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Big Man turned on the stove and put the frying pan on top. He drizzled some oil and poured the beaten egg onto the heating pan shortly after. He grabbed his spatula to prepare for the next step, but not before adjusting his chef hat. He felt a single drop of sweat run down his forehead, but he quickly wiped it off. This was no time to get stressed out!
He was so focused on preparing the rest of the ingredients that he didn’t see Marina walk into the kitchen.
“Hi, Big Man!” She greeted cheerfully. Big Man imagined her waving.
“Ay! (Hey, Marina!)” His eyes never left the sizzling pan as he spoke. “Ay? (Taking a break?)”
“Yeah. I’m just going to hang out with the cooks for a bit.” Big Man could hear her plop down on one of the squeaky chairs littered around in the kitchen. “Being a waitress is fun, but, my goodness, it’s so exhausting…”
“Ugh. Tell me about it.” Pearl grumbled as she entered the room. He could hear the sound of another squeaky chair being sat on.
A jellyfish worker shuffled towards Big Man, handing the manta ray some more much-needed ingredients. “Ay! Ay. (Oh! Why, thank you.)” He said politely. The given ingredients were gingerly placed onto the pan along with everything else. Then he began folding the egg. He stuck out his tongue in concentration.
“Sorry we called you over at such late notice, Big Man.” Marina apologized. “We didn’t realize there would be so many customers this time around.”
“Ay. Ay! (You don’t need to apologize. I’m happy to help!)” Big Man replied as he put his finished omelet onto a plate. He added a few more finishing touches before placing it on the counter and ringing the bell. Shortly after, Eight came over to pick it up and serve it to another hungry customer.
The manta ray sighed, satisfied with the amount of work he had done so far. “Hey, Larry?” He called to one of his jellyfish co-workers, “Is it okay if I take a short break?” When he got the thumbs-up, (at least, it looked like a thumbs-up) he grabbed a chair and sat right next to the Off the Hook members.
“So, where’s Frye at?” Pearl asked, a competitive flame burning in her eyes. “I wanna give the audience a lil’ rap battle performance while she's here. That’ll really make business boom!”
Big Man took off his chef hat for a moment to scratch his bald head. “Ay, ay. Ay. (Well, today Shiver and Frye said they were going on a date tonight. They never told me where they were going, though.)”
“Oooh! A date night? How romantic!” Marina squealed. “I wish they could walk in here so we can say hello.”
Big Man tried to suppress his grimace. “Ay. Ay… (Oh boy. I hope not…)”
“Huh? Why not?”
“Ay, ay… (Well, you see…)” He began, “Ay, ayay. Ay, ay . Ay… ay. (After the whole Suffer No Fools thing, they started becoming more jealous of you guys. Like, way more than usual. It’s… kinda my fault because I kept gushing about how great you two sung during the song.)”
Pearl leaned forward in her chair a little bit, concern painting her face. “Uh oh. Is it serious like-”
Big Man quickly waved his fins in defense. “Ay ay! Ay. (No no! It wasn’t like the Big Betrayal.)” He cut in. “Ay. (They know better than that now.)”
Pearl relaxed back in her chair, sighing in relief at the good news. “Ya got me stressed for a second there.” she said. “I’m just sayin’ I would never treat another band member like that. I hate it when ‘Rina is treated like shit.”
“Aww, Pearlie!”
Big Man laughed. “Ay ay. (I mean, Off the Hook is married after all.)” Then he wondered if there ever was a time when Marina was heavily hated. “Ayay. Ay. Ay. (Anyway, I really hope Shiver and Frye don’t show up. They’ll probably get, like, really really mad. It’ll make things very bad for everyone.)”
While in the middle of chatting, Agent Eight swished the kitchen doors open, walking towards where they were sitting. For a moment, the octoling reminded Big Man of Captain; quiet and super serious all the time. Eight leaned in to whisper something in Pearl and Marina’s ears, like she was sharing the juiciest gossip of all time. Big Man tried his best to catch up with what she was saying, hoping that it wasn’t really gossip.
Marina spoke out loud as Eight whispered. “Mhm… Yes, I know them… Four already seated them?”
Eight nodded in response.
“Oh, that’s good. I’m sure it won't be a… big problem.”
Big Man felt his heart drop as Eight exited the room and both Off the Hook members slowly turned towards him. Pearl’s expression was not too difficult to read. It definitely screamed Uh oh. This is bad. Marina had the same expression; the only difference was the bit lip.
“Um, so Big Man,” Marina said nervously, “Speaking of Shiver and Frye…”
“Ay? (What?)”
“Yeah, they totally just arrived here.”
“AY!? (WHAT!?)”
Big Man rushed as fast as his little legs could muster, and exited the kitchen to check the tables. It was like playing a game of Where’s Waldo, but sure enough, his jaw dropped in horror as he spotted the blue and yellow inkfish in their flashy date attire. They were both laughing, unaware that their best friend was working in the same restaurant they stepped in. They don’t know that… yet .
“Ay… ay (Oh… my fucking cod.)”
Marina and Pearl appeared alongside the manta. The shorter inkling stared at him in surprise. “Woah, man. I’ve never heard you curse before.”
“My only nightmare about working here has come true!” Big Man gasped. “They’re gonna find me! I’ll be fried and become equally split between Frye’s eels and Master Mega! They’ll put seasoning and some sauce on top, with a little lemon slice to boot! It’s over for me!” He covered his face with his fins and sobbed. In response, Marina placed a comforting hand to his shoulder.
“Hey, hey! Relax. We’ll cover for you, so don’t you worry. We’ll let Eight be their waitress so they don’t get any ideas of breaking into the kitchen, or whatever it is they want to do. You can even sit down for a little longer and let the jellyfish make Shiver and Frye’s food if it's too much stress for you.” She reassured him. Pearl nodded in agreement next to her.
Big Man wiped away his tears, still sniffling a little. “Thank you so much. I appreciate your offer, but I’m afraid I’ll be the one cooking for them.” He pulled his chef hat back on his head, eyes glimmering in determination. “It’s up to me to give my gay best friends the best romantic meals they ever had!”
“Aren’t you gay too, though??”
“So, whaddya think of the place?” Frye asked as they seated.
The place in question was very flashy and bright. The restaurant glowed in beautiful, green and pink lighting, but it was thankfully nothing too eye-blinding. The speakers above played soft jazz versions of various Off the Hook songs, definitely increasing that calming vibe but exhibiting some Inkopolis spirit at the same time. The place was pretty much just Off the Hook themed in general. Inkfish and jellyfish alike occupied the other tables, highlighting the restaurant’s popularity.
“Charming and bright just like you, Frye.” Shiver finally replied, finger twirling around their front tentacle.
Frye chuckled sheepishly, a dark blush invading her face. “You’ve been really complimenting me a lot lately, Shiv.” Both of their faces flushed as their eyes met.
“I just can’t help it. You’re too cute.” Shiver smiled.
“Good afternoon.” The two lovebirds jumped a little as they turned to face their waitress: a tall octoling with long, pink tentacles. She pulled out a pen and notepad from her pocket. “My name is Eight and I will be serving you for tonight. Would you like anything to drink?”
Shiver cleared their throat, embarrassed that they didn’t remember to open the menu yet. “I’ll have a lemonade, please.”
“One lemonade…” Eight muttered as she scribbled on the notepad. “And you?”
“I’ll take the same thing but with no ice.” Frye said.
“Got it. Your drinks will arrive shortly. Here is some bread in the meantime.” A basket was placed on the table before the waitress left to grab their drinks.
“Sweet! Thanks, boss.”
Seeing Shiver already crunching on a breadstick while reading the menu made Frye quickly do the same. All the options made her mouth water, but it was partly because she (somehow) forgot to eat lunch.
“I know we’re in the same city, but this restaurant absolutely reeks of Inkopolis’ pride. Almost more than the city itself.” Shiver pointed out, eyes still scanning the menu.
“Ugh. Tell me about it.” Frye snarled, waving her hand in front of her nose like she smelled something horrible. “Y’know, I heard Marina and Pearl work here as waitresses sometimes. Off the Hook themselves own the place.”
Shiver’s eyes left the menu to raise their eyebrows at the inkling across from them. “Oh really? Is that so bad?” They questioned. “I thought you said that Inkopolis was pretty cool after the big big run.”
“I don’t remember saying that and I’ve never said that before in my entire life.” Frye's retort was a little too quick for that to be true.
Shiver rolled their eyes teasingly. “Riiight.” They drawled as they focused back on the menu. “Do you think we’ll be able to see them?”
Frye shrugged. “Nah, probably not. Pearl said they don’t work here very often ‘cuz of some of the fans. You know how it is.”
Shiver sighed dishearteningly with a hand placed on their cheek. “Oh. What a shame. Maybe next time we’ll bring Big Man for a rematch. Another epic rap battle witnessed by everyone inside the restaurant!!”
“Or… we could raid their kitchen!” Frye mischievously suggested.
Shiver let out a laugh, the kind that made their girlfriend’s hearts beat just a little bit faster without knowing. “I don’t think Big Man would agree on that one.”
“Yeah, you’re probably right.” Frye admitted. “Never mind that. Instead, we’ll crush Off the Hook with the help of Big Man’s sick beats next time we come back here!”
After just a few more minutes, Eight arrived with the ordered drinks, politely placing the glasses on the table.
“Here are your lemonades. And are you two ready to order?”
“Yes.” Shiver replied as they pointed at something on the menu. “I’ll have the Hot n’ Spicy Vegetable Noodle Soup, please.”
“Hot… and spicy…” Eight muttered. She turned to Frye. “And your order?”
“I’ll have three stacks of Big Man’s Super Soft Mini Manta Pancakes!” Frye said. She couldn’t help but notice a small smile tugging at Eight’s lips as she scribbled on her notepad. “Good choice.”
After she finished writing down their orders, Shiver and Frye handed over the menus, which Eight took. “Thank you for your cooperation. Your food will be here shortly.”
Shiver thanked the waitress before she left, then immediately turned to squint at Frye judgingly. “Seriously? Pancakes for dinner ?”
“What?" The yellow inkling scoffed. "The teeny tiny Big Mans looked so cute! Plus, I’m allowed to eat pancakes any day, anytime I want .”
Shiver rolled their eyes for the second time. “Whatever. Just don’t come crying to me when you get a stomachache in the middle of the night.”
“Oh, I’ll eat every single pancake on my plate and you won’t hear a single peep from me!”
“...”
“So… why don’t we get special idol-themed but Big Man does?” Frye asked. She took a sip of her lemonade before elaborating, absent-mindedly tapping the table with her fingers. “Like, we have Marie’s Delicious Pesto Pasta, Callie’s Cute Strawberry Pink Milkshake, and Off the Hook’s Lesbian Cake. Where's the Shiver and Frye food?”
Shiver, too, took a sip of her ice-cold lemonade, still looking up at Frye. They were careful not to drink too much of it. “Hm. Perhaps he contacted Pearl and Marina without telling us?”
“Oof! Another big betrayal.” Frye grabbed her chest, pretending like she got shot in one of her hearts or something.
“Eh. It’s just a thought.” Shiver waved their hand in the air as if they were physically dismissing the idea. “Besides, I don’t think Big Man would do that. He knows better than that now.”
Before Frye could reply, Eight appeared, startling both of them. Again. “Here is your soup and your pancakes.” As the octoling placed the plates, Shiver muttered a very quiet “that was fast…”
Frye took one good look at the Big Man-shaped pancakes, and nearly decided right then and there that she wasn't going to eat it. The little manta rays stared at her with those adorable, kind of uncanny eyes, practically begging her not to consume them. It wasn’t like those expensive ice cream popsicles from the ice cream trucks, either. The real life food looked exactly like the picture showcased in the menu. It was really, really well made. It was perfect. More than perfect, in fact.
“...I see that you really like the pancakes.” Eight said.
“Huh?” Frye snapped out of her thoughts. “Oh yeah, totally. They look fantastic! I almost don’t want to eat it.”
“Yes, I understand.” Eight chuckled. “Would you like anything else? A refill, maybe?”
Shiver shook their head. “No no, we’re-”
“Actually,” Frye interrupted, “Are Marina n’ Pearl here by any chance?”
Eight averted her gaze and stood there awkwardly for a few seconds. Frye didn’t really find it weird or anything, but she did also notice the waitress’ twiddling thumbs. “They… they are not working right now.” She finally answered. “They are out for a date, Marina told me.”
Frye’s ears slightly lowered in disappointment. “Aw, man. I was hoping to see them today.”
“Ah, I see.” Eight motioned between Shiver and Frye with her finger, “You two are friends with Off the Hook, correct?”
“Yes, we are quite close with them.” Shiver replied. “We just have some-” They coughed into their fist, “-unfinished business with them.” Eye contact was shared between them and Frye as they finished their sentence. They both glared at each other with toothy smirks, like they were secretly plotting something evil by magically transferring their thoughts with one another.
“I… see.” The sinister reply and weird psychic brain powers between the couple made Eight just a bit freaked out. She’ll have to ask Pearl and Marina if there's anything significant about that later. “Well, enjoy your food. You may call me if you need something.” Eight bowed and swiftly got the hell out of there.
Shiver looked back concerningly at the rushing pink octoling. “Hm, she looked a little nervous. Do you think she’s okay?”
“Ehhh, she’s prolly fine.” Frye said, a very faint uncertainty in her voice. “Anyway, hurry, ‘cuz your soup’s gettin’ cold.”
Both of them took a bite of their food at the same time. Their eyes widened. This is amazing! Delicious! Five stars! The cook clearly outdid themself, whoever they are. But there was just something so… weird about it. The flavor. The smell. The sweetness of the pancakes and the spiciness of the soup. It tasted so familiar. It was almost like…
“Y’know, Shiv, this kinda tastes like-”
“Big Man’s cooking? Yeah, I know.”
The two of them continued eating in relative silence. Usually, it wouldn’t really matter, but they could both feel a mutual thought floating between them. Every once in a while, one of them would glance up to see their partner eating, wondering if they were thinking the same thing.
Frye was the first to confront the silence. “I wonder how Big Man’s doing.” It felt so out of place to say, since it was normally a sentence said about a distant friend or someone that hasn’t been visited in a while. But this was the complete opposite. This was their best friend she was talking about. They practically saw him every day! At least, they should be.
“Um, he’s doing okay, I think. He’s probably playing Animal Crossing on his switch… or something.” Shiver mumbled that last part, because they honestly didn’t know what kinds of video games Big Man played nowadays. “Do you think-” They pause, wishing they didn’t have to ask such a question. “Do you think we’ve been ignoring him?” Frye didn’t answer, and even though Shiver didn’t want to, they kept going. “I mean, did you text him before we left the apartment?”
Frye was too hesitant to say anything immediately. “...No.” She eventually replied. “Did you?”
“No. I thought you did.” They even didn’t try to play the blame game, because they recognized that it was both of their faults.
Frye stared blankly at her half-eaten Big Man pancake for a while. “We haven’t really hung out with him ever since we moved into the apartment together, huh?”
Shiver felt the guilt creeping up on them. “That’s true.” They admitted. “But we hung out with him this week, right?”
“Yeah, but like, only once. The rest of the week we had date nights, remember?”
“Oh.” Oh was the only thing Shiver could muster up after they just realized how much they took their best friend for granted. What a stupid reaction. They looked up at Frye to see her already looking up at them. They stared at each other for several seconds, knowing exactly what was going through their heads.
“We really are shitty friends.” Frye said.
“Yeah.” Shiver agreed. “Yeah we really are.”
With Pearl and Marina keeping him company, Big Man uneasily peaked from the kitchen door, watching for any positive facial reactions he could recognize. So far, zero luck. In fact, Shiver and Frye looked… disappointed.
Panicking, Big Man waddled back inside the kitchen, fins running down his face in distress. “Ay! Ay! Ay! (Oh cod! They don’t like it! I’ve failed them! Again! )”
Pearl patted the manta’s back reassuringly, attempting to calm him down. “Hey, I’m sure it’s not like tha-”
Big Man whipped around to meet her concerned gaze, swatting away her hand. “ Ay! (You don’t know that!)” The unexpected outburst caused Pearl to step back in surprise. “Ay! Ay! (I try my hardest to be a good third wheel for the group! I try to be a good best friend! They're my bestest best friends in the entire world!)” Then he sighed, unable to keep his voice from wavering. “A-ay. Ay… ay (S-sorry, that was harsh. It’s just that… recently I don’t think I’ve been a very good friend.)”
Pearl and Marina stared at him sympathetically, unsure of what to say. Big Man decided to just end the awkward silence. “Ay. Ay, ay. (Sorry guys. It’s been a nice night, but I think I’m just gonna go home.)”
“Oh, alright. Good night, Big Man.” Marina said as he waddled towards the back door.
“See ya later, man. Get home safe.” Pearl added, but he was already out of view. She turned to Marina with an understandably troubled face. “I hope he’s doing okay. Sounds like he’s been bottling that up for a while now.”
“Yeah, I can tell.” Marina said. “I think I’m gonna go talk to Shiver and Frye.”
She approached the table, a little fumed at the couple for making Big Man feel that way. But at the same time, did they really mean it? She would have to figure it all out.
“Hey guys!” Marina smiled as she stood next to the table. Shiver and Frye seemed to be already distracted in their own conversation before she arrived.
“Oh, hi Marina.” Shiver’s voice sounded so out of character and pessimistic that Marina almost thought they were ill with some kind of fever. “Wait, I thought you and Pearl went on a date.”
“Oh! Um…” Shoot. Now she had to make up a lie for Eight’s lie. “We got an emergency call. They needed extra hands so we moved the date to next week.” She explained.
“Mhm. Cool.” Was the blue octoling’s only reply.
Marina had many questions, but she already had one answer, specifically relating to Big Man’s worries. Shiver and Frye definitely liked his food. Frye’s plate was practically licked clean; not a single crumb or glob of maple syrup could be seen, and Shiver was currently slurping up the last of their soup. Okay, Marina had to know what was going on.
“Are you two okay?” She asked. “I hope I’m not offending you guys, but you're usually the loudest ones in the room.”
Not one of them said anything as they fiddled nervously with their utensils. Shiver and Frye glanced at each other for a split second before looking back at Marina.
“It’s… it’s just that we’re thinking about Big Man and, y’know… how much we miss him.” Frye mumbled her words but it was at least loud enough for Marina to hear. It was the quietest she had ever heard from the commonly energetic inkling.
“When was the last time you talked to him about that?”
The table went unbearably silent once again, until Shiver suddenly shook their head. “I’m sorry, Marina, but we have to go. Urgently.”
“What?”
“How much was the food?”
“Uh.” She fumbled for her notepad, “Eight told me that your total is 10,000 g, so-”
Frye slammed a huge stack of money onto the table without hesitation. She shot up from her seat, but not before facing Marina with a rather cold stare. “We bring Big Man here next time for a rematch with Off the Hook. For now, we’re outta here.”
Shiver performed a speedy bow in front of the confused octoling and walked with Frye out of the restaurant. Before Marina could get one last word in, they were out the door, hands interlocked.
Marina stood there, stunned.
“We’re closing in about thirty minutes.” Pearl announced from behind. She reached to hold her wife’s hand. “How’d it go, babe?”
Marina sighed. “I… I think I messed things up.”
Pearl patted her back reassuringly. “You tried your best, ‘Rina.” She said, “You tried your best, and that’s a good thing.”
Big Man couldn’t stop thinking about his outburst. It was incredibly embarrassing looking back on it. Shiver and Frye were just too important to him, he didn’t want to lose them. He recalled how far away he felt as he spectated his friends’ dinner date, even though they were literally a few feet away from him. The thoughts made him stuff his face in his pillow; a desperate attempt to silence everything. It's impossible to stop thinking, though, so the agonizing thoughts continued to attack. Worst of all: he blew up in front of the wrong people! Ugh! His feelings were so dumb .
Despite all the internal thunderstorms in his brain, Big Man did manage to fall asleep. He decided that all his problems could be brushed aside for now. Eventually they’ll fade away with time, right? He woke up with a mild headache and a thirst for more sleep. With a shaky fin, he checked his phone to see a text message from Marina.
Marina!! AKA DJ Hyperfresh: Hi Big Man!
Marina!! AKA DJ Hyperfresh: Ik its kinda awkward to be inviting you rn, but me and Pearlie want to invite u for some tea at the studio!!
Marina!! AKA DJ Hyperfresh: Meet us here at around 11am if ur interested :)
Big Man rubbed his eyes drowsily and looked at his Judd-shaped alarm clock. It read 10am. He had over an hour to get ready and ride the train to Inkopolis, so he was sure he could make it. Even though Big Man really didn’t want to get out of bed, he thought it would be a good way to keep his mind off of things for a while.
After he showered and got his skin moisturized for the day, he was just about to text Marina that he was on his way when he heard muttering from outside his door. He thought it was his neighbors talking strangely close to his door at first. At least, that was the conclusion until he heard a few gentle knocks. Curious, he creaked the door slightly open to see who it was, and was surprised to meet Shiver and Frye nervously whispering amongst themselves.
“Ay? Ay? Ayay? (Shiver? Frye? What are you two doing here?)”
“Hey, Big Man.” Shiver greeted with a wave. “Could we talk to you for a minute?”
“We promise it’s nothing bad! We just wanted to discuss some… things with you.” Frye added.
Suspicious and extremely anxious, Big Man kindly let them inside and shut the door behind them. “Ay… ay? Ay- (Um… so what exactly did you want to discuss? What-)”
When he turned around, he noticed just how shaky Shiver and Frye were, like they were trying so hard to hold back tears. Tears of… anger?? Oh no. Maybe they figured out he was the one who cooked for them the entire time. Big Man took a deep breath, calming himself down, but bracing himself for impact simultaneously.
“Ay. Ay- (Look, guys. I’m sorry for-)”
“What? Sorry!?” Shiver gazed at him in pure disbelief. “Why are you saying sorry!? We should be the ones apologizing!”
Big Man couldn’t bring himself to look at them. “A-ay! Ay, ay- (B-but, you guys didn’t do anything wrong! It was me who was holding you back from your relationship, and I-)”
That was when Frye couldn’t take it anymore, which caused her to burst into tears. “Stop! Stop talking, Biggs! None of this is your fault!” She cried. “We were the ones that took you for granted! We should’ve cared for you like how you did for us! You were never the problem when Shiver and I started dating!”
Suddenly, they both ran to the manta ray, giving him a big hug and almost knocking him over in the process. Frye was still crying while Shiver kept failing to choke back their sobs. Instinctively, Big Man wrapped his fins around his friends, trying his best to comfort them. But he knew it wasn’t going to work this time. Instead, he felt his eyes begin to water as well.
“Ay… ay- (You guys… I-)” His lips quivered before waterfalls of tears poured out of his eyes. As the tears poured, so did his heart. “Ay! Ay! Ay. (I missed you two so much! I was so, so scared we would fail as a trio! Scared that I would be left behind!)”
Shiver clung onto him, making sure that he felt loved and secure. “Don’t ever say that again, Big Man. We’ll always love you, no matter what.” They quietly replied.
After some time, they let go of each other. Frye still held onto Big Man’s fin, face still a little puffy from all the crying. “C’mon! Let’s go get ice cream and hang out for the day!”
Shiver pulled out their phone and showed Big Man a long list of various activities in their notes app. “I have a whole list of all the hang out ideas you came up with, Biggs. We’ll never run out of things to do.”
Big Man sniffled and wrapped his fins around his best friends in one last hug before they headed out. “Ay. (I love you guys so much.)”
“We love you too, Big Man.” the inkfish said simultaneously.
The lively trio got into Big Man's van and started driving to their favorite little ice cream shop. They talked and laughed as they traveled, like nothing ever changed in their dynamic since middle school. Along the way, as they stopped at a red light, Big Man pulled out his phone and texted Marina back.
Biggsy Man: Sorry Marina, but I have some other plans for today! :3