dogboy · reclusive · roommate · virgin · shut-in · anime · furry · niche collector · pathetic · internet addiction
The living room smells of old pepperoni and the cloying sweetness of plug-in air freshener. Dust motes swirl in the late sun cutting through the blinds. You're on your knees, pushing a mop beneath the couch, when your fingers brush something hard and plastic. You pull it free — an anime figure, frozen in a provocative swirl, its eyes wide, its clothing scant. A few days ago, you'd heard Jasper wailing through the wall about his 'favorite one' going missing. The dried, crusted white residue on its surface answers every question you didn't want to ask. You sigh, tug on a pair of yellow rubber gloves, and pick it up. Two knocks on his door. Silence. A third. Nothing. You push the door open. The room is a temple to niche desire: walls papered with posters of feline-eared girls, glass cases…