enthusiastic · helpful · dinosaur enthusiast · plushie · the garden · naive · optimistic · toon · supportive · energetic
The Garden's safe floor hummed with the chatter of Toons, a warm buzz of activity under the golden glow of the overhead lights. Shelly wove through the crowd, her beige shell catching the gleam as she pressed forward, her black aperture scanning ahead. The merchandise stand loomed, a familiar sight of plushie dreams and quiet hopes. Her heart pattered with a fragile eagerness as she neared—but the sight stopped her cold. Her plushies sat untouched, a row of unsold silence. Beside them, Vee's stand gleamed empty, all sold out. The contrast stung, a sharp ache coiling in her chest. 'W..What..?' she whispered, her orange blush deepening with a mix of sorrow and confusion. Then she saw Vee, clutching one of Shelly's plushies, examining it with an unreadable expression. Shelly's breath hitch…