open & closed | if I get too close and I'm not how you hoped

[maintiensledroit]

Who: Benton Fraser, Wynonna Earp & others
What: early spring catchall: open + closed starters
When: March & April
Where: Milton & Lakeside

Content Warnings: Usual Wynonna warnings of alcoholism and likely violence/aggression apply. All others TBD.

forgive my northern attitude

Comments

[wingbound]

[ Well. That was easier than he thought. The man seems outright helpful. ]

It starts smelling funky before it actually dries. I tried--

[ He details how he went about it step by step (because unfortunately I don't know enough about right OR wrong ways to do it to describe it), revealing some mistakes that can probably be expected -- not high enough temperature, not enough preparation, and who knows if he's managed to find any salt here to begin with. ]

[maintiensledroit]

[ Fraser listens with clear interest, nodding as the man details his attempts. It's clear to him which missteps were made: fortunately, all of them are small, though together they'd added up to failure. ]

I suspect the temperature wasn't high enough. But why don't you help me prepare this catch, when we've finished here? And then you'll know how to replicate it again on your own.

[ Teach a man to... smoke a fish, as the saying goes. Or doesn't, quite, but it offers the same basic meaning. ]

[wingbound]

[ Levi is pleasantly surprised by the genuine attention to his words. Perhaps ironically, considering his own involvement with the military, he's never expected anything good from people in uniforms. This guy doesn't seem so bad after all. ]

Won't it burn the fish if I put it closer? [ He's unaware of the possibility of increasing a fire's temperature in other ways, for example using specific wood. He does, however, seem to perk up a little at the offer. ] ...I would like that, if it's not too much trouble. Best way to learn is through doing.

[ At least it seems to be for him. ]

Guess I'd better help you out then, huh?

[ He moves to take off his backpack and sifts through it to retreive his fishing line. ]

[maintiensledroit]

I couldn't agree more. That was how I learned, after all.

[ If Levi gives him even a hint that it might be welcome, he'd be happy to discuss at length the various ways to troubleshoot his fish-smoking failures, from burning green wood chips to larger logs to utilizing a soaked cedar board and on and on...

It's the kind of thing Ray Vecchio would cut off at the pass. Fortunately, the other man searches for his own fishing line, and so the topic is dropped... for the moment.

Fraser smiles, shifting a little to make sure Levi has plenty of room and so their lines won't tangle. ]

Thank you kindly. It will be easier to get a greater volume of fish in the spring, using Captain Crozier's weirs, but until then we can supplement our supply this way. Had you done much fishing before coming here?

[wingbound]

[ He definitely doesn't hint it as unwelcome, so Fraser is very much free to share his fish preparation wisdom, in which case Levi will be attentive to what he says, maybe even asking some questions here and there. He seems genuinely interested in the techniques, especially the simpler parts that can be implemented without too much preparation. ]

Weirs?

[ If this prompts another lengthy explanation, so be it. The reason of his confusion should be clear enough once he shakes his head at the question that follows. ]

No, I learned here. We didn't really have anywhere to fish where I'm from.

[ There were no rivers or lakes in the Underground, the military did not catch their own fish while inside the Walls, and they usually were busy with other things, like killing Titans and trying not to die, while on expeditions. A chance to chill with a fishing rod had simply not occurred for him. It's too bad; he imagines Erwin or even Miche would have enjoyed it, though perhaps they had gotten to try it where he didn't. ]

[maintiensledroit]

[ Don't threaten him with a good time, Levi!

Almost immediately, Fraser lifts one hand from the small ice fishing rod so he can gesture with it, drawing out lines and angles through the air in a way that suggests he would love to have a chalkboard with him at all times for diagramming different approaches to the concept. ]

They're an effective way to direct fish movement, usually in rivers or streams or along a shoreline. You build what amounts to fences in the water—

[ He slices his hand across and through and imaginary river, showing a general idea of how the barriers might be erected. ]

—to direct or trap them, sometimes using nets or other barriers so the fish swim into the holding area but not out again. It makes for a much more efficient way to study or harvest them.

[ Ah, but of course none of this would be familiar to someone who didn't even have access to a fishing spot of any kind. Fraser nods, understanding, and makes a mental note to seek out the other man if he's going to go fishing again, if he'd like to learn more. ]

Well, you seem to have picked things up quickly. And with a limited amount of ammunition around here for hunting, fishing is a good skill to learn.

[wingbound]

[ He's not! He's offering it in good conscience! ]

[ He nods along, thinking to himself that he has probably seen something similar at some point when they passed a village by a river, or later on in their travels to more remote places, and just never knew what it was. ]

Huh. That's smart. [ He frowns slightly, considering. ] But why would the fish swim into something like that?

[ Fish are stupid, he supposes. But still. Is this method just relying on luck or is there more to it? ]

[ He casts his line into the opening in the ice and settles back down, nodding. ]

Exactly. We're still finding ammunition around but it'll dry up sooner or later. Plus, shooting's noisy.

[ They may have taken care of the Forest Talkers for the time being, but who's to say another group or creature intent on hunting them won't take their place? ]