrow had given them the news. But she really didn’t want to go back—at least, not yet. She was just so weary to her core that she was tempted to stay another night. Not having to worry about bills, school, cooking, cleaning, keeping up her cheer… It was…rejuvenating in a way. She really did need to get back but… “…I’ll stay here until tonight.” She knew she pushed herself to unhealthy levels, but she couldn’t let up, not when she had raising Ruby on her shoulders. But she could let herself rest, just for this once. She laid back down and closed her eyes, the world going black immediately. A light tap on Yang’s shoulder made her snap awake and she sat up, rubbing her eyes. Through the stained glass windows, she could see dusk falling. But the young woman from earlier had another tray of food for her and Yang managed a small smile. “Thank you.” She let her feet drop to the floor and ate quickly while the young woman sat next to her. “It’s really no trouble. Miss. We live to serve here.” She smiled warmly and Yang gave a tiny nod. The people here really did seem kind and for the first time in seven years, she actually felt a bit rested. She was still bone weary, but just a little bit of the exhaustion seemed to be gone. She really did need to get back to Ruby but… “So where’s the practice room?” The young woman’s smile grew and Yang returned it. It’d been far too long since she’d last sang just for the joy of it. Summer’s death had turned it into yet another way to keep Ruby calm and to cope especially the songs Home and All Our Days. So to get the chance to sing again just for the enjoyment of it… It was like a dream come true. She followed the young woman to the choir room and blinked, feeling a bit of warmth enter her cheeks. “Oh, uh, sorry for not introducing myself. I’m Yang Xiao long.” She could be rude quite a bit and she knew it, but something as basic as her name for someone helping her like this? Summer would be so disappointed. The young woman just smiled and shook her head, resting a hand on Yang’s shoulder. “No, it’s fine, Yang. This is a new experience for you and you’re tired; I don’t think anybody can be too upset with you for forgetting.’ yang just looked down and away, begging to differ. Summer had drilled introducing herself into her in her youngest years… Thankfully, the young woman picked up on her discomfort and motioned to the room. “My name’s Melanie Marcet. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Yang. We always welcome anybody interested in joining us if even for one night.” Yang gave a small nod and entered the room, knuckles white beneath her leather gloves. She looked like a hardcore biker in her riding  gear, so how would they react? She looked like such a delinquent, considering she was a minor that drank and drove without a license. Nobody really seemed to notice as they walked in and Yang managed to breathe a sigh of relief. She saw kids her age and younger to the eldest men and women. She caught sight of more than a few obvious dye jobs and one or two mohawks along with some teens and young adults dressed in spikes, leather, black, skulls, and more. The fact there were well over a hundred people in the room surprised her, but at least it meant she didn’t stand out as much as she thought she would. Normally she wouldn’t have cared this much, but she was in such an alien environment it was hard to not be on edge. Melanie tugged her over to the woman behind the piano who had the same hair and eyes—no doubt her mother. The woman smiled and waved Yang over by herself. She hesitated for a moment before nodding and walking over. “Mrs. Marcet?” They just bore such a striking resemblance to each other… The woman nodded. “What’s your name, dear?” Yang’s hands balled into fists at the sudden reminder of Summer using that with her and Ruby the rare times she spoke. Her vision blurred, but she shoved it back as always. No, she had to be strong. “I’m Yang Xiao Long. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” She put on one of her usual smiles, but she knew it didn’t reach her eyes especially with the small flicker in Mrs. Marcet’s own. She just had to fake it till she made it. It had worked to get her through Summer’s death and would work here. It had to. Mrs. Marcet nodded again, keeping the smile on her face. “Do you have any level of musical experience? We don’t require any prior, but it’s still nice to know what everyone’s level is.” The topic, at least, did make the smile genuine as Yang pulled a composition notebook out of her bag, flipping open to a page. The time signature was 5/11 and she saw Mrs. Marcet’s eyebrows draw together. “I grew up reading these gons with only a rudimentary knowledge of music and no guidance. I’d say I have more than a little experience. I also play psaltery.” Summer had started teaching her before her death. She’d wanted to stop but after Ruby had refused to sleep for four days following the service, Home with voice and accompaniment had been the only way to get her to sleep for quite some time. Even now, it was the best way to get her to sleep on bad nights. Mrs. Marcet leaned to the side and offered Yang some sheet music. “Join whatever section you feel you’ll fit best. We have first and second for both soprano and alto. First soprano starts from the left. Just ask around as people start to get settled and they’ll help you. And you’re free to join us for some light refreshments afterward if you’re so inclined. Practice will start in about ten minutes, so do whatever you want until then.” Yang gave a small nod and retreated, holding the music to her chest. This…was going to be interesting… Yang smiled as she sat down in a chair, Melanie at her side and they both started munching on their snacks. “So what did you think, Yang?” “Honestly? It was great.” For the past two hours, having to hold everything together hadn’t crossed her mind. It’d just been her and the music with nothing else weighing on her shoulders. It wasn’t a feeling she’d had in seven years and she one she’d sought so desperately. She’d wanted a way to just…surrender and not worry since Summer’s death for even a moment. She felt terrible about it as Ruby was anything but a burden to her, but being in Big Sis Mode 24/7 was…exhausting. “You do look a lot better than when you came in. If you want to come back, service is every Saturday and practice is every Friday.” Melanie smiled and Yang nodded. “…Yeah, I think I will.” She really hadn’t felt this good in years. She felt like she could take on things a lot better than before. She really did need to take some time out for herself like this. Ruby would be fine for a few hours two nights a week. Plus, if she was feeling this good, it meant she’d be able to handle things even better which meant a higher quality of life for her little sister…