#poor Noé

[callilemon]

What do you think Louis would have looked like had The Incident never happened and he lived up to Domi's age in the present if canon? What would him and Noé's dynamic look like? And also imagine the massive love triangle of him, Noé, and Vanitas.... That'd be fascinating. 2 emo boys vying for his attention.

If Louis had lived, I imagine he wouldn’t of changed too much. Maybe have longer hair, and a different style? (I drew him pretty in canon tho hah)

If this was the case, my head canon is Noé and Vanitas meet in the same way, only he’s looking for a cure for Louis and Vanitas manages to give him his name back. So I think his relationship with Vanitas would be more or less the same. If anything he’d have more admiration for him for saving his friend. I do think he and Louis would be romantically involved but with Vanitas added to the mix? I can’t decide if Louis would absolutely love him, because they’re so similar or absolutely despise him for the same reasons 😂

I do see them tormenting Noé to no end hence the doodle 😂

(Just realized I don’t know the ship name for Louis x Noé. Lounoé?)

[bookdragonquotes]

[mimimou]

This Barbie is mrrp meow sniff!

[menelaus-blue]

all i’m going to say is that as a black american person reading the new vnc chapter, i did chuckle a bit when vanitas was explaining oppression to noé…it was funny to me ok?

[lordmushroomkat]

Anyway I have purged my queue of Ace Attorney (I posted it all, enjoy the the massive wall of nonsense from me.) So now it's just miscellaneous and then The New Brainrot.

There's already an image of one of these clowns on here so enjoy that.

But anyway... It's Vanitas Time.

I am unhinged about all of the characters but I am becoming absolutely unwell about the titular Vanitas himself.

He's an asshole and I like him so much.

He's unhinged. He's so disingenuous and so repressed but he's so bad at keeping his feelings in. I swear sometimes he's just dissociating in the middle of a conversation.

He's a bastard and a bitch. He hates both vampires and humans for their cruelty but not nearly as much as he hates himself.

He has completely given up on life and is sustaining himself purely on spite and guilt. He makes people hate him on purpose.

He is kind but not nice. He is the embodiment of that cat knife meme, you know the one. He is babygirl and pathetic little meow meow. I want to send him to therapy.*

His vibes are constructed entirely out of red flags. He's a bisexual man that you want to keep 20 feet away from all women at all times because geeeeez my guy learn to behave yourself. He's a sarcastic prick. He's incomprehensibly traumatized.

I want to run him over with a freight train. I want to wrap him up in a homemade quilt and give him a cup of hot cocoa. I want someone to hold him tenderly. I want that twink obliterated (gayly).

He looks and acts like a feral alley cat. His outfit is simultaneously iconic and absurd. I think he stole someone's gender. He wears gloves with claws on them.

He is terrified of genuine connection yet he craves intimacy so badly. He is a massive pile of trust issues.

He is doomed by the narrative, he is running out of time, he is destroying himself through every step of his objective. He knows he will likely destroy himself before he can ever succeed. He is terrified of losing his humanity. He calls his objective vengeance but I'm pretty sure it's actually absolution.

There is something very very wrong with him.💖💜💙

*(I want to send all of these characters to therapy.)

[littencloud9]

DAMN OKAY POE WANNABE. WE GET IT

[itsrainingfeathers]

I want to know more about the Shapeless One so bad

[cluescorner]

Dominique, Dante, Jeanne, and Vanitas: *Having a nice little date/spying adventure* 

Noé: *Is alone for the whole day*

Chekhov: Allow me to introduce myself. 

[visjules]

Okay but like, Vanitas was SOOO jealous this episode holy shit. He first points out how “friendly” they are, and then he gets all over Noé like he’s marking his fucking territory

Also him giggling when she says she didn’t know how to read, looking at Noe like?? Are you trying to look “better”?? Poor Noé is so damn confused

[neversetyoufree]

Just recently found your blog and i love it!!! do have any theories for vanitas' original name? My guess is Abraham, for all it doesn't really fit him, after Abraham van hellsing, who is both a doctor and vampire expert, which I think matches mochijuns naming conventions. Doesn't hurt that it matches with Noe (noah) religiously.

Thank you!! Welcome to the party ;D

Traditionally, I've always said I don't have any strong theories on Vanitas's name—at least none that I actually expect to come true. I think(?) I've talked about this before, but that's not really the kind of theorizing I do? Since right now any name theory is wild guessing and speculation, not elaborating from the text.

That said, I do now have one pet theory that I'm partial to (one I didn't have the last time someone asked me this). I don't actually think this is going to be the case in canon, but for now, I really enjoy the concept of Vanitas's real name being Byron. This is mostly because I think it would be funny, but there are some actual connections too.

Long context short, Lord Byron wrote an unfinished draft of what would have been the first modern vampire story, and then his personal doctor (John William Polidori) took the same idea and fleshed it out into The Vampyre—the actual generally recognized first modern vampire story. But! Polidori's version of the vampire (the version that established a lot of our vampire tropes) was partly inspired by Byron himself. So Byron is sort of this almost-but-not-quite vampire author, writing but also inspiring the tropes of vampirism, which reflects interestingly on Vanitas's relationship to actual vampirism. He's not a vampire, but he's much closer to one than any other human, and in demeanor, he acts more stereotypically vampiric than Noé and many other vampire characters.

Also, Byron is the namesake of the Byronic hero, which Vanitas is a perfect example of. He's brooding, cynical, arrogant, and intelligent, but despite his gloom and self-destructiveness, he has a sort of lonely magnetism about him. Once again, the concept of the Byronic hero is inspired by/named after both Byron himself and the characters he wrote.

As I said, I don't think I'm going to be right about this, as there's a million other theories that could fit just as well, but in the meantime, the concept does tickle me. Polidori's Byron-based vampire even has an especially strong connection to the moon :D.

Anyway, I really like your theory as well. I've noted before that it's interesting that there's no Van Hellsing reference in VnC (or any direct Dracula references at all, save poor dead Mina). It's almost surprising given Dracula is the iconic vampire story. I never even considered that there could be a Dracula reference hidden right there in Vani and waiting to be discovered, but it does make sense. The doctor/vampire expert connection is really fun and fitting! Though I'm afraid I don't know enough about the biblical Abraham to say anything interesting about that aspect beyond what you pointed out there.

[shalomniscient]

sevchino req!!! wanna see protective arle to the children please,,,,,,father in action raahhhh

you and me BOTH anon 🥺🥺🥺 ......................

protective || sevchino

cw. none (?)

notes. yeah i like bullying pantalone (and not in a fun way like a bully rahu). sue me. also super self indulgent with no consistent pov dshjjdfhk

"My, my. What's a little girl like you doing in a place like this, hm?"

Estelle hugs the little bear closer to her chest. Her father had told her to stay in the office, but she was taking so long, and it was starting to get lonely...

She lifts her eyes up from the ground to look at the man crouched before her. He has long, dark hair that reminds her of her father's with how soft it looks. He has a polite smile on his face, but it doesn't reach his eyes. And his eyes—something about them made her nervous.

"I'm here with my father," she answers quietly, squeezing her toy. "I was supposed to stay in the office, but..."

The man clicks his tongue. "Tsk. Poor little thing, did your father leave you behind?"

Estelle bites her lip. Should she answer him? Father always told her not to speak with strangers, but it's been so long, and she wants to go home. She knows she'd begged her father to let her tag along, but now, all she wants to do is go home to her mother and Noé.

So she nods, looking back down at the ground. The man sighs, and rises back to his full height. He's tall, towering over her, and the way the lights backlight his form makes Estelle reflexively take a step back. He looks down at her down the bridge of his nose, the silver rim of his glasses glinting.

"Then how about I help you find her, hm?" he asks. "I think I know exactly who your father is."

Despite her apprehension, Estelle brightens. "Really?"

"Really," he nods. His white cloak parts, and he extends a gloved hand to her. But before he can take her smaller hand in his own, an arc of pure, blistering flame snakes around the girls feet, creating a protective, blazing wall. But around the girl, the fires cool, warm and comforting instead of threatening.

Footsteps echo like thunder down the hall, and the man tucks his hand back into his cloak, those dangerous eyes turning sharp, and a venomous grin creeping onto his face.

"We meet again, Knave," he sneers. Estelle turns, and standing behind her, expression twisted into a level of fury she's never seen before, is her father. A blood-red wing pulses over her left shoulder, flickering and shifting in the light. In her father's hand is a mean-looking red scythe, radiating a furious, hungry aura.

"Stay away from my daughter, Regrator," Arlecchino snarls, practically vibrating with rage. She keeps her eyes trained on the other Harbinger as she kneels down, and Estelle runs into her waiting arm. Pantalone watches it all with a deceptively placid smile.

"You know," he hums, "she has her eyes."

Arlecchino glares at him with enough fury to kill a normal man. But as much as she loathes the waste of breath before her, he is still a Harbinger, and Harbingers have always been far from normal.

"Do not speak of my wife," she says lowly, dangerously, cradling Estelle against her chest. Estelle tucks her head beneath her father's chin, one small hand winding tight in her father's jacket and the other clutching her bear plushie. The little thing's fur is slightly singed. Then, her father's gaze shifts from the man and to her, and her eyes soften. "Are you alright, starshine?"

Estelle nods, snuggling closer against her father's warmth. Arlecchino presses a soft kiss to her forehead, then turns back to Pantalone. She dispels her scythe, but it does not make her any less deadly. She considers, briefly, ripping the man before her to shreds; but Estelle takes priority, and she'd hate for her daughter to have to witness such violence, so she turns on her heel and walks away instead.

She will ensure the Regrator understands that her family is off limits in other ways.

[bookdragonquotes]

Read my fic covering basically this here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/53497444

(Excuse the shameless self-promotion)

[thewritetofreespeech]

hello! before i start blabbing, i wanna say i enjoy all your writing and really appreciate the time you put into it! (it's crazy tbh, i'd never have the patience/creativity for it,, especially with some of the oddly specific stuff you've been able to answer/write for so well lol)

but if you're still cool with writing for vnc, could I request a noe x male or gender neutral reader who's been sheltered/isolated (like noe used to be when he was younger) and is having a hard time socially/mentally? if that's too vague or you'd rather write something happier, i'd love to see noe and/or vanitas with a hyper-affectionate reader who kinda wants to spoil them lol

Noé considers himself a fairly learned man of the world now. He’s not, but let’s just let him think that. It makes him so happy.

But he remembers what it was like when he first came to Paris, or the Professors manor. All the new sights, smells, sounds. It can be overwhelming.

He doesn’t ask the specifics of why they were so sheltered. Nor does he dare use his ability on them to find out without their consent.

Noé assumes that they will tell him in their own time. Or they won’t. And that’s perfectly fine too.

Acts as their tour guide around the city, with poor results.

Besides his innate horrible sense of direction, Noé usually has no idea what he’s talking about. Much to Vanitas’s annoyance as he follows behind and corrects Noé, so they don’t give them the wrong information.

He is helpful though in telling them all the things he wished someone had told him. As well as being supportive.

Being isolated can be very, well, isolating. And even when you’re not there anymore you can still feel cut off from everyone. Like you’re so far behind you’ll never catch up.

Noé doesn’t want them to feel that way, so he’ll always be the one person there with them. So, they don’t feel alone.

[red-panda-agere]

Regressor! Vanitas

(!¡!Pull-up/Diaper/Accident mention!¡!)

He is literally the smallest baby ever, he doesn’t even speak usually. Very rarely he’ll be around three (when they HAVE to be in public but Vanitas can’t make himself stop regressing), but Noé is almost always left with trying to decipher his fussy baby’s whines and crying.

Regresses to make up for his sorry excuse of a childhood but says it’s just to relieve stress. He claims his childhood “doesn’t bother him” only because he can’t find the right words to properly express this empty hurt inside of him because of it, and he truly believes he can never actually make anyone understand how painful it is for him.

Though he denies it like his life depends on it, and claims it’s a very rare thing, he tends to regress quite often. If not during the day or after they return home, usually during their nightly routine, Vanitas will start to regress.

Noé couldn’t help but notice how quiet his partner had gotten, practically nonverbal the moment they stepped through the door. “Is that a sleepy little prince I spy?” Noé asked with a gentle voice, receiving a small whine in response. “Ohhh, my poor little baby. So tired and stressed from all that big kid work. He deserves a break doesn’t he?” The vampire walks over to the edge of his bed, where Vanitas is now awkwardly playing with his own hands. He kneels down infront of him, and looks up to Vanitas’ eyes. They were glossy and he looked about ready to meltdown. “Oh baby…Baby baby baby…shhhh” he gently whispered to his forehead as he swiftly hoisted him up to his hip. “Let’s go get your kitty little one. Would that help mon ange?” Vanitas hesitated to, and nodded ever so slightly, a shuddering breath heard. “Oh my little Vanitas, Papa’s here.” A very weak sound escaped the smaller male’s lips, one he barely forced out but couldn’t bring himself to choke down. “Papa…”

Without Noé there to guide him while regression, he honestly has no idea what he’s doing. His childhood was completely ripped from him, so he’s unsure of what he’s supposed to be doing for the most part. As long as he can cuddle his Papa though, he doesn’t seem to mind being lost. And Noé almost always has activities set up for him.

The first time he read Vanitas a bedtime story, Vanitas didn’t understand why, but he just started crying and Noé was quick to comfort him. Vanitas wanted to say ‘thank you’ but just couldn’t get it out. Noé understood.

The first time Vanitas regressed at all, neither of them had any idea what was happening, but Noé knew Vanitas needed this. He took him into his arms, not saying a word as he just let Vanitas cry to him as he apologized profusely for trying to kill him.

“No-é! Please! I’m sorry! I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry!” Vanitas wept like he’d never wept before. He was crying for the first time in years into the shoulder of this vampire he’d grown so attached to he couldn’t even bring himself to kill him. He cared so deeply for this man, it was absolutely killing him. Vanitas was not supposed to love, never ever. But… “Please don’t leave Noé! Please! Please please please! I’ll never do it again!” He sobbed, grabbing tightly to the vampire’s sweater, soaking its shoulder. It was already pathetic enough he was showing such strong emotion to him, but he was literally desperate for him to continue to exist around him. He felt so small and comforted in his arms. For once in his life, he wasn’t cold and scared. He had a home to return to, someone to return to for a feeling of safety. “I won’t leave you Vanitas. I forgive you…I’m here.” Noé softly spoke, lips close to the shorter male’s forehead. This went on for hours until Vanitas finally collapsed into Noé’s arms, shivering and exhausted. “I’m here now Vanitas…I’m here…” he tucked a bit of the exhausted Vanitas’ hair behind his ear. Vanitas had hardly said anything, but he didn’t have to. Noé knew…not to the extent Vanitas had experienced but enough. But he didn’t need to understand, feeling there was enough pain in this scared boy to have more than warranted such a meltdown.

Noé once suggested Johann, Dante, and Riche could look over Vanitas if he were to run errands, and he went BALLISTIC at the thought of that ‘old man’ having to babysit him, a grown man. Only Noé can know about this secret, and even then he only knows a fraction of what Vanitas really does/wants to do.

-Sometimes they both regress, because-

If Noé even brings up regression in any conversation ever, Vanitas goes ballistic.

Noé often refers to him as “Mon ange” “Mon bébé” “Mon petit chéri” and “sunshine.” The last usually tends to inexplicably make Vanitas go very quiet, cry, or just become an extra needy baby.

When regressed, he really likes to bother Murr. Murr doesn’t mind being held like a stuffie, or being cried into by a lonely little sunshine.

His favorite pacifier is a yellow one with little suns on it.

His favorite stuffie is a Siamese cat beanie baby named Snip.

He really likes sleeper onsies, as they cover his super scarred body.

Absolutely hates talking when regressed, especially about ‘big boy topics’ like his past, his relationship with Jeanne (not a romantic one, but the fact she’s bitten him before), and especially Mikhail. However, since he tends to regress because of stress instead of using it to ease/prevent stress, he tends to find himself panicking to a stuffed animal at the thought of just existing the way he has been.

Embarrassing as it is, he really likes things intended for the littlest of babies, wanting to experience them for the first time. He has a really big interest with little items, even if he doesn’t know what they’re originally for, as his childhood is nothing but a living nightmare. So, he tends to wear diapers for comfort, and sometimes even pull-ups just for when he’s big and wants to feel safer.

Very frequent nightmares, Vanitas always running to Noé for comfort. Whether they’re already in bed together or Vanitas runs to him sobbing, Papa is immediately his first and only hope of calming down down.

-He also tends to have a-lot of night-time accidents because of nightmares.

-He is very very very very very shy about his accidents but also isn’t good at changing himself, nor does he have the mental capacity in the moment to do so, and he tends to run off and hide right after he’s realized it’s happened. Even if it is 3 in the morning, he’s just woken up to a storm and Noé is trying to help him stay calm, he’ll slide out of bed and run to hide somewhere, like the bathroom or he’ll take a blankie to hide himself in the corner. The only exception to this, is when he wakes up from nightmares. The only moment he isn’t scared to ask for anything is when he’s woken up from a nightmare, and he will hold onto a sleeping Noé, fist fulls of his shirt in his hand as he sobs and wails into his Papa’s chest for comfort. Noé, despite being a heavy sleeper usually wakes up pretty quickly when it comes to his little one.

“PAPA! PAPA PAPA!” Vanitas screams as he sits up in bed, tears cascading down his cheeks. The taller vampire sits up as soon as he hears the desperate cries, and pulls him into his lap as fast as he can. “Oh Mon Ange…shhh shhh…” he whispers, lips to the top of his head as he then placed a few kisses. “Sweet baby, Papa’s here. Calm down little one, everything will be okay. It wasn’t real sweetheart, you’re right here with me little star. It’s okay…shhhh…” Noé wraps a blanket loosely over Vanitas’ shoulders as he bawls out into the night. “I know baby, I know…”

Kitties! Lots of kitty stuffies, kitty toys, blankies with kitties on them, pacifier with a kitty on it, kitty themed play mat, kitty themed children’s bowls/plates/silverware with paw prints on it, etc. Lots of kitties! (And stars)

Follows his Papa around like a lost puppy

Refuses to do anything ‘little’ in public, and won’t even go with Noé to pick out new little stuff for himself because he thinks somehow everyone would know.

He loves having stories read to him. Even after having 10 different stories read to him, he will still hand Noé another book.

Very picky/weird about toys. He has trouble playing with toys like blocks or puzzle blocks, but really likes small figures like LPS that he can just set up and make scenes with rather than really playing with them. The only toys he really plays with are very very infantile toys that require minimal thinking and effort, like rattles and the ring stack toys.

Even when big, but especially when small, he hates asking for things.

He absolutely hates bath time, and having to let Noé see his scars, and especially his arm. Noé has never mentioned it, but they both know it’s something to be worried about. For little Vanitas’ sake though, he never brings it up in conversation. Baths are usually an ordeal neither look forward to, but Noé always makes sure he takes them when little. Vanitas will cling, and even cry, to his Papa while being cleaned in the tub until he’s wrapped in a towel and let out.

Though baths are not his favorite, Vanitas is always rewarded with Noé massaging his whole body with lotion afterwards, and it’s become part of their nightly routine when Vanitas is little. The intimacy and soothing-ness of the act is essential in getting a regressed Vanitas to sleep.

He also demands lullabies, a bottle, and a nightlight so he can sleep. If his nightlight is dead or just won’t turn on, it’s a long sleepless night for Noé and a new nightlight added to his grocery receipt that week

Cuddling > playing > napping > bath

Whines and pouts a lot

Noé is very enthusiastic about Vanitas when regressed, and gets very excited to help him into cute jammies and coo over his sweet little baby. Sometimes he hugs Vanitas a little too tightly without realizing it.

Absolutely hates crying at all, especially in front of Noé, but when it isn’t from a sudden scare, Vanitas will dash off to hide somewhere when he feels he has to cry. He’ll even curl up as small as possible and hide under the kitchen sink to cry over spilling his juice. Of course Papa comes to fetch his little one and pulls him out from under there to hold him close and help him calm down after a bit of fussing and hesitance.

He has probably bit Noé before and would absolutely do it again.

Vanitas is actually very self conscious about his inability to really be happy that often when he’s regressed. Usually the reason he feels small: he’s on the verge of a panic attack, super stressed out, or just so exhausted he’s to the point of tears. While little he can’t help but feel really tired and often sad. But Papa always tells him it’s okay to be sad and have emotions like that, and even more okay to tell him about it and express them. Crying and being sad is part of being human, and with the sensitive topic of why Vanitas regresses, it’s only human he’d be a scared little one.

[robsterskellington]

A little bit of Ranpoe, now. They're not an item just yet, but maybe in the future?

Context: this is after Noé comes to Yokohama and joins Vanitas, and Naenia attacks the main groups. Naenia always made people afraid, and Ranpo isn't an exception.

"How's Chuuya doing?" That was the first thing Yosano asked Dazai when he finally returned to the Agency; after that Charlatan Naenia attacked them all, the only one that had been physically and *spiritually* harmed was Chuuya.

"He's actually doing a lot better, but he's staying at home for a little while longer," Dazai looked a lot better, he'd been actually eating and sleeping properly to encourage Chuuya to stay healthy, "Whatever that thing did led to one benefit: Arahabaki and Chuuya are both able to kinda switch places without hurting his body. Corruption is off the table in the meantime, of course. But it has been nice to have conversations with both of my boyfriends~"

Everyone looked relieved at that knowledge, but Ranpo was quiet. Dazai looked over and frowned- Ranpo's snacks lay on his desk uneaten, his glasses next to them, and his hat was hanging from his chair. His mismatched green and brown eyes were open, but barely. Dazai slowly walked up to him and leaned against his desk. Ranpo silently looked at him, showing the dark bags under his eyes. It wasn't any wonder.

Vanitas and Noé had warned everyone that Naenia attacked people psychologically, hurting everyone by using their pasts and memories against them, which she had easy access to since she attacked them in their dreams. It was already strange having a shared dream with multiple people, but it was horrible that they could all see each other's trauma.

Yosano was forced to see the countless soldiers she'd been forced to heal, though Tachihara had ended up being the one to pull her away when his brother appeared. Jouno's senses had been messed with so he was temporarily given back his sight, only to be met with an illusion of Tecchou dying in front of him- he'd kept up his aloof act until they woke up. Naturally Atsushi was forced to see his Headmaster, but Akutagawa had been right there, and he was no longer afraid of the version of Dazai that appeared to him.

Ranpo didn't actually think he had any inner demons to fight. He knew he wasn't Gifted, he knew his parents had died in an accident, and he knew that he wasn't alone in spite of the circumstances. So when Naenia had gently grabbed his face and cooed, *You poor fool. The World's Greatest Detective, unable to figure out why his parents were murdered. He doesn't even realise that it was ALL. HIS. FAULT.*

Those words had been echoing in his mind for the past two weeks. Fukuzawa could barely get him to eat, and he wouldn't sleep much. Part of him wanted to know the truth, but it was nearly 13 years ago, and what would even be the point? Realistically, if they were murdered and the culprit was still alive, would Ranpo want revenge? He didn't want to be that mindless that he'd lose himself. It made him sick to think about. Dazai just tilted his head, "You're not that kind of person."

"Ah. Right, you used to deal with situations like this." Dazai flinched at how hollow yet strained Ranpo's voice was. He turned to look at Dazai, "What do you suggest I do? My mind is fried, I can't even think. I need help, Dazai. Please."

"I don't believe Naenia's words. Nearly everything she said was a lie, like some kind of test. So, I have a rather outlandish theory." Ranpo frowned and looked up at Dazai, who's expression was a little strange, "What if... your parents are still alive somewhere?" Before Ranpo could debunk it, Dazai asked sharply: "Were your parent's bodies ever recovered from the car wreckage?"

"..." Ranpo sunk back in his seat, his eyes wide. *No*, there were apparently no bodies to recover. But the amount of damage done was horrible. Ranpo remembered overhearing the police mention that the only thing left was blood, and one severed arm which was later proved to have belonged to his father. His breathing went funny as his abruptly stood up, "I need to go see Minoura. I'll be back later."

He ran out of the room in a panic, and Vanitas looked at Dazai, "You gonna call Poe or am I?"

****

"I never thought you'd be coming to *me* for help! But don't you have any photos of your parents, kiddo?" Ranpo had thankfully caught Minoura on a quiet day, there wasn't much for the police to do other than catch up on paperwork. The Hunting Dogs were handling the major cases and the Agency were handling, unsurprisingly, all the work that needed to be handled by detectives. When Ranpo asked if there were any records and photos of his parents, since his father had also been an elite detective, Minoura was happy to help, though was saddened by Ranpo's response:

"When my parents... I was told that I had to leave my home. I could only take the bare minimum, and while I have a couple of photos, none of them have a clear visual on their faces, they're either obscured by something or have their eyes closed." In order for Eyes of God to locate someone, it needed a reference that was clear. Even Fyodor's image was known, despite how often he tried to make sure he wasn't seen on cameras.

Minoura took him to the records room to find any files that might lead him to some pictures, "If they're really alive, what are you gonna do? You're a grown man, but they're still your folks."

"If they're alive, I definitely wanna see them. Even if it's once. If it's more than once, then something I can't forget is that Fukuzawa is also my father now." Minoura blinked and Ranpo smiled, "He raised me, took care of me, helped me to find out how to cope with this world of Abilities and Gifted. My biological parents can't change the fact that Fukuzawa is also my parent, and the Agency are my family."

Minoura hummed and continued to look before pulling out a file, "Here you go. Should have a photo of your old man, possibly your ma as well." He handed Ranpo the file, and sure enough, there they were: a man who was rather short for his age, and a taller woman with bright green eyes. Aside from those, Ranpo realised he looked nothing like his mother. "Take those. Even if nothing..."

Minoura trailed off when he saw that Ranpo was shaking, and he'd started to cry. Minoura never had kids of his own, but he knew how to take care of younger people. He sighed and nodded to himself before gently leading Ranpo out and away. There was an ice cream parlour not too far from the station, and he knew what Ranpo would like already, so they sat and ate giant sundaes that suited their likings. It was a relief to see that he'd stopped crying, but he knew that Ranpo was nowhere near okay. Whatever had lead him to wanting to find his parents must've spooked him- he wasn't sure it would be appropriate to ask, so he didn't.

Ranpo sniffled and wiped his eyes, "I'll repay you for all of this. I still owe ya for everything you did when we were framed."

"Nah. Just make sure you get some sleep when you find out the truth, that'll be payment enough." He smiled then noticed something in Ranpo's eyes, "What's wrong?"

"...did... did you ever work with my dad..?"

"Ah. Should've seen that one comin'. Yeah, I did. We worked alongside another detective, Murase." He was a little surprised that Ranpo didn't already know, but then again, his mind was all over the place, "He was actually one of my best friends when I first started. Both of them had families, while I've never really felt comfortable being tied down. Though Murase had two awesome nephews, and your pa had you. I'm ashamed of the fact that I didn't recognise you when we first met."

"Don't be. I wouldn't have recognised you." Ranpo hiccuped in his state of being between crying and calm. Minoura didn't care in that moment that this was a grown ass man in front of him; he reached forward and ruffled his hair. Ranpo leaned into it, he felt comfortable with Minoura, knowing he'd never do anything that would make him afraid or disgusted.

Once the sundaes were eaten, Minoura drove Ranpo back to the Agency and he smirked at who was waiting outside the café beneath, "Looks like your *rival* is here."

Ranpo's face immediately lit up as he practically flew out of the car and straight to Poe, who was actually prepared this time as he caught Ranpo and hugged him tightly; Poe had also been a witness to the Parade, but he also didn't have many demons to face, so Naenia mostly overlooked him. That didn't sting as much as it used to, what had hurt him was what that creature had said to Ranpo. Karl was on his shoulders and chittered while nuzzling Ranpo's cheek. Poe held Ranpo close and murmured softly, "Are you alright?"

"Better now you're here, Ed." Ranpo sniffled then looked back at Minoura and waved, "Thank you for everything!!"

Minoura simply held up his thumb before driving off. Ranpo smiled weakly before going into the café with Poe. Usually they would sit in the Agency, but it was getting close to when Kunikida brings in a mountain of paperwork, so it wasn't wise to sit at his desk right now. Lucy saw them both and grinned, "Hey, boys. How's it going?"

"Ah, Miss Montgomery, it's good to see- *ow!*" Poe hissed as Lucy threw a spoon at his head, but thankfully he understood what she was pissed about, "Very well, *Lucy*. I apologise for not visiting sooner."

"As you should be! You're not working for the Guild anymore, so what gives?! Aren't you living in Yokohama like the rest of us?!" She put her hands on her hips, pouting- after Steinbeck took over the organisation in America, most relations went sour.

Fitzgerald was obviously settled with his new company, working on a way to help his wife break out of her reverie with Miss. Alcott, Lovecraft was... somewhere asleep in the ocean presumably, Mr. Melville was working with Special Operations alongside Miss. Mitchell with the promises of the Guild's better members being protected and that any money earned from jobs would go towards rebuilding the estate of Miss. Mitchell's family. Hawthorne was still trapped behind the door in Anne's Room, and Twain was apparently back in Yokohama to write his biography in peace while doing some mercenary jobs on the side for the Military Police.

Poe sighed, "It's true, that I'm not affiliated with the Guild anymore, but don't you forget that I'm still a talented author and architect. I'm making more money than I'll ever be able to spend in three lifetimes. Who do you think paid off Mr. Dazai's tab, or helped get some new furniture for the Agency?"

That explained a lot. Lucy just hummed and got them their favourite drinks without asking, or needing to be asked, then smiled at Poe, "You look happier, jokes aside."

"I feel happier. Like I belong, you know?" The Agency treated Poe well, he was still on good terms with Fitzgerald, but his companionship with Ranpo was the best thing in his opinion. He was still not the greatest with social situations, they made his breathing heavy and his stomach hurt, even the occasional rash would break out, but if Ranpo was beside him, there was no fear. He saw Ranpo smile at that and was thankful that most of his hair was obscuring his face, before clearing his throat and opening his laptop, "I paid Lord Francis a lot to use Eyes of God, so let's get this done, okay?"

Ranpo silently handed the photos to Poe, who used the laptop camera to scan the images and put them through the Eyes of God Network- they could now hack into every camera in Japan, which would do until Special Operations could see about getting them to see through every camera all over the world. It was just harder than envisioned because obviously some people wanted their privacy, and it was risky for those in the witness protection program. Poe hummed to himself while tapping on the laptop's keyboard, Karl eventually deciding to jump onto Ranpo's shoulders, snuggling into him.

It took a little longer than anticipated, but Poe lit up, "We have a match!"

"What." Ranpo sat up straight and listened: they were last seen yesterday, in Kyoto, where judging from where the cameras spotted them, that was where they were living. Ranpo immediately slid next to Poe, having originally been sat across from him in the other side of the table, and stared in shock. The people did indeed match the photos, and Eyes of God even registered that they had the family name of Edogawa. Dazai's theory wasn't so outlandish after all, as his parents were indeed very much *alive*.

****

Poe had ended up bringing Ranpo upstairs, half carrying him with Lucy, the two of them shouting for Fukuzawa to come and help! Ranpo had a blank stare, and was in a state of shock. Fukuzawa ran out to put his boy on the couch, while Dazai grabbed Yosano. Ranpo was okay, he was just stunned, though combined with his exhaustion, it meant that anything shocking was too much for his brain.

Fukuzawa looked at him, and watched Ranpo sob before holding him close, "At least this means you can see them again. But, I'd like you to get some sleep first."

"I wanna, but I can't. I've been struggling with insomnia since the Parade." That was when Ranpo looked over Fukuzawa's shoulder and asked softly, "While I do trust Vanitas and his medicines, I need to ask: Dazai, Kunikida, does that sleeping draft actually work?"

When Vanitas first arrived, he made it known in little ways that he was a skilled doctor; he could tell immediately that Dazai was suicidal, and gave him a recipe for a strong sleeping draft that would essentially act like a death simulator, putting him in a dead sleep for up to 14 hours, and it would help soothe his desire for death. Dazai didn't think it'd work, but the truth was that he didn't cut himself, jump from any bridges or so much as tie a noose since he first drank it. Chuuya had been a little worried about him sleeping for that long, but let it slide for obvious reasons. It was Dazai who gave it to Kunikida, who also had been better, far more relaxed and not as stuck up.

"Yes, it works."

"Can confirm, it does work."

Ranpo looked up at Vanitas who excused himself to make said draft, but he didn't take long at all. He handed Ranpo a bottle of clear liquid and looked at him, "It should help you immediately. So maybe it's best that you go home first."

"...I don't wanna be alone." He looked down, holding the bottle, "Am I okay to stay at the Agency overnight, *dad*?"

Fukuzawa flinched- he couldn't help it, he was mostly called dad in private, not in front of everyone. He didn't know if it was possible to say how proud he felt of that progress. He just nodded, "Of course. This is your home. I'll stay as well."

"As will Karl and I." Poe looked at Ranpo and smiled weakly, "Well, if you're okay with that." He blinked when instead of a response, Ranpo slumped into him, nuzzling him. Poe looked down and saw that the bottle was already empty, Ranpo having drunk it as soon as Fukuzawa stated that he could stay. "I didn't think it would work that fast!"

"It doesn't," Vanitas stated, crossing his arms and smirking a little at Ranpo, "He was so exhausted that it built up and drinking it made his body skip being drowsy and straight to asleep. The same thing happened the first time you drank it, right Dazai?"

"Yeah, but obviously I was tired and stressed. Chuuya was burnt out and practically comatose. I only took the damn thing so I wouldn't have to wait as long for him to wake up!!" Dazai pouted a little, but he always kept the recipe handy, just in case.

For now, Ranpo needed a good, long sleep. It would be very early morning by the time he woke up, and nothing would make him wake up beforehand. Poe was made to resign himself to his fate, laying down on the couch with Ranpo lying on top of him, and Karl curled up on Ranpo's back. They had been given a blanket, which was draped over Poe and Ranpo, with Karl staying on top of it. Poe had a soft pillow under his head, and he found that he was also unable to fight off sleep, his eyes shutting.

Fukuzawa did send everyone home as early as possible, Kunikida deciding to go to Katai's to finish his work. Vanitas went to get Noé from the café and Dazai went home to Chuuya. Yosano had wanted to stay and keep an eye on Ranpo, but it was Lucy who dragged her out, knowing that she likely skipped a meal or two while she was wrapped up in her work. Fukuzawa remained at the Agency, since the couch in his office doubled as a bed, so he could sleep but also be in the vicinity if Ranpo needed him.

****

When Ranpo woke up the next morning, Poe and Fukuzawa immediately comforted him, and he was indescribably grateful for it all. Ranpo managed to figure out where his parents were living, and knew that he *had* to take this chance. Fukuzawa had offered to drive him, but Ranpo simply told him that he'd be needed at the Agency today. That was likely true, so he didn't argue. Poe knew about how Ranpo was with trains, so *he* drove Ranpo instead, after making sure he ate something at the café first.

The drive was oddly peaceful, which made Poe extremely tense. Usually Ranpo would be talking his ears off about one thing or another, but this time he was quiet, just listening to the radio music. Poe wasn't sure he liked the upbeat music, preferring softer and melancholic melodies, however if it made Ranpo happy, that was that. Plus, the music wasn't bad by any means, just not his thing.

The address had lead them to a house in Kyoto, not too far from the main town- it was two bedroomed, and quite modern. They'd lived here long enough to be comfortable, clearly. Ranpo was shaking with nerves, Poe hating how out of character he was, but... then again, he didn't even know how he'd react to finding out his presumed dead parents were alive and living happily. Poe didn't see a doorbell, so knocked on the door with a little more force than necessary, immediately panicking, "Oh, dear. I must look atrociously rude!"

"Ed. You can say *shit*, you know? You don't have to be so dignified all the time." Ranpo chuckled a little, relieved that at least someone was being their normal self. He froze when the door opened:

In front of them was a woman in her mid-forties, with long caramel hair done in a messy braid, a scar over her cheek, though it did nothing to destroy her beautiful face. She had bright green eyes and a warm smile. But aside from the scar, the one thing that was new to Ranpo, was... she was now confined to a wheelchair, and he knew that she hasn't walked since the day they parted. She looked at them, "Hello? How may I help you?"

"Mrs... Mrs. Edogawa?" She nodded being addressed, then her eyes widened at the shorter man who spoke, "I... my name is Ranpo Edogawa. Though... you probably knew me as Tarō Hirai?"

Poe stared at him in utter shock- Ranpo was an alias this entire time?! Then again, perhaps it was his way of coping and keeping himself safe. He took his mother's family name, and distanced himself from his past. A part of him must've known all along that it was no accident. Sure enough, the woman covered her face and started to cry, reaching out for Ranpo, who hugged her tightly, sobbing.

During this, a man came down and Poe immediately knew that this was Ranpo's father, they looked exactly the same, though the older man had a beard, and there were grey hairs through it and his actual hair. His right arm was missing, but aside from a burn on his neck and small scars across his face, he looked otherwise unscathed. He saw Ranpo and his eyes immediately lit up, "Son? You... you came to find us?"

"Yeah. I'm so sorry I took so long to realise you... that you're both still... still alive..." he sobbed and hiccuped, and his father joined in the hug as best he could, holding his wife and son close. Nearly 13 years had passed, but there was still a pure love that was impossible to erase.

Poe was about to slip away and wait in the car, but Ranpo suddenly gripped his hand, looking up at him, silently pleading him to stay. Poe couldn't refuse him, it didn't feel right. After introducing himself, he noticed that Ranpo's mother lit up, and once they were allowed into the house, he understood from the books on the shelf that she was a fan of his. It made him incredibly flattered of course, though Ranpo didn't look surprised.

Before they started to discuss what happened in the past, the one thing Ranpo made clear was that he wanted to be addressed as the name he goes by now, which his parents happily agreed to. His father took a breath, "As you're aware, I was a detective, I was looking into some political scandals around the time of the War. They knew that there were other ways to deal with certain situations, they just chose not to get involved in case the soldiers decided to bite the hand that fed them."

"Someone found out about your investigation." Ranpo looked at him, and of course his father nodded, "Who put a hit on you?"

"Admittedly, that doesn't matter anymore. He was murdered by that Jester Nikolai. That was when we saw you on the news." His mother looked at him, "We wanted to find you sooner, but you'd already started to have your own life, you're a better detective than most in this world."

"Mom, that doesn't matter." Ranpo took a breath, "Besides, you were threatened, weren't you?" They flinched and his expression darkened, "It doesn't matter how many years pass, obviously you're gonna be scared when threatened."

"That's no excuse. Especially when we already know now that the threat was empty." His father let out a bitter chuckle, "The politician who put a bomb under our car threatened to finish the job himself, or hire hitmen to go after you. What they didn't take into account was the fact that you helped both of the men they were going to use: Yukichi Fukuzawa, and Sakunosuke Oda."

Oh, now *that* was irony. Oda had originally claimed to not think about his targets, that it was strictly business, but even back then, he never would have murdered the parents of the one boy who proved him innocent. Fukuzawa wouldn't have killed a child, even one as annoying as Ranpo, though he knew the man had thoughts of throwing him in the river at first.

Poe spoke up, "So both of you were severely injured from the explosion, and then your son was threatened. No wonder you remained hidden all this time. But why not flee to another country? And forgive me, but this is pretty shoddy for people who are essentially in witness protection."

"We gave up on that a long time ago," Ranpo's mother scoffed, "Besides, we have... well, we'll say a Gift similar to our son's. We knew how things would work out, and lo and behold, we've been right." She then looked uncomfortable, clenching her fists, "However, we still weren't about to risk Ranpo's life. So we moved to Kyoto instead of going back home, and we kept our names."

They hoped to one day be brave enough to go to the Armed Detective Agency, just to see their grown son, and hope to make up for lost time. They should have known that their World's Greatest Detective would find them instead. Ranpo smiled weakly and took a breath, "I'll make sure nobody hurts either of you again. You're both geniuses in your own rights, so maybe you should come out of the shadows. Join the police department again, maybe apply to Special Operations. Hell, the Armed Detective Agency have been setting up new offices all around Japan, so maybe we can be not only family, but colleagues as well."

"Would your dad be okay with that?" Ranpo's father's words were incredibly soft, there was nothing hostile about the tone. Of course Ranpo had a new family in the Agency, and Fukuzawa had managed to raise him like a true father.

Ranpo suddenly had a devious smirk, remembering Minoura's phrasing from earlier, "Why don't you ask dad yourself, *pa*?" That made him blink and Ranpo laughed, "Both of you are my dad's- Fukuzawa didn't replace you, but I won't ever stop considering him my dad. I'd rather have both, if I can."

"You can." He answered immediately.

They all talked for hours, Ranpo's mother bringing them fresh tea and homemade cookies every once in a while. The only awkward moment was when she decided to tease and ask why Ranpo and Poe weren't wearing rings yet. Ranpo went red while Poe blurted something about them being rivals, and she grinned: "Oh, I wasn't implying that the two of you were an item, but I must say that you have interesting reactions to that thought~"

"Mom!!"

"Mrs. Edogawa!!"

"I know this isn't helping, but even I thought you boys were an item," Ranpo's father confessed, "You both hold hands, know what to say to comfort the other, and just generally look happy in each other's company. Obviously there's no pressure, but know we'd support you if you both started dating."

That was something they both ended up thinking about on the car ride home.

****

After it got a little late, Ranpo's parents agreed to think about applying to work at the Armed Detective Agency Office in Kyoto when it opened, and that had been enough to put his mind at ease. Poe's soft classical music was playing on the radio, and Ranpo asked softly, "Would you ever date me? You spent a long time hating me after we first met."

"I... it wasn't *hate*, per se. I was just jealous. But I did admire you." He then chuckled, "Though I'll never forgive you for pretending you'd forgotten about me."

"Sorry about that. I was just pissed that the Guild got their hands on you." He leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms, "...you thought about joining the Agency?"

"I've thought about it. I'm happy where I am, but I do tend to get bored. Plus, I am wanting to be closer to you, that I won't deny." Poe enjoyed helping others, and the Agency accepted Poe as one of his own, just like they had with Lucy. Karl was always at home with the Agency, which was why he'd stayed behind during this.

"Then would you consider being my partner, instead of my rival?" Poe felt his breath hitch, but Ranpo smiled, "I like you, I truly do. This might help us grow closer, and decide what's best for us in the future. Whaddya say?"

"..." Poe couldn't resist smiling a little, "I say... you should probably prepare my Entrance Exam."

[fallingdownhell]

hi hi (look who's back again to already request something oops), i wish things get better to you and thanks for wishing me a good week! so, could i request then something with vanitas and noé where reader has a nightmare??? don't worry if you need to reject it, also, don't forget to take care and rest properly! <3

Don't worry, your wish has been heard and now also granted!

I hope you like what I made out of it.

Content: established relationship; nightmares; comfort for the reader; gender neutral reader; slight cursing;

Word count: 800 words

Have fun!<3

Vanitas

I feel like Vanitas would also suffer from nightmares quite frequently, so it's a 50/50 chance on wether or not he's awake if the same happens for you

When he first notices your tossing and turning next to him, he honestly doesn't think much of it at first, maybe it was just one of those restless nights

But when you started whimpering and sniffling, he knew something was very wrong

And then when he faced you and saw a few stray tears running down your cheeks, fear and panic settled in his mind

"(Name)? Wake up!", he gently put urgently shook you, trying to get you to wake up

At first, it only worsened your whimpering and crying, to the point where, eventually, a single scream full of terror left your lips

Only after that did you finally wake up, but you already managed to give poor Vanitas the scare of his life

It took you a few seconds to realize what was going on, to reorient yourself, and you were even more confused when you were immediately pulled into somebodys arms

"W-what..", you began, but no further words left your lips as you didn't even know what exactly you wanted to ask in the first place

"Don't scare me like that, dummy!", he would mutter, his head resting on top of your head

"S-sorry", you mumbled an apology, gripping onto his body harder, feeling safe again in the embrace of your boyfriend

For a few minutes you two sat there in silence as you calmed down further

"Do you...wanna talk about it?", he would ask once he was sure you were collected enough again

Now it's up to you if you want to take him up on the offer, or not

If you do, he would listen to your story without interrupting you, afterwards offering you reassuring words and gentle touches

If you don't want to, that's fine too. He still whispers calming and loving words to you, gently stroking your back or arm

If you want to lay down again after some time, he would lay down with you, holding you close to him, cuddling you in his arms

It made you feel protected, loved and cared for. You easily fell back asleep like this

This time, a small smile present on your lios, even as you were in the land of dreams again...

Noé

He would be a pretty heavy sleeper, so there's a good chance he doesn't even realize that you're having a nightmare next to him

When you woke up in the middle of the night, startled and breathing heavily, you didn't remember where you were the first few seconds

As your consciousness slowly started coming back to you, you recognized the bedroom you shared with your boyfriend, who was still sleeping soundly next to you

Then, the memorys of your dream started coming back to you, once again froming tears in your eyes

A little bit later, Noé got woken up by the sound of your muffled sobs and your shaking figure next to him. When he saw you like that, panic immediately started to settle in him

"(Name)? What happened? Are you okay?", he questioned, not wasting another second and pulling you into his arms

You couldn't bring out any words, so instead, you hid your face against his chest and continued crying

It took a few minutes until your tears slowly started to dry, all the while through it, Noé gently stroke your back and whispered loving words into your ear, telling you that he would be there for you and would never leave you alone

After another few minutes, you finally calmed down enough that your breathing started to even out again and you felt a little bit more comfortable talking again

He would also ask you about what had happened and again, it's up to you if you want to talk about it right away

Just note, Noé will most definitely make you talk about it. He wouldn't force you to tell him right away, but he WILL get you to tell him one way or another, because he believes that it would be wrong and bad for you, if you kept all that bottled up inside your head

If you decide to not talk and just lay back down, he would do that with you

But this man is not sleeping anymore that night. He would be sacrificing his own rest, to watch over you and make sure that no more nightmares will come to haunt you that night

He will hold you in a protective embrace against him, gently massaging your scalp to lull you back to sleep while he watches over you, making sure that you're getting the rest you deserve