#i did manage to fix the part in scene 4 that i was dissatisfied with

[orcelito]

The fun thing about ao3 being down. It's inconvenient bc i can't check my stats page, but as a writer actively working on my next chapter... it doesn't stop me from reading fic

Basically like. "AO3 is down? Oh no! Anyways-" as I go back to my doc that is 16.6k words lol

[bdamanlover4ever]

Okay but...BakuDeku fluffy fanfic idea, where Katsuki has always been struggling in school and Izuku one day picks up on it. 😶It would be told in parts because Izuku picks up on it over time, it’s probably set between the end of season 3 and start of season 4?

~

Part 1

“I hope you all are paying attention.” Mr. Aizawa stopped writing on the board. “I’m only going to say this once.” He tapped the chalk over the word: report. “Your midterm report should be over how your favorite hero operates and how you can learn from their actions to create your own rescue style.”

Izuku stopped tapping his pencil against his notebook. His brain slowly drifting back to reality—the classroom, his desk, his backpack. He had been already thinking of a way to prove his fighting style. Maybe if he rewatched a few of All Might’s old rescue scenes.

“Also I must stress this will be a book report.” Mr. Aizawa said.

The class erupted in a few groans and complaints.

“Don’t act like that. You’re all very capable of writing an four page report. If you’re not capable then you’ll wish you were by the time I finish calling home.”

Denki raised his hand. “Um, so...can the paper be double space?”

“Double spaced, 12 sized front.”

Izuku scribbled a few ideas down. He’d go by the library to check out some books. His pencil stopped moving to the sound of Katsuki cursing under his breath.

“Damn it.” Katsuki said.

Izuku couldn’t help but turn towards his direction. As always there were no notebooks or pencils on Katsuki’s desk. An empty space. Not even a textbook open to the correct page.

Lazy—as some people would call it.

But it wasn’t like Katsuki wasn’t smart. He somehow managed to understand everything without taking notes.

A part of Izuku admired that.

“I already turned off my recording.” Katsuki pulled his phone from his pocket and slipped it between his legs as if to hide it from the teacher.

“This is a very important report. It will be a midterm grade that will make or break some of you.” Mr. Aizawa placed down the chalk.

“Can we really call this hero work?” Mina asked.

“Everything is hero work. Even the books.”

Izuku found himself nodding. There were multiple things that went into being a good hero. Charging in blindly without a strategy might let you get lucky and save a few people due to a stroke of luck, but a good hero always has a way to save everyone. He wrote in big letters: PLANNING.

“What’s so interesting?” Katsuki asked.

Izuku blinked.

“Ya nodding your head over there so much.”

“I’m just brainstorming over my report.”

“Why do you keep glancing in my direction, then?”

“I ju-just zone out.” Izuku didn’t think that Kacchan ever noticed him in class. How long had Kacchan been watching him? He took an uneasy breath. Now that he knew Kacchan was watching, he could feel it. Just focus back on the teacher. Don’t worry about him. Don’t—

“Ignoring me?” Katsuki rolled his eyes. “What a joke.”

“Again some of you SHOULD be taking this seriously.” Mr. Aizawa glanced over in Izuku and Katsuki’s direction.

Izuku lowered his head and picked up his pencil to scribble down some more ideas. Plan? Execution? Dealing with a hostage situation. Those were good places to start.

Part 2

The library was old in comparison to the rest of the city. Sure, the old wooden and brass door had been replaced by automatic doors, and all the renovations had fixed up the inside, but the old smell never left. Maybe it was the smell of books? The books in this library dated back decades.

Izuku walked past the shelves, each one filled with knowledge and epic battles that transcended through time. The old walls were brightened with murals of heroes and stained glass windows give it an old-fashioned elegance. He hugged his book close to his chest, eyes focused on the backpack hanging off the back of the seat.

“Isn’t that like a 6th grade level book?”

“Shut up, man. No, it’s not.”

Izuku overheard two familiar voices whispering among themselves—Kirishima and Katsuki. He figured they must be trying to choose a book to write their report on as well. He sat down at the table, placing his newly discovered book next to two others and his notebook. He opened up the book to a chapter titled: How to Identify: High Priority Rescues in a Hostage situation.

The topic wasn’t one he particularly agreed with. He felt like everyone deserved to be saved, but if there was a high risk situation where not everyone could be…

“It is. Hey, isn’t that Izuku?”

Izuku looked up to see Kirishima waving at him. He waved back.

“Look at this.” Kirishima ripped a book from the shelf and pointed at it. He walked over to Izuku’s table.

“Don’t tell h—“ Katsuki got hushed by an angry passerby. He grit his teeth, his right hand clenched in a fist.

Izuku read the book title, The Adventures Of All Might And Friends.

“Check it. There are like pictures on almost every page.” Kirmisha flipped through the book. “Tell him there is no way he can write a good book report with this.”

“Shut your shitty mouth!” Katsuki snatched the book back and slammed it closed. “I do whatever the fuck I want and my grade is going to be good as fuck!” He tucked the book under his right arm as if to hide the childish cover.

The librarian looked at the three of them harshly.

“Sorry.” Izuku whispered.

“Mr. Aizawa said the report had to be 4 pages. I’m not trying to piss you off, just chill and listen for a second.” Kirishima lowered his voice. “Look at Izuku’s book. It is about 300 pages and—“

“Deku is the last person I want to look to for anything.” Katsuki put his hand on Izuku’s face to push him to the side. “I’ll never be that desperate.” He roughly bumped past Kirishima.

Izuku lifted his hand from holding his place in the book.

“You’re both doing All Might.” Kirishima must have noticed the books on his table. “You should get together and swap notes or something.”

Izuku sighed. It would be nice if he could collaborate with Kacchan. If Kacchan wasn’t always being…”It’s a nice thought I guess.” Even though it was true, Kacchan would get nowhere using a childish picture book. He wasn’t even sure anything in that book was researchable.

“You have his number, right?” Kirishima asked.

“No.” Izuku said. Why would he have Kacchan’s number? They might have been childhood friends but never had they once exchanged contact info.

“I’ll give it to you.” Kirishima pulled out his cellphone. “Text him. You always have this weird effect that pushes Katsuki to do his best.”

“I do?”

“Yeah. Ah, maybe I used the wrong word. It’s not weird. It’s a good thing actually. Katsuki always gets hyped up about you.”

“Hyped up or aggressive?” Izuku pulled out his phone. He didn’t think Kacchan thought that hard about their interactions.

“That’s just his way of respect.” Kirishima grinned.

Izuku would really like to believe that.

Part 3

The walls in the dorm were paper thin. Everyone could hear everything. Izuku could constantly hear the people above him and below him. Either they were goofing off or talking loudly, their voices carried. It was as the saying goes, the walls have ears.

Izuku didn’t try to overhear gossip, but it happened sometimes. Even now, when he was walking through the common area. He heard some yelling and shouting. It encouraged his feet to move a bit faster. Today had been a long day, he spent most of it trying to write the first two pages of his report. Not how he wanted to spend his Saturday. He turned the corner to reach his dorm room. The sound of footsteps closed in on him. Then a sharp pain forced his shoulders back as the weight on his back shifted. One second he was facing the door, the next he was staring into enraged red eyes.

“Kacchan?” Izuku croaked.

Everything had happened so suddenly, he thought a villain had broken in and attacked.

“They’re talking shit about me, aren’t they?” Katsuki shoved the paper in Izuku’s face.

“Eh?” Izuku jerked his head back.

“Answer the question, shitty nerd!”

“I wasn’t really focused on...on...hear them. Why are you asking me?”

“Because they were laughing at this. I’m not a fucking dumb ass, I can tell that’s a poorly drawn picture of me.” Katsuki pointed at the stick figure with explosions around them.

“Oh—oh…okay?” Izuku took the paper. He still didn’t understand what Katsuki wanted from him. Some kind of confirmation? The wrinkled paper had a stick figure and the words: Kiss Ass.

Katsuki wrinkled his brow. His mouth made a tutting sound as if dissatisfied, “You’re such a freaking, Deku.”

His eyes shifted, as if scanning over the paper. “This is all shitty hairs fault. He was so loud in that library everyone probably knows…”

Izuku held the paper out.

“Don’t give me that garbage back! What the hell am I going to do with it?”

“Report it.”

“So they did write some mean shit about me?” Katsuki created a few explosions in his palms. His already pissed expression seemed to darken. “I’m going to kill them!” He released his iron grip on Izuku’s shoulder and grabbed the paper.

Izuku felt his heart race as Katsuki turned his back on him. Had Kacchan come to him because he was the only person in their class dorms? No. He was sure he heard Denki in here. Did that mean…

“Kacchan!”

“What?” Katsuki paused. He didn’t face Izuku or make eye contact. His one word response was blunt and straightforward.

It was so blunt it made Izuku feel a bit stupid.

He blinked twice. Why had he actually tried to say anything?

“I don’t like my time being wasted, nerd.”

“Then you could have just kept walking and ignored me, but you didn’t!” Izuku said.

Katsuki slowly turned his head to face him. “Guess I’m stupid for always making time for you.”

Izuku felt like he’d gotten punched in his chest. The oxygen fled his lungs and he couldn’t breathe for a few seconds.

“Be careful.” Katsuki said. It looked like a smug smirk tugged on the corner of his lips. He shoved his hands in his pockets and walked forward. “About wasting my time on nonsense.”

Part 4

The bell for the end of the school day couldn’t have come sooner. Izuku closed his notebook and began to gather his things. He could hear the chatter among his classmates as they left out the door. Most of them were talking about the latest tv shows or gossip. It was a good change of pace compared to all the hectic things happening.

Uraraka’s skirt brushed against his desk, “Hey, Izuku. How’s your report doing?”

“It’s going.” Izuku began putting his stuff in his backpack. “How about you?”

“I’m doing mine over Mt Lady.” Uraraka fumbled with her backpack straps. “Hard to find many articles about her, rescue style though.”

“Yeah. I feel like Mr. Aizawa and the other teachers really wanted to give us a challenge. I went to the library a few days ago and got some books.”

“You’re doing All Might?”

“How’d you know?”

“As if you’d choose anyone else!” Uraraka laughed.

“Haha.” Izuku nervously tapped at his chin. Was he really that obvious? If so does that mean Kacchan had noticed? The more he considered what happened yesterday, the more he thought about what he really wanted to ask Kacchan about. He wanted to know how Kacchan’s report was going. He shifted his eyes over to see Katsuki. Katsuki had his book opened, eyes glued to the page with his brow furrowed.

“There’s a reason why they’re making it so difficult, ya know.” Uraraka leaned in closer to him and mouthed, “To weed out the posers.”

“A rumor started by Stain’s sympathizers?” Izuku raised a brow. Even though they fought Stain a year ago, his ideology hadn’t died out. There were still many people who seemed ready to follow his words from his grave.

“Actually it was more so around the sports festival when everyone was watching. But it came up again after the attack during our summer training.” Uraraka pulled out her phone and opened social media. She showed him a few angry posts and discussion boards all about U.A.

Someone or a group of people out to tarnish U.A’s good name? It sounded like a rumor started by villains. But then again there were some salty students who got rejected and had to choose a different school. Rumors were easy to grow and hard to stomp out.

“Don’t you think it’s weird that a person can score low on the written and multiple choice part of the entrance exam but still get into U.A?” Uraraka asked.

“Well I suppose that’s what makes it fair. A combination of fighting and knowledge.” Izuku never really thought about it. He had been too focused on meeting the requirements. That should be all that mattered. A passing grade no matter what.

“I suppose, but a bunch of other kids who got rejected were pretty pissed. I heard they started spreading rumors…” Uraraka dropped her voice, “Saying they sucked up to the teachers before time.”

Izuku didn’t know why but he suddenly got reminded of the note from yesterday. The poorly scribbled words written with malice and directed at… His eyes shifted back to a truffle of blond hair.

Katsuki was still sitting at his desk. A cheek in his palm and the book from the library resting next to his elbow. He hadn’t flipped from the same page he’d been staring at for minutes.

“If anything I don’t think it should matter, since if you can’t keep your grades up you get kicked out of school.” Uraraka said.

“Kicked out? U.A. does that?”

“It still operates like a regular high school.”

Is that why Katsuki was…? Izuku pulled out his phone. No. Texting him now would do no good. He walked past Katsuki’s desk, talking loudly. “I guess, whoever those people are will have to work really hard to prove them wrong!”

Katsuki lifted his head. His tired eyes met with Izuku’s. No words were said, but his blank expression was self-explanatory.

Part 5

Texting would be the true decision factor if Izuku’s guess was true. It would be a risk, sure. There was no guarantee that Katsuki would even respond or that he could respond.

Izuku rested his head against his pillow, the glow of his phone screen made his eyes water slightly as he typed away.

Izuku: Hi Kacchan (^*^)/ It’s Izuku

He double checked the time stamp. No read receipt just delivered.

Welp. Not like him and Kacchan have been close. Sure once upon time they were going to be the best...but now… Sometimes Izuku felt like there was a lot of animosity between them. A part of him wished, Katsuki would view him the same way he did when they were younger. Maybe that was the ignorantly blissful side that believed getting a quirk would let him earn Katsuki’s respect. Hmm... Kirishima was probably closer to Katsuki than he would probably ever be.

That fact made Izuku feel funny. It made his head hurt. It made his heart race. It made his stomach fill with butterflies.

He didn’t know how to act around Kacchan.

He didn’t know what to say around Kacchan.

After their team up on the final last year, things seemed good. Summer had come and gone. But not without leaving a few mental scars after their fight.

No wonder Katsuki was doing his report on All Might. His feelings. His way of taking responsibility for...

Maybe no response was for the best. He locked his phone and set it on his nightstand.

Vrr

His phone?

Vrrrrrr

Izuku grabbed his phone off the nightstand.

Kacchan: Who?

Kacchan: Oh wait.

Kacchan: Don’t text my phone with that Izuku crap, Deku.

Izuku: Deku is mah hero name

A response came quicker this time,

Kacchan: that’s the damn name I gave you don’t forget it.

For some reason, Izuku felt his face heat up.

Kacchan: How did you get my number?

Izuku: Kirishima

Kacchan: Damn him.

Izuku found it strange how proper Katsuki typed. He even added PERIODS. But if Katsuki could type, maybe his assumption had been…

Izuku: How ur report

Kacchan: That’s what he wanted you to ask me?

Izuku kind of wanted to say that he personally wanted to know. Kacchan seemed to withdraw himself from talking a lot about All Might after their fight.

Izuku: We r doing All Might! share ideas??????

Kacchan: Never figured you were a cheater.

He was a WHAT?

Kacchan: Delete my number.

Izuku had no clue what just happened. He shaky typed: We don’t need to fight, before he could press send another message came.

Kacchan: Didn’t I tell you not to pity me?

Izuku quickly back spaced his message. He wrote a new one: Sharing ideas is wat friends do

Kacchan: You think we’re friends?

Ouch. Izuku didn’t know how to respond.

Kacchan: I can’t be friends with you.

Izuku: WHY

Kacchan: You know.😈

That’s right…Kacchan probably hated him. He was dumb to think that fight was any type of heart to heart.

Izuku: srry

He shouldn’t tell how he was worried. Kacchan would hate the idea of that. Kacchan hated the idea of weakness.

Izuku: good night

He was surprised to see, Kacchan is typing…

Kacchan: Did I give you permission to sleep, nerd?

Kacchan: WAKE UP! I know there is a reason you texted me. You were looking at me strange.

Izuku: ……..?

Kacchan: Don’t make me walk over and pound on your door in the middle of the night.

Izuku: Huh?

Kacchan: You know I’m reckless enough to do it.

They were already on shaky terms with the teachers after their fight. The last thing Izuku wanted was more trouble.

Kacchan: Walking over.

Izuku: Wat do u wanna know?🥺🥺🥺

Kacchan: I should be asking you that.

A few minutes ticked by. No follow up question.

Izuku: How can you type?

A knock came at his room door.

“DEKU!!!!” Katsuki shouted.

Izuku jumped out of bed. Sometimes he questioned Kacchan’s sanity. He cracked open the room door, light spilled into his bedroom over his All Might figures and posters.

“You tell anyone, you’re fucking dead.” Katsuki hissed.

Izuku rubbed the tears forming in the corner of his eyes and yawned. What was Katsuki talking about?

“Are you going to play dumb?” Katsuki asked.

“I...uhh, did you see my text or—“

Katsuki pushed Izuku backwards into the dark room. He felt himself almost trip over his feet. A strong hand over his face forced him into submission as the sound of a click signalled the room door locking.

“Did...did...did you just lock me in my own room?” Izuku choked over his own words. He felt his stomach flip flop as the scent of Katsuki’s cologne filled his nostrils.

“Don’t play with me, Deku. You know not to fucking play with me.” Katsuki’s voice dipped into a growl.

Izuku felt Kastuki’s sweaty palms move from his face to comb through his curly green hair. He felt his breath hitch, “What are you so paranoid about?” He couldn’t see Katsuki’s face but he sensed his reaction—anger.

“You...do you have to be such a smartass all the time? You’re so damn smart! You look at me. You see me. You know me. You’ve known me longer than anyone so...Just! Just shut up about it!”

“I’m not talking about any—Mmm!”

Hot lips pressed against his own.

Was Kacchan kissing him?

Izuku’s lips moved to kiss Katsuki back. It was only for a few seconds, sharing the same breath with each other. He shifted upwards on his toes, as Katsuki held his head in place. So warm. So soft. Gentle? The kiss was so light.

Okay. Don’t freak out.

“You tell anyone my secret and I’ll tell yours.” Katsuki whispered.

Okay. Now freak out.

“WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?” Izuku shouted. He opened his mouth to say more but Katsuki’s finger pressed against his lips.

“I’ll tell everyone you’re my boyfriend.” Katsuki said.

“You’re the one who kissed me?” Izuku couldn’t speak above a whisper. Someone would hear. Someone would get suspicious. Someone…

“And I’ll do it again.” Katsuki didn’t say it like a threat. It was said like a promise. He lowered his hand from Izuku’s head. “I’ll kiss you stupid.”

Izuku was so thankful the lights were off. He could feel himself blushing. His heart felt ready to burst. Katsuki couldn’t be his friend but his boyfriend?! What exactly did Katsuki think he…

“Recordings. Picture books. Speech to text.” Katsuki unlocked his phone with a pattern. A comic book of All Might pulled up in a web browser. “I doubt this counts as a reliable source.”

Izuku’s eyes widened slightly. But that meant… How had Kacchan...just using those same tools?

“Simple repetition really helps. Plus the world is filled with shapes and pictures. Ramen shops usually have a sign with a bowl of noodles next to them. Bus stops are round signs and have a picture of a bus.” Katsuki tapped the search bar and automatically the microphone icon appeared. “I never had a need to seriously learn beyond writing my name for a while.”

“I’ve seen you write before.”

“I didn’t say I was dumb. I learn words from tv sometimes.”

Considering how Katsuki’s first choice of a hero name was Lord Explosion Murder, Izuku could believe half of Katsuki’s vocab came from tv.

“When texting, I have my phone programmed to read every message I receive from people outloud.”

Something about the tone Katsuki spoke in, made Izuku’s heart clench. The overconfidence was gone. An unrecognizable tone had replaced it. Not emptiness or disappointment, no sadness or regret. Katsuki stated everything as it was—fact.

“My mom yelled at my teachers to pass me along.” Katsuki sighed. “Because I’d be damned if I ever fell further behind you.”

Izuku noticed the book on his nightstand. A book filled of knowledge about rescues in high risk situations. In a way Kacchan was at high risk of failing. Poor Kacchan held hostage by his stubborn ideals. But Kacchan wasn’t so arrogant not to know—that he was behind him...FAR behind him.

“You want me to teach you?” Izuku knew he couldn’t save everyone. There were probably a bunch more people who’d been pushed along through school. But if he could just help Kacchan.

“I don’t want you to do anything. This isn’t a cry for help so don’t twist things up in the one track mind of yours.” Katsuki lowered his phone. “If you tell anyone I can’t read pass a 3rd grade level, you know.” He leaned in closer to Izuku till their lips brushed. “What everyone will learn.”

Izuku grabbed onto Katsuki’s shirt before he pulled back. “Is this why you can’t be friends with me?” He felt Katsuki try to yank away but he held tighter. “Cause you're embarrassed? I don’t care about that stuff.”

“No. I just can’t view you as a friend. Not after everything before and this. Getting kidnapped gave me time to rethink my life.”

“You’re blackmailing me out of your life?”

“Only if you can't keep your mouth shut.” Katsuki used his knuckles to tilt Izuku’s head up. He seemed to be inspecting those pink lips he kissed. “Think of it as a test of loyalty. It’s only fair I know a secret about you in exchange for one of mine.”

Izuku released his hold on Katsuki’s shirt. He didn’t try to know Kacchan’s secret! It was just a guess. Kacchan had stormed in his dorm room, kissed him, then twisted all the events to make it sound like a damn scandal.

“Not even Kirishma knows, count yourself lucky.” Katsuki walked over and unlocked the door. He slipped out into the hallway and closed the door back much quieter than how he had originally entered.

Izuku was left alone in the darkness. The only sound he could focus on was his heart as his fingers ran over his lips. Kacchan. Was it normal for people to trade secrets like that? Did a kiss seal the deal or...did he kiss him just to tease? He laid back on his bed, trying to ignore the confusion fluttering around in his stomach.

~

Just an idea.

Yes BONUS—Katsuki being stubborn about confessing his feelings so acts in the most annoying way to just get under Izuku’s skin. Izuku still tries to teach him how to read properly, while dealing with his newly discovered crush on Katsuki. Imagine how they could confess!?

[supergay-supergirl]

why supergirl season 5 was actually good: sort of an essay

This has been sitting in my sticky notes for months and I figured now that I have a Supergirl blog, I can actually post it.

People love hating on Supergirl Season 5. And I get it. I admit that it had a lot of problems. But I did like the season overall, and there's enough out there about Season 5’s problems, so here is a post about some things that were great about Season 5!

1. Lena’s Arc

Apparently everyone hates how this was executed, but I really liked it. I like how 5A allows her to scheme and lie and altogether explore the darker (Luthor) side of herself, because only after experiencing what she’s been afraid of becoming can she fully come to know herself. I like how in 5x07, she gets to scream and cry, to express to Supergirl how much she’s hurting, and how betrayed she feels. I like how in 5x13, Kara finally accepts that Lena joining Lex was not her fault, and that she didn’t deserve to be manipulated (“From now on, you’re accountable for your own actions.”). I like Lena’s growing obsession with erasing human pain through 5B and the fact that we know exactly where her motivations come from, and we feel for her because we’ve seen how much pain she’s in herself -- but at the same time, we can still oppose her ultimately villainous actions, which leads us to hope for her redemption. (A lot of this is due to Katie McGrath’s stellar acting as well.)

I love how the season shows just how much Lex’s continual abuse and manipulation affects her, and shows her standing up to him at the end. I wish they had focused more on Lena instead of pushing her aside in favor of Lex in 5B, but overall I liked how they expanded on the Luthor sibling relationship from Season 4, even if it was missing some of the complexity of the previous season. And finally, I love the way Lena fights so hard to regain Kara’s trust in 5x19 (and succeeds!). It felt like there was more of a balance between the two starting from 5x13, where previously it had always been Kara apologizing and trying to gain Lena’s trust.

2. Supergirl’s New Look

PANTS. PANTS. PANTS. PANTS.

For Season 4, Kara the Reporter got a more professional wardrobe as she began to mentor Nia, and the switch to pants feels like the same thing for Supergirl. It completes the transition from “young adult” to just “adult.” It may have been reasonable to call Kara a “girl” in Season 1, but by now, she is an adult woman, and I’m glad that her wardrobe reflects that.

I was opposed to Kara’s bangs at the beginning of the season, but they have definitely grown on me. Like the pants, I think they mark an important change in Supergirl’s character, one that is better appreciated by the audience than the characters. Now, when I rewatch previous seasons, I think, “Wow, Kara looks so different now.” I didn’t think that when I rewatched episodes after Season 4. The bangs are a way to identify Adult Kara as having changed a lot from how she was at the beginning, and like the pants, I feel like they complete her transition into adulthood.

(But are the writers expecting us to believe that nobody who knows Kara would be suspicious that Kara and Supergirl got bangs on the exact same day? Seriously.)

3. Eve Teschmacher

In Season 4, Eve Teschmacher was a brilliant, eager-to-please young woman who (whoops) turned out to be evil. And she was great. But I was dissatisfied with her betrayal because it came so out of the blue, and it was a complete 180 without much buildup at all. Season 5 gave her the humanity that she was lacking, first with her mom, then with her desperation not to have to kill. Not to mention, some pretty badass fight scenes.

4. J’onn’s Swagger

J’onn’s storyline in Season 5 is not nearly as deep as in Season 4, and I see that as a good thing. Season 4 J’onn was wonderful and necessary, but in a season that has a lot of strong development for Kara and Lena, it was nice to have a relatively static character who’s at a good place in his life. Season 4 let J’onn discover the man he wanted to be, and David Harewood brings a new confidence to Season 5 as a result of that. It’s fun to watch him strut around in his supersuit and say normal things as if they’re great proclamations. It’s nice to see the happy, healthy adult relationship between him and M’gann. The easy trust they have with each other causes them to act more like they’re married than dating, as opposed to the younger characters who are often caught up in relationship drama.

5. Kelly Therapy Face

All the characters need a therapist, and they finally got one! Well, Kelly is technically a psychologist, which I believe means she could be a therapist but is not necessarily? I don’t know things. Anyway, it’s nice to have a calm, supportive presence in the group, and this effect is helped by Kelly Therapy Face. Kelly Therapy Face is the face Kelly makes when she’s listening to you talk about your problems. Kelly Therapy Face and her generally calm presence bring down the interpersonal drama of the group and solidify the idea that all these people are growing into full adults, with adult relationships and adult responses to issues. Their emotions are stabilizing, they’re building stronger support systems, and they’re gaining a better understanding of how the world works and their places in it.

This is more of a Season 4 thing -- this season really didn’t give Kelly the screentime she deserved -- but I also love how even though Kelly acts as a source of support for others, her own fear and trauma are rarely glossed over (see: the end of 5x05). This gives Kelly a humanity and realistic quality that many emotional-support characters don’t get. It also shows the key difference between Dansen and Sanvers: whenever Alex and Maggie had conflict, they swept it aside rather than working through it, leading to their eventual breakup, but when Alex and Kelly have conflict, they listen to each other and try to fix it. In accordance with their adult-ness, Alex and Kelly also seem to be in agreement that it’s okay to have conflict in their relationship (“And I might not know every little detail about you yet, but I know you,” 5x02).

6. Reality Bytes

Calling attention to violence against trans folk, exploring Dreamer’s dark side, and showing the strength of Kara and Nia’s mentor-student relationship in one episode? Just. Yes. Either Nicole Maines was projecting a lot or she’s a really good actor (probably both), but either way, as a trans person, I felt this episode on a personal level: the anger, fear, and frustration at knowing that your community is being targeted and the people you’re supposed to trust (i.e. the police) are probably not going to do anything about it. Additionally, Kara and Nia’s conflict in 5x15, and the fact that Kara compares Nia’s experience to her own, is a great marker of how far Kara has come. In Season 1, Supergirl felt a similar anger and hurt when villains sought her out, but by now, she’s more at peace and can offer Dreamer reassurance and comfort.

7. Brainy’s Plot

Brainy’s storyline in Season 5 is nice because it manages to remain stable as an important, but secondary, plot. It enhances the sense that there’s more going on than we realize and gives us a view into the scheming of the villains, while not taking over too much screentime or audience brainspace.

8. Jon Cryer

As annoying as it is that the writers gave up a lot of Lena’s screentime to Lex, Jon Cryer’s performance in Season 5 is just wonderful. He can go from acting totally in control to screaming in a matter of seconds. Lex Luthor is witty, assured, and charming in a weird way. On the other side of his personality, he is a madman who cares about no one’s interests but his own. Jon Cryer’s acting manages to package all this great but conflicting writing into a brilliant, awful, occasionally sympathetic villain who has more than his share of awesome (and terrifying) scenes.

9. Alex’s Grief

I like that Alex gets to let go of her emotions a little this season and express herself. Especially when Jeremiah dies before 5x16, Alex has a really tough time (and a mention of her possibly drinking problem! Expand, please!). She tries to escape from the pain of real life through virtual reality, but eventually realizes that she has to face her pain rather than avoid it, which is a major theme of the season. What’s great about 5x16 and the next couple episodes is that the other characters allow her to grieve. They could have told her to get over it and see all the happiness in the real world — it would have fit with the theme — but instead, they support Alex as she grieves. They listen without judgement when she expresses her anger that Jeremiah left and forced her to take care of Kara. Kara and Kelly are (mostly) understanding when Alex doesn’t want to go to Jeremiah’s funeral, and when Alex arrives late at the end of the episode, Kara lets her know how much she appreciates that Alex came at all. Throughout her life, Alex hasn’t had much opportunity to be herself and express her emotions, an idea that’s repeated over and over again starting from her coming-out arc in Season 2 or even earlier. Now that Kara can for the most part take care of herself and Alex has a good support system, she finally gets the opportunity to be vulnerable.

10. Andrea Rojas’s Moral Ambiguity

Is Andrea good or bad? Neither. She’s a person who wants love, success, and money, who does sketchy things to promote her company but also fights fiercely for her father and cares about the safety of her technology. Before Andrea, Lena was the main morally ambiguous character, and she could be categorized as “playing for her own team.” However, Andrea goes a step further, crossing into a territory I would call “not playing a game at all.” She’s just a human being trying to have a good life, and that causes her to do good things, bad things, and everything in between. In a show that often accentuates the difference between heroes and villains (“Don’t let them down by stooping to his level,” 5x15), Andrea is a reminder that most people aren’t good or bad -- they’re just living their lives.

TL;DR: They’re all adults now and Lena needs a hug.