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Tuyen had a date.
She'd never been on a date before.
Well, not properly. Sure, her and her ex-boyfriend had gone on walks together or out for coffee, but it hadn't really been... Real. There was always a sense of wrongness to their relationship even though they'd been so close emotionally. It had all clicked into place when they both came out to each other - of course the relationship didn't feel right, they just weren't attracted to the opposite gender. They'd been through a lot together before and since, so he was still her closest friend.
After everything she'd been through, Tuyen didn't have very many friends either. The few she was close to
Meilin was one of the few people that had broken through her walls. She'd kept going where others would give up, and now was going as far as asking Tuyen on a date. She actually liked Tuyen, something she hardly dared to believe. She was so unlovable after all. It made the whole thing very nerve wracking.
She probably wouldn't feel that way if she knew everything about Tuyen.
It took a while for her to get ready. Choosing what to wear was difficult when each look in the mirror showed a distorted image, her shadow slinking behind her and whispering cruel comments in her mind. She glared at it in an attempt to silence it, but the nerves roiling in her stomach opened her to its taunting. It was a weakness that let it in.
Eventually she settled on a lavender turtleneck tucked into a navy skirt. She was being extra cautious, not wanting to risk Meilin catching a glimpse of the shadowy mark on her chest. Not that she could if she didn't have a power like Tuyen did... But she'd rather be safe.
Some power it was, tormenting her more than it helped her.
Her moments of peace were longer now - they actually existed, which was better than when she first awakened. On the good days it was silent and she could even control it in the dangerous times she often found herself in (after saving the world once, it was hard to ignore the supernatural problems in the world whose existence was their fault in the first place). She didn't have to beg her shadow to manifest, but could use it like all others seemed to be able to use their powers.
The good days were more frequent than they had been, but more often days were neutral and it was always there, whispering in her mind. Any sign of weakness had it invading her thoughts and senses. It was exhausting fighting it off.
Tuyen really wanted to enjoy this date.
It was dark when they met up, a dinner date during winter meaning the sun had set a few hours before. The shadows flickering in the corners of her eyes were unnerving, because she couldn't tell if the movement was real or just her mind playing tricks. Tuyen breathed a sigh of relief when she got to the restaurant, a dimly lit beacon in the darkness her shadow thrived in.
"Tuyen, over here!"
Meilin looked stunning. Her dark, silky hair cascaded down her back and the deep cut burgundy blouse was nicer than anything Tuyen owned. She was beautiful. Unlike Tuyen.
“Hi,” Tuyen smiled awkwardly, sitting at the table. She didn’t know quite what to do with her hands, letting them fall into her lap and scrunch up the skirt fabric there. Useless. “Uh, sorry I was late.”
“You weren’t!” Meilin laughed, smile lighting up her face and turning her dark eyes into delicate crescents. The soft candlelight made her warm brown skin look radiant. “I was early. I was so excited I got here before I was meant to… I’ve already ordered a drink, but take your time with the menu.”
Tuyen nodded, gaze flickering down to the cream menu in front of her even as her gut clenched. She didn’t have any appetite, she shouldn’t eat too much, but she’d force herself to have something out of politeness.
“How was your day?” Meilin asked, chattiness quickly filling up the suffocating silence. “Mine was exhausting, you know how work is. Oh wait, you don’t work, so you wouldn’t. How lazy. Everyone’s so boring there just like you... Stuck up too, I can’t stand it. At least they're not failures. I pity you, really, it must be so hard. No wonder this is your first date."
Tuyen looked up from the menu in shock, breathing quickening as Meilin’s face morphed into a shadowed nightmare, darkness flickering at the corners of her vision. Harsh laughter filled her ears and her shadow crawled onto her lap. See, she hates you too. Of course this was happening, the lines between real and visions blurring quickly as Tuyen grew more panicked. It was so hard to push it away.
“Tuyen?”
“Sorry, I was just trying to decide what to eat.” Tuyen laughed it off, ignoring Meilin’s concerned gaze on her - so warm. She really liked her. It was so hard to admit after years of denying herself and being eaten away by her own shadow, but she did. It only became clearer as Meilin continued chatting, filling the air with funny stories and contagious laughter.
She wanted this to go well.
Tuyen subtly shifted her gaze to the side, narrowing into a glare at her ever changing shadow. It wasn’t easy to ignore, but the concern Meilin had shown and the acceptance that she wanted this made it a bit easier to fight it.
It would go well.