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arcticdementor · 3 years

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Oscar Wilde supposedly said George Bernard Shaw "has no enemies, but is intensely disliked by his friends". Socialist blogger Freddie DeBoer is the opposite: few allies, but deeply respected by his enemies. I disagree with him about everything, so naturally I am a big fan of his work - which meant I was happy to read his latest book, The Cult Of Smart.

DeBoer starts with the standard narrative of The Failing State Of American Education. Students aren't learning. The country is falling behind. Only tough no-excuses policies, standardization, and innovative reforms like charter schools can save it, as shown by their stellar performance improving test scores and graduation rates.

He argues that every word of it is a lie. American education isn't getting worse by absolute standards: students match or outperform their peers from 20 or 50 years ago. It's not getting worse by international standards: America's PISA rankings are mediocre, but the country has always scored near the bottom of international rankings, even back in the 50s and 60s when we were kicking Soviet ass and landing men on the moon. Race and gender gaps are stable or decreasing. American education is doing much as it's always done - about as well as possible, given the crushing poverty, single parent-families, violence, and racism holding back the kids it's charged with shepherding to adulthood.

…

For decades, politicians of both parties have thought of education as "the great leveller" and the key to solving poverty. If people are stuck in boring McJobs, it's because they're not well-educated enough to be surgeons and rocket scientists. Give them the education they need, and they can join the knowledge economy and rise into the upper-middle class. For lack of any better politically-palatable way to solve poverty, this has kind of become a totem: get better schools, and all those unemployed Appalachian coal miners can move to Silicon Valley and start tech companies. But you can't do that. Not everyone is intellectually capable of doing a high-paying knowledge economy job. Schools can change your intellectual potential a limited amount. Ending child hunger, removing lead from the environment, and similar humanitarian programs can do a little more, but only a little. In the end, a lot of people aren't going to make it.

So what can you do? DeBoer doesn't think there's an answer within the existing system. Instead, we need to dismantle meritocracy.

DeBoer is skeptical of "equality of opportunity". Even if you solve racism, sexism, poverty, and many other things that DeBoer repeatedly reminds us have not been solved, you'll just get people succeeding or failing based on natural talent. DeBoer agrees conservatives can be satisfied with this, but thinks leftists shouldn't be. Natural talent is just as unearned as class, race, or any other unfair advantage.

One one level, the titular Cult Of Smart is just the belief that enough education can solve any problem. But more fundamentally it's also the troubling belief that after we jettison unfair theories of superiority based on skin color, sex, and whatever else, we're finally left with what really determines your value as a human being - how smart you are. DeBoer recalls hearing an immigrant mother proudly describe her older kid's achievements in math, science, etc, "and then her younger son ran by, and she said, offhand, 'This one, he is maybe not so smart.'" DeBoer was originally shocked to hear someone describe her own son that way, then realized that he wouldn't have thought twice if she'd dismissed him as unathletic, or bad at music. Intelligence is considered such a basic measure of human worth that to dismiss someone as unintelligent seems like consigning them into the outer darkness. So DeBoer describes how early readers of his book were scandalized by the insistence on genetic differences in intelligence - isn't this denying the equality of Man, declaring some people inherently superior to others? Only if you conflate intelligence with worth, which DeBoer argues our society does constantly. It starts with parents buying Baby Einstein tapes and trying to send their kids to the best preschool, continues through the "meat grinder" of the college admissions process when everyone knows that whoever gets into Harvard is better than whoever gets into State U, and continues when the meritocracy rewards the straight-A Harvard student with a high-paying powerful job and the high school dropout with drudgery or unemployment. Even the phrase "high school dropout" has an aura of personal failure about it, in a way totally absent from "kid who always lost at Little League".

DeBoer isn't convinced this is an honest mistake. He draws attention to a sort of meta-class-war - a war among class warriors over whether the true enemy is the top 1% (this is the majority position) or the top 20% (this is DeBoer's position; if you've read Staying Classy, you'll immediately recognize this disagreement as the same one that divided the Church and UR models of class). The 1% are the Buffetts and Bezoses of the world; the 20% are the "managerial" class of well-off urban professionals, bureaucrats, creative types, and other mandarins. Opposition to the 20% is usually right-coded; describe them as "woke coastal elites who dominate academia and the media", and the Trump campaign ad almost writes itself. But some Marxists flirt with it too; the book references Elizabeth Currid-Halkett's Theory Of The Aspirational Class, and you can hear echoes of this every time Twitter socialists criticize "Vox liberals" or something. Access to the 20% is gated by college degree, and their legitimizing myth is that their education makes them more qualified and humane than the rest of us. DeBoer thinks the deification of school-achievement-compatible intelligence as highest good serves their class interest; "equality of opportunity" means we should ignore all other human distinctions in favor of the one that our ruling class happens to excel at.

So maybe equality of opportunity is a stupid goal. DeBoer argues for equality of results. This is a pretty extreme demand, but he's a Marxist and he means what he says. He wants a world where smart people and dull people have equally comfortable lives, and where intelligence can take its rightful place as one of many virtues which are nice to have but not the sole measure of your worth.

…

I'm Freddie's ideological enemy, which means I have to respect him. And there's a lot to like about this book. I think its two major theses - that intelligence is mostly innate, and that this is incompatible with equating it to human value - are true, important, and poorly appreciated by the general population. I tried to make a somewhat similar argument in my Parable Of The Talents, which DeBoer graciously quotes in his introduction. Some of the book's peripheral theses - that a lot of education science is based on fraud, that US schools are not declining in quality, etc - are also true, fascinating, and worth spreading. Overall, I think this book does more good than harm.

It's also rambling, self-contradictory in places, and contains a lot of arguments I think are misguided or bizarre.

…

At the time, I noted that meritocracy has nothing to do with this. The intuition behind meritocracy is: if your life depends on a difficult surgery, would you prefer the hospital hire a surgeon who aced medical school, or a surgeon who had to complete remedial training to barely scrape by with a C-? If you prefer the former, you’re a meritocrat with respect to surgeons. Generalize a little, and you have the argument for being a meritocrat everywhere else.

The above does away with any notions of "desert", but I worry it's still accepting too many of DeBoer's assumptions. A better description might be: Your life depends on a difficult surgery. You can hire whatever surgeon you want to perform it. You are willing to pay more money for a surgeon who aced medical school than for a surgeon who failed it. So higher intelligence leads to more money.

This not only does away with "desert", but also with reified Society deciding who should prosper. More meritorious surgeons get richer not because "Society" has selected them to get rich as a reward for virtue, but because individuals pursuing their incentives prefer, all else equal, not to die of botched surgeries. Meritocracy isn't an -ocracy like democracy or autocracy, where people in wigs sit down to frame a constitution and decide how things should work. It's a dubious abstraction over the fact that people prefer to have jobs done well rather than poorly, and use their financial and social clout to make this happen.

…

I think DeBoer would argue he's not against improving schools. He just thinks all attempts to do it so far have been crooks and liars pillaging the commons, so much so that we need a moratorium on this kind of thing until we can figure out what's going on. But I'm worried that his arguments against existing school reform are in some cases kind of weak.

DeBoer does make things hard for himself by focusing on two of the most successful charter school experiments. If he'd been a little less honest, he could have passed over these and instead mentioned the many charter schools that fail, or just sort of plod onward doing about as well as public schools do. I think the closest thing to a consensus right now is that most charter schools do about the same as public schools for white/advantaged students, and slightly better than public schools for minority/disadvantaged students. But DeBoer very virtuously thinks it's important to confront his opponents' strongest cases, so these are the ones I'll focus on here.

…

These are good points, and I would accept them from anyone other than DeBoer, who will go on to say in a few chapters that the solution to our education issues is a Marxist revolution that overthrows capitalism and dispenses with the very concept of economic value. If he's willing to accept a massive overhaul of everything, that's failed every time it's tried, why not accept a much smaller overhaul-of-everything, that's succeeded at least once? There are plenty of billionaires willing to pour fortunes into reforming various cities - DeBoer will go on to criticize them as deluded do-gooders a few chapters later. If billions of dollars plus a serious commitment to ground-up reform are what we need, let's just spend billions of dollars and have a serious commitment to ground-up reform! If more hurricanes is what it takes to fix education, I'm willing to do my part by leaving my air conditioner on 'high' all the time.

…

DeBoer spends several impassioned sections explaining how opposed he is to scientific racism, and arguing that the belief that individual-level IQ differences are partly genetic doesn't imply a belief that group-level IQ differences are partly genetic. Some reviewers of this book are still suspicious, wondering if he might be hiding his real position. I can assure you he is not. Seriously, he talks about how much he hates belief in genetic group-level IQ differences about thirty times per page. Also, sometimes when I write posts about race, he sends me angry emails ranting about how much he hates that some people believe in genetic group-level IQ differences - totally private emails nobody else will ever see. I have no reason to doubt that his hatred of this is as deep as he claims.

But I understand why some reviewers aren't convinced. This book can't stop tripping over itself when it tries to discuss these topics. DeBoer grants X, he grants X -> Y, then goes on ten-page rants about how absolutely loathsome and abominable anyone who believes Y is.

Remember, one of the theses of this book is that individual differences in intelligence are mostly genetic. But DeBoer spends only a little time citing the studies that prove this is true. He (correctly) decides that most of his readers will object not on the scientific ground that they haven't seen enough studies, but on the moral ground that this seems to challenge the basic equality of humankind. He (correctly) points out that this is balderdash, that innate differences in intelligence don't imply differences in moral value, any more than innate differences in height or athletic ability or anything like that imply differences in moral value. His goal is not just to convince you about the science, but to convince you that you can believe the science and still be an okay person who respects everyone and wants them to be happy.

He could have written a chapter about race that reinforced this message. He could have reviewed studies about whether racial differences in intelligence are genetic or environmental, come to some conclusion or not, but emphasized that it doesn't matter, and even if it's 100% genetic it has no bearing at all on the need for racial equality and racial justice, that one race having a slightly higher IQ than another doesn't make them "superior" any more than Pygmies' genetic short stature makes them "inferior".

Instead he - well, I'm not really sure what he's doing. He starts by says racial differences must be environmental. Then he says that studies have shown that racial IQ gaps are not due to differences in income/poverty, because the gaps remain even after controlling for these. But, he says, there could be other environmental factors aside from poverty that cause racial IQ gaps. After tossing out some possibilities, he concludes that he doesn't really need to be able to identify a plausible mechanism, because "white supremacy touches on so many aspects of American life that it's irresponsible to believe we have adequately controlled for it", no matter how many studies we do or how many confounders we eliminate. His argument, as far as I can tell, is that it's always possible that racial IQ differences are environmental, therefore they must be environmental. Then he goes on to, at great length, denounce as loathsome and villainous anyone who might suspect these gaps of being genetic. Such people are "noxious", "bigoted", "ugly", "pseudoscientific" "bad people" who peddle "propaganda" to "advance their racist and sexist agenda". (But tell us what you really think!)

…

This is far enough from my field that I would usually defer to expert consensus, but all the studies I can find which try to assess expert consensus seem crazy. A while ago, I freaked out upon finding a study that seemed to show most expert scientists in the field agreed with Murray's thesis in 1987 - about three times as many said the gap was due to a combination of genetics and environment as said it was just environment. Then I freaked out again when I found another study (here is the most recent version, from 2020) showing basically the same thing (about four times as many say it’s a combination of genetics and environment compared to just environment). I can't find any expert surveys giving the expected result that they all agree this is dumb and definitely 100% environment and we can move on (I'd be very relieved if anybody could find those, or if they could explain why the ones I found were fake studies or fake experts or a biased sample, or explain how I'm misreading them or that they otherwise shouldn't be trusted. If you have thoughts on this, please send me an email). I've vacillated back and forth on how to think about this question so many times, and right now my personal probability estimate is "I am still freaking out about this, go away go away go away". And I understand I have at least two potentially irresolveable biases on this question: one, I'm a white person in a country with a long history of promoting white supremacy; and two, if I lean in favor then everyone will hate me, and use it as a bludgeon against anyone I have ever associated with, and I will die alone in a ditch and maybe deserve it. So the best I can do is try to route around this issue when considering important questions. This is sometimes hard, but the basic principle is that I'm far less sure of any of it than I am sure that all human beings are morally equal and deserve to have a good life and get treated with respect regardless of academic achievement.

…

That last sentence about the basic principle is the thesis of The Cult Of Smart, so it would have been a reasonable position for DeBoer to take too. DeBoer doesn't take it. He acknowledges the existence of expert scientists who believe the differences are genetic (he names Linda Gottfredson in particular), but only to condemn them as morally flawed for asserting this.

But this is exactly the worldview he is, at this very moment, trying to write a book arguing against! His thesis is that mainstream voices say there can't be genetic differences in intelligence among individuals, because that would make some people fundamentally inferior to others, which is morally repugnant - but those voices are wrong, because differences in intelligence don't affect moral equality. Then he adds that mainstream voices say there can't be genetic differences in intelligence among ethnic groups, because that would make some groups fundamentally inferior to others, which is morally repugnant - and those voices are right; we must deny the differences lest we accept the morally repugnant thing.

Normally I would cut DeBoer some slack and assume this was some kind of Straussian manuever he needed to do to get the book published, or to prevent giving ammunition to bad people. But no, he has definitely believed this for years, consistently, even while being willing to offend basically anybody about basically anything else at any time. So I'm convinced this is his true belief. I'm just not sure how he squares it with the rest of his book.

…

"Smart" equivocates over two concepts - high-IQ and successful-at-formal-education. These concepts are related; in general, high-IQ people get better grades, graduate from better colleges, etc. But they're not exactly the same.

There is a cult of successful-at-formal-education. Society obsesses over how important formal education is, how it can do anything, how it's going to save the world. If you get gold stars on your homework, become the teacher's pet, earn good grades in high school, and get into an Ivy League, the world will love you for it.

But the opposite is true of high-IQ. Society obsessively denies that IQ can possibly matter. Admit to being a member of Mensa, and you'll get a fusillade of "IQ is just a number!" and "people who care about their IQ are just overcompensating for never succeeding at anything real!" and "IQ doesn't matter, what about emotional IQ or grit or whatever else, huh? Bet you didn't think of that!" Science writers and Psychology Today columnists vomit out a steady stream of bizarre attempts to deny the statistical validity of IQ.

These are two sides of the same phenomenon. Some people are smarter than others as adults, and the more you deny innate ability, the more weight you have to put on education. Society wants to put a lot of weight on formal education, and compensates by denying innate ability a lot. DeBoer is aware of this and his book argues against it adeptly.

Still, I worry that the title - The Cult Of Smart - might lead people to think there is a cult surrounding intelligence, when exactly the opposite is true. But I guess The Cult Of Successful At Formal Education sounds less snappy, so whatever.

…

I try to review books in an unbiased way, without letting myself succumb to fits of emotion. So be warned: I'm going to fail with this one. I am going to get angry and write whole sentences in capital letters. This is one of the most enraging passages I've ever read.

School is child prison. It's forcing kids to spend their childhood - a happy time! a time of natural curiosity and exploration and wonder - sitting in un-air-conditioned blocky buildings, cramped into identical desks, listening to someone drone on about the difference between alliteration and assonance, desperate to even be able to fidget but knowing that if they do their teacher will yell at them, and maybe they'll get a detention that extends their sentence even longer without parole. The anti-psychiatric-abuse community has invented the "Burrito Test" - if a place won't let you microwave a burrito without asking permission, it's an institution. Doesn't matter if the name is "Center For Flourishing" or whatever and the aides are social workers in street clothes instead of nurses in scrubs - if it doesn't pass the Burrito Test, it's an institution. There is no way school will let you microwave a burrito without permission. THEY WILL NOT EVEN LET YOU GO TO THE BATHROOM WITHOUT PERMISSION. YOU HAVE TO RAISE YOUR HAND AND ASK YOUR TEACHER FOR SOMETHING CALLED "THE BATHROOM PASS" IN FRONT OF YOUR ENTIRE CLASS, AND IF SHE DOESN'T LIKE YOU, SHE CAN JUST SAY NO.

I don't like actual prisons, the ones for criminals, but I will say this for them - people keep them around because they honestly believe they prevent crime. If someone found proof-positive that prisons didn't prevent any crimes at all, but still suggested that we should keep sending people there, because it means we'd have "fewer middle-aged people on the streets" and "fewer adults forced to go home to empty apartments and houses", then MAYBE YOU WOULD START TO UNDERSTAND HOW I FEEL ABOUT SENDING PEOPLE TO SCHOOL FOR THE SAME REASON.

I sometimes sit in on child psychiatrists' case conferences, and I want to scream at them. There's the kid who locks herself in the bathroom every morning so her parents can't drag her to child prison, and her parents stand outside the bathroom door to yell at her for hours until she finally gives in and goes, and everyone is trying to medicate her or figure out how to remove the bathroom locks, and THEY ARE SOLVING THE WRONG PROBLEM. There are all the kids who had bedwetting or awful depression or constant panic attacks, and then as soon as the coronavirus caused the child prisons to shut down the kids mysteriously became instantly better. I have heard stories of kids bullied to the point where it would be unfair not to call it torture, and the child prisons respond according to Procedures which look very good on paper and hit all the right We-Are-Taking-This-Seriously buzzwords but somehow never result in the kids not being tortured every day, and if the kids' parents were to stop bringing them to child prison every day to get tortured anew the cops would haul those parents to jail, and sometimes the only solution is the parents to switch them to the charter schools THAT FREDDIE DEBOER WANTS TO SHUT DOWN.

I see people on Twitter and Reddit post their stories from child prison, all of which they treat like it's perfectly normal. The district that wanted to save money, so it banned teachers from turning the heat above 50 degrees in the depths of winter. The district that decided running was an unsafe activity, and so any child who ran or jumped or played other-than-sedately during recess would get sent to detention - yeah, that's fine, let's just make all our children spent the first 18 years of their life somewhere they're not allowed to run, that'll be totally normal child development. You might object that they can run at home, but of course teachers assign three hours of homework a day despite ample evidence that homework does not help learning. Preventing children from having any free time, or the ability to do any of the things they want to do seems to just be an end in itself. Every single doctor and psychologist in the world has pointed out that children and teens naturally follow a different sleep pattern than adults, probably closer to 12 PM to 9 AM than the average adult's 10 - 7. Child prisons usually start around 7 or 8 AM, meaning any child who shows up on time is necessarily sleep-deprived in ways that probably harm their health and development.

School forces children to be confined in an uninhabitable environment, restrained from moving, and psychologically tortured in a state of profound sleep deprivation, under pain of imprisoning their parents if they refuse. The only possible justification for this is that it achieves some kind of vital social benefit like eliminating poverty. If it doesn't, you might as well replace it with something less traumatizing, like child labor. The kid will still have to spend eight hours of their day toiling in a terrible environment, but at least they’ll get some pocket money! At least their boss can't tell them to keep working off the clock under the guise of "homework"! I have worked as a medical resident, widely considered one of the most horrifying and abusive jobs it is possible to take in a First World country. I can say with absolute confidence that I would gladly do another four years of residency if the only alternative was another four years of high school.

If I have children, I hope to be able to homeschool them. But if I can't homeschool them, I am incredibly grateful that the option exists to send them to a charter school that might not have all of these problems. I'm not as impressed with Montessori schools as some of my friends are, but at least as far as I can tell they let kids wander around free-range, and don't make them use bathroom passes. DeBoer not only wants to keep the whole prison-cum-meat-grinder alive and running, even after having proven it has no utility, he also wants to shut the only possible escape my future children will ever get unless I'm rich enough to quit work and care for them full time.

When I try to keep a cooler head about all of this, I understand that Freddie DeBoer doesn't want this. He is not a fan of freezing-cold classrooms or sleep deprivation or bullying or bathroom passes. In fact, he will probably blame all of these on the "neoliberal reformers" (although I went to school before most of the neoliberal reforms started, and I saw it all). He will say that his own utopian schooling system has none of this stuff. In fact, he does say that. He sketches what a future Marxist school system might look like, and it looks pretty much like a Montessori school looks now. That just makes it really weird that he wants to shut down all the schools that resemble his ideal today (or make them only available to the wealthy) in favor of forcing kids into schools about as different from it as it's possible for anything to be.

I am so, so tired of socialists who admit that the current system is a helltopian torturescape, then argue that we must prevent anyone from ever being able to escape it. Who promise that once the last alternative is closed off, once the last nice green place where a few people manage to hold off the miseries of the world is crushed, why then the helltopian torturescape will become a lovely utopia full of rainbows and unicorns. If you can make your system less miserable, make your system less miserable! Do it before forcing everyone else to participate in it under pain of imprisonment if they refuse! Forcing everyone to participate in your system and then making your system something other than a meat-grinder that takes in happy children and spits out dead-eyed traumatized eighteen-year-olds who have written 10,000 pages on symbolism in To Kill A Mockingbird and had zero normal happy experiences - is doing things super, super backwards!

#scott alexander #substack #book review #fredrik deboer #public schooling #long #read the whole thing

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hellzyeahwebwielingessays · 4 years

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Super Heroes are a HUMAN power fantasy Part 2

Super Heroes are a HUMAN power fantasy Part 1

Master Post

There were several points a bit more tangentially connected to my arguments in part 1. As a result I decided to leave them until now and hit them up in bullet points.

These are arguments against the superhero genre chiefly perpetuated by the tryhard trinity of Osvaldo Oyola , J. Lamb and Noah Berlatsky.

On the topic of the genre portraying ‘might making right’, the truth is this is part of the ancient inspirational aspect of these figures and can be found in stories like Rama and Sita, Rama of course ultimately never giving up his quest to be reunited with his lover. Which was not a Western influenced story.

Yes the genre involves ‘punching as conflict resolution’. I’m sorry, but that is part and parcel of the genre and the wish fulfilment/fantasy/narrative entertainment value of the stories. If you DON’T like that then frankly it’s like complaining that a romance story involves kissing.

It has been claimed that a black hero wouldn’t punch someone but again, the genre is entirely about people with powers using them to help people by preserving their life. And if they have no other choice but to K.O. a mugger who’s going to stab someone then a black person, or any decent person, would/should do it. But examining the meaning and repercussions of that realistically given the fact that they aren’t white in a white society is something that could benefit the genre.

A common critique of the genre is that crime happens sometimes because of a racist system, therefore fighting crime innately supports racism. Look, obviously we should remove institutionalised racism from the law. At the end of the day though if someone of any race is committing a crime which HURTS people they should be stopped, the reasons which drove them to that should be taken into consideration, but Spider-Man shouldn’t NOT stop a mugger because they’ve been driven to do that through desperation. There is often no time for that and without being able to talk to or trust strangers he or other heroes need to act in the moment.

Superhero fiction on one level is childish, but on a deeper level they’re representative of universal truths and desires which are often boiled down to fairy tales or simple stories. The above shitheads also claims that superhero fiction is written and consumed by children, when the truth is that in the last 20-30 years the opposite has been more true. THAT is partially why sales have been dwindling over the years.

Superman’s values are innate to the heroic and altruistic desires and ideals ALL humanity has expressed throughout its history. They are not inherently ‘white’

Apparently superheroes are white constructs because they reinforce the ‘status quo’. To quote the Atlantic article (see part 1) again:

“What status quo do superheroes reinforce? These heroes fight because everyone is entitled to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The only fascists here are the supervillains who disagree.”

Also Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman were created specifically to change the status quo of the fictional worlds they were created in. At the same time the entire Marvel pantheon were about changing the status quo of the genre by introducing people who were flawed and different and more human than the DC heroes

Superheroes, despite the assertions by the above fuckwits have at times interrogated the justice system. But generally their lack of interrogation is I think for the same reason their science is so wonky. They don’t know better. They just boil it down to the simplest terms. Muggings and villain threats abound. Hero prevents those. They don’t know enough to tackle something much deeper than that. This ties into the fundamentally flawed aspect of most critiques wherein they are looking to superheroes as intellectual pieces of academic and critical study when...that’s not what they are...at all…

One of the above douchebags once said:

An African American Superman, with kinky, close-cropped black hair, thick, half-reddened lips, high cheekbones, and wide nostrils all bathed in dark Lindt chocolate, resists White supremacist logic, negates Black inferiority mythology, and threatens the established order. Superman’s disconcerting physicality, tempered by his omnipresent cheerfulness calmed and invited White comic readers to imagine themselves as gaudy Caucasian perfection, the Anglo-Saxon ideal. Static in panel, without speech bubbles or thought balloons, Superman Black warps the absurdly developed skeletal striated muscle and eternal hopefulness fans rejoice into a clear and present danger to the American experiment, an unholy figure derived from Tea Party paranoia, Barack Obama’s calculation and Terry Crews’ musculature. Public Enemy’s prescience abounds – were Superman Black introduced on the game-changing Action Comics’ cover, White America would have yet another reason to fear a Black planet.

This entirely depends upon who is doing the perceiving. To someone of a different mindset a Black Superman could be just that. The same thing Superman is except he happens to have black skin.

Also, the author needs to take a major chill pill, Jesus Christ.

Here is another quote from one of them:

Only in White male power fantasies can people blessed with skin privilege and bodies carved from living marble wield heat vision or super speed or unbreakable claws against indigent criminals from broken homes who lack high school educations.

This is again grossly incorrect because the idea of individuals having superhuman abilities and using them to fight criminals predates American society, and if one accepts figures like the Hydra to be stand-ins for threats to human life then the superhumans have been fighting what the criminals represent for eons before the advent of American society. The criminals they use their abilities against are rarely stated to lack education or come from broken homes, but yes okay let’s say that they are that.

Having super humans go up against them and defeat them isn’t a white male power fantasy because their abilities are used to subdue and NOT kill. Injure perhaps but in real life sometimes force is sadly necessary and if someone is robbing a bank or holding a gun to someone in an alley it is justified no matter what skin colour anyone involved in is, or what society you find yourself in, for the perpetrator to be stopped in order to safeguard life. Just because the perp resorted to what they did due to social ills beyond their control, that doesn’t justify their actions at that moment. Stealing someone’s money or trying to murder them is never ever going to be acceptable no matter if we live in a white society or not.

Only in White male power fantasies would women display abundant porcelain cleavage or don starry microskirts to fight crime.

Yeah um, preeeeeeetty sure that actually that’s more of a male SEXUAL fantasy and less than a WHITE male POWER fantasy. That was never the topic of conversation.

Shuttle diplomacy or natural resource husbandry rarely bring metal-faced technological sorcerers to heel in superhero comics; superheroes often save planet Earth through fantastic violence judiciously applied.

Yeah, that’s part of the narrative FANTASY element of the genre that is intended to be escapist. Condemning it for being otherwise is asinine.

More than this, guess what, there are people whom Dr. Doom is a metaphorical stand-in for. And an awful lot of them legitimately can’t be negotiated with. I am of the belief that in the REAL world we should negotiate and use force when there is no other choice and even then only use what is necessary. But the Dr. Dooms and Lex Luthors of the comic book world represent grander themes of evil and social ills, whilst at the same time existing to challenge the heroes physically and mentally. They represent the unmovable types of evil that legitimately can only be dealt with via physical means.

This was the type of circular logic I talked about before. It is looking at the villains as stand ins for EVERY type of situation and therefore the super hero’s use of violence as ‘problematic’, when in reality the superheroes’ use of violence isn’t problematic because it is justified by the extreme circumstances they find themselves in.

Because those situations don’t exist in real life...like in World War II...which was literally about people using force in the face of failed negotiation to halt the advance of fascism…

I submit that the superheroic reflex to subdue evil with violence directly descends from Thucydides and Alexander, from Richard the Lionheart and Dwight Eisenhower.

Yeah...except it isn’t. Again...it came from the same place as Hercules and Sun Wukong, and those came from the natural human biological imperatives to survive.

Superheroic morality requires Western Civilization’s literary canon and political history to justify its callous disregard toward collateral damage. To be clear, superheroes routinely consider innocent noncombatants’ lives (if not their property) when they confront cosmic despots or sociopathic steroid abusers, but comics document the never-ending battle in colorful tomes largely sold after Nagasaki and My Lai, after the time when total ignorance of American military supremacy was vogue. When Wally West as the Flash pulls a hysterical single mother out of her overturned silver 2001 Honda Civic and carries her to safety from Apokoliptian cannons at breakneck speed, comic fans favorably regard his heroism; any dialogue from the frazzled thirty-something file clerk will remind readers how grateful she is to escape otherworldly horror with her life. Superhero comics don’t care about the destruction of this woman’s sole transport; when the gas tank explodes behind the Flash’s blurred strobe, this woman loses her credit cards, her driver’s license, her insurance documents, her six-year-old daughter’s vanilla birthday cake with its beloved artificially flavored strawberry icing. The comics don’t recognize the heroism of this brave woman’s seven-month struggle to rebuild her finances and maintain her identity following Darkseid’s incursion; all we know is for that poor woman, the Flash saved the day. He’s a superhero. Isn’t she grateful?”

Collateral damage and the disregard for it IS regarded. Hence the existence of Damage Control. Furthermore, that is AGAIN part of the escapism and fantasy element of it. THAT is the suspension of disbelief element of superheroes and taking it THAT realistically and criticising it for it is frankly just mean spirited and simply looking for an excuse to hate it.

Furthermore the reason the rescued woman isn’t focussed upon is because it’s not HER story. If you write a story about a protagonist THEY are your focus. Everything is for their benefit. That’s true of older non-white folktales as well.

And yeah readers are supposed to regard the Flash as heroic and the woman grateful because her kid’s birthday cake isn’t realistically as important as her life!!!!!!

This is criticising superhero fiction for being unrealistic even when it is being actively so The woman WOULD probably be grateful that she’s not fucking dead!

I wouldn’t mind seeing the survivors of something like this try to rebuild their lives. And superhero fiction has focussed upon that from time to time, but again...that’s not the point of the story. Criticising the genre fro this is like criticising Harry Potter for having the audacity to focus more upon Harry’s trauma in the wake of Cedric Diggory’s death than his parents’. Harry is the star. He gets the focus.

Superman is a White boy. Superheroes are White people. Superhero morality exacts the Melian Dialogue’s ‘might makes right’ overwhelming force realpolitik with every onomatopoetic Biff! Bam! Pow! gut punch and karate chop combo.

See what I’ve said before about how superheroes are not fascists and how force is often necessary

There exists no genetic propensity for group violence in the human genome. None.”

Er....yeah...there kinda is...that’s part of why wars happen.

racially-informed vigilantism.

This phrase in one of the articles itself sums up it’s own contradictions. Racially informed vigilantism is just one type of vigilantism, a type the superhero doesn’t subscribe to. A superhero would sooner join the likes of the Joker than the KKK style vigilantes and would be all too happy to apprehend them.

One of the articles seems to be conflating basically ALL criminals super heroes fight with people who’re labelled criminals due to racial profiling. Yes superheroes operate to an extent like police officers but you can’t truly complete the analogy whatsoever.

Few of them have legal sanction, which is partially why so many refrain from actually killing anyone as officer’s are allowed to do under certain circumstances. More than this when they take down criminals their methods are entirely different from regular cops. Apart from very loud and overt super villains who may or may not be on a rampage, most of the time when they tackle regular criminals it’s due to them either being informed of a crime that is going to happen (like a hijacking or something) or they literally see something happening whilst on patrol. They don’t profile people beyond what their super sensory abilities or logical observations tell them. Which is to say if someone is following someone else a little too closely then maybe, just maybe they are planning something. If their Spider-Sense or super hearing or something alerts them to something they will act.

Taking that, ignoring it, and then supplanting the superhero for a regular cop who would racially profile people and/or supplanting the criminals they tackle for racial minorities because those are the people who (stereotypically in the real world) would be targeted as criminals is very inappropriate. Not least of all since superhero comics obviously don’t present a wholesale realistic depiction of the real world so what they present isn’t entirely interchangeable with that. And what is more, erasure of minorities was so prevalent that overwhelming majority of all the criminals they ever encountered were themselves white, so again exchanging those for racial minorities who’re profiled as criminals is highly questionable.

It’s all just such a MASSIVE reach!

But I think the panels also work to point out that Miles himself “does not belong” in the superhero tradition. He, like most black and brown superhero characters in mainstream comics, is an outlier. In other words, people like Miles or Trayvon are unfortunately more likely to be victim of a “heroic” vigilante than to be one.

This is conflating the superhero vigilante with the majority of real world vigilantes who are overly violent (and frequently hard conservative) individuals who do take overly simplistic views of the law and use those to profile people. And it’s doing so whilst taking superheroes too literally, bringing their own personal interpretations to the mix and then overlaying them onto the superhero concept before finally accepting it as fact.

Police officers use violence against racially profiled people who exhibit unrest due to a societal system stacked against them. Well shit, Batman punches the Joker. It must be the same thing obviously!!!!!

Look. Without our stories, without the true nature and reality of who we are as people of color, nothing about fanboy and fangirl culture makes sense. What I mean by that is, if it wasn’t for race, X-Men doesn’t make sense; if it wasn’t for the history of breeding human beings through chattel slavery, Dune doesn’t make sense; if it wasn’t for the history of colonialism and imperialism, Star Wars doesn’t make sense; if it wasn’t for the extermination of so many indigenous nations, most of what we call “first contact” stories don’t make sense. Without us as the secret sauce, none of this works, and it is about time that we understand that we are the Force that holds the Star Wars universe together. We’re the Prime Directive that makes Star Trek possible. We are… in the Green Lantern Corps? We are the Oath. We are all of those things. Erased, and yet without us? We’re essential. This is an incredibly important project, because it puts front and center, not only a community that has long consumed and given power to these practices and consumer categories, but it’s a community without whose suffering and struggles, none of [these narratives] would make sense.

I agree with a lot of this but there are some problems with it.

a) X-Men makes sense also because they are a stand in for almost ALL marginalised groups. Racial minorities, disabled people, queer people etc.

b) Actually Star Wars makes complete sense with or without colonialism or imperialism, at least the kind which directly relates to the issues of racism. Imperialism, conquest, these are things which are much older than American society, dating back to even before Ancient Rome. It’s about freedom fundamentally and freedom is a desire shared by ALL human beings innately because at the end of the day we are animals who wish to be free and not caged. Being caged metaphorically within a tyranny is thus something we abhor

c) The Star Wars universe doesn’t begin and end with the story of imperialism. It’s about how Democracy can be turned into an dictatorship and how that has to be prevented, or re-addressed once it happens

When white comics readers claim that they did not need white characters to relate to and enjoy comics (as a way to argue against positive race-bending), that point to their love of Luke Cage or Spawn as evidence of their ability to enjoy characters across race, what they are failing to note is how black, Latin@, etc… identities in the superhero genre are framed by a system of white supremacy.

Again I don’t understand this one. I as a white reader can enjoy Luke Cage rescuing someone from a burning building because doing that is part of white supremacy????

It presumes a white power fantasy is inherently different to a black one. But the power fantasy element of the superhero relates to them having powers and using them to help others and defeat villains. A power fantasy by another race would still have that because it is inherent to the human power fantasy. Non-white power fantasies would logically have all that and more!

Much like Noah Berlatsky explains in his book Wonder Woman: Bondage and Feminism in the Marston/Peter Comics, 1941-1948, part of what made Marston’s original Wonder Woman stories so wonderful, was his expectation that girls and boys would identify with the heroine, to value and idealize her compassionate strength and victory through submission, rather than through cyclical and ultimately futile fisticuffs of male dominion.

Many female readers enjoy the action scenes. Action scenes are good because it enables us to have a healthy outlet for aggression without taking it out into the real world. It is also NOT an inherently male dominion thing. Again this is THEIR projection. Fighting and violence is innate to human beings because we are animals biologically programmed towards it for the sake of survival. That goes for males and females. Furthermore far from fisticuffs just being about male ‘dominion’ the Wonder Woman, Batman and Superman comics were a reflection of impending war. A war that sadly required violence to be solved. That’s what the superhero typifies. Wish fulfilment action in situations where violence was (usually) a necessity. Diplomacy is good and should be our first resort. In life though sometimes things do come down to necessary violence.

There are many ways to craft a racial minority superhero, but if we consider racial authenticity as a foremost concern, today’s Hollywood is simply not prepared for that intellectual labor. The real diversity conundrum isn’t how to include the minority metahuman in the existing comic framework; that’s an art project, a casting decision solved by calling Michael B. Jordan’s agent. The real question is how to write that superhero in a way that moves the medium forward, past the Reaganomics antiheroes of Alan Moore and Frank Miller and past the hyper-emotive Silver Age redux of Geoff Johns and Brian Michael Bendis. Respectable, authentic diversity in superhero comics should redefine the nature of the meta-protagonist to his powers and his audience, with exhaustive attention to cultural detail. I’m not convinced that a Black superhero would wear tights. I strongly doubt that a Black superhero would solve conflicts with his fists. The Black superhero knows that his community watches him religiously, and that any false move will have public repercussions he cannot expect or control. If anything, the Black superhero template plays out on our nation’s cable news channels at all hours. President Barack Obama, with all his clipped vocal inflections and measured language and natural equivocation and faulty dealmaking and perfect family and limitless patience is the closest public figure to a Black superhero America has yet experienced, an international celebrity unthinkable before his ascent. Watching President Obama today, one feels expectation crush into his bones like a gravity well. No matter the political stimuli, Republicans oppose him. The concept of the Obama Presidency struck American conservatives like a Bernard Hopkins’ kidney punch, and in return, President Obama absorbs the vitriol of our coarse public debates more than any President to date (and progressives never tired of calling his predecessor a National Socialist). The agony and the ecstasy of Grant Park has given way for many Americans to the sobering fact that American authority, her global military supremacy and international economic primacy, is controlled and represented by a Black man. Disliked, hated, or worse, the Establishment is Black. I need the Black superhero in print and/or on-screen to reflect that paradigm shift. Superheroes in the popular imagination are Establishment figures; if the Black superhero I’m presented can’t interrogate what it means when the Establishment is Black, of what utility is her story?

A minority hero wouldn’t wear tights or punch people...why?

What do tights have to do with anything? As for solving problems with his fists this is conflating the threats superheroes face with ANY threat, when they are almost always situations which legitimately do require necessary physical force to resolve. If the black superhero patrols an area and sees someone about to stab someone else, yeah he should punch the stabber to save the innocent person if there is no time for anything else.

This is basically asking for the core foundation of superheroes (which transcends racial constructs and is innate to human wish fulfilment and mythic tradition) to be scrapped in favour of something else entirely. Barrack Obama isn’t a superhero. He is many, many things but what Mr. Lamb here is asking isn’t so much for a different template but for something just wholesale different. He doesn’t actually WANT a superhero story in the first place!

Super heroes aren’t establishment figures. Superheroes don’t uphold the law regardless. They uphold the law in so far as a greater need to safeguard innocent lives. Conflating them as inherently establishment figures ignores their origins and over literalises what they do.

At the same time the utility of their story is first and foremost as a story: to entertain and inspire.

It is inherently worthwhile for a little black kid to sit down and open up a comic book where someone who looks like them is being a good person, is helping people, is defending the weak. I agree that minority heroes shouldn’t just be white heroes who happen to have different skin colours. I think they need to reflect the realities of what it means to be black or Asian or Pakistani in white society is necessary and a superhero should do that and should have that inform how they interact with their powers. It doesn’t mean the whole genre needs to abandon what it fundamentally is or that those minority heroes should not do the things a superhero fundamentally do.

Ultimately, yeah these characters were created within a white context, but my point is fundamentally the same thing was created in non-white contexts as well throughout history.

Super Heroes are a HUMAN power fantasy Part 1

Master Post

#Osvaldo Oyola #Noah Berlatsky #Marvel #DC #DC Comics #Marvel Comics #Super Heroes #Superheroes #Wonder Woman #Robin Hood

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birdlingstarot · 4 years

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Hi 💗💗 I would like to know if my jealous friend, RB has a crush on me or if there's another reason why she's possessive when I interact with men. I talked to her and didn't get much. Sorry for the personal ask, CJ 💋

Hello 🌻 CJ 💋!

Please do not worry about it being personal! I’m totally okay with them. 😊

A little birdie told me this 🕊

There is something I would like to tell you before you dive into the reading and is important that you do. This reading for you might not be what you want to hear and can be considered heavy. Please only proceed if you are comfortable and resonates with it. Please feel free to stop reading if you are feeling too uncomfortable or overwhelmed. Do feel free to message me if you need to talk.

I had put a small section right at the bottom where I had labelled ‘Warning’. It touches on mental issues which can be a trigger. Through the reading, there are also heavy issues such as low self-esteem that can be a trigger so please proceed with caution.

If you would like this to be taken down, please feel free to tell me and I will as soon as I can. Take care of yourself and proceed carefully, okay?

Why does RB seem possessive of you to you?

Eistibus - Angel of Divination

The communication is murky here. On RB’s side, she had yet to be able to clearly identify her feelings and thoughts about and around you, even herself.

In addition, you possess an innate healing quality that you might not even be aware of and is just starting to come to light.

Currently, you feel the need to fully understand the situation as right now, you feel out of control, that whatever you do, they’re just not wielding out the result that you want to achieve. It is okay to feel that way and is a very normal reaction.

However, you are now called to put your need to feel in control, to know everything behind your back. This meant that right now, you are called and pulled into this situation to step back and let fate do its job.

Right now, you are learning that you do not need to be in control at all times and be comfortable with letting go of said control sometimes, just so you can step back, calm down and observe.

You tend to be someone that want actions. If something is or goes wrong, you have a need to want to fix it immediately. This is not a bad quality to possess. This quality could very well had bled into this relationship where RB seems to be keeping her silence and seemingly keeping secrets from you, especially regarding your relationship together, as friends, etc.

Communication is very important to you and is something that directly impacts your mood and happiness, which further the feelings of frustration and seemingly unable to understand the situation despite putting in effort.

On RB’s end, there is something weighing on her heart that she can’t seem to let go of and is influencing her in not only her mood, but also how she acts, especially around you. This weight seems to be something deeply rooted in her and is actually something from her past that she had suppressed and pushed down for far too long and is now coming to light. She is trying and learning to come to terms with it and to let go of this weight that she has.

She likely had sensed your healing energy, your capability and capacity of healing and healing energy, and had unconsciously sought you out. In addition, you have great communication skills and qualities which is something that she needs help on since her communication is currently blocked because:

1. She doesn’t know what to say or found the right words to say (her thoughts are in a mess, very noisy etc.)

2. Her low confidence is affecting her and forcing her to keep quiet on things, similar to how one feel that they shouldn’t tell others their problems because others have a lot on their plate and they don’t want to add to that, as well as thinking that they are not worth others’ time and affection etc.

3. She doesn’t want to negatively impact others around her, such as bringing the mood down etc., especially yours

You do not need to worry as things will come to light soon and things will become clear to you once more.

Six of Rings; Nine of Swords; Queen of Cups; I - The Magician; King of Cups

RB is experiencing a turmoil in her mind that is trying to bring balance between her emotions and logic side. She is trying to rationalise things in her mind as well as trying to control her emotions with what she deems logically. However, this was done in a way that is not the best for her as she is not only pushing down her feelings, she is also chastising herself on why she is being illogical as well as minimalizing her feelings and their importance. She is generally being too hard and harsh on herself.

She needs someone who will stop her in her tracks of thinking and overly criticising herself to the point that it could be considered hate.

This issue had likely stemmed from her past, what people had told her or scolded her for. She is her own worst enemy at this point as she is pushing down herself even further and not supporting herself when she needs to.

This is a huge issue and heavy rock in her heart and mind that is affecting her mood, actions and verbal communication. She has likely chastised herself about what she said and/or not said, how she said it etc.

However, she does not want to feel that way anymore. She wants to stop fighting.

In a way, she sought you out because you are on the more straightforward side of the spectrum compared to her. She enjoys and respect the fact that you are not afraid of trying to communicate with her and talk to her about some things that are bothering you, especially about her.

Sure, she chastise herself again for making you feel that way and her actions, however, she prefers it over overthinking herself and chastising more about herself with things that you might not even feel and the mere fact that she is overthinking and could easily resolve this through talking and speaking with you yet is unable to gather the courage to do so.

Confronting someone as well as talking to someone about this issue she has terrifies her.

She, in her own way, is looking out for you. In fact, in a way, she puts you above herself and likely many others as well. This comes in the form of not telling you about what had been bothering her. She believes that she’s a huge mess and shouldn’t bother anyone with it because she is undeserving of it (which is not true and honestly, everyone can be messes at times and even all the time, but that’s what she believes). Even when you become vulnerable with her, instead of returning it with her own vulnerability, she can shut herself up about her issue even further because she does not want to bother you.

Her issues stem from her thoughts and believes. Her mind is like a muddy pond and a lotus. Currently, the lotus is her issues that is/are weighing heavily on her, seemingly blooming further and emerging despite all that she tried to push it down and cut it off, seemingly unstoppable in their tracks. However, at the same time, she has the ability, capability and capacity to turn those same heavy issues into the muddy water and emerges from it all, better, brighter and stronger.

She is very willing to consider the circumstances of others. In fact, you might had notice some or a few changes after you had talked to her. Whether you feel positively or negatively about it, that is what she deems the better action to take for her and it would not be a surprise if she is still thinking about the better course of actions to take, by herself or with a few others.

Yes, she does speak to people sometimes to ask for advice and show vulnerability. However, this heavy issue that weighs on her is likely something she had never spoken deeply about. She might had brought it up a few or couple of times but usually skim through and pass it, saying something along the lines of ‘don’t worry about it’ and that ‘I’m fine, it’s in the past anyway’.

Despite how far past the issue might go, it is still affecting her.

In fact, she might had, in a way, come to terms with it. Bittersweet if you will. She had accepted what she feel and thoughts as facts and is living with it. To put into a perspective, for example, you are bad at cooking and you accept that. In the same or similar manner, she had done the same to what had been weighing on her.

You might find that she cries easily over things, especially things that had gone wrong, done wrong or when she’s scolded. You might find her emotional at times, even when the situation does not call for it or when you didn’t or least expects it.

She can be very giving in her own way. If you ask her for help, it is very likely that she will try her best to help you, even going further than most others would.

However, she likely had a fantasy of being ‘saved’. Similarly to in fairytales where the princesses were saved by princes and they live happily ever after, she holds this idealised fantasies that can and some had become over-emotional fantasies.

You might find that she has extreme and/or too idealised opinions and ideas on romance. For example, you might find her saying that the partner must do this and that and must not do this and that although those things that she had mentioned could very well not had been what you would deem necessarily needing to dump someone over.

In fact, she had been hurt by people in her past and current, romantic or potential romantic partners, friends and family members. What they had said had cut her deeply in the heart and became this heavy rock or stone that she carries in her heart, at the very bottom. It will only grow bigger with time if she leave it unattended or pushed off to the side.

This led to her fantasies of being saved but instead of looking outwards to find someone to ‘save’ her, she has to ‘save’ herself and she have that ability to do so, to find true and extreme happiness within herself, by herself, without the need of a romantic partner.

This past hurt is held over her head and tied to her. She’s holding on tightly to it unconsciously that it feels as though it is being tied to her. However, no matter if she’s the one holding on or being tied to, how thick the ropes are, how many times the rope had looped around, ropes are still ropes. She can cut through it.

In fact, many things that she received had gone through this ‘past hurt’ filter or enzyme, which led to her receiving bad thoughts which turns into believes when it fills her mind. She needs to know and believe that she is not what ever the filtered or changed thoughts are and that she will only be affected by this as long as she allows the filter or enzyme to be and stay there. She needs someone to push her into realising this.

In fact, she had likely subconsciously sought you out because you not only have a healing energy but also an activational or motivational energy, especially through your words. Your words inspire people more than you think.

You are kind and patient, despite what you might think of yourself. You might feel that ‘hey, I get annoyed easily at certain things, that’s not patient.’ but that is not the only way to show patience. The fact that you continue to be with that person and try to help them, despite being annoyed, is patience, alright?

You have great potential in your spirituality and can heal and inspire people through words, speech and communication, verbal, physical and otherwise. The manner you heal someone is more on inspiring them to take action, especially physically. You likely find yourself advising people more often instead of comforting them when people talk to you about problems that they are experiencing.

You likely had not realise this yet. In fact, you should harness and improve on this energy and your communication because it will help you greatly in many aspects of your life as well as in the fact, such as your career.

(I see you speaking to a large audience, being passionate about what you are speaking about. So, communication is very important to you and will help you succeed. For example, in career wise, you are likely to be known for your presentations that you present. To be in the spotlight and front line more often than the back. If you are uncomfortable with speaking in front of audiences and being in the spotlight, I do believe that you should work on it! You can do it! All the best! Maybe I might see you online one day on a video though I have no idea who you might be 😁)

This is the energy that RB requires. She needs someone who will push her into action because of the fact that she thinks a lot, even too much at times, instead of taking action. That someone that she found is you.

Advice for you to deal with this situation or connection.

Star Family - You’re part of a team of souls. Call in support.

If you feel pressured, need someone to talk to about the situation, make sure to talk to someone. You are connected to a soul family that will help you, you can ask them for help. Soul family does not necessarily means your immediate family members or relatives but rather people you are most connected to, people you are most comfortable with, who you can be yourself around without fear of judgement or anything. You can always ask for their help and support when things get rough, they will have your back.

They strongly and firmly wants you to know that they have your back, so feel free to call for them anytime. Know that they can and will always help you, and to be able to help you more effectively is when you call for them and ask them for help. Please do not feel shy, bad or hesitant in it. I’m sure you understand that it is easier to help someone when they directly tell you what’s wrong and ask for your help, right?

Make sure that you, yourself, have support on and through this. It can be just friends that you can talk to or rant out your feelings. They do not have to be directly involved in the situation but make sure that you have them by your side for your own health, safety, wellness and happiness etc.

Know that the universe will always be here to help you and provide you with the energy and guidance you need through this and in this particular situation, your soul family could very well be more prominent in helping you. You are loved here as you.

Portal - Doors are opening. You decide. Rewards. Wild card.

This is a learning experience for you as well. Not only are you learning to deal with this situation, you are also learning about yourself, your growth as well as realising the things around you.

Through this experience and journey, you might find yourself in contact with someone new or someone you never expected to become close to. There will be things that you learn to realise and appreciate that had always been there.

There will be changes and you are asked to be open to those changes.

Try to stay open-minded to it and let it flow. Don’t try to control this because it is something that you are unlikely to have control over and can very well tire you out and burnt your energy out trying.

This experience is likely something that will make you realise many things and grow a lot from. It will likely be stuck with you for a few years even after the situation had end its chapter and even then, you could realise and learn from it.

New perspectives. New views. New skills. Growth. New ideas.

Be open to receiving it. You are guided and protected through this journey. Trust it, step back and let go of the need to control for a while because you might very well be pleasantly surprised by it.

It might help to get in touch with your feminine energy or someone with a predominantly more feminine energy. They will likely serve as great guides and provide great advice as well as someone you can lean on and learn from in this situation.

Again, let go of control. Let go of the need to control. This is coming on strongly for you.

Also, don’t be too afraid or worried. You are protected and guided here. The unknown can be scary but once you learn and understand more of it, it won’t be as damning as you initially think and feel.

Message for you.

Deep Cellular Healing - Arcturus energy. Physical and emotional healing.

This not only applies to RB but also to you as well. Make sure that you take care of yourself as well. This is also a time for you to learn to balance between helping others as well as ensuring your own physical, mental and emotional health.

I won’t sugar coat my words but it is likely that this experience you have with RB might not be the most pleasant one, something seemingly negative will likely happen and have a big impact on your life which leads to deep healing and in turn, large growth. Be prepared and open to it.

This healing and growth that you will experience is a big one and is an even more amazing one. Arcturus is the biggest star in the constellation of Boötes, the fourth-brightest in the night sky, and the brightest in the northern celestial hemisphere. This is a good representation of you - not only will you shine bright, have great energy but also that you are connected, with divine spirit guides, universe and your soul family. Hear them. Open your ears and listen. Verbal words can very well be a way for them to connect and speak to you. Take note of what words catches your attention or any songs or words that pop up in your mind, they might be important and mean something to you that will help guide you and help your growth.

Call in help and support if you need it.

In fact, you are also learning to be able to protect yourself without the metaphorical high brick walls but rather a soft, translucent wings or soft shell, easy to peel back. This means to be in touch with your feminine side as well as your emotions and vulnerability. It is tough but you can do it.

Though it might seem tough but it will help you not only to love and accept yourself more and grow but also helps in many other aspects of your life such as relationships (romantic and platonic) and career. This is even a key to your success.

Mentioned above, communication is very important to you, your growth and success. This communication is backed and supported by your passions and emotions. Vulnerability in itself is a strength, it can bring people together. To be in tune with and comfortable with your own vulnerability will further attract people to you as well as those of higher frequencies (people who are generally more spiritual) as well as those who are successful and/or very capable to you.

What you are learning to become is a person with powerful, feminine energy. Someone confident and not afraid of their own vulnerabilities but rather thrive within them, being able to mold vulnerabilities into a strength. This does not mean not growing from vulnerabilities but rather being comfortable in them and accepting of them because, as mentioned, vulnerabilities can bring people together. You are likely someone who will become a person that bring people together and heal and inspire them through your words, such as speaking your experiences etc. I would not be surprised if you become someone in the celebrity world, film industry, talk shows, motivational speakers, stand-up comedy or on platforms like youtube etc.

What are you meant to learn through this experience or connection with RB?

2 - The Temple of My Body

You are meant to learn how to take better care of yourself. In times of difficulties, you are likely, like many others, tend to forgo taking care of ourselves fully or partially. This can include not sleeping enough, not eating enough, skipping meals, not drinking enough water, drinking too much caffeine etc.

This is something that you must learn. No matter the circumstances, good or bad, you have to take care of yourself and what’s better and easier to start of with physically, something you can see and control easier than others such as mentally, spiritually and emotionally.

Know that you are always worthy. Never dare to believe otherwise just like any and everyone else. You are never below or less worthy than someone else when it comes to being taken care of and that is your responsibility - to know, understand and believe that you are always worthy, as worthy as any and everyone else, the person next to you or the person you walked past, saw on television, as well as to take care of yourself.

Know that, whenever you fall into a slump, you have the power and energy to change the situation, change your perspective. You are intelligent and can seemingly wield ‘magic’ and create realities that seem too good to be true, too impossible to achieve. You have the power, the courage to be fearless and ability to create.

In a manner, when you are a fish out of water, you have the power and the seemingly mysterious ability to become a crow, to fly, soar and live.

You have the ability to make yourself happy, to create your own happiness. Know that. Believe that. Even when anyone else says otherwise. Don’t let anyone dim your light, nor dim your light to appease others.

You have control over your body, your soul and your spirit. Others can only affect you if you let them. Sometimes, you can simply step away and move on. You are not alone, you always have your divine spirit guides, universe and soul family with you along the way, no matter where you are, where you go. You will find people that will help and support your journey and growth.

It’s simply up to you to decide.

28 - Perchance to Dream

You are learning to balance things here, from actions to rest. When is enough is enough?

You are loyal to certain things, to certain people, to certain things that you do. However, when things get rough, when is a good time to step back and relax to calm yourself before heading back in? When is a good time to return to the issue? If all else fails, when do you give up and just let things flow?

There will be many times where actions as well as rest are required. You are learning to balance it and not fall into a rhythm of always in action or always resting.

Take time out when needed. Do what you need to do when needed.

Know that those are for you to decide, not anyone else.

Know that you are always supported, protected and guided even as you rest by your divine spirit guides, universe and soul family.

Take your time and know that you are always in control of who you are and what you do.

Warning

Frankly speaking, she could very well have depression and anxiety. She might or might not had self-harmed or attempted suicide but has definitely thought about it and might be thinking about it sometimes.

[Note: I am not qualified to diagnosed anyone. To truly know, please find a psychologist or therapist, someone qualified to diagnosed.]

Here on out is from me, not what I had gathered from the reading.

Know that you are not obliged to help or be with someone if you are uncomfortable. Please take care of yourself and you should always place yourself first before anyone else. You are not responsible for anyone but yourself, understand?

If you need or want someone to talk to, you can always approach me or private message me. My messages are always open! 😊

All the best!!!

You can do this, alright!!!

We hope this had helped you, 🌻 CJ 💋!

For now, the little birdie shall return home 🏡 ~ Ring our doorbell whenever!

Rest well 💤 ~

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timedriving · 4 years

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rip/ donna

send me a ship and i’ll tell you… ( accepting )

who hogs the duvet i think it’s a fair bit of struggling that eventually ends in donna’s favour because... rip can’t win even if he tries. LMAO. he gives up after waking up for the third time that evening but donna looks so comfy he’s like... all right. this is fine. i’m content with this

who texts/rings to check how their day is going rip does check-ins more often, but donna’s more likely to text when she’s got something on her mind, random or otherwise. rip doesn’t really understand the concept of “random texting when you’re bored” and doesn’t want to suffocate her or anything

who’s the most creative when it comes to gifts donna is better at intentional gifts, and rip does things that don’t SEEM like gifts to him, but totally are. an explanation of the latter is something along the lines of “rip taking donna on a surprise trip to go camping in arizona where they can look up at the stars and map out constellations together and also he made food and ALSO he’s got proper camping gear and he’s been thinking about this for weeks... what do you mean this is a date?”

who gets up first in the morning donna is probably one of the few people in the world who can wake up at the same hour as rip and not feel tired or grouchy at the godawful hour. this means rip gets to draw her in cotton candy sunrises and donna gets to show him the world she lives in before it all properly wakes up, and it makes the whole thing kind of ridiculously magic also, neither of them have to wait for the other to have breakfast together.

who suggests new things in bed donna! it’s not that rip’s not as enthusiastic, but more that physical intimacy in general is an adventure to him already. also, i imagine donna’s experience with society means that she gets a lot more inspiration for this sort of thing than rip would get at the vanishing point? the most kink he has is liking to blindfold his partners or bind them with simple ties. it’s donna who ends up suggesting her lasso, for one thing

who cries at movies do..nna...?? between the two of them her empathy’s developed a lot more than rip’s has. but his interactions with her and the films they end up watching together do help him build his own empathy! i like to think the first movie he properly cries at the end at is the matrix revolutions. i don’t know why i imagined them watching the matrix revolutions. anyway it astounds him to think neo could love machines so much he gives his life to save them just as he saves humanity (rip related more to the machines in this case, too.........)

who gives unprompted massages i keep answering donna for these things, but rip doesn’t really know that this is a thing! he’ll comes back from an assignment tense because it’d been a close call, and then she’ll kiss the back of his neck whilst he sits down and work his shoulders and rip kind of just melts under her touch (but, let’s be real, he melts around her all the time because he’s so smitten-- this is just his body finally matching up with his mind)

who fusses over the other when they’re sick i don’t think donna gets sick very often? and while she takes care of rip it’s not necessarily fussing either, but a bit more-- she knows what she’s doing, having come from a place where caring for each other is the common mantra, and he feels kind of ridiculous having someone be so tender and kind with him, but he really does feel like he’s cared for (a rare sensation overall)

who gets jealous easiest FINALLY i am answering rip. but rip’s got a big of possessive canine instinct going on, all fang-bearing and whatever if donna’s ever being threatened. he doesn’t care about playful flirting with, like, friends or anything, but strangers out in the open better WATCH OUT... not that rip’s the type to beat up strangers but. he’ll think about it. he’ll think about it hard until donna’s the one who shoots them down. and then seeing her shoot them down will make rip want to pull her aside and kiss her because he uh. he sucks

who has the most embarrassing taste in music rip doesn’t have a taste in music? but i can’t imagine donna’s to be EMBARRASSING to him... if anything he’ll be awed with whatever her music tastes are because. you listen to these things for pleasure? you enjoy them? i enjoy them because you enjoy them. these lyrics sure are something. it’s funny how i know what instruments are playing individually but i never thought they’d sound like this altogether the idea that donna introduces him to the music of the 90′s/00′s is really fucking sweet actually........... he only ever listened to music for stock knowledge, but it’d be wild to lie down with her and listen to something just for the sake of listening to music together

who collects something unusual rip isn’t allowed to own things at the vanishing point, so the fact he finds a home in donna means her room probably houses his postal stamp collection... and, okay, postal stamp collecting isn’t the SEXIEST hobby, but 1) it doesn’t take up much space; and 2) it’s rip’s gateway drug to collection/hoarding, anyway. she’s got the scrapbook he uses kept away in a drawer and sometimes rip makes his own stamps out of souvenirs he takes from his missions

who takes the longest to get ready donna, who really makes an effort! and rip with his minute attention to detail always notices when she has a new shade of eyeshadow or lipstick or something. he finds it genius how she can make her look change so much... on his own end, rip doesn’t know how to change his look. i figure in this stage of his life, he mostly defaults to shirts and jeans, so he’s pretty useless and basic. on the rare occasions that he wants to dress up nice for her, however, he will take forever... because he doesn’t know how to be handsome enough to deserve her, whyyyyyy

who is the most tidy and organised donna! but then, donna actually has stuff TO organise. rip, who owns nothing, wouldn’t have a clue if he did have something. all he knows is how to keep his living space at the vanishing point clean, but that’s like... the most basic of the basic things

who gets most excited about the holidays donna is really excited to share her traditions, and rip is excited to partake in them with her. he sheepishly tells her that he doesn’t have his own holidays; he doesn’t even know when his nameday is, so. (but she’ll insist they choose a date just so they can celebrate it, and he’s horrifically shy about it because... you want a day... just to celebrate him?)

who is the big spoon/little spoon OOOHHHH AN ANSWER WHERE I CAN SAY THEY’RE HAPPY BEING EITHER... rip has a bigger tendency to big spoon though because he likes the feeling of having his arms wrapped around her, but at this point in his life he’s not jaded or traumatised enough to be extremely touch averse, especially with the first love of his life i think donna has an innate sense of knowing when rip’s feeling especially drained and will tell him to lie down when she does, at which point she’ll come up behind him and hold him and rip will just sigh because donna thinks of everything... what a genius

who gets most competitive when playing games and/or sports oh god this is destructive shit. people get bored of watching them play ping-pong because it lasts FOREVER. and the thing is they’re both like, killer focused on it, so they’re not even hurling insults at each other or teasing or anything-- they’re both in it to win it and it’s a wonder donna hasn’t obliterated the ping-pong ball yet with her strength

who starts the most arguments i like to think that rip’s more likely to get angry about things, but not necessarily about them as a couple? it’s more like he’ll be more confrontational when they’re disrespected in public or something-- he’s got the temper of a leashed dog, again, and it’s not like his canines are weirdly pointed because he shouldn’t bite for all their youth i think they’re both old souls who know too well about understanding to start any stupid arguments. imagine having a healthy honest relationship wow

who suggests that they buy a pet i think rip mentions it kind of off-handedly and donna laughs like “why?” and rip’s reasoning is just, like, he’ll see other couples walk a dog together... maybe it’d be nice if they walked a dog together, too and it’s the softest thing on the planet, but they aren’t together enough to warrant owning a dog together, so they don’t end up getting one it’s nice to imagine, though

what couple traditions they have they seem the type to have a secret handshake from when they were still just friends? which was actually a secret handshake that adult!rip had taught kid!donna when they first met years ago, in a sort of time loop sort of thing because young adult!donna ends up teaching it to young adult!rip... you know, one of those “perfect circle” things. the only difference now is that the handshake ends with a kiss

what tv shows they watch together i think donna makes an effort to find shows that rip would find genuine interest in, since he so rarely has time to be around and she wants to make the most of it? but they have a nice mix of humour and romcom and action/adventure... she’ll discover that rip really, really likes westerns, too, and rip will be surprised that that’s a whole GENRE, holy shit?? where can they see MORE of that????? i want them to watch the nanny though.........

what other couple they hang out with god the thought of a dickkory + ripdonna double date is actually really cool to me? kori’ll take him flying and rip’s going to be like ACK and dick’s all jokingly like “you’re dating a serious nerd, donna” and she’s just. she knows. she knows... but he’s the sweetest man she’s ever met and yes, grayson, that means he’s sweeter than you! rip’s going to be just as good at darts as dick though and dick’s going to be like DUDE... FOR REAL?

how they spend time together as a couple it’s suuuuuper gross, but they! like! touching! and not even, like, dirty touching, but holding hands is pretty usual for them, and so is dropping kisses here and there, even if it’s not going to start anything. it’s a serious cliche puppy love sort of thing?? like rip will like keeping his arm around her, too, and donna will like having her head in his lap, and for indoor hobbies especially, they can do separate things (e.g. donna watching a movie and rip reading a book) but still be connected in this way if rip had his way he would be able to be around her all the time, too

who made the first move rip does, but it’s not like... outwardly flirtatious or anything (he’s useless!). he just, y’know, drops compliments here and there... looks a bit shy when he does it... and donna’s no idiot, she knows he likes her, and eventually grins and calls him out on it and rip’s like “I DON’T-- yeah okay i do want very much to take you out to dinner, can i?” and donna’s laughing at how sheepish he is and kissing him on the cheek like “yes, rip” and rip’s like “REALLY? i mean, erm-- outstanding! that’s outstanding, yeah”

who brings flowers home rip will come home from long assignments with gifts, ok! and sometimes those gifts include flowers. he studies flower language in his free time so he can do it properly for her, but i think with them real flowers aren’t so important... so rip will give origami bouquets

who is the best cook rip knows how to cook more things with expertise because of his job, but i think overall he prefers donna’s cooking. there’s something so kind and warm about eating food made by someone who cares for you... that being said, he likes to cook for her, too, and for all his gourmet knowledge he still just makes simple things, because i imagine donna the type to see the value of comfort food and for rip to have the same sentiments

#[ IF U CANT TELL I WENT WITH THEIR YOUNGER YEARS...#feels wild writing a version of rip that isn't fucked up #100000000 different ways ]#TITANOFTHEMOON #OOC MEME.#SAY SOMETHING I'M GIVING UP ON YOU.

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notdeadjack · 4 years

Text

annual reclist 2019

yoo my favourite reads of 2019!

20 Fandoms represented:

Haikyuu!!: 3 fics Boku no Hero Academia: 17 fics The Umbrella Academy: 8 fics Resident Evil 6: 3 fics Harry Potter, assorted: 1 fic Star Trek: 10 fics Voltron: 8 fics Teen Wolf: 73 fics Marvel, assorted: 25 fics Naruto: 8 fics Star Wars: 4 fics Good Omens: 1 fic Merlin: 5 fics Borderlands: 1 fic Hannibal: 1 fic Avatar The Last Airbender: 1 fic Toy Story: 1 fic South Park: 1 fic Buffy the Vampire Slayer: 2 fics /r/nosleep: 4 fics

total fics recced: 177

(if the cut doesn’t work, i am so sorry)

Haikyuu!!

https://archiveofourown.org/works/15429966 big by shouyoto 1k, Hinata/Kageyama, size difference,

Kageyama is big.

At first, Shouyou thinks it was annoying. At first, it had been a constant reminder, a buzz to his ears on how simply unfair the universe was since he aged a few months older than Kageyama, and yet, somehow- somehow, he's still the one who ends up with the shorter end of the stick. But much like their bond, this impression didn’t last long either.

...

Shouyou finds himself fawning over Kageyama's big build.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/4409042 Girl trouble by PhoenixGFawkes 37k, Hinata/Kageyama, rule 63, they’re lesbians harold,

Kageyama is annoyed by the boys that approach her to ask her out (she’s not interested), to offer to carry her books for her (she can handle it) or give her flowers (what would she want them for?). Hinata says that she’d like it if a boy once did any of that stuff for her, but she’s a dumbass who doesn’t know what she’s talking about.

When that boy for Hinata shows up, though, Kageyama isn’t annoyed.

She’s furious.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/15005018 Make You Say I Look Good by Esselle 5k, Hinata/Kageyama, crossdressing,

'Kageyama balances a tray of scones, and little teacups and saucers, and a pretty teapot, as he walks across the room slowly and carefully. His attention is entirely focused upon the very breakable, spillable things he is holding. So much for his innate setter's skills at the task; he moves so slowly that Hinata isn't sure how he's managed to serve anyone since they started. He's sweating profusely, apparently from stress and intense concentration, little beads of perspiration running down the side of his face and arms. His shoulders are too wide and broad for the outfit, the bulk of his muscular arms straining against the ruffled sleeves.

"Oh, no," Hinata says.'

In which the volleyball club decides to open up a maid cafe, and Hinata is forced to confront his feelings for a certain setter.

Boku no Hero Academia

https://archiveofourown.org/works/17795849 I Can Make You Feel Good by dinosaurspice 4k, Kirishima/Bakugou,

curious teens experiment

- the whole series (as of mars at 20k words) is gold really

https://archiveofourown.org/works/11813826 Two Hour Vacation by ArgetCross 10k, Midoriya/Todoroki, pining, first time, past child abuse,

“May I join you?” He asked, as if he didn’t expressly text Uraraka and Iida to hunt Midoriya down. Midoriya’s own phone had been off and Todoroki had silenced his own before coming. In a pinch, their friends knew where they were.

Even the life of a hero had to allow them this one night.

Or on the day of his father's funeral, Todoroki Shouto loses his virginity.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/13421988 Everything Except by Pouler (poulerslashes) 28k, Midoriya/Todoroki, sex pollen,

"In retrospect, Midoriya probably should’ve realized the moment they were enveloped in a glittering pink cloud that something was about to go Very Wrong."

After an encounter with a unique villain threatens to change the nature of their partnership, Midoriya must find a way to get things back to normal between him and Todoroki. That is, if he's certain that getting 'back to normal' is what he really wants...

https://archiveofourown.org/works/15272805 your warmth is all i need by drifting_i 17k, Kirishima/Bakugou, AU, dragon!Kirishima,

This is how it begins. Kirishima is running for his life.

His feet hit the earth hard and fast, he can’t feel it. They're on him now, he can smell them. Four to the left and six to his right. The sides of his arms grow red starting by the elbows. He curses silently. His throat burns.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/17158511 winter doesn’t linger here by drifting_i 14k, Kirishima/Bakugou, pining, bed sharing,

“I don’t want you to leave,” Kirishima admits. “I mean, it’s break, man. For the first time in months we don’t have school breathing down our necks so we can finally hang out like we used to and I did miss you!”

“We saw each other last week,” Bakugou says, deflecting.

“Still.” Kirishima smiles sheepishly.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/17531774 had to be (you) by bigstupidjellyfish 11k, Kirishima/Bakugou, light bondage, kink exploration,

do you ever just discover you have a kink in the least appropriate situation

https://archiveofourown.org/works/14331180 'Cause the Dark's Not Taking Prisoners Tonight by imatrisarahtops 52k, Kirishima/Bakugou, emotional h/c, bed sharing, mutual pining, slow burn,

“Are those soba noodles?” Kirishima asked.

Again Bakugou’s only reply was a grunt. He offered no further explanation—not that Kirishima honestly expected one—as though making soba noodles from scratch at half past four in the morning wasn’t at all a bizarre occurrence and made complete and total sense. For a fleeting moment, Kirishima even wondered if maybe he was the odd one here. Besides, he’d already decided it was generally not in his best interest to question these types of things with Bakugou, especially when it was something essentially harmless.

When Kirishima has a nightmare and is unable to fall back asleep, he accepts defeat and decides to study in the common area of the dorms. What he doesn't expect to find is Bakugou, also very much awake, and Kirishima can't help but think that maybe they're both having the same problems with sleeping. If he's worried, it's just because they're friends. (Right?)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/12794481 the easy parts by chonideno 11k, Kirishima/Bakugou, h/c, scars,

Kirishima made it out alive but his body is covered in wounds that won't heal without leaving marks behind. He hides them away from the sight of others, away from his own, and he hates every part of it. Bakugou watches him reduce his own character to a parody of what it used to be, and he can't stand it.

Or how Bakugou and Kirishima learn to deal with these scars, with themselves, with each other.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/14947955 Glow by argentconflagration 1k, Kirishima/Bakugou, pining, bed sharing,

Kirishima is warm and somehow far softer than a person with that much muscle definition has any right to be. His breath is tickling Katsuki’s hair, which should be uncomfortable but isn’t, and Katsuki can smell his hair gel, which is cloying and chemical but too familiar to be irritating. Katsuki sighs softly as his body continues to relax. His eyelids droop. Before long he’ll be slipping off into the throes of sleep.

Kirishima reaches forward and takes his hand, and his stomach flips. He immediately forces himself to relax, though. If it meant something like that to Kirishima, he wouldn’t be doing it, would he?

https://archiveofourown.org/works/17338961 sunchaser by chonideno 35k, Kirishima/Bakugou, pining, bed sharing,

that feeling when you suddenly want to jump off a cliff for no reason but instead of a cliff it’s your best friend and instead of jumping it’s growing feelings out of nowhere

or how Bakugou has to try really hard not to throw everything to the wind, and Kirishima doesn't help

https://archiveofourown.org/works/17569586 Already Everything by roxashighwind 16k, Kirishima/Bakugou, body swap, deaf!Bakugou,

He feels drunk and hungover at the same time, feels like he’s about an inch to the left of where he actually is and dizzy to boot. He tries to sit up and is filled with instant regret. He groans, and he can’t hear it though he feels the vibration of the sound in his chest and throat. He can’t hear anything. Why can’t he hear anything?

- Eijiro wakes up, but he's not himself.

A villain's body swapping quirk leads to admissions between friends, which leads to something more.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/12676416 This Changes Nothing by vulcanhighblood 68k, Kirishima/Bakugou, a/b/o, slow burn,

First heats, even ones triggered by a classmate's "prank" gone awry, aren't supposed to take your quirk away. Then again, omegas aren't supposed to be in hero training, either.

Katsuki does enjoy defying expectations, just... not like this.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/17284061 dusk and dawn by bigstupidjellyfish 13k, Kirishima/Bakugou, sex pollen, biting, friends to lovers,

sex pollen, again, yea

https://archiveofourown.org/works/17094788 Against All Odds, Thriving by jettiebettie 12k, Kirishima/Bakugou, pining,

“The naked adoration! The loving caress! Lively colors accenting warm eyes and an endearing smile!”

“... I'm gonna go take a nap.” Bakugo is halfway out of his chair when Shiozaki turns the screen and he stops dead in his tracks.

Kirishima's face stares back at him with a look that nearly knocks the air out of his lungs. The expression he's giving the camera is tender, his pretty eyes full of fondness and framed by loose red bangs, with a small amused smile on his lips. The hand Bakugo used to manhandle his head into position has no right looking that gentle; his hands were never meant for gentleness to begin with, but to see his holding Kirishima's cheek like that... To see the way Kirishima is looking at him-

Bakugo slams the laptop shut. - Class A and Class B must complete a joint art assignment, and it honestly may be too much for Bakugo.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/16261352 you can get what you want or you can just get old by hyperlight 55k, Kirishima/Bakugou, 13 going on 30, angst, suicide attempt, minor character death, happy ending,

Bakugou gets a preview of what his future might be and doesn't like what he sees.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/11845740 Electrification of the Soul by cighail 8k, Sero/Kaminari, pining,

So if he is a simple kid, then he will live by simple rules:

Make friends, make enemies; tease and be teased. Slip comedy into your words that garner the slightest bit of attention. Give and receive praise, criticism, advice, so long as it strays not too far from the norm. Become uniquely un-unique.

And ah- “Hanta, my dude, you’ve gotta check her out.”

Fall in love.

(In which Hanta is not as chill as he makes out to be)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/14446512 Hero Class Civil Warfare by RogueDruid (Icarius51) 85k, gen, plotty plots,

Heroes lead by Bakugo. Villains lead by Midoriya. Seven days prep time. Three days for Izuku Midoriya to show why they should be glad he's not a real villain.

The Umbrella Academy

https://archiveofourown.org/works/17890052 Partners, Parents, or None of the Above by DarkFairytale 7k, gen, brotherly bonding, protectiveness, past drug abuse,

Kenny's mom assuming that Diego and Klaus were A) a couple and B) Number 5's parents was both bemusing and amusing at the time. But that was because it was the only time it had ever happened. Now though? Now they just can't understand why these misunderstandings keep happening.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/17846012 Let Him Cry by Achrya 3k, Ben/Klaus, incest, first time, tentacles, drugs,

“Ben is crying again.”

“Yeah well. Dad says it's just growing pains.” -- Klaus decides to help his brother out.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/17962079 the devil's jaws are far too weak by ictus 1k, Ben/Klaus, incest, drug withdrawal, h/c,

Truthfully, it’s far from the strangest thing Ben’s ever done. When you grow up in a family as sick and twisted as the Hargreeves’, jerking off your brother in a motel closet while you’re waiting for hired guns to come back and finish the job is barely a blip on the radar, even if he is technically dead and Klaus shouldn’t be able to feel him at all.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/17932085 Can Someone Tell Me (If It's Wrong) by merle_p 2k, Klaus/Ben/Diego, incest, emotional h/c, canon time travel,

"Your favorite,” he adds, unnecessarily but correctly, because leave it to Klaus of all people to know what kind of candy he prefers. He is pretty sure not even Eudora ever had any clue just how much he liked the taste of the rainbow.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/18005399 Six of Cups, Four of Swords by prodigy 9k, Ben/Klaus, incest, drugs, addiciton, withdrawal, prostitution,

Ben Hargreeves tries to keep his brother--and himself--on the devastating road to getting well. It doesn't go in a straight line.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/17860256 i scream, you scream by kyrilu 2k, vauge Ben/Klaus, introspection,

One of Ben’s favorite childhood memories is eating ice cream with his family after they’d saved Paris from the rampaging Eiffel Tower.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/17836067 Family Affairs by manic_intent 58k, Klaus/Ben/Diego, incest, time travel, post-canon,

“This isn’t going to work,” Diego said, once everyone had stopped moaning on the grass and/or throwing up.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/18307292 the year that wasn't by achilleees 21k, Diego/Klaus, time loop, incest,

Diego turned to Five. “I’ve already, uh, lived today. This has already happened.”

Everyone went still.

“Ooh, that’s a mind-fuck,” said Klaus.

Resident Evil 6

https://archiveofourown.org/works/2367419 hold on (we're going home) by viii 8k, Piers/Chris,

no summary given, first paragraph:

It's raining in Vancouver on the last day of November. Piers has been gone for six weeks. It hasn't been the longest he's been gone, but it hasn't been the shortest either. He doesn't know how he's going to find Chris when he pulls out the rusty key that he doesn't use as often as he should and unlocks the door to Chris's apartment.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/6774688 Crossed Out by deansparkles 47k, Piers/Chris, time-travel (kind of), pining,

Piers Nivans is ready to die. That doesn't mean the universe has to agree with him.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/1031021 You, Me, and the Monster by AkumaStrife 5k, Piers/Chris, h/c,

They pull Piers out of the ocean and patch him up as best they can, but some things will never be the same. Chris can't forgive himself and Piers doesn't trust himself, and between them is a chasm of things unspoken.

[Alternatively: Hospital Recovery fic in which Piers has to learn to live with the thing he's become.]

Harry Potter

https://archiveofourown.org/works/5025334 chalk this one up as a win by tamerofdarkstars 6k, Marcus Flint/Oliver Wood, soulmates, fluff,

Oliver Wood wakes up in the Hospital Wing a week after his first Quidditch game ever with a head injury and his soulmate's thoughts wound around his left wrist.

Frankly, he's more concerned about missing the Quidditch game.

Star Trek

https://archiveofourown.org/works/856754 The Mark by thecadenceofherlastbreath 4k, Chekov/McCoy, soulmates,

Prompt: AU where everything is the same, except everyone is born with a insignia, a mark that is unique to only two people in the world, that tells them who their soulmate is. Usually the two people are born on the same day, at the same time, but that doesn’t mean that aren’t circumstances where an age difference has happened.

Leonard McCoy was born without an insignia, only for one to appear on his 20th birthday. He always hated the idea that the one person he was supposed to be with being a child, and maybe that was why he married his high school sweetheart. And maybe, that was the fact their relationship fell apart six years later, and he made the choice to join Starfleet.

He had never really forgotten about his supposed soulmate, but it certainly wasn’t expected to be confronted with the seventeen year old Russian genius whose insignia, his insignia, their insignia, plastered so obviously on his neck…

I tweaked it just a little, but it's essentially that. Hope I didn't butcher the idea!

https://archiveofourown.org/works/11468154 Now the Sons Look For Their Fathers/ But Their Fathers Are All Gone by Straight_Outta_Hobbiton 30k, gen, kid fic,

Leonard is exhausted, and there is a crying kid in front of him with a bowl-cut and pointed ears.

Of course he picks him up.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/1058476 infixion by Etharei 37k, Kirk/Spock, kidnapping,

A mission of this duration has never been attempted. Just a few months in, the crew of the Enterprise are beginning to understand why – luckily, they are also, somehow, making it work. A series of events, both great and small; featuring cameos by unsuspecting planets, complicated interpersonal relationships, off-record shenanigans, and a surprising number of hostile life-forms.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/15327285 Thy Soul, Alight In The Dark by Aerlalaith 51k, Kirk/Spock, AU, horror, mind control, possession, accidental bonding,

When disgraced former Starfleet captain and current salvage runner James T. Kirk stumbles upon an abandoned Vulcan research vessel on the edge of Federation Space, he thinks he’s finally found some luck. The state of the ship and the fate of her original crew however, turn what was supposed to have been a standard day’s work into something quite a bit stranger. As Kirk and his crew debate if they can—or should—wake a sleeping survivor, it soon becomes clear that the nightmare is just beginning.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/17246120 If Symptoms Persist by billiethepoet 7k, Kirk/Spock, pon farr,

The aftereffects of pon farr do not go away as quickly as Spock would like everyone to believe. Jim can tell and he's ready and willing to help.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/14913942 Mind Readers, Man! by dothedeux 12k, Kirk/Spock, Spock&Bones,

After Spock is injured on a mission, he forms a mental link with Bones in order to survive. Afterwards, both men decide the link can come in handy at work, and that they should keep it in place. But as their friendship grows stronger, Jim struggles with his new feelings. It's basically a soap opera in space.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/996674 what legends are made of by Rosslyn 33k, Kirk/Spock, suspense, adventure,

On a routine mission to a normal-looking planet, Kirk and Spock discover a strange cave. Seven handprints were carved into the wall — each moulded to a member of the senior bridge crew of the Enterprise. In order to investigate this anomaly, the entire crew beam down to the planet, and falls into a nightmare. -

Post-Mission Reviews attached under Enterprise Report 5-2261-7a:

"Is this a mission report, or the script of your blockbuster-wannabe holovid show, Kirk?" - Admiral Bennett "Suggestions to update Starfleet Official Course Material on relevant subjects, Captain" - First Officer Spock "Definitely too old for this shit" - Chief Medical Officer McCoy "I'm never beaming down without a bottle of Scotch again, mark my words" - Chief Engineer Scott "It was fun up until it happened to me" - Helmsman Sulu "Vodka cake deserved by all" - Navigator Chekov "Captain, should I put in a footnote explaining the farm animal reference?" - Communications Officer Uhura "That's it, privilege for PMRs closed. Kirk Out." - Captain Kirk

https://archiveofourown.org/works/11135340 out of obscurity into the dream by spectralPhobia 87k, Kirk/Spock, AU, adventure,

Started as a Tangled AU fusion with Star Trek 2009, developed into its own thing. Spock has lived an entire life in seclusion, brought up by a Romulan to believe he was one too. Convinced his telepathy was a rare gift that must be protected at all costs, he was prohibited to touch anyone and leave the house. Jim Kirk comes across him accidentally after he was hired to steal a Vulcan artefact. Together, they start an adventure of finding a soulmate in each other and preventing another catastrophe from happening after the artefact turns out to be a part of an ancient psionic weapon.

Also known as “How I almost died three times in two days and found my soulmate”, an autobiography by J.T. Kirk.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/1077361 a sequence that you never learned by annataylor 64k, Kirk/Spock, kid fic, fake marriage,

"'Spock,' Jim breathes out, completely overwhelmed by the gesture—not quite believing that Spock knows him so well, that's he's already started researching, that he trusts Jim with a member of his own endangered species."

When Jim gets it in his head to adopt an eight year old Vulcan, Spock presents a logical solution to the issue of Jim's humanity: marriage to a Vulcan citizen.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/208971 Of Twin Stars and Other Eccentric Satellites by winterhill 30k, Kirk/Spock,

A year into the mission, Spock and Jim have got on with things and are well on their way to that great destined friendship -- or maybe more. There’s spanner in the works, though, when a group of colonists exploring an unknown part of New Vulcan go missing, and the Enterprise crew is called in to help. The problem? The Vulcan High Council has insisted they take a guide — Spock’s wife, T’Pring.

Voltron

https://archiveofourown.org/works/14873321 Our Future Hearts by mizufallsfromkumo 4k, Lance/Shiro, time travel, established relationship, emotional h/c,

“You know, you could warn a guy, if you’re going to drop out of nowhere.” The man said dramatically as he pulled his hand away.

It caused Shiro to look up from the note, in surprise, his brows pulling together. Because that wasn’t how it worked. There is nothing he can do in warning, he never knows where he’s going, and when he’ll end up.

“Not you you,” The man huffed with a roll of his blue eyes. Almost like he knew what Shiro was going to say. He gestured at Shiro lazily, before he grinned. “But, you know, older you can warn me. Scared me half to death, face planting in the grass like you did.”

https://archiveofourown.org/works/16114160 Milkshakes by General_Button 6k, Lance/Shiro, male lactation,

In order to ensure a fruitful alliance with a species of animal-like aliens called the Ankarine, Shiro takes one for the team and consumes a traditional dish that ends up having unforeseen consequences.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/12593748 i need my monster by mettaverse 4k, Lance/Shiro, AU, injury, monster!Lance, h/c,

“Are you okay?” asks a voice from under his bed.

Shiro stiffens. He holds his breath. Maybe it's the drugs-

“Hey,” says the voice. Then, a flicker in the peripherals of his vision is a- tail? Long and skinny, like it's out of an honest to god comic book, of all things. Like a devil's.“Are you okay?”

https://archiveofourown.org/works/11343876 Hell and High Water by StarrBomb 39k, Lance/Shiro, AU, mermaids,

All his life, he's known these three things.

The darkness.

Loneliness.

And fear.

But he soon comes to understand a much more different and harsher meaning behind these things. And somehow, he ends up finding something he never knew he needed.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/11019165 Twelve Nights by WildWolf25 19k, Shiro/Pidge, AU, trans character, She’s The Man au

“Matt, I think I can safely say that this is the dumbest idea you’ve ever come up with, including the time you thought you could put marshmallows in your hot chocolate before microwaving it and it exploded.” Katie said flatly.

“Come on, Katie, please?” Matt clasped his hands together in front of him. “I will pay you in jars of peanut butter. A lifetime supply of cookies. A trophy that says ‘best sibling in the world’. Whatever you want.”

“It’s not going to work, Matt.” Katie sighed. “Everyone’s going to know I’m not you.”

“But that’s the thing, I don’t know anyone at that school yet.” Matt said. “No one knows me, so no one will know that you’re not me.”

(Matt needs everyone to think he's at school for a couple of weeks and convinces Katie to disguise herself as him, leading to an awkward crush on his roommate, Shiro, a very ambitious astronomy class competition, new friends, and maybe some bruised hearts if the truth gets out)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/12102285 Kafka's Revenge by Bellybits 21k, Keith/Lance, xenobiology, mild body horror, trans character,

Keith's been worried about what his Galra genes meant for him for a while. He's been expecting some horrific transmutation, to turn into some kind of monster despite the comforts of his peers.

But he wasn't a monster, and it isn't a catastrophic change. It was slow and gradual in the way most metamorphoses were.

He had thought that going through two puberties was bad- and now he was having a third one. Great.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/17183669 Starbound by fenfyre (Jace) 3k, Lance/Shiro, pining,

Lance expected nothing more but good company when Shiro showed up on the farm one day but old and new feelings soon catch up to them.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/16873671 Good Luck Kiss by OverMyFreckledBody 1k, Lance/Shiro, accidental kissing,

An accidental kiss leads to more... not so accidental ones.

Teen Wolf

https://archiveofourown.org/works/862347 Just Been Born by idyll 3k, gen, gender swap, trans!Derek,

“The mage's spell seems to have changed your sex.”

Derek inhales raggedly, then slowly looks down at his chest—at his breasts.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/4012684 Cross a Canyon (with a broken limb) by theroguesgambit 18k, Stiles/Derek, fake relationship, pining,

“You never graduated,” Stiles says, just to say it. To test it out in the open air. That's... huh.

Stiles spends his senior year battling troll-gremlins, taking on an unexpected tutoring job, and definitely not falling for a certain sourwolf (even though everyone else seems to think he is).

https://archiveofourown.org/works/1828693 Pinch Me by Wolftraps (AlwaysBoth) 12k, Stiles/Derek(/Nogitsune), angst, possession, and then not, disassociation, identity issues,

It doesn't work. When the nogitsune crumbles to ash, he's weakened, but he's right back in Stiles head with his damn riddles. And Stiles feels like he's not just losing control, but also losing himself.

But no one can lose their shadow.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/2118756 (Rode Hard) Put Away Wet by calrissian18 3k, Stiles/Derek, scent marking,

As it turns out, the etiquette for joining a werewolf pack is a little bit more involved than saying, "Whatever, fine, I'm in." There's, like, stupid werewolf rules. Because someone put stupid werewolves in charge.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/577223 Highly Inappropriate by asocialfauxpas (fuzzytomato) 5k, Stiles/Derek, h/c, frottage,

Derek was drugged and literally covered in blood and Stiles was about to crumple under the weight of guilt that came with being an impulsive idiot, but for some reason his dick wasn’t getting the message that this was by no means a sexy situation.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/644558 Flying Changes by otter 10k, Stiles/Derek, AU, horsies,

Derek's a dressage rider with a reputation for frowning and making people cry. Stiles is an acrobatic stunt rider whose resume includes medieval-themed dinner shows and the actual circus. Derek's an Olympian, he doesn't need this shit.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/614271 Dog Days by flaming_muse 15k, Stiles/Derek, wolf!Derek,

Stiles has always wanted a dog, so he should be happy when he finds himself suddenly in possession of one, right? Unfortunately, it’s more complicated than that. Or, the one where Derek is turned into a puppy.

pre-slash set after season 2, no spoilers for season 3

warnings for humor, all of season two, repercussions of canonical deaths, brief panic attacks, lots of adverbs, and Stiles hitting his head a few times

https://archiveofourown.org/works/586648 Bingo by betp 23k, Stiles/Derek, sex pollen,

Derek scowls.

Or, the one that was supposed to be every item on the Sterek bingo chart and ended up being a Derek manpain feels jamboree.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/798827 Switching Goals by betp 3k Stiles/Derek, rule 63, established relationship,

“You’re kind of cute,” Lydia says, changing the subject, “in a sort of… lost baby squirrel in a pixie cut sort of way.”

“Great,” he says, fumbling ineptly with the clasp on the bra. “Th… thanks, Lydia, that’s… quite the endorsement. I’m vermin.”

Lydia and Erica peaceably watch him fuck around with the hooks for a full five minutes, this look on their faces like justice is finally being delivered. Stiles refuses to lose his temper with the thing in front of them, so he just doggedly keeps at it. Eventually, Lydia says, “We might have to invest in a frontal clasp for you.”

https://archiveofourown.org/works/665066 let me in lover, be kind by orphan_account 3k, Stiles/Derek, emotional smut,

It's a cosmic balancing act.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/17591744 (this isn’t exactly) where you’d want me by decideophobia 19k, Stiles/Derek, AU, pining, doctor!Derek, snark,

“Do you even have any nice and soothing words in your repertoire?” Stiles asks, holding still while McBroody shines a light into his eyes. “Or is it only me who they let you loose on?”

“I actually just downloaded a new set of comforting phrases to use on patients this morning but I haven’t had a chance to listen to and internalize them yet. I do know how to say, Good news: you’re not dead, and We only need to take off one of your legs, though.”

OR, the one where Stiles keeps ending up in the ER and Derek almost gets brain damage from so much stupid.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/13001157 Detect by twilight_shades 9k, Stiles/Derek, canon-AU,

Derek is a fake psychic (that’s an accident). Stiles goes to work for him (that’s deliberate). Stiles is pretty good at figuring things out (that’s alarming). Derek is pretty slow at figuring himself out (that’s unsurprising).

https://archiveofourown.org/works/946982 The Newlywed Game by Captain_Loki 19k, Stiles/Derek, fake dating, UST,

Stiles is (still) single when the pack's getaway to the Caribbean comes by (oh misplaced optimism); lucky for him Derek is committed to being uncommitted and even after all these years is still powerless against Stiles' unique forms of persuasion.

Cue a romantic getaway for two: sun, sand, and sarcasm abound...and the two roped into competing in the Resort's version of the Newlywed game. Only it's completely obvious it's going to end in disaster. Probably homicide.

Most probably homicide.

Plot twist: It doesn't.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/581046 things that fly, but cannot land by growlery writes (growlery) 12k, Lydia/Stiles/Allison, AU, poly,

If Allison has to explain to one more person that she is not dating her ex-boyfriend’s best friend (and really, she broke up with Scott so long ago that the ‘ex-boyfriend’ part has mostly dropped off that title) she is going to explode. Especially now that Stiles has a girlfriend of his own, a girlfriend Allison is definitely not attracted to. Or jealous of. Danny has no idea what he’s talking about, except for the fact that he actually kind of does.

(or, the one where Allison writes about werewolves, Stiles is her roommate and everyone is in love with Lydia.)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/16485551 With Eyes, and Hands to Touch by red_crate 37k, Stiles/Derek, AU, teenage!Derek, accidental voyeurism,

The summer before high school starts, and all Stiles wants to do is hang out with Scott and work on his plan to win over Lydia.

But then Scott's brother, Derek, becomes an accidental distraction.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/16177544 Dangerous Curves & Divine Moves by TaraSoleil 30k, Stiles/Derek, rule 63,

When Stiles wakes up as a girl, there's only one thing he can think to blame: the nogitsune. And that bastard didn't leave any instructions on how to turn him back to normal. Now Stiles is the only one freaking out, and Derek is being weird(er).

https://archiveofourown.org/works/17195975 Stupid Say What? by isthatbloodonhisshirt (wasterella) 8k, Stile/Derek, accidental relationship,

Stiles shoved another bite into his mouth, glancing over at Boyd and Erica. Boyd was smiling down into his eggs benedict and Erica was grinning at Stiles.

He frowned in confusion, his chewing slowing. Tucking the food into one cheek, he asked, “What?”

“Nothing. It’s just nice. I like when the four of us come out together. Our little double dates,” she teased, stabbing her fork into a strawberry and putting it between her lips.

Stiles snorted at her comment, since this wasn’t a double date—he wished—but didn’t comment on it because he liked their outings, too. Even if he whined incessantly about it until he got there, it was always a good time.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/16813009 Words Cannot Espresso How Much You Bean to Me by isthatbloodonhisshirt (wasterella) 68k, Stiles/Derek, AU, mates, puns,

“You’re late,” Derek informed him coldly, jaw clenched. He barely even moved his mouth to speak. This guy was seriously scary.

And because Stiles was suicidal, he said, “No, I’m Stiles.”

The look he got could’ve curdled milk. Stiles even noticed that Derek’s muscles were tensing, arms bulging even more and wowthis guy was scary and hot but mostly scary holy shit.

“You’re not funny,” Derek informed him coldly.

Stiles shrugged. “I think that’s a matter of opinion.”

https://archiveofourown.org/works/17785586 Strike Me A Match by clotpolesonly 11k, Stiles/Derek, superhero!Stiles, pining, soulmates,

Derek stared at the reporter on the campus lounge’s television screen, gleefully reporting on Ignition’s latest fight. Behind her floated a photograph of him mid-battle, zoomed in on where his bodysuit had been slashed open across his left shoulder blade. It was a little blurry, a little pixelated, but more than clear enough to get a good look at the black mark on the bare skin there.

“Oh shit,” came Erica’s delighted voice as she dropped down onto the couch beside Derek. “Let the circus begin!”

Derek’s his heart dropped; circus was right. He resisted the impulse to reach for the spot on his own shoulder blade that itched and burned. It wouldn’t do him any good. He could make all the calls, send in all the verifiably undoctored photos of identical marks, make all the noise and fuss he wanted. With the buzz and the confusion, it wouldn’t matter. No one would believe him.

True match-ups never made it through a circus like this.

In which Derek discovers his soulmate is a superhero too far out of his reach to ever actually be with. But it doesn't feel right to flirt back at Stiles now either, no matter how much Derek wants to. Amazing or not, he's not Derek's soulmate.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/18650299 What Fresh Twilight Bullshit Is This? by isthatbloodonhisshirt (wasterella) 196k, Stiles/Derek, soulmates, pining,

“I am not Bella!” he insisted, shaking his fist angrily at Jackson, as if he’d been the one to suggest he was. “I am not Bella! I am, like, a Jacob, at least!”

Lydia made a noise of debate from his right and he whipped around to look at her.

“What?! What was that sound?!”

“You’re more of a Mike,” she insisted, shrugging neatly and flipping some curls over her shoulder.

“Wha—” Stiles had never been so offended in his life! “I am not! No way! I am a solid Jacob!”

“Mike,” she argued.

“Who’s Mike?” Scott asked.

“Shut up, Scott!” Stiles insisted, pointing a finger at him but still glaring at Lydia.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/19008223 tasting heartbeats in skin tears by OverMyFreckledBody 5k, Stiles/Derek, 5+1, ust, licking, untimely boners,

After a battle resulting in Stiles getting a cut on his face, he discovers that the werewolf healing can be transferred through the saliva. After that, he seems to be a magnet for getting hurt - more so than usual.

Derek is surprisingly helpful about it all. Now, only if Stiles could get through their licking sessions without embarrassing himself.

[Or, 5 Times Derek Healed Stiles with his Magic Werewolf Spit + the 1 Time He Left a Mark of his Own.]

https://archiveofourown.org/works/17936444 Care for Me, As I've Never Known by lavenderlotion 2k, pre-Peter/Stiles,

“Why...why did you offer me the bite?” Stiles asked quietly, the cover of night and the hum of the Jeep’s engine giving him courage he wouldn’t usually have.

Peter hummed thoughtfully, taking a turn smoothly. “That is quite the question you’re asking. I’m not sure the answer is one you would be happy to hear.”

https://archiveofourown.org/works/9318200 Help Wanted (But Not Really) by reillyblack 26k, Stiles/Derek, AU,

"Stiles, I'll clear up your confusion about the position. Derek here needs someone to live with him. He's a difficult person to live with, so I won't sugarcoat that. But his responsibilities at the company right now make it impossible for him to actually take care of himself and his home. That would be your job," Laura explained.

Both Stiles and Derek objected at the same time.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/16555949 Child King by ShanaStoryteller 66k, light Stiles/Derek, AU,

Stiles is born with red eyes.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/17049731 No Mercy by Gia279 64k, Stiles/Derek, AU,

The story of the Boy King was this: when he was sixteen, the Stilinski kingdom was at war with the Novak kingdom. King John was on the front lines with his soldiers when his teenage heir came to check in with him. The king was struck down in a nighttime attack, in front of the boy. The boy took up the king’s dropped sword, mounted his war steed, and slaughtered the enemy forces.

When the remaining soldiers surrendered, he cut them down with his father’s sword and returned home a boy king with a bloodstained reputation.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/16919445 Let It Burn Fast by RurouniHime 32k, Stiles/Derek, sex magic, pining,

“So.” Stiles rubs his thighs, snaps his fingers again restlessly and looks around. “Thoughts? Comments? Revisions you’d like to submit for consideration?”

Derek weighs it. “Stiles, are you asking me to have sex with you for the good of the pack?”

“I—yeah.” Stiles blinks a couple times, then smiles again. “Yeah, I guess I am. That is the thing that I am doing.”

(or, the one where Stiles proposes no-strings-attached sex for Magical Reasons and Derek somewhat unwisely agrees.)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/18850138 Love Story by skoosiepants 3k, Stiles/Derek,

"Huh." Derek looks less concerned than Stiles thinks this situation warrants, but his hands wander up to cup his face and his mouth opens up over his again and all the bones in Stiles's legs melt, so he has to, like, prop himself up against Derek's entire front.

Derek says, "Okay?" when he pulls back slightly and Stiles manages an eloquent, "Buh."

Or –

A spell made them do it. Sure, Stiles. That works.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/17757842 Open Your Eyes, Don't Walk Blind by Ragga 14k, Derek/Stiles/Peter, pining, Sheriff & Cora brotp

The Sheriff of Beacon Hills could be called many things but willingly blind was not one of them. When the supernatural world was shoved before his eyes and he found his son right in the middle of it, there was no other choice for him but to follow in Stiles' footsteps. And he did, willingly; there was nothing in the world he wouldn't do for him.

He just wasn't expecting to find out the things he did while learning how to swim in the deep.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/14869391 Once Upon a Dream by Ragga 19k, Peter/Stiles, dream walking, h/c,

It was like the door was on fire.

Stiles stood there, staring. As the realization sunk in, he slowly reached for the doorknob. He grabbed it. It burned, as if blazing hot and freezing cold at the same time. He was stuck, fascinated, and then the door clicked-

-and he was blasted with rage and grief so powerful the next thing he saw was the ceiling of his room.

Who was that?

https://archiveofourown.org/works/19223467 There’s No Escape for the Potato Man by isthatbloodonhisshirt (wasterella) 53k, Stiles/Derek, AU, texting,

“Who is this? Where’s Erica?”

“Wrong number, asshole!”

“Stop calling me an asshole,” the man on the other end snapped aggressively.

Stiles could understand. He’d be pretty aggressive too if he’d murdered someone and texted a wrong number to ask for help burying the body. This guy obviously failed How To Be a Serial Killer 101.

“What kind of idiot thinks I murdered someone?”

“The kind of idiot who got your text messages, you fucking dumbass!” he retorted hotly. “Maybe double check your contacts before sending a random stranger details on your nefarious plans to dispose of a freshly cut up body!”

“What?!” the guy on the other end demanded, crossed between horrendously confused and livid.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/12849630 like black moonrise (his voice fell still) by OverMyFreckledBody 1k, Stiles/Derek, UST, oral kink,

"Shut up," Derek rumbles, close, dangerously close.

"Or I'll make you."

-- He does.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/12510356 kisses unclean like the words you say by Omorika (Zercalo) 19k, Stiles/Derek, psuedo-incest,

There are less torturous things than to live under the same roof with Derek Hale (and his entire family) - it's just that Stiles can't think of any right now.

. https://archiveofourown.org/works/14682198 You’re an Understatement (you’re getting worse) by LadySlytherin 13k, Stiles/Derek, AU, neckz’n’throats,

Erica’s goal in life was to be hired by Neckz’n’Throats. Not as a model, though she knew she was hot enough for that. No, she wanted to be behind the camera. And to do that, she needed two things. A glowing recommendation, and a portfolio that would grab their attention; that would make them take her seriously. For that, she needed the right models. Thankfully, she knew just who to ask.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/2124261 I’ll take hold of you by Lessandra 30k, Stiles/Derek, AU, touch kink,

If Stiles could boil his life down to one moment, it would be this: his hand in Derek’s hand, radiating warmth as they sit together—on the edge of the forest, in Stiles’s living room, on the terrace of Derek’s house, wherever—and wait for the morning to come.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/998921 Stiles, why is Derek Hale passed out on our front porch? by marguerite_26, mothlights 4k, Stiles/Derek, bonding, h/c,

Stiles doesn't hear the knock on his front door, but he figures there must have been one, because now his dad's calling out to him,

"Stiles, do you know why Derek Hale just passed out on our front porch?"

Stiles freezes, carton of milk half way to his mouth. He looks around the empty room, wondering if it has any answers. Derek Hale just passed out on his front porch -- sounds like one of the signs of the coming apocalypse.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/17216009 Risky Business by skoosiepants 14k, Stiles/Derek, canon-AU,

Stiles stumbles back when Derek takes a step toward him, but still says, "Tell me, did you offer Isaac, Erica and Boyd 'the bite,' too?" He's not proud of the air quotes he uses, but it's too late to rethink them now—Derek lunges at him with a growl and Stiles trips over his own feet and falls on his ass on the rocky ground. "What the fuck, Derek?"

"You don't know what you're talking about," Derek says. He crouches over Stiles, insanely thick thighs bracketing Stiles's raised knees. His eyes flash red.

Stiles sucks in a breath, heart beating high and terrified in his throat. He barely has enough breath to rasp, "What the fuck?" again.

There's a growl low in Derek's chest. He says, "You can tell Scott that if he shows up with you, the deal's off."

or -

An AU where Scott was never bit by Peter Hale, Derek actually manages to be a good alpha, and Stiles gets kidnapped a lot.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/11268102 Blackbird by skoosiepants 25k, Stiles/Derek, canon-AU,

Stiles groans and drops his face into his hands. “I’m seventeen, I can kind of use mountain ash and I can explode houses when I’m mad enough. How am I gonna win any kind of magic fight?”

“We’ll work on it,” Deaton says, as infuriatingly calm as ever. “The important thing to remember, Stiles, is that when everything else is chaos, you’re the port in the storm.”

Or-

Laura Hale never died, and Stiles is magic.

https://archiveofourown.org/series/34660 Tell me what Pack Means series by afullrevolution 22k, Stiles/Derek, AU, space, cuddling,

Fourteen days into a two year mission, Stiles finds out that his companion for the voyage is a werewolf. Stiles wants to know what it means.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/5822248 Tell me Where it Hurts by Gia279 45k, Stiles/Derek, AU, wolf!Derek, curses,

Stiles learns to do magick and Derek is cursed to walk the woods on four legs and keep his silence.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/17415641 Under the Wolf Moon (Formerly Erase/Rewind) by Pdxtrent 102k, Siles/Derek, canon-AU, fix-it, slow build,

Laura Hale has disappeared. But from there, things go very very differently. Expect adults acting like adults, and actual communication and not terrible decision making.

************************************

He packed a bag as quickly as he could and grabbed his passport just in case. He looked around the apartment, glanced at his sister’s closed bedroom door and then walked out.

An hour later he was at the airport.

Two hours after that he was in the air.

Seven hours after that he was touching down in San Francisco.

Another hour and he was getting into the rental car that would take him to literally the last place on earth he ever wanted to return: Beacon Hills, California.

Four hours later he stopped in Redding for food and gas. He hated Redding. He hated California. He hated every hour that took him closer to Beacon Hills and to the memories he couldn’t escape. He knew that, most of all, he hated himself. Death and disaster followed him like a shadow. First it was Paige, then his family, and now Laura was missing.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/3387539 I'll be right back (in 24 years) by AnaIsFangirling (Ana_K_Lee) 48k, Stiles/Derek, time travel, de-aged!Derek, slow build, fix-it,

When Derek thought about time travel – and he did, a lot – this was not what he'd had in mind. He'd thought he would see his younger self, tell him to leave Paige alone and NEVER trust Kate Argent. He'd thought he’d get to come back once that was done and everything would be perfect. He never imagined having to relive his entire life.

comment: can i just.. highlight that “entire life”, is entirely literal and i am LIVING for it.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/579880 Derek Hale's Seduction Techniques by omelet 6k, Stiles/Derek, pining,

It doesn't sit well with Stiles, the thing at the police station and with Erica. It niggles at him from the back of his mind, screaming PAY ATTENTION TO ME. Because Derek's apparently familiar enough with flirting to do it successfully, like it's something that comes naturally to him, but what kind of broody misanthropic guy flirts?

https://archiveofourown.org/series/32393 Most Important Meal of the Day series by peroxidepest17 11k, Stiles/Derek,

The one where Derek is like a box of Kix (or something).

https://archiveofourown.org/works/1045495 Unbroken by Piscaria 43k, Stiles/Derek, cancer, werewolf!Stiles, made them do it, bloodplay, mating bond,

When Stiles starts getting sick, he assumes his appetite loss and lethargy stem from the darkness the Nemeton left in his heart. But soon enough, even he can’t deny that he’s showing the same symptoms his mom had. When he's forced to face the truth about his illness, Stiles finds himself making a choice he never thought he’d make.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/13119609 Start Small, Like Oak Trees by SmallBirds 24k, Stiles/Derek, the sheriff is amazing,

The months following Allison's death have passed Stiles by in a haze of monotony. He sleepwalks through days that seem to lose their color, an unwilling passenger in a body he no longer trusts. Eventually, he thinks, he'll just fade away. He isn't sure anyone would notice. Then, during a spur of the moment grocery run, he stumbles upon Derek Hale attempting to console a lost child, and for the first time in recent memory the world doesn't seem so awful. He's not sure what he'd been expecting when he eventually convinces Derek to move into the Stilinski's spare bedroom, but a newfound passion for weeding and topsoil certainly isn't it.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/11748945 Scrubbing Bubbles by MargaretKire 46k, Stiles/Derek, AU, scent kink,

Stiles thought it would be easy doing janitorial work for an office. At first, it really was. The job only took a few hours in the evenings and it helped pay for rent and college. Sure, Hale Industries took up an entire floor in one of the downtown financial buildings, but the place was new and easy to care for. He didn’t even have to spend much time cleaning the huge corner office, because the trash was nearly always empty and the office itself was spotless, like no one used it.

It was basically the perfect college job. At least, until the boss started staying late.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/4273428 Into The Open Air by Acherona, trulywicked 99k, Stiles/Derek, AU, kid fic, huamn alpha!Stiles,

It was a little strange moving back to Beacon Hills. His daughter becoming enchanted with his odd and very attractive neighbor didn't really help matters.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/13560651 What Goes Around by KouriArashi 71k, Stiles & Peter, Stiles/Derek, canon-AU, BAMF!Stiles, killer!Stiles,

“Well,” Stiles says, “if they’re going to hunt werewolves, I’m going to hunt them.”

It’s a ridiculous statement from a ten-year-old, but he’s obviously one hundred percent sincere. For the first time since the fire, Peter feels life stir inside him, feels purpose. It’s kismet, clearly. He’ll never meet the child he would have had with Olivia. Instead he’s met this boy, this brilliant, determined, cynical child with a world of potential.

Peter kneels down in front of him so they’re at eye level. “How do you feel about doing that together?”

https://archiveofourown.org/works/14716970 Truth and Consequences by KouriArashi 45k, Peter/Stiles, slow build, h/c

“The place you give the Bite has meaning," Derek says. "Biting someone on the side is to make them your beta. It makes them your subordinate, but it also invites them into the pack with the full protection of the alpha. Biting someone on the legs indicates that you’re turning them to an omega. And biting someone on the arm, particularly the wrist, turns someone as your equal. It’s a mating ritual.”

Stiles nearly chokes on a mouthful of granola. “A what?”

https://archiveofourown.org/works/1070471 With or Without You by KouriArashi 62k, Stiles/Derek, AU, fake dating, UST, mating rituals,

Derek thinks that the mating rituals are overly romanticized bullshit, but claiming a mate and defending them from challengers is something werewolves do, and his pack can't afford to appear weak after the fire. Especially not when Deucalion and his friends are in town for the rituals. Enter Stiles Stilinski, who offers to let Derek claim him so he won't be overrun at the ceremonies. Nothing goes as expected.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/485744 The Domestication of Canis Lupus by zoemathemata 3k, pre-Stiles/Derek, wolf!derek,

The age old story of a boy and his dog werewolf. They play in the woods, they go for walks. They don’t talk about it. Ever.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/629986 til the earth dies with the sun by callunavulgari 11k, Stiles/Derek,female!Derek, mythology,

“What are you doing to yourself, Derek?” — In which there is a retelling of season one, wolf pelts of selkie-esque origins, Derek fucking up, and Derek realizing that she can, in fact, forgive herself.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/532745 In quiet, a favor by Helenish 12k, Stiles/Derek,

“You like happy endings, huh?” Stiles says, lying pressed in against his back, sliding his fingers along the edge of Derek’s chest, along his ribs and up his sternum.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/550685 this boy, half-destroyed by M_Leigh 25k, Stiles/Derek, derek hale and his infinite pain, 2pov,

"Bodies – those are something you understand, mostly; you know immediately exactly how much smaller he is than the last time you saw him. Too skinny, too pale; his cheeks cave in a little too much, from his face. He’s a shadow of something: he looks like the dead walking. His hands are stuffed down in the pockets of his hoodie and he looks tentative but not afraid."

Derek Hale used to have a family. Now, he's got a teenage human more trouble than he's worth. Post-S2.

2nd pov done RIGHT

https://archiveofourown.org/works/730880 Rattle This Ghost Town by whiskey_in_tea 20k, Stiles/Derek, pack dynamics,

The Second Annual Totally Democratic Meeting of the Equals of the Beacon Hills Werewolf Pack does not go any better than the first one did.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/11509980 Under the Songbird’s Wing by mia6363 87k, Peter/Stiles, AU, PTSD, captivity, trauma, touch starved, pack bonding,

Captivity easily destroys the will of escape. It can break the fiercest of animal. It can strip the most regal man and woman down to nothing but animal needs.

Captivity can, if met with unwavering determination, shape a person into something unimaginable.

Stiles is sixteen when he's captured. Stiles's first thought is, "I won't die here."

dark af but deep and lovely and definitely one of the best fics i’ve ever read

https://archiveofourown.org/works/19274371 Bad Blood by DiscontentedWinter 62k, Stiles/Derek, Peter&Stiles, AU, hunter hunting!Stiles, murder,

Stiles Stilinski was taken from Beacon Hills when he was ten years old. Now, six years later, he’s a trained hunter, and he’s back to help the Argents finish the job they started.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/6798541 Wolfsbane by DiscontentedWinter 48k, Stiles/Derek, AU, torture, captivity, kate argent as a warning,

Kate Argent has kept a little trophy of the Hale fire for all these years - Derek Hale. When Deputy Stiles Stilinski finds him, he doesn't just need to rescue Derek from the Argents. He needs to rescue Derek from his past.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/19981762 hold on to me because i'm a little unsteady by starcanopus 6k, Stiles/Derek, AU, time travel, hale family,

“Derek.” Stiles casts a slightly nervous glance around the cafeteria, eyes widening. He's a little surprised that Stiles knows his name.

Derek can feel his teammates’ gazes on him, can hear their confused whispers. He doesn’t care. There’s just…something about Stiles, and despite his parents’ warnings (“be careful of that Stilinski boy, son, he doesn’t feel right”), Derek wants to know more. He wants to know why Stiles is always alone and why, despite the sarcastic grin that seems permanently etched over his lips, he sometimes reeks of grief and rage.

“Can I sit here?”

https://archiveofourown.org/works/1153006 Sleep Awhile by allyasavedtheday 7k, Stiles/Derek, bed sharing, fluff,

Stiles and Derek decide to take part in some mutually beneficial naptime

https://archiveofourown.org/works/628714 The Mending That You Need by torakowalski 3k, Stiles/Derek, subdrop, aftercare,

“He’s not my boyfriend, Stiles. He’s a man from a club. I couldn’t call him, if I wanted to.”

https://archiveofourown.org/works/824824 Wash Me Clean by tigerlady (shetiger) 37k, Stiles/Derek, first time, scent marking, watersports, ritualistic sex,

Derek doesn't know what the alpha pack is planning, so all he can do is keep watch on everyone they might target. Stiles is so not on board with that plan. Somehow their clash of wills leads to a sexual relationship Derek knows he should put an end to—if he can just get himself to do so.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/673925 That's What Friends Are For by tigerlady (shetiger) 6k, Scott/Stiles, genderswap, first time,

Somehow, Scott managed to wind up on the wrong end of a genderswapping spell.

Turns out, it's not a completely bad thing.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/558702 he pushed inside and made me new by tigerlady (shetiger) 11k, Lydia/Stiles, fuck buddies,

"I love Jackson," she says as soon as she's close enough that she doesn't have to raise her voice.

"Okay?" Stiles glances left to right, like her meaning is crouched in the darkness somewhere. "I love Taco Tuesdays. Back to you."

They go back to school in the fall, and everyone acts like it's all okay. Like none of it ever happened. That's all right, because Lydia could have an Oscar someday. If she wanted one.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/13580295 How We Got Here by Areiton 9k, Stiles/Derek, bed sharing, domestic fluff, didn’t know they were dating,

Maybe if you fight the creatures of the night together like they did, if you bury enough friends and strangers and enemies, you don’t lose touch.

He thinks that’s why he and Derek are friends--because Derek understands his nightmares, understands the nights when he can’t talk, and the nights he can’t stand the dark.

OR: Against all odds and expectations, Stiles and Derek have become respectable adults ( WHY?) and friends.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/5030350 Unlucky Ace by MissAnnThropic 41k, Laura/OMC, Stiles/Derek,

Laura Hale brings her boyfriend home to meet the family, and there is something absolutely terrifying about the Hales.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/7740541 Sanctuary by DiscontentedWinter 56k, Peter/Stiles, past torture, PTSD, scars,

The Hale Wolf Sanctuary isn’t just for wolves.

It turns out it’s for Stilinskis as well.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/16619414 Baby Daddy by DiscontentedWinter 55k, Stiles/Derek, canon-AU,

Laura Hale decides it's time to expand her pack. And Stiles could really use the money. And Derek... well, that's when things get complicated.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/3195734 Home by TheTypewriterGirl 167k, Stiles/Derek, h/c, depression,

January seventh. Seven days since the start of 2015, and seven days since his father’s death.

The bastard, he thinks bitterly. The past year Derek Hale had made it blatantly obvious that he hated his scrawny guts, taking every given opportunity to shove him up against a wall, growl threats in his ears and roll his eyes whenever he stepped into the room, muttering some snide comment about how spastic or idiotic he was.

So why did he fucking volunteer to take him in?

https://archiveofourown.org/works/5943391 Whatever Works by KouriArashi 61k, Peter/Stiles, Stiles/Derek, soulmates, asexuality, aromantic, polyamory,

The problem with having your soulmate's first words to you tattooed on your arm is knowing your whole life that you're fated to be with a jerk. It's enough to make Stiles want to date other people ... which is how he winds up dating his soulmate's nephew.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/4070788 Call My Name by KouriArashi 81k, Peter/Stiles, mystery, angst, mental health issues, mating bond,

After moving to Beacon Hills, Stiles starts having recurring dreams of a man in some kind of prison, who needs his help. Things get so bad that he ends up in Eichen House, where he finds out that the man is real.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/18388196 A Match Unmade in Beacon Hills by KouriArashi 47k, Stiles/Derek, AU, soulmates, pining,

Derek met his soulmate Kate Argent when he was 15, and he's tried for years to understand why his soulmate is so cruel to him. Then he meets Stiles Stilinski, who has no soulmate mark, an extremely rare phenomenon. Stiles thinks that he's destined to be alone forever, but apparently fate has other plans...

https://archiveofourown.org/works/2533796 Devil of Mercy by KouriArashi 82k, Peter/Stiles, AU, mystery, mating bond, sexual assault, prostitution, pack politics,

Peter's heard people talk about what it felt like when they saw their mate for the first time, from those who actually believe in the mystical bullshit. Like a magnet, like gravity. Peter just feels... sharply curious.

Marvel

all of the universes

https://archiveofourown.org/works/14826525 in cayenne and honey, in vinegar and lime by alby_mangroves, Nonymos 27k, M’Baku/Bucky, Steve/Bucky, enemies to lovers,

M’Baku fought for T’Challa. But should he keep fighting for T’Challa’s vision? The king is professing change, such deep change, while the Jabari are supposed to be the guardians of tradition.

It’s a complex problem, which demands a cool head. So M’Baku could really do without an old love coming back to haunt him, an obnoxious royal teenager, and T’Challa’s secret one-armed guest.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/16437236 taking everyone for a ride by Nonymos 49k, Venom/Eddie, Venom/Eddie/Dan/Anne, poly, all the kink,

Things Eddie Brock flirts with on a regular basis: death, insanity, his ex, his ex’s new boyfriend, and also the alien symbiote that lives inside his body. Not bad for a loser with no game, really.

- Everything by Nonymos is pure gold, honestly.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/12823671 despite the threatening sky and shuddering earth (they remained) by praximeter (Zimario) 71k, Steve/Bucky, body horror, drug withdrawal, angst, touch starved

“They really didn’t want the mask to come off.” Hill thumbed through the scans, and pulled out a film that she then handed over to Sam, face mostly expressionless but for the flat line of her pursed lips.

Sam accepted the film and held it up to the light, angling so both he and Steve could see it, squinting at the outline of the Winter Soldier’s skull, and the blips of unnatural white that showed up, God, in his brain, not to mention about half his teeth, plus the mask, with its thin protrusions—

“Those are pins,” Steve realized. He looked over at Hill. “The mask—it’s nailed to his face.”

Hill’s face was as unmoved as ever. “Like I said. They really didn’t want it coming off.”

https://archiveofourown.org/works/8615512 Side bitch out of your league by rohkeutta 2k, Steve/Bucky, AU, wrong number,

“I tried to call Sam,” Captain America says, bewildered. He’s sprinting like Usain Bolt and doesn’t sound even a little out of breath. Fucker. “Who’re you?”

“Someone who’s watching you live on TV,” Bucky tells him as the tiny patriotic figure on the screen takes the turns like he instructed. Bucky should probably be a lot more freaked out about this, but honestly? After a tour in the Middle East and six years as a nurse in New York, even this isn’t enough to ruffle him. One sees a lot of shit in the ER. “Also, you better hang up now, that thing is behind the next bend.”

“Uh, okay,” Captain America says. “Thanks?”

“Whatever,” Bucky says, disconnects the call and turns the TV off to get ready for his shift.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/1583054 Come To Morning by orphan_account 4k, Steve/Bucky,

He figured it was natural, kind of—well, not natural, but he and Steve spent a lot of time together, and Steve didn’t get so much attention from girls, which was a crying shame because he was a good guy and a girl could do a lot worse. But it meant maybe Steve got a bit confused, because sometimes he would look at Bucky with this look. This bright, astonished look, like he was seeing something so good he couldn’t quite believe it was real. It made Bucky squirm inside, a little.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/2628242 Kiss Me Hello by kehinki 5k, Steve/Bucky, fluff,

Bucky and Steve take to kissing each other hello, goodbye, goodnight. It's all very platonic until it isn't.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/3765634 Painted in Indigo by nekare 11k, Steve/Bucky, pining,

“You should be careful of that one,” Mr. Hendrickson says, with a nod to Bucky outside the window. “It ain’t right. Looking at you all the time as he does. The way he should be looking at girls.”

Steve laughs, because damn, but what a ridiculous idea.

Or, five times Steve caught Bucky looking at him, and the one time he looked first.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/2365754 all different names for the same thing by becausemagnets 11k, Steve/Bucky, asexual character,

"Doesn’t mean that much, you know. Plenty of guys go down to the docks every once in a while, get themselves taken care of. Their shoes shined.” He sneered at Steve, but Steve wasn’t looking at him, lost in something he’d probably never tell Bucky about. “Some of ‘em got wives and kids and everything. Sail all the way around the world to get it in Brooklyn. I’m, uh, I’m pretty good at it. Shining shoes, I mean. At least as good as a dame you’d pay for, probably. It wouldn’t mean anything if we-- did that. I mean, I could be the punk, that’s not a--”

“Bucky, shut up.”

https://archiveofourown.org/works/3520175 hold me until we crumble by queenklu 22k, Steve/Bucky,

“Sam told me you were watching Antiques Roadshow,” Natasha says, shaking out her hair. “I assumed it was a national emergency.”

https://archiveofourown.org/works/2537363 Silent thunder, as of a thousand wings by kaasknot 83k, Steve/Bucky, AU, angel!Bucky, pining, angst,

A theologian once said that angels are constructs of love and holy rage, and chained to obedience through both. Or maybe a theologian hadn't said that. Maybe it was the Bright One himself, or just Uriel being grumpy.

But Bucky knows that he loves Steve, and he loves his taskmaster of a boss even as he gripes about him over beers after work, and he loves the dames with their red, red lips and smooth, soft curves (and he loves the guys, loves their strength and the tall, proud lines of them), and he loves old Mrs. Greene even when her rheumatism acts up and she turns mean as a wet cat. But he loves Steve most of all, and if Bucky is shackled to mindless obedience because of it, he calls it a good trade, because Steven Grant Rogers is the best person he knows. When it comes down to it, he figures his desire only adds a new dimension to a love that was already there, glowing hot enough to burn.

He was sent to Earth in a cage of mortal flesh to watch over Steve, and Bucky can do no less than love him with all his heart.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/1871955 Out of the Dead Land by orphan_account 62k, Steve/Bucky, identity issues, h/c,

Someone is building machines that look and act like people.

Meanwhile, the Winter Soldier tries to be Bucky Barnes.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/1920351 Try jumping by brokentoy 1k, Steve/Bucky, frottage,

His legs tighten their hold and Steve grunts, pushes his head back until it thumps against the floor and Bucky looks up, takes advantage of the moment and fists his hand into Steve’s hair, right at the nape of his neck.

‘’Say uncle,’’ he says.

‘’Nope’’, Steve answers.

He pulls his hand a little, ‘’Come on.’’ Steve’s head arches with it.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/1560899 Jonathan to his David by Vera (Vera_DragonMuse) 9k, Steve/Bucky, codependency, small dick,

Before, Bucky loved Steve's size. After, he falls in love with the whole package.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/1825195 The Unlikely Summoner by Kryptaria 4k, Steve/Bucky, AU, demon!Bucky,

The fallen angel Buchuel has been summoned to the mortal world many times. Its powers have toppled kingdoms and destroyed armies. It thought it had seen it all... until a lonely young man from Brooklyn, seeking a good luck charm, accidentally summons Buchuel.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/1181292 Targets And Taking by Salmon_Pink Peter/Flash Thompson, bullying,

He's left his bruises on Parker, but Parker's left a mark somewhere under Flash's skin.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/11211306 The Man in the Mask by thelonebamf 21k, Wade/Peter, AU,

When Wade is unceremoniously dropped off into the custody of one Dr. Parker, he assumes the man has only the worst possible intentions for one of the world's last remaining mutants. But it turns out, the universe still holds plenty of surprises for them both.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/12292941 From the Mouths of Babes by CAPSING 6k, Wade/Peter, age difference, internalized victim blaming,

“There’s a guy who’s been flirting with me.” “Mhmm,” Ned turns to Peter, swallowing his bite. “Is he hot?”

(Or: Deadpool starts hitting on Spider-Man, unaware he’s a minor; ignorance turns up not to bring any bliss to either of them.)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/16667122 The Devil All The Time by LeafyGreenQueen773 6k, Wade/Peter, AU, crush, catholic guilt,

AU: Peter doesn't have powers, but Wade does. Peter Parker was raised Catholic by his parents, and Uncle Ben took up the gauntlet of taking Peter to mass every Sunday. Now that Ben is gone, Peter feels guilty all the time. His emerging sexuality doesn't help.

Excerpt: Peter slipped a hand under the waistband of his pajama pants; he was already hard, and sensitive. The moment he wrapped his hand around himself, he felt a bead of moisture drip out of him. “Oh God,” he murmured into the darkness. Guilt surged into his chest. With a groan, Peter pulled his hand out of his pants and grabbed onto the sheet instead. He turned onto his side and forced himself to close his eyes.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/18242423 Arachnid meets Mercenary (and is happier for it) by landunderwave 11k, Wade/Peter, emotional h/c, first time, loneliness,

Spiderman is strong, fast, self-confident, sassy. Peter Parker is awkward, nerdy, socially graceless, and visibly not-human. They are both so very lonely. Enter stage left, one Merc with a Mouth, aka Deadpool, aka Wade Winston Wilson, booty-seeker extraordinaire. Also secretly lonely. Will they overcome their hangups and fall in love? Definitely, it's written in the tags.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/17647748 A Study of Stairways by sparkstarthetrashcan 14k, Wade/Peter, AU, ghost fic,

Wade Wilson is a bad student. Poor grades, no attention span and not a soul to help him. Even if he tries to study he’s always distracted by his phone or a supernaturally attractive boy who showed up out of nowhere, whispering answers in his ear.

Peter, almost got into Harvard, Parker spends his time tutoring students. He’s smart enough and he’s got nothing else to do, so he might as well. But Wade’s different. He doesn’t seem to want Peter for his brain like everyone else, Wade cares about him.

Problem is, Peter isn’t normal. He’s a ghost.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/12664023 Weaver of Silk and Dreams by a_stands_for 73k, Wade/Peter, Peter/Johnny Storm, AU, mutant!Peter, age difference, slow burn, pining,

Ben Parker sighed as he looked up into The Thing's eyes, so expressively human in spite of the rest of his rocky appearance.

“My fifteen-year-old nephew--who's practically my own little boy!--” he choked out with a tight voice, “h-he can't pass for human anymore. He's scared, and he's isolated, and he just needs someone else to talk to! Someone who can understand. Please."

_____

Some alternate realities are unrecognizable, and some are indistinguishable. This one lies somewhere in between.

Peter Parker's life was derailed when he mutated into a strange human/spider hybrid, and he knows that's not the way things went down for him in other realities. Still, he's determined to forge a new path and make the best of it. Sometimes "the friends we made along the way" really is the greatest treasure anyone could ask for.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/561716 We Might Be Radioactive by Croik 48k, Bruce/Peter, age difference,

Peter misses his chance at saving the world alongside the Avengers, but he's not out. When he scales Stark Tower hoping to meet Tony (and possibly secure a seat on the team) he instead meets Bruce, who has taken up a temporary residence while he continues his Hulk research. The two bond over science-y things, but between Bruce's dry spell, Peter's teen hormones, and the secret identities they're still coming to grips with themselves, it doesn't take long for things to get complicated.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/6578101 Calenture by Florentium 12k, Steve/Bucky, first time, body dysphoria, gender roles,

A heatwave has had Steve and Bucky cooped up in the tenement for the past couple of days and Steve is starting to wear out.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/2599046 there's nothing left of you by notallbees 22k, Steve/Buck, pining, body dysphoria, emotional h/c,

Bucky’s having a hard time reconciling Captain America with the friend he left behind in Brooklyn. It’s bad enough that every time he closes his eyes he sees the inside of a torture chamber. Now, every time he opens them again, he sees a stranger with Steve Rogers’ eyes and smile.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/7907179 Strays by snarklyboojum 33k, Steve/Bucky, semi-accidental voyeurism, weaponized music, surveillance,

After finding himself alone for the first time in decades, the Winter Soldier learns how to be a person again. Mostly through caring for an orphaned kitten, countless rounds of YouTube roulette, and stalking Captain America.

Or: Bucky Barnes, accidental millennial.

Naruto

https://archiveofourown.org/works/11500380 I'm falling for your eyes (but they don't know me yet) by blackkat 1k, Shisui/Naruto, gender fluid character,

Shisui is done. Gone. That’s it for him, he’s toast.

(Or, Shisui is in love. Naruto is mostly oblivious. Everyone else is entirely convinced that Shisui is a creeper.)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/7726795 How To Survive The Weirdest Experience Of Your Life by IncompleteSentanc (Erava) 40k, Obito/Kakashi, everybody lives nobody dies, post time travel fix-it, PTSD,

Obito has lived through the single weirdest experience of his life. Not many could say that they'd gotten crushed by a boulder, had half their body replaced by creepy alien flesh, was promptly held captive for a year by a supposed-to-be-dead Madara Uchiha, was saved by a randomly raiding pack of supervillains, then promptly killed by them, fixed up again, then dumped in a forest, and finally, FINALLY, returned home again.

Yeah.

His life has gotten pretty weird. But he's home, he has his family, and he has hope that someday soon he'll be able to say he didn't just survive the experience - but that he also come out of it pretty okay.

(Sequel to How To Save The World)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/14084685 kintsukuroi by tomorrowsrain 26k, Obito/Kakashi, AU,

In which Kakashi and Obito survive the Kyuubi attack, get exiled from Konoha, learn how to survive, and still manage to become legends along the way.

(The bratty genin are unexpected, though.)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/10220633 Sakutaro by NikkiGrand 9k, Sakura/Sakura, rule 63, self-cest,

When Haruno Sakutaro said that he'd date the hell out of himself, he wasn't being literal.

But they say that man makes plans and God laughs, and ain't that the truth?

Somehow finding himself in an alternate dimension where he's a girl, Sakutaro finds himself venturing into unknown, salaciously ridiculous territory...for science.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/14826039 three is a crowd by exarite 3k, Sakura/Neji/Shikamaru, voyeurism, exhibitionism, poly,

There's no real time and place to pinpoint how exactly the three of them began, and so all they have is this: moments in time, steps in place for the three of them to fall together.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/876332 Forbidden by enodia 2k, Sakura/Shikamaru, infidelity, secret relationship,

Sometimes what you see is what you get. Sometimes not. Sometimes only a select few know what really goes on behind the scenes. Sakura and Shikamaru are both aware of this and they prefer to keep some secrets to themselves.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/13544241 J'accuse! by TipsyRaconteur 38k, Sakura/Kakashi,

In which Kakashi and Sakura make a series of escalating accusations.

-----

Glaring at him, she said accusingly, “You like me.”

His eyes widened, and a short, disbelieving laugh escaped his lips. “What, are you twelve?”

https://archiveofourown.org/works/15123857 An Experiment by mummapaintstheblues 140k, Sakura/Kakashi, slow burn,

Surely even the Hokage is able to indulge in the occasional mope in the privacy of his own office.. A project to get these ninja some much needed therapy brings two of them together in a unique way. It might just be enough to pull them out of the loneliness, and Kakashi is determined she won't end up like him. A long winded slow burn in which Kakashi makes questionable decisions to end his Hokagedom and Sakura continues to be awesome.

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Star Wars

https://archiveofourown.org/works/21798157 Binary Stars by Pawprinter 2k, Finn/Poe,

There is nothing like an approaching battle and looming death to make one come clean about their hidden feelings. Minutes before he is set to take off, Poe has one thing on his mind.

He needs to find Finn.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/6056386 Sehnsuch by tjiokra (scatteredmoonlight) 27k, Finn/Poe, canon-AU, conditioning, memory loss, PTSD,

Phasma issues to the FN unit refurbished datapads plundered from a demolished Resistance base, which have been refilled with First Order propaganda. Naturally, FN-2187’s datapad malfunctions and resets to its original settings. Before FN-2187 can properly panic over this, a message is sent to him by a Resistance fighter under the code name Black Leader. It’s one simple word: “Status?”

FN-2187 wakes up to the orders of committing coldblooded murder and falls asleep to the despair of the dead. He’s one step away from messing up and getting reconditioned. When Black Leader asks how he’s doing, even if the question isn’t intended for him, FN-2187 can’t help himself.

He replies, “Alive.”

https://archiveofourown.org/works/7423957 A Thicket of New Veins by gloss 5k, Finn/Poe, first time, PTSD, accidental stimulation,

"I'm okay." Poe grabs Finn's shoulder and tugs him closer. "Promise you won't laugh?"

"Yeah, of course, I won't." Finn nods and hope it looks reassuring. "You know, other than that one defection, I'm a pretty reliable person."

"Yeah," Poe says, and maybe it's just because they're leaning so close like they're about to share their deepest secrets, but Finn hears Poe's *breath* every bit as much as his words. "You really are. Um." Unexpected reunion, post-battle stress, and accidental stimulation=desperately needed first time.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/5609887 to the sky without wings by leupagus 81k, Poe/Luke,

Poe dreams of a blue-green tree.

this is a very, very good read.

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Good Omens

https://archiveofourown.org/works/19386730 Spoonful by Demorra (thebibliosphere) 2k, Aziraphale/Crowley,

“Nanny?”

Crowley’s head jerked up as he twisted round awkwardly in his chair to find a familiar face staring at him through the crowd, the time-altered features torn somewhere between consternation and twitching on the verge of a grin. He stared.

“Warlock?” Crowley he demanded, reaching for his glasses and only just managing to resist the urge to pull them off, “Warlock?”

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Merlin

https://archiveofourown.org/works/638875 The One Where Arthur Sells Tongue Cuz Being Rich is Hard Life by derryere 5k, Merlin/Arthur, AU, pining,

Arthur sells make-out lessons at a boarding school.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/10991331 Heart Lines by PeaceHeather 47k, Merlin/Arthur, soulmates, asexuality,

Everyone is born with a heart line, a pigmented mark running from the heart down the left arm to the palm, which turns color when the person comes of age, telling them when it is time to seek their soulmate. Red indicates a romantic love, while blue is for platonic "heart-friends", as the minstrels called it.

Uther had always told Arthur to ignore his heart line, that it wouldn't matter who his soulmate was; princes did not marry for love, after all. If was lucky, he'd be able to keep her as a mistress, so long as he did not get any children with her. Uther hated magic and would have urged Arthur to ignore the heart line anyway, if he could.

Arthur wasn't sure his soulmate was really a woman despite Uther's assumptions. But Arthur's heart line hadn't even come into its full color yet, which meant he hadn't come of age in the eyes of the gods, despite being named crown prince by Uther. So it really didn't matter: whoever his soulmate was, he wasn't yet ready to meet them.

Then one day his heart line comes in, and it's neither red nor blue.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/19835569 Show Me by tehfanglyfish 10k, Merlin/Arthur, telepathic bond, accidental voyeurism, mutual masturbation,

An attack from a vindictive sorcerer leaves Arthur able to hear Merlin's thoughts and share his dreams, revealing secrets Merlin would rather keep hidden.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/3218075 Fathom Me Out by supercalvin 21k, Merlin/Arthur,

After ten years, Arthur thinks he has Merlin all figured out. But as he watches Merlin, he finds out that he has more questions than answers. The longer he thinks about it, the more uneasy he feels. So he pushes it aside. Except, he can no longer ignore the questions he has about Merlin.

Not your everyday reveal!fic.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/245495 The Promise Within by MK_Yujji 49k, Merlin/Arthur,

“This is not as destiny intended, young warlock. You are meant to be the magical side of this coin, not the young Pendragon. I can no longer clearly see what path destiny will follow.”

An ancient ceremony alters the course of destiny and everyone must face choices that no one expected. As Uther’s hatred of magic clashes with his love for his son, Arthur sees everything in a different light.

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Borderlands

https://archiveofourown.org/works/5784007 up into the silence, the green by bellpickle 78k, Handsome Jack/Rhys, AU,

Rhys thought he was ready for anything when he arrived on Helios as a newly minted Hyperion worker bee. Until the CEO was murdered on his very first day.

-----

"Hey there, kiddos! Handsome Jack here. I’m sure you’ve all heard the good news by now, or at least waved at it as it floated by the windows. If you look real closely at Mr Tassiter’s frostbitten face, you can see the tear streaks from when he cried like a pansy bitch in his final moments. Good times!”

“Anyway, just wanted to tell you all how honored I am to know that you dirty ingrates are already making attempts on my life. I’m expecting at least one more before the day’s end, so don’t disappoint me. I’ll be waiting."

-----

The story of how Rhys fell in love with the most hated man in six galaxies.

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Hannibal

https://archiveofourown.org/works/10505733 The Fault in My Code by LiaS0 90k, Will/Hannibal, AU, soulmates, manipulation, gaslighting, murder,

Soulmate AU: Soulmates find their other half when they look into their eyes. After the next time they sleep, they wake with one eye the color of their intended.

Will Graham avoids eyes. He's never wanted a soulmate, never wanted to be told by the universe who he was supposed to feel a connection to. He already struggles enough with connections, thank you very much. As a psychiatrist, he works with soulmates who have lost their other half through various means, part of a social system that regards the journey to your soulmate as the most important thing a person can do. Coerced by Jack Crawford to consult on a case where the assailant is targeting soulmates, Will finds himself turning to the notorious Dr. Lecter to gain insight on how he's choosing the soulmates to target.

Things go horribly awry when he looks into Hannibal's eyes, though. The next morning, he wakes up with one eye blue, the other maroon. He's never wanted a soulmate, least of all one behind bars for murdering dozens of people and eating them. Hannibal thinks it's delightful -it's been dreadfully boring since he was locked up.

Romance, thriller, mayhem, mystery, soulmate au with a realistic twist, and a grumpy Will Graham

absolutely fascinating take on the trope

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Avatar: The Last Airbender

https://archiveofourown.org/works/4592961 challenging by orphan_account 5k, Sokka/Zuko, sparring,

Sokka knew Fire Nation customs were weird, especially the customs surrounding royalty, but it seemed impossible for something like treating your sparring partner to be so outrageously out of Zuko's comfort zone. For Sokka, it was common sense, even if he'd grown up sparring with cloth bundles instead of real people. It was just the right thing to do. Maybe this wasn't even a Fire Nation thing, maybe it was a Zuko thing. After all, it was only recently that he'd even decided to join Team Avatar and hitch his hopes with the good guys. This might just be one of the many things that former villains had to learn – like smiling, or laughing in a way that didn't sound sharp and bladed. But looking at Zuko now, still staring at him, he had a good idea it was the former.

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Toy Story

https://archiveofourown.org/works/617850 Under the Table and Dreaming by hollycomb 103k, Andy/Sid,

Andy met Sid when he was four years old, and while some things change, a lot of things stay the same.

this fic is an amazing read

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South Park

https://archiveofourown.org/works/2460731 Never Change by hollycomb 115k, Stan/Kyle, murder mystery, closeted character,

Thirteen years after his high school girlfriend's pregnancy upended his life, Stan is still in South Park, working with his partner Bebe as a local cop. They're in the process of investigating a series of possibly connected murders when FBI agent Kyle Broflovski returns to town and informs his old friend Stan that this is his investigation now.

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Buffy the Vampire Slayer

https://archiveofourown.org/works/16691212 Little Runaway by scarecrow_horses 42k Xander/Spike, domestic, off-screen prostitution,

An alternate ending to the 'Glory' problem from season 5. Dawn comes up with the perfect solution, and Spike reluctantly agrees. Now they just need a 'rational, mature, adult' to make the idea palatable to Buffy. Enter Xander.....

https://archiveofourown.org/works/1076429 Ritual, With Oil by dustandroses 2k, Xander/Spike, painting on skin, magical ritual, voyeurism,

This was what Xander got for volunteering. He needed to stop doing that.

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/r/NoSleep

https://www.reddit.com/r/nosleep/comments/8oueb7/i_work_security_at_disney_world_well_i_mean_i_did/ I work security at Disney World... well, I mean I did. by u/disneysecurity

I work in security at Disney World, the happiest place on Earth. Typically, I wouldn’t say where I work as obviously there are some pretty strict rules about things employees can put online, but I just don’t think I can tell this properly without that context. And, honestly, I think this may be it for me anyway with this job. I just can’t see myself working here any longer now.

https://www.reddit.com/r/nosleep/comments/3iex1h/im_a_search_and_rescue_officer_for_the_us_forest/ I'm a Search and Rescue Officer for the US Forest Service, I have some stories to tell by u/searchandrescuewoods

I wasn't sure where else to post these stories, so I figured I'd share them here. I've been an SAR officer for a few years now, and along the way I've seen some things that I think you guys will be interested in.

https://www.reddit.com/r/nosleep/comments/9z3cm6/so_yeah_i_dont_do_drugs_anymore/ So, Yeah... I Don't Do Drugs Anymore. by u/TheJesseClark

I mean, I was never a heavy addict, or anything. Never did heroin, or meth. Tried crack cocaine once. That was… yeah. But I was only sober for eight months between that and when Eddie, an old buddy of mine, introduced me to something called K3. Against my better judgement, I took him up on the offer.

https://www.reddit.com/r/nosleep/comments/9418eh/i_saw_something_on_the_evening_news_that_i_cant/ I saw something on the evening news that I can't explain by u/OQS

My work friends and I were out at our favourite pub last night. Not a really fancy place but, you know, cheap beer and close enough to home that I don't have to drive. The night started out normally enough, the four of us crammed into a small table off in the corner, mostly talking shop and shitting on our boss. Being this was the middle of the week there weren't too many other people around, maybe around eight or nine others in the whole place. Everybody just kinda keeping to themselves, sorta people you'd expect to see in a pub on a Wednesday.

Not enough? check out my notdead recs tag for previous editions containing another 1586+ fic recs (jfc) in various fandoms

#notdead recs #fic recs

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codenamesazanka · 5 years

Text

extremely hastily written, in before Chapter 218 comes out

We know that when Quirks started appearing, people freaked out. Quirk-users were feared and attacked, while Quirk-users also used their new found powers to do whatever they wanted ie commit crime. Vigilantes came about from this, an informal law enforcement and peace keeping, but once the government got a hold of things and started regulating quirks, they picked their choice of who got to be Heroes while the rest became Villains for not having the license to use their quirks. Ever since then, that system has remained the same, or so I suspect. People aren’t allowed to use their quirks willy-nilly, they need licensing, which occurs through mostly hero schools.

But what of people who can’t attend hero schools? Suddenly they aren’t allowed to use their quirks, which is like not being able to use an innate part of yourself. That must be frustrating. For quirks that are always ‘on’, that must be even worse - they’ll have to suppress it with external means. This could be support items - but support items are highly regulated, not everyone can just have one. More licensing, more extra work to suppress something you didn’t ask to be born with.

Horikoshi written in one of the extras that there’s Human Right groups for Quirks - they want the normalization of quirks, they want accommodation not suppression. That’s why they protested that news reporter who cut off his horn (his quirk) so he won’t block presentations. I imagine they want decriminalization of quirk usage...

...but that would mean everyone can be able to use their quirks, and that would be hard to oversee in day to day life. No doubt some people would use it for bad stuff, but also there will be activities that skirt the line. Like if Momo can create anything she wants, we’ll have to ask what’s she allowed to create and if she can give it to others and if that could potentially effect the economy (as she said herself). Or, like, idk, what if a homeless person use their quirk to build their own house? They just build it in an alleyway or abandon lot. I think real estate people and who oversees property stuff won’t be happy about that.

This also means that when people get confronted by heroes, what if they can use their quirks to fight back against what they believe is undue and excessive force? Of course, police don’t want you to ever fight back, but excessive force is a thing that brings penalty. Imagine the court cases where people fight over whether Heroes was using excessive force and the defendant was only using self defense to prevent himself from getting more injured than necessary. No more easy arrests.

But most of all, this means the government won’t have a monopoly on the labor of quirk-users. They’re Heroes, but they’re still workers. They provide their labor. (Do Heroes have a union???).

The thing about Hero Schools is that they train fighters for the government, and they don’t just make them proficient in quirk use, they’re actively training these kids to be experience warriors. Lethal. This makes them wayyyyy more powerful than most of the population, save for the people who train their quirk secretly, of which would include villains. Sure, in real life we have people who have military training and other expert combat skills, but I think we can agree there’s a huge difference between someone who can karate chop someone, and someone who can immediately scorch an entire city block.

Quirk Liberation Army sounds about right. The name harkens back to revolutionary groups that fought for freedom. I thought that they were historical, people who fought for their freedom, for a lifestyle not ‘pretend you don’t have quirks’ but one that is ‘quirks should be used and integrated into society’ or maybe even ‘we should make a society where only quirk users live’...but that’s kinda null once society has 80% of the population with quirks.

But apparently they’re still around. These people want quirks to be freely used... but maybe also to create a society govern by quirks, a hierarchy of powerful people, with quirkless people at the bottom.

(I personally was never too sold on the fact that quirkless people are necessarily oppressed, but I acknowledge the bias and discrimination and the increasing lack of knowing what to do with them in like schools and whatever else)

A society that freely uses their quirks also has big implications for businesses. Heroes are super popular, almost like idols, and their claim to fame is a lot of how they use their quirks, how they show off their quirks. These agencies, the people that market them, the people that sell their merchandise and everything - they also have a monopoly. You have a small subset of people that make money off the fact that there is a small subset of people showing off their quirks.

In the spin-off, there’s a character that wants to be an idol, and she uses her quirk to have street performances - but that’s illegal. She has to run from the cops. A world where people can use show off their quirks, you’ll have youtube stars, you’ll have a lot from street performances, people can market themselves their own abilities. They’ll be able to train themselves to the level of Heroes, even. There’s probably parallels about how the entertainment industry was affect by the rise of self-made youtube stars, and I’m likely overplaying the effect, but yeah. Like that.

Moreover, how do kids who want to go to Hero schools train their quirks? Do they all go into the woods and practice? Do the police turn a blind eye because they know they’re kids wanting to be heroes? Or is there, like in my headcanon, spaces where people can train their quirks - but again, are probably regulated again. If they’re private spaces, this means that someone is profiting off that - rent a gym for 2 hours, your kid can train. But this would be a barrier to those that don’t have the money or time to use, what, 6 hours each week to go to one of these gyms and train. Uraraka is poor, that’s why she applied to hero schools, and I’m totally not dismissing her hard work, but her quirk is relatively benign. She practice floating stuff, and her parents work construction, so she can practice heavier stuff relatively easily. But for a kid with an, say, a emitter fire quirk, that’s harder to do in a city with little wide space. There’s a reason that Endeavor prob has a huge house with a dojo so he can train himself and his kids with all that fire and no worry about property damage.

Shigaraki and his gang hate the current system of Heroes. Toga says she wants a world that’s easier to live in - she is talking about having to suppress herself and being shunned for having a blood quirk? Twice’s quirk affected his mental health and he thinks he’s not virtuous to be saved by heroes. Magne also rebelled against societal norms. Shigaraki himself hates heroes for being the face of justice, when they’re flawed justice (Justice is always going to be flaw when it’s humans dishing it out, but still); and with a disintegration quirk like his, he’s probably would be shunned in society. If he killed his dad, he’s the kid who would be known as ‘the kid who killed his dad with his quirk’. He’ll prob be carefully monitered and made to wear gloves mandatorily. I know there’s lots of headcanons where he wear gloves to use his hands freely, but imagine having to wear them constantly, almost 24/7.

Imagine that if he wants to let his hands air out a bit, his teachers start getting antsy and wants him to put them back on immediately. Imagine people waiting for you to fuck up. Hitoshi experienced a bit of that, but he isn’t shown to be monitored like that, but his is a voice quirk and it’s much more a visible violation of rights if he was forced to not talk, effectively made to be mute.

Shigaraki also wants to fuck shit up and hates rules and is all for chaos, so he doesn’t have the best reasons to hate current society, but yeah. His speech to Bakugou is how Villains feel bound by rules and regulations that limit their freedom. Suppression.

The current setting of My Hero Academia is one that’s implied to keep the current status quo of ‘let’s act like people don’t have quirks and carry on’. Gran Torino says that this age is an age of ‘suppression’ and I didn’t understand that at first, but now it makes sense. It’s suppressing quirk usage, it’s suppressing a possible right to bodily autonomy and self-determination. And what will the Villains and Heroes do about that when people start to want something different?

#bnha #my hero academia #boku no hero academia #mha #heroaca #quirks #meta #worldbuilding #nalslastworkingbraincell

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emeraldspiral · 5 years

Text

So I went to see Maleficent 2 with my friend yesterday. It was pretty meh.

The plot was super thin and it felt like nothing really happened for most of it and nobody had an arc. In particular, Maleficent does very little to drive the story and could basically be cut out of it for a solid hour in the middle. It was like someone wrote an outline, and then did one or two drafts filling in basic details like the names of the main characters and how things were going to move from scene to scene, but then they just called it good instead of continuing to flesh it out. Like the script was 90% placeholders.

Other random assorted thoughts;

Why didn’t the fairies break the windows or go after the redhead bitch right from the get go when she started dusting everyone?

Why didn’t the dark fae fly in a different attack formation, like try approaching the castle walls from above instead of flying low and then up and making themselves easier targets?

I legit thought Maleficent was with them when the attack started and did a double take when they cut away to her still with the dying guy and was like, “What the fuck? It was night when they got attacked and it’s the middle of the day now. Has she just been at that guy’s death bed for 12 straight hours when the warhawk guy’s entire plan was 'We can win even though we’re outnumbered and outgunned because we have her'?”

Also, I don’t really like that Mal is more powerful than other fae just because she was born that way. I thought she was a sorceress, someone who studied magic to get more powerful, not someone who just coasts on her innate abilities. It would make more sense with her having had to fend for herself and defend the moors from a young age and then losing her inhibitions about tapping into darker magic after her trauma.

WTF was with the comedy ending for the queen? Everything was super dark up until that point, building up to the same kind of brutal end they gave Aurora’s dad in the last movie. But instead she just gets turned into a goat with the caveat that she can be changed back whenever they decide she’s been punished enough.

The little porcupine girl was totally pointless. The first couple minutes of the movie where they introduced her and she fucks around with Aurora for the bit were the worst part of the movie. The forced whimsy and bad CGI were straight painful to look at.

They really just retconned their own movie by having Maleficent suddenly hate Philip and disapprove of his relationship with Aurora when she was all for it in the last movie.

Maleficent barely speaks and does nothing for most of the movie, particularly in the middle. All she does is look at stuff and listen to exposition and people talking about what they want her to do without interjecting with any of her own opinions or doing anything to advance the plot for like, an hour.

The story’s supposed to take place over three days but it seemed like only one or two passed.

Thought the one warhawk fae was going to turn out to be the one attacking humans instead of Maleficent at the beginning since all we saw were the horns and we got no confirmation when the queen was confronting Mal about it at dinner. I thought he’d turn out to be in cahoots with the queen or at least give a reason for Mal to reevaluate her position, but no such twist occurs.

Thought other fae would be more important because they had cool designs and the cameras focused on them a lot, but then they had no lines and did nothing.

Even the two fae who were important, the warhawk and the peace dove guys, were completely two-dimensional and a microcosm for the whole film. Like, the dove and the king and Philip and Aurora are all, “We shouldn’t kill people, that’s just going to piss them off” and the queen and the warhawk are like, “Peace is for pussies. I say we commit genocide.” And that’s literally all anybody has to say on the subject. There’s zero depth to it. That’s what I mean when I say it feels like everything that was written was a placeholder for a later draft that was supposed to flesh everything out more.

I honestly don’t even know why they gave the queen a backstory about her brother being killed by fae to explain her motive. Like, the two sides were already enemies. They didn’t need to explain why anyone else on either side personally didn’t like each other. All that backstory did was make me think it was building up to a reveal that the queen’s dead brother was a character we knew, but then he wasn’t.

Why did the queen need to spread rumors about Maleficent? That wasn’t something that needed explaining. Everyone’s racist, you could’ve just said they heard the story about Aurora being cursed and passed it around for 16 years and just didn’t believe it when Mal broke the spell. But even then, how could people not know? Like, it was known that Aurora woke up and became queen of the Moors and that Maleficent raised her and cared for her as her godmother. Why would people think Mal was evil when the person she supposedly cursed and then left to die was alive and well and freely associating with her? Also, why would Philip not correct those misconceptions?

Why did destroying the needle break the curse on the king when Mal wasn’t able to break Aurora’s curse with anything other than a kiss? Were they too afraid of Chinese homophobes to let Philip kiss his dad?

Why was Warwick Davis torturing and killing his own kind?

Tomb-bloom sounds like toon boom.

Who the hell were those baby fae at the end? Did Maleficent have kids?

What was with that one shot of a cradle when she was being rescued? Some sort of repressed memory? Begs a lot of questions about how Mal ended up alone running things in the moors while the rest of her kind were aware of her but just hanging out in their own place.

It’s called “Maleficent Mistress of Evil”, but she doesn’t do a damn thing throughout 99% of the movie, let alone anything evil and the story isn’t driven by people thinking she’s evil, it’s driven by Philip and Aurora’s impending nuptials.

Costumes were great though and Angie looked hot as fuck.

#maleficent #maleficent 2 #maleficent mistress of evil

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lex1nat0r · 5 years

Text

Granbelm

Mastery of the system comes at the expense of those crushed between its gears, or: rage against the machine

Hey kids, y’all heard of this Madoka anime? Because Granbelm sure has. Dismissing it as just a derivative of Madoka would be doing it a disservice, but it proudly wears Madoka’s influence on its sleeve, right down to the color-coded protagonists. Granbelm manages to mix things up by injecting mechs, and incorporates some definite mecha visual flare into its fight scenes. I’m not one to say whether Granbelm sticks closer to the mecha or magical girl side. Genre, like gender, is fake.

Do I like Granbelm? Sure, I like it well enough. I’d say it’s an uneven series. It didn’t really get my interest until about the halfway point. It wins the award for most sympathetic mid-season villain in my experience, so that’s something. And I think it has some things to say, even if it does get a little confused and goes off on a few tangents. Spoilers below the thing.

The titular Granbelm, which I’m pretty sure is a made-up word, is a contest between descendants of mages to see who gets all the magic power in the world and gets their wish granted by Magiaconatus, the amalgamation of gears and crystals that holds all of the magic power sealed by the mages of long ago. So a little bit of Fate mixed in with the Madoka there. The Granbelm itself is a combat tournament with the mages piloting mechs to defeat each other. Our two protagonists are Mangetsu, newly awakened to her mage powers, and Shingetsu, the more experienced mage who takes Mangetsu under her wing. Together they plan to win the Granbelm so Shingetsu can get her wish of removing all magic from the world.

I’m pretty sure Magiaconatus is also a made-up word.

So that mid-season villain. I liked Anna, in the end. I could sympathize with her, despite the fact that she’s clearly not the best person. She’s abusive to her posse and ends up killing her mother, but it’s painfully understandable how she winds up like that from wanting to be good at magic but having no innate ability and everyone telling her she’s never going to be good at it. That arc felt like it would have made her the protagonist of a different series, one that was kinder to her and were she a kinder person. But in Granbelm, her lack of innate magical ability means she’s doomed from the start. I wouldn’t call that writing that appeals to me normally (if you know the antagonist can’t match up to the protagonist, where is the tension in their conflict), but Granbelm at least felt like there was a point to this upending of expectations. The way her relationship to Shingetsu was revealed came off as a little sloppy to me, six episodes of Anna being aggro without much hint as to why. Then she gets defeated by Shingetsu and erased from existence because she tried to use too much magic power and barely mentioned again. I’d be disappointed if I didn’t feel like Granbelm was trying to make a point here. Or at least, there’s a point I can forcibly extract from Granbelm.

But first let’s move on to the villain of the second half of the show, Suishou. Now unfortunately, her introduction proper makes her out to be a literal predatory lesbian as it’s revelead that she seduced and then ate part of Kuon’s (another Granbelm contestant) sister’s soul. I don’t regard it as a great decision on the part of the show, but at least it’s the only major misstep. The twist is that Kuon’s sister actually planned for this, as the soul-part was intended to weaken Suishou so that Kuon could defeat her. That doesn’t work and Kuon is also erased from existence and doesn’t get mentioned much after that. I don’t quite get the point of the Suishou/Kuon arc, it just kind of happens. But then we’re back to Mangetsu and Shingetsu being involved in the plot and as the finale approaches it’s revealed that Shingetsu is ‘beloved of Magiaconatus’ which is why she’s such a powerful mage, Mangetsu is a magical puppet created by Magiaconatus to be Shingetsu’s friend, and Suishou herself is a magical puppet who has been tasked with being the final test for potential winners of the Granbelm for a thousand years and wants to win the prize for herself but can’t because she’s just a puppet.

It’s never explained why Magiaconatus is such a fan of Shingetsu. It’s possible Magiaconatus wants magic to be removed from the world so that it too can be removed from the world. But that is never discussed.

There’s a lot going on in Granbelm but an almost constant theme I picked up on was unfairness. It’s unfair that Anna doesn’t have the innate magical ability to realize her dream of becoming a powerful mage. It’s unfair that Shingetsu arbitrarily has Magiaconatus’ favor for no apparent reason. It’s unfair that Suishou has been stuck doing her thing for a thousand years and can’t win the Granbelm It’s unfair that Magiaconatus went and created Mangetsu without asking Shingetsu if she wanted a puppet-friend, it's doubly unfair that it allowed Mangetsu to think she was a fully independent human being without giving her the option to know the truth, and its triply unfair that Mangetsu starts fading out of existence when the truth is revealed. The world of Granbelm is unfair, and at the center of it all is magic, given form as Magiaconatus. Magiaconatus, which appears as a mass of gears. To me, there’s a visual coding here: Magiaconatus is a construct, a system. An unfair system, of which there is no shortage in the real world. Another piece of coding is that the participants in Granbelm are all young girls, a demographic that is typically at the mercy of unfair systems in the real world. In the show’s finale Shingetsu defeats Suishou (how could she not, being so favored by the system) and resists temptation in order to make her wish: the total erasure of all magic and products of magic from the world. Granbelm, it seems, is saying this: when confronted with an unfair, arbitrary, imbalanced system, the most moral act is to remove it completely.

Now, I don’t know if any of that reading is intentional, but it’s there and that’s my take on the show. Given that reading it has more of a message than most anime, which I appreciate. It certainly felt like it was trying to say something. Granbelm still comes off as an unfocused mess at times, including right at the end when it’s implied that Mangetsu is still around (or has been re-created?) to continue hanging out with Shingetsu (and aside from that detail the ending of Granbelm is pretty much the same as the ending of Madoka). Some of its tangents did manage to feel poignant, such as the discussion about whether anyone really likes themself, and at least it manages to maintain an atmosphere of mystery that kept me at least a little bit intrigued through its whole run. Also, I’m really not a fan of the mech designs in the show. They’re compact and stubby and really don’t do anything for me.

Oh, Madoka? You like Madoka? Madoka, that’s what you like? The Madoka anime? You like that?

I’d recommend Granbelm, overall. The story at least feels like it has more thought put into it than most, and if you can overlook the mech designs the fights are very good. There’s better anime out there, but they are outnumbered by the legions of worse anime.

RIP my girl Anna. She was a terrible person but at least she knew the names of hormones.

#consumed media #anime #granbelm

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dent-de-leon · 6 years

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what do you honestly think about keith's character development on the show?

This sounds like you’re expecting something a little different, so let me preface this with: I love him and I think he has some of the most interesting and well executed arcs in the show. Now, I think of Keith’s character development in terms of different criteria that makes the most sense to me. They are as follows:

His backstory

His ties to the Galra

His uniquely intimate relationship with Shiro

The relationships he works so hard to forge with the rest of the team

His leadership arc

If we’re going to discuss character development, it makes sense to begin at the beginning. And man, I’ve always loved Keith, but throughout season 1, he was stagnant. He gets the least development out of anyone on the team. It was even confirmed by the showrunners themselves that he has the least lines out of all of Team Voltron this season, including Allura and Coran. We’re talking about someone who spoke the least, gave the least insight to his backstory, and was for all intents and purposes a blank slate. The appeal to season 1 Keith is that he’s an intriguing character shrouded in mystery.

But really, we know nothing about him. When season 2 rolled around, people started complaining that he got too much spotlight. But he was the one who sorely needed any and all development at that time. Finally, we had something to go by–he’s galra, he’s struggling with his identity, he had a father that he lost, he’s afraid of losing Shiro more than anything, he wants so badly to be good–season 2 gives him his chance to shine.

And throughout the series, we are continually rewarded with more and more glimpses into Keith’s past and potential future–how he thinks of Shiro reaching out to him before they fall into the abyss, the innovative use of time-space mechanics to allow Keith to relive his history and properly reflect on it rather than having Krolia just tell him, the heartbreaking use of Shiro’s dreams to illustrate how much he and Keith truly mean to one another. All these elements of Keith’s backstory are incredibly compelling, and on that front, I think he honestly recieves some of the most history and background out of anyone.

Now, let’s talk about his Galran blood. Keith goes through many phases over the course of coming to accept himself for who he is. Initially, he views his heritage as something innately shameful and malevolent–haunted by nightmares, he tries to hide it. The princess in particular has a grudge against him for things completely out of his control, and he passively accepts her judgement. He never once challenges her, and instead lets her come to terms with the situation at her own pace and rebuild that bridge when she’s ready.

He’s incredibly considerate of her feelings and insists she need not apologize. Keith’s own sense of self worth has been dismal for most of season 2 though. It’s Shiro who witnesses his trial and Shiro who immediately shows his unwavering love and support right after. Many fans were upset that we didn’t see more characters really reacting to Keith beyond Hunk also learning to change his views, but the show runners clarified that the dichotomy between Allura’s resentment and Shiro’s total acceptance despite both being victims of the Galra was the focal point of this arc:

So we know how Allura and Shiro reacted to Keith’s galra reveal. What about the other paladins?

Lauren: “I think the rest knew Keith well enough to know it’s not a big issue. And they don’t know much about galra–do you grow purple fur at some point? But Allura has that history, so…”Joaquim: “And with Shiro, we have that history. But he loves Keith, so he sees the good in him.” (source).

They’re the ones who have been directly affected by the Galra, and so it’s their opinions on Keith that are ultimately the most telling. But throughout this time, Keith’s worth is continually weighed by both himself and some of his teammates. It’s very much a time of upheavel for him, of continual developments and change–and this only carries over into later seasons. When we return to Keith’s BOM arc, it’s after he’s been put under immense stress and has been forced into a position he feels he cannot handle. His earlier time with the BOM was about finding out his history. This time, he’s trying to figure out his place in the present when he feels he has none. Being Voltron’s leader just doesn’t feel right, especially with Shiro back at his side.

Especially when Shiro is also challenging his calls at every turn. The episode title here is Code of Honor, and it really reflects what was racing through Keith’s mind at the time. Honor means everything to Keith, and he’s not willing to compromise his own sense of morals–even for the sake of the team. He can’t stand sitting still and wasting time, putting on acts–when Lotor is out there somewhere, and still very much at large. When the BOM are on the verge of discovering a new strain of quintessence, when there’s just so much more good he feels he could be doing with the order.

But, even then, Keith is forced to confront his own beliefs and feels torn between personal loyalties and duty. Time and again, Kolivan tries to drill it into him that the BOM are not Voltron, that they must make sacrifices, that Keith must be willing to put the mission and self-preservation first. He would never leave someone behind, and that’s a danger to Kolivan’s entire operation. Keith is someone very passionate who acts on his heart, and Kolivan tries again and again to impress on him the importance of distancing himself from those emotional attachments– “You cannt allow your feelings to cloud your judgement.” “I wouldn’t–” “You have in the past.”

There’s more to the BOM than just Knowledge or death–the premise of his indoctrination and initial time with the BOM. It’s also a matter of acknowledging the risks, of realizing when something is a lost cause. “In Voltron, we would have gone back to save Regris.” “This isn’t Voltron.” “The mission is more important than the individual.” “You didn’t consider something might’ve happened to you. That would make me down two men instead of one.” “No, Shiro and Lotor are up there!” “Then you’ll die with them.”

Victory or Death, Knowledge or Death, stay with Voltron at all costs, leave in search of answers, the predicament of leadership and whether or not the mission is worth the individual–it’s a lot. I can’t think of many other characters who go through such a long and arduous journey of balancing different life creeds and weighing the moral ramifications of each, nevermind anyone that goes as in depth with it as Keith. His entire relationship with the Galra is a learning process that continually challenges his once stagnant world views, forcing him to confront the potential flaws in his own moral code and come to terms with what really matters most.

And you know what? The Keith we have now is presented as someone who remains steadfast in their morals, who always strives to do good and protect what matters most. He opens others’ eyes to the possibility of what a world with Galra like him could do, to a better future. He inspires them–“He’s our leader, plus he’s half Galra, so I think he’s like, the future.” “With Lotor gone, it was clear there was a power vacuum in the Galra Empire. Zethrid and Ezor wanted to exploit that for their own gain…but I knew I had to find my own path. And it led me to you.”

This is so far removed from the boy who was terrified of his own blood, who lived in waking nightmare that he was a monster. He’s self-assured and accepted in a way he never was before. Keith represents a potential new era of peace and prosperity for the Galra Empire, one where there were always be a place for people like him. This is an especially crucial change for the people within the Empire as well as the rest of the universe seeking out any sort of Intergalactic Alliance, because we know how the Empire looked down on those with mixed heritage.

How Lotor had to fight for every ounce of respect. There’s even hints at it like the mere mention of the term “Blood-Emperor,” which Lotor comments is antiquated but still seems to be highly valued by members of the Empire, “No one has used the term ‘Blood-Emperor’ since before we were a star-faring race.” Keith and those that are inspired by his code of honor–like Acxa–could very well be the ones that hold the key to a future where half-Galra are no longer regarded as lesser for their blood.

I’m gonna skip over Shiro for the moment, since his bond with Keith is one of the main overarching themes of the story that pervades and informs nearly every other aspect of Keith’s character development. So, let’s talk about the rest of the team–from the start, Keith is not a “team player.” He is, however, agressively Team Voltron, and more than willing to fight others if they ever threaten to leave the team. He sees abandoning the Lions as abandoning one’s duty, and his strict–originally much more black and white–code of honor prevents him from doing so.

He also seemingly easily weighs the decision for Pidge, and makes it clear that she’s expected to make sacrifices for some abstract “greater good.” “You’re putting the lives of two people in front of everyone in the entire galaxy!” “Keith, that’s not how a team works. People have to want to be part of it. They can’t be forced.” Again, we see that Keith starts off at someplace very different from where he ends up. Throughout the series, he’ll soon become the person risking the mission for the sake of the individual–and he’ll become disenchanted enough that he won’t see Voltron as the an infallible means to every end.

Allura even tells him, “But our mission is bigger than any one individual,” when he refuses to move on from Shiro. And later, when he tries to take a different path, she says, “Marmora can go on without you. They have for thousands of years. Voltron cannot.” What we’re seeing here is a ripple effect. At the beginning, Keith fundamentally misunderstood what it really means to be a team. Pidge’s character arc taught him that. And as with everything he learns, he internalizes it, and carries it with him for the rest of the series. He grows and develops into this very multi-faceted, dynamic character, with an idealogy and sense of ethics very much shaped by his interrelationships and experiences.

He latched onto Voltron like a crutch at first. The Blue Lion was all that kept him afloat during his self imposed exile into the desert. The Lion was there for him when he had no one else. And later, Team Voltron becomes the family he’s always wanted. His position on Voltron also presents him with the unique opportunity to feel truly fulfiled in the same way that becoming a pilot at the Garrison did. After getting kicked out, he felt “lost.” Discovering that strange energy and the carvings of the Blue Lion gave him a sense of purpose–Voltron gave him a purpose. And he desperately wants to believe in it. For once, instead of being looked down on or dismissed as a discipline a case, he can be the good person he’s always wanted to be. A hero even.

But his disillusionment with Voltron is very much necessary for his continued growth and development. Keith is never one to obey orders, and his willingness to question anything that doesn’t feel right and retaliate against it is very much one of his persistent, defining characteristics. It’s not so much instinct as intution, and Keith has always been good at reading others’ intentions. Not to mention the whole quintessence sensitivity thing. Either way, it eventually becomes apparent to Keith that he can’t stay with the team any longer, and he must first go on his own quest for the sake of what he believes is right. What’s right for the team–Shiro as the Black Paladin–as well as what’s right for the universe. He also desperately needs to do some deep introspection before he’s ready to fully accept the mantle of leadership that’s been demanded of him.

And the writers give us that–they give Keith time. Time to grow, time to heal. The Quantum Abyss is a blessing in disguise, a balm for a troubled soul. Keith is someplace safe, quiet, and has the company of his mother for the first time in years. She is able to allay all his fears of abandonment that have plagued him for so long, and the two are able to learn a lot from one another. Essentially, Keith gets to live out the picture of a happy childhood he never had. He gets to make up for lost time with his mom, and even raise a dog. Regaining some of that lost youth actually has a profound effect on his ability to mature and move on.

He can finally start to heal and move forward, breaking away from his past with the promise of a brighter future. When Shiro is brainwashed and lashes out at Keith, dredging up some truly awful things that would have once caused Keith immense pain, we see that’s he’s self assured in himself enough to not back down. He knows he’s loved, he knows his parents wanted him–he knows Shiro would never abandon him. And he’s able to admit his love for others in turn. Telling Shiro “I love you,” was huge. As was reaching a point where he was able to admit he loves Krolia. Words have power, and there’s a reason Shiro doesn’t react to the brother line but Keith’s admission of love stops him dead. Seasons ago, years ago, Keith would never be able to admit this.

Joaquim: “The one exception Keith allowed in his life in terms of expressing himself was probably with Shiro, because he felt the closest to him. And that situation was an extreme series of events. I think he was pleading with him. I think he was letting him know exactly where he stood, and why this shouldn’t be happening. And why he knew that there was still good in there…If you look at Keith going back to the original episode, where he comes out of the shack, and greets Shiro, that’s a very different Keith than the way he acted with all the rest of the Paladins. So I think with Shiro, in particular, his guard is down a bit and he’s able to express himself.”

Lauren: “But don’t expect him to go telling anyone else he loves them.”

Joaquim: “That’s right. He’s not handing out hugs and love hearts to everybody.” (source)

For a long time, Keith remained at a careful distance from the rest of the team. For reference, let’s look at his relationship with Hunk. At the end of season 1, Hunk is completely thrown that Keith would leave Allura behind. And what does he say? “What if it was one of us? What if it was me? You wouldn’t leave me, would you? Would you?” Keith has nothing to say in his defense, and Hunk is so clearly hurt by that. So, where does this distance stem from? Why is it Keith is so anxious about straying too close to others?

Well, we already know–it’s do to early childhood trauma and abandonment issues. Things we’re clearly shown, and that Keith outright later states in his vlog. “I don’t know why I’m that way…maybe, I’m naturally untrusting because my mom left me? And so, instead of accepting people into my life, I push them away before they reject me. I guess I have some walls up…”

We also know he feels further alienated by his Galran heritage, “It’s just, being Galra is a big deal. Maybe that’s why…I was never good at connecting with people.” And really, for the longest time, Shiro was pretty much the only support he had. And that meant everything. “Shiro is the one person who never gave up on me. I won’t give up on him.” So, the fact that Keith learns to take that leap of faith and reach out to others, just seeing him go from where he and Hunk were at in season 1 to a place where he was able to say, “I never told you this, but out of all the Paladins, you’re the one I’m most impressed by”–that’s huge.

He reaches a place where he’s able to comfort Hunk on such a deeply personal level at the time when he needed it most, and these aren’t just important team building skills, they’re the markings of great leadership. He’s taking care of his team. He learns to not only open up to others, but build enough of a bridge where his team trusts him completely. Where they’re able to open up and reach back out to him in turn. Lance learns to put aside his childish one-sided rivalry, and we even see moments where he goes to Keith for help and opens up about his insecurities. Keith comforts Allura after the alternate reality trip and reassures her when she’s vulnerable. This stuff doesn’t come easy to Keith, but he takes the time to learn and reach out because of how much he cares for his team.

I know there are many people who feel Keith’s arc as the Black Paladin was more so an homage to the original and had no place here, that it was ill fitting or Shiro was more suited to the position–personally, I was really hoping for a return of Black Paladin Shiro myself. But Keith has undeniably made great strides since day one, and he’s not the inexperienced, untamed fire he once was. For reference here, I remember many fans prior to season 2 citing Keith’s stunt on the hoverbike as one of the many reasons why he was a poor leader. “If Shiro wasn’t unconscious for this, he’d never let Keith have the job!” Stuff like that. And it was so incredibly rewarding to me to see that Shiro taught him that, that they were always sort of cut from the same cloth, that they had learned so much from each other.

Now, here’s just some quick excerpts from my other meta on why Keith was so opposed to flying the Black Lion at first–because, as per usual, Shiro’s presence in his life informs a lot of his behavior and feelings:

Looking back at all this in hindsight [given Shiro’s chronic illness] it’s incredibly telling, because it indicates that, when Keith was pushing back againt Shiro training him to be his successor, he knew what was really going on. Keith knows it’s not just the Galra that Shiro’s worrying about, that he sees himself as living off borrowed time. Keith’s rejection of the Black Lion is him rejecting the notion that losing Shiro is inevitable. He’s been terrified of this for years now, and it’s a possiblity he refuses to come to terms with.

He makes promises like, he’ll save Shiro “as many times as it takes,” even knowing there are some things he can’t strike down with his blade. And he’s always believed Shiro would still make it.

Keith adamantly refuses to pilot Black at first because of how much he cares for Shiro. And later, it’s out of respect for Shiro’s will that he reluctantly agrees to lead. And when he leaves the team? Again, he says it’s in part for Shiro’s sake–“It was always meant to be yours.” When Shiro vanishes, we feel that loss entirely through Keith, the one deep in mourning and unable to move on. He mourns Shiro with a grief that’s intimately personal on a level none of the others–save Allura–understand. He lashes out in grief-ladden outbursts and pushes the team away at every turn, instead seeking out the comfort of the Black Lion, clinging onto whatever remnants of Shiro he can. It’s unbelievable that, even when so overwhelmed by heartbreak, his soul still innately seeks out Shiro’s. To reiterate:

Keith can subconsciously sense Shiro’s presence. Throughout Shiro’s time in the Astral Plane–that time when his soul was interwoven with the Black Lion–Keith never acknowledges the Black Lion as her own seperate entity. He only refers to her as either Shiro himself or an extension of him: “Shiro’s the Black Lion.” “I know this is what you wanted for me, Shiro. But I’m not you. I can’t lead them like you.” “Please, no.” “This one’s for you, Shiro.”

Eventually, Shiro passes on the Black Lion to Keith, because he’s the person Shiro trusts most. And Keith is able to properly accept his new role, because for once, he feels secure and self-assured. Shiro is at his side and Keith has his blessing to pilot. Shiro is right there and isn’t going anywhere, he’s back, he’s safe, and he’s able to recover and heal. In the meantime, Keith has matured into quite a leader in the Quantum Abyss, and he’s become a man whose team will readily follow. They all look up to him in a way they never have before. Even Lance. And Shiro isn’t left behind either–becoming the Captain of the Atlas allows him to continue being the team leader he was always meant to be, as well as offering the opportunity for co-leadership sheith that has been foreshadowed for nearly the entire series.

Lastly, in terms of relationships, I think it’s no secret that I’ve mentioned quite a bit the noticeable parallels between Adam’s past relationship with Shiro and Keith in the present. Adam’s “but I won’t go through this again,” compared to Keith’s “You can’t do this to me again,” Adam walking out on Shiro and then immediately cutting to Keith determined to wait by his side, ect.

A Little Adventure also ends on the note that Shiro has come to see him in a new light–something evident since the Quantum Abyss. Again, here’s just some things from past meta real quick–because, if we’re talking about character development here, I know a lot of people have said–where could they go from here? I’ve heard people insist that the relationship was too stagnant, that it was boring or uninteresting because they never changed. But it’s obvious there is a clear shift in the relationship on both ends. So, for consideration, just some things I’ve noticed:

When Shiro’s soul is adrift, displaced from his body, he dreams of Keith. Given the emphasis on mystical bonds in this series, I think it’s no coincidence that Keith was also the one calling out to Shiro all this time. And when Keith begs Shiro not to leave him again, to return to him, by some miracle…Shiro is brought back from the brink of death. His soul, which had been all but lost, was tethered to Keith’s. That love anchored him back to this plane: “Shiro, please. Fight! You can’t do this to me again…” “I was dreaming…Keith, you saved me.” “We saved each other.”

There’s a reason why all his worst nightmares are Shiro leaving him behind–Shiro’s the one person who never gave up on him. I think it’s pretty realistic that Keith would feel so intensely for him, even at such a young age. I think Keith was always sort of carrying a torch for Shiro, I think that’s just who he is. And I think that, after years and tons of growth and change and character development, having all these memories be Shiro’s dreams, have the narrative compare Keith to his ex and then hear Shiro say, “You saved me”–it’s a pretty brilliant way of showing how Shiro’s come to have feelings for the man Keith became in turn.