Vanitas × Noé

Where is Noé?

I'm just obsessed with the boys at the moment. I needed to write more about them. Going back over the old chapters of the manga just makes me feel like writing and I just love some of the facial expressions Jun draws. Seriously, look at the old chapters if you're thirsty for content, it helps make the wait more bearable.

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Noé had wandered off. This was by no means an unusual occurrence but with Vanitas, Dominique, Jeanne and even Luca present someone should have noticed. Yet none of them had any idea where he was. Dominique lamented not bringing the collar she had used to drag Noé to Altus when she had first met Vanitas.

With Noé gone everyone was considerably more hostile towards Vanitas. Admittedly everyone is generally hostile towards Vanitas, even with Noé present. Yet without Noé, Vanitas was being almost completely ignored and any suggestions he made, good or bad (mostly bad), were shot down or dismissed.

Needless to say, Vanitas was enjoying himself immensely. Being surrounded by vampires who hated him, but wouldn't harm him, was terribly amusing. Well, perhaps Luca would harm him if he was given the chance. Everyone was trying to devise a plan to track Noé down but had no clue where to start. Nobody could agree on the best course of action. Dominique suggested going anywhere that seemed shiny, Jeanne suggesting checking places that sold tarte tatin and Luca was arguing that he was probably around some mechanical marvel that he hadn't seen before (like a toaster or something).

Nobody could come to an agreement! Vanitas hadn't offered any suggestions but upon seeing that the others wouldn't come to a conclusion without him he had to interject. But he planned to make things a bit more fun by doing so.

"Everyone listen up!" Vanitas called.

"What is it, human?" Dominique growled.

"How about we make it a competition to see who can find Noé first? This way we can prove who's right about where he is."

"I'm not comfortable splitting off from master Luca," Jeanne pulled the boy close.

"You two can team up if you want," Vanitas waved a hand dismissively, "but to make this more interesting... let's make a bet."

"What's the bet you're proposing?" Domi asked suspiciously.

"If I find him first you all have to tell Noé how amazing I am," Vanitas cackled.

"That's... actually kind of lame," Luca admitted, "What if we win?"

"If any of you win then... I'll leave Jeanne alone!"

"DEAL!" Dominique, Jeanne and Luca yelled before running off to find Noé.

Vanitas blanched. They were all much more determined than he thought they'd be. Perhaps bringing his delicate relationship with Jeanne into things wasn't a good idea. Particularly when everyone was in love with her and despised him. Who could blame them for that though?

Vanitas began strolling back the way they had come. To find Noé he would have to put himself in the shoes of the country bumpkin. It wasn't too hard. Every time Vanitas saw something Noé would never have seen he veered off course. Eventually he came across a marketplace and saw a white tuft of hair duck around a corner.

Vanitas sped up and got in an alleyway to find... a cat. It wasn't even Murr, just a scraggly stray. Vanitas clicked him tongue and decided climbing on top of one of the houses would give him a better vantage point to find his idiot friend, no, acquaintance.

Vanitas clutched a pipe attached to the building and started to climb upwards. He gripped the gutter for leverage as he hauled himself just shy of the roof when there was a sickening crack. Suddenly, the world tilted and he was falling to the ground.

Vanitas managed to grab a pipe on his way down and while it did slow his descent in return he tore it half away from the wall it was attached to. Vanitas sighed in relief but the calm didn't last long. Soon he heard shouting and an apple flew into his head.

Vanitas turned to the man who threw it. He was the owner of the house that had just been vandalised. He was demanding payment for the damages. Vanitas looked from his large stature to the apple held threateningly in his hand and put his hands up defensively.

"Not to worry good sir, I am a doctor and have plenty of money to pay you. Just let me get my wallet from my coat."

Vanitas reached into his coat and withdrew his hand, sweeping it extravagantly to the right. The man's eyes followed Vanitas's empty hand and he made a break for it in the opposite direction. The man swore and gave chase, throwing apples as they went. Where was he getting all of those apples anyway?

The man's screaming caught the attention of other people in the area and some of them started chasing Vanitas down as well. Just as Vanitas was about to accept his fate and be murdered by a group of humans (He always hoped a vampire would end him) he was scooped off the ground. It was Noé! Carrying Vanitas like a sack of potatoes as usual.

"Noé! Where have you been! Have you seen Jeanne and the others?"

"No, I haven't seen them. You all wandered off and left me behind," Noé pouted.

"We- don't you dare drop me!" Vanitas screeched as Noé jumped between the roofs of two buildings, "We wandered off? Sure."

When they were safe Noé set Vanitas down and they searched for the other vampires. Dominique complained and blamed Noé for not coming to her first. She was just jealous. Jeanne gritted her teeth and glared at Vanitas and Luca was radiating a dangerous aura. All in all it was a successful day for Vanitas.

"Are you all going to keep your end of the bargain?" Vanitas teased.

"What bargain?" Noé tilted his head.

Domi growled, "Vanitas is an amazing human being and I'm sure you're learning a lot from him."

"Vanitas is cunning and you are lucky he is on your side and respects you," Jeanne sighed.

"He isn't completely worthless," Luca shrugged.

"I know all of that?" Noé tilted his head further.

"Of course you do," Vanitas grinned.