Countdown

01/02/270 Balance: 2 polyps Wave Cleaner came by today. It was Ali this time. Stingy bastard, wouldn't even let me see the merch or talk about anything else until I coughed up the rent. Took a large cut too, using that rigged scale. Don't know what he does, but I bet he plays the scales to rip us off as much as he can. Only had a couple polyps left afterwards, but the capsule was worth it. Pulsing, lighting up my whole room in purple, and brain coral bed swallowed me whole when I fed it. Dreamed of the old ages, when we whitetips could squeeze into the tightest corners and chomp down on prey. Wish we could go back.
02/02/270 Balance: 0 polyps Shit was good, but extremely thirsty afterwards. Water wouldn't cut it, went for some blood. Afterwards, dragged myself to the center to look for something new to do.
03/02/270 Balance: 12 polyps Got a job today. Might last for a while. Marinading and preparing BBQ fish at Mrs. Rabeya's. One scoop of shrimp meat, two syringes of BBQ sauce, three slices of seaweed, one scoop of fermented sea grass, two teaspoons of salt, one of sugar, and a tiny syringe each of oyster sauce, squid ink, sesame sauce and blood. One scoop of shrimp meat, two syringes of BBQ sauce, three slices of seaweed, one scoop of fermented sea grass, two teaspoons of salt, one of sugar, and a tiny syringe each of oyster sauce, squid ink, sesame sauce and blood. Rinse and repeat. Dawn to midnight. Just enough time to sleep and come back tomorrow Served 12 rounds today
04/02/270 Balance: 24 polyps
05/02/270 Balance: 36 polyps - should make it comfortably
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10/02/270 Balance: 84 polyps - close to half Could only serve 7 rounds today before shop closed down. Clownfish fucker walked in, hiding a capsule in his boot. Bastard picked the wrong day, for two wave cleaners walked in and sniffed him out immediately. Horsefish Zulfikar and Angelfish Afolabi. Stabbed the clownfish with the trident when they tried to swim away, and then beat them within an inch of their life. Capsule confiscated, wallet emptied, but left alive to pay rent next month. Mrs Rabeya closed the restaurant for cleaning, told me to find work elsewhere for now. Didn't even pay me for today, don't think I'll go back.
11/02/270 Balance: 84 polyps - why are we stuck now? The hunt begins anew
17/02/270 Balance: 80 polyps Still looking, no vacancies. Spent a few on a pig's head. Not sure what idiot thought he would find here underwater, seems death found him instead. Reminds of Jawad, triggerfish wave cleaner, their snouts look the same haha
18/02/270 Balance: 90 polyps Finally something. Infused ink delivery. Good fuel, burns bright here even under water. Don't know what the Five are doing to make this, but so long as it makes me some money. Deliveries are timed, affecting payout. Only managed to get three done today before jobs stopped showing up in the afternoon. Have to find something else to do to make up for it.
19/02/270 Balance: 104 polyps Two deliveries, before I spent an hour waiting until nothing showed up. Heard about another opening in this snack place, Mr Abbas's. Cuttlefish needs more hands and fins to mash and mulch before cupping or wrapping things into balls and rolls. Can do afternoon shifts, that's when deliveries seem to dry up. Worked till midnight as usual.
20/02/270 Balance: 120 polyps
21/02/270 Balance: 136 polyps
22/02/270 Balance: 154 polyps - just over what I need for the next capsule
24/02/270 Balance: 192 polyps - maybe I can even get one of the deluxe ones this time around One of the Five came in today. Vinay. Fucking monkey. Don't know what he did to get a place amongst the five, man can't even walk underwater without an air bubble. And yet no one could look at him in the eye. Wanted to show him my teeth, see if that would do something, but dude was flanked by three wave cleaners, and one of them pointed it straight at me when I tried to serve the banana cake. Monkey grinned at me when Got a tip, so that's what counts I guess. Almost there.
25/02/270 Balance: 60 polyps Fuck shit fuck Rushing a delivery. Fucking narrow alleys in between all these corals and outcrops. Should have just swam out the reef and then back in at the right point. Got stabbed by this swordfish around a corner. Blind fucker not paying attention to where they are going. Bleeding all over. Swordfish was at least nice enough to take me to the nearest doctor. FS stitched me up, but it felt like she took an entire fin when she squeezed me for polyps. "Need to pay the Big Man." Takes some more just for the shrimp with the Trident at the back, watching the whole thing. Am going to have to squeeze out as much polyps as I can of the last few days before they come to collect rent this month. If I want the capsule as well
26/02/270 Balance: 90 polyps No sleep. Can't write. Deliveries throughout the day. Abbas just fired me when I walked in with the injury.
27/02/270 Balance: 110 polyps. Feeling dizzy. Passed out mid-delivery, ink was nowhere to be found when I came too, under the boot of Wave Cleaner. Slug was cackling as it stepped on me.

28/02/270 Balance: 140 polyps. when was the last time I ate? Going to work overnight to make it over 150
01/03/270 Balance: 0 polyps Just had enough. Fucking Ali again. Took everything, and only offered a measly blue capsule this time. Healed my injury nicely, but where is my dream? More days this month. Hopefully I'll have more time to make up for it.