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baby nico!

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The Punisher

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this really was something else

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A little (a very long) Vash & Meryl Trigun Stampede thought:

Let's talk about these two and how they view humanity and plantness. ("Plantness" is the plant equivalent of "humanity," right?)

Vash's plant reveal to the gang is meant to be shocking, but there's more to this moment than meets the eye. If you're a new member of the Trigun audience, Meryl is your avatar into the world of No Man's Land and who/what Vash is... but she is also so much more.

Meryl is a reflection of Vash's own humanity. Meryl is one living, breathing human who embodies all that he wants to protect. She is what Rem sacrificed her life for, but also selfishly in the best way, for himself - Vash truly loves humanity. Meryl is the humanity Vash aspires to be. Vash and Meryl are mirrors.

One of my favorite ways that Vash and Meryl demonstrate their mirror imagery, is through their views and treatment of plants. They both show so much care, compassion, and consideration for a being that is seen as less and to serve humanity. Offering these rights to another living creature puts plants and humans on equal ground. Coexisting.

Orange did a wonderful job of parallel imagery to highlight this. Let's take a look, shall we?

Help

They ask a plant for help. Only when things are truly dire do they request the assistance of a plant. For Vash, it's his sister on the sand steamer. For Meryl, it's Vash in JuLai.

Something very small, but very important to me... In the English dub, they both say "please" when asking for help. It's clearly a choice given to each plant (sister or Vash), but their agency is kept.

(This particular parallel imagery makes me perish. Well done Orange.)

Choice

When both Vash and Meryl ask, both are willingly and freely answered.

Connection

When we see Vash connect with his sister, it's mysterious and otherworldly. However, when we see Meryl connect with Vash, it's so human and heartbreaking. The tension we feel as she desperately calls for him while he reaches out with his violet geraniums makes us feel the stark difference between plants and humans. The connection isn't so easy between the two species.

Poor tiny, human Meryl is trying so hard here. She's literally up against an interdimensional being while giving everything she has. But it's her voice. Her humanity. It calls out to Vash's own. It's the connection that comes easy.

"Follow your heart."

In this moment, humanity/Rem/Meryl is Vash's heart.

And Vash is Meryl's heart.

Two human hearts.

Dare I say it was actually Roberto who saved Vash and humanity? Roberto knew. He knew that Vash and Meryl were two sides of the same coin. Roberto had them pegged. His gentle nudge was the courage Meryl needed to act on her heart, creating a domino effect for Vash's courage.

Humanity

It was always inside him. Vash is human. He is so very lucky to have two very strong tethers: Rem & Meryl.

I very much interpret this moment as a handoff of Vash from Rem to Meryl. His anchors pulling him out of his brother's gate and plant state. Letting him be his true self.

Agency

Compassion. Respect. Love. They're integral to one's self-worth. Meryl giving all of that to Vash and seeing him as her equal, as human... gave him back his own identity and autonomy.

Heart

Two hearts.

Maybe all it took for a human and plant to connect and coexist was just a little heart. A little love & peace, if you will.

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Very inconsiderate for this man to be alive this long and not know how to drive.

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The Elric family had the best time Trick or Treating 🎃

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ONE YEAR OF TRIGUN STAMPEDE S1.E7 ∙ WOLFWOOD (aired Feb 18, 2023)

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ONE YEAR OF TRIGUN STAMPEDE S1.E08 ∙ OUR HOME (aired Feb 25, 2023)

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Riza redraw a year and a half later 🎴🫶🏻

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pov you're Rem Saverem shitposting about your newborn alien sons

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no one can make twilight double-guess his looks besides anya

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Love the elric brothers cause one is a disabled stay at home dad and the other is a world class alchemist studying medical alchestry in another country, dating a princess, top teir martial artist and probably has a million degrees just for funsies and he isn't the titular protagonist of the show.

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las creaturas

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There is only one way to make a truly wonderful Avatar adaptation, not matter how bad it turns out to be:

A professionally shot, full length stage production of the Ember Island Players' Fire Nation propaganda version of the events

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Sorry if I've been quiet, been working on this FF7 drawing to celebrate FF7 Rebirth's release next week. Gotta work on the coloring next. #FF7R #FF7リバース #FF7 #art #fanart #wip #Pencildrawing #sketch #SquareEnixArt #cloudstrife #tifa #aerith #cloud #vincentvalentine #red13 #redxiii #yuffie #sephiroth #caitsith #barret #zack #zackfair #cid #cidhighwind

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wolfwood pretty