#not someone else's actions but /vash's/

[franeridan]

thinking again about how in trigun 98 they had nick kill someone with the face of a child posing as an orphan for vash, and how in tristamp they had him kill a child in the body of a monster who had no choice in what had been done to him, and how instead in trimax nick for vash kills a man who'd approached vash for a death match, who'd demanded to either kill or be killed, a man nick had given vash a fair chance to fight and win against and who nick would have left alone hadn't said man attacked vash when his back was turned after the duel was over and done with, a man who'd been one step from possibly seriously harming vash hadn't nick stepped in. and about how after in all three versions vash yells at nick for it, but only in trimax nick tells vash that he's lucky he's there to play the devil for him so that he can stay a saint, and only in trimax in the arc right after vash ends up thanking nick for killing for him and protecting his home when vash couldn't because of his own morals, and only in trimax in the end when nick isn't there to play the bad guy for vash he ends up being right, and vash ends up having to dirty his hands himself to protect what he loves - while both in 98 and for now tristamp vash stays a saint until the end, and that fight they have ends in itself, and the only lesson it leaves you as a viewer is that nick is jaded enough to kill a child

[3ic95id864pg]

Trigun Vash Headcanon

Imagining Vash from the 1998 version of Trigun being jealous, he would probably try to hide his feelings behind his usual playful and carefree behavior. However, his closest friends would notice small changes in his behavior. He would become more protective and attentive towards the person he likes, always trying to be around and ensure they are safe.

When he saw this person talking or laughing with someone else, Vash might make exaggerated jokes or act even sillier than usual to get attention. His eyes, however, would betray a slight sadness and concern, showing that he is struggling with his feelings. He might also offer to help with anything, even the simplest tasks, just to have an excuse to spend more time with them.

Despite his efforts to hide it, his jealousy would be evident in moments of silence, when he thought no one was looking. He would sigh deeply, and his smile would become a bit more forced. Deep down, Vash just wants the best for the person he loves, even if it means hiding his own feelings to avoid causing problems.

For the 2023 version of Vash, his jealousy would manifest in a more subdued and introspective manner. He would still try to maintain his cheerful facade, but his eyes would often drift towards the person he likes, filled with a mix of longing and worry. He might become quieter, lost in thought, and his usual energetic demeanor would be slightly dampened. He would still go out of his way to help and protect, but there would be a noticeable tension in his actions, as if he's holding back his true emotions.

In the case of Vash from Trigun Maximum (Trimax), his jealousy would be more intense and visible. He would struggle more openly with his feelings, sometimes becoming uncharacteristically serious or even a bit irritable when he sees the person he likes with someone else. His protective nature would be heightened, and he might even confront the situation more directly, though still with his underlying kindness. His friends would see through his attempts to mask his jealousy, noticing the rare moments when his usually calm and composed exterior cracks, revealing the depth of his emotions.

[luvyurself]

hugs and kisses

a/n : imma vomit on the floor I need him.

flufftober masterlist

c/w: she/her, reverse comfort a lil, he’s worried a bit, but we love him, set after the events of episode three, it’s been a moment since I saw the anime, bear with me, he adores you, its sickening, hope you break up

______

she stirred a bit as she felt a pepper of kisses on her cheek, traveling around her face and finally landing on her lips with the wrapping of a pair of arms around her.

the action wasn’t unwelcome, but it definitely shook her concise of being more awake than asleep. she then felt cold metal fingers trace along her face, squishing her cheeks together as she heard a voice softly sigh.

“your so beautiful.” he whispered, pressing another kiss on her forehead this time.

a mumble left her lips, not even bothering to open her eyes, “thank you…now go to sleep.” the sleepy tone in her voice made him laugh as she felt his head drop to the crook of her neck.

“how can I when I got such a gorgeous angel next to me?” he pressed another few kisses on her neck, his voice soft next to her ear making her shiver a bit.

“your beauty is keeping me awake.” his tone was filled with love for her, twirling a strand of hair on his finger.

she gave a playful huff, opening her eyes to look down at him.

he picked his head up to stare at her, the dazzling lovesick smile on his lips as she stared into his blue eyes behind those yellow tinted glasses.

vash was the most gorgeous man she had ever laid her eyes on. he was everything to her, and her to him.

this man was no dangerous outlaw, in fact, he had the purest heart of gold that someone could ever have. she knew him well, as much as she would say she did, and knew that he would never malicious hurt anyone for his own benefit.

she stood by his side when he was met with anger from jeneora, tightly squeezing his hand in an attempt of comfort when they told him to leave after learning of his relation to knives.

she wasted no time joining him and the two reporters to find his brother and clear his name.

the travel would be long, but she was sorta glad of meeting two new people. getting to know meryl was pleasant, the women was happy to share everything she did, even with roberto putting his two cents in on their conversation as he drove along the deserted plain.

vash was somewhat quiet, his grip on her hand a bit weak most of the drive. she didn’t want to comment about it, only offering a soft smile at him and a squeeze of her hand.

he gave back a smaller smile, leaning on her a bit as he closed his eyes for a quick rest.

now after stopping for the night to set up for sleep, she brushed some hair out of his face, caressing his cheek, “somethings on your mind, isn’t it?”

part of knowing him well was that he would be way more affectionate when something was on his mind. not that he never let up on his affection, but at times like these it was very noticeable.

vash visibly tensed up, a quiet awkward smile escaping his lips, “what do you mean? I’m perfectly fine.” the tone of his voice doesn’t convince her when his eyes tell a different story.

they were swimming with worry, fright, not for the journey ahead, but something else.

she wrapped her arms around him, rubbing his back as she whispered to him, “I can tell when your worried, my love.” she watched him avert his gaze a bit, puffing out his cheek.

he’s quiet again, the sound of the environment around them filling her ears.

a shaky intake of air from him, “you don’t….you don’t think of me differently, do you?” he spoke, his tone of voice uncharacteristically more worried than she ever heard it.

her brows furrowed, “why would I ever?” she asked, one of her hands moving to his hair to run her fingers through it.

vash shrugged, subconsciously leaning into her hand on his head, “my brother….you saw what he did at jeneroa,” he glanced back at her, “I just…I never said anything about him, and after what he did, wouldn’t you not be…angry with me?” he winced as he said it, his hold on her tightening.

oh. that’s why.

it wasn’t like she never knew vash had a brother. he mentioned him once to her, but never gave any more information on how he was. she never wanted to press him for more information, as it always looked like it hurt to even talk about him.

after seeing what knives had done to the past city they were in, it had scared her. maybe that was why vash never said he was his brother, because unlike him, knives was a cold blooded killer.

she could feel the guilt practically oozing off of him, the fear he probably has of her being angry at him was so evident to her.

just like what he did earlier, she caressed his cheeks and squished them together, “you silly man, I would never be mad at you.” she smiled when he widened his eyes a bit in shock.

“you are not to blame for what your brother did, you are not your brother.” she spoke, moving her hand back to cupping his cheek.

“I know who you are, and that’s vash, my handsome,” she pressed a kiss to his cheek, making him softly gasp, “kind-“ another to his nose, “loving-“ another on his opposite cheek, “gold hearted man.” she then finished with a kiss on his lips, making him melt into the kiss.

after pulling away, he gave a soft laugh, “you’re a literal angel,” he spoke her name sweetly, his eyes fluttering shut as her fingers traced his face.

“as you are to me.” she muttered, leaning closer to press another kiss to his lips.

a sudden cough from neither of them made them flinch a bit, looking up to see roberto waving a bit of smoke from his cigarette as he cleared his throat, “didn’t mean to disturb your little love fest.” he grumbled, closing his eyes as he took a final drag of his cigarette, “just needed a quick smoke.”

meryl peaked her head up from inside the car window, groaning a bit, “I told you they were going to hear you!” she shouted, throwing her head back as roberto gave a little smile, “calm yourself, rookie, it’s not like they were making out.”

“and if they were?!” meryl shrieked, throwing her hands up making the man laugh at her actions.

meanwhile, vash and his lover stared at them for a moment, before a little fit of laughter was shared between them.

vash went back to laying his head on her chest, sighing softly as he closed his eyes. she smiled down at him, pulling off his glasses and folding them up next to her and returned the gesture.

she nuzzled her nose into his hair, the noise bickering of meryl and roberto bickering fading into nothing as she finally let sleep consume her.

but not before she pressed a kiss on top of his head, mumbling sweet nothings to him to make it the last thing he heard before he drifted off.

for vash, it brought a tired smile to his lips. all worry from earlier fading away as he let himself drift away him being in her arms.

he could rest easy tonight with her always loving him.

[ruporas]

The thing about plant!Wolfwood is that he has never had a say in his own body. It's been used and abused and twisted so much over the years, all without his consent, and he's had to navigate it all on his own. Figure it out or die. The vials won't even let him keep scars, unlike Vash, his body is spotless and pristine, every wound and mortal injury and supposedly permanent scar forgotten almost as soon as it happens. He has never had a say in his body, not before or after the EoM. So him coming back to life as a Plant, or something going wrong and the vials turning him into a plant-hybrid thing, is extra tragic because that's another thing that was done to him without his knowledge or consent, another way that his body has been altered beyond his understanding and without him even being aware of it happening, unable to stop it, too late to do anything but endure and deal with it. Figure it out or die. I don't even think it matters if he gets a fraction of Vash's power. I think the ability to like, telepathically send vibes would be too much for him, enough to make him think of himself as the worst kind of monster, because not only is he going against everything the EoM believed in, but he's mocking Vash for daring to taint his lineage. I think the wings and the sharpened claws and the fangs and things would be just one more thing that was taken from him, another change to his body that he would never understand and can never change, another thing he can never get back. Even Vash, trying to be there for him to walk him through the worst changes and to comfort him, wouldn't be able to give him back what's been taken from him time and time again. Maybe he'll be able to help Wolfwood to love his body in a different way, be able to see the beauty in how he was changed, God's most faithful servant, willing to sprout wings and transform into an angel to better serve his wishes, but regardless, there's nothing that Wolfwood would be able to do about it. His humanity, what little was left of it, was taken from him. Again. Figure it out or die.

😢 it’s entirely what makes it tragic far more for someone like wolfwood. there’s a central part of his ideology that leans on the idea of being human too, what humans must do to live, the actions he’s taken so far because he is human. although it doesn’t make the deeds forgivable, there’s a reason all this time he couldn’t choose anything else.

not sure how to describe it but to me, wolfwood’s relationship with his body has always been fractured. while i think seeing the physical effect of this transformation would horrify him, i think it’d be easier to digest as opposed to anything happening internally. he wouldn’t want the fangs, feathers, wings, and all, but least of all, if he was to go unstable or act without being conscious of it, it’d kill him on the inside terribly. it’s like a true nail in the coffin, no point of return. everything else, while it’s difficult to come around, i feel like wolfwood can adjust to it, foreign as his body is already.

i don’t think vash would assist in him accepting it as reality though, i always imagine he’d be trying to help figure things out - how to revert this change, not live in it. i omitted it from the previous ask, but if we’re taking it as like prior to v7, i’d imagine it’s another question he’d take to knives. perhaps it’s the first time he’s seen it but maybe not his brother, who has done crueler things already. because although not human, vash has lived through it too, when you’re forcibly changed or something inside that he never wanted is pulled out of him. i also don’t think wolfwood would want that reassurance nor would he be super susceptible to it. under those circumstances, i imagined he’d feel resigned to it, but much like wolfwood anything, he’d put up a fight against the loss of it all. his goals doesn’t change, he’ll fight with a gun unless alternatives are an absolute must, he’ll have to keep going until it’s over, and then only after i think he’d be able to grieve properly of what he was made into. much like vash lol

[[[ TRIMAX SPOILERS (V10 MENTION) ]]] in an au like this, i’d imagine he has to survive but if he was to go through that fate, it would be just utterly depressing, like downright Sad���😭 so i’m taking it as he survives, lives, gets the chance to look back at himself and gradually learn that he’s loved all the same, always has been, always will be. and vash will be there to witness it, live alongside him, and that would be enough. [[[ TRIMAX SPOILERS (V10 MENTION) END ]]]

it’s bound to be a tragic au regardless though, putting him through the wringer and he’ll be suffering ten times over…

[to-eat-laugh-love-in-peace]

You know what drives me absolutely insane about Tristamp, something that is specifically emphasized in ep 8, it’s the existence of different accounts about someone or something surviving even in the wake of the most devastating of disasters, this being the Big Fall, as seen with Brad having brought back to Ship 3 the black box, and Rem’s belongings, which include a few photos of her, Vash, and Nai, and A JOURNAL, something I desperately wish that we get to see the contents of in S2, maybe in a flashback by Luida and/or Brad, or maybe in present day by Meryl, like I wonder if she wrote in code or in a different language to make it a little harder to decipher if anyone else got their hands on it, if the accounts in her journal start before she joined the SEEDS Projects and boarded Ship 5, like when her boyfriend Alex was still alive, or if they start after she boarded Ship 5 to chronicle her journey alongside what remains of humanity across the stars in search of a new planet to inhabit, or maybe if they even started when she discovered Tesla and Conrad and the rest of his group of Plant specialists began to tear her body apart in the name of science not long after that, since she was one of, or maybe the only one in Tristamp, the few who protested against the group’s treatment of Tesla only for her to be ignored, so it could have been a way for her to express and process her thoughts, feelings, and experiences throughout the whole ordeal.

(I STILL like to think that this recording pad she used to film Vash and Nai's first birthday somehow survived the Big Fall even if it wasn't shown along with the rest of her belongings that Brad recovered from Ship 5, if only because there's quite a bit of emphasis put into it with the framing of the scene and all, though who knows maybe it was just a way for Studio Orange to make a smooth and believable transition between a flashback and present day but I still have hope.) And then there’s Vash who’s also shown writing on a journal of his own, another thing that I also desperately wish to see the contents of in S2, in his room prior to Luida coming in to give him his red coat. With Luida going off to bring Vash back to Ship 3, leaving Brad to do some much needed self-reflection on the choices he’s made and the actions he’s taken, I wonder if, since he was looking through his things in hopes of finding some sort of clue he left behind about the other Independent, he actually took a look at it, and on the off chance that Vash hadn’t written his accounts in code or in another language, maybe he would have been able to read Vash’s own thoughts, feelings, and experiences throughout his time on Ship 3, the Big Fall, his time with Rem and Nai on Ship 5, maybe even his discovery of Tesla, and everything that had gone down with Rem right after that.

Back on the topic Ship 5’s black box Brad had recovered from the ruins, and repaired 5 years after the Big Fall, I noticed that when he and Luida were listening to the audio recording, HE MUTES THE RECORDING RIGHT AFTER NAI SAYS THAT VASH WAS HIS ACCOMPLICE SINCE HE WAS THE ONE WHO GAVE HIM THE ACCESS CODES. With how people have pointed out how Studio Orange likes to play with unreliable narrators like Vash omitting the fact that he was the one who gave Nai the access code which made Nai’s claim that he was his accomplice in the Big Fall in episode 1 more plausible for example, this has to imply that there was more to be said in that audio recording and if Brad hadn’t muted it to fixate on the fact that Vash lied to them about the other Independent being alive and come to the conclusion that he had been lying to them this entire time, that he was never on the side of humanity to begin with, then things might have gone as badly as they did, maybe Vash wouldn’t have ran away from Ship 3 to find Nai on his own, maybe he wouldn’t have had to lose his arm to keep him and the everyone else in the scene from being swallowed by his gate. @tristampparty

[hjemne]

I could go on for years and years about Knives in Trimax, but THIS makes me physically unwell. Knives was the one who was constantly worrying that humans weren't going to accept him or Vash, and he was the one who first raised the question of becoming friends with humans, not Vash. When he asks Conrad (the second human he's ever met) what he thinks of him and Vash, there is a genuine fear of being rejected and is so relieved by Conrad's answer he cries. Knives is the sensitive, emotional child who needs the support of Vash, Rem and other humans to feel like he has a place in the world.

Conrad says if they can love someone with their whole heart, they'll be able to work and live together, but then what happens immediately after?

Knives and Vash discover Tesla. She is the only other Independent like them, and humans treated her like a science specimen and experimented on her body fell apart and she died horribly. Knives is 1 year old, and he's having to process THIS, knowing he can no longer trust any adult around him. Knives - again, remember he's the sensitive one - faints and Vash says he wishes he had also been able to cut himself off from the agony of the realisation too.

I absolutely adore that bottom panel of Knives' hope that they can coexist being stripped away. The boy he was just is not compatible with the world he finds himself in and this is the foundation of his adult self we see throughout the rest of Trimax.

With Knives unconscious, the focus then shifts to Vash who has the chance to confront Rem. It's incredibly significant that Knives is not part of that conversation and never lets himself be emotionally vulnerable around Rem again to have a similar talk with her where he might have been able to process his feelings like Vash did.

Vash actually tries to stab himself with a knife (and there's metaphors in that for someone else to unpack) and Rem prevents him, injuring herself in the process. Vash then turns against Rem and tries to kill her, severely wounding her and saying he won't shed a single tear for her before suddenly becoming overwhelmed by remorse and rushing to save her. Vash, who had been refusing food, then finally starts to eat as Rem tells him he's got a blank ticket to the future and not to throw his life away because there are good people out there. Only after Rem and Vash have come to this truce / understanding does Knives wake up.

He has realised that Rem not only knew about Tesla, not only kept her a secret, but was also involved in her abuse. He goes from having a heart absolutely bursting with love and hope, to learning that even the person he loved was capable of unspeakable violence against his kind. His childhood, his dreams, his support is all taken from him, and when Vash seems to forgive and forget, he's also cut off from the one person who could fully understand him. He either genuinely forgets or (what I think is more likely) pretends to have no memory of the discovery. This is where Knives is separated from both Vash and humans, and this is the point where he starts on his path of no return.

KNIVES was the one who loved humans, who was deeply deeply upset at the thought of not being accepted by them. When he finds Tesla, he realises he and Vash can never be fully accepted or fully safe, and his actions are driven from this (justified) fear of what people will do to him if they find him. But he knows he is stronger and smarter than humans, he knows that he has the power and ability to protect himself, Vash and future Independents from suffering Tesla's fate. Knives was and is right about humans posing an existential threat to Plants, both dependent and independent, and his decision to crash the ships was not done out of malice but terror. Knives NEVER took the first shot. If Tesla hadn't been murdered, I really, really doubt he would have turned out the way he did.

[crimson-amarone]

Fancasting for a Trigun live-action tv series/movie!! I know we got just Trigun Stampede, but we can’t let Cowboy Bebop get a live action and not Trigun right??

For all my selections I would say about 75-80% are actors I have seen in one or more of their most well known roles. For anyone else I narrowed down to 2-4 options and I did extra research into their filmography, interviews to hear their voices and general vibe, etc. And I also looked at what kind of roles they trended towards—sci-fi/fantasy and superhero media giving them bonus points.

See below for info about the actors and my runner up choices for each character. I included tidbits like their age, height, and notable roles.

For Vash and Knives I wanted to first look for real life identical twins. After some research, I believe I found a fitting pair. Cole and Dylan Sprouse, best know for their childhood roles in the Suite Life of Zack and Cody. Although I don’t think I knew their adult roles as well as their Zack and Cody days, that real twin dynamic just adds that extra layer.

Of the two, I found Cole having a softer look, and lately it appears he’s been going with black hair which seemed fitting if we think about black-haired Vash at the end of TriMax. Dylan’s look has just that different sharpness and edginess that I slotted him to Knives.

Ruby Cruz (Kit Tanthalos, Disney+’s Willow) is a very talented young woman and recently made a feature length movie debut as Hazel Callahan in Bottoms (2023) and will be starring in an upcoming rom-com The Threesome. (See notes about edit below.)

Milly was a tricky one for me. I have a couple of runners up below. My current pick is Mina Sundwall, especially for her role as Penny Robinson in Netflix’s space family drama Lost in Space.

Although I’m on board with the HC that Wolfwood is Latinx, I had to go with famous werewolf Jacob Black from Twilight, Taylor Lautner. I got a couple other choices below too.

Liam Hemsworth (or Chris idkkkk). Nuff said?

Rem was a bit hard to choose. I had to go with Candice Patton as a personal big fan of her role as Iris West in The Flash as a DC fan. She has just the right oh-crap-I-have-kids-I-am-not-prepared-at-all motherly acting vibe down pat that is essential for Rem.

Despite the fact that Christopher Daniel Barnes is always smiling in photos, his breath of filmography makes him such a good fit for wise Drunkle Roberto.

Being so effing hyped about Nicholas playing Lex Luthor in Superman Legacies (2025) he has the perfect mix of heroic and villain roles for Legato’s psychotic righteousness. And he’s already had blue hair (and fur all over his whole body) as Hank “Beast” McCoy, c’mon too easy.

Zazie Beetz… that couldn’t have been a coincidence? Like Studio Orange must have know about this actress when they worked on the Beast’s revamped design. For a second option I’d probably pick a child/adolescent actor but Zazie can pretty much take whatever form they want, so why not both? Edit: I’m going with Scarlett (Trixie from Lucifer). Very very talent young woman. She’s funny, smart, sassy.

Role: Vash the Stampede

Actor: Cole Sprouse

Age: 31

Height: 6’0”

Best known role: Cody Martin ( The Suite Life of Zack & Cody)

Runner-up Actor: Mason Dye (Jason Carver, Stranger Things)

———

Role: Millions Knives

Actor: Dylan Sprouse

Age: 31

Height: 6’0”

Best known role: Zack Martin ( The Suite Life of Zack & Cody)

Runner-up Actor: Christopher Lowell (Sebastian “Bash” Howard, GLOW and Jess, How I Met Your Father)

———

Role: Meryl Stryfe

Actor: Ruby Cruz

Age: 23

Height: 5’3”

Best known role: (Kit Tanthalos, Disney+’s Willow)

Edit: I swapped Ruby Cruz in for Bex as I learned how far along Bex was in their gender journey. As much as I respect Bex’s journey and the gender representation is important, I still want to pick someone I feel leans more feminine for Meryl.

Runner-up Actor: tbd, maybe Christine Lee or Ana Yi Puig

———

Role: Nicholas D. Wolfwood

Actor: Taylor Lautner

Age: 32

Height: 5’8”

Best known role: Jacob Black (Twilight movies)

Runner-up Actor: David Castro (Raphael Santiago, Freeform’s Shadowhunters)

———

Role: Roberto De Niro

Actor: Christopher Daniel Barnes

Age: 51

Height: 5’11”

Best known role: Spiderman (Spider-Man 90s), Prince Eric (The Little Mermaid 89)

Runner-up Actor: Edgar Ramirez (Bourne Ultimatum 2007, Carlos the Jackal, HBO’s The Undoing)

———

Role: Milly Thompson

Actor: Mina Sundwall

Age: 22

Height: 5’6”

Best known role: Penny Robinson (Lost in Space, 2018)

Runner-up Actors: Liana Liberato, Kennedy McGann, Ellie Gall, Luna Wedler

———

Role: Rem Saverem

Actor: Candice Patton

Age: 35

Height: 5’4”

Best known role: Iris West (CW’s The Flash)

Runner-up Actor: Lyrica Okano (Nico Minoru, Hulu’s Runaways)

———

Role: Legato Bluesummers

Actor: Nicholas Hoult

Age: 34

Height: 6’3”

Best known role: Nux (Mad Max Fury Road), Hank “Beast” McKoy (X-Men movies), Lex Luthor (Superman Legacies, 2025)

Runner-up Actors:

2. Samuel Larson (Joe Hart, Glee) 3. Charlie Heaton (Jonathan Byers, Stranger Things) or 4. Brenton Twaites (Dick Grayson aka Nightwing, DC’s Titans)

[fruitsoxs]

hey there socks! here’s a request for tristamp!Vash 🤗 feeling a bit cheeky, reader decides to fluster him by being extra affectionate (teasing kisses, lingering touches on the chest/waist, you name it!) but reader ends up getting flustered instead when Vash reciprocates or gets extra extra affectionate with her. ty in advance! ❤️

the only thing i love more than flustered vash is him flustering someone else <3

pairing(s); vash x (GN) reader warnings; none! notes; smooth vash brain rot

It’s become a bit of a game to you.

You try your best to get Vash as flustered as possible by innocently touching him. It all started accidentally. You were just trying to get his attention while he was staring off into the distance. You decided the only way to do it was to grab his face between your hands, squish his cheeks, turning his head to face you. His face instantly erupted into a red mess. From then on, you have been a little menace to your best friend. 

“Accidentally” bumping your hands together while walking, brushing against him while passing by. Sitting so your thighs rub against his. The list goes on and on. Each time you manage to successfully fluster Vash, earning you another victory. It’s just so cute when his cheeks turn rosy, and he can only stutter in response to your little actions. It makes your heart rate increase, and your chest tightens. 

Another day, means another chance to try out your cute little party trick. He sits across from you, completely unaware of your little plan. You might even step it up a notch, and make some really obvious advances. You smirk to yourself and lean forward across the little café table the two of you are currently sitting at. He’s munching away at some random pastry, obviously enjoying himself.

“Oh Vash.” you sigh, reaching a hand out. “You’re making a mess of yourself.” you chide, leaning forward so you can reach his face. Your finger swipes at his clean cheek, rubbing the imaginary bits of jelly off of his skin. His cheeks instantly erupt into a cute shade of pink. “Oh uh- Thank you!” he exclaims trying to hide his embarrassment. 

Another success 

He’s just so cute. You can’t help it.

As the day drags on, you can’t help but sneak in some more affection whenever you can. Maybe you’re being greedy with the entire ordeal, but you just can’t help it. With all the attention you’re giving him, he’s sure to catch on soon. 

You start by wrapping an arm around him when the two of you are standing there talking to a random shopkeeper. He doesn’t turn completely red, but you can hear him start to stutter a bit as he talks to the stranger. You then put your hands on his waist as you squeeze past behind him. You making sure your touch lingers for a moment before you take your hands away.

After that, as you’re walking side by side, you reach your hand down and grab at his hand gently. Your pinky links with his for a second, and while he doesn’t pull away, you can tell he wasn’t expecting that. He turns his head down to glance at your interlocked fingers, then away as his cheeks flush.

The last time it happens, it’s all by accident. The opportunity presents itself when your foot catches on a little rock as the two of you are walking. You almost immediately fall face first into the sand- but Vash’s reflexes are fast. He catches you, pulling you back towards him. You fall against his chest with a thud.

“You okay?” he asks, voice laced with worry.

You stay still for a second, before tilting your head up towards him. “Yeah.” you breathe out. “Thanks to you.” you mumble, and the idea hits you. “How can I ever repay you?” you coo and back up just far enough that you can act out your genius plan.

“You don’t need to-” Vash starts to say, but gets cut off by your sudden movements. 

You lean forward, and press your lips against his cheek softly. You can feel teh heat that radiates off him as you start to pull away. You’re about to celebrate another success when you feel his arm wrap around your waist. He pulls you back in suddenly. Your eyes widen as you feel his lips crash against yours. A quick peck is all he leaves you with, but the kiss is enough to completely stun you.

When he pulls away, your eyes are wide with confusion, and cheeks red from the display of affection. “I- What-” You stutter out, unsure of what to say. You press your fingers against your lips and look up to see Vash sporting a sly grin. He looks almost proud of himself. “Hah! Got you!” he exclaims nervously.

Oh

He just beat you at your own game. You drop your hand and smile back at him. “I think you just won.” you admit, eyes flickering back towards his lips. He notices your gaze, and leans in closer again. “Oh yeah?” he mumbles. 

His lips touch yours again, and you’re pulled into a sweet and delicate kiss. His hands rest at your hips, pulling you as close as you can. He’s leaning down to kiss you, his eyes closed. You close your eyes too, and enjoy the taste of him for a second. He pulls away with a content sigh.

“I think we both win.”

[miamochi-writes]

You’re Actually Kinda Cute

Synopsis: The reader is trying to shake off some cops who are after them. As the reader hides, they bump into a certain Humanoid Typhoon. Also I stumbled onto Trigun TikTok and found a certain *ahem* audio that gave me Vash brainrot (Comment if you know what I’m talking about). I definitely see Trimax Vash saying this, but I can also imagine Tristamp Vash doing this as well. A girl can dream! I live for this man’s smile 🤧 Enjoy!

“Stop right there! You can’t escape!” 

The cops were hot on your trail. You ran with all your might and knocked down some furniture to slow them down. This was another typical day of your life as a fugitive. Your crime? Talking back to a cop who was cheating in a game of cards. You saw how the cops were scamming people at the bar. They practically hid their cards in their sleeves to win the double dollars. The minute you pointed out how the cops were cheating, you became the most wanted in their eyes tonight. In your defense, you couldn’t stand cops to begin with. No matter what city you visited, the system was corrupt. The people struggling to survive were punished with the most minuscule crimes. Meanwhile, the cops do whatever they please if it means breaking the law. It wasn’t your fault you wanted to make things fair. But because of this mentality, that ended up with them putting your face on a couple of wanted posters in a few cities.

Now you were running away from the law again. Thankfully, the people at the bar gave you enough time to run as they held the cops off. You spotted a hotel and figured you could shake them off there. You ran up the stairs and through the empty halls. You threw some items behind you as you kept running faster. Despite your head start, you were running out of breath. If you didn’t act now, the cops would catch up to you soon. You kept going until you saw a hotel room slightly open. Without hesitation, you ran inside and closed the door. You held your breath and remained silent. Things were silent until you heard incoming heavy footsteps running past the door. The loud footsteps faded as they sounded farther away. Seconds turned into minutes. Not taking a risk, you stayed quiet until you heard yelling.

“Hey! I saw someone running down the stairs. It must be them! Don’t let ‘em escape!” one of the cops shouted. You slowly peered into the peephole to scope the area outside. Sure enough, the two cops that were after you ran past the door. Once their footsteps faded, you waited an extra few seconds until you were met with silence once more. You let out a sigh of relief. Another day of successfully evading the law once again. At least for a few seconds that is.

You heard the door knob turning from inside the hotel room. Your breath hitched as you failed to realize the consequences of your actions. Who’s hotel room did you enter in? Depending on who it was can determine how your night will end. Either going back home or getting caught by the cops. In a state of panic, you rushed inside what seemed to be the closet of the hotel room. You were going to close the door, but you were too late.

Standing before you was a tall blonde man with the most beautiful blue eyes you have ever seen. He was wearing gray sweatpants, and only sweatpants. The man was practically topless, which showed his scarred yet toned chest and abdominals. The only thing covering his chest would be the towel draped over his shoulders. Judging his attire (or lack thereof) and wet hair, he finished showering.

“Well hello there,” the man spoke.

‘Oh no he’s hot,’ you screamed internally at the mess you had gotten yourself into. 

“Uh I can explain, just please hear me out before you do anything else,” you begged. As you looked closer, you saw his prosthetic hand. Then you looked at his face once more and wondered why he looked so familiar. Finally, it dawned on you.

“You’re Vash the Stampede!” you thought out loud as your eyes widened. Vash was taken aback by your statement as he looked tense.

“So you know little ol’ me huh?” he chuckled lightly while flashing you a nervous smile.

“Of course I do! I’m just surprised you booked a hotel room with little to no trouble,” you answered. You knew how much he was worth, and he stood out like a sore thumb from the people with his looks and attire.

“I have my ways, but I could say the same to you. I don’t understand how you got in here my vicious little friend. It’s a mystery to me,” he said. 

“Hey, I’m not vicious!” you countered.

“I mean you barged into my room,” he reasoned. Okay, he had a point. You did walk into that one, literally.

“Okay, fair enough. But in my defense, you left your door open. I casually walked in,” you argued. 

“Really? I’m pretty sure I locked it,” he reasoned.

“No, it was pretty wide open. Or else, you would have seen some wear and tear of me getting in if it was closed,” you replied. He looked around his room and then at the door. Sure enough nothing looked broken. 

“Okay, well why did you come in then?” he questioned.

“I was trying to get away from the cops,” you answered. 

“Sounds like something a vicious person would do,” he added with a smile. You panicked at his response as you tried to explain yourself.

“Okay hear me out! I didn’t do anything wrong! In my defense, they were in the wrong for cheating people out of their money. Not my fault they were mad at me for pointing out how rigged things were,” you reasoned. You started explaining your situation to him from beginning to end. Plus, you mentioned to him how the people at the bar were trying to help you escape.

“See, the local townsfolk were on my side. I at least stopped them from getting their money stolen! If I was vicious, I would have turned you in to the cops by now. To be honest, I have no reason to,” you insisted.

“Wait, you aren’t going to turn me in? You’re not scared of me?” he asked as you shook your head.

“Can I ask why?” he added. You gave it some thought as you crossed your arms. You managed to talk to the blonde for this long without anything bad happening. It was a long shot, but it was better to try than not try at all.

“Because I know you’re not really an outlaw or vicious person like most people say. If you were, you would have either turned me in or hurt me by now. Am I wrong?” you asked that last part. You watched Vash’s facial expressions closely. Your answer must have taken him by surprise as he was still quiet. But his body was more relaxed compared to earlier. He then gestured for you to continue.

“I know you are on countless wanted posters, have a huge bounty on your head, and have many rumors about your crimes. But they’re just rumors, not testimonials. When I traveled to different cities, I bumped into people who mentioned good things about you. Some say you helped escort them, protect them, buy them a meal, reunite them with family, and so much more. I think that speaks volumes compared to what the law says about you,” you continued with a small smile. As you spoke, you noticed Vash’s gaze towards you softened. His blue eyes almost looked as if they were gleaming from the way the hotel lights hit him. You could see a smile make its way through his lips. Maybe he was thinking about the people he helped in the past and who exactly you bumped into.

“I see, so tell me something...uh-” Vash added.

“It’s Y/n,” you introduced yourself. After talking with Vash for this long, you felt comfortable enough to give him your name. Call it a gut feeling, but you bet that you gained his trust at this point.

“Y/n, last thing I wanted to ask you before I make my final decision. I’m sure you noticed I’m covered in scars. In fact, I’m pretty sure I have more than the average person. Tell me this, you’re still not afraid of me? Even after seeing these scars? Usually, most people run once they see this side of me,” he asked.

“Well, I guess I’m not most people. I won’t lie. It’s concerning to see that many. Yet, everyone gets scars. It’s a part of life. I talked to some folks who told me you fought many tough battles. When they say you’re willing to protect people, you must mean it. Those scars tell me that you care deeply for people. Much more than the law. So I admire that,” you acknowledge. While talking, you never broke eye contact with him. Everything you said was true and came from the heart. You never thought you would meet Vash in person, let alone in a hotel room where he’s topless. But anytime people spoke highly of him, the more you believed that he was a good person. You figured he was a kind, but misunderstood soul. The way he spoke, his demeanor, and body language said as much.

“So after everything you heard, do you still think I’m vicious enough to where the cops should take me?” you asked.

“Oh, I already knew you weren’t a vicious person to begin with. I could tell by the way you talked to me early on,” he said with a cheeky smile.

“WHAT?!” you asked as he chuckled.

“Sorry about that. It’s rare for me to bump into people like this. Since you were honest with me, I’ll tell you this. You’re actually kinda cute Y/n. Especially when you tried explaining yourself,” he complimented with a genuine smile as his eyes crinkled with joy.

It should be illegal for him to make that kind of face and compliment you so easily. Oh sure, people told you how kind and funny he was. Yet, no one warned you about his charms at all. Your cheeks were flushed, your heart quickened, and your head was spinning. Your looked away as your tried to cover your cheeks with your hands. If only the ground could swallow you whole so he didn’t have to see you like this.

“You made me go through all that. Then you come at me with a compliment with no warning. I think I’ll take my leave,” you said quite flustered. You couldn’t even bring yourself to make eye contact with him.

“Y/n wait! You sure you don’t want to stay here for a little longer? You know, just in case the cops are still looking for you? I really did like talking to you. I promise, no more funny business on my end,” Vash offered. You pondered at the thought. It was too tempting to pass up.

“Sure, just until the coast is clear. So enough about me. Tell me something I don’t know about the real Vash,” you replied. Sure enough, the blonde’s smile grew wider as he patted a seat on the bed.

“Where do I even begin!” he chimed in.

@daschstuff @sharkalina666 @keigoswifeyysblog @anoukli @blankpapersblog @bunnigrimm @usuallynana @ryuukami4

[novasintheroom]

036. Heart Break

♡ Pairing - Vash x Reader

♡ Word count - 0.8k

♡ Warnings - mild angst

♡ Description: Vash's actions catch up to him in the form of a letter.

Part of the 150 Bullets drabble series on AO3.

Part 1 ---- Part 2 (you are here!)---- Part 3 ---- Part 4 ---- Part 5

The first letter comes three weeks and a day later.

“Got a letter for ya.”

Vash doesn’t look up from the shop’s window display of guns and bullets.

“Hey…hey!”

The man taps Vash’s shoulder. He finally flinches. “Who, me?” Vash turns, surprised to see someone just standing behind him. How far away was his mind?

The man looks him up and down. “You’re Vash, right?” He’s a thick man; stout. A broom mustache sweeps his upper lip. Small holster for a pistol at his hip. He isn’t reaching for it, but Vash keeps it in sight.

Vash lets out a nervous laugh. “Do I know you? I’m sorry, it’s been a minute since I last came to town!” A truth – it’s been almost twenty years.

A tomas-pulled wagon drives past and kicks up dust. The man – courier, Vash realizes, seeing the official symbol of an arrow with a letter on his hat – spits to the side, a hunk of tobacco splatting the dirt. “Friend o’ yers passed through a few days ago. Said to look out for someone like you if you came by.”

Again, the pistol is in sight. The man reaches for it. Vash tenses, ready to run and – the courier reaches into his back pocket, pulling out a small, folded envelope. Without preamble, the man hands it to Vash. “Tall, red coat, looks like a kicked puppy…yeah, gotta be you.”

Vash takes it like it will bite his fingers. It’s a dirty little thing, crinkled horribly on one corner and bent at the other three, but intact. In neat handwriting, his name scrawled across the front: “For – Vash S.”

The courier clears his throat and holds out a hand. Vash blinks at it, uncomprehending. “Twenty-six C-cents. For the parcel delivery.”

Oh. He’d forgotten that – he hadn’t gotten a letter in – “Ah, right, um, lemme just – “ He pats his pockets, inner, outer, and finally finds a few loose coins. They clink into outstretched palm, and he hopes it’s enough.

The courier counts, then recounts. He nods and hands back two C-cents. “Much obliged. See us at the post office if you want to send something back. Just down the road, by the toma range.” He ambles off, already setting sights on someone else in town. It’s just Vash and the letter now.

Carefully, he peels back the top of the envelope. His mind is awash with dread when the first pieces of curling letters meet his gaze: your handwriting. A piece of yellow paper is tucked into the folds, and he pulls it out.

It’s upside down, and he sees the slanted, scrawling handwriting first before he knows what it says. Flipping it around and right-side up, he reads over what you’ve written him.

Vash,

I get why you left. I wish you’d talked with me beforehand, but I get it. I tried following, but you know how to disappear.

You know you can trust me. I’ll keep all your secrets, don’t worry.

You’re my best friend. I think you’ll always be. Please be careful wherever you go. I’ve drawn a map on the back of my route for the next few months. Find me when you screw your head on right. I’ll gladly be waiting.

Forever yours,

______

There’re little circular wrinkles on the paper. Tear marks. You’d been crying when you’d written this. Vash sighs and holds the papers to his head. It has the faintest smell of apples to it from the lotion of your hands.

It’s tempting to feel his heart break. He takes a quick whiff, then turns the page over.

It’s a neat but crude drawing of the southernmost area of the region. You’ve got about fourteen towns marked down, with their names underneath and a trail of arrows winding between them with approximate dates. According to this, you’re at Trenton’s Hill, three towns over. You’ll be distributing library books and trying to set up new routes along the way. All to help the education of the people.

Good. That’s exactly what he wanted. You’re using your time and your degree as you should be, instead of following him around. He almost puts the paper in his pocket when he sees you wrote something at the bottom:

                P.S. – Did you hear about the guy who had his left side cut off? He’s all right now.

It startles a laugh out of him. Leave it to you to make a joke out of…well, whatever this situation is now. Again, he sighs. He won’t deny he’s missed you. But this is for the best. He looks again at Trenton’s Hill, and makes a mental note to go the opposite direction.

The letter goes in a pocket, and he goes on his way – sure to pull it out and look over the words again for nights to come.

dividers

[greetingfromthedead]

Five Hugs (Vash x GN!Reader)

Plot: Five occasions, worthy of a hug. (5 drabbles)

Series: A Set of Five [more coming soon]

Pairing: Vash x GN!Reader

Raiting: Everyone

Tags: fluff, no use of "y/n", a touch of angst, cozy, cuddles, dancing, Vash being a hero as usual, affirmation, Vash just deserves a hug in general

Word count: 2k

Author's Note: I've been torturing Vash a lot lately so I decided to give him five hugs. Probably five kisses soon too and if there is something else you want to see, let me know.

You had to run again. Chased out of town for something as little as showing your face at the saloon. Or rather, it was Vash's face that sparked the whole ordeal. The bounty on his head doesn't make it easy to take life slowly and enjoy it. But you refuse to leave his side.

You slide down along the smooth surface of the rock. The suns beating down on you as you grip the water bottle tightly in your hand. Your heart beats ferociously in your throat, and you wait for it to calm down to take a sip. You take a deep breath and close your eyes, trying to focus on the sound of your tomas rattling her gear.

"Well, where should we go now then?" Vash's calm voice asks, breaking the tension in the air.

You don't answer him, instead leaning your head back against the hard rock. The fear finally leaves your bones, as you know you are far enough away from the town to be safe. It still stings to be treated this way, to constantly have to be on edge and alert.

"We could head more east; we should come across a small village before nightfall. Maybe we can camp in someone's attic. Hopefully we can stock up on water too." He sounds so lighthearted and carefree as he starts formulating a plan in his head.

You watch him with curiosity after drinking from your flask. He turns his head from side to side while looking into the distance before taking off his glasses and inspecting them. He seems to find a spot on them as he grabs the lower edge of his black turtleneck. He pulls it up to rub the lenses with it. The small action reveals a bit of his scarred skin on his stomach, which he usually carefully hides under fabric. This simple act reminds you just how much he trusts you. He wouldn't willingly show his old wounds to just anyone.

"Are you okay?" you ask quietly, but just enough for him to hear you.

"Mh?? Ah, yeah, I am fine." Vash straightens his shirt again and puts the glasses back on. "Eehh, I don't really care if they chase me and try to capture me for the bounty. They have their own problems, and I'm sure that money would help them. I'm just worried I will drag you into the crossfire."

You noticed the change in his carefree tone towards the end. He does worry about you a lot. Despite what he says, you know that the truth is a whole lot more complicated. He holds no grudges against anyone, but you doubt that he doesn't care. A man who loves humanity so deeply is bound to have his heart broken when he is forced away from what he holds so dear. You can see the pain in his eyes, despite his attempts to hide it.

Words don't come easy in this situation. What could you even say to that? Instead, you push yourself up again, slide the flask into the saddlebag, and walk up to Vash. You glance at his curious eyes, but you can't force your gaze to stay on them. You approach him decisively and only stop once your arms wrap around his torso. The moment your head rests against his chest, you squeeze him tighter.

He stands there with surprise for a moment before putting his arms around you too, his gaze softening as he holds you close. You don't say anything; instead, you just bury your face in his black shirt and hug him as tight as you can. He has been through so much in his long life, and you can't change the past. You are powerless against the present, and perhaps there is nothing you can do about the future. All you can do is hold him close and show him that you care. That you believe in him.

"Thank you." Vash speaks softly, his large hand stroking your head.

A loud bang echoes through the town square just as the grip of your captor loosens around your neck. A collective gasp echoes through the crowd of onlookers, and you push yourself free, running towards the source of the noise.

"Son of a…!" The enraged voice of the bandit leader calls out, but you keep sprinting without looking back. You hear the slightest thump behind you as his gun hits the ground, but you don't care anymore. It's like you can still feel the barrel pressed against your temple, the tears of fear turning into ones of relief in your eyes.

You jump into Vash's arms, knowing that you are finally safe. He catches you with his left arm, the prosthesis wrapping tightly around your back as your feet lift off the ground. His right hand still holds his gun, ready to take another shot as needed. You bury your face in his shoulder, feeling grateful and protected. He turns his whole body and sets you back on the ground, positioning himself between you and the bandit that held you captive. You hear him whisper, "I've got you now."

Even as your grasp on him loosens, his stays firmly around your shoulders, pressing you more into him. He's not letting go. Your vision is obscured by his large coat, and you don't see as the large man is being cuffed and dragged away by the others. Only then dares Vash to put away his weapon into its holster and release his tight grip on you. He grabs your upper arms and leans back as he looks you over.

"Are you alright?" he asks with a tremor in his voice. He notices the redness on your throat, and his fingers gently touch the bruising skin. "I am so sorry!"

"I'm okay! I'm okay!" you say frantically as you nod, your breath escaping you in short gasps.

"Thank goodness!" he exclaims, relief washing over him. He grabs you into a tight hug again, his cheek pressing against the top of your head.

"Would you do me the honor of joining me for a dance?" Vash says with a crooked smile as he offers you his hand. You blush a bit at his public tomfoolery and down the rest of your drink before leaving the empty glass at the bar. You take his hand with a smile.

"Gladly," you reply softly as his fingers grip yours. You feel a rush of excitement as he leads you onto the dance floor. The saloon is filled with lively music and people dancing to the beat. The liquid courage definitely helps you in this situation and gives you the confidence to let go and enjoy the moment. Vash's hands rest on your hips, and yours find his shoulders. A goofy smile is plastered on his face as he starts to lead you in a twirl. He does not mind that he occasionally bumps into someone else or that a few people start laughing at his exaggerated style. He is just too excited to have you in his arms, dancing with him. Their laughter is drowned out by the music and the joy in his heart. The giggle that escapes you as he sweeps you around only encourages him further, making him take longer steps and turn you faster. He chuckles at your expression, and one dance turns into many.

You have no hope of keeping up with his long strides, and as you get more and more tired, you end up stumbling over them a few times. His arms keep you steady, and your clumsiness only makes his smile wider. The looks of others do not matter; all you see is Vash's enchanting face, and all he sees is you. In that moment, you realize that you are exactly where you are meant to be, no matter how ridiculous you might feel.

As you gaze into his eyes, your foot gets stuck behind his again, but instead of just keeping you steady, Vash pulls you up and wraps his arms around you, right under your butt, to keep your feet off the ground. You grab him into a hug, giggling by his ear as you hold on to him. Vash twirls you about and continues to dance around the room as you embrace each other.

Vash lays halfway on top of you, his head resting on your chest, his arms wrapped around you. It is a peaceful night as you've settled into an abandoned house in an empty village. The room is dusty, but it is cozy and filled with a sense of safety and warmth. Your fingers brush through his hair as you listen to the sound of his steady breathing. You know he isn't asleep yet, but there is no need to fill the quiet of twilight with words. You both find refuge in the peaceful silence that envelops you.

Vash is curled up against you, his legs somewhat entangled with yours. The tall and surprisingly burly man seems almost tiny as he enjoys your touch, your other hand resting on his back. He takes comfort from your heartbeats under his ear and the feeling of your touch. Anywhere is home if you're by his side. Your hug is all he needs to feel safe; your love gives him the strength to face anything.

You let your nails run over his scalp, and you feel a slight shudder move through him, a little moan escaping his lips, a sign of pure contentment. You wish you could wrap him up more, keep him even closer, and protect him like he protects you. You want to keep him in your heart, protected from all harm. But the best you can do is this. Having him hold on to you, your arms around him, as he snuggles close all night, or at least until you need to settle into a position more suitable for sleeping the night away, but even then, he enjoys your cuddles and doesn't want to let go.

"Are you sure about this?" you ask as you look up at him, pain reflecting on your face.

"Yes. I have to. I am the only one who can put an end to this," he says, but his eyes are down turned and mournful.

"Then let me come with you!" you insist, grabbing hold of his right sleeve.

"Please…" he says with a sigh, his tone pleading, "I need you to evacuate as many people as you can, even if it is only yourself."

You look at him dumbfounded and then turn your head to look at the streets of July. The town is massive; how can he expect you to make any difference here in getting people out? Wouldn't you be better off with him, trying to prevent the thing that could put people in danger?

"I need you to be safe," he murmurs, his voice full of concern as he takes your hand into his, squeezing your fingers gently. You can feel his worry radiating off of him. He has so much on his mind; you know he doesn't want to be worrying over you too. He wanted to leave you at Home, but you refused. You need him on his A-game for this, you have realized just how dangerous the situation really is.

"That goes for you too!" You press, "You have to come back to me! You understand? You have to! So promise me!"

"I promise, I will come back to you!" He says resolutely and releases your hand, instead pulling you into a hug, and you melt into his embrace, your arms securely around him.

"Can we wrap this up already?" the dark haired man asks, a cigarette hanging from the corner of his mouth.

Vash holds you tight for a moment longer, ignoring Wolfwood as he leans closer to your ear.

"I love you," he whispers, his breath tingling your skin.

He lets go, and you take a step back, looking at him with determination. You will both get out of this alive.

Did you like this? Go check out my MASTERLIST and drop a follow for any and all future projects!

[vashsscoreboardofpain]

WELCOME BACK SPORTS FANS ;D

Welcome to the volume that marks halfway of trimax! that's right everyone. After this volume we will only have 7 more to go! Time sure passes fast when you're having fun...and watching someone else suffer

Here's trimax volume 7 everyone:

Chap 1:

-1 "bad event" point for almost dying in space. almost

-1 "traumatic event" point for reading the reports alone. the contestant (even with just one year of life) was perfectly able to understand what the humans did to tesla.

-1 "traumatic event" point for discovering the body of tesla. again. 1 year of life

Chap 2:

-now shit has officially hit the fan (in the past). 1 "traumatic event" point for what the suffering division has called "The Aftermath" aka his reaction. It's just too much

-1 "traumatic event" point for the panic attack that followed

-1 "action" point for rejecting food after that...as a way to...yikes.

-1 "action" point for assuming rem has just been taking care of them to continue the experiments. the contestant isn't stopping for anything tonight dear audience!

-1 "yikes statement" point for asking rem to kill him.

-1 "action' point for trying to do so himself. the contestant grabs the knife while rem is distracted, he pulls it to himself-

-rem stops him but he fights. the contestant gets control of the knife, dear audience he's about to do it, he stabs rem with it- silence.

-1 "traumatic event" point for his first time harming someone else.

-this one comes with another 1 "traumatic event" point for having another panic attack

Chap 3:

-WE MOVE A LITTLE BIT INTO THE FUTURE/PRESENT. 1 "bad event" point for getting kicked by knives in the head

Chap 4:

-1 "bad event" point thanks to the local man who just had to remind the contestant of a really bad time a few chapters ago

-1 "bad event" point for what it looks like...painful? feathers?

Chap 5:

-1 "bad event" point thanks to his feathers which represent that Bad Things are about to happen

Chap 6:

-1 "bad event" point for the contestant thanks to knives and the many many guns he's using to harm the contestant

-1 "bad event" point for having his good arm (cmon man) stabbed by knives

-1 "traumatic event" point for almost becoming part of knives's mind. not only it was painful in a physical way but no one thinks that would have been good for the contestant

WELL DEAR AUDIENCE that was it for today! We got an intense flashback and trimax 98 unconscious and against the ropes! Let's see how many points this got to the contestant.

The contestant got today 18 points. That increases his total to 244 points! He only needs 20 more points to surpass 98 vash! Horray for sports

Please follow the sports season to the end! we are halfway through trimax!

[iwritenarrativesandstuff]

Trigun Stampede Character Thoughts: Vash

I've been putting off this write-up since I finished the show if for no other reason than whenever I go to analyze this funky little dude my entire brain just stalls and goes

✨ Hi, Vash. Hi. :) ✨

...anyways.

Here's a quick collection of thoughts on him now that I am finally more coherent! The hardest part of this was trying to make something readable with the sheer amount of things I could say about him. Geez.

(Please note that I have only watched Trigun Stampede! As of this moment, I am starting the manga and have not seen 98 Trigun. I thought it might be interesting to compare and contrast once I've read the manga. Bear with me in the meantime!)

Right off the bat, the show introduces us to who Vash is as a character - a pacifistic gunman who, while incredibly skilled, avoids confrontation when at all possible. When Meryl accuses him of running away out of fear, it's pretty quickly made apparent that, while it is out of some semblance of fear, it is not fear for himself. Rather, his concerns lie with other people's well-being first and foremost.

Or, really, his concerns lie near completely with other people's well-being. What happens to him is of very little consequence if it means everyone else is okay.

I want to talk about three different things when it comes to Vash, namely:

His incredible skill and competence

His terrible self-image

His solidly held pacifistic convictions

Skill and Competence

Ohhhh ok. So, I can't really comment on exact positions or maneuvers (I used to do martial arts pretty extensively, but it's obviously not the same kind and I know absolutely nothing about guns or marksmanship sorry), but I can sure tell you that I loved the way the animators had Vash move in episode 1 right before he pulls out his gun for the first time. I wish I knew how to make gifs properly because I would totally make one of that part. Even before Roberto's line that "acting brave is foolish" and "he's not long for this world" had finished, I was already convinced of the exact opposite. As someone who's done martial arts. Guys. The way he moves here.

It's a three step movement - he steps to the right, then to the left in an almost meandering way, shifting his body weight as he goes, before he grounds himself in a wide stance. It's slow, fluid, and calculated - a distinct contrast from his often jerky, exaggerated motions that we saw earlier. God I wish I had a gif. I don't think I can simply explain how insane it makes me. The animators could've just had him approach directly or run up to it - a lot of the times, with action heroes, there's a lot of flashy motion or jumping around, etc., which looks cool but isn't exactly something to be role modelling in an actual fight lol. But here? In the next episode, Nebraska mockingly says "this isn't the ballet" with regards to the dodging and spinning Vash does, but a lot of his motions... really are dance-like. He's damn near effortlessly shifting his center of gravity while remaining fluid in motion and completely balanced. No novice moves like that. He clearly has a lot of experience. For me watching, Roberto's line was refuted before he even finished it.

...which of course makes it even funnier when he realizes he's out of bullets. Oh, buddy. You looked so cool for a second there. Hjhdfnv

Really though, pay attention to the way he moves while fighting or shooting. He's always well-grounded, and the more serious the situation, the more fluidly and less exaggeratedly he moves. It's so, so cool. I don't know if I've quite seen that kind of motion in animation before, especially cgi (though it is possible I just haven't seen enough too...hehe...).

The episode 12 fight too! Again, Vash is balanced, even as he's being knocked backwards. He falls correctly, and allows his body to move with the gun. All his motions are precise and fluid. Contrast that to Nai, who is, uh... totally unbalanced lmao.

And then the way he tucks before he jumps out the window! The animation actually convinced me of this guy's over 100 years of experience. I actually believe it.

What's nice is that Vash, too, is aware of his own skill. He moves with a lot of confidence, and he clearly has a great degree of trust in his own ability to fight and shoot without seriously harming anyone - not once does he show the slightest bit of doubt in his abilities. One might expect, given Vash's refusal to kill, that he might be worried about accidental injuries when in the middle of a gunfight - but he isn't. Ever. The only way I can interpret this is complete confidence in his own abilities, and he most likely trained hard to specifically ensure that this would never be a concern. The trope of "character who doesn't want to fight or hurt people turns out to be really insanely skilled/strong" is always cool and fun, but in this context it's really a neat take on it, since I feel it is only because he refuses to kill that he intentionally developed such god-tier level marksmanship - I am going to go out on a limb here and assume it is much easier to accidentally inflict serious injury with a gun than it is to actively avoid doing so lol. He probably worked at being a really good fighter and gunman specifically so he could avoid killing.

I also find it kind of refreshing that he never calls his skills into question, since that does tend to happen with characters who have a poor self-image or low esteem. Which, uh, takes me to the next point.

Self-Image

Yeah, Vash's self-image is kind of in the gutter. He places the blame for all the tragedies that follow him on himself, despite the fact that he always puts in his full effort to prevent them from happening.

The majority of this ties back to his feelings of culpability for the fall. I want to direct your attention to the scene where Vash is digging the tally marks into the wall in episode 8 - it can't possibly be the number of days that have passed since we see the transition of the sun only twice and Brad looks shocked when he sees the all the tallies (which he wouldn't be if they had been there for that many days). With the way Vash's tallies look a bit like crosses and the fact that he greeted the people in cryosleep on Ship 5 by name in the first episode, suffice to say, he is probably making a tally of all the people who didn't make it through the crash - people whose deaths he feels personally responsible for.

Really, I wouldn't consider Vash even remotely responsible for any of that - he had the access codes but like. Zero intent or knowledge of what Nai was about to do with them. Regardless, Vash carries the guilt from it in the way Nai won't, because in his mind, someone needs to take accountability. Also important to remember is that the only reason any human being still lives on No Man's Land is because of Rem's sacrifice. Vash needs to maintain his belief in the capacity for human kindness and his no-killing code, because if he doesn't, her sacrifice would be in vain. He keeps her values and beliefs alive. She's in everything he does. Even hollowed out and stripped of his memories and identity, the mass of roots and flowers that engulf July take on her likeness.

So, really, in addition to Vash just being a generally compassionate soul, his staunch pacifism is a refusal to betray her beliefs and let his mother figure die a second time. I need to fucking lie down.

With all this strain he puts on himself, it's really not surprising that when tragedy inevitably strikes, he is very hard on himself, and from what we've seen this actually manifests in a set of consistent self-punishing behaviours - I am of course referring to episode 3's "I don't deserve to cry" and his refusal to eat in episode 4 (despite apparently needing to, unlike Nai). This is very similar to what we see in episode 8 with him as a kid, where he goes somewhat blank (no crying, no anger, all his negativity directed inwards and at himself) and refusing all food except what little he needs to survive because "it's a waste".

The worst part of this though, to me, is that we see from certain throwaway bits ("one bullet is two slices of pizza/two dozen donuts!", his kid self's eagerness at the sight of the birthday cake and the spread of food, his first question on seeing the geranium being to wonder if it is edible) that he not only needs to eat but also seems to enjoy eating - so his refusal to eat is not only a denial of a basic necessity but also of one of the few things he genuinely likes that he will allow himself to partake in. In the context of Rem framing food as something to share with everyone, it also makes me wonder if his self-denial is something along the lines of "I don't deserve to share this with them". In that sense, it's really important that Luida echoes a similar sentiment as Rem (implying she wants to share this food/include him, and that some of Rem's views survive in these remaining people).

I do wonder if, because food is associated with sharing to him, that it has something to do with needing to "earn a place at the table" in a way. While I think Luida was trying her best to juggle a lot on Ship 3 behind the scenes after the fall and clearly didn't want to keep Vash locked up like that, the crew only started treating him better and trusting him after he found a way to help them. The unfortunate view that Vash receives then is: "I need to earn their trust by being helpful." Vash is a chronic people pleaser - I can't think of a single point where he does something solely for his own benefit. He has no desire to scare or harm anyone (quite the opposite!) so he goes out of his way to be as helpful and non-threatening as possible - hiding his true nature as a Plant (to such an extent that he doesn't know anything about his powers and has effectively sealed them away - he's practically human), masking his facial expressions by cleverly hiding his face or letting the light reflect off his glasses, trying to laugh off his competence as luck and his scars as embarrassing.

Is it because he doesn't want to scare people? Is it because he doesn't want to feel othered from them? It's hard to say. It's probably a bit of both.

Nai accuses Vash of loneliness and desiring love, and of seeking to fill that gap by appeasing humans. While I don't think this is necessarily wrong, it can't possibly be accurate as a core motivation, since Vash doesn't seem to really... accept a lot of positive interaction. Whether out of concern for others' safety, a lack of feeling like he deserves it, being secretive about his past and identity, or some combination of the above, Vash tends to leave a lot. He leaves Jeneora Rock's celebration early, tries to walk away from Meryl even as she's calling out to him, runs away from Home when Brad and Luida listen to the recording. He throws walls up and distances himself by laughing things off, or smiling, or simply not explaining anything.

I mentioned this during my live blogging while watching episode 9, but as Independents, it's intriguing to me that both Vash and Nai exist outside the cycle of dependence we see between the Plants and the humans - both of which cannot survive without the other. Nai appears to revel in this detachment, but Vash also seems to self-impose a certain distance between himself and everyone else - for all his friendliness and inability to leave someone hanging who needs help, he practices a lot of recognizably avoidant strategies. He exists on the periphery, never staying in one place too long (he can't), and treating every interaction with a certain kind of resignation - an understanding that it is temporary. He seems to expect the inevitability of being chased out over and over. The slightest of kindnesses given to him he always feels incredibly grateful for. Perhaps he feels that kindness is more than he deserves.

I honestly dread to think how he'll react once he regains his memories of what happened to July. I trust that he'll keep pushing on, as he always does, but is he going to remember that he deserves to eat and smile?

I really hope so. Otherwise I will need Meryl and Wolfwood to bonk him on the head.

Pacifism and Conviction

The thing about Vash's pacifism is that it's very difficult to tell whether it is primarily motivated by love or guilt. Vash carries an incredible amount of survivor's guilt with him and he absolutely is doing his best to keep Rem's memory alive, but I don't think it can be denied that he isn't just acting out Rem's beliefs - he really does believe in them himself. He's also genuinely compassionate and does care and become invested in the well-being of others. In the end, I'm not sure it really matters. I don't think the guilt or love can be easily extricated from each other at this point; they are both powerful drivers of his actions and core to his identity as a person, and while this is not exactly ideal for getting him to be kind to himself, they both strongly feed into his continuous choice to be kind to others.

And it is a choice, not naivety, as pacifism is so often brushed off as. Vash's compassion is something he chooses over and over again, in spite of the way he is often treated, and the way his powers hold far more potential for destruction than even Knives. Wolfwood thinks that Vash doesn't understand harsh realities and is going to receive a rude awakening but he does understand - Vash just chooses not to accept violence as the only way forward and believes that things can change and improve, and is willing to expend that energy and extra hurt into making that a reality. Nai thinks Vash is helpless and brainwashed into his belief - note the way Vash frequently appears as his child self when Nai tampers with his Gate or his memories; the implication here is that Nai sees Vash as incapable of making choices for himself and in need of protection - but not only is this horribly demeaning to Vash's personhood, it simply isn't true. Even Meryl chews him out for what looked like running away to her early on, and Roberto thinks he's going to get himself killed sooner or later. Everyone underestimates Vash, at least at first. And well, it's easy to. He's just a silly little guy! He's a bleeding heart who tries to help everyone he comes across! He talks about nobody needing to die in a world where most everyone is starving and desperate! To the people in-universe, he would look like a total fool, and far too idealistic to last long.

Except, he has. He's around 150 years old, he's scarred to hell and back, but he's still alive and he still chooses kindness. That takes a special kind of improbable mental resilience and stubborn conviction - and that's what most of the other characters overlook. Vash is, indeed, very sensitive and emotional and an idealist - he's also much tougher and more rational than hardly anyone gives him credit for. He's an excellent judge of character too!

His ideals and that stubborn faith are everything that makes Vash who he is.

This scene in episode 12 is the only true moment of triumph in what is otherwise a tragedy all around. Nai would go as far as to destroy Vash’s very identity to get his brother back, but at the cost of losing everything that makes him Vash. These ideals are the core of “Vash the Stampede”, and no matter how foolish they may seem or how little others understand his conviction, this is an identity he has chosen for himself. It’s who he is. And this assertion, coming directly on the heels of Nai trying to erase him and remove that autonomy, is an undeniable brief triumph in the midst of it all. Nai will always be Vash’s brother, and he will always love him I’m sure, but they diverged in their persons a long, long time ago, and Vash adamantly refuses to be an extension of or accomplice to his brother’s crusade of hatred… even if that means going against him.

Vash’s kindness is so necessary to a world like the one we see in the series, on the verge of extinction and giving up. Approaching situations with understanding and communication is really the only way to help improve understanding amongst others - and this is one of his biggest strengths; it's even reflected in his use of his Plant abilities (communicating between himself and the other Plants, the way he can open a path both to and from the higher dimension unlike anyone else). In this way, Vash is something of a necessary conduit. I just wish he'd let himself feel a little more tbh. He represses a lot - he canonically won't allow himself to cry if he feels responsible, any flashes of anger are brief, he doesn't stick around to have fun really. Personally, I'd like to see him allow himself grief through tears, a little bit of genuine letting loose and celebrating, and actually expressing things like irritation and annoyance next season. Perhaps that's wishful thinking.

I don't know how to accurately summarize my thoughts on Vash well enough other than to say, in keeping with the whole Plant thing, he reminds me strongly of dandelions. Bright, cheery, grow through cracks and root where you don't expect them to ever be able to eke out a living. Regarded as a weed by many but very difficult to get rid of. Hardy, resilient, and pop back up after being beaten down. Kids make wishes on them.

Anyways. Hugs him hugs him hugs him x 60,000,000,000

[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!)

~~~~~~~

“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!

[deludedfantasy]

Trimax Vol 11 Ch 1-3

I'm a little behind this week because my brain hasn't been cooperative. But here are some thoughts on the first half of volume 11.

It’s been really hard for me to start reading this volume. I’m still grieving from volume 10. Everything past this point from my first read is a blur and I don’t remember much of it. I was reading in a frenzy because I was very in denial about Wolfwood being dead and was hoping he’d come back somehow. This feels all new to me and while I know the broad strokes, I’m a little scared of what’s to come. 

Really hope this is the last I have to see of Chapel. Why are we opening on this old scene?

Zazie saying “Chapel and the old man” confused me for a moment. Did—did no one tell Zazie that Wolfwood isn’t Chapel? Who did she think that random old guy was? Did Knives even know Wolfwood wasn’t really Chapel? Honestly, who knows at this point. 

Damn, I didn’t realize Wolfwood shot Legato in the spine. At this point, you gotta wonder if the only thing keeping Legato alive is his insane devotion to Knives because I don’t know how else he’s pushed through all the shit that’s happened to him. 

Elendira “jokingly” threatening to kill Legato is everything to me. It shouldn’t be so funny and yet there’s such a morbid humor to it. 

Where in the world did Vash and Livio get a car from?

Other people have pointed this out, but the fact that after everything that happened, despite Vash’s own anger at Livio, he still trusts him. That means a lot. Vash hasn’t abandoned his beliefs and importantly, he’s not giving up on the person Wolfwood sacrificed everything for. This is the first time we see the blank ticket in action! 

No one else has taken Vash up on the chance to change, to become something better. But Livio has, because of Wolfwood’s belief in him, so Vash is going to take him at his word, because then what in the world has he been fighting for all this time? At the same time though, someone else had to die for that to happen, and I think that’s going to create some cracks in Vash’s convictions, though how still remains to be seen. 

Vash’s anger isn’t gone though. Not at all. “You are the one he believed in,” Vash says. So start acting like it is the subtext. You want to be trusted? Then don’t act surprised or like you don’t deserve it when I do, because Wolfwood gave up everything for you to have that chance. Vash has this problem where he places a lot of meaning and emphasis on other people’s sacrifice’s and this isn’t something he’s going to let go of. 

Brad really cares about Wolfwood. I wonder when they got to know each other so well that Brad would be so mad at Livio for what happened. But I also think Brad is there to remind us that the way he’s trusting Livio is out of the ordinary because we’ve become so used to seeing everything from Vash’s point of view, it’s easy to forget why trusting Livio is such a big deal. 

An ion cannon…this isn’t gonna end badly or anything. 

Oh an ion cannon powered by Plants. That’s very bad. 

The first time we see Dependent Plants have their own autonomy! They keep the military from firing the ion cannon at Knives. Which suggests they’ve been able to control their energy output this whole time. For some reason, they’ve been (apparently) helping humans willingly all these years. That’s certainly an interesting revelation.

Ch 2

I don’t know why but the wording of this page makes it sound like the vast majority of the human population has gathered in Octovern. I remember thinking that on my first read too and later wondering if I’d misinterpreted something. But this really does have the feel of, “This is humanity’s last stand, and they’re all huddled together in fear.”

Which really does beg the question: how big is the population of No Man’s Land? And how much of it has Knives destroyed over the past seven months?

Luida!!! She’s trying to give all these bigwigs the knowledge they need to successfully resist Knives, but she’s coming in at a disadvantage. She’s been hiding for years and now she’s telling them that dependent Plants have a will of their own, which is news to everyone. Now she’s telling them they shouldn’t attack when the situation is truly dire. It’s frustrating, but it makes so much sense why people are unwilling to listen to her. 

And Meryl!!! Always happy to see Meryl again, being her little gremlin self and flipping people off behind their backs. 

Oh…Meryl and Milly’s conversation really drives home how much things have changed and how much they have changed. Things were simpler, once upon a time, when they first met Vash and started following him. They were more peaceful and Meryl and Milly hadn’t seen as many horrible things. Now, the world is on the brink of destruction, they’ve witnessed the worst of humanity, and as Milly says, there’s no going back. They can reminisce all they want, but they’ll never be the same. The subtext being that even if they win, the world won’t be the same one they knew when they were younger. 

It’s important that Milly delivers this message too. Because coming from someone else, it could sound hopeless. From her, it doesn’t feel quite so horrible. It’s sad, but to me, it feels like she’s saying it’s not the end. Those memories will still be there for them even if they can’t be those people anymore, and that’s not a bad thing. It’s good to remember, it’s good to feel all of that and be able to live with it. 

Vash makes a wonderful entrance! Just as they’re contemplating how their lives have changed because of him, Vash drops in again and does things the way he always does. With precision and a little bit of silliness. 

Their reunion makes me so happy!! Look at them, they’re so overwhelmed seeing him again! They mean so much to each other and they hadn’t even known he was alive for the longest time. And Vash’s surprised little, “Oh!” After all these months, he likely didn’t know if they’d survived the destruction and had probably shoved all of that to the back of his mind so he could function. But there they are!! They’re his friends and he’s just as excited to see them!

The Earth fleet’s arrival feels like it should be a moment of hope, but then we transition to Knives. He’s become more and more inhuman. He’s fused so deeply with the Plants that he’s started resembling them. The Ark is even starting to fall apart. It’s overtaken by much more biological matter as Knives’s powers spiral out of control a little and the Plants grow and grow. It makes you wonder: can the fleet actually stand up to him?

Ch 3

Luida: Hey, Vash what happened to your hair?

Vash: Haha, how about this final battle though?

Vash continues being incapable of letting anyone in on his problems and it drives me bananas! Let someone help you carry your burdens!!! It’ll make your life just a little bit easier!!!

The way Livio starts turning here. He was about to admit that he killed him or was responsible for his death. But Brad stops him! Brad, who was so angry at him before! Whether it’s to keep the girls from being so hurt or because he’s come to believe (just a little) that Vash is right about Livio, it’s not easy to say. But it still speaks volumes about Brad that he does this to lessen the blow for so many people. 

Is it bad that what Brad said reminded me of someone saying, “Oh, your dog went to live a happy life on a farm upstate”? 

But they know. Meryl and Milly still know what he really means. The hard truth is they don’t have the time to properly grieve him or break down about it. They have to stay focused on their current goals. So while they go along with it, the way Milly cries just hurts me. It’s a loss they can’t even speak about yet. 

And now Knives has made an enemy of Zazie, who isn’t thrilled about their planet being destroyed. This was not what they signed up for! 

I love that Meryl and Milly kept everything from Vash’s old coat as evidence for Bernadelli. The fact that they took it when they went back to HQ during those seven months is actually so sweet and sad too. It was the only thing they had to remember him by, even if it was just the random crap he carried in his pockets. I know this is just Nightow’s way of bringing the coins back into play, but in this instance, it actually shows a bit about the girls’ relationship to him. 

“That’s scary.” I mean, yeah fighting Legato is scary, I do get it, but also…Vash, WHAT? You’ve been through some terrifying things and that’s your reaction to this? He really does forget who and what he is sometimes, because he forgets that he’s pretty dangerous too. Then again, he doesn’t want to be, so he never thinks of himself that way. 

Brad has no idea how much it means to Livio that he’s showing him this kind of trust and respect. This is exactly what he needed to hear. That he is capable of change and people believe in him, people outside Vash and Wolfwood. Brad says he didn’t do what he did earlier for Livio but I don’t know. The way he’s acting now seems to say that maybe he did, just a little. He understands what Wolfwood gave up for him and that Wolfwood wouldn’t want Livio blamed for his death, so while Brad might give all kinds of other reasons, I think it all comes down to that. 

A lot of other people have commented on this scene and I totally agree with everyone’s takes! Vash is so overwhelmed hearing this from Marlon right now. This is something Vash has struggled with the whole story: letting people in and asking for help. He never does this. He always tries to go it alone and keeps his cards close to his chest, even with his closest friends. Wolfwood, Meryl, and Milly wormed their way into his heart through sheer stubbornness because Vash wouldn’t let them otherwise. And it’s hitting him now, just how much it means to ask for help, that he could have it and he’s always had it. He probably wishes Wolfwood had asked him for help and hearing now that he should do the same hurts. It’s a spin of regrets and should’ve-beens in his head right now and it’s not something he needs to focus on the coming battle. 

The thing is, he really does need to hear this now! He can’t survive this battle on his own. He isn’t the only person fighting. Even if he is the most powerful Independent Plant, he can’t win by himself. This isn’t just a fight between him and his brother. This is a fight for humanity’s survival. His friends have a stake in it and they want to help him. They can! Vash has been martyring himself for so long, letting people in is a foreign concept, but it’s the only way to survive. If Vash had to learn anything from humanity, it’s that survival isn’t a one person game. Society lives and thrives on human interaction, on people helping each other, and if his greatest want is to be close to humans, to live with them and be like them, then he needs to let people in and accept help.