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aria-ashryver · 1 month

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Meet my OC - Viktor Ivanov

Name: Viktor Ivanov Book: Immortal Desires Orientation: Bisexual Pronouns: He/him Birthday: 12th October 1997 Sign: Libra Born: Dunedin, New Zealand Raised: Sydney, Australia, and Inverness, Scotland (with some short stints in both NZ and Croatia) Heritage: Croat

More under the cut! 🖤✨

Family

Henrik Ivanov (younger brother) Mother (name tbd) Father (name tbd)

Viktor’s closest family member is his younger brother Henrik (Henri, as a diminutive), who is eight. Henri attends boarding school, so they do not see each other much, but Henri idolises his big brother and Viktor would do anything to keep Henri from being hurt. He believes his parents treat Henri as the “do-over” child, and that they think Viktor “lacks ambition” and “refuses to take anything seriously”. There is a lot of pressure on Henri to perform well academically and to follow in his father’s footsteps, career-wise.

Viktor’s father’s career remains something of a mystery to him — he knows it is a somewhat high-ranking governmental position that requires him to travel a lot, so his father is only home for short stints every few months. When he was around 12 or 13, Viktor decided he would ask his dad outright what his job actually was the next time he showed an interest in one of Viktor’s hobbies or interests.

To this day, Viktor has no idea what his father does for a living.

His mother is a stay-at-home housewife. She is the family member Viktor sees the most often, and also the one he has the worst relationship with.

Skills / Hobbies

Sketching, painting, singing — frontman and founder of grunge/rock band Your Bisexual Awakening. Also plays bass

YBA cycles through names often, all of which have a story attached. They choose a new name via the following system: if a band member says something stupid or memorable in conversation, and two or more members simultaneously say "band name", they must change it to whatever was just said. I.e.

Cal: seriously, guys? again? Ava: my bad. Angel's refractory period is more like a Refractory Comma Angel, Viktor, and Luca, simultaneously: band name Ava: aw, fuck.

Random Trivia

Moved a lot as a child — growing up jumping between Scotland, Australia, New Zealand, and Croatia has left Viktor with the weirdest accent. Its mostly Scottish... ish? Kinda?

Enjoys anime — once described watching Tokyo Ghoul as the purest spiritual experience of his life (and then sulked inconsolably for a week when he found out the final season was copaganda)

Scared of dogs (was bitten when he was younger)

Loves having his photo taken, but also can’t look at photos of himself sometimes, because they often bring on depersonalisation episodes

Huge collection of slogan t-shirts he crops and alters himself.

Can do overtone / polyphonic singing (but not well)

When he shared a dorm room with Luca at Avalon, for a while his alarm was this Marc Rebillet song (until Luca threatened to beat him to death with a pair of socks unless he changed it)

Has a crush on Kylo Ren

Is deeply ashamed of his crush on Kylo Ren

Favourite movie is Sucker Punch (will rant AT LENGTH about how people completely miss the feminist read)

His fashion sense is varied and questionable. One day he’ll be in gritty, black techwear, the next he’s full flower-boy poet. Then he’ll be Grandma-chic, and the next day he might be wearing a three-piece suit patterned exclusively with cobs of corn.

He does really love garments that drape and flow, though, and is a bit of a sucker for glitter and fun textures. No matter how loud, he somehow manages to always wear the outfits, and not have them wear him.

Viktor’s goals are informed by an odd mix of wanting a sense of agency and independence, while also just wanting to be taken care of and not have to think

Pathetic Babygirl of All Time

Personal Life

cw!! for talk around mental illness, suicide, and substance abuse

Viktor’s childhood was extremely difficult in that his mother simply does not believe that mental illnesses and neurologic disorders are legitimate conditions, and denies that Viktor’s many conditions are real. She believes he is making everything up for attention. Viktor has had this rhetoric drilled into him since childhood — there is nothing wrong with him, he’s just weak, lazy, a failure, a troubled child.

As such, he has never been diagnosed with anything on record.

He is quite mistrustful of authority figures as a result of his upbringing.

The first real, healthy parental influence in his life was Terri O’Rinn. She was the one to refer Viktor to a specialist doctor — she called in a favour from a friend/colleague, who was able to confirm Viktor’s diagnosis of mild to moderate Tourette Syndrome. This diagnosis remains strictly off-record. He primarily has motor tics, but he does have some verbal ones too — many of his tics are indistinguishable from the way he carries himself and his usual, somewhat eccentric mannerisms of speaking and moving.

Viktor also suffers from depression and generalised anxiety disorder. Luca has “diagnosed” him with “ADHD by peer review.” Viktor also deals with frequent bouts of passive suicidal ideation. Luca has had to talk him down on two separate occasions when he has threatened attempts. He has attempted once, on his own, and has never told anyone about it. Viktor loves Luca like a brother, as they do him, and their bond is fundamentally unshakeable.

Viktor fell into performing initially as a means to cope with his Tourettes — music helps to help him feel in control of his symptoms, so he can often be found singing, humming, or whistling to himself as he goes about his business. Alcohol and weed incidentally dial back his premonitory urges as well, allowing him to more easily suppress his tics, so there have been patterns of substance abuse throughout Viktor’s life when he’s been in a bad place mentally.

In classes at school, he was something of the class clown — Viktor quickly realised he liked dictating the kind of attention that was on him (and that he actually really loves attention when its the kind he has sought out himself). So rather than people staring at him because of his tics, he’d rather enrapture them on purpose with beautiful and hypnotic performances. Leaning into his role as the band’s vocalist and frontman did wonders for his self-confidence and overall quality of life.

Also — he’s just really, really, good at singing 🖤🖤🖤

You can find out more about Viktor via my masterlist, or read about him in my longfic, snow in crimson, starlight in gold on AO3! 🖤(direct link, fic is rated Explicit)

tagging: @choicesficwriterscreations

#i release the boy into the wild hes your problem now #SICSIG #viktor ivanov #meet my oc #cfwc meet my mc #immortal desires #playchoices fanfic #choices fic writers creations #🏳‍🌈🏳‍🌈🏳‍🌈

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drabbles-mc · 1 year

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Drabbles-MC: The Bear Fics

Fic list under the cut!

👀 = smut, 💔 = angst

- After Hours (Carmy Berzatto & F!Reader)

- All Good Here (Sydney Adamu x Richie Jerimovich)

- What Did You Do? (Mikey Berzatto & Richie Jerimovich) 💔

- The Bridge (Carmy Berzatto) 💔

- Closing the Gap (Carmy Berzatto x Luca)

- You Have Friends? (Richie Jerimovich x Reader, Richie & Carmy & Fak)

- Curbside Service (Luca x GN!Reader)

- Latest & Greatest (Neil Fak & F!Reader)

- It'll Get Done, Part 2 (Richie Jerimovich & F!Reader)

- No Good Time For This (Sydney Adamu x Richie Jerimovich)

- Home for the Holidays? (Carmy Berzatto x OC)

- Take It Down (Sydney Adamu x Richie Jerimovich)

- Polyester (Sydney Adamu x Richie Jerimovich)

- Go Ask Mom (Natalie Berzatto & Neil Fak)

- Denim (Carmy Berzatto & Mikey Berzatto) 💔

- Behind (Carmy Berzatto & Pete)

- Close One (Luca x GN!Reader)

- Storm (Richie Jerimovich & GN!Reader)

- Compliments (Marcus Brooks x GN!Reader)

#the bear #the bear hulu #the bear fx #the bear fanfiction #carmy berzatto #carmen berzatto #mikey berzatto #richie jerimovich #sydney adamu #richie jerimovich x sydney adamu #sydney adamu x richie jerimovich #carmy berzatto x you #carmy berzatto x reader #my writing #fanfiction #drabblesmc #luca #luca the bear #carmy berzatto x luca

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ladyimaginarium · 8 months

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listing introjects' fcs 4 the sake of my& sanity

clementine maria jasmine cree ( twdg ) - ashley moore (primary), nyané lebajoa, amandla stenberg (secondary)

louis lacroix ( twdg ) - marcus sivyer

violet collmore ( twdg ) - phoebe bridgers

james dae young ( twdg ) - choi yeonjun

aasim acharya ( twdg ) - jeenu mahadevan

ava adebowale ( twdg ) - lashana lynch ( primary ); lupita nyong'o ( secondary )

harry potter ( potterverse ) - suraj sharma

hermione granger ( potterverse ) - logan browning

blaise zabini ( potterverse ) - rome flynn (tentative)

pansy parkinson ( potterverse ) - song hye kyo

haneul eun ha / luna lovegood ( potterverse ) - jung jinsoul

ginny weasley ( potterverse ) - luca hollestelle

sirius black ( potterverse ) - avan jogia

dutch ( black lagoon ) - mike colter

okajima rokuro / rock ( black lagoon ) - arata mackenyu

rebecca lee / revy ( black lagoon ) - jessica henwick

benjamin issacs / benny ( black lagoon ) - evan peters

edith blackwater / eda ( black lagoon ) - kristen stewart ( primary ); maya hawke ( secondary )

janet bhai ( black lagoon ) - mandip gill

lyanna stark ( asoiaf ) - adelaide kane

jon snow ( asoiaf ) - timothee chalamet ( primary ); kit harington ( secondary )

daenerys targaryen ( asoiaf ) - anya taylor joy ( primary ); freya allan, emilia clarke ( secondary )

asha greyjoy ( asoiaf ) - marina moschen

ashara dayne ( asoiaf ) - simone ashley, kate mgrath ( formerly; may consider dropping )

arianne martell ( asoiaf ) - deepika padukone

obara sand ( asoiaf ) - cynthia addai robinson

nymeria sand ( asoiaf ) - shanina shaik

tyene sand ( asoiaf ) - stephanie rose bertram ( primary ); gigi hadid ( secondary )

sarella sand ( asoiaf ) - adut akech ( primary; tentative); duckie thot ( secondary ), tracy ifeachor ( tertiary )

melisandre of asshai ( asoiaf ) - dilraba dilmurat

nymeria of ny sar ( asoiaf ) - aishwarya rai

visenya targaryen ( asoiaf ) - katheryn winnick

myrcella baratheon ( asoiaf ) - holliday grainger

val the wildling / of the free folk ( asoiaf ) - alyssa sutherland

willas tyrell ( asoiaf ) - peter mooney

garlan tyrell ( asoiaf ) - ben lamb

hua mulan ( disneyverse laced w/ historical source ) - zhang xinyu / viann zhang

tiana brown ( disneyverse laced with history ) - kiki layne

katniss everdeen ( the hunger games ) - kawennahere devery jacobs

worick arcangelo ( gangsta ) - austin butler ( tentative ); alex pettyfer ( tentative )

nicolas brown ( gangsta ) - chella man

alexandria benedetto ( gangsta ) - normani kordei

emilio benedetto ( gangsta ) - aubrey joseph (primary), rome flynn

constance raveau ( gangsta ) - shailene woodley ( tentative )

erica abaddonato ( gangsta ) - nastya zhidkova ( primary ); jennifer lawrence ( usually faceless if i& can help it )

delico abaddonato ( gangsta ) - lucky blue smith

svetlana morozova nikolaeva ( gangsta ) - tati gabrielle ( primary ); ryan destiny ( secondary )

bernardo corsica ( gangsta ) - ross lynch ( tentative )

nimes ( gangsta ) - dominique jackson

sherry christiano amodio ( gangsta ) - sydney sweeney ( tentative )

loretta christiano amodio ( gangsta ) - willow shields

georgiana corsica ( gangsta ) - loey lane

evelyn ( gangsta ) - sab quesada

sidney ( gangsta ) - cartia mallan

also, below are neither our& introjects or rp muses but we& may use in edits:

sebastian cree ( twdg oc; clementine's younger half brother ) - d'pharaoh woon-a-tai

ivan glaziev ( gangsta ) - adrien brody

galahad woehor ( gangsta ) - zae france

#arcana.txt #reblog & i& steal ur fucking soul #still gotta find my& son m.arco SOBS #there's just some introjects / characters that're so hard to translate into a fc istg lmao

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userlaylivia · 17 days

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What are your current top 25 OTPs?

keep in mind this changes after the top 5 a lot and some are higher at times and some honorary mentions are in the top 25 sometimes it depends on my feelings lol these are just my top 25 atm !! and pls nobody unfollow me for some of these as you know I multiship lol ily ❤️❤️ I almost have some that are tied but idc lol

damon/elena (the vampire diaries)

stiles/lydia(teen wolf)&bellamy/clarke (t100)

betty/jughead (riverdale)

pacey/joey (dawson's creek)

chuck/blair (gossip girl)

zeke/michaela (manifest)

spencer/olivia (all american)

brooke/lucas (one tree hill)

jess/rory (gilmore girls)

spike/buffy (buffy)

jackie/hyde (that 70's show)&mark/lexie (ga)

archie/veronica (riverdale)

jake/peyton (one tree hill)

kara/mon el (supergirl)

nathan/haley (one tree hill)

sydney/vaughn (alias)&jackson/april (ga)

jake/amy (brooklyn nine nine)

stefan/caroline (the vampire diaries)

brenda/dylan (beverly hills 90210)

hope/landon (legacies)

adam/cassie (the secret circle)

ross/rachel (friends)

barney/robin (how I met your mother)

sawyer/kate (lost)

chandler/monica (friends)

honorable mentions: sean/emma (degrassi), meredith/derek (grey's anatomy), jordan/layla (all american), stiles/malia (teen wolf), scott/allison (teen wolf), cheryl/toni (riverdale), tyler/caroline (tvd), luke/lorelai (gilmore girls), dan/blair and nate/serena (gossip girl), max/liz and michael/alex (roswell new mexico), max/liz and michael/maria (og roswell), betty/archie (riverdale), tim/lucy (the rookie), ricky/gina (hsmtmts), ryan/marissa (the oc), brooke/julian (one tree hill), jack/emily (revenge), barry/caitlin (the flash), conrad/nic (the resident), doug/carol (er), barry/iris (the flash), mike/eleven (stranger things)

#like I said it changes constantly depending on my mood after the first five lol #ty for the ask <3 #answered #maya-matlin #ask game

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badwritinghabit · 9 months

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Chef's Kiss | Carmy x fem!OC x Luca | Chapter 5

Previous Chapter | Next Chapter | Masterlist | Ao3

Warnings: This chapter swerves wildly away from canon. Luca comes to Chicago for a visit.

Word Count: 3,871

Summary: Sophie returns to The Bear to welcome Marcus home. She meets Luca who invites her to dinner.

Sophie had never really faced the feelings she had for Carmy before, always assuming nothing could come of it. And it left her reeling a little, the whiplash. But she tried to accept that Carmy had made a mistake. Caught up in the moment of nostalgia. And he had realized it wasn’t what he wanted.

Her call let her vent all of her feelings to Mallary. Her sister was mad, thought he was selfish and cruel. But Sophie found she couldn’t stay angry with him, not really. With Mikey, and the restaurant, and Carmy being Carmy, she couldn’t feel anything except heartbroken.

She was supposed to go into the restaurant again to talk about design decisions but when she begged off, claiming to need to see her sister, no one questioned her. And the next few weeks passed, quietly.

Carmy had called once to ask if she wanted to visit for a mini taste testing of some menu options Syd was trying out, but she could tell he felt awkward about it. She assumed Syd must’ve pushed him. But she couldn’t see him yet. So she made an excuse and he didn’t press her.

Her and Syd had gotten closer in the intervening weeks. Syd had called a few times asking for a chef friend to talk through recipes with since Carmy was busy. Sophie had jumped at the chance, desperately wanting to make more friends in her new city and happy to continue to bond with Syd. Thankfully the one time Syd asked her to come to the restaurant, she seemed to accept it without asking for an explanation when Sophie turned her down.

But Sophie didn’t want to avoid Carmy forever. He was her friend, still. Always. Even as she lay in bed the night he cooked for her and left her broken-hearted, she couldn’t help but remember how much Carmy had helped her. She didn’t want their friendship to end. She wanted to still be around to help him, if he needed it.

And she wanted to be there for Marcus's return. She was excited to hear what he had learned. They had been texting sporadically throughout his time abroad.

Early on in his travels they talked about making improved versions of desserts. He talked about cinnamon rolls and honey buns, making something that reminded him of his childhood. And Sophie had latched onto the idea after her sister had mentioned that she was craving cake pops. Sophie had toyed with a few recipes and ended up finding one she liked quite a bit. She decided to bring some in for Marcus and the others at The Bear as a sort of Welcome Back treat for Marcus. She thought it would get a laugh. And playing around with a recipe had been a good distraction.

She steeled herself as she walked in the front door and put on a smile. The restaurant was already so much farther along than the last time she'd seen it. "Wow. It's amazing in here," she said to Sydney, who walked over to give her a hug.

"Sophie!" Marcus exclaimed, walking over and pulling her into a bear hug after Syd released her.

"I missed you!" she said, hugging him back awkwardly, one arm still holding the glass bowl of cake pops. “How was Copenhagen? I need to hear everything,” she said excitedly. She stepped to the side slightly to place the bowl onto the table and realized someone was standing beside Marcus.

“Is this Sophie Miller?” She was slightly surprised by the British accent. She felt her cheeks warm immediately. Something about the way he said her name shot a thrill down her spine. He was tall, wearing a fitted t-shirt that made her look at his impressively muscled arms. His caramel blonde hair combed back into a swoop on top of his head. He was painfully attractive, though she pushed that thought aside. More importantly, something about him was familiar.

“That’s me,” she responded, with a confused smile.

“I have it on good authority that you are the best pâtissier in New York City.”

She laughed at that. “Where in the world did you hear that?” she asked with a grin, smile fading slightly as she turned to see Carmy had walked into the room.

Carmy looked embarrassed. “This is Chef Luca. I worked with him at Noma. And he helped Marcus in Copenhagen.”

“Chef,” she said in greeting, stepping forward to shake Luca’s hand. He returned it, his other hand clasping her wrist and holding her there for a second or two longer.

“What did you bring?” he asked, nodding towards the bowl she had placed on the table.

She had temporarily forgotten that she had brought them. She opened her mouth and shut it again before putting the heel of her hand against her forehead with a sigh.

His grin grew as he watched her.

“It is sort of a joke,” she said, feeling suddenly embarrassed.

“Are these–?” Marcus trailed off. She nodded to him and he chuckled. “Yes!” He laughed and grabbed one, looking it over.

“Cake pops?” Somehow it sounded even more absurd in his accent. Luca looked between the dessert and Sophie and she blushed.

“Marcus and I were challenging ourselves to try to make improved versions of some of our favorite popular desserts. I do get a hankering for a cake pop sometimes,” she trailed off.

“A hankering?” he asked, his accent making the word sound silly. “May I?” He was still looking at the dessert.

She nodded to him and pushed them closer. “Strawberry, white chocolate.” Luca and Marcus grabbed one each. She shifted on her feet, nervous to see Luca’s reaction. Carmy had walked over to grab one too and she felt her palms start to sweat. She had always appreciated his advice on her cooking. His palette was probably more precise than anyone she knew. And she trusted his critiques. He was blunt, but kind. Never judgmental or personal.

She forgot what it felt like to have him try her food. She was nervous.

“These are delicious,” Marcus said, finishing his bite. She smiled at him.

Luca had drawn her eye as he was looking up after finishing his. “This is really light. Almost like a shortcake.”

“Yeah I was trying to go for a less dense version. Whipped cream based frosting..”

“Marscapone?” he asked, his tongue running across his lower lip. As if he knew she was now staring at his lips, his mouth quirked into a grin.

She nodded. “Exactly.”

“It’s delicious,” he said and she smiled at him, feeling some of the tension melt away. The approval was surprisingly heartening, considering she didn’t really know him.

She glanced to Carmy, still silent. “Of course it’s amazing. You made it,” he said, voice sincere. She blushed, not knowing what to say. She glanced around, hoping to dodge having to respond to that statement.

“So what are you doing in the lovely city of Chicago?” she asked, changing the topic, and looking to Luca. Hoping to find out more about him. Marcus spoke so highly of him, she had been intrigued about his mentor. She didn’t think she’d get to meet him.

“Visiting friends, going to restaurants. I’m going to New York on Tuesday but thought I’d take the chance to see some old friends in Chicago before that.”

“Well it’s nice to meet you,” she said with a smile. “Are you and Marcus working on things here? Or can I steal him so I can hear about what he’s learned?”

“You go right ahead, I was going to talk to Carmy.” He grinned at her again and she swore he was looking at her a little longer than normal. Some suggestion in his eyes. She tried to ignore it, not wanting to assume some connection when it could very well just be her imagination.

“Marcus, are you going to share your dessert ideas?” Sophie asked, excited to hear more. And wanting to stop overthinking Luca’s friendliness.

“Yeah, I have three recipes ready,” he agreed immediately. “I can show you.” He pulled his notebook from his bag sitting on the counter. Sophie followed him to his station, watching from the corner of her eye as Luca walked over to Carmy to speak with him.

Sophie eagerly looked over Marcus’s sketches and notes. She was excited to try all of it. He had clearly done his research. She could feel his excitement as he talked through his new recipe ideas. She was happy for him.

The two talked for a while before Luca walked back and joined their discussion.

“What is the verdict? Do you think Copenhagen was worth it?” he asked, seeming to point the question more to Sophie.

“These look amazing. It seems like time well spent,” Sophie said, looking down at the notebook again to avoid holding Luca’s suddenly intense gaze.

“It was a great experience,” Marcus said. “I feel like I learned so much more there than I could have staying here.”

Sophie smiled at him. “I’m so glad. You deserve it. You are a fantastic chef.”

Syd called Marcus over to her and then Sophie and Luca were alone in the corner of the kitchen.

“Have you ever thought about visiting Copenhagen?” Luca asked, drawing her eyes back to his.

“I’ve heard good things,” she said. “I’m glad Marcus could make the journey. Thanks for taking care of him. It seems like this was just what he needed.”

“It was my pleasure. He is very talented.” He was smiling at her, eyes soft. “Well if you are ever traveling, you are always welcome in my kitchen.”

There was some edge to his words. A teasing lilt. Or a challenge. “Are you saying you could teach me, Chef Luca?”

“Oh I wouldn’t assume anything like that.” He was leaning on the table and she found herself leaning towards him as well. Luca grinned crookedly at her. “But maybe I could show you a thing or two.”

“Making big claims, chef,” she said, grinning up at him challengingly.

The sound of a door slamming closed made Sophie look away. Carmy had gone into the office. She looked back to Luca.

“Have you been to Honey and Grain?” he asked her, standing back to his full height. She hadn’t fully realized it until they got closer but he was very tall. Much taller than her.

She focused back on the conversation at hand. Honey and Grain was a restaurant that had opened a few years back in Wicker Park. She remembered hearing about it from some of the chefs at Ever when she was there. It came highly recommended.

“I have not. I haven’t been to too many restaurants since getting to Chicago, actually,” she admitted, suddenly self-conscious. In San Diego she had made it a priority to go to as many restaurants as she could. And she had made a lot of connections there. But in Chicago she felt more out of place.

“I’m going tonight. Would you care to join me?”

“Really?” she asked, eyes wide. “If you have an extra spot, I’d love to. Yeah,” she agreed quickly.

“Yeah?” he asked, looking a little surprised. “Great.” He pulled out his phone and asked for her number. He seemed excited. “The problem with having chef friends is that everyone is always working.”

Sophie laughed, nodding in agreement. “So I’ll meet you at the restaurant?”

“I can come pick you up,” he offered. “I rented a car while I’m here.”

She blushed, suddenly feeling like this was very much a date. But she realized it couldn’t be, really. He lived in Copenhagen. “That sounds good. I’ll send you my address.”

Luca left to grab tea –how very British of him– with another friend and Sophie stayed for a bit, chatting with Marcus and Syd. But she found she was eager to get home and get ready for dinner. She said her goodbyes and grabbed her things to leave.

“You’re going out with Luca?” Carmy asked. He caught her as she was leaving. She froze, hoping to avoid talking to him one on one. She wanted to be able to brush it all under the rug but she was nervous.

“Yeah. We’re going to Honey and Grain,” she said, overly exaggerating the name to sound elegant. “I don’t think I have clothes for the occasion but we’ll see what I can dig up.” She was a little proud that she sounded calm and direct, not at all like she was freaking out on the inside.

Carmy looked uncomfortable and Sophie was worried.

“He’s your friend, right? He’s a good guy?” She worried that something was wrong.

“Yeah, he’s a great guy,” he agreed.

“Nothing’s wrong?” she asked. They had long ago adopted this phrase as a quick check in. A way to reaffirm that things were okay between them. Both of them had learned they shared a tendency to anxiously react. It was easier to be direct.

He was still looking at her, in that way that made her heart race. She wished she knew what he was thinking.

“Nothing’s wrong, Soph,” he agreed. But for the first time, she wasn’t sure she believed him. They stood, awkward tension still between them.

“Well, I’ll see you next week.” She had already agreed to come in to help Syd and Carmy pick plates and tableware and she thought it would be a good neutral way to get back to comfortable ground. She wanted to be able to help him with his restaurant, she really did.

She was finally looking at him and she realized he looked exhausted. His mouth in a tight, worried line. His eyes dark. She wanted to help him, like he had helped her so many times.

She took a breath. “I’m excited to meet Claire.” She added. She was nervous, unsure what he had told Claire about the situation, but she wanted to be happy for Carmy. Wanted to try and tell him that she could move past it without any hard feelings. That if he was worried about their friendship, he didn’t need to be.

He shrugged and took the cloth from his shoulder and gripped it in his hands. “I feel like I’m missing too much,” he said.

“At the restaurant?” she asked. He nodded and she sighed. “I know it is a lot to balance. But you can figure it out. And I’m sure Claire understands if you need to spend more time here, at least until things get settled,” she said, trying to be supportive. He looked unconvinced and she nudged him gently with her shoulder. “You can do it. And you have a lot of people who are here to help.” She grinned at him, hoping to see him lighten up. And he did, a little. His mouth quirked up at the corner.

“Thanks, Soph. Have a good night,” he said before returning to work.

"See ya, Carm," she called out. Proud of herself. Knowing it had felt nerve wracking in the beginning, but feeling like her and Carm had been friends for long enough she could still talk to him and not have it be weird. They could move past this.

---

She dug hastily through her closet to find something appropriate for a date to a fancy restaurant with a man she had just met a few hours earlier. She eventually settled on a simple black dress her sister had gifted her for her birthday the prior year. It was easily the most elegant item of clothing she owned. She looked in the mirror and was satisfied. Settling on a classic smokey eye and pale lip, she felt fairly confident by the time she was done with her makeup. She ended up picking small heels, figuring she'd probably have to walk enough that wearing anything taller wouldn't be worth it. Besides, he would tower over her anyways. She was slipping the dress on again when she got a call.

Luca’s name flashed across the screen.

“Hello?” she answered, breathless for no reason at all.

“Sophie, this is Luca,” he paused and she felt the same flare of something at the sound of him saying her name, “I’m just downstairs.”

She groaned. “I’m running a bit behind. Were you able to find a parking spot? Maybe you could come up for a second?” She was straightening her dress with her free hand, suddenly nervous. She glanced at the time on her phone quickly.

“I’m a little early,” he replied amiably. “I can come up. Which apartment?”

“4. Actually, I’ll run down, the buzzer hasn’t been working.” She remembered and corrected herself.

His dry chuckle warmed her cheeks. She heard as he closed his car door so she headed to her own door, ignoring her shoes to save time, and instead running down in her house slippers.

She pulled open the door quickly. She was met with a grin by Luca. He was wearing a sports jacket over a navy shirt. She was immediately drawn to his eyes, the blue more pronounced against his shirt.

She realized she still had her phone to her ear. “Hi.” She waved, awkwardly, with her phone for a half a second before realizing she was being strange and motioned behind her towards her apartment. “I’m up here.” She smiled through her nerves.

“I like your shoes,” he teased, gently.

She laughed, relaxing into his company. “Slippers are on trend for fine dining, haven't you heard?” she asked as she reached the top of the stairs and popped a foot out behind her.

She led him to her apartment and apologized quickly.

“Almost ready. Just have to grab my bag. And my shoes. Feel free to be nosy,” she called out with a smile as she ran back towards her room.

“Way ahead of you,” he said, heading over to her small bookcase and cataloging the titles. Cookbooks. Of course. A few textbooks. Some contemporary novels.

“Almost ready.” She grinned at him, walking over to the door to slide her heels on. “Find anything good?”

“Syntax textbook?” he asked, nodding towards the small stack of textbooks at the bottom of her shelf.

“Ah yeah. I went to college for Computer Science– well, Natural Language Processing and Linguistics. For a bit,” she conceded, sliding her left shoe on and standing up straight. She caught him glancing down at her legs and back up to her eyes, the flash of embarrassment was overridden by the warm tingly feeling of his eyes on her.

“For a bit?” he asked, curiously.

“Yeah, I dropped out Sophomore year and went to culinary school,” she said with a soft smile, more to herself than anything.

“I am so curious about this career path,” he said, looking at her with genuine curiosity. She was blushing again.

“Not too much of a story. I can share on the way though?” she asked, with a smile. She walked over to the door to let them out.

“Right, let’s go,” he said, seemingly forgetting for a moment they were on their way to a restaurant. He smiled and walked past her and the smell of his cologne filled her nose. Warm, and dark, almost smoky. He smelled good. She realized she had lost focus and quickly stepped out and locked the door behind her, hoping he hadn’t noticed anything.

He was charming the entire drive, asking about her life and sharing pieces of his own. It felt surprisingly comfortable. Being with Luca came so naturally it was like they had been friends for years by the time they got to the restaurant.

One they arrived, Luca was a gentleman in a way that made Sophie a little nervous. He opened the doors for her and pulled out her chair. She felt pressure to be the kind of person who would be taken to a date at one of the most well regarded and exclusive restaurants in Chicago. She hadn’t been on a date in such a long time that she felt out of her element.

She found herself at least temporarily distracted by the beauty of the restaurant. The dim lighting, beautifully laid tables, warm and surprisingly homey feeling decor. It wasn’t the cold, immaculate white linen and emotionless art she had imagined it would be when she had heard about the restaurant.

As if he could tell she was feeling uncomfortable, he smiled at her kindly. “A friend of mine works here. Chef Murray. I am looking forward to trying his cooking.”

“I’ve heard nothing but amazing things,” she said, glad to be talking about food. “And I really like the design of the restaurant. I think I was imagining some of the restaurants I went to in San Diego. This is a lot more–homey.”

“Luca.” A man with a very heavy Scottish accent had approached their table and was reaching out to Luca. He immediately stood and embraced the man, clapping him on the back. Sophie hesitated but followed him and stood, holding out a hand with a smile. He shook his head and pulled her in for a hug.

“Glad to hear Luca brought along a lass. Can’t have him eating on his own in Chicago,” he said with a grin, raising his bushy eyebrows at Luca who gave him a look.

Sophie was laughing, feeling immediately comforted by this loud, outgoing man with his charming Scottish accent. “Your restaurant is beautiful,” she said to him.

He beamed at her. “Thank you. But I will need to hear the review after you try the food.” He turned back to Luca. “I hope you both enjoy.” He once again clapped Luca on the shoulder and walked quickly away.

“He’s a lot.” Luca said, with a quirk of his mouth. She found herself looking at his lips before responding.

“I really like him,” she said genuinely. “I feel like I’m going to enjoy his food.”

She did. The food was amazing. And the waiter kept coming around to fill their glasses of wine. She found herself in a little bubble with Luca, smiling and laughing throughout the meal. Discussing their own restaurant experiences. Excitedly complimenting and talking through each dish. She found herself feeling lighter than she had in months. He was just so kind and warm.

At the end of the night, the two of them stepped out into the cool night air. She kept stealing glances at him, smiling when their eyes met. She knew he was only going to be in Chicago for three nights. Knew this couldn’t be a relationship of any kind. But they were flirting, right? The grins and the giggles and the compliments. It felt like flirting.

“That was amazing,” she said, feeling as if she was repeating herself but wanting to fill the silence with something.

“It was,” he agreed, his eyes burning into hers. He seemed to hesitate a second. “My hotel is near here. If you’d like to come up –”

“Yeah. Yes. I’d like that,” she responded quickly, too quickly. She felt her cheeks burn. But then he was smiling at her again, his whole face lighting up. And she couldn’t feel embarrassed for long.

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daughter-of-melpomene · 6 months

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🐸 for Greta, the grumpiest babe (who we need to have cross over with my Descendants girlies cause how could we not?)

Yesss, we should absolutely talk about crossovers soon!! Thanks so much for the ask, Anna!! <3

Something they collect: Fellow Auradon Prep students who dislike her (😅), at least prior to the VKs coming to Auradon.

Their sun, moon, and rising star sign: Taurus sun, Scorpio moon, and Gemini rising.

The first thing they bought with their own money: Her first leather jacket; she saved up for months to be able to buy it from a thrift store near her house.

One positive personality trait of theirs: How fiercely she cares about people once she actually lets them in.

Their favorite 80s song: "Running Up That Hill" by Kate Bush.

If they're a good or bad cook: Surprisingly, she's actually pretty good at it; she's cooked for Evie on many of their dates.

Their favorite horror movie: Hereditary.

Who would play them in a biopic about their life: Aimee Lou Wood.

Who would play their older/younger version: Sydney Lucas for the younger version, Melanie Lynsky for the older version.

An event from their High School reunion (if they haven't had one, time travel and make one up!): Evie and Jane wound up dragging her to it, but she, Mal, and Jay spiked the punch bowl with a floating potion, and within an hour everyone at the reunion was laughing and soaring above the ground while Audrey grumbled about them ruining her careful planning of the event.

send me 🐸 + an oc!!

#asks about my ocs #oc: greta dwarf

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crybabytecrs · 1 year

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M U S E S

FEMALES / without fandom

・❥・VALERIE | [19-25] | madelyn cline ・❥・HAILEE | [19-26] | emily alyn lind ・❥・BROOKLYN | [19-25] | maia reficco ・❥・EMORY | [21-26] | sydney sweeney ・❥・DELILAH | [20-25] | kathryn newton ・❥・VICTORIA | [20-25] | abigail cowen ・❥・VIOLET | [18-25] | lily rose depp ・❥・OPHELIA | [20-26] | kristine froseth ・❥・AURORA | [19-26] | dove cameron ・❥・AYLEEN | [19-26] | jenna ortega ・❥・CASSIDY | [19-24] | hailee steinfeld ・❥・NOVA | [19-24] | grace van dien ・❥・JORDYN | [19-25] | natalia dyer ・❥・BLAIR | [20-27] | alexa demie ・❥・MADDIE | [18-24] | katie douglas

MALES / without fandom

・❥・LOGAN | [20-26] | benjamin wadsworth ・❥・MILES | [21-29] | drew starkey ・❥・AIDEN | [20-26] | jacob elordi ・❥・ELIJAH | [21-26] | rudy pankow ・❥・NOLAN | [20-25] | ross lynch ・❥・VINCE | [20-25] | gavin casalegno ・❥・FYNN | [21-27] | timothée chalamet ・❥・NIC | [20-26] | chase stokes ・❥・JUSTIN | [21-28] | thomas doherty ・❥・TONY | [34-42] | chris evans ・❥・MILO | [19-24] | joe kerry ・❥・JESSE | [21-30] | dylan o'brien ・❥・AARON | [22-29] | tyler posey ・❥・CHASE | [20-27] | cody christian ・❥・BENJI | [19-26] | christopher briney

FEMALES / with fandom

MALES / with fandom

— my fandom muses are usually just for rp’s on discord, means i probably wont use them in threads on tumblr. but still, if you’re feeling like doing a canon x oc just ask!!

FEMALES / canon

MALES / canon

#𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐞𝐬. [-𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐬.]

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dancingsunflowers-ocs · 10 months

Note

Hi, this is @auradon-bore-a-don , sorry this is cutting it close, you're on my OC Creator Bingo card! No rush in answering, take all the time you need.

1. What is Rhiannon's favorite thing to make?

2. What do Annette and Robin like to do together?

3. What is Sydney's favorite thing about Chekhov?

4. Does Veronica ever see her sisters again?

5. What's the first thing Ravenia does after the curse breaks?

Thank you for the asks @auradon-bore-a-don!! 💕

What is Rhiannon's favorite thing to make? Rhiannon's favourite things to make are.. making potions; especially disguise potions, which are important for when a witch wishes to travel incognito, soaps using natural herbal ingredients, labyrinth mazes using overgrown vines and rose thorns, marionette puppets, and porcelain masks.

What do Annette and Robin like to do together? What Annette likes do with Robin is various things such as; hang out at Scoops Ahoy and the Starcourt Cinema, going bowling, and hanging out together as part of "The Party".

What is Sydney's favorite thing about Chekhov? Sydney's favourite thing about Chekov is.. that underneath his brash and prideful attitude is someone who is actually quite a softie and can be quite sweet, even if he doesn't want to show it.

Does Veronica ever see her sisters again? She does still them occasionally, like once or twice a year; such as Christmas gatherings or the anniversary of Daisy's death. She would've liked to have seen them more, but she fears of putting them in danger, and doesn't want to risk that.

What's the first thing Ravenia does after the curse breaks? The first thing that Ravenia does after the curse breaks is search for clues to where Killian (who she believes is her true love) is, after discovering that he is not among those living on Storybrooke (since Killian doesn't appear on the show until season two). She tries to reach out to those in her past, in hope of regaining memories of her former life, as she rediscovers herself. Ravenia continues to best friends with Ruby Lucas, and starts a friendship with Belle (even though Ravenia is afraid of Rumplestiltskin, due to her past in the Enchanted forest, and tries to warn him off Belle).

#oc: ravenia noble #oc: sydney berlin #oc: veronica brooks #oc: annette buckley #oc: rhiannon le fey #ocappreciation #ocapp #ocfairygodmother #ocb2023 #oc creator bingo 2023 #oc creator bingo

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joyxcelestia · 11 months

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What eyes?😏😏 [Nathaniel Carello x Haru Okazaki(OC)]

❝𝐖𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝'𝐯𝐞, 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝'𝐯𝐞, 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝'𝐯𝐞❞ (JoyxCelestia on Wattpad)

Hi guys!!

This is the first video that I’m doing on the « My Candy Love » game and the video is worn on Nathaniel and one of my OC, so tell me what you think!

As you can see, I choose as face claim for Nathaniel, Lucas Till and for my OC, Sydney Sweeney, so tell me if you like it !

(If you want too, I can show you the others face claim I choose for the others boys☺️)

(Don´t judge the name of my OC, that’s because in my fanfiction, she is english-japanese by her father and Ukrainian-Greek by her mother ☺️)

Have a great day and tell me that you think!!

(My TikTok account is joyxcelestia if you want to know by the way☺️)

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soemotional · 1 year

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𝐁𝐋𝐎𝐆 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐒

DRAFTS 02 ONLINE? yes/no/lurking

please read below the cut for more information/rules about my blog!

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐍𝐄𝐄𝐃 𝐓𝐎 𝐊𝐍𝐎𝐖𝐒

please be 21+ if you are looking to interact with me

my askbox and messages are open! simply message me if you’re interested in writing and who you’re looking to write against ((:

i write on both discord and tumblr, but i’d prefer if we chatted at least once before i give out my discord

i do not make graphics, i am not good at them, however i like to think i’m a decent writer, so don’t pass me up because i dont have anything fancy pls lol.

i am doing this the old fashioned way in a post (for now) bc i can’t work my way around the java script glitch in order to add pages to my blog (womp womp)for that reason my character bios/stats are not currently posted , but please trust that i can ramble about them forever lol.

writer is 22, mst, and uses they/them pronouns

i don’t write smut, but i am fine with scenes getting a lil hot and heavy before cutting the scene/skipping ahead

i generally don’t have any tws, but please share yours with me!

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐄𝐒

carl gallagher (canon, shameless) davis taylor (oc, verse flexible, zendaya) ginny gail (oc, 70s verse, riley keough) holly j sinclair (canon, degrassi) ian gallagher (canon, shameless) imani omari (oc, verse flexible, sydney park) ivy st.clair (oc, verse flexible, odeya rush) jamison kelly (oc, 70s verse, paul mescal) jason grace (canon, riordanverse) jt yorke (canon, degrassi) lee bennett (oc, verse flexible, brandon flynn) leo valdez (canon, riordanverse) marty mccallister (oc, 70s verse, lucas hedges) max mayfield (canon, stranger things, AGED UP) mike wheeler (canon, stranger things, AGED UP) nancy wheeler (canon, stranger things) paige michalchuk (canon, degrassi) sean kennedy (oc, verse flexible, olivia cooke) steve harrington (canon, stranger things) wilder spry (oc, 70s verse, logan lerman)

looking fwd to hearing from all u cuties ((;

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crybabyteqrs · 1 year

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M U S E S

FEMALES / without fandom

・❥・VALERIE | [19-25] | madelyn cline ・❥・HAILEE | [19-26] | sydney sweeney ・❥・BROOKLYN | [19-25] | maia reficco ・❥・EMERY | [21-26] | madelaine petsch ・❥・DELILAH | [20-25] | kathryn newton ・❥・VICTORIA | [20-25] | abigail cowen ・❥・VIOLET | [18-25] | lily rose depp ・❥・OPHELIA | [20-26] | kristine froseth ・❥・AURORA | [19-26] | dove cameron ・❥・VIVIENNE | [19-26] | kaylee bryant ・❥・CASSIDY | [19-24] | hailee steinfeld ・❥・JESSICA | [19-24] | josephine langford ・❥・JORDYN | [19-25] | natalia dyer ・❥・BLAIR | [20-27] | alexa demie ・❥・MADDIE | [18-24] | katie douglas

MALES / without fandom

FEMALES / with fandom

MALES / with fandom

— my fandom muses are usually just for rp’s on discord, means i probably wont use them in threads on tumblr. but still, if you’re feeling like doing a canon x oc just ask!!

FEMALES / canon

MALES / canon

#- 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐞𝐬. [-𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐬.]

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xinthesewallsx · 1 year

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LIST OF MUSES

below the cut is a list of all the muses on this blog. some will have more information than others. this is a mixture of oc and canon characters.

CANON CHARACTERS

caleb danvers -- 20 - fc: steven strait

hayley james - 20 - fc: bethany joy lenz

lydia martin - 20 - fc: holland roden

lucas scott- 20 -: fc: chad michael murray

brooke davis - 20 - fc: sophia bush

stu matcher - 18-25 - fc: matthew lillard

tatum riley - 18- 25 - fc: rose mcgowan

Eli Hale - 18 - fc: Vince Mattis (son of derek hale and stiles stilinski)

john b routledge - 18/19- fc: chase stokes

sarah cameron - 18/19 - fc: madelyn cline

rafe cameron - 20/21 - fc: drew starkey

steve harrington - 19/20 - fc: joe keery

eddie munson - 20 - fc: joseph morgan

nancy wheeler - 18 - fc: natalia dyer

chrissy cunningham - 18 - fc: grace van dien

robin buckley - 18 - fc: maya hawke

joyce byers - 44 - fc: winona ryder

max mayfield - 15/16 - sadie sink

Carol Perkins - 18/19 - fc: talia ryder

jonathan byers - 18 - charlie heaton

tara carpenter - 19 - jenna ortega

sara carpenter - 25/26 - melissa barrera

ethan landry - 19 - jack champion

quinn bailey -19 - liana liberato

OC CHARACTERS

sage thomspon -23- fc: madelyn cline - fandomless

juniper thomspon - 21 - fc: katie douglas - fandomless

hope whittemore - 18-20 - fc: zoe colletti - teen wolf

noah armstrong - 26 -fc: theo james -fandomless

eric armstrong - 22 - fc: chase stokes - not open to other rudy panckow fcs -fandomless

bree armstrong - 20/21 - fc: ella purnell -fandomless

katherine bell - 23 (300+ vampire) - fc: madelaine petsch -fandomless

elijah moran - 22 - fc: gavin casalegno - fandomless

ethan moran - 23 - fc: christopher briney -fandomless

naya gomez - 26 -fc: priscilla quintana - teen wolf

matthew evans - 23 - fc: cody christian - teen wolf

daniel james - 22 - fc: daniel sharman- teen wolf

kendall floyd - 22-25 - fc: madison bailey - teen wolf

joseph taylor - 25-25 - fc: daniel ezra- teen wolf

kira huges - 21-24 - fc: josephine langford- teen wolf

kai coleman - 27-30 - fc: brant daughtrey - teen wolf

hanna pittman - 20-23 - fc: samantha logan - teen wolf

jenny lane - 25-27 - fc: holland roden - teen wolf

miko young - 21-25 - fc: evan mock - fandomless

jasper wooley - 21-26 - fc: thomas doherty - fandomless

eden wolfe - 21-26 - fc: emily alyn lind - fandomless

sterling herrman - 21-27 - fc: jeremy allen white - fandomless

pete warner - 22-26 - fc: cameron monaghan - fandomless

dixie adams - 27-30 - fc: emmy rossum - fandomless

lily danberry - 21 (80 vampire) - fc: nina dobrev - tvd/teen wolf

julia danberry - 21 (80 werewolf) - fc: nina dobrev - tvd/teen wolf

nick danberry - 21 (80 witch) - fc: dylan o’brien - tvd/teen wolf

davina davidson - 21 - fc: danielle campbell - fandomless

hayley davidson - 23 - fc: phoebe tonkin - fandomless

madison lewis - 21-25 - fc: maddie phillips - ahs/teen wolf

russel lewis - 20-24 - fc: nolan gerard funk - ahs/teen wolf

talon lewis - 19-23 - fc: melissa benoist- ahs/teen wolf

tatum lewis - 19-23 - fc: cody fern- ahs/teen wolf

dani sanchez - 24-26 - fc: alexa demie - fandomless

maya sanchez - 21-24 - fc: camila mendes - fandomless

celeste lovegood - 24-26 - fc: lily rose depp - fandomless

samuel johnson - 23-25 - fc: jacob elordi - fandomless

paisley johnson - 25-29 - fc: victoria pedretti - fandomless

nate felix - 21-25 - fc: drew starkey - fandomless

andy darnell - 19-22 - fc: michael provost - fandomless

astrid sullivan - 19-23 - fc: sydney sweeney - fandomless

daphine myers - 24-26 fc: erin moriarty - fandomless

carter ramsey - 36 - fc: jensen ackles - fandomless

willow anderson - 19 - fc: sadie sink - not sure if shipping will be available yet

jack riley - 22 - fc:froy gutierrez

ivy greene - 22 - fc: halston sage

Nate Felix stranger things verse

Mercedes Butler - 25-27- fc: priscilla quintana

James Harrington - 20 - fc: luke benward

Dakota Roth - 28 - fc: bill skarsgård

Oliver Harrington-Munson - 19 - fc: froy gutierrez

Caetlin Dax - 18 - fc: emily rudd

wesley henson - - fc: jonathan daviss

roxanne roca - 28 - fc: camila morrone

jolene devin cooper - 24 - fc: madison iseman

#muse list

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valdezhqs · 1 year

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hi friends & lurkers here are some of the beautiful women we would love to see here!

anya taylor joy, jamie chung, sophia bush, bethany joy lenz, rebecca rittenhouse, adelaide kane, lindsey morgan, demet ozdemir, hande ercel, bahar sahin, jessica lucas, yagmur tanrisevsin, sarah jeffery, elizabeth lail, naomi scott, camila mendes, katherine mcnamara, victoria justice, lily collins, hazal filiz, hafsanur sancaktutan, jessica chastain, adria arjona, kylie bunbury, simone ashley, samantha logan, rachel bilson, sofia carson, jennifer aniston, anne hathaway, zoe saldana, charlize theron, michelle yeoh, kerry washington, rose byrne, shin sekyung, sydney park, jessie mei li, chase sui wonders, jessica henwick, natasha liu bordizzo, lucy liu, brianne tju, gemma chan, amber midthunder, devery jacobs, jeanine mason, kiana madeira, candice king, greta onieogou, heather hemmens, phoebe tonkin, claire holt, kat graham, ryan destiny, and a lot more!

hello loves! valdezhqs is an appless oc supernatural roleplay. set in valdez alaska with lore influenced by various lores. we are a poc & lgbtq+ friendly group for muns & muses 21 and over. like all groups, we thrive & survive on interactions and dedication, focusing on plot lines & character development.

#appless rp #mumu rp #new rp #oc rp #witch rp #witches rp #werewolves rp #werewolf rp #vampire rp #vampires rp #supernatural rp #angels rp #angel rp #town rp #small town rp #new town rp #towns rp #mw.

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badwritinghabit · 9 months

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Chef's Kiss | Carmy x fem!OC x Luca | Chapter 4

Previous Chapter | Next Chapter | Masterlist | Ao3

Warnings: Mentions of suicide, Carmy panicking

Word Count: 2,501

Summary: Sophie and Sydney bond over dealing with Carmy's bullshit. And Sophie and Carmy get close in the kitchen.

Sophie started building a friendship with Sydney, the sous chef in Carmy’s kitchen. Their short time cooking together at The Beef acted as an introduction and when Sophie ran into Sydney at a farmer’s market, they reconnected and ended up spending the afternoon together. They wandered the market and eventually decided to chat over coffee and pastries at a coffee shop nearby.

The two bonded over their experiences in restaurants, exchanging stories. Sophie learned about Sydney’s catering experience and her time in culinary school. Sophie shared about her time in San Diego, how she missed California but had to admit Chicago had its own charm.

Sydney updated her about the restaurant. Carmy and the crew at The Beef had found money Mikey was hiding in cans of tomatoes. And they were planning to rebuild into an entirely new fine dining spot, with a window to keep hold of their roots and still sell their famous sandwiches.

Sophie was happy for them. Carmy had talked about his dream to help Mikey turn the restaurant into the Bear for so long. Syd was also excited to be working in a restaurant more fitting of her experience. She deserved the role of CDC and Sophie was thrilled for her.

“I needed this,” Sydney sighed into her coffee mug, looking at Sophie after she vented some of her frustrations. “Carmy is driving me insane.”

“Yeah?”

“He’s been even more unresponsive lately. And I know after his brother– I mean, I can’t imagine.” Sydney had quieted. “Tina was telling me how close they were. How Mikey had been a little unstable but no one ever expected–” she trailed off and Sophie went cold.

“Richie told me he had passed but I didn’t realize.. he- Mikey killed himself?” Sophie asked, feeling her heart start to race.

“You didn’t know? Oh shit. I assumed since you and Carmy were friends you must’ve– it was all over the internet too. With the Beef. There was a couple articles. And Carmy being Carmy…” Sydney was clearly uncomfortable, feeling guilty for spilling something she worried she shouldn’t have.

“No it’s okay, Syd. Carmy and I hadn’t really talked since he went to work at Noma. And I hadn’t really kept up with his career,” Sophie regretted not trying harder to keep track of where he had ended up.

“It’s hard because I know it explains some of this. I can’t blame him. But also, this is my future too. I can’t risk my career if he isn’t all in. And he keeps leaving me hanging.”

“You are absolutely right. Even if he has a reason it doesn’t make it okay for him to abandon you,” Sophie agreed, head still spinning with the news of Mikey’s suicide. “Damn, sorry Syd. I wish I could help. I don’t think me talking to him would be any help though.”

“Did something happen between you? It seemed like you two were talking and now you’re avoiding each other,” Syd said, leaving it open for Sophie to respond.

“It’s a long story. We had a bit of a disagreement,” she paused. “But I wish I knew about Mikey. My dad– uh. My dad also took his own life. A few years before I met Carmy actually. So I know what it’s like,” she said, softly. “Should have given him the benefit of the doubt. He has other things on his mind,” she explained.

“Oh I’m so sorry Sophie,” Syd was instantly sympathetic and Sophie nodded. “I’m sure you and Carmy will work it out,” Syd smiled at her encouragingly.

Sophie hoped she was right.

---

It seemed as though Sydney must’ve said something, done some urging, because Carmy called Sophie a few days after they spoke. He asked her to visit, to come see what they were doing with the new restaurant. And to discuss their decor decisions. He said she had the better eye for art and design. She disagreed, Carmy was one of the most detail oriented people she’d ever met. But she did enjoy it and it was a good excuse to put what happened behind them.

Her visit was fairly short and Carmy was quiet, as usual. She learned a little about the stress of kitchen prep, getting all of the permits, making sure the new space was up to code. She met Carmy’s sister Sugar and offered her help where she could.

She still felt a little awkward around him, a little annoyed at him and herself. But she wanted Carmy’s restaurant to be successful. He deserved it.

She left before they could ever interact without Sydney or Sugar also there.

---

Weeks later, Sophie received a call. Carmy’s voice sounded through her phone. “Soph. I– I know this is sudden. But I have an idea for a dish and I was hoping I could cook it for you.”

“A new dish for the menu?” she asked, confused.

“Yes. I had this idea and I couldn't get it out of my head. Could I come over? I want you to try it.”

“Oh– of course, Carm. Tonight?”

“Yeah. If that’s okay,” he sounded unsure. As if he just realized he was making a strange request.

“Yeah. That would be fine. You can come over whenever.”

Carmy called when he got to the front door and she found him outside, looking slightly flustered, holding a giant bag of groceries. She grinned at him and led him upstairs.

“I won’t get in your way but let me know if you need help. Or a taste tester,” she said. She walked back to sit on the couch and tried to work a little on her laptop.

Something about the sounds of Carmy cooking in her apartment made her feel at peace. Like all of the nights in New York, shuffling around in her tiny apartment, cooking into the early hours of the morning. She missed it. The comfort of just having him around. Eventually she stopped pretending to work and found herself just looking over at him while he cooked.

“This feels a lot like New York, doesn’t it?” he asked, as if he could feel her attention on him.

“I was just thinking about that”, she admitted, walking over and leaning against her kitchen island to get a better view of his cooking. She hummed. “Do you remember that night we made those god awful ginger prawns?”

Carmy laughed, loudly, caught by surprise. “Fuck, I forgot about that.”

“My roommates were so mad. Our apartment smelled terrible for a week.” She shook her head with a grin.

“This smells amazing though. Almost like–” She stopped for a second when she saw the chicken and herbs in the cast iron skillet on her stove. “Chicken Paillard?”

“It is. A little bit of a twist. Because you used to be obsessed with potatoes. And bacon lardons.”

“This is like our lazy sunday dish.” She was astonished. “But French.”

“A little French. A little Danish. Mostly just– our dish. It’s what I want the Bear to be. All of the things I love.” Sophie blushed at the softness in his voice.

He had started plating it, his hands sure as he placed the chicken over the salad of greens, roasted veggies, and crisped polenta– alongside the small caramelized potatoes. An herb and lemon scented pan sauce carefully poured over the top. He turned and handed it to her.

She bit her lip but took the plate and looked it over. Devouring the details, the mix of colors, the golden potatoes and the bright greens and the crispy, browned chicken. She took a bite.

“It’s amazing,” she said, knowing she was blushing. After another moment of thought, she looked up at Carmy with wide eyes. “I remember these potatoes. The Danish recipe.” He had cooked them for her the night he told her he was applying to Noma. She remembered so clearly sitting and watching him cook for her. Sad about his possible departure but happy for him. He was so excited. And he deserved good things.

This dish was all of it. It was New York. It was them, sitting in the kitchen at 2am laughing over complete nonsense because they were so exhausted they had become giddy. All of the quiet joy they had found amidst the chaos. She took another bite. Then she slid the plate over to him. He reached over and took a bite as well, looking at it thoughtfully. “You’re too talented for your own good,” she said, voice too intense for what she meant as a way to play off how much it meant to her. For him to make this dish.

He smiled at her, his own cheeks flaring pink. “I’ve been so fucking lost. Making the menu for The Bear. Syd has helped a lot but we’re both just taking swings wildly, trying to make something memorable. But for some reason this afternoon I couldn’t get our chicken dish out of my head. And I wanted to make something that felt like that. I wanted it to feel like your kitchen in New York.”

Her heart pounded. She was getting caught up in him again. She didn’t want to mess it up. She knew what he was going through. With Mikey. Didn’t want to make things worse for him.

“It’s perfect,” she blinked and looked away, trying to cut the tension. “But you improving on our dish feels a little like that terrible Bobby Flay show,” Sophie joked, lightly. He huffed out a laugh before looking at her with his unbelievably emotional eyes. “I think this is my new favorite dish,” she said, thoughtfully. His eyes lit up and she decided to tell him just how much she loved his cooking– had always loved his cooking. “For years my favorite has been that veal saltimbocca you made for us on our last night in New York,” she admitted quietly, hoping he didn’t feel odd about her obsession with his food.

“That was your favorite?” he asked, eyes wide.

“Yeah. Are you kidding me? It was simple but perfect. Back to basics, that’s what we talked about back then, remember? I was so annoyed with fine dining then, turning everything into foam. I feel like that conversation, that dish changed my career. It has stuck with me ever since.” She realized she had rambled, gotten too passionate, and bit her lip.

Carmy had stepped closer to her. “That day– those dolma you made? I tried for months to get that recipe right,” he said to her, eyes burning into hers. She felt the air leave her lungs. It had changed– the energy between them. Her hands gripped the edge of the counter, nervous. “And those caneles– I get a canele every time I see it on a menu now.”

She blushed, feeling nervous energy shoot up her spine as he stood in front of her, hands on either side of her hips against the counter. “I remember wanting to make something so you wouldn’t forget me when you were off traveling the world,” she responded softly.

He was standing so very close and shifted even closer, she moved slightly, making space between her legs so that they were on either side of his hips. Her heart pounded. He moved his hands and the feeling of his palms on her thighs burned through her jeans. “It worked.” It was a whisper.

And then his lips were on hers, the taste of lemon and smoke still on his tongue from the dish. He was soft and gentle, hands unmoving on the outside of her thighs. But she wanted more. She lifted her hand and tangled it into his hair.

Her thoughts had found her here numerous times before but none of it compared to the reality. The feel of his lips against hers. His hands as they smoothed up from her thighs to her hips, pulling her against him. His hand traveled up the curve of her back and cupped the back of her neck, fingers entwined in her hair. She was burning, every inch of her he touched suddenly alight.

And then it was over.

He pulled back and she found herself looking into his eyes. Something had changed. He was pulling away again.

“Wait.” He stepped back and pushed a hand to his forehead. “Shit, I shouldn’t have.” He was panicking, eyes wide. Gripping his hair, he turned and cursed to himself.

She reached out to him, still breathless. Her brain struggled to catch up but something kicked in, seeing Carmy’s clear distress. “Carm, it’s okay. I know you are about to start a restaurant. Not a good time to make things complicated,” she said, quickly changing to comforting mode. She was still thrown for a loop, her lips and fingertips tingling from the kiss. But she was worried about him. “It’s fine,” she said, again. Trying to mollify whatever feelings he was having. Remembering what she learned about Mikey. Knowing he must be so fucking exhausted with it all. She didn’t want to be another problem.

“No.” He shook his head, hands running through his hair. “Fuck. I ran into Claire. From high school.” She recognized the name, of course. The two had talked about their childhoods and she came up. “We ran into each other and then I helped her move some furniture. And she took me to a party.” He had let go of his hair and it fell across his face. He looked disheveled and broken and apologetic. She realized what was happening. He was choosing Claire. Then why did he kiss her?

Her heart raced. Shame burning the pit of her stomach. But she forced herself to respond. The embarrassment and hurt could come later. “Oh that– that’s good, right?” She asked, her voice sounding much more clear and confident than she expected, even with the stutter. “I know what she meant to you,” she said when he remained silent.

Why did you kiss me? She wanted to ask. Wanted to rewind and have him take it back. It wasn’t fair to do this to her. Make a dish for her. For them. Kiss her. Then say he was with someone else.

“I’m–fuck.” His hands were shaking. “Fuck I’m so sorry, Soph.” He walked over to the table and grabbed his jacket. “I’m going.” And he ran out the door.

She stood there in the kitchen as he left. Eventually she turned to look at the plate of food. Their relationship on a plate. Their hopes and dreams as young chefs. The little safe friendship they had built. She grabbed the plate and threw it into the trash.

She felt tears streaming down her face before she realized she had started crying. She walked over to her couch, grabbed her cellphone from the table, and called Mallary.

“Hello?” her sister’s voice answered almost immediately.

“Mal,” Sophie’s voice wavered, a sob escaping before she could help it.

“Are you okay? What’s wrong?”

“He kissed me.”

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