[ 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

[darkcharge]

[ A casual shrug is followed by a yawn. ]

Not sure. Suppose we'll find out. At least it won't hurt when your ears turn back.

[ In maybe an hour or two they might poof back into place. Though this isn't an illusion. However Vanitas can do that instead. Once more he swats away at some butterflies. ]

[oathkeeper]

It's a neat trick. I had no idea you could do that.

[Witches are amazing... Sora was just getting used to having his rabbit ears but this is alright too. Sora shakes his hair out a little and fusses with it.

Then he looks back at Vanitas and tilts his head.]

Is it me or is there are a lot of butterflies bothering you today?

[darkcharge]

It's not just bugs that have been either. Every time I show up in the gardens lately some creature thinks it should be bothering me.

[ He makes a face and sticks out his tongue. Vanitas doesn't understand it, but isn't going to really question it at this time. ]

Anyway. Just enjoy 'em while it lasts, brat.

[oathkeeper]

[He can't help it, he snorts with some gentle laughter.]

Looks like you're turning into a bonafide princess or something, Vanitas.

[He's joking!]

But, thanks. It kind of feels nice to be normal again for a little bit.

[darkcharge]

If I start singing then I guess we all need to start worrying...

[ At least he takes the teasing in jest. The idea of him being a princess is. Laughable. ]

As for normal? How are you remotely normal?

[oathkeeper]

[Sora laughs when Vanitas takes the jest and meanwhile he follows one of the fluttering butterflies that's near Vanitas. He reaches out and tries to poke it but it flutters away and lands on a yellow flower nearby. Sora crouches down to poke gently at the flower and play with the butterfly.

... While precisely proving Vanitas' point in general, here.]

Hey, I'm normal enough? Come on!

[darkcharge]

There is nothing about you that is close normal, Sora.

[ He is totally proving Van's point. Van reaches over before he can think to stop himself and ruffles Sora's hair. ]

You're playing with bugs.

[oathkeeper]

[At least without the rabbit ears in the way the ruffling can happen easier. Sora's hair is soft and fluffy despite all the spikes. Sora looks up at Vanitas when he does that, blue eyes wide.

Is Vanitas okay? He's never done anything like that before...]

Uhh? I guess I am. [Heh.] Even if they like you more than me.

[darkcharge]

[ Maybe he'd like knocking those ears around. Van might even want to touch them. Though no, Van isn't really okay. He has been doing a lot of thinking lately. About emotions and feelings. How he's coming to realize some things about himself and what he might actually be capable of; entertaining possibilities that would have set him into a panic attack before.

There's just a lot on his mind and Vanitas is somewhat distracted. ]

Do you really need to point that out? You're the sweeter one of us. They should like you beter.

[oathkeeper]

[He can tell there's something ... calmer about Vanitas. He's not sure if that's what he's feeling across their bond now or if Vanitas is feeling under the weather. Sometimes it's so hard to tell.

The butterfly on the yellow flower flutters away and Sora takes that moment to pluck the flower from the bush before standing again. He twirls it around in his fingers.

Being called sweeter... Sora might have the slightest of a blush on his cheeks.]

But there's something different about you right now, maybe? The butterflies are flocking to you.

[darkcharge]

[ Look, he is just stating the facts. Sora can be fierce, but he is infinitely nicer than Vanitas will ever be. He watches Sora pick the flower with a bit of a frown. ...Sora better not be doing what he thinks he's doing. ]

Nothing's -

[ He huffs and looks away. Vanitas had been about to say that nothing is different about him. There is. There's something very different about him now, a dramatic shift in his paradigm that he's still processing. ]

It's not something that would make me attract butterflies.

[oathkeeper]

[At least he's not sticking the flower in his mouth again.

... Yet.]

Vanitas?

[Curiousity pricks at him as he tilts his head to try and see Vanitas' expression a little closer. After their misunderstanding, Sora's been a little cautious about things but he still can't help it. He wants to ask.]

Did something else happen then?

[darkcharge]

[ Nope! Sora does not get to see his face. Vanitas is too embarrassed by talking about this. So every time the other teen moves his head to get a closer look, Van looks the other way. Ducking down too. ]

...Yes. Something happened.

[ Though he won't give up what just yet. ]

[oathkeeper]

[The curiosity only gets bigger so Sora tilts his head this way and that as he tries to get a better peek at Vanitas' face. If he's not mistaken Vanitas might even be blushing a little?

... What a day!]

What happened? Hm? Hm?

[He's being so nosy!]

[darkcharge]

[ Vanitas huffs some more. When he has had enough of trying to escape from Sora’s gaze, he puts his hand on Sora’s face. ]

Knock that off.

[ Don’t look at him, brat. ]

Why do you want to know?

[oathkeeper]

[He can't help letting out a puff of laughter even as his face is pushed. He swats playfully at Vanitas' hand and then eyes him curiously again.]

Because it's not everyday that you ruffle my hair like that. Or have actual butterflies flocking around you.

[He still can't place it, this calmness or change in Vanitas.]

[darkcharge]

If that is a problem then I can always tug on your ears or shock you instead.

[ Maybe pointing some of these things out isn’t a good idea? Vanitas may end up goignon the defensive here. ]

[oathkeeper]

[Sora blinks and if he still had his rabbit ears right now they would have drooped.]

Hey...! It's not a problem, I'm just curious.

[It was nice being treated nice.]

[darkcharge]

[ Vanitas is silent for a bit after that. It’s because he’s struggling internally. Surely there is no harm in talking to Sora, especially since he’s already had a conversation with Mira. But it is still hard to do and maybe Sora can begin to feel/see it. Does he? Doesn’t he? ]

It... Happened a little after our fight.

[ Well that is a start? ]

[oathkeeper]

[He can feel the hesitation and the struggle kind of like a light tug and push on their bond. Sora's expression softens but he's still overly curious as he twirls the yellow flower around in his fingers gently.]

After our fight?

[The offer of Sora listening is there, but he's not sure if Vanitas actually wants to say more or not.]

Was it because of that or...?

[darkcharge]

No, it wasn't because of that.

[ Definitely has little to do with Sora, honestly. It's just frame of reference for time. ]

I was in a pretty crappy mood though. Because of that I didn't notice that someone got sick.

[ Which he had felt bad about. He knows what that emotion is, but he honestly hadn't felt it before? ]

So I went to visit this person and we talked. When we were talking, they broke down a little. ...And I didn't like it.

[oathkeeper]

[Sora tilts his head, eyes blinking with a bit of wonder and surprise.

From the sounds of it one of Vanitas' new friends got sick and it upset Vanitas that they were and he hadn't noticed enough. He knows he shouldn't be happy a friend got sick but he's kind of happy to know that Vanitas seemed to have been affected by the situation.]

Sounds like you worried about a friend, Vanitas.

[darkcharge]

[ Not even looking at Sora. Nope. He already figures that the kid is probably looking at him with wide baby blues. That is going to make him even more embarrassed so Vanitas doesn’t acknowledge it and just moves forward. ]

I suppose so, though I didn’t know it at the time. And I got angry for them too. Next thing I know I was thinking that I didn’t want to see them like this again.

[ Emotions he is familiar with but yet different all the same. It is a hard thing to learn. ]

These emotions were different and I got more and more frustrated that I couldn’t figure out what it was they were.

[oathkeeper]

[A nosy part of him wishes he knew who Vanitas was talking about. Was it that weird Emet-Selch guy? Maybe Mira? Or his second bondmate he still hasn't asked enough about? Ventus? But Ventus hasn't been sick...?

Sora's smile is soft.]

Maybe you were getting protective, Vanitas. That means you care about them a lot. You want them to not be sick and to be safe. That's a nice thing.

[Is it weird he feels a little proud?]

You know, it was like that for Roxas and me a lot. When I knew how much he had to go through, how much he'd been hurt? I wanted to do everything I could to help him out too. I got angry too.

[Sora gets like that for a lot of his friends, honestly. That's why he's so reckless.

Without realizing much of the action Sora reaches out to pat Vanitas' arm.]

It's kind of overwhelming, huh.

[darkcharge]

[ Augh. Don’t bring up Ventus. Ever. There are not too many things that can set Van off but his other half is one of them. It isn’t as bad, but it still takes a lot out of Vanitas to deal with his Light. Tolerance of the other’s presence is about as good as it get there. ]

That’s what others were saying on the network. I was starting to think that maybe some of your impulses were rubbing off on me.

[ Though he knows that’s not entirely the case. Yes, because of the Bond, Vanitas is feeling an array of emotions he hasn’t really experienced before. However, this had been developing even before that, hadn’t it? Regardless, Van listens to what Sora has to say. It doesn’t surprise him much that Sora would get angry. He’s seen it. ]

Yeah, but did you want to really hurt the Organization back?

[ Eh... Trick question. Van doesn’t shrink away from Sora’s touch. ]

So yes. I have been a little distracted.