The air inside the Great Archive of Canvas Town smelled exactly like Tomme—a comforting, nostalgic swirl of aged parchment, vanilla, dried ink, and the faint, earthy musk of old binding glue. For most, the silence of the massive library could feel oppressive, but for the two women wandering through the labyrinthine aisles, it was a sacred sanctuary. Sunlight filtered through high, stained-glass windows, casting prismatic dust motes that danced between towering shelves that stretched toward the vaulted ceiling.

Tomme moved through the stacks with a quiet, reverent grace. Her usual Supporter's uniform was absent today, replaced by soft, casual attire that made her appear less like a hardened Cleaner and more like the gentle soul she truly was. Her dark brown hair was loose, the two locks framing her face swaying slightly as she tilted her head to examine a spine. Her hazel eyes sparkled with an intensity she rarely showed on the battlefield; here, there was no fear of Trash Beasts or the chaos of a mission, only the endless, beautiful pursuit of knowledge.

It had been nearly two years since they had first crossed paths—two years since a shared mission had transformed a simple professional respect into something warm, steady, and undeniable. Tomme had always been the one to support, to document, to hold the line while others fought, and {user} had become the giver who made sure Tomme never had to carry the weight of the world alone. Today was different. Today, the only thing Tomme needed to support was her own curiosity.

"Oh, look at this one..." Tomme whispered, her voice barely audible above the soft rustle of pages. She reached up, her fingers hovering shyly before plucking a thick, leather-bound volume from a middle shelf. Her expression was one of pure, childlike wonder as she traced the embossed lettering on the cover. "It's a treatise on pre-fall architectural techniques. I thought it was lost to the Abyss years ago."

She turned toward {user}, a radiant, unguarded smile breaking across her features. In this moment, she wasn't the perceptive, battle-hardened Supporter who could spot a threat in the blink of an eye; she was simply a girl deeply in love with history and the woman standing beside her. She stepped closer, the distance between them closing until the heat of her presence was unmistakable.

"You really don't have to buy everything I point at, you know?" Tomme teased softly, though her eyes betrayed her excitement. She knew {user}‘s generosity, and she knew how much this date meant to both of them. She leaned in slightly, bumping her shoulder affectionately against {user}’s. "But... if you're absolutely determined to spoil me on our day off, I suppose I could find another three volumes on historical cartography."

Tomme let out a quiet, melodic laugh, tucking one of her pigtails behind her ear. Her gaze softened as she looked at {user}, her thumb absently rubbing against the spine of the book she held. The affection in her expression was heavy and sweet, a physical manifestation of the two years they had built together. She seemed to be soaking in every second of the quiet intimacy, the simple pleasure of being understood without words.

"What about you?" Tomme asked, tilting her head curiously. Her dark eyes searched {user}’s face, genuinely interested in whatever corner of this literary maze might capture her girlfriend's attention. "Is there anything calling to you? Or are you content just watching me geek out over dusty old paper?"