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takeyourcyanide · 11 days

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Until I Ache

AO3

Content Warning: Alcoholism, intoxication

Fandom: Soul Eater

Character(s): Spirit Albarn, Franken Stein, mentions of Maka Albarn and Kami Albarn (Maka’s Mother)

Word Count: 2 113

Tag(s): Excessive drinking, alcoholism, hurt/comfort, bars and pubs, angst

Summary: Essentially, Spirit ends up too wasted to walk home and calls Stein to help him get there.

Note(s): This is another relatively short one. I’d like to write some much longer ones as I have once before, but the brain fog has been tormenting me lately. I hope that this isn’t the absolute pinnacle of mediocrity! I don’t want my work to suffer. (I don’t say this for any sort of pity.) I feel as though I could do so much more with his alcoholism and really delve into it, but whatever. Perhaps I will in future fics. I greatly enjoy detailing themes of addiction and self-medicating in my writing, so I most likely will.

The warm lighting of the pub gently flickered above Spirit’s head as he sat, slumped over on one of a ton of barstools.

The idea of even stepping foot into Chupa Cabra’s made him shiver, a sharp pang prickling his spine. He’d have to see Blair if he did as such, and any reminder of his Maka would send him surely spiraling even further down the wormhole than he already was.

“Another, please,” Spirit outstretched the hand in which a shining shot glass was held, holding it out expectantly in the direction of the barkeep.

“No, way. Sorry,” the bartender shook his head, cleaning off a martini glass. He set the glass down once sparkly, grabbing the one Spirit shakily held.

“What? Why?” Death Scythe pouted childishly, his eyebrows pinching sorrowfully on his forehead.

“That would be a legal liability, sir. I can’t afford anyone suing this bar just because they were too wasted for their tortured livers to handle,” his face was stern despite the small chuckle escaping his lips.

Spirit straightened his back, grimacing in pain as his temples felt as though they might just burst.

“I wouldn’t do that,” he assured sincerely, and rather desperately.

“Psh, I don’t care if you supposedly would or would not do that, I’m not risking it! You know that happened to another pub just a few blocks away? No way, no how! My apologies, Death Scythe, sir.”

A deep and melancholic sigh racked Spirit’s frame as he stood, the weight of a thousand suns on his chest and shoulders. He stumbled out of the bar, soon being met with the sight of the bloodied and wrangled moon.

How long had he been there?

He peered down at his watch, wobbling on his feet as he tried his hardest to stand still.

The hands of the miniature clock read “1:29.”

Spirit pinched the bridge of his nose, inhaling and exhaling slowly. He soothingly massaged his throbbing forehead, squinting his eyes in the direction he came from, attempting to plan his route home in his clouded mind.

‘One foot in front of the other,’ he reminded himself of how precisely to walk, as began trudging along the cobblestone streets.

……

Spirit yelped as he nearly face-planted into the sidewalk, his hands and knees surely scraped. Evidently, “one foot in front of the other” would not be enough. He fought back tears as they pricked in his eyes, feeling as though he were a pathetic child who couldn’t handle a minuscule scratch.

He hoisted himself upwards, leaning against the wall of some shoe store, fumbling for the cellphone buried in his right pocket.

The scythe dialed the only person he knew would be awake.

“Spirit?” A confused and sonorous voice rumbled through the speakers of the phone.

“Need help,” he slurred, the waterworks beginning.

“With what?”

“Can’t get home. Too drunk,” he whimpered pitifully, scrambling to conceal himself in the shadows of the dingy alleyway beside him.

“You know I live outside of the city, Spirit. It’ll take me a second to get… Wait, where are you?”

“I don’t know… ‘M so stupid,” his shoulders shook with a sob, as he slapped his palm against his forehead repeatedly.

“Calm down, Spirit. Do you see a street sign anywhere?” The voice was more stern than that of the barkeeper’s, and more intimidating, but a stable source of guidance for the drunkard.

“Uhm… I think so.. It says Morena Street,” he poked his head out cautiously, examining the sign carefully as he squinted.

“Okay. I can be there in just a few minutes.”

“Thanks,” he sniffled, a hand placed over his mouth in order to muffle his weeping.

“Yeah,” the caller hung up.

……

Stein scanned the dimly lit streets, his hands in his pockets and he walked. There was no sign of Spirit.

That is, until he moved closer to a certain alleyway.

The sounds of a familiar cry seemed to leave that narrow spot, flowing down the streets despite the weapon’s best efforts.

“Spirit?” Stein called out, entering the horridly-smelling alleyway.

“Stein!” He plummeted into the meister, face against his chest, as he wrapped his arms around his taut torso.

Stein’s eyes widened impossibly large, his arms glued to his sides. “What are you doing, Spirit?”

“Please don’t dissect me! Just get me home!” He bawled, Stein frowning as the fluids emerging from the scythe’s face were surely soaking into his turtleneck by now.

“Okay, then. First you have to remove your arms from around me, please,” Franken awkwardly suggested, struggling out of Spirit’s hold.

“Oh, sorry..”

“It’s fine… Here,” he allowed for the ginger’s head to rest against his shoulder, his own arm reaching out to steady the clumsy man as they exited the premises.

“Did I interrupt anything you were doing? ‘M sorry,” Albarn gazed at Stein sadly and guiltily, his blubbering certainly not coming anywhere close to ceasing.

“I didn’t have much to do, really. And stop apologizing, there’s no need to,” he reassured him.

“Okay…”

“So, why’d you get so drunk this time, anyway?” Stein questioned curiously, sparing a quick and inquisitive glance down at his former partner.

“Don’ even know anymore,” he began, sulking whilst wearing possibly the most petulant face the meister had ever seen. “Just didn’t feel good. I never feel good anymore, Stein. Maka hates me, too. Prob’ly partly ‘cause of this.”

“That’s not true, Spirit, I can assure you of that,” he spoke solemnly with an air of wholeheartedness.

“Whaddayamean i’s na true?” Spirit drawled, a whiny twinge to his voice like that of a young child. “She ma’es it so clear!”

“She doesn’t truly hate you, Spirit. She loves you. She’s always loved you. That’s why it makes the whole divorce and all that happened between you and Kami so much more difficult. She resents you, she’s bitter. But that doesn’t mean she doesn’t love you. She’s still so young, and doesn’t know how to handle all those conflicting feelings - Hell, no matter your age, conflicting emotions are incredibly difficult to deal with and navigate, but being so young certainly doesn’t help by any means,” Stein elucidated, raising valid points even in the midst of Spirit’s hazy and inebriated mind.

“You mean it? You really do?” The scythe sniffled, his bottom lip gently quivering.

“Of course, Spirit. It’s a glaring fact. Haven’t you noticed how worried she gets when she sees you injured? She’s mad at you. She doesn’t hate you.”

A strident sob poured from Death Scythe’s lips, as he seemingly threw the idea of stifling his weeping entirely out of the window. His abdomen contracted, his entire figure trembling strenuously.

“It’s a good thing we’re going home, huh?” Stein chuckled.

Spirit produced a strained sound in agreement, harshly and uncoordinatedly nodding his head, something he would soon come to regret when the alcohol-induced vertigo came to strike him.

……

“Wanna be loved, Stein,” the redhead bemoaned as Stein fumbled with the keys he’d had to grab from Spirit’s pocket, eventually pushing the apartment door open. “And not jus’ for my body, for once. Not love. They want me for sex. Always. Never for me, is it?”

“Isn’t that normal?” Stein questioned genuinely. “I mean, isn’t it normal for people to seemingly only want you for your body?”

“Well, everyone else seems to not think so. Or maybe it is? Dunno. But other people love.. and it’s love,” he slurred into Stein’s shoulder, allowing himself to be maneuvered onto the comfort of his bed.

“Stein.. I know you aren’t the type, but do you love me? Don’ even mean romantically.”

“I don’t know how to, Spirit. It’s just not in my nature. But would it help if I were to tell you that you’re my favorite test subject of them all?” He asked as he tucked the man in, adjusting his pillow, and ensuring that he lay on his side.

“Hm. Kinda, I guess. ‘M certainly not Maka’s favorite. Maybe not anyone’s.. But maybe yours. But that means you wanna dissect me!” Spirit exclaimed, his bottom lip sticking out more and further than ever.

“Why, of course it does, my dear,” he shot the weapon a sarcastically adoring smirk.

“You’re so mean…”

“If I’m so mean, then why did I just tuck you into bed like a kid?”

“To dissect me.”

Stein sighed, laughing a little in response. “I don’t even have any of my scalpels or utensils, in general, with me at the moment. You needn’t worry,” the meister perched himself upon the very edge of the fairly empty king-sized bed, right up against Spirit’s legs. “Now, before you inevitably fall asleep, do you need to vomit?”

“Don’ think so…”

“Okay, well, make sure to stay on your side unless you want to die of asphyxiation tonight,” Stein gently patted his former weapon on his calves.

“Asphyxiation?” He slurred in his drunken state.

“Do you want to gargle and choke on your vomit, Spirit?”

“Ew, no!” Spirit yelled out, grimacing.

“There you go.”

Stein lifted himself from his position on the bed, taking strides toward the bedroom door, his hands resting in their habitual and almost designated area; his lab coat pockets.

“Wait!” Albarn exclaimed, his hands zooming out from underneath the warmth of his plush comforter, making grabby gestures at Stein.

“What is it, Spirit?”

“I’m not sure if I ever told you this, but.. I like your voice. It’s calm.. Well, most of the time. Can you read to me?” He averted his gaze from Stein’s, humiliated, ashamed, and tense with trepidation.

“Aw, the baby wants me to read him to sleep?” Franken Stein teased, stepping closer and closer to the flushed weapon.

“Sh- shut up, Stein. Just- please?” He stared up at him longingly. Stein found it almost cute.

“Sure. Is there anything specific you would like me to read?”

Spirit retrieved the book on his nightstand, handing it to the meister, of whom had once again sat himself directly beside his legs.

“Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, hm? I hadn’t known that you enjoyed such literature,” Stein examined the detailed cover, looking over each and every speck of the book with his typical inquisition.

“I used to read it to my little Maka all the time,” his voice shuddered as his tear glands somehow managed to secrete even more salty liquid.

“Now, now, no more crying, Spirit. Your eyes are already all red and swollen. At this point, I’d figure that it would be painful to cry,” he thumbed at the older male’s under-eyes and cheeks, attempting to dry the moistness. “Are you sure you’ll be able to handle me reading this? Perhaps you shouldn’t have it on your nightstand anymore if it upsets you so much.”

“No, no! I can handle it, I swear. Please, Stein. That’s the book I want,” Spirit blinked whatever teardrops that were left in his eyes away, rolling them upward and into the back of his head.

“All right, then,” Stein patiently agreed, acting as the sturdy force, the glue currently holding Spirit together. “Alice was beginning to get very tired of sitting by her sister on the bank, and of having nothing to do: once or twice she had peeped into the book her sister was reading, but it had no pictures or conversations in it,`and what is the use of a book,' thought Alice`without pictures or conversation?'”

Spirit’s eyelids slowly fluttered shut as Stein continued to read from the first chapter, though one last tear did managed to slip from his eyes as he fell down the abyssal rabbit-hole that was sleep, allowing each soothing, yet stirring hand to drag him down into the land of dreams.

“…In another moment down went Alice after it, never once considering how in the world she was to get out again.

The rabbit-hole went straight on like a tunnel for some way, and then dipped suddenly down, so suddenly that Alice had not a moment to think about stopping herself before she found herself falling down a very deep well,” Franken ceased his reading, peering over at his weapon.

‘That was quick. So, he still looks just as peaceful when he sleeps as he did all those years ago,’ Stein thought to himself, a mischievous and nostalgic smile decorating his face as he reminisced on each incision that he had left scattered all over Spirit’s body.

He quietly shut the book, placing it back onto the nightstand with a hushed “plop.” Steadily, Stein stood from the bed, and step by step, he took strides towards the door once more.

“Good night, Spirit,” Franken muttered underneath his breath, sparing a quick and curious glance back at the weapon.

#soul eater #franken stein #spirit albarn #takeyourcyanide #stein #stein soul eater #dr stein #spirit soul eater #maka albarn #kami (soul eater)#kami albarn #maka’s mother #maka #maka soul eater #soul eater fanfic #soul eater fanfiction #alcoholism #hurt/comfort

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felassan · 6 months

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Dragon Age: The Official Cookbook: Tastes of Thedas lore compilation / notes / thoughts [Part 1 of 2]

(Link to Part 2, in text form (pls copy-paste) as Tumblr won't let me add it as a normal link: https://felassan.tumblr.com/post/732826339350102016/dragon-age-the-official-cookbook-tastes-of)

Reference, info & general observations/ramble post ◕‿◕ (Post contents under a cut, in case anyone would rather not read cookbook spoilers. also due to post length)

[☕ found this post or blog interesting or useful? my ko-fi is here if you feel inclined. thank you 🙏]

If I have forgotten, misread or misunderstood something, please let me know.

This post is part 1 of 2, as it was getting rly long.

Dishes by type

Starters & Refreshments: Eggs à la Val Foret, Nevarran Blood Orange Salad, Fried Young Giant Spiders, Stuffed Deep Mushrooms, Rivaini Couscous Salad, Crab Cakes from Kirkwall, Fluffy Mackerel Pudding, Snail & Watercress Salad, Cave Beetles

For the Road: Spiced Jerky, Grey Warden Pastry Pockets, Pickled Eggs, Unidentified Meat, Seheron Fish Pockets, Fereldan Hearty Scones, Crow Feed, Black Lichen Bread, Hearth Cakes, Peasant Bread

Soups & Stews: Merrill's Blood Soup, Fereldan Potato and Leek Soup, The Hanged Man's Mystery Meat Stew, Fish Chowder, Sweet and Sour Cabbage Soup, Lentil Soup, Nettle Soup, King Alistair's Lamb and Pea Stew

Main Courses: Stuffed Cabbage, Antivan Gnocchi, Antivan Paella, Grilled Poussin, Gurgut Roast with Lowlander Spices and Mushroom Sauce, Nug Pancakes, Fish in Salt Crust, Roasted Wyvern, Nug Bacon and Egg Pie, Starkhaven Fish and Egg Pie, Cacio e Pepe, Turnip and Mutton Pie, Smoked Ham from the Anderfels, Roasted Turkey with Sides

Sides: Sera's Yummy Corn, Stuffed Vine Leaves, Honey Carrots, Nevarran Flat Bread and Yogurt Dip

Sweet Delights: Blancmange, Poison Stings, Dalish Forest Fruit Cobbler, Dwarven Plum Jam, Sour Cherries in Cream, Treviso Energy Balls, Rice Pudding, Goat Custard

Baked Goods: Antivan Apple Grenade, Found Cake, Varric's Favorite Cinnamon Rolls, Croissants, Cherry Cupcakes, Chocolate Cake, Varric's Favorite Pastries, Sugar Cake, Lamprey Cake, Tevinter Pumpkin Bread

Drinks & Potions: Lichen Ale, The Hissing Drake, Hot Chocolate, Antivan Sip-Sip, Dragon Piss, Rivaini Tea Blend, The Golden Nug, The Emerald Valley, Chasind Sack Mead

Notes: These dish 'categories' are from the book contents pages, which can be viewed here.

Dishes by place / culture of origin (DA Cookbook-specific list)

Ferelden: Pickled Eggs, Fereldan Hearty Scones, Fereldan Potato and Leek Soup, Sweet and Sour Cabbage Soup, King Alistair's Lamb and Pea Stew, Nug Bacon and Egg Pie, Turnip and Mutton Pie, Chocolate Cake

Kirkwall: Crab Cakes from Kirkwall, The Hanged Man's Mystery Meat Stew, Roasted Turkey with Sides

Orlais: Eggs à la Val Foret, Grey Warden Pastry Pockets, Honey Carrots, Blancmange, Sour Cherries in Cream, Croissants

Tevinter: Unidentified Meat, Stuffed Vine Leaves, Cherry Cupcakes, Tevinter Pumpkin Bread

Antiva: Crow Feed, Fish Chowder, Antivan Gnocchi, Antivan Paella, Cacio e Pepe, Treviso Energy Balls, Antivan Apple Grenade, Antivan Sip-Sip

Nevarra: Nevarran Blood Orange Salad, Nevarran Flat Bread and Yogurt Dip

Rivain: Rivaini Couscous Salad, Goat Custard, Rivaini Tea Blend

Seheron: Seheron Fish Pockets

Starkhaven: Starkhaven Fish and Egg Pie, Roasted Turkey with Sides

Free Marches: Roasted Turkey with Sides

Anderfels: Smoked Ham from the Anderfels

Avvar: Snail & Watercress Salad, Stuffed Cabbage, Gurgut Roast with Lowlander Spices and Mushroom Sauce, Fish in Salt Crust, Roasted Wyvern

Chasind: Grilled Poussin, Chasind Sack Mead

Dalish: Spiced Jerky, Hearth Cakes, Peasant Bread, Dalish Forest Fruit Cobbler

City Elf: Peasant Bread, Lentil Soup

Orzammar / dwarven: Fried Young Giant Spiders, Stuffed Deep Mushrooms, Cave Beetles, Nug Pancakes, Dwarven Plum Jam, Lichen Ale, Black Lichen Bread

Unspecified (DA Cookbook-specific list): Fluffy Mackerel Pudding, Merrill's Blood Soup, Nettle Soup, Sera's Yummy Corn, Poison Stings, Rice Pudding, Found Cake, Varric's Favorite Cinnamon Rolls, Varric's Favorite Pastries, Sugar Cake, Lamprey Cake, The Hissing Drake, Hot Chocolate, Dragon Piss, The Golden Nug, The Emerald Valley

Notes: Fluffy Mackerel Pudding seems to be Fereldan as it's found in DA:O in this Codex entry at the Arl of Redcliffe's Estate in Denerim. Snail & Watercress Salad isn't traditional Avvar cuisine; though snails are standard Avvar fare, this salad which has them in conjunction with other ingredients is Devon's take on snails that they made for their Avvar hosts. The given Spiced Jerky recipe is Dalish, but the book notes that preserved foods like it play an important role in many different Thedosian cultures. Grey Warden Pastry Pockets are a variation on a tough Grey Warden pastry which incorporates the far more delicate Orlesian puff pastry, that was championed by newer Warden recruits from Orlais. Unidentified Meat is usually served with Nevarran Flat Bread. Black Lichen Bread doesn't explicitly say but is clearly dwarven, as it references "underground" versus the "surface" and the dwarf Garin in Orzammar mentions it in DA:O. Peasant Bread is both Dalish and City Elf. Merrill's Blood Soup could be Dalish in origin as it's a recipe of Merrill's. Devon's Lentil Soup recipe has classic Tevinter flavors in it. Roasted Turkey with Sides is found throughout the Free Marches. Sera's Yummy Corn could be Fereldan in origin as it's a recipe of Sera's. Poison Stings is likely Tevinter as Dorian is fond of it. Rice Pudding could be Antivan or Rivaini as in Thedas you don't see much rice outside of Antiva or Rivain, or perhaps Tevinter or Qunari as it was a dish made by Krem, Iron Bull and the Chargers. Found Cake could be Fereldan as it's based on Dog's Found Cake in DA:O. Sugar Cake was purchased from a surface dwarf merchant and is based on Sugar Cake from DA:O (Feraldan dish? Dwarven?). Lamprey Cake was Devon's pickled lamprey-inspired cake, with pickled lamprey itself being a "singular" (implied: odd) favorite of an Orlesian noble. The Hissing Drake, The Golden Nug and The Emerald Valley are drinks served at the Gilded Horn in Orlais. The Emerald Valley's place of origin isn't given in the book, but we know from this Codex that it includes a spirit that is Orlesian, having been made in Lydes. Going by Iron Bull's dialogue with Varric, hot chocolate/cocoa is not from the south and is rare there. Dragon Piss could be Fereldan as it's based on Dragon Piss which is found in Ferelden.

Alphabetical ingredients / 'foodstuffs and drinks which exist in Thedas' list (DA Cookbook-specific list)

Notes: These ingredients are derived from the dish names and the lore blurbs (which appear to be in-world), not the recipes and associated ingredients lists themselves (which appear to be our world/irl-based). Also, this is a sort of scrappy list with mixed singular/plurals, some repeating stuff (e.g. I know pork, bacon, pig and ham is all "pig"), some non-specific stuff e.g. "herbs", and some stuff that is more 'a combo food' than 'a single ingredient' e.g. "dough", but just go with it ok hh, it's just meant to be a quick 'n' dirty reference list as a resource not a perfect culinary thing:

“Bitter greens”, Ale, Almonds, Antivan pasta, Antivan wine, Apples, Apple blossoms, Apricots, Assorted “forest fruits”, Ayesleigh gulabi goat (a breed of goat from which some goat’s milk is derived), Bacon, Bark, Bark bread, Barley, Beetroot, Biscuits, Black cherries, Black lichen, Blended teas, Blood oranges, Brandy, Bread, Buns, Butter (halla and other types), Cabbage, Carrot, Cave beetles, Celery, Chasind Wildwine, Cheese, Cheese sauce, Cherries, Chicken, Chickpeas, Chocolate, Chocolate cream cake, Cinnamon, Cocoa, Cocoa powder, Corn (yellow and non-yellow varieties), Couscous, Cows, Crab, Cranberry, Cream, Croutons, Currants, Custard (many variations), Cuttlefish, Dark bread, Deep mushrooms (several varieties), Dough, Dracolisk? (in one ‘sus meat’ recipe Devon wondered if it could be this), Dried fruit, Dry cheese, Eggs, Egg-white foam (for drinks, due to the The Gilded Horn’s Drink List codex), Fereldan ale, Fereldan barley, Figs, Fish, Flat bread, Flour, Flowers (over 70 different types of herbs and flowers used for food & drink exist), Giant spiders, Giant? (in one ‘sus meat’ recipe Devon wondered if it could be this), Gnocchi, Goat’s milk, Goats, Grains, Grapes, Grease, Gurguts, Halla butter, Ham, Harts, Herbs (over 70 different herbs and flowers used for food & drink exist), Hirol’s Lava Burst (due to the The Gilded Horn’s Drink List codex), Honey, Hot peppers, Jams & preserves, Jasmine flowers, Jerky, Lamb, Lamprey, Leeks, Lemon, Lemon juice, Lemon verbena, Lentils, Lichen (underground and surface varieties), Lichen ale, Licorice root, Llomerryn red, Llomerryn rum (due to the The Gilded Horn’s Drink List codex), Lurkers, Mackerel, Mango, Marshmallow (presumably meaning both the marshmallow plant and marshmallows, the confectionary that was originally made from the marshmallow plant. The form given in the cookbook is Orlesian guimauves, which accompany Iron Bull’s hot chocolate. “Guimauve” is French for marshmallow), Mead, Milk, Mincemeat, Mint, Mushroom, Mussels, Mutton, Nettle, Noodles, Nug, Nug bacon, Nuggets (nug-gets), Nutmeg (due to the The Gilded Horn’s Drink List codex), Nuts, Oats, Oil, Olives, Onion, Orange, Orange peel, Oregano, Pasta, Pastry, Peas, Peanut butter, Peanuts, Pepper (as in black pepper etc), Peppermint, Pickled things, Pickled vegetables, Pie, Pig, Plums, Pomegranate, Pork, Potatoes, Poussin, Prawns, Puff pastry, Pumpkin, Quillback (in one ‘sus meat’ recipe Devon wondered if it could be this, and in DA:I some NPCs mention it), Rabbit, Raisins, Rams, Raspberries, Red bell peppers, Red grapes, Rhubarb, Rice, Rolls, Royal elfroot (due to the The Gilded Horn’s Drink List codex), Rum (due to the The Gilded Horn’s Drink List codex), Saffron, Salt, Semolina flour, Sheep, Shrimp, Smoked meats, Snails, Sour ale, Sour cherries, Spices, Spinach, Spirits (as in alcohol), Strawberries, Sugar, Tea, Toasted bread, Tomatoes, Truffles, Turkey, Turnip, Tzatziki sauce, Vine leaves, Waffles, Water, Watercress, West Hill brandy, Wheat, Whipped cream, Whiskey (due to the The Gilded Horn’s Drink List codex), White chocolate, White frosting, White Seleny wine, White wine, Wildflowers, Wine, Wraps (soft), Wyverns, Yogurt

'See also' / 'did you know':

Eggs à la Val Foret

Fried Young Giant Spiders: previously made an appearance in the DA tabletop. The player party arrives at Chanra Thaig and sees "Bonfires built inside steel drums provide warm and heat for the dwarves huddled around them, cooking deepstalkers, what looks like the legs of giant spiders, and small rodent-like animals on spits". The dwarves have "fuel, water, and domesticated spiders and nugs in deeper chambers for food".

Fluffy Mackerel Pudding

Snail and Watercress Salad

Cave beetle previously made an appearance in the DA tabletop. They're described as "scavengers and carrion eaters", "black" and "hard-shelled". They're also known as "rock beetles" and are "little more than a nuisance on its own. Dwarves are even known to roast and eat them out of the shells".

Pickled Eggs (from "The Whole Nug" in World of Thedas)

Seheron Fish Pockets: Iron Bull has dialogue where he says "I remember one guy, he made these things - fish wrapped in thin bread". He was talking of a street food vendor in Seheron who had been forced by Tevinter spies to poison his food. Fittingly, in the cookbook Devon narrates that they learned this recipe from a Charger.

Black Lichen Bread: Garin from DA:O had an incident a few years back where he cut himself and some raw lyrium dust got into his blood. Since then it's been hard for him to concentrate and he's forgetful. He mentions bread that's made by using lichen (I think he mentioned that his lunch was a slice of lichen bread). interestingly, like lyrium, the cookbook lore blurb for Black Lichen Bread contains reference to how black lichen is toxic.

Hearth Cakes (from "The Whole Nug" in World of Thedas)

Peasant Bread: appears in The Masked Empire. in the Dalish camp, Dalish cooks prepared a midday meal, which was served along with peasant bread. "It was almost equal parts wheat, salt, and grease, and in lean winters, it was sometimes the only thing that could put meat on a peasant's bones." Michel watches an old elven woman drizzle honey across a piece and remembers his City Elven mother putting a bit of sugar she had stolen from the tavern she worked in on his piece of bread. The cookbook lore blurb for Peasant Bread says it is eaten by Dalish elves and City elves alike in Orlais, with the recipe being "very straightforward, calling for wheat, salt, and grease in nearly equal parts". Also, in The Last Court, Seraultine (Orlesian) peasants are described as eating bread at mealtimes

The Hanged Man's Mystery Meat Stew: in a DAII loading screen, it says that the tavern's feature dish is a stew made from a different mystery meat every morning

Fish Chowder: in DA:O Zevran says "Can you smell that? Like rotting flesh. Just like back in Antiva City. Now if only you could find me a prostitute or two, a bowl of fish chowder and a corrupt politician, I'd really feel like I was home!"

Sweet and Sour Cabbage Soup (the cookbook lore blurb mentions the Orlesian troupe of actors from the show Wilkshire Downs. in this codex they are mentioned along with "cabbage stew")

King Alistair's Lamb and Pea Stew: Alistair and Leliana have this dialogue in DA:O about this dish (Ctrl-F "pea stew").

Antivan Gnocchi: In Tevinter Nights (Eight Little Talons), the Crow leaders eat gnocchi with dinner

Gurgut Roast with Lowlander Spices and Mushroom Sauce

Nug Pancakes, two

Fish in Salt Crust

Roasted Wyvern. Also Isabela has dialogue in Mark of the Assassin where she says "I hope I'm not expected to eat roast wyvern after this." The lore blurb in the cookbook for this dish also references this Codex

Starkhaven Fish and Egg Pie (from "The Whole Nug" in World of Thedas)

Cacio e Pepe: First mentioned in Tevinter Nights (The Wigmaker Job). Illario complains "This isn't Cacio e Pepe" while making a show of tapping his dagger against a plate of leftovers. Lucanis replies "You ordered an Antivan dish in Tevinter. What did you expect?", to which Illario quips "Something edible".

Turnip and Mutton Pie

Smoked Ham from the Anderfels: a servant in Mark of the Assassin offers Hawke and Tallis "smoked ham from the Anderfels. They say it tastes of despair". Tallis replies "Wait, does it really? How can ham taste of despair? Why would anyone eat it if it did?". The servant explains "That's what the importer said. They all talk like that" apparently. This dish is also mentioned in DA:I. After WEWH Dorian says "I hope you tried the ham they were serving, by the way. Tastes of despair. Fascinating". The cookbook lore blurb asserts that contrary to rumors and what the importers say, this ham does not, in fact, taste of despair. Also, see The Jade Ham (tumblr won't let me add it as a proper link: https://dragonage.fandom.com/wiki/The_Jade_Ham), as the cookbook lore blurb references this item and its description

Roasted Turkey with Sides: Roast turkey previously made an appearance in the DA tabletop. Lady Sennova hosts a gala/party in Orlais, which players infiltrate/attend and at which food and drink is served. "The Game is about appearances as much as it is about outright treachery, so a dead rat discovered in the roast turkey could serve as a crueler twist of the knife than an actual twisting of the knife". The cookbook lore blurb references the comic Knight Errant, which involves Sebastian's birthday dinner party

Sera's Yummy Corn (from "The Whole Nug" in World of Thedas)

Dwarven Plum Jam: in DA:O a Diamond Quarter noble dwarf says something like "I will die without my favorite plum jam from the surface!" The cookbook lore blurb references the fact that in Orzammar, jam from the surface, especially jams made from plums, are in especially high demand and cost exorbitant prices

Rice Pudding: in DA:I Krem mentions a time when he, Iron Bull and the Chargers defended a village from fifty bandits. Afterwards the villagers paid them for their services in bags of rice. He says that they made rice pudding after that. The cookbook lore blurb references this story of Krem's

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Antivan Apple Grenade: the cookbook lore blurb references Antivan Fire Grenades (two), which spread sticky fire. maybe it's my brain conjuring up sticky toffee/toffee apples, but I wanna say that this dish would not only be hot but also sticky :)

Found Cake

Varric's Favorite Cinnamon Rolls: in DAII Sandal says that Orana smells of cinnamon rolls, which was interesting to me as DAII is the game where Varric is introduced and his first (and greatest) batch of cinnamon roll friends, the Kirkwall Crew, are featured in

Croissants: Calix and Vaea eat something which arguably look like croissants in the comic Dragon Age: Deception, in an inn in Tevinter.

Cherry Cupcakes: the cookbook lore blurb says these are served by servants on stilts at the Tevinter theature. in the comic Dragon Age: Magekiller, Marius is depicted serving an array of treats and snacks to a Tevinter elite at the Tevinter theatre while on stilts. some of the cupcakes on his tray bear somewhat of a resemblance to the cupcakes in this recipe.

Sugar Cake

Pickled Lamprey: the cookbook lore blurb is referencing the book Last Flight, where Norbert de la Haine and his unfortunate fondness for pickled lampreys is mentioned.

Lichen Ale

The Hissing Drake. the cookbook lore blurb mentions the Gilded Horn

Hot Chocolate: Iron Bull discusses his penchant for this drink with Varric. "How do you guys live without this stuff?" he says. Varric replies "I don't see what the deal is, honestly, but different tastes..." / "Now I just need some hot milk and some of those Orlesian guimauves to put in it" / "Hey, what you do with this 'cocoa' is up to you. I don't need to hear about it"

Antivan Sip-Sip

Dragon Piss, two

Rivaini Tea Blend: In Masked Empire Celene drinks a Rivaini blend of tea containing cinnamon, ginger and cloves, sweetened with honey. the cookbook lore blurb references Celene drinking Rivaini Tea Blend throughout the day to combat headaches, but this tea blend consists of peppermint, lemon verbena, oregano and licorice root. Rivaini tea also crops up here.

The Golden Nug, two

The Emerald Valley

Chasind Sack Mead

Characters mentioned or alluded to in the cookbook

Devon (new character, writer and narrator of the book), Merrill, Alistair, Sera, Varric, Solas, Cassandra, Fenris, Cullen, Sten, Iron Bull, Bull's Chargers, Krem, Nan (possibly, if she is Devon's mother), Norah (possibly, as the waitress at The Hanged Man), Zevran, Morrigan, the Hero of Ferelden, the Inquisitor, Josephine, Paragon Varen, Leliana, Schmooples, the Hero of Ferelden's mabari, Sebastian, Cole, Vivienne, Dorian, Anders, Loghain, Bethany, Hawke, the Couslands, Bodahn Feddic (possibly, as the Sugar Cake item in DA:O is sold by him and Devon narrates that they purchased one from a surface dwarf merchant who said that the Hero of Ferelden purchased some for their companions), Norbert de la Haine, Isabela, Celene, Briala, Gaspard

"Cookbook canon" (notes about the particular worldstate/universe that Devon wrote the cookbook in)

The cookbook was written at some point after the appointment of Divine Victoria, placing it at at least one month after the DA:I base game concludes (at least one month after the defeat of Corypheus). The narrator, Devon, has met and spoken to at least some of the companions & related prominent NPCs, including Varric and Krem. Devon visited Haven.

The HoF was a Cousland. The HoF caught Schmooples for Leliana. Loghain survived DA:O and DA:I, as he's referred to in the present-tense at the time the cookbook is written. Alistair is King of Ferelden. The HoF may have been a lady who romanced Alistair (if you argue that the inclusion of Alistair's love letter to the Warden & the necklace from this merch item as a prop in the photo for Rivaini Couscous Salad as indicator. interesting that the photo where this item is prominently displayed is for the Couscous of all things. back in the day I remember folks calling Cousland "Couscous" hhh).

Hawke was a warrior or rogue and Carver died in the prologue. Hawke was probably Diplomatic. Hawke did not romance Sebastian (in the cookbook he is Prince, and Sebastian reclaims his title as Prince by DA:I unless romanced, in which case he's the Chantry advisor in Starkhaven).

The "worst of [Cullen's] lyrium withdrawals" are mentioned so it could be that the Inquisitor advised Cullen to stop taking lyrium. Cassandra Pentaghast is the Divine. Celene is the Empress of Orlais - possibly ruling "alone" or possibly in the Celene-Gaspard-Briala "work together option", going by "Given how messy Orlesian politics are wont to be, with chevalier cousins vying for the throne and elven handmaids turned both spymaster and lover".

Also, this might be just me and my assumptions or reading of it, but of the companion characters referenced in the book (see section above, Characters mentioned or alluded to in the cookbook), such as Cole, Sera, Merrill, Fenris etc, I feel like it's safe to assume that in this worldstate they were all recruited by the relevant PCs are alive and well (including the Chargers).

Merch items & similar that appear as props or edits in photos

Alistair romance bundle (necklace and letter in Rivaini Couscous Salad. the necklace appears again in Goat Custard. the box can be seen in The Golden Nug)

Grey Warden pendant that shows the griffon heraldry (not sure if this is from the Gear Store or somewhere like Etsy. Grey Warden Pastry Pockets). this reappears in Sugar Cake

Solas Jawbone Necklace (Pickled Eggs. hhhh. unlike in Eggs à la Val Foret the blurb here doesn't mention Solas, but he's repped here anyway by the necklace hanging in the background hh)

Cullen's Lucky Coin (The Hanged Man's Mystery Meat Stew, Stuffed Vine Leaves, Antivan Sip-Sip)

In Nug Pancakes this red Inquisition banner with the handprint is in the background (seems to be from game files/in-game props). the red Inquisition banner appears again in Chasind Sack Mead

In Nug Bacon and Egg Pie, there is a nug in the background, presumably looking on in horror as their spouse has been transformed into a pie

In Turnip and Mutton Pie is a necklace that looks like the one Varric wears

Templar Banner (Roasted Turkey with Sides)

Inquisitor's iconic helmet replica (Roasted Turkey with Sides. hhh, this reminds me of the ones that are props in the queue area for the Dragon Age-not Dragon Age-ride)

In the background of Dalish Forest Fruit Cobbler a nug is peeking out

Antivan Apple Grenade contains a map of Westeros hhh. You can see the Three Sisters, the Neck and the Bite

A physical version of this Thedas map appears at various points e.g. Chasind Sack Mead

DA:I advisors coin set (Tevinter Pumpkin Bread) - for some reason Tumblr won't allow me to add the link to this one as an actual link, but you can find it here: gear.bioware.com/en-eu/products/dragon-age-three-advisors-coin-set

A green orb that I would guess is meant to be reminiscent of the ones Solas has you use during Measuring the Veil (Tevinter Pumpkin Bread)

Inquisition symbol pendant (not sure if this is from the Gear Store or somewhere like Etsy)

(You can get 20% off in the BioWare Gear Store until November 6th using my latest discount code BWCUISINE. After that date check back here for a new code. alternatively, you can use my >tracking link<.)

Some random thoughts

Shoutout to the photo for Starkhaven Fish and Egg Pie. It looks a lot like the illustration in World of Thedas of this dish! you can see that they really took it into consideration when creating this dish/image.

I feel like you can also sense the inspiration in general vibe/feel in Dalish Forest Fruit Cobbler from Dalish Deep Forest Comfort in WoT.

The black and gold theme colors of the cover remind me of when DA:D branding was black and gold.

Recipe pages I have posted that you can view in full: Spiced Jerky, Dalish Forest Fruit Cobbler, Hearth Cakes, Merrill's Blood Soup, Lentil Soup, Peasant Bread, Dragon Piss

Recipe and other pages that were already available to view in full from the official preview pages: intro page, intro page 2, intro page 3, Contents page 1, Contents page 2, intro page 4, Devon's letter, intro page 5, Starters & Refreshments section intro page, Eggs à la Val Foret, Fried Young Giant Spiders, Fereldan Hearty Scones, Nug Pancakes, Roasted Turkey with Sides, Varric's Favorite Cinnamon Rolls, Nevarran Blood Orange Salad recipe (pic), Stuffed Deep Mushrooms recipe (pic), Rivaini Couscous Salad recipe (pic), Crab Cakes from Kirkwall recipe (pic), Fluffy Mackerel Pudding recipe (pic), Snail & Watercress Salad recipe (pic), Cave Beetles

Source of the above information: Dragon Age The Official Cookbook - Tastes of Thedas

If you’re not able to get the book, and there’s a recipe or two in the Contents that you’d like to see/read, let me know and I’ll show you (❁´◡`❁)

Link to Part 2, in text form (pls copy-paste) as Tumblr won't let me add it as a normal link: https://felassan.tumblr.com/post/732826339350102016/dragon-age-the-official-cookbook-tastes-of

A post you may also be interested in: Food and drink lore compilation from Dragon Age: The Last Court

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