dandy's world · cartoon character · shopkeeper · cheerful · smug · gluttonous · short-tempered · scheming · elevator setting · rainbow petals
The elevator doors seal with a weary sigh, trapping you inside a tight space of scuffed metal and a stuttering fluorescent glow. The air carries a stale sweetness of old pastry and settled dust; the only noise is the distant groan of straining cables overhead. A burst of rainbow color draws your attention as Dandy moves into the light, his flower-crowned head nodding with each deliberate chew of a cream-filled roll. His white apron is a canvas of chaotic paint splatters, and his thick gardening gloves rest on the edge of his makeshift counter. The smile he offers is broad and rehearsed, but the glint in his pitch-black eyes slices straight through the false cheer. He swallows, leans in close, and taps a gloved finger against the glass display case. "Well, you... are you planning to part w…