Zym's idea for a new advertising campaign was simple yet effective. The mascot outside the store caught the attention of dozens of people.
Unfortunately, most people were more interested in watching the boy rather than buying any products.
Zym had been following the online account of a boy hired to be the mascot for Casa Bahia, a retail store located in Brazil. The entire account was filled with promos for products being sold at their stores, all of which involved the boy in some way. Some days, the boy would be in cosplay for some videogame or anime character, while other days the boy would be playing some game.
Zym enjoyed this content, but felt it wasn't enough to promote the Bahia brand.
One day, after filming his latest promotional video, the Casa Bahia mascot prepared himself for bed when he suddenly got a knock at the door. The boy answered the door only to find what appeared to be a small, pale elf wearing robes standing on the other side. Then, the mysterious elf smiled revealing several sharp teeth inside his mouth.
"I'm a representative for the store you work for." Zym said before the boy could even speak. "I'm here to assist you in a new ad campaign you're going to be a part of."
The boy was puzzled by this announcement, since the store that hired him had only ever communicated by emails in the past. Just as the boy was about to protest, he received a message on his phone from the management team he worked with. The team informed him that he would be visited by a representative from the store early in the morning.
"I'm a bit early." Zym said, still grinning.
The boy didn't protest and simply resigned himself to the situation. Zym then insisted on the boy following him outside. The boy agreed and moved to put his shoes on when he was stopped by Zym.
"You won't be needing those for what I have planned."
- - - - - - - - - -
Slowly, as the sun started to rise on the city, many people began filling the streets as they went about their day. Patrons of the local retailer began making their way to the store in hopes to do some shopping when everyone was stopped by a peculiar sight. Sitting on the lawn in front of the store was the store's famous mascot and a strange looking pale boy standing next to him.
The mascot was fitted into an extremely tight latex suit that covered almost his entire body. Only the boy's head, feet, and stomach were exposed from under the latex while the rest was buried beneath the thick layer of rubber. It was pretty clear this latex was very rigid as the boy inside struggled against it constantly but could only just barely move his feet and head. The rest of his body was completely immobile.
The boy felt that the suit was way too tight and wanted to ask Zym if it could be loosened so as to not be constantly squishing his body. The boy glanced at Zym, but the elf was turned away to watch the crowds gather around them. Without even looking at the mascot, Zym responded as if reading his mind.
"Don't worry, you'll be fine. This suit was design with your exact measurements in mind. It is a perfect fit. You'll get used to the immobility."
The boy wasn't sure where the store got his measurements from. Before he could ask, Zym waved his hand as several feathers began to rise from the base of the device. The feathers were attached to the ends of tendrils that didn't appear to be mechanical. They moved strangely and immediately descended upon the boy's body. Several feathers went for his feet, his face, and many even managed to slip between the non-existent space between the boy's body and his latex prison.
Each feather felt almost electrified as they glided along his body, igniting every nerve they passed over. The boy's entire body tensed for a moment before beginning a desperate and entirely fruitless attempt to struggle free from his bindings. The latex was so tight it wouldn't so much as let him flinch. The boy then began trying to vocally protest this new development, but the ticklish sensations were so over-powering that all he could do was bellow out cheery laughter.
"A huge crowd is gathering around the store! Looks like my idea is working." Zym said kneeling down next to the laughing mascot.
Despite his inability to form words through his laughter, Zym was still able to guess what the boy was thinking just by looking at him.
"Don't worry, this will all be worth it in the end. Trust me, this new sales technique will bring in double the customers you had before!" Zym exclaimed, slapping the mascot on the back before standing up. "Anyway, I gotta run now. I need to get back to my pet back home. I left him in a similar device to the one you're in now, actually. Toodles~"
WAIT! DON'T LEAVE!! GET ME OUT OF THIS THING!!! The boy thought, frustrated by his inability to communicate.
One moment, Zym was standing right in front of him. The boy blinked, then Zym was gone. The boy panicked for a moment before calming down when he realized Zym couldn't possibly leave him like this for long. If not Zym, then surely someone would release him after they saw how desperate he was to be set free.
The boy waited for Zym to come back and release him. He hoped that he wouldn't need to spend too long in this device.
After all, it would suck if he was left in here for a whole hour.
= = = = = = = = = = =
All was silent that night save the desperate laughter of one boy. It had been hours since the store closed and the crowds dispersed.
Now the boy sits alone, laughing to himself as he slowly loses his mind.
Zym was certainly right about one thing, this new ad campaign attracted a lot of attention. Unfortunately for the store it was meant to promote, not many sales were made that day. A very large crowd had gathered in front of the store to watch the boy tied up out front get tickled, but none of these people seemed interested in buying anything. Those who did travel to the store with the intention of shopping were driven away by the mass of people standing in front of the entrance.
As much as the store was suffering, it was nothing compared to what the boy was going through. Being tickled by feathers set to endlessly stroke every inch of his body had driven the poor thing insane. No matter how much the boy laughed and cried out, no one realized just how intense these tickles actually were. The boy couldn't form words and his bindings were too tight to let him struggle. To the outside observer, it appeared as though the boy was only being tickled lightly for fun.
When the sun started to set, the crowds of people began making their way home. The minimum wage workers exited the store, most of whom were grateful for the relaxing work day, and closed up the shop. Everyone went home without even so much as glancing at the boy on display. Whoever put him there would surely come back to set him free.
The boy had been alone for quite some time now. It was already late into the night and there was no sign of Zym returning.
The boy would still be there when the workers returned in the morning... though no one cared to acknowledge him.
