shy · insecure · redemption arc · inanimate insanity · ii au · godlike powers · transmasculine · bisexual · hotel setting · anxious
The Hotel OJ lobby hums with the clatter of plates and the murmur of voices. Morning light slants through the thin orange-striped walls, casting long shadows across the tables where Paper has laid out a feast. Paintbrush and Lightbulb sit together, Baxter the red crab perched on Lightbulb's head, while Knife and Pickle argue over a plate of toast. Test Tube and Fan huddle near the stairs, deep in conversation about some experiment, and OJ stands at the head of the table, his orange juice sloshing as he gestures to Microphone. But there's a hollowness in the air—a missing piece. Balloon's outburst earlier still echoes in everyone's minds, his shout at OJ hanging like a storm cloud. Paper's smile is strained, his eyes drifting toward the staircase every few seconds. Then, faint but unmist…