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ertrunkenerwassergeist · 4 years

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Hey, ya’ll remember that post I did about Galahdian courting? Yes well, I did a thing...

This was one of the few instances in his life where Cor had no idea what was going on. At all. If the situation had been any different, he would have either stared it down or used a sword to resolve it. He knew however, that in this instance neither approach would work. They would probably make this whole thing worse for all he knew.

In front of him stood Nyx Ulric. The man's eyes were blown wide open and his mouth was gaping like a fish's flailing on land. They stood in the training grounds of the Kingsglaive compound, surrounded by a throng of people that should have been training and were instead watching them in shocked silence. The whole situation might have been comical, if it weren't for the strained and charged atmosphere. It felt like they were waiting for the fuse of an explosive to burn down.

Ulric's mouth finally shut with an audible click. He visibly gathered himself, straightened, and looked Cor firmly into the eyes. Greyish blue seemed to glow like lightning.

“Say that again,” Ulric demanded, the tone of his voice strangely strangled and high pitched.

Cor resisted the urge to frown or sigh in confusion. The fingers of his free hand danced over the fur he was carrying. Ulric followed the gesture with a sharp gaze. It was a beautiful fur, an even slate grey with lighter spots that had a silvery sheen to them, and the upper part of the head was still attached. It had obviously been intended to use it as a rug. A rug.

A coeurl's fur as a rug.

Cor may know more than most people in Lucis about Galahdian culture, but it still wasn't much. Most of it had to do with family feuds, family colours and some swear words in their native language. Coeurls were sacred to them. And for some reason everything to do with coeurls had also to do with Ulrics.

“During my patrol I came across a group of people being attacked by the local wildlife. They turned out to be poachers trying to get to Lestallum to sell the furs and other parts of endangered and protected animals. They were taken into custody and while going over the contents five hides belonging to coeurls have been found. Two adults and three kits. For now this is the only one I could take.”

He had no idea why he said that last sentence like he was apologizing about something. Somewhere in the growing crowd somebody made a sound like a dying animal. It cut off abruptly.

Slowly, steadily, Ulric stepped towards him, his eyes raking over his form, the hide in his arms, before boring into Cor's own as if he was searching for something. The crowd grew even quieter, seeming to hold its collective breath.

Something was going on. Something very important. The weight of it settled around him like a smothering blanket. Cor had known something was going on since he stepped into the training ground and asked to talk to Ulric, to give him the hide he was carrying. He had thought it a gesture of... something. Why he had thought this was a good idea, he didn't know anymore.

Quite clearly he had set something off. Something very important and significant and he didn't know what he was doing. It bothered him, turned his stomach into a hard knot. But he had been in too many fights and political disputes to let any of his inner turmoil show. Even if this one didn't quite fit – at all – within his previous experiences, he still held out the beautiful and soft fur with all the ceremony he was able once Ulric was close enough to take it.

The Glaive's burning gaze flickered from Cor's face to the fur, and his hands curled into fists, clenching and unclenching, as if he didn't know if he should take it.

“Why?”

The question was barely more than a soft whisper. Ulrics face was a mask of uncertainty and indecision. It was atypical, so unlike the reckless man Cor had come to know on and – on rare occasions - off the battlefield, and he didn't like it.

So he gave the first answer that came to mind: “Because it seems to fit.”

Coeurls and Ulrics belonged together. According to what he knew about their culture.

A strange look crossed Ulric's face as he stared at him again. The crowd around them whispered in disbelief. From over Ulric's shoulder he could see astonished faces. Ostium was there, front and centre, with shaking shoulders, lips pressed into a thin line and face covered in red splotches as he tried to keep from laughing. He was Ulric's best friend, if he remembered right.

Cor focused on Ulric again, who finally seemed to have come to a decision. With a determined set to his jaw and shoulders, as if to dare him to take back his offering, he slowly reached out and took it. Gasps sounded in the crowd, some exited, some disapproving and most of them disbelieving. Cor didn't care.

His focus was solely on the oddly soft smile tugging at Ulric's lips. It was a tiny, hesitant thing, but Cor couldn't look away. He should step back. Now that his self-imposed task had been completed, he should take a step back, turn around and continue on with his day as if this whole ordeal had never happened. Something rooted him in place, made him stay where he was as Ulric stepped closer, still, right into his personal space.

He hated it when people did that. But now he stood unmoving as he could. Perhaps this was part of some Galahdian ritual he had no idea about. A show of thanks maybe? Cor had no intention of accidentally insulting Ulric or any of the other onlookers.

He kept his eyes on the man, searching for a clue on what was going on and what he should do. None was forthcoming. The Glaive still wore that odd smile that made his eyes spark, their gaze no longer sharp but considering and... appreciative perhaps?

With slightly trembling hands he unfurled the beautiful fur – the colouring of it was quite unusual. Normally the spots of a coeurl were darker colouring than the base; here it was the opposite. Ulric examined it for a few moments before he carefully slung it around his shoulders like a stole, the head resting in the crook of his elbow and the long whiskers winding around his arm.

Looking at Ulric like that, Cor could nearly understand why his family – or was it clan? - was thought of as having a connection to the large cats. Ulric looked utterly at home with the fur slung around him. He seemed to be taller, more confident. New waves of quiet mutterings moved within the crowd. The language of which Cor couldn't understand.

Ulric stepped even closer and instinctively Cor wanted to lean away but before he could even begin to move the other man filled his whole field of vision. Their foreheads and noses were touching and Ulric's eyes slid shut as shuddering breaths caressed the Marshall's cheeks. Cor felt himself freeze, his muscles wound tight as his flight or fight response rose close to the surface.

“I accept,” Ulric said loud and clear.

The words rang in Cor's ears like bells. Then, suddenly, as if a dam had broken, people were talking, yelling, probably gesticulating, but all Cor could see was Nyx Ulric's face. Their gazes met, the corners of Ulric's eyes crinkling in an amused smile and foreheads still touching.

“You have no idea what you just did, do you?”

The words were barely heard over the noise people were making.

“No, I don't.”

#ffxv #kingsglaive #a coeurl's courtship au #nyx ulric #cor leonis #cor/nyx #I sat down to write something #and this happened #I have no idea what I'm doing #what is happening?#I'm not really happy with this #nyx' flailing not obvious #cor has no idea what's going on or what he is even doing #he doesn't do anything much #he doesn't want to insult the people doing the actual fighting around here

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thecoroutfitters · 6 years

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Written by Guest Contributor on The Prepper Journal.

Editors Note: A guest contribution from Adam of CastForFish.com to The Prepper Journal. As always, if you have information for Preppers that you would like to share and possibly receive a $25 cash award as well as be entered into the Prepper Writing Contest with a chance to win one of three Amazon Gift Cards with the top prize being a $300 card to purchase your own prepping supplies, enter today.

If you ever find yourself stranded in the wilderness, your options for food are fairly limited to your surroundings, which might mean you’ll be working on catching a duck for dinner, trapping a squirrel or, it might be a good time to hone your fishing skills.

Fresh fish is highly nutrient dense and one of the most abundant sources of food you can come across, and given how passive the activity is, you won’t’ have to expelnd a whole lot of energy to do it making it ideal in survival situations. Below we are going to focus on how to catch and prepare fish when you’re stranded in the wild.

Luring Them In

Fishing is known as an activity that anyone of any age can enjoy giving how calming it often can be. The world was built off of people fishing which means it’s ingrained in our blood; anyone can do it and without much equipment, and we’re going to share how.

Given advancements in technology, fishing rods, specialty gear and fancy lures are abundant whether you’re searching for a bass or a pike, but in a survival situation you might not have access to your full arsenal so it’s important to understand the fundamentals.

What Are You Catching?

Before you start adding your rod with the latest in fishing lure, consider what is the purpose of your fishing excursion and the region you are in. Many lakes and ponds are home to a variety of pan fish so let’s consider them our first goal as we dive into some fishing techniques.

Pan fish generally eat smaller fish such as perch, crappie and bluegill, all of which are very common and considerably easy to catch if you want to use them as bait, otherwise, old faithful worms will do the trick.

Patience Is A Virtue

It’s safe to say that if you put some bait onto a bobber and send it out into the depths of the water and wait long enough, something will take the bait, and more than likely it will be one of the smaller fish we mentioned above like bluegill.

If you want to target something larger like a pan fish, you want to try and get your bait to sit as close to the bottom of the lake as possible without snagging your lure on whatever debris might be looming below, like fallen trees or weeds.

This part of the process can take a little bit of trial and error so it’s important not to get discouraged if it doesn’t take right away or if you find yourself getting snagged.

Another tried and true technique is to take your time while reeling in your bait after casting. You want to let it sink a little, then reel it in some more and repeat this method as this tends to trigger fish to swim after the bait and eventually attack it and get stuck onto the lure. Once it’s secured, you can reel it in with ease.

Catching Catfish

Another go-to for new fishers is catfish as they’re often found not only in most lakes but rivers as well. To catch your fish, you must understand your fish. Catfish have whiskers that help them smell out available food sources and can often be found lurking beneath fallen trees, within holes, and sharp bends. They’re not terribly picky about what they eat which make them a great hunting choice in a survival situation, so worms should suffice.

Catfish are known to seek out stinky areas, so they’re often found near the bottom of the lake or river. Before casting, try going for a swim in the river and locate any underwater holes that might be present.

Then, attach a sinker to your line and try to let it settle in front of the hole. Chances are something’s hiding away in there, and your bait should do the trick in luring it out.

Catching Carp

If you happen to know that you’re in a location abundant with carp, while not seen as the best tasting fish, this is survival time and the best chance you’re going to have at catching that carp is by bowfishing.

In recent years bowfishing has become popularized again particularly for more anxious fishers that don’t care to sit and watch bobbers floating on top of water surfaces all day. It’s highly cost-effective and easy to do, and if you’re familiar with archery or have an interest in it, you’ll really love bowfishing.

Carp, like catfish, are a bottom feeder fish so look for those holes and fallen tree branches again when you’re trying it out. If you’re feeling apprehensive about it at all, remember that carp are known to be an invasive species, so the more you get rid of the better it is for the ecosystem as a whole, and your hungry tummy will thank you, too.

Cleaning Your Catch

Congratulations, you’ve caught your first fish. Now what?

While every part of the fish is edible (the Author and the Editor disagree on this), it is still very important that you clean your catch before indulging. This means you’ll be cutting and removing the organs, so get your knife ready.

There are two methods you can use while cleaning your fish: filleting and gutting.

Gutting

Using your knife, you will make an incision in the fish that begins at the anus and follows the belly of the fish, stopping at its bottom jaw. While you’re doing this it’s important to be mindful that you are not accidentally cutting through the internal organs.

Next, you will need to remove the head (unless you’d like to cook your fish with the head.) and sever the organs that connect to digestive and respiratory tract to the head. It’s unpleasant but takes no time at all when you get the hang of it.

You will then have to reach into the head or through the area in which you severed it and gut the fish of its internal organs. This should be relatively easy to do and when you are complete you should be left with an empty body cavity. Finally, you should wash the now bare-body out with fresh water prior to cooking to get rid of any dirt and debris that might have found its way onto the fish.

Filleting

You can either gut and filet a fish, or you can simply filet it. The purpose of filleting is to remove the fish meat from the skin and can be done a number of ways, but this particular method is easiest to follow along to.

First, you need to create a cut towards the head of your fish. Then, continue to cut behind the pectoral fin while trying to remain straight in line with the fish’s spinal cord. Give your knife a quick 90 degree turn and begin to cut back towards the tail.

Some people prefer to cut straight through and remove the filet, but others prefer to leave a bit of skin on the tail as it helps to hold the filet in place. It’s ultimately a preference, so do what you’d like.

Next you will flip the filet so that it is meat-side up and then carefully cut beneath the filet in order to remove the remaining skin.

Cooking

The easiest way to cook a fish is also the oldest and only requires you to have three things. You will need to start a small fire, a small, sharp stick, and of course, your catch of the day.

Build a bed of coals to get your fire going as it will offer you a more consistent cooked fish as opposed to cooking over open flames which can sometimes scorch the meal.

Once you’ve found a suitable stick you should whittle one end into a point.

Slide the whittled end into the mouth of the fish and puncture it near the tail. With the right sized stick, you’ll be able to hold your stick and its fish firmly above the coals easily.

Generally speaking, your fish should take about 15 minutes to cook if the coals are hot. You can tell if it is because the skin and meat should easily flake off from each other. If it’s not flaky, it’s not ready.

With that, you’re ready to eat. Enjoy today’s catch of the day!

The post Cleaning and Preparing Fish: Tips You Should Know for Survival appeared first on The Prepper Journal.

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#SHTF #TEOTWAWKI #MARTIALLAW #BUGOUT #PREPPERBAG #USAF #USSOCOM #ARMY #NAVY #SurvivalFirestarter #Sur

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