M Â Â /Â Â SHE'S NEVER BEEN A FAN OF GOODBYES, OR THE THREAT OF SUCH. this one has been put off for a week. it sits in the back of her throat like a bad taste, a rotten cold. the flashlight she carries is cold in her palm; the light it throws over this basement [ a dingy place, old water dripping from the ceiling... ] is a welcome, yellow - white reprieve from the darkness. she turns to the redhead, mouth broken into a small grin: I doubt this place has seen even a fluorescent light in years! silence engulfs them faster than the shadows catch their bodies, flashlight energy flickering once, twice. from the corner of her eye, Velma catches a responding smile, and her heart feels thrice its size.
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. š
â   So ( ... ) â--â   â 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. â   i'm thinking of branching out, i mean... y'know how my parents are moving away for the đđđđđđ, and i'm going with them ?   â well, obviously. â   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 â   â
from behind her, the gentle rustling of papers following syllables, the girl ( @damsul ) allows a scoff from her mouth. â I mean, where would you even go that I couldnât follow? â
...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. â   i didn't think of that...   â 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. â   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 â   â
her hand shifts against the wall to a drier place. a bit of pressure is given, and: â Â Â HEY, DAPH ? Â Â â
š â ...the confessional may be the difference between saving a friendship, or furthering one's love for another... â AN EXCERPT: DR. MILDRED VAUGHN, TRUTH AND OTHER SCARIES ( 2010 )