#buy atlantic cod

[quinlanbrosca]

Buy Atlantic Cod Online – Freshness Delivered to Your Door

QUINLAN provides high-quality Atlantic cod, sourced directly from pristine waters and delivered fresh. Whether you're a home cook or a seafood enthusiast, our cod ensures an unmatched dining experience with every order.

[hometoursandotherstuff]

David Moot had always fantasized about owning a beachfront retreat on Cape Cod, but never thought he could afford it—until he stumbled upon a coastal gem listed for just $395,000, b/c it could soon be swept away by the Atlantic. The charming, 3 BR, 2 BA cottage sits a mere 25 feet from an eroding bluff.

There's his house, pretty close to the edge. On Nantucket, where the elite flock every summer, one seaside house assessed at $1.9 million recently sold for a shocking $200,000. Eventually, the ocean will win.

With the ocean projected to encroach three feet closer each year, the house could be swallowed by the sea within a decade.

Some properties are in such danger that the National Park Service has started buying them up and tearing them down — to prevent debris from littering the beaches.

But, for now, Moot is happy. He's living his dream.

https://nypost.com/2024/08/14/real-estate/cape-cod-beach-house-sells-for-395000-but-theres-a-catch/

[lingpaopao]

˚ ༘ 🐋🐬 𝘈𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘤 𝘈𝘯𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘭 𝘝𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘣𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘺 🪼🦈 ·˚ ༄ؘ

// Fish // Sea Bass ~ 海鲈鱼 (hǎi lú yú) Salmon ~ 鲑鱼 (guī yú) Note: it is more common to use '三文鱼' (sānwén yú) as 鲑鱼 is more formal. Flounder ~ 比目鱼 (bǐ mù yú) Trout ~ 鳟鱼 (zūn yú) Mackerel ~ 鲭鱼 (qīng yú) Cod ~ 鳕鱼 (xuě yú) Sole ~ 龙利鱼 (lóng lì yú) Halibut ~ 大比目鱼 (dà bǐ mù yú) Tilapia ~ 罗非鱼 (luó fēi yú) Tuna ~ 金枪鱼 (jīn qiāng yú) Note: literally translated as 'golden gun fish'. Sardines ~ 沙丁鱼 (shā dīng yú) Carp ~ 鲤鱼 (lǐ yú) Catfish ~ 鲶鱼 (nián yú) Eel ~ 鳗鱼 (mán yú) Note: can also be pronounced màn. Swordfish ~ 剑鱼 (jiàn yú) Sturgeon ~ 鲟鱼 (xún yú) Herring ~ 鲱鱼 (fēi yú) Stingray ~ 魟鱼 (hóng yú) Note: can also be pronounced hōng Shark ~ 鲨鱼 (shā yú) Goldfish ~ 金鱼 (jīn yú) Pufferfish ~ 河豚 (hé tún) Anchovy ~ 凤尾鱼 (fèng wěi yú) Clownfish ~ 小丑鱼 (xiǎo chǒu yú) Piranha ~ 食人鱼 (shí rén yú) Lionfish ~ 狮子鱼 (shī zǐ yú) // Mammals // Whale ~ 鲸鱼 (jīng yú) Seal ~ 海豹 (hǎi bào) Sea lion ~ 海狮 (hǎi shī) Otter ~ 水獭 (shuǐ tǎ) Dolphin ~ 海豚 (hǎi tún) Orca ~ 虎鲸 (hǔ jīng) Manatee ~ 海牛 (hǎi niú) Narwhal ~ 独角鲸 (dú jiǎo jīng) Walrus ~ 海象 (hǎi xiàng) // Crustaceans // Crayfish ~ 小龙虾 (xiǎo lóng xiā) Lobster ~ 龙虾 (lóng xiā) Crab ~ 螃蟹 (páng xiè) // Mollusks // Squid ~ 鱿鱼 (yóu yú) Octopus ~ 八爪鱼 (bā zhuǎ yú) Abalone ~ 鲍鱼 (bào yú) Shellfish ~ 贝类 (bèi lèi) Cuttlefish ~ 墨鱼 (mò yú) Scallop ~ 扇贝 (shàn bèi) Mussel ~ 蚌 (bàng) Oyster ~ 牡蛎 (mǔ lì) Sea snail ~ 海蜗牛 (hǎi wō niú) // Other Invertebrates // Starfish ~ 海星 (hǎi xīng) Jellyfish ~ 水母 (shuǐ mǔ) Sea urchin ~ 海胆 (hǎi dǎn) Sea cucumber ~ 海参 (hǎi shēn) Note: 参 is typically pronounced cān. // Bonus // Sea turtle ~ 海龟 (hǎi guī) Pacific ~ 太平洋 (tài píng yáng) Atlantic ~ 大西洋 (dà xī yáng) Fillet ~ 鱼片 (yú piàn) Wild ~ 野生的 (yě shēng de) Farmed ~ 养殖的 (yǎng zhí de)

Note: you'll notice that many names are basically just a word + the fish radical (ex. 鲈鲑鳟鲭鳕鲤鲶鳗鲟鲱魟鲨). For many of these, the word is pronounced the same: ex. 念 sounds exactly like 鲶. Note: if you're reading about buying fish in Chinese, you may notice that there isn't a perfect overlap between what Westerners buy/eat and Chinese people. For example, lots of Chinese people eat belt fish (带鱼) but Westerners typically don't. Knowing this, it may be useful to learn belt fish despite it not typically showing up in lists of fish in English. // Example Text // https://k.sina.cn/article_6579897244_18831439c00100fouz.html

10种最美丽的水族馆动物, 鱼类占了八种, 一般人最多见过两种 -> 10 types of the most beautiful aquarium animals, 8 of the types are fish, the average person will at most see 2 of the animal types.

第一名，小丑鱼。热带咸水鱼，虽然名叫小丑，但小丑鱼却不丑。网友投票排第一呢！-> First place, clownfish. Tropical saltwater fish, although named clownfish, they are not ugly ('clown' in Chinese literally translates to 'little uglies' so the sentence reads like: although named little ugly fish, they are not ugly). Netizens voted them first place!

第四名，海豚。海豚其实是小中型的鲸类，属于哺乳动物。-> Fourth place, dolphins. Dolphins are actually a type of medium-small whale, considered breast-feeding animals.

第九名，鲸。巨型动物家族，包括世界上最大的动物蓝鲸。不属于鱼类，属于哺乳动物。-> Ninth place, whales. A broad animal family, whales include the world's biggest animal, the blue whale. Not considered fish, they are breast-feeding animals.

https://www.czcyw.com/wiki/10290.html

海洋馆里有什么海洋生物，常见的20种海洋动物汇总 -> which aquatic animals are in aquariums, a summary of 20 types of common aquatic animals.

1. 虎鲸 -> Orcas

在杀人鲸表演备受争议的当下，不少海洋公园已经开始逐步取消对虎鲸表演的训练。-> In light of the controversy of killer whale performances, many aquariums have already started to step-by-step cancel orca performance training.

3. 海豹 -> Seals

大部分海洋世界中的动物可能是通过购买获得的，但有些海豹是因为被父母遗弃，被救助后一直无法恢复生存能力而留在海洋世界的。-> Most Seaworld animals might have been obtained through purchase, but some seals, because they were abandoned by their parents, after rescue still cannot regain survival skills so they remain in Seaworld.

5. 海星 -> Starfish

...需要注意的是，千万不要违反规定将海星拿出水面或是大力揉捏它们。这会对海星造成致命的伤害。-> You must pay attention to never transgressing the rules by picking up starfish out of the water or forcefully rubbing and pinching them. Doing this will cause life-threatening damage to the starfish.

[button-man-herald]

The Kingsport Clam

in a studio the size of Styrax, a lot of development is "Bottom Up", in the sense that so much of what we make is collaborative, iterative, and often the ideas we are most excited about come from spur-of-the-moment conversations over lunch.

While brainstorming what it takes to build a real town in the imaginations of our players, Ron and I got to thinking: what's the signature food of Kingsport? For those new to Button Man, Kingsport is the name we have given to our fictionalized version of Halifax, Nova Scotia, the setting of our upcoming 1920s adventure game.

New York has pizza, Chicago has hot dogs, Montreal has smoked meat, and Halifax has the Donair. But what about Kingsport? What began as a simple aside turned into a distracting, nagging question for me. What sort of food would early 20th century port-town northerners create to fit the bill?

Pics from Wikipedia and NYC Tourism

Cities' signature dishes tend to share some characteristics. Firstly, they are designed for mass appeal, at least so far as the locality goes. If the local area has a sweet tooth, its gonna be a sweet food, for example. To maintain mass appeal, it also needs to be inexpensive, possibly cheap as dirt. Think of a $1 slice in NYC. Of course the higher quality stuff is out there with a price to match, but the word of the delicious thing wouldn't be out there if it weren't for the decades of legwork done by the humble $1 slice.

So we have broad appeal, low price point, and usually these foods are also a celebration of either a specific demographic in the community, or of an industry of particular pride in the community. For example, is it so surprising that the meat-packing city became known for delicious and cheap hot dogs?

Lastly, although somewhat optional, I've noticed that a lot of local delights tend to come with a little joke or saying, especially in the Northeast. Something playful, letting everyone who buys in on the joke.

Keeping in mind the industries, social classes, and regional culinary traditions in the mix, I finally decided on something that felt plausible, and possibly even delicious: The Kingsport Clam.

What is a Kingsport Clam you ask? Why, its a dark roux-based chowder of mixed whitefish chunks (Haddock and Cod mostly), served on a toasted and buttered bun, cut not quite all the way so the bun keeps a hinge like a clam. Hot, filling, and relatively easy to carry, the Clam would be a favorite among the damp longshoreman looking for a satisfying meal on the cheap. Or so I imagined.

Trouble was, I couldn't shake the feeling that this food I dreamed up might be absolutely disgusting. For the good of the game, and for science, I had to make a Kingsport Clam.

Being so close to the Atlantic, cod and haddock aren't terribly hard to come by. I popped by the store and grabbed some cod, haddock, and threw in some spare tilapia I had at the house when I got home. The "hardest" part was making the roux, but even that just required some attention for a few minutes. Threw in the chopped onions and celery, added water, let it boil off the flour, added the fish, and after a some time stewing... it was done!

As I plated it up, I couldn't help but wonder just how many calories I had managed to condense into a single sandwich. But to my surprise... it was actually looking pretty good! After admiring my work for a minute, it was finally time to give it a try... and it was actually alright! My wife loved it, actually. Overall, too heavy for me, but half of one Clam satisfied.

I was happy to report my success to Ron, and thus the Kingsport Clam was finalized, and ready to be inserted as the official food of our fictional city! Finally I could stop thinking about it.

[ace-oreos]

me: is stressed about money and inconsistent income

also me: immediately wants to buy white shark merch as soon as I see the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy webpage

[sa7abnews]

I pay for Costco's $120 executive membership even though I only shop for 2. Here are my favorite things to get from the frozen section.

New Post has been published on Sa7ab News

I pay for Costco's $120 executive membership even though I only shop for 2. Here are my favorite things to get from the frozen section.

As a Costco executive member, some of the best things I buy from the frozen section include the Kirkland Signature green peas and Atlantic cod.

... read more !

[healthzenithboosts]

Unlock Youthful Skin: Best Marine Collagen to Buy Now!

If you’re on the hunt for the best marine collagen, you’re not alone. As more people seek to enhance their health and beauty routines with natural supplements, marine collagen has emerged as a top choice. But with so many options on the market, finding the best marine collagen can be a daunting task. 

This guide will help you navigate through the choices to find the one that best suits your needs.

What is Marine Collagen?

Marine collagen is a type of collagen derived from fish. It’s known for its high bioavailability, meaning your body can absorb it more efficiently than other types of collagen. This makes it particularly effective for promoting skin elasticity, reducing wrinkles, and supporting joint health.

Why Choose Marine Collagen?

Marine collagen stands out for several reasons:

Sustainability: It is often sourced from fish skin and scales, which are by-products of the seafood industry, making it an eco-friendly option.

Bioavailability: Marine collagen peptides are smaller in size compared to bovine or porcine collagen, allowing for better absorption.

Purity: It typically has fewer additives and is less likely to contain contaminants compared to other collagen sources.

What to Look for in the Best Marine Collagen

When searching for the best marine collagen, consider the following factors:

Source of Collagen: Look for products sourced from wild-caught, sustainably sourced fish. This ensures you’re getting a high-quality product without harmful contaminants.

Type of Fish: Common sources include cod, haddock, and pollock. Each type offers slightly different benefits, so choose one that aligns with your health goals.

Processing Method: Opt for marine collagen that has been hydrolyzed. Hydrolyzation breaks down the collagen into smaller peptides, which are easier for your body to absorb.

Purity and Additives: The best marine collagen should be free from artificial additives, fillers, and heavy metals. Always check the ingredient list and opt for products that undergo rigorous testing.

Third-Party Testing: Ensure the product has been tested by independent labs for quality and safety. Certifications from reputable organizations can also be a good indicator of a reliable product.

Top Picks for the Best Marine Collagen

To make your search easier, here are a few highly recommended marine collagen products:

Vital Proteins Wild-Caught Marine Collagen: Sourced from non-GMO, wild-caught fish, this product is praised for its purity and effectiveness in improving skin and joint health.

Further Food Premium Marine Collagen Peptides: This collagen is sourced from wild-caught North Atlantic cod and is free from additives. It’s known for its excellent solubility and taste.

Ancient Nutrition Marine Collagen: Made from sustainably sourced fish, this marine collagen is hydrolyzed for better absorption and is free from gluten, dairy, and soy.

Conclusion

Choosing the best marine collagen doesn’t have to be overwhelming. By considering factors such as the source, type of fish, processing method, purity, and third-party testing, you can find a product that meets your needs. 

Remember, the best marine collagen is one that fits seamlessly into your lifestyle and helps you achieve your health and beauty goals. Start your journey towards better skin, healthier joints, and overall well-being with a high-quality marine collagen supplement today.

[jameswhitaker27]

UK's Latest Top Seafood Market

The seafood industry isn’t just a British thing. In fact, the global seafood market is worth an estimated $1.5 trillion. That’s big business, and it’s not slowing down anytime soon. The UK is no exception to this trend. According to the latest figures from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the UK seafood market is worth £18.3 billion (US$27 billion). And that’s only expected to grow in the coming years. Why is this such a big deal? Well, for one thing, seafood is one of the most sustainable foods out there. It doesn’t require many resources to produce, and it has a long shelf life—meaning it can be stored without going bad. Plus, seafood is a great source of protein and healthy fats. So what does this all mean for you? The sky’s the limit when it comes to what you can cook up with seafood! Check out some of our favorite recipes below to get started. https://aschumsseafoodab.com/store/buy-live-red-king-crab/ What is the UK Seafood Market? The seafood market in the United Kingdom is worth £2.8 billion per year and is forecast to grow by 7% annually over the next five years. The market consists of both fresh and frozen seafood products. The main market drivers are rising disposable incomes, increasing demand from Asia and the Middle East, as well as growing popularity of seafood among health-conscious consumers. The leading suppliers of seafood in the UK are Iceland, Scotland, Norway and Ireland. These countries account for 56% of the total value of exports. Chilean seafood is also beginning to be appreciated in the UK market due to its high quality standards. The dominant species are Atlantic salmon (37%), prawns (25%), cod (18%) and mackerel (15%). These species are mainly imported from eight countries: Ireland (36%), Norway (21%), Scotland (10%), Chile (9%), Iceland (7%), Netherlands (5%) and Sweden (3%). The top importation destinations are mainly supermarkets and catering firms. The volume of imports increased by 9% between 2012 and 2015, while exports increased by 8%. This indicates that there is potential for growth in the UK seafood market if export restraints are removed. The Top 5 Seafood Markets in the UK The top 5 seafood markets in the UK are Bristol Seafood Market, Belfast Fish Market, Cardiff Seafood Market, Liverpool Seafood Marketing Centre and Southampton Central Markets. Bristol Seafood Market is one of the largest markets in the UK, with over 100 stalls selling a range of fresh and frozen seafood products. The market is open every Saturday from 8am to 2pm, and features a wide variety of seafood including crab, lobster, prawns, scallops and oysters. Belfast Fish Market is another renowned seafood market in the UK. The market is open Monday to Saturday from 7am to 3pm, and sells a wide variety of fish products including salmon, trout, tuna and cod. Cardiff Seafood Market is located in Cardiff Bay and was originally established in 1887 as a salt warehouse. Today, the market has over 150 stalls selling a wide variety of fresh and frozen seafood products. Highlights include salmon fillets, swordfish steaks and langoustines cooked in several different ways. Liverpool Seafood Marketing Centre is one of the largest markets in England and Wales with over 130 stalls selling everything from crabs to lobster claws. The market is open Wednesday to Sunday from 8am to 4pm, and features live music every weekend. Southampton Central Markets is one of the oldest markets in Hampshire and was first established in 1710 as an agricultural marketplace. Today, the market offers visitors a comprehensive selection of fresh seafood

[gobostonlogan]

[travexotic-blog]

Do you prefer healthy and natural food products? If so then buy Atlantic Cod online from Aschums Seafood Ab because the catching and preserving methods used by them are completely natural which is why it is completely safe for your family’s consumption and can be kept for a long duration without destroying is nutrients. So buy Atlantic Cod fish Online now for a healthy and stress free life.

https://aschumsseafoodab.com/store/buy-atlantic-cod/

[quinlanbrosca]

Reason For Choosing A Fresh Wild Atlantic Cod?

Without question, the flavour and versatility of Atlantic cod don’t have many competitors among seafood choices. This fish has a mild taste as well as a flaky texture making it a universal favorite in kitchens over centuries. If you want to enhance your meals, make sure you buy a Fresh wild Atlantic cod because it will be worth it. Read More: https://qr.ae/p2yyYz

[quaranmine]

Gadus morhua

Atlantic cod, scientific name Gadus morhua, is benthopelagic fish in the family Gadidae. A series of three scenes from the Cod Empire, focused on the hydrological, ecological, toxicological, environmental, and engineering problems Jimmy tackles as the Codfather.

In which I use my college education to do worldbuilding for MC roleplay, and have entirely too much fun with it. Jimmy-centric, but other characters appear: Joel, Lizzie, fWhip, and Scott. No content warnings. Set in at a vague point in Empires S1!

Words: 6142

┈ ┈ ┈ ⋞ 〈 ⏣ 〉 ⋟ ┈ ┈ ┈

1.

It was a casual sort of meeting day with Joel down by the docks of the Cod Empire. Jimmy had invited him over to do some fishing and some talking, and to well–just hang out. They were best allies, after all. They’d been out here for an hour or so already, but being a ruler was unfortunately a ‘round the clock sort of job, and even leisure time with other emperors was often punctuated by work. 

“So what did you invite me here for?” Joel asked. He was laying on his back on the dock with the sun shining on him and a hat over his face, while Jimmy slowly reeled in the line he’d thrown. 

“I wanted to talk about water,” Jimmy said. 

“Fish people,” Joel muttered. “It’s all you do.” 

“Hey!” Jimmy said, lightly smacking Joel’s shoulder. “Water happens to be the most important part of life. You wouldn’t exist without it!”

“Fine, fine,” Joel said, sitting up and pulling the hat off his face and on top of his head instead. “What about water did you want to discuss?”

“I wanted to talk about your desalination plants,” Jimmy said. “I was thinking about getting a few for my empire.” The corner of his mouth twitched up a bit as he said it, because he knew that asking this was tantamount to asking for a spiel on how much Joel loved his wife. It had been one of their most important trade agreements, and it’d apparently left quite the impression on Joel because he never stopped going to see the Ocean Queen after that. 

“Ah, those,” Joel said, and clapped his hands. “Built through an agreement with the love of my life. You, know, that was our first really important trade agreement–”

Jimmy bit back a laugh. Yes, he’d known. 

Joel continued. “Mezalea is a rich land blessed in many things. What it’s not blessed with is water. It’s dry and hot.”

“And yet you export moss,” Jimmy said. “Isn’t that known for growing in wet places–”

It was Joel’s turn to smack Jimmy. “Yes. Don’t talk about that.”

Jimmy raised his hands placatingly. “Fine, fine, just tell me about the desalination plants.”

“We have aquifers and reservoirs in Mezalea for water, but I know that in the future they might be drained. It’s not good for the growth of the kingdom–if we try to raise exports of moss, we’ll need more water, and as the economy grows we’ll need more people and clones who will need more water, and then we’ll start drawing more water than can be recharged. So we needed to find more options, and the ocean was right there.”

“So you went to talk to Lizzie.”

Joel twirled the wedding band around his finger absentmindedly. “Yeah, I went to talk to Lizzie. Didn’t know if she’d approve but she seemed more than happy to provide the technology when I told her how she could benefit as well. Desalination’s tricky. It’s not always efficient.” Joel squinted off into the ocean in the distance. “And I didn’t just need her help, I also needed her permission. Can’t be pumping ocean water without it. It can harm sea creatures, you know, but Lizzie’s able to keep ‘em away from that area.”

“What do you do with the leftover salt?” Jimmy asked, tossing his fishing line out again. Maybe he’d catch some salmon today, but so far he’d just got a pufferfish and an old useless book. It wasn’t really about the catches, though. It was about sitting here and enjoying himself. 

“Give the brine back to Lizze as part of the agreement,” Joel said. “She exports it. Scott buys a lot. It’s good for deicing apparently, but it never snows in Mezalea. Or here, for that matter.”

“And it works?”

Joel beamed proudly. “Come on Jimmy, you’ve been to my empire before. Would it look so good if it didn’t work?”

“I dunno mate, everything’s still a bit to dry for my liking over there.”

“Ugh,” Joel said, waving him off. “I don’t know why I bother with you, you’ve got no taste out here in the swamp. Just mosquitoes.”

“If you put on the slime, the mosquitoes wouldn’t bother you–”

Joel put a hand on Jimmy’s shoulder and said solemnly: “Jimmy, I wouldn’t be caught dead wearing slime. I would rather be carried off by the mosquitos first.”

Jimmy just laughed loudly at that. It wasn’t his fault that he told everyone how to live in the swamp and they refused. He thought they were all a bit too pretentious. After all, they’re surrounded by water here–you could wash the slime off any time you’d like. 

“Why do you want desalination facilities, Jimmy?” Joel asked. “You’ve got so much water here. I mean, it’s literally a swamp.”

“It’s brackish.”

“What?”

“Salty?” Jimmy said, and then pointed to the wide expanse of ocean on the horizon. “We live on the coast, and the river comes out here. This is an estuary. That means that the saltwater and freshwater mix, making the water brackish.”

“And can’t you just . . .” Joel trailed off, and gestured vaguely at his throat. Gills. “Like Lizzie does?”

Jimmy subconsciously brought his hand up and brushed the edge of his gills. “Well, I can,” he said. “Me and Lizzie both can. Doesn’t matter if it’s air or freshwater or saltwater. We were born in the ocean, after all. But that doesn’t mean all my people can. Most of them still need freshwater.”

“What about your wells though? Surely you get enough rain to keep them full?”

Mezalea was arid, and rain was infrequent enough that depleting the aquifer was always a worry. The water underground was thousands, if not millions of years old, and it was no guarantee that it could be recharged quickly enough through rain to keep up with the demand of a growing empire. 

The Cod Empire was wet. The water table was at ground level or above ground in most places, leading to soft muddy ground, marshy pools, and little ponds. It rained frequently, and the river came in from the south. But the river mixed with the ocean throughout the empire, and the water around them was not fresh as a result. 

Jimmy nodded. “We do. But it’s just . . .” He fixed Joel with a look. “Joel, you’re my best ally. This is important alliance matters. This is being told to you in confidence.”

Joel stared back at him. “Okay.”

Jimmy glanced over his shoulder as he talked. The tips of his walls were just visible over the trees. “The wells are a weak point for us,” he started. “They’re too far on the edge. They’re vulnerable to attack from my enemies, and that would be dangerous for my people to be left without freshwater.”

He’d always been on shaky relations with Sausage. He didn’t think the man would attack his water supply, but he wasn’t sure with all the corruption on the server. Jimmy also knew he wasn’t always on the best of terms with a lot of people–he was often a bit too bold or brash or impulsive, which didn’t suit him as an emperor and had caught him in hot water more than once. 

He also knew he wasn’t the strongest empire on the server. He knew what other people said about him, and he was too proud to admit to any weakness. But he was still pragmatic enough to see the truth: he didn’t even have enough resources to guard the wells all the time, anyway. They’d always be a risk. 

Joel scowled. “So why don’t you just move them closer to the middle of your empire? You’ve got water running out your ears, can’t you just drill further until you reach freshwater?”

Jimmy shook his head. “Can’t. If we move them closer, we’ll just start sucking seawater in and ruin them. We’ve got freshwater, but just like on the surface, it mixes with saltwater underground too at a certain point. They also have to be far enough away from the coast that they can keep up with the demand of the empire, because we can only take up so much water at a time safely.”

“Oh.” Joel blinked. “So, desalination.”

Jimmy smiled. “It’s just for backup.”

Joel clapped a hand on Jimmy’s shoulder. “Well, Codboy, I won’t go tellin’ your empire’s weakness to anyone. If you ever need help, Mezalea’s on your side.” He leaned over. “I don’t understand, though. Why’d you invite me here to ask me this, and not Lizzie? She’s the one you’d have to actually talk to about getting it built and she’s the one who knows the ocean better than any of us.”

“Oh,” Jimmy said, amused. “That’s because it’s not nearly as fun to do this with Lizzie. She just swims too well.”

“What-”

And with a great shove, Jimmy pushed Joel off the dock. He hit the water with a splash, leaving the hat floating behind him. 

Seconds later, the man popped up above the surface, sputtering in anger. “JIMMY!” he shouted. “Did you plan this all day?”

Jimmy didn’t answer, because he was bent over double laughing so hard he could barely breathe. He wiped a tear from his eye. 

“That could be considered an act of war, you know!” Joel yelled. 

“You wouldn’t,” Jimmy wheezed. 

“Oh, I will,” Joel said. “In fact, here’s my first attack!”

And with a great effort, Joel grabbed Jimmy’s foot from where it dangled over the dock, and pulled him in after him, and Jimmy laughed the whole way down until water filled his lungs and forced his gills to start working again. 

┈ ┈ ┈ ⋞ 〈 ⏣ 〉 ⋟ ┈ ┈ ┈

2.

Jimmy was not having a good day. Or, well–series of days. 

Yesterday, he’d received word from one of his merchants who had been traveling home via the river of a fish kill upstream. Dozens of fish, all inexplicably dead and floating in the water. They’d come straight to his governing office to report it as soon as they were back in the bounds of the empire. 

It wasn’t within his borders. The reported fish that were killed were all salmon. Some people would likely think that would make Jimmy happy but . . . he winced.

It’s for the greater good. 

Salmon were large fish. It was the wrong time of year for spawning season, where salmon frequently died after laying their eggs. If something had killed many of them, then it was undoubtedly screwing with the rest of the river too. It was likely that smaller fish, plants, amphibians, invertebrates, and more were also killed. 

And water flowed. 

And Jimmy’s empire was downstream. 

It could be a magical accident. Jimmy had made sure his advisor questioned the merchant about that, but the average person could not detect magic like Jimmy could, and thus the merchant didn’t know. It could also be some form of pollution–something that lowered the oxygen in the water, or perhaps a chemical. And that was why Jimmy had ordered his staff hydrologist to take samples.

Samples whose lab work were now laying on his desk. Jimmy squinted at the papers. He was no scientist–he was the Codfather, it was his job to rule, he had governmental officials for this sort of work–but he did know a little about it. It was good to know, because it was important and he might have to make final decisions over it. He couldn’t be totally out of the loop on issues that could mean life or death in his empire. 

Either way, he knew enough about the reports he was reading to know they weren’t good. There were no reported cod deaths in his empire so far, but the ecosystem was stressed. Jimmy could feel it. They couldn’t afford the problem getting worse. 

Before he could examine the paper much more, there was a fast knock on his door. 

“Come in,” he called. 

The door swung open to reveal one of Jimmy’s advisors, who spoke quickly. “Sir, the Ocean Queen is–”

Lizzie ducked past the man and walked through the door. “I don’t need an introduction to see him, I can come anytime I like. Isn’t that right, Codfather?” She winked. 

Jimmy rolled his eyes and set down the paper. “You’re always welcome in my empire, Lizzie. Come sit down.”

“See?” Lizzie turned to the advisor and smiled a little too sweetly. Jimmy just shrugged apologetically and waved him away. He appreciated the effort of the warning but it wasn’t really necessary for his sister. She’d have climbed in a window or mined through the wall if his advisor had said no, anyway. 

“What do you need?” he asked. “‘Cause I’m having a busy day.”

“You? Busy? I doubt it,” Lizzie said snarkily, before stopping and correcting herself. “No, wait, nevermind, the thing I’m here about is probably the same thing you’re busy with. See, I’ve got some papers of my own.” She pushed them across the table. 

Jimmy picked them up, but he already knew what they were. He scanned the headings of the lab reports. 

2,4,6-trinitrotoluene, 2-amino-4,6-dinitrotoluene, and 4-amino-2,6-dinitrotoluene. 

Those were the same chemicals from Jimmy’s report. Lizzie’s listed a few more complex chemicals–2,4,6-trinitrobenzaldehyde, 1,3,5-trinitrobenzene, 2,4,6-trinitrobenzoic acid, and 2-amino-4,6-dinitrobenzoic acid–and less of the first one than Jimmy’s had. The numbers were a bit less concentrated, but overall similar. Jimmy didn’t need his hydrologist to tell him it was the same problem. 

“Yeah,” he muttered. “Me too.”

“Jimmy,” Lizzie said. “This water came from you. Your estuary opens out into my ocean. These readings are from the edge of our border.”

Jimmy gave her a sharp look. “You can’t think this is me,” he said, a little too hotly. 

Lizzie raised an eyebrow, and crossed her arms. “Of course not,” she said. “I came here to see what you want to do about it.” She gestured at the paper. “These concentrations aren’t enough to bother the ocean. The ocean’s big, so it’s all diluted. But it is large enough to prompt a visit to an ally. So since you clearly already know, what are you going to do about it?”

Jimmy leaned back in his chair, tipping his head back and staring at the ceiling. “I need to talk to fWhip,” he said finally. “Trinitrotoluene. That’s TNT. The hydrologist told me that the other chemicals are what it degrades into when it’s exposed to sunlight in surface water.”

“Well, I can stay here for the meeting if you’d like,” Lizzie said, reading his mind. “Two empires are more intimidating than one.”

Jimmy sighed and rubbed his eyes. “I don’t wanna have to intimidate him. I just want him to take me seriously.”

┈ ┈ ┈ ⋞ 〈 ⏣ 〉 ⋟ ┈ ┈ ┈

fWhip arrived alone, and Jimmy thought he should feel snubbed about that. 

Casual meetings between rulers were rarely accompanied by guards or advisors, especially between allies. Lizzie and Joel certainly didn’t bring any of their people to Jimmy’s when they visited, for example. They didn’t even make appointments or let him know they were coming most of the time. They didn’t even always knock.

Hell, Jimmy preferred to go places alone too. He wasn’t a fan of pomp and circumstance and making a fuss and having people follow him around. But this wasn’t a casual visit, this was official serious business. And Jimmy and fWhip were not allies. And fWhip hadn’t even brought any of his environmental personnel. Jimmy had brought along his chief advisor, staff hydrologist, and staff ecologist. 

Hence, Jimmy felt like he wasn’t being taken very seriously right now. 

Nothing made him angrier. He couldn’t show that though, lest he was taken even less seriously. If fWhip knew he was riled up, he’d continue to push his buttons and try his luck. No, he had to be calm. He grit his teeth a little behind his smile. 

fWhip was measured, but standoffish. He listened patiently to Jimmy’s explanation of water pollution and how it had to have come from a spill upstream, but his expression was closed off and unreadable. Jimmy knew he had to explain the connection to be listened to. Whatever happened further up the river wasn’t located in his empire, and he had no ability to clean it or fix it. But it was affecting the Cod Empire just the same, so he needed help.

Or a threat. This was the safety of his land and people on the line, and while the problem wasn’t an imminent mortal hazard, he still needed to guarantee it wouldn’t happen again. If he failed to talk it out now, he’d have to escalate this. A threat with fWhip was unlikely to go down very well though, and Jimmy didn’t want to make the relations between their empires any more tense than it already was. 

As such, Jimmy needed diplomacy.

Before he could bring out the lab reports though, fWhip spoke up. “I don’t understand why you’ve called me over here,” he said, crossing his arms. “Why not Sausage? He’s your nearest neighbor upriver. Or even Joey is further upstream. I’m a lot further away than the rest of them. How can you prove this came from my empire?”

“I’m so glad you asked,” Lizzie said, and when she smiled her sharp predator teeth glinted dangerously. She handed fWhip the Cod Empire documents. “Tell me, what do you see in there?”

fWhip was silent as he flipped through the papers. He didn’t respond, but he scowled. Jimmy knew he recognized the chemicals. There was no way that fWhip–alchemist, tinkerer, engineer, inventor–didn’t know what he worked with. 

“Is your empire not the server’s leading manufacturer of gunpowder and explosives?” Lizzie asked. What a leading question! Jimmy almost wanted to reach over and high five her, except that it’d be terribly unprofessional in such a serious meeting. 

“I am,” fWhip said cooly, returning the documents. He looked at Lizzie and Jimmy. “This looks like the result of discharge from TNT manufacture. There’s TNT, compounds from the degradation of TNT, and chemicals associated with red water that’s produced during the TNT purifying process. It’s highly toxic.” He paused for a moment. “It’s also illegal to dump this in my empire.”

“Are you following your own laws, fWhip?” Lizzie asked. 

“I always dispose of my waste properly,” fWhip snapped. 

Jimmy cringed a little. He was certain it was from the Grimlands–not only did the chemicals match up with his manufacturing processes, but the location of the reported fish kill matched up for a place further upstream than Sausage. He had no jurisdiction, though. He couldn't fly over to the spill, document it and prove it was from the Grimlands, and go home. He wasn’t allowed to collect data from there–he was barely allowed as a guest in normal times. 

Well, it was time to pull out his secret weapon. 

“Do you know how I knew to test for this?” Jimmy asked. 

“No.”

“One of my people was traveling between empires and found a fish kill upstream, which they reported right away. They reported that the dead fish appeared to have hemorrhages, which can be caused by this type of exposure.” He made eye contact with fWhip, and really tried to drive it home. “They were salmon, fWhip. Don’t you want to protect them?”

 Don’t let pride get to you, he wanted to say. Just because you have to admit I’m right.

fWhip sighed. “I don’t know anything about any waste discharges,” he said. “If one of my forges has been disposing of waste by dumping it in the river, they are breaking the law. If it was a spill, then I haven’t been notified, which is also breaking the law. But it’s definitely explosives manufacturing waste, and I can’t risk the salmon.” He frowned. “I would have thought you wouldn’t care about that, Jimmy.”

Jimmy shook his head. “For the greater good,” he muttered. “It affects all of us.”

fWhip nodded once, then stood up and quickly gathered the copies of the reports that Jimmy’s hydrologist had supplied. He tightened the strap on his elytra. “Well,” he said. “Thank you for bringing to my attention.”

“Thank you for listening,” Jimmy said, and he meant it. 

fWhip headed for the door, but before he went he threw a glance back and called over his shoulder. “Don’t get your scales in a twist, Codfather,” he said. “I’ll fix this. You’ll be hearing from me again soon.”

And then he was gone. Jimmy let out a breath he didn’t know he had been holding, and laid his head down on the desk. 

“I think we did well,” Lizzie said. 

“Ugh,” Jimmy groaned, muffled by the wood. “That was almost a disaster.”

“What do you think he’ll do about it?”

“He’ll do something,” Jimmy said. “I don’t know what, but he won’t want to look like he’s not in control of things happening in his empire.”

The staff hydrologist stepped up. “If I may,” she started.

“Of course,” Lizzie said. 

“I can tell you what he might do,” the hydrologist said. “It’s not up to us to choose how to handle it since it didn’t happen within our borders. But we’ll probably be fine anyway if the source of the spill is stopped. For rivers, time and dilution can work wonders. The further it dilutes into larger bodies of water, the less concentrated the contamination will be, and it will be less likely for our ecosystem to be badly harmed. We’ll likely be able to get by with increased monitoring until all the contamination diffuses.”

“What about the source?” Jimmy asked. 

“It’s hard to say. He could try some bioremediation methods, or even install a filter across the mouth of the river. He could divert water and try and treat it before it is redirected back into the river.  Most importantly, he should ensure this doesn’t happen again.”

Jimmy sighed. “Thank you,” he said. “I suppose this is the best we can hope for when it’s not actually within my borders. He put his arm around Lizzie and pulled her into a half-hug. “Thanks for staying, Lizzie. Definitely made it look more legit.”

“I know,” Lizzie said. “What would you do without me?”

“Probably start a war with fWhip.”

┈ ┈ ┈ ⋞ 〈 ⏣ 〉 ⋟ ┈ ┈ ┈

3.

“So, Jimmy,” Scott said. “What am I here for today?”

“Um,” Jimmy said, raising his hand over his eyes and squinting at the sunlight behind Scott. The sun rises in the east, and Rivendell is southeast of the Cod Empire. Sometimes in the morning Jimmy looked at the rising sun and wondered if Scott was awake yet. He was definitely awake this morning, since he’s standing in the Cod Empire with his back to the rising sun. It’s like a halo of light around his head. 

“So?” Scott prompted again, gesturing with one hand. “I don’t have all day, you know.”

Jimmy blinked. “I was wondering if you wanted to build an embassy.”

Scott cocks his head. “Didn’t I already build one over there?” He gestures to the lily pads where all of Jimmy’s allies have built little statues. 

“Yeah, well, it’s just . . .” Jimmy trails off. “Too small? I mean, you couldn’t stay the night there if you wanted. It’s just for decorative purposes. I mean, I built one at your empire . . .”

“Ohhhh.” Something changed in Scott’s stance. He leaned forward, a little too closely, and made direct eye contact with Jimmy, who until that point had mostly been looking just off to the side of Scott’s eyes. The edge of Scott’s mouth tugged upwards. “Are you trying to invite me to spend the night, Codfather?”

“No, no, no, it’s not like that, I just mean-” Jimmy’s face was suddenly hot like the sunburns he’d learned to avoid in the swamp. Scott was nearly bent over laughing at him. “Well, now you’re not invited to my empire anymore,” Jimmy said, trying to retain at least a little of his dignity. 

“You’re banning me?” Scott said. He raised an eyebrow skeptically. 

“Yes. For life.”

“Hm,” Scott said. “Seems like a blessing, honestly. Your empire has so many mosquitos. And it’s so not cute here.”

“Hey-”

“Where do the Ocean Queen and the King of Mezalea stay?” Scott asked, interrupting before Jimmy had a chance to sputter any indignant defense of his empire. Slime worked perfectly well as a repellent, even if Scott refused to touch it. The Cod Empire’s aesthetics might not be as grand as the other empires’, but they serve their purpose and Jimmy finds more comfort and familiarity in them than anywhere else. 

And, well. The question. Jimmy wasn’t not sure how to say Lizzie is always welcome in my house and Joel just comes by and crashes without any prior warning. They were more than just old friends, they were literally family. Even before Jimmy had found out Lizzie was his sister, they’d felt a little like family. 

Scott was different. Rivendell was a new ally to the Cod Empire. They didn’t have years of prior relationship between them. Jimmy thought it was, well, a little too personal. Maybe someday. 

“They stay in my house,” he said finally. 

Scott’s mouth dropped open in mock offense. “So I’m not even special enough to stay in the Codfather’s house? Wow, I guess it’s a good thing I’m banned then.”

Jimmy rolled his eyes, but fought to keep a smile off his face. “Enough! Enough. Do you want to build an embassy or not, Scott?”

“Sure.”

“Great. I have a spot in mind for it, and I can call over my engineers to discuss your plans. You can bring in one of your royal architects, to make sure that the decorative elements of Rivendellian architecture make it into the final product. The project will be overseen and constructed by my team–”

“No, no,” Scott said, shaking his head. “You don’t have to give me your engineers, I have my own. I don’t want to end up with some Cod Empire building, I’ll ask them to build something cuter than that.”

Jimmy frowned. The insult to his building hardly even registered to him at this point–it might as well have passed through his brain like water through his gills. He knew he didn’t have the prettiest empire, it wasn’t new knowledge. And he knew Scott liked to tease him about it. But what caught Jimmy’s attention this time was that Scott really, really wasn’t making the sensible choice here. 

Did he even realize? “Um,” Jimmy said. “This isn’t Rivendell, this is the swamp. You need my engineers. They’ll provide–”

Scott waved his hand. “Don’t worry Jimmy, I’ll still report to them. I won’t build anything where I’m not allowed and I won’t ‘harm the swamp.’ But if this is to be a Rivendell embassy, then it is part of Rivendell and I won’t be building a Cod Empire building.”

Jimmy opened his mouth to object again, but a larger, pettier part of his mind made him shut it again. The rising sun was still behind Scott, but it was higher now, shining less like a halo around the edges of his hair and instead beating down on his head. Maybe Scott could afford to be knocked down a few pegs. 

It was ill-advised, inefficient, and possibly even irresponsible, but Jimmy thought the satisfaction of seeing Scott flounder would be worth it. What better way to gain a little respect for the Cod Empire than direct action?

It’s not like Jimmy didn’t have a precedent for doing ill-advised, inefficient, and irresponsible things. 

The Cod Empire’s buildings weren’t grand or beautiful like other empires. The nicer rulers said his buildings were “simple” or “homely,” while the ruder ones outright called them ugly. Jimmy knew this. Aesthetic architecture had never been a part of Cod Empire culture and he was fine with that. After all, floods and typhoons can cause significant damages. 

But what the Cod Empire was really good at was making buildings that last.

Fluctuating water and particulate matter levels? Some areas of the swamp were anoxic, leaving submerged wood practically preserved without any special treatment since it couldn’t rot without any oxygen. In other areas, the constant moisture caused severe decay. Flooding? Many buildings in the Cod Empire were built on stilts because of this, depending on elevation. Typhoons? Houses in the Cod Empire were built with thick and reinforced walls, but flexible enough to move with wind instead of breaking, if needed.

There were parables that reminded the reader that good things came from having sturdy foundations. Unfortunately, the point was always moot in Jimmy’s empire. Sturdy foundations didn’t mix with wet, submerged, and sinking soil. So the Cod Empire drove piles into the ground until it hit solid ground, and made floating foundations. They made amphibious houses to float on floodwater when required to. The Cod Empire had developed special engineering techniques that as far as Jimmy was aware, hadn’t made their way to other empires yet. 

So no, the Cod Empire’s architecture was not pretty, but it was sturdy. Jimmy didn’t care if it had awe-inspiring castles and steep spires. It just needed to last, and it did. 

Rivendell had rock foundations, blasted and carved out of the mountainside. 

Jimmy’s foundations were floating, ever complicated and up to the whims of nature.

This could end up being fun, on second thought. 

Jimmy shrugged. “Do what you want,” he said with an easy smile. “It’s your embassy.”

┈ ┈ ┈ ⋞ 〈 ⏣ 〉 ⋟ ┈ ┈ ┈

“Codfather.”

“Iris.”

She stood in front of him, on the balls of her feet. A large grin split her face, crinkling the corners of her eyes. The gill-fins on the side of her head twitched a little in excitement. 

“I just wanted to say, to start, that this is the best thing you’ve ever asked me to do.”

Jimmy shook his head, unable to keep the corner of his mouth from turning up. “I hope you’re not enjoying this too much.”

“Well, it is a lot of fun to watch them. I’ve never found construction work so interesting.”

“What’s the latest?”

“Cracking foundation. They had to repour it twice, and then it didn’t dry properly and sank.”

Jimmy laughed. “And how distressed is Scott over this?”

Iris tilted her head. “Pretty annoyed. His engineers were convinced that the soil substrate wouldn’t pose any problems and they promised him a much faster timetable than this.”

“Iris,” Jimmy asked. “I’ve known you for a long time. You’ve been my closest advisor. Tell me: is this really evil of me? Like, on a scale of one to ten, how bad of a person am I to let this continue for this long?”

Iris tapped her foot, making a big show of thinking it over. “Well, sir . . . if you asked me, I’d say Rivendell has had this coming for a long time. So maybe it’s like a 5, sort of rude, but hey, you did offer our engineers to them and they refused it. So yeah, I think this will make them put a little respect on the Cod Empire name.”

“So you don’t think this will, like, cause a war or anything?”

“You can fire me if it does.”

“I don’t think I could manage this place without you.”

“I know you can’t,” Iris winked, before twirling around and walking out, braid swinging behind her. “Besides,” she called back just before she stepped out of the door, with a certain tone in her voice Jimmy had trouble placing. “I don’t think Scott exactly wants to fight you.”

Well, he’d never been very opposed to the idea of fighting in the past, Jimmy thought–although they were allies now. But he also insulted the Cod Empire a lot, so maybe he deserved this a little.

Jimmy pushed back in his chair and looked out the window. The builders had been at work for a few weeks now. They had previously made blueprints for other embassies and were using the same one, so architecture hadn’t been a concern. Only the site condition and foundation remained an issue. The Rivendellian engineers had surveyed the site though, to their credit. 

They just . . . didn’t have the knowledge of how to build in a swamp. They had no experience trying to build on a moving, unstable, saturated surface. The mountains in Rivendell didn’t move at nearly the pace the swamp did. 

And as such, they were struggling. Hard. 

They didn’t just have to keep the foundation and building from shifting, but they had to make sure that it didn’t flood. And they had to do this within the rules of Jimmy’s empire–wetlands were very important ecosystems, and Jimmy didn’t want them going in and messing anything up. Of course, constant construction and tearing down failed foundations wasn’t great for the land either, but Jimmy found he didn’t worry about that so much when he was enjoying Scott’s frustration. 

He went outside to supervise them in the afternoon. He didn’t have much paperwork to do for Codfather duties and was already through for the day. He never did. Not that’d he tell the other emperors that, though. They’d probably turn up their noses and make some comment about how of course he had nothing to do, he wasn’t a legitimate empire. 

Jimmy thought a lot of that red tape was unnecessary if you ruled properly, made things simple the first time, and had people who respected you. And that it wasn’t a bad thing if your people saw you enjoying some free time once and a while–especially if they felt comfortable enough to join in. He found he got to know a lot of people better like this. 

He decided to use his free time to lounge around the edge of the construction site with a smug look on his face and see how long it took for Scott to come up and start yelling at him. 

It took about five minutes. 

Scott, engaged in some sort of argument with an engineer, turned and saw Jimmy leaning against another building in the shade, and stalked over. It looked like he was muttering to himself. His hair, normally perfectly styled, was a little sweaty. That just made Jimmy even more smug, because Scott wasn’t exactly used to exerting himself in the hot sun since Rivendell was so cold. 

“What did you do?” he demanded. 

“Me?” Jimmy said. “I didn’t do anything. I’m just standing here. My people aren’t involved in this project at all.”

“Stop smiling,” Scott groaned. “There’s nothing here to smile about.”

“I disagree,” Jimmy said, still grinning. “My advisors and I are having a great time with this.”

“Well I’m not,” Scott said petulantly. “Why didn’t you warn me? Why won’t you help me?”

“Huh,” Jimmy said. “Last I remember you didn’t want any input from the Cod Empire on your design. You said you’d build something cuter instead.” He looked over Scott’s shoulder to where someone was somewhat frantically trying to fashion a water pump for the foundation. “I figured your grand Rivendellian architects could handle a little water. Aren’t they the best in the land?”

“They are,” Scott hissed. 

“Then why don’t they know how to build something on wet ground? I mean, I guess they could be the best in the ‘land’ but not the best in the water–”

“Rivendell is not this wet!” Scott cried. “Or muddy! There’s no saturated ground and sinking foundations. They’re perfectly good engineers.”

“So you agree that your engineers only know how to build in Rivendell?” Jimmy asked. “Because I offered you mine and you refused them.”

Scott glared at him. “My engineers could build in any place. It’s just your swamp that’s stupid.”

“The swamp,” Jimmy said sternly, “is just existing. And it’s been the home of my people for generations before, and will be for generations to come.”

Scott sighed, picking up Jimmy’s not-so-subtle irritation. As much as Jimmy got teased, there was a limit that all the rulers recognized where teasing dropped into true offense. Scott backed off, but he didn’t apologize. “Your swamp’s fine,” he mumbled. “It’s just difficult to build in. I can’t believe you all live like this.”

“It’s difficult for you to build in,” Jimmy said. “My people do it just fine.”

Scott turned partially away from Jimmy, scanning the horizon full of houses. He had a look on his face like maybe it was the first time he’d actually seen any of this and properly paid attention to it. “How do you do it?” he asked finally. “My engineers don’t know the techniques.”

“Well,” Jimmy said. “How about I show them? Or, well, I guess it wouldn’t be me specifically showing you, I’ll call my head engineer and architect over here, ‘cause I’m not the one who actually does the calculations for these things, I just sign off on them–”

“Jimmy,” Scott interrupted. “I’d like that.”

┈ ┈ ┈ ⋞ 〈 ⏣ 〉 ⋟ ┈ ┈ ┈

Thank you for reading! :D Sources, links I used or found while writing this, cool things I found (well I thought they were cool) etc can be found in reblog of this post!

[encyclopika]

Animal Crossing Fish - Explained #219

Brought to you by a marine biologist here to tell you to buy local!

CLICK HERE FOR THE AC FISH EXPLAINED MASTERPOST!

Seafood is really important. I mean, food in general is important to our lives - y'know, it keeps us alive and all that. But seafood in particular, both wild-caught and those raised in aquaculture, are so important, that for many people around the world, it is the single source of protein they rely on. Of course, many island nations come to mind, especially Japan, since we're talking about Animal Crossing. In fact, seafood is so important there, that at least half of the fish that we've covered in this fish explained (counting only the extant species, mind you) are considered important fisheries in Japan or worldwide. The dark-banded rockfish is one such fish.

The dark-banded rockfish appeared in AC Pocket Camp this past spring, from March to June 2022. That's a pretty long stay for one of these ACPC exclusives!

Now, there isn't much to say about the DBR as a fish. In Japan, it is called Mebaru, and accompanies a few seafood dishes as a smoked or cooked whole fish in a broth. The fish is caught wild *and* farmed to meet demand for these dishes. The DBR is often called the Japanese Red Seaperch as well and its scientific name is Sebastes inermis. It's part of the Scorpaenidae Family, a group of fish well known for their venomous spines and being prickly in general, like the red lionfish, zebra turkeyfish, weedy stingfish, and others that we've covered before. The family is quite diverse because venom and spikes are a great way to deter predators, especially around rocky or coral reefs where predators could be lurking in any crevice and you are generally small. The DBR is endemic to the Southwestern side of the main Japanese islands and near the Korean peninsula. They eat zooplankton for the most part.

https://inaturalist.nz/taxa/461136-Sebastes-inermis

Fisheries are my bread-and-butter. When you're a marine biologist, there are a lot of different paths you can take, and fisheries is great when you believe we can have our fish and eat them, too. About a third of what I do is promote local fish species to the people who live on the island I call home. The Northeast US is a hotbed for fisheries that basically built this region, including the Atlantic Cod, Sea Scallops, and American Lobster, among many more local favorites like Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass. There has been a huge uptick in aquaculture of oysters here as well. So, like the DBR is to Japan, these species come to our fish markets straight from the boats.

There's been a movement lately (within the last 20 or so years) to choose local, wherever possible. That includes getting local veggies and meat from local farms instead of big companies you see in the supermarket, and going to the local fish market to buy species caught in your area. Buying local does a lot of good for your community and the planet. Let me explain:

When you buy local, you're keeping that money circulating within your town, state, or region. You support small business instead of feeding giant, faceless corporations. And I don't mean to be such a liberal on main, but I actually do. Buying local is good for your local economy. When you buy a fish that is native to your area, you directly support the fisherman who caught it, the local dealer he sold it to, and your neighbor running the fish market.

Not only that, but you cut down the carbon emissions of your food. Seafood in general has a fraction of the carbon emissions that beef production does (and it's healthier for you overall). In fact, if you have local shellfish or seaweed farms in your area, those farms actually reduce carbon in the atmosphere! And, for a more obvious take, when you buy local, that food didn't travel a far by truck or plane as, say, a fish imported from another country. It might not have traveled at all if you buy straight from the dock!

Buying local means your food is fresher and thus is more nutritious and tastes better. When fish is imported, it is often frozen, thawed, frozen again, perhaps thawed again to process, and frozen yet again before it reaches your plate. All of that freezing and thawing ruins the meat.

And lastly, when you buy local, you have a better chance of knowing how it was caught, the regulations associated with that fishery, and knowing that your food was sustainably sourced, or grown in a bay you can actually visit.

This all applies to freshwater species as well. Find out what your local species are and choose them first. Easiest way to do that is hop on Google, find a fish market near you, and talk to the guy behind the counter.

And there you have it! Fascinating stuff, no?

[staarshines]

Road Trip || Marvel Preferences

Warnings: Speeding and that’s it (is that a warning? whatever)

WC: 1.5k

What would a road trip be like with your favorite Avenger?

[A/N]: This was so much fun! If you guys want me to write a full fledged fic on any of these characters, just hit me up. Love you all and enjoy x

Tony Stark

Route: Milan, ITL ➝ Florence, ITL

Estimated Time: 3 hours

Actual Time Taken: 4 hours because you told Tony to take the scenic route.

He took you to Italy for your guys’ honeymoon and had the most lavish plans: dinner on the Duomo, an entire day of shopping at the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, cliff diving on Italy’s Adriatic Coast, climbing the rocks by the sea downtown in Riomaggiore, and so much more. While you loved all of that, you really just wanted to do Milan to Florence by car and he happily obliged, immediately telling Happy to cancel the private jet because he loved you so much. He brings back the most lavish car he could find: an open-hood, two-seater, red Ferrari Portofino. AC/DC is blasting the entire time and you two are having the time of your life, scream-singing along to every single song. When you’re singing “Back In Black” without a seatbelt, just letting the wind fly through your hair, not a care about anything in the world is when he realizes how lucky he is to have you.

Steve Rogers

Route: Avengers Tower ➝ National WWII Museum, New Orleans, LA

Estimated Time: 20 hours

Actual Time Taken: 18 hours because you may or may not have speeded while he took a nap.

You had figured out the entire “adjusting to a new century” thing was really stressful on Steve, so you decided to take him to the National WWII Museum just so he could bridge the gap a little bit better. Plus, you figured it would help him destress a little bit. The road trip is normal; he took the wheel for the majority of the time because you had just gotten back from a mission a couple of days ago and were still exhausted. You helped him pick out a couple of old songs from the 30s and 40s to listen to while driving which really improved his mood. When you get there you get excited because of the memorabilia and start asking because you’re genuinely curious; it’s in that moment that he realizes how much you love him.

Bucky Barnes

Route: Avengers Tower ➝ Myrtle Beach, SC

Estimated Time: 10 hours

Actual Time Taken: 11 hours because you may or may not have forced him to try a Waffle from Waffle House after you had heard he’d never had one. One waffle turned into five.

Steve had banned you from going on any more missions for two weeks after Bruce found out you had a really bad concussion which you’d been hiding. This led to creeping into Bucky’s room at two a.m., dodging a metal arm, and asking if he wanted to go on a road trip. He was still a bit jumpy but intrigued by the idea, so you two had your things and were out of the tower by three a.m. You made a couple of stops along the way to show him some more twenty-first century staples and made it there by two p.m., giving you guys time to check into a hotel (which you may or may not have reserved using Tony’s credit card) and take a nap before waking up for dinner by the sunset. It’s when he’s watching you squeal about how pretty the sunset is that he realizes he wants to marry you.

Thor Odinson

Route: Avengers Tower ➝ Cape Cod, MA

Estimated Time: 4 hours

Actual Time Taken: 5 hours because he kept making you pull over the car so he could look at different animals and landscapes.

It all started when Thor burst into your room with one of Tony’s StarkPads, showed you Cape Cod, and asked you to take him. You asked him why he couldn’t go by himself, and he said he wanted “to experience the joy of trips on the road as you Midgardians do!”. You laughed and agreed, telling him to meet you downstairs in the garage in an hour. Once you two were on the road, he kept on having you pull over the car so he could fanboy over different animals and talk about how pretty the scenery was. You two were watching the sunset when he saw how beautiful you looked, slowly leaned in, and kissed you.

Loki Laufeyson

Route: Avengers Tower ➝ Niagara Falls, Ontario

Estimated Time: 6 hours and 30 minutes

Actual Time Taken: 7 hours and 30 minutes because 30 minutes in you realized it wasn’t Loki sitting next to you, it was a copy of him. Obviously, you had to go back.

You were tired of New York City’s downtown and wanted to go check out Niagara Falls, so you dragged Loki along with you. After the entire “illusion” trick he thought you’d leave him alone, but you were determined to show him around Earth before he had to leave for Asgard. The ride was full of him complaining until you called Natasha and she threatened him—you’re not sure how—but he shut up after that. He genuinely seemed to enjoy the downtown, even agreeing to try some cotton candy when you asked him if he wanted some. The wax museum confused him, because “Why would you take pictures with sculptures you know are not real?”. He played a couple of tricks here and there, but too serious where anyone would get hurt; just funny enough to make you laugh as hard as you could. When you suggested having a bunch of fudge for dinner and trespassing the Falls’ gates, he realized he was falling in love with you.

Peter Parker

Route: Queens ➝ Orlando, FL

Estimated Time: 24 hours: 8 hour drive, 8 hour rest, 8 hour drive.

Actual Time Taken: 16 hours. Straight.

This baby really wanted to go to Harry Potter World, so you made a plan with May to take him there for his birthday. She had to work so she trusted you both to drive there without getting arrested (you both almost did, but it’s fine). You two were planning to do it in two days, like any logical teenagers would, but after all the candy and soda Peter buys from the gas station, you two are way too hyped up on sugar to go to sleep and manage to do sixteen hours straight while blasting cliché pop. A memory you’ll never forget is when you were going forty miles above the speed limit and laughing while Peter screamed about how you were going to kill someone because you were going so fast. You two have the biggest sugar crash when you get back to the hotel and end up just ordering room service and cuddling for an entire day but hey, who’s complaining?

Bruce Banner

Route: Avengers Tower ➝ Atlantic City, NJ

Estimated Time: 2 hours

Actual Time Taken: 2 hours and 30 minutes because you guys made a couple of stops.

Bruce is a chill guy and when he found out you needed to take a break, he recommended a drive along the coast which you agreed to because you desperately needed to get out of the lab. He drove you both by the coast, most of the time you stuck your head out the sunroof so you could smell the salty air and feel the ocean breeze. You both started out with small science talk but by the time you two got to Atlantic City it was much deeper: talking about your passions, plans for the future, and where you saw the world in ten, twenty, thirty years. He sheepishly asked you out during dinner and you laughed, asking him “Isn’t this one?”.

Natasha Romanoff

Route: Avengers Tower ➝ Long Island

Estimated Time: 1 hour

Actual Time Taken: 45 minutes; Natasha really likes to speed.

Natasha decided you both needed a treat and decided to force you to come and spend a weekend at Long Island with her. Because she never really had a childhood, you decide to recreate what a normal trip to the beach would be like: windows down, music blaring, buying ice and beer from a gas station, bluetooth speakers for the beach, surfboards, and volleyball. The day is fun but definitely exhausting and while you two are watching the sunset on a towel, you realize how much she really means to you and she decides she wants more than to be just friends.

T’Challa

Route: SFO ➝ Las Vegas, NV

Estimated Time: 8 hours

Actual Time Taken: 8 hours. Kudos, you guys stayed on schedule.

He had noticed you were a bit more uptight after the entire Erik Killmonger situation happened, so once he was cleared for air travel he booked two tickets to San Francisco. It was upon landing that you revealed you really wanted to go to Las Vegas but were sick of planes, so the mutual decision of driving to Las Vegas was made. It’s mostly a chill road trip, minus the three hour period around twelve a.m. where you two were screaming, laughing, and speeding at least twenty miles over; you’re not sure what caused that. You two talk about your plans in life and have a couple of deep conversations. You two make it to Las Vegas and sleep off the jet lag. When he sees you in your evening gown ready for dinner, he just knows that you’re the one.

Masterlist

All taglists are open! Send me an ask or a message :)

Permanent: @becausewhyknotme, @criminal-cookies, @theladyoffangorn​, @officialtonystarkprotectionsquad, @justmebeingtheweirdmeiam, @agentpeggybarnes

Marvel: @mybabyboytony, @travelingmypassion, @zombiepotterfour​, @xjaelee

Tom Holland/Peter Parker: @todaynotseen

[lighthousecores]

Atlantic cod 🐟

Atlantic cod - What’s your favorite ice cream flavor? So, sad story, it used to be cookie dough but then I learned that I have celiac disease. Now it’s generally mint chocolate chip or coffee if I buy it, and green tea if I make it myself!! Thanks for the ask <3

[queensdivas]

A Damned Soul Chapter 3 (A Gwil Vamp Fic)

I know these updates are coming in left and right. If it’s one thing I love doing is that postponing all my work because I wanna write. If you’re reading this for the first time I hope you all enjoy! If you would like to be added to the taglist let me know! Request are open if you guys wanna request something! Hope you all enjoy and hope to see you in the next chapter!

next chapter

Previous Chap

Taglist: @mexifangorl @i-live-for-queen @leah-halliwell92 @its-funny-til-its-not @bonafiderocketqueen @b-i-g-i-r-l-b-i @teathymewithben @mayofbrian @brianmydear @sprite-jh

Flipping the sign then unlocking the front door to the shop to see a few teenage girls were waiting outside. Stepping away from the door to let them into the shop. Looking around, giggling a little then head over to the home made candles. 

“Is there a specific candle you would like?” Asking them as they began sniffing through almost all of them. Breathing in the ones that cast out...and the ones that bring in bad spirits. Yes this is what happens when you don’t read the signs that clearly say don’t smell the candles…

“So which one will make my ex boyfriend suffer for cheating on me?” One of them asked as I pointed to the light pink one. 

“Light about four of those, then if you happen to have some sort of clothing belonging to him. You will burn each piece of clothing with the candle. For the incantation. Tsk tsk..” Walking over to the middle shelf to climb up the ladder. F...F...F… Falkers! Sliding down as I walked them over to the table for them to crowd around me. Skimming through the chapters of the book trying to remember where exactly it was in the book. Bingo!! 

Flipping through then seeing the spell written in Latin. The girls were upset for a moment till I started translating from Latin to English for them. Then the steps that go along with the entire spell. 

“Now follow these steps in this exact order so it’ll work. When it comes to the incarnation you have to say it slowly and clearly. Also make sure that it’s only you in the room and possibly the entire house since this is a dark spell. When it comes to dark spells there’s a possibility for a negative feedback to you and in the house. Figured I’d let you know before we finalize this.” 

“What sort of negative feedback? I’m still doing this no matter what.” Walking over to the tablet to see her digging into her purse for money. 

“Possibly a bad spirit that you conjured to go after him could appear for a few minutes, a nasty headache, and even some sort of weird rash on your neck. Nothing too extreme.” She slapped her money on the table as the rest of the girls were in shock that she was going through it. Taking the candles and the incantation to leave the store. 

If it’s one thing Madame Rouge taught us is that everyone has the right to try to wield magic and practice spells. If they want to then let them try. But guide them so they don’t screw up the spell to cause some kind of trouble. So if she accidentally summons a demon because she wanted to cause trouble on her ex. All on her. 

The door opened again as our main delivery man Charlies came into the store with his metal clipboard in hand. Charlie has been our main delivery man for almost everything under the sun. And we got in our supplies of something new I’ve been wanting to try for a while! 

“Morning Charlie!” He took off his baseball cap as I began signing all the paperwork he had for me. Our hands just barely grazing against each other as some sort of film real appeared in my vision. 

The drums were roaring deep as a tigers growl as the dancers flew around the large bonfire. Their chants louder than the drums playing themselves. The shadows of the dancers were telling some sort of story that I must see..

“Morning Nieve! How’s the new store coming along?” Blinking a few times as Charlie was beginning to talk to Nieve who was bringing down some blueberry buns. I finished singing the paperwork then handing the clipboard to Nieve so she could sign as well. That was kind of strange. 

Usually Nieve handles the inventory of the store except this time I...I wanted to try something new. I’ve been working on some remedies from ancient remedies used by the Aztecs. According to certain texts that I’ve acquired by some freak miracle..they would use cocoa beans and frangipani to create some sort of ecstasy smoke to bring out the romance. Not exactly what I would recommend but since these readings and evidence say it works..it’s supposed to work. 

“How many cocoa beans did you buy Robin?” Four crates came rolling into the store as Nieve was reading through the list of what we all bought. My eyes following the box then beginning to count on my fingers. 

“Just enough to see if this little trick will work.” I shouldn’t be proud but I am because it’s my money as well. 

“Five wooden crates full of cocoa beans!? Not to mention four crates full of frangipani...two full of Cinchona pubescens, and three of them being dumb cane.” Might have gotten wine drunk a few weeks ago when we were planning to move up here.

“Robin! Did you get wine drunk again!?” Charlie put the crates down in front of the counter then went back out to his truck to grab the rest of the crates. 

“We need this stuff anyhow Nieve..” Now it’s like I’m being scolded..

“Since when do we need three crates of dumb cane anyhow!? Shit this is why no wine in the house! Just like you don’t let me drink vodka and lemonade because I accidentally made the village priest in the previous..previous town do a line dance. Now let me sort this out while you go down to the pier to fetch us some dinner. I’m really craving some sort of fish dinner.” Reaching my hand out for my purse to come from behind the counter then my green army jacket flew from the coat rack onto my shoulders. 

“Any particular side dish you want?” Asking her as I put my arms through the sleeves of the jacket as she opened the first crate full of cocoa beans. 

“Potatoes?” Nodding as I walked out of the shop then down the street towards the docks if I remember correctly. 

To think Nieve have come this far in our lives still blows my mind. Figured we’d eventually find a place to finally settle down like how I want to eventually. But knowing Nieve who takes Madame Rouges post living instructions to the last period. Not saying it’s wrong or anything..but I would kind of like to stay in one place for more than two or three years..heck staying in Highbridge was almost less than two years. It might just be me being absolutely selfish..but just..not sure at the moment. Should be focusing on literally everything else at the moment instead of how I feel about this.

Making it to the docks to see the vast amount of fisherman coming into the docks with their catches of the day. Looks good from a distance I think. Not much of a fish person and never understand how people say “it taste like chicken.” Since when does fish taste like ch THERE'S SOMETHING SNIFFING MY BUTT! Looking down to see a mop sniffing my butt? It’s a dog… kneeling down to see that she was covered head to toe with beautiful white dreads with mud all over herself. Looking around her neck for some sort of collar. 

“Well hello..exactly what kind of dog are you?” She sat down as I began digging my fingers through her hair then beginning to scratch behind her ears. So far no one has come running after to fetch her.

“Do you have a name?” No response. Hmmmm. Gitta is a pretty name for her. 

“I dub the Gitta. Just have to figure out what kind of dog you are. Come then Gitta.” Barking as I got back up for us to start walking towards the docks. She walked a little ahead of me as I began walking past some of the stalls. 

A vast amount of different fish were all over and it took me a little by surprise. I had no idea the North Sea was just filled with these fish. Gitta stopped in front of the stall that had large Atlantic Cod’s hanging and sitting in ice. Cod should just do the trick for tonight! 

“Are ya new to Balmedie?” The fisherman asked as I was beginning to dig through my purse for my money. 

“Yes. Just moved here from Highbridge.” C’mon! Don’t tell me I left my money at home! Damn damn damn! Plopping my bag down to the table as I continued to dig through my bag.  

“You own the new shop don’t ya? The one that used to be the old library?” Nodding as I found the pounds at the bottom of my purse. Quickly counting through how much I have. The exact amount hopefully!

“How much for those two?” Pointing at the large but not too large cods. 

“Eight pounds each. But for a pretty lass that you are, I’ll charge ya only five per one.” Wow..weird..but nice I guess. Pulling out my pounds as I handed it to them with his eyes diverting down to Gitta. Smiling at her as she was beginning to wag her tail at him.  

“She finally found herself an owner.” Chuckling as he grabbed the fish I picked out to put them in a box that had some ice in it to keep them cool. My nails began scratching the top of Gitta’s head. Her tail smacking against the ground as she entered complete ecstasy. 

“So she doesn't belong to anyone? I was so worried that if I took her home with me today, some angry dog owner was going to come after me.” Handing me the box as I held out my hand for him to give me my change. 

“Nope. Has been wandering here since she was a pup with her old owner. A good guy who decided to go fishing when a storm was about to abrupt. Never seen or returned here again. She comes around all the time during this hour of the day just waiting for him to role in. Many have tried to take her home but she wouldn’t walk away with anyone.” Aww..so sad. Poor baby! He handed her a piece of his jerky as she chomped it down quickly. 

“Well..hopefully she’ll like my home. If not then she’ll be back here again. Thank you for the fish.” 

“Will I be seeing you around more?” My throat went dry as he had a large smile on his face. 

“I’ll be back for more fish definitely Mr…” 

“Call me Lewis. I’m here every day other than Tuesdays.” Tuesdays? He’s kind of cute I guess. Not your typical fisherman since he didn’t appear all scruffy, angry, or even covered head to toe in blood. Or it was the fact he wanted to look decent when selling fish. 

“Robin. I’ll definitely need to stop by then on Tuesdays.” Shaking his hand when in an instant a film reel rapidly played again like before with Charles..

Gowns flowing around the dance floor as two palms were lightly touching each other. Their gazes never meeting as her eyes began focusing on a man in the crowd..

“You alright there?” Stinging as the box slipped from my hands., black spots began appearing in my eyes as I nodded to his question. Yup. That was just..spooky. Picking up the box from the ground as Gitta and I began walking to the other stalls. We need potatoes, carrots, and maybe some sort of dessert? I don’t feel like cooking all that so fish, potatoes, and carrots it is! 

Rounding the corner of the church to see the shop only two more blocks away. A priest came out of the church with a group of people walking down the steps. Gitta moved closer to me as the crowd created a pathway for me to walk through. A brush of someone’s skin hit my as the reel began playing again.. 

“Burn her! Burn her!” They screamed as the flames began to engulf my feet. 

Black dots began appearing in my eyesight with my brain feeling like it was going to pop out of my noggin! Ow ow ow ow! Stopping in my tracks so I wouldn’t possibly pass out or drop dinner. It has to be just from not drinking enough water or something. Dehydration is never fun! 

Making it back to the shop to see Nieve working on the window display. Waving to her as she got out of the display to then opened the front door for me. Letting me walk in as Gitta stayed outside in the doorway. 

“A dog? Since when are you into dogs?” Snapping my fingers for her to not come in the shop. 

“Since she came up to me. C’mon girl.” Snapping one last time but she wouldn’t budge one budge. Nieve then clapped her hands for her to then run in and crawl right next to the empty fireplace. God this day keeps getting more and more strange..

“Hey Nieve..mind if I touch you?” That sentence made me cringe so badly. 

“Let me take a step. Okat so whenever I’ve come into contact with someone whether it be a brush of a hand or even giving someone a handshake. It’s like a quick snippet of either a past memory..recent activity..can’t make heads or tails of it.” She grabbed the box of fish and potatoes for her to stop dead in her tracks. 

“Speaking of seeing things. There’s a customer in the room wanting some sort of reading and figured I’d make dinner if you’d do his reading. He said he heard of you when we were in Highbridge but didn’t get the chance to come and do a reading.” Highbridge? A stranger drove like ten hours away all the way up here for some reading? 

Walking into the room where he sat in his chair...taken aback by this man who was graced with such handsomeness? Yes. Handsomeness. Just don’t blush or be stupid with his reading. Wait..wait what kind of reading did he want? 

“Good evening sir..ummm. May I ask what kind of reading you were wanting today?” His eyes were blue and gray yet sparkling as if the sun was rising onto the North Sea. 

“No real preference.” No real preference..how lovely..how so lovely. 

“Figured I’d try to something a little different and do some Capnomancy ..sound okay?” He nodded with his thumbs moving in small circles. 

“So I heard that you came all the way from Highbridge to see little old me?” I began wrapping the cedar twigs together. 

“Umm yes.” 

“You’re totally blowing it.” Someone spoke out then a slap came out of nowhere. But he was acting calm when I turned. What the bloody hell is going?