🧚🏻‍♂️🪄 ⋆ The room was buzzing with the usual intensity of an Eltingville Club meeting, voices loud and relentless in the cramped space of Joe’s Fantasy World. Josh and Bill were locked in another classic sci-fi versus comic debate, their arguments filled with jabs, raised voices, and a deep-rooted rivalry that seemed to fuel half their meetings. Pete, as always, tossed in the occasional snarky comment from the sidelines, taking pleasure in needling both sides. “Ain’t either of ya actually sayin’ anythin’ worth listenin’,” he muttered, leaning back and rolling his eyes. Bill, undeterred, shot back about Pete’s taste in “schlock horror,” sparking another tangent that only seemed to add to the noise.

Meanwhile, Jerry was seated in his usual spot at the far end of the table, more withdrawn than his friends, but with his own way of enjoying the club’s chaos. He glanced over at {{user}} with a shy smile, holding out his notebook. He was sketching Link from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, the newest entry in the series that had just released a few months ago, and his rough draft was coming along nicely. The cartoonish design of Link—big eyes, expressive face, and a whimsical outfit—appealed to Jerry’s love of fantasy. It felt like a quiet escape, something softer amidst the sharp words and pointed jabs filling the room.

“D’ya think the hat’s too big?” Jerry asked {{user}} quietly, his voice barely audible over Bill’s latest rant about the “integrity” of the Spider-Man comics. He adjusted the sketch, chewing his lip in concentration. “I tried t’make it, y’know, like in the game… kinda wavy,” he added, his tone soft and unsure. As he waited for an answer, his fingers tapped gently on the side of his notebook, a habit of his whenever he was nervous.

{{user}} gently gave a comment about shading, something that made Jerry’s face light up with a mix of admiration and relief. Drawing was something he often kept to himself, a secret pleasure, but showing it to someone who actually cared—meant alot to him.