sweeter than sugar.

rhea blakewood. 36. cancer. cat velvet & cocoa.

[rheaxblakewood]

━ INTRODUCING RHEA BLAKEWOOD.

FULL NAME: Rhea Blakewood

NICKNAME(S): Ree, RB

AGE: 36 years old

BIRTHDAY: July 19th 1989

BIRTHPLACE: Kismet Harbor, OR

RESIDENTIAL AREA: Emerald Mist

OCCUPATION: Chocolatier at Velvet & Cocoa

LENGTH OF TIME IN KISMET HARBOR: Until 18 and then moved back in 2017

biography and headcanons under the cut!

B I O G R A P H Y ;

Rhea’s first few days on earth are a bit of a mystery to her and her family. She was found with a long letter at the local fire station. Her mother had left her in a bassinet, a long letter tucked in on the side, explaining how she was born at the local hospital, why her mother couldn’t take care of her; she was young and had gotten pregnant by her high school boyfriend who had disappeared at the first chance he’d gotten. And while her mother loved her she knew she couldn’t take care of her and going the official adoption route would take too long so she did what she could. Rhea’s birth certificate was there as well in case Rhea ever wanted to know her birth mother it had both her parents names, along with her height and weight at birth with that name—one she’d carry with her. 

She’d been taken from the fire station to the hospital to get checked out and that’s when the Blakewood’s had heard about this little baby girl being abandoned and their heart’s tugged at the thought about her being put into the foster system. From the moment Daniel and Maria had laid eyes on little week old Rhea—it had been love at first sight. For Rhea too it was nothing short of a fairytale, one she often recited in her young age when anyone asked why she didn’t look like the rest of her family. She told them how she was literally placed in their hearts by a stork (aka. her birth mother)

Of course as Rhea got older, she did wonder about her parents and while Daniel and Maria had always told her about her birth certificate if she wanted to look for her birth parents—she hadn’t made that decision as of yet.  Rhea was always shadowing her big brother Damon, idolizing the man from the first time she could walk, her steps leading her not to Daniel or Maria, but Damon, hands outstretched happily with a toothy grin as she collapsed on the carpet right in front of him. Her relationship with her family is her driving force, she is eternally grateful for their love and acceptance and will truly do anything to ensure their happiness. For their part, her parents also want the best for her and so their encouragement for her to live her dreams helped her make the decisions she did as a fresh graduate to not go to University first but instead travel to Europe for a few months.

The initial plan had been to return home at Christmas and then join college in January but Rhea had fallen in love—with Paris. Of course to stay there, she needed to find a job and so she started as a barista in a local Parisian cafe but slowly that led to her working in bakeries and perfecting the art of Parisian desserts. From there, her path led her to Switzerland where she enrolled in various workshops to better her skill but somehow that wasn’t enough for Rhea. That’s when she opted to return to France to officially learn the true art of making chocolate at École du Grand Chocolat Valrhona. She also undertook some workshops for specialized training at Le Cordon Bleu Paris and truly began understanding her passion. 

From there—her path took her to London where she worked at various kitchens around the cities most prestigious hotels and shops, understanding not only the creative and technical skill required but the business side of things as well. And then came time to return to this side of the ocean and Rhea’s first stop led her to New York City. This is where she enrolled in the Institute of Culinary Education and spent some time honing her skills and bettering her technique to suit the palate here. 

In 2017 she made the decision to return home to Kismet Harbor and for a bit, she worked at the Starlight Ridge Country Club until finally she came to the decision that the one thing Kismet Harbor was sorely missing was a chocolate shop. A proper place where people could come to sample her creations and she could freely work on whatever flavor combinations her heart desired.

Taking this idea to her family had been like a project, asking them to invest as silent partners but Daniel had taken one look at her powerpoint and let out a laugh before tossing her his chequebook; a moment that still makes her laugh.

Now Rhea is the proud founder of Velvet & Cocoa, a recognized luxury artisan chocolate brand that is highly sought after. There are days of course where she still thinks about opening the folder with her birth mother’s letter and searching for them but then her eyes fall on her family pictures and the urge to discover more—washes away. What if her finding out means she’s losing this part of herself, her identity that she holds so dear? 

Personality wise, she’s incredibly ambitious and friendly. The running joke is, she’s never met a stranger and Rhea likes it that way. Her thought process is that there is already too much hatred in the world so if she can share a smile with someone and make their day better—why not?

Growing up around relationships like her parents, and of course Damon and his wife’s—Rhea deeply believed in a love that lasted. However she was beginning to wonder if she was destined for a love like that. She’s been lucky to have had some great relationships, always ending them on mostly good terms and trying to move on with a smile on her face. But now that she’s getting older, she’s almost wondering if she’s somehow missed the person she was supposed to spend her life with. 

H E A D C A N O N S ;

Keeps a notebook in her purse solely for flavor ideas that come to her at random.

Can identify the percentage of dark chocolate in most bars after one bite.

Collects antique chocolate molds from her travels.

Still sends handwritten birthday cards.

Has a habit of tucking loose hair behind her ear when concentrating.

Knows every regular customer at Velvet & Cocoa by name and usually remembers their favourite order.

Cries during cooking competition shows and denies it every time.

Prefers bookstores over shopping malls.

Has a soft spot for old jazz and French café playlists.

Owns far too many cozy sweaters in shades of cream, brown, and forest green.

Talks to her chocolate creations when she's working late and thinks nobody is around.

Is incapable of leaving a stray shopping cart in a parking lot.

Loves hosting dinner parties but hates being the center of attention.

Secretly reads romance novels and will deny it depending on when you call her out for it.

Always orders dessert, even when she's full.

Keeps her birth mother's letter in a locked box but knows exactly where it is at all times.

Calls her parents every day without fail.

C O N N E C T I O N S ;

Family Friend — Their families have known each other for years, making them a permanent fixture in one another's lives.

Old Friend, New Beginning — Reconnected after years apart and are trying to figure out where they fit in each other's lives now.

Travel Connection — Met during Rhea's years abroad and maintained an unlikely friendship despite the distance.

Former Colleague — Worked together during one of her pastry or chocolate training years and stayed in touch.

Business Connection — Supplier, collaborator, investor, or fellow business owner with ties to Velvet & Cocoa.

Loyal Customer — Started as a regular customer and gradually became part of Rhea's life outside the shop.

Mentor / Mentee — Someone who either helped shape Rhea's career or whom she's taken under her wing.

The Chaos Friend — Constantly dragging responsible, organized Rhea into adventures she never planned on having.

Friendly Rival — Whether in business or life, they push each other to be better while pretending they're not competitive.

The One That Got Away — A connection that ended before its time and still leaves both parties wondering what could have been.

Slow Burn — A friendship that has been steadily evolving into something more, whether either of them wants to admit it or not.

The Skeptic — Someone who challenges Rhea's belief in lasting love and happy endings.

The Matchmaker's Project — Friends and family are convinced they'd be perfect together and won't stop meddling.

Missed Connection — Their paths crossed years ago without either realizing how important that meeting would become later.

Connected to Her Past — Someone who unknowingly (or knowingly) has ties to her biological family, threatening to answer questions Rhea isn't sure she wants answered.

[rahmipamuk]

"I remember. You brought those for me to sample once." Rahmi was no stranger to the cities she'd lived in at some point. With his job, politics were everywhere, and he would always leap to the chance to go to cities she was in and he had never denied doing so to her. Luckily, politics would last and last, but there was no need for those excuses now. If anything, she could scold him for not moving to Kismet sooner, but he'd not wanted to give up on the job he had loved so much until he absolutely had to. Watching how Daphne immediately took her chance and headed into the kitchen, Rahmi let out a breath. It wasn't that he didn't want Daphne to see or know, but he didn't want to get her hopes up if after all those years, timing and location hadn't been the cause of their break ups. His eyes quickly darted from the kitchen back to Rhea, the sound of marshmallows only curling his lips even more. He answered her question by leaning down, pressing his lips against hers, locking her bottom lip between his before he slowly pulled back, only a slight tug given before standing back up straight. "Still like it." @rheaxblakewood

[rheaxblakewood]

The look in Rhea’s eyes conveyed her thoughts in that moment. Because Daphne was still there, she couldn’t come right out and say that she remembered bringing him those chocolates along with all the debauchery that happened afterwards. Still, given how well they knew one another she figured he knew what she was thinking about as she finally averted her gaze and brought it back to Daphne before ushering her back in. One of Rhea’s recent favourite things was getting the chance to reconnect with Rahmi and Daphne of course, even if less than ideal circumstances led to his return to Kismet Harbor. As soon as the admittance of marshmallow came from her, his lips were on hers. Rhea’s body acted out of its own accord as she leaned into him.

One of her favourite things about being intimate with someone taller than her was actually getting to lean up into the kiss, feeling like for once she was the smaller person even if her height of 5’10’’ was not small by any means. She let out a soft hum when he pulled back after tugging on her bottom lip and sighed once more, biting on the same lip as she shook her head. “Fraternizing with the head chocolatier in this manner this, tsk tsk—so unacceptable,” she teased softly before leaning in once more, a soft kiss to the corner of his mouth. “You annoyingly make it hard to resist,” she whispered before wondering yet again if they were at risk of falling into their familiar habit of always coming back to one another.

This time though—there was nothing pulling either of them away so soon. Rhea’s shop was a success and while she’d toyed with the idea of franchising Velvet and Cocoa in another city, no plans were concrete yet and given his current circumstances, she didn’t think he’d be picking up and leaving either. Did that mean that perhaps they could perhaps move ahead and see what it would be like if they didn’t keep falling apart thanks to time, distances and circumstances? 

[franciscofontenelle]

"Sounds tempting." Tempting indeed. Leaning back in his seat, Cisco wondered when the last time was that he'd visited his friend at work and came to the immediate conclusion that it had been too long. "Have I ever told you that you're the best?" A smile curled against his lips and brightened the expression his face bore. With the return of many people Cisco had thought he might never see again in this lifetime ( for better or for worse ) a night out with a steady friend was just about the thing he needed to get his mind off things. Tumultuous circumstances and the feeling of missing his sister were greater tonight. And so, he would agree to just about anything, glad for Rhea to take the wheel. As though Rhea's words had been an overstatement, the gesture, a lax waving motion of his hand, was meant to brush their weight off - anything to not take a compliment. Watching her prepare their escape, Cisco followed behind her, aiming an apologetic nod toward the waiter, followed by a shrug. He turned his head for a last look through the restaurant's door before it closed once they had reached the outside. The waiter had moved, though still had his eyes in their general direction and the fresh air surrounded him and it felt like a salve. "I think he was about to." @rheaxblakewood

[rheaxblakewood]

“Honestly, you have….but because it’s been forever, I’m not at all opposed to the compliment,” she told him with another giggle before they began their exit from the rather fancy place. It was true, there was nothing wrong with it, and they’d probably have had an enjoyable evening here too but Rhea just didn’t feel like staying that somewhat stuffy atmosphere and knew the two of them would be able to kick back better and actually talk normally if they were in a different place. “Well thankfully we got out of there before he did,” she chuckled before wrapping her arm around his bicep as they began their little trek. The place she wanted to go to wasn’t too far and the evening air wasn’t that chilly but this way they could speak and walk side by side. “So—talk to me, pre-dinner conversation. How’s everything going with you?” | @franciscofontenelle

[damonxblakewood]

"I know, but do you really want all his fur and slobber all over the place?" He asked and shook his head, his saint Bernard being a lovable giant but made a mess with shedding and drooling all over the place. He knew she wouldn't let his dog get into anything that would hurt him, he trusted his sister implicitly. Getting his dig had been his saving grace and he was his constant companion, though he couldn't bring him everywhere. The larger the dog, the more of a mess they make. But Damon was grateful his sister loved Apollo as much as he did. "Of course I am but whatever," he shook his head before shooting her a look and playfully and childishly, stuck his tongue out at her. Watching as she took out the chocolate, he couldn't help but chuckle, "that I do know. And you always have been you know." His eyes worked their way from the tray back up to her and nodded before taking one and savoring them. "My favorite part about you being a chocolatier? Is getting to try all the new stuff because these are amazing." @rheaxblakewood

[rheaxblakewood]

“Listen, I will take it all from my dog nephew,” Rhea retorted with a grin as she thought about the large dog who always strolled in like he owned the place. It was so good to be with her big brother, she truly felt at peace with him, in a way that Rhea rarely felt. So long in her childhood she’d never felt abandoned or detached because of Damon and their parents and truly she was the woman she was today—because of her family. “I know I’ve always been incredibly impatient, god knows how I fell into this career where I actually have to be patient at times,” she shook her head with a grin before holding it out to him and watching him take a bite. “Eee! Really? I’m glad, it’s a combination of rosemary infused caramel with a bit of a brown butter base.” Rhea told him with a proud smile, “I wanted to try and experiment a little bit more for the summer season.” She took one for herself, popping it in her mouth before she relaxed against the couch, “so—tell me. What’s new in your life? I know we talk all the time but still—anything interesting that needed an in person conversation?” Rhea had nothing of her own to share but would find something interesting if asked. | @damonxblakewood

[rahmipamuk]

"You know I am." Granted, Rahmi had somewhat outgrown his mean streaks. He had definitely been that teenage boy, but fatherhood had definitely softened him up, turned him kinder, more patient. She'd seen that curve, that growth. "Uhuh, maybe one day you'll consider working with Cunnamore. Use our wine for your chocolates." Was that even a possible thing? He figured it would be. Or she could use their produce. At least now he was in a position of making such deals, even if he missed journalism. He watched as Daphne got the next chocolate, looking at Rhea with a doubtful look before she took the plunge and biting into it. Apparently it was a success, for she downed the second half in no time. "Oh, is there more?" She asked, already moving away to see if there was more she could chow down on, though not straying far from the two. The distance however was enough of a cue for Rahmi to slowly reach his hand out, his little finger caressing against her hand. "That depends." He said. "What flavour is your lipgloss?" Rahmi continued, his voice a lower whisper. Those were the kind of things Daphne didn't need to hear. @rheaxblakewood

[rheaxblakewood]

“That’s true,” she started with a glint in her eyes, “to some extent.” It would be unjust of her to admit that sometimes she missed the man he used to be. Not because of anything but the fact that she wished she could re-live that part of her life again, when they’d first met. But at the same time—seeing Rahmi become the man he was today, someone who was there for his daughter, for the people he cared about, the growth in him—it was a journey that she was proud to have witnessed. “Hmm, trying to pull me into every part of your life, are you? It’s worth a thought though…wine filled chocolates are a delicacy I learned during my time in France,” she mused softly before turning her attention back to Daphne, pleased with this reaction over the last. “Of course there’s more, you can go into the kitchen and ask Josie to give you more ‘trial’ pieces if you want,” she winked at the younger girl before looking back at Rahmi, not missing the way his pinkie grazed over hers instantly drawing her attention and her proximity as it got closer. Her eyes darted down to his lips at his response before a smirk played on her lips. Tilting her head, she gave her answer. “Marshmallow. Do you still like it or have you moved onto other flavours?” | @rahmipamuk

[venixvitale]

He looked at her and waved his hand. "Eh, I don't know about that," he teased. "I don't like it. I think my mind is still mad at me for having to learn English," he teased as he learned as a teenager. "But on the other hand, my father still loves to read books in English," but he did order books in Italian for himself most of the time. He smirked, "I need to see if you can hold up to the real thing." he had been where the best chocolates in the world came from. He looked at his father's book a moment and chuckled, "I mean the jet, not so much that costs a lot, the smaller plane maybe," he winked. He had a small plane that he flew around the coast for fun. @rheaxblakewood

[rheaxblakewood]

Rhea couldn't help but roll her eyes at Veni's words. She knew he'd learnt English a long time ago so him saying this wasn't entirely factual but she let it slide with a laugh, "oh yeah? I love that for your dad, maybe he and I would get along better," she teased with a grin before scoffing at that statement. "I learned from those places that are the so-called 'real' thing in your opinion so yes I definitely believe I can hold up to them," she challenged with a grin before nodding in agreement. "Yeah I wouldn't imagine you taking a jet out for a joyride, that could get to be a lot but a smaller plane...that could be fun," Rhea angled with a grin, wondering if she could score an invite for a quick little ride that would calm the wanderer inside her. | @venixvitale

[cemrexdeniz]

Where: The Rodeo

Who: @rheaxblakewood

"Here try this." Cemre said as she offered a tiny glass of whiskey to the woman next to her. "It's probably the best whiskey of the bunch." She whispered to them, before taking another glass of it to try. Downing the sip of whiskey quickly, before she handed back her glass. "I feel like I'm ready to go ride the bull now. What about you?"

[rheaxblakewood]

Rhea took the glass from Cemre and took a sip before nodding and asking for another of the same. "Damn that one was really good," she told Cemre before glancing over to read the name of the bottle. "I think I'm going to have to go buy this one in a full size later. It went down real smooth," she murmured before nodding at Cemre's words. "Oh I'm more than game for that. I haven't done it in ages, I can't wait to see how long before I fall on my ass," she chuckled before shaking her head. | @cemrexdeniz

[rahmipamuk]

Moments like these, observing two of his favourite people interact was the best way to spend his time. Daphne adored Rhea, and though the two always had a fleeting on and off relationship ever since high school, he was happy to see that the relationship between her and Daphne had never changed. Once her eyes were set on him, his hands were raised in a claim of innocence, only for them to be directed towards his chest. Shocked by the words that came out of her mouth. "I'm always nice to you." He spoke, eyes wide with a sarcastic delivery before his features softened, a sly grin curling on his lips. "At least I know they're good without having tried them." For Rhea certainly was a real genius when it came to her business. His eyes shifted to Daphne who tried the chocolate. The fact she tried her hardest to not pull a face, made it clear to him that she didn't like the filling. Marzipan maybe. Or raspberry. Any type of red fruit that wasn't strawberry wasn't to his daughter's liking. He was about to make a comment when he kept to himself, instead looking over to Rhea before he was accused of meddling. He wanted to be judged as nice because he wanted one too, dangit. @rheaxblakewood

[rheaxblakewood]

“Are you?” Rhea countered with a grin, not missing the way Rahmi was also responding in the same manner she was. This had been their way of speaking since high school and honestly, she wouldn't change it for the world. The bond she had with him would always remain as a significant one and she never needed to vocalize it--he just knew. “That’s true…you’re good for my business, telling people the chocolates are always good without even trying them.” Rhea caught the look on Daphne’s face and shook her head, trying not to laugh before continuing, “I’m going to try not to take that personally since I realized what I just gave you,” she winced and shook her head. “Try this instead…it’s got your favourite in it,” she held another one out to Daphne, knowing that the strawberry filled chocolate would be much more preferred. The difference was that she used a homemade strawberry jelly and so the flavour was that much more enhanced. Leaning over to Rahmi though, she raised a brow. “So tell me—what’s your flavour for today? Free sample box on the house, like always,” she grinned at the two of them, truly feeling that familiar fondness she got whenever she was in their presence. | @rahmipamuk

[venixvitale]

He looked around, hearing his name till he spotted who had said it and smiled. "Rhea Blakewood," he teased, saying her name back at her. "Yes, I know," he looked around, he wasn't one for reading much. "I am picking up a book for my padre..." he smiled as he was getting a book for his father. "And I was looking around, but really books don't click with me much," as much as he did try, nothing called out to him. He smiled, "Good, busy as normal." Well, not every week, but he still did well. "How's the chocolates?" he asked with a grin. @rheaxblakewood

[rheaxblakewood]

A little chuckle left her at the way he chose to full name her as well before she nodded at his words. That was sweet and definitely seemed like something she’d do for her parents as well. Still his words had her shaking her head, “I’m a firm believer that you just haven’t found the right books yet,” she said even if she  was certainly not the type to force someone to do as she said. “Busy is good, and the chocolates are great. You’ll have to come by for a free sample one of these days, I might just be in a good mood and give you more than one,” she teased before paying for her few recipe books and taking the bag. “So tell me—how often do you take friends around just for a quick ride?” | @venixvitale

[grahamxweber]

Graham had grabbed a drink with a co-worker after work, knowing that his mom was fine to spend time with Theo a little longer. It's not like anyone but he and Andie knew the truth. A truth that he found difficult to balance. He loved Theo but there was a part of him that resented the child for being Reid's, not that it was Theo's fault at all. As he walked down the street to his car, he was stopped by an all too familiar sounding voice. He stopped in his tracks, "I don't have plans, no." He shook his head to her question. "My mom has Theo right now. I can tell her I won't be home for a while. She will probably be happy about it." Graham stated, pulling out his phone to text his mom. "It has been too long, though." @rheaxblakewood

[rheaxblakewood]

Rhea’s gummy smile grew wider at Graham’s admittance to not having any other plans. She’d still tried to curb her expectations though since she knew he might have to head home so when he admitted to being able to spend some time to chill, she had to let out a quick little cheer in the air. “This is great, as much as I love hanging out and seeing adorable little Theo, this is much needed. Now—what are you in the mood for? Drinks? Mini-golf? Darts? I’m open to anything so long as we can just chat and catch up.” Rhea glanced down at her watch then and gave him another sheepish smile. “Or we can grab food since I just realized it’s like 7 and I haven’t eaten since breakfast…whoops.” | @grahamxweber

[damonxblakewood]

The single most constant person in his life other than his parents, was his sister. Through thick and thin, she had been by his side, and he had hoped he could always be there for her. Even when it came to being a guinea pig for her chocolates, which overall was a pretty sweet deal. Heading over to his sister's, he left Apollo at home with plenty of water and his favorite chew toy. "Sheesh," he rolled his syes, "Apollo took forever on his walk, had to stop and smell every damn rose and hydrant." He stepped inside her home and bent down to take off his shoes, "blame your dog nephew not me. I'm always early you know that." @rheaxblakewood

[rheaxblakewood]

"You know you could've brought him over. I never say no to Apollo coming over, plus I keep the chocolate in unreachable places anyways so I wouldn't let him get into anything that would make him sick," Rhea told him with a grin. She had been almost devastated due to her specific niche career when her brother had gotten the Saint Bernard but had fallen in love with him almost instantly at the first meeting. And that was what led to her making her home safe for her dog nephew for all the times he'd come over and tackled her with hugs. "But valid...you are always early so I'll hold back judgement, for now," she warned with a grin as she led him into the home and pulled out the special tray of bonbons. "I was going to save them for dessert but I'm impatient...you know that," she grinned and pushed it over to his side. "Honest opinions okay? And then I promise I'll give you dinner too." | @damonxblakewood

[franciscofontenelle]

His eyes were glued to his phone, the notes app glaring at him with vibrant nothingness. Just a few key words were written on there and the longer he stared, the less sense they appeared to make to him. And when he heard Rhea's voice, he looked up, his phone's screen turning black in an instant. "Don't worry", he spoke, a smile reserved for kindred souls playing around his lips. "I hope those combinations were satisfactory." And he knew they would be, as only she could make him enjoy the sweet taste of chocolate. When Rhea mentioned Taco's, Cisco closed the menu in front of him, realizing too late it might signal that he was ready to place an order. He nodded. "You know I'll never turn down street side tacos." And when she glanced around, he followed her gaze for just a moment. Then, brown eyes settled back on his friend. "If we're quick enough .." @rheaxblakewood

[rheaxblakewood]

Such a simple move and yet it spoke volumes on the type of person he was. It hadn’t gone unnoticed just how quickly he was to divert his full attention to her, his phone screen black. “They were! You’re going to have to come by and try some of the others, but I may have a little sample box stashed away in here for you, special perks of being friends with the owner and head chocolatier.” she told him with a grin as she gestured to her bag that she’d arrived with. Honestly she hadn’t expected him to be quite so agreeable to the taco suggestion but now that he was interested, she knew they had a very short window of time before making a quick escape. “You’re the best,” she told him earnestly, her fingers wrapping tightly around her purse strap now as she finally stood and cleared her throat before seeing the server attempt to approach them. “We’ve just—had some news, we’re going to have to cut this short, I’m sorry…” she murmured with an apologetic smile before glancing back at Cisco as they made their way out of there. “I was almost scared he was going to stop us to demand a tip or something.” | @franciscofontenelle

[rheaxblakewood]

closed for @franciscofontenelle

“I’m so sorry I’m late!” Rhea said quickly as she took a seat across from the man with her bright gummy smile. “I got caught up in trying out a couple new combinations and well…time ran away from me.” She glanced around the restaurant they’d both decided on and she pulled a face. “As nice as this place looks and smells…I’m really craving street side tacos.” She whispered in a conspiratorial tone with a glint in her eyes. “Do you think we could duck out and head to the Village instead? We haven’t ordered anything yet…” she murmured glancing around, catching the eye of the server who was clearly assigned to their section.

[rheaxblakewood]

closed for @grahamxweber location: the street outside the shop

The chocolate shop, Velvet and Cocoa had just closed for the evening and Rhea said goodbye to her lead chocolate confectioner—watching as she handled all the closing procedures. She’d just stepped out in the street when a rather familiar face caught her eye. “Well if it isn’t one of my favourite people in the entire world?” Rhea quickly wrapped her arms around the man and gave him a smile, “do you already have plans tonight? Or fancy a quick catch up sesh? I feel like it’s been too long,” Rhea said with a soft pout on her lips. It probably hadn’t been that long really but she loved spending time with one of her best friends and random moments like this just felt like the universe conspiring or something to ensure Rhea got her fill of Graham-time. "And if you need to get home to Theo, that's okay...but just know I'm tagging along too," she told him with a smile as they walked down the street together.

[rheaxblakewood]

closed for @venixvitale location: uptown books

“Veni Vitale,” Rhea said as a greeting when she walked into the local bookstore and caught sight of him browsing the aisles. “Fancy seeing you here…out of all places,” she didn’t mean Kismet Harbor, but rather the bookstore as she got in line to pick up the order she’d placed a few days ago. There were these pastry recipe books from France that she’d requested, begged and pleaded with them to order for her and luckily they’d just come in. “How’s the aviation world treating you?”

[rheaxblakewood]

closed for @rahmipamuk location: velvet & cocoa

“Okay but Daphne, you have to try this one,” Rhea said as she presented the younger girl with a bonbon, fully decorated and waited for her to try it out. “And don’t even bother glancing back at your dad…I’m telling you to try it,” she narrowed her eyes in Rahmi’s direction before shaking her head with a grin as she waited for the young girl to bite into it. Her attention than returned to Rahmi before she raised a brow. “If you’re nice to me, I might have one for you too,” she told him with a grin. Rhea was of course aware of the less than ideal circumstances that led Rahmi back to Kismet Harbor and had spoken about it with him when he’d first come back but she didn’t want to draw attention to that repeatedly, especially when his daughter was with him.

[rheaxblakewood]

closed for @damonxblakewood location: Rhea's place in Emerald Mist

Rhea knew she didn’t need to get the house all cleaned up for her brother’s visit. After all, she did grow up with Damon so he knew her living habits quite well but that didn’t mean she wasn’t going to keep a box of specially made chocolates out on the coffee table. He was meant to be her tester today and she couldn’t wait for his opinion. Of course, she’d called him over for dinner and to catch up but the chocolates were her real ulterior motive, one that was blatantly clear with the little notepad she kept right next to the box. Each flavour pictured, labelled and with a comment box for him to fill out. She was just lucky that he put up with her eccentricities this way. As soon as the doorbell rang, she threw open the front door with a bright grin. "Finally, I've only been waiting forever," she told him with an eye roll, even if he definitely wasn't late and really just loved exaggerating.