Honeymoon: Evening Out

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A few days after the incidents at the beach and spending them just rubbing on sunburn-balm and watching the local soap operas (what IS this thing with squids? It is so bizzare...) in their hotel room, the couple is more than ready to explore the city again.

Namely it's culinary exploits. And armed with re-translated brochures, Laini's directions and her food-scanning PDA plug-in for compatibility...

Its time to test out Susie Sells Seafood by the Sea Shore. And really, it's a bit of what you'd expect of a place named as such. Through the driftwood doorway and aging painted sign, reading 'out eat the head cook, get your meals free for a week!' is the main indoor eating area. The walls are built out of a combo of driftwood, shell bits and sand, with use-polished driftwood furniture, and there's a viewing patio of the shore... made out of time-frozen water.

Comments

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"Dot Matrix."

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"--Dot Matrix has challenged our own chef Susie to an eat-off!"

There's a smattering of applause from the tables.

"Each contestant has been given an identical tray of food," the waitress continues. "Further identical trays will be provided as they are consumed. The competition ends when one contestant concedes or collapses, at which point the remaining food will be weighed. Lightest tray wins. Susie! Are you ready?"

"Bring it."

"Dot Matrix! Are you ready?"

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"Let's get this show started."

"You heard the lady folks! and without further ado..."

B-BWONNG-G

Somewhere behind the contestants, a large gong is hit. And the feeding frenzy begins as the Orca chef starts into her platter.

Dot is making her own quick headway through the platter in front of her. It's all very good sushi, but it's also some of the lower priced ones from the earlier sampler.

You don't feed the eating contestants the tenderloin when the sirloin comes much cheaper.

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Susie isn't even bothering with picking up the food--she just reaches down and takes huge CHOMPs out of the pile on the platter, to the crowd's evident delight.

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Oh so it's going to be played -that- way is it?

Fine, enough with the dainty, time for some trick-eating. The petite woman is now flip-tossing pieces of sushi into her mouth by the dozen.

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The other diners' enthusiasm increases even further. Several of them start pounding on the tables, and pretty soon the whole room is chanting "CHUG! CHUG! CHUG!"

...all except for Bob, who is torn between boggling at the contest and boggling at everyone else in the room.

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OM NOMNOMNOM... Aww the platter's empty. And a half second later Suzie belches, displaying her empty platter to the audience.

Dot's made it through the first course, to the cheers of the crowd the next set of platters is produced.

Bring it on

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And so it continues. More and more food is brought out. Wagers are paid off and new ones are made. There seems to be no end to the appetite of either competitor.

Until...

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Susie is slowing down in her vigor at devouring the platter in front of her. She's actually getting full.

And Dot is not showing any signs of stopping folks. While the head chef may be lagging on her plate, Dot's almost half-way done with this one and still going strong! In another minute she's already polished off this platter and asked for another one.

GOOD CROW.

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Susie gives the green woman a strange look. "How c'n somebody that small eat so much?" she mutters.

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"High metabolism and one very hungry little baby on the way." Dot replies quietly, smiling. "Although I didn't think I'd be eating this much."

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Susie grunts and turns back to her plate, but with considerably less enthusiasm than before.

Scarcely five minutes later, she stops, shakes her head, and pushes the plate away from her.

She knows when she's licked.

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And the gong sounds off not half second later.

"And we have a winner folks!" The saronged-woman yells out above the jeers, wolf-howls, catcalls and general ruckus of the crowd as the remade bets are paid up and the losers just stare.

Polishing off her platter (why let good food go to waste), Dot reclines back into her chair smiling.

She actually feels -full-. ...ish.

"Mrs. Matrix, do you have anything to say for yourself?"

"I don't suppose I could order a slice of pie for dessert?"

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And that blue guy in the front? Is giving his wife a standing ovation.