#so who is really the one who’s trapped? vash…or nai?

[kylermalloy]

Hush. Please Hush

Fandom: Trigun Stampede

Characters: Knives/Vash

Word Count: 1792

Summary: Nai wins.

He succeeds in wiping Vash’s memory and impregnating the plants in July. It’s everything he’s ever wanted.

Now, can Vash just stop asking questions?

Vash remembers nothing. He is still Vash—kind, affectionate. Nai’s little brother. But he no longer harbors any weakness toward the humans. He has no compassion for them. He has no reason to.

He is the perfect Independent.

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[nanomooselet]

My Brother's Keeper (IV)

In Vash's defence, he's not being a hypocrite - he's been consistently stubborn on this point from first to last. He's at least tried to accept and forgive every single one of the other antagonists, albeit with varying success. He's not about to give up on the one who happens to be his only remaining family.

Just like he won't give up on Wolfwood.

I can't abandon anyone who's in a tight spot. That includes you.

Is it for the orphanage?

Thank you. For everything.

This is the final reason that Knives chose so well. Nick himself is a victim, and a hostage. (An innocent man.) If Vash wants the children he protects freed, the easiest way is give himself up without a fight or trying to flee, because it means Wolfwood himself will be saved too - freed by the completion of his contract. I strongly doubt Wolfwood ever told Vash that exists, but it's reasonable Vash inferred that something like it is going on. So even as he's being escorted to face everything he's feared all this time, Vash forgives Wolfwood the "betrayal" with the gentleness of drying a child's tears - since it's for a reason he empathises with (remember Wolfwood's more like Vash than Knives, Knives is just the role he plays). Vash thanks Wolfwood simply for being there.

Why wouldn't he? Vash would never pass judgement upon anyone for protecting those they love when he's the reason they're endangered in the first place. (And every time I remember Vash believes this, I want to punt Knives into the sun.)

Vash is truly glad and grateful for the hope that Nick gave him. For a little while, he got to know what it's like to have a brother he has no reason to be afraid of. Wolfwood, in his pissy, snappish, endlessly-complaining and threatening-with-death sort of way, has faith in Vash and his abilities. Not to mention Vash's ideals, his dream of a better world, started taking hold in Wolfwood as soon as they got to know each other. Wolfwood would much rather live in the world that Vash fights so hard to build than die in the one to which Knives has condemned them all.

He let Vash talk him into trying to save Livio; he, Vash and the little lady did wind up saving Hopeland. He didn't shoot back at the man Vash allowed to shoot him. People are willing to change, even here, even now, even in spite of everything at stake. (Really, "here, now, in spite of everything" might very well be the best time, place and reason.)

Of course Vash is grateful to Wolfwood! Of course he looks at him with such sweet, unbearable fondness. Nick vindicated his trust by trying to change, and thus upheld Vash's longest-held, most dearly treasured conviction, the one Knives has spent all this time trying to shatter. (Let's have faith in humans.)

In short, along with guide and protector and hostage, Nick made for some superlative bait. That's the part I think was accidental.

Vash could have made it to July without him (since that gives Legato no excuse) but for the added incentive, you absolutely cannot do any better than this surly, scruffy, teary-eyed sockless dweeb in sunglasses who tries so hard to be cool. His brotherly love comes in a form Vash craves with all his heart as much as he grieves the love of his mother, his contract made Vash's surrender seem a win-win, and Nick's openness to change makes saving Nai look possible. It's a genuinely clever lure to capture someone like Vash. I'm surprised Knives managed to construct it.

Well, I'm maybe not affording him enough credit. He's had the time and resources to plan.

But Vash knew it was a trap all along. He knew going in. He knew hearing the piano play in Jeneora Rock. He knew all those years ago, in the Plant carrier that became July, when Knives told him he had a hundred years to wait before the coming of a new world. That's why it took a hundred and forty-five years - because Knives wanted Vash to be there, and Vash wouldn't be unless Knives dragged him.

You know, I believe Vash chose to return for himself. Right there in the rubble of Jeneora Rock. He decided it was his responsibility, and Vash's sense of responsibility (in contrast to Knives refusing any) is perhaps his very strongest character trait, running even deeper than his compassion. He takes it to a fault, if anything. He also assumes all blame.

I think because of that, truthfully Wolfwood was redundant. He turned up three days too late to do the job he was supposed to do. He, personally, is fortunate to be the one to meet Vash in person, but that's all. A single stroke of luck in all the fear and pain.

Because he's not a protector. Nor is he a guide. He isn't even a babysitter or a big brother now that Livio's gone. Vash didn't need any of those things, and never did. He really is far tougher than he seems - if anything "tough" is selling him short. Vash might actually be an impossibility. He might be unbreakable. He's a miracle.

And by comparison, Wolfwood's nothing. He's just some random undeserving asshole that Vash chose to save because that's what Vash does.

And that's what I think Wolfwood believes too. What's he even supposed to choose now that he finally has a choice? What was all this even for, without Livio?

How does he go on?

(Part I)

(Part II)

(Part III)

(Part V)

(Part VI)

(Part VII)

[smokeygrayrabbits]

singing vash thoughts sparked wolfwood thoughts. once again a notes app special that I have no explanation or context for. but it's taking up my storage. sorry in advance to any poor soul reading this

legends of the punisher make their way through gunsmoke, whispered on dark doorsteps and carved into shadowed walls.

the singing reaper. soft whistling, the hum of hymns long forgotten to time, lyrics whispered out, a mocking imitation of the final breaths they mark.

soft singing becomes a funeral march for his targets. a last dance with the angel of death.

but for some, it's salvation. an angels chorus, the feeling of divine protection for children walking home at night, for the weak and weary, hummed in cozy bars by those who know they're safe as long as they're wrapped up in his whispered gospel

one day, an angel enters the choir. and the chorus changes forever. now it sings of a tragic love, the worship of a faithless priest for this scarred angel.

the cantor has found his muse.

gospel and hymns preaching the soft draping warmth of a coat of bloodstained feathers, a halo of golden thorns, the watchful eyes as deep as forgotten oceans, overflowing with lonelyness and repentance and unconditionalallconsuming love. an angel who guides humanity from their death instead of to it.

millions Knives sends the punisher after the angel. and that's fine. it's a priests duty to obey a god, no matter the orders.

the punisher follows the angel across the sands. through blazes of bullets, out of towns away from fire and pitchforks and mobs of nonbelivers.

the punisher is only following orders.

orders bring the angel to the steps of the church built in his name. to his other half who wants to become whole once more.

wolfwood fulfills his role as shepard, guiding trapping the angel to the alter.

his duty is complete. wolfwood leaves.

Meryl drags him back.

it's too late.

there's no recognition in vash's eyes, no more of the soft caring looks that he kept giving wolfwood, just a rabid fear as he fights and fights and tries to get away, get to nai,

and maybe vash fights back for real now, maybe he punches wolfwood with his prosthetic hand, hard like wolfwood had always wanted him to, instead of giving him impossibly sad stares. maybe wolfwood is now staring down the barrel of a gun not designed to kill, but lord knows vash is gonna try

a single tear slips down vash's cheek. he doesn't seem to notice as he levels the gun against wolfwood

falling stars dropping from the fear filled eyes of his angel

without realizing it, or even knowing why, vash is crying, gun steady and levelled on wolfwood, but he shakes just enough to know something is wrong and why is he crying but he doesn't know this man then why is he crying why does this man look so afraid, not of the gun, but of him and why is he crying

no, he realizes, not of him

for him.

blank eyes cry but the gun never falters, and wolfwood can’t help but smile, chuckle tasting like bile in his throat, a smile that should have vash faltering, that in any other circumstance would make vash second guess, but his hand remains steady, ghosting over the trigger as wolfwood sends one final prayer of penance, one last plea for salvation that he knows he doesn’t deserve because it was him who killed the angel and gave him a gun

the longer they stand there, vash crying and shaking but gun oh so steady in practiced hands, and wolfwood trying to get some kind of recognition from him what was that he'd said about a memory to bring back his true self? and eventually wolfwood moves to acceptance. he knew he would die someday. with his positon? it was a given. but wait, no, he cant accept this. vash swore to never kill, and wolfwood would never be able to let the only person vash personally delivers to hell be himself, that'd hurt vash far too much, even if he can't tell now

he doesn't really know why, but wolfwood starts humming. maybe a final attempt to comfort himself before the end. maybe to try and get vash to have any other look on his face than that blankness woldwood always hated that look. nothing never was a good look on vash, on this bright vibrant alive angel of a man hell, maybe wolfwood just wanted to face his end creating something, after destroying so much in his short life. a final attempt at repentance.

so wolfwood hums.

the very same tune he heard fall from vash's own lips while wolfwood pretended to be asleep as to not startle the soft, melancholy creature that would emerge from vash in the solitude of a silent night, under the watchful eye of the stars vash came from.

so wolfwood hums.

knives freezes. the satisfied grin falling from his face. leaving it slack with rage and something that looks tragically like nostalgia and grief (of a childhood, of simpler long abandoned.)

wolfwood shifts his gaze back to vash as if he could ever tear them away from that beautiful face for even a moment. he tries to burn this angels face into his mind. those blue eyes, always filled with an ocean deep, unending grief that wolfwood had only just began to lighten if only he had more time. the gentle slope of his cheekbones, pale and soft despite a centure of pain in an unforgiving desert the planes of vash's face always fit so nicely against his shoulder, his chest, his lap. the arching brows that would shoot up in theatric shock at the smallest hint of dumbfuckery vash had mentioned wanting a piercing there, once. when they were nearing the bottom of a bottle in some forgotten nowhere town. he would have dragged Nick along with him, to hold his hand. the same hand that had the barrel of a gun leveled at wolfwoods chest. the soft point of his nose wolfwood booped it once. vash practically flipped over backwards, adorably wide eyed and flushed the rest of the day. wolfwood pretended he didn't. seeing vash touching the same spot over and over again for the rest of the night. wolfwood made a point of doing it as often as possible after that.his eyes traced the sharp edge of vash's jaw which always dug into wolfwoods shoulder on long rides, bony asshole, but fit so nicely in his hand. finally, wolfwoods gaze, still humming like a funeral march, reached vash's lips, and the train of blood flowing from the corner of his mouth, slack and blank like the rest of vash's face and wasn't that just awful. blank never was a good look on vash, on this bright, vibrant, alive, angel of a man. a smile was better. come on darlin', smile. you always look best wearin' a smile wolfwood traces those lips with his eyes what he wouldn't give to do it one last time with his fingertips, his tongue. God what he wouldn't give to kiss those lips again, always so petal soft despite decades in the sun

blood drips from vash's mouth, spilling like ruby tears onto that coat of red this tragic angel always wraps himself in. drops disappearing, hidden from view swallowed up and squirreled away like so much of vash's pain, as soon as they meet the crimson fabric.

wolfwood hums.

knives rages nai remembers.

and vash screams

[rennsdeaddoves]

Au Summaries List

IGHT time for the Au Summaries! lets dive in fr fr!

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Second Set AU - Trigun Stampede

this au take place after the events of season one (the current season). the doc working under naii has managed to acquired some of Vash's DNA and he still has some of Nai's so using the samples he attempts to re-grow the two brothers but something shifts during the process and instead of the brothers it is two twin sisters.

these two manage to escape and set out to the vast world in search of their brother Vash. but this world isn't at all what they expected.

a silly little au of what if Vash and Nai had sisters made after the July incident.

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The Silent Princess Au - Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdome

basically the journey of one of Rauru and Sonia's children as she makes friends with Ganondorf, is betrayed and goes about her mostly immortal life through hyrule till she stumbles across this incredibly fearal Hyilan boy with an impossible task and decides to help

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The Shard Swallower Au - Tears of the Kingdom (LOZ)

this au has some complexities which makes describing it hard but i'll try my best.

essentially Ganondorf has a daughter who he raises to be his heir, when he goes to swear fealty to Rauru its not him anymore. and when he becomes the demon king the Gerudo people turn on their princess beating her within an inch of her life. her grandmothers the twin Rova cast a spell so she can find her father. when she does she choses to swallow a broken off shard of her fathers secret stone which freezes her body but also has some other effects that wouldn't rear there head till many centuries down the line. Now the demon king is back, Zelda is missing and she has to do something before her memory goes.

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Siren / Mermaid au - Demon Slayer

A littler mermaid au with the characters of demon slayer and my oc Ryoka. its cute, and it let me have my siren au!

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Hanabi au - Demon Slayer

So this was actually my Demon slayer fic, but then it grew, and i altered the plot heavily, and now its an Au. i genuinely could not explain or break it down here because there is just so much to cover. so i'll give you guy's some points instead

Yokai, Hanyo, and Demons are all separate entites the gods are involved breathing forms are in fact real muzan isn't really evil, he's actually a trapped god there is a war that goes almost entirely unseen.

also this is a Rengoku Kyojuro x oc main focus but this au does have a side fic of Akaza x oc

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SpiderMentor Au - Into / Across the spiderverse

Miguel (2099) drops into a completely ruined dimension chasing an anomaly, he looks for this ruined earths spider man only to find out he died horrifically due to a virus the Symbiotes brought to earth to thin the population. however, he does find a child within the Alchemax building, she had peter's DNA but is not his kid... because her DNA has also been spliced with many other things including a Symbiote to create the perfect hero to save this world. even though there is nothing left to save.

Miguel takes on a spiderling au and become a mentor / father again.

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Define "Human" Au - Neon Genesis Evangelion

don't know if this one is really an Au but i'm changing some pretty major plot points and merging continuities so yeah i'm considering it an au.

basically; Shinji has a sister, she's a lot better than him, and she simps for Unit one (who is not their mom in this)