#we've established he's not a ghost in case anyone missed that

[batmanisagatewaydrug]

reading update

what's up gamers, the odds are very slim that I'll be finishing another book before November is over, so let's do a roundup! I've you've been following me literally at all you probably saw me reblog my public shame TBR list at some point, and now we get the #reviews.

what have I been reading?

Histories of the Transgender Child (Jules Gill-Peterson, 2018) - this book is a really incredible piece of historical research, exploring the existence of transgender and gender non-conforming children in the first half of the 21st century. Gill-Peterson threads a great needle of both laying out ways in which trans identity and specifically trans youth were understood in the early decades of trans healthcare, establishing that young transgender people are in no way a modern phenomenon, while also making the strong case that trans youth have been able to exist without complication or medical intervention throughout American history. It's an engrossing medical history, and I would say intensely valuable to anyone who has a vested interest in protecting trans kids' right to autonomy and joy.

Batman: Bruce Wayne - Murderer? (Greg Rucka et al, 2002) - this, to me, is peak Batfamily content. everyone is miserable and nobody is communicating about it because they're all too depressed and bitchy. Bruce gets accused of murder and sent to prison and he decides the only reasonable thing to do is break out and never be Bruce Wayne again, with seemingly no concern about how horrific the consequences will be for his family as long as he gets to keep being Batman. the dysfunction is... fucking delicious. cannot WAIT to read Bruce Wayne: Fugitive, I must know how Brucie baby gets himself out of this one. also, hey, have I mentioned that I miss Babs as Oracle every single day? god, she's just... she's so much cooler as Oracle.

Alive at the End of the World (Saeed Jones, 2022) - Jones is so so so so so so SO good at writing layers of pain and hurt into his poetry. the imagery of apocalypse and protest is infinitely striking, and I was particularly shaken by the recurring series within the book that ended each segment, in which Jones finds himself in his apartment after a reading speaking with a doppelganger who turns out to be his own personified pain. chills!!!! CHILLS!!!!

Elatsoe (Darcie Little Badger, 2020) - I wanted to make a point of reading something a little lighter, because we've been a little #heavy lately, and Little Badger's debut YA novel was perfect for that. while Elatsoe isn't what I'd call flawless - in particular, I have to say that the main characters seem VERY young for 17 year olds, feeling more like middle readers protagonists in most ways - it's an extremely charming book with a lot of really cool ideas. the world is one very like ours but suffused with mythology; ghosts, vampires, and fairies are well-known facts of life integrated seamlessly into the story. it's very cool to see an urban fantasy where the protagonist's parents are totally in on the supernatural and fully supportive of the teen sleuthing without any sketchy ulterior motivations, and I think the tidbit that Lipan folks are able to banish vampires for coming into their home - the entirety of their ancestral lands - without an invitation is one of the coolest twists on vampire lore I've ever seen.

Nature Poem (Tommy Pico, 2017) - I LOVE Tommy Pico's epic poetry (that's a literary term, not an outdated compliment), and I read Nature Poem in what I believe is the way that was intended: all in one evening, still wearing a cute little bodycon dress, glitter, and fishnets after a Halloween party, a little tipsy. as always Pico's voice is impeccable, dry and witty and observant and so, so tired of so much bullshit. the preoccupation of this poem is the idea of nature, specifically writing a poem about it, and Pico's railing against the idea that white poets can write countless poems about nature and only be seen as writing a poem, while he, as a Kumeyaay man, can't write a poem about nature without it being seen as a woo woo magical Native American thing. but it's not just that; no Pico poem is every just one thing, but a smart and circling conversation to drive a point home. I still don't know if I'm liking poetry right but man I know I love Tommy Pico.

The Trouble With Normal: Sex, Politics, and the Ethics of Queer Life (Michael Warner, 1999) - full disclosure: I ordered this book in a feverish haze after it was recommended at a conference by a speaker who was so stupid hot that I nearly had a panic attack about it. we don't have time to unpack all that, but I will say that this was as eye-opening a read as nearly all historical queer texts are. the two things that jumped out at me most were 1.) Warner's well-written argument against the concept of marriage as a whole, with the then-ongoing fight for gay marriage necessarily included, and 2.) the scathing critiques of gay individuals who throw ~weird sexual deviant~ gays under the bus to further their own social standing. INSANE that that's still topical in 2022; can't wait to be quoting a 20+ year old book at people when the kink @ pride discourse starts in 2023.

A Dowry of Blood (S.T. Gibson, 2021) - that's right, it's the TikTok book about Dracula's brides being in a polycule! I figured with a description like that this was either going to be pretty good or bad in fun and interesting ways, and I wasn't disappointed at all. Dowry was a fast, fun read, with a heavy gothy ambiance all the way through. it carries more weight than expected by depicting Dracula himself as a surprisingly realistic abusive partner, a boyfriend from hell who keeps his partners on short leashes with a thinly-veiled threat of death if they ever displease him. if you like your vampires depressed, horny, and wrapped up in deeply unhealthy psychosexual mindgames you will LOVE this.

Into the Riverlands (Nghi Vo, 2022) - this is the latest novella in Vo's Singing Hills Cycle, which I cannot recommend enough to anyone. I didn't initially adore this entry quite as much as When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain or Empress of Salt and Fortune, I think because it felt less immersive. the Singing Hills Cycle tells stories within stories, framed by a cleric named Chih travelling to gather stories across the fictional kingdom in which they live. the first two novellas were much more immersive in their storytelling, and I think I missed having that in Into the Riverlands, but there was a certain reveal near the end that cast the whole thing in a very different light and made me like the setup a lot more. it's also worth noting that given the way this novella deals with larger-than-life martial artists and the way their legends are distorted across time, it reminded me VERY much of The Girl Who Kept Winter - a spectacularly fun read, one that I can't recommend enough.

The World We Make (N.K. Jemisin, 2022) - god DAMN, N.K. Jemisin! I was a little unsure about The City We Became, willing to rank it as my least favorite of Jemisin's books, but the sequel really knocked by socks off. I could hardly put it down, and I'm sad to see the duology ended already - if I'm being totally honest I think this book could easily have been fleshed into two for a trilogy, given how much capital-p-Plot is introduced, but I also really respect how much story Jemisin was able to so slicky introduce and resolve in under 400 pages here. on the whole this is a thriving, fast, fist-pumping love letter to New York City and the power of community in the face of all kinds of evil, and one of the few sequels I feel completely confident calling better than the original.

[heartofspells]

Masterpost

@wolfstarmicrofic

Prompt: cards

"How did you do that?" demands Remus, sounding angry, though Sirius can't hear most of it through the pounding of his head. He squints at the other man as he pushes himself up to a sitting position. "You were on the other side of the door! I closed it in your face! How are you back there?"

"I dunno, do I?" cries Sirius, clutching at his head. "Can you please stop shouting? That's not helping."

"Helping!" says Remus forcefully, a small amount of exasperation and hysteria behind the word. "I'm not trying to help. I'm trying to get you out, but you've done something. Some sort of spell that keeps you locked here or – or something!"

Sirius glowers at him as he levers himself up to his feet, the expression more than a little weak as he wobbles on unstable legs. He squeezes his eyes closed as his surroundings spin around him, stomach lurching sickeningly. Sirius scrubs over his face with rough hands before resting his gaze on the other man again.

"I don't even have my wand," he argues. "How could I have possibly done anything? I still think it's September for fuck's sake! What could you possibly think my reasoning is behind any of this?"

"I don't know, and once again, I do not care," spits Remus, his every word biting and enunciated. "I just want you gone, and eventually you'll stay that way."

Remus strides across the floor then, and before Sirius can recover enough from his disorientation, he's once more being hauled to the door by a firm hand. He tugs against the grip uselessly, stomach still turning violently like it's being attacked by churning seawater. Remus pushes him out into the hall beyond the flat, but as soon as the door latches closed, he's finding himself sprawled haphazardly around the base of the sofa again.

"You must be joking," grumbles Remus as Sirius groans. He winces as his head throbs traitorously, but he's got no time to right himself before the other man is pulling him to his feet and tossing him through the door.

He does it again and again until Remus is panting from exertion and Sirius feels as though small pieces of himself are being forcibly ripped away. His head is threatening to fall away from his neck from the pressure building inside it, his eyes ready to burst with every terrible throb, his very skull aching. Sirius' entire body feels like one raw nerve exposed to devastating heat, and he thinks he might be ill over his rug at any second except there's nothing in his stomach to come up.

He groans again, a pitiful sound that he doesn't have the strength to hate himself for releasing. "Please stop," he begs. "Please. I can't anymore. I can't leave. I haven't done anything, but I cannot leave. You have to stop."

Remus stares at him, chest heaving, gauging him warily, eyes observant like Sirius is a tower of cards that he can topple with the slightest of movements if he can only find the correct one. Sirius thinks that's maybe an accurate comparison. He stays where he is on the floor this time, not moving, gazing blearily into the empty grate of the fireplace, gasping for breath.

"This cannot be happening," mumbles the other man, sounding as though he's speaking mostly to himself. "What are you?"

"I'm a bloody person!" shouts Sirius with as much vehemence and strength as he can manage, his voice harsh and ragged as it tears from his throat. "I'm a human being that you're treating like a dog you can kick when it's down. What are you that you're able to do that and feel no remorse?"

Remus' eyes shift over him, something flickering within them briefly before it's gone. His shoulders sag a little as he pinches the bridge of his nose, releasing a large, heavy sigh.

"I'm going to bed," he announces, sounding exhausted. "I don't have the energy for more of…of this. I'll figure it out in the morning. You can just…just stay there on the floor. Seems to be a favored spot of yours."

And with that, he turns on his heel and disappears from sight to the bedroom, Sirius scowling after his retreating form. He lays there for a while before he attempts to move, ignoring the bile that floods his throat, swallowing against it, but it's no use. Whatever had jerked him back within the flat to this place each time he'd been thrown out has left him too weak to do much of anything, so Sirius remains where he is, feeling helpless and angry. He needs to talk to James and Lily, needs his friends to help him make sense of what's become of his life so suddenly, but he can't. Without the ability to leave, with no wand that he can find, no Floo connection, and having never purchased his own owl, Sirius is stuck with no one except a strange man who doesn't know what to make of him anymore than Sirius knows what to make of himself.

[that-bajan-kid]

Boku No Hero Academia Chapter 286 SPOILERS

(#getshoutototherapy2020)

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Picking up right where we left off. Kacchan's fucking dying and Deku's about to loose his last brain cell.

Todoroki catches both Endeavour and Bakugou because apparently he can fly now which, I'm not sure how that works since the fire is only coming out of one foot but that's not what I should be focusing on rn.

AFO basically said "Ha what an idiot!" and Midoriya, to absolutely no ones surprise, does not take this new development very well, nor does he approve of AFO attitude about it. The images of all his soon-to-be-dead comrades flashes in his mind along with that warning the 5th user gave him about controlling his emotions. It looks like he's about to ignore that warning. Well, even more than he has been already.

Sigh. I actually don't want to see what happens next. Look at him! Black Whip is going nuts. If he survives this I don't think he's gonna go pro. He might end up retiring before he even started his career.

(Edit: I just notice Midoriya's grabbing and biting the force activation... fingers? Claws? Um yeah he's doing that.)

Am I seeing things or is that AFO's potato head looking ass grinning from inside that crack on Shigaraki's head??? What the fuck lol.

We cut back to Giganto who's currently bulldozing his way through Sauro City in the Osaka prefecture and he's all "Master's scent... there's two of them...?" THE FUCK DO YOU MEAN THERE'S TWO OF THEM!?!?!?? One is obviously Shigaraki. Shit is he smelling AFO too? What the fuck is happening rn??????? Is AFO warping his way to Jakku through Shigaraki's head???

NO DON'T FUCKING SEND THEM THERE OMG

Send literally anyone else. We not about to have anymore child casualties. I don't think Midoriya is mentally prepared for that.

Ochako is thinking about how everything started going down hill after the USJ and it looks like she might be getting ready to do something stupid.

FUCK. Welp! That's the end of the manga folks! Main character is dead. They had a good run, but everything must come to an end eventually. I'm just sad everyone's sacrifice was in vain. Oh well. What can you do. It ezzz what it ezzz. I'm sure gonna miss this manga lol.

Seriously tho, Shouto is gonna be so fucking traumatised when this is over. First his teacher and then his dad immediately followed by his two best friends. On top of the abuse he had as a child he's gonna need so much fucking therapy.

You know what would be really fucking funny? If AFO went through all that trouble, corrupting Shigaraki and moulding him into the perfect vessel, only to still not be able to take OFA. That would be so fucking hilarious. Also I think Midoriya just realised he fucked up.

OMG ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME RIGHT NOW!?!??! Now Midoriya has to help him. I mean he can't not after seeing this. And I was so ready to hate him too. God damnit Horikoshi. Tomura's the bad guy, I'm not supposed to feel things for him. Ugh now I feel bad for wanting him dead. Fuck. AFO's hand is fused with his body, that's so messed up. Is this gonna end up being Tomura's redemption? He finally realises AFO doesn't actually care about him and has been manipulating him the entire time? I'd be okay with that as long as he still goes to prison.

(Edit: This is a late edit but I just wanted to point out it's actually really obvious Shigaraki is still fighting back against AFO. You can tell from looking at his eyes and his dialogue immediately after Katsuki gets skewered. I honestly don't know how I missed the signs, tho I guess we've already established I'm kinda slow to pick up on these things.)

And he's trying to claw AFO hand off of him. The more I look at it the more messed up it gets.

Ok yeah Midoriya is currently trying to crawl his way over to help Shigaraki but Nana is like "You still can't move here."

Oh shit the vestiges are getting involved.

I genuinely thought Shigaraki willingly relinquished controll to AFO, only to find out the blind bastard took it by force. Wow. I really shouldn't be this surprised. It's totally like him to take advantage of someone vulnerable and Shigaraki was literally about to die so...

I also like how Izuku was genuinely trying to killed Shigaraki literally 5 seconds ago and immediately flipped his stance once he realised Shiggy needs help. Idk if he thinks AFO was always in controll that entire time or if he knows he wasn't but wants to help Shiggy anyway. Either way it's totally a Deku thing to do and I love it. It looks like his sanity came back too so that's good. He's still gonna be severely injured when he wakes up but at least his mental state is back normal.

I wonder how the next chapter will go. Is Nana bout get some revenge on AFO for what happened to her and her family? Are we bout to see a bunch of ghost fight each other??? I wanna see that.

Wait, can AFO not get OFA because of the vestiges? It sounds like Nana is about to intervene on Tomura's behalf. We're the vestiges just fighting back AFO's quirk every time he tried to take it? If that's the case why did he think Shigaraki would be any different? Was he hoping Shigaraki would override that because he's related to Nana?

So many questions, not enough answers.

Until next time.