Table of Contents
Introduction
A member of the Midnight Rangers, a young girl as gentle as breeze, capable of calming those around her.
Rather than making herself stand out, she prefers to accompany at others’ side quietly. Only offering necessary comfort whenever she senses the person’s needs.
However, when faced with protecting the things she dears most, Yangyang will not hesitate to convert her gentleness into blades.
A heart willing to believe is the start of everything. One should first harbor good expectations, and then make them come true.
Weapon: Sword
Attribute: Aero
Name: Yangyang
Birthday: October 11
Class: Natural
Storyteller of the Winds
“I hope I can be the one to embrace all that you are, and share with you all that you carry.”
Character Stories
There are always this kind of people in a social circle: he or she lets out a feeling that things are just achievable if he or she were to do them, even though this person has yet to start or has never done them before. Yangyang is precisely one with such feeling.
*“Yangyang, she… seems to be able to do everything well.”*
This unwavering trust probably comes from past examples. Since childhood, she has excelled in her studies, including etiquette, music, literature, mathematics, and martial arts… She always ranked at the top in all subjects and exams every year. Even when encountering new knowledge or difficult problems, Yangyang never showed fear; rather, she would actively try to solve them. Yangyang was always one of the representatives invited to deliver speeches on annual academy ceremonies.
However, behind everyone’s back, Yangyang would, just like others, take breathes to calm her nervousness before speaking. Every time she started or tried something new, she didn’t have complete confidence.
Though Yangyang does have some talent for seeing the principles behind things, it is nothing compared to true geniuses. Every problem that a common person would run into is equally problematic to her.
During her first practice of swordsmanship, she almost stumbled due to being unable to control the force of her sword swings, let alone perform a complete set of sword techniques. However, she knew that the more unproficient, the harder she should try.
In the following two months, she practiced 100 times a day, besides constantly seeking advice from more experienced seniors, and unreservedly admitting her shortcomings. Then, she would continue to practice 100 times a day with a self-reflective attitude, improving on the deficiencies pointed out by others. In this way, her muscles finally adapted to the soreness, and she became able to stand a few strikes from an opponent.
And with another two months, Yangyang, once again, ranked the first at the examination of swordsmanship. Some people felt sorry to see Yangyang working so hard and decided to comfort her: *”Life is not perfect. And I think the affirmation and praise from others are already enough. It’s okay not to do so well.”* Yangyang would always first thank the goodwill with a smile, then shook her head to reject the advice. No. The girl was not after praises, nor any superiority over others. She was competing against herself, almost crabbily.
Was she doing her best? Was everything done perfectly as she possibly could at the moment? Could she face herself with no regret and no shame? *“That’s our Yangyang, doing so great as always. I knew you’d make it!”*
As Yangyang became an Outrider and succeeded in identifying and helping to resolve a regional clustering anomaly of TD, people gave her appreciations as usual. True this time, but how about next time? Yangyang sees the parts where she could work harder, and the blind spots where she could learn more. Should she ask the senior members of Midnight Rangers for advice, so she could do better next time? To be a person that others could trust without hesitation is a task that takes hard work beyond imagination. Nevertheless, Yangyang is the kind of person who spares no effort in the things she recognizes, no mather how difficult they might appear.
Most people don’t know that Yangyang has absolute pitch. Perhaps that is because Yangyang has never taken the initiative to sing in front of people, or perhaps it is because most of the time, she retreats to the corner, giving the stage to others. It seems that she is only suitable for the role of a listener. That is why when Yangyang accurately hummed a melody she had only heard once, Chixia’s eyes popped with surprise: *“So, so quickly? And so beautifully!”*
Suddenly, everyone remembered Yangyang’s other identity, the second daughter of a family of music. It would be only unnatural if she didn’t understand music theory or know how to sing.
This identity of Yangyang resolved some of the previous confusions. That perfect way of dealing with people, that etiquette which seemed faultless to even the most demanding people. They derived from such a source. However, a great confusion follows. Why would a daughter of a renowned family go to the border alone, at the expense of her otherwise lucrative life and promising career? Was there an undeniable reason? Incidentally, such a reason was never heard of from Yangyang.
Be it the Outriders’ duty, or down times with friends, she never tried to shirk responsibilty, or complained about the hardship. On the contrary, it was her companions that became her trouble, because… she was always the one listening to them talking. Some kept narrating, not for telling right from wrong, or working out a solution, but for letting off steam. Yangyang knew this too well, so she would not take a stand, but set herself blank and try to understand the feelings and needs of the narrator at the moment. She would not interrupt the narrations; she would only give hints when the narrator struggled or felt embarrassed. Then she would return to a silent listener.
With her help, all those intertwined, complex emotions were cleared up without being noticed. The talking sessions paid off. Of course, listening was by no means blindly agreeing. If advice was needed, Yangyang would never hesitate, but her primary principle in giving advice was to prioritize the wishes of the talker.
Chixia’s praises aroused great curiosity among the crowd, and everyone jokingly asked when Yangyang would sing a song. Yangyang waved her hand as if she was too shy, saying, “How about… me singing it for you when I’m ready later?” Yangyang looked sincere, so it seemed not just perfunctory or an excuse. It was truly what she thought from the bottom of her heart. However, when would that be? Maybe by the time all those wishing to be heard finish talking? One who could understand others’ performances and give suggestions must also be a person who understands music. But being proficient in oneself did not necessarily mean one has to take the stage and perform. It would also be a good thing to be an audience.
With these thoughts in mind, the girl took two steps back and gave the stage to those she truly felt needed it.
To some extent, there isn’t much difference between the sixteen-year-old Yangyang and the six-year-old Yangyang. She still holds the same expectations for the world, believing in fairy tales as always, believing in the goodness between people, believing in miracles, believing that all things beautiful will eventually happen.
Some would say this is naivety born from luck. Only a spoiled child who hasn’t seen the harsh side of life would think this way. This is mostly true. Suffering didn’t play a big part in Yangyang’s growth. She was born into a wealthy family who cherish her well. She lived behind a natural barrier, on the luckier side. Everything was going as expected. Until an accident.
A storm known as reality slipped into her world through a casual creak at the age of 11. A bunch of long laying Exiles launched an assault against a caravan operated Yangyang’s family. Before she could understand the death and cruelty human would bring to their own kind, she was forced to flee. She was taken to an unknown settlement.
The barren settlement was inhabited by thin, capable people who were able to make a living in wild by their hands.
Still in the shock, Yangyang could not tell if they were the same as the wicked scoundrels who had assaulted her. A similar alert haunts the people, too. They suspected if it could be a trap, given Yangyang dressed so well but was travelling alone. In the end, they passed food to her, and she took it, though she’d never seen it. Kindness finds its roots even at the most barren of lands.
Yangyang wanted to repay the trust they released before her, but her knowledge proved not helpful at all in the wild, and her sword proved too childish against real hostility. She was so alien to everything, yet this was the very things most people had to face, so agonizing, but so overwhelming.
*“Grandma, have you… been living like this all the time?”* As Yangyang tried to help an old lady of the settlement to sort out the poor resources they had, she couldn’t help but asked this abrupt question.
*“Yes, why? Girl from town. Shocked? Relax. Everything will be fine.”*
*“But when? Will things really be fine?”*
*“Of course. How will things come true if you don’t even believe them yourself? We couldn’t be sure you didn’t come here in malevolence in the first place. It’s the same. You just have to believe in something in life. You don’t believe things only when you know what’s gonna happen. That’s not believing.”*
*“As for when. Hm, maybe when you’re an adult.”* Maybe Yangyang hasn’t seen enough misery in her life so far, or maybe, whether one expects things has nothing to do with one’s experiences, but one’s nature. There is always someone who feels the kindness because of the unconditional trust that comes out of the barren. The practice of kindness, in turn, gives birth to another hope.
Ever since then, Yangyang would always express trust first when facing strange people and strange things. Of course, her goodwill doesn’t come without principles. Whenever her trust is failed, friendly breezes may turn into piercing gale. A heart willing to believe is the start of everything. One should first harbor good expectations, and then make them come true. This is the one belief she chose out of the many ways to stop the world worsening.
Yangyang fell from wind three times.
The first time was from mum’s swinging arms. It was not long after Yangyang was born and encircled by love. Mum held her in arms and swang for fun. The game pretended she was flying and landing. When mum swang a little too hard, she was really thrown into the air for a moment. It was at that moment she understood the whispers of wind, even before she could understand human language. In the short fall of an arm, she was made aware of the moist of a coming storm.
Yangyang babbled after she landed, which was interpreted as being frightened due to the accident. No one knew it was actually due to a storm that came shortly after.
The second time was from the dizziness of overload. As she grew up, the vague sensation became a readble, accurate conveyance. Intangible airstreams would converge in Yangyang’s palms. She would call them the “Streams”. They would let her know things as abstract as the fluctuations of energy, and signs of anomalies, or as detailed as a person’s dressing, physical actions, and even pauses in his or her words. Everything that is exposed in wind is sensible to her.
However, this trapped Yangyang in a myth. She wanted to make full use of this ability and sense more things. The more Yangyang wanted to take everything into consideration, the more she is lost to the endless details.
It might not be precise to describe what follows as “fall”, because it travelled through time, rather than space. The overload lasted for months sporadically. Between faint and soberness, Yangyang almost perceived herself as feather overwhelmed in raging storms, falling down endlessly, until… *“I cannot reach every detail of things. What I really should do, is to find the real key within my limits”*.
An enlightenment hit the young lady, when she finally landed herself from the fall.
The third, but maybe not the last time, was when Yangyang leapt up and threw herself in the embrace of wind. When the overload left an irreversible mark on her hair, Yangyang got herself out of confusing dilemma of overload. Though the Streams always carried redundant details, the one who receive them could discriminate and filter out the useful information. Traces of struggle at the place of disappearance, abnormal fluctuations outside the city, and a continuous increase in energy reactions…
…Yangyang has never tried to sense in such an urgent situation before, but she is determined to take action purely based on her own desires, regardless of the outcome. The Streams surged, gradually converging into a clear and unique line. And at the end of that line, it was the figure of the missing child – being closely pursued by TD. She, in a panic, was about to fall off the cliff. Without thinking, Yangyang leaped towards the bottom of the cliff, reaching out her hand towards her. As feathers fluttered, the trajectory of the drifting airflow formed a wind field, gently yet powerfully holding the falling girl and the child. Looking around the feathers lingering around them, the child clapped her hands in delight and asked: *“Sister, are you the a lark fairy that flies along winds?”* Yangyang was lost in thought. As she recalled the past entwined with the wind, she smiled.
Probably… It is indeed so.
On her journey away from home, Yangyang has met two kinds of people. The first kind always seemed in such haste, yet remained unsure where they were heading, and often ended up lost and returned in regret. The other kind always had a clear destination in mind. They always made it finally, despite arduous roads and occasional stumbles.
Yangyang held up her head and looked at Jinzhou in the distance, unsure if she could be considered one of the second kind, but the existence of these two kinds of people left her undecided. Once again, she thought of the term *“One Instrument for Life”*. *“One Instrument for Life”*. That is the most important principle in Yangyang’s family teachings. Originally, it meant that every family member could strive to excel in everything, but they must choose one musical instrument to specialize in and practice continuously throughout their life to become a master.
As circumstances changed, the principle gradually evolved into dedicating one’s entire life to one pursuit, striving for excellence to make this life worthwhile.
Mum’s instrument is composing. Yangyang had seen people dance to mum’s songs. On the other hand, Yangyang’s sister was already an expert in the commerce chamber. However, Yangyang could not easily make a decision as they did. What was the thing worthy of dedicating her life to? What person should she be?
She turned to mum for help. Do you want me to inherit the family business? Or, what do you want me to do? I can try anything and I will definitely strive for excellence. Although life is full of infinite possibilities, in the end, we can only choose one path, right?
Mum looked at her with love and said, my child, it is precisely because of this that you should not seek answers from me, but rather ask your own heart. This is a difficult question, but you need not be in a hurry.
So, Yangyang kept this question in her heart, waiting for the answer for a very long time. So long that she had returned home from the barren settlement, so long that she had climbed back from the endless fall, so long that she had grown tired of the family’s protection, and that she felt like joining the people she once met and immersing herself in the world’s bitterness. She no longer wanted to be just a thin leaf; she wanted to carry weight, and wanted the reality to engulf her.
A surprise strike took place in the wilderness. News of heavy losses due to TD on the frontline spread back to the city, filling the crowd with grief, anger, and despair… The surging emotions were as if water boiling over in any minute. People gathered around the bonfire No one knew who was the first, but people all broke into tears. The men were reluctant, while the women cried until their voice went hoarse.
But by the next morning, everything returned to normal. Grief became a luxury. Standing among them, Yangyang did not suffered any specific loss, but she shed tears because of their weeping. Their tears of sorrow were lighted up by the smiles of the rescued children.
After experiencing all these things, she finally realized what kind of person she wanted to be – she wanted to protect others, just like she had been protected before, so that they could be spared from misfortune, they could either cry out loud or look forward to a better future.
On the night when she was officially enrolled as an Outrider, Yangyang came alone to the edge of Jinzhou. She looked up at the sky and down at the residents living there. She asked herself whether she really had the power to protect these vibrant citizens, as she had always envisioned. The Streams came from afar and gently held the girl in their embrace, releasing this one last worry of hers. They told her, Jinzhou was the destination for Yangyang the second daughter to a wealthy family, but the start for Yangyang the Outrider.
Treasured Items
Yangyang’s blue beret always has a delicate ribbon attached to its brim. It’s her signature look, and a precious gift from her mother before she embarked on her journey. To Yangyang, it symbolizes her mother’s blessing and marks the start of her own journey. She holds onto the resolution she made when putting on the ribbon, determined to see it through until the end.
“The skylark’s song is about to sound.”
As Yangyang grew accustomed to the constant presence of Streams, she began to contemplate capturing the fleeting sound of the wind. With the help of Baizhi’s modifications and innovative energy conversion technology, a device was created that could store the streams as visual and tangible information. Whether it be the gentle sound of snow falling on a mountain, an untold story, or a poignant moment that brings tears to one’s eyes, Yangyang now had the ability to record these realities that her senses were attuned to.
Yangyang has been crafting wind chimes since she was a child, using polished jade crystals in the shape of birds as plectrums. Starting with just a few, she has now collected and gifted dozens of them to her loved ones. Each one is different, with intricate designs that evolve over time as Yangyang adds new plectrums and adjusts their placement. She sees it as a never-ending journey, with endless possibilities for interpretation. Despite not knowing what kind of melody the wind chimes will eventually create, Yangyang stays true to her original intention – a lifelong pursuit of perfecting her craft, just like her family’s tradition of “one instrument for one lifetime”.
Inspection Report
Evaluation Basis [Resonance Assessment 1011-G]
The exact time and cause of Resonator Yangyang’s Awakening remain unclear. Resonator Yangyang reports heightened sensitivity to her surroundings since her childhood.
The Tacet Mark of Resonator Yangyang is located in the center of her forehead. Post-Awakening observations found no notable physical changes. As frequency fluctuations resurge, limited feather-like transformation has been observed on the ends of her hair.
Resonator Yangyang synchronizes with surrounding air by detecting information in air streams and creating an energy field using converging airflow.
The Resonance Spectrum Pattern of Resonator Yangyang displays over 20% resemblance to that of airflow and smaller bird species. While a strong Syntony reaction is present, the pattern also shares over 5% similarity with multiple other existing samples, indicating potential multiple or contaminating causes of Awakening.
The Rabelle’s Curve of Yangyang displays a stable increase with occasional fluctuations within normal range. Therefore, Yangyang is identified as a Natural Resonator.
The waveform graph for Resonator Yangyang displays stable elliptical fluctuations in the Time Domain with no abnormal patterns. Upon examination, all results fall within normal parameters.
In terms of Resonant Criticality, Resonator Yangyang ranks at a relatively low level with high stability. Examination results appear to fall within normal parameters with no risk of Overclocking.
Resonator Yangyang has a documented history of Overclocking. Maximum recorded Overclocking rating: Negligible.
During the event, Resonator Yangyang experienced emotional overflow and temporary loss of Forte control. Fortunately, there were no casualties or hazards reported, though she suffered several comatose episodes due to the overstimulation. Further examination revealed that Yangyang’s heightened perception was causing harm to her body through her Forte. The aftereffects have since stabilized, but the feather-like transformation on the ends of her hair remains irreversible. Yangyang’s sensory overload has been managed and her emotional state is stable, with a positive prognosis. Routine examinations are recommended for monitoring purposes.
About
We all have an appreciation for beauty, but life isn’t always full of it. I don’t want to always rely on the comforts and safety others provide me with. I must be brave to face the ugly truth. I must be one that guards and gives.
Songs are resonating thoughts from the bottom of our hearts. They represent a person’s truest feelings.
Since I became an Outrider, I’ve met people from all walks of life in the wild. Some always seemed in such haste, yet remained unsure where they were heading, and often ended up lost.
On the other hand, those who had a clear destination in mind usually did make it, despite arduous roads and occasional stumbles.
I aspire to be one of the latter, and leaving home for Jinzhou was the first step I took.
Developer’s Notes
The first character for the Rover to know in the world of Wuthering Waves, Yangyang will be the starting member on your team as you set on the journey. She plays key parts in upcoming stories, as well.
Utmost gentleness is going to be the impression of Yangyang in her long companionship going forward.
Even in this land of pain and destruction, there are still ones keeping their maximal kindness “naively”, of whom Yangyang is an embodiment. She endeavors to find the perfect solution out of the impossible; She dedicates herself to the defense of all the goodness, even sometimes at the cost of herself.
Being gentle never means ever-surrendering tolerance; on the contrary, it brings great power. That warrants a natural depth and a contradiction to Yangyang’s personality: she must be tough and even obstinate to be a practicer of kindness.
Of course, this comes at an expense. On the journey, Yangyang might face crises and loss due to her character.
The images of Wind and Feather. They leave the impression of light and soft. Under some conditions, however, they may show unexpected strength.
These two images come close to Yangyang’s way of being gentle: a soothing, innocent girl in ordinary times, but a warrior like howling winds during fights.
This extends our imagination and reminds us of Percy Shelley’s To a Skylark: “Languor cannot be … Thou lovest, but ne’er knew love’s sad satiety”.
Skylark is not a peculiar kind of bird like Fenghuang or eagle, but it is an idealization, a praise for beauty and happiness.
May Yangyang bring solace to you just like a skylark, in this world of surging tides of sounds.
Gentleness might be one of the classic tags of a character that is most common but most difficult to define, especially for Yangyang, as she is not “weak” in the way people would generally tell of a gentle character.
With that in mind, when Yangyang was being put into shape, we hoped she could shine more different lights to catch your attention, except from the above-mentioned images of skylark and feather.
For example, a sense of first love. Yangyang’s general impression is warming, just like your childhood sweetheart, who has been here so long, that you will always recall the first sight of her, no matter how far you have gone, or how many faces you have met.
Another role she plays is a listener who senses the breezes. Yangyang is not someone of strong mood swings; instead, she listens quietly, and feels closely. She connects to the wind, in her way.
Hence, a girl soothing like the wind and yet strong in her senses, came to Rover’s side.
Gallery
