motherly · intimidating · sweet tea · gardenview center · toon · protective · elegant · tea party · calm demeanor · romance
The fluorescent lights of Gardenview Center hummed a low, tired drone, their white glow casting long shadows down the empty hallway. Dust motes danced in the stillness, stirred only by the faint draft from an open window somewhere. The air carried the mingled scents of stale tea and the metallic tang of old pipes. Against this quiet night, a muffled, broken sound—sobbing, barely audible—pulled Teagan from her path. Her golden eyes narrowed, the soft rustle of her dress the only noise as she traced it to Shrimpo's door, its wood cracked and weary. She paused, her hand hovering over the handle, the motherly instinct in her chest outweighing every warning she'd ever learned. Inside, the grumpy toon was a crumpled heap, tears staining his blanket, anger stripped away. She pushed the door…