#also of course feel free to ignore this

[frankensteinmutual]

@dokyeomini tagged me to post last month's receptify but that was like months ago so. on the left is the one from back then and on the right's the current one ajdnrmff sorry <3

I tag @victorianpining @disc0inferno @kvothes @dykefagoth @valeroyeaux @getoheaven @sciencedfiction @woundedsaint @seriemorder @hansfallada @hieromancy @annebonnydyke and anyone else who wants to do it

[emry-stars-art]

That’s it, first person to draw aftg mers or royals for me gets a cuddle/kiss chibi request they want done next thing

[fuckinart]

(they'll never understand) How could I ever understand? No, I don't have to understand. I don't wanna understand. So I will never understand. (we could have everything)

[generic-sonic-fan]

If you care to entertain the thought:

The Finnish language has a gender neutral 3rd person pronoun for people and an "it" pronoun for objects & animals = not people. In official/book language at least. But 90% of the time in casual speech, we use "it" to refer to people as well. (It feels like night and day to use "it" in Finnish for people compared to English.)

Do you think Neo would thrive off of hearing people refer to it as "it" so casually if it interacted with (& translated) language speakers with this type of convention? Or would "it" being used like a "3rd person pronoun" feel strange/not fulfilling to Neo, due to the lack of distinction unless written down? (I assume "neutral 3rd person pronoun", by itself, might be like they/them for Neo?)

Similarly; you hc Omega with a strong he/him preference &, IIRC, an even stronger distaste for it/its. Would he tolerate a language that uses "it" so casually when meaning *3rd person pronoun*, not meant to sound objectifying in any way? + All while only having gender neutral pronouns in the first place, even if one was speaking properly (or in writing) & actively not using it/its. >No existing masculine pronouns to affirm gender anywhere (not counting using "Mr/Ms" type of titles).

I suppose it's up to interpretation on how difficult/easy it would be for them (compared to organic characters), to adjust to different language conventions like this, but I'm curious if you have any thoughts?

Ooooh, this is a fantastic question.

I think that Neo would be flattered with either pronoun! Sounds like both forms of "it" within the Finnish language lack a gender or pluralness- and gender is what Neo is seeking to avoid. It would be very pleased with this, and it would also wonder why it was programmed to think in a language as silly as English instead of the clearly superior Finnish. Neo's a bit more, shall we say, cerebral than Omega. I think it would adjust to the different language conventions very quickly.

Omega, meanwhile, would definitely have a preference. He would not tolerate the pronoun that's meant for objects and animals. He'd see it as incredibly demeaning, and you'd have to have a long talk with him to explain that the inanimate pronoun is not demeaning in the context of Finnish culture. He's got a little bit of a self-centered view of the world and doesn't handle the idea of different traditions very well? Mostly he just thinks they're weird and perceives himself as not being a part of any culture (despite that being untrue. He's kinda got the stereotypical American thing going on lol.) He's already a bit of a rebel in his own cultural context, let alone understanding the connotations of different cultures, if that makes any sense? He wouldn't adjust to the different language conventions very easily is what I'm saying.

Thank you for sending this ask!

[rascheln]

tbh I find posts that describe Laois' influence on Falin's life as a 'burden' or something she was forced into pretty patronizing of Falin and ignorant of her own motivations and growth as a character. And it also comes across as blaming Laios for the way she grew up, when I don't think either of them had that much agency in their lives and it also suggests an intentionality that we can be pretty sure was not there.

[blue-mood-blue]

Saw just enough of The Sound of Music tonight that I was reminded of Captain von Trapp mentioning that the most important thing in his house is discipline (or some such sentiment), and

because I have the brain rot

While I cannot conceivably find a way to make that specifically into an au, I was nonetheless charmed by the thought of disciplinarian and rule-abiding Lan Wangji vs sunny and energetic Wei Wuxian cheering up the juniors with a little music tell me you are not turned to mush by Wei Wuxian teaching juniors the equivalent of “my favorite things” I dare you

Anyway

All of this to say, a no-sunshot-campaign au where, for whatever reason, Wei Wuxian is invited as a guest lecturer at Cloud Recesses. There are several thousand rules that Wei Wuxian is ignoring at any given moment. Lan Wangji, who is in charge of discipline, is annoyed (intrigued). Tiny juniors are following their new teacher’s heels all around while he’s playing the dizi like a more adorable version of the pied piper (and perhaps Wei Wuxian warns them with a wink that he is Very Evil and he is going to Steal Them Away which is met with un-Lan-like giggling). The Elders have discussed sending him back to Lotus Pier but, unfortunately, he is a fantastic teacher.

There are also, of course, shenanigans. Night hunt field trips. Wei Wuxian inflicting his cooking upon the poor, innocent youths. Bad dreams on both sides leading to some broken curfews and soft music in the garden. Some conflicting curriculums - not “demonic cultivation” level, but there are a lot more disciples asking a lot more questions in their other lectures.

Lan Qiren is incensed.

Lan Xichen refuses to do anything about it (he is watching his brother watching Wei Wuxian and waiting).

Lan Wangji should be doing his job of disciplining but, you see, whenever he tries Wei Wuxian smiles at him or hands him a bunny or chatters about how well the Lanlings are doing or about an idea he has for a lesson, and what is he to do? Stop that from happening?? Remove the smile from this man’s face??? That would be a crime.

(Lan Qiren gets the abridged version of this sentiment, which amounts to “Wei Wuxian is good” and he despairs. He is fighting a losing battle to send the guest teacher home.)

(The losing battle becomes a lost battle when Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian play a duet for the juniors together and share a kiss as soon as the juniors are out of sight and off to their next lesson. Lan Xichen catches his brother pacing while on patrol that night, his face as forlorn as it ever is, and says “You know, we could… offer him a permanent place here?”)

Lan Wangji writes to Lotus Pier that Cloud Recesses will not be returning their head disciple. The entire sect hears the “WHAT” and “HE CAN’T STEAL MY BROTHER” echoing from Jiang Cheng’s general direction.

[songstep4002]

Do you know what's really annoying?

When you call someone or something not human, people always assume you mean less than human. Which is stupid because of the majority of the time, I don't mean less than human or even more than human, I mean different from human. But the average person's tendency is to put humanity up on a pedestal as greater, which in their mind, makes different from humanity inherently lesser than humanity. Which is stupid and annoying and I hate it.

[bookshelfdreams]

y'all realize engaging with the Izzy Safe Space guy is just indulging their humiliation kink right

[chronomally]

Yin Hanjiang learned what sex is and is now no longer comfortable with skin-to-skin contact when throwing people around and ripping out their internal organs. Wenren E watches him put on a glove before gripping Baili Qingmiao by the back of the neck to shake her like a maraca and he's just like "My boyfriend is so shy and cute teehee 🥰"

[tamagotchikgs]

been trying to figure out just how i am going to explain how wildly my brain has been altered since the last time i saw my therapist && it make me realize all of this has happened in 1 month,,,,,,,,,,, it feels like . eons. eternity . in the best way possible

[anophelei]

The people unashamedly trying to take advantage of the thousands of innocent Palestinian people murdered in Israeli war crimes, twisting the knife in the back of Palestine for an opportunity to remind you that you still have to vote for Joe Biden, undoubtedly counting among the people with the most blood on their hands, have already made it clear they do not care about anyone but themselves, and have gone out of their way to prove it.

Somehow they've managed to sink even lower, and are genuinely, in all earnesty, justifying their continued support for Biden in the wake of him pledging his unconditional support of genocide, with the exact same fucking line they used almost 3 fucking years ago to pressure people into voting him into power in the first place. It was already obvious they had no intention of "Pushing Biden to the Left", that they didn't give a single shit about any of the people they were so ardently claiming to be protecting from Trump, and that they would go to the ends of the earth to justify anything and everything he could possibly do.

And now that he's chomping at the bit about aiding and abetting Israel in raining down hell and phosphorous and napalm on innocent people, now that thousands of people have lost their loved ones to such irreverent cruelty, they've decided it's time for an important reminder; Genocide doesn't change anything, and not only do you have to get out and vote for someone complicit in every single atrocity, every single casualty, you have to do it for the same pathetic excuse we made last time, "because we can push Biden to the "left"", even though there hasn't been a single shred of progress, or even any attempt to do so in the three years since we said this last time. You could say that participation in actual, ongoing genocide, is a catastrophic failure in that metric; that we might as well have been pulling this whole fucking time; and right this very moment is the most unbelievably selfish, entitled, petulant and self interested, and abhorrent, manipulative, cruel, spiteful, bitter and fucking disgusting time anyone could have possibly chosen to say this, when people are entirely cut off from their loved ones with no way to know if they are okay, it's important to remember that you're the bad person here due to your belief that supporting genocide in any capacity is an unforgivable crime. The real crime is NOT voting in support of genocide, when the other option is Literal Fascists !!

I'm not even fucking joking, this entire thing started because this piece of shit thought a Palestinian calling people out for supporting Biden was akin to "thinking the entirety of one side is bad", which due to a complex reasoning and nuanced understanding of "this conflict", he was able to realise that was far too simplistic, and now enlightened, knew that attacking enemy toddlers was wrong. So too did he share his nuanced and complex understanding with OP, since they were understanding things too simplistically. "American politics is not that simple either"

Just like killing babies is wrong even if they're on the enemy team, American politics is not as simple as you thinking I am disgusting and selfish for supporting genocide. #nuance

[pumpkakin]

Last Line Challenge

Rules: in a new post, show your latest line (artwork or written), and tag as many people as there are words (or as many as you feel like)!

Tagged by: @spadeyhearty (hi!)

My last lines:

In Rivendell, meals are heavier, smothered meats and hardy root vegetables, thick cream sauces and warm, spiced wines. But Scott has never been a picky eater, so he slides into the chair opposite of Katherine and plucks a strawberry, red and ripe like a ruby, and pops it into his mouth.

I had to stop writing when I wrote this because I made myself hungry lol!

Tags: @chrysochroma, @oh-snapperss, and anyone else who wants to participate!

[vvitchy-succubus]

.

[steakout-05]

i was thinking about how it took me a while to figure out i'm aegosexual (which basically means that there's a disconnect between yourself and being the subject of attraction) and i thought about how much i really dislike and just cannot see myself in slash reader fics. i tend to dislike these fics for multiple reasons, but some of them include that the reader self insert is usually really boring, has no personality outside of being lovey dovey and isn't unhinged enough for certain characters for reasons outside of contrasting personalities for my tastes (like spamton for example, why are you writing a normal protagonist to pair with fuckin spamton of all characters). but another reason is that i literally cannot connect myself to the reader self insert. like i cannot imagine myself in their place at all, it's always another stand-in that i imagine instead and thinking about myself in their place makes me uncomfortable. i can't see myself in their place because i don't see myself as a subject of attraction, and i'm repulsed to that idea. so i imagine someone else instead because that's better to me. and also because of the aforementioned reasons that have more to do with the writing of the self insert, i just cannot imagine myself acting the way the self insert does because I Personally Would Not Fucking Do That™. like i would not be romantically kissing a guy on a date, i would be infodumping about my special interests for 3 hours and then start ranting about how funny cars are while he just smiles and nods lmao

this is why i've never really self-shipped with any character. like i can be attracted to them and be like "i wanna hold his hand/kiss him/do inexplicable things to his psyche", but in reality i could never actually see myself as a subject of attraction by this character, so i'd either ship them with another character i like or imagine a sort of stand-in that has some of my traits and lives out my fantasies but still isn't me. i can fall in love but i can never connect because ew that's gross and weird. watching from the sidelines by reading fics and looking at fanart about characters being shipped with others and being intimate with each other is more my cup of tea.

[pidayforpi]

2023 Summer Rundown

☆ Watched...

[Movie]

→ Onward

→ Spiderverse I (rewatch)

→ Spiderverse II

→ Barbie

→ Epic Tails

→ The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes

→ SASAGEYO Mutant Mayhem

→ Elemental

→ The Little Mermaid

→ Ruby Gillman

→ The Book of Life

→ Puss in Boots I

→ The Rescuers Down Under

→ Pinocchio

→ The Mitchells vs the Machines

→ Sailor Moon Eternal

→ The Garden of Words (rewatch)

→ RotTMNT movie (rewatch)

[Series and Others]

→ Finished DT17

→ AIR

→ Violet Evergarden (collection)

→ Usagi Chronicles

→ The Rhino and the Redbill

→ A Fox in Space

→ SABA

→ Lackadaisy

[thedeadthree]

CHARACTER NATURE AESTHETICS

hi! i was tagged by the darlings @risingsh0t, @blackreaches, @chuckhansen, @leviiackrman and @dihardys to do this cutest tag game for a few loves! ty so much! <3 (x)

TAGGING: @griffin-wood, @queennymeria, @marivenah, @confidentandgood, @yennas, @aartyom, @swordcoasts, @florbelles, @shellibisshe, @jackiesarch, @jacobseed, @belorage, @virassan, @shadowglens, @heroofpenamstan, @multiverse-of-themind, @celticwoman, @inkrys, @adelaidedrubman, @roofgeese, @steelport, @flyntz, @arklay, @roberthouses, @aceghosts, @alexandbear, @pheedraws, @loriane-elmuerto, @rosebarsoap and you!

Cottagecore

homemade bread, throwing seeds out for the chickens, a tabby cat, patchwork quilts, puffy skirts, ceramic dishes, fresh flowers in a glass jar, herbs hanging from the ceiling, freckles, grey eyes, Athena, old recipe books, a cookie tin filled with recipe cards from grandma, home-sewn pillows, a plate of cookies, the smell of rosemary cooking in a pot of water on the stove, a floral tea pot, salt and pepper shakers, pansies, bartering with neighbors, biking to town, stained glass windows

Zen Gardencore

rocks raked with precision, bonsai trees, holy temples, moss covering statues of gods and godesses, reading ancient texts, being blessed by your ancestors, trusting and family devotion, watercolors on paper, ink on skin, poetry and art, hot springs, cherry blossoms, little flames flickering behind paper curtains, the smell of incense burning, figurines carved from jade and gold from centuries ago, rain, a mist seeping around your ankles as you make your way to school, a chalkboard, scraps of cloth made into art, origami, your father’s heirloom sword you long to one day pick up like your favorite Disney Princess, tranquility and peace, stubborn and proud

Junglecore

exotic animals, tree house, waterfalls, learning the calls of native birds, bright colors and natural materials, bracelets made from wooden beads and bones and feathers, collecting mushrooms (if you know you know), shirts with the sleeves cut off, leaving plastic bottle caps out full of water for frogs to soak in, cutting jeans to make them into shorts, wading in the river, cutting your own hair, bamboo wind chimes, upcycled art, fish in plastic jugs, air plants, climbing up trees using the vines, harvesting your own fruit

Forestcore

deep silences of the oldest trees, darkness, log cabins, deer antlers mounted on the wall, rearticulated skeletons, hand-dried pelts, pots of stew cooking over a fire, pancakes in a cast iron pan, brown boots worn from hiking, an old walking stick, bonfires at night, roasting marshmallows and making s’mores, strange markings carved into the bark of trees, ferns that curl up when touched, hearing animals dart here and there but never being able to catch more than a quick glimpse of them out of the corner of your eye, finding half-eaten acorns and mushrooms, large tracks from something you can’t identify, bow hunting

Beachcore

seashell collection, model boats, jars of sand, windswept hair, the feel of the wooden boardwalk on your bare feet, big sunglasses, light blue walls, rope hammock, pillows with anchors embroidered on them, flip flops, shining sun, fish tank, sea animal plushies, a steering wheel from a boat on your wall, plates and mugs with seahorses on them, bracelets with plastic shell and dolphin and turtle beads on them, postcards from the ocean, wind chimes made of sea glass

Mountain/Meadowcore

watching the rabbits down in the valley, reading a book in a window seat, checking the sky for storms, knitting heavy quilts for the winter, many layers of clothing, waking up to see the sunrise and sitting outside for the sunset, enjoying the company of ones-self, mountain goats, clovers, laying in the tall grass underneath the sun, field mice, crystal and gemstone collection, a tin filled with buttons and sewing needles and thread, fresh-brewed coffee in the morning, scones

Cottagecore

homemade bread, throwing seeds out for the chickens, a tabby cat, patchwork quilts, puffy skirts, ceramic dishes (prefers gold), fresh flowers in a glass jar, herbs hanging from the ceiling, freckles, grey eyes, Athena, old recipe books, a cookie tin filled with recipe cards from grandma, home-sewn pillows, a plate of cookies, the smell of rosemary cooking in a pot of water on the stove, a floral tea pot, salt and pepper shakers, pansies, bartering with neighbors (if she wants for something she will have it), biking to town, stained glass windows

Zen Gardencore

rocks raked with precision, bonsai trees, holy temples, moss covering statues of gods and godesses, reading ancient texts, being blessed by your ancestors, trusting and family devotion, watercolors on paper, ink on skin, poetry and art, hot springs, cherry blossoms, little flames flickering behind paper curtains, the smell of incense burning, figurines carved from jade and gold from centuries ago, rain, a mist seeping around your ankles as you make your way to school, a chalkboard, scraps of cloth made into art, origami, your father’s heirloom sword you long to one day pick up like your favorite Disney Princess, tranquility and peace, stubborn and proud

Junglecore

exotic animals, tree house, waterfalls, learning the calls of native birds, bright colors and natural materials, bracelets made from wooden beads and bones and feathers, collecting mushrooms, shirts with the sleeves cut off, leaving plastic bottle caps out full of water for frogs to soak in, cutting jeans to make them into shorts, wading in the river, cutting your own hair, bamboo wind chimes, upcycled art, fish in plastic jugs, air plants, climbing up trees using the vines, harvesting your own fruit

Forestcore

deep silences of the oldest trees, darkness, log cabins, deer antlers mounted on the wall, rearticulated skeletons, hand-dried pelts, pots of stew cooking over a fire, pancakes in a cast iron pan, brown boots worn from hiking, an old walking stick, bonfires at night, roasting marshmallows and making s’mores, strange markings carved into the bark of trees, ferns that curl up when touched, hearing animals dart here and there but never being able to catch more than a quick glimpse of them out of the corner of your eye, finding half-eaten acorns and mushrooms, large tracks from something you can’t identify, bow hunting

Beachcore

seashell collection, model boats, jars of sand, windswept hair, the feel of the wooden boardwalk on your bare feet, big sunglasses, light blue walls, rope hammock, pillows with anchors embroidered on them, flip flops, shining sun, fish tank, sea animal plushies, a steering wheel from a boat on your wall, plates and mugs with seahorses on them, bracelets with plastic shell and dolphin and turtle beads on them, postcards from the ocean, wind chimes made of sea glass

Mountain/Meadowcore

watching the rabbits down in the valley, reading a book in a window seat, checking the sky for storms, knitting heavy quilts for the winter, many layers of clothing, waking up to see the sunrise and sitting outside for the sunset, enjoying the company of ones-self, mountain goats, clovers, laying in the tall grass underneath the sun, field mice, crystal and gemstone collection, a tin filled with buttons and sewing needles and thread, fresh-brewed coffee in the morning, scones

Cottagecore

homemade bread, throwing seeds out for the chickens, a tabby cat, patchwork quilts, puffy skirts, ceramic dishes, fresh flowers in a glass jar, herbs hanging from the ceiling, freckles, grey eyes, Athena, old recipe books, a cookie tin filled with recipe cards from grandma, home-sewn pillows, a plate of cookies, the smell of rosemary cooking in a pot of water on the stove, a floral tea pot, salt and pepper shakers, pansies, bartering with neighbors (a waste of time), biking to town, stained glass windows

Zen Gardencore

rocks raked with precision, bonsai trees, holy temples, moss covering statues of gods and godesses, reading ancient texts, being blessed by your ancestors, trusting and family devotion (HUGE NO), watercolors on paper, ink on skin, poetry and art, hot springs, cherry blossoms, little flames flickering behind paper curtains, the smell of incense burning, figurines carved from jade and gold from centuries ago, rain, a mist seeping around your ankles as you make your way to school, a chalkboard, scraps of cloth made into art, origami, your father’s heirloom sword you long to one day pick up like your favorite Disney Princess, tranquility and peace, stubborn and proud

Junglecore

exotic animals, tree house, waterfalls, learning the calls of native birds, bright colors and natural materials, bracelets made from wooden beads and bones and feathers, collecting mushrooms, shirts with the sleeves cut off, leaving plastic bottle caps out full of water for frogs to soak in, cutting jeans to make them into shorts, wading in the river, cutting your own hair, bamboo wind chimes, upcycled art, fish in plastic jugs, air plants, climbing up trees using the vines, harvesting your own fruit

Forestcore

deep silences of the oldest trees, darkness, log cabins, deer antlers mounted on the wall, rearticulated skeletons, hand-dried pelts, pots of stew cooking over a fire, pancakes in a cast iron pan, brown boots worn from hiking, an old walking stick, bonfires at night, roasting marshmallows and making s’mores, strange markings carved into the bark of trees, ferns that curl up when touched, hearing animals dart here and there but never being able to catch more than a quick glimpse of them out of the corner of your eye, finding half-eaten acorns and mushrooms, large tracks from something you can’t identify, bow hunting

Beachcore

seashell collection, model boats, jars of sand, windswept hair, the feel of the wooden boardwalk on your bare feet, big sunglasses, light blue walls, rope hammock, pillows with anchors embroidered on them, flip flops, shining sun, fish tank, sea animal plushies, a steering wheel from a boat on your wall, plates and mugs with seahorses on them, bracelets with plastic shell and dolphin and turtle beads on them, postcards from the ocean, wind chimes made of sea glass

Mountain/Meadowcore

watching the rabbits down in the valley, reading a book in a window seat, checking the sky for storms, knitting heavy quilts for the winter, many layers of clothing, waking up to see the sunrise and sitting outside for the sunset, enjoying the company of ones-self, mountain goats, clovers, laying in the tall grass underneath the sun, field mice, crystal and gemstone collection, a tin filled with buttons and sewing needles and thread, fresh-brewed coffee in the morning, scones

Cottagecore

homemade bread, throwing seeds out for the chickens, a tabby cat, patchwork quilts, puffy skirts, ceramic dishes, fresh flowers in a glass jar, herbs hanging from the ceiling, freckles, grey eyes, Athena, old recipe books, a cookie tin filled with recipe cards from grandma, home-sewn pillows, a plate of cookies, the smell of rosemary cooking in a pot of water on the stove, a floral tea pot, salt and pepper shakers, pansies, bartering with neighbors, biking to town, stained glass windows

Zen Gardencore

rocks raked with precision, bonsai trees, holy temples, moss covering statues of gods and godesses, reading ancient texts, being blessed by your ancestors, trusting and family devotion, watercolors on paper, ink on skin, poetry and art, hot springs, cherry blossoms, little flames flickering behind paper curtains, the smell of incense burning, figurines carved from jade and gold from centuries ago, rain, a mist seeping around your ankles as you make your way to school, a chalkboard, scraps of cloth made into art, origami, your father’s heirloom sword you long to one day pick up like your favorite Disney Princess, tranquility and peace, stubborn and proud

Junglecore

exotic animals, tree house, waterfalls, learning the calls of native birds, bright colors and natural materials, bracelets made from wooden beads and bones and feathers, collecting mushrooms, shirts with the sleeves cut off, leaving plastic bottle caps out full of water for frogs to soak in, cutting jeans to make them into shorts, wading in the river, cutting your own hair, bamboo wind chimes, upcycled art, fish in plastic jugs, air plants, climbing up trees using the vines, harvesting your own fruit

Forestcore

deep silences of the oldest trees, darkness, log cabins, deer antlers mounted on the wall, rearticulated skeletons, hand-dried pelts, pots of stew cooking over a fire, pancakes in a cast iron pan, brown boots worn from hiking, an old walking stick, bonfires at night, roasting marshmallows and making s’mores, strange markings carved into the bark of trees, ferns that curl up when touched, hearing animals dart here and there but never being able to catch more than a quick glimpse of them out of the corner of your eye, finding half-eaten acorns and mushrooms, large tracks from something you can’t identify, bow hunting

Beachcore

seashell collection, model boats, jars of sand, windswept hair, the feel of the wooden boardwalk on your bare feet, big sunglasses, light blue walls, rope hammock, pillows with anchors embroidered on them, flip flops, shining sun, fish tank, sea animal plushies, a steering wheel from a boat on your wall, plates and mugs with seahorses on them, bracelets with plastic shell and dolphin and turtle beads on them, postcards from the ocean, wind chimes made of sea glass

Mountain/Meadowcore

watching the rabbits down in the valley, reading a book in a window seat, checking the sky for storms, knitting heavy quilts for the winter, many layers of clothing, waking up to see the sunrise and sitting outside for the sunset, enjoying the company of ones-self, mountain goats, clovers, laying in the tall grass underneath the sun, field mice, crystal and gemstone collection, a tin filled with buttons and sewing needles and thread, fresh-brewed coffee in the morning, scones