#the realization that there is no coming back from this for both knives and vash

[jellys-compendium]

Trigun Headcanons - Embarrassing Sex Moments ft. Vash, Wolfwood, Knives & Livio

Rating: 🔞 (18+ Only, Minors DNI) Cw: smut, just sex shenanigans in general A/n: This is a repost of my favorite set of Trigun headcanons from my old blog (@/jelly-doughnut-drabbles).

Vash The Stampede

Vash had you pinned and spread beneath him on your shared bed. Your soft thighs cushioned his hips as he gently drove himself deeper inside you, his muscles straining then shuddering with ecstasy as the velvet softness of your body gave way to his own.

Nestled in your tight heat, it wasn’t long before Vash started to move. You made him feel so good, and Vash was always eager to give you back that same pleasure in kind. But as Vash’s pace increased, as the bed rocked and your back arched -lips parted as you moaned out his name- a tingling sensation made its way up Vash’s nose. 

Vash tried to ignore it, tried to focus on your quivering form beneath his, but that harmless tickle rapidly turned into an enormous pressure that made him gasp for breath and reel his head backwards.

Then Vash let out the most explosively violent sneeze known to man or plant…mid thrust.

The sneeze was so powerful that it jolted Vash’s entire body, nearly giving him whiplash as his hips slammed into yours with such force that it sent your head careening into the solid wood headboard above you with a painful *smack*. 

The cherry on top? He came. His sudden surge within you as well as the startled clenching of your insides was too much for him. Vash spilled his load inside, while you shrieked an indignant, “What the hell, Vash!?” 

Simultaneously mortified and shuddering from the ecstasy, Vash bumbled over his words, apologizing to you over and over as he reached up to stroke your head with trembling fingers in an attempt to soothe the bump that would no doubt be forming there soon. You had shot him a look of annoyance, but then sighed and succumbed to laughter at the ridiculousness of it all. You reassured Vash that you were okay and that you were not mad about what happened. If anything, you thought it was actually pretty funny.

After that incident though, the two of you always took care to keep a safe distance between your head and the headboard whenever you had sex. Just in case.

(***)

Nicholas D. Wolfwood

Fucking against the wall was one of Wolfwood’s favorite ways to have you. He loved the feeling of cornering you, hoisting you up, and claiming you, all while you mewled and clung so eagerly to his shoulders. Unfortunately though, this position was a difficult one to maintain for a long period of time. A lesson that Wolfwood unfortunately had to learn the hard way.

During one particular hot and heavy session, Wolfwood had you arching and writhing between his rough thrusts and the wall, exactly where he liked you. But as he maneuvered you, hooking both of his strong arms under your knees to lift you up and fuck you deeper, a clawing strain shot up his leg. Before Wolfwood even realized what was happening, the most agonizing muscle cramp seized and tore all the way up his right calf and thigh.

Wolfwood grit his teeth and barked out a nasty, growling “Fuck!” as he lost his balance, sending the two of you toppling to the ground with a resounding thud. Fortunately for you, Wolfwood still had enough brainpower left to cushion your fall with his body.

Unfortunately for Wolfwood, this meant that your entire body weight landed right square on his delicate bits.

No one got to come after that.

(***)

Millions Knives

You were the first and only person that Knives had ever shared an intimate relationship with. Due to his lack of experience (and ego), Knives was not the best at communicating his intentions. So, when the two of you had sex, whatever Knives wanted to do to you he…just sort of went with it. 

At first, this really wasn’t that big of a deal since the sex you and Knives had was pretty vanilla. But as your relationship deepened and your intimacy flourished, he wanted to try some new things. Some riskier things. Unfortunately, the thought that it would be prudent for him to speak with you about those said things beforehand never really crossed his mind.  

So one night, Knives had you half naked and belly up on the bed. His talented tongue swirled and lapped sinfully across your sex as you squeezed your eyes shut and wistfully moaned out his name. Looking up to drink in your pleasure, Knives’s eyes narrow once he remembers that your upper body is still clothed, obscuring your lovely form from his sights. This was when a wicked idea struck him. 

Manifesting one of his blades, Knives had the intention of teasing the dull edge against your navel, and then have it glide up to your belly, catch your shirt, and slice it clean off your body. Knives thought he was being so smooth once the dull side of his blade gently drifted down and landed upon your skin. But unfortunately for Knives, your reaction hadn’t been what he’d predicted. 

Opening your eyes, you looked down and caught sight of the flashing knife just below your belly button. You screamed out in alarm, and in your panic you kneed Knives right in the face. 

Hard.

On that day, Knives learned about the importance of communication. Never again would he ever try something new with you in the bedroom without talking it over first.  

(***)

Livio the Double Fang

Livio was extremely shy when the two of you started to get intimate. The double fang was unquestionably intimidating in battle, but he had pretty much no experience when it came to sex and intimacy. So, you often were the one to take the reins whenever you two made love.

Livio was quite…awkward at first. He bumbled over everything, and he was constantly questioning whether or not what he was doing was right and if you were enjoying yourself. He was a total mess, but luckily for Livio, you found his eager shyness to be absolutely adorable.

During one of your early love making sessions, you had asked Livio if he would let you go down on him. “With my mouth.” you had to clarify. Red from head to toe, Livio was utterly flustered at your request, but he was so desperate to know what your mouth would feel like wrapped around his cock, so it didn’t take much coaxing for him to agree.

As he watched you wrap your lips around his shaft, your eyes fluttering shut as you groaned at his taste, Livio found himself at a loss of what to do. He wanted to touch you, he wanted to make you feel as good as you were making him feel, but he was so nervous. He didn’t want to mess this moment up.

Noticing Livio’s sudden silence, you opened your eyes and looked up at him with his thick cock still nestled between your lips. Your sultry gaze left Livio so breathless, so thunderstruck, that the only thing that could think of to do was to dumbly raise his hand, give you a little wave and sheepishly whisper, “Hi.”

Livio’s unexpectedly adorable and innocent little gesture had you giddily laughing so hard that you had to take a break from sucking him off. Livio was so flustered and embarrassed at this turn of events that his sex had softened. Unfortunately, this only served to embarrass him further. 

After your laughter subsided, you showered Livio with kisses and reassuring words of love. You assured Livio that he was the sweetest and most amazing man alive, and that there was no one else in the world you’d rather have beside you. Reassured by your words, Livio and you snuggled together, pampering one another with tender touches and kisses for the rest of the night. 

[domfock]

Now that we're finally at volume 5, are you guys ready to fucking suffer? Yes? Good, because I have some absolute horrors to share with you guys, and since I had to realize this and live with it, so do you!

Let's start with this page:

Vash is blaming himself for shit Knives has done, right? He puts the responsibility of his brother's actions onto his own shoulders while his own rage mounts, he kept himself going because he had to send Knives to Hell for what he had done.

We saw him say this to Legato,

And we saw him say this to Hoppered, despite his earlier inner confession of being a murderer.

Almost as if this excuse runs on autopilot as a way to cope with the horrors he witnessed and can't remember in July, blaming Knives for everything. This was his mindset before July, and after losing his memory of July, it reset.

This is the last time we see this excuse, however.

As the truth comes back to haunt him, he is faced with the true suffering, and so are we as readers.

Vash IS a murderer, in fact, he killed everyone in July. Knives didn't force him to pull the trigger, Vash made a calculated move, something he could only do if he was aware. He WANTED to kill Knives right then and there, and for the sin of wanting to shoot to kill, Vash's punishment was blowing everyone around them away.

Vash intentionally swapped where his angel arm was growing to trick Knives, made it smaller, possibly in the hopes that it would contain the damage.

After hearing Knives' rant about what humanity has done to him, it probably dawned on Vash that these are Knives' abuse towards him. Vash's goal was to punish Knives for the Big Fall before July, and everything that just happened only enforced that. Vash really did intend to send Knives to Hell there, using his angel arm to kill him and took all of July with him.

Vash will be completely changed after this, having realized that he is just like Knives now, killing thousands in a moment of anger and fear. Knives caused the Big Fall, Vash destroyed July. Vash lost Rem's spirit long ago, his hands are already dirtied by blood.

But wait, it's about to get worse.

Remember this line from Trigun Vol 2?

Knives body couldn't survive the damage done to it from July, even after years of attempted recovery. They're transferring Knives consciousness to another Plant, his data, to make a new body for him, a "copy."

Question is now, is this a data copy or a transfer? Because if it's a copy, then Vash did truly kill his own flesh and blood brother. The new resurrected Knives is both a copy in body and spirit, if that is how one sees it, and leaving the original Knives to experience death.

Vash did not only kill everyone in July, but potentially also his own brother, and with his returned memory he now remembers this.

Anyway, have fun and enjoy, Bookclub!

[browniefox]

The Very Best Fics - 2

I am making a second 'best fics according to me' because it is very long. You can access the previous post from here.

On this list is: Daredevil, Disco Elysium, Trigun, Psych, Mob Psycho 100, Undertale, Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy VII

Daredevil

My Guardian Avengers (Can I Get A Refund?) - prettybirdy979

Daredevil needs to protect a certain law firm in Hell's Kitchen. He's a little slack about protecting this Matt Murdock fellow though, and the Avengers are only too happy to step in to help. Matt is SO not okay with this. (Shut up Foggy, so what if it's his own fault!)

Prettybirdy979 has done 'Daredevil meets the Avengers' like ten times, and you know what? they hit it out of the park every time. Hell yeah! This one is just as fun, and it's always nice to read a new (uh, new-ish) fic from an author you love :D

Disco Elysium

Excerpts from the Case Notes of Kim Kitsuragi - Hosekisama

Excerpts reference Lieutenant Double-Yefreitor Du Bois' belief that he can (and does) "reload" his own life after failing, like some kind of video game character.

Disco Elysium plays with so many fun video game mechanics, like the 'jamrock shuffle', so honestly the idea that Harry would think in terms of 'reloading' is way fun! I love the ambiguity of whether or not there actually are saves or loads.

Trigun

Start here - AsterAspera ( @aster-aspera )

The first time he wakes, he is in a room. Heavy curtains hang over dusty windowsills and there are crumpled sheets on the bed and crumpled sheets on the floor. The world is quiet while his body screams. Every soft, fleshy, vulnerable part of him is on fire, writhing and roiling in unbearable agony. He wants to move, get away from the mattress that digs into his skin like fingers, like knives, like roots, but his body is frozen without his consent, time stretching endlessly around him as he fights an ocean of pain. And suddenly there are hands on him and worried grey eyes and he wants to scream but his throat is already scraped raw.

We love QPR Vash/Meryl/Wolfwood, and we love stories that drop you into something and you have no idea what's going on. Such a good and interesting fic that drops ideas of what has happened, but also you're not totally sure, and it really puts you into Vash's head for the fic.

I Just Want To Slow Dance With You by easternCriminal

"Wolfwood swears at the radio, and then finally the static parts like the sands after a storm and the warm, slow sounds of a guitar comes out from over the dunes and fills the small room." oOo A soft domestic moment, inspired by Start Here by AsterAspera

Inspired by the fic above, a scene between Meryl and Nicholas (and Vash) as they try and figure out what their dynamic is now. Wonderfully domestic.

Rinse and Repeat by easternCriminal (@the-east-art)

Somehow, Meryl can head the monotone flatline of his heart. And she wakes up again on the road. Meryl starts to realize what is going on.

Time loop, time loop, time loop! Time loops where you're trying so despeartelyl to save someone! Time loops where you start realizing some sacrifices have to be made! Time loops that make you hate and love someone like you never have before!

Press my Corpse against the Wall by Rayawastaken

Meryl kept thinking back to Tonis, small and still so young in his mothers arms. She kept thinking about the fact that if she held onto him a bit stronger, if she had more conviction, he might still have both of his arms. And about how if she had any less of it, Wolfwood might have not woken back up again in that bar. Surely, getting a bit scratched up was worth saving someone’s life. But that’s not how Wolfwood saw it. To him, she’d forever be just some defenseless little thing that stumbled around helplessly and had to be protected. And for all that he complained about Vash having a self-sacrificial streak, he'd rather bleed out on the floor than admit he had needed help. - Wolfwood almost dies, Meryl saves him and gets hurt in the process. They have a fight about it.

I love Mashwood, but the dynamic between Wolfwood and Meryl is often under represented. I especially love this fic's exploration of the fact that Meryl, of the trio, is the most human and the position that puts her in a lot of the time.

CHANGING NATURE (‘TIS THE SEASON) by ainosyn (@tristamp-gunpede)

“How could anyone kill you without killing a part of themselves?” and “I can’t help it, it’s my nature.”

An exploration of all the different ways the story of Trigun could have gone, or could have been told, and about what is inherent to someone's nature. I love this, such a great character study of Knives and Vash.

Never understood a single word he said by aboxthecolourofheartache (@aboxthecolourofheartache)

Meryl drums her fingers on the steering wheel, and Wolfwood gets the sinking feeling of spotting bullshit at a hundred yarz and being unable to do anything about it. “Is it really buried treasure? I don’t believe you,” Meryl sniffs. “You’re stalling or something.” Vash’s lips curl up at the corner and, yes, there’s that mischievous little dimple that heralds doom. “Only one way to find out. If it is buried treasure, next night at a motel is on me. What do you say?" “Hot showers and everything?” Meryl squints at Vash sidelong, she the very picture of suspicion and he of innocence. “Cross my heart,” Vash vows, making a solemn X over his chest. ~~~ A detour turned nightmare, water from the rock, Three Dog Night, and unconventional gestures of trust.

MUST READ MUST READ MUST READ!!!! Best Trigun Fic I think I've ever read, with perfect characterization of Meryl, Vash, and Wolfwood that all feel distinct and accurate, a lot of fun interactions, and just a hint of the good good 'Vash isn't human' stuff I live for.

Psych

All We Are by jumpfall

"I want eyes on Spencer ten minutes ago!" Shawn thinks that maybe another hostage situation is just what they need to bring the team together again.

Love when you find a fic that captures the vibes of the canon so well! The team-as-family in psych is so good and fun, it's what makes it all worthwhile, you know? The characters in Psych are really good, and I'll be honest I live for the times that Shawn manages to actually be selfless and care about others.

the robbed that smiles steals something from the thief by EclipseWing (@shadow-of-the-eclipse)

That one in which Shawn is a con-artist, a liar and a thief.

Hell yeah, EclipseWing, all my homies love EclipseWing! This one is so fun! It's nice to see a Shawn who doesn't get into crime solving but still needs to find something to preoccupy him becoming a theif instead, it's so in person I love it!

Mob Psycho 100

Come Morning Light by NotHereForIt

Reigen is standing in a world that exists, but doesn't, in front of a house that is Mob's, but not, with a man that's dead, but isn't. In which Reigen thinks he's dreaming, and he very much is not.

Dream walking time, hell yeah! In which Reigen helps Mob through is dreams. Poor Mob has PTSD, but at least he's not alone.

knife trick by ruthwrites (@ruemilley)

There wasn’t a rule, exactly, that said that Ritsu wasn’t allowed to spend time with his brother. It was just something that was understood, like how Ritsu understood he wasn't supposed to press his hands along the sharp edges of his mother’s kitchen knives. (or: an age swap where only Mob and Reigen's ages are changed. Shigeo asks his little brother if he wants to walk him home after school. Ritsu should say no. Ritsu does not say no.)

The ending of this one sticks with me, ugh it's so good. Swap au's are so interesting, and I love the way it's done here, especially with Mob and Reigen being swapped, but Ritsu still being the same age.

citrus by orphan_account

He can just barely see Reigen pacing, purposefully quiet. He’s not smiling or laughing like he usually does on the phone. He looks sad. No, he looks upset. Shigeo doesn’t get a chance to wonder why before Reigen is walking back out, eyes carefully trained on his phone before he flips it shut. “Mob, we have a client to go to. I would have taken you home, but your parents aren’t there.” “Why would I have to go home?” Reigen goes quiet for a moment. “We aren’t dealing with a spirit.”

Reigen getting to deal with big problems through his job, and baby Mob learning important life lessons, what more do you need?

I know who I am when I'm alone by RedWritingHood

I'm something else when I see you. The world revolves around the suffering of Kageyama Shigeo. It fails to anticipate the determination of the Greatest Psychic Detective of the 21st Century.

In which Reigen is in Mogamiland and is as stubborn as a mule - even if he doesn't know what he's fighting against or for. A great moment of Reigen being able to comfort Mob - more or less. There are struggles that come with trying to accomplish that.

Undertale

Second Contact by Ononymous

To the participants, monumental days in history rarely feel very monumental when they wake up that morning. A young man at his summer job in the middle of nowhere was about to learn this the hard way.

I love this fic, of Asogre and Frisk meeting the first human outside of the Underground, told from outsider pov. It's a fun continuation of the story, and of how a poor service employee has to be the one to deal with the mess first.

What Little Monsters Are Made Of by Mangaluva

Nobody understands why you keep Flowey. You're not always sure why you do. But you found a way to save everybody else.

A story about love, and a story about believing in someone or something, and about how it's never too late. Post-Game, exploration of the relationship that builds between Flowey, Frisk, and the rest of the monsters over the years.

Kingdom Hearts

Scar Tissue - mimiplaysgames

Terra doesn’t remember certain things. He’s not in control. Even after everything they have been through, he still has the Guardian to contend with.

A little confusing to read sometimes, but super interesting look into after effects of having one's heart stuck in various places, and how it impact Terra without him even knowing it. At the end of the day, Terra is a guardian.

Umbra, Penumbra - end_alls

Roleswap where Vanitas is the one raised with care and compassion in the Land of Departure, and Ventus… is not

A fun and interesting role reversal. In general, the concept of 'too much light' is not explored enough in Kingdom hearts, so a fic that goes into how Ventus is left so incomplete without Vanitas is great.

Affecting Eternity - b-na_hime

One new Keyblade Master. Two new Keyblade wielders. Three thousand ways it could go horribly wrong…

Riku trying so hard to train Lea and Kairi when he's never been formally trained either. Great relationship building between them and how each of them feels about being a keyblade wielder.

reflections, refracted. - vvingblade (@vvingblade)

It's been ten years since then. Time has passed, and wounds are slowly healing. Ven thought he'd moved on, that the memories no longer bother him. All it takes is a single muddled spell to prove him wrong.

Ven has some serious PTSD and it rears its ugly head. Also, Ven can kick ass when he believes his life depends on it. Great Ven characterization that fleshes out Ven a bit more than he usually is.

Final Fantasy VII

The Fifth Act by Sinnatious

Cloud has an accident with a Time materia, and finds himself in the middle of the Wastes at the start of the Wutai War. There are people to save… and for that, there are three people who need to die.

My favorite time-travel fix-it for FFVII I've found so far. Good characterization, fun interactions, and I love how much it grapples with the question of 'should Sephiroth die, when he hasn't done anything'.

A Feather's Edge by Boomchick

Rescue arrives for Sephiroth while he is still a child. It arrives in the form of a blank-faced blonde-haired hero who cannot look at him; Who tends his wounds, and speaks kindly, but whose eyes are filled with hate and fear. If only Sephiroth knew the rules of this world outside the labs, maybe he could figure out how to stop making Cloud so angry...

An interesting look into, even if Sephiroth was saved, how messed up he is since childhood and how that impacts how he views people, sitautions, and relationships with other people. Kinda wish it was a little longer, but also I think it ends where it needs to end, if that makes sense. Really love Cloud trying to grapple with being a good adult for a child while battling his PTSD over said child.

In the Woods, Somewhere - DoveFanworks

On an ordinary day, two against one would hardly feel fair. But today was not an ordinary day, and Gods damn if this man wasn’t proving to be worth every bit of their combined effort. It was ludicrous. Unheard of. Before today, he would have thought it impossible. But somehow, someway, this man, this stranger who had come from out of nowhere, was fighting off two of the most powerful fighters in the world. At the same time.

Unresolved Time Travel au where Cloud takes on the three Firsts and kicks ass! I love how thought out the fight scenes are, taking into account the abilites of everyone involved and what they're capable of. Wonderfully orchestrated, wonderful to read.

Rebound - emrald_writes

Genesis knows the moment that they step into the little town that whatever it is plaguing them it isn’t a curse.

I Love fics that have surprisingly in depth worlds that makes you feel like you're looking into a world so much bigger and more thought out than you expected. Such an interesting magic system and a fun mystery to boot. I will say, the ending feels a little strange, but the rest most than makes up for it.

As They Bask in the Material World - Traxits

Every year, Reeve tours the outer reactors. This year, Veld is unable to escort him, so Tseng gets the job. It's just his luck that the car breaks down, and perhaps the best idea was not to spend the night in Cosmo Canyon…

Hi welcome to the beginning of the 'brownie falls in love with reeve' section of this. Anyway, great and interesting relationship between Reeve and Tseng, and EXTREMELY cool take on how young Reeve would react to Cosmo Canyon.

Before She Hangs Her Head to Cry - Traxits

Reeve had been reasonably certain that no one was in his office. It seemed like a logical assumption to make, given that he was not there and that no one short of the President had a key. One day, he would learn to stop assuming anything when he counted the Turks among his friends.

Not enough people talk about Reeve and kidnapping Marlene! Love the backstory that is hinted at for Reno here, getting to see Reeve's thoughts and such, and how Marlene's upbringing shows up throughout her actions. The characterization is just, *mwah*, beautiful.

Little Birds by katineto

Marlene's Papa is gone, and she is scared—or, the kidnapping, from Marlene's perspective.

Reeve is terrible with children. I love seeing Marlene's POV in the whole mess, trying to make sense of what is going on and feeling so scared.

Through Another's Eyes by CorsairOriginal

Elmyra Gainsborough had only wanted to live a life in peace, but war keeps coming to her door. She had only wanted her arrangement with Marlene Wallace to be temporary, but now that she's a part of Elmyra's life she has to face the consequences of that decision. Director Reeve Tuesti didn't choose to become a spy, but orders from President Rufus Shinra are not to be refused. He didn't choose to admire a group of renegades, but now that they're a part of his life he can't walk away so easily. ~ "Through Another's Eyes" is an in-depth view of the major notes of Reeve's story in Final Fantasy VII, starting from Marlene's abduction by Shinra to the end of the original game--rewriting some concepts and adding elements from the Compilation of FF7, including Before Crisis and FFVII Remake.

THE PINNACLE OF REEVE FICS. So so so good! Great relationship of Reeve with everybody, and how he deals with the events of FFVII. The moment at the end when he finally meets everyone? FUCK YEAH, that's what it's all about baby! Fic that got me hooked on the inspire!Reeve characterization.

I'm Fine - WinterEvenings

“Cloud!” His eyes snap open, but it doesn’t do much good. All he can see is darkness anyway. They were trapped. It was his fault. It was all his fault.

Cloud is so fucked up as far as priorities and his own health is concerned. it's terrible and wonderful at the same time. Gotta love a good dose of whump.

[lovelyunholyc]

not for the first time, you're staring down a demon, face to face, right in the eyes.

you can't deny he's beautiful, really, there's no other word that could encapsulate his otherworldly, unsettlingly perfect features: blue eyes so pale and icy they almost seem transparent (such an interestingly stark contrast to his brother's warm, oceanic blue), sharp nose and even sharper cheekbones, strong, regal jaw - but then again, you'd never admit any of this either - only over your dead body.

which, by the potent, venomous look he was giving you, might not be far off from becoming a reality.

you don't even remember what you'd been fighting about this time. like always, you seem to forget the moment something hot and fiery inside you snaps at something he says or does, or even just the way he seems to sneer at you at every opportunity, and you're blinded with rage, facing down your constant instigator and never backing down - far too stubborn to.

knives stares back at you, just as indignant, just as stubborn, those freakish eyes piercing straight into your soul, it seems, that sharp nose scrunched slightly with malice, lip curled in disgust. you had the audacity to challenge him, and there was no way in hell he would ever back down and let you win.

you hate that his haunting beauty still becomes him, even with the angry pull of his expression, from his perfectly shaped pale blonde brows down to his mouth, you hate it with every ounce of your being, you hate him.

and yet, you would liken him to an angel if his disdainful attitude and general miserable existence didn't lead you to believe he were the spawn of satan instead.

you don't realize how close your faces are until vash reminds you of his presence with a soft, innocent little giggle, a precious sound in such sharp comparison to your current position that it makes both your heads whirl around to face him and nearly bump into each other in the process.

"what?" knives snarls, the word grating between his teeth, expression unchanging save for the almost imperceptible softness that always seems to come through when he looks at his brother.

vash seems to have that effect on everyone, you think, you included. it's remarkable, really, that he can get through to someone like his brother - even more so to think that they came from the same womb - they were so different, no matter how much vash tried to convince you that knives had a good side, too. you could never imagine. in any case, it surely could never be as good as vash.

"n- nothing, nai, sorry," vash pipes up, pointedly avoiding both your gazes and pursing his lips, clearly trying not to laugh again.

"vash," comes the warning from you both, your tones varying completely - yours softer, knives's harsher, but just as exasperated.

the man in question's eyes widen almost comically as he glances between you, which in turn makes you turn back to his brother, and with a start, you realize your fingers had been clutched tightly in the front of his second-skin compression shirt. you avoid looking down at it, avert your eyes from what you already know - knives took meticulous care of his body, and it was difficult not to notice, despite how much you tried not to ever grace him with your attention.

you let go immediately, fingers jumping away like the fabric's on fire (you think it might as well be), fighting the compounding heat crawling up your neck and reasoning with yourself that it was just from residual anger. you shake it off with the distraction vash had kindly yet inadvertently provided, your fury slowly ebbing away for the time being, especially the longer you looked at vash, his sunny presence easily eclipsing the far darker and more distressing one of his brother's.

knives stands to his full height, reminding you belatedly just how much larger he is, how much more broad. you try not to think too much about it, about how he'd let you bring him down to your height, how quickly you'd forgotten his frame and superior strength, just so you could get in his face with your rage and displeasure and spew your own brand of poison back at him. and how he'd let you, just as caught up as you had been.

"spit it out." he turns and faces his brother with a disapproving glare, a fraction of its intensity compared to what he had seemed to reserve only for you.

vash doesn't even flinch at his expression, he just grins, radiant as ever. "everyone will be here soon, so please stop fighting for five minutes?" he scratches the back of his neck, a telltale habit you know of his well enough to know that wasn't what he'd wanted to say initially.

knives knows him even better, and would likely be able to tell this too, but he doesn't press further, just steps away from you and walks off without another word, presumably to sulk in his room as he usually does.

you roll your eyes upon his exit, relieved, but then perk up when you hear vash chuckle. "what?!" you repeat, the annoyed furrow back in your brows.

"oh, nothing~" he sings, smiling widely, looking for all the world like he knows some precious secret that you don't.

luckily for him, he has the foresight to dodge when you lunge at him, and then continue running; he's saved from your chase by the bell ringing to signal your friends' arrival.

[novasintheroom]

Memories

♡ Pairing - Vash x Reader

♡ Word count - 0.7k

♡ Warnings - none

♡ Description: A short drabble based on the November 2023 prompt list from @creativepromptsforwriting. Day 2: Memories.

Now part of the 150 Bullets drabble series on AO3.

Vash’s memories feel like weapons.

Pointed. Sharp. Playing hide-and-seek with Nai. The mother shot by bandits. Promises given but never kept. Rem’s smile, which fades more and more with time.

All aimed at him with shaking fingers and knives. All his fault.

He wonders, sometimes, if he could force himself to forget. It would certainly make the nightmares easier. Selfish as it is, if he could just wipe his memory clean…well. No point in dwelling on it. It won’t ever happen. Not unless he knocks his head a certain way.

He’s so absorbed in this thought; he jumps when you sit next to him on the metal walkway. “Hey,” you say, leaning forward to rest your arms on the bottom railing bar. You stick your legs out to let them hang in the air. Surprising, given your hesitance for heights. The dark of the evening has settled over the metal buildings, casting long shadows, and washing out any color on you. He’s surprised he didn’t hear you coming up the stairs or the clang of footsteps on rusted metal.

You lick your lips and ask, “Bad time sleeping again?” He sends that practiced smile your way, the one meant to reassure and dissuade from prying. You lean your head to the side and give him that sideways look, the one where you know something’s up. “You…feel like talking right now?” It’s nonchalant, your voice lilting in a way to allow Vash some wiggle room.

Vash sighs. Looks down at the busy street below. There are more people in this town, a bustling up-and-coming city. Neon lights are flicking on slowly as the suns set. Toma run underneath, carrying goods or riders, or pulling carts. The dust of a thousand feet rise to tickle his nose. Rem would have loved it, he believes. “Not really,” he finally admits.

You only nod and start swinging your feet.

He sinks back into his mind. A memory sparks from an argument below; Vash had stepped in at some other town, at some other time, and taken the punch for the kid who started it. That didn’t stop the kid from shanking the offender. Or when he tried to save that little girl from drowning in quicksand…why wasn’t he quick enough? No matter what he does…

A hand slides over his, squeezing it on the railing. Again, he is startled from his memories. He looks to you.

You’re not looking at him. You watch the people below, eyes darting from one person to the next in idle amusement. It’s as if you don’t even realize what you’re doing. Vash looks down at your hand and his. He remembers the first time he held it, back when you were strangers. His hand was so clammy. It probably still is. You squeeze his hand again. I’m here, you say. And you glance quickly, trying to see if it’s working. You’ve never been good at being sneaky. You flinch when caught and look away with twitching lips.

Another, softer memory comes. You’re both in a bar, and some women in the corner are laughing and looking over at Vash with high blushes from their beers. He’s doing his best to not catch their eye, instead looking at you for conversation. He catches you sending a withering glare their way, but you flinch at his gaze and glance away quickly, lips twitching just like now.

This time, his smile feels real. He may not feel better, but at least he has you. You, who would brave your fear of heights just to make sure he’s alright. Who else would hold the hand of an outlaw to show him he isn’t alone? And he shouldn’t be moping, anyways. Hadn’t you said you wanted to try some new food while here?

“Wanna go get some ramen?” he leans closer and stage whispers, “I know a guy.” Your laugh cheers him, and he takes your held hand and places it in the crook of his arm. “We’ll stand on three, okay?”

And maybe it was like walking a newborn tomas off a very, very high catwalk, but he considered it a new memory, one that wouldn’t sting like the others. He looks forward to making many more with you.

[orcelito]

orcelito's trigun fic recs!

making this for @trigunfanfic's fic appreciation week! this is a nonexhaustive list & not in any particular order (aside from the smut fics, which i separated into another section). just a few fics i rly love & think should get more attention!!

so Here are the multichapters (some of which have smut, but it's not the focus):

someone to last your whole life by catchatter / @needlab7

this one is sooooooooooooooooooooooo 🥺 i was reading it as it was being released and MAN it drove me insane. every bit of the post-trimax love and healing i couldve ever wanted. genuinely one of my fav trigun fics. it's just so well written & evocative. it really does feel like Vash and Wolfwood... and just. aughghghgh im gonna have to reread it sometime bc it truly is something special

CAUSE OF DEATH (See instructions and examples) by neatrogenous / @floofyfluff

this is the other post-trimax fic that Changed My Life. i read it all in one go in one euphoric hyperfocus. i felt every emotion known to mankind. it is just. slkdfjsldfjlskdfj god. i adore how Vash is written here. both of them, really. it just feels so much like them. someday, i will reread this one Too...

Make it to Daybreak by @hypermoyashi (on both ao3 and tumblr)

god. what to say about this one. honestly i have never watched Demon Slayer so going into this fic i was missing that context, but i never felt like i was actually missing out on much. Allen does such a fantastic job at bringing u into the world without having to know anything about it at all. i LOOOOVE demon vash sooo much. so very much. im a little behind on updates rn sldfsdfkj but im excited to catch back up bc everything about this au is just Sooooo fun. everyone potentially interested in Demon Vash should read this. Do it. Right Now. 🥺 pls

Trillium and Ivy by @shastafirecracker (on both ao3 and tumblr)

AUGHHHHHH omfg this one was one of the first fics i read for trigun, and MAN it really set a high bar for me. im a little picky when it comes to modern aus, but this one is just so.... WONDERFUL... i read the entire thing in the first half of my day one day and spent the rest of my day in a fugue state. it was just SO SO SO good. i recently reread it and even having read it before, it was just as wonderful to read. realistic relationship development, compelling Saverem drama, all of it. it's also probably my favorite fic for the depiction of Vash's injury & recovery. the first time i read it i was just blown away by how realistic it felt, right down to the trauma memories of watching bargain bin movies while he was stuck in bed. honestly i could rant for forever about this one lol. it truly is special.

and RELATED TO THAT,,,

Wildflowers, also by ShastaFirecracker

i actually didnt know these 2 fics were written by the same person at first lol. Wildflowers got linked in my trigun server & i checked it out bc Fuck Yeah trans wolfwood. and then had my world just blown away. it's SUCH a good fic, & i really am such a sucker for fantasy au. and i was just absolutely gushing about how realistic the depiction of trans wolfwood was even before i finished the fic. SUCH a great fic. so imagine my surprise & delight when i went back to reread Trillium and Ivy and realized -- OH FUCK, it's by the SAME PERSON !!! such beautiful writing, For Real. i really do love these 2 fics.

Sun, Moon, and Stars by tragic_unpaired_electron (can't find a tumblr link on the fic or ao3 profile, so if anyone knows them feel free to share this with them pls !!)

WOW LOOK it's a fic that doesnt have VW as the main focus!!! unfortunately the only one of those on this list (i May be a tad predictable...), & it really earned its place here. it's just such a fascinating fic that answers the question of What If Tesla Survived? i adore the exploration of her strengths and struggles, as well as her sibling relationship with Knives and Vash. it's so INTERESTING, and it gets into the meat of fighting for the rights of Independent Plants (and plants in general) and just. man. i read this and wanted to devote my life to one Tesla Saverem. she is so precious and hard-headed and SUCH a good big sister. pls do read it, it's such a lovely fic

and NOW...

onto the smut fics lol.

there are Plenty of very good smut fics around, but these are the ones that really stuck with me. either for being Different than the norm, or just being very... well. ya kno lol.

dont worry about the picture this paints of me lmfaoooo

you'll never get enough by tagteamme / @phaltu

AGHHHHHHHHH oh my god this fic made me FEEL things. it's a boxer / gym au, and MAN does it do it well. u get the sweaty gym setting, u get the homoeroticism & horny pining, u get the blatant masochism that drives them both... im just obsessed with it. that stove scene is going to stay with me For Life. & the smut is of course VERY good, but the Vibes... oh the Vibes are so impeccable. obsessed.

there is a season for all things by SolidShrimp (cant find their tumblr on the fic/profile, but i Know ive seen them on tumblr 🤔 if anyone knows their url, pls do me a favor and send this to them!)

THIS ONE.......................... man. man. man. man. like i know xeno is The Average for fandom vash, except the normal flower "plantussy" doesnt really do much for me. im too much of a monster fucker for that i guess. it's not BAD, just not particularly exciting. this, though? now, THIS one left an impression. ive already gushed about it to the writer in the comments of the first fic (havent kept up with the sequel fics, tho i really should catch back up sometime) so i'll keep it brief here. just. such an UTTERLY delightful inhuman vash portrayal, to the point where his reproductive biology is just plain incompatible with Wolfwood & Meryl's (oh yeah, it's mashwood, which is WONDERFUL...). wolfwood and meryl are in over their head trying to figure out how to get vash off in his own way, but they do their Absolute Best!!! it's just rly sweet and i adore the way the writer went Full Ham into the inhuman aspects. utterly delightful.

Kick me once again, and say we'll never part by epsilontauri (doesn't look like they're on tumblr? there's just a link to their twitter on the fic. but if anyone knows them, feel free to send this to them!)

this one is. so. very. AUGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. ok i will be honest this is probably my favorite vw smut. and it's barely even smut. the sequel is definitely much more sex, but this one is. well. it's some extreme, dangerous, and barely negotiated S&M. as the saying goes, it's neither Safe Or Sane, but it sure is consensual! it's just so. well looking at just the tags sure does reveal it. horrible coping, it's an intense fic, but it's just so.......... DELIGHTFUL........... i really really really love fics that stick to their guns like this. and i love how even though Wolfwood had a GREAT time, we get to see how it kinda freaked Vash out (he did Not like hurting Wolfwood), so the sequel is good for a fic where they're both genuinely having lots of fun. this one is actually rather not fun for Vash. but it's just. it's about the Extremity of it. the Possessiveness. pushing someone to their absolute limits!!!!!!!!! this is another fic that i rambled in the comments about bc. yeah. yeah. it's. just trust me. if ur into fucked up dudes being fucked up dudes, this is the fic for you.

& OKAY i think that's my list. again, it's nonexhaustive, but ive had enough typing i think lol

hope u guys enjoy the recs 🥺

[kaondecay]

a couple little vol 7 thoughts featuring vashwood brainrot 😎✌️

man this scene makes my brain itch on so many different levels lmao, like on the surface level wtf wolfwood!! we’ve just had all these chapters explicitly digging into how vash has a Problem where he tries to hide his pain under empty smiles- and in fact wolfwood clocked that about him pretty much instantly back when they first met! so of course badgering him about ~looking sad~ (especially when he started the page with a neutral to mildly glum expression) is just gonna make him try harder to cover it up, and that’s exactly what he does with that stupid little smile on the second page 😔

but wolfwood’s whole point here is that that shit isn’t gonna work on him no matter how hard vash tries! unfortunately wolfwood is also emotionally constipated as hell, so it comes out as aggression and teasing rather than anything genuine.

actually i just gotta revisit that earlier moment here because the contrast is just fascinating lmao

like goddamn wolfwood really came in hot with the sincerity in that first meeting, how did we go from that to this?? was it just because they were strangers then, and wolfwood thought he could get away with saying shit like that because their paths might never cross again? this was also before ww got his assignment from Knives- did he not know this was the boss’s brother? he probably didn’t realize the twins’ inhumanity at that point either… he’s had a lot to grapple with over the course of this assignment, both re: the twins’ apocalyptic power, and the fact that he has to betray vash at the end of it, that would naturally create a need for emotional distance. allowing honesty and attachment with vash puts too much at risk.

so really, given that very high-stakes need for distance, it’s telling that wolfwood still can’t help expressing his awareness of vash’s suffering & investment in cheering him up, even if it comes out in such a ridiculous way lol

it also seems like a clumsy/oblique way of trying to reassure vash that he’s still a person? vash’s inhuman nature has come more to the forefront lately- losing control in the dragon’s nest, regaining the memory of all the death he caused in july, catching that bullet with a feather only for the whole town to turn against him for it- and it’s clearly been weighing on him. so wolfwood acknowledges that angle by calling him all those awful things- “the legendary devil gunman, the humanoid typhoon”- but immediately discredits them by pointing out vash’s softheartedness.

idk i also have one more little bit of brainrot about the moment they share leaving the bar, acknowledging that things are about to get serious with Knives

like goddamn there’s so much meaning packed into that exchange!! it’s the closest they really come to acknowledging their whole “you know i know you know” deal around wolfwood’s assignment. (hah, “i told you from the start…”, fuck. ) like, openly telling vash that knives sent him would break the plausible deniability that wolfwood is simply fulfilling his mission, and that would put the orphanage in danger. at the same time, he has been 0% subtle and never actually *lied* to vash about it either- the few times vash has asked direct questions, wolfwood has given him vague answers or conspicuous silence and allowed him to draw his own conclusions.

so this seems like their weird twisty way of setting mutual expectations for what’s going to happen next. wolfwood is vash’s “guide”, no more and no less- he has enough insider information to bring vash safely to his brother’s door, but past that point wolfwood will stay out of the confrontation. it’s the one thing wolfwood and both brothers all agree is best, whether they like it or not. god wolfwood’s face in that last panel kills me

i am absolutely normal about this

[hellsingmongrel]

So, bit of ramblings on my Post-Trimax Wolfwood headcanons.

Man, one of my favorite tropes in media is a character who's spirit lingers on after they've died, but it's usually something you only see in fanfic, so I cannot get over how FUCKING FERAL I was when I realized that it was legit a thing in Trimax, and that Wolfwood was the one we actually got to see, legitimately talking to the people he'd left behind and confirming that ghosts in the canon weren't just hallucinations or something! Like yeah, we saw Tessla leading the boys to her body, but since her ghost was never mentioned again, it could have easily have been written off as a fluke, right?

NOPE. They are real and they linger after to watch over the people they care about or to send messages to the people who are still alive! And the fact that the character who had just wormed his way into being just as beloved to me as my favorite character (Which NEVER happens, I usually only have enough brain cells for one at a time!) and that we had just had our hearts ripped to shreds watching him die was also the one we got to know had definitely stayed behind to watch over the people he loved just makes me SO HAPPY! I rp that asshole from time to time, and I just love exploring the implications of it!

I play him like he's been there a LONG TIME. When he died, Rem was there, watching over Vash, but when Knives spent the last of his energy, she chose to move on with him, now that she knew Wolfwood would be there to keep watch over Vash, and he took it SERIOUSLY. He's been waiting so long, he's lost his sense of time, he thinks it's only been a couple decades when it's been CENTURIES. And the time has softened his own trauma, he's gone from being surly and angry and defensive to being at peace and finding comfort in the fact that its allowed him to see more of Vash's life than he ever would have been able to live long enough to see when he was alive. And it's given him time to notice just how unwell Vash is, how broken he is, watching over him when he thinks he's alone and lets himself break down.

But it's also made Wolfwood a bit unwell in his own way; as time went on and the people he knew in life began to pass away, too, his interest in paying attention to what the people around them were doing wained, and his dedication to watching over Vash until it was his time to pass on became a strange sort of dependence. He loses his sense of self, in a way, until the most important thing in his existence is being there for Vash, waiting for him, having long-since accepted that when the time comes, it'll be over and he's alright with that.

He's happy, but to the perspective of a living person, it would seem TWISTED in a way. He still thinks he's a damned soul, stealing more time than he's allowed and only damning himself further by doing so, and he just knows that when he gets to walk Vash into whatever comes after for them, they'll be separated again, for the last time, and there won't be any coming back from it that time, because Vash is too good, too kind, too HOLY to ever be damned. But it's fine. Wolfwood knew he was damned long before his death, and time has just given him the chance to make peace with it and simply be happy with the fact that at least he'll be able to be with Vash when he can move on to wherever good people go at the end. And yet when it happens, Vash feels the same way about himself, so certain that he's the one who's damned, and their reunion is wonderful and painful and terrifying for both of them in different ways.

He's even worse with interacting with people, once he's forced to interact with the living. I play Wolfwood in a game where he stumbles into revealing himself after spending centuries never letting himself be seen, and he worries that going "silent" again will upset people. He's spent centuries being a silent shadow, certain that letting Vash know he was there would only cause more suffering for an already unwell mind, so he's forgotten how to interact with tact, blurting out whatever pops into his head because he's only had himself to talk to for all that time. He hurts people without meaning to, begins to suffer from the crisis of worrying that no matter what he does, he's a burden to the people who mourn him, he doesn't belong, his existence is nothing but a constant reminder of what's coming and will only cause the people around him pain. He's both able to be the kind, caring, loving person he might have been if the Eye of Michael had never taken him from the orphanage, and also a HUGE, ANXIOUS WRECK.

And the thing that makes it all worse for him is the fact that when he was dumped into the game I have him in, he was separated from the Vash of his timeline, and now lives in constant fear that he'll never see him again, that he won't be there when he passes on and there won't be anyone to greet him on the other side, alone and never knowing that he was waiting for him. He made a promise to Rem that he'd watch over him for her, that he'd lead him to his final destination where he could be with his family again, and now that he's lost that, what purpose does he have? He's terrified to let go himself, worried he'll pass onto the other side when Vash was right around the corner, but the thought of lingering without finding him again, missing his chance to be there for him when it's his turn, leaves him in an almost constant state of almost-panic.

I also just think it's kind of sweetly poetic, if in the end, he chose to continue the role he'd been forced into; take Vash where he's supposed to be. Only this time, it's his choice, and it won't be to his death. He wants to guide him to where he knows people are waiting for him, where he'll finally be happy and be at peace. He doesn't mind the fact that he's going to Hell, so long as he was able to be the one that leads Vash to the place where he won't have to be in pain ever again.

[deatmat]

I think one of the most interesting things about Wolfwood and Vash’s relationship is that they always have each other’s backs. And I’m not just talking about metaphorically - physically they are there protecting the other.

Looking at Trigun, there are several scenes where Wolfwood shoots people coming at Vash from behind and when they fight back-to-back. Beyond their fighting style (which honestly is primarily Wolfwood shooting people and protecting Vash), Wolfwood also helps him out when he’s at his lowest. He’s the one to pick Vash up off his feet when he’s parading around as Eriks. Then (spoilers for end of Trigun 98) when Vash is fighting Knives, it’s Wolfwoods voice in his head and his gun that ends up helping to finish the battle. And it’s not just Vash getting aid from Wolfwood. In the manga Vash is constantly there to help Wolfwood with all his troubles. He helps him realize who he wants to be. He helps him by allowing him to stick around even though he knows he’s going to betray him bc he knows Wolfwood needs to protect his family. When Wolfwood protects the orphanage, Vash shows up in the end to help save what he loves. In that same scene, they work together so flawlessly that even Livio comments on it saying they look like they’ve fought together a thousand times as they panel shows them literally back-to-back. (Spoilers for volume 10) And Vash is the one beside him as Wolfwood dies, supporting him in his final hour.

Trigun Stampede takes a different approach and actually spells it out. The entirety of episode 4 Wolfwood makes note of the fact that Vash regularly turns his back to him as if trusting a stranger. It is said at least five times and is a key focus of the episode in my opinion. Episode 5 shows Vash leaning against Wolfwood’s back discussing how he knows Rollo, another form of the support (though in stampede it’s just the beginnings of that support since they don’t really have any sort of relationship yet).

I just think both of them aren’t used to having someone help them. Wolfwood has always been the big brother, the one who does work and cares for others instead of being cared for, and Vash never had anyone around to watch over him cuz he was always alone. And like, Meryl and Milly are there for them too which is really important to mention so it’s triple the support than either of them have ever gotten. It would be such a shock to them, and in Trimax/Tri98 you can see how that changes them as people.

Vash was so worried about being alone after Knives left him and now he’s surrounded by people who are there for him and I love that so much.

[coconox]

certified delulu post about nocti

a.n. this'll be a compilation of thoughts from my initial reactions to sands of wrath to his voicelines to literally everything about him. THIS WILL HEAVILY BE A NOCTI X SKK!READER KIND OF THING because i'm all in for a lil self insert to feed my delulu visions. also as a heads up i did read the story using google translate so if i quote anything it's basically what google translate told me but i edited it to make some grammatical sense. and yes there will be spoilers

a lot of context will be left out so if you don't wanna be confused by names check out this lore doc that gives a summary of er-5 or pgr lore in general, this post just talks about er-5 lol

EXHIBIT A: TRIGUN AU

have you seen trigun (ESPECIALLY trimax) cause if you have this makes so much more sense

noctis is vash and nigel is knives

both are brothers and have almost opposite ideologies

i did think of wolfwood and livio as another option but nigel does fit a bit closer to resembling knives

VASHWOOD (where nocti is vash and skk is ww (or the other way round, honestly either still works)

nocti: but you must promise me that you won’t die before i come back! no…. you’re not allowed to die even after i come back! i will definitely find a way to save you!

skk: of course, partner…..

this had me in TEARS I WAS NOT READY

nocti fist bumping you just made me think of this scene with vash and meryl

HE ALSO CALLS YOU PARTNER AS HE FIST BUMPS YOU the way i had this realization so late into writing all this

sands of wrath setting literally looks like a place you’d find in no man’s land

nocti’s voiceline telling you to smile more, similar to ww telling vash to smile more (and i mean their genuine smile, not the fake one they use in front of people)

EXHIBIT B: NOCTI AND SKK ARE MARRIED

they are married and own a bar together hear me out—

you two enter a town in which neither of you are welcome because you’re both from babylonia, the mayor decides to put you two in a hotel room till the harvest festival is over

you two are in separate beds, but neither of you can sleep, so you two do what any pair of roommates would do—

—have a 6 hr "light conversation" :D

first actual convo with nocti, you both take turns to ask questions about why they’re here, what’s going on, etc

nocti asks why you trust him so easily, you respond with “it’s intuition” which is a response nocti seemed to like

you also state how you hope he returns to cerberus and fall asleep. nocti in a way states he also wishes to go back to cerberus and sleeps as well

at some point nocti leaves the hotel room to find demont, who is the reason you two ended up working together in the first place, but there was an attack by hetero creatures and nocti swiftly got rid of them

after talking to the mayor, max, about wanting to be just a resident in town, he takes you to a bar, in which that’s where you find nocti

ya know he could’ve talked about ANYTHING and his drunk ass decided to talk about HOW HE PROTECTED YOU??? COINCIDENCE??? I THINK NOT

you find nocti and he offers his hand out to you to dance with him, you reluctantly agreed and you two end up break dancing together

this was him proposing to you i’m just sayin—

the night passes and you two begin living your lives as residents of new oakley

when he first calls you partner, it was originally solely because temporarily they’re no longer considered members of babylonia, and so to fit in with the whole wild west type style, nocti refers to you as “partner” and you agree to do the same to him

first time it’s used outside your interaction with him was when nocti has small talk with vann

vann: you’ll only obey orders from that commandant, right? these are the rules of the sky garden

nocti: i don’t listen to anyone’s orders, but if it’s a request from my partner, that’s a different matter

NOCTI WHY ARE YOU SAYING THAT LIKE WE’RE ROMANTICALLY PARTNERS?????

this isn’t the first time he does something like that he’s very consistent about it

truly a devoted man

also “MY partner” ????? he also pretty much refers to you as his partner throughout the whole story i got whiplashed when we were back to being called skk in his affection story

after you and nocti find demont there’s a small good cop bad cop scene (which i found hilarious), but at the end demont couldn’t reveal much vital information due to dying from poison

nocti realizes this poison is something only nigel can control, and stormed out into the center of town in a fit of rage trying to find nigel

calming him down and telling him to retreat to not make a big scene was practically impossible, that is till you shout “trust me— partner!!” and nocti finally calms down and retreats

HELLO??? CALLING HIS NAME HE DIDN'T BAT AN EYE BUT BEING CALLED PARTNER MADE HIM ACTUALLY LISTEN??

i'm absolutely speechless

you two cook up a plan to find out what’s really going on +bonus hand holding at the end

your part was to just do your job as a bartender while nocti handles the investigating, and eventually nigel shows up

nigel asks what’s the difference between a human and a construct, you respond in a way a bartender would explain it, but nigel wants an answer from you as a commandant rather than a bartender

he ends up poisoning you and leaves, nocti arrives a little while later after discovering what the plan is for this town in the next few days

i remembered that before we split up i told him not to be reckless, but in the end i was the one that was careless and ended up in this miserable condition. i no longer had the strength to stand, so i could only slide down to the edge of the bar. at the beginning, i said big words that would make nocti return to cerberus in an honored manner… i didn’t expect to be the one to make him sad for his companions

skk: i'm sorry…. nocti….

nocti: HEY! don’t say such depressing things to me so quickly

nocti then enters a panicked state of not knowing what to do cause skk is poisoned and there's no known cure for it

nocti gritted his teeth. he didn't even know how to give first aid. he regretted not learning more about first aid from vera before

GOT ME SOBBING, EMOTIONALLY DAMAGED, SHATTERED INTO PIECES

you tell nocti to go help the mayor cause if the mayor dies the town will fall

nocti is in pure disbelief that at a time like this you're more worried about someone else and he refused to leave you here

after some reassuring nocti goes ahead and takes care of what's going on in town and immediately after checks if you’re still ok

he hears a painful scream in his communication device and he SPRINTS back to where you are and finds both vera and 21 there attempting to take care of you

21 comments on how nocti is a lot more powerful ITS BECAUSE HIS LOVER IS DYING RIGHT IN FRONT OF HIM AND HE WANTS TO SAVE THEM BUT DOESN'T KNOW HOW

there’s an encounter with the purifying force, wanting nocti dead since they believe he’s the cause of their aircraft crashing

you tell them that it isn’t his fault and after essentially a stare down between the purifying force and cerberus, the purifying force leaves you all alone since they trust you (thank the overlords for you working with them before and gaining a good work relationship)

you, cerberus, max, and vann think of a plan on what to do next now that you all know where nigel might be located

nocti will go and fight nigel alone since it’s the reason he even came here in the first place while the rest defend the town

you establish a m.i.n.d. connection with nocti, which in turn gives him the poison as well since you’re basically almost a walking corpse at this point

the fact that nocti, with NO hesitation, established a connection with you makes it LOUD AND CLEAR that he will stick with you no matter what even if it leads to his death

cue another hand holding scene, and nocti leaves

vera and 21 get very VERY concerned over your health, yet you’re still adamant about keeping the connection with nocti

21: they want to keep a deep m.i.n.d connection w nocti

vera: DO YOU WANT TO DIE?! if you're deeply connected, your consciousness will be completely bound to him…. if he dies, you also die

skk: he… needs….. me…..

this is LITERALLY a moment where one cares more about their partner THAN THEIR OWN WELL-BEING ㅠㅠㅠㅠ

transitioning over to nocti’s side, he finally confronts nigel

nigel mentions that in order to cure the commandant he needs to be killed, but just HEARING that name come out of his mouth made nocti more full of rage than he’s ever had

this part alone SCREAMED nocti being like "you do NOT have the right to say my partner's name after what you did to them, i am no longer doing this for myself, i'm doing this FOR THEM"

so anyways nocti gets his ass beat 💀💀, nigel lecturing him that he’s still confused and is only driven by anger

the cutscene if you wanna watch it

"commandant… you must be disappointed with me…. damn it… are you mad at me? haha.. me too…. leave everything to me from now on. let’s make that bastard taste our true wrath, partner..."

“i can’t die here yet…. my partner is still waiting for me to come back.”

similar to 21's comment earlier, nigel notices how nocti's steps aren't noisy and chaotic anymore, but steady, firm, and powerful now BECAUSE HIS PARTNER IS ROOTING FOR HIM TO WIN AND HE NEEDED THAT BOOST OF ENCOURAGEMENT... THAT'S WHY YOU WERE SO ADAMANT WITH KEEPING A M.I.N.D. CONNECTION WITH NOCTI

this whole fight scene had me SCREAMING

“my partner and i will use all our strength… to beat you to pieces”

if you still haven’t gotten it DO YOU SEE IT NOW??? HIS MAN IS FULLY DRIVEN TO HIS FULL POTENTIAL BECAUSE HE LOVES YOU AND WANTS TO.. NO... NEEDS TO COME BACK TO YOU

nocti wins and nigel essentially retreats but with a new found respect for his brother

but before he retreats he asks nocti the same question he asked you: what’s the difference between humans and constructs

he gives his own answer and guesses yours (since he was rather confident enough with knowing a lot on how you think) and it boils down to them having the same answer but different font

the place nocti and nigel were fighting in collapses, forcing nocti to leave and never see nigel again

you and nocti are back in the hotel room recovering, and a few locals come in to beg nocti to stay and not go back to babylonia

“but i made a promise with my partner, i want to return to cerberus in a dignified manner…”

after more silly banter everyone leaves you and nocti alone to rest, but neither of you can sleep

nocti brings up the question nigel asked him, and you gave him your actual answer, which is pretty close to what he guessed

nocti: haha… just as i thought, i know you better

skk: but maybe i know you better. for example, what you look like when you’re drunk

nocti: WHAT?! DID I DO ANYTHING WEIRD WHEN I WAS DRUNK???

skk: forget it, stop talking, i’m sleepy

nocti: HEY!! TELL ME NOW!!!!

he’s a literal blushing mess after you told him you saw him drunk

your honor this is literally a newly wed couple

gotta of course mention his affection story so read here for a summary of that as well

the way he ONLY uses the best quality and probably most expensive ingredients to make your food

nocti giving a damn about this whole pancake thing only because YOU care

LIKE HE'S PUTTING HIS PREFERENCES ASIDE TO MAKE YOU HAPPY

MORE HAND HOLDINGGG this time in the form of you helping him mold the pancake shape +bonus nocti blushing

both literally wanting to do the whole working at a bar thing together again in the future that is like PEAK ENDGAME for their marriage

+bonus boss being supportive and naming the new drink and dish that was made after you and nocti

the whole affection story just very clearly and vividly plays out nocti and skk working together flawlessly at the bar like their chemistry was SO GOOD !!!!

very sorry for any grammar errors i'm very hyperfixated on him rn and i needed to scream about it somewhere

anyways thank you for coming to my ted talk i will now think of nocti in a wedding dress /hj

[feekins]

so I can't find it rn but I saw this post a while back theorizing that Knives can't hear plants? which struck me as a little strange, bc in both the English subs (pictured below) and dubs of ep 9, Knives specifically references their dying screams.

which got me thinking - the key differences in Vash's and Knives' defining moments interacting with Dependents in eps 8-9 don't lie in their abilities but in their circumstances.

thanks to his gut instincts and humans putting their trust in him just in time, Vash was able to do something to save that plant. meanwhile, even with the top plant engineer at his beck and call, Knives couldn't do a damn thing to save all those plants bc by the time he got there, it was already too late.

it's chock-a-block full of narrative foils - Studio Orange gives us A LOT of those between Vash and Knives. furthermore, those differences in their earliest Dependent life-or-death situations are VITAL to their character development.

Vash starts out believing himself to be incapable of contributing anything meaningful/doing anything of importance - also, being what he is, humans don't trust him at first. then, he begs to help the moment he realizes something is wrong with one of the plants, and humans choose to go out on a limb and trust him. through this experience, not only does Vash realize that he DOES have value and he CAN make a difference just the way he is - he also learns that he CAN coexist with humans in a good way.

on the flip-side, starting out, we don't see any evidence that Knives doubts either his abilities as a plant or his value as a person. additionally, he has a pre-established relationship (in a flashback towards the end of ep 10, we see that Conrad recognizes Knives from before the Fall and literally runs to greet him with open arms) with a pretty skilled (we know from a Studio Orange tweet that Conrad was the leader of the Project SEEDS science division), pretty influential (from the same tweet, we also know Conrad p much built July from the ground up) human who is p much at Knives' command (albeit forcibly). even with that, Knives is ultimately powerless, unable to bring all those plants back from the brink of death (again, they were past the point of saving by the time he got to them) - worse, he's there to bear witness to their massacre at the hands of humans who intentionally bleed them dry. through this experience, despite what power/resources he has at his disposal, Knives is once again traumatized by his (and his brethren's) lack of control/agency at the hands of humankind, and it reinforces his beliefs and his genocidal conviction.

things could have easily turned out VERY DIFFERENTLY. if Luida had waited too much longer to let Vash out, that plant would've died - and Knives would've been able to do something using Conrad's influence and/or skills if they'd somehow gotten there before all those plants were pushed hard enough to cut them off from the higher dimension in the first place. if either of those things were the case, though, Vash and Knives would most definitely not be the Vash and Knives we've come to know.

[jellys-compendium]

Fic authors self rec!♡ When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let’s spread the self-love❤

Thank you Mer, this is so sweet! What a great way to spread some self-love and self-encouragement! 🥰💞💞 Thank you for giving me a free pass to gush, I'll try (emphasis on try) and hold myself back as best as I can. 🤣

Just for Tonight - A Giyuu x Reader fic

I really like this one mostly because of the setting and the theme. This story takes place in a wooded snowscape, with mountains, snow covered pines, and frozen lakes. I really love writing stories that take place in these kinds of settings because I often imagine that I'm there and I find that very relaxing. This story also is heavy on themes of mutual pining and relationship angst. You know, the kind where two people love each other but can't be together because of external circumstances? I feel like Giyuu lends very well to that trope, given his story and the way he views himself. Also, this was the first fic where I wrote a scene with non-sexual physical intimacy where two people that are romantically interested in each other are exposed to one another, but instead of sex it's just tender and yearning touches. I really like how that turned out!

2. It's the Thought that Counts (Yes, the dildo fic)

This one is on the favorites list because it was a blast to write from start to finish! From the idea, to fleshing it out into a oneshot, to even tagging the thing (it was a delightful challenge), I really had fun "torturing" a very down bad Vash in this one. But I also have to say that another reason why I like it so much is because it inspired two other writers to write their own fics around that story and that was truly one of the most amazing things I've ever experienced. I was so honored and will never forget how much my heart pounded with excitement when I read both of those fics. 🥰

3. Plant Heat Headcanons & Mouthful

These are a collection of headcanons for Vash x Reader (and a little bit for Knives x Reader) and the reason why these are one of my favorite "fics" is because it really allowed me to explore the differences between each variation of Vash and Millions Knives (i.e., Trimax, Trigun 98, Trigun Stampede, BLR). It was really fun to explore each version's quirks and personalities and imagining how each would react in their own unique way. I do have my favorites of these versions, but it made me realize that at the end of the day, I really love them all!

4. Absolution

This one was an absolute beast to write and it will be one of my favorites for a while because it was the first for various things. It was the first time I wrote for Trimax Vash specifically, it was the first time that I really dedicated myself to a longer fic, and it was the first work in a longer series of mine that ended up being over 100K words in length. I did work really hard on it. As I continue to grow as a writer, there may come a time where I look back on it and think it's just okay, I'll still be proud of it because it was the first time that I was able to write a pretty decently sized fic with fairly heavy themes without chickening out. I'm not going to lie, when I posted chapter 2 of this thing, I was so nervous I was visibly shaking. My family thought there was something wrong with me. 😂 I had to take a walk to try and get rid of that nervous energy.

5. Pretty much all of my Dad!Vash content, but I have to pick one so I'm going to say my Cozy Dad Vash Drabbles

I love this collection of little fics dearly. They are silly, self-indulgent little pieces of seeing Vash as a settled down dad post the horrors he experienced in Trimax. These fics are definitely my comfort space. My heart always feels so full when I'm writing for Dad!Vash and his adorable little munchkins. Honestly, whenever I'm feeling bad about my writing (or just down in general), sitting down and writing a little blurb about this goofy dad trying to parent his kids always helps me feel better.

[mediocreanomaly]

Listen in your soulmate au we forgot about no less important men

Livio and Razlo! May we have something with them both with the same reader?

Authors Note: I should seriously kiss you on the mouth for this. Yes yes yes 1000x yes of course I'll write Livio and Razlo. They are my boys, I adore them. mwah (that's me giving you a small kiss on the head and cutting the crust of your sandwiches)

*I'm referencing a small amount of my Vashwood parts in here but you don't have to read it to understand this it can be read as a separate thing*

Read the Rest of the Soulmate AU Here!:

Vashwood: Part 1 | Part 2 Knives: Part 1

Livio & Razlo Soulmate AU

• Livio finds out about soulmates from Wolfwood actually, and it scares the living day light out of him.

•Little Livio is trailing behind big brother Nick when Nick suddenly double over, grunting and clutching at his side.

•Liv goes wide eyed grabbing him asking what's wrong

"S'nothin Liv, my soulmate just get's hurt a lot is all" "Soulmate?" "mhmm, you know. It's like- ugh, like you're tethered to another person and they can feel your pain? here let me just show you-" Nick pinches Livio and Livio rubs the spot "hey!" he whines before he suddenly, he feels a return pinch in the same spot

•After that Livio is both fascinated and scared. He's very excited to know there's someone out there meant to care for him but the fact he could potently hurt them...it makes him feel a bit sick

•He does his best to try and not get hurt, the first time he gets a paper cut after learning about soulmates he cries for half an hour while Wolfwood has to try and reassure him that his soulmate will forgive him

•He really does do everything he can to keep his soulmate happy but...then he learns about Razlo and they run away from the orphanage

•Now when Livio realizes that Razlo is there they both have conflicting feelings about...well everything. It's just that their soulmate is part of that very long list of things they need to work out when Livio finds out about Razlos existence

•Starting with Livio, he feels pretty awful that they've been potentially putting their soulmate through pain and he wasn't even aware of it. He doesn't have the memories that Razlos has of their childhood but...he gathers it wasn't great. Meaning they've hypothetically been hurting their soulmate before they even had the chance to prevent it. Along with the fact their joining the Gun-Ho-Gun's...

•Well Livio is distraught about that too but he doesn't really see another option. He's not really a praying man but rest assured he'll beg god that his soulmate understands if they ever meet considering all the things The Eye of Michael did to him

•As for Razlo...he's got complicated feelings about the whole thing. First off...he's jealous. Not that'd he'd ever take it out on Livio but when he began fronting and one day he felt their soulmate stub their toe, he got a bit in his head because...was this person really even his soulmate?

•Sure it was Livios soulmate but did the universe happen to factor him in? Would they be disappointed that they got stuck with him too? Would they even like him? What happened if Livio lost his soulmate just because he was there?

•In all it's a bit of a touchy subject for him. That along with the fact he holds most the memories of the body getting hurt so in a way he almost feels like it's his fault if their soulmate gets hurt. (even though it's 100% not)

•When they leave the leave the Gun-Ho-Guns to travel with Vash they eventually have to have a talk with each other about it. While working for Knives they honestly didn't even expect to meet their soulmate but now that their moving town to town with Vash (and his spitfire soulmate that he managed to find) it doesn't seem that implausible

•Livio wants their soulmate. He's tired of fighting and maybe it's the childish dreamer in him coming back but...he wants nothing more than his universally perfect other half. He often finds himself day dreaming about what they'll be like. Male? Female? Neither? Short? Tall? Loud? Quiet? honestly it changes in his head every time and no matter what he's sure he'll love them

•Razlo is slowly coming to terms with the whole thing although he's going to be a bit guarded until he meets them. Really he just wants to see how their soulmate will react to him before he gets his hope up. Still, considering how gung ho (get it?) Livio is about meeting their soulmate...he can't help but wonder too

•The only other thing they are both nervous about is...they've taken their fair share of punches. From the their childhood, to The Eye of Michael, to their travels with Vash, they've most certainly fucked over their soulmate a bit which causes some guilt to bloom

•They're both already trying to come up with how to apologize for the pain they inflicted on their soulmate (Livio's speech is a little more heartfelt, Razlo suggested they added the line "but you did break your arm when we were 15 which made it hard to hold all our guns" which was instantly shot down by Livio)

•I think it'd be awhile before they found their soulmate though. Not through lack of trying. They're both pretty protective, I'll be it in different ways, but it's hard to track through small pinches and aching backs

•In fact...it's completely by accident when they happen to stumble across you

Livio sighs as he steps into the small bakery, eager to get out of the sweltering heat of Gunsmoke. Although his large form hardly fits through the door he is confident in his decision for a snack the second the sweet smell of icing and vanilla fill his nose.

"Welcome in! I'll be with you in just one second!" Whom he presumes is the baker calls. He watches as they move behind the counter fussing over rolling out dough and topping cupcakes with sprinkles. He notices the way a few strands of their hair fall loosely in front of their face, their cute apron messy with flour and, as if they were in a movie, a perfect smear of icing on their cheek. Livio blushes slightly when he realizes he's staring counting his lucky stars they seem busy with the treats.

"oh uh right, take your time" He says and tries to look busy examining the sweets in the display case. As Lizio looks over the various cupcakes and cookies laid out he can feel Razlo pushing forward slightly, not trying to front but somethings got his attention. Livio largely ignores him too focused on which dessert he wants to try, when he feels a burn against his thumb. At the same time...he hears the baker in front of him hiss.

"shit still hot" they huff under their breath as they pull their thumb back from the hot tray they apparently tried to grab. They sigh and wipe their hands off and glance up at him with a smile.

"Sorry about that! What can I get for you?" They hum. He blinks, forgetting about why he came in here entirely.

"Looks like we're staying in town for awhile" Razlo muses, although Livio isn't entirely sure if it was meant towards him or himself. Either way...Livio instantly agrees.

[pancake-breakfast]

Now that Bluesummers is back on the playing field, I'm a bit scared of what's to come. He better not hurt my precious Livio.

Stream-of-consciousness thoughts for TriMax Vol. 11, Chapters 5-6 below.

Chapter 5: Get Ready, Get Set

HAhahahahahaha, Knives is double-D's....

Chronicaaaaaaa!!! I've been waiting to meet her since I heard about her in Stampede! Look at her, sitting there all pretty with her hot tea.

"This kind of problem"? This suggests they've dealt with it before, or at least have taken the possibility of it into consideration.

Well, if fusing with other plants gets around the black hair phenomenon, then Knives should be fine. That's... a... good thing....?

Yeah, I'm beginning to think the dependent Plants are legit trying to overwhelm Knives with their own consciousnesses to sort of save him without killing him. Kind of like what he's doing, except there's a LOT more of them, and they're a LOT less violent.

Uhhhh... did this guy just lob a coin at them and then... die??

LOL, Vash is being way too dramatic about this. You can't tell me that, in all his years on a planet with a decreasing population, he never learned to recognize a dead body.

LOL, random question about clams vs. fish. Where are they getting either of those on this planet? From Plants??

Ohhhh, Zazie. That explains a lot. Zazie's done with Knives right now. And since Zazie's worms, being shredded up by Legato isn't exactly gonna stop them.

I like the little worm halo. You know, so we know it's dead.

LOL, panic and descending chaos. I approve.

LOL, EVERYONE is crying. Worm panic causes tears.

I wonder if Stampede will introduce control worms or if they'll just stick with the extensive spy network.

Dude, Meryl and Milly did a thorough search of the device and didn't realize it has an audio playing function embedded in it??

Wait, he's connected to Legato now?? That's so impractical. What if Legato was still in a coma? Or taking a leak? Or had his mouth full of beef that he was slurping up??

Also, whyyyy does he have a new weird iron maiden puppet thing?? Do I want to know? I feel like I don't want to know.

Man, I get Vash's depression over this. But Livio is here to cheer him on!

Oh, gosh, Livio.... You aren't a monster, my friend. You're just a person.

"That bitch"? Strong words. Does he mean Elandira?

Ah, yeah, he does.

I... do not know if Livio can actually handle Elandira. She's pretty unhandle-able.

Ok, this right here is a good moment for Livio.

LOL, did Vash hurt his hand giving Livio a friendly pat?

Vash is the resident Plant expert here.

DIY explosives. Not concerning at all. Luida looks ready to smack him if he gives the wrong answer here.

Wait, Luida hears the voices of the Plants? What does that mean??

Ohhh, NM, that was Vash speaking.

"Is it possible for something created by humanity to completely break away from their creators?" Let me direct you to Exhibit A: Vash the Stampede, and perhaps more convincing Exhibit B: Millions Knives. Yes, I realize there's room for debate on how much either of them have "broken away," but they definitely have a will that is independent of the will of those who created them.

Ohhh, these are Plant thoughts. That makes them a LOT more significant.

Aww, Vash calling the Plants in the arc "the girls."

How the hell is Vash gonna keep both Knives and Legato in check? That didn't work out so well for him last time.

OMG everything about this. Thank God these two are finally hugging it out. They need this.

Milly telling Vash that Meryl can still get sad. Good on her. Anyone can still get sad. Being able to get sad isn't a sign of weakness.

Ugh, them kissing their fists and then bumping them. This is why people ship these two.

"Who's that helping us? Vash the Stampede, you say? Hmm, sounds familiar, but I just can't place it." Something something social strata. This guy's never been low enough on the totem poles to keep abreast of bounty hunter knowledge.

FYI, the untranslated Japanese across the top here is basically, "What the hell?!" or "What was that?!"

Ohhhh, that stupid-ass military general doesn't look like he's prepared to comply.

The Earth forces are not happy about Knives. Including Chronica.

Aaaand Livio's hunted down Elandira. I'm sure this will go smoothly.

Chapter 6: That Which Can Be Protected

Why do I feel like this volume is gonna end on a major cliffhanger?

Oh, hey! Baby Livio!

That's right! You've protected others before, and you can do it again!

What, you guys just gonna stare at each other all day? I mean, that's not necessarily bad. I'm just asking.

She looks kinda sad.

That... is one giant nail.

Yeah, she's pretty scary. The only thing that gives Livio a chance here is how crazy his regenerative ability is.

How did she know where he would stand so her nail landed in the right spot?

TBH, Elandira doesn't seem to like most people, regardless of gender. Have we met anyone she likes? She tolerates Zazie and Wolfwood, and didn't seem any more positively inclined than that toward any of the other Gung-Ho Guns. She hates Legato. She's dedicated to Knives, but she doesn't seem to like him. He's her boss and is gonna take her to Armageddon. It seems more transactional than anything else.

Ooh, low blow, Elandira. Very in character for her, but... but... I, the reader, don't want to hear people insulting Wolfwood like that.

Mmmmm, this is not a secluded fighting spot. That's... problematic.

"I was going to let you go because we're all going to die anyway." Hahaha, she's such a nihilist. I would have loved to have seen her in a more casual, less murder-ful setting. She would LOVE running her own drag bar, I think.

Hahahaha, all the random civilians being like, "You guys are too rowdy! Get out!" Good for them. Also, they clearly don't know who they're talking to.

Noooooo! Stop hurting my Livio! He needs to be protected, not FILLED WITH GIANT NAILS!!!

Ok, this is interesting. It sounds like some part of her wants to hope, or maybe did hope at some point in time, but the world beat it out of her a long time ago. She sounds... like Livio in the Before Times.

Man, I thought that looked like a nuke, but I didn't want to assume something about this world's tech like that.

How did she get the key for the bomb??

Hey! I recognize that hat!

Awww, of course he was protecting kids! And now these kids are gonna have the kind of trauma one gets from seeing someone who was trying to protect you brutally stabbed through with a bunch of nails.

Aww, Livio's decided kids are cute. Good for him.

They just met him and they're so worried about him! Oh, I think I should probably be worried about him, too, but for some reason I'm not? IDK, I just think he'll pull through.

See? He's fine. And apparently about to try to adopt half a dozen kids.

Oh, they have a mother-type person. Good. Livio's life's a bit dangerous right now to be looking after a bunch of kids. Maybe when things settle down.

He seems hesitant to accept this gift, but he also knows this act of gratitude is important to her.

Hahahaha, this little hat kid is determined. Scared, but determined.

Oh, man. When do you think Livio last felt his heart soar? This is giving me the feels.

Ohhhh shit, it's his old crush! Also, six years my ass.

Hmm, not so cliffhanger after all. Nice.

Archive

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

TriMax Vol. 1: Covers + 1-2, 3-4, 5-6 || Vol. 2: Covers + 1, 2-4, 5, 6-7 || Vol. 3: Covers + 1-3, 4-5, 6-7 || Vol. 4: Covers + 1-2, 3-5, 6-7 || Vol. 5: Covers + 1-2, 3-4, 5-6 || Vol. 6: Covers + 1-2, 3-4, 5-6 || Vol. 7: Covers + 1-2, 3-4, 5-6 || Vol. 8: Covers + 1-2, 3-4, 5 + Bonus || Vol. 9: Covers + 1-2, 3-4, 5-6 || Vol. 10: Covers + 1-3, 4-5, 6-8 || Vol. 11: Covers + 1-2, 3-4

Extra Credit: Trigun Vol. 1: Nebraska vs. Vash's Motivations, Vash's Loneliness, Vash's Depression (pt. 2 of post), Soupy Brains || Vol. 2: Coin Factoids || TriMax Vol. 1: Lina, Vash, and a Haircut || Meryl, Vash, and the Pursuit of Happiness || Vol. 5: Knives, Vash, and Hatred for Humanity || Vol. 6: Coping Series: Wolfwood, Meryl, Vash || Vol. 8: The Uncoordinated Counterattack || Vol. 9: Justice, Punishment, and Mercy, The Tolling of an Iron Bell || Vol. 10: Crucifixion Symbology (pt. 2 of post), Merging of Families, Being Childlike (And Why God Hates Chapel)

[crossroadsdimension]

Okay okay okay okay. I’ve had some time to go do irl stuff and just chew on this episode so I think I can come in swinging.

With how fast-paced Stampede is, Studio Orange did a really good job with holding Vash’s secrets over our heads, as well as establishing plot and the world.

This’ll get into Ep 7 spoilers (as well as Maximum and Trigun spoilers up to the point Ep 7 ends, along with some of the plot points Stampede covers already), so I’ll put all this under a readmore. That, and this got Very Long.

I’ll be referring to each source as:

Manga/Maximum

90s anime/Trigun

‘23 anime/Stampede

I think firstly, they’re treating this as a half-FMA Brotherhood, half-original work. I say that because it doesn’t entirely follow the original manga (or the 90s anime for obvious reasons), but it does seem to assume you’re coming in knowing these characters from somewhere first. My dad said the two shows “sharpen each other,” so if you approach Stampede knowing that it came from somewhere else and you have that knowledge, it’ll make Stampede all that more enjoyable.

Which is part of the reason why they make clear part of Vash’s origin -- that he was on the spaceships when they crashed -- and that he is a Plant that much sooner than the 90s anime did.

But to get back to Stampede’s episodes -- we have 12 episodes this season, and they wanted to get the groundwork of the plot done as quickly as possible to make sure we’re hooked for what’s coming. That means establishing setting, characters, conflicts, and all the good good world-building that makes people go nuts for characters.

So telling us right off the bat “hey, we’re on a desert world where colony ships crashed” makes sense for episode 1. Get that out of the way, establish setting. Get us introduced to Meryl and Roberto -- the eyes of the new and old fans respectively -- and get us introduced to Vash, in a new form but still the lovable pacifist gunslinger who uses his goofy side as a thin mask to hide his true, quiet, sad, serious self. This gives us most of our main characters for the season.

Then we get Vash’s philosophy in Episode 2 -- save everyone on the planet, no matter who they are or what they do, and no matter how difficult it is to do so.

Episode 3 introduces us to Knives and his cronies, even if we don’t get the name for the organization here. We have established conflict -- Vash’s fight against Knives, and his fight to figure out and hone his philosophy further, to establish the side he fights on.

Episode 4 gives us Wolfwood, and hints that “hey, he may not be here for entirely good reasons.” But it’s good to establish all the main characters early in the plot. That, and this is the start of Act 2 according to Studio Orange, which is a perfect time to bring in someone who represents Vash’s conflict with his philosophy and act as a foil for his character.

Episode 5 establishes the plant cult, their experimentation, and one of the larger hints about Vash and what he is. We had hints before, with the circuitry pattern on his child self in Ep 1-3, and his superhuman sight, excellent marksmanship, and superhuman hearing. But here, it shows us that he hasn’t physically aged in the last 20 years, and this is the first time Meryl and Roberto realize “Oh, we may be in over our heads.” Or, at least, Roberto does. Meryl just smells more of a story than what she’s been told or has heard.

Ep 5 also establishes the conflict between Vash and Wolfwood as foils -- whether or not you have to kill someone, or if you can let them live. This is what Wolfwood is here for. He is a kind man who doesn’t want to kill people, but sees that he has no choice. Vash, by contrast, is a kind man who doesn’t want to kill people, and thinks he has other options, doing everything he can to make them reality. Both are going to show that their outlooks on life are right and wrong, and they’re going to rub off on each other.

Ep 6 goes to establish further information about the plant cult (now given a name, the Eye of Michael), using the “monster of the week” (sorry Livio), and his connection to Wolfwood. More world-building, more fights, and a nice juicy amount of backstory about our traveling undertaker (including Legato’s first appearance!). Not to mention more establishment for Vash’s strange abilities -- I mean, you saw him punch Livio across the deck without winding up for the punch. Skinny plant boy is strong, stronger than the average human.

And then we get to Episode 7 this week, giving us more backstory for Wolfwood and Livio (hence the episode’s title), on the backdrop of the Bad Lads clamoring onto the ship for a robbery and safely bringing Meryl and Roberto on board. Which likely failed because 1) Vash came in and beat them all up in hand-to-hand and 2) they likely saw the ion cannon charging up and decided it was better to skadoodle. At least they have more of a desire to stay alive this time than in Trigun. All episode, we continue to get hints that Vash and Wolfwood are more than the sum of their parts -- pushing the ion cannon away from Hopeland, Vash’s knowledge of Lost Technology, and Vash’s acknowledgement of Wolfwood’s connection to Livio and his eagerness to help Wolfwood “wake Livio up.”

Oh, right. And more development for Legato, who decided he wanted to force Wolfwood to kill Livio and watch his home die because he wanted to make Wolfwood lose his ability to love others and decide that “my home is dead, might as well destroy everything around me and take the world down with me.” Trying to reel a loose cannon in line with that idea is only asking for trouble -- for the instigator. I see Legato getting his head blown open the first chance Wolfwood has.

And to wrap it all up, we end Episode 7 on the reveal that “Oh yeah, by the way, Vash is a Plant. We’ve been dropping hints about his inhuman nature, and it makes sense to confirm it here -- both for the newbies, and the old fans who already know. Time to wrap up this act and start a new one!”

Now, If you’ve read Maximum, they do show Vash talking with a Plant on the sandsteamer, like they did with Stampede’s episode this week. It even happens during a Bad Lads invasion of a sandsteamer, when it goes wild and is about to crash (except in Maximum and Trigun they’re sending it off a cliff). They don’t show this scene in Trigun, however, instead focusing on Kite as he’s using his dad’s plans to save the steamer, redeeming himself for his earlier actions. This artificially lengthens the amount of time folks have to question how Vash knows stuff -- like the robots in Trigun’s Ep 9, where he made a comment about them being well past their expiration date, and knew how to shut down the facility.

I think, when people complain about Stampede showing things “right away,” a lot of it comes from what they remember of the Trigun anime, rather than Maximum. We get larger hints in Maximum, so they give us larger hints in Stampede. Especially when you take into account the “hey, we’re remixing the plot of an old anime and an old manga that people already know.”

All in all, I think Orange is doing a very good job working with what they have, and that will only become more clear the more we move forward, and the more we have to look back on.

And I am very much looking forward to having more of the full picture.