- AU where Vanitas is a pawn in the vampire and humans' political shenanigans and gets betrothed to one of them as a bargaining chip.
[In the guest wing at the de Sade estate stands one very unhappy human. Locked in the fancy rooms without any sort of weapon or means of escape, Vanitas stares out over the garden, frowning. It's beautiful to be sure, but a gilded cage is a prison all the same, and he a captive. Because of his unique status as something not fully human yet not a vampire, he was captured and forced into being humanity's "representative" - which was just a fancy name for political bargaining chip, he muses.
Scowling, he paces back and forth before the expansive window, briefly wondering if throwing himself at it might not break it enough for him to escape... Yet he knows that the guards below are waiting for him to try something. Even if he busts through and makes it below without injuring himself too badly, he'll likely still be caught before he can make it far.
Damn vampires...
So he heaves another sigh - the dozenth in half an hour, how disgraceful - and moves to sit on the edge of the four-poster bed. He's to be betrothed to the Comte de Saint Germain's student, that much he knows. Yet they hadn't even deigned to tell him the name of who he was promised to, not that it would make a lick of difference to him. A vampire is a damn vampire!
Thus when he hears the door being unlocked, he hurries to hide behind it, lying in wait to see who it is that's come for him. He may lack the strength necessary to subdue one of them, but he could still threaten to snap their neck. He has skill enough for that...]
[He doesn't particularly understand the details of what was going on. Just that he was supposed to help the human's representative? And something about marriage? It isn't like he was actually paying all that much attention. Mostly because he figured it was probably to do with Domi and her status more than himself.
He pauses at the door, wondering how this might go. But his grandparents, who had taken him in, weren't that bad. So he shouldn't just assume that all humans were awful, right? He takes a deep breath, fidgeting and attempting to ensure his clothes are presentable. Dominique had chosen the outfit, of course. He hopes it looks alright. He steels himself, pursing his lips briefly before he opens the door, hesitant as he peers inside. He doesn't immediately see anyone, though? He glances around the room, confused as Murr enters, curious.]
[That's one thing Vanitas hadn't been counting on: a cat. He remains motionless behind the door as Murr parades in first, heralding his owner's arrival right after. Just as the cat spots him, Vanitas springs forward, arm going around the taller man's neck to hook him in the crook of his elbow. Using his weight, he pulls Noé down backwards a bit, digging a knee into his back to help off balance him as he puts the squeeze on his captive. His voice is low and, he hopes, threatening as he whispers in one ear. Meanwhile, Murr has decided to hiss at the goings on.]
Don't move, you, or I'll snap your neck. Don't call for help, either.
[If Noé was hoping for friendly like his grandparents, he's in for one hell of a disappointment.]
[He had been about to tell the cat to wait, unsure if the human might be allergic or something. It was an issue with some people, right? He doesn't get the chance to, however, as Vanitas grabs him. There's a quiet noise of surprise, but he otherwise doesn't immediately call out for anyone. There doesn't seem to be anyone else in the immediate vicinity. When Vanitas digs a knee into his back and he lowers, his foot knocks the door shut again. Which is probably for the better, if Vanitas didn't want this to be found out so quickly.
He knows he probably could easily deal with this mortal. But he's also aware that he probably shouldn't try anything, lest he hurt Vanitas. Humans were far more fragile, after all. So he remains still once he's kneeling with Vanitas's arm around his neck.]
This isn't exactly the greeting I was expecting...
[As if that needed to be said. But then, he'd always been rather idealistic. Naive and hopeful in his interactions with others. So it's hardly a surprise that he's likely rather unlike what Vanitas might have expected. Murr might get frustrated and exasperated at his idiot owner, but that doesn't mean he approves of this either. He bristles, hissing at Vanitas.]
[If anything, Vanitas would say he's allergic to vampires and their ilk. But for now he merely huffs quietly, happy the door closed so no random passerby might cop onto what he's doing. It should be some time before anyone else comes, so he's got a while to figure out what it is he wants to do. Although now that he's got the vampire on his knees and in a chokehold, he finds himself at something of a loss. The bastard is far taller than he anticipated, which means that trying to threaten him why walking might not work. Dammit...
Clicking his tongue, he gives a faint squeeze to show he's serious, then glares at Murr for hissing up a storm. Yet another problem he's not sure how to deal with.]
Oh? And just what were you expecting, hmm? Some docile little human to be your pet?! Well, I'll have you know I'm no one's plaything--! Not yours or the humans or any other vampires--!
[Though he is a touched surprised this guy is just rolling with it... Is he actually worried though, or is he screwing with him? It's damn impossible to tell.]
I don't know. Not this? I never said anything about you being a plaything? That's not how I've ever thought of humans. I know not all humans are bad. My grandparents took good care of me.
[He is oblivious to his unintentionally making this more difficult for Vanitas. Let alone how likely confused he was making the other the more he talks. Not that he says much, with how the other squeezes at his neck, making Murr hiss again and step closer. He isn't quite sure what to expect, really. But evidently, the human isn't thrilled about this situation.]
[Human? It sounds as ridiculous as his own situation, making him let out a bark of laughter that he quickly swallows. Yet his hostility is rapidly deflating in the face of this... this person. Who seems so genuinely innocent. Nothing like the vampires who killed his family, who arranged for this prisoner exchange.
Noting the cat approaching, he glares at Murr, hoping to scare him off despite his own wavering confidence. Huffing at the last question, he growls out, trying to project an air of certainty that he's not quite feeling anymore.]
Isn't it obvious? You're now my hostage. And you're going to get me out of this hellhole and back to Paris, got it?
Well, I called them that, but they weren't really my biological grandparents. They took me in, though.
[Murr hisses again, swiping in Vanitas's direction, though not actually close enough to scratch him. Yet, anyway. For his part, the vampire seems to somehow only focus on that last part of what Vanitas says. As if the rest went over his head, or just simply clearly wasn't important. And somehow, rather than being terrified or laughing at the idea of a human taking him hostage, seems....excited? Which, if Vanitas knew him, he'd know that was rather ominous. The idea of taking this hopeless vampire anywhere new. How easily distracted and flighty he could be at the best of times.]
[Between the cat getting on his case and this... this ridiculous excuse for a vampire, Vanitas is feeling more and more out of his element by the minute. He expected a fight, some pushback, and hell, he craved it after being hauled around for the week prior. Except not even the vampire he gets stuck with is satisfying in that way! Go fucking figure! Instead, he sounds... excited to be held captive? Or is it just the city he cares about? Ugh, what the hell...]
Tch--! What's with you...?
[He tries again to squeeze the guy's neck a little tighter in the hopes he'll realize he's dangerous, although his hopes on that front are rapidly fading.]
- AU where Vanitas remains a Chasseur and hunts vampires.
[Another autumn night in Paris, another report of a vampire on the loose. This one powerful enough to thwart an entire group of trainee Chasseurs. Hence why Vanitas was called in. Although not a Paladin, he's risen in the ranks to become one of their top junior officers, allowed to act freely on his own without the burden of being Vice-Captain. Though he finds it interesting that despite the apparent trouble the others have been having with this latest target, none have been killed or even seriously harmed. Almost like the vampire is a pacifist. Laughable.
A cool wind blows through his bangs and ponytail, whipping them around as he stalks towards the last known whereabouts of his prey. It's enough to make him scowl, shivering and cursing the weather under his breath. He's itching for a fight to warm up if nothing else. That's why he feels a thrill when he spots an unusual person in the alleyway: light-haired with piercing eyes and the kind of stance that indicates they're used to fighting.
Drawing his knives, he quietly approaches, only the echoing taps of his footsteps for noise in the night. Some distance away he stops, head canted to one side as he sizes up his opponent before speaking.]
So... Are you the troublemaker that's been roughing up my fellows, hmm, vampire?
I wouldn't need to if they'd just leave me alone! And I have a name....!
[He hadn't intended on attracting this much attention. But the Chasseaurs seem rather persistent. There had been no intention of ending up fighting with them when he had left to head out in the evening. But it seemed they just kept finding him. Somehow. Just when he thought he had dealt with the last one that had come after him, Vanitas shows up. He turns, glancing at the latest of the Chasseurs to try and kill him, his eyes wide, tensing as he sees the knives as he turns when he hears the footsteps.
Evidently, it was too much to hope that he could be done with the Chasseurs for one evening. He steps back, swallowing as he raises his gloved hands.]
Do you now... I suppose politeness should have me asking for it. ...so I can carve it on the plaque beneath your skull once I take it!
[It's then that he lunges forward, swiftly closing the distance between them in order to take a swipe at the vampire's throat with his knife. Fully expecting him to dodge that one, he cuts cross-wise the other way with his second weapon, aiming lower, more towards the gut. All the while his feet tread lightly across the cobblestones, like an elegant if deadly dance. Laughing with unbridled glee in the thrill of the fight, Vanitas' eyes shine in the dark, brimming over with excitement.]
[Whatever he had been about to say cuts off as he gasps and moves to dodge the initial strike. While he is quick, that doesn't mean he is able to move so instantly, and he winces as the second knife grazes his stomach, ripping his waistcoat and shirt underneath and staining them red. One hand lowers to attempt to put pressure on his stomach as he tries to step back and get some distance. Only to find himself backed against the wall. He probably should be more mindful of his surroundings. He'd just figured that the side and back streets were safer. Would attract less attention and notice if he had wanted to avoid the Chasseurs. Evidently, that had not exactly worked out as he had hoped.]
Tell me yours, and maybe I'll give mine.
[As if he really had any semblance of the upper hand here. Holding himself back. Domi had always said he was far too soft. Maybe she had a point. That even in such a situation, he still wouldn't entirely go all out and kill someone attacking him. Aiming to kill him. Noé really should probably do more to at least defend himself. But he's always been more motivated when it comes to protecting others more than himself. Which is why he doesn't try to make for the main street. He doesn't want anyone else getting caught up in this. It's his problem. He has to deal with this somehow.]
[Making contact with flesh seems only to fuel the Chasseur's bloodlust, driving him to press the attack against his opponent as they get further away from the main street and into the darker recesses of the alleyways. It makes fighting a little more challenging, but given that Vanitas' weapons are relatively small in comparison to the Paladins, he's managing well enough. Enough that he can hold his own against a pacifist vampire, anyway. Though Noé's refusal to go all out seems to irk him, causing his eyes to narrow as he swings repeatedly, trying to get in as many hits as possible.]
Hah! You've got guts, I'll give you that, blood-sucker! --it's Vanitas! Remember it in the afterlife!
[A name he hopes will one day raise through the ranks and become known to all on both sides as a slayer of vampire kind. To exact his revenge upon those who killed his father and their troupe. It's only justice, as he sees it. Eliminating the unnatural creatures from this world so that humanity remains pure and unsullied, their foul blood no longer a stain upon this world. It's that hope which drives him even now as he tries to drive his opponent into a corner.]
[Noé exclaims as he glances, as if trying to figure out a way out. One that won't involve getting innocent people potentially hurt. He can't go forward past Vanitas. Can't go that way towards the main streets. As Vanitas keeps swinging, he stumbles in his haste to dodge the strikes, one of them slicing his cheek. His red eyes glance up, shifting to the rooftops. Maybe if he could get up higher. Get away and get further distance between them. Between Vanitas and anyone else that might be around.
So he tries to use his vampiric speed to crouch and leap. If he can just get away. He doesn't want to have to kill Vanitas. Even if he was a Chasseur. Noé tries to leap and make it to the rooftop if he can.]
"Child of the Ark," eh? Shame you missed the boat!
[Noting the way in which Noé seems to be scanning the area for an out, Vanitas works to cut off an potential avenues of escape. He keeps them on the move, his attack light and fast if inaccurate, so as not to give his opponent a chance to rewrite the World Formula, not realizing that Noé has no aptitude for such things. On occasion he aims a little higher, trying to gouge at an eye for the same reason even if he only manages to cut a few strands of hair off.
Luckily for Noé, his vampiric abilities still manage to outshine those of Vanitas' despite his training and natural speed. As his target jumps up to the roofs, Vanitas reaches for one of the Chasseur's drug syringes, jabbing himself in the neck with it before using the sudden boost in his capabilities to follow, albeit in a couple jumps from window to window before he reaches the rooftops and can give pursuit.]
[He's more worried about dodging in time to avoid his eye getting hit that he barely registers that his hair is cut. He tries to focus on keeping his distance, using the time that Vanitas takes to jab himself and the other being a little slower to keep moving. To keep traversing across the rooftops. To keep his distance. Keep moving. Even if he has no real idea of where he is going. If he can at least lose Vanitas, he can figure his way back to where he was staying and check on the injury to his stomach. Even if Vanitas did lose sight of him, there's an occasional drop of blood to follow.]
["Moreau is back." Those words were all it took for Vanitas' blood to run cold, though it was like being plunged into a frozen lake when Dante told him that Noé had been seen in the company of the doctor's minions. He couldn't understand why his lover would even entertain them and not beat the stuffing out of them immediately. He could fairly easily do so with his ability to rewrite the world formula to enhance his strength. So why...?
Why had he gone with them instead of fighting? What the hell was going on?!
Those thoughts race through Vanitas' mind as he runs through the caverns where Moreau has his new base just outside of Paris. On occasion he comes across a guard - one of Moreau's enhanced humans. Although they're faster and stronger, Vanitas isn't playing games; he has both knives out and buries them into the bodies of any who stand in his way. No mercy for them.
Eventually he makes his way to the laboratory, kicking in the door with a blow that would do Noé proud. There he finds his lover-- strapped to a medical table with several IV cables running to him. It looks like Moreau is siphoning him for blood, much to Vanitas' disgust. As for the man himself, he seems to have gotten an early alarm system this time, as he's already retreated, leaving several of his enhanced humans to do his dirty work. It takes Vanitas several minutes to dispatch them all, and once he does, he makes his way over to Noé, exhausted and breathing hard, splattered with blood.
Without a word, he starts unhooking Noé from the machines, pulling out a handkerchief to staunch the blood flowing from his arm. Only then does he manage to actually look at his lover, with fear, love, and fury in his expression all at once. When he speaks, it's low, dangerously so.]
Noé.....
blanket cw...everything regarding experimentation i think
[ Noé probably could have beaten the stuffing out of them, sure, but Moreau had promised – promised that if any harm came to him or his lackeys, he would, without fail, retrieve Vanitas, and make sure that he suffered because of Noé's noncompliance. Noé couldn't bear the thought of any sort of cruelty being brought to Vanitas again, and perhaps against his better judgment, he hastily agreed to allowing Moreau to do whatever he pleased. The vampire told himself he'd be able to handle it. He'd endure anything if it kept Vanitas safe.
But what he wasn't expecting was the sheer level of cruelty, despite having experienced it all through Vanitas' eyes. It's one thing to feel it through a human's point a view. For a vampire, though, it'd been different. The tests were different, harsher due to Noé's endurance and stamina. Vanitas and Mikhail may have died if they were put through the same things as the vampire, and by the time Vanitas finds him, he's utterly drained.
The circles under his eyes are dark. He looks like he hasn't been properly fed in a few days, only just enough to keep him able to do the tests. Truth be told, he'd only been in this lab for a full day, but it was a day that Moreau certainly made the most of and left Noé in shambles.
He looks like he's passed out on the table, but when Vanitas starts unhooking him, he rouses and looks at Vanitas with haggard eyes. ]
...Vani...tas...?
[ The realization hits. Vanitas is here. His eyes widen considerably, but his voice isn't quite as powerful as it should be, given everything. ]
You...you need to leave. He promised...he'd make you suffer otherwise...
[It has only been a day, but it was long enough for Vanitas to start worrying once Noé had failed to show up after his work shift. Then Dante and his crew had came with the news of what had happened and all hell broke loose. Namely upon Moreau: a hell named Vanitas. Covered in blood and with eyes as piercing as the moon itself, he hacks through Noé's restraints with his knives, not wasting a second in getting his lover freed. He doesn't even care that he could simply undo the straps. That'd take too long. Every second he has to see Noé like this, is a second his rage threatens to boil over again.
Hearing his name weakly come from those lips he's kissed so many times now makes him seethe, teeth grit and grinding as he hurries to sit Noé upright, carefully.]
You absolute idiot--!
[It's fury that comes from him, more than anything else, like molten lava ready to burn everything in its wake. He wants to slap the shit out of Noé for being such a damn fool, but he's clearly suffered enough. Enough that it makes Vanitas sick. He's only glad that Moreau didn't take a limb or eye or something.]
I'll make him suffer if he comes within my sight ever again--!
[ Noé sits upright and hears the fury that leaks through Vanitas' lips. He feels something in his chest hurt when he sees how his lover is soaked in blood, how much hell he unleashed to get here – and he looks utterly exhausted. He's cut up in a bunch of places, burned here and there and bruised in quite a few places. It's a good thing he's got incredible regenerative properties.
Noé looks up at Vanitas with an unreadable expression. He's relieved to see his companion, but he's already anticipating the fallout that'll happen from this and that's going to hurt much more than any of the experiments, he's sure. He's tired, but in his mind, it was worth it to keep Vanitas safe. ]
...I don't think he's here right now... We should go.
[Although Vanitas instantly moves to support Noé, his eyes refuse to meet his lover's and continues to do so the entire time, fixated on their escape point rather than his companion. The burning rage that seems to emanate from those icy blue eyes never dissipates, only growing more heated as they trek back to Paris and to their hotel room, where Noé is carefully laid in his bed.
Even then, Vanitas refuses to lift his gaze above Noé's neck.
Once the vampire is seat, propped up with every pillow in the room, Vanitas gets out his doctor's bag and gets to work. He tends to the worst injuries first, of course, going for the most serious burns and cuts, applying ointment where necessary and bandages where not. Ensuring that everything is properly taken care of. All the while he remains deathly silent. Breathing so hard through his nose that it almost qualifies as a snort.
Finally, once it looks like everything is taken care of, Vanitas sinks down on the edge of his own bed, still soaked in blood and hair in disarray. There's several scratches on his face, from where he'd had close calls, but still managed to edge out a victory.
Now, though, as he slows down, his shoulders sag, making him seem smaller than he actually is. Weaker than he is. He says nothing, only breathes heavily and hard through his nose.]
[ The air is quiet and tense for a while, and Noé doesn't say a word as Vanitas tends to his wounds. He knows Vanitas is enraged, likely at him and Moreau equally. He doesn't resist as Vanitas gets to work, and admittedly, he's feeling far too roughed up to feel like arguing. Still, he knows it's going to be a necessity. He's tense the entire time that Vanitas spends patching him up, and when Vanitas separates himself by sitting on his own bed, Noé feels that anger like there's a dagger being driven through his chest.
Seeing his partner looks so small, though, bothers him enough that he can't stay quiet. He's feeling so many conflicting emotions, including guilt, but he may as well hear what Vanitas has to say, even if he gets every curse word in the dictionary tossed his way.
So he sits up and turns to face Vanitas, and he opens his mouth like he wants to say something, but ends up saying nothing instead. He does this again, and it's like he either can't get the words out or doesn't know what to say at all. He grunts, and runs a hand through his hair. ]
[Even though Vanitas refuses to directly look at Noé, he can see in his peripheral vision that the man is trying to talk. That he can't quite bring himself to do so. He hopes that's because Noé realizes what a flaming stupid shit he was, but he finds that unlikely. Probably with the intention of trying to scold Vanitas himself for coming to get him.
At least, that's the narrative Vanitas has made up in his head. So when Noé doesn't manage to spit anything out, he takes the opportunity to interject first, wanting to get something out of the way.]
Don't you ever take another blow for me again. Do you understand? Noé Archiviste.
[His voice is like ice, dispassionate and distant, like when he said there was no connection between them in the amusement park. That's how bad this is. How much he hates what's happened here.]
[ The truth is, it's neither. He probably wanted to say something to get Vanitas to start talking. But he doesn't have to say anything at all, because Vanitas does it himself, voice completely cold and lacking any of the warmth that they'd been sharing for the past few months. That ice hits him like another knife being driven in his heart, and it triggers a part of him that he thought he'd buried, the part where he feared that Vanitas would leave.
He's pretty convinced that this is what's going to happen. That might be why he finally speaks, despite his exhaustion, why he chooses to lash out in the way he does when he's feeling extremely passionate about something and wants to get his point across...but with an added punch to it. Something like desperation mixed in with his own frustration. ]
Did you seriously expect me to do nothing when the man who gave you hell for years said he'd found you again? Beat him up and risk having the army of his assistants find you and take over his work for him? Allow him to deploy all of his scummy, underhanded tactics to take you away and hurt you again?!
[ He's raising his voice. He doesn't expect to get through to the other at all, but he has to try. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Betrothed AU
[In the guest wing at the de Sade estate stands one very unhappy human. Locked in the fancy rooms without any sort of weapon or means of escape, Vanitas stares out over the garden, frowning. It's beautiful to be sure, but a gilded cage is a prison all the same, and he a captive. Because of his unique status as something not fully human yet not a vampire, he was captured and forced into being humanity's "representative" - which was just a fancy name for political bargaining chip, he muses.
Scowling, he paces back and forth before the expansive window, briefly wondering if throwing himself at it might not break it enough for him to escape... Yet he knows that the guards below are waiting for him to try something. Even if he busts through and makes it below without injuring himself too badly, he'll likely still be caught before he can make it far.
Damn vampires...
So he heaves another sigh - the dozenth in half an hour, how disgraceful - and moves to sit on the edge of the four-poster bed. He's to be betrothed to the Comte de Saint Germain's student, that much he knows. Yet they hadn't even deigned to tell him the name of who he was promised to, not that it would make a lick of difference to him. A vampire is a damn vampire!
Thus when he hears the door being unlocked, he hurries to hide behind it, lying in wait to see who it is that's come for him. He may lack the strength necessary to subdue one of them, but he could still threaten to snap their neck. He has skill enough for that...]
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He pauses at the door, wondering how this might go. But his grandparents, who had taken him in, weren't that bad. So he shouldn't just assume that all humans were awful, right? He takes a deep breath, fidgeting and attempting to ensure his clothes are presentable. Dominique had chosen the outfit, of course. He hopes it looks alright. He steels himself, pursing his lips briefly before he opens the door, hesitant as he peers inside. He doesn't immediately see anyone, though? He glances around the room, confused as Murr enters, curious.]
Hello?
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Don't move, you, or I'll snap your neck. Don't call for help, either.
[If Noé was hoping for friendly like his grandparents, he's in for one hell of a disappointment.]
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[He had been about to tell the cat to wait, unsure if the human might be allergic or something. It was an issue with some people, right? He doesn't get the chance to, however, as Vanitas grabs him. There's a quiet noise of surprise, but he otherwise doesn't immediately call out for anyone. There doesn't seem to be anyone else in the immediate vicinity. When Vanitas digs a knee into his back and he lowers, his foot knocks the door shut again. Which is probably for the better, if Vanitas didn't want this to be found out so quickly.
He knows he probably could easily deal with this mortal. But he's also aware that he probably shouldn't try anything, lest he hurt Vanitas. Humans were far more fragile, after all. So he remains still once he's kneeling with Vanitas's arm around his neck.]
This isn't exactly the greeting I was expecting...
[As if that needed to be said. But then, he'd always been rather idealistic. Naive and hopeful in his interactions with others. So it's hardly a surprise that he's likely rather unlike what Vanitas might have expected. Murr might get frustrated and exasperated at his idiot owner, but that doesn't mean he approves of this either. He bristles, hissing at Vanitas.]
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Clicking his tongue, he gives a faint squeeze to show he's serious, then glares at Murr for hissing up a storm. Yet another problem he's not sure how to deal with.]
Oh? And just what were you expecting, hmm? Some docile little human to be your pet?! Well, I'll have you know I'm no one's plaything--! Not yours or the humans or any other vampires--!
[Though he is a touched surprised this guy is just rolling with it... Is he actually worried though, or is he screwing with him? It's damn impossible to tell.]
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[He is oblivious to his unintentionally making this more difficult for Vanitas. Let alone how likely confused he was making the other the more he talks. Not that he says much, with how the other squeezes at his neck, making Murr hiss again and step closer. He isn't quite sure what to expect, really. But evidently, the human isn't thrilled about this situation.]
What are you trying to do, anyway?
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[Human? It sounds as ridiculous as his own situation, making him let out a bark of laughter that he quickly swallows. Yet his hostility is rapidly deflating in the face of this... this person. Who seems so genuinely innocent. Nothing like the vampires who killed his family, who arranged for this prisoner exchange.
Noting the cat approaching, he glares at Murr, hoping to scare him off despite his own wavering confidence. Huffing at the last question, he growls out, trying to project an air of certainty that he's not quite feeling anymore.]
Isn't it obvious? You're now my hostage. And you're going to get me out of this hellhole and back to Paris, got it?
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[Murr hisses again, swiping in Vanitas's direction, though not actually close enough to scratch him. Yet, anyway. For his part, the vampire seems to somehow only focus on that last part of what Vanitas says. As if the rest went over his head, or just simply clearly wasn't important. And somehow, rather than being terrified or laughing at the idea of a human taking him hostage, seems....excited? Which, if Vanitas knew him, he'd know that was rather ominous. The idea of taking this hopeless vampire anywhere new. How easily distracted and flighty he could be at the best of times.]
Paris?! Really?!
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[Between the cat getting on his case and this... this ridiculous excuse for a vampire, Vanitas is feeling more and more out of his element by the minute. He expected a fight, some pushback, and hell, he craved it after being hauled around for the week prior. Except not even the vampire he gets stuck with is satisfying in that way! Go fucking figure! Instead, he sounds... excited to be held captive? Or is it just the city he cares about? Ugh, what the hell...]
Tch--! What's with you...?
[He tries again to squeeze the guy's neck a little tighter in the hopes he'll realize he's dangerous, although his hopes on that front are rapidly fading.]
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Chasseur AU
[Another autumn night in Paris, another report of a vampire on the loose. This one powerful enough to thwart an entire group of trainee Chasseurs. Hence why Vanitas was called in. Although not a Paladin, he's risen in the ranks to become one of their top junior officers, allowed to act freely on his own without the burden of being Vice-Captain. Though he finds it interesting that despite the apparent trouble the others have been having with this latest target, none have been killed or even seriously harmed. Almost like the vampire is a pacifist. Laughable.
A cool wind blows through his bangs and ponytail, whipping them around as he stalks towards the last known whereabouts of his prey. It's enough to make him scowl, shivering and cursing the weather under his breath. He's itching for a fight to warm up if nothing else. That's why he feels a thrill when he spots an unusual person in the alleyway: light-haired with piercing eyes and the kind of stance that indicates they're used to fighting.
Drawing his knives, he quietly approaches, only the echoing taps of his footsteps for noise in the night. Some distance away he stops, head canted to one side as he sizes up his opponent before speaking.]
So... Are you the troublemaker that's been roughing up my fellows, hmm, vampire?
Re: Chasseur AU
[He hadn't intended on attracting this much attention. But the Chasseaurs seem rather persistent. There had been no intention of ending up fighting with them when he had left to head out in the evening. But it seemed they just kept finding him. Somehow. Just when he thought he had dealt with the last one that had come after him, Vanitas shows up. He turns, glancing at the latest of the Chasseurs to try and kill him, his eyes wide, tensing as he sees the knives as he turns when he hears the footsteps.
Evidently, it was too much to hope that he could be done with the Chasseurs for one evening. He steps back, swallowing as he raises his gloved hands.]
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[It's then that he lunges forward, swiftly closing the distance between them in order to take a swipe at the vampire's throat with his knife. Fully expecting him to dodge that one, he cuts cross-wise the other way with his second weapon, aiming lower, more towards the gut. All the while his feet tread lightly across the cobblestones, like an elegant if deadly dance. Laughing with unbridled glee in the thrill of the fight, Vanitas' eyes shine in the dark, brimming over with excitement.]
Come, then, vampire! Tell me your name!
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[Whatever he had been about to say cuts off as he gasps and moves to dodge the initial strike. While he is quick, that doesn't mean he is able to move so instantly, and he winces as the second knife grazes his stomach, ripping his waistcoat and shirt underneath and staining them red. One hand lowers to attempt to put pressure on his stomach as he tries to step back and get some distance. Only to find himself backed against the wall. He probably should be more mindful of his surroundings. He'd just figured that the side and back streets were safer. Would attract less attention and notice if he had wanted to avoid the Chasseurs. Evidently, that had not exactly worked out as he had hoped.]
Tell me yours, and maybe I'll give mine.
[As if he really had any semblance of the upper hand here. Holding himself back. Domi had always said he was far too soft. Maybe she had a point. That even in such a situation, he still wouldn't entirely go all out and kill someone attacking him. Aiming to kill him. Noé really should probably do more to at least defend himself. But he's always been more motivated when it comes to protecting others more than himself. Which is why he doesn't try to make for the main street. He doesn't want anyone else getting caught up in this. It's his problem. He has to deal with this somehow.]
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Hah! You've got guts, I'll give you that, blood-sucker! --it's Vanitas! Remember it in the afterlife!
[A name he hopes will one day raise through the ranks and become known to all on both sides as a slayer of vampire kind. To exact his revenge upon those who killed his father and their troupe. It's only justice, as he sees it. Eliminating the unnatural creatures from this world so that humanity remains pure and unsullied, their foul blood no longer a stain upon this world. It's that hope which drives him even now as he tries to drive his opponent into a corner.]
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[Noé exclaims as he glances, as if trying to figure out a way out. One that won't involve getting innocent people potentially hurt. He can't go forward past Vanitas. Can't go that way towards the main streets. As Vanitas keeps swinging, he stumbles in his haste to dodge the strikes, one of them slicing his cheek. His red eyes glance up, shifting to the rooftops. Maybe if he could get up higher. Get away and get further distance between them. Between Vanitas and anyone else that might be around.
So he tries to use his vampiric speed to crouch and leap. If he can just get away. He doesn't want to have to kill Vanitas. Even if he was a Chasseur. Noé tries to leap and make it to the rooftop if he can.]
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[Noting the way in which Noé seems to be scanning the area for an out, Vanitas works to cut off an potential avenues of escape. He keeps them on the move, his attack light and fast if inaccurate, so as not to give his opponent a chance to rewrite the World Formula, not realizing that Noé has no aptitude for such things. On occasion he aims a little higher, trying to gouge at an eye for the same reason even if he only manages to cut a few strands of hair off.
Luckily for Noé, his vampiric abilities still manage to outshine those of Vanitas' despite his training and natural speed. As his target jumps up to the roofs, Vanitas reaches for one of the Chasseur's drug syringes, jabbing himself in the neck with it before using the sudden boost in his capabilities to follow, albeit in a couple jumps from window to window before he reaches the rooftops and can give pursuit.]
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[He's more worried about dodging in time to avoid his eye getting hit that he barely registers that his hair is cut. He tries to focus on keeping his distance, using the time that Vanitas takes to jab himself and the other being a little slower to keep moving. To keep traversing across the rooftops. To keep his distance. Keep moving. Even if he has no real idea of where he is going. If he can at least lose Vanitas, he can figure his way back to where he was staying and check on the injury to his stomach. Even if Vanitas did lose sight of him, there's an occasional drop of blood to follow.]
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Closed to murrmoire
Why had he gone with them instead of fighting? What the hell was going on?!
Those thoughts race through Vanitas' mind as he runs through the caverns where Moreau has his new base just outside of Paris. On occasion he comes across a guard - one of Moreau's enhanced humans. Although they're faster and stronger, Vanitas isn't playing games; he has both knives out and buries them into the bodies of any who stand in his way. No mercy for them.
Eventually he makes his way to the laboratory, kicking in the door with a blow that would do Noé proud. There he finds his lover-- strapped to a medical table with several IV cables running to him. It looks like Moreau is siphoning him for blood, much to Vanitas' disgust. As for the man himself, he seems to have gotten an early alarm system this time, as he's already retreated, leaving several of his enhanced humans to do his dirty work. It takes Vanitas several minutes to dispatch them all, and once he does, he makes his way over to Noé, exhausted and breathing hard, splattered with blood.
Without a word, he starts unhooking Noé from the machines, pulling out a handkerchief to staunch the blood flowing from his arm. Only then does he manage to actually look at his lover, with fear, love, and fury in his expression all at once. When he speaks, it's low, dangerously so.]
Noé.....
blanket cw...everything regarding experimentation i think
But what he wasn't expecting was the sheer level of cruelty, despite having experienced it all through Vanitas' eyes. It's one thing to feel it through a human's point a view. For a vampire, though, it'd been different. The tests were different, harsher due to Noé's endurance and stamina. Vanitas and Mikhail may have died if they were put through the same things as the vampire, and by the time Vanitas finds him, he's utterly drained.
The circles under his eyes are dark. He looks like he hasn't been properly fed in a few days, only just enough to keep him able to do the tests. Truth be told, he'd only been in this lab for a full day, but it was a day that Moreau certainly made the most of and left Noé in shambles.
He looks like he's passed out on the table, but when Vanitas starts unhooking him, he rouses and looks at Vanitas with haggard eyes. ]
...Vani...tas...?
[ The realization hits. Vanitas is here. His eyes widen considerably, but his voice isn't quite as powerful as it should be, given everything. ]
You...you need to leave. He promised...he'd make you suffer otherwise...
don't like, don't read!!!
Hearing his name weakly come from those lips he's kissed so many times now makes him seethe, teeth grit and grinding as he hurries to sit Noé upright, carefully.]
You absolute idiot--!
[It's fury that comes from him, more than anything else, like molten lava ready to burn everything in its wake. He wants to slap the shit out of Noé for being such a damn fool, but he's clearly suffered enough. Enough that it makes Vanitas sick. He's only glad that Moreau didn't take a limb or eye or something.]
I'll make him suffer if he comes within my sight ever again--!
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Noé looks up at Vanitas with an unreadable expression. He's relieved to see his companion, but he's already anticipating the fallout that'll happen from this and that's going to hurt much more than any of the experiments, he's sure. He's tired, but in his mind, it was worth it to keep Vanitas safe. ]
...I don't think he's here right now... We should go.
[ He moves shakily to get up on his feet. ]
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Even then, Vanitas refuses to lift his gaze above Noé's neck.
Once the vampire is seat, propped up with every pillow in the room, Vanitas gets out his doctor's bag and gets to work. He tends to the worst injuries first, of course, going for the most serious burns and cuts, applying ointment where necessary and bandages where not. Ensuring that everything is properly taken care of. All the while he remains deathly silent. Breathing so hard through his nose that it almost qualifies as a snort.
Finally, once it looks like everything is taken care of, Vanitas sinks down on the edge of his own bed, still soaked in blood and hair in disarray. There's several scratches on his face, from where he'd had close calls, but still managed to edge out a victory.
Now, though, as he slows down, his shoulders sag, making him seem smaller than he actually is. Weaker than he is. He says nothing, only breathes heavily and hard through his nose.]
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Seeing his partner looks so small, though, bothers him enough that he can't stay quiet. He's feeling so many conflicting emotions, including guilt, but he may as well hear what Vanitas has to say, even if he gets every curse word in the dictionary tossed his way.
So he sits up and turns to face Vanitas, and he opens his mouth like he wants to say something, but ends up saying nothing instead. He does this again, and it's like he either can't get the words out or doesn't know what to say at all. He grunts, and runs a hand through his hair. ]
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At least, that's the narrative Vanitas has made up in his head. So when Noé doesn't manage to spit anything out, he takes the opportunity to interject first, wanting to get something out of the way.]
Don't you ever take another blow for me again. Do you understand? Noé Archiviste.
[His voice is like ice, dispassionate and distant, like when he said there was no connection between them in the amusement park. That's how bad this is. How much he hates what's happened here.]
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He's pretty convinced that this is what's going to happen. That might be why he finally speaks, despite his exhaustion, why he chooses to lash out in the way he does when he's feeling extremely passionate about something and wants to get his point across...but with an added punch to it. Something like desperation mixed in with his own frustration. ]
Did you seriously expect me to do nothing when the man who gave you hell for years said he'd found you again? Beat him up and risk having the army of his assistants find you and take over his work for him? Allow him to deploy all of his scummy, underhanded tactics to take you away and hurt you again?!
[ He's raising his voice. He doesn't expect to get through to the other at all, but he has to try. ]
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