#“right. that's your prerogative”

[jadedbutler]

back when i'd first read dark rise, i'd written this little moody rescue au oneshot for Will & James (KempClair? What're we calling them lol),

I'd started drafting a James POV + continuation of it, which was left marinating in my gdocs until i read dark heir last weekend and had my brain chemicals once again reactivated.

below is a sample of that WIP which i am feeding you directly from my stupid little hands ;;

╞═════𖠁𐂃𖠁═════╡

All draped in black and gold, crystal and white, wearing lavish masks over their eyes, unable to obscure their covetous little stares. Appraising James like he’s one of the cracked marble busts or stolen baroque oil paintings laid out on the lobby floor to be admired, but all too rich for their blood.

Another era, another gilded cage.

James St. Clair, on display again, an objet of virtu presented by yet another man drunk off conditional loyalty and borrowed prestige. Surrounded by vermin that think themselves his followers.

Well. Not untrue.

James tips his crystal drinking glass to his lips, itching to stain the crimson carpeted floors of the Hotel with a much darker red. It would be sooo easy; with a twitch of his fingers, he could turn this stupid masquerade into a massacre. But what he lacks in temperance and humility, he makes up for with patience. So he lets the wine soothe his nerves and sharpen his tongue instead. Biding his time.

Waiting. Always waiting. 

"Are you enjoying yourself, my jewel?" James' current "patron" whispers, close enough to disturb the pendant dangling from his earlobe. A diamond-encrusted silver cross, clamped painfully onto James' ear, since his invulnerability makes piercings impossible to hold. It's not a relic, but like most jewelry designed in his honour, the earring is... troublesome.

"Oh, positively euphoric," James drawls in reply, inspecting the cuticles of his free hand to showcase exactly how much fun he's not having. But his sarcasm is lost on his patron, the dleusional swine, who returns a satisfied hum as he swirls his own champagne glass thoughtfully.

"As you should be. After all, tonight will be the marking of a new era - a new king. And what is a king without his crown jewel?"

Hah. Derision peals out of James' throat before he can swallow it back. How violently laughable. It's like this every fucking time.

But his laughter falters a moment later, as a subtle murmur ripples through the throng of cultists surrounding him. No, not a murmur, no one has stopped talking, not for a second.

Not a flicker, either, the chandelier lights overhead glittering bright, winking starlight into his eyes.

A shiver, then. A sudden drop in temperature that only he seems to feel. And it was so sickeningly hot just a moment ago.

And then --

Found you.

Robbed of his breath and his heartbeat and every thought he's ever had, James lifts his eyes and finds himself pinned, under that dark endless gaze he's felt a thousand times in his dreams.

There, in the crowd, separated by a dozen or so false followers, a pale face looks regards him, shrouded in black lace.

James' lips part by a fraction of a centimeter, and he feels himself about to say. You found me.

The spell remains unbroken, even as James' patron pulls an arm around his waist, announcing his latest conquest to the thrall before him. "A toast--" he says, or maybe he doesn't. James isn't listening. He can't hear a thing.

He swallows back the rest of his wine, untangles himself from the unwanted grip.

"Where do you --"

"Breath of fresh air," he mutters, tearing himself away.

Away, away and up the empire steps to the mezzanine, up the next few floors of the Hotel until he reaches an empty hall, void of false followers and prying eyes. He's vaguely aware that he's shivering hard. Not because his thin white shirt leaves his back exposed. Not because of the wine in his blood.

Absently, he grabs a forgotten coat draped over the bannister, and pulls his arms through. But the shaking does not stop.

In the Hotel, his steps are muted against the carpeted floors. But as pushes through the glass doors leading to the balcony. the ground beneath his boot heels is more solid. Still, he feels as though if he takes another step, he'll fall right through.

Will is waiting for him by the marble-wrought railing, still and beautiful as a sculptor's depiction of Lucifer. God's beloved, fallen.

"You came for me," he breathes, bathed once more in Will's beckoning gaze. With impossible yearning, James reaches out, not with his hands but with his magic, to assure himself this isn't a spectre, a cruel trick, the kind that fate has played on him over and over and over -

"You can come closer,"

A gloved hand reaches toward him. Not begging to touch. Not commanding.

It's too much. James had spent this entire lifetime cultivating a wall of ice and iron around himself, only for it to melt from a single gesture from Will. He practically pours himself into Will's arms, pressing his cheek against his hand.

"I wasn't sure," he sighs, dragging his fingers, his real ones, along Will's armdf;lskdf;lka;lkfsdlkjdf idk to be conitniutend ?????? bY e

[elderwisp]

sometimes i see the hottest takes and by hottest i mean a bit elitist takes on tumblr and it honestly puts me in such a bad headspace but then i remember everyone wants to be seen everyone wants to be heard but ! i should also just curate my space better and be apart of that change i wanna see

[stillgotscars]

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[tea-and-secrets]

five months out from phalloplasty and I feel like I can’t talk abt it w anyone bc I don’t know anyone who’s had it or wants it and all the phallo spaces I’ve looked into are flooded with privileged crypto truscum who get really hostile whenever you mention being even a little bit GNC ✌️ “um i heard it’s basically just a numb tube of flesh why would you want that” on one side and “you’re taking a surgery away from a trans man who really needs it” on the other. what if the planet blew up.

.

[evermoredeluxe]

anon who sent me a long ask about travis, please block me. i usually ignore stuff like that, but i have a strong feeling we’re mutuals (and even if we’re not, block me anyway). and i am not offended that you don’t mesh with me anymore. you can have whatever opinion you have of me, and since it’s not positive, i encourage you to cleanse your online space from my negativity

[smile-files]

this might be a hot take... but if you care about disavowing media made by bad people out of fear of looking like a bad person yourself more than you care about actually doing good things... you might have your priorities (and your morals) screwed up a bit :/

(see my tags for more of my thoughts on this topic! please try to avoid making make bad-faith assumptions about what i mean!)

[cak31ssuperi04]

(Breaking my silence) I kind of. Love Saaya actually

[femmefitz]

I'm sure this is relevant if you are a mostly dragon age blog and this is your stance but also this is the funniest thing I've ever seen on a dni. Help.

[beyourxxx]

actually i think the only thing i am concerned with is how *i* see me. being able to live w myself at the end of the day. owning my shit, good and bad, with no shame. idk why i have put so much emphasis on being like... Universally Beloved. i have been widely liked and all it was was stifling my actual thoughts and opinions and sense of self. i so so badly wanted to be that person that everyone loved and thought positively of, and in my heart of hearts i know i am an acquired fucking taste. i have done shitty shitty damaging things and the deal is like.... learning and growing from those shitty things is what Made Me Who I Am. i am proud as fuck of the things i have worked on and improved about myself. being ashamed of the shit that got me to where i am now makes no fucking sense.

[theclaravoyant]

and yeah humanity is basically good and hen is basically a forgiving person but you Cannot tell me it wouldn’t be satisfying if they do decide for Gerrard to have a come to Jesus moment after the 118 save his sorry life , for her to look him in the eyes and be like “apology not accepted . now get the fuck out of my office.”

[coolspacequips]

I hate the way content leaks are just so prevalent now, I would hate to make something and everyone has spread it around and discussed it to death in piecemeal third party chunks 2 days before the thing comes out, like fuck!

To the degree that you almost can't even block it, particularly because it immediately becomes fanon, so large amounts of people are not tagging for leaks/spoilers, incorporating it as common knowledge within a day, months/weeks/days before it even comes out. It's already hard enough having to binge through everything as fast as possible because everyone is in a race to say x about it, first, but now you've got to binge it all before it even comes out, it just feels like audiences are too hungry these days while respecting the people that make it less than ever lol

And like yeah you can just avoid socmed to avoid spoilers which I've been doing, but that sucks and also it just kinda sucks in general

[eldritchamy]

This isn't an argument I want to have, and I really shouldn't bother responding at all, but here are my original tags:

#setting the precedent that that supreme court decision is VALID would be a bad move tbh #it will be abused in the first HOUR of a republican presidency yes #but I get the decision not to let history accept it as normal #a republican isn't president yet and we HAVE to make sure we don't have a right wing government in 2025 #that decision can still be undone before a president abuses it

See the second tag. Yes, it will be abused almost immediately on day 1 regardless of what Biden does.

Does that mean Biden should abuse it now?

As of right now, the intentional ambiguity and open endedness means it's not really set in stone what that Supreme Court ruling makes possible. If Biden were to push the boundaries on it and set something that dangerous in stone (i.e. that a President can set policy without Congress, a direct violation of the Constitution's separation of powers, which would throw the country into a "Constitutional Crisis" before the election even happens), that only makes it easier for a future president to GET AWAY WITH however they try to abuse it later.

You can make the argument that the risk of doing nothing outweighs the risk of losing the election and having it be abused later. That's an opinion you're entitled to have. A similar argument was made at the end of Obama's second term: that he should invoke emergency powers to stall the election/results in response to the counterintelligence investigation of Trump's campaign team and the risk of foreign influence of both electoral results and the president-elect's decisionmaking.

But that's not really the game the Democrats play by, and arguing otherwise is unrealistic, reactionary, and short sighted. You can argue that they SHOULD if you want, but there are good reasons why they don't, and it's important to understand what those reasons are.

Whether Trump TRIES to abuse it is not in question. It was tailor made FOR him specifically to abuse by justices he put on the court.

If Biden abused that same ruling NOW to force policy through, he'd be doing so in open violation of the Constitution, from the only branch of government currently controlled by the Democrats, during a volatile and highly contested ELECTION YEAR. The Republicans would almost certainly drop everything to force an impeachment trial before November. And the judicial branch wouldn't be on his side right now either. Extremely negative coverage of it would be wall to wall on every cable news outlet for the rest of the year, right up until the moment the headline is "Biden loses reelection bid".

Forcing a policy through like that would be met with immediate backlash, even from his own party, at a time when he absolutely cannot afford to have that kind of hit to his public image. The Democratic party wouldn't do things that way, and if they did they'd risk alienating a large part of their base AND SWING VOTERS at a really bad time.

It would also get a lot harder for us to get people to notice how absolutely terrifying the 2025 Project is.

So basically? He'd be shooting himself in the foot and he wouldn't even get away with it. He'd only be making it easier for a Republican (with a favorable congress and SCOTUS) to get away with it later. The next Republican president will ABSOLUTELY abuse the ruling no matter what Biden does.

But the first president who tries to abuse that ruling will definitely get challenged on it.

Do you want that challenge to happen NOW?

The reasons for him to do it are bad, and the reasons for him not to do it are bad. The whole situation is fucked because we have a rogue SCOTUS packed with Trump loyalists who lied under oath trying to pave the way for open, unchecked authoritarianism.

The game the Biden administration is playing right now is to set himself apart as COMPLETELY UNLIKE his opponent. In both practice and policy. It's an electoral strategy.

And impotent-for-now policy proposals like this are part of that strategy. This is his appeal to the likely voters about what would come out of the Democratic policy agenda if he has a usable congress in 2025. And those policy proposals for the most part look very good. It would be the most left leaning agenda this country has ever had. This is an appeal through action. It won't pass, but BIDEN PUT IT ON THE TABLE.

The Republicans have to be the ones to reject a policy that would wildly benefit a huge number of people throughout the country. He's laying out a case for the different agendas that the electorate will be choosing between. He's "putting on a show" of what his next term (with a favorable congress) would look like.

There are reasons things are done this way. You don't have to like those reasons. You're entirely correct that the right doesn't give a shit about those reasons and will rip precedent apart within hours of regaining control of the Oval Office.

But Biden and the Democrats are playing a long game: that the ruling was an aberration and will be overturned. Using it is setting a precedent that normalizes the aberration and lets someone else get away with it later. And you don't prevent authoritarianism by embracing it in your own hands.

The toolbox is there. The Democrats want it to stay locked.

Trump DOING IT is not the sticking point. It's how easy it would be for him to GET AWAY WITH IT. The Democrats are hoping it doesn't come to that at all, because a second Biden term with a blue congress and serious SCOTUS reforms (which he's already proposed) would be able to overturn the ruling before ANYONE gets to abuse it.

You don't have to like their game plan, but that very much is their plan. They're banking on a win, and they're not going to make things easier for Convicted Felon And Known Aspiring Dictator Trump in the event that they lose.

Try to look at proposals like this as proof that the parties are absolutely not the same, and not as things Biden should violate the constitution to force through, only to lose them all in January anyway. There IS political strategy happening here, and there is logic BEHIND that strategy.

Mr Biden's proposal - which requires congressional approval - would cut off tax credits for landlords who try to raise rent by more than 5%.

The policy would apply to landlords who own more than 50 units, comprising about 20 million rental units across the country, according to the Biden administration.[...]

The proposal does include an exception for new construction and buildings undergoing substantive renovations. As the US faces low housing stock, this carve out is aimed at encouraging new rental property construction to increase the number of apartments and homes available.[...]

Nationwide, rent prices have risen by 21% since January 2021, according to data from the Federal Reserve Bank of St Louis.[...]

Mr Biden's plan to lower housing costs come as recent polls show he is trailing his rival, former President Donald Trump, in the 2024 presidential race.[...]

As a part of his housing announcement, Mr Biden said he would also direct federal agencies to assess whether public land could be repurposed to build affordable housing options.

16 Jul 24

[viper-commander]

Watched a Korean zombie horror film and believe me I never felt more American than when I watched the main characters continuously trusting their government and police and trying not to scream ‘DONT TRUST THE GOVERNMENT’ WHERE ARE YOUR GUNS. HAVE YOU NEVER HEARD OF WOMANS RIGHTS.

Also, homeless people get blamed for a lot of things even when it’s obviously not their fault and that they’re usually the first victims,

[whetstonefires]

One thing I don't think I've ever seen talked about is how post-apocalypse ideation is largely about homelessness.

Homelessness looms large in the American consciousness. Like, not that it's irrelevant elsewhere, but it's got a particular cultural place in the US that's reflected in Hollywood, and therefore relevant because what makes it into film and TV sets the terms of so many conversations.

We don't acknowledge it if we can help it, but I think most people know they're never more than a few very bad months from winding up there.

Even people who are sure it only happens to people who deserve it, who fuck up and put one foot in the morass of their own foolish volition. Even they know the quicksand is there, waiting to be walked into, and that the odds are stacked against ever climbing out on your own once you have. And that they, too, are capable of fucking up. Of trusting the wrong person. Of getting cancer incorrectly.

And those of us who know damn well we can't be sure we're safe even if we do everything right, we know it even better.

And in that sense it doesn't matter what the world would realistically look like after X kind of apocalypse, what people would do, how society would adapt. Because the anxiety that's being processed is about the reality that's in existence now.

About what if my world ends. And I lose access to the fruits of developed society, to clean clothes and new glasses and running water, to a safe place to sleep where I don't expect to be killed or robbed, or driven out by men with guns and dogs. To my home and work and family and everything I usually use to tell me who I am.

What if every man's hand is against me, and every meal is a small victory, and there's only my own dwindling strength between me and the long night?

Will I make it? Will I hold up under the strain? Will I retain my dignity? Will I be lucky? Will I be able to protect the people I love, in that world, the world where no one is protecting us anymore?

Is there a way to continue to live as a human person, when you're denied the prerogatives of one, and don't know if you'll ever get them back?

Putting this anxiety into the context of a massive apocalypse divorces this scenario from the burden of shame tied up in the idea of winding up in that sort of situation in the normal course of events, by having society vanish rather than expel you, personally, as a washout, and continue on around you.

It also allows you to rule out a priori the question of what resources might be offered but can't in an anticipatory context be counted on; shelters and programs and housed friends and family who may or may not help. And narrow the narrative to only the question of what you can survive, and often a fairy tale about surviving all of it and starting over.

Rehearsing for a loss in a mythologized format is a very normal anxiety processing behavior, and I think a lot of apocalypse scenario building is attached to the buried dread of that personal apocalypse. But I haven't seen that one make the list.

[moonstruckme]

I really enjoy your writing and just read of of your jillyxreader fics. Could I request (if open) jillyxreader where reader has a nightmare and just Overall comfort and sweet fluff that will put me and reader back to sleep 🌙💫✨️

Thank you lovely <3

poly!Jily x fem!reader ♡ 697 words

Lily wakes in an upset without really knowing why. James’ arm is wrapped snugly around her waist, one of her hands clasped over his and the other pillowing your cheek. You’ve curled your fingers loosely around her wrist in your sleep as though to keep her from moving away. It relaxes her some, that you’re both here, but after a moment she realizes what it was that woke her. You’re making soft, distressed little sounds in the back of your throat. Whimpering. 

“Sweetheart,” she murmurs, more on impulse than with any intention. Her thumb strokes once across your cheek, and your fingers tighten around her wrist. But you’re nearly as deep a sleeper as James, and you don’t rouse. 

Lily touches James’ bicep where it lays over her shoulder (as is her prerogative and her absolute pleasure), rubbing at first and then squeezing lightly when that doesn’t work. His shapeless murmur ghosts over her ear as he stirs. 

“Jamie.” She strokes his arm more kindly. “I think she’s having a nightmare.”

James makes a sleepy, concerned sound, his cheek warm where he rests it on Lily’s arm to see you. “Oh,” he coos. “Wake ‘er up, then.” 

“I don’t…” Lily hesitates. “I don’t want to scare her.” 

Lily isn’t usually a tentative person. Actually, she prides herself on being someone who often knows just what to do. She can think on her feet, she knows her principles, and she’s generally good with people. But Lily never had to work for James’ affection (though she tries every day to deserve it) and though you’ve never been withholding with yours, she sometimes feels insecure in knowing precisely the right thing to do for you. James is inherently loveable, but she still has no clue why either of you have chosen her; she’s afraid to be the one to mess things up. 

Sometimes, she thinks James knows this. He mushes his lips to her arm, stubble tickling, says “s’okay, lovely,” and reaches for you himself. 

You do wake as Lily feared, with a start and a short breath, but you calm quickly under James’ touch, Lily’s hand still underneath your cheek. 

“Shh, you’re okay, angel.” James rubs your shoulder softly as the tension in your body eases. “Everything’s okay.” 

“Oh my god.” You let out a shuddery breath. “Sorry.” 

“It’s alright.” Lily strokes a short line under your eye with her thumb. “Bad dream?” 

“Mm.” You look between her and James. Then take another deep breath, letting your face rest more heavily in her palm. “I woke you?” 

“Not really,” she lies. “You sounded upset, though.” 

You frown. “I was making sounds?”

Lily nods, feeling her brows draw together sympathetically. “Do you want to talk about it?” 

You think about it for a second, forefinger stroking the inside of her wrist. Warmth seeps through Lily’s skin, settling pleasurably inside her. 

“Thanks,” you say after a few moments, “but I think I’d rather not. It’ll just make it harder for me to get back to sleep.” 

“Will you be able to get back to sleep?” James asks. 

You nod, but your shoulders draw up uncertainly. “I think so.” 

“Mm. Best take measures to ensure it.” He reaches over Lily, who flattens herself to the bed as James takes your waist in his hands. “C’mere, lovie.” 

You smile and apologize to Lily as James hauls you over her, situating you between them. 

“Don’t worry about it.” She kisses the hill of your cheek, drawing back to look you in the eyes. It’s dark enough that she can’t make out much of you, but your eyes glitter faintly in the low light, pupils large and trusting. Lily’s heart feels heavy with fondness. “Is this going to help, sweetheart?” 

You smile faintly. “Yeah,” you say, moving forward to kiss her on the lips. 

“Yeah,” James echoes you. He plants a smacker on your cheek, then leans over you to do the same to Lily, his demeanor playful but the hand he pets down your arm comforting. “Course it’s going to help, babe, don’t be so silly. Have a bit of faith, yeah?” 

“Right.” Lily links your hands, bringing them to her lips. “My mistake.”

[hedgehog-moss]

The blueberry tart moral quandary has been very fun to ponder! Thank you for sharing it with us. I think the real question, however, is what each of your animals would think about ordering two slices of tart under the circumstances

You're right, that IS the true question here. Let's situate this in a universe where blueberry tart is safe & delicious to eat for all animal species.

CHICKENS. The chickens would definitely want that second helping of tart because chickens live in a solipsistic moral universe and would hesitate to share tart even if it was their dying sister's last wish. However if you place two slices of tart on the ground for 2 chickens, they will immediately and violently start fighting each other over the same slice, thus giving you the opportunity to discreetly retrieve the first slice for yourself. Moreover, if a chicken manages to break off half of the slice and starts running like hell to go eat it elsewhere in peace, the other chicken will take off after her instead of eating the other half happily by herself. If they then break this half in two while fighting over it, they will resume fighting over that half of the half, allowing you to retrieve 3/4 of the second slice. And so on. This is Zeno's paradox applied to chickens and tart: the hens will spend the rest of eternity fighting over diminishing crumbs while you get almost all of the second slice back (albeit broken in increasingly minuscule halves.)

CATS. Not only would the cats want that second slice regardless of who else wants it, they would also sit & start grooming themselves on the rest of the pie with great serenity, rendering it inedible for anyone else. However, my original post established that the pies were under large bell jars. Two of my three cats are (to their everlasting torment) stymied by this sadistic human invention. If the bell jar is heavy enough that you can't push it off the table (a popular strategy), then Mascarille and Merricat will just circle it a few times, ram their faces into the glass, do a full body swipe against it in case this might open a secret door, and then walk away in frustration. Morille on the other hand is a cat possessed of extreme patience, diabolical intelligence and acute interest in forbidden food. She will get the tart no matter how long she has to lie in wait.

DOG. Pandolf would not want a second slice or even a first one, if he is made to understand that this might make other people sad. The thing with Pandolf is, he can smell disappointment. His great big nose picks up on every particle of human disappointment in the air and they go straight to his heart. He is also too polite to even defend his bone from thieving chickens. There's no way he would claim any tart at all unless someone gave it to him and made it clear they would be happy for him to eat it. However Pandolf is very cute when he sits there with a lolling tongue, happy for others to have a good time, and there is also no way one or several persons wouldn't give him their slice of tart. He would definitely end up with tart.

LLAMAS. Pampelune is the matriarch and since her duties involve dying to protect her herd in case of predator attacks, she considers it her prerogative to eat first and as much as she damn pleases in compensation. She would get two slices. I believe Poldine would choose to have only one slice and kiss everyone in the restaurant on the cheek for good measure, and I also believe she would actually get zero tart. As shown in the salt video, Poldine understands her place in the pasture hierarchy (the one who eats last) and has to resort to subterfuge to get even 1 lick of salt while others are gorging themselves. She will be very dependent on other people's temperance and decency to get any tart (so, Pandolf is her best bet.) Meanwhile Pampérigouste is trying to figure out how to escape the restaurant undetected to go on an adventure while the sheeple are talking about tart. She will get one or two or three slices but only if they can facilitate her various stratagems (for example, to bribe a guard at the door.)

The FISH—do not have the cognitive abilities to worry about morals but more importantly, do not experience soul-deep desires in the way the birds and mammals in this list do. My fish live in a smooth and quiet world where the gods make food rain from the sky every day. In this luminescent existence of untroubled abundance their capacity for longing has atrophied. They do not understand what wanting tart means, let alone the complex philosophical agonies humans can put themselves through when faced with culinary conundrums.

DONKEY. Pirlouit's first instinct would be to claim all the tart he can eat and then some. However donkeys and fish sit at opposite ends of the philosophical spectrum; Pirlouit strikes me as an animal who would be interested in exploring the ethical ramifications of the issue, as an intellectual exercise. 70% of his life consists in quiet deep ponderings. I think Pirlouit could get distracted ruminating the blueberry tart quandary in light of the rich philosophical heritage of donkey civilisation, and arrive too late to get any tart by the time he determined whether one or two slices is the right answer. Kind of like that time he got distracted by his need for revenge and was late for breakfast and the llamas had already claimed the hay.

IN CONCLUSION.