Not even sure about this one. Post True Pacifist. Also I know nothing about industrial marketing, so reader beware.


Nice Cream Guy

The sun felt amazing. She knew it was going to be a good day.

The mother followed slowly after the horde of preteens. They raced down the beach, sand kicking up as they wooped and laughed.

They had the beach nearly all to themselves - just far enough off the beaten path that tourists didn't know about it but just close enough to town that it wasn't a hardship to get to, the sheltered cove had a few small venders and not much else going on.

The kids had thrown their towels down and were happy splashing in the rolling waves before she had even gotten over to where they had dumped their sandals and clothes. It was a few moments of work to get her umbrella planted and blanket spread out. Shoving her knapsack behind her as a makeshift pillow, she pulled her book out and settled her sunglasses and settled in for a long afternoon in the sun.

After about a chapter though, she got sidetracked. The kids were paddling around and splashing still, and the thought of joining them tempted her… but she was bored.

She groaned, adjusting her sunhat over her pale hair. The little food cart by the end of the sand caught her attention. Nice cream, huh? Maybe I'll just grab a treat while the kids tire themselves out.

She stood, sliding her feet back into her sandals, and checked to make sure she still had cash in her pocket before setting out across the sand.

The beach was still mostly deserted, and the only sound other than the crashing of waves on the sand was that of the herd of kids shrieking.

The vendor was… a monster. It didn't particularly bother her to have the monsters reintroduced to society. Politics weren't really her thing, but the few monsters she had seen or had dealings with had all seemed to be decent sorts.

This one was a blue rabbit who towered over her, even at a distance. His nose buried in a book, his long ears perked in her direction as she approached. He peered over the top of his book, folding down the corner of the page he was on, then shoved it out of sight.

"How can I help you today, ma'am?" he asked, voice lower than she would have thought. His small tuft of blue hair had cowlicked itself in the gentle breeze, and, with his smartly pressed clothing, gave the impression of being out of a 1950s comic.

She smiled, looking at the flavor listing neatly hung from the support of his tent. "I'm not sure, any suggestions?"

The rabbit grinned, his ears straight up. "Let me tell you about the newest flavors of nice cream I have-"

She stayed there for a long time, sampling flavors and just enjoying the company. The kids had dragged themselves from the water and come over, and he had given them each a kiddie cone of nice cream to try. The ensuing sugar highs had sent them racing back towards the waterline, leaving her to continue.

"Some of these are really quite good," she said, twenty flavor samples later. "And you said you make these all yourself?"

The rabbit nodded, his ears bobbing. "My friend Burgerpants is my taste-tester and helps with some of the larger batches, but yes."

She pulled out her wallet and withdrew a card, then took his surprised paw and pressed it into the soft fur. "My name is Amelia Ryegate, and I'm the vice president of Product Development at Acme Foods, Limited. We're the largest retailer to the foodservice industry here in Ebbott City, and I'd like to see if we can take you on into our portfolio."

She was pretty pleased with herself. Two birds with one stone. New client, and the kids would be so tired that she'd have some peace and quiet at home. Yep. Definitely a good day.