Quoted By:
>Small talk
"Siphons," you hiss at Gil, and he nods and peels off to the left. You head right, towards Fred, whom you'll be able to distract with your natural charm and feminine wiles, supposing that octopus men are interested in such things. Maybe just your natural charm. Which you do have, Richard.
...
God, it's so weird that he's not here. No snake or anything. He'll be back soon, right? He said it'd only be a few days. It's been a few days. So, soon. Unless something went wrong? Would anybody notify you if something went wrong? A snake in funeral clothes? Or would you just wait and wait and wait until he never came back?
Um, not that that's going to happen. Positive thinking. It hasn't been nearly long enough to worry, so you have no idea why you're going to this now. Maybe you're trying to avoid speaking to Fred, who waggles unnervingly. God, he has those creepy horizontal eyeballs. Who took the time to imagine this up? Why was this the optimal choice for a pharmacy worker? Knowing what you know about Headspace, maybe they thought it was funny. God. Well, here goes.
Fred doesn't lunge out and strangle you as you approach his (its?) gleaming counter. It (he?) doesn't say anything, either. You clear your throat. "Hello."
You hadn't noticed the slick white board next to Fred, maybe because it was around the corner, or maybe because it was the same white as the counter. You notice it now, since Fred uncurls two tentacles and drags the board closer. (It's on wheels, like Richard's chalkboard.) With a third-through-sixth tentacle, it plucks several fat pens off the counter, uncaps them, and begins to write squeakily on the board— all the lines at once.
"Hello Ms . Shearer
How Was Your Appointment ?
Where Is Mr . Stork ?"
Mr. Stork? Surely not a bird-man. More likely the one who had you in zipties. "Um... he's... he's still cleaning up. It went well. Ha-ha. Um."
If Fred senses deception, it doesn't show it. It wipes the words with a cloth, and they smear and vanish. What a useless kind of pen. Unless they're not real pens? Who in Headspace is making up new writing utensils?
"Good To Hear It .
Thank You For Your Patronage .
I Will Await Mr . Stork .
He Will Escort You Back To Your—"
You interrupt before the last tentacle can finish. "Um, he said I could walk myself back. Since I've been so trustworthy so far, and... yes."
"Your Good Behavior Is Commendable Ms . Shearer ."
You nod vigorously. "Yup. So, Fred— Freddy?— can I call you that? Freddy?"
Fred does not react.
"So, um, Freddy... how's the visit going? You know, the one with Casey? And the— the visitors. The ones who are visiting him. Those ones. You know them?"
(1/2)
