#thread 1 ft. sebastian thomas

[tannerkohli]

closed starter for @sebastianxthomas at rustica steakhouse

Tanner had spent enough time in Kismet Harbor over the years that familiar faces were to be expected. What she hadn't expected was to see a familiar face from her life in New York pop up at the steakhouse she opted to escape to for dinner. Having spotted Sebastian moving back into the kitchen, Tanner made the immediate request to the staff that she needed to speak to the chef before she ordered. Her insistence bordered on rudeness, but it was effective enough that a few minutes later Sebastian was walking out to her table. "This isn't New York, what the fuck are you doing here?"

[aliyebalik]

closed starter for @sebastianxthomas at the founders festival - baking contest

Cooking in general was a pretty big weak point for Aliye, but baking in particular was something that she had as close to zero skill in as a human could possibly get. That did not, however, deter her from trying to enter the baking contest. After a morning spent attempting to put together some cupcakes, Aliye had ended up with a mostly burned up mess of sort of batter and a puddle of frosting that was leaking all over the baking tin. With the obvious risk to anyone's health to actually try it, the judges of the contest had politely given her a participation ribbon and told her she could keep them. Baked-ish goods in hand, she was now walking away with them, holding them out to the first unsuspecting victim she ran into. "Hey, you want some cupcake? I made 'em. They're not like totally as bad as they look. Mostly."

[tannerkohli]

&END

He looked at her "ah vacation I wish I could be" he joked as he had to work now to get settled into his life and make up for the move. He was glad to run into her and have someone he knew and already knew him well. "I will have to do that for sure." he smiled at her for a moment. "But I don't need to get fired already, so I should get back to work," he laughed. "But I'll make sure you food is the best." he winked as headed off to the kitchen. @tannerkohli

[tannerkohli]

"Free any time. I'm on a sort of vacation, so I'm not doing anything busy at all," she answered back with a nod. It was a weird thing to not have work to keep her busy, since her entire life had been consumed by it up to this point. Being reminded of just how open her schedule was brought a rumble of emotions in her chest that she did her best to push down. Instead, she let a smile shift to her lips, head tilting up towards Sebastian with a similar sly look in her eyes. "That's what I like to hear, Seb. Seriously, text me when you get your phone, we'll make it happen." She waved a hand in a shooing motion, knowing that she'd already kept him from his work long enough.

@sebastianxthomas

"Absolutely, I’ll definitely reach out," Sebastian smiled, taking the slip of paper from Tanner with a hint of excitement. "It's great to see you again—feels like no time has passed at all. I can't wait to catch up properly over that dinner. Let me know when you're free!" He tucked the note safely into his pocket. "I'll text you once I get my phone" as it was back in his office. "But please you know I'd love cook just for you" he gave her a sly win. @tannerkohli

[tannerkohli]

Though they were in completely different fields of work, Tanner and Sebastian shared a similar mentality with their crafts. It was probably a big part of why they'd always gotten along in their years in New York and why it felt so easy to pick right back up now that they'd run into each other again. "Wow, offering me a private dinner off menu, say less," she hummed back with a quick nod, certainly not about to turn that offer down. Grabbing a scrap of paper and pen from her purse, Tanner scratched her number down and held it over for Seb to take. "Text me sometime. Number changed a few months ago."

@sebastianxthomas

He nodded, "That is for sure. If you love something, you need to do it right." He wasn't going to start out in a quick service place of his own, but he knew it was a while away before he could open his own place. He didn't want to buy or manage a place; he wanted to do it all on his own. He laughed. "I mean, I would be glad to have me around too," he joked. "But you will always have one here, but you can call me, and I can make you one too," if it was her place or his. So he could make something from his own mind not something off a steak house menu. @tannerkohli

[tannerkohli]

"For sure. If you're going to do it, do it right," she agreed. Tanner got it. Even if she wasn't a chef, she loved her own craft as a mechanic and if she couldn't do it to the level that she wanted, she couldn't dream of doing it at all. "You and me both, man. A million dollars would be great. Until then, I guess this will have to do. Selfishly, I'm glad to see you around. At least I know I'll get a good meal once in awhile." Not that she could necessarily afford to eat out all the time like this, especially being out of a job currently, but when she could swing it the comfort of a familiar plate from back home would be nice.

@sebastianxthomas

He sighed, "Yes, if you want a good sit-down one, yes." He shook his head, "But I don't do quick food. I need a real place people come in and sit, and it's a full meal," so that would cost even more. "So not for me...not yet" not till he made a lot of money someday. "And this place don't pay as much as New York did..." It wasn't bad. It just wasn't as much as he was used to. "Right? Iam glad that they care to see what I can do with the place" over making him another cooking robot. "If I get a million bucks," he laughed. @tannerkohli

[tannerkohli]

Admittedly, Tanner had no clue what it took to get a restaurant up and running, but she had kind of assumed it couldn't be that hard just because of how many of them were out there. "No shit? Are they super expensive to get started?" she asked with a lifted brow, head shaking a bit with disappointment. Chefs like Sebastian that had a clear vision and passion for what they did deserved to have their own spot and to be recognized for it. "It's good that at least they're cool here, though." That beat working for someone that didn't appreciate your talents any day. "You think someday you'll end up starting your own place up?"

@sebastianxthomas

He nodded. "The best thing for me right now." he had not had anyone over when he had the sounds playing. He would just deal with the lack of sound for that night. He chuckled a moment as he looked around the restaurant. "I mean I wish but that shit cost so much" he sighed "If I could it be smaller and not what I cook" he have to open something small and wasn't a quick dining type of chef. "But this place is nice. The owner is cool and working with me," so he could update a few things. He looked at her; he wasn't shocked she heard the truth of it all ."Yeah, I would not do that." he never went to a place he owned and loved. @tannerkohli

[tannerkohli]

Tanner didn't find herself getting much sleep these days as it was, so the additional strangeness of being somewhere so quiet hadn't completely registered to her. "I'll have to try that, see if it helps at all," she mused. She doubted it would soothe any of the other issues that kept her awake at night, but perhaps the sounds of the city would be at least a small comfort. "Seb, you ever think about opening your own place up? I mean, shit, you have way more ideas than a place like this deserves from you." Working for someone else as a chef had its benefits, sure, but Tanner couldn't imagine being so under the thumb of someone else managing things. "Added bonus, if its your restaurant, some fuckhead can't run it into the ground and have it shut down."

@sebastianxthomas

He nodded, "It wasn't too bad. It was a bit cheesy at times, but it was cool." There were times he didn't understand it, but he was still having a good time. He was excited to see what else this town had to offer. "Right? It's driving me nuts. I have to use my Alexa to play city noises so I can sleep most nights." It was a bit creepy to him how quiet it could be. He nodded. "I think so too, don't get me wrong, the food is all great. They do have good cuts of meats," he smiled. "But its bit set in its ways and old fashioned. We can keep the classics but still add something new too it." The menu had different steaks and potatoes, and even if they were different cuts of meat, they were nearly the same meal. He sighed. "I know I heard all about it." he wished he had the money that he could have bought the old place. "It just sucks" years of work gone from one person only thinking of themselves. @tannerkohli

[aliyebalik]

Experience in a small town previously probably made the adjustment a lot easier. Aliye had come to Kismet from a larger city when she was young and it had taken some time to get used to the flow of both a new country and a new lifestyle. "Nah, it's not bad here at all. Most people grow to love it once they're here for awhile, it's good people." Aliye had no doubt he would find it to be a good place to be with pretty decent people all around. If he already had family here too, that only made it an easier adjustment. "I mean, if the chef comes that highly recommended, I may have to drop in sometime, try the place out finally." Aliye usually ate at smaller places with a much less expensive price tag, but could also see it being a fun night out to try something fancier. "What's your best dish? Like, the thing you're best known for?"

@sebastianxthomas

He nodded. "I think it's good when it's something you already put your time into, not just something you have never done." Trying to win that over, people who could have put their heart and soul into it? He chuckled a little. "I mean, I am from a smaller town, then I moved to New York." he smiled a moment. "I loved it, and I do miss it, but this town isn't too bad," he said as he looked around. He smiled at her with the pies, all of them a good idea. "What?" he said, surprised by that. "Like I can get a nicer steakhouse but nothing at all?" there were some chain places and not high-end around. "I mean I think it's very good" he smirked a moment "Even more now that they got new chef" he winked at her as he took the fork from her. @aliyebalik

[tannerkohli]

"For a smaller town, I'm sure it was fun enough," she shrugged. Tanner would guess that it was nothing in comparison to the events a bigger city could put on, but having never actually been to any events around the town, she could also have been very wrong. "Fuck, yeah man, I haven't slept well at all without all the just...noise. It's the weirdest part of being here every time." Even if she'd experienced it before, the lack of general city noises was something that always took Tanner a bit of time to adjust to. The quiet wasn't something she was particularly fond of, hating the late nights alone with her thoughts more than anything. "Place like this could use some spicing up, give it some new flavor." The menu wasn't a bad menu, but it certainly was geared more towards the classics than anything adventurous. Her head nodded slowly, knowing that it couldn't have been an easy adjustment for Sebastian to lose the restaurant back in New York, much like it hadn't been easy for her to lose her own job. "If it makes you feel any better, the restaurant that ended up taking over the space was total shit."

@sebastianxthomas

"I mean, for someone who had no idea what was going on, it was pretty fun," he said. He had a good time with it. "I only came one time after my sister got married, but it was just a weekend." He had work, so he couldn't stand it for long."I guess so, but I do miss it." It was too quiet for him sometimes. "I am the guy who had play city noises to fall asleep," he chuckled. Hearing what she said, he did a big smile and waved his hand. "Ahh sucks," he teased. "But I know they have their classics, but I'll just make it better," knowing taking it away wouldn't go as well. "Well" he rubbed the back of his neck "The place closed down" he sighed it wasn't on him but he was still upset. @tannerkohli

[aliyebalik]

"Which, like, I kind of get it. I try being the best at things to, but you know, I do like being the best, so that totally counts," she chuckled. There was a competitive streak in her that she sometimes couldn't turn off, though in this case she'd just been in it for a good time. "New York, okay, big jump over here to Kismet then. You adjusting to life here in a little ole' town?" she asked, figuring it had to be a huge shift from the chaos of a bigger city. Coming up on the next booth, Aliye looked between the several options of different pie flavors before ultimately deciding on just grabbing a sample plate with a slice of each to share with Sebastian. "I've actually never eaten at the steakhouse before, is it any good?" she asked as she moved down to grab two forks, holding one out for Seb.

@sebastianxthomas

He nodded. "I think people do things to do them and try and be the best, not because they like it." Like the baking contest, people had entered to try and win and not to love baking. He was glad to hear her agree that everything was better with someone cute. So she found he was cute too and he liked that. "I mean I was working in New York... " he already missed that city a lot. "But now I am head chef at Rustica Steakhouse," he smiled at her. Rustica Steakhouse was a nice steakhouse, so he was glad to be working there. @aliyebalik

[tannerkohli]

"Founders Festival, yeah, I heard about that. Never been to it, I've usually only ever been here in the summers." Tanner had some familiarity with the town, but outside of small trips here and there to visit, most of her time spent in Kismet had been in her younger years. "For sure not as crazy as New York. Supposedly that's a good thing." It was the primary reason why Tanner was here instead of in New York, to get away from the crazy and put herself in a spot where she had a better chance at recovery. "They won't regret it if they let you. Your steaks back home were always the best. Never was the same after you left."

@sebastianxthomas

Sebastian looked at her for a moment. "To be honest, I am still getting used to all of it." He looked around for a moment. "The Founders Festival thing started right when I got here," he chuckled. He didn't know what was happening but made sure he made the most of the event. "It's not as crazy as New York, for sure," he laughed. "But it's not that bad," he nodded. He smiled at her for a moment "I want to rework the steaks." he felt like most of them were pretty common and he wanted people to be able to try something new. @tannerkohli

[aliyebalik]

"For sure, some people are total try-hards. I for one am no such thing," Aliye agreed. It wasn't that she didn't try at a lot of things in life, but she wasn't the first to jump in full effort on things that she didn't have an interest in doing well. Her smile lifted again at Sebastian's compliment, shoulders shimmying as they started walking over towards where the rest of the treats were laid out for purchase. "Everything is better with someone cute around, so it looks like we're both in luck today," she complimented back. Her head bobbed when he explained what he had moved to the area for, head quirking to the side with interest. "New job, love it. What do you do for work that brought you here?"

@sebastianxthomas

He nodded, "I think people try too hard, and that leads to things not turning out as they should be." He did learn while cooking that he didn't always have to be serious and try too hard to be the best to be a good cook. And what about some small town fair that you win like dates on?" He saw a sign for the prizes, and they all seemed like date night things. "Sounds great. Stuffing my face alone is sad, but stuffing my face with someone cute is fun," he said with a wink. Sebastain smiled at her for a second. "Thanks," he grinned. "But I got job here so that was big reason" he was excited for it "and my sister is here" he smiled "so that too" he was glad to be around his sister again. @aliyebalik

[tannerkohli]

Kismet was as far from New York as a city could be that Tanner could still stomach living in. Her life had always been a fast paced one and if things were much slower she wasn't sure she would have let herself make the jump over to Kismet, even just for however long she would be there for. "I just got here so I haven't been around to see anything other than this so far." And it had turned out to be a good choice, seeing as how it had led her to a familiar face. Tanner hated to admit it, but she was in a weirdly lonely place without Ian around all the time, and any familiar people she could be around was helping. "Well, for what it's worth, you'd have my vote of confidence. What kind of stuff are you thinking of adding to the menu?"

@sebastianxthomas

Sebastian knew that he had no blood family. He was an only child before he was adopted, and the same was true for both of his parents. As far as he knew, his grandparents were also not alive or just not in the picture. However, he considered himself lucky to have a great adoptive family.He nodded, "I know, right? I've been looking around for a while and still haven't seen it all," he laughed lightly. "This is far from being like New York; it's always moving and has so much going on." He smiled at her choice, "and I already know how you like it," he winked at her. "They want me here for a couple of months, they said, before they will trust me with a menu makeover," he shook his head slightly. "But I understand that they need to know if I am good or not."

@tannerkohli

[aliyebalik]

The fact that someone else liked the cupcakes was enough of a sign to Aliye that she had no reason at all to practice or train for next year. "Hell yeah, you're right. I did great and the winners are probably just people that spent their whole life working for that moment," she chuckled. Admittedly, she was all for the people that were actually good at baking and would most definitely be going down the line to try each and every baked good at the festival. "Totally on my list of things to do today too. You want to tag team it, go try a little bit of everything together?" she offered, figuring that it would be way more fun to start sampling the baked goods with someone else to do it with. Her eyes drew wider when he mentioned he had just gotten to town, Aliye now bouncing on her toes with excitement. "Dude, welcome to Kismet, that's awesome. What brought you here? It's a great place, you're totally going to love it."

@sebastianxthomas

He laughed at her bow and clapped for her. "Who cares what the winners were? Yours was best," he teased as he did like hers. "Oh come on, you did fine. You just need a little training and practice, and next year you will win," he smiled. "I will keep that in mind for later. I want to make my rounds with the food around here," he grinned. "I need to test the competition," not that the steak house he was working at would do town events out of a food truck or booth. "I am pretty much just walking around and seeing where the day takes me" he smiled "I arrived in town like two days before this so I don't know a thing about it" he chuckled. @aliyebalik

[tannerkohli]

Though Tanner had no blood relatives that she knew or was close to, her connection to her best friend's family was probably stronger than any blood connection could ever be, so she got it. It was nice to be in town around them, having usually only ever seen them once a year, maybe twice if they had the free time. "Yeah, for a small place, there's a lot of shit to check out. I haven't been here in awhile, so I'm sure things have changed enough to make exploring worth it." Tanner didn't anticipate doing a lot of going out, preferring now to spend her time alone where she could. Looking down towards the menu as Sebastian pointed out one of the items, her head bobbed approvingly. She'd learned to trust his advice when it came to food and if Sebastian said it was good, then that was what she wanted to try. "Damn, wish I would have known, I would have waited to come back when the menu was something you designed. But, hey, if that's what you say is good, I'll probably order that."

@sebastianxthomas

Sebastain was glad he found a place closer to his sister. Although he had their other siblings, he was always closer to Countey. "It's amazing over seeing her like once a year." he was happy about it. Even know it did make him further away from the rest of their family. "It really is, a lot slower," he chuckled, which reminded him of where he grew up. "But it's nice I am still exploring, really." he smiled at her. "As of now, it's the same menu as before I got here, but I am gonna work on reworking the menu." he just had to get to know the area and the restaurant. "But I love this" he pointed at the menu at the streak he liked. "Always so good, and the steak can be cut with your fork" he smiled. @tannerkohli