#ember celica

Character: Yang Xiao Long

Version: Vol. 2 Hunter

Series: RWBY

Character: Yang Xiao Long

Version: Casual Original Fashion

Series: RWBY

You can see me lose my braincells at the 2015 Anime Expo dating sim booth, JEsus.

Fanime 2016 iirc Blake by Xion Ruby by ItLivi

SacAnime Summer 2016

Photos by Toshi Studios

Neon Katt by Suzu

Flynt Coal by Jovian iirc

Character: Yang Xiao Long

Version: Default Season 1

Series: RWBY

Ooookay, I'm going back to the simpler format. I need the calmer approach. Also, the Hunters/Weapons au is a far more relaxed one.

Enjoy.

--

It had been a normal Saturday so far.

Magnhild and Storm were training their fighting style to a new sonnet Magnhild composed the previous night, Crescent was nowhere to be seen (probably hunting down Grimm to relax herself), Crocea and Shroud went out with Myrte for a movie and 'teach her to relax', while Ember spare time to cook a dinner, humming a tune to herself.

Then Miló entered, groaning half frustrated, and half on the verge of tearing up.

Ember, looking back from stirring her chile with meat: "Something's up girl?"

Miló: "It's just-- Agh! Just--"

Ember: "Go on, you can use full sentences."

Miló: "I think I'm cursed."

Ember, lowering the flame and leaving the pot to sit with her friend: "Cursed? How?"

Miló: "Look."

She pulled up the pieces of Pyrrha, stuck in glaive mode, but snapped in half, with the wiring that acts as string in bow mode hanging from one of the halves, and at least one spring showing from the other.

Ember: "Damn, girl! Where you using it to smash the pavement?"

Miló: "This is the fourth time this week alone."

Ember: "Come again?"

Miló: "Yeah. No matter how careful I am, something happens that makes Pyrrha break into pieces. Today it was simple target practice; I threw it at the target as a glaive, and it transformed mid-air into a bow."

Ember: "But..."

Miló: "It did hit dead center." she shrugged "It's still me."

Ember: "Humble as always."

Miló: "But the impact in bow form made it snap open, like a spring trap!"

Ember: "And this is the fourth?"

Miló: "First time it was just the string. No big deal, re-string with a sturdier wire."

Ember: "Second?"

Miló: "Mechashifting gear got jammed. Replaced it with a new Atlesian model."

Ember: "And the hat trick was..."

Miló: "Fire Dust explosion." sigh "While aiming as a bow."

Ember: "Ouch."

Miló: "Yeah." cracking her neck "I replaced the Dust chamber with an sturdier one from Valean steel."

Ember picked up one half of Pyrrha, inspecting the snapped piece and the loose spring. She lightly tapped the exposed spring with a fingernail, and it jumped off, flying right into the trashcan.

Miló: "It has to be a sign."

Ember: "A sign of what?"

Miló: "I'm trying to figure it out. But this kind of insistence has to be a divine message."

Ember: "Yeah." she shrugged "The message being 'tighten your screws'."

Miló groaned again, throwing her head back while Ember set the broken half Pyrrha on the table again. She leaned over, resting on an elbow.

Ember: "Have you considered... making a new one?"

Miló recoiled like she'd been slapped.

Miló: "Blasphemy."

Ember: "Just a suggestion."

Miló: "Pyrrha is an heirloom."

Ember: "Pyrrha is currently two heirlooms."

Miló: "She has history."

Ember: "She also has her insides on the outside."

Miló crossed her arms, looking away while slightly pouting.

Miló: "I repaired her every time."

Ember: "You replaced the string."

Miló: "Yes."

Ember: "You replaced the mechashifting gear."

Miló: "Yes."

Ember: "You replaced the Dust chamber."

Miló: "Yes."

Ember pointed at the snapped shaft.

Ember: "And now you're about to replace the shaft."

Miló: "That's just maintenance."

Ember: "At this point the only original part left might be the name."

Miló opened her mouth, then paused, closing it and putting her hand on her chin, thinking. She was only pulled from her thoughts when Ember opened a pair of soda cans, offering one to Miló.

She sighed again, taking a sip of the soda.

Miló: "You don't understand."

Ember: "Try me."

Miló: "Weapons carry meaning."

Ember, looking back at where Yang was resting against the wall: "They do."

Miló: "Pyrrha represents discipline. Faith. Devotion."

Ember: "And catastrophic mechanical failure."

Miló: "Ember."

Ember, snickering: "Sorry."

Miló: "If I replace her" running a thumb along the broken metal "It won't be the same."

Ember thought about that for a moment as Miló gently picked up one of the halves of Pyrrha.

Miló: "This weapon has been with me since I began training."

Ember: "And since then you've replaced half of it."

Miló: "That doesn't make it a different weapon."

Ember tilted her head.

Ember: "Okay, question."

Miló: "Yes?"

Ember: "When the string snapped the first time.. was it still Pyrrha?"

Miló: "Of course."

Ember: "When you replaced the mechashifting gear."

Miló: "Still Pyrrha."

Ember: "When the Dust chamber exploded and you rebuilt it."

Miló: "Still Pyrrha."

Ember: "If you replace this part too." gesturing at the broken shaft.

Miló, hesitanting: "...still Pyrrha."

Ember, spreading her hands, smiling a little: "So it's not the parts."

Miló looked down at the weapon.

Miló, setting the pieces down: "...no."

Ember: "Then what makes it Pyrrha?"

Miló thought about it for a moment.

Miló: "The history."

Ember: "Which you carry."

Miló: "The purpose."

Ember: "Which you give it."

Miló looked up, as Ember sipped from her soda calmly.

Ember: "Pyrrha is the weapon you fight with."

Miló slowly glanced down at the two broken halves.

Miló: "You really think I should--"

Ember: "Build a new one. Yes."

Miló: "That sounds so wrong."

Ember: "Call it Pyrrha."

Miló: "You say it so simply."

Ember: "There's no reason it can't be simple."

Miló sat quietly for a moment, stirring her soda can a bit. Out of nowhere, another screw fell off from Pyrrha. Miló and Ember watched it roll a bit, then fall off the table.

Miló: "I could improve the bow stabilization."

Ember: "Good idea."

Miló: "And maybe rethink the mechashifting."

Ember: "Yeah?"

Miló: "Yeah, I need the glaive's pole to be sturdy, but the bow's arc to be flexible. It can't be the same piece for both."

Ember: "Starts to sound like you have a clearer vision for your girl there."

Miló, looking at the pieces one more time: "But it will still be Pyrrha."

Ember: "Of course."

Miló: "Because it's my weapon."

Ember: "Now you're getting it."

Miló paused.

Miló: "Can we eat first before I start rebuilding my destiny?"

Content, Ember got up and lightened up the pot again, stirring the chile.

Ember: "Here, try a spoon and tell me how we're doing with the flavor."

Miló, taking the spoon: "You sure? I'm not much of a chef."

Ember: "You're the one having a spiritual crisis. This will ground you."

Miló blew on the spoon once, then took it. There was a pause, then she stiffened as her eyes widened.

Miló: "Aaaaah!"

She grabbed the soda can and chugged half of it in one go.

Miló: "What did you put in there? Fire Dust?!"

Ember calmly took the spoon back and tasted it herself.

Ember: "Eh, could use some lemon."

Miló: "I think I saw my ancestors."

Ember: "What'd they say?"

Miló gripped the table, sweating bullets.

Yang Xiao Long is someone whose passions burn as brightly as her golden locks. Always the first to try and lighten the mood, but make no mistake. This little dragon of the sunrise has a wicked set of claws.

…well, gauntlets, actually.

Hello and welcome to RWBY Weapon Review Wednesday, the weekly series where I pretend like I know anything about weapons. This week I’m taking a look at Yang’s gauntlets, and will be judging them on five criteria: Design, Short Range, Long Range, Mobility, and Versatility.

Description Ember Celica are a pair of ”Dual Ranged Shotgun Gauntlets.” Basically, they’re a pair of bracelets that expand into gauntlets, that are also shotguns. The shotgun function is triggered by… punching. Somewhat unorthodox, but you gotta hand it to Yang, it works. After she lost part of her right arm to Adam Taurus (we’ll get to his weapon next week), she got a prosthetic arm, with the post-Volume 7 version having an upgraded form of Ember Celica incorporated into it. The Volume 7 upgrade also gave her sticky bombs she can attach to enemies or object and detonate remotely.

Design Ember Celica is on the simpler side design wise. Bracelets that transform into gauntlets. And shoot. Not the most exciting, to be honest. It obviously fits with Yang’s fighting style, and it allows her fights to be focused more on the martial arts choreography. And I will say, I do appreciate having at least one member of Team RWBY with a relatively simple weapon when compared to her teammates, some of whom (like Blake) have very complicated weapons. But with that said, while I don’t dislike the design, when judged on their own, they’re not overly interesting. Also, I didn’t like her first arm, the gun part looked weak. Her Volume 7 upgrade was much better though. 5/10

Short Range Yang obviously excels in hand-to-hand combat. Her own personal golidlocks zone is when she can punch you in the face. And Ember Celica does enhance the power of her punches with the exploding blasts. Thing is though, Yang’s punches would be strong with or without her weapon, especially once her semblance comes into play. 5/10

Long Range There is something kinda funny seeing Yang punching the air to shoot people at a distance. I just envision Yang being like ”Man, I really wanna punch that guy, but he’s all the way over there…” and then taping a gun to her wrist, My joking aside, Ember Celica are decent at range, not mind blowing, but the explosive blasts have a pretty good range and are decently powerful. 6/10

Mobility Yang can use the recoil of the shotgun blasts to enhance her mobility, such as to boost her jumps, or change directions mid-air. Kinda similar to how Ruby uses Crescent Rose, so I’ll reward a similar score this time. 6/10

Versatility Surprisingly versatile for as simple as these weapons looks at a first glance. They enhance her already strong punches, they allow her some long range options, some mobility, and the gantlets can even be used in a defensive capacity, should that necessary. Then there’s her Volume 7 upgrade, the sticky bombs. These are definitely among my personal favorite Volume 7 upgrades, they do a lot to spice up Yang’s fighting style. The obvious application is to apply them to an enemy with a series of rapid punches and then detonate them at a distance, but she can also use them for traps, which she did to great effect while working together with Blake in the fight against Vine Zeki and Elm Ederne. 7/10

Oh, wait, there's also the vibrate function! 10/10

Bonus Round! (a.k.a. I read the trivia section on the wiki) So the name Ember Celica is… kinda interesting. ”Ember” of course refers to a small fire, or a dying fire. Fire motif fits Yang, of course. Celica can refer to a few different things… such a latin word meaning ”heavenly” or ”celestial.” Which also kinda fits, she’s named after a dragon, and there are a bunch of dragon that are considered celestial or god-like. However, celica can also refer to… a bell pepper… or an amaryllis flower.

I’m not sure what they were going for, but regardless of what it actually means, Ember Celica is just a cool name, so I will reward a bonus point. +1!

Final Score Yang Xiao Long’s Ember Celica gets a final score of 30/50!

Not bad at all! Although, despite the high score, I don't think I’d go as far as paying an arm and a leg for Ember Celica… maybe just the one arm.