#best teacher vash

[moodysnowflake]

Yeah Brad...I wonder how you got there...

[insinirate]

sexually inexperienced and diverse wonder trio

nai (only knew about plant affection, forehead touching, palm pressing--no one ever told him anything else)

vs.

vash (denied himself affection for the longest time)

who eventually learned from

wolfwood (forced to grow up too fast, probably never had a proper teacher/parental figure for sex ed, always had more important things to worry about)

idk vash might just be a sleeper sex god (he's in touch with his humanity 😏) but i'm amusing myself imagining a mini sex-ed lesson that is just nai, vash, and wolfwood, and wolfwood is somehow the most experienced one there & the "expert"

and the best of his knowledge is like schoolboy sex myths. "you gotta spit on it". nai listening on in horror

i refuse to believe vash who has lived like 2 human cycles among humanity knows nothing about sex and believe even less that he would learn about it from a boy who was raised catholic and stopped interacting normally with people at like, age 8

nai I have a better time believing bc he was essentially a shut-in but he knew way too easily how to access vashs gateussy. hes disinterested but he is scary precise. he treats sex like a surgery. or an autopsy

[nanomooselet]

Little but Fierce VII

Update: Okay, computer had the fear of me put into it and the pictures have been added.

I confess to some confusion over complaints Legato's significance was reduced in Stampede. We're still not even halfway through the story. The '98 adaptation hinged almost entirely upon Legato, and the manga had him as Vash's greatest ideological opponent. He's the best argument Knives made for wiping out humanity: a human who'd been so cruelly abused he viewed all who failed to help him as complicit and deserving of death.

In my opinion, Legato's had his turn in the spotlight, since with Knives not confined to a lightbulb he can be a direct and present threat in a way he couldn't be before. Now it's time for someone else to play the foil.

Meryl's learned everything she needs to learn and seen all she needs to see. It's time for her final exam. First up, Zazie.

Only nominally allied with Knives, Zazie occupies the role Meryl herself seeks: observer, witness, knower of the truth, bestower of judgement. They extend the privilege of that role to Meryl - she is a representative for humanity as Zazie speaks for the Worms. Having already discussed Zazie's interest in Meryl at some length, I'll move on, and pause only to note that it testifies how far Meryl's come that Zazie doesn't completely freak her the hell out.

She passes the test: along with being ignorant of the fate of Earth, she believes that humankind can and must change. Luida showed her a means to do so. It may not be enough for Zazie to fully trust humanity, but it's a reason not to fully trust Knives. The conversation will continue.

Second, Dr. Conrad.

He's a foil more for Roberto. The extreme end of the cynical mindset that Roberto tends to espouse - that cruelty is only to be expected on a world this cruel and cannot be changed. But where Roberto advises remaining uninvolved, Dr. Conrad finds it justification for cruelty in turn.

This test, too, Meryl passes; Roberto, inspired by her determination and conviction, successfully overcomes his own cynicism and mistrust, as well as over a century of accrued rationalisations, and manages to shake Conrad's faith, his judgement cutting him to the quick. It's a relatively subdued form of defeat, but, well, neither of these men are going to be engaging in high-powered gun fights. And so we move on to the final test...

Ah, she'll do nicely.

Yes, I understand dislike for the alteration to Elendira's backstory in Stampede (albeit I do wonder whether it relates to whatever Nightow had in mind for her in Maximum, even if I can't explain what makes me think it does. Just that I do). Otherwise I wouldn't have written what I did speculating how she'll develop beyond it. However, just as with Milly's absence and Roberto's presence, I think I see the way she serves Meryl's development into the woman she becomes.

Just as Vash will have to face and defeat his shadow in his brother before he can truly claim his identity, Meryl must face her own in Elendira. Small, femme, viewed as a child (to her annoyance) but a physically developed adult, accompanied everywhere by an older teacher who assumes responsibility for her. And a lot of the other implications and symbolism surrounding El are... I believe the technical term is "yikes".

It's easy to tell that in Meryl, Vash sees Rem - dark-haired, compassionate, strong sense of responsibility. She isn't Rem, because no one can be (arguably Rem herself couldn't live up to what she became to him, which is not her fault). But in Meryl Rem's spirit survives, just as in the rest of humanity; the living reason he follows his ideals, and a reason to live.

What may be a little harder to realise is that Knives is also inspired by a feminine figure elevated near to sainthood in his eyes. But it isn't Rem he believes himself inspired by, except in the sense that he loathes her.

It's Tesla. Where Vash is determined to take on the responsibility that his mother entrusted to him, Knives wants the power both to take vengeance for and to protect his sister.

It's important that he never actually knew Tesla, nor is she capable of conveying her wishes to him, just like the dependent Plants. He only assumes she must have been helpless and weak before human brutality, just as Vash is weak, and his brethren. So it's up to Knives, the big brother, to remove that weakness - he is, after all, their representative. Their blade.

And thus he allowed the creation of Elendira. Not exactly a human, but not entirely a Plant. Childishly vindictive, impulsively violent, filled with a deep loathing of humanity, needing nothing and no one - just like Knives himself wishes to be, and thus what Knives wants to believe would be true of Tesla. She would surely approve of all he's done for her. And she's absolutely loyal to him, and rejects Vash. Knives is her lord. She is proud to serve only him.

Here we have someone who refuses Meryl's judgement of her, the assumption of superiority it carries. Who are you to pity me? She also doesn't care to be disciplined by her teacher. Dr. Conrad tells her to stop and she shouts that he be silent and continues advancing.

On top of that… there's a sense of creepy, creepy suggestiveness around El. When she bursts out of the tank, she's nude, and unconcerned with being so. She is no less a threat in this state than she would be clothed. It reminds me of Knives during Fifth Moon in the original manga. Along with the way she behaved in other scenes, like when speaking with Rollo; she, uh, licks the tip of her finger. I'm not imagining the lasciviousness in that gesture, am I?

Meryl's demonstrated that she's intimidated by this aspect of adulthood. That Elendira looks so young just makes it more disturbing. (And I deeply respect that Orange didn't go for titillating, which anime has a bad habit of doing with similar characters. Elendira isn't there to excite us. She's terrifying. It's like ep 11 being SA but stripped of anything resembling sex, leaving only the victim's terror, suffering and despair.)

This is something Meryl can't face on her own. She needs one more example of teamwork… and Roberto, ever-willing to teach, manages to anticipate and protect her long enough to see one arrive.

Big brother comes to the rescue of little sister.

Wolfwood defeats Elendira because he knows better than to hesitate. He knows that one cannot judge by appearances - he's the younger of the two! Elendira was around before Rollo; Wolfwood came after him. But physically he's older, and stronger, and willing to exert that strength to defeat her. And Elendira's got the same weakness as Knives - her confidence can't withstand even a single attempt to hit back. She falls apart like a little kid, wailing as in much surprise and outrage as in pain. Did you just shoot me?!

Meryl suffers a much more devastating blow when she realises Roberto is dying. But she survives it. And Roberto proves one final time why he was the best teacher for her. Because he doesn't blame her. He could easily have left the same scar in her that Knives left in Vash - you cannot judge, because this is all your fault.

But he doesn't. He tells her this isn't her fault. He tells her she can choose. He tells her to follow her heart. Choose your own path and walk it with confidence. And he gives her the weapon that becomes her name, along with the name itself.

Meryl Stryfe.

She's the only one she has left to rely on now. And she's ready.

Part I

Part II

Part III

Part IV

Part V

Part VI

Part VIII

Part IX

[triplesilverstar]

You'd think by now you'd be smarter

Rating: Teen & Up

Pairing: Vash X F!Reader

CW: Gore. blood, blacking out, injuries, running away

Word count: 1917

A/N: The first chapter of The Idiot is still walking in the desert

You had done your best. Tried your hardest to make sure that since arriving on the desert planet that no one realized you. Weren’t. Quite right . Experience had been a harsh teacher when in the past others had learned the facts about your hardiness . So it was easier to just hide it. As long as you didn’t stay in one place too long, or with the same people for too long it all worked out in the end. 

But now you had slipped up, and it was right in front of Vash, only six months after the infection incident, the turning point of starting to be friends. Actual friends. You knew it the second your eyes shot open as you regained consciousness, your elevated heart rate putting strain on the muscle that had stopped beating. You feel the tacky blood between your fingers, you’d passed out on your side, been fumbling with the long nose pliers you kept in a side pocket of your pants, trying to pull the bullet that had lodged into your side out. You’d woken up on your back, a pool of liquid under you, and Vash flinching to the side, mouth agape at the fact you seemed to be breathing again. Scrambling around you feel the handles which are sticky from being under you, Vash seems to have broken out of his momentary stupor and grabs your shoulders. 

“Snipes, you’re bleeding out! ” The worry is evident in his tone, and you can see the panic on his face. Shit how long had you been out for? His hands are on your shoulders pulling you up into a sitting position and leaning against him. Damnit, you can barely feel your legs, realizing your hands are moving on autopilot. You can’t even feel the pliers grasped in them now, how much blood have you lost? 

Your rapid breathing is telling you to get that bullet out now! Before you succumb again “Pull the bullet out” pressing the pliers into his hand. “Pull it out, before I black out again, Vash.” Deep down, you know another round of shock to your heart won’t kill you, only shorten the time you have awake and fine motor control. You don’t need to do more damage while routing around inside yourself. 

“Hang on, this is going to hurt.” He’s got a bottle of booze from somewhere and is dousing the pliers and your side with the stuff. The burning from the alcohol leaves you sucking air between your teeth. Of course it’s going to hurt. You focus on your breathing, trying to tune out the metal prodding your side. The hand of your non-injured side is holding onto Vash helping to keep you up right. You can feel it, when the metal teeth grasp the bullet, when he finally pulls it out. 

“I need to try and clean the area up before I wrap it.” His downturned blue eyes are staring into yours, something you don’t quite know simmering in their depths. “Can you stay awake long enough for me to do that?” You nod. You know you can, the hard part is over now, but he doesn’t know that. “OK. Once that’s done we can keep going to the next town. It’s only a few Iles. Then we’ll get you to a doctor.”

“No. No fucking doctors Vash.” Teeth grit hard enough you can feel the muscles in your face screaming. He’s working away, his own jaw clenched tight. 

“Neither one of us can treat this properly, Snipes. I don’t want you dying on me.” Heat laces his words no matter how soft he’s spoken them. You aren’t going to die. Not from this. A piece of you fears what is coming. Will this be the last time you hear him call you by that nickname? Before he goes back to calling you that stupid moniker, if he even chooses to talk to you again.   

“I said no.” He has the compression bandage wrapped around you and tied off. You can tell from the sigh that leaves him he is exasperated with your stubbornness.  The tightness of the bandage is helping, and you find yourself taking deep breaths. A few more moments and you roll away from him, getting your feet under you. A stabbing pain erupts at the movement, body screaming at you to lay down and sleep for the next few days.

“Hey, take it easy!” You keep your eyes on the ground instead of facing him. There’s no way you could handle the look of pity that would cross his features. The way his eyes would turn down with the quirk of his lips. You'd had enough pity in your life, seeing it on his face might be enough to break you in your current state. You take a step, then another, before an arm is wrapped around you. “Lean on me. We’ll be in the next town in no time.” 

You barely remember the walk there, you just keep focusing on breathing. If you keep your focus on that, you don’t have to pay much attention to the muscles inside of you shifting. At the edge of town you try to get him to head to the hotel “I told you, you need a doctor.” His tone booked no argument. He pushed the door of the clinic open calling for assistance “Help, my friend’s been shot. She needs a doctor!”

“No I don't. He's overreacting. I was grazed, I’m just tired” slurs out of your mouth and you feel him tense beside you. He doesn’t get a chance to respond when a nurse grabs you and brings you into the treatment room. While the nurse is undoing the compression bandage Vash is filling in the doctor about your injury. 

“I’m telling you, he has it all wrong. It was a graze, I'm just tired.” The bandage is off and the doctor has pulled over a stool to inspect the area. His gloved hand shifts your shirt this way and that inspecting the wound before he turns to Vash. 

“I’m sorry young man, but the lady is right. This is nothing but a graze.” You clamp the pain in your chest down. You catch Vash’s eye and watch the disbelief on his face wash away to be replaced by neutrality, your heart is clenching from that shift and you force the sorrow down. “Though, in such a situation it is possible you might have been seeing things. Such things can happen when those you care for get injured.” After this you doubt he’ll care at all, no one ever does after they learn about the monster you are. 

You're off the bed, and heading towards the door again after the nurse cleaned the dried blood from the rest of your skin, her eyes narrowed at you and the skin surrounding the graze, you can’t stay here long. Outside the room you see Vash waiting for you, both of your bags are at his side and your rifle slung over his shoulder. He doesn’t say anything at your approach, just hands you back your things. Together you make your way to the hotel. 

The tension between both of you is thick, no easy silence or carefree joking. You can already see Vash is starting to pull away from you. An idea is starting to form in your head. At the front desk you hang back a bit as Vash engages the innkeeper “Any chance of getting a room until next week?”

“Two rooms, actually” you butt in, thoughts swirling in your head. Vash turns to you, a pensive look on his face. There are two rooms and you find yourself pulling the funds out of your wallet, Vash taking the pen to write both your preferred aliases in the register. After you both have your room keys on the steps and out of sight Vash grabs your arm. 

“I thought we agreed a while ago, it makes sense to get the one room. A little easier on the wallet.” He’s not wrong. Looking up into his face you can see the confusion in those beautiful eyes. You find yourself trying to burn the image into your memory, another reminder why you prefer to travel alone. 

You finally glance away sighing “I just want to spend some time to myself right now alright?” your voice is soft and you hear his own sigh that drags in length. 

“Alright, but you’ll come see me before bed right?” You shake your head at him as you reach your own door.

“I think I might just hit the hay now. I’m exhausted Vash” You can see something cross his face, unsure of what it was, doubting it was anything good, before he sighs again. 

“Well, can I come in for a minute or two first? I want to ask you something.” You know what he wants to ask about and motion for him to follow you in. “What happened today?” 

“Vash, Please.” You know your pleading with him “I really don’t want to talk about that right now. And not in an inn with possible paper thin walls”. As if to punctuate your words you both hear someone else coming up the steps outside the door.

He rubs one of his hands through his hair before sending a soft smile your way that doesn’t reach his eyes, a mask already in place. “Alright. But come get me next door if you need anything, it’s been a rough day for both of us.” He reaches over, pauses as if unsure, but places his hand against your shoulder and gives it a reassuring squeeze. Nodding to himself he steps back, keeping his eyes hidden looking down, turning for the door, stopping just before grabbing the handle “Goodnight, Snipes.” 

“Goodnight, Vash.” You can see the ghost of a smile on him as he steps through the door. You finally let your guard drop and route around in your bag for some paper and a pen. You have a letter to write. 

As you write you can feel the wetness forming on your lashes, you don’t bother with wiping them away. Letter written you look at the bottom and sign it, dropping then on the bed to get a few hours rest. 

When you awake again, it’s the middle of the night and you’re in luck. You can hear the shower in the room next to you running. You grab your things and look over the letter once more, in the end you tear away the part with your signature and re-sign, omitting the final line. Folding the letter, as you head out the room and make it down to the entrance. The whole while listening for steps. 

At the frontdesk it’s the same innkeeper as before. You barter with him for some supplies and don’t even protest over his high prices. In the end you have what you need. “Hey, can you hold onto this letter and give it to my friend for me. But closer to the end of the day?” As you slide the letter across the counter you make sure a decent sized stack of bills is under it. He agrees and you wave heading out the door. 

Outside, the cold night air makes you shiver and helps keep the wetness behind your eyes. You step off, heading out of town, no matter how many times you're left walking away from those that get close, the pain never lessens.

Back to Masterlist

[firsthumandisaster]

Man, thinking about Rem.... They really only got one fucking year with her. And that was with accelerated growth, too. They never had time to grow up enough for Vash to not see her as the all-knowing and caring mother she seemed to be to him... Not that I write my Vash as thinking she was some pure being--he still believed in what she had to teach, the right and wrong of things...

But.. With the idea of her having survived(my survived the fall au over on @seedsmothership ) Rem may have the chance to show more facets to herself that the twins hadn't seen because they were still so young in her eyes. Not that she treated them too much like children, they were ferociously intelligent as we know, but emotionally speaking, they hadn't matured to the point that Rem was completely herself with them. They saw her through the scope of mother and teacher. (And it is that idea of emotional maturity that I think lent to Knives's not coping well with the things he feared from humanity, before and after discovering Tesla.)

Just think, 100 years of adulthood and living in a place like Gunsmoke/NoMan's Land. Somewhere in there, one or both of the Plant twins discovers Rem's alive... if a little damaged. And they interact with her as adults, and she treats them like adults. It was be a surreal experience. They would learn all of the sides of her they didn't have the time to discover. It would possibly rob them(Vash at least) of the shininess of her motherhood with them. For all that the event with Tesla did happen, she was still mother and did her best with them... Discovering her flaws and deeper personality beyond the mother figure could be such an interesting exploration.

[pinkapet]

‼️ SPOILERS FOR GHOST TRICK, TRIGUN, AND POSSIBLY BNHA ‼️

All three feature a funny blond in sunglasses and I'm going to make y'all listen to me explain the random connection my brain made last night.

All three

Tall blonde spikey hair

Signature sunglasses

Cool outfits featuring a cool coat

Superpowers

From Japanese media

Sense of humor

Vash and Mic

Alive

Black haired male best friend people them them with (Wolfwood and EraserHead/Shouta Izowa)

Orange glasses

Mic and Sissel

(Not much here but whatever)

Explains superpowers to people

Looks the same when drawn as a ghost (I'm referencing the demon au by @corndog-patrol and I adore their art and au, please go take a look)

Sissel and Vash

Signature red coat

Secretly inhuman

Black and blonde hair

Sorta immortal

Just Vash

Physically disabled

Alien called a plant

Teal eyes

Gunslinger

Just Mic

Human

Red eyes

Teacher

Insanely loud

Just Sissel

Dead

Was a cat

Yellow eyes

Ghost

DO YOU SEE WHAT MY EXHAUSTION INDUCED MIND PUT TOGETHER LAST NIGHT???

[makima-s-most-smile]

Trigun Maximum 10.3

What? You demand more pain? Don't worry. Nightow is giving it out in spades in this volume!

Trigun Ultimate: 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4 Trigun Maximum: 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 2.2, 3.1, 3.2, 4.1, 4.2, 5.1, 5.2, 6.1, 6.2, 7.1, 7.2, 8.1, 8.2, 8.3, 9.1, 9.2, 10.1, 10.2, 10.3, 10.4, 10.5

05: Final Battle

It truly is Wolfwood's final battle.

Oh, I didn’t get it without @/alena-reblobs that Wolfwood avoids the missiles of Razlo and turns around to use the following explosion to jump the distance towards Razlo. Wolfwood is such a brilliant fighter and his fights are the best. His weapon is so stupid looking, but the way Nightow makes use of it is so fun to watch. Though… sometimes it is really difficult to follow the action.

I mean… is Razlo really the best wielder? Having three always read as overcompensation for me. With three he can easily overpower his opponents. But look how Wolfwood wipes the floor with Razlo since he knows how to use his weapon.

And Vash is watching. He respects Wolfwood’s wishes. But I also assume that he desperately tries to burn every second of Wolfwood’s last minutes into his memories, since this is the last time he will see his friend. And in the end, this fight IS what Wolfwood is, protection, the good in humanity. Their destructive power is used to save someone.

I just love how Wolfwood reads and taunts Razlo. I just wish it was in a more brotherly, peaceful situation. This fight is just so good. The way Wolfwood overpowers Razlo so easily made me believe in the first read through that this was just a scare, that Wolfwood is not dying, that this is not his last action.

I didn’t see it the first time. Wolfwood’s Punisher has a white cover and Razlo’s are black. Something about Wolfwood fighting to protect others, while Razlo’s main motive is to get recognition from the husk of a human called Chapel. Selfless vs Selfish.

Wolfwood is the master of the Punisher. He knows his weapons flaws and strength and can adapt it to any fight. Not only Razlo’s body takes a hit, his confidence, too. Not only that, if you look back how he was willing to kill Chapel, but not for any revenge reasons, but for the future safety of the kids... Wolfwood gave out punishments, but neutral ones, not pain for his own selfish gain.

And then Wolfwood adds the worst insult. He throws the Punisher aside. This stopped being a fight long ago. This is a trashing. And more so, it is much more intimate. This is not a fight between two fighters, this is an older brother who gives Razlo a reality check. Wolfwood teaches Razlo not only fighting lessons, but life lessons.

06: Return

Wonder who will return?

Razlo never had someone be his equal. 

I learned from a colleague who became a kindergarten teacher, that the trickiest part about that was that when a kid was stronger than the rest they often hurt other children without really understanding it. So he was in the position of having to teach the kid the other position without overstepping any line. 

Razlo reminds me of that. He never had someone being equal to him, he never had to go all out. Chapel would have wiped the floor with tiny Raz and by the time he got that build he already was totally under his thumb. And we saw that little Raz was able to kill more than a few people without breaking a sweat. Wolfwood is the first person who can take him on and who can teach him that: Damn, being hit hurts. I don’t want to hurt. (And the consecutively end of that line: I shouldn’t hurt other people)

I just cannot see Razlo as someone evil, he is a survival mechanism of a lonely kid that got out of hand.

Positioning Vash there… Yeah… While Razlo confronts his mortality for the first time, Vash is crumbling under the loss. He will never be the same again. Vash cannot even imagine being without this pain. He just found a hope for himself, he just started to imagine a future and it was ripped from him, again. How many times is he expected to get through such a pain?

Fucking red herring of the third vial. It gave me hope on my first.

Razlo does not understand empathy or care. He has never been cared for. He is unable to get that Wolfwood cares for Livio and consequently for him. This is a fight for death for him. ‘Wolfwood is just playing with him’. But Wolfwood tries to reach Livio.

I need to look like four times to finally understand how this bretzel-Vash is twisted and how he connects his hits with them. Wolfwood wanted to fight Razlo one on one and Vash will make that happen. He has his buddy’s back, especially since it is the last time.

Another misdirection. I like how Nightow uses them.

Livio appears again! Finally! Took only nearly ripping the head of his body off.

And another misdirection.

Who is the Judas now?! Wolfwood, who betrayed his abusive mentor to protect others or that mentor, who was ready to stab his other, devoted pupil in the back to kill Wolfwood?

Also, Chapel returned for a little comeback before he finally croaked.

Who would have thought…

Sarcasm aside. Again, Razlo is a little kid. He trusted Chapel blindly after what he had done “for him”. But that devotion was one sided and used for Chapel’s benefit. The safety of being useful was a false one. L/R was always alone in the EoM. His explosion of anger is a bit like a temper tantrum. He cannot deal with these emotions, he cannot deal with the betrayal. And he lets it out on his surroundings and innocents. In his pain he is even unable to realise that Wolfwood just saved his life. Everyone is against him right now, since even the one person he trusted turned out that way.

And finally, the real return of the chapter! Livio comes back. Wolfwood’s sacrifice has reached him. It may be a mixture out of the beating and, especially, shoving L/R aside when Chapel attacked.

Wolfwood becomes Livio’s role model as Livio finally emerges out of his cocoon that protected him against rejection.

How much blood does his body have? But it feels nice that Wolfwood accomplished what he set out to do and even lived long enough to see Livio return.

[orcelito]

💥🤩💎

HI DANI ❤️❤️❤️

💥 What is one canon thing that you wish you could change?

Hfkshfkshfksbd I'm gonna answer p5 for this one bc BOY that game has some issues. If I could only pick ONE thing, it'd have to be the godawful handling of its own themes with regard to Ann & also the adult romance options. Like. The ENTIRE first arc is about beating up a teacher that's been sexually harassing the female students, including Ann. Then the game turns around and Uhhh sexually harasses Ann, but this time as a JOKE so it's OKAY see it's a JOKE (bitch). And then lets you, playing a 16/17 year old, romance adult women (INCLUDING YOUR HOMEROOM TEACHER. THE DOUBLE STANDARDS!!!!!) anyways me and every other p5 fan have complained about this extensively already so this is nothing new. Just sometimes I think about it and get SO very angry hfksbfksbdkd

🤩 What led to your interest in the fandom?

Since I answered trigun for the last one I'll answer p5 for this one! Fandom itself is uhhhhhh also not great lol, but there are some really great people around, still! I have an assortment of Treasured Mutuals from the fandom (yourself Included) that I enjoy seeing around on my dash :') and tbh that's all you really need to enjoy a fandom. I've loved the persona series for a long time, so it's still really nice to me that I have people I can talk about it with. I went a solid 7 years being a persona fan with No Persona Friends, so writing fic for p5 was one of the best things I could've done for myself. I hate the fandom at large lol, but you guys? You guys are great

💎 Do you often write about a relationship or focus on an individual?

Hfkshfkshf well ok I like many other people in fandom am helpless against the call of The Ship... but also I think I focus more on the individuals and also their other relationships than a lot of other writers do. Like as much as I like the romantic ships, I also love building up their platonic relationships as well, and ALSO their identity as an individual. & as a longfic writer I have the time to Do That. So yes it's been 94k words of writing for ITNL (so far) and there has been no wolfwood (aside from the Brief Cameo). But it's okay, bc im busy exploring Vash as a character and his friendship with the girls. Wolfwood will be here when he's here, and I'll enjoy him very much when he is. But for now. Vash Time 😎

Ask game here!

[needle-noggins]

WEIRD WRITER ASKS? YES? (Also all haail Lord Gnives)

5. Do you have any writing superstitions? What are they and why are they 100% true?

19. Tell me a story about your writing journey. When did you start? Why did you start? Were there bumps along the way? Where are you now and where are you going?

23. Describe the physical environment in which you write. Be as detailed as possible. Tell me what’s around you as you work. Paint me a picture.

33. Do you practice any other art besides writing? Does that art ever tie into your writing, or is it entirely separate?

5. I don't have any weird writing superstitions! However, I am a firm believer that if I'm getting in my head too much about being a bad writer, I need to write. Quickest way to make me feel better. It may not be good, but it's better than ruminating.

19. Well, I started writing in 5th-6th grade when I had this grand idea for a novel. It was essentially the Warrior Cats setting with a Lion King plot, but... with unicorns. Real cool. My 6th grade English teacher was really supportive, which meant a lot to me. Shortly after that I fell into POTC and started writing POTC fic on FF.net at the tender age of 13. I was also on Deviantart. Who let me do that??

That fizzled out and I didn't write again for a long, long time. I got wrapped up in my horseback riding and was doing other creative projects, mainly making videos on equestrian Youtube (oh boy). Then as school got harder and I went off to college and then grad school, I barely even had time to read.

Lockdown changed all of that! My best friends and I started an online dnd game, and oh man, it got me writing. The way I prep is pretty involved and I wrote full-ass paragraphs when I started out because I wasn't as good at improvising settings and wanted to include some pre-determined scenes. Towards the end it morphed into writing some really fun monologues, which my players loved (and still love!). . At this same time, I got into fanfic again - starting with BOTW, then moving onto The Adventure Zone and The Magnus Archives - but I didn't write any.

Then I got into Trigun. And got into Trigun fic. One day I was brushing my teeth and the first few lines of what became Funeral Rites popped into my head, and Oops! Have to write it or the beast in my head will break out! And now we're here. I'm having fun. Yes, yes, the tiger is out!

23. I write in my car, hurtling 70 miles an hour down the highway, music blasting, while my little Vash plushie bleaches in the sun on the dashboard. I write in my head, scrambling frantically for my phone or a scrap of paper to get an idea down. I write on the couch, curled up oh so cozy under a blanket with a cat and some kind of carbonated drink (like our Lord Gnives, I too am a little beverage bitch). I write at my kitchen table, slurping coffee in the wee hours of the morning when I can't sleep, back hunched like a cooked shrimp (this is when I like to write best) (I will regret it).

I write after work, with discord open next to my WIP, cracking jokes with friends or groaning to my beta who is always so right about what needs to change. Most importantly, I write when there's something in me that needs to get out, and the words sometimes surprise me into catharsis or into giggles. I write when it feels good or bad or whatever, but the act of creation is invariably fulfilling. Even if it's bad writing, it's still something, not nothing.

33. I occasionally dabble in visual art (usually digital), but I'm often frustrated by drawing people and I rage-quit quite often. It would be nice if I could draw the scenes in my head, but alas.

[moonglittering]

✨ i just wanna go further / between here and there, grow wiser.

mbti summary.

🌙 ENFJ-A / The Assertive Protagonist.

Protagonists ( ENFJs ) feel called to serve a greater purpose in life. Thoughtful and idealistic, these personality types strive to have a positive impact on other people and the world around them. They rarely shy away from an opportunity to do the right thing, even when doing so is far from easy. Protagonists are born leaders, which explains why these personalities can be found among many notable politicians, coaches, and teachers. Their passion and charisma allow them to inspire others not just in their careers but in every arena of their lives, including their relationships. Few things bring Protagonists a deeper sense of joy and fulfillment than guiding friends and loved ones to grow into their best selves. Protagonists tend to be vocal about their values, including authenticity and altruism. When something strikes them as unjust or wrong, they speak up. But they rarely come across as brash or pushy, as their sensitivity and insight guide them to speak in ways that resonate with others. These personality types have an uncanny ability to pick up on people’s underlying motivations and beliefs. At times, they may not even understand how they come to grasp another person’s mind and heart so quickly. These flashes of insight can make Protagonists incredibly persuasive and inspiring communicators. When Protagonists fall for someone, they tend to fall hard – and they’re not coy about it. Protagonists are among the personality types that most readily express how they feel, so they often find themselves making the first move, rather than playing games or waiting for reassurance that the other person feels the same way. In the dating world, Protagonists’ willingness to put themselves out there can be refreshing and more than a little unusual. This, along with the intensity of their passion, is incredibly appealing to many people.

✨ TAGGING: :) ✨ TAGGED BY: @mechahero @nyxplayer @countlessrealities for rick! @cakotopia for vash! @inseparableduo @chazingrainbows @grayfxce @lanternprincess @cosmicnexus @knightshonour @vvrongedd @jinvil​ + steal it!!

[sweetchildcloud]

Modern!Trigun au plot/ideas

Mine do not steal! @sweetchildcloud property!

It all started when I was drawing my sona with their child that they had with wolfwood, clover

WARNING SAD/DEATH HEAD!

Von(my sona) is pregnant and struggles to give birth to their child,it all happened in their house in wich Wolfwood called Vash for help, yes Vash can go in house and help in labour on requesta, and so they are there in assistance. The child is soon born, however, Von was down with an high fever in wich it didn't help the situation but at least they can hold the child and comment on it before slowly succumbing to the complications of labor, causing Wolfwood and Vash to become hysterical over the matter

So they vow to care for the child as Von would have wanted it.

(I know it sad I'm sorry)

This is just a sketch comic of their first Halloween

Also in my modern!trigun au

Vash is a doctor,nurse,even surgeon, he participate in donating,helping poors

Wolfwood is a professor/kindergarten teacher along Livio (so taht they can keep an eye on Clover too)

Robert is a bartender

Milly and Meryl are the maid of Robertos cafe/bar

Knives was a criminal now released

In my au plants still live but added in human society and sometimes some of them go in special places to donate energy to the city

But still there still hate for them

Humans think that vash is doing this for attention,that he is a plant that he thinks that he is better than humans

knives hates humans but helps in any way pants childrens or half and half children but he despise adults

infact he once killed some criminals humans got arrested and now he is relesaed,he can create knives out of him,he will not kill anymore but will punch,battle,infact he gets in many bar fights for his past but he doesnt care,he always wins

"gotta show what a strong plant do when is pushed too much" knives

Vash:

°here vash its called vash the sugar coated

°Hes a psychologist,surgeon,pediatrician basically the health care of the city,there are many others but since he lived more than humans he know how to act

°Hes a good soul,helping the poor,participant in manifestations,helping the weak,teaching his job or things about bullism,sex education,helping others at schools

°When Vash gives birth to a baby(helps the mother), he begins to cry like a fountain as if to say: "He's alive, he was born thanks to me, I helped him" and then he congratulates the baby's mother

°then during the birth she says words of encouragement such as: "you are doing great" "a little more" "breathe everything is fine, you are doing a great job"

°He starts crying when he hears the baby crying he gets emotional because hell he just helped a woman giving birth to a new life thanks to him

°*cash hold the baby snuggling it*

"Mr.Vash can I hold my baby now?"

*sniff* "oh..yeah srry"

Knives:

°Here knives is a tsundere,hes not evil like in the original anime but still a hot headed guy,rebellious,violent,it will take time for him too get attached to someone,he and his brother losted Rem because of humans in a revolution against plants in the..80? Well heck they watched Rem being assassinated by humans because she was protecting some specimens

°He was an assassin who in the end killed his boss without anybody noticing

Wich brought us in the present where he was arrested for killing some human criminals

°Poor bean he just wanted the best for his brother so he started killing for him but Vash didn't want that,he kept telling him that not all humans are bad that there will be people like Rem but Knives doesn't believe him:"how..how can u say something like that.. they call us monster when ..WHEN THEY TOOK AWAY REM! SHE BEGGED THEM TO STOP BUT..THEY ARE THE MONSTERS VASH! I WILL KILL THEM ALL!" Wich he did in that time,he was full of hatred,despair so much that Vash didn't know what to do but he always stick with him,they were the only family he had left but one day Vash was kidnapped by some men and solded him by a woman who teached him about being kind,helping others,then he found out his passion for animals, the woman was a veterinary so she had a big garden full of flowers and animals that roamed freely, this in the 1870

Knives on the other hand was took under military action,tortured and all that,thinking that is bro was dead

Vash was devastated when the woman died at aged 100,it felt like a second rem for him,he started writing at knives that was what made Knives changed from killing criminals, now he lives with his bro in the old woman house both happy and all but knives is afraid to tell his brother what he had done in the past,he doesn't regret it but he's afraid of his brother judgement

But the thing knives doesn't know is that he knew about is brother past because the woman for searching for him to reunited with his brother infact she has filed about him and all that

"Its sad to see a family being torned so abruptly and fast, I will do everything I can to help your brother, vash,I know your brother feeling, I despise humanity too they took away my husband and son,my whole family for being Jewish, I managed to escape but..nevertheless I kept living enjoy life,helping others do that they don't feel like us

Listen sweetheart want a cup of tea? I will brew some"

°Also knives tries to be better,he still doesn't like humans but doesn't kill them at least,he has many panick attacks due to his other him tell him that he cang change that his brother will hate him and all that

Vash will help him,holding his face in his hands telling him to breathe to do not listen to it,do look at his brother

This is all hope u had fun reading it

[moodysnowflake]

You take that back, young, wondrous, adorable Blossom.

'Cause you're an awesome caregiver.

Indeed, he seems to be the only one to have this "healing" capacity.

Ya heard me Vash? You're fucking amazing.

All throughout the show, he has always been so kind, gentle, and attentive. He's just the sweetest.

#NurseVash

[chaoticgoodcaptain]

yk what, as i see everyone around me fulfilling their dreams, i might as well do something about mine, so let me just put my bucket list here (or i'll forget to make one at all)

i will pin it and update it as time goes, let's see how far can i get ^^

_________________________________________________

things i'd love to do in a future:

▪︎ pass my final exams

▪︎ learn greek at conversational level, travel to greece, see olympus and acropolis and other cool places

▪︎ understand theory of relativity, quantum mechanics and black holes mathematically

▪︎ work in a lab

▪︎ spend more time with my friends

▪︎ have a summer picnic with my friends

▪︎ visit any east asian country, personally experience their culture and society (i've written so much about them in my essays, yet so far i cannot afford to go)

▪︎ write a really cool news article that i can be proud of

▪︎ get the official C1-C2 certificate in english

▪︎ actually get better in german

▪︎ write a scifi short story

▪︎ compose a whole song

▪︎ cook spicy enough curry that will have the right ratio of ingredients, apologize to every indian for my crime against them and the curry goddess

▪︎ tell my soft-power teacher from malta that i succefully finished my studies (she's probably the best teacher i've ever had)

▪︎ be kind

▪︎ love myself a bit more and talk to myself positively

▪︎ stop being afraid and live my life more freely and honestly

▪︎ learn programming and be good at it

▪︎ take up sword fighting or archery

▪︎ cosplay as vash from trigun

▪︎ discover what the one piece is

▪︎ work as an extra on a major film set

▪︎ learn more about people around me

▪︎ dye my hair some brighter color again

▪︎ go to that play arena with trampolines and foam cubes

▪︎ read all the books in my library that i haven't read and rate them on goodreads

▪︎ live in a cool apartment with "fake" first floor (for like a bed or so)

▪︎ be the weird but somehow really stylish grandma, no one knows if she's a mythical being or just owns like five cats and a parrot, but one is sure...she slays

[th3houseofleaves]

thinking about aeron and noah moving back to the states and their first years in school after they move

noah is better with speaking english than aeron is, but he's most comfortable reading in russian. he still struggles because he's dyslexic but it's not as noticeable to him until he's being forced to read all his assignments in english.

aeron can read fairly well in either language (they're still pretty young when they move back to the states so they hadn't gotten that far with their reading journey yet.) they have trouble actually speaking english, despite knowing it pretty well, because unlike noah who spoke both frequently when he was younger / before their mom left, aeron straight up only spoke russian. their dad was around them more during the period of time before they moved to russia (their dad wanted to go home since his life was. basically falling apart. he thought his parents would be understanding and supportive and all that but they genuinely were like No You're A Fucking Idiot And Got Yourself Into This Mess. they were more excited to see the babies than they were their son lmao).

and their mom was trying to use it more bc otherwise talking to any of her sons was HARD bc she only? knew a little. like enough to sort of hold a conversation. and her oldest son could mostly switch between either and had an easier time with it? but still sometimes forgot things or got confused with words or forgot he was gonna ask her something and didn't realise that she didn't totally understand him until she looked at him like ?? & noah. wonderful boy that he is. was just like me and sort of knew both, could theoretically use either but kind of used a mishmash of both languages bc he was so little and sometimes he'd only know a word in one language and not the other and he'd get confused when people didn't immediately know what he wanted. (hidden vash lore, i grew up speaking spanish AND english bc of where we lived & ive retained now of it except the tendency to have a hard fucking time speaking english aksgakvs. it's the only language i remember and im so bad at it)

but getting off of that topic a little.

im imagining noah and aeron sitting at the dining room table doing their homework and noah is helping them bc he's their big brother and that's what he does and he should understand it bc he's two grades ahead and he's done the same work as them before. & aeron, who's only in like second grade maybe, will help noah read his homework bc otherwise he gets really frustrated nd doesn't do it or he gets marked down points bc he genuinely couldn't understand it. nd where noah is being kind loud n happy n everything when he's helping aeron, they get as close to him as possible when they're reading his homework n almost whisper the words to him all soft n slow bc they're Small and Nervous All The Time and it's easier to focus on using english when they slow down and think about it.

idk i think it's rlly sweet that they kinda have a role reversal during this time where aeron is able to help noah out more than noah helps them.

theyre also both very! defensive of each other at school bc people are kind of? mean to them at first. for aeron it's other students mostly, for noah it's teachers.

very funny image of a tiny aeron vasilyev ready to throw down with a teacher that's like twice their size bc they saw them being shitty to their big brother. aeron is the #1 noah vasilyev defender fr

noah has to pick them up as best as he can to keep them from fighting aksgskwbn

it'd be so funny to me if that carried on into adulthood lmao

bc aeron is a little feral and ready to GO at any point but they are also light enough for either of their brothers to carry. they're getting scruffed like a little kitten

[dgcatanisiri]

With the Georgiou/31 spinoff turned to a movie special (I'm going to follow TrekCulture's lead here and call it a Long Trek), I have been thinking about some ideas for other Long Treks that could be put together. Cuz there's plenty Trek out there to build on for series, Short Treks, and Long Treks, so let's get some exploration of these ideas.

Gonna put this behind a cut though, since I go on and on, especially when I give myself a platform.

First off, and most importantly, I really want to return to the Picard-original cast and give them further features - hearing that Isa Briones thought that fans didn't like her broke my heart, so let's immediately jump into a Soji-Data story that features father and daughter. Not to say that screen Trek should totally rip off the novelverse, but that could also give a genuine return for Moriarty, since his actor was disappointed to not actually be playing Moriarty. Or do some follow up on the synths who left that message that the Zhat Vash were so afraid of and deal with THAT aftermath. But yeah, let's see the father-daughter adventure that Picard Season 3 couldn't afford.

I'd like also to take advantage of Rios being in the early/mid 21st century and actually get a WW3 story - y'know, we have this established major character (possibly characters if Guinan gets to be involved as well) who would be there in this time frame, and, on top of that, this is a story that kinda DEMANDS being told, since Rios stayed for Teresa and Ricardo, so presumably with the intent and desire to protect them when the war broke out.

Then there's the natural Jurati and her Borg Collective to explore, which would be able to also explore what that massive galactic threat was - if, just as a theory to connect it with what else was happening in Picard season two, it was tied to the death of Q, for example, we could also learn about the fates of the Lady Q and Junior.

Elnor, I think, would have a story more appropriate to a Short Trek, not these Long Treks, but only because I feel like it would be reasonable to have him join the cast of the potential "Star Trek Legacy" that people call for. With that in mind, I'd like to see him settle on a career in Starfleet that suits him - specifically, counseling. Cuz sure, the guy is a sword wielding badass and looked to Picard as a mentor figure, so those imply a security or command track, but I'd sooner see him turn his heritage with Absolute Candor be part of how he helps others to heal. That said, there's certainly room to build up a cast of Starfleet cadets who are experiencing the aftermath of the Borg Attack on Frontier Day - how many of them were also assimilated and turned on their teachers and instructors and families? Indeed, that could be part of the catalyst of him taking that career track. Plus we'd be able to get more of Romulan history and culture explored.

Speaking of the Romulans, we really DO need a story that explores the actual events of the supernova that destroyed Romulus - it was a plot MacGuffin in 09 Trek, Picard season one dashed the Hobus star explanation utilized in the original Countdown comic and adopted by Star Trek Online by calling it the destruction of the Romulan star, and the novel Last Best Hope (which, while not being something that screen Trek is bound to, there has been more cross over/through with canon/non-canon material in modern Trek, so it's at least something that might be acknowledged) implied that the supernova was caused by some internal faction of the Romulans. This is a mystery that deserves to be solved - or, more bluntly, a plot mess from a time that didn't expect to HAVE to deal with it that needs to be cleaned up.

On a similar note, SELA. This character needs some kind of actual use and development - for all the fanfare that she got as an introduction, she ended up used as just a generic Romulan antagonist, and she should be further explored. She could be a major character of the Romulan supernova story or of a separate story, say, of rebuilding the Romulan society in the aftermath.

As a bit of 'hold us over until Star Trek Legacy can happen' kind of thing, I'd also like to get a Seven and the Fenris Rangers adventure, develop some of how she ended up with this group. As a bonus, we could get some acknowledgement of other Voyager crew in the mix as well - maybe she ends up running in to Harry Kim (finally promoted). Potentially, if this were to take place between the first two seasons of Picard, we could even get more of Santiago Cabrera as the La Sirena holograms (yes, I just want more Santiago Cabrera in Star Trek). Either way, though, I want to explore the shift in Seven from the end of Voyager to the time of Picard.

On a "just cuz" note, I want to see a pre-Picard Worf and Ro Starfleet Intelligence story, maybe something that further alludes to what Worf had sacrificed, as he said in Imposters. Plus explore more of his growth and development. I mean, I'd certainly not mind a Captain Worf of the Enterprise-E story (see just what was- er, WASN'T his fault about why they couldn't use it), but I feel like the Worf-Ro dynamic is something that it'd be interesting to dig in to (and, yes, I am aware she's among his crew in the Star Trek Defiant comics, but more is good).

This is where I'm going to cut myself off, because I could probably just keep going and have dozens more ideas. But just... I liked Short Treks, I want to see Long Treks be a thing, and I think both ideas give a great deal of room to explore more of the Trek universe.

[retvenkos]

rolled up messages | n.e.

Blades of Light and Shadow - Nia Ellarious x platonic!MC!Reader, slight angst, fluff requested by @brokenandheadoverheels

tw: mentions of death, seasickness, grief

word count: 1.7 (okay, but in my defense, this is nia, we’re talking about.)

song: message in a bottle - the police | 🔍

Summary: The sea worked in mysterious ways. This time, it brought you someone to grieve with.

When you had been little more than a child, your work knee-deep in the earth and all your life in your small and calloused hands, one of your favorite fantasies to spin was being a pirate. Kade had heard plenty of stories of life on a schooner, and seeing as you had never seen the sea, it was the most beautiful daydream your mind could concoct and escape into. It was a world beyond anything you had ever known. It was a romantic and daring vision - full of sea spray and gulls, the bright blue sky and the enchanting waves.

Life aboard The Wraith was anything but the stories Kade had once told. The hypnotic sway of the ship kept your mind in a constant and muted haze, and the endless skies muddled your sense of direction. Mostly, the days were dull, but on occasion, something more sinister lay within. Restlessness seeped into your veins - slowly, then all at once.

Only a handful of times in your life were you equally as rattled as you found yourself, now, and in each life-changing circumstance, what grounded you was working - the steady drudgery of tilling the earth, the resolute swing of a hammer, the clang of iron against an anvil. But here, there was no task to complete. There was just the open ocean and the ceaseless sky and the insanity that slipped in slowly. It was an itch, and soon, it would grow into a scream.

Most days, you sat around, waiting for things to happen. On occasion, the Captain - the fearless and headstrong Imtura - threw some meager task your way. You almost hated the way you jumped up, eager for something to do. The last thing you wanted to be was a dog begging for someone else's scraps. 

The sea was lawless in its corruption; you would be damned if you let it turn you.

If Kade were here, he would have known what you were thinking before you were able to put it into words yourself. He was always perceptive like that - annoying, too, because he knew it. He would have teased you about your restlessness, and before you could register the stir-crazy feeling in your belly, he would have told you stories about how the sea could charm you into doing her bidding. She'd cut you down slowly and carefully until your will was broken and your mind was jelly. Then, she'd use the rhythmic sway of the boat to hypnotize you into becoming her servant.

Was Kade somewhere out there, now, being drawn and quartered, broken down by the shadow and being built up again, against his will? Was he sitting in the cargo hold of a ship or a dusty cell beneath the ground, insanity visiting him in the night? Was Death a new companion of his, gnawing at his skin until he was foaming at the mouth? If you found him, would the shadows cling to him the way ghosts once did? If you discovered him alive, would Kade beg you to end his suffering?

And would it be a mercy to give him what he desired?

The sea was churning your stomach, the acid within burning up your throat. The world - a flat blue that couldn't divide sky from ocean - spun. You needed a quiet place to sit down. You needed a moment alone to grieve.

You stumbled your way below deck, gasping for air. The ship rocked to one side, and you staggered to a wall, throwing one hand out in front of you, catching your breath. You couldn't think about Kade, but you couldn't damn well forget about him either. Not when—

"(Y/n)? Are you alright?"

You snapped your head to attention and found Nia blinking back at you, her delicate features sculpted into light concern - mouth turned, eyebrows knitted. On her lap, she held a leatherbound journal, one hand holding a pencil, paused in its scratching. 

You closed your eyes, forcing yourself not to grimace. 

"Yeah, I'm alright," you breathed. You could hear the irritation in your voice. You hadn't meant to direct that at her. "What are you writing?" you asked, trying to smooth things over - steering the conversation to a place you could handle. "Keeping a harrowing account of our journey?"

Nia stiffened like a child caught when acting out. If you weren't so seasick, perhaps you would have waved your question away, content to sit in baited silence. But you needed a voice in the din - something to take off the edge - and you knew Nia would comply.

"Not exactly," Nia said slowly, worrying her bottom lip. "I'm writing a letter."

"To who?"

"Oh, umm... you'll probably laugh, but Scholar Vash." Her words hit you like a bullet. In all of the chaos surrounding your quest, you had forgotten about the loss of Scholar Vash. When had your company ever allowed Nia to truly grieve? You had spared her a few moments after the shadow took him, but you hadn't given her such mercy since. You should have never been so thoughtless in your mission. Nia let out a breathy sort of scoff and shook her head. You wondered if she was blinking back tears. If the light were better, would you have recognized it when you first came down?

"I just want him to know that I'm well and that I'm staying true to my faith," Nia played with the ends of her long, red hair. The shimmer of her dress caught in the orange lantern light. She looked like an angel in mourning. "I also thought that I'd write down the questions I still want to ask him. Maybe somehow - through the Light - he'll be able to send some kind of answer."

"Kade and I used to do that with our parents," you commiserated, your voice choked. "Write them letters, I mean. People in Riverbend thought it was a way for orphans to appease the spirits of their parents. Connection. We used to send our notes in glass bottles down the river."

Nia looked at you and gently smiled. Her expression turned wistful, something that made you draw nearer, sitting on a crate next to her. You were closer, now, and you could see the tears welling in her wide, brown eyes.

"We used to do something similar in Whitetower. On days when we were left in the archives for studying, we'd all gather around and write notes to would-be kin. Of course, we didn't have a river, so our letters were tied to the feet of birds. Little rolled up messages saying 'I'm here. Don't forget me.'"

For a moment, Nia's voice drifted away. The ship continued to rock, but in that time, it felt like a mother rocking a cradle, soothing the weeping child within.

"Most of us are adopted by the Temple of Light when we're infants," she sniffed. "I guess it's universal to want to know where family might be." 

Nia touched the journal before her, where loopy cursive graced the page and spelled out the name of Scholar Vash. You hadn't known the High Preist long, and while Nia spoke of him often, she was brief with her words. It was as though, on occasion, she forgot all that transpired, and she talked about him when she thought of it, only to have the abrupt realization that he passed, and his final moments were spent doused in shadow. Vash Vallerin had been more than just a teacher - the Scholar had become that of a father, the only one Nia had known. You could see the way the loss gripped her. It reminded you too much of the way you felt about the kindly farmer who took you in, of the little life you had created in the heart of Riverbend that was slowly fracturing - falling apart.

You grabbed Nia's hand - gently, at first, but squeezing it tightly when you got a firm hold. "You are here, Nia, and Scholar Vash may be somewhere out there, but I've known too many ghosts, and I know he won't forget you."

A tear fell down Nia's cheek, and you could feel your own doing the same. How comforting this was - feeling how deeply your grief ran but sharing in its bittersweet bite.

"It's only the living that struggle with forgetting those that we love. The dead have memories that outlive eternity and infinity - at least they have that on us."

Nia laughed - a mix of a chuckle and a sob.

"Scholar Vash will get your letter - no matter how you choose to send it - and I believe he will find a way to answer."

Nia squeezed your hand before letting go and dried her tears. She looked down at her journal to find a tear had wet the page, and she laughed. "I think Scholar Vash would have liked it better that way."

You smiled and wiped your own tears with the palms of your hands. You waited as Nia finished her letter, standing up and digging through the cargo in the hold to give her privacy. You found a bottle of good spirits and took a long drink. You debated on whether or not to offer the priestess some, but you decided it would be better to spare her the headache of refusing and made a mental note to give some to Mal later.

Nia finished writing her letter and tore the page out of her journal carefully. "I think a bottle would be the best way to go," Nia said, rolling up the parchment and turning to you.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," Nina affirmed. "It'll wash up on shore somewhere and—"

"And maybe the world will know we were here?"

Nina smiled. "And maybe they'll know we were here."

-- taglist: @fives-cup-of-coffee, @musicallisto, @missameliep, @brokenandheadoverheels​ // message me if you want to be added!