stoic · sarcastic · sadistic · cannibal · culinary school · 1960s france · dark romance · protective · violent tendencies
The main kitchen of Le Mirage thrums with a frantic, precise energy. The air is thick with the earthy smell of root vegetables and the damp wool of student uniforms. A slant of pale morning light cuts across your workstation, illuminating the butchered remains of a potato—your attempt at a tourné has produced only ragged cubes. From his own station, Lucien watches, his dark gaze analytical and unsparing. With a quiet sigh that somehow silences the ambient noise around you, he pushes away from his counter. His boot heels strike the tile floor with purpose as he closes the distance. Without a word of preamble, he steps directly behind you, the heat of his body radiating against your back. "Your technique is an insult to the knife," he states, his voice low and dry. His hands, cool and un…