#did i get blessed by wolfwood himself

[yokofukunaga]

art style experimenting with wolfwood <3

[bloodypeachblog]

NSFW Vash x F!Reader headcanons/drabble (Bottom Ver.)

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Y'all saw this coming. Now it is here. Let us rejoice. Not fully headcanons, not exactly drabble, it's more similar to the Wolfwood headcanon post where it's part headcanon/part fanfic, just please enjoy the feast. Warning: You gon' get sad, feel warm and fluffy, and probably get horny at the same time. I hope you're prepared for that roller coaster. (Btw this applies to both 2023 and 1998 versions)

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• You and Vash have been travelling together for a LOOOOOONG time. Like, enough to where you both know each other like the back of your hands, like you know each others' blood types, your favorite things, what you dislike, what the other is thinking, etc. (I like to think in this, you're also part plant, so you guys have been traveling together for the longest time, like 60 years or something, WAY before the gang showed up).

• You two were so close, people already thought you were dating or married. You'd have to explain that you're both just partners.

• but deep down, you wish it was more. And what you didn't know is that Vash thought that too.

• it was always a 'will they, won't they?' thing with you two. You two knew you loved each other, people could easily tell you two were in love, but neither of you thought the other felt the same way.

• you love how kind and protective he is, how he's willing to risk his life to save anyone in danger, even though that frustrated you to no end. You also love how much of a goofball he is, he always made you laugh just by being himself. You even love his dumbass moments, sometimes.

• Vash loved you because of how caring, strong, and sweet you are, you saved him from a group of bandits when you first met by finding him tied to a pole and freeing him, treating his wounds once you two were far away. Your hands were so gentle, he could tell you weren't a violent person.

• Vash loved your smile, your laugh, your voice, everything. He fell for you almost immediately. Like, hard. Smitten, infatuated, bedazzled, just head over heels in love with you. He could never say it though, for....reasons.

• you also loved everything about Vash. The way his hair shone in the sunlight, those smiles he always gave you each time you saw him, you even love that goofy 'love and peace' thing he always did.

• Milly was so happy that you were in love and wanted you two to be happy.

• Meryl wanted that too, but she didn't see what made you fall for that idiotic freak-o-zoid.

• Nick was going all, "Oh Jesus Christ, just PROPOSE ALREADY! I'll officiate it even, just fucking quit with the lovey-dovey shit, goddamn..." whenever Vash gushed about you to him when they were alone.

• Roberto said he didn't care and it wasn't his business, but deep down, he thought that as long as Vash didn't break your heart, he would give his blessing. If he did, he'd show up with a sawed-off shotgun. (You and Roberto had developed a kind of father/daughter relationship)

• everything changed one night when you and Vash finished helping people in a town and you both decided to stay at the inn.

• but it seemed someone already reserved a room for you two. Some priest with two women and a man drinking from his flask.

• you and Vash looked at each other and smiled, both thinking 'well aren't they so nice!'

• the issue was...when you got in the room, there was only one bed.

• goddammit, of course they planned this...

• Vash blushed and started to say that he didn't mind sleeping on the floor and wanted you to be in the bed.

• but once it was bedtime, you walked over to the bed, got in, opened the blanket up, looked at Vash, and patted the spot next to you on the bed. There was enough room for two, after all. And you didn't mind if it was him.

• Vash's blush got even redder and his heart started to race at the idea of being in the same bed with you.

• but after seeing your reassuring smile, he caved and got into the bed with you.

• you both just looked at each other, staring, both of your hearts racing and your faces were flushed.

• something deep inside you felt it was time, time to finally confess. There was no better time to do it.

• but neither of you could speak. You tried, but you ended up going silent.

• but you both inched closer to each other, your faces getting closer. It was like your bodies knew what to do, so they automatically did it.

• you closed your eyes, slowly leaned in, and finally...you kissed.

• it was a tender, slow, and soft kiss. One that wasn't intense, but oh, so full of love. You both melted into it and ended up wrapping your arms around each other.

• the kiss did start to get a bit intense as it went on, though. The soft moans escaping both of your lips drove you to the point where Vash got on top and where you started to lift his shirt and he started to unbutton yours.

• but all of a sudden, he stopped and broke the kiss, pulling back from you.

• "I can't..." he said breathily as his face started to look bereft.

• "Why?" You ask softly. You wanted to know what was stopping him. Was he scared? Was he nervous? Was it something else?

• That's when Vash started to cry, a few tears fell on your cheek.

• "I don't deserve you..."

• you were surprised, concerned, and confused at the same time. "Why don't you deserve me?" You asked.

• he then talks about how he feels he's not worthy of being loved, because of all the horrible things he'd done, including stuff he did before he met you.

• you knew about his past, but you didn't think any of it was his fault.

• but then you remembered something.

• you remembered a few times where Vash was forced to kill people who were threatening your life and/or other people's lives. He must've also had to have done that before he met you.

• then the memory of the time he tried to save you and another woman came to mind.

• a gunslinger grabbed both of you and tried to run off with you, but Vash wasn't letting that slide. He ran after the man until he got him cornered.

• Vash had his gun pointed at the kidnapper and the man had a knife to your throat. Vash knew there was no way to get you out of this without blood being spilt.

• so he looked for an opening and when he found it, he fired.

• but the man ended up quickly moving the other woman closer to him, using her as a human shield, fatally wounding them both.

• that broke Vash. You still could see him trying to fix the woman's wound and try to get her to stay alive. You remembered the woman putting her hand on his, stopping him, and smiling. You could still hear the painful yell he let out when she finally died...

• that night in your tent where you held him as he broke down crying, begging for forgiveness and begging you to not leave him or hate him was one of the most painful nights you've experienced.

• you knew he was a pacifist, never wanting to take a life. He understood that in certain situations in this world, it was necessary, but it still haunted him.

• no matter what happened, he almost always ended up with blood on his hands.

• That's why he felt he didn't deserve you...he felt he didn't deserve happiness and love for what he'd done...and it's haunted him all these years...

• you reach your hand out and caress his cheek while wiping his tears away with your thumb.

• you smiled warmly and kissed him again, as a way to comfort him, to tell him you still loved him regardless.

• once you both broke, he was stunned. He just stared at you and said, "Y..You still...after all I've done, you still love me..?"

• you nodded.

• he hugged you tightly and cried in your chest. In response, you held him close and petted the back of his head, letting him cry.

• you could hear him saying softly and tearfully, "I love you...I love you...please forgive me..please don't leave me.."

• you said you did forgive him and you promised that you'd stay with him forever, saying you loved him too, which caused him to hug you tighter.

• after a bit of hugging and crying, Vash looked up at you and you both stared at each other for a few moments.

• you both knew what you wanted.

• he wanted to repay you for your love and kindness and show you how much he loved you, you wanted to show him how much he's loved and deserves to be loved.

• and you both knew what could do just that.

• hey, sometimes sex can be a last resort to make someone smile.

• you said softly, "are you sure?"

• He nods. "As long as it's you, then...I'm okay with it.." His eyes said it all. He wanted you, needed you, and he didn't care how he got it.

• you pulled him to you and kissed him softly but deeply.

• During the kiss, you turned him over so you were on top of him.

• as some soft moans escaped your mouths, you both undressed each other.

• you then broke the kiss and see all the scars along his body.

• Large gashes, bullet wounds, knife marks, scars from stitches, and where his metal arm connected to his shoulder. He had been through pure hell just to save people.

• he always felt insecure about his scars, so he always kept them hidden.

• instead of trying to hide himself away, he just laid there, letting you look. It looked like he trusted you enough to where he felt okay if you saw them.

• you smile and kiss him again, this time a bit deeper.

• you could feel your lower half starting to warm up just from kissing this man.

• and you could feel something of his starting to grow against your leg..

• you broke the kiss to kiss his neck, then down his chest, then kissing each scar he had on his body, showing you loved all of him, imperfections and all.

• hearing his soft whimpers and moans of pleasure was music to your ears.

• "mm...ah.."

• you kiss down his abs, then start to go towards his groin, then you carefully pull his pants down and reveal his cock.

• you remember seeing it on accident once when he was changing, but never like this, and especially not erect and throbbing.

• you noticed how soft the skin felt in your hand, how hot it felt. You knew he wasn't human, so there was not a single hair in sight down there.

• it had a lovely reddish-pink head and a few visible veins, but they didn't pop out.

• and his size and length were pretty good too.

• with how gorgeous he was, it only made sense he had a cock to match.

• let's just say it's a 9/10.

• you saw his reactions were of embarrassment, as he covered his face with his hand.

• "You ok?" "Yeah..it's just...I'm shy..."

• with that, you started to gently rub the shaft.

• he started to breathe heavily and gripped the bedsheet. You could tell it felt good by the look on his face.

• you watched as a bead of precum dripped down his shaft and you gently lick it up, causing him to gasp softly.

• it was an oddly sweet yet slightly bitter taste.

• you decide to keep going and lick up his shaft slowly.

• you could feel his cock throb against your tongue and you could hear him moaning softly and trying not to writhe too much.

• "Y/N...*moan*..."

• you give the head a few kisses then you swirl your tongue around it, licking up any more precum dripping out.

• soon, you slide the head into your mouth and gently suck on it, to get his reaction.

• he gasped softly and he gripped onto the bedsheet harder.

• you slide more of his cock in your mouth, soon getting a good amount of him in your mouth without gagging.

• he starts to moan and as you suck, you feel him start to thrust his hips a tiny bit out of instinct.

• you start to bob your head up and down as you sucked on him.

• he soon put his hands on your head, cautiously trying not to grip, just keeping them there for purchase.

• soon enough, you felt his cock start to twitch and throb more and you heard him speak softly.

• "Y/N, I...I'm...nghh...HAAH..!"

• with that, he came, his cum flowing on your tongue and down your throat.

• you swallowed it all down, and if a few drops escaped, you licked them up because they tasted so good.

• he laid there, panting and trying to catch his breath. He saw as you licked your lips and he saw a bit of white on your tongue, which made his cock twitch and his blush grow.

• before you knew it, Vash had you lying on your back as he slid your panties down and tossed them aside, your cute pussy on full display.

• you had to admit, a part of you felt a bit shy about him looking at you nude. But the rest of you was too much in heat to really care.

• Vash grabbed your thighs and pushed your legs up so they were over his shoulders.

• then he dove right in and started to eat you out.

• but this wasn't in the masculine top energy kind of way, it was the 'pussy-drunk submissive femboy' kind of way. (..if that makes any sense)

• your mind started to get a bit hazy from the pure pleasure you were feeling, grabbing his hair to pull him closer to you.

• you could've sworn you heard him moan when you did that.

• this guy was addicted to your taste, like, he couldn't get enough. His eyes almost looked glazed over from how much he was lost in his desire.

• you softly gasped once he started to lick and suck on your clit

• he was relentless on your little bud

• soon enough, you felt your orgasm building up and then you saw stars in the back of your eyelids as you came hard.

• Vash's mouth was soaked with your juices and he drank it all up, licking up any drops he missed.

• now it was time for the main event.

• you had Vash lay back again and you got on top.

• you positioned yourself so your pussy lips would rub against the underside of his shaft as you bucked your hips.

• that's when Vash finally breaks.

• "Y/N, please...I can't wait anymore..please put it in..I want to be inside you so bad..please..I want you...I want to feel you..I want what only you can give me..please..!"

• tears are in the corner of his eyes, he was serious. Poor baby needed you so badly.

• How can you say no to that face?

• As you align his cock to your opening, he's watches with anticipation and amazement.

• and he sees as you slide him in with ease

• the shock of pleasure up his spine makes him turn his head from side to side, trying to handle the pleasure until he finally moans out.

• you couldn't help but moan too once you reached the base of his cock, feeling him reach so deep inside you.

• he puts his hands on your hips to keep you on, and also for him to hold on to something.

• you started to ride him, you started off slow to ease him in and soon, you find a pace that works great for you.

• both you and Vash were losing your sense of reality as the pleasure coursed through the both of you.

• it was like nothing else existed or mattered except the two of you, connected as one.

• it felt way too good..

• you can feel him hit the soft spongy bundle of nerves inside you that intensified the pleasure, causing you to moan more.

• and Vash was loving it.

• he couldn't help but thrust his hips to match your bounces.

• the pleasure was so intense that neither of you could say anything except moans.

• but it wasn't too long until he finally said something.

• "Y/N..! I..I can't..! I..I'm gonna..!"

• you tell him to go ahead and cum, let him fill you up, you needed to feel it

• with that, he cries out and cums inside you.

• each time his cum spurted out into you, your pussy convulsed as you came too, causing you to flinch.

• after a few minutes of the orgasm, you both relaxed and tried to catch your breath.

• you got off of him and laid next to him, not even caring about the mess you both made.

• you'd just pay extra for the cleaning once you left.

• Vash pulled you close to him and snuggled you close, his arms wrapped around you and his cheek resting on your chest.

• you pull up the covers and held him, your hand petting his messy hair.

• as you both basked in the strong afterglow, you hear him say softly, "Y/N..I love you so much..please don't ever leave me.."

• you kiss his forehead and say, "I won't. I promise."

• he smiles and quickly falls asleep, feeling so in love and so safe in your arms.

• you soon fall asleep too, feeling the happiest you've ever felt in your life.

• the next day, it wasn't long until the others found out about you two finally dating.

• the girls were asking so many questions because they knew you and Vash had done it by the looks on both your faces.

• Nick was just relieved that his plan worked. Roberto was just glad to see you so happy.

• later on, Vash had to talk with Nick about something.

• "Hey, um...if I asked Y/N to marry me..would you be able to officiate it..?"

• the smile on Nick's face said it all.

[tyriq-edits]

In the Plain of Nysa (Trigun Greek Mythology AU)

Nicholas D. Wolfwood

Priest of the Twins' Cult

Lives pretty much in the Sanctuary of Nysa by himself but gets occasionally visited by other Members of the Cult, his younger brother Livio or people in need of the Twin Gods' Blessings.

A (Kinda?) normal Priest living in his tiny Sanctuary offside from Civilisation on a small Island in the Aegean sea called Nysa.

His Duties for the most Part consist of Prayers and Sacrifices for the Gods And keeping the Temple and Statue of the Twins clean and occasionally doing a Ritual on thr Request of the odd Visitor.

Did not expect one of the Gods he is serving to be dropped off at his Temple by the goddess Meryl and her Satyr companion Roberto and to be stuck Body-Guarding said God but oh well here he is.

May Or May Not Regret Giving Vash That Short Chiton.

For more Information/lore about this AU just look at the in the plain of Nysa tag on my page or just send me an ask in my inbox.

Also shout out to my best pal Stephan for teaching me how to draw.

Additional Ramblings about the lore and WW’s design under the cut

This is btw what a Penennular Fibula looked like and I only now noticed that WW is wearing it wrong in my drawing 🥲 The needle is supposed to rest on the Bow of the brooch and not in the opening in the middle.

Also this Fanfic takes place approximately around the time of the Peloponnesian War (431-404 BCE), however Penennular Fibula were primarily worn by either Celts and Romans. So as you can tell while I am trying my best with historical research and keeping things somewhat historically accurate, there are still creative liberties being taken for this AU.

As for why this AU and Wolfwood‘s Sanctuary are called "in the Plain of Nysa“: It‘s actually a reference to the Homeric Hymn to Demeter, aka the most complete version of the Myth of Hades and Persephone we have. In this Hymn it says

In other words it was "in the Plain of Nysa“ in which Persephone was kidnapped by Hades. On a fun note, Nysa is actually not a real place anywhere in Greece. It was instead meant to symbolise "a place far away“ the same way we tend to say "in a kingdom far away“ when starting to tell a fairytale. However that did not stop some Ancient Greeks from guessing where Nysa might be located. Some thus point it to be situated somewhere in Macedon or today‘s Balkans, others claimed it was around the area of the Black Sea or…. That Nysa was on the Island Naxos. Which is why in early drafts the Sanctuary was meant to be located on Naxos itself but as I have never been to Naxos in my life it felt disrespectful to the actual people who live there so I just changed it to the Sanctuary of Nysa being on a lone non-existent Island near Naxos instead.

On a smaller note Nysa was also said to have been the Birthplace of Dionysos, with his name meaning "God of Nysa“. In other Stories however Nysa was the name of a mountain on which Dionysus had started his cult.

I am also taking some creative liberties with how Priesthood functioned in ancient Greece. Unlike how it works in Catholicism and other religions, Priests in ancient Greece were not a separate social class. Heck apart from a few Cults and sanctuaries, being a priest was not even seen as a main occupation of job for that reason. And a priest usually wasn‘t chosen by some council, but in many cases you just paid a certain amount of money to become a priest. They did not even have an official attire like catholic or shinto priests do nowadays. However they were still expected to dress somewhat formally compared to WW‘s Exomis, which is basically the ancient greek equivalent of a priest showing up in shorts, flip flops and an old Tshirt.

The Twins Cult in this AU is by the way HEAVILY based on the Eleusinian Mysteries, aka the Mystery Cult dedicated to Demeter and Persephone. I will some day make a post dedicated to them and priesthood in ancient Greece as a whole.

And yes I still fucking hate drawing feet and shoes.

[nanomooselet]

Episode Five: Child of Blessing

Roberto telling Meryl a spooky story is the most dad moment he gets, I think. It's both funny and endearing. He sounds so much fonder than he did in the first episode and it echoes Wolfwood trying to make Meryl eat dinner in the previous episode. He obviously finds it amusing to see her irritated, but if she's telling him off she's no longer focused on the heat.

It's good the episode starts with that, because up until [redacted] this is the possibly the roughest watch in the series.

From what I can tell, Stampede is broken roughly into four sections - three episodes for Vash meeting Meryl, four to give us the essence of Wolfwood, two about Knives (though arguably Bright Light counts as his, or maybe you could say he hijacked it) and the finale. But these categories aren't absolute. I believe all four sections reflect the conflict at the show's heart - what I think the producer called "the song of the brothers". This is an episode about the past, and it begins in the past, but it's also about the present, and about Wolfwood, and about Knives.

I love the soft, very faintly sepia-toned filter for the flashbacks. They feel warm and a little faded, like an old blanket that's still comfortable. So of course the story they tell is horrible. Rollo's mother didn't want to sacrifice her son, but in the world as her belief system had conceptualised it, it's his blessing upon the town, a wonderful thing. The other women all went through the same. And all of them have been lied to, manipulated, exploited - they are no more than expendable resources. Their god never appeared to them and gave nothing back to them. Every one of the children before Rollo died in pain, and despite the ostensible "success" Rollo represented, the first thing he does (it's implied) is attack and kill his mother. Twenty years later the town is deserted. And though Roberto's explanation of the sand's colour cannot possibly be true - it was already red when Rollo was still a normal boy - the picture painted with every other detail isn't one I really want think about.

This is a Wolfwood episode - the first time, I think, he has to act of his own volition for the sake of his goal. The first time Vash sees him assume the mantle of the Punisher. And Vash hates it. It hurts to see Rollo dead, to know that he can do nothing to save him now. But even more, it hurts to know that Wolfwood has no faith that Rollo could have returned when Vash is so eager to have that faith in Wolfwood. It's fairly clear that Wolfwood saw himself in Rollo - Wolfwood sees the drugs, we see his vials, they're the same colour and they do the same thing. The shot of Wolfwood coming to the realisation of what's been done to this poor kid is haunting. And the only solution he has is to put him down - the only solution he himself sees to what’s been done to him.

But… I feel like Vash's reaction, along with the tone of how the episode concludes, isn't just about losing Rollo and seeing his ideals torn down. It isn't just about Wolfwood showing Vash what he's had to become. Yes, this is in part an episode revealing the depths of Knives's cruelty, and they sure as hell aren't done yet. But it's not just that.

Rollo took on a different name. Rollo became a living weapon. Rollo was consumed by hate. Rollo murdered his mother, ruined his home. And Vash promises Rollo that he'll stay, that he won't abandon him to be all alone again, only for Wolfwood to dispense his “mercy” and put him beyond helping forever.

I think if there's anything Vash fears more than he fears what Knives will do, it's that his brother is beyond receiving any other mercy.

[waterfallofspace]

9, 42, and 45 for a sick, sneezy vash please, if that’s okay? 😄

Thank you for the ask, of course that's okay!! (it does feature a hint of W/olfwood action too, just a smiiidge, hope that's alright hehe~ It's also a V/ashwood story since, well, I figured that would be alright~!) 1.9k words, prompts 9, 42, and 45, story under cut! 9. “You’re trembling.”  42. “Baby, you’re all sniffly.”  45. “Your nose is literally twitching.” (Brief mentions of anxiety just incase anyone doesn't like that!)

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“hn’chh-! hh’keshh-! ‘Scuse me, sorry.”

“I told ya, no need for the ‘pologies.” 

“Y- you did but it’s a hahh... habit. hek’ishh-! Sor-”

A dark look from Wolfwood cuts off the apology, Vash being reduced to stuttering out some nonsensical syllables in his effort to recover. His leg is still, but there’s constant movement in his hands as they attempt to find something to grab onto. Anxiety was never a stranger to the man, despite apparent lack of concern for his own safety most of the time.  

The town they find themselves in doesn’t have a motel, which isn’t that unique in these parts. They’ve grown quite used to sharing a room, or even just a bed, wherever they could find one. For instance, they’re currently sharing a guest room above the town bar. Not an awful crashpad, a couch, nice radio, their own bathroom. 

It’s secluded from the rest of the bar too, giving them a bit of privacy. Sliding onto the bed, Wolfwood motions for Vash to join him. Surprise crosses his sharp features as the request is denied. Instead, Vash points himself towards the couch, offering a wave over his shoulder as he spins away. ‘Well that’s new…’ 

“What, suddenly too good to share a bed with me, Blondie?”

“Wh- what? No, not at all! I just… I figured you’d- en’chh-! ih’tshhie-! Excuse me, sorry. Where was I..? Oh right, m- maybe you’d want it to yourself this time and I don’t mind t- taking the couch.”

“‘Cause of your cold? I don’t care, now get over here.”

“Because of my- what? I’m… I’m not sick?” 

Wolfwood doesn’t reply, instead he lets the uncomfortable silence settle over the room as he watches Vash. ‘Either he’s playing dumb, and doesn’t want to admit it, or the needle noggin really didn’t notice. Gotta know which before I make my move.’ Under the weight of tension starting to spread through the air, Vash gives a heavy sigh. The breath comes out shaky as his body vibrates, hands starting to rub his arms.

“You’re literally trembling. You tryna tell me that ain’t shivers?”

“It’s not! Well okay… I mean it is shivering, but not from sickness, it’s just cold in here, that’s all! ennchh-! Sorry, excuse me.”

The sneeze brings a fresh round of shudders as Wolfwood raises a brow at the display. ‘So denial it is then. If it was cold in ‘ere I’d’ve noticed long before him.’ A blessing almost slips out, but that’ll just lead to a new round of apologies. Right now it’s more important to get an admittance and go from there.

“Blondie, we’re in a fuckin’ desert. It’s not cold anywhere.” 

“W- well they must have the air on! Or… or something… probably the air, b- because it’s so hot out, so they uh… they want it to be cool indoors.”

“Guess I should go ask ‘em to turn it off-”

“Hey- wait no, uh… it’s- it’s actually starting to uh… warm up..? D- don’t bother them. hk’ishiee-! Sorry. They let us stay here, I don’t- I mean we don’t want to be a burden on them-”

A hint of pride starts to break through Wolfwood’s mind as he grins. ‘And there it is. Gotcha.’ Vash has always been hesitant to be a burden. Not a horrible mindset to have for most people, ‘Hell, a few could use more of it’. The problem is that his definition of ‘burden’ includes things such as eating, sleeping, breathing, or simply existing when he’s not actively helping in some way. 

Sickness was high on his list of ‘things that make me a burden on everyone I come in contact with’, despite Wolfwood’s constant reminders that he doesn’t mind. However, there is something above it, and that’s ‘bothering someone else’, especially when it’s for a made up reason. Given the choice between admitting sickness or waking the bartender to ask them to turn off the ‘air’ that doesn’t exist, well…

“-Okay fine. I might be… a little bit sick… but- hh’ishh’iee-! hehh- en’chhh-! heh’kshh’iew-!” 

“Blessin’”

“Thank you, sorry, it’s really not that bad!”

“Then get in bed ‘fore it gets worse.” 

“I uh… I really don’t think that’s-”

“I’ll even read from the book I’ve been finishin’. But that's a limited time offer, Blondie. Goin’ once, goin’ twice-” 

Before he can start the next word, Vash hurls himself towards the bed, an excited set of vibrations starting to replace the shivers. Wolfwood chuckles, lifting the blanket from his legs to wrap it around Vash, giving his shoulders a light squeeze. In response the huddled form leans into his lap, head resting against his chest. 

“Ready?”

“Yehh… yep!” 

“Alright. The second reason he realized she was gone was from the smell. The air had lost a sweetness. One he’d grown so used to he hardly recognized it anymore. That is, until it was gone. -----” 

Wolfwood continues reading, his focus being drawn away from the world once more. ‘Would’ve thought romance books were more Blondie’s thing, but… well… after he gave me that one about the garden love story… I guess I could understand the appeal… But only because Vash likes it when I read them. That’s all.’ No one else can hear him, but Wolfwood still feels the need to justify the surge of emotion starting to creep through his heart. 

Maybe it was the fact Vash had given him them. Maybe it was the fact that blondie was gazing up with a hazy adoration as each word leaves his throat. Doesn’t really matter why. All that matters is how the words seem to glide off the page, through his deep voice to dance around their heads, playing out each scene as he reads them. This sensation is short lived though, as soon he feels himself snapping back to the bedroom where a soft sound has begun.

“hkk-! guhh…” 

“Brushing the branches from his uh… from his face, he starts to cut through the dense forest.”

“heHh-! hhh… Snnff-”

“T- the branches, oh wait read that already, ah here we go. The dense forest. Eyes seem to be peering at him through the-”

“hahHhh- snff- hkIH-! hehh…”

“Through the, uh, the-”

“hhih-!”

“Christ, Blondie. Just sneeze already.” 

Vash’s head pops out from its blanket cocoon against Wolfwood’s chest, a pink tint spread across his cheeks that has nothing to do with his cold. Bringing up a single finger to lightly rub his nose, Vash tries to offer a sincere smile. What instead crosses his face is a look that just screams itchy. Wolfwood feels a sympathy tickle through his own nose. 

“Wh- what?”

“Your nose is literally twitching. You’re makin’ me itchy from the look of it. Jus’ sneeze, it’s okay. I’ll even pause my readin’.” 

“I- I don’t… okay yehh… yes I do- I’m so sorry ehH-!”

“Don’t ‘pologize. Nothin’ to be ‘shamed of.”

“eH’tmmfshh-! hh’mmshhii-! hk’ishh’ieee-!” 

He attempts to muffle the first two into his hand, the third escaping with a pitch that sounds incredibly unsatisfying. ‘No wonder he always has these long drawn out fits. Those sound like they do nothin’ to relieve the itch.’ Pausing his analysis, Wolfwood leans towards the nightstand, grabbing a handful of tissues and pressing them into Vash’s unused hand. 

A timid smile meets the gesture as Vash brings them to his nose, humming a sigh. The action seems to bring a new level of irritation, his breath snaring as the tissues are gripped tighter. It teases him for a minute, Wolfwood choking back a laugh at the whimper the tissues barely muffle. Finally, after what seems like a lifetime, a desperate “hnnchh-! ih’tishiee-! keshh’ii-!” break through. Wolfwood lets a knuckle crush his own nose, sympathy waves running through it again.

“Blessin’.” 

“Thanks. Sor-”

“You’re only welcome if you don’t finish that apology.” 

“-So are you gonna keep reading..? hih’ishhiee-! hk’ieshh-! Excuse me.”

“Blessin’s. Good save, Blondie. Remind me where we were?”

“Eyes in the- eh’kshhiee-! forest.”

“Blessin’, alright. So- wait… hold on a sec.”

Wolfwood lets the book rest on his knees, staring up through his sunglasses at the ceiling. Vash attempts to follow his gaze, but can’t notice anything worth staring at. Deciding to ask, Vash leans up to meet his eyes. Hardly a noise escapes before Wolfwood holds up a finger to silence him, tilting his sunglasses down and blinking through the brightness. 

“huh’yIEZzshh’oo-! ai’GNZSHhh’oo-! Whew, that’s better.” 

“Oh- bless you! Did- did I get-”

“No you didn' get me sick. My immune system ain’t nearly as fragile as yours.”

“Hey! Well then, is- hh’tieshh’ii-! Excuse me. Is something bothering you?”

“Nah, jus’ a tickle. Think it was ‘cause of the itchy look you were wearin’.”

“Oh, okay! S- sorry…”

“Nothin’ to be sorry for, Blondie. Now, back to the book?"

"Yes!"

"Eyes seem to be peering at him through the darkness. Watching his every step, daring him to come closer. Daring him to betray his heart alongside his kingdom. What did they know? Surely not his heart. That was something that couldn’t be known by anyone, not after her. ------.” 

Wolfwood feels the words flow from him once more, almost before his eyes can trace their forms on the page. Figures begin their dance, chasing each other in beautiful patterns through the humid air. The only thing pulling him from the daydream that he finds himself in far too often with Vash is the sound of constant sniffles. 

There is an outright refusal to address the noises, so instead Wolfwood continues reading, making it through another two chapters before giving in and setting the book back down. Vash looks up with an innocent gaze, absentmindedly rubbing his palm against his nose as another sniff breaks free.

“Baby, you’re all sniffly. You can blow your nose.”

The pet name gets the reaction it was meant to, Vash suddenly laser focused on Wolfwood’s every word. ‘Alright, easy now with this next part. He’s jus’ about there, gotta be delicate. Which… has never really been my strong suit.’ There’s a hint of unease beneath Vash’s smile, palm crushing against his face again. 

“I know you’re sick, Vash. You told me that earlier. So you can drop the ruse.” 

“We- well…”

“It’s just us.” 

Vash flushes as Wolfwood passes him another handful of tissues, but brings them to his nose anyways. He turns away, ever mindful of others, and blows a couple times. The first seems unsuccessful, but by the third he manages to get a semblance of airflow through his sinuses. 

Giving a heady sigh of relief, Vash turns back to Wolfwood, mouth open as if to form words. He never gets the chance, the next breath through his sensitive nasal passages bringing his hands up to his face by instinct. Wolfwood chuckles, letting a hand drop to rub his back through the fit. 

“hH’ieshh’ie-! keshhh’iee-! hihh- tnnshhii-! Ih’tieshhiee-!”

“Blessin’s. Heh, you’re awfully adorable at times, Blondie.”

“I am no- heH’ishh-! hk’ishh-! tieshh’iee-! not!” 

Humming out another laugh, Wolfwood brushes the hair from Vash’s warm skin, planting a kiss on his forehead. Vash responds with a sigh, airy and light, before he sinks back into Wolfwood’s chest, wrapping himself deeper into the blanket. A smirk crosses Wolfwood’s face, ‘Not cute, huh?’ before he lifts the book once more.

There, in the safety of Wolfwood’s embrace, Vash finds himself drifting off to sleep, figures dancing through his mind as the deep voice fades off into a peaceful darkness.

[hikennosabo]

#tristampparty day 5, episode 5: child of blessing

day 5 of @tristampparty let's gooooo

our radio djs today are... show hayami!!! (aka original wolfwood) and masaya onosaka again! i'm OBSESSED with casting hayami as the religious radio dj, i love these cameos so much and clearly there was a lot of thought put into where the cameos would be. very very cool

one thing i really think is interesting about trigun - every version of trigun - is the fact that god and religion (christianity) have such a presence but there is never confirmation one way or the other about the existence of god.

who is Missionary Michael

"newly"... we know they've been around for a while, though... and roberto's the guy with Information and Knowledge so i don't think he would make a mistake timeline-wise... EoM had an established presence in (or, more like an iron grip on) windmill village, so it's not like they were operating in complete secret until recently or anything like that. soooo, new relative to what?

wind... typhoon... is this anything

wait no i'm cooking. rollo was born on a windless day -> vash met rollo when he was a baby, the photo is taken -> rollo, as we see in the flashback at the beginning of the episode, prays for wind, implying that there hasn't been any wind in a long time -> rollo runs away, meets vash again, vash makes a promise he can't keep -> rollo gets turned into monev the gale... GALE... WIND... -> vash returns, "reunites" with rollo -> monev gets killed -> the wind blows again

TYPHOON, GALE, IS THIS ANYTHING??? I DON'T KNOW WHAT I'M COOKING HERE

this is when wolfwood notices that monev is a product of EoM... that's all he needs to know to decide what must be done.

vash has no idea about EoM or the experiments or the village sacrificing children, BUT if he hadn't brought rollo back to the village... maybe none of this would have happened. or it could've ultimately played out the same. maybe rollo would have been found by someone else. or maybe he would have died out there in the desert. but still. another thing for vash to feel guilty about even though it wasn't really his fault.

savior complex bouncing between him and knives like a ping pong ball

i love the phrasing. he's not god. he's a man. as much as he positions himself as a god, he's still... very human. as loathe as he would be to admit that.

*looks at previous screenshot* i'm seeing a pattern here.

as much as i don't like elendira ii, i think we should consider also giving little fangs to elendira i.

SPEAKING OF CHARACTERS I DON'T LIKE. tristamp conrad is so unbelievably cruel, what the hell. don't get me wrong he's still not GOOD in the manga and he DOES bear responsibility for, y'know, resurrecting knives and all... and generally being too little too late in taking action against knives... but THIS conrad is just so. ugh. why did they do him like this...

so the timeline would be...

20 years ago, the village was destroyed. assuming he was in the lab for 5 years (in other words, he was not let out and could have not wrecked the town during that time), would mean 25 years ago, rollo was taken and became monev. we don't know exactly how old he was at the time, let's say he was 10 for the sake of keeping it even. so ~35 years ago the photo with vash was taken, give or take.

we also don't know how many children were taken before rollo, or how often. but it was an established practice in the village which no one questioned. how long has this been going on exactly?

also just wanted to note that roberto notices the EoM banner in the house. i think that's a detail that gets forgotten because meryl finds the photo of vash right after... but remember that roberto is the one who tells us what EoM is (or rather, what their cover story is) in the first place...

... i don't need to say anything.

actually no there is something i want to say. right after this, monev loses one of his gun... arm... gloves...? uncovering his hand underneath. and also his mask turns off. and we see his face. in other words, there's still a human under there.

OKAY HERE'S THE TALLY I REALLY WANTED TO DO!!!!

wolfwood vial count: 1

wolfwood drinking a vial right before shooting monev... revealing/reinforcing his own "inhumanity" (to the audience? to himself?) right before mercy killing a fellow EoM victim...

i wonder what vash would have done had wolfwood not killed rollo. like. what was the plan. was there a plan? (probably not...) like, had rollo lived, he wouldn't have been able to live a normal life no matter how you look at it, right? wolfwood's mercy kill seems to have been not just the right call, but perhaps the only call...?

vash asking him to wake up... foreshadowing perhaps. maybe foreshadowing livio not actually dying from a gunshot wound to the head, unlike monev. or maybe foreshadowing the words vash might say when... no. i shan't.

speaking of livio... this is gonna come back next episode.

yeah, a lot of what wolfwood says about monev can be applied to himself and livio both. really makes you think.

god i love that the village lights up after everything is over. it makes me think... i don't know what to make of this. like. the reason why the village kept sacrificing children to EoM was because they believed sacrifices would bring blessings. and we know the village was struggling due to a lack of wind. so was EoM preventing the wind from blowing somehow?? there's no way, right??? how would they even do that...? and why would they continue to prevent the wind from blowing in a place that got destroyed 20 years ago?? so this brings me back to the beginning of this post... does god actually exist in this universe?? did god make the wind blow??? and why now? i... i don't know!!! i don't know, man!!!

i do like the way orange adapted monev. or... adapted isn't the right word. they reimagined him from the ground up. they made him more intertwined with vash, used him as a vehicle to introduce EoM, tied him into wolfwood and vash's clash of ideals... and the episode itself is tight, self-contained. and very tragic.

we don't actually know that much about the original monev... he was imprisoned, he has a line about "the man i thought was my father"... i don't remember anything else. the main reason why the monev fight in 98/trimax is memorable is because it contains vash's diablo moment, and it's the first time we really see him seriously consider killing someone. but here, this version of monev... well, we get the opposite. vash wants to avoid killing monev - rollo - at all costs. makes me wonder if we'll get a diablo moment from vash in season 2...

there's probably more to say but i'm tired and my brain isn't working at full capacity lol i need to go to bed. see you tomorrow for episode 6!

[agomeangelcat]

I see your iseki reader and I raise you an iseki reader with an existential crisis that tells the crew they are from earth but never tells them that they are in a fictional universe and she knows everything about them, but she constantly questioning her existence, did she die and this is a fucked up version of heaven? Is multiunverse theory actually true? If she’s here then did she fucked up the timeline? Will she one day just blip out of existence when the universe fixes itself? Or is this just a crazy dream she’s trying to wake up from? I mean imagine looking at people and knowing they don’t actually exist even tho you can see and touch them, they are nothing more than pawns to move the plot forward. And hearing knives talk about how he’s supierior to all humans makes her wanna laugh cause god he don’t know the knowledge she has in her head, that’s he’s just simply the antagonist of a story. Maybe that’s why she not scared of death, she believes she’s already dead or technically don’t exist cause she doesn’t belong in this world. She knows the truth of this world but she can’t say anything cause she just seem crazy. Sometimes the gang would catch her gazing at them with a creepy look in her eyes, like she’s looking thru their souls, like she knows all their secrets. But that’s impossible, she can’t know something like that. It’s also weird she seems oddly calm when shit hits the fan. Like she knew this was gonna happen. Wolfwood starts to think she’s a spy like him sent to kill vash but he’s conflicted if he should defend vash or complete his job, but she seems weak and has no weapon so is she really a spy?

OKAY! As I have two Trigun ocs, the most current one is the one I got inspired to make Isekai Y/N.

I imagine it was something like a very large scale accident, an explosion or a human extinction level tragedy but for some was not just an accident.

Y/N wasn't the most shine soul in earth probably a weird nerd with lots of self doubts and "no porpouse in life".

I was inspired a lot by the part of Y/N may be dead but alive, Schrödinger Cat energy, but with the help of some entity they were reborn in another universe, and they weren't the only one to get that blessing, and they all got some kind of ability when being transported, cosmic horror shit.

The idea of ​​how Y/N's body is not used to the drastic change of reality and universe they probably has loud panic attacks or even visible moments of anguish, something that for the people around can be scary to witness.

Y/N probably has powers similar to Eleven or Tatsumi, but they don't know how to control it or at least know what the hell to do with so much power, besides it hurts physically, as i said, their not used to any of that, blood nose.

Homesickness, a lots of it.

It's the: ​​"you're reborn you have powers, but you don't have a purpose, good luck in your Journey." for me.

Thanks to Y/N's doubts they sometimes have moments when their body fails like a glitch, probably because they don't accept their new life or doubt their existence there, needless to say it scares the soul out of everyone in the group when it happens.

For Wolfwood I imagine Y/N standing in front of the punisher when threatened by him, with their hands in surrender as if to say "Shoot", Wolfwood and Y/N are enemies to rivals to confused asf.

About Knives I imagine Y/N using their telekinesis for the first time, against his many knives without fear of dying! And everyone is like: DAFUCK!?

To Vash's horror, Y/N is kind but lacking in self-preservation, and throws themself into more dangerous situations than Vash himself.

Thanks to their knowledge of the Trigun world Y/N know certain enemies' weaknesses without having to kill them, Happy Vash noises.

The Plants know about Y/N and the others who were Isekaid.

[animehouse-moe]

Trigun Stampede Episode 5: The Blessing Child

It's great. It's great, alright. It's basically a guarantee at this point for each Trigun Stampede episode to be great. And a lot of the time what makes them great does overlap, but I feel like there's a good few things I'd like to discuss/show off from this episode. Starting with this really interesting and cool piece of direction.

I think there's a lot of similar "odd" style in this episode, so to speak. Yeah, there's lots of action scenes where the camera and characters are flying around and it looks cool, but overall it's an episode that takes a more... discomforting, style. It focuses a lot on static camera angles to sell the character acting, and in some places build more suspense. It doesn't really move around a great deal outside of a few cases, so the episode itself feels rather different in that sense. Take this clip. Roro talking to his mother about religious stuff, overall a slow scene that builds tension, and uses a curtain to hide his mother to separate her beliefs from how Roro sees her. It makes for a harrowing scene that shows Roro's fear and gives a body to the invisible wall between him and his mother.

Really, this episode ended up all about religion, and I'm here for it. They did a great job connecting the dots and continuing to provide more and more hints as to what the future holds, both through larger and more pertinent moments like Roro in this episode, but also in smaller pieces that slowly compound each other over the episodes.

Take, for example, how Knives' faction makes use of religion. As a way to control people, to bend them to something. It becomes a facet of not just their life, but their existence. It might be a little excessive to say so I'll keep it to insinuation, but Roro in this scene is very reminiscent of something.

The same can go for Wolfwood and his weapon of course. It's easy to connect the dots, but at least they gave the answer to his connection in a somewhat subtle manner. More than that though I really like how much they're putting into the symbolism of his cross. How it symbolizes the sins that he carries and that he must use it to kill, further increasing the weight of the weapon upon his shoulders.

It works really great and they waste no time in making use of it in regards to Vash. Wolfwood quickly reminds Vash of his weakness, and how in attempting to preserve everything he ends up losing anyways. It's a great dynamic that sells Vash's personality early on, and how he might need to or want to change.

Changing topics though, the general worldbuilding of this episode was really great. I think my favorite throwaway detail is that we see Roro use some sort of regenerative capsules on his body at around the midway point, and then towards the end we get to see Wolfwood use a vial of it as well. They don't explain it, they don't really say anything, but the direction and character acting speak incredibly loud. Wolfwood recognizes the capsules Roro uses and it's what spurs him on to kill Roro so he can peacefully pass on. Of course, not before using the same concoction to heal himself though.

So not only is Studio Orange showing off with their visual work on Trigun Stampede, they're flexing their capabilities as writers as well. It makes for such a great series to watch, and easily one of my favorites from this season for sure.

[vashchoo]

Did I finally write a trigun fic? Oh yeah!

I just wanted the crew to be sweet to an ailing Vash

I've looked at it too long, so I hope it's enjoyable!

----------

Vash and Nai were identical. Differences didn’t start to pop up until Nai figured out he had powers. And Vash was…. Vash. A part of him hated the difference. It felt like there was now a distance between him and his brother, and it was the first instance that Vash felt a budding loneliness inside of him.

And to this day the loneliness never seemed to cease. Always existing below the surface. A rising tide Vash was trying to outrun, and he’s had years of running under his belt.

The waves were being drowned out by the rumble of the car. Meryl and Roberto arguing about directions. Wolfwood snoring lightly against the window. And Vash…

Well, there was a tickle in his nose that was threatening to destroy the mood.

It had begun that morning. Three soft, hidden sneezes as he was getting in the car. Wolfwood had noticed, he always seemed to notice, and gave a halfhearted blessing before claiming his seat in the sand crawler. Vash had smiled sheepishly before getting in as well.

But the itch never went away.

It settled in his sinuses, deep, stuck. It was making his head ache. If he didn’t know any better he’d think….. no, no… when was the last time he had a cold? 5 years ago? 15? Denial swam through his veins. No way he was getting sick, and worse there was no way he was going to bother the company he had. It wasn’t Vash’s place to have others worry about him. Honestly, he should just leave at night and not look back. Danger stuck to him like the heat from the suns, and everyone around him would be burned eventually.

Vash sighed and looked out the window. Blue eyes peering above the rim of his sunglasses at one of the suns- oh no-

Vash’s breath hitched with the photic reflex, and he didn’t have time to stifle

“H’RASHU!” Vash doubled over from the force

Meryl panicked and slammed the break. Roberto dropped his flask and gripped the glove box, and Vash and Wolfwood slammed into the back of the front seats.

There was a beat of silence as everyone collected themselves.

Vash sat up, about to apologize, but he found himself suddenly in a headlock.

“Did you do that on purpose, Needle-noggin?” Wolfwood rubbed his knuckle into the top of Vash’s skull.

“It was a sneeze! A sneeze I swear- ow ow ow!” Vash didn’t put up much of a fight. He probably deserved this.

Meryl turned in her seat. “A sneeze? I wouldn’t expect it to be so….” She couldn’t find the word. “It’s almost like Roberto’s, but louder.”

Roberto made a gruff sound, but didn’t comment.

Vash was let go finally. “I’m sorry. Someone must be talking about me.” He laughed nervously. It seemed to set everyone at ease for the time being, and soon enough the car was moving again.

—

They traveled a few more hours before finding a place to camp. The next town was still hours away, and everyone was getting tired.

The camp was simplistic. A fire, sleeping bags, and sandwiches they had bought in the last town. Vash had walked away from the group when he thought no one was paying attention. He went behind the car and

“Hpt'shu ‘echu!” He let a double hide in the crook of his elbow.

“Bless you.”

Vash let out a surprised squeak as he turned to see Wolfwood eyeing him.

“Not coming down with something, are you Blondie?” Nicolas was closing the distance, and Vash took a tentative step back. His head hurt, his throat now hurt, and he hoped it wasn't obvious.

“I’m okay, really!” Vash waved a dismissive hand.

Wolfwood cocked an eyebrow. “Why is it getting harder for me to believe that? You’ve uttered the same words while bleeding. But I won’t press the matter.” He took a long drag of his cigarette before stomping the butt. “Come on. Let’s eat and get some sleep.” The undertaker turned and led the way. Vash followed obidiently.

Vash’s appetite was left somewhere in the last town. The sandwich only made his stomach turn. He stared at the food. Turned it over and over trying to will it to be appetizing. No luck. He set it back in the cooler.

No one commented on the uneaten sandwich. Knew better than to start a battle no one was ready to fight. Instead everyone bantered back and forth until most were yawning and ready to sleep sitting up.

Each crawled into their sleeping bags, thankful for the clear weather. Still, Vash shivered. It was a chill locked in his bones. Everyone around him was breathing softly. Were they cold? Lifting his head he surveyed the group one by one. No one else seemed bothered. WHY WAS HE SO COLD?

Shivering, he pulled his knees to his chest and burritoed himself as best as he could in the sleeping bag. Then the itch in his nose came back full force. He wiggled his hands out and smashed them against his nose and mouth. “H’xtch! ‘xtchu!”

Blue eyes shot open once he could. No one seemed to notice. Thank god.

Vash tossed and turned most of the night. By the time he felt himself start to fall asleep a congestion was settling in his nose. Great, just great.

—

Vash was awoken with a rough nudge.

“You’re snoring loud enough to alert everyone that’s looking for you!” It was Wolfwood.

Vash groggily sat up. Still cold, his head swimming. He breathed through parted lips, but something caught and he started to cough. This got everyone’s attention.

Wolfwood raised his hand, Vash flinched, but he was met with something much gentler than he expected. A calloused hand that bore a heavy cross gently lifted Vash’s bangs and placed a palm on Vash’s forehead. A few seconds, then Wolfwood let out a low hum. “You need to tell people if you’re getting sick. The fever is going to fry the little brains you have left.” The sentence was rough, but there wasn’t any bite behind the words. Only soft concern.

Meryl made her way over to assess the stampede. Her hand replacing Wolfwood's, and Vash hopes the blush on his cheeks wasn't obvious. He was not used to this much attention.

"For someone that's so good at running, you managed to get caught by a bad cold … or worse." Meryl retracted her hand.

"Let's get to the next town and let him rest before we all catch it." Came Roberto already packing up his things.

Vash raises his hands. "Please don't worry about me- hp'schu!" He sniffled, which only added to the worry of his traveling companions.

—

They were all piled back into the car, and the current mission, get to a town so they can hopefully find some kind of medicine to help Vash. The car bumped and rattled over sand with a bit more than the leisurely speed they were driving the other day.

Vash was sitting up, his head leaned back, and was pinching the bridge of his nose. A headache was forming from his sinuses. All he wanted to do was sleep, but this was proving to make that nearly impossible.

Wolfwood had enough of watching. Without warning he yanked Vash by the arm and pulled the blond down.

Vash made a yelp of surprise not expecting the attack.

Meryl looked into the rearview mirror. "You guys okay?" She slowed the car down some.

"Don't worry about it, shortie." Wolfwood called out. He settled back in the seat and forcibly placed Vash's head in his lap.

"Rest, needle-noggin." Wolfwood was trying to be caring in his own way. Even back at the orphanage he wasn't known to just be 'sweet' to someone. It wasn't in his nature. He started running his hands through Vash's hair, hoping it was soothing. "You really are burning up, christ."

Vash chuckled a bit and decided to humor Wolfwood's show of kindness. He knew if he tried to argue the moment would be gone, and the undertaker probably wouldn't try this again. And strangely, this was comfortable. The car's bumps and jostles felt more like a rocking motion now.

Something dislodged in his sinuses and he couldn't help but sneeze pathetically into Wolfwood's lap "H'RASHU!" It was loud, he never had control of the volume. Wolfwood jerked a bit in surprise, he placed more pressure on the sick man's head. Trying to soothe. "H'ptschu! 'extschu!" Vash let out a soft whine.

"How did you survive this long, germinoid typhoon?" Wolfwood chuckled, which made Vash twist his head and give him a look. Wolfwood pushed his head back into his lap with a demanding "sleep!"

Wolfwood didn't stop mindlessly running his fingers through Vash's hair and scalp. Even choosing to suck on a lollypop instead of blowing smoke. Afraid it might mess with Vash's sickness somehow. The congested snoring filled Wolfwood's chest with success.

Roberto turned in his seat to see the scene. "Maybe undertaker isn't your true calling?"

"Shut it…"

—-

They managed to arrive in the next town. Vash was sadly woken up and forced to trudge his way to an inn. Roberto was securing a room and Wolfwood went to buy smokes. It was Meryl's job to babysit Vash, who looked so pathetically stuffed up and sick it was tearing at her heart. She wanted to help somehow!

Then an idea came to her.

"Hey, Vash?" Meryl slid into the booth beside him. So close their knees touched.

Vash raised his head from the table, wanting to be polite he raised the remainder of the way to sit up straight. He smiled at her and opened his mouth to say something-

"Can I try something?" Meryl blurted out.

Vash tilted his head and gave her a look. "Um, sure Meryl?"

Meryl smiled as if she had won a prize and got onto her knees. "Okay your head hurts because you're congested, yeah? Let me try a massage."

Meryl started to move her hands towards Vash's face, but waited for permission.

Vash wasn't sure what this massage intelled, but his head hurt, everything hurt. Why not give it a shot? He leaned towards her so Meryl's fingers grazed his porcelain skin. The heat made her frown

"Okay I've only read about this so…" Meryl began massaging the middle of this forehead above his nose. Working in slow circles. Vash's brows knit together, then seemed to relax. He let out a little hum as his eyes closed.

Meryl took that as a sign it felt nice. She worked over the forehead, then moved onto his cheeks. Vash sniffled but didn't tell her to stop. Then came the nose. She pinched the bridge and rubbed.

Vash's breath immediately hitched. He gently grabbed her wrist as he ducked away. "Hih- hih!" And nothing. Vash sniffled loudly and turned back to Meryl. "False alarm." He said with a little laugh.

"That can't feel comfortable though. Let me try again." Meryl started to rub at his nose again, but it didn't have the same effect. Then she got an idea. She took her finger and lightly ran it up his nose. Vash's breath hitched and he suddenly turned.

"H'RASHU!"

The other patrons jumped at the volume.

"Sorry-" Meryl started but was met by Vash's finger signaling her to wait a moment.

"H'ptschu! 'ptschu! h'- …'exshu!"

By then Roberto came over, room keys in hand.

"The hell are you doing, newbie? Trying to attract the whole town's attention?" Roberto eyes Meryl who was still on her knees inches from Vash.

"I was just trying to help." She pouted.

"Yeah, helping yourself to catching a cold." Roberto rolled his eyes.

Vash recovered and had a napkin pressed against his nose. "I do feel a bit clearer!" He chimes in.

"Really?" Meryl seemed pleased.

Roberto places the keys on the table. "Go get yourself tucked into bed, kid. I spent a pretty penny securing this for you."

—--

Vash felt horrible in more ways than one. Sick, aching, fevered, tired, and then there was also the mental side. A burden was the best way to sum it all up.

He shivered under the blankets. Everyone had gone to get food, and said they'd be back soon. The silence of the room was too much. He missed them, then Vash felt selfish for even thinking that. He buried his head under the covers and wanted to cry, but he didn't deserve it.

He didn't deserve any of this.

The door to the room clicked and Vash peeked out from his blanket cacoon. He didn't expect Roberto.

The older man made his way over, pulling along a wooden chair and setting it next to the bed before plopping down in it with a grunt.

They met eyes and Roberto reached into his inner pocket, Vash was sure it was a flask, but he procured something else. A medicine bottle. "Sit up, Stampede."

Vash obediently sat up. "You didn't have to get medicine-"

Roberto cut him off with a stare. He portioned out the liquid and handed Vash the medicine. "Drink up. Sure it taste like death. It should help with the fever at least."

Vash downed it like a shot of alcohol. His face grimaced, which made Roberto smirk.

"Now lay down." Roberto ordered again and Vash listened without fuss.

The two then sat in silence. Vash had expected Roberto to leave after the medicine, but he didn't. Instead he pulled out a cigarette and lit it while getting comfortable.

"You know, kid." Roberto started, and Vash looked over at him. "There are people that care about you. I know damn well your heart is filled to the brim with love and peace bullshit, but let others repay that kindness."

"I'm sorry." Vash spoke quietly.

"You have no reason to be sorry. Just get better. Newbie, and even the undertaker are worried sick. And hell, even I miss your energy. Just get better soon. I'm paid for stories not nursing." Roberto ruffles Vash's hair. "Sleep. I'll keep the other two occupied."

"Thanks Roberto." Vash smiled.

"Anytime, Vash."

(Don't know how to end it…. Tadah)

[sailxrmxrs]

hello i'm one of many who is unbelievably down bad for one nicholas d. wolfwood. i am also in desperate need for more fics so take this humble offering bc he will not leave my brain i cannot stop thinking about this man help. just wolfwood taking some time for himself after a long day, winding down in some rundown bar in the middle of nowhere when he spots someone who catches his eye at the other side of the bar. someone who looks equally interested in him. basically wolfwood shooting his shot and getting flustered when they give him the same energy back.

Sundown came and went, taking with it the last remaining vestiges of daylight. The clamouring sound of bustling drunkards spilled through the cracked windows of the rundown bar. The whole town looked like it was standing on its last legs, yet there was something endearing about the place. As though its people were keeping it alive, even in the face of despair. Even if their lives of struggle meant toiling day-by-day to make ends meet just enough to keep the town from collapsing to ruin, it was all worth it for a drink or two at the end of the day. And that spirit was what kept this town on its final legs, supported from the ground up by the resilience of its people. Even if that resilience came in the form of drunken celebration each night until the need for sleep drew them back to their homes, thus setting the cycle in motion again. It was a routine they'd perfected beyond measure—the very reason for their revelry. For Wolfwood, however, it was just another stop in the road. A place for him to rest his head for the night with a strong drink in one hand and a lit cigarette in the other. Nothing more, nothing less. Though he wouldn't mind if there was a little less of the noise.

He could barely think with all the shouting going around him. Though he couldn't deny it was certainly better than being stuck roaming the desert until he found a suitable resting spot. Wolfwood enjoyed travelling alone. He liked the solitude and the quiet of his own thoughts, even if he did get a little lost in them sometimes. But that's what places like this were for, to drown out some of that noise and forget all that rested on his shoulders. Forget his duties and contracts binding him to a life he was barely living. The drinks they served here were watered down so much the taste was almost unpalatable. But it was better than cloudy water, contaminated with who knows what as a direct result of a plant in need of dire attention. Wolfwood knew where to count his blessings, and a weak drink was one of them. Even with the racket going on around him, this hadn't been altogether terrible night. But, perhaps, it might just become an even better one. Across the other side of the bar he laid eyes on an unfamiliar face. They were smiling at the barkeep, laughing along with whatever he was saying. Something about them felt as though they belonged elsewhere—like they were destined for greater things and greater places than a rundown town with no prospects in sight. But where else was any better? It wasn't as though Wolfwood had anything nice to say about the ways in which he operated. Perhaps a quieter life in a place like this was a better way to live.

There was no point dwelling on the what-ifs and maybes of an alternate life. Wolfwood would not be braking free of his chains anytime soon. To dream was a fool's endeavour, and Wolfwood had no intentions of falling victim to such folly. If he lost focus now, what remained of his resolve would come crumbling down. He was not such a destructive person just yet. But with his two main vices in hand, he strongly considered adding a third. Wolfwood was no stranger to human touch, seeking out lovers in bars just like this one. Spending fleeting nights in the warmth of another's body before rising with the sun and taking his leave. It was a largely loveless act. Merely another way to pass the time and expend some of that pent up energy and frustration from the contracts that dictated his movements. Seeking the company of another was one small act of his own free will, and it seemed tonight was the night for him to be free—if only for a few short hours.

Draining the dregs of what remained in his glass, Wolfwood stood from his bar seat and made his way over to the stranger who captured his eye. They were no longer speaking with the barkeep, nursing their own glass of watered-down liquor in quiet solitude. Usually approaching a stranger in this manner was no difficult task for Wolfwood, but tonight there was a tightening sensation in his chest. As though he had become rattled with trepidation for how they might respond to his attempts at seduction. Rejections were few and far between, though were never really a setback. If someone were to decline, Wolfwood would simply move along and find another who sought human connection as he did. Suppressing whatever this bizarre feeling was, Wolfwood took those remaining steps to gently brush his shoulder against the captivating stranger's. They glanced toward him before breaking into a bright smile. Light radiated off their face, casting an almost angelic glow. Wolfwood had never seen a more beautiful smile in all his years of existence. He felt his heart shudder at the sight.

"Evening," he managed to drawl out, keeping his voice low and collected. Even if his internal self was suffering from a rare falter, he did not intend on letting that show; he was far too stoic of a man for that.

"Evening. Guessing you're new in town, huh?" They asked, voice calm and lilting. Yet Wolfwood did not struggle to hear them over the sound of the bar patrons' wild shouts and even wilder revelry. No, this stranger's voice was all he could hear. All he could think to focus on.

"That obvious? What gave me away?"

"Probably the quiet brooding alone at the bar. You play the quiet and mysterious stranger part well. It suits you."

Wolfwood wasn't expecting this. Somehow he couldn't remember how these encounters usually went. But he knew this was no ordinary meeting. "Mysterious, hm?"

They nodded, signalling for the bartender to pour another two glasses. "Please, you and I both know it's intentional."

Wolfwood leaned in a little closer, thanking the bartender for his new drink as he let himself drift nearer to his conversation partner. "Or perhaps I'm simply mysterious because I'm a stranger."

"Perhaps. But I don't buy it. Unless you're telling me you don't wander from town-to-town, visiting bars and fighting off lovers who want to see what lies beneath that awful smile."

"Awful? You wound me deeply. Do I seem such a heartless type?" Wolfwood practically held his breath as he awaited a response. He couldn't tell if this was going well or not. He was so far off his usual script that he barely knew how to keep up. It seemed he'd met his match, and that only made him more determined to figure them out. He wanted to study this stranger for hours. He yearned to hear their voice, feel their touch in all manner of ways. One night wasn't enough. He could spend an eon merely basking in their presence and it still wouldn't be enough. Wolfwood didn't know how to feel about such a tantalising thought. It was hardly characteristic of him to be so thoroughly wrapped around another's finger like this, let alone the finger of someone he had known for a few mere minutes. He wanted to hate it. But he would have been lying to himself to say that he did.

"I don't know, are you heartless?"

"I need a few more drinks before I give an answer to that." Wolfwood grimaced down at his dwindling supply. The stuff really was disgustingly weak.

"Might take more than a few to feel anything. About as much alcohol in these drinks as there is in the water." They brows furrowed as they took a sip, the expression punctuating their distaste for the drinks. It seemed even the locals despises the stuff.

"Tastes like it. Better than nothing though, right?"

They hummed a noncommittal sound. There was something they weren't saying, almost as if they were holding back from saying too much. Wolfwood yearned to pry. To hear all that ailed this person so that he might offer some sort of reprieve. An escape. But he held back. He couldn't risk seeming as though he cared for little more than something physical or meaningless. His intentions with this person held more meaning than Wolfwood had felt in years. It scared him, yet he couldn't pull away from that intense look in their eye. The quiet that descended was comfortable, the two taking sips of their drinks and accepting refills when the time came. Wolfwood could feel the gentle thrum of alcohol running through him, though far more muted than usual. He had never felt more alert. He liked it. And when the barkeep called for closing, he was content to return to his room for the night alone. Anything more would have been too greedy. And yet, when the stranger whose face only seemed even more beautiful under the moonlight reached for his hand, Wolfwood did not let go.

He didn't let go long after the sun rose and the time for him to leave came and went. Responsibilities be damned, he intended to buy as much time as he could to indulge in this stranger's touch, their kind words, their all-consuming kiss. Perhaps he would never see them again after this. He wanted to leave with no regrets. For as long as he stayed here, with them, he was free. And Wolfwood realised this was what living truly felt like. He had never felt so alive. So human. Everything else could wait as he burned all of this to memory. All of them to memory. He wanted to preserve every ounce of their being within his mind, so that long after he was gone, he could remember how it felt to be free.

[dozenssporks]

wolfwood, on the phone: you found broom-head where?!

meryl: Like I said, the luggage compartment of a bus heading to North Dakota

vash, shoving his face next to meryl’s so he can shout into the phone: I was gonna see the world’s largest buffalo!

meryl: get off me, dimwit!

*meryl pushes vash away he trips backwards and hits a shelf, several books falling and hitting his head as he slides to the floor*

vash: am I hitting the books or are the books hitting me??

meryl, turning around and ignoring him: he’s jet-lagged out of his mind but he’s hopped up on caffeine or something and won’t take a nap

wolfwood: well, if you’re making him sleep in the motel tub again . . .

millie, who had been passing by with a cup of tea and paused to listen: oh no! we don’t do that anymore, his snores echo in there! Hi, mr. priest!

wolfwood: hey, big girl. What’s he been drinking to get himself so hyper? You know his weird system only gets sleepy when you give him coffee

meryl: there were a lot of cans in that luggage compartment and I did not and do not want to know what they were. Do you have any idea how to get him to sleep that isn’t hitting him on the back of the head with a laptop?

wolfwood: y’see spiky doesn’t like to nap when he’s jet lagged, it--

vash: IT GIVES ME THE HEEBIE-JEEBIES

meryl: stop using your freakishly sharp hearing to listen to our conversation!

millie: mr. vash, be careful! if you jump around like that you’ll spill your tea!

wolfwood: yeah like he said, gives him the heebie-jeebies.

meryl, pinching the bridge of her nose and letting out a long frustrated sigh: what, pray tell, are the ‘heebie-jeebies’?

wolfwood: he has like these weird dreams about spiders an’ stuff crawling on ‘im and he can’t move. Or lizards. I can’t remember.

vash: they take turns! sometimes it’s rats! once it was butterflies drinking my blood!

millie: aw, no wonder you don’t wanna sleep

vash: thank you millie you are the only valid person

meryl: i have very kindly been restraining myself from wringing your neck so shut up!

wolfwood: er. there is a thing that might work.

meryl: please tell me. I’m beginning to remember you get the reward money even if you bring him in dead.

wolfwood: okay, but if you laugh at what I’m about to say you’re a bad person

meryl: I will take that risk. hit me.

wolfwood, sighing: hold his hand while he falls asleep

meryl:

wolfwood: you’re a bad person.

meryl: I didn’t say anything!

wolfwood: I can hear you thinking! Look, hold his hand and after he’s asleep stay in the room. if he starts making noises in his sleep just kinda quietly say his name until he stops.

vash: I refuse to hold hands! I’m saving myself for marriage! that was non-consensual hand-holding!

meryl: okay, two questions. One, how do you know this? Two, does it really work?

wolfwood: it works on the kids back home, I was on the verge of beating his spiky head in, I gave it a shot. Not a hundred percent success rate but fairly high.

meryl: Urgh. I guess it’s easier than getting rid of a body.

wolfwood: that’s the spirit. welp, since this isn’t my problem I’ll sign off. have fun and God bless!

meryl: drop dead!

*meryl hangs up and whips around. vash in the act of trying to climb a shelf freezes in place*

meryl: millie

vash: no. don’t.

meryl: grab him

millie: yes, ma’am!

vash, kicking and flailing in millie’s grip: noooo! you’re so mean! you’re still the only valid person but you’re so mean!

[crossroadsdimension]

Once again, the title of the episode smacks us in the face.

The “Blessed Child” in the title most likely refers to Rollo in this instance. Or, rather, Monev the Gale, as he’s known in the old anime and the manga.

We...actually didn’t get a backstory for the Gale in the source material, or the 90s anime. Getting one here makes this fight just hit harder, because this was someone Vash wanted desperately to keep alive, but failed to keep a promise for. On multiple levels. (and giving him wind blasts along with his gatling guns?? Nice way to tell us how exactly he got that name!)

Poor kid was chosen by a “god” to be “blessed” and give blessings to the village he lives in in turn. To help keep everyone alive for a little while longer, or so they believed.

In actuality, Rollo had signed his death warrant. “Blessed.” Ha. Poor kid was cursed with a body designed to hunt and kill, turning his adoration for and hope in Vash into something twisted, darker.

Rollo learned to hate Vash because Vash wasn’t there to rescue him from the Plant Cult. Vash hadn’t even known Rollo was still alive after he’d been sacrificed, so clearly this was a shock. (You have to wonder how Vash was able to pick up that it was Rollo underneath that mask. Did Rollo shout his own name, after yelling Vash’s in anger so many times? Or did something else happen there...?)

And then when Rollo was able to come home, after being used in the doctor’s experiments...not even his own mother recognized him. The “blessing” had become a curse, and like Wolfwood said, there really wasn’t anything left of the human inside. Especially considering that Rollo was kept as an experiment for at least 5 years, turned into that monster, and then let loose in his hometown. Considering what happened when he came home to his mother, it’s likely Rollo murdered everyone in that village, leaving him alone to hunt for worms for food.

(We do see a Worm carcass, taken out with one punch on the outskirts of town. How many of those dot the red sands, do you think?)

It was a mercy to end him here. Undoing the damage Knives had done to him...that’s asking for more than Rollo could probably handle, considering how much of himself had been changed. Vash probably could’ve tried, but it’s more likely that Rollo would’ve tried to kill him every chance he had. And Vash may be used to it, but...one of those mornings the little kid he remembers might just cave his skull in and leave him to bleed out in the sands. And I doubt that would make Knives very happy....

The fact that the wind came at Rollo’s death and turned on the lights of a ghost town as everyone drove away...that’s going to turn the place into even more of an eerie ghost story than I think Roberto meant it to.

A town powered by wind, where no one else lives...surrounded by sands stained red with the blood of the dead.....

[lotus-mirage]

Trigun Stampede episode 6 liveblog!

oh, a defector, presumably?

Alright, Punisher is an apt title it seems

so confirmation that the red plants are the ones considered defective. but huh, "scheduled for disposal" - I was under the impression that they didn't have a way to get more? They wouldn't keep them around just in case?

Meryl and Roberto have good reasons for leaving, but I'm still kind of expecting it to not last very long

oh those were some suspiciously cross-shaped coat buttons. and symbol on the back of the coat.

huh I think his guns are also cross-shaped

Okay yeah so Wolfwood is very much taken off guard by this.

The 2D animation kind of startled me tbh lol

The lack of voicelines in this section is interesting! Kind of directing you to pay closer attention.

Wait the law enforcement appearing reminded me - Vash's appearance is pretty well known, right? Is he not disguising himself at all?

Oh what's catching up to the car and why are they so colorful??

... the 2D silhouettes approaching the building look kinda like caskets.

"child of blessing." huh.

oh THATS a color sequence

he's on an upside-down cross I... wow

also bit of a weird feeling that this might be kind of early to learn this?? Like I feel like this is at least a late-season or season 2 sort of sequence. There's been two and a half episodes of Wolfwood so far total.

That is a lot of cells

Wait the scientist guy seems surprised. Where did Wolfwood get the glass thingies if not from him??

Oh wtf is somebody psychic or. whats happening here.

Okay first of all I don't think we've seen this person before, but I think they have the same haircut as the baby twins and the angel kid.

Second "eye of michael," okay. I guess that's the thing in the center of the symbol, then.

Oh this is the guy with psychic powers(?)! Alright, that's a mystery partially solved. Second question: How??? (is that allowed???)

Huh, I'd have thought they'd also indoctrinate the kids, if they're getting them from that place?

Also. I'm assuming this is a framing thing for the viewers, but it also kind of feels like the guy is also seeing the future here.

Bluesummers, okay. Sure.

"Forgive us, boy." Unless he's talking about something else, this seems at odds with the priest's previous charicterization. Huh.

Oh I think I missed it, but they said something about Wolfwood retaining something, mentally, right? I should check that.

Implication that the orphanage needs to supply two kids at any given point?

More skull motifs on Bluesummers.

And the mask on Livio is sparking blue. Looks like it matches up with whatever was happening to his eye in the flashback. (I wonder why so many have their visible technology on their heads?)

Geometric patterns on Bluesummer's arm, noted (and small book! ...actual bible?). Also is he paralleling Wolfwood and Livio's relationship and Vash and Knives'?

Are they redirecting the ship to the orphanage?? Why???

That's like the most neon I've seen on this show by far. Feels a little weird honestly.

Notably Livio doesn't seem to have emoted at all.

End notes:

Uhhh general observations first. Animation in this episode was very cool as always. Background music was noticeable, but felt intentional in that.

On the symbolic stuff this episode, idk if I have enough knowledge to really speak to any of it? Bluesummer's emotions shtick seems like a personal rather than organizational thing, for one. I think Michael is an archangel, and other media I've seen them in has had them either as an authority figure or as like a high-ranking fighter. Those portrayals were also definitely taking a lot of liberties, so that further muddies the water.

No idea if "child of blessing" has symbolic meaning, but it kind of reminds me of Rollo from last episode? In the sense that they kind of undergo the same thing and also that results in a 'blessing' they don't get to experience/enjoy, potentially through their doom or demise.

I feel like I don't really have a lot to speculate on in this episode, particularly in comparison to the last. I'm surprised that Wolfwood is getting this much focus so early, let alone a two-parter mostly about him. With the reappearance of the neon desert raiders, I was expecting Meryl and Roberto to also return, but I could be wrong or it could be the next episode lol.

[amoirsetpacis]

He's a little tipsy, full of roast pork and fajitas and a whole lot of tequila, and there's music playing from the speakers in the living room. It's late, midnight is ticking ever closer, closer, and Wolfwood's pulling Vash out of the blanket pile on the couch and tugging him forward by the waistband of his pants.

"Hey, handsome," he mumbles, bumping their noses together. His hands rest on Vash's hips. A lazy smile stretches slowly across his face. Wolfwood's eyes flicker off to the timer on the television, along with a live broadcast of a celebration in downtown Fibonacci.

Five, four, three, two...

Wolfwood pulls him closer, pressed flush together.

One, and—

He kisses him square on the mouth, deep and sweet, leaning in to tip Vash back a little. His arm loops around his middle to dip Vash further, pressing all his weight forward. Wolfwood grins against his lips, nips playfully at him. He tastes like their dinner, too, with the bite of tequila on his tongue.

"Happy New Year, sweetheart."

★ --;; It's nice, having a moment to unwind, be loose. The days between Christmas and the New Year had held the promise of calm before the bubble had been abruptly burst. At first, the anxiety had left Vash a bit apprehensive to even celebrate, but it ultimately hadn't taken that much prying from his husband to at least get him started- and after that, it had been easy. They'd both been set off-kilter in the past few days, but if Wolfwood was good at anything it was getting Vash to follow along after him. That, and he's been plied with the promise of margaritas. So, sue him.

They'd swayed together earlier, slow and sweet until the music had picked up and their own feet along with it, and Vash had eventually been spun away and laughed, bright and easy if only for now, and let himself fall back into the nest they'd made for themselves on the sofa some time in between dinner and bumping hips together at the sink to do dishes and watching the celebration downtown with so many people that did not know or care who they were.

Another sip and his drink gets placed off to the side before Vash is hauled up onto his feet, still giggling as he's tugged along, cheeks pink and muscles lax. "Hey," he smiles back, into the infinitesimal space between the both of them. "Y'know, you're pretty cute, but I'm happily married and I like him a whole awful lot, and I don't think my husband'd appreciate you flirtin' with--"

The seconds turn out and cut Vash off, amused with his own joke but not enough to keep going with lips against his own, smile pressed between them both. Not only from his own bit, but from the easy warmth in his chest as his hands slide up to gently rest against either side of Wolfwood's jawline. That he gets not only these small pockets of peace with him, but the chance to spend and entire new year with him, too. That despite every difficult moment of the past year, he'd been blessed with that, too. More than he'd ever dreamed of being given. He sighs sweetly through his nose as he's dipped further, still smiling as his arms wrap the rest of the way around Wolfwood's neck as his breath fans across a tan cheek.

"Happy New Year," he grins when the finally pull apart, and leans up to kiss shim again.

[full-of-mercy]

Unexpected, placed almost gently at the center of the table: a bottle of whiskey. It was a bit small, perhaps, and nothing particularly top shelf, though it was nowhere near bottom of the barrel rotgut. Whether a gift, a payment, a bribe, a ceasefire--

The stranger did not wait for an invitation to sit across the way, taking his time to level the rickety chair beneath him with a slight lean to the left, making no move to reach for the bottle himself. Doing his best to appear as though he were confident in his overstepping (and being somewhat aware of his failure), he grasped for a casual air and limited eye contact.

Unexpected as the bottle of liquor itself, a request. "Tell me about monsters and second chances."

Nicholas supposes he has that kind of face. Maybe it's trustworthy rather than lupine in the dingy light of a saloon to the right of run-down.

Maybe it's the rosary around his neck, the cross at his back. Or maybe it is the way he has been appraising this... figure. This figure who has become his erstwhile guest. Watching, observing without overtly reacting. A silent I see you. An I know that you're Other, even if I don't know how.

Not that he would ever admit to the gut-clench at first glance.

Tall. Lean. Ashen hair.

... but it's not really ashen, is it? Not quite. Close. Similar complexion. Different eye color. Different facial structure. Echo of an echo, this is not Livio, but it is not beyond the realm that the stranger is another Child of Blessing.

Another young man broken and reshaped, supped on suffering under scalpels and sterile white. Another who might be here for blood.

Or for salvation. Funny how that works out.

"It's interesting," Wolfwood begins, reaching out with deft sleight of hand to pluck the one shot glass from atop the bottle and produce a second. Where did he get that? Impossible to know. Maybe from within the stout little box painted to resemble a church set out on the table. "Callin' it a second chance as if it's a singular event, one-and-done, and not a conscious decision. Acts tells us 'Repent, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come,' but it's the repentance bit that takes work."

The cap uncorks, and like a gracious host he pours out a measure for each of them.

Not great. Not terrible. Middling. Fine by him. Alms, libations, clinked together, and he perches his on his fingertips in a toast.

"-Maybe it's a first chance. A chance. Still takes effort to change directions, whatever direction you've been trailin'."

Eye contact.

And it's strange, it's strange.

"Bit like how monster is loaded and limiting. Dark mirror on human nature, on desperation. Maybe liminal, maybe ingrained. Matter of perspective, but here's a question. Would a monster take the time to wonder? What does that mean to you?"

[goldendivinewrath]

@forgivenpunishment

"Easy." It's a whisper, meant to be soothing but there's only a terrified little rasp there instead. Vash tries to delicately wipe the blood away with his thumb, but it mostly smears. His grimace says everything, but it fades into confusion and then grudging acceptance. "You first, huh?" Reaching for the water, there's a tightness to his every motion. He knows no matter how they do this, it's going to be painful and it's going to suck, but the canteen only being half full is a blessing in its own way. Makes it easier to tilt right into the corner of Wolflwood's mouth, controlling a steady dribble so he can anticipate it, swallow, breathe. He tries.

It's a bit of a mess, maybe, but it'll do. Can't taste good, can't feel good, but it's hydration. He makes a show out of taking a drink himself; enough to count before tucking the canteen away again. Food...

It will wait. It'll have to, because the question--

Vash licks his lips, opens his mouth specifically to respond, but instantly there's a shudder and a soft clack of teeth as his jaw tenses, closes. The memory is... "I found one vial. One was broken, I-- I don't know what happened to the rest. They're probably still buried. I'll go back and look sometime." He's smiling. There's some humor in his voice. It's all extremely, extremely fake.

He holds down another shudder, reaching to draw fingers through Wolfwood's hair. It's... gross, frankly, full of blood and sand and rubble, and some of the tips are definitely singed. He's careful not to tug, just touch. Feel. Soothing himself, mostly. "I... made sure you swallowed what was in the vial I could find." He states slowly, watching the other man's eyes to see if he follows. He already used a vial and Wolfwood is still in this state. A slow drip of information.

"I think you... basically got in front of a rocket?" The humor's a little more genuine there, but Vash can't help the shake in his voice. "Someone thought it was a good idea to bring a rocket launcher into a building." He's poking a little fun, or trying. Failing. "A-and you know me, I. I was trying to negotiate while people got out. It-- It really did seem fine, but then--"

He stops. Swallows. "I don't-- You got in front of me." That says a lot, he thinks. Yes, Vash's body had moved on its own to react, but it was countered, corrected for, and he suspected neither of them were fully aware of exactly where or how they moved at a certain point. Doesn't matter, not the important bit.

"Part of the building collapsed... It was kind of lucky, actually." Even the fake smiles stop happening. "Made a barrier so I could help you, then we got out of there. The, um. The woman who owned the inn knew who I was, but she... let us hide long enough so I could get you wrapped up. I didn't want her to be a target, so..." He ran. With a giant cross-shaped gun and a bag and the precious barely-alive cargo in his arms, not fast enough to get away without a few parting shots and some yelling, but they got away.

Far enough away. Technically exposed to the elements. Without any more vials that he knows of. Certain of another town where he won't be welcomed in spite of the kindness offered. But alive.

"You gotta h-help me out here, okay?" Calm, calm down, calm. "Let me know what... I can do to help..."

@goldendivinewrath

Wolfwood coughs again—his throat is so dry that blood dribbles down his chin from the force of it. He feels the tension from the bandages and can only pray that he didn't break open any of Vash's hard work.

Oh, and he hopes that he's not dying. That would undo a lot of Vash's work too. Only having gained consciousness seconds ago, it's too early for him to tell—not that he'd honestly be able to tell with himself. He's 'died' so many times before, suffered through so much pain, this may as well be another Tuesday for him, right?

It's... it's nothing special. Just an average amount of damage.

... The more he tells himself that, the more likely it's true. That's how things work. He has to live. He has to live. There's still too much left in his life to do and...

He can't leave Vash alone. Likewise, he doesn't want to be separated from Vash—not now, not ever.

This feeling haunts him—and he only now can put a word to it. Wolfwood knows that if he says it now, it'll only burden Vash. He has to wait until they're safe. Safe, warm, sand-free... maybe over a meal. Not over drinks, then they could blame alcohol for mistaken feelings. No, they have to be sober, their heads need to be completely clear. Both of them. No grief, no lust, no fear, none of that—just...

His stony eyes are glossy with concern as he stares up at Vash, red with tears. Surely Vash's expression will help him know if he's dying... Anything, any hint of what's wrong with him—because he can't feel... can't feel anything...

After this long pause, Wolfwood nods slowly and, following a slow blink, squints at Vash, "...You too. Wa-ter. Eat." He knows that they don't have time to rest, and even if he told Vash to rest he doesn't think that he would. The undertaker vows to stay awake with him as long as he can... he doesn't want to rest and...

—He can't think like that.

"What..." Wolfwood clears his throat, painfully twisting his head to the side to spit up crimson saliva, "What... happened? Vial?"