tiggymalvern | TriMax 10 Chapter 7

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Current Music: If I Had Words - Yvonne Keeley and Scott Fitzgerald

Chapter Seven - Wolfwood

Another one where it was a real hassle deciding which bits to scan, because there's something in the expressions somewhere on just about every page....

Sumire's translation here. No real changes, though I've translated a bit more literally in a couple of places than she seems to have done.

Flashback to Wolfwood leaving the orphage, and looking pretty miserable about it as everyone calls out advice and good wishes. Then Aunt Melanie and the other kids start throwing bits of paper cut up like confetti, and he looks back and smiles. Wolfwood's thinking how the orphanage was his only paradise, protected from the miserable world outside. It's been six years since he left (yeah, Renet - that's looking down the more pessimistic end of those calculations we did....).
Brad's ship has landed nearby. (Sumire's p93)

Aunt Melanie and the kids come creeping cautiously out of the orphanage. And there's Wolfwood, and blood and bodies everywhere, and one of the kids starts screaming and others are crying.

Vash jumps right in. "Wait a second, everyone!! Just listen!!" Wolfwood tells him not to bother, it's okay, kids shouldn't be seeing this. He's thinking how he's a murderer, like a monster to them.
Livio stays well out of sight. If I were him, I wouldn't exactly be in a hurry to see Aunt Melanie either....

Brad comes running over to tell Vash that Knives' Ark is on the way, and they need to clear out fast. He and Aunt Melanie organise the kids and sort out the essentials they need to take from the orphanage. Aunt Melanie spots a sack in one of the cupboards she's looking through.

Wolfwood tells Aunt Melanie that if the kids ask questions she has to lie to them, say it wasn't him. The kids are starting to talk, of course - they heard Aunt Melanie call him Nicholas and the older ones are wondering if this old guy who kills people could possibly be their 'big brother Nico'. Vash is annoyed with Wolfwood, loudly demanding if he's really okay with all of this. Wolfwood merely answers that the ship's about to leave. (Sumire's p99)

Vash only gets angrier, pointing out that this is hardly the time for Wolfwood to be acting like an idiot. (Sumire's used 'hesitate' in her translation - the same word can also mean 'be misguided', which I think is probably closer to Vash's sentiment.) Wolfwood punches Vash and opens his fist to show him the assassin's coins. "See, Tongari? These are my true colours. Don't be stupid about it. You must understand?"

They argue about it some more, loudly, as these guys always do. Livio starts to intervene very briefly and then decides it's actually a really bad idea and heads off fast *g*. But there's no way in hell Wolfwood's getting on that ship and it leaves without them.

Vash asks again as he trails after Wolfwood, "Is this really okay?" "Yeah. I'm satisfied." Then Wolfwood adds, "I'm grateful to you too, you know?" Vash goes all blushy and stammery. "I didn't really mean it!" says Wolfwood. "I was only saying it to be polite!" In the bottom panel, Wolfwood suggests they have a drink together - it's been a while since they've done that. (Wonder what he's found to drink in the orphanage? Cooking sherry? *g* It's called 'Bride' whatever it is!) (Sumire's p103)

There's a sofa left in what used to be a room of the orphanage before that bit collapsed. Wolfwood pours them drinks and they clink glasses.

"Smile, Tongari," Wolfwood says. "You still have a good way of smiling." Not much chance of that right now....

Wolfwood thinks back to when they first met. "I said your smile was hollow. I thought..." Vash cuts him off: "Hey... Wolfwood, don't say anything stupid." Absolutely no dying confessions wanted here. And Vash is thinking, 'Ah, God, God, please grant me just one thing.' Oh, that expression.... (Sumire's p107)

(Sumire has attributed that last thought to Wolfwood - I'm sure that's wrong. It's consistent in the Trigun manga that whoever's in the picture where the thought starts is the one doing the thinking, and I see no reason for that to change now.)

Bits of paper start floating down from the sky.

The kids are throwing it from the ship as it flies overhead.

Aunt Melanie has ignored what Wolfwood said and told the kids the truth. After Wolfwood left the orphanage, the kids cut up more paper and said they'd keep it for when he came back. That's what was in the sack Aunt Melanie found. So now he's back, and they stick to the plan and throw the paper.

'Welcome home' is the thought.