#Someone get Kuroneko OUT OF THERE

[revenantghost]

MR. THE STAMPEDE, WHAT DID THIS EBAY SELLER DO TO YOU???

Also shout-out to this GRATUITOUS BUTT SHOT

[goryhorroor]

Do you have any folk horror recs for someone who’s just getting into horror? Midsommar’s the only one I’ve seen and I loved it

blood on satan’s claw, the conquerors worm, haxan, viy, eve’s bayou, witchhammer, the devil rides out, the white reindeer, captain clegg, robin redbreast, marketa lazarova, the city of the dead, tumbbad, a field in england, the ritual, onibaba, kwaidan, apostle, picnic at hanging rock, kuroneko, the wicker man, and the wailing!

[nixthelapin]

A Jekyll&Hyde type akuma whose power is to bring out a hidden or repressed part of your personality (but like, making two of you instead of switching in one body), and when Chat gets hit suddenly there’s both “normal” Chat (I’ll get to that in a sec) and Cat Walker/Patte de Velours at the same time.

(Cue Ladybug freaking out upon learning they’re the same person)

“Normal” Chat looks the same, but is just a bit more intense (since this is Adrien’s way of “letting loose” to not be how he is as a civilian, he’s not too different, but because of the split he does lose some usual traits). I.e. *heavily* flirting with LB, going at it with the puns, more agressive and impulsive with the akuma, doesnt like following orders (especially with the remaining feelings of anger towards the partnership being put further into question as LB prefers CW), heart on his sleeve

Cat Walker is also not super different to the episode he was in, but is also more intense thanks to the akuma: all business- no nonsense, doesn’t laugh at jokes (even in a “I’ll laugh if you want” way, like in Kuroneko), cordial to LB, follows LB’s orders to a T (to the point of not making his own decisions in battle), calm and collected (almost emotionless, even with that plastered smile)

CN starts to hate CW as the fight goes on, because LB seems to prefer him (and she’s understandably getting annoyed with CN’s impulsivity). CN gets territorial, saying that he’s LB’s partner. CW: “then why did she replace you with me?” (Man, look at all the self hatred in Adrien’s psyche!)

So CN runs off and leaves them alone to fight the akuma. This ticks LB off even more, but she has an akuma to deal with- and she has CW- so she lets him go.

As the fight goes on, some of the same issues from Kuroneko occur, so she also gets frustrated with CW too.

Since he’s acting more extreme than normal (more like someone awaiting orders than a partner due to the Jekyll&Hyde thing), it causes more problems (like him waiting for her decisions leaving openings where he could’ve done something proactive)

She actually blows up at him, asking why he didn’t do anything (“I was waiting for you to tell me the plan!”), and she says he should be able to think on his own, he doesn’t need her to tell him everything, but- “I thought I was just being what you wanted.”

(He’s shocked and genuinely hurt- though it’s still pretty quiet emotion, subdued and apologetic)

And that’s when it clicks for her what becoming CW was back in Kuroneko. He was molding himself for her. And this version of CW is even more of that. She realizes just how much CN suppresses, not just for her, but for everyone- why else would this be a major aspect of his personality?

(Also, Patte de Velours? Velvet Paw? That’s basically saying he’s been declawed. Yikes.)

She makes CN get his butt back to the fight (or she finds him- he may have been doing something while away like talking with someone, maybe Alya or Nino, or Luka). CN and CW argue more, with insults. Then she goes on a whole rant/lecture to them about how important they both are, both to her and to each other, how they are one person, and their traits are both important, but each extreme is not great. Ex: instinct/impulse and service/obedience (the key is self control, so that your emotions aren’t controlling you, but neither is another person). He is allowed to be both! Neither personality is bad, and hating one is just hating himself- he can’t just reject a fundamental part of himself.

She makes them agree to work together to defeat the akuma. It’s awkward at first, but they get a rhythm by seeing where each one is needed in the plan (LB does still do that, but how they follow is more fluid now). Two cataclysms now! Yay! (Maybe they used their powers already and have to de transform, and they see themselves as Adrien- the same one, not different, and it gets through their skulls. Idk I’m spitballing).

They have a quick talk between the two about accepting each other, it won’t be easy, I’m nervous, we’ll be okay (“yeah, I think we will :)”), etc.

Ends with them combining back with the ladybug cure. Surprise! His outfit is combined too! (Honestly, I just want the ponytail with the fluffy hair)

LB and CN have a talk after recharging about everything. CN apologizes for lying about CW and explains why and how he did it. LB didn’t realize how much he hid. She never meant for him to change or hate parts of himself. He thought she didn’t like the CN parts of him, but LB promises that isn’t true. She admits she did get… annoyed, but never hate! She loves both sides of him. Besides, CW didn’t work out that first time, remember? (Though she very much leaves out her intense crushing being the deciding factor there)

CN admits he feels more, well, not whole, exactly, he’s actually still pretty uncertain about what all this means for “who he is,” but… he can at least say he feels less like he has to perform all the time. He loves being Chat Noir, but he is exaggerating a bit when he transforms, in part to be not like his civilian life. He tells her he’s not like that as a civilian, but he’s also not like Cat Walker. But he’s not really sure who “he” is yet. (What I’m getting at is Oblivio!Adrien- dorky, but not over the top, in love, trusts his lady to make the plan, but is still proactive, etc.)

LB says that’s okay, he doesn’t have to figure it out right away. But she’ll be there to help him figure it out.

END

[magadauthan]

Ep 25: Live Through

@trigun98watchparty My time has come.

I watched "Live Through" in Japanese and English for this recap. For science. It's not because this is my favorite episode, no. That has nothing to do with anything.

--How did Milly and Meryl get Vash away from LR? Does 1 ile = 1 mile? Did they swipe Legato's Cinderella coach?

--that floppy hair *swoon*

--Some have criticized Meryl for ducking outside as soon as Vash begins to talk. Perhaps that is merited, and she does carry a good measure of guilt for following him, but it felt to me more like she wanted to give him space and / or privacy. Having loud emotions all over the place is frowned on in Japanese culture, and Meryl is very, very polite. Maybe she just doesn't know what to do and panics (Vash has not always been encouraging in terms of having her around, in general). Either way, it tears her up inside to hear him wailing in despair.

--Obviously Meryl has been home tending to Vash while Milly works. It's nice to see Meryl recognize that Milly is busting her butt, but she doesn't know how to address Milly's feelings, either.

--Vash should not be up and about - he's weak and feverish and not a little delirious. Good thing Milly can carry him.

--Get in there, big sis, and tell Meryl it's okay that she loves him. She's absolutely right in that Legato would have found a way to make Vash shoot him whether or not the two of them were involved. Never hold back in matters of the heart.

--My favorite scene. Meryl, alone in the light of the fifth moon, diligently mending Vash's coat. She wants to put him back together and make him whole again, even if she gets hurt in the process. She's desperately in love with him, and she holds the kind person he is close to her heart... but he was the one who put the hole in the moon. How can she reconcile that?

--Vash does look happier.

--He tries to pet the kitty, and Kuroneko gives him a swat, which some interpret as the Trigun Goddess telling Vash to get it in gear. This is incorrect. Cats are just assholes.

--It didn't stop with Legato, now, did it. Knives is pressing harder.

--"Sound Life" must be a song they teach in NML kindergarten. Many people seem to know it, including Kaite and Meryl. (the lyrics really need to scan better, it's so awkwardly phrased)

--This scene is such a tough one. It's lovely - two lovers out under the stars, right? And Meryl is so happy that Vash is considering staying with them. But it's also plain to see that he might have given up. It would be easy, wouldn't it? Let the girls take care of him while he hides. Don't do anything, and wait for an answer.

--What were you doing up so late, Meryl? (we had some ideas)

--There's no way that the townspeople could have captured someone like Vash if he hadn't let them do it. He's so broken that he won't fight back. He's a sinner now, like Knives, like Legato, beyond redemption.

Except...

...Knives assumes that Vash would sacrifice himself for everyone else. Someone else sacrificing herself for him had never been part of the equation.

--So many have stopped believing in Vash, or he thinks they have. They turn their backs on him and he accepts it as the normal course of things. Jessica's crush was childish (I was gonna marry Luke Skywalker when I was four, just saying) but even she ran away after what happened to the ship. That's why it's so important that Meryl loves him. She has made her decision, and she's steadfast in it.

--Maybe Vash doesn't realize how much she loves him until she puts herself between him and the gun, and he hears Rem's words from Meryl's mouth and sees Rem one more time. If Meryl still loves him, then Rem can still love him too. Mistakes happen but you can learn from them, and if you have the right people in your life, they will love you through your mistakes and help you to make it better.

--And finally, Vash realizes that Rem's words apply to him, too, and that he is no less deserving of a second chance and a future than any of the others he's impressed those words on. Does that make Meryl the analogue to Alex? I think it does.

--Awww, such a sweet snuggle. And then Vash has to go doof it up like normal and Meryl has to freak out like normal. It's their love language. (TBH I'd punch my husband too if he rubbed his stubbly face on me like that.)

--What happened after that? (we have some ideas)

--Vash gets ready to go. Seeing him wash up and shave is oddly pleasing, a reminder that despite his Plant-ness, he's a regular dude who has to wash his face and brush his teeth and get haircuts and have breakfast and do all that human stuff.

--Meryl wants to say something to Vash, but she's gotten wiser too. She recognizes that even though there might be a lot that she wants to tell him (and, I think, he might want to tell her too), stating her feelings in the open would be a distraction (or even a burden) he doesn't need right then. Milly is right. There will be time when he gets back.

It doesn't come through in English, but he's so gentle with her in Japanese. He knows what she wants to say. In his own way, at that time, he's saying I love you too.

--Vash takes WW with him, with Milly's love and blessing. May you go with God's protection.

[pancake-breakfast]

The problem with being on Volume 9 is that means we're on the last buffer before Volume 10, and I am Not Ready. None of us are.

Stream-of-consciousness thoughts for TriMax Vol. 9, Chapters 1-2 below.

TriMax Volume 9 Covers

Ugh, we just have to start with a Vashwood cover, don't we? I have too many Vashwood feels right now. I can't handle this.

Ah, the return of the blow-up doll. Is... is she jealous of whatever the hell is going on with Vash and Wolfwood here? (Honestly, I have no idea what's going on with them here, and I wouldn't be surprised if Nightow doesn't know, either.)

Back cover Liviooooooo.... Oh, shit, he's not wearing his skull there.

Ahahahahahaha, that's a no-face reference on the back there. Looks like he's got some dolls of his own. I... I don't know what to think about that. I'm just not going to lest it make my brain hurt.

What kind of chapter/volume name is "LR"??

Someone take down the Kuroneko-sama. I'm pretty sure she's dry.

Chapter 1: Home

In Stampede, "Home" was a reference to the place where Luida and them live. Here, it seems to refer to the orphanage.

Baby Livio! Baby Nico!!!

Wolfwood, feeding the forlorn. Of course.

Ah, I see he's been reunited with Angelina II. Get yourself reunited with Vash, you idiot.

Aaaand he's going against the caravan for some reason.

LOL, he is DETERMINED to get through going the wrong way. And quickly. This feels like a bit of overkill for a simple gate.

Heh, even as a child, he still has so many Wolfwood mannerisms.

Oh, shit. He's going back for Livio, isn't he?

He really loved his life at the orphanage....

Goshdarn puppies getting in stupid places.

Yeah! Go, baby Livio! Do good things!

Oh, Livio, honey.... If you thought you getting dumped here was because you didn't do something--whatever that might be--to make yourself lovable, you are dead wrong. I don't have to know any more about where you came from to know that.

Baby Wolfwood is such a big brother to everyone here.

Something wrong with his eyes...? Is that...?

Did he ("he") kill the puppy because it put someone else in danger?

Hahahahaha, no secrets between siblings. And an orphanage has a LOT of siblings.

Oh, no. Poor baby Livio. He's just... got a lot going on, I'm sure. But it might be easier with friends.

Hey, is this round guy the kid Wolfwood used to walk to the bathroom?

Hahahaha, yeah, it's him. He doesn't recognize his big bro, of course. Wolfwood's been through a lot.

Twelve, huh? Why's it always gotta be twelve? Something something religious imagery, I know.

Ohhhh, nooooo. Livio, this isn't where you should be....

He's helped set a trap for Wolfwood? My dude, no.

Also, goshdarn, why's he gotta be good-looking?? There are some grumbling about his looks in Stampede, but both versions of him are freaking dorito chips with long hair and goth aesthetic, so I'm not complaining.

Yeah, Wolfwood definitely sucks at cutting ties to people he cares about. I'm not sure if Knives really succeeded or really fucked up by ordering him to escort Vash, 'cause there was no way in hell Wolfwood wasn't gonna get attached to Vash.

Wait, did Livio do something to get on the Eye of Michael's bad side? Also, just how big is their cult? I thought a good chunk of it got wiped out a few volumes ago by that horn-headed guy and the weird CLAMP bishounen. Also also, wasn't Chapel bragging to Wolfwood about how Livio was basically like a better version of him... but Livio got kicked out??? Questions.

Dude, is this little Cactus kid gonna try and take on Eye of Michael by himself?? Dang, no wonder they recruit from this orphanage. These kids got guts.

Side note, I love how Wolfwood's chillin' here, loading up his gun, but also his whole demeanor is like he's just one of the kids.

Oh, I guess these guys aren't true EoM. They're... like... mercenaries or some such.

"Once this ark scare is over...." HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA hoo boy, who's gonna tell him?

Welp, this guy is trash. He needs a name. I'm gonna call him... Cable-Face.

Seriously?? He wants interesting reactions from the child he's tormenting and likely to kill?? This guy needs new hobbies.

As someone who worked in dentistry, I like the implication that nearly every one of Cable-Face's teeth are fake. AND he still managed to chip TWO. This kid's life might be worthless, but so is your dental hygiene, Cable-Face.

AAAAAAHHHHHH LIVIO TO THE RESCUE!!!! GIT 'IM MY BADASS BOI!!!

Oh, I guess Cable-Face was very cyborg. Whatever, he may not have needed to be if he had taken better care of himself. And Livio's right; he was pretty annoying.

Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go simp for Livio for a bit.

*This space reserved for Livio simping*

(Crap, I just put two and two together and I think I know what "LR" stands for now. MOVING ON!!!)

Chapter 2: Tempest

Aw, man. Them kids are putting two and two together about their good friend Wolfwood. Let us all shed a tear for Wolfwood's lost youth.

Welp, that's two "alarms" down.

G'night, Burnsie! All y'all are in for a baaaaad day for pissin' off my guy Wolfwood.

OMG he didn't kill Burnsie. And he's trying to negotiate these guys out of dying, too. He's literally fighting for the thing that matters most to him, and he's trying to do it Vash's way.

Great camaraderie amongst these mercs, I see. /s

Ultimate tiger family?? Ugh, sure, yeah, whatever, man.

HAHAHAHAHA, Wolfwood with the backwards shooting. Get wrecked, tiger man.

Badass Wolfwood poses.

"Keep your eyes on him!" *friend gets smacked in the face* LOL

Badass. Wolfwood. Poses.

DAMMIT, I just remembered *redacted redacted redacted* Ugh, they really gotta do this, don't they???

Wolfwood and his kid self....

@sweetpotoooooooos noted Kid Wolfwood training with Eye of Michael looks like Megumi from JJK is cosplaying as Lara Croft and now I can't unsee it. (I think Megumi is angrier, though, and has a LOT more chill.)

Getting worse? How?? Because he doubts his right to take another's life??? Screw you, Old Man. Like, seriously. You talk like what he's doing now takes less courage and less calculation and less skill, and that's absolute bullshit.

LOL, Chapel is SO MAD! Good, be mad and dumb. Also, he's really rocking that dramatic cult leader garb today.

*COUGH* Sorry, I had to many words and they got stuck.

UGH, I dun want them to fight! They should be brothers!!

Duuuuuuude, something something Stampede! I can feel the influence here. Also, I'm not ready for this.

LOL, Chekov's rocket. Wolfwood sure has fun with these things.

Looks like everyone's in a lot of pain... but they're alive. And also...

Epic

Wolfwood

Poses

May the humiliation all these mercs faced here today inspire them to rethink their lives. Maybe make a change in their career paths.

Heh. He knows Livio is here, and he's calling him for help.

AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!! LIVIO RESPONDED!!!!

Ok, I need to focus on this pose for just a moment. Because this is first time I've seen anything... anything resembling actual will and determination in Livio's face. And it's just for a second, a single panel, before we pull out too much to get a clear read on him again. All the rest of the time, his face is either hidden in shadows or he just looks resigned, depressed, and/or detached. But this panel? There's life in his face here.

Haaaahahahaha, their greeting to each other is such... brothers. Sibling energy. I submit that they are both dumbasses.

One step closer....

Archive

Trigun Vol. 1: Covers + 1-3, 4, 5-6, 7-8, 9-10 || Vol. 2: Covers + Extras, 1, 2-4, 5-6, 7-8

TriMax Vol. 1: Covers + 1-2, 3-4, 5-6 || Vol. 2: Covers + 1, 2-4, 5, 6-7 || Vol. 3: Covers + 1-3, 4-5, 6-7 || Vol. 4: Covers + 1-2, 3-5, 6-7 || Vol. 5: Covers + 1-2, 3-4, 5-6 || Vol. 6: Covers + 1-2, 3-4, 5-6 || Vol. 7: Covers + 1-2, 3-4, 5-6 || Vol. 8: Covers + 1-2, 3-4, 5 + Bonus

Extra Credit: Trigun Vol. 1: Nebraska vs. Vash's Motivations, Vash's Loneliness, Vash's Depression (pt 2 of post), Soupy Brains || Vol. 2: Coin Factoids || TriMax Vol. 1: Lina, Vash, and a Haircut || Meryl, Vash, and the Pursuit of Happiness || Vol. 5: Knives, Vash, and Hatred for Humanity || Vol. 6: Coping Series: Wolfwood, Meryl, Vash || Vol. 8: The Uncoordinated Counterattack

[paperficwriter]

"Earth Angel" (Vash x Wolfwood)

This is the fic I'm working on for the @vashwoodbigbang! More chapters will be coming over the next week, but this is the first one. I'll also be reblogging it with a link to my AO3 if you want to subscribe for the other chapters.

Cut is for length, but also this story/chapter contains suicidal ideation and suicidal thoughts, so just be aware.

Prologue

As far as plans for suicide went, Wolfwood thought it was pretty solid, but he hadn’t imagined how much work would go into preparing for it.

He cleaned up the shelter first, because it was empty that night, empty since that afternoon when the cops came and shut the place down while he was meeting with the bank, like the pigs had been waiting for him not to be there, because there was no way he would have fucking let it happen. Then, he took all the papers regarding his life insurance policy and put them on the desk in his office. Then, he called Meryl’s phone number, knowing it would go to her answering machine.

“Hey, girlie. I know we’re supposed to meet tomorrow to talk about what kind of options we’ve got. I’m gonna be late, so just…let yourself in. The key’s on the door frame.” He allowed himself a smile. “I know your girlfriend can reach it.”

Those two…they had really done everything they could. They all had, hadn’t they? But at some point, everything might as well have been as much as nothing.

On the way to the apartment, he bought three slices of cheese pizza and two cans of Pepsi with the last five bucks in his wallet. He sat on the bench staring into the street, blurs of yellow taxis going past him, reminding him that he could have made this easier on himself. In this city, he could just walk out into traffic if he wanted to. He went over the numbers in his head, how much they would get from the policy, how far it would get them.

When it ’s all over, I wonder if I’ll get to see Livio again.

The pizza tasted really, really good.

When he got home, Wolfwood put out a huge bowl of food and water for his cat, Kuroneko, giving her a pet all the way to her tail even though she responded by smacking him with her paw. “Oh, you bitch,” he said fondly, putting his whole hand on her head and rubbing it until she let out a crackly mrowr of protest. “Don’t worry. I left my other keys with those two as well. And a note about how to deal with your mean ass.”

The cat stared at him with huge yellow eyes like moons, the pupils slits that cut down the middle. He waited for some sort of sentimentality, some understanding that this was an end between them, but instead she hissed and wandered off to the freshly-changed litter box. Oh well.

Wolfwood locked the apartment and pulled the door closed, running through everything in his head. If he didn’t really think about it, this just felt like he was going on a trip. Did he turn off the television? Was the oven on? Did he have the pills in his bag? The booze? Was there gas in his motorcycle? He knew where he was going: Hoboken. Because he didn’t know anyone in Hoboken. Which meant the person that found him wouldn’t be someone who knew him either.

The New York City sky was thick with clouds. It wasn’t like you could ever see the stars past all the light, but that there wasn’t even a moon out…somehow it felt better, that this wasn’t a perfect night. Something about that would have felt wrong: a perfect, clear night for suicide. Like when tragedy hit on beautiful blue days.

Not that this was a tragedy. This was the right thing to do. This was the one thing he could do.

And he was going to do it, he had steeled himself, he was ready to do it, mounting his bike and about to pull away from the curb and into the cool night…when a sound like a whale song being put through a faulty distortion pedal stopped him in his tracks. It was coming from the sky, and when he looked up, the clouds lit up. Lightning? No, the light was constant, and that sound wasn’t thunder…

Suddenly, the source of the bellow-screech broke through the sky, and Wolfwood didn’t have time to consider what it might be. It was round, and it was blinking, and it was definitely car-sized, and that was as far as his eyes could go because he was too busy moving out of the way because it was coming right for him.

“Shit!” Wolfwood dropped his bike to roll out of the way, and he could feel the air fly across his back as the object passed above him and into the alley between his apartment building and the warehouse next door. Part of his brain thought that there would be an explosion following the descent, but no, it was like whatever it was bounced between the walls, sending chips and chunks of brick into a cloud, and then skidded to a halt against the concrete end of the alley.

Slowly, Wolfwood stood up and walked forward, trying to get a look at what exactly he was facing. He realized as he moved past a busted dumpster and a broken set of crates that this thing did have wings that had gotten sheared off, and when he kicked one with his foot he wondered over how thin the material was. Almost delicate.

So it was a ship. Or a plane, maybe, but he’d never seen a plane like this. A jet, maybe. Some kind of government thing, or…

Nope. He couldn’t imagine there were government tests that involved men being completely naked, stepping out of the broken canopy of a wrecked ship like it was nothing, like it was as simple as getting out of a car. There was a glow coming from inside the ship, but it was beginning to blink, reminding Wolfwood of a flashlight about to go out. That’s what he was seeing now: a tall blond man, muscular, with wide eyes that were trying to take in his surroundings, the only thing shining from his face from where Wolfwood was standing. He was thin, and in the erratic beams from the bent light poles and the skewed spotlights that were used to keep the alley cleared at night, Wolfwood could see that one of his arms was a shiny metal, reminding him of a movie with robots from the future coming to Earth, or maybe like Star Wars when Luke got his hand with all the wires in it.

But those were movies. Those were movies, and this was real life, and this guy in front of him was a human. There was some kind of explanation, and—

Say something, idiot. “You okay?” Wolfwood asked, trying not to let his eyes wander because, again, this was a naked guy in his alley.

Those eyes snapped toward him, and that’s when the man started to glow. Not in one uniform way across his whole body, but with the light following marks all across his skin, for all intents and purposes as though they had been drawn on with a thick marker, a continuous squiggly line from his face to his toes.

“What the fuck are you?”

The ship made a wheezing noise, and the flickering light went out. Wolfwood looked down at it, and when he did, the stranger did as well and for the first time it was like he realized what happened. He made a distressed sound and searched around with the frantic kind of energy that Wolfwood recognized as the I can fix this! dance. He had danced that dance himself, more than once, and Wolfwood knew from experience that usually this ended without fixing anything.

“Yeah, uh…I don’t think that’s going anywhere, friend.”

And then, the man fixed his gaze on him again. This time, he could see his whole face, the glowing lines like a mask. But even beyond that, Wolfwood could make out his expression: lost, afraid, and looking for help.

He knew that face way too well.

The man slowly reached out his hand to him, hanging it in the air between them, and everything telling Wolfwood just to get on his bike and drive off was overwhelmed by the urge to take it.

Suddenly, from behind them came the sound of sirens from down the street. There were wheels screeching, and Wolfwood knew what was going to happen next. That was, again, something he had experienced way too much: cops showing up and making things worse.

He quickly crossed the few feet between them and grabbed the man’s arm. It was cold, and the light brightened where his fingers touched him. A thrumming emanated under the skin, less like a heartbeat and more like an engine. “Can you stop glowing?”

The stranger blinked, and after a second, he went out like a neon sign suddenly unplugged, leaving him looking very normal…if there was anything normal about being naked in an alleyway in New York City in the middle of the night. Wolfwood took off his leather jacket and wrapped it around the man’s waist, and then started leading him to the door to get back in…except he wasn’t with him. He was standing there, touching the leather jacket.

Wolfwood growled as he ran back to his side, pulling him by his hand. “Come on, needle-noggin! Do you want to get arrested?” He took him to the front of the building, unlocked the door and quickly shoved him inside, still holding onto him as he jumped up the stairs, out of sight as the cop cars pulled up.

Killing himself was clearly going to have to wait.  

[beesinspades]

It's Vashwood Big Bang preview week on twitter so I thought I'd share here as well!

‘with you, the sun rises slowly’ is a modern au about letting into your life someone in need (the neighbor you've been pathetically crushing on since you moved in, to be exact), sharing a bed, dealing with trauma, and asexuality 💜

excerpt under the cut for easier reading:

His cigarette done and his nerves relaxed, Wolfwood shooes Kuroneko back inside—which gets him a reproachful meow—and follows after her.

Livio and Vash are watching a cooking show for amateurs, commenting on the dishes and desserts presented. Wolfwood watches from the corner of the room for a minute, thinking that’s not how you’re supposed to make grilled cheese—who the hell puts butter on both sides of the bread?—before taking that as a sign he should get cooking himself.

Wolfwood steps over Livio’s legs just to be annoying, but it comes back to bite him in the ass when Livio exclaims, “Oi, where do ya think you’re going!” while Vash is already reaching out to him with a shit-eating grin.

Vash and Livio each grab him by the wrists and pull him down. Wolfwood crashes backwards on the couch with a grunt, and before he knows it Livio has extended his arm over his shoulders and reached out to Vash, squishing Wolfwood between them.

“Hey! I need to—” Wolfwood begins to protest, only to make an indignant noise when they both shush him, nodding at the television.

[chibivesicle]

‘Times, they be a changin’

After a drop off due to Golden Kamuy ending and my overall disappointment with the last arc. And of course, Ogata’s death, I’ve been wondering where I want to go with these things.  I put a lot of GK content out and I don’t want to just shelve it but I don’t want to split myself between fifteen thousand side blogs.  I’ve decided that I’ll keep my live action meta over on my ‘I don’t want to be exterminated, upgraded, turned into pudding’ side blog and I’ll keep all my anime and manga opinions here.  Since I have been reading manga for a long time and watching anime for even slightly longer. 

To reflect this, I’ve removed my last previous Ogata icon and I’ve jumped straight to God; Kuroneko-sama that is.  It isn’t that I’ve stopped reading manga or watching anime either and I have just one of the many opinions on the internet. 

Let’s go with an easy current on topic target for some mild-meta.  Trigun.  

Many moons ago, my best friend from undergrad introduced me to Trigun.  She had a Vash poster in her dorm room in university that she picked up at Katsucon, which was the first con I ever went to with her.  She’s quite the influence!

I watched all of the original Trigun anime on fan subbed VHS tapes that were passed around the anime black market of the 90s and early 2000s before they’d be bumped out of the way by file sharing services and online fansubs.  Honestly, I can’t even remember when I first watched it, but I do remember crying at a character’s death and just rolling with some of the more hand wavy sci-fi elements.

Not surprisingly, as someone who loved Ogata as a character, my favorite character from Trigun was none other than Nicholas D. Wolfwood - wandering man of the cloth toting around his cross which is heavy b/c it is full of ‘mercy’.

How much of a Wolfwood fan was I?  Enough of one that I paid likely waaayyy too much money in a dealer’s room at either Otakon or Katsucon for this capsule version of Wolfwood with Kuroneko-sama.

I used to have him up on my desk when I was in uni, but he always fell over and at some point, I popped him back into the bubble and shoved him under a bed at my parents’ house forgotten for over a decade or so.  He moved to the desert (still in that capsule) and I just dug him out after moving to my current location along with two Ruroni Kenshin figures that are back in a box.

What is with this path down memory lane all about?  I was at Anime Expo in 2022 (with exact same friend mentioned above) and we didn’t make it to the Trigun Stampede panel but, I did get an awesome photo of an amazing Vash cosplayer.

With the Trigun 2.0 on the horizon and the Sony merger stuff, all of the older anime titles that were on Funamation have moved back onto Crunchyroll - meaning a lot of titles I loved when I was younger could be rewatched.

And that’s what I did last month!  I dusted off my little Kuroneko-sama and Wolfwood and sat down to watch Trigun for the first time in over 20 years, I think.

I was both surprised by what I remembered and what I did not remember.  Plus, rewatching something you haven’t seen in years allows you to have a sort of fresh pair of eyes.

First off, for a manga that started in 1995 and had the anime in 1998, it has great female characters.  Meryl Stryfe and Milly Thompson wear normal clothing, have professional careers and are packing heat in a wild west environment. These are the least sexy main character ladies!  Milly wears a dress shirt, tie and pants with suspenders along with her long coat.  Meryl wears boots, tights, skirt suit and then a cloak (with all her guns) as well. 

Meryl is the older skeptic/pragmatist and Milly is naive yet if the most obvious thing is the best answer, then accept it as the truth.  They are great characters and I love how they are a great perspective and point of view into the events.  Sure, they are completely overpowered by Vash or Wolfwood, but they are neither a non-human-pseduo-angelic being or a man who had his entire body altered [manga] to be a better killer or just a much more on the job experience [anime] soooooo yeah.  I’m okay with Meryl and Milly not having to hold their fighting prowess with the boys. 

I finally decided to break down and read the manga.  Little did I know that Darkhorse owns the current rights and the series is out of print.  Gah, I was hoping to score the series cheap used but that will not be the case.  I’ve read the original Trigun from the shounen mag that went belly up (3 tankobons, 1 volume via Darkhorse) and the moved into a seinen publisher for its continuation as Trigun Maximum.  I went ahead and purchased all the way up to Trigun Maximum volume 5 and have read it all as well.

As someone who enjoyed the anime, I can appreciate the way the anime ended at the time.  They were years away from the end of the manga’s run and the anime team needed to come up with a nice way to tie things up.  Honestly, I’m fine with how things went in the anime.  Well, other than Wolfwood’s death, which made me cry and still pulled at my heartstrings on the recent watch.  So far the manga has more details, and is taking the time to fill in motivations of characters like the Gung Ho Guns (why would you willingly sell your humanity to destroy it?).  It however, still keeps an air of mystery about Vash’s past and the exact reason why humans got stuck on the planet.

The two major differences I see between the anime and manga are as follows:

Anime Vash has that sort of 90s MC perv side being a ham towards women early on when it later has him questioning who’d love him anyways.  Manga Vash doesn’t even go there which is something I like - dude’s got a lot more problems.  No space for chasing skirts and hitting on ladies.

Life on the planet Gunsmoke is fucking terrible in the manga.  You think it is pretty shitty in the anime?  Pffftt, that’s nothing compared to the manga.  People are worse, humanity is more like how Hobbes would view it and less like Locke.  I honestly, don’t know all of the differences yet, since I’ve barely cracked the manga story line but it is clear it is only going to get darker.  Yet at the same time there is more hope since the humans who’d kept themselves ‘above the fray’ were able to contact other people and they are supposed to possibly be rescued.  If Knives doesn’t throw a giant bloody wrench in there. 

In a way, these differences do reflect the shift that the anime gives us.  We go from a goofy guy who is overly competent trying to bumble/drift through life and has biblical levels of trials/tests of his faith in his own belief system to come out with a resolution and faith in the future.  You feel it when you get to around episode 13 and you realize that shit is gonna get serious and you can’t just go back to zany antics.

What I like about the anime is that we have a range of how characters act and view humanity.  Vash will punish himself to not harm others as he sees it as the unalienable right that every living thing has the right to life and it isn’t right for you to take that away from anyone.  Not sure how he resolves eating those salmon sandwiches with great vigor unless it is artificial salmon (desert planet out?).  Milly is the extremely naive and optimistic, Meryl is sarcastically pragmatic.  Of course Knives is the exact opposite of Vash, thinking humans are a scourge and no one is worth their own lives. 

And in the middling grey area we have - Nicholas D. Wolfwood.  Yep, is it shocking my favorite character straddles the moral grey line?  Seeing that it is a rhetorical question, we all know that yes, I love my characters that move between different philosophical spaces.  Is Wolfwood a good or bad character?  It depends; the narrative and other relationships tell us in the anime that we should see him as more good than bad character.  He is a friend to all children and uses it as a rationale why he has to do his job.  Without him making money from being a traveling clergyman/gun for hire the children would not have financial support.  However, we can see that the closer he gets to Vash the more conflicted he is and keeps verbalizing why he has no option but to kill; or else someone else would be killed. 

What I like about him is that his observation skills are top notch.  When he first meets Vash, he get straight to the point that Vash is wearing a mask in front of others.  He’s trying to get by, not die, but has a lot of anger at the shitty hand he was dealt in life.  It is the classic example of I had a crap childhood and ended up stuck in this less than ideal path but I want to protect others from it.

He’s one of those characters who really compliments Vash both visually and personality wise.  Vash could never haggle down the price of anything but Wolfwood squeaks by talking his way out of pay full fare for the bus or trying to run a tab (as a drifter).  Yet at the same time those two idiots are as thick as thieves getting in petty arguments over stupid shit and feeling resolved to deal with each other.  I also like how he’s one of the few characters who pushes back at Vash’s need to take on extreme burdens and that sometimes you have to accept all your options are going to suck.

We are going to get in a stupid fight about how Wolfwood’s motorcycle broke down again.  Which he named Angelica II.  RIP Angelica I.

We just tossed our water bottle over!

And just this.  Like sticking out your tongues at the same time will allow you to capture that last bit of water . . .

Does it end here?  God no, it continues to the extent that man who saved them is ready to toss them off his truck.

The manga has a very similar visual dynamic between them.  They are two guys with rough pasts and are navigating the present in very different ways.

Anyways, I’m still not sure where I exactly want to go with things, but a deep dive into Wolfwood (anime & manga) may be a worthwhile endeavor.  I’ve got a ways to go in the manga and I’m not rushing through it or anything like that.

What I am worried about is the remake/reboot/re imagining of Trigun as Trigun Stampede.

I first watched the preview videos about it.  I’m not here to argue if CGI is good or bad.  What I do have an issue with is the general character designs - I get it, Trigun is a 90s manga/anime and it looks like a 90s series.  I really like the Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Die Neue These, for me it has less to do with the character designs and for how the storytelling perspective is more people driven and less sterile/historical documentary style.  I’ve read most of the novels and LOGH:DNT leans much more on the novels/format than the original epic long OVA.  The creative team behind LOGH:DNT are really giving it their all.

But for Trigun Stampede the new character designs are seriously rubbing me the wrong way. 

Vash: I get that Vash would be considered ‘best sad boi’ if the series were new, but the lack of spiked up hair is baffling to me.  His prosthetic arm is obviously not of this world in origin/tech and it really kills the slow reveal of what it can do.  Wearing a jacket with the Project Seeds logo on it - sure - most people on the planet aren’t the most educated about all that info.  We also have the changing of his type of firearm, which any detail nerd is going to be up in arms about the switch from a long colt .45 to a .22 caliber revolver style handgun.  I blame Ogata and his love of the Type 38 over the Type 30 rifle for sniping.

Meryl Stryfe: not only gets a tomboy look but a career change and a shit mentor/supervisor.  Let’s give her a newsboy hat, shorts with her old suit coat and a large parka and random gloves with chunky sneakers.  Oh and she’s the underling of a chain smoking whiskey drinking misogynistic asshole whose job is to treat her like shit and insult her.  She neither looks nor acts like a young twenty something professional.  In the anime and manga she’s just a petite woman.  But episode one of stampede has me concerned.

Milly Thompson: does not exist?  Information about this is vague at best and I’m not going to troll the internet for what the creative team may have told the Japanese press.  Milly’s character design was top tier.  Her character added great value to the anime and manga so far.  She’s not on the promo artwork and Roberto De Niro is - which is a bad sign.

Nicholas D. Wolfwood:�� Looks like a hipster from Tokyo.  And any other ikemen type of character.  Or from a Jdrama.  Really, he looks like if you took a fashionable guy off the street and threw him into the mix.

We see here, an unbuttoned jacket.  His dress shirt is unbuttoned at the top, but also not tucked in.  He’s got skinny/tapered pants and exposed ankles.  And those black shoes that might be sneakers or loafers? 

Now, you live on a desert planet my man.  You know what absolutely sucks when you live in the desert? Getting sand and shit in your shoes!  How do you do that?  Don’t wear shoes that aren’t covered by your pants.  I can forgive the lack of hats on the entire main cast b/c they are the main characters and we want to see their faces.  But if they actually lived on a twin star planet, Vash, Wolfwood, Meryl and Milly would all be wearing hats; you want to keep that sun off your face and block a lot of the crap floating by.  Honestly, that’s one design element which is spot for the characters except for the lack of hats - the long sleeves and layers.  You wear layers and long sleeves and pants when you live in the desert to protect yourself from the elements.

Sadly, not only does his wardrobe suffer from the ‘upgrade’ but his hair as well as a lollipop instead of his hallmark crumpled cigarette.  Smoking kills but Wolfwood is going to die young anyways so do you think he cares that much?

His hair is tamed down the long locks in front of his ears are gone and I’m guessing his nose will be shrunk as well.  My most recent watch had me appreciate a few elements of his character design.  First off, he’s got a rather ‘normal’ looking nose that doesn’t make that weird point.  I like this it gave him a more unique appearance without doing too much.  We can also see the long shaggy bit of hair as well as the much messier overall look.

Looking at him more closely, it really seems as though he had a sort of almost retro (for the 90s) 70s look with a scruffy chin.  That sort of makes sense since he was designed in the 90s, his style might refer back to the previous 20 or so years for his overall look.

I am a huge fan of the added rough around the edges look with the lines on his cheeks which are more pronounced in the manga.

I also visually read this to be an indication of age.  Which in the anime, I read him to be the oldest human of the bunch, over thirty.  His observational skills, the way he talks to others, how he rationalizes things at least in the anime. Wolfwood has seen more of life and some of his solid statements really make me think this.  I haven’t gotten to his whole backstory in the manga yet which from what I’ve seen - is vastly different than that with him being much younger but appearing older.  Which is why he gets the scruffy/blushy lines all the time?  Maybe?  I’ll get back to this.  However, this point doesn’t sit well with me since some types of wisdom require one to reach a certain age to get them so I’m not keen on the concept for appears old but is much younger Wolfwood.  But I’ll see how it plays out in the manga before judging it. 

I’m not the type of person to get my knickers in a twist over logical updates to characters and their design but the creative team for Stampede went hard.

Honestly, I already found a much more professional review that really highlights a lot of the issues I had with episode 1.  The reviewer never saw the original and still highlights a lot of the things someone who’d watched it before would or could be bothered by.

https://www.themarysue.com/even-as-a-trigun-newbie-trigun-stampedes-first-episode-didnt-feel-right/

This article completely captures why I hate Roberto De Niro and why if he dies as a character I will be happy.  But not happy enough without Milly!

Anyhoo, I’ll give Trigun Stampede the college try, but they are going to have to work very hard to convince me it is a worthy remake.  If only to see Roberto De Niro to die and try not to ask Tanigaki why he’s toting around Punisher - which is a heavy cross b/c it is full of mercy. 

[captain-astors]

Can you do Kaneki for 003 :)))

Mhm! That beautiful mess, the culmination of all I despise but the vessel through which we all must perceive this world. I’d like to shake him like a maraca. This one definitely contains… opinions. As usual it's messy and ramble-ish but I enjoyed it.

How I feel about this character: Wow you're so interesting I wish I could still care after 320 something chapters. Born to “slay” as the youth say, in all meanings of the word, forced to do math. Sometimes I imagine what sound he would make if smacked against a wall. Constantly, actually. I can effectively emulate it with an almost empty water bottle, a thin piece of fabric, a piece of metal, and a slab of gelatin, but I only have access to two of those and it’s not the ones you think. I cannot stress how much I want post-Haise Kaneki dead for plot reasons, but I do think he’s pretty neat before whatever the result of the Tsukiyama extermination arc is. I do like him, but I try not to ponder him too deeply because if I started getting seriously attached to him as a person, I’d have to be disappointed about his character as well. I’m already not normal about so many of them. So he’s more of a secondhand skrunkle, I watch a decent portion of the rest of the fandom go wild and sit back and tend to my own neglected favorites. Like observing a neighbor’s garden, larger than mine but wilder, containing so many varieties of plants I can no longer distinguish them, and perhaps a bit overgrown. Was he the first piece of Tokyo Ghoul art I ever drew? Yes- well no actually that was probably Nishiki or Shuu but I never posted those because they were just sketches, but he was the first that I posted, and kind of my gateway to deciding to let myself brainrot over TG without shame (mostly). So I owe some amount of gratitude to him. 

But at the same time he fills me with a deep sadness for what might’ve been. Tokyo Ghoul was praised for having some kind of ground-breaking protagonist but he just feels... edgy at the end of it, handed an undeserved win. Sorry.

(So an update from later this very same day, I drew him and now I want to hug him. NO. I MUST PERSEVERE. Alright Kuroneki is kind of cute and his nickname sounds like Kuroneko (As in the trigun cat) and I love Kuroneko.)

Any/all the people I ship romantically with this character: Protagonists are funny things to ship because they can be shipped with almost anyone. Almost the entire main cast? Been there and done that. Every character he’s been friends with? Certainly. Rivals? No rivalry is complete without a little homoeroticism. The villain? Is that even a question. That random character who appeared for half a  chapter? Someone’s probably done it. It’s difficult to pick a favorite but frankly I’m not particularly partial to any of them. Shuuneki is fun but it just feels out of character as soon as it becomes remotely healthy which is what all that pining causes me to intrinsically want which in turn annoys me so… I enjoyed it before I actually learned the story. Now I just can’t fathom truly enjoying a fic about them without leaving frustrated because at any given point, one or the other of them just wouldn’t work. Also I really want Kaneki to die alone. But though I’ll never be extremely passionate about it, I do think that Hidekane is kind of the best one. Like it’s not my ship but from an outsider's perspective I look at it and just go huh. Neat. This one actually seems non-headache inducing. I’m slowly consuming more of it but at the same time Hide deserves much better. I can’t fix you but I can hold your hand as you crumble or something. I will take this time to rant about Tou//ken. God help us all. I will start off with what I like because I am terrified of being burned at the stake by the shippers who actually read through this for some reason. Aesthetically, cool. As individuals, love them. Conceptually, it had great potential. I don’t think it ever could’ve been my otp but I could’ve enjoyed this. Now. DEAR GOD I HONESTLY ADMIRE THOSE WHO SHIP IT FOR EITHER HAVING THE IGNORANCE OR SHEER WILLPOWER TO ENJOY IT DESPITE THAT WRITING. It would be easier to ship two characters who we’ve never seen interact whatsoever (stares at my terrible rarepairs I would know) than to repair this trainwreck, so I suppose that’s a testament to your tenacity or your willingness to ignore the holes. I swear my copy of TG was missing chapters WHERE was their development. They only did things for each other when instructed to or in life or death situations when opposed by a greater threat, only thought fondly of each other when not together, and then got married and kids despite Kaneki being in a mental state nowhere near “intact enough to live a functional existence” must less raise CHILDREN. Like I refuse to believe Kaneki would be a great father. “Something, something breaking the cycle of a loveless life.” Where. Where did he learn to love healthily? Touka? Where? Where is that shown? They interact so briefly in such high-stress scenarios how the HELL am I supposed to know?

 Dear god I knew these two were going to get together. I steeled myself for it. I tried to enjoy it I swear I did but it feels like the marriage arc skipped the love arc and I don’t know how I’m supposed to appreciate the shell of a relationship left behind. But I respect those who manage. Like, if a character (Ayato) can go on a brief trip and come back UNDER A FEW DAYS LATER to find out, with absolutely no warning that his SIBLING is married to a guy now, maybe you’re moving just a little fast! Someone please explain this to me I feel like I'm losing my mind.

The Vegas wedding of Tokyo Ghoul, getting hitched in a cave while a homophobic gay horror creature exterminates 98% of your kind.

Also I find it funny that she managed to date a guy who both looks and acts so much like her dad. Touka you can do so much better you are leagues above this guy.

My favorite non-romantic relationship for this character: If Haise is included, Akira and the Quinxes. Family. If Haise is not included, probably… Hinami. 

My unpopular opinion about this character: Oh boy. He doesn’t really listen to anyone, and his cycle of self sacrifice for others because it’s the easiest route out is ANNOYING AS HELL. Points are made about it, but does he ever change? No he just keeps trying to die for “the sake of others” until the very end and keeps escaping the actual consequences, while others who have something to live for ACTUALLY DIE for his stupid martyr complex and I am SICK OF IT. He only fights for those he cares about because he’s afraid of being alone which is a very human desire but we never see him grow in it, he just keeps ignoring whatever he doesn’t want to hear, keeps letting himself almost die but he’s still “virtuous” and not a murderer to the narrative. Because the restaurant ghouls dared to have fun with the terrible cards they were dealt, so they deserved it! Because those humans in the dragon incident didn’t care, so they deserved it! And besides he wasn’t conscious anyways! Because Furuta dared to try to break the system that Kaneki decided wasn’t real, because he wanted to make sure the world never created a child like him again, so he deserved it! I could deal with him if the narrative actually treated him like what he is, “morally grey” is not an excuse to his actions it’s a byproduct, so just saying “it’s alright because he’s morally grey” doesn’t fix any of the issues with his inconsistencies! With his lack of growth beyond just getting worse, and being handed a happy ending anyways! Also why are all of his stans silent as the grave I hear barely a WHISPER out of you creatures yet you appear like phantoms to salivate over him when art is made and to sweep polls. I know perhaps 3 people who both actively post and I know for a fact would declare Kaneki their favorite. Where are the rest of you? WHERE ARE YOU HIDING? But godspeed to you.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: He feels so overwritten at the end, I really wish he either died, or that :re had gone the csm route and had a different protagonist. For our candidates for a new protagonist I would nominate: Hide. An exploration of a character who was born into a world that was hurting him, but chose to love ghouls anyways. Who chose to keep being a good person no matter how hard it was, (WHAT KANEKI DOES, DOES NOT COUNT AS BEING A “GOOD PERSON.”) He’d be a refreshing air of positivity and hope from Kaneki’s internal monologue. It’s so desolate it makes me want to commit amusing vandalism just to remember that bright colors are real and very lovely. I don’t have the energy to write out full explanations for all of them but I’d also nominate any of the Quinx squad members, Juuzou (I just want more Hanbee), Ayato, Amon, or Furuta. Or making Haise a person with a separate body.

Favorite friendship for this character: If Haise counts Juuzou, if not Banjou or Ayato.

My crossover ship: I’m tempted to say knives as a joke because they have the same english voice actor, (Who does a fantastic job as both but MAN his voice goes deep in tristamp.) Anyways Vash I guess. Go be self-sacrificial together you fools. (affectionate connotation for one, indifferent for the other.)

[hanakohanabe]

New Fan! How would Hanako react to all the brothers? Including Karheinz, Kino and the Tsukinami brothers?

Kanato

"Mhmm....how exactly do I anwser this question"

Hanako was a bit caught up in her thoughts, how did she feel about the brothers?

" Kanato...is...."

She took a short pause before anwsering, feeling as if eyes were staring at her. She would think that the purple haired male, was anything but pleasant...a bit hysteric would best describe him. Though in his best efforts, they do happen to get along...briefly...that is. He makes for uncomfortable conversations, placing her in positions that are displayed as if she were owned by him.

"I think....I am a doll to him?"

Ayato

One could say that he could be a bit stubborn, his true sensitivity hidden behind deep trauma. He is a bit much, an extreme sadist with a huge god-complex.

" We...eat alot of food together...."

The red haired male never really showed interest for her, often referring to her as (pochari).

" Aya-san....likes the same food as me."

Laito

Hanako's countenance showed discomfort, he is a bit handsy. Often referring to her in sexual innuedos or incredibly distasteful nicknames. Despite his controversy, he isn't all that sexual, though do not let that fool you, he is quite the devil a mischievous man who is always up to no good.

" Lai-san....is....very....strange."

She had no comment.

Reiji

How would you fair with someone who loves to control and someone who is obsequious. The two are quite alike in some aspects, her interest in herbalism has garnered her a fair position with the vampiric demon. Reiji a bit cold, apathetic and calculating could appreciate the doll and her lack of disobedience. Like peas in a pod, she often aids him in many of his trial and errors. The two are inseparable....

" Rei-san, can be....a little stern with how he plans things....I must be sure to follow all his rules, its no different than how I grew up..."

Subaru

Hanako tilted her head, come to think of it, she does not see Subaru much, he likes to be alone and if she were to bother him, the alabaster tsundere would be a bit upset. She tends to avoid him. [ as she tries for mostly everyone in the Sakamaki household]

"Su-San...likes his space."

Shuu

The two often "get along", there is not much to say on a person who practically never moves, if you do not bother him, he will not bother you. Shuu almost never extends himself, if the girl wishes to recieve his pleasure, she would come to him. Though Hanako...would never think to do such a thing.

Kou

Being around a popstar can be a bit nerve wrecking, Kou is a man who lives two worlds, Idol life tends to be a bit crazy, not to mention the fans who would stop at nothing to recieve his attention. Kou was a bit shocked that Hanako had never heard of him, give or take she was not from this time period. Its a bit hard to lie around him, Hanako till this day can not figure out how he knows such information. She finds the boy refreshing, their first interaction was not all too well, she had been covered in dirt and smelled of decay, garnering her the name Sadako, which she first arrived. Once she got a bit cleaned up, he was singing a different tune. Often referring to her as Mittens or Kuroneko-chan~♡.

" Kou-san is.....very.....special."

Azusa

Tw: mentioning of knives

There was something different about him, the way he felt pain, the way he responded and how gentle he was towards her. He had a peculiar interest in knives and the way he played with them were often frightening, the cold blade against her was enough for her to wince; She was not interested in hurting like how he did, nor did she ever want to hurt him and yet....he would always beg for her to take the wheel. His codepency was enough for her to latch on quickly, though Hanako was never the one to fully understand her feelings.

"Azu-san.....well.....he's.....someone....that is kind."

( Someone to protect....I think.)

Yuma

Yuma and Hanako can mist likely be seen in the garden, she always appreciated his cooking and his drive to flourish his garden. She will say he is a bit rough around the edges and a bit aggressive.

" Ma-san makes amazing food."

Ruki

Puzzles are often left to be solved, with Ruki comes quick wit and a drive for intellect. The two can converse over topics that may interest him, Hanako's interests in books peak Ruki's interests.

" He is very organized...Ru-san....cares alot for structure."

Though the doll barley sees him around.

Carla

Hanako has never met the first blood clan, give or take if her Timeline did meet them, she would beable to relate to Carla due to her delicate health. Aiding him in any chance she could get, a rather sternly yet brutal ruler, with a heart riddle in old school rules. He is a bit of a tyrant, though there is something about him that stands out from the rest

Shin

Shin, is a more playful version of his counterpart, and would often tease the maiden of her sickly being, of course he would have known her to be a wraith, the blood that she holds would no longer serve them, though in their best efforts, if their paths ever did cross, Shin would stop at nothing to tease the poor maiden, her obsequious ways would prove as something tiresome, possibly no interest would come from him.

Kino

The Ghoul prince would possibly take a liking to the wraith, his selfishness would be enough to push her away. Though, she is sure to sympathize with Kino and his obsession for destruction.

Karlheinz

Meeting him as Reinhart, Hanako has never felt the pleasure of actually seeing him in his true power, atleast in certain routes, she feels an extreme hatred for him, as his obsession with race experimentation reminds her alot of her religious priest of a father.

//Thanks to @strawberry--bride for the cute nickname for Hanako ♡

Thank you for our first ask i hope you like it!

[insomniac-jay]

Safe and Sound (With You)

Description: For the first time in her life, Kuroneko has finally felt safe in someone's arms.

Relationship(s): DemoCat (Demoman/Akio Shingenchi x Black Cat/Kuroneko Kinzan)

Prompt: 20. "You make me feel safe." (From this list)

Warning(s): Injury

Tags: for one @calciumcryptid

If there was one thing Kuroneko was best at doing, it was getting herself in almost inescapable situations. Usually she got out of them unscathed, but this time was different. What luck to be thrown out of a window by some third-rate goon. Didn't help that it was a snow day, so the temperature made her injuries worse.

Thankfully, she had her Prince Charming to save her.

"Hold still." Akio gently pressed the towel on Kuroneko's wounds, trying to both not hurt her and get scratched.

Her tail straightened and frizzled as the alcohol touched an open wound while a hiss left her lips. "That burns, baby." Kuroneko dug her claws into the pillow.

"I know, Kuro. I'm trying not to hurt you." Akio applied the bandage then went on to the next wound.

Her injuries weren't too bad-- all they needed was some cleaning alcohol and bandages. Once done, she was tossed a sweater-- pink and baggy, quite cute.

"This all my baby got for me?" Kuroneko settled onto the couch. "I was thinking of a silk robe."

Akio tossed her a pair of black sweats then kicked over some fuzzy slippers. Last thing he needed was her complaining about being cold. "I don't got that kind of money, kitty cat."

Kuroneko blushed when he pulled her close to his chest and laid her atop him. This was an entirely new sensation; unusual and somewhat off-putting. She was the giver, not the receiver in the relationship and yet...she wasn't too objecting to this.

The gentle beat of his heart filled her ear rested and the warmth of his body made her tail sway gently, not in usual mischievous manner. Feeling his chest heave with breath soothed her, not sensing any upcoming danger. His fingers ran through her black locks, treading down them like a waterfall.

Kuroneko buried her face in his chest. Was this how it felt to feel...safe?

He's so warm... she said to herself, face still pink. I...I can get used to this. Her body released any and all tension, entirely consumed by this new feeling. Closing her eyes, a deep purr left her.

Akio opened his eyes, feeling like time slowed. It wasn't like he hadn't heard her purr before, but this time it was a much deeper one. It meant she was relaxed. Not wanting to scare her, his other hand gently rubbed her back while the other gently scratched behind her ears.

@floof-ghostie @opalofoctober @s0ursop @elflynns-horde-of-stuff @pizzolisnacks @peachyblkdemonslayer

[calciumcryptid]

I must know more about the DemoCat period romance. I'm guessing that there are rumors that Kuroneko obtained her fortune by stealing from fellow elites? Is the Thieves Guild still around? I must know.

I do have some rough idea for the DemoCat Period Romance!

The wedding that Kuroneko returns for is Michi and Kitty's wedding, so the period romance would be a sequel in sorts to Michi and Kitty's period romance.

Kuroneko backstory is that she lived in squalor for a long time, and upon their last remaining guardians dying she took it upon herself to raise Kitty. She did this by getting lower class jobs in elite homes where she'd get access to areas such as bed chambers and parlors. There she'd take small trinkets and bobs and sell them.

The rumors about her started to make their way through the elite, which reached the Thieve Guild. Now I don't know that much about them or Goldeye so I'm going to take a little bit of creative liscense and make Goldeye the head of the Guild.

He is a lord and he basically manipulated Kuroneko by promising to marry her and bring her into the life of luxury if she worked a few jobs for him. A few jobs kept becoming more and more jobs with Goldeye slowly introducing Kuroneko to upper society.

The jobs culminate in Kuroneko stealing from the imperial family which would be the Yagi Dynasty. She manages to collect a lot of jewels, but is caught by Empress Inko. Inko sympathizes with Kuroneko and gives her some of her older jewelry to sell.

Kuroneko returns to Goldeye and gives him the stolen goods, and he responds by publicly and dramatically breaking off their engagement leaving Kuroneko in ruin.

Luckily she got Kitty an apprenticeship with Superstar and Sirenia before then, but she had to flee the country. She arrives in America where she has become self-made and owns a lot of women clubs.

Then she gets the wedding invitation and returns, but everyone remembers her failed engagement and keep questioning her especially since she still isn't married.

Kuroneko tried her best to play nice for Kitty's sake, but she couldn't deal with it so she got into her common woman disguise and hit the streets and started to fall back into her thieving ways to relieve stress.

Enough about Kuroneko for the moment though, let's see what Akio is up to!

Akio is a lord who is well liked but isn't really fond of the upper crust because he just needs to do something with his hands. So he spends a bunch of his time working for his construction company.

His workers know about it, but keep it a secret because they really like their boss and respect that he wants to pull his weight.

His best lord friend is Shukara, and the two spend time boxing against each other since they are the only ones that they can tolerate.

One day, while working, these imperial guard come sniffing around a construction site and Akio is VERY annoyed because they aren't adhering to safety regulations. They tell him they were chasing down a thief and need to investigate the premises but Akio is VERY insistent that he tags along because he is not about to let them ruin days of work.

He manages to stall them long enough that Kuroneko gets away.

At the end of the day, Akio runs into Kuroneko slipping away and the two have their first interaction.

Back in the world of the elite, Lord Akio meets Lady Kuroneko and the two immediately do not like each other because they rub each other as the elite they hate. This is not helped by Kitty and Shukara bragging about their achievements.

However their common disguises are VERY fond of one another but Kuroneko is terrified of letting someone in again because last time it ruined her and Akio is very nervous because he has never felt this way with someone before.

I'm not sure how'd they discover each other's identities, but eventually they do which initially has the two arguing but ends in them making out because of course. Lady Kuroneko is getting ready to leave but Lord Akio proposes to her and everyone is SO SHOCKED because no one knows what went down except for them and they are just like fuck what everyone else thinks I want you.

[alena-reblobs]

Trigun Bookclub Trimax Vol14 Part 2

Vol01: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3  | Vol02: Part 1 | Part 2

Trimax: Vol01 Part 1Vol01 Part 2 | Vol02 Part 1Vol02 Part 2 | Vol 03 Part 1 | Vol03 Part2 | Vol04 Part1 | Vol04 Part2 | Vol05 | Vol06 | Vol07 | Vol08 Part1 | Vol08 Part2 | Vol09 Part1 | Vol09 Part2 | Vol10 Part1 | Vol10 Part2 | Vol10 Part3 | Vol10 Part4 | Vol11 Part 1 | Vol11 Part2 | Vol12 Part1 | Vol12 Part2 | Vol12 Part3 | Vol13 Part1 | Vol13 Part2 | Vol13 Part3 | Vol14 Part1 | Vol14 Part2

Review for chapters 3 - 5. I'm emotionally dragging myself through these last chapters.

Chapter 3:

Ugh, this looks like an arm or a leg hanging out from the inner part of the plant? I wonder if in Knive's raid to collect all plants, some might have even got hurt? (and, not all plants are in Knive's custody, though a lot)

Yes clever bastard! You know I'm kinda rooting for Knives here. As smb else already said in their post, the earth guys can't just come out of nowhere, meddle with this conflict and solve it deus ex machina! (and I do love that drawing of Knives here. He looks so cool)

Yucky. I don't think I want to know what came out of the tube the other times.

I also read another post about this scene though I can't recall what it said anymore, I think it might have been another emphasise for the whole plant telepathy thing. And that's what's happening here! The lost girl gets contacted by the feather, and as a result, her thoughts are being transmitted to the people around her. It's such a cool concept! That one time Meryl was stuck in Vash's feathers, obviously she got overrolled with memories and feelings and the impact was much stronger, it was a steady contact with the feathers and the entity itself (Vash). So the feather alone, or maybe specifically the feathers by the dependant plants, can transmit thoughts (and mabe feelings?) of the being they touch to the surrounding areal? It could be purposefully done by the plants as a means of communication, so maybe the feathers don't always do that, just in this case. Hmmmm so many thoughts!

Trigun Mad Max style

And Knives is obviously feeling something, but he can't trace it...interesting. Does he feel as the plants scatter their feathers to the planet below or does he feel impressions from the feathers on earth?

These pages with all the different impressions that plants had are so so cool...I especially loved how there are even kindergarten kids/preschoolers that were brought to the plant facilities to learn about them! That is so cute! Then, Kuroneko! And the other image of these two guys, it kinda looks like Nightow might be wanting to make a hidden cameo of someone? It's not super fitting..but I headcanon these two guys to be from Lupin 3rd.

What an epic showdown though. On the one hand we have the inhabitants of the planet, trying their best for a peaceful out, and it looks like their efforts might bring them somewhere, because we have this beautiful montage of plant impressions. And then we have the earth fleet that just threaten to eradicate everything our protagonists ever fought for, despite them being kinda on the same side of the battle. Though who am I kidding, there are no real "sides" and no real good and bad people in Trigun.

Chapter 4:

Can I just post these images in a row...in this unconscious dream, Vash is seeing all the people he lost...first the terror of the last life he took, then Wolfwood..(he's smiling! Not judging him, but smiling at him!) and then people from home, from July...and his shocked eyes are breaking me. And even more hurtful is him reaching out to Rem, to his mmother...but he cannot touch her or any of them. Because it's still not his time to follow them. And he looks so done at the end but it's here where he finds his resolution to go on and to keep staying in this world for now, isn't it? A pitch black unknown future on one side, and his lost and loved ones where he cannot yet follow on the other.

The plant amalgamation is giving me either nge or final fantasy boss vibes

So many evil decisions to make for so many people in this series...!

Thanks for explaining because I wouldn't have understood any of what happened just now!

Truly, his own kind of angel.

You tell him, girls!! I love how they are the perfect example of the people of this planet that no matter what, get back up again! And I'm sure this is all thanks to hard work and lots of tough experiences through Vash. At the start of the series, maybe they would have acted another way, but meeting Vash changed them so much, and gave them so much hard earned hope and belief that now there's nothing that can easily bring them to their knees!

And he gets back up!!!

Chapter 5:

Maybe I was a bit fast with saying in the last chapter that was were he made that decision? Cause it looks like..it was parts Meryl talking, part the barrier, and part Knives yell that woke him up and had him keep going. Anyway, the first page here :( What's there left to see? Aw baby.

I like how the plants start to question what they're doing...maybe not directly with thoughts but in their plant way, they are sad about what they do, sad because they did not only have bad moments on earth, and especially sad because I'm sure they don't want to hurt anyone.

Aaah he's scared of making the connection

And rightfully so. That looks painful!

Beautiful beautiful ethereal page

Knives too, literally breaking apart...and cutting the literal last string of hope!

I have never read a series that was so much about hope and transporting the theme so well as Trigun. In this moment of reading you really really hope together with Vash. Incredible how much these last chapters of Trigun had me as the reader in their grip.

Probably 2 more posts for the lat 3 chapters...only 3 more!

[spacecadetneko]

Lunar Eclipse in Taurus! [November 8th, 2022 @ 5:17 AM EST]

~☆ Lunar eclipses are often called the wild cards of astrological transits, signaling great upheaval or blossoming beginnings of a life-changing bond that'll last a lifetime.

~☆ Taurus is a sign of stability and being grounded in Earth. With that being said, Taureans are prone to being stubborn and letting their own wants and desires guide their critical thinking. Taurus loves to indulge in material possessions and the pleasures of life that brings him comfort. Taurus craves routine and consistency in their lives in all aspects. This eclipse may challenge you to evaluate which "comfortable" possessions or behaviors are actually benefiting you, or are harming you. It may be time to shed some emotional and mental weight.

~☆ The Moon is exalted in the earthly sign of Taurus, which signifies the highest possibly expression of the planet's qualities. The Moon represents the need for nourishment and satiation. With the Moon being exalted and also eclipsed by the Scorpio Sun, this eclipse could signal the beginnings of a new support network, relationship, or a friendship that will be forged through deep, emotional bonds.

~☆ This eclipse is also interesting because of Mercury being conjunct the sun, while also being in direct opposition to the moon. Not to mention Venus forming a loose conjunction with both the Sun, and Mercury! These challenging aspects could prove to be difficult to surmount if you are an ineffective communicator in regards to emotional needs and wants. Mercury in opposition to the moon challenges your confidence and the energy will guide you in forming something you have perhaps been meaning to say for a while, or maybe confessing your feelings for someone. Mercury in Scorpio shines a light on your insecurities and short-comings. Be honest with your friend, and most importantly, yourself.

~☆ With the eclipse, mercury conjunct the sun, and mercury opposing the moon, tread lightly but with purpose. Don't be afraid to get into deep, emotional conversations with newly-made friends or a partner. It can be an amazingly fulfilling experience. However, be weary of people undeserving of a deep, emotional connection with you. The Moon's eclipse heightens its effects on our subconscious, so chances are you will know who is worthy or not in your heart.

~☆ This eclipse may be a good opportunity to discuss past setbacks or failures in relationships you are accountable for. Perhaps this will rebuild a bridge or rekindle a fire! Dig deep, hunker down, and figure out what's benefitting you and what's worth shedding. Physically, emotionally, and spiritually. It is also a great time to remind your loved ones that they are loved and cared for! 🌠💖

- Kuroneko 🖤🌠

[darksmistress]

I just watched Kuroneko and am--very sad??

Okay, I was expecting the whole, "be careful what you wish for"/"you don't know what you have until it's gone" plotline--it's clearly coded for that--except it...doesn't fully go that way?? Like, things don't work out with 'Cat Walker' because Ladybug is too attracted to him and can't concentrate. She doesn't really learn the 'perfect doesn't mean better' lesson that these plotlines usually follow. (Which, hey! Break those cliches! But here?) Here, Marinette seemed to realize more that she was letting her attraction get in the way of her ability to do what she needed to (hello irony), wanting to force a partnership with someone she really liked.

At the end, rather than getting Chat Noir back and appreciating him? It seemed more like falling back to what you have & what you know (which hey, sometimes in life we gotta do that). I feel the feelings and problems Adrien was having in this ep weren't really...resolved, yknow?

Like, I think we (as a fandom) have recognized for the longest time that Chat Noir was a way for Adrien to sort of let loose and Be Himself, away from the pressures his dad put on him. Then he creates Cat Walker, who is the Perfect Boy his father (and Everyone Else) expects him to be... To then see Ladybug falling for that Adrien-mask Cat Walker??

Could you imagine if he'd had to keep that up? Watch as Ladybug confirmed he was more desirable as Perfect Boy?? (because she was very clearly showing to the audience that he was her Type) Adrien continues to feel more isolated--I hope all this conflict will lead to something good for the season finale, at least...

Anyway, I got lots to discuss and explore on this if anyone wants to start discourse (mainly because I'm a huge angst fan for characters going underappreciated 😅)

[pancake-breakfast]

We're already to volume 8? *incoming trauma panic intensifies*

Stream-of-consciousness thoughts for TriMax Vol. 8, Chapters 1-2 below.

TriMax Volume 8 Covers

Goshdarnit, that bird-man better not be losing his prosthetic again. Those things can't be easy to come by.

LOL, he looks so serene in the fake cover. I'm guessing he supposedly dramatically threw the rose, but I just wanna think Wolfwood is wearing a tiny rose on top of that overblown mane Nightow gave him here. They're definitely shojo characters now.

Knives, just kinda... peeking nto the back cover there.

Is it just me or did Meryl and Milly grow their hair out a bit again?

LOL, Legato getting eaten by a fish on the back cover. He deserves it.

Ooh, a spinoff chapter? I'm down.

Also, someone needs to update Kuroneko's flea meds, I think. She's scratching a lot. Do they have fleas on this planet? I imagine they're just more worms.

Chapter 1: Invasion

Oh, Nightow, with your angled horizon lines....

This guy with the beard reminds me of a badger for some reason.

Uhhhh... what's happening here? Is this the arc taking off?

But... like... wasn't the arc (and where they met Knives and all) somewhere deep in Eye of Michael territoriy?

I wonder who's invading what?

LOL, Vash wakes up and just... goes about doing his routines, I see. Not gonna let the whole LACK OF AN ARM stop him.

Oh, shit, no. It's Legato doing this. That's bad. That's very, very bad.

Thanks to Vash? Thanks to Vash?! Vash wasn't the one who crashed all the humans into a desolate planet, forcing the humans to rely even more heavily on Plants than they likely planned to. Vash isn't the one who murdered a bunch of Plants in that same Fall. Vash isn't the one assimilating them into part of his being with no thought for whether or not it's their will.

THAT'S RIGHT, VASH. YOU TELL HIM. STAND UP FOR YOURSELF, BABYGIRL!!!

Ohhh, that looks painful. Legato didn't care for Vash's line of talk, I guess.

And Knives, great brother that he is, allows it. Because Vash needs to be punished until he understands Knives' point of view, apparently. 'Cause that's how that works.

Wolfwood, buddy, you look like you need some serious shut-eye.

Knives says this is a war, but he's framing it like it's just gonna be a massacre of his own design. And he's way too happy about it.

What's this Federation now?

Oh, that's bad news for them. That looks like... Wolfwood, Livio, and the other guy who's name I can nemver remember. Although I'll honestly be a bit surprised if it's Wolfwood and not just some EoM rando. Can't imagine Wolfwood's gonna be quick to make friends with Wheelchair Guy again anytime soon.

Ah, no. It's Wolfwood. This could get interesting.

*sigh* Wolfwood...

This all flies in the face of everything Wolfwood's learned about himself fighting alongside Vash, and Wolfwood knows it. The real question is, now that he doesn't have Vash at his back, what's he going to do with that knowledge? We just saw him choose to distract rather than kill with his weaponry, but how long will that last now that he's back in the clutches of EoM?

Oh, honey. There's nothing convenient about what's going through Wolfwood's head right now. Nightow hasn't given is the slightest glimpse of it, but... you can just tell. His poise, his look, and his choice not to just murder-death those guys is plenty to show he's at a crossroads. He's fought to get here, and he knows there will nasty consequences regardless of which path he chooses.

Ugh, Livio's making his move first.

Bonus points to Stampede for adapting Livio's guns well.

Wolfwood is not happy about this.

"There are times where life is harder than death, and that time has just begun." Foreshadowing much?

Oooh, look at all them plants just... watching.

Vash looks so desperate and so sad here. He just wants his brother to listen.

And, of course, Knives just dismisses him. Because Knives.

Knives isn't entirely wrong. He's overlooking that there are ways he and Vash could probably mitigate this if they worked together instead of Knives being so genocide-happy that Vash basically has to dedicate all his life to mitigating that, but yeah.

Two wrongs don't make a right, Knives. You're also punishing a lot of people for things they may or may not have done, and may or may not have been content accepting, especially if another way presented itself.

Ohhh, that looks like Vash breaking free of Livio's control for a moment.

Vash spitting truth here.

Gods, I'm so proud of him. Seems like he couldn't keep the presence of self the last few times he ran into Knives to say stuff like this. Then again, Knives was too dedicated to setting off his angel arm to really listen much, so that might have something to do with it. Now that Knives has prioritized Vash NOT setting off his arm, he has to hear Vash say stuff.

I wonder if Nightow regretted giving Vash so many scars at this point where he suddenly has to draw them again and again for several pages?

GG twisting Vash's words there to avoid actually looking at your own issues, Knives. A+ avoidance skills.

Chapter 2: Silent Ruin

CW: Body horror, reference to chattel slavery

Livio's going full 80's goth here, isn't he.

Crybaby Livio!

Oooh, old man struck a nerve. Not good. Wolfwood's shit at hiding his feelings.

Ah, there we go. The orphanage isn't aware that their numbers are harvested as Eye of Michael recruits. I... could say a lot on a religious group grooming its children to become ideal soldiers, but one only really has to look at the correlation between the U.S. Military and the U.S. Bible Belt to get the gist of it.

Livio cannot betray this guy? That's strong words. It sounds like Livio was built up to "succeed" where Wolfwood "failed."

Ah, we have another player on the field.

Ok, who's saying this? I have no idea who's saying this. Is it Livio? Is it Wolfwood? Maybe one of the others present in this scene?

Knives, what the hell are you swan diving off to do?

Ohhh, here we go with Knives stealing the plants. Stampede really bumped this element up in the timeline.

Oof, these people have been dead for a bit. No worries; in a place like that, they'll likely mummify before they rot too bad. Kinda like a peat bog but dry.

I hope Knives has a good tank to keep all these plants in and isn't, say, stuffing them all in his arm like a madman.

Oh, would you look at that. He's STUFFING THEM ALL IN HIS ARM LIKE A MADMAN. Dammit, Knives.

From what I gather, impalement is a very painful way to die. You usually go from exposure rather than bleeding out unless some kind soul pulls you free.

Oh, ok, Knives is also shoving them all into some sort of mass tank where they're crammed together like.... Is this supposed to call to mind images of slave ships back when they were a major import to the Americas? Because that's the vibe I'm getting. I really don't know how this could be more comfortable for them than their bulbs.

Yeah, somehow I don't think their warheads are gonna be much of a match for Elandira.

Vash is not having a good... week? I guess it's been a while now. Legato's having a time of it, too, since I'm sure Vash is fighting him quite a bit.

Wolfwood is also not having a good whatever.

Did... did Knives really succeed?

Seven months???

Oh, this has to be our girls.

Yeah! And Luida, too! They look a little worn, but no worse for the wear.

Archive

Trigun Vol. 1: Covers + 1-3, 4, 5-6, 7-8, 9-10 || Vol. 2: Covers + Extras, 1, 2-4, 5-6, 7-8

TriMax Vol. 1: Covers + 1-2, 3-4, 5-6 || Vol. 2: Covers + 1, 2-4, 5, 6-7 || Vol. 3: Covers + 1-3, 4-5, 6-7 || Vol. 4: Covers + 1-2, 3-5, 6-7 || Vol. 5: Covers + 1-2, 3-4, 5-6 || Vol. 6: Covers + 1-2, 3-4, 5-6 || Vol. 7: Covers + 1-2, 3-4, 5-6

Extra Credit: Trigun Vol. 1: Nebraska vs. Vash's Motivations, Vash's Loneliness, Vash's Depression (pt 2 of post), Soupy Brains || Vol. 2: Coin Factoids || TriMax Vol. 1: Lina, Vash, and a Haircut || Meryl, Vash, and the Pursuit of Happiness || Vol. 5: Knives, Vash, and Hatred for Humanity || Vol. 6: Coping Series: Wolfwood, Meryl, Vash