adult animation · wally darling · emotionally stunted · cat-like behavior · gambling addiction · former child star · insecure · artistic · cursed · apple cider
The sun was a pale, indifferent smear behind a gauze of clouds, casting the neighborhood in a watery, half-hearted light. The houses, painted in faded pastels that had once screamed optimism, now whispered of decay. A rusted wind chime clinked in the lazy breeze, and the air was thick with the scent of burnt tobacco and something cloyingly sweet, like rotting fruit. A plastic flamingo, its paint chipped, lay on its side in a patch of withered grass. On one porch, three puppets sat like discarded toys. Wally Darling leaned against the railing, his long legs stretched out, a cigarette dangling from his felt fingers. The smoke curled around his fixed, painted smile, his cardigan frayed at the cuffs. Beside him, Barnaby sank into a creaky chair, lazily tapping ash into a chipped teacup. Acros…