#can i identify as seaweed

[seat-safety-switch]

Birdwatching got really popular in the early days of the Unpleasantness. However, now that the bosses are forcing us all back to the office, the birds don't have anyone to watch them. That's why I built an autonomous bird-observation robot. Its name is SparrowScope 9000, and I recommend not becoming too emotionally attached to it, because it is your competition.

There's a lot of obvious benefits to having a robotic birdwatcher. It can start up early in the morning and go to its charging dock late at night. It never makes a mistake identifying a bird. It won't get tired, cold, hungry, or develop pointless drama with "Uncle" Hudson Carl online over his fucking misdocumentation of Northern Cardinals. You can pop over to its little webpage and see what it spotted that day, and feel pretty good. It's like you're really there, even though you're stuck in an office building wondering if you have enough staples loaded in your stapler to get through the month, or if you should maybe talk to Jan in Requisitioning to get a fresh refill.

However, there are flaws. One of the big things is that the US military doesn't let regular people – civilians – have super-accurate GPS. They fuck with the data a little bit, so that you can't somehow threaten national security by knowing where you are. I didn't know this before I started on the project, and the bird sanctuary has a lot of elevated walkways ever since the flood. SparrowScope 9000 became more of a SoggyScope Wet-Thousand.

If a real technology company had assembled it, that would probably have been the end of the story. They'd have put in some total garbage like a modern microcontroller, maybe some parts made in this century. Not me. This thing is half old pinball machine parts and the other half Aibos. It kept trucking right down the river, and I never saw it again. I do get updates from it periodically as it spots a new bird, but my work schedule forbids me from taking a few days off to drive to the next county over and see if I can figure out which swamp it's floated into this time.

Even with this small disaster, I'm pretty proud of what I accomplished. Our avian friends get looked at by a creepy robot covered in seaweed, and we can all experience what it was like for one brief, shining moment in which we still had hobbies.

[bethanythebogwitch]

Wet Beast Wednesday: tardigrades

Last week on Wet Beast Wednesday I covered the largest animals to ever exist on our planet. This week I'm going to pull a full 180 and cover the smallest animals yet on this series. Meet the tardigrade, the internet's favorite micro-animal the is said to be basically immortal. How true is that? Let's see.

(Image: an electron microscope image of a tardigrade. It looks a lot like a potato with eight stubby legs tipped with long claws. At the front is a small, circular mouth. It has no other discernable features. In the background are bits of plant matter that look like seaweed at this scale. End ID)

The tardigrades are 1,300 known species (and probably a lot of unknown ones too) in the phylum Tardigrada. They are also part of the superphylum Ecdysozoa, which are animals that grow by molting their outer cuticles or exoskeletons. In particular, the tardigrades are believed to be a sister group of the arthropods, the group that contains crustaceans, insects, isopods, and a lot of other things. Tardigrades are truly tiny, the largest species reaching a whopping 1.5 millimeters in length, though most species reach no more than 0.5 mm. They have round, segmented bodies with four pairs of legs that end in either claws or suction discs. The body segments consist of a head, three body segments with a pair of legs each, and a caudal segment with the final pair of legs. The first three legs are used for movement while the final pair points backwards and is used for grabbing onto substrate. All of the body segments except for the final one correspond to segments found in the head section of insects. Tardigrades are missing many hox genes, genes that direct the body plan during development. Their ancestors may have had a body plan more similar to insects, but the loss of the hox genes has compressed them into walking heads with a bit of butt. The mouth is tubular and sucks in food. In the mouth are stylets, needle-like structures used to pierce food objects. Once food is drawn into the mouth, a structure called the buccopharyngeal apparatus activates. This is a combination of spines and muscle that acts like an inner jaw that pulls food into the digestive tract. The buccopharyngeal apparatus is distinct enough to be used as a major identifying feature between species. Tardigrades are translucent and many images you've seen of them have false color to show the details or are 3D models based on scanning electron microscope imagery of them. Tardigrades molt their exoskeletons multiple times (up to 12) during their lifecycle. Some species are unable to poop normally and instead all their waste is discarded during the molt. It was formerly believed that tardigrades could exchange genes with each other without mating, a process called horizontal gene transfer that is seen in bacteria, archaea, and other micro-organisms. It has since been discovered that while still capable of horizontal gene transfer, it is quite a bit rarer in tardigrades than we thought.

(Image: an electron microscope image of a tardigrade standing on a bit of plant matter. This one has a closed mouth with a ring of triangular tooth-like structures. It also has two simple eyes that look like black dots. End ID)

The name "tardigrade" means "slow walker", which is fitting as, despite their eight legs, tardigrades have a slow and awkward gait. This is the result of their legs being unjointed, only able to pivot at their connection to the body. Their gait has been compared to that of bears, hence why they are often called water bears and their discoverer, Johann August Ephraim Goeze, called them "kleiner wasserbär", meaning "little water bear". Tardigrades are found worldwide and have inhabited virtually every habitat, from the tops of mountains to the deep sea, from hot springs to the antarctic, from freshwater to saltwater. The one thing they have in common is a need to stay wet. Tardigrades can survive out of water as long as they can stay moist and are often found in mosses, hence another common name: moss piglets. The majority either eat plants or bacteria, but some will feed on smaller tardigrades or other micro-animals. Their famous survivability makes it easy for tardigrades or their eggs to be carried to new habitats by larger animals or other phenomena. Tardigrades are one of the first micro-animals to colonize a new habitat and they are a pioneer species, the first species to colonize a new environment and whose presence makes that environment fore suitable for other species to follow. Tardigrades are a major food source to other micro-animals and larger organisms. Most species have distinct males and females, though a few reproduce through parthenogenesis. In most cases, molting female will lay her eggs in her shed cuticle and males will them fertilize them. Other species have a form of internal reproduction. Males and females will court each other before mating and females will usually allow multiple males to fertilize her eggs. Female tardigrades are typically larger and more abundant than males. Eggs can take up to 14 days (species dependent) before hatching. All tardigrades of the same species have the exact same number of cells as each other. They are also born with the same number of cells they will have as an adult. Their growth is driven by enlargement of the existing cells rather than cellular reproduction making new cells. The lifespan ranges between a few months to a few years, depending on species.

(Image: a color photo of a tardigrade. It is a pale, translucent white, making it hard to make out details. Its body is curved, with the front end pointing at the camera. It has two simple eyes. End ID)

(Image: an electron microscope image of a tardigrade egg. It is round but covered in small pores and conical structures. End ID)

The most famous feature of tardigrades is their legendary durability. It is commonly said that tardigrades can survive just about anything (except for the things that are actually trying to kill them. They are prey to a lot of species after all). Among the things they can survive is extreme heat, extreme cold, dehydration, extremely high and low pressure, exposure to ionizing radiation (that's the scary kind), low oxygen environments, environmental toxins, heavy impacts, and the vacuum of fucking space. While the can survive in extreme conditions, tardigrades are not considered extremophiles. True extremophiles thrive in extreme environments and are negatively impacted by leaving them. Tardigrades can survive in extreme environments, but are negatively impacted and can't survive as well there as they can in less extreme places. The main trait that has allowed tardigrades to survive all five mass extinctions in history is cryptobiosis. Cryptobiosis is the rare ability for an animal to enter a state of dormancy where their metabolic processes come to an almost complete stop. While in cryptobiosis, metabolic activity drops to 0.01% normal and water content drops to 1% normal. In this state, the tardigrade is called a tun. Tardigrades usually enter cryptobiosis in response to arid conditions. One experiment showed that a species of tardigrade could last for at least 30 years in this state and return to normal lifestyle functions when exposed to water. Tardigrades will also enter cryptobiosis in response to low oxygen, toxic chemical exposure, increased or decreased temperature, and excessive salt content in the water. Tardigrades also show extreme resistance to both high and low pressure. They can live in 0 atmospheres of pressure and some species can survive up to 6,000 atmospheres, more than double the pressure at the bottom of the Marianas trench. More interesting is their ability to survive dangerous radiation. They can survive 1,000 times the dose of gamma radiation that humans can. Early tests focused on tardigrades in cryptobiosis and concluded that the extremely low water content of a cryptobiotic tardigrade doesn't leave much opportunity for the radiation to react with the animal. However it was later found that active and fully hydrated tardigrades are still considerably resistant to radiation. Studies into this resistance indicate that tardigrades can very efficiently repair damaged DNA and have unique proteins called Dsup that provides additional protection. Dsup introduced to human cells has provided additional protection against x-rays.

(Image: an electron microscope image of a tun - a tardigrade in cryptobiosis. It is smaller and very wrinkly, with the legs and mouth retracted into the body. End ID)

Tardigrades were the first animals to be exposed to the vacuum of space. They were exposed for 10 days, some in a state of cryptobiosis at the time of exposure and some still active. It was found that they were able to survive the vacuum when shielded from the sun's ultraviolet radiation, with those already in cryptobiosis doing better. Upon being rehydrated, many were able to resume normal life functions and successfully reproduce, though others died after being rehydrated. Those that were exposed to UV radiation fared much worse, with only a few hydrated individuals surviving. The individuals in cryptobiosis had a lower survival rate when exposed to UV than those not exposed to UV and were less successful at reproducing afterwards. Studies of tardigrade's space survival abilities and resistance to radiation could go a long way in helping human space travel. One of the largest dangers of space travel is that space is full of nasty radiation from the sun that Earth's magnetic field protects us from. Some scientists speculate about the possibility of accidentally seeding other planets or moons with tardigrades or other space-resistant organisms. This is a problem because introducing Earth life to other world has the potential to damage any native ecosystems and if we find life in space in the future we don't want to have to figure out if it's something we accidentally put there. While tardigrades could likely survive on other planets, they would eventually die without a food source. Some sources reported that tardigrades may have colonized the moon after an experiment with them crashed. Unfortunately, the moon is not crawling with tardigrades now. It's way too dry for them to exit cryptobiosis even if they survived the crash, which they probably didn't.

(Image: art of a tardigrade floating in the vacuum of space. End ID. Source: University of California - Santa Barbara)

#wet beast wednesday #tardigrade #water bear #moss piglet #micro animal #microbiology #marine biology #biology #zoology #ecology #animal facts #informative #science #space #astrobiology #radiation #cryptobiosis #tun #image described

[tainted-liquor]

Sea Grillz✧˖°

'I wont hurt you, mama c'mere' - Miles G. Morales e42! Miles Morales x BlackFem!Mermaid!Reader TWs: I don't think there are any ! Ingredients: Sugar, Kisses, and smiles! A/N: Reader is slightly Caribbean-coded! Other than that enjoy luvs :P W/C: 1,410

The moon illuminated the ominous night sky, painting gentle highlights on the surface of everything that can be seen by the naked eye. Miles was keeping watch of a cargo ship he had just taken over 20 minutes earlier, relying on his prowler mask to aid his eyes through the deep dark sky. He was cold, and even though everyone on the ship prior had been robbed of their life, he couldn't shake the feeling that he wasn't really alone. The soft crash of the waves and the rock of the cargo ship touched the drum of his ear in a hypnotizing lullaby, allowing him to shake the fleeting sensation of a pair of eyes on him. He took a glance over the sea-line, and everything was clear. But just as he turned his head away from the eastern side of the Caribbean sea, he caught a sudden movement sandwiched in between the low tide.

As you swam through the tide, weaving through the seaweed and coral on your way back to your safe haven, you notice an unfamiliar silhouette standing perfectly still against the rock of the waves. You halted your movements, freezing in place as the end of your tail twitched in anticipation. Having spent all of your life out deep in the sea, you had never really seen anything like this strange shadow before and slowly approached the surface to take a look. It looked like the little sailboat you had in your glass bottle, which you had found whilst swimming slightly closer to the shore than you normally would. You quietly swam closer, before you caught an identified figure turn your way. Was that a human?

You quickly ducked down into the water, baby-teal tail perfectly hiding in the sea as you swam closer. If it truly was a human, he wouldn't follow you down. Especially if they knew just how deep the water was, and what could possibly reside. You saw the human stand up, straightening his posture as he clenched his...claw? You caught the shiny metal glimmering in the moonlight, common sense leaving your body as you began to swim closer toward the man.

Up close he was hella intimidating, a purple sort of...chunk of glow-y metal obscured your view of his face, small white slits stationed where his eyes would have been. You poke your head out of the water, remaining a comfortable distance away from the man, hesitantly leaning back as he turns to face you. The small white cuts on his mask squint, indicating to you that he's examining the little that he can see of you, your big beady brown eyes, slightly furrowed brows, and hair stuck to the top of your head like a smooth glove due to the weight of the water. He turned his head to the side as he walked closer to the edge, standing with both claws at his side, tightly clenched and ready to fly at the slightest mishap. He beckons you closer with his two fingers, nodding his head backward as if to say 'Come here.'

You stay still for a moment, narrowing your eyes before swimming closer, still making sure to keep your tail out of view just in case he felt like having a fish dinner. He chuckles lowly as he holds out a sharp claw, titanium twinkling in the moonlight as he extends it out to you. You swam closer, bringing yourself up out of the water a bit more so he could see your whole face and tensed shoulders. You put your smaller hand within the palm of his cold claw, watching as the faded-blue ombre of your skin faded to your original melanated shade as it came into contact with the crisp air. He gently pulled you forward, causing you to swim fully up out of the water, tail keeping you afloat as your body finds its resting harmony with the waves of the water.

the small slits on his mask widen for a moment, before quickly squinting as he mumbles a low "I won't hurt you, mama. C'mere." You reluctantly allow him to pull you closer, placing your top half on the freezing floor of the cargo ship as you inhale sharply at the sensation. He laughs before shaking his head and returning his confused gaze back on your tail. "Eres tan fascinate, chica bonita..." he mumbles as he walks around me, taking in most of my form as he studies the scales that create a smooth transition to my tail. I tilt my head to the side in confusion, eyebrow-raising as I attempt to decipher what it was he just said.

He gave another chuckle before crouching down, placing his wrists on his knees as he gives me one final scan. "What's your name?" he asks as I frown slightly. I point to the gills on my neck before making a talking motion with my hand and crossing my arms. Without exposure to water, my gills would make it virtually impossible for me to speak. He looks around quickly, ripping a piece of a dead man's shirt, dunking it in water, and tying it lightly around my neck. Admittedly, it probably looked odd but he was probably just really curious as to what I would sound like, but desperate times require desperate measures.

I take another sharp inhale, my voice recalibrating as I feel my vocal cords return to their lively harmony. My voice was smooth and laced with a thick Islander accent. "I am Y/N." I nod, any fear I had of the strange man dissipating almost immediately as I reach out to feel the strange material of his mask, the projected purple glitching and running away from my touch. He nods slowly before he gets his next question ready. "You live here? Like, always?" he asks. I nod again as I begin to toy with the pointed triangles on the back of his suit, attempting to bend the solid material under my fingertips.

"You a handsy lil' thing, huh?" He remarks as he gently removes my hands from his suit, mask disappearing before my eyes as I watch his smug smirk grow. He clicks his tongue, shaking his head as he murmurs a small "Don't touch. My tech is dangerous, and mad expensive" He grins as he watches me visually analyze everything he was wearing, confused at why a human would need such things in the first place. My first thought was that he was a pirate, stealing and taking things that weren't really his, but if pirate, why kind? I stare deeply into his eyes, face mere inches away from his as I internalize every feature of his. I knew I'd never see him again, so I committed every small detail of his to memory.

"Who are you?" I ask with a puzzled expression, trying to make sense of his whole get-up and why he was acting so sketchy. From the body sitting just mere inches away from him, him sitting on a boat that he clearly doesn't own, and me practically being in his lap as he makes no attempt to harm me whatsoever. He was absolutely gorgeous as his deep brown skin seemingly glowed under the night sky, a slight smile on his lips as a couple of his teeth peaked from under his grin, and strange jewelry was visible on his teeth. He chuckled as he placed a gentle claw to the side of my face, his pupils bullying their way through my soul as he tilts my face up slightly.

"I'm the Prowler, Mami. But I'll be back for you, Chiquita. Sometime when I'm off work" He winked as he rested his hands just above my hips, dangerously close to my shiny scales. He didn't seem to care about the unfamiliar texture under his skin as he watched my fins flap madly in the water, indicating my mix of surprise and joy. I nod as I feel him release my hips, allowing me to slip back into the water before his mask silently reforms, encasing his seemingly perfect face behind the purple hologram-like features. He walked backward as he got one last look at me before turning around and walking himself to the helm of the ship. I gave him a small wave, free hand resting on the piece of fabric wrapped thickly around my neck as I swam away, feeling slightly somber about having to say goodbye.

#across the spiderverse #atsv #miles morales x reader #into the spiderverse #earth 42 miles x reader #earth 42 miles fluff #earth 42 miles #miles morales #miles my beloved #spider man: across the spider verse #we die like men

[apocalypticvalraven]

Delicious in Dungeon in The Kitchen

So... I was struck by the thought that I kinda wish some food nerd would go through the Dungeon Meshi dishes and analyze them and sort of give a "this is the real world thing they're making" run down.

And then I realized I'm a food nerd that can do research.

So.

We're gonna try this out, starting with Volume 1. I don't promise that I know everything about cooking. I don't promise I'll always be able to make the thing I'm looking at (I am broke, and I don't have my own kitchen). But I can at least look at a dish and figure out what they're doing and how to replicate it, at least sorta.

Dungeon Meshi Volume 1-- Huge Scorpion and Walking Mushroom Hot Pot

The two main components of this dish are the Huge Scorpion and Walking Mushroom.

Walking Mushroom

Looking at the images in the manga, Walking Mushroom seems to just... be a mushroom that can walk around. There are no organs, the interior seems pretty uniform in substance...

Like, literally, that's exactly what sliced mushrooms look like. Senshi cuts the mushroom into ~4" strips (judging by their size next to the small cabbage-like vegetable, and comparing those plants to his hand in the image of him gathering them. I am assuming dwarf hands are roughly the same size as human hands).

There's a variety of edible mushroom that is probably as close as we're going to get to the size of a Walking Mushroom, growing a cap up to 3' wide, but it seems to only grow in termite mounds in a very specific part of the African continent (please forgive my USAmerican, White education leading me to not being able to identify the specific region), so... if you can get that at all, it's probably crazy expensive (as it should be, unless you're literally getting it from the mounds or local markets yourself). Portobello or similar large culinary mushrooms are probably just fine. The Mushroom Feet are literally just mushrooms, so no worries there.

Huge Scorpion

Ok, so... there is a difference between arachnids and crustaceans. As a start, arachnids have book lungs and crustaceans have gills. Arachnid guts are different from crustacean guts, just because of environment. Hell, crustacean limbs grow differently from arachnid limbs.

That said, everything I see in Dungeon Meshi implies that, from a culinary standpoint, Huge Scorpion is a crustacean-

So, really, it's just a big lobster. Take a lobster, cut off its legs, antennae, and the tail fluke, and you're going to see something that looks pretty similar to the huge scorpion in Dungeon Meshi.

Seaweed

Next is seaweed, which... is just a thing, but also kind of an imprecise term, I think. Basically, "seaweed" just refers to any marine algae that is multicellular and macroscopic (big enough to see). Arctic Moss seems to be a real thing which refers to a couple things- the aquatic moss Calliergon giganteum and the terrestrial lichen in the genus of Cladonia, which includes Reindeer Lichen.

Reindeer lichen is edible, in a number of ways, but it's also not seaweed. So we look at Calliergon giganteum. I cannot get an answer as to whether this particular variety of moss is edible. So... fuck it, say Senshi used Reindeer Lichen, at least we know that's edible.

"Star Jelly" is... I don't know. The main result I find when googling it is that it's the sort of general term for various slimes that show up on lawns and other vegetation, etc. Which means it could be anything from amphibian spawning jelly to who the fuck knows what.

However, one thing it could be is a cyanobacteria known as Fat Choy, a commonly used "vegetable" in Chinese Cuisine:

Looks like jelly? Yep. Looks weird enough that you might imagine it comes from a star? Yep. Edible? Yes!

(I mean, maybe don't eat a ton of it, or get it from irreputable sources. At least some Fat Choy contains a toxic amino acid which may or may not have negative health effects, but I'm not a doctor, so all I'm saying is "be aware of this." It's an expensive delicacy, which means that it is a particularly lucrative target for counterfeiters, and China does not have strong, or strongly enforced, food safety laws).

The Hard Stuff

So that leaves "Invertatoes" and "Dried Slime."

Neither of which seem to have a good direct analogue to the real world. Well... sorta.

Invertatoes seems to refer to the plants. The name calls to mind potatoes, and potatoes do indeed grow in the ground and are starchy. It's probably fair to just use any kind of starchy tuber as the "invertatoes." Maybe cassava, since those are large enough that it's at least somewhat believable that "Fantasy Land Cassava" could look like that (although that doesn't fit the "these are normal plants that grow upside down" unless we're being really generous).

The problem is that it's sort of implied that the cabbage-like vegetable seen in the hot pot comes from the same plant, and everything from a potato plant other than the potato itself is toxic. They also don't look like that.

I literally don't know what those cabbage/lettuce-like leafy vegetables are. They're not seaweed, because the two varieties called out definitely don't look like that. They're not, so far as I can tell, the greens of any kind of starchy tuber--

EXCEPT.

So, I was taking one last look at tubers to see if I could find something that seemed to match, and I think Invertatoes could be likened to something similar to chicory. Particularly endives. I never knew endives were related to chicory (ie, "that thing that I'm aware is popular as a coffee substitute in the South, but I don't have much desire to try it, and I wonder if it even has caffeine..."), but, apparently, yeah. Endives are a member of the chicory genus.

So, yeah, lets say that Invertatoes are a sort of fantasy plant similar to the various members of the chicory genus. The trunk can be replicated with chicory root, and the leaves with endives.

That leaves Dried Slime. Dried Slime makes up the noodles in the hot pot, which implies that the noodles are gelatinous, and probably low in gluten. Senshi's explanation of the slime makes me want to think of it as a macro-unicellular lifeform, but... I'm not sure that's accurate.

While it's definitely not an accurate way to describe a jellyfish, I could definitely see a non-biologist describing jellyfish in a way similar to the way Senshi describes the slime. I could also see some fantasy terrestrial jellyfish thing hunting in a similar manner to the slime. Moreover, there are edible varieties of jellyfish, and they're processed in a manner very similar to what Senshi describes for processing slimes. And one way of preparing edible jellyfish is to thinly slice it into noodles.

Hot Pots

I... think this is using a very specifically Japanese sense of "hot pot" (which makes sense), because in Japan, hot pot can refer to a dish called nabemono, while in general, hot pot refers to a particular kind of dining in China where you get a pot full of boiling stock/broth and a bunch of raw ingredients, and you put the stuff you want into the broth at the table. Nabemono is more of "put a bunch of stuff in a pot, and cook it. Serve it boiling." Which is to say, it's soup.

Senshi puts the scorpion meat and mushroom into a pot on its own, and lets it start boiling-

Then, while it's boiling, he goes and finds other ingredients, coming back with the invertatoes and the slime. The two are prepared simply-

Seasoning isn't included in the ingredients, but I can understand this as a choice for presentation. We do see Senshi add something to the broth after tasting it, and I think it's fair to assume it's one of soy sauce, mirin, fish sauce, or similar. I think it's actually really interesting that we see Senshi add seasoning, but we're not told what it is-

Because... that's cooking. You can follow a recipe, but ultimately, you need to taste your cooking and make your own decisions. Senshi lets the soup cook, tastes the broth, decides it needs something, and gives it a bit of time to let the flavors meld before serving it up.

Dungeon Meshi Lobster and Mushroom Hot Pot

So, we're looking at something like this for the "Huge Scorpion and Walking Mushroom Hot Pot"--

Lobster- ~5 lbs or more (a 1 lb lobster yields about 4 oz of actual meat, which is a single serving), cut into large slices

Portobello- 2 mushrooms large diced, 2 left whole with the caps scored

Reindeer Lichen and Fat Choy- to taste

Chicory Roots- ~1 cup, diced

Endive greens- ~2 cups

Jellyfish, thin sliced- as much as you like

Add lobster and mushrooms to water, and allow to boil. While it comes to a boil, prepare the other ingredients, then add to the water. Let the soup come to a full boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes to an hour (can simmer longer, but this will affect the texture of the ingredients. Longer simmering will result in more melding of flavors, but also degraded solid parts).

Taste the broth. It will likely need salt and acid, which could come in a variety of forms, such as kosher salt and lemon juice, soy sauce and mirin/rice vinegar, oyster/fish sauce, or something else. Go with your gut and your taste buds..

#Dungeon Meshi #Defictionalization #Cooking #Food #Huge Scorpion and Walking Mushroom Hot Pot #Lobster and Portobello Hot Pot #This actually isn't really my thing due to the mushrooms but hell #Cashapp: $ValravenApocalypse #Paypal.me/Korbl #Ko-fi.com/valravenapocalypse #If this gets 100 notes and people like it I'll do the carnivorous plant fruit tart #Delicious in Dungeon

[somethingclevermahogony]

A Recipe for Daropaka and a Korithian Meal

Hello everyone! (More than) A few days ago I said that, as a way to celebrate reaching 200 followers that I would make one of the dishes from the setting of my WIP. I did something similar for 100 followers which you can see here. This time around I put up a poll to see what dish you all would like to see based on the favorite dishes of my OCs. You voted for Otilia's favorite food, a cheesecake (Daropaka) from the land of Korithia.

However because I felt a bit bad about how long it took me to get to this and because I needed to make something for dinner anyway, I prepared an entire Korithian meal, specifically the last dinner Otilia ate before she left her homeland.

I will give a short description and some history for each component of the meal and will also provide recipes. These recipes come specifically from the Korithian city-state of Kalmanati.

BIG POST ALERT

The diet of Korithians is highly reliant on cereals, grapes, and olives. Barley is the most commonly consumed cereal and is used in the bread of most commoners. However, Kalmanati is famed for the quality of its wheat, and particularly among the wealthy, wheat is the cereal grain of choice. Legumes (Lentils, peas, vetch, beans, etc), vegetables (Cabbage, carrots, lettuce, seaweeds, artichokes, asparagus, onions, garlic, cucumber, beets, parsnips, etc.) and fruits/nuts (pomegranate, almond, fig, pear, plum, apple, dates, chestnuts, beechnuts, walnuts, rilogabo(Kishite regalu "Sunfruit"), bokigabo (Kishite botagalu "Northern fruit), etc.) also make up a significant portion of the Korithian diet, with meat (Cattle, lamb, pig, goat, goose, duck, horned-rabbit, game) and fish typically filling a relatively minor role except for in the diets of wealthy individuals (like Otilia).

Vinegar, oil, and garlic appear in almost all Korithian dishes and are an essential aspect of the Korithian palate.

Recipes below the cut!

The components of the meal are as follows:

Daropaka: (Korithian: Daro = cheese, paka = cake)

Karunbarono: (Korithian: Karun = meat, baro = fire (barono = roasted) )

Pasrosi Diki: (Korithian: Pasrosi = fish(es), Diki = small)

Psampisa : (Korithian: Psamsa = bread, episa = flat)

Akuraros : (Korithian: Akuraros = cucumber)

Ewisasi : (Korithian: Ewisasi = olives)

Funemikiwados: (Korithian: Funemiki = hill (mountain diminutive), wados = oil/sauce)

Wumos: (Korithian: Wumos = wine)

Daropaka aka Awaxpaka aka Korithian Cheesecake

Daropaka is a popular dessert in Korithia, however its origins predate Korithia by several thousand years.

The dish originates from a race of forestfolk living on the Minosa, known as the Awaxi. The Awaxi were a tall and powerful race, some rivaling even demigods in size. Aside from their size the Awaxi were also easily identifiable by the third eye which sat on their forehead and the porcupine like quills which grew from their shoulders, sometimes called the Awaxi mantle.

The Awaxi were a primarily pastoralist civilization, living in small semi-temporary communities where they raised cattle and goats. They are credited with inventing cheese.

The first humans that the Awaxi came into contact with were the Arkodians. The Arkodians introduced the Awaxi to metallurgy, and in exchange the Arkodians were given knowledge of the cheesemaking process. This early form of cheese was called darawa (Korithian: Daro) and was typically made from cow's milk and vinegar, the resulting cheese being soft and crumbly, similar to a ricotta.

Unfortunately peace would not last. The Awaxi settled disagreements and debates often through duels, rather than through war. While quite skilled duelists, their culture had no reference for strategy in battle and lacked the proper skills to fend off the organized assault from imperialistic Arkodians. The Awaxi were eventually driven to extinction, though they still appear as monsters in Korithian myth.

The Arkodians themselves would later fall, destroyed by the Kishites, however many of their recipes, including their recipe for cheesecake, would be passed down to their descendants, the Korithians.

Recipe

(Note that Korithia has no distinct set of measurements nor are recipes recorded. Recipes are typically passed down orally and differ greatly between regions and even families. Adjust ingredients to one's own liking) (Also note that this is not like a modern cheesecake, as it utilizes a ricotta like cheese the texture will not be as smooth and it doesn't use eggs as chickens have not yet been introduced to Korithia)

The Cheese

1/2 Gallon of Whole Cow or Goats Milk

1 Pinch of Sea Salt

2 Bay leaves

2 Tablespoons of White Vinegar

1 Large Ripe Pear

6 Tablespoons Honey

2 Tablespoons White Wheat Flour

1 Tablespoon Rilogabo Juice (substitute 1:1 Orange and Lemon juice)

The Crust

1 Cup White Wheat flour

Water, Warm

1 Pinch of Sea salt

The Topping

1 Sprig Rosemary

3 tablespoon honey

2 tablespoon rilogabo juice (see above)

1 Large pear (optional)

Fill a pot with milk. Stir in salt and add bay leaves. Heat over medium heat until milk registers around 190 F, do not allow to boil. Look for slight foaming on the surface, when the temperature has been reached, remove the bay leaves and add vinegar, the curds will begin to form immediately, stir to fully incorporate vinegar without breaking curds. Stop.

Take the pot off of the heat and cover, allow it to sit for 15 minutes.

Using cheesecloth, a fine mesh strainer or both, separate the curds from the whey. Allow the curds to cool and drain off excess liquid.

Preheat the oven to 410 F or 210 C. Grease the bottom and sides of an 8 inch cake pan with olive oil.

While cheese is draining, make the crust. Knead the white wheat flour with a pinch of salt and warm water for about 15-20 minutes, until obtaining a smooth consistency. Roll a thin circular sheet larger than the cake pan. Lay the dough inside, trim off any dough which hangs over the edge of the pan.

Skin and seed 1 large pear, using either a mortar and pestle or a food processor, break the pear down into a paste or puree, there should be no large visible chunks.

Combine drained cheese, 6 tbsp honey, pear puree, flour, and rilogabo juice. Using a food processor or other implement combine ingredients until a smooth texture is achieved. Taste and add honey accordingly

Pour the mixture into the pan, careful not to exceed the height of the crust. Top with a sprig of rosemary and place into the oven.

Cook for 25-30 minutes or until the filling has set and the surface is golden.

Make the topping by combining 3 tablespoons of honey and the remaining rilogabo juice.

Remove cake from the oven and pour the topping over the surface. Allow the cake to cool

Serve warm, cold, or room temperature with fresh fruit.

Karunbarono aka Roasted Meat

Cooking meat on skewers is a staple of Korithian cuisine, so much so that in certain regions the metal skewers or kartorosi, can be used as a form of currency. Meat is typically cooked over an open fire or on portable terracotta grills, though it is not unheard of to use a large beehive shaped oven or baros. The majority of the meat eaten by the lower classes comes in the form of small game such as rabbit or sausages made from the scraps of pork, beef, mutton, poultry, and even seafood left after the processing of more high-class cuts. The chicken has not yet been properly introduced to the islands, though some descendants of pre-Calamity chickens do exist, though they in most cases have drastically changed because of wild magic. Animals are rarely eaten young, lambs for example are almost never eaten as their potential for producing wool is too valuable. Most animals are allowed to age well past adulthood, except for in special circumstances. The practice of cooking meat in this style is prehistoric stretching back far before Korithia or Arkodai. What is newer however is the practice or marinading the meat before cooking it, this is a Korithian and later Kishite innovation.

Recipe

1 lb Mutton (meat used in this recipe), beef, lamb, venison, or horned-rabbit meat (in order to achieve this it is suggested to use wild hare meat in combination with pork fatback) chopped into bite sized pieces

4 Tablespoons Plain Greek Yogurt

4 Tablespoons Dry Red wine (Any dry red will work, for this recipe I used a Montepulciano d'abruzzo but an Agiorgitiko would work perfectly for this)

3 Tablespoons Olive Oil

4 Cloves of Garlic roughly chopped

1 Small onion roughly chopped

1 sprig fresh thyme

1 sprig fresh rosemary

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp ground cumin

Gather and measure ingredients

Combine everything into a large bowl and stir, making sure that all pieces of meat are covered in the marinade.

Cover and allow meat to sit, preferably in the fridge for 2 hours or up to overnight.

Well the meat is marinating, if using wooden or bamboo skewers, soak in water for at least one hour to prevent burning.

Preheat the oven to 400 F or roughly 205 C. Or if cooking an open fire, allow an even coal bed to form.

Remove meat from the fridge, clean off excess marinade including any chunks of garlic or onion

Place meat tightly onto the skewers making sure that each piece is secure and will not fall off.

Brush each skewer with olive oil and additional salt and pepper to taste, optionally add a drizzle of red wine vinegar.

Place on a grate either in the oven with a pan below it to catch drippings or else over the fire. Allow to cook for 10-20 minutes depending on how well you want your meat cooked (less if using an open fire) Check every five minutes, flipping the meat after each check.

Remove from the oven and serve immediately.

Pasrosi Diki aka Little Fishes

Despite living by the sea, fish makes up a surprisingly small part of most Korithians' diet. The most valuable fish typically live far away from shore, where storms and sea monsters are a serious threat to ships. Much of the fish that is eaten are from smaller shallow water species, freshwater species, or shellfish. Tuna, swordfish, sturgeon, and ray are considered delicacies, typically reserved for the wealthy. Marine mammals such as porpoise are eaten on rare occasions, typically for ceremonial events. Pike, catfish, eel, sprats, sardines, mullet, squid, octopus, oysters, clams, and crabs are all consumed by the poorer classes. Sprats and sardines are by far the most well represented fish in the Korithian diet, typically fried or salted, or even ground and used in sauces. This particular recipe makes use of sprats. Unlike their neighbors in Baalkes and Ikopesh, Korithians rarely eat their fish raw with the exception of oysters.

Recipe

(Note that unlike modern recipes using whitebait, these are not breaded or battered as this particular cooking art has not yet been adopted in Korithia, though it is in its infancy in parts of Kishetal)

10-15 Sprats (other small fish or "whitebait" can also be used)

2 quarts of olive oil (not extra virgin)

Sea salt to taste

Black Pepper to Taste

Red Wine Vinegar to taste

Gather ingredients

Inspect fish, look for fish with clear eyes and with an inoffensive smell, avoid overly smelly or damaged fish.

Pour olive oil into a cast iron skillet or other high sided cooking vessel and heat to approximately 350 F or 177 C.

Fry the fish in batches of 5, stirring regularly to keep them from sticking. Cook for 2-4 minutes until the fish have started to crisp. Be careful, some fish may pop and spit.

Remove fish from the oil and allow them to drain.

Season fish with salt, pepper, and vinegar and serve.

Psampisa aka Flatbread

There are many varieties of bread eaten in Korithia and grain products make up anywhere from 50 to 80 percent of an average individuals diet. This particular variety of bread is most popular in the southern and eastern portions of Korithia, whereas a fluffier yeasted loaves are more commonly eaten in the west and north. This recipe is specifically made with wheat but similar breads can also be made with barley or with mixtures. If you do not want to make this bread yourself it can be substituted with most pita breads. Bread is served with every meal and some meals may feature multiple varieties of bread.

(Note for this recipe I only had self-raising flour at hand which gives a slightly puffier bread, if this is what you want add roughly 3 tsps baking powder)

Recipe

2 1/2 cups white wheat flour plus more for surface

1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt

1 cup whole fat greek yogurt

Olive oil for cooking

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, salt and baking powder. Add the yogurt and combine using a wooden spoon or hands until well incorporated

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead by hand for 5 minutes until the dough feels smooth.

Cover the dough and allow to sit for approximately 20 minutes

Separate dough into desired number of flatbreads.

Add flour to each dough ball with your hands and then use a rolling pin to flatten out the dough on a lightly floured surface. Size is up to taste.

Heat a pan on medium high heat. Add the olive oil and cook the flatbreads one at a time for about 2-4 minutes, depending on thickness, per side until the bread is puffed and parts of it has become golden brown.

Akuraros aka Cucumber (Salad)

While the cucumber has become a relatively popular crop within Korithian agriculture it is not native and was all but unknown to their Arkodian predecessors. Cucumbers, which actually originated in Sinria and Ukar, were introduced by Kishite invaders during the Arko-Kishite war and were subsequently adopted by the survivors of that conflict. Cucumbers are associated with health and in particular with fertility. Cucumbers are typically eaten raw or pickled. They may be used in salads or even in drinks, ground into medicinal juices. Cucumbers are additionally believed to ward off disease carrying spirits and may be hung outside of the doors of sick individuals to ward off evil entities. Cucumbers are also fed to learning sages, as they are believed to strengthen the resolve and spirit. A potion consisting of the magical herbs wumopalo and lisapalo, wine, and cucumber juice has historically been used to temporarily induce in non-sages the ability to see spirits. Dill is additionally believed to produce positive effects, thought to ward of diseases of the stomach and cancers. Dill is often used in potions which may effect the physical nature of an individual, these potions are rarely used as their effects are most often permanent to some extent.

This particular cucumber salad recipe is a favorite in the region around Kalmanati, Bokith.

Recipe

1 large cucumber cleaned

2 cloves garlic roughly chopped

2 tablespoons fresh dill chopped

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

Cumin to taste

Cut cucumber into thin slices (the actual width will vary dependent on taste)

Combine cucumber and all other ingredients in a non-reactive container and mix.

Cover and store the salad for at least 30 minutes and up to 12 hours.

Serve cold

Ewisasi aka Olives

The Ewasi or olive is in many ways the center of Korithian cuisine, as it is also in Baalkes and Knosh. Olive oil is used regularly and the olive fruit is consumed at all meals of the day including dessert. Olives are cured via the use of water, vinegar, brines, or dry salt in order to remove their innate bitterness. There are hundreds of varieties of olive in Korithia alone, their taste dependent on when they are harvested, how they are cured, the particular cultivar, and even the soil in which they are grown. Kalmanati is best known for two varities of olive, the kalmi, which is red fleshed and meaty, typically cured in red wine vinegar, and the prasiki, a small green olive which is firm and slightly nutty in flavor.

Recipe

Take your favorite olives, put them in a bowl. Optionally add vinegar and herbs

Funemikiwados aka Hill Sauce

Hill sauce is the condiment of choice for most Korithian households and the exact nature of the sauce will vary greatly from region to region. In the north it is most often composed of pine nuts, olive oil, onion, vinegar, salt, and garlic. In the south the sauce is typically far more marine in nature, composed of seaweed, fish, garlic, olive oil, and vinegar. In all cases the ingredients are combined and mashed or ground to produce a pourable/dipable sauce. The sauce itself originates from the center of Korithia around the city of Bokakolis. The sauce was originally used by shepherds to flavor dried meats which may otherwise be dry or flavorless. Its name derives from the ingredients used within these early versions of the sauce, many of which were herbs plucked from the hillside while the shepherds tended to their flocks. The Kalmanatian version of the sauce is similar to this original herb based variety however it adds salt-cured fish and tisparos (Tisi - tickle, paros- seed) , another Kishite import (there it is called lisiki). This sauce is often used with practically any savory food, poured on meat, fish, vegetables, and bread. Often a house may be judged by the quality of their funemikiwados. Among the Kalmanatians there is two varieties of the sauce, a fresh version (the one described here) and another which is typically made with dried herbs and has additional vinegar added to act as a sort of preservative.

Recipe

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

2 tbsps rilogabo juice (1:1 orange and lemon)

2 anchovies (or other small salt-cured fish)

1/4 cup fresh chopped dill

1/6 cup fresh chopped parsley

1/8 cup fresh chopped thyme

6-10 leaves of fresh chopped rosemary

2-3 leaves fresh basil

2 cloves of garlic

Black pepper to taste

Ground tisparos to taste (Substitue ground sichuan pepper)

Gather the ingredients.

Combine and grind anchovies, garlic, and herbs into a fine paste, using a mortar and pestle or with a food processor.

Combine the herb paste ialong with the rest of the other ingredients and mix until completely incorporated.

Allow to sit at least 30 minutes, allowing for flavors to develop and properly incorporate with each other.

Serve with meat or fish

Wumos aka Wine

Wine in Korithia predates both the Korithians and the Arkodians, and had already been developed by several cultures on the islands including the Awaxi mentioned earlier. Wine is one of the most commonly consumed beverages, only surpassed by water, and slightly more common than psamarla, a Korithian version of unfiltered beer. Wine has many social, religious, and economic uses and is essential in the trade of the plantbrew, making up the base of many kinds of potion. There are many varieties of wine, with some being viewed as better or worse than others. Red wine is typically preferred for later in the day as it is believed that it helps to induce sleep while white wine is preferred for the morning and afternoon. Wine is typically watered down at a ratio of 2 parts water to 1 part wine, this may be either with plain or salted water. Unwatered wine is saved for special occasions and certain religious ceremonies in which intoxication is the goal. Wine may be sweetened with honey, figs, or various fruit juices. Herbs and spices such as black pepper, tisparos, coriander, saffron, thyme, and even cannabis and opium and various magical herbs may be added to change the flavor of the wine and to promote other effects.

Recipe

Pick a wine that you like and put it in a glass or cup. You can water it down if you would like but I didn't because I am not Korithian and this was a special occasion.

I finally got this post done! If you decided to read through this whole thing, thank you! Let me know if you try any of these, most of these amounts are ultimately a matter of taste, you can change things and experiment if you want.

Now we'll see if I get to 300 followers and we'll do this all over again with the food from another part of the Green Sea.

Thank you all again for following me, I've really enjoyed sharing my WIP with y'all!

@patternwelded-quill , @skyderman , @flaneurarbiter , @jclibanwrites , @alnaperera, @rhokisb, @blackblooms , @lord-nichron , @kosmic-kore , @friendlyshaped , @axl-ul , @talesfromtheunknowable , @wylanzahn , @dyrewrites , @foragedbonesblog , @kaylinalexanderbooks , @mk-writes-stuff , @roach-pizza

#fantasy food #writeblr #writing #worldbuilding #fantasy #testamentsofthegreensea #fantasy writing #world building #creative writing #story writing #200 followers #thank you guys so much! #fantasy world

[my-writings-and-musings]

Mermay related thought: going diving to see a shipwreck but it turns out to actually be a resting mer-transformer and you both accidentally scare each other.

Okay this is so WHOLESOME I can seriously see the entire thing playing out! Human is a professional diver with a love for bringing up treasures and artifacts and has a boat with a sonar sensor. One day they detect some kind of large item within diving range and think "Sweet, new discovery!" before putting down an anchor and suiting up for a dive.

Unbeknownst to this human, there's no treasure or sunken ships awaiting them. A merformer simply needed to rest and found a nice spot in comparatively shallow water for a power down. They're curled up on the sea floor amidst a forest of undersea greenery and stones, making it impossible to identify them as anything more than an apparent mass of metal in the dim light. It doesn't help that they pulled seaweed around themselves like a giant blanket.

Human grows perplexed as they begin to swim around the shape and realize it's not built like any kind of vessel they're familiar with. Eventually they begin to explore more up close, unknowingly swimming around to the bots front where they spot something like arms. Brushing away the seaweed for a better look startles the poor bot, and the sight of two bright optics flashing on in the dim light terrifies the diver just as deeply. Both parties swim away from the other in a panic, but of course the much larger bot sends the human spinning with their wake, something they notice once they get their wits about them and realize there's no threat.

Bot immediately feels guilty and helps human right themselves, and escorts them back to the surface when it becomes clear humans can't speak underwater. A host of apologies are exchanged, and when it's explained what the human was looking for the still regretful merformer produces some trinkets they pulled from an actual shipwreck as an apology. Human is delighted but says no payment is needed, though the bot insists and eventually the two get to talking about the ocean and the sights they've seen within.

As both are quite lonely, this immediately sparks a friendship. The human doesn't relate much to their kind, and the poor bot doesn't have many other merformers to hang out with on Earth. Eventually they decide they'd like to see one another again, and the bot even accompanies the human all the way to their dock to keep the conversation going... If they live on their boat, they might just have a little sleepover.

I can't even imagine how cute this might be. Swimming together, bot giving the human rides and showing them the best shipwrecks, the human bringing them fun things from land... All of it develops into the cutest romance.

#mermay #transformers #maccadam #merformers x reader #merformers #human reader #self insert #tf imagines #tf #requests

[itsmoonpeaches]

Title: Long Live the King

Written for @flashfictionfridayofficial

Fandom: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Heroes of Olympus

Rating: T

Word count: 1,012

Summary: Annabeth does not expect the god that appears after her prayers to Poseidon.

Also available on ao3.

Flames cracked against the walls of the tin can creating a miniature campfire. Orange embers broke through the darkness and illuminated the damp sands below. The sea thrashed against the shore, churning, yet forcing restraint. The waters had continued this dance for months.

Annabeth could hear the growling of the monsters stored in the forest and beyond that the sounds of her fellow campers trotting around Camp Half-Blood preparing for bed.

Her hearing had always been good, and her instincts were always hypersensitive. But, as her head pounded, as she glanced up at the near starless sky, as she clutched at the s’more in her hand, she wished that she could turn it all off. Perhaps, pause her racing thoughts and the way she twitched for her knife.

She did not have that power.

Annabeth let out a breath, and she watched the puff rise from her mouth upon the coattails of this summer night’s cool humidity.

She dropped the s’more into the can. The fire hesitated under its weight. Then it smoked, wisps spiraling into the air around a treat she would miss.

When she spoke next, she did not pray to her mother.

“Lord Poseidon,” she whispered. The graham crackers snapped in half. “The Argo II is ready. Tomorrow is the day. We finally know where Percy is.” Her now empty hand reached for the red coral that hung around her neck along with the clay beads that shared the leather string. She was a veteran. She knew what was at stake. “I will find him.”

Annabeth lay on the beach. Her bare feet dug into the sand and grains filled the spaces between her toes.

She drifted to sleep listening to the rhythmic beats of the waves along Long Island Sound.

-

A voice that belonged to someone unrecognizable rang in Annabeth’s ears with a terrifying quality. Like thunder roiling beneath the surface of a dank cave and echoing from a hundred fissures at once.

“Open your eyes.”

Instead, she squeezed her eyes shut.

“Do it, insolent girl!”

Suddenly, she was drenched. Saltwater entered her nostrils, choked her breath, grappled with her limbs, and dragged.

It was only then that she decided to obey. But in that horrid moment, she found herself being yanked into the black ocean. The shore was long gone, and the hope of moonlight drained away as did the color of her skin.

Bubbles released from her throat. Her eyes burned, and then the strands of her hair came loose till it was a liability to whatever vision she had left.

She struggled to swim against the riptide that pushed her down to no avail.

She was trapped, left wanting for oxygen.

And then.

“Breathe now if you know what is good for you,” the voice commanded.

She did not dare delay. Against her better judgment, she opened her mouth and breathed. And against logic, what met her was not water drowning her but fresh air.

In a moment of clarity, her feet alighted on the bottom of the ocean, and the darkness abated just enough. She should have been crushed by tons of water, but for some reason, she remained unharmed.

Creatures scuttled along the sand, many of which she could not identify within the shadowy depths. Broken shells and broken glass bottles pocked the floor. An eel whipped past her.

A figure appeared. It was a creature with the upper half of a man and the bottom half of a dual-tailed fish. However, he radiated more power than she guessed a mere subject of the seas would. His green skin shared the hue of seaweed, and he held a conch in his hand.

“I should warn you,” stated the being. His words were melodic, like a cresting wave. He sounded different from the voice. “There are not many things my father wants that he cannot obtain himself,” he explained. “Yet now he is being denied. That is a dangerous thing.”

“Lord Triton,” said Annabeth.

“Indeed,” Triton agreed. The iridescent scales on his tails flicked with the water’s ebbing light. “Unlike my esteemed father and mother, I do not have the pleasure of retaining a Roman form. That fool Apollo and I share that fortune.”

“You didn’t call me here.”

“An astute observation,” he scoffed. “I am the Herald of the Sea after all. And the sea will not be tempted to follow all the land’s rules.” He lifted his conch to his lips and sounded the horn.

The waters rumbled. Ripples resounded from their area outward, and the floor swirled.

Triton smirked. With a final wave, he vanished in a cloud of bubbles and seafoam.

From the sands rose a magnificent figure the size of a building. Molded from the seabed and dark stone trenches came the great form of a man.

What Annabeth saw before her was no ethereal being, but a beast. A god.

Eyes made of hurricanes observed her, and she could see in them the ocean warring with itself. With every blink, she heard sailors begging for their lives before storms took them, and with every shudder from his trident, a ship slammed into jagged rocks and shattered.

He was crowned with bleached coral. His body was water, and his beard a great squid’s tentacles entwined with lost treasures.

“Well, Annabeth Chase,” said the god from his throne melded together from the wreckage of Spanish galleons and shards of imploded submarines. “You offered me a promise.”

She looked at him with trembling hands. Behind him, the hull of a cargo ship sank. Bodies trailed along her, and the screams of dying men ceased in the madness of the sea.

Annabeth had not met this god before.

When he grinned, his teeth were sharper than a shark’s, and barnacles sprouted between them. The red blood of the sacrifices that the Romans had made in fear of him whirled through his insides. The ruins of an old pirate ship splattered in his stomach along with the bones of its captain.

Neptune clenched the arms of his throne. “Return my son to me.”

#pjo #percy jackson #percy jackon and the olympians #flash fiction friday #poseidon #annabeth chase #triton #itsmoonpeaches fanfic #percy jackson and the olympians #hoo #heroes of olympus #i would be lying if i didn't add that this was inspired by black sails and flint's anger #hilarious that the gif i chose is also from black sails #fff249 #open your eyes

[strawberrymilk-sunshine]

There's no way this is happening...

Honestly in love with the idea of Jade Floyd & Azul retaining certain qualities of their mer forms when they're in human form.

Warning(s): drugging using potions, you're unconsious for a while & you wake up in his bed so I guess smth could be implied there (wasn't meaning to imply anything tho), you sign a contract while under the effect of various potions, typical yandere manipulation from Azul

Today hasn't been a great day. You woke up late, didn't get to eat breakfast, got roped into dumb shenanigans with Ace and Deuce so you didn't get to have lunch either, and then in alchemy class, some guy spilled a potion all over you!!

"Ah! Sorry! My mistake!" The student with saweed-looking hair frantically apologized. "I-I-I didn't mean to! I swear! Are you ok?!"

You noticed this particular student had the Octavinelle emblem on his labcoat. Nothing good can come from this.

"C-c'mon, I'll take you to Azul... Jade and Floyd will find out eventually, i-it's better if we go sooner rather than later..."

"No, dude, it's fine! It was an accident, I don't need to see your boss, it's not like I'm gonna sue you or anything, I don't even know how legal shit like that works here!"

"No, no no no! I-I inist! Come on, come on! Let's go!" The Octavinelle student insisted.

When you arrived at Octavinelle, the twins were standing in front of you. They looked both surprised and happy to see you.

"Ah, greetings, (Y/N)." Jade said. "Floyd and I were just on our way to the alchemy lab."

"A little flying fish told us Seaweed here splashed a potion on ya." Floyd winked. "Good to see you two came here on your own! Seaweed's such a good worker at the Lounge, I would've hated to have to squeeze 'im." He smirked, earning a very frightened look from the Octavinelle student you were standing beside.

"Allow us to escort you to the Mostro Lounge's V.I.P. room." Jade told you with a smile. "Azul is waiting for you."

You were led through the glass hallways of Octavinelle, feeling as if you were walking through an aquarium. Octavinelle was a beautiful dorm... if you were a real resident of Twisted Wonderland, and someone who actually wanted to go to NRC, you would've liked to be assigned to this dorm.

The Lounge smelled like seafood. You haven't eaten all day, and even though you don't particularly like seafood, the smell made your mouth water.

"Hm? Is something the matter, (Y/N)?" Jade asked you.

"No, nothing's wrong, I'm just really hungry..." You said, quietly.

"In that case, why don't I make something for you? You take a seat over at table five, while Azul speaks with that student who so clumsily spilled that potion on you."

"Really? Um... thanks!" You said. Yes, you'd rather not be indebted to Jade Leech, but he's offering you free food. You're not gonna just refuse free food.

"I'll take Seaweed in to see Azul, while you cook Shrimpy their food." Floyd said.

"Understood, Floyd." Jade nodded in response.

...Something about your food didn't taste right. But, then again, you don't eat seafood all that often, and you haven't eaten anything all day, so maybe it was just in your head...

The rest of the day was a bit of a blur, honestly... you're not sure if you even spoke to Azul.

You woke up somewhere unfamiliar. Somewhere you quickly identified to be Azul's bedroom.

"W-what the-?" You looked around the room, trying to remember what happened yesterday, but you just couldn't. No matter how hard you tried, you couldn't at all remember what happened.

"Ah, are you awake? Good morning, love." Azul said to you, entering the room and closing the door behind him. "I was just discussing the changes to your school uniform with Headmage Crowley, as well as requesting a dorm uniform in your size."

"What...? Changes to my uniform? A dorm uniform in my size? What are you talking about, Azul?" You asked.

"Ah yes, I suppose your memory would suffer as a result of being effected by so many different potions... allow me to summarize what happened last night!"

Azul got into his bed beside you. He snapped his fingers, and one of his magical golden contract scrolls appeared in his hand.

"That student spilling a potion on you yesterday was all a part of my plan. He was hesitant at first, of course, but... when I offered to raise his salary for a month, and threatened him with Jade and Floyd, he quickly agreed. And while the potion that was spilled on you was effectless, I can't say the same about the multiple potions Jade slipped into the food he made you."

"Wait, multiple-"

"Most importantly, you were under the effect of a love potion. And while at that time, the love you felt for me was fake... soon enough, I know it will be real." Azul handed you the golden contract, allowing you to read the terms and conditions. Basically, you agreed to transfer to Octavinelle... and to marry Azul after graduation.

"W-what?! There's no way this is legal! There's no way!"

"I assure you, it's legal." Azul told you. "And, it'll keep you close to me long enough for feelings to develop within you."

You couldn't believe this was happening. Meanwhile, Azul seemed to fully believe that you will eventually develop feelings for him. He believes 100% that with this contract, your life together will be perfect.

...You'll find some way out of this. No matter what you have to do, you'll find a way out of this contract. You have to.

Oh, but he's prepared for that, too. Azul has prepared for every possible scenario. Even if you find a way out, you'll just as quickly be back within his grasp.

So no matter what, the two of you will have a perfect fairytale ending.

#azul ashengrotto #disney twisted wonderland #twisted wonderland #twst #yandere #yandere twst #yandere twst x reader #yandere twisted wonderland #yandere twisted wonderland x reader #yandere azul ashengrotto #yandere azul x reader #yandere azul ashengrotto x reader #yandere azul

[mskenway97]

Can we get Merformers with prowl and jazz please?

No problem, I have not chosen continuity, I have based a little on g1. Both of the same size. I have somewhat fluffed it

Merformers prowl x Jazz

Song of calm

Words:682

Warning: None

Prowl didn't understand why he was so worried about that irresponsible Jazz. Again he had skipped the pod guard, it was usual for him to do it once but not all the time! This was making him angrier and angrier, as he seemed to downplay the importance of the war and the conflictb of living together with the humans.

Prowl was still swimming around keeping watch near the pens, everything seemed to be normal, quiet for what he was used to. Then he began to hear a melody in the distance, it seemed the song of one of his own trying to ask for help until he identified it as Jazz's, he swam as fast as he could, he was worried about what had happened.

Had it been the decepticons? Had some net caught him? Those frantic thoughts were on his mind all the time until the sound was closer to an area near the human shore.

His doubts were answered only to see Jazz lying on the sand, smiling so calmly.

-Hey Prowl! What's wrong with you? You look like you've seen a ghost," said Jazz as Prowl's hands were held in a fist.

Jazz was getting more worried as he was getting no response.

-Prowl?

-You know how oblivious you are! I thought something happened to you! All this week you've been sneaking around. You clearly don't care about the safety of the Pod. All for singing!

Jazz hugged him from behind while stroking his cheek.

- I was practicing a song for you, I've been watching you all week and I thought you needed a little something to make you feel better. Although I still need to rehearse more, I didn't think it was a cry for help," said Jazz.

Prowl moved away from him, trying to keep him on the subject, he always had the ability to make him change his mind, the advantage that this mech had, apart from his great figure and his great bravery.

- Just because you're practicing doesn't mean you have to skip the Optimus rules.... If something had happened? - said Prowl

Jazz took him by the chin to look him in the eye.

You know I can talk to him, calmly, always thinking of the rules before your own well-being. Look where we are," said Jazz.

Prowl looked around and apart from being too close to the shore, he saw some seaweed and some faded corrals - Apart from a rather messy place?

Jazz shook his head as he moved closer to the corrals - They are one of the few left, besides I heard they were one of your favorites? I was preparing all this to give you a nice evening," said Jazz as Prowl softened his brow and sighed.

-You didn't have to do that

-Come on, you know I'll always try to bring a smile to your face," said Jazz.

Prowl had brought out a small smile, Jazz gave him a soft kiss.

- Come on relax just for a little while with me," said Jazz.

Prowl sighed he didn't know how the mech always got his way but he could let this behavior go this time, he was unable to say no to him.

- It's okay," said Prowl as he saw the smile on Jazz's face as he gave him a kiss on the cheek.

- Well, if anyone asks I already have a cut

-Did you know I was coming here? - asked Prowl puzzled

-I didn't know, but Bumblebee owes me a few favors..... So if they ask we're scouring the Decepticon zone.

- You're the wrong kind of guy," said Prowl as Jazz gave a chuckle.

- That's why you love me right? -said Jazz in a warm way making Prowl look away.

- Maybe, by the way you should practice that singing more, it's really out of tune.

-Oh come on, it can't be that bad

-You just have to hit the notes more, come on I'll show you.

-I didn't know that you sigh of singing

- There's a lot of things you don't know.

So they both started to practice, the melody started to improve and that in spite of the difficulties, the different personalities. Both would be there for each other. The melody along with the ambience saw the glow under the sea as the two continued to practice.

Maybe sometimes skipping the rules is a good thing.

#sam writes #jazz x prowl #prowl x jazz #transformers oneshot #cybertronian x cybertronian #transformers g1 #prowl #jazz #transformers #g1 jazz #g1 prowl #merformers #transformers mtmte #transformers idw #maccadam #maccadams

[bengiyo]

Theory of Love Rewatch Ep 1 Stray Thoughts

This rewatch is sponsored by @lurkingshan. Shan has the rare honor of being the only straight white person to respect my tastes in the last 15 years and successfully convince me to watch two things that I went on to enjoy immensely. She convinced me to try Coffee Prince when I was willing to engage with kdrama and pushed me over the episode 10 slump. She also convinced me to watch the Pornographer series again, which I found essential. I've given her coupons to use to recommend things to me, and she's chosen to make me reengage with Theory of Love.

I didn't walk away from this show feeling great about it or myself in 2019. I identified with Third a lot, and also hated their entire friend group. I also thought Earth and White went to waste in BL again (I watched Water Boyy the series). So we're going into this on shaky ground. I kindly ask that you not argue with me in my notes about why you love this show.

Let's get started.

Right away I am reminded that I am not immune to Gun Atthaphan mooning over classic romance films that his character has protected way too much into.

Khai choosing to not mess around with folks in his faculty is a pretty good boundary for a player.

So, it's not Khai's fault that Third fell in love with him. Still, I understand the stress and angst of crushing on a straight boy who loves you platonically. Coming out is not easy, especially when you're one of the boys.

Okay, Third pouring a bottle of water over his head to be dramatic is too much. He is unwell.

Gun having second billing on this show is homophobic.

Ep 01: Best Friends

I wonder if Gun wants to produce and direct.

That line about having hundreds of girls if not for Khai feels kinda funny. Like are you gay, sir?

Goddamn this GETSUNOVA song still fucking slaps.

I forgot how this seaweed snack kept the lights on through Bad Buddy.

12,000 baht to see Blackpink? Couldn't be me.

I don't feel bad for Third about these tickets. He said no to getting them, so Khai isn't a dick for getting them from a scalper.

This is extremely tacky of Khai to start shit at someone's screening like this.

They curb stomped Khai for that behavior. You love to see an instant comeuppance.

Okay, but sending Third to reject Milk is clearly his specialty.

I wanted to know what they said about the Toy Story trilogy, especially since Khai did a Vulcan salute.

Third has a Winnie the Pooh, Astro Boy, and Chucky doll in his room. I have questions.

Khai ditching Third on a lie isn't cool and also feels unnecessary since he canceled on Third for a girl earlier. Is it because it was Milk?

Okay, but Khai is also right that he didn't tell Third to throw her shit away.

Ah, Two finds him at the end of the episode to try and keep Third invested.

This show is very different for me in 2023, because now that I'm older I'm doing what I can. I'm not trapped in a spiral frustrated and pining after a guy I struggled to get over. My living situation is also different. There's also so much more BL better suited to my tastes. Me reading Gun a certain way doesn't cover for Third the way it did in 2019, so his bisexual angst about the girls he hasn't scored because of Khai doesn't track as sympathetic this time. I'm also struggling to see what holds Third to Khai. He's just like most dudes I know. Sometimes he's a good bro and recognizes your efforts when you do something he asked for, but they never notice what you do that they didn't ask for.

It'll be interesting continuing this watch, because I've never been an OffGun girlie, and now that I've projected my gay angst into other projects I feel less connected to Third. Now I'm just frustrated for him and also a little irritated.

#theory of love #thai bl #bl series #Ben watches

[twomiddlefingersforthehaters]

Yatai Stalls:Japanese Street Food :- Street food vendors are known as Yatai in Japan and while they can be seen in abundance at festivals.

The text written in those colorful nobari :

串だんご (Kushi-dango)

Dango is a Japanese sweet that has been loved by Japanese people for a long time. Dango is a dough made by adding water to powdered grains such as rice, rolling it up and steaming it. Currently, skewered dumplings are often recognized as so-called dumplings, but there are also dumplings that are not skewered. Dumplings flavored with soy sauce, miso, and soybean flour have long been popular among Japanese people. There are also dango called hanami dango and tsukimi dango, which are often seen at events and are said to bring good luck.

たこ焼 (Takoyaki)

Diced octopus encased in a light batter and rolled into a ball with spring onion and ginger and topped with green seaweed, sauce, sliced and dried bonito, and sometimes drizzled with mayonnaise. The exterior of a takoyaki ball is a nice golden brown while the interior can be a touch molten. A single order of takoyaki typically contains about eight balls that are topped with shaved bonito flakes (katsuobushi), aonori seaweed flakes and drizzled with mayonnaise and takoyaki sauce.

おでん (Oden)

"Oden" is very popular winter dish all over Japan, and each region has original taste, as Ozouni new year soup. Various kind of ingredients slowly simmered in flavorful dashi broth.

• Masks

Traditional Japanese masks (お面) are mostly decorative and can easily be found at festivals and shrine events. Masks have long played an important role in Japanese culture. Most of these masks are archetypes borrowed from mythology, ancient dances, or noh theater and military costume. Traditional masks are still used by theater actors or Shinto dancers. The most popular Japanese masks are often inspired by yokai; Supernatural Japanese creatures that appear in popular legends and beliefs. In Kabuki theater, they used makeup to embody characters such as demons or to translate expressions such as anger, feelings of sadness or rage on the faces. The Kabuki actors, as opposed to the Noh Theater, do not wear masks. The mask has also the function of hiding any individual traces of the actor. The fox mask is worn on the faces of many festival goers during Shinto ceremonies. Kitsune mask always using White colour based with red patterns. Inari Shrine had red colors everywhere included on the fox statues of the shrine. Most of the foxes serve Inari has white fur. In most of Japanese festival, Kitsune mask always using White colour based with red patterns. The mask of the fox used in Noh play or Kagura play is white. Kitsunes are believed to have from one to nine tails. The number of tails a kitsune has indicates its age and strength. Kitsunes can come in different colors but turn white or gold upon gaining their 9th tail. The Nine Tailed Fox, or Kyuubi no Kitsune, can hear and see everything that goes on around the world. They wear these (kitsune) masks, in order to attract good benefits and thus ensure a good harvest.

Here are the masks I identified from the panel above.

1. Ramenman in Kinnikuman series

The Japanese manga series Kinnikuman was written and illustrated by Yoshinori Nakai and Takashi Shimada, known as Yudetamago. The series follow Kinnikuman, a superhero who must win a wrestling tournament to retain the title of prince of Planet Kinniku. The manga was first published in Shueisha's magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump as a two one-shots in December 1978 and March 1979. The regular serialization started with the publication of the first chapter in the May 28, 1979 issue of Weekly Shōnen Jump, where it was serialized weekly until its conclusion in March 1987. Tatakae!! Ramenman is an alternate-universe and spin-off series to Yudetamago's previous work: Kinnikuman. It is focused around the character of Ramenman, who travels the land to fight various enemies. It was serialized in Shueisha's Fresh Jump magazine from 1982 until 1988.

2. Kamen Rider (1971 TV series)

Kamen Rider is a tokusatsu franchise created by manga creator Shotaro Ishinomori.

3. Chiaotzu in Dragon Ball

4. Sun Wukong

(The picture I'm using from Toriyama's bonus illustration featured in Dragon Ball's 6th volume)

In the novel, this headgear is something that binds sun wukong. Originally, he didn't wear it, but after following Tang Sanzang, that is, his master. At the beginning, he liked to kill some ordinary people without any spells. Tang Sanzang felt that his character was very bad, so there was a god, she called Guanshiyin Bodhisattva.This Bodhisattva also taught Tang Sanzang a formula. She used the temptation to make Monkey King wear a hat, and then the hat became this headgear, if Monkey King wanted to kill ordinary people.Tang Sanzang can recite formulas, and this headdress will shrink, giving Monkey King a headache and unable to use any spells. @dob-siki thank you for the information!!!

5. Hyottoko mask

Hyottoko means this facial expression or a mask with this funny face. It's a man. The pouting bent expression of his mouth is very significant. The size of the left and right eyes can be different too. In the mask or the person, who wears the mask often puts Japanese cotton towel (Tenugui) around the head. This character originally came from ancient traditional Japanese dance called Bugaku. The face of this character is an old man playing a funny and ridiculous role. He saw a beautiful couple dancing beautifully and admired and appreciated their dancing while drinking a lot of sake. He was very impressed and tried to dance like that with his wife. But they were too drunk and too old to dance gracefully, so their "dance" turned out to be very funny and awkward. There are many different stories about Hyotoko in Japan. The name Hyottoko came from Hi-Otoko (fire man). He is blowing air through a hollow bamboo stick to make fire. And his expression is showing how hard he is trying. His mouth is also known to resemble sake bottle. Hyottoko masks are commonly used during traditional Japanese dances in order to bring good luck.

I don't know whether the following findings are correct or wrong.

6. Lokai in Star Trek : Let That Be Your Last Battlefield (1969)

This is what came to my mind when I saw white on the right side and black on the left side.

#naruto analysis #from the drafts #the glass one looks familiar but can't remember where it was seen #my stuff

[fall2393]

Late to the party but can i just say i love YoungPil 😍

I have soft spot for wonpil since WIN (bad hair era) thought him to be some rough, kind of delinquent due to bad friend influence but has nice heart kiddo (i judge people on their hair) but he's actually a softie through and through and has remained so until now. Young K is just Young K (too idol for me which i must admit i just learned to appreciate his idolness and work ethics) and I love Day6 as a whole because of their music (like everyone else, i'm sure.. also because i am JYP stan to the core).

Honestly i dont pay too much attention to their contents not only due to the lack of thereof but also because i was preoccupied with different groups (multi tasking is not for me) so i wasnt aware of the group dynamics or the secret politics driven allengiances like some fans gossiping about (cough*the departure of infamous member*cough) but i stumbeld upon Summer Melody while the members on military hiatus and boy i was pleasantly surprised by how soft Young K is towards Wonpil.

Like i said, i have soft spot for Wonpil so to see someone treating him just as softly definitely intrigued me. I am aware of Dowoon x Wonpil mischiveous adventures and Sungjin x Wonpil but Young K and the blatant favoritism he showed throughout the show and later i learned, beyond?? Like how dare HIM?

Some of my favourite (not in any particular order):-

1) The fact that he openly declared he remembers Wonpil's enlistment date and discharge date but has no idea when Dowoon enlisted.

2) He loves to surprise Wonpil.

- lied to Wonpil that he couldnt attend his solo concert

-sing A Journey on a festival that Wonpil attended (pretty excited to surprise him)

- appear on Wonpil's birthday live with a seaweed soup right after his Dekira schedule

3) He attended the last day of Wonpil solo concert since rehearsal and during the concert he served as a backing vocals for Days Gone By (as explained by Wonpil later in the same concert - Wonpil was very pleased) and infamously cried during Wonpil last ment.

4) He remembers the exact days left until Wonpil's official discharge when fans asked in IG live.

5) On Summer Melody he offers to help Wonpil with the rice just because Wonpil said he feels hot (and looked tired).

6) When Dowoon asked for a help with the firewood he offers to help in exchange of looking for the ingredients - which basically just rummaging through the house not like picking things out in the garden (a one man job if you asked me and they have staffs behind the scene) but was quick to offer a hand when Wonpil is the one chopping it - even Dowoon complained that he was doing it alone.

7) Openly defend Wonpil whenever Sungjin complaints about the said man (tough love Sungjin is).

8) On a military radio show quiz he purposely stalled to ensure Wonpil's team win.

9) said he wants to eat whatever Wonpil wants to eat after the same radio show.

10) Wonpil chose him as the one that he talked in the phone the longest - Young K can identify the sound of ships, he is also aware that sometimes Wonpil didnt have signal if he sailed far away.

11) he made pasta for Wonpil in Autumn Break and had to re-do the pasta 2 to 3 times because it wasnt good enough for Wonpil. He was visibly *slightly* upset when Wonpil said the breakfast was good (the next day) but his pasta was only edible.

12) was obviously hyper during Dekira on Wonpil's unofficial discharge day.

13) the infamous phone call during his solo concert. I feel like everyone in the concert hall was third wheeling them LMAO.

... and more. Will probably update the list or maybe i wont.

*I dont know these people personally. These are just my observations.

#day6 #wonpil #young k #YoungPil #i love that Dowoon is Sungjin's favourite #my soft spot #and i love how soft sungjin is towards wonpil too #he just creates and created for soft and tenderness

[candy-corn-slut]

I’ve been saying a lot that the show is not going to have a great first season bc tv shows rarely do. It takes time for the writers to find their footing, the actors to settle into the characters, the set design and all the various pieces to start to come together and be incredible. However. I believe the shows ability to improve will rely on the writers ability to take (good faith) criticism and make improvements. Whether the next seasons are better depends on a few things:

1. Timing, the kids already look much older than they did during the filming of season 1, if they put it off too long, the show runs the risk of stranger things-ing, a phenomenon where child actors become adult actors before their child characters become adult characters. We need walker to not be 25 when the last Olympian films (if it films). Disney will have to move quickly to renew and start filming season 2 to avoid this

2. Pacing. Maybe Disney will see the complaints about length and give the future seasons more/longer episodes. If not, the writers have got to account for that and they have got to be willing to make sacrifices. No one wants to see plot points dropped, but it’s not much (if at all) better to see all the plot points poorly carried out. The audience needs time to breathe. We need time for the points to sit. We cannot maintain this agonizingly quick pacing whereby one thing happens and we move on immediately to the next. It kills tension!

3. Tension. This show lacked tension badly. Almost every reveal was disappointing (when, as someone who has read the books so many times I can practically recite them from memory, in the books they are not). They are figuring things out so. quickly. And for what? To immediately move on to the next thing. Obviously there is credence for them knowing about the myths, percy being taught by his mom, annabeth studying this stuff since she was 7, but the tension in the books isn’t from a lack of knowledge, it’s an inability to immediately identify the danger because it looks different in the modern era than it was in the original stories. The lotus island was an island, it wasn’t a casino, it should have been harder to spot (even with the name), Procrustus (or however it’s spelled) wasn’t a fucking bed salesman. There is nuance. That’s part of why the books are so magical. They reframe old stories for the modern world. This is so lost in the show.

4. Characterization. Annabeth is so stoic. Percy isn’t very quippy. Grover is so sure of himself. None of these things are true in the books. Annabeth is geeky, percy is sassy (all the time, not just occasionally, I need more seaweed brain moments, him trying to place the myth), Grover has been badly burned by the ordeal of taking annabeth, luke, and Thalia to camp; by losing Thalia. The council doesn’t trust him, he sees himself as a screwup. His growth comes in the form of forgiving himself and becoming more confident. More willing to stand up for himself and his friends. (If you can’t tell I’m the most irritated by Grover’s thing). Sally has these moments where she (obv accidentally) makes percy believe she doesn’t want him??? Percy is so loved by sally, he has never once doubted that his mom cherishes him, even though he often believes he doesn’t deserve that, because he wasn’t a “good kid” (by his own metric)

If the writers are willing to tackle these (and other) issues, I think the show could be really great, even if it won’t be a beat for beat recreation of the books. But if the writers (Rick) stick their heads in the sand and insist that they know best and that every critic is unreasonable? The show won’t improve. It’ll be mediocre, and I doubt I’ll watch it.

#I can’t wait to reread the first book again #seriously #ugh it’s gonna be so good #percy jackson #pjo spoilers #kinda

[imaginebetterfutures]

2023 Wins

I am very bad at celebrating personal successes (big and small). I tend to simply think “oh well, it’s not that big of a deal, on to the next” instead of letting myself be proud. To combat that, this year I started a tab in my master work/life AirTable to document wins. Here are some of them:

Was nominated for a Daytime Emmy.

Did not check my email on vacation! (This is a big deal for me.)

Quit my WIRED gig to make space for other work (art, fiction, etc).

Joined an art studio to have more space and tools to make things.

Dropped art history class that I wasn’t loving instead of struggling through it.

Got a new book agent who I love.

Squatted 200 lbs. Deadlifted 265 lbs.

Was a Finalist for a Third Coast Award for Welcome to Vanguard Estates.

Had a really successful writing retreat.

Sent my book agent the first 50 pages of my in progress novel.

Sold a huge project I have been pitching for five years!!! (Fuck now I have to do it.)

Learned how to blow glass.

Made some art I’m genuinely proud of.

Hit my “one year of powerlifting regularly” mark.

Got rid of a bunch of old clothes that no longer fit me because now I am swole, and only felt medium bad about it.

Wrote first draft of a short story that I'm genuinely excited about.

Got a another short story optioned for TV development. (If you're a Time Traveler Club member you can read the story!)

Learned how to forage seaweed and identify lichens.

Started volunteering at Creative Growth and learning ASL.

Got really involved in my union, and helped to write our AI Platform.

#personal wins #why is it so easy to celebrate other people and so hard to celebrate yourself? #recap #2023 #successes #honestly not checking my email on vacation was maybe the hardest thing on this list #2023 recap #2023 wrapped

[broken-synchronicity]

OvO

can we know what the magic scents are? [just saw the person asking about perfume scents and realized we could probably ask about the magic scents] can be however many you want to do [you can also just choose to ignore this/do none]

Yes, I would LOVE to talk about how magic smells! As I've stated before, magic has many ways it can be identified, one of which is a scent!

In general, most magics have a base scent that's built off by the individual person's development, and can linger in their Aura and on their person. Strong magics are heady or pungent, while weak ones are faint.

Base scents are as follows:

Elemental magics will give off a scent close to their element; fire smells like smoke, ash, or things burning, water like petrichor, the ocean, etc., and so on. Leona's magic, as he stated, smells aerid, like sand and dry soil because of his UM.

Light magic smells clean and warm, like fresh linen and detergent. General Magics, like flight or apportion (Deuce's summoning cauldrons), fall under "light" categorically, but don't have a specific smell outside clean

Dark magics smell bitter, medicinal or acrid depending on if they're harmful or not.

Ancient magics smell fusty or musty, like dust, like an old abandoned house

And lastly, Forbidden magics smell fetid or sour, like rotting wood or food that's gone bad

So on that note, here's how each character's magic smells like in LiT, under a cut, because this is getting long and also spoilers for those not caught up

Heartslabyul:

Ace: faint clean scent with traces of flowers (no primary magic discovered, but his time in Heartslabyul's rubs off on him)

Deuce: clean scent usually, occasionally metallic or like motor oil, like he's been working on a car (Bet the Limit is "light", but he has an affinity for Apportion, cauldrons, and Magic wheels)

Trey: Sweet and warm, like freshly made cookies or hot chocolate (Doodle Suit would be a Light magic, but his affinity for baking rubs off on his magic)

Cater: Clean and faintly woody, but also traces of herbs (Card Split is illusionary, which is considered a combination of both Dark and Light magic. As it is non technically harmful, it's medicinal bitter rather than acrid)

Riddle: Floral and faintly herbal, with occasional traces of others (Off With Your Head isn't quite Dark magic, but it's not considered Light either, so instead Elemental scents take priority)

Savanaclaw:

Leona: as I've already described, dry and aerid, like sand and dry, cracked soil

Ruggie: faintly acrid, but also like hay and dirt (Ruggie's affinity for animal language makes him smell a bit like a barn, on top of his poor upbringing, but Laugh With Me is Dark magic, the acrid kind as it's use is to control other against their will)

Jack: Dog. He smells really strongly of Dog, but also musky with traces of others (Unleash Beast takes priority, but other magics leak through as musk)

Octavinelle:

Azul: Ink and Paper, bitter that is both acrid and herbal with traces of salt (It's A Deal is Dark magic aligned, but takes the form of a paper contract. The salt and herbs are Azul's true nature as a mer, hidden under potions)

Jade: the combination of acrid, salty, and seaweed makes him smell like dead things that have washed up on shore, but also musty (Shock the Heart, as a hypnosis type control magic, is Dark, but hypnosis itself is Old)

Floyd: like a sea breeze, salty and faintly fishy and seaweedy, but in a pleasant way (Bind the Heart, believe it or not, is considered Light magic, in a similar way Bet the Limit is.)

Scarabia:

Kalim: Petrichor and damp soil (Oasis Maker is obviously a water element magic, so Kalim's magic just tends to smell wet)

Jamil: Acrid, with traces of dust and earthy scents (Another hypnosis based Dark magic. His role as a servant also lingers in his magic)

Pomefiore:

Epel: Apples, linen, and general earthy or woody scents (Farm boy's magic smells like his family's orchard, and Sleep Kiss is Light magic adjacent)

Rook: faintly clean, with traces of others (Rook's scent is very weak and doesn't have any real discernable scent. It helps with his UM I See You, being a tracking magic, which is Light aligned)

Vil: Bitter, both acrid and herbal, with traces of others (Vil's UM is Dark, as it's curse based, and his affinity potions makes him 100% smell like an alchemy/potion room)

Ignehyde:

Idia: Musty and a little like rot, with traces of plastic and smoke (Gate To Underworld is definitely old and forbidden magic, but under that is Idia's affinity for magitech. His scent is actually continually getting fainter as he loses his magic)

Ortho: clean, but in an artificial way, like industrial cleaners or antiseptic, and faintly of ash (Ortho isn't human, so his magic isn't really his, but a product of a power source, so any scent would feel artificial on him)

Diasomnia:

Sebek: faintly clean, with traces of ozone and dust (like Ace, no singular magic, but traces of his dorm, as well as his fae heritage)

Silver: Clean and soft, a bit downy like a new pillow, as it's known he is Light adjacent in magic, but also traces of ozone and hay (similar to Sebek, but with a more concrete definition)

Lilia: Musty with traces of ash and a coppery rust (don't ask where the rust comes from)

Malleus: Ozone, ash, dust, occasionally vaguely floral, and traces of something like sickness (Malleus UM is... hard to describe. It's both dark and light, or maybe, more precisely, Dark magic trying to be Light. The contradiction fights itself a little, giving the scent of sick that's been recently cleaned)

#twisted wonderland #twst #twst language barrier au #Words Found #nonnies getting curious! #controlledchaos1342 blog #this took all day but I'm proud of it #no I'm not doing Kal that will actually come up later

[sidewalkchemistry]

advice for letting go of addiction to junk food? /:

I find that attachment to junk food is often due in part to not really ever falling in love with nourishing whole food ingredients. You're only gonna ever find joy in turning away from junk food when you're just as, or more, attracted to the whole food alternatives you're giving yourself. It shouldn't be about punishment or self-denial. It's about satisfaction, excitement, and self-love. Don't beat yourself up about your current situation. Simply, step forward into this new journey with patience & self-compassion.

💚So, first things first is really developing a longgg list of whole foods that you enjoy. Different fruits, vegetables, grains, beans, seaweeds, foraged plants, seeds, nuts, herbs & spices, and so on. I recommend mostly purchasing what's in season (the taste, texture, and price points tend to be way better!), and visiting farmer's markets when possible (in my state, they take food stamps and have tons of discounts, to make the produce more accessible to all. I hope it's similar where you are). You may have to do some learning about how to identify fresh & ripe produce, determine how to identify good quality, comparing the tastes depending on food preparation methods (boiled vs roasted vs fresh vs pickled), and little things like that. Don't be afraid to try new things. You will likely find that you grow to like things you would've formerly disliked.

💚Next is to get into finding alternatives for your previous favorites. Especially snacks or quick meals. So, let's say that you are super into potato chips and instant noodles...swap that for homemade chips or wedges (you can make them in the microwave, air fryer, or oven - with little to no oil) & a simple noodle soup (packed with herbs, some miso and/or seaweed, a few veggies of your choice, and anything else you might like).

💚It's critical as well to really develop a rolling menu of recipes to make yourself. Your meals don't have to be complex or take ages (something like a taco bowl is great). Focus on simple but flavor-filled meals by highlighting the fresh flavors and spices, and by creating a well-rounded flavor profile in your dishes (for savory dishes: umami/salty + sour + sweet + optionally herby, spicy, and/or bitter). An accent flavor (or something to make the dish pop) is also great, such as citrus zest, liquid aminos, coconut, paprika, sesame seeds, green onion. Have ideas for breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, desserts, sauces & dressings, drinks, and snacks & dips.

💚Notice keenly how much better you feel when you reduce the junk food. Choose that good feeling over some really short-lived gratification. Notice, too, how poorly junk food can leave you feeling.

💚Learn to journal or tap into a hobby when your emotions get high and you want something unhealthy to "drown out your feelings." It's not about the fact that those foods aren't great for you. It's about paying attention to your feelings instead of stuffing them away.

💚Eliminate the misconception that it's cheaper eating junk food. You're less likely to feel the natural satiation point when you're eating low nourishment foods, so overeating is quite normal when you eat lots of processed foods. Also, the processing of such foods often is less kind on the earth compared to whole plant foods. So, it's expensive in that larger scale too. And you just aren't your best self - less energy, motivation, and stuff are likely when junk food is your primary fuel. The most affordable foods worldwide are typically satiating whole plant foods (grains, legumes, potatoes, etc).

💚Don't keep junk food around all the time. It turns into an 'out of sight, out of mind' thing.

💚Change the way you grocery shop. Spend time in the produce section especially. Always leave with things like greens, seasonal fruit, frozen fruit/veg, root veggies, etc. Discover which stores have the best options and actually stock quality produce. Wholesalers/big box stores & ethnic markets tend to do pretty good.

💚Create new habits. When you get home from work, you might be used to eating a certain snack. Interrupt that habit with a new one.

💚Stay hydrated. Water-rich produce (like cucumbers, oranges, leafy greens, berries) and drinking water can both help. Sometimes, we seek food when we're actually thirsty.

💚Start your days on a good note with fresh flavors. I recommend fruit for the sweetness and energy. And make sure your meals are satisfying and nutrient-dense, so you aren't starving and looking for energy drinks or anything an hour later.

💚Don't be all-or-nothing in your approach. This helps you to avoid that punishment mindset. It's just about choosing the food that really makes you feel good and happy and content.

💚Try out flavors from around the world. Get into ingredients and flavor profiles you've been missing out on. For example, rosewater, tomatillos, various mushrooms, berbere spice, different curries, dragonfruit, pandan. I just love traveling via my plates. It's an easy way to romanticize your life.

💚Learn to make a good, hearty, interesting salad. Smoothie bowls are a good thing to learn too. These are low-effort meals that are great when the weather is hot, you're busy, and/or your energy is low.

💚Get into making your own condiments. These can add an extra kick of flavor and interest for your dishes. For example, herb infused vinegars and oils, hot sauce, pickled veggies, rich sauces, etc.

💚Avoid food waste. Often when people are trying to eat better, the produce they purchase often goes bad before they can incorporate it into meals. Store items properly to extend their shelf life. Buy some fruit somewhat underripe (if they're a kind that ripens off the tree). Freeze things before they can go bad. Make soup broths, pickles, kimchi, jams, sauces, etc. Make meals around what is ready to be used. Also, don't be overly adventurous and buy too many unfamiliar ingredients at once.

💚And I'll end on an unexpected one. Spend more time outside in nature. You are typically become appreciative all those colors and scents and intrigue in simple/slow food meals when you do.

I wish you the best & I apologize for taking a while to respond.

Lili