A Day for Fresh Sushi
by Emily Short (2001)
Genres: Humor
Slice of life

No time for fantasy. Must feed fish.

action: %
response: You're on the run. You've got a million errands to do -- your apartment to get cleaned up, the fish to feed, lingerie to buy, Britney's shuttle to meet--

The fish. God damn. You almost forgot. And it's in the studio, halfway across town from anywhere else you have to do. Oh well, you'll just zip over, take care of it, and hop back on the El. This'll be over in no time.

Don't you just hate days where you wake up the wrong color?

Copyright Emily Short 2001.

This is Britney's studio. You haven't been around here for a while, because of how busy you've been with work, and she's made a few changes -- the aquarium in the corner, for instance. But it still brings back a certain emotional sweetness from the days when you had just met for the first time... when you used to spend hours on the sofa...

You shake your head. No time for fantasy. Must feed fish.

A huge cabinet, in the guise of an armoire, stands between the windows.

On the easel is a painting.

On the table is a vase (which is empty).

In one corner of the room, a large aquarium bubbles in menacing fashion.
action: About yourself
response: As good-looking as ever.

The evil fish begins to butt his pointy nose against the glass walls of the tank.
action: You look at the aquarium
response: A very roomy aquarium, large enough to hold quite a variety of colorful sealife -- if any yet survived.

The evil fish is floating belly up!

...oh, damn. He was toying with you. As soon as he sees you looking, he goes back to swimming around.
action: You look at the fish
response: Even if you had had no prior experience with him, you would be able to see at a glance that this is an evil fish. From his sharkish nose to his razor fins, every inch of his compact body exudes hatred and danger.

The fish glares at you, as though to underline this point.
action: You check what you're carrying
response: You are carrying:
a telegram
a chef hat (being worn)
a lingerie bag
a bouquet of flowers

The evil fish darts to the bottom of the tank and moves the gravel around with his nose.
action: You read the telegram
response: A telegram, apparently. And dated three days ago.

"So," blubs the evil fish. "How about it? Little food over here?"

"Hey, nice SKIN TONE," shouts the evil fish. His words reach you in a spitting gurgle of aquarium water. "You gone over to a pure eggplant diet these days?"
action: You examine flowers
response: Okay, so it's silly and sentimental and no doubt a waste of money, of which there is never really enough, but: you miss her. You've missed her since ten seconds after she stepped aboard the shuttle to Luna Prime, and when you saw these -- her favorites, pure golden tulips like springtime -- you had to have them.

"Oh, you shouldn't have," says the fish. "For me??"

You just respond with a livid glare.

The evil fish is swimming around the tank in lazy circles.
action: You put the flowers in the vase
response: You settle the flowers into the vase and arrange them so that they look sprightly.

"Oooh," says the fish. "No one ever changes the plant life in HERE. It's the same damn seaw--"

"Cut me a break and cork it," you reply tartly.
action: You open the cabinet
response: "There ya go," says the fish. "The girl is getting WARMER."

You open the cabinet, revealing some paints and a heap of cloth.
action: You examine the cloth
response: Various colors of drapery that Britney uses to set up backgrounds and clothe her models. She does a lot of portraiture, so this comes in handy. It's all a big messy wad at the moment. Organized is not her middle name.

"Whatcha looking at? I can't see through the doors, you know."
action: You look under the cloth
response: Poking around the cloths reveals -- ha HA! -- a vehemently orange can of fish food.
action: You get the food
response: You already have that.
action: You open can
response: "Oh, for--!" The evil fish breaks out in exasperation and hives. "Screw the screwing around with the screwtop. SHE never has to do that."

"Well, SHE is not here," you reply. "What do you suggest?"

">FEED FISH<" says the fish promptly, making fishy faces and pointing at you with his fin. "Simplicity. Try it."
action: You feed FISH
response: Triumphantly, you dump the remaining contents of the canister of fish food into the tank. It floats on the surface like scum, but the fish for once stops jawing and starts eating. Like a normal fish. Blub, blub.
action: You examine FISH
response: Since I made the big bucks on this trip, it's my treat. Anywhere you like."

"I've had a hankering all day," you admit, as the two of you turn from the shuttle platform and head toward the bank of taxis. "I could really go for some sashimi right now."