#lamb patties

[ltabdmv]

Lamb - Lamb Patties Recipe Deliciously spiced ground lamb, stuffed into puff pastry pockets and baked to perfection. Makes a good finger food.

[wanderingjournal]

Burger Recipe Homemade lamb patties seasoned with cumin and coriander are layered with feta cheese, spinach, and tzatziki in these grilled lamb sliders.

[parappaadventure2q-a]

art trade with @tunaspatty

[good-to-drive]

Typical

[uncensored-aj]

A Sapphic remake of ‘The Silence of The Lambs’.

With

And HEAR ME OUT,

Aubrey Plaza as Hannibal Lecter.

OR OR OR

Patty Lupone as Hannibal Lecter and AUBREY PLAZA AS CLARICE STARLING.

Take your pick but PLEASE tell me you see the vision.

[eunchancorner]

So uh I did a thing :3

Tw for use of guns and mentions of death

-

“So, why did I have to stay here again?”

Patty looked over at Jack and John, both of whom were flipping through the records of the mental hospital that had burned down about a week ago. Just yesterday, John had suspected foul play and had Patty identify every body discovered and retrieve a copy of every hospital document for the two officers, and now she was being told to stay at the house with them, so she rested on Jack’s couch with a cup of coffee.

“Because I want to be sure we have everything in order, and you’re the one who’s paid the most attention to this case,” he reminded her. After all, Patty had been the one to point out that the number of killed doctors and patients didn’t add up properly; there was one missing person. 

Patty groaned and rolled her eyes, mumbling ‘You point out one person’ as she took a sip of her coffee.

“One person is important, Patty. They could have a home, a family! Or they could be a patient who can’t take care of themselves. We need to be able to identify them to find them,” Jack pointed out, and Patty nodded a bit. He did have a point, after all.

“Lambert Shepherd…” John suddenly mumbled, drawing Jack’s attention back to the task at hand.

“What?”

“That’s the name of the final person. Lambert Shepherd, a recently admitted patient. Patty, where’s the file on this guy?”

The blonde sat up and turned to the stack of files, sifting through them as she mumbled something about a dog breed, before slowly pulling the file out from an area near the bottom, handing it to the two.

John opened the file, reading the basic patient record to himself

Lambert Shepherd

Sex: M

Age Upon Admission: 28

Height: 5’0”

Weight: 100 lbs

Hair Color: White

Reason For Admission: Patient has consistent delusions, believes that they can communicate with a god of death, often calls those who doubt them ‘heretics’.

Notes: Patient has expressed preference to be known by they/them pronouns, and refuses to acknowledge any doctors who use he/him. Patient has a nick in right ear. Patient has to be chained to bed at night, and can be known to attempt to kill other patients if they believe they ‘deserve’ it.

Clipped to it was an image of someone John could only describe as mostly hair; hair that was tightly curled, long, and such a light shade of cream that he could see why it was described as white. The image almost reminded John of a sheep, in a way.

“He- They’re supposed to be chained to bed at night, they should have died in the fire,” John pondered aloud.

“Didn’t one of the firefighters point out that one of the beds had been dragged along the floor just before the collapse? It’s possible that they managed to grab the keys and get out before the building collapsed on them,” Jack pointed out, “but, wouldn’t someone have noticed?”

“Not if they were trying to escape the fire,” Patty pointed out. “Their hall collapsed first, so no one could get to them or the keys, so they might have taken escape upon themselves.”

“But their hall collapsed first, how would they have even escaped?” Jack questioned.

“That’s what I’m figuring out. And we would have found their body, too. After all, their hall collapsed, not their room. This makes no sense…” John sighed, throwing the file folder down, sending images scattering across the table in front of them.

A certain document caught Jack’s eye and he snatched it up, examining it. It was a piece of aged paper, covered in strange symbols, surrounding what seemed to be an incredibly simple drawing of a crown with a red eye on it. A post-it note was stuck to the drawing, and on it was scrawled ‘Confiscated from patient upon admission; return to patient if released’.

“Hey, John, is this anything?” he asked, handing the drawing to the sheriff. John sat up a bit as he examined it, tracing a few of the symbols that seemed a bit too familiar.

“Some of these symbols… that cult, in that old house down the road, they used some of these” he noted, “I know some of these. This one means ‘everything’, and this one means ‘sacrifice’... If I had some kind of reference, I could decode this whole page pretty fast. But why did Lambert have this? And what’s this crown in the middle for?”

“What if they’re in a different cult? One that’s kinda connected?” Patty pointed out, the very notion making John’s eyes widen.

“You’re saying there might be two cults?”

“I’m saying there could be multiple, I never specified a number. After all, even for a small town, there’s only so much a few cops can see.”

“You have a point… But we can’t just investigate it without more evidence,” Jack pointed out.

Suddenly, the three heard a thump against the window, turning towards the noise. A few moments passed, and another thump was heard, this time the cause was visible; a rock had been thrown at the window. Jack and John looked at each other before heading towards the door, opening it and stepping out into the back yard.

“Is someone out there?” Jack called into the dark, and for a moment there was no answer.

Then, some kind of red light lit up, small and eye-shaped, fairly high above the ground for a light to be. Then, two more, just below it, lit up as well, illuminating a face that stared back at them.

Jack’s hand rested on his pistol, still strapped to his waist, but John stopped him from pulling it out.

“Who are you?” the sheriff called into the dark, followed by Jack’s own question, “And why are you in my yard?”

“Officers… you have something I want,” the person answered simply, stepping forward slightly, the tip of what seemed to be a combat boot coming into the light.

“Don’t move!” Jack warned, gripping his gun tighter, although his partner’s hand still blocked him from pulling it out.

“Jack, they’re unarmed…” John reminded him quietly.

“They’re also trespassing!” Jack retorted.

“Just give me the paper, officers, and I’ll be gone. I wouldn’t want to send you to Him, after all~” they butted in, reaching out an empty hand.

“Who is ‘Him’? Who are you?” John asked again.

“Everything you need to know, you have at hand. Now, my paper?”

“Those documents are property of Spooktown Mental Hospital, we’re not giving you anything!” Jack answered them.

“Hm, what a pity. I was hoping I wouldn’t have to waste the power I’ve only just gained. Ah well, I suppose stubbornness can’t be helped,” they lamented, their outstretched hand turning up so the palm was facing the two officers.

“Put your hand down!” Jack warned them, growing uneasy at the gesture, but they complied, to his surprise.

“Officer, I don’t want this to turn violent any more than you do. Give me what I want and I’ll be off.”

“Evidence isn’t just something we hand out. Now, get out of my yard before you’re placed under arrest for trespassing and threatening two officers of the law!”

“Oh, that wasn’t threatening officers… This is threatening.”

Suddenly, the light above their head darted downward, before coming to a stop near their chest, and out of the dark suddenly rose a large, shiny, silver gun barrel.

Jack quickly pulled his gun away from John’s grip, firing off two shots in the person’s direction. In an instant, their own gun was gone, and the light moved to the center of their chest, before two light, squishing noises could be heard.

“Oh, dear, you shot me, whatever shall I do?” the stranger cried dramatically, posing as though they might faint, before straightening up, reaching up their outstretched hand, which was now enveloped in a semi-transparent red flame, and suddenly pulled something out the door past the two officers without even moving. As they wrapped their fingers around it, John realized it was the strange, old drawing the two had been examining moments before.

“Hey! Give that back!” John ordered, the only response being a quiet laugh as their glowing eyes seemed to rise too far to be natural.

“Try to catch me, then~” they dared, before an odd, circular portal opened beneath them, purple and filled with stars, surrounded by glowing red symbols. Jack cast his gun aside and darted forward, and just as they sank into the portal, he attempted to grab them. The portal closed behind them as the ravenette toppled forward into the grass below, feeling around for the portal, for the person, for any sign of them, but all he found was his own fired bullets, dented from impact.

I really hit them…

“What the fuck…?” he mumbled to himself, sitting up on his knees, clutching the small projectiles in his hand. He flinched as he felt a hand on his back, turning to see John kneeling down next to him. Silently, he raised the little copper projectiles into the light to show his partner, whose eyes widened, taking one into his own hand to examine.

Slowly, Jack felt around in the grass with his free hand, searching for blood, for any other indication of a hit, but his small search came up empty.

“How…? I shot them, but they didn’t even bleed… That shouldn’t be possible… Did-did they have a vest? Was it that light? What the hell is going on?” He looked back up at his partner as he began to panic, but the brunette merely shook his head.

“Whatever the hell’s going on here is a lot bigger than either of us…”

[ynotbrooks]

Spicy Lamb Patties

Ground lamb meat and seasonings combine to make delicious grilled patties!

[sufferingcity]

Mediterranean Lamb Burgers Burgers made from ground lamb and beef are juicy and delicious. Green tomato, sweet onion, feta cheese, and a quick-to-make tzatziki sauce should be grilled and served with the food. 1 clove garlic minced, 8 baby arugula leaves, 4 ciabatta sandwich rolls sliced horizontally, 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, 1 pound ground lamb, 4 slices green tomato, 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger root, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 lemon zested, 1 package feta cheese sliced, 1/2 pound ground beef, 3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, 1 container Greek yogurt, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 large sweet onion cut into 1/2-inch slices

[hurrlurrimsami]

Lamb Patties Lamb that has been deliciously spiced, tucked into pockets of puff pastry, and baked to perfection is a tasty finger food.

[sweettjrose]

😊 Sure, I would love to share my own as well as help spread this around so that other people can share characters too...

My list will be below:

1. Millie and Melody Mouse

Minnie's nieces. Probably one of the least known niece/nephew pair of the Sensational Six. I think many people would only know them through the Bowtoons shorts. But they're pretty neat.

2. Sara Bellum

Also known as the funniest character in all of Darkwing Duck. She is so funny and cracks me up whenever she appears. Honestly if anyone deserves more attention it's her. She's the best.

3. All these ladies

So this is probably the most obscure Mickey and Friends characters that I know that I bet most people on here don't. But back in the day there used to be these Minnie 'n me books that were about Minnie, Daisy, Clarabelle and a whole bunch of new characters essentially learning lessons like sharing, telling the truth, having confidence, and all that. I had a couple of them as a kid and out of all these I remember Penny Pooch and Lilly Lamb the most. Honestly I think it's cool that Minnie had an extended friend group like this. Kind of wish these girls would come back in some way.

But hopefully this is what you were looking for.

Not sure how to ask this so I'll just ask: Could you guys send me some lesser known/underrated characters in the mouseverse/duckverse/etc?

It could be a character that you think should have a bit more spotlight or even that character that no one really talks about

I'd like to know more and maybe even sketch some, it could be from Ducktales, Darkwing Duck, Topolino and disney comics/media in general :D

[beautiful-unfolding]

Mediterranean Lamb Burgers

Burgers made from ground lamb and beef are juicy and delicious. Green tomato, sweet onion, feta cheese, and a quick-to-make tzatziki sauce should be grilled and served with the food.

[blowwboston]

Spicy Lamb Patties Ground lamb meat and seasonings combine to make delicious grilled patties! 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 3 green onions minced, 1 pound ground lamb, 1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes, 4 cloves garlic minced, 1 tablespoon curry powder, salt and pepper to taste

[welcomingdisaster]

Coronations of the High Kings of the Noldor, ranked from best to worst

Finwë: The perfectly jovial ceremony was held on the hill of Túna, and consisted of eight uninterrupted hours of dancing, artistic performances from each of the three peoples of the Eldar. Dinner included salmon served with rice, spiced crab, baked leek-pie, herb and garlic bread, green tea mousse, candied flower preserves, and, most memorably of all, a scale-model recreation of the blessed isles made out of strawberry cake with sweet cream and real gold dust.

Gil-galad: the last king of the Noldor had no official coronation ceremony until after the War of Wrath, though he held political power in the area long before. This, perhaps, contributes to some confusion about his origins. Regardless I am pleased to report the ceremony was gorgeous. Most notable were the flower-arches, made in the Sindar style. Strong Falathrim brandy was served, and the party continued for nearly three days. Dinner included stuffed mussels, Nargothrond-style garlic mushroom bake, rice-stuffed squash, sugar-bread, apple and pear pie. One wedding spontaneously occurred during the after-party reception.

Fingolfin: this coronation symbolized the reunion of a broken people and the successful journey of the Noldor, and so the rather lackluster decor was saved, in part, by good mood. However, Feanorian heckling was somewhat disruptive during the main ceremony. Dinner: herb-roasted venison, root-stew, a dish made of wild spring plants that would later become known as 'crown salad;' raspberry and rhubarb pie. Maglor the bard performed Rumil's "Ode to the Stars of the Sea" and "Sparrow Waltz," which was his own composition.

Turgon: Those in attendance report that the ceremony was lovely and somber; your humble writer, however, was not at the time a resident of Gondolin, and must thus rely on second-hand accounts. Dinner, from those reports, included pearled barley with mushrooms; the last bottles of wine grown in Vinyamar were served. No one could remember the music.

Fingon: though the ceremony was otherwise beautiful, the king's speech set an unhappy mood. After the flautists and harpers quieted, he rose to give a toast in the name of Aegnor and Angrod, his cousins. After uttering their names the king began to weep, and could not master himself in time to finish his words, sitting for some time with his head buried in his hands. Dinner: wine-roasted lamb, herb-bread, potato-flour patties, fish-soup with rice, honey-cake and strawberry preserves. Much wine was served, but for the most part brought little merriment, and I admit I cannot recall its quality.

Maedhros: the coronation of Maedhros, the eldest son of Fëanor, was a quick affair. In attendance were his brothers, and their followers, and though Maglor the bard sang it was a song of sorrow, the words of which have never been put to the page. Dinner: salt-meat, waybread, local herbs, and the last of the spirits.

Fëanor: rather eclipsed by the oath sworn later the same afternoon. No dinner nor reception was held, which I fear was in very poor taste.

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Hello, Gidel. What do you think of the dorm leaders?

I thought this would read a little better as headcanons, so that’s the format I went with.

Curiouser and Curiouser...

Riddle

He's just like me! ... Is what Gidel thought at first. Honestly, he mistook Riddle for a kid like him on account of his small stature.

He quickly learns that Riddle isn’t a kid at all. He acts like an adult! All these big words and manners. It’s impressive. Gidel can try all he likes to try and imitate him, but never come close.

Gidel doesn't like it when Riddle raises his voice. It makes him skittish, dredging up bad memories. Scams gone wrong, angry mobs, times when their bosses are upset with them and shouting over the phone. He cowers behind Fellow whenever Riddle’s mad, waiting for the fallout to settle.

But there’s a softness to Riddle too. Gidel is one of the few able to sense it--how Riddle is kind to the animals, how he longs for that childhood he never had. Gidel tries to get him to open up, tugging Riddle by the hand and pointing to the little things in the garden he might not notice right away. The colorful mushrooms by the base of that tree, how this rose is a late bloomer, the chrysalis that will one day become a butterfly. Gidel can also show him thumb wrestling and patty-cake, all the free games he and Fellow play on the road.

Leona

This onii-san looks a little scary. Gidel of course recognizes him from the events of Playful Land. He nervously watches Leona from a distance, wondering if he’s mad at him for what happened.

Gidel notices that Leona's very smart. After all, he's always reading these thick ancient texts and telling the other students what to do. Gidel wants to be tutored by him (so he can be big-brained too!!), but is too intimidated to even know how to approach. So he keeps watching Leona from a safe distance. (Gidel thinks he's being slick, but he isn't at all.)

At one point, Leona gets tired of pretending like he doesn't see Gidel and he strolls right up to the boy. Gidel worries that he'll be scolded, but instead he feels a hand on his head, ruffling his hair. Leona gruffly warns him to look out for himself, cuz no one else will. It's his way of wishing the kid luck and hope for his future--though when Gidel smiles at him, he'll shudder and balk away, insisting that he didn't intend on being kind to him.

Gidel feels okay coming up to him after that, though Leona continues to gripe about how annoying he is and how he wish he'd leave him alone. Gidel's starting to feel like a second Cheka, always following him around like a lost lamb and staring at him as if inviting Leona to play.

Azul

Gidel’s immediate thought is that this guy reminds him a lot of Fellow. They just have similar vibes of being scammers! Because of that, it's easy for Gidel to follow along with what Azul says (much to Fellow's chagrin).

Gidel loves listening to Azul perform, be it singing or piano. It takes him away for a moment and to a new festive world full of song and delight, makes him want to get on his feet and clumsily join on that seafloor stage.

Being a gullible little child, Gidel doesn't realize that Azul is playing him for everything he has. Azul will give him a bunch of food and drinks (which he puts on a tab), then demands that Fellow foot the bill when he comes to pick up Gidel. (They dine and dash.)

Azul reminds Gidel of Fellow in other ways too. Sometimes there are nights when he's down on himself and unsure. In those instances, Gidel silently goes up to Azul and pats the back of his hand--as if to say, There, there. It'll be alright, hang in there.

Kalim

Probably his favorite person of the dorm leaders, since Kalim's immediately amicable and never held any ill will toward him or Fellow, even all the way back in Playful Land. His friendly demeanor make him a great buddy for Gidel.

Kalim treats Gidel like his own little brother! … That is to say, he spoils the absolute crap out of him. Tons of food, gifts, games—you name it, and Kalim provides it by the truckload. It actually starts to make Fellow jealous at some point; he has to check in with Gidel to make sure he’s still “his number on big bro” (which Gidel reassures Fellow he is).

He shows Gidel so many new things. Here are some of Kalim’s favorite dishes from his hometown. Oh, and these are animals from all over Twisted Wonderland. Gidel’s always been curious about these things, but never had the resources to actually access them. He drinks it all in with his senses, then becomes curious to learn more.

What he likes the most about Kalim is his ability to listen and empathize with others. Being mute, Gidel sometimes finds it difficult to communicate with others. They tend to talk over him or assume things they shouldn’t—but Kalim is perfect, patient, and reads his bodily cues to the best his ability.

Vil

In his head, Gidel thinks of Vil as one of those fancy rich ladies Fellow flirts with to steal their valuables. Sometimes those women would come after Fellow, hollering about how he deceived them or how they never want to see him again. Hell have no wrath like a women scorned, as Gidel would come to learn—so he’s careful to walk on eggshells around Vil.

Whenever Vil looks at him, Gidel feels as though he has done something wrong. He just has this aura about him that radiates harsh judgment, and Gidel can feel every last bit of that trained on him.

Vil fusses over Gidel’s appearance. His hair is a mess, his sleeves are too long, and his shoes are untied. However, Gidel realizes that Vil never outright insults the obvious patchwork incorporated into his clothes, only comments on the things he can feasibly change (combing the hair, rolling the sleeves up, tying the shoes). The stitching is masterful, Vil tells him—and besides, he’s just doing the best with what he has.

Gidel likes shiny things, so he’s naturally drawn to the baubles Vil wears. His hair clasp, his tiara, the golden threads on his uniform. When Vil catches him rooting around in his closet, Gidel for sure thought he was dead—but instead, Vil sighs, and, after a thorough lecture, lets Gidel pad around on his oversized dorm uniform and crown for an impromptu fashion show. Maybe he’s not as mean as Gidel thought he was?

Idia

Whoa! That's a person? Gidel thought it was a ghost haunting the school this entire time. He thinks Idia would be great at hide-and-seek (from the police, a game he and Fellow like to play) since he blends in so easily with the wallpaper.

He thinks Idia lives a fun life! He gets to play video games, guzzle soda/energy drinks, and eat candy + other junk food in his room all day? Cool! Gidel wants to do that, too! (Fellow begs him not to become a mega-geek.)

Gidel doesn’t really understand any of the technobabble Idia rambles on about, but he still thinks it’s cool. What’s this? What’s that? He pokes and prods at everything he sees, or sometimes trips and falls, activating machines he didn’t mean too. This often evokes panicked screams and sobs from Idia, which makes Gidel feel bad (but also makes Fellow laugh).

As soon as Gidel learns that Idia has a little brother, that makes him a lot more excitable. He approaches Idia with Fellow in tow, hoping he can play with Idia’s brother. That way, he can be friends with Ortho and Fellow and Idia can be friends! … Right? Right?

Malleus

Monster. That’s the first thing Gidel thinks of when he sees Malleus. The shape of him—the horns especially—remind Gidel of shadow hand puppets Fellow makes to amuse him before bedtime. Long, lanky shadows stretching in the darkness… It’s an image fitting for the Prince of Nocturnal Fae.

… But even if Malleus is a ‘monster’, Gidel feels a sense of loneliness about him too. He sees how others keep their distance, how they scream when he comes close. He pushes the boundary, one step at a time, inching closer and closer until he it able to reach out and nervously touch Malleus’s sleeve. “Hoh? Aren’t you a brave one.”

Really, Gidel learns, he’s not so bad. Just a really private guy. If he sticks around for long enough, Malleus might ramble to him about his special interests or even amuse him but pretending to strike him or disappearing and reappearing behind Gidel to see if he gets spooked. (He does, and it gives Malleus a good laugh.)

When he sulks, Gidel curls up with him. Malleus will insist he’s not upset, but Gidel knows better. He won’t say anything though (he can’t, even if he wanted to). He only hopes that his presence—and Malleus knowing that he’s there for him—helps, even if only a little.

[hauntedbythefanficsofmypast]

Dead-ends and Surprise Visits

Masterlist

Of Meetings and Musings

“Welcome back to the channel, GalacticPhantom here and today we’re playing Vikings vs Pirates!” The camera pans over to a ghost pirate ship zooming in on a kid's face. “And we’re gonna kick his—!!!YAAA!!! Oh wait, SKOOOOL!!”  The camera zoomed out to show two large floating ships one obviously an early age pirate ship and the other clearly Viking.

Tim paused the video smirking as his eyes scanned the town below him, noting a few landmarks he’d be able to search out. He hummed before taking a sip from his tea cup. While finally off the mandatory rest, Alfred was still displeased it ended sooner than he wished. That meant Tim was still subjected to his coffee ban, something he’d lamented the last hour. 

He was under the firm belief that the reason it took him fifteen minutes to find this video was because he didn’t get to enjoy his usual three am coffee.

Tim would not be telling Alfred that he thought so, that would be a death wish and he’d be banned from being active in the current, ah ghost hunt?

Tim grimaced at the thought, shaking his head as he didn’t want any association with the GIW, he’ll just refer to it as a manhunt. Sounded slightly worse but less ‘were just gonna decide an entire universe is non-sentient and undeserving of basic rights and protections’.

One last skim over the video had Tim turning back to his notebook noting the areas he had written down.

Nasty Burger

Casper High

Fenton Works

It wasn’t much to go on but Tim had worked with less before so this should be easy work for him.

It was not easy work.

Nasty Burger was a fast food chain said to have completely shut their door in 1974, no reasons were given they all just shut down overnight and disappeared. Any searches just lead to conspiracy theorists talking about how the food chain appeared out of nowhere one day in the seventies. Tim had to give them credence though, he was also scratching his head on how the chain just appeared. It was quoted to have ‘Good food but a creepy vibe, like I don’t really know what I’m eating. They don’t say beef, lamb or chicken, just well, meat patties. It was good though so I didn't question it.’

Tim had a feeling that Nasty Burger was somehow linked to the Infinite Realms, he was convinced Danny’s entire town somehow had a direct link. Of course in order to follow that path he’d have to find the actual town in question!

 Casper High was also a dead-end, it did not exist anywhere, ANYWHERE even in Casper, Wyoming. Where one would expect the high school to be named Casper High! He’d even hacked into government servers to see if the GIW had them in a media and information lock down but there was nothing! The most mentions he could get was that the GIW had been driven out of a town years ago after a few failed attempts of catching a ghost named Inviso-Bill, stating large property damaged that left them deciding to never return. That would've been a lead if they actually mentioned the town in question! Like seriously!! It wasn't even redacted or hidden from clearance, it just wasn't mentioned!

Tim’s last chance was Fenton Works which wasn’t a complete dead-end but still a dead-end. He was able to drag up a little information on them but not much. Jackson Fenton and Madeline Fenton nee Burgess, a couple that got married years ago in a courthouse wedding in Madeline’s hometown of Spittoon, Arkansas. He thought for sure he’d find more but their file was gone, just gone, any existence of them past their home towns was gone including that of their families. He groaned, flopping back on his couch after hitting his third dead-end of the search, even his searching systems were coming up with nothing. Like none of them actually exist, which is impossible because Tim had been watching Danny’s videos for a few months now. That adoption bait definitely existed the question was where the fuck was he.

He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath and trying to settle his thoughts before complete unease set over him. Shooting off the couch and into a fighting stance his eyes scanned the room as he pressed his bracelet emergency alert three times. Someone was in the living room with him, someone had been, something was off. Tim could feel it. He didn’t move until Bruce burst through the door and in second he had moved behind his dad and in front of his siblings that stood in the hallway still.

“Someone was here B. I don’t know how but they were and then they were gone in seconds, not even. I had closed my eyes and things immediately felt wrong.” Bruce scanned the room waving Dick and Cass inside, the two oldest immediately doing a top to bottom inspection of every corner trying to find any clue.

“Are you sure Tim? The security systems caught nothing, and I would’ve been notified immediately of a system shut down no matter how small.”

“I’m positive Bruce, I don’t know what happened but someone was in here.” Bruce watched Tim for a second before nodding looking at Duke.

“Can you sit in on your lectures over video call today? I want everyone in pairs until we discover who stepped foot in the manor.

“Sure won’t be an issue. I’ll pair with Tim today since he is working through an investigation. Dick frowned, moving forward wrapping an arm around Damian’s shoulder only earning a fake dirty look.

“I’ll pair with Dami, we already planned an outing to the zoo today. We’ll stop and pick up Babs along the way and bring her back to the manor afterwards.” Bruce nodded, turning to Cass with an upturned eyebrow, the girl hummed before shaking her head. She looked around the room one more time before looking back at him.

“Steph.” She said and the blond was seemingly at her side in seconds grinning, linking their arms together.

“I’ll text Babs for a weekend sleepover so Gordon won’t accuse Dick of trying to date her again!” Steph crowed grinning at Dick who gave her a mock offended look.

“So mean to your favorite older brother! I can’t believe this betrayal.” Steph laughed, punching his shoulder.

“I don’t know about favorite Dickie.” She said, earning a gasp that quickly developed into playful banter between the two most outwardly cheerful of the Batfamily. Bruce smirked slightly before looking at Jason, a suggestion of him and Babs pairing up on his tongue before he noticed the slight glare Jason directed at him.

“Don't even think of it. Babs will be fine with Cass and Steph. We're pairing up assshole, you don't get out of this just because you're the big bad bat.” Bruce thought about arguing for a second but instead just shook his head. A rare fond smile took over his face as he looked at Jason. 

“If you insist Jaylad, we're gonna have so much fun at the Gala tonight. You know a lot have been asking how you're doing, so this will be a perfect opportunity to reconnect with some old friends.” 

“Oh fuck I didn't think this through.” Jason groaned, earning grins from his family as he knew this night would be painful. Alfred knocked on the door calling the attention of the family who quickly clocked a panting Harley Quinn standing beside him.

“Miss Harleen arrived a few moments ago in response to Tim’s distress signal going off. I've assured her everything is being handled but she wished to make sure as well.” Harley gave them a grin as she stood straight walking into the room.

“Messy.” Cass said with a teasing smile as Harley did look very disheveled. One pigtail up with mismatched clothes and one pink and the other blue shoe on.

“Ya know it baby cakes! As soon as I got Birdie the third's signal I rushed over. Brucie gave Pam-a-lamb and I a run down since we could be at the original meeting, I nicked a com from him before he left.” Bruce smirked slightly, rolling his eyes as his kids looked at him surprised.

“Harley has proven to have your health in her best interest since her reform. So yes I let her take a com from me, I knew she'd get to one of you as soon as possible.” Harley grinned before walking over plopping on the couch. She nodded to Alfred as she kicked her shoes off and moved to sit criss-cross. “As you can see she did.”

“Of course! Ya know Bruice and I were close in college before he dropped out! like siblings really along with Crane and a few others! That makes you all my little nieces and nephews!! All the better now that my minds mostly back to normal cause I can spoil and tease you all!” Harley laughed, earning Some grins from the others. She paused, staring at Tim's computer confused. “Hey Timmy, why are you looking up Jackie and Mads? Wow I haven't seen those faces in forever! Look Brucie You remember them right! Jackie, Mads, and good old Vladimir! Though his picture isn't pulled up.” She paused, grabbing a sticky note that Was a glowing neon green. “Sick stick notes I want one, Amity Park? With coordinates too? Is that Where they moved to?” Tim stared at the sticky note in complete shock looking quickly at Bruce.

“That's not mine B-wait wait you know them Harls???” Tim said looking between both of them torn by either examining the note that randomly appeared after Tim’s intruder scare or grilling Harley and Bruce, maybe even Crane as they were his only leads now. Bruce put a hand on his shoulder, halting his runaway thoughts.

“Later, for now let's get this analyzed. Something tells me someone decided to give us a little help finding them.” Tim nodded as he carefully took the sticky note from Harley with a thank you.

‘Latitude: 41° 19' 27.60" N

Longitude: -87° 47' 25.19" W

Amity Park. -CW’

Whoever this CW was somehow managed to get in and out in seconds. Tim's mind was sprinting with all the different possibilities moving about. His determination settled as he handed it off to Bruce who waved Jason along to follow him. He gave Duke a small smile as the other punched his shoulder playfully.

“Let's grab my stuff from my room and we'll settle down here until dinner ya?” Tim nodded moving toward the door with him before turning to Harley.

“Are you staying for dinner?” Harley hummed dramatically before placing her hands on the couch arm and pushing into a handstand.

“Can I invite Ivy over?” She carefully tipped over in a slow back bend before pushing off and landing on her feet. 

“The more the merrier, can she look over the garden though? Damian is trying to grow tomatoes and struggling horribly. He doesn't want to ask her as he feels it beneath him.” Harley snorted as she followed them out the door, all three ignoring Damian's indignant yelling.

“She’d love to, you know how she is with plants!” Tim nodded before grinning abit deviously.

“And while we wait you can tell me about Jack and Maddie Fenton and what B was like in college.”

“Oh you got yourself a deal there Birdie!” 

Danny stared blankly at Clockwork, who acted as if he didn't even notice. His mentor was in his teenage form, Danny knew it meant something, if only the Titan would acknowledge it. The others on the Council glanced between the two a few times until Frostbite decided To speak up.

“Your Majesty, you rarely call Council meetings, might I enquire on why this meeting has been called.” Danny stared a little harder at Clockwork before sighing and turning back to the others.

“Thank you all for coming so suddenly, I know it was last minute and I apologize.”

“My Lord apologies are not needed! Anything that is this important to you is something we are thankful to be privy to!” Pandora said confidently grinning at Danny who smiled appreciatively. 

“I am still very thankful. I was hoping Clockwork would help clue us in but I can see he has chosen to keep his end quiet.” Danny sighed slightly knowing whatever was happening was important. “As you know my full title clues me in when spoken aloud. As we use this when I am needed for things in the Realm. Early today someone not of the Realm used my full title.” Ghost Writer hummed, crossing his arms leaning back.

“Could it have been someone in Amity Park?” Danny shook his head with a sigh as he thought about it.

“No, I would've felt the proximity, and given how close I'd be, would've known who spoke of me like I can with our people. This was further much further and by someone I don't know. It left me rather stumped and uncomfortable.” Danny paused for a moment glancing at Clockwork, who kept a serene expression. “Given that Clockwork is still silent, I can only hope that means I have nothing to really worry about.”

Princess Dorathea looked between the two before giving Danny a serene and gentle smile.

“Well, I believe we must not fear this too much. If it was something truly dangerous I am certain Lord Clockwork would alert us immediately. Perchance it is just some new magics being told of who rules our Realm, please fear not My King.” Pandora nodded along enthusiastically, still grinning, causing the other to smile as well.

“Perhaps we should have a few of the guards patrol Amity Park.” Frostbite announced after a moment of thought. “I have no doubt Princess Dorathea is correct but I can still see the worry in your posture. Amity Park is officially a part of the Realms, so I have little fear of it being found. Especially with Royal Secretary Foley adding his own intense firewalls.” Tucker nodded in conformation as he put his PDA down.

“I think that would be a good idea, have a few patrols. I am not overly worried. I've essentially wiped the town off the maps, it can only be found by chance and  coincidence.” Danny nodded, thinking it over before giving them one of his normal bright smiles.

“Alright, then we are in agreement? Moving forward I will have five Knight patrol Amity Park throughout the day. Knight Wes will obviously remain with me so I will have Fight Knight pick four Knights to patrol with him. Now with that determined, why don't we have lunch together?” A chorus of agreements sounds from around the table.

Past, Present, and that of Space

[najia-cooks]

[ID: A wide cylindrical pile of rice, eggplants, and 'lamb' on a serving platter, garnished with parsley. End ID]

مقلوبة / Maqluba

مَقْلُوبَة⁩ ("maqlūba," "upside down" or "turned over") is a Levantine casserole in which spiced meat, fried vegetables, and rice are arranged in a pot and simmered; the entire pot is then inverted onto a serving tray to reveal the layered ingredients. Maqluba historically uses lamb and eggplant, but modern recipes more often call for chicken; tomato, cauliflower, potato, bell pepper, and peas are other relatively recent additions to the repertoire.

A well-made maqluba should be aromatic and highly spiced; the meat and vegetables should be very tender; and the rice should be cohesive without being mushy. A side of yoghurt gives a tangy, creamy lift that cuts through and complements the spice and fat in the dish.

Maqluba emphasizes communal eating and presentation. It is usually eaten during gatherings and special occasions, especially during Ramadan—a month of sunrise-to-sunset fasting which celebrates the revelation of the Qu'ran to the prophet Mohammad. The pot is sometimes flipped over at the table for a dramatic reveal.

History

Many sources cite Muhammad bin Hasan al-Baghdadi's 1226 Kitāb al-ṭabīkh (كتاب الطبيخ لمحمد بن حسن البغدادي) as containing the first known reference to maqluba. However, the recipes for "maqluba" in this book are actually for small, pan-fried patties of spiced ground meat. [1] The dish is presumably titled "maqluba" because, once one side is fried, the cook is instructed to turn the patties over ("أقلب الوجه الآخر") to brown the other; the identical name to the modern dish is thus coincidental.

References to dishes more like modern maqluba occur elsewhere. A type of مغمومة ("maghmūma," "covered" dish), consisting of layers of meat, eggplant, and rice, covered with flatbread, cooked and then inverted onto a serving plate, is described in a 9th-century poem by إبراهيم بن المهدي (Ibrāhīm ibn al-Mahdī):

A layer of meat underneath of which lies a layer of its own fat, and another of sweet onion, another of rice, Another of peeled eggplant slices, each looking like a good dirham honestly earned. [...] Thus layered the pot is brought to a boil first then enclosed with a disc of oven bread. On the glowing fire it is then put, thus giving it what it needs of heat and fat. When fully cooked and its fat is well up, turn it over onto a platter, big and wide. (trans. Nawal Nasrallah) [2]

These sources are both Iraqi, but one story holds that maqluba originated in Jerusalem. صلاح الدين الأيوبي (Ṣalāḥ ad-Dīn al-Ayyūbi; "Saladin"), after capturing the city from the Crusaders and reinstating Muslim rule in 1187, was served the dish, and was the first to describe it with its current name. Before this point, the Jerusalem specialty had supposedly been known as "باذنجانية" ("bāḏinjānīyya"), from "باذنجان" "bāḏinjān" "eggplant" + ية- "-iyya," a noun-forming suffix.

[ID: The same dish shown from directly above. End ID]

In Palestine

Maqluba is often invoked in the context of Palestinian strength and resistance, in defiance of its occasional description as an "Israeli" dish. Palestinian magazine writer Aleeya Rizvi reflects:

In the wake of the recent [2023] war in Gaza, our culinary endeavors, particularly in crafting and sharing traditional Palestinian dishes like Maqluba, represent a conscious effort to contribute to the preservation and resilience of Palestinian culture. In a time when cultural heritage is under threat, preparing and enjoying these time-honored recipes becomes more than a mere culinary activity; it transforms into a deliberate act of cultural continuity and solidarity.

Maqluba also has a more specific association with physical resistance against the backdrop of increased settler and police violence against Palestinians, including regular Israeli raids and attacks on the جامع الأقصى ("Jāmi' al-Aqṣā"; al-Aqsa mosque), during Ramadan.

The holiest month in the Islamic calendar, Ramadan is given over to fasting, prayer, and reflection; people gather together in homes and mosques to break their fast after sunset, and spend entire nights in mosques in worship. Khadija Khwais and Hanady Al-Halawani used to serve maqluba for افطار ("ifṭār," fast-breaking meal) in the Al-Aqsa mosque, until Israeli occupation authorities banned them from the mosque for "incitement."

In response, starting in 2015, Al-Halawani and other volunteer مرابطين ("murābiṭīn," lit. "holy people," guardians of the mosque) stationed themselves on the ground outside the mosque's gate (باب السلسلة; Bāb as-Silsila, "chain gate") to prepare and serve maqluba. Those who were banned from entering the mosque broke their fast and prayed at the mosque's gates, and in the nearby alleys of the Old City. The same year saw Israeli security personnel and settlers attack Palestinian protestors and guardians outside and inside the mosque with tear gas and stun grenades.

For Al-Halawani, the serving of maqluba at the al-Aqsa gates symbolizes "defiance, steadfastness, and insistence on continuing the fast [...] in spite of the occupation’s practices." The "Maqluba at al-Aqsa" ritual "has become one of the most disturbing Palestinian scenes for the occupation forces," who associate it with the defense of "Palestinian heritage" and the intent to "motivate worshipers and murabitin to repel incursions into the mosque." (Al-Halawani has been arrested, threatened, beaten, and detained by Israeli police multiple times for her role as a defender of Al-Aqsa. She was among the prisoners freed in trades between Israel and Hamas in December 2023.)

In 2017, occupation forces installed metal detectors, electronic gates, metal barriers, and police cameras to surveil worshipers following a shoot-out at one of al Aqsa's gates. Hundreds of protesters refused to enter the mosque until the repressive measures were removed, instead gathering and praying in its courtyard; surrounding families bolstered the sit-ins by serving food and drink. When the gates were dismantled, over 50,000 people gathered to eat maqluba in celebration, picking up on the earlier association of the dish with Saladin's victory (and its resultant alternate name, "أكلة النصر," "ʔakla an-naṣr," "victory meal").

The name "maqluba," meaning "upside-down" or "inverted," may be associated with victory and resistance as well. Fatema Khader noted in 2023 that the method of serving maqluba was a "symbolic representation of how Israeli policies and decisions against Palestinians will be flipped on their heads and become rendered meaningless." It is also relevant that maqluba is meant to be served to large groups of people, and can thus be linked, symbolically and literally, to solidarity and communal resistance.

This year in Gaza, Palestinians show steadfast optimism as they paint murals, hang lanterns, buy sweets, hold parties, and pray in groups amongst the rubble where mosques once stood. But despite these efforts at creating joy, the dire circumstances take heavy tolls, and the holiday cannot be celebrated as usual: Israel's campaign of slow starvation led Ghazzawi Diab al-Zaza to comment, "We have been fasting almost against our will for three months".

Donate to provide hot meals in Gaza for Ramadan

[1] Also reprinted in Mosul: Umm Al-Rubi'in Press (مطبعة ام الربيعين) (1934), p. 57. For an English translation see Charles Perry, A Baghdad Cookery Book (2005), pp. 77-8.

[2] This poem, as well as one of Ibn al-Mahdi's maghmuma dishes, were compiled in Ibn Sayyar al-Warraq's 10th-century Book of Dishes (كتاب الطبيخ وإصلاح الأغذية المأكولات وطيّبات الأطعمة المصنو; "Kitāb al-ṭabīkh waʔiṣlāḥ al-ʔaghdiyat al-maʔkūlāt waṭayyibāt ʔaṭ'ima al-maṣno," "Book of cookery, food reform, delicacies, and prepared foods"), p. 99 recto. For Nasrallah's English translation see Annals of the Caliph's Kitchens, pp. 313-4.

In the 14th-century Andalusian Cookbook (كتاب الطبيخ في المغرب والأندلس في عصر الموحدين، للمكلف المجهول; "Kitāb al-ṭabīkh fī al-Maghrib wa al-Andalus fī ʻaṣr al-Mawahḥidīn," "Book of cookery from the Maghreb and Andalusia in the era of Almohads"), a maghmuma recipe appears as "لون مغموم لابن المهدى", "maghmum by Ibn al-Mahdi". For an English translation see An Anonymous Andalusian Cookbook, trans. Perry et al.

Ingredients:

For a 6-qt stockpot. Serves 12.

For the meat:

1 recipe seitan lamb

or

2 cups (330g) ground beef substitute

1 cinnamon stick

1 bay laurel leaf

Pinch ground cardamom

Several cracks black pepper

For the dish:

3 cups (600g) Egyptian rice

2 medium-sized globe eggplants

2 large Yukon gold potatoes (optional)

Vegetarian 'chicken' or 'beef' bouillon cube (optional)

2 1/2 tsp table salt (1 1/2 tsp, if using bouillon)

Vegetable oil, to deep-fry

Fried pine nuts or sliced blanched almonds, to top

Egyptian rice is the traditional choice in this dish, but many modern recipes use basmati.

I kept my ingredients list fairly simple, but you can also consider adding cauliflower, carrots, peas, chickpeas, zucchini, bell pepper, and/or tomato to preference (especially if omitting meat substitutes).

For the spices:

1 1/2 Tbsp maqluba spices

or

1 4" piece (3g) cinnamon bark, toasted and ground (1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon)

3/4 tsp (2.2g) ground turmeric

3/4 tsp (1.5g) cloves, toasted and ground

3/4 tsp (2.2g) black peppercorns, toasted and ground

15 green cardamom pods (4.5g), toasted, seeds removed, and ground (or 3/4 tsp ground cardamom)

Instructions:

For the meat:

1. Prepare the seitan lamb, if using: it will need to be started several hours early, or the night before.

2. If using ground meat: heat 2 tsp oil in a skillet on medium. Add cinnamon stick and bay leaf and fry for 30 seconds until fragrant.

3. Add meat and ground spices and fry, agitating occasionally, until browned. Set aside.

For the dish:

2. Rinse rice 2 to 3 times, until water runs almost clear. Soak in cold water for 30 minutes, while you prepare the vegetables.

3. Optional: to achieve a presentation with eggplant on the sides of the maqluba, remove the skin from either side of one eggplant (so that all slices have flesh exposed on both sides) and then cut lengthwise into 1/2" (1cm)-thick slices.

Cut the other eggplant (or both eggplants) widthwise into coins and half-coins.

4. Sprinkle eggplant slices with salt on both sides and leave for 10-15 minutes to release water.

5. Peel potatoes and cut in 1/4" (1/2 cm) slices.

6. Heat about an inch of oil in a deep skillet or wok on medium (a potato slice dropped in should immediately form bubbles). Fry the potato slices until golden brown, then remove onto a paper-towel-lined plate or wire cooling rack.

7. Press eggplant slices on both sides with a towel to remove moisture. Fry in the same oil until translucent and golden brown, then remove as before.

Fry other vegetables (except for tomato, chickpeas, and peas) the same way, if using.

8. Drain rice. Whisk bouillon, salt, and ground spices into several cups of hot water.

9. Prepare a large, thick-bottomed pot with a circle of oiled parchment paper (or with a layer of sliced tomatoes). Add ground meat, if using. Layer widthwise-sliced eggplants into the pot, followed by potatoes. Place longitudinally sliced eggplants around the sides of the pot, large side up.

10. Add rice and pack in. Fold eggplant slices down over the rice, if they protrude.

11. Pour broth into the pot, being careful not to upset the rice. Add more water if necessary, so that the rice is covered by about an inch.

12. Heat on medium to bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover with a closely fitting lid, and cook 30 minutes.

13. If rice is not fully cooked after 30 minutes, lightly stir and add another cup of water. Re-cover and cook another 15 minutes. Check again and repeat as necessary.

14. Allow maqluba to rest for half an hour before flipping for best results. Place a large platter upside-down over the mouth of the pot, then flip both over in one smooth motion. Tap the bottom of the pot to release, and leave for a few minutes to allow the maqluba to drop.

15. Slowly lift the pot straight up, rotating slightly if the sides seem stuck.

16. Top with fried seitan lamb, chopped parsley, and fried pine nuts or almonds, as desired.