[ open ] Darkness lets the stars shine bright

[darkcharge]

Who: Vanitas + You!!
When: All of Mareuer
Where: Various
What: Open + Closed Prompts
Warnings: TBA



( Familiar Shopping )

[ Vanitas has noticed that instead of having a Bond, plenty of local Witches seem to have Familiars. Do they prefer them over Bonds? He doesn't really know and Van isn't going to bother to ask that question. His Unversed, that one lone Flood, has been sort of serving as a Familiar since it had arrived. However, Van doesn't particularly like it. Okay, so he kind of hates the thing. Other people seem to think that it's cute. He doesn't get it.

That's why he's entertaining the idea of an actual Familiar. So Vanitas has made his way down to some shops, finding one that specializes in this sort of thing. He peruses the contents, making faces here an there; Vanitas isn't impressed by the selection. ]

Cats. Dogs. Rats.

[ That's where he's at in his search. Though perhaps at one point he does hold a hedgehog, somewhat entertained by it. ]


( Library Visits )

[ As always, Vanitas can always be found in the library from time to time. In fact, several times a week. He never reads for recreational purposes, oh no. Rather, he reads to fill the time. Fill the time and also study different kinds of magic. He can always be found practicing healing spells - progressively getting better at them.

There's a lot of magic here that doesn't exist where he's from. This particular instance, Vanitas is practicing Transmutation and Divination. Some days he can be found with a mirror, glaring at it as if he could break it with his mind. Other days he has broken objects lined up - anything from glasses/mugs to some tools he's found lying around.

Hey. He likes having multiple skillsets. ]


( A Flood's Day Out )

[ The Flood that Vanitas has isn't on a leash or stuck in a crate. It is allowed to meander about on its own. It does, however, have a collar and a tag about its neck just so people realize it does belong to someone. Vanitas doesn't actually keep track of it, completely unaccustomed to doing so - never needing to.

That being said, it likes to create problems for people. Enjoying a nice, quite lunch? Not anymore! That Flood darts up, snatches it, and likely takes off a few feet away to gloat. That new trinket that you just bought? That's gone too.

Vanitas might not be far away. Or maybe you just find it and decide to try to return it. Up to you. ]


( Disney Princess? )

[ Unbeknownst to Vanitas, all that time spent practicing healing magic has apparently left its mark. He doesn't know why this has been happening as of late and it's being met with no small amount of irritation. Here he is, minding his own business in the Coven gardens, and little critters keep coming out to say "hi."

No, really. One moment Vanitas is taking a nap and when he wakes? Maybe it's a stray cat sprawled on him. Sometimes a random squirrel. Today, however, it's a little more extreme. There's a bird in his hair and butterflies fluttering around. A rabbit has seen fit to flop into his lap. ]

Oh come on! Go away! Shoo.

[ Yeah, it doesn't work like that. Vanitas, as a result of his casting practices, apparently has a "calming aura" that he knows nothing about. ]


( Cooking Vani )

[ Back at the house, usually people take turns cooking. Van's helped out a little, though it's mostly with the cleaning. He actually wants to do something this time. So he's in the kitchen, a recipe book on the table. Vanitas is turning the pages, as if trying to decide on something. Though it doesn't look like he's really made up his mind.

This is... Probably going to end badly. For everyone. ]


( Wildcard)

[ As always, if there is no prompt that is to your liking, feel free to hit me up on plurk or discord and we can figure something out! I can even write a closed prompt no problem. ]

Comments

Sora

[darkcharge]

[ There is definitely something wrong with Vanitas. That's really the only explanation for this, really. It's becoming far too easy for Sora to coax him out of the house or just join him when Vanitas does go out on his own. And the only explanation that Vanitas can come up with is that he must be getting soft.

That is the only thing that he can come up with because he's here in the Coven's gardens with Sora. Showing off magic. Why? Because Sora is apparently fixated with the idea. Because Vanitas has been feeling out of sorts ever since he's posted those questions and received answers in kind. The following conversation with Mira also has just left him in a weird headspace. ]

Got any requests?

[ And oddly compliant, for a change. However, Van is still kind of having to shoo away random butterflies from his face. Like constantly. ]

[oathkeeper]

[The weather in Aefenglom is a little chiller for the month and Sora can smell rain on the air but at least today doesn't seem as bad yet. It's nice enough outside to get a whiff of the slowing approaching Spring and with that the start of new growth and flowers. Ever since developing actual fuzzy rabbit ears and realizing he's growing to be a puca it makes a lot more sense why Sora's come to like vegetation and things like flowers so much lately.

So getting outside is a nice change of pace. Dragging his bondmate out with him is an even better change of pace. He doesn't quite want to be cooped up in that room all the time and a single chance to get Vanitas' nose out of a book is a good one, really. Casting spells is better than reading spells.

And maybe he'd just like to continue patching things up where he can between them. After the events at the outpost he wonders if things are still a little sore.]

Hmmm, I've only really seen you cast healing magic and that floating charm once. What else have you been working on lately?

[Sora's ears twitch.]

Exarch

[darkcharge]

[ Meeting up with the Crystal Meddler is a regular occurrence. Regular enough that Vanitas doesn't really suspect that the hooded guy is up to anything. However, things are going to be a little different. Vanitas, this time, is armed with more knowledge than just some healing incantation to practice with the Exarch's guidance. Now he's just a little more aware of just what role his "mentor" had to play in Mira's distress.

Yes, he is aware that the Exarch is not the same one that Mira knows, but he'd still done it. If not to Mira then another that she shared her existence with. He is still a reminder to her that those hings happened. So while Vanitas might not do something violent because Mira clearly wouldn't like that... He does want to address it.

Thus he arrives at the designated workshop they used at the time that they always meet. ]

You here yet?

[exarchal]

[He shows up just a minute after Vanitas, a pep in his step and a smile on his face. The Exarch has absolutely no idea what's coming, but he did bring a cake hidden by an opaque cover, so at least there will be food to soothe the spirits later.]

Ah, Vanitas! Pray forgive my lack of punctuality, I was adding some last minute touches to this.

Shall we find a place to sit?

disney princess

[callmeven]

[with chocolate being as good as rat poison to him, ven was trying new kinds of sweets to make. white chocolate seems like a good place to start when both milk and dark are out of the question.

thinking about vanitas and ven's offer to gift him some sweets (if just to bribe him into hating ven a little less) he decides to stop by his home to deliver some. of course vanitas isn't there, thus starting ven on a small hunt to find his other half...

... what he doesn't expect is to find vanitas covered in animals in the coven's garden. he stops and watches the spectacle while trying to fight back a laugh.]

That's not a bad look for you.

[darkcharge]

[ The butterflies can be convinced to go away with a few swats. The bird? Well any time that Vanitas does dislodge it, the thing just comes back and settles itself back into place. It makes him huff in irritation.

...And then flush in embarrassment when Ventus calls him out on it. Of all the people to witness this, of course it has to be his other half. His other half who will never let this one go. ]

Oh shove off.

library

[aremnant]

[ Oh, what's this? A so-called familiar face with all these little broken pieces scattered about. Lined up and ready to go! Just like him... so it's cute. So cute, in fact, that Kadaj finds himself swinging himself around a bookcase, holding tight and with a fiendish flicker in those green eyes of his while a curious smile remains on his lips. ]

Oh, it's you!

[ It's said with such cheer! But rather soft since this is a library. Shhh!! ]

Funny to find you here and not up a tree.

[darkcharge]

[ Vanitas is holding one of those broken glasses in his hands when Kadaj approaches. He raises a brow at the intrusion. ]

It sure is me.

[ He remembers this guy has a few screws loose. ]

Why would I be up a tree in a building?

A Floods Day Out

[truescholar]

[Ienzo was in the process of ironing his scarf, only for it to be whipped away a mere second before the iron hits the fabric. ]

Huh-??

[ And then he sees it, jigging gleefully at him, scarf between its...paws? Ienzo's not sure. Either way though he recoils, somehow fumbling his book into his hands and raising it above his head. The Book of Retribution is only really useful in this world as a large doorstop but. That will probably suffice in this situation.

Ienzo doesn't move, simply holds his pose, book overhead all the while the Flood dances. ]

I'm. Not scared of you--

[ The statement is a little convincing. Maybe... ]

[darkcharge]

[ Paws? Claws? Does it really matter what they are? See, the thing thrives off of fear and all sorts of nasty emotions. All it needs it a scant scent.

So it isn't at all convinced by that statement. If anything it darts a touch closer, shifting that scarf about. Wiggling and twitching.

Taunting.

Come and get it back if you're not scared! ]

disney princess, fingerguns

[synchroswim]

<sub>[He's been hanging around the Coven more and more these days, but it's mainly because nearly a month later, he's still not any closer to pinpointing what exactly he is. The recent appearance of scales has narrowed it down quite a bit, and while the Witches who live nearby have been trying to help figure it out, today was a day where he just wanted to take a breather.

In his search to find a quiet corner to claim for himself, he'd noticed a few rabbits meandering down a well-worn path, and letting his own curiosity get the better of him, he decided to follow.




Aaaaaaaaaand that's when he sees him. The guy looks like Sora, but he's not. There's something else familiar about him too, but Demyx can't quite put his finger on it. Either way? It's too good of an opportunity to pass up--]</sub>

Okay, I've heard of bad hare days but this one takes the cake, dude.

[darkcharge]

[ Yeah unfortunately there is nothing immediately identifiable about Vanitas other than his similarities to Sora. Even that is reduced somewhat by the scar forming on Van's lip and Sora's gradual bunificaton. He hasn't even worn his usual attire in a long time at this point.

However, that doesn't mean Vanitas doesn't recognize Demyx - even with the scales. So the pun isn't met with laughter or even groaning. What follows is a very flat look from Vanitas. ]

Ah. The useless benchwarmer.

Flood's Day Out - A few days after the full moon

[twilightskey]

[The first full moon Roxas went through was rather uneventful; other than some sharper claws, more wild hair, and his ears, not much else really happened. But after recovering from exposure to his second full moon here, Roxas is starting to notice more changes have afflicted him, both physical and mental.]

[Roxas notices that little Flood as it darts around. But rather than be annoyed with it, he stares at it, eyes transfixed on its twitching little form. His ears raise upright and train forward, every muscle in his body tenses, and even his new tail holds still as he focuses on the little creature.]

[He's been told about the little Flood by the others, knows it means no harm. And truthfully, he doesn't feel threatened by it at all. But seeing it dart around like that sets off some sort of instinct within him, some uncontrollable urge that, when the Flood darts down the road, has him lunging forward, taking off after it.]

[He needs to follow it. Needs to chase it. Needs to catch it.]

[darkcharge]

[ It's not really the first time that something has decided to take off after the Flood as if in pursuit. Though that first something probably had been Aqua. Dragons are more intimidating than little pups, but that doesn't mean the Flood wants to particularly stick around to test that theory.

So when it senses Roxas following? Oh it's going to speed up its pace. This is one Unversed that isn't going to be caught and it is not going to make this easy on Roxas ether. Running in a straight line? Oh no no no. It is going to dart and weave and possibly wiggle its way into any open stalls or chairs to slow Roxas down. ]

disney princess

[extirpator]

[ all of these animals are congregating to one place, and it happens to be...a young man's head of hair. it's a familiar face, to say the least, but nier swoops down to pluck the bird off of him. ]

Shoo. Off you go, now.

[ the bird chirps before...nier pitches it into the air, and it flies towards the nearest tree. ]

Are you okay? The animals seem to like you today.

[darkcharge]

[ Vanitas blinks for a moment, feeling the weight from his head being lifted. And the person responsible? Oh he does recognize him. ...Though most of that time Vanitas would rather forget, truthfully. ]

It's been a thing for a little while. No idea why it's happening. It's not as if I have a stellar personality.

library;

[lightblooming]

[ Much like Vanitas, Aqua comes to the library for research. The more she knows, the more she feels like she can understand this world and its mysteries. She's always been the studious type as it is, and while she isn't studying the keyblade right now - she's enjoying what she can learn here regardless.

She's walking with a couple books tucked under her arms when she spots Vanitas, and she can't help but stop in her steps. ]

Vanitas.

[darkcharge]

[ The sound of his name draws his attention away from the book, broken glass still in his hand. ]

Aqua.

[ It doesn't surprise him at all that she would be here. As he remembers it, Aqua had always relied heavily on magic rather than brute strength. She cannot use magic here, but ha probably hasn't had any effect on her desire to learn.

Probably wouldn't have killed Van's. ]

Disney Princess

[poisontippedcure]

[Leave it to Van’s luck that the worst person possible happens upon him. Rose is in the gardens because she wants to be, and when she sees Vanitas, she lets out a chuckle.]

[Oh, he’s not living this down.]

I see they’ve taken a liking to you.

[darkcharge]

[ Of course it has to be Rose. Of course. She's sort of like that annoying older sibling that you can't shake... Not that Van has any experience with that of course. ]

At least they recognize my stellar personality for what it is.

library

[lucubrates]

[ This is something the two of them have in common, though Zelda does read for recreation, as well; today she plucks three books on fairytales out to thumb through as she researches. Her stack is comparable to a tower for her, for she barely makes it to a table before lurching forward. The bottom of her stack makes but like dominoes, the ones atop it topple, sliding across the table and... knocking over a few of Vanitas' broken items.

(Un?)Fortunately, Zelda has no idea that this isn't her fault. She rushes over, ignoring the hush that comes from several people in different parts of the library as she does, and kneels to pluck up the items— what an unusual assortment of items, but she has a hunch what this person was doing.

Turning back to the occupants of the table who are surely dealing with the mess she has created, the princess apologetically shakes her hand. ]

I... apologize. I miscalculated my balance and— [ This is a strange way to apologize for being clumsy, she realizes. Shoulders slumping, she sighs. ] I will replace them, it was my mistake they are in this shape now.

[darkcharge]

[ To be fair, Vanitas is sort of watching the entire thing. With a pile that tall, of course it is going to turn heads. Will it or won't it tip forward?

Apparently that gets answered shortly. He doesn't really do anything about it. Instead he watches as the few things he's collected are dropped to the floor, probably becoming even more broken in the process. Besides! It's amusing to see the other person fumble around with an apology.

Oh he could act like the jerk he can be and create a scene. However, Vanitas doesn't really feel up to that. Instead he picks up one of the items - a mug with the handle completely busted off now - and snorts. ]

They were already broken when I brought them here.

wildcard

[oathkeeper]

[One moment Sora has been home and the next he had found himself bolting as fast as he could from the place. His nerves were flaring, his shoulders feeling so tense. He felt like his heart was going to beat right out of his chest.

It shouldn't have been a big deal. Not even arguing with Roxas should have been a big deal. The blond had been feeling unwell, using Sora's jacket as a makeshift pillow. Sora had asked for it back and got snapped at for it. It a normal case Sora would probably had smacked Roxas over the head with a pillow or something but-- Roxas had growled. He had shown claws and looked at him with this look that made Sora think he was going to get hurt.

The next thing he knew he was bolting, running as fast as he could to somewhere safer. Rabbit nerves at peak "get away" status. He scampers up the usual spot to a window that is hopefully open at least a smidge. If it's open he clatters inside with a noisy thump. If it's not open he's going to rattle the thing loudly and desperately.]

[darkcharge]

[ Getting visits from Sora in the middle of the night seems to be an off and off thing. It's frequent enough that Van does leave his window unlatched. So it's an easy matter for Sora to be able to get the window open without too much of an issue. Right about now, though, he isn't expecting anyone.

He's actually in the kitchen, finding something to snack on. That's when he hears the noises coming from his room. What's...

Vanitas stops what he's doing and dashes back into his room. What he sees is Sora in there, window open. Usually that's not really a problem. However the brat looks spooked. That's what gets Vanitas moving inside at a quicker pace. What is Sora doing here, shaking and looking terrified? ]

Sora?

wildnaps

[unsundered]

[Someone left the front door open. While the identity of the culprit is technically a mystery, there's an Ascian-shaped hint collapsed on the threshold, half-inside, half-outside, like the world's worst indecisive cat.

There's no sign of injury, or anything being wrong with him, apart from choosing a bizarre place to sleep. That, and not being rouse-able by any normal means like prodding or being spoken to. But how had this occurred? What had led to this moment? Maintaining four Bonds didn't count as an answer. The answer was incredibly mundane.

But the Ascian's first mistake today was in waking up. He kept doing that.

The next was in getting out of bed. The third was leaving the house entirely on some errand or another. But he'd been feeling- not terrible. Not well, by any stretch of the imagination, but when did he? But more than sufficient to leave the security of the house.

And, nothing unfortunate had happened, what a relief. He'd made it back intact, awake, and--

Then very suddenly, he wasn't. And here we are. And there he is, letting all the cold air into the house.]

[darkcharge]

[ It's not like the old man doesn't take naps whenever and wherever he pleased. Emet-Selch is always sleeping here and there; rather, the Ascian lays around a lot.

Vanitas is just coming into the room because he's started to feel the draft. He doesn't always like the chill. And there the old man is. Just laying there. In the doorway. Of course he figures it isn't just some random nap. Nope. There is a reason for it, but the guy isn't going to tell anyone why.

So instead Van frowns, all of the sudden irritated by this new-found burden. Yes, he could leave the old man there to just lay around. Truth is, Vanitas won't all because somehow he even might be something close to fond and it's gross... But he can always make fun of Emet-Selch later.

Which means Van is going to poke him with his shoe first. ]

a flood's day out;

[slayvega]

[ It was only supposed to be a short outing that afternoon. Pick up some food to take home and maybe take a little stroll about to explore the town more. Nothing terribly exciting. But she should have realized that no day is ever normal, whether it be here or back home. Which is why Chise could be seen running, tote bag with groceries bouncing at her side, chasing after the Flood that had snatched the bolo tie from her hand.

In the time she had stopped to take off her bolo tie in order to adjust it, the precious gift was suddenly snatched out of her fingers by the creature. She was stunned for all of two seconds before her brain kicked in and she was sprinting after Flood. ]

W-wait-- give that back! Please!

[darkcharge]

[ Only that's not how it works. The Flood isn't going to listen to the whims of one little girl now is it? Though the item must be precious indeed for her to panic and then start to give chase. Actually, the Flood wants to have some fun with this as it runs. Its pace is set so that Chise can keep up with it.

But it is going to dart around. Between legs. People. A sharp turn down an alley at the last second. Nope. Can't make this easy at all. ]