under construction || vanitas; vanitas no carte

six.

"Vanitas, are you sulking?" Noé asked, genuinely concerned about the blue-eyed male's expression. Vanitas' lips tugged even lower if that were possible. "It would be safer to have them with us."

"I'm not sulking." He spoke firmly as he held onto the light source in one hand and held y/n's hand in the other, dragging her behind him. He had an irritated look on his face. "I want nothing to do with that man!"

"Do you two not understand?" He seethed, glancing sideways at the two. "These people tried to kill us a minute ago."

The e/c-eyed girl placed a finger on her chin in thought and shrugged. "Eh...I don't know. I would like to try killing you too."

"No, you wouldn't."

The three were headed towards Moreau's lab with Roland and his group of chasseurs. Once they had arrived at a large gate, they halted and opened the door. Y/n hurriedly stepped behind Vanitas. Her mind was screaming 'retreat,' but she knew she couldn't leave her friends behind to deal with the person behind the door on their own.

They were greeted by the sound of a party popper erupting, and a bald man wearing odd, goggle-like glasses stood in the center of the room, two hooded figures behind him.

Doctor Moreau.

"Welcome and welcome back!" The doctor exclaimed with great enthusiasm making everyone stiffen at the odd greeting. "My dear, no. 69! You remember me, don't you? I'm doctor Moreau!"

There was a pause. And then—

"Doctor Moreau!" The grimoire's possessor released y/n's hand and happily ran to the doctor as though being reunited with a friend. He then proceeded to talk about how he was expecting Moreau to be in their exact location. Moreau joyously praised Vanitas for his skills in direction and looked behind the male, asking about their identities. During this time, y/n retreated behind the others, hoping to cover herself up.

"Huuuhhh!?" Moreau parted from Vanitas as he glimpsed y/n's movements. He skipped the over to the anxious girl. She flinched slightly, which went unnoticed. "You look veeerrryyy familiar!"

Within a second, the girl quickly glanced behind the doctor to Vanitas, whose eyes held a look of worry, and then back at the crazed man. "I apologize, doctor, but you must be mistaken..." She forced a polite smile which was then replaced with a crestfallen expression, and closed her eyes for a sorrowful effect. "I don't think I have met you before. How unfortunate that is for me, though!"

"Oh!Oh! That is alright! You now know about me thanks to no. 69!" He jumped around gleefully and, afterward, clapped his hands to gather the attention of his helpers. "Come, come, everyone, hurry up! Prepare to entertain our guests!"

As they were seated, y/n attempted to hold onto her false persona of good spirits. But the continuous fidgeting in her seat caught Vanitas' attention.

"You okay?" Vanitas questioned without looking at her. His voice was below a whisper, making it almost inaudible. The girl hummed in response, her hands clenched together under the table. Then, slipping his hand over hers, Vanitas pries them apart to interlace one with his. She took a deep breath and, out of habit, played with their entangled fingers using her free hand.

She tried to calm her nerves for a few minutes before gently nudging Noe. "If you flatter him for long enough, he's bound to tell you tons without us having to ask." She spoke weakly in a hushed tone.

"How did you know that?" Vanitas questioned, curious about how she knew his personality when she had met him not too long ago.

"Um, he seems the type. Idiotic, really."

Y/n was already on edge, and an unexpected cry had her jolt in her seat. "Oh, I do, I do! I do know you!" Doctor Moreau hopped in place, pointing at y/n. She could almost visualize her heart leaping out of her chest and feeling her gut wring itself. Her eyes widened in fear, but she strongly composed herself. "My no. 31! You were a terribly weak dhampir, and I was always worried you'd die on me! But you were so very obedient and voluntarily let me treat you! I'm so glad you're alive and healthy! Have you come back to help me again!?"

"Ha...haha! I suddenly recalled a forgotten memory! You see, I had lost some of my memories from a terrible fall! How tragic to have forgotten your benevolent self! I feel so ashamed. But no longer as I have met with you again! It surely is fate!" The woman placed a hand on her chest. Her eyes became glossy from the sudden panic, but fortunately, it added to her dramatic tale. Was it too much? Too little? Should she have taken some kind of acting class? She was scared and wanted to run away. To hide. She wanted to be anywhere but around the doctor. She could feel the gaze of the others on her.

The doctor flung himself onto her, wrapping her in a hug which made the girl's stomach churn in disgust. He let go and turned to the others, and introduced himself, revealing his goal of becoming a vampire. He began raging about being exiled and the vampire of the blue moon stealing his 'children.'

"You were such an excellent subject, no. 69!" He caressed Vanitas' head. "Even when we cut you up or when you nearly died, you never cried or complained! I was so upset when I lost you. I almost died of dehydration!"

The others grew shocked by the news.

"Is it not inconvenient to be here by yourself? This is the home of the chasseurs who drove you out." Vanitas ignored his previous comments.

"Oh, I have an exalted personage on my side now!"

"And who might this wonderful individual be?" He seemed to have hit the nail on the head. Almost—

"That's something I mustn't tell anyone!"

Changing the subject, Doctor Moreau pulled out a jar with a pair of eyes swimming inside. Y/n shifted to face the other way in repulsion as Moreau explained how he retrieved them and why they lasted so long.

"No. 69, I just noticed! Your eyes have changed from a deep blue to a bright blue-like copper sulfate solution!? Can I gouge out on for analysis!?" He neared Vanitas' eyes with his hand, and the blue-eyed male did nothing to stop him.

Just as y/n was about to move, Noé grabbed Moreau's hand, "No. 69 this, no. 31 that...quit referring to people as numbers!" Then, he slammed Moreau onto the ground.

"Red eyes...!" The doctor exclaimed, obviously in awe despite the turn of events. "A vampire!?"

All of the hooded figures lunged forward. Roland and the other chasseurs began slashing them while Noé held down Moreau as Vanitas held a knife to him, "We'll get information out of him even if we have to torture him."

A horned figure appeared behind Vanitas. Y/n leaped in, grabbing him by the waist and jumping away. It then grabbed Moreau and headed towards an elevator. A loud rumble was heard, and everyone turned to its source. There was a large iron door that rattled repeatedly and looked like it would break any minute.

"Oopsie. I guess it woke up. There's a living curse bearer in there, and aaalllll the other vampires were eaten by it." He emphasized 'all' and got onto the elevator. Immediately as Vanitas was about to take action, Moreau spoke again, "Oh. Come to think of it, no. 69, what's up with no. 71 these days?"

This made Vanitas freeze in place. The h/c-haired female rushed towards his side, violently slamming the approaching cloaked enemy into a wall. Noé checked up on Vanitas, who was still in distress.

"What...kind of face is that?" The purple-eyes lifted the black-haired male, who had an evident expression of emotional shock.

Without warning, the iron door burst open, and an enormous creature emerged from inside.

"You're telling me that's...a vampire!?"

❁ཻུ۪۪⸙͎

unedited.