I voted yes, Iylaine made her choice and Vash should find somebody new. The whole enite Vash and Iylaine saga is long overdue.

Alright, so, I voted that I need to see more. At first I was completely against them (as I commented on recent post) but now I have thought more about it. Really, it all depends on how Kraaia matures. If she becomes a really interesting, slightly more healed, woman that happens to have wolves following her around then maybe I could see Vash liking her. It would look cool, and Kraaia has a flame to her that would attract Vash, but it would also require Kraaia growing up a bit and Vash not falling for someone else. However, if she remains at odds with the world and never learns to wholly trust then...well, Vash would be no better off. Ah, character development, I am excited to see what happens! Still, no matter what, it would be bittersweet because both would know that there is always a part of Vash that belongs to Iylaine. If only I liked Iylaine more, or if Malcolm liked her less. So, that is my completely biased take on the whole thing. After all, I could much more see Kraaia with Vash than with, say, Cedric.

I believe my take on Vash is recorded in the Malcolm or Vash poll... as well as other areas of the site, but I'm tempted to say it again.

Having just sped through the whole story, I still think they're both hanging on. It hasn't even been that long since Danatalian/Vash lured Iylaine out and Vash realized that, had he only gone to her, she would have come to him. He's still healing from that knowledge, and so is she. And then he unbound her from him, but he still craves and needs her as much as ever... and she was so hurt by that, I can't believe she's already healed from the emotional wound and sometimes that is enough to keep love alive.

Also, people seem to have forgotten that Iylaine didn't actually choose Malcolm over Vash. She was dieing and Vash was trapped by our favorite batty black demon. She thought he had abandoned her in her final, dieing days, and there was Malcolm loving her, and everyone urging the wedding. It was a choice to be with someone she cared about, to - and this is important!! - to live, for the first time ever in her life, with someone who had no regrets, no grief, no other sorrow, someone who's whole existence was just to love her, until she was done wasting away and just died already - how long? A year at the very most she might have survived? That was something she never had, living, basically, as a foster child because her dad didn't want to be with her. And yes, she's always been a selfish brat, but she's very close to my age, and I don't think it's unusual for someone so young to still be feeling the pain of childhood wounds. I don't think it's unusual for any one of us to still be feeling the pain of childhood wounds, especially when,like Iylaine, we do all we can to repress them and we still have them staring us in our faces every day.

Not surprisingly, I agree with Cassie in pretty much all things Vash + Kraaia, or we wouldn't be having this conversation. I did vote "not for a few years" because I do think they both need what the other has to give. But just because that's the author's vote, don't assume that it's what's going to happen. I won't push the characters into something that doesn't feel right.

I do want to say that I am definitely not going to get them into anything romantic right away. Kraaia is only 12 and Vash is 23. He's somewhat immature when it comes to sex and love, but if anything that would make it creepier and more manipulative. And given Kraaia's precociousness I'm not even sure who would be manipulating whom.

Anyway, Vash doesn't want that right now, and Kraaia doesn't want that right now, so I don't even see HOW it would happen.

Also, as Cassie said, Vash and Iylaine need some sort of closure before I move him on to someone new. I have plans for him -- and plans for them -- in the next few months, which may guide us in that direction. Or may guide them to their eternal happiness together, who knows? But certainly it is time for something to happen there. As Devin said, this has gone on long enough.

Meanwhile Kraaia has some growing up to do. I have some plans for her too for the next few months that have little to nothing to do with Vash.

I admit I now regret having ever mentioned the Vash + Kraaia possibility, because if it ever does happen it's going to be quite a while from now, and meanwhile I fear I have poisoned a few minds against Kraaia simply due to massive Vash + Iylaine loyalty backlash. And that would be a shame, because I think she is a very interesting little character in her own right, and the next few months / years of her life may not even be particularly Vashy at all.

I don't mind if you hate Kraaia because she's such a spiteful little witch, but please bear with me if you just want to stab her to keep her away from Vash.

I don't mind if you hate Kraaia because she's such a spiteful little witch, but please bear with me if you just want to stab her to keep her away from Vash.

*whistles*

Now, who could that apply to...?

I voted 'need to see more to decide' due to the fact that they've got to build up their relationship first. And so far, it's pretty sweet, but extremely hesitant and volatile. Especially with Kraiia's acid and hurtful tongue, besting Vash at every given opportunity.
They both need to heal from their separate traumas in life. Maybe that's how they manage, who knows? But there's still a lot of character development to be had.
Actually, I like Kraiia, as being a former foster kid myself, I can understand her bitterness and defense system, not wanting anybody close for fear of rejection. It rings true for a lot of foster kids out there, who have been passed from pillar to post and back again, never finding any kind of 'love' anywhere.

Unless, she stops acting like an untamed and uncivilized ass No.
But if she grows up and he can't find anyone better then sure he seems to like feisty people.
So I guess Kiaara as a last resort.