…This led to an era where consumers needed to educate themselves before making purchases, as some products were just not safe for use. Buying the wrong kind of paint could leave you and your children in dire straits.
How to make corporate greed and consumerism work for you!
Benjamin O'Connell. Cir 2120
Cassy The Clown grinned under her special face paint, today she was a happy Skeleton clown. She was in Mexico, and it was the “Day of the Dead”. Admittedly it was a bit outside of her usual, but Barty had convinced her she needed a break from fundraising and entertaining. So here she was, just another painted face in the crowd, having the time of her life.
“Barty, is it ok to be having the time of my life when we are celebrating the dead?”
Absolutely! In fact I think the dead might even be a bit upset if you weren't. It's a celebration!
“Oh good, I was almost worried for a moment.”
A riot of screaming behind her, had Cassy turning on a dime, her hand straying to where her hammer usually rested. Thankfully, they were screams of delight, not terror. A cluster of local children had stumbled upon her balloon animals painting each other's faces. Sgt Fluffle was a fair hand with a paint brush, the rest, well, paint splattered worked just as well as fancy paint in her opinion.
The children had wasted no time on questioning how the two dozen balloon animals were moving on their own, or painting each other's faces. They simply swarmed into the crowd. Some of the children picked up brushes to help their new rubber friends make the best skull masks they could. Others took the place of the models. The animals crawled up their arms to take advantage of the much larger canvas the children's giggling faces provided.
Cassy’s grin grew even wider, a happy squigle bubbling up from her toes all the way to her lips. “You were right Barty, I did need some time off. Oooh! Idea! I need some special balloon minions! Some skeletons! With magic paint brushes! That never run out of paint, and all the colours in one brush! By the time I'm done there won't be an unpainted face in the city!”
Face painting Skeleton balloons coming right up! You really do have the best ideas. At least when you are not trying to feed frozen treats to freezing people.
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
“We, have the best ideas Barty. Teamwork! And I stand by my decision, it's never too cold to enjoy ice cream”
Holding out her hand Cassy caught a sleek black tube out of the air. It was covered in cartoon dancing skeleton stickers. Raising it to her shoulder and pointing it skyward she pulled the trigger, ejecting a rapidly expanding swarm of balloon skeletons up and and out over the city.
“Wooooo! Best night ever! C'mon Barty let's go find some case-a-dilla’s”
Have you forgotten what little Spanish you learned already, Cassy?
“Not at all, none of it stuck in the first place! Ooh ooh! Except, dos cervesa por pavor, in el banyo. Although I'm not sure what it means…”
Very good! It’s a universal greeting! You should absolutely ask this person that.
*****
Mr. Bones the 73rd had been created with a single goal in mind, to spread joy by painting faces. The important part being human faces, the thing in front of him however was not a human. Its rudimentary programming recognized the enemy when spotted, but it wasn't quite sure what to do.
Mr Bones 73.
Oh, the creators rational half, they would be able to give new orders.
These are special friends, friends that need the special paint. Use the ouchy no good for skin paint. It'll make everyone even happier.
Mr Bones 73 was thrilled! A new kind of face to paint! Leaping forward, its brush grew larger while the bristles began to sizzle and steam. Time to make everyone Happy!!
****
Cassy stared off into space, a strange feeling tickling the back of her mind. “Barty, did we just earn points?”
Hmm? What? Oh look Churros!
“Ooh Churros!”
*****
Boney boys and girls, and enby boneys too. We are not letting a few strays ruin Cassy's day off. Go, paint faces, spread joy. Just don't get the no skin, and yes skin paints, mixed up.
The Bone Balloons were on the job. It was happiness time. More paint for the paint gods! Also for faces, they were pretty sure the paint gods had plenty anyway.
Raising their brushes the boney balloons charged through the streets and scrambled over rooftops. Their creator had said there would not be an unpainted face left by morning, and they would see it done, human and plant monster alike.
They did prudently decide, after losing one of their brethren, that the cats' faces were fine as they were.