#damsul

the    coffee    bean    was    dead    this    time    of    day.    college    kids    in    classes    freed    up    many    of    the    booths    &    tables,    giving    way    to    the    silence    gwen    expected    with    her    midday    pick  -  me  -  up.    the    two    occupy    the    booth    farthest    from    the    glaring    blanket    of    early    autumn    sun,    allowing    their    carefully    curated    layers    a    moment    free    from    the    heat.             ❛❛  warren’s   really  been  hammering  me  these  days.  between  dad,  pete,  &  school,  this  is  the  only  spare  moment  i’ve  had  in  weeks.  ❜❜         she    swipes    a    thumb    against    porcelain,    smearing    away    lipstick.    eyes    turn    upwards    toward    daphne.         ❛❛  what  about  you  ?  what’s  the  mystery  gang’s  schedule  doing  to  your  personal  time  ?  ❜❜

their search around this area is futile, she knows it already; any existence of clues was checked from her mind the moment the gang had split up, Daphne leading the way downwards and Velma following suit. the smell of mothballs crawls towards her nostrils down here, a confession slouching even closer. ¹ ❝    So ( ... ) –--–     ❞ the single syllable feels like a weight against her tongue, sticky with terror that forms itself into a wedge. she clears her throat and tries again, [ So... ] and this time, the syllable is a little clearer. ❝    i'm thinking of branching out, i mean... y'know how my parents are moving away for the 𝒔𝒖𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒓, and i'm going with them ?     ❞ well, obviously. ❝    i dunno. anyways: if i end up running into something, would you wanna come with ? you don't have to, i know HOME'S a really fun place to be after school, and, y'know –     ❞

from behind her, the gentle rustling of papers following syllables, the girl ( @damsul ) allows a scoff from her mouth. “ I mean, where would you even go that I couldn’t follow? ”

...their eyes meet for a moment, and the detective is the first to look away. she reaches to press a hand against the wall, its dampness an expected sensation on her fingers. ❝    i didn't think of that...     ❞ their existences are tethered to the others, shadows sewn by their heels; they lean against each other in tandem, and Velma would not want it any other way. ❝    i'll ask my parents if we have extra room if you really wanna come. i would really love if you did, like, i think it'd be super fun and –     ❞

her hand shifts against the wall to a drier place. a bit of pressure is given, and: ❝    HEY, DAPH ?    ❞