rate_review Reviews

And here I am at the end so far (aside from the bonus Halloween round). I'm kinda glad I found this before it was quite finished, because that way it's more like praising you to your face when I review. And you do deserve praise. Original fiction is missing out on a helluva writer if you only work on fan fiction, but for a story like this I can't say I'm sorry about it. I've already told you how perfectly written the characters are, and how much I love that you paid attention to the nuances in the manga that didn't necessarily get a light shown hard on them. I've told you you've got some beautiful language. I don't think I've told you how Vash and Wolfwood and Livio make me laugh when they're being weird, bickering children. The scene where Vash tells Livio that Wolfwood's pretty but dumb nearly slew me, and Wolfwood's comments about being the "idiot whisperer" were possibly even funnier. The sex scenes...ho man. *fans self* I admit to a special fondness for a dominant Wolfwood, and here I cannot complain because you delivered on that, but more importantly they are beautiful and respectful and as in-character as you are with everything else. You write as mean a fight scene as you do a sex scene; the confrontation with Legato was utterly badass, and the fight with Knives might just as well have been drawn in the manga for how visual it was (actually, I lie; it was considerably easier to follow than the fight scenes in the manga).

It's obvious that you love all the characters from the way you write them, but your rendition of Wolfwood bears a special sensitivity...or should that be insensitivity? I dunno, but you write him so flawlessly that I strongly suspect that he's your favorite. :D I'm so glad he lived here; as poignant as his death was, I can't think of a character I've ever been sadder at seeing die (dammit, do the Japanese *have* to do that samurai hero thing? They're as bad as we are with Westerns...oh wait ;) ). At any rate, I believe this may in fact be the perfect Trigun story. I'm glad I came along when I did; in time to read almost the whole thing but with a bit of epilogue to wait on.

Thank you so much for writing this!

Oh. My. God. I don't know what to say. This is incredible. Wolfwood and Vash are so *perfect.* You have their masks and every desperate, painful, bittersweet thing underneath. I've never seen such good characterization for them, especially their manga versions, which are so much more complicated than they are in the anime. Wolfwood is pure and undiluted. You arguably took a few liberties with Vash, but they make *sense.* I see the same thing you do: that not killing isn't a simple matter of hero = selfless sacrifice for him, but something much more conflicted; a reasoned choice he has made over and over rather than a reflexive purity. It's something I love about manga-Vash: that the sainthood, all the perfection has nothing to do with innocence (like the girls, who so very much don't understand the world Vash and Wolfwood live in) but is all a matter of choice. That every time he throws himself in front of a bullet, he's deliberately choosing Rem's way, and that he is not at all impervious to the same fears and angers that sway Knives. You're the only writer I've ever seen to pick up on that, let alone actively explore it. So the extension of that, that there's a certain conviction lacking behind his pursuit of his brother and that Wolfwood gave him a personal reason that he hadn't had before, makes perfect sense. (Especially recalling the emptiness we see in him after Wolfwood's death, when he stops smiling, stops even pretending like his life isn't a devastated wasteland.)

And something about the way you handle the attraction between them is so good! I mean, not that the manga exactly makes it hard to see ("I want to share my tomorrows with him?" At the *least* it taps the homosocial ambiguity lurking about in Westerns, if not going straight-up Brokeback Mountain). But here it's not a tacked-on thing; it's an unspoken, accepted outgrowth of how they're already stated to feel about each other.

I'll also do a shout-out to the characterization of the other characters. Knives is uncompromising; Legato is appropriately terrifying; Meryl is (bless you!) magnificent in her fierce loyalty even to a friend she's terrified of.

In all (and keep in mind I'm only finished with the first chapter so far) this is purest, unadulterated awesome, and I am *so glad* you wrote it and that I found it.

I liked the scream/calling, it was unexpected and it startled me, I could almost hear it, from the very deep of his being, it was intense.
I also liked the feather thing, did you have it planned in advance or it just jump up to your mind? 'Cause it's a very good idea!
I have a feeling this is going to turn adventurous.
And then...a changed/reformed Knives?? This is quite a hard task, but, I guess, a good author can only enjoy such a challenge, anyway, I wish you good luck, my dear.

And I absolutely love grumpy, sarcastic, chain-smoking, smart-assed fairies ^___^

He woke up! *sighs of relief*

I was fully expecting the showdown between Vash and Knives being a duel of willpower and I always tought that the best way to dealt with Knives's crimes was making him experience first-hand the pain he caused, so I'm completely satisfied with this chap.

But, still, there's more to come, and I'm thrilled.

I was pleased with Luida apparition in this chap 'cause I love the way you have every secondary character perfectly defined and even if that dialogue works as a link, supposedly connecting two main series of events, it still keeps the right, intense, atmosphere and it's an elegant solution to explain, shortly, but effectually, what's going on.

I'm glad to know that there're at least two more chaps, that means I don't have to say goodbay, yet.

(And if you have some spare time, may I suggest you to check out Wolfwood's voice in the italian version of the anime? I think you'll be pleasently surprised!)

OH. MY. GOD! I think you have absolutely outdone yourself with this chap!
The fight with Legato truly reminded me of the most hard, strong, graphic pages in the manga, your writing is so wonderful that it enobles even the most gruesome matter.
I love the switching of setting/point of view, it's very cinematographic, and it slowly builds up an enormous tension that kept me chained to the page.
I was truly hoping that Wolfie could menage to get trough this without further damage but it seems it has to be always the hardest way for him (sigh!), but I can hardly complain, 'cause it touched me to no end to see him seeking refuge in the sweetest, tenderest place inside his memories, and then summon all of his strenght and courage to face hell, one more time, in the end, I like the way he shots down Legato, it's the perfect brutal ending for such a sick depraved character.
I totally appreciate the way you developed Livio/Razlo, making him such a meaningful charater, exploring his very soul, finding that hint of a deeper feeling for W. that was buried inside him all along the years, for me it has a lot of sense like that.
The masterstroke is the ending dialogue beetween Livio and Wolfwood, I absolutely went crazy for the way you keep them such in character, even in the hardest, darkest moment, they're just covering their feelings behind a shelter of cool, ironic, smart-assed remarks, then... the kiss was genious and the hugging was so sweet I could cry (again!), I love the way you do sweet, never sickening, always justified and realistic.
Finally, I want to make you know, as far as I love deep, meaningful, intense, incredibly well-written angst, now I'm fully expecting a big, fluffy, smutty, HAPPY-ending, (please? I know you can do it!)...well... at least as much fluffy as it can be anything involving Wolfwood ;)
I'm looking forward for the next chap, it promises to be as beautiful as this one.
(By the way, I haven't read the last volume of the manga yet, I've ordered it some months ago but it seems hard to get it, but this doesn't matter anymore 'cause since I've started reading this fic I've instantly decided that THIS will be my own personal official version of how Trigun ends!)
Thank you.
B.

Yeah! Wolfwood's back! And I can't wait to see him kick Legato's ass.
Obviously this chap is as good as all the others (sometimes I wonder how it happens you're so good at this, you either are a professional writer or you truly are the most crazy-in-love-with-this-fandom author I've ever read).
I love the way you dealt with the plants feelings.
Thanks 'cause everytime you add a new chap is like having Santa coming in advance just for me!

oh gods... thanks to WoW we've both been neglecting our reading and our writing but...now thanks to the wonders of "windo mode" we can read while on long pauses in the game *snicker* and thanks to this fanfic Affie's gotten killed twice *lol* she ignored where she was going and ran into a zombe nest of sorts. Thank you for continuing this story.

Rysh and Affie (who's grumbling and giggling at the same time)

I just HAVE to tell you... this is the best Trigun's fic I've EVER read.
The plot is complex, coherent and intriguing, I love the way you picked hints and suggestion from the original story and lead to a completely different ending (that I welcomed since Wolfwood is still alive and Vash loves him).
You made a damn great job in developing the characters keeping their original features, they are so vivid I could almost see them, and gave me the best Vash/Wolfwood's inner POV I could ever wish for.
Your descriptions are amazingly precise, each single detail is in the right place at the right time.
Dialogues are tense, meaningful and realistic.
Sex scenes are sweet, graphic and... definitely hot.
You menage to keep a perfect balance between humor and angst.
I'm so glad you've updated this, I was craving for more.
I truly want to thank you 'cause I enjoyed every line.
B.

Yay!!! We even get a bonus chapter! It was well worth the wait. :D As excellent as always; I'm loving how you're dealing with Wolfwood's issues (that stubbornness is spot on) and how Vash is reacting to them. Plus, you've managed to fit Livio into their little group without any trouble, which is great. I can't wait until the great Wolfwood-Livio double team against our resident Big Bad (because in this case, it seems as though Legato is even more of a bastard than Knives himself!)
Nice going balancing the humorous moments with the drama; that takes a lot of skill, and it's working really well so far. :)
Best moments this update: 'immovable object vs. irresistible force' (this describes Vash so well) and the woe of Livio being unable to join in some 'hot lesbian action!' (And Wolfwood trying to work out the dynamics of that. Classic. XD )
Can't wait for more!
-RD

Okay, I have just torn my way through this story for the...third? fouth? time, and it is STILL brilliant.
The characterisations are spot on - even when the boys are having their 'vulnerable' moments - and the fact that they can still argue and gripe at each other keeps it real. Their equal relationship is working really well, and I think is more realistic for them. Plus, the way you're working the storyline is excellent; rewriting the story but adding new touches to it (c'mon, 'what's going on with Vash's energy'(although I'm sure you've dropped enough hints by now!) and 'Wolf and Livio double team + age implications/teasing' cracks me up) making it really fresh, and superbly interesting.
This is a fantastic work so far!! Please don't keep us fans waiting much longer for an update; you're finally getting to the showdown!!
-RD