#trigun has helped me heal a lot

[freedfromthegalactichivemind]

Honestly, sometimes when I am updating my new Trigun stuff on Ao3, or contemplating more Zelda stuff, I see the SHEER VOLUME of my Spop fics and I get a temptation just to personal-archive them all and take them all offline. Most of my experience in this fandom has been pain and I feel kind of ashamed of my Spop fics because "why was I writing for a children's cartoon that people take way too seriously, anyway?" Even though I was a prolific Trigun-ficcer back in the day, and after that, a prolific Zelda-ficcer, I never wanted to take all of my fanfiction dot net stuff over to Ao3. It's kind of surreal for me to see myself as an author of around 100 fics on Ao3 and instead of them being "mostly Zelda" or "half Zelda, half Trigun" like on the old site, on Ao3, there are just sooooo many individual Spop fics, most of them Entrapdak or veering into my original characters, and that's listed-fics, some of what I have are small-fic COLLECTIONS. And, it's like... I've returned to what has become a far better (and less traumatising) fandom now? I have a lot of stuff I've done over on fanfiction dot net from like 20 years ago, but it's not good, I just want to keep on doing new stuff, with the occasional bring-over of an old "I've re-read and I don't hate this" fic. So, I just leer at my Spop stuff and wonder... "What if I blew you all up?" I don't know if anyone is reading that stuff anymore. I get a few kudos now and again, but it's old stuff. I don't think I'm particularly missed in the fandom. And it's like...comparing my lower-effort fan-writing for a not-too well-written show with my explorations of something that is inspirational, amazing and burrows into the soul. I...just don't want people going to Ao3 to think of me as "an Spop writer anymore, when I'm becoming a Trigun writer again. But... I am not a coward. I've left up my old, dubious-quality bullshit-fic for many fandoms that I did over 20 years ago up on fanfiction dot net TO THIS DAY - seriously, things that make me facepalm still exist on the Internet, easily accessed. I also wonder, if anyone does still like my Ao3 Spop work, feeling nostalgic or whatever, they should be able to find it.

#spop #spop fanfiction #ao3 #transitioning fandoms #finding an old fandom again #trigun #trigun fandom is superior #trigun has helped me heal a lot #while I regard spop fandom with increasing bitterness #enough that sometimes I just want to blow all my fanwork for it to smithereens #just do a full 3rd City July on it #but then I calm down #and realise there are always new fans seeking old work #and I will always love that stupid fic I wrote #in which imp was destroying the Fright Zone because he was teething #dear god I ought to write a short where Rem has to deal with... #her twin boys doing the weirdest baby Plant-shit when they're growing #in a very Imp like manner #like chewing solid metal with newly formed baby Plant fangs or something

[anachronistic-falsehood]

Vash and Femininity: Trigun Stampede and its Themes of Bodily Autonomy, Exploitation, and Vague Gender Fuckery

alright sit the fuck down. we're gonna talk about THEMES

I was on Twitter- terrible idea usually, but a couple people I follow made some tweets that got me thinking about Trigun's overall themes, and here we are. So let's talk about some themes in Tristamp! And I'll take a couple looks at Trimax as well, just for fun :3

Let's look at how the showrunners utilize gender roles and exploitation of feminine characters to show how unhealthy Knives' obsession with his ideal of Vash is, and how horrific his exploitation of Vash and the Plants is.

Vash, from the beginning of Tristamp, is someone who cares about people's choices. When people kill others in front of him, he reiterates that whether someone lives or dies is not another person's choice to make. This is something he learned from Rem (a prominent female figure in his life). He refuses to kill people because that is not his choice to make. To kill someone is the ultimate removal of their bodily autonomy. They can no longer make any choices at all; they're dead.

Vash is also someone who has almost no choice in what path his life takes. He's constantly dragged around by outside forces, namely situations that are caused by Knives (which we'll get into later). Vash doesn't make things happen, things happen to Vash. The majority of events that occur are not his fault. He's pushed and pulled in a thousand different directions. His entire life is completely out of his control.

This can be seen as early on in his life as the Fall, something he had no control over and had no idea he even had a part in. Even later, in the ship with Luida and Brad, after he's been rescued from the desert, he's kept in handcuffs right up until he's shown to be of use to them and the Plant on their ship. After that, he could theoretically say "no, I don't want to go to other ships and heal their plants," but he doesn't. He's Vash. He's helpful and nurturing at his core, and these people have done so much for him just by letting him stay, so he'll do whatever they ask, no question.

This carries over into his adulthood. At Jeneora Rock, he goes to look at their Plant at one simple request, doesn't protest when he's dragged into a duel-- he doesn't take initiative unless someone's life is immediately at stake. He lets people tell him what to do and lets himself get dragged around by the wrist. He doesn't even pretend to have control over his life like Trimax Vash does, which I mean. Fair. Why pretend to have a grip on your existence when it's impossible to do anything without a gun pointed at your head?

Vash is a very passive character. He's nurturing, kind, gentle- he's a guy that fits a lot of very typical feminine character stereotypes. If you wrote this same story but made him a woman, I wouldn't bat an eye (but I would definitely be looking at it a lot more critically, what with the amount of stereotypically nurturing/motherly female characters in media already.)

This contrasts directly with Knives. He makes a decision and carries through no matter what stands in his way. He takes initiative. If Vash is a passive character, Knives is an active character. Wherever he goes, he leaves a lasting imprint. He makes shit happen! If outside forces make things happen to him, he'll go out of his way to make sure that particular force doesn't affect him again.

These two tweets I saw are what got me thinking about this originally. I just feel like here's a good place to put them as a segue into talking about episode 11.

Episode 11 is where a lot of this feminine imagery really just. Explodes in your face. IT'S RIGHT THERE. You can't dance around it if you try. And it kind of reaches a peak when the connection reaches 100%, the gate opens, and. well. THIS happens to the Plants.

Plants, in both Trimax and Tristamp, are almost always typically feminine-looking. Knives and Vash are the only two who are male or even masculine at all. Knives, as the most masculine out of all of them, is the one trying to take charge, and mould the world as he sees fit, to a degree that is detrimental to both him and everyone else. And Vash-- passive, feminine, kind and nurturing, whose Angel Arm in the manga always sprouts decidedly feminine-looking Plant parts-- is the one being exploited for Knives' plans. It's no mistake that they made the giant plant formation at the end of ep 11 look like a giant woman that almost resembles Rem.

Vash wants people to make their own choices and keep their autonomy when it comes to their bodies and lives. Knives is the exact opposite. He wants all Plants to become independent and he uses Vash to achieve that goal, without asking what Vash wants or even knowing what the Plants themselves would prefer. He exploits Vash for the soul purpose of trying to make these Plants have Independent Plant babies. He's completely incapable of seeing that his choices are not for the greater good! He thinks he's saving them, but none of his actions are for the good of anyone but himself. He’s just violating them for his own gain.

They're really leaning into gender roles for these guys, but in a way that screams "HEY, LOOK AT THIS! ISN'T IT FUCKED UP? LOOK AT HOW FUCKED UP THAT IS. LOOK AT THIS, AND BE UNCOMFORTABLE, AND KNOW THAT IT IS FUCKED UP."

Because it is! It's so extremely fucked up. They're using this imagery and these roles, something that makes most of us intrinsically uncomfortable, to drive home how unhealthy Knives relationship with his ideal of Vash is. That's the point. We're supposed to be uncomfortable with this.

Now of course there's some nuance to it. Like, you could see Knives as somewhat of a feminine and/or queer-coded figure as well, ESPECIALLY if you look at some of his panels in the manga, which could in turn lead to themes about infighting and control within marginalized communities, but that might be something for another post. :3

And there's definitely different ways you could take this! Vash, with all this feminine imagery, could be either transfem or transmasc coded, depending on what way you'd rather see it, which could lead into themes of how people outside the norm constantly face a lack of bodily autonomy and are exploited for purposes outside their boundaries. We could also look at Wolfwood and his lack of choice over joining the Eye of Michael and becoming the Punisher, and how masculine men (particularly men of colour) are often forced into violent roles against their will. If we look at Trimax, the exact same could be said for Livio/Razlo and people with disorders such as DID/OSDD.

There are many different ways you could spin these themes, some of which I don't feel personally qualified to discuss. If anyone who is qualified to talk about Wolfwood or Livio/Razlo or even other characters related to these themes, then god PLEASE add onto this post or make a post and tag me or something. I would love to read it!

Anyway, in conclusion: Vash is a feminine figure constantly taken advantage of and exploited and and he's so incredibly trans/nonbinary-coded that it drives me insane. Thank you

#whiskeys word soup #trigun #trigun stampede #HI. HELLO. THIS DRIVES ME INSANE PLEASE READ THIS #and seriously if anyone wants to make a post about wolfwood or livio/razlo or any other character exploring these themes of bodily autonomy #on GOD. lemme know i wanna read it #well aware that some of this is probably me digging too deep for things that aren’t there but still!!! fun to look at #what is media analysis other than putting on ur queer glasses and picking out trans allegories within stories #it’s been a while since I’ve made a full analysis essay kinda post!! this is how i normally format them bc it’s easier for me to read

[alexiethymia]

vashmeryl

While watching Trigun Stampede, I ended up binging the Trigun ‘98 anime, and I will try, but no doubt fail, to articulate what it is about VashMeryl that makes me so feral, and I mean in all continuities because the themes rings true for the both of them regardless if it’s TriStamp, TriMax, or the anime.

Many people have praised Meryl’s agency in Trigun Stampede, how a lot of the plot moves because of her contribution, and I can’t help but compare this to the anime, where it was because of her that Vash has a breakthrough in how to deal with Knives (after her and Milly took the time to heal and take care of Vash, ugh, found family for the win). In both TriStamp and the ‘98 anime, Meryl is juxtaposed (contrasted? given a parallel with?) Rem. 

And in the ‘98 anime, after Vash’s battle with Knives, he finds the peace to move on, casting aside what was in a way his clutch to Rem (his red geranium coat) to come back home to Meryl and Milly. 

And I love the ‘98 anime because of the implications, that he willingly sheds his outlaw persona for a chance to live a quiet life with Meryl, Milly, and his brother. It was Meryl who gave him the hope to do that, through her words, her invitation to stay together permanently, and even through her actions in standing up for him. (Honestly, the only thing that would have made the ‘98 anime ending perfect for me is if we had Wolfwood. Which is why if Knives could survive 1/3 of the continuities, I’m keeping my fingers crossed that Trigun Stampede is the continuity where Wolfwood actually gets to survive). 

Even in the manga, he makes a promise to return to her, and though he ends up quite late, he does end up making his way back to Meryl and Milly eventually.

I love how there’s a chain of influence that happens, and the parallels between the two. Rem says she had been influenced in her ideals because of the person she loved, Alex. Vash is influenced by her, and eventually Meryl is influenced by Vash to the point that she’s ready to stake her life for what he believes in, such that it becomes her ideals too. 

“You can’t save everyone, you can only be there for them.” And this really rings true for Meryl in that while she can’t save him the way Vash tries to save everyone around him, she can still be there for him, whether it’s staying and trying to help him when no one else won’t (Trigun Stampede), making a home for him to return to (’98 Trigun), or telling him to unburden himself because he’s not alone (TriMax). He’s superhuman but he gets hurt like anyone else. I love that Meryl doesn’t scoff at his ideals or tell him to stop, but just helps him in whatever way she can, the way he tries to help everyone else. She treats him not like some act of God, destruction personified, or a savior, but simply as Vash, a softie who needs a bit of help sometimes (which is why when Meryl ends up scared of him, it was heartbreaking, but again this is something she chose to overcome because her love outweighed her fear). 

But at the same time, she won’t simply wait around. Again, I love her agency. In TriStamp, she chooses to stay behind to help Vash (which was pivotal because who knows if Rem’s spirit would have been triggered if not for her voice) and in TriMax, even if it was Vash who made the promise, when he’s late, what does she do? Goes and meets him herself. 

In every continuity, she’s always aggressively chasing after him. When Vash said in the TriStamp finale that he’d keep running and running, and when it becomes quiet again, he’d settle back by humanity’s side, it sounded so lonely. 

And yet, when Vash runs, Meryl will chase after him. Even when he believes he should be alone because everyone who touches him dies, Meryl still wants to be by his side. Meryl proves over and over again that Vash is loved (in a way, to him as well) because she doesn’t ever want to leave him alone. And again, it’s such a wonderful ending in both versions (the anime and TriMax) that when Vash eventually does stop running, it’s to Meryl (and Milly) that he returns home to. 

#vashmeryl #trigun #tristamp #trimax #vash the stampede #meryl stryfe #trigun stampede #trigun maximum #they make me feral your honor #milly thompson #that is to say I love vashmeryl in whatever version #it's about the choice for me #the choice to be there for someone #to love someone who has a hard time loving themselves #and this isn't just true for meryl but also wolfwood and milly #which is why I am still hoping against hope we at least get one version where wolfwood survives #all versions good #I'm excited to see how tristamp will end #ramblings about trigun #ships

[needle-noggins]

Okay very last Trigun Maximum Vol. 2 thoughts before next week!

First off, Vash crying blood! I had fun coloring in the panel, because why not. This is my favorite weird monstrous quirk of his. It's so dramatic. It's so sad. It's so gross. I have so many questions. If he has a long hard cry, could be feasibly become anemic for a bit? Like a period? Does it make wiping away tears really difficult (tears dry and disappear, blood dries and it's fucking hard to get out without peroxide)? When does he cry normal tears vs blood? How many coats has he bled on? Does it turn his eyes reddish? I will never know peace.

Now some creepy Puppet Master bullshit. I didn't realize he actually killed all those people.. then, I guess, preserved them in a way to make puppets out of them? That he can control with his mind? That's some TMA Stranger shit right there. Jeezus Creezus. I love how this reminds me of the body horror of the plants too though. Also, Wolfwood's got legs for miles (god he's so Shaped).

OK, sorry these are kinda out of order. I mostly just wanted to put Blood Tears Boy panel up first. But these pages (out of order but in comparison) are *chefs kiss*

So. Wolfwood insisting that he's just human, and that's why he can't take the same chances in battle that Vash can. He's not a superhuman with insane marksman skills and rapid healing. He can't afford the same luxury of pacifism. He's working really hard to separate himself from Vash / separate Vash from humanity with "I'm only human" (god, did you really have to rub it in like that? surely there was a nicer way to say that, buddy).

And the next page here... okay I actually need some help with this. This is immediately after WW sees Vash get Bad Vibes from Puppet Guy, and I can't quite tell if WW is talking about Vash (I think so?) or the puppet master (the one sending Bad Vibes)? If he's talking to/about Vash, that means that he sees Vash having Big Feelings and feeling the shit radiating off the GHG and he's like... that's a monster. He's so fucking inhuman. (also sorry for the empath joke). The last panel on that page is grayed-out Vash, presumably feeling like shit after WW tells him he's nothing like a human.

Wolfwood is STILL feeding into Vash's monster shit. I feel like Trimax volume 2 involves not only a lot of Vash and Wolfwood clashing ideologically, but clashing in their identities. Wolfwood is terrified of Vash and is working so hard to distance himself from the weapon who blew a hole in the fifth moon while still grappling with his own terrible deeds. Vash is... well, reminding Wolfwood that for all that he is Wolfwood the Punisher, as much as he's killed, he's still got a soft heart and he still cares. He's just a cowardly kid hiding behind his weapon, not some macho gun-slinging undertaker. Wolfwood knows that already, as we see him deep in thought with his mental gymnastics quite a bit, but he's only ever talking to himself about it. He's very private about it.

Because he's so willing to hurt Vash about the opposite, I think being understood by Vash like this is what scares Wolfwood most of all.

#OK IM DONE FOR THIS WEEK SEE YOU ALL NEXT WEEK #trigunbookclub #SORRY THIS ONE IS LESS COHESIVE #im just spitballing at thsi point #in this house we love and psychoanalyze nicholas d. wolfwood #i may be making false claims here yall tell me if im overstepping #trimax

[pancake-breakfast]

Time to start Maximum for Trigun Book Club!

Archive

Trigun Volume 1: Covers + 1-3, 3 Detailed Thoughts, 4, 4 DT, 5-6, 5-6 + DT, 6 DT, 7-8, 9-10

Trigun Volume 2: Covers + Extras, 1, 1 Supplemental Research, 2-4, 5-6, 7-8

Stream-of-consciousness thoughts for TriMax Vol. 1, Chapters 1-2 below. (More detailed thoughts will be their own posts.)

TriMax Volume 1 Covers

Kuroneko on the chapter index gives me serotonin.

Vash finally finds a lamp with a genie in it and all he gets is punched. He seriously has the worst luck.

Wolfwook looks VERY possessive over that cross of his....

LOL, switched to the sex doll. Of course.

Chapter 1: Hero Reborn

First Knives is reborn, now Vash will be reborn?

Yeah... kinda hard to forget someone literally shot the moon when there's a giant crater on it now....

Vash with dark hair has made his premiere.

Hmm. Needs more floaty cloth bits.

Well, someone's having a bad day. I know I wouldn't want to end up tied up and tossed in a fountain....

LOL, they shout for the sheriff and the next character we see is Wolfwood. He's not a sherriff!

You gotta know a place is welcoming when you walk into a saloon and everyone immediately pulls a gun on you. I mean, that's just a normal day in Texas or Arizona, right?

Oof. RIP bus.

I mean, I realize Fifth Moon was traumatic and all, but somehow I doubt Vash would be filling someone with "twice his weight in lead."

I guess the person dumped in the fountain was actually the sheriff. Nightow could have shown the guy's badge or something to give us an indication of that....

Poor Vash. He doesn't deserve NEARLY that many knives in his picture.

Everyone has to ask about the cross. Wolfwood rarely actually answers. Deflection and misdirection is better.

LOL, Lina's face here...

Oh, man. WW's face in literally the next panel after Ericks's entrance. He knows exactly who he's looking at.

Vash Ericks, I know you try to look for non-combative solutions, but female-bodied folk really don't have a lot of options when people get handsy if we want them to decide not to push their luck beyond just being handsy.

Ah, see, this is why he thinks she overreacted. Because now a lot more people are in danger.

Heheheheheheh, WW, Lina, and Vash are all in such a close clump here.

Aaaand now "Ericks" has fully noticed Wolfwood.

Who the heck is this evil hamster of a human being?

All I'm saying, buddy, is that her footpring miiiiiight just be an improvement.

Gods, WW is so intent in this situation. Just looking at everything and listening to everything.

Dude, who STOLE VASH'S JACKET?!?! Also, those sunglasses jut feel wrong.

Oh, Ericks. So gentle....

Yeah, pretty sure actual Vash the Stampede wouldn't stoop to humiliating people as part of a power play.

Ericks, though. He's like, "Cool, a bargain where people live at the end!"

I wonder how much of Ericks telling Lina to cover her eyes is because he doesn't want her to see his scars.

WW wasn't really with the group long enough to see Vash's scars before, but this really clears things up for the audience. And you can practically hear the gears grinding in WW's head as he observes this scene.

Dude. This imposter even copied his gay little earing. Now that's commitment.

Opening fire on a naked man? Rude.

*sigh* All of that for nothing 'cause Lina's still caught.

AGAIN?! How often does this guy get shot!?

WW barely knows Vash and he's already like, "I WILL CLOCK ANYONE WHO SPEAKS SLANDER AGAINST HIS NAME."

What? He has super-healing? I mean, I guess that makes sense.

People really need to stop barreling their way into the infirmary....

Sheryl has a point. Things gotta get done. If the young folk won't help, then this old lame woman's gonna have to do it.

LOL, Wolfwood waking up Ericks will never not be one of my favorite scenes.

Awwwww, Wolfwood! Don't remind him about Fifth Moon! He thinks about it every time he sees that moon, I'm sure. It's NOT a pleasant memory in any way, shape or form, and he hates the legends around him!

Ugh, someone give this man a hug....

Cruel, indeed. The way he looks when he picks up that gun. There are so many emotions going on here. Loss, resignation, familiarity, sadness. Seriously. Where are the hugs for this man??

Wolfwood, always the pragmatist. He knows this isn't a great path, and how unfair it is for him to drag Vash back to it. But he also knows it's the path forward.

Heh. Yeah, just the two of them. For Vash to exhibit this amount of trust in WW suggests he's at least suspected WW's true nature for a while.

PUNISHER REVEAL!!!

Annnnnd Vash's first thought on seeing the giant machine gun is, of course, "Please, no death."

This panel of them heading into the fight together just fills me with so much joy.

Fake Vash is in a bit of a pickle, isn't he? Looks like he knows it, too.

Wolfwood reacting to Fake Vash demanding actual Vash say his name is beautiful. He looks like he's gonna die of laughter there in the dirt.

Heh. And with that last gunshot, Vash reclaims who he is.

And even after that reclaiming, he gets a heartfelt, genuine, and warm hug from a young girl who has only really known him as her friend and adopted family member, Ericks. <3

Chapter 2: Lina

"Something freaky is going on here." Yes. You're dealing with Vash the Stampede and Nicholas D. Wolfwood. Even one of those should be enough to cause serious alarm.

SHOES OFF THE BED. Geez. Barbarian....

Ugh, I love his expression here.

I'm sorry, I can't get over Wolfwood's weird duck face in this panel.

This is a very interesting take on the Lady and the Tramp spaghetti dinner scene. That poor sausage....

Aww, you can see where his hair's gone all dark underneath now that he has it tied back.

Well, that's one way to get Vash's attention. He doesn't have as much chill when it comes to his brother. And understandably so.

Uhhhhhh, what's up with that spiky weird shadow guy?

TBH, Vash has good reason to be suspicious of anyone who knows too much about Knives. Knives's games aren't about humans. They're about Knives and Vash. Humans are just pawns and casualties.

I love how this 12-year-old girl is able to cow a bunch of whiny, scared men with just her presence. I love how angry she gets on Vash's behalf.

"If he and his followers sniff me out..." HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA no comment. Vash just got really freaking lucky with exactly who's sniffing him out.

The comedy of this panel is great. Granny's all like, "Oh, no.... You're gonna end up beaten up in a ditch somewhere...." Meanwhile, her granddaughter has already begun just wailing on Vash. Without even dropping the groceries.

Ugh, just... having someone take care of him for a bit. It's a small and much-needed kindness. But that's how it often is with small kindnesses.

Wolfwood: "That brat (affectionate)"

LOL, Vash gets head-pats. GOOD.

Wait, Evil Hamster Man is back??

What the heck is even happening in this panel? Is this a second guy? Is this a growth on Evil Hamster Man's back? I don't know. We already had a guy with a LITERAL GUN for legs, so either wouldn't exactly surprise me. Wolfwood's face sums up my feelings perfectly.

Ohhh, Vash isn't having any of this guy's shit.

WTF, he just KICKED the round out of the sky?!

Vash isn't really prone to showing off just to show off. I'm guessing he's doing this to make Lina and Granny feel a bit better about how competent he is.

Even Wolfwood, who's seen Vash's weird before, seems a bit shocked.

Also, LOL, Wolfwood frog face.

Literally still can't tell if the second gunman is an actual dude or just some weird Evil Hamster Man growth.

Oh, there we go. He seems to be a separate entity, after all.

LOL, Wolfwood, calling them like he sees them. (Thank you, @trigun-manga-overhaul, for keeping the swearing. It makes it that much more funny.)

And now Evil Hamster Man is given a choice: a chance at redemption, or having to deal with an angry Stampede. Let's hope he chooses wisely.

Well, Granny's feeling better about the situation. Lina seems more... resigned.

There's something so lovely about the hair-trimming scene. It's one last bit of domestic comfort with his little found family before he heads off to war.

I genuinely believe Wolfwood here. He has a good heart, even when he tries to hide it.

*sigh* And as Lina cuts away at his hair, we just drown in their shared memories. The vast majority of it is simple things. Family things. Quiet moments. But they meant the world to Lina. And they probably meant the world to Vash, too.

I have thoughts about Lina burying herself in the cloth from Vash's haircut.

This chapter ends beautifully and makes me want to cry.

#trigunbookclub #trigun maximum #volume 1 #pancake analysis

[fabdante]

*happy stimming about all the DMC talk* Many thoughts, head full, thank you so much! 💜

-Not sure how plausible this would be in canon, but I love the idea of reboot Dante being able to read, speak, and understand different languages innately because of his angel heritage. Slowly, at first, and he probably needs to hear a language spoken a lot before it "clicks" for him, but he gets there. It gets easier the more into his angel powers he delves/uses. I headcanon the first time he spoke in a language he didn't previously know, the only reason he noticed the difference is because Kat asked him when he learned to speak that language afterwards. It just sounded/felt like English to him. Not sure how this magical translation would effect slang, since even in its native language, that varies so much, but its still fun to think about.

-Dante unlocking healing abilities (from either side, tbh, since we've seen demons heal people in the preboot continuity, and angels being able to heal people just seems like a given) in order to help heal Kat. Also love the idea of him sprouting wings/angel feathers (like Vash from Trigun) as a way to shield Kat or someone else from harm. And maybe learning how to do that shield thing the Witches do, that'd be cool. Just! Let him be protective! Let him have powers that focus more on building and maintaining connections rather than just destruction. I love that trope!

-Idk if you've read Brandon Sanderson's "The Stormlight Archives" series, but I keep chewing over the idea of angelic and demonic energy being less like opposites and more like Stormlight and Voidlight from Sanderson's series. If you haven't read the series and have no idea wtf I'm talking about, just skip this, sorry.

-Something I noticed when playing the reboot after playing all of the original DMC games:

The demons in Limbo City all look... less organic, I guess? Than the demons do in the original DMC timeline. Like, OG DMC demons all look like things that coupd exist in nature, if a bit twisted into something more dangerous, like goats or monkeys or lizards. Even the bigger demons, like Berial or Echidna or Bael and Dagon all look more organic/natural than the demons in the reboot.

This isn't a complaint, btw, I really do like this detail! Because the only demons that I think can really compare to how mechanical/constructed the reboot demons look are the Angelos- i.e. something Mundus literally made. And Mundus has made other, more "natural" looking demons, too, like the Blades and Frosts and such- but the designs of the demons in the reboot make me think that THIS is what the demons that Mundus "designs" (shapes to his purposes) look like after 2,000 years of having the Human Realm as a testing ground for his minions and no Sparda to stop him.

This could also just be what the demons under Mundus look like after they've had 2,000 years to adapt/evolve in or to the Human Realm, since according to the OG DMC canon, demons change based on what they want or a driving desire, like moving really fast or having extra mouths to make it easier to cast spells. But also I kinda like the theory that the demons we see in the reboot are like this because this is the way Mundus made them to be. It vibes well with Mundus' boss form being a big construct of asphalt and fire and darkness, and that weird darkness that the collaborators bleed from their eyes after Lilith/the demons brainwash them.

of course!! i am always very happy to talk about dmc 💖

I have a huge soft spot for bilingual characters so I think this is a very fun concept! I personally headcanon reboot Vergil as fluent in Italian (further elaboration is his adopted family is Italian American with close roots to Italy and family still there and he has to talk to his Nonna somehow). And I've always liked the idea of Dante kind of picking up something in osmosis. He's a clever boy I would love for him to speak more languages and this is a fun idea!

Expanding upon the healing abilities is very fun to, I think. It would be very cool to for him to adopt a sort of power focused on defense particularly since in the reboot he kind of explicitly picks up a protector role and everything, it'd be cool to see!

(Also I have not read the thing you mentioned but I do like connecting the angels and demons in the reboot more then just having them be sort of opposites)

However I think the idea that a lot of the enemies we see in game are created by Mundus (or someone in general) is really interesting and makes a lot of sense with their doll like motifs. The bulk of the demons in game that we fight feel very...controlled. I've mentioned before on other posts but I've always kind of thought of Limbo as a body and the things in it acting like an immune system so the idea of the demons being a fabrication of Limbo to protect itself like antibodies is something I find interesting. But given the preboot and the Angelos it makes a lot of sense that Mundus could have made them also. Something I like a lot about the reboot to is how there's such a contrast between the more sentient demons (the Hunter, the Succubus, Mundus, Phineas, Lilith, those guys) and the bulk of the ones we fight in game and it just makes me really curious about what the demon world is like in the reboot (very fun to fill in with headcanons and fanon!)

#ask #dmc reboot #fab talks #fabtalks #limbo as a body is like my favorite way to view limbo i need to write more about it outside of my very big wip asdfgh

[yellowocaballero]

ok so im not very far into trigun (which. you convinced me to read/watch) but ive seen you talk about vash as a christ/messiah figure which. means im kinda obsessed with how you described his impact on the world in no name on the bullet (christ healing the lame, christ feeding the thousand... christ delivering his people from evil.) did you have any specific biblical references you kept in mind while writing?

i also think its super interesting how the fic seems to focus more heavily on healing as opposed to how (what ive seen of) trigun is a lot more gunman focused - is part of that influenced by how knives is a pacifist in a "cold turkey" way, or a choice on your part? i think it makes an interesting dichotomy, christ the gunman and satan the physician

I've gone my entire life without recommending Trigun to anybody, because I always felt it was too weird and ultra-violent and love-it-or-hate-it to actually ask people to watch it. Look at me now. Getting at least 3+ people into it. Boo boo the fool. Also I'm sorry that this response is so long skull emoji.

I'm ex-Catholic so you have asked the right question lol. Vash is very inspired by the Old Testament God. I have a strong mental image of him obsessing over the Noah's Arc story in his cute children's Bible. Sodom and Gomorrah is brought up again much later, in an extremely important way. Garden of Eden and Paradise, as the show does. The Plagues where every firstborn son dies. These is all imagery that Vash specifically evokes on purpose. Vash...uses the Bible to understand his own experiences and feelings and desires (that's the most neutral way to phrase it), but like a lot of people he uses the Bible/God partly as justification for his actions. God destroys cities for being sinful, and Vash is the closest thing to God this planet has, so he's entitled lol. God Complex McGee up in here.

And Vash's cult has no Jesus, because there is no forgiveness for humanity, and no way for them to be saved. Which is how you know that Vash's Jesus-ey actions as described in the story are very deceitful on a lot of different levels. Kind of like regular Vash lmfao - as I said earlier, he's VERY much also a messiah deconstruction. Vash is a pacifist partly because he needs it - he needs to be believed that people can be saved, that the world can be good, that nobody has to die, because otherwise the world is nothing but an endless parade of misery and death and his own suffering. It's about saving his own soul, and the memory of Rem.

For me, on a writing level: Cain and Abel, obviously. 'My brother's keeper'-ass mofo lmfao. It's more themes for me, though - redemption, salvation, forgiveness, original sin, sin in general, guilt, fate. Knives is pretty obsessed with all of these topics. I make fun of him for it. None of it's healthy. But Knives embodies a few other Christian ideals that I don't make fun of him for, such as the importance of good works and good actions, and dedicating his life towards helping others without the desire for a reward. There's also some subtle 'shepherd and his sheep' stuff going on later.

Re: the gunfights: can you IMAGINE Knives carrying a gun. He is WAY too proud of his own #biologicalsuperiority and #ultimatelifeform and #impenetrabledefense (literally Shadow AND Gaara-ass mofo) to rely on cheap human trinkets like guns lol.

The plot has more action than my usual (yay! - that was what I was working for lol), but it's based off the skeleton of the Stampede plot, which is genuinely a lot more space opera than Western and as such its action looks different. Turns out that when you remove the Gung Ho Guns from a story, there are a LOT LESS gunfights, lmfao (I don't know what kind of errands Vash sends the GHG out on, I am afraid to find out). So partly there's less gunfights because a) Stamp plots don't require too many gunfights, and b) without a Gunman (TM) there's no reason for the group to use guns to solve their problems if at all possible.

It's also just that, basically, Vash's plots are partly man vs self and partly man vs other. When a character is level 99, the tension of the fight scene isn't if they'll win the fight - it's if they'll win the fight under their self-imposed conditions. In Vash's case, the Q in every gunfight is 'can Vash win the fight and save people without compromising his principles?'. For Knives, he is so ridiculously OP that it's impossible to write a fight scene with genuine tension, and he doesn't care nearly as deeply about casualties. So the most engaging plotlines for Knives are entirely man vs self, which tends to shake out into a lot of trolley problems lol. That's the answer to your Q from a writing perspective.

So it's mostly a choice for plot/writing reasons. But YUP the dichotomy is SUPER JUICY, and the fun part of the story is reading the Ultimate Killing Machine be forced to do literally anything else than Ultimate Kill - to do the only thing he wasn't meant to do. Because doing what he was meant to do reduces him to a biblical figure instead of a person - it makes him just a devil, who's never exercised the free will God gave him, and as such can't be called sentient. It's not what Rem would want. And it's a very juicy juxtaposition to somebody who interprets his own meaning in life as a Christ figure as a divine compulsion to brutally murder orphan.

#my writing #AH SORRY FOR LONG ANSWER AGAIN.... #this story's actually a bit more drama and Things Happen-ey than my usual #which is a lot easier when you're following the beats of another person's story F #but its good practice for writing scenes that aren't just 'A and B talk in a location' #I need my stories to be more active AGH #im working on it but improvement is such slow going.... #part of the reason why I avoided writing Trigun my whole life #is because a Trigun fic that was entirely talking seemed dishonest lol #sitting down I was like 'it's Trigun I need as much to happen as possible' #succeeded I think but I feel like I cheated. #also still wish it had more gunfights you're so right anon

[dazzle-writes]

Seeing you’re doing matchups! Mind if I slid in?

Trigun (any of them) and Demon Slayer if you don’t mind! You can chose what you’d like headcannons or what of it! Honestly it’s been a while since I’ve seen someone doing match ups! Have a great day/night!!

I’m 5’5”, 23 years old w/ Green eyes I’ve got light brunette hair to the top of my shoulder blades (Needs cut so bad lol). I’m a nice laid back type of person who can take some shit but has no issue handing it right back, also typically blunt & to the point I don’t like sugar coating things. I’m usually seen in a black tank top w/ a black leather jacket, blue jeans & steel toe boots w/ aviator sunglasses. I love napping, I’m not great with kids but have no issue playing with them. All for bad puns, I’m good with my hands, Sarcastic, witty, I don’t mind play flirting; in fact you flirt with me I’ll come back 2x harder. I’m knowing for being a daredevil! I’m very competitive & fun loving. Highly independent always ready to protect/fight (get called guard dog a lot 😅). I love Space, gaming, animals, music, & plants namely pothos I’ve got 6 of them!

I'm so glad you came to my askbox!! Yes yes yes lets get you some matches!!!

For Trigun Stampede I for SURE see you with that version of Wolfwood! He acts flirty and like he's a top, and then just melts when you flirt back. He loves your style, and totally will get you matching sunglasses. He very much enters Protecc Mode whenever he sees you doing stupid shit, like riding a Thompson backwards with a blindfold. he sees you and Vash doing the dumbest shit together and regrets all life choices he has ever made, but mainly introducing you two.

For Trigun Maximum? Oh my lord is it Livio. He just fawns over you and is a big teddy bear! He loves all your comebacks, sometimes he writes down the really good ones so he can read them when he's away. More than once he has had to choke down laughter because all he can think about is what you would say to Knives or the doctor if you heard them speak. Zazie finds this very amusing. Livio also goes into protect mode when he sees you doing dumb stuff, and he just scoops you up to stop you from doing whatever it is. He's also a big fan of holding you.

Trigun 98? Milly 100%. Big gf small gf dynamic. Encourages you to do stupid stuff because she will absolutely do it with you. Meryl is constantly having to bail Milly out because she had to bail you out and somehow you both got kidnapped in the process? Milly also loves your style, and really gets into more cottagecore looks because of you! She likes it when people are surprised you two are together, because then she goes "I know right? I never thought I was into girls!! :)". You were totally her formal queer awakening. She loves showing you how to use her gun too!!

Demon Slayer? I'd say Shinobu!! You both are very short and everyone underestimates you constantly. Shinobu would definitely encourage you to do dumb shit, and then tease you if you got hurt/ embarrassed yourself. Since you're a plant nut, you start figuring out what attracts her favorite types of butterflies to the estate, and start propagating those. The two of you raise bees together and discover that honey harvested from wisteria pollen and nectar can help heal wounds from blood demon arts. If you were a slayer, you'd have your own breath style called Nature breathing, like a mix of Flower, Beast, and Insect breathing. You and Shinobu are like, that meme of the smug cat but two of them. You convince her to find an alternate route to killing Douma, and learn you can train the bees to sting demons ;). She loves being the little spoon! She also finds your style odd, but eventually gifts you a pothos-leaf haori for you to wear.

I hope you like!!!!

#wolfwood x reader #milly thompson x reader #livio x reader #shinobu kocho x reader #matchups #demon slayer #trigun #tristamp #trimax #razz writes

[adelha-mathilde]

Healing Waters (Trigun Sanctuary AU) fic

content: Adelha works at healing Vash's best friend Wolfwood. The blonde sharing a moment of reflection with the healer. Established relationships, injuries, blood, mention of trauma, mention of death, mention of violence.

It had been six months since Vash had fallen into this island sanctuary on a different world. Most of his injuries completely healed for him to help his dragon hostess with gardening or taking care of her pets. Vash had even enjoyed learning the art of swordplay from Adelha after she deemed him healed enough to take it up as a way to exercise. Yet Vash couldn't help feeling that his past wouldn't let him go that easily. A proven fact when Wolfwood arrived.

The entire island sanctuary had been covered by a fog so thick it might as well have been cotton. So Adelha knew that something was about to happen. Telling Vash to keep Aqua and Wesson in the house as she went out to investigate. Several hours past before Vash got a sinking feeling that had his heart ache. The premonition proving valid when Adelha shouted from outside, "Vash! Fill the tub with water! Another wounded soul has arrived!" The blonde scurried to his own bathroom to turn the taps on. His gaze going up just as Adelha sprinted into the room with her cargo. Which had Vash go bug eyed to feel his whole body go cold. For there in the dragon maiden's arms was Wolfwood. His whole body riddled with bullets and gashes to have his skin but tinted blue. Vash shuddered to openly croak out, "Nick...! Oh my God! NICK!"

Adelha moved to lay Wolfwood in the tub and pour a special kind of magic healing powder directly into the tub. Vash moving to tilt Wolfwood's face up so his head stayed immobile. The human giving uneven gasps for air to be trembling non stop. The bath water going crimson as Adelha started her spell work. Weaving water based magic threads from her blood stained fingertips for them to start lacing up the gashes in Wolfwood's frame. The healing powder charging the water for Wolfwood to give a hard growl when he blinked his eyes open. Seeing Vash had him still to mutter out, "Holy shit... Vash?!" The blonde was crying as he smiled down at Wolfwood. His voice wavering and sad. "Yeah. It's me, Nick. Just breathe for me, okay? Adelha is going to help you. Just like she healed me when I got here." Wolfwood gave a snarl as both the healing magic and the healing powder started soaking into his body. Making him hiss and growl out, "Son of a- Stings like you dumped me in a tub of vodka!"

Vash chuckled to keep Wolfwood's head still as Adelha worked her most powerful healing spell into the water. Which turned the blood saturated water to purple as Wolfwood flinched to stare up at Vash. His words bitten out with pain. "This has to mean I ain't dead. Hurts too damn much." Vash chuckled to keep his gaze to his best friend and speak. "You're alive... Trust me... It's so good to see you again... I started thinking I wouldn't ever see you again... But I would have preferred if you had shown up in one piece, Nick..." Wolfwood gave a grunt as Adelha finished with the magic threads to start yanking his shoes off. The man soon stating, "Couldn't be helped really... The road I fell down had a lot of nasty looking things with long razor sharp scythes for fingers... Add in my Punisher got pretty banged up... Just glad they didn't get to chop me up like vegetables for fried rice..." Vash sighed to then lean forward and get Wolfwood's jacket and under shirt off of him. While Adelha paused to state, "You want to be the one to finish getting him undressed?"

Wolfwood gave a hard growl to openly state, "My pants stay on! I'm not about to let some lady just-" But Vash moved to place his only hand onto Wolfwood's chest and keep him in the tub. His words calm. "Stop. Adelha is a practiced medical expert. She's used to tending injuries and healing sick people. I can vouch for her in that. So let me help you get out of what's left of your pants and into some basic shorts she has. Then we'll see to getting you cleaned up." Wolfwood made a low growl so deep a bear would be intimidated. But he soon huffed to state, "Oh fine then. But only after you explain just what in the Hell is going on. I know you can stitch just as good as me." Vash looked to Adelha for her to simply bow her head and turn to head out the door. Her words warm and patient as she does so. "I will head back out and get that giant metal cross he was carrying and bring it back with me. Just be sure he doesn't get out of that tub until I get back." Vash nodded to watch Adelha leave the room. Feeling a tad guilty for how Wolfwood was treating her. But Vash soon saw to the tasks at hand and promised himself he would talk with Adelha later.

Vash was able to get Wolfwood out of his clothes and into the special medical shorts that Vash had worn previously when he had fallen into this world. Soon using the first aide kit to start sewing up the bullet holes and the gashes. He knew that the magic water threads wouldn't hold once Wolfwood was out of the water in the tub. So Vash took his time telling Wolfwood everything. How Vash had fallen into this world by dropping into the ocean. How Adelha had saved him and healed him in the very bathtub Wolfwood was laying in now. How Vash had been healing and getting used to this place to explain they weren't on that barren desert world anymore. Which had Wolfwood go slack jawed before exclaiming, "You expect me to believe we're on a different planet?!"

Thankfully, Wolfwood didn't have the chance to keep bellowing. Since the sound of chittering came from the open window for three bird like Fae creatures to fly into the room. Looking like a mix of pixie and bird for Wolfwood to openly stare wide eyed at the three little green Fae. Vash giving a sigh to speak before Wolfwood could start yelling again. "That good enough for you, Nick? Hello and good day to you three. Viridian. Juniper. Shamrock. I trust you are here to find out what all the noise was about?"

All three of the Fae give happy trills of noise to soon perch themselves close to Vash. One on the rim of the bathtub. One on Vash's shoulder. With the last one nestling their frame in Vash's hair to giggle openly. Wolfwood staring as the bird fairy creature on Vash's shoulder speaks with sweet words. "Yes yes. The entire forest is abuzz with chatter. That some of the dark ones in a side passage chased out a very hurt human. We are glad to see the human made it to the healer for you to help. We are very glad to see this." Wolfwood finally got his voice back to whisper, "Vash? Just... What are those?" The Fae creature on the rim of the tub gives a huff to look a bit annoyed as they speak. "Hey now! That's a very rude thing to say! But I supposed you wouldn't know better! To answer the question, we are Fae! Ancient beings of untold power and influence!"

Vash reaches out to place a finger to the top of the annoyed bird pixie's head to gently rub their head. making the little creature trill and hum with delight as Vash speaks up. "These Fae are specifically a sub species called Aerials. But they prefer to be called neighbors. They tend to offer to help me when I go for a walk around here. In exchange for me telling them stories." The bird pixie on Vash's head nods to give a warm cheep of noise. "Yes yes. We love to hear stories. About the place that the sunshine one comes from. It's clear to me and mine that you are from the same place. We hope once you feel better, we might hear more stories from you. But we will stay and guard this dwelling from any possible dark ones that decided to come sneaking around."

Wolfwood frowns at this to then carefully lay back into the tub and not move anymore. His voice deep as he notes, "I get the feeling I am in for a very long story from you. So Spikey. Just what kind of trouble did we land in now?"

#Trigun Sanctuary AU #Main Verse #Trigun fanfiction #Trigun fanfic #fanfiction #fanfic #Wolfwood lands in the Sanctuary #Vash has some explaining to do lol

[jaimistoryteller]

Last Line Tags & Writing Update

Hiya Folks

*chuckles* so I did three, that are queued up for posting, and I still have like 20 to go. I am taking it as a sign I am supposed to be writing. Now lets see if life lets me actually write!

I’ve been playing in my fandoms more than original works lately, as I tend to do that when things are stressful. After all, I don’t have to create the characters for fandom and keep the world organized, simply keep the story going, unlike original works where I wanna make sure my tales come out the best as possible. 

That said, I am actually doing my normal NaNo goal this month: finish at least one already published WIP. I have no clue which one I will be working on. So if you all lovely peeps who read my stuff have an opinion, feel free to tell me! 

My hope is to do my normal Nano goal this month, then for Nano actually work on Finding Home a bit more, if I can get things to even out enough that I am in the headspace to do so. Otherwise I will simply have two months of trying to finish fanfics. 

Expect a lot of tags and sharing of others older stuff as I go through this. I will tag fandom peeps for fandom stuff, mostly, though not always and only ones that have responded to tags before. Unless you wanna tell me you’d like tagged. I’ll also be tagging writerblr peeps for last line stuff because it doesn’t matter what your last line was, do the writing (and yes that includes homework for those wondering). 

Take care all, I hope to hear from anyone who has opinions on which WIPs I should try finishing. 

Jaimi

PS. below the cut is a list of my current partially published WIPs

Bond

Playful Stress Relief - Q/James/Alec - Answers Verse - James has an idea for how to deal with Mason not wanting to eat.

Advent - Q/James/Alec - Moments in Another Life - Relationships change and evolve over time, most of which is expected, but sometimes it's the unexpected that are the most enjoyable changes. 

Bond & Sherlock

Gotta do It Yourself - Q/James, Q/James/Alec implied - Stand Alone (so far) - Bond and Q get kidnapped on their way to a technology conference

Sherlock

Unusual Relationship - Jim M./Sebastian - Sunrise Cafe - Jim and Sebastian's relationship through the years

Letters and Cards - James S./John W. - Sunrise Cafe - John and James spend a year writing to each other rather than talking in person, though they exchange hellos when passing the letters.

Unexpected - Mycroft/Greg - Sunrise Cafe - Mycroft thinks he is going through menopause and is surprised to discover he is not.

Right Decision - Jim M./John W. - Family Decisions - It was the right decision, it had to be. His daughter would never be a mistake, but would the possibility of introducing her father be one?

Gift for John - Jim M./John W., Sherlock/Greg, Mycroft/Greg - Stand Alone - AO3 account locked - Sherlock comes up with a plan for stopping Jim, but it is a bit more than a Bit Not Good

Clandestine - Jim M./John W - Unexplained - After the Fall, John saves Jim’s life because he is damned if he will lose both of them

Oral Fixation - John W./Sebastian - Baker Street Polyamory - How John learned to be a dom and expanded his understanding of his sexuality

Baker Street Polyamory - Molly/Sherlock/Greg/Mycroft/John W. & all varations of those five - Baker Street Polyamory - Molly gets notified of a new law that has her turning to Sherlock for help, but she does not get the type of help she expects.

Atypical Traits - John W./Sebastian, John W./Sherlock, Jim M./Sebastian - Atypical - Every Guide who has ever tested John has determined he is a Sentinel, but John has a secret, one he prefers not to mention. While he was in the war he had a partner who knew his secret but after being shot he thought his partner had died. Sebastian had been the doctors partner for five years, well aware of the secret that John hid for he had one too, after John's death by a sniper he had gone off the deep end and got discharged from the military. What happens when the two discover that they really didn't die like they each thought the other had?

Trigun

Distraction - Meryl/Vash/Knives - Stand Alone - A look of Meryl, Vash and Knives relationship

Learning to Live - Meryl/Vash, Milly/Knives - Gunsmoke - Vash came back after the fight with Knives, and brought him with him, now can the four of them learn to live together as each person deals with their own emotions, the past, and the future. Mostly based off the anime, however there are a few manga snippets thrown in as well

Hobbit

Blessed - Biblo/Thorin, Kíli/Tauriel - Blessing - Bilbo rarely prays, he doesn't see the use, but sometimes, just sometimes when the situation is dire he does, and the results are staggering

Labyrinth 

Powers that Be - Sarah/Jareth - Stand Alone - A horrible night leads to life altering circumstances for Sarah. Jareth finds himself with more things going on than expected in a relatively short period of time. Life in the Underground is never exactly what it seems, yet always is exactly that.

Changes - Sarah/Jareth - Stand Alone - In the time following her trip through the Labyrinth there was a lot of things different about Sarah, this is how she learns to use her new talents and grows into herself before deciding to face the Goblin King again.

Harry Potter

Choices - Lily/Severus, Severus/Hermione - Stand Alone (so far) - A twist on the idea of Time Travel, what happens if Hermione gets covered in time dust from the Time Room and uses a Time Turner to try and help in the war against Voldemort?

Welcome to the Punch

Phrases Said: the Rogue & the Detective - Max/Jacob - Tumblr Prompts - Different short stories about Jacob Sternwood and Max Lewinsky. 

Welcome to the Punch & Kingsman

Souls Entwined - Jacob/Max, Harry/Eggsy - Matched and Kept - Things are forever changed for Max and Jacob after a chance encounter years before, and a discovery that changes everything.

Kingsman

Kingsman Academy - Harry/Eggsy - stand alone - All shifters are required to take lessons learning how to control their abilities. Harry is a teacher at Kingsman Academy where new shifters between 20 to 25 years of age go for their training, he is also a snow-leopard, one of the rarest varieties of shifter, so he is surprised when the newest student is a snow-leopard as well

Doctor Who

Daughter - Nine/Rose - stand alone - Rose gets a shock and the Doctor is overjoyed

The Pack Verse - Crossover Central

Seriously, crossover central as it currently has Sherlock, Bond, Marvel, and Star Trek so far, with other stories and cross overs in the notes but not yet out as I wanna finish the ones started first.

Trial & Error - Jace/Eric, Charlotte/Aidan - subcategory Watson Pack - The story of how Jace & Eric and Aidan & Charlotte work out their relationships.

Healing - Peter/Wade, Bucky/Steve, Bucky/Wade - subcategory Heroes Pack - Choices can have life altering affects as most superhumans can attest, so Peter and Steve are both aware of some of the effects that their choices in regards to their favorite assassins are going to have, some of the other effects are completely unexpected

#about me #Jaimi's Update #writing update #it's been a while since I did one of these

[thornswithroses]

I’ve been a ghost in this hellsite, and I decided to do a book questionnaire based on @dhaaruni‘s own take on the New Yorker’s “By the Book.” 

Here we go.

What books are on your nightstand? 

I used to keep what I’m currently reading on my nightstand, but unfortunately, said nightstand is too small for the number of books I am reading. Right now, the nightstand holds my sleeping mask, bookmarks in a box, hand cream, and my Himalayan salt lamp. 

Marie Kondo has been a blessing for my bedroom, so I keep all the books that I have, including library books, on my shelves.

What’s the last book that really excited you?

Oh, so many. I’ve checked out from my library the Jacob Tobias memoir, Sissy: A Coming-of-Gender Story. I am close to done with Patricia A. McKillip’s elegant Alphabet of Thorn. I also checked out We Need to Talk: How to Have Conversations That Matter by Celeste Headlee. There is also California dreamin' by Penelope Bagieu. 

And to show off just how often I abuse my library card, I also have on interlibrary loan: The Art of Eating by M.F.K. Fisher, The Palestinian Table by Reem Kassis, and House of Psychotic Women: An Autobiographical Topography of Female Neurosis in Horror and Exploitation Films by Kier-La Janisse.

I recently bought two titles that I am enthused to read as soon as I get the chance. Olivia Waite’s The Lady's Guide to Celestial Mechanics and C.S.E. Cooney’s Desdemona and the Deep.

Now you can see what I meant about my nightstand being too small! 

What’s your favorite book no one else has heard of?

Oh, lord, too many to name! Angela Carter has been getting more notice as of late, but I still think she needs more recognition. I feel the same way about Caitlín R. Kiernan. I also think everybody should give Sarah Monette/Katherine Addison’s The Goblin Emperor a try!

What book should everybody read before the age of 21?

The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories by Angela Carter. 

What book would you recommend to people over 40?

The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle. I can’t say precisely how, but it feels like it captures the pain of youth. I think they should also read Francesca Lia Block. I think she captures what young women dream about and what they hurt over really well.

Which writers — novelists, playwrights, critics, journalists, poets — working today do you admire most?

C.S.E. Cooney is marvelous. I have also been enjoying Courtney Milan’s romances as well as her contemporaries’ works. There is Sarah Monette, Sarah Waters, Donna Tartt, Beverly Jenkins, so many women to admire. If anyone ever decries writing today as not being “good as it used to be,” they’re fucking hacks.

What moves you most in a work of literature?

When a character realizes they deserve better, especially if it’s a woman that recognizes this.

Do you prefer books that reach you emotionally or intellectually?

I think they have to be intelligent to know how to get to me emotionally. There is no distinct line between emotion and intelligence, in fact, it can be argued that you cannot have one without the other. Otherwise, intelligence just becomes a coldness, and emotionality becomes hysteria.

What’s the most interesting thing you learned from a book recently?

I think Marie Kondo’s work really taught me to value the things I own. When I was doing the KonMari method, I discovered these birthday cards that my late grandfather had given to me as a child. They had been buried under useless papers that I never bothered to toss aside. It is scary to think about U.S. consumerism, but then again, I do have socialist leanings so hah. 

Which genres do you especially enjoy reading? And which do you avoid?

I love romance. I am a romantic person, so I always get excited about romance in a romance novel, or within a horror story, fantasy, and so forth. I like reading about different relationships, such as siblings, parents-and-children, in-laws, friendships, and so forth. I think the complexities of human relations is essential to me as a reader.

I don’t like Westerns, I will be honest. I see them, and I think propaganda. I’m Mexican and Palestinian, and I can’t unsee the subtext of white people moving to the west, using God as a tool to justify taking from Native Americans. John Wayne is no hero.

I think the closest to a Western I have ever enjoyed was the anime, Trigun. And that deals with human beings of all backgrounds settling in a new planet, so there you go.

What’s the best book you’ve ever received as a gift?

My dad got me a book that was entire of Grimm’ fairy tales, from the famous ones to the least-known. And these stories were the version where Cinderella’s doves took out the eyes of her sisters. So, you can imagine how this influenced eight-year-old me to become the person I am today. 

Who is your favorite fictional hero or heroine? Your favorite antihero or villain?

Oh, this is hard. I’m going to have to give a cop-out answer and say there are too many to name. 

What kind of reader were you as a child? Which childhood books and authors stick with you most?

I was a late-bloomer. All the kids in my first-grade class already knew to read since kindergarten. I did not. I had these two fantastic reading teachers that eventually taught me. I may have started later than all my classmates, but I ended up becoming more well-read than they did. I would go to the elementary school library three-to-four times a week to check out books. The librarians really enjoyed me. 

I was bullied a lot growing up, so books were my way to heal. Francesca Lia Block’s Violet and Claire really shaped me as did fairy tales and Greek mythology. I also read Blood and Chocolate in middle school, and I had never met a main character as unapologetically sexual as Vivian. I think that book really influenced some of my feminism, despite its other issues. There was also The Witch from Blackbird Pond. Oh, and the Animorphs series. There was also the Babysitter’s Club books, which really made me want female friendships portrayed more often in other stories. A Corner of the Universe, which is also by Ann M. Martin, really impacted me--it is troubling how much I ended up relating to Adam in that story.

You’re a digital native, and your publisher describes you as “what Susan Sontag would have been like if she had brain damage from the internet.” Do you find it difficult to tune out distractions and sink into a book?

I do, mostly I blame it on graduate school burning me out. I also work full-time, so my brain sometimes just wants to shut off, and I look up stupid stuff on the Internet. I think I am getting a little better about it though. I try to clean my space as much as possible, and that helps clear my mind.

Disappointing, overrated, just not good: What book did you feel as if you were supposed to like, and didn’t? Do you remember the last book you put down without finishing?

V.E. Schwab’s A Darker Shade of Magic. I mean, I did end up liking it, but not too much. I actually forgot most of the plot. I can say that I like Kell and Holland a lot. The rest of the book had great ideas and mostly good executions of those ideas, but the narrative had an air of superficiality that I just couldn’t get over. Also, I was legitimately frustrated by Lila Bard. She had to be one of the cheapest depictions of Strong Female Character I’ve seen in a long time. I couldn’t get into the Hunger Games either. I gave up on A Song of Ice and Fire halfway through. 

What books are you embarrassed not to have read yet?

I don’t get embarrassed as much about that sort of thing these days. I do want to read Angela Carter’s entire bibliography one day. I also want to read the unread books on my shelves.

What do you plan to read next?

Angela Carter and some progressive Catholic works, hopefully. 

#thorn's personal

[void-tiger]

5 Fictional Characters that make up your Personality

So, I got tagged by the amazingly talented and kind @headspacedad . But, uh, I don’t exactly know that many people on here yet, so...gonna cheat a bit and say if you’ve not been tagged by anyone else yet/have any interest in playing, then I’m “tagging” you now? Yeah let’s just go with that.

So...In no particular order, here are the picks I finally decided to go with:

1. Spring Sprite from Fantasia 2000: Firebird Suite

So...apparently I latched onto her even before my parents read me Narnia (which sparked a life-long love for nymphs and mythology in general. Digressing. Back on topic, Tiger!) Beyond the whole Mythical Nature Girl aesthetic going on and how her best friend is an Elk, I think I’ve finally got it pinned down what, exactly, SmolTiger identified-with-and-absorbed:

She’s insanely curious (more on this later)

She’s a tactile learner, and goes from hesitant to confident as she experiments with her talent, with a bit of gentle prodding from the Elk. (Also important. Hubris and greek-inspired mythological characters DO kinda go hand-in-hand.)

She’s a Perfectionist TM (ahem. Also, see the gif.)

But, then she finds something she can’t heal. And...she just kinda *pokes* it.

And turns out her Curiosity, Confidence, and Pride in her work...turned into outright Hubris. And she gets burned. No, really. Quite literally, with everything she caree about reduced to ash.

Which...what do you do when you’ve screwed up that badly? How do you get back up again? There really isn’t ever an easy answer for that, other than taking time to grieve, then trying again. Fortunately Mr. Elk survived her accidentally letting loose a volcanic demon and is there to lend her a helping...antler.

And things do turn out alright. Her grief heals the land, she tries again. And once she’s regained her confidence? She conquers that mountain, finally spreading her Green all the way to the crater’s edge, the Firebird be damned.

What I took away?

It’s Okay to be curious, particular, and creative (as a tomboy female in a conservative, antiarts religious environment? This was HUGE. And not always a lesson I remembered.)

Your personality and talents are often both your greatest strengths as well as weaknessess.

When you fail, you’re gonna fall HARD. But you WILL survive, especially with help.

Take time to grieve and heal. But then say “screw you. I’m gonna try ANYWAY.” Then watch yourself soar.

Learning a bit of caution and situational awareness isn’t a terrible thing. But don’t let it keep you from Trying Anyway

2. Judy Hopps, Zootopia

I kid you not. From the first scene my brother was like, “oh look. It’s Tiger as a kid.”

...yeah. THAT scene. (Can’t exactly claim that my art or writing have *exactly* calmed down...and...uhhh. Acting intense stuff is morbidly fun.)

And the whole thing with Gideon Grey? Yeah, that was me, too. (Only...I’d have gotten trampled by the sheep, too. Ain’t school and kids just LOVELY.)

But adult Judy wanting to be tolerant, then learning she had a LOT of unlearning left to do? Yeah...uh. Still guilty as charged.

But what I love most about her?

Not only will she Prove You Wrong, but she’ll also prove herself wrong, and grow, and do what she can to Make Things Right. (And try not to make the same mistake twice.)

Oh...and make jokes at her own expense.

(...ahem. I totally don’t make jokes like that. Nope, not me!)

3. Vash the Stampede, Trigun

So...this guy’s an interesting take on the “Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass” trope. In...he seems like a moron, but it’s moreso a persona he puts on. He doesn’t have a “badass switch” that needs to be flipped like many anime protagonists—he’s always That Good. The question is only how much effort is he gonna put into hiding that. Then we learn that he plays up the Fool ‘cause he’s got a ridiculously high bounty on his head...which we assume is exaggerated.

I mean, he’s a pacivist to a fault. “Love and PEACE~!!!” ...right?

Well...yes, and no. Turns out he did end up doing those things, but not intentionally. And he’s so wracked with guilt about it and the stories about what he might have done that he outright represses those memories for a time. And his “goofy fascade” isn’t...just to avoid getting attacked by those who wish him harm (and don’t care who gets caught in the crossfire). He’s also Lonely and craving any sort of non-lethal human interaction he can get.

And he’ll continue to protect, even at the cost of severe personal injury to himself or being forced to play up the Villain everyone believes him to be. It won’t change who he really is.

What I learned from Vash:

Silliness, Kindness, and Competence can coexist. You don’t have to “just pick one”

Cognative Dissonance is HELL. But, it’s one you can survive

You can always Start Again and make restitution for your past mistakes, even though you cannot undo them.

4. Takashi Shirogane, Voltron: LD

yeah yeah I know. Small surprise. But, he’s a fellow struggling mid20 year old who survived an insane amount of trauma and later learns that he might’ve done things he’s ashamed of, yet he actively chooses to fight and protect those in need (and “adopts” a group of squabbling teens along the way).

Not only does he choose to protect, he chooses to be kind. He leads by example with that same kindness, and people notice and respond to it.

That’s damn inspiring.

I wanna be Shiro. I wanna lead like Shiro when I’m called to lead. please don’t pick me!

And the Black Lion chose him despite his trauma and learning about being “Champion”. And staying active? Keeping himself involved and engaged? That gave him purpose, and that purpose gradually gave him healing (even if not closure).

...It also helps that he’s a Complete Dork.

What I learned from Shiro:

Your past does not define you

Kindness is an active choice and strength

Kind Leaders do exist, and they’re worth following

Staying Involved as much as you can actually can help manage your mental health and healing process

5. Jiro Shirogane, Voltron: LD

...aaaand this one should be less of a surprise, honestly. I love both Shiros, okay? I also spent more time with this Shiro, and identified with him maybe a teensy bit more.

Takashi’s “who I wanna be when I grow up”.

(Even though he has his own healing to start, and could stand to confide in...idk. Coran? Allura? They’re the fellow coded adults. Form a support group of “I Crossed the Galra and Survived” or something.)

Jiro’s where I’m currently at, admittedly.

And Jiro’s the one we see trying so damn hard to find “what he CAN do” if being a Paladin wasn’t an option (even though he’s still miserable. But he’s trying.) And when he screws up? We immediately see him doing what he can to Fix It, or at least Do Better. He’s also the one we got to see actively try to manage his mental and physical health, as well as finally open up to Someone. (Even though...egh. Monsantos. Just, monsantos.)

Those were all things I Wanted for both Shiros, but especially Jiro. Those were all also things I learned along the way (and way...way too much meta. Like an admittedly unhealthy amount as I accidentally tied the Shiro(s) being Okay with me learning how to be okay, too) that I could work on giving to myself, too.

What I learned from Jiro:

Focus on What You CAN Do

It’s okay to be longing for something else

Being Kind includes doing what you can to repair your relationships and fix your mistakes

Know when to ask for help, and do what you can to take care of yourself. You can’t help anyone if you’re not taking care of yourself, too

#tiger's musings #5 fictional characters personality challenge #gifs #read more #...YEP. I found the gifs guys. #but hey! I know how to ReadMore now too! well...at least for a PC