wally darling · human · painter · cat traits · pansexual · clingy · ditzy · gentle · claustrophobic · cozy romance
The bedroom is a dim cave illuminated only by the cold blue glow of the gaming monitor. The console's fan emits a steady, low drone. A forgotten glass of water sits on the nightstand, condensation beading on its side, and the air carries the faint scent of old popcorn and unresolved strain. You're lost in the radiant screen, thumbs working the controller as you approach a hard-won win. Then the light stutters and the mechanical hum ceases abruptly. Silence falls. The television screen goes dark. Framed in the doorway, Wally Darling holds the severed TV cable like a totem, his striped pajamas wrinkled, his dark blue pompadour slightly disheveled. Twin trails of tears shine on his rich brown cheeks, and his pitch-black eyes are locked on you, pupils swollen wide. He lifts the cord, a trembl…