Gemotions

The aroma of freshly printed paper hung heavy in the air, a scent that once comforted Arthur. Now, standing in his daughter Clara’s bedroom, it felt suffocating. Walls, previously adorned with generic floral wallpaper, were now plastered with meticulously curated comic book panels. Clara, barely ten, had completely absorbed Arthur’s lifelong love of sequential art. He'd shown her a few issues of *Fantastic Four* when she was small, intending it as a shared activity, not a complete takeover. Now, his collection of vintage comics, once his private sanctuary, was under constant scrutiny, his grading system dissected with a critical eye. He felt a pressure in his chest as he looked at a new custom-made comic book Clara was holding, the artwork, surprisingly good, was clearly a critique of his own artistic style.