Work Text:
“It’s very… bright?” Noé offered with a sideways glance at Vanitas who was staring at the object as if it had personally crashed into their home and stolen all the silverware. Not that they owned silverware, but Noé supposed that’s what Vanitas would look like if they had.
“It’s the latest trend,” Dominique explained excitedly. “It’s an absolute marvel, don’t you think? When I saw it, I thought of you immediately.”
“Oh,” he said with a pleased flush, momentarily forgetting how he actually felt about it. “Thank you, Domi.”
“What… is it?” Vanitas finally asked.
“It’s a lamp.”
The lamp in question was as tall as Noé, and as wide as his thigh. It was made of heavy brass and was shaped like, well, Noé wasn’t quite sure what it was shaped like. The best he could come up with was a cross between a bird and a frog. Possibly. If they were done in an extremely abstract style. He bent his head sideways. No, that did nothing to clarify what he was beholding.
Regardless, strange as it appeared, what was most baffling was how bright it was. It shone with a blue fire, no doubt due to its astermite base, and drenched the room in an eerie, ghostly glow.
“I think it might be for a larger room than ours,” Noé finally said. It was the kindest way of saying it.
She pulled the long, tasseled switch and immediately the light went out. Vanitas let out an audible sigh of relief.
“Do you like it?” she asked, more uncertainly this time.
“Of course!” Noé exclaimed, panicking. She’d gone to so much trouble to buy it and lug it to their hotel room; he could hardly tell her he thought it was impractical at best.
The shy, sweet smile she gave so rarely warmed his heart and immediately made him fonder of the item in general. He could hardly fault her for odd taste; his own was, as Vanitas had once said, an absolute travesty to society’s mores.
“Unfortunately, I have to get going; things have been busy back home. But I wanted to see you and… I hope this brightens things up.”
“Thank you, Domi.” He clasped her hands. “I’m sure we’ll put it to good use.
She gave him a swift hug, gave Murr a pat, ignored Vanitas, and was on her way.
He let out a sigh. He wished she’d been able to stay longer; her visits were so brief of late. He wondered what the de Sades were doing that took up so much of her time.
“What do you really think about this?” Vanitas asked as he stepped forward to inspect it more thoroughly. “It’s even glowing when it’s turned off.”
“It’s, er, unique?”
Vanitas gave a hard laugh at that. “So much blue light…” He pulled the tassel and immediately the room was bathed in that eerie glow. “Everyone will know the kin of the Blue Moon is here now.”
“They won’t think that,” Noé returned calmly. “Domi said these are all the rage. They’ll just think we’re fashionable.”
“Hm.” Vanitas stared at it as if he were hypnotized before he raised his hand in front of it. In unison, they looked at the wall across from them. His hand’s shadow stood dark and larger than life against it.
There was an odd glimmer in his eyes now that Noé had never seen before. He looped his thumbs together and flapped his fingers. Noé stared at him in bafflement.
“The shadow,” Vanitas nodded to it, managing to look only slightly embarrassed. “What does it look like?”
He did the same flapping motion, but this time Noé was looking at the shadow as instructed.
“A butterfly?”
“Yes,” he replied, sounding inordinately pleased. “How about this one?” He bent his middle two fingers so they met his thumb and raised his index and pinkie.
“A… dog?”
“Hm, I need to try something harder,” he replied, sounding genuinely excited. Noé stared at him in wonder. Vanitas had never demonstrated an interest in such normal pastimes, but now that it was revealed he felt a little foolish. Even Vanitas must have had to find ways to pass the time before he devoted himself to curing vampires.
This time he pressed his fingers together tightly, making a kind of triangular shape, and ducked his thumb behind them. He raised his other hand slightly above it in a claw-like gesture. Noé stared at the wall in bemusement. It definitely looked like something.
“Have I got you this time?” he asked mischievously.
“Give me a moment,” Noé replied, a smile tugging at his lips. “Maybe a deer? Or a reindeer?”
“You’re very good at this,” Vanitas said in mock defeat. He lowered his hands and stretched his fingers before leaning in to turn off their lamp.
“Wait,” Noé said hastily. Vanitas looked over curiously. “Maybe… you could teach me some?”
At that, Vanitas practically beamed.
Noé would have to remember to send Dominique a thank-you card. The chance to see this side of Vanitas and to learn something new was a gift he’d never anticipated.
He formed his hands into the dog shape and had his shadow-dog give Vanitas’s shadow-dog a quick peck, laughing as he did so. It was so absurd, but so much fun.
Vanitas started before letting out a laugh as well. “You’re full of surprises.”
They spent the next hour huddled close with Vanitas giving him detailed instructions for various other animals as he bent Noé’s hands into all kinds of shapes.
It really is beautiful, Noé realized contentedly. Just like the blue moon itself.