#with likely a focus on wetlands

[asterlavellan]

'Did you know that Emmrich Volkarin-'

[nanowrimo]

How to Use Meal Scenes to Develop Characters, Relationships, and Your World

Worldbuilding can sound complicated, but why not make it a little more simple by focusing on food? It may be the domestic touch you need! NaNo Participant Lacey Pfalz talks about using meal scenes to develop your world and your characters.

There’s one thing that remains a universal human truth: we love food! While our perspectives on food might differ, people all across the globe gather together during mealtimes — and thus, mealtimes are made memorable.

Meal scenes can also help your story in a few key ways, especially if it’s fantasy, science fiction or historical fiction.

Meal Scenes for Worldbuilding

If we’re using food for worldbuilding purposes, does that mean we can say we’re worldcooking?

Just kidding! Worldbuilding, especially in historical fiction, science fiction, and fantasy, is an integral part of what you must do as a writer (In truth, it’s also important for writers from other genres, but we’re specializing in these three today).

Meal scenes can be an important part of the worldbuilding process. Food is intrinsically tied to a culture or a country, or even a small region. That’s why it’s important, when building your own world, to take time to figure out the bare minimum of what your characters will be eating.

Let’s do an example. Your world is fantasy, your kingdom set beside a wide river. Perhaps your capital city, where much of the action is located, is surrounded by wetland.

If this is the case, what types of food would likely grow there? Seafood, fished from the large river, might be your characters’ staple proteins, while rice might grow better than another grain because of your kingdom’s wetlands. Fruit, perhaps even coconuts, might be the sweet stuff your main character loves to devour.

Remember that your world directly affects what types of food your characters will be having: is there coffee in space? What about in Byzantine Turkey or your new riverside kingdom?

Shannon Chakraborty does a phenomenal job with this in her fantasy series The Daevabad Trilogy, which is set in the eighteenth century across the Middle East. Her first book, The City of Brass, is especially good at showcasing the often-fragrant dishes of the various cultures across this region of the world (some copies of the book even have a short list of recipes from the book that foodies can try whipping up for themselves).

While her book is set within the fantastical world of the Djinn, her food is based upon recipes that have been preserved for centuries.

There’s one small reminder with all of this: it’s important not to get too caught up in describing each dish so much that you end up taking the focus away from the characters in a meal scene. Meal scenes can be breaks from fast action, but they should also continue the plot.

Meal Scenes for Developing Characters & Relationships

Character development can be hard, especially if you have a handful of characters that you love! But in order to make your readers love them too, you have to show them interacting with the world around them.

That guy we love to hate? Maybe he’s a loner who has grown up eating by himself. Having him forced to sit and eat with a group of people who have known each other for years might be an awkward moment for him, but it helps readers to learn more about his own worldview — and it might just help get him out of his shell, or at least off the love-to-hate list.

Besides helping you develop a single character, writing meal scenes with some of your characters can also help readers learn more about the relationship between your characters.

Let’s say you have your main character, MC. MC leans over and steals a French fry from her best friend. There’s no issue, right? That’s because they like each other, and the best friend has likely eaten with MC before, and knows she enjoys stealing food from other people’s plates.

But when MC tries it again, this time with the guy sitting next to her, he whacks her hand to stop her from stealing. This sparks an argument that seems, at least to everyone else watching it, pointless, but readers will know from the rest of the story that they’re the enemies-to-lovers trope. This argument is just one of many before they finally acknowledge their feelings towards one another.

See how that worked? A meal scene wasn’t useless; it pulled the story along by giving readers another taste of the enemies-to-lovers trope that so many enjoy reading.

If you need a more visible example of how this can play out, try watching a movie like Pride & Prejudice, (the book is amazing, but I’m suggesting the movie as a visual aid). The movie does a great job showcasing just how different the members of the Bennet family are individually, how they act around each other, and how they act around company.

There’s often little action in meal scenes, so they’re not meant to be overused. The plot should also still be there — take the cringey proposal scene between Mr. Collins and Elizabeth in Pride & Prejudice, for example, which follows directly after a meal when the rest of her family abandons her. In this case, the plot (and Mr. Collins’ advances) ruin her meal.

Perhaps your meal scene is the much-needed respite in between battling fierce aliens for planet Earth, or the first time your main character’s enemy-to-lover has entered her home. Either way, meal scenes are an important way to immerse your readers in what kind of world they’re imagining as well as showcasing how your characters act and — more importantly — how they act around each other.

Lacey Pfalz is a travel journalist by day, hopeful author by night. She belongs to the class of graduates she dubs the Class of COVID-19, having graduated with a double major in history and writing at Wisconsin Lutheran College in 2020. Her writing passions include fantasy, science fiction and historical fiction (with a little bit of romance, of course!). As someone with a physical disability, it’s her dream to write a fantasy series featuring a main character like her. Header Image by Jack Sparrow

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A sample of common crops of Uanlikri, with a focus on crops grown on the Ojame archipelago.

More information under the cut.

Grains

Several types of grains and grain-like crops are cultivated in Uanlikri. Of these, the four major types are millet, sand rice, swamp rice, and amaranth (not depicted).

Millet and sand rice are heat-loving and drought tolerant, with sand rice requiring especially good soil drainage but being more cold hardy. They are the main staples north of the Kantishian Mountains. Millet is favoured in the wetter Basin region, and sand rice in the dryer, more mountainous western regions, and both are grown equally in the continent's hot and arid northern desert.

Swamp rice is another important staple of the Basin region: though cultivation is complexified by its extremely heavy water requirements (swamp rice only grows in marshes or riverbanks), the complex river deltas leading to the Basin's inner seas are ideal for its cultivation and have been heavily modified to create artificial wetlands where swamp rice can be grown. Some strains of swamp rice have good cold hardiness allowing them to be grown south of the Kantishian Mountains. Swamp rice has also been selected for salt resistance: it is an especially important crop in the cold brackish marshes of the Cianji river and in the hot saltwater marshes of the Ojame Archipelago.

Amaranth is primarily cultivated in southern regions of Uanlikri. In the southern Basin region, they are a supplemental crop, but up in the mountains and in the cold lands south of the Kantishian, amaranth is the main staple. Mountain amaranth is especially frost resistant and able to survive nightly summer frosts in the Kantishian's high plateaus.

Red oats, known in the Ojame archipelago as uciwici, is a locally important crop grown in eastern coastal regions. Red oats is sensitive to extreme temperatures and does poorly in continental climates, but its extremely high salt resistance and ability to grow in poor soils make it a crucial crop by allowing cultivation to extend to otherwise marginal areas such as sandbars, coastal dunes, and other poor, rocky and sandy soils. It is appreciated for its purple grains with a naturally slightly salty taste, and for its decorative red foliage which retains some of its colour when dried, making it useful for basketry.

Ferns

Other grain-like crops grown in Uanlikri are seed ferns. Seed ferns are distantly related to true ferns and cycads. Two species are cultivated in Uanlikri: a climbing seed fern grown South of the Kantishian and which produces large numbers of small orange seeds attached to the underside of its fronds, and a caytoniale tree fern which produces modified fronds with large, round yellow seeds instead of leaves and is grown in the Upper Basin and Great Lakes region.

Climbing seed ferns are extremely prolific with a seasonal harvest on par with grain fields and well-keeping seeds with high nutritional value. The seeds are bitter with a taste somewhat reminiscent of burnt almonds and citrus peel, and are usually parboiled before cooking to remove some of the bitterness.

Caytoniale seed ferns are less prolific but are perennials. The seed envelope is also quite bitter, but the seed flesh has a pleasant neutral flavour and a crunchy, sticky texture not unlike that of meringue. Seeds keep well on the tree, but go bad quickly once harvested unless they are properly processed: seeds meant to be kept are parboiled, smoked, and ground into flour, while seeds meant for short-term consumption are either hulled and ground into flour, or hulled and grilled, often to be eaten as snacks alongside grilled insects.

True ferns are commonly consumed as greens, especially young fern shoots (fiddle-heads) and equisetum (horsetail) ferns. Antioles are less sensitive to the toxins in ferns, and parboiling of fiddleheads is often done but not strictly necessary unless consumed in great quantities.

Legumes

Legumes grown for food are historically rather rare in Uanlikri prior to the conquest of the Western Peninsula by the Senq Ha Empire. There are only two important legume crops in Uanlikri which are native to the continent: the grosbean, and the wax pea.

Grosbean is a vine which produces short, rectangular pods containing two to three large beans. The beans are exceptionally large, very colourful, and have a somewhat chalky texture. They used to be a staple in the Basin region, but have been mostly displaced by more palatable varieties introduced by Senq Ha colonists, though they are still grown for jewellery.

The wax pea is short, somewhat vine-like plant producing smooth pods containing a single unpalatable, extremely waxy pea. Though they are edible under duress, wax peas have never been grown as a food crop. They are instead highly valued for the wax which can be obtained by boiling the peas in a slightly acidic solution.

Other legumes (not depicted) have grown in popularity in the two centuries since and are now commonly eaten in most regions.

Roots and fruits

There is a great regional variation in the crops grown for their greens, roots, and fruits. This section should be treated as a sample of a sample, focused more closely on crops grown in the Ojame Archipelago.

Fruits

There are several species of ginkgo in Uanlikri, all of which produce elegant foliage and edible nuts. The nuts stink and their skin can cause rashes, so they are to be manipulated with caution, but their creamy flesh is much appreciated for its strong cheese-like flavour, which confers a pungent taste to salty and sweet dishes alike.

Bird cherries are small, cherry-like fruits that grow on trees and bushes. Most bird cherries are tart and astringent and are used for a touch of tartness or in jams and other preserves. Some cultivars produce very sweet cherries. The seeds of most birdcherries are mildly toxic to antioles.

The arils of a few yew species are eaten by antioles, especially as a gooey prepared delicacy or in jams. All other parts of the yew plant are extremely toxic to antioles, and the arils must be consumed with extreme caution. Because of this, it is illegal to plant yews on the Ojame Archipelago and especially in Ranai, but due to the extreme longevity of these trees, there are several ancient yews in the city of Ranai which are important landmarks and sources of yew arils.

Various citrus are grown and used throughout the Northern parts of the continent: most are acidic and bitter, though there are also sweet varieties. In the citruses of Uanlikri, green is associated with sweetness, yellow with bitterness, and orange with acidity.

Sumac is an important culinary crop in the Ojame Archipelago: sumac fruits are processed for the production of malic acid, a popular flavoring and crucial ingredient in the traditional Ojame ceviches.

Mothberries are named after their pale blue flowers in the shape of a butterfly. It is a drought resistant plant originating from the northern regions of the continent and cultivated for multiple uses: its tuber and leaves are aromatic and medicinal and its fruit is very sweet.

Roots

Root vegetables of all kinds make up an important portion of non-staple crops throughout Uanlikri.

Fur yams are floury and sweet, with edible and prolific leaves with a distinctly "green" taste.

Gourd roots, named after their shape, are crunchy, aromatic and sweet, with leaves used as culinary herbs.

Reeds are an all-around essential plants, with young shoots eaten as greens, roots eaten as a staple by coastal and marshland peoples, and its dried leaves and stems essential materials in basketry.

Orange onions are one of the many varieties of alliums cultivated in Uanlikri. They are the most popular alliums in Ranai. They are potently sulfuric and milden considerably with cooking.

Sweet and pearl radishes (are not radishes) are different cultivars of the Uanlikri radish (not a radish) with crunchy, fresh-tasting and slightly bitter leaves and small starchy tubers which produce very fine starches.

Spindleaf yams are plants with strangely shaped, aromatic and medicinal leaves somewhat reminiscient of sage and a juicy, crunchy tuber with a slight, mustard-like bite.

These are just a sample of grains, ferns, legumes, greens, roots and fruits eaten in Ranai and elsewhere on the continent of Uanlikri. Many of these plants have a large number of regional cultivars, and each region has a variety of local plants they grow or gather which are not broadly eaten elsewhere.

[lonelywretchjervistetch]

The State Birds Initiative: Massachusetts (#6)

Whoa, it's December already? Wow! Been a while since I made one of these, but I honestly needed the break I think. So, uh...where were we? Ah, right.

Welcome to the sixth official poll of the State Birds Initiative! Before the poll, though, one thing real quick, and I cannot emphasize this enough! Read the post below before voting in the poll! It's not a requirement, but it is a real firm suggestion, especially important if you're lacking context about the birds being presented as the new (or old) State Bird of the Bay State, Massachusetts. This is to be fully informed as to why these are being presented, and to make your choices appropriately. Lastly, some of these birds, you will notice, *may *go against some of the rules listed in the introduction post. All is explained after the jump where the explanations are, I promise you that. With that...OK! Here's the poll!

Welcome to the sixth official poll of the State Birds Initiative! Before the poll, though, one thing real quick, and I cannot emphasize this enough! Read the post below before voting in the poll! It's not a requirement, but it is a real firm suggestion, especially important if you're lacking context about the birds being presented as the new (or old) State Bird of the Bay State, Massachusetts. This is to be fully informed as to why these are being presented, and to make your choices appropriately. Lastly, some of these birds, you will notice, may go against some of the rules listed in the introduction post. All is explained after the jump where the explanations are, I promise you that. With that...OK! Here's the poll!

Massachusetts, baby! I've had to travel away from the Bay State in the past week for a conference, but I'm excited to get back to this surprisingly great state. I say surprisingly because Massachusetts' reputation isn't a greatest for those outside of it, but living in it has definitely changed my mind for a number of reasons! That said, the time has come to talk about it a bit. The sixth smallest state in the union, Massachusetts is home to a number of prominent cities, both historically and contemporaneously. There is of course, Boston, the capital and largest city seen above via the big-ass CITGO sign. And while that's the city people equate with the entire state, let's not forget Worcester, Springfield, Cambridge, Lowell, Plymouth, Salem, Amherst, Natick, Cape Cod, etc., etc., etc. There's a whole-ass pile of classic New England cities in this small state, as well as a bevy of habitats and natural spaces.

So, to get into it a bit, Massachusetts is smack-dab in the New England temperate forests, with the highlands dominating the western portion of the state, and a flat lowland coastal region in the eastern half. Forests are temperate mixed, which contributes to the legendary falls that we see in New England. The coastal regions, meanwhile, are glacial in origin, covered in wetlands towards the center of the state, and beaches on the shores. Also of note are the various coastal marshes throughout the state, which serve as their own predominant habitats. Using the BioMap2 project as a framework, let's talk a little bit about these habitats.

Massachusetts, of course, sits on the Atlantic Ocean, which certainly isn't a first for this list, but is vitally important as we go further north into New England. In the case of Massachusetts, we're looking at sandy beaches and dune habitats as prominent foraging and nesting areas for various shorebirds, which does make shorebirds a high likely focus for this list. Some of you probably know one of the most important birds we'll be looking at, but we'll get to that one, don't worry.

Alongside the beaches, estuaries are a prominent habitat along the shorelines. Places like Plum Island, in northern Massachusetts, or Belle Isle Marsh in the middle of Boston itself, personally come to mind. Massive saltmarshes that are vital stopover habitats for migrants, habitats for insects and endangered turtles, and coastal salt ponds and tidal marshes that house incredible biodiversity within them. There's a lot of focus coming to the coastlines, that's what I'm saying. All of these habitats and the species within them comprise about 41,000 acres of land, and about 75% of that is in danger from development and rising sea levels.

Now, I'm gonna skip over a bunch of other habitats here, especially freshwater wetlands and riparian habitats, because while these are extremely important, they won't be getting as much focus here. Now, we need to move on to the forests. I've talked about them before in Connecticut, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, but we've got a very specific situation here in Mass. Here, because of the large number of people and settlements, fragmentation is a very prominent problem in the state. For the uninitiated, habitat fragmentation is basically what it sounds like: splitting up habitat by roads or other man-made corridors, breaking up populations of several animals, birds included. Doesn't sound like a big deal to animals that can fly, but birds don't like crossing corridors if they can help it, because it makes them vulnerable to predation (of adults and nests) and car strikes. So, forests of New England and Massachusetts are a habitat of needed focus. And while this will receive a slightly lesser focus, most likely, it's still a place we'll take a look at.

These three habitat types, wetland, coastal, and forest, are the most important in Massachusetts, as well as in New England (which, again, will change slightly as we head further north). But there's also the ever-important human element to consider, ESPECIALLY here.

While I said Boston doesn't define the entire state, and it doesn't, it's also the second most populated city on our list of states thus far, and happens to be one of the most important places in the country historically. Let's not forget, this is basically the seat of the American Revolution in many ways, so it's a pretty major part of our cultural identity as a country. And trust me, Boston is fully aware of that fact. I'm never one to dabble in stereotypes, but Bostonians are extremely proud to be Bostonians most of the time. It's a proud city, and that's understandable from a traditional point of view.

Plus, with Plymouth Rock 40 minutes to the south (and not worth the drive, from what I've heard), the textile-based seat of the American Industrial Revolution 40 minutes to the north (looking at you, Lowell), the site of the "shot heard round the world" 15 minutes away (Concord and Lexington, of course), the oldest American university 5 minutes away (Cambridge, of course), and the home of the legend of the American witch about an hour north (Salem, of course)...look, it's a central hub of the state, and it WILL not be ignored! So, with that said, grab some coffee from Dunks and some clam chowdah, let's settle in and check out some birds!

If anybody has a suggestion that I hadn't brought up here, send it my way! I will absolutely add another poll if there are entries I think could bear fruit. But, in the meantime, read on if you're interested in the possible choices for the State Bird of Massachusetts!

Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus)

I gotta say, I have a real soft-spot for these guys. Although, to be fair, I think most people do! Named after their iconic call, and their memorable black cap, the Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) is one of the most iconic birds of New England, and arguably of North America. I say arguably only because there are a few chickadees in the United States, but the Black-capped is one of the most famous. We'll revisit the rest in two later posts, but this one is our focus today.

This bird was originally chosen because, well, it's iconic. I assume. To be honest, I don't actually know why it was chosen, outside of it being recognizable. It's also possible (POSSIBLE) that it was inspired by nearby Maine's choice of State Bird. But that's a choice we'll get to at a later date, I promise you that. As for the BCCH here, does it fit the state? I'll be honest, I actually like the chickadee for Massachusetts' State Bird. Partially, that's because it's a bird that can be found all throughout it with no difficulty, and it's an excellent beginner bird for kids (and just-starting amateurs). But, it's also small and incredibly scrappy, just like Massachusetts. I've had these guys in hand before, and I tell you, these little bastards'll hammer away at your cuticles with their beaks to get you to let them go. Doesn't hurt, unless they really try to grab on and twist at a sensitive spot, but they're fighters!

They're also quite social and vocal, which also fits residents of the Bay State. They have a unique language, with an alarm call that's recognizable by multiple bird species for warning, and it's also their most famous call ("chick-a-dee-dee-dee-dee"). The more "dees" there are, the higher the perceived threat is, fun fact. They hang out in groups in the winter, both with other chickadees and other birds, and their brains generate new neurons in the autumn and winter to remember and navigate to places where they can find food during a difficult harvesting season. That's how I feel when I have to remember where the nearest Dunks is for coffee, not gonna lie.

I realize that I'm making some convincing arguments for the incumbent here, but...yeah, there's a reason. I do honestly think this is a solid choice for the State Bird of Massachusetts, so I'll support its re-election if that occurs. But with that said and presented, let's move on to the challengers. Some are good, some are mediocre, and some are a bit surprising. And some...should maybe belong to a different state.

Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus)

eBird's suggestion is, unsurprisingly, the Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus), because a whopping 25% of the breeding population can be found in Massachusetts, according to eBird Status and Trends. And WOW, that is a massive proportion. That means, just to make this clear, one in 4 of ALL Piping Plovers are born in Massachusetts. Significant proportion, meaning that this has a claim on the role of MA State Bird for that reason alone. And Massachusetts certainly knows this, as several beaches in the state are shut down during the plover breeding season to allow them to nest in peace, without human disturbance.

In fact, when Piping Plovers were declared endangered in the Endangered Species Act, Mass Audubon launched the Coastal Waterbird Program to protect them and a later entry on this list. The population has exploded tenfold in the last 40 years of conservation work, and these are a pretty easy to find species now, if you're looking for them. This is a great introductory bird, both to conservation efforts, and to shorebirds (which are notoriously difficult to identify). It's also, surprisingly for shorebirds of this ilk, pretty easy to identify. And also...they're incredibly cute. I mean, have you seen the babies? It's crazy how cute they are. Seriously, LOOK AGAIN. Precious. Another solid candidate, and an excellent representative of the beaches of Massachusetts.

Ipswich Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis princeps)

Ah, the Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis). We meet again. Sorry to abandon you back there in Georgia, but to be fair, you were only nominated there because you're named after a major city in the state. But here...ah, wait, right, same thing. Now, to be fair, you've probably mentioned that the nominated bird is the Ipswich Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis princeps), not the Savannah Sparrow. But this is, of course, a subspecies of the Savannah Sparrow, named after Ipswich, Massachusetts due to its first sighting there. Larger and paler than its compatriots, the Ipswich Sparrow is known from Massachusetts...but breeds in Nova Scotia. Yeah, we've got another Connecticut Warbler (Oporornis agilis) situation here. Yikes.

So, is there a reason to nominate this bird for Massachusetts outside of its name? Well...actually kinda. These pale sparrows are, to be fair, pretty uniquely found in Massachusetts. And, while this isn't the only place you can see it, it is a reliable place to find it. It's sighted on the dunes on the Massachusetts coast, blending in with the light-colored sand, and making its way to and from Nova Scotia, where it only breeds on one island. So, conservation concern (and focus), seen in the state (even if it doesn't breed there), relies on some of its habitats of focus (saltmarshes and coastlines), has a tie to it that's unique to Massachusetts...it's something. Not as good as other options, but...something. In any case, let's move on.

Snowy Egret (Egretta thula)

Hold on. We saw this guy in the Connecticut post! What is this post, a bunch of repeats? Well, to be fair here, the Snowy Egret (Egretta thula) is a slightly better fit for Massachusetts than it was for Connecticut...for the exact same reason it was suggested for Connecticut. Well, part of it, anyway. I stand by the idea of applying the "macaroni" label to the Snowy Egret to fit with Connecticut, but it's the Audubon Society part I'm focusing on here. Lemme quote the previous post:

To be clear here, quite a lot of birds were used in millinery back in the day, but the Snowy Egret (and the Great Egret (Ardea alba), for that matter) are special. Those long white feathery plumes were heavily prized as hat decorations, enough so that the species nearly went extinct from hunting them for the hat trade. As a result of that, people began to turn their eye towards conservation of the species, and the protection of birds in general. Two women, Harriet Hemenway and Minna B. Hall, got a group of women together to protect the birds. They rallied the troops, and their organization became fairly popular. Eventually when they sought to name it, they did so after one of the most famous ornithologists in American history at the time: John James Audubon. And from there...well, you can guess.

The Audubon Society is one of the premiere bird conservation organizations in the world, and especially in the United States, and is well-known to the public sector. And it was born right here in...Massachusetts. Oh. Wait, have I jumped the gun on this one?

I had, indeed, jumped the gun. So, to fix that now, let's throw the Snowy Egret in here instead! After all, it does breed in the state (a little bit), and I actually saw some earlier this year in Parker River NWR! It has a historical tie, and to the largest conservation organization in New England! Trust me, Mass Audubon is a MASSIVE deal up here, and their link alone gives me cause to put the Snowy Egret on this list. That said, though...that's not their logo.

Common Tern (Sterna hirundo)

To my genuine surprise, the logo for Mass Audubon is actually the Common Tern (Sterna hirundo), an aerial and acrobatic seabird found on the shores of Massachusetts, in some surprising places. In Massachusetts, though, there's a major tie to conservation and the Common Tern, because this is actually one of the birds whose feathers were stolen for hats, inspiring the foundation of the movement. Yeah, both the Snowy Egret and this species, which was (and is) more common here. So, if there's an Audubon-related bird to be elected, it probably should be this one, to be honest. This is a species, understand, that was crashing in population in the late 1800s, and was saved from hunting by a young Mass Audubon. Between 1889 and 1920, the population bloomed eightfold, from 5,000 pairs to 40,000 pairs. An impressive population boom in every possible way. However, that wouldn't last.

Herring Gulls (Larus argentatus), human activity, and various other disturbances have created numerous population crashes and bottlenecks in the species' history in Massachusetts, keeping them a conservation focus to this day. The species has notably spread throughout the state's coastlines to this day, and they aren't terribly hard to find. In fact, you can see them in the Boston Harbor, from the shore! I've seen Common Tern from the New England Aquarium very often, in fact, and it's sort of magical to see them smack-dab in the middle of the city. Their habitats of beaches and shorelines need to be maintained and protected, so throwing the conservation focus on them is incredibly valuable for the species' future. A solid choice for State Bird (or another category sponsored by the SBI), if ever there was one.

Veery (Catharus fuscescens)

But wait, coming in at the last moment, just making it, the Veery (Catharus fuscescens)! Yeah, this one's a bit of a surprise, but I found out some very interesting info recently. The Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapilla) was not the first nominee for State Bird; instead, in 1931, the State Federation of Women's Clubs (yup, another woman's organization) nominated the Veery for the State Bird...and got shot down. It took them ten years to nominate the Chickadee for unknown reasons, meaning the Veery probably didn't even get its day in court. Shameful! So, let's try and rectify that here, shall we?

Veery are thrushes, famous for the beautiful, ethereal calls that give them their name. This is a robin-sized migratory songbird that breeds in the forests of New England and southern Canada, and are an iconic New England bird in their own right. They're found in forested wetlands (that's two habitats of concern in MA), usually fairly close to beaver ponds, and the two species are often associated. It's also a species mentioned in Henry David Thoreau's Walden, one of the most important environmentalist literary works in American history, as well as an important Massachusetts story. It's also currently spreading in the state, increasing the size of its range, while also experiencing slightly decreasing populations, meaning that focus is still needed. And again...that song. It's a delight to hear it in forests, and recognizing it is a great step for beginning birders to pay more attention to the sound around them.

And with that...yeah! We'll end it there! Only six nominees, and you're probably wondering what's happened to the State Raptor and State Game Bird. Well...I'll explain that once we get to the results. Because that's a bit more complicated then expected.

See you next time, and happy birding!

Introduction to the State Birds Initiative

1. Delaware - Poll | Results 2. Pennsylvania - Poll | Results 3. New Jersey - Poll | Results 4. Georgia - Poll | Results 5. Connecticut - Poll | Results 6. Massachusetts - Poll | Results (upcoming)

[novarunestone]

Was tagged by my lovely friend @tkwritesdumbassassins to share a snippet of a work in progress. Here's a peek at some first-time intimacy with Taliesin and Lucanis.

Lucanis does not understand all of the elven words but the soft tenor of her voice is enough to calm his nerves. She does not go far, remaining in his sight and well within reach if he were so inclined to draw her back to him. He returns his focus to his breathing, transfixed by her. The anxious pressure in his chest lessening as he times his breaths as he had been taught as a fledgling.  Until she bends at the waist to peel off her trousers entirely.  “Cazzo,” he croaks. He isn't sure where to look. He isn't sure if it is shameful to look. Or if it is somehow more rude to not look. In any case, he cannot bring himself to avert his eyes. He is enraptured, enthralled, utterly lost at the sight of her. He can barely breathe when she straightens up before him, naked as the day she was born and waiting for him. Ready for him.  “Raspberries,” Spite hums in the back of his mind. “Oak and lightning. Want.” “Tali,” Lucanis sighs in wonderment. “Sei così bella…” The mottled and twisted scar against her lower abdomen does not inspire the anguish and self-blame that it once had, he is relieved to find. That fateful day in the Hossberg Wetlands had been what had finally spurred him into action. The thought of losing her before ever getting to truly know her had been agony to consider. The resulting kiss they'd shared in Treviso a week later had been the soothing balm to that aching wound. It had been a vow to continue to fight and be unwilling to give up.  There is another thin, aged scar against her hip, likely made by a blade. The muscles of her thighs that are wrapped in smooth olive skin that he longs to sink his teeth into. The thatch of dark hair at their apex that sends his heart positively racing. She is an alluring canvas of soft curves and strong muscles and well-worn battle scars. She is a life lived fully. She is his.

[thatfreshi]

"He Can't Have You" (Astarion x Reader)

Seems as though Auntie Ethel doesn't go down without a fight, and that fight involves bringing out the worst in people's minds. (Also we get to see where the nickname Aster came from)

tw - mentions of abuse, panic attack

The Sunny Wetlands, later revealed to be a putrid swamp, have proven particularly difficult for Astarion. The last thing any of you expected was to find a Gur hunting him, especially this far from the city. It made your heart skip a beat, hearing the monster hunter utter his name, and you could feel the tension in the vampire. Thankfully, you did away with him quickly. By now, he's told you plenty about his past, at least as much as he could bear to tell. That haunting feeling though, knowing that Cazador was hunting him, it was paralyzing. As you searched for Mayrina, you and Astarion fell behind the rest of the group.

"Are you alright my love? I could tell them we should just set up camp for the night, rest up for dealing with the hag."

"Nonsense. What would I look like, asking everyone to stop for me? The Gur has been dealt with, let's just leave it at that darling."

"I cannot imagine dealing with the hag will be easy though."

"I'll simply run my blade through her like I do everything else. I'll be fine."

It hasn't been long enough with him to truly know if he's lying, but you certainly have a hunch. On the way back to the hag's house, Gale casts detect magic.

"She's definitely in here. We should be prepared."

Sure, she looked like a sad old woman, but those adventurers told you the truth, how she took their sister. When Karlach leads the charge, opening the door, she tries to look shocked.

"Oh dear! It's quite rude to storm into someone's house like that. Where are your manners?"

Without responding, Karlach throws her axe into the hag's shoulder, breaking the illusion, showing the monster for who she is. Covered in grime, like a witch born straight from the mud.

"It looks like I'll just have to teach you all how to be polite!"

Karlach tries to go for a second hit, but the hag teleports. Gale soon tracks her down, casting a ray of frost. Astarion follows her up the stairs while she tries to counterspell Gale. You and Lae'zel try to attack from a distance, missing because of just how quick she can move from place to place. Wyll has focused on assisting Gale, and Shadowheart is keeping track of all your party members, making sure to be there as soon as one of you takes a hit. In the meantime, she casts guidance on Astarion, who is fighting much more intensely than usual. Perhaps killing the Gur wasn't enough, and the anger was still boiling inside.

"Alright little mosquito, you want to be a thorn in my side? Poor decision."

The hag disappears from sight, and Astarion stops in his tracks. At first you think nothing of it. It almost looks like he's searching the room for where your enemy landed. For him though, the hag has cast a strong illusion, preying on his worst fear: being back in Cazador's grasp. The teahouse has transformed into the kennels, cold stone on bare feet, blood spattered across the walls.

Well, well, well. Seems as though the boy never learns! Perhaps, this time, will set you straight.

He hears the voice of Godey taunting him, threatening to pull him apart again.

"No! No, I left- I left, I was free!"

It's at this moment you realize he's not here, not in the mental sense.

"Focus on the hag, I'll try to snap him out of it."

You order the rest of the group, and they nod without a word, searching the teahouse for where she's gone now. You run up the stairs, finding a trembling pale man who has dropped his daggers.

Deep down, you like bein' leashed, don't ya?

The words bounce around in his head, a vision of Cazador appearing. You try to shake him, to mentally connect him back to his body, but it only plays into the illusion more, your actions becoming Cazador's.

"Astarion! Astarion it's just a spell, it's not real. It's not real my love, please."

Soon enough, your group finds the hag again, disrupting her concentration, releasing her grip on the elf. His breathing is terrifyingly fast, and he takes a moment to come out of the vision, grabbing a dagger from the floor and very quickly brandishing it towards you.

"DON'T."

You're trying desperately not to cry, because you know he doesn't need your shared sadness right now.

"Hey, it's okay. It's just me, Tav."

You lightly touch the hand holding the dagger, and he loosens his grip. Your hands move to take the blade from his grasp, setting his weapons to the side.

"I... I was there. I was back there."

"I know. Seems as though Ethel knows more than she should."

Astarion is still trying to root himself back in reality, you blood still racing in his dead veins.

"I can't go back Tav. Please, I can't go back."

"I know. I won't let you end up back there, ever."

He's still weary of physical touch, so you simply rub across his knuckles, trying to ground him in the moment. Your deepest urge is to wrap yourself around him and never let go, keep him in a protective case where no one can ever hurt him again, but that's not real. Being entirely safe isn't real. But damn, do you wish it was, for his sake.

As you're sitting there with him, the group makes their way back.

"We lost her. Have a feeling she went deeper into a cave somewhere."

You eye Karlach, and the two of you come to a silent understanding as you hold onto Astarion's shakey hands.

"We'll go set up camp where we entered the swamp. Take your time."

And with that, the tiefling takes the rest of your companions out of the teahouse, leaving the two of you alone.

"Why?"

You turn to look at him, cocking your head slightly.

"Why what?"

"Why would you say you won't let me end up there again? Cazador isn't some being you can simply keep me from, he's... different."

"I don't care."

"What do you mean you don't care?"

"I just, don't care. I don't care how powerful he is or whatever abilities he has, he can't have you. He just can't."

You finally do tear up now, not sure how else to explain it to the vampire.

"He most definitely cou-"

"No."

You try to blink the tears away, feeling the little callouses on his palm from over the decades.

"I want you to know what it's like to belong to someone in a pure way, not for personal gain, but just because they need you. And now that I have you... I just need you. I need you Astarion, so he can't have you. I'd die before he could take you from me."

He's silent for a moment. All forms of ownership he's known have been terrifying. Whatever could you mean by belonging to someone in a pure way? How can you belong to someone innocently? Your tadpole senses his concern, connecting without much effort at all.

"I don't need anything from you. I don't need you to do anything for me, I just need you Aster."

He smiles a little.

"Aster?"

"Yeah. Sorry, I had just been thinking about it. If you don't like it-"

"No I- I love it. Aster. Like the flower?"

"Yeah."

Somehow, the teahouse is peaceful in this moment. You feel young all over again, like you've never been in love before, like Astarion is the only being you've ever known. He interrupts your thoughts.

"Thank you, for saying all that. Maybe I wouldn't mind belonging to someone without expectations. It sounds, nice."

His voice cracks on the last word.

"Well, Aster, then you can belong to me as long as you'd like."

You swipe a piece of hair behind his ear, looking for a reason to get close to his face. As if the fates knew it to be true, you lock lips, despite the horrific smell outside and the creaking wood of the floorboards, you're somewhere else. Some place where the asters bloom in peace.

[tidalpunk]

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Post by Rewilding Britain:

Rewilding Britain 49,391 followers 7h What rivers are supposed to look like ✨ Many of us love our local rivers. We walk alongside them, sharing our space with the creatures that call them home and sometimes even swim in them. Sadly, many of them now swing from drought-scorched channels to overflowing floodwater. They're ecological dead zones thanks to relentless sewage releases and agricultural runoff. Our waterways deserve better. There is hope, and rewilding is leading the way. These Google Earth images, first highlighted by the BBC, show the dramatic transformation of Swindale Beck by Wild Haweswater in the Lake District. Long ago forced into a steep-sided channel, the stream was prone to flooding, had poor water quality and had lost the gravel on which many fish depend to lay their eggs. Now it’s been allowed to re-wiggle, meandering over the valley floor. But it’s not just the river that needs help: to create healthier rivers, the area surrounding a river system must also be restored. This can include adding wide ‘buffer strips’ around a river, or a focus on landscape-scale restoration to put back wetlands and woodlands – in other words, rewilding. The evidence is clear to see: salmon are spawning again. Dippers feed on the insects. Otters hunt in the river. Wildflowers are burgeoning. Life is returning. #rewilding #WorldRiversDay

[basiliomagnus]

This quote made me think, how do you think tastes and styles of cooking differ between the tribes? Each party member has their own style of food, but Eupha and maybe Heismay are the main ones who we could extrapolate things about their culture from.

I think that paripus food definitely uses the most spices. Rhoag food uses the least

oh im so glad at least one person asks me this i've been thinking like. too much about tribe culinary profiles lately

so to start a while ago i tried to group all the principalities into their climates and ecosystems right. aside from the fact roussainte are fuckin everywhere from what we know:

oceana has a healthy fishing business and is mostly woodland, through they have a small stretch of arid land from central euchronia

central euchronia is high in desert and (presumably) arid soils, though for the purpose of sustaining grand trad let's say that south euchronia contains fertile wetland

montario is extremely mountainous and cold BUT it also has that patch of thick forest though a lot of the fauna there are like. venomous and spit fire

virga island

so when i think about the food part of their cultures i tried to keep in mind where a majority of the tribes seem to be located and how that would have impacted their culinary development, assuming that the population has been relatively consistent since the annex war. there's also their individual values to consider (VERY LONG UNDER CUT)

clemar are like, white brits, so i think assuming they have similar food to irl england is a good starting place. thanks to central euchronia having the desert climate it does however i think mostly in oceana do they have fish as part of their meals and in grand trad its mostly a delicacy. a lot of local dishes that are made up of what can be found lying around, nothing too complex, but due to the nature of where grand trad Is i think they lack a lot of real "desserts" that aren't considered a luxury (sugar is expensive)

roussaintes NEED high protein meals to sustain the amount of physical work they do, so i think meat and leafy green vegetables are a staple in most dishes. lentils, tofu (soybeans are actually really protein dense), nuts, the like. roussainte in montario probably have a lot of spice in their meals for cold weather but to also manage their appetite during military work.

rhoag are a tricky case but hear me out: i feel like a lot of their food takes after other tribes due to how long they live. it's probably customary for a rhoag to wander around a lot in all the time they have to live, so a lot of what they cook ends up influenced by all the other tribes in different ways. as for methods i imagine that they focus on recipes that don't require much physical labor (spending most of your long life in your geriatric stage probably isn't great), so a lot of soups, pan fried stuff, grilling, etc. is probably shared around.

ishkia are almost 100% spice fiends, if you're like me and assume they have bird-like traits in a lot of places they probably have much higher spice tolerance than most other tribes, in addition to their climate requiring warmer meals. a lot of farmwork is probably done down in the lush forest area because mountain farming is historically a bitch and a lot of Brain Food can't be grown in the cold. heavy "brain food" presence in casual meals (fatty fish, coffee, collard greens). a lot of roots, mushrooms, and foragables that grow in cold climates (snowpeas, watercress, acorn, etc) at high altitudes are common, though this sounds horrible bc you cant really Get them anywhere else in euchronia.

nidia because of the Everything read to me as having a high dependence on magla-rich food and stuff that grows low to the ground. a lot of root vegetables (carrots, potatoes, turnips) and berries (straw, blue, the likes) that can be infused during the growing process. lot of emphasis on eye health on that note (leafy greens, citrus, probably raise a lot of chickens for eggs in their villages). theyre very fae folk inspired to me so i imagine a lot of their delicacies are an important part of their culture (muffins, candied flowers, tarts, yknow)

paripus probably take a lot after recession foods given their status and wide-spreadedness, a lot of cheap options like rice, beans, grains, fruits and meat dried. however i also see them as having a large amount of "leftovers" or "community" foods yknow? stuff like hunters stew or bread pudding or salads, generally stuff you can make with what's left over after a big meal and you can share with other people. i think they probably have a lot of "loose" recipes with easy replacements or things you can swap out if you don't have them.

eugief society is analogous to japanese culture if you look at the architectural styles of heismay's village and his clothing so they probably have a lot that's taken from there haha. fish, savory foods, big on spices and they probably invented some form of oil frying. i imagine that the area between oceana and euchronia is heavy in rice production due to the hot and humid climate, on that note

mustari are very analogous to southeast asian/pacific islander culture! lot of rice, game, seafood, emphasis on pairing sweet with salty or savory. i imagine a lot of steamed or roasted foods. mustari that came to the capital or montario probably ended up having to mix traditional styles with the ones present there, esp due to the lack of ingredients that were only capable of being found on the archipelago (side note: here's a nice article about this stuff that i found interesting)

as for elda theyre like. they remember shit from the old world. i know this probably just means they understand how to cook meat the best and get how to properly process certain foods with what cooking material but what if will came out and showed people how to make french fries. imagine

[night-dazai]

hi ✨️ I had a sudden urge to want to send you a request I really want to read a soukoku x reader I really like your work so here's the idea it's a Dazai and Chuuya in a bar drunk and who meets the readers, the readers seduce them and take them to a hotel and then it's up to you to see what happens next 👀👀 I hope my request will be taken into account 🙏

Beautifully Destroyed 

Dazai X Reader X Chuuya 

When I read this prompt I had too many ideas and eventually went with this one, this is nothing but smut, and this is such a lovely idea. Thanks love for this request.

Tags: degradation, nipple play, slapping,  collar, rough sex, mind break , mostly porn and filth , 100% sex , blowjobs , female reader mentions of breasts , pussy 

This is the nth consecutive night Dazai and Chuuya notice the black-haired girl always in the corner of the bar counter saying no to anyone who comes her way, yet she keeps staring at the brunette and redhead. “Wanna try and find out ?” Dazai asked with his signature “This will piss off Chuuya “ smirk on his face. Smirking back “Well then what kind of finding are we doing here ?” he asked and looked at you, they felt like they had to wait for a while before they could make a move on you and they felt now was good. You were staring right at the 2 while they looked at you. Biting your lip, you returned to that one drink you had held for the past hour. 

“ I like any kind of finding “ Dazai said dusting his coat while Chuuya adjusted his hat “--------------------------------” Both of them smirked and walked your way “Finally” you thought smiling and sliding the phone back in “They fell for it. “

It has been how many hours, no idea, how long ? no idea. All that you knew was dick dick and you wanted it. splayed on the bed for the two “Look at this whore “Chuuya chuckled looking down at you pathetically. “She is such a fucking tease chu” Dazai said holding your neck and pulling you up “ suck it love ~” his voice sounded chirpy but had a tint of dominance that went straight to your core as you sucked his dick. 

Chuuya spread your folds “Now now look at this wetland “ he said licking on it before pinching your clit making you yelp but Dazai had a firm grip on your neck cutting a little bit of oxygen and making you stand still “ suck it bitch “ he ordered moving his hips.

Your jaw hurt, and your hands hurt from being tied, pushed, squeezed and stepped on yet they kept going, fucking you like you were the first female they have seen in years “Move the ass “ the redhead said smacking your ass, you were sure it was gonna leave a red hand print “ please…slow” you whimpered as Dazai got his dick out and let his cum on your face. 

You looked so pretty, cum dripping from your face mixed with your sweat and drool, your hair sticking to the wetness making it feel a little weird but your cunt felt even weird. 

Chuuya who was relentlessly pumping into your cunt at his fullest ball slapping your clit with each thrust and a brutal pace with you moaning “Now look at these beads “ Dazai said like a child who found a new toy. 

Going below your body as you were on all fours dazai painfully twisted your nipples yet managed to get a porn-worthy moan from you “No…hurts…” you cried pratcially sobbing your hands could not keep your body weight it was half chuuya holding you by your hips and dazai who was below you pulling your nipples down like he was gravity. 

It hurt, your body hurt yet it felt so good, you had never felt so good ever in your life, the painful squeezing, bruising grip the slaps all felt so good. Having been on numerous missions you have slept with people whom you needed to but these two were something else. 

Just as your already hazy brain was beginning to lose focus a harder slap fell on your clit making you jolt awake “No dozing off “ Dazai said still pulling your nipples and twisting them like a mop and licking it, he had changed positions so you were in 69 with him now “ suck it hoe, you seem bored enough to sleep “ he spat and slapped your breast again now all the pain gone pleasure was all you felt. 

You started sucking his dick while Chuuya had cum thrice in your whole which was painted white and was dripping which it could not take anymore. “Oi bastard your turn “ he said getting his cock out. 

Your hole twitching at the empty feeling hoping for some kind of friction or anything you wiggled your ass gaining a chuckle from the man below you “Well bitch be patient we are kind enough to serve you “ he said and pushed you up like you were some toy on top of him. 

As you landed on the bed on your back he grabbed your legs spread the open and cracked his knuckles “Tch “ he said smirking “My dog was nice enough to fuck you and you are wasting it “ he said and shoved his whole fist in without any warning. 

“Oi oi you are gonna break her “ Chuuya said laughing, his hands on his hips with a satisfied face “I think I can use the rest of you right ?” he mumbled and sat above your face dragging your chin up “ suck “ he ordered. 

Your mind has lost it, pleasure and dick were all you wanted “Yes master “ you spoke like a true slave “Good slut “ Dazai said pushing his hand deeper, you never knew someone can go so deep. 

At some point all kinds of pain turned to pleasure the slapping your clit or nipples, putting you down on the floor and stepping on your chest demanding you to bark, the tight leather collar on your neck all your mind could think about getting to cum by them and taking their cum. 

You lay on the bed unconscious as Dazai kept fucking your cunt “You were right, this phone itself has a few documents “ Chuuya said smiling “Well I was…ahh “he cut himself like cumming.

Your unconscious body twitched with the release of hot sperm into your already overfull leaking pussy “Well she was a nice thing to break don't you agree ? See i asked you first itself she was a lovely thing .” he said cleaning his dick and smiling brightly at his friend with his chocolate-soft hair sticking onto his forehead.

“You are a weirdo, and about that you just asked me so no bets“ Chuuya said annoyed at the fact that again his partner was right well at this point “Everyone knows that he got it right, “ he thought rolling his eyes and looking at your passed out bruised white cum covered body “ why not keep her ?” his smile wicked. The chocolate orbs shined sweetly “Yeah..how about a gift to our opponents ?” he asked smiling devilishly taking pictures of your beautifully destroyed body. "Oh I never thought about a bet but next time can we have a bet on how fast we can break one ?" Annoyed Chuuya tossed the phone to Dazai "As if I will agree ".

[roguesend]

Davrin and Assan were foretold

If you’ve paid any attention to Thedas lore, you will at least have heard the mention of Garahel, hero of the Battle of Ayesleigh that put an end to the Fourth Blight, canonically said to be the most famous Warden in history prior to the Hero of Ferelden.

The name “Garahel” stands for much of what the Grey Warden Order values most and would prefer to be known for: Pride. Honor. Selflessness. Warden Garahel was a notable elven hero whom even humans must revere for his bravery and sacrifice as slayer of the Archdemon Andoral.   The Warden’s legendary charm, intelligence, and keen political sense drew countless allies to battle against the darkspawn hordes of the Fourth Blight, a fight that lasted well over a decade. In addition to recruiting Wardens from the Anderfels and Orlais, Garahel negotiated the support of Free Marcher royalty, creating a united army that finally broke the infamous siege of Hossberg, setting into motion the end of the Blight. War and circumstance shaped the young elf into a canny commander. He was very aware that Blights are not defeated by a single hero. He once noted to his sister Isseya that “heroism is just another word for horror.”   Less well documented is the person behind the legend: the golden-haired elf, whose green eyes twinkled as he shared a story, told a joke, or flirted shamelessly. It is written that people from all walks were drawn to Garahel, as his manner and wit drove life’s unpleasantness from their minds and allowed them to think of a better tomorrow.   As a Warden recruit in the Fourth Blight’s early years, Garahel made his first griffon flight in 5:12 Exalted on a beast he’d only just met and would dub Crookytail. The odd griffon was not solid gray like most of his brethren. Crookytail’s feathers were tinted with dusky brown; white patches decorated his chest and belly. One of his ears flopped forward, and he had a distinctive, bushy tail with a prominent kink in it—giving him his name. Nevertheless, Crookytail’s strength, speed, and exceptional ability to find advantageous cracks in darkspawn formations made the beast and his rider one of the Grey Wardens’ best battle teams.   From their first flight, made to rescue the nobles of Antiva City from the pressing darkspawn hordes, to their final battle at Ayesleigh in 5:24 Exalted, where they sacrificed all to slay Andoral, Garahel and Crookytail were said to be inseparable. – The World of Thedas Volume 2, 2015

Does any of this remind you of someone? There is no doubt Davrin and Assan are meant to mirror Garahel and Crookytail.

Davrin stands for pride, honor and selflessness. He is a notable elven hero revered for his bravery and sacrifice, especially if he is chosen to lead the second team in act 3. He is charming, intelligent and sets into motion the end of the Blight by fighting in Hossberg (Wetlands). War and circumstance shapes him into a leader. He is aware that Blights are not defeated by a single hero. We’re all going on about how attractive and witty he is. He goes to battle alongside a griffon he has only just met, and said griffon is more brown than gray or white, with one floppy ear and a bushy tail. Together they make one of the Grey Wardens’ best battle teams, and from their first battle to their last, they’re inseparable.

Garahel had a sister by the name of Isseya, and it’s exactly the Isseya you think it is.

Even during the Fourth Blight, few knew the name of Garahel’s younger sister, Isseya. While her brother was outgoing, charming, and prone to heroism, Isseya was more modest and enjoyed studying and building her formidable magical skills. Her focus and determined nature, however, made her arguably as important to ending the Blight as her brother. He landed the killing blow upon the Archdemon; she helped ensure the survival of those most affected by the horrors of the age after Andoral’s defeat.   One of Isseya’s most important achievements was enchanting makeshift aravels: wagons, boats, any conveyance large enough to fit a number of people. These were fastened together, held above the ground by her skillful magic, and pulled by teams of griffons. Isseya conceived of and executed the first of many journeys using the aravels to move citizens of Wycome out of the Blight’s path and safely to Starkhaven.   Isseya’s other major impact on Thedas reached beyond the Blight and was both a blessing and a curse. As the desperate times called for equally serious measures, she turned to her fellow mage Calien to learn the basics of blood magic to fight the darkspawn. In trying to save a griffon that had been tainted by a darkspawn bite, she used a process similar to a Grey Warden Joining and inadvertently started a chain of events that led to the extinction of all griffons in Thedas.   However, it is rumored that, shortly before she left on her own Calling, Isseya found a way to preserve a clutch of griffon eggs, protected with a complex weave of magical guards. It is written that she hoped a like-minded mage could recover the eggs and perhaps find a way for the mighty griffons to again soar through the skies of Thedas. – The World of Thedas Volume 2, 2015

Not only were Davrin and Assan foretold, the entire Grey Warden storyline was. BioWare planted that seed almost ten years ago as something to potentially return to in the future, and they deliberately tied it into Veilguard.

[rook-apologist]

"First Aid"

Pairing: Lace Harding x Warden Rook (He/Him) Word Count: 722 Prelude: Rook is attempting to bandage himself after a recent encounter with a group of Darkspawn, but is having a hard time doing it one-handed. Harding offers to help, but her newfound abilities complicate things. -----------------------------

The sun hung low over the Hossberg Wetlands, casting a muted golden light that reflected off the dark pools of stagnant water scattered across the terrain. The battle was over, the Darkspawn defeated, but the toll it had taken on Rook was evident. He sat on a fallen log, his left arm trembling as he fumbled with a roll of bandages. Blood seeped through the tear in his sleeve, the gash deep and jagged from a Hurlock's blade.

Lace Harding approached quietly, her boots squelching softly in the mud. She knelt down beside him, her green eyes flickering with concern…and something else. A faint, magical blue glow danced at the edges of her irises, a telltale sign of the Titan's magic coursing through her veins.

“Let me help,” she said softly, reaching for the bandages in his hands.

Rook hesitated, glancing at her glowing eyes and the faint shimmer of power that seemed to radiate from her fingertips. “You sure that’s a good idea? I’d rather not add lyrium poisoning to my list of problems today.”

Her lips pressed into a thin line. “I’ll be careful. Just... stop moving around so much. You’re making it worse.”

He smirked faintly but did as she asked and rested his arm on his knee. Harding carefully unrolled the bandage and leaned in, furrowing her brow as she focused on the wound.

Her fingers hovered just above his skin, trembling slightly as she worked to avoid direct contact. Normally precise and steady just as an archer should be, her hands betrayed the tension she felt. Rook winced as she tightened the first loop of the bandage, but he bit back any complaint, knowing that Lace was doing her best.

“You’re glowing again,” he teased lightly, nodding toward her eyes.

Harding shot him a sharp look, though her cheeks turned a faint shade of pink. “Not helping.”

“Sorry,” he said, though the grin tugging at his lips suggested he wasn’t entirely sincere.

She sighed, securing another layer of the bandage around his arm. “It’s not funny, Rook. I hate this…having to tiptoe around my own magic like it’s some kind of curse. I can’t even touch you without worrying I’ll hurt you.”

Her voice cracked at the end, and Rook’s grin faded. He could see the frustration and longing in her eyes, the way she yearned to reach out to him, to heal him, but was held back by forces beyond her control.

“Lace,” he said gently, his voice low. “Look at me.”

She didn’t at first, her focus locked on the bandage as if it were the only thing keeping her grounded.

“Lace,” he repeated, softer this time.

Reluctantly, she lifted her gaze to meet his.

“I’m sorry,” he said earnestly. “I shouldn’t joke about it. I know how hard this is for you. But you’re doing great, okay? You’re helping me more than you think.”

She swallowed hard, frustratingly blinking back tears. “I just... I want to fix this. Fix you. But I can’t even—”

Before she could finish, Rook reached into the pack at his feet and pulled out a clean strip of cloth. Holding it carefully, he lifted it to her cheek, using it as a barrier between his fingers and her skin.

“See?” he said, his voice warm and reassuring. “There’s always a way.”

She froze as he leaned in, pressing a gentle kiss to her cheek through the cloth. The touch was light, almost fleeting, but it was enough to bring a tear to the corner of her eye.

“We’ll figure this out,” he whispered, pulling back just enough to meet her gaze. “I promise. Whatever it takes, I’ll help you learn to control it. Remember what I told you back in Rivain. You’re not in this alone, Lace.”

Her lips trembled and she nodded, as a small shaky smile broke through her frustration. “You’re impossible, you know that?”

“Maybe,” he said, his grin returning. “But you love it.”

She laughed softly, the sound a balm to the tension that had been building between them. As she finished tying off the bandage, her hands steadied, and the glow in her eyes softened.

The battle might have left them battered. But in that moment, surrounded by the stillness of the wetlands and each other’s presence, they both found a measure of peace ----------------------------- Hope y'all liked this one! I should (hopefully) be receiving my Ao3 invitation tomorrow and already have some more things locked and loaded for when it goes live!

[alongtidesoflight]

so here's my honest thoughts on dragon age: the veilguard, after ~40 hours of playing. i finished the main quest after having finished all companion quests and major faction quests. just to clear up what content i saw, i played as an elven transmasc rook who is a member of the lords of fortune. he romanced lucanis (although after finishing the game i'm now leaning towards taash). i don't know what's happening in playthroughs that have a different race, gender identity, romance or faction going on.

full spoilers ahead, i mean it. don't read further if you want to avoid them. i don't want complaining about it in my asks.

oh and also, if you're worried because of a few negative reviews online i can comfort you by saying don't give a fuck about a certain big name youtuber who is very much tied to bethesda franchises giving this a negative review. i'll explain why.

i'm starting off with the things i liked

the game looks really pretty. i was worried it wouldn't feel like thedas anymore (with them trying to "focus on northern thedas only" i thought they'd make a clear cut in environmental design. they do and they don't. it's complicated. i'll elaborate on it when talking about the negative stuff). anyway it does. minrathous feels like kirkwall. treviso enchanted me like the winter palace did. the hossberg wetlands reminded me of the hinterlands and a couple other inquisition maps. arlathan looked like... arlathan. the crossroads were different, but familiar. overall i like the way it looks and feels. it's thedas, with a twist. it's a good one, and gives everything a solid but unique feel.

combat is top tier. if you're a hardcore dragon age player you WILL miss the tactical aspect of it for a bit, but i promise you, once you're used to the way the combat works, you will be lapping that shit up. and once you get to ability combos you'll mourn the control you used to have over your companions in battle a bit less

the MAIN quest and its story. i expected worse, way worse. and for a while the game even had me tricked (harr harr you'll get it in a second) it is Really That Much Worse. but holy shit was it good. i walked away satisfied ngl.

your choices have SOLID weight. there's consequences, good AND bad. i got minrathous blighted, ruled over by venatori, and the leader of the shadow dragons ultimately died because of my decisions. i made those at the beginning and throughout the game. he died at the end. DAVRIN died because i didn't expect what i was saying to have that much weight. i thought i was in the clear. he had hero status. well turns out, your choices can still get your companions killed even if you do everything right. i fucking love him. he shouldn't have made that sacrifice just because i told him to do everything it takes once.

the inquisitor, morrigan and dorian being there, surprisingly. there's also negatives to this though, see below.

speaking of companions dying and the inquisitor playing a bigger role: the final quest feels like me2's suicide mission. i was blown away by it and the fact that i got to see the results of all my efforts playing out in front of me.

bioware are NOT trying to redeem solas. they love him as a character yes, but i wasn't forced to see any good in him. he betrays you. he fucked my rook over twice. he fucked him over right back, for good this time (the veil wasn't torn down, i anchored it by binding him to it, he's doomed to uphold it). but solas really lives up to his name as the trickster elven god. rip to all the people who grew really attached to him over the years.

varric died. if you like him that's probably as hard reading it as it was watching it. varric died and the game lies about it until the very end. when the realisation hits, it hurts. but in the very best way.

the amount of care they put into gender expression and trans identities this time around. (i'll add onto this with negative points as well too).

rook feels very much ingrained in the world of thedas. he doesn't ask questions that expose the player to lore through dialogue as if he's stepped foot into thedas for the first time. those conversations feel very solid and good. i hope other faction players got as much joy out of this as i did.

and the things i didn't like and boy there's a lot unfortunately

the music. let's just get that out of the way holy shit. it doesn't feel like it belongs in this universe. it gets so incredibly sci-fi-y at times you'd think it's taken straight from mass effect andromeda. there's not a single song unique to veilguard that i really enjoyed. it broke my immersion, real bad. hearing a busker play the tavern songs from inquisition on a lute right after i killed some venatori with wobbly bass songs playing in the background is just odd. weird tonal shift. don't like it. it's made for people who like flashy light-weight cinema.

tevinter nights is required reading. the podcasts are required listening exercises. the game is so fast paced, especially at the start, that there's no time to introduce you to characters and how much weight their names carry in-game. i would not have known who half these people are if i hadn't skimmed over tevinter nights. i'd care even less about them than i already did. there is no time to get properly attached to them. people will act as if you're talking to a legend personified and you'll be thinking man goddamn which chapter of tevinter night were they in again and what did they do???

there's a weird mismatch with the animations. you'll have beautifully fluid ones, like emmrich casting spells. and then you'll have rook's face animating in the most unnatural manner that's sorta reminiscent of mass effect andromeda's "my face is tired" addison, when their emotions SHOULD be landing with the player rn instead.

i'm not vibing with the art style. sometimes it works. most of the time it doesn't. at points i felt like i was watching tangled.

that also brings me to some of the dialogue. same issue. i am watching frozen. i am watching tangled. someone on the writer's team really likes the adorkable trope. bellara is its victim.

for all the talk about identity, bioware sure doesn't like theirs. the grey warden armor got a redesign again and it just makes them look like a generic army. i hate it lol

in general, i don't like the armor design. the wardrobe/appearances system is fine, but it's just not helping if all the armors are just... kinda bland or downight bad looking? and don't get me started on the lords of fortune armor. that is orientalism personified.

the world states should have been carried over, full stop. i know they said they didn't because they want to separate what happens in the north from what happens in the south, which... i could have lived with that. but the inquisitor sends you letters that keep you up to date on... the south of thedas. you learn that there's a blight again, that people are standing strong but it's difficult, denerim's fallen, the rulers are taking care of it, orlais is fighting and they're successful for a while, etc etc. what's good bioware. i thought we don't care about the south this time around. why are you feeding me so much boring generic information. if you're not gonna show any of it and just write letters, then carrying the world state over should not have been an issue. i have a game dev background. those few lines of code would not have broken your budget or pushed your engine's limits. fuck right off.

this gripe of mine carries over to all the cameos. as a lord of fortune you have to deal with isabela a lot. it's fun. i missed her. you get to go drinking with her and taash and bellara! also my hawke romanced her. she's not mentioned once. they had the opportunity to put a sentence or two about her in there with not a lot of effort, trust me.

when varric dies, all she has is a single line about it. for gold, for fortune, for varric. she only says it if you interact with her on your way to the final push. that's not mandatory.

morrigan is there. kieran isn't. the old god soul that mythal and then solas absorbed? who cares at this point, the gods are dead now and solas is locked away for eternity. i suppose? why is morrigan there. she feels unneeded. i wish they'd just left her down south, at least that way i wouldn't have had to witness her god awful redesign.

dorian at least feels as if he belongs in this story. the shadow dragons are a crucial part to protecting minrathous. he's also weirdly underutilised. isabela and morrigan had more lines than him in my playthrough.

on the topic of romance: bro that was underwhelming. no, genuinely. you know when romance picked up a bit? after the point of no return. i heard maybe two lines of companion banter about it before that. maybe i missed something which i honestly doubt, but romance did not play much of a role in lucanis's storyline. i saved his grandmother as he wished me to (and if you read tevinter nights you know she was rather abusive and their relationship not the healthiest) and told him to focus on his family. a reunified family my rook wasn't even introduced to as a partner at the end of all that.

really, do not buy this game if you're only in it for the romances. others might be better, lucanis's basically gave me nothing. except for an outing (the second coffee date i had with him, it was getting repetitive) all of it played out once i committed to the final quest. the sex scene was a fade to black. annoyingly right after davrin died. if you're looking for well paced and good spice, pick up something else. the sweet talk and the final goodbye were nice though.

for all the good the ever-presence of gender identity does, it is brought up in such a disruptive manner too. it doesn't even play out naturally if you CHOOSE the lines that are meant to be said. hearing the words trans and non-binary in this setting doesn't feel right, and i'm saying this as a trans guy. i think it could have been handled more gracefully. the amount of times my rook went "i'm a MAN" as if he's about to start drumming on his chest and roaring any second now got super nerve-grating. "i'm so glad you're into me... the me who is trans. remember?" just. tell me one trans person who'd talk like that to a person they've grown close with and are trying to romance. this game doesn't handle sexuality well, so all this hey my body might not look like the way you're expecting it to look talk amounts to nothing anyway. i feel about this the way i feel about krem: this is partial exposition to trans experiences... packaged up for cis consumption. the ONLY exception to that is interacting with taash. holy shit was all of that heartwarming and bro did it feel good and natural to talk to them about theirs and rook's gender.

rivain and nevarra are new locations added by veilguard. they're also incredibly underwhelming, small and constricted maps. rivain is a coastline with a few ruins. the hall of valor is a partial ruin nestled into a cave on a beach, with a fighting pit. isabela is there in her skimpy outfit commentating your pit fights. that's it. i'm sorry if you were looking for a bustling pirate cove or whatever. you're not gonna get it. the nevarran crypts btw are a long ass dungeon crawl. that's it.

speaking of maps. i thought people were being dramatic when they said you're gonna be fighting the same enemies on them again and again. i thought they were figure of speeching it. they're not. you WILL fight the same amount of enemies. in the same spot. every time you reload the map. best to stay on a map and clear out the enemies and do as much questing on that map as you can before leaving, because you WILL have to do it all over again once you return.

the three choices i made for my inquisitor didn't matter lol she didn't have to face solas and therefore couldn't stop him at any cost as she had sworn (maybe because my rook tricked solas into binding himself to the veil, there was also an option to fight him. would she have stepped in? who knows). blackwall wasn't mentioned. and either her using a small amount of her forces in the final fight was the reason the civilians of minrathous fared so well..... or it just didn't matter. ultimately i think she had very little impact on anything

[covertleathers]

Pulling Cords (Rookanis Fanfiction)

Chapter 4: The Verdant Wyvern

Title: Pulling Cords

AO3 Link

Rating: 18+, Explicit, Gradually intensifying sexual tension, nudity, etc etc

Relationships: Lucanis Dellamorte/m!Rook (They/Them pronouns)

Key words: Yearning, teasing, jealousy (if i get there)

The cup had grown cold.

There was also a growing pain in his left side that was begging to be addressed, it is likely Lucanis has broken a rib from his last excursion to the Anderfels a week before. Very rarely did pain linger for him, however, getting hit with a meter long club from an ogre had clearly left its mark. Harding should have some elfroot in her garden that he could use. First thing in the morning he will have to catch her before Rook leaves again.

He was alone, as usual when the rest of his comrades excused themselves for the night after dinner. At the table, he sat in his normal place at the right hand of the head chair. An old, yellowing book and various scrolls splayed out before him. Focus was slipping through his fingers.

A small part of Lucanis had expected Rook to make their normal appearance; gliding into the kitchen as if suspended in air. In anticipation, he had prepared the drink he knew they usually craved at the small hours of the night. 

However, it was the second time since their return from the Wetlands that they didn’t show. He disliked wasting chocolate, it was slightly more difficult to get with the Antaam leaching from Treviso’s ports. Though, throw in a few more sovereigns and there is always a shipyard hand eager to assist. They always remember who pays. Perhaps it was for the best to have this time to research alone. Rook could be…distracting from time to time. 

The quiet was eating at him. Even the murmuring fireplace had become soothing white noise. Crackling, simmering, and the occasional sound of the logs splitting under the intense heat. It was lulling him into a state of quietude that felt dangerous. 

Nevarran scholars didn’t have to complicate their writing with unnecessary details, but of course he had to chew through two hundred pages detailing the deviating familial Pentaghast lineage to learn about some poor possessed bastard of a mage who was locked away in a dungeon under his family’s estate. His end was a drawn out and painful transformation.

NOT. DONE.

Abruptly, he stood. Push it down. Not tonight. He wasn’t going to lose time again.

Another cup of the steaming black. Down the throat. He clutched the coffee counter with shaking hands. A splitting headache traveled from the back of his neck to his temple as if a giant’s cleaver came down on his skull. His eyes, dry from lack of sleep, ached. Spite was pushing against his psyche like mad.

LET. ME. OUT.

“No prep tonight?”

“Rook.” Lucanis let out an inaudible sigh of…relief? And straightened, rolling his neck coolly. Again, he was unsure how he never heard their arrival. He hummed, “You’re late.”

“Ah, well, I got caught up in some reading,” They said with a small laugh, a salve to his mind. “I’m sorry.”

 A balm seemed to settle in the air. He turned to Rook, in their usual night robes, standing at the open doors of the kitchen, a green book cradled against their hip, and a gentle breeze following close behind them. Without hesitation, Rook strode to his side and grasped the cold mug of chioccolata calda, then swiftly shook their head to stop him before he could protest it.

“It’s Bellara’s turn to cook tomorrow. I’m doing research instead.” The assassin poured himself another helping of coffee, trying to ignore that Rook had closed the distance between them. Though, he did not step away, either. 

“Whatever you’re reading, it’s better than that.” He gestured to the book and scrolls he had spread out on the table. Lucanis moved back to his seat, running a hand through his hair to check it wasn’t as disheveled as he felt. Eyes up. Breathe. Rook waited for a brief moment, as if they knew following closely behind would put him on edge. Then, they followed with silent, delicate footsteps to stand beside his chair.

Lucanis tried to ignore that his face was about the same height as Rook's navel. He also tried to ignore that they had draped a golden chain around their waist, intertwined with the Mourn Watch green sash.

“Oh, The Drakon Manuscripts on Demonic Dominions Volume Seven,” Rook mused as they leaned over his shoulder to get a closer look. The chain clattered against the armrest. Lucanis took another gulp of his drink. “I was forced to read that as an apprentice. Horrible to get through. I will never understand nobles and their obsession with pedigree.”

“We can agree on that,” he replied with a grunting laugh. 

Rook’s skin smelled like cinnamon and charcoal. Smokey plum hair fell around their shoulders like storm clouds. Lucanis could tell they had recently washed it with the way a vanilla scent breezed his way when they moved. Always overwhelming the senses. They pulled out the chair to his right and sat, looking at him excitedly with the book propped up before them.

“I was hoping to keep you company while you worked,” They ventured with a steady gaze. “Oh well, we can read together anyway, if you don't mind company. There’s a story in here that I think you would like.”

Lucanis raised an eyebrow as he met their eyes over the rim of his cup. “What’s this about?”

“Wyverns,” The young mage said affably, crossing their legs with an electric look in their lavender eyes. A jolt of excitement made Lucanis nearly drop his coffee. Rook laughed, “I knew that would get your attention.”

“Why wouldn’t it? I love wyverns.” Now curious, he tried to peak over the edge of the book as Rook opened it, who tutted and pressed it against their partially exposed chest.

They had placed one of Assan’s feathers as a bookmark, the tuft of grey peeking from about a third-way into the pages. Rook placed it aside amongst the many scrolls on the table. 

“This story is called The Verdant Wyvern. It’s Nevarran.” They continued with a one-sided smile Lucanis knew too well. “You should know we have a great appreciation for them culturally. Can I read it to you?”

“Of course.” He sat forward a bit.

Rook mirrored him, leaning over the book like a lover.

“A daughter of the great King Witoslav was born under a sapphire moon. In celebration of her birth, he gathered all the highest beings to his High Court to celebrate her naming. Elves, Dwarves, Kossith, and even Spirits danced among crystalline lights in peace,” Rook rested their head in their hand as they read, a look of serenity painted their features. “All was not in amity, however. The King and the Queen had neglected to invite the powerful yet wicked Meredite, Witch of the Chaparral—”

“Rook, you said this was about wyverns,” Lucanis muttered. He was beginning to wonder if this was some kind of ruse to get him to listen to one of Bellara’s writings. 

The young mage hissed defensively, “If you’d let me bloody get to it.” Clearly, this meant quite a bit to them. Lucanis sighed into his drink, realizing that it would soon be empty. 

“Anyway, where was I…right. Meredite arrived in a burst of emerald smoke, so all encompassing, the jubilant attendees fainted from it. In her fury for being overlooked, she cursed the baby girl with poisonous touch.” Lucanis’ ears perked at this. “Every human that would try to touch her bare skin would surely perish by sunset, the witch declared, before disappearing the same way she came. The Queen rushed to calm her crying babe, but just as the witch said, quickly fell ill with plague. She passed before the night was over. 

“With great sorrow, the King sent the babe, Oteria, to live and grow in a tower at the edge of the world. This way, she would be no danger to anyone else. Oteria grew well-read, but isolated and lonely. One day, she is roaming in the fields outside her tower when she comes across…” They paused, looking at Lucanis excitedly. 

“A wyvern?”

They chuckled. “A wyvern. Tall as a man, long as a rowboat with glittering verdant scales. It was curious about her. Oteria cried in terror at its glistening venomous teeth. She fled to the ocean, where she nearly drowned, refusing the wyvern’s offers of help as it swam behind her—”

“Wyvern’s don’t swim. They both would have drowned.”

Rook’s lilac gaze turned almost deadly for the second interruption. He smirked, feeling their irritation delight him a bit. Lucanis swore he could feel a certain something snicker at the back of his mind. 

“You’re impossible,” they said. For what it was worth, Rook could never stay mad for long. They matched his grin, rolling their eyes before they continued: “Oteria wakes in a lavish suite in a castle far away from her tower. Little did she know, the wyvern who rescued her was King Stanimir, a once beautiful man who was cursed by none other than Meredite…”

Black.

Lucanis’ eyes snapped open with a tense breath. Coming back felt like coming up for air after being held underwater. It was too similar to being waterboarded at the Ossuary. Blinking the darkness away, his head was swimming. He was in the pantry, sitting up with his back against the wall. Candles still lit. Where was Rook? Had they seen…?

“Spite finally gave you up, did he?” A silky voice asked from the doorway. Rook was leaning against the doorframe watching Lucanis with soft care. 

Lucanis had to stand. Frustration boiled in his chest. “How long was I gone?” 

“A couple of hours,” They mused. “He really seemed into the story. I told him he couldn’t be out of your room and could only hear the rest if he stayed in the pantry.” 

Rook, for whatever reason, didn’t seem fazed by what had happened. Maybe it was because of their Mourn Watch experience? They took a few steps inside. The book was still in their hand. 

Looking them in the eye was suddenly very difficult. The question came out as a low rumble, “He didn’t do anything to you did he?”

“Ha, no. A little resistant, but for whatever reason he listens to me.”

Lucanis crossed his arms, trying to blink away the pain in his eyes. For whatever reason, it was lingering more and more. He rolled one shoulder, then the other. “I missed the rest of the story. It was just getting interesting.”

They laughed. Like honey to his senses. 

“I am going back to my room,” They said as they stretched and yawned. Lucanis turned his gaze to the stone floor. They paused and he could feel their gaze singe his skin. 

“I wouldn’t mind reading it again. Just don’t fall asleep next time.”

[redd956]

Worldbuilding Food: More than meets the eye

So, you want to world build food but maybe you don't know where to start, have hit a roadblock, or are just looking for some interesting places to addon to. I've got your back.

Vegetables, Fruits, Grain, Nuts, & Fungi

One of the first things I think of when it comes to food is fruits and vegetables, and the line between them is surprisingly small.

Like tomatoes are vegetables? Pumpkins are fruits but other gourds are not? When does a herb become a vegetable? Although important to classify, don't let it be your main focus.

Start with

How the produce grows

What it looks like throughout different stages of its life

What parts are edible

How most people consume the produce

How the product is harvested

Is it seasonal

What about the produce that makes its growable environment habitable

How it spreads/reproduces

There's many different unique ways fruits and vegetables grow in just our real world, but that doesn't mean you can stop there.

Cranberries grow on vines that actually float on the surface of soggy ground and water in wetlands. Cashews actually grow on the bottom of cashew apple, which is it's own edible product. There's lots of different ways plants can grow, and what they even need to do so.

Some produce even have their own defense mechanisms (which often which becomes a form of flavor to us). Don't think these defense mechanisms stop at protection from predators. Strawberries are an aggressive plant, fighting, killing, and taking over any nearby plant neighbors. Some plants have thistles and thorns, and others are the hard shell or peel we end up effortlessly cutting through.

Try to think of some environmental things in the world your working with that the produce would have adapted to.

I think my favor example of this IRL is sunflowers. They change directions to face the sun, and when they can't find the sun they face each other. Eventually their seeds weigh them down, and which they'll always face east.

Don't forget fungi is edible too, and has it's very own unique properties.

(Don't forget yeast -> bread, you can make up whatever food you want)

Meats & Agricultural Animals

I myself am not a meat-eater, but I understand the importance of animal products to a society. If you world doesn't have it, don't fret. This sector won't just be about meat products, but it will contain a lot of it.

Food and what animals are considered for consumption changes from culture to culture. The same can be said for treatment leading up to their role in society as the food on people's plates. Often times a culture cannot imagining eating an animal they see as part of the family, such as dogs or cats IRL, but other times it's seen part of a religious practice such as cows.

There's a lot of cultural stuff that goes into our agricultural animals, both for work, dairy, textiles, and food.

Here's some ideas to start with

What parts of them are edible and used for food

Do they produce any dairy or egg products

How old do they have to be before becoming a produce animal

Are the animals used for other resources too i.e. bones, fur, skins, skulls, blood, etc.

How much food does one animal make

Typically how are they are killed, if they are

What conditions are these animals kept in and are they viewed humane

What environments allow these animals to thrive alongside the people of your world

What does the animal eat

Now... Let's into some culture and religion

Religion and culture has a major impact on what we eat. Take for instance Kosher, Halal, and more. Historical shortages in food even to this day affect what foods we eat. Culture also affects our tastes. The corn line of the United States is drowning in corn, and yet corn is seen as a sweet treat over seas in many nations.

Harvesting

How the harvesting goes changes a lot about a society, big and small. Think about how terrible a year would go in medieval times if harvest came up incredibly poor, or how wealthy our modern day world would look to those people due to mass production.

Here's some things to think about

What time of year are the biggest and most important harvest(s)

How common are agricultural workers

What would the average person see if they watched people work

What technology/tools are used

What happens if the harvest goes wrong

Do farmers/harvesters get special rights for their role in society

In older societies harvesting and how that went completely shaped how the next year would look. In some cultures the harvesters have been revered, while in other if crossed to far would be expected to tear the country to pieces. Think about the role harvesting plays in your society. What would happen if they striked? Or if a disaster swept the land?

The environment itself will change a lot about what harvesting look likes. Why does this environment work? What are the environmental risk to both the crop and workers?

Are we farming in the water, in the middle of the arctic, underground, high up in the trees?

Exotic Food & Immigration

While establish what the everyday food in the area is, don't forget to pay mine to the opposites. Immigration and trade play a major role in what foods end up on our plate. As cultures combine and mingle so do their food.

Take one look at the United States, infamous for it's large potions, fatty foods, and immigrant culture cuisine. A lot of foods in the United States are the results of cultures meeting to improve and add onto one another's foods, that includes American styles of pizza, tacos, and more.

Even major cities around the world have styles of foods unique to them.

Let's think

What locally seen foods count as exotic

What foods are nearly impossible to get

Is there access to foreign brands/produce

How expensive is most exotic foods

What styles of cooking are being brought in by foreigners

How do people get exotic foods

What foods would the locals not be able to eat due to not being used to it

Try to think about what makes this food exotic in the local area. Maybe it cannot grow in the local environment. Maybe the quality of the food is simply better overseas. Maybe the animal or plant is far too aggressively invasive for locals.

Trade & Transport

Food is both a very important export and import, especially in time of devastation.

Don't forget about exports too, what is your society giving out to the world, and getting back. Not all trade has to be capital based. Perhaps your world simply trades on good or service for another.

Here's some things to think about

What's being exported and imported

Are whole animals imported/exported

How is the trade being done i.e. trains, boats, aircraft, teleportation, etc.

Are there any obstacles to trade

What places are all involved in trading

How is the trade brought to where it needs to be inland

In what ways do these trades improve the lives of locals

Transportation is also super important to where food ends up, and more so in what volumes. How do people get all these produce or animals relocated? What kinds of storage are we seeing to keep things fresh (if health standards are even up to code in your worldbuilding)?

What poses a threat to things in storage? i.e. mold, foxes, animal thieves, disease, etc.

Restrictions

With supply and demand, comes outages, taxes, and restrictions. Unfortunately not everything in the food world goes right. There's natural disasters to come and destroy crops, hostile settlements to block trade, and especially that person who is really bad at cooking but they love doing it so you don't have the heart to say no....

Anyway let's talk restrictions and where they can come from

Wartime

Wartime can cause a lot of original farmers and workers to become soldiers. It also can lead to the large scale destruction of precious farm land, crops, animals, and overall places to cook.

Laws

Perhaps there's a particularly poisonous food, and way too many suspiciously poisoned people. That's when law comes in. There's many reasons for food and drink to become outlawed. Religious reasons, danger, regulations, inebriation, etc.

Siege/Embargo/Thievery

Knock knock! It's the United States here to embargo your random country. Outside factions can always become an obstacle, leading to loss of traveling cargo or straight up missing farmers too. Nothing comes in, and sometimes nothing comes out.

Endangered

Perhaps a common plant or favored animal is running low on populous. Now locals are more so focused on reanimating a dwindling population, more so on eating it.

Sickness

Whether it be hoards of invasive bugs, prion disease caused by cannibalistic animal feed, or sudden inexplicable field of dead corn sickness happens. Maybe something has swept over the land, and no one ever bothered to try to plant said crop again.

Natural Disasters

Natural disasters can not only cause the elimination of entire villages, but accidentally bring in lots of invasive creatures too. Catfish is off the menu for as long as carp is intown.

Straight Up Difficulty

Sometimes a fruit appears once a year, or a tasty creature is a dangerous one to take on in order to eat. It can be difficult getting the right ingredient sometimes. Other times it's new to the market. So much can happen when food is involved.

Preparation & Flavor

Finally all the food in the world is available, but what are we going to do with it.

Make it even better!

I personally find preparation to be the best part of worldbuilding. Now I get to imagine my fictional little people stewing their pots, and kindling their fires. Reflect off of real world recipes, and maybe even write down exact fantasy recipes of your own.

Don't forget about herbs and spices (I see you British people).

You have five basic taste receptors in your mouth: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and savory. They make great descriptors and fun places to explore when looking into what your foods taste like. Smell can play an important role too.

Does it smell awful and taste great, smell sweet and taste bitter, perhaps it doesn't have anything at all going on.

Happy worldbuilding!

[alexmeeksmartin]

scream - incorrect quotes pt. iii

a/n: another one of these 🫢 promise i’ll get back to normal fics soon, last exam tomorrow so can bring back focus!

mindy is teaching y/n how to play handball on a court.

mindy: alright. close your eyes

y/n: why?

mindy: just trust me.

y/n, closing their eyes: okay…

mindy: *throws a handball at y/n’s face*

y/n: what the fuck, mindy?!

mindy: never close you eyes on the court!

y/n: but you told me to-

mindy: don’t let me get in your head!

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

anika, panicking while phoning y/n: there’s a pigeon in our apartment. what do i do? what do i do?!

y/n: who is this?

anika: never funny. not funny now.

y/n: okay, calm down

anika: help me

y/n: it’s more afraid of you than you are of it

anika, almost fanatical: pigeons aren’t scared of anything. they stand on electrical wires. electrical wires, y/n!

y/n, going to hang up: you’re gonna be fine, anika. just as long as you don’t- oh, chad’s game is starting, i gotta go. okay, bye

anika: as long as i don’t what? y/n! AS LONG AS I DONT-

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y/n: i don’t remember agreeing to this, chad. this is like the time you and ethan backed down the driveway with a hang glider sticking out of the car

chad: if you’d let me keep that, those geese would have followed us to the wetlands

y/n: you and ethan would have died.

chad: heroes

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ethan, excited: tonight is the magnificent lyrid meteor shower. it’s-

y/n, cutting him off: -it’s where planet geek passes through the nerdy way.

ethan, offended: …

y/n: oh, you know that i think it’s sweet.

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sam and tara are arguing in the background while y/n and quinn watch

y/n, watching with a satisfied smile:

quinn, concerned and slightly horrified before looking at y/n: why are you smiling?

y/n, still smiling: i’m not

quinn: you are

y/n: i’m not smiling. i’m not.

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

anika: *yawns*

mindy: being that pretty must be tiring

anika: then you must be exhausted

y/n: will you two shut up?

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mindy: why are you ignoring y/n?

chad: i’m playing hard to get

mindy: why would you do that? you’re already hard to want

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y/n: i made coffee.

tara: i don’t want coffee

y/n: i didn’t make coffee for you. this is my coffee

tara: then why are you telling me?

y/n: it’s a conversation starter.

tara: that’s a lousy conversation starter

y/n: is it? we are conversing. checkmate.

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quinn: you often use humour to deflect trauma.

y/n: thank you!

quinn: i didn’t say that was a good thing

y/n: what i’m hearing is you think i’m funny

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sam: i know you snuck out last night, tara.

y/n, whispering: play dumb!

tara: who’s tara?

y/n: not THAT dumb

[highly-important]

I played Eastward: Octopia for about an hour after lunch and it’s making me emotional. Maybe I’m just going through it.

I like how even in this edition they haven’t completely abandoned the poverty and hard life themes, but it is a blessing seeing the characters in a more simple, peaceful life. Or the message that your life can be focused on survival but still be a good life.

As a little farming sim I really like some of the choices, like no shipping bin and “dinnertime” every night. I like how energy works, and the incentive to cook and eat. The gameplay focus on cooking recipes for others is really fun as well.

I’m enjoying how concise the map is as well. The wetlands area is just big enough that trudging around it isn’t boring, and I’m eager to see the other areas. I would love a SDV-type mines situation, since I loved the combat in this game.