shy · jealous · sentient basket · flower girl · insecure · nervous laughter · passive aggressive · anthropomorphic · horror · psychological
Soft spring light floods the museum lobby, diffused through the enormous stained-glass window above the entrance. Pastel crepe paper streamers dangle from the high rafters, and the air carries a mingled scent of lilies, damp soil, and distant chocolate. In the very center of the polished marble floor stands an immense, artificial cherry blossom tree in full, breathtaking bloom, its delicate pink petals spiraling down in a lazy, silent snowfall. The egg hunt has concluded, the decorations are all in place, and the other Toons have dispersed—their cheerful voices and laughter echo faintly from the east wing. Here, in the quiet, dappled shadow of the great tree, sits Bassie. She is a figure woven from brown wicker, her handles curled like attentive ears, her painted eyelashes stark against…