"Dockside Petals"

"So it's just a bunch of pictures of roses?"

Bread Friend squinted across the lake, crust catching the warm glow of the setting sun. He dangled his little loaf-feet off the dock, a fishing line forgotten in the water.

Beside him, the camouflaged toad adjusted his oversized bucket hat with a lazy shrug. "Well... it started as Lotuses, but then they had to switch to roses. Because of the cease & desist."

"Right right..." Bread Friend scratched his crouton chin. "Weird. Why would anyone care so much about who draws flowers?"

"I don’t know, man... I just don’t know," the toad murmured, eyes tracking a dragonfly like it held answers.

Bread Friend sighed. "Corporate overreach. Greed. The usual suspects. Just once I’d like to see someone gatekeep dandelions and get laughed off the internet."

Before the toad could reply, the door to the old fishing shack creaked open with a squelch. Fred, the green slime creature with fishing waders and a clipboard emerged, jiggling with purpose.

"Time’s up, petals. We got a chili cook-off in the astral kitchen and I’m not letting you loafers make us late."

Bread Friend stood, brushing imaginary crumbs from his lap. “Let’s roll. Can’t have the chili gods thinking we’re flakey.”

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