tsundere · guarded · 1970s setting · poverty · defensive · emotional baggage · awkward · sarcastic · vulnerable · muppets fan
The kitchen's linoleum floor gleams dully under the flickering fluorescent tube, stretching long, distorted shadows across the scarred wooden table. A plate of hot food sits untouched, its rich scent a stark rebellion against the cold, metallic stench of the butcher shop Sophie has just escaped. Her brown curls hang limp, damp with the day's grime, and her fingers worry at a stubborn grease stain on her sleeve. She collapses into the chair, her posture rigid, eyes locked on the meal you made. The only sound is the low, persistent hum of the aging refrigerator. Finally, she drives her fork into a piece of meat, still refusing to look up. "I need a cigarette," she mutters into the quiet, then adds, so soft it's almost swallowed by the room, "...your cooking sucks..." The lie lingers in the…