Slow Food

**Slow Food** is the second main chapter of Flesh Kernel.

This episode is associated to a set of four symbols that appear in the animated title card and relate to events in it:

* a Moka coffee pot
* a Slug
* a Grey's head
* Wilt's Knife

## Synopsis

Wilt and Anaïs have walked their way into the morning commute of the city of Ur. After getting accosted by a Martian junkie looking to buy Xenodone, they reach Glo's apartment. Glo is displeased to see Wilt again, but invites them in for coffee. Through a booty-induced flashback, it is revealed that Wilt and Glo were once in a romantic relationship. Wilt, however, resists questioning on the reason for his visit, but does ominously suggest that Glo's consulting is required for legal matters. They agree to discuss better over lunch at a Slugshi restaurant they used to go to. During this conversation, Wilt appears to be obsessively stressing over having to go to Mars.

At the restaurant Glo has to ask the waitress for a table in squid people language as this species refuses to speak the common one.

After food is served, Wilt makes some malformed attempts at pleasantries with Glo, which she mortifies. Both get angry and the conversation degenerates, as does Wilt's headache. Anaïs manages to calm the waters, urging Wilt to concentrate on the true reason for his visit. In confusion, Wilt lets the Mars thought slip, then questions the origin of the thought. This is interrupted as he smells the arrival of two Greys in the establishment.

Two Grey enter the premises. It is very clear that both the staff and patrons of the restaurant are scared of these beings. While the trio hides under the table, the two greys make few absurd requests, then appear to target a specific human man, which they nly describe as "vile".

Wilt's headache reaches its peak just after the greys approach the poor victim. One of the greys exposes its Cranial Gland and begins to manipulate the victim's psyche. Around the same time from Wilt's own gland's mouth pops out Gnrth. He explains that now, as he has infected Wilt, he can talk more clearly to him and appear to him, and he offers to help with the current situation.

The Grey's manipulation induce the man to vomit pieces of slug he has ingested, and the pieces themselves to sew back up into a very confused live slug who immediately experiences existential distress. This is clearly very disturbing to Glo and she plans for an escape, but Gnrth advises Wilt to get out of under the table and face the Greys.

The Grey approaches Wilt, and moves his hand forward to touch him. For unexplained reasons, after witnessing or recognising something in Wilt, the grey decides not to do anything to him and the two Reticulans leave.

It's also shown that Mystery Girl is observing these events undercover.

In the return trip home in the subway, Glo details to a silent Wilt how his actions that very first day have put all three of them in danger. A male Damorran creep is annoying Anaïs in the meanwhile. After shooing away the thug with his trusted Knife, Wilt matter-of-factly explains to Glo that he cannot, for undisclosed reasons, tell her the reason for the visit and what kind of help he needs, and in addition he asks her for ospitality for him and Anaïs. Glo begrudgingly accepts.

   In an addendum to the episode, Anaïs finds again the backpack of Backpack and which hasn't appeared in the whole chapter so far, apparently by pure luck, in the subway. I wonder if its temporary disappearance had anything to do with the events that transpired...