#alt right shitheads. most others are very aware

[meezer]

as opposed to americans, who have historically been extremely accepting of both poc and "different types of white"

[clearancecreedwatersurvival]

But Caitie, why are you so pressed about bad faith criticism from book fans about the wheel of time show? Great question I’m glad you asked.

From what I have observed book fans who are saying that it’s a bad adaptation and not worth watching have criticisms that usually boil down to one or all of these three objections.

1. They’re spending time in the show on characters who aren’t the ta’veren boys/Rand

2. Any changes have been made at all in order to adapt the story to film

3. There are too many queer characters and actors of color

All three of these talking points became a common refrain during season one, largely driven by the hilariously un-self aware manpilled alt-right shitheads in the /r/whitecloaks subreddit which got shut down for harassing other subreddits in 2022. It should be obvious that a lot of the motivation there was a misogynistic and racist misreading of a deliberately feminist and multicultural book series. If you think RJ would find this diverse show full of badass and well fleshed out women a poor adaptation of his work you are kidding yourself.

And regarding the other less obviously white supremacist complaints: Rand is not the only important character. Anyone who has read past like book two should be well aware that every main character’s point of view is important to the overall narrative. There are only 8 seasons in which to get through all of those main characters’ arcs. Of course they are starting them all now. Are the boys getting less screen time than they get pov chapters early in the books? Sure. This is necessary because once again, the ta’veren boys are Not the only characters that matter. I don’t know why people are so surprised that ALL of the main characters of a book series with over a dozen recurring pov characters are going to have character arcs.

And again if you’re just mad that it’s more queer and polyamorous. Fuck off.

There are valid criticisms to be made about this show if you engage with the show in good faith and judge it by its own merit instead of just comparing it scene by scene to the books. For instance I think it’s fairly obvious that the first season suffered as a result of late stage rewrites made to account for a shortened episode count, and Perrin’s arc in particular was off to a rough start.

But in season 2 I think they are doing a lot of things right, and the change of speeding up his acceptance of his wolfkin powers is a Very good one I think.

And the rest of this season rules to be totally honest. All of the Moiraine and Lan stuff is Great and really sets up for later events so well. And I am enjoying Everything about how the show is handling the Forsaken so far. Episode 4 was my favorite yet, Lanfear is fucking Perfect. This season is absolutely nailing character beats for all the most important characters, and doing excellent character work around the major themes of the book series and setting up for future key events. Every scene with any of the Aes Sedai is my favorite. And some things have been markedly improved by the show over the books. I cannot get over how good the team up of Mat and Min is so far. And the normalization of polyamory in the culture of randland is Brilliant for the long term series.

If this show gets cancelled because so many of the book fans refuse to even try to engage with it for what it is instead of what isn’t, it will be a goddamn tragedy. And if you’re just really disappointed that you can’t as easily skip the scenes with the girls the way you skipped the POV chapters of all the women when reading the books then please take a big step back and ask yourself if unchecked misogyny is a good look in 2023.

[nonplatonicsubtext]

Estate of the Bay Part 1: Johnny Law

(If you haven't read about @shakertwelve's Estate AU, go check out their victor lavere tag, or this won't make much sense)

Thought we'd put together a quick breakdown of the state of Brockton as of story start, beginning with the heroes. Names in italics are changed from canon

Protectorate Heroes:

Armsmaster (Colin Wallis)

Miss Militia (Hana)

Velocity (Robin Swoyer)

Dauntless (Shawn)

Battery (“Jamie”)

Assault (Ethan)

Redeye (Crystal Pelham)

Wards:

Clockblocker (Dennis)

Aegis (Isabela)

Scribble (Rune)

Vista (Missy Biron)

Kid Win (Chris)

Browbeat (Browbeat)

The Brockton Bay Protectorate core members are mostly unchanged, due to the point of divergence only being about ten years prior. The main differences are the absence of Triumph, who died in a horrible nepotism accident due to a lack of Panacea around for healing, and the addition of Redeye, who graduated from the Wards closer to a year before story start and rebranded from her Laserdream identity, severing the last tie between her and the Brigade, at least in the eyes of the public.

The Wards are a different story. Gallant was put permanently out of action in a horrible fucking rich boy accident, which was what precipitated Crystal being transferred in. Beyond that, Aegis is transgender but that doesn’t really come up except in the Wards interlude pre-Leviathan.

The biggest change to the Wards is the absence of Shadow Stalker - in her place is Scribble, aka Tammi. This is very much the same Rune as in canon, to be clear - no whitewashing here. She just got snapped up by the PRT while doing Plausible Deniability “Vigilantism” kind of like what Purity does and got press-ganged into the Wards. She’s not mask-off all the way about the white supremacy… at least not yet.

More importantly, she takes over Sophia’s Other role in the plot too - the Trio now consists of Emma Barnes, Madison Clements, and Tammi Surname. Always Sunny font Emma Barnes Goes Alt-Right.

Outlaw Inlaws

The Arrows

Spitfire (Emily)

Morrigan (Sophia Hess)

Apsis (Whirligig)

Replacing New Wave as the independent heroes (or ‘heroes’ depending on who you ask) are the Arrows, a recently formed vigilante antifascist group. Spitfire, the leader, has a bit more steel up her spine than in canon (though she still struggles), Sophia’s still an angry loose cannon but just not. you know. in a racist way. She's got a lot of very good reasons to be angry. Whirligig in canon is just a power and a faction so she’s basically an OC - she’s slightly older than the other two, an even mix of the level head and the slacker. Doesn’t seem to quite fit with the vibes of the group.

For the most part, they’re concerned with not bringing the wrath of the Protectorate down on themselves - like in real life, killing Nazis tends to get more of a response than Nazis killing people does. A lot of what they do is lurk nearby during civilian antifascist action, ready to head off the Nazi capes if they try and intercept for their own side. A few months before story start, they killed Alabaster - more specifically, Sophia did, and while it hasnt been conclusively linked to them at story start, they’re keeping their heads down, to Sophia’s chagrin. 

They're still semi-associated with Palanquin, despite Spitfire not being a part of that group - they did approach her, and now they communicate sometimes, as the club with Case 53s is a pretty frequent target for neonazis and other shitheads.

Charlotte knows them by chance encounter, after Sophia saved her from a few skinheads.

Rogue One

Parian is still Parian. She’s aware of the Arrows, but disapproves of their use of violence, cause she’s a bit of a lib. 

[i-w-p-chan]

(Dying Will) Flame Hero

Summary: From mafia boss to a pro hero. Tsuna is pretty sure there's at least one big inside joke about the situation he's not privy to.

Alt. title: "Tsuna's Life Lessons"

Note: another reincarnation fic? Another reincarnation fic.

Warnings: Crack (Who Is Surprised?), Very Crack (I'm Talking Revenge-Levels Here), Written At Midnight, Finished In An Hour, *Insert Delirious Cackling*, Yet Another Reincarnation Fic, Prepare To Be Extremely Surprised, Someone Stop Giotto, Tsuna!Endeavor, Ryohei!All Might, Giotto!Shouto, Cozart!Izuku, G!Bakugou.

Disclaimer: I don't own KHR or BNHA.

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In his past life, Tsuna had learned many lessons, whether as a mafia boss for the most powerful mafia famiglia or as a civilian kid.

He still remembered them and lived by them.

Reincarnated into another world? Not the first 'other world' he'd been to, he'd manage.

He burst into flame when he was four? Been there, done that, didn't get the t-shirt.

(He didn't even remember that time. But he did clearly remember the other million times.)

People dropping into his life at age thirteen and dragging him off to lead some ambitious life? It was best to go with them before they shot you in the forehead and made you run around town in your boxers.

And that was the case when a Yagi Toshinori, whom he recognized easily as Sasagawa Ryohei, stormed into his life and excitedly pulled him by the arms to watch heroes.

And so Sawada Tsunayoshi, now Todoroki Enji, was dragged like a blank-faced ragdoll into the heroics business.

.

Life lesson #4 said that friends should share ANYTHING with each other.

Toshi-nii (as he insisted Enji call him) shared his mentor, and his memories of his 'predecessor' (there was a long talk about Quirk transferring that day), Shimura Nana, with Enji. Enji was not surprised; 'anything' included people, and it happened quite a lot in their previous life.

Enji listened attentively to his friend and honorary big brother and went on with his day.

(Life lesson #4, addendum #1 declared that 'anything' didn't necessarily mean 'everything'.)

That night, he scoured through every file he could get his hands on, which was a lot, he was a former mafia boss trained by the World's Greatest Hitman; when he wanted to dig, he knew where to dig.

Eventually, he found Shimura Nana's son and his family.

She made Gran Torino and Toshi-nii promise not to get in contact with her child, but she didn't say anything about Enji promising the same.

.

"Enji…" Toshi-nii, All Might, stared intently at him, "What do you mean your house burned down?"

"Oops?" Enji blinked innocently, "Such an unfortunate accident. Guess I need to find another place to live."

His next house was an apartment conveniently next door to one young Shimura Tenko and his parents.

.

Life lesson #2 was hammered into his head early on: use your physical appearance to appeal to others, manipulate them, and make them do your bidding.

As Tsuna and as Enji, he was 'blessed' with a slender, youthful figure, with 'pretty' and 'cute' features, and the apparent inability to pack on a shit-ton of muscles. Hence, he was able to use his figure to reach his goals.

(All without shame. If his looks could stop people in their tracks and prevent them from creating mass destruction, then less paperwork for him. Win-win.)

A simple side pony tail with his red hair, and a bashful look from his blue eyes, coupled with a slight pout, and he could topple armies.

And the Shimuras were no armies.

.

Speaking about being a 'pretty boy'…

Enji, Endeavor, finished off the villain with a flourish of his flames.

He restrained the villain and whirled around, his hair flying in the air, skirt swishing around his knees and heeled boots clacking, to be bombarded by questions and shouts from the press and adoring fans alike.

Only a third of them were interested in the villain's capture, the other two thirds were interested in the Flame Hero, the one officially declared 'The Most Beautiful Hero' by the media.

Endeavor was graceful in his acceptance of the compliments.

(What he didn't like about the situation were the echoes of Reborn's cackles in his head, as if there was some inside joke he wasn't privy to.)

.

The first life lesson he learned, however, was to fucking roll with the punches. Even if they were delivered by apparent babies (especially if they were delivered by apparent babies).

That was Enji's first thought when he opened his door and found a baby on his doorstep.

He was 100% sure the whole universe was playing a prank on him.

He sighed and took in the baby, noting the dual colored hair (the right half was white while the left half was red, it was even split right in the middle! The universe was clearly bored and feeling creative) and the dual colored eyes observing him.

Enji stared back at the kid and pondered the situation. His life had played host to babies turning up at his doorstep many times before, be they adults trapped in the bodies of infants or actual infants. And the baby in his arms had that look in his eyes, the understanding, focused, aware stare of the adult-in-a-baby-body baby type.

Was he even a good choice for a parent? He was a pro hero and was out of the house for work most of the time.

Ah, well, at least lil Tenko-chan would get a friend.

.

He named the baby Shouto.

Unlike his first impression, Shouto was a fucking hellion.

.

"Shouto, I am disappointed in you."

"Is it because I'm wearing a dress?" Shouto pointed at the dress he wore.

"No. You and I both know the dress is yours, stop trying to change the topic. What did I say about putting ideas in Tenko-chan's head about tying All Might's bunny ears into a ribbon?"

"Not to do it?"

"Correct. And what did you do?"

"Put ideas in Tenko-chan's head about tying All Might's bunny ears into a ribbon."

"Exactly."

"Papa… you said you'd stop calling them bunny ears out loud."

.

"Papa! I want to become a hero to create a world where my beloved can frolic around with bunnies without being afraid that someone is going to hurt him!" Shouto declared as he tugged his 'beloved' (a cute kid around Shouto's age with hair a fluffy mess, green eyes and freckles) close to his body.

While Enji pondered what to say in response to what his son just said, another kid stormed towards the three. He was around Shouto's and the fluffy cutie's age with spiky blond hair and sharp red eyes. The newcomer pulled the cutie from Shouto's grasp and tugged Shouto from his collar to pull him far away.

"We need to have words, Shouto."

"Aw, come on! You're no fun!"

Enji ignored his son and his son's apparent new friend to focus on the cutie.

The cutie smiled at him, "Hello, I'm Midoriya Izuku. Please call me Izuku."

"Todoroki Enji, Shouto's father."

The two shook hands.

"The angry one is Kacchan. Don't worry, he won't hurt Shouchan. That's how he shows he cares about Shouchan."

Enji looked from Izuku to 'Kacchan' and Shouto and back again before he made his mind: he was going to sign his son for some martial arts. Baby steps and all that.

.

.

.

Years later, U.A, Sports Festival,

Todoroki Shouto stood atop the frozen robots, carrying Midoriya Izuku above his head in a fashion that looked as if he was presenting Izuku to the world.

"BEHOLD!" Shouto started before he was interrupted.

"YOU FUCKING SHITHEAD! ARE YOU STUPID?!" Bakugou Katsuki came flying at them, successfully freeing Izuku from Shouto's clutches and punching Shouto to the ground, "ARE YOU TRYING TO PAINT A FUCKING TARGET ON IZUKU'S BACK?!"

"What? NO!" Shouto screamed from near the robot's feet.

In the stands, Endeavor smirked, turned to the incredulous hero sitting next to him and said, "Those are my kids."

.

End.