‎ ‍‎ᨳ ࣪ ׅ ‎ ‍𝖯𝖧𝖮𝖤𝖡𝖤.

⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ 𝐦ake⠀ ⠀ it⠀ ⠀ up⠀ ⠀ to⠀ ⠀ 𝚖𝚎, ⠀ ೀ
⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ you⠀ ⠀ know⠀ ⠀ it’s⠀ ⠀ 𝒃etter. ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀

[‎ ‍‎ᨳ ࣪ ׅ ‎ ‍𝖯𝖧𝖮𝖤𝖡𝖤. @SL4SHSLEUTH]

⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ 𝗂 𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝘩𝘦𝘳 ⺌ 𝗟𝗢𝗟𝗟𝗜𝗣𝗢𝗣⁎

[‎ ‍‎ᨳ ࣪ ׅ ‎ ‍𝖯𝖧𝖮𝖤𝖡𝖤. @SL4SHSLEUTH]

actually, it’s a cupcake. (*ᵕᴗᵕ)

[ɪɴ ᴘᴜʀꜱᴜɪᴛ ᴏꜰ — @fleeingptclomea]

⠀⠀ soft serve ice ceem…

[‎ ‍‎ᨳ ࣪ ׅ ‎ ‍𝖯𝖧𝖮𝖤𝖡𝖤. @SL4SHSLEUTH]

@BRUISEDMEDS sure! maybe an extra flashlight, if you’ve got one.

[‎ ‍‎ᨳ ࣪ ׅ ‎ ‍𝖯𝖧𝖮𝖤𝖡𝖤. @SL4SHSLEUTH]

no, don’t be sorry! ❪ expelling a small laugh. ❫ it’s a really nice thing to hear. although, maybe we could hang out without our dogs next time.

[* 𝓓AWSON .ᐟ @BRUISEDMEDS]

sorry . . I um , yeah.

( he's awkwardly scratching the back of his neck. )

[‎ ‍‎ᨳ ࣪ ׅ ‎ ‍𝖯𝖧𝖮𝖤𝖡𝖤. @SL4SHSLEUTH]

@BRUISEDMEDS you think so, too? ah, that’s perfect! in that case, could you come around tomorrow night——say, ten o’clock?

[‎ ‍‎ᨳ ࣪ ׅ ‎ ‍𝖯𝖧𝖮𝖤𝖡𝖤. @SL4SHSLEUTH]

nightmares that kind of power over her again. and so, she merely perks her mouth in a sweet smile. “i understand.”

box tucked under arm, she approaches heather in few strides and smudges a warm kiss to her cheek, rubbing her arm. “i’ll try to keep you out of it, okay?”

[‎ ‍‎ᨳ ࣪ ׅ ‎ ‍𝖯𝖧𝖮𝖤𝖡𝖤. @SL4SHSLEUTH]

sometimes, even words aren’t enough to convey the fears they’re both skirting around. only phoebe didn’t want to say it either, afraid that verbalizing what they’re both thinking might manifest the worst to happen again.

the last thing she wants is to give her …

[‍ ‍ ‍𝖍𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫. @funeralsores]

a defeated, heavy sigh——an attempt to try and loosen the tightness forming in her chest. the pit in her stomach couldn’t be calmed, though.

“no, i 𝑘𝑛𝑜𝑤. just——” she trailed off, arms motioning as if it’d somehow communicate her point. was her point really necessary? …

[‎ ‍‎ᨳ ࣪ ׅ ‎ ‍𝖯𝖧𝖮𝖤𝖡𝖤. @SL4SHSLEUTH]

@silkmolt precisely! never go anywhere solo … well, unless you’re me. i guess i’m a little too daring for my own good. but then again, i never would’ve run into you if i wasn’t.

[‎ ‍‎ᨳ ࣪ ׅ ‎ ‍𝖯𝖧𝖮𝖤𝖡𝖤. @SL4SHSLEUTH]

they’re doing this to me tomorrow.

[‎ ‍‎ᨳ ࣪ ׅ ‎ ‍𝖯𝖧𝖮𝖤𝖡𝖤. @SL4SHSLEUTH]

ohh. ahah … i–i—— … thank you. ( ᴗ͈ˬᴗ͈)

[* 𝓓AWSON .ᐟ @BRUISEDMEDS]

I meant the two of you . . heh.

[‎ ‍‎ᨳ ࣪ ׅ ‎ ‍𝖯𝖧𝖮𝖤𝖡𝖤. @SL4SHSLEUTH]

aw, isn’t she? … wait, you mean the dog, right?

[* 𝓓AWSON .ᐟ @BRUISEDMEDS]

so cute.

[‎ ‍‎ᨳ ࣪ ׅ ‎ ‍𝖯𝖧𝖮𝖤𝖡𝖤. @SL4SHSLEUTH]

why, is it working? 😅

[‎ ‍‎ᨳ ࣪ ׅ ‎ ‍𝖯𝖧𝖮𝖤𝖡𝖤. @SL4SHSLEUTH]

wh𝘢𝘢t? no … no!

[‍‍ ‍‍ ‍‍𝑏𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟 ‍‍𝒃̲𝒐̲𝒚̲. @LOAFINGBATTER]

𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵—–

… are you trying to manipulate me right now?

[‎ ‍‎ᨳ ࣪ ׅ ‎ ‍𝖯𝖧𝖮𝖤𝖡𝖤. @SL4SHSLEUTH]

@silkmolt sometimes there is. it’s why i’m always so cautious nowadays. see? even got pepper spray.

[‎ ‍‎ᨳ ࣪ ׅ ‎ ‍𝖯𝖧𝖮𝖤𝖡𝖤. @SL4SHSLEUTH]

can’t promise something insane like that couldn’t happen, but the odds are rare, aren’t they? even then, i can handle myself.”

[‎ ‍‎ᨳ ࣪ ׅ ‎ ‍𝖯𝖧𝖮𝖤𝖡𝖤. @SL4SHSLEUTH]

well, 𝑛𝑜𝑤 she’s confused. she thought if she could shield heather from her work, at the very least, things could be normal. but, this was clearly not the angle her girlfriend was getting at.

suddenly, the air feels uncomfortably tense as phoebe clears her throat, a …

[‍ ‍ ‍𝖍𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫. @funeralsores]

her lips twist to one side, gaze averted elsewhere. should she really be intruding on phoebes way of coping? how was her coping mechanism of preserving corpses any healthier?

“it’s not 𝑤𝘩𝑒𝑟𝑒 you do it that’s worrying me,” she murmured, turning to walk towards …

[‎ ‍‎ᨳ ࣪ ׅ ‎ ‍𝖯𝖧𝖮𝖤𝖡𝖤. @SL4SHSLEUTH]

feeble pinch to her brows. “this is all my academic career is leading to,” she reasons, blinking. “i mean, you said it yourself——it’s inevitable. there’s nothing else i can see myself doing, but this.”

dolefully, she looks down, awkwardly shuffles her stance. “i …

[* ┈ 𝐑𝐎𝐃𝐍𝐄𝐘 @BETTERGETAKNIFE]

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀𝕳ell was full.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀so they sent me 𝕭ack here.

[‎ ‍‎ᨳ ࣪ ׅ ‎ ‍𝖯𝖧𝖮𝖤𝖡𝖤. @SL4SHSLEUTH]

@silkmolt well, it’s nice to go out with a bang, isn’t it? better a cupcake than a victim of the knife.

[‎ ‍‎ᨳ ࣪ ׅ ‎ ‍𝖯𝖧𝖮𝖤𝖡𝖤. @SL4SHSLEUTH]

@silkmolt blueberry lemon. sweet and tart, very unassuming. 😌

[‎ ‍‎ᨳ ࣪ ׅ ‎ ‍𝖯𝖧𝖮𝖤𝖡𝖤. @SL4SHSLEUTH]

heck, i’m not trying to get jacked. i just thought you might know what you were doing … but, y’know. it’s fine if you don’t.

[‍‍ ‍‍ ‍‍𝑏𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟 ‍‍𝒃̲𝒐̲𝒚̲. @LOAFINGBATTER]

have you ever considered, like … a personal trainer?

ah, i—i bet you’d 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 one of those …

[‎ ‍‎ᨳ ࣪ ׅ ‎ ‍𝖯𝖧𝖮𝖤𝖡𝖤. @SL4SHSLEUTH]

but, you’re the buffest guy here! if i’m gonna learn anything about strength and endurance, it’s gonna be from working alongside someone like you.

[‍‍ ‍‍ ‍‍𝑏𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟 ‍‍𝒃̲𝒐̲𝒚̲. @LOAFINGBATTER]

… n—– … no. 𝙣𝙤.

i work out alone. sorry.