Vanitas (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
bleedingunversed) wrote2018-07-30 02:37 pm
bleedingunversed) wrote2018-07-30 02:37 pm
Entry tags:
Melodies of Eternity Application
Player
Name: Wolfeh
Age: 31
Personal Journal: n/a
Contact:![[plurk.com profile]](https://plurk.com/favicon.ico)
AllintheBones
Other In-Game Characters: n/a
Character
Name: Vanitas
Age: Looks 15/16
Gender: Male
Canon: Kingdom Hearts
Canon Point: His 'death' in Birth by Sleep
Former Game: Ryslig
Canon History: Here
Game History:
Vanitas and those he arrived with appeared in Ryslig a bit differently from others prior. This particular batch arrived on Plaga's Peak and were greeted by most of the monster inhabitants of Ryslig, who had been drawn to the Peak by some sort of strange calling that they had a hard time resisting. The sensation of being alive, of having not faded, was absolutely amazing and Vanitas wasted no time in using his new found existence to be an absolute little shit to everyone he met. (Mouthing off to Bucky Barnes, attempting to trick Namine by acting like he was hurt, getting annoyed by Repliku while he was trying to retrieve a laptop, messing with Xion in the same way he messed with Namine and meeting Kaede who would quickly become one of the few individuals he considered a friend down the road.) It didn't take him long to establish himself as a little troll on the network, harassing just about anyone that posted just because he could--including Sora. (Who apparently had his face according to Repliku.) He and Sora ended up meeting, which went swimmingly because Sora is Sora and ended up making Vanitas come to some startling realizations about himself. (Like the fact that even prior to arriving in Ryslig he could function without Ventus so maybe Xehanort had been lying to him.)
After that meeting he ended up addressing the network asking about all the god crap he'd been hearing about, wanting to know if it was worthwhile to join sides with either of them. (He quickly determined that it wasn't but this was how he met Norman Osborn and they hit it off really well which was terrible for everyone.)
Turns out that the odd arrival on Plaga's Peak was just the start for this particular batch of newcomers because All Hallow's Eve rolled around and the holes that had littered the peakside had increased in number and changed shape: becoming distinctly human shaped. The newcomers, and even some long term residents, found themselves drawn once more to the peak and drawn to the holes in particular. Vanitas sought out the one that seemed to be calling to him specifically, after messing with some other people and even pushing some people into the holes and watching them get engulfed by them, nestling down into it because it felt just right for him--only to find himself swallowed up by it. Suffocated by it. Hours later he and all the others that had been drawn into holes were spat back out--fully transformed. (So much for the six month long transformation period!)
Now a shade, Vanitas got the fun experience of adapting to life without a solid form and having to deal with human meat not satisfying like it did other monsters. (Turns out that he, and many others, could only satisfy their hunger by eating the flesh of other monsters.) He kept a fairly low profile as he got use to his new abilities and lifestyle, harassing a few monsters here and there and picking off a couple to satisfy his hunger when he could. The start of the new month brought along new arrivals, three in particular that caught Vanitas attention right off the bat: Roxas, Riku and Aqua. He immediately did his best to make life hell for all three of them, going as far as to attempting to possess Roxas simply because he looked like Ventus though the circumstances of their arrival didn't allow for it (damn human faced crabs), and he made it his goal from that point on to make their lives a living hell.
Not long after this he was spent on a ridiculous quest to get his keyblade back (THANKS TIKI) and embarrassed himself in front of several people before finally retrieving it. Not that he could really do much with it; it just made him feel better having it with him in case he had to threaten anyone. A masquerade took place later in the month (because Christmas) in which he got to learn the meaning of Mistletoe because Roxas is a shit-head only for the night to end on a rather terrible note as the fireworks that were set off at the end of the night ended up messing with a lot of the monsters present. Kaede was one of them and Vanitas was with her as she started suffering the effects, freaking out and being unable to tell if she was home or in Ryslig. Vanitas attempted to possess her so he could calm her down and, in the process, discovered/met her other two sides. But hey! It worked and he was able to calm her down and get her out of that hellish dance party so there's a silver lining to all impulse decisions! (This was also when he made his vow to make sure nothing ever hurt her like people hurt her back home.)
January brought the appearance of the Bloody Bones (and the Control of Center event) in which any shred of civility between the human residents of Ryslig and the monsters was thrown out the window. Vanitas, rather than help with the situation, had a lot of fun reveling in the chaos that had been created. (Especially at the courthouse that had been brought to life. He fed quiet a few people to the columns..) Anyone that tried to stand in his way got possessed and force to continue his antics and honestly Vanitas just had the time of his life. (While a lot of monsters suffered through some horrific effects of a poison the Bloody Bones had created and paranoia fog that was spreading through the whole of Ryslig.) After things started to cool down he spent the rest of the month tormenting his usual victims and encouraging them to give into their monster instincts (he was largely the reason why Sora ate his first person) and, in particular, he took a lot of joy in calling Roxas stupid every chance he got. (And also berating him for making PUBLIC ANTI-GOD POSTS WHAT THE FUCK ROXAS....this particular confrontation ended in a kiss because emotions are fucking wild.)
In February Vanitas picked up a new hobby which was something he called "Meat Puppeteering". Having taken a woman from Bavan hostage, Vanitas began using her as the face of his pro-monster agenda, attempting to play her off as a priestess of the Fog God to get more people to "donate" themselves to the monsters and aid them in their cause. (He just wanted a steady food supply okay.) He was actually making good progress with it, and with making friends and even a girlfriend of sorts named Maya, up until the end of the month when a confrontation with the Noa ended up with Vanitas dead.
Shit happens though.
He returned with the next fog, at the start of the new month actually, and decided then was a good time to use the potion he'd been given a couple months prior by Tikibangbang before he bit the dust: a potion that would allow him to feed on meat rather than souls. Sadly Vanitas didn't follow the directions properly and while it did indeed make it so he could feed on meat instead of souls, it also completely changed the type of monster he was. Vanitas was no longer a shade; now he was a Bullet Ant Arachne. Needless to say it took him some time to get use to his new form (thankfully Kaede took him under her wing...legs and taught him what he needed to know) and of course it was during his adjustment period that Roxas had to go and do something extremely dumb. Getting himself killed by a mob and cursed by one of the Gods of Ryslig to be killed over and over again by his friends, Roxas was suffering and there was nothing Vanitas could do....except slaughter some of the humans that had initially hurt his friend.
With Maya at his side, Vanitas tracked down and mutilated three of the humans that had been apart of the lynch mob that killed Roxas, tearing them apart and sewing them back together into god awful puppets to make a point to anyone that found them: Don't. Fuck. With. Monsters. (Maya was horrified by all of this but pretty well stockholmed by Vanitas so went along with it because it was true love!!!!11)
It wasn't long after this that a strange events took place surrounding a "Glass Witch". Vanitas ended up with two glass legs because of it before finding his way into the strange maze made completely of glass where he was forced to rewatch events from his past--and others were able to see them as well. It all came to ahead when glass replicas of everyone trapped in the maze appeared and it was only after killing them that everyone was able to escape though Vanitas came out of it with a lot of emotional baggage that he still hasn't fully digested yet.
The rest of the month was fairly calm in comparison, Vanitas obtaining one of his Unversed from home (though it hated him and would only listen to Roxas) and he was able to enjoy some genuinely nice times with the people he'd come to call his friends..even family in some cases.
And that's the last he remembers of Ryslig before being found in the Dream Width.
Full Timeline
Personality:
The first thing you need to know when dealing with Van is that he's pure darkness. He was created when Master Xehanort pulled all of the darkness out of a boy named Ventus and created another being in the process. There is no light within him whatsoever and he doesn't care about others outside of his other half. (Though his form of caring has it's own definition.) Even the Unversed, creatures made from the darkness that consume hearts, come from Vanitas himself. They are what he calls "fledgling emotions under my control" and sends them out to destroy worlds and take them over so they can be warped by darkness. Everything his other half is to the light--goodness, hope, love, joy--he is to the darkness--destruction, pain, suffering, and hate being some of the key components that one would need to make their very own Vanitas at home!
Because of what he is, Vanitas really only has the darkest emotions possible, at least that's what he'd tell you. It's not hard to see, right away, just how twisted he is, getting kick out of screwing with others and causing them physical harm. A part of him also relishes getting hurt himself, thriving on the pain and using it to drive his own rage and hatred further. Honestly, pain is probably one of his favorite things ever because it's what he's always know--it's always been a constant--since the day he was "born". It fascinates him to watch how others react to it and he gets excited over the prospect of causing pain to others. There was only so much he was able to do while he still existed and so, like a small child that's still learning the ways of the world, there's a lot he wants to explore and attempt on his own just because he can. This all changed after he gained a full existence and, in turn, a full range of emotions. He's able to feel even the "lightest" of emotions and has become familiar with them over the near year spent in Ryslig. He's learned what loss is, knows heartache and sadness, and has even become friends with happiness believe it or not. He still prefers the darker emotions because they are who he is but in the right company he can show a slightly softer side of himself. Sometimes. Softer but still prickly really...
Vanitas has a little bit of an anger problem as well. See, he really doesn't like when things don't go his way and will get rather violent over it. He'll snap at the drop of a hat and go from taunting someone to beating them to a bloody pulp without batting an eye. Something doesn't go as planned? He flips out and attempts to tear someone to shreds. Someone hurts Ventus that isn't him? He'll smother them with darkness and watch them scream in agony as their heart is ripped from their chest. He doesn't attempt to control his anger, really doesn't know how if we're going to be honest, and seems to just enjoy letting it all out. Because darkness and the emotions associated with it are what make Vanitas who he is, he's even more difficult to deal with during his bouts of rage and hate so it's best to keep away from him or have a good way of subduing him if need be. Now, after arriving in Ryslig and receiving the full spectrum of emotions, Vanitas outbursts became more varied. It wasn't just anger that caused them anymore but sometimes pain and sadness would drive him to act out. (As seen when he tortured three humans for taking part in death of Roxas.) He's gotten better at keeping himself in check and not acting without thinking but sometimes he can be pushed over the edge a little too quickly and when that happens? He won't hesitate to beat someone within an inch of their life.
Something that's still new to Vanitas though he does his best not to show it most of the time is the fear that he feels. He fear a lot more than he's willing to show and he's learned to let that fuel his anger and uses it to motivate him to get things done. He has things he cares about and has a life now that he doesn't want to let go of and the idea of losing it all scares him to death. He'll never admit it, never explain the feeling to anyone, but every now and then someone close to him may be able to pick up on subtle tells that show just how out of sorts he gets in certain situations. (Almost losing Roxas, losing Kaede)
Vanitas is very good at playing the game that is manipulation. He has a way with words and knows exactly how to hit people with them to get them going on a course that fuels what he's trying to accomplish. He doesn't have any issue with lying through his teeth if it means he's going to get his way and is very good at making people question what they believe to be true. (Here's looking at you, Aqua.) He got even better at this game after spending time in Ryslig, learning to manipulate and torment people in a whole new way because of his newfound abilities. And newfound emotions. As he learned to process emotions better it gave him a better idea of how to manipulate them in others and he's able to play different tunes to suit the individual he's trying to get one over one much better now.
As mentioned above his relationship with Ventus is a strange one and it could be argued that Vanitas actually cares about the other young man. That care is actually a twisted sort of fascination and obsession with his other half, Vanitas wanting nothing more than to re-merge with Ventus now that they are both strong enough so that they can form the X-Blade and allow darkness to consume everything. He doesn't like when others hurt Ventus because that's pain that he should be inflicting on the other and it comes off as somewhat protective the way he makes sure the other doesn't get too harmed over the course of his journey. In reality Vanitas is simply making sure that the other is properly herded to where he needs to go in order for their purpose to be fulfilled in the end. If there's anything else to these emotions, Vanitas doesn't realize it; doesn't understand them. He just knows that his end goal is to become one with Ventus again and he's willing to do whatever necessary to accomplish that. This fascination transferred to Roxas after arriving in Ryslig and slowly turned into something else as Vanitas learned how to be a real boy with a real heart. One can still argue that he doesn't truly know how to care about someone properly and really he's just using people to accomplish his own personal goals but there are definitely some sincere emotions involved whenever someone with blonde hair and blue eyes is involved.
Ultimately Vanitas has his own agenda. He plays the role of a good little puppet very well, using Xehanort's plans to fuel his own goals and help him get where he needs to be. He doesn't really care about what the old man wants and would much rather worry about his own goal--to become one with Ventus again. As he is right now, Vanitas is one half of a whole and it shows with how one track he is with his emotions. He's well aware that dark cannot exist without the light and is more than willing to give up his own sense of self if it means becoming a whole person once again. (As shown in game when he does merge with Ventus, Vanitas is the dominant personality so he wouldn't really be losing everything; just taking on some traits that his other half is bringing to the table.) This all changed upon arriving in Ryslig. Obtaining a heart all his own, Vanitas was able to function fully on his own in a whole new way. He still views "lighter" emotions as a weakness but he uses them to his advantage and has become even more sadistic the longer he's been free from any sort of control Xehanort might have had over him. He doesn't need to give up who he is to become whole anymore and that gives him free reign to live however he wants to.
Note: Vanitas will retain his need to feed on human flesh to survive but it won't be as overpowering as it was in Ryslig itself. Substituting monster meat in will suffice when he can't get his grubby ant-hands on a human to eat. (He may just resort to grave robbing who knows.)
Samples:
Here
Here
Vaikuntha
Moogle Name: Stupid
Moogle Gender: Female
First Job: Necromancer
Second Job: Dark Knight
Name: Wolfeh
Age: 31
Personal Journal: n/a
Contact:
Other In-Game Characters: n/a
Character
Name: Vanitas
Age: Looks 15/16
Gender: Male
Canon: Kingdom Hearts
Canon Point: His 'death' in Birth by Sleep
Former Game: Ryslig
Canon History: Here
Game History:
Vanitas and those he arrived with appeared in Ryslig a bit differently from others prior. This particular batch arrived on Plaga's Peak and were greeted by most of the monster inhabitants of Ryslig, who had been drawn to the Peak by some sort of strange calling that they had a hard time resisting. The sensation of being alive, of having not faded, was absolutely amazing and Vanitas wasted no time in using his new found existence to be an absolute little shit to everyone he met. (Mouthing off to Bucky Barnes, attempting to trick Namine by acting like he was hurt, getting annoyed by Repliku while he was trying to retrieve a laptop, messing with Xion in the same way he messed with Namine and meeting Kaede who would quickly become one of the few individuals he considered a friend down the road.) It didn't take him long to establish himself as a little troll on the network, harassing just about anyone that posted just because he could--including Sora. (Who apparently had his face according to Repliku.) He and Sora ended up meeting, which went swimmingly because Sora is Sora and ended up making Vanitas come to some startling realizations about himself. (Like the fact that even prior to arriving in Ryslig he could function without Ventus so maybe Xehanort had been lying to him.)
After that meeting he ended up addressing the network asking about all the god crap he'd been hearing about, wanting to know if it was worthwhile to join sides with either of them. (He quickly determined that it wasn't but this was how he met Norman Osborn and they hit it off really well which was terrible for everyone.)
Turns out that the odd arrival on Plaga's Peak was just the start for this particular batch of newcomers because All Hallow's Eve rolled around and the holes that had littered the peakside had increased in number and changed shape: becoming distinctly human shaped. The newcomers, and even some long term residents, found themselves drawn once more to the peak and drawn to the holes in particular. Vanitas sought out the one that seemed to be calling to him specifically, after messing with some other people and even pushing some people into the holes and watching them get engulfed by them, nestling down into it because it felt just right for him--only to find himself swallowed up by it. Suffocated by it. Hours later he and all the others that had been drawn into holes were spat back out--fully transformed. (So much for the six month long transformation period!)
Now a shade, Vanitas got the fun experience of adapting to life without a solid form and having to deal with human meat not satisfying like it did other monsters. (Turns out that he, and many others, could only satisfy their hunger by eating the flesh of other monsters.) He kept a fairly low profile as he got use to his new abilities and lifestyle, harassing a few monsters here and there and picking off a couple to satisfy his hunger when he could. The start of the new month brought along new arrivals, three in particular that caught Vanitas attention right off the bat: Roxas, Riku and Aqua. He immediately did his best to make life hell for all three of them, going as far as to attempting to possess Roxas simply because he looked like Ventus though the circumstances of their arrival didn't allow for it (damn human faced crabs), and he made it his goal from that point on to make their lives a living hell.
Not long after this he was spent on a ridiculous quest to get his keyblade back (THANKS TIKI) and embarrassed himself in front of several people before finally retrieving it. Not that he could really do much with it; it just made him feel better having it with him in case he had to threaten anyone. A masquerade took place later in the month (because Christmas) in which he got to learn the meaning of Mistletoe because Roxas is a shit-head only for the night to end on a rather terrible note as the fireworks that were set off at the end of the night ended up messing with a lot of the monsters present. Kaede was one of them and Vanitas was with her as she started suffering the effects, freaking out and being unable to tell if she was home or in Ryslig. Vanitas attempted to possess her so he could calm her down and, in the process, discovered/met her other two sides. But hey! It worked and he was able to calm her down and get her out of that hellish dance party so there's a silver lining to all impulse decisions! (This was also when he made his vow to make sure nothing ever hurt her like people hurt her back home.)
January brought the appearance of the Bloody Bones (and the Control of Center event) in which any shred of civility between the human residents of Ryslig and the monsters was thrown out the window. Vanitas, rather than help with the situation, had a lot of fun reveling in the chaos that had been created. (Especially at the courthouse that had been brought to life. He fed quiet a few people to the columns..) Anyone that tried to stand in his way got possessed and force to continue his antics and honestly Vanitas just had the time of his life. (While a lot of monsters suffered through some horrific effects of a poison the Bloody Bones had created and paranoia fog that was spreading through the whole of Ryslig.) After things started to cool down he spent the rest of the month tormenting his usual victims and encouraging them to give into their monster instincts (he was largely the reason why Sora ate his first person) and, in particular, he took a lot of joy in calling Roxas stupid every chance he got. (And also berating him for making PUBLIC ANTI-GOD POSTS WHAT THE FUCK ROXAS....this particular confrontation ended in a kiss because emotions are fucking wild.)
In February Vanitas picked up a new hobby which was something he called "Meat Puppeteering". Having taken a woman from Bavan hostage, Vanitas began using her as the face of his pro-monster agenda, attempting to play her off as a priestess of the Fog God to get more people to "donate" themselves to the monsters and aid them in their cause. (He just wanted a steady food supply okay.) He was actually making good progress with it, and with making friends and even a girlfriend of sorts named Maya, up until the end of the month when a confrontation with the Noa ended up with Vanitas dead.
Shit happens though.
He returned with the next fog, at the start of the new month actually, and decided then was a good time to use the potion he'd been given a couple months prior by Tikibangbang before he bit the dust: a potion that would allow him to feed on meat rather than souls. Sadly Vanitas didn't follow the directions properly and while it did indeed make it so he could feed on meat instead of souls, it also completely changed the type of monster he was. Vanitas was no longer a shade; now he was a Bullet Ant Arachne. Needless to say it took him some time to get use to his new form (thankfully Kaede took him under her wing...legs and taught him what he needed to know) and of course it was during his adjustment period that Roxas had to go and do something extremely dumb. Getting himself killed by a mob and cursed by one of the Gods of Ryslig to be killed over and over again by his friends, Roxas was suffering and there was nothing Vanitas could do....except slaughter some of the humans that had initially hurt his friend.
With Maya at his side, Vanitas tracked down and mutilated three of the humans that had been apart of the lynch mob that killed Roxas, tearing them apart and sewing them back together into god awful puppets to make a point to anyone that found them: Don't. Fuck. With. Monsters. (Maya was horrified by all of this but pretty well stockholmed by Vanitas so went along with it because it was true love!!!!11)
It wasn't long after this that a strange events took place surrounding a "Glass Witch". Vanitas ended up with two glass legs because of it before finding his way into the strange maze made completely of glass where he was forced to rewatch events from his past--and others were able to see them as well. It all came to ahead when glass replicas of everyone trapped in the maze appeared and it was only after killing them that everyone was able to escape though Vanitas came out of it with a lot of emotional baggage that he still hasn't fully digested yet.
The rest of the month was fairly calm in comparison, Vanitas obtaining one of his Unversed from home (though it hated him and would only listen to Roxas) and he was able to enjoy some genuinely nice times with the people he'd come to call his friends..even family in some cases.
And that's the last he remembers of Ryslig before being found in the Dream Width.
Full Timeline
Personality:
The first thing you need to know when dealing with Van is that he's pure darkness. He was created when Master Xehanort pulled all of the darkness out of a boy named Ventus and created another being in the process. There is no light within him whatsoever and he doesn't care about others outside of his other half. (Though his form of caring has it's own definition.) Even the Unversed, creatures made from the darkness that consume hearts, come from Vanitas himself. They are what he calls "fledgling emotions under my control" and sends them out to destroy worlds and take them over so they can be warped by darkness. Everything his other half is to the light--goodness, hope, love, joy--he is to the darkness--destruction, pain, suffering, and hate being some of the key components that one would need to make their very own Vanitas at home!
Because of what he is, Vanitas really only has the darkest emotions possible, at least that's what he'd tell you. It's not hard to see, right away, just how twisted he is, getting kick out of screwing with others and causing them physical harm. A part of him also relishes getting hurt himself, thriving on the pain and using it to drive his own rage and hatred further. Honestly, pain is probably one of his favorite things ever because it's what he's always know--it's always been a constant--since the day he was "born". It fascinates him to watch how others react to it and he gets excited over the prospect of causing pain to others. There was only so much he was able to do while he still existed and so, like a small child that's still learning the ways of the world, there's a lot he wants to explore and attempt on his own just because he can. This all changed after he gained a full existence and, in turn, a full range of emotions. He's able to feel even the "lightest" of emotions and has become familiar with them over the near year spent in Ryslig. He's learned what loss is, knows heartache and sadness, and has even become friends with happiness believe it or not. He still prefers the darker emotions because they are who he is but in the right company he can show a slightly softer side of himself. Sometimes. Softer but still prickly really...
Vanitas has a little bit of an anger problem as well. See, he really doesn't like when things don't go his way and will get rather violent over it. He'll snap at the drop of a hat and go from taunting someone to beating them to a bloody pulp without batting an eye. Something doesn't go as planned? He flips out and attempts to tear someone to shreds. Someone hurts Ventus that isn't him? He'll smother them with darkness and watch them scream in agony as their heart is ripped from their chest. He doesn't attempt to control his anger, really doesn't know how if we're going to be honest, and seems to just enjoy letting it all out. Because darkness and the emotions associated with it are what make Vanitas who he is, he's even more difficult to deal with during his bouts of rage and hate so it's best to keep away from him or have a good way of subduing him if need be. Now, after arriving in Ryslig and receiving the full spectrum of emotions, Vanitas outbursts became more varied. It wasn't just anger that caused them anymore but sometimes pain and sadness would drive him to act out. (As seen when he tortured three humans for taking part in death of Roxas.) He's gotten better at keeping himself in check and not acting without thinking but sometimes he can be pushed over the edge a little too quickly and when that happens? He won't hesitate to beat someone within an inch of their life.
Something that's still new to Vanitas though he does his best not to show it most of the time is the fear that he feels. He fear a lot more than he's willing to show and he's learned to let that fuel his anger and uses it to motivate him to get things done. He has things he cares about and has a life now that he doesn't want to let go of and the idea of losing it all scares him to death. He'll never admit it, never explain the feeling to anyone, but every now and then someone close to him may be able to pick up on subtle tells that show just how out of sorts he gets in certain situations. (Almost losing Roxas, losing Kaede)
Vanitas is very good at playing the game that is manipulation. He has a way with words and knows exactly how to hit people with them to get them going on a course that fuels what he's trying to accomplish. He doesn't have any issue with lying through his teeth if it means he's going to get his way and is very good at making people question what they believe to be true. (Here's looking at you, Aqua.) He got even better at this game after spending time in Ryslig, learning to manipulate and torment people in a whole new way because of his newfound abilities. And newfound emotions. As he learned to process emotions better it gave him a better idea of how to manipulate them in others and he's able to play different tunes to suit the individual he's trying to get one over one much better now.
As mentioned above his relationship with Ventus is a strange one and it could be argued that Vanitas actually cares about the other young man. That care is actually a twisted sort of fascination and obsession with his other half, Vanitas wanting nothing more than to re-merge with Ventus now that they are both strong enough so that they can form the X-Blade and allow darkness to consume everything. He doesn't like when others hurt Ventus because that's pain that he should be inflicting on the other and it comes off as somewhat protective the way he makes sure the other doesn't get too harmed over the course of his journey. In reality Vanitas is simply making sure that the other is properly herded to where he needs to go in order for their purpose to be fulfilled in the end. If there's anything else to these emotions, Vanitas doesn't realize it; doesn't understand them. He just knows that his end goal is to become one with Ventus again and he's willing to do whatever necessary to accomplish that. This fascination transferred to Roxas after arriving in Ryslig and slowly turned into something else as Vanitas learned how to be a real boy with a real heart. One can still argue that he doesn't truly know how to care about someone properly and really he's just using people to accomplish his own personal goals but there are definitely some sincere emotions involved whenever someone with blonde hair and blue eyes is involved.
Ultimately Vanitas has his own agenda. He plays the role of a good little puppet very well, using Xehanort's plans to fuel his own goals and help him get where he needs to be. He doesn't really care about what the old man wants and would much rather worry about his own goal--to become one with Ventus again. As he is right now, Vanitas is one half of a whole and it shows with how one track he is with his emotions. He's well aware that dark cannot exist without the light and is more than willing to give up his own sense of self if it means becoming a whole person once again. (As shown in game when he does merge with Ventus, Vanitas is the dominant personality so he wouldn't really be losing everything; just taking on some traits that his other half is bringing to the table.) This all changed upon arriving in Ryslig. Obtaining a heart all his own, Vanitas was able to function fully on his own in a whole new way. He still views "lighter" emotions as a weakness but he uses them to his advantage and has become even more sadistic the longer he's been free from any sort of control Xehanort might have had over him. He doesn't need to give up who he is to become whole anymore and that gives him free reign to live however he wants to.
Note: Vanitas will retain his need to feed on human flesh to survive but it won't be as overpowering as it was in Ryslig itself. Substituting monster meat in will suffice when he can't get his grubby ant-hands on a human to eat. (He may just resort to grave robbing who knows.)
Samples:
Here
Here
Vaikuntha
Moogle Name: Stupid
Moogle Gender: Female
First Job: Necromancer
Second Job: Dark Knight