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henrycangelbaby · 26 days

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In which: Ellie allowed herself to be held for a second. The only sounds were their soft breaths and Joel’s light snoring. She felt silly asking it, as if she were still a toddler. Then again, she hadn’t had much comfort even in her toddler days. Ellie let out an exhale.

Ellie seeks comfort in those who love her the most.

Things are finally good for Joel. He and Ellie have been settled down in Jackson for a while now. They no longer have to fight to survive. Ellie can attend school and has made quick work of befriending many kids her age. They were finally happy.

Joel had even found himself a few friends; he had his brother in close proximity, was friendly with the neighbors, and cracked a smile whenever Ellie brought a friend over for dinner. And there was also Y/N, his precious darling girl.

Truthfully, Joel had never considered the prospect of settling down again. He had lost far too much to ever consider being truly happy again, but then he had found Ellie, been reunited with his brother and his new family, and then he had met Y/N.

She had come into his life rather unexpectedly, the prettiest thing he had seen in many years. He was only just settling down in Jackson when they had met. She was a little younger than him and had been so kind that he had been rather turned away at first, but with time (and quite a bit of Ellie meddling), they had grown close and eventually fallen in love.

It had been subtle, but people had noticed. He had been caught more than once wearing a hair tie around his wrist, and gradually her things had shown up in his and Ellie's house. Ellie isn't sure of much, but she doesn't even bother hiding her laugh when he walks downstairs in a slightly too-small, very faded Spice Girls t-shirt that his soft stomach peeks out of the bottom of. (Y/N also makes sure that Joel knows how much she appreciated him accidentally putting on her shirt that morning, but her and Ellie have very different reasons for thinking of his soft tummy).

For the first time in what felt like forever, he was happy and carefree. He still took patrols, but they seemed rather dull in comparison to the life he had lived outside of Jackson's protection. They were also fewer and further between as he reluctantly felt the effects of his age and life on the run. They had caught up to him rather brutally in the form of dodgy knees and full deafness in his left ear. For the first time since the outbreak, he felt at peace with the world.

Ellie had settled down well; it wasn't like she was a feral kid, raised by herself having to fight to survive. She had been raised in a school, had friends, and was educated to a somewhat proper level, but Jackson had been good for her. She was glowing with happiness most of the time, running around with her friends and even (much to Joel's dismay) girlfriends.

She had taken to Y/N instantly; they were both charmers in their own way, and Ellie had all but been swept off her feet by his darling’s kindness. Y/N, in return, had taken to the kid. The quick sense of humor and chatty nature in Ellie had caused Y/N to often joke about Ellie being better company than Joel. Truthfully, they did get along very well; he would find them bent over a puzzle on the kitchen table or wreaking havoc while cooking in the kitchen.

Ellie was getting older; she needed Joel and Y/N less, but she still found time to hang out with them. If it made his heart ache when they had family dinner together, or when he would come home from his depleting patrols to find Y/N and Ellie accidentally fallen asleep on the couch together, movie night long forgotten, it had been like this for years now, and it still made him emotional.

The sun had all but retreated behind the clouds, Joel barely awake as he peered out of the corner of his eye at his baby. Y/N seemed to be in a similar position to him, her head dropping slightly onto his arm, rubbing her eyes as if to try and run the sleep away.

“Darlin’,” she hums in response, turning to face him.

“Let's go to bed, baby,” he offers her his hand, pulling them up. She holds onto his arm, walking next to him as they sleepily made their way to bed together.

“Is Ellie still up?” Y/N asks, sitting on the toilet, waiting for him to finish brushing his teeth.

“She’s out, told us not to wait up for her, baby.”

God, he was getting old, having to go to bed early while his teenage daughter stays out too late for him to wait up for her. Ellie was hardly a teenager anymore; she was technically an adult, but he still felt as if she was a little girl.

They fall asleep quickly, as they always do. Joel is very secretly the small spoon. He sleeps peacefully with his back pressed against her chest, one of her legs in between his, her arm thrown over his stomach.

Ellie gets in late. She creeps through the house, well aware that Joel and Y/N have probably long gone to sleep. If she wasn't feeling so sullen, she might giggle at the old-people-ness of the adults in her life. Perhaps she had stayed up a little too late, past the point of late-night fun, into existential dread territory.

Everything is fine for Ellie. In fact, things are great in Jackson: a family that she can finally call hers, friends, and even dating prospects. Most of the time, Ellie is fine—she is more than fine, thriving even. Going out with her friends late into the evening, it was nice to be able to mess around with no repercussions.

But maybe she should have called it off this evening. She hadn't felt great all day, anxiety and dread settling at the bottom of her stomach and putting her off eating. She had learned to deal with it, mostly. The terrors she had seen in her past were just that—in her past. She would never have to fight again, never have to kill again; she was safe.

She was rather embarrassed to repeat those words over and over again to herself as she moved quietly through the house. She heard it in Y/N's soft tone, as she had once repeated it to Ellie after a bad panic attack. Ellie was safe, here in this house, with two people who cared about her like no one else did, in this town with all her friends, protected by the heavy walls and forever ongoing patrol shifts.

She was safe.

She tried to convince herself, unsuccessfully, as she fell into an uneasy sleep.

She wakes with a gasp. Her bed sheets feel far too suffocating; there is sweat dripping down her back, and as she brings a hand up to her face, it feels wet with tears. She doesn't remember what happened, but her heart won't stop beating fast, and the tears won't stop flowing down her face. She feels dizzy, like she might throw up.

Night terrors aren't unusual to Ellie. She has had her fair share of trauma to make up bad dreams. They had been bad when she was younger, in the beginning of her time in Jackson. She would often wake up crying and sweating, or she wouldn't sleep at all, kept awake by her haunting memories.

But as she, Joel, and eventually Y/N had settled down into their new life, they had become less and less frequent. Ellie’s life was going well, and most of the time she could escape her mental health problems. They came back to haunt her occasionally in the form of nightmares or panic attacks.

She had confessed to Y/N one night about how scared she felt sometimes, at the time confiding in Joel’s rather new girlfriend her problems and fears, which she felt too scared to tell Joel about. Perhaps she had secretly longed for the comfort that Y/N had given her, when she had been held close to the older woman’s chest, a kiss on the head as she slowly rocked Ellie back and forth.

Ellie loved Joel incessantly, but the introduction of Y/N into her life had filled a hole in her heart that she hadn't known she had.

She pushed herself up from the bed, quickly making her way to the other bedroom, where Joel and Y/N had resided for the night. The door creaked slightly as she pushed it open. It was rather comforting to see the room as it always was. The moonlight peeked through the window, revealing the messy bedside table and the photo of the three of them tacked above the bed.

Everything was the same, everything was fine. Ellie squinted in the darkness to see Y/N closest to her, her back facing the girl, her arm thrown over a much broader back and waist. She felt somewhat bad for waking her. She didn't want to scare her too badly. Y/N wasn't quite as switched on as Joel (Ellie still giggles thinking about how bad Joel had felt after he had cornered her against a wall—it had not been her best idea to stand behind a door to scare him).

She coughs awkwardly before shaking Y/N gently.

“Y/N?” she whisper-yells urgently. “Please, Y/N, wake up.”

Y/N turns around slowly. “Hmmm?” She rubs her eyes, still basically asleep, until Ellie nudges her again.

“Joel?” Y/N murmurs. She jumps slightly when she opens her eyes, scared by Ellie’s face so close to hers.

“Fuck,” she breathes, putting a hand on her chest as she pulls herself up. “Ellie, honey, what's wrong?” she asks, immediately alarmed by Ellie’s late-night appearance.

Ellie can't help as the tears begin to leak out of her eyes again. She tries to speak, but nothing comes out.

“Oh, my baby,” Y/N reaches forward to wipe the tears quickly. “Come here,” she says, while pulling Ellie up to sit beside her on the now somewhat squishy bed.

“I had a nightmare,” Ellie confesses quickly. She feels Y/N pull her in even closer.

“Was it bad?”

Ellie could only nod in response as she felt Y/N stroke her hair gently. “I’m sorry, baby,” was all Y/N said for a moment. After a beat, she spoke again. “I’d offer for Joel to go scare away the monsters under the bed for you, but I think you might be a bit old for that.”

It caused Ellie to let out a watery chuckle. “And also, I don't feel like waking Mr. Grizzly Bear tonight,” Y/N joked. They were silly, but they made Ellie smile.

Ellie allowed herself to be held for a second. The only sounds were their soft breaths and Joel’s light snoring. She felt silly asking it, as if she were still a toddler. Then again, she hadn’t had much comfort even in her toddler days. Ellie let out an exhale.

“Can I sleep in here, with you?”

She hadn’t expected to be laughed at, per se, but it felt like a silly request to be making nonetheless. But Y/N answered quickly.

“Of course, honey,” she said as she quietly pulled them both down to lay back down.

It was certainly a bit more of a squeeze with three of them, but she felt so warm and loved. Pulled close to Y/N, able to hear Joel’s snores close by, her nightmare felt like a thing of the past for a moment. So surrounded by comfort and love, perhaps everything she had suffered through had all been worth it if it led up to this moment, so loved by the best family she could ask for.

Joel's alarm went off at 6 a.m. sharp, just as he had set it to (much to his dismay). He was quick to turn it off, not wanting to wake Y/N—she didn’t deserve to be punished for his rather early patrol duty. He sat up slowly, feeling his neck creak. There was a pain in the bottom of his back that he couldn’t quite place, and his arm had gone somewhat numb in the night.

Fuck, he was getting old.

As he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, he peered around the room. There was little light creeping in through the windows, and Y/N was still peacefully sleeping next to him. He smiled slightly before leaning to get out of the bed with as little disturbance as possible.

He pulled himself off the bed as quietly as he could until he hit another body. Wait, what? He flinched for a moment before recognizing the face of his other family member that lived in this house. Now when had she gotten in here? She was sleeping peacefully under Y/N’s arm, much like he did most nights. Come to think of it, he had been a little colder than usual last night.

He climbed carefully over both of them, not wanting to wake their peaceful sleeping states. His heart felt so full as he peered down at his girls, so sweet and lovely. He pushed Ellie’s fringe off her forehead, leaning down to kiss her forehead lightly.

“Love you, babygirl.”

He moved to hover over Y/N now, gently cupping her face in his hands before leaning down to kiss the corner of her mouth and then her lovely lips.

“Love you so much, baby.”

He was whispering to himself, but it was still true. He loved his girls so much; his chest felt like it was aching with the love. He willed himself to walk away—he had to get to work, and he couldn’t spend all day fawning over his family. With one final glance back, he closed the door behind him, wanting his loves to get as much rest as possible.

He couldn’t wipe the smile off his face. He had everything he needed, and it just so happened to be sleeping in his bed. His loves, his girls, his family.

#joel miller #joel miller x reader #joel tlou #ellie williams x reader #ellie williams #ellie tlou #ellie willams x platonic!reader #tlou part 2 #the last of us #mae writes 💞#x reader #one shot #joel miller fluff #joel miller smut #pedro pascal #deadpool and wolverine

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elsweetheart · 2 years

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i’m gonna be the maid of honor at my moms wedding and the ceremony starts in like,,, 30 minutes 😃

any thoughts on abby or ellie at weddings? i think ellie would just stay for the open bar and the chance to get to see her girl all dressed up 😔

heyyy omg i just saw this !!!! i hope the wedding was fun !! i luv weddings sm ^_^

abby would be the charmer i think, talking to all your family members and helping anyone before the wedding starts until everyone at the wedding has nothing but good things to say about her, and how helpful she is. really she’s just doing it to impressive you and show you how family orientated she is :)

ellie… yeah. weddings aren’t not her thing but they’re not her thing. she doesn’t really know how to react to so many people all lovey dovey and all the older relatives of yours she’s never met coming up to her and squeezing her cheeks and telling her how gorgeous her freckles are. she thinks it’s sweet it’s just… a lot. so she’s at the bar and probably makes a life long bond with like your uncle or grandpa or something and then gets super chatty and livens up towards the end of the evening 😭

#anon #ellie williams x reader #abby anderson x reader

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clarkes-and-god · 1 year

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Moriah's Instagram (@mrs.moriah.james):

We have THREE exciting announcements! Firstly, little Ezekiel has turned 2! He is a chatty little man and such a charmer -- he's already stolen all us church ladies' hearts! That includes Jessica, Jonah's unmarried sister who has come to help out with all my little ones. Although I'm an entirely competent mother, it's always nice to have an extra pair of hands, and Jessica is so talented with children! It's a shame she's not a mommy herself. Jessica will also be running the Sunday School for all the tots at OUR NEW CHURCH BUILDING! We have relocated to a new building, which has room for Sunday School, Youth Group, classrooms for homeroom co-op for both teens and kids, plus lounges and an events hall! Unfortunately, we are still in the process of moving in, and so the first meeting we will have in this beautiful space will be the Christmas Day service! How exciting is it that we'll be welcoming the coming of Christ in the same service that we're welcoming our new church space!

a/n: please ignore that i've already furnished it lmao

#moriah #ezekiel #birthdays #moving #jessica #fundie sims #quiverfull sims #fundie snark #fundie simblr #modest sims #satire #homeschool sims

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invisibleicewands · 2 years

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Michael Sheen on art, fear and Amadeus: ‘David Suchet was in really good shape. I … am not!’

Those who have followed the career of the Welsh actor Michael Sheen might expect to encounter a chatty charmer, the “bare-footed buffoon” of his Twitter bio, a full-throated stage animal.

But when he meets Guardian Australia, “harried” is the word that springs to mind – a Sheen closer to the exaggerated version of himself he plays in the Covid lockdown TV hit Staged, not given to suffering fools. At one point I swear he rolled his eyes.

“It’s crunch week,” he says. “Very intense.”

Best known for his roles in The Queen, Good Omens and Masters of Sex, he meets me straight from a wig fitting for his role as Italian composer Antonio Salieri, in a new production of Peter Shaffer’s Tony award-winning play Amadeus at Sydney Opera House. He’s shaved his pandemic beard and is wearing jeans, sipping tea from a mug with his name stuck to it. His blue-brown-green eyes are shining. (He once said on Twitter that his eye colour changes “rather annoyingly.”)

“Crunch week” is the frantic rehearsal period leading up to a production’s first performance. This one has been made more crunchy than usual by the Christmas break, and an extra three days Sheen lost to a “really rough” stomach bug that also took down his partner, actor Anna Lundberg and three-year-old daughter Lyra; along with their six-month-old baby, the family are with Sheen for the season. They are not getting much sleep.

This should be a time of joy for Sheen: World Cup season for a fan whose love of the sport went viral last September, when he gave a rousing speech to the Welsh team. But due to the time difference, illness and new father duties, he says, “It’s the World Cup I’ve seen the least of.”

Perhaps they were “a bit mad” to come to Australia with a new baby at Christmas time – but it’s his first time in Australia, and Sheen couldn’t resist. “There might not be another opportunity and the children are young enough to travel,” he says, adding that Anna’s family are about to fly in from Sweden.

At least Sheen comes to Amadeus thoroughly grounded in its workings, having played the young Mozart in Sir Peter Hall’s staging nearly a quarter of a century ago. That production took him from the West End to Broadway and Los Angeles, and opened the doors to a film career that has included his flawless playing of British PM Tony Blair in The Queen, David Frost in Frost/Nixon (opposite Frank Langella, who played Salieri on Broadway in 1982) and the prestige TV series Masters of Sex. And let’s not forget Last Train to Christmas.

Sheen was 30 at the time; David Suchet played Salieri, the role Sheen steps into now.

“Peter [Hall] was an absolute legend. To get to know him a bit and listen to him talk about the play, that was so great,” says Sheen. “It was also my first time with the Old Vic and I just loved being a part of that. While we were on Broadway, Barry Humphries was doing his Dame Edna show. I saw him and I was absolutely blown away by the danger and the genius of it. He invited me to lunch, which was just lovely – and now Barry is here in Sydney and coming to see me again.”

Sheen remembers his Broadway and Los Angeles experiences fondly – mostly for their idiosyncrasies. For instance, on Broadway, “people clap you at the end of a speech, or clap you when you walk on stage after you’ve had a good review. The oddness of that!”

Playing Mozart remains the longest single theatre engagement of Sheen’s career. “It lasted about 18 months. It was quite hard going at times.” He played Mozart “like he had nuclear reactor inside him,” Sheen recalls. “It’s a positive creative force but it’s also destructive. He’s driven by it and has to try and keep up with it. All that scatological stuff he says, all the personality quirks, they are all coping mechanisms for someone being hurled through space at 1000 miles an hour.”

Playing the older role is no cakewalk either. Salieri is the storyteller, the main focus. One monologue charting the rise and fall of Mozart runs for several pages.

“The play is very demanding and I’m not in the shape I used to be,” says Sheen, who is 53. “I’ve had two children in the last few years, and what with work and everything that’s happened with Covid, it’s been hard to do all the exercise you need to do. I remember David [Suchet] was going to the gym all the time, he was in really good shape. And I … am not!”

That said, this relatively short Sydney season will allow Sheen to let rip to some extent, he says.

“There is much more freedom to explore when you’re playing Salieri … there’s a lot more room to try things out.”

Directed by Craig Illott, the Opera House production features western Sydney actor Rahel Romahn, 28, as Mozart.

“The thing with Mozart is that he’s a mirror to Salieri,” says Sheen. “Before Mozart came along, Salieri considered himself a risk-taker, a pioneering creative artist. Mozart introduces colours he hadn’t known before, concepts he wasn’t aware of. Mozart is an artist. Salieri is someone who has had a career.”

Which is why, Sheen explains, “Salieri has to smash the mirror.”

Is it inevitable that artists lose touch with the creative spark as careers burgeon and responsibilities grow? Does making great art get harder as you grow older?

“I actually don’t think it’s about age, so much,” Sheen says. “We all start off with a sense of an ideal and what we would like to achieve and strive for. It’s about balancing your career and your life responsibilities, but staying true to your original impetus. Are you satisfying yourself creatively? Are you challenging yourself? Are you developing and getting better? I think anyone creative worth their salt is asking themselves that every day.

“When you work on this play, you explore those insecurities and fears, and I have them just like anyone else does. In any part you explore, you look for the bits you connect with and then you amplify them and splash about with them a bit, and that’s what brings the piece to life. It’s not comfortable, but I quite enjoy that. In the end, if you don’t want to explore those things, you shouldn’t play Salieri.”

https://www.theguardian.com

#Michael Sheen #Interview #Amadeus #Theatre #Sydney Opera House

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mssteakhouse · 1 year

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Here we go! Our first household is two roommates called Gem and Andy.

Gem McGee | YA | Wellness Center Owner

Brindleton Native

Speaks Simlish

Loves nectar tasting!

Gem is a lil snobby health nut who owns a wellness center in the area: Gem Health Club. She gives therapeutical massages, offers fitness training, and does yoga routines daily. Her dream business though is not doing very well; she fears that she might need to let the property go. To earn some time to improve her business, she decided to get a roommate to support her living costs: Andy.

Andy Allen | YA | Freelance Photographer

Brindleton Native

Speaks Simlish

Runs a literature club!

Andy is an aspiring photographer trying to become famous and move to the big city! He is a chatty charmer with a big passion for reading as well. Gem has been helping Andy as a model for his shoots and making some extra money on the side. Andy has been slowly growing feelings for her but keeping it a secret. Will he be able to overcome his feelings or give up his dream of making it to San Myshuno?

#simblr #ts4mm #ts4 gameplay #ts4 story #sims 4 gameplay #brindleton bay #mcgeeallen #gemmcgee #andyallen #sims 4 maxis match #sims #the sims 4

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redridcr · 1 year

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"Your hair is beautiful. Like Goldilocks." Emily's smile is so slight... and the compliment would have meant more for Liselotte's hair if Emily also hadn't made it while her brown eyes gaze around the woman's face.

It was quite the compliment to catch chatty Liselotte off guard ; she was never one to suspect this sort of courtesy. They were sitting here as strangers and strong words spilled out of this woman's mouth. The blonde was use to odd company and the type of person paying the compliment wasn't what made for the sterile silence ;

It was the fact that someone was looking at her plain looks at all.

Lips pressed together in pause and thought, thumb rubbing against the index finger on her left hand - - -

" Aren't you the charmer? " she chimes in, " I guess your braveness is better than sleeping in a bed and waking up to bears.

Though I will politely decline if you suggest we go somewhere to sleep. "

#ofvoidx #lissy: hUH THIS IS NEW but i will neither agree nor decline #gfgdfgdf #rp;[liselotte]

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hostradio · 2 months

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❝ competent? willful? accomplished? oh, you ARE quite the charmer, aren't you? i'm practically getting the shivers. ❞ he certainly won't stop him if he wants to continue! there are few things alarie loves more than having others sing his praises — figuratively or literally. ( though of course a touch of MUSIC will only serve to endear one to him even further! ) he's been catching little glimpses of this entire debacle from the sidelines for quite some time now — never truly caring enough to intervene directly, of course, if only because it certainly isn't any concern of HIS. though he is still amused — the same way an audience member settled comfortably in the front row might follow the actors with undisguised fascination as they carry out their tragedies onstage. bravo, bravo! let there be more blood in the next act.

unsurprisingly, the radio demon has little shame in sharing as much, ❝ the only reason why i fraternized with your enemy is because they found me first! ❞ and honestly, what else is vox good for beyond making a flashy ruckus? he was promised a war! carnage! a chance to let loose! even so, ❝ if you're itching to make a case, i'll gladly surrender the spotlight to you, my friend. i did agree to lend my strength to this fight — but technically my exact wording in the moment of dealmaking never specified a side, only an obligation to participate at all! ❞ fair is fair, is it not? that chatty television tried to bend the rules — well, two can play at that game!

besides, he's AWFULLY curious what the other might say. not for any ideological reasons, oh no. but this debate is so very fun.

@staticintone &&. from HERE.

#staticintone #( you are under no obligation to reply to this but i just had to let alarie be a backstabbing little weirdo for a moment KJVSK )#( the vibes in this chili's tonight are delightfully rancid 10/10 i love it )

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cheqorb · 6 months

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MER-LOVE, 1.1

request. “Hi hi!! I decided to take you up on your offer and request a part two to the Mer-love fic. This time can you add in reo and what would they do if researcher!reader brought someone along with them, like a co-worker and they think it’s reader’s partner?”

featuring. reo, isagi, bachira, chigiri, nagi

notes. jealousy hcs are always fun to write, thanks for requesting!!

mer-love masterlist here !

On occasion, you see REO coming to drag Nagi off your boat if he overstays his welcome there, or if he thinks the lazy bastard needs a swim break before he dries out in the sun. You don’t mind him, he’s very polite and as a first impression; you would say he’s a solid guy. The type people can rely on.

The merman doesn’t do anything to go against that initial perception either, acting as the epitome of confidence and elegance. But if you get to know him better, his playful and more down-to-earth nature shines through. While there’s not necessarily a huge gap between the two, he definitely felt like he was trying to keep up appearances as the former personality. You suppose it’s a good thing he came out of his shell, because he visits you a lot nowadays!

Sometimes, you think even a bit too often.

He usually comes with mountains of gifts in his arms; stuff like pearls and any other valuable treasures from the water.

And similarly to Isagi, he’s another who willingly engages in conversation and take an interest in your research (particularly the financial aspect) so that’s definitely a plus. It’s very sweet of him regardless of his intentions, so being a charmer must just be part of his personality.

────

As the days pass, your boat becomes a second home for not just one, but two mermen — Reo and the ever-present Nagi — albeit with varying levels of enthusiasm for things. Their banter feels oddly nostalgic, like you’re back at the lab, chatting with the colleagues who don’t piss you off.

Unbeknownst to you however, during those quiet moments when Nagi drifts off to sleep and the conversation wanes, Reo's attention shifts solely onto you.

He can’t help but find your funny mannerisms and strange (from his perspective) habits endearing. From your animated hand gestures, to the way you absentmindedly twirl a strand of hair, he doesn’t miss a single detail.

────

All in all, Reo’s quite the sweetheart once you’re closer to him!

For the second part of your request, I imagine you bringing someone who you’d trust to keep this a secret from the higher ups — a close friend of yours. So, what you consider innocent gestures like leaning over their shoulder, sitting together while eating, look quite misleading from a mermaid’s perspective (especially if their love language was physical touch/in merfolk society, you only do those types of things with your lover).

REO would be mortified at the sight of them. Who is this person? Why the hell did they come along with you? And why are you talking to them? Please and I stress this, don’t tease him by saying, “oh, haha, they’re my s/o.” What you see as a harmless joke, is something he’d rather die than hear again. Unlike the others, he can and will be openly irritated with your friend’s presence and isn’t scared to voice it. To the point where your colleague is wondering if you were talking shit behind their back to the merman.

ISAGI is arguable the most ‘normal’, rationalising that they’re probably just a coworker that you know. He’d only get antsy if your partner decides to get a little too close to you. Even as chill and unassuming as he may be, Isagi’s still got a pretty nasty ego on him and a bit of a potty mouth to boot. May or may not curse your coworker’s entire generation for the rest of eternity.

BACHIRA would be friendly at first, acting all smiles and being his usual chatty self. But if your coworker decides to try anything the merman deems too…unprofessional, they’ve got another thing coming for them. He’ll snap at their fingers, or tear them off… just kidding! But he wouldn’t be thrilled by it for sure. Kinda just sits on a rock, lost in his own thoughts for a while until they leave.

CHIGIRI would pretend to not care at first, but it’s obvious by the glares he throws their way and the way his sarcasm seems to triple when talking to them that he doesn’t like them. Seriously, why this person? He simply tries to get your attention on him at first, until that doesn’t work and he decides to ‘accidentally’ chuck water onto their face.

NAGI couldn’t care less at first — key word being: at first. But then you’re paying them more attention than you do him, and his brain subconsciously makes up excuses to why he doesn’t like them. Granted some of these could be plausible but others are just straight up mean. Their voice is so grating he can’t sleep, their figure is blocking the sunlight shining on him, among other things. Get them off your boat.

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yourlocaltrashpandaxoxo · 1 year

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Part 2 of my Women's Bracket voice claims!

Chatty Charmer/Clarissa Benoit: Ms Chalice (Cuphead)

Frosty Bites/Greta Alexandria Winters: Abbey Bombinable (Monster High)

Belle Bull/Ceyda Gozu: Luisa Madrigal Turkish Dub (Encanto)

Phoenix Burns/Bridgett McKenzie: Merida (Merida + Wreck it Ralph 2)

Nessie Twins/Fiona and Moira McNessie:

Fiona: Nina (Crush Crush)

Moira: Scottish Pokèmon Trainer (Elsie Lovelock and other random clips)

Jubilee Justice/Giselle Aurora-Belle Felicity Lockridge: Jane (Tarzan)

Nile Blossom/Cleo Jamila Omorose: Rani (The Lion Guard)

Celestia: Bierce (Dark Deception)

Reaper Queen/Jasmine Black: Roxanne Wolf (FNAF: Security Breach)

#punch out #my ocs #punch out oc #voice claims #chatty charmer #frosty bites #belle bull #phoenix burns #nessie twins #jubilee justice #nile blossom #celestia #reaper queen #(PART 2 !!!)#(Also new name for Jasmine)#(CELESTIA IS BAAAAACK)#(And Greta became Frosty lol)

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listening-to-free-audiobooks · 1 year

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youtube

A True Gentleman by M.A. Nichols, The Ashbrooks Book 1

When Tabby’s marriage to a scoundrel ends in tears, she goes to work as a servant for Graham, a former Royal Navy captain injured in battle. Can the two of them heal old wounds and take a risk on love? An enthralling Regency romance!

Book 1: The Ashbrooks Series

Available to purchase on Amazon mybook.to/a-true-gentleman

They say reformed rakes make the best husbands. They were wrong.

Ten years ago, Tabby Russell married the man of her dreams, but when he returns to his dissipated habits, she realizes too late that there’s no going back on her wedding vows. Penniless and desperate, Tabby has no other choice but to become a lowly housekeeper and nurse to an irritating and overbearing sailor.

Captain Graham Ashbrook adores the navy, but when a French cannonball leaves him broken, Graham finds himself trapped at his sister’s estate, desperate to heal himself and reclaim the life he loves—at any cost.

But when his sister hires an intriguing nurse to watch over him, Graham finds himself wondering if life on land might not be so bad. Even if the lady in question is determined to keep him at arm’s length…

youtube

The Shameless Flirt, The Ashbrooks Book 2

Can an abandoned baby bring together an unlikely pair? Accomplished flirt Ambrose doesn’t know how to care for the infant he’s taking to the country, and spinster Mary can’t help but assist when it’s clear Ambrose is out of his depth. A sweet Regency romance!

A rogue with a silver tongue, a spinster with an iron heart, and the doorstep baby that brings them together.

Ambrose Ashbrook spends his life hiding. Even his family sees nothing but the roguish façade he hides behind. But when he finds an abandoned infant, all pretense is upended with one look at her dimpled smile. Knowing his sister is better equipped to help the child, Ambrose climbs aboard a carriage bound for the country.

It’s only a day’s journey. An easy distance. Caring for a baby cannot be that difficult…

Mary Hayward despises flirts. One broke her heart, and she won’t allow it to happen again, so being trapped in a public coach with a chatty charmer is the last thing she wants. But when it’s clear the gentleman is struggling to care for his young charge, Mary has no choice but to lend a hand.

If only he would be quiet! A gentleman like him cannot possibly be interested in a plain spinster like herself… Could he?

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The Honorable Choice, The Ashbrooks Book 3

After Ruby is left pregnant by a scandalous rogue who promised her a future, the man’s brother, Conrad, steps up to wed her instead. But their marriage of convenience could become more in this sweet historical romance!

A marriage they didn’t choose. A child conceived in a lie. Can they overcome their broken dreams and find happiness in a life forced upon them?

At her age, Ruby Jeffries knows better than to dream of love, but then, Lucas Ashbrook sweeps into her life with whispered declarations of love and fervent kisses. He’s everything she’s hoped for, and Ruby would risk far more than the scandal of an elopement to be with him. But when she discovers Lucas faked the wedding to win a bet, Ruby is left with more than a broken heart.

Conrad Ashbrook spends his life mending that which his elder brother breaks, and when Lucas abandons the young lady bearing his child, Conrad has no choice but to shoulder that responsibility as well. Marrying a lady he doesn’t love and raising his brother’s child wasn’t what Conrad wanted for his future.

Can a marriage starting with such pain ever bring them happiness?

***

All of M.A. Nichols’ romances take place in the Generations of Love universe. Each book is a standalone story and can be read in any order with the titles being grouped together into family sagas. The first in this series features the parents with the subsequent books following the next generations as their children find love of their own.

#Youtube #A True Gentleman #Author: M.A. Nichols #Series: The Ashbrooks #Regency Romance #Romance #Historical Romance

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russeliarat · 2 years

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Got bored and decided to reveal the Zeldas in the Zelda!Linked Universe AU (waiting at least a day or so before I decide on a name just in case). Basically their names, what games they're from, their personality etc. Btw this is all subject to change coz I'm still experimenting atm.

Sun - Skyward Sword:

Also known as Hylia's vessel, she is energetic, wise, and a team motivator. She prides herself on being sociable and friendly to others while also being able to pull them in line. She's basically the mother figure the girls never really got. She's also one of the best at swordfighting due to her academic training and she recently started working at the academy as staff coz she lives there with her father anyway.

Dot - Minish Cap, Four Swords:

Dot is a sly girl, and quite cunning too. She often slipped out of the castle in 'peasant clothing' to visit Four and played off being of a lower class than she really was surprisingly well (thanks to him). Dot is quite chatty, but a lot of it are jokes and quips because she likes to uplift others with laughter. She learned a few bits about blacksmithing and repairs from Four and so she's very useful when one of the Court's weapons are getting blunt or damaged. She also carries around a multitude of shields for the girls 'just in case'. Don't put her near anything hot, she sweats under all of those layers. Dot and Aurora are basically inseparable and often joke about things like their unnaturally opposite heights and how Dot could probably pass as an adult (shes 6'5).

Lullaby - Ocarina of Time:

Despite being the oldest at 31 years old, Lullaby desperately chases the childhood that was ripped away from her since she comes from the Adult Timeline, were she sent Link back but not herself. Because of this, she has the Ocarina of Time and uses an arsenal of songs to her advantage. She grew quite pessimistic over the years as she hid as Sheik - which to this day she sees as an extension of herself (yes she's genderfluid) and often causes confusion because of her and Athena. Lullaby has the best survival skills of the group, making her Athena's second-in-command to go to for battle plans, and has more stamina and increased agility compared to the others. She also fights with traditional Sheikah weaponry which sets her apart from everyone else. She looks quite short but she really isn't (she's about 5'8).

Tetra - Wind Waker, Phantom Hourglass:

The 21 year old pirate captain gets along somewhat well with at least half of the group if she doesn't think about the technical side about her heritage. Although despising the idea that she is a princess and would rather be considered the girls' friend than a relative, she also craves to be accepted as one of them, because although Sun should've faced the same experience where she's left out from the group, her bubbly, sociable nature makes them feel that she's to be trusted. Meanwhile, Tetra feels left out due to her rep as a pirate not being a good one, not aided by the fact that she's incredibly mischievous, suspiciously charismatic, and high energy, or the fact that she clashes constantly about leadership roles and authority (especially with Fable and Athena). Despite conflicts, she's an absolute charmer and her confident, headstrong nature is able to get many out of their shells. Tetra's also the only member of the Court to not be of a similar age group to their Link - it doesn't stop her from being mistaken as a teenager for being the second shortest at 5'1.

Dusk - Twilight Princess:

Dusk is the second oldest of the group, shared with Athena. She keeps this stoic, calm, regal front to cover the crippling anxieties that comes from her possession, of which she's still affected by. When she opens up to people, Dusk is a very calm and caring presence which naturally leads her to become the Court's mediator. However she's incredibly loyal and self-sacrifical due to self-esteem issues from the possession (which will be talked more about in her proper reveal post). As the Court go through more of each other's eras, the more weapons are held inside Dusk's cloak. In fact, her paranoia and anxieties she's had since she was a child led her to get sword-fighting lessons, which is why she weilds her sword pre-Court.

Fable - ALTTP, ALBW, OOS/A:

Fable is Legend's older sister by a year at 18 years old, and contrary to Legend, Fable is a very strict, no-nonsense, commanding authority. She very often conflicts and sometimes demonizes certain members of the Court such as Tetra because of her authority as well as others' less traditional viewpoints - though exactly like Legend, it's because she both incredibly emotionally tired and pushes others to hate her so she doesn't get attached in case something happens to them. She acts like a lightning rod for the Court's frustrations and negativity because she knows that other relationships run smoother if she gets the brunt of everyone's problems. At some point you have to wonder if its emotional self-sacrifice. Fable is one of the few members of the Court who doesn't use any weapons until later into the story because she's so strongly tied to her magic, that she thoroughly believes that it can win all of her battles. She's eventually coaxed into using a traveler's sword and a vicious sickle from Flora's time though.

Aurora - Adventure of Link:

Being the smallest and youngest of the Court, Aurora is seemingly forever stuck at 14 years old and 4'11. She a very snarky, sarcastic girl that uses harmless pokes at others to express her affections for them. Her banter is much like Dot's in a way, though has that optimistic, self-assured charm a 14 year old usually has. Aurora has a very troubling relationship with sleeping, as one moment she was being interrogated by her twin brother and the next she wakes up in the arms of an unknown boy, generations ahead, with her beloved uncle and brother already passed. Thus comes a succession crisis for Aurora and Dawn, and the two have a rocky relationship during the start. It isn't until Dawn started to admit that Aurora was her great aunt that the two finally began to make up. She has that fiesty short person energy and she 'borrows' spare weaponry from others so she can fight herself. She is comically strong for her height and age and has won almost all arm wrestling matches she's been in. Aurora sometimes finds herself belittled or coddled by some of the Court for her age, but surprisingly enough, she was one of the first people Fable properly opened up to. She doesn't understand why she insists that Aurora reminds Fable of her younger brother, though she feels like she recognises something about Fable...

Dawn - The Legend of Zelda (1)

Dawn is a very stubborn 17 year old whom is easily distrusting of many. Once she knows she wants something done, she works hard to get it done, no matter the cost. At times her actions come off as morally questionable, as sometimes her relationships are affected by them. Dawn is consistently exhausted due to working hard to win the favour of her royal council of advisors back in hers and Aurora's era, to the point that her health is poor and she's quite frail under her clothing. She shares more of Fable's traditional values and looks to her almost like a role model when in the Court. Though the beginning of the story has her and Aurora on a very rocky relationship, she slowly tries harder and harder to please her great aunt and fix their friendship.

Athena - Hyrule Warriors:

Athena is the second oldest of the group at 25, a shared age with Dusk. She is very closed off and distant from the girls, but will work to collaborate on battle plans, mapping, and anything to do with strategy. She is the Court's medic due to her wartime medical training. She is the closest to Lullaby, though it was mostly through getting to know her so she could cover Lullaby's ass with her own Sheik disguise. Though reserved, Athena is usually the one to start bets as it was a good way to pass time and heighten morale among soldiers (especially with Warriors and the younger Links as they would have something to look forward to so they could keep going), though passes the time by doing weapon and armour maintenance, reading, and zoning out into her own world. Zoning out usually includes grooming the Court's appearance absentmindedly as she subconsciously cares deeply for public image. Athena is also the only Zelda to not use pockets, pouches, or bags to carry items or money, as she stores everything away with her magic.

Flora - Breath of the Wild:

Being the scientist of the group, she is able to easily identify and locate important herbs and plants, mix together medicines, and knows pretty well how to exploit certain parts of nature. She's very curious about the world around her, though had been conditioned over her childhood to repress her emotions in order to focus on the potential of any powers. She equates a lot of her self image and importance on her powers and how much she can do in regards to it. Over time in the wild, however, she was able to let loose and relax to do whatever experiments she wished. She is somewhat socially awkward and sticks out like a sore thumb when she talks due to her accent and vocabulary because of a very sheltered, overwatched life. Silent Princesses are Flora's favourite flower because it is able to obtain the one thing she couldn't; freedom from confinement. Still on a journey to explore herself, she finds a lot of similarities in Sun and takes refuge in her. They have an almost mentor-ish relationship going on and they both act as each others emotional anchors.

#linked universe #lu #lu athena #lu flora #lu dot #lu lullaby #lu tetra #lu fable #lu dusk #lu dawn #lu aurora #lu sun #zelda linked universe #linked universe but zelda

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inactive-herbalist · 2 years

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𝓐𝓫𝓻𝓪𝓱𝓪𝓶 "𝓐𝓫𝓮" 𝓐𝓾𝓻𝓮𝓵𝓲𝓾𝓼 𝓗𝓮𝓷𝓻𝔂 𝓐𝓵𝓭𝓮𝓷

Ravenclaw • Half-blood • British • ENFP • Libra • Beater • Troublemaker • Auror • Journalist

Name: Abraham Aurelius Henry Alden, future Earl of Dorset

Nicknames: Abe, Alden

Birthdate: October 8th, 1874

Zodiac Sign: Libra Sun, Virgo Moon, Gemini Rising

Personality Type (MBTI): ENFP – The Campaigner

Sexuality: heterosexual

Gender Identity: Wizard (he/him)

Blood-Status: Half-blood

Nationality: British

Residence: Exeter, England

Hometown: Exeter, England

Languages: English, French, Italian, Ancient Greek, Latin

Physical Appearance

Face Claim: Thimothée Charlamet

Hair: brown, slightly curly, usually tousled

Eyes: brown

Height: 186cm

Weight: 70kg

Body Type: slim, athletic

Skin Tone: light, warm

Distinguishing Marks (scars, birthmarks, etc.): -

Family

Mother: Anabelle Minerva Alden née Silverthorn. Ravenclaw, pureblood, former Unspeakable and ancient runes specialist. Broke off all contact with her parents, they consider her a disgrace for marrying a muggle. Met Vincent during an undercover investigation, charmed him with her intellect and iron-will. Stopped working at the ministry after giving birth to their first son, William.

Father: Vincent Edmund William Alden, Duke of Exeter, Earl of Dorset, firstborn son of Edmund Albert and Elisabeth Viktoria Alden. Loving but strict father. Encourages learning and critical-thinking but is concerned about their status and would rather have his sons behave and conform, at least in public. In that matter Abe can give his father a bit of a headache.

Older Brother: William Jupiter Theodor Alden, future Duke of Exeter, older brother by four years, griffindor, Auror. A little arrogant but a kind soul. Charmer. Loves to lecture Abe, only because he wants the best for him. The golden son.

Magic

House: Ravenclaw (tied with Gryffindor)

Best Class: Defence Against the Dark Arts, Muggle Studies, History of Magic

Worst Class: Divination

Quidditch: Beater

Clubs: Duelling Club

Wand: Apple Wood, Phoenix Core, 14 1/2” Length, Slightly Yielding Flexibility

➔ Applewood wands are not made in great numbers. They are powerful and best suited to an owner of high aims and ideals, as this wood mixes poorly with Dark magic. It is said that the possessor of an apple wand will be well-loved and long-lived, and I have often noticed that customers of great personal charm find their perfect match in an applewood wand. An unusual ability to converse with other magical beings in their native tongues is often found among apple wand owners, who include the celebrated author of Merpeople: A Comprehensive Guide to Their Language and Customs, Dylan Marwood.

Animagus: –

Boggart: him being ignorant (don’t know how that would manifest yet, any ideas?)

Riddikulus: tbd

Patronus: Lynx

Patronus Memory: Sword fighting with his brother in the backyard (using branches)

Mirror of Erised: himself as a Professor for DADA and/or Muggle Studies

Amortentia (what he smells like): leather, a hint of ink, cedarwood, freshly mowed grass, cinnamon

Amortentia (what he smells): tbd

Magical Abilities: -

Career

Ages 11–18: Student at Hogwarts

Ages 18–36: Auror, Freelance Writer

Inherits the title Earl of Dorset at the age of 26

Ages 36–retirement: Professor for Muggle Studies, Substitute teacher for DADA

Personality & Attitude

Personality: great speaking and duelling skills, likes to question things and has a tendency to get into trouble, loves a good book and has a slight obsession with bikes that just now started to pop up, well-versed on muggle matters, curious, well-read and chatty, idealist, appreciates a good challenge, can be very random at times xD

Strengths: enthusiasm, sense of justice, perception, improvising, communication skills, highly empathetic, helpful

Weaknesses: tends to worry a lot, can be impulsive

Stressors: not being able to solve a problem or help people out (drives him crazy), he’s not that easily stressed tho but when he does gets a bit emotional

Comfort: reading a good book out in nature, friends, riding a bike or horseback riding

Priorities: his friends, social progress, justice

Favourites

Colours: neutral colours

Food: -

Drink: Earl Grey

Flowers: lavender, dandelion

Books: North and South – Elizabeth Gaskell

Weather: warm and sunny

Hobbies: conversing, reading, writing, telling his friends about muggle inventions, fencing

Style: usual upper class/noble wear but prefers to dress more casually

Relationships

Significant Other / Love Interest: Emmeline Antonia Falcon @endlessly-cursed

Will add a brief summary of their story later…

Best friend: Oscar Alatar Erdstern — met in their first year at Hogwarts, hit it off instantly and have been friends ever since. They often stay up late to talk about anything and everything.

Friends:

Violette Jolie Durand — met her a week before school started (5th year), strolling through Diagon Alley, running errands. Overheard a conversation she had with a shop-owner, mentioning that she’s transferring to Hogwarts. So he decided to go talk to her. Violette was a little wary in the beginning but Abe was persistent and soon they found out they had a lot in common and became close friends.

Primrose Gray @endlessly-cursed

Henry of Alderly @gaygryffindorgal

Open for friendships. If your interested DM me :)

Random HC

likes to read books outside or between shelves in the library

loves his brother but thinks he‘s a little too stuck in his ways

supporter of social movements (of both magical and non-magical nature)

his brother got him into quidditch; practicing with him since his brothers first year at Hogwarts

doesn’t really like all those big feasts he has to attend but does enjoy a good conversation or debate with the few people that share his views or are at least open to a constructive debate

great conversationalist

likes bikes so much because they give him a sense of freedom

gets super excited when he learns about a new muggle invention

is a bit of a rebel, doing things his own way rather than conforming to set rules – which gets him into trouble from time to time

knows how to speak a little bit of German, thanks to Oscar

sometimes writes poetry to process thoughts and feelings, but keeps it more of a secret

#hphl #hogwarts legacy #hogwarts legacy mc #my ocs #ocs #mcs #aestehtic #moodboard #ravenclaw #abraham alden #wizarding world #hphl profile

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skzsauce01 · 3 years

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God’s Menu

Synopsis: Two chefs face off in the final dessert round. Who will come out on top, and who will be the next Cooking God? Cooking competition AU inspired by Chopped. Possible cooking/baking inaccuracies.

Warning: none

Word Count: 6.6k

Pairing: fem!reader x chef!Felix

“Who will win and become the next Cooking God?”

This is not a laughing matter, but your nerves about the situation think otherwise. The bright lights of the studio kitchen and the multitude of cameras pointed at you make your pulse thrum at an even quicker pace than the last two rounds. With your opponent in front of you and the host right beside you, you grow increasingly on edge. It’s becoming more real by the second — a chance to win ten million won, your dream of opening your own bakery being fulfilled, your future studded with three Michelin stars.

You would say you didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at such a wild scenario, but clearly your body has already decided on that.

Since you’ve already bursted out laughing on the last two takes, you can’t exactly do it again. It’s so difficult though. The host Park Jae is chatty and humorous behind the scenes, but the solemn way he delivers the cheesy line is such a big contrast to himself. It doesn’t help that you can see his jaw trembling as he holds back his laughter. It’s almost an invitation.

With the grin on your face barely concealed, you say, “I will.”

In front of you, Chef Lee Felix replies, “Not a chance,” in an extra deep voice, his thick Australian accent shining through, taunting you to give up your cracking charade of calm.

“Chefs, open your baskets.”

“Cut!”

As soon as the clapper is dropped, all three of you let loose into peals of laughter. Jae and Felix clutch onto each other for support, and you grab the nearby edge of the work surface to steady yourself. It’s all so silly. You wonder if Jae is like this on all episodes of God’s Menu or if he simply finds you and Felix especially fun to be around. Felix is a charmer, but you’re not certain if you feel that way because he’s rather attractive, the head chef of the two Michelin star restaurant Levanter, or simply because you feel like your insides have been reduced to cotton candy ever since you stepped inside the studio. Either way, the combination of you, Felix, and Jae has not been easy for the filming crew.

However, as the director calls for you and Felix to head to your stations, you steel yourself for the most important part of the competition. You glance at Felix once more to see how he’s faring, and he mouths, “Good luck,” at you. You smile back and hope that it’s reassuring enough.

“And… action!”

Jae resumes his professional television persona from the far end of the studio where the judges are sitting. “Chefs, open your baskets.”

With unsteady hands, you pull apart the flaps of the giant wicker basket. Then you immediately grimace once you see the four ingredients you have to use in your dessert. Strange foods are part of the competition, but you are always surprised by some of the things the producers put in the basket.

“You have to make a dessert with camel milk…”

You have used cow milk, goat milk, sheep milk, even buffalo milk once, but never camel. Hopefully, it has a similar composition and taste to one of those.

“Rose syrup…”

This is an ingredient you use daily in the upscale restaurant you work at, so you can possibly modify one of your recipes if the other two ingredients aren’t too absurd. Macarons will take too long, so maybe a decadent flourless rose and chocolate cake. You could easily incorporate the camel milk into a dense, fudgy cake.

“Beer flour…”

Never mind on the flourless cake. The cake idea may still be possible, but what on earth is beer flour? If it tastes anything like beer though, you might have to nix the idea altogether.

“And jalapeños.”

They are bright red and thus, extra spicy. Your first instinctive is to candy them and to use them as a garnish on your maybe-cake. The spice would cut through the sweetness and richness of the cake as well.

“Forty minutes on the clock, and your time starts… now!”

Your previous nervousness dissipates completely. Compartmentalizing while cooking, or soon to be baking in this case, has always been a relatively easy feat for you; your mind forgets the rest of the world and refocuses on the task at hand.

While Felix heads straight to the pantry for his additional ingredients, you tear open the package of beer flour with your knife. Unfortunately for you, it smells exactly like old beer, so you forgo your initial idea. You warily eye the clock and calculate the time needed for the plan you have just created. If you’re quick in the kitchen, you could make a good tart. All the basket ingredients can easily be used for one purpose or another.

Yeah, you think you’ll do that.

As you rush to the pantry for some flour, butter, sugar, and vanilla for your shortbread tart crust, Felix walks past you with a sheet of puff pastry and a carton of cream. You wonder what he’s going to do with his repertoire of skills. Hand pies? Strudels? Something completely out of the box?

You push those thoughts out of your head and gather your ingredients for the crust along with the ones for the chocolate cream filling. The cameraman following you takes several steps back as you stack containers in your arms. You press down the topmost one with your chin and carefully balance them as you speed back to your work station. Fortunately, yours is the closest to the pantry.

While the flours, butter, sugar, and vanilla are being combined together in the stand mixer, you begin slicing your jalapeños before candying them in a pan with some sugar. After a moment’s hesitation, you add in a splash of rose syrup as well to further accentuate the flavors in the rose glaze. You hear a crash of metal on your left. Felix has set a pan on his stovetop and is dropping a handful of sliced jalapeños into his pan.

It’s never early too early to start getting your presentation dishes, is it?

You walk past him — “Behind, Chef” — and peer inside to confirm that he is also making candied jalapeños. It’s a little concerning that you and he have similar elements in this round since the judges may deem the idea “uncreative.” If push comes to shove, you can probably transform the peppers into something else, but you have no idea what else to do with them now. Instead, you grab four ceramic tart pans and head back to find that your dough is fully combined.

As you press a layer of the dough into the bottom of your pans, you overhear the panel of judges speculating over your and Felix’s desserts. Park Jihyo, a celebrity chef known for her wide variety of kimchi dishes, points out that both chefs appear to be making candied jalapeños. Jae mentions something about Felix possibly putting it between his puff pastry like a sandwich. Could he be making a dessert sandwich with puff pastry as the bread? You can’t help yourself. A quick glance over at Felix and then upwards towards the wall-mounted clock informs you that he is pouring something into his blender and that you have thirty-three minutes left, neither of which are helpful.

You place the pans on a baking sheet and slide the tray into the oven to bake. You take a sip of the camel milk, which tastes a little nutty and will work nicely in the pastry cream filling. As the milk and heavy cream heats up, you chop a dark chocolate bar to add into the mixture to melt. The main reason why you decided on a chocolate cream filling is because one of the judges, Lee Chaeryeong, is a self-proclaimed chocoholic as well as a renowned chocolatier and baker. If you can impress her with your dessert, everyone will flock to your bakery.

Being the head pastry chef at Hero’s Soup is fun, but to have full creative control and to make whatever you want, is what you truly desire. You have a menu already drawn up, paint colors selected, and even a storefront scoped out. All you need now is a lot of money to get it opened. Chef Lee Felix and his dish are the only thing standing in your way. He may have gotten his start as a pastry chef, but you have spent the last several years being one at a top restaurant. Only one Michelin star, you admit, but you know your work is superb. The critics at Clé magazine said so.

You whisk in the sugar and slowly add your beaten eggs into the chocolate mixture. You don’t want to risk having bits of scrambled egg in the tarts. After you mix it all until it turns smooth, you check your tart crust in the oven. It’s done blind baking, so you take it out to cool before filling it with your filling. In the meantime, you work on the rose flavored cream to be piped on top.

“Behind,” calls Felix.

As you run back to your station with a carton of whipping cream, Felix heads to the ice cream machine with his blender container. He pours his light pink mixture in. Rose ice cream, it seems, will be in his dessert. Rather unhelpfully to you and more for the cameras, Jae announces that Felix’s dish will feature ice cream.

“An ice cream sandwich maybe with the puff pastry he has in the oven?” he adds.

That certainly is a dessert sandwich. You can’t help but look at the judges’ reactions to that suggestion.

Ok Taecyeon, chef and owner of the Japanese restaurant Winter Hitori, seems pleased by that idea. “Or maybe a mille feuille,” he says as he cranes his neck to look at the ingredients at Felix’s station, “with ice cream instead of pastry cream.”

A mille feuille and a tart are pretty different from each other, but you don’t miss your dessert’s similarities to his. Unoriginality aside, this could become a direct comparison of technical abilities. You’re certain you’ve got him beat on that.

You pause on your rose cream to fill your empty tart shells with the chocolate filling. There is an audible gasp from Chaeryeong as she sees the silky smooth texture being poured into each pan. How can you blame her when you yourself are mesmerized by the shine of it?

“Chocolate’s on the menu!” Jae exclaims. “How do you think it will go with all of the mandatory ingredients?”

You suppress a smile at her excitement as she details the finer points of chocolate pairings. Without a doubt, she is the one you must impress. It won’t be an easy feat, but you think she’ll enjoy your dish.

You stick the now filled tart shells back into the oven to bake. Fifteen minutes left, and not only does the filling have to be baked through completely, it has to cool down with adequate time so you can pipe on the cream. The giant bowl of rose cream is completed and set aside.

Now the only thing left for you to finish are your candied jalapeños, which you should have paid more attention to because they are on the verge of being burnt. The sugar and rose syrup have caramelized into a dark brown mess around the edges of the pan, and the red peppers have gone mushy. At that moment, the camera leans in to get a closeup of the disaster and captures you loudly swearing at it.

They can censor that in post-production.

"Behind. All good?" Felix asks as he rushes by with a casserole dish for ice cream collection. You hope his ice cream base didn't work.

"Mostly."

Jae's theatrical whisper and the approved hums from the judges inform you that Felix’s ice cream did turn out beautifully.

"Behind," he says again.

"Heard."

With an exasperated sigh, you set the ruined pan aside and turn back to your cutting board. You had the foresight to not use all of the peppers, but two measly ones are not going to be enough for the amount you want on each tart.

“Hey,” you shout to Felix, hoping that he can hear you over the whir of his food processor, “you have any jalapeños left over?”

He pushes the plastic container with one finger a smidge in your direction as he pulls off the parchment paper over his freshly baked puff pastry. “Take it.”

With a sigh of relief, you walk over to grab them. You expertly chop them into neat slices and throw them into a new pan. A sprinkling of sugar, a circle of rose syrup, and a turn of the stove knob later, the jalapeños are being candied, hopefully properly this time. As you wait, you check your baking tarts. They are still not done yet, which is to be expected but bothersome.

“Ten minutes left on the clock!”

The nervousness is back, and you whisper, “C’mon, c’mon,” at the oven door like it will encourage the tarts to cook faster. After letting yourself stare for a few more seconds because maybe they’ll suddenly be done in that short time, you pop back up to check on your peppers. They, fortunately, are turning out well. You turn down the heat so as to not let the syrup turn into rock candy as you wait for those cursed tarts to be done. Why did you decide on something so risky? Why couldn't you have done a puff pastry crust and not spend ten precious minutes fiddling around with the dough?

Because of the beer flour and because your pride demands that you prove your skills to all the talented chefs, that's why.

Another minute passes, and you drain the pan of the liquid and let the peppers cool down. Felix keeps running back to the pantry for more ingredients, and the judges voice their disapproval at that. You feel a breeze brush across the back of your neck as he dashes back to his station. It’s never a good sign when chefs grab last-minute items; it either means they’re behind schedule, forgot a component of a key element, or about to screw up whatever they have already made in an attempt to fill up time. Or maybe you’re just being cynical. All your nerves are on fire at the moment. Jihyo and Taecyeon soon turn their attention to you when they realize that your tarts are still in the oven.

“You can’t just look at them all day!” Jihyo exclaims at your crouching position.

She’s right, so you make a quick decision: finish these underbaked tarts in the microwave. You flounder for a towel, pull open the oven door, and walk to the microwave as you fast as you can with a tray of steaming hot pans. As all of the tarts are being cooked, you run back to your station to fill a pastry bag of your rose cream. You have six and a half minutes left, and if you’re quick, you can stick the tarts in the blast chiller to cool a little bit. Never mind that putting hot desserts into a freezer is considered blasphemous, you have a competition to win.

The microwave loudly beeps, and you run back to cart them back onto the baking sheet and shove them in the blast chiller. They could still be underdone for all you know, but that’s a risk you have to take. It will still be delicious at least. Felix decides to grab yet another ingredient, and you watch with interest as he selects a bunch of basil. You can’t say whether rose and basil is a good combination, but you trust that he has an idea of what he’s doing. He flashes you a panicked smile as he runs back. It’s the perfect embodiment of your current emotions.

“Less than five minutes, chefs!”

You’re certain the judges mean well when they begin to shout at you about starting on plating, but it only makes you more anxious. You keep watch of the clock, precious seconds disappearing in front of your eyes. Once it hits two minutes, you’ll take them out. Piping pastry cream is so easy, you could do it in your sleep. Garnishing should be simple too. You can do this.

Taecyeon yells, “There’s no time! Get it together!” exactly when there are three minutes left. One more agonizing minute later, you take out the tarts and head back to your station with the same kind of balancing act you performed when you made a mad dash to the microwave. At first glance, it appears the chocolate cream filling has set and cooled, but who really knows? You pick up your pastry bag and start squeezing fat dots in a crescent on the tops of each tart. The pink cream looks beautiful against the dark chocolate.

“Less than thirty seconds remaining!” shouts Jae.

“I can’t watch,” Chaeryeong declares. “Hurry!”

With a slightly shaky hand, you place your candied peppers on each dollop, grimacing when some of them are just the tiniest bit askew. You quite literally have no time to fix them though. A millisecond after you finish setting the last one, Jae calls out for you and Felix to stop cooking. You throw your hands up, showing that you have stopped. Then with a sigh, you grasp the edge of the table and look down at the final desserts. They all look amazing, minus the imperfect pepper placements, on the outside, so you hope that the insides match, no gooey filling in the center. Out of curiosity, you glance over at Felix and catch him eying yours as well. His mille feuilles look stunning — light pink ice cream sandwiched between golden brown puff pastry, topped with a row of pastry cream, red jalapeños, strawberries, and basil so finely chopped, you can barely see it.

You and Felix meet in the middle and nearly collapse on top of each other. He pulls you in more a congratulatory hug, and your unease about your dessert disappears for a second. His hold is strangely comforting considering you have only met him today. You could stay here all day. Then you remember that all of this is being filmed and that you’re hugging Chef Lee Felix, and your pulse jumps.

“We’re done now. Nice job,” he says. He pulls away and observes your frozen expression. “No laughing fits yet?”

A giggle escapes — they’re back and even worse than before, you can already feel it — and you clamp a hand over your mouth, embarrassed. “They’ve just started.”

“Good luck on the judging.”

“Yeah, you too.”

The director yells, “Cut!” and the moment is gone.

You and Felix idle around by the judges’ table as the production crew takes close-ups of the food. Felix easily makes conversation with all of the judges, especially Taecyeon. He smiles at the right parts, adds anecdotes when appropriate, and you wonder how he is so unphased by the dessert round. It’s all you can think about, replaying every single action you made.

“I can’t wait to try that chocolate tart,” Chaeryeong warmly says to you. “It looks amazing.”

Now all you can do is stare at her in disbelief with the silliest grin on your face. Felix gently nudges you to remind you to speak.

“I can’t wait for you to try it,” you hear yourself reply. It’s uncharacteristically high-pitched, and you feel yourself growing hotter despite the lack of harsh studio lights.

“The fourth one is for me, right?” Felix teases. “I want a bite of that too.”

“Only if I get some of your mille feuille,” you say. “It looks amazing.”

“What about me?” protests Jae, making everyone laugh.

Once the close-ups are completed, you and Felix return to your stations and make the dramatic walk to the judges’ table. The lighthearted atmosphere from before is gone, and your nerves are back in a completely different way. The anticipation from the beginning of the round is nothing compared to the fear you feel now. You stand tall with your hands behind you, the perfect picture of confidence, but behind the camera, you are twisting and knitting together your fingers. Felix, on the other hand, is solemn. Lucky him.

“In the dessert round,” Jae recites, “you were tasked to create a dish with camel milk, rose syrup, beer flour, and jalapeños. Chef Felix, what did you make for us today?”

With a steady voice, he answers, “Judges, I have made for you a rose and strawberry ice cream mille feuille topped with a strawberry rose syrup crumble, candied jalapeños, sliced strawberries, and some chopped basil. I hope you enjoy it.”

There’s a pause as the judges cut into the dessert and try it. Like in the previous rounds, their expressions are indecipherable as they chew and deliberate to themselves. Taecyeon is the first to speak.

“First off, your presentation is beautiful. Everything is very neat and precise, which shows your attention to detail. I especially love the basil. Not only does it complement the rest of the dish, it’s a nice addition of color to the plate.”

Chaeryeong nods. “I agree. Strawberry and basil is a classic combination, and I think you balanced those flavors very well. However, neither of those ingredients were in the basket.”

You can almost feel the temperature in the room drop at that revelation.

“Yeah, you definitely focused more on the pantry than the basket ingredients,” Jihyo adds. “Strawberry is the star of this dessert, and I wish you highlighted a basket ingredient instead, especially since you had so many good choices available. And ice cream wise, I think it is too sweet. And I can just barely taste the rose syrup in there.”

“Where is the beer flour in this?” Taecyeon asks as he lifts off the topmost layer of puff pastry. “Is it in the crumble?”

“Yes,” Felix quickly replies. “I didn’t like the flavor of the flour, so I decided it would be best to hide it with the strong syrup flavor.”

“You definitely did that well,” Taecyeon continues. “And your jalapeños are great, help cut through the sweetness of everything.”

It’s clear that there is nothing more to be said. You note that the baker of the trio of the judges said nothing negative about Felix’s dish.

“Thank you, Chef Felix,” Jae concludes. “Chef Y/N, what have you made for us today?”

There’s another cut as the production switches out the half empty plates for your tarts. Sensing your increasing anxiety, Felix reaches over and pats you on the shoulder.

“Good luck,” he whispers. “You got this.”

You can only give him a tentative smile in return before filming resumes. Jae repeats his line to help the transition.

“Judges, I have made for you a chocolate tart with a beer flour crust, rose pastry cream, and candied jalapeños. Please enjoy.”

Chaeryeong is the first to scoop into the tart with her spoon. When the spoon comes out clean and with a pile of solid chocolate tart, you breathe a sigh of relief. She mulls over it as she takes another bite, but Taecyeon already has one ready.

“This is rich and delicious.”

You stop wringing your fingers together. A smile is beginning to form on your face, and it takes some willpower to remain calm.

“I love the way you cut the beer flour with regular flour because let’s be real,” he continues, leaning in conspiratorially, “beer flour tastes pretty awful. I can still get some hints of it, but it’s not overpowering.”

Jihyo nods in agreement. “You have good textures, from the crunchiness of the tart shell to the silkiness of the filling. My only problem with your dessert is that it’s heavy. There’s a lot of chocolate and then you top it off with something pretty sweet. Your candied jalapeños do help, but the ratio of cream to peppers is off.”

Your joy wilts as you take in her comments. As much as you want for her to be wrong, you didn’t get a chance to eat your creation, so you can’t exactly deny it. However, everyone knows that the judge with the weightiest opinion in the dessert round is Chaeryeong. When you look over at her to see what she thinks, she is still picking apart the tart.

Jihyo, situated in between Taecyeon and Chaeryeong, nudges her. “Anything to add, Chaeryeong?”

She looks up at you, and you realize that likely already made a decision on her first bite. Her words are clear and decisive. “I think you made a lot of good choices. Finishing it in the microwave, using dark chocolate, incorporating the rose syrup in the candying process. I do agree with Jihyo that this is a little too rich though. Your rose syrup cream feels unnecessary, but overall, it’s a delicious dessert.”

Your heart is pounding. Everything feels hot, and you are suddenly hyperaware of the cameras around, waiting to capture your reaction. You remember your fiddling fingers and stop moving them.

“Thank you, Chef Y/N,” Jae says. “The judges need some time to deliberate the winner. Remember that the decision will be made on your dishes from all three rounds. Chefs, we will see you after.” He nods at you and Felix, and as per the instructions from the producers, you and Felix walk to the green room.

No other takes are needed. You follow behind Felix, wondering how he is still so poised after all of that. Inside the green room, there is a cameraman waiting, ready to film some commentary from you and Felix. You settle into a stool at the table, and he sits in front of you.

“You did a great job,” he says in an overly produced way. You bet he was rehearsing this. That’s what you should have been doing during his judging. Now your remarks won’t come out as smoothly. “I definitely focused on the pantry too much, but hopefully the other rounds will help me out. The beer flour really confused me.”

You swallow and try to concentrate on him instead of the tabletop. If you don’t get this right, you’ll have to redo it. “Yeah, definitely a tricky ingredient. It was smart of you to use it in your crumble. But yeah, I think we both did pretty good. May the best chef win.” You stick your hand out for him to shake, and he does.

“Cut,” interjects a producer. “Alright, that’s all for that scene. Let’s start on your interviews.”

You nearly forgot about those. You and Felix share glances, both of which are reluctant goodbyes, before being whisked away into separate rooms. As you sit in front of a green screen, you recount what you did in the dessert round, walking the audience through the choices you made and the emotions you felt. There’s a frenetic energy about you this time unlike the previous interviews after the appetizer and entrée rounds. You are so close to the ten million won, you can almost taste it.

Your interview takes almost all of the time. Just as you swallow your last sip of water, the producers are informed that the judges have finished discussing and that you are needed back to the kitchen studio. When you stand up, you nearly knock over the stool you were sitting on. The walk to the studio is longer than it was before, and you want to push the dawdling production crew aside so you can get there faster. Your heart pounds erratically underneath your mask of serenity.

Felix smiles at you from where he stands in front of the judging panel. The signature cloche of God’s Menu sits ominously from its location on the table, two spotlights illuminating its silver shine. Taecyeon, Jihyo, and Chaeryeong are getting last-minute makeup touches, and Jae is idling around, rereading his script even though he has said the lines numerous times before.

“Hey,” you greet Felix as you take your spot beside him. “You nervous?”

“Yeah. It all comes down to this, right? Ten million won and the title of Cooking God.” He says the last part like Jae does, no theatrics spared, and you laugh. It feels good to do so, like a small bit of tension has been released.

Someone adjusts the lights, and suddenly you and Felix are in the dark. Feeling a little courageous, you tell him, “No matter what happens, I just want to say that it’s been an honor competing against you. It’s been a lot of fun, and I think I’ve learned a few things from your cooking.”

“Same here. You’re an awesome chef and an even better person.” The lights shine back on you and Felix, and he sneaks a glance towards you after a producer calls a warning to begin shooting soon. “I’d say ‘good luck,’ but with the way you cook, I don’t think you’ll need it.”

Your face is as hot as an oven. “Thanks. Same to you.”

The clapper goes down. “Action!”

“Chefs,” Jae starts, “the judges have finished deciding. Let’s see who is our next Cooking God and who is getting ousted.”

His hand wraps around the handle of the cloche, and you hold your breath in anticipation. The sound of your pulse in your ears is deafening. You’re not one to wish for someone else’s downfall, but you hope that it’s Felix’s mille feuille underneath. Everything you have worked for today all comes down to this. You can’t lose. You knit and twist your fingers behind your back, and keep your eyes glued to Jae’s hand.

When you see the dish on the table and the judge’s impassive faces, you begin to cry. Your chest tightens, your throat suddenly has a cherry pit lodged inside, and your vision goes blurry. How funny that you start the round with laughter and end in tears. It’s all too poetic for such a moment.

“Chef Felix,” Jae solemnly says, “you have been ousted. Judges?”

You don’t hear what the judges have to say about Felix’s dishes from the past three rounds. All you can focus on is the wood paneling of the judges’ table as you stifle your bubbling sobs. It shouldn’t be too difficult, right? You suppressed all your laughs in the beginning, so this should be easy.

“It was an honor to cook for you today, judges,” Felix says after he has received all of their critiques. He turns to you and wraps in a warm embrace, making your flimsy grasp on your emotions disintegrate. “Congratulations. I knew you would win when I saw your dessert.”

“Thank you so much,” you whisper.

After he heads down the hallway to the green room to film his exit interview, the cameras are back on you and solely you. The judges give you encouraging smiles, Chaeryeong’s the largest.

“Chef Y/N, you are the new Cooking God,” Jae announces. “Congratulations.”

You wipe away your tears with the back of your hand in a vain attempt to make yourself appear more composed. However, when the applause begins, it all comes pouring out — your thanks, your appreciation, your rambles about the bakery you have planned.

“I’ll be sure to come by,” Chaeryeong says. “Your tart was your best dish of the day. If you put it on the menu, I’m definitely going to buy one.”

“Your creativity in all of the rounds was amazing,” Jihyo adds, “but dessert is really where you shine. Give us a call when your bakery is open.”

Taecyeon compliments your appetizer and also agrees with the other two. “Chef, you should be proud of yourself.”

You beam through your tears. For a momentous occasion, you half expect confetti to start raining down and a symphony to start playing. However, there is only production orchestrating a few more shots of you shaking hands with everyone and a closeup of your face. The small celebratory scene is over soon as you are led to another room for your victory interview. This one is easy, simply you expressing your joy and partially promoting your future business.

When you’re done, you are told to wait in the green room while they set up some paperwork for you to fill out later. To your surprise, Felix is there as well, sitting at the table with a tired look on his face. His water bottle is empty, and there is an unopened one next to it. When he sees that you are there, he lights up.

“Hey there, Cooking God,” he says. “Congrats again.”

“Hey. Thanks again.” You sit across from him and slump against the table. “I thought you would have left already.”

“I’ve got some paperwork to do and one more interview to finish up. You know,” he says, propping himself up on his arms, leaning forward, “I never got to try your tart. I was really looking forward to it.”

You can see yourself reflected in his eyes. He has very pretty eyes. “I never got to try your mille feuille either. Do you think production will be mad if we sneak back in and eat the leftovers?”

“We might have to dig through the trash, but I’m down.” He pulls back. “What are you going to do with the prize money, if you don’t mind me asking? I don’t think Jae asked you about it during the judging.”

So you tell him all about it. You tell him of the empty building on the corner of the street you have been eying for the last year, the late night hours you have spent experimenting with recipes, the white banner and silver ribbons you have envisioned for the grand opening of your dream. He listens intently, nodding along and cracking smiles when you draw the details in the air.

“Wow, you’ve got it all figured out already.”

“Yeah,” you agree, feeling flushed and breathless. “It’s been a long time coming.”

There’s a knock on the door, and a member of the production team pokes his head in. “Chef Lee Felix, we’re ready to shoot the interview now.”

Felix nods and stands up from his stool, taking the both water bottles with him. “I guess this is goodbye then. Good luck with everything.”

“What’s your number?” you blurt out before the nervous laughter starts up again. You just finished one of the most grueling cooking competitions in the country; asking someone for their number should be a cakewalk, but said someone also happens to be a highly esteemed chef. “I’d love for you to be at the grand opening.”

His mouth splits into a grin. He tears the label off of the empty bottle and asks the staff member if he has a pen. Then he scrawls down the digits and hands you the label, the fresh ink against the glossy paper shining underneath the lights.

“See you during the opening,” are his last words to you before he follows production out of the room.

You clutch the edge of the label and mouth the numbers to yourself, trying to commit them to memory. A needless action, but it feels right.

When you are called for paperwork and logistics, you carefully fold the paper and place it inside your chef jacket’s pocket, right by your heart. The check for eight million won — taxes unfortunately exist for prize money — goes in there as well.

The grand opening is a grand affair: customers flocking to the street corner in droves, a giant banner and even a red ribbon celebrating the occasion, and display cases being emptied throughout the day. As promised, Chaeryeong and Jihyo show up to the opening. The day is nearly over when they arrive; only a few people linger around, buying last-minute treats. You decide to close for the night.

Even though the two celebrity chefs say they have finished filming a new episode, they are both in high spirits. They bring along a plaque for you to hang that reads “God’s Menu Approved,” and you are both mortified and thrilled. Chaeryeong wants you to put the plaque in the window, but Jihyo insists you have it behind the counter. However, you don’t really want it in either location. Your office seems like a wonderful place.

“How about a tart?” you ask to distract them. “On the house, of course.”

They nod enthusiastically at the offer, and you set down two familiar-looking ones. “As seen on God’s Menu, the Dessert Round Tart, chocolate with rose-flavored cream and candied jalapeños.”

The bell on the door chimes, and a voice you have not heard in months says, “Any left for me?”

“Felix!” you exclaim, rushing to him. He’s still in his chef’s uniform, and you can almost smell sriracha on him. “How are you here? I thought you said you had a shift.”

He shrugs and smiles boyishly at you. It makes you all sorts of nervous, and your stomach flutters with something that is not laughter. “Surprise!”

“Let me go get you a tart,” you say as you lead him to the same table as Chaeryeong and Jihyo, both who recognize Felix from the show.

You head behind the counter and reach for the last tart left in your hidden stash of desserts. You saved three for the judges, but Taecyeon isn’t here. He is apparently in the midst of opening a new location, and you understand. After all, you’re doing something similar. It all works out in your favor though since Felix is. With more care than the previous two, you place the tart on a small plate and set it down in front of Felix.

“Here you go. Enjoy.”

He cuts into it with the fork and savors the first bite. “It’s even better than I thought it would be. This is amazing.”

“Definitely agree,” says Jihyo. Hers is completely gone, only the smallest crumbs left. “You’ve really refined it.”

Chaeryeong, mouth full of chocolate, can only nod in agreement. You smile, flattered by their compliments. After some pushing from the trio, you sit down with them to eat the leftover desserts from the day and to catch up. Chaeryeong and Jihyo are predictably busy with the filming of God’s Menu and overseeing their respective establishments. Meanwhile, Felix is still head chef of Levanter and has been tasked with adding something new to their menu. You tell them all about the beginning of the day and how a dog almost tore apart the low-hanging streamers outside. Felix sympathetically pats your hand. You then join in on the laughter, yours of which is more induced by his touch than the memory of the dog.

Some time later, Chaeryeong announces that she has to go, and Jihyo follows. You send them off with some lemongrass cupcakes and lie about where you will be displaying the plaque. No matter what, it’s going in your office where only you can see it. Felix stays around, and with everyone else gone, it’s just you and him.

“Hi,” you say, suddenly feeling shy. “You’re not leaving yet?”

He shakes his head. “I wanted to ask you something."

"Oh, what is it?"

"Since you still haven’t tried my mille feuille from the show and since Levanter needs a new menu item, would you want to help me sometime?” He pauses and grimaces at his words. “Wait, you’re probably busy with your bakery now and—”

“I’d love to,” you abruptly say. “Probably only taste testing though, if that’s alright. Business conflicts and all.”

Your favorite thing about Felix, you decide, is the way he lights up, the way the excitement emitting from him is palpable. With a tinge of red across his cheeks, he says, “I guess we’ll be seeing a lot of each other soon.”

You let out a short laugh. “I guess we will. I’m alright with that.”

“So am I.”

~ ad.gray

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