Vanitas x Female! Reader ☆ Pure Shores ☆

9. In The Offing

"Well?"
Vanitas hovered anxiously above (Y/N), as she brought the vial of green liquid up close to the amber magnifying glass.
There was a long, nervous pause, before she sighed, casting disappointed eyes downward.
"I'm sorry, the poison didn't come from this plant either."
"Seiita. Faahzi yedd?"(Shit. What now?) Vanitas spat, running a hand through his hair.
"All complete dead fucking ends."
(Y/N) pushed back the stool, standing and snapping off her gloves.
"Are you sure you did the analysis correctly?" Vanitas asked, eyeing her as she went to the sink.
Her expression turned glacial. "Are you questioning my ability?"
Vanitas rolled his eyes. "Jeez, I was just making sure."
"I told you this might not get us anywhere." She fired back briskly as she rinsed her hands.
"Well good for you, (Y/N)."
She grabbed a towel hanging from the rack, drying her hands roughly.
"Okay, lets not argue. We need to think."
Vanitas threw his hands into the air.
"Hell if I know where to even begin now. That was the last sample we had!"
(Y/N) folded the towel, humming in thought.
"Lets try this another way," she leant back against the sink.
"We've looked at Marine Flora that grows on land...what about a plant that grows underwater?"
Vanitas stopped, rubbing his cheek as he considered her words.
"You said that Leviathai also have knowledge of herbs, tinctures- that kind of thing."
He shook his head, turning to her.
"Not a poison this strong. No Shaman would make it for any reason other than warfare."
(Y/N) frowned. "I don't follow you."
Vanitas approached the counter, bracing against it.
"The Shamans function much the way Apothecarys do, but they tend to be more magic focussed." He gestured towards her.
"Your land outlaws what it calls 'forbidden magic', but we are more liberal." He paused, licking his bottom lip briefly.
"However, there are regulations. Something more powerful would require a special permission. A poison of this potency would not go unchecked."
(Y/N) digested this information, her eyes darting back and forth in thought.
"You're suggesting it must have been made secretly?"
Vanitas shrugged. "I figure that's a given. It wouldn't be readily available, so I can't think of what it could be. If it is an underwater plant, its nothing I know of."
(Y/N) turned, collecting the dirty beakers and used instruments at the workstation.
"What about getting something like that without regulation?"
There was a short silence behind her.
"Difficult, but possible."
Placing the soiled items into the basin, (Y/N) glanced at the arrow tip in the vial to her left.
"What about these Viix?" She asked, picking up the tiny bottle. "Does everyone know how to make them?"
"Just warriors."
(Y/N) turned to look at Vanitas, eyes narrowed. "Advanced Apothecary skills and a warrior? How likely is that?"
"I'm not sure." He finally answered, looking exhausted.
(Y/N) gave him a sympathetic look.
"How are you feeling? Any fever?
"I'm fine."
He moved towards the door to the hallway.
"Where are you going?" She asked as his hand touched the doorknob.
"To get some of the notes I made. Maybe I wrote something important and didn't realise."
(Y/N) gave him what she hoped was an encouraging smile.
"Good thinking. I have to start on some orders, can you manage by yourself?"
Vanitas sneered. "I'm not a helpless weakling."
She blinked at him in surprise. "I didn't say you were."
He nodded, then exited the room without another word.
(Y/N) stood watching the spot where he had just been stood, then sighed heavily.
She glanced at the equipment piled in the sink, and passed a hand over her face.
"You know what, that can wait." She mumbled to herself.
It had been a few days since she had worked on any of her orders, and her customers would be expecting a delivery any day now.
The past 3 days had been exhausting, and thinking as such made her feel guilty.
The samples they'd collected had to be soaked or cured before use, and there were more books in the study that may have held clues, all whilst she opened and closed the shop every day. But Vanitas was determined, and although he tried his best to hide it, she knew he was desperate too.
Pulling the order book from a nearby drawer, she cracked it open at the days date.
"Lets see...okay...okay. oh, that's a quick one...." she mumbled, pointing at various dates.
She paused on one hastily scribbled entry.
October 20th. Lady Larxene. Daffodil Venom. 2.30pm.
(Y/N) snapped her head towards the clock above the door, a cold wave of disbelief flickering over her.
1.35pm.
"Oh, Crap!"
She raced over to a nearby cupboard, throwing the doors open, shaking them on their hinges.
"Okay, Daffodil Venom...think (Y/N)!" She said, pulling clean beakers from the shelves.
Wooden bowls and silver measuring cups tumbled out in her haste, hitting the stone floor with loud clatters and dings, but (Y/N) ignored them.
"Alright, ground daffodil petals to soften, diluted spider venom for shine..." she recited, racing over to a large set of tiny, dark wood drawers.
She opened one after the other, shoving aside the contents with her fingers as she searched.
"Why didn't I label these?" She lamented aloud, slapping each one closed.
Finally, the last row contained the two key ingredients.
"Finally! Okay, rose water, a dash of vanilla and bring to the boil..."
She immediately emptied them into a pan, stirring haphazarsly, liquid splashing over the sleeves of her dress.
The door to the stairway slammed open. Vanitas stood in the frame, wide eyed and alert. "(Y/N)! Everything okay in-"
He paused, glancing around the room at the devastation.
"What in the Manarriis name is happening in here?"
(Y/N) blew a sweaty strand of hair from her eyes.
"Oh, last minute order." She said airily, eyes not leaving the mixture before her. "Important client."
Vanitas blinked at her, slowly retreating back through the door, eyebrows raised.
"Riiiight. I'll leave you to it then..."