![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Sketchbook: Tidal Russet
Jun. 7th, 2025 04:01 am![[syndicated profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/feed.png){kind=small}
leifandthorn_feed
Old-timey bathing suits are the fashion in Ceannis…but Russet is too busy looking at some kind of data to actually go in the water. (It’s probably data about the water, at least?)
LBCF: Hospitality vs. sales
Jun. 6th, 2025 09:14 pmslacktivist_feed"Evangelism" has become a marketing scheme, a sales pitch without an actual product. It's like Amway, but without the soap.
Muted Harmony Dining Room: Board with Shopping List
Jun. 6th, 2025 12:30 pmhomedesigning_feedStyle: Modern Minimalist
Color Combination: Sage green, warm wood, cream white, charcoal black
Who is it for: For those who believe less is more, but more should still feel inviting. Perfect for dinner party hosts who want their space to whisper elegance rather than shout for attention, and where every meal feels like a thoughtful moment.
Budget: $-$$
Muted Harmony Dining Room – Shopping List
Below, we present a curated list of products presented on the board:
Tips and suggestions
Colors that Work Together: This palette is like a gentle exhale: calming but never boring. The sage green acts as nature’s neutral, bringing serenity without the sterility of pure white. Warm wood tones ground the space, while strategic black accents provide just enough contrast to keep things interesting without disruption.
Lighting Strategy: Those sage pendant lights? They’re doing double duty as both functional task lighting and sculptural art pieces. The key is hanging them at the right height – about 30-36 inches above your table surface. This creates intimate pools of light perfect for both family dinners and dinner parties.
Furniture Foundation: The natural wood dining table is the room’s anchor – substantial enough to feel permanent but simple enough to never go out of style. When choosing dining chairs, look for pieces that blend comfort with clean lines. The built-in banquette seating maximizes space while maintaining the streamlined aesthetic.
Storage Solutions: That fluted sideboard isn’t just beautiful – it’s incredibly practical. The vertical ridges add texture and visual interest while hiding away dining essentials. Think of it as jewellery for your dining room that happens to store your good china.
Art and Accessories: The monochrome abstract piece proves that wall art doesn’t need color to make an impact. Black and white photography or simple line drawings work beautifully in this palette. Keep accessories minimal but meaningful—a single ceramic vase, a small plant, perhaps a beautiful bowl.
Flooring and Textiles: Layered rugs create depth and warmth underfoot. The neutral tones ensure they’ll work as your style evolves, while the varied textures prevent the space from feeling flat. Think of rugs as the room’s foundation garments—invisible but essential.
The Mirror Moment: That large mirror isn’t just decorative – it’s also architectural. Positioned strategically, it reflects natural light and makes the space feel larger and brighter. In a minimalist room, every piece needs to earn its place, and mirrors are multitasking champions.
The Final Note: of restraint. This isn’t minimalism that feels cold – it’s minimalism that feels intentional and warm. Every element here serves a purpose while contributing to the overall sense of calm sophistication.
The Things We Used To Love
Jun. 4th, 2025 02:18 pmao3_wandavision_feedAfter the events of 'Multiverse Of Madness' and 'No Way Home', Wanda Maximoff and Peter Parker have never felt so alone. With all their loved ones either dead or no longer in their lives, two fractured souls that have no spark, no ambition, no love, find their paths inextricably tangled.
WARNING: CONTAINS MILD SUICIDAL THOUGHTS IN THE FIRST CHAPTER.
OH YH, I add tags whenever I want something to be included even if I haven't posted it so yh if you want clues for what happens next just like scan the tags lmao 😭😭
Words: 2164, Chapters: 2/?, Language: English
- Fandoms: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), WandaVision (TV), Doctor Strange (Movies), Fantastic Four: First Steps
- Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
- Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
- Categories: F/M
- Characters: Wanda Maximoff, Peter Parker, Nick Fury, Susan Storm, Ava Starr, James "Bucky" Barnes, Yelena Belova
- Relationships: Wanda Maximoff/Peter Parker, Wanda Maximoff & Susan Storm
- Additional Tags: Depression, Suicidal Thoughts, Sad, Wanda Maximoff Needs a Hug, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Sad Wanda Maximoff, Sad Peter Parker, Post-Movie: Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022), Post-Movie: Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021), Post-Canon, Not Canon Compliant with Movie: Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022), Slow Burn, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Sad with a Happy Ending, Canon Universe, Canon Compliant With Movie: Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021), Hurt Wanda Maximoff, Hurt Peter Parker, Assassination Attempt(s), Not Canon Compliant With Movie: Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025), Sad Susan Storm, Susan Storm Needs a Hug, Not Canon Compliant with Movie: Thunderbolts (2025)
Priceless
Jun. 6th, 2025 07:27 amao3_wandavision_feed“Oh, little girl, has your brother told you how much he owes me? Do you really believe yourself to be worth that many credits?” Dryden asked, the sharp nail on his thumb running across her cheek and jaw and sending shivers down her spine.
Still, she wouldn’t back down.
Not now.
“The question is, do you?”
OR: Pietro finds himself indebted to one of the most powerful crime lords in the galaxy. Wanda is willing to do whatever it takes to free him of his debt. It turns out to be the best decision she had ever made.
Words: 3713, Chapters: 1/3, Language: English
- Fandoms: Star Wars - All Media Types, Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), WandaVision (TV)
- Rating: Explicit
- Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
- Categories: F/M
- Characters: Wanda Maximoff, Dryden Vos
- Relationships: Wanda Maximoff/Dryden Vos
- Additional Tags: Smut, First Time, Paying off a debt, They both Very Much Want It, Prompt Fill, Possessiveness
Erin Reads: the Cathy Glass extended universe
Jun. 6th, 2025 04:17 amerinptah_feedI’ve been working my way through the library’s collection of audiobooks by Cathy Glass, a long-time foster carer in the UK who writes about her experiences with different kids over the years. So here’s a post about some of those.
Most of them have really generic titles (“Cut“, “Neglected“, “A Terrible Secret”, “Girl Alone“, you get the picture), but the actual writing is detailed and engaging. She comes off like exactly the kind of person you’d want in this job: thoughtful and attentive, firm about setting boundaries but patient and tolerant with some pretty gnarly issues, detail-oriented enough to adapt to the new batch of paperwork and scheduling (so much scheduling!) that every case dumps on her. (Obviously this could just be her talking herself up, but I’ll be an optimist and hope it’s true.)
The overall foster system fails these kids in various ways on a regular basis, but there is some comfort if you jump around in the timeline, you see how much it improves over the years. The first book I read was I Miss Mummy, where Cathy’s oldest son is 14, and there are all these procedures and check-ins and reports. Then I jumped back to Cut, where the son is an infant and the kid is her second foster charge ever — and wow, a social worker basically just rolls up to her house and goes “here, this is your problem now.”
Cathy frequently has to give herself a bunch of ad-hoc education mid-case, sometimes because “psychiatry as a whole didn’t know what to make of this issue,” sometimes just “foster carers aren’t offered or required to get any pre-emptive training on this issue.” The girl from Cut self-harms (thus the title), this was at least a decade pre-internet, the best Cathy can do is visit her local library and find one (1) whole book about the subject. (Again, props to her. This kind of initiative is a trait you really want in someone with this job.)
Which leads to this dynamic where, as a reader in 2025, sometimes you’ll pick up on a pattern way earlier than the narrative gets around to acknowledging it.
I get the feeling there’s a legalistic dimension to that? Eventually Cathy gets very adept at “taking disclosures from abused children in a way that won’t get thrown out if it goes to court,” and part of that is about reporting exactly what was said, being verrrry restrained about adding your own inferences or interpretations.
(There’s a bit in I Miss Mummy where the kid describes her bio-dad putting “icing sugar” in a line and sniffing it, and Cathy is sure this was “probably” cocaine, which, the narration patiently explains, can also be taken by putting it in a line and snorting it. On first listen, I wondered if the target audience was “people who’ve never read or learned anything about cocaine in their lives.” A few books later, I’m thinking the target audience is “a hypothetical jury.”)
The latest book I finished is Damaged. Went and checked out the ebook, too, to make sure I cited everything correctly here:
There are 34 chapters. In chapter 4, Cathy describes the newly-arrived Jodie as having intense, distracted conversations with mysterious people that Cathy assumes are “imaginary friends.”
And I’m thinking, hm, is this kid plural?
Chapter 10, we get this exchange:
“I wasn’t safe with my daddy, was I, Cathy?”
“No you weren’t, pet. And because of that, [social worker] Eileen feels it would be better if you didn’t see either of your parents for a while, until it’s all sorted out.”
“OK, Cathy,” she said, not in the least perturbed. “I’ll tell her.” Then she stood up, and started a conversation with herself, in which she told Jodie she wasn’t seeing Mummy or Daddy because she had to be safe.
So now I’m thinking, look, this child is definitely some kind of system, are the adults in the book going to realize it?
Chapter 21, after two not-Jodie headmates firmly identify themselves (agreeable two-year-old Amy, and aggressive masculine Reg), Cathy describes all the symptoms so far to her social-services contact, who says “If I’m right, then it sounds like DID.”
Finally!
There’s some weird misinformation thrown into the dialogue…but thankfully, Cathy’s handling of Jodie-and-company stays very grounded in “managing the issues they actually have.” And it leads to the approval of enough funding to get Jodie in a full-time residential program with trained therapeutic staff, which by this point it’s very clear she needs.
There’s an “as happy as you can expect under the circumstances” ending: Jodie’s still in the residential program three years later, not healthy enough to be adopted out, but stable under what sounds like good professional care for a range of issues. Cathy and her kids are still in regular contact! (Meanwhile, a group of Jodie’s abusers got prosecuted, and half of them even got found guilty.)
The library only has one Cathy Glass audiobook left, and it’s on hold. Several of the others were too. Hopefully that level of popularity means they’ll order more of the set at some point.
In the meantime…I’d say “I’m listening to something cheerier,” but since finishing this book, most of my background-track-while-drawing audio has been (a) scam podcasts or (b) the latest season of Hoarders. Apparently it’s just that kind of week.
Cast Off 17/23
Jun. 6th, 2025 04:01 amleifandthorn_feed
Leif: Are you okay?
Thorn: Yes . . . I just . . .
Thorn (thinking): I can’t look out for him when he’s gone. I’m so happy for him. . . . I think I want kids??
Thorn: I am going to miss him.
Leif: You should tell me you’ll miss “them.” Because Kale’s going too.
And he would tell you if he meant to leave forever.
It hurts down here on earth, Lord
Jun. 5th, 2025 09:07 pmslacktivist_feedIt hurts down here 'cause we're running out of beer and we're all gonna die someday.
STRUGGLE SESSION: Calling In Sick…
Jun. 5th, 2025 07:40 pmsavagelove_feedThere are so many great comments about this week’s column and podcast — confronting cologne addicts! sending nude pics! humiliating hung guys! — but I’m still COVID’s bitch and I don’t have the energy to respond. I’m so sorry! But I am gonna share a letter that just came in just now and invite you … Read More »
The post STRUGGLE SESSION: Calling In Sick… appeared first on Dan Savage.
How Long Can Our Patchwork Family Survive?
Jun. 5th, 2025 02:14 pmao3_wandavision_feedby Cursed_Quil1
After Doctor Strange cast the spell erasing Peter, he found it harder and harder to continue on without his friends and family. His grief was eating him from the inside.
So when on one especially depressing day, Wanda Maximoff stepped out of a glowing red portal, looking slightly (extremely) more crazed than the last time Peter saw her, offering him a second chance at a family, to be known and loved again, he had taken it.
Now it was nearly two years since he had taken Wanda’s offer and he was living a relatively good life. Nightmares still haunted him and his grief still ate at him sometimes, but his family made the load easier to bare.
But good things never long around Peter.
The universe that they had been staying in had its own Avengers and Sorcerer Supreme and they weren’t very happy with the side effects of Wanda’s Magic.
They are run out of this universe and in order to not be found by another Doctor Strange, Wanda sends them to a universe completely different than their own ones. One without the Avengers or Stephen Strange. This one even had different cities and countries.
Can this patchwork family survive in this new universe? Or will this universe break them apart?
Words: 4868, Chapters: 2/?, Language: English
- Fandoms: Marvel Cinematic Universe, DCU, WandaVision (TV), Spider-Man - All Media Types, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), Batman - All Media Types
- Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
- Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
- Characters: Wanda Maximoff, Peter Parker, Billy Maximoff, Tommy Maximoff, Vision (Marvel), Pietro Maximoff, Avengers Team Members (Marvel), Justice League (DCU), Batfamily Members (DCU), Slightly De-Aged Peter Parker, He’s 17-18 at the time of the main plot
- Relationships: Wanda Maximoff/Vision, Wanda Maximoff & Peter Parker, Wanda Maximoff Acting as Peter Parker’s Parental Figure - Relationship, Dick Grayson & Peter Parker, Peter Parker & Bruce Wayne, Spider-Man & Batman
Neutral, Natural, and Cozy: Discovering the Curves of the Woven Apartment
Jun. 5th, 2025 12:30 pmhomedesigning_feedThe Woven Apartment, designed by Khang Concept, is where the curves do the talking. The architectural forms create a statement of their own, letting understated design have its moment! The color palette is dominated by calming neutrals. Simultaneously, organic textures come together to add coziness. Whether it’s the arched details, woven finishes, or the muted palette, this home proves that minimalism doesn’t have to feel cold… it can feel like a hug.
In the living room, a sculptural cream-toned sofa curves gently along the wall. This is grounded by a layered rug and organic coffee table. Floor-to-ceiling sheer curtains filter in natural light. The built-in bench seating and abstract wall art add character without clutter.
The kitchen in the Woven Apartment is clean-lined and calming. It is a blend of matte cabinetry, wood textures, and soft under-cabinet lighting. The palette sticks to soothing tones, while the oversized hood and sleek open shelving bring drama.
Tucked into a cozy nook, the dining area is all about organic flow. A custom-built banquette curves around a round black pedestal table, paired with a mix of rattan and sculptural chairs. A pendant lamp with natural textures floats above. This corner invites long, lingering meals and easy conversations.
This bedroom is simple yet sophisticated. A soft upholstered bed adds functionality, while the wooden cabinetry provides storage space. A nightstand holds a globe lamp and a plant, adding to the decor of the otherwise minimalist room.
The bedroom is a tranquil retreat. Custom wardrobes with woven panels frame a niche styled with ambient lighting. To the side, a sculptural desk with a chunky black leg and floating vanity shelves makes the space multifunctional. Natural light filters through full-length curtains, brushing softly against neutral bedding and organic textures.
Playful yet polished, this bedroom features a soft, rainbow-arched headboard that adds charm. The mint green desk and sculptural shelves introduce a fun pop of color. With built-in wardrobes and a cozy workspace, it’s perfect for comfort as well as creativity.
This bathroom continues the use of curves, as seen in the mirror. A terracotta-hued shower cubicle is segregated with a glass partition, keeping the space airy.
The second bathroom uses the same terracotta color, but this time for the area around the vanity. This time, a curved partition separates the shower area. Matte black fixtures add visual interest.
academic integrity
Jun. 4th, 2025 08:46 pmmurderbot_ao3_feedby 3am_arsonist
They’re more competent than you think.
Across from me, one student had fallen from his chair and was now lying face-down on the ground.
Yeah. Competent.
--
Murderbot acts as security for some university students onboard and starts a bet with ART. Both go horribly.
Words: 2173, Chapters: 2/5, Language: English
- Fandoms: The Murderbot Diaries - Martha Wells, Murderbot (TV)
- Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
- Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
- Categories: Gen
- Characters: Murderbot (Murderbot Diaries), Dr. Mensah (Murderbot Diaries), ART | Perihelion, Perihelion Crew (Murderbot Diaries)
- Relationships: Dr. Mensah & Murderbot (Murderbot Diaries), ART | Perihelion & Murderbot, Murderbot (Murderbot Diaries) & Original Character(s)
- Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, POV Murderbot (Murderbot Diaries), Canon-Typical Violence, Post-Book 2: Artificial Condition, Anxiety, The Corporation Rim Is Terrible (Murderbot Diaries), Murderbot Experiences Emotions (Murderbot Diaries), Murderbot experiences university life
Pillow
Jun. 4th, 2025 11:15 ammurderbot_ao3_feedby Anonymous
Dr. Mensah knows Gurathin comes into her room sometimes to smell her pillow and self soothe. This is how she found out.
Words: 972, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English
- Fandoms: Murderbot (TV), The Murderbot Diaries - Martha Wells
- Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
- Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
- Categories: F/M
- Characters: Dr. Gurathin (Murderbot Diaries), Dr. Mensah (Murderbot Diaries)
- Relationships: Dr. Gurathin/Dr. Mensah (Murderbot Diaries), Dr. Gurathin & Dr. Mensah (Murderbot Diaries)
- Additional Tags: Scents & Smells, Complicated Relationships, Character Study, Light Angst, Comfort, Age Difference
Routine Cleanup
Jun. 4th, 2025 04:21 ammurderbot_ao3_feedPreservation Station is composed of decades-old buildings. It's warm lights, greenery, and the sounds of people pinging Murderbot's hearing in every damn direction. Eye-contact with Gurathin still feels like a transgression, and his scowl says he isn't doing much better.
Reality orbits them too fast for comfort. Both of them, carrying their own baggage, know the reason they've stumbled upon each other.
Words: 580, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English
- Fandoms: The Murderbot Diaries - Martha Wells, Murderbot (TV)
- Rating: General Audiences
- Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
- Categories: Other
- Characters: Dr. Gurathin (Murderbot Diaries), Murderbot (Murderbot Diaries)
- Relationships: Dr. Gurathin/Murderbot (Murderbot Diaries)
- Additional Tags: Pre-Slash, Unresolved Romantic Tension, Preservation Station (Murderbot Diaries), Fluff and Angst, The Mortifying Ordeal of Being Known, and its intricate rituals, The Corporation Rim Is Terrible (Murderbot Diaries), Coping
Буржуазный декаданс плюс электрификация всего Бертрама
Jun. 1st, 2025 03:44 amao3_jeeveswooster_feedПо серии «Товарищ Бинго». Чтобы помочь другу, Берти приглашает домой коммунистов. В процессе общения он понимает, что переусердствовал с гостеприимством.
Words: 4174, Chapters: 1/1, Language: Русский
- Fandoms: Jeeves - P. G. Wodehouse, Jeeves & Wooster (TV 1990)
- Rating: Explicit
- Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
- Categories: M/M
- Characters: Reginald Jeeves, Bertram "Bertie" Wooster, Richard P. "Bingo" Little
- Relationships: Reginald Jeeves/Bertram "Bertie" Wooster
- Additional Tags: Historical, Communism, POV First Person, Fluff and Humor, Established Relationship, Declarations Of Love, Blow Jobs, Anal Sex, Happy Ending
The Infiltration Has Begun
Jun. 5th, 2025 02:34 amao3_wandavision_feedby Sp2er13
As a shape-shifting alien species known as Skrulls begin abducting humans on Earth, following the restoration of half the universe's population, the seeds of invasion are planted and begin to take root. Not for those who liked the Secret Invasion miniseries (2023).
Words: 1320, Chapters: 3/4, Language: English
- Fandoms: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Secret Invasion (TV 2023), The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (TV), Black Panther (Marvel Movies), WandaVision (TV)
- Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
- Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
- Characters: Skrull Characters (Marvel), James "Rhodey" Rhodes, Sharon Carter (Marvel), Monica Rambeau, Gravik (Marvel), Raava (Marvel), Veranke (Marvel), Everett Ross, Okoye (Marvel)
- Additional Tags: Post-Movie: Avengers: Endgame (2019), Post-WandaVision (TV), Post-Episode: s01e06 One World One People (The Falcon and the Winter Soldier TV), Post-Movie: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022), Fix-It, Not Canon Compliant with Secret Invasion (TV 2023) Season 01, Not for fans of Secret Invasion (TV 2023)
Cast Off 16/23
Jun. 5th, 2025 04:01 amleifandthorn_feed
Russ: Okay, who’s ready to do some comparative readings? I mean, y’know, for those of you whose countries have bothered funding this research.
Zone in on the clothes, if you can. The kid doesn’t 100% match them anymore. Not with how many local molecules he’s been eating and breathing.
MThorn (thinking): Why so high?
Kale (telepathy): Any lower and it would come out in the roof of the ice cream shop.