#chandini ramakrishnan oc

[a-cloud-for-dreams]

Do you think we'll be together in another universe?

I think I'll miss you forever (summertime sadness) Like the stars miss the sun in the morning sky (summertime summertime sadness) Later's better than never (summertime summertime sadness) Even if you're gone, I'm gonna drive (drive), drive I got that summertime, summertime sadness Su-su-summertime, summertime sadness Got that summertime, summertime sadness Kiss me hard before you go Summertime sadness I just wanted you to know That baby you the best

Fanart Credits Respectively: frostkitsuneart (VK) & The_mandywalker (Instagram)

[a-cloud-for-dreams]

Yay!! This was so fun last time, I can't wait to participate again <3

1. Open Heart: Bryce Lahela x F!MC (Dr. Chandini Ramakrishnan)

2. Crimes of Passion: Hispanic!Trystan Thorne x F!MC (Detective Haelyn Rózsa)

3. The Elementalists: Shreya Mistry x F!MC (Verena Solaris)

Extra Information (I would recommend going to their Insta to find more accurate photos of how they really look since these were the images that came up on Google 😭)

All of the aforementioned MCs use She/Her pronouns

Chandini Ramakrishnan's FC is Charithra Chandran (South Indian, Tamil); I would say she wears professional modern Indo-western clothing (idk I'm no fashionista)

Haelyn Rózsa's FC is Kelsey Merritt (Filipina and French); Leather jacket enthusiast and all around baddie

Verena Solaris is South Indian and her FC is @neha_velan on TikTok (you can click the screenshot for better quality lol). She's actually Lyra (Lexington's) cousin and the heiress to Solaris Industries. She's from a long line of powerful witches/Attuned (I made her related to my Kindred coven lolol) but was raised separate from her twin and without knowing of her magic. Her family and the Mistrys are close business partners and amicable friends so there were rumors about the families reuniting. I thought this would make it more interesting since she now has a name to live up to at Penderghast. Her fashion sense is preppy and she's a mix of Stella from Winx Club and Dionne/Cher from Clueless if that makes sense??

Also for Shreya, I personally headcanon her as half Indian half Arab. Her ethnicity wasn't specified or anything but just in case it would be helpful

If you want more information about them you could scroll through their character/ship tags on this post if that's helpful!

Our 2023 Secret Pal Exchange is here!

The tentative dates are December 26-28, but you can keep voting here and I can adjust as needed.

What it is:

Simply put, it's secret santa

Everyone who shows interest in participating will be given a secret pal for whom they should create a small work (drabble, art, edit, moodboard, etc).

How to participate:

Reblog this post stating your interest AND include your top 3 books/characters/pairings to help guide the person who recieves you as their pal on what they should create for you (reblogs that do not include a top 3 will not be considered entries for participation)

or, message me here (@choicesfandomappreciation) or at @lovealexhunt stating your interest and include your top 3 picks

Note: When listing your interests, please include any preferred gender/pronouns/race or other customizations you may have

Please only sign up to participate if you plan to follow through and create for your pal

The deadline to sign up to participate is December 13th

What comes next:

On, or about, December 14th, I will message you with your secret pal and what they listed as their top 3 interests

You create something for them based on their interests and post it for them from December 26-28* (date open to change based on poll)

It would also be really nice if you could include a brief positive message of encouragement and/or support with your creation for your match

Please tag @choicesfandomappreciation and #ChoicesSecretPal23 well so I can keep track of who posted and who is missing.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to reach out. It should be a wonderful event that spreads joy and cheer in our fandom. ❤️❤️❤️

Just a personal plea...

If for any reason at all (no questions asked), you are unable to participate after signing up, please message me as soon as possible! Every secret pal/admirer/exchange event I've hosted always has had 1-3 people not follow through which leaves me scrambling to create for those people's matches at the last minute. I'm happy to do it, but I hate feeling rushed and not having time to think about it properly. Plus, if it can be avoided and matches reassigned I would rather do that. So if you go on hiatus, need a break, or life is just to busy (or whatever the reason) please just keep me updated. I'd so appreciate it!

[openheartfanfics]

Meet OPH MCs: Bryce Lahela

Bryce x F!MC

Dr. Cassie Vanderfield - @argylemnwrites

The Future

Dr. Chandini Ramakrishnan - @planet-alicorn

Meet MC

Dr. Darcy Allen - @appiomofchoice

Meet MC  |  The Future

Debolina Roy - @headoverheelsforramsey

Meet OC

Dr. Eleanor Bloom - @eleanorbloom

Meet MC  |  The Past  |  The Future

Dr. Elodie Quinn Lillias Rao - @thetwinsisterofvenus

Meet MC

Dr. Emilia Andersen - @openheartfanfiction

Meet MC

Dr. Heather Song - @curiousconch

Meet MC

Luna Auclair - @peonierose

Meet OC | OC Friend

Doctor Maya Krish - @mythriwrites

Meet MC

Natalie Michaels - @genevievemd

Meet MC

Dr. Olivia Claire Hadley - @storyofmychoices

Meet MC 1, 2  |  The Past  |  Short Story  |  The Future 1, 2

OC Children: Malia Lahela, Makoa Lahela

Dr. Vivien Hernandez - @peonyblossom

Meet MC

Dr. Zoe Pierce - @trappedinfanfiction

Meet MC  | The Past  |  The Present

OC Sibling

_ Bryce x M!MC

Dr. Parker Nathaniel Callahan - @inacrowdofchoices

Meet MC

Dr. Remy Miles - @doriansapprentice

Meet MC  |  The Past  |  The Present  |  The Future

[a-cloud-for-dreams]

*Naveen Seeing Chandini and Bryce flirting*: They're cute, I want to put them on a boat

Ethan: ...

Sienna: You mean...you ship them?

[a-cloud-for-dreams]

"I don’t mean to lump a group of people in a hive I think I just met my mom in 1985"

"I wanna be my mom (My mom, 1985)  I wanna be my mom (My mother, 1985)  In the 80s (My mom, 1985) If I could be anybody, dead or alive I would want to be my mom in 1985"

in my universe, she’s technically Chandini’s great-grandaunt but potato poTAHto

[a-cloud-for-dreams]

This was definitely easy for Chandini to answer!

Even though she had somewhat of a rivalry with Aurora, she really admired her and understood her circumstances (especially after going through something similar with her own mother) so they never really hated each other. I forgot to add her here but she has a similar relationship with Jackie, one of mutual respect

Sienna ofc she's like Chandini's total opposite and she always respects how positive and friendly Sienna is and how she's able to prioritize friendship. It's low-key a grumpy x sunshine friendship and they're always there for each other

Bryce, OBVIOUSLY they're besties she wouldn't marry someone she wasn't close with because their snarky Book 1 dynamic was such an iconic era tbh

Naveen because how could she not love her grandfather who has always supported her and her aspirations despite her parents' not-so-great relationship?!?!?! And I forgot to add him here but she was close with Ethan too before

Dr. Aaliyah Hadid #1 Chandini x Bryce shipper (white sweater in the edit) is interesting because she's actually an MC and an OC. She's my TNA MC and in my universe, she leaves Sam at the altar (apologizes to Micky and Mason ofc but she couldn't be in a relationship with someone she didn't love entirely). I also wrote him to be much worse than in the TNA books lol for the angst ig. After leaving him, she goes on to become an FBI Profiler at the Behavioral Analysis Unit after getting Ph.Ds in Criminology/Crime Scene Analysis, Forensic Chemistry, and Forensic Toxicology! not me in my Criminal Minds era sorry I wanted to talk about her for a sec. Anyways, Chandini's mom (Aishwarya) was her father's lawyer thus Chandini would visit Liya frequently, making the two of them REALLY close. They actually both wanted to become doctors (and technically they both did just in different fields) and they both had personalities that meshed really well. Liya was one of the few people Chandini would call and confide in about her struggles because she's a really thoughtful listener and good at offering genuine advice. Even after Chandini's at Edenbrook, Liya visits her whenever she can or while she's on a case and teases her about Bryce lol

Oh and I forgot about this OC but her first cousin-ish (ngl I forgot their exact relationship it's been awhile but) Kashmiré Blanche was also a close confidant but Chandini doesn't consider her a bestie since they don't see each other that much since they didn't have a lot of family reunions.

Thank you @jerzwriter for the prompt I literally jumped when I saw this lol. The names in green are the ones in the edit btw since it did ask for only 3 besties lol

Top 3 Thursday - Week 4

Welcome to Top Three Thursday! 💙

FIRST, a few quick rules!

Please reblog your answer - don't create a new post. The point is to keep us all together in one place and to get to know each other.

You can answer any way you like - basic answer, headcanons, fics, moodboards, edits, artwork - be as creative (or not!) as you like.

Pixelberry Choices-related content only.

PLEASE BE KIND! People will have different options, thoughts, headcanons, and likes - and that’s a good thing. Be respectful of one another.

For Week 4 - Alternating back to our MCs

WHO ARE YOUR MCs 3 BEST FRIENDS?

Are they canon characters or OCs you've created? Was this an easy question for your MC to answer - or did they struggle with it?

If you’d like to be added to the tag list, let me know, but anyone can participate! Tags below break. 💙💙💙

@aces-and-angels @alj4890 @aallotarenunelma @angelasscribbles @bebepac @cariantha @coffeeheartaddict2 @cooltuna69 @crazy-loca-blog @headoverheelsforramsey @hopelessromantic1352 @icecoffee90 @karahalloway @korgbelmont @kyra75 @lovealexhunt @missameliep @peonyblossom @peonierose @potionsprefect @princess-geek @queenrileyrose @quixoticdreamer16 @secretaryunpaid @takeharryandgo @tessa-liam @trappedinfanfiction @tveitertotwrites @twinkleallnight @surrenderronnie1 @jerzwriter-reblogs-asks

[a-cloud-for-dreams]

I know it's not photo dump day but I keep finding new pictures of CC and it would be a crime (of passion imao) not to share them. So may I present to you:

Dr. Chandini Ramakrishnan

[a-cloud-for-dreams]

The Scholars of Bellachoix Lane Masterlist

"In one of the most prestigious universities in the world, follow several college students adjusting to their new lives while navigating school, drama, and an intriguing mystery..."

So, a while ago, I posted about making a College!AU series for my Choices characters/pairings, so that's what this series will be! I made a header and everything so I can commit. I'll post the chapters on Ao3 too! Some details will be subject to change, but here's a rough outline of the chapters I plan to write for. I also want to clarify that all characters besides my MCs and OCs belong to Pixelberry!

Chapter 1: Midnight Rain (Bryce Lahela x Chandini Ramakrishnan)

Chapter 2: Crown Jewel (Trystan Thorne x Haelyn Rózsa)

Chapter 3: Knight in Shining Armor (Mal Volari x Salem Nightingale)

Chapter 4: Night Shift (Nik Ryder x Lyra Lexington*)

Chapter 5: Enchanted (Shreya Mistry x Verena Solaris)

Chapter 6: Cherry Blossom (Sebastyan Thorne x Cerise Hexley)

Footnotes

*Lyra Lexington is one of those MCs turned OCs that I wrote a really complicated backstory for. She can be tied to Ride or Die (LI: Colt), Nightbound (LI: Nik Ryder), AND Crimes of Passion (LI: Trystan Thorne). But for the sake of simplicity, she will most likely be paired with Nik because 1) the RoD LIs being actual college students doesn't make a lot of sense, 2) I have a second CoP MC (Haelyn) who ends up with Trystan, and 3) Nightbound is the book closest to explaining her supernatural background so it makes sense that she would be closest with him in this series

Taglist

@choicesficwriterscreations

@ladylamrian (Nik, Trystan, Mal, Bryce Centered Chapters)

[a-cloud-for-dreams]

Doctor Date

Book: Open Heart                     

Pairing/Characters:  Bryce Lahela x F!MC (Chandini Ramakrishnan), feat. Dr. Aaliyah Hadid (F!OC; AKA Biggest Chandyce Shipper after me and Bryce ofc)

Rating: Teen     

Warnings: mention of a homicidal case                 

Category: Fluff                

Format: "Edit"/Drabble

Summary: Chandini meets up with a close friend who is quick to tease her about a certain scalpel jockey

A/N: I know Liya is literally in all of my fics now but I don't care 😭 I can write whatever I want. Read more about their friendship here. I need to write Chandyce more they are and always will be my sweeties <3

Tagging: @choicesficwriterscreations, @openheartfanfics, @peonierose(?)

"It's him, isn't it?" Aaliyah teases her, sipping her coffee. Chandini sets her phone down on the wooden table at the coffee shop, looking everywhere but her friend's eyes. This doesn't deter her. "The surgeon from Edenbrook who wouldn't stop talking to you?"

"It's actually my colleague Sienna," Chandini emphasized. Aaliyah's eyes widened and smirked. She leaned closer to Chandini, as if they were children and whispering secrets past their bedtime. A few dark brown curls grazed Liya's shoulder and she whispered.

"You're a horrid liar. I always assumed people who went to medical school would be more intelligent, darling."

She mimicked Chandini's British accent and natural flourishes perfectly. The young doctor rolled her eyes and sipped her tea, glancing at her now buzzing phone.

"I don't talk like that, Doctor," she rolled her eyes. Aaliyah laughed.

"Sure you don't, Doctor," she paused as the phone continued to buzz with text messages. Aaliyah pointed to the phone. "Well, aren't you going to answer? You don't want to keep your beau waiting."

"'Beau' is a strong word, at most he's a nuisance," Chandini furrowed her eyebrows in frustration. "It's a miracle that he's lasted this long."

"An attractive nuisance," Aaliyah joked, noting her friend's sudden change in posture. Now, it was her turn to roll her eyes. "Nini, come on. I was just joking! Sheesh, and I thought my job was stressful."

The waiter came by and handed the two women their biscottis for their drinks. Chandini sighed. "You're right, I'm sorry. It's just-he always gets on my nerves!"

Aaliyah raised an eyebrow. "And what does he do to make you this upset? Flirt with you every once in a while?"

Chandini groaned, waving her hands around. "He does it when I'm trying to do my job and because he knows it will make me mad. I-I'm telling you, he's an instigator!"

"And I'm telling you that he's an extremely talented surgeon! He was super helpful with our homicide case, even more helpful than the senior residents. Not to mention, really charming..."

The doctor barely hid a scowl, and Aaliyah chuckled. "Aww, looks like Nini's jealous." She rubbed Chandini's shoulders for a few moments before she waved her friend's hands away. "I'm not jealous, I think it's ironic that you're commenting on my supposed work crush yet we haven't talked about yours..."

Aaliyah blushed. "Nuh uh! Don't try to change the subject. My best friend is in love and refuses to tell me, even if she doesn't know it yet. My entire job is about analyzing behavior you can't lie to me."

She was interrupted by Chandini's phone buzzing again, prompting Nini to snatch the phone from her best friend. She quickly turned the phone to Chandini to unlock the phone and read through the messages from her Insta.

"You literally posted this photo ten minutes ago and he's left a ridiculous amount of comments and DMed you ten more times... I think I need to revise my hypothesis," she said, her jaw practically dropping to the floor.

Chandini gasped, and took the phone back from her best friend before asking, "And what would that be?"

Aaliyah smiled, her finger grazing the rim of her almost empty cup. "That you're both two idiots in love. "

[a-cloud-for-dreams]

OMG CHANDYCE FANART?!?! I'M LITERALLY SCREAMING TYSM. Sorry for taking so long to respond but I'm literally in love with your art style they look so adorable together! This is definitely something Bryce would say to Chandini on Valentine's Day and she would roll her eyes but secretly be so happy she's with someone who loves her unconditionally 🥹💖🫶🏽

I'm gonna write a lil blurb about this rn TYSM FOR THE INSPO AND FOR THIS GIFT I'M GONNA TREASURE IT FOREVER

Happy Valentine's @a-cloud-for-dreams ! For the Choices Secret Admirer 2024 event, organized by @choicesfandomappreciation ! A bit delayed, but I wanted to make sure it's all coloured first. I had fun painting your MC! :)

[a-cloud-for-dreams]

Colt *wrapping an arm around Lyra's waist and resting his head on hers*: Hmm, you're hot Lyra *trying to study*: Do you really think now is the best time to flirt? Colt: I meant you have a fever but it's always the right time to flirt with you, Sweetheart Lyra: *blushes*

~~~

Lyra *Placing a Hand on His Forehead*: Omg Nik you're so hot! What happened? Nik *Mumbling*: Years of trauma Nik: ...

Nik: Wait, are you flirting with me, Rook?

Lyra *Gasps*: N-No! I didn't mean that. Not to say that you aren't hot! Uhm- Yeah I'm not making it better am I? Nik *Smiling*: Not at all, but this is very entertaining for me

~~~

Bryce *Mumbling Into Chandini's Shoulder*: You know you're like the hottest person at Edenbrook, right? Along with me of course Chandini: ... I have a fever, darling, but thank you

~~~

Tobias *Checking Ethan's Temperature*: I didn't know Doctors could be this hot... Ethan: Are you talking about my temperature or complimenting me? Tobias: Why can't it be both? ;) Ethan *Hides Blush*: I suppose I can't argue with you on that

[a-cloud-for-dreams]

I like to overcomplicate things for absolutely no reason, and after playing Kali: Call of Darkness, I was like "This would be a great way to connect KCOD with OH!" So I'm changing my headcanon a little bit. In my universe, Kiran Basu and Jaya Banerjee get married and have fraternal twins (Nandini and Naveen) while Amala handles The Dozen's affairs. Ignore the fact that the Banerji surname is spelled differently pretend it was a paperwork typo. I haven't figured out Nandini's occupation, but she becomes Aishwarya's favorite and only aunt.

Aishwarya becomes closer to Nandini, especially after her mom dies. It also doesn't help when her super-ambitious dad always works long hours instead of spending time with her. Marrying Chandini's dad at a super young age was the final straw, and she left her only family. Soon later, she had Chandini but stayed in London and eventually got a divorce. I would say this is where Naveen started to change as a person to become more "family-oriented" like we see in OH compared to Ethan. At some point, it became clear Aishwarya wasn't going to return home, so he moved to the US and practiced there. Similar events to OH continue from here on.

Why do I bring this up? Despite avoiding contact with her family, Nandini tried to get Aishu to reconcile with Naveen older twin energy ig, which upset her because how does her aunt of all people not understand her feelings? Still, she loved her aunt and decided to name her daughter after her: Chandini (moonlight).

Lol I need to make an official family tree for Chandini esp since she has a stepfamily and a bunch of distant cousins. I could talk about her family for AGES

Ty to @liaromancewriter for her new fic (which I have to read asap) that reminded me to post this lol

[a-cloud-for-dreams]

Besides their parents, which adults are the children of your pairings closest to?

Oooh this is such an interesting ask! So, I have a lot of pairings so I'll just answer for the ones who come to mind/have kids (obvi). I'm also assuming this is for my Choices pairings but if you meant my RC pairings feel free to ask again!

Chandini x Bryce: They have two kids: Kehlani and Naveen Lahela-Ramakrishnan. Kehlani is definitely closer to Ethan (it's been awhile since I've looked at her OC file but I'm pretty sure I made Lani his goddaughter?) and Jackie, while Naveen is closer to Sienna and Rafael. They're both super close with their Aunt Keiki!

Lyra x Trystan: In the universe where these two end up together, they have twin daughters (Amber Marguerite Thorne and Alice Nayeli Thorne). Both twins are very close with their namesake, Amber and Marguerite, and Alice and Nayeli (CoP MC). But Amber spends a little more time with Lydea and Nayeli specifically because she's interested in learning combat as the next Drakovian heiress. As a whole, Amber is closer to the Thornes and nobility while Alice is closer to the Fae and other Nightbound characters like Nik, Vera, and Cal as the future Queen of the Fae Realm.

"Liam" x Kalyani: For most of her life, she was closest with Sienna and Rafael since they were her parents. But speaking for the TRR characters, Sabrina is closest to Hana and Olivia (who I think I made a couple for some reason?), but she also does spend a lot of time with her fun Uncle Maxwell and her former father-in-law Drake (long story 😭)

I still have some pairings like my TUH, D&D, Kindred, and WTD pairings so I'll link another post because I ran out of space in the tags lol

[a-cloud-for-dreams]

Chandini Ramakrishnan MC

The top left picture was taken at the Miami Conference (By Ethan lolol) which she also texted to Bryce and the rest of the gang. He made that picture his wallpaper when they officially started dating but he never told her, she found out one day on accident lol.

The top middle picture was taken by Bryce when they visit India together and the bottom right picture was taken at Chandini's mom's house when she was younger!

Photo Dump | Vol. 1

Do you have a million pictures of your MC/ OCs saved up? Do you spend hours upon hours searching the internet for those perfect pictures all while lamenting the fact that you probably won't end up using them for anything? Well, now you can! You can dump them in a reblog here! Every week, we will dump random pictures of our characters just for the sake of telling the world (or the twenty people left in the fandom) all about your baby. You can dump the pictures and go OR you can add HCs/comments about each picture (OR a third secret thing). The rules are: 1) Have fun. 2) Be kind to each other. 3) Maybe consider supporting/hyping others who share their pics?

Let's begin! This week, reblog with 6 pictures you saved of your MC/ OC!

[a-cloud-for-dreams]

Hii 🥰

I saw this picture and thought it might inspire a fic or an edit (no pressure 🥰)

omg this cake looks so good!!! i am literally obsessed ty!!! this may be angstier than i thought but:

Once A Shattered Heart

Book: Open Heart (Post Book 3)                     

Pairing/Characters:  Bryce Lahela x F!MC (Chandini Ramakrishnan), feat. Aishwarya Pillai (F!OC)

Rating: Teen     

Warnings: Childhood trauma/Insecurities                 

Category:  Angsty Fuff                

Words: 1.7k

Summary: As Chandini and Bryce work on planning their wedding, he helps her deal with a heartbreak that never healed

A/N:  lol i don't know what came over me idc how tired i am i love angst <333 also a lot of Tamil people have their last names as their father's first names just a random note in case anyone was curious

Of all the things Chandini went through, it was a surprise to find that wedding planning would be so excruciating. Why on earth were there so many things to look through? Venues, guests, catering, and organizing between a Hindu wedding or a classical reception. Not to mention her phone's incessant buzzing. She sighed as she planted her face into one of the couch pillows.

She felt a strong urge to nap after such a day. She would have collapsed on their couch earlier if it wasn't for Bryce helping her. He currently sat at the island calling Keiki and asking her opinion on the table settings.

"Ugh, I don't know Keiks, that's why I'm asking you! I'm 100% sure she would prefer the NAVY blue tablecloth"

She chuckled to herself, keeping her gaze on her fiance. Her charming, hilarious, supportive husband who she still felt like she didn't deserve. He cut the phone call and walked towards Chandini, planting an eager kiss on her forehead. A giggle slipped before she could control herself.

"You're so adorable, you know that?"

"How dare you insinuate I am anything less than bold or intimidating," she retorted before taking his arms and placing them around her cold shoulders.

"Whoa, Nini you're freezing!" he said. Chandini rolled her eyes. "Are you sure you don't have a fever or something? I don't think we can move our wedding to a hospital on short notice."

"I'm always cold. Besides all the sweaters are in the wash because someone keeps stealing them."

"Okay, that was only one time-"

Her phone rang, for what felt like the tenth time that day. Who could it be? She craned her neck to see the lock screen on her phone and saw one person she would never want to see in her life ever again. 

"I...have to go Bryce. After all the work we just did I believe I deserve a nap." She left his arms and he was able to see the woman who kept calling her. 

Oh for God's sake. 

He played the voicemail she sent and physically restrained himself from throwing a pillow across the room. 

"Chandini. I know you are purposefully ignoring my messages and frankly, it's just disrespectful. I'm sure none of your other friends do this to their mothers. I need to speak with you immediately after I meet with one of my clients."

~~~~~~~~

There are moments in Bryce's life where he regrets everything he does during intense moments.  This was not going to be one of them. 

He rang the doorbell to Chandini's mother's condo that she coincidently bought a month after she announced their engagement. He scoffed when she tried to argue she wanted to have more real estate in the Boston area. The woman answered shortly after the first ring and gasped in surprise when she saw her future son-in-law in front of him. 

"Miss Pillai." 

Sometimes, he forgot how similar Chandini was to her mother. From the thick wavy hair cascading off her shoulders to her prominent facial features, not to mention her intelligence. It wasn’t a surprise. Banerji was a brilliant doctor on her mother’s side and that family genius must have passed on somehow because there was something about the woman in front of him that exuded a feeling of superiority. She knew she was better but unlike Chandini, she wouldn’t feel guilty tearing other people down to bring her up. 

She laughed deeply. "Please, Bryce. If we are to be family I insist you call me Aishwarya.” 

He squirmed before continuing, eager to leave back to Chandini as soon as possible to make her a bowl of soup for her potential cold.  "Okay, fine. Aishwarya, you need to leave Chandini alone."

Her facial expressions tightened with anger and stared deeply into his. “Excuse me?”

"She doesn't want you there, and you need to get off her back."

“I can’t believe this,” she muttered, delicately bracing her head with a hand, something Chandini did all the time whenever she was in distress. 

"For the record, she doesn't want Mr. Ramakrishnan there either. Or Ramakrishnan? I guess that's his first name, right?"

She ignored his somewhat rhetorical question and muttered something under her breath. "After so many years she's still being this dramatic."

His blood started to boil against his wish. "Excuse me?" he asked, repeating her tone. 

"I believe your hearing is working just fine, Doctor Lahela. She's so dramatic. She has the audacity to leave and go against her mother’s wishes not even thinking of apologizing. Even you forgave your mother. What is her excuse?"

He balled his hand into a fist at his side. “It’s not an ‘excuse’ to not want to talk to a parent who took her anger out on her daughter because of her cheating father. God, how do you not understand how messed up that is?!”

She wasn’t startled at his exclamatory tone, almost as if she was prepared to make him mad. “I did no such thing! I don’t care for what her cowardly father did. I know for a fact that I raised a poignant, hardworking, and successful young woman or she wouldn’t be where she is today!”

Bryce stepped closer to her and laughed scornfully. “You’re the reason where she is today?! In a career, you didn’t want her to pursue?”

“Don’t speak on things you don’t understand, Doctor Lahela. I admit she would have been a better lawyer but I can admit I am proud that she is a well-known doctor. You would have never met her if it wasn’t for me. It’s simply pointless to deny my role-”

“In what? Making your daughter feel like she doesn’t deserve to be loved? For making her feel like she has to do everything all on her own or she’s a burden?” his hand started shaking, and it took him so much of his willpower to not tremble with emotion.

“It’s not my fault she thinks of herself that way. I don’t know what she did with her father but I know for a fact I gave her all the tools she needed to succeed,” she threw her hands in anger. 

"That doesn't mean she's happy!" he yelled. He took in a deep breath before proceeding. "When I started talking to her for the first time about her family, she never said anything. She always seemed closed off and she never told anyone anything. Do you know what that does to a person? Shoving your emotions so low to the point where you feel weak for being human?"

“I-uh”

“Speechless huh? Not something you see every day in a lawyer,” he jests. She glowered at him, and Bryce could have sworn he saw tears forming in her eyes.

"You don't know my life, Dr. Lahela, and you never will. I have made sacrifices for her-"

"That doesn't mean you didn't make mistakes!" his voice started rising again. "You need to accept that she's not ready to see you right now. Even after helping her in the Martinez trial. Even when she was almost on her deathbed."

He was almost out the door before she spoke again.

"I don't think we'll be getting along as much as I thought, Bryce."

He scoffed. "If it means being on Chandini's side, I'm alright with that..."

The slam of the door sent a ripple of pain through Aishwarya. Was it guilt? Anger? Shame? A text from Chandini popped up on her screen. 

I am tired of arguing with you and Appa. I’m not changing my mind. Please stop texting me.

Aishwarya cradled her face in her hands. She cut a gaping wound in their relationship from the day she was born and now she would bleed the consequences.

~~~~

He made it back to their house and sighed happily when he saw Chandini, making a large pot of soup with baked bread. She heard his footsteps and turned around eagerly. "Bryce, you're home!"

He raised an eyebrow. "You're excited. Did you think I would get lost?"

She laughed. "No, I found a cake you would like!" Chandii swiped through messages on her phone Sienna sent her. "She sent me a few pictures from the first bakery we went to together to pick up Rafael's birthday cake, remember? And look at this!"

A glazed marble cake with intentional cuts seeping with candy jewels and a heart-shaped jeweled decoration dominated his vision. He fell in love. "This is perfect!"

She squealed, unexpected for someone like her. "I know! Sienna really did a good job finding a cake, though I should probably request a navy blue color instead..."

Bryce wrapped his arms around Chandini as she was talking, desperate to hold onto this moment forever. "You're amazing, you know that, right? I'm so excited to wake up and spend the rest of my life with you." He kissed her nose softly.

She smiled, sniffling to hide any unwarranted tears. "Well, at least I'm glad I'm marrying someone with excellent taste."

Perma Tags: @peonierose, @jamespotterthefirst, @choicesficwriterscreations

[a-cloud-for-dreams]

I don't know why I didn't think of this earlier but if I wrote a College AU of sorts with some of the Choices MCs, LIs, and secondary characters, would anyone be interested? I don't remember the creator but there was someone who did something like this with each chapter focusing on a different pairing/friendship/book. Feel free to let me know!

I'll tag some of the ships and characters I'm thinking of writing for too <3