9117/Hey oh. Oh ay!

Hey oh. Oh ay!
Date of Scene:	16 December 2021
Location:	New York Harbor Docks
Synopsis:	Arthur learns of a possible critter to deal with from Eddie.
Cast of Characters:	Eddie Brock, Arthur Curry

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Eddie Brock has posed:
The area along the docks is home to all sorts of related businesses. Ones that supply equipment and provisions to the vessels, handle cargo or even in some cases, sell it.

So is the case of the Westside Fish Market. A collection of various fish sellers in one area, their fish displayed in refrigerated cases, or just set out on beds of ice. There's always a bit of a bustle to it as new catch comes in and is set out to replace what the customers take away. A lot of restaurants buy from there, so large orders are not uncommon.

It is also a place where an out of work person can earn a few bills for unloading fish that has been sent over fresh from the boats. And it is to there that Eddie Brock is heading. He walks down the sidewalk, wearing a thick jacket and with a stocking cap on.

Arthur Curry has posed:
    Twelve strong are the men who run the line at times. Twelve being the number of Michelin star restaurants that hold a place of prominence in the grand city of Manhattan and twelve also being their representatives that are paid a flexible rate depending on the quality of their buys. They move about the market, keeping up a running repartee with one merchant or the next, each trying to finagle their own deal with subtle gives and takes. It's really an art that has endured through several generations of families, and likely will for some time yet.
    Which makes the market a lively place to visit, especially when it's hopping. I's also a place that sees no small number of visitors now and again as the men sometimes feel their oats and toss fish a good long ways from one handler to vendor to the next.
    It's, curiously enough, for none of those reasons the half-Atlantean known as Arthur Curry is there. In part because of that atmosphere, in another because he likes to touch base with a few friends of his dad's. Which sometimes is a good thing, and sometimes is not so much. Like when Vittorio, one of those shoppers for those restaurants, tries to get Art to do him some favors.
    "C'mon man, just this once. It's a special occasion!" Vittorio, a rather large man walks along with Arthur. It's a curious scene, the heavy fish vendor waddling after the rough looking man with the beard.
    "I told you, V. No. Never gonna happen."
    "Oh man, your dad, he would weep to see you treating me this way, little Arty. He'd weep!"
    Which only earns the man a laugh and a shake of his head as Arthur keeps on keepin' on, walking the line.

Eddie Brock has posed:
Eddie's breath comes out as a mist in the December New York air, though it's only just slightly below freezing. The fish market has some enclosed area, fully warmed, and others where space heaters take the bite out of the air. But Eddie is still a little distance away down the sidewalk. Talking to himself quietly.

"So, no. I mean, it's just wrong," Eddie says to himself, his gravelly voice pitched at a low volume.

   <<Venom>> "Why? Why is it wrong? How is a dog any different than a chicken? Aren't they both animals?"

Eddie shrugs his shoulders. "It just is. I mean, there's some cultures that eat them. But we don't. They've got a lot of personality."

   <<Venom>> "The way you say that. Wait. This is another Firefly thing, isn't it?"

Eddie rolls his eyes. "No. No it's not a Firefly thing," he says as he approaches the Fish Market. "It's a Pulp Fiction thing. We haven't watched that?"

   <<Venom>> "No. No we have not"

The large, dark-haired man muses quietly. "Well, we'll have to put it on the movie list for this week with Gwen," he promises the voice in his head, then steps into the market. "Hey Mr. Li," he says to a Chinese man who runs one of the stands. "Need help unloading today?"

Arthur Curry has posed:
    Strolling on up the line toward where Eddie's working, the tall man known as Arty to V, but Arthur Curry to most others... he pauses as he gets near a grouping of tuna that has the man hesitating. One hand rests on the gills of one of the larger fish, then drifts a fingertip and rubs it after observing.
    A grunt is heard that might well catch Eddie's awareness. Even moreso are the words that follow after it. "Hey, man."
    The man with the pale blue eyes and the grey hoodie looks across the way at the symbiote and his compadre. "You have any idea what ship these are from? Or who put these out?" Which might or might no be a thing easily known.

Eddie Brock has posed:
Mr. Li waves a hand towards Eddie, directing him towards where some of the day's catch are in bins needing to be placed out. "Get to work," he says, the man usually straight forward, if not outright terse.

Eddie doesn't seem to mind, removing his coat and pulling on large apron and some gloves to protect his clothes. Not that they won't end up with fish smell anyway. He starts transferring the fresh tuna over to the case, when Arthur and his friend walk up.

"Not sure I just go there," Eddie replies, the stocky man having a voice with a bit of a deep warble to it.

"Hey, Mr. Li. They want to know which ship these are off of!" he calls over to the Asian man. Mr. Li comes over to join them. "These are from the Northeastern," he says, naming one of the fishing vessels that docks nearby. "You want? I have very good price on these," he says in his mostly good but slighly broken English.

Eddie transfers more fish, keeping an eye on the transaction.

Arthur Curry has posed:
    Arthur holds up and scritches his chin thoughtfully, expression drifting over the dead tuna, then tilts his gaze back towards Vittorio. Who, at the least, can pick up something of Arthur's moods.
    "What is it, Arty? Somethin' wrong with these fish?" Which causes the Atlantean to raise a hand to not exactly wave the man off, instead he shakes his head then turns his gaze focus back on Eddie and Mr. Li.
    "The Northeastern?" His eyes slip from one to the other then back again as he gives a small nod. "You see if his whole catch is like this?" And as he touches a hand to the gill again he holds up what looks like subtle webbing? Or some sort of connective tissue over the tuna's scales. Not quite obvious on the tuna, but more when someone pulls a particular way over that fish flesh.

Eddie Brock has posed:
Eddie picks up a heavy tuna, moving it over to an ice-packed table for display. As he sees what Arthur is at, Eddie pauses and peers at the fish he's just moved. He knows next to nothing about the fish, other than what type of fish each is. He's picked up at least that much. But he looks to see if the fish on this latest batch are the same.

Mr. Li comes over and leans down, straightening his glasses, which are rather thick, truth be told. "What? What is it?" he asks he peers down, pulling one of the fish over to him across the ice to take a closer look at it himself.

Arthur Curry has posed:
    "See this?" Arthur says, "S'what happens when an old old fish sometimes gets its tentacles into others that are travelin' near to it. Sorta acclimates the fish around it to be more... nutritious for it. Which..." The tall man that looks less like a fish expert and more like some homeless dude takes a deep breath, then adds. "Kinda gives it this jelly nastiness."
    Shaking his head he frowns as he nibbles at the corner of his mouth, still looking a bit distant as if somehing more was weighing on his mind. He grimaces at whatever he figured out or found out. "M'gonna go see if I can catch the Northeaster, see where they were when they made this catch."
    He starts to step away, walking backwards a bit as he speaks to them, "Should still be able to sell the fish I guess, nothin' poisonous about it. Just. You know. Gross."
    Which does bode ill for the sales.

Eddie Brock has posed:
Mr. Li pokes at the fish, pulling at the coating on them. "Oh, I'm going to have to talk to the captain! I can't believe he'd sell me this!" he exclaims.

   <<Venom>> "Do not even think about it. Fish brains are not as satisfying as other animals. And they are barely enough to live on. It's time we find a very very bad person, Eddie."

Eddie lets out a quiet groan, one that could probably be interpreted as being about the fish situation. Not this again. He can't really answer aloud at the moment though.

He looks over to Arthur, not recognizing the man apparently, but whoever Arthur is, he seems to know his fish. "Weird, never heard of a fish like that," he comments. He checks back to Mr. Li. "You need me to help? Or, should I pull these fish off the table?"

Arthur Curry has posed:
    Registering Eddie's groan of protest as being about the fish, Arthur does draw up a little short, "Hey man, it'll be ok." A glance over at Vittorio who is looking at the mutated fish and just sort of making an /ugh/ face as he shakes his head... well that might signify differently.
    But that doesn't stop Arthur as he lifts a hand and half-smiles, "The sea giveth and all that." Which might or might not really be the beginning of an old sailor's saying. Probably not.

Eddie Brock has posed:
Mr. Li pauses, considering the question. "You stay, pull the fish off. And..." he says, going over and getting some paper and writing something down on it. "You call Le Chique and tell them I send over fresh batch. They bought some earlier," he tells Eddie.

The old Chinese man goes and grabs a heavy jacket then, and a scarf which he wraps about his throat. "I come with you," he tells Arthur as the two men leave in search of a captain who has some 'splaining to do.