SWEET LIKE CHERRY WINE.

a mumu blog for are you the one? - penned by sophie.

[chxrrywiness]

#CHXRRYWINESS ⸻ an exclusive rpg blog dedicated to areyoutheonerp and home to a collection of muses as created , written and adored by sophie .

remy westcott | 25 | the loveable rouge. nora zhou | 24 | the polished heartbreaker.

[offmatch]

the  apology  hits  harder  than  she  expected  it  too.  not  because  she  didn't  imagined  this  conversation  a  hundred  different  ways  already,  but  none  of  those  versions  included  remy  standing  there  looking  tired  enough  to  break  her  heart  all  over  again.  cerulean  hues  remain  fixed  on  the  darkened  water  below,  jaw  tightening  faintly  as  she  lets  his  words  settle  into  all  the  places  she  had  been  trying  not  to  feel  them.  "  almost,  "  she  repeats  softly,  though  there's  no  real  bite  behind  it  .  just  exhaustion  .  fingers  skim  along  the  surface  of  the  pool,  watching  the  ripples  before  finally  glancing  back  at  him.  "  you  know  what  the  worst  part  is  ?  "  a  humorless  laugh  falls  from  glossed  lips,  "  I  think  I  would  have  handled  you  not  choosing  me  better  than  all  the  in  between  stuff.  "  because  that  was  the  part  that  hurt.  the  lingering  touches  .  the  late  night  conversations  .  the  way  he  made  her  feel  seen  until  suddenly  she  wasn't  anymore.  her  throat  tightens  slightly  before  she  exhales  deeply.  "  you  don't  get  to  act  like  somebody  means  everything  to  you  one  minute  and  then  disappear  the  next,  remy.  that's  the  part  that  confused  me.  "  voice  low,  more  vulnerable  than  she  intended  .  knees  pulling  slightly  closer  to  her  chest  as  she  looks  away  again,  "  but,  if  you're  feeling  guilty  ?  don't  worry  I  forgive  you  ...  after  all  it's  just a  show,  right  ?  "

[chxrrywiness]

something in remy’s expression faltered completely . because there it was. the wound underneath all of it. not anger. not jealousy . hurt . real hurt. and god , he deserved every ounce of it. the male dragged a hand over his jaw slowly , eyes shutting for half a second like he physically felt the weight of her words settling onto him . when he looked back at her again , there was nothing polished left in him now . no easy answer that he could muster with bravado . " you're right . " the words came fast after that , almost before he could stop them . " i did vanish . " his voice roughened . " and i know how bad that looks , sienna , but it wasn’t because you suddenly stopped mattering . " he stepped a little closer to the pool then, not enough to crowd her , just enough that she’d know he wasn’t trying to run from the conversation anymore either . " it got messy in my head . " a humourless laugh escaped him . " one minute this place felt like a game i knew how to play , and the next… " his throat tightened briefly . " the next i was waking up thinking about somebody before my eyes were even open and i didn’t know what the hell to do with that . " his gaze dropped toward the water for a second before finding her again . " but you didn’t deserve to get lost in the middle of me figuring that out . " that part mattered to him, maybe more than she realised , because remy could live with people thinking he was an arsehole . he’d spent half his life leaning into that role whenever it was convenient . but the idea that he’d made someone feel disposable ? temporary ? that sat heavy somewhere in his chest . " for what it's worth , none of those conversations or moments with you were fake to me . that’s what makes this worse . " the honesty of it landed heavy between them . because if he lied now, maybe it’d hurt less . maybe she could hate him easier . but she deserved the truth . " you felt important to me , " he admitted plainly . " and you still are . " his words paused as his gaze wondered now , green eyes finding sydney in the group without really having to try . " i just… met somebody that made the room go quiet in my head for the first time in my life . ”

[chxrrywiness]

closed starter for sienna | @offmatch

remy found her by accident . or at least that’s what he’d tell anybody who asked . truthfully, he’d been avoiding this exact moment for days now , ducking out of rooms when sienna walked in, throwing himself into noise and distractions and sydney’s orbit so he didn’t have to deal with the wreckage of whatever this was supposed to be now . cecause the worst part wasn’t that he’d hurt her . it was that she’d mattered enough for him to know exactly how badly . the villa was quieter tonight, most people downstairs drinking away another brutal matchup ceremony , but remy couldn’t stomach the sound of everyone pretending things weren’t falling apart around them . he’d escaped outside for air , only to stop short when he spotted her sitting alone near the edge of the pool , legs dangling over the water . for a second, he genuinely considered turning around . coward . but maybe not . " guess the universe finally got tired of us avoiding each other , huh ? " he said quietly as he stepped closer , voice rougher than usual . there was no easy grin tonight . no charm to hide behind . just exhaustion . regret . remy shoved his hands into the pockets of his hoodie , lingering a few feet away from her like he wasn’t sure he still had the right to get any closer . " i know an apology probably feels useless at this point . " he admitted after a beat , eyes fixed somewhere past her instead of directly at her face . " but I am sorry , sienna. " the night air sat heavy between them . " i never meant to make you feel like ... almost . "

[solisfm]

All she could do was nod in understanding and relief as she received his grace for her reaction. "Thank you," she whispers, for he has no clue how his response lands right now. Accountability for her actions, thoughts, and feelings was something she was taught from a young age. They had ripple effects, and even if someone did not take it to heart, it was something she had to unlearn to a degree and give herself grace in the process. Remy's ability to accept the moment for what it was and not hold it over her was unheard of in her previous relationships. It was refreshing.

"Okay. I can do that," she said, extending her pinky out, another of many promises to be made with her person. "I wouldn't want anyone else in my bed, even with your grumpy butt early in the morning." She'd rather spend most of her days waking up to a disgruntled, curly-haired man who genuinely wanted to pursue her and do life with her. "Not to be sour, but I can't help but wonder who our matches are, you know? I think you drew the better card cause all these girls are wonderful."

[chxrrywiness]

the second she held out her pinky , remy laughed softly through his nose like she’d caught him completely off guard again . "jesus . " he murmured, hooking his pinky with hers immediately anyway . "you're really are out here making legally binding emotional contracts with me huh ? " but he squeezed her finger gently when he said it, like the promise mattered more than he wanted to admit . and honestly it did . his brain hadn't managed to come up with a plan if her answer had been that she didn't want this to work when he had spoken to her . he would have respected her wishes , of course he would have , but then what ? " and m'not grumpy , just , slow to catch up is all . " but he was grumpy , even if it was slightly less so now that his mornings were spent waking up wrapped in her . at her thoughts he offed a small nod . " i think about it , think about how bad i'm gunna feel that it doesn't change anything for me . " how did he even go about having the conversation with someone that perfect wasn't enough ? wasn't what he wanted now that he had what he did . " i think it's wyatt , from getting to know her , from the basic math and everyone else and she's great i just ... i don't see anyone now i see you syd . "

[solisfm]

It didn't feel accidental at all. Even though she'd only gotten to really know him over the past week, it felt like she'd known Remy her whole life. Despite an ocean between them, and that out of all the people who applied to be in this show, the likelihood of her meeting him seemed nothing but impossible. Yet, here he was. Comforting her, reassuring her, and just being a grounding presence when she felt like she couldn't show up right now. "I'm sorry," she said softly before biting her lip. Syd had been so quick to react that she didn't even consider how it would have left him feeling.

"I didn't mean to be so distant...and the last thing I would ever want you to think is that I don't want to see this through with you, because I do." No matter who her 'perfect' match was, she didn't want perfect. She would prefer perfectly imperfect with Remy over anything else. As he dropped his sweet line, she couldn't help but giggle for the first time in almost twenty-four hours. "You're my light too Rem," she said, cuddling into him more, wanting to make up for the hours they were apart. "So what should we do now?"

[chxrrywiness]

remy’s face softened almost painfully the second she apologised , like the thought of her carrying guilt on top of everything else genuinely bothered him . " hey . " the male mused , quiet , fingers immediately tilting her chin up just enough so she’d look at him . " don’t do that to yourself . " his thumb brushed lightly across her cheek once before falling away again . " you had your heart ripped out on national television last night , baby . i wasn’t exactly expecting you to handle it by throwing confetti and organising a trust fall . " a small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth , gentler now . " i know you weren’t trying to hurt me . " and remy really did know . that was the worst part about how much he cared about her already , he understood her silences now . understood the way she withdrew when she was overwhelmed instead of making noise about it . he hated that she’d been alone with it for hours , but he’d never punish her for needing space to survive something painful . the giggle that finally escaped her made something unclench in his chest . it was odd , he hadn't wanted to end up in this situation with sienna yet here he was , ready to dive in head first with her . " well , i think we stop letting anyone else define what we mean , i'd rather we crash and burn honestly than ignore what i know i feel because some light went out . as for the rest , we play the game , we find our match , we hope that they're a good sport about it but at the end of the night it's still your bed i'm crawling into . "

[norriszn]

photographer! lando

[solisfm]

The minute the lights went out, she felt like her heart fell out of her ass. Completely stunned, she couldn't even register the sweet nothings Remy was surely whispering into her ear to ground her. Yet, there was no grounding her in that moment. It's why she didn't open up her heart to many people. There was always the chance of disappointment, but this was simply earth-shattering. If Remy supposedly wasn't her match, then who was? Why was Syd not deemed worthy of the love that he could give her? When the lights came back on, Syd withdrew herself from Remy's grasp and the group at large into the next afternoon so she could process. Scream, cry, do whatever she needed to do to get through this moment. This wasn't fair.

She was hoping some vitamin D could cure a bit of her hurting heart right now, and her chest tightened at the sight of him joining her. Instinctively, she drew herself into him once more. He felt like home. He was her home. No one could tell her otherwise. As he talked and she drew aimlessly on the top of his hand with her finger, she couldn't help but chuckle as she tried to hold her tears. "How are you so sure I’m the one you’re supposed to be proposing to?” she whispers.

[chxrrywiness]

remy had replayed the blackout in his head about a thousand times in the span of a single night . the lights going out . the silence after . the way the entire house seemed to collectively stop breathing for half a second before chaos erupted around them . and then Sydney pulling away from him like touching him suddenly hurt . that part had gutted him most . not because he blamed her , god how could he , but because he hated that something as stupid as a glowing screen and a calculated algorithm could make her look at herself like she’d somehow failed . remy looked down at her hand tracing patterns against his skin before answering . the was quiet for a moment , jaw shifting slightly like he was trying to figure out how to say something that felt too big for words . " because nothing about this feels accidental to me . " his thumb moved against her hip slowly , where it had found a patch of warm skin . " i've dated people before , liked people, thought i loved them . no one terrified me quiet like you do . and when you pulled away , fuck , it felt like somebody told me i was losing something before i’d even gotten the chance to keep it . " is throat bobbed once before he forced a tiny smile . " i don't know what they're using to decide we're a perfect match or not , but the only light i need , is you . "

[f1tf]

look at him!!!

[solisfm]

"It doesn't make sense." They had just aligned on everything. It made her internalize whether she was just viewing things all wrong. Does she listen to her heart or the intelligence and wisdom of relationship experts? "I'm still gonna play the game. I could use the money...after that, I guess I'll have to figure it out."

[chxrrywiness]

" it doesn't , not when your head now says one thing and your heart says another . " and she knew , logically , that maybe on paper some pairing didn't work but clearly the heart wanted what it wanted sometime . " you still want to give it a go ? have you spoken to him ? "

[chxrrywiness]

closed starter for sydney | @solisfm

one week . they had had one week . and just one blackout had ruined it . when it had happened next to sienna it stung , when odds weren't in his and ardens favour ? it had made sense but this one ? there was a flow of hurt that had formed somewhere in his chest and seemed to spread . it had only grown more arms when the distance between himself and sydney had grown more than she could ever physically put space between them . one week . he had been wrapped up in her and eyes hadn't ever been tempted else where . 12 hours . that was how long it took remy to decide no light made a difference to him . a few hours more is all it took for him to decide she wasn't going to come to him and he was going to be the provider of comfort in this situation . a task he was more than up for . " you know . " he began , sinking down next to her in the sun lounger she was currently occupying , the space between them gone now . " i was thinking lavender tends to bloom best in the summer , and it means you're not going to have to worry about what you're wearing and if you'll be warm , so we would be working with a few months , but july , that's when they really peak . so that will probably be when i propose , late july sometime , if i book a trip to france around then , promise you'll act surprised anyway ? "

[solisfm]

WHO: Anyone! WHERE: The Edge of the Property

"What the fuck?" Alec and his stupid brain were to blame. She could kill him, but this was part of the process of this ridiculous game they all signed up to play.

[chxrrywiness]

" sucks right ? " nora mused , she wasn't gloating , it was a simple fact . she knew what it was like to sit there and realise what you thought was wrong . " what you going to do about it ? "

[landonorissian]

Different Tracks: Lando Norris

[solisfm]

"Yeah, he's awesome. He's got a plethora of stories, and if you bring him some black coffee with a spike of whiskey and brown sugar, you'll be his best mate and story time partner." Outside of her mother, her grandparents were practically her best friends. They'd love Remy and, out of the line-up, probably would have picked him first for Syd from the start. "I imagine he'll just pull pranks all day around town and pester people." The man did love a good joke. He was a boy at heart.

Sydney knew her baked goods were great, but it was affirmed that the guy she liked the most was just as sweet as her homemade buttercream icing. Settling into his chest, she snuggled into him and just closed her eyes. Daring for this to be forever. Wishing for the universe to just let them be a match. That would be the easiest outcome. No heartbreak, no disappointment. Just pure joy and validation that her heart and mind chose correctly. After a few minutes, she peeled back, looking up to his face to memorize every freckle and line. "Alright, my blind man, you ready to go face the world? Are you even good in the kitchen?"

[chxrrywiness]

sydney didn’t just feel pretty or exciting or easy to flirt with . she felt warm . like every story about her family somehow wrapped around you too . like she came from people who laughed loudly and fed you before you asked and remembered your coffee order forever after hearing it once . remy loved his mum , more than anything , but it had just been the two of them growing up , no grand parents , no siblings . the idea that families with such love existed ? it did something to him he wasn’t fully prepared for . " he sounds amazing , it would be nice to meet him . " he offered quietly , though he could feel it , the fear in his chest that made him want to run . that was the thing with wanting complicated , it felt so open it scared the shit out of him . still he stayed rooted to his spot and let her watch him , any thoughts of perfect matches long gone from his head . " so the thing is what i can cook , no ones going to beat me at , just don't get your hopes to high on what they might actually be . " a mean cheese toastie , a great pasta ? sure . anything that involved more than maybe three elements to be perfect , he was out . " i'm ready though , hold me hand whilst we face the wolves ?" he groaned as he moved , sitting the both of them up in one motion .

[solisfm]

"Mhmmm...my pop-pop has been doing it since he was 18. He's retiring in the fall and will probably go stir crazy." It would be bittersweet for him, she knew, but the love of the water came from him, and when he let her tag along from time to time. "You're cute when you sleep, you know that?" she chuckled before running her fingers through his curly bedhead locks. She didn't want to pop this perfect little bubble of theirs, but she knew it would happen here in a few moments. Nonetheless, Sydney did her best to make up these blissful seconds as much as she possibly could.

"And I'm sure it was my muffins or me threatening to chop your balls off and feed them to my fishies that got you, right?" Whatever it may have been, she was happy that the connection finally sparked some tangible and real. She couldn’t help but smile as he brushed his nose against hers, his promise of being here with her again. "Fine, fine," she said as she rested her head against his chest, clinging to him tightly, like she'd done just a few hours ago before she fell asleep. "I would just like to stay here for a few more minutes if that's okay with you?

[chxrrywiness]

remy’s expression softened almost immediately at the mention of her pop-pop , the teasing easing out of him for a second . " eighteen ?" he repeated quietly . " that’s kind of incredible . " he pictured it easily , cold mornings on rough water, weathered hands, decades spent chasing tides . it made sense now , why sydney had seemed happiest last night when talking about the water . " man’s gonna terrorise everybody once he retires type of vibes ? " his question was quiet , his eyes fluttering shut for half a second when her fingers slid through his curls , leaning into the touch before he could stop himself . " yea well , you're cure all the time . " he murmured back lazily . the smile that spread across his face at her next comment was helpless . " okay , first of all ? the muffins absolutely moved the needle , but it was the scones you made that really got to me . " there was still sleep hanging around him , still traces of the guy who’d woken up confused five minutes ago , but underneath it all was something frighteningly content . " baby . " he scoffed, almost like the answer should’ve been obvious . one arm wrapped around her properly then , pulling the blankets up around them both again despite the daylight already creeping through the room . " you never gotta ask me twice for that ... think this is the most peaceful i've been since we got here . "

[solisfm]

"Deep-sea fishermen." That was Syd's life up until she was about twelve years old. "Hey! I was being nice and let you sleep in," she replies, poking him gently in his stomach. "It's 9:30, and we're the only ones left in here." Syd could hear the murmurings of their housemates waking up over the last hour, while she pretended to remain asleep against Remy. She could only imagine what they were saying at breakfast this morning.

"A woodland creature?" she gasps softly. "I think that's the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me." Before she knew it, she was being pulled onto him, making her squeal ever so slightly. She rested her forearms on his chest, looking down at him with a raised brow, too. Yeah, she could definitely do this forever. "Hmmm," she said before tapping her still ringed finger against his chest. "I honestly can't remember. You snooze, you lose... and it's with terrible news I have to tell you your UK citizenship has no say here, despite how much I love your accent. I guess you'll have to try again tomorrow."

[chxrrywiness]

" you were not ? that's cool as fuck . " the idea of being on a boat for that long would honestly probably make remy sick but that didn't mean he hadn't lost hours marvelled over the discovery channel before watching those programmes . " it is ? " sheepishly he rose his head to realise he was in fact , alone in here with her . he hadn't even taken time to register who else was around he had been so wrapped up in the blonde . a moment of guilt crept in , he doubted arden would mind but sienna ... he let the thought trail away as his fingers moved to brush her hair from her brow for a moment . his eyes drifted toward the ring she kept tapping against his chest . imaginary, ridiculous, somehow still making his stomach flip every time he had looked at it since he had put it on her . dangerous . everything about this was dangerous . " i knew it was the fucking accent . " he muttered through a laugh , another yawn following suit as he tried to force himself awake . " but if you think threatening me with having to try again tomorrow is supposed to be scary ... i think you'll find i'm right where i want to be . " reaching up he let his nose brush against hers for a moment before his head found the pillow again . " i took my contacts out last night before we went to sleep so i might need your help finding my glasses and then i can make you break fast if you want , lord knows we're gunna be bombarded sooner rather than later in here anyway . "

[solisfm]

If this was a little snapshot of her future, she couldn't wait to have hundreds of thousands of mornings with him. Viewing one another in the most vulnerable of forms. It wasn't something that ever came easily for Sydney. Trust. Access to her heart and mind. Yet, Remy felt worthy enough for her to give it all without hesitancy or trepidation. It was nice to let go and not carry everything on her own shoulders for once. "Aww, did I mess up your beauty sleep, babe?" she giggled into her pillow, trying not to disturb his slumber more than she already had.

"Well, it's too late. Unfortunately for you...I am. Blame Jane Fonda and my gran wanting to be as fit as her." Those were 5:30 AM wake-up times, and two of them did a workout every morning before Syd was getting ready for school. Ever since then, like clockwork, she was up right at 5:30. "Alright, Grumpelstiltskin! And to think I was gonna treat you to something nice this morning, but never mind..."

[chxrrywiness]

remy let out a dramatic groan the second she said 5:30am . " jesus christ . " he mumbled into the pillow . " we're you raised by navy seals ? " he cracked one eye open just enough to look at her properly , hair a mess , face still creased from sleep , and somehow she still looked unbearably cute sitting there teasing him before sunrise like she hadn’t just shattered his last remaining thread of consciousness . " and don't babe me right now . " remy grumbled , though the grin pulling at the corner of his mouth ruined any actual malice in his words . " you forfeited affection when you started poking my face like a woodland creature checking if i was dead . " still , his arm tightened around her waist again , pulling her half on top of him this time like he refused to let her escape the bed yet . if there was one thing remy had never been shy about it was physical contact . a love language , that's what his last girlfriend had called it . then her last comment registered . and remy's brow lifted at her slowly . " oh ? " his voice dropped lower immediately , suspiciously awake for someone that had just been acting like he was dying . " you were gonna treat me to something nice this morning ? well now i need details , syd . you can’t just say that and then revoke my privileges . " his thumb brushed along her hip beneath the blanket . " that’s cruel . probably illegal , actually , definitely illegal in the uk so ... "

[solisfm]

Sydney couldn't even believe what time it was when they finally decided to head to bed. He was kind enough to fetch them dinner while the two of them spent the remainder of the night just getting to know one another better. Likes, dislikes, the things that unnerved them most in the world. If she hadn't been yawning so much, she could have spent more time chatting away with him. A part of her just didn't want their time to end. Now they would have the opinions and whispers of their fellow housemates ruminating in the air around them. Not that Syd saw herself being distracted from what she felt for this man.

Since she arrived at the villa, she had chosen to sleep in her own bed. Solo. Finally feeling secure with someone, Remy, she had no hesitation in climbing into the comforts of his arm. She knew by the morning the house would be on alert, and if she was going to face this crew of people, Sydney felt most confident with her hands in his. It felt easy, resting her head on his chest and allowing his heart beat to lull her to sleep. It was the best sleep she'd gotten since day one, and she had no desire to get out of bed when the sun rose. Watching him sleep was probably the most adorable thing she'd seen in a minute. Lazily gliding her finger against his nose, she couldn't help but giggle as he instinctively scrunched at the sudden sensation before relaxing his face once more. After a few more seconds, she got a startled look from the man that sent her into a fit of giggles. "Morning, sunshine. Did you forget where you were?"

[chxrrywiness]

if there was one think remy westcott had never been , it was a morning person . beds had been shared since he had been here , that was no secret . the curly haired man was jut usually one of the last to surface when the need for caffine outweighed any desire he might have had to sleep any longer . at the sensation on his nose , remy blinked a few times like his brain was still buffering , one arm tightening instinctively around her before he even fully registered she was there . the second his focus locked in , her face, inches away, clearly far too amused for someone who’d just woken up , from what he could tell without his glasses anyway , his expression shifted into something half confused , half betrayed . " please don't tell me you're a morning person , i really should have checked last night before i proposed ." he rasped , voice rough with sleep , though he was already smiling despite his eyes having fallen closed again . " i didn’t forget where i was . i firstly can't see very well right now and secondly i didn't know you were capable of like, emotional terrorism this early in the morning ." fucking sunshine indeed.