Chapter Text
Noé
‘I can’t stop it… I’m sorry- Vanitas.’
The Charlatan had him in its grasp again, and he was too weak to fight it off himself.
‘ Shameful .’
Static blurred his thoughts. Delirium swallowed his mind until everything faded to black.
Then, after what felt like minutes adrift in nothingness, a voice pierced the haze.
A woman's voice.
“I want you to wake up before I drain away every last drop of your blood.”
Noé jolted upright, throwing himself off what he now realized was a plush, oversized bed.
“Wait!” he blurted, scrambling backward. His wide-eyed gaze landed on a small girl perched calmly on the bed, watching him without a flicker of emotion. “Y-you… You can’t have my blood!”
She wore an elegant gown, silver hair cascading down her shoulders, and eyes as cold and unmoving as carved glass; eyes that clearly weren’t used to being challenged.
Like hell, Noé thought, wincing as a throb of pain pulsed behind his eyes. “Why did you bring me here? Was it you?”
She blinked slowly, like a cat observing something mildly amusing. It reminded him of—
“ Ow! ” he yelped as sharp teeth bit into his leg. “Murr!”
Relief softened Noé’s features as he scooped up the feline, who purred smugly against his chest.
The girl, unfazed, began crawling toward him with a gaze that turned unsettlingly predatory.
"I demand your blood. You will give it to me."
Panic rose. Noé flinched back, clutching Murr protectively.
“H-Hey! It’s illegal to take someone’s blood without their consent! How old even are you? Where are your parents? Are you- some freaky possessed doll?!”
She didn’t react. But both froze as the bedroom door burst open.
A tall man entered, slender, with raven-black hair falling into his eyes; his expression was unreadable. Without hesitation, he crossed the room and lifted the girl into his arms.
“Cholé,” he said gently, “you know very well it’s not right to drink from just anyone.”
Noé sagged in relief. Finally, someone with sense- someone who could explain what was happening.
But the man’s eyes turned on him, cold and brimming with disdain.
“What I mean is, it’s not right to drink this lost dog’s blood. ”
Noé mentally deflated.
Cholé gave a rare smile. “Jean-Jacques, you say the most amusing things. I was simply encouraging our guest to wake up.”
Jean-Jacques scoffed and turned his gaze to Murr. “That creature is yours, I assume? We found it wandering the mountains and brought it along.”
Noé only nodded silently, still clutching the cat.
Carrying Cholé effortlessly over his shoulder, Jean-Jacques moved toward the door. Without looking back, he called out:
“Once you’ve collected yourself, come downstairs.”
Noé sat back on the bed, gently petting Murr, who was still trembling against him. His thoughts whirled.
What a nice guy, he thought, with bitter irony. After everything he’d been through, the smallest scrap of civility felt like a blessing, though it was a little depressing to admit that.
Still, Noé wasn’t discouraged. If these two were who he thought they were, maybe there was a chance.
‘ Cholé and Jean-Jacques… ’
Jeanne had mentioned someone like her. Could this girl be that Beast?!
Noé rushed to the window, staring out at the endless white blanket of snow. His chest tightened.
‘ I hope Vanitas and the others are safe... but for now, I need to hear what these people have to say. Then I’ll look for them. ’
***
This manor-or was it a castle?- was a maze of twisting halls and vast, echoing chambers.
Noé cautiously peeked out into a wide stairwell, only for Murr to trot ahead with an impatient huff, clearly unimpressed by his owner’s hesitation.
Still, with every step deeper into the place, Noé’s wariness began to ease, replaced by growing wonder.
The architecture was stunning, ornate, aged, and utterly enthralling. Vaulted ceilings, intricate stonework, and sweeping arches turned every corner into something out of a dream.
As he descended the winding stairs, a soft sound drifted up to meet him: music.
But what kind of instrument was that? He couldn’t quite place it. Whatever it was, the melody was haunting and beautiful, weaving through the halls like a whisper.
He comes to a door and gives it a soft tap with his knuckles, feeling as though he is interrupting.
“ Pardonne-moi. ” Noé tentatively steps into the room that harbored a grand dining table with guests who had instruments for heads, and Cholé at the head of the table with Jean-Jacques standing beside her, stoically.
Cholé looked thrilled to welcome him, her eyes glinting.
Noé didn’t have the chance to think about what he was seeing before Cholé spoke, “Ah, bonjour , you’ve arrived.”
He’s feeling more and more unsettled, those “guests” are automotons, self-playing instruments- but the music they were playing was beginning to make him sweat and feel cold.
“I’ll introduce you,” Cholé waved her hand. “ Tout le monde, the boy’s name is Noé. We brought him home after we found him, lost and unconscious, in that terrible blizzard.”
It was one question about who she was talking to, but what he couldn’t help but ask was, “ Pardon, but how do you know my name?”
“My friend here told me, of course.”
A misty black silhouette of a figure seeped into view behind her - its face a crude, scratched-on smile, twisted and uneven. It wrapped around her like smoke, clutching her from behind in a mockery of affection
The Charlatan.
Cholé’s welcoming expression didn’t falter, nonchalantly resting a hand over the top of the Charlatan’s wrist.
“Now, Noé, you must be ravenous, let’s all dine together, shall we?”
Noé was seething with barely contained rage, hatred flowing right from his veins. “ Get away from Cholé! ”
“Mm, you’ve already met this boy?” Cholé frowns in thought.
“ Yes, yes, he’s a wonder. He’s a reminder of someone I once knew…”
Something cold stirred in her gaze then, “Never mind that, our feast is here.”
Noé looks over his shoulder as an automaton struggles to wheel itself over to the table with a multitude of dishes of food.
Jean-Jacques placed down the plates as Cholé put her hands together, contentedly.
Noé kept his eyes on the Charlatan- ‘It’s her, she’s the one who- No, that’s the thing - that killed Louis… It’s lurking so close, so calmly.’
Noé took all of his willpower to stay firmly planted on his feet, voice clear as he asked, “Cholé, are you the beast of Gevaudan? There’s a rumor that the beast happens to be a curse-bearing vampire. If it’s you, then this Charlatan is the one who’s taken your true name away from you! I don’t understand. How can you sit next to that monster so casually ?”
Cholé raised a spoon to her mouth, “Because I was given what I wanted.”
Noé waited for her to continue. More confusion.
She took a sip from the spoon, “Becoming a curse bearer was my own decision; it was the price I paid to make my wish come true,” she says softly.
“... Your wish? ” Noé mumbles softly. Feeling disheveled.
The Charlatan lurked closer until suddenly looming over him, pointing to his chest. “ Precisely~ There are some names that I covet more than others. Being held by vampires as powerful as Cholé, it’s not possible to take them by force. That’s why I asked politely ~ May I have your true name, I say, only if you grant me a wish in return, they offer. And you are no exception, Noé, I’ve tried and failed so many times to obtain your true name for myself.” It brings its hand close to his face, as if to caress it, “ you’re a slippery one. ” It giggles
Noé felt frozen.
“ Which is why I’m going to ask it again. Think carefully, my dear, surely you must have a wish that’s worth surrendering your true name to me.”
“ I see now. ” Noé grits his teeth. “You made the same offer to Louis.”
The memory of how terrified, how tortured his brother must have felt enduring that pain alone, only to-
The Charlatan’s cackles break his reverie, and he violently swipes a hand, dispersing the mist throughout he air. “ What the hell are you?! ”
The Charlatan slung back over the dining table, Noé propelled himself off of it to take another strike. “WHAT DO YOU WANT!”
He dispersed the mist again just for it to reform into its smiling figure.
“What could you stand to gain from stealing vampires' true names?!”
The laughter only grew more vigorous.
“I refuse to let you take anyone else away! Give him back to me- and to DOMI! LET LOUIS GO OR I WILL KILL YOU!” he roars, sprinting toward the Charlatan again while on the tablecloth, sending the foot flying into the air this time.
Cholé’s eyes go wide and send Noé to the opposite side of the room with one swift strike.
“Listen well, I have little patience for children who waste food.” Tone full of ice, a blurry glare is the last thing Noé can see before he blacks out again…
***
The blurred image of a wooden ceiling comes into view.
Something ice cold was resting on his face.
Noé groans softly and grabs the ice bag wrapped in fabric off his face, sitting up with his head feeling sloshy.
“Why did you have to do that?” Jean-Jacques’s monotone voice was coming from right next to the bench. The man is stirring a pot of stew. “She can be scary when she’s mad. Remember that.”
“Where is she, right now?” Noé grimaces.
“Still with her shadow-y friend. I would suggest leaving them be.”
Desperation flowed back into Noé despite feeling exhausted, “We can’t- That thing is too dangerous, it’s not safe to leave them alone together-” He stops himself at the immense hunger of his stomach growling at him.
Jean-Jacques looks at him, aloofly, “You throw your food all over the room like a child, and yet your stomach growls for more?”
Noé rests his head in his hands, “I can’t exactly stop it.”
Jean-Jacques poured a helping into a bowl to set on the table, making another to set on the floor for Murr.
“There’s some left, you can finish the rest.”
Noé stares at him for a moment before getting up to sit at the small table. This room was a small kitchen, and it did feel cozy.
How could these people house such a monster?
Noé takes the spoon for a tentative sip. He was stunned, “This is delicious! You made it yourself?” he grinned.
“Of course.”
“And my clothes, you’re the one who mended them, right?”
“Yes.”
“That’s great!” Noé praised him. “You’re amazing, Jean-Jacques! There’s nothing you can’t do, is there? I can’t cook or sew for the life of me, you should be proud!”
Jean-Jacques was flushing out of embarrassment, the more Noé spoke. “Nothing but practice from all the years of taking care of Cholé… It’s nothing.”
Noé walked over to the other side of the table towards him. “Listen, I want you to know how grateful I am for all that you’ve done, even though you saved Murr and me, I never had the chance to say thank you. I hope you’ll forgive me. I’d like to introduce myself properly this time.” He offers out a hand, “It’s nice to meet you, I’m Noé.”
Jean-Jacques stared at the hand, confused. “What is that for? If you want more soup, you can serve yourself.”
Noé gave a slight flinch, “oh- no, no, no I was just trying to shake your hand.” he put on a sheepish grin.
Jean-Jacques turned his head away, “That’s- no one’s ever asked to shake my hand. I’m confused,” he sounded off kilter.
Noé waited patiently until the man finally rested his hand in his.
“Nice to meet you!” He encouraged. ‘ I want to understand who they are, I could help them…’
***
Vanitas
“How much do you know about the House of d’Apchier?” Dante asked as they trudged through the snow.
The wind bit at their coats, tugging at scarves and hair. Snow crunched beneath their boots, muffling all but their breath.
“Only what was in the dossier you gave me,” he breathes out sternly. “Their family line died out in the aftermath of the Beast’s rampage.”
A raven screamed overhead, a stark sound against the pale, dead sky.
“Yeah, but there’s more.” Dante frowns. “The d’Apchiers were conducting research on the World Formula, even though the Church forbade it. Their work produced the Alteration Engine, a device for altering the World Formula. That is what gave rise to the Beast of Gévaudan.”
The other man’s jaw clenched. Frost clung to the edges of his collar.
“So the question is, what should or can be done? Is that why both vampires and humans are so interested in this?”
“Most likely.”
They passed a broken milestone, half-buried in ice, the inscription long worn away by time.
“So, where did you hear all this? Whose orders are you under?”
Dante grumbles. “Sir Francis Varney, aka the Clockwork Fiend Marquis Machina.”
“I see.”
There was a long silence, filled only by the hiss of wind across the plain.
“Marquis Machina tasked me with getting you involved in this, no doubt because you are a member of the Blue Moon Clan. He also wants to know whether the Alteration Engine really exists. And if possible, I’m to find it and bring it to him.”