I'm guessing that it was a matter of availability that it was specifically an eelpout (especially since the specimen was still alive when the slap occurred), but beyond that... heh. The weird things that happen in life.

And I guess that makes sense about the sociopathy. And I certainly know that certain conditions can make it extremely difficult for people to read emotions in others; I know a person with Aspergers in real life, and on top of being extraordinarily hard to read herself (as I've mentioned before I pride myself in my ability to intuitively read people) she also tends to be somewhat oblivious to how others feel, unless they're extremely obvious about it. And just as you say, she definitely isn't a bad person because of it. So, yeah.

But before we forget among the indulgence in randomness: Drunken Dove - who's next?