The Suckling

Love's Foolosopher - Part 2

Frye and Big Man breathed a sigh of relief once they were sure they were clear of Hagglefish market. It must've taken them hours just to escape the premises, squeezing through every slapdash stall, creaky cart and vocal vendor in a cramped space packed to the figurative and literal gills with all manner of mariners enjoying the festivities.

The very existence of a 'Banana Appreciation Day,' let alone the fact they were celebrating over a hundred and twenty-three years of it, had come as a bit of a shock to Deep Cut. And no one took it harder than Shiver who had passed out standing after being exposed to an obscene amount of bananas, plantains and the many other delicious products made from the sweet, potassium rich fruit of the old earth.

It was like a celebration of her worst nightmares, the shame it incurred within felt like lumps of burning coals dancing around in her gut. Everywhere she looked she was reminded of Tres, his smile full of warmth and handsome locks. Her fragile psyche couldn't handle the physical manifestations of her failings, and the life she is forced to abandon because of it, forcing her to mentally shut down.

Of course, despite how much they cared for their dear friend, Frye and Big Man couldn't be bothered to address the long extinct elephant in the room. Shiver's overly dramatic breakdowns had gotten old real fast. Rather they had resorted to callously wheeling Shiver's unconscious self around, yet again, like some Octoling shaped luggage as they scrambled to beat the crowds and retreat to a more secluded area of the city. Honestly it was through sheer dumb luck no one called them out on their suspicious shenanigans.

By the time they reached somewhere quiet and (mostly) free of other Octarians they were tired, sweaty and, most importantly, starving. They had no choice but to abandon the search for curry and instead try to salvage the situation as best they can, finding some other eatery to sate their hunger, preferably some quaint hole-in-the-wall far away from prying eyes or nosey noses.

A humble cafe serving out of a repurposed garage eventually caught their eye. It was full of mariners from jellyfish folk to crustaceans and many others, and as fortune would have it there was not another Octarian in sight.

From the view of the open kitchen there was a large man-o-war lady hovering over a pot of soup broth meticulously stewing the contents to perfection. With many tendrils she gingerly sprinkled seasoning over the broth, stirring it whilst simultaneously preparing bundles of thick rice noodles and generously portioned cutlets of tender boiled chicken before combining each delectable element together into a bowl of steaming hot pho.

The tantalizing scent of chicken pho wafted across the air like a sultry siren's song. It called out to Frye and Big Man, drawing them in with promises of culinary delight and savory taste sensations. Their feet began moving without them even realizing and it wasn't long before they found themselves neatly seated on flimsy plastic lawn chairs at a shabby little plastic table in the corner, menus in hand ready to order their meal.

Shiver regained consciousness shortly after, awoken by the smell of food and sound of idle chit-chat. Her stomach couldn't help but growl in an unladylike fashion as her vision grew clear. The first thing she registered were her friends which was immediately followed by feelings of irritation and betrayal as she recalled that they had effectively shanghaied her for a day of fun and festivities when all she wanted to do was hide away in the darkness and brood like the deviant she was.

Fortunately for her it would seem that their own troubles were beginning to cloud their judgment, making them sloppy, less observant. Had Frye and Big Man not been so distracted by their gnawing hunger they would've noticed that her motor functions had returned. She could move in spite of how floppy and weak her limbs felt. Thus, a plan to counter theirs was hatched within the winding halls of her twisted mind.