#classic trigun

[lost-technology]

Something I just found on Youtube. VashMeryl vid, and it's actually pretty funny... and a beautiful edit of lyrics onto it. There's Meryl, dreaming away... cut to Vash making one of his goofiest faces ever!

[mindless-self]

[warweaselfiles]

Spent all day having these play in the background.

[lost-technology]

I think it was... kind of brilliant to do what they did with the Vash vs. Legato final showdown. What I mean is that I think it's interesting and a touch of amazing to have had Vash pull the trigger (making the DECISION to end a life to save another when backed into a corner) while doing the unexpected thing of that life being saved by a third party at the last minute. If Stargaze is going for an "Everybody Lives!" (or, let's face it, most people live) ending, that's the way to do it. Vash still bears the guilt for having *tried* to kill, for having made that executive decision. I sort of predicted it... I mean, with the way the show has been going with unexpected survivals, I was expecting an off-other-canons survival of Legato, as well. I'm thankful that it didn't come about as "Vash's preaching got through to him!!!" - Which... I honestly thought was going to happen for a few minutes there. When Legato was going on and on about the "two gods" - one of them being Vash, I had expected him to right then and there do some kind of weird redemption through a sudden worship of Vash, transferring his devotion to the Plant-God who is paying more attention to him and I was bracing for incoming cheese. I'm so glad I didn't get cheese dumped on me. Legato remained Legato and backed Vash into the Classical Trigun Trolley-Problem. So, even though Knives saved his ass (for...whatever reason??? Huh???) Vash is still going to guilt himself for "deciding to kill" and that's pretty brilliant. But... *sigh.* Even though I saw something like that coming, I can't help but be annoyed. It's not so much that Legato gets to live as that the entire thing feels... defanged. In the '98 anime, Milly and Meryl were both endangered, as well as a great deal of random townspeople. The problem felt broader in scope. And when the deed is done and Knives "feels" what happened and laughs - that was CHILLING. In the manga, Legato was puppeteering Elendira's corpse to hold Livio at a point of killing and Vash killed Legato because Wolfwood had given his life to save him and Vash would not waste his sacrifice. This felt meaningful. Somehow... Legato holding Wolfwood in a graity-hold and crushing him slowly in a "kill me or I kill your best friend" move feels a little cliche', cheapened - too straightforward. Maybe it's because, in-story, the survived!the!church!and!couch! Wolfwood here has *already* come past the point where he is no longer afraid to die. He is no longer afraid to be willing to give his life for his core values and the people he loves. He's already had his transformation / character-arc without the loss of his life in it. We aren't left with "someone he sacrificed for." We aren't even left with the Milly and Meryl situation - Vash's only close friends at that point in '98, completely innocent. (The girls seem to be treated as an afterthought in this series, honestly).

It feels like maybe Stargaze was *trying* at some Vashwood fanservice here? It's like they didn't get what made the Legato-killing scene poigiant in the manga. On one hand - a brilliant move for a series that doesn't want Vash to bloody his hands, apparently - still give him the GUILT, but on the other hand, just not *getting* what was important about that character-growth point in the previous canons. I don't really know what to make of it.

[lost-technology]

Purpose-Driven Machines

Ace Trigun Week 2026 Story #1 Prompt: Incubus / Succubus Universe: '98 anime Summary: The Plants had created Vash with a specific purpose. Purpose-Driven Machines (Ao3 Link) (Wish I could post it here, but tumblr is being a butt).

[lost-technology]

Alternate This... is an incredibly stupid Trigun fan-comic I did back in 2008. I am sorry for the bright colors burning your eyes (although not too sorry, I've gotten back into ultra-bright colors in my art lately). Based in the '98 anime. I've seen a lot of good, sad comics lately, so why not share my old stupid-comedy one? I have inflicted a great evil upon the world, or at least a great deal of dumb, and I run off cackling.

[lost-technology]

A Lust-Filled Animal

Ace Trigun Week Prompt 3: Coming Out Milly was a perceptive one... Who knew that he was THAT kind of ace gunman?

A Lust-Filled Animal Vash was nursing a bruise on his left cheek.   Meryl wore an angry, determined look on her face.  “It was just some harmless flirting,” Vash complained.  “Flirting? You were practically climbing her!” It was another day spent with ladies that Vash apparently did not consider ladies because he never acted around Meryl Stryfe and Milly Thompson the way he acted around almost every other woman he met from town to town. He had just successfully chased away a “hot young thing” by coming on too strong.  Vash the Stampede was “a notorious womanizer” as the notices about him read – not that anything else about him was true.  The two insurance agents had learned that he wasn’t the cadaver-junkie that he was advertised to be, nor was he “12 feils tall.”  He didn’t have a mohawk.  Sometimes his nerves seemed more like jelly than like steel. “Someone has to protect innocent citizens from this lust-filled animal!” Meryl complained.  Milly held up a finger.  “I don’t think he really is, Meryl.” “Didn’t you just see him?”  “Well, Ma’am,” Milly began, ignoring the look of discomfort Vash was giving her, “He always goes over the top, doesn’t he?”  “Hmmm,” Meryl contemplated, “I suppose he does.  It’s not like he ever gets lucky.” “Girls!  Girls!”

“Well, I think Mr. Vash chases women away on purpose!”  Vash’s face fell and his eyes were wide. 

“It’s true, isn’t it?” Milly asked, sitting down on the bench next to him.  “I think you’re trying to keep them out of danger.  It won’t work on us! Following you is our job!” Vash grumbled something under his breath about “perception.”  “So who do you think you are, hot pants?” Meryl demanded.  “What you’ve been doing is very rude!” Vash rubbed the back of his neck.  “I’m not actually as interested in girls as people think, heh, heh,” he confessed.  “Guys, either, really.  But, you know, I have a reputation to uphold!” “Some reputation!” Meryl spat.  “Well,” Milly tallied, “Vash the Stampede isn’t a vicious killer, he’s not 12 fiels tall, he doesn’t have a mohawk, he wants love and peace for the world and he’s NOT a womanizer!” “I guess so,” Vash said uncomfortably.  He never needed a donut so badly in his life. 

[lost-technology]

Rewards for Valor

Ace Trigun Week Prompt 7: Free Day Vash's tactics for politely turning down unwanted rewards.

Rewards for Valor Soft lips pressed against his skin. He couldn’t help but giggle.  The man was drunk, after all.  Vash had an interesting relationship with alcohol – he rarely got good and fully drunk due to quirks of his physiology, so most of his “drunken shenanigans” were an act, but you know what they say “Fake it until you make it.”  He also knew “Liquor before beer, never fear, beer before liquor, never sicker,” but had forgotten the adage at the party and had done things in the wrong order this time, so he was sure to be feeling nasty tomorrow.  These women were all over him, climbing into bed with him, nibbling at his ears, tosseling his hair and running slender, beautiful hands down his coat.  He felt a hand work its way under it and flinched at a sharp, meaty grab to his right butt-cheek over his pants.   “Ooh, these are a lot of belts,” the lady who’d made the grab said.  “Looks like a lot of work, but a lot of fun.”  Vash was about to put on another act as he slurred.  “Shhhhure are,” he said.  “Lotsa an’ lotsa work!  Maybe betteroff not tryin’ t’ all.”  She leaned over and whispered to him.  “Just guide me through it, honey.”  The owner of this saloon had brought over a pair of ladies from the local brothel as part of the party for him.  They had been given to him as a reward for saving the town.  Vash would have asked for something other.  He didn’t like taking advantage of people.  It was kind of nice, though, having people close.  The women were definitely consenting – and not just for an exchange of money.  They were “hot for the hero,” and made that known.  As soon as any of them managed to get his coat and his under-armor off, they’d see stuff that he didn’t think was fit for the eyes of ladies.  He also didn’t quite know how to tell them while he appreciated the affection, he wasn’t into it as they were.  He was a weird one, just not being into it.  He'd always been this way.  Playful flirting was one thing, but the more Vash thought about it, the more he’d come to realize that he was trying very hard to “pretend to be normal.”  He wanted desperately to be human and that meant doing the things that humans did. Well, what most humans did. He’d known some who went against the usual grain. He supposed that he wasn’t brave enough to join them in open definition.  He knew that a “normal” relationship would be impossible for him given his body’s aging-rate.  He’d played at the angle of lust for a while, “acting as a man does” – but never quite felt it. He found it a thing that could not be forced.  The best it ever got him was a tactic for chasing some people away from the danger that he’d begun to embody.  The worst it ever got him was some open-hand slaps and even some mean right-hooks.  And of course, weird misunderstandings like this one.  He was about to deny these fine women the pleasure of his company.  Down he went.  With a practiced motion, he rolled his eyes back in his head and feigned a full pass out.  The girls yelped and tried to rouse him.  He found it rather amusing how they tried to kiss him awake.  This was more than he deserved… Pretending to be dead to the world – it was a solid way to withdraw consent without being rude.  Vash thought bitterly that while it worked for him, it wouldn’t work for them if they ever tried it on any random men they found they didn’t want to deal with.  After he was left alone in his room to think about it, he wished them well.