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Once it was clear none of the corrupted wolves would be making a reappearance, Roland settled on finding Noé and Vanitas once more. The battle had been difficult but he hadn't borne the brunt of it ultimately. He'd just had to keep the chasseurs occupied while they saved the vampire and considering all of their enemies had suddenly disappeared, they'd managed just that. They’d really done their best and even if he couldn’t congratulate them as openly as he might like, he’d like to speak with Noé briefly at the very least. Vanitas would probably be less receptive to his attention, but it was always worth a shot.
There was also the matter of Astolfo. He was somewhat concerned with how that may have played out. Every result he could think of could only be categorized as "bad."
He’ll need to be put in his place again, he thought idly as he reconnected Durandal. Astolfo hadn't followed orders in the slightest. He was worse than Roland, which was saying something.
“What is it?” Olivier demanded from his side. Roland gave him his brightest grin. He was always so in tune with Roland’s thoughts; he could never keep anything from him for long.
“Just figure I should find my subordinate. You can take care of things here for a bit, right?”
Olivier sputtered in irritation. “You want me to lead your squad for you? Are you insane?”
“Just for a few minutes! I should be back before it becomes a problem.” He didn’t bother waiting for Olivier’s response before he took off for the decimated castle. He laughed as he heard the irritated swearing that followed in his wake.
It took some considerable maneuvering to get to where the focus of the attack had been. He surveyed the landscape and swiftly found Astolfo huddled on his side, Louisette clutched tightly in his hand, sobbing furiously. Judging by how he was clinging to his chest, he had several broken ribs. Well, at least he knew who had won that particular confrontation.
Astolfo glanced up and spotted him immediately. His face twisted in rage and embarrassment. He looked like he wanted to say something but he gave up and huddled in on himself further. It made for a pitiable image, but Roland would take care of that later. He didn’t appear to be mortally wounded at any rate and there was Marco, rushing to his side.
Those two, he thought sadly. What a pair.
When he turned, he immediately found Vanitas hunched over Noé , attempting to bandage his arm that appeared to be missing the usual hand. Roland’s eyes widened. Perhaps Noé ’s victory hadn’t been as absolute as he’d imagined. The man was an absolute wreck and he was covered in blood.
Roland rushed over. Vanitas glanced up at him and frowned in irritation. No surprise there; at least he was all right. Noé didn’t notice him, however, and kept pushing Vanitas halfheartedly away whenever he attempted to grasp his arm.
“You need that bandaged,” Roland said lightly as he leaned into his view. Noé blinked and stared at him uncomprehendingly.
“He won’t let me touch it,” Vanitas growled, “and this is difficult enough when I can barely—“
“Move?” Roland said understandingly. “You two have gone to a lot of trouble.” So much more trouble than any chasseur would have bothered with.
“I’m sorry, Vanitas,” Noé grit out. “I’m having a hard time … focusing.”
“Due to blood loss,” Vanitas hissed. “Now hold still and let me wrap your blasted arm.”
He pushed him away once more. Roland had to admit it was odd behavior. He studied his visage a little closer. His fangs were bared and his eyes were crimson. He appeared to be in tremendous pain.
“Maybe you need to drink some blood,” Roland suggested. “Isn’t that something vampires do to heal faster?” It had always been a chief concern among chasseurs. A vampire’s bite was considered a one-way ticket to Hell, but Roland had had cause to rethink a lot of his presumptions lately.
“I can’t, I—“ Noé gritted his teeth in frustration. “I can’t do that.”
Vanitas appeared lost and then angry as he shoved the bandages into Roland’s arms. “You take care of him then if it’s such a problem. I need to check on Jeanne anyway.” He stomped away furiously. Roland’s gaze trailed after him momentarily before he crouched down to help Noé as instructed.
“What was that all about?” he asked curiously. “I was under the impression the two of you trusted each other implicitly.”
Noé gave him a strange look before glancing away shamefacedly. “His blood is … distracting.”
Ah, so that was the problem. Roland hadn’t even considered it, but then he’d also never considered a vampire refusing to take what he wanted. He mulled the matter over as he helped Noé remove his coat and shirt. He winced at how deep his shoulder wound was; that would certainly leave a scar.
“It’s a good thing you’re a vampire,” he said lightly, “or you would surely be unconscious by now.”
Noé simply nodded and squeezed his eyes shut as Roland began bandaging his stump of an arm first.
“Is this something you’ll be able to heal?” he asked curiously.
“H-how do you mean?” Noé managed. He winced as the bandage wound more tightly about him. There was no helping it. He had to bind it tight enough to prevent him from losing anymore blood; he was losing far too much of it as it was.
“Will the hand grow back?” Roland explained, leaning forward intently. Noé blinked in consternation at how serious he’d become. “Is that something vampires can do? We were always told the only way to stop one is the remove their head after all.”
“Mm, I don’t think so,” Noé replied. He winced once more as Roland resumed the bandaging, though it may have also stemmed from the subject matter. “I’ve never known anyone who could regrow an entire limb.”
“Fair enough.” He tied the bandage in place and moved to his shoulder, which was definitely a close second in severity to his arm. Noé’s fangs were still bared, but he seemed marginally less strained than he had previously.
Roland was struck with a sudden idea, the kind of idea that would infuriate the chasseurs but would definitely resolve some of his own curiosity and was therefore one of the best he’d ever had.
He glanced about briefly. Olivier must have done a better job at keeping the chasseurs at bay than he’d expected because none were in sight save for Astolfo who had passed out and was now being tended to by Marco, who wasn’t paying attention to anything but the boy in his care.
“Say, Noé,” he began, leaning forward excitedly. “Would blood help? We’ve always been told that’s why vampires drank it during the war.”
Noé took a shuddering breath and gave a slight nod. “It’s an ability we have, yes.”
“Then why not try some of mine, hm?” Honestly, he couldn’t figure out why Vanitas hadn’t offered. The two of them were bound at the hip and Vanitas didn’t seem like the sort who cared about propriety anyway.
Noé gave him an apologetic twitch of his lips. “I can’t do that, Roland, but I appreciate the offer.”
“Why not?” Roland asked in puzzlement. “It would help you, you said as much. Besides, I’m offering it, so it’s not a problem.”
It was a problem, actually. If the chasseurs found out they would react badly to say the least, but he wasn’t overly concerned.
“It because…” Noé struggled to find the words. Roland continued to wrap up his shoulder and prompted him to lean forward slightly so he could reach around his back. Noé rested his head heavily on his shoulder and Roland considered how his cross didn’t burn him at all. Yet more evidence that vampires were not the devils the Church insisted they were.
“I’m an Archivist,” he finished wearily. “If I drink your blood, I’ll see all of your memories.”
“Truly? All of them?” Roland considered that. What an ability! No wonder Vanitas wasn’t allowing him; the poor man had suffered so much, he probably wanted to spare Noé the pain. But as for Roland, he’d led a relatively straightforward life. He had his concerns, but very few regrets. He had killed a lot of vampires, though. Would that bother Noé unduly?
Noé nodded in confirmation. “I will see all of them.”
“You can’t control it?” Roland asked consideringly. What an odd ability. Definitely a double-edged sword. If it couldn't be controlled it could hardly be put to any applicable use. He wondered if Noé even cared; he wasn't the type that reveled in his abilities as a vampire at any rate.
Noé shook his head, the very picture of dejected misery. It occurred to him that Noé might actually be ashamed of his ability. He knew little of vampire culture--he'd become wildly aware of that--but would they shame their own kind's abilities? Certainly humans would do that, but he'd never even thought about it being the same for both species. If it was, then perhaps Noé had suffered a great deal thanks to his gifts.
“And why should that bother me?” Roland said cheerfully. “There are no skeletons in my closet. You can guess at what I’ve done as a chasseur already.”
Noé stared at him disbelievingly for so long Roland had to pat his face to snap him out of it and he immediately said, “You’re really all right with it? But, your privacy…”
“I don’t think you understand,” Roland said and his tone took on a manic edge. “This fascinates me. God has given gifts to the vampires that we know nothing of. For so long we were convinced you served the devil, but I saw the truth: you and Vanitas are friends. It changed everything! If you’re not a devil, then your ability mustn’t be evil either.”
“Roland…” Noé whispered, stunned. “But even with that … why?”
“Didn’t I already tell you? Because I like you, of course!”
Apparently his words struck something tender in Noé because his eyes turned watery and he took a deep, shuddering breath. They really are just like humans.
“No one has ever… not after they knew…”
“You’ll take me up on my offer, then?” Excitement was building up inside him. He was going to experience a part of a vampire’s power firsthand; he would be able to form his own opinion about it, free of the Church’s preconceptions. It was field research at its finest and he was ready to study the results.
“As long as you’re truly all right with it,” he responded almost shyly.
“I can just put my coat on to hide the bite mark afterwards,” he whispered. He’d long since finished bandaging Noé ’s injuries (save for his forehead; Noé had insisted that one was already healed) and he was now helping him get his shirt back on.
As he was buttoning it back up, it occurred to him that Noé was a fairly handsome individual and he had proposed what could be described as an intimate act. The Church had certainly likened blood drinking to fornicating with the devil strangely enough. They'd also said it was a torment. He considered asking whether blood drinking constituted anything for vampires, but ultimately he figured Noé would have told him if there was anything he should be aware of outside of his ability to read memories.
Vanitas was still nowhere to be seen. He had no idea what the man would think about this scenario. Well, it probably wouldn’t matter. The two were friends but neither had alluded to there being anything more going on, so Roland figured his moral responsibility was taken care of provided the chasseurs never found out.
He helped maneuver Noé behind one of the stone pillars. Even if Astolfo was currently unconscious, he’d rather not risk traumatizing the poor boy further should he wake up and witness what would be, to him, an abominable act.
In the distance he saw Vanitas speaking with Jeanne and two other individuals he assumed were the vampires the two had just saved. He made sure they were angled in such a way they’d have a bit of privacy from those potential onlookers as well.
“All right, I suppose you’ll just need access to my neck then?” Roland said as he undid his collar.
“The neck is fine, but I could also just bite your arm if it’s easier.” His face was pale. Roland supposed that while the bandaging had stopped the immediacy of his condition, he was still going to need quite a bit of aid to recover. Hopefully this would speed things up a bit.
But Noé was right; his arm probably would be easier. He was still hunched over and Roland would have to crouch in an uncomfortable position in order to make it work or he'd have to lift Noé onto his knees. But Roland wasn’t about to take his gauntlets off or put Durandal down either, so his neck would just have to do.
“It’s fine. I’ll just help you up.”
After that it was awkward for a different reason as Noé hovered about him like a confused dance partner.
Roland gave him and encouraging grin and pushed his head down toward his shoulder and from there it was simple enough.
“I’ll try only to skim the surface,” Noé whispered, and then his teeth sank into his flesh.
Roland flinched at the sudden, sharp pinprick of pain, but it quickly dissolved into a dull ache and then transitioned into something decidedly pleasant.
A vampire’s toxin really is potent, he thought with a hazy thrill. The chasseurs had always said it would be the most excruciating of torments along with all the other propaganda they had to ensure it would never happen willingly. They should have been more honest and said the real danger was that this sensation could become utterly addictive. Roland certainly didn’t feel as if he were being dragged down to the depths of Hell. No, he felt very much like he was floating upwards and experiencing the exultant jubilee of Heaven’s choir.
Noé pulled away suddenly and he was clutching at his head. His eyes were wide and blank and it finally came crashing down on him that Noé hadn’t gotten to experience much of the same. Instead, he’d been swimming through the depths of Roland’s memories.
“Are you all right?” Roland asked shakily, his head still spinning from his previous euphoria. He reached out a hand to grip Noé’s uninjured shoulder in support.
Noé’s eyes were squeezed shut, but he gave an affirmative nod.
“What did you see?” he asked, his curiosity burning bright once more.
“You have several siblings,” Noé muttered, wiping at his brow. “You care for them more than anything; you would do anything for them. You know Maria cares for you, but you want to keep things professional. Olivier is your best friend. I—there’s too much. I can’t sort through it all.”
“How marvelous,” Roland said in awe. “You wouldn’t have known any of that beforehand. You really did see it all through my blood, didn’t you?”
“Yes. What about you? Are you…?”
“Oh, I’m fine,” Roland laughed. “Better than fine. But you haven’t healed all that much. If you drank again, would you still be flooded with memories?”
Noé shook his head dazedly. “It’s only the first time. You… actually want to try again?”
If Roland were the kind of person who felt shame he would have been embarrassed at how very much he wanted to try it again, but he had an ironclad faith in both his God and himself, so instead he simply nodded with a wide grin and said, “Naturally! As if once would be enough for conclusive results.”
It was just as entrancing as the first time, perhaps more so since Noé was actively engaged. He could feel Noé ’s arm wrap about him and pull him closer. Roland would have returned the embrace, but it seemed a vampire’s toxin made it nigh impossible to move.
That would be the tactical advantage then, he mused. A target can’t move and, furthermore, doesn’t even want to.
At least the chasseurs had been right about some of the effects. He was suddenly very glad he’d done this experiment with a vampire he could trust beyond a doubt.
He swiftly lost track of time and when Noé finally let go he realized they could have been like that for a few seconds or possibly hours. It would have felt exactly the same.
Noé was staring at him with hooded eyes as Roland breathed heavily over him. Perhaps it was simply the effects of the toxin, but he was convinced in that moment no one had looked more beautiful than Noé did now. The blood on his forehead was a stark contrast to the silvery white of his hair and the deep purple of his eyes and Roland wanted very much to bridge the gap between them all of a sudden.
Is it always like this? he wondered wildly. How does anyone escape a vampire’s enthrallment if so?
“Noé,” he murmured. He brushed a loose strand of hair away from his lips. “What would you say to one more experiment?”
“What kind?” he asked. He was staring at Roland with equal intensity and he suddenly knew he was opening a door he wouldn’t be able to close afterwards.
“Something humans like to do.” He leaned forward and when he saw understanding dawn on Noé's face and the slight nod that followed, he continued.
Roland had always been somewhat casual in giving affection. He’d kissed a lot of people in his time, in other words. He wasn’t promiscuous exactly; the Church wouldn’t have approved of that and neither would he. But he did like to experiment and this was quite an experiment.
Distantly, it occurred to him this was probably taking things a step too far even for him. Having his blood drunk was blasphemous enough but at least there had been a reason for it. Purposefully kissing a vampire, a male vampire to boot, was just begging for the Church’s condemnation.
He wrapped his arms tightly about Noé ’s neck and drew him closer, not bothering to listen to that one thread of doubt. He threaded his fingers through Noé’s hair. He was wearing gauntlets—at some point he’d dropped Durandal after all but he had no idea when—so he couldn’t feel the texture of the strands, but he felt certain they were soft and the gesture got Noé to moan softly into his mouth, so he figured it was a success all around.
“Roland! Where are you?”
“Mm,” Roland reluctantly pulled away with a plop. “That’s Olivier.” He’d recognize that irritated shout anywhere.
“Your friend?” Noé said dazedly, his face flushed. He seemed to have recovered remarkably well although his hand really hadn’t regrown. A shame. Part of Roland was hoping he'd be able to make the impossible possible.
“The one and only,” he said breathily. “He’ll have my head if he sees this." He carefully extricated himself from Noé's arms. "I’m glad you could save the vampires, Noé . The two of you do good work.” It felt absurdly out of place to say such a thing, but he had no idea how to conclude their encounter now that he was thinking a little more clearly.
“You helped a lot,” Noé said softly. “Thank you.”
Roland nodded in silent acknowledgement and stood, taking Durandal with him. As he turned around the corner he was confronted with Vanitas whose face was white with rage.
Before he could say anything, Vanitas dragged him over out of Noé ’s earshot and slammed him against one of the bookcases with daggers drawn.
“Is something wrong?” Roland asked neutrally, eyeing the dagger nearest his throat.
“I told you to bandage him,” he hissed. “You-you took advantage!”
Roland stared at him in bewilderment. “I did no such thing!” he said indignantly. “I offered him my blood because that was the swiftest way of helping him. We’re allies and I had his full consent.”
Well, the kiss wasn’t to heal him and he was almost certain that was what had riled Vanitas up, but Noé had assented to that as well, so he wasn’t sure what the problem was. Well, he had a guess but no confirmation. He wondered if he’d unnecessarily complicated Noé’s life and felt a pang of guilt.
“Roland!” It was Olivier again. He hadn’t spotted him yet, but it wouldn’t be long before he did. He gave Vanitas a questioning look. If Olivier thought he was being threatened, their attempt at a partnership would be dashed.
Vanitas was shaking with contained fury. “Just go,” he finally said as he withdrew his weapons. “You’ve done more than enough here.”
Roland wasn’t the kind of person that usually doubted himself, but as he rejoined Olivier and the other chasseurs he wondered briefly if he’d allowed his curiosity to go too far. He’d wanted to know how similar vampires were to humans and judging by his moment with Noé they were very similar. He’d also allowed himself to get swept up in the heady sensation of Noé’s toxin. He couldn’t blame Noé for that, though. He’d initiated the whole thing. He could pass it off as trying to help a friend, but generally one didn't kiss their friends.
Would Noé regret it? He’d never even considered it, he’d just leapt in as he so often did.
“Now what’s wrong?” Olivier said in exasperation. “You were so eager to go find them but now that you’re back you’re sulking.”
“Now, now, Olivier,” he laughed. “You know I never sulk.”
“Then what is it?” he sighed. “The mission is over and you got what you wanted, didn’t you?”
“Yes,” Roland said distantly as he looked outside the airship. “I suppose I did.”
He didn’t elaborate further as the ship pulled away and tuned out Olivier's frustrated rant about protocol and reporting in and responsibility. The rest of the chasseurs were sure to give them a lot of space.
“Noé ?”
He glanced up. It was Vanitas looking at him with the strangest mix of concern and consternation.
“Is everyone all right?” he asked immediately.
“Everyone is fine,” he said in exasperation. “What about you? Are you…? Did he…?”
Had Vanitas seen all of that? Noé wasn’t sure how he felt knowing he probably had.
“I’m all right, Vanitas. Actually, I’m doing better thanks to Roland. Look, the bleeding has stopped.” He raised his stump of an arm and didn’t miss the way Vanitas winced at the sight. He lowered it guiltily.
He was doing better, though. Drinking blood sped up the healing process remarkably well.
Vanitas crouched beside him uncertainly and surveyed him quickly. He reached out for him, changed his mind, and awkwardly stood back up.
“You seem all right,” he muttered to himself. “Let’s get out of here. I think I’ve had more than enough of Gévaudan.”
He extended a hand to Noé , his right one thankfully, and Noé took it with relief. He was glad things had worked out, but he was ready to return to Paris himself.
As they left, his thoughts drifted back to Roland. The kiss had been unexpected, but it had also been pleasant. He wasn’t sure if it changed anything between them or not. Roland was a good friend and he’d be loath to lose that.
Well, he’d worry about it some other time. After they recovered, he and Vanitas would surely need to rescue more curse bearers. He would undoubtedly bump into him again in the future, so he could set the matter aside until then.
As Gévaudan drifted further away and the chasseur’s airships floated far off into the horizon he thought about how warm Roland’s lips had been and how easily he’d agreed to let Noé drink his blood. It was possibly the most acceptance anyone save Dominique and Louis had ever shown him.
“You’re sure you’re all right?” Vanitas said quietly at his side.
Noé shook himself out of his reverie and gave him a tired nod. He was all right. He’d just … have to treasure that moment for what it was and move on.
“Vanitas,” he said tiredly. “Have you seen Murr?”
The following chaos was more than enough to put the whole thing out of his mind.