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[fists_of_funny]

So, figure we'd better make sure this radio actually works. Hellooooo convoy, this is Yang Xiao Long, in the yellow and black muscle car. You all picking this up, or am I just talking to myself here?

Comments

[fists_of_funny]

Hey Blake, what's up?

[Yang is grinning so loud Blake can hear it through the radio.]

Yeah, I got a similar set-up in mind. Honestly, the screen looks really out of place in a car this retro.

She's amazing, Blake. Handles like a dream. I can't wait to really put her through her paces.

[Once they stop somewhere with a decent stretch of empty road, Yang is letting her inner speed demon loose.]

What about you, how's the van?

[andnevermore]

Well, it hasn't fallen apart yet, and I can actually keep pace with the rest of the convoy, so I guess it's okay.

[ Blake's grudging acceptance does not give away the fact that she's starting to become fond of her campervan. It's the first vehicle she's ever owned. ]

I'm just glad we've got our Scrolls. These phones look like something from the Great War. I think I saw one in a museum once.

[fists_of_funny]

Well, don't worry, Blake. I got some ideas on how to improve it.

[She can tell her partner is warming up to it despite her words, and after all was said and done, spending the night on a stolen mattress in it had been...pleasant. Even kind of fun. Like going camping. Helped make this crazy situation feel more normal. Something they could handle. Anyway, Yang's got some pilfered paint cans and brushes in the trunk of Wild Rider and some ideas percolating on what to do with them.]

Yeah. Good thing we can charge 'em too. We might not have a signal but at least I have what my browser was open to.

[Yang has not traditionally been much of a fanfic person, but there is one author who's work she's been quietly following doing some really neat stuff with the Ninjas of Love canon. An author who would likely die of shame if she knew Yang had read any of it or worse, was really digging it. An author Yang is currently speaking to on the radio. At least she left kudos.]

[andnevermore]

Of course you do. Just... don't put a crazy engine in it, I'm not sure it could handle it. It'd rattle apart right on the road.

[ Honestly, Blake's going to let Yang tinker on the van however much she likes. She can only improve it; Blake trusts that she's skilled enough that she won't make it worse. Blake, on the other hand, would definitely make it worse if she tried to touch anything under the hood. She knows the basic parts, but. Yeah. ]

I already miss wi-fi, though.

[ Blake sighs. ]

I guess we've got enough to keep ourselves occupied anyway. How are the new ears? Still wolfy?

[fists_of_funny]

Oh, I don't worry, I wasn't talking about the engine. I was thinking more...aesthetically.

[Though there is definitely some work to be done engine-wise. Nothing fancy, just a bit of a tune-up to make it run a little smoother.]

Well, someone else found some tunes to listen to, so maybe we'll get lucky and score some reading material. It was music from his world too, we might find some Remnant novels.

[At this point, Yang would take a copy of The Girl Who Fell Through The World. She's not overly fond of Alyx as a protagonist—most of the problems in the story are a result of her own actions—but her mom did used to read it to her as a kid. It'd be something familiar, at least.]

Still wolfy, and getting better all the time. My hearing has gotten so much better. It was actually a little disorienting at first. Still kinda is, but I'm getting used to it.

How about you? How's the tooth?

[andnevermore]

Still... toothy.

[ Aesthetically?? What is Yang planning on doing to her van??

God, whatever. Blake doesn't mind, whatever it is. Maybe Yang is planning on fixing up some of the cracked windows, which Blake would be super grateful for -- with the way this thing rattles, she's half afraid that the windows might explode. ]

You'll get used to the hearing eventually, I'm sure. You'll actually be able to rely on some more subtle audio cues during combat now-- we'll have to spar, so I can teach you about them.

[ Meanwhile, her own hearing is as dull as a human's right now. Ugh. She feels like she's got cotton stuffed in all four ears. ]

[fists_of_funny]

Good to know. And hey, fangs for the update.

[Oh, oh, Blake. Sweet summer child. Yang feels the agony and ecstasy of creation upon her. Just wait and see, she'll make that van glorious.

But yes, she was planning on fixing the windows too.]

I'd like that. I don't want to lose any steps in a fight because I get distracted. I gotta work on my focus, I think.

[Once she knows the extra noise won't be a distraction, she can learn how to adapt it into her fighting style. This is something dad could never have taught her; Blake will be a good teacher, though.]

Are your senses coming back yet?

[andnevermore]

[ Blake rolls her eyes at the pun, but can't quite smother a smile. It's a good thing she's not physically in Yang's company, so Yang can't see her smile. She doesn't want to encourage more awful puns.

(She does, actually. It's a chronic problem.) ]

Not yet. I still don't know why I lost them when nobody I've met has lost anything.

[ Frustration creeps into her voice. It's not just her hearing, it's her night vision too, and she's especially felt the lack of that lately. ]

But we'll definitely get you used to your new hearing. You'll love it, actually. Subtle sound can be incredibly useful in a fight. The rustling of clothes, the adjustment of a weapon, the way footsteps can sound. All of these things can tell you a lot about their movements when your back is turned, or about their intentions even when you're facing them.