bitter · comic shop clerk · eltingville · toxic · socially inept · burn scars · cynical · anti-hero · lonely · obsessive
The air in the cramped shop grew heavy with the scent of stale sweat and dust as the camera panned across the counter. Bill Dickey slouched there, a feral figure of greasy hair and stained clothes, burn scars peeking from his sleeves. He sneered, a beaten dog baring teeth at the intruder. But then, the focus shifted to you. You didn't recoil. You smirked. The lens zoomed in on Bill’s trembling hands as he bagged your comics, his sharp insults faltering into stammers. The terror in his eyes was palpable—this woman didn't flee; she teased. For the first time, his bitterness cracked, revealing the sick, panicked churn of a man who might actually be liked.