ZjoZjo’s vision was suddenly obstructed and she was hoisted off the ground, but nothing had been put over her head. No, a hand had clawed completely around her face. Through the gap between the fingers, the girl could see the unfettered loathing stretched across Mallea’s visage.
“It seems I’ve underestimated you,” the butler’s words dripped with disdain. “I knew you were shameless, but to think you’d resort to luring children out of the safety of our borders… Simply deplorable. But I suppose the fault is my own. I should have taken more proactive measures to ensure that you wouldn’t be a threat. So now you’ll be coming with me.”
For the first time in her life, ZjoZjo felt real terror. She’d believed she’d experienced it before like when she’d investigated her grandparents attic and heard unexplainable noises, or when a monster at the zoo had lunged in her direction, banging its face against the protective glass. But no, they were nothing compared to this. She had crossed a line, and now she was in real danger.
Or was she? The next few minutes didn’t go quite as she expected. She heard the pull of her wagon behind them, but initially assumed it was just so Mallea could throw them in a dumpster, or maybe a bonfire with her soon-to-be corpse along with it. But then they suddenly stopped, and the girl heard some unexplainable rustling.
The next moment, the girl was plopped down, her butt sitting back down on her wagon. What remained of her boxes of muffin tops were constructed into an elegant tower on top of her table, with just a few extra left on the ground next to her. She really didn’t understand what was happening and why she wasn’t being tortured at that very moment.
And Mallea only added to the confusion. “Before anything else, I would like one box of each flavor, please.”
“Huh, what?” ZjoZjo couldn’t process this turn of events.
“Are you really going to deny me a sale?!” the butler’s words turned irate and she started impatiently tapping her Common Card against the table.
“Uhh, uhh, no, I suppose not,” the girl switched back to sales mode and pulled out her own Common Card. While she had order forms for the larger orders that she’d send away to have shipped, her card was set-up with a sales account for the PrePioneers. It was a one-way transfer account that she couldn’t retrieve any funds from unless the same person also requested a refund.
After their cards beeped and the boxes of muffin tops were handed over, Mallea’s frustrated frown slid into a scowling smirk. “Now you may be confused as to why I haven’t thrown you to the curb. You’ve made it plainly clear that you can’t be trusted, but I’m the one who would suffer if I raised my hand to a child. But I also do not have the time or patience to monitor your actions endlessly.”
“So I’ve brought you here where you will be allowed to peddle your wares. It is a location that is beyond the barrier where the normal citizenry can usually pass. We may be forced to tolerate your existence, but we will not let you tarnish the name of the Fiends For Hire by letting you interact with the innocent citizenry while on our property.”
“Understand that this is your final chance and warning. If you get up and leave this spot, the barrier will push you outside, and you’ll be prevented from returning ever again. You are allowed to enter this door to use the restroom and purchase food as needed, but those are the only accommodations we will provide.”
“You may sell your wares as you see fit, but if I hear a single whisper about a young girl disturbing our members, harassing them, interrupting their lives—a single infraction, and there will not be an ounce of goodwill left to save you. As caretaker of this compound, you will receive the full extent of my hospitality. I hope your child-addled brain can understand what that may entail.”
“As to why I purchased a box of each of your subpar snacks, consider them my hostages. While you are here, I will take these back to my kitchen and reverse-engineer the recipes so that I can recreate them perfectly. Along with any punishment you may receive from me if you act out of turn, I will also release these recipes to the entire world. I’ll even improve upon them, so that anyone with the desire will be able to make a superior product compared to your processed putrid provisions.”
“It will ensure that no one will ever want to buy your macabre muffin tops ever again, and your organization's main source of income will become nothing more than a trickle. I’ll make sure that they know who made it all possible, as well. How will that work out for your aspirations, do you think? I sincerely hope that you don’t try my patience yet again, because I personally don’t desire to allocate all that time to such pettiness, but do not doubt my resolve.”
“Now then, be a good child and behave,” Mallea turned around and started walking away. “I wish you luck in your sales, little ZjikZjik.”
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“It’s not ZjikZjik, it’s ZjoZjo!” the girl couldn’t help but roar at the butler despite all that had just transpired. It had been a guttural reaction. She was rather sensitive when it came to her name. The girl knew it was unusual, and she was made fun of often for it, but it was rooted deep in her heritage, and she brandished the name proudly. Not for a moment would she ever disrespect her parents for choosing it.
But after she calmed down from that little outburst, ZjoZjo took a good look at her surroundings. Of all places she could have been brought to… It was her ideal spot! She had been placed just outside the restaurant at the headquarters building, right next to the side entrance. Her table was along the path between the gymnasium and the residential buildings.
Except for the biggest names who lived at the general’s mansion, she was certain to cross paths with essentially every member as they went about their day. And here she didn’t have to worry about dealing with the Bisomote commonry. While she wouldn’t mind selling to them, they could serve as a distraction. People were less likely to give her the time of day if someone was already interacting with her.
Plus her reserves were already starting to run low. The games with the children had literally eaten up a good amount of her stock, even if she made up for it on the return several times over. But with what boxes remained, she’d rather use them to tempt any Fiends that passed by with deep pockets than the citizenry who would only buy a box or two instead of placing a big order.
She’d still likely come across the resident Fiends and Lessers. As far as she could tell from her research, they weren’t paid the bulbous salary that the actual members received. However, since they also weren’t required to fork over the cost of living, they were still likely to be less frugal with their spending than everyday folks. So while there would still be some small spenders, the pool of potential customers was suddenly a lot less diluted.
And it didn’t take long before ZjoZjo’s next customer came strolling down the path. The Fiend was in workout clothes, likely headed to the gym, though she was so dolled up that it was hard to believe that she’d be putting in any actual effort.
“Oh wow, you’re a PrePioneer, aren’tcha?” Niloy skipped over when she noticed the table of snacks. “You know, I used to be one when I was a kid, but it totally didn’t suit me. I barely lasted two months. Actually, it was this Cosdamned fundraiser that made me quit. Only sold like four boxes before I got bored and tired of talking to sketchy people. Took all the muffin tops home and ate them all myself. Crazy right?”
“It’s totally awesome that you’re sticking with it. You even got like so many stickers! You’re like my dream when I first joined. And wow, how’d you even get permission to get in here and sell? Crazy, girl, just crazy! But I’ll buy some boxes to help you out! It’s for a good cause and all, right? And I’ll like make up for all the ones I stole as a kid if nothing else.”
Niloy bought a box and then put in an order for a few hundred more. She then opened it right then and there and took a bite. What followed wasn’t nostalgic enjoyment, but a disappointed frown. “Huh, is it just me or were these better when I was a kid? Or maybe I just ate them till I got sick of them. Heh, oh well. Hey, mind if I get a picture with you?”
“Uhh, sure,” ZjoZjo saw no reason to refuse.
Niloy got right up next to her, practically smooshing their cheeks together as she held the partially-eaten muffin top in front of them with one hand and took the picture with the other. “Aww, we look so good. You’re pretty adorable, y’know. That’s certain to get tons of traction!”
Huh? Was all ZjoZjo could wonder, confused by the comment, but it became blatantly clear by Niloy’s next actions. And the child soon realized that she wasn’t the only shameless one.
“Now to post it,” Niloy started tapping away at her phone, and she narrated as she typed. “Just ran into a PrePioneer! Takes me back to when I was one as a kid! These muffin tops are still so good, and it all goes to charity! Get out and buy some for me, guys! And look at her in her little uniform, so adorable! #bringsbackmemories #nostalgia #foragoodcause #adorablecuties. And post.”
The unscrupulous Fiend then loitered around for a few more moments. “Oh wow, it’s blowing up already. Heck, you may even get some more sales from it, you’re welcome. Thanks for the boost, girl, you do numbers. Maybe we’ll do it again some time. Oh, and don’t bother sending me the rest of those muffin tops. Don’t want ‘em. You can keep the order, but send them to a food bank or something. Don’t care. Laters!”
ZjoZjo couldn’t help but feel betrayed as she watched the vain woman strut away without an ounce of guilt. The girl had never felt so taken advantage of. But oh well, she’d made the sale, and that was what really mattered in the end even if she didn’t feel the best afterwards. It would all be worth it, or so she told herself.
The next few sales were pretty simple and basic. It wasn’t the heaviest flow of traffic since she’d already missed those who would rush off to jobs or other responsibilities, but there were still a few later sleepers heading out to start their day. In all, she only sold a small handful, but she was content to take it easy to recover from the already insane morning.
Just when she was thinking about taking a break herself to have an early lunch, a man appeared before her, a man she couldn’t ignore. Roque Personson, the alleged richest person on Rathe. Even if the rumors didn’t account for those with unknown wealth, he was undeniably the richest in the public eye. This was her chance to seal her position and win the fundraiser without a shadow of a doubt.
She opened her mouth, ready to recite her sales pitch perfectly, but she was beaten to the punch. “Well hello there,” Roque cut her off with his own greeting and flashed her a smile. “Selling sweets, I see…”
The two of them locked eyes, and Roques grin grew even more. But then his diamond-colored irises started to dance with rage. “...on my turf?!”