Yang looks down at the stuffed animal as it turns to look at her in return. It stared at her for a few seconds before waving at her. The confused blond was unsure whether to wave back or blast it with a dust round.
"Yang this is my Aunt Lulu. Lulu this is Yang Xiao Long." Vitus says with a chuckle. He walks over and picks the moogle up and places it- her?- on his shoulder, before offering his hand to help Yang up off the floor.
Yang stares at the little witch before glaring at the boy. "Alright explain, do you have some kind of puppeteer semblance?"
Vitus shakes his head. "No, my semblance is called Oversoul, it's an inherited semblance that only one person in my family can have, once the previous owner dies it passes to the next child born."
Yang stares at him for a few seconds, it's not unheard of for a semblance to be genetic, Weiss' glyphs were after all, why couldn't one like his exist? "How does it work."
He winces. "The easiest way to explain it is that I collect souls." He says as he scratches his temple. "It sounds bad but it's the only way to say it. If someone dies near me their soul comes to me. I then can use them to amplify my strength, speed, and senses; or restore my Aura."
Yang stares at the pajama clad huntsmen in horror. "So you absorb people's souls and steal their energy. You're basically killing them again?" She says, her voice more combative than she intended.
"No, when I use the soul it's like a water wheel, the soul is the river that turns the wheel then it goes to wherever souls go no worse for the wear." He says hurriedly.
"How do you know?" Yang asks.
"A few generations ago, several family members of the current bearer died and after she used them, they told her as they disappeared."
"And they believed them." Yang asked skeptically.
Vitus looked down. "We have to," he whispered. The moogle on his shoulder began to pat his head and Yang swore it's marble eyes were glaring at her.
"What about… your Aunt?" Yang asked feeling awkward referring to the toy as a person.
"My Aunt's body is in the hospital in a coma. She was a huntress and one of her missions went South and she went into a coma. Due to my semblance I could communicate with her and when the doctors declared her brain dead, she told me to try to put her soul in her weapon 'Onion Witch," he says pointing to the stuffed animal. "She said better to try and die, then just wait for her body to give out." He shrugged. "It worked so now she sticks with me since she can't get too far from me without returning to her body."
"So she's still alive." Yang asked.
He nods "Technically I don't know, depends on your definition. Her body is alive without her soul which is in an inanimate object."
Yang sits down on the bed and holds her head in her hands. This guy's semblance is bizarre. "You made more sense when I thought you were bat-shit insane."
Vitus shrugs and nods. "I know. If it helps you're taking it better than most people do."
Yang scoffed. "Really? I find it hard to believe anyone would have trouble accepting that someone's semblance is basically necromancy!"
The man glares at Yang. "I'm not a necromancer," he growls.
Yang shifts away from him a bit at the venom in his voice "Okay," she says before getting up and moving to the door. "Get packed and meet me in the lobby in an hour. We'll be traveling light, I have my motorcycle so backpack only and before you try to get all macho I'm driving you're riding." He rolls his eyes but nods as Yang exits the room to find Miss Goodwitch looking over the railing at the lobby below. Yang walks up and leans against the rail.
"Do you agree?" Goodwitch asked softly.
Yang says. "Yeah, he can come." she concedes before turning to the headmistress. "He controls souls?"
"Not exactly," Goodwitch says. "But I will admit there is not much of a discernable difference. But he does treat the souls with respect." Yang shot her a sceptical look. "He never once used his semblance on school grounds. He only used it on missions where it mattered. With his aura restoration ability he could have been invincible. Even in the Vytal Tournament two years ago he didn't use it even though he was a point away from disqualification when he and his partner won the doubles round."
"And his 'Aunt?'*
"After his first spar in my combat class he was banned from having her in the ring with him."
"You believe him?"
"He does have an Aunt in a coma that is completely auraless that had been a huntress of some skill."
Yang nods choosing to accept Goodwitch's word, after all what would she gain from lying? "But souls?" Yang asked unable to let it go.
To Yang's shock Goodwitch smiled. "Did he inform you of his original team name?"
"VILN."
"I was somewhat proud of that name. The entire team had semblance fit for a comic book villain."
Yang looked at the strict woman in shock. "You read comics?"
"No," the older woman said. "I am, however, not ignorant to their contents. I am a teacher of teenagers Miss Xiao Long, I hear more about such hobbies than I care for."
"What could they do?"
"Blood manipulation, create spheres of absolute darkness, and his partner emitted a pheromone that created an illusion for any who smelled it."
Yang shivered at the thought of each of those semblances. With the possible exception of the darkness each one sounded freaky to fight, at least Vitus' wasn't so obviously weird. If the semblance is an extension of the soul what we're his teammates like? Yang was pulled out of her thoughts by the man in question coming out of his room, and stopping when he saw the two blonds. He was dressed in a pair of dark jeans, white T-shirt with a black vest a knee-length wool trench coat was slung over his left shoulder while a backpack was in his left hand. Lulu was riding his right shoulder.
"Ready?" Yang asked with a smile hoping he didn't know that they were just talking about him.
He shrugs. "I have one errand to run, but it would be better if you came along instead of me having to come back."
"Alright then, let's head out," Yang said slamming her fists together.
"Actually Miss Xiao-Long, I would like to speak to Mr. Waters alone for a moment if you wouldn't mind." Goodwitch said, the tone more demand then the words used.
Yang nods and walks to the elevators and does her best to not look like she was spying on them… as she was spying on them.
Vitus was speaking, if his gesturing arms and moving head were any indication, and Goodwitch didn't like what he was saying, since her frown was a bit deeper than usual. Goodwitch speaks, her stance combative before Vitus says something else and she nods though it seems to take effort. Vitus nods back and turns and starts walking toward Yang, a deep frown marring his face. Yang hit the button for the elevator and it opened just as he arrived and they both entered.
"What was that about?" Yang asked softly as the doors shut.
"She was just telling me to be careful," Vitus says after a moment.
"It seemed like more than that." Yang prods.
He shrugs. "My teams were closer to her than the other teachers. We went on several missions with her and got to know her pretty well. She helped us when half of us died and she's been trying to help me since the fall."
Yang nods even though she can't see the stern Miss Goodwitch offering support in that way.
The doors open to the lobby and the pair began to walk toward the entrance when a voice rang out causing all the heads in the lobby to turn. "Waters!"
Yang turned and saw Coco Adel jumping from the second floor to land in front of Vitus who let out a groan. "Yes Coco?"
"Looks like someone's got a hot date." Coco says with a teasing smirk. "Well I have to say I approve, glad you aren't falling too far away from perfection." The fashionista runs her hands over her body earning an eyeroll from her former paramour.
"I'd say it's a step up," Yang says crossing her arms in a way that lifts her breasts.
"Ladies please," Vitus whines as he looks down with a sigh.
"Oh really Xiao Long? He's got a pretty big appetite, think you can handle it?" Coco taunts.
"Lets not do this now," Vitus groans.
"Of course, Every night goes for Xaio Long he can last and is guaranteed to end with a Yang." Yang says ignoring her traveling companions comments.
"And the puns are back, great."
Coco smiles. "Fair enough so where are you two lovebirds off to?"
"Mistral," Yang answers.
Coco's smile disappears. "What's in Mistral?"
Yang tilts her head in confusion, "My sister and team JNPR."
Coco glares at Vitus, "And why is Vitus going with you?"
"You know why," The man in question says just before a slap rings out and Coco storms away in a hug. Vitus brings a hand to his now red cheek and sighs. Yang's eyes glow red and she starts to storm after Coco when Vitus grabs her robotic arm. "Don't," He says softly.
"But she just-"
"I know what she did but I'm asking you to not worry about it." Vitus says calmly.
"Is that usual for her?" Yang demands
"First time and believe me she already regrets it." Vitus looks over to where Coco went and loud crashes can be heard.
"What's her deal?" Yang asks her eyes fading back to her normal lilac.
"She's been overprotective since the fall, she's probably not happy I'm going out into the wilds and risking my life when, according to her, I'm not ready yet." Vitus says letting go of her arm now that she's calmer.
"She sounds like a mother instead of an ex." Yang says.
"An apt description," He says with a laugh. He stops laughing as Coco walks back up and stands in front of him.
Coco takes off her sunglasses and looks directly into his eyes. "I'm sorry… I shouldn't have done that."
Vitus nods, "You were already forgiven. Tell Vel and the guys goodbye for me?"
Coco closes her eyes and nods before she stands on her toes and kisses Vitus, her hand gripping his hair tightly. Yang's eyes widened as she looked away as quick as she could. "Something to remember me by." Coco says before she lets go of him and stabs Yang with her finger. "And you make sure he comes back."
"Coco," Vitus growls in warning causing Yang to look at him in confusion.
"Promise me Yang," Coco demands, her brown eyes hard.
"I'll do my best," Yang says, after all nothing is certain anymore.
Coco scoffs. "See that you do." She turns back around and stabs Vitus in the chest. "And you, don't think I won't tell the others that you tried to slip out without saying goodbye. You're going to have one pissed of Bun after you." Vitus looks away from Coco and walks out the door. "I mean it Yang, you bring him back alive. Even if you have to drag him by his hair kicking and screaming." Yang nods and follows after Vitus.
When she catches up she finds him looking at the sign for the building. "You ready?" Yang asks. Her new companion looks around the street for another moment before nodding. "What's the errand you need to run?"
Vitus just smiles.
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Two hours later the pair are racing through the northern gate of Vale. Yang on her beloved Bumblebee and Vitus on his brand new motorcycle, that he named 'pyrefly' after her prodding. His errand had been to pick up the bike that he had bought from his scroll while he was getting ready. Unlike her's it was designed for a hunter instead of converted, so it was a bit bulkier to make up for the reinforcements so that it could withstand crashes, and grimm. It had a pitch black paintjob, but the parts had a finish that caused them to change colors depending on the angle.
"You said you had a faster way?" Yang asked through the headset that he had bought for her.
"Yeah, There's a decent sized port on the other side of the continent. We'll catch a boat there instead of in Vale and it will cut over two weeks of time." He said as he stood on the back and pulled the bike so that it was on one wheel.
"What are you doing?" She asked with a chuckle.
"Testing the balance." He leaned further back so that the wheel came out from under him and his feet hit the ground. With a grunt he pulled the bike over himself and jumped back on the vehicle making a perfect arch over him. "And the weight."
"Not trying to show off to a pretty girl?" Yang teased.
"Nope, just wanting to see what all I can use it for combat wise."
"Well at least your moves are fluid,"
"Please stop."
"You don't like pun-edy?"
"Not when I'm drowning in it."
Yang stays silent.
"Damn it." Vitus says with a sigh as Yang starts to cackle.
"So what do you have to do with JNPR?" Yang asks deciding to give the man a small reprieve from her brilliant brand of comedy.
He goes silent for a moment. "There's something that I need to let them know… and then a choice I need to give them." He said softly.
"What choice is that?" Yang asked only to be met with silence. As the silence stretched on Yang thought about everything that had gone on today after Goodwitch came to her house. "Is it what pissed Coco off?" She asks only to be met by more silence. "Or why Goodwitch was upset?" She heard a growl through her headset before he revved his engine and took off putting some distance between them as they flew across the road.
Yang sighed as she heard the beep that meant he had muted his headset he could still hear her but the message was clear. Yang reached up and muted her own headset deciding that she had tried to pry into her new partner for the day.
She mind went blank at the thought. Did she just think of him as her partner? Did she really just replace Blake so easily?
It's not like she cared enough to stay.
Yang growled and grabbed the handle bars tighter as she copied Vitus' and accelerated angrily. Why shouldn't she replace Blake? After everything they had been through together, she ran when Yang needed her most. Without even a goodbye.
Yang's eyes started to mist before she blinked away the building tears. How would Blake do that to her? She had told her about Raven, about her search and she still just left.
She is pulled from her thoughts when a rapid beeping breaks through her anger. She reaches up and hits the mute button.
"What!" She snaps into the mic.
"What do you mean what? Look ahead." Vitus says pointing in front of them. Up ahead is a small way station built about a half day's journey on foot. A pack of beowolves we're circling it trying to find the best way in.
"Think there's people inside?" Yang asked wondering if the Grimm were just checking out an empty structure.
"Maybe, but I want to see how you do in a fight," he says.
Yang scoffs. "I'm more than capable, it's you doubt."
She sees his shoulders tense before he looks over his shoulder at her. "Excuse you?"
"Come on old man show me what you got."
"Listen here whippersnapper. I got more skill in this brand new bike than you have ever shown." He says, a teasing tone laid on extra thick.
"Prove it then." Yang says.
Vitus' smiles and speeds ahead faster letting out a whoop that has the beowolves turning their attention to him. He flies toward the leader that rears back it's paws ready to attack. Yang watches as Vitus' pulls the break on the front tire and kicks the back end so that the rear of the bike hits the Grimm in the snout sending it flying. "How's that?"
Yang smiles as she pulls up next to him and parks the bike as she gets off and deploys Ember Celica. "That'll do."
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So author's note. I had this idea at the end of volume 4 and I finally decided to start writing it. It's going to be Yang centric. As for Vitus don't worry. Once he does what he's traveling with Yang to do he'll take a step back in importance.