I made some sketches for Drifting Legacy on my pixiv. Google [Corvid's Éclair pixiv] or copy the link below.
Pix iv (dot)
net/en/
artworks/126600393
Check it out to see how Tessa looks like.
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Chapter 16: Sanguine Sonata
Part 3: Waltz under the moonlight
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(((Soren)))
Well shit.
I just came to say hi to Neo, nothing fancy, just me coming to offer her a job that she's probably going to reject. Honestly I wasn't really expecting much. I just want an excuse to meet her and introduce her to Jaune. RWBY fanfic category does not have enuff Jaune x Neo madness.
Than I came into this underground clinic through some shady backalley and what do I found?
Neo Politan having a Corpse Party.
Man, I hope you get that reference. It was flimsy but I tried man. The Writer had made so many nonsense joke for the past month and few weeks that I'm pretty sure he had short-circuited his sense of humor.
"What did I missed?"
Is that fucking Roman Torchwick? I was wondering about where the hell is he in this AU, and now here he is!
Though instead of his iconic bowler hat he wore a straw-hat instead. And wear red shirt with fisherman shorts instead of his classy suits. What are you, a pirate? What's next, you're going to Gomu Gomu no Pistol over Ruby?
As if this fanfic isn't already weird enough with Neo being a sadist healer now. I was pretty sure The Writer wants to ripoff that doctor OC that Coeur made, but ripping off another dude's fanfic OC is just too low, so he settle with the most psycho canon character he know off, Neo.
"Oh, the thugs had just harassed our poor lady here, so I take them out.", I answered Roman, figuring I should cover up Neo's carnage by claiming it was me who did it.
Roman looked over my armbadge. "A Drifter huh? Am I in trouble here?"
"No, you're not. Hey Jaune, how about you go to the sink inside that room. Go wash out the vomit taste in your mouth, my dude."
Jaune mumbled some replies as he hastily went into the treatment room. Roman just shrugged and went inside. Probably trying to dig something up from Jaune.
Damnit Jaune. Why did you have to pull Vomit Boy on me when I was about to debut you to Neo?! How am I supposed to salvage your image to her!
Relax, Soren. You can figure this out later. First. Why the fuck is that statue alive?
I looked over the frozen statue of a thug by the corner of the lobby. Man, dude's still alive. Yikes. I figure I should just do him a favor and end his suffering.
I picked up a thin baton someone had dropped, and shove it through his eyeball, jam it in with a tap at the base of the baton then I sort of stir around his noggins, scrambling his brain to the death. Yep. That should do it.
Neo had stood next to me as she observe my rather interesting execution method.
[That is a rather vicious method of killing you did there.]
I shrugged. "I didn't bring a knife and I don't want to waste a bullet."
She backed away playfully, graceful as she sways.
[You must be Rasler Coldforge's son]
"Yep, that's me."
[Well then, why is the scion of the infamous Coldforge family wants to meet me? Are you here to hunt me just like how ancestors did to mine?]
I rolled my eyes. "Can't you just talk normally? Reading this bloody subtitles is starting to become a chore, you know."
[Oh silly Coldforge. Do you think you can handle my voice?]
"Try me."
"Cocky boy, aren't you?"
The moment I hear her melodious voice, my lil bro harden. Holy crap. Da hell?! Just hearing her voice gives me a boner?!
Neo just giggles as she see the crotch of my pants bulged. Jokes on her though, if she thinks I'm the type that flustered over having a boner in front of a girl then she is sorely mistaken.
She giggles silently. Yea, you call a dude cocky and it made him cocky. Very funny.
[A confident one, aren't you?]
\(-_-)
[A Sanguina's voice can be very… stimulating. A sentence is all we need to turn any mortal putty. However, it seems you are quite resistant.]
"Eh. Wouldn't be much of a Drifter if I can't resist some parlor tricks."
[Hmph. Well, in case you have not heard my name, I go by the name Neo Politan at the moment.]
"Soren Coldforge. Well, Neo, I have a proposal for you. Let's talk it out at somewhere with more fresh air.
(((Jaune)))
Urghh…. What the hell did Soren had just brought me into.
I gurgle my mouth, trying to get rid the leftover taste of vomit out of my mouth.
"Here, have some chewing gum."
I spit out and wiped my mouth before taking a piece of mint gum from him. "Thanks. Jaune by the way. Jaune Arc."
"Roman Torchwick, at your service!", the guy in straw hat and red shirt grins at me friendly. "Now tell me, Jaune, what's up with the…", Roman clicked his tongue as he gestured slitting throat motion.
I nearly slipped out that we came into the scene of our supposed healer murdering a group of thug, but considering Soren had claimed it as his own, I figure I should follow the lead.
"Well, he is the Murderhobo, if you ever heard of him."
"The Murderhobo?!!"
"Yep, that's him."
"Shit!", Roman take off his hat and wiped his sweating forehead. "He isn't here to kill me, isn't he?!"
"Calm down.", I placated him. "Contrary to the rumors he isn't going to kill anyone just because they stole from the cookie jar or anything. Unless you're an absolute scumbag you're mostly safe around him. As long you don't go full stupid and try to attack him, that is."
"Oh, okay.. okay…", he seems to calm down a little bit. "Well, what are you doing with that guy anyway?"
"Oh, I'm sorta his apprentice?", though Soren hardly actually teach me much. He mostly pawn off my training to Velvet.
"Really? Lucky…."
"Well, how about you? What did you do?"
"Oh me?", Roman smirk. "Well, I am a sailor. I used to sail zeppelins, but nowadays I just sail boats for… trading."
"Oh cool. You know what, now that I think about it, does Soren even know how to sail his zeppelin?"
Roman eyes glinted something
"A zeppelin, really?"
"Yeah, we just finished building one and it's ready to go. We just want to hire a medic but well…",
v(-_-)
Roman peeked outside.
"Looks like they're gone. Tell you what, how about you show me this zeppelin you're talking about? Maybe I can give you some tips about sailing.", Roman grins with a set of pearly white teeth.
"Sure. Why not?"
(((Narrator)))
Well, this would be some cliché romantic stroll under the moonlight if it weren't for the bloodlust between us.
The moment Neo and Soren met each other, they feel a primal instinct to tear each other apart. Predators do not like to share a territory, so by design, they're meant to kill one another.
They had gotten out of the city, heading to the west across the grassland, if they walk further west for a few more hours, they would arrive to the edge of Emerald Forest.
But they weren't heading there.
"This looks far enough."
The Lull City light flickers by the horizon. They are far enough from the city to not alert anyone over their incoming duel.
One is a True Vampire from planet Sanguine, although she had never been there, as she was born into Remnant like many of her stranded ancestors.
The other is a Coldforge, a line of Drifter that had long hunted and consume creatures of magic over six millennia.
"So, how are we going to settle this duel?", Soren asked as a manner of courtesy.
[Hmmm… how about this? We fight until one incapacitate the other.]
"Sure."
Neo then take out several bloodbag and rip out the content. She then mold the blood into a whip.
Soren quirked an eyebrow.
"A whip?"
Neo didn't bother to reply as she simply lashed the whip, the kinetic energy boosted as it travel across the whip and a hypersonic shockwave is released toward Soren as it leaves the tip.
Eyes went wide, Soren dodged to the left, his barely above Low Rank 3 speed had yet to reached sound barrier, but he can get by enough by predicting the path of the shockwaves Neo sends to him.
Damn it, their blood magic scales to Rank 5 alright.
It is to his relief that Neo does not have much blood for her to use. She can't make big moves with the blood she has on hand, so she is trying to make him slip with minimal effort.
Unfortunately for you, I am used with stalling stronger monsters in battle of attrition.
Soren pull out a white sword hilt with no blade from the waist bag behind him.
[Armament Arts: Frostborne]
A blade of ice sprouted from the hilt. Frostborne is a Rank 2 Mythic Arms, forged by Soren with the horn of an Atlesian narwhal. It is one of the few Mythic Arms which Soren successfully created.
It can form ice blade from it's hilt as well as send freezing wind with a slash. Soren had brought this weapon as Ice is one of the few element that can be used to counter a True Vampire.
Soren flared his Sword Aura, which manifest as swirling snowflakes through Frostborne.
[Frost Lunarfang]
Soren sent a few lunarfangs, which are imbued with the freezing power of Frostborne. It collided with several of Neo's whip shockwave and exploded from the force of collision, dropping ice and snow across the grassfield.
Soren enter the whip lashing range to avoid another barrage of shockwave, however this in turn risked him to be lashed. Like a game of deadly skipping rope, Soren jumps, ducks and slides over and under the whip to avoid having his meat torn from the bones.
Whips are not usually this fast.
Sanguinarian Control allow Neo to boost the whip speed to a supernatural level. Soren clicked his tongue as he backflips away from a whip lash which gouged quite a chunk of earth. He's annoyed as he thought he will be fighting a regular acrobat with parasol Neo.
I guess I can't complain. Acrobat and Aikido doesn't matter against foes with comically hilarious physical strength difference.
2 minutes had passed. For Soren this is not a problem. He had trained to do constant combat that can last for hours all his life. A Drifter from time to time has to fight prolonged battle. Some raids doesn't end in a single sword strike.
Annoying Drifter.
Meanwhile, Neo does not share the same patience. She is used to overwhelm her enemies in a large strike. The more enemies she kills, the more blood available to her, therefore the more devastating she becomes, which lead to her killing more people. True Vampire are beings that works best in One vs Many battle.
To engage a one on one duel with a flighty bastard like this? Not so much.
Growing impatient, she decide cut loose and aim big.
[Sanguine Arts: Red Gale]
She swing her free arm and send a blast of wind fueled by her blood magic. Soren was pushed away and now in range to be blasted with shockwaves she send with her whip.
If one had paid attention, they'll notice that Neo had become a little bit smaller.
Soren had no time to even click his tongue in annoyance as Neo send dozens of shockwaves fast. Soren stabbed the ground and an ice walk sprouted, shielding him from the most of it. But, the shockwaves quickly shattered the ice wall.
However, in that few seconds the ice wall bought, Soren had charged his Sword Aura the max output and send toward Neo a huge attack.
[Glacial Trench]
As he swing Frostborne down, the freezing aura slash carved a long trench and freeze everything in its path.
It didn't reach Neo, but it froze a good portion of her blood whip.
Tch.
She clicked her tongue as the whip is reduced chunks of red ice. Her Cells in the chunks of the whip are frozen, becoming dormant and unable to Answer her call. True Vampire, or Sanguina as she called her people as are not susceptible to every known vampire weakness, but their biological makeup is actually more accurate to be said as similar to slime. One may say they are Blood Slimes that simply mimicking human form. Because of this, they are susceptible to Ice element and can easily be freeze.
At least he's not using flame.
Neo already knows how easily Soren can deplete her by just spamming that damnable Ignition Sign those Coldforge passed across their descendants. Unlike Remnant natives, Neo can't produce Aura, so she can't protect her body nor her blood construct from alchemic ignition. Flame had been effective in taking down Sanguina and many of her people was burned down until they were left only a blob of red blood for a body and contained into a jar to be used as alchemic material.
She scoffed. So many of her people was turned into Rubedo, the final ingredient to synthesize a Philosopher's Stone.
Soren now stood in front of her, his ice sword pointed to her heart, not that Neo actually has one.
"Surrender."
Neo smirked. Oh, she may have ran out of blood to use, not unless she willing to sacrifice her own blood mass to form another blood construct.
But does he forget it already?
Sanguina has a haunting voice.
"Kneel."
Soren stumbled, but he didn't kneel. He had resisted at the last second.
"Kneel."
Despite greatly resisting, Soren was forced to one knee. His body shakes as he tries to stand up.
"Prostrate."
Soren slammed his face tl the ground, prostrating to Neo at her command. Her voice is the voice of a goddess. Rarely do mortals can ever resist her.
While speaking casually, her voice has the effect of lulling mortal into a semi-trace state and generally aroused to and adore her with just hearing a sentence from her.
But when used with clear intent, she can command mortals to do anything she wants.
This is the most dangerous ability of Sanguina. The Voice of Reason. Their very voice will become the reason for people's action. How can one resist their own reasoning?
Soren trembles on the ground, struggling to break free from the hypnosis. However his effort is futile. He cannot break free. The difference of power between a Low Rank 3 against a Sanguina ability at High Rank 5 is simply too great.
Its like comparing a stone you can pick with your hand to a mountain.
"lie on your back."
Soren then lie on his back on the grass. His face resigned.
"I allow you to speak."
"Yea yea, I lost. Now are you going to kill me or what?"
Neo smirked. Cheeky brat. The only reason he had a bit of a chance was because she only brought enough blood for a whip, though it do surprise her that he did managed to avoid all the shockwaves, as well as performed a well timed block and prepare a big move to counter.
[I wouldn't want to infuriate your father. So no, I'm not going to kill you.]
"Hah, figures."
[But, I will take your blood.]
"Only if you bite me in the neck."
Neo made a disgusted face.
[Urghh, only animals bite the neck. That is so barbaric.]
"Look, if you're going to drink me anyway, I rather you just bite me in the neck instead of slurping through a straw. I know you view memories through blood, so trust me unless you bite me in the goddem neck, I will fill my blood memories with nothing but the memories of me taking a shit. I'm a Coldforge, Neo. I know how to deny the one thing that matter to you."
Tch, of course his daddy taught him how to infuse memories through blood. Petty trick that's only useful to deny a Sanguina a good time.
[Fine, I release you from my voice.]
Soren sit on the grass, which Neo than straddle him on the lap. Before she bare her fangs, she demanded.
[Give me a good childhood memory]
Soren nodded.
She bit into him and the essence of Soren's memories drip into her throat.
Ahhh… petty trick it may be, but it has it uses. Blood memories is usually a coin toss. Sometimes she got something good. Most of the time it was mundane and boring. One time she harvest a blood bag that only presents her the memory of a college student doing laundry. That was a very dull drink.
((((((((((((((((((((
"And this is how you play the G-string."
An eight years old Soren is learning how to play the violin from his mother. His neck has grew stiff from holding a violin for an hour. He wants to go to his father and butcher a deer already.
"Why do I have to learn music, mother?"
Serene Cromwell's vibrant pink eyes twinkles. "So that you can pick up girls, obviously! You will grow up handsome like your father but I wish you don't end up like a clueless stoic awkward man like him. Hmph! If it wasn't for his dreamy beard I wouldn't even notice he was trying to pick me up!"
Soren just look at his mother with a deadpan face.
"I'm tired mother."
"Fine."
Serene picked the violin from him and began to play a song while she sings.
Waking up, I see that everything is okay
The first time in my life and now it's so great
Slowing down, I look around and I am so amazed
I think about the little things that make life great
I wouldn't change a thing about it
This is the best feeling~~
This innocence is brilliant, I hope that it will stay
This moment is perfect
Please don't go away, I need you now
And I'll hold on to it, don't you let it pass you by~~
Soren sways as he listens to the rest of the song. While he had always dreaded the music practice he did always loves seeing his mother singing.
)))))))))))))))))))))))
Neo released her bite as she was dazed by the cocktail of hormones. The feelings of love and happiness permeates across her body.
Ah, damn you.
Soren smirks to Neo on his lap, one of his hand spills healing potion over the bite wound on his neck and it quickly sealed up.
"Yea. Its so much more vivid and clear than your usual blood trip, right?
Curses, I knew that it's a trap!
Neo weakly try to get away. Shes still dazed by the sheer elation she had felt. Human and their kindred blood has always been dangerous to her kind. The emotions and memories are so much more complex and pure than your regular cow's blood.
Oh look, another day of munching grass! Yay! Urghh, never will she go vegan ever again.
Many Sanguina had become addicted to human blood because of the potency of their memories. Which is why many of their kind had ended up revealing themselves in their blood crazed madness and in return, they were hunted down and turned into Rubedo.
And this brat had just fed her an even more pure concentrated version of it.
How could she forget? First and foremost, a hunter doesn't play fair in their hunt.
They cheat with baits and tricks. Using their prey's behavior against them.
Neo may had won the battle but she lost the goddamn war.
Soren slams her to the ground, Neo head still remains foggy. She can clear up her system, flush out the hormone with just a thought.
But she doesn't want to.
She's just so…. Happy!
Soren pinned her to the ground, his eyes glinted with victory over subduing his prey.
"Hey Neo, I know you are a crappy doctor, but eh, I need a doctor for my crew anyway and I am too broke to actually pay wages. So how about this, I have a lot of memories. Wholesome memories like this, as well as exciting memories of battles. I live a far more interesting life than most of the people on this planet. All the memories you can tap right here."
He tapped at his own neck, right at where Neo had bitten.
"And I am going to make even more great memories after this. Pure, clear, immersive memories , better than your regular tap. So here's the deal, Neo. You work for me, and I'll pay you in memories. Interested?"
Oh, whatever.
Neo wrapped her legs over Soren's back and her arms over his is neck. And she bit into his neck once again, partaking in those sweet, sweet memories.
(((Jaune)))
Phew, it's morning now and I think we get a new sailor now.
Apparently, Neptune only know how to build a zeppelin and maintain it. He has zero idea how to sail it.
Damnit, Soren and I just assumed he knows everything about airships! Turns out just because you know how to build a ship doesn't mean you know how to sail it! Who woulda thunk?!
It's so lucky we found Roman! To think I found a sailor just like that? This must be fate!
Right now, Roman is testing out the Rust Bucket, testing its maneuverability. He's up there with Neptune checking the engine performance. He said it could use more umph, whatever that means.
I was having breakfast in the diner when Soren came in while piggybacking…. The vamp from yesterday?!
Oh hell he somehow pull it off?! And also why does he look so dry and pale?
Soren the kneeled down, where the vamp then yawns and asked me if she can get a room to sleep. I just gives a mild instruction over where the guestroom is upstairs, but I was pretty sure she's too sleepy to register it.
"Dude, what happened to you."
Soren looks like he's about to die, but somehow he has a very satisfied face.
"Jon, I don't know how but in my attempt to bag ourselves a free medic, I get a menhera vampire girlfriend instead. I am sucked both from my neck and down there. Damnit, pops… you couldn't tell me to not ever feed a Sanguina good memories??... Well, mum, at least you can get check off vamp girl from your daughter in law list…"
"Oi.", I poked him on the cheek. "Aren't you the Apex Predator of Remnant or some shit? Why are you hooking up with a monster?! You're supposed to slay them! Not fuck them!"
"e… everything is forgiven as long as they're hot."
Wow, he must be so anemic that he his bloodlust had mostly gone. Where is the trigger happy guy I know?
"Just…. Just go get me some meat from…. Continental. Get me a…. Iron Bear liver…. Livers. Yeah… plural… just ask Charon, he'll… know. Need to replenish my blood… aaaaa…."
Soren collapsed to the floor with a thud. Hearing that, Tessa popped out from the kitchen. Somehow, she's hardly seem concerned. Maybe this is a usual thing.
"What happened to him?", she asked.
"He got a menhera vampire girlfriend and get sucked both red and white.", I replied in a concise and precise manner.
"Already?", rather than distress, Tessa had a look of interest instead. "A vampire huh? She's mot infectious, is she?"
"Nope, from what I heard it's a True Vampire. Whatever that means. But yea, she's not infectious."
"Interesting…", Tessa had a look of interest on her.
Huh, I guess she really did awaken to both ways afterall. Fucking Soren Coldforge. Of course he get the best girl.
"Anyway, carry him up. He was anemic before from blood loss but this is the first time he did so from being sucked by a vampire. He dis say to fetch some livers for him, right?"
"Yep. Iron Bear liver."
"Good choice. Ah, let me list some few more ingredients. If you're stopping by Continental anyway, you may as well fetch me the good stuff."
Tessa then write down a list of groceries. Man, it felt weird going to a mafia neutral ground to fetch groceries.
"Don't take too long, Jaune!"
"Sure, I'll quick. It's just a simple groceries run. What could possibly go wrong?"
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"ARGHHHHHH!!!!!!"
"Die, Jaune Wick!!"
Who the hell is Jaune Wick?!!!
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(((A/N)))
Sometimes I forgot this is supposed to be a Jaunecentric fic.
Well, Soren is the co-protag of this fic, in case some readers didn't catch it. For now he is set as more of a Mentor figure as the gap of power and knowledge (of monster hunting) between him and Jaune is too wide, but as the gap grow closer, Soren will be more of a wingman for Jaune, as Soren plans to get Jaune a harem.
Lancaster and Knightshade being the major target in mind for him right now. We'll wait if Whiteknight is viable. Soren however consider Yang to be a meh character, so no Dragonslayer here.
What do you call Velvet X Jaune ship anyway? Or Jaune x Malachite Twins?
Neo route however was closed. Mission failed successfully on Soren part. He originally planned to get Neo in as part of his Jaunevengers Harem scheme, but his trick turned out to be too effective and bite him in the neck.
That's mercy for Jaune, I suppose.
Anyway, next arc will be Jaunecentric. Look forward for Jaune Wick: World Deadliest Groceries Run