The two boys were kept from thinking about who they used to be by the prospect of the cold treat they were promised. Rusty knew what he was doing. If he was going to see their former minds erased for good, he had to keep them excited. Dazzled. Interested. The more they remained geeky kids, the less they possessed chances at recalling who they had been. The sad adults they were. Rusty would have a new life ready for them. A much more fun and interesting life. Without all the dreary concerns of the human world. And Rusty would get two boys to share his great nerdy interests with. All were winners in this deal. In fact, Rusty was sure that if they could, Mitch and David's former selves would thank him. Or rather, he was certain of it. No more objective opinions were given to the fat man. At once, the two boys ordered, with ice cream man adding a free scoop, and an extra serving of chocolate chips. He felt happy for Rusty and he knew these boys had to be kept in their mindsets at all costs. Rusty was a good pal of his and if he could help in his new fatherly role... He knew Rusty would do the same for him, after all. David took a big vanilla ice cream and Mitch a chocolate chip cookie one. Rusty indulged in a banana split drowning in chocolate sauce. The two boys dug in happily, not realising that their delight at eating the ice cream made them more entrenched in their new mindset. Without realising it, their time was running out...
But all turned their heads as the door opened. A man entered, of course big and large and with a big belly. Though on this one you could guess he had good muscles underneath his skin too.
"Ah, Arni. The usual?" said the owner of the parlor.
"Yes, please," the man said in a heavy accent.
He paid for a big vanilla shake and a honey-flavored scoop, alongside a few cookies. He then left, nodding to Rusty.
"Still with his fish-girl?" Rusty asked the pink-haired man as the Scandinavian man was gone.
"Indeed," said the owner of the store while wiping tables and his counters. "The milkshake and honey ice-cream are for his precious exotic mermaid. It was not enough to get a very late teen fish-girl in an aquarium, he has a tropical setting too. Talk about a guy going all the way to get something exotic... All daddies getting girls as daughters or exotic pets - like he is - are a bit weird but he takes it a bit far in my opinion. He's very nice but strange for sure."
"Well to each his own," said Rusty to which the man in pink hair nodded sagely.
David and Mitch wondered how weird the Icelandic man resembling a walrus could be. He had a grown girl as a tropical mermaid in a tank? Yeah, that was so freaky! Girls were disgusting and sappy and whiny, everyone knew that! Why didn't he have boys, like anyone normal, like Rusty?"