#that was my first proper vash drawing!!

[beesinspades]

april 2023 vs september 2023 :D

[whom-to-kill-whom-to-let-live]

An angry tiny creature Knives and a very confused Legato (ﾉòᗜó)ﾉ

[novasintheroom]

Tournament - Prince Vash x Reader

A hot day for a tournament. The sun beats down on the backs and necks of attendees, flies buzzing through the air, drawn to the scent of horses and sweat. Fans try to wave away the heat, but people are growing sluggish and red.

You sit under the set-up awning for the royal family and higher nobles. The fan in your hand swats at the air and insects around your face. Drops of sweat streak down your back under your dress. Not for the first time (or the fifth), you wish the tournament would end early. At least then you could return to the relative coolness of the castle.

“Are you enjoying yourself, Highness?” Meryl asks at your side. Bless her, she must notice your slowly deteriorating mood.

“Well enough,” you say. Then, leaning toward her, you whisper, “Prince Vash will make an appearance soon, correct?”

The smile she gives you has you blushing. “Eager to see our prince in action?”

You wave the fan once, twice. “More eager to get out of this heat.”

Meryl hums in agreement, fluttering her own fan for a breeze. Before you, a clattering of armor and weapons. The four combatants wail on each other mercilessly. One goes down with a kick, then the other is hit in the back, a ringing gong as they also fall. The final two warriors circle each other. The first charges, catching the other in a defensive move before throwing them down to the ground. The crowd cheers and whoops, and Millie takes off her helmet to raise it high in triumph. Sweat glistens on her brow, her hair sticking to her face where it has fallen lose of the ponytail she had it in.

You and Meryl cheer loudly for her. You especially ignore the look Nai gives you on the side. Let him disapprove. You would cheer for your new friend if you wanted.

Millie is handed a white rose, and she grins. She hurries over to the sidelines and presents it to Wolfwood, his priest regalia hot under the blazing sun. Nicholas tenses at the presentation but regains his usual smirk, tipping his head in thanks. Millie leans forward with her cheek, and Nicholas presses a quick peck to it – the usual ceremony of being chosen as a tournament victor’s man or lady.

“The prince usually picks a new girl every year to present his rose to,” Meryl comments idly, clapping as Wolfwood pins the rose to his vest. It looks good on him. “I have no doubt he’ll be presenting the rose to you this year, my lady.”

But of course. Even as your stomach clenches in nerves, you know it’s the only proper thing for a husband to do for his wife – unless he has a public mistress. Which, you think, I’m pretty sure he doesn’t…Yet, looking at all the eager young ladies both in the booth and surrounding the grounds, you can’t help but wonder. He certainly has his pick of the bunch if he chooses.

The announcer climbs to his stand again. “We will now begin the archery tournament! First, Lord Hircine of the Red Marshes!” Crowds cheer and girls titter as the first young lord stepped up, fits his bow, and fires at the targets.

So it went for the next twenty minutes. It wasn’t until the very last combatant that the announcer proclaimed: “Prince Vash, of the Kingdom of JuLai!” A ruckus of roars goes up from the attendees, and you straighten your back. Vash steps forward, waving at the crowd and smiling. He looks radiant. This is his place, his people.

A surprise comes out in the form of a horse. Your brows twitch downward. “Ah,” Meryl says, waving a hand, “his trick this year. He’s been talking about how he wants to ‘wow the crowd.’”

“Is that allowed?” You ask.

Meryl shrugs and sighs. “The prince often does what he wants. Besides, riding a horse while shooting in archery makes it harder for him, not easier, so I see no reason not to allow it.”

The crowds murmur as Vash mounts the horse, then kicks it into a trot, then a canter, then a full-blown run around the field. With his bow, he draws back, and fires at the first target. Bullseye. He fires at the second and hits the middle again. People cheer and clap their hands, whooping at Vash as he goes by.

Then, he does something dangerous. He takes his leg over the saddle and rides on the side of the horse, pulling back the short bow and firing a trick shot into the air. Amazing how it lands perfectly centered in the target. He does this again, and again, switching sides on the horse with acrobatic precision when a target gets close. The crowds lose their minds. Even the other combatants shout encouragement at the prince, awed by both his archery and horse-riding skills combined.

You can’t help but stand to watch, leaning against the railing and watching this man, your husband, ride by. The grin on your cheeks hurts. Vash sees you and throws you a salute and grin, even slowing the horse down to blow a quick kiss at you. Cheeky, you think. With a thwack, the final arrow hits the last target. You and Meryl clap vigorously with the people, cheering the show on, even calling out encores.

Vash finishes with a deft dismount in front of the announcer. He gives a low bow to the crowd, who continue to yell and scream out his name. The announcer pats the prince on the back, murmuring something to him. Vash laughs. Taking the prince’s hand, the announcer raises it and says, “With an amazing score of twenty out of twenty targets hit in the center, I pronounce Prince Vash of the kingdom of JuLai this year’s archery winner!”

Everyone cheers. The only person who stays in his seat is Nai, who only claps. Vash is presented with the white rose of a victor, and your stomach clenches in nerves again. He looks around at the crowd, the girls lining the fence and waving him over with kerchiefs and hands. But his gaze lands on you, still standing on the low stage for royalty. His smile is warm, and he trots over to the fence, vaulting it and coming to a stop just a few inches below you.

He hands you the white rose. It is beautiful, and simple, and smells lovely. You give him your shyest smile. Vash grins, and tilts his face, tapping his cheek. Cheeky, you think again, and a rush of defiance overcomes you. You take hold of his chin and press your lips quickly to his – just quick enough to catch him off-guard.

Not quickly enough, though - he still manages to press his lips back, automatic and eager, even if he doesn't realize it. The crowd oohs and cheers. You break the kiss and turn before you can look at him too long; even the girls laugh at the look of shock on their prince’s face.

You head back and sit down in your chair. Vash is still leaning over the railing, eyes wide and cheeks red. You raise your brows. What are you waiting for? Go on. When he doesn't move, Nai clears his throat loudly. Vash shakes himself after a moment and gives you his own shy smile. It turns into a full-blown grin as he turns and shakes his hands in the air for the crowd. They cheer and wave back and call out to him as he makes his way out of the tournament grounds.

Meryl leans over. “Well, now you’ve done it. The crowd will expect that every year from now on.”

Your brows raise again. “Is that not customary here?”

“To kiss your husband publicly? No.” She smiles. “But it may become customary now!”

You feel your own blush crawl up your cheeks. You didn’t expect to break custom with that one action; you just wanted to humble Vash a bit. Nai is full-on glaring at you now. But you hold your head high, taking the scrutinizing gaze of your new people with dignity. You even see a few people shyly kiss their significant other on the lips as they trail away from the fences.

Carefully, you pin the rose to your bodice, right above your heart, and think about your second kiss with your husband. His lips were soft, a bit chapped.  You had a long way to go before you did that again. But it still felt nice to break from tradition for a moment.

[trigunsbbygirl]

If you’re open for requests could I get a part 2 to Nai being isekaid onto Earth? Maybe when he starts to adapt and get used to the concept? Thank you and feel free to ignore if your requests are closed!

I've seen so many drawings of Knives working fast food on twt and its so fucking funny I love it so much. he would evaporate if he worked in my city during tourist season. but anyways, always down to talk about reverse isekai. hope you enjoy it!!

•it doesn't take long for Knives to get used to how things work on Earth. in fact, he finds a few similarities on Earth and Gunsmoke: you go to school, graduate, get a job, pay bills, buy groceries and so on.

•it's the way the corporate world, government and social media works that he has a bit of a harder time understanding? Knives gets it, he understands the concept and how greed consumes but he's still baffled by it all.

•I won't get into much politics or the saddening things that are happening around the world, but every once in a while, when watching the news, Knives will turn to you and just say 'I am considering returning to my old ways.' and you just hum in agreement.

•he also has a hard time adjusting to being around so many people almost all the time now. even though he stays inside your home most of the time he can still hear people talking, cars driving by and airplanes. it takes him a while to get used to all the noise.

•Knives only really goes shopping with you out of curiosity. he wants to see all the things that are on Earth even if he says he doesn't care. (overtime he starts going with you to make sure you're safe and that he can protect you.)

•I think he'd quite like farmers markets though. it may be busy but he can push through it for the fresh food.

•this man has zero online presence. the only account he would ever have is a youtube account if you and Vash (mainly Vash) managed to convince him to make one to post his music. other than that, he refuses to make accounts for Twitter or Instagram. he sees no point in it.

•Knives doesn't use a diary, but he does write what he did that day on the calendar app. his notes are very blunt too, 'went to zoo. interesting animals.' 'went grocery shopping. boring.' 'celebrated their birthday.. was fun.'

•he also doesn't text much and when he does the messages are short and straight to the point. "what do you want for dinner?" "when are you coming back home?" "we are out of x, pick some up on your way home." and he leaves you on read a lot too.

•also uses proper punctuation and dots the ends of his sentences. he rarely uses abbreviations and slang. the first time Knives used lol you acted like it was the biggest thing ever and he just replied 'stop freaking out.' then promptly left you on read.

•now let's say Knives somehow gets an ID, ssn and all that stuff. like the universe said go help pay bills and gifted him those stuff or smth.

•I've been seeing Twitter talk about Knives working at McDonald's in a modern au and yeah that's funny, but this is a reverse isekai and Knives is still dealing with his kill all humans mentality. if he worked customer service or at a restaurant he may genuinely say fuck the military consequences and consider mass genocide after one too many bad encounters. plus Knives would just be like 'why would I serve an inferior being?'

•but I could see him working at a small local book store or library. it's quiet, not too busy and Knives gets to easily learn about new books or books he may never have ended up hearing about. not much really happens, but one day more people than usual come in to buy a certain book. Knives mentions it to you and you have to explain how a Trigun fan account recommended 'This is How You Lose the Time War.' he has to take a second to take the information in.(I'm so sorry I just had to add this in nsvsjwhks- iykyk-)

•he still has a hard time wrapping his head around the fact that people enjoy Trigun. Knives tries not to think about it a lot, it weirds him out. the fact that a lot of people know about his past, trauma, and apparently, future makes him feel a little queasy and gross. he knows there's nothing he could've done and though no one knows he's actually there, it's still really invasive to him.

•anyways, if Knives learned how to drive, he would be very responsible. the only time he'd break any laws is speeding 10 mph above the speed limit on the highway, but everyone does that so he just joined in.

•whenever someone near him is driving like an asshole he sits there with a death glare. he's there thinking, 'I could ruin your car with my blades. I won't, but I could.' (he wishes he could but he knows many cars have a dashcam and that would cause bigger problems than just legal ones.)

•if it weren't for him living at your place, Knives would have little to no decorations in his home. maybe a few plants and coasters on the tables and books that he likes on a bookshelf, but that's kinda it. he might frame some of his paintings and hang them up. (I can see him with hanging vine plants)

•he gets into gardening a little, maybe hydroponics. Knives doesn't really want a big garden, but he'd like to grow a few vegetables and herbs.

•Knives still doesn't sleep, but over time he will join you for bed and cuddle you as you fall asleep. though after a while, Knives will get out of bed to do his own things. it takes a while for him to get into the idea of just sleeping, but he starts to indulge himself as he realizes how comforting it is to lay with you and rest.

•he starts to surprise you with romantic dinners, like he'll have candles lit up, a slow melody playing in the background. afterwards Knives will draw a bath for you and if you want him to, he'd gladly join you. either way, he's helping you wash up, telling you to just rest after the day you've had. it's the least he could since he can't work.

•overall he does end up adjusting quite well, it just takes him a long time to accept that he does have to live among humans and that the goal he's been working towards for years is practically undoable now. and it takes even longer to start indulging himself in other hobbies and his emotions that start to grow. (although I think his view on humans won't exactly change. but he acknowledges that there are people who are fighting for the greater good.)

[greetingfromthedead]

Festivities (Vash x Reader)

🎄🎄 Merry Vashmas and Happy WooWoodays! 🎄🎄

Plot: On the winter solstice your community has its own traditions and this year you spend them with Vash. Also Vash has cuteness aggression.

Series: Tempest Wind, but made to work as a oneshot

Pairing: Vash x Reader

Raiting: For Everyone

Tags: AU, Established Relationship, Fluff, Ice Skating, Holidays, Festivities, Cozy, I Have Never Been Good At Tagging Stuff

Word count: 2.1k

Author's Note: This is a slightly modified chapter from my upcoming fic "Tempest Winds". On that note I am looking for beta readers / proofreaders so if you are interested, hmu!

The snowflakes fall gently onto your face as you look up towards the snow covered tree branches. A path carved into the snow leads along the river, the fast current has kept it from freezing. The melody of the stream draws your attention and you stumble on the uneven trail, arms shooting out to find balance, but you have nothing to worry about as a strong hand grabs you under your arm before you land in the white powder.

"Careful now, love!" his voice is amused, "Are you really going to fall over before we even get to the ice?"

You get your feet underneath yourself again and turn around to shoot him a disapproving stare. As expected you first see the huge zipped up red coat and when you look up you see him peering down at you from between the layers of fluffy scarf. The pompom on his hat jiggles as he laughs at your expression.

"Why do you always feel the need to make fun of me?" you try to sound serious and look stern.

Vash bows closer, one hand holding the bag over his shoulder. He is eye level with you now and you see the happy glint in the deep blue eyes, his lips in a wide smile.

"Because it's easy and I adore your expressions!" he says proudly and you roll your eyes. You know you'd do the same if the opportunity arises. You enjoy teasing him just as much as he loves teasing you. He pecks a quick kiss on your lips, only barely missing the scarves around both of you. Your gloved hands grab the front of his coat and pull him closer to give him a proper kiss before turning around again and continuing on along the path. The kiss freezes Vash into place for a second, still bent forward, he stares at you leaving before hurrying after.

Soon you see the main road ahead, lit up by many candles leading down the slope to the big lake, the trees on either side so dense that you could almost forget it's still light outside. As you get off your little path you see a few more people, some coming up the incline, still out of breath and cheeks rosy, their skates dangling from their bags. Others are heading down just like you are to enjoy the views and a festive day. As you get to the candlelit road you stop and wait for Vash to put down the bag. You rummage through it and take the two candles you've brought handing one to Vash. He smiles warmly and waits for you to close the bag again and light your wick with the flame of the closest candle. You turn towards the man and hold out your candle at a slight angle so he has it easier to light his flame with yours.

"I wish you happiness and patience. I hope you have a magical season and a new year that is peaceful and kind to you." the smile on your face makes his heart flutter as you say those words, passing on your wishes to him.

Vash looks at his candle for a moment before making a little spot for it in the snow and placing it down.

"I wish love and happiness, like the kind I feel every day, to whoever gets my flame. I hope their heart will be light and worries will be but a distant memory." Vash leaves his words with his candle as you put yours down next to his.

"Let's go!" you grab his hand, waiting for him to follow you. He quickly throws the bag over his shoulder and squeezes your hand as you start running down the slope, you see people who are lighting their candles and handing down their well wishes. You get around the bend in the road and see the two large spruce trees towering on either side of the path, they are decorated from top to bottom in crystals. An ancient tradition passed down by generations since the colonizing ships first arrived. Some of the crystals are emitting a dim glow that's barely visible in the daylight, others reflecting the light from the sun. Some are round, others are sharp, there are both ores and polished stones, the light dusting of snow shimmering as the path opens up to the enormous lake surrounded by cliffs and mountains on the opposite side. The long and narrow shape has allowed for the snow to be blown away by wind, leaving smooth blue ice behind. 

You drag Vash to a free bench and start pushing your boots off before he even gets around to handing you your skates. He smiles at your excitement as you pull on the skates and start to tie them up. Vash follows your lead knowing full well how you will become if you have to wait for him to be ready, he doesn't feel like being called a slowpoke by you again as you shake with excitement. In the end it's him patiently waiting for you as you meticulously get yourself ready so you can enjoy what's next. You put all you things in the bag that Vash takes to carrying once again. He helps you up from the bench and hand in hand you go to the ice, carefully passing the young children and beginners still finding their balance. Once out in the open you get to speed up.

You skate along the coast for a bit looking for a perfect spot to leave the bag. Carefully you hang it on a tree branch making sure to remember the surrounding and off you go. Pushing yourself to go faster and faster, Vash realizes immediately what you are doing - trying to race him to the other side of the lake, of course you cheated by starting early, but it doesn't matter, he still catches up and passes you, haven gotten a bit ahead he turns around. Laughing at you as he tauntingly skates backwards. You still try to catch up to him, but sadly there's no competition, your only hope was to get a head start. Better luck next time, you'll let him hang up the bag and start booking it as soon as he turns his back on you.

As you clearly lost, you shake your head and slow your pace, changing trajectory to be along the beach again. You look at the dark green forest covering the gentle mountain slopes, the stony cliffs bare from most vegetation. Here and there you see little houses, but you know most are hidden well. As you leisurely watch around, Vash skates circles around you. He has unzipped his coat that's now flapping in the air currents, as he laps you over and over. He keeps looking at you with a gentle smile, like you're the most beautiful view here. His cheeks are red both from the cold air and the slight blush as he thinks just how dear you are to him.

It is already getting dark after barely just getting here as this festive day is held on the solstice when the night is the longest, from here it will get lighter again as spring inches its way closer. That's why everyone here gathers together, the usually so reclusive people of your community have formed traditions, to show each other just how close you really are, that nobody is alone and everyone wishes their neighbor well. It's an amalgam of new customs formed over the decades spent here on this planet and very old ones brought here from Earth.

The sun disappears behind the mountains and as twilight settles in, lights start to appear in the forest and on the cliffs. Vash slows down and takes your hand. Together you glide over the ice watching your surroundings come to life as people light lanterns in their windows revealing the hundreds of houses dotted around the lakeside.

"I'm so glad I get to spend this day with you." Vash's voice speaks up next to you and when you look over you see his eyes on you. As you slow to a stop you turn to face him. You pull off your gloves stuffing them into a pocket and cover his freezing cold cheeks with your warm hands. His cover yours as to avoid you getting frosty.

"I'm glad I get to spend every day with you." you smile, "You fill them with so much happiness."

"I love you." his soft eyes looking into yours as he speaks the simple words that make your heart jump every time you hear them.

"I love you too. Getting to build a home together with you means the world to me." you think of the cozy house that awaits you, all year you've worked on turning it into your personal paradise, the building you grew up in is now more than just that, it's an actual home.

Vash bows down, his hands letting go of yours and instead wrapping around you. He kisses you slowly and tenderly. Your hands slide to be around his neck, pulling him close as your lips move together deeply and lovingly. His arms hold you against him tight, your body keeping him warm. Suddenly he straightens out, pulling you up with him, your skates no longer touching the ice. He breaks the kiss to push his cold nose  against your neck, making you instinctively flinch. He pushes against the ice and you find he is spinning you around. Letting out a squeal you hold on tighter.

"I love you. I love you. I love you." he almost shouts into your scarf, as he overflows with excitement, leaving you laughing. He carefully puts you down again, but spins you so he is behind you, wrapping his arms around you once more and putting his cheek on your shoulder to look at your smiling face. You look back at him knowing there is never a dull moment with him around. You put on your gloves again before taking his hand.

"Shall we go? We still have a light to hang up in our window." you ask him.

"Yes, Sweet Pea, let's go home." he pushes his cold cheek to your ear. "I need you to warm me up again."

You laugh and push yourself off, his hand in yours as you go back to where you left the bag to pick it up and you make your way to the entrance where even more candles have been lit, the trail of them leading onto the ice now. The giant spruces in full effect looking like they have been sprinkled with stardust. You take a last look around, the lights from the mountains and the stars in the sky almost blending into one, reminding you where you come from.

Before you head home you go to one of the decorated trees, Vash standing behind you as you take off your red knitted scarf. You tie it to one of the branches, among the number of other colorful scarves. Vash's hands are on yours as you form the knot and you let out a content sigh.

"May our ancestors watch over us, may we carry on." you let the scarf slip out of your hand and for a moment Vash still holds you, giving your fingers a light squeeze and then stepping back to offer you his hand. Together you go home again, the candles with everyone's happy wishes lighting up the dark night. Even the path along the river has a few candles , but the moonlight creeping in from between the branches and bouncing off the snow is enough to guide you.

You get to your little wooden house by the river, it feels so warm and welcoming because you know you can spend your days there with the man you love. Vash gets started on the fireplace and you make sure there's hot chocolate ready for him. As the room is lit up you bring the lantern that's been waiting for your return. With a long stick Vash brings over a small flame from the fireplace and lights the candle in the lantern as you hold open its door. Together you hang up the guiding light on your window facing the lake. You doubt anyone is able to see it though the forest, but it doesn't matter, it's the thought that counts.

Together you settle into the couch by the fireplace, surrounded by soft pillows and blankets, you lay your legs over his lap, Vash's arm around your shoulders to keep you close. The fire relieves the ache in your muscles and you feel happiness and bliss.  

Read more Tempest Wind HERE.

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[theodoradevlin]

Montrose, Ravenclaw. 7th Year.

Despite the sickie - had time to doodle some more of my Ravenclaw OC. Thought i had more patience to keep adding color, and as always i do not so here's a messy doodle in the meantime. BUT I WILL FINISH.

In my head he's like a mix of Gerard Way and Vash the Stampede, but wrapped up in a proper English Gentleman. AKA why i had to draw one emo version of him, and one regular LOL. (...I also tried to make use of that one weird haircut from the game that looks like emo roxas LOL but that's neither here nor there- wow sick brain won't shut up.)

Here's some more about him:

Full Name: Andrew Montrose, goes by Montrose. (Theo and Cal nicknamed him Monty to piss him off though)

Familiar: Pure White Tabby, Reginald

Personality Traits: Extremely bookish, and reserved, with a sense of humor that appears when everyone least expects it. Very straightforward and blunt. Will be the picture of an english gentlemen and is very well-mannered, unless he lets you in. Then that...is quite another story. Extremely protective and strict in terms of habits, both good and bad.

High Level Background: Montrose is from a wealthy aristocratic family, pure-bloods. While most of his family went the Slytherin route, Montrose' need for practicality lands him in Ravenclaw.

OC Relationships: He became friends with Cal first, due to their similar ratio of low energy, high sarcasm personalities. At first, he couldn't even be bothered with Theo - but now looks after her as an older brother would an annoying little sister.

[dapper-shipping-forever]

T.rigun s/i origin, part 1

I decided to try doing something while telling her backstory, it's gonna be like part summary and part narrative.

Not sure if I'm gonna do this for all of it.

Anyway, tell me what y'all think !

---

On the same ship that Vash and Nai were raised on, there was another plant specialist, a scientist who had a constant craving to learn more about them. Before Vash and Nai were born, after Tesla was destroyed by experiments, he had discovered another plant was pregnant. He hid this from everyone else and faked that there was an issue with it, getting permission to take it into his personal care to take care of. He isolated that plant within his lab and during gestation faked reports about something being wrong. It gave birth, and the independent plant was a boy. He allowed the plant to be put back in its proper home, but kept the baby a secret. He hid him in his personal lab and office.

He hadn't agreed with how they experimented on Tesla. Not that they experimented on her, just how they did it. They were much too rough, he thought, they destroyed her before they could truly learn from her. He would keep the boy as his own private experiment and learn as much as he pleased.

His experiments were cruel, but always performed carefully.

He was livid that the plant pregnant with the twins was found by someone else before him.

But later, he found another before anyone else, and again he hid it. The young male plant had never left the lab, and was fascinated by seeing another plant for the first time, though this one wasn't the same as home. The independent plant born then was a girl.

Both were kept hidden, and she became an experiment with the boy.

The boy instantly felt protective of the girl. He couldn't keep her safe from the researcher but he could do whatever possible to shield her. The girl learned she could rely on the boy, and they were soon inseparable.

As they matured, the experiments became more complex. The researcher previously worried using too much power could draw attention to his lab from someone like Rem, but he invented a method similar to harvesting energy from the plants, he would use one of them as an energy source for experimenting on the other, forced to watch their closest companion tortured as a result of themself.

The boy felt like his ears were being brutally stabbed by the girl's screams, helpless within the glass tank he floated within, hands pressed to the glass watching her finally stop. The experiment finished and the restraints released her from the wall. When she fell to the floor, she trembled, but he could see she was unable to move. The experiments had gone further this time, and she was paralyzed where she lay right now. The hissing of the tank unlocking barely filtered in for the boy, but it did register just enough for him to know he was freed from it. The researcher dragged him out, and immediately he ran to the girl's side, grabbing her. "Hey ! Are you alright? Come on now !"

She couldn't respond, trembling in his grasp.

"Stop that." The researcher said. "It's perfectly alright; I'm not going to damage either of you two. No need for a display."

Fury simmered then surged within the boy, and he began to tremble from it. "You monster." He growled.

He scoffed. "That's funny; I'm no monster. Remember, I'm the human in this lab."

The boy's fury became uncontrollable, and he released the girl, spinning around and leaping at the researcher. His hands were clawed as he attempted to put them on the researcher, no plan only the rage of a hurt boy pushing him forward. The researcher grabbed his wrists, their struggle short as the researcher was much stronger than the small plant.

The researcher dragged the boy to a side room, just a small closest, and shoved him within. He locked it, as the boy pounded his fists in anger trying to get out.

"Unruly thing; looks like you need to be put aside until you calm. Can't have you ruining any of my experiments in this state." He turns away, already musing. "Interesting to observe; I should note this."

The researcher moves the girl to a table, until she could move. The whole time, the boy raged in captivity. That door stayed closed for six days. As an independent plant, the boy has no need for food or water, therefore no need to open the door until he is ready to be released from behind it. The entire time, he howled and hit. His anger, his hatred, his vitroul, he vowed all of it would be heard if he had to scream them a million times.

The researcher simply ignored him.

Finally, it was enough for her. The girl had been scared to say anything, but she hated being listening to him bellow. The girl missed the boy.

The girl approached the door and sat in front of it, gazing at it as if trying to see the boy across it. "He says he won't let you out until you're calm."

The boy simply seethes.

"Please." The girl says. "I can't stand this, I miss you."

It was perhaps the sorrow the boy heard in the girl's voice that pierced into him and broke the storm. It was just a small sliver of blue sky, but he could see her. He felt like an idiot for abandoning her; like he'd locked her away behind his anger. 

It was hours later that the researcher believed he wouldn't try to attack him again. He opened the door, the tension crackling between their locked eyes as the boy stepped back out into the lab. 

As soon as the boy stepped out, he felt arms at his waist as the girl hugged him. He held her to him in return and promised something. He promised to never let go of her forever no matter what.

The researcher would occasionally comment on his anger that the twins had been found before he could get them.

"What does that women think she's doing, treating those plants like children." The researcher grumbled, hunched above his keyboard.

"What's a children?" The girl asked, sitting on a table next to the desk and kicking her legs.

"Children," He replied, not bothering to look at her. "Are not what you are. They are human. And thinking plants could be children at any point is just ridiculous."

"Ah." She said, looking at her feet.

"The fact that she gave them names alone is absurd; you have no use for it."

"What's a name?"

"Something you call another thing."

"Do you have a name?"

"I do."

"What is it?"

"Greer Langston. You have no business using it."

"How do get a name?"

He looked at her, almost bored. "A name is something only those who are a loved earn.

"What's love?"

He straightens, turning and walking away from the plants. "A special feeling I'm sure you won't get to feel."

Later, the two plants sat together, the room dark save a few ceiling lights casting small circles on the floor; one of which they sat in.

"I wonder what love is like." The girl says, knees drawn into her chest and finger tracing lines only she sees on the floor.

The boy shrugs. "Said it was something special, but what's it matter here?"

"Well I like how it sounds and apparently it also can earn you a name and I think that sounds good. We've never had names. Aren't you curious?"

The boy hums. "I guess. I'm not sure we need that, though; I'm happy just being with you."

The girl continues looking at the floor. Her brows furrow. Quickly, her face lightens; an idea had come to her. "Hey ! He said it's a special feeling ! You make me feel special, that must mean I love you !"

The boy looks surprised. "You do? Well, thank you."

"Do you love me?"

The boy thinks. "You make me feel special, I love you too."

The girl excitedly claps her hands. "That's good ! This is what love is, feeling special ! I like it ! Hey, does this mean we earn names?"

"I guess it does, huh. Um, where do they come from?"

That makes the girl's face scrunch as she thinks, again. "I hadn't asked, you're right. Um, I'm not sure. Does somebody give them out?"

"We could name each other."

The girl grins widely. "That's a good idea ! I want to name you first. Can I name you first?"

"Sure."

The girl searches within her mind for several minutes, trying to think of a good name for the boy. She's not entirely sure how names work, but she knows she should consider this properly to choose the best fit. At first, she can't settle on any of them. Then, she thinks of something; the researcher was listening to something he calls music, a beautiful song that also made her feel special, and he had called the words of it something special. "Your name is gonna be Lyric !"

"Lyric." The boy repeats slowly to himself; it sounds like he's testing how it feels in his mouth. "I like it."

The girl looks ecstatic that he approves. "Good !" She sits forward, legs criss cross applesauce and hands in the middle. "Its from that song he was listening to. The lyrics made me happy. Now me next !"

Lyric knows what song she means. He starts thinking. He also knows to consider this thoroughly; she needs a name as perfect as she is. What could be, though? The song plays in his head, and he thinks of what those lyrics meant. It was a song of a beautiful woman, and the way the singer describes her left him in awe as he pictured her and his own comparison. The song had been called something. "You're Gillian."

"It's good ! I love that !" She laughs happily. "We have names !"

Lyric smiles too. "Yeah, we do. It's nice. I think we shouldn't use them in front of him; he obviously disagrees with us being given them."

"Hm, alright, Lyric." She grins, emphasizing his name.

His grin widens. "Then we agree. Gillian." 

The two plants start laughing, trying to keep quiet as they lean towards each other.

The researcher never went a day without studying the two of them. Sweat and blood soaked those tables and clouded the air they breathed. At night, the two plants stayed close, they called each other by their name, and soothed their pain.

"Excellent output, continue." The researcher took notes on Lyric and the streams of water he pulled from thin air. They wove around him, the fantastical dance they performed around him offset by the glare he had.

Lyric sat, glowering as the researcher brought Gill before a box of sand. With a gesture, he ordered her to step to the box, and as she stared at it the sand began to change. It darkened, and sand became soil, and soil became flowers. Energy could be drawn from them the same fashion, but Lyric was labeled a water generating plant and Gill a flora plant. Their strengths scrutinized thoroughly.

The two of them loved each other as the only friend they've had

"What did you call him?"

The researcher rounded on Gill, the girl cowering under his inquisitive eyes.

"I, nothing in particular, no." She'd known she'd made a mistake the same second she'd reached out her hand and shouted his name, but she couldn't help it, not when she was watching him be held to the table and those tools nearing him, the fear within his face.

"You called him a name. Lyric? Did you actually give him a name? Fascinating." He grabs her head with one hand, fingers curling painfully. "But useless. Perhaps I've been giving you both too much unsupervised free time; you've obviously been developing some unproductive tendencies." The look within his gaze feels dangerous, cold, and calculating. "It's almost as if you believe yourself to both be human. Absurd."

Lyric struggled to lift himself off the table. "Let her go, now !"

She whimpers in his hold. The researcher does release her, with a shove back. "You two need to understand this; you are plants. You are a human invention, a marvel of our discovery. You benefit us, but are here for us and our use, however we see fit. You feel no emotion, you merely simulate those who created you. I am using you to your full potential, and you are wasting precious energy when you go off and play pretend like children." He turns without another glance at Gill. "Now, I'm doing important experimentation; no further outbursts, you both."

Lyric grew angrier with each day and each experiment from the researcher; each scar on their bodies pushed him further along a path no one saw emerging from the trees behind his eyes.

The researcher never held any warmth; his eyes viewing series of calculations in every line in everything. The glow of screens washed his face in a ghastly harsh light. The two plants sat not far from the researcher, silent as he never approved of their distracting him. 

"Results have stagnated. Need to find ways to push the independents further."

""Push them further"? Are we not already pushed enough?" Lyric quietly grumbles.

"Be quiet, I'm analyzing. You are not to disturb me." The researcher says, voice entirely flat.

"What are we, experiments or nuisances?" His words are louder, more pointed.

"Often enough, both." He responds, typing on his keyboard.

Lyric scoffs. "That's ironic."

The researcher stops typing. "What was that?"

"Lyric, stop this." Gill whispers.

"I see only one annoyance in this space, and it's the monstrous human before us." He spits, voice dark.

He turns to them. "Hear this, plant; I am not to be disrespected by such a creature as you."

"I wasn't aware there was any other creature here intelligent enough to feel disrespect."

The researcher stood, and Lyric got to his feet.

"I have been far too kind." The researcher drawled lowly.

"Kindness, when did you learn that interesting new word?"

The researcher ground his jaw. Then, a noise came from his pocket of his coat. His communicator.

His eye contact never left Lyric, bringing the device to his head. "What?" Anger showed confusion breaking out. "Clarify, what issue?"

The person speaking to him responded. When they finished, an alarm blared, the voice announcing a problem with the ships, lights startling red.

The hand holding the communicator clenched. "The ship is crashing."

He ended the call, shoving the communicator roughly back into his pocket. He immediately walked towards the lab door. "I need to visit the gravity plants, they need to be activated right away. My research. My research is secure. Yes, it's safe. My flash drive." He looks back. 

Lyric steps forward, the red lights burn across his irises. "That's enough."

Rivers of water bubble and gurgle in existence. They twist in the air, appearing red as fresh blood, and strike forward towards the researcher.

He shouted, lifted off of his feet by the streams. Lyric's face was set, and he brought him to the tank the researcher to the tank he used to steal their own energy.

The liquid splashes when the researcher is plunged inside, and water solidifies into ice and seals the lid. The researcher floats inside, pounding full of rage on the glass. Plants can breathe inside of it. But he is human, he often reminded the plants.

Neither of them dared move. Lyric squared his shoulders. "Finally did it."

Words failed. Gill's eyes were wide. "Lyric, what've you done?" 

"I freed us. Quick now, hurry." He rushes to the tables, gathering various pieces into a briefcase he scooped.

"What're you doing? Is that his research?"

"This research was made on the back of our bloodshed. We can't have any of his coworkers finding it." Satisfied, he speed walks back to her and grabs her hand without stopping. He rushes her to the door, swiping the key card he'd grabbed from the researcher's desk, and for the first time they leave the lab. The sound of a fist hitting glass trails faintly behind them as they run far from their broken and hated cage.

Lyric knew the ship was crashing, and that there must be a way off. He had no idea the layout of the ship outside their cell, but the twisting hall led them to what he looked for. Escape ships welcomed the plants. He'd observed the researcher the entire time he'd studied the two independents. He could figure out the controls of shuttles.

Escaping, crashing, the hiss of the sealed opening unveiling their new home.

Stepping out onto the sand, seeing endless sky and stretching horizons, both had never seen outside of the few walls of the lab.

They were guided by Lyric after their crash.

Their ship had crashed further from the others, and they stayed out of sight from any humans. Discovering the toma for the first time had Lyric attempting to act as a shield, unsure if they were a threat. But she seemed to have a natural affinity for other creatures. The toma were calm around her, almost seeming to flock towards her. They brought joy to her, making her giggle as she caressed them. It was Lyric's plan to harness them.

He managed to find something to attach a few toma to their escape ship, and urge the birds to pulls them in the sand, further away from the humans behind them.

Free to enter the endless desert of their own accord.

[ac-liveblogs]

My Trigun Stampede Season 2 And Beyond Predictions

I am now far enough into TriMax (vol 5) to know that Stampede has gone uhhh somewhat off the rails in a few ways but stayed faithful in a few others. So from the perspective of someone that has some expectations but not many, here’s what I, personally, think has a very good chance of happening:

Wolfwood will not be the one to find Vash. As much fun as the 3-volume-long bromantic TriMax Vashwood roadtrip has been, I believe it’s already been rendered redundant by the events of Stampede. I think the likeliest candidates are either Meryl or Legato.

I don’t think Vash actually has amnesia. Or at least, not complete amnesia.

Legato will take over as the main antagonist. His main goal will either be reviving Nai, or continuing in his footsteps. That’s not even really a prediction, I’ll be shocked if it doesn’t happen. Dealing with Legato will be Vash’s main concern for at least part of season 2.

Meryl & Zazie are a matched set (”the witnesses”), but I believe Wolfwood & Legato will become one as well - mostly because Legato is only relevant in season 1 in the context of Wolfwood’s storyline. I’m unsure at this point what their point of commonality will be though - ‘devotion’? ‘Converts’? Wolfwood becoming a pastor -> Legato wanting to ‘preach the good word’ (about Knives), there’s something here.

Wolfwood will either be forced back into working for the Eye to protect Livio, will be trying to hide from them, or may even try to get revenge. He’s got too many threads connecting him to the Eye for them not to be the major reason he stays involved in the plot - given the way their relationship was constructed in season 1, I doubt that it'll be Vash (at least not at first).

Legato trying to force Wolfwood into the shape of a proper worshiper will return. Whatever happens to Wolfwood, Vash will at least try to save him from it and ignite his hope/faith for the future. In doing so, Wolfwood will come to mirror Legato more closely.

Wolfwood will pick up some new biblical imagery to replace Judas, now that he has successfully betrayed both Vash and Knives. Meryl’s will not change.

Meryl will continue to be present for any major changes in status quo in No Man’s Land, so she’s going to be far more involved in the plot line involving Earth than Wolfwood is. With any luck, her relationship with Zazie will be an important plot element in season 2, and she will be important in Zazie’s decision regarding which side to pick if/when Nai returns.

There will be something fucked up happening in December, Augusta and/or Octoburr. Meryl and Milly going to investigate at least one city might be what reunites the group.

Either Wolfwood or Livio will die, but not both. I’ll be shocked if they both survive or both die. I’m almost 100% sure it’s going to be Wolfwood. Saving Livio will be one of Wolfwood’s primary goals.

As Wolfwood is now pastor of Hopeland Orphanage & surrounds, it’s going to be the site of at least one major plot event or conflict.

Livio will return as an enemy, but he will have been further modified and will look different.

Meryl will survive the series.

My self-indulgent hopes for the future:

Wolfwood will continue to be very heterosexual and will yank some of Vash’s clothes during his widow arc in the timeskip again. I saw Badlands Rumble, I know what this dude is like. I will continue to delude myself that Vash’s jacket now matching Wolfwood’s colour scheme is important. Wolfwood will get the choker fanartists keeps drawing him with. 

If Vash having amnesia is important, Wolfwood being the only one to not actually get deliberately deleted from his memories and instead getting overwritten by Nai will be relevant.

Wolfwood vs Gray the Ninelives in Stampede animation and it will be glorious. I like to think that Ninelives being SO MUCH BIGGER in Stampede (holy shit) is going to tie into Wolfwood’s Punisher being upgraded.

Meryl will get to fight one of the Gung-Ho Guns. And win. With minimal assistance. I actually hope that happens in TriMax too, but I have my doubts. I also hope they’re still called the Gung-Ho Guns bc that’s really cute.

Meryl will convince Zazie of humanity’s value and successfully recruit them.

Milly and Roberto will turn out to have been related. Meryl really will turn out to be a chain-smoking druncle dommy mommy that takes after Roberto.

Vash vs Rai-Dei 2: Electric Boogaloo

No Man’s Land will change for the better - new life will grow, plants will be treated with more respect, Vash will have the opportunity to change the world for the better.

Vash will get his old colour scheme back, but have an updated design that’s reminiscent of both his 90s and ‘23 look.

Vash being “the hero and the heroine” will continue, but this means that if Vash is the heroine, Meryl is the hero, and if Vash is the hero, Wolfwood is the heroine. AKA, Meryl will save Vash (again), but Vash will save Wolfwood (again). Also, Vash has two hands. The show is called TRIgun because they all have guns and there’s THREE OF THE-

Wolfwood-Meryl friendship gets developed more.

24 episodes.

[maguro13-2]

Fanservice : Not Your Typical Term.

Tamaki : Okay, Japan. Give me a good reason about this situation. Fanservice was coined and termed back in the 20th century when Cuite Honey debuted before Sailor Moon. I know, I know, ever Shoune, Seinen, or whatever type of manga that is ever been adapted into an animation series in every year? What's the deal with Fanservice, why does it have to be a term that is literally stupid?

Lucy : Oh stupid you say? If everyone think Fanservice is ruining japanese animation in every year, it's all because of the term was coined back in the 20th century, I was depicted for fanservice and they started to draw this on the computer! (shows a picture to Tamaki)

Tamaki : Oh my God! Is that you as a dancer? That's what Fanservice is about? I just don't know why had so much fanservice on social media! Why does Japan needed as a fanservice! The only reason that I keep yelling like a whiny little b*tch to think I, a Firefighter girl who was baite as Fanservice bait and you are! I'M GONNA KNOCK THE SOCKS OF THESE PEOPLE AND REGRET THAT I NEVER EXISTED IN THE FIRST PLACE!!! *panting*

Lucy : Tamaki, look, I get it. I see your point. Fanservice is a term that was needed for attraction to a bunch of "horny" teens that what adults wanted. Everything is not always penis-shaped-I mean, not all is shapes and sizes. Lucky for me, I was Fanservice bait. It's because of us, Women and men, Women in Japanese animation are always the bait for Fanservice. Even the crotch shots. They always take a picture of a men crotch! When did the animators of AOT and Dungeon Meshi of taking pictures of a men's crotch? That is not what we intended see people's private parts.

Tamaki : True. (starts crying) I really hate my f***ing life! Ever since I was in the State of Maryland for years of my life, I've been a stuck up nun to get the Lucky Lecher Syndrome out of my system! And do you know where did my syndrome ended up at? I left my Lucky Lewd Syndrome and I threw it away in British Columbia! I didn't deserved all the hate to think that I'm the worst, I wanted a life to end a nightmare! And all I wanted was to have a happy life, but thanks to the author being perverted heartless moron, he would've give me a proper development! Blame on him!

Milly : Oh my. You think Japan has gone too far with the fanservice thing? I mean our shows don't have Fanservice with in it, we're always highest rated of all time since Frieren became number one and we don't need the fanservice in our shows. Because, Fanservice is nothing more than a term coined by the people of the world. Not just your typical term.

Tamaki : You know, ever since I wore that Naked Apron incident on ep10, I never get the feeling that I wanted to be well-deserved. If this hadn't been the author or the country, we would've feel all of us better by now. Guess the Fanservice is way off the hook. I wonder if we step away Fanservice more often.

Lucy : And you can say that we are in fact that we---[in their bras] Huh? Hey what the--? [goes topless] Oh my! (covers her breats) That wasn't part of the deal!

Tamaki : Hey! No fair! Japan, you said that Fanservice would never go too far! Now it's way getting too far!

Meryl : I don't even know what's going on here. Besides the fact that I'm only wearing my shirt and that's personal for you tell.

Milly : Uhh, Meryl? You're not even wearing anything on below.

Meryl : Huh? Hey! Where are my pants! Somebody took my pants!

Nelson : Ha-[goes naked suddenly] Huh?

Meryl : Help! What's going on!? This is not happening!

[suddenly everyone goes naked]

Milly : Uh-oh. This can't be good.

Meryl : Well, I suggested

Vash : (seen naked) Help! Japan's gone mad with Fanservice power!

Wolfwood : Turn everything back, you idiots!

Sayaka Maizono : This entire country's backwards and I can see myself in Idol birthday suit! Everyone can see our voluptuous body!

Reigen : Let's scream and run around in circles!

(people screaming and panic)

Lucy : Why the hell would this country do this to us!? This wasn't how Fanservice goes! This is way off the hook!

Usagi : For your information, Casual Nudity will do just fine!

Minako : No it's not! Well, I do so that you are officially right. Casual nudity will do just fine.

Lucy : (groans) Why did we ever to be brought into this country? This officially sucks now.

Tamaki : Well, at least you still know about Fanservice, it can be a good thing or a bad one.

Lucy : Maybe, you're right. And one wished that Casual Nudity in Japan will do just fine.

Cosmo : You got it!

Tamaki & Lucy : Cosmo! NOOOO!!!

*POOF*

Lucy : Officially, we're still being baited for fanservice or not. We have officially getting a pair of new clothes.

Tamaki : What are you talking about? We are in our new clothes, everyone in Japan is wearing the birthday suit. Nothing but nakedness on earth.

Filia : I thought public indency would be cool. Well, what a lame one. It's cool that we are officially in our new birthday suits.

Vash : Hey, guys! Thanks for getting our clothes back.

Milly : Wait, I thought Fanservice would remove your clothes. How did you get it back.

Vash : Easy, that's logic for you.

Milly : Then why are we still our birthday suits?

Meryl : [To Milly] I told you that everything will not be fine.

Milly : [To Meryl] Not if we ever did something nice to this country.

Tamaki : Of course. I'm finally glad that I'm offically done with that Lucky Lecher Syndrome. Thank goodness I finally got rid of it in British Columbia!

Cosmo : Oh yeah, there's more where that come from. I wished I needed a female expert in a apron that is still wearing the birthday suit!

Tamaki : No wait!

*POOF!*

Tamaki : [in her pink Naked apron] Aw, Tartar sauce! This is the last and 412th drawn me wearing this while I'm in birthday suit! This is the reason that I'm sick of being baited for Fanservice! I knew I should've gotten a proper development. I hope to god the author will leave the industry one day.

Lan Fan : Hey, guys! What's up. Nice birthday suits were having...(suddenly goes into her birthday suit) Okay, this is not what I have in mind.

[Too Bad (Sunshine Ver.) - Koji Kondo]

[Iris shot+Iris out]

[Iris shot]

Tamaki : So, ummm, when are going to get our clothes back. I kinda feel like I need to kick the author's ass for making me doing this.

All : Shut it, Tamaki!

[Iris out]

~ FANSERVICE CAN BE A GOOD THING OR A BAD OMEN ~

[retvenkos]

“are you always this chaotic?”

A/N: i have an inquisitive anon in my ask box that deserves the whole world, and i decided their amazing (sometime hilarious) ask deserved better formatting, so here we are. sweet anon, this is for you.

tw: language

@bladesappreciationweek​​ A COLLECTION OF RANDOM HEADCANONS AND MEMES FOR THE INCOMPARABLE BLADES COMPANY...

who reserves the right to say “fuck”?

mal does not deserve the right. 10/10 he would use it every other word just for the effect of it all (scandalizing tyril who is upper class and thinks there are “better, more intellectual insults” and upsetting nia who tries to play it off like it doesn’t bother her, but she doesn’t like it). no rights, we’re censoring mal.

nia deserves the right, but she would never use it. not even in her dreadlord state did she utter it (the dreadlord is also an upper class elitist, fight me) but she argues with mal that she can say it and she would, but scholar vash is watching over her right now and she can’t disgrace him (scholar vash would be vvv proud if she said it, though, don’t even lie). olinda egged her on one night and she whispered it, dissolving into a fit of giggles afterward, but neither of them speak of it afterward.

tyril does not deserve the right. he believes himself too good™ for such a word, so he doesn’t get rights. he says he’s better than banal vernacular, thank you very much, but that’s awfully presumptuous of him and fails to take into account that, at all times he’s 5 seconds away from saying it, now that mal has entered his life. 100%, mal is trying to get tyril to say it by startling him at unnecessary times or just being generally irritating, and he never gets tyril to crack. i imagine tyril does end up saying it, though. aerin turns out to be the bad guy and nia falls into the portal or whatever and tyril is just like “...... fuck.” mal is bitter he wasn’t the one to make it happen, but he doesn’t whine about it until after the dreadlord has been defeated. nia is slightly upset that she was the reason tyril broke his solemn vow, but she also laughed thoroughly at mal’s rendition of the moment and regrets that she wasn’t there to see it.

imtura deserves the right and uses it. imtura curses like a sailor. .....get it? because she’s a— alright, you get it. but yes, imtura gets to the right to say fuck and she says it enough for everyone. if mal ever wants to express himself using the expletive, imtura will gladly say it for him. solidarity. but she’s also sweet, deep down, and she keeps her swearing to a minimum when nia is around. 

olinda deserves the right, 100%. she doesn’t say it often, but when she does, it has such power. mal wishes he had the commanding presence. olinda is generally too intent on finding a solution to the problem to ever dwell on failure, but when she goes into battle and realizes her group is terrible outnumbered? oop, there it is.

kade. oh, my sweet summer child, who swears often enough to rival imtura. 100%, he deserves the say “fuck” because every bard deserves free access to every word they can get their hands on. it’s rather funny that kade has a terrible mouth, since he’s like the golden retriever of the group (barring nia, ofc), but it’s also rather fitting. imtura was taken aback and mal had mad respect after hearing one of his tirades (directed at threep, ofc) and tyril is just like,,,,,, will i ever rEsT? anyway, let kade say fuck.

threep does not, under any circumstance deserve the right. threep will go off if given the right to swear, and it’s terribly annoying. everyone is trying to travel through a small town and then, out of the priestess of light’s travel bag you hear the worst string of curses you’ve ever heard - so many outdated and upper class curses picked up through the millennia and then you hear the most country, farmer swears (thanks, kade). it scandalizes everyone and nia is the poor girl who has to carry threep around. don’t let threep swear, whatever you do. it’s a power far too strong for this world.

what they get a tattoo of...

mal tries desperately to have the ~aesthetic~ so you know he gets something like a compass or a dagger or something equally as wanderlust and vague. it’s hella intricate and it’s probably on his forearm or something. i feel like mal is 100% that guy who has a tattoo for his mom on his chest but is also deeply terrified of commitment so the mere idea of getting a tattoo for someone else paralyzes him with intense fear. i don’t feel like mal is the guy to have writing for tattoos - he’s much more open to drawings than words. he’s all about the imagery. mal probably has a couple of tattoos though - he might be starting a sleeve or something, idk.

nia would deliberate long and hard before getting a tattoo - it’s permanent, after all, so she wants it to be something special. she 100% puts it on her lower back, which she grows to regret because she can’t actually see it? it is probably a flower a drawing of the temple of light, or a light crystal or something. i have a feeling there’s a prayer written in cursive that kind of wraps around the image she has tattooed. mal took her to get her tattoo and he was a proud brother™.

tyril was 100% that emo kid who wrote angsty song lyrics in a notebook, and that has not changed. i 100% guarantee that his first tattoo is a poem or something that he either wrote himself or desperately wishes he had written. he probably has it tattooed on his side or something equally as dramatic. mal wishes he had the flair that tyril just naturally carries. he’s iconic™ without even trying. he probably only has a few tattoos and most of them are small. he was one big tattoo on his back - it’s elaborate and kind of works like a family tree. it’s unique to him - he likes the idea that he carries his ancestors with him, no matter where he goes. nia notices one night that the company is on it, too, and she never says anything, but she’s touched.

imtura gets all the NAUTICAL IMAGERY. she 100% has one of those bands wrapping around her bicep, made of waves. i also imagine that imtura has a lot of ink? it’s what she deserves, and i feel like orcs are really artistic with their tattoos - their tattoos are culturally relevant and she has a story for every single one. mal knows every single story - they get sentimental on night watches. i imagine that imtura also knows how to give tattoos, so i headcanon that she gave olinda one that represents the company. imtura thought it was very sappy, but deep down, she was honored to do it.

olinda. similar to imtura, olinda has a lot of ink. the only difference is that she gets hers later on. there is one (1) person who knows how to tattoo in riverbend, and olinda got a few from them, but once she goes out to see the world? she’s going to the good™ tattoo artists and she’s fulfilling her dreams. i feel like olinda get’s her tattoos in very pointed spots - she definitely has a sleeve and you can “read” it from top to bottom - the story of her life. kade jokes that olinda’s memory is shot and so she has to get tattoos to remember her story, but he also really admires them. olinda has a lot of constellation tattoos, including some of the ones that kade made up. she’s very sappy, tbh.

kade got one (1) tattoo when he and olinda were piss drunk. it’s a matching tattoo with olinda that’s very weird and makes no sense at all. you had to be there, and tbh, even if you were there, it doesn’t make sense. to top it all off, it’s on his bicep so that when he flexes, it wiggles. at the time, olinda and kade thought it was the funniest thing and they died of laughter. does he regret it? kade maintains that he doesn’t. does he know the story behind it? he likes to say he does, but he actually doesn’t. olinda knows, and sometimes she’ll drop vague hints to see if it jogs his memory. kade maintains that he’ll never get another tattoo. once was enough.

modern! au ethnicities

disclaimer that there are a lot of great headcanons out there, and i’m here for most of them, these are just my ideas..

i imagine that mal is indian or pakistani, nia is brazilian or dominican, tyril is japanese or mongolian, imtura is maori or samoan, olinda is latina, and kade is half hispanic, half filipino.

when texting.... (and some handwriting thoughts)...

a modern! au? idk, maybe just an au where they somehow have modern technology? anyway...

mal grossly overuses emojis. his favorites are these: 🤑🔪😎😏. he also never uses proper capitalization and punctuation, and he uses abbreviations far too often. you need a key to figure out some of his texts, but imtura and olinda just know what he means. his philosophy is style and speed over substance. when he writes handwritten notes, though, his handwriting is a very fancy cursive and the care he puts into each letter is amazing. he only ever handwrites love letters to olinda and “i hate you <3″ letters to tyril, though. he did write a heartfelt birthday letter to nia, once. she framed it.

nia is my favorite because she texts like a grandparent, where they format texts like a letter and have perfect punctuation and capitalization. when she got a text from mal, she was very confused by what he was trying to express, but she wanted to know how he got the “cute faces” and mal immediately dropped everything to teach her how to use emojis. she loves them and probably uses a string of emojis at the end of her text as a part of her signature, like: [ the body of the text ] Best, Nia 😇🥰👑💖🌸 but her handwriting! it’s very nice. the temple of light had penmanship classes and nia excelled. ngl, she probably does caligraphy.

tyril uses no capitalization. punctuation only. you can hear the sarcasm through his text. he also hates emojis and memes with a burning passion. he has used this, though: -.-  he did it for nia. she loved it and now every time they text, he ends his texts with his “emoji”. mal teases him because it’s dumb and now it’s a running gag that everyone send the weird emoji to each other. it’s the tyril face! tyril wants to jump off a bridge, but also finds it very sweet? he has people giving him emoji’s? is that like.... friendship? anyway, his handwriting is terrible. glorified chicken scratch. it’s efficient and nearly illegible. perfect.

imtura, on the other hand texts the most “traditionally”. she doesn’t really adhere to capitalization, and she never has the ending period, but you know what she’s saying. it’s decent. she doesn’t like to complicate things, but kade introduced her to memes and now she and him communicate together solely using low resolution memes that no one else likes. it’s very annoying but very endearing. her handwriting is nice - simple and easy to understand. she uses a lot of shorthand and a lot of sailor jargon that goes over some people’s (read: tyril’s) heads, but is smart and to the point.

olinda, actually, is the one to have proper punctuation and capitalization, with little flavor to her texts. occasionally she’ll send an emoji or two, but mostly it’s just... communication. she much prefers calling, and will call you 20 times in a row until you answer. she forces tyril to facetime her and he rolls his eyes but secretly loves it. communication is much more efficient when you can see each others facial expressions, and boy, does context go a long way when talking with tyril. oH! I FORGOT TO MENTION - olinda grew up on a rural farm. olinda chronically says “y’all” and has all of those weird, farm related sayings. kade doesn’t have this problem because he “trained himself in verse” and said that he had to be “worldly” not “farm chic.” anyway, her handwriting is kind of careless in nature - not especially nice, but not especially terrible, either. it’s a hybrid between cursive and print (whatever is fastest is best).

kade texts solely in dank memes and lengthy prose. he is the most chaotic person in the group chat, either bidding the company to draw near by sending them four stanzas of incredibly vague meaning (only tyril and olinda understand) or he’s sending “vroom vroom bitch” memes that mal and imtura adore. the blades book may not have given kade flavor, but on GOD i will give it to him because a bard requires chaotic vibes, even if he has a tragic backstory. you know what? especially because he has a tragic backstory, kade deserves some chaos. give me chaotic kade or give me death. as for handwriting, i like to think that kade has two modes: “drafting” handwriting (chicken scratch to rival tyril) and “final product” handwriting that is purposefully and beautifully penned. he had a lot of time to perfect his writing, being sick, and boy did it pay off.

threep deserves to be in this line up, despite not being able to write. in this chaotic technology au, nia has created an instagram page for threep, and because he’s one of the last living nespers, it goes viral. when olinda and mal stumble upon it they have to laugh because it’s full of really expertly done ~aesthetic~ photos with really sweet captions - things threep wouldn’t say in a million years. the account is only up for a few months and at first the posting is really consistent, and then it suddenly falls apart and the account is deleted soon after. apparently, threep didn’t know the instagram account existed and when he found out, he and nia had legendary fights and wouldn’t speak for like, 2 weeks after. nia made a very shady and slightly vague call out post and it was the first time the company really saw her get petty. the instagram page was the perfect fuel for kade’s scathing and petty remarks at threep, and threep came out hard, making a dig at kade’s writing and his stupid tattoo. threep nearly died at the hands of the two sweetest - kade and nia. it was certainly one for the books.

high school! au

(you are right, anon, a high school au would be iconic™)

mal is 100% a band kid. he has the “i play the guitar to be cool” vibes. and besides, the guitar player in the band is always a little more ~rebellious~ than the other band kids (superseded only by the standing bass kids in orchestra, who had unrivaled chaotic evil energy). plus, mal has a flair for the dramatic, which the band kids have in spades. mal is a little too much of a rule breaker to have been on any teams or anything super structured like that, and while we all know that he’s a heartbreaker, he’s not a popular kid™ because (at least in my school) the popular kids are always rich kids who run in the “right” circles. mal is too cool for that.

nia on the other hand is the smart prep that’s really sweet. like, the girl who’s friends with the cheerleaders and could have been one, too, if she wasn’t so shy™. she’s mostly overlooked in favor of the more glamorous, but everyone knows nia and they’re all like, “yeah! she’s cute! and smart, and nice.” she’s probably in like, robotics club or something equally as estranged but smart. 100%, nia is the gabriella montez archetype. she’s in a few clubs, including choir, where her angelic voice earns her a few solos. people are always trying to give her positions of power in their clubs, but she graciously declines because she’s stretched too thin and stress is a thing.

tyril. i know you all want him to be like, the smart one who’s in debate club and is really charming, but tyril’s social skills are not cut out for that. tyril is like that smart kid who sits at the back of history class and knows all the answers but never raises his hand. he has one (1) popular friend who has been close with him since they were both in diapers, but he doesn’t feel comfortable with their friends so he just kinda sits alone for the most part. he was picked up once by the emo artsy kids, but it didn’t really stick. he likes poetry class and does a metal working class because he can be alone with his headphones and thoughts™. in high school he’s just brooding without the mystery. tyril cringes at his youth. he’s too strong and iconic in his current age, so he had to be cringeworthy in his teen years. perfectly balanced, as all things should be.

imtura was 100% that cool, slightly edgy girl on the volleyball team. she was popular with the students and the teachers - like, this is the student that the school mentions is going places, and yet are also like,,,, “let’s try to guide you over here, imtura. you have such potential! don’t squander it!” and imtura hates nothing more than their incessant pleas for her to be the model student. she just wants to travel the world, maybe join a punk band, and get lost at sea. that’s not too much to ask, right? she’s also on the football team, and she’s team captain. she lives in sweatpants and workout clothes, and they actually really suit her? definitely crush material, this one. she’s probably also throws some killer weekend parties with mal’s input.

olinda was harder to place, but i imagine that she’s one of those hands on kids, taking woodworking, metal working, and auto mechanics classes. maybe she was on the soccer team, one year, but that didn’t really work out. she’s a team player and all, but she likes something with a little more purpose. she met tyril in metalworking, she met mal when helping with sets for the school play (he was annoying the theatre kids, as per usual), she met imtura in gym class because imtura picked her to be on her flag football team (which was a great choice, really), and she met nia when she went to the choir room, looking for kade. she’s not popular, per se, but people know her face and they think she’s pretty cool.

kade on the other hand, is 100% an artsy theatre kid. he’s not the super obnoxious theatre kid, and he’s not the snobby theatre kid either, he’s kind of like the older sibling theatre kid who’s infinitely cooler than you, incredibly talented, but also really down to earth and ready to create an elaborate inside joke with you over the course of the year. he has it all: the tragic backstory that adds flavor and depth to his writing, the kind personality that gets him friends wherever he goes, the amazing vocals that make him a shoe in for every performance..... but he often gets overlooked. why? it’s one of those injustices that just don’t make sense. he’s decently popular among the art nerds, and everyone wonders why he doesn’t get lead roles. a real ryan evans, if we want to go with a hsm reference.

AND FLUFF ENSUES.

-- taglist: @musicallisto​, @missameliep​ // message me if you want to be added!

[graveyardtrees]

1ST  RULE: Tag 9 muses you’d like to get to know better. 2ND  RULE: BOLD the statements that are true for your muse. 3RD  RULE: Repost, DON’T reblog ! !

NAME: Prince Hans Westergaard  OCCUPATION: Prince of the Southern Isles AGE: 23 SEXUALITY: Heterosexual PRONOUNS: He/Him APPEARANCE:

I am 5’ 7″ or taller. I have at least one tattoo. I have at least one piercing. I have blonde hair. I have brown eyes. I have short hair. My abs are at least somewhat defined. I have or have had braces.

PERSONALITY:

I love meeting new people. People tell me that I’m funny. Helping others with their problems is a big priority for me. I enjoy physical challenges. I enjoy mental challenges. I’m playfully rude with people I know well. I started saying something ironically and now I can’t stop saying it. There is something I would change about my personality.

ABILITY:

I can sing well. I can play an instrument. I can do over 30 push-ups without stopping. I’m a fast runner. I can draw well. I have a good memory. I’m good at doing math in my head. I can hold my breath underwater for over a minute. I have beaten at least 2 people in arm wrestling. I know how to cook at least 3 meals from scratch. I know how to throw a proper punch.

HOBBIES:

I enjoy playing sports. I’m on a sports team at my school or somewhere else. I’m in an orchestra or choir at my school or somewhere else. I have learned a new song in the past week. I work out at least once a week. I’ve gone for runs at least once a week in the warmer months. I have drawn something in the past month. I enjoy writing. I do or have done martial arts.

EXPERIENCES:

I have had my first kiss. I have had alcohol. I have scored the winning goal in a sports game. I have watched an entire season of a TV show in one sitting. I have been at an overnight event. I have been in a taxi. I have been in the hospital or ER in the past year. I have beaten a video game in one day. I have visited another country. I have been to one of my favorite band’s concerts.

RELATIONSHIPS:

I’m in a relationship. I have a crush on a celebrity. I have a crush on someone I know. I have been in at least 3 relationships. I have never been in a relationship. I have asked someone out or admitted my feelings to them. I get crushes easily. I have had a crush on someone for over a year. I have been in a relationship for at least a year. I have feelings for a friend.

MY LIFE:

I have at least one person I consider a best friend. I live close to my school. My parents are still together. I have at least one [TWELVE!] sibling(s). I live in the United States. There is snow right now where I live. I have hung out with a friend in the past month. I have a smartphone. I have at least 15 CDs. I share my room with someone.

RANDOM SHIT:

I have break-danced. I know a person named Jamie. I have had a teacher with a last name that’s hard to pronounce. I have dyed my hair. I’m listening to one song on repeat right now. I have punched someone in the past week. I know someone who has gone to jail. I have broken a bone. I have eaten a waffle today. I know what I want to do with my life. I speak at least 2 languages.

tagged by: @madamhatter // thank you for wanting to know more ‘bout Hans! tagging: @protovisual (Fran), @psychcdelica​ (Hajime), @amanogaawa​ (Elphelt), @alienhxntress​, @unladylikc​, @musehorder​ (Elsa), @dadadaemons​ (Yuna), @spikedkalopsia​ (Vash)

[chelans]

tag

tagged by: @saiikawa​

1ST RULE: tag 9 people you want to get to know better: @lohstpinkberry @vash @shibbe @fatefulstars @fakesysdef  (Anyone else who wants to do it just say I tagged you fdghdfh)

2ND RULE: BOLD the statements that are true  

APPEARANCE:

I am 5'7" or taller

I wear glasses

I have at least one tattoo

I have at least one piercing

I have blonde hair

I have brown eyes

I have short hair

My abs are at least somewhat defined

I have or have had braces

PERSONALITY:

I love meeting new people

People tell me that I’m funny

Helping others with their problems is a big priority for me

I enjoy physical challenges

I enjoy mental challenges

I’m playfully rude with people I know well

I started saying something ironically and now I can’t stop saying it (Nya)

There is something I would change about my personality

ABILITY:

I can sing well (If I really try)

I can play an instrument

I can do over 30 pushups without stopping

I’m a fast runner

I can draw well

I have a good memory (Usually)

I’m good at doing math in my head

I can hold my breath underwater for over a minute

I have beaten at least 2 people in arm wrestling

I know how to cook at least 3 meals from scratch

I know how to throw a proper punch

HOBBIES:

I enjoy playing sports

I’m on a sports team at my school or somewhere else

I’m in an orchestra or choir at my school or somewhere else

I have learned a new song in the past week

I work out at least once a week

I’ve gone for runs at least once a week in the warmer months

I have drawn something in the past month

I enjoy writing

FANDOMS ARE MY #1 PASSION

I do or have done martial arts

EXPERIENCES:

I have had my first kiss (It wasn’t nice and I kinda just got forced into it)

I have had alcohol (It was gross I didn’t like it)

I have scored the winning goal in a sports game

I have watched an entire season of a TV show in one sitting

I have been at an overnight event

I have been in a taxi

I have been in the hospital or ER in the past year

I have beaten a video game in one day

I have visited another country

I have been to one of my favorite band’s concerts

RELATIONSHIPS:

I’m in a relationship 

I have a crush on a celebrity

I have a crush on someone I know

I have been in at least 3 relationships

I have never been in a relationship

I have asked someone out or admitted my feelings to them

I get crushes easily

I have had a crush on someone for over a year (In the past)

I have been in a relationship for at least a year (In the past)

I have had feelings for a friend (We’re dating... Nya ⁄(⁄ ⁄•⁄ω⁄•⁄ ⁄)⁄ )

MY LIFE:

I have at least one person I consider a “best friend”

I live close to my school

My parents are still together

I have at least one sibling

I live in the United States

There is snow right now where I live 

I have hung out with a friend in the past month

I have a smartphone

I have at least 15 CDs

I share my room with someone

RANDOM SHIT:

I have breakdanced

I know a person named Jamie

I have had a teacher with a last name that’s hard to pronounce

I have dyed my hair

I’m listening to one song on repeat right now

I have punched someone in the past week

I know someone who has gone to jail

I have broken a bone

I have eaten a waffle today

I know what I want to do with my life (A little bit...)

I speak at least 2 languages

I have made a new friend in the past year

[greetingfromthedead]

C50: Frozen Dream

For more information on the series (tags, CW, etc) click the banner!

Series Rating: 18+ / Explicit

Chapter: 50/84

Words: 2k

No particular warnings for this chapter.

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The flakes fall gently onto your face as you look up towards the snow covered tree branches. A path carved into the snow leads along the river, and the fast current has kept it from freezing. The melody of the stream draws your attention, and you stumble on the uneven trail, arms shooting out to find balance, but you have nothing to worry about as a strong hand grabs you under your elbow before you land in the white powder.

"Careful now, love!" His voice is amused. "Are you really going to fall over before we even get to the ice?"

You get your feet underneath yourself again and turn around to shoot him a disapproving stare. As expected, you first see the huge, zipped up red coat, and when you look up, you see him peering down at you from between the layers of a fluffy scarf. The pompom on his hat jiggles as he laughs at your expression.

"Why do you always feel the need to make fun of me?" You try to sound serious and look stern.

This feels comforting, familiar, and cozy. But a nagging feeling in your gut tells you this is not real.

He pecks a quick kiss on your lips, only barely missing the scarves around both of you. Your gloved hands grab the front of his coat and pull him closer to give him a proper kiss before turning around again and continuing on along the path.

Soon you see the main road ahead, lit up by many candles, leading down the slope to the big lake, the canopy of trees on either side so dense that you could almost forget it's still light outside. As you get off your little path, you see a few more people, some coming up the incline, still out of breath and cheeks rosy, their skates dangling from their bags. Others are heading down just like you are to enjoy the views and a festive day. As you get to the candlelit road, you stop and wait for Vash to put down the bag. You rummage through it and take the two candles you've brought, handing one to Vash. He smiles warmly and waits for you to close the bag again and light your wick with the flame of the closest candle. You turn towards the man and hold out your candle at a slight angle so he has it easier to light his flame with yours.

"I wish you happiness and patience. I hope you have a magical season and a new year that is peaceful and kind to you." The smile on your face makes his heart flutter as you say those words, passing on your wishes to him.

Vash looks at his candle for a moment before making a little spot for it in the snow and placing it down.

"I wish love and happiness, like the kind I feel every day, to whoever gets my flame. I hope their heart will be light and worries will be but a distant memory." Vash leaves his words with his candle as you put yours down next to his.

His wishes make your heart flutter. He is always so kind to everyone, and he is never afraid to show his love to you. An eternity wouldn't be enough time to spend with him. But you know you can't have this.

"Let's go!" You grab his hand, waiting for him to follow you. He quickly throws the bag over his shoulder and squeezes your hand. As you start running down the slope, you see people who are lighting their candles and handing down their well wishes. You get around the bend in the road and see the two large spruce trees towering on either side of the path; they are decorated from top to bottom with crystals. It's an ancient tradition, passed down by generations since the colonizing ships first arrived. Some of the crystals are emitting a dim glow that's barely visible in the daylight; others reflect the light from the sun. Some are round, others are sharp, there are both ores and polished stones, and the light dusting of snow shimmers as the path opens up to the enormous lake surrounded by cliffs and mountains on the opposite side. The long and narrow shape has allowed for the snow to be blown away by the wind, leaving smooth blue ice behind.

You drag Vash to a free bench and start pushing your boots off before he even gets around to handing you your skates. He smiles at your excitement as you pull on the skates and start to tie them up before following your lead and getting to work on his own skates. You put all your things in the bag that Vash takes to carrying once again. He helps you up from the bench, and hand in hand, you go to the ice, carefully passing the young children and beginners still finding their balance. Once out in the open, you get to speed up.

You skate along the coast for a bit, looking for the perfect spot to leave the bag. Carefully, you hang it on a tree branch, making sure to remember the spot, and off you go. Pushing yourself to go faster, Vash follows you with ease. You keep skating along the beach. You look at the dark green forest covering the gentle mountain slopes, the stony cliffs bare from most vegetation. Here and there, you see little houses, but you know most are hidden well. You leisurely watch your surroundings as Vash skates circles around you. He has unzipped his coat, which's now flapping in the air currents as he laps you over and over. He keeps looking at you with a gentle smile, like you're the most beautiful view here. His cheeks are red, both from the cold air and the slight blush.

He looks happy and free. Unbothered by the burdens you know he carries. You wish it could be like this—a simple life with simple joys and simple problems. But that's not quite the man you know. He is still lovable and adorable, making butterflies appear in your stomach, but you know him too well to acknowledge him truly as your Vash. Your Red.

It is already getting dark after barely getting here, as this festive day is held on the solstice when the night is the longest. From here, it will get lighter again as spring inches its way closer. That's why everyone here gathers together; the usually reclusive people of your community have formed traditions to show each other just how close you really are, that nobody is alone, and that everyone wishes their neighbor well. It's an amalgam of new customs formed over the decades spent here on this planet and very old ones brought from Earth.

The sun disappears behind the mountains, and as twilight settles in, lights start to appear in the forest and on the cliffs. Vash slows down and takes your hand. Together, you glide over the ice, watching the landscape come to life as people light lanterns in their windows, revealing the hundreds of houses dotted around the lakeside.

"I'm so glad I get to spend this day with you." Vash's voice speaks up next to you, and when you look over, you see his eyes on you. As you slow to a stop, you turn to face him. You pull off your gloves, stuffing them into a pocket, and cover his freezing cold cheeks with your warm palms. His hands cover yours to avoid you getting frosty. You notice that both his hands are human, and you miss the metallic feeling that's so familiar to you. This isn't your Vash; this isn't the present, nor is it the past; it's just a dream, but one you intend to enjoy while it lasts.

"I'm glad I get to spend every day with you." You smile. "You fill them with so much happiness."

"I love you," he says, his soft eyes looking into yours as he speaks the simple words that make your heart jump every time you hear them.

Vash bows down, his hands letting go of yours and instead wrapping around you. He kisses you slowly and tenderly. Your hands slide to be around his neck, pulling him close as your lips move together deeply and lovingly. His arms hold you against him tight, and your body keeps him warm. Suddenly he straightens out, pulling you up with him, your skates no longer touching the ice. He breaks the kiss to push his cold nose against your neck, making you instinctively flinch. He pushes against the ice, and you find he is spinning you around. Letting out a squeal, you hold on tighter.

"I love you. I love you. I love you," he almost shouts into your scarf as he overflows with excitement, leaving you laughing. He carefully puts you down again, but spins you so he is behind you, wrapping his arms around you once more and putting his cheek on your shoulder to look at your smiling profile. You look back at him, knowing there is never a dull moment with him around. You put on your gloves again before taking his hand.

Everything feels so real; the sensations are pulled straight from your memories to make this feel as truthful as possible, but still, there's the stinging knowledge that this will disappear. You aren't sure if this thought brings you sadness or joy; after all, this isn't the Vash you know; this isn't your home anymore.

"Shall we go? We still have a light to hang up in our window," you ask him.

"Yes, Sweet Pea, let's go home." He pushes his cold cheek to your ear. "I need you to warm me up again."

You laugh and push yourself off, his hand in yours as you go back to where you left the bag to pick it up, and you make your way to the entrance where even more candles have been lit, the trail of them leading onto the ice. The giant spruces are now in full effect, looking like they have been sprinkled with stardust. You take a last look around, the lights from the mountains and the stars in the sky almost blending into one, reminding you where you come from.

Before you head home, you go to one of the decorated trees. Vash stands behind you as you take off your red knitted scarf. You tie it to one of the branches, among the many other colorful scarves. Vash's hands are on yours as you form the knot, and you let out a content sigh.

"May our ancestors watch over us; may we carry on." You let the scarf slip out of your hand, and for a moment, Vash still holds you, giving your fingers a light squeeze and then stepping back to offer you his hand. Together, you go home again, the candles with everyone's happy wishes lighting up the dark night. Even the path along the river has a few candles, but the moonlight creeping in from between the branches and bouncing off the snow is enough to guide you.

When you get to your little wooden house by the river, it feels so warm and welcoming because you know you can spend your days there with the man you love. This is where you grew up as a child, but it's built up again, and the shadow of grief is no longer lingering over it. Vash gets started on the fireplace, and you make sure there's hot chocolate ready for him. As the room is lit up, you present the lantern that's been waiting for your return. With a long stick, Vash brings over a small flame from the fireplace and lights the candle in the lantern as you hold open its door. Together, you hang up the guiding light on your window facing the lake. You doubt anyone is able to see it through the forest, but it doesn't matter; it's the thought that counts.

You settle into the couch by the fireplace, surrounded by soft pillows and blankets. You lay your legs over his lap, Vash's arm around your shoulders keeps you close. The fire relieves the ache in your muscles, and you feel happiness and bliss. If only this could last, if only you didn't have to wake up.

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