Qshoolum (kish-ooh-lum)

Qshoolum is a combined Caul'qa word set of Qshonta (Peace, serenity), and Woolum (Juicy, watery, delicious). It is the defined state of a vyllk that's still living, turning into the ideal meal - usually by a species like ryclin that would prefer to eat them on the spot without much further prep. The classifications may vary, and even sometimes fall into inventory as more of an 'item' or 'livestock' than a person. Often in places like gulperies, a person is considered qshoolum at a certain weight standard. Usually this is in the very heavy lines of Grouse-figure before they're technically a Chicken-grade. Some may demand a Chicken-grade figure in the very least, or have rules more akin to total body-weight percentages in fat. However, some ryclin may be inclined to still eat skinny ones at certain intervals, and get the consent to do so. In some gulperies, a person can change their mind if they're under the threshold, but serious fines for consuming and running may be issued. Worse fines or outright refusal may happen to those fat enough to qualify with their contracted consent as qshoolum
There have been developed phrases and key terms on how this practice is done as its advanced for a few centuries. Typically, the regular qshoolum comes from a vyllk signing up into a gulpery resort location. They are expected to stay up to two weeks or less, constantly feasting on cheap or free endless meals, while amusing themselves with television and gaming at bare minimum. Games, karaoke, hot tubs, libraries, and other amenities may be supplied in better resorts. The vyllk that grow to serving size may be called 'Fair Qshoolum' in a full documented sense. However many meat processors have also adopted the same terms before merely killing one for use.

Differing variances

Burshoolum: Illegally forced vyllk. They're sometimes taken overweight off the streets, or simply any kidnapped bird that's expected to fatten-up for the sole purposes of turning them into food. The term relaxes the 'Qshonta' word's roots of peace/serenity and infuses it more with the Caul'qa word of 'Burra', which means storm or fierce unsettlement. Sometimes they are forced by violence or a trick to sign a consenting contract to notarize a 'fair qshoolum' state. Its a confusing crime given the legal and easy access to the meat, but may happen to subvert prices or because some are accustomed to the taste but move to a place where its been forbidden by a stricter government. In other cases, it may be done on superstitions of how to prepare them, or a ryclin's sadistic pleasure to feel more like a hunter in a usually urban environment.
Party Qshoolum: A vyllk that attends a ryclin or similar social event or club for the purposes of helping with food, including being available to eat themselves. They're very popular to express order in for ryclin prey-pounce dancers as their stage meal for being sapient and consenting meals that can be told to help make their belly 'dance' once eaten.
Chef Qshoolum: A distinguisher some facilities use to dignify their recipes away from the live-eaten variety at true gulperies. These qshoolum do not live through the process of being eaten, and are usually beheaded or their feed is quietly poisoned so they can pass and get cooked up.
Communal/Cult Qshoolum: The act of having a community and religious effort determine the person to be eaten. This occurs for numerous reasons, but only among a few organizations or churches. As the act of selflessly dying for another is tied to the ideals of experiences and virtues on the 'grounded' world, it is sometimes sought for churches to help initiate this among members, or some belief that an organized and systematic sacrifice contributes one soul in place for many under the church. In some cases, the entire process is done in church, stuffing, cooking, and eating one member that was considered to 'empower and stay in' the temple and faith and feed those worshiping and working in the same community. This is argued to be less ethical since the person is not consenting entirely on their own, but most often they are compliant and accepted the odds when joining one of these sects.

Affected Groups

Vyllks of all kinds can become qshoolum unless a strange medical condition prevents it. However on the whole the majority and encouraged groups are between ages 19-45 years, and generally tend to be more female/harpy. A large female portion of the industry ironically comes from Color Show dancers. Seemingly strange since one has to be mostly in shape to perform, it takes advantage of rejection by encouraging short careers and overfeeding dancers, and then having those laid-off dancers locked into incentives once they've already been told they're getting fat and now jobless. Given harpies also yield the best drumstick meat (the best bone-in selling part), they've been largely pandered to for joining the qshoolum industry. However male raptors give more prized and niche wing meat and sometimes tougher and 'better' rib meat for on-bone eating.

Drumstick meat (Butt/thighs) often grows first on a harpy, yet is considered 'attractive'.
So dancers believe in improving their image by indulgence. This social pressure
 deliberately gets many even fatter, fired, then steered to be submissive qshoolum.

Prevention

Taken as a risk of not wanting to be eaten, some vyllk do strive to prevent their fate or even mental health from joining the qshoolum people. They uptake some of the best diets and exercise, and do their best to keep good social bonds, and well paying jobs. Often people declining to live and trade this fate are motivated from subtle states of existential issues, and weight problems. They may be fat, persuaded, and have less to cling to beyond superficial entertainment, that the idea of spending a week of constant binging and food with holy spiritual rewards is a brief paradise. So the best preventative is high self-esteem and good health. Further extremes can be taken to simply leave the vicinity where the meat is so heavily marketed, as Cauven has a very loud and pestering corporatist infrastructure of incentivizing it. Other safe guards are good security from kidnapping/ryclin predation, and even choosing to leave a gulpery very early if one is having second-guesses at all.

History

The very origin of eating vyllk meat is thought to come from the very species itself in more turbulent warring periods. One of the larger groups of thought had began to eat their dead and war prisoners, and as alien engagements were had, they would offer this meat in exchange for favors or friendship. It started becoming common across portal experiments, and meeting outside forces. When humans and other similar influences moved into Cauven, they inspired a lot of industry, and stranger junk foods in the trade, and solidified a consistent interest for meat that began to work stronger into religious codes and ideals to make it less a death sentence than a virtue to volunteer. A system was set to judge vyllks on how delicious they seemed to be for eating, and most agreed between portions and flavor that "Chicken-grade" Vyllks were very ideal while Cauven lard itself became valuable in itself to extract and use even as simply flammable oil. Vyllks craved the sweets being traded in more and more, and between the sides' wants, agreed it was ideal for a select few to be motivated to eat and fatten up for a good flow of this meat. An ideal standard was set for this shapely livestock vyllk, and was named in their language to keep the idea that it was alluring and virtuous for them to go out as a rich new commodity. Ryclin wanted no argument, and got their own form of gulperies worked into the system, and the trend has since only gotten bigger like the vyllk partaking in it.

Cultural Reception

Vyllk often are in favor of it from a benefit of the soul and their own appetite. Its common place for everyone to have eaten, and usually enjoy the end result of qshoolum. Ryclin love it even one step further, though there are some exceptions, and this is broadly a general rule where some are just creeped out by the notion. Some family may also take it a little hard when one chooses such a fate, while other times its strangely encouraged. In vyllk culture, altruism is heavily regarded, and taken to an extreme (with an environment that says its actually not extreme at all), its inspiring to give one's self up to sustain another life. However as the industry and aliens have taken advantage of this mindset, some are baffled or alienated by the practice to extremes. A small minority like Kronahai residents may only know them distantly as 'suicide birds' for such practices, and others may confuse them as mentally diseased.

Type

Physiological

Origin

Natural

Cycle

Short-term

Rarity

Common

Affected Species

• Vyllk