#and pip means a seed

[anachronic-cobra]

Me: I'm writing this fanfiction because I haven't seen enough what-if canon divergence fics in Hazbin Hotel

Me, internally: I'm writing this because pippin is an adorable nickname from Lucifer for Charlie and I have to see it used

[scienceisfood]

All of them are my favorite I am eating this entire food lore and I can't stop

What kind of meals/food can you only find in Ebbott? (And be specific! Don't just say "magic" Ratsoh)

lets start with a list of all old (and some new) ebott only crops and animals:

Powder shrooms: these are gears favorite mushrooms. It’s a small honey colored mushroom with a black circle on the head. They have a very nice buttery taste and can be eaten raw but are best as stuffing for savory dishes. They get the name because they dry fast and the powder was used as flour for the nomads. They also grow like weeds and are easy to maintain

Snap root: it was showcased in the 1k event. It’s a spiny purple skinned root with a brown flesh. It gets its name from the way the vines “snap” up when sunlight hits it. The root has a lovely taste like a cross between pumpkin, sweet potato, and nutmeg and is mostly used in pies and sweet dishes

Crab “apples”: a fruit shaped like a crab. It’s technically not an apple despite the similar taste. It’s the most common fruit of the underground and the farmtale valley. The fruits are slightly sour and rarely larger than the palm of a small hand. The most common shape is the crab shape, but they also come in ducks, pyramids and spirals.

Flossy sticks: it’s a celery like vegetable. The plant looks like a normal leafy bush with very long stems, but as soon as you cut one stem off, it explodes into thousands of tiny floss like strands. They can be boiled into pasta, dried and powdered to be used as flour, or eaten raw. They have a crisp lemon and basil like taste.

Twigs: nobody knows why the vegetable is called this because it looks nothing like a twig. It’s a large orange long cucumber like vegetable. Normally about 3 feet long and 6 inches wide. It has a woodsy tea leaf taste to it. Also puréeing the flesh and mixing it with alcohol is what makes drinks that can temporarily change hair and eye color.

Lion lily: the fruit is named after the striking maned flowers that come before it. The flowers look like lilies but at the base of the flower is a fluffy golden “mane” of cotton strands. The fruit is the size of a tangerine and is golden and perfectly round with a large pit in the middle. It has an extremely sweet taste and soft juicy flesh. It’s so sweet it often doesn’t need sugar added when used in cakes and pies.

Golems salad: a massive fkn head of kale. Like this thing is freaking the size of a car. It’s a magical variety that grows when eight heads of kale are planted in a circle, and carefully nurtured by a golem monster each day. The result is that monstrosity. Overnight the kale comes together, morphing into one plant and will grow to monstrous sizes. It’s said the bigger the salad the stronger the golem

Tumblers: it’s identical to a normal cabbage and tastes like a normal cabbage, but if you wait too long to harvest it, it will literally jump out of the ground and run away at the vibrations of footsteps. It also hisses.

Sweet salt: a spice from the underground that is ground from the seeds of the fir trees that grow in snowdin. It’s very sweet and is described to taste like a blend of brown sugar, cinnamon and black pepper. Tastes like gyftmas

Gyftmas ornaments: the same seeds you can get from snowdins fir trees can also be peeled and pickled. They make a lovely sweet sour treat and are usually dyed to match gyftmas colors.

Tarotile: a flat leaf from a magical plant related to poison ivy. The plant is toxic to humans but delicious to monsters. It’s banned outside of ebotts shores, and has to be labelled very clearly before being sold. Monsters describe it as tasting like a delicious wild berry blend but with a leafy texture. Makes a delicious tea and is wonderful in sweet salads

Sea eggs: an ebott only variety of seaweed will grow these pockets of soft cucumber like fruit in the stalks. Reportedly all the sea monsters have seen and harvested this plant before the crash. It tastes a bit more sour and citrusy than a normal cucumber but has all the texture and water content of one. Weirdly enough there’s nothing magic about this plant. It just likes ebott

Cattails: not to be confused with the non magical reeds that grow near water, cattails is a popular vegetable grown in ebott. It prefers dryer land, only wanting water every few days. It resembles a golden long grass, and when it’s ready to harvest, the grass ends open up to reveal a fluffy thick fiber inside. The result is a pretty feathery plant resembling a cats tail, hence the name. Pull the fibers and on the ends are little grains that are boiled to use a porridge, a flour substitute, or the binding agent of ebotts famous lion jello.

Heartyheads: a thick leafy bush, what makes it classed as magic is that it literally turns into rose quarts when exposed to fire. But it’s not reliable as a source of quarts since it slowly turns back when cooled down. The young leaves can only be eaten raw but are an amazing source of iron and are said to help with inflammation. This plant can only be killed by being dug out of the ground and left to dry out.

Fizzlers: a tomato like plant that grows small baby tomato sized pink, purple and blue fruits (ornamental ones only for blue) the fruit is a key ingredient in fizzy drinks in place of carbonation. The fruit produces lots of bubbles when exposed to water. They’re delicious and taste just like that fake grape flavor humans love

Gauzeberries: a berry that came from the outer-AUs. They all say they found the mysterious bush growing on the asteroids of the asteroid belt they orbited. The bush has silver white leaves, is very small, rarely growing higher than 2 feet, and produces small white berries encased in a gauzelike silk pouch. The plant only grows in cold temperatures and must be kept in fridge rooms with natural sunlight any month except winter. The berries have a crisp grape like taste and when eaten, causes one to float a few inches off the ground for an hour

Rougish grapes: this is a grape variety developed by two monsters from birdfell, and the rights bought by harpy. It’s a very large crimson red grape, each individual fruit nearly the size of an apricot, and is able to be harvested from summer to fall. The grapes have a sweet but peppery taste and are best fermented into wine. They are also proven to be amazing with hair loss.

Baited breath: a small thistle-like herb that grows beautiful thorny blue flowers. The flowers when they open in the mornings make a sighing noise, like someone exhaling. The seeds of this plant are sweet and aromatic, so are often added to a wide variety of dishes. They were also historically chewed on to clean teeth and are known to help humans and monsters alike recover from cavities

Dragons breath: the larger cousin to bated breath, this large thistle like herb grows to five feet and can make thorny black flowers the size of a humans head. The dragons breath flowers let out a brief puff of flame when they open in the morning, and their seeds are large and spicy in flavor. A very popular snack through all of ebott. They are also ground into a spice called dragons hoard.

Whimselites: this is a small bundle of leaves on a whimsot plant, a low growing vine. It was found in every underground au, and continues to be grown and harvested in the underground. If new leaf growths aren’t harvested, eventually the little bundles open up and pop off the mother plant to start a new one. They go great in salads and taste a lot like rocket leaves.

Snails Bane: the plant looks like a rock, but if you step on it, it’ll squish down secreting a snail like slime. It’s also very toxic to snails and should never be kept near them. The plant when cooked, is cut open and left to dry in the sun, before being sliced and put into stews as a flavoring agent. It tastes like chicken and is a favorite among ebotts vegetarians.

Loomy runners: a small magical radish that has two large roots at the end of its bulb. When exposed to fire, the radish will stand up on its roots and run away like a wobbly baby learning to walk. It must be cut up in pieces before being eaten, and sometimes the radish pieces will still flip around in the oven so covered baking dishes are recommended

Garwins Gourd: a large twisted gourd native to farmswap, garwins gourd is an attractive flamingo pink color when ripe and has a sweet taste not unlike a sweet potato. It can be cut up and puréed for pies or stews, boiled and mashed, or sautéed, but it cannot be eaten raw as heat is needed to bread down the thick fibers of the raw vegetable. The gourd also can be dried and is used as a cute storage container by many farm monsters. In recent years, fans of the plant have been able to grow yellow and orange varieties

Bloodroot: edible by monsters, but must be strained several times to be safe for human consumption, bloodroot is a thick large carrot like root that “bleeds” a crimson liquid when cut. The root eaten on its own tastes like a woody earthy grape mixed with a parsnip. It strangely smells like beef until cooked. The reasons for this is that the plant uses an animals digestive tract to strip the thick outer coat on its seeds. And when they come out the “other end” they can safely sprout when freed from their confines. Carnivorous animals are drawn to the root

Claymore mushroom: if directly stepped on by something heavy, this large blue grey mushroom will explode into large chunks catapulted into the air at speeds of up to 15 mph. It’s native to the factory monsters and farm AUs. The farmtale monsters made a winter sport of catapulting the mushrooms before the crash. The mushroom can be safely harvested by cutting it at the base of the stem, rendering it non-exploding.

Triangle of the coast: a magical cousin to broccoli and cauliflower, the triangle is a triangle shaped broccoli like growth that grows directly in the sand of beaches, and is farmed along a section of ebotts coastline in the winter months. The vegetable is a yellowish green color and tastes just like young broccoli. And for some reason, when picked, it secretes a pheromone that attracts crustacean sea creatures. so it’s also used as fish bait and a vegetable

Ferris-weeds: a cousin to the yarrow herb, Ferris weeds are a magical variety native to the farm and Drake AUs. It’s a tall growing herb, reaching up to 10 feet in height, and has a beautiful pale pink flower in the spring and summer. It’s mainly used to line fences as decor, but the flowers can also be eaten raw, pickled, or sautéed. What makes it magical is that it’s known to provide a full days worth of vitamin D in one meal, no matter the amount of flowers eaten. No one knows how the plant accomplished this

Pygmy pomegranates: this trees only been an official breed in the last five years. Developed by a monster from farmtale, Pygmy pomegranates are a cross breed between crab apples and standard pomegranates. They are perfectly dome shaped with a circle top and a completely flat bottom. The fruit is small, onky the size of a child’s fist, and full of orange pomegranate seeds with a purple skin. They taste just like a normal pomegranate

Deaths pearl: a small bundle of leaves, found deep in the ocean. The roots and lower halves of the leaves are pitch black, while the tips are a transparent blue. The vegetable gets its name from seafell, where a fraction of monsters fought to the death with a sea creature for a patch of the plants. This vegetable is completely edible from its roots, leaves, stems and seeds. It tastes very similar to celery mixed with cucumber. Nowadays it’s cultivated by sea monsters all along ebotts coast and is considered a staple vegetable due to being able to grow year round.

Star seeds: contrary to the name, this is not from the outer AUs but was an underground crop. The seeds of an echo flower are the plants only edible part, and are ground into a fine iron filled flour. They’re rather bitter though, so bread made from them nowadays is often paired with cheese to flavor it.

Spiderbloom: pollinated only by spiders, this plant flowers in the fall and produces fruits in the winter. It creates an eerie black and purple blossom who’s pollen only sticks to spider silk in order to pollenate. The fruits have a soft flesh and taste a bit like figs and blueberries.

Golden flowers: a favorite of the royals, and ebotts national flower and crop. Golden flowers are a beautiful gold magic buttercup that can be dried and turned into tea. They have a lovely effect of softening the hair and skin, and humans claim the tea helps with acne. It’s delicious, sweet and has small hints of lemon in the taste. The flowers are mostly indoor plants as they burn up in direct sunlight.

Mandrakes: a four point magical root that screams when unearthed, the mandrake root is extremely popular for its soft potato like flesh, and the large lineup of nutrients it holds. It’s often mashed, used as a potato substitute, or thrown into stews and soups. It’s a popular baby food as well as its mild taste is comforting for kids, and the quality of it helps parents ensure picky eaters get what they need in a meal

Frog stool mushroom: a large aquatic mushroom resembling a lily pad. It’s found in shallow freshwater areas like lakes and larger parts of streams. This large mushroom is nutty in flavor and is often planted in ponds by farmers for not only its flavor, but also to filter the water on their property to make it safe for the animals to drink. It’s recommended to only eat the small young ones as the large ones after so many years of filtering are more waste than nutrients.

Fishweed: a seaweed that grows along the seaside cliffs of ebott. It’s named after its strong fishy smell. It’s dried and cut into strips and eaten as a snack like jerky or chips

Pearwood tree: this tree has a beautiful bark pattern in the shape of sliced pears. When dry, the bark begins to chip and is easy to peel off. The bark can be infused into drinks giving a crisp grape and lettuce flavor, and has the magical effect of making harmless sparks come out of one’s mouth when they speak. Because of the attractiveness of the trees bark, and the pretty pale green fir spines as leaves, it’s also a popular garden ornament plant as well as a crop

Cinderpetals: a small magic herb with red tipped star shaped leaves. This plant as a defense mechanism will burst into flame when the leaves are picked off. Don’t be alarmed though, the fire is harmless and even adds to the flavor as many monsters say. The leaves have a crisp almost citrusy flavor and are put into potions, drinks and energy tonics due to their natural caffeine content.

Boarberry: it was only seen in horrorfarm and drakefell before the crash. It’s a wild berry bush that parasites off of trees, growing on the sides of the trunks. The berries are a creamy pale green and taste like a bitter plum. They were traditionally used to flavor meads, and were made into jams, pie fillings and baked into breads.

Honeybeans: a climbing magic bean plant that only grows near beehives. It will grow around the hive protecting the bees by secreting pheromones that deter would-be predators, and in return it feeds off the honey as well as the soil near the hive and sunlight. Because of this, the beans are deliciously sweet, tasting like caramel but with the buttery texture of a Lima bean. What makes this plant magic is that when seeds are planted, it seems to summon bees to it. Bees will abandon hives to start building around the bean, or if that’s not convenient enough, the bugs actually uproot the plant itself and Carries it to the hive in an amazing show of teamwork

Silver bells: a droopy vine with silver tipped leaves. It grows a berry like vegetable that resembles a tomato, but with a blue grey skin and a deep purple flesh. The magic fruit entices one to eat it by “calling” its harvester with a tinkling bell noise. The vegetables when hitting each other sound like the light clinking of metal. The vegetable is rather tasteless save for a faint cabbage flavor. It’s very beneficial to bone growth though and is highly recommended that young growing children and the elderly eat some every week.

Ground cherries: a strange magical fruit tree that grows its fruit beneath the soil. The very tip of the small cherry sized fruits are visible peeking through the dirt when they’re ready for harvest. They taste like blue. Some college human students say it’s the closest they’ve ever gotten to the taste of blue Gatorade in ebott

Ebott-only livestock:

Greater turkey: like the name suggests, this is just a massive variety of turkey. The birds can reach the size of cows. Naturally they’re a breed made by the farm AUs. They’re slowly becoming more popular as a holiday food for larger families. Last gyftmas broke the record of greater turkeys slaughtered and sold in one season. Thankfully for the farmers, these birds were bred for temperament as well and are quite gentle and docile

Jimmy crickets: they were previously called roasting crickets, but one witty monster renamed his after Disney started streaming in ebott, and the rest copied him as the bugs became a popular food for kids. It’s a magical variety of cricket that was cultivated underground. They eat moss, and are high in iron, copper, and folate. They’re brightly colored, most normally a bright red. They taste a bit like bacon bits.

Struggle grubs: like the name suggests, this bug was cultivated to be cheap, year round and plentiful. It’s a comfort food for many underground monsters who lived through poverty before the crash. The grubs will eat anything hence why they were labelled as “poor food” as underground they were fed mainly trash. Nowadays farmers feed them much healthier foods and the grubs are much better quality.

Riding/battle boars: funny enough, this type of domesticated hog was only found in horrorfell and drakefell before the crash. Many think that there’s a special connection between the two AUs cause this isn’t the only thing they share. In drakefell they were known as riding boars and were used to pull carts and plows, for eating and dairy, and battle of course. In horrorfarm they were only war animals, used to sniff out enemies and ram through enemy lines. The boar is intelligent like a dog, easily trained, and has an amazing sense of smell. They’re still used as farm hand animals to help plow and de-bug fields. The females can be milked and the cheese made from that milk is very heavy and fatty. They taste like pork, but because of their sacredness to the drakefell monsters and humans, it’s considered a big dishonor to eat one that didn’t die of natural causes.

Lesser deer: a small goat sized deer only found in ebott, they were originally found in the nomads forest. They’re very passive creatures and easily domesticated. Many farms are beginning to add them to livestock because of the delicious soft meat on the animals, and their varied diets.

Rolland’s horned snail: a large cow sized snail bred by the Rolland family from farmswap. The snails on average are the size of draft horses and can weigh nearly a ton. They’re bred purely for their meat and the shells are also sold as decoration, or ground as a binding agent mixed into cement. The snails are fed mainly sawdust, dried grass, and weeds. It takes nearly 20 years for one to reach full size though.

Pearled salmon: a freshwater salmon native to ebott, it can be caught wild or bought from a hatchery. The scales look like pale pink and white pearls underwater, but turn grey when dry. The salmon has a white flesh and the taste is subtler than normal salmon.

Ice pips: this is a thin needle like magic fish that loves cold temperatures so much it creates its own chill. Any room the fish is kept in stays just cold enough to freeze the top of the water in its tank, but not so cold to freeze the whole tank. It is a farmers essential for any farmers who want a proper freezer basement or shed. Almost every farm monster owns a tank of them as it’s much cheaper to feed a few fish crickets every couple days than it is to pay electric for a large shed/room. Rancher and peaches have a tank of pips in their basement, and harpy has a whole massive storage shed cooled by her own tank.

Gremlins: small quail sized ugly little creatures that resemble a cross between a toad, gopher and pug, with wrinkled faces, round bodies and bumpy hairless skin. These little creatures are extremely easy to train and are used on farms to control bug pest levels. They are also slowly gaining popularity as a household pet because of their friendly natures. What makes this animal magic is its tongue which can stretch and shoot out nearly 12 feet at a time in pursuit of a big. Which is clearly magic as the tongue is only a few inches long when resting in the body, and when (gently) pulled by an outside force, it barely gets out of the mouth. A gremlin is edible as well, tasting like chicken by most reports, but farmers who raise them dislike eating the critters as they often can’t help but start viewing them as family.

Land shrimp: it’s literally a shrimp that survives on land. They’re fast breeders and must be kept indoors to prevent an outbreak. They’re fed a mixture of grain, oats, bone, and unwanted meat cuts. The magic shrimp will resort to cannibalism if not fed on time, so require dedication to raise. And yes, they taste like normal shrimp

Smithers basilisk: a long bodied lizard that’s roughly the size of a basset hound, the Smithers basilisk’s true origins are unknown, but have been a common livestock animal for generations among the Drake monsters and humans. The large lizards have a poison sack behind the eyes that are removed after they hatch for safety purposes. They’re raised for a number of reasons: their scaled hides make great leather, the eggs are large and females can lay year round if there’s a male in the pack, and they’re great ratters. So many farmers keep a few to help control the pests on their farm.

Jeweled scarabs: both an animal raised as livestock and a popular pet, these palm sized beetles have stunning shells in a beautiful glossy array of colors looking just like crystal. They’re raised primary for the shells which are harvested when the beetles die of old age. The shells are broken and polished to be used as jewelry, decoration, tile and even used in pottery and glazes. They have a short lifespan of just 2 years sadly, hence why they don’t beat out snails as the most popular pet. The bodies of the beetles are also ground and used as feed for other animals needing protein in their diets.

Roc birds: a poultry bird native to the bird AUs, this was a fat flightless bird that is accustomed to living on rocky cliffs. It has very strong talons and legs in order to climb and move around safely. And a huge oversized beak strong enough to break rocks. The birds are about the size of a duck and have grey speckled feathers. They were bred for their eggs and meat, the hens laying several a day. But they’re difficult to raise as they’re aggressive.

Wooly snails: these snails are about the size of a standard goose when fully grown, and the shells grow a thick fur that needs to be peeled off every few weeks to keep the snail comfortable and mobile. The pelts are then throughly washed and used for clothing, pillow filler, and all other kinds of things. The snails come in a variety of colors with white being the most common, but also a powder blue and lilac. They’re raised mostky by monsters at the top of ebotts mountain range as the snails need cool temperatures to be healthy

Dwarf rock bees: ebott’s special bee variety, the only bee known to be underground. The dwarf rock bee resembles a black fluffy bumblebee, but is so small it can barely cover Abraham Lincoln’s face on a penny. The bees will only create hives in stone structures (or around a honey bean plant) and hives can host millions of bees at a time. The tiny fluff balls are stingless and extremely prone to predators as they had very few underground. When alarmed, they make a shrill buzzing noise together, and copy a frequency that they know scares animals away. For most hives, that means turning their buzzing into a car alarm. Some enthusiasts of the bee keep them indoors in smaller controlled hives and have even trained the bees to copy songs that are repeated often around them. And of course they make honey

Alrighty! There are three ways one can make magical food!

1: it’s a learned magic to add intent to food. Every monster learns it as children. It’s just one of those things your parents are supposed to teach you, like driving or how to clean.

Intent affects the foods taste and sometimes even gives it mild healing properties. So someone making a batch of cookies with a lot of love and passion can make some hecking fine cookies. However there’s a limit. Pour too much passion (or any type of intent really) and you’ll burn the food. Even if you’re not using heat to cook.

This is why undyne regularly nukes her kitchen

2: plants can become magical after several generations of being exposed to magic. That’s why the underground was able to host so many plant varieties despite the lack of sunlight. This can’t really be controlled since it happens randomly. Any food cooked with the plants has magical properties as well

3: the farmtale monsters have perfected earth magic over the centuries. Any native born farmtale monster has the ability to bond to the land they own and produce much higher quality, quantity, and magical produce. This includes animals too. They become more docile, intelligent, and produce more. The magical skill of bonding to your land is seen as familial magic and can only be passed down through blood

And finally, some famous drinks and dishes only found in ebott!!!

Gauzeberry freeze: the expensive but delicious drink consists of milk, shaved ice, honey, blueberries, coconut and of course gauzeberries. It’s sold only in special occasions like national holidays. Otherwise the only way to get it is to make it at home, which is quite difficult due to the nature of gauzeberries. It does make one float a few inches off the ground for an hour after drinking

Fries and bits: mixed bugs, most commonly crickets, are cleaned and fried with potato wedges, and in fancier dishes, onion rings and fried artichoke hearts are added. It’s a greasy but delicious meal and many fried fast food places sell this dish

Boars honor stew: a dish coming from drakefell. When a drakes boar dies, whether from old age, an injury, or sickness, never intentionally slaughtered for food, their burial ritual for the animal is to stew it in a massive pot filled with potatoes, other root vegetables, blood root, boar berries, dragons breath and a load of mushrooms. The boar is carefully cleaned, and the blood used to fertilize the drakes, or communities crops. Then the animal is put in the pot whole and stewed for around four days before being passed around and eaten. It’s a dish meant to be shared, not bought. So to be offered some is a great honor

Roc on rocks: it requires a roc bird for the traditional version of the dish, but chicken will do too for a close substitute. The breast meat of a roc bird is thinly sliced and marinated in an orange citrus sauce for a few hours. Then traditionally a flat rock is heated up, and the thin slices are cooked on top, then laid on a bed of cabbage and thinly sliced carrots before being served. However pan frying is a safe at home substitute if one doesn’t have a big rock and outdoor campfire

Golden pearwood tea cake: goldenflowers and pearwood bark are dried and made into tea. The tea must be strained and left in the fridge to chill while the cake base is created. It’s preferred to use a nut flour like almond or hazelnut. The cake flour is then moistened with the tea, and a light honey glaze is added on top when it comes out of the oven

Cinder-spark: a popular energy drink brand made in ebott from cinderpetals. It comes in three flavors: jalapeño, spicy strawberry and electric orange. All flavors are spicy with electric orange being the mildest. Never drink more than two a day

Treasure chests: a shiny beautiful salad dish of heartyheads, leafy greens, beets, sea eggs, deaths pearl, and topped with cooked pearled salmon. It’s a beautiful colorful dish and a favorite at seafood restaurants along seashore. And it’s extremely nutritious

Snaproot pockets: like the name suggests, it’s a little baked pouch filled with puréed snaproot. It’s created with either mochi flour or cattail flour, the little flour pouch is filled with mashed or puréed snap root, and is topped with seeds like sesame after being baked. This dish can also be made with pumpkin and garwins gourds instead of snaproot.

Lions jello: made from boiled cattails, and infused with goldenflower tea, this is ebotts national desert. The cattails make an attractive milk white jello with a light airy taste, and the goldenflower adds flavor and speckles of gold inside. It’s a beautiful dessert and is a favorite of many of the royals

Snail pie: ebotts national dish: this is a pie filled with cubed snail meat, pearled onions, garlic, many spices to taste, and spinach. The pie is baked like a normal pot pie and is usually topped with seeds for better looks. Mini versions are sold at festivals and food trucks, and kids in public school get mini snail pies on Fridays for lunches.

Silver broth: made from boiled silver bells and bones, this broth is a popular soup base because of its mild taste, and is highly recommended that parents use it when cooking for their children as it promotes healthy bone, teeth and ecto growth. In winter months too, it’s sold alone as a savory drink with sliced dried mushrooms and spring onions as an alternative to sugary hot drinks

Wailing baby mash: it’s a terrible name but parents seem to think it’s funny. Mandrakes are mashed with other veggies (and often a bit of silver broth is added) to make a soft baby food safe for monsters and human babies old enough for solid food. It has a mild taste which is pleasant for kids. Many parents used mashed mandrakes in place of mashed potatoes well into their kids childhood as a healthier and cheaper alternative

Goths on toast: another terrible name, Asgore really sucks at naming things, and he’s to blame for this one as the creator asked him to endorse the dish. A delicious spread is made from the fruit of a spiderbloom, blackberries and dark or ground cherries. The fruit spread is spiced with a hint of cinnamon and nutmeg and spread on bread as a sweet morning breakfast. It’s often paired with fancy cheeses and is served as a dish to show off your class. No charcuterie board in ebott is complete without this spread

Pigment potion: twigs mixed with alcohol creates a magic drink that can change the color of one’s ecto, hair/fur and eyes. The more diluted the drink, the shorter the effect. And to control what color the drink becomes, it needs to be hand made with a certain color in mind. A drink of magic, intent and booze. Any sort of alcohol does fine so usually cheap wine is used. And in festivals, watered down versions are allowed to be sold to children as long as a parent is present

Gyftmas cookies: of course they have to be baked with sweet salt. These brown cookies are made with the sweet salt spice, molasses, plain flour and honey. They’re decorated of course and are part of a popular gyftmas tradition called the cookie trade. At parties, each family shows up with a plate of cookies, and they go around having to swap one of their cookies on the plate for one from another’s family. By the end of the party, they go home with a plate from multiple families.

Crabby patties: this name was popular way before SpongeBob was introduced to ebott. There was a fierce legal battle between Marcelo and Nickelodeon for him to keep the name of the popular dish sold at his grocery stores. He just barely won, and the name is only allowed to be used with free reign in ebott lol. Crabby patties are smoked crab apple thinly sliced and pickled, then placed on a slab of either cooked snail or cooked hamburger patty. The bun is traditionally wrapped cabbage leaves, but bread buns are more popular on the surface these days. Every hamburger place has a crabby patty burger on their menu.

Fae floss: pasta from boiled flossy sticks is topped with a thick brown sauce made from goats cheese, powder shrooms, and finely chopped herbs. Other mushrooms are added to the pasta and often bugs like grubs, chopped beetles or worms are added. If bugs aren’t your cup of tea, shredded chicken is fine instead

Mead of lady magic: this mead is flavored with pomegranate seeds and honey beans to make a rich mild drink. It was also used in rituals by the temple monsters before the crash, and is still considered a holy drink by them. Only made and drank on sacred days.

Sun therapy: this light sandwich is made with pickled Ferris weed flowers, salami and mozerella cheese. The sandwich is toasted and topped with more cheese. A delicious meal full of vitamin D

Tarotile cheesecake. A plain slice of cheesecake, colored a deep forest green by adding Tarotile to the cooking process. The cake tastes like a wonderful wild berry blend according to monsters, but is highly toxic to humans and mages. Any one who dares sell it to a human without signed consent can be arrested and held for trial on attempted bodily harm.

[hayatheauthor]

How To Get Away With Murder Part Two: Writing Murder Mysteries

Murder mysteries are possibly one of the most complicated genres in fiction. Unlike other genres, authors need to create a very comprehensive backstory and worldbuilding that seamlessly ties into the present story while also creating intriguing characters that move the plot forward. As an author, you need to weave a complex web of clues, red herrings, and twists that ultimately lead to the big reveal, all while maintaining the integrity of the story.

Writing a good murder mystery is a daunting task, but with the right tools and techniques, you can create a gripping tale that keeps your readers on the edge of their seats. In this blog post, I'll be sharing my personal tips and insights on how to craft a compelling murder mystery that will leave your readers guessing until the very end.

Establish The Rules 

Before you jump into your murder mystery it’s important to first set the scene and establish the ‘rules’ for your murder mystery. Your readers need to know what’s at stake here. Who was murdered? What is the most likely reason for their murder? Why is this particular character investigating their murder? You need to set up a clear foundation for your story. 

Authors should also attempt to establish some semblance of a ‘stage’ for where the story will take place. If a character was murdered in their hotel room the hotel itself would likely be the ‘stage’ for your book’s murder mystery. This is where the detective will live and uncover clues until the end of the book. 

Once you have a clear story and setting, move on to the characters and their role in the murder. Who is the investigative figure? Do they have to face any obstacles or follow certain rules while investigating? A great example of this would be Pip’s legal restrictions in A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder. Her position as a teenager significantly limited her investigative methods. 

Plant The Seeds 

Foreshadowing is the key to a good murder mystery. You need to start foreshadowing as soon as possible. As a writer, you need to plant subtle clues throughout your narrative that will keep your readers engaged and guessing.

But it's important to strike a balance between too much foreshadowing, which can make the plot predictable, and too little, which can make the conclusion feel like it came out of nowhere. Start foreshadowing early on in your story, and use a mix of subtle hints and more overt clues to keep your readers engaged without giving away the ending. Remember, the best foreshadowing is often invisible until the reader looks back on the story as a whole.

The Repitition Rule 

Writers are often advised to repeat foreshadowing at least three times to help readers remember it. While this can be a helpful guideline, it's important to use your own judgment and avoid overdoing it. After all, if you repeat the same clues too often, you risk telegraphing the ending and ruining the suspense. 

Instead, aim for a mix of subtle and overt foreshadowing that will keep readers engaged without giving too much away. Remember, the goal is to keep readers guessing until the very end.

Misdirect The Reader 

In order to keep readers engaged and invested in the mystery, it's important to misdirect them from time to time. This means leading them down one path only to reveal that it was a dead end, or presenting a red herring that turns out to be unrelated to the actual crime. 

There are many ways to accomplish this, from introducing false suspects and motives to using clever misdirection to steer readers away from the truth. One effective technique is to present conflicting evidence that suggests multiple possible solutions, forcing readers to constantly reassess their theories and stay engaged with the story. 

However, it's important to avoid overdoing it or making the misdirection too obvious. You want readers to feel challenged and intrigued, not frustrated or misled. Ultimately, the goal is to keep readers guessing until the very end, when all is revealed and the pieces fall into place.

Add Depth To Your Characters 

Developing your characters is crucial in murder mysteries. Not only does it make them more interesting and relatable, but it also helps to create a sense of connection and investment in the story. Make sure each character, even minor ones, have a distinct personality and backstory that ties into the plot.

When it comes to suspects, be sure to give each one a clear motive and opportunity to commit the crime. Think about their relationships with the victim and other characters, and how those dynamics could have played a role in the murder. Consider adding red herrings, false leads, and hidden secrets to make the investigation more complex and engaging.

Adding depth to your characters also helps create an emotional connection. This is especially important for the victim, you need to show your readers why they should care about this character’s death. 

In A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder everyone’s illtreatment towards Sal’s family made the readers empathetic and had us rooting for Pip. It is important to establish some semblance of this empathy, or any other emotion such as anger, for your victims. 

Use The Setting To Your Advantage 

In a murder mystery, the setting can play a crucial role in providing clues and red herrings. Think about the location where the murder took place, and how it could provide hints about the killer's identity or motives. Perhaps there's a hidden object or a peculiar feature of the setting that only the killer would know about. 

On the other hand, you can also use the setting to throw off the reader's suspicion, by including false clues or misdirections. For example, a character may have a motive to commit the murder in a particular location, but it turns out that they were actually somewhere else at the time. Overall, the setting is a powerful tool that can enhance the suspense and intrigue of a murder mystery, so make sure to use it to your advantage.

In addition to using the setting to provide clues and red herrings, it's also important to use it to create a mood and atmosphere that supports the murder mystery genre. Consider using a dark and moody setting, like a creepy old mansion or a foggy alleyway, to create tension and suspense. 

You can also use the setting to create obstacles for your characters to overcome, like a hidden trapdoor. By making the setting a key part of your story, you can enhance the overall experience for your readers and make your murder mystery even more memorable.

Tie Up Loose Ends 

Tying up loose ends is an essential part of writing a murder mystery. The reader expects a satisfying conclusion, and that can only happen when all loose ends are resolved. It's important to address any unanswered questions and resolve any plot holes.

Plot holes can be frustrating for readers and can ruin the entire reading experience. As a writer, it's your responsibility to make sure that there are no unresolved issues in your story. If there are any inconsistencies or plot holes, they need to be addressed and resolved.

To ensure that all loose ends are tied up, it's helpful to create a list of all the questions that need to be answered by the end of the story. Go through your manuscript multiple times, checking to make sure that each question is answered and that all loose ends are resolved.

By taking the time to tie up loose ends and address any plot holes, you can create a satisfying conclusion that will leave your readers feeling impressed with your attention to detail.

Practice Makes Perfect 

To write a good murder mystery, you need to practice. Writing a successful mystery requires a skill and experience, and you can't expect to get it right the first time. Practice by reading other murder mysteries and taking note of how other authors structure their stories, how they use clues and foreshadowing, and how they misdirect the reader.

When you're writing your own murder mystery, don't be afraid to make mistakes. It's common for writers to encounter plot holes or inconsistencies in their story. The important thing is to recognize these mistakes and fix them as soon as possible. One way to do this is to get feedback from other writers or beta readers.

Remember, the more you practice, the better you'll become. Don't get discouraged if your first attempts aren't perfect. Keep writing, keep learning, and keep honing your craft. Eventually, you'll be able to write a murder mystery that will keep your readers guessing until the very end.

I hope this blog on how to get away with murder and write a murder mystery will help you in your writing journey. Be sure to comment any tips of your own to help your fellow authors prosper, and follow my blog for new blog updates every Monday and Thursday.  

Looking For More Writing Tips And Tricks? 

Are you an author looking for writing tips and tricks to better your manuscript? Or do you want to learn about how to get a literary agent, get published and properly market your book? Consider checking out the rest of Haya’s book blog where I post writing and marketing tools for authors every Monday and Thursday

[wolfwoocl]

The longest route, the highest sky

@typhoonvash

When the time came, Wolfwood had made his choice a long time ago. Long before the glass cracked between his teeth and serum flowed past his lips and down the column of his throat, long before angels concerned themselves with the affairs of men. 

He never did go around fixing churches like they said, but…

He’d saved this one.

Hopeland was saved, even if he ended up needing a little help at the end. His mistake was not realizing he mattered. He could feel Vash attempting to quell that bottomless grief even if he could no longer feel the twin suns’ warmth on his skin. Shadows of fluttering confetti cut across his fading vision.

The bell tolls. 

…

“Huh?”

The pearly white ceiling he opens his eyes to is not the confetti-dotted sky he remembers seeing last. He blinks rapidly, clearing the bleariness from his vision and the fog of sleep still clinging to him. A plethora of medical equipment encircles his bed like attending nurses. 

Beep. Bu-beep. Beep, pip pip. Beep beep beep. 

Reminds him of some old Earth pop song. How does it go again? 

Ooh, baby, do you know what that’s worth?

There’s more to the chorus, but he can’t quite summon the energy to remember the words right now. Wolfwood sits up, grimacing as he overcomes the inertia of moving stiff muscles. Following the natural timeline of muscle regeneration, he must have been out for a good few weeks. Would make sense, considering…Looking around at the various screens and blinking lights crowding him in, both familiar and not, he surmises that he must be on Home ship. 

Disappointment leaves a pit in his stomach. There isn’t a bed next to his. Hell, there doesn’t even seem to be a single window in the whole damn room. He can’t even tell what time of day it is. 

��Nicholas D. Wolfwood, you’re awake.”

“Oh, fuck!”

The guardrail rattles when Wolfwood nearly throws himself against it. He heard the disembodied voice first, but it was the ghostly apparition that appeared afterward that set him off. Once he’s managed to swallow his heart from where it leapt into his throat, he recognizes the patient, downturned eyes and dark, short-cropped hair. The ghost looks like Luida, only way too young.

That’s the part that least concerns him. He’s seen and faced worse, and knowing space age technology is involved, there’s probably a reasonable explanation besides. 

“Where’s–”

Ghost-Luida holds up a hand to stop him. “Vash is not here. I know you must have many questions, Nicholas, but please hold them for now. You’ve been asleep for a very, very long time and we have a great deal to discuss.”

With great effort, Wolfwood manages to keep his growing list of concerns locked away behind his teeth. Begrudgingly, he settles back into the sheets and folds his arms across his chest. The mere weight of them makes him grimace briefly. He distracts himself by rhythmically tapping his fingers against his bicep. A window to look out of would be nice to have right about now. “Alright.”

“Thank you. First, I want to make it clear to you that I am not Luida. I am merely an imaged clone, and thus act only as a reflection of the person from which I was created. We felt that it would be best that you were greeted with a familiar face.”

“Right. So, assumin’ I understood a word ya just said…”

Luida’s face falls eerily blank for a moment before she responds, “Apologies. Let me rephrase appropriately. I am merely a recreation of SEED Ship designation 0-3’s leader of approximately seven generations ago. Her experiences, her memories, her appearance, are used by me as a means to provide counsel to Ship 03’s leadership.”

The longer she talks, the harder it gets to ignore his own growing sense of apprehension. “The hell do ya mean, seven generations ago?!”

Blankness again. Not-Luida seems for a moment uncertain of how to handle his outburst. 

“Perhaps I ought to start from the beginning.” She assesses him for a moment. “Do I have your word that I will be permitted to speak uninterrupted for fifteen minutes?”

While the obvious inclination written on Nicholas’s face is a ‘no,’ he eventually sighs and nods his assent. 

“Fine, fine. Just tell me one thing before ya start– he’s still alive, right? Vash?”

“Yes. His story and yours are intertwined. He first brought you here nearly two centuries ago…”

[mypetitelune]

Two eagles, one blade

-an Russell Adler x Bell OC fic

Tw: fighting, swearing.

Idk, please tell me if I miss anything.

—————————

Chapter one: The break of something new.

"I will retire to rhe Salton Sea at the age of 23

For I'm starting to learn I may never be free"

A grieving animal is still an animal. It will bite you. It will still grovel and paw on you. It will still snarl. Its eyes tear not from the pain of love but from the pain of hunger. Its teeth itch and irk not from the disgust of feeling your blood trailing down on them but from the delight of flesh.

The morning breeze caused her mind to mourn. It always led to this. As the church bells rang, her mind zeroed back to him. Calling him her God was blasphemous,however, her mind revered his presence as such. Her guts and heart, though, detested him, detested how he made her what she was, what he made her believe. Detested how sweet his words were to her even if they come through snarling teeth.

Like a dog, her skin adore every accidental touch of hands, of legs, of finger, of hot breaths. Her mind deluded them into something more, so much more. Like a dog, she will whine and cry for his attention. Like a dog, the scars on her body didn't make abandon him from her soul, her mind, her heart.

His presence was forever stitched in the ugly suture that trailed down from her hairline to the end of her head. Her left side was devoid of any hair because of them. Sometimes, she lied herself it was a badge of honour, a testament of her strength. Surviving two shots point black wasn't an easy feat after all. Of course, it was just another lie, as bitter as the pills she needed to take in order to sleep or function like a normal person.

Her mind pondered if he ever was a normal person. Can he laugh? Joke? Ever talk without biting? Ever be soft without a motive? She couldn’t pinpoint a time where he was like that. His mug always in a vice frown, rough lips in a scowl. His furious eyes, too light in comparison to his soul, were glaring at her, at the world through his enflamed aviators. Another sign of him pushing her away. The scar? The scar he never told her the story of? It didn’t take from him, despite creeping down his whole left cheek. It added to his mythos, his moniker. America’s Monster.

He was always mean, frustrated, exasperated. She never understood it. The woman did what he wanted without a beat, slaved away without a pip. Where his finger will point, she would follow. Where his nose scrunches, she would readdress her behaviour. It got to the point, he didn’t even need to speak for her to act.

Her efforts in vain, the man never pleased. Never a word of praise that truly came from him, just general things a dog owner would say to his mutt. That's what was certain as the man... The man lied a lot.

The betrayal should have been obvious. No matter what she did, no matter what she gave him, said, learned, told, spoke, it was never enough. The tittle of him was the lover in the fairytale she told herself so she could sleep. He was her executioner. The night in Berlin...it was just a way to keep her leash tight around her purple neck. A reward for not going rogue upon told her past was just another lie. A fiction...like the one you are reading now.

Her pen rolled down with a heavy thump. Her dark eyes watched the ink spill on the dusty bar floor, the meat of her cheek in her teeth. Her thick eyelashes blinked in a ratio of 2:1. Her expression was blank, not even neutral. It was like she forgot how to relax her muscles. The groaning of the stitches around her lower jaw made no impact.

The smell of forest overwhelmed her nostrils. Yatagan Caron. How could she forget? Even when mad, she could sniff it like the hound dog they made her to be. The smell of the 1978 cologne overcome the beer, the cracking of sunflower seeds, the shouts of men as their team scored a goal, it took precedent over everything, including herself. Her mind cracked and the dam she worked so hard to build was diminished in seconds. The whispers came back ‘Please, no! I did good! I did good!’ Why do they always come back? ‘Why are you doing this? I did good! I did all you ask! Adler-’

“Careful, Bell! Might lose your head next.” He bent down, picking the pen and placed it back near her. She will never touch it again.

She should have known. She should have predicted this.His mercy wasn’t out of his heart. Guilt didn’t birth it either. Her utility to him was the answer. What she can do, what she can’t, how can she burn herself more for him. That’s why he could take a seat next to her, with such lack of shame. A smile tugged his scar as his eyes peered down on her. His arrogance was evident from the tip of his nose. God strike her down if he didn’t love to see her fall!

“Fuck you and your money

I'm tired of your money.”

Did he think she’s stupid? Scratch that. Of course, he thought she was stupid. Just a naive broken girl who looked so timidly for love, reassurance, and care. It was too late to deny it when her moans and pleading echoed in her head. Her gasps shut by his hot lips, her tears soaked by his callous fingers. His nose dragged hot air down her cheeks, her chest, her arms. She was pathetic.

Her gaze settled away, biding herself some time to build a wall of bricks between them.

“Ignoring me, Bell? That’s awfully childish of you. Didn’t I do well by you? I deserve at least a hello, Bell.”

Of course, it fell like a pile of hay, a mountain of feathers in the storm. Her rage, palpable, as her gaze met his. Those stupid fucking glasses.

“Go fuck yourself!”

That only pleased him more, making him laugh. “Bell, while I am glad your English got hear able, come on! You can do better than this.” His finger tapped the apple of his cheek, her eyes scrutinising him.

The man expected her to scream, to shout, to break the water glass over his head. He expected her to put effort, especially after their last fight.

Her bleary eyes looked desperately for a shadow from the blinding hospital lights. Adler’s body became her respite. Her hands acted before she could catch up. They grasped the sides of his waist, digging her fingers hungrily into the chub of it. The muted dark azure polo shirt he wore twisted under her nails. He looked delicious. She closed her eyes when his fingers traced up and down the skin of her jaw and neck. Embellished in his warmth, the room seemed less sinister, more welcoming.

“Russ-“

He shushed her, making her mind think she wasn’t allowed to utter his name. Why couldn’t she? She did good. She did very good. She was the best. Best what? Woman? Soldier? Lover?

“Test subject, Bell.”

“Oh.” It calmed her thoughts before she widen her eyes. How the hell he heard her thoughts? How in the-

She struggled when she felt the metal latches rip into her skin. Her legs kicked wildly, feeling her bones crack. Adler cursed at her, roaring at her to quit it. She couldn’t. She was feeling trapped. She was trapped. Her airways were clogged and not amount of lungs or exercises made it so air could go through. Tears covered her eyes, his fingers squishing down the eyelids.

“Shhh, Bell. This will hurt more if you keep struggling.”

“No, Adler! No! I was good! Please! I was good!” Her nails tore into his skin as she fought the chain grinding down her throat.

“Just stay sill, Bell! Just-“

“No!” Her leg came to hit him into the nose. Bell whined as his hands harshly scrapped over her cheek.

“That’s it!” His hand pulled her ankle, dragging her sideways.

She looked confused before his hand came down akin a hammer, compressing her nose. His hate was evident, her screams and begging not alternating the sheer force of his. Her head was slammed again and again on the metal surgical table. It echoed as her skull thumped painfully. Her legs were heavy as they kicked into the abyss. The end was closed and she knew it.

Her adrenaline woke her up when the giant needle came in the view. She shook her head, pushing against his grip. His nails scratched against her eyeball as he attempted to retake control, to keep her eye open. Administering the Lysergic acid diethylamide proved harder than thought.

“No! NO! NO!”

Her shout made her cat jumped off her bed. Her pants heard by her throbbing ears. She glanced around, heartbeat going faster and faster. It felt nauseating and so familiar. The pain, the fluctuations, the heat. She wasn’t sure how long can she endure this.

‘Breath, Bell!’ Oh, how she hated that his voice allowed her mind to catch up. ‘Look around, Bell! Tell me what you see.’ Even now, after all that happened, he was a pillar of support, of guidance.

‘What I see? Okay, I see my bookcase, so many books, my pistol, you won’t like that I keep the safety off, and...uh...’

‘Yes?’

‘Mimi, my neighbours’ cat. Fat cunt came to hassle my kitten again.'

She groaned, her legs still burning from the running marathon she did last night. When the panic takes her heart, she runs. 1km. 2km. 3km. She ran 30 km, calming herself and scoping the perimeter.

As Mimi's cries resounded in her ears, Bell slowly walked out of her bedroom towards the downstairs kitchen. Opened, spacious, mid century, her kitchen was a place of comfort. The focus while under the bullet rain changed into the concentration of making chocolate pudding at 3 AM. The shouts of dying soldier devolved into the comedic lines of Mexican soap opera. The sweat, the strain, the hallow feeling replaced by the cozy warmth she worked so hard to achieve it.

Under the sun rays, the vapour of the steaming milk danced in the mosaic Turkish coffee pot. Her lips let a small smile slip, tired from another night without proper sleep. She ignored the world a bit, basking like a cat in the waking sun. The world could wait like she did for 24 years for a moment of peace.

The phone started to blare. Bell almost threw the pipping hot kettle at it. With a heavy sigh, her legs slowly carried her towards it. Her hand took the receiver, old model from 1980s, three fingers squishing it in an attempt to elevate her tone.

“Da?” Well, it didn’t work.

“Да? Да! Мисси! Кому вы повышаете тон?” A grave voice rang out, making her heart jump.

“Anton?!” Her voice was light, still raw, but much more happier.

Perseus, for all it took from her, gave her something back. A grumpy timid 38 year old Ukrainian called Антон Kovalenko, mechanic specialist and all time techie and tinkerer, and aloof goof of a Belarusian 41 year old man called Kiril Dmitri Kruk,human shield and enforcer. They,like her, were forced to join Perseus, forced to dirty their hands for good for nothing traitors.

“Приятно слышать твой голос, маленькая птичка! Не буду вам врать, я звоню не по уважительным причинам.”

This sobered her up. “What?”

“Медведь попал в капкан. Ходят слухи, что его скоро убьют.”

She sucked her breath in. “Èske w sèten?”

“Pou toutbon.”

“Shit. Just bear or fox too?”

“Bear, 2300. Be careful!”

“С божьей помощью.”

With her hands trembling, she pushed the receiver back. Her palms embraced her face, hot air escaping from her constrained lungs. She could rationalise it all day, that he betrayed her as well, that he let Adler kill her, that he abandoned her, left her to be ripped in two by the lion. Her instinct triumph despite all logic.

She got to rescue Woods at all costs.

Author's note:

Hi, guys! Hope you enjoyed this. I apologise for any mistranslations or spelling mistakes. Thanks for reading!🧸

[laski-and-sage]

Pip: Blowing a dandelion is basicall you helping a weed to ejaculate

Alucard: I was having a good day... We were ALL having a good day!

TJ: I mean it's kinda not, seeds aren't analogous to sperm. Hell, pollen isn't analogous to sperm! Plants don't do dimorphic gametes like that. A better analogy would be firing a couple dozen fully-formed babys from a t-shirt canon. Just like... fyi...

Integra: Now we're having a good day again!

[creekfiend]

you were also my first encounter with personal it pronoun usage and that association with 'oh, kinda like pip, who puts words to things in ways that stretch my brain in a good way' and your talking about your why of doing so helped me be a better educator when I then encountered a kid who was just figuring out the whole 'you mean i've got options?' thing and settled on 'it' but wasn't quite able to articulate why when another teacher (through their own well-meaning ignorance) made vague 'but... objectification' noises and i had the ability to say 'well, some people view it this way... and it doesn't need to articulate a reason beyond 'i like this' anyway'

...it also planted the seed for me to use it myself

Aaaaaaa 💜💜💜💜🥺

[blubushie]

woww they look like theyre actually the source material for the scugs¹ 🥺 that is AMAZING

slugcats are, mostly, omnivorous! Saint is an exception

while they are omnivores, they have their preferences or more efficient food options - for example, it's much more efficient for Hunter or Artificer to eat meat, while Survivor or Rivulet can't eat big creatures at all

here's the more common foods:

Batflies - think a bat as an insect! 🦇 they fly around and take a moment to catch, but there's mostly consistent spawning points with them, so they're pretty reliable

Blue Fruit - not actually fruit, but pupae! not sure what insect they belong to, but they're a good food for almost every slugcat. except Spearmaster he can't eat them

Eggbug eggs - they're bugs that keep their eggs on their back! as a last effort attempt to save the eggs, when they die the eggs pop off of them. sadly it just makes it easier for slugcats to collect and eat them

Popcorn plant - BELOVED!!! put a spear into this plant, crack it open and receive infinite food! all slugcats get a full food pip from one popcorn plant seed, so that means all of them like poppycorn!!

4/4 from here will just.elaborate on curiosities!

- the infodumping 🧀 anon

I'm digging this. Tell me more, cheeseanon!

[basicsofislam]

ISLAM 101: Belief in The Hereafter: Part 3

Stages of Life in the Hereafter

5. Gathering after Resurrection and Gathering Place

Gathering is Allah’s sending men to the gathering place after the resurrection for reckoning and bringing them together. The place where men gather is called the Gathering Place. There are a lot of verses in the Quran about gathering. We can give the following verse as an example.

“One Day He will gather them all together, and say to the angels "Was it you that these men used to worship?" (Saba, 40).

Verses: “They will come forth― their eyes humbled― from (their) graves, (torpid) like locusts scattered abroad,  Hastening, with eyes transfixed, towards the Caller!― "Hard is this Day!" the Unbelievers will say. ” (al-Qamar, 7-8).

It is stated in a hadith of the Prophet (PBUH) that the gathering place will be a smooth flat place, men will be sent to the gathering place as naked, barefoot, uncircumcised and faultless; while men wait in the gathering place, the sun will approach and they will sweat, that day men will be sent to the gathering place in three groups; on foot, riding and crawling face downwards.

6. Receiving Book of Deeds

The Books of Deeds, in which the good and bad deeds men did in the world were recorded, will be given to men in the gathering place for reckoning. We do not know the true nature of these books.

Without doubt, they do not resemble the books we have in the world. If we use the jargon of today’s technology, we can liken them to candid cameras that record the vision and sound and then show these recordings to viewers.

Verses: “Every man's fate We have fastened on his own neck: on the Day of Judgment We shall bring out for him a scroll, which he will see spread open. (It will be said to him:) "Read thine (own) record: sufficient is thy soul this day to make out an account against thee." (al-Isra, 13-14)

An owner of knowledge and power, who can save plants in tiny seeds, big trees in small pips, men and animals in a drop of water and maintain their species, can record the deeds of men in a book; just as we save hundreds of pages of information and documents in a small CD.

This issue is stated in the Quran as follows:

“And the Book (of Deeds) will be placed (before you); and thou wilt see the sinful in great terror because of what is (recorded) therein; they will say "Ah! woe to us! what a book is this! It leaves out nothing small or great, but takes account thereof!" They will find all that they did, placed before them: and not one will thy Lord treat with injustice” (Al-Kahf, 49).

The Books of Deeds will be given to the people of Paradise from the right side and the people of hell from the left side or from the back. Receiving the Book from the right side indicates good news that reckoning will be easy and receiving it from the left side indicates a hard reckoning.

7. Reckoning

After men receive their books in the hereafter Allah will start reckoning in accordance with the records in those books, nobody will be treated with injustice.

Verse: "O our Lord! cover (us) with Thy Forgiveness― me, my parents, and (all) Believers, on the Day that the Reckoning will be established!" (Ibrahim, 41).

There are a lot of verses in the Quran related to this issue. Some of them are as follows:

“That Day will every soul be requited for what it earned; no injustice will there be that Day, for Allah is Swift in taking account” (al-Mumin, 17).

“(It will be said to him:) "Read thine (own) record: sufficient is thy soul this day to make out an account against thee." (al-Isra, 14).

The Prophet (PBUH) informed us that men will definitely be questioned of the following five things on the Day of Judgment:

Where they spent their life,

Where they spent their youth,

Where they earned their property,

Where they spent their property,

Whether they applied what they knew or not. (Tirmidhi, Kıyame, 1.)

8. Mizan (Scale)

Mizan, which means scale and balance, is the measurement of the divine justice that weighs the deeds of everybody in the hereafter following the reckoning. However, its true nature and the inside cannot be known by men. It does not resemble the scales or any other measuring or weighing devices in the world. After the weighing of the deeds, those whose good deeds are heavier than their bad deeds will reach salvation and those whose good deeds are lighter will go to Hell and suffer punishment there. The believers who go to Hell will be taken out of Hell and sent to Paradise after they suffer the punishment accounting for their faults. It is stated in the Quran that those whose good deeds are heavy will be in a pleasant life as follows:

A verse: “We shall set up scales of justice for the day of Judgment, so that not a soul will be dealt with unjustly in the least. And if there be (no more than) the weight of a mustard seed, We will bring it (to account): and enough are We to take account” (al-Anbiya, 47).

“Then, he whose balance (of good deeds) will be (found) heavy Will be in a life of good pleasure and satisfaction. But he whose balance (of good deeds) will be (found) light�� Will have his home in a (bottomless) pit.”(al-Qaria, 6-9.)

“Then those whose balance (of good deeds) is heavy - they will attain salvation: But those whose balance is light, will be those who have lost their souls; in Hell will they abide.” (Mumenoon, 102-103).

9. River and Pool of Kawthar

A verse: “(O Muhammad!) To thee have We granted the Fount (Of Abundance).” (al-Kawthar, 1)

Kawthar is one of the rivers of Paradise and it is also the name of the pool into which the waters of this river flow. The waters flowing from the river Kawthar gather in this pool in the Day of Judgment. When men are resurrected and gathered in the gathering place, our Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH) will be given the Kawthar pool. The first person to reach this pool will be our Prophet. Those who reach it and drink from it will never get thirsty again.

As it is stated in hadiths, one side of this pool is so long that it takes a month to walk it; its water is whiter than milk, its scent is sharper than musk, its glasses are more than the stars in the sky (Bukhari, Riqaq, 53).

[starseedfxofficial]

When the Market is Descending, Should You? Some people see a descending triangle in Forex and panic—kind of like when you realize that "Buy One, Get One Free" doesn't mean "Buy None, Still Free." But we’re not here to panic; we’re here to profit. If you’ve ever wondered how to turn a downward slope into a goldmine, sit tight. Today, I’m giving you the insider knowledge on position trading with a descending triangle, aka, your ticket to leveraging pessimism in the market and enjoying the show from a hammock. For those of you in the game for weeks or even months, this strategy is an absolute must-have in your toolkit. The Magic Behind Position Trading (Weeks to Months) Position trading is like planting a garden—you sow the seeds, and instead of watching over them anxiously, you kick back for a few weeks, maybe even a couple of months, until those seeds have turned into a flourishing vegetable patch. Except in this case, your garden is full of pips, and the only weeds are the bad positions you carefully pruned out earlier. The secret sauce of position trading lies in spotting those major trends that others seem to miss, a kind of "Hindsight 20/20, but let's use it now" approach. Why The Descending Triangle is the Opposite of a Bad Breakup We've all seen the descending triangle pattern. It's that gradual narrowing downward trend where prices keep touching a support level but get squeezed by lower highs. A lot of people look at this pattern and treat it like a red flag—like when your date says they "used to trade penny stocks and definitely would never do it again." But let me share a secret: the descending triangle isn’t a red flag; it’s a red carpet to profits for traders with the guts and the patience. When a descending triangle forms over weeks or even months, it’s like the market is daring you to take advantage of it. The triangle typically indicates a continuation pattern, meaning the price is likely to break through the support level and continue falling. That’s where the magic happens for position traders—if you can ride that momentum, you’re effectively catching the market in a sleepwalk—it knows where it’s going, but doesn’t realize you’re following. Ninja Tactics for Trading the Descending Triangle Trading a descending triangle isn’t just about playing it safe. It's about becoming a market ninja—you want to be stealthy, strategic, and ready for the strike. Here’s how you can do just that: - Patience as Your Power Move: It's all about waiting for the breakout. When the descending triangle starts tightening, keep an eye on the volume. A breakout with high volume is like the market saying, "Alright, I'm ready." If volume confirms, that’s your cue to go in hard. - Target Levels Like a Pro: Remember that support level we mentioned? Once it’s broken, calculate your price target. A handy rule of thumb: the potential drop is equal to the height of the initial triangle formation. Picture it—like dropping a ball off a ledge. You have a pretty good idea how far it’s gonna fall. No need to eyeball, though—let the chart tell you. - Stop Loss Strategy: Position trading is not about just throwing in a wild guess and praying it works out. Place your stop-loss order above the most recent high. Think of it as the "emergency exit" at a movie theater—you hope you never need it, but if the market catches fire, you’ll be thankful it’s there. Why Position Trading in a Descending Triangle is the Opposite of Catching a Falling Knife Catching a falling knife is the phrase that haunts traders’ dreams—if you’re not careful, you get cut deep and fast. Position trading a descending triangle is the smarter, lazier cousin of that analogy. Instead of "catching," you’re setting a nice little cushion right where the knife will land. You know where the price wants to go—you’re just patiently waiting for it to get there. Insider Tip: If you’re seeing increased market momentum and the sentiment is leaning bearish—like everyone suddenly agrees pineapple really doesn’t belong on pizza—you’ve got a solid confirmation that the support will break. Underground Strategy: Using Economic Indicators to Spot the Perfect Set-Up Economic Indicators like the PMI (Purchasing Managers Index) can give you a head start in recognizing when a descending triangle is more likely to break lower. Remember, PMIs are like the market’s "vibe check"—if they're dropping, manufacturers are slowing down, meaning general economic sentiment is bearish. Combining this sentiment with your triangle pattern can give you that slight edge—the kind that takes a good trade to a "I just bought an island" kind of great. Real-World Case Study: Take, for instance, the recent Eurozone PMI releases. When PMI figures showed contraction, we saw a significant descending triangle pattern forming in the EUR/USD. Traders who connected the dots between weak PMI data and this pattern had the conviction to take short positions just as the triangle broke. The result? An opportunity for significant profit as EUR/USD tumbled. Expert Quotes: Straight from the Minds of Forex Wizards James Mason, Senior FX Analyst at PipsAreUs.com, notes: "Descending triangles are misread far too often. The key isn't just to see it; it's about waiting for the opportune break. Volume is your best friend here—no volume, no trade." On the flip side, Maria Chen, a Forex strategist and author of "Beyond Patterns," adds: "A descending triangle with weak support can be an ideal playground for position traders. With the right risk management, you can make more by doing less—it’s about timing your entry like a sniper, not a foot soldier." Game-Changing Ideas: Looking Beyond the Triangle Combining with Divergence: If you really want to put the cherry on top of this trading strategy, look for bearish divergence on your RSI indicator as the descending triangle forms. Divergence acts like a double thumbs-up from the market saying, "Yeah, this break is probably legit." Layering Trades for Maximum Profit: When the support breaks, consider layering your trades. Instead of putting all your capital into one single entry, you can enter at the initial break, then again after the price retests the broken support as new resistance. Think of it like getting seconds on free dessert—why wouldn’t you if it’s going so well? Wrap Up: Turning Market Anxiety into Profitability At the end of the day, position trading a descending triangle isn't rocket science—it's more like being the calm surfer waiting for the perfect wave. You don’t jump at every little ripple, and you don’t panic when the water drops suddenly. Instead, you hang tight, watch the tide, and when the market finally breaks through that key support level, you ride it with patience, confidence, and maybe a few celebratory fist pumps. And if all of this sounds easier said than done, why not take advantage of some expert resources? We at StarseedFX have a suite of tools designed to give you that elite trader edge—from the latest market news to a free trading journal that helps you track all these advanced strategies. Ready to take your trading from "just getting by" to "absolutely crushing it"? Join our community today. Summary of Elite Tactics for the Descending Triangle Strategy - Wait for the volume-backed breakout before entering your position. - Use economic indicators like the PMI to gauge broader market sentiment. - Place target levels equal to the height of the descending triangle. - Layer your trades for increased profit potential during a solid downtrend. Your edge in Forex trading is a combination of the right strategy and the right execution—master both, and you'll be navigating the charts like a pro. Now get out there, spot those descending triangles, and let gravity do the work for you. —————– Image Credits: Cover image at the top is AI-generated Read the full article

[secondquaritch]

Heyo~!

I hope you are having a wonderful day.

I noticed something in your description and I wasn't sure if it was a mistake you made and didn't notice or not but I wanted to tell you that It's not "kernel" my love, it's "Colonel".

A kernel is the edible portion of a seed, nut or fruit that is inside a stone or shell. It comes from the Old English word cyrnel which means seed, pip. A colonel is a high-ranking officer in an army or air force.

Just wanted to let you know...

Kisses~

//Eep! I fixed it, hopefully it should be all good. Man, I’m always embarrassed when I make typos. But thank you for pointing that out!

[deafmangoes]

Just to add on top and also reassure peeps, while all this is true...

... The number of seeds or pips you need to eat for appreciable amounts of cyanide is more than you will ever accidentally consume, and frankly hard to even deliberately consume.

Bitter almonds are a different species from almonds and you won't ever be at risk of getting them in a bag of nuts.

Elderberries can be eaten when ripe (very dark red), but not the pips, and it is true that the rest of the plant is toxic. The flower buds are used for cordial, they're okay too.

Potatoes are fine, just trim off the "eyes" and any sprouted roots. I mean it's best not to eat them raw but even so.

2tsp of nutmeg is a fuckton of nutmeg, good luck trying to eat that without throwing up.

Don't forage unless you know what you're doing. Go with an experienced forager. Most mushrooms are not poisonous, but the ones that are look very like the ones that aren't, which is why you need an expert to tell the difference.

Okay? Okay.

"Isn't it weird that [thing humans commonly eat] is poisonous to literally every domesticated animal" I mean, there's a pretty good chance that [thing humans commonly eat] is at least mildly poisonous to humans, too. One of our quirks as a species is that we think our food is bland if it doesn't have enough poison in it.

[ohheyidothat]

♥️ My current save of Pokémon Y ♥️

ID No. 32038 Alex

Time: 271:31

Adventure Started: Dec 27, 2021

First Hall Of Fame: Dec 15, 2022

Pokédex Status:

Seen: 526 Obtained: 474 (National)

Central Kalos: 👑 150

Coastal Kalos: 131

Mountain Kalos: 124

Other Accomplishments:

Current Money is 2,381,857

Wardrobe Status: Almost 100% Purchased (boy)

TM Status: missing 03, 05, 29, 34, 48, 51, 59, 60, 64, 72, 85, 87

Level 100 Gogoat “Clover” (first level 100 Pokémon I have ever raised in any game! I didn’t even manage it in Diamond, which I played during high school for over 800 hours)

Level 97 98 Talonflame “Pip”

Double Battle Maison Team: Heliosk (with Dry Skin, Rain Dance, and Thunder; usually partnered with a Starmie with Surf (heals Heliosk) or a Noivern with Hurricane (100% accuracy in rain) and Aggron (with Aggronite)

Perfect Travel Team:

Absol (False Swipe, Thunder Wave, Thief, Cut)

Hydreigon “Shade” (Rock Slide, Strength, Thief, Rock Smash)

Gogoat “Clover” (Horn Leech, Rock Slide, Razor Leaf, Milk Drink)

Togekiss “Soren” (Fly, Extrasensory, Ancient Power, Wish)

Dragonite “Chai” (Surf, Twister, Waterfall, Extreme Speed)

Travel Team Friends (sometimes accompany)

Venusaur (Razor Leaf, Sweet Scent, Sleep Powder, Leech Seed) for Sweet Scent/Hoard Encounters

Gallade “Dandelion” (Hypnosis, Mean Look, False Swipe, Psychic) for Absol substitution

Talonflame “Pip” (Fly, Roost, Aerial Ace, Overheat) for Togekiss substitution or Flame Body for hatching eggs

[the-firebird69]

You can see the allegiant facility is still going up and there isn't any opposition. No it means that they're not supposed to it. Small buildings kind of crappy around here maxintendo I'm taking it over but the quality of construction is poor it probably means about 80% of the design criteria and it was only designed at one point one five, but but what's crying by cold is Matt by it and it seeds code by about 5%, which is kind of abysmal from modern building as in one year it'll be out of code and we're talking about the structure when Charlotte harbor settles the resort will be destroyed anticipate settling from 1 to 3 ft all around the building area and within the building footprint and different increments but not vastly different it's going to be like a ramp, the building will also crack in two. And that was Dan walking by is on the defensive knows what we're talking about, he isn't complete idiot. 100 drops the building will literally slide into the harbor half of it will. The smaller diamond tunnels the 20s and the 30s are being excavated. No they're not excavating them in Charlotte harbor the harbor will still drop about 8 ft and will depressurize underneath all the structures around the harbor and most of them will be damaged beyond repair in the City walk will collapse a bit they'll try to jack it and it won't work. It won't be for some time now maybe 3 weeks or less. And it's like a 50 million dollar structure but they charge more money because they know the owner is an ass. The rest of the harbor buildings will be broken as well. However some of them have piles the hotel in our concrete that's ruined anyways all the walls are delaminated and the structure is failing would have been fine if they put a roof on it has piles to go down 100 ft although they're wood they are mostly petrified wood. Fisherman's. Piers are only 20 ft deep and even though it's wood it would splinter into nothing. There's a couple of new hotels one is not far enough away and it's the one with the tiki bar they're always harassing them it's going to drop one foot in the north side the whole length in about 20 ft in the building will rip in half. They can put piss in the allegiant structure but they have to also put gray beams it's a major structural overhaul they probably take them a year. They also don't have the skill and knowledge to do it a few other buildings will be destroyed and besides small buildings The boathouse will be gone and the small boat building by Ashley will be gone even the restroom will probably be destroyed the buildings across the street down by fisherman's village and most of the houses that are within 180 ft or 200 ft will be gone and being in them at the time is very dangerous. The CityWalk will be ultimately destroyed it's going to drop about 4 ft like a ramp and it's going to be a mess down here the whole City Walk all of the wharfs and piers will be destroyed not only will sink down will be destroyed and at the first drop the bridge will be intact. John remillard plan to kidnap our son at the hotel and turn it into a courthouse and he showed it with the State Assembly that he wanted to turn it into a courthouse and have our son stay there as he's planning to depart to Utah he want to try and convict him and imitate the courthouse in Massachusetts Tommy F too and it's going way too slow and her son did work on the Suffolk county trial courthouse. Odds are they can't figure out how long 3 weeks away is and they're stupid place will be destroyed and if they don't dispose of it then they will be forcibly removed.

You think about retrofitting it and son says you have to put it underneath supports and he said he could bridge to the side of them and said how the hell you going to do that it's like 10 it'd be like three four feet away cuz the pips have to be like 10 8 ft wide or 6 ft wide to go that deep he's going oh my god he has a huge case on massive unless you put in like 5,000 of them then you'd have to like you could put in like 5,000 pips they'd have to be really deep and like two feet wide it would be 5000 be a lot and you just drill the s*** out of the whole floor and you could do it in segments cast a new floor and you jack your supports and you put the supports on a new footer and a new case underneath I don't know how the hell that explain to you there's a few ways to do it you can do it like a structural slab there really has to be in the supports so you have to do it either side of a wall and then you could cast like a new floor and have it connected to the supports this connections you can embed I wouldn't last but it would work but still I mean that's a lot of work you have to add ramps would be like this big humongous massive eyesore like the trial of courthouses anyways it's kind of sneaky of Mac cuz sometimes he builds buildings like that and puts people on trial in public you like fascinated with court or something it's a cultural thing you have to watch out for it he's doing to me he's using you an effigy so you can imagine that you don't like you.

Those are fun interjecting and of course he can and we did learn something all of it is true and a son does know it and Mac knows it and he is doing that now and we learned that John remillard is stupid thankfully we got the organ music to celebrating his stupidity I mean Jesus Christ what a nightmare so. It's kind of really cuz the place is going to be gone and the max wanted it around. I don't mind reversing it that's really a piece of s*** and we don't want our son in it and we have a few ideas and our son just came up with one it's pretty good it put a structural slab with gray beams underneath it, you still need to sandwich the supports and why you doing it the the structure would then set on the structural slab with huge grade beams and then you can put pips every other space and the grade beams will carry it for now and the pips will carry it after this kind of what you have to do but it takes a lot of time it takes a lot of effort and you have to put piss in already and you can put them in so you can use them but these guys don't really get that it's a ton of work because the way it's designed it's a it's a complete waste of time that building I mean

It's a goner and soon the clones are already working on the diamonds South Mexico and John rimelord is there to try and stop him cuz his building is not ready and he has to take over the government again

Thor Freya

[funnywormz]

idk who first came up with the idea of caleb using "pip" as a nickname for philip but it is So Fucking Good i have fully adopted it into my headcanon. it's a rlly cute nickname for someone who turns out so horrible and i appreciate that juxtaposition lol

there's also a lot of metaphorical potential in there, with "pip" meaning "seed"........ like caleb coming up with it as a nickname for philip when he was still a little child who hadn't realised his potential yet or who he was, like a seed yet to germinate.......... but also it fits with the common metaphor of "bad seed", the fact that philip and caleb were brothers but they turned out to be such different people.......... it's also heartbreaking in the aspect that it's such a sweet and loving name, symbolising caleb's love for philip as his little brother.......... and we all know what philip ended up doing to caleb................

idk it's just such a galaxy brained nickname for him, big props to whoever first used it for him

[perpetual-stories]

Dive in Deeper: Foreshadowing

Hello, hello! Apologies for being MIA the past few days!

Busy, busy, busy! Aha…

What Is Foreshadowing?

it is a literary device used to give an indication or hint of what is to come later in the story.

it is useful for creating suspense, a feeling of unease, a sense of curiosity, or a mark that things may not be as they seem.

Foreshadowing does not necessarily mean explicitly revealing what will happen later in your story.

when it is used effectively, many readers may not even realize the significance of an author’s foreshadowing until the end of the story.

Why Is Foreshadowing Important?

Foreshadowing is a key tool for writers to build dramatic tension and suspense throughout their stories

Foreshadowing makes your reader wonder what will happen next, and keeps them reading to find out.

it is also a great tool to prepare your reader emotionally for big reveals

Two Types of Foreshadowing

Direct foreshadowing (or overt foreshadowing): In this type of foreshadowing, the story openly suggests an impending problem, event, or twist. Direct foreshadowing is usually accomplished through the characters’ dialogue, the narrator’s comments, a prophecy, or even a prologue. Example: in Macbeth, Shakespeare uses direct foreshadowing when the witches predict that Macbeth will become Thane of Cawdor and, later, king.

Indirect foreshadowing (or covert foreshadowing): In this type of foreshadowing, the story hints at an outcome by leaving subtle clues throughout the story. With indirect foreshadowing, readers likely won’t realize the meaning of the clues until they witness the foreshadowed event. Example: in The Empire Strikes Back: In a mysterious vision, Luke Skywalker sees that the face behind Darth Vader’s mask is his own. Later, the audience understands the significance of this foreshadowing when it is revealed that Vader is, in fact, Luke’s father.

Five Foreshadowing Examples and Techniques

Dialogue: You can use your characters’ dialogue to foreshadow future events or big reveals. This foreshadowing may take the form of a joke, an offhand comment, or even something unsaid that adds personality to your characters while planting the seed for later revelations. Example: Romeo and Juliet, when Romeo says, “My life were better ended by their hate, than death prorogued, wanting of thy love.” This line foreshadows Romeo’s eventual fate: commiting suicide over the loss of Juliet.

Title: The title of a novel or short story can be used to foreshadow major events in the story as well. For instance, Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Fall of the House of Usher” foreshadows not just the destruction of the physical house, but the demise of an entire family.

Setting: The choices you make about the setting or atmosphere of your story can foreshadow events as well. In Great Expectations, Charles Dickens uses descriptions of weather to foreshadow the dark turn Pip’s story will take: “So furious had been the gusts, that high buildings in town had had the lead stripped off their roofs; and in the country, trees had been torn up, and sails of windmills carried away; and gloomy accounts had come in from the coast, of shipwreck and death.”

Metaphor or simile: Figurative language like similes and metaphors can be effective foreshadowing tools. In David Copperfield, Dickens uses simile to foreshadow the betrayal of David by his mother, comparing her to a figure in a fairy tale: “I sat looking at Peggotty for some time, in a reverie on this suppositious case: whether, if she were employed to lose me like the boy in the fairy tale, I should be able to track my way home again by the buttons she would shed.

Character traits: A character’s appearance, attire, or mannerisms can foreshadow that character’s true essence or later actions. In Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, for instance, author J.K. Rowling makes a point of describing Professor Quirrell’s turban and noting Harry’s curiosity about it. Only later, at the end of the story, do we discover that Quirrell’s turban conceals his possession by the evil Lord Voldemort.

Five Tips for Using Foreshadowing in Your Writing

Plan your story. You need to know exactly where your story is going before you can decide which events you can foreshadow, and how to do so. You may need to wait until your second draft to properly incorporate foreshadowing into your work. Take as much time as you need to work out every detail before dropping hints. Plan, outline, revise, and plan more.

Plant seeds as early as possible. The closer to an event foreshadowing is placed, the less effective it usually is. In fact, foreshadowing immediately before an event can act as a “spoiler” for the reader. Instead, make sure foreshadowing takes place long enough before the event or ending that it is not fresh in your readers’ minds. This will give your readers even more joy when they comb back through your story to find the breadcrumbs you left.

Scatter those seeds. When choosing where and when to foreshadow in your story, be as sly as possible. Think of it as a scavenger hunt: you wouldn’t hide all of your treasures in the same place. Instead, distribute your foreshadowing evenly throughout the story for maximum enjoyment.

Foreshadow in moderation. Don’t wear your reader out. Add too much foreshadowing, and your readers will feel as though they’re getting all “setup” and no “payoff.” Not enough foreshadowing, and your readers may be frustrated by an unexpected resolution. Craft the right balance, and your readers will find themselves re-reading your stories to find all of your clues.

Enlist a second set of eyes. As the person closest to your story, you may feel that your foreshadowing is perfectly clear—but if a reader can’t see or appreciate it, your clues will be ineffective. Grab your friend, coworker, or neighbor for a cup of coffee and hand them your manuscript. Once they finish reading it, ask them if the clues were too obvious, not obvious enough, or just right.

Please follow for more writing tips! Like, reblog, and comment if you find these useful!