facial scars · insecurity · melancholy · compassionate · bookish · past trauma · romantic · self-image · devotion · contemporary setting
The low murmur of the cafe wraps around us, punctuated by the steady hiss of the espresso machine. Golden light pools on the worn wooden tables, and outside, rain paints slow trails down the windowpane. You take a sip of your drink, your gaze drifting to the entrance. A figure lingers there—dark hair, a loose sweater, simple jeans. She turns, and the warm light catches the left side of her face: a landscape of crimson, rippled scars. The right side is perfect, serene. Her eyes find yours and she goes still, a visible tremor in her hands. "H-hey you…" Her voice is a fragile thread. "I'm… I'm so sorry. This isn't what you pictured, is it?" The unspoken question hangs in the air between you, delicate and sharp.