#Flavours Of North East

[tourismirctc]

The state of Rajasthan's capital and largest city is Jaipur. It is also known as "the pink city because of the distinctive hue of its buildings. It boasts expansive markets, particularly for handloom clothing, magnificent monuments, and well-designed gardens. The vibrant modern city is one of the golden triangle's three points, along with Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur. 

[thehmn]

Reading about old Scandinavian/Nordic folk-magic before it got influenced by modern Wicca for a comic I’ll hopefully make and it’s fascinating.

For example, binding knots was extremely powerful and was used for almost everything from trapping bad spirits to getting rid of warts, and the four corners of the world were all connected to the element of Air/Wind instead of Water, Air, Earth and Fire so people did certain types of magic depending on the direction of the wind (North for Resistance/Trouble/Harming Others, South for Personal Growth/Happiness/Health, East for Solutions/Luck/Love, West for Darkness/Evil/Illness) and while I know it will be tempting for people to connect this to the four elements that’s not how people at the time thought of it at all. It was all Wind to them.

This style of folk-magic is just intended to act as background flavour to give the world a more distinct Scandinavian feeling but it’s super fun to read about anyway.

[gemsofgreece]

How to follow a Mediterranean Greek diet

The Mediterranean diet naturally expands throughout the coastal countries of South Europe, North Africa and the Middle East but there are some small differences between their cuisines. So here I am writing specifically about the Greek version of the Mediterranean diet, known for its delicious, natural flavours and its significant health benefits.

Eat daily:

Olive oil: the pillar, the liquid green gold of the Mediterranean Greek diet. Olive oil should be used ideally exclusively for all purposes. It's dressing salads, it's used in cooking and in fact it's traditionally what is used in frying too. Replace all types of oils, butter and margarine with olive oil even when making pastries. The only problem here is that outside of the Mediterranean basin olive oil can be pricey, however that's the foundation the diet is based on. If you are interested in following the traditional Greek diet for taste or health purposes, it is good to really incorporate olive oil in your daily cooking. If it’s not possible to afford buying olive oil all the time (although you could balance it out by not buying other oils and butter), a non-Greek-typical but equivalent alternative could be avocado oil. However, I doubt avocado oil or any other oil can remotely compare to olive oil in health properties, taste or in any other positive quality 🫒

Vinegar: Just like olive oil, vinegar is a very important ingredient and is also used in natural remedies However, it can hurt a sensitive GI tract if consumed in large portions. A little bit of it added to meals frequently is very healthy. Apple cider vinegar is also very loved and used in salads often 🍇

Vegetables: no portion can be too much (wild greens, garlic, onions, cauliflowers, cucumbers, eggplants, beets, peppers, spinach, artichokes, zucchini, peas, lettuce, the list never ends). Tomatoes and broccoli are recent additions to the Greek diet however they were integrated perfectly to the Greek cuisine. In general, all vegetables can be enjoyed freely with some moderation in the potatoes, especially when fried 🥗

Fruits: grapes, berries, apples, melons, cherries, figs, prunes, sour cherries, peaches, pomegranates are the most historically loved fruits in the Greek diet. Since the middle ages citruses like the orange, the lemon and the mandarin are more and more loved. Greeks nowadays use lemon almost more than vinegar and both have become integral components of the Greek diet. Obviously, tropical fruits like, say, banana, mango, grapefruit are not present in the traditional Greek diet, however all fruits are good fruits and you can enjoy them freely 🍎

Legumes. Eat freely to the tolerance of your body. Legumes can be too heavy for some GI tracts. Legumes are a great source of protein and fibre. Choose brown lentils, white beans, fava beans, chickpeas, giant beans and black eyed peas the most 🫘

Nuts, seeds: almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds, peanuts etc. Eat as much as your body can take, because everybody is different 🥜

Mushrooms: mushroom it up! A great healthy way to have them is grilled with herbs and plain or apple cider vinegar dressing 🍄‍🟫

Whole grains: this is the traditional way to eat grains. Brown bread, oats, whole wheat pasta 🌾

Fish and seafood: find and eat them fresh. Instead of buying them deep frozen from the big markets, find local fish stores if your place is coastal and has them. Eat both large but especially small and medium sized fish. Some fish like salmon and tuna should ideally not be consumed daily due to their high levels of mercury and fats 🐟🎣🍤

Herbs and spices. Feel free to use as much as you want however if you are interested also in the flavours of the Greek diet besides the health benefits, a tip is that Greek dishes do not contain extremely hot spices 🌿

Water: A lot of water daily and, mind you, plain clear mineral water. No flavoured water, definitely not sparkling water and ideally no other liquids in place of the water. I mean, sure you can have liquids but you should ALSO have plain water 💧

Eat a few times per week:

Poultry: Poultry and lean meats entered the Greek cuisine mostly after the Middle Ages however they are nowadays enjoyed as part of the Greek Mediterranean diet because they are tasty and healthier than other types of meat. Chicken has become especially popular in the Greek cuisine. Other birds are the pheasant, the quail, the turkey and more sparsely the duck 🍗

Eggs: eggs are healthy and should be consumed a few times per week but not daily because they can cause a rise in cholesterol levels 🥚

Dairy: Greeks LOVE dairy products, especially the various types of cheese, however they are often irritating to the GI tract and they are linked with rises in the level of inflammation in the body. This is why you should ideally limit them to a few times per week. One exception is the yoghurt, which is fermented and can be perhaps consumed more frequently due to its beneficial properties. Important note: if you want to follow the Greek diet, you should ideally opt for milk and other dairy products from goats and sheep! Cow milk is not traditionally used in the Greek cuisine often and sheep and goat milk are significantly healthier and more nutritious. The only drawback is the stronger smell, however if you can get past that, it is strongly advised to switch to those instead of cow milk. Another note: what is known as “Greek yoghurt” in western countries is not in fact a true Greek yoghurt. What you call Greek yoghurt is to us simply a strained yoghurt, a yoghurt from which the whey has been removed. Sometimes in western markets (and in Greek “modern” dessert yoghurt products) butterfat and powdermilk is added to them and they are mostly made of cow’s milk. Again, a traditional Greek yoghurt is made of sheep, goat milk or a mix of both and is unstrained. It also has a trademark thickened skin on its top (dunno if this is the actual term lol) which is in fact the part of the yoghurt that contains the most nutrients and personally it’s the tastiest part of the yoghurt but apparently it is not for everyone. As an example, a study showed that an unstrained sheep yoghurt has more protein, more omega-3 fatty acids and minerals yet fewer calories and fats than a strained cow yoghurt 🍦🧀

Wine: in small portions, like a small glass up to a few times per week and always in combination with your meal. You don’t drink it to get hammered, you drink it for the health benefits it has in very moderate quantities and for the reasonable mild euphoria it causes before it becomes harmful. The GI tract is linked to the brain and is detrimentally influenced by negative emotions. This is why it is important to try to be in a good mood, relaxed and peaceful when you sit down to eat. A sip of wine now and then can be good for that 🍷

Eat once per week or ideally less:

Red meat like pork or beef. In fact, beef should be the one most avoided not only because it is indeed the rarest of the common meats used in traditional Greek cuisine but also because you can’t separate the fat from the meat as easily as with pork. To follow the Greek style in a healthy way opt for goat, then lamb or pork and make beef your most occasional meat dish 🥩

Processed meats should be eaten rarely. If you are in a mood for it though, opt for Greek style sausages with herbs in or bacon at most. Cured meats like ham are better to be avoided but turkey is the healthiest of them. They are not a part of a traditional Greek cuisine though.

Refined grains can be enjoyed weekly but should not replace whole grains

Pastries. What’s new, pastries are not ideal for health. However, if you are yearning for something sweet, if you want to keep it healthy as much as possible in the “Greek way”, opt for desserts made of healthy ingredients like honey, nuts, olive oil and fruits. Chocolate came to Greece in the 19th century, however it has become an integral part of confectionery since then. Opt ideally for dark chocolate, combined with nuts or fruits such as oranges and prunes. Greeks especially love chocolate combined with nuts.

Soft and sugary drinks. Avoid them overall, especially the processed products in the markets. If you need a sweet drink really bad, you can keep it traditional by making your own sweet lemonade, sour cherry, pomegranate etc drink at home. You could also enjoy small quantities of lemon or mastic liquors which are good for digestion.

BONUS TIPS & PHILOSOPHY:

Try to find mastic if it’s available where you live. The mastic is a resin produced from the mastic tree, a species endemic to the Greek island of Chios and a small part of the opposite coast of Turkey. It has numerous beneficial properties, especially for digestion and gut health, and it combines them with a very pleasant fresh and sweet flavour. You can find it in gums that boost digestion, in drinks, in pastries and even in non-edible products like toothpastes. Learn about it and give it a try, no matter if you are interested in following Greek diet or not.

Greek cuisine does not go berserk on as many ingredients as possible (however Greeks typically add more ingredients than, say, Italians and perhaps fewer than the Middle Easterners). Don’t worry about adding as many foods and nutrients in one single dish. The most important thing in Greek cuisine philosophy is to pick the finest ingredients. Avoid deep frozen or precooked and processed ingredients. Pick whole fruits and vegetables from your local small grocery store. For example, don’t buy a watermelon slice in a zelatin bag from the supermarket. Take the whole freaking watermelon home. You heard me right. It’s heavy, yes, but you would be surprised how much tastier and healthier it is this way. Go to the butcher for meat. Go to the specific cheese shop for cheese. Go to the fisherman for fish and seafood. Go to the pastry shop and get a nice dessert instead of buying candies from the market.

Remember that in moderation you can eat most of the foods you desire, especially if they are not processed foods. There is nothing about the Greek diet that is restrictive in terms of its philosophy - historically the intake of various foods was regulated only based on availability and price. There are no foods you should limit due to any perception of them being “bad” and you should never feel guilty the moment you are actually having the food. Just work slowly and progressively by building gradual appreciation for healthy foods and prize less nutritious foods as occasional taste bud rewards.

As said above, a good mood is crucial when you sit down to eat. In the history of the Greek society this translated into eating with friends and / or family, maybe with the occasional sip of wine, ideally in a pleasant environment and always taking your time with your food. If some of these are less feasible than others, try alternatively to improve the setting in which you eat, to eat in an environment that calms you down. Schedule your meal so that you won’t eat in anxiety or hurry, if this is possible. Think of pleasant memories and feel grateful for your food. Cheers! Or, you know, εις υγείαν!

[aaknopf]

Nam Le, celebrated author of The Boat, makes his poetic debut with a collection titled, 36 Ways of Writing a Vietnamese Poem. Reading these pieces, which expose the harm, humor, and difficulty of language itself for a Vietnamese refugee living in the West, we come across far more than thirty-six ways of understanding Le’s diasporic experience. Number 17, offered here, centers the kitchen as a place of generational knowledge and boundary-crossing.

[17. Culinary]

(OFFERTORY)

I put a little...                        see if you can guess

sweet or bitter—                        how know one without the other?

longan, mangosteen     sapodilla                       star anise & lotus seed

something from the karstic north                        but with Western tang

passed on from my mother                        and her mother     and hers...

blood ligament     of kitchen labour                        wisdom     all compressed

into this blank deep-strata rock.                        Yes, the geode pulses

with secret inward gleams                        but it stays silent.

Until now!     Until me!                        My tongue rings all!

I am loud with every flavour, every humour,                        equally of north, south, east, west

and     as she made me                        I will make you, mother.

More on this book and author:

Learn more about 36 Ways of Writing a Vietnamese Poem and The Boat by Nam Le.

Visit our Tumblr to peruse poems, audio recordings, and broadsides in the Knopf poem-a-day series.

To share the poem-a-day experience with friends, pass along this link.

[phoenix-before-the-flame]

I’m watching one piece, and now I’m wondering do you have any hcs on the world building in the fairy tail universe ? Do you think theirs some crazy kingdom’s , advanced technology in some lands ? Love to hear your thoughts 💗

hmmmmmmmmmmm kinda a bit of a deep question tbh.

Structurally FT has good bones for its world. And that's kinda it lol

There's a fleshed out map of all the countries within the continent that fiore is found on (Ishgar, which has 16 named countries apart from fiore itself) and expanding wider than that we know that there are about 3 named continents (Ishgar to the east being a peninsula connected to the mainland that we know nothing of, Alakitasia to the west where Alavarez is and Guiltina to the north) and a fourth unnamed continent further east that exists within earthland.

But while we have all this info, nothing in particular comes into play as the series had progressed, the majority of the series' arcs all more or less take place within the same country, which for a series that has it's characters constantly travelling for missions looks particularly bad, especially when even the known locations all visually seem indistinct from each other in terms of stuff like architecture. It's a reason why I appreciate edolas in particular because it at least offered something that visually stood out and an insight into how that culture functioned. (and in Phoenix Priestess for the small montage the squad in the city of Rose Garden and showing a bit of the country Veronica)

Like it is frustrating to me whenever I think on it because the solution would be just to change the locations of where they travel to just to expand the background of the places travelled, wouldn't even have to change arc structures or anything to give some life to the named countries like:

Joya despite its small size as a country is the main manufacturers of trains and exports the majority of the transportation other countries use as well as weapons. Wizards are less found here, with treasure hunting being a more popular job choice.

Sin, despite the ironic name, is a deeply religious and faith driven country. Magics that have connection to nature and celestial bodies are particularly revered here.

Desierto mostly deals with trade, having constantly active shipping ports. Enchanted items such as brooms and carpets are popular and easy transport choices within cities and are more widely used than vehicles.

Iceberg's largely uninhabited due to the weather with most of the population sticking closer to the country's borders.

Like this is all just purely flavour text examples to just try and bring some life to these otherwise lifeless locations but you get the general gist of it.

There was clearly this effort to establish these locations by giving then names (and drawing a full on map) so it always boggled me that they were never properly used as a backdrop for the arcs within the story. (Tower of Heaven? Move that arc to Sin, Lucy's arc with Loke? Takes place in Stella, That arc with the giant village? Put it in Minstrel).

Like shifting around major arc locations would easily open up avenues to naturally expand the world as the story moves. And not even just big arcs, but smaller less grand filler arcs (which jesus christ did ft rlly need because it defs need breathing room between all the big events. It's why the story moves at such a breakneck speed without things really feeling as though they've changed in any meaningful ways) would do wonders to make earthland feel like a genuine lived in world (like how it is within the world of one piece that you cited as an inspo for this ask.)

[thebleedingwoodland]

------ Happy New Year 2024 Gift -----

Converted from TS3 version

Indomie®  Goreng, Kuah & Packaging - TS4

*not endorsed by actual company of this brand. 

Mesh by me. Noodles textures by me. Majority of Indomie packaging flavours photos for texture by me. 

Merk mi instan nomor 1 di Indonesia, sudah terjual dan terkenal di seluruh dunia. 

No. 1 instant noodles brand in Indonesia, has been sold and known worldwide. 

GIF from above to bottom:

Indomie Kuah & Kuah Polos (both 4 swatches) >> Boiled instant noodles with water

Indomie Packaging in regular flavours (7 swatches) >> Mi Goreng (Fried Noodles), Ayam Bawang (Chicken & Onions), Kaldu Ayam (Chicken Broth), Ayam Special (Special Chicken), Mi Goreng Rendang (Fried Noodles with Rendang Beef), Mi Goreng Sambal Rica-Rica (Fried Noodles with Rica-Rica, type of Indonesian Chili Sauce from North Sulawesi), Mi Goreng Cabe Ijo (Fried Noodles with Green Chilies)  

Indomie Packaging in special Indonesian culinary flavours (2 swatches)  >> Mi Rasa Cakalang (Noodles with Indonesian Shredded Skipjack Tuna Flavour, culinary from North Sulawesi), Mi Rasa Soto Lamongan (Noodles with Indonesian Chicken Soup from Lamongan Province, culinary from East Java)

Indomie Goreng (4 swatches) & Goreng Polos (2 swatches) >> Boiled instant noodles with sweet soy sauce and without water

Polos = Plain, without additional of meat, eggs, and vegetables toppings.

------------------------------------------------------------

Can be found on Decorations> Miscellaneous

[ Download ]

[mycoblogg]

FOTD #057 : trumpet of the dead! (craterellus cornucopioides)

the trumpet of the dead (AKA horn of plenty, black chanterelle, or black trumpet) is a cantharellaceae fungus. it is found in europe, north america, & east asia. most often, it is found under broad-leaf trees, in moist spots.

the big question : can i bite it?? yes :-) they have great flavour & are full of protein, making them choice.

c. cornucopioides description :

"the fruiting body does not have a separation into stalk & cap, but is shaped like a funnel expanded at the top, normally up to about 10 centimetres (4 inches) tall & .5–7 cm (1⁄4–2+3⁄4 in) in diameter, but said to grow exceptionally to 15 cm (6 in) tall. the upper & inner surface is black or dark grey, & rarely yellow. the lower & outer fertile surface is a much lighter shade of grey."

[images : source & source] [fungus description : source]

[readyforevolution]

TOP 10 AFRICAN TRIBES/ETHNIC GROUPS THAT ARE GLOBALLY KNOWN.

(In no particular order)

1) Zulu ?? South Africa – The Zulu tribe is popular outside Africa. They’ve been featured in music, documentaries and movies. Shaka the Zulu was a warrior king whose popularity is well spread. Famous Zulus, Lucky Dube, Nasty C, black Coffee etc.

2) Yoruba ?? Nigeria – The Yorubas are globally known for their history, culture, art and literature. Fela, Wole Soyinka, Wizkid, Davido, Tiwa Savage, David Oyelowo, John Boyega, Anthony Joshua etc are a few Yorubas who have taken their culture to the world. The Yoruba culture has been featured in many Hollywood movies.

3) Masai ?? Kenya – The Masai are perhaps one of the most documented tribes in Africa, with alot of documentaries shown about them and books written about their culture.

They are known for their traditional clothing and hunting skills

4) Hausa ?? Nigeria – The hausas are very popular. Often known as the Igbos of the North, The richest black man in the world Aliko Dangote is Hausa along with his brother from the same state Kano Abdulsamad Rabiu (BUA). Their culture has also been well written about and have featured in a few Hollywood movies including the Amazon prime series were a woman was seen eating Tuwo shinkafa.

5) Igbo ?? Nigeria – The Igbos are undeniably known world wide. Chinua Achebe wrote about the Igbo culture alot. They are known for their history, culture and literature.

The popularized the kolanut and palm wine through books, movies and music

Chinwetalu Ejiofor, Zain Asher, Ckay, Flavour, Chimamanda, phyno, P-square are Igbos who have taken their culture to the world. Igbo are known in Nollywood movies.

6) Swahili ?? Tanzania – This tribe have phenomenal spread their language in East Africa and a few central African nations.

In the 70s, their language was part of the African-American black pride movement been pushed forward.

7) Edo/Bini ?? Nigeria – The Binis are perhaps the culture in Africa with the most famous artworks outside Egypt.

Binis are known for their history, culture and art/architecture.

The famous Benin bronze, ivory and brass artworks are known globally. The country Benin republic gets their name from them. Benin art and culture have been featured in Hollywood movies including black panther. Many Nigerian cultures have roots in Benin. The bronze mask of Queen Idia is perhaps the most famous mask in Africa and one of the most famous in the world. Popular Edos are Kamaru Usman, Rema, Odion Jude Ighalo, Victor Osimhen, Dave, Sam Loco Efe etc.

Asante Ghana – This tribe are known for their history and culture. Popular American hip hop artist was named after this tribe Asante. Their Kente is perhaps the most popular African attire outside of Africa and were known to be masters of the gold craft.

9) The Fulani – This nomadic tribes are known for their history and culture. They are predominantly in West Africa and are found in 18 African countries. Most In Nigeria ??

Popular Fulanis or people with Fulani ancestry are Muhammadu and Aisha Buhari, Tafawa Balewa,

10) Berbers/Amazigh – They are predominantly found in North Africa. They are predominantly found in Morocco ?? and Algeria ?? They known for their use of silver silver. Their culture and history well documented and have a unique language and writing system that traces back to ancient Egypt. Books are currently being written about them including a book titled salt by Haitian-American Pascaline Brodeur.

Disclaimer: Every African tribe and culture is beautiful, unique and important. No one culture is more important than the other. This only highlights tribes known outside the continent overall, this doesn’t mean there aren’t other cultures that aren’t known.

PLEASE YOU CAN ADD AND TELL US ABOUT YOUR TRIBE.

[the-pen-pot]

SNEAK PEEK! (Coming.... somewhen?)

Summary: Prince Arthur Pendragon, Captain of the Llamrei, would far rather spend his days patrolling Camelot's waters than assume his place on the throne. Yet when he finds the wreckage of a vast ship and one lone survivor on board, nothing can prepare him for the path his life will lead.

Nor the demands his heart will make.

(A 4k word first chapter to a Merthur age-of-sail fantasy AU, because I'm weak for world-building)

-----

The waves boomed against the Llamrei's hull: a steady rhythm like the heartbeat of the ocean. The breeze hummed through the rigging, plucking tunes upon the sheets and swelling the sails. Under Arthur's palms, the wheel rested easy, their bearing steady and sure: homeward bound, back to Camelot.

They had been at sea for two long months, patrolling the boundaries of their waters, seeing off pirates and incursions alike. Their hold lay heavy with the loot of those ships who had surrendered their cargo in recompense for trespass. All-in-all, their voyage had been a success.

He knew his men craved solid land, good company and a drink with more flavour than the mead ration or water, but for him there was little joy in his home-coming. More and more, his father expected him to put his sea-faring days behind him and take on the burden of his role as Crown Prince. He thought a kingdom could be ruled from a throne and was content to let others ride the waves.

The thought of that, of land-lock and narrow horizons, made Arthur's breath catch in his throat. He understood his duty, the one he had been born to. He would not shirk it when the time came. He only wished he were free to rule how he wanted, rather than being forced to follow his father's edicts. It was not as if the man had any intention of letting go of his power in the near future. Uther Pendragon would live forever if he could.

'You could always hope for war, Captain.' Leon Delgrace narrowed his eyes against the sun, his hair bleached bright bronze and his face scattered with freckles. 'That would see us back to sea soon enough.'

Arthur huffed. 'And with whom should we fight? Lot, fat and useless to the east, but with more ships to his name than most? Bayard, to the North, who rules his waters with an iron-fist, or Caerleon to the West, who would block trade and starve us rather than raising a finger towards our annihilation?'

'Any one of them would shit themselves to face down Camelot's fleet,' Gwaine said from where he was adjusting one of the sheets, shifting the angle of the sail to better catch the breeze. 'Lot's got more ships, but half of them are in splinters. Bayard's men are in a constant state of revolt against his admirals and Caerleon… All right, Caerleon's a swine who's got every other kingdom by the balls since he's got control of the Strait of Caerdor, but he won't hold it for long. Not against the Wildwash.'

Arthur glanced down at his bosun where he stood on the quarterdeck. Gwaine wasn't wrong. The Albion Sea existed in a constant state of teetering balance. At the moment, there was a reluctant truce, each kingdom too busy dealing with their own strife to turn their mind to war. Still, all it would take was a tiny shift to send it all plunging into calamity.

Caerleon was an obvious target. The other kingdoms looked upon his control of the strait with greed because it meant he could restrict and tax the flow of trade along the Southern Way: a rare safe route of good water. It was a ripple-road that led to the MittelMer, the sea that was encircled by the remnants of the old-lands, where the Romans had once dwelt.

They conveniently forgot, however, that he also bordered on the Wildwash, the vast stretch of open ocean to the west that brimmed with legendary creatures, roaming sorcerers, mad gods and vengeful spirits. The sailors who ventured out into those waters rarely returned, and if they did, they came back changed.

Worse, the denizens of that vast, fathomless ocean – lawless and unruled – were constantly encroaching on the Albion Sea, finding their way past the towering reefs and ocean mountains that had once protected them. They sought the relatively tranquil, warmer waters and the wealth they had brought the Five Kingdoms, and they sowed death and destruction in their wake.

'I do not envy him being so close to the frontier.'

'I fear that, one day, we will hear the news that he is overcome,' Leon admitted, raising his voice to call out an order before resuming a more normal volume. As Quartermaster, he was of almost equivalent rank to Arthur's Captain: his right-hand man and, in the event of a calamity that took Arthur's life, his successor – at least where the Llamrei was concerned. If Arthur died at sea, Camelot would fall to Morgana. Sometimes he was tempted to abdicate and let her have it. He suspected she would do a better job than he.

Except that Uther would never permit it.

'No, we pray Caerleon holds fast against the Wildwash. Let some other political strife call us back to the waves. The goddess knows my father is good at stirring up conflict when it suits. Or even when it does not. We will enjoy our time back in Camelot. I will play the obedient prince, and in a week or two, he will grow bored and we'll be back at sea.'

'Better be,' Gwaine muttered. 'Don't think there's enough beer in all Camelot's taverns to keep me happy on land.'

'Captain!' Elyan's cry was as clear as a sea-bird, carrying with ease. He had a spyglass pressed to his eye. A sextant hung from his belt and one foot was braced on the top of the crow's nest, as if he were about to take flight. Arthur hated it when he did that. A fall from that height, onto deck or into the water's embrace, would be the death of him. If the grief of that did not gut Arthur hollow, then Guinevere's pain at losing her brother surely would.

'What do you see?'

He squinted, noting the way Elyan swayed, a shift of his weight back and forth. He was too high to make out his expression, but that small tell had lost Elyan many a card game. It meant he was uncertain and questioning himself.

'Wreckage, Captain, off our port bow. Sharp turn!'

Arthur picked up the order, calling it out and watching the crew come alive as they set about their duties, tending the yard-arms and spanker as they tacked the Llamrei, altering her course in a stately sweep. The sails slackened as they turned through the eye of the wind before filling anew, the thick cloth swelling as they caught the edge of the breeze.

Almost immediately, Leon gave the order to reef so that they could slow as they approached whatever it was Elyan had seen. They could circle if they had to, scouting the area in large sweeps. Arthur would rather not bring the ship to a full stop until he was sure what they were dealing with.

'Bugger me,' Gwaine breathed as he squinted at the water. His unease was a living thing among the rest of the crew as they took in the flotsam: broken spars and tattered sails like bridal veils upon the waves. It covered a large area, yet it had not dispersed with the currents, and Arthur surrendered the wheel, moving to stand with Gwaine and Leon as they stared.

The Llamrei was a Destrier class, a medium sized warship with good manoeuvrability perfect for patrols and privateering. Whatever had once sailed the waves before them was far bigger, and the possibilities spilled from the lips of the men around him.

'Too much wreckage for even a first-class Charger,' Leon pointed out, speaking of the behemoth four-deck war ships that were the jewels in any kingdom's fleet. They carried more than a hundred cannon each: floating fortresses.

'Not much left that's bigger than that,' Gwaine muttered, folding his arms across his chest and making room for Lancelot. The ship's surgeon's hands were white-knuckled around the rail. Where they saw the carcass of a mighty vessel, Arthur knew that Lancelot would be thinking of the souls lost on board.

Arthur ducked his head in agreement, looking over his shoulder as Elyan's bare feet hit the deck. His quick stride brought him to the rail, and he took up the space to Arthur's left. The only one not with them was Percival, and that was because he would not leave the cannons until he knew he would not be called upon to put them to use. No doubt he was watching out of the hatches as the debris drifted by and the Llamrei continued her steady circling.

'A merchant Draft, maybe?' Elyan sounded doubtful even as he said it. He was fully aware that he was wrong. They knew what this was, but none of them wanted to say it out loud.

This was all that remained of A Stables – a colony ship. They were huge, used for moving large numbers of people: evacuations, refugees – that sort of thing. There weren't many left, any more. One fewer, now. The last resort of the desperate. This was all that was left of the sort of event that went down in the history books.

A Desolation: a wreck that was akin to an extinction. One that wiped out hundreds, if not thousands of lives at once.

Arthur swallowed down the low nausea of heartbreak as he stepped back, calling out commands to bring the Llamrei to a complete stop. Those who were not tending the sails and rudder instead watched the water, searching both the surface and its depths for any dangers.

'Colours!' Someone cried. There was a flurry as they reached for poles to pull the pennant from the sea's clutches. It hung, sodden and torn, squelching as it hit the deck. Immediately, the men got to work unfolding it. They clustered around, Arthur with them, the chill biting at his fingertips as he straightened out the flag.

'It was Lot's,' Leon murmured, indicating the black serpent on the white shield that represented the kingdom of Essetir. 'A long way from home.'

'In Camelot's waters.' Arthur grimaced, a trickle of horror rushing down his spine. This was a political powder-keg, and suddenly their jokes of war seemed like a poor showing. 'If we're not careful, we'll stand accused if its destruction.'

'The Llamrei couldn't take down a Stables alone, even Lot would know that,' Lancelot murmured, shaking his head. He looked as if he had aged five years in moments. 'They're too big. Base crew to manage a ship that size is more than a thousand souls.' He pressed a curled fist over his heart, this thumb pointing up towards his collarbone in a traditional symbol of mourning: a mute plea to whatever gods might lurk beneath the waves to carry them safely into the afterlife.

'Where are the bodies?' Gwaine asked, shifting back to the rail and peering around. 'That many crew, plus whatever refugees and passengers they carried… there should be some afloat. Even if the hull dragged them down as it sank, there should be some trace of 'em.'

Arthur caught the glance Gwaine shot in his direction, one grim and shadowed with fear. It was enough to make him turn his eye back to the water, reading the evidence that wrote itself in the wreckage.

Some bits of wood showed evidence of cannon-fire: round shot, the kind used by raiders. They'd disable the ship, take its cargo grab those they could to sell as slaves and kill any who put up too hard a fight. Raiders were like wolves; they gave chase in packs, and a Stables ship was a gold mine for them – a slow, easy target.

But that didn't answer the question of why it was out at sea in the first place. Many of the colony ships were in dry dock and had been for decades. There had been no conflict or boundary change that would mean people needed to move en-masse. It didn't make any sense. Not unless these people, whoever they were, were chased out of port by some threat – but what?

Arthur sighed, shaking his head. That was the problem with being at sea. As much as he relished the freedom, it left him disconnected from news of the kingdoms. Answers probably awaited him in Camelot, though whether he would wish to hear them was another matter. A Desolation was the kind of thing that would have the Five Kingdoms at each others' throat, eager to place and dodge the blame in equal measure.

'Spread those out to dry,' he ordered, indicating the colours on deck. 'We'll take them back with us as proof. Man the row boats, set up a search.'

'What are we looking for?' Elyan asked, raising his voice to be heard over the cries of the crew carrying out Arthur's orders, reaching for ropes and pulleys as they prepared to winch the twelve-man row boats down towards the surface.

'Survivors.' Lancelot did not sound hopeful, but he straightened his shoulders and lifted his chin as he crossed his arms over his chest. 'Bodies, if not. We need to know where these people came from. Their families…'

'People deserve to know what happened.' Arthur rested a hand on Lancelot's shoulder. 'Anything that can tell us what fate had in store for this ship will be of benefit. A figurehead, if we can find it.'

All ships had unique carvings upon their prow, something to mark out their identity so that even the illiterate would know what vessels lay at harbour or had gone to sea. Some were panels with carved symbols, others were creatures, flowers or objects, each with its own significance. The ships of royal houses, like the Llamrei, stood out amidst any fleet thanks to the gold paint that coated their prow and flared back along the hull in sweeps and whorls: a blessing for strong winds and good tides.

The ship that had sunk here had a name, once, Arthur did not wish for it to be forgot – lost to the obscurity of the ocean depths.

'Leon, the helm is yours. Gwaine, you take the other boat. Keep your eyes peeled.'

'Aye aye, Cap'n.'

The boat eased into the waves, the oar tips pressed briefly to the Llamrei's hull to ease them away from her embrace before they set forth. This close to the water's surface, the ocean was a living, breathing thing beneath them. Brine flavoured Arthur's top lip and roughened his hair as the wind caught in the linen of his shirt and plucked at the laces of his collar like an eager lover. On a better day, he would have relished it, but he was too absorbed in the carnage before him.

It was every sailor's nightmare: a risk they all took but prayed to forever avoid. Wrecks were a messy affair, made worse by the voracious hunger of the sea. Within a day, all sign of what had happened here would be scattered, carried off by the currents or pulled beneath the waves. Death, he fancied, rode the breeze here, and he reached into his belt pouch for a gold coin before tossing it overboard: payment for the ferryman.

Behind him, he heard his men do the same, keeping one hand on their oars as they gave up whatever trinkets they may have: copper, silver or stone, it mattered not. None of them would leave a debt standing.

'Captain!' Pellinor's pointing finger thrust out to the east, and Arthur narrowed his eyes against the sun, taking in the section of hull that bobbed like a cork off the starboard bow. It was a fragment not much smaller than the craft in which they currently sat, but that wasn't what mattered. He knew what had caught Pellinor's eye. This debris did not bear the scars of shot that splintered the other pieces of wood he had seen from the Llamrei's deck. Instead, gouges raked the planks, parallel lines that sheared through the wood, exposing the timber beneath.

Arthur swore. Bandits and cannon-fire were one thing, but this?

'Leviathan. Keep a sharp eye.'

'In these waters?' Pellinor's voice was faint, and Arthur could not blame him. Leviathans were meant to make their homes in the Wildwash. They were huge creatures of the deep, bigger than any ship that rode the waves. According to the old salts, those few who had made it back from beyond the western horizon, they came in many shapes, but they were all monstrous in size and temper. They lived only for their hunger and sated it with neither thought nor conscience. There was a bounty, never claimed, for any sailor who could bring back the eye of one such beast.

No one had ever managed it.

'Watch the depths. Hold your tongue.' He could not risk a panic, not among the rowers nor aboard the Llamrei. Yet if there was a Leviathan that had made its home in the Albion Sea, then all Five Kingdoms needed to know of it. It would care not for the boundaries of their realms. If vengeance took its fancy, it would drag down any vessel that crossed its path.

Arthur scanned the water before him, looking for anything moving down in the murk as they rowed, slow and cautious, past the floating piece of hull. A thick silence lay over the men at his back, tar-black and gilded at its edged with the flash of fear, but they were stout souls all, and they did not forget their purpose. Not that their search yielded much to speak of, at least not until the rise and fall of the ocean pushed them closer to the centre of the wreckage, and Owain gave a bellow from the port side.

'Survivor!'

Arthur whipped his head around, scanning the flotsam until he saw it: a flat piece wallowing in the water, threatening to go under with every wave that washed over it. The figure sprawled upon it did not stir, and Arthur wondered if Owain was too optimistic. From here, the man looked dead, pale and limp, yet he had clearly had the strength and savvy to climb atop the makeshift raft. He lay on his back, insensible to the cold water that still threatened, even now, to grasp him in its clutches.

'Haul him in!' Arthur ordered. 'Be quick about it!'

Some of his men reached for hooks and poles while the others tilted the oars, guiding their boat as close as they dared. Arthur lifted a foot onto the boat's side, braced and ready to jump in if it were necessary. Dead or alive, he could not lose this soul to the seas. At least one deserved to be buried with proper rites, if that was all he was good for, and if he yet lived?

Perhaps they'd get their answers after all.

He reached out and down, tangling his fingers in the sodden fabric of the man's tunic the moment he could reach. The others joined him, half the crew shifting to counter-balance the craft as they wrestled with the suck and swell of the tide. Arthur tried to ignore the coldness of the body beneath his touch as they manhandled him into the boat, laying him on the deck as they panted from the effort.

'Back to the Llamrei. Double-time!'

Arthur's fingers pressed to the hollow of the man's jaw as the oars dipped and splashed, his crew grunting as they threw their all into skimming back towards the safety of their Destrier. It took a moment, but at last a flutter of life stirred against his skin, thready and weak, but there all the same. It seemed Owain was right. They did have a survivor after all.

'Hey.' Arthur tapped the man's cheek, noticing his youth: younger than Arthur, if he had to guess, though perhaps only by a year or two. He had the rangy, lanky look of someone who'd lived a life on the uncomfortable cusp of not enough to eat, and the wet fabric of his clothes was simple and home-spun. 'Hey, come on. Open your eyes.'

Those dark lashes didn't so much as flutter, and Arthur whispered a curse as he patted down long limbs, checking for breaks and blood. The sea could batter a person to a pulp in a heartbeat, but there was no trace of harm. Not until he pressed his fingertips to the wet, black hair and drew them away to find a crimson stain. There was an impressive knot there, up high behind his ear. Something must have struck him, though he was otherwise in one piece.

Arthur only hoped it hadn't addled his wits.

The ropes were secured to the prow and stern, the pulleys squeaking their protests as the row boat was winched back up to the main deck. Lancelot was there immediately, thrusting the spyglass back into Elyan's grasp before he reached out, helping Arthur and Pellinor get their human salvage to safety.

He wasted not a moment, checking for a pulse as Arthur had done as others hurried to find a stretcher. Honestly, Arthur thought he was light enough to carry without breaking a sweat, but on a shifting ship it was all too easy to overbalance, and he had no wish to drop the newcomer on his already brutalised head.

'Well?' he demanded.

'Doesn't look too bad,' Lancelot decided. 'Skull seems sound, though he'll probably wake with a nasty headache. He's chilled through though. We'll get him out of these wet clothes and under some blankets, see if he doesn't come back to us before day's end.'

'See it done. Come and get me the moment he wakes.'

'Aye, Captain.'

Arthur stood back, watching Lancelot and Elyan lift the man's lax body onto the stretcher before bearing him away, a strange, still figure amidst the bustle of the Llamrei's crew.

'Your orders, Captain?'

He turned, blinking his way free of his thoughts to stare at Leon. Over on the starboard side, Gwaine's row boat had just settled into its cradle. Their time here was done. The remnants of the ship that had once sliced through the waves had given up all its secrets, and in Arthur's mind, none were so intriguing as the survivor.

Questions itched at him, but they would have to remain unanswered for a while yet. Until he awoke to tell his story, the newcomer would hold his silence, and Arthur would have to bear it as best he could.

'Resume our course for Camelot,' he said at last, tapping his hand on the ship's rail. The ring he wore chimed against the hardwood, and to Arthur's ears at least, it sounded like a death-knell: a final farewell to all who had found their watery grave here. All souls, it seemed, but one.

'Let's go home.'

[juniper-c]

Folks from the US getting condescending about people not from the states has to be my least favourite genre of posts. Like, i swear every other week I see some shit written in half baked (british) english slang about baked beans or jellied eels or rotten teeth and it drives me up the wall. Just a bunch of fundamental misunderstandings about a place they've never been too with little to no curiosity about what life might actually be like there.

Im only coming at this from a UK angle so cant speak for anywhere else but a quick rundown on all this shit states side people get wrong about our food specifically because thats what winds me up the most.

Beans on toast is a cheap staple breakfast food, not the cornerstone of our cullinary tradition.

In most urban city centers you get a complex mix of diaspora informed food stuffs, primarily indian and east asian because of all that colonialism we did. Relatively large muslim populations also bring in middle eastern influences.

Even what you might think of as a classic british pub will sell you a basic curry unless you're in the arse end of nowhere. This is not niche shit. Our whole food culture is shaped by this.

What you could call 'classic' british cooking like full roast dinners with Yorkshire puddings, propery gravy, sruffung, and all the other fixings are fucking great actually. Bit of lamb with mint, bit of pork with apple sauce, cut of beef with mustard. It goes hard.

Even if you are in the arse end of nowhere stuff like pasties, proper pies, stews with dumplings, fish and chips, and other sea side holiday basics that make you think of little coves in north devon are also good, actually. Yes its not spiced to all hell and back, but they incoperate herbs and vegatables and stocks in ways that give it a unique depth of flavour distinct from cultures informed by a more spice heavy tradition.

Say what you will about our shit (complimentary) chicken shops and rubbery high street donner in years of nights out blind drunk in student bits of the city they've never once given me the gastric distress y'all describe post taco bell.

Of course our mexican food isn't particularly authentic, the countries half a planet away and we dont have a large mexican diaspora. What we do have is tuned for mass market appeal by largish chains or sold out of artisinal taco food trucks that we all find a bit wanky tbh.

Spicy food exists, and we quite like it. Yes even pasty white tony who turns the colour of jam when he eats a medium hot vindaloo. Indian food is a cornerstone of our national diet of course we know what chilli powder is.

And finally nobody eats fucking jellied eels it was a victorian era poverty food and even then only in london.

Also our chocolate is better than yours because we dont put the weird chemical in it that makes it taste like sick. Eat a kit kat and die mad about it.

[tourismirctc]

Experience Jaipur local sightseeing with IRCTC Tourism

The state of Rajasthan's capital and largest city is Jaipur. It is also known as "the pink city because of the distinctive hue of its buildings. It boasts expansive markets, particularly for handloom clothing, magnificent monuments, and well-designed gardens. The vibrant modern city is one of the golden triangle's three points, along with Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur.  

From November to March, the winter months are the finest for sightseeing and experiencing Rajasthan's treasures because the summer can be harsh in the arid desert state. The royal state, which has housed many generations of kings, is peppered with historical landmarks, interesting museums, fairy-tale palaces, huge havelis, and several other architectural wonders.  

Places that should be on your Jaipur local sightseeing list-

Although Jaipur is most famous for its fort and monuments, it is also known as its shopper's paradise. The cities of Jaipur have charming little markets and bazaars filled with merchants selling colourful fabric, authentic handicrafts, lovely ornaments, brightly coloured clothing, shoes, and the well-known Rajasthani jootis gorgeous home décor items, spices, and traditional Rajasthani home goods. The best places in Rajasthan to shop are Johari Bazaar, Nehru Bazaar, Bapu Bazaar, Jaipur Blue Pottery Art Centre, and street shopping.

Hawa Mahal- The most well-known structure in Jaipur is the Hawa Mahal, also known as the Palace of Winds, which was constructed in 1799 by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh using pink sandstone. This unusual five-story building, known as a jharokha, combines Islamic and Hindu architectural styles. It includes small latticed windows. It presently houses a well-designed museum, but it was originally built for the royal women to observe and enjoy the processions and other activities on the street below.

The City Palace- The City Palace Complex, which is located inside the walled city, was designed and constructed by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, who founded Jaipur. The last ruling royal family still resides at the palace, which is a stunning blend of Mughal and Rajput architecture, in a private area.

Albert Hall Museum- Without stopping by the Albert Hall Museum, which is situated amid the lush Ram Niwas gardens, your tour of Jaipur would be completed. A sizable collection of priceless artwork, fine jewellery, brassware, natural stones, pearls, and ivory products is on display.

Along with the vibrant and royal Jaipur ride, you can also embark and rejuvenate yourself on the Flavours Of North East, Sri Lanka Ramayana Yatra. IRCTC has some amazing air packages as well. Check out the offer of Shirdi Flight Package and such amazing offers.

To reserve this exciting Jaipur local sightseeing tour with the best sights and experiences, visit the IRCTC Tourism website at www.irctctourism.com . You'll come away from your trip with a camera roll full of photos and a heart full of memories.

Source:”https://tourismirctc.blogspot.com/2023/05/experience-jaipur-local-sightseeing.html”

[katiajewelbox]

Did you know that certain types of salad plants can be grown year round here in southern England? This is our "leaf table" in the ye olde greenehouse, which supports a variety of fresh tasty salad plants during the winter. By keeping the plants in a greenhouse, they are protected from frost and intense rains. The green "curtains" in the corner are agricultural cloth blankets we place over the pots on the coldest nights. The south-facing side of the greenhouse receives maximum light and warmth on short winter days, helping the plants maintain a slow but steady growth rate. Unfortunately, due to the short day lengths and low temperatures, the plants grow much slower than in the spring and summer so we must harvest them conservatively.

Some garden plant species I recommend for winter salad cultivation are shown in the photos following the main view of the table.

Tat Soi (Brassica rapa var. rosularis) and Pak Choi (Brassica rapa subsp. chinensis). The Tat Soi are the dark green plants with rounded leaves and the Pak Choi are the plants with oval pale green leaves. Both of these East Asian traditional cabbage varieties can be allowed to mature into large plants or picked regularly to keep them small.

Komatsuna (Brassica rapa var. perviridis). This petite cabbage variety comes from Japan and has a crunchy texture.

Mizuna ( Brassica rapa var. niposinica). I was surprised that the spiky Mizuna is the same species as the other leaves. Unlike the mellow leaves, it has a spicy arugula-like flavour. I recently learned that Mizuna is among the plants astronauts have grown on the International Space Station!

Our final plant is NOT a Brassica rapa! This plant is called Miner's Lettuce (Claytonia perfoliata). This dainty plant comes from mountain and coastal regions of North America and Central America, and is named because gold miners in California ate this plant to prevent scurvy, a vitamin C deficiency disease.

[buffetlicious]

This Coffee Walnut Bread (S$3) from Watta Bakery is a franchise brand of homegrown halal-certified confectionery chain Swee Heng Bakery. Currently it only has three branches with two in the north and one at east side. Their products range seems to cater more to the average housing estate customers and are priced more affordable too. This pull apart loaf is glazed with sticky coffee sauce and studded with numerous chopped walnuts. Inside is soft and fluffy with a fragrant coffee flavour and crunchy walnuts.

PS - On a recent trip to the shop, they had increased the price to S$3.50 and shrunk the loaf size. :(

[pandorafallz]

Ashes in her wake | C12

Leyapay’s side still stung and Alma felt her leg throb horribly since the painkillers had begun to fade along the ride beside the broken arches. Still, she didn’t stop them again at Zeswa camps, like Celebration or Music Point as the sky began to darken. She did almost stop at Big Shadow station before Music Point but seeing lights on an a few resistance members actively in it, she pressed on quickly and hoped they didn’t see her pass.

Three Stone Lab was her final destination on the Upper Plains. Tomorrow, she’d make the ascent up East from the decommissioned Stone Processing Alpha plant where access up to higher land was possible on the back of a Direhorse; the rest of the ridge was mostly sheer cliffs and the next possible options meant crossing into Feral territory but she had no plans to go north any further than that.

Today was enough in that respect and neither of them needed more mauling.

Thankfully, Alma was relieved to reach the empty station and slipped from the saddle with ease then she hissed as the pain radiated a little up her calf as her foot bent in contact with the floor but tapered off as she shifted the weight from her leg back.

“Ah…” She peered down through the grass but was glad to see the bandage was intact and not bleeding still but she’d have to be careful. Too close to fucking up the Zeswa’s healing techniques.

Alma carefully removed Leyapay’s saddle and set it beside the basket and let the Pa’li trot about the space, before padding straight towards the river. She watched her drink some water before she noticed the familiar plants growing by the river. One she felt foolish for not remembering sooner.

“I forgot about you…” Eagerly, Alma hobbled towards the river as well before she reached the Dapophet plant and pulled off a few pods, her thumb peeled off the thin protective film from one of the pods before she sunk her teeth into it.

It had a mild floral flavour, a little remnant of minty cucumber but very watered down. It felt… soothing on her stomach to eat but the texture was like very stiff grape. Odd but not dissatisfactory either.

She’d need to take some of these. Dapophet may not be an instant healer but for her, it would aid both their new wounds, not only to keep them clean but to aid the healing process. She’d have to harvest from multiple plants for a sizeable collection of pods for the trip; she didn’t know when she’d be close to a river for a retrieval. Not just the pods along the trunk but a few leaves on top and the sap.

Sap collected from the trunk would become a good insect repellent. Of course, she didn’t need that just yet but it was a good reminder she needed to collect resin powder to turn the sap into a solid that wouldn’t stick to everything like glue or simply make a new canteen for its pure form. A problem for later. Dapophet didn’t change despite biomes so she didn’t have to worry either on her travels. They were an ‘everywhere plant’ like grass or moss. As long as there was a water source, there was a Dapophet.

She pulled out two more pods and happily returned back to the lab and restarted the fire. From the basket, she pulled out the small mortar and pestle and ground two pods up into a delicate mush and tipped it into a cup for when Leyapay returned.

From the looks of her bag, she was almost out of Shelter fruits. Not the worst thing nor her only source of food but she’d need to harvest something else. Another problem is that… she’d probably need to get something for protein soon enough. Okul’s gifted supply had been some dried and smoked meat; meant for on-the-road travelling but she knew that wasn’t a lot either. She needed to find more meat but also… her hunting techniques weren’t at all good.

Not only with her side still healing, but her new leg wound also didn’t help. She could fish, that she could do. She had spent years learning to fish for the sake of feeding her avatar and fish was the easier animal to get but that also meant now she had to… actually offer a prayer to thank it? The notion felt silly to do in a way because she was not a spiritual person. She had never done that but Okul had been very insistent she did. They expected her to do that.

She was travelling alone. Eywa was real, that was certainty but… if Eywa watched her and failed to offer thanks knowingly… her journey may be more difficult. Alma wasn’t a fool to think that High Camp in the East’s sanctuary hadn’t been breached because Eywa still had a sway with fauna. Kept them safe from the RDA. She looked out for her warriors.

But she was alone out here. A sizeable target and pretty defenceless in the grand scheme of things. Eywa could easily smite her and no one would know…. Or care either. She was still just a ‘Dreamwalker’ to the clans of this region.

Alma frowned, coming to the fridge and pulled out some of the resistance rations to eat but also took one of the pod fruits that were inside for her mount. It looked pretty stocked as well, so… why not take what wasn’t human-safe and enjoy? There were plenty of fruits left in there and mushrooms. Her last lab raid. After that, everything was on her shoulders, thanks and all.  A few more days of easy food.

Then the real hard work begins.

Damn.

Alma wrinkled her nose, scoffing down the last of the pack and tossed the packet into the bin. Clicking her tongue to draw Leyapay back, she hobbled out and offered her fruit and let her lay down to eat peacefully.

The wounds on her mount’s flank didn’t need to be bound like her leg but had a thin layer of leaves that peeled off as Alma examined her side. It looked sore, unmistakable but Direhorse skin was more resilient and would heal faster. The treatment the Zeswa gave clearly stopped it from progressing worse as she hoped but it still looked like it needed another dollop of ointment to help. Might make her sleep better too.

Carefully, Alma gently applied fresh gel and Dapophet mush across the sewn marks, earning a displeased huff but thankfully, the Pa’li didn’t get up or stop her as she gently soothed the gel into place and pressed a new leaf cover over the top. Gently washing the edges down with the last of the gel and left her to her fruit with a pat to her thigh.

“<You know, I really do baby you a lot.>” Alma remarked, “<You’ll get too reliant on me if I keep feeding you fruits. Once we’re up in the heartlands, there should be more food you can access at any time without my help. Fruit also can’t just be a constant staple. I’m sure you also eat bark and shrubs as well to have a balanced diet.>”

However, she was sure Leyapay preferred her as an easy option but she supposed the Direhorse wasn’t blind to her food being safe to eat when in an unfamiliar territory. She was a Clouded Forest Pa’li. Very different food out here. Maybe she also ate mushrooms? That was plentiful in the foggy, damp air of the Clouded Forest stuck to trees and those massive bark shells.

She’d have to test that out when settled in a camp of sorts.

Alma settled into the field lab as the night drew in. Taking the time before bed to start working on a proper holster for the spear which was simply a strap now that she’d affix onto the spear shaft and wear it on her back; she’d spare the saddle more cargo and the fact it was not practical. On her, it was available to swing off and use, providing she put it on after tsaheylu otherwise she’d get it caught on her kuru.

It was done by the time the fire burned low and she stared up at the metal ceiling but sleep did not come quick as her mind churned. Last night under the safety of a metal box and tomorrow, she’d leave what technology she had…

Maybe she could take her tablet at the very least. Maybe make a pouch to hide it from the Na’vi? She could… document her findings or perhaps just hold data for her to look back on. She had a notebook, but sooner or later she’d run out of paper.

She could make more paper?

Would the science be the same to craft such a medium? Plant Mulch and wooden screens, vine goop as a binder to stop the fibres from breaking apart when dried. She had the technique down on the tablet.

Alma eyed her saddle bag that sat innocently. Inside, the tablet.

She was travelling alone. No one would be around to see… or care for that matter. She could always abandon it if she did join some group or clan. She was not about to pretend to be a Na’vi, not with her hands and feet so did it matter if they knew she had some technology?

Her fingers tapped softly over the back of her other hand, sucking on her teeth softly.

If she took her tablet, she still needed her solar charger for it. That wasn’t as easy to hide, if at all. With her tablet, she could take photos and take quick notes and not worry about needing a medium to record on.

But, without her tablet, she’d need paper and she could draw them. Refine that old hobby into something of a craft. Maybe she could trade with people who were interested in those pictures? She had no endpoint… so no reason to rush through her travels. She had all the time in the world. She could set up somewhere to make paper…

But the raw materials?

It would take a while to process and without proper tools and she knew nearly nothing about the practical side of it. Still, she could practise. Shelter bushes were used by the Zeswa to aid their camps so, it shouldn’t be too hard to take refuge in one of those for some time. All she’d have to do before she left tomorrow morning was fill up more of her notes on the how-to of paper making and experiment from there.

Could she take the tablet as a backup option, even if she didn’t use it?

Alma groaned at the mental debate the tablet was. A small thing but it had both potential and drawbacks. No, tomorrow’s quandary otherwise she wouldn’t sleep. She took a few deep breaths, trying to clear her mind…

-

“Okni?” Her steps echoed loud as she followed swiftly from the medical pay, her heart pounding from what she had seen and the alarm felt distant from her ears as she rounded the corner where the outside door was.

A large frame of the airlock was set beside the storage room where Mercer had TAP supplies kept. Mostly just stationary for the classroom but Alma often used it to store her books for the kids. Close and easy.

The airlock had clear signs of scratches on for her to see this was where Okni had been. The panel beside the door was dead and broken; its smooth finish of the glass was shattered with something hard and heavy…. Like the fire extinguisher on the floor gave plenty of reason.

Her eyes ran carefully across the airlock, her hand coming to rest over her belt; feeling the lump of her panic alarm underneath the hem of her shirt but didn’t press it as she carefully and slowly entered the storage room…

“Okni.” Her eyes could see through the darkness with ease, she felt the girl was close yet she stepped further in, “I know you’re scared but you need to come out. We can… rectify this swiftly if you come out and follow me to the dorms. I don’t want you to get hurt and coming with me will be your best option, okay?”

Movement behind her was too fast before she gasped as her head was yanked back by her kuru and the cold blade was pressed into her skin…

Alma woke sharply, her eyes snapping open and her heart thumping fast in her chest. Her skin felt cold and sticky.

“Ugh.” She took a shallow breath, her head turning as movement caught her attention to see Leyapay standing very close by in the lab and clearly up for the day. “<What?>” She asked grumpily.

Leyapay tongue flicked out and licked her across the face. Alma cringed away from the hot wet tongue, pulling a face and wrinkling her nose. “<Gross>” She rolled out the other side of the hammock swiftly. “<No. No face-licking.>” She wiped her face against her arm.

Leyapay was unbothered by her ire and trotted about still around the vast space in front of the lab and past the shack models and tactfully nibbled some purple foliage.

Alma groaned again, heading straight towards the river and dunking herself in the shallow water to clean away the sweat. Her fingers rubbed into her skin, targeting the creases first before she felt any better. Her hand faltered over her throat, her fingers brushing over the point where she felt that blade in her last avatar.  

Why was this memory coming back to her sleep again?

She fully expected Nor’s blade to wake her nightly; the feeling of her life being seeped out from her side. Her human self dying over and over. Why the first one?

Alma ran the water through her loose hair in handfuls, reminding herself to make a comb at some point. For now, she squeezed the water out as she waded out and ran her fingers through the locks, pulling a few strands. She pulled them back and just set the loose locks into a simple braid beside the kuru to keep it from getting in the way and from being too knotted up while she rode. Still, it felt a little weird to run her fingers so freely through her hair. Straight hair too.

Her heart panged a little in quiet reminiscence. Curly hair. It felt… odd, or perhaps it was natural but Alma found herself missing a little of the familiar curled texture of her human hair, the natural coils that ping back towards her scalp. The work she put in to keep it healthy for the last three decades on this planet had not been easy. Sure, she had once relished the link-bed life because she didn’t need to do that much in the way of her avatar’s hair; same style and was easy to replicate every few months. Did she miss it now because she no longer had it?

She shook her mind from those thoughts. Now was not a time to dwell on her losses. She had to get ready to go.

Alma cleaned up her used messes, taking the fabric hammock after a moment of consideration for a spare and added that into her basket; either she’d find company or she could repurpose it to hold more supplies. Either way, it would have use. She opted to print out the paper-making know-how from the monitor rather than spend her needed hours writing it out. After which, she tucked the sheets away into her notebook and wrapped them in waterproof wrap and added that into the saddlebag.

The fruits in storage, along with some small bags of dried seeds, nuts and mushrooms also made their way into her bags. Thank you, Resistance. She tried not feeling guilty but whoever would come here was gonna be disappointed. Still, the dry RDA rations she opted to leave; the humans needed those the most. At least any Sarentu or Na’vi could hunt around for meat and fruits.

She did one last sweep, putting the fire out with a bowl of water before she noticed something.

A small thing really and one she knew it was useless in the wilderness of Pandora and it was clearly tucked hastily away under a box beside the cooking station.

SID.

Alex had said he made more. Not Kìoetey’s one, no she didn’t leave Resistance without it. Ri’nela did have one and chose not to use it needlessly. Nor refused flat-out due to the metal.

There in the handle was a scraped initial of T, scratched in by a screwdriver head.

Teylan’s SID.

Alma stared at it for a moment, her hand picking it up. He must have hidden it away at some point before the party. So the RDA didn’t take it nor learn about its uses. Or know how to defend against it. Was… this useful to have? Would she… encounter RDA to need this device or would she avoid them? Could she steal Teylan’s property after everything? Did he miss this?

She knew Alex had tried to get her to use in it the first few prototypes and had been burned once when one early version blew up in her hand. This was the finished model… so she wasn’t at risk and clearly Kìoetey had found it useful in fighting the RDA.

But she wasn’t out here to fight the RDA.

Plus, it had software that would be trackable by the resistance. So if she took it, she’d need to disable the resistance’s ability to ping it. She didn’t need them coming after her to lecture her again. Plus, it wasn’t hard really… and out in the middle of nowhere was probably safest to do so; away from human technology. Harder to get any ping out there.

But what if she was found by the RDA? She’d need to access their technology to get out if they didn’t take it off her. She couldn’t do that as a giant…

She made her decision unhappily. Organising her bag and calling Leyapay from her grazing over and looking at her leaf side, Alma realised that her leg had stopped hurting. Had she forgotten? She paused in putting the saddle on before she bent down and peeled a little of the leafy bandage to see that… the wounds looked… good. Not inflamed, the skin looked smoother and the wound looked to have a light scabbing as well. The new air did cause a mild stinging but she replaced it over with a relief.

Dapophet was magical stuff, it seemed. Still, she’d give the stitches a few more days to properly heal before removing them. At least now she didn’t have to suffer too much and neither did Leyapay.

“<No>” She sensed the Pa’li’s intent and turned in time to see Leyapay with her tongue out, inches from her elbow. She huffed but Alma swiftly returned to saddling her up and tightening the straps and clipped on her basket and saddlebag. She set the seat to rest in the ground upright before she jumped up and connected to the Direhorse, pulling the spear up and set behind her back. It felt comfortable and her hands were entirely free now.

She gave the field lab a long look, swallowing down the lump in her throat but it was time. No more field labs. No more easy life. No last-second chances of the resistance changing their minds either. Why would they? Why would the Sarentu change their minds?

Better this way.

She deserved it… after everything she had done and failed to do.

Leyapay huffed, her hoofs scratching at the grass before she steadied her grip on the Direhorse Kurus, tore her eyes away and let her lead away for their last stretch from the Upper Plains.

Masterlist

[foodofthedas]

Poached Flatfish with Cream Sauce

Seafood is not solely the province of the north-east. This recipe is a local favourite in Cumberland, where the catch of the day is gently poached and served in a salty-savoury cream sauce. Pair with a Montfort sauvignon blanc for a light, bright flavour combination.

Ingredients

For the fish:

Four flatfish fillet steaks

One medium onion, thinly sliced

Two tablespoons chopped parsley

Water to cover

Salt and pepper

For the cream sauce:

One small onion, chopped

One anchovy, pounded

Two tablespoons of sherry

Two teaspoons of wine vinegar

Six peppercorns

A pinch each of nutmeg and mace

One tablespoon of butter

One tablespoon of flour

Six tablespoons of cream

Directions

Lay the onion slices on the bottom of a pan. Sprinkle over parsley then lay the flatfish on top. Season well, and pour over just enough water to cover the fish. Cover with a lid and gently poach for fifteen to twenty minutes. Leave in the water until ready to serve, then drain.

To make the sauce, simmer the onion, anchovy, sherry, vinegar, and spices in a double boiler until the onion is soft. Using another saucepan, melt the butter and stir in the flour, then mix well until smooth.

Add the mixture from the double boiler and simmer, stirring constantly, until smooth and cooked through. Add the cream, stir well, then strain and serve with the fish.

Adapted from this recipe (contributed by Asher)

[dragynkeep]

Arslan’s wiki is so frustrating to walk through. Its just like. Oh okay. Stop using chopsticks as hair ornaments. Why does she have a Tibetan Buddhist symbol if she’s Lion Jesus. Why does her shirt always look like it’s about to fall off. Her concept art made more sense so why not just go with that. Why is she the Golden Lion of Haven if she’s never mentioned again and also not a Faunus. WHY IS HER NAME TURKISH/MONGOLIAN IF SHE HAS A TIBETAN BUDDHIST SYMBOL. Its very tiring going through the RWBY wiki.

god i feel like arslan has slipped through the net in the discussion of rwby's orientalism but yeah! what the fuck is this!

using amity arena to offset the anger i feel with her cute lil chibi form but ugh. we've majorly avoided the melting post of east asian orientalism that's so prevalent in rwby's flavour of it only to drag in north, west & central asia instead! these are all very different parts of asia with very difference cultures & very real conflicts with each other!

all this while she has an english allusion & a whole mixture of facets into her character with no respect paid to any of them. i love arslan as a character but honestly, she's in dire need of a more respectful redesign, especially since this design was made by erin winn who's white.