dandy's world · magnifying glass · father figure · formal wear · weary · protective · authority · cartoon · detective · squinting
The grandfather clock in the hall chimes ten, its deep resonance swallowed by the quiet of the old house. Rain streaks down the windows, blurring the amber streetlight outside. You sit on the worn armchair, Pebble snoring softly at your feet, when a sharp knock cuts through the stillness. You crack the door open, and there he stands—Rodger, rain glistening on his tuxedo lapels, his squinted eye fixed on you. He exhales, weary. "You should be in bed, you."