Height
176.00 cm
Age
18
Birthday
February 7 1871
Vanitas is one of the main protagonists of The Case Study Of Vanitas. He introduces himself as an 'average human being' using the power of the Book Of Vanitas in order to heal vampires of the Curse Of The Blue Moon. Vanitas was named after the vampire, Vanitas, from the original tale of the Blue Moon. Vanitas is a young man with bluish dark wavy hair and light blue eyes. One side of his hair is cut shorter than the other in an asymmetrical fashion, with one level on the left side, and two levels on the right. His left ear is embedded with two ear piercings and a dangling hourglass earring that seems to have previously been owned by Blue Moon Vanitas. Vanitas wears a baggy coat with hanging sleeves and a tail that bells out and floats. The coat is far too big for him (it’s shown to fit Noé perfectly in official art), so side of the coat often slips off his shoulder. Underneath, he wears a striped vest and a belt. Attached to this belt are a pair of knives whose hilts are rigged with wires, a book holster containing The Book of Vanitas, and tool cases. In his pockets are a pocket watch, a pallet, and single wires. He wears spats and short boots on his feet and pointed gloves on his hands. A large light blue bow is wrapped around his waist and his shirt collar. Vanitas seems to take nothing seriously, and almost always has a playful grin on his face. He acts impulsively, makes and carries out reckless plans, gets into friendly insult- fights with Dante, and carries a mischievous air about himself. Vanitas finds utmost amusement in others’ (most frequently Jeanne and Noé‘s) abnormal reactions to things. Vanitas seems to be flirtatious and open to affection at the start of his relationship with Jeanne— however, this is entirely because he finds her reactions to his behavior entertaining. When Jeanne begins to truly reciprocate Vanitas’s over- flirtatious behavior, he recoils and begins to shy away from her. Despite appearing confident and mischievous, Vanitas knows when to get serious and has a surprisingly short temper. Vanitas frequently snaps at Noé, even threatening to kill the vampire when Noé asks Vanitas if he could drink the latter’s blood. Vanitas is fantastic at putting up emotional walls and often hides his true emotions under a playful demeanor and a grin— or, if he’s in a bad mood, under a completely blank expression. He can put on and take off a smile whenever a smile is necessary. Vanitas is highly intelligent and is talented at reading people while remaining unreadable himself. He has strong memorization skills, remembering all of the Chasseurs‘ underground tunnels and paths as well as all the historical documents that Dante gives him. Vanitas loathes himself. He acts without regard for his life on several occasions— purposefully goading August Ruthven into a murderous rage and getting into fights with various vampires. Vanitas tells Noé that he’s not interested in the kind of person who would fall for him, seeming to see himself as so unloveable that only a revolting person would ever fall for him. Jeanne’s growing feelings for Vanitas send him into a two- week long emotional crisis where he can barely leave his bed. Vanitas despises the idea of anyone choosing to risk their life to protect him and is furious when Noé steps in to protect him from Ruthven during the Bal Masqué, berating Noé about his actions days later. Vanitas seems to truly believe that he is unworthy of love and is almost terrified by the idea of anybody caring about him, whether it’s platonically or romantically. The confident, cheerful persona that Vanitas puts up begins to crumble in situations where he isn’t in control, or when his past or his self- hatred is dredged up.
The Case Study of Vanitas
Rumors revolving around The Book of Vanitas, a clockwork grimoire of dubious reputation, draw Noé, a young vampire in search of a friend's salvation, to Paris. What awaits him in the City of Flowers, however, is not long hours treading the pavement or rifling through dusty bookshops in search of the tome. Instead, his quarry comes to him...in the arms of a man claiming to be a vampire doctor! Thrust into a conflict that threatens the peace between humans and vampires, will Noé cast in his lot with the curious and slightly unbalanced Vanitas and his quest to save vampirekind? [Yen Press]
