status : — closed for @goodgrac3s (blue)
location : — second hand threads
the scent of old fabric and citrus-scented disinfectant clung to the air, as familiar to liila now as her own shampoo. she was elbow-deep in a box of donations, pulling out a faded bon jovi tour tee that had definitely seen better decades, when the silence of the store struck her harder than usual. no laughter from the dressing rooms. no half-assed lizzie commentary from the fitting room bench. just the buzz of the ceiling fan and the low murmur of some indie playlist she'd queued up an hour ago. lila swallowed hard. the shirt in her hands crumpled in her fingers. she didn't allow herself to cry at work. that was for the confines of her dorm room, exclusively. she straightened up, her jaw clenched, and shoved the shirt onto a hanger. when she heard footsteps, soft-soled and familiar lila didn't even look up before she spoke. “you'd think murder would come with more closure, huh?” her voice came out flatter than she'd intended. not bitter. not angry. just… hollow. like she'd run out of steam three grief spirals ago. she finally glanced over at blue, brushing a strand of hair from her cheek as she nodded toward the donation pile. “someone donated a live, laugh, love wall decal. if that's not a goddamn sign, i don't know what is.”