#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.

[myfinalform-kaz]

I've never seen a piece of media grasp the absolute grief of having an unhealthy relationship with a brother like trigun has. I've never related nor cried so much over a pair of brothers who love each other but in such fundamentally different and incompatible ways. Vash loves Nai as a person, as his family, as a friend he wants to have a good relationship with but because of who Nai is and his actions Vash can't love him like that. Nai loves Vash as his brother, as the position Vash held in his life, as an extension of himself but not as who Vash is as an individual, in fact he vehemently hates who Vash is as a person and refuses to believe that Vash is like that of his own volition. Nai does not view Vash as his own person outside of his relationship with Nai or someone who is capable of having thoughts and opinions that differ from Nai's. He still sees Vash as his little twin brother who sat beside him on that bench and completed his piano song. Something that completes him but is ultimately lesser than him, something he can control, a tool, a balm to his loneliness, but never a person, never just Vash. And Vash wants his big brother so badly, in a way that drags at his heart and burdens his shoulders but Nai will never be his big brother again, not in a way that doesn't do irreparable damage to Vash and everyone he loves. They each yearn for something they cannot have and no longer exists. That scene where they're fighting over the cube and Vash looks at Nai with eyes full of tears because goddammit he loves his big brother so fucking much but Nai isn't a person he can afford to love without losing everything else and Nai looks at him with anger and frustration that he can't have what he believes belongs to him is just the epitome of their relationship. The heartbreak of loving a brother who does nothing but actively harm you is so difficult to capture but trigun does it so flawlessly. Idk maybe it's just that it most accurately reflects the relationship I have with my brother and Im massively projecting but goddammit I want to shake the writer's hands.

[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.

[jojikawa]

Vash the Stampede x Starfire!reader

Vash the Stampede and a Fem/Fem-bodied reader who is an Alien Princess that ends up in Noman's Land!

dividers

Vash didn’t expect to see many other forms of life apart from Homosapiens. Humans. The standard stuff. Before Meryl, Roberto, and Nicolas, he was mostly on his own. It was hard to separate himself from his brother who would terrorize everyone. They were twins, after all. So, when he came across you, someone who clearly wasn’t human, he was extremely surprised. Just at a glance, he wasn’t able to tell exactly what you were but it didn’t seem good at all. You were humanoid which was identifiable enough, looking similar to a human woman. Vash only learned of you because there was a huge commotion of “some chick” going around and terrorizing a large settlement.

At first, Vash believed it to be Naï before he learned it was a woman. When he finally came in contact with you, he saw how distressed you looked. Your body language showed it all.

Vash was the only person who could restrain you because everyone else wanted to deal with you through violence. Although bullets didn’t have any effect on your diamond skin, they made you much angrier and that would only put more people in danger. He tried over and over to talk to you but you were unable to understand his language, so he communicated the only way he knew that worked.

He pressed his forehead to yours lovingly, hands holding either side of your head. It was an odd gesture but it worked for the plants…and it was the only way to keep you from headbutting him. Lucky enough for him, it worked! You seemed to calm down. Although, it wasn’t because of his thoughtful gesture. You just became extremely confused and eventually docile. Then he removed your cuffs.

“My name is Vash. Can you tell me your name? Where you’re from? I can take you home.”

The only thing Vash received in response was a cute head tilt from you. At first, he believed you to be mute until you actually began speaking. 

“Zu’u krosis nuz Zu’u nis mindoraan hi.”

“Eh!?” Vash sweatdropped with a blush of embarrassment covering his face. He’s never heard a language like that before. You beckoned him to bend down to your height and once he obliged, you pressed your lips to his. The kiss made his cheeks turn red and burn with delight!

When you pulled away, Vash stepped back. You held your fingertips over your lips. “Mmm…V-Va-sh?” You repeated, broken English and all before correctly saying his name. “Vash.”

You smiled kindly. “I am sorry if I’ve startled you with my actions. It was the only way I could learn your language.”

Vash, now astonished at your ability to speak perfectly, could only stare and fumble over his words. “I-I…uh *ahem* No problem!” He rubbed the nap of his neck with his prosthetic arm. “Can you tell me where I am in the solar system?” You asked politely.

Your new escort noticed that your attire was extremely different. It was skimpy but tattered as if you had just escaped from somewhere. 

“You’re on Noman’s land—H-Hey, you should put something on! It gets really cold here at night.” Vash began to remove his jacket. “Why are you giving this to me? Does it not belong to you?” You allowed him to place his cloak around your shoulders, closing it just a bit to hide your body. It was very much clear now that you weren’t human but your body was extremely humanoid with assets similar to a human female. Your appearance could be considered distracting given that your clothes were partially destroyed, leaving yourself for all to see.

“T-Trust me. You need it way more.”

You looked down at yourself, unsure of what he was referring to. You dismissed it, carrying on the conversation. “Can you please inform me of what the ‘land of no men is’?” You looked around for a brief moment. “Just at a glance, I can see that this place is nearly uninhabitable. Is that the origin or ‘no men’ and if so, why are you here?”

Vash laughed awkwardly. “It’s a long story. First, we need to—“

“Hey!”

The two of you were interrupted by a group of people. They had guns, all pointed at you. They surrounded the both of you and the circle grew ever smaller.

“Out of the way, Vash.” An older woman motioned her gun to the side. “It’s best we trade this gal for a new plant.”

The confrontation made you furrow your eyebrows. Your eyes began to glow. “Do not worry, I will handle the hostiles.”

Vash didn’t know at all what you were trying to do but he could tell you would easily kill these people. “N-No! Wait!” He threw out his arms, trying to cease the conflict between you and the citizens of this run-down village.

Unfortunately, at the same time, the people fired their guns, and lasers shot from your eyes. You would have killed the ones in front of you if Vash didn’t tackle you. Neither of you were hit by the bullets

“What are you doing?” You questioned, pushing him off of you. “I’m protecting them! Dot hurt them!” The man begged. 

“Last chance! Give her over.”

You narrowed your eyes at him. “Vash, why are you protecting these inhabitants? They are using lethal force on me while you are in the crossfire.”

Vash got up from on top of you before quickly turning to your attackers. “Guys, it’s okay! I’ll fix the plant and you’ll never see her again!”

And that’s how your relationship with Vash the Stampede began. He somehow convinced the townsfolk to let you go despite the damage you caused. You began traveling with him on his adventures and met new humans called Meryl, Roberto, and Nicolas.

They all had their different opinions of you. Roberto wanted nothing to do with you, only believing you’d bring more trouble. I mean, why did you show up the way you did? Yeah, no. Anyways. 

Meryl believed you were important somehow. Vash told her how the two of you met. It would make an amazing story! She asked you many things, even about your homeland. Of course,  she was skeptical at first, but who isn’t?

Nicolas thought you were the cutest. He loved teasing you with words and phrases you didn’t know or failed to understand. He nicknamed you “firecracker” because of your temper.

Yet, not all of them knew your story. Your real story. Being a gentleman, Vash didn’t want to pry, even if you were an illegitimate couple. He felt loyal to you somehow because of your circumstances and he was the only person you ever kissed to expand on the human language. That means you two cared about each other, yeah? There seemed to be some kind of boundary. 

The lot of you settled down for the night with a campfire. The humans were tired and didn’t want to spend the night driving. They were hungry as well.

Meryl wanted to know more about the attack that ensued when you first arrived. She claimed that it would make a good story, even telling you that she could possibly be promoted from it so, naturally, you felt obligated to help one of your friends. The small group began to grow on you and made you feel as though you could trust him.

As you told your story, Vash couldn’t help but give you a sad look. You turned out to be such a nice person and he couldn’t believe the situation you were in.

You sighed. “I have learned that my native tongue is nearly impossible for lower life forms to pronounce. That is why I have you call me (y/n) instead.” You ignored Roberto taking a swig of his drink with a big sigh. “I am from a planet that is…light years away. I am considered to be its leader. Like…a princess of sorts.” 

Meryl almost choked on her water. “A princess!? I have to write this down…” 

“You’re a princess?” Your partner tilted his head, his eyebrows raising at your statements. You silently nodded. Your gaze fell into your lap. “We were invaded by hostile life forms who tried to enslave our people. To keep bloodshed to a minimum, I tried to form an agreement with the invaders.” Your gaze shifted to the side, looking at the distant sandy wasteland. You hadn’t properly processed the whole situation. “We didn’t believe the agreement wouldn’t last long so…my twin sister sold me to them to ensure her own freedom once they attacked again.”

“Evil twin?” Roberto raised an eyebrow. “We have enough of those already.”

“There’s…space wars? Do you hear this?” Meryl glanced at Roberto who shook his head in response. “Not the time, newbie.”

Meryl jumped. “S-Sorry…I’m sorry that your sister sold you out like that.” Nicolas tsk’d, pulling out a new cigarette to satisfy his urges. “Your sister sounds like a real bitch.”

Bitch? You’ve never heard that word before.

“Bitch..?” You repeated. You turned to Vash. “May I…?” You pointed to your lips, signaling to him something no one else could understand. “Y-Yeah, sure.” 

The humanoid typhoon felt butterflies in his abdomen and his chest burn whenever you wanted to “learn a new word.”

The trio watched as you and Vash closed the distance between each other, kissing each other deeply. It only lasted for a second. You smiled softly. “Thank you.”

Turning to Nicolas, you nodded your head. “I agree. My sister is a ‘real bitch’.”

Vash laughed awkwardly, not at all expecting you to say the word so well. Meryl was even more confused. “What was that?!”

“What was…what?”

“You kissin’ needle noggin,” Nicolas smirked at you, giving you new and different vibes. It was still hard for you to read someone like him. “Needle noggin…? Oh! You mean Vash! On my planet, we can learn languages through lip contact. Vash is my translator.”

Meryl held a surprised expression for a moment before exhaling loudly. “Phew! I thought he was your boyfriend!”

“Boy…friend!?”

“Kissing or ‘lip contact’ is something that people who are a couple do. We…aren’t a couple.” Vash leaned over and spoke close to your ear. It seems that your customs could be mistaken as romantic.

“What’s wrong with Vash being my boy-friend?”

Meryl shrugged. “I mean, if it’s true that you’re some alien princess then Vash is the most unlikely person to be your lover in my opinion…right?” She laughed, elbowing Roberto who didn’t humor her.

To be honest, Vash felt the same way. You were almost…exotic in a way. Who knew that out of all people in the world, he would get along with you: someone who isn’t even from this world! The plant nicknamed the “Humanoid Typhoon”, cast aside without being given a second thought, knew what it was like to feel wanted by someone! In a way, he didn’t deserve you or your kind nature.

“Hm…” You looked down at your lap again before smiling. You clasped your hands together and gave Meryl a close-eyed smile. “I think Vash would make the perfect boyfriend!”

“Anyway.” Roberto cleared his throat. “This, uh, slave trade thing. What’s supposed to happen with that? They’re not gonna come lookin’ for ya, right?”

“Oh! The invaders should not know where to find me, at least for now. The land of no men can not be detected on most locators since it’s unable to naturally sustain life.”

Nicolas stood up, exhaling a long cloud of smoke before stretching. “That’s good enough for me.” He began to walk off. “I’m gonna hit the hay.” 

“Yeah, me too.” Roberto made his way back over to the truck as well. “Come on, newbie.”

“It’s Meryl!” The young reporter narrowed her eyes at the older man. She sighed before standing. “You gotta tell me more about your customs in the morning! You have no idea how many people would be interested in hearing your side.” Her eyes held an innocent sort of eagerness. One that gave you joy. “Sure! I can not wait to tell you more.”

And then it was just the two of you left.

“Is there something wrong, Vash? You are rather quiet tonight…You have not eaten as well.” You took a portion of the cooked meat and held it to his mouth. “Do you need assistance?”

“No, no.” He gently moved your hand away. He gave you a sad smile, conveying how dejected he was to you so clearly. “I just…wish that there was a way I could protect you.”

“Protect me?” You grabbed Vash’s hands. “You have done such a good job protecting me already! I can also protect myself. You have nothing to worry about because we have each other.” Your face began to heat up. It felt like you were unofficially confessing your feelings to him. The only thing that stopped you from fully committing was the thought of rejection. You’ve been through so much with him already, but would he really want to be with a weak leader? A princess who failed to save her people and was captured?

Vash had a fear of rejection too. He knew for certain that you would probably want nothing to do with him once you’ve encountered Naï. There was just no way. They bled the same blood. Somehow, hearing about your hard past almost confirmed it for him. What would happen once Naï found out about you? He would stop at nothing to obtain you. If only there was a way to send you home.

You began to get worried when your partner didn’t answer you. He seemed to have zoned out, which was very unlike him. “Vash?” You called softly, bringing one of your hands up to his cheek. Your thumb rubbed it tenderly and you gave him a reassuring smile. “Nothing will happen to me.”

You felt like your words weren’t exactly putting him at ease so perhaps, you would need to let him in on more of your anatomy.

“I…I have something to tell you.” 

This made his eyes widen. You didn’t exactly look happy either.

“You can tell me anything.” He grabbed the wrist of the hand that was touching his face. You inhaled softly, preparing yourself internally. “My powers are fueled through…emotions. Anger, sadness, happiness, and love. I have very strong emotions of love that are connected to you. So, I am not worried about the harm that should befall you or me because I am strong enough to handle it.”

Vash’s already-tinted cheeks turned a deep red. His pupils retracted at your confession. He couldn’t believe the things that he was hearing from you. He’s been trying to push down his feelings for you for months!

“And…” you continued, averting your eyes. “I like the idea of lip contact with you—oh! And you being the male friend.”

“Boyfriend or…just friends?”

You blinked. “Well, you are my friend, that's a boy.” You squint your eyes at him. “…or at least I think you are. You seem to be male-identifying.”

Vash sighed, closing his eyes gently. You seemed to be a bit confused but, how could he blame you? He chuckled out loud before muttering “You’re so adorable.”

Your cheeks burned when he leaned in to kiss you one more time. He placed his free hand on your hip, pulling you slightly closer to him. His other hand gently squeezed your wrist. When he pulled away, he left you wanting more.

When you realized what happened, you leaped out of his grasp, covering your mouth with your hands.

“Aw, I didn’t scare you, did I?”

[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.

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[3ic95id864pg]

My Headcanon for Vash the Stampede (2023)

Vash in Love: Vash is a kind guy who always tries to help others. He would start to fall in love when he realizes that he enjoys spending time with someone special more than with anyone else. He would notice that his heart beats faster when this person is around and that he cares deeply about their well-being.

He would realize he is in love when he starts thinking about this person all the time, even when he is busy. Vash would also become a bit nervous and shy around them, something that doesn't happen with other people. He would begin doing small things to make this person smile, like bringing flowers or making silly jokes.

Deep down, Vash would know he is in love when he feels that this person's presence makes the world seem like a better and safer place. And, of course, he would do anything to protect and care for them, showing his love through his actions.

[uynumeotp111]

Vash is an non-human being who falls in love with human Wolfwood is a human who was forced to become inhuman. Vash wasn't a human or trying to be one, he was trying to save them all. He didn't kill Monrev wasn't because he didn't want to. But he didn't allow himself to kill selfishly. To him, the life of a person who r*ped and killed a daughter and the girl's father is the same. (It's NOT actually, but it's MUST be, because in his mind Rem scarified herself to save all of humanity)

^ The action is the same (not killing), but I like that the difference between the two is revealed. Knives is based on a slight whim, Vash's is an obsessive belief.

Loving all humans is a saint thing to do. To have bias, to be selfish is to be human. Ironically, Knives loved more humanly than Vash. That is, until Vash met Wolfwood. When Wolfwood told him that he too would make a choice someday, he thought the intention of the saying itself was about Vash living or dying. But in the end, the life put on the scale was Wolfwood's, not his own.

When considering the importance of life, all life is special and not special at the same time to Vash, but only Wolfwood's was different. He chose Wolfwood. And that is the same for Wolfwood. Neither the aunt nor the children of the orphanage were anyone else, just Vash. When Vash killed for Wolfwood, his hair's black. It's like he has been "tainted", an fallen angel. If Rem taught Vash the agony and sacrifice of losing someone, I thought that Wolfwood taught Vash the concept of having a special person among countless humans and selfishness. 

If Rem made Vash fall in love with humans, then Wolfwood turned Vash into a human.

[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