[IC] Gay Tangent Day 3
Kasiya had, so far, shown itself to be a marvel of a moon. Shanjiaoxia was a respite from the outside galaxy, a whole world to explore with just enough conveniences to not be burdensome. Today, though, it was time to see the land—and the water.
As they had agreed, Meihua arrived at the hotel an hour before sunrise. This time, she had brought a speeder big enough to sit the three of them comfortably. When F² came downstairs, she sleepily waved hello.
The night is good.
They bring in their things, and he handles upkeep and dinner with new and expansive ✨ ingredients✨ to try with new ✨ Knives ✨ . Satisfied birb noises follow, creating peace and success. They lay close to the heater and talk, soft hoos and happy, laughing haws. They’re quiet; it feels like a time to whisper, in the night, in this warm bubble that is just theirs with the sole purpose of being enjoyed.
Eventually, Flyndt’s words start dragging, pauses longer. His eyelids fall heavy, missing words Foxen’s hands make. Foxen smiles and stills, exchanging signing for the much more important job of gently, lightly caressing over feathers in smooth motions, forehead to the back of scalp, over the ear. Petting. Humming in his throat.
Hee-hoo, come the snores eventually. And eventually, he rises and collects the Omwati into his arms, cradling him close as a baby bird and tucking him into the sheets. Muzzy, mostly asleep, Flyndt reaches out for him, muttering about, “Bap? C'me…bed?”
“I will,” Bapti whispers to him, a promise, but doesn’t crawl in after him. He presses his thumb to the furrow between feathered brows to smooth it, measures Flyndt’s breathing deepen. The sleeping warrior eases into the mattress, hugging his pillow, vaguely beaking at it.
Foxen allows himself to lean in and press his lips to the birthmarmed forehead that holds his every happiness. Five seconds. Eight. Nine.
Let go.
He tells himself.
Ten, eleven.
Let. Go.
The Nautolan hybrid breaks, and breaks off, moving back. Sets the distance: 3 cm. He can manage that much separation. He has to. Sits down and stares, watching.
This is practice.
He has to practice.
Letting go.
Being parted. Because it will happen.
His Home could be gone tomorrow.
Set time: 2 hours.
- The peace of watching Flyndt sleep is: the slope of his cheek and the break and hook of his nose; the exact landscape of his birthmark, a many-edged peninsula daring into sea; the softened desaturation of his olive and maroon hues in the soft black dark; the plump of his lip, where skin flaked, a small peel, where seams curved; the ink expanse of his throat; the epic saga of his upper chest and arm; how his fingers gripped the linens; the rhythm of his heartbeat; the sound of his breathing.
The peace allows for rumination and reset. Foxen reflects: he lost it more than once today. He could have been glowing at any point in the streets or the shop, and not even noticed. The amount of Good in the last 51.3 hours is well past unbearable, and there are still many hours to go. He needs to contain himself, lest he keep spilling at the seams. Flyndt already had to check on him once. It should not happen again. The wants are not O.K.
Be quiet, Minnie, he thinks, at the presence of his baby sister, who quests blindly for his happiness without regard to the blasphemy and bloodshed along the way. In his mind she is loud and obnoxious and selfish. She is young. And she has not known what it means to be unfree. To be so violated.
It isn’t her fault.
He watches his Home and replays the memory files of the day’s events, trying to disentangle himself. It isn’t very successful. He’s too enmeshed. Veins for thread. Knit chamber to chamber. They’ve crawled inside each other and made their homes. Or at least, he has. He’s going to bleed out when Flyndt rips away. The problem is that Flyndt may feel burdened by it, or worse, guilted or coerced to stay, if Foxen can’t at least quiet his wanting, if he is so weak and damaged at this point as to not be capable of fully controlling it, stopping it.
- It’s. Fraking complicated is what. And the day has been so good. And very long. And the bed is comfortable and Flyndt looks warm and inviting and he said come to bed and Foxen said he would and he wants wants wants to lie down and cuddle up behind him and smell his feathers while falling asleep.
Also the appointment is early.
So he gets up and crosses that 3 cm and finally is home again, a band of tension releasing around his chest. He breathes in. Dusty feather smell. Clean fabric and skin. Kew'maxi on the breaths– they forgot to brush teeth.
It is perfect.
He sets the sleep to 4.0 hours and passes the hell out.
The morning is too early.
It is too early and too cold and gross and horrible. Kasiya is terrible. Meihua can go drown in the lake, or whatever they’re seeing. Everything is stupid.
Bed has cuddles. And Flyndt. And. And cuddling Flyndt.
Ugh.
Nevertheless, there are Plans. Berries and fishing for Home. So up must…be…achieved. now.
Nooow.
Now.
Ugh.
Foxen disentangled himself and faced the day. It was still pitch black, but the heater made things bearable. He passed silently into the kitchen and stoked the wood fire back to life in the stove, providing extra warmth. Then: tea. Strong tea. And a light snack for their breakfast. Something warm, with carbohydrates.
Perform: * Exercise regiment (modified for locale) * Clean weapons (okay only some of them there is not that much time) * Meal prep * Tea * Contact necessary individuals for pension/contract creation for the Jins and inquiry of employment for Meihua * Extra tea * Forward contracts * Shower/dress
By the time he dressed, he was collected again, crankiness dispelled. He pulled pastries from the oven and went to wake his Home.
“Nnnnn…” * Flyndt groaned into the pillows, a magnificently bitchy whine. *“HRM.** No… No, is too early.”
“Come on, my love.”
“Fooooox.”
He chuckled and bent to kiss his partner. “I know. Me too. I’ve got you.”
“Ugh.”
“Mmm.”
- Foxen carried Flyndt to the main room and set him down, fixing him into a burrito’d nest of blankets such that be was stuck sitting upright. Then he brought him tea and offered sips while Flyndt continuously dropped his head forward into the cup – except Foxen would pull it expertly back in time – while dozing. Within 28 minutes the caffeine and uprightness was doing its job and Flyndt managed to peel one of four eyelids back and keep it open while making noises of discontent.
Foxen brought him the Shanjiaoxia-spiced savory croissants and fed him small pieces ripped off between more sips of tea. In 46 minutes he was dressing his bird with great care and smoothing oils gently into feathers, lipping occasionally. Then, tied back into a pristine tail at the back of his head. He left Home to doze some more while cleaning and securing all belongings and possible accoutrements for the day, then collected him again after scouting the hallways/perimeter of the inn. Other occupants, likely the staff, were already up, but Foxen chose his path of egress so that no one would witness Flyndt being carried when they left the room, in order to let him sleep just that bit longer. Only when they reached the exit and it became necessary did Foxen set him on his own feet, an arm secure behind him to steady. Flyndt wobbled and grumbled, “Hrm.”
The entire process included several mutters of “chikk'dikk” and “I can do myself” but wherein when asked if he wanted to be put down, Flyndf only burrowed deeper.
They walked out. The cold snap seemed to briefly at least wake his heart, forcing sunset eyes to blinking rapidly even in the dark. They located Meihua and Foxen waved politely for the both of them. He secured his datapad, not intending to burden the Omwati for as long as possible yet to translate.
Good morning, Meihua. I sent some documents to you. You should be able to review them at your convenience. Would you like breakfast? I made extra for you just in case.
“Oh! Xiexie.” Basic was not quite online for Meihua yet, clearly. The first bite of the croissant brought much more pep to her expression. “Mm! Cuì cuì! Er… Crunch? Crunchy! Crunchy bread. Mm.” Another bite. It tasted rich like youtiao, but so much more flavour, and so airy. She would have to learn the secrets of this delicious offworlder bread.
Not today, though. Today was for fish.
“Mm. Thank you. Very tasty.” Meihua gave a thumbs-up. “And yes, will read documents today.” What kind of homework the shark-man might’ve had for her, she couldn’t guess, but she was intrigued.
“Lake outside city. Have cooking tools for lunch, baskets for plants, cold box for fish, zongzi in case not enough fish.” She pointed her thumb over her shoulder at the speeder. “Herbs or fish first? More fish earlier, but you can cook fish with herbs.”
Foxen’s step seemed similarly pepped by Meihua’s correct response to the food. Proper lamination was to be appreciated.
The thumbs-up made him smile, thinking of Flyndt first using the gesture, and various echoes of cool and keel. She presented quite the difficult decision though.
He considered the factors.
They had a plethora of fishing opportunities on Selen, owing to it being a primarily oceanic planet. If they caught fewer fish here, it might be less of a waste of the experience. And it would give Flyndt more time to wake up while Foxen foraged, presumably an activity the Omwati would find less stimulating. Flydnt didn’t mind foraging, and indeed it was a typical activity for the Han'duwil, but he also tended to be more distractible during such, turning to all the other sights and sounds of the wilderness and enjoying the physical activity more than the actual identification of wild rossberries over the cultivar.
On the other hand, diving into water might wake him up. Was that crueller, or ideal? Just as easily they could not swim, and fish on land. Though Flyndt may just sleep through it. Fishing was an activity of much patience, and while Foxen had packed several fidget items from their house and brought some of the new carving chisels in case of bored whittling of nearby sticks, the exhaustion seemed to be high. Meihua was right of course, though, that the fish would be lost, whereas the herbs weren’t going anywhere, and gathering would involve walking anyway, which could be bothersome. Should he just take them back to bed?
But then again…
So many factors. More information was necessary.
Are there any species of fish that would specifically only be caught this early? Or could they be found given enough persistence later?
He was not beyond searching a lakebed. Gills had their advantages.
“Ehh… no early-morning fish. Just, fisherman say fish like shadow. Harder to find with more sun. Harder to see herb when dark, too.” Meihua stifled a yawn. “But, take one hour to drive to lake and forage place. Lighter then. Can wait to choose.”
To this the Nautolan-Chagrian nodded and hummed. Waiting would be better. Maybe Home would be a little more awake then for input.
Maybe.
He nudged the Omwati, waiting to see if Flyndt would want to do it himself or take a hand into the vehicle.
The nudge prompted Flyndt to finish rubbing the sleep from his eyes, the cold pre-dawn air expediting the wake up process. Something about fishing versus herb gathering registered in his mind, but he really did not figure out what the debate was about. They were doing both today, right? Oh, they would choose later. Cool. He finally waved hello back to Meihua, which was more than his simple nod earlier.
“Morning, Meihua,” he uttered as he started to clamber into the speeder. He had enough thoughtfulness to gather his overcoat before flopping down in his seat for the journey. “Hope you are well.”
“Morning. I am well, thank you.” Meihua held back from imposing more interaction on Flyndt, figuring he needed more time to wake up.
The speeder was, fortunately, an offworld model that was relatively comfortable for Foxen. Unsurprisingly, the heat was already cranked up to make the early hour more bearable. At least the seats were comfy. After some careful and slightly contortionist rearranging in order for F² to be able to hold hands, the trio set off west, out of the city and into the Arreat foothills.
At first, there wasn’t much to look at, it still being dark and all. The first sign of sunrise was an explosion of lilac across the eastern horizon. As the speeder climbed through the foothills, the sun seemed to keep pace with them. Golden light spilled across the Marid Plains, with the vast canopy of the Shada Jungle to the north and the Red Hills to the south. Around the speeder were great forests, barely rustling with life, as though even the local fauna had decided it was Too Damn Early.
By the time they reached the lake, the sun had come fully into the sky. Meihua guided the speeder around the last corner, and the trio was greeted by this:
“Aya banya ndorē…”
The words left Flyndt’s lips in whispered awe as he leaned over the seat ahead of him. Not just lean, but stood upright in his seat, balanced with ease to the speeders movement. The breeze rustled his feathers, the silver plumes trailing behind him. The sun’s ray warmed his cheek, caressing the peach hue that has flourished in the mix of the cool morning air and the speeder’s heat.
Eventually the Omwati sat down, still leaning forward and scanning the landscape. “Where to are we heading?”
“Here.” A few hundred metres ahead, Meihua brought the speeder to a stop. “Fish here. Also look for herbs in forest. You choose where to go first.”
“Hrmm,” Flyndt hummed thoughtfully in an unchangingly Foxen depth of tone that Meihua had heard perhaps a handful of times since meeting the man. Excitement stirred in his light bones, an eagerness to tackle today and see what ventures were in store. As soon as the speeder pulled to a stop, Flyndt was up and moving. A bit too quickly, his toe caught the lip of the speeder’s floor, sending him lurching forward clumsily.
The scenery that impressed Flyndt and had him so eager to tackle – nay, faceplant – into the day was almost wasted on Foxen, who had spent the journey rejecting the gorgeous explosion of lilac and golden light growing in favor of that the held home in his Home; his gaze remained nearly fixed on those eyes, taking in their taking in. Sunrise and sunset. Two as one whole.
Right here. In those eyes wide in wonder. In this hand threaded with his.
Even if that Home did insist upon precarious and dangerous standing in the seat of a moving vehicle mechanics. That was fine. Foxen just stayed ready to spring.
He did eventually deign to look around them, observing and noting all the details. Idly calculating distances traveled, distance to those mountains, the dimensions of the lake. Fortunately he didn’t even need to teleport to catch Flyndt when the Omwati tripped, as even while his brain deconstructed the paradise around them into numerical units, he was watching Flyndt’s everything. One blank and gray scarred hand shout out, reaching around a stocky build to spread fully over chest, bracing/cushioning at once without having to perform any blasphemous stretching of precious fabrics by grabbing onto his belt or some such.
Steadying his partner, Foxen waited for Flyndt to actually step down again before he climbed out – contorting under and around the buggy’s doorframe – himself.
“Ayo!” Meihua was halfway out of the speeder when Flyndt tripped, and began to move to help him, but stopped when Foxen just… wrapped around the birb, then unfolded himself from the vehicle. “O-K?”
Flyndt blinked at the sudden enveloping and halt to his plummetting. He stepped down properly, weight set back on his own two feet as Foxen released him and joined them on the solid ground. Flyndt exhaled a ‘heh’ of a ‘hoo’ and flashed the larger man a half grin. “Thanks.”
“Ah, am fine, sorry! Was too quick, excited,” Flyndt assured Meihua, giving her an O.K. gesture. He glanced between the lake and the forest, clearly debating hard between the activities his brow furrowed. He looked to Foxen, then to Meihua. “Hoo, I am not sure. Fishing better now…what tack do we have? Any cast nests? Hook and line? Casting better in morning, good for bait fish too. Close to shore they like.”
“We have net, and hook and line on stick. I show you.”
Meihua circled around the back of the speeder and opened the cargo compartment. Meihua removed a set of fishing rods and a few cylindrical nets from the trunk, then opened the cooler she’d brought. A simple meal’s worth of ingredients—bundles wrapped in leaves, a large package of noodles, some herbs, some spices—were stowed inside the cooling box. She removed these to a basket, leaving only a plastic bag full of worms (for fish, Flyndt, not birbs), then took the cooler out and shut the trunk.
“Many kind of fish in lake,” Meihua said, handing the boys the fishing rods and nets and picking up the cooler. “Hóngzūn yú, yōng yú, lú yú, luó fēi yú… Yú mean ‘fish’. Will tell more when we catch. Hard to know when still in water.”
Meihua led F² out to the end of the pier. Despite the exposure of being away from the shoreline, the air was calm, and there was barely a ripple on the water. The only sign of sentient habitation was a compound on the north shore of the lake, where a boat was tied to a private dock. Now that the sun was fully up, some of the local fauna were stirring. None had revealed themselves, but birdsong began to ring over the lake, and Foxen could detect the odd rustle in the bushes or branch moving high in the canopy.
Meihua set the cooler down near the end of the pier. “I uh, not fish very much, so don’t know if net or stick is better. Fishermen use net and boat. We try with both. If we get bored or not enough fish with sticks, can leave net and go look for herbs, then come back.”
Flyndt set down the rods and looked out across the water. The shadows of the mountains and the surrounding forest fell upon the lake’s edge, creating havens of safety for the fish. Habitually, the Omwati crouched beside the pier’s edge and stared into the water for any sign of movement or life, unblinking thanks to his nictitating membranes.
“Hm, net is good for, uh, smaller catch. Sometimes larger, long and thin fish will get in. Some like, er, snake?” Flyndt pipped up. He stood and gave a slithering motion with his hand, “But are fish. Don’t know if here has similar.”
He picked up a pole and leaned it against his shoulder, thinking with his mottled tongue tucked in the corner of his mouth. Fishing was serious business apparently. Nodding, he looked to both Meihua and Foxen, “Think that sounds like a good plan. Try with line, use worms for bait–” if only they had some seeds and dried protein powder, would make a nice tossed snack – “till catch small fish, bait with to get bigger.”
“Remember big fish caught off the rocks last summer? What was name?” Flyndt looked to Foxen as he featured his arms near as wide as his wingspan. “Caught that on smaller fish.”
He paused, then asked Meihua, “Does your people have rule on how big fish, uh, yú can take? Like wisen or mature, leave to preserve species?”
(Foxen did note the worms though. Just in case of a craving. Because he did have both seeds and protein powder. Who was he, someone who didn’t Know Flyndt?)
X-I-C-H-A-N-T-I, Foxen fingerspelled for his partner, as there wasn’t a sign for the specific species. *Small Selenian reef shark. And the other word in Basic, fish snake, is eel. E-E-L. *
There were indeed flickers of movement in the water, converging into the shadows as the sun rose higher into the sky. Fishes, potentially of several sizes, but it was difficult to tell from this distance.
“Snake fish, yes. Found in wet fields with crops, not in lake.” Meihua tied lines to the nets so they wouldn’t have to get into the freezing water to retrieve them. “Don’t know if fish here eat fish, but can try.”
“Some types of fish protected, but based on area. Need permit for those. This lake is open for fishing. Fish here are very common kinds.”
With the nets strung up, she handed one each to Flyndt and Foxen, keeping one for herself. “All throw in different direction?”
Foxen took his, the net, like many things, looking tiny in his hands. He stared at it for a moment.
A long moment.
It seemed Flyndt was left to answer.
“Ah, Eel, I see,” Flyndt uttered, making note of the basic name after interpreting the sign out of habit and transparency. He nodded along to Meihua’s answers, noting the laws and assured they had free reign here at the lake. Setting down the pole he had picked up, he took the net from her. “Mm, good idea, yes.”
With the circular trap in hand, Flyndt paused and glanced over to Foxen beside him. He hooked three fingers into the netting to free up a hand, then nudged the hybrid’s arm with an elbow. An unspoken ‘hey’ with a smile, a check into the present. He flashed an O.K., pointing to the right side of the dock and offering, “Could throw it that way?”
For his own net, Flyndt turned to the front of the dock and just…dropped it right there. He watched it sink as the line ran loosely through his hand. He explained casually with a glance over his shoulder. “Bound be fish just below feet. Dock makes good place to hide and hunt from, yes.”
Meihua nodded and threw her net in the opposite direction of Foxen’s. It hit the water with a light splash, then quickly sank below. With the fish trap deployed, she handed rods out to F², then looked around for a direction to cast her line.
Then… the wait began.
Fishing wasn’t exactly an exciting pastime, the way most people did it. A tug here, a nibble there, but nothing immediately took the bait.
The gentle brush and dawnlight smile, a checking in, O.K., broke Foxen’s fixed stare. Red eyes followed two bare olive fingers and gloved hand gestures, an easy offer of guidance, an easy order, should be need it to be.
Still, clear water. Vast and cold. The smallest splashes of Flyndt – HomeHomeHome – and Miehua casting. Breathe.
Okay?
O.K.?
O.K.
Foxen nodded, folding thumb and forefinger into circle, saluting three straight, promise. Yes. Confirm. We’re okay.
We’re here. In this.
He tossed the net as indicated and took the pole, feeling a band of tension Around his chest ease once the material was no longer in his hands.
Then there was waiting.
This, Foxen was very good at. He wondered how long it would be until Flyndt needed more stimulation than this, or if the Omwati’s attention would be arrested by the task at hand. Either was fine. Foxen had come prepared.
Flyndt prepped his rod with bait and considered where he should cast. With not knowing what the lake life was like here both in fish and aquatic plants, it really was just testing the waters and seeing what bites. He opted to cast out a few meters from the shore with a few practice casts to get used to the rods, ensuring he wasn’t crossing anyone else’s lines. The Omwati then buckled down with a leg tucked beneath himself. The fishing line rested loosely in his hand that was propped up on his other knee – better to feel the fish bite.
Quiet fell over the trio. The light sound of lapping water, the song of avians, even the croaking of an amphibian somewhere in the reeds filled in their silence. If Foxen gaze drifted towards Home, he would spy his relaxed feathers and a peaceful if pensive look upon his face, content. His love just being in the moment. When Flyndt spoke, it was in a hushed tone, voice lowered as if not to disturb the silence of nature too greatly. “Meihua, you said you do not fish really? Does, uh, Grandpa Jin or Uncle Jin? Mm, what is your favorite fish to eat?”
“Yeye and fufu fish little bit, if friends ask. Not on their own. Fishing is, uh… kind of boring.” She laughed. “If we want to eat fish, we can buy from market.”
“Hmm….” Meihua settled in to give the second question some thought, casting her line in the meantime. “I think luo fei yu,” she said. “Roast over fire and make bā sā. Like sapie from welcome food: rice noodle, raw nerf, bitter sauce. Ba sa is sapie with fish instead of nerf, and sour fruit in sauce. Brought parts to make for lunch if we catch enough luo fei yu. But also, yong yu is good in fish ball soup. Very tender. Fish ball bounce if drop on table.”
The description of such ✨ dishes ✨ definitely intrigued Foxen. He gave a hmm of interest, signalling the desire to have this knowledge posthaste.
I will catch these then, he said, factually. If they did not end up in net or on pole, he’d just go down for them himself, once he had an adequate description or example. Dive if necessary.
“Will show you how to make. Oh! And zhu guan yu. Can make with many kind of fish. Cut fish into steaks and steam inside zhu.”
“Zhu is, uh…” She paused to mull over the words, idly dragging her line from side to side in the water. “Zhu is tube tree. Use for many, many things. Strong, but also bend. Grow like tree, but have lots of empty spaces inside.” She pointed to the periodic ridges in the lengths of their fishing rods. “See? This part, like a wall.” She moved her finger to the narrower stretches. “This part, empty.”
“For zhu guan yu, cut zhu into many parts.” Meihua made a chopping motion with her hand just below each ridge in the tube-tree rod. “Makes cup for fish. Put fish in, cover end, and put beside fire. Fish steams inside zhu, and zhu add flavour to fish. Then, cut side open and use zhu as bowl.”
“But, be careful not to make seal too strong. First time I make zhu guan yu, seal too strong. Steam make big ‘pah’ and plug fly off end of tube.”
Meihua looked to F². “What kinds of fish do you like?”
Idly imagining a fish-cup bamboo cannon, Foxen memorized Meihua’s descriptions of the dishes and looked forward to trying them once the correct fish were caught. As to her question, it seemed simplest to answer with a snort and simple waggle of his hand. Many.
He and Flyndt had spent many days on the beaches, Foxen diving deeper and swimming farther in order to scour the waves and sand floor and reefs and collect a sample of every species of Selenian fish, shark, eel, cephalopod, etc he could in their slice of ocean. He brought each one back to his Omwati to try, raw, cooked, etc, determined to find the bird’s absolute favorites. It was an experiment that requires time, and breaks, across months, so as to not burn Flyndt out on seafood altogether. Many very good memories.
Flyndt had given him that back, the ocean. The water. He’d been ripped from it, and then returned, freed.
Loved.
His own tastes, spanning galactic planets, were almost irrelevant. He liked the ones that Flyndt sighed most fondly over, that he’d looked impressed when Foxen caught them, that made him haw-haw in laughter or hoo at their marvelous appearance.
‘Fishing is, uh…kind of boring.’
Something shaped like offense settled in Flyndt’s stomach, gaze focusing in on the ripples circling his fishing line. His fingers coiled and twitched the thread, giving more life to the bait hooked on it. His mind was half elsewhere, a quarter of the galaxy away and a decade in the past. He drifted back when Meihua spoke again, minding listening.
“Sounds delicious, both,” he replied genuinely. If he hadn’t had any food prior leaving, his stomach would be growling at that. He caught and translated Foxen’s determined vow with a chuff, tacking on a slightly concerned, “You’ll freeze.”
Flyndt turned and watched their guide’s demonstration, growing intrigued by this fish cooking capsule– especially it exploding. There was definitely a thought of inquiring later more about this plant, and maybe bringing one home for Fox. His favorite fish?
“Favorite fish? To eat or just, hmm, like?” the Omwati asked, considering options. “If like, Aurqila'iwi. Very strong, big hunter. Scales dark and ringed with gold. They are special, sacred, soul of Aurqila nésa, our golden sister.”
“Food though…in winter, frozen gilyāiwi. Small silver schooling fish shaped like darts. Good bait fish too, catch in traps. Is good roasted or fried but I like when we clean it, freeze for a couple days. Eat raw like so.” He turned back to watching his line, sidetracked by an avian wading into the shallows farther along the lake. He added, “Lorda'iwi too. A thick heavy fish with thick tendrils that lives on the bottom of rivers and lakes. ‘Lazy fish’, misleading name. They’re very strong. Good roasted and tossed in Tzsuivann, that is fried noodles, vegetable, and usually meat.”
He paused and looked to Foxen, flashing a smile, “Also, Lobster Bisellian. A new like.”
“Ooh. I read about Lobster Bisellian. Sounds very… rich? Something to share, or eat in small parts,” Meihua said. “Aurqila'iwi sound very special. Are there other important fish in your culture?”
As if not wanting to be left out of the conversation, something tugged on Flyndt’s line.
The fish that came up was roughly thirty centimetres long, and stocky, though not quite plump.. Its back was blue-green with black spots, with faint bands of pink and green travelling towards a white underbelly.
“Hóngzūn yú,” Meihua said, when Flyndt had his catch under control. “Good to eat raw, in slice, then put head and bones in soup. Can put in cold box in water, or clean now.”
Foxen caught the look and preened, a yellow-green flush of pride-happiness to Flyndt’s senses. One of his specialities claiming an extremely coveted spot as Any Favorite of Flyndt’s was enough to send him into the clouds and over the moons on any given day.
Fortunately he was an aquatic species though, not a flighted one, and did not go floating off. Rather, he observed the fish Flyndt ✨ beautifully ✨ caught, noting Meihua’s information. And also, that some lobster might be in order for her, as one of many thanks.
Flyndt’s answering was interrupted by a tug of the line between his fingers, saving his writer from coming up with more important fish. The set was flawless and reeling it in was a refreshing little fight. He handled the fish with care, minding the fins in case sharp or worse poisonous. It was a gorgeous animal.
“hóngzūn yú, aye? Beautiful,” Flyndt uttered. He unhooked it and placed the fish in the cooler. “ Mmm, think try to catch a couple more first.”
Flyndt hooked fresh bait to his line and recast it, settling down to wait. ‘Mm, god you have any significant fish?“
“Not one fish, but… kind of all fish? Not goddess fish,” Meihua said. “Fish is symbol for wealth. Yú for ‘fish’ sound like yú for ‘extra’. Eat fish at holiday for plenty in new year.”
Meanwhile, something tugged on Foxen’s line. The fish he pulled up was steel grey and about 60cm long. Its eyes were set unusually low on its head, and its tail was split into two separate parts.
“Ohh, yong yu,” Meihua said. She scooted the cooler over to Foxen so he could place his catch inside.
Fish for wealth. A novel concept, to one hatched in the ocean. Nonetheless, worthy of note, and he was noting everything, as he had sworn to Longshun.
Foxen examined his catch, hrm’d, then placed it in the cooler before recasting his line. He checked the nets with a glance, then the water’s surface, watching like only a predator did.
“Mm, right, remember mention of that yesterday at market I think. Fish and bountiful,” he uttered as he leaned to watch the catches settle again in the cooler. He gave a nod before returning back to mind his line.
Quiet settled over the trio as they turned to their respective rods. The rising sun warmed the air over the lake, creating a gentle breeze that only added to the idyllic mountain setting. As the day became brighter and the fish moved closer to the increasingly-shadowed waters near the pier, their lines tugged more and more often. cooler got fuller and fuller.
These catches included a new fish: 15cm long and much “taller” than the other two, resembling a sideways triangle. Its back was grey-green, with a white belly and a distinctively blue fin on its underside. The new catch turned out to be the luo fei yu Meihua had mentioned earlier, and between the nets and the trio’s lines, the cooler ended up with about two dozen of them. “Make dried fish with luo fei yu,” Meihua explained. “Salt and hang from roof.”
By mid-morning, the cooler was so full of fish that Meihua needed Foxen’s help carrying it back to the speeder. Once they’d stashed their catch and the fishing gear, Meihua grabbed a few small baskets and handed them out. “We look for herbs now.”
“Oh, and snack if hungry,” she added, retrieving a paper bag. Inside were a bunch of steamed buns like the ones F² had seen at the market yesterday. “Ham and mushroom bao.” Meihua held the bag open for F² to take one, should they desire.
While not entirely satisfied they had one of every specimen in the lake, Home did not want him attempting to swim here nthe cold, so the Nautolan-Chagrian conceded…this time. Indeed Foxen took a bun for necessary nutriment, though only after Flyndt did, ensuring there was enough first for his bird and Meihua to eat their fill. He’d have what remained and burn the calories quickly at his basal metabolic rate.
Any precautions? he inquired of Meihua through his Home before they started. Plants that are contact poisons to be avoided?
“Not from touch, but some might be bad to eat. I know some safe plant, but not expert on all plant here.” She took one of the baozi and began munching, hoping the offworlders wouldn’t need to explicitly be told not to eat random plants on an unfamiliar planet.
“Nuosu use many, many herb in cooking. Mari use little bit of herb for taste. Nuosu eat lots of herb, like vegetable. Can make salad, or cook with meat.”
Foxen nodded, satisfied at least 71% re: Meihua was not an expert, as admitted. It would have to suffice. If any contact poisoning did occur, he would tend the effects as best he could, much like the Revenge of the Chillies.
I am excited, he commented. Salads made of herbs sounded very much like items to add to the Flyndt Nutriment Inventory.
Flyndt was near salivating at the thought of salt dried fish, so it was a blessing to be presented with the bao. He shut the cooler lid after checking on their bountiful catch and took one of the proffered steamed buns with a nod of thanks. interpreting between bites, Flyndt listened to the exchange. He had, eventually, learned the lesson of not pleating unknown plants at some point in his childhood and with Meihua’s somewhat expertise, the avian considered the possibility of mistake with a bit of laissez-faire. If it happens, it happens and they’ll act accordingly, confidently.
He finished his bao.
“Mm, same. And to see more of this land, to hike through it,” Flyndt agreed and added. He near hopped a couple paces, twisting and walking backwards towards the near forest as he looked to them with a small smile. “Shall we?”
Meihua couldn’t help but smile at Flyndt’s exuberance. “Come, I show,” she said, beckoning F² towards the treeline.
At the forest’s edge, Meihua stopped at a plant with long, ragged-edged leaves, and began stripping them by the handful to put in her basket. “Cì yán sūi. Use in many Nuosu dishes. Mix with chilies to dip, in fish, wrap with meat and cook in huo guo—big pot of soup. Also in ‘nerf with herb’ from welcome dinner.” When F² chewed it, it tasted like lemon pepper seasoning in plant form.
Soon they came upon another plant with thin leaves grouped closely together, like a fern. Its aroma was… distinctive, with notes of old dust, iron, and rotting egg. “Chòu cài. ‘Stinky vegetable’,” Meihua said. “Smell and taste bad raw, but good in chòu cài chǎo dàn, stinky vegetable scramble egg. If you want to try, can get from yard at home. Too stinky to carry.” She backed away from the vines, waving her hand in front of her nose.
Flyndt was fine. Not stinky at all. He wasn’t going to be the next to cover his nose. Was his eyes watering? Maybe. He nibbled on a leaf of the Cì yán sūi to distract himself. Pondered the egg dish, he looked more towards Foxen to gauge his interest with a “hmm.”
Aaand stepped a couple paces away from the plant.
Too stinky to carry.
Please.
He was a professional.
However…Flyndt was now 0.72 m away and that was unacceptable enough to have a small hm, a whimper, leave the massive Nautolan.
Fine, plant, you win this round.
But later, he would decimate its chemical compounds in heat for scrambled eggs for Flyndt.
As it was, the seemingly unaffected man just nodded, moving past and extending one hand, that with the remaining pinkie, to hook around Flyndt’s and lightly drag him back near.
The Omwati huffed slightly at the gentle manipulation, more out of pleasant surprise than anything. His own fingers knitted with Foxen’s with a squeeze and a flash of sunset before he led the pair after Meihua.
Once safely away from the heckin stimky plant, their guide spotted another florum of interest. “Ah! Cao guo,” Meihua said, referring to the earthy, pine-flavoured seasoning that the local dishes loved to pair with hot chilies. She led F² to a large… tree? bush? with long oval leaves, almost like palm fronds. Clusters of reddish-purple seed pods, each about the size of a plum, sat at its base. “Dry in sun for 10 day, then use whole or as powder.”
A few paces deeper into the forest, there was another tree with bright green berries. “Huā jiāo jiān,” Meihua said. “Huā jiāo is pepper that make mouth tingle. Use in lot of food. Leaf can be cooked as greens.” She picked bunches of the peppercorns to distribute among their baskets, and a few tender shoots to share with F². The leaves tasted slightly peppery and surprisingly floral, but Meihua left them behind, as they apparently weren’t on the menu she was planning.
What sort of dishes are the greens used in? Foxen inquired while they chewed and walked. He could think of a few he might put such a flavor in, but wanted a native’s opinion.
“Hmm…” Meihua paused to consider the question. “In liángcài—cold dish. Kind of like salad, but more option. Eat whole leaf and other vegetable with spicy sauce. Hua jiao jian also go with light meat. Chop up with orp or doufu in liangcai. Or, stir-fry with orp or doufu. Maybe, uh… xiā? Live in water like fish, but with shell and leg.” She drew a spiral shape with her finger, possibly indicating some sort of crustacean.
A hmm of interest left Foxen. Flyndt liked crustaceans– extra crunchy.
The Omwati indeed perked at this mention of xiā. He tried recalling what kind she was referring to, picturing the rows of buckets and tubs with live food for sale in the market. There were certainly a few he was tempted to purchase were it not the nature of their stay. The crunch ✨. Spiral shape… “Mm, eh, shrimp? Is that xiā?”
“Shrimp! Yes, xia is shrimp.” Meihua nodded enthusiastically.
Shrimp are a favorite. There is a salad I make that Flyndt likes. Live shrimp in greens, seeds, citrus. This is similar?
Flyndt idly signed good twice after relaying Foxen’s words.
“Similar, yes. Shrimp normally cooked if with hua jiao jian, but can eat raw. Never tried alive. Sound like it would try to run away,” Meihua mused.
His reflexes are too fast, Foxen added with a grin at his bird.
“Raw shrimp might be tasty. Alive and moving is… not for me.” Meihua shuddered good-naturedly at the idea. Eating bugs was one thing, but those were already dead, and couldn’t move.
The three trudged through the forest a bit longer, searching for further examples of edible vegetation. Most of the plants they found were repeats, however, so Meihuan steered them in a loop back towards their speeder. Eventually, they came to a stream which they followed towards the lake.
Some distance later, Meihua stopped to pick a handful of small, fat oval leaves and hold them up for F² to examine. It seemed like a direct substitute for mint, from colour, to shape, to smell and taste, though its leaves were much smaller than those found in most galactic restaurants. “Yě bò hé. Very good with nerf. Stir-fry, put in huo guo, or fry in oil. Also drink in baijiu, strong wine.” The mention of the latter summoned memories of the welcome dinner and its various fruit-flavoured wines, and less pleasantly, the freezing hellfire of a “mint liqueur” that Erinyes had served the first time they all met.
“Can make cooling oil for bug bites with bo he, too. Pound with ài cǎo and put in oil. Can find ai cao later.”
Meihua collected a few handfuls of bo he, then went a few more paces and picked another, similar-looking plant. This one had a much stronger perfumy scent, however. “Shuǐ xiāng cài. Can make salad with là dòubànjiàng—uh, spicy bean paste—or in soup with egg.”
Flyndt enjoyed the hike, spending the length of the loop to admire the lush greenery and the sun filtering through it. He paused to examined the bo he, recalling the dishes and drinks they’ve been served with it. His nose scrunched self-consciously at the recollection of mint liqueur. Interest spiked again at the medicinal use however, “For bug bites, eh?”
He picked a few himself, intent to try this cooling feature out later on. Following after Meihua, he paused as yet another plant was pointed out to them and more recipes shared. “Hmm? Soup with egg? Just whole egg dropped in? Or?”
“With scramble egg.”
Something you want to try? Foxen inquired of his partner, making note of the interest. Perhaps a little research from Meihua and he could experiment with such a dish tonight before they left for the other villages tomorrow. Then, to their guide, as he nodded at the river: Do you have any W-A-T-E-R-B-O-R-N-E herbs?
“Mhm, sounds interesting,” Flyndt answered. He relayed Foxen’s inquiry.
“Pick more shui xiang cai if you want. Can tell you how to make soup. Good with rice for breakfast,” Meihua said. Then, she turned to Foxen’s question. “Hmm… shui xiang cai and yú xīng cǎo grow next to water. Qīng tái grow in river. None here, but can show you at market. Put in sour soup, or eat plain with rice, or roast over fire.”
Once F² had picked their fill of the egg soup plant, Meihua beckoned for them to follow. “Come, get yú xīng cǎo.”
Near the lake’s edge, Meihua began tugging at a plant whose roots extended underwater. In fact, the plant seemed to be mostly root, with sparse dark green leaves extending above the surface. “Yú xīng cǎo mean ‘fish-smell grass’. Use for cooking fish, but also smell little bit like fish.” She handed some to F² to taste, then grabbed another large handful to put in her basket. The flavours were indeed fishy, for lack of a better term, and somewhat sour.
Foxen reached to recover some of the watery herb as well that were a bit further in the water, less bothered by the cold or wet. He was interested in the sour soup river herb, but would wait for the market.
With droplets running down his scarred, inked forearms and hands, he was careful when he signed, disallowing any splashing on Home or Meihua.
Ever pair this sour with the other sour herbs?
“Yes. Yu xing cao and ci yan sui go in ba sa with ningmeng. Come, I show you. Make ba sa for lunch.” When F² had gathered to their hearts’ delight, she led them back to the speeder.
“Need…. hm. Three or four luo fei yu. Cut scales and gut, leave head,” she instructed, digging an assortment of utensils out of the speeder’s cargo compartment. “Also need fire.”
Red eyes homed in on Home. A silent brow raise, a question of preferred task, a tug of lips curling, challenge. A race.
Flyndt caught the look on a double take, breaking into a small grin. He nodded, “I handle fire, you fish, yes?”
Confirm, Foxen signed, and suddenly there was a ✨ knife✨ in his hand.
Flyndt wasted no time to jog off a ways from the lake and deeper into the brush. His gaze scoured the forest floor for any dry kindling and wood. A fair bunch of it once rolled over had exposed some dampness absorbed from the earth, more than he’d like. With a few branches he snapped off a still standing dead tree and an armload of a few thicker logs, the only thing that delayed his return was finding some fiber to nest the first ember in. Apparently, the birb was particular about that, picking up and discording several different clips of dried grass and moss before finally settling on one.
Using one of his scarves to carry his haul back, Flyndt set to work creating a teepee of kindling. He took the fibers and mixed it with fine shreds of wood chips he had sliced off and formed a nest with it. Using a stone and his blade, he struck sparks into the nest. As soon as he spotted a red glow taking within the ball of fiber, the Omwati was quick to switch to nursing it, blowing life into the clump and nestling it into the kindling. Soon, a small blaze took form, one that he diligently took care of nurturing.
While Flyndt frolicked through the woods like a pyromaniac fae and Foxen surrendered to his aquatic-predator nature and savaged local marine life, Meihua went to a nearby stream and washed the herbs she’d collected. After shaking the excess water off, she took her herbs back to the speeder and stashed them away, then began unpacking a mobile kitchen setup.
First, the tools. There was a chopping board and her trusty ✨knife✨, brought from her kitchen at home. There was a mortar and pestle, carved from a tree trunk and limb rather than treated wood or stone, and large enough that a small child could use them as a helmet and club. There were tube-tree lengths, soaked in water and split down most (but not all) of their length, and long strips of plant fibres. A thin-walled cooking pot rounded out the mix.
There were ingredients, too. A handful of the local bright red, small but intensely spicy chiles went on to the cutting board. Beside it, Meihua laid a cake the size of a large hamburger patty, which seemed to be made of compressed beans. Finally, there was a lemon-looking fruit.
“First, put fish on stick.” She retrieved the partially-split lengths of tube tree from their soaking water. “Put in here and tie.” She spread the arms of the makeshift tongs apart and nestled one of the cleaned fish inside, its head against the solid end. Then Meihua used the plant strips to tie the arms of the tongs together and hold the fish in place, and nodded her approval as F² copied the process. “Can roast over fire now.”
While the fish were cooking, the trio warmed themselves near the fire and made light conversation about further varieties of edible plants and fish, and eventually Nuosu cuisine more broadly. Partway through roasting the fish, Meihua held up the bean cake. “Dòuchǐ. Make from fermented black bean. Add salt, and… meatiness? Know when you taste.” She placed the cake on a rock beside the fire to roast.
When the fish was done cooking, they flaked the meat off the bones and into the mortar. Meihua assured F² that they were free to eat the remaining fish parts if they wished, and to toss them in the fire otherwise. In the meantime, she filled the cooking pot up with clean drinking water and set it over the coals to boil, then broke off a few pieces of the roasted douchi bean cake and threw them in with the fish.
“Ba sa is chōng cài, ‘pounded dish’,” Meihua continued. “Make with chǔjiù. Chǔ.” She pointed to the pestle. “Jiù.” She pointed to the mortar. “Put ingredient in jiù, pound with chǔ until paste.”
“Use leaf of ci yan sui and root of yu xing cao.” Meihua delegated picking the lemon-pepper ci yan sui leaves from their stems and pounding the ingredients to F², while she chopped the roots of the sour, fishy yu xing cao into roughly 1cm pieces and added them to the mix. Then, Meihua held up the lemon analogue she’d reserved. “Níngméng.” She sliced the fruit in half and squeezed one half’s juice into the mortar.
The pot on the fire had come to a boil, and Meihua retrieved a plastic bag full of noodles soaking in water, holding them up for F² to see before adding them to the pot. “Mǐ xiàn. Cook fast—one or two minute. Should be chewy.” She produced a pair of chopsticks for whoever was monitoring the noodles to test them without scalding.
Last, but certainly not least, came the rectum-destroying chilies. “Xiǎo mǐ là,” Meihua said, holding one up before fearlessly chopping the bunch with all seeds intact and tossing them into the mortar. She did however rinse her hands, her ✨knife✨, and the chopping board in the stream before cutting anything else.
With the noodles cooked appropriately and a splash of their water added to the mortar to turn its paste into a dipping sauce, lunch was ready. The ba sa dip went into one large bowl. The noodles went into another. Meihua handed wooden bowls and chopsticks out to F². “Take noodle and dip in sauce,” she said, then demonstrated by grabbing a wad of noodles with her chopsticks, then dipped and slurped. The bowl seemed to be mostly for catching drips and fish bones.
The experience of the dish was… complex. Roasting the fish had given it enough solidity and smoky flavour to stand up to the other ingredients, with a tiny hint of sweetness from the cooked fat. The cooked starches in the bean cake did the same, balancing the sourness of the herbs without making the dish taste overtly sweet or salty, and bringing the “meaty” umami flavours to the ba sa.
Ironically, the yu xing cao tasted more like fish than the actual fish. It, along with the local lemon and the lemon-pepper ci yan sui, brought layers of puckering acidity and brightness to the ba sa. The chilies were prominent, of course, but they didn’t drown out the rest of the ingredients. The lingering crunch of the pounded but uncooked herbs offered a pleasant contrast to the chewy fish.
Like the generous helpings of rice at the welcome dinner, the rice noodles—at least, they tasted like rice noodles—helped soothe the chilies’ burn to something Foxen could manage without dying. (Not having four heavily-spiced dishes in succession probably helped, too.) The noodles also provided a tender backdrop for the other textures.
“Mm,” Flyndt muttered as he attempted to avoid unsuccessfully some of the sauce dripping upon his chin. Most of the drops landed in the small bowl he held posed to do just that, and the back of his hand. Flavor saturated on his tongue, sweet and sour, fishy and lemon-peppery, spice and noodly. He expertly used his tongue to find any bits of bone in as he ate, picking them out and placing them in the bowl.
“This is very good, Meihua. Is, mm, fishy taste, that the herb or fish?” Flyndt asked as he grabbed more noodles to dip, ignoring how stupid that question sounded.
“Is yu xing cao,” Meihua said between slurps. “Luo fei yu not very fishy.”
One lightning-fast black hand caught a drip that came from Flyndt’s noodles as he dipped, its trajectory such that it would have missed both bowl and hand and caught the clothing, which was disallowed. Foxen’s hand pulled back to his own bubble of space, and he licked the droplet off the back, along with licking his lips and what could be reached of his chin, for his own juices. The dish was certainly good, and he commented as much, more with an approving hum and gestures of eating and nodding than actual signing.
It was just too much bother, when both of them were eating.
He crunched through more fine fish bones like he had the remains of the roasted fishes, accustomed to their needling jab in his mouth. The noodles were definitely a source of fortitude elevating enjoyment of the chilies, though being a single dish did help.
Only once he had finished eating, setting his bowl and chopsticks down and wiping his hands, did he take out his pad.
It is quite good. I appreciate all your efforts to share your people’s cooking with us. These techniques will be carried on, if permitted.
“Trade for crispy offworlder bao recipe,” Meihua laughed, referring to the morning’s croissants.
After the three had eaten their fill and collected their nets and rods—and so many fish—they set off back to the city. If F² wished, Meihua would take them to the market to see the lake moss she’d declined to pull up earlier. She also offered them the larger specimens of fish and instructions on how to make a few ✨dishes✨, so that the boys could enjoy the local fish without infringing on Foxen’s intent to put the guest house’s kitchen to use. The result was a carp and vegetable soup with a milky broth, cooked in a large wooden bowl over hot stones, and slices of raw rainbow trout dipped in lemon and fermented bean sauce.
Tomorrow, it would be time for a new adventure. As F² fell asleep, Foxen’s keen ears sound-reception holes may have detected a faint “waaaaa?!” in the distance, from the direction of the Jin homestead.