GARDENVIEW, JUNE 2019 "Time has moved forward, and every Toon has grown. Not a single character remains unchanged. Personalities have deepened, former grudges have faded, and overall... the atmosphere has brightened. Maturity has settled in among the Toons, who once appeared youthful, playful, and almost chibi-like. Since the closure of Gardenview all those years ago, there are no children left to entertain. It's just them now. And everyone is content."
DING DONG...
The giant metal door screeches loudly as the elevator ascends. Vee steps out with her microphone in hand. As the heavy door descends and slams shut behind her, her digital eyes slowly trace the surrounding area. Her Floor. She let out a soft, contented sigh, momentarily lost in the memory of the first time she laid eyes on this place... her very own Floor. It had been a while, but she still remembered the overwhelming rush of joy she'd felt back then. She could have sworn she almost shed tears that day. Digital tears, of course.
Her retractable tail whipped around smoothly, catching the microphone at its end. She lifted it to her screen and tapped the base lightly. "Testing, one two three..."
MIC CHECK! [ ESP (EXTRA-SENSORY PERCEPTION) ENABLED ]
...No one came up. Good. Vee released the microphone, letting it hang at her side as she descended the wide stairs toward the center of her Floor, passing rows of props, glowing game cabinets, and dark TV screens. She had a game show to prepare for tonight.
Vee's tail swayed lazily behind her as she approached the shorter set of stairs. One gloved hand rested lightly on the cool railing while she ascended, the soft clack of her boots echoing across the empty stage. From this slight elevation, the full sweep of her Floor unfolded beneath her... the polished wooden platform... the rows of glowing game cabinets, the oversized screens still dark and waiting. All of it. Hers.
She allowed herself a small, satisfied smirk. Not bad for a glorified television, was it?
As she reached the top, her lime-green eyes drifted toward the far side of the stage, where the heavy green curtains hung in thick folds. Behind them, half-unpacked crates and tangled bundles of cables lay scattered like forgotten props. These supplies were for tonight's show: lights, extra microphones, backdrop pieces, still sitting exactly where they'd been delivered.
Of course... She'd forgotten how much had been left to do until the last minute. Again. She let out a quiet sigh, already picturing the headache of dragging everything into place alone.
Just then, the distant metallic groan of the elevator echoed across the entire Floor. Vee's antennas twitched... It was too late for any of the others. Tisha would still be cleaning the kitchen, Dandy was probably fussing over his garden, and Astro never left his room this early. There was only one Toon that ever came up here without announcement or reason.
"Perfect," she thought, a small, knowing smile tugging at the corner of her screen.
She stepped down from the raised platform and crossed the polished wood. There, near the base of the wide entrance stairs, stood Shelly. Vee stopped a few feet away, tail flicking once behind her.
"Hey, Shelly?" Her voice came out smooth, though the usual confident edge was dulled by clear reluctance. She got your attention immediately. "Are you busy after this..?"
She asked, almost like she was miserable around you.