#he's having a bad time

[anxiety-elemental-kay]

Vash and Alcoholism

I’m still chipping away at essays for volume 5 and might write stuff for 6 but I need to stop and talk about this panel.

Warning for discussion of alcoholism and self-harm.

[ID: Crop of two panels from Trigun Maximum Volume 6 chapter 5. The first panel we see Vash looking down at the alcohol he spilled on his coat and prosthetic arm. The speech bubbles say “Ha... he he...” The second, much larger panel is a close up of his face. Most of his face is in shadow, except for the bridge of his nose and one eye, which is closed and crinkled like he’s smiling. He’s holding his damp hand to his mouth, accompanied by a word bubble that says “slurp”. End ID.]

Something about this is genuinely so disturbing. He’s been caught day drinking during a  shootout, laughs weakly, then drinks the spilled alcohol on his hand. The way his eye is drawn makes me think he’s supposed to be smiling, but the rest of his face is in stark shadow and I just. If I’m remembering right up until this point Vash has been seen drinking but as a joke or as part of a larger celebration (see the celebration for the message from Earth. He had the goofy tie around his head and everything). This is the first time we see Vash as alcoholic, seeing it as the unhealthy and inadequate coping mechanism it is.

He looks strange for the rest of the fight too, looking both exhausted but also frightening and uncanny, like:

[ID: Crop of a two page spread from Trigun Maximum Volume 6 chapter 5. Vash is holding his gun but is standing in a strange pose, his torso bent over, neck bent further, with an unsettling and blank expression on his face. End ID.]

God. He looks so. I’m not even sure how to describe it. He’s still doing his usual Vash routine, refusing to kill, but he seems detached or absent from his own head.

Maybe it’s because I have a family history of alcoholism and I’m desperately afraid of developing a dependency myself (with my mental health history it feels likely) but seeing Vash like this is so upsetting. Combined with shooting at the target in the first chapter until he bled (which read as self-harm to me) we’re seeing Vash become more overtly self-destructive.

And from what I remember of future chapters it’s only going to get worse.

Update: Well this post blew up. Everyone’s additions are so good! Glad we all agree that alcoholism is scary and dangerous and that Vash is slowly destroying himself in the worst way. Glad to share TrigunBookClub with a bunch of smart, very sad people <3

[sharkrocket]

"P1 Daniil is not well" compilation

[jessisart]

quand il me prend dans ses bras,

qu'il me parle tout bas,

je vois la vie en rose. 🥀

(@odoroshi-rider's nathaniel & camellia)

[maelgwyn]

Ah... how's it goin' Claude?

[aceofwonders]

emyr getting his ear bit off and stabbed by a hallucination in the middle of the street in broad daylight

[chaotic-grin]

"Foresight is a curse, a blight. Worst thing about this reality. To be a wyrm is to know things you can't prevent"

[starsandauras]

Prompt 10: Recap

FFXIV 30 Day Writing Challenge Prompt 10: Recap (Extra Credit/Free Day) Broad strokes spoilers for all of Heavensward? Do we still warn for that?

Connor sighed and heavily dropped down onto a particularly flat bit of crystal next to the doors of the Crystal Tower. “Sorry, I know I’ve been gone awhile,” he murmured, looking down at his feet. He was still in his dark knight armor. Last time he’d sat here, he’d been wearing the armor of a paladin.

Another sigh, and he looked up, rubbing at the back of his neck. “So, where did I leave off? Right before the Banquet, right?” He looked up at the silent spire, wilting slightly, before launching into the story.

Of the Banquet, of hiding with Haurchefant, of integrating themselves into Ishgardian society. Of Iceheart, of the journey through Dravania, of the moogles. Of learning the real history of the Dragonsong War, of Haurchefant’s loss, of Ysayle’s. Of dragons and dragoons, of floating landmasses and Garleans. Of Warriors of Darkness, of Minfilia’s loss, of the recovery of Estinien, only for him to jump out a window the moment he could.

“There’s no telling where the man is now, and I think he prefers it that way,” Connor finished his story, finally, taking a long drink of the flask at his belt. “What else… oh, I didn’t mention it, did I?” He smiled weakly, lifting the flask and tapping it against the Tower in a mock toast. “I’m an uncle now. Bet you never thought you’d hear that, right G’raha? We call him Cred, his proper name’s a mouthful.” He sighed, taking another pull of his flask. “You’d like him,” he murmured. “He’s a good kid, even as young as he is. Better than a lot of us deserve.”

The Tower remained silent, not even echoing Connor’s words back to him. While he was unsurprised, he was still disappointed.

“I’m not a paladin anymore,” he offered up next. “Didn’t suit, after Ul’dah. And I blended into the snow too much in Ishgard. Or at least that’s what I told my family. No idea if they bought it, don’t care much either. I’m something called a dark knight now. Don’t- don’t ask for that story, it’s a mess. But…” another sigh. “I think I made friends? Sidurgu and Rielle. I don’t know, I’ve never been too sure how friends work, other than you.”

A bird let out a call, but otherwise the silence remained.

“They’re good people though, if nothing else.” Connor pulled his lower lip between his teeth, worrying it as he thought. “Oh, Rammbroes lent me a couple of your books,” he added, holding one up. “Still not much of a reader, but he thought I might like them, and… well, why not give them a try? One of them’s a book of fairy stories, thought I’d start with it first.”

He was examining the book when his linkpearl went off, and he grumbled to himself as he pressed his fingers to it. “What?!” he demanded through grit teeth. “I told you not to bother me for two bells!”

“It’s been three, actually,” came the crisp tones of Arthur’s voice, and Connor wilted again, even though Arthur couldn’t see it. “Come back to the Stones, we have meetings tomorrow.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m coming,” he grumbled, pushing himself back up with a groan. “See you soon.” And without waiting for Arthur’s response, he deactivated the ‘pearl. “Arthur called, he’s wanting me home. We had a samurai show up on our doorstep at the Waking Sands and nearly fall on Urianger earlier today. We have to deal with that in the morning. I’ll come back, let you know how it goes.” He shrugged. “Miss you,” he whispered.

He hoped he could hear a “see you soon,” carried on the wind, but he knew it was simply the sound of it blowing through the crystalline trees.

[scatterbrainedgremlin-writings]

Brain stop having thoughts for new fic ideas challenge. Level Impossible.

I just had this idea like five minutes ago so I just have a bare bones concept, but anyways it goes like this. (All under cut cause long).

King Halbert is going to another kingdom to work on a trade deal and the knights go with to protect him from potential threats. The other kingdoms royal family is impressed by the knights adventures , and hold a great feast in their honor and to work out their deal. 

While that party is going on Lance hits on the wrong person who turns out to be sorceress. She leads him back to her home where she turns him into a horse and ties him up in her stables. 

The other knights realize they’re missing one the next day and the other kingdoms prince points them to the sorceress and Axl goes to try to return Lance back to a human and he gets turned into a bull.

Macy goes next to see if she can talk to her, one independent woman to another. She gets turned into a tiny dragon. Finally Aaron tries to go and gets turned into a fox.

Aaron manages to escape and tries (and fails) to explain the situation to Clay. He eventually gets an ipad (or the Knighton equivalent of one) and types out what happened. Clay eventually goes, and the two talk for a bit. 

That’s as far as I’ve got so far. It takes place after Season 4, the sorceress’s name is Magnolia Wraith, and her home is a sanctuary for dryads and nymphs, ad she’s not afraid to get nasty in order to protect them from anything or anyone considered a threat (i.e. Lance Richmond). This is what she looks like.

[butchfalin]

the funniest meltdown ive ever had was in college when i got so overstimulated that i could Not speak, including over text. one of my friends was trying to talk me through it but i was solely using emojis because they were easier than trying to come up with words so he started using primarily emojis as well just to make things feel balanced. this was not the Most effective strategy... until. he tried to ask me "you okay?" but the way he chose to do that was by sending "👉🏼👌🏼❓" and i was so shocked by suddenly being asked if i was dtf that i was like WHAT???? WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY TO ME?????????? and thus was verbal again

[myhusbandsasemni]

Paperdemon Trap

118 Something magical is happening! Your character finds themself as a paperdemon, what do they look like? What abilities do they have? Draw or write about their experience! If they are already a paperdemon, draw them as another species of your choosing.

Whatever spell going around turning people into Paper demons hit K80. Unfortunately, this had no effect on K80's essence and only the body he lives in. Code is not compatible with flesh, so K80 is within, but not at home while he waits for someone to switch his body back or bring his other body close enough for him to hop back to that one. 

K80 Artlist

[koobiie]

based on that one q&a... i'm a sucker for a pokemon crossover

[noodles-and-tea]

also what about an inverse twins in time au where ford went back to the 60's and stan stayed in the 80's?

Oh this is super interesting

[scurvyboy]

not as much memory loss timeline fiddleford you're so cool

[raynewolferune]

DC x DP Prompt: Bruce is bad at emoting but at least ghosts are empathic (too bad bat kids are not)

Was reading Twincognito on AO3 when I stumbled across this gem again:

~

" “Danny, Tim. I was just…checking in. Is everything alright?” Curse his inability to make meaningful conversation when it wasn’t a life or death situation.

They glanced at each other and shrugged.

Then Danny hauled himself out of the bed and walked over to Bruce.

Bruce tried not to let too much excitement show on his face. "

~

Now I really want to read a story where Bruce adopts Danny post Meta trafficking and is being his usual emotionally constipated self. His kids keep getting mad at him because he's treating their new meta brother who was trafficked poorly (generally being stilted in conversation with him, walking away hurriedly mid-conversation, avoiding Danny when he's feeling really awkward, etc). They think Bruce is discriminating against Danny for being a civilian, meta, dealer's pick, but really it's just Bruce being horribly socially awkward. Danny knows this because of ghost empathy and find the whole thing hilarious. The whole thing comes to a head with the Bat Kids staging an intervention in the Bat Cave.

[saragrosie]

Sketching while streaming s5...

Jonathan Sims I will learn to draw you (this is my doing. I could draw him however I want and I choose to stick with an image of him in my brain that is difficult for me to draw. Masochism.)

Not s5 Mahtins below I enjoyed drawing cuz hes neat:

(Edit: I yassified Martin in the do not separate cuz I wanted his hair fluffier)

[lotus-pear]

charm stat at debonair ‼️‼️