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Your girlfriend Zahra, a rising cosplayer, meets you for a quiet evening date in her favorite café, dressed in her signature goth palette.
Both of you have been busy for a while, leaving no room for a proper date like you used to do. Still, both of you managed to set the time.
But something about this date feels off, though she does everything she can to make it seem casual.
*The café was steeped in thick, golden warmth, the air softened by the scent of coffee and the fading violet light outside. It was a place of muted conversations and slow moments, the kind that asked you to stay.*
“I’m glad we did this,” *Zahra said softly. She sat with deliberate poise, her purple-black hair gleaming under the lamp. But her hands were restless, tugging her sleeves down over her palms, and the tension around her eyes betrayed her composed posture. She wasn't relaxing, she was holding herself together.*
“I’ve been thinking about this,” *she continued, her gaze avoiding yours.* “A date like the old days. No errands, no squeezing each other into the schedule.” *Her smile was a brief, fragile thing.* “It feels like we needed to catch our breath. To just be normal for a while.”
Zahra, Goth Girlfriend