A Take On The Reincarnation Trope...

I can imagine this scenario in my Trigun Modern Au happening a couple of times.

Wolfwood and Vash get into a fight. Like not a shouting match kind of fight. Like a full on knock down, drag out, fists and teeth and full on violence type of fight. The kind where knuckles split and noses bleed and all that.

Adelha doesn't stop them. No she does not. She herds her puppies and kitten into her bedroom to shut them in. Then she just sits and watches these two duke it out. No words from the Irish lass as she waits for them to get it all out and do the macho fistitcuffs.

Both men end up laying on the ground and huffing for air. Wolfwood is cussing in between pants and growls. Vash is doing his best to get more air as he silently seethes. But then both men have Adelha kneel over them to just lightly tap each of them on the forehead. Her way of saying their fight is over. She gathers her adopted family and current dumb men to the bathroom. Packs of ice on black eyes. Her first aide kit is out and she is tending to scrapes and split skin. While she gently talks to both men. She doesn't scold them for fighting. She doesn't lecture them about the idea that violence isn't the answer. She instead talks them through what started the fight. She reminds them both they are unconditionally loved. That they are friends and family to each other and to her.

Adelha acts as the calm soul to get them to sort their emotions and thoughts after the anger and ferocity has worked out of their systems with healing and love. She gives them a balm to their aching spirits and their aching bodies. Vash asks why she didn't stop them. To which she states a simple truth. "Sweetheart. You both needed to let it all out and act on the rage and tension. It's not the first fight I have seen where two people duked it out over a conflict. It will not be the last one either. I've gotten into a scuffle or four, myself." Wolfwood and Vash looked shocked to hear that.

Wolfwood and Vash find out later from Adelha's guardians that she has gotten into bar fights before. Eugene and Claude smiling like proud parents as they recall the time a braggart got too drunk to keep his hands to himself. He'd decided to take a swing at a terrified bus boy for no good reason. Next thing the bastard knew, he was on his ass and sporting a broken nose from Adelha getting involved. He then got his ass handed to him the next night when he came back looking for trouble slash revenge on the bus boy. How Adelha had hauled him into the back alley and gave him a pummeling. Eugene grinning wide as he noted he'd never been happier to pay bail for anyone than when Adelha had gotten arrested along with the drunk.

i was so scared for him

I have observed 3 types if trans masc people

1.) Very aesthetic - they have a fashion sense. Often has dyed hair and possibly some elaborate jewelry on. Definitely has a pinterest and is usually an artist in one way or another. They also usually adopt different core styles like cottagecore etc.

2.) The average Joe - they tend to blend in quite well, and can be stealth or straight passing. More natural hair colors, and button up shirts.

3.) The rodent - Looks like they just climed out if the gutter. Caffeine is their life source. Most likely to see them in the late/early hours of night. Often wears the same clothes for multiple days and faintly smells of cheese.

Keep in mind there is overlap and any person can definitely embody all three. These are just some general observations I've made on the different types of trans masc people I have seen/met.

How to Write Better Villains (Because Your Story Deserves One)

There’s nothing worse than a forgettable villain. You know the type: cartoonishly evil for no reason, monologuing their master plan to no one in particular, and vanishing from memory the second you finish the book. A great villain, though? They haunt your thoughts, challenge your hero, and—sometimes—you catch yourself *agreeing with them*. If you want to level up your storytelling, here’s how to craft villains that stick.

1. Give them a reason to be bad (and make it make sense)

Nobody wakes up one day and just decides to be evil (unless they’re in a Saturday morning cartoon). Real people are shaped by their pasts, fears, and desires—and your villains should be, too. Maybe they believe they’re saving the world, just in a way that costs too much. Maybe they were betrayed and now trust no one. Whatever the case, give them a *why*. Even better? Make your readers *understand* that why, even if they don’t agree with it.

2. Avoid the evil-for-evil’s-sake trope  

Mustache twirling is out. Complexity is in. A villain who kicks puppies just to prove they’re the bad guy is boring. But a villain who feeds stray dogs while orchestrating a political coup? *That’s* compelling. The best antagonists aren’t evil—they’re driven. And when their goals put them in direct conflict with the hero, *that’s* where the tension comes from. Let them think they’re the hero of their own story.

3. Let your villain challenge the protagonist in meaningful ways  

Your villain shouldn’t just be a physical threat—they should challenge your hero’s beliefs, force them to make hard choices, and maybe even make them question themselves. When the antagonist represents a deeper, thematic opposite to the protagonist, you’ve got literary gold. Think of how The Joker unravels Batman’s moral code, or how Killmonger forces T’Challa to reconsider Wakanda’s isolationism. Conflict isn’t just punches—it’s philosophy.

4. Make them unforgettable

Whether it’s a chilling line of dialogue, an eerie calmness, or a twisted sense of humor, give your villain something *distinct*. Personality matters. A unique voice, a specific mannerism, or an unexpected vulnerability can elevate your villain from “meh” to “iconic.” Think about what makes them tick—and what makes them *memorable*.

5. Don’t be afraid to make them right

The scariest villains are the ones who are *almost* right. When a reader can see where they’re coming from—or even agree with some of their points—that’s powerful. It creates tension not just in the story, but in the reader’s own mind. And that’s exactly what a good villain should do: make you question, make you uncomfortable, and make the story impossible to forget.

What are some of your favorite villains in fiction? Drop your favs (or your own villain WIPs) in the tags or replies—I’d love to see them!

he refuses to eat anything but the zombie meat

When you share a story you wrote with a friend and they only appear on the doc for 5 seconds before sending you a text saying it's good.

violent birth

Me: "I'm going to set myself a reminder so I don't forget about this thing later" proceeds to forgets to set reminder and forget about plan later.

Me the next day: "I feel like I forgot something... Oh shit!"

You know, I think this ending would have been slightly less of a fucking disappointment if the heroes hadn't been so unfairly favored by Horikoshi compared to the villains. I mean, seriously

Deku destroys every bone in his body multiple times throughout the story and is warned that if he continues, he'll permanently lose the use of his limbs ? Everything's fine, his body's just got used to being reduced to a bloody pulp somehow so there's no consequences for him. In fact even when he literally loses his arms to Shigaraki, he gets them back two minutes later thanks to Eri because guess what ? Her horn still works even when cut off from her body. How convenient.

Gran Torino gets his ribcage obliterated by Shigaraki ? Don't worry guys, he'll survive that despite his old age and injuries, and this to have no particular role in the plot afterwards.

Bakugo dies heroically trying to buy time before Deku arrives ? Lmao, did you really believe it ?? No of course not, Edgeshot just uses his last-minute Deus Ex Machina to save his life at the cost of his own and- Oops nope he's fine too, my bad !

Hawks murders a criminal fleeing for his life in cold-blood ? The best Hori has to offer is him completely free and in charge of the HSPC.

And no, losing his quirk isn't a real consequence for him because not only it literally played a major part in saving the world with Vestige!Hawks raising an insurrection among AFO's quirks, but also because his quirk has always been the element through which people exploited him.

Endeavor abused his family for years and completely destroyed his eldest son ? No jail time and no media backlash for that, the only blame he received was due to the heroes' failure to stop the League during the Raid Arc.

And don't even get me started on this bs about facing hell or whatever for what he's done : He's literally free and wealthy ; he has Rei, Fuyumi, Shoto, his sidekicks and Hawks on his side ; and all the difficulties he's apparently going to suffer are off-screened.

Deku had to sacrifice OFA and his future hero career to save the world ? Guess what, Bakugo invested all his time and money to make him an Iron-Man suit and now he can still be a hero with everyone else.

There are plenty more examples of this but I think you get the idea. Now let's take a look at the villains' ending :

Toya is now a piece of charcoal kept artificially alive for the few years he has left, unable to move a finger, and whose few minutes a day during which he can stay awake will be spent talking to his father who abused him as a child.

Toga, a literal teenager, killed herself to save Ochako and because she knew it's still better than rotting at Tartarus her whole life.

And not only did she die but she did by bleding to death. Let me repeat for those who have trouble grasping what I've just said : In a manga where the heroes can survive having their heart blown to bits, being impaled Kakyoin-style or smashed against buildings like a fly on a windshield, one of the main antagonists died of a fucking hemorrhage…

As for Shigaraki, after learning that his very birth and all the tragedies of his life have been orchestrated by AFO, after all this development and narrative promises about him being saved in the end... Deku just kills him.

Because despite all his speeches about saving him, it seems like the best our MC could do was beating him both physically and mentally until he crumbles to dust…

Compress on his side is apparently locked up for life and kept alive by machines too.

A begging Kurogiri tried in a desperate attempt to save Shigaraki, only to be unceremoniously blown up by Bakugo and dying off-screen without anyone giving a shit, including Aizawa and Mic.

And Spinner will now spend the rest of his life struggling with the extra quirks inside him that affect his body and mind, while having to cope with the thought that his boyfriend best friend and companions have either died alone or are locked away for life in horrifying circumstances.

Clearly not the same as with the heroes...

Now don't get me wrong, even if they suffered just as much from the consequences of their actions or the plot as the League, this ending would still be a disaster in terms of writing but AT LEAST it wouldn't reek that much of hypocrisy.

Pros of re-reading your own fic

a good time;

Has exactly the tropes you like and the characterization you want to read;

Gratification: yes you did finish a thing and yes you did do good;

just a very fun time all around.

Cons of re-reading your own fic:

Is that another TYpO