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tozettastone · 4 months

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I think there comes a point at which a fandom is large enough that you get fans in it who aren't actually even slightly interested in the canon, let alone fans of it. And one of the bizarre symptoms of this size of fandom is that they become loyal fans of characters who aren't really characters in canon.

For example, there are so many characters in Naruto who have almost no page time, very little evident personality, and weirdly intense fans. Usually, in fandoms of all sizes, fans love characters and ships that feature relatively defined characteristics. We've all met the But Sasuke Did Nothing Wrong people, listened to the the Kisame girls, or nodded along to that one friend who has fallen down a Minato/Kushina rabbit hole and can't get up. These are all characters with characteristics (although we could argue for days about their quality—that's a post for another time). You would get that kind of fan activity anywhere there was fandom.

But then, when the fandom is big enough that there's a mass of content that actually concerns extremely minor characters with few characteristics, you get something else. In Naruto fandom... you get the person who is dedicated to any given Izuna ship. You know, Madara's brother who looks like Sasuke and whose primary role in the manga is being dead? You get the person who insists Shisui is "a joyful flirt." There's more than one person who appears out of nowhere to ask: I am sick with my longing for romance fics about Rasa, can you write more about Rasa?

Ra... Who? Gaara's dad? Yes, Gaara's dad!

We have all encountered these people. And I say "people," because I've encountered more than one of each of the above examples.

I think this is the same phenomenon as people who get really into, like, Regulus Black. You have to like, wrap your head around the idea that they're not actually fans of the canon material. They're fans of the fandom.

The fandom is so large, and so many layers deep, that it gives characters who are really just answering a little question in the canon storyline ("Where did Gaara get that demon?" "Who put the locket in the Black townhouse?" "Why is Madara like this?") much more significance and, well, character. So now ...they get fans too!

#I was trying to figure out which word in the question about Madara to <em> and then I realised it was all of them #tozette.txt #fandom #fandom culture #naruto #harry potter #this is poorly written #why is the conclusion to a thought in one paragraph meandering off into the next #but i guess that's what a blog is for #poorly written commentary

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meteortrails · 20 days

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I know I made a post about this already but I feel like I cannot stress enough how vital nami’s role as a protector is to her character… like she literally spends her entire adolescence protecting her village near entirely on her own. she’s willing to do almost anything, make deals with whatever devils she can, so long as it keeps what’s left of her family safe. and luffy saves them, and she moves past that desperation, but she doesn’t move past that ruthless protective instinct. it comes up constantly; after luffy, nami’s probably the person who impulsively drags the crew into other people’s business trying to save them the most! and especially with her crew, she’s just so fucking persistent in her acceptance and her love and her desire to keep them all safe and happy. she’ll fight women so sanji doesn’t have to; she’ll take charge in the haunted castle so usopp doesn’t freak out; she’ll lay down her life before she denounces luffy’s dream. idk I’m just kinda in love with her about it

#nami #one piece #next time I’m writing a 4 paragraph essay about nami+luffy’s parallels (their smiles bro..)#you can never stress enough how much nami+luffy mean to each other and the importance of their relationship I think. anyhow #I just can’t stop thinking about it the give and take she has w/luffy/the crew is so incredible #op meta

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covenofthearticulate · 5 months

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once again stewing over how fucking mean and vindictive the show made Louis to his own family as some sort of grizzly angsty "you have to separate yourself from everything you love because you're a MONSTER now" when in reality Louis literally said:

It was only now as a vampire that I did come to know my sister, forbidding her the plantation for the city life which she so needed in order to know her own time of life and her own beauty and come to marry, not brood for our lost brother or my going away or become a nursemaid for our mother. And I provided for them all they might need or want, finding even the most trivial request worth my immediate attention. My sister laughed at the transformation in me when we would meet at night and I would take her from our flat out the narrow wooden streets to walk along the tree-lined levee in the moonlight, savoring the orange blossoms and the caressing warmth, talking for hours of her most secret thoughts and dreams, those little fantasies she dared tell no one and would even whisper to me when we sat in the dim-lit parlor entirely alone. And I would see her sweet and palpable before me, a shimmering, precious creature soon to grow old, soon to die, soon to lose these moments that in their intangibility promised to us, wrongly…wrongly, an immortality.

#LOUIS DE POINTE DU LAC LOVED HIS FAMILY YOU FUCKING NIMRODS #i know i'm screaming into the void at this point but sometimes the numbness melts away and i'm enraged again #because THIS RIGHT HERE is what the writers read and interpreted as 'oh he's spineless and weak'#this is what straight white cis men see as weakness #louis was SOFT he was KIND and yes he was at odds with his nature but that did not stop him from providing for his family #in fact the next paragraph he says that his detachment from the material mortal world was what allowed him to solely focus on family #fellas is it gay to lie down with the devil

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lvndri · 1 year

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next sound of the future has its grip on me

Some info about my NSotF!Haku thoughts!! ^_^ :

Hatsune Miku V??? Model - 89N7 "Haku"

Haku is a former niche idol from an early model release. She never reached the same notoriety as other "legacy" idols, but she cultivated something of a cult fanbase. After just a few performances, Haku's public appearances grew more and more infrequent because, unbeknownst to the public, her faulty production led to a vocal bug which inhibited her ability to sing.

Officially sanctioned voice box surgeries only came to fruition after Haku had left the music industry and though Yamaha offered to repair her voice after she retired, Haku refused; believing that her time had passed and she wanted to find fulfillment outside of the musical arts.

Ever socially anxious, Haku prefers to spend her days outside of the public view, only accompanied by close friends and those she calls family.

#''8'' = ha ''9'' ku ''N'' = November ''7'' = 2007 :)#notes on notes: Haku's version model is listed as ??? because her most accurate model would be V2 as she came out in 2007 but I'm not #sure if V2 models are specifically hatsupress in NSotF #secondly- i made the notes bionic so that hopefully theyre easier to read. I don't typically post paragraphs on my art acc #lmk if it makes it harder to read if anything. i dont have great vision so it definitely made me read faster but i had to squint n whatnot #lavendori art #described #vocaloid #next!!! sound of the future #nsotf #nsotf oc #nsotf_oc #not really???? but idk what else to call her #nsotf fa #nsotf_fa #next sound of the future #yowane haku #haku yowane #gumi megpoid #megpoid gumi #hasake KN7Y #gumiya #gumiya L9Y8 #shine 4N01 #tech X0T9 #hatsune miku #miku hatsune #fanloid #Hatsune Miku ''Shine'' bisexual emoji bisexual emoji bisexual emoji bis

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uncanny-tranny · 11 months

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Some trans men might have a knee-jerk reaction and say that nonbinary people and trans women (as an identity) have privilege and societal leverage over them.

Some trans women might have a knee-jerk reaction and say that nonbinary people and trans men (as an identity) have privilege and societal leverage over them.

Some nonbinary people might have a knee-jerk reaction and say that binary trans men and trans women (as an identity) have privilege and societal leverage over them.

While additional privileges will impact how you might be treated as a trans person, what all this tends to miss is that if you are trans, society doesn't want you in the public eye. Your options are (to please transphobic society specifically) to either slink into the deepest, darkest recesses of society or die. There are no trans people who benefit from this framework. There is no trans identity you could have that will please transphobic society.

This doesn't mean that there aren't other privileges you can have as a trans person because there certainly are - this means that transness will not save you when it comes to transphobia. This means that we absolutely cannot give into the impulse to feel like our experience with transness is the only one that matters, or worse, that other trans people have privilege because they're trans in ways we are not.

#trans #transgender #lgbt #lgbtq #ftm #mtf #nonbinary #transphobia #transphobia tw #death tw #and wrt the last paragraph - you can (and should even!) talk about your unique experiences of transness or transphobia...#...what i am saying is that framing it as the only trans experience that matters or that others are 'wrong' for their own experiences...#...is *not* how to talk about those experiences #i talk all the time about my experiences as a trans man for instance but that doesn't mean mine is the only one #i am simply the most educated in my experiences as a trans guy and in trans spaces #but i see the whole 'if your transness is [x] you are inherently more privileged and aren't included in trans liberation'#and that's infuriating because leaving one trans person behind in trans liberation is to open the door to *you* being the next target

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five-and-dimes · 29 days

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WIP Wednesday

Rules: Make a 24-hour poll with the names of your wips, let it run, then write one sentence on the winner for every vote it received. Reblog the finished poll with the new sentences written.

Tags not necessary; do this when you're ready to write.

While the poll ends tomorrow I'll be posting my snippet of the winner on Friday cause of life commitments lol

#the sandman #my writing #all of these are dreamling btw lol #also didn't include the wip I'm hoping to finish next cause I'm already frantically working on it lol #I can't believe I can't write a paragraph of summary in each poll option how rude

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eriochromatic · 5 months

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I am in love with the wha cross guild designs. Can you say something more about them? Like the thought process behind them and stuff.

sure! What I focused on first is how Mihawk, Buggy, and Crocodile's motives and personality would translate into the WHA world (I need a loose story first to be motivated before delving into the design!)

tbh I think with one piece's characters so focused on freedom and living without constraint, all pirate characters would technically be brimhats LOL (and Coco's arc of realizing the flaws of the current insitution is quite similar to Koby and the marines).

Devil fruit powers are easy to translate into seals tattooed on the skin (hence wha!Buggy's seal on his chest letting him split his body and wha!Crocodile's on his hand giving him sand manipulation). Mihawk is more interesting since he doesn't have a devil fruit, so naturally wha!Mihawk also doesn't have tattooed seals. Another way for a witch to become a brimhat is dabbling in forbidden seals, so wha!Mihawk has cursed seals on Yoru instead (which makes him a brimhat without modifying his body)

As for cornerstone character traits in the original: Mihawk is the greatest swordsman, Buggy is… just vibing LMFAO, and Crocodile is ambitous/power hungry/looking to rule his own kingdom. Obviously the greatest swordsman title means nothing in WHA, so wha!Mihawk instead is a great artificer, with Yoru being the strongest magic imbued weapon in existence. I'd like to think Yoru's seals were initially within guidelines, but Mihawk felt those rules were suffocating Yoru's potential, which is when he started using cursed and forbidden seals instead, all for the sake of Yoru becoming stronger.

Buggy I'd imagine is kind of like how Iguin is introduced in Coco's past- as a solo traveling witch mingling amongst common folk rather than being in a community of fellow witches. I think he'd be addicted to that feeling of superiority he'd get from being a revered witch in the eyes of the common people, so he's probably the head of a traveling circus troupe (where he's the only witch) touring the countryside (keeping a relatively low profile in the realm of witches, never staying in one place too long so the Knights Moralis don't go after him). Buggy's definitely not as altruistic or eager to help those in need as witches are supposed to be in WHA society, but of course he'd put on a good show to entertain the masses.

Eolio mentioned something interesting in chpt 53 ("We can be as in the tales of yore. King and witch, side by side"). There might've been more references to this concept of a monarch/person in power with a witch as their advisor (I just can't find it at the moment a;sldkfs) but I'd imagine that's what Crocodile would be doing. Like Buggy, I think he also gets a sense of superiority by being alongside commonfolk (vs Mihawk who's goal is to genuinely just make the strongest weapon possible and not interested in mingling with others). But instead of Buggy's route of mingling with commoners, Crocodile would definitely go the more sinister route- find some easily manipulated king or high lord and get into his good graces, eventually becoming the witch operating in the shadows and whispering machinations in his liege's ears. We don't know much about the pennisula yet and how far the witches' institution reaches so I don't know the exact position of power Crocodile feels safe aiming for without the Knights Moralis coming for his ass (a ruler might be too obvious lol but then again Crocodile tried to take over Alabasta right underneath the World Government's noses so who knows).

As for the designs themselves: Mihawk's fluffy plume being reminiscient of a brushbug is what started this entire idea for me, so I knew I had to add that in somehow. For each character I picked an overarching motif/theme I wanted in the character design, as well as adding in WHA design elements. WHA characters all tend to have large cloaks to cover their body while writing seals, and even though Cross Guild is all brimhats, nobody starts out as a brimhat so I'd imagine a large cloak or something top heavy would still be familiar to them even if they don't care about covering seals anymore.

For Mihawk I leaned a bit more into the vampire theme than his usual (cloak silhouette is bat like, plus the additional crosses everwhere. His sleeves aren't exactly attached to his jacket (like OPLA) and I also added that detail in the pants haha. I think Yoru is the real star here with all the seals on it, the two big ones are actually modified seals from the Ars Goetia (since they're supposed to be cursed after all); the top one is Glasya-Labolas (manslaughter and bloodshed) and the bottom one is Ronove (taker of old souls). The flower pattern on his sleeves is also not as paisley looking since it doesn't fit with the WHA artstyle, but there's so much hatching that at the end of the day I don't think it mattered lol. His cloak is the least cloak like since he needs to be able to swing that sword HAHA also he's not interacting with normal humans much anyways, usually he only interacts with witches that try to challenge him. Personally I think wha!Mihawk is quite bad at drawing seals on the fly- his specialty is being able to carve complex ones on metal perfectly so they'd be suitable in a fight later.

Buggy I went full medieval jester mode (I always tend to lean toward that aesthetic for Buggy rather than Joker Batman anyways haha). A couple of star motifs here and there, as well as slashed sleeves to reinforce the slicing and dicing of his body. Overall there's just a lot of vertical and horizontal lines on his body for that purpose. I really wanted to let Buggy's beautiful hair down since WHA's style is lovely with that kind of flowing hair. Oh all three of them are also wearing slyph shoes!

Crocodile's coat is directly inspired from Iguin's (esp for that scale motif); overall I wanted to incorporate flowy ornaments for him since I'd be drawing a lot of flowing sand; hence all the tassels on his cloak and sleeves. Cutouts are there for him to use sand manipulation more effectively. I know in canon both for him and Buggy the clothes also are affected by devil fruit powers but I don't think that would be the case here- Buggy's clothes also probably have seals in them and no one would be able to see if he's on stage but I think for Crocodile, since he'd be working with normal humans more he does have to be more cautious about things (hence why he also has a more traditional cloak compared to the others). Sand hat for coolness also for convenience bc he can just dissipate the sand if he's trying to disguise himself (like how Ininia's ribbons can appear normal instead of brim shaped). I also gave him a smoking pipe instead of a cigar because the pipe can be used as a red herring of sorts- to outsiders it might appear the pipe being the source of power (like for Mihawk's sword) but Crocodile's sand manipulation ability has the same scope as canon.

ANYWAYS that's probably a way more detailed response than you expected but hopefully that was interesting to read my thought process behind things! even though i captioned it Cross Guild I guess it ended up being more East Blue/Alabasta saga personalities than actual post Wano Cross Guild dynamics haha

#cross guild #one piece #witch hat atelier #erio stuff #for those confused go check my previous wha cross guild crossover art #I honestly did not expect that my thought process would be this lengthy #I guess this is what those 5 paragraph essays next to museum paintings are LMFAOOOO #maybe I should read them more closely next time I go to a museum

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notyourdaisybuchanan · 2 years

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I just think it's special that Rooster and Hangman have kind of equal and parallel journeys in terms of character + flying development over the course of the film. What I mean is that their big individual triumphant moments in the narrative use their piloting choices to reflect emotional development. The film shows us from the start that they each have a Big Flaw--and the finale shows them overcoming these flaws.

Not only that, but the narrative uses their dynamic to introduce these individual shortcomings to us, the audience. Their first on screen conversation with each other is how we learn about their Big Flaws in the first place. Because of their relationship and the way they interact, we know how Rooster and Hangman are going to fly before we ever see them in the air.

For Rooster, it's "snug on that perch, waiting for just the right moment...that never comes.” We hear this over and over again, from both Hangman and Maverick–"Now you got it, don't think, just do." "Rooster, you got him, drop down and take the shot!" "Too late, had your chance.” "...same old Rooster." "You're not. flying. fast enough. You don't have a second to waste." This is Rooster’s Big Flaw–he doesn’t trust himself. He flies too slow, and he’s too careful, too hesitant in moments when he needs to believe in his abilities and let instinct take over. This is what Maverick and Hangman are trying to pound into his head the whoooole time.

And then he’s on the mission, and Fanboy’s laser doesn’t work. And instead of waiting, well: "There's no time, I'm dropping blind." "Bullseye bullseye bullseye!"

This moment is HUGE for him. Fanboy is literally telling him to wait so he can line it up, and maybe a prior Rooster would have done that, but this Rooster has finally learned that he gets one chance and he has to take the shot that's in front of him. [Cue Hangman cheering.] The decision he makes as a pilot in this moment shows that he's learned what Maverick and Hangman were trying to teach him and that he's grown emotionally. He's more sure of himself now–he was always capable of taking the shot, but now he actually trusts himself to do it.

And then we have Hangman, Bagman, Mr. "Where's he going?" "That's why we call him Hangman, he'll always hang you out to dry." "Leaving your wingman, there's a strategy I haven't seen in a while." He's not a good team player; he flies solo both literally and metaphorically. We hear this over and over again, especially from Rooster–"Watch your back, Phoenix." "You put your team in danger and your wingman's dead." Hangman’s response? “They couldn't keep up." (And I can't stop thinking about "Hangman, the only place you'll lead anyone is an early grave." There's so much history there, and so much belief from Rooster that Hangman is Not a person to depend on in a moment of crisis.)

But then, Hangman’s ultimate moment of triumph is that he refuses to leave Maverick and Rooster hanging, that he is the one person who has their backs in a moment of crisis. We see exactly how concerned he is while waiting on the carrier, and we see him ASK to go engage in the fight to fly cover for his squad when the bandits aren’t even attacking anyone yet!! Like I could seriously cry about "Dagger spare, request permission to launch and fly air cover." Because he is specifically asking so that Rooster can go back and get Mav, something that we know is completely at odds with his Big Flaw. And then we see him presumably disobey orders to show up and save Maverick and Rooster's lives anyway. He learned from Maverick and Rooster–he's part of a team now, those are his wingmen out there, and he's not leaving them behind.

So the film uses their big triumphant moments in the air to show Rooster and Hangman overcoming their respective flaws. It’s part of what makes the action of the finale so fucking good, because while yes, it is very satisfying action on its own, it’s also rooted in their character development. We’re not just happy that Rooster made the shot, we’re happy because Rooster making the shot means something about him. We’re happy that Hangman is the one to come through for Rooster and Mav because that means something about him and his growth.

The most iconic part is that the traits they each needed to adopt belonged to the other. Rooster is set up from the start as the pilot who won’t leave his wingman, even when it’s gonna cost him–“Should be us down there.” “But it’s not. And now you know a little something about Rooster.” This is the exact thing Hangman struggles with, and it’s what he overcomes to have his moment of triumph. Meanwhile Hangman is set up as the one who flies by instinct–”Yeah, you’re good, I’ll give you that.” He flies fast, he doesn’t overthink, and above all, he trusts himself as a pilot. This is the exact thing Rooster struggles with, and it’s what he has to overcome to have his moment of triumph.

The fact that the two of them have parallel arcs like this? The fact that they both learn to be better, more complete pilots by adopting the strength that comes naturally to the other?

I just think that's beautiful.

#top gun maverick #hangster #sereshaw #top gun maverick meta #big BIG thank you to Jen for reading through this and helping me refine it and make it way better #I’ve been tinkering with this post for two weeks and at first it was like four paragraphs #and then it turned into this and I’M NOT SORRY #bradley bradshaw #jake seresin #they’re meant to be in love your honor #thank you for coming to my ted talk #heyyyy psssst #next time you wanna copy/argue with my meta just do it on the actual post so I can argue back #and tell you that you’re not making any sense <3

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tomatoswup · 1 year

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phone calls

summary: two old rotary phones begin the connection between two souls. One from the past and another from the future.

warnings: angst, literally angst, sad vash :(, hurt/comfort but its not the comfort you think it is. kinda more like an acceptance comfort

pairing:vash x reader

-inspired by the movie "The Lake House"

A/N: am i a fiend for writing angst? yes. do I like reading it? NOPE. wanted to get this out before I hustled on school work hehe. But fun fact this was originally longer but I rewrote and condensed it b/c I thought it was too long for just a one shot lost media typa beat. honestly i don't think i wrote this right but fuck it we ball. I recommend reading this with the saddest song you have bookmarked. Enjoy!~

"Hmmm...Well you got some personality to you.” You mumbled, staring at the old red vintage rotary phone sitting in front of you. How did you come to achieve this old relic of time? Well in short terms, you liked to think about it like an equation.

Old attic + mischievous white cat = you adventuring to go find said cat and to your dismay, said cat scares the living ever hell out of you making you lose balance and fall backwards into endless towers of boxes.

Fun times right?

Those bruises weren't gonna be….

But that was the least of your problems at the moment. As expected, the rotary phone suddenly started to ring, shaking and clicking in itself, making you sigh in disappointment. Grabbing the phone, you yanked it up to your ear “Hey, yeah I don’t think this is gonna work.” You deadpanned “Now we know that we're always gonna be connected, what is this? The 5th time?"

"Damn and I thought you hanging up would’ve solved the problem. I don't think we could connect with anyone else though! I asked the farmer about it and he had no idea!" Chirped the male on the other side of the line.

Of course! It sounded like a normal conversation between two individuals but even Einstein himself would've been baffled at these circumstances. Imagine this, you find an old phone and you had been playfully talking into it until a voice actually responds without it being connected. Strange right? And no, you were sure you hadn't been seeing any strange figures on the sides of your vision.

Now here you were, trying to figure out what the fuck was going on alongside the man who had introduced himself as Vash The Stampede.

"21st century my ass, Google isn't doing shit!"

"Wait hold on now, did you just say 21st?"

"Yeah? Something wrong?"

"Uh well.. It's just that its actually the 32nd century."

You blink a few times "No, it's not. My calender literally says it's the 21st century. It's general knowledge."

"No I'm pretty sure its the 32nd century!" Vash snapped back.

Silence filled the air on both sides.

"WAIT A MINUTE-"

And thats how the unknown man from the future and you hit it off.

After this discovery, the two of you talked on the phone for a while, sharing things about each of your own time periods. And you slowly found yourself enjoying the conversations you would have with Vash who you soon found out, was pretty goofy in his own way, but kind. And unknowingly, Vash felt the same way.

What was an accidental and odd situation turned into practically an everyday thing for the both of you now.

After work, you always looked forwards to that red phone on your nightstand until one day, you decided to decorate it with cute little stickers because why not?

After all, it was fasinating to hear things about the future. Sometimes you'd laugh at the way Vash described it, like something out of an old wild west movie.

"It's all just desert! Really!" He groaned out as you chuckled, holding the phone to your ear with your shoulder as you put books and CD's away on your bookshelf "At least you can make some cool sandcastles or something!"

"With what water?"

"Your tears." Snorting, you listen on as he whined through the receiver. "Hey but just imagine me helping you build them! Makes it hurt less."

Vash let out a exaggerating sigh "But seriously, it's not always sunny were you live?" He asked curiously.

"Nope!" You smiled, slipping one of your favorite books into place "It changes every so often really. Depending on the season." You hummed out, looking out the window to your right to see the drenching rain down with its spring showers.

"Season?"

"Sometimes it rains and sometimes it gets super cold. Other days it just gets too hot and if we're lucky, we get days with perfect temperatures. Its never the same but I guess that's the beauty to it here. Every day is a new sight no one could really get tired of. "

Or a new headache.

Vash stayed quiet on the line, and you imagined how he looked like deep in thought. Eyebrows furrowed, his supposed pointy blonde hair messily spread out across his pillow, and eyes as blue as the sky looking up at the ceiling in concentration.

…Okayyy that’s enough out of you.

He didn't say the eye part himself but you liked to ponder on the idea.

"That sounds beautiful.."

And to that, you smiled. "Yeah, it kinda is."

But something in your head made you stop and look down at the book you had in hand, unsure if you wanted to say anything.

"Hey Vash.."

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry that I'm the only person you could really reach with this thing. I know you really wanted to talk to your friends.."

"Why are you apologizing? It's not everyday I talk to someone from the past! From even before No Mans Land!”

You sigh and slip the final book away to which Vash adds in one more sentence. "And even if you weren't, I like talking to you."

You scoff in good humor "You're lying blonde."

"NO I"M NOT!" Vash gasps out dramatically "Oh how you hurt me so!"

"Hardy har har." You chuckled, shoving a box of things you wanted stored away in the corner of your room. "At least I know I'm speaking to someone as beautiful as the nightsky!" He huffed out trying to sound manlier.

“Yeah? Now how could you tell that?"

"Because I know a pretty and kind soul when I hear it."

E-Excuse me?

Your face flushes red "Alright cowboy are you trying to soften me up?"

"Pftttttt nooooooo~"

Your conversations never ceased to end, and when talking to Vash about practically everything, it felt...comforting. To know there was someone to listen to your struggles, and listen to his own. It felt so intimate.

Sharing about your life on Earth, the things you do and him speaking about his own life and travels around his home planet.

One day, Vash and you had been talking for the night and he mentioned something that gave you a sense of familiarity.

PROJECT SEEDS.

A large project that's been reported on the news for more than a few months now so of course you caught onto that. You've watched their segment on TV before. Something about bringing life to other planets?

You knew the Earth was dying, scientists had announced that someday in the nearing future, the very sun that shone down on you, would destroy you. But did that really matter to you anymore?

The project had been accepting registrations for boarding their new ship incase it happened. Your sister got to register in time but you had been too late. All the slots were filled.

That was a very odd day to say the least.

But that didn't stop you from speaking to Vash.

"Vash, do you ever think you'll see me in the future?" You pondered one night as you were cuddled up in your blankets, the cold being unbearable this winter season.

"Well, I hope so. Sometimes it gets tiring speaking into a thing of metal and plastic hehe.." You could practically hear him playfully grin through the receiver.

You gripped the handle of the phone tight as tears threatened to leave the corner of your eyes.

"I hope I get to see you one day Vash.."

He went quiet for a moment.

"I do too.."

That night, you slept with the phone held to your chest as the fluttering feeling in your stomach never ceased. And you didn't want it to.

Vash had made it a routine to call you every night at exactly midnight to check in on how you were since he couldn't really do it in person either way. And every time he called, it felt as if he heard your voice for the first time all over again. The warmth in his chest made him smile when you answered the phone with the nervous pitch in your voice.

"Vash?"

He found it theraputic to listen as you talked about your day, the normalicy and peace No Man's Land and that his own life had lacked.

Hanging out with friends, reading in libraries, and more.

How he loved it.. Hearing you speak so fondly, so excited, it felt refreshing to Vash.

You were full of life

And Vash wouldn’t trade it for anything.

With every time you spoke his name, he felt like melting into a puddle. He just wanted to hear you repeat his name over and over again, and no, he'll never get tired of it. He could spend an eternity laying in the dusty bed of the farmer’s home just listening to your voice. Listening to your worries, your hopes, and the momentary jokes you would tell him.

But as the days passed, after one full year and a half of the two of you speaking over the old rotary phone, you answered the phone one night with a change clear to Vash. You sounded so weak, so sickly and out of breath.

"Are you alright?" He asked, hearing loud shuffling and things falling on the other line.

"I-I'm fine!" You coughed out as Vash peeked out the old wooden window in the room he was staying in, spotting Wolfwood and the broadcasting girls waiting for him to join them.

"Are you sure?" He breathed out in honest concern, feeling his fingers fiddling with the hem of his sleeve.

"I'm fine Vash, seriously." Your voice weakly echoed through the receiver "Just a little sick, that's all.."

"Please make sure to get some rest okay? I'll ring you when I come back."

"Promise?"

"I promise lov-" Vash caught himself, quickly shutting his mouth.

"Hm?" You hummed out in question.

"Sorry a fly got caught in my throat! Hahaha!" He played off before sighing.

"Take care of yourself, for me okay?"

"I will, I will.." Before Vash put the phone back onto the base, you said one more thing.

"Love you." And with that, the familiar ding of the phone receiver on the other line rang through Vash's ear, signifiying the end of the call.

And Vash was left in utter silence and awe. Love. Love you said. Him?

A fond expression instinctively grew on his face, yet the churning feeling in his stomach wasn't one of butterflies, but one of dread. He couldn't help but leave with the gut feeling that something was wrong.

When Vash returned back to his room and picked up the phone at the same time the two of you would call each other at every day, there was no reponse.

He called your name and no sound came out of the other end. So he put the phone back down onto the base and lifted it back up again to his ear as the same dread slowly seeped into his chest. The room was starting to feel a bit more heavier than usual.

"Hello?" He breathed out nervously as he felt his forehead start to sweat.

"Come on.." He muttered to himself worriedly. Maybe you weren't home in time and had gone to the doctor. Yeah, maybe that's the reason. So Vash left the phone alone for the night for the first time but the prodding feeling in his chest didn't leave.

He tried the next night.

No response.

Maybe you had stayed over your parents' for the day.

He kept the phone by him whilst he napped, waiting for the ring of the phone to wake him up like an alarm, but that didn't come.

He tried the next night, the next night, and continued for the next 3 months until finally.

One night, Vash just stared at the old red phone that hadn’t rung since that day, anticipating at least one final call, one last goodbye from you. Sitting on the bed side, he kept his eyes on the phone until finally Vash couldn’t hold it anymore and cried. Clear waters falling down his cheeks as he tightly held the phone to his chest in desperation.

Did you forget about him?

Did you find the love of your life and decided not to bother with him anymore?

'Come back.'

'Dont leave me please.'

'I love you."

'Please speak to me.'

The string of desparate thoughts ran through his mind as the burning sensation grew in his chest. He can't breathe. He gasped for air as his quiet wails filled the night.

Don't go.

The morning after Vash permanently left the farmer's residence. Of course, he took the phone along too, incase you ever decided to ring back but to Vash's dismay, it never did.

And Vash thought back to you, from time to time, stil wondering if you remembered about the red phone that sat in your room and the idiot blonde on the other side of it.

2 years had passed since that night, and both Vash and the gang found themselves in the city of Augusta for their annual merchant gathering, an event in which all the merchants from around the planet come and trade their valuables or tools in a big, single event.

Crowds of people flooded the streets as the stands were all surrounded to the brim. Vash had been walking beside Wolfwood, who was talking about some bounty hunters causing trouble around when something red caught his eye from an stand that they had walked past, causing Vash to stop in his tracks. Eyes widening in realization, he rushed over to the stall, leaving Wolfwood in the dust.

"H-Hey where are you going!?!" Wolfwood called out but Vash ignored him. His leather clothed hands slammed down on the stall table, the young man who managed the stall yelping in surprise.

"H-HOW CAN I HELP YOU?!" The man nervously shouted out as Vash reached over and picked up a very familiar red rotary phone "Where did you get this!?" He exclaimed in urgency. "How'd you get this!?"

"I-I-" The young man quickly cleared his throat and regained his composure at the sudden burst from the tall blonde-spiked haired man.

"It's a very old device! Back during the old days according to my great-grandmother!"

Vash looked down at the red phone, very dusty but he was able to make out the sticker decorations and doodles that were scattered around on it. Inspecting it more, he turned it around to the back and saw something melancholic.

"12:00 PM Midnight" was written on the back of the base with black marker. The time the two of you would call each other every night those years ago.

"Sorry, is.. is there anyone I could talk to about this?" Vash apologized, giving the young man a somber smile as he held the phone to himself, as if someone were going to rip it away from his grasp.

The man observed Vash for a moment, before nodding and giving Vash directions to his great-grandmother's home, right outside the border of Augusta.

"There you are!" Wolfwoods' voice rang out angrily behind him "The hell did you see now?!"

Vash turned to Wolfwood and simply gave him a smile "We're gonna be paying a visit."

It didn't take long to reach the old worn down home and greet the owner of the property, a small old lady to which surprised Wolfwood that she hadn't kicked the bucket yet.

Vash, of course, elbowed him in the rib for that one.

Seeing the phone in Vash's arms, the lady let out a small smile "My, I haven't seen that phone since I was a child..." She quickly showed Vash and Wolfwood inside, explaining how the phone came to be here.

"According to my grandfather, our lineage began with two sibilngs who were born and raised on Earth. When Earth neared its end, the daughter of the family was able to escape whilst the other sibling unknowingly stayed behind on Earth."

The old lady snapped her fingers to Wolfwood and waved him over "Be a dear for me and put this on the table."

Watching Wolfwood put a very old and deteriorating box on the table, the lady continued.

"Well, the sibling died before the daughter left Earth, so in attempt to preserve her family's memories, the daughter took some of her siblings' things, something to remember them by."

The old lady points to the phone in Vash's arm "That was one of them. And here-" The lady patted on side of the box "-are the things she was able to take with her. Check them out yourself." She softly motioned Vash to come closer with her frail, wrinkled hand.

Hesitating for just a second, he took slow and steady steps towards the box, biting the inside of his cheek in attempt to not just cry.

Damn, he sure felt like a cry baby these days.

Putting the phone down besides the box, Vash reached into the box and pulled out various things. Old shirts, CDs, a wallet, wired headphones, books, and something he never thought he'd ever see in fine print that made his breath hitch.

A colored photo I.D and on the side of it, your full name printed in black.

It was you.

These were your things, these shirts you've worn, the CDs you've listened to, the wallet you used in your day-to-day life, but he kept his eyes on the I.D.

Vash stared at your photo, the features you've described to him once were in his hands, proof of your existence.

He couldn't hold it anymore, how could he? Silent tears ran down his face as the small giggles he let out, turned into full on laughter.

He laughed and laughed whilst holding the I.D close to his heart.

You didn't purposely leave him.

You hadn’t meant to.

The same gracious laughter morphed into sobs as he grabbed everything he had taken out of the box, and enveloped them tightly into his arms.

This was the first time he was able to physically feel you, even if you weren't there yourself. He wished the smell of the favorite perfume you had gotten one day had still lingered onto your shirts, he wished he could've shared and listened to your favorite music alongside you. And he wished you were beside him, looking through all these things with him. He wanted to hear you reminsce your past and your present again.

Oh he wished.

Vash spent hours at the old ladies' home, looking and observing every single one of your belongings. There were some he remembered you talking to him about, and others he didn't recognize.

But it was time for him to leave and Vash knew it.

Looking up at the sky outside, he softly smiled, caressing the small compartment he had your I.D pocketed in.

"C'mon needle-noggin. Time to get your ass moving!" Wolfwood shouted ahead of him.

Letting out a large exhale, Vash muttered out a few words before running to catch up with the priest "Wait up!"

Behind him, two objects were left behind in the sand, placed neatly besides a metal nameplate.

The two red cherry rotary phones glistened in the sun, one filled with stickers and the other covered in dirt and scuff marks as your name plate, that had been cleaned of any dirt or scratches, continued to sit in peace as the windy breeze passed on by.

"I'll live on. For the both of us."

#but its ok yall together in the next life :D #i made vash cry too much but he's such a sweetheart im sorry #vash the stampede x reader #vash x reader #trigun imagines #nicholas d wolfwood #trigun angst #vash imagine #one shot #no sugarcoating straight angst half way through #trigun stampede x reader #was not physical comfort but instead acceptance comfort #was gonna write a bonus paragraph but my eyes burn i've reread this too many times #i have procrastinated on exactly 3 assignments that are due today #vash the stampede #trigun headcanons #i'll edit it later

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