Jun Mochizuki Wiki
Advertisement
Introduction

Bourdonnement — Wingbeats of Scattered Thought (Part Two) is the second part of the sixty-second chapter of Jun Mochizuki's The Case Study of Vanitas.

Icon murr transparent
SPOILER WARNING!
This article contains plot and/or ending details for The Case Study of Vanitas.
Read at your own risk.
Icon murr transparent

Summary[]

In the past, on a sunny day in Averoigne. Noé sat in the shade of a tree with a book when Louis approached him. The latter asked what he was reading that had him so enraptured. Noé happily greeted his friend and answered: The Adventures of Kresnik. Noé offered the book to Louis who declined making the former pout, until Louis sat down next to him and asked Noé to explain the story. Noé excitedly described it as a story about a Dhampir named Kresnik who went about solving incidents caused by Vampires and humans alike. After a pause, Louis asked with skepticism that the protagonist was a Dhampir. Noé confirmed this, as well as Kresnik being born with a special power and being kind, brave, and cool. He leaned into Louis and asked if he had ever met a Dhampir. Louis answers negative and, looking to the side with distaste, began to talk about how Dhampirs were. Then he saw Noé’s innocently smiling and bright expression, and he closed his eyes and shut his mouth. Finally he said that if the book was good he would try reading it himself later, which Noé fervently encouraged.

In the present, Riche shrieks with excitement to hear that Noé has read The Adventures of Kresnik, which she also considers very good. She then begins laughing so hard she’s clapping her knees to hear that everything Noé knows about Dhampirs is based on what he’d read in said book, making Noé sweat from embarrassment. Vanitas hearing the fuss walks up to them and asks what has them getting along so well. He’s impressed to hear that a story with a Dhampir as a protagonist was able to be published at all, to which Riche elaborates that the book isn’t in normal circulation and is more often than not read on the sly. Riche begins to fawn over the protagonist Kresnik, who had golden eyes that could neutralize any Vampire’s power as well as a slightly foolish yet charming personality; Dhampirs having such a hero to look up to made Riche’s heart race. Noé excitedly nods along to all this praise while Vanitas stares blankly. Riche’s demeanor suddenly sours as she recalls how Dante always made fun of it for being just fictional. Despite that, Riche recalls how when the three of them were young impoverished children, he would always read the book for her again and again as she didn’t know how to read. This makes Vanitas smirk and snicker with a smarmy, knowing smile that makes Noé blink at him in confusion.

Riche states that she believes it isn’t entirely fictional and made up, as Marquis Machina had once said that Kresnik truly existed. This surprises Vanitas, and he asks if she has ever seen Machina’s “contents.” Riche has not, but she decides to offer what she believes is the true appearance of the wisened eccentric hidden within that mechanical suit of armor. Her eyes shine as she declares him to be a shining, princely, handsome man.

Dante curses out Machina for being a “damn old fart.” As the two of them walk down an empty narrow alleyway, Johann admonishes Dante for his language. Dante insists such an insult be mild for the man who picks a time as urgent as the one they are currently in to not make contact with them. Johann states frankly that he believes Marquis Machina to be a charming gentleman with attractive whiskers and a surplus of sex appeal; Dante snaps that that’s just what Johann himself wants. This makes Johann chuckle, as Dante is finally acting like himself again. Dante cringes in embarrassment and hesitates to reply. Johann assures that he understands Dante’s feelings. With a cheerful and unabashed smile, Johann declares how much he’d like to tell off Noé for being so ignorant, speaking as if he could get away with whatever he said, and knife him. Dante exasperatedly disagrees, as he is not that angry at Noé. Johann wonders if Riche will tell the duo about the incident they’ve been hired to solve. Dante guesses that she will. Though he intends for them, the Dhampirs, to clean up their own messes, he understands why Riche would be so desperate to solve the case that she would ask for help from anyone.

Riche stares up into the sky, leaves falling all around her as the wind breezes past, and thinks about her past. She and Dante and Johann, three Dhampir children, abandoned and alone in a world that hated them. Riche addresses the two and confesses that aside from apologizing for what had happened, she in truth returned to them to ask a favor. She looks at Vanitas and Noé imploringly and asks if they will help them, the Dhams.

In the darkness, a honey wand is dipped into a jar of said viscous liquid. Pulling it out and watching the syrupy gold drip back down into its container, surrounded by idly floating pieces of candy and other wrapped sweets, the Teacher speaks. Dhampirs seem to be spreading some kind of drug around Paris. The girl stares blankly at him, pausing in her act of building a house of cards. Toys and books and other odd trinkets continue to float around her as she sits across from him at a separate table. After a moment she asks why he brought it up. The Teacher identifies this as the reason she’s suddenly made a public appearance, normally so rare for her. The Teacher raises the honey wand to his lips. Miel, Honey Candy, the drug is called, and it looks just like a bonbon. The honey leaves a suspended trail from his lips to the wand as he pulls it away. She was the one who began calling Dhampirs, targets of such persecution, the name of “Honeybees,” which symbolize good fortune and prosperity. A particularly caring gesture.

The girl takes a hold of her teacup and saucer. “Honey” is what she calls information. Just as is the purpose of wooden manmade beehives around Paris, Dhampirs fly around the city to gather nectar. That is all she meant by it. The Teacher regards this teasingly but quickly moves on. Miel gives its consumer ecstasy and euphoria in exchange for fostering dependency, making it very similar to opium. Even if some problems were to arise regarding it, normally the constables would be left to deal with any issue. Then witness reports began to come in about a person indulging in Miel rampaging mindlessly, drinking human blood, and possessing shining red eyes. The girl takes a drink of her tea. After such reports, the Catholic Church were forced to step in. Vampires have been falling victim to the drug as well, meaning Orlok may take this as an opportunity to expel Dhampirs entirely.

The girl sets her teacup onto its saucer so firmly that it creates an audibly agitated clink. She blankly asks why he is telling her about it. The Teacher disregards this question and once again moves on. He asks her directly how long she intends to keep up her “prim, proper charade.” She is baffled by this. The last time they had spoken directly was over a century ago, and he understands that while she would want to maintain her former dignity in his presence… She begins to tremble from the building rage inside her. He continues, those who have lived such long lives will naturally experience shifts in personality, and he condescendingly assures that she doesn’t need to be ashamed of it. And with no shame himself, the Teacher boldly calls her a scatterbrain with a veneer of cleverness, who had been of dubious character even back when she was with him. The girl simply stands blankly at that. The Teacher further encourages her to do away with the unnatural respectful air, as he is bored with it. Eventually she begins to laugh. The both of them laugh, loudly and affably and brightly, as if they were having nothing more than a normal conversation over afternoon tea. The girl’s laughter slowly dies down and she breathes a slow and heavy sigh. Across from her the Teacher continues smiling brightly.

Then she explodes with rage.

The anger-filled scream that erupts from her is so intense it knocks over the house of cards like a hurricane’s winds. The Teacher keeps smiling unaffected as cards flutter around him. Once she has begun she seems to have no stop, ranting endlessly and mercilessly about every little annoyance that has come and will come to mind. She kicks over the table she was sitting at as she berates him for his nonstop rambling in the face of her humble attitude. She goes from stomping her feet to rolling around on the ground like a restless child. She picks up the tennis racket and waves it angrily in the air as she snaps at him for forcing her into such a boring game while she attempted to deal with him maturely. The Teacher just mildly admonishes her for insulting the sport. She retorts the contradictory and pointless act of playing tennis in a place that has no gravity. To prove her point she picks up the abandoned tennis ball and uses the racket to send it flying into space, where it soars off never to descend back to its origin. The Teacher laughs, and at this she throws her racket at him. He ducks to avoid it and revels in getting to experience the real her. The Teacher’s gaze becomes calculating as she stops in her ranting and is left panting tiredly. Though he also liked when she looked so tired of life as well, he also finds the current version of her which is filled to the brim with life to be very appealing. As she seats herself haughtily on the side of the kicked-over desk and levels him with a sharp-toothed glare, the Teacher finally addresses his “friend” by her true identity.

Marquis Machina.

Machina’s glare intensifies at the call of her name.

Back out in the crowded narrow alleyways of Paris, Dante and Johann are conversing with some passers-by, when someone calls to them. Their clothes identify them as Dhampir information brokers, which the person addresses them as. At the sight of pure white cloaks, Dante breaks into a cold sweat.

Ogier and Gano, renowned Chasseurs of the Church, approach them.

Ogier announces that they are working on a Dhampir-related incident. He wants to ask them a few questions.

Characters[]

(*) - Denotes that the character did not appear physically, but as a part of another character's memories.

Terms[]

Trivia[]

  • Bourdonnement is literally translated as "buzzing" from French.
  • In Volume 11, this chapter is combined with Mémoire 62 Part One to make a single consolidated version of Mémoire 62.

Navigation[]

v - e - t The Case Study of Vanitas
Characters

Main: Noé ArchivisteVanitas
Dhampirs: DanteJohannRiche
Galerie Valentine: ManetNoxParks Orlok
Hôtel Chouchou: Amelia RuthFlute
de Sade: Antoine de SadeChryslerDominique de SadeLouis de SadeMurrThe TeacherVeronica de Sade
Oriflamme: August RuthvenJeanneLoki OriflammeLuca Oriflamme
Chasseurs: Astolfo GranatumCharlesGanoGeorgesMarcoMariaMiraOgierOlivierRoland Fortis
d'Apchier: Chloé d'ApchierJean-Jacques Chastel
Blue Moon: MikhailVanitas of the Blue Moon
Archiviste: Noé ArchivisteLady Archiviste
Charlatan: ChèvreMonsieur SpiderMoreauNaeniaPlague Doctor
The Vampire Senate: FaustinaLord BellatorLord PaldenceMarquis Machina
Others: Beast of GévaudanCatherineÉricFannyFredGillesLouiseMinaNoé's GrandparentsParacelsusThomas Berneux

Nobility Archiviste ClanClan of the Blue MoonHouse d'ApchierHouse de SadeHouse of GranatumOriflamme DukedomThe SenateThe Vampire Queen
Terminology Species & Factions: BeastiaBourreauThe Catholic ChurchCharlatanChasseursDhampirsVampires

Objects: Astérisque FlowersAstermiteThe Book of VanitasMielWorld Formula Alteration Device
Weapons: Carpe DiemDurandalHauteclaireLouisette
Events: Babel IncidentThe War
Miscellaneous: MalnomenMark of PossessionTrue NameWorld Formula

Locations AltusAveroigneLa BaleineCarbunculus CastleLes Catacombes de ParisGalerie ValentineGévaudanHôtel ChouchouDoctor Moreau's LaboratoryParis
Volumes 1234567891011
Omake Romance is a✰LOVE MISSION
Episodes 123456789101112131415161718192021222324RecapSpecial
Blu-ray/DVD 12345678
Drama CDs Drama CD 1Drama CD 2Drama CD 3Drama CD 4
Soundtrack OSTSora to Utsuro0 (zero)Your NamesalvationCharacter Song Album 1Character Song Album 2
Character Songs Le Formidable!Hidamari ni Saku Hana~mon trésor~Na mo Naki MichiSekka
Other Media Stage Play
Extra Vanitashu no KaruteAuthor's NotesTimelineReal-World References
Author Jun Mochizuki
v - e - t The Case Study of Vanitas Chapters
Parisian Excursion Arc 12345
Bal Masqué Arc 67891011
Hunters of the Dark Arc 12131415161718192021
The Beast of Gévaudan Arc 2223242526272829303132333434.53536373838.53940414243
Amusement Park Arc 444546474849505152535454.55555.556
Miel Incident Arc 575859606161.56262.563
Intermissions 15.546.551.560.5
Volumes 1234567891011
Omake Romance is a✰LOVE MISSION
Other Vanitashu no KaruteAuthor's Notes
Advertisement